What bait should I use for Surf Fishing?
Selecting the right bait for surf fishing can be as simple or as complicated as you want to make it. If you put in no effort and hit the surf ill prepared the chances of having a successful day is slim to none. On the other side however, if you intend on going out only if you have the perfect bait selection in hand, you will likely spend more time bait hunting than fishing. Lucky for you the Tight Lines and High Tides crew has the research taken care of you. We believe if you follow the recommendations and guidelines discussed in this article you will be on the water catching more fish faster.
Based on personal experience as well as surveying angler's input around the internet we have collected the below list of commonly used baits that can be used to target a wide range of species from the surf.
- Fishbites E-Z Shrimp
- Live Shrimp
- Frozen Squid
- Sea Striker SES300-1 Casting Spoon
- DOA Shrimp
- SPRO Bucktail Jig
Having the these baits on hand will get you on the water faster with a low chance of getting skunked. If you are looking to get on the water as soon as possible and have no interest in learning more about the details of bait selection, grab these items online or your local bait shop and hit the water. However, if you are interested in understanding bait selection at a more granule level and further increase your successes on the water then I encourage you to continue reading this article where we discuss how species, water conditions, natural food source, and fishing style are used to hone your bait selection.
Bait Selection based on species
Pompano
Ask any avid surf fisherman and they will likely tell you the best bait for Pompano is live sand flea and Fishbites. The Sand Flea, also referred to as mole crab or sand crab, is a crustacean that lives in the sand around most of your coastal beaches. Sand fleas can be harvested by sifting through the sand the day of or several days prior to your pompano fishing trip. While live is always preferred blanched and frozen sand fleas can also be used to catch a mess of fish.
Fishbites is a must have in every tackle box when surf fishing. Fishbites is a synthetic replacement to cut bait that comes in various flavors and colors. Fishbites are available at any local or box fishing store, easy to use, durable and effective. Having a few flavor/color combination options on hand will greatly maximize your chances for the day. Provided below are a few options that I recommend you have before heading to the beach. Combining live sand fleas with a strip of fishbites on a good Pompano can be a deadly combination!
Artificial lures such as jigs can also be used to target Pompano from the beach. Couture Fishing Co. out of the Space Coast of Florida offers a great selection of Pompano fishing gear including a wide selection of hand crafted Pompano Jigs. These jigs are developed to bounce off the ocean floor and attract the fish by mimicking a burrowing crustaceans. Other great pompano lures include Gulp! Sand Crab Flea, Pompano Jigs with Teasers, and SPRO Prime Bucktail Jigs. Read through our Surf Fishing Lures article for more detail about using artificial lures.
Tight Lines and High Tides Y'all!
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