5 Mistakes the Average Surf Fisherman Makes

Surf fishing is such a unique style of fishing, but there are many transferrable aspects an angler can take from bass fishing, trout fishing, or other styles for that matter. In this article, we’ll talk about 5 mistakes a typical fisherman might make while surf fishing.

A Quick Overview:

1. Setting the Hook Too Soon
2. Setting the Hook More Than Once
3. Using the Wrong Reel
4. Managing Slack/Tension Poorly
5. Casting Far Only

As a licensed fishing guide, I see all sorts of mistakes and even all sorts of new ways to actually do something correctly. This article will focus on the 5 common mistakes mentioned above. But, I want to warn you now, there’s one more common mistake (possibly the most common mistake) that I shockingly see more often than you might think. It’s a big enough deal that I’ll be writing an entire article on it in the coming weeks so stay tuned.

Setting the Hook Too Soon

Although this mistake occurs with many anglers, new and experienced, there’s one type of angler, specifically, that falls victim to n early hook set more frequently than others. Bass fishermen. It is in the blood and nature of a bass fisherman to rip lips as soon as they feel a nibble. And with that style, they’re setting hooks perfectly at just the right time. That’s how they learned and it’s good.

The species of fish we catch in the surf are different. They attack differently and they can be fairly patient at times. Surf fishing requires a different kind of patience. Rather than setting the hook upon the first nibble, the best timing for setting the hook in surf fishing is as follows:

You feel: “Tap…Tap… … … …Tap”

You wait. The fish is feeling the bait. Maybe it’s nibbling away. Maybe it put the bait in its mouth and spit it out. The bottom line, it hasn’t fully taken the bait yet.

Whether it’s right off the bat or following what you feel above, if you then feel: “Tap-Tap-Tap-Tap” and you see/feel your rod tip really start to bend and you feel the weight of the fish, then and only then, is when you set the hook.

Check out the video below (or any of my videos for that matter) to get a really good visual of when to correctly set the hook:

Another really good example is shown in this linked video at the 5:08 mark.

Setting the Hook More Than Once

This mistake, I can’t say any type of background is more prone to falling victim to it. But, you never want to set the hook more than once. This is why it’s extremely important to be patient on your hook set, wait for the right moment, and fully commit to setting the hook properly. No half-set. Just one firm wrist/body hook set.

If you feel like your hook set wasn’t as good as you would have liked it to be, then so be it. Let it be and keep really good tension throughout the fight. Any time you try to set the hook after you’ve already set it, you’re allowing huge amounts of slack and then forcing quick tension. And if you repeat that again, even worse. You want as smooth a fight as possible after that hook set.

Using the Wrong Reel

Using the wrong reel is obviously a problem, but to fix that problem, we have to answer the question, what is the right reel? Short answer, I like the Penn Battle 4000. A step up from that would be the Penn Spinfisher VI 3500. The most common type of reel for surf fishing is a spinning reel. In some situations, for certain anglers, a conventional reel or bait caster might fit the angler best, but if you don’t necesarrily have a preference, or you’re open to trying a spinning reel, I would lean toward a spinning reel. Two main things to consider are:

Is your drag functioning properly?

Sometimes as your reel gets old or if you don’t take proper care of it (or if it’s just a cheap reel), you’ll notice your drag might freeze up and/or release line in bunches. When drag doesn’t function smoothly, you run the risk of applying too much pressure at times and too little at other times.

Does your reel offer perfect antireverse?

Antireverse is the function that allows you to reel and stop reeling without the fish rewinding the reel and pulling all your line out again. It’s kind of like a bike that doesn’t let you peddle backwards. Bottom line, some cheaper model reels will actually slide back a little prior to then locking. While it’s entirely okay to use cheap gear (as it’s more about the angler than the gear), this little hiccup where the antireverse doesn’t click in immediately can be detrimental to your hook sets. You want 100% control over the force of your hook set and with a little give in your antireverse, it might not be ideal.

Curious about rod and reel recommendations for surf fishing, I have a page dedicated to which rods and reels are best and why.

Also, below you can find my exact set up:

• Rod: Okuma Celilo (8’6″ MA) or the Okuma SST (8’6″ MA)
• Reel: Penn Battle II or III 4000 series
• Mainline: 15-pound monofilament
• For Bait: Carolina Rig:
  • Leader Line: 15-pound fluorocarbon
  • Swivels: 15-19mm barrel swivels
  • Hooks: size #2 or #4 owner mosquito hooks
  • Weights: 1-oz egg weight
  • Beads: 8mm fishing beads
• For Lures: Lucky Craft FM 110 and Shimano WM 115 SP
• Other best surf fishing rods and best surf fishing reels

Managing Slack/Tension Poorly

Keeping proper tension is crucial in surf fishing. Whether you’re waiting for the fish to take your bait or you’re midfight, tension is key. We’ve already talked about what poor line management midfight can do (similar to setting the hook multiple times), but let’s talk about waiting for your bite.

First and foremost, don’t let your line go slack. You won’t feel the bite so you won’t catch the fish… most likely. But, you can’t always reel in to regain tension. By reeling, you constantly reduce the distance you casted and little by little, your bait won’t be where you wanted it. Rather, it’ll be on shore, next to your feet.

The best thing to do is manage tension by raising your rod tip as an incoming wave creates slack. Then, as the current sucks it back out, dip your rod tip down or even walk forward, as you let the ocean naturally keep tension for you.

Casting Far Only

The misconception of “surfcasting”. No, you don’t need that 10-foot rod to catch corbina and croaker. And no, you don’t need to cast out as far as you can. Sometimes it’s best to, but other times, the structure will be ankle to waist deep and that’s where you should cast.

Some of the biggest fish you’ll catch in the surf are going to be feeding on the bait that you feel between your toes: sand crabs. So much so, that you might see huge fish nearly beaching themselves as they hunt for their meal. This common activity has lead to a whole style of surf fishing called sight-casting. So make sure to be open to casting all sorts of distances and angles.

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