Surf Fishing
The information below is provided by a local surf fishing captain to help you make informed decisions on the beach!
Cast With Purpose, Not For Distance
Surf Fishing Made Simple – Part 1
Every time I take clients fishing I see the same thing. Casting as far as possible with the mindset that you need to cast past the breakers. Absolutely there are times where a long cast can be beneficial, but is it a requirement?
I had two dads and two younger boys fishing with me one time. The kids were catching fish left and right while the adults were having to wait much longer for a bite. The difference? The kids couldn’t cast as far so they were unintentionally putting the bait in the right spot. Once I got through to the adults that the fish weren’t far off the beach, everyone had a blast and went home tired and happy.
Unless you’re fishing for massive sharks or trying to reach a school of Spanish mackerel that seem just out of reach from the shore, there is almost no reason to cast way out there. A lot of the fish we target are swimming between your legs once you step into the water.
Fishing In Front of the Sandbar
When I get to the spot I want to find the front edge of the sandbar. At low tide, you can normally just see it. If you can’t see it, and you still don’t know where it is, walk to it. The reason finding the edge is important is because we want to fish right between the sand bar and the beach. Crashing waves will push food into the trough which attracts fish, increasing chances of a catch. Best place to cast is normally a few feet in front of the sand bar, but the whole trough is a great producer.
Fishing the Far Edge of the Sandbar
If the front edge of the bar is a bust, we want to cast right past the far edge of the sand bar. This is right where the waves break. Fish will cruise along it as they travel up and down the beach waiting for the undertow to bring food out deeper.
Fishing Cuts
Cuts are fantastic producers of fish. A cut is where there is a break in the sandbar and water between the shore and sandbar flows back out into the ocean. Predatory fish will hang around these areas and pick off smaller animals that get caught in the current.
Fishing Holes
If you can find it, a hole is always a great place to catch fish. They can be hard to spot, but darker water and an absence of foam are easy tells of a hole. Deeper water sees less movement, providing a nice relief for the fish from the rougher, shallow water.
The Takeaway
Learning how to read takes time, patience, and a lot of casts. There is no better teacher than experience.
Before your next cast take a minute to look at the water. Most of the time, fish are closer than you think.
Author
Joel Hickman is a surf fishing guide based out of Topsail Beach, NC. He runs Wild Catch Fishing and focuses on helping anglers understand how to find and catch fish from the beach.