Surf Fishing Baits for Summer

 

Surf Fishing Baits For Summer
By, Bill Varney Jr.

When baseball’s in season and school’s out you can bet it’s summertime. With each summer comes a new harvest of bait for the surf fisherman. Natural baits seem to work best in the summer when fish are finding worms, clams, shrimp and crabs as they emerge from their winter hibernation.  Sand crabs top the list as one of the favorite baits for surf fish. Because crabs can’t be purchased in your local tackle shop you’ll have to go to the beach yourself and do a bit of work to catch them.

Once you’re at the beach find a high spot where you can get a good look at the wet sand. Look both ways keeping a keen eye open for birds working the water’s edge. This will be your first clue as to where the crabs lie. When approaching these areas watch closely as the water rushes up and back across the beach. Try to find the V shapes made by the sand crab’s feeding antennae. In some areas these will appear on top of the sand as the water rushes over them. Here you will find sand crabs, just below the surface of the sand, feeding.

There are two ways to catch sand crabs: With your hands and with a crab rake. The best time to catch crabs is one hour before to one hour after high tide.

Digging by hand is a time-tested and back-breaking method for collecting crabs. In mid summer months the crabs will be near the surface. During the winter be prepared to dig deeper to find the crabs. A small hand shovel works well for digging in the soft sand. Collect crabs in a small bucket and rinse the sand from them before use.

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Another method for catching crabs is by using a crab rake

(top Promar Rake Bottom Crab n’ Go)

This tool allows you to sift through a large area of sand to find crabs. Because the rake is made from galvanized steel it’s strong and quite durable even in salt water. You’ll find crab rakes like the Crab n’ Go for aboout $25 and large Promar/Ahi Rakes in the $90.00 -$110.00 price range at your local tackle store.

Crab rakes are easy to use but require some strength and balance. With a little practice it should come easy. When using the rake face out to sea. While holding the tool above the sand wait for a wave to rush up the beach. As the wave begins to draw back, drop the net onto the sand and let the water rush through it. Run your foot back and forth to dig up the sand and break the crabs loose. Once the water stops pull the net up and examine its contents.

You’re looking for crabs whose shell is about the consistency of a pop can. That’s right, push on a pop can’s side with your finger, that’s about what the shell should feel like. Shells that are too hard won’t get bites those that are too soft will be mush on the hook—so look for the medium shells and you can’t go wrong.

Sand crabs can be kept for a couple of days at home. Put them in a dry (no water or sand) plastic container with a small piece of kelp or newspaper over them.

Don’t refrigerate or disturb them or they’ll be dead in the morning. If you have crabs leftover and won’t be using them right away, freeze the hardest crabs and save them for a later date.

One of my favorite tricks is to squeeze a pack of taco sauce onto frozen crabs. Once they thaw they work great during winter for bait. Another trick is to freeze crabs with a couple of mussels. When they thaw they will be slightly orange and smell like an extra large fresh mussel. This is guaranteed to drive fish crazy!

Just like sand crabs, mussel makes a great surf bait. There’s no question that at times fresh mussel works better to catch fish than any other bait. Some of the largest perch and corbina I’ve seen have been caught on mussel.

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Mussels are found on our local shores anywhere you have substantial tidal movement adjacent to rock, piling or jetty structure. More than anywhere else, mussels seen to thrive on pier and platform pilings. But some of the biggest and oldest mussels can be found on our local jetties.

The best time to collect mussels is at low tide. Take only as many as you’ll need. They are not edible but you may want to collect a few extras to freeze for using later. Let them sit in a dry bucket overnight. The next day the will be slightly open and easier to shuck.

When shucking mussel use a small knife to cut the tendons near the rear of the shell. On one side, near the back, there is a small indentation or hole. Insert your knife into this hole and slowly pull the knife forward cutting the tendon as you go. Once the shell is partly open you can pry it apart with your fingers.

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One very soft and pliable another very rubbery and strong. The bright orange inside is soft and pliable. The lip that runs along the edge of the shell is black, brown and orange and is strong and rubbery. Both make good bait.

When hooking mussel I use two methods. One is to wrap the mussel around the hook and use the rubber lip membrane to hold in into place. You can do this by hooking the rubbery lip several times which will hold the mussel into place. The other method is to use only the rubbery lip and hook it like you would a worm. To do this you’ll need to run the hook down through the center of the lip and pull it up your hook. Leave a two inch piece below the hook and your ready to fish.

Mussel is very hardy and will last in a cool moist plastic tray for several days. They can be cleaned immediately or are a bit easier to shuck after being stored for a day or two. I clean extra mussel and place three or four in a small zip bag for later use. Try cutting some squid into small four inch strips and freeze it with the mussel. When it’s thawed it will be orange and smell just like a mussel. Not only does it stay on the hook but you’ll be amazed at how many fish go crazy over it!

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While you’re looking for mussel on the rocks you may notice a small army of crabs that dart across the rocks and disappear from sight.These are sidewinder crabs and also make a great surf fishing bait.

While fish wait for mussel to be ripped from the rocks and fall into their food chain they also wait for sidewinders to loose their balance and become their next meal.

The best place to find sidewinders is just above the waterline on rock jetties and tide pool areas. Look for them between mussel clusters, in crevices or by flipping over small rocks. These crabs can be found at both high and low tide and are green and brown in color. Due to their keen sight, once they detect motion they will scurry off.

Catching sidewinders can be quite a challenge. Their speed and agility is amazing but with a bit of practice you’ll be surprised at how quickly you’ll be able to collect a few for fishing.

From a distance stop, look and see where they are positioned on the rocks. Pick out a single crab and as you approach, watch carefully as to where that crab ends up. Now that you’ve located the crab the best way to catch it is to pin it to the rock with your fingers. Pick the crab up with your forefinger and thumb from the back (the opposite side from the claws!) and quickly place him in your waist bait bucket.

Crabs, about the size of a quarter or smaller make the best baits. When hooking the crab, as with most baits, match your hook size to the bait’s size. Once again, grab the crab by the back and insert the sharp end of your hook into their very last leg socket. Pull your hook through the crab and exit the hook through the opposite leg socket. Remember, it’s always important to use sharp hooks and make sure the business end of the hook is protruding through the shell exposed to the barb.

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As with mussels, sidewinders kept in a cool plastic container under wet paper or burlap will live for a solid week. Just enough time to slow their pinchers down so you can get “them” on the hook without them getting you.

Mussels, sand crabs and sidewinder crabs are but a few of the great baits available for summer. As ocean temps rise and surf fish flood the shore in search of food there’s no better time then now to get on down to the beach. Once there, remember to look for what occurs naturally. You can be well assured that’s what the fish are eating. Take advantage of the great live baits available on our beaches and always remember to catch and release whenever possible.

Tackle Shops with Live Bait:

Wylies Bait & Tackle. 18757 W Pacific Coast Hwy. Malibu, CA 90264 (310) 456-2321
Norms Big Fish, 1780 Pacific Coast Hwy, Seal Beach, CA 90740-6209 Phone: 562-596-0040
Hogans Bait & Tackle 34320 Pacific Coast Highway, Suite G Dana Point , CA 92629 949-493-3528
Pacific Coast Bait & Tackle 2110 South Coast Hwy, Suite E Oceanside, CA 92054 Phone: 760-439-3474

Finding Fish at the Beach

 

Surf Fishing
Finding Fish At The Beach
By Bill Varney Jr.

Huge churning swells from strong Pacific storms make it impossible to fish the surf at times during the winter.But these same storms also produce new fishing areas by forcefully creating underwater structure that fish call home.Storm surf along with tidal changes, riptides and inshore holes work together to produce some of the most productive fishing spots. Knowing just where to fish and being able to read the beach will come with time and practice. The first step when you get to the shore is to find an area where you can get a good view of the waterline. Standing on the beach’s berm above the waves is a good place to start.

Survey the water’s edge and look for where the water rushes up the farthest onto the beach. This is a bay. Look for areas in between where a point pushes out. As you look up and down the beach you’ll probably see several of these point and bay areas. Water circulates around these areas and creates fishing opportunities.

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Points and Bays form along the beach and make good areas for fishing

The best place to fish on a point is along its sides where the water slows down as the bottom drops off. Waves break along a point in a triangle. The best place to fish is along the edge of the triangle shape. This is where the current created by the breaking waves slows down and releases the bait and particles it carries.

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Waves create triangle shape as water slows down where the bottom drops off

When fishing between the points look just offshore and find the gutter or trough that runs parallel to the beach. If you’re looking straight out to sea, it is twenty to sixty feet in front of you, parallel to the shore. It’s usually six to ten feet wide, three feet deep and twenty to one-hundred feet long. Both an inside and outside trough are created by breaking waves and may be more pronounced after larger surf.

The trough is a favorite place for fish to hide. Corbina use the trough to lay in wait and then rush up the beach to eat sand crabs. Perch stay suspended in the trough and feed on churned-up bait. One of the best times to search for these troughs is at low tide. Be sure to “mark” your spot by using landmarks so you can find it again when fishing at high tide.

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The inshore trough is best place to find fish

Besides troughs formed by waves, strong rip currents also move tons of sand and provide structure for fish. Rid tides are formed by waves which approach the coast nearly head on then reverse themselves and push both water and sand offshore. As these currents carry water offshore they also provide both current and food for inshore fish.

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HB_RIPTIDE


Rip currents appear with off colored swirling water, rippled areas and foam. Some rip tides may be obvious while others are more subtle.

As rip currents pull water offshore they also form a trough perpendicular to the shore where fish wait to find food. Rip currents form in the shape of a mushroom and create neutral pockets on each side. These neutral pockets, formed by an eddy circulation, along with an offshore trough provide some promising areas to fish.

Scan the water for rip currents as they will often form and subside. Some may be subtle and only a few feet from shore. Others will be more pronounced and can extend well beyond the surf line. The best place to fish a rip current is along its sides. Cast out and retrieve you bait slowly across these areas were current meets calm water.

Similar to rip currents, rock jetties also provide eddy circulation which attracts fish. Rock outcroppings produce water movement around its point. This is where currents create a natural feeding habitat due to water movement caused by waves and tidal changes.

As the tide moves up and down throughout the day water currents vary in strength and intensity. At slack tides, very little water will be moving around rock points. At larger tidal changes, more water and thus stronger eddy circulation will occur.

Eddy circulation is important because it provides a current where fish can suspend themselves while water flushes through their gills providing oxygen. The eddy also provides a current for bait and nutrients to pass within the fishes’ strike zone.

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Rock jetties offer many fishing opportunities

Slack tide conditions and small surf create very little circulation and force fish to search for food. Large surf and strong tidal conditions create too much current and make it difficult for fish to stay in place and feed. Fishing is always best when there is a slow to moderate current condition. Conditions of no current or a very strong one are least productive and make fishing tough.

To find where the current has created a fishing eddy look out toward the jetties’ point and find the leeward or downward side of the current. Look for approaching swells and watch them as they approach the rocks. The opposite side from which they approach is the leeward area where an eddy will form. The eddy has similar characteristics to the rip current: swirling water, rippled areas and foam.

When fishing rock jetties cast along the outside and inside edges of the eddy. The outside edge may be toward open water and the inside up against the rocks. Fish will lurk in these areas waiting to ambush their next meal.

Rock jetties, rip tides, points, bays and the inshore troughs are all good areas to find surf fish. But one of the most important elements of fishing these areas successfully involves their relationship to tides. We’ve all heard that time-of-day is important in fishing but with surf fishing time-of-tide is even more important. Without enough water these areas
don’t have the current or depth needed to hold fish. That’s why, with few exceptions, the best time to fish is two hours before high tide until two hours after a high tide.

Think of it as you would with launching a boat. If the ramp is completely out of the water your boat won’t be able to float off the trailer. If your jetty or trough is out of the water fish will need to walk there to be caught—and we all know that only happens in the movies. Getting to know the subtle differences at your local beach will help you to find more fish and may be the difference between catching fish and watching bathers.

Bill Varney is a fourth generation Californian whose passion for surf fishing is detailed in his book: Surf Fishing, The Light-Line Revolution available at most tackle shops and online @ www.fishthesurf.com.

Light-Line Tips for Winter Fishing

 

Surf Fishing:
Light-Line Tips For Winter Fishing
By Bill Varney Jr.

A long stretch of sandy beach rolls out like ribbon from beneath your feet. You can smell the crisp fall air and hear the warm clear water as it slaps the beach. Fall is here with winter on the way and while most offshore fishing has slowed down some of our coasts best surf fishing is about to begin.Fall and winter months bring many opportunities to the surf fisherman. With cooling water temperatures the summer corbina begin their annual migration away from the beach. Sand crabs dig themselves deeper into the sand and disappear until spring. Yet, with all that said, the best surf fishing is just beginning.

The fall months of October through December offer great opportunities to catch trophy size perch, walleye and yellow fin croaker. Local beaches from San Diego to Crescent City offer anglers the chance to cash in on the season’s first perch spawn.

With a few quick tips, the right equipment and a little luck you won’t need to wait out the winter to pull on a fish. With light crowds and beautiful days ahead, there’s no time better than now to head on down to the beach.

Long gone are the days of big sinkers, long rods and heavy line. Throw away your sand spike, now is the time to go ultra-light. Light-line surf fishing has become popular in the last several years and it’s by far one of the best and most exciting ways to fish the surf.

Start with a six to eight foot light action rod that handles two through ten-pound test. Match the rod with a small spinning reel, one with a capacity for 150 yards of four-pound monofilament. If this sounds like the trout rod up in the rafters of your garage, you’re probably right!

For terminal tackle you’ll need egg sinkers in 1/4th to 1 ounce, size 8-12 swivels, small red or clear beads and hooks. Depending on whether you’re using grubs or worms for bait you’ll need a good assortment of size four and size six worm and split shot hooks.

The Carolina rig is the most common surf setup and consists of nothing more than a sinker, bead, swivel, leader and hook.

CAROLINA_RIG

A long stretch of sandy beach rolls out like ribbon from beneath your feet. You can smell the crisp fall air and hear the warm clear water as it slaps the beach. Fall is here with winter on the way and while most offshore fishing has slowed down some of our coasts best surf fishing is about to begin.

Fall and winter months bring many opportunities to the surf fisherman. With cooling water temperatures the summer corbina begin their annual migration away from the beach. Sand crabs dig themselves deeper into the sand and disappear until spring. Yet, with all that said, the best surf fishing is just beginning.

The fall months of October through December offer great opportunities to catch trophy size perch, walleye and yellow fin croaker. Local beaches from San Diego to Crescent City offer anglers the chance to cash in on the season’s first perch spawn.

With a few quick tips, the right equipment and a little luck you won’t need to wait out the winter to pull on a fish. With light crowds and beautiful days ahead, there’s no time better than now to head on down to the beach.

Long gone are the days of big sinkers, long rods and heavy line. Throw away your sand spike, now is the time to go ultra-light. Light-line surf fishing has become popular in the last several years and it’s by far one of the best and most exciting ways to fish the surf.

Start with a six to eight foot light action rod that handles two through ten-pound test. Match the rod with a small spinning reel, one with a capacity for 150 yards of four-pound monofilament. If this sounds like the trout rod up in the rafters of your garage, you’re probably right!

For terminal tackle you’ll need egg sinkers in 1/4th to 1 ounce, size 8-12 swivels, small red or clear beads and hooks. Depending on whether you’re using grubs or worms for bait you’ll need a good assortment of size four and size six worm and split shot hooks.

The Carolina rig is the most common surf setup and consists of nothing more than a sinker, bead, swivel, leader and hook.

Start by tying several 18” leaders made of 4lb mono or 6lb fluorocarbon. Tie a swivel to one end and a hook to the other. Make sure you tie both worm and split shot hook leaders so you have one for each type of bait.

To keep your leaders from tangling just cut a piece of 3×5 inch card board. Cut a slit on one side every inch. Place a hook into one edge, wrap the line around the cardboard and then pull the swivel and line through the slit on the other edge to hold it into place.

Once your leaders are ready it’s time to rig your rod. Slide a 1/2ounce egg sinker onto your main line. Now add a bead. Finally, tie on the leader you’ve made and you’re ready to fish.

Once you make it down to the beach pick a high spot above the water’s edge where you can see the lay of the land. If you’re on a sandy beach look for points of sand and bays where sand has been washed away. Between these points you’ll find inner and outer long shore troughs. These troughs form from the pounding surf at high and low tides.

The inner trough may be as close as ten feet and as far as sixty feet from the beach. Fish school in this area because it provides shelter, current and churning food. Troughs are easiest to find at low tide. Take an extra trip to the beach at low tide so that when high tide comes you’ll know exactly were the fish are.

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The inshore trough is formed by waves and is the home to most surf fish

Other forms of “structure” at the beach include rip tides and wave edges. Rip tides are offshore moving currents generated by swells approaching the coast nearly head on. These currents carry extra water that’s been pushed ashore back offshore and create an eddy circulation that provides an inviting home for surf fish. Triangle edges created by breaking waves will also tip you off to where the water is deeper.

On beaches that have not been dredged (e.g. San Diego and Santa Barbara) additional structure includes rocks clusters and eel grass. These are also good edges to fish around because they attract fish for food and shelter.

Rock walls and jetties also offer some great surf fishing. Winter swells force sand to recede from beaches and expose rock structure where fish hide. Fan cast and retrieve you bait slowly along the edges of this structure. Also, look for small eddies that form on the leeward side of jetties. Characterized by foam and off color water, these eddies are caused by swells and also create a great place for fish to feed.

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Rock walls and jetties make great places to fish around

When it comes to bait one axiom always comes to mind: Look for what occurs naturally around the area you are fishing. What’s between the rocks or in the sand beneath you feet? Look around and see what you think the fish have for food. If you see mussels on the rocks or crabs in the sand you can be sure that’s what their eating.

Common baits you’ll find at the beach include sand and sidewinder crabs. Sand crabs will be scarce at this time of year but can be found when digging near structure such as rocks and pier pilings. Frozen sand crabs, caught and stored in the summer months, also make a great winter bait. Add a bit of taco sauce to the crabs as they thaw and perch will find them irresistible!

Sidewinder crabs and rock mussel never take a day off and can always be found on your local rock jetty. Sidewinders, the size of a dime, make the best bait. Try not to feel too discouraged, catching sidewinder crabs can be a bit tricky and takes practice and patience.

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Sidewinder rock crabs make great bait for perch and croaker

Once you’ve caught a sidewinder, place the hook through the rear leg socket and out the opposite side. Mussel should be wrapped around the hook using the rubbery lip membrane to hold it in place. Try collecting both mussel and crabs at low tide. Some of the largest perch and yellow fin croaker have been caught on these baits.

Year round, blood, lug and artificial worms work great in the surf. When hooking worms, thread the worm onto your hook and pull it up your line. Puncture the hook through their side and leave a two-inch “tail” below the hook. By using this method you can slide more worm down below the hook after each fish and continue to use it for bait.

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Swimtail Grub

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Curly Grub

Plastic grubs and artificial baits such as spoons and flies are very effective and easy to use in the surf. Grubs come in two common shapes: Stump tail and curly tail. Both work well when used with the Carolina Rig. Use a shorter leader and heavier sinker in large surf and a smaller combination when the surf is small.

Some of Southern California’s best surf fishing comes in the winter months. So break out your ultra-light gear, jump in the car, and head on down to the beach. It’s a quick and inexpensive way to pull on fish when the dark clouds of winter are still overhead.

To find more information on surf fishing, including tackle tips, beach condition cameras and fish reports check out these great websites:
www.allcoastsportfishing.com ,
www.scsurffishing.com and my site: www.fishthesurf.com