# Lings From the Beach



## jeffww (May 12, 2015)

Anyone ever catch lings from the beach before? I wanted to give it a shot. My plan is to fish a small 6" live sand trout off the bottom cast as far as I can by wading with my 10' spinning outfit and hope a ling finds it before a shark or ray. I think I can just barely make it beyond the breakers using this method using a 2-3oz weight. 

Anyone know of a better tactic? Would some type of float work better? Maybe a gatorade bottle float to keep the bait off the bottom.


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## jimj100 (Dec 1, 2012)

caught one off a live mullet before, just like you describe.
One. 999/1000, a shark, drum, red, hard heard, gafftop, stingray, or something else picks it up. but hey, it's all good, right?


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## matagordamudskipper (Feb 18, 2006)

It can be done from the beach but a much better shot traveling a short distance offshore. Have a good gaff, a solid bat (mines the handle of an aluminum bat filled with lead), strong grip, and good timing or you will be in for a rodeo.


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## sharkchum (Feb 10, 2012)

I've never caught one from the beach, but a few years ago my buddy did on cut mullet between the first and second bars, but it was only about 24" long.


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## jeffww (May 12, 2015)

So it seems like it's going to come down to luck then? Would fishing in the upper parts of the water column using a float be a little more effective?


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## jeffww (May 12, 2015)

Here's a rig that I'm thinking of trying. Need to find a place with swiveled sleeves. The purpose is to keep the bait stationary against the current and winds while keeping it in the top 1-3' of water. My main concern is how much drag there will be when casting it. Next time I go, I'll give it a shot.


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## troutalex33 (Aug 21, 2012)

*Ling on the beach is possible ...*

I actually caught one about 10 years ago wading in the beach at 8 mile rd beach access . Water was flat and green and actually had only caught 3 keeper specks when my silver chrome spook got inhaledby a 34 inch "Ding a ling " .Now have you I thought the whole time it was a shark and you can only imagine how I felt when it crossed in front of me 2 ft from my hip . Then my heart began to thump and I started to chase him in the surf instead of fighting him . I was almost spooled 3 times until finally grabbed him . A once in a lifetime moment but it is possible to catch ling from the beach but I do have to believe that conditions have to be right but it is possible . Good Luck my brother they will be there that is the beauty of SALTWATER fishing .


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## Solodaddio (Mar 22, 2014)

jeffww said:


> Here's a rig that I'm thinking of trying. Need to find a place with swiveled sleeves. The purpose is to keep the bait stationary against the current and winds while keeping it in the top 1-3' of water. My main concern is how much drag there will be when casting it. Next time I go, I'll give it a shot.


Cool rig, try it out! Bring some extra lead in case you need to add weight in order to hold it down. On a calm day a 2-3 pyramid will stick once past the third bar. Good luck!


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## bjones2571 (May 2, 2007)

I caught one in the mid 30's off the beachfront in my yak a few years ago. Wasn't within casting range, but not too much farther out. Green to the beach and flat calm. Over near the south jetty.


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## lukejo45 (Mar 8, 2007)

You can catch them from the jetties in surfside this time of year. Use fresh dead mullet. Or boat out a live horse mullet.


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## IrishSharker (Jan 20, 2015)

Not to be a debbie downer but i Don't really see you being able to cast a plastic bottle very far or 3oz pyramid holding in the Texas surf especially with a float pulling it up...


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## jimj100 (Dec 1, 2012)

yeah, and sharkchum mentioned he had tried some float type rigs, and they were seaweed magnets. and increase surface area for current to get behind... might work on a super calm, clear day... but how many of those do we ever get? 

BTW, i have also seen ling caught off the texas city dike. pure accident, and again, 1 ling.... millions of drum, reds and catfish.


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## jeffww (May 12, 2015)

I've given it consideration. Going to use a spider weight and an inline sliding styrofoam cork beneath the sleeve swivel to push it up. This should make it more castable, stable in the surf and with a lower profile. I also need to put a bead and bobber stop so that the float will suspend near the anchor and not where the line enters the water. This might also cut down on the seaweed. Need a bobber stop below the float as well to keep the leader from getting tangled in the spider weight's prongs. 

It will take some trial and error to see how deep the water just barely past the 3rd bar is. Around 6-10ft? 

I know that it's a long shot but it's fun just trying new things.


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## sharkchum (Feb 10, 2012)

jeffww said:


> I've given it consideration. Going to use a spider weight and an inline sliding styrofoam cork beneath the sleeve swivel to push it up. This should make it more castable, stable in the surf and with a lower profile. I also need to put a bead and bobber stop so that the float will suspend near the anchor and not where the line enters the water. This might also cut down on the seaweed. Need a bobber stop below the float as well to keep the leader from getting tangled in the spider weight's prongs.
> 
> It will take some trial and error to see how deep the water just barely past the 3rd bar is. Around 6-10ft?
> 
> I know that it's a long shot but it's fun just trying new things.


I don't think your gonna see 6' to 10' of water right past the 3rd bar anywhere on the upper or middle coast, more like 3' to 5'. It may be that deep down south, but I wouldn't know. If your really serious about trying to catch ling off the beach I would suggest getting a kayak and anchoring or drifting past the 3rd bar, it would be a lot easier and safer. There is nothing safe or easy about getting lines out past the 3rd bar without a kayak, and when you have a leader made up with weights, and floats, and live bait swimming around it ends up being more trouble than it's worth. I'm not saying you shouldn't try , just be safe.


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## jimj100 (Dec 1, 2012)

I think for what you want to do, the port A jetty, and a lemon rig could be the ticket. I think they catch kings and what not like this out there, but i haven't been in quite a while. But i bet there are folks who know exactly how to do this.


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## jeffww (May 12, 2015)

It'll be a good story to tell if I do get one. Maybe I can visit the Jetties and then tow my cooler to the beach for pictures


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## Mojo281 (Sep 7, 2006)

The plural of Ling is Ling... Not Lings

J/K!! Lol!


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## texasislandboy (Apr 28, 2012)

Caught one last year off the beach with a bucktail jig. Buddy hooked up to a huge sting ray and 3 cobia came in with him. I ran out to the 1st bar and sight casted it on a broken castway rod. It was barely legal so we ate him that night with the crew we had out shark fishing.


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## karstopo (Jun 29, 2009)

I'm trying to remember. I know that the depth between second and third bar is often over 5 feet. I've waded the third bar at high waist depth and it doesn't take too many steps moving away from the beach to be unwadeble. Not too much off the 3 bar has to be more than 5 feet. Maybe 7-8 feet. I know I've been out in the neighbors boat running and fishing just inside the breakers. Seems like we get to 10 feet pretty quick off the beach.


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## JFolm (Apr 22, 2012)

You can attach a float to the main line and then shorten up your drop line a bit. That will keep the bait off the bottom and it will be in the current so that will help keep it up also. 


I bought some sleeved swivels from catch all tackle.


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## SurfRunner (May 22, 2004)

Most of the ones I know of caught from the beach were from shark fishermen.

I have caught 4 from the Surfside Jetties over the years with the biggest going 70 lbs. in 2001. I actually caught 3 that day. All were caught on cut shad.

Now is the time to catch them!


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## Blueshoes (Jan 24, 2013)

I dont have too much to add to this but i think your odds go from like 1/1000 to like 1/100 if you just meander around in a kayak past the breakers when the water is green. Maybe spot any kind of debris out there or when the mats start rolling in here in a few months. I will say that anytime i made it passed the second bar I couldnt even "bob" and hit the bottom with my feet. Also, any kind of rig ive seen or come up with myself involving a float line like that usually winds up in a neat little knot out there if the surf is anything but glass. If your mainline was more vertical I think things like that might be pretty good rigs but when your mainline is say 30 degrees off the bottom, even if your float line is 6 feet above your weight your bait will only be like 2 feet above the weight (and the bait itsself will sink as well).

Good luck of course!


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## jeffww (May 12, 2015)

Thanks for the tips everyone.


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## BullyARed (Jun 19, 2010)

July 4th, 2008, I was on my kayak just beyond the first sand bar in Crystal Beach (Between Emerald II and Main street - our beach home), I spotted several lings cruising along my kayak and I didn't have a fishing pole with me! So, they are there when the water is clear and calm.


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## sea hunt 202 (Nov 24, 2011)

that would be fun


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## Big Guns 1971 (Nov 7, 2013)

You may have better luck on one of the piers. They do get caught in the surf early in the year before the water warms up to much...


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## 535 (May 23, 2004)

You're wasting your time targeting them from the surf, if you catch one it'll be blind luck

This isn't true for jetties and maybe pier


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