Surf fishing, low tide, high tide, slack tide?

You can use a plastic colander for sand crabs. As the surge goes out just twist your feet and the crabs will be swept into it. Of course there has to be crabs to start with. I haven't tried the Gulp sand crabs but the worms work as good as any real bait. You can probably get shrimp for around $120+ pesos / kilo and lots of stuff love shrimp. Just save some for bait. I like a piece of orange yarn and a piece of shrimp on a carolina rig. The yarn will stick to their teeth (barred perch) and your catch ratio will go up. The orange imitates a sand crab ripe with eggs.
edit:
Here's a few shots of a sandcrab screen I made






[Edited on 12-30-2012 by Russ]

Pileworms & sand crabs

blood worms

Hola,,I have not used blood worms..but I have seen them...pile worms are vicous with knarly P-ncher like teeth (2) and are great shore bait..sand crabs dont last long if there are any fish around.. (munch,,munch) I dont have much time chaseing corvina (need to work on that) have alot of time off the rocks (Mas Sur) and know some tricks that work !! the hard part is catching the bait. crab (sallys are best) berkley black seven strand leaders and no weight !! just toss out in the gorges from the farthest out you can get !! the reef fish go thur crab like its soft butter & you have to learn to set up with line motion..but you will catch some good eating fish,,chino miro,,sheephead,,parrot,,permit,,morey and anything that swims around the rocks !!! its a double edge sword !! those sure are nice to see while snorkeling and catching the crabs can really get ya cut,bruised up fast !! so go out as often as you can,,,cause its a short ride......K&T

[Edited on 12-31-2012 by captkw]

pile/blood worms

The sons of b-tchen I'm talking bout have those 2 teeth your talking about !! damn,,, that hurts !!! blood worms are smaller and look like blood,,very red and dont bite...Jefftro,,now listen here boy...bring me that thar can worms..now see um teef...

Quote:

Originally posted by captkw The sons of b-tchen I'm talking bout have those 2 teeth your talking about !! damn,,, that hurts !!! blood worms are smaller and look like blood,,very red and dont bite...Jefftro,,now listen here boy...bring me that thar can worms..now see um teef...

bloodworms mostly a east coast species will most defiantly put the hurt on ya. I believe they even have a little poison in their bite!

ghost shrimp !!

ghost shrimp

anchoveys

Belly blow out and eye fall out...happens Fast !! whistler,, thanks for the ghost report !! when I was around 30 yrs old had a 28ft owens near carqueniz straits and used them for sturgeon and they were not cheap and had to be pamperd !! funny looking little units..like they come from another planet !! LOL....K&T

Seldom ever use bait,K/M,s,blue/chrome or green/chrome 1/4,3/8 oz........it also has to do which side are you fishin.

West or cold water side Kastmasters will work on Halibut,yellowfin croakers,barred perch,on the east side everything Why spent your time chasing crabs?

Light outfit and keep moving.
Rob
Forgot the tides,when ever you can get out there,some of the best times I,ve had was at a low tide and that was with Butts,they are still out there just a little farther out now,they haven,t left.

Different species feed at different times,yes generally incoming and high tides are better but not always,

Let us know how it goes.
Rob
One more thing Keep moving don,t wait for them to find you you go looking for them thats importante amigo.



[Edited on 12-31-2012 by baitcast]

hows that for irony, Iflyfish inquiring about fishing bait and baitcast touting artificials !but seriously, I would never badmouth bait fishing but isnt there a special reward that comes with fooling a fish with a piece of metal or a chunk of plastic?

Actually Iflyfishes ? was which tide is bestthen we ended up with something about crabs and which way to catch them them and which kind is best on and on,I countered why bother with crabs when K/M,s are more fun and something about dinner "O Ya that was Woody I wonder whats next?

One things for sure fishing from the beach is a kick the sights and sounds on the west side to the pond and warm water on the east side,just can,t be beat!!!!!
Rob

A master baiter?

Now surf fishing in a boat. That's different.

Quote:

Originally posted by vandenberg Now surf fishing in a boat. That's different.

Yup.. different. Not for the faint of heart.

Quote:

Originally posted by Pompano Quote: Originally posted by vandenberg Now surf fishing in a boat. That's different. Yup.. different. Not for the faint of heart.

Surf fishing in a boat pic !!

That wave is smaller than the one thats coming in the rear of that pic...And let me guess..folks call this "captain"...always remember Waves come in sets of 7....Most of the time,,thats the catch...on very,very calm days on the pacific I have with the right conditions (rare) fished the back side of small breakers with my eyes backwards and hand on the starter!!! not for the faint of heart and must be aware of those rouge ones...great way for flattie limets....if you trust you boat 200 percent........one, little oops and your on the beach/rocks !!!And that will ruin your day...K&T

now thats smart & scary LOL..

SURF FISHING


15 minutes ago on the coast near Pescadero.

Pretty wet n' wild!

You've got to want it pretty bad to do it like that....

If you boys have to use bait check with the Whistler on what he uses for these guys and it ain,t sand crabs

Quote:

Originally posted by baitcast If you boys have to use bait check with the Whistler on what he uses for these guys and it ain,t sand crabs

My dad and I about ready to leave Variety Beach, having been well worn-out from all the fishing and fish cleaning... Calico Bass off the rocks and croaker, corbina, and halibut on the sand beach. 1982, I think...

That's not surprising. The Italian-Americans knew more about good seafood than the rest of us in those days. Calamari was never sold in restaurants until the 70's here. I remember a guy in grad school that had a grant from DFG to study the marketability of squid as food in this state - 1975.

Incidentally, I don't think the WSB fishing is as good in that area as it was. There is great corbina fishing still there for miles and miles. The netters don't get in there very much.

Quote:

Originally posted by Skipjack Joe Quote: Originally posted by whistler Guys would complain that Nick would cook and eat a lot of the bait.Calimari. That's not surprising. The Italian-Americans knew more about good seafood than the rest of us in those days. Calamari was never sold in restaurants until the 70's here. I remember a guy in grad school that had a grant from DFG to study the marketability of squid as food in this state - 1975. Incidentally, I don't think the WSB fishing is as good in that area as it was. There is great corbina fishing still there for miles and miles. The netters don't get in there very much.

Most who fish the cold side never see these guys because of the bait they are using,sand crabs and the like will not get you one.

I fished two areas where you can catch WSB from the beach and they are much closer also good size Butts,wish I known about Variety beach back then,anuway back to two good spots for WSB and Halibut'

Punta San Quintin and Punta San Carlos,San Quintin needs a rig that can handle sand other wise forget it,fish the outside use squid for the bass but beware there are some monster Bat Rays that will empty a large coffee grinder in a hurry

San Carlos has to be the halibut capital of the world,at times the bottom has to be covered with them, the wsb can be good size we got some real nice fish,will bet they are to be had still,would love to found out.

Would also loved to have known the Whistler back then.
Rob

Love the old long rods also and after looking closely I think I see a old black 4/0 on the big rod maybe a 6/0,we used both when distance was not needed as much,our favorite reel for shark and ray fishing from the beach were Long Bch 68,s with a power handle,most people used them on rock cod.

68,s were wide light weight spools which made for better distance,high capacity,poor drags,after a few Mud Marlins the drags had to be changed otherwise pretty good and cheap!

Your rods were better quality,we used Calcutta cane 10' to 12',I put together a few for my friends just for fun,ya they would take a set but all you had to do was lay it on the ground and bend it the other way and you were on your way!
Rob

I am loving reading and rereading this thread about shore fishing.



I did most of my own shore fishing from rivers & streams in my youth, but western ND did not have much in the way of surf fishing...and I don't believe eastern Dakota had any either...unless you count the muddy Red River overflowing during spring melts. Baja Sur provided my initiation into this fabulous sport and I'm sorry to say I didn't do nearly enough back in the day.

But Hey, we did catch a few Dog Snapper back then:



I was then and am now concerned mostly with fishing from boats, but now have a sudden desire to return to the surf...and I have a few questions for you experienced guys and gals.

First, I know better than to bring just any tackle with me to the surf.

So...I'm eager to learn different tackle and new tricks. I'd like to know just what compromises a complete set of surf fishing gear? I have a plan for an upcoming trip. Doc says no bouncing around in a boat for a while....so....Any suggestions for a surf fishing expedition in Baja?


Rods? Reels? Lines? Weights? Lures? Baits? (already learned a lot here about which baits) Hooks? Other needed equipment?

I would hate to find out I needed those pyramid sinkers or spider weights..AFTER it was too late!! Sand spikes, too?

Please help me make my list.

My List:
- 2 and 3oz pyramid weights more
- 2/0 circle hooks
- frozen squid
- xrap magnums (blue?)
- 25# mono
- carolina rig
- weedless swimbaits
- long and shorter rods (also salmon rig?)
- reels
- chair/stool
- large rolling cooler
- plastics - Gulp worm baits (camo)
- bait trap/rake
-
-


I'm thinking a trip to San Diego's Squidco and Fisherman's Landing is in order. Finest way to spend a day.


[Edited on 1-11-2013 by Pompano]

Quote:

Originally posted by willardguy Quote: Originally posted by Pompano Quote: Originally posted by vandenberg Now surf fishing in a boat. That's different. Yup.. different. Not for the faint of heart. probably practicing for their jobs as commercial fishermen. http://www.youtube.com/embed/ByGSMmenPDM?rel=0

Get a bag of GULP pileworms. Scented, they work as well as live bait and much better than grubs. I use the 'Camo' color because it looks more natural than "Natural".

BTW, I feel that fishing from shore is more physically demanding than from a boat. So I'm not sure if this is a good solution. I suppose you can heave it out there and put the rod in a spike but that doesn't work as well. I did, however, meet an old timer at Variety Beach that did just that and did real well. He'd been coming there for 17 years they said. He used mussels. Gobs of mussels.

Couple of tips,when using squid,fish prefer fresh over fresh frozen 2 to 1 if you can buy it down there just ice it down and it will last two three days.

Grunion runs never ever miss one of those,learned that one many years ago grunion are a big magnet your very large chum line,day time runs in the Cortez nite time on Calif beachs,all kinds of critters will show up for those parties,you see one grab your rod,pin one on,no sinker ,don,t worry about distance they will be close,the pic was taken a few miles south of San Felipe.




When distance was not a issure we used truline jig sticks they were a favorite back then I had two a D8 and a JC,they worked best on the jetties.

When fishing the big stuff we never sat on our ass sand spike the big rods and work the light rods on the move but within running distance

Got this guy from the the Seal Bch jetty,won a shark and Ray derby with him


Use squid only on the east side or the triggers will drive you mad!!



[Edited on 1-11-2013 by baitcast]

I rerigged my D8 with roller guides traded for a old black 6/0 Penn,took it with me on its first outing to the Lupe and later when I was able to afford a boat,hooked some monsters with it,those were some great years!!!!!!

Still to this day have that JC which I won in a Mud Marlin derby,it was a good jig stick many YT,s and Albies bit the dust because of it and a 500 with 40
Rob

My first boat was a 16' Ryan when I lived in Long Bch and was in it that we started shark fishing,one thing lead to another and I started making my own chum buckets,they would be full of squid,macks and bonito what ever we could find ended in it,wouldn,t you it one day I forgot to take it out of the trunk of my car,thiscan just happened to have a good seal on it so I didn,t smell it until it was to late.

It had to be some of the hottest days of the year there was this explosion we even heard it in the house I go out and open up the trunk and there was the bucket broke open and the stinking goo everywhere,the smell was about to much
after I did the best I could we had it steamcleaned,it still smelled for days My wife nearly left me!
Rob

What can be done from the beach by fellow Nomads.






[Edited on 1-24-2013 by baitcast]


[Edited on 1-24-2013 by baitcast]

Quote: Originally posted by baitcast

All about beach fishin…...bump! Rob

Quote: Originally posted by caj13

to catch sand crabs, i just use a short handled fine mesh fishing net (like 1/4 inch mesh). I walk out about 10 feet past the upper wave limit, when the wave peters out and starts back, i just drop the net in the water, try and bury it maybe 1/2 inch in the sand (for the bottom of the net) and as the water retreats and leaves me standing in the sand - there typically is 10 - 20 sand crabs in the net - easy peasy -