Fishing is excellent on Florida’s beaches. Some beach resorts permit fishing from the shore, and it is common to see people working the calm surf with poles and cast nets. Inshore fish, such as snook, pompano, shark, snapper, and redfish, can be caught from the beach.
Most beaches have parking lots, pavilions, and recreation areas, and many have coastlines and tidal pools. A short hike can sometimes lead you to more remote stretches of beach with the bonus of spectacular views. You can fish inshore tidal pools as well as open water surf. Some outlying beach areas can also be reached by boat.
If you stay in a beachfront hotel or condo, you will have convenient beach access. The hotels also offer a variety of activities, such as renting fishing equipment, kayaks, and jet skis.
Rods for Fishing
Fishing requires equipment that gets your bait out to where the fish are. Fishermen can fish from the beach, a pier, or a boat. Factors such as cost and the regularity of each fishing circumstance, you can choose between a single all-purpose rod and several specialized rods.
Remember that surfcasting uses long rods that are not appropriate for fishing from piers or boats. A heavy 6-foot pier fishing rod cannot easily be cast into the sea. Surf rods, 10+ foot rods are specifically designed for long-lasting in the surf. If you want an all-around rod, go with an 8-foot medium-weight rod.
Catching Bait
Utilizing live bait is perhaps the most effective method of catching fish! Artificial lures, spoons, and other devices work well, but nothing beats live bait.
Cast netting for smaller fish is a popular and enjoyable beach activity. The coastline is also a great place to learn how to throw these nets. Find a bare spot on the shore and throw it away. Catching bait on the in the morning with the sun coming up will expose bait schools glistening in the sun. Another well-known bait collecting technique is trying to dig in the sand for sand fleas and are a staple food for most nearshore fish. You can also catch fiddler crabs and ghost shrimp in the sand. These are all free baits to catch while waiting for a bite on your line.
Fishing in the Surf
Surfcasting requires the use of surf fishing rods and reels. Rods range in length from 10 to 20 feet, the reels to use are conventional or spinning and intended for surfcasting. The perfect line weight is 15 pounds, which provides enough power to pull in large fish while remaining light enough to avoid being pulled by the continually churning surf. Popular bait rigs are a double drop rig with a sinker on the bottom and sliding sinker rigs. Most popular game fish can be caught with 1/0 to 4/0 hooks, sharks require much larger rigs and gear. Always learn and be informed of all laws and regulations for your target fish.
After casting your bait, use sand spikes set in the sand for each rod being used. A store-bought PVC sand spike or aluminum spike will keep your rod in place and not be knocked loose by the pounding surf. Place your sand spike at the surf’s edge by slowly rocking the end back and forth until it is adequately in the sand.
Many experienced surf anglers use two or more rods at the same time. They set the first line out, insert it into the sand spike, then bait and cast the second rod. A lot of times they will cast out at different distances to see where the fish are biting. During peak fishing season when the second rod is placed in the sand spike, you should be ready to reel in the first line with a fish on it.
Fishing With a Fly
Because of the calm surf, fly fishing on the beach is widespread on the Gulf Coast. Fly fishing consists of a long rod with a homemade or store-bought fly or insect bait. It will be cast into the water continuously to mimic an insect landing on the water. On any given day, fly fishers can be found anywhere there is water but a lot of them can be found on the southern end of Naples Beach, heading towards Gordon Pass. This thinly populated beach is ideal for fly fishing. I wouldn’t do this on a high tide or a windy day.
Many beach resorts in Florida are accessible but getting to them can be challenging. To get to the beach, you should first find one of the many parking areas and then an Access To the beach walkway.
Fishing From the Beach
You will undoubtedly will have great a great day fishing from the beach but there are many other fishing areas like stopping along a roadside, a publicly or privately owned dock, or under a bridge. It is not unusual to see anglers on the roadside as you take trips through Florida. If there’s water, there’s probably fish and always someone trying to catch them.
There are also state, county, city, and privately owned public docks and piers located throughout the state. Check first because some public docks do not permit fishing. Bait and gear are usually available at famous fishing piers, and most do not necessitate a fishing license if you pay to fish.
Beach Fishing on a Mangrove Island
Beaching your boat on a mangrove island and fishing from the beach is common for both locals and tourists. To get to these islands, you’ll need a boat or kayak and an understanding of the waterways. Always check with locals before venturing out to these remote islands; some are private, so do your research before you go.
Snook, redfish and other nearshore fish can be found feeding at sunrise and sunset in the surf. These islands have an abundance of wildlife, including turtle and nests, fiddler crabs, and various birds, including bald eagles.
Spearfishing
Anglers enjoy diving for spearfishing on nearby reefs. This is very popular in Southeast Florida, where many reefs can be reached by swimming. These daring anglers can be identified by the swim-down flags hanging behind them.
Tarpon From the Beach
Tarpon fishing isn’t just for boat anglers; you can catch a tarpon from the beach, a bridge, or a fishing pier, even though tarpon are inshore fish that eat follow species like ladyfish and mullet in the surf.
Tarpon can grow to 8 feet long and weigh a whopping 280 pounds. It would help if you also had heavy equipment; otherwise, you would be wasting your time. These monsters jump and run long distances when caught. You’ll have plenty of line for the fight if you have 350 yards of a 50-pound test. The leader should be 10 feet long and made of a 100-pound test with a 7/0 hook or a hook size appropriate for your bait. Catching one of these from the shore is on a lot of fisherman’s bucket list.
Dangers
Like any other water sport, this must be approached with caution. A lot of surf fishing is done in whitewater surf conditions. Large waves and strong currents can cause death or serious injury if proper precautions are not taken.
Fishing areas should be handpicked at low tide to detect sudden drop-offs or unsafe conditions hidden at high tide. Any angler who wears waders must also wear a wader belt to keep the waders from filling with water if they fall in the surf. The cleated footwear should be worn wherever there are slippery rocks. Personal flotation devices (PFDs) should be considered when fishing alone in large surf, on a boat or the jetties.
Because lures and hooks have razor-sharp points, it is critical not to hook yourself or others when trying to cast, mainly when conducting two-handed full power casts that necessitate a significant safety zone behind the surf caster. Casting from a boat is dangerous also because of the lack of room. If you hook yourself or someone else by accident, it’s good to have a pair of quality cutting pliers on hand that can cut the hooks you’re fishing with.
When is the Best Time to go Fishing
“Whenever you have time, go fishing.” Few individuals have the adaptability in their schedule to fish only on days with excellent weather.
The ideal time to surf fishing is early hours (before sunrise) and sunset.
Granted, some days when going surf fishing is not a good idea. For example, a large storm will pass through now and then, severely affecting the surf. The surf can reach 8 feet at times! That is simply something you should avoid.
Best Surf Fishing Conditions
In general, the best surf fishing conditions are low surf and moving tide, corresponding water temperature to peak season, and low wind, Corresponding tides to the ideals of your chosen beach. There is no seaweed, minor current, and the water is relatively straightforward. It is neither too cold nor too hot outside.
