Surf fishing?

How many of you here surf fish?  When I was kid my dad used to take me all the time.  One of his favorite spots was on a small beach just below a restaurant on HWY 1 north, just at HMB.  
  Anyhow, I haven't surf fished since, got most of the tackle needed, just lacking time now.

JP,
Brings back memories.

We hit the beaches as far south as Pismo and as far north as Klamath River area.  Back then, we'd hit Rio Del Mar a lot.  

After the quality went down, we then hit the Moneterey Dunes area, just south of Moss.  Fred and his dad went a little further south by Ord.  Sand City(?).

His dad and buddies were big time surf fisherman.  BIG TIME!!  

No grubbing back then.  Most people used 10-12ft rods with Sand spikes and pyramid sinkers.  My dad's set up included a small coffee can with a wire loop hooked on to the sand spike to hold bait.  Usually sand crabs.  Sometimes my dad would spring for blood worms or pile worms but they were pricey.  The other item hanging off his spike was a sack for the fish.  Those were the good times.

I've used the red flake motor oil grubs with good success, but its been years!

So many things to do, so little time.  

Stuart

I used to do this all the time with my uncle, down at pacific beach in san diego and la jolla.

We'd catch the very edible sand sharks...easy to clean too.

We'd set up a small table for lantern, hot toddy storage, etc.

Loads of fun and productive fishing.

before i got a kayak i used to surf fish for stripers, always with lures never with bait. i got three last spring, the biggest was 37", i caught them south of mussell rock on hairraisers. surf fishing is inconsistent, but the stripers can get pretty big.

cpkayak (or anybody that fishes like cpkayak does), 

how heavy are the hairraisers you are using?

What gear do you use to toss them?

Do you bring the lures back near the surface or near the bottom?

Did you hookup in the surf or beyond?

Have you thought about trolling a lure for stripers behind the surf in the spring?

What about using big surface plugs like a yozuri popper or mirrolure poppa dog?
Also what about swimbaits?
I've seen the above lures in pictures of guys with stripers near pacifica.

For many years I used to look forward to going out on the Emeryville and Berkeley party boats that used to back up to the beaches in Pacifica to fish just beyond the breakers.  We drifted parallel to the beaches staying just outside the breakers.  The deck hands would toss anchovies from the cabin roof to chum the waters around the boat and we would free line anchovies into the frenzy.  Stripers and salmon were caught but mostly stripers.  They would hit the bait on a dead run and make your reels scream.  The worst thing you could do was thumb your spool because your line would pop like a rubber band.

We backed up so far that I swear the surf casters were tossing hair raisers just short of our stern.  It's not for the faint of heart though, the swells will test your stomach and you have to be pointed into the waves.  We did see a 20' private boat get flipped on one trip but they all made it to the shore including the boat.  I remember reading an article where the former 49er's coach, George Seifert ended up swimming for the beach when the captain of his boat was netting fish, when he should have been steering the boat.  As a result Eddie D. bought George a bigger boat...nice boss.

Now that I have a kayak, I was hoping to join the veterans this year on their forays in Mooch's backyard.  BTW the party boats would usually go in June and July to intercept the schools that were making their way into SF Bay.  Maybe by watching the surf casters maybe we can tell when its a good time to make a move?  I think all the lures and normal striper tackle mentioned would work.

I've been reading about the tube and worms that they use back east for stripers.  Anyone want to make a comment about them?

Gary

I read about those too but I think that sand eels are something they have there, and that's what those
long worms mimic, but we may not have those same sand eels here?

I've seen those tubes with wire in them, that would take care of barracuda and bluefish too, but we don't
have toothy fish, we could just use a 10" powerworm.

I fish for stripers each year along the beaches....
Hooked up with only one last year..South of Pacifica. But the guy next to me landed a 18lb hen with a 2oz hairaiser...
Will DEFINATELY be out there this year.

use hairaisers  from 3/4 oz to 2 oz. i recommend 20lb or stronger line because of the surging of the waves. usually the fish are in real close, right where the wash retreats and the next wave curls.
however, finding striper in the ocean can be a daunting task. i have caught over 1000 stripers from my kayak in the bay over the last 7 years, and perhaps 100 while surf fishing,however, i have never caught a striper in the pacific ocean from my kayak (i have caught some kayak stripers in the atlantic ocean). i have trolled up and down the beaches, i have plugged the rocky points, and i have drifted live anchovies and sardines. i have caught lots of other cool fish, salmon, halibut, lings and rockfish, but this summer i am confident i will get my pacific ocean kayak stripers.

cpkayak, so for this year, is that just optimism or do you have a foolproof plan for this year?

optimism, and maybe a secret plan.

optimism, and maybe a secret plan.

Chris....I'll be secretly following you