Surf fishing tips 101

[DarkSkies]

Lotta people pming me lately. Don't mind helping new people, just not one at a time, with the same answers.

Thought it would be a good idea to lay it down, one tip at a time.

Surf fishing used to be an elite club, hadda pay your dues, put your time in. I still believe in that, but sometimes I need to follow my own advice. Maybe if it's here in print, it can help some of the new guys, and I can look at it and remember to follow the simple rules.

I'll kick it off:

20 and done.

Fishin a spot you know is good, give it anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes. No fish during that time, they're not there that night, or that tide. Move on to another spot. Keep moving until you find the fish.

Find the bait.

Fish are in an area when they are travelling from one place to another or feeding. No bait, they can't eat. Keep moving until you find a decent amount of bait.

[DarkSkies]

Never leave the fish to find the fish.

Part of my compulsion is thinking the grass is always greener on the other side. It ain't. When you're catching, unless it's sea robins, stay there until the bite dies out.

[paco33]

Fish before, or right after a storm. Clams are the best bait for this type of fishing, bass will be hungry. Great thread.

[basshunter]

When fishing bait, don't set up right next to guys who are plugging. When plugging, give the bait guys some space.

[paco33]

Don't fish heavy bucktals near where there are rocks.

[bunkerjoe4]

The above post reminded me of fishing metals over clam or mussel beds. If you are doing that in the late fall and trying to drag the metal to imitate sandeels, that stuff will abrade the heck out of your braided line.

If so, make sure you cut off at least 10 feet and re-tie if you leave that area to go somewhere else. At the very least, check your line with a light for abrasions.

Weakened braid could cause you heartbreak as you lose that fish of a lifetime.

[bunkerjoe4]

Corollary to the above:

If you are fishing braid out on the rocks, try to put a shock leader (around 36") between the braid and the plug. It will go a long way towards making that great catch and protecting the line from beatings against the rocks.

[fishinmission78]

Since you seem to be talking about the fall, if you want fall bass and sandeels are around, sometimes they will be right behind the last breaking wave, stacked up around the cut.

Another trick that works is to try to cast so your metal or plug sweeps with the wave, either just behind it, or right in front of it in the troth. Stays in the strike zone that much longer, works great. (though it didn't work for me today).

[bababooey]

Use a plug or presentation profile that most closely looks like the bait in the water. When that doesn't work, try for something that is opposite what you are using.

[albiealert]

Do not go out with blinders on. Work your plan to find where the fish are, not where you want to find them.

[crosseyedbass]

For light hitting fish, use the lightest line possible.

[jigfreak]

Always carry an extra pole in the car.

[wish4fish]

and extra clothes when it's cold, don't want to freeze your balls off, lol.

[vpass]

Crush all the Barbs on your plugs so releasing fish a fast as possiable or easy removal if you get hooked accidently.

[surfwalker]

When plugging- try a few casts parallel to the beach-with/against current.
Don't get stuck using the same plug over and over again just because it was productive at one time.

[vpass]

Drift your plug in the current keeping line tight. Also feed some line slowly when current is strong. trying to make the plug look like bait that can't move foward in the strong current. There been times that that was the only way I would get fish.

[GeoffT]

For light hitting fish, use the lightest line possible.

But what happens if you only bring one rod as most of us are wont to do? You won't know fish are hitting light until you start fishing.

This is where braid comes in. Even a 50 lb test braid typically has the diameter of a 12 lb test - surely thin and light enough, yes?

[DarkSkies]

^ What Geoff said. I lost a lot of nice fish when I first started until I went to braid. 50 all around, and 65 for ripping current. Nothing more heartbreaking than losing a fish bigger than ones you've been getting because of line failure.


Another tip for scouting, don't know if anyone mentioned it here yet:

"I still take the time almost every full moon to take a ride to the water and look at things during an extreme low tide. It's amazing how much you will notice and see, if you jsut take the time."

[jigfreak]

If the crabs continuously steal your bait, go to a single, surf- floater rig. This puts your bait further off the bottom away from the crabs.

[plugaholic]

Don't fish too many poles, pay attention.