Surf fishing is much more demanding on your gear than fishing in freshwater. For your surf fishing setup, you will need to use much larger fishing rods and reels to be able to cast your bait further and handle much larger and stronger fish. Surf fishing rods are almost twice as long as freshwater rods, attached with a reel that can hold hundreds of yards of thick fishing line. For beginners, we recommend a surf rod combo between 8ft to 10ft in length attached with a to series reel, spooled with 25lb to 50lb braided fishing line.
Surf fishing reels come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Manufacturers typically give their surf fishing reels a size rating in increments of , starting at size Select a spinning reel in the size range that can hold a minimum of yds of 25lb braid. The most important factor is the amount of line that it can hold because many saltwater species can grow over 3ft in length! Anything that large can easily peel off hundreds of yards of line. We created a surf rod and reel combo that is perfect for beginners who are just starting out.
Surf fishing rods are significantly bigger than other types of fishing rods. Your rod needs enough height and power to cast beyond the waves breaking near the shore. An 8ft surf rod will work well in areas where the water is calm; otherwise, choose a minimum length of 10ft. Select a Medium-Heavy power rating with a Moderate action.
This will be a great all-around rod, allowing you to cast heavy sinkers and handle fish over 3ft in length. Braid is the preferred line type for surf fishing. Make sure to have enough to fill your reel with the right amount of line.
If your reel can spool yds of 25lb braided line, then make sure you spool it with about yds of 25lb braided line. Adding too little or too much fishing line will cause problems that can easily be avoided. For this, use the Palomar knot. You can never go wrong when you fish with natural bait. The most convenient and accessible way to use natural bait is to buy it frozen.
While fresh bait is ideal, frozen bait works great too. The most popular and universal frozen baits found across the US are shrimp and squid. Frozen fish such as bunker, shad, and mullet are also very popular. A rig refers to how your hook, weight, and swivel are assembled together. This is important because with the right fishing rig, you will present your bait to the fish in the best way to get them to bite. Choose the right rig, and you will have much better success. Use large fish finder rigs for large cut bait to target fish over 3ft such as sharks , striped bass , and bull sized red drum.
A float rig will lift your bait off the bottom away from many of the crabs and other species that eat your bait before the larger fish do. Use shrimp and squid to target species such as sea trout , croaker, sheepshead, flounder , rockfish, and all types of perch.
When you want to cast long distances and need to hold the bottom, use a smaller Fish Finder rig with a pyramid sinker. For casting short distances for fish less than 3ft, use a ready rig with oz. These are a great pick for fishing with family and friends. As you can tell by the name, the Pompano Rig is primarily used for pompano, and other fish of the same relative size like spot, croaker, and perch.
Saltwater lures are simply artificial imitations of what fish like to eat. Spoons, jigs, and topwater poppers are some of the most popular fishing lures to use.
These lures attract fish visually since they do not have any natural smell like frozen bait. Use them when water clarity is high and surf conditions are moderate so fish can see them better. Unlike natural bait, you will need to cast the lure and give it life-like action yourself to entice the fish to bite.
To use the weedless silver spoon, cast the spoon parallel to the shoreline in the trough and steadily retrieve it back to you. If you suspect there are bluefish around, then do a fast retrieve. The spoon will reflect lots of light in high clarity water and mimic a baitfish. If nothing bites after 10 minutes, try the grub and jig. Cast into the trough and let it sink to the bottom. Then begin to retrieve it by bouncing it on the bottom. Make sure to pause often to allow fish to pick the jig up off the bottom.
Jigs work great in moving water along jetties and inlets. If you see baitfish that are active on the surface, then this is a great opportunity to try a topwater popper.
Cast out and make it zig-zag on the surface with pauses every so often. Fish often hit on the pause. Heading to the beach with the correct assortment of surf fishing gear is critical. To cut your frozen bait, you will need a fillet knife between 6 to 9 inches.
This will also serve as the same knife you use to fillet the fish you catch if you want to keep them for eating.
You will also need a pair of good pliers. These are absolutely essential. You will be dealing with fish that have teeth, and fish that have very small mouths that are too small for your fingers. Using pliers to remove a fishhook is the safest and best way to remove it. These additional features will help fix and maintain your surf rigs. You should also have a towel to keep things clean and take care of your surf fishing equipment. A wet towel will also help you to get a good grip on fish that you catch, allowing you to handle them safely.
Having a pair of bolt cutters on hand is also a must for safe handling if the hook is swallowed. Accidents do happen, and you may need the bolt cutters to cut the hook in a first aid emergency. For fishing with multiple rods, you will need sand spikes.
These are a must for fishing with multiple rods, help keeping them secure and off the sand. Here is an excerpt from our full-length article on the best time to surf fish :. Once you find an area to fish, the best time to surf fish is almost always when the tide is moving. Movement creates current, and fish rely on current to bring them easy meals. To plan this, simply look at a tide chart of your area.
Plan to have your line in the water about 2—3 hours before high tide [emphasis mine]. In general, high tide brings fish in closer to the beach and hopefully to the areas you scouted beforehand.
This is often the best window of time to fish on the beach, but the true answer is it depends. It could be the outgoing tide that starts putting you on the fish. As the saying goes — there is plenty of fish in the sea. Surf rods are longer than other rods because they need to get your bait out further than in other environments like a river or off a boat.
For a detailed guide, check out Fishing Gear for Beginners. This iframe contains the logic required to handle Ajax powered Gravity Forms. Get the latest information here. Fishing Surf Fishing: what not to do November 26, No comments Download the free CamperMate App.
Like 0. Tweet 0. Pin it 0. View Post. Follow on Instagram. Use a uni-knot to tie the leader to the line, then connect all your terminal equipment to the leader as if it were your main line. The leader is the last portion of line in your setup. It should therefore occupy a good space in your considerations because it is what has the most contact with the fish, the structures, and the seabed.
Monofilament and fluorocarbon are the most common choices here. Both are stretchy and resist well to abrasion. For the length, the shorter is usually better. Long leaders tend to get tangled more often in mixed seabeds rich in weeds and rocks. Long leaders also receive more resistance during the load resulting in a shorter casting distance. So always try to keep the leader short.
Some situations, however, require longer leaders. Crystal clear waters, for example, make it easy for fish to spot your terminal equipment. Here, a long leader can help you separate your bait and the other spooky items in your setup.
Also, targeting large fish may require long leaders say 3 ft in order to avoid tail kicks and line twists during the fights. The pound test of the leader also depends on the fish you target and the type of structures you fish.
Sharp toothed fish like sharks, bluefish, and mackerel can easily cut the leader after a bite. Using a powerful leader lb test can help to prevent that. Similarly, abrasive grounds can make the line snap if it gets rubbed against a sharp rock.
Thick leaders are therefore the way to go there. The surf conditions also dictate the strength of your leaders. Thick lines receive more pressure when there is a current and, as a result, cannot keep your offering where you want it to be. Small-diameter leaders lb cut better in currents and thus offer better stability. You need to consider all the factors and variables and then decide which leader to use.
In other words, the lead must be heavy enough to keep your terminal equipment where you want it to be. Otherwise, it can drift your offering to a deserted area where no fish hold.
It is therefore very important to carry different sinkers in your tackle box. You want to start small and increase the weight if the surf calls for it. Overall, oz leads hold well in most cases. However, you might need more than that in rough surf conditions.
For example, pyramid sinkers offer a better grip at the bottom and therefore should be used in strong currents for better stability. The egg-shaped sinkers are aerodynamic and therefore help improve the casting distance. Their rounded shape also helps prevent snags when fishing rough grounds. Breakaway and Sputnik sinkers are also great for snaggy shores. Their wires snap open when subjected to pressure and thus help free the terminal tackle when it tangles in the seabed.
The size of the hook depends on the bait, which in turn should be dictated by the size of the species you chase. So start by studying your targeted fish morphology, mouth size, feeding habits, diet, etc then decide which bait to use for them. Once you decide the bait, pick a hook size that ensures three things:. As a general rule, most species we catch off the beach are small to medium in size. So small hooks are usually the best way to go.
This range is small and thus fits most species living nearshore, and at the same time, large enough to grab the lips of bigger fish. I invite you to read this article for more about the best hook size for surf fishing.
For the shape, octopus and circle hooks are known to offer a higher hookup ratio and lower fatality. Learn more about the advantages of circle hooks when surf fishing. Bait holders are also good. The extra barb on the shank helps to secure the bait on the hook and prevents it from flying off after the cast. J-shaped hooks work well too.
However, remember that you still need to set the hook when using them. Also, j-shaped hooks are easy to swallow by fish and therefore run a high risk of gut hooking them to death. Surf fishing is most rewarding at night. Low light conditions encourage fish to approach the shore and give them sufficient cover to leave the shelter and search for food. Now, to enjoy it, you must have a light source that helps you set the rigs, change the baits, drink the beer, and do all the other activities we do while waiting for bites.
You also need a little light source to watch where you step and avoid the various threats that we encounter when fishing at night. A simple flashlight can do the trick here, but headlamps are by far the best solution for the simple reason that they allow you to keep your hands free for work. If darkness is the issue at night, the scorching sun is what you should watch out for when fishing by day.
In addition, too much sun can increase exposure to UV rays and thus cause many health problems , including skin cancer, skin damage, skin aging, wrinkles, and some eye problems. It is therefore very important to reduce your exposure to the sun when surf fishing.
It may be too dangerous for you. The first thing to do here is to buy a hat and a parasol. These are must-haves if you want your surf fishing trips to be safe. The beach umbrella will keep you in the shade while waiting for bites, and the hat will protect your head when you leave the parasol to retrieve the line or to check your gear.
Investing in sunscreen is also a smart thing to do. Look for something that is water-resistant and protects against UV rays. Also, make sure that the sunglasses you choose are scratch-resistant. This is why it is better to opt for glass lenses rather than plastic. These colors provide high contrast and allow better visibility through the water, especially on sunny days.
Finally, remember to drink plenty of water throughout the day.
0コメント