What is surf fishing? Surf fishing is standing on the shoreline or a little ways out into the water and casting out your line. Fishing from sandy beaches, rock jetties, fishing piers and rocky beaches all fall under the same category of surf fishing.
      The equipment used in surf fishing includes your fishing reel, hooks, swivels, lines, leaders, a 6 or 7 foot rod and of course your lures. Some rods can actually be bought up as long as 12 feet. This will give you more casting distance. One of the reasons for the longer rods, is the fact that you need to be able to cast out beyond the incoming surf.
      Surf fishing is usually done in salt water areas. Unless the body of fresh water is large enough to generate a surf, it wouldn’t be considered surf fishing. Surf fisherman make up for not having a boat with their onshore travel vehicle and the equipment stored on it. Some will have more and better equipment than found on any fishing boat.
      Surf fisherman usually travel up and down the shore line, watching the birds to see where they are feeding in the water. Sometime they will drive for hours, back and forth until they see a flock of birds feeding on bait fish. They will follow the bait fish until they see the fish they want to catch feeding on the bait fish.
      Surf fishing takes more instinct and concentration than boat fishing. In boat fishing, you can find where the fish are biting and go to them. In surf fishing you have to search and locate your fish, and then be able to walk out into the water and cast without chasing them away.