# Pointers for catching Trout in the surf?



## jefferymac (Apr 23, 2012)

I'm new to fishing in the surf, and I haven't been very successful my first few times out. I was on Bolivar yesterday (the north end of the peninsula close to High Island) and only managed to pull a single Croaker out of the water from about 7:30 to 11:00. I read a couple of reports online that indicated it was *on* all day a lot of spots. 

Anyway, any pointers y'all can share for catching Trout in the surf? Locations or times? Yesterday I tried throwing tops (top dog and popa dog), gulp minnows and some soft plastic shrimp. I had a few hits here and there but nothing came home in the ice chest.


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## hunterjck (Sep 30, 2010)

I've had decent luck throwing a silver spoon (Mr. Champ) as far out as I can, letting it sink to the floor and dragging it back in slowly. Those big yellow mouthed trout will scoop that spoon right off the bottom.


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## scrambler (May 28, 2004)

Try to locate schools of bait. Active bait is more likely to mean trout. Come armed with multiple baits and try them. Sometimes they hit on top(especially early) and sometimes they want soft plastics, spoons etc. Sometimes they only want live bait, especially in late summer when the water gets really warm. If you are catching a lot of undersize trout use a larger lure like a mirrorlure as you can't catch keepers if you spend all your time reeling in small fish. Surf fishing for trout is usually best the first couple of days of green water. After a few days the action usually diminishes.

And sometimes I try all of the above and strike out and can't figure out why.

I've caught good trout in the area you were fishing but somtimes the water is better in some areas than others. If you aren't catching fish you should drive the beach and look for pockets of clearer water or bait. You should also try the bolivar pocket. It is fishable if the surf is marginal or not trout water. I've had my best luck in the pocket from now until the end of June. I usually use a do-nut basket instead of a stringer as sharks are bad at times in the pocket and I lost a lot of fish from my stringer before switching to a do-nut.


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## iridered2003 (Dec 12, 2005)

hunterjck said:


> I've had decent luck throwing a silver spoon (Mr. Champ) as far out as I can, letting it sink to the floor and dragging it back in slowly. Those big yellow mouthed trout will scoop that spoon right off the bottom.


i throw alot of silver spoons, johnson sprite in 3/4 oz. trout seem to like them. ive killed the redfish on them in the bays


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## Goose Lover (Jan 23, 2012)

There isn't much to replace just going as much as possible and learning.

The most important factor is the weather and water conditons. Light winds, preferably from the southeast, east , northeast or north are best but any wind that is light will usally result in good water conditions. And that would be olive green to green water.

A considerable amount of bait in the water is a big plus. 

Gulls working is a reliable indicator of trout.

This time of the year you can catch fish most anytime of the day. The water and air temperatures are relatively mild but as we move farther into summer it becomes more of an early morning and evening time.

But the bottom line is that you have to go when the conditons are right and learn from it. And you learn from driving down there and finding the surf too rough as well. With gasoline prices being what they are it is important to look at the weather/surf cams before going.


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## jefferymac (Apr 23, 2012)

Thanks for the tips everyone. I'm gonna pack some spoons on the next trip. I have not tried the Bolivar pocket yet, maybe that's my next stop.


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## raiderfish (May 26, 2005)

#1 rule: if the water is not clean and green, you wont have much luck at all with trout. Better to chunk some bait on the bottom and catch reds and sharks. However if the water is nice: in the very first light of mornings fish the first little wade gut in the calf deep water. After that go fish on the 1st bar in knee deep water and fish the edges of the bars. Usually you will cast into the deeper guts, and the trout will hit as you get close to the edge of the bar. The trout cruise along these bars ambushing baitfish.


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## surfguy (May 17, 2011)

Great Tips !! Looking at the surfcams and weather forecast, tomorrow may be close to good trout conditions. I may free line some croaker with rattle weights if I can find some at the bait shop. It's been scare lately. I will be out there at sunrise. If no trout, plan B is Whiting, Reds & Sharks.


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## PutTheForearmOn_em!! (May 13, 2012)

Make sure the weather conditions are right to have minimal swells and wind. Also pay great attention to water clarity... I usually fish right on the color change.... throw out into the blue and haul my bait in towards the chocolate. (Usually a bite somewhere between everytime.) Another hint of advice.... Get some LIVE CROAKER and freeline them!!! <--- LOL, yes I said it.... if I start a war so be it, sorry guys... but it just WORKS IN THE SURF GREAT!!!


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## Haute Pursuit (Jun 26, 2006)

Pelicans work better than pointers for catching trout in the surf... :cheers: :biggrin:


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## PutTheForearmOn_em!! (May 13, 2012)

Haute Pursuit said:


> Pelicans work better than pointers for catching trout in the surf... :cheers: :biggrin:


Lol true that ^ always a plus!!!!


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## Drewtk (Aug 22, 2011)

Dawn patrol. Get there early - I like to be on the water 30 minutes before sunrise. It won't be pitch black because there's enough light to see before the sun actually comes over the horizon. I've had the best luck catching from right at sunrise until around an hour after that. The trout I catch seem to get smaller and harder to come by later in the morning.

That's just my experience.


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## Fishin' Soldier (Dec 25, 2007)

i fished for a few hours the other evening at bolivar pocket. Water weas dirty but it wa the only chance I had. I had four Small black tips jump and spin about 4 ft out of the water around me. Them croaker wont last long probably with these guys around.


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## SurfRunner (May 22, 2004)

When conditions are right and they are biting, shouildn't be a problem catching them. Getting there early gives me a lot of confidence, but I have had some fantastic catches anytime during the day. I caught a limit of trout a couple of weeks ago and people were giving it up and leaving about the time I started catching them - I have experienced this several times. Sometimes, They simply don't start to bite until later. Just be persistant and grind it out when conditions are right and 9 times out of 10, you will eventually catch some.


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## Spectre5922 (Jun 22, 2010)

I was in Bolivar all last week on vacation and hit the surf the first morning I was there. I was throwing a bone spook jr and I got a HUGE blow up on the second cast! It was a nice little 24" spec (Of course I caught mostly sharks that day). It was around 7:00. I was waste deep in the surf casting into the waves. That was my only trout, but I think if I had gotten out there earlier, I might have had better luck. The black tips didn't care though. I caught them and bonnet heads all week.


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## PutTheForearmOn_em!! (May 13, 2012)

The last two times I went I caught a limit and the second time 5 trout including a 26 1/2" trout. That day my first bite didn't come until 1130.... 5 in the box in 45 min. All over 22"


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## monkeyman1 (Dec 30, 2007)

You have a lot of good advise already. But just know that you won't catch trout every day you go at he time you go. Sometimes they're further out or just ave lock jaw. Fishing the morning after a bright moon is iffy...they may have eaten all night. 

It's a tough choice to pack up and head for the surf sometimes. Been there, done it. You just have to choose the most optimum days and times that fits your schedule, which may o may not be the same schedule as when they're biting. 

But surf fishing has always been my favorite method of fishing...and I have a boat.


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## Cork & Jig (Jan 5, 2010)

scrambler said:


> Surf fishing for trout is usually best the first couple of days of green water. After a few days the action usually diminishes.


It didn't use to be that way.

Now, too many ignorant people run their boats down the beach, right next to the first bar. This drives the fish out of the first gut where they normally like to hang out.

And, you do not need to run your boat that close to "see" bait, ether. I've had countless of great trips where there was little or no "visible" bait. I'm talking about catching fish for hours, literally every cast, too.

The main thing to concentrate on is structure. You're looking for anything different than monotonous parallel running bars and guts. These are visible from way off the beach by watching the breaking waves. They will give away the location of good structure.

Visible bait is a secondary consideration to structure because good structure will almost always hold bait. This bait doesn't have to be visible cruising around, either. Sometimes they stay down, away from the surface. That's why I stress you don't have to actually see the bait while cruising in your boat, close to shore.

Too many people think this is the best way to find trout and it's not. What it is is the best way to run them off. That's why, when the "word" gets out, it only takes a few days before they "disappear".

Things would be better for everyone if they'd follow the "old" unwritten rule of running deep and fishing shallow. Unfortunately, though, through the years, this common sense approach to fishing has mostly been forgotten.


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