Surf Fishing In Winter For Pompano, Whiting, & Bluefish
- By: Luke Simonds
- on
Surf fishing in winter can be a HECK of a time!
With the right gear and approach in place, you’ll find bites left and right.
After just a few trips, I’ve got the surf fishing bug!
Check out my most recent trip with Capt. B below!!
Surf Fishing In Winter [VIDEO]
Get any of the Surf Fishing Equipment shown in the video
Weights
The first thing you should do (after getting set up) is cast out the weight you think will work best, but do so without any bait on the hooks.
Watch the weight for at least a minute to see if it holds in the water.
If it moves, you need to bump up to a heavier weight.
On this trip, the current was taking the 3 oz. sinker for a ride so we had to switch to a Sputnik weight.
The wires coming out from the Sputnik weight keep your bait stationary.
Shrimp Rigs
Capt. B’s favorite way to rig up live or dead shrimp is with a traditional pompano rig and fish gum.
Rig the shrimp on first and then cap it off with the fish gum.
The fish gum keeps the shrimp on the hook so it won’t fly off as you cast it out.
Winter Surf Fishing Tides
You need MOVING WATER.
This can be either on the rising or falling tide.
If you’re fishing the falling tide, you want your baits placed on the backside of the bar.
The reason is that the bait is pulled out with the tide and predatory fish are waiting there to ambush it.
As for the rising tides, you’ll want baits on both sides of the bar.
Surf Fishing Rods
If you’re just getting into surf fishing, you don’t need to invest in high-end gear right away.
You can head out with your normal inshore fishing setup to get the job done.
Once you get more serious about surf fishing, I recommend getting a beach setup.
If you’re looking for a top-tier surf rod, I would go with the TFO Tactical 10’6″ rod.
I’ve got mine paired with a Daiwa BG 4000 spinning reel spooled with 30lb braid (you can get away with 20lb on this setup as well).
What other beach fishing tips do you want to see?
Let me know what you need help with the most down in the comments so next time I team up with Capt. B we can get answers!!
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Great video, good tips too, I was wondering if you could make a video on surf fishing for redfish. Thanks!
Glad to see you beach fishing!!! 🎣
Really learning a lot from these Beach Fishing segments. Thanks Luke!
I know you are based out of FL, but it would be great to get a segment on beach fishing further north. (For example, I live in Maryland.) Working to learn more about seasonal cycles for the main target fish, any regional gear or bait differences, etc.
A comparison video of various surf rods would be great too. For a rod that sits in a holder, what does one gain going with a higher end rod, etc.
Great video!
Good tip on placement of rig. Out going far side of bar in near side.
This was a great video, thanks Luke. I would like to point out that Salt Strong has an excellent course titled “Beach Fishing Mastery Course”, and it was produced with Matthew Esbell who is an excellent Gulf Coast surf fisherman. I purchased the course back when they made it a couple years ago and have watched segments of it countless times. There is great content on everything including casting long rods, baits, reading the beach, timing, etc. For those of you who are Gulf Coast surf fishing focused, please purchase this video and follow Matt’s Utube posts. I have learned a tremendous amount from Matthew and his team.
Thanks for the great video Luke. I have never tried surf fishing, but I am sure going to now. It looks like a lot of fun!
Great lesson. I watched the casting video also. For me, the hardest part of surf fishing is choosing the location. Are you all going to post a video with Capt B. on how to choose a place to fish on the beach? Thanks, Thomas
Love the surf fishing didactics! Keep it up.
well done