Chapter 3 - Locating Fish In The Surf

One of the toughest problems confronting the novice in surf fishing is the one of locating the fish that venture inshore to feed. As the beginner glances up and down the miles of beach, he is likely to scratch his head and wonder where he should cast his lure or bait. To him, one section of breaking waves and water looks very much like any other, and he finds it difficult to choose the best spot for fishing.

The veteran surf angler, on the other hand, can study the water and surf, then head for a certain spot where his chances of catching fish are good. How does he do it? Well, most experienced surf anglers have the ability to "read" the surf and water. By studying the way the waves break, the color of the water and the characteristics of the tides and rips, they obtain clues to the best fishing spots which are overlooked by the beginner. Veteran surf anglers have also developed their powers of observation to the point where they are able to notice every little movement or indication of feeding fish.

Unfortunately for the newcomer, however, this ability to choose the best fishing spots in the surf takes time to acquire. Through years of trial and error the seasoned surf anglers have learned which spots are the most productive and which ones to ignore. But the beginner may spend hours fishing a barren spot. What to do about it?

Well, even veteran surf anglers can't catch fish in the surf unless the quarry is there. So most surf anglers wait until they hear that the fish are running at a certain beach before they go out at all. The outdoor-column writers of the daily newspapers in coastal areas often print information about local runs of surf fish. This data can serve as a guide to the best general fishing spots. But, since it is usually a day or two late, this news may have lost much of its value by the time it gets printed. Hence the rule: If you read about a run of fish at a nearby beach, try to get there the same day, if possible. If you wait a day or two, the action may have migrated elsewhere or the fish may have stopped feeding.

However, even if you can't manage to go fishing on such short notice, it is still of some value to make a mental note of the spot and try it when you do get a chance to go out. Schools of fish usually stay in a general area for days or weeks and may start feeding again at any time.

You can also obtain information on the hot surf-fishing spots from friends and fishing-tackle dealers. If you have a surf-fishing buddy make a mutual agreement to keep each other informed when and where you catch fish in the surf. Or drop around to the local fishing-tackle store and talk to either the owner or surf anglers who have been out fishing. Many surf anglers come into the local store to weigh a big fish or buy a lure or line. The dealer gets a good idea of the spots that are producing fish and is glad to pass this information on to his customers.

The beginning surf fisherman often has a favorite way of locating the best fishing spots. He goes down to the beach and looks for other anglers. If he sees a line of surf anglers he joins them in the belief that they are fishing the best spot. This may or may not be true. If the anglers are catching fish or have caught fish at that spot recently then it's a good idea to join them. But if no fish are being caught you may be wasting your time fishing there. You can often do better by finding a less crowded spot. In fact, even if a few fish are being caught at the time you can still increase your chances by trying a different location where there is less competition.

Surf anglers often spend hours traveling around and scanning the waters for signs of fish.

Surf fish such as striped bass, bluefish, channel bass, weak-fish and others often move fast. They may be present and active in a certain area and then, in a matter of minutes, disappear. So when these species are moving in large schools and actively feeding on smaller bait fish, the best way to locate them is to look for birds, especially gulls and terns, diving and wheeling over the water. This usually indicates that larger game fish down below are driving the bait fish to the surface.

When the birds are within casting distance, it's always a good idea to cast a metal squid or surface plug into the commotion. If there are big fish feeding, the chances are good that you will get a strike. But even if the birds are outside of casting range or merely sitting on the water, it pays to keep an eye on them. If the bait fish move in to shore, the birds and game fish will follow and you'll often be able to reach them. On many occasions, I've spent many hours during the day watching gulls and terns wheeling and diving too far offshore to reach with a cast. However, toward dusk, the bait fish often headed inshore and then there would be fast action as the bigger fish followed them right up to the beach.

Sometimes you don't see any birds working, but you will either see small bait fish skipping or leaping out of the water or you will see a big fish slap the water with its tail or swirl as it chases a smaller fish. In either case it's an indication that fish are present and feeding. Then it's up to you to find the lure that they want.

So far we've covered the easy ways to locate fish in the surf. Now, how about the days when there are no anglers catching fish, no birds, and no bait fish or other signs of game fish? How do you locate fish at such times?

This is when the ability to read the water and shore formations pays off big for the veteran surf angler. Naturally, the local anglers who fish a certain area often have a big advantage when it comes to choosing the best fishing spots. They know from past experience which spots have produced under varying conditions of weather, wind, tides and seasons. So they head for these spots when the same conditions arise and connect more often than a stranger fishing the area for the first time.

However, there are many general rules and signs that reveal the best fishing spots—provided you know what to look for. Take the color of the water, for example. This can reveal the location of deep or shallow spots. The presence of dark blue, dark green or green water is a sign that the water is deep and can pinpoint a hole, slough or channel. These are all good spots to try.

Light green, brownish or white water, on the other hand, reveals a .shallow spot and the presence of a reef, sand or rock bar, or flats. When there are bait fish present in these shallow areas and the water is moderately rough, such shallow spots often provide good fishing for striped bass.

The way the waves break on shore also indicates the depth and type of bottom found in the area. The breaking of waves some distance offshore usually reveals a sand or rock bar or a gently sloping beach. Here you will often have to cast beyond the breakers to catch fish. If you can wade out on the sand bar or into the water some distance you stand a better chance of catching fish.

On the other hand, when the waves approach close to shore before they curl and break, it usually indicates a sharply sloping beach where you can often catch such fish as striped bass, channel bass, bluefish and weakfish close to shore.

Along sand beaches you will often find a sand bar well offshore and deeper water closer to the beach. Such holes and sloughs often contain surf fish, especially at the high tides and half tides. The fish like to lie just inside the outer sand bar and wait for food to be washed out or for bait fish to swim past. In such spots it's a good idea to cast your lure on the sand bar and reel it into the deeper water.

Sand bars rarely continue unbroken when they run parallei to a beach. Usually there are channels and cuts which allow the water to enter and leave, and these spots have deeper water and stronger currents and rips. Such marine life as crabs, sand bugs, clams, worms and bait fish get swept into or tossed around in this turmoil and bigger game fish will wait for the easy pickings found there.

Even if you have trouble locating a good fishing spot along a sandy beach there is still one reliable method that can produce fish. It means plenty of casting and walking but you cover a lot of territory and can often run into good fishing. You start working a stretch of beach by merely casting two or three times in one spot, then move about 50 feet down the beach and do the same thing there. To cover the maximum area with this method you should not cast straight into the ocean at each stop. Instead, you make one cast at an angle to your left, the next one straight in front of you and the third cast to your right. Naturally, if you run into a school of fish or start getting strikes you can stop and fish that area thoroughly.

Along rocky bottoms and shores, such as those found in parts of Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Montauk, New York, locating fish can be simple or difficult depending on your knowledge of the area. But good places do not change very often, so once you have taken a fish from a certain location you can often repeat in the future.

The high cliffs found along rocky shores attract many surf anglers because these formations seem to promise good fishing. In practice, however, they are often poor fishing locations. True, they usually have deep water nearby, but you can't get into position to fish it. If you have to stand 30 or 40 feet above the water to fish from a cliff you might as well pass it up. It is just too difficult to work a lure properly or land a big fish from such a height. However, if you can get down to a low-lying rock or ledge near such a spot you can often have excellent fishing. With deep water adjacent to the cliff fish venture very close and can be hooked almost at your feet.

Along rocky shores such as those found in parts of Massachusetts and Rhode Island and at Montauk, New York, striped bass are often found feeding close to submerged or exposed rocks.

Rocky points which jut out into the ocean also provide good surf fishing. If the waves are breaking against the point and creating white water you will often find striped bass feeding here.

Other productive spots along rocky shores include coves, rocks, mussel bars and exposed or submerged boulders. Most coves in such areas contain sunken or exposed rocks and boulders. When the water is rough the waves crashing over these rocks often create foamy white water. Striped bass like to lie in this white foam, on the short side of the obstructions. A lure cast into the boiling brine will bring a quick strike if a fish is present. And you can return to such a spot again and again and catch the stripers that move in to take the place of those caught earlier.

Locating fish in the surf along beaches that have jetties and breakwaters is, of course, simplified by the presence of these structures because you can fish from the jetties or breakwaters themselves. However, all such man-made rock piles aren't equally productive. One jetty or breakwater may be better than another, but only experience and many fishing trips will show which ones produce the most fish.

As a general rule, you will find that the fish you get from a jetty or breakwater depends on the tides. At high tide you can often catch fish close to shore where the jetty begins. Stripers, especially, will be found in the white water close to the beach and also in the wash created by waves breaking on the sides of the rocks. In fact, striped bass will often lie alongside a jetty, almost at your feet. So, when you reel in your lure, be prepared for a strike even during the last few feet of the retrieve.

The ends of jetties and breakwaters are always good spots to try for various kinds of fish.

The extreme end of a jetty or breakwater offers good fishing on many other occasions—unless the high tide or breaking waves make it difficult to "fish from the far end." The waves breaking in front may force a surf angler to stay back some distance. At such times, to fish in safety he may have to wait until the tide drops or until low tide returns. But enough big striped bass and other surf fish have been caught from the ends of jetties even at low tide to make the wait worthwhile.

One reason why larger jetties and breakwaters provide good fishing is because many of them are built adjacent to an inlet. Smaller fish and bait fish move in and out of the inlet with the tides and attract the larger game fish. In fact, inlets along sandy and rocky shores provide good surf fishing even if there are no jetties or breakwaters. The wise angler always spends as much time as he can fishing at such inlets. Of course, the best time to fish is during the outgoing tide, especially the last two or three hours of it. Then bait fish and other marine life are swept out to sea where the big babies are waiting.

Generally, the best way to locate surf fish is to move around from spot to spot. The angler who stays rooted in one spot and waits for fish to come to him often misses some fast action taking place in other areas. In the surf, conditions are always changing, depending on tides, weather, location of bait fish, etc. One spot may be hot one day and cool off the next. A few miles down the beach, anglers may be hauling in fish while anglers in other areas are catching nothing.

I find it's always a good idea to "case" a stretch of beach or a certain area before actually fishing. This can be done early in the morning or in the afternoon. You can drive around and talk to tackle dealers and other anglers to get the lowdown on the fishing situation. Keep an eye on the water for signs of birds working, fish or bait breaking and fishing boats trolling near shore. (Binoculars are a big help for such observations.) If you see fish being caught or learn that they were caught earlier you have some useful information. The next step is to find out which tide and lures produced the fish. Then all that remains is to return that evening or on the next tide when conditions will be similar.

Locating fish in the surf is not too difficult for the observant angler who plays detective and makes use of every clue that reveals the best fishing.

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