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Surf fishing is a kind of sport that involves catching of fish (usually in saltwater) while standing on the shore or while wading through the surf. You may or may not cast baits/lures. If this sport activity piques your interest, below are some surf fishing tips to help you get started.
Basic Supplies/Materials
Just as in any fishing activities, there are a few things to gather before starting surf fishing. There is the fishing license you need to procure. You will need medium-heavy weight reel and rod; bucket/plastic jug and a stringer to hold the fish; baits and hooks (sizes depend on the kind of fish you want to catch); tackle box; personal stuff (sunscreen, snacks, beach chair, etc.)
Finding Your Fishing Spot
Walk along the beach and assess what you see. There are various areas you can see where water could come up far away from the beach before spreading back to other in-between areas. These are known as points/bays. The best spot is exactly on the very edge of the points. It is where the water will rush back to the sea all the while creating a current that will toss bait particles as food for the fish. Fishing eddies or circular currents are also another ideal place to surf fish. These currents are made by the rock jetties or rip tides.
Scouting the beach allows you with better chances of catching a fish. Remember that the beach may change shape regularly, although you may not notice this while standing on the beach sand. Waves, and rip actions and tides can create sandbars and gutters to move and affect the areas where the fish are. Check out the beach during a calm day or low tide to see how the beach actually looks.
Beach reconnaissance can be made easier by using Polaroid glasses. Such glasses can help cut the reflection of light from the water so you can easily identify water color changes. Using Polaroid glasses will help in determining the schooling fish, present gutters or reefs, etc.
There are risks you need to prepare for in surf fishing. One is being stung by sting rays. If you are wading, you need to shuffle your feet in order to deter the sting rays. It may be possible that you catch a shark. If you do, you need to be careful in getting the fish out from the hook to avoid unnecessary bites.
Apply sunscreen on your skin. Being exposed to the sun and to the salty surroundings can burn your skin more than you can endure. Include in your tool bag a piece of packet knife. You will never know when a knife will be handy and useful. Most of all never face away from the surf when fishing.
Baits Hardening
Baits used for catching large types of fish like mulloway, gummy sharks and salmon may easily get damaged when picked by small fish like herring or whiting. Baits may also last for several casts before they finally reach the end of their lives. They become water-logged and soft; too soft that they cannot endure the impact of being thrown in the water. To address the problem, you may salt your baits. You may also just buy pre-salted baits. Another option is to use ghost cotton. It is white, thin cotton that you can wrap a few times around the bait so it can be held together and kept tighter on the hook.
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