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Why is the Albright knot the best knot to tie for a shock leader? The answer is because it meets the two main requirements needed for the shock leaders that are used for surf fishing.
- A shock leader knot must be strong enough to withstand the power of long distance surf casting.
- The knot must be as compact as possible to allow it to pass through the rod guides as easily as possible.
The Albright knot is one of the few if not the only knot that does this well. It's also probably the best knot to use when joining braid to monofiliment. In my opinion braid is fast becoming the line of choice for surf fishing. The reason I believe this is because it has many advantages over mono. The only disadvantage I think that's justified is the price.
Click on this link for three good tips for tying the Albright knot and a video to show you how to tie it
A very common bottom rig for surf fishing is the dropper loop rig. It looks just like the fireball rig in that it has two hooks tied in-between the sinker and the swivel. You can use it as is or add colored beads to attract attention from the fish.
Some surf anglers will add floats to the hooks so the bait is kept just out of reach from pesky crabs trying to steal it.
The advantage of the dropper loop rig is the ability to change the hooks or the sinker easily. If you need more weight to hold the bottom the sinker can be swapped out in a jiffy. The same things goes for the hooks. You may want a different size hook if you decide to go to a different bait. Hooks are always sized to the size of your bait.
Here's a link to a video showing how to tie the dropper loop rig.
There are two common mistakes surf anglers can make that cause line twist on a spinning reel. Here are the causes and how to avoid them.
The first mistake is spooling the reel up improperly. When you spool up a spinning reel the line must go on the reel in the same direction as it come off the spool. There's a very simple way to do this and get it right every time. You can learn how to properly spool a spinning reel here. It makes no difference which direction the reel turns as long as you match the direction it comes off the spool of new line.
Surf fish fight pretty hard and often take line from the reel by way of the drag. When the angler also tries to crank while line is taken off by the drag that's the second mistake that causes line twist. If line is being taken off the reel by a fighting fish you should let it take drag and apply pressure on the fish by using the power of the rod. Pull back on the rod and reel down on it to take up line. Just don't crank if line is comming off by the drag. This of course only applies to a spinning reel. A conventional reel does not suffer from this situation.
Line twist is one of the leading causes for tangles on a spinning reel. The other is over spooling. If you over spool it's only a matter of time before you have a real mess on your hands. Any time you spool up you should always stop about 1/8 of an inch from the outer edge of the lip on the spool.
Remember these two tips to avoid line twist and the problems it causes.
Before heading out to fish the surf you'll have to decide what surf fishing bait to use. There are several popular bait varieties to choose from. Before you make a choice consider the following:
- Will you be targeting a specific surf fish or going for pot luck?
- Do you plan to fish in the breakers or past the sandbar?
- Remember your surf fishing rigs should be sized to the bait you choose.
- Have you checked any surf fishing reports for the type of action to expect?
Lets start with the fishing reports. You should be able to learn:
- Where to find fish
- What kind of fish to target
- What bait is best to start with
Once you have an idea what location to fish and where in the surf the fish are feeding you know whether you'll be fishing the breakers or past the sandbar in the trough. You should also know what you will be fishing for and the bait you want to use.
If you weren't able to get any reports and have no idea what to use then you are stuck with pot luck. In that case your best bet is to go with shrimp. Shrimp is the universal saltwater bait. Practically every fish found in the surf will take live shrimp.
Here's a short list of popular surf fishing bait you could choose from.
Shrimp
Shrimp is my first choice unless I have reliable surf fishing reports for action on other baits or I'm planning to fish for sharks. The list of possible fish caught covers just about anything in the surf.
Sand Fleas
Sand fleas are actually mole crabs. They can be found at the edge of the surf by digging a few inches down in the sand. Surf anglers often use a sand flea rake to gather some to fish with. Sand fleas will catch a variety of fish. You can expect to get action from whiting, redfish, pompano, striped bass, croakers and black drum.
Mullet and Menhaden
Mullet are vegetarians. Many predators in the surf find them irresistible at times. If you are fishing for sharks, fish the troughs beyond the breakers with cut bait or the whole mullet. Mullet are popular with snook, stripped bass, redfish, bluefish, tarpon and sea trout.
Squid
You can get your squid from the grocery store or the local bait shop. Squid is available fresh or frozen and fished whole or cut into strips. You can fish for redfish, bluefish, stripped bass, sharks and others.
That's my list of the top four choices for surf fishing bait. You should have good luck with anyone of them.
