Murrells Inlet – Myrtle Beach – North Myrtle Beach. When the fall cold fronts usher hordes of flounder out of the Indian River and toward the Atlantic, anglers line the riprap for a shot at these tasty flat fish. 8) Dania Pier — One of Southeast Florida’s top land-based fishing opportunities, this 928-foot structure reaches into deep enough water to offer opportunities with mutton and yellowtail snapper, while also gathering snook, mackerel, bluefish, barracuda, grunts and porgies. A ferry to adjacent Caledesi island extends the opportunities. So let’s start big with Cisco Beach. Check out three of the best and lesser known surf spots on the planet. The prominent paved jetty pier on the north side, complete with safety rails offers a safe, spacious platform for reaching the surf zone or the deeper water of the inlet. Mangrove snapper, jacks, sheepshead and black drum add to the mix; while the shallower end, along with the smaller south jetty may yield pompano, whiting and croakers. Moreover, choose your non-regulated parking spots carefully. The main causeway bridge and the smaller one right before the island offer sheepshead, black drum, snook and snapper opportunities. Mole spends his summers at the not so secret Wetsuit Wearehouse Testing Facility on the Potomac River. The piers lights attract baitfish, so expect everything from snook, to trout and the occasional bluefish to stake out these feeding spots. 7) Big Pier 60 — At this Clearwater Beach icon hosts a bounty of inshore and coastal favorites, with summer gathering big numbers of huge snook. Outer Banks, North Carolina. By T. Edward Nickens. Surf Park: Cape Hatteras Has The Best Surf Fishing On The Atlantic Coast. 7) Jupiter Pier — Built in 2015, the 225-foot aluminum fishing pier stands on the west side of U.S. 1 (south bank) where it crosses the Loxahatchee River. No restrooms. Bait/tackle shop, rod rentals, snack bar, restrooms. Mole grew up in the water on the East Coast. Carolina Beach. No boats, just Florida East Coast Surf Fishing. The Cape Cod Canal has easy access and some of the best shore-fishing for stripers in the entire Northeast. If you and your fishing buds can’t decide which type of angling your trip … Don’t think you’ll be bored if you’re an expert. After graduating from Salisbury University, on Maryland's Eastern Shore, he headed to San Diego to find the eternal Ocean City. Access the bridge through Amelia Island State Park (southwest corner of Amelia Island) or the north end of Big Talbot Island State Park. 15 Best Duck and Goose Guns Ever . Cocoa beach was in Central Florida. Nothing wrong with boating — it certainly increases range and options; but Florida offers incredible opportunities to catch lots of fish from shore. Restroom Facilities — Key planning element, especially if you’re bringing the family. BY Lena Horner January 10, 2021. Work the pier perimeter, the river channel to the north and the bridge pilings to the east. Lots of points, shoreline contours, docks and grass flats create a target-rich environment. Increasing coastal development means access can be an issue, but there’s still plenty of great areas where you can enjoy Florida fishing. The famous Outer Banks of North Carolina provide you with ample surf spots. Fish the shallower sections and you might find pompano, whiting and flounder. The positioning on the coast makes it the perfect spot for getting great storm-made waves, especially during hurricane season. Parking at both ends. 9) Venice Jetties — Protecting Venice Inlet (Sarasota County), the North Jetty is part of Nokomis, while the South Jetty is fully within the city of Venice. Get the Top Stories from Florida Sportsman Delivered to Your Inbox Every Week. It’s known as one of the best places to learn to surf in the sunshine state (that’s saying a lot considering there are 663 miles of beach in Florida). Fish reports, beach and water conditions, what's biting, bait, tackle, Florida East Coast weather. Several pull off spots provide casting access to the St. Johns River, or you can take one of the interior roads through the campground to fish the Fort George Inlet on the north side. Surf fishing takes a good amount of upper body strength. This double dose of fish-attracting structure, along with the tidal flushing of a major inlet makes this a good multi-species spot. 3) Santa Rosa Sound — Bordered on the south by its namesake island, this narrow body of water linking Pensacola Bay (west) to Choctawhatchee Bay (east) offers tremendous wade fishing opportunities for speckled trout, redfish and flounder. However, these are usually beachgoers and not necessarily all surfers, so you’ll have plenty of space to ride the waves. Consider the Distance — Pretty obvious stuff, but the walk out and the walk back will cover the same distance. In the surf… Kitty Hawk does not have much surf in the summer- better luck on Hatteras, Your email address will not be published. It starts with respectful spacing, so if you approach an area where others are fishing, take note of where their lines are set (short, long) and allow reasonable buffers. This accessibility is features easy parking and access to surf rentals, shops, and food. Snook, pompano, cobia and occasional bluewater surprises such as sailfish and African pompano are caught at Juno Beach Pier. The only downside is that the beach itself can get quite crowded. A Sample of Top Rated Reels Van Staal VS100BXP Black Spinning Reel – … Ruggles surprises us all by providing you with almost guaranteed breaking waves that should only be attempted by intermediate and experienced surfers. Ruggles, RI. On either side of the Dunedin Causeway, cast a bait over the pristine grass flats of St. Joseph Sound, or wade into the usually clear waters where speckled trout, mackerel and redfish roam. 2) Crady Memorial Bridge — This mile-long pedestrian-only bridge spanning Nassau Sound (north of A1A) provides a front row seat to some of Northeast Florida’s finest angling. Snook, tarpon, grouper, snapper, grunts and barracuda. Expect a good mix of snook, trout, redfish and flounder, along with mackerel, cobia, pompano, sharks and mangrove snapper at the piers. Fees: adults $8, seniors $6.75, children (15 and under) $5.25. Surf fishing is more than just a hobby; it’s a way of life! Image courtesy of Magicseaweed.com. We’ve rounded up 20 examples of where you can go fishing without a boat. (Photo by Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star) Any time of year is great for fishing the surf from Florida’s beaches, but fall is special. On either end of the island, West Pass and East Pass keep the bay flushed and vibrant, so baitfish and the predators that chase them move freely past the piers. Fall through winter sees an uptick in the action, as the deep canal offers winter refuge for a variety of fish including snook, trout, pompano, permit, ladyfish, jacks and juvenile tarpon. The southeastern city in the sunshine state is a haven for sports fishers. For the south pier, take 275 North from Terra Ceia. The sight of … This is while standing as close to the surf … 9) South Pointe Park Pier — Located at the tip of Miami’s South Beach, the pier parallels part of Government Cut’s north jetty. This beach also offers rental gear if you happen to forget something key, like a surfboard or a wetsuit (it happens to the best of us). Once you have your surf fishing rig, you will want to cast your line as far out as you can. Light tackle anglers — especially kids — will enjoy the mix of small snappers, porgies, grunts and juvenile grouper along the jetty rocks closer to the A1A Bridge. Waiting until you feel that cool downdraft can leave you and your gear exposed and out of options; so know where the nearest shelter lies and have a bug-out plan just in case. Located on latitude 26, just like Miami, Florida, South Padre Island, Port Isabel and Port Mansfield, some 20 miles north, rarely experience prolonged cold weather periods, so the fishing remains hot most of the winter. Parking on private property will almost certainly get you ticketed and it may get you towed. From the metered parking area to the pier is a bit of a hike, but it’s a straight shot down the walking promenade running along the cut. (Also wade fishing access on the flats north of the pier.) 8) Sunshine Skyway Fishing Piers — The north and south ends of the former Sunshine Skyway bridge spanning Tampa Bay now stand as state park structures offering spacious access to grouper, snapper, mackerel, kingfish, pompano and snook. On the beach, when conditions are right, … Outer Banks isn’t the only place for surfing in North Carolina. While some surfers argue that the East Coast can’t stand up to the waves of the West Coast and Hawaii, these 8 best East Coast surfing spots might change their mind. But if you’re on the East Coast, where should you go? Entry fee is $5 per vehicle. Beginners can find some waves here too. Watch out for the great white sharks! Parks such as James H. Nance Park and Curtis Byrd Park offer restrooms and easy walks to the beach. Avoid this disappointment by looking up beaches with great waves that you can depend on. Whether you’re a longboarder, a shortboarder, an expert, or a beginner, you’ll all find a wave at this versatile and fun spot. Much of the shoreline is private property, but several spots such as Shoreline Park (west of the Pensacola Beach Bridge) and the Gulf Islands National Seashore Headquarters offer public access to the waterway. Taking it from all the way up North down to the southern part of the East Coast we have Cocoa Beach, Florida. With all the hype about North Carolina, it’s easy to forget about its southern cousin. Your email address will not be published. 6) Honeymoon Island State Park — Walk the stunning Gulf beach and surf fish for whiting, croakers, trout, flounder, Spanish mackerel, cobia and summer snook; or check the eastern side’s mangrove basins for snook, mangrove snapper and redfish. South Carolina waves aren’t as intense as North Carolina, but Folly Beach is still a great spot to check out. Reefs also attract pelagic predators, so slinging spoons or pencil poppers on wire leaders might tempt a mackerel or barracuda. 5) Anclote Gulf Park Pier (Holiday) — Extending from a boardwalk around the park’s mangrove shoreline, the 500-foot wooden pier flanks the north shore of the Anclote Power Plant’s northern outfall canal. 4) Apalachee Bay Piers — Remnants of an old bridge linking the Franklin County mainland to St. George Island, the East Point Fishing Pier and St. George Island Fishing Pier — both 3,200 feet — stand east of the St. George Island Bridge (Bryant Patton Memorial/Hwy 300). Entry fee is $8 per vehicle, $4 for single occupants. Weekly, monthly and yearly passes available. Pretty much any day during the summer and early fall will bring you waves perfect for surfing the day away. This is especially so in the fall, when large red drum, striped bass, and … The mullet flee gamefish off Palm Beach County beaches. Tarpon often run this area anglers soaking live baits or sight casting big swimbaits might put one in the air. Incoming tides always bring a push of activity, but when the fall mullet run piles an enormous biomass in and around the inlet, anglers have a field day with bull redfish, giant snook, tarpon and the occasional cubera snapper. Surfing abroad? Reach the north pier from I-275 South in St. Petersburg. Wetsuit Wearhouse was formed a few years later in 2001. Well known for hundreds of miles of beaches where record-breaking catches are landed on a regular basis, the North Carolina shoreline is arguably one of the top destinations for surf fishermen from all … If you don’t mind colder waters, then Ruggles will provide you with great waves and superb ocean views that you have to experience when surfing the East Coast. Latest. Like all surf fishing equipment, a local tackle shop can help you identify the best reel for your specific area along the coast. Tags: Surfing. He swims, surfs when he can, SCUBA dives, wakeboards, SUPs, snowboards 15-20 days a season, and recently fell in lust with wakesurfing. Both drive-on piers include restrooms and bait/tackle shops. I agree with Kj that you have a much better chase in Hatteras and Frisco than Kitty Hawk. Don’t ruin your day with a poor choice. The gem of Pinellas County, this 1,136-acre park comprises Madelaine, St. Jean, St. Christopher, Bonne Fortune and Mullet keys and complements an impressive angling menu with campgrounds, picnic shelters, bathroom/shower facilities, concessions, bait shop, dog park and historical significance. East Coast Shows. May and June in Florida signal … The license is free for state residents (convenience fees apply for online or phone orders), so it’s pretty silly to earn a costly citation for not obtaining one here https://myfwc.com/license/recreational/saltwater-fishing/shoreline-faqs/. Chris "Mole" Moleskie is the Founder, President, and CEO of Wetsuit Wearhouse. If you’re looking for some of the best East Coast surfing spots out there, keep reading. Survival. Summer is primetime for big snook staging for their spawn; while fall sees voluminous baitfish schools exiting the inner bays, with several predators in pursuit. It’s most well-known for the waves perfect for longboards, but all types of surfers will have fun at this surf spot. Montauk: New York. Both jetty parks offer ample parking and restrooms. November 7, 2013. A day spent fishing at the beach. You might be skeptical to hear that one of the best spots for big, serious waves is in located in the smallest state in America, Rhode Island. From early morning casts to surf fishing tournaments, the island offers plenty of opportunities for fishing… But most importantly is that it’s dependable for the great surf. 22’ research it . Some will also offer the opportunity to slide a canoe, kayak or standup paddle board into the water, but all include plenty of space to fish from shore, or wade into coastal shallows. Fishermen will find ample parking on both sides of the Canal, and finding stripers … The positioning of this beach along the coast sets it up with a wind that whips up excellent, rolling surf. It’s known to be on the “rough” side of the island, so be prepared for rougher surf and a bit more wind. Spring and fall bring kingfish within reach, while a summer tarpon bite can make things interesting. You really can’t go wrong in this location, but if you want one of the best spots for East Coast surfing, Kitty Hawk is superior. More Fishing. Snook are one of the top targets (especially in the lights), but you’ll also find pompano, Spanish and king mackerel, tarpon, cobia, sharks and sheepshead. A: This is known as surf fishing. This is a well-known surfing spot that birthed the famous Kelly Slater, so it’s bound to be surf-famous. Tide Charts for Surf Fishing Florida's East Coast. 5) Melbourne Beaches — The stellar surf fishing for pompano, permit, whiting, croakers, black drum, mackerel and bluefish would be plenty to attract anglers; but with a fertile reef system running close to shore, you can expect to add snappers (lane, mangrove, mutton and the occasional cubera), margates, porkfish and the like. From whiting, pompano, bluefish and mackerel; to sharks, cobia and bull reds, this is one of Western Florida’s premier shore fisheries. Proximity to Jupiter Inlet, allows for a good assortment of fish. A friendly wave and a friendly “how’s the bite?” Inquiry goes a long way toward establishing good rapport. Snook will spawn around the inlet and hang out in the bridge/pier area coming and going. 1) Sebastian Inlet State Park is perhaps the ultimate Atlantic Coast venue for land-based fishing. Chris Moleskie   Go big or go home, right? Also, the state Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission now expects anyone targeting sharks from shore to complete an educational module and obtain a free Shored Based Shark fishing permit: MyFWC.com/SharkCourse. The course will cover rules and regulations, smart fishing practices, and fish ID. The ultimate saltwater shore-fisherman’s tour of Florida’s Atlantic and Gulf coasts. Tip: Local businesses rarely budge on the “restrooms are for customers only” thing (many have signs posted), so don’t expect any mercy, no matter how much you grimace and squeeze your knees together. Speaking of colder water, let’s give you the northern-most surf spot yet: White Crest Beach on Cape Cod. The quality of your surf trip depends on the quality of the surf. From Hilton Head Island to Myrtle Beach , South Carolina's coastline offers anglers prime fishing … New … 1) Sebastian Inlet State Park is perhaps the ultimate Atlantic Coast venue for land-based fishing. Waders will enjoy some of the area’s most fertile grass flats off East Beach at the extreme east end of Mullet Key, while roadside parking offers access to deeper sections of Mullet Key Bayou. C2 has parking on both ends; C5 has parking on the south end. Weather Watchers — Florida’s often fickle weather can change quickly, especially in the summer months, so watch the skies and monitor your weather app. Slide right through these famous waves at the farthest point on this beach. In fact, a surf school meets at this beach’s parking lot! Commercially produced aluminum pier/bridge carts with wide wheels will easily transport your rods, tackle bag, cooler and live bait well over pavement, rocks or sand; but for casual duties, a garden utility cart (some models fold) will suffice. Wrightsville Beach in the southern part of North Carolina is just as well known, especially for their storm swells. St. Augustine is great for beginners. Parking available. Continuing past the campground, the looser course through the dunes becomes a little dicey for smaller vehicles. With lifeguards stationed along the beach, you’ll also have some safety precautions ready. Also in the area: the famed Juno Beach Pier, which stretches 990 feet into the Atlantic ($4 admission, to fish). The 7 Best Surf Fishing Rods. The mix here includes flounder, redfish, black drum, pompano, whiting, bluefish, Spanish mackerel and sharks. Neoprene or insulated waders keep you comfy in the winter, but during the warm season, simply walk in with lightweight clothing and enclosed shoes. Miami, Florida. Shark Fishing – It’s a timeless tradition on the Florida coast, but frowned upon by some piers and municipalities. Mary’s Bar Matunuck R I…. Outside of hurricane season, you can get decent surf as well that’s perfect for beginners. 2) Johnson Beach — The Gulfward face of Perdido Key, at the Panhandle’s western edge, this picturesque beach within Big Lagoon State Park is part of Gulf Islands National Seashore. Winter also brings loads of sheepshead to the pilings, while black drum, redfish, mangrove snapper, Spanish mackerel and flounder make regular appearances. Parking — Most city or county lots offer parking meters, or more modern payment kiosks where you prepay a flat fee or hourly rate by entering your license plate or numbered spot; while state or local parks typically charge a day use fee to enter. Make you an East Coast weather spoons or pencil poppers on wire leaders might tempt a mackerel or.! Adjacent Caledesi Island extends the opportunities depends on the flats North of the best surf fishing rig, can! $ 8, seniors $ 6.75, children ( 15 and under $. 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