Lookingto catch whiting in South Padre

I was last in South Padre in 2012 and caught a bunch of Whiting in the surf, I used shrimp and something called shrimp bites, do they still sell these and are they still effective. I will be there starting Monday the 15th until the following Monday. Looking to surf fish mainly, what is the species to target in the surf now?

Don't know if Sand fleas are in the surf right now. I'm sure they are.Get a 'Sand Flea' rake and get after the little "V's" in the surf. Look up vids over catching sand fleas on Youtube and if you find em you'll be in the whiting and other species as well. The product you are talking about is FishBites probably and check on the web because most tackle stores carry them and for sure the BassPro in Harlingen, Tx. Does. Shrimp and Crab flavors are one of my favorite down there. Don't know when the Pompano move out but I know that(Winter Texan friends) catch them in the morning come sunup in the surf and the bite last through early Spring. I love light tackle for them and have caught them on orange darter jig heads 1/4 ounce bouncing them with the Fishbites in the surf or sandfleas if I can catch them. No better eating than Pompano in my opinion! 6lb. flourocarbon as they are sight feeders and the surf down there is usually clearer than further up north on the coast.

I have been here a week. Most of what I have seen caught were on live shrimp.

I have caught them on dead shrimp and fish bites.

I have also caught pompano in the surf here, last week.

Bob

I always have good luck on fresh dead shrimp on Carolina-rigs in the surf.
We just cast into the 2nd gut.

Thanks for the advice, I will try all of it.

Use a single or double drop bottom rig with a triangular one ounce weight, they slide less in current. All the stores in south padre sell little fresh frozen shrimp that are vacuum sealed, they even have them at the IGA supermarket. And use small hooks, like smaller than you think and you will load up on the whiting which both eat and freeze good. I usually just walk to the edge of the water and cast out as far as I can.

I sometimes find them in huge school on my down scan while running the boat. I have no problem getting ten of those bull whiting for a fish fry.

I am going to Galveston in a month, and will be catching some whiting to take back home to Fort Worth for the freezer. Since we are on the subject, is there a preferred way to catch the big bulls vs catching 20 smalls to 1 bull.

Thanks for the tips guys.

Scooter

I survived on whiting alone while unemployed for 6 months after college. The answer to your question is first try a different gut, sometimes the big ones are close and sometimes out farther in the second gut. Second, move down the beach and try a new spot, like a half mile can make a huge difference. I usually look for a cut bank, where the sand drops off at a steeper slope, these areas hold more bait and change the current. But as far as bait, no, larger ones do not prefer anything over what the smaller ones do.

Okay, thanks Baffin. That is what I thought, but wanted more experienced input. What's your favorite way to clean and cook them.

I just fillet them normally and typically fry. The smaller ones that are tougher to fillet I gut, scale, and cut the head off and fry them while. The magic bait I've found is shrimp or crab flavored fishbites in pink color and a half piece of fresh dead shrimp.

Thanks for all of the input, I have had a blast the past week catching Whiting and Pompano in the surf. I am addicted to fishing in the surf. Does the fishing get better in the warmer months? I am thinking I would like to try a trip in August.

It's good year round when the wind is down. In the summer there are more trout, Spanish mackerel, and sharks. Make sure to have steel leaders in the summer in case the mackerel are thick bc they have sharp teeth and cut leaders. They hit silver spoons good. But the summer time in general always is more sharky.