Beginners Surf Fishing Guide

Spot Rigs: 2 hook bottom Hook: #6 - #2 Bait: Shrimp, Bloodworm pieces, Squid Weight: <1 lb Length: 7 10 Where: Anywhere, incoming tide When: Anytime Table fare: 4 Atlantic Croaker Rigs: 2 hook bottom Hook: #4 - 1/0 Bait: Fresh/Frozen Shrimp, Squid, Cut baits esp. mullet/spot Weight: .5 - 2 lbs Length: 9 Where: Anywhere When: Spring - Fall Table fare: 3

High Tide: _________ Low Tide: _________ High Tide: _________ Low Tide: _________
Spring 2009
Uni-Knot Line to Leader/Hook/Swivel Snelling a Hook Imp. Clinch Knot Line to Leader/Hook/Swivel
Kingfish/Whiting Rigs: 2 hook bottom Hook: #6 - #2 Bait: Bloodworms, Fresh/Frozen Shrimp, Cut baits Weight: .75 - 3 lbs Length: 11 Where: Shallow water, Narrow Sloughs, Rips When: Spring - Fall Table fare: 5 Striped Bass Rigs: Fishfinder Hook: 3/0 - 7/0 Circle Bait: Menhaden, Live eels Lures: Swimming plugs, Lg Hopkins Weight: 4 - 15 lbs Length: 18 - 40 Where: NC New England, points, rips, jetties, bridges When: Spring Fall, Night Table fare: 5 Flounder/Fluke Rigs: Flounder, 2 hook bottom w/ light bank sinker (2-3oz) Hook: #2 - 3/0 Circle Bait: Fresh/Frozen Shrimp, Squid, Mullet, Minnows Lures: Small bucktails Weight: 1-3+ lbs Length: 10-16 Where: Break in bars, jetties, edge of rips, shallows of incoming tide When: Late Spring - Late Fall Table fare: 5 Pompano Rigs: Flounder, 2 hook bottom Hook: #4 - 1/0 Gold Bait: Sand fleas, Fresh/Frozen Shrimp Gear: Mono leaders Weight: 1-3 lbs Length: 11 Where: Sloughs close to shore, In surf zone When: Late Summer - Warm, clear water Table fare: 5 Red (Puppy) Drum Rigs: Fishfinder, 3 way swivel Hook: 2/0 5/0 Bait: Cut mullet, Fresh shrimp Lures: Leadhead plastics, bucktails, mirrolures Weight: Any Length: Any Where: Sloughs, Rough water near inlets When: Spring Fall Table fare: 5

Common Surf Fish from Virginia to South Carolina and How to Catch Them

Speckled Trout Rigs: 2 hook bottom Hook: 1/0 - 4/0 Bait: Fresh/Frozen Shrimp, Squid strips Lures: Leadhead plastics, small bucktails, Mirrolures Weight: 2-4 lbs Length: 15 - 25 Where: Sounds, inlets When: Spring Fall, early morning low tide, calm surf Table fare: 5 Snapper/Tailor Blues Rigs: Fireball, 2 hook bottom Hook: 1/0 - 4/0 Longshank Bait: Cut baits esp. mullet/menhaden/squid Lures: Shiny metal Hopkins/Stingsilver under 1oz Gear: Black swivels & leaders, wire leaders Weight: up to 3 lbs Length: Where: Rips, jetties, holes, diving gulls When: Year-round, high tide Table fare: 2

Weakfish/Gray Trout Rigs: 2 hook bottom Hook: 1/0 - 4/0 Longshank Bait: Fresh/Frozen Shrimp, Squid strips Lures:, Hopkins Weight: 1-3 lbs Length: 10 - 16 Where: Inlets, Narrow sloughs, jetties, bridges When: Spring Fall Table fare: 5 Big Blues Rigs: Fishfinder w/Fireball, 3 way swivel w/Fireball Hook: 6/0 - 9/0 Bait: Cut fresh mullet Lures: Lg Hopkins, Diamond jigs Gear: Heavy Tackle, hvy mono or cable leaders Weight: 8-20 lbs Length: up to 34 Where: Rips, jetties, holes When: Spring Fall, 2hrs before high tide and little while after Table fare: 2

Surgeons Loop Make an End-line

Palomar Knot Line to Leader/Hook/Swivel

Nail Knot Line to Leader/Swivel or Snell a Hook

Spanish Mackerel Rigs: None Hook: #11/0 Bait: Live finger mullet Lures: Stingsilvers (chrome, gold, pink; <2oz Hopkins; Colored Jiggers; fast retrieve Gear: 10-20lb mono leader, small black swivels, no wire leaders Weight: 1 - 4 lbs Length: 14 18 Where: Clear water, esp. pier When: Summer Early Fall, Dawn/Dusk, Incoming tide Table fare: 4

Dropper Loop Make a Mid-line Loop

No Name Knot Line to Doubled Line

Virginia
Keeper Size Atlantic Croaker Bluefish Flounder Kingfish/Whiting Pompano Red (Puppy) Drum Spanish Mackerel Speckled Trout Spot Striped Bass ** Weakfish/Gray Trout None None 19 None None 18 - 26 Only 14 14 None 28 12 Possession Limit None 10 5 None None 3 15 10 None 2 6

North Carolina
Keeper Size None None 14 None None 18 - 27 Only 12 12 None 28 12 Possession Limit None 15; Only 5 > 24 8 None None 1 15 10 None 2 6

South Carolina
Keeper Size None None > 14 None None 15 - 23 Only 12 14 None None 12 Possession Limit None 15 20 None None 3 15 10 None 10 10

Albertos Knot Braid Line to Mono Shock Leader

Double Uni-Knot Mono line to Mono shock leader

** Striped Bass numbers are Ocean Coast only; numerous special restrictions apply to other areas

Beginners Surf Fishing Guide

Rod/Reel Tackle Box Rigs Sinkers Lures Extra Shock line Hooks

Gear, Rigs, Lures, Rigging Bait, & Reading the Surf

Swivels Leaders Pliers

Spring 2009
Flashlight Sandals, Flip flops, Water shoes/boots Waders Swimsuit Jacket First aid kit

Sand Spike Bait Bait Box 5 gal Bucket

Folding Chair Binoculars Cast net Camera Fanny/Lumbar Pack Sunglasses Sunscreen

Bug Repellant Hat (Wide brim) Cooler

Drinks Food Ice

Headlamp or Hat light

Fishing License Pocket Knife Filet Knife Measuring tool Fish ID Chart Tide Chart Beg. Surf Fishing Guide

MirroLures - Speckled Trout, Red Drum, Weakfish, Striped Bass Cast, let it sit for a couple seconds, to sink a couple feet, then retrieve very slowly with a twitch every few seconds. Gotchas - Spanish Mackerel, Bluefish, Speckled Trout, Weakfish Retrieve quickly using short, sharp jerks of the rod. Swimming Plugs - Striped Bass, Weakfish, Bluefish Dark colors at night, light colors during the day. For Stripers, use at night w/slow retrieve and tip it with eel skins. Retrieve at varying speeds, usually slowly. Top Water Plugs Use when fish are feeding on the surface. Cast, let it sit for a couple seconds. Retrieve quickly, popping the rod tip to create commotion. Hopkins & Stingsilvers - Blues w/wire leader, Spanish Mackerel w/no leader or heavy mono leader, Striped Bass Cast & retrieve at varying speeds. E.g. Fast for Blues/SpanMacks, Slow for Stripers Bucktails - Weakfish, Speckled Trout, Striped Bass, Flounder Sweeten w/piece of squid, shrimp, or mullet. Cast and allow to sink a bit. Jerk the rod tip every 3rd crank of the reel as retrieving.

Low Tide - Walk the beach, notice the terrain, look for sloughs and sandbars, look for anything unusual that will give you an idea of what will be beneath the water at High Tide Soft Structures Sloughs, Rips, Points, Bowls Sloughs Between the sandbar and the beach or between two sandbars Rips Break in the bar where water rushes back out. Look for fast moving, rippling, discolored water, or foam moving out to sea. Points Where the beach is sculpted to a point by winds and current, fish the deeper side of the point Bowls A rip where there are 2 sandbars and therefore 2 sloughs; larger volume of water from 2 sloughs funneling into a small space; often hear waves clapping or water coming up much further on the beach Hard Structures - Piers, jetties, bridges, inlets Edges Edges/ends of sandbars (shoulders), High & Low tides, Sunrise/ Sunset, water depth, currents, weather fronts, rough to calm water, etc. Feeding Watch for birds diving, oil on top of the water, or baitfish jumping Other Anything different, water coloration, foam, shells on the beach, sand flea colonies, rocks, wood, underwater structures, beach formations, seaweed, etc.

Lead Head Jigs - Speckled Trout, Weakfish, Red Drum, Flounder Cast and allow to sink to the bottom or close to it. Retrieve slowly w/erratic, up and down jigging motion. Use mono leader or tie right to line.

1. If most of the water is calm, fish where is isn't. 2. If most of the water is rough, fish where it is not. 3. Always keep a bait at the transition from calm to rough. 4. Always keep a bait up close.

2 Hook Bottom Rig

Fishfinder Rig

Fresh/Frozen Shrimp

Squid Strip

Bloodworms Careful; will bite

Cut Bait

Live Shrimp

3-way Swivel Rig

Fireball Rig

Whole Squid

Bucktail tipped w/ Squid Strip

Live Sand Fleas Between the diggers

Live Minnows/Baitfish

Live Crab

Flounder Rig