Category: Surf Fishing

Surf fishing is something that most anglers consider to be a daytime activity since the tides are shifting at night as it can be difficult to see your rig and line. However, more and more anglers are venturing out under the cover of darkness to catch the many different types of fish that feed after the sun goes down.

There are a number of benefits to fishing at night such as the fact that you can avoid the blazing sunlight and the winds are usually not as bad either. Plus, there aren’t any beach-goers trying to swim in the water, which means that you’re pretty much free to fish anywhere you want along the beach.

If you’re looking to get started surf fishing at night, we’ve compiled this article to give you some of the most basic tips and techniques you’ll need to know in order to be successful.

Best Locations for Surf Fishing at Night

Since you’re fishing at night, you won’t have to contend with beach-goers who are swimming in the water and obstructing some of the best fishing spots in the same way they do during the daytime.

You’re also not having to contend with other anglers who might already have the best locations to fish locked down early in the morning. This is one of the most freeing aspects of surf fishing at night and can serve as a huge advantage to anglers who truly utilize their freedom to fish virtually anywhere on the beach.

Saltwater fish will usually prowl around coastal areas throughout the night in search of various prey that might be swimming among the waves near the beach.

Sharks are also more active at night and surf anglers typically will hook into a few sharks while fishing at night. The best locations for surf fishing at night tend to be relatively the same as the top spots for daytime fishing.

Also Read: Where to Cast When Beach Fishing

One of the most important things to keep in mind is that you’re going to be dealing with the changing tide at night, which means water will surge into the shore, covering areas that are usually exposed during the daytime.

This can be a major advantage for anglers who take the time to go out and scout during the daylight hours for a suitable fishing spot that offers significant depth changes or pockets.

As the tide continues to move in, you may have to relocate or simply move your gear and fishing position back a number of feet in order to avoid being soaked.

Be sure to look for areas of the beach that form deep holes or spots where large fish will lurk in wait for unsuspecting bait fish to swim by where they can easily be ambushed.

It’s also very important that you check the weather and be prepared for any potential rain or storms that might move into the area. Storms are known to move very quickly near coastal areas and can come up without much warning, leaving you scrambling to get your gear back to your vehicle or where you’re staying.

Also, keep an eye out for strong winds that could develop as this will certainly make fishing at night much more difficult.

Best Baits to Use for Surf Fishing at Night

When it comes to selecting the best type of bait to use, there are a number of factors that come into play that will determine whether or not you have a successful outing on the beach at night.

As always, it’s very important to do your research prior to arriving at your fishing spot and gaining a more thorough understanding of the different type of fish in the area you’re at, as well as what type of prey those game fish species like to go after at night.

Remember that fish will use their sense of smell to a much greater degree at night as they aren’t able to see as well in the water. Certain surf baits that work during the daytime won’t always prove to be successful under the cover of darkness.

It’s usually a good idea to use baits that are naturally occurring in the area during the specific time of year you’re fishing from the surf. Things like sand fleas, crabs, squid, shrimp, herring, and other cut bait are typically considered to be ideal choices that anglers can’t really go wrong with.

As with any other type of fishing, you’ll want to ‘match the hatch’ and use baits or lures that closely resemble the same thing your target fish are going after. If you’re hoping to catch larger fish like sharks, be sure to rig a larger size bait and hook on your line.

Using the Right Tackle

When it comes to what kind of tackle you’ll need for surf fishing at night, your overall rod selection, as well as line, hooks and sinkers will remain relatively the same as what you’d use during the daytime.

If you’re specifically trying to catch large sized fish like sharks, be sure that you have a rod that’s big and heavy enough to handle fighting a fully-grown shark in the surf.

Since you’ll have much more room and won’t be impeded by beach goers and other anglers for the most part, it’s a good idea to use multiple rods to help maximize your chances of catching fish. Most surf anglers who venture out at night typically use at least two or three rods and some will even have as many as 5 or more per angler.

If you use multiple surf fishing rods, be sure that you’re keeping a very close eye on each rod in order to reel in any fish that happen to bite.

Failing to do so can usually result in the fish running parallel to the shoreline and getting tangled in the other lines you have set in the water, which can be a massive headache and will take loads of time to either untangle or cut the lines and tie all your surf rigs back on.

Other tips for Night Surf Fishing

Fish behavior will be slightly different at night than during the daytime in most areas. Instead of staying well away from the shoreline beyond the breaking waves, fish are much more apt to bite close to the shore.

This means that the usual strategy of casting your rig out as far as possible doesn’t necessarily have to be the case. If you’re using multiple rods, you’ll be best served if you utilize them in such a way as to fish multiple distances from the shoreline with one rod as far out as you can cast and the others set at incrementally shorter distances.

Also Read: Surf Fishing Gear List

Most anglers who have much experience surf fishing at night recommend that it’s best to stay out of areas that have larger waves when possible.

This is a tip that rings true during the daytime, as well as the night, but fish will almost certainly be hunting for potential prey in areas where the waves are a bit more calm. This usually allows them to more easily chase after fleeing bait fish without losing them in the waves.

Be sure to bring along plenty of lights that will properly illuminate your surroundings and help you see your rods and fishing line as well as possible. Having a bright headlamp is a must when it comes to surf fishing at night.

Flounder are one of the most sought after fish along the coastlines of North America. They are known as one of the most unique saltwater game fish in the world as they have a reputation for burrowing down into the sand and waiting on their next meal to swim within reach.

Flounder are specially adapted to hunt in this manner thanks to their eyes being situated on one side of their head.

Despite their freakish appearance, flounder are excellent table fare and many anglers consider them to be among the tastiest of any coastal fish species.

Flounder fishing involves utilizing certain techniques that would often not work for other species. Most anglers who target flounder will cruise around the shoreline in search of the distinctive tracks the fish leave behind when they burrow down into the sand.

These tracks are often hard to see from the shoreline, making it a bit more difficult when it comes to surf fishing for flounder, even in areas where boaters normally have great success.

To offset this disadvantage, anglers can use a variety of techniques that help them cover more of the shoreline’s bottom in search of these elusive fish.

If you plan to have a successful outing along the shoreline when it comes to flounder fishing, we’ve compiled a few of the most important tips you’ll need to know in order to be successful.

When to Fish for Flounder Along the Surf

Surf fishing is vastly different from targeting certain species of saltwater fish from a boat. While these fish typically roam around along the shore, catching them from one central location on the beach can be difficult.

Fishing from a boat will allow you to target flounder at virtually any time of the year, but surf fishing for flounder is mostly done in the warm weather months of spring into the early fall in most areas.

Flounder typically retreat to deeper water once the water begins to cool. They often swim out near large reefs where they will usually congregate in large numbers.

Their annual spawning ritual takes place in these deep waters and flounder won’t return to their summer time habitat along the coastline until the waters once again begin to warm.

If you plan to fish along the shoreline for flounder, it’s best that you do so throughout the spring and summer in order to have the best chance to catch anything.

Sometimes anglers can still catch flounder along the coastline in the early fall months, but they will begin to move out to deeper water when the water temperature drops below 60 degrees in most areas.

Being able to fish from a boat will allow you to utilize a number of deep water techniques and tactics to catch flounder in great numbers.

Most anglers often report catching bigger flounder in deep water as the more mature fish of the species are likely to be less pressured when they are in the sanctity of deep water reefs that are hundreds of feet or miles from the coast.

However, if you’re stuck fishing from the surf, there are certain ways you can maximize your efforts to bring in sizable flounder from the shore.

Where to Catch Flounder in the Surf

Surf fishing can be very confusing to those who are largely unfamiliar with fish behavior in the waves along their favorite beach. Some species of fish will avoid these areas while others seem to thrive in the surf and are regularly caught along the waves of most beaches. Flounder are one of the most common species of fish that you’ll find along the shoreline of any coastal area.

They often prefer the calmer waters near inlets and other areas, but you can also use certain techniques to probe the bottom for any flounder that might be lurking below the waves.

In many cases, flounder prefer burrowing down into the sand in areas where the tide is changing because this will usually be their best chance to ambush unsuspecting bait fish or other creatures.

It’s often nearly impossible to spot flounder in the surf since the crashing waves usually distort the water so much that anything on the bottom is mostly indistinguishable from the sand itself.

In most cases, people will only realize a flounder is nearby when they almost step on them and the fish quickly darts away, leaving a cloud of debris in its wake.

If you’re planning to fish along your favorite beach for flounder that might be burrowed into the sand among the waves, there are a few very useful strategies that will typically bring you success in your efforts.

Surf Fishing Techniques for Flounder

Beach fishing typically involves using a long, heavier surf rod and large surf reel to cast a variety of different kinds of bait well past the breaking waves and into the calm waters beyond.

Unlike the average method for surf fishing, you won’t have any success by casting your line out and placing your rod in a holder only to sit and wait for a flounder to bite. Instead, you’ll need to be proactive in your search for flounder and scour the beach with your rod and reel.

Anglers who are willing to make plenty of casts along their chosen beach will usually find a few flounder hidden among the waves if they use the right tactics. Since you won’t be able to get a sense of exactly where the flounder will be in the surf, you can use your bait to probe the area.

There are a few types of bait you can use to fish in a ‘fan’ pattern that allows you to thoroughly cover every square foot of the ocean floor along the coast.

While it’s typical for most surf anglers to cast their lures and bait out as far as they can, you’ll only be wasting your time doing this for flounder fishing.

Your best strategy when it comes to fishing along the surf for flounder involves casting the lure or bait out about 20 feet and slowly working it back in towards the beach. In many cases, flounder prefer to stay closer to the shore in an effort to avoid predators like sharks or other fish.

Surf Fishing Rigs for Flounder

Shrimp is the most popular menu item for flounder and you can choose between various soft plastic lures that are designed to look like shrimp, or the real thing.

Using real shrimp will appeal to the flounder’s sense of smell, as well as their eyesight, but you should be aware that other species of fish might easily tear the bait off your hook before you have a chance to catch your target.

You’ll likely find that using the imitation shrimp lures is less frustrating than having to stop and put more bait on your hook every few casts. Most anglers who have success fishing for flounder in the surf prefer to use a combination of a bucktail jig along with a shrimp lure.

You’ll want to tie the shrimp lure on a few feet behind the bucktail jig on the same line. The jig will act more as a sinker than an actual lure in this instance and the flounder that you’re after will most likely focus on the shrimp as it makes its way over their position. Be sure to fish slowly and thoroughly work the rig over every inch of coastline.

You’re more likely to have success fishing this style rig along areas that feature depth changes. Flounder like to burrow down on the low side of a ledge or dip in the bottom and use it as a spot where they will ambush their prey. If you’re aware of a ledge like this, work it very thoroughly and you’ll likely get a bite from a flounder at some point.

You can also swap out the shrimp lure for any kind of natural bait you want to use. There are instances where flounders might be more apt to bite cut bait or even small crabs instead of shrimp.

Conclusion

The key to flounder fishing is to remember that they are stationary fish and will not move from their location unless forced to by humans or large predators.

With this in mind, you should exercise patience when fishing an area of the surf for flounder. Eventually, you will get a bite.

Also Read: Difference Between Halibut and Flounder

When you do finally have a flounder bite your lure, you might realize that they will not aggressively strike at it like other saltwater fish species. Instead, flounders will sometimes be more subtle and bite the lure without trying to run away.

If you’re working the rig along and feel weight on the line, don’t try to set the hook immediately. Wait a few seconds and lift the line again to feel for any movement.

If you use this method, you’ll have plenty of success and will be able to find the right spots in the surf along your favorite beach for flounder fishing.

Spanish mackerel are among the most popular fish species that saltwater anglers target for a few simple reasons. They make excellent table fare, are highly prevalent along the coastal United States, and they are loads of fun to catch.

They are commonly caught by anglers fishing out in the open ocean, but can also be caught with the right tackle and techniques from the shoreline.

If you’re like most anglers who fish along coastal areas, you probably don’t own a sportfishing boat, so you’re left to try your luck from the shore in the surf.

Contrary to popular belief, surf fishing for spanish mackerel can be just as productive as fishing over deep water reefs and shipwrecks miles offshore.

In fact, surf fishing for spanish mackerel is an excellent way to catch these tasty species and any angler can have a successful outing if they stick to a few time-tested methods that have proven effective when it comes to catching spanish mackerel.

Spanish Mackerel

Spanish mackerel are one of the most prevalent fish in the waters surrounding the United States and South American coastlines. They are migratory fish that will move along the coastline and inhabit certain areas depending on the temperature of the water in an area.

As the weather cools during the late fall and early winter months, spanish mackerel will make their way down the American coastline down to the Florida Keys and the Carribean where they will remain until the climate heats back up again.

These fish will generally move in large schools where they are known to hunt down other creatures like squid and shrimp. They will often follow these types of prey far into the shallow waters near the coast and they will cruise along the surf looking for potential meals.

When they venture into these shallow waters just off the shore, spanish mackerel will begin to target various types of bait fish that they can easily out-swim and chase down for an easy meal.

The spanish mackerel is nearly identical to the larger king mackerel, but has a few distinguishing features like the bright yellow spots dotting the sides of their bodies. These fish are virtually built for speed and power, which makes them one of the most fun fish in the ocean to catch.

When to Catch Spanish Mackerel

If you’re looking to target spanish mackerel, the best time of the year to do so is generally once the weather heats up during the spring months along most coastal shorelines.

Anglers can expect to start catching a few spanish mackerel once the water temperature in their area reaches approximately 70 degrees. If you’re relatively familiar with the water temperature in a given area, you can usually anticipate when spanish mackerel will start to arrive.

For most anglers who fish along the coast in the Gulf of Mexico, spanish mackerel will start to make their presence known around early April as the water temperature moves closer to the optimal 70 degree mark.

From that time through the hot summer months is one of the most ideal times to target spanish mackerel. In most areas along the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic coastline, these fish will stick around until mid-to-late November when they will make their way back south toward the equator.

Best Locations for Spanish Mackerel

If you’re relatively new to saltwater fishing, or fishing for spanish mackerel in general, there are a few solid tips you’ll want to keep in mind. One of the best indicators that fish are nearby are seagulls and other birds that fly overhead and keep a close eye on the water for unsuspecting prey.

These birds will be the first to spot fish like spanish mackerel chasing after small schools of bait fish and picking off any stragglers or simply swimming straight into the school and attacking them head-on.

If you’re walking along the coastline and see a cluster of birds overhead that are periodically diving down into the water, you can rest assured that it’s a prime spot for catching fish like spanish mackerel.

In most cases, you can watch these birds for a few minutes and gain a better understanding of just how far out these fish are depending on the general location where the birds are diving down into the water.

As soon as you spot an area like this, it’s a good idea to set up your gear and claim the spot as other anglers will likely move in quickly as well.

In general, spanish mackerel will hunt for their prey in water that’s anywhere from 20 feet to 5 feet deep. As you might expect, spanish mackerel will go wherever they are most likely to find bait fish congregating in large numbers.

This means that you’ll have a good chance at catching these fish from a pier, jetty, bridges, or other structures that are known locations where bait fish will take refuge in or around the structures and hide from predators.

How to Catch Spanish Mackerel in the Surf

Unlike most other fish species that anglers target along the coast, spanish mackerel generally prefer to strike at a moving target instead of a stationary bait that doesn’t move.

Anglers must tap into the predatory instincts of spanish mackerel and entice them to bite by making their lure of choice look like a frantic, fleeing bait fish that’s desperately trying to get away from the predator.

For this reason, anglers who target spanish mackerel will often use lures like spoons, plugs, tube lures, and a variety of other methods. There’s no need to use the same long, heavy surf rod and surf reel setup that you might utilize for typical surf fishing as you’ll need something that’s capable of throwing a smaller, lighter lure out as far as possible.

In most cases, a 7 or 8-foot rod with a smaller saltwater spinning reel attached will be more productive than the heavy surf fishing rigs that are equipped with 50 pound test line.

When surf fishing for spanish mackerel, be ready to use a totally different approach than you might go with for any other type of fish.

Spanish mackerel are aggressive feeders and are much more likely to strike at a lure that’s rapidly moving across the water’s surface, or just below the top of the waves.

A good rule of thumb for beginner anglers who are unaccustomed to fishing for spanish mackerel is to retrieve your lure at a speed that you might expect to be much too fast for most fish to bite.

In reality, anglers who do this will get more strikes as a fast-moving lure somehow activates the spanish mackerel’s instinctive need to chase down fleeing bait fish and take advantage of an opportunity to grab an easy meal.

One of the best strategies for ripping a lure through the water in the right spot to catch spanish mackerel is to cast the bait out well past a sandbar and work it back toward the rising bar very quickly.

If you’re doing this for several minutes without a bite, it’s advisable to slow down your retrieve just a bit and experiment with various speeds. Sometimes a spanish mackerel will strike at a lure that’s moving at just the right pace.

Conclusion

Spanish mackerel often travel in packs or schools, so if you catch one, there’s a high likelihood of there being others in the near vicinity looking to feed on any potential bait fish they can.

Most avid surf anglers will have their usual long, heavy rods cast far out past the breaking waves and securely fashioned in rod-holders.

It’s a good idea to have lighter surf fishing tackle that’s specially rigged to fish for Spanish Mackerel as you can quickly grab this rod and make a few casts when you see several birds congregating overhead.

In doing so, you can take advantage of the moment and land a few decent-sized Spanish Mackerel while you’re fishing for other species in the surf.

Choosing the best surf fishing rod does not always mean picking the longest most expensive rod that you can afford.

While some anglers are obsessed with casting distance and using as large as rod as they can handle, that does not mean that you need to…..

A longer rod does not always mean better.

If you are just starting out then I would suggest that you match your rod to the breaking strain of line and the weight of you sinkers or surf rigs that you will be using at your local beach.

Not sure of what type of rigs to use?

Ask the regular anglers that you see on the beach or at your local tackle and bait shop, as local knowledge is crucial to fishing that stretch of water.

What Size Rod for Surf Fishing?

The good size rod for surf fishing will be in the range of 8ft to 10ft, longer 12ft plus rods are usually used for very long distance casting setups.

• 12 ft  –  Long distance surf rods
• 10 ft – Great all rounder
• 8 ft – Close in work for smaller species

You’ll need to pair your rod will a suitably sized reel, the most popular size would be a 5000 or 6000 spinning reel.

Best Surf Fishing Rods

1. Penn Prevail Surf Spinning

Penn’s Carbon Shield technology protects the blanks with a braided shield of carbon fiber. This additional protection strengthens the blanks and guide wraps.

The finish on these rods is what you would normally expect to find on a rod three times the price.

Moving to the guides Penn use stainless steel frames with aluminum oxide inserts, aluminum oxide is a very hard and smooth material which is great for both monofilament and braided lines.

For to the handles they use rubber shrink tube grips, this material is very durable very strong and it gets wet it doesn’t want to slip out of your hands it’s all-around great material for being around the water.

A DPS reel seat with stainless steel hoods keeps your reel locked in tight.

When it comes to techniques and species these rods are great for throwing doing artificial lures, plugging, soaking dead bait in the surf for striped bass, blues, big redfish, drums you name it these rods cover at all.

A 10 ft medium/heavy is a great surf rod for a beginner which also doubles as a decent pier or jetty rod.

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2. Daiwa Emcast Surf Rod

The lighter blank and tip on the Emcast is sensitive enough to allow a lot of feedback back through your line and into the rod blank.

They also work great as a surf rod for throwing plugs, larger pencils and big poppers although the 11ft model may be better suited to all day lure fishing.

If you need a budget, lightweight surf rod that can handle several different surf setups the Emcast make a for a very versatile rod choice.

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3. PENN Battalion II Surf Conventional

The Battalion II graphite composite blanks are built using a novel SLC2 structure that includes inner spiral carbon wraps and outside layers of longitudinal carbon fibers to create a robust, well-balanced rod.

With graphite composite blank construction, Fuji Alconite guides, Fuji reel seats, and durable, easy-to-grip rubber shrink tube-wrapped grips, PENN’s Battalion II surf rods offer outstanding strength, performance, and style.

Paired with a PENN Squall or Fathom casting reel and you have your self a very high quality surf casting setup, and they have the actions and durability that big surf casters need.

A step up in performance and quality from the Penn Prevail line as seen above.

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4. St. Croix Rods Mojo Surf Spinning Rod

Specialized, weight-saving surf guides with zirconium rings and black frames are accompanied with a Fuji reel seat. A custom “X-Wrap” handle provides comfort, durability and style, all of which are covered by a 5-year manufacturer guarantee.

Because of the light weight SCII graphite, this rod feels surprisingly light for its size and power. When throwing smaller lures or rigs from the beach, it is well-balanced and has a very smooth casting feel. It can readily handle fish weighing 20 to 30 pounds; anything more and it may feel a bit light.

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5. Tica Dolphin Surf UGSA

The Tica Dolphin UGSA series make a perfect surf fishing rod for beginners especially those that are reluctant to spend big money from some of the more established brands.

These rods, made of high modulus TC3 graphite, can throw hard baits such as topwaters and spoons across great distances. Super low weight and smaller diameter blanks make this a great rod for traversing long lengths of beach without tiring especially when casting all day long.

There is a decent range to choose from and they are available in both one and two piece configurations.

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Surf Fishing Rods

Surf fishing rods are designed to cast bait rigs and lures out beyond the breaking surf to where the fish are most likely to be found.

Casting distance is always the number one attribute that gets mentioned when discussing surf rods.

But it is not the most important thing to look at when buying a new rod.

Matching your pole to the types of rigs and the species that you will be targeting is far more important than which rod can cast the longest distance. 

• Rod Length – Longer rods will generally cast longer distances, shorter rods will have more control and feedback.
• Rod Action – Fast action rods have a more sensitive tip, moderate action rods have more power through the full length of the rod.
• Rod Power – Rod power describes the lure/line rating and how big a species you can target with it.

What is the Best Length for a Surf Fishing Rod?

The optimal length will be between 8 and 10 feet or more importantly one that matches your setup and the distance that you will be casting, 12 foot for longer distances and 8 foot for closer in work for smaller species.

You don’t need a massive rod if you are casting just beyond a break that is close in to the shore line.

How or where the surf breaks and where the fish are found at the beach that you are fishing at should determine your casting distance.

It’s no use casting out beyond where the fish are holding, this is why local knowledge is so important.

14 ft Surf Rods

Some surf rods are as long as 14 feet, these rods have the potential to cast the furthest distances but only if you know how to cast them and if you match the rest of your surf tackle and terminal rig correctly to them.

In the wrong hands they will be too cumbersome and may well perform worse than a shorter rod.

They will almost always be conventional rods rather than spinning rods as larger conventional reels will perform better with heavier lines when casting greater distances.

12 ft Surf Rods

12ft is considered more than adequate for long distance surf casting and paired with the right reel and line should throw out past 100 yards easily.

The higher the rod the more easily it will be to keep your line up and out of the crashing surf once it is put into its rod rest or sand spike.

8 to 10 ft Surf Rods

If your are buying your first surf rod then something in the 8 to 10 foot range is ideal. Paired with a high quality surf fishing reel such as a 5000 spinning reel and either 30 lbs braid or 20 lb monofilament line you should have a great rod to get acquainted with surf fishing.

Most big brands have several saltwater spinning reels on offer and these reels are purpose built for the harsh salt water environment. Regardless of how well sealed a reel is always rinse it in fresh water after use.

Surf Rod Action

Rod action describes how high up the natural bend in the rod will start to form when pressure is applied to it.

A fast action rod will have the bend start to form in the top one third of the rod blank. This generally means a more sensitive tip and better feedback down through the rod.

A slow or a moderate action will start to bend in the lower or middle part of the rod blank.

Moderate actions rods will be less sensitive. They are often used for casting long distances as you can load up the full length of the rod as you cast giving a much higher speed to you weight as it is thrown forward.

For most anglers a fast action rod is standard as it will give you the more sensitive tip action.

You can still cast well out beyond the break with all but the heaviest of surf rigs.

A faster action will also perform better on shorter cast when the surf is breaking quite close to the shore line.

Surf Rod Power

Rod power describes the weight or lure rating that a rod blank has been designed for, it also details what breaking stain line that will work best on that rod, usually this rating will be in a range from a lower weight to a upper limit.

It is generally a good idea to stay within this range as per the manufacturers recommendations.

A medium to medium/heavy is most likely what will be required.