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What's the deal with surf fishing? #13706818 09/21/20 05:02 PM
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Dylinapickl15 Offline OP
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Let me preface by stating that I'm not a very experienced saltwater fisherman. I've fished the surf/piers once or twice a year (at most) for the last 20 years. I learned the basics from my dad, but he wasn't an expert either. I also grew up in NC, so maybe the surf is just more productive there?

That said, when I fish the surf in Texas, I rarely catch more than one or two gamefish per 3 day trip. And I've usually got bait in the water from sunrise-sunset each of those days. I was down there from the 16-19th and caught nothing but small whiting in the surf. I went to the jetty for a couple of hours and had good success, a couple of trout. One was 24". I'm just kind of baffled that I never find consistent action in the surf, even when there are tons of mullet in the surf like this past week. I tried the wade gut and the 2nd gut. I used a fish finder rig with live mullet and fresh mullet. I tried fly fishing a bit. I threw a few hardbaits for cruising trout. We spent most of our time at the Newport Pass access at Corpus. But in the past I've tried Follet's Island and Little Shell at PINS.

Any ideas what I'm doing wrong?

Re: What's the deal with surf fishing? [Re: Dylinapickl15] #13707998 09/22/20 05:40 PM
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Do I get in trouble if I refer to another website? There's a fella named sharkchum out there on another site who is expert at it.

Re: What's the deal with surf fishing? [Re: Dylinapickl15] #13708185 09/22/20 07:37 PM
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The most consistent place you will find fish in the surf is under the birds. When you see the birds diving, cast underneath them.

I'll defer to others for how to read the surf to find fish.


Re: What's the deal with surf fishing? [Re: Dylinapickl15] #13708300 09/22/20 09:57 PM
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I hit the surf for the first time ever back in August, took me a while to figure it out but on day two once I figured out a technique that worked and how to look for good spots I caught my limit of reds and some really nice trout in about 30 minutes, so the fish are no doubt out there. I would change techniques and consider trying a more natural presentation than on the bottom or throwing hard baits. Look for irregularities in the wave action.

Re: What's the deal with surf fishing? [Re: JohnButte] #13708329 09/22/20 10:31 PM
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Dylinapickl15 Offline OP
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Originally Posted by JohnButte
Do I get in trouble if I refer to another website? There's a fella named sharkchum out there on another site who is expert at it.

Well that guy sure has it figured out...

Re: What's the deal with surf fishing? [Re: Mckinneycrappiecatcher] #13708332 09/22/20 10:35 PM
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Originally Posted by Mckinneycrappiecatcher
I hit the surf for the first time ever back in August, took me a while to figure it out but on day two once I figured out a technique that worked and how to look for good spots I caught my limit of reds and some really nice trout in about 30 minutes, so the fish are no doubt out there. I would change techniques and consider trying a more natural presentation than on the bottom or throwing hard baits. Look for irregularities in the wave action.


I probably do need more practice trying to read the waves. I've watched some videos on it and what I see when I'm actually at the beach never quite matches the easy examples used in videos. I can usually tell where the guts are, but I have yet to locate a cut.

I forgot to mention I tried freelining some mullet too and even modified the fish finder rig with a float to keep the mullet up.

Re: What's the deal with surf fishing? [Re: Dylinapickl15] #13708393 09/22/20 11:46 PM
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I probably do need more practice trying to read the waves. I've watched some videos on it and what I see when I'm actually at the beach never quite matches the easy examples used in videos. I can usually tell where the guts are, but I have yet to locate a cut. .


Maybe try this out (this wasn't made as a "read the beach" video but it works: at 3:19 I mark a cut on the beach with a GPS marker (from Google Maps) that I'm going to fish. I know full well off that mark there's a cut - no guessing about it. Go through the same procedure on your beach and see what it looks like at the time when the tide will be changing so you get a feel for what it looks like when tide is coming in and going out. In my experience when the tide is going out you have a flat spot on the outside of the cut - opposite for the incoming tide. First things first though - find a cut you know is there and study it. Good luck!


Last edited by 1956Zebco; 09/22/20 11:47 PM. Reason: displelled wods

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Re: What's the deal with surf fishing? [Re: 1956Zebco] #13708405 09/23/20 12:01 AM
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Originally Posted by 1956Zebco
Quote
I probably do need more practice trying to read the waves. I've watched some videos on it and what I see when I'm actually at the beach never quite matches the easy examples used in videos. I can usually tell where the guts are, but I have yet to locate a cut. .


Maybe try this out (this wasn't made as a "read the beach" video but it works: at 3:19 I mark a cut on the beach with a GPS marker (from Google Maps) that I'm going to fish. I know full well off that mark there's a cut - no guessing about it. Go through the same procedure on your beach and see what it looks like at the time when the tide will be changing so you get a feel for what it looks like when tide is coming in and going out. In my experience when the tide is going out you have a flat spot on the outside of the cut - opposite for the incoming tide. First things first though - find a cut you know is there and study it. Good luck!


Now that's an interesting idea I'll be trying out! Thanks for the tip!

Re: What's the deal with surf fishing? [Re: Dylinapickl15] #13716101 09/30/20 12:40 PM
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1956Zebco Offline
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Originally Posted by Dylinapickl15

Now that's an interesting idea I'll be trying out! Thanks for the tip!


Been a week -- got a spot marked to try?


Big Bass Deep Diving Spinner: https://youtu.be/nSH_KKAiuB4
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Crappie Tip: https://youtu.be/27AuG3CEpOs
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More: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPSsiJFU2JVh-dfIn1jfZDg/
Re: What's the deal with surf fishing? [Re: Dylinapickl15] #13716129 09/30/20 01:01 PM
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I love to fish the surf when it calms down quite a bit. It will beat you to death when its rough. I truly believe the bigger trout are in the surf in the summer than in the bays. I've caught some 5 and 6lbers in the surf. Wade out, or swim to the 2nd or 3rd sand bar, take one of those small styrofoam paddle boards with you to assist in getting out there as swimming with the rod in hand will kick your [censored]. Once your there, it should be about 3 to 4' deep, you can tie the paddle board to your belt loop, it will also help you when you go to take a fish off the hook.

Re: What's the deal with surf fishing? [Re: Dylinapickl15] #13716899 10/01/20 09:59 AM
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There’s about nothing better when the surf is on. Fish every cast or about every cast kind of action. Little gear needed, just a rod and a set of pliers maybe. Drive to your spot, walk a few feet into the water, you are fishing.

Most of the time, the surf is so rough that it isn’t much fun to wade. When I lived at Surfside Beach, it was easier to keep an eye on the conditions and hit it when things were good. That’s harder to accomplish from a position inland.

I’ve soaked bait out there, but much prefer lures and flies. The bait is actually much more work, catching the mullet or something with the cast net or whatever, then keeping it on the hook. I could never manage more than 2-3 rods. Lots of sharks and gafftop like the bait, too. I’m not into sharks and gafftopsail. My cousin soaks live croakers and tears up the trout in the surf, but I’m not into croaker soaking.

My favorite way is the fly rod and something like a borski slider or baitfish pattern. Two surf trips I’ve made this summer. One was one of the days you dream about. No wind, miniscule waves, tons of fish, all while standing in thigh deep water. 40-50 foot casts, fish on virtually every cast. 5 nice trout and a bonus redfish in the box by 7am.

Second trip was an afternoon trip, too many swimmers, water too hot, ladyfish (hate those fish) and little jacks. That’s about how it goes. A great trip, then a not so great trip. Good news, either can be as short or long as you like. Not anything to trailer or much gear to mess with.

First two photos from the good trip this summer. Probably caught about 20 or more trout by 7:45. Most 15” or more. All but two fish on a red and white Gartside Soft hackle streamer. A pink skitterwalk got two fish early.

The other photos are of past outings. But standing in thigh deep water making 45 foot casts with the fly rod and getting a trout every cast is not just a once in a lifetime event. The first gut can be terrific like that more than maybe you think.

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Re: What's the deal with surf fishing? [Re: karstopo] #13717082 10/01/20 02:24 PM
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Originally Posted by karstopo
There’s about nothing better when the surf is on. Fish every cast or about every cast kind of action. Little gear needed, just a rod and a set of pliers maybe. Drive to your spot, walk a few feet into the water, you are fishing.

Most of the time, the surf is so rough that it isn’t much fun to wade. When I lived at Surfside Beach, it was easier to keep an eye on the conditions and hit it when things were good. That’s harder to accomplish from a position inland.

I’ve soaked bait out there, but much prefer lures and flies. The bait is actually much more work, catching the mullet or something with the cast net or whatever, then keeping it on the hook. I could never manage more than 2-3 rods. Lots of sharks and gafftop like the bait, too. I’m not into sharks and gafftopsail. My cousin soaks live croakers and tears up the trout in the surf, but I’m not into croaker soaking.

My favorite way is the fly rod and something like a borski slider or baitfish pattern. Two surf trips I’ve made this summer. One was one of the days you dream about. No wind, miniscule waves, tons of fish, all while standing in thigh deep water. 40-50 foot casts, fish on virtually every cast. 5 nice trout and a bonus redfish in the box by 7am.

Second trip was an afternoon trip, too many swimmers, water too hot, ladyfish (hate those fish) and little jacks. That’s about how it goes. A great trip, then a not so great trip. Good news, either can be as short or long as you like. Not anything to trailer or much gear to mess with.

First two photos from the good trip this summer. Probably caught about 20 or more trout by 7:45. Most 15” or more. All but two fish on a red and white Gartside Soft hackle streamer. A pink skitterwalk got two fish early.

The other photos are of past outings. But standing in thigh deep water making 45 foot casts with the fly rod and getting a trout every cast is not just a once in a lifetime event. The first gut can be terrific like that more than maybe you think.



Looks like I just need to make more trips to the coast so I can hit the weather right!

Re: What's the deal with surf fishing? [Re: 1956Zebco] #13717083 10/01/20 02:25 PM
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Originally Posted by 1956Zebco
Originally Posted by Dylinapickl15

Now that's an interesting idea I'll be trying out! Thanks for the tip!


Been a week -- got a spot marked to try?


Yep, I've got several spots marked in case I'm wrong about some, but it may be late October before I can get back to the coast to try them out.

Re: What's the deal with surf fishing? [Re: Dylinapickl15] #13717401 10/01/20 08:53 PM
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What type of arti's are ya'll throwing?


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Re: What's the deal with surf fishing? [Re: Dylinapickl15] #13717538 10/02/20 12:08 AM
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I like these flies. Borski sliders, steve Farrar blend baitfish, shrimp patterns

Lures, skitterwalks, corkies, mirrorlures, mirrodine, catch 2000,

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