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Give me some beach fishing tips

Texashiker

Texashiker

Lifer
My family and I are closing out the summer by renting a beach house for the weekend. While we are there, I want to spend some time beach fishing, but its been years, and I mean yearsssss, since I have been fishing off the beach.

Location - southeast Texas, Galveston area.

I have a couple of Penn reels I used to take off shore. One has been re-spooled with 30 pound test, the other reel with 50 pound test.

I have some 60 pound steel leader material.

Hooks will be circle hooks.

Besides shrimp, what do yall suggest for some good bait?

I do not have a kayak, so I will have to walk out, cast, then walk back to shore.

I also want to do some night time flounder gigging while I am there.
 
OILFIELDTRASH said:
And a smoker.
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Why would this help?

20070129_smoker.jpg


Can she bait a hook and make deliciousness sandwiches.

She better bring her own beer. 😡
 
Hit the local bait shop and talk to the pro's - I could give you advice but I'm in California nad our surf & fish are much different.
 
Fmr12B said:
Hit the local bait shop and talk to the pro's - I could give you advice but I'm in California nad our surf & fish are much different.
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Yep, really the best advice. You're going to need some decent weight as well, I prefer egg sinkers because I want the sinker to be able to be carried out by the tide. Egg sinker in a typical carolina rig.
 
What are you fishing for? This would determine your setup and technique as well as your bait (should you choose to use bait). I've been surfcasting for 20 years but I live in a different part of the country so my advice would be to talk to the guys at the local tackle shops (as some have suggested).

General rule of thumb when it comes to fishing from the surf with bait is to use bait that "matches the hatch".

Tight Lines!
 
A pole would be a start...

Can you Penn reels cast? I have had several that really were not good for it, as in 10 feet past the tip of the rod.
 
MedicBob said:
A pole would be a start...

Can you Penn reels cast? I have had several that really were not good for it, as in 10 feet past the tip of the rod.
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I've been using a 704z on my 11' rod for years without a problem. Perhaps its your setup or technique that's the problem. Don't forget that all rods are weight rated so if you try to cast something too heavy or light for the rod, its not going to get very far.
 
Texashiker said:
I have a couple of Penn reels I used to take off shore. One has been re-spooled with 30 pound test, the other reel with 50 pound test.

I have some 60 pound steel leader material.

Hooks will be circle hooks.
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G'dam. What are you expecting to catch that requires 30lb or 50lb test?

I spent a good part of the first 20 years of my life surf fishing with my father near Cape Hatteras, NC. The only time we used 30lb test was when we were fishing for Kings (king mackeral), large bluefish, or red drum. Anything else worth catching could be brought in on lighter line, which casts better and allows for better lure action.

As for bait, I don't know what is good in Texas. But in NC, squid, shrimp, mole crabs (see below image), and soft shell "ghost" crabs are excellent baits for most surf fish. Cut bait works well for mullet, flounder, blues, and sharks. Jigging lures are excellent at certain times of the year for spanish and smaller blues.

Not sure if this is relevent to fishing of the coast of Texas, but in the Outer Banks, fishing was usually good between the beach and the sand bars that periodically form ~30-40 yards off shore. If you see any formations like that where you are, dropping your bait there might be worthwhile.

crab-side.jpg
 
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Just saw the jigging for flounder part of your post. Here's a tip if you end up with a dogfish on your hook. Grab the snout and pull back toward the top of its head until its eyes pop. Throw it back in and it won't be able to find its way back to the bottom alerting the other dogfish to danger in the area. They'll take off and the flounder will come back once the dogfish are gone.
 
soxfan said:
G'dam. What are you expecting to catch that requires 30lb or 50lb test?
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Agree on this... unless you're targeting sharks/tarpon, you're only going to spook away fish with line that thick. Also... never heard em referred to as "mole crabs" - always been "sand fleas" to me, and they make decent bait.

I've been beach fishing the Gulf coast of Florida for about 25 years. Caught everything from pinfish to 100 lb tarpon to 150lb+ sharks. The fun of it is you never really know what's passing by and hungry.

No idea if it's similar in Texas, but if you have a cast-net, catching pilchards/shiners/whatever you call em in Texas is usually the best option. Live shrimp is likely right up there too.

Again, depends on what you're targeting. Spanish mackerel (yummm) love the shiners, and a tarpon will swallow up a half of mackerel, so it's all relative.
 
I've fished the Galveston area my whole life. And late summer is my favorite time to fish the Galveston to Texas City area. Right now you will be catching specked trout, Spanish mackerel (on the jetties), and redfish. Best bait is live shrimp and croaker, you can also do some cut bait with more mixed results.
Only other tip: get a local tide chart and make sure you catch the tide changes.

EDIT: I noticed you said the family was going, if you have younger kids make sure you get some kite string and chicken parts and let them pull crab. I think that more then anything else got me started fishing.
 
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Texashiker said:
Anything but sharks.
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FAIL!!!

You will catch sharks no matter what.
Squid always worked for me....caught a few large skates and rays before.
If you want to save money, get you a cast net and catch bait as they minnow up the surfline. My best vacation memories were from eating a nice cookout supper on the beach, going out and catching the bait, and then fishing from twilight until dark. Sea Catfish ftw.

EDIT: Assuming high tide in the evening. Lowtide was always a no-go.
 
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