How are things in the surf?

Going to do some surf fishing for whiting, reds, trout, or whatever's biting that puts up a fight. Wondering what the fishing is like this time of year. What species to target, how far out, what bait, and presentation.

I've been fishing the surf the last three weekends. I have caught a lot of whiting, bonnet head sharks and the usual hard heads and gaff tops. This last weekend though things have changed, I caught 2 nice pompano, got 30 lb leader broke, got the anti reverse broke on a reel that the drag locked up, and caught several black drum in the 3-5 lb range. I saw a 4' shark of some type caught and have seen people fight things for 45 minutes then lose them. I also caught a big lady fish and a sting ray around 30" in diameter this weekend.

About 2 hours after high tide both Friday and Saturday, some big Jacks came through. I had one on, around 3' long, but came loose just as I was bringing it up on the sand. 2 guys next to me both caught Jacks the same size. I fished some lights around 04:00 Sunday to no avail, but could see some very large fish crashing something about 100 yards off shore. They were too big to be specks or reds. Someone said they could have been tarpon.

I'm wading out as far as I can and throwing 50 yards or so out, total of about 75 yards out. 6 oz spider weight, 50 and 65 lb braid, double drop rig, 5/0 circle hook with fresh dead shrimp.

When they come through, it's fast and furious. A lot of times I'm getting bit while walking back to the beach to put the rod in the holder.

Thanks so much

Good tips and info bigfishtx !!!

What area you fishing ??
I'm goin to bolivar in a few weeks

I went to Freeport yesterday trying to catch anything that puts up a fight, I did as bigfishtx said and used shrimp on the bottom about 75-100 yards out hoping to catch black drum, jacks, and even sharks. Something must have changed since bigfishtx was there because all we could catch was small hardheads and two whiting. It was really frustrating. The surf was high and very churned up which i guess made the fish go deeper. I couldn't even get a shark on cut whiting. The catfish bit anything you threw at them, but really slowly. The salt content of the water also seemed to be a little lower after the recent rains (tasted it). I don't know if that's also what affected the fishing but it was really terrible. I hope it gets better soon. Can someone tell me what's the right conditions to fish the surf please.

I fished Texas city with really good conditions last friday and didn't get anything but a hit and run. Posted up in the shrimp boat chum route and next to a guide boat chumming fresh. Chucked out 2 rods of mullet and croaker and fished spoons, swim jigs, corks and poppers and nothing. I didn't see a single person get anything all day.

I went again Saturday and Sunday, and those 2 days were the least productive of the last 4 weekends. It seems that hardheads have taken over, I can't catch a whiting over 10" long either. And no bonnet heads. I must have caught 30 hard heads, 1 black drum @ 17" and had one big fish on a folded up half fileted 8" mullet. It pulled about 30 yards of line then came undone. I did catch 2 big lady fish again.

I didn't see anyone catch anything of substance in a total of 18 hours at SLP this weekend.

It was a weird second high tide yesterday afternoon, muddy water from the bay came out good at low tide, then the wind and surf died and I didn't see the normal good green water get pushed back in at high tide.

I think this weekend it just wasn't happening.

Back again Wednesday evening. Nothing but hardheads for me, but... the guy next to me who had been there since that morning had 3 bites. I saw his third, he nearly got spooled before the crimp on his leader came loose. His other 2 fish also broke him off. He then caught a 23" black tip. So the bites are fewer but bigger from what I saw.

anyone been to port A jetty? I've heard the beach is pretty tough to drive on.

I'm here. It's tough