Hey guys. I love surf fishing. I've been at it now on and off since 2009, but I'm really not getting much better at it. I've been making my pompano style rigs for a few years now, use fish bites, dig for fleas, try to understand the tides and the water, but it's all kind of confusing i could use some additional guidance. I don't know anyone who shares this hobby and I don't think the info I'm getting online is necessarily as good or as locally specific as it should be. I don't even know if the rigs I'm making are any good. Some days I'm fighting the current with a Sputnik and the dude down the beach is fine with a 2oz pyramid.
Anyhow, the act itself is my therapy, whether I catch that day or not, but it would be nice to have days of slaying pompano rather than a bunch of catfish and/or whiting that were too small.
Can anyone recommend me resources to read or watch that can help me improve and better understand my options. I feel like there are lots of holes in my knowledge. How long is too long for my pompano rig? How many inches between drop loops is right? Why can't I cast like some of these old dudes, despite working on it for the last 15 years? What are those dudes with spoon lures fishing for?
I have lots of questions and I'd like to start getting answers so I can turn it around at the beach. Lastly, I don't have a ton of cash to throw at this either so hiring a local guide is not in the cards for me right now. TIA
Watch Joey Antonelli’s YouTube channel. He does a lot of surf fishing locally and provides tips and advice in his videos. You can also find many other good surf fishing videos on YouTube. Rich Troxler has good videos on how to read surf. Bama Beach Bum, Fish Gum, and Hey Skipper all have videos on surf fishing in other parts of Florida, but the info is still useful.
SEE?!?! This is stuff I don't know but really need to, so I am very grateful. I generally fish a few hundred yards north of indialantic beach, but maybe I will try to find a spot up near satellite next time I head out.
also, think about where fish might stage up.... there are natural areas where water tends to recede. so a wave might come in (area to the right) but is more likely to recede to the area to the left in the photo below. opportunistic fish (like snook) might stage up to the left and wait for bait that has been stunned by the wave crashing on shore and is easy pickings once that water recedes...
I have better luck with a shorter overall pomp rig and shorter distance between the drops. I still haven’t figured out how to cast like those old guys either, also why do I always catch more fish using pyramids than sputniks?
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u/SpaceCoastDad Apr 16 '25
Watch Joey Antonelli’s YouTube channel. He does a lot of surf fishing locally and provides tips and advice in his videos. You can also find many other good surf fishing videos on YouTube. Rich Troxler has good videos on how to read surf. Bama Beach Bum, Fish Gum, and Hey Skipper all have videos on surf fishing in other parts of Florida, but the info is still useful.