Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating - View Single Post

NIGHT STRIKES · 12-20-2007, 11:06 AM

Surf fishing is the sport of catching fish standing on the shoreline or wading in the surf. This may include casting from sandy and rocky beaches, rock jetties, fishing piers or any other shoreline location. With few exceptions, surf fishing is done in saltwater. Equipment"Make no mistake about it, surf fishing can be expensive... But you don't have to buy everything at once. Until you are sold on fishing the surf, there is no point in spending money that a couple of cold, wet, fishless nights might make you wish you had invested in a nice warm golf cart." -- (Fallon.29)

The basic premise of most surf fishing is to cast a bait or lure as far out into the water as possible. To facilitate this, basic surf fishing is done with a long 7’-12’ fishing pole with a large spinning or conventional spool fishing reel. It is important to keep in mind that all gear will be used in the harsh saltwater environment, subject to the corrosive effects of salt air, salt water and the destructive effects of sand on reels and other equipment. In addition to rod and reel, the surf fisherman requires an assortment of hooks, swivels, lines, and leaders (“Terminal Tackle”), tailored to the type of rod and reel they are using and the size and species of fish they are targeting.

In addition to terminal tackle, surf fisherman carry artificial baits and lures, casting and retrieving them to entice a bite from the target species. There are hundreds of different lures effective for surf fishing. Most can be purchased from local bait and tackle shops, online tackle retailers, at fishing tackle expositions or specialized surf fishing catalogs like The Surfcaster. Most surf fishermen utilize a “surf bag” to carry a selection of lures with them into the surf allowing easy switching from lure to lure until an effective lure is found, saving trips back to the beach or vehicle to change equipment.

In addition to the basic equipment, there are several other items that that surf fisherman (surfcasters) utilize to improve comfort, convenience and effectiveness. Among these are waders, used to wade out into the surf to gain distance from shore when casting the bait. In addition to extra casting distance, waders provide improved footing, protection for feet and legs from sharp bottom objects and stinging/biting fish and crustaceans, and protection from cold water temperatures. In areas where the bottom consists of slippery rocks or when fishing from mossy and slimy rock jetties, Cleated boots or cleated sandals (Korkers) are utilized to improve footing and enhance safety.

Much surf fishing is done at night, in the dark to coincide with the nocturnal feeding habits of many target species. Many surf fishermen add items such as flashlights, headlamps, light sticks and other gear to facilitate night fishing. DangersAs with any water sport care must be taken to participate safely in this sport. Much surf fishing is done in rough whitewater surf conditions. Powerful waves and strong undertows can cause serious injury or death if proper attention is not paid to safety.

Areas fished should be scouted in low tide conditions to note sudden drop offs or dangerous conditions hidden at high tides. Any fisherman with waders should wear a wader belt to keep waders from filling with water in the event one falls in the surf. The aforementioned cleats should be worn anywhere there are slippery rocks or shells underfoot. PFD's (personal flotation devices) should be considered especially when fishing alone in big surf or on jetties. In that most lures and hooks feature razor sharp points, care must be taken not to hook ones self or others when casting. In the event that one accidentally hooks oneself or someone else, it is a good idea to carry a quality cutting pliers capable of cutting the hooks you are fishing with. SpeciesA wide array of species is targetable from surf and shore. Chief among these for most surf fisherman is the Striped Bass. This species is available from shore and can range in weight from a few lbs to the world record of 78.5 lb lbs. Fish in the 30 to 40 lb. range are fairly common, especially on the northeast US coast. Other species targeted include Bluefish, Redfish (Red Drum) Tautog (Blackfish), Flounder (Fluke), Weakfish (Sea Trout), Bonita and Albacore Tuna, Black Drum, Pompano, Spanish mackerel, Snook, Tarpon and numerous others.

12-20-2007, 11:06 AM	#25
NIGHT STRIKES Registered User iTrader: (0) Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Ocean County , N.J. Posts: 262	As Per Mr.Webster Surf fishing is the sport of catching fish standing on the shoreline or wading in the surf. This may include casting from sandy and rocky beaches, rock jetties, fishing piers or any other shoreline location. With few exceptions, surf fishing is done in saltwater. Equipment"Make no mistake about it, surf fishing can be expensive... But you don't have to buy everything at once. Until you are sold on fishing the surf, there is no point in spending money that a couple of cold, wet, fishless nights might make you wish you had invested in a nice warm golf cart." -- (Fallon.29) The basic premise of most surf fishing is to cast a bait or lure as far out into the water as possible. To facilitate this, basic surf fishing is done with a long 7’-12’ fishing pole with a large spinning or conventional spool fishing reel. It is important to keep in mind that all gear will be used in the harsh saltwater environment, subject to the corrosive effects of salt air, salt water and the destructive effects of sand on reels and other equipment. In addition to rod and reel, the surf fisherman requires an assortment of hooks, swivels, lines, and leaders (“Terminal Tackle”), tailored to the type of rod and reel they are using and the size and species of fish they are targeting. In addition to terminal tackle, surf fisherman carry artificial baits and lures, casting and retrieving them to entice a bite from the target species. There are hundreds of different lures effective for surf fishing. Most can be purchased from local bait and tackle shops, online tackle retailers, at fishing tackle expositions or specialized surf fishing catalogs like The Surfcaster. Most surf fishermen utilize a “surf bag” to carry a selection of lures with them into the surf allowing easy switching from lure to lure until an effective lure is found, saving trips back to the beach or vehicle to change equipment. In addition to the basic equipment, there are several other items that that surf fisherman (surfcasters) utilize to improve comfort, convenience and effectiveness. Among these are waders, used to wade out into the surf to gain distance from shore when casting the bait. In addition to extra casting distance, waders provide improved footing, protection for feet and legs from sharp bottom objects and stinging/biting fish and crustaceans, and protection from cold water temperatures. In areas where the bottom consists of slippery rocks or when fishing from mossy and slimy rock jetties, Cleated boots or cleated sandals (Korkers) are utilized to improve footing and enhance safety. Much surf fishing is done at night, in the dark to coincide with the nocturnal feeding habits of many target species. Many surf fishermen add items such as flashlights, headlamps, light sticks and other gear to facilitate night fishing. DangersAs with any water sport care must be taken to participate safely in this sport. Much surf fishing is done in rough whitewater surf conditions. Powerful waves and strong undertows can cause serious injury or death if proper attention is not paid to safety. Areas fished should be scouted in low tide conditions to note sudden drop offs or dangerous conditions hidden at high tides. Any fisherman with waders should wear a wader belt to keep waders from filling with water in the event one falls in the surf. The aforementioned cleats should be worn anywhere there are slippery rocks or shells underfoot. PFD's (personal flotation devices) should be considered especially when fishing alone in big surf or on jetties. In that most lures and hooks feature razor sharp points, care must be taken not to hook ones self or others when casting. In the event that one accidentally hooks oneself or someone else, it is a good idea to carry a quality cutting pliers capable of cutting the hooks you are fishing with. SpeciesA wide array of species is targetable from surf and shore. Chief among these for most surf fisherman is the Striped Bass. This species is available from shore and can range in weight from a few lbs to the world record of 78.5 lb lbs. Fish in the 30 to 40 lb. range are fairly common, especially on the northeast US coast. Other species targeted include Bluefish, Redfish (Red Drum) Tautog (Blackfish), Flounder (Fluke), Weakfish (Sea Trout), Bonita and Albacore Tuna, Black Drum, Pompano, Spanish mackerel, Snook, Tarpon and numerous others.