# Joe Malat's Surf Fishing School



## vripley (May 25, 2007)

Hi all,

I am scheduled to go to a couple of days school with Joe Malat and or Mac Currin in the end of September.

I am a complete newb in surf fishing...

I was wondering if anyone has been to a class like this and what I can expect?

Also, any advice on how I can make my experience better?

Thanks in advance,
Vaughn


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## jay b (Dec 1, 2002)

My advice would be keep your eyes and ears open and have fun. At the worst it's going to be a vacation on the Outer Banks !!  

Remember that even though they are probably one of the finest surf fishing schools around it's still just one mans opinion from fishing in his area.

Good luck and have fun !!


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## blallen (Jul 6, 2007)

Vaughn,
Do you have any information on this school, locations and times. I've heard about them for awhile, but I never heard and specifics.
Thanks
Brandon


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## DERFM (Jun 19, 2004)

deb and i took that class years ago 
it was one of those ; "you don't explain things enough for me " from deb . and she wouldn't go by herself ,soooooo we both took the class .
well let me tell ya , it was well worth it !!!
even though i went in with the 'what am i gonna learn from this ' my outlook on the class changed quickly .
joe and mac are extremely knowledgeable and will answer any question asked ...
ya may go in a newb , but ya come out with the confidence to fish just about antwhere on the obx .


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## vripley (May 25, 2007)

http://www.joemalat.com/schools.php

He holds this school twice a year and the one I am giong to is Sept 27-30.

IHTH,
V



blallen said:


> Vaughn,
> Do you have any information on this school, locations and times. I've heard about them for awhile, but I never heard and specifics.
> Thanks
> Brandon


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## Sea Level (Nov 20, 2005)

*Surf Fishing School*

Vripley,

I'm glad to see that you are taking the course, and will be interested in hearing of your experience.

The below paragraphs I posted on the "Florida Board" of P&S on the 12th of July '07 (it now resides on page 2 in its entirity). I'm hoping to help educate some of the many retirees that show up on our beaches right after Christmas with little knowledge, but lots of time to devote to the sport. We've all had these folks come up and ask "What are you fishing for? What do you hope to catch?" -- or some similar question.

Anyhow, below are fourteen subjects related to surf fishing that are contained in the curriculum I will be presenting starting August 4th. I will offer the course several times during the January / February '08 timeframe.

Good fishing to you.

-----------------------------------------------

Since retiring and moving to Palm Coast, FL in 2000 I have chosen Surf Fishing over the other forms of fishing I enjoy as my "go to" activity. I was fortunate enough to fall in with some other, like-minded individuals, and we formed a surf fishing club "Florida Surf Casters" -- one that is going strong today.

I would like to share with others , who live in North East to East Central Florida, some of what I know about beach fishing in the area. I don't claim to be the "Expert" by a long shot, but I can certainly flatten out the learning curve for the beginner / newcomer; and I have the time and interest.

The fee charged for the course is to weed out the merely curious, who would attend a "Goat Rope", if it was for free, from those who are truly interested. Profits will be plowed back into the club for a purpose to be determined. So, if you know someone who may be interested, have them contact me or pickup a flyer that I will distribute to local bait & tackle stores.

The flyer will be as follows:

Surf Fishing Course of Instruction

Presented by Captain Jeff Rafter, Florida Surf Casters Club, 
[email protected] / 386-447-2940

Who should attend? 
A. Individuals who wish to begin surf fishing as an activity for the beach.
B. Recent retirees who wish to take up the sport as a serious activity.
C. Those with surf fishing experience elsewhere, and who wish to gain knowledge about local fish species and fishing tactics.
D. Anyone who hopes to pick up some knowledge that will increase their fishing success.

The course of instruction is four three-hour sessions. Each session is stand alone, so anyone can take that session which is of interest to them, or chooses to attend them all for a greater understanding of fishing the beach. Class size is limited to 10 students / session. 

Topics Covered during the Four Sessions.
1. Tackle Selection – rods and reels, conventional and spinning, budget minded to custom, what may be best for an individual based on current level of experience to desired future level of proficiency.
2. Rigs, line and terminal tackle – how to select the best line for a balanced outfit, what hooks, swivels, snaps and sinkers to use for different techniques and circumstances.
3. Rig building for use along the Florida Northeast coast.
4. Casting – spinning and conventional - how to cast while standing on the beach or while wading – the mechanics and safety concerns.
5. Etiquette and the protocol of beach fishing – how to fish alongside others to ensure the best experience for all concerned including other surf fishermen, swimmers, surfers, sailboarders, personal watercraft and beach drivers (where permitted).
6. Stewardship of the beach environment -- the nature of the other creatures that share the beach and surf- Crabs, Turtles, Jellyfish, Shorebirds, Pelicans, Gulls and Dolphins. 
7. Bait selection - how / where to obtain, how to put on hook and for what species do we target with selected bait.
8. Beach gear – what absolutely is needed for surf fishing and what else might you want.
9. Tides, water temperature, wind and weather – how does it affect the fishing.
10. How to read the water – where do you want to cast your bait.
11. What are you likely to catch – the different species; how and when to target them.
12. How to handle the fish you caught; so that you don’t get hurt, so the fish has the best chance for survival if released, and so harvested fish will offer the best table fare. 
13. Surf fishing beaches from Jacksonville area through Canaveral National Seashore,with emphasis on home area waters - one hour north to one hour south of Flagler Pier.
14. Understanding Florida Fishing Regulations.


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## vripley (May 25, 2007)

Wow! That is a great curriculum. I can't wait for Joe's class and I will post stories!


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## JimInVA (May 17, 2005)

Vaughn,

I was an attendee at a seminar that Joe Malat was the guest speaker for. This was not his class but a quick 1-hour seminar. I can't even begin to tell you how much USEFUL information I learned in that much too short an hour!!!

Joe is also a CLASS ACT! I needed a special gift for someone who fished and picked up a copy of Joe's Surf Fishing booklet. I managed to get in touch with Joe, by phone, and asked if there was any possiblity of getting him to autograph the booklet. He extended the courtesy of allowing me to visit his workplace and autographed each of the two booklets I'd brought with me. He is unquestionably a "good guy"!

Enjoy the class!!

Jim


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## bowhunter81 (Aug 5, 2007)

I too, took the class with my wife several years ago, really enjoyed it. They focus more on catching lots of fish instead of trophy fish, (drum Cobes) but are extremely knowledgeable and will answer any question. Do take rain gear because as long as it is not lightening, they will fish. The fish are already wet. Lol


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## HellRhaY (Jul 6, 2007)

bowhunter81 said:


> The fish are already wet. Lol


yea!!!
but the fish is not the one holding a grpahite rod :fishing:
when lightning strikes, lightning "ALWAYS" follows the path of shortest distance to the ground ...
and i dont want to be holding any rod that time.


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## Wilber (May 20, 2003)

I helped Joe with a couple of his classes. Showing folks about casting and such. He and Mac are great folks. Joe is a very good fisherman, writer and sportsman. If you take his class you will learn more than you thought you would and have a blast doing it. Just being on the beach with a group of folks that share the same intrest in surf fishing and having a great teacher is well worth the price .

PS The "after fishing Parties" are pretty good also.


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## GregL (Sep 16, 2007)

I will be heading down to Nags Head in October so I'll be too late for Joe's last class of the year. I already plan to take vacation next year so I can make one of his 2008 classes.

I've written to him a few times via e-mail and I can say he is one of the nicest people I've ever cooresponded with. Our dialog started when I wrote him about an article I found by him in an old issue of Southern Sportsman magazine by Franc White.

Again, he's a nice guy and I can't wait to take the class next year.

Greg


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## vripley (May 25, 2007)

Wow! All I can say is that class was unbelievably informative and fun for me. _What is it?_ you ask. Joe Malat's Surf Fishing School is a 2 - 1/2 day training session to teach you soup to nuts how to surf fish. It actually felt more like 3 days, because we started the night before with an introductory / orientation social event. I learned more in this time than I have with months of reading and practicing. And, I caught a flounder (my first fish ever!)

Joe Malat is a professional fisherman who has written several books and he is the director of the OBX aquarium. Joe also writes as a freelance writer for many fishing magazines and has a monthly group of articles in the _Chesapeake Angler Magazine_. On top of that he is one Helluva nice guy! His experience and personality culminate to create the perfect teaching environment.

Mac Currin (the other instructor) is also a professional fisherman and he is a professor at North Carolina. He has a Masters in marine biology (or something closely related) and he is full of knowledge about fish and their environment. Mac is also one of the nicest guys I have met and he is a fantastic story teller to boot!

Together, Mac and Joe both give the class by bouncing instruction time back and forth. This makes for a great teaching environment, because their two personalities and styles of teaching create a more robust session for the students. Instead of butting heads, they work off of each other to provide an even better education for us all!

Here is how the class was laid out:

*Thursday Evening*
We met for orientation. Joe and Mac gave us a quick introduction to what the class was going to entail and they explained some of the conditions we would encounter. As well, they answered many questions that we (there were about 24 students) had. At each of our seats there was a pile of _swag_ (not "Some Wild Assed Guess" - I mean free stuff from Joe's sponsors) including several different rigs, some hooks, some artificial baits and lures and magazines and paperwork.

After the intro concluded, we moved into the hotel bar for some catered dinner!

*Friday*
The whole day was dedicated to the classroom. We went over every facet of surf fishing including reading the different types of surf, beaches and such. We talked about rigs and all manner of equipment. They also gave us a detailed bit of information about using your SUV as a beach buggy to get you to places on the sand. Most of the class was presented in a slideshow format with Joe and Mac bringing up interesting stories and answering any questions along the way.

After a catered lunch, we continued learning in the classroom. The day was filled with knowledge that ended up filling my brain and running out of my ears! I am sure I will forget some of the stuff, but I learned so much that I now know much more than when I started.

BTW - During the class, they drew one student's name out of a hat and gave away a very nice Daiwa surf rod and reel!!!

*Saturday*
We met at 6 a.m. and headed out to a very windy beach for a day of fishing and fun. Obviously Joe and Mac did not make their weather God sacrifice, because we were hammered with 20-30 MPH winds. Yet, they managed to get us to a beach where the wind was at our backs and this helped GREATLY. a plethora of fish were caught despite the weather. Among the fish caught were croakers, flounders, blues, sea mullet and spot... Most everything except the blues were too small to keep and therefore were thrown back in. I caught a flounder; which happens to be the first fish I have caught in my life! WOO-WHOO! We learned a lot about managing terminal tackle (and how to not get hooked in bad weather; which is a good talent to have!)

*Sunday*
At 6 a.m. we met up and headed for a beach. The wind was even heavier than Saturday (I think) and the conditions were fairly rough. Even so, my friend Rod was able to bag a nice little blue fish! We learned a good amount about using heavier sinkers and how to cast them. We also learned how the current can affect your rig. It was rough out there, but we managed to have a great time anyway! When the wind had finally beaten us into submission, Joe demonstrated how to clean and fillet fish using some of the blues my classmates had caught. He has a straight forward approach and it made me feel very comfortable with prepping any fish I catch in the future (hopefully I can apply this knowledge over the next couple of days of my vacation down here in Avon).

We left the beach earlier than Joe and Mac usually do on their last day, so they took us to an awesome breakfast buffet and even paid for it! W00t! 

After breakfast, we went back into the classroom for any final questions and to receive more door prizes. Everyone ended out getting hats, shirts, lures, reel lube, etc. Joe and Mac said goodbye and we parted ways.

This class turned out better than I imagined and it was a very affordable price for what I took home! I recommend Joe Malat's Surf Fishing School to everyone! Sign-up... You will not be sorry! And, his books are very informative without the fluff of many of the other books out there...

Check out Joes website (and class info) here:
http://www.joemalat.com

BTW - All of this cost only $275; which is MORE than a bargain... It is a steal for the amount of info and fun (not to mention free swag) that I walked away with!

-V


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## Sea Level (Nov 20, 2005)

Vripley, sounds as if you got your moneys worth. Thanks for the course report and good fishing to you.


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## earl of DC (Jul 7, 2007)

excellent post vripley!!! now thats the class i need the most!!!! i am glad 4 you!!!:fishing:


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## MacPE6 (Feb 28, 2006)

I need to look into this class. I would like to wife to go, she says I am an impatient teacher. Maybe she would like surf fishing more. She loves it when the spots are in and all you have to do is get a line with something on a hook in the water.


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