Hi all. Any recommendations for rig up type for fishing the surf? Curious on weights, leader line types, etc. if you could point me to any resources it would be appreciated. I did it once before a decade ago and caught hard heads, shifting and sheepshead on pink fish bites but can’t remember weights, leader types or such. Do remember kinda messing up a nice bass rig but that was my own fault.

I'm basically trying to do the same, and set up for some surf fishing myself, but after that freeze I'm thinking it may be tough for a while.
Pretty sad situation and the damage to the fishery may take a good while before TPWD figures it out.
http://www.corpusfishing.com/messag...amp;sid=a3cdfa3d2751cafb5e29cbc4463518c2

To the TFF!

Freeze isn't going to hurt surf fish, what damage was done was in back lakes and shallow bay with limited deep water access.
And compared to other big freeze kills, this one was not major. Nowhere near '83 or '89. Not even close.

Yes, I too believe a lot of the normal fish that might be in the surf will be there like in years past.

I once watched a n entire middle eastern clan catch one whiting after another with nothing but a tiny hook wih a little weight up above, a piece of shrimp, a long bamboo pole and a line without a reel. This was at Surfside in the early summer. Pretty amazing, they’d catch them, clean them, cook them and eat them all right there on the beach.

I’ve put out rigs with cut larger mullet or live 3”-6” mullet. Circle hooks, wire or heavier mono leaders, either spider type weights or egg weights in minimal current. Idea is to have bait up off the bottom a little. Barrel swivels are nice, so are the three hole type. Having a variety of weights, swivels, hooks, leader is handy. I generally fish the second gut or just off the bars that way and might catch redfish or gafftop or sharks or even big whiting if the hook and bait is small enough. Two rods in a rod holder generally keep me busy baiting, casting out baits, re-baiting, catching bait, reeling in fish, re-rigging, fixing terminal tackle, etc. I’m by no means any kind of expert at fishing with bait in the surf. Most of the fishing in the surf that I do is with lures or flies. My cousin soaks live croaker in the surf and just murders the speckled trout.

Lot’s of ways to go about fishing the surf.

Surf fishing!!!! I'm probably not as experienced as the other guys here, but I did do a fair bit of research. Surf fishing has quickly become one of my new favorite hobbies, gives me time and space to think and relax when normally life's got me thinking about a million other things.

Anyways that's not what you're asking for. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZTq3K__BqQ&ab_channel=SaltStrong

Here's a link to a tutorial on tying a dropper rig. I've had great success using two dropper loops for hooks and tying off the terminal end with a snap swivel (for quick changes of pyramid weights for varying surf conditions), and the other end up to your rod of course will have another barrel swivel.

I use circle hooks ranging from size 2 to 1/0, typically I find the smaller (size 2) circle hooks will give you better hookups with the smaller fish like whiting, but I've also caught a nice 30+ inch red on that same tiny circle hook.
I use 25lb mono sea green mono, no point in fluoro in my opinion since the water I fish (west bay/galveston area) is usually so stained anyways.
Pyramid weights... I've been throwing 3 oz most of the time since the wind is usually ~15mph or a lil less most times I get out there, and the chop makes it hard for 2oz to hold on the bottom.
Spider weights are good too, you can get away with a lighter weight, like 2oz and it'll dig in real well, but I've had some lost fish tryna lift the weight out of the sand (at least I think that's what caused the lost fish, let me have my excuses please!)

I'm lazy and have had great luck with fishbites shrimp flavored in orange or pink colors, and the clam flavored ones as well. I just cut off a tiny square and push it onto the circle hook. It's got me on whiting, the occasional redfish (including the 30+ one I mentioned above), and of course the occasional catfish. I've tried cut mullet (granted it was frozen mullet not fresh dead), but it seems to attract catfish just as often as redfish and whiting aren't particular to the cut mullet. The chunks I use are probably too big for their mouths anyways.

Let me know if you have any other questions or if this helps at all!

That’s a lot of help. Thanks guys. Will be placing my orders now.