5 Beach Fishing Tips from Seasoned Anglers

Effective beach or surf fishing is simply knowing exactly what it is you’re doing. That’s what we will help you with today. Below we will look at beach fishing tips from some of the most experienced anglers in the angling community to make you a more efficient and successful surf angler.

How to Catch Fish at the Beach

Here are the steps you need to follow:

Set Up in an Ideal Location

Set up camp just above a high water line to avoid having to move again and again throughout a tide cycle. Casting from a clear, clean, and flat spot where it’s close to the edge of the water will make the most out of a casting range.

Don’t make the mistake of insisting you should be by the water to make casting a lot easier. Often, it’s best if you’re on a rather steep shingle bank or stand further away.

Learn Anchoring a Baited Rig

The power of the tidal currents often comes as a surprise as you first set out for surf fishing. If you really want to master how to fish off the beach, one of the beach fishing tips of experts is to learn the proper way of anchoring a baited rig.

Other anglers fishing at the beach won’t take kindly to your tackle sweeping through the patch every cast.

Walk Uptide

Here’s one of the beach fishing tips that’s crucial for you to remember. It’s wrong to cast straight out when the tide is running as wires won’t have the chance to get a grip on the sea bed. A secret among expert anglers is walking uptide prior to casting.

Walking 25 yards is usually enough under normal circumstances. Vicious tide currents during spring need double that. Even then, it’s best to slant a cast further uptide.

Let Out More Line

When learning how to fish from the beach, it’s recommended that you let out more line as the slackline will allow for the sinking of grip leads and wires will have breathing space for them to dig themselves down the sea bed securely.

Your fishing reel should be out of gear as you walk back. There’s minimal risk of letting out too much line. On big tides, 25 yards may not be enough.

Have the Right Equipment

Surf fishing can be very demanding on your fishing gear in comparison to freshwater fishing. For a surf fishing setup that can withstand the harsh conditions of the sea, you’ll need to use a larger fishing rod and reel so you can cast bait further.

The bigger rod and reel will also be able to handle larger and stronger species of fish. We suggest you invest in quality gear if you’re serious about learning how to catch fish at the beach.

A surf fishing rod is almost double the length of a freshwater rod. It’s attached with a fishing reel which is capable of holding hundreds of yards even with a thick fishing line.

We recommend beginner surf anglers to get a surf rod that’s between 8 to 10 ft long and attach it with a 6000 or 8000 series reel. It should also be spooled with 25 to 50 lb. braid fishing line.

Reel for Surf Fishing

A surf fishing reel can come in various shapes and sizes. This is one of the tips that will also apply to other fishing applications: get a spinning reel or spinner as it’s the most popular and easiest type of reel to use.

Manufacturers of fishing reels usually advise beginner anglers to opt for the 6000 to 8000 reel size as it’s capable of holding at least 500 yards of a 25 lb. braid line.

Rod for Surf Fishing

A surf fishing rod is larger than other kinds of fishing rods. This is simply what’s required in order to cast heavier bait for fish lurking in the surf. A rod has to have enough power and height to cast beyond waves that are breaking by the shore.

A surf rod that’s 8 ft long will be best in an area where the water is calm. A surf rod has a ‘power’ and an ‘action.’ The power of a surf rod represents its strength while the rod’s action is how flexible or bendable it is.

A surf rod has to be a moderate action and a medium-heavy power. It will be an excellent all-around fishing rod, having the ability to handle species of fish that are over 3 ft long and cast heavier sinkers.

Line for Surf Fishing

A list of beach fishing tips won’t be complete without expert advice on the right line to use. Braid is often the preferred type of line of anglers for surf fishing.

You should have enough line to feel the reel with the correct amount of line. For a reel that can spool 500 yards of a 25 lb. braid, make sure you’ve spooled it correctly before heading to the beach.

Adding too much or too little line will cause some issues which could have easily been avoided. Braid is very thin and it gets slick whenever it’s wet. So, your fishing knots should be secure so they won’t slip. The best would be Palomar knots.

Conclusion

With surf fishing, you should remember that using cheap and poorly made fishing gear is false economy. Buy the best that you can afford. The durability of your equipment in the surf and sand counts.

Whenever possible, survey the beach you’ll be surfing at from a vantage point. Check for variations in water color. The darker ones are indicators of holes and gutters.

You can also benefit from using a set of binoculars. Use the high point you’re at and your binoculars in checking for signs of feeding activity on the water. A featureless beach can still hold fish, but always try to seek out structure as it’s where fish will feed.

Lastly, when you feel that fish is biting at your bait, slowly walk back to the beach in order to encourage a strike.