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It all depends on the setting and the surf. I primarily fish big, wide open beaches, so I'm not sure about in the rocks. Usually I just try and ride them in on a wave, but once they get over 25#, they get hard to drag up the sand. I let a wave wash it as high as possible, then run down to it and usually depending on the size of the surf, just like Likwid said, I grab 'em carefully up under the gill plate. I know people say it is bad to touch their gills, but I have do this all the time and have never noticed any ioncrease in mortality to the fish. If there is big surf, I usually try and gently step on them as the wave washes back and timing the waves, reach down and grab them. You need to be careful of two things:
1.) watch out that while you are trying to keep it from s#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&g back in the wave that it doesn't get you with its dorsal spines. Has resulted in 2 trips back to Orvis for new waders.
2.) Time the waves good. I have had waves come in and mash me with fish into beach. Sometimes I have had them come off at this point and dove on them like they were a hand grenade.
It just takes practice.
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