Fishing from shore in the ocean, aka “surf fishing” or “surfcasting,” is rewarding in a way that I have not found with other types of fishing. Frankly, it’s amazing to be able to catch big, hard-fighting saltwater fish without the complication or cost of going out on a boat. Plus, as you’re walking the shoreline interacting directly with life in and around the water, surf fishing puts you amidst nature in a way fishing from a boat on the sea doesn’t.
With no electronics and no way to actually chase fish, it feels more methodical — successful surfcasting requires lots of observation and understanding of what the water is doing and how that affects both the bait and the fish. The fights in the surf are always intense; they feel more like one-on-one struggles compared to the matches you get high-and-dry in a boat.
It also has one of the lowest barriers to entry of all types of fishing in terms of gear, akin to bank fishing. Here’s how you get started from scratch if you’ve never tried surf fishing on your own before.
How Far Do I Have to Travel to Surf Fish?
I get one question a lot: Are there really fish everywhere in the surf? The short answer is, yes!
You can catch fish up and down both coasts, and, while there are certainly places that produce more fish, anywhere the saltwater touches the shoreline can be fishy. You don’t have to travel to any famous place to surf fish.
If you are relatively close to the ocean, or on vacation, pick a shoreline that works for you and have at it!
Know Your Species
Before you step foot on the beach, you have an important task: Figure out what species of fish you’re going to target. Remember, many species are migratory and aren’t found year round in the surf of any given location, so drilling down on what is in the water during the time frame when you’ll be fishing is critical.
Once you figure out what’s available, I suggest picking one species to target, or possibly two that are closely related. Focusing your tactics on that single species will mean a higher probability of success, because you’ll hone your approach and not try to cover too many bases at once.
So, how do you pick the species you want to target, if there’s a bunch of options? That’s really a matter of preference, but many anglers pick a species simply because it’s the easiest or most likely to be caught. Surf fishing requires dedication and patience, even for experienced anglers, and most don’t want to spend long, hitless hours fishing for “unicorns.”
That said, many surf anglers target fish based on a specific method of fishing that they find most enjoyable. For example, maybe you like walking the beach and throwing poppers; your species of choice could be schoolie blue fish or speckled trout. Are you more interested in trophy hunting with cut bait? Then targeting big red drum or sharks might be more fun for you.
What Should I Look For on the Shoreline?
Walking onto an open beach and seeing all the available shoreline can be intimidating. Knowing that fish can be anywhere, or nowhere, can be a paralyzing thought; where do you even begin? Again, this is where keying in on your species of choice is invaluable.
If you know the general behavior of your target species, you can eliminate lots of empty water. Once you know where they might be — shallow or deep, rough or calm, clean water or weedy, etc. — you can direct your approach. Each species will stick to specific areas and won’t be swimming around everywhere.
Find Moving Water and Structure
With that in mind, virtually all predators like moving water. Current is typically the name of the game and can be created by the tide, waves, or wind. Current overwhelms prey, giving the predator the advantage, and game species are attracted to it. Identifying moving water, no matter what your shoreline looks like, is vitally important.
You should also be attempting to identify any obvious structure. This could be a lot of different things depending on where you are in the world and what you’re targeting, but it could be simple things like a sandbar, a pile of rocks, or an oyster bed. You’re looking for anything that gives the fish an advantage, either through the creation or disruption of water movement, an ambush point, or a place that holds bait.
It can also be more subtle things, too: points, corners, changes in depth, or changes in substrate are a few examples. Even breaking waves and the associated white water it creates is a type of structure. That said, the more dramatic the structure, often the better the fishing will be, especially if it’s surrounded by a generally flat, featureless shoreline.
Look for anything different in the surf and fish it; doing so can give an angler an edge. For example, fishing at the edge between sandy bottom and rocky bottom is a well-known hotspot. A sharp edge between deep water and shallow water is another. The margin between fast moving water and slow water — aka “the seam” — can be highly productive. Even a transition between dirty and clean water can produce.
Why? In general, these changes give the predator some kind of advantage. If you’re walking a beach and see something that looks “funny” or stands out to you as a departure from the shoreline around it, it’s worth a cast.
When Should I Fish?
There’s no universal “best time” for surf fishing in general. Of course, there will be better times for combinations of species and location, but there are species to target around the clock, yes, even in the dead of night.
Fishing a spot and keeping track of what you catch and when is really the best way to figure out what works for a spot. Then, return to that spot at the same time in the tide again — focus on the tides, not time of day.
That said, fishing around sunrise and sunset is often the most productive. Most species are more likely to come in close to shore during low-light periods when they can both surprise their prey, and also avoid detection from their own predators. Sunrise, in particular, can be a very good time to fish. Nocturnal predators are trying to grab their last meal, and fish that feed during the day are particularly hungry after a night of fasting.
How Do I Find a ‘Good’ Spot?
There are some general pieces of advice you can follow to find a good surf casting spot based on what a stretch of shore looks like.
Much of both the United States’ East and West coasts is sandy beach, which can be a great place to get started surf fishing, because there’s nothing to hang-up on or break you off. The problem with sand beaches, however, is there will be lots of shoreline that isn’t very productive.
To find the hot spots along a sandy beach that concentrates the fish, look for places with water movement: rip currents, gutters, sand bars with waves breaking on them, pinch-points, and any change in depth, as these are all places that typically have current.
A lot of fish species will come surprisingly close to the beach — they could be right on the backside of the breaking waves, even big fish, so don’t neglect casting in close.
Rocks Over Sand
Rocky shoreline often holds lots of life and can be even more productive than sand. If your shoreline is rocky, then keying in on major structures that create current, traps it, or changes its direction can be crucial, like points and corners. Unlike sand beaches, fish can be found all over a rocky area, so walking and blanketing the area with casts can be productive.
Outflows
Outflows, breachways, and inlets are even more reliable for shore-based action, because the water moving back and forth between the ocean and the backwater is almost always filled with bait.
Fishing in and around outflows is a lot like fishing a river. Focus on drifting your lure or bait and getting it down deeper where the predators are.
Unlike fishing from the sand or rocky shorelines, finding places with a little less current can actually be more productive; it’s less work for the predator, and bait can accumulate in these lower-velocity areas.
Jetties and Piers
Finally, there are jetties and piers. A jetty can be a current trap that creates eddies and seams, and the tip of a jetty can be a place of higher current or change in current direction as the tidal water movement sweeps around it. They are also magnets for bait, especially if they’re surrounded by sand.
Piers can also be fun places to fish if you don’t mind some competition from other anglers. They help you get out deeper, and are often placed where fishing is productive. Pier fishing gear can be a bit specialized, so do your research.
There’s lots of other places to surf fish, like estuaries and marshes, tidal rivers, and sandy flats, so learning about your local area is important. But taking the above general advice and applying it to your shoreline will get you started.
Gearing Up for Surf Fishing
Before you buy any surf fishing gear, remember, you’re supposed to be focusing on one or two species to start. Stick to that, and it will keep your costs down.
Once you decide on your focus, how far you go from there really depends on your goals, your experience level with angling, your budget, and the specific species.
Surf Fishing Rods
Most surf-specific rods are long, which helps with casting distance, fighting the fish, and keeping your line out of breaking waves. Many are 8 to 12 feet long, but this can vary widely. You get what you pay for in terms of weight, sensitivity, and durability.
Choose something that is rated for the top-end of what you might be throwing. That is, if you think you’ll be throwing 1- to 4-ounce lures, I would look for a rod rated 1 to 5 ounces. You can always throw the lighter stuff, but you can’t always throw heavier stuff if your rod isn’t rated for it.
As far as what rod to purchase specifically, I think that for the price you can’t be Tsunami Rods. The SaltX and Forged lines are just phenomenal, but if that’s still a little outside your budget, the Trophy II series offers exceptional value. If you want to step up to something even more premium Lamiglas, ODM, and St. Croix offer phenomenal rods for every situation.
Surf Casting Reels
Your surf casting reel should be matched to the rod, and might be as small as 3,000 or as big as 16,000. Choosing the right reel can be trickier than choosing a rod. The surf can be tough on a reel — the sand, rocks, and saltwater will eat up gears and drags quickly.
Generally, the more you pay, the tougher the reel will be, and saving up for a quality reel designed for saltwater is worth it. Don’t go too small either; you’ll want a reel that holds a lot of line, as you’ll be casting farther than you would on a boat or in a lake, and you might need it if you hook a large fish that takes long runs.
My reel of choice is a Van Staal for most situations, but that is because my reel is getting wet a lot. I believe that for many anglers, a Penn Battle is a phenomenal reel that will last a long time- I enjoy fishing both my 3000 and 5000 sizes a lot, and they’re both strong and tough.
Surf Fishing Lines and Leaders
For line, no matter what you’re fishing for, you want braid. Casting distance can sometimes be an issue, and braid simply casts so much further than monofilament. There is also no stretch with braid, and when your lure is out 75-yards this can be crucial for hooksets. It also cuts through waves and moving water better, which is good for bait fishing.
You’re also going to need a monofilament or fluorocarbon or fluorocarbon leader — most of the time, I use monofilament. If you’re fishing bait, the length and strength will vary widely by species, so it’s tough to give general advice. However, if you’re throwing lures, use a leader that’s at least as strong as your braided line, and at least a quarter as long as your rod.
For example, if you’re using a 10-foot rod and 40-pound-test braid, a 40- to 60-pound leader that’s 2 to 3 feet long would be reasonable. There’s lots of reasons to have a longer or shorter leader, but figuring that out comes with learning about the species you’re targeting.
You can connect the leader to the braid with a simple knot, like a double-uni, or you can use a barrel swivel; it’s mostly a matter of preference (I use a knot).
There’s lots of great line and leader out there, but my current suggestion for braid is either Spiderwire Stealth or Sufix 832 depending on your budget (highly favor Sufix). For a leader, I’ve been a long time fan of TrikFish and simple, dependable Trilene Big Game. If you insist on trying fluorocarbon, Seaguar Inshore is the best value without doubt.
Surf Fishing Terminal Tackle
Hooks and rigs for bait fishing are extremely specific to the fish species you’re targeting, so it’s hard to provide general advice here. However, I’ll say that a circle hook, some fresh dead shrimp, and a slider sinker (called a Carolina rig) will catch a whole lot of species along both coastlines.
Your best bet is to head to the local tackle shop and ask which bait is best for your given species and the season.
Lures can be even more complicated than bait, but you can’t beat three general fish catchers: tins, poppers, and soft plastic paddletails. The sizes and shapes might change based on the size and species of the fish, but if you are just getting started, those three will take you far on your surf-fishing journey, and they’re all affordable and easy to find at any tackle shop.
Other Surf Fishing Gear
The rest of your gear will depend on where you’re fishing, and what you’re fishing with.
If you’re in colder waters, waders can be essential for keeping you dry and warm.
A tackle bag for lures is another essential, as is a good, strong set of aluminum fishing pliers. I highly recommend getting some with line cutters, and avoid hardware store pliers.
If you’re bait fishing, your list of essentials will likely include a small cooler, a fillet or bait knife, and a rag (for your hands). Many anglers also use a rod spike to hold their rod while they bait fish, though true “sharpies” will try to hold the rod as much as they can during a tide to detect even the most subtle bites.
There’s lots of other gear that can be important, from headlamps and sunglasses, to beach carts and surf tops. The key to knowing what you need is to pick your species first, read as much as you can about it, and target your approach. The complete list of necessary gear will come from there.
