I have never fished the surf, and i need help picking spots. How can you tell if one spot in the surf is better than the other? I have been told to use some form of live bait on a fish finder but which gut do i work? And finally is surf fishing a good method year round or just in certain seasons? Any info would help a lot!

There are some great posts here already with the info you are looking for, look through them and find where people are talking about fishing the gut and then once you figure out the lingo, there is enough info here for a master class!

It depends what you are targeting and where, first gut normally whiting a few rat reds occasional bull red etc. Second gut larger reds, trout, drum bigger fish. If your looking for sharks you have to go out further, probably will need a kayak for that. . If you really want to know your spot go when the tide is going out and when the water is calm you can see them clearly. Or look at how the waves break. Every spot maybe a little different. Also are you using a surf rod or wading. I can stand on the first sand bar and cast Past the 2nd when my shoulder isn't bothering me. Then I work the first with light tackle. Keeps you busy until something hits.