# When is surf fishing no longer productive?



## mario8402 (Apr 15, 2010)

I see stuff about the fall bull run and sharkathon etc.. is there a certain time of the year that it just shuts down? its no longer worth fishing the surf after______?
hope the question makes sense.  wasnt sure if it was worth fishing it once it gets like mid dec and cold out


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## Spectaker (Oct 24, 2011)

If you can tolerate the cold, I don't think it ever really "shuts down." Specs move out into the bays and I think reds are more rare and the sharks move south. Can still get black drum/whiting and other various species though if I'm not mistaken. Someone more experienced could tell you more.
Personally I like fishing when its colder out as the beach is pretty much deserted. Last year I wad still wading out in the frigid water to get baits out.


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## bigfost (Oct 11, 2004)

Along the upper TX coast, the surf never shuts down, but many of the summer species move out. During the depth of winter, mid December to early March, bull reds, bull black drum and whiting are still available in good numbers.

I love winter fishing. No tourists, no bugs, no bait stealers, and enough big fish to keep things interesting most days.

Get a good pair of chest waders, or even better a wet suit, and you're set.


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## Fishin' Soldier (Dec 25, 2007)

bigfost said:


> Along the upper TX coast, the surf never shuts down, but many of the summer species move out. During the depth of winter, mid December to early March, bull reds, bull black drum and whiting are still available in good numbers.
> 
> I love winter fishing. No tourists, no bugs, no bait stealers, and enough big fish to keep things interesting most days.
> 
> Get a good pair of chest waders, or even better a wet suit, and you're set.


 Agreed. There are always fish to catch in the surf. Just have to change what fish you target.


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## Humble Fisherman (Sep 28, 2011)

Heading down PINS to the Nicaragua wreck after thanksgiving. Any advice on what we might be catching at that time of the year?

Camping on the beach for at least two nights - maybe three.

Love surf fishing but not good at it!


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## jagarcia10 (Mar 10, 2011)

Humble Fisherman said:


> Heading down PINS to the Nicaragua wreck after thanksgiving. Any advice on what we might be catching at that time of the year?
> 
> Camping on the beach for at least two nights - maybe three.
> 
> Love surf fishing but not good at it!


http://www.billysandifer.com/Best_Time_For_Species.php


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## fishingcacher (Mar 29, 2008)

For me it is no longer worth fishing the surf when the white bass as spawning or there is too much seaweed in the water or there is too much wind or the waves are too high.


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## 535 (May 23, 2004)

seaweed and cold fronts are the only things that ever shut it down for me... not that I catch anything all of the other times


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## histprof (Oct 30, 2011)

Last year, I caught good fish in September. Things didn't seem to go too well in October until the end of the month. Then, I caught good fish on Thanksgiving weekend. December was off again. I caught fish again on New Year's weekend and then whiffed in February. The Thanksgiving and New Year's trips were just wonderful. The smacks and specs of August and September gave way to whiting, pomps and reds as we passed into the cooler weather. I really enjoyed the New Years trip when I boxed a bunch of whiting and a nice slot red on a day when my son and I had the beach to ourselves. Treasured times.

As several have made pretty clear on this thread: there are fish in the surf year round. The issue is whether the fisherman wants to fish in the conditions (cold, wind, etc.)

Reflecting on what I wrote above, this has been a much different year. I am working around some serious household changes (my wife diagnosed with Epilepsy) that make me the only driver in a 6 person household. So, I fish when I can make arrangements to escape, not when the conditions look good. As I have posted recently, this means that I have been out of sync since February. I seem to be hitting the beach the day after the best conditions. Unless you count moving my PB hardhead record up by about 3 inches, it has not been a very interesting year for putting fish on the sand. We got good news from the docs this month, and it appears that my lovely and talented wife will be back behind the wheel in some period of weeks to come. That is a huge improvement in the prognosis. Hopefully, we can celebrate that with a nice fish fry not too long after it happens.


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## fultonswimmer (Jul 3, 2008)

*PINS*



Humble Fisherman said:


> Heading down PINS to the Nicaragua wreck after thanksgiving. Any advice on what we might be catching at that time of the year?
> 
> Camping on the beach for at least two nights - maybe three.
> 
> Love surf fishing but not good at it!


*The time of year you are going to be on PINS might be very good for pompano. Look for some clear, blue, low wind conditions and rig a double drop rig with some small pieces of dead shrimp(peeled if you want), some pink/orange fishbites rigged on a 3/0 circle hook. If you find some pomps they will be very good fighters and usually good schools of them tasty little critters. Should find some black drum as well at that time of year.*
*Have fun!*


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## surfguy (May 17, 2011)

histprof said:


> Last year, I caught good fish in September. Things didn't seem to go too well in October until the end of the month. Then, I caught good fish on Thanksgiving weekend. December was off again. I caught fish again on New Year's weekend and then whiffed in February. The Thanksgiving and New Year's trips were just wonderful. The smacks and specs of August and September gave way to whiting, pomps and reds as we passed into the cooler weather. I really enjoyed the New Years trip when I boxed a bunch of whiting and a nice slot red on a day when my son and I had the beach to ourselves. Treasured times.
> 
> As several have made pretty clear on this thread: there are fish in the surf year round. The issue is whether the fisherman wants to fish in the conditions (cold, wind, etc.)
> 
> Reflecting on what I wrote above, this has been a much different year. I am working around some serious household changes (my wife diagnosed with Epilepsy) that make me the only driver in a 6 person household. So, I fish when I can make arrangements to escape, not when the conditions look good. As I have posted recently, this means that I have been out of sync since February. I seem to be hitting the beach the day after the best conditions. Unless you count moving my PB hardhead record up by about 3 inches, it has not been a very interesting year for putting fish on the sand. We got good news from the docs this month, and it appears that my lovely and talented wife will be back behind the wheel in some period of weeks to come. That is a huge improvement in the prognosis. Hopefully, we can celebrate that with a nice fish fry not too long after it happens.


HP, Good news about your wife. Godspeed and good fishing ahead.


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## Mustad7731 (May 23, 2004)

*Year Round Surf Fishing*

mario...

Depending what you want to catch...It never shuts completely down.
As far as larger fish 20lbs and up they are present in at least some
levels all yr long.

Most of the sharks leave when the water gets into the 50's or below.
I think the cold water sharks are rare, but still present...Sandbar Sharks,
Mako, and even White Sharks occasional visitors.

Bull Reds are present almost year round...I've caught them right after
a norther, with the wind howling from the north at 20 mph, and the
air feeling like it's in the 20's (actual temp about 45 f).

The only time I'd advise not going surf fishing is when a storm of some
kind is headed in and the tide may block your escape route...Not a
situation you'd like to find yourself.

I always try to go by the statement..."You CANNOT Catch any fish if
you're NOT Fishing".

Mustad7731
Jack


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## tennisplayer2 (Feb 6, 2008)

We caught a lot of whiting today, but they were small. A couple of weeks ago the whiting were huge. We did get a couple of slot reds and had a few get away. Is anybody catching big whitings (if so, where)?


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## SurfRunner (May 22, 2004)

You can catch fish in the surf all year long......I have caught a 4 foot sandbar shark on a cast bait in January when the water temp was 57 deg. I also caught one a week before Christmas one time. There was a mako caught on PINS several years ago in February. Big drum and Bullreds are there too. Maybe not in numbers, but enough to keep you going. You can catch some big whiting in the winter.


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## mario8402 (Apr 15, 2010)

thanks for all the tips guys. really helps out. I just wanted to make sure I wasnt too late to get my surf setup ready for action or if I should just wait until next spring. I bought some waders last year dirt cheap so I'm good in that respect. Maybe I can meet up with a 2cooler when I am ready to go for my first time out soon 
I would like to target some bull reds and maybe some smallerish sharks and whatever else wants to snag its lips on my hooks


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## prophead (May 25, 2012)

*PINS?*

What's PINS?


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## tennisplayer2 (Feb 6, 2008)

Padre Island National Seashore


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## troutless (Feb 17, 2006)

I like to surf fish in the Winter also and you can catch a variety of fish, but you go to Crabs,Whitings for the larger fish, except Sharks. Fishbites and Shrimp are good for the Whitings and I have caught slot Reds, Black Drums on the Fishbites.
I haven't been into surf fishing but for a few years.


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## SurfRunner (May 22, 2004)

mario8402 said:


> thanks for all the tips guys. really helps out. I just wanted to make sure I wasnt too late to get my surf setup ready for action or if I should just wait until next spring. I bought some waders last year dirt cheap so I'm good in that respect. Maybe I can meet up with a 2cooler when I am ready to go for my first time out soon
> I would like to target some bull reds and maybe some smallerish sharks and whatever else wants to snag its lips on my hooks


Don't stop now...Its just now starting to get good and it will be for a couple more months...Best surf fishing of the year.


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## justin83 (Apr 26, 2010)

WHAT said:


> http://www.billysandifer.com/Best_Time_For_Species.php


on this site it says that the speck fishing is good in nov and dec i guess down in corpus area. just wondering if anyone can verify this? thanks


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## SurfRunner (May 22, 2004)

justin83 said:


> on this site it says that the speck fishing is good in nov and dec i guess down in corpus area. just wondering if anyone can verify this? thanks


That Calender should be accurate for PINS. They do catch trout in the winter there. I think it is more of a grind for the big ones though.


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## medgecko (Apr 21, 2012)

Anybody seen something like this for the Surfside/Galveston/Bolivar area?


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## justin83 (Apr 26, 2010)

surfrunner said:


> that calender should be accurate for pins. They do catch trout in the winter there. I think it is more of a grind for the big ones though.


thanks


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