How to Catch Fish by Surfcasting

Fishing on the beach is fun and relaxing and, at times, can produce a lot of fish. Here are some basic guidelines for getting started in this great outdoor activity.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 10-to-12 foot rods
• Reels
• 18-to-45-pound test fishing line
• 1 to 4-ounce sinkers
• Hooks, sizes #4 to 2/0
• Surf clams, squid, sand fleas, live or frozen mullet, minnows, shrimp or crabs
• Rod holders cut from 2-inch diameter PVC pipe
• 5-gallon bucket
• Folding chair

1. Buy one or more surf rods new or at garage sales. A surf-casting rod is typically 10 to 12 feet long to make it easy to cast heavy sinker and bait combos more than 150 feet. Rods should be two-piece to make them easy to transport in a car or trunk.

2. Buy a reel for each rod. Large spinning reels are used by the majority of surfcasters, but buy a baitcasting reel if you are more accustomed to their use.

3. Buy monofilament or braided line in the range of about 18 to 45 pounds test and leader line of 30 pounds test or more. Heavier line doesn’t cast well and lighter line is cut easily on rocks or bitten off by larger fish.

4. 
   Pyramid sinker

   Buy hooks in the size range of #4 to 2/0, depending on the size of fish running. Whiting and small flounder can be caught on #4 to #2 hooks, while larger fish like pompano and bluefish are best fished with #2 to 1/0 hooks. Get baitholder hooks for using cut bait or live bait. Buy lots of pyramid or egg sinkers in sizes from 1 to 4 ounces and large swivels.

5. Head for the beach. Prepare a fish-finder rig by sliding a 1-to-4-ounce pyramid or egg sinker onto your line and tying on a large swivel. Attach 1 to 3 feet of leader line to the swivel and tie on a hook. If you prefer fishing without a leader, use a large pinch-on sinker 1 to 3 feet above the hook to keep the sinker away from the bait.

6. Cut a piece of surf clam, squid tentacles or grab a piece of live bait and thread it onto your hook. Run the hook through the toughest part of the bait, like the back shell of a sand flea or the area around the fins of a minnow.

7. Cast bait overhead from near the surf zone or wade into the water to cast. Leave bail open or free-spool after casting while you walk the rod back to your rod holder. Tighten line and place rod in holder. Repeat this step for multiple casting outfits.

8. Watch rod tips for nibbles or strikes. Learn to distinguish rhythmic action of rod tips caused by waves and currents from quick jabs caused by biting fish. Position your beach chair perpendicular to the line for the best view of rod action.

Tips & Warnings

• The best days for surfcasting are when the wind is offshore and the waves are two feet or less.
• Fill a 5-gallon bucket half full of seawater to keep your catches after you remove them from the hook.
• You can easily watch three or four surfcasting outfits on a typical day. If action picks up with schools of fish, just retire the outfits you can’t tend.