The Web Resource for Aspiring and Dedicated Surf Fisherman
Buying Fishing Lures for the Fish, Not for Yourself
Do you buy fishing lures because they attract you or because they look like the bait fish you see swimming in the waters you fish?
I always try to get or make lures that mimic the bait fish I see. I also try to keep colors in mind (For saltwater, I always want basic lures in white, black, yellow, chartreuse), then I go for a size assortment (Small, medium, and large).
The bottomline-- I try to match my baitfish, not jazz up my lure bag.
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DDFD believes that self reliance and self sufficiency are the roads to individual freedom. He is dedicated to living a quality life through frugality, personal growth and productivity, and defensive entrepreneurship. He also enjoys cooking from scratch and fishing.
Surfcasting: Tying Teaser Leaders
Now that I regularly use teasers, I have to tie my own leaders. I use two setups:
- Short leader-- About five feet long with a surgeon's drop loop tied about three feet ahead of the plug
- Long leader-- About 6-8 feet long with the drop loop tied about 2/3's of the way up
I want a big baitfish chasing a smaller baitfish scenario . . .
For materials I recommend:
- A length of 80lb Fluorocarbon leader line
- Spro Swivel
- Eagle Claw Quick Snaps
I usually tie these in multiples of 10. A few hours on the water, especially with bluefish and other toothy fish, and you will go through a few.
The ultimate reward is the double header hookup-- two fish at once!
Thank you for visiting Surfcasting Today and come back soon for more . . . follow me on Twitter at Surfcasting2Day, SelfRelianceWS, and DvrcdDadFrglDad.
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RELATED POSTS:
How to Get Started Surfcasting
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Fishing From a Small Boat: A Gear Checklist For Surf Fisherman
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DDFD believes that self reliance and self sufficiency are the roads to individual freedom. He is dedicated to living a quality life through frugality, personal growth and productivity, and defensive entrepreneurship. He also enjoys cooking from scratch and fishing.
Surfcasting: Big Bait, Big Fish
When surfcasting, or any sort of fishing, it is widely accepted that big bait will give you big fish. I think there is much to be said about this concept.
My view is big bait (including a lure) should do two things:
- Catch the interest of a much bigger fish-- you need to make it worth their while
- Scare off smaller fish fearful of a larger bait-- fear of being eaten should be greater than desire for the meal
This isn't to say that you should use ridiculous sized baits, but rather something slightly larger than the average baitfish in the waters.
This is also another reason why I like teasers-- I can present both a large and smaller choice for my prey.
What do you think?
Thank you for visiting Surfcasting Today and come back soon for more . . . follow me on Twitter at Surfcasting2Day, SelfRelianceWS, and DvrcdDadFrglDad.
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RELATED POSTS:
How to Get Started Surfcasting
Surfcasting Fishing Safety Tips
Fishing From a Small Boat: A Gear Checklist For Surf Fisherman
_______________________________________
DDFD believes that self reliance and self sufficiency are the roads to individual freedom. He is dedicated to living a quality life through frugality, personal growth and productivity, and defensive entrepreneurship. He also enjoys cooking from scratch and fishing.
Surfcasting: Bait-- Live or Dead?
I would go with fresh . . . Live bait and dead bait can both catch fish, the key is that it be fresh.
Lifeless live bait isn't much better than fresh dead bait that is jigged in my book. When it comes to live bait I prefer to catch my own from the body of water to be fished.
As for dead bait, some fish don't care and for others it is just a matter of putting some movement into it.
The key again is fresh bait . . . not frozen and refrozen, but FRESH! Use a cooler with ice or a bucket/well with an aerator.
Thank you for visiting Surfcasting Today and come back soon for more . . . follow me on Twitter at Surfcasting2Day, SelfRelianceWS, and DvrcdDadFrglDad.
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RELATED POSTS:
How to Get Started Surfcasting
Surfcasting Fishing Safety Tips
Fishing From a Small Boat: A Gear Checklist For Surf Fisherman
_______________________________________
DDFD believes that self reliance and self sufficiency are the roads to individual freedom. He is dedicated to living a quality life through frugality, personal growth and productivity, and defensive entrepreneurship. He also enjoys cooking from scratch and fishing.
Surfcasting: New Fishing Gear or Used?
When it comes to some gear, older used gear is sometimes better. We all know they don't make 'em like they used to . . . especially with reels.
Today, many reels can be had for peanuts, but they are mass produced junk from China. These reels tend to fail after a season or two. For about the same money you can find older, used Penn and Mitchell reels that where well made and built to last.
Until recently, Penn reels were made in Pennsylvania and many 30-40 year old models, properly cared for, can still serve you well. The same can be said of old French made Mitchell reels. Alas, both Penn and Mitchell have their new models manufactured in China now.
This phenomenon applies to other gear as well . . . don't just rule it out because it is old.
Thank you for visiting Surfcasting Today and come back soon for more . . . follow me on Twitter at Surfcasting2Day, SelfRelianceWS, and DvrcdDadFrglDad.
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RELATED POSTS:
How to Get Started Surfcasting
Surfcasting Fishing Safety Tips
Fishing From a Small Boat: A Gear Checklist For Surf Fisherman
_______________________________________
DDFD believes that self reliance and self sufficiency are the roads to individual freedom. He is dedicated to living a quality life through frugality, personal growth and productivity, and defensive entrepreneurship. He also enjoys cooking from scratch and fishing.
Surfcasters and Rod Size . . .
Many surfcasters seem to run with the longer the better on rod size. There are many factors to consider when deciding on the right size rod:
- Place-- where are you fishing?
- Targeted game-- What are you fishing for?
- Play-- How much action do you want?
- Surfcaster body size-- What can you physically handle?
- Surfcaster ability-- How skilled are you?
- Bait or Lure-- What are you throwing?
Personally, I like 8. 9, and 10 foot surf rods, but have longer and shorter choices available. Shorter rods work well for plugs, while longer rods are good for flinging bait.
Only through experimenting will you find you happy mediums . . . which reminds me-- I prefer medium action rods.
Thank you for visiting Surfcasting Today and come back soon for more . . . follow me on Twitter at Surfcasting2Day, SelfRelianceWS, and DvrcdDadFrglDad.
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How to Get Started Surfcasting
Surfcasting Fishing Safety Tips
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Surf Fishing Recipes: Tuna Melts
Here is the recipe for some real comfort food-- Tuna Melts. Pretty much the same concept as Lunch Idea: Cheeseburger Melts.
Here is what you need:
- Tuna fish salad
- Cheese slices
- Sliced bread
- Butter
Here is what to do:
- Butter the bread slices on one side only and put on pan or griddle butter side down
- Place a cheese slice on the open side of the bread until it starts to melt
- Assemble the bread with the tuna fish salad
- Press the sandwich down into the pan or griddle on each side for 1-2 minutes
- Cut diagonally
Total prep time is under 10 minutes.
This post originally appeared on DaddyCooksQuick.com, here is the link to the original post, Lunch Idea: Tuna Melts.
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Lunch Idea: Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Lunch Idea: Chicken Cutlet on Ciabatta Bread
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Lunch Idea: Meatloaf Sandwiches
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Surf Fishing Recipes: Date Night Delight-- Shrimp and Steak
Sometimes my wife and I start thinking about going out for a steak dinner-- it will cost about $75 for the two of us, at our favorite old standby. However, we sometimes come up with another idea-- a frugal feast.
We will make it at home on the grill. We go to the supermarket and pick up two steaks, a pound of shrimp, a pint of fresh mushrooms, a vidalia onion, two large Idaho potatoes, and two pints of Ben & Jerry's ice cream-- for a total of about $26. Add the wine we usually have and we have the makings of an awesome dinner. I prep everything in about ten minutes.
We do it all on the grill:
- Baked potatoes wrapped in foil on the coals
- Vidalia onion with salt, pepper, butter, and olive oil wrapped in foil on the coals
- Mushrooms with salt, pepper, butter, olive oil, and sherry wrapped in foil on the grill
- Shrimp with lemon, salt, pepper, butter, olive oil, and sherry wrapped in foil on the grill
- Steaks seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic salt on the grill
While all this cooks (about 45 minutes) we enjoy wine in the peace and quiet of our backyard and save $50 while having more food than we would have gotten eating out . . .
This post originally appeared on DivorcedDadFrugalDad.com, here is the link to the original post: Friday Night's Dinner: A Big Savings Treat.
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A New Approach to Metal Leaders
When surfcasting in my home waters I have to beware of bluefish biting off my plugs. To avoid this problem I have used metal leaders (12-36 inches). Unfortunately, striped bass are metal leader shy. I am going to try a new approach, a trade off if you will.
I am switching to short four (4) inch metal leaders that should provide some protection against bluefish bite off just above the plug, while reducing the visual problem with striped bass.
Granted this won't stop bite offs well above the plug, but should cover an "inhaled" plug bite off.
We shall see the results as the season wears on.
The art and science of the surfcasting fisherman is one of constant refinement and experimentation . . .
Thank you for visiting Surfcasting Today and come back soon for more . . . follow me on Twitter at Surfcasting2Day, SelfRelianceWS, and DvrcdDadFrglDad.
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How to Get Started Surfcasting
Surfcasting Fishing Safety Tips
Fishing From a Small Boat: A Gear Checklist For Surf Fisherman
Using Old Mitchell Spinning Reels . . .
I have been a fan of Mitchell reels since I first bought a Mitchell 300 with my newspaper and lawn mowing money as a kid some 35+ years ago.
Some 25+ years ago I got a Mitchell 306A surf reel and it never failed me. I actually failed it (I am currently renovating it to repair my neglect), I stopped using it two seasons ago.
I decided to add a few old Mitchell saltwater reels to my arsenal, and got them for a song on eBay over last fall and winter. I added the following:
- 302 on a 12' rod
- 402 on a 10' rod
- 406A on a 7' rod
I just started fishing these reels and I couldn't be happier-- they are reliable work horses that can still deliver nice casts and solid retrieves.
Much like the old Penn reels I have begun using, these reels are solid reels that will last years to come, they are heavier than modern reels, but that can be an advantage. The extra weight doesn't both me much anyway because I intend to use these older reels for bait tossing-- less casting.
If you really want to learn about these reels check out the following site (Mitchell Reel Museum). I highly recommend reading the old advertisements for details on the intended use, capacities, and rod/reel recommendations.
Thank you for visiting Surfcasting Today and come back soon for more . . . follow me on Twitter at Surfcasting2Day, SelfRelianceWS, and DvrcdDadFrglDad.
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RELATED POSTS:
How to Get Started Surfcasting
Surfcasting Fishing Safety Tips
Fishing From a Small Boat: A Gear Checklist For Surf Fisherman
