Surf Fishing Techniques

Surf fishing is a great form of recreational fishing, but if you want to actually catch dinner you’ll need to learn proper surf fishing technique. Be smart about it. Fishing involves a bit of strategy and learning proper surf fishing technique will give you a much better chance of landing the big one than simply casting your line and hoping for the best.

1. Know the tides. A big part of proper surf fishing technique is knowing when to fish. Fishing is almost always better at high tide because fish will come in close to feed. Occasionally, on certain beaches, large fish can get stuck inside a sandbar at low tide. In this case, low tide fishing can be very good, but this is rare and shouldn’t be counted on.
2. Decide if you want to fish early or late. High tide fishing is good, but high tide fishing at dawn or dusk is even better. These are the best times to catch fish, so planning the best fishing time is a big part of surf fishing technique. As a rule, night fishing is better than fishing in broad daylight.
3. Structures. You want to fish where the fish are, which means you want to fish where the fish feed. Piers, jutties, inlets, and underwater reefs are all great places to fish. Knowing where the fish are is an invaluable surf fishing technique.
4. Learn to cast far. This is a pretty basic surf fishing technique, but if you can’t cast out to where the fish are, you won’t catch anything.
5. Use fresh bait. I know it’s tempting to use the bait you’ve had in your freezer for a year, but if you’re serious about catching something, fresher bait is typically better.
6. Follow the trends. Understanding the migratory patterns of fish is a great surf fishing technique. Knowing what fish are in the area will dictate the type of bait and lures you use.
7. Wade in. Don’t be afraid to get wet. Use waders during the cold months and jump right in during the summer. This surf fishing technique is especially useful if you spot a huge school of fish at low tide.