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Thread: Advice about beach fishing above SF

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    West Sacramento
    Posts
    80

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    Quote Originally Posted by gitt View Post
    Here are the Cliff Notes.

    Focus on low light conditions. This can be early or late day, even heavy fog. Once the sun is on the water, perch will move away from the surf zone. Look for moving water in parallel and diagonal troughs or rips and fish the edges. The water movement is wash coming off the beach and heading back out via gravity. Areas where surf collapses as it approaches the beach is a good sign of deeper water. Once you understand water movement is your friend, it will become easier to locate willing participants. Think streamer fishing and the retrieve is more important than the swing. Strip retrieves will keep you in contact with the fly. No grabs after a couple of casts, keep moving until you get a grab. If you do get a grab, keep tension on your quarry until you bring the fish to hand. You will notice a pattern develop over time.
    Safety is always a concern. Never turn your back on the water. Hope this helps.
    Thanks gitt. This is very helpful. I did not know about the sun on the water part.

    I'll treat it as streamer fishing and not drifts of some kind. I have struggled with maintaining contact with the flies.
    Greg

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Fair Oaks , California
    Posts
    3,406

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    If the surf is running over 5 feet , wear a life jacket . Don't wade unless it is dead flat !

    Feel is important . Sometimes , with the tide/current ripping down the beach , it's almost impossible to feel a tug . Should you find yourself in this situation (bow in your running line) .... instead of waiting for a hard hit , you will sometimes feel like that water is getting 'thick' . That is usually a Fish , so strip strike several times while backing away from the water .

    No matter how nice the day is , wear waders , Eye protection and a jacket . Watch the wind direction to avoid a 'wrap n slap' or sticking yourself with that big sharp hook .

    Use wave action to land your Fish . Swell going out , wait for it to surge up before putting the pressure on your Fish to get it coming your way (Head first) .

    Hit the hook with a hone every 15 or so casts - dragging thru the sand will dull it quickly .

    When the surge is going out , it will take the sand from underfoot , so don't stand still . Move left , right , back to insure firm footing .

    Use a stripping basket , it'll save your sanity and help you avoid fantastic tangles and knots in your running line .

    Unless you see bait blowing up , don't throw long . 90+% of the Fish I catch in the surf are close in .

    D.~

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Sebastian, FL, USA, Earth
    Posts
    23,837

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    Thanks David.....




    I was looking at spear guns today?
    Bill Kiene (Boca Grande)

    567 Barber Street
    Sebastian, Florida 32958

    Fly Fishing Travel Consultant
    Certified FFF Casting Instructor

    Email: billkiene63@gmail.com
    Cell: 530/753-5267
    Web: www.billkiene.com

    Contact me for any reason........
    ______________________________________

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Sebastian, FL, USA, Earth
    Posts
    23,837

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by gitt View Post
    Here are the Cliff Notes.

    Focus on low light conditions. This can be early or late day, even heavy fog. Once the sun is on the water, perch will move away from the surf zone. Look for moving water in parallel and diagonal troughs or rips and fish the edges. The water movement is wash coming off the beach and heading back out via gravity. Areas where surf collapses as it approaches the beach is a good sign of deeper water. Once you understand water movement is your friend, it will become easier to locate willing participants. Think streamer fishing and the retrieve is more important than the swing. Strip retrieves will keep you in contact with the fly. No grabs after a couple of casts, keep moving until you get a grab. If you do get a grab, keep tension on your quarry until you bring the fish to hand. You will notice a pattern develop over time.
    Safety is always a concern. Never turn your back on the water. Hope this helps.
    Willie at Lawson's said the best day they had last week was when the tide was ripping along the beach and birds were diving.
    Bill Kiene (Boca Grande)

    567 Barber Street
    Sebastian, Florida 32958

    Fly Fishing Travel Consultant
    Certified FFF Casting Instructor

    Email: billkiene63@gmail.com
    Cell: 530/753-5267
    Web: www.billkiene.com

    Contact me for any reason........
    ______________________________________

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Fair Oaks , California
    Posts
    3,406

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    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Kiene semi-retired View Post

    I was looking at spear guns today?
    What happened to "I am afraid of all large Animals , and most small ones , too" ?

    D.~

  6. #16
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Fremont when not out there
    Posts
    189

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    Birds diving. How often does that happen, Bill? Only seen it a couple of times on the coast when bait was being pushed along the South jetty outside Princeton to the shoreline and then down the shoreline. Never saw so many birds diving as something was pushing the bait around.

    Found this article at SFGate, "Sardines falling from the skies in San Francisco",

    https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/artic...-Editors-Picks

    We brought out sit on kayaks to Bodega Bay. There is a nice launch at the county park. We got one of my wife's friends on one and pushed out in the current (incoming tide). Before she could figure out the paddles, she ran into one of the channel markers and was stuck. Thank god the tide wasn't going out. She would have been a goner.
    Last edited by gitt; 06-29-2022 at 10:10 PM.

  7. #17
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Location
    Yuba City
    Posts
    135

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    Quote Originally Posted by gitt View Post
    Here are the Cliff Notes.

    Focus on low light conditions. This can be early or late day, even heavy fog. Once the sun is on the water, perch will move away from the surf zone. Look for moving water in parallel and diagonal troughs or rips and fish the edges. The water movement is wash coming off the beach and heading back out via gravity. Areas where surf collapses as it approaches the beach is a good sign of deeper water. Once you understand water movement is your friend, it will become easier to locate willing participants. Think streamer fishing and the retrieve is more important than the swing. Strip retrieves will keep you in contact with the fly. No grabs after a couple of casts, keep moving until you get a grab. If you do get a grab, keep tension on your quarry until you bring the fish to hand. You will notice a pattern develop over time.
    Safety is always a concern. Never turn your back on the water. Hope this helps.
    This.
    I've always had better fishing during low light periods in the early morning and evening. This has affect my success the most on the surf regardless of any other factors.
    I'll chime in and say that tides can also affect the fishing as well. I find that 2 hours before and after the peak of a high tide is the optimal time. The low tides just don't seem to produce as much as the fish are probably out deep waiting for the tide to go up.
    Don't forget your stripping basket! I've had absolutely pain in the butt days fighting my line after forgetting mine.
    I like to use a sink tip line rather than a full sinking line. I feel like the floating line helps me keep better track of where my fly is and I can mend it around the waves to keep better control. I've found that a heavy sink fly line tends to drag on the sand too much for me.
    Keep Calm and Fly Fish
    https://keepcalmandflyfish.com/

  8. #18
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    West Sacramento
    Posts
    80

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by David Lee View Post
    If the surf is running over 5 feet , wear a life jacket . Don't wade unless it is dead flat !

    Feel is important . Sometimes , with the tide/current ripping down the beach , it's almost impossible to feel a tug . Should you find yourself in this situation (bow in your running line) .... instead of waiting for a hard hit , you will sometimes feel like that water is getting 'thick' . That is usually a Fish , so strip strike several times while backing away from the water .

    No matter how nice the day is , wear waders , Eye protection and a jacket . Watch the wind direction to avoid a 'wrap n slap' or sticking yourself with that big sharp hook .

    Use wave action to land your Fish . Swell going out , wait for it to surge up before putting the pressure on your Fish to get it coming your way (Head first) .

    Hit the hook with a hone every 15 or so casts - dragging thru the sand will dull it quickly .

    When the surge is going out , it will take the sand from underfoot , so don't stand still . Move left , right , back to insure firm footing .

    Use a stripping basket , it'll save your sanity and help you avoid fantastic tangles and knots in your running line .

    Unless you see bait blowing up , don't throw long . 90+% of the Fish I catch in the surf are close in .

    D.~
    Thanks for all your advice.

    I've hooked myself enough with trout streamers, I'll keep a close eye on the wind to avoid doing so with a clouser.

    I hope I get to practice your landing fish information.
    Greg

  9. #19
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    West Sacramento
    Posts
    80

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by mattv-mcfly View Post
    This.
    I've always had better fishing during low light periods in the early morning and evening. This has affect my success the most on the surf regardless of any other factors.
    I'll chime in and say that tides can also affect the fishing as well. I find that 2 hours before and after the peak of a high tide is the optimal time. The low tides just don't seem to produce as much as the fish are probably out deep waiting for the tide to go up.
    Don't forget your stripping basket! I've had absolutely pain in the butt days fighting my line after forgetting mine.
    I like to use a sink tip line rather than a full sinking line. I feel like the floating line helps me keep better track of where my fly is and I can mend it around the waves to keep better control. I've found that a heavy sink fly line tends to drag on the sand too much for me.
    Thanks.

    I'll give a sink tip a shot. I've only used full sinking heads.

    I can't even imagine surf fishing without my stripping basket. I'll be sure the basket is with my reel and rod and line.

    Hopefully the high tides will coincide with the low light times.
    Greg

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