For several days now we have been touting the outstanding action coming from the surf. While many anglers enjoyed taking nice stringers of trout, others either came up empty or with sparse catches.
Each time there is hot action along the beach front, we receive calls and notes from anglers who did not fare so well, asking why. Well, with fishing virtually shut down by Sunday’s thunderstorms, let’s discuss this.
No question that the surf has been full of speckled trout and other fish lately. Anytime we have calm conditions and green water up to the beach, there is a high probability of excellent fishing this time of year.
Surf fishermen learn when conditions are ripe for action and plan their trips accordingly. The successful anglers use the correct equipment and bait and they fish at the right times and places.
Popping corks with a leader of 18 to 24 inches usually work best. A treble hook of sizes six to ten baited with live shrimp or small j-hooks baited with live croaker are the hooks and baits of choice.
Most of the time, the bite is on from first light of day until around 9 a. m. After that, the fish tend to move to deeper waters, away from easy access by wade fishermen. For newcomers trying to find a good spot, one of the best ways is to observe where concentrations of other wade fishermen are located.
Last week, one mistake made by many fishermen was not beginning to fish until they were in waist-deep and deeper waters. Early, lots of trout were caught in calf to knee-deep water where they were concentrated feeding on mullet and other baits.
Start fishing once you enter the water and test the shallow parts first. This was one of the keys to success last week. After a few casts with no strikes, move on out a little farther. Often a foot or so in depth can mean a big difference in finding fish in the surf.
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