Rookie Surfcaster

[Selphysh]

Hello everyone!

I am new to surf-cast fishing and would like some tackle advice. I was recommended by N.Shorefisher to join this forum for some expert advice. I have purchased my first pair of Korkers Boots and Waders. But I don't know what to get for tackle (rod, reel, lures, line, tools)

Any advice will help! i have to start somewhere.
Only way to become a better angler is to read and listen to what others have to say!

Thanks!

[Guppy]

Welcome Selphysh
I'm the last guy that should give a shoreman advice,,, boat nut here,,,
But I will say buy the best gear you can afford, makes the sport much more enjoyable IMO

GOOD LUCK

[bassballer]

whats your budget on the rod and reel?

[nightfighter]

Let's start with a little more info from you. Where are you? What area do you initially see yourself fishing? How mobile are you for crawling on wet slippery rocks? What local B&T stores are you going to frequent? They will be an excellent source if you are going to spend money there.

You mentioned korkers.... As a new angler, please don't go alone in questionable areas, especially at night.

We don't want to be recommending a two seater sports car when you might really need a pick up truck. Fishing is very regionally dependent on what works best WHERE you fish. I don't know all the brands but would start a search for a 9 foot medium lite rod that is rated for at least 2 ounces. 3/4 to 3 rating would be a good starter platform. Wade in slowly, smartly. Learn what you need as you figure out the shortcomings of your gear for the fishing you will be doing and what your "home" waters will be. Then the sickness sets in as you start accumulating multiple rods, reels, lures that you "need." Welcome to the party!

[bassballer]

as far as the rest:

Lures: long A bombers, weighted sluggos, SP minnows, Gibbs pencil popper, 1oz white bucktails, metal lip swimmers

Hooks/Clips: i like 6/0 gamu bait hooks for eels (which i would recommend for night fishing, VMC trebles for your lures, most of the hooks that come with the lures are cheap and wont hold up to decent fish, Breakaway clips/tactical angler clips (much easier to switch out lures)

Line: Leader- material 40-50# ande mono leader material. always keep a spool with you
Main line- 30-50# braid (suffix, PP, ect)

tools: You will need a decent surf bag. go to a local shop and check them out, also a good set of pliers is a must, head lamp for night fishing, a cheap fish lip grip will come in handy for bluefish. all this can clip onto your surf bag.

that should get you started

This forum is filled with "EX" surf guy who now boat fish!!!

[Clogston29]

welcome.

as ross said, some more information on budget, location, etc. would help. since you said korkers I'll assume you intent to fish on the rocks on the north shore (think Nahant to Rockport area).

for a rod, I would recommend something rated for 1-4 oz lures. My preference would be lami gsb series, either GSB 108 1M for GSB 120 1M for blanks or the equivalent in factory rods, surf and jetty series. If you do not want to spend that much to start out, take a look at tsunami or the lower end st. Croix or lamiglass rods. 9' or 10' is really personal preference. I would start with a 9' if you only want to get one for now.

reels will really depend on budget. if money is no object, Van Staal 200. If it is, shimano spheros is a good reel for the money at around $200. There are plenty of options in between. There are lower cost options but, in my experience, they will not hold up. Others may have good experiences with some cheaper reels.

for line, I like braid and would recommend 40 or 50 pound suffix with 40 or 50lb mono for leaders. If you prefer mono, quality mono in 17 to 20 lb should do it.

for terminal tackle, spro or krok barrel swivels and breakaway or similar clips.

lures for starting out: diawa SP minow, bomber a-salt, bomber long a, 7" and 9" sluggos on weighted swim bait hooks, gibbs needle fish, superstrike needlefish, superstrike darter, pencil poppers. Don't go crazy with colors. White or bone, yellow/white, black or black/purple would cover you 95% of the time, probably more.

Surfland in Plum Island and Tomo's in Salem would be good places to stop in to gear up and get pointed in the right direction. There are not many tackle shops left up this way.

[JohnR]

And get someone to fish with you - particularly if fishing from the rocks!!

Welcome to no sleep, joint pain, and the ear to ear grins of Surfcasting

[numbskull]

Originally Posted by Selphysh

Only way to become a better angler is to read and listen to what others have to say!

Uhhhhh...........not exactly.

If you are new to this sport then certainly the first requirement for success is some measure of stupidity. The more the better. A lobotomy would be good, although moving to Lakeville apparently works as well if you are squeamish about brain surgery. You see, to be good at surf fishing you need to spend a lot of time at it and this is not possible if you have 1/2 a brain or any sense at all. Such people should either buy boats, take up golf, or find a mistress. Those sports still allow you to selfishly squander similar vast quantities of disposable income and free time on yourself without the necessity of forgoing sleep, smelling real bad, itching in unreachable places, feeding mosquitos, destroying your social life, pissing off your wife, boring your friends, and lying a lot.

Of course this is not to say some level of intelligence can not be helpful, particularly when figuring out tides, tying good knots, choosing plugs, avoiding responsibilities and obligations, or hiding the depth of your addiction from others, but most of us can get by without it as long as we have access to eels and a cell phone.

Alas, if it were only that simple. You see stupidity alone is not sufficient to succeed at surf fishing since even stupidity is no match for reality and reality is the enemy of all good fishermen. To overcome that you need to be delusional. Now some people are born delusional....they are called optimists and are really annoying although we try not to hold it against them......but most of us have to become delusional. Fortunately this is not difficult since the sleep deprivation and depression brought on by repeated lack of success associated with surf fishing is highly conducive to the onset of mental illness of which delusional thinking is a hallmark. And, so too, is paranoia for that matter which explains why the common coping mechanisms of lying and obsessive thinking are rampant among good fishermen.

As for reading and listening, well good luck with that. Like other forms of pornography its primary purpose is to waste time and avoid other neglected responsibilities while simultaneously refreshing your delusions about your chances of success. Just keep in mind that what most of what you read has more in common with Hustler or the Boston Globe than the Encyclopedia Britannica. Your waders and korkers will, however, come in useful wading through all the BS you encounter.

Please don't let the above discourage you, I'm only trying to be helpful. Your enthusiasm is commendable. If you and the sport engage then I look forward to the posts of the large fish you catch (so I can jump your spot unless Paul gets there first). If not, then I look forward to buying that VS200 Josh advised for a steep discount in the classifieds (unless Paul gets there first again) although if you ask me I'd prefer you go with a Stella 8000 or ZB25 instead. Best of luck.

[ProfessorM]

LOL. Great forward to your autobiography. Do i get royalties. Just go fishing kid. It isn't that difficult, unless you fish with NS.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[bassballer]

Originally Posted by ProfessorM

LOL. Great forward to your autobiography. Do i get royalties. Just go fishing kid. It isn't that difficult, unless you fish with NS.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

haha seriously. Good questions to ask, Now go buy some gear and stick something in the face!~

[Clogston29]

if you want to fish artificials for stripers and are new to it, buy and read "The Art of Surfcasting with Lures" by Zeno Hromin. It will get you pointed in the right direction.

[tysdad115]

Welcome. You'll buy 100 times more than you'll ever need, carry way too much crap with you and still only fish a darter, a needle and eels. Every year you'll tell yourself you don't need anything but still end up with piles of stuff you just can't part with.
Find out what works best for your location, time,tide wind etc and keep a log. Over time you'll think you have an advantage only to be proven utterly incorrect and outsmarted by something with a brain the size of a quarter but you'll keep finding reasons to go back because that's what we do. (Oh and start ho-ing yourself on boats now, just to speed up the process)

[Poncho]

Numy that was brilliant. I want your whole post to be my quote
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[N.ShoreFisher]

My man Selphysh!! He's a Cranston guy. Very nimble on his feet, very outdoor oriented. I recommended he join so he could learn from some of the best. Selphysh, these guys know what's up. When you're up my way, I'll introduce you to Ross, aka Nightfighter. Good dude, as are the rest of them. I've known this kid a while, he'll fit right in. Welcome aboard man!! Oh, and if you're wading, don't ever forget your PDF, or I'll tell your bride and she'll kick your ass. Lol. Have fun!!
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[RickBomba]

Originally Posted by N.ShoreFisher

My man Selphysh!! He's a Cranston guy. Very nimble on his feet, very outdoor oriented. I recommended he join so he could learn from some of the best. Selphysh, these guys know what's up. When you're up my way, I'll introduce you to Ross, aka Nightfighter. Good dude, as are the rest of them. I've known this kid a while, he'll fit right in. Welcome aboard man!! Oh, and if you're wading, don't ever forget your PDF, or I'll tell your bride and she'll kick your ass. Lol. Have fun!!
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

Does the PDF have the honey do list for before getting in bed like "remove all fishing clothes, take shower, put on other, non-fishy clothes."

I usually keep losing this one.

[basswipe]

Sorry for hijacking this thread...I couldn't help myself!

Originally Posted by N.ShoreFisher

My man Selphysh!! He's a Cranston guy. Very nimble on his feet, very outdoor oriented. I recommended he join so he could learn from some of the best. Selphysh, these guys know what's up. When you're up my way, I'll introduce you to Ross, aka Nightfighter. Good dude, as are the rest of them. I've known this kid a while, he'll fit right in. Welcome aboard man!! Oh, and if you're wading, don't ever forget your PDF, or I'll tell your bride and she'll kick your ass. Lol. Have fun!!
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

That was your 666th post!

UP THE IRONS!!!

[blondterror]

The Shimano Tiralejo Surf Spinning Rods are great and medium priced compared to a custom rod... I have the 10' 6" rod and it is great rod for throwing everything 3 oz and under... Light and powerful. Match this with a Shimano Saragosa reel and you have a sweet setup if you do NOT wetsuit fish

[Selphysh]

Thanks for all the helpful advice!

I had a blast reading all the feeds!

I know I will be making a ton of mistakes, but mistakes will be my best mentors. Trial and error. I do a lot of kayak bass fishing and its time for a new challenge.

I will be targeting RI, ME, NH, and MA for stripers.
It will take me some time to learn and understand tides and currents.
I just picked up a 9 Ft St. Croix Trophy (no reel yet)
A surf bag, and as for lures (SP Minows, Savage Gear, Bombers, Gibbs Poppers, bucktails, sluggos and Sebile Magic Swimmers)

Along with Korkers, Waders, Rod and Lures I have spent $500 plus and I haven't even gone fishing!

What the DEUCE!!!

But I want to invest in quality gear that will last me years.

I know need a reel. everyone has been steering me towards penn battle.

I have taken trips to cape cod canal to observe anglers and their fishing etiquette. I even witness a few reel in monsters from 40-50 inches!

I want that adrenaline! Help me catch one guys!

hahahahahaha

[blondterror]

https://wiki.ezvid.com/best-spinning-reels

[numbskull]

Originally Posted by Selphysh

I have taken trips to cape cod canal to observe anglers and their fishing etiquette.

Which is the equivalent of someone interested in becoming a pharmacist watch drug addicts shoot up.
Just sayin.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[MAKAI]

Why torture yourself ?
Just have friends with boats and tag along if you need to fish.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[nightfighter]

Hell, if you are in Cranston, you have more members that surfcast close by than I do up here.... Hopefully a couple of the crew from down that way will contact you to meet up with them.....hint hint....

Dude, it's a PFD.... you crack me up.

[piemma]

I'm unable to add anything to what the previous posts stated except it is the most addictive physical activity you will take up. As John said, no sleep, joint pain etc. We have a saying when you start seeing spots before you eyes. "SLEEP WHEN YOU'RE DEAD".

Welcome, you will love it.

[N.ShoreFisher]

I said it in my head and typed something else....lol

[Clogston29]

I assumed you were a northshore guy by your first post. Someone in your area can provide recommendations based on where you live, and there are plenty of good shops down that way.

[MAKAI]

Canal etiquette ?
I laughed so hard I had to change my shorts !
Mob fishing in boats is much worse though.
Learn to like the dark and don't post details.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[Green Light]

Selphysh,

If you want to become a surfcaster, here is what has helped me:

1. Read, post, and comment on s-b.com.
2. Join a fishing club! (e.g. Plum Island Surfcasters, Massachusetts Striped Bass Association, Connecticut Surfcasters Association, Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association, Buzzards Bay Anglers, Massachusetts Beach Buggy Associations, etc.)
3. Read fishing blogs. The quality ones. Not the ones full of fish porn. Pics are nice. But, they do not instruct much.
4. Subscribe to a fishing magazine: The Fisherman, On The Water, or Surfcasters Journal.com
5. Go to fishing shows (January - April, there is a least 1 show per month).

Surfcasting is a diverse sport. There are many styles and methods. There is no one rod/reel combo for all styles and methods. Explore and once you find something you like, then specialize your gear (e.g. Eeeling, chunking, plugging, jiging, flies, etc).

In my humble opinion, surfcasting is the most challenging and rewarding fishing method.

Welcome a shore mate!