I have never done any surf fishing before, mostly do bay fishing with my uncle who has a boat. But I have started going to the coast to hang out and I wanna drop a line in the water, but all I know is I need at least a 9' rod and some spider weights.

Anyone have any tips?

Wear a pfd if you're ANYwhere close to the channel. It drops off and the currents are no joke.

Are you talking surf casting or wading the beach with light tackle?

I love fishing the surf when it gets right in the summer. Flat surf & clear green tides full of trout, smacks, and other things are great times.

If you're looking to wade the surf, then you can just use conventional gear- I typically use a 7' rod with a Shimano Stradic spinning rod and chunk soft plastics a long, long way. If it's truly flat I'll use a baitcaster and toss a topwater. Nothing like a fat, surf-run trout blowing up a topwater.

Also, if you're doing this you're actually better off away from the pass a little bit. Either the Galveston or the Surfside sides. If you pay attention you can find washouts in the sandbars between guts and the bait will funnel through there.

If you're looking to chunk big weights with big baits then yes, you need bigger gear. Like a 10'-11'+ rod. And practice because the casting is a lot different.

If you are around the Pass, please wear a PFD. If you don't know your way around you can get yourself in a pickle quick with the currents in that area.


[This message has been edited by The Catfish (edited 3/19/2013 9:18a).]

OEagg and catfish, I will wear a pfd.

Finn, the last time I went we were somewhere in between San Luis Pass and Surfside. Water has been a bit rough to do any top water and I know it's not really the time of year to fish like that in the surf. Right now I have just been wanting to walk out about 25 to 30 yds and toss a heavy weight. Then walk back and set the pole in one of those sand spikes.

San Luis pass isn't the monster people make it into, but you do have to realize there is ALWAYS rip currents there, and they are powerful when the tides are at work or the wind is pushing the bay water. The bottom countours change constantly. If you swim very well, don't panic, and are familiar with swimming in currents and can tread water for a long time if you get in trouble, you are ok, but if you don't want to worry about it, in the pass itself, you want to have a PFD. It isn't that you get sucked under or anything so much as the current can really be moving and might carry you out of the pass a quarter mile or so before it puts you back on the beach. A weak swimmer usually can't deal with something like that.

Once you're outside or well inside the pass itself, you don't need to be quite so cautious.

This time of year there are always bull reds in the passes, and right now is the black drum run. If you drop a half-crab or big ball of shrimp or squid in a channel, you might get something big.

Yo Finn,

You on TKF?

Also, you ever fish Christmas bay?

I been looking into starting fishing the surfside area when the water warms up. Can't wait to start throwing spoons for some trout.

Finn is right on the money. 7' rods and normal bay gear are fine for trout, reds and small sharks. Popping corks are easy and usually produce something. The large 9'+ rods are nice to get a rig out a long ways but can be cumbersome and I dont think they have the backbone to haul in anything other than bull reds, jacks and small sharks. If you want to target large sharks I would go with a 6' offshore type rod and paddle baits.

R-Money: I am. Same handle.

I do fish Christmas Bay fairly regularly. I'm a big fan of the grass flats on south shoreline there. When the wind is right those flats are crystal clear.

The surf is my go-to when I take along friends who haven't fished much because wading the surf is pretty much idiot proof. You have hard sand bottom, stingrays are almost non-existent, no worries about snagging on grass or oysters. You basically just chunk your lure as far as you can and very likely get bit.

I have never been skunked in the surf when the conditions are right. I don't always catch a ton of specks but one morning last summer I caught 4 keeper specks and about 30 big-ass sand trout and a couple smacks.