Posted on March 15th, 2008 by admin
- Pompano usually arrive on the Outer Banks in June, as soon as the surf temperature consistently climbs to the high sixties, but the best of the action for them is August through September. The first cool northeast blow of the late summer or early fall sends a signal to the pompano that it is time to head south, and most of them are gone by the middle of October.
- Most of the pompano we catch along the Outer Banks are small fish, with the average size being less than one pound, probably closer to twelve ounces. However, every summer some real giants are beached. These huge, slab-sided, silver and yellow, four pounders will be the envy of every pompano fan. These big fish are rogues; rarely will more than one of these trophies be caught at one time.
- Pompano range along the entire length of the Outer Banks from Ocracoke to Duck, and the northern most range of these fish along the Atlantic Coast is the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. But the most consistent place to fish for them on the Outer Banks is usually from Buxton, along the South Beach of Hatteras, and the entire length of Ocracoke Island.
- The key to successfully catching pompano in the surf is location. They may bite in dingy, dirty water, but the best conditions are clear water, and a fairly calm surf. A moderate chop on the ocean, kicked up by a brisk easterly or northeasterly wind is okay, but as soon as the ocean becomes rough and dirty the pompano get out of town.
- Anglers who can read the beach and locate the narrow, deep sloughs have a distinct advantage. Look for beaches with a sandbar that can be reached with a moderate to long cast. Ideally, there will be a break in the bar, or a distinct opening at one end. Most of my success with pompano has come on beaches where I can easily cast to, or sometimes past, the bar. I’ve caught fish on both sides of the bar, frequently in the deep edge than can be found along the beach side of most sand bars.
- One section that is easy to over look is something we call the “drop”, the edge of deep water where the waves break on shore. Not only pompano, but also many species of fish including sea mullet, speckled trout, and puppy drum will trace along these edges, looking for food such as sandworms and mole crabs kicked up by the breaking waves.
- Depending on where I am and the number of anglers on the beach, I may fish with two rods. One is a stiff-tipped, nine-foot spinning rod that will easily cast up to 4 ounces of weight. I’ll throw a long cast to, or beyond the sand bar, let the bottom rig settle and dig in, tighten my line and set the rod in a sand spike. Before I walk away from the rod, I’ll be sure to back the drag off enough so a smashing strike from a big fish will strip line from the reel. I might not get many pompano bites from this rod, but most of the big pompano I’ve caught in the surf have come from the long cast.
- The second rod I use is a lightweight seven-foot spinning rod, mated to a reel filled with eight-pound line. I’ll cast my bottom rig and bait out toward, and maybe on the beach side of the bar, and work the bait slowly, until the bottom rig is right at my feet. If the beach isn’t crowded I might make an occasional cast parallel to the beach, either north or south of me, slowly working the rig back to where I’m standing. Rather then use the typical pyramid sinker that is preferred in the surf, I often opt for a rounded or pancake weight on the light outfit. These smooth edges allow me to move the rig slowly across the sandy bottom and cover more territory.
- Terminal tackle is simple, with most folks using the proven two-hook bottom rigs, and light wire, gold finish hooks, sized from #4 up to #2. Many locals, myself included, like the pre-snelled hooks with fluorescent beads and gold spinners. On days when the water is very clear, the keen-eyed pompano may shy away from too much hardware in the water. I’ll put together a homemade bottom rig, tied from a 36-inch piece of 20-pound test clear monofilament. Hook sizes remain the same, and I might add a plastic fluorescent bead just in front of the hook eye.
- While pompano may occasionally be caught on small jigs and bucktails in the surf, most of the time they are captured on pieces of fresh bait. Fresh shrimp and mole crabs head the lineup. Mole crabs, also called “sand fleas”, are small crustaceans that live in the damp sand between the high and low tide marks on the beach. They can be dug by hand or with a wire mesh scoop. The scoops are available at many Outer Banks tackle shops, and they are the only way to go for catching a number of fleas in a short time. The fleas will die if put in a bucket of water, but will last for a day or two in a few inches of damp sand.
- When I buy shrimp for pompano bait it must be fresh enough for me to eat. Most tackle shops sell fresh shrimp during the summer, and shrimp may be available either with the heads on or off. Either will work fine, because the head is discarded anyway. Some folks prefer to peel the shrimp, others don’t, and I’m not sure it matters one way or the other. Use small pieces of shrimp and check your baits frequently, since small crabs and miniature fish also love the taste of shrimp.
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Joe Malat’s Outer Banks Surf Fishing Adventures
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Surf Fishing Resources
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Posted on March 15th, 2008 by admin
- I’ll bet it’s not easy being a finger mullet. These little fish are chased by everything from bluefish to tarpon, along most of the Atlantic coast, around the tip of Florida, and into the Gulf of Mexico. About this time every year, huge schools of small finger mullet begin an annual southward, inshore migration. You can see them in the breakers and on many days, bluefish, speckled trout, and drum are in hot pursuit. No wonder they act so nervous as they swim in the surf.
- When finger mullet are migrating along the Outer Banks beaches, they can usually be purchased at most local bait and tackle shops, but beach anglers can easily catch their own with a cast net. A cast net is a circular net, weighted at the bottom that is thrown over a school of fish. As the net settles to the bottom it covers the fish and traps them until the thrower retrieves and opens the net. Cast nets are readily available and affordable, but the variety of sizes, materials, and price ranges can be confusing.
- At first glance it might seem that all cast nets are created equal, but that’s not so. The same net that works great for catching finger mullet from the beach will not usually perform well while pursuing menhaden from a boat. There are several different factors that come into play, including the mesh size and material the net is made of, the weight of the net and the size of the net when it is fully opened.
- Nylon monofilament is the best cast net material. Mono nets sink fast, and the fabric does not retain water, which increases the weight of the net. This is a serious consideration when you are standing on the beach, net at the ready, waiting for a school of baitfish to swim by.
- Mesh size refers to the square openings of the netting, usually ranging from 1/4-inch up to 1_ inches. The ideal size for catching finger mullets in the surf, and for all-purpose bait gathering, is a 3/8-inch mesh. This size is large enough to allow the tiny silversides that frequently school with the mullets to slip through the net. Most of the finger mullets that run in the surf are less than six inches long, but big fish a foot or longer, will be mixed in and a 3/8-inch mesh will catch both equally well.
- Ideally, the open net will look like a full, round pie (not a slice of pie) when it hits the water, and the size of the net determines how large the pie will be. The size refers to radius length, which is half the diameter of the open net. A four-foot radius net will have a diameter of eight feet, and nets may range in radius size from as small three feet, up to more than 14 feet.
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So, it only makes sense that the biggest net will catch the most fish with the fewest number of throws. Or does it? Theoretically, and in an ideal situation that’s true, but let’s consider some practical applications.
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So, it only makes sense that the biggest net will catch the most fish with the fewest number of throws. Or does it? Theoretically, and in an ideal situation that’s true, but let’s consider some practical applications.
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Generally, smaller nets are easier to throw, and are definitely less expensive, but the small nets have fewer weights around the bottom, and sink slower. I own cast nets in several sizes from three feet to eight feet, but the net I use most frequently from the beach is my five footer. Unless you are in the commercial fishing business of trying to supply tackle shops with finger mullet, I recommend that size or a bit smaller.
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A decent, well made, five-foot cast net costs less than fifty dollars. This is not the Cadillac handmade model, but a good factory produced net with enough weight to settle fast enough to trap the speediest of mullets. This size net can also be thrown easily from the beach, into the wind. During the fall on the Outer Banks, some of the best runs of mullet occur when the wind is blowing in the thrower’s face and it’s tough to throw a large cast net into a brisk wind. A few, well-placed throws with a five-foot net will catch anyone enough mullet for a full day’s fishing.
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Care and maintenance of a monofilament net is easy, and with a little TLC a new net will last for a long time. After fishing I always give my net a fresh water rinse and hang it up to dry, out of the direct rays of the sun. When dried, the net is stored in a five-gallon bucket. That’s it. I have two nets that have seen more than 10 years of hard use and despite a few holes, are working fine.
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When trying to spot schools of mullets cruising down the beach, two items are absolutely necessary: a pair of polarized sunglasses and a hat. Both will enable you to see the skittish mullets before they see you.
- One other tip: don’t walk into the water and wait for the mullets to come to you. They won’t. Stand a few feet back from the water’s edge, and throw the net on a low, straight trajectory. A high toss allows them enough time to frantically scoot out from under the approaching pie-shaped forerunner of their doom. If your entire life was spent avoiding bluefish and flying cast nets, wouldn’t you be just a bit nervous?
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Joe Malat’s Outer Banks Surf Fishing Adventures
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Surf Fishing Resources
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Posted on March 15th, 2008 by admin
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Blues and Spanish mackerel frequently follow the same movements and feeding patterns along the North Carolina coast and are available from spring through all. But the blues are able to tolerate lower water temperatures and usually arrive a few weeks before the macks make their first appearance of the season.
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Both species travel in schools sometimes mixed together. Both can be aggressive, vicious predators, frequently chasing harried baitfish in a frenzy of slashing and crashing surface activity. Spanish are rarely caught on bottom fished natural baits, but bluefish will readily take a piece of fresh mullet presented on a bottom rig.
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Two-hook fireball rigs, commonly called bluefish rigs with brightly painted foam balls in front of each hook, are the best bet for anglers who want to fish with natural bait. These are fished on the bottom; the bright colors and movement attract the interest of feeding blues, and can be especially productive on those days when the surf is rough and cloudy. Standard two-hook bottom rigs, with snelled hooks size 1 to 1/0 will also work. Summertime blues are small, rarely weighing more than a couple of pounds, but pre-snelled wire leaders on the bottom rigs may be desired to eliminate any chance of bite-offs from the toothy blues.
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Any type of fresh fish, cut into strips or chunks, will tempt a bluefish but oily menhaden and mullet are the local favorites because the blues often use their keen sense of smell to locate food in dirty water. Strips of fresh spot or croakers, commonly caught from piers during the summer, will also catch blues. The key is fresh bait.
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While Spanish mackerel rarely fall for a piece of natural bait, the most effective and exciting way to catch these “run and gun” feeders is on artificial lures. Their sleek shape, pointed snouts and deeply forked tails enable them to pursue prey with amazing speed. In the blink of an eye, a clear calm ocean may suddenly erupt into a frenzy of feeding mackerel! And they can move out as quickly as they arrived.
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When feeding on small baitfish such as silversides, anchovies or mullet, bluefish and Spanish will eagerly attack lures. Surfcasters catch them on small silver spoons, but pier anglers prefer a jigging-type lure that will move up and down in the water column as it is retrieved. Got-Cha jigs are the runaway Outer Banks favorite. This lure resembles a thin plastic tube, with a heavy-pointed head, armed with two sets of gold finish treble hooks. Exact color may vary from day to day, but it’s tough to beat the red head, and neon green body combination. Got-Chas are most effective when retrieved with an erratic, up and down or sweeping motion of the rod tip.
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Both species have a mouth full of very sharp teeth, and choice of terminal tackle may vary from angler to angler. Some will add a short piece of black, braided wire in front of the lures, while others opt for a similar length of heavy monofilament, tied directly to the line with a Uni-knot. I feel the mono leader will draw more strikes.
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Got-Cha plugs are the runaway favorite, but on some days, small lead head jigs in the 3/8 to 5/8 ounce range, dressed with Fin-S or Gotcha soft plastic tails will do fine for the macks and blues. The single hook on these lures that makes unhooking the fish much easier and avoids having to deal with two sets of needle sharp treble hooks attached to a wildly flapping fish, but the soft plastic tails can be sliced to shreds after a few fish.
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Many anglers will have two rods rigged for Spanish and blues. One might be a stiff-tipped seven to eight foot-spinning rod, mated to a reel filled with 14-pound monofilament. This is the outfit that’s used for fishing with bait, and the rod should be stout enough to handle up to three ounces of weight.
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The other is a seven-foot spinning outfit, with 12-pound test line, used only for casting artificials. The rod can be lighter than the bait fishing rig, but extremely soft “buggy whip” sticks should be avoided. A rod that’s too soft will make it difficult to pull a thrashing, two-pound fish out of the water, and hoist it over the pier rails.
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Clear water is the best condition for throwing artificials. Depending on the stage of tide, availability of bait and wind direction, blues and macks may appear at any time, but early and late in the day are usually peak times for the best action. Early is my favorite time of the day, especially during the summer as water temperatures pass seventy degrees and fish tend to be less active under a blazing hot sun that’s full in the sky.
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The fish may also be caught anywhere from just outside the breakers to the deeper water at the ends of the piers. These fish are always on the move, but Spanish frequently show themselves by feeing on the surface or jumping several feet out of the water.
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Just a quick word about handling both of these fish. Both have teeth that will bite you, but the teeth of a Spanish mackerel are pointed and as sharp as any surgeon’s scalpel. I always use pliers to remove the hooks, even on the smaller macks.
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Bluefish and Spanish mackerel can add some spice to the sometimes lackluster doldrums of summertime pier fishing, and they are always welcome guests at my dinner table. I like them broiled or grilled, with a dash of salt, lemon pepper and butter, but be sure to throw them on ice immediately and clean them as soon as possible to enjoy their wonderful flavor.
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Joe Malat’s Outer Banks Surf Fishing Adventures
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Surf Fishing Resources
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Posted on March 15th, 2008 by admin
- Being able to consistently catch flounder from the surf is not complicated, but anglers who pay attention to details and work with a plan will succeed. Let’s have a quick look at the tackle and some of the techniques that will fool flounders in the surf.
- Flounder tend to stay in the same general location. Their feeding habits are very different from bluefish or Spanish mackerel, two species that are always on the move, in a hurry to get somewhere.
- Flounder also prefer a fairly flat, calm and clear surf. They might be found in the deep water in the middle of a narrow slough, or in the shallow, breaking water at the edges of these deep holes. They are ambush feeders, and will use their flat shape and coloration to blend with the sandy bottom.
- Use light tackle, either spinning or conventional rods in the six to seven foot range, mated with reels holding eight to twelve pound test line. The light rods will allow you to effortlessly make several casts while trying to find the flatties, and also feel their tentative bites.
- I have caught flounder on bucktail lures and leadhead jigs in the surf, but natural baits will catch most of the flatfish. Simplicity is the key to the most productive rigs. Some anglers prefer standard two-hook bottom rigs, set up with small, pre-snelled spinner blade hooks.
- Others like the off-the-shelf “flounder rigs” with a large silver spinner blade, and a few beads just in front of the hook at the end of a long leader, coming off a triple swivel. I often use a homemade rig: a small Kahle hook at then end of 18 inches of 20 pound test monofilament leader, tied to a one ounce in-line sinker.
- Whatever the choice of terminal tackle, a round or flat sinker allows the rig to be cast out, and glide easily across the sandy bottom as it is being retrieved in deliberate, broad sweeps. Sharp-cornered weights, such as pyramids, should be avoided since the corners dig in and bounce across the bottom.
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Strips of squid or mullet, cut in pieces from 2 to 4 inches long, or small whole finger mullet and minnows are top baits. The white belly part is excellent. If some big flounders are around, don’t be bashful with your baits. A two-pound flatfish will easily inhale a five-inch strip of bait. Cut the strip baits in the form of exaggerated triangles, a half inch wide at one end, tapering to a point at the other, and hook them once through the wide end. When retrieved slowly, the strip should “swim” enticingly, or flutter in the current, and resemble a small swimming mullet or minnow. Keep baits fresh and neat looking. Small fish or crabs might gnaw at the fluttering end, and ragged pieces should be trimmed frequently with a pair of scissors or sharp knife, or replaced when the bait looks worn and washed out.
- Flounder will often take a bait very lightly; in fact the rig might stop suddenly during the retrieve. Resist the urge to immediately set the hook. Pause just a second or two, and give Mr. Flatfish a chance to get all of the bait in his mouth, and when he pulls away, set the hook.
Article By:
Joe Malat’s Outer Banks Surf Fishing Adventures
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Surf Fishing Resources
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Posted on March 15th, 2008 by admin
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Traditionally, summer surf fishing has taken a back seat to the cooler months of spring and fall. Those are better seasons to fish from the beach, both in quantity and quality of fish. But there are fish to be caught during the dog days, but success in the summer surf requires a different strategy. I rarely compare fish to people, but sometimes the two are amazingly alike, especially when it comes to feeding habits of both creatures. When the thermometer brushes the ninety-degree mark and the wind has been blowing warm and thick from the southwest for a few days I feel lethargic, lose my appetite and don’t care to spend much time out in the mid-day sun. I think my slippery, scaly cousins are similar.
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Fish may bite during all hours of the day, but many species prefer to feed more actively very early in the morning and again at then end of the day. This is especially true for bluefish and Spanish mackerel. On many a summer morning surf and pier anglers will enjoy some red-hot action for small blues and Spanish macks for about an hour, from first light until the sun is full in the sky. Then, as though a magic switch was thrown, the bite stops, and the fish move further offshore to the cool retreat of deeper water.
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Probably the most important summer strategy you can adopt is to fish early in the morning, and I’m not talking about catching the first hour of the Today Show on TV while sipping coffee, then easing over to the beach. Grab that first cup on the run, and be standing in the surf before first light, rod at the ready.
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As the sun starts to lighten the eastern sky, look for signs of feeding fish: swirls on top of the water, showering baitfish, and fish that are jumping completely out of the water. When the fish are feeding, a small artificial lure such as a 1/2 or 3/4-ounce Hopkins Shorty jig or small Stingsilver, on a light weight 7-foot rod and 10-pound test line will provide some thrills. Avoid heavy wire leaders; use a short piece of 20-pound monofilament, and you will get more bites. If the fish staged an early morning foray, I suggest returning to the same place at sunset to catch the encore.
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Take advantage of the calm summer surf and lighten up on your tackle. Light winds and small waves provide a perfect opportunity to break out the small stuff, like the outfit I just described. If fishing with bait is your forte, scale down your bottom rigs with light wire hooks in the #4 to #6 size range. Even with small hooks, I prefer those with a long shank to make it easier to unhook the fish. Instead of using the typical pyramid surf weight, try a round or flat “pancake” weight, to allow your rig to move slightly with the current and cover more territory.
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Small bits of bloodworm, shrimp, or squid are good summer baits. Use small hooks and fish those baits in the holes and sloughs that can be reached with a short cast.. Be sure to explore the “drop,” right at the edge of the sand where waves break on the beach. Sea mullet, spot, pompano, and flounder frequently prowl this zone, looking for an easy meal.
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During the summer, the night can be just right. The beach is a quieter place without swimmers and several species of fish may come in close to shore to feed, especially if the water is very clear. Bait is probably your best bet and the same selection of rigs and bait that work during the day will produce after the sun sets.
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One final suggestion involves networking with your favorite local tackle shop. If you’re visiting for a short time, pay a visit to that shop when you arrive, and get the latest fishing scoop. These folks know what’s hot, and will point you in the right direction. Fish where they suggest, with the baits or lures they recommend, adopt a few of the above summer surf strategies and your chances for hot weather success will increase.
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Joe Malat’s Outer Banks Surf Fishing Adventures
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Surf Fishing Resources
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Posted on March 15th, 2008 by admin
- Speckled trout will eat about any natural bait, but most anglers who target the specks prefer to use artificial lures to fool them. Trout are opportunistic feeders, and will eat whatever comes their way. I think most of the trout we catch on the beach feed primarily on small fish such as silversides and mullet. With that in mind, it only makes sense to fish with artificial lures that closely resemble these baitfish. Two top artificials are lead head jigs with soft plastic tails, and hard plastics such as MirrOlures.
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The lead head-soft plastic tail combination is versatile, because the size, length, action and color of the presentation can be changed instantly. The brand names for both heads and tails are many, such as Mr. Twister, Fin-S, Gotcha, and Mr. Wiffle. Jig head weights may vary from 1/8 ounce up to 1 ounce, but the 3/8 ounce head is popular, and they can be rigged singly or in tandem. Red is the most often seen head color, but white, bright orange, and non-painted lead heads also catch fish.
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I don’t know of a single tail color that will produce fish all of the time. If anything is close, it’s green, ranging from translucent green to deep, almost black, emerald green. Other popular choices are a green body with red “firetail”, solid white or a red/white combination. The other lure every serious trout angler has in his box is a hard plastic plug. MirrOlures are most frequently seen, but Bagley’s Finger Mullet and small Rat’l Traps are also popular. Several colors and sizes will catch trout, and to find out what is hot, check in with one of the Outer Banks tackle shops.
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Effective presentation of the lure is critical for consistent success. Fast taper spinning rods in the six to seven foot range are perfect for casting the light weight lures, and should be mated to reels that will hold about 200 yards of 8 to 10 pound test monofilament line are perfect.
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Some anglers tie their lures directly to the line, others opt for 18 inches, of 15 to 20 pound monofilament leader tied to the running line with a blood knot or Uni-knot. Some will use a very tiny size 12, black finish barrel swivel to connect the leader and line to eliminate the inevitable line twist that results from constantly casting and retrieving lures.
- When working a lure, a slow retrieve is the key, for both lead heads and MirrOlures, and jigs will have their best action when the rod tip is twitched, then followed by a few turns of the reel handle. This allows the lure to move back to the beach in an erratic up and down movement. Pay attention and tune in to what your lure is doing. A lot of folks miss trout bites when the fish hits the lure as it is falling back down to the bottom, while the line is slack. When your line comes tight, you might feel the weight of the fish. Set the hook before the fish has a chance to spit out the tail!
- Trout are frequently found in very close to the beach. The key is finding a fairly narrow, deep slough and bar formation that will hold trout. Learn how to “read the beach”. Trout holes may appear anywhere, but veteran speckled trout anglers know these holes are frequently found on the north sides of most of the fishing piers along the Outer Banks in the fall. The beach is constantly changing and the holes may migrate several hundred yards up or down the beach as thewind and tide moves the sand. Sometimes the holes are as close as 100 yards from the piers, other times they might be a half mile or more away.
- Tide and time of day are also factors that come into play. The way both mesh is extremely important, but I like to be on the beach before the suns breaks the horizon. More than once my first cast into an inky combination of sky and ocean has resulted in a hookup, and the trout staged a frantic bite until the sun was full in the sky, then turned off as though a switch was thrown.
- My absolute favorite combination is a falling tide in the morning. I think the dropping water level moves the fish from atop the shoals and sandbars when the water gets too shallow for them to feel comfortable, and concentrates them in the deep holes or pockets. Evening can also be a magic time. Along the Outer Banks, when there is a low tide early, there’s another low tide approximately 12 hours later, and the fish might stage another feeding flurry just before the sun goes down.
Article By:
Joe Malat’s Outer Banks Surf Fishing Adventures
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Surf Fishing Resources
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Posted on March 15th, 2008 by admin
- With a minimum of effort and expense, anyone can catch a fish from the beach. Start with a few rigs, some bait and a rod and reel. If you do not have the necessary items, start with a visit to your favorite tackle shop. Most tackle shops on the Outer Banks sell balanced rod and reel combinations in a variety of lengths and weights. There’s no single rod and reel that will be perfect for spring, summer, and fall fishing, but eight to nine feet is a versatile rod length, and a good starter outfit. Look for a rod that is not too soft, with too much flex in the tip, one that will handle up to four ounces of weight to hold a rig on the bottom.
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Most of the time you will be fishing with pieces of natural bait such as bloodworms, squid, shrimp, or mullet and two hook bottom rigs. They are versatile and good for several species of small fish, and afford the opportunity to change hook sizes, styles and sinkers easily, to suit the species of fish, and conditions of the ocean. Some shops sell them with the hooks and sinkers already attached.
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“Fireball rigs” are specialized bottom rigs. They may have one or two hooks, with a brightly colored float fixed just in front of the hook. They’re good for bluefish, but anything will bite them.
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Baits are very seasonal, and I strongly suggest that you ask the local tackle shop people for a recommendation. Keep your bait fresh and out of the sun, in a cooler or refrigerator. Like their human counterparts, fish like to eat things that look good and smell fresh.
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Each bait has a special method of preparation. Bloodworms are cut into small pieces. Mullet can be filleted and cut into chunks or strips. Squid works best when cut into thin, wedge shaped pieces that imitate a swimming bait fish in the current. Mole crabs, or sand fleas, are small crustaceans that burrow into the sand between the low tide and high tide marks, and are an effective, low budget bait for several species. Hook them from their underside up through the top shell.
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It’s also a good idea to take a few artificial lures to the beach. Occasionally fish will school up and feed very actively right in the surf. This is especially true of bluefish, striped bass, or Spanish mackerel, particularly early and late in the day. Lures need to be cast out and retrieved, and when retrieved, look like a harried bait fish swimming away from the predator. If you have to pick one or two lures, choose something that is shiny and heavy enough to cast.
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When you buy one, buy a spare. The worst thing imaginable is to have fish all around you in a feeding frenzy, and hear the line break with a sickening “POW!”, as you watch your only lure sail off on a world record cast. Some handy accessories are a knife, a pair of pliers, and a rag. If I am walking over to the beach and not driving, I carry a five gallon plastic bucket. Hook your rigs and lures around the top, put your knife, bait, a few pieces of ice and a cold drink or two in the bottom, and use it to carry off your fish.
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One other item you don’t want to be without is a sand spike, a piece of PVC pipe that is shoved down into the sand. The butt of your fishing rod is inserted into the pipe. Never lay the rod and reel down in the sand. Sand gravitates to every crack and crevice of a fishing reel like steel to a magnet, and can wreck a reel in a heartbeat.
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After a day’s fishing, a gentle freshwater wash down of the rod and reel will minimize salt corrosion. Spray the reel and rod guides with a moisture displacer, and wipe off the excess with a rag.
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Some folks may miss out on the fun of surf fishing because they don’t know where or how to begin, and may be slightly intimidated by the salty looking veterans that can cast a country mile. Those folks have honed their skills through years of practice and catch fish from the beach when rookies come up empty. Don’t crowd them, they have paid their dues, and earn what they catch, but don’t be afraid to get out there and give it a try.
Article By:
Joe Malat’s Outer Banks Surf Fishing Adventures
www.joemalat.com
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Surf Fishing Resources
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