Tackling The Surf

If you love the waves crashing along the beach, the smell of salt in the air, and walking for miles along the beach, you might also be interested in fishing the great waves. If you are unsure where to start, you may be surprised to find out how easy it is to get started with surf fishing. You may also be surprised to find out how inexpensive it is to get started.

 

The best thing about surf fishing is it does not mean that you have to spend a ton of money to get started. You might actually be surprised to learn that the old fishing rod that you got years ago that has been laying around in the garage, the attic, or the basement is perfectly suitable. Look around and see if you can find an 8 foot or larger rod, and add some of those lead weights that you have been collecting for years.

Tackling the surf means you will need a rod and reel that will easily cast up to 4 ounces of weight. Your rod should also have a fast action tip, and be fairly sturdy. One of the reasons that an eight foot or longer rod is needed, is that the surf will require long casts, so the sturdier, the better. At a minimum, you will need 200 yards of 17 pound test to fit easily on your reel. Monofilament is the best line for these purposes.

Some anglers prefer a sliding weight system, which is simply a snap swivel of hook and a leader. However, most surf fishers prefer using a fish finder rig. A fish finder rig is a hollow sleeve that contains large snaps, that attaches to a clip on the sinker, so that as the fish snacks your bait, the sinker will stay at the bottom. The action that occurs causes the line slide towards the rig and the fish never feels the resistance. In effect, the swivel prevents the slider from landing too close to the hook which causes the initial resistance that the fish feel giving them time to get away. The best leader should be approximately 24 inches, and have a good hook on the end.

Artificial plugs and spoons are important to have as part of their tackle. It is not unusual for artificial lures to provide better results than live bait. This is especially true, if Fisher actively feeding on the surface. In these cases, top water plugs will attract them far quicker than live bait. You may want to consider having 2 rods with you, one that you are using for live bait, and the other one outfitted with an artificial lure.

If you are in doubt at all about the most productive surf fishing areas, you need not go much further than your local tackle shop. In general, the shops will have information about productive beach areas. There is little doubt that anglers who typically are involved in surf fishing will have discussed the best spots with someone in the tackle shop. Once you arrive on the beach, you will be able to tell nearly immediately if it is a good area, since there will probably be other anglers around. Make sure that you discuss the best bait for the area that you plan to fish. They will be able to tell you what the most popular lures are and help you find the ones that will work best for you. The more time you spend fishing, the more knowledge you will gain, and before long, your surf lure and bait rig collection will be sufficient.

There is simply no reason to spend hundreds of dollars to prepare yourself for fishing. This includes surf fishing. Even if you are just getting started, the basic equipment should be relatively inexpensive and as time goes along, and you gain more experience, and you can build up your supply of bait and tackle. Before you know it, you will have learned more about this great sport, not just from your local tackle shop, but from other beach anglers.

When you are preparing to undergo a saltwater fishing experience, it is important that you have the proper fishing gear. Some of the most popular gear include Shimano Saltwater Spinning Reels, Penn Reels and Daiwa Fishing Reels.