Surf Fishing Tips, Old to New

I already knew that surf fishing was a ton of fun, but somehow through the years I suppose I forgot just how much fun. Then last week my family visited the beach for a week, and a hot bite that included sea trout, flounder, whiting, and more, reminded me. Wow – it was FUN! And while I remembered plenty of old tricks, a few new ones came to me as well.

Old Tricks

• Try casting close in, as well as far out. Sometimes the fish are just beyond the breakers.
• When crabs get problematic, use “doodlebug” rigs with floats. Crabs will still get some of your bait, but it takes them longer to find it and latch on.
• Rig your biggest rod for big fish and leave it in a holder, but hold smaller rods cast for panfish. The big rod may catch the big fish, but the small one gets a lot more action.

New Tricks

• Add a chunk of Fishbites to your baited hooks. If you miss a strike or two, you’ll still have a good shot at getting bites and the Fishbites don’t get nibbled off very often.
• Don’t try to use a surf rod that’s too big for your frame. I’m 5’10” and I just got a new 13’ surf rod. Turns out I can cast farther with my old 10-footer, because I can control it a lot better.
• When you’re fishing alone and you tie into a decent fish, slow down as you reel it up to the breakers and time it so you pull the fish in just behind a wave that’s hitting the beach. That way you can get it as far up the beach as possible without dragging it over sand (when the fish tend to flip and flop, and the hook might fall out).