Surf Fishing 101

Surf fishing is most definitely my favorite type of fishing to do. The open ocean, crashing waves, scenery and ocean breeze make surf fishing an enjoyable outdoor activity. In addition to the great scenery, surf fishing is endless. You will probably never run out of spots to surf fish because of the hundreds of miles of beaches. I'm now going to provide some tips and techniques that I have learned over the past couple years. These recommendations will have you catching fish from the surf in no time.

Rigs - The carolina rig is the most common surf fishing rig used on the West Coast and is highly recommended. This is the carolina rig in order from top to bottom: Egg sinker, bead, swivel, around two feet of fluorocarbon line and hook. It is a simple yet effective rig that will definitely work.

Rods - For fishing the surf, I do not recommend anything under 7' because you will need a rod long enough to keep your line over the waves that will be crashing right in front of you. Many surf anglers use rods from 7' to 9'. I currently use a 7' Shimano Clarus rod that works fine, but I will eventually change that to 7'6". Use a rod that has a medium-light to medium action that will give you enough backbone to fight fish in the surf. The rod should have a fast to extra fast taper so you are able to set the hook effectively. Overall, you want a long, sensitive rod that has the ability to fight a big fish.

Reels - I recommend using a 2500 size spinning reel for surf fishing. In my opinion, the 2500 size is a nice light sized reel that won't tire out your wrist very much.

Sinkers - Depending on the surf conditions, you want to use sinker sizes from 1/2 ounce to 1 ounce. Strong currents and big waves call for heavier sized weights. I almost always use sizes such as 3/4 ounce and 1 ounce. 

Hooks - Smaller size hooks are recommended for surf fishing because some of the most common surf species have small mouths. You don't want a big hook that will have you missing bites all day. I like to use size #4 baitholder style hooks or size #2 Owner Mosquito hooks. In my opinion, these size hooks do the very well in the surf. 

Line - I almost always use 8 pound fluorocarbon line. Using light line makes fighting fish more fun and is strong enough to land them. You can use line sizes from 6 to 12 pound test in the surf. I recommend using fluorocarbon line for the leader because it is virtually invisible under water. Light line equals more fun, but you run the risk of loosing the big one. 

Bait - Ghost shrimp, sand crabs, mussel, Berkley Gulp Camo Sand Worms "CrAcK", Perch grubs in motor oil red flake (MORF) color. They WILL all work great!

                                                      

Basic Tips - When your ready to cast you want to time the waves. Wait for the waves to crash then cast over them into the flat water. I like to have my rig starting in between the breaks. The waves will eventually start moving your rig towards you. Just make sure to ALWAYS keep your line tight so you can feel the bite. You can either let the current or waves take your rig or you can cast out and slooowly reel it back towards you. Sometimes you may feel like your getting bit but it can be the waves crashing down on your rig, so be sure to pay attention. The usual perch bite will feel like a shock or a really fast tapping feeling.

P.S. You'll be surprised how close the fish really are to the shore. Go get em!

Corbina caught on a sand crab

Some Recent Catches

Here are some recent notable catches I've caught within the past week.

Sargo caught in Carlsband beach using ghost shrimp

Same fat perch 

Fish Report: Finally a Sargo

During my work vacation me and my friend Tony pumped some ghost shrimp and headed out to the San Diego Bay. We were finally able to catch a nice incoming tide for once, which is a great time to fish. The weather conditions were fairly nice with a little wind coming at us.

I began casting into a spot where I know there's some nice structure where fish like to hang around. Within my first couple casts, BOOM! My rod bends and I set the hook. As I'm fighting the fish I knew it was either a Sargo or a Croaker because of the way it was fighting. The fish was pulling drag on my reel and when it finally surfaced it was a Sargo. I suddenly had a big smile on my face because I had made the Sargo number one on my most wanted list. Sargo have some nice power to them which means a fun fight, especially on light tackle.

I also caught  some nice yellowfin croaker and spotted bay bass as well. All fish were caught on ghost shrimp on a drop shot rig and a 1/2 ounce torpedo sinker.

Storing Ghost Shrimp

Knowing how to store your ghost shrimp overnight is a good thing to know. Whether you are saving them for a future date or you have some left over, these tips will help you keep them alive.

Things You'll Need

• Plastic container of some sort 
• Paper towels or anything that will absorb water
• Ice or ice pack

1. Soak one the one of the paper towels in saltwater or water from the sink. I prefer saltwater though
2. Lay the damp paper towel in the plastic container or on a flat surface
3. In the middle of the paper towel, put about 10-15 ghost shrimp in there trying not to overcrowd them too much. You must allow space for flaps to fold over the ghost shrimp
4. Fold the flaps over the ghost shrimp
5. Keep repeating the process. There should be layers of paper towels in your plastic container
6. Throw the plastic container in the refrigerator or in a cooler with ice/ice packs

The most important thing to keep in my when storing ghost shrimp is to keep them COOL. You don't want them to be too cold either. This method should keep the ghost shrimp alive for a couple of days. When you look at them the next day they may look dead, but once you touch them they should become lively again. You'll know when they are dead because there will be a strong odor and they will be soft and mushy to the touch. Try to keep them cool even when transporting and when your out fishing. 

Shovel nose guitar fish

Shovel nose guitar fish caught in Imperial Beach, CA on Ghost Shrimp

Report: My first Corvina

Me and my buddy Tony decided to have a change of pace and soak some ghost shrimp on the Coronado Ferry Landing pier in Coronado, CA. I heard of anglers catching big Sargo and yellowfin croaker at the pier, so we gave it a shot. The tide was very low when we got there and it was still dropping, but we still made the best out of it. We didn't catch any of our target species (Sargo), but we did manage a nice little variety of fish. I also scored my first Corvina which made be pretty happy. My technique of casting the ghost shrimp out and slowly reeling it back worked out for me.

Bait of choice: Ghost Shrimp, drop shot rig, 1/2 ounce torpedo sinker, #1 size baitholder style hook

Fish Count: 4 Spotted Bay bass, 1 Calico bass, 2 Sculpin, 1 Lizard fish, 1 Sand bass, 1 Corvina

My first Corvina. Not too big but I scratched one off the list

 The View

Increase your chances : Bait Scent

Using scent is a great way to increase your chances when fishing in salt or freshwater. In my opinion, bait scent makes a world of a difference when fishing artificial baits. There are plenty of different scents on the market from krill to squid. So, if your not using bait scent you should start. You won't regret it.

My current scents. UniButter and Gulp Alive shrimp flavor

Why use bait scent?

• It eliminates human scents such as lotions, sunscreen, cigarettes and cigars
• It leaves a scent trail that will attract a fish from a distance 
• When fish bite they stay on the bait longer because it tastes like the real thing, which means better chances of landing the fish
• Leaves a nice slimy coat on your bait
• Keeps your bait from drying up, leaving a more life like action

Some popular scents

• Uni Butter - Most powerful scent in my opinion
• Hot Sauce - Another effective scent
• Berkley Gulp! Alive - Powerful scent that comes in easy spray bottle
• Eagle Claw - Many different flavors from squid to anchovy with glitter
• Pro Cure - I have never tried them but have heard good things. Tons of different flavors

Personally, my favorite go to scent right now is Uni Butter because of it's powerful smell and it's ability to increase my fish count. However, other bait scents like the ones listed above can be just as effective. It' s really up to you. The thing I like about the Berkley Gulp spray bottle is that it is easier to apply and less messy. Just be careful to not touch your face after handling bait scents unless you want to smell it all day long =p. That's the only thing you'll regret about using scents.