Hi Guys! So my first time surf fishing was a great success last weekend but still need some help. I caught a 20" black drum, a blue gill, a whiting, and LOTS of baby sharks…(kids loved that - maybe 12 "? Anyway here is my question…we have a place in wild dunes a block off the beach that’s easy to get to but was thinking if anyone knew those areas and where to go? I saw on the map that looks like there is much bigger water near the north between the two islands? when I walk out it’s usually off beachwood east in wild dunes…seems really flat though.
Also just some basic questions and how i’m doing it would love criticism:
-
2 rods (the tundra okuma - work surprisingly well but I can never tell I have fish on it until I reel it in, had several when I started reeling in…basically after half a beer, I pull it out of the holder an reel…
-
been using some fishbites (shrim, seem okay) also squid and cut mullet…the mullet seems to be hard to hold on to the hook
-
and jigs I should be using instead of bait?
-
mostly putting on 2/0 circle hooks and tried khale hooks …and using some rigs I bought online for pompano.
-
saw these really cool snapper wire leaders which swiveled and had hooks on that I could easily clip on my weight (4oz pyramid) and then 2 circle hooks…with no tying and no tangles!! only tying on the line to the leader.
-
I usually wade out until waist deep to cast…I think i can get about 80 yards judging by my golf game…
any other tips?
quote:
Originally posted by seam108
- I usually wade out until waist deep to cast…I think i can get about 80 yards judging by my golf game…
any other tips?
…you probably walked through most of the fish. 
Read through spme of the previous posts on this thread by DParker and Runbabyrun. That will give you a good starting point. 
Jack Taylor
Welcome to the forum, don’t forget to use some fresh shrimp, you may be checking your rod to quick. I like to check around 15-20 minutes unless I have seen something picking at it and like Mr. Parker said no need to cast as far as possible most fish are fairly close. Read,Read, Read the forum like Jack said, it’s all in there. Nice catching for your first outing. Good Luck Sir:smiley:
Seam,
You need some help. .haha. Don’t use the wire pre made rigs, but a spool of 20lb or 25lb test mono and tie your own. I like using 20 for most surf fish unless I target sharks but that’s a a whole different ball game. For bait forget the fishbites, jigs, gulp, etc… All you need is fresh shrimp. Use small hooks. You’ll be surprised how big of a fish you can land on a small hook with a 20 lb mono leader. Look in the offshore forum and check out the African pompano I caught last weekend on a tiny light wire circle hook. You’ll know right away if you’ve hooked something that is going to straighten out a light hook. If you do hook a big fish just back off the drag. Don’t muscle anything in and just let them play themselves out. Line capacity is key over pound test. Unless you’re targeting sharks you don’t need wire rigs for the surf. Anything wire will decrease the amount of hits you get on your baits.
The little area you’re referring to between the two islands has a Creek that feeds out into the surf. That area is worth paying attention to. It’s almost at the very end of the beach by the marsh. Here’s what you need to get or make and you’ll be at it in no time. “Chicken rigs”, mono or fluorocarbon leader material, fresh shrimp, small hooks and pyramid sinkers. Look for changes in the beach at low tide too. Sandbars, troughs, ditches, creeks, rocks, anything that changes an otherwise flat sandy bottom. Fish those areas that you find. I hope this helps you. I think I’ve given you enough info here to make your next trip a success. Good luck.
Capt. R. Killin
“Day Tripper”
Shamrock 20 cuddy
Ford 351W
Hey killinR here’s a question. When you say fish the dangers that appear. Since I am originally freshwater a lot of this is good useful info. But I’d like to know if I should be fishing inside the sandbar between it and the beach, or just past it. It sounded to me like you’re recommending the former, between them. Thanks for the info for all of us newbies.
I do use wire just because I can’t help that a shark may get on my line. Does it decrease my chances? I havent noticed any drop off really. It saves me money by not having the toothy guys and girls biting through my mono and me losing my weights.
I have my main line of 30 braided, with about 3-4 ft of 20 mono leader connected with an albright knot. Then a barrel swivel connected to a little pre made wire single dropper rig with the magic orange/red beads that Parker got me on haha.
Like the others say though, smaller hooks work. I use 3/0 circle until september-november. then on my big rod I will use a 6/0 hook with a little stronger mono. OVerkill? maybe, but the big reds stay on and again its not a huge drop off besides some of the smaller fishies biting and spitting it out
…mmmmm…me likeey them beads…
me too haha. I did notice more bites since using a rig with those 
Papa,
If you’re tying your dropper loops right most of the time you hook a shark that bites through the mono you won’t lose any lead. You’ll only lose a single hook. A spool of 25 lb mono will cost you about as much as two of your pre made rigs and will make you several hundred.
Capt. R. Killin
“Day Tripper”
Shamrock 20 cuddy
Ford 351W
You caught a blue gill in salt water?
quote:
Originally posted by killinR
Papa,
If you’re tying your dropper loops right most of the time you hook a shark that bites through the mono you won’t lose any lead. You’ll only lose a single hook. A spool of 25 lb mono will cost you about as much as two of your pre made rigs and will make you several hundred.
Capt. R. Killin
“Day Tripper”
Shamrock 20 cuddy
Ford 351W
I hear ya. I used to do probably what you’re referring to. Tie a surgeon knot at the end of my rig with a dropper loop in the middle. weight on the dropper loop and hook in the surgeon loop. shark takes the very end and leaves weight. Just feel more comfortable with the metal rig. in a pinch though, I do go with the mono due to I can tie it super fast
quote:
Originally posted by dirty white boy
You caught a blue gill in salt water?
Me seen that too ;;; maybe a blue fish!!!:smiley::smiley:
[http://www.militaryappreciationday.org
When you see “Old Glory” waving in the breeze, know that it is the dying breaths of our fallen hero’s that makes it wave.
author unknown
quote:
Originally posted by dparker677
quote:
Originally posted by seam108
- I usually wade out until waist deep to cast…I think i can get about 80 yards judging by my golf game…
any other tips?
…you probably walked through most of the fish.
Ummm ! 80 yds out, waist/chest deep lots of little sharks[:0]Think maybe momma/dad might also be close watching the pups!!:8ball::8ball::8ball:
just thinking out loud:smiley::smiley:
[http://www.militaryappreciationday.org
When you see “Old Glory” waving in the breeze, know that it is the dying breaths of our fallen hero’s that makes it wave.
author unknown
quote:
Originally posted by gail wins
[quote]Originally posted by dirty white boy
You caught a blue gill in salt water?
Me seen that too ;;; maybe a blue fish!!!:smiley::smiley:
yes sorry guys! yes it was a bluefish…not blue gill! hahah
going down again this weekend and will be there until tuesday…hopefully catch something good to eat like that black drum. this time I will be casting from the beach and not going so far out into the water, seems like someone said I was walking right through the fish!!
I’ll tell you this… I caught that black drum that I shared yesterday about 15 yards off the beach. It was in water no more than knee height as the tide was only about an hour after low tide so the trough was barely starting to fill up. No need to get out super far unless youre going for the big sharks. Even then all you have to do is fish after 6 pm and cast right past the breakers near the sand bar. I always end up with something huge on my rod that I can’t bring in because it shakes it’s head once and snaps my mono shock leader