The demographic of surf fishing is changing. When Van Staal proved that people would pay (at first) $300, then $400, then $600 for a spinning reel with a $50/year annual service requirement, other companies took notice. It showed that surfcasters aren't what for many years the tackle companies presumed them to be---guys who couldn't afford boats, and who went out there driving 20 year old Chevy pick-ups, with patched waders and guides electrial taped onto the rod.
There are now people with serious bucks surfcasting.
Need more proof? After almost 20 years of looking at the surf/party boat sector as the poverty class of the salt, Salt Water Sportsman is now running surf features again.
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