Surf Fishing

[WillyCamaro]

Don't feel bad TFL, we all have a tough time starting anything new out. Hang in there, the success will come, just practice n' patience is all you need to do.
GL .

[Steve Warden]

Don't feel bad TFL, we all have a tough time starting anything new out. Hang in there, the success will come, just practice n' patience is all you need to do.
GL .

And even then the pros get skunked every once in a while.

But to agree with Willy, hang in there and the success will come.

[carrmillus]

I want to state right upfront that I am NOT a fisherman. Growing up, my family fished only occasionally, and that fishing was entirely confined to dropping a Sabeki rig off the side of the pier when we went to the beach for a vacation. We would catch little surf perch & other small fish. Every couple of years, I might get invited to go fishing at a lake or river for trout or bluegill. I rarely caught anything on those trips.

Now I live within walking distance of the beach, and I often see people fishing for perch, striped bass, corbina and even halibut. There are also yellow tail croakers, bat rays, guitarfish and leopard sharks caught here. On the rocks near the jetties, they catch rock fish, cabazon & calico bass. We have tons of sand crabs at the surf line.

So - I think I want to get into this. I'm not looking for monsters, and I'm not going to get crazy - I just want to have the ability to occasionally walk out to the beach or the harbor with a pole and some gear and try to catch some fish. I'll probably catch & release everything - my wife hates the smell of fish.

All I have right now are a current ocean fishing license, and a couple of very, very light & cheap spinning rods & reels that would be more suited to fishing for minnows at the park. Sam's Club has a deal on an 8 ft Ugly Stik combo for ~$50. I'm thinking that, plus some braided line, hooks, sinkers and maybe a few swim baits & jigs for variety and I should be ready to give it a go.

What do you think? What else do I need?

...the patience of Jobe!!!!!......... ...................

[TwoFlowersLuggage]

I caught a fish! I went out this morning to the fishing dock at the marina and tossed a swim bait on a jig head, and I actually managed to catch 1 fish! It was a dinky way undersized halibut. In California, halibut need to be 22", and this little guy was probably only about 12-15". I was so excited and worried about getting the undersized fish back in the water that I didn't take the time to measure or take a picture. I just pulled the hook (and got my bait back!) and tossed him back. So, I guess this is just another fish story... I only got one other bite, but I didn't get the hook set on that one. I was out there about 2 hours and didn't lose any tackle - win!

Ocean: 2 TFL: 1

[Old Folder]

[Mumbleypeg]

“A bad day fishing beats a good day at work”! Don’t remember who said that but it’s true.

Ken

[bestgear]

that I didn't take the time to measure or take a picture. I just pulled the hook (and got my bait back!) and tossed him back

in my neck of the woods we call that The Pro Release - well done TFL

[WillyCamaro]

[Eustace]

in Bulgaria we say: "For every day of fishing, God gives us an extra day of life."
Багаж, the 8-foot rod is only suitable for small ponds or fishing from a boat. Get a specialized surf casting rod 12-14 feet.

[TwoFlowersLuggage]

Wow - a 4 meter rod?? That thing must cast a kilometer! I have seen a few guys using 10 or 12 foot rods out here, but on my local beaches the waves break fairly close to shore, and the species of fish we get here are typically feeding on the sand crabs and mussels that are stirred-up by the waves, or feeding on the smaller fish that are feeding on the sand crabs & mussels. I really don't need to cast more than about 30 yards. There is even one species, the Corbina, that will dart up into the water from a receding wave that is only a few inches deep to snag sand crabs, so shallow that their fin sticks out of the water. One method to catch those is to use a fly rod or very light tackle and let your bait get pulled back toward the fish - that's way too advanced for me!

[TwoFlowersLuggage]

I have proof this time! But, not a Halibut. I'm not sure what this little fish is, I think it might be a Mullet or maybe a Smelt? I suck at fish ID. I caught this at the same spot in the harbor that I caught the Halibut, so it is still not really "surf fishing". But, I didn't get skunked!

[Steve Warden]

Makes it all worth while!!

[TwoFlowersLuggage]

Some knowledgeable local guys said it is a "Queenfish", also sometimes called a "Queen Croaker". I had never heard of that species before!

[Eustace]

Wow - a 4 meter rod?? That thing must cast a kilometer! I have seen a few guys using 10 or 12 foot rods out here, but on my local beaches the waves break fairly close to shore, and the species of fish we get here are typically feeding on the sand crabs and mussels that are stirred-up by the waves, or feeding on the smaller fish that are feeding on the sand crabs & mussels. I really don't need to cast more than about 30 yards. There is even one species, the Corbina, that will dart up into the water from a receding wave that is only a few inches deep to snag sand crabs, so shallow that their fin sticks out of the water. One method to catch those is to use a fly rod or very light tackle and let your bait get pulled back toward the fish - that's way too advanced for me!

The more long rod - the smaller part of the line in the water. This helps a lot with the seaweeds problem along the line.
By the way, is this a silicone/soft lure in the fish's mouth?

[TwoFlowersLuggage]

The more long rod - the smaller part of the line in the water. This helps a lot with the seaweeds problem along the line.
By the way, is this a silicone/soft lure in the fish's mouth?

Yes, it is a Berkley Gulp 3 inch Swimming Mullet in white on a 1/4 oz jig head. I was standing on a floating dock in the bay of a marina, so there were no waves to deal with. I was not using the 8 ft surf rod for this. I also have a 7 ft ultralight rod that we bought many years ago for the kids, and it works pretty well for light tackle casting.

[TwoFlowersLuggage]

It was a good weekend to be a fish, not so good to be a fisherman...

Now that the seaweed storm seems to have gone away, I intended to try the surf again on Saturday. However, I slept-in and missed the low-tide, so I just went back to the harbor dock (same spot I caught the previous 2 fish). Nothing. Not a single bite. I decided to try some long casts with my larger rod and a heavier sinker. I got the rig set-up with a 1.5 oz sliding weight on a Carolina rig, then reared-back and let it fly...

Unfortunately, I forgot to open the bail on my spinning reel. The line broke at the reel and my entire tackle rig went SPLOOSH into the briney deep. I guess I should feel lucky it didn't break my rod tip.

I didn't feel like retying another rig, so I just fished the light set-up for a few minutes, then just packed-up and went home.

Sunday I got up early and headed directly to the surf. I guess my first clue that it was not going to be a successful day was that there were NO other fisherman in the surf. I thrashed around in VERY cold water for about an hour and did not get a single bite. I think the issue was that the waves were quite large & powerful, and the water was just too cold. Bad conditions for fishing.

I walked over to the harbor and again tried fishing at the dock. I was there for almost 2 hours and all I got was a sore shoulder. Not a bite on every type of bait I had in my bucket. I left when the family next to me on the dock started naming their worms...

So, what did I learn from this weekend?

1. Check TWICE that your bail is open before every cast!
2. Check water temp and surf height before heading to the beach.
3. My old snow skiing pants make lousy waders. They are NOT waterproof!

Edit: I went back to the harbor about 2 PM and fished for about 90 minutes. I caught one little yellow-fin croaker, not even big enough to take a picture. The dock was really busy - lots of people fishing and little kids running back and forth screaming. That's what I get for going on a Sunday afternoon. Oh, and I also caught a huge chunk of Giant Kelp. That thing must have been 8 feet long. It looked like I pulled it completely off the bottom where it was anchored. I can't believe my little ultralight rod & reel pulled that tree in.

So, 1 fish and 1 sequoia tree - the weekend wasn't a skunk after all!

[TwoFlowersLuggage]

This weekend I went out to the surf to try my luck. Saturday started out fantastic, I caught 3 fish on my first 3 casts! Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my phone for pictures. They were all little Barred Surf Perch, about 6". I fished for another hour and caught 1 more perch. Then, I screwed-up my cast, broke my line and launched my entire rig out into the surf. I put on another rig and fished a bit more, then went home. 4 fish in 2 hours, and it was fun!

Sunday I went out with a new rig that I had tied the night before. I caught one fish pretty quickly, and this time I remembered my phone!

I didn't realize my tape measure didn't start at zero until I got home, so I guess add another 1/2 inch? Still puny. Barred Surf Perch get twice this size, and many guys catch 10"+ in the Winter.

I fished a bit more, then AGAIN I screwed-up my cast and broke my line! I have GOT TO learn to slow down and be more methodical in my casting. Sometimes I'm forgetting to open the bail, and sometimes I'm fouling the line with my finger on release. So, I put on my spare rig and kept fishing. I was getting bites, but no hooks - perch are "nibblers" and they kept eating the tails off my bait. I need to figure out a way to thread the bait on the hook a different way.

This is where it gets WEIRD...

I felt a bite, and I hooked-up. As I'm reeling in, it feels odd. It feels heavy, like I seaweed, but I can still feel little shakes of a fish. When I pull it on shore, I see a big chunk of seaweed AND a perch! The line is tangled in the seaweed, and as I untangle it, I notice that there is ANOTHER rig tangled in the seaweed. My first thought was "Oh, hey, I caught a fish AND someone's sinker!" Then, that second rig is starting to look familiar - YUP, it is MY rig that I lost 20 minutes earlier. Then I finally see that the fish is NOT on a hook on my current rig, it is on a hook on the broken rig! It's not a foul hook - the fish ate the bait and hook of the earlier rig!

Now, I don't know whether the fish was on the old rig before I caught the seaweed, or if I caught the seaweed with the rig, then the fish ate the old bait and hooked itself. Since it is my hook that caught the fish, and I landed it, I'm counting it as a catch!

And, I got my rig back!!

[doglegg]

Funny story TFL.

[Steve Warden]

Great story. Even better to hear you're not getting skunked!!

Are those perch worthy of eating? Or are you a catch and release guy?

[TwoFlowersLuggage]

I am "CPR" (catch, photo, release) - when I remember to bring my phone for pics!

Bigger Barred Surf Perch are excellent eating. They make great fish tacos. A bit tedious to prepare due to the tiny bones.

[cudgee]

I am "CPR" (catch, photo, release) - when I remember to bring my phone for pics!

Bigger Barred Surf Perch are excellent eating. They make great fish tacos. A bit tedious to prepare due to the tiny bones.

I do not if you could do it, or if it would be worth it, but we have a fish over here that has tiny bones, and one way that the old Italian's used to use them was, they would fillet them with all the bones still in the flesh, then put the fillets through a mincer and make fish cakes/patties. Came out like a burger and are good eating.

[TwoFlowersLuggage]

Well, I narrowly avoided a disaster today...

For the last couple of days, our surf has been unusually mild. So, I decided this would be a perfect time to try casting a hard bait lure that some people swear by. The minnow jerk bait is a little light for my rod, it weighs 7/8 oz, and my rod is a medium-heavy, rated 1 oz - 3 oz. But, the real handicap is that I suck at casting - hence why I wanted to get some time with it.

So, I go out and at first it is going about like I expected - I'm not getting any distance on my casts. I could darn near walk out and drop the lure farther than I could cast it. But, I'm slowly getting better - I'm trying to load the rod and time my release better so that it doesn't go straight up and straight down. The trajectory is starting to flatten out and the distance is getting more reasonable. I'm really whipping that rod tip to try to get more speed at release.

THEN, on the next cast, the upper half of my rod (it's a two piece rod) separates and goes flying...

Now, at this point I really don't know what happened - all I know is that I'm holding half my rod. The water is not very clear (lots of white foam) and I catch a glimpse of the rod in the water about 10 feet in front of me. So, I run and grab for it, but, of course, by the time I get there a wave has pushed it somewhere else and I'm bent over feeling around in the water while still holding the other half of my rod. I then remember that I still have both my work and personal cell phones in the pocket of my shorts, because I had no plans to get in the water. So, now I'm hiking my shorts up to keep my phones out of the water, holding the bottom half of my rod AND feeling around for the top half of my rod. I finally snatch the rod, and by this time my line is wrapped around my feet and my legs. I slowly back out of the waves, trying not to trip, holding the two halves of my rod and trying to keep the pocket of my shorts out of the water...

The Aftermath...

The two phones are fine. They got just a bit damp, but they are fine. I cut out the tangle of line from around my feet, legs and the two halves of the rod. My ego is thoroughly bruised and battered. Today, the ocean not only won, it kicked my @ss!

So, now the big question: What the heck am I doing wrong that my cast makes the rod come apart? What do I need to change to keep this from happening again?

[Steve Warden]

Sounds like you're trying too hard.
You mention it, it's about timing. When it's right, the flex in your rod will shoot the lure and line out for you. That's why it works with a fly rod and a lure the weight of a mosquito.
I'd rig up your rod with what you typically use, mash the hook flat, get out in the backyard and practice.

[treefarmer]

TFL, I appreciate your amusing description of your adventure. However you left out the best part. I was looking for a description of the knife you used to free yourself from the line.
Treefarmer

[cudgee]

Sounds like you're trying too hard.
You mention it, it's about timing. When it's right, the flex in your rod will shoot the lure and line out for you. That's why it works with a fly rod and a lure the weight of a mosquito.
I'd rig up your rod with what you typically use, mash the hook flat, get out in the backyard and practice.

I agree, but i have already suggested, go and buy some casting plugs of different weights to practice your casting. And it is all about the timing and going through with one movement. You should not be flicking or whipping the rod tip, it should be a follow through one motion and let the rod do all the work.