Never have fished for bull reds in the surf, so I was wondering do I rfish past the breakers or closer to the beach? Also what size hook should I use?
Kind of hard to answer where to cast without sounding vague. Would depend on what the “Bulls” are doing, breeding or eating.
Breeding? They could be close in to several hundred yards out.
Feeding? They could be several hundred yards out to close in…simple Yeah?
I usually try and cover most of the distances. 4 to 6 rods. 2-3 Bull rigs, 2-3 small rigs, sometimes 4 big rigs 2 small rigs. Other times 4 small 2 big…easy?
At the top of the tide, incoming, those big A$$ fish can be in knee deep water right in front of you! And what do most folks do? Wage out, chest deep, through a trough, past ALL the fish and try casting to Bermuda:clown_face:. Not saying the Reds couldn’t be out that far, at that particular time, but seems like a waste of valuable soak time.
So the easy, simple answer is cast short, medium and as far out as you can reach. Which ever rod gets the quickest hit wins. If you find a nice trough/ditch, get all your baits in it:wink:.
Hook size…personal preference really. I like a smaller hook 6/0 with the gap opened up a little. But for sure 8/0 to 12/0 would not be to big for a 35"-40" Red Drum, but smaller fish will pick the bait off easier.
Soooo…smaller hooks, fresh chunk bait, SHORT LEADERS(please), fixed weight. Casted in or around some kind of structure or feature. Check baits often especially after small hits.
That’s it, so stupidsimpleeasy, any one can do it 
. But it is FISHING, catchin’ is just a bonus.
Good Luck! Catch’em all!
Most might tell you not to cast beyond the breakers but recently I started fishing a little beyond them with some success. A moving tide is important; at dead low I tend to catch sting rays and no reds. Suggest you fish through the tides at least 6 hours. Fresh bait is better than frozen. Take a bait rod and catch whiting and blue fish then cut them into chunks. The heads work just fine too. I use a sabiki rig tipped with shrimp. My rig consists of a 30” 50 to 80lb leader; swivel, 24” mono crimped to a 3 way with a clip for a fixed weight and then 6” mono crimped to a 7/0 non offset circle hook. Having a fixed weight with the hook about 6” below the weight is key in reducing gut hooking. Note there is no standard for circle hooks and some 9/0 are the same size as 7/0. But in any case use a big circle hook. When you catch a bull red don’t delay in releasing it. Take a quick photo then wade deep enough to move the fish back and forth until it kicks away. I use 20 and 30 lb Power Pro. Anything less you may prolong the fight and over stress resulting in mortality. Tight lines!
A recent example consistent with what Dparker said regarding how far to cast out. Two rods 30 feet apart; one fished at the breakers and the other about 40’ further out. The long rod caught 4 and the short rod 2. A week later fishing in the same spot the long rod caught 1 and 5 other short rods caught 6. You never know so covering the range like he said is your best bet for success.
And when I say close in, I mean CLOSE…pulled 4 30" Reds out of this trough. Was throwing rigs out with under hand tosses.
How does crimping to different size lines work on a spinning reel when you need to cast? I feel like the crimp will hinder casting ability and could damage the eyes on the rod upon casting.
Jonathan H
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Originally posted by jonathanh0213How does crimping to different size lines work on a spinning reel when you need to cast? I feel like the crimp will hinder casting ability and could damage the eyes on the rod upon casting.
If using braid with a mono top shot, use a FG knot. It goes through rod eyes smoothly.
I’m the guy that wades waist deep and casts as far as I can beyond the breakers. I never fish in close even if there is a trough I just can’t see fishing being so close.
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Originally posted by Stevo291scI’m the guy that wades waist deep and casts as far as I can beyond the breakers. I never fish in close even if there is a trough I just can’t see fishing being so close.
That would be the deference between catching nice Red Drum a few months out of the year and catching them all year. 
I’ve been slowly building myself back up to go out further and further.
The crimping I’m discussing is only to make up the leader. You tie your line to a swivel on the leader and you do not wind the swivel into the guides. Hope that helps.
The steel leaders I use are only 16"-18" long, tied to 50lb mono top shot, enough for a “to the reel” length drop and 2-3 wraps on the reel. FG knot to 30#-40# braid…no crimps required.
Does anyone use all mono? Seems like braid is most common. I’ve used mono my whole life but wondering if I should switch when going after a bull red.
I have 20 lb base, about 12 feet of 50lb shock leader, to a steel double drop rig. Would hate to snap off when I finally get one hooked up.
Jonathan H
I’m a big fan of mono but I would not want to have 20 lb on with a 40 inch bull. I run braid on all my big rods 30 lb minimum.
Not really a surf fisher…yet. But, I think consensus is braid will cast farther. Also, will cut mono if crossed with mono on a hookup.
“Keep your nose in the wind and your eyes along the skyline”