Techniques and Tools for Beach Fishing

When you're spending a day at the ocean and you love to fish, why not combine the two of them in one outing? Fishing from the beach is only different in scope from river or lake fishing as everything in the gulf or ocean is bigger. Beach fishing, or surf fishing, isn't much different from the lake since you aren't too far from shore. Your fishing reel will have to be longer and also have stronger and thicker fishing twine. Outfitters and pro shops will have specialty rods and reels you can purchase. Casting your line and what bait to use are also considerations when you fish in the ocean. Here is a basic guide to ocean fishing from the beach.

Line

The weight of your line should be sturdy enough to catch larger ocean fish. Close to shore you won't need too strong of a line to catch a fish that otherwise would be larger in the open ocean. When we talk about the "weight" of the line, the larger the weight the larger the fish your line can handle. When fishing from the beach you don't need an obscenely large weight for your line. Something even around ten pounds is appropriate if you plan on catching smaller fish. If you cast off from a pier instead of a beach you might for a stronger line, maybe up to thirty or forty pounds.

Reel

How far you want to cast out from shore will determine your reel. Ocean fishing reels can be as long as several hundred yards like some of these models on Tackle Direct. The reason for long lines is so they can trail your boat in the ocean. Since you're casting from the shore line the depth may not be too great. You won't need more than several hundred feet of fishing twine as you would with a lake shore. The reason is twofold. One is that you can only fling your line so far and two is that the ocean usually isn't deep near the beach.


Bait

Ocean fish like bait from the ocean so a cricket or an earthworm may not work. Just like lake or river fishing there are artificial lures you can use to attract fish. Tackle Direct has a ton of choices for artificial bait when you fish in the surf. Live bait is also a great idea and ocean fishing shops often sell fish and worms that can attract larger ocean fish. Even squid can be fantastic bait in addition to ocean-dwelling worms and smaller fish when you try to land a bigger prize.

Techniques

Don't be afraid to wade out into the water a bit for a longer cast. Go up to your knees so you still have some mobility and maneuverability in the water and still throw your line. Just like lake fishing, the times when fish normally eat will probably be the best times to go fishing since they will be more likely to bite. The hottest part of the day is generally when fish that enjoy warmth may come closer to the surface even though they may not be hungry. Check the local fishing forecast to find out the best times and watch out for the tides. Bringing in the fish is much like the lake only bigger. You'll have to wrestle with the fish and wear it out if it is big enough before he comes in to shore all the way. If you are just on the beach you can expect to catch fish from ten to thirty pounds.

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