Cast beyond the breaking waves to reach feeding fish from shore — redfish, striped bass, pompano, and more.
Best For
Saltwater shore fishing for redfish, striped bass, pompano, flounder, and bluefish along beaches, jetties, and inlets
Read the surf before you cast: look for sandbars (lighter colored water), troughs (darker, deeper water between bars), and cuts (channels where water drains back). Fish congregate in troughs and cuts
Rig a fishfinder rig or high-low rig with 2-4 oz pyramid sinkers to hold bottom in the current. Use 20-30 lb monofilament main line with a 40 lb fluorocarbon leader
Fresh cut bait outperforms frozen every time: fresh shrimp, cut mullet, squid, and sand fleas are the top surf baits depending on your target species
Cast beyond the first and second bar to the outer trough — this is where feeding fish patrol. A surf rod 9-12 feet long gives you the distance needed
After casting, reel up slack quickly and prop your rod in a rod holder at a 45-60 degree angle to keep your line clear of waves
Fish the 2 hours before and 2 hours after high tide — baitfish move up into the wash, predators follow. This is consistently the most productive window
When you get a bite, let the fish run for a moment, then lift the rod firmly to drive the hook home. Bring the fish in on the back side of a wave, not against one
🎣 Pro Tip
Move every 20-30 minutes if you are not getting bites. The fish find you, not the other way around. Walking the beach covers more water than staying in one spot.