You don't necessarily need to sail out to sea to catch the 'big one'. Relatively inexpensive and easy, surf fishing requires only a few rigs, some bait, and a rod and reel.

Who surf fishes?
Surf fishermen come in all varieties, but can be just as fanatical as any other fisherman. What some of them lack in the way of a boat they more than make up for in their beach vehicle. Experienced surf anglers cruise the beach looking for that edie or runoff, looking for birds working a school of baitfish. They will follow a moving school of bait fish for miles waiting for a school of blues, reds or trout to begin feeding through them.

Rods and reels
Surf fishing requires some very specialized tackle, since this is a very specialized type of fishing. Surf rods from 10 to 12 feet long like the St Croix Premier model, capable of slinging 6 ounces of lead weight plus bait up to 100 yards beyond the breaking surf are seen up and down the beach. A heavy duty spinning reel like the Quantum Boca PT Saltwater model is the usual reel found on these rods. Surf anglers argue regularly as to whether the length of the rod, or the design of the reel, or the size of the rod guides plays the biggest part in achieving long casts.

Sinkers and weights
The weights used when bottom fishing in the surf vary little, and are usually a multi-ounce pyramid sinker clipped on a drop rig with the bait and leader further up the line. The pyramid sinker shape helps it dig into the bottom and hold the line tight. Other designs are arguably as good, but the pyramid has been the standard sinker for years.

Baits
Baits can range from live bait fish of the variety currently running in and beyond the surf, to blood worms, to cut bait, to sand fleas, those relatives of the crab that live in the surf wash just under the surface of the sand. Striper anglers opt for live eels. The size of the bait is dependent on the size of the schooling fish, and in general would be some thing that can match the baitfish. Spoons, topwaters, and huge plugs work well. Artificial eels in the surf can be deadly on stipers at certain times.

Keep your bait fresh and out of the sun, in a cooler or refrigerator. Like their human counterparts, fish like to eat things that look good and smell fresh. Each bait has a special method of preparation. Bloodworms are cut into small pieces. Mullet can be filleted and cut into chunks or strips. Squid works best when cut into thin, wedge shaped pieces that imitate a swimming bait fish in the current. Mole crabs, or sand fleas, are small crustaceans that burrow into the sand between the low tide and high tide marks, and are effective, low budget bait for several species. Hook them from their underside up through the top shell.

It's also a good idea to take a few artificial lures to the beach. Occasionally fish will school up and feed very actively right in the surf. This is especially true of bluefish, striped bass, or Spanish mackerel, particularly early and late in the day. Lures need to be cast out and retrieved, and when retrieved, look like a harried bait fish swimming away from the predator. If you have to pick one or two lures, choose something that is shiny and heavy enough to cast.

Where can I fish?
Surf fishing is possible on any almost any coast side. You may not be fishing from a sandy beach, rather rough ragged rocks, but the baitfish still follow the contour of the shore and the feeding fish will be right in around and under them. Shorelines may vary, but tactics will be the same.

Bottom rigs
"Fireball rigs" are specialized bottom rigs. They may have one or two hooks, with a brightly colored float fixed just in front of the hook. They're good for bluefish, but anything will bite them. When you buy one, buy a spare. The worst thing imaginable is to have fish all around you in a feeding frenzy, and hear the line break with a sickening "POW!", as you watch your only lure sail off on a world record cast. Some handy accessories are a knife, a pair of pliers, and a rag.

One other item you don't want to be without is a sand spike, a piece of PVC pipe that is shoved down into the sand. The butt of your fishing rod is inserted into the pipe. Never lay the rod and reel down in the sand. Sand gravitates to every crack and crevice of a fishing reel like steel to a magnet, and can wreck a reel in a heartbeat.

After a day's fishing, a gentle freshwater wash down of the rod and reel will minimize salt corrosion. Spray the reel and rod guides with a moisture displacer, and wipe off the excess with a rag.

Stretch your sea legs
Some people may miss out on the fun of surf fishing because they don't know where or how to begin, and may be slightly intimidated by the salty looking veterans that can cast a country mile. Those folks have honed their skills through years of practice and catch fish from the beach when rookies come up empty. Don't crowd them, they have paid their dues, and earn what they catch, but don't be afraid to get out there and give it a try.