by David A. Brown
BEST BETS
FOR
GULF BEACHES
I
f you summarize surf fishing as “stand on the sand, cast
into the water,” you’re missing the boat - no pun intended.
Fact is, throughout the Gulf of Mexico, savvy surf anglers
put considerable thought into site selection, bait, rigging,
and presentation.
The attraction starts with simple and convenient access,
but a low-cost entry point, easy integration with generic beach
trips and a low-pressure learning nvironment enhances the
appeal. Got a couple hours to kill? Need some fresh air on your
lunch break? How ‘bout a stress-reliever for that business
conference? If you can reach the beach, you can go surf fishing.
FIND THE FISH
The ocean’s bounty can potentially scatter surf-fishing
action along broad stretches of open beach, but the best
opportunities typically coincide with discernable details. Here’s
a handful of fish-attracting features to consider:
Breakers: Waves tumble when they rise up against a bar
and “break.” The space between the bars is the trough. Some
predators actively pursue the crustaceans and tiny shellfish
displaced by waves crashing the bars, while others like to graze
the troughs. The waves will tell you where to cast for either.
Run Outs: Shallow troughs funneling receding waves
extend into the surf, concentrate food sources and attract fish.
Cross Currents: Indicated by waves receding at various
angles, rather than uniform lines, this bespeaks some contour
feature shifting and swirling the water. This stirs up food and
fish respond.
Back Flow: Similar to cross currents in food displacement
value, one wave rushing the beach before the previous one has
fully departed creates an aqueous collision with the two waves
rising against one another in a brief briny showdown that creates
a concentrated turbulence sufficient to dig up a lot of food and
tumble these morsels into the surf.
Feeding Activity: Whether it’s leaping baitfish or diving
pelicans, surface activity in the surf zone points to feeding
predators. Even if the flurry occurs beyond casting range, or if
the scene indicates species other than those you’re targeting,
take heart in knowing that such noticeable activity indicates an
active surf zone likely to hold many other opportunities.
Of course, the appearance of sardine, glass minnow, mullet
or menhaden schools in or near the surf also bodes well for
anglers. Watch for baitfish flashing, surface flips or dark masses
moving through the waves.
Piers & Jetties: These manmade structures not only extend
your reach into the surf zone, they also create fish-friendly current
breaks and present emergent reef habitat where predators find
lots of forage.
What’s Out There
Mike Kennedy of Mobile, AL, fishes a range of spots from
Dauphin Island to the
Florida Panhandle. He
tells me that, while
smaller dinner species
(Continued on page 22.)
Gulf beaches are generally easy to access and offer excellent fish catching opportunities. A bait for a variety of fish are
Photos by author.
sand fleas that burrow in the sand at the water’s edge and are caught with a sand flea rake.
APRIL • MAY • JUNE
2014
7