Reading a Beach (youtube videos) Input for beginners!!!!

[Fishnewbie]

Ok, I have always fished but i'm really getting into surf fishing. I hope this help for us beginner fisherman. Im trying to find structure, the videos aren't really that good but there are more to come. Any input would be great....Not a valid %s URL

[Fishnewbie]

Another Video for finding structure. Thanks for the input!!!!

[Pfishingruven]

This is a great article by our own Paul/PED579.  It really covers beach and the surf well.

http://njsaltwaterfisherman.com/forums/index.php?topic=3964.0

It is a little hard to tell from your video the structure you were fishing.  Best way to "read the sand" is to step back and take a look from farther up the beach.  I start looking as soon as I hit the dunes and can see water.  Scouting out the area at low tide is very helpful, too.  If you were on a sandbar, either you walked out continuously from the beach or at some point you hit a drop off and then a rise.  On either side of the sandbar there could be a trough/slough (depending upon who you ask).  At minimum the back side of the sandbar will lead to deeper water as well.  This is an area of deeper water running parallel to the beach either in front of, behind or both of the sandbar.  These are great places to fish.  Bait fish will travel in troughs and will be a place larger fish will hang out.  Depending on the tides and depth of water, larger fish can get stuck in a trough or have to travel some distance in the trough before they can find deeper water to get out and back into the ocean.  At some point along the trough, there is usually a perpendicular cut or rip that will help feed the trough with water.  This is also a good area to target as it may be the only way in or out and larger fish will stay just outside in the deeper water waiting for smaller fish to move out.

The deeper pools you were mentioning are possibly/likely holes.  Holes are just deeper pools of water between two sandbars basically.  These pools will hold fish and are great places for bigger fish to hang out waiting for food to wash in.  Holes are great places to setup on.  As for the breakers, it is not really necessary to fish beyond them.  You will be surprised that most of the fish you will catch will be much closer to shore.  Of course, this is mostly due to the structure out there.  Fishing 100 feet from shore on a sandbar is much less productive (almost a waste) than fishing 5 feet from shore in a hole or along a cut or trough.  A lot of this is dependent on tide too.  However, those areas of structure will always hold more fish than flat sandbar.

Hope this helps some.  I'm sure some others will chime in as well.  Being new to surf fishing, first and foremost, make sure you are safe!  The surf and sand are always changing especially from the aftermath of Sandy and the several coastal storms.  There is still a lot of debris and garbage washing up.  I just saw a full size telephone pole, wires and all, wash up in Point Pleasant Beach yesterday!  The scary part was it was submerged and until it was in the wash, it was almost unnoticeable.  Imagine being 5 feet out in the waves, casting and getting hit with that and then tangled in the wires !

There is an entire Surf Fishing Section here with lots of good information from very knowledgeable fisherman.  Good luck and welcome to NJSWF.  I'm sure you will enjoy it here.

 

[Fishnewbie]

Thank you so much for the feedback, I was wondering why my vidoes are coming out and not full screen. I have an iphone and I was wondering if anyone knew how I can get the video to show in Here is another video of trying to dertermine structure.

I downloaded tidegraph on my iphone and this app is very helpful for a beginner so here is the video. I will upload many more and try to get them in full screen.

There was def lots of white water and deep pools, I actually got a bite so I think on a dark colored bucktail but it could of just been the bottom.

[ped579]

Now that you reached that magic number of 5 posts other sections will be open to you to rummage through.  Feel free to look through those sections and I hope things will become clearer.  If not we have a few tricks for you to follow that many anglers will not tell you or they might not know themselves.

Matt gave you some great advice there as you will find this site is a learning experience and not one that is quick to judge or ridicule.  Let me know what you think after you have read some of our articles.

Happy Catching

Paul

[Fishnewbie]

Thanks Paul, I love the site and Im a beginner, so im looking for the best veteran advice... Thanks

[ped579]

Advice is given freely on this site but it is what you do with it that is worth everything.  We can tell you how to fish and sometimes where but without real sensory input all that is is a good read.  So read and get out and try your new skills.  If there are any specific questions, well just ask away.

You will learn, but, there are 2 things you must have; patience, and the will to listen.

Happy Catching

Paul

[ped579]

Fishnewbie have you ever fished around Camden Ave. or Philadelphia Ave. in Lavellette?

[Fishnewbie]

Yes I live very close to there!!! Just fished tonight, brought the dogs up but nothing!!!!

[ped579]

Okay, than.  One of the best places to fish before Sandy was the jetty on Pennsylvanian Ave.  If you don't like to walk the rocks try throwing the hi/lo rigs or plugs for that matter on the north side of the rocks.  it was usually deeper there as the sand and the prevailing tides run north to south off the beach.

The sand tends to build up on the south side making it much shallower and less likely to hold bait fish.

Good Luck

BTW I Live in Toms River maybe one day we could meet up and hit the beach.

Happy Catching

Paul