If you're looking to test your hand at a new saltwater discipline, surf fishing is a thrilling alternative.
Spending time fishing from the shore provides that much needed beach time, teaches you to read the surf, and presents a unique challenge for any angler. Surf fishing might look intimidating at first glance, but that’s exactly why it’s a challenge every angler should aim for. Don’t shy away – strap in, gear up, and cast out. It’s simpler than it seems, and the reward is well worth the fight.
Feeling ready to take up the challenge for yourself? Before getting out there, check out this short list of pro-tips to help you on your surf fishing journey. Once you’ve learned how to read the water, time the tides, and choose the best gear for your outing, any nice day at the beach can quickly turn into an action-packed fishing trip.
1. Start with a scouting mission
Fishing successfully off the beach is like solving a puzzle. Luck is always a factor in fishing but swinging the odds in your favor begins with adequate time investment. A stroll at low tide on your nearest beach is the best method to identify ideal fishing spots. This scouting strategy will allow you to locate attractive structures and food sources where the fish will be hanging out. Some areas can be read in the moment with easy to identify sand bars and troughs, but many are not as easily evaluated and may take a couple scouting trips to fully understand.
Look for rocks, hard ground areas, and shellfish beds that attract bait fish and the bigger fish that prey on them. Make note of obstacles that may steal lures or require special rigging to prevent snags. Bring a pair of binoculars to scour the beaches for great habitats to fish when the tide rises and ask around at your local bait and tackle shops for hot spots.
2. It's the gear that gets 'em
Like most successful fishing trips, having the right gear makes all the difference. Let’s start with your reel – a spinning reel setup is the most common for surf fishing anglers and is an excellent all-around choice for those tough fights. Spinning reels are easy to control and a well-made model is sealed against saltwater and sand damage, while also providing a stout drag system to wrestle those fish to the shoreline. While you can fish from the surf with almost any gear, having the right setup is going to get you more fish. The right reel paired with a surf rod will help you get your bait/lures out where the fish are – that's where the Battle® IV Spinning Rod & Reel Combo comes in with a lightweight body, durable performance, and versatile applications.
Conventional reels are also well suited for chasing big game species and casting long distances with heavy rigs. They also perform well when fishing structure and hard bottoms, which might come in handy when surf fishing near piers or reefs. For these scenarios, the PENN Fathom II Star Drag come in a Special model that is specifically designed to maximize casting distance from the shore.
When it comes to selecting the right rod for these reels to sit on, a 9–12-foot rod is a great universal option and will handle just about any surf fishing situation. Longer rods up to 15 ft are used in heavy duty surf that demands large weights and enough rod to turn big fish away from hazards so understanding your environment is key. For specific rod recommendations, the Battalion™ II Conventional Surf Rod and Carnage™ III Conventional Surf Rod are what you want in your hand when the bite strikes.
3. Golden Hour Greatness
Golden hours aren’t just for photographers and influencers, the first and last couple hours of daylight are when the best battles are won for anglers and hunters in any environment. Fish often feel less exposed to predation during golden hours and are willing to work closer to the beach than under full daylight. Look for high and outgoing tides that coincide with these low light time periods and hit the beach early or late to really dial in the best fishing opportunities. This is feeding time for most species so strike while the irons hot and don’t miss an opportunity.
4. Ready To Rig & reel
Live bait is the preferred method for many inshore and offshore anglers, and surf fishing is no different. Catching your own bait is highly recommended so you can more easily rig these fresh fish and crustaceans while they’re still kicking – that's how your target species prefer them anyways. Fishing a fresh and active live bait is extremely effective but rigging them properly is not always easy to accomplish.
To best rig your live bait, it’s important to understand how they naturally move in their environment and try to mimic this movement through your hook placement. Rig your baits through the nose, top fin, or other areas of anatomy that you’re certain won’t kill the bait. A dead bait can still catch fish, but the movement of a live bait makes a huge difference in attracting predators and getting bites.
With live bait, we recommend using a technique like a Carolina Rig that separates bait from the rigging weight so that it can still float upwards. Using a cast and retrieve technique places immense pressure on live bait, causing the bait to last only a short while so fishing off the bottom is a common approach for surf fishing. Unless fish are actively chasing live bait for the bite, use a heavy weight to cast that baby out as far as you can and let the fish come to you.
5. The Secret To Soft Bait
If convenience is what you’re after, soft baits with embedded scent can also be very effective from the surf. When you don’t have a bucket of live bait ready to go, soft bait can be a great alternative due to their versatility and ability to fish them off the bottom or utilize a cast and retrieve method. Tie on a jig head or Texas style rig and stop worrying about changing out live bait every few minutes.
With soft baits, we encourage you to do the research and know what the local fish are biting. Asking your local bait shop pros what’s been hitting is always a good idea too. Knowing local details like the proper species, color, or timing for a bait fish can make all the difference. Choose the correct presentation and get your line in the water with soft bait because they can often match or even outperform the live ones.
To get you started on your surf fishing journey, we suggest keeping the following soft baits in your arsenal: A Berkley® Surf Buster™ Kit, Gulp!® Surf Bytes Baitfish, Gulp!® Saltwater Sand Crab Flea, and Gulp!® Saltwater Surf Bytes Sand Fleas.
6. Don't Sleep on drones
Is it cheating? Heck no! The fishing industry and our technology changes and evolves year after year and if you’re not evolving with it, you’re behind. If you’ve been to the beach in the past couple years and stumbled on any serious surf anglers, chances are they have a new gadget with them. Drones have chiseled out a nice corner in the surf fishing game, allowing anglers to carry baited line out deep into the water and increasing their chances of targeting predators.
While it can be an investment, the return just might be worth it if the surf fishing bug infects you. Additionally, if your drone is equipped with a camera, it can come in real handy when scouting the best locations to set up for the day and help you avoid unforeseen obstacles the naked eye just can’t reach from shore. Lean into and trust your fishing technology.
7. Distinguishing The Difference
Surf fishing is a learned experience and one of the main obstacles you’ll face initially is discerning the difference between a fish bite and just the general action of the wave. The key to this skill really comes through trial and error, as well as time with the rod in your hand.
Be sure to watch your rod tip and feel for changes in your line. A fish bite signal can look something like a sudden tug, change in the rod's direction, drag pulling, or obvious flickering action on the bent rod tip. After a few trips out, we promise you’ll start to get the hang of it but don’t be too harsh on yourself when you’re fooled the first few outings.
Give 'em hell!
Surf fishing is exactly what you make of it so whether you’re out on shore relaxing with a beach chair and a six pack with a line in or constantly checking rod tensions and scouting, it’s going to be a good day full of excitement, spectators, and hopefully some fish tacos if all goes well.
it's a shore thing
go-to surf fishing gear
