Clueless

Saltwater Surf / Pier Fishing
1

Quick introduction. Been fishing for 40+ years but not in the ocean. My boys, 10 and 12, are just getting into fishing and finally want to try the surf. Of course, they think they want to catch a shark. Lol, personally, I hope if they do, it is a little one.

My parents live on Edisto and we get down here 3-4 times a year. We are currently down here now and we are trying to figure out how to catch something. Just wondering what type of rig we should be fishing and what baits would you recommend? They will be excited to catch anything. How far out do we need to be able to cast out? Should we drive around to the inlet side where there is less surf?

On a side note, we have a few cheap rods that I brought along for the boys. Cheap Walmart, heavy duty rods. I would like to buy myself something a little nicer. What would you guys recommend in the $300 range? Any recommendations on where to buy from?

Thanks for all the help.
Jeff

2

For surf fishing, you only need two basic rigs, and you just need to pick which of the two gives you better results. First is a basic carolina rig just like a bass worm. Use a 1 to 3 ounce sinker, a good stout swivel, and a 20lb leader 18" long (any longer than this is unnecessary). This is great for tossing mud minnows and live shrimp for things like sea trout, redfish, flounder, and black drum. Use a circle hook, 1/0 to 3/0, and DO NOT set the hook when they strike. Just hold the rod parallel to the beach, start reeling, the hook will set itself. Cut mullet fillets are also great bait.

The other rig is a basic drop-shot rig. Start with a stout barrel swivel, followed by a 20lb leader, hook, and then the sinker is at the bottom. I prefer tying long dropper loops for the hook. Use a pyramid sinker at the bottom. I use the lightest one I can get away with. A #4 or #6 long shank J hook is great for pompano, spots, whiting, smaller black drum.

Unlike the image below, I don’t put the whole loop through the eye (you can’t, often, with 20lb leader and small hooks). Just clip the loop so that you have one very long piece, and one very short piece of individual mono. Tie the long piece to the hook. Scraps of cut shrimp, cut squid, and cut fish make great bait. Whiting seem to prefer cut squid and cut fish for some reason.

As for where to find fish, I am not all that familiar with Edisto. I suggest you try several spots. You do not need to cast very far out, normally. Fish just behind the breakers.

You can try the inlet as well, you’ll more likely find more spots and croakers, and possibly larger whiting, but not necessarily. It’s going to be a different mix of fish, but not terribly different.

… The Cross of Christ is the anvil upon which the hammer of evil wore itself out.

3

Thanks for the info. I’m familiar with Carolina rigs. Love using those for bass back in TN. I just rigged up the smaller rod with that rig. The bigger rod, I cheated and bought a rig at the bait shop like you pictured. Next time I come down, I will build a few rigs and bring them down with me.

Any info on a good rod and reel that I could pick up so that I can give the boys the other rods and I can have a good one for myself? I know Penns are saltwater reels. Are they good? Anything better? What rods should I look at?

4

Two great reels for shark fishing.

PENN Spinfisher SSV8500 $130-$199
PENN Battle BTL8000 $93-$130

POWER PRO 500 yards of 65 pound test $53-$75

The lower prices represent the price you can find online while the higher prices represent most local bait and tackle shops.

These reels with this line and a shark rig can stop almost every shark.

As for a shark rig you can youtube on how to make one or just buy one from a local bait shop.

As for the poles I always recommend any ugly stick that can handle 50+ pound test line.

5

Thanks. Looked at all those. Those are some hefty reels. Let me ask a stupid question. Could you get a rig like you mentioned and take an extra spool and spool it with a lighter line and use the same setup for a general surf rig when you are not targeting big sharks? What I really need is a general surf rig for all around use.

6

In the surf I prefer a 7-9 foot rod and a reel that can hold around 200 yards of 20lb braid. That’s not all that big of a reel. Thus if you buy a quality (like Penn) you’ll get a good drag system on it that can handle the occasional bull red.

I’ve landed some large rays and a 36" redfish on Folly using the cheap Shakespeare Tidewater 10’ surf rods with the cheapo Alpha reels. The surf is very hard on rods/reels (chances of getting saltwater soaked and caked with sand are really high), and thus I typically buy mid-lower quality stuff for general surf action, just because I can buy two of them for the price of one higher priced item. I still generally get several years out of them as long as I don’t buy the lowest priced crap out there.

It’s all a matter of how well you wash them off when you get them home.

… The Cross of Christ is the anvil upon which the hammer of evil wore itself out.

7

Well we had a little success tonight. I took the boys out tonight after supper. I have a Shakespeare comb I bought from Walmart a few years ago for catfish back home. I rigged it up with a double drop rig and a 2 oz sinker at the bottom. On this rod we used squid. I wasn’t sure whether to use the entire squid or not so I cut it in half and used that for each hook. With this rig, I could cast it out far enough. The other rig was a much smaller bass fishing rod. It just wasn’t enough rod to cast it out far enough. We fished it with shrimp.

Here is my oldest with his first saltwater fish ever.

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I’m assuming it was a black tip but don’t know. Wife is a horrible photographer. He is on cloud 9. I am not sure he has ever been this excited. Little kids were coming up and asking to see it. So funny.

He is hooked for life. Little brother is pissed he didn’t catch one. Back at it in the morning. Should we use entire squid or cut it up? The longer the piece, it seemed he was getting bites and losing part of bait.

8

Baby blacktips are bigger then that. It is an Atlantic sharp nose, our beaches are currently covered with them. If you are catching a lot of those and not many whiting try using smaller pieces of bait and don’t cast as far out

~Russ

9

I have been pleased with reels purchased on ebay. You can get older model Penn reels that will last 50 years for $50 or less. For general use I would recommend the 710 or 712 series. The can handle anything you are going to catch in the surf unless you are targeting big sharks or reds.

Get fresh shrimp from the market beside dockside not frozen from the gas station. Keep it on ice. Peel and cut in small pieces (3 pieces per medium shrimp).

Fish close to the groins as seen in the picture. Even in 1 or 2 feet of water. Good luck.

10

Small pieces of squid, large pieces falling off the hook dont work as well as the fish will bite into it and miss the hook.

11

Thanks for all the help guys. Went back this morning and they had a few bites but didn’t catch anything. We have been fishing about halway down the beach where my parents live. We are going to try around by the inlet this evening .

12

Back in the 90’s we’d go to Edisto a lot. Like the above guy said, fish close to the groins with shrimp and you’ll get something. There’s also an inlet to the NE called Scott Creek where you can fish OR find a lot of Pleistocene fossils at low tide. It’s a mile and a half, so be prepared to bike or walk.

13

For all the guys recommending Ugly Sticks, would this rod work in a 7’?

http://www.amazon.com/Shakespeare-Two-Piece-Medium-Bigwater-Spinning/dp/B000LGZSBE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1404842654&sr=8-2&keywords=Bws+1100

Trying to save a little and buy it off Amazon but hard to shop without feeling it in person. Any better models out there?

14

Check out www.tackledirect.com. I’ve bought several rods and combos from them and have been happy with items&service.

15

Three more sharks tonight and a couple of whiting. Everyone’s tips are helping.