If you make a 100 foot cast in the surf will you be in the first gut ? How do know where the gut is ? Does it depend on the area and varies from place to place? .....

I`ve seen people wade out to the gut,.... but i prefer to stay near my cooler OK !

Is it best to go on a pier to fish in the 1st and second gut ? i seek pompano and whiting.

Your experiences /advice please,...... Thanks.

Yes, it will vary from place to place.

As a wave moves into shore, it will start to break as it hits the shallow water. Shallow water being the top of the sandbars. On a calm sea they may not break until they hit the 1st bar. When the seas are ruff, they may break on the 3rd or 4fh bar. Keep in mind, if it breaks on the 4th bar it will break again on the 3rd, 2nd and 1st.

Look down the beach at an angle and notice the waves are all breaking in somewhat of a line. Or, walk out on a pier and notice where they are breaking. You will see how the breaking waves all fall in a line. The guts will be between the breaking waves. Look at a satellite view on googlemaps. The birds eye view will also give you a good view.

Here are some photos that I saved years ago. They might be of interest to you or someone else.

Tight lines Friend.

good info wpedigo.......the pics help explain alot to us novice surf casters. well put.

Great info, Thanks wpedigo

AND I'M STILL MIXED UP.I'LL SURE GIVE IT A TRY THOUGH.GUESS I SHOULD PRINT THIS SO I'LL BE ABLE TO LOOK AT WHILE I'M THERE.

if its not too rough and sunny jump up on the dunes you'll see the light sandbars and the dark guts.

definitely going to be saving those pics, great info wpedigo!

See if this one helps explain it any better. The two illustrations about are birds eye view. This one is a cross cut drawing of the surf. Note, the waves start breaking just in front of the bars. Sorry, I can't get it to open here. Have to use link.

[img][IMG]http://i408.photobucket.com/albums/pp164/flounderman1951/CROSSCUTBEACH.jpg[/img][/img]

Thanks wpedigo for the good info !

i don`t know if you have been over to the Florida panhandle coastline, but the 1st gut is not very far out in most places and very productive. Easy to see and feel actually as you drag a sinker.Caught 400 Whiting in 7 days with 60 foot casts !

Which brings up what i call dragging for a gut. Was told years ago to make a long cast and then slowly drag the rig and feel for the drop into a gut.

Sometimes i think i can feel the gut and sometimes not. When its real windy you seem to be lost in the waves.Do the depth of the guts vary along the Texas coast ? What is the average depth of a gut ?


Any more thoughts / tips on the texas surf from Galveston to Freeport ? ..and thanks for your time !

Man, that is a lot of Whiting. Are you planning a trip up to this area? If so, what is your target fish? I was in Pensacola once. Was not fishing but, the beach was as you described it.

Most of my fishing is between the Mouth of the Brazos and Galveston. If we have a storm and have some big waves come in, it will cut the guts deeper. After a period of time the sand will fill back in. I'd say the 1st and 2nd guts average maybe 1 to 3 ft. difference. I've never waded or swam to the 3 bar.

I mainly target flounder on the backside of the islands. Dragging and feeling the bottom is something I always do.

No, i don`t live in Fla.,.. i was just talking about my 1st gut experience over there.

I enjoy fishing Sabine / FreePort, and the surf where it looks good sometimes,.....near Rollover etc.

Many places like McFaddin for instance, the gut seems way out and not very deep.

The gut over there in Fla., especially around St George Island really spoiled me on that.

Could you share a spot you think would be a could surf spot and distance to 1st gut ? Is the Galveston surf pretty good fishing..... Thanks !

I don't live on the coast but, I stay down there for about 6 weeks every fall. When I'm there the reds are running in the surf so that is what I target. I have caught some nice reds at McFaddin but, I usually fish closer to the passes. Rollover is excellent. IMO. I also like San Luis Pass and Mouth of the Brazos. That is about as far as I range.

Galveston surf pretty good fishing most of the year caught some whitting and a few reds about a week ago. I usually fish in the second gut, the first gut pretty close on a low tide its sometimes just a pool. on some places its prob not more than 20yards off the beach you should be able to hit it from the beach with no problem. You catch alot more fish casting off the first bar into the second gut though. Sometime in the spring and summer when the water gets clear for a couple days the first gut is pretty much dead and you have to fish the second. Hope this helps