Article by Sue Foster
“I want to go surf fishing, but I don’t know what to fish for?”
It’s that time of year where you still have the chance to catch a nice striper if you get up early and put in some time. But it’s also the time of year, you can get up at the break of dawn, bait up with bloodworms and/or Fishbite Bloodworms on a smaller kingfish rig and catch tasty kingfish! Dusk and after dark may give you another chance at a striper or some shark action if you use larger hooks and a big chunk of bait. It’s also the time of year you may get into some early season croaker or more of those tasty kingfish if you keep your rig and baits smaller!
To top it off, bluefish are periodically coming through the surf for anglers using finger mullet on whole finger mullet rigs! What to do? What to do?
First of all, if you are in a group, try two or three different rigs and baits! See what’s biting the best, and if one thing is definitely happening, it’s time to change up! Many anglers do the two surf rod trick. Cast one longer rod out as far as you can with a big chunk of bunker or other fish head and let it sit out there. Secure your rod in a sand spike and be sure to set your drag! Next, take a shorter, lighter surf rod in the 7 to 9-foot range and tie on a pre-made kingfish surf rig and cast close to the breakers with little strips of squid or a combination bait of real bloodworm, Fishbite Bloodworm, Fishbite Orange Crab and/or a little strip of squid. I just love combination baits and rarely put just one bait on the hook. Even if it is a little hook, I like to use two baits! When surf fishing, I like to use the box Calamari squid over the thick, pre-cut stuff. It’s more work, but I truly believe it has more real scent with the black ink in the package. Plus, it’s American! The tube squid cut to make strips is from overseas and well processed I’m sure!
If you have 3 or 4 guys fishing, someone should try finger mullet on a whole finger mullet rig for bluefish. These rigs are really nifty and you do not even have to cut your bait. Mullet rigs are made out of a wire shaft so you can detach a double hook, slide the mullet up on a wire rod, and then attach the double hook back on. The double hook hangs close to the butt of the mullet, so when the bluefish comes along and takes a bite, it “hopefully” gets a mouthful of hook! Be sure to buy extra hooks at the tackle store as well! If you lose the hook, the rig is useless! There are a couple of different varieties of these, so get the clerks in the tackle store to show you how to use them.
I find that when the bluefish are running small, you can throw your rig back out if the bluefish eats ¾ or ½ of your mullet. But if the bluefish leaves only the head, take it off and start over. If the blues are stealing your bait, keep the rod in your hand, and slowly, ever so slowly, bring your rig back towards shore. The blues will see the bait going away, get aggressive, and more likely you will get the hook in the fish. If you feel a tug, give the rod a tug! That’s fishing! Set the hook!
“What else can you catch with a whole finger mullet on a mullet rig besides bluefish?”
Sometimes you will pick up a striper, shark, ray or even a flounder! Generally, you will not catch something small like a croaker, spot or kingfish.
If you have a top and bottom type surf rig with medium-sized hooks, you can bait finger mullet a different way! Take the finger mullet and cut it into one-inch chunks. I throw away the head and the tail and just use the chunks. Hook them through the dark upper part of the mullet that is tougher than the belly. If you are REALLY good with a sharp fillet knife you can fillet the finger mullet and use a strip of bait. This really works well, but you need a sharp knife. Flounder in the surf love a strip of mullet fillet dangling off the hook!
Bunker is one of the most popular baits in the surf during the spring and early summer for stripers and sharks. You can use big chunks on big hooks or you can scale down and put smaller chunks on puppy drum rigs, high-low bluefish rigs or a variety of rigs to catch almost anything. Even kingfish like little strips of bunker fillets if you are good with a sharp knife. Combo it with a piece of bloodworm or Fishbite Bloodworm to help hold it on the hook. Fish Bites have white mesh in them that help hold the other bait on!
Bloodworms in the summer for surf fishing always works during the day. After dark, it’s not quite as effective. Some anglers are tickled to death to skip the real bloodworms and use Fishbite Bloodworms or even Fishbite Orange Crab or Clam! Regardless, if you use bloodworm or bloodworm alternative, you want to keep your hook size in the small realm or you could be wasting precious bloodworms! Pre-made kingfish rigs are the way to go, and if the store has them with sturdier hooks, you can pay a little more, but not lose a big fish on a small hook! Ask the clerks! If you use just the Fishbites, change them occasionally if they start to wash out. Again, I like to combo them with a little strip of squid, fresh spot caught in the surf, finger mullet fillet or cut bluefish fillet. Mix it up. Even try a piece of shrimp or clam in the summer along with your Fishbites!
Be attentive. Hold your rod in your hand if you are using small baits, in close. Set the hook. And play around with your rigs and bait!
Good fishing….
Sue Foster is an outdoor writer and co-owner of Oyster Bay Tackle in Ocean City, MD and Fenwick Tackle in Fenwick, DE.
