If you have a little bit of fishing skill, there’s a good chance you can be dropped into any lake, river, stream or pond and you’ll figure out where the fish are hanging out. After all, there are plenty of visual cues such as rocks breaking the stream, trees littering the water, or visible holes and pockets. But unless you already have a lot of experience fishing in the surf, even the best fishermen can feel completely lost standing on the beach trying to figure out where to fish. No doubt, reading the beach can be complicated and requires time, but there are always key points that can get you on track faster.
my friend bill wetzel An experienced surf fishing guide based on Long Island in New York. He has decades of experience fishing piers, inlets, and on the open coastline, and has taught countless new fishermen how to be successful in these locations. Although it can take time to really dial in because the fish are a little different on all beaches, for beginners their pointers will make it easy to score first wins, whether you’re after stripers in the Northeast, bull reds in the Mid-Atlantic or the Gulf, or snook down in Florida.
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current situation
According to Wetzel, what inexperienced surf anglers underestimate is current, and that matters a lot. The ocean is so vast that it’s easy to forget that it’s even moving, especially right near the coast due to the influence of the tides. Geography, location and many other factors will determine how the current flows, but at any beach or at any inlet, Desire Keep walking up or down the beach. To find fish, it is important to know which way the current is flowing where you are.
“To be clear, the direction the tide is moving does not always determine which direction the current is flowing on the beach,” Wetzel says. “For example, if you’re fishing near an inlet, the current may still be in even though the tide is going out because the bay on the other side of that inlet is still filling and drawing water.”
Figuring out which direction the current is running can help you determine which direction spawning fish will travel to the beach. Although there are plenty of apps for monitoring tide cycles, these won’t tell you whether the water will be flowing left or right on the beach. you are doing Fishing in any tidal state. Wetzel says dialing it in requires you to keep an eye on the location, then choose where to fish based on that flow, considering which way the current will pull any bait.
wind water
Success in surf revolves around windows. It is extremely rare for any part of the beach to be bustling with activity throughout the day. Typically, the bite window occurs at some point during the high tide. Perhaps it is when it moves at just the right speed that it becomes difficult for the bait fish to swim but the hunters catch them easily. This can happen when the tide is at just the right height for fish to enter a trough close to the beach. But the question Wetzel hears more than any other is, “When is the best tide?” The answer is, there is not one.
“The best tide will be different for every spot you fish,” he says. “A low tide in one area may make it impossible for fish to be there, but in another area it will expose a piece of structure where fish can settle. Then you also have to consider the wind.”
Wind direction at the beach can greatly influence—and even predict—the action. For example, along much of the East Coast, a westerly wind, even a strong one, will calm the surf glass, which may attract bait anglers looking to get out of the rough water just off the beach. Conversely, strong easterly winds can push seafood away from the coastline. Wetzel says that when it comes to checking winds and tides, he relies solely on Data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
hole in one
Like most types of fishing, you are looking for a striking anomaly in the surf that is attractive to your target. In fresh water there may be that rock that is larger than the rest, or the shadow of a lone tree hanging over the water. In the surf, you’re looking for a deep bucket, trough or sand bar, and if you know what to look for, the waves will point to them.
“You want to find cuts and troughs within the surf because they act like highways for fish and bait,” Wetzel says. “One way to find out where they are is to keep an eye on waves that flatten out before they reach the beach. If a wave suddenly slows down, it’s usually because it has encountered deeper water. Or as I like to say, you’ll see the water ‘bouncing’. A wave will come over, and you’ll see the water behind it kind of rising or swelling.”
Read further: Best Lures and Live Bait for Striped Bass
It is important to understand that larger fish are often thrown away in a short period of time. Many people believe that you have to go as far as possible to the beach at all times, when in reality, predators like striped bass and redfish may be right in front of you. Whether you’re casting lures or soaking bait, if there’s a pond within walking distance of where you’re standing, fish from it.
