For most of my life, I assumed sand was an integral part of a great ham sandwich. Spending my entire life in Charleston and close to the coast and beaches I ate more than my fair share of ham sandwiches that had fallen victim to wind and beach sand. Many of these were eaten while fishing the surf with my family on Morris Island. Having the luxury of doing just about every type of fishing known to man during my life, there is something about surf fishing that keep me coming back for more. There’s the obvious beauty of the sunrise on the rolling waves and the beautiful scenic locations the lowcountry provides. There is also a convenience factor with the number of beaches we have readily available to us. The thing that really keeps me coming back is the mystery in each strike and the many epic battles I’ve either been part of or witnessed over the years.
The mystery is always a big factor with the variety of fish we have in our coastal waters. Some of the fish I’ve seen caught over the years include, redfish, trout, flounder, Spanish mackerel, bluefish, black drum, pompano, whiting, sharks, giant 30+lb stingrays, and even tarpon. Unless you are specifically targeting a fish, like a pompano, you never really know what may pull your line next and how large that fish may be. Part of the fun is trying to guess what is on the other end of your line or someone else that is fishing with you. Catching 3 or 4 different types of fish in one trip is not uncommon, in fact, it is probably more likely the norm.
The battle is the other part that makes the sport so much fun. There is no boat to back down or run down the fish. It is you, the fish, and your tackle. I’ve seen many fish over the years take tackle and angler to the limits. I’ve also seen many fish exceed the limits of angler and tackle leaving us all to guess what it might have been. A few of the great anlger victories I’ve seen over the years were a 65+lb tarpon after a battle over 1 hour long. There have been numerous redfish pushing the scales at 3