How Do You Rig Live Bait For Surf Fishing?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sl_rWmfR8Iw

Can you surf fish with live bait?

Live bait is arguably the most effective type of bait to use for surf fishing (also known as beach fishing). The best types of live bait for surf fishing are sand fleas, shrimp, pinfish and mullet.

How do you set up a surf fishing rig?

Surf Fishing Setup and Strategy
Have one pole rigged with a heavier rig for cut bait and one pole sporting a smaller rig for shrimp or squid. Use the larger rig to target larger species, and use the smaller rig to target smaller species. When it’s time to cast, walk into the water to maximize your casting distance.

Do you use a sinker with live bait?

Use a split-shot rig with a sinker.
To keep the live bait at an appropriate depth and control the line for the kind of fish you want to catch, it’s usually common to rig your line up with a split-shot sinker to weight things down.

What size hooks for live bait?

For live-bait fishing, I recommend thin wire hooks. This style penetrates your bait more easily and damages it less, thus allowing it to move freely on the hook and stay alive longer than when using heavy-weight hooks. Most live-bait hooks for inshore salt waters range from size 1/0 to 8/0.

What bait do you use for surf fishing?

Sand Fleas are by far the best bait for surf fishing. You have heard the phrase, “Match the hatch” well, sand fleas are the most common food for fish in the surf. Other things that make good bait are live shrimp, fiddler crabs, and fresh peeled shrimp.

What’s the best rig for beach fishing?

The 3 Rigs You Need for Surf Fishing

1. Fishfinder Rig. The bait line slides up and down the main line, allowing live bait to swim freely.
2. Fireball Rig. Brightly colored floats on the dropper lines lift the bait off the sea bottom so it can’t be picked apart by tiny fish and marauding crabs.
3. Double-Drop Bottom Rig.

What bait should I use for surf fishing?

And chunks of fresh cut fish such as mullet, menhaden, croaker, etc. work well for some species like “bull” redfish, drum, bluefish and even ground mullet (but not so much for pompano and whiting). As always fresher baits are often the best bait for surf fishing, even live if you can get it.

How do you catch live bait for inshore saltwater?

Cast-netting shrimp works as well, and it is the most common way to get a lot of live bait in a hurry. Nighttime is the best time to use a cast net. Target and bait shallow areas with fish meal or pellets, then periodically net over the sunken bait.

What is the best bait for saltwater fishing?

Top 4 Saltwater Fishing Baits

• Shrimp. Shrimp is a go to bait for saltwater anglers.
• Shellfish. Lots of different species of fish eat shellfish like clams, mussels, or crabs.
• Cut Bait. Cut bait has a strong aroma which is a key way to attract saltwater fish.
• Bait Fish.

What kind of shrimp do you use for surf fishing?

Fresh dead shrimp is shrimp that has died in the tanks or your bait bucket, they have never been frozen, and they last about two days if kept cool (refrigerated) before needing freezing. My preference for surf fishing with shrimp is fresh dead. It costs less than live shrimp and is more durable than frozen shrimp.

What hooks for live shrimp?

A number 1 or 1/0 J hook is used by many anglers when fishing with live shrimp and minnows, but I prefer the same size circle hook, which minimizes deep hooking of caught fish and facilitates easy unhooking and unharmed release.

How do you put weight on live bait?

Weight can easily be added by attach- ing a bell or cannonball sinker with a split ring to the swivel or ring end of your leader. A usual weight size is any- where from 3⁄4-ounce to a couple ounces.

What size circle hooks for surf fishing?

2/0 hooks are the best all around hook size for surf fishing. A 2/0 circle hook will catch smaller fish like whiting and pompano but are also big enough to catch bluefish, mackerel, fluke, flounder, redfish, snook and tarpon too.

Are octopus hooks the same as circle hooks?

Octopus hooks are like circle or j hooks, except that the eye is bent backwards. This is so that if you’re snelling the hook, the line can go straight down to the backside of the shank.

What is the best hook for live worms?

A live bait hook, aberdeen hook or octopus hook have long shanks that are a great fit for live worms. Match the size of the hook to the size of the worm. A size 3/0 to 5/0 should do the trick. You’ll also need your choice of bobber and a couple of light split shot weights.

Can I surf fish with a 7 foot rod?

The best rod to surf fish with is the one you have. While you might not be able to throw as heavy of a lure or throw your bait as far, a 6 to 7 foot rod can catch fish from the surf.

What’s the best time to surf fish?

Fish the incoming tide. Arrive at low tide to scope out the beach and look for exposed structure so you can fish it later when it’s submerged. The best time to go surf fishing is (from) two hours before a high tide until an hour after high tide.