Post by Gbru on Jan 17, 2019 22:25:54 GMT -5
Many people who have never surf fished before are curious. “What do people catch in the surf?” They also ask, “What do you need to get started?”
Anglers start the year out catching stripers, skates, sharks, and blowfish. These fish usually show up mid- to the later part of April. In May, we usually have a good bluefish run during the first or second week of the month.
“One week either side of Mother’s Day the blue blitz the beach,” often rings true. Bluefish are unpredictable. They can bite on any tide either day or night. If you spend a lot of time on the beach during the month of May you will definitely get into some action! Swimming with these schools of bluefish will be decent sized stripers, skates, sharks, and a few flounder as well. The end of the month will see trout, kingfish (whiting), and maybe even Norfolk spot.
Summertime surf fishing sees smaller fare. Sand sharks, snapper blues, smaller sea trout, Norfolk spot, smaller stripers and blowfish. There is action during the summer months though the best fishing is early in the morning and just before and after dark. This works out great if you are fishing in Ocean City, Fenwick Island, or Bethany Beach where anglers are allowed to fish public beaches before and after the
lifeguards go off duty. The Delaware Seashore State Park and the Assateague National Park has fishing areas where anglers can fish all day. These beaches are more natural and have fewer swimmers in the water, making them better for surf fishing in the middle of the day.
Fall fishing sees larger fish once again. The blues, trout, stripers, kingfish (whiting), puppy drum and even red drum appear during the months of September, October, and November. During the first week or two of December we can still have big blues and stripers if the weather stays mild. Once the water temperatures dive below 45 degrees, all is quiet. If we have a mild winter, a few stripers may be taken all season.
“So what kind of rod and reel should I get to really enjoy surf fishing?”
Surf rods come in lengths from 8 to 15 feet. The most popular surf rods in our area are the 10 and 11 footers. Ladies and children sometimes find a 9-footer less cumbersome. Pick out a suitable sized reel to match the rod, and get it filled with 12 to 20-pound test line. If you want to use the heavier pound test, go with a larger reel. If you want to use lighter line, you can get away with a smaller reel and keep the weight of the outfit down to a minimum. If you want to stand out there and hold the rod, overall weight is important.
You can pick up a 10-foot Silstar brand combination surf rod with reel and line for around $50. An outfit such as this is a great “starter” surf combination and will work just fine if you want to keep your purchase down to a minimum. There are outfits around for even less money though you may want to scrutinize the brand of the reel before thinking you have found a bargain. The brand of the rod is not so important as long as it feels good to you, but brands of reels are important. Try to stick with a name brand such as Silstar or Daiwa. If you want to buy a quality rod that is lightweight, strong, and sensitive without breaking the bank, go with a 10 or 11 foot Daiwa Sealine-X, Penn Newport, or Sea Striker “Beach Runner.” These better rods feel extremely light in the hand, yet can toss a good-sized sinker. The inside diameter of each guide is larger than on the less expensive rods. Though very strong, the frames are also lighter in weight. This, plus the higher graphite content in the blank, makes these rods sensitive enough to use for throwing lures, which can become very important when the fish are schooling! Match these rods up with a Daiwa, Shimano, Okuma, or Penn reel for between $125 to $225 depending on the quality of reel you choose. Reels that I personally like are: the Penn Powergraph 6000 size; the Dawia Regal-ZT series in the 4500 to 5500 size; the Shimano Sahara 8000 or 6000 size; or the Shimano Stradic 6000 size. The 4500 Baitrunner Shimano is also very smooth and lightweight.
The biggest investment when buying surf-fishing gear is the rod and reel itself. Other than that, it is very simple and uncomplicated. Do yourself a favor and buy a sand spike to protect your investment. These angled pieces of PVC only cost a couple of bucks. A sand spike is a must, so you don’t accidentally lay your reel in the sand when baiting up or taking off a fish. You can also sit your fishing rod in the sand spike when you get tired of holding it. Besides the spike, you only need a few essential items. You will need a 5- gallon bucket for your bait and gear. (Sea gulls will steal your bait if you do not keep it in a container.) You will need a couple of rigs, 4 or 5 sinkers in the 2 to 5 ounce range, a rag, a pair of needle nosed pliers, a small cutting board or piece of wood, and something to measure your fish if you plan to keep your catch.
If you want to purchase a tackle box, it is best to keep it in your home and only carry a couple rigs in your bucket to the beach. When a tackle box sits on the beach it can get sandy quick! Of course, if you own a 4-wheel drive and get a permit to drive on the beach in either the Delaware Seashore State Park or the Assateague National Park, then a tackle box will come in handy. Just keep it in the truck and in the sand.
“What kind of line should I get?”
If you’ve never surf fished before, I would go the middle of the road and pick out a good quality monofilament line such as Trilene, Stren, or Bagley’s Silver Thread. I would suggest going with a 15 to 17 pound test at first. 20 pound will slow your casting distance down, while a lighter line may break while you are getting used to casting in the surf. Once you get a “feel” for surf fishing, you may want to try a 12 to 14 pound test line so you can increase your casting distance. If you want to throw lures with your outfit as well as bait, I would go with 12 to 14 pound test.
Later on, when you become experienced, you may want to try one of the no- stretch, thinner diameter lines such as Berkley’s Fireline.
The rigs you choose to fish with depend on the time of year and the fish that are biting. In the spring and fall, you use larger baits and go for bigger fish. Whole “finger mullet rigs” are very popular in our area for baiting up with whole finger mullet baits. An array of top and bottom type rigs with surf floats attached will catch you most every kind of fish. Use the rigs with smaller hooks (size #6 or #8) in the summertime when you are using bloodworms for bait and fishing for smaller fish. Use a rig with larger hooks if you are fishing in the spring or fall or are fishing with larger pieces of cut bait.
For sinkers, you will want to buy pyramid or hurricane type sinkers in the 2- to 5 -ounce range. You always want to use the lightest sinker that will hold bottom. If the surf gets rough or you want to get away with a lighter weight, try the Sputnik type sinkers. These sinkers have wires protruding out of them that dig deep in the sand. They will “release” themselves if they get stuck! Change your sinker weight as the surf conditions vary.
Surf fishing is very relaxing, uncomplicated, and easy to do. Just go to the local bait shop and ask, “What’s biting? What bait? Which rig?” The tackle storeowner will point a couple different rigs out to you and suggest the best bait for that time of year. Walk out on the beach, and go fishing!
Anglers start the year out catching stripers, skates, sharks, and blowfish. These fish usually show up mid- to the later part of April. In May, we usually have a good bluefish run during the first or second week of the month.
“One week either side of Mother’s Day the blue blitz the beach,” often rings true. Bluefish are unpredictable. They can bite on any tide either day or night. If you spend a lot of time on the beach during the month of May you will definitely get into some action! Swimming with these schools of bluefish will be decent sized stripers, skates, sharks, and a few flounder as well. The end of the month will see trout, kingfish (whiting), and maybe even Norfolk spot.
Summertime surf fishing sees smaller fare. Sand sharks, snapper blues, smaller sea trout, Norfolk spot, smaller stripers and blowfish. There is action during the summer months though the best fishing is early in the morning and just before and after dark. This works out great if you are fishing in Ocean City, Fenwick Island, or Bethany Beach where anglers are allowed to fish public beaches before and after the
lifeguards go off duty. The Delaware Seashore State Park and the Assateague National Park has fishing areas where anglers can fish all day. These beaches are more natural and have fewer swimmers in the water, making them better for surf fishing in the middle of the day.
Fall fishing sees larger fish once again. The blues, trout, stripers, kingfish (whiting), puppy drum and even red drum appear during the months of September, October, and November. During the first week or two of December we can still have big blues and stripers if the weather stays mild. Once the water temperatures dive below 45 degrees, all is quiet. If we have a mild winter, a few stripers may be taken all season.
“So what kind of rod and reel should I get to really enjoy surf fishing?”
Surf rods come in lengths from 8 to 15 feet. The most popular surf rods in our area are the 10 and 11 footers. Ladies and children sometimes find a 9-footer less cumbersome. Pick out a suitable sized reel to match the rod, and get it filled with 12 to 20-pound test line. If you want to use the heavier pound test, go with a larger reel. If you want to use lighter line, you can get away with a smaller reel and keep the weight of the outfit down to a minimum. If you want to stand out there and hold the rod, overall weight is important.
You can pick up a 10-foot Silstar brand combination surf rod with reel and line for around $50. An outfit such as this is a great “starter” surf combination and will work just fine if you want to keep your purchase down to a minimum. There are outfits around for even less money though you may want to scrutinize the brand of the reel before thinking you have found a bargain. The brand of the rod is not so important as long as it feels good to you, but brands of reels are important. Try to stick with a name brand such as Silstar or Daiwa. If you want to buy a quality rod that is lightweight, strong, and sensitive without breaking the bank, go with a 10 or 11 foot Daiwa Sealine-X, Penn Newport, or Sea Striker “Beach Runner.” These better rods feel extremely light in the hand, yet can toss a good-sized sinker. The inside diameter of each guide is larger than on the less expensive rods. Though very strong, the frames are also lighter in weight. This, plus the higher graphite content in the blank, makes these rods sensitive enough to use for throwing lures, which can become very important when the fish are schooling! Match these rods up with a Daiwa, Shimano, Okuma, or Penn reel for between $125 to $225 depending on the quality of reel you choose. Reels that I personally like are: the Penn Powergraph 6000 size; the Dawia Regal-ZT series in the 4500 to 5500 size; the Shimano Sahara 8000 or 6000 size; or the Shimano Stradic 6000 size. The 4500 Baitrunner Shimano is also very smooth and lightweight.
The biggest investment when buying surf-fishing gear is the rod and reel itself. Other than that, it is very simple and uncomplicated. Do yourself a favor and buy a sand spike to protect your investment. These angled pieces of PVC only cost a couple of bucks. A sand spike is a must, so you don’t accidentally lay your reel in the sand when baiting up or taking off a fish. You can also sit your fishing rod in the sand spike when you get tired of holding it. Besides the spike, you only need a few essential items. You will need a 5- gallon bucket for your bait and gear. (Sea gulls will steal your bait if you do not keep it in a container.) You will need a couple of rigs, 4 or 5 sinkers in the 2 to 5 ounce range, a rag, a pair of needle nosed pliers, a small cutting board or piece of wood, and something to measure your fish if you plan to keep your catch.
If you want to purchase a tackle box, it is best to keep it in your home and only carry a couple rigs in your bucket to the beach. When a tackle box sits on the beach it can get sandy quick! Of course, if you own a 4-wheel drive and get a permit to drive on the beach in either the Delaware Seashore State Park or the Assateague National Park, then a tackle box will come in handy. Just keep it in the truck and in the sand.
“What kind of line should I get?”
If you’ve never surf fished before, I would go the middle of the road and pick out a good quality monofilament line such as Trilene, Stren, or Bagley’s Silver Thread. I would suggest going with a 15 to 17 pound test at first. 20 pound will slow your casting distance down, while a lighter line may break while you are getting used to casting in the surf. Once you get a “feel” for surf fishing, you may want to try a 12 to 14 pound test line so you can increase your casting distance. If you want to throw lures with your outfit as well as bait, I would go with 12 to 14 pound test.
Later on, when you become experienced, you may want to try one of the no- stretch, thinner diameter lines such as Berkley’s Fireline.
The rigs you choose to fish with depend on the time of year and the fish that are biting. In the spring and fall, you use larger baits and go for bigger fish. Whole “finger mullet rigs” are very popular in our area for baiting up with whole finger mullet baits. An array of top and bottom type rigs with surf floats attached will catch you most every kind of fish. Use the rigs with smaller hooks (size #6 or #8) in the summertime when you are using bloodworms for bait and fishing for smaller fish. Use a rig with larger hooks if you are fishing in the spring or fall or are fishing with larger pieces of cut bait.
For sinkers, you will want to buy pyramid or hurricane type sinkers in the 2- to 5 -ounce range. You always want to use the lightest sinker that will hold bottom. If the surf gets rough or you want to get away with a lighter weight, try the Sputnik type sinkers. These sinkers have wires protruding out of them that dig deep in the sand. They will “release” themselves if they get stuck! Change your sinker weight as the surf conditions vary.
Surf fishing is very relaxing, uncomplicated, and easy to do. Just go to the local bait shop and ask, “What’s biting? What bait? Which rig?” The tackle storeowner will point a couple different rigs out to you and suggest the best bait for that time of year. Walk out on the beach, and go fishing!