Ok, hi guys I'm new to this forum! I'm thinking about taking our boat out to surfside beach and fishing around the fifth to sixth sandbar. The boat is a 19 ft fish master and has a 115 suzuki. Do you guys think this is a good idea?? And we would be past the breakers. So let me know! Thanks guys! All info is welcomed!!

its just gonna come down to weather, people in 10ft kayaks fish off shore, technically anyboat can handle the surf as long as the weather is good, ive seen jon boats go out before and comeback dry, but aroundthis time of year the spring winds will be howling so be careful

what PCDE said, just pick a good day weather wise and enjoy yourself

Thanks! Yeah we were thinking later in the next 2 months. What should we use for bait? What should we expect to catch?

depends on how you like to fish, if you like to throw live baits then get some shrimp and/or finger mullet and throw them out freelined or under a popping cork. you should catch whitting, specs, redfish, gafftop and even some spanish if the water is good...

You should be fine. Just watch the waves. Nice weather you�re okay. Just don�t run wide open close to shore. Have seen a guy flip his boats in the surf. Of course it was a bass boat. Some days your better off going out a little further. Swells in shallow water can make you sea sick, if your prone to that sort of thing. I never get sick fishing, but shrimping in the surf is something else. I usually go out a mile or two. That�s in a 14ft V aluminum boat with a 40hp Johnson. Look for floating debris, sea weed, or bait fish. You will be surprised what you can catch out there. The old men I grew up fishing with always said, look at the horizon. If you see bumps, stay off the Gulf. If you don�t see any, then it�s nice.

July and August, and watch for tarpon and huge redfish----oh yeah----and bull sharks.

Wow thanks guys! Yeah I'm looking for reds,trout,and Spanish. What should I use?

For tarpon???

And crawdadd what do you mean wide open close to shore?

Basically don�t get on plain when in closer to the beach, where the swells are less predictable. Also never run parallel to the shore until out a little ways. It takes some practice on learning how to run in the Gulf. Just dealing with different types of swells. It�s fun though. If you just go fishing, may not be as big of a deal. Haven�t done it in a while, but we use to run down the shore to more deserted areas and Anchor the boat out past the second sand bar, wade to shore. Nice private beach!!

As far as baits go, live shrimp, dead shrimp, squid, and cut bait. If you find floating debis, baitfish, or sea weed flats, you can troll with artificials around the structure.

Oh ok thanks! We will try once it warms up.

i liek to use long leaders under popping cork, doesnt have to be flourocarbon, throw it out with a shrimp , or fish off the bottom with a finger mullet, you can snip one of its fins off and it will swim like a dieing fish and attract attention. or put 2 active ones on abigger circle hook so they "clap" and make havoc, if your using anything bigger than a 6 inch mullet HOLD TIGHT to that rod cus there are sharks out there past 300 yds

Yeah I know there are big sharks out there! Yeah I was thinking about using mullet or shrimp. How far out should we go?

catch a out going tide at San Luis pass and just let it carry your boat out with it. that's what the bait and debris is doing.