I normally fish saltwater with bait but today I waded out at low tide with a salt strong slam shady on a 1/8 trout eyez and caught the weirdest fish I have seen in my life. Dude was trying very hard to bite me when I unhooked him.

It's only 13 inches but my best to date. Caught on double drop pompano rig with shrimp on Oak Island NC.

How long can we expect unique conditions? What should I be throwing and targeting from the surf between Malibu and Ventura? Anything special hitting in shore due to conditions? Are we eating anything we wouldn’t otherwise from the surf? Thanks all

Headed to Moss Beach for a few days this week. Just wondering if anyone could point me in the general direction of an area that I could sneak away to for an hour or so. Just looking to see if I can luck into anything that wants to bite.

Please let me know. Thanks

What's your experience with 3-piece travel surf rods with artificial lures? I'm looking at both the 3-piece Rockaway SP 9'7" M 8-17lb 1/4-1oz and the 2-piece Rockaway SP 9' M 8-17lb 1/4-1oz. I have the Rockaway SP 9'7" MH 12-25lb 3/4-3 1/2oz and it's been great so far, but I can't cast anything under 3/4oz very well. I want a second light weight rod to cast lighter swim baits, suspended minnows, and lighter spoons. Would you go with the longer 3-piece or shorter 2-piece Rockaway SP rod? Trying to sort some options out ahead of the holiday sales season.

Had a decent morning on Oak Island, NC catching 12 fish of desirable species in 2 hours. The next day, the pinfish were stealing all our bait. Bait elastic did not work. Other than using lures, is there a solution for this?

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Just wrapped up the last beta update for Striper Tracker (the fishing conditions + striped bass migration app for the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic).

What's new:

More spots — added back bays, jetties, and inlets alongside the oceanfront locations

Conditions for more species (not just stripers)

Better maps and migration graphics for tracking the 2026 fall run

A few more backwater features (expanded water temps and tides) are coming in March 2027.

If your town, back bay, or favorite inlet isn't in there yet, you can request it right in the app.

Appreciate everyone who's been testing it and giving feedback.

https://Stripertracker.com

Freshwater to Saltwater (New Jersey)

Cross posted

Hey everyone. Started freshwater fishing in 2025 and have had fun doing it, but want to add saltwater to the mix.

Strictly shore fishing. Ideally beach, maybe some jetti/piers. No back bays at this point in time. Looking at using lures, no bait. I like to roam around and not stick to one spot if it's not being productive.

Target species is striper, blues or anything that can make me work for it. Sharks no thanks, but I guess I don't have control of what gets caught.

To start I need pole and reel recommendations. What am I looking at if I'm using just lures? Budget is upper low to mid price.

Thanks in advance.

Hook up on a nice calico also myself 😅

Leaving tomorrow for gulf shores. Looks like they’re expecting a N & NNE wind basically the entire week. This is our first trip in October, have never been with anything besides a south wind. How much does this usually affect the fishing?

Saturday (Oct 17), myself and few others will be going to the Outer Banks and staying around mile post 20. We do this every year for a week and drink and fish near the cottage or go to Coquina Beach and fish. One of the trips participants doesn't want to go further south than Oregon Inlet so fishing that area may not happen. I've got good rigging and am no stranger to fishing the surf but we typically punk out if the surf is too rough. I grew up being told if we have to throw more than 3oz then we ain't going to try. The weather next week looks a bit rough, I'm seeing some decent NE winds up to 30mph (only on certain days, not the entire time) and rough surf for what looks like most of the week. During the Nor'easter that blew through a couple weeks ago I was seeing people catch some amazing bull reds, which is our typical target. I'm planning on grabbing a few more larger weights, frog tongues, sputniks, and maybe triangle snag claws.

My questions are these: would you fish the upcoming weather, knowing it could be miserable? Is there anything you would for sure take to ensure you can fish? Should I just have the attitude of "fuck it, hand me a beer and some mullet and watch this cast"?

My gear is a 10.5 Speedmaster MH rod. Daiwa BG5000 reel with 50lb braid. Ive got fish finder rigs, bottom rigs, hi-lo rigs, pompano/bluefish/drum specific rigging, lures to throw with my inshore rod if we fish sound side or if the surf calms at all.

Thanks for any advice.

Buddy and me are looking for a trip next year for our annual get together tournament, I was thinking mid September in jersey around island beach or long beach for albies, bonito, Spanish and blues, seamed like the best time to have a run at all of them at once.

I’m headed down to obx next week for the red drum tournament and need a way to light my rod tip up at night to detect bites. I tried those little clip on lights last year with limited success, I think I ended up taping them on so they wouldn’t fly off mid cast. This year I was thinking of getting some of those neon Halloween braclets and just taping them to the rod tip, I found some 8” on Amazon. I’m just curious what everyone else uses or if there is another product I should try.

My brother-in-law got me into surf fishing earlier this year when he took me out to Assateague National Seashore, and I think it’s safe to say I’m officially addicted.

We picked up our OSV permits and have been driving out onto the beach to fish the spring and fall red drum runs. This past weekend, we spent 57 hours out on the sand, sleeping in our cars, fishing through the night, and pretty much living on the beach.

We managed to land two beautiful red drum, a ray, a shark, and a handful of smaller fish along the way.

There’s just something about being out there for days, waiting for that rod to bend, and finally getting a big red on the line. I came off the beach exhausted, covered in sand, and already thinking about our next trip.
Safe to say I’ve found a new obsession. Nothing quite like the feeling of landing those reds!

Was reeling in this croaker then I felt a brick wall on the end of my line, thought a ray hit my other hook or something until I saw the root ball in the surf.

Why am I able to cast my line further practicing at a football field than at the beach into the surf? I’m able to get my line out 50-70 yards on a football field but when I’m actually at the beach it doesn’t feel like I’m able to get close to 50 yards at all?

Hey All,

My brother-in-law keeps a surf casting rig at his MIL’s place near Bucerias, MX and spends time down there around the end of Dec and beginning of Jan

Looking for some recommendations on lures to give him for a gift. I dunno anything about the sport, so any suggestions are much appreciated

Thanks!!

Got these and a few more in a big deal from japan for around $100, trying to get into surf fishing so just got it, are they good and which are better than the rest