Surf Fishing Noob Question

[Koshaw]

I have only surf fished once on the Outer Banks of North Carolina...and I got perch, spots and trout.


For the Southern California Coast, however...

Can you use a 7' Trout/Bass rod with a Shimano 2000FE reel to do so? It can really chuck a 1/2-3/8 oz weight about 50+ yards or so...

I do not have waders or boots...I was hoping this could get me the distance I would need to throw various hard baits to where the fish are...

Any suggestions on if this is possible and what lures I should buy? Senkos?

[bsp]

That is a perfect rig to get started on! Later on you will upgrade your gear when you find out what you prefer. If you like perch fishing more then an 8'6" fast action 1/4-3/4oz steel head rod will be your friend, a 7ft to 8ft medium action 1/4- 5/8 oz cranking/ jerkabit rod for throwing hard lures for halibut, and finally a 12ft XH rod capable of handling up to 8z for sharks and rays are all used in Souther California.

The rod you have now will work well for perch and corbina, but you will need to be careful if you are halibut fishing. I would spool it up with 8lb line so you have more versatility. if you use a 4lb flourocarbon leader, then you can catch perch and corbina but you can use it for halibut if you use your 8lb main line.

Lures for perch: Gulp 2in sandworms (camo), 2in swimming mullets (any color), and 2in shrimp (any color). Use size 6 or 8 hooks on a carolina rig with a 1/2oz weight and 4lb leader.
Corbina: same set up as above but use sand crabs and a 1/4oz weight.
Halibut: 3in and 4in big hammer swimbaits in Bay Smelt (#64). Lucky Craft Flash Minnow 110s in Metallic Sardine, Aurora Black, Aurora Brown, Herring, American Shad, and Chartreuse shad. 5/8 oz Krockadile spoons in green mackerel and sardine.

Those are basic suggestions, but they will get you on fish. Most of the fish are only 10-30yds from the beach so 50yd casts are perfect. You do not need waders or boots (I just wear board shorts and I wade up to my neck), but remember to do the sting ray shuffle! Good Luck!

[Koshaw]

Thank you so much for yourf fast and very detailed response!

:D

It is very much appreciated. I will definitely be going out and getting some salt water supplies in the next week or so ;)

Oh! The reel and pole I believe are rated to 12+ lbs...Would you suggest putting on a bit higher test? On second thought, I bet 8 lbs is enough. I wouldnt expect to catch bigger just surf fishing.

Its a bit too hot for lake fishing in the southland and I love the ocean breeze. I'll just pull up a chair and have some fun!

[bsp]

You could always try 30lb braid. That is what I occasionally use when throwing hard baits for halibut in rocky/kelp infested/snaggy areas. If you have a 200 size baitcaster, 10lb flourocarbon is also good, but it is fairly expensive and does not work too well on spinning reels. You really do not need heavy line unless you are shark/ray fishing (even then 40lb is sometimes not enough). If you hook into a big fish just let it run against the drags and follow it. You have a lot of space to work with and there is no hurry, so 8lb or 10lb will be enough.