Newbie to surf fishing

[CooldadE]

My brother and I are looking to get our feet wet (literally) with some surf fishing. We live in the San Francisco Bay Area. What is the best time of the year to try our luck ? Also any local beaches better for rookies?
Any direction would be appreciated...

Cool

[Wolfram M]

I started fishing the surf a little over a year ago, and have been told every day you can get out there is the best day to go fishing.

Best luck I've had on the beach has been early mornings and tide changes, although in a little over a year I only have 14 days of beach fishing in. I got 5 more coming in 3 weeks!

[Shellbelly]

While I don't have experience in your part of the world, I can say I fish the surf I know and love.  Nowadays there are websites that focus on local fisheries.  Try to find a serious discussion board without a bunch of trash talk and nonsense. 

Access is the first hurdle.  If you have to pack in, start with something you can easily get onto the beach and pull behind you.  Don't take everything under the sun with you.  Figure out what days are less crowded so you have room to learn with minimal distractions.  Watch other folks who seem to know what they are doing...you'll know by the way they handle their gear, how efficiently they move, how they pick their casts and work various spots.  Start out with lighter tackle until you find your groove and learn the water you're fishing.  Everything is always moving in the surf so pay attention to it. 

Most importantly, don't give up.  Go every chance you get.  Stuff is gonna break, fail, get hung up...all that.  Don't quit.  Before you know it, you'll start putting it all together and the whole moving picture will make sense.  Then you won't be able to think of too many other things.  

[Swami805]

Decide on how you want to fish, bait and wait or lures. I do a fair amount of surf fishing here with lures, constantly cast and retrieve. Mainly surf perch. You have surf perch up there. I use a rod and reel similar to a salmon/steelhead set up. 8-10'spinning rod, 6-12lb mono. For lures a Carolina rig with gulp sand worms or jerk baits like lucky craft surf pointer, diawa SP minnow depending on conditions
Fun fishing that's pretty much free except getting there. They have redtail perch up there, always wanted to catch one of those
Bill Varney has a great website but it's geared for so cal. Pretty much the same tactics for up there if your fishing beaches, not real helpful for fishing rocks though

[Brewcrafter]

everything Swami says.  My local knowledge ends on the north end up past San Simeon, but I can't imagine things would be that different where you are.  The setup Swami mentions is a good go-to:  light, and mobile.   Your other option, long rods (11'+), sandspikes, and bait (most likely sand crabs, mud shrimp, or piling worms - all of which you will need to invest additional time and equipment to harvest) and then you pick your spot and "bait and wait".  Anytime to fish is a good time, but realistically I have always had my best results in the hour prior to high tide - areas of the inter-tidal zone and the associated "food" were being exposed and fish would respond.  Fortunately BillB just dropped up some "sand anchors" when he stopped by here on Saturday - they are a great sinker to use when bait fishing that you don't see a lot anymore - and while those "sputnik" things are advertised as sand anchors I have never been impressed with their performance.  Good luck! - john

[jurelometer]

Some SF Bay Area specific data:

Striper fishing can be a bit tough- but there can be some epic bites- mostly smalls.  Surf perch provide more action.  Mostly barred and some walleyes.  Redtails are scarce until you get north of Bodega.  Halibut are not unheard of, but not that common.  You can also toss crab snares in season and pick up some dungies- check the regs on this. 

Spring through fall is the main season for the fish species, but surf perch are there year round.  Sliding egg sinker rig and a smaller motor oil twisty tail grub on a longer medium action freshwater spinning outfit for the surf perch.  Keep moving along the beach to find the schools.  They are mostly feeding on the mole crabs, which move around with tides and conditions.  Perch feed heavily in the shallow churny water around the cuts, often a short cast.  Reading the waters is the key.

If you want something more leisurely, a surf rod, pyramid sinker, and pile worms for bait.

For the stripers, folk like to toss bigger metals, jigheads and plugs, and generally cast  for distance. Haven't done this myself.  Surf perch are opportunistic feeders and will also  will hit a rapala style plug, so you can work one of these for both stripers and surf perch.  I didn't like this myself, as the rapalas will tear up a surf perch, and there is usually a lot of releasing going on if you find the fish.

Wave height is going to drive the fishing opportunities around here.  Check the surfing forecast sites.  Dawn/dusk/overcast is usually better.  Lots of conflicting opinions on what tide is best.  I kinda like incoming.

If you want to stay near the bay and south of the GG bridge, all of the City beaches can have stripers.  Surf perch are there, but worked over pretty hard. 

As you start going south, the beaches seem to get less productive until you get into Monterey Bay, and then it picks up again- and the surf perch fishing can be good- with some stripers and halibut in the summer to early fall.

North of the GG bridge, perch fishing generally gets better as you move north, but the stripers peter out.

Compared to So Cal, the waves can get pretty big with some sneakers, and the water is cold.  You don't have to wade to work a spinning rod, but most do.

-J

[Bill B]

Ed Tani is also a great source of information.  Maybe Alan can get you in touch.  Bill

[sciaenops]

I have fished a few beaches on the northern 1/2 of Monterey Bay, from Santa Cruz to the Pajaro River mouth. Small Plastic grubs, pieces of Gulp sand worms for surf perch. Calmer surf days so you can minimize lead.

[Crab Pot]

I'm from your neck of the woods and surf fish every chance I can. I'm by no means an expert though.

One thing I've learned from experience is surf fish are aggressive and not leader shy.

Another thing I've learned is expect the unexpected. Though surf perch are the norm.

I use 25 pound test because you never know when a Stripped Bass or Halibut are in the surf.

I use the biggest hook that'll fit in a perch's mouth, normally a #2 on a Carolina Rig. My weight choice depends on the wind but I go as light as possible to reach where I want to be.

My go to bait is, believe it or not, is mini cocktail shrimp I get from the supermarket for cast and wait presentations.

I also use squid cut into 3/8" by 2" strips and rip it. Reel twice, rip, repeat.

Important thing to do is get your bait past the curl where the bottom drops off like a ledge. Hard to describe but you'll know it when you see it. Normally 20-30 yards out. Your bait will get sucked into the curl but as soon as you feel your out of it reel in and repeat.

I use to go to Martins Beach and Half Moon Bay but since moving to the Sacramento area I prefer the Bodega area as far north as Gualala. When my wife joins me we go to Wrights Beach State Part because the allow dogs. They have a $6 access fee though but you will catch perch there.

Thanks,

Steve

[Bryan Young]

Thanks Steve. Always looking for new bait and presentations. I am having two bait and wait rods being wrapped to try out and hope to get some Halibut in the future.

[CooldadE]

Thanks y'all... I've got a baseline now.

Cool

[Shellbelly]

Post pictures.  Surf fishing doesn't get near as much air time.

[jgp12000]

In my experience Destin,Ormond beach, & Melbourne,FL. I have always  heard sand fleas were the bait of choice from the locals.You can get a sand flea rake at the bait store and get free bait whenever .There are some good youtube videos on how to catch them.I like 9-10' rods with a 4000 series spinner or a Penn 704 if I had one.I always have used 20 lb mono then a whiting rig with 3/0 Eagle Claw Circle hooks and a 3 oz pyramid weight.Shrimp is good, but squid stays on the hook better.In Melbourne,Fla Snook are caught in the surf in the right season.Once my whiting rig was slammed by a shark,nothing left,so I opted for steel rigs after that.

[Rancanfish]

Thanks Ed for bringing this up.  I'm still trying to figure out where the rocks and lings are hiding up here in Oregon but I will probably be cruising beaches too at some point.

[Crab Pot]

Thanks Steve. Always looking for new bait and presentations. I am having two bait and wait rods being wrapped to try out and hope to get some Halibut in the future.

I hope you get out soon Bryan.

Post pictures.  Surf fishing doesn't get near as much air time.

Very true.

Next time I get a chance to go I'll take photos.

Or my wife will. 

If someone doesn't beat me to it.

Forget to mention, waders are a must no matter how hot it is!

Steve