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So your interested in starting to surf fish for bass and bluefish. You wonder what kind of gear to use. Theres a hole bunch of things to consider before purchasing tackle and gear. So lets waste no time and get right to business.

First topic: Where do you plan to fish? The area you plan to do most of your fishing should dictate your initial tackle and gear purchase. Lets say your fishing Sandy Hook or Breezy point. A place where you may need to get out your plugs out pretty far due to structures such as sandbars, flats, channels, heavy surf, and drop offs. If your area represents something like that, you would want to get a rod no less than 8 ½ feet with a medium to heavy action, and no greater than about 10 feet using a penn 550-650. I use only ?pre aluminum casing? penns because these reels are indestructible. However if your fishing flats, bays, harbors, and your never going to reach the channel, you might want to opt for lighter gear, because the fish will be hovering on the flats nearby jeddies sandbars and other structures not too far out. Why use 10 foot gear to horse fish in when a 7 ½ foot rod with a penn 450 will do just fine! You?ll have more fun, and less strain this way. However your going to want to use a smaller lure selection at times.


The lures you purchase too should dictate your location. Again, if your fishing an area where fish normally hold a bit further out than usual, go with a larger selection of lures.
Heres a little gear breakdown of lures for each type of surf fishing.

Im going to use a new post for each lure so i can post a picture related to each lure...Here goes, read on below.

 

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Cotton Cordell Red Fins

These lures are inexpensive and work wonders at times. When fishing these lures always try to match the baitfish around..."Match the Hatch" or so its said. They have a wobble swimming action and dive between 1-3 feet.

If your fishing Oceans..opt for the 7inch.

If your fishing Bays etc...opt for the 5inc.

Retreval: Varies on the fish, Picky Bass usually like a slow retrieval. I keep a slow retrieval and raise my rod time slowly and lower, and repeat.

 

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Bomber Long-A Heavy Duty

This mimicks almost a redfin action only it provides a little more casting, some rattle, and a larger size.

The first 2 will dive between 3 to 4 feet. don't worry about the 3rd, thats more of a boat trolling lure.

Retrieve: Same as the redfin.

Cost: between 4.50 - 7.00

 

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Gibbs Casting Swimmer

These cost a little more because they are wood. They cast much further than either the bomber or the redfin. However they work best in strong currents. In stagnant water their action pales in comparison to the redfin or the bomber..But sometimes you substitute action to reach them offshore.

Retrieve: A little fast retrieve jerking occasionally.

Cost: 9.00 - 11.00

 

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Polaris Popper

This lures work great. For bay-like fishing, its best to go between 1oz to 1 1/2 oz. They cast a country mile and pop like a charm. If you see bunker busting around, throw these into the onslaught or on the edges. If there are some lurking bass and bluefish hungry, your about to be in for a treat. You'll see some great top water action.

If your fishing the ocean side, opt for the 2oz lure..

Retrieve: Depends. Could range from blasting the lure in, to a slow sparatic popping. Depending on the fish and their aggressiveness.

Cost: 9.00 - 11.00

 

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Pencil Poppers

These lures cast a mile. They are aerodynamic. They simulate needle fish, and at times drive fish nuts. They arent as productive always as poppers, but sometimes they might be the only thing that works.

Retrieve: This can be tricky. Wedge the butt of the rod into your stomach. Then do not hold the reel, hold your rod above the cork where the rod rapping is. next reel the lure in at a medium retrieval and jerk the rod frantically back and forth. This will mimic a "walk the dog" action on the surface.

Cost: 9.00 - 11.00

 

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Danny Plugs a.k.a Surface Swimmer

These lures are one of my favorite. They cast pretty good once to you get the hang of em. Bay-like fishing should be around 1 1/2 oz. Many times i catch nothing, think nothing is in the area, only to catch quite a few when tying this lure on.

Ocean like fishing 2 1/4 oz - 3oz.

Retrieval: Reel this in SLLOOOOOOOWWW. I mean barely reel them in. They will swim on top of the water creating a unbeatable v wobble motion.

Cost: 11.00 - 13.00

 

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Bucktails

These lures to me might be my favorite as well. These produce bigger fish more often than any lure i know of. Just be sure you know where your fishing otherwise your going to lose them left and right on rocks.

Retrieval: Varies with a finiky Jigging motion with the rod.

Cost: 1.50 - 8.00

 

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Some Useful Accessories

Any kind of bag like this, with adequent drainage is a must. Leave these fishermans pocketbooks on your side, and stow 15-30 of your favorite lures in there. Also you can store leaders, and other knicknacks (I keep a small scale there too).

A Gaff. A Gaff is used when you've got a fish to big to handle in the water, or a nasty bluefish. I gaff the fish in the gills (BUT DO NOT IMPALE HIM) just slip it into the gills for leverage. Also if your keeping a fish, use your gaff as a billyclub to take him out. Don't leave him flopping on the beach waiting to die.

 

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Never Tie the Lure to Directly to Your Line



You should ALWAYS use a leader. If your fishing and your getting bluefish use a metal leader. A Bluefish has and will cut through a 60lb monofilament leader.

If your getting bass use a 50-60 pound monofilament leader. Bass sometimes can get spooked by a metallic leader.

Use a barrell swivel at the top of your leader, where you tie your 10 - 15 lb line too. Then use between a 1ft. to 2ft of leader...then a snap tie. Snap ties enable a swimmer to swim better,and also allow for easy lure changing.

 

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Waders..Which ones should I use?

Ive used Redball, and a few others. Nothing are better than the hodgman. Neopreme waders are the best. They are tight fitting so those walks arent treks with clown shoes on like they are with rubber waders. If your fishing cold water, AKA the flow in Long Island in January neopreme is the best and safest bet. They will keep you very warm provided you've got something underneath em.

Hodgman waders are about 99 dollars and will last you a few seasons.They definitely leak the least. Try them out, if they leak bring them back! sometimes inperfections in the processing of boots will lead to leaks, so get them in the water quick. If you get even a little wet, bring them back, get a new one. Little holes turn into bigger uncomfortable holes.

 

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I think thats all i have for now. If there are any further questions i am sure i can answer them

 

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Me Personally the only thing that I would use herring for is fluke. Once i catch the first fluke I no longer use the herring. I cut the fluke into like strips and use a little rig i make up with a spinner and some beeds in front.

If your fishing for bass..Clam Bellies, Blood Worms, and Bunker is all i use.

However when bait fishing dont reel it in like a lure. You real lures in to look like a live fish. You real in dead fish and it looks like dead fish. Fish it with a sinker and either tighten up....or fish with a sinker and a fish finder and free spool the reel. Meaning disengage the reel so line can freely run from the spool. When you see lots of line coming off, its a fish running with it, re-engage the reel and set the hook.

 

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No problem, i love giving some of my knowledge about this sport away


...maybe we can actually make this into a community where people come to more regularly...

 

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Nope...Fluke are cannibalistic in nature. They have no problems eating their brethren. In fact in many cases ive found they'd rather eat strips of other fluke than herring.

 

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Sure...Needlefish are in essence just like a pencil popper, just a different design. Kind of like an atom popper and a polaris popper...just a different body, same effect. Work this the same way.

A Darter is almost like a bottle swimmer. Because of its flat head,when you jerk the plug, it darts underwater one way, jerk it again, the lure will dart back.

 

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So heres the deal with the Kellogg reference. Me and my friend are fishing for carp when we were like 15. I hooked into a 21lb carp and started fighting him. Some guy walking around the park stops near us and says:

"Look at dat fish! Is that a kellogg?. I hear there are big kellogg in this lake"
i said "What? Theres no such thing as a kellogg" and he says "No, your wrong, thats a kellogg. There are big kellogg in this lake"

me and my friend laughed so hard, and that became a person inside joke for us"

 

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I will post a new topic on when to use poppers..this ones getting a bit long.

 

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coachd

If I told you the best rod out there for surf fishing 8 footer..I'd be really lying. I made all my own rods from the blanks...I just have a knack for picking the right glass, and knowing how much the rod bends...St. Croix makes some good rods, i have a 9 footer that i love only they are reaaaally expensive. Perhaps someone else on these forums can help ya out on that one