Are the sand trout in the surf right now?...how do you catch them?... It's my birthday this weekend and i may just load up the family and leave these old crappie alone and go for that salt life... (Most likely Bolivar or sea rim)...I remember my dad bringing home a cooler full of sand trout when I was a kid...the few times we've been all we catch is hard head's...help a "wannabe bruh" out.

They were 2 weeks ago. Was catching a sand trout to about every 2 or 3 specs. About the same ratio in both the surf and the bay. I did the best with topwater close to dusk, or anytime there were birds circling.

Those saltwater trout fry up better than about any fish I've ever had.

Thanks...looking at the forecast with a north wind blowing the surf should be flat I'd think.

When you catch one, use if for cut bait and catch all you want.

Catch all of what?, I want....I'm not really into the long line thing if that's what you referring to....my hypocrisy only goes so far hahaha...we just want to catch something besides hard heads..I've got two sons and they will have 2500 shamano spinning setups...I'll have a 3000 And a 6500 may bring a couple baitcasters ... I've got an assortment of jig heads, shrimp tails and cocahoe minnows, gold spoons and such...somebody School me.

I was at Surfside Beach last week and could see fish jumping in the surf in the morning and evening. I was casting a 1/2 oz or 3/4 oz. Johnson Sprite gold spoon with a treble hook and caught Sand Trout, Speckled Trout, Redfish and Spanish Mackerel.

When you go:
1. Look for jumping fish. If the fish are jumping, something is eating.
2. Throw anything that looks like a baitfish. I was using gold spoons while the guy next to me one morning was using a top water Zara Spook. A 1/2 oz. gold spoon should work well on Sand Trout. If you want to catch bigger fish, try using a 3/4 oz. gold spoon.
3. Be in the water casting at dawn. Also try late evening - the last hour or two of daylight. I didn't have the balls to be fishing alone chest deep in surf after dark.

I am going back in August. I will hit the surf the first morning with a 7' Spinning rod with a 2500 reel, 6/20 green Power Pro line (eliminate mono stretch on long casts) and 3/4 oz gold spoon. I will bring other gear and make adjustments from there.

How big was the surf? Was it flat? I never really had a lot of success in seas over 1.5 ft.