Fishing Sign Language

I’ve been wanting to write this article for a while now and I’ve finally committed to doing so. I think it’s time we as surf fishermen distinguished a set of “fishing signals” or a fishing sign language at least for the purpose of surf fishing in So Cal. I am very curious to hear what you guys think about this article as well so feel free to comment at the bottom of the page.

While fishing alone is one thing (a very necessary therapy in my mind), I’m sure I’m not the only one who has one or two usual fishing buddy. When it comes to surf fishing, it’s crucial that your buddy and you remain on the same page. At times, you might be separated by more than 100 yards of beach. In that case, it’s tough to communicate in any manner without some form of language system.

Over the years, I’ve come up with a language that keeps my fishing buddies and me in sync so we can optimize our likelihood to get on the fish and stay on the fish. This “language” is really a series of signs and hand gestures that provide limited communicative means.

Whether you choose to use it or not is up to you, I just figured I’d publish another tip that helps me out when I fish.

Light Tackle Gear and Tackle

Before we get into that, be sure to take care of all your light tackle surf fishing necessities in terms of gear and tackle.

SFSC Sign Language

I’ve yet to really think up a good name for this so-called “language”, so for now I’m titling it SFSC Sign Language (Surf Fishing in So Cal Sign Language).

Fish Species Identification

This is possibly the most useful and most frequently used group of signs in my experience. We use these signs to communicate when one of us catches a fish or maybe sees a fish in the shallows or in any similar situation.

You might be fishing with your buddy and you happen to be too far away to identify the fish that your buddy just beached. Instead of halting your fishing time, walking over to see, or even simply ignoring your buddies catch, your buddy will simply form the correct sign for the caught species to communicate what he’s caught.

This is important for a few reasons. 1) You might be targeting a specific species and if the target species has been caught, it might be time to join your buddy over there. If not, keep fishing and see if you can get on your target. 2) It simply helps you get a good idea of what’s out there and what’s biting today so you can switch up your tactics if you deem it necessary.

California Corbina:

The California corbina, especially around this time of year is one of the most commonly caught fish from the surf. As the photo illustrates, you form a “C” for corbina with either hand (preferably your right hand). For this signal, hold your hand high above your head.

Spotfin Croaker:

Luckily, Spotfin Croaker have been plentiful lately and if there’s one fish I want to catch a lot of on light tackle, this is the one. This is as simple as the last, we use a closed fist to illustrate the “spot” of a Spotfin. I like this sign a lot because when you catch a Spotfin, you’re likely going to be pretty hyped. So if you’re feeling hyped, give a good fist pump into the air above your head with your closed fist and your buddy will know exactly what you’ve got.

Yellowfin Croaker:

Again, we like to keep it simple and self explanatory. The sign for Yellowfin croaker is a forward-facing peace sign to essentially illustrate a “Y” with your middle and index finger.

Surfperch:

So there are two common surfperch species that we typically catch here in So Cal: Barred and Walleye surfperch. For both of these species we’ll simply hold up 3 fingers (ring, middle, and index fingers). This sign was originally decided upon to illustrate the bars on the sides of a Barred surfperch. It could easily be used as a “W” for a Walleye surfperch. In all honesty (or at least IMO) no one really cares if you get a Walleye vs a BSP unless its a keeper and I don’t typically keep perch unless it’s for bait purposes.

Guitar Fish (Shovelnose):

Not much creativity here. To sign that you’ve caught a guitarfish, you simply play a little air guitar with your rod and your good to go. Odds are you’re buddy can make out the signature shape of a guitar as you beach it anyways.

Halibut:

Halibut are another species in which they have a very distinct shape that can be made out from far away. Nonetheless, the sign for a Halibut is a flat hand in the prone position.

Stingray:

The one fish that almost nobody wants to catch! If you get a sting ray, and for some reason you want to communicate it to your buddy, you act like your knocking on an invisible door with only your index finger. This sign is more commonly used when you see a sting ray in the water and you want to warn your buddy because it might be headed in his/her direction. We’ll get into that combo signal a little later.

Batray:

Batrays, although not the most exciting to attempt to beach, offer a much better fight than stingrays typically do. To signal you’ve hooked or caught a batray, just go ahead and flap your arms/arm and hands like a bird in the sky… No chicken wings here.

Shark:

For Leopard sharks, Soupfin sharks, and even Sevengill sharks, you’re usually using a different set up and if you have a buddy with you he’ll likely be there with you through the fight to help you beach it. Either way, the signal for a shark is the fin on your head with an open palm.

There are a few other species that you might catch in the surf, but for the purpose of SFSC Sign Language they will not be included as of now. Feel free to add them as suggestions in the comments below.

Dolphins:

I know these technically aren’t fish, but for the heck of it, the hand signal for a dolphin is as follows: With a prone open hand, perform a rolling motion (almost like what you would do to mimic the wind with your hand outside of a car window in a forward motion/fingers pointing forward). That’s just what we chose to describe how dolphins will swim and break the surface of the water up and down.

Seal/Sea Lion:

It’s always good to know if there’s a seal/sea lion present as I’ve been ripped of a couple times unfortunately. Perform the same motion for a Dolphin, but flip your hand sideways and perform sideways waves.

Bait fish:

Again, not a target species, but an important one if you’re throwing a lure. Use an open hand with your thumb pointed to the sky and wiggle your fingers as you move your hand forward. The idea is that you’re simulating bait fish swimming through the water together.

Other Communicative Action/Visual Signs

Along with communicating which types of fish your catching, you might also want to let your buddy know what you’re seeing out there. Maybe you’re wondering how far of a cast it was in which that last fish was caught. Questions like these can be answered quite easily without words.

To See Something:

If you see a fish in the water and you want to communicate that to your fishing buddy, use the classic index and middle fingers from your eyes to the place in the water which you see the fish, followed by the proper signal for what you see.

Troughs:

Troughs are an important factor in terms of reading the surf. If you see troughs in the sand beneath the water, signal to your buddy by pointing to where the troughs are and carving the shape of a trough with your hand to illustrate that there are troughs present.

Also, if you don’t exactly know why, but a spot just looks real good to you, point to the spot and hold up the “ok” sign.

Any Bites?:

Another frequently used sign is the sign for getting bites. If you’re getting bites in your spot and you want to communicate that to your buddy, throw up your hand and repetitively open and close your thumb from the rest of your fingers like you would if you were making a puppet speak.

If you’re wondering if your buddy’s getting bites, perform the same sign, then point at your buddy as to direct it as a question to him/her. As an answer of yes or no, you may nod/thumbs up or you may shake your head no/throat cut motion.

If you missed a bite that was HUGE, give the bite signal with a classic Donald Trump “Yuge L motion”. – (no politics here, just yugeness).

How far of a Cast?:

This one is a super useful one in my mind. When you’re getting bites and your buddy isn’t, it might have to do with the distance of your casts. For this purpose, we have 3 distance references: short, medium, and far. Short: with an open palm and your fingers pointed left (right hand) chop once in front of you. Medium: use the same sign, but chop twice with the second chop a little further out in front of you. Far: you’ll use the same sign and motion, just three times and each one further than the last.

Caught Bait?:

If you’re fishing light tackle to catch shark bait (perch/small croaker), you’re buddy might be awaiting anxiously to see what you reel in if he knows your on. As soon as you land that fish and you know it’s going to be bait, signal with an open palm with your thumb up and perform a chopping motion as if your hand is the knife that’s going to cut your bat.

Is my bait/weight holding?:

If you’re shark fishing and using rod holders, you might be fishing light tackle as well simultaneously. If your buddy is away from his rod in the holder and he’s curious if his weight is still holding straight, take a look at the line and which direction it’s heading, stand immediately adjacent to or behind his rod, and point with a straight arm exactly where his line lays.

Current Direction:

If you’re fishing different sections of the beach or your buddy hasn’t got a line in the water yet and is wondering which direction the current is headed and how strong it is, we’ve got a sign for that too! Use the same gesture as you would for checking whether your buddy’s bait is still straight and slowly or quickly move your arm in the direction the current is taking your bait in accordance. If it’s staying straight just hold it straight.

Wrap up/Move spots:

If you’re ready to call it, or you just want to pack things up and move down the beach, use your index finger and draw a continuous circle in the air as to wrap something up”. You can perform this sign and point to where you want to head, or you can perform this action and hold up say a “5” for “wrap up in 5 minutes”.

I hope you enjoyed the article and if you feel like I missed something, feel free to add your thoughts in the comments section below. Also make sure to drop your email in the box below and hit subscribe. And don’t forget that if you want to book a guided trip with me, I’m up and running for leopard shark fishing and light tackle sessions as well. Book your guided sessions sessions here.

I’ll also be uploading a more detailed video illustrating all of these hand motions in the coming future for better clarity.