Surf fishing at the beach on the ocean can get real exciting. In this article I will outline surf fishing tips I have learned through the years that anyone can use. Some tips have been acquired through personal experience and from other successful surf fishing friends.
First you need to make sure you have the adequate equipment. A fishing rod that is between 10 feet and 15 feet long is the ideal length in order to achieve good casting distance and leverage. The fishing reel can be a spinning reel size 6000 up to an 8000 size with a good drag system and good line capacity for heavier line such as 17 to 25 pound test. One thing to remember about fishing in the ocean, you never know what you will catch, so you need to be prepared with the proper heavy equipment to handle a 30 pound sting ray or a large blue fish that have giant teeth, not to mention the occasional shark. Sometimes you will catch small fish like whiting or ladyfish that are too small for a heavy rod, but being prepared for the big one is really what you want.
Choosing where to fish is another choice to be made. If you are at a home or condo on the ocean front you would most likely fish right out front. Then look for activity on top of the water, like birds diving into the water feeding on bait fish. Where there are small fish there are big fish not too far away. Fish close to them if you can, otherwise get out your polarized sunglasses and look for bait fish near where you are standing. If you don’t see any, just cast out to where the waves break and let your bait float in the sandy trenches the waves create. That is where fish will look for food.
Always look at the tide chart for your area and pick your fishing times around high tides. The best time is usually 2 hours before and one to two hours after high tide. Surf fishing at these times can usually yield the most activity. Also try early morning and early evening which is normally a good fishing time. Coupled with high tide, this time frame can be very exciting and productive.
Other fishing gear you need will be a 5 gallon bucket to carry your bait, drinking water, towel, knife, cutting board for cutting up clams etc and rod stand. Plus you may want another carry all for everything mentioned after you put some fish in the bucket for cleaning later. You should also consider using a steel leader and a good hook rig such as a pompano rig or a strong steel hook attached to the steel leader. For sinkers you can use the pyramid style or the sputnik style. I use the sputnik style because it sticks in the sand and allows the bait to float in the water. The weight of the sinker or weight depends on how rough the surf is. The pyramid style can tend to roll with the surf and back to shore again.
Surf fishing tips like these can help you get started fishing the surf. Always check out the local bait shops to buy bait and ask what’s been biting lately, then gear up accordingly.
If you would like to learn more from an expert, please check out my web page on Surf Fishing Tips. http://myfishinggoods.com/surf_fishing_tips.html
Jeff Bausch has been fishing for over 40 years. He started a lake map business with the best fishing spots marked plus a fishing newspaper many years ago. Fishing has always been a passion, now he is sharing his fishing knowledge about how to fish any lake or ocean with great success. Check out his website for more articles and fishing tackle .