# Surf Fishing Etiquette



## hate23putt (Aug 27, 2016)

I have been surf fishing a few times now and will be going again mid October to Sargent area. Let me prefice this question by stating that I am a little OCD about certain things and one of them is proper etiquette. I do not want to be "that" guy who has no sense of their surroundings and believes that he should have the right to put out as many rods as I see fit because I was there first, or the guy who thinks that he can encroach on your area because I have just as much right to be there as anyone else. With that being said, how many rods should one be allowed to put out? I was thinking that if I had one bait rod and two surf rods out that would be acceptable? All this assuming that the beach is not empty and I don't have them spread out over an unreasonable amount of space. I know when I have fished the MOB in the past, we were nut to butt with everyone else and I only would put out 1 long rod and 1 bait rod. Would love some feedback on this subject as well as any other thoughts from those with much more experience than myself.


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## Illbethere (Mar 11, 2015)

I think 2 long rods per person, and one bait rod fishing in between the 2 long rods, bait rod being one you hold in your hand to catch bait for long rods. for example(s) one long rod on one one side of the truck and one on the other side of the truck, 2 people in one truck, 2 long rods on one side of the truck and 2 long rods on the other side of the truck, with each person hold in bait rod fishing in between their long rods or directly behind the truck.


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## Sgrem (Oct 5, 2005)

If you are too crowded surf fishing from the beach you are doing it wrong. Put out as many rods as you can handle.

What's the problem? The beach is super expansive.....if someone is there and the don't invite you on up next to them then don't try to be a potlicker. Move down the giant enormous beach. The great State of Texas has miles and miles where you should never even have to ask this question.

Unless you are potlicking.....


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## Prizepig (Jul 13, 2012)

sgrem said:


> If you are too crowded surf fishing from the beach you are doing it wrong. Put out as many rods as you can handle.
> 
> What's the problem? The beach is super expansive.....if someone is there and the don't invite you on up next to them then don't try to be a potlicker. Move down the giant enormous beach. The great State of Texas has miles and miles where you should never even have to ask this question.
> 
> Unless you are potlicking.....


Exactly! I hit the beach to get away from the crowds, not rub elbows with them. Even if it takes driving a few hours to do it.


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## sharkchum (Feb 10, 2012)

Just use common sense. If there are a lot of people around then limit your rods to the space you have available. If you get to a spot and there is no one else around then set out as many rods as you want. Depending on how many people I have with me, I may have 20 or more rods out and take up 200 yds of beach, but I would never do that in a crowded area.
The most important etiquette on the beach is never block the path where other people cant get around you. If there is a wide stretch of beach between the water and the dunes, then there is nothing wrong with setting up close to the water, but make sure people can get around. On most of Sargent beach you can either drive down the beach or drive down the high road in the dune area. I see people all the time that either set up on the beach blocking the road, or if the tide is high they will set up in the middle of the high road where no one can get through, don't be one of these people. If you see tire tracks where everyone has been driving than don't set up right in the middle of it.


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## sharkchum (Feb 10, 2012)

More importantly, whatever you take on the beach with you needs to go home with you. I'm so sick of picking up other peoples trash. It use to be just beer cans and stuff, now they are leaving broken ez-up canopys ,folding chairs, tents,old tv's, rusted out BBQ pits, tires, and anything else they feel like dumping. If I ever catch someone doing it I will probably end up with life in prison or the death penalty.


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## fishingtwo (Feb 23, 2009)

I believe Sharkchum summed it up nicely. I agree 110%


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## hate23putt (Aug 27, 2016)

I could not agree with you more on the trash issue. On our most recent trip to Bryan Beach/MOB I could not believe how much **** people leave behind. We filled my truck up with other peoples leftovers trash when we left. One of the reasons we want to try another area. Hoping that it will be cleaner. Appreciate the suggestions on the etiquette question and I too look for the areas less crowded if at all possible.


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## Prizepig (Jul 13, 2012)

Don't be this guy......


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## Surf Rodder (Jun 28, 2013)

*"O, PVC, O, PVC, how lovely is your placement..."* (Sorry, couldn't help myself...)


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## jimj100 (Dec 1, 2012)

Prizepig said:


> Don't be this guy......


Hey what if that guy was there first!


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## peckerwood (Jun 9, 2012)

I won't fish with the crowds unless there's a bunch of bikini's to hold my interest.Sorry,just had a "being honest" thing going there.If you go to Lake Texoma to fish off the Oklahoma side beach,don't take a gun.The Vietnamese from Dallas will throw up tents between yours and your truck and walk through your camp and even step over your feet to get around you.You can holler and cuss all you want,and they don't even look up.The women are the worse.They have nice butts,but most look like they've been gnawing on monkey heads all their life.They all seem nice enough when you talk to them before you get pizzed,but they just operate way different than us in the privacy dept.


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## Prizepig (Jul 13, 2012)

jimj100 said:


> Hey what if that guy was there first!


Good point. I think if that was me and I got their first and it turned into that, I would prob just pack it up and go home, turn the tube on, and watch Kaepernick pout on the sidelines.


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## Ready.Fire.Aim (Sep 22, 2009)

sharkchum said:


> More importantly, whatever you take on the beach with you needs to go home with you. I'm so sick of picking up other peoples trash. It use to be just beer cans and stuff, now they are leaving broken ez-up canopys ,folding chairs, tents,old tv's, rusted out BBQ pits, tires, and anything else they feel like dumping. If I ever catch someone doing it I will probably end up with life in prison or the death penalty.


Fully agree !


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## Surf Rodder (Jun 28, 2013)

Good thoughts (some better than others...). Me, I get there early and because I am presently not working, I can go at any time. I like to get there early, spread my rod holders (4 or 5 of them) maybe across a 25-30 yard-wide swath. I'll angle the two on the ends of the rod holders at angles out. I have found that more often than not other fisherman are good at giving you space. It was a blessing he last two times that guys actually pulled up beside me and asked if setting up next to me was cool. Always glad to have the company.


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## sharkchum (Feb 10, 2012)

Surf Rodder said:


> Good thoughts (some better than others...). Me, I get there early and because I am presently not working, I can go at any time. I like to get there early, spread my rod holders (4 or 5 of them) maybe across a 25-30 yard-wide swath. I'll angle the two on the ends of the rod holders at angles out. I have found that more often than not other fisherman are good at giving you space. It was a blessing he last two times that guys actually pulled up beside me and asked if setting up next to me was cool. Always glad to have the company.


 Your way more generous with your real estate than I am. I usually set my rods out 50' to 100' apart.


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## BluffRat (Oct 4, 2016)

yea!! i'm finally registered.... ive been following this blog for 6+ years and i can finally post, lol..... agree with all the comments about if it's too crowded then ur doing it wrong, and always leave the beach cleaner than you found it.... but what about when there's little kids and their family playing in the surf 50-100 yards away? When I'm fishing for sharks (usually SS access rd 5 area) and I hook up, I like to walk the fish down the beach against the current and tire them out, some guy with his family in the water asked me "what I got on?" and I replied "probably a big shark" and he immediately got his family out of the water. I felt kind of bad scaring them.


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## Surf Rodder (Jun 28, 2013)

BluffRat, welcome aboard! Great to have another pair of eyes and experience amongst us. 

Man, regarding hooking a shark near folks in the water, I have found 100% of the time that folks get excited when you've got a big one on. When I'm hooked up I DO encourage any parent with kids in the water that it's likely I have a shark on line. More often than not they call their kids in and then they walk with me while the fight is on. I've also found that when I finally have a sighting, and it turns out to be a sizable ray, the ray creeps them out more than the shark does. 

Sharkchum, bro, don't lift me up too much. When I'm spending the night on SLP Galvez size, especially in mid-late November or so, man I'll string em out up to 100 yards of space across. I have a 15-million candlepower spotlight that I can turn street lights off a night when I illumine them. If I'm solo on the beach at night (you know, me, the dog, and the LORD), I'll occupy more space. Dog wakes me up when he hears a clicker sound. I sit up, shine the light and see which rod is happy. Then I race the dog to the rod (he always wins!).:texasflag


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## HotSauce (Jul 11, 2013)

This is pretty common sense, but offer your leftover bait to your neighbor if you have to leave


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

Answer and ask,... people will drive by and scope your set up out. If they are die hard surf fishermen, then they will check your set up out and make a decision as to whether you know your stuff or not.
If they can tell you know what you are doing they will stop and ask if you have done any good. These are the people who might know some good info. So answer their questions and ask some of your own.


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## waltmeda (Jul 9, 2013)

I never fish around anyone. If there are a lot of people around, I keep moving. I was set up at Sargent one weekend without a person in sight for miles in either direction. I had six rods out. A car full of people came driving up the beach and literally parked right next to me and started setting up. I was livid. I packed my stuff and left. 

Same situation on a different occasion, a family pulled up next to me and went swimming and ended up directly in front of me. They were lifting my lines and going under them. The father had the gall to turn to me and throw his hands in the air like I was creating a problem with their swimming. I had been on the beach for two days and they just drove up. His family and I were the ONLY people on the beach for miles. I was absolutely blown away by this situation. Again, I packed my stuff and headed down the beach.


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## HotSauce (Jul 11, 2013)

waltmeda said:


> I never fish around anyone. If there are a lot of people around, I keep moving. I was set up at Sargent one weekend without a person in sight for miles in either direction. I had six rods out. A car full of people came driving up the beach and literally parked right next to me and started setting up. I was livid. I packed my stuff and left.
> 
> Same situation on a different occasion, a family pulled up next to me and went swimming and ended up directly in front of me. They were lifting my lines and going under them. The father had the gall to turn to me and throw his hands in the air like I was creating a problem with their swimming. I had been on the beach for two days and they just drove up. His family and I were the ONLY people on the beach for miles. I was absolutely blown away by this situation. Again, I packed my stuff and headed down the beach.


They were surely from Dallas, no question...


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