Fishing in the surf is a popular pastime around the southern half of our country. There’s something special about standing on the sand of a high energy beach while waiting for a bite from a surf-roaming species. It’s a raw and uncomplicated form of fishing; pitching yourself against the elements of the surf. I’ve always been a keen surf fisher, and I think it’s the combination of species on offer and the rugged environment which makes surf fishing so appealing.

It’s not an easy form of fishing though, there are a lot of challenges when fishing in the surf, but when it all comes together it’s very rewarding. Below we’ll look at some fundamentals of beach fishing from reading a beach, identifying environmental conditions, selecting the right tackle and what species can be expected.

Reading a Beach

The first and foremost step in surf fishing is to effectively read a beach and understanding the flow of water. Along all high energy surf beaches there is a lot of water movement; and as water pushes in, it must also exit again at another point. It generally exits through deeper troughs (rips), where the flow of water pushes back out to sea.

The swell will break over the shallowest part of a surf beach – pretty basic stuff – and this is recognised as the sand bar or shallow slabs of reef. Some beaches will have multiple sand bars where the waves will break, re-form, and then break again.

It’s through the deeper areas of the beach where the swell isn’t breaking that we want to identify to target our fishing. This is easily recognisable as the deeper (blue) water surrounded by white water. Sometimes when the swell is big, there is a lot of white water so it can be hard to identify the pockets of deeper water. In this case access a high vantage point and wait for a lull in the sets and wait to see where the smaller waves re-form, or alternatively as the tide builds the deeper water will become more obvious.

A beach will look vastly different on low tide compared to high tide. On low tide a lot of surf beaches can look shallow and uninspiring. While you can fish these beaches on low water, the best fishing usually coincides with the building tide through until a couple of hours after the peak of high.

When selecting a gutter I like to look for a parallel body of water running close to shore with a thoroughfare of deeper water running back out to sea. This gives predatory fish an easy access into the near-shore gutter. Always make sure the body of water is within casting range too - there’s no point in picking an awesome gutter if it lies too far from shore. 

Another point to consider is the sideways movement of water. If the gutter is really narrow it can funnel water movement cross-shore, which can make for difficult water to fish in. Strong side currents can suspend sand which some species steer clear of. But on the same token, if the gutter is really big it doesn’t offer many ambush points for predatory fish. It will come down to reading the water and selecting what you interpret as the best looking body of water on that day.

Safety also comes into the equation. If you’re planning on fishing into the night, you don’t particularly want a beach that allows surge to travel up the sand. Pick a gutter that will be easy to reach and where you won’t have white water lapping around your legs when you’re trying to fish.

Weather and Sea Conditions

The weather conditions can often make or break a surf fishing trip. The wind is the biggest factor. There’s nothing worse than a strong onshore wind; it reduces casting distance, increases swell and after a few days of onshore wind it starts to draw in clumps of weed.

Light winds certainly make beach fishing a lot more productive and more enjoyable. Having light winds or the wind at your back will assist in casting distance, and you’ll find your baits will settle in the gutter better. I try to avoid surf fishing if the wind is over 15kt unless it’s blowing offshore. It doesn’t hurt to visit your local surf beach in different conditions to see how much the beach is affected by the wind. 

While you don’t want a big ground swell while you’re surf fishing, it doesn’t hurt to have a 1 to 2m of swell breaking over the sandbar. This will create white water over the shallower sections of the beach, which is important in encouraging fish to feed. It creates cover and gives larger fish an ambush advantage. But having swell over 3 to 4m starts to make the conditions difficult to fish. On the other hand, having no swell can be a disadvantage, and will make the inshore gutters shallower and clear; and not as enticing for predatory species.

Tackle Selection

There is no other fishing situation where tackle selection is more important than in the surf. Selecting a suitable rod and reel is imperative for successful fishing in this setting. Rod length and rating is the biggest factor to consider, and this will be dictated by the target species and fishing method.

Casting lures for salmon and tailor in the surf is super effective, and being mobile and working along a section of beach will allow you to find fish in the surf. Casting 40 to 60g lures into the surf is a good approach for these species, and on the right tackle these metal lures cast like a bullet. A fast action rod of between 9 to 11ft and rated at around 6 – 10kg is ideal for casting lures, with some fantastic casting rods within the SpeedMaster, Reventus and Dialuna range. 

Pairing this rod with a 4000 or 5000 sized spin reel together with 20lb braid will complete the combo, and will offer a lightweight and responsive surf rod which can be cast for prolonged periods of time, plus it increases the fun factor of fighting these surf-speedsters on a light surf outfit. These same outfits can double for casting small baits in the surf for bread and butter species such as yellowfin whiting, flathead, dart, yellowfin bream, silver trevally and herring.

Fishing big baits in the surf is the next approach and is the preferred method for targeting bigger surf targets such as jewfish. A big jewie is the ultimate prize for the surf fisher, and while they don’t come easy these fish are worth every ounce of effort. Casting big baits such as live fish, whole squid plus fillets or cut baits is effective for this species. 

And with the constant movement of water along a surf beach, having a suitable sized surf sinker is important for holding a bait within the gutter. Star and grapple sinkers for this application start at around 4oz, but are more commonly used at 6oz or 8oz, which is a fair lump of lead to be casting. Once the plan comes together and you find yourself tight to a big fish in the surf, having the low-down grunt in a surf rod is important for dictating the fight to your favour. When fishing big baits in the surf, there is also bycatch in the form of gummy sharks, school sharks, bronze whalers, shovelnose rays plus other stingrays which can test surf-casting tackle.

This means selecting a rod capable of casting heavy weights is important, as a rod that is too soft and too short will dramatically compromise casting distance, the ability to hold a bait within your chosen body of water, and the ability to fight a fish in the surging whitewater.

Surf rods of 12 – 14ft and rated at around 12-20kg are ideal for fishing big baits for jewies it the surf. Shimano offer some great surf rods at varying price points for fishing heavy baits, including the SpeedMaster 13’0” at 12-20kg, the Dynaflare 13’0” at 12-20kg and the Exvance 13’0” at 15-25kg – all ideal rods for this application. These can be matched to a dedicated surf reel such as the SpeedMaster, Ultegra or Aerlex reels for maximising casting distance. Or for those who still prefer casting an overhead reel in the surf, the Calcutta 700B is a great reel for casting big slab baits.

Our southern surf beaches are a fantastic place to visit at any time of the year. They offer an environment of solitude, and a place where we can escape the bustle of daily life and catch a feed of fresh fish.