# Surf at HBSP



## rickyble

Fish the surf this am early and got one good whiting. Got it on shrimp and fishbite Bloodworm on the end. Cleaned and ready to eat. I should be out there ever morning this week.


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## SmoothLures

See any sand fleas? Gonna fish down there once or twice between tomorrow and Sunday.


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## rickyble

no sand fleas yet. wish i had. the big whitings love them not to mention pomps


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## SmoothLures

No doubt. Going to Yucca in the morning. Holler if you do any good.


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## surfmom

We fished surf Sunday and Monday not a nibble zilch nada zero lol


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## rickyble

heading down this am early and fish the incoming tide...not ideal but at least ill wet a hook.


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## rickyble

fished yesterday morning early and nothing just surfmom. Nothing not even a nibble


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## rickyble

sorry i meant just like surfmom had. Nothing not even a bite


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## ChefRobb

rickyble said:


> sorry i meant just like surfmom had. Nothing not even a bite


OK...thanks for clarifying. I was scratching my head wondering what kind of rig and what type of bait you would catch surfmom on. I was leaning towards a diamond jig.


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## rickyble

Went down yesterday morning surf far too rough. Lots of weeds and muddy water. Current too line down the beach and just too much to hope for even a bite. Left after about 30 minutes not worth the effort. going to try again this am. hope the surf is clearer and better.


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## rickyble

So fished Saturday and Sunday morning. Not even a bait stealer. Real beautiful day and mornings but not even a bite. Probably wont get to try it again until next weekend. Lots of nice people to talk to and converse with and great to be out in the surf.


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## rickyble

Went down yesterday with the wife to just sit on the beach. Very windy and rough surf. Really had the water churned up and muddy. I was going to try the surf this am but think ill wait for it to clear and try it again tomorrow morning early.


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## rickyble

i have fished this week several mornings early and as usual not much. Caught one keeper whiting yesterday on shrimp. Since middle of March thats only two whitings. For some reason this year is so so slow. Usually by now i am catching black drum whiting and a few Pomps and even a flattie. Occasionally others. Sharks, babies by the dozens. It just seems to be slow. I have tried changing baits, rods, reels, incoming outgoing tides, low high, even my hat .....but so far not just a good year. Maybe the warmer weather will bring more fish. I have seen bait fish in the surf. Small minnows.


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## SloppyTilapia

Here soon, your persistence will pay off. Keep at it and have fun, even when the fish won't cooperate.


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## Guest

Rocky le, I agree. I fish Garden City regularly and all I've pulled in this year is Whiting. Each time that I have caught fish it has been two whiting. I've had several days this year where I've gotten skunked. By this time last year I had some very good days from the surf. Been a slow start for me for sure.


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## rickyble

Finally caught something worth keeping a 16 inch flattie on shrimp and a piece of fish bites. its in the reefer and tonight it will be in our stomachs. Fished early 6 am until 830am.


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## rickyble

Well yesterday at least the small sharks are back. Caught three in the surf. Nothing else but at least there is life in the ocean. I also saw for the first time this year hundreds of sand fleas. I didnt bring my rake since it had been useless but tomorrow i hope to take it and fish with them. Nothing better for the pomps.


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## MadDawgJ

Nice report, good luck on the pomps.


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## rickyble

loaded up and went down to try it yesterday morning but the wind was howling and the white caps as far as ou could see. Far too rough and dirty. Turned around and went back home. Just a waste of my time. Hope it turns around soon.


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## rickyble

Went early this am caught lots of sharks one very small whitings. All on shrimp with fish bites added. No sandfleas on the beach


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## ChefRobb

rickyble said:


> Went early this am caught lots of sharks one very small whitings. All on shrimp with fish bites added. No sandfleas on the beach


I was down there this morning too. I went to Atalaya....close to Litchfield. I did find one single pod of sand fleas, which I managed to gather a few out of for fishing. Got whiting on them, but no pomps. Got some sharks, including a 2 foot scalloped. Then, as usual, some jackass decided that the tiny little stretch of beach where I was fishing was THE ONLY acceptable place on the whole beach where he could go swimming. 2 miles of beach, and he has to go swimming in between the only fishermen in view. SMH.


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## ChefRobb

rickyble said:


> Went early this am caught lots of sharks one very small whitings. All on shrimp with fish bites added. No sandfleas on the beach


I was down there this morning too. I went to Atalaya....close to Litchfield. I did find one single pod of sand fleas, which I managed to gather a few out of for fishing. Got whiting on them, but no pomps. Got some sharks, including a 2 foot scalloped. Then, as usual, some jackass decided that the tiny little stretch of beach where I was fishing was THE ONLY acceptable place on the whole beach where he could go swimming. 2 miles of beach, and he has to go swimming in between the only fishermen in view. SMH.


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## rickyble

It happens far to often. I wonder sometimes what sort of up bringing they had and what in the world are they thinking?


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## MadDawgJ

I don't know about SC but in GA it is illegal to interfere with someone fishing. Ask them politely to move, if they don't than ask not so politely and if needed call the fuzz on them. From my experience most of those jerks do it on purpose because they don't think we should be there and/or are the jerks that litter plastic all of the beach. F 'em.


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## rickyble

Yesterday small pup sharks and a skate. Today 1 3 1/2 bonnet head and one pup shark. I think it was a bonnet head from pics.


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## Guest

Anyone fish the surf this week? I'm headed down second week in July if anyone wants to meet up.


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## rickyble

I fished the surf yesterday. Caught about 8-9 croakers. One whiting and one blue. Whiting was small and the blue was small. All on shrimp and for the first time this year the bite was steady.


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## rickyble

Yesterday and Sat the Croakers were tearing it up on shrimp. I caught so many i lost count. I robin fish too. Maybe the bite has turned around for real. Now if only the pomps would come on back.


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## DHill72

What is your rod and reel set up? How heavy of line and weights? I am heading down there for a week this saturday and I am hoping to fish each morning and I want to be prepared. Has anyone been catching reds in the marsh by Surfside?


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## steelerfan

I will be down there in 13 days for 2 weeks. Staying north on 62ave. I hope the fish are biting up that way too. What are you catching them on? Shrimp? What flavor of fish bites? Thanks for any info. I will post how I do.:fishing:


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## rickyble

DHill72 said:


> What is your rod and reel set up? How heavy of line and weights? I am heading down there for a week this saturday and I am hoping to fish each morning and I want to be prepared. Has anyone been catching reds in the marsh by Surfside?


I have two rods/reels. Both reels are open face from Wally world cheapies. Rods one is 7 ft and one is 8ft. Line is 20 on the 7ft one and 30 on the 8ft. I was using 4oz on the 8ft and 3 on the 7ft. The 4 was holding but the 3 was washing around. I use the 8ft out as far as i can throw it and the 7ft in the suds and I mean right in the suds. I catch different things in both places. I have caught reds and pomps in close and all sorts on the other. I have been catching the croakers on the one far as I can cast. I had a small blackmax baitcaster that i used on the 7ft but it finally gave up the ghost. It really fun hooking up with something in the suds using that one. Really surprising what you can caught right in the waves and suds. Lots of pomps came home using that one and a few reds.


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## steelerfan

Sounds about like my rod set ups. 8 foot rods and Shakespeare Walmart reels. I'm using 17 lb test on both. It seems to cast the best and holds plenty of line. What were you catching the croakers and others on? We're the pinfish picking you clean. I tend to use smaller hooks if I not getting good hook sets. Catching small fish is better then nothing at all. They usually end up for cut bait.


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## rickyble

So down on the surf this am early and nothing not even bait stealers. And to top it all off I had walked about a 1/4 mile or more down the beach and away from everyone. Left all that beach on either side of me for the tourist and low and behold a family of 3 kids and the parents plops down right beside me and into the surf. No one else around either side for miles. I just packed it up and came home. The week of the 4th has got to be the worst week to try and fish. Tourist are the most ill mannered people i have seen. Ill try again after this week maybe they will be gone back to where ever they came from.


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## rickyble

Fished the surf yesterday with shrimp and fishbites. Caught one keeper whiting and one non keeper red drum. It was so close but not quite there. 14". Also met chiefrob and had a nice chat. Good to put a face with a name and nice conversation.


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## ChefRobb

rickyble said:


> Fished the surf yesterday with shrimp and fishbites. Caught one keeper whiting and one non keeper red drum. It was so close but not quite there. 14". Also met chiefrob and had a nice chat. Good to put a face with a name and nice conversation.


I agree.... it was good to meet you there. Too bad you didn't have time to make it to the Jetty. I brought home a couple of nice flatties, let a small slot-sized black drum go back home, and watched incredulously as a visitor caught a huge Spanish & tossed it back because he didn't know what it was. We also had fun there watching the ribbon fish chasing schools of mullet and leaping out of the water while chasing them. Undersized seatrout were doing it too. Hooked up on a monster ray which gave me a fun ride for a while too. I'll post pics when I clean the flatties later today.


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## ChefRobb

Here you go.....two roughly 17" flatties. I lost 2 more as well....


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## rickyble

Last four days from surf from HBSP were not good. Using shrimp and fishbites only two 3 ft sharks. 1 Minnow croaker. Dont know how he even stayed on the hook. Truly slow fishing


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## ChefRobb

I haven't been out lately. My wife had to be hospitalized again and I lost her last week. It's been pretty tough to deal.......


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## rickyble

I can not tell you how sorry I am for your loss. I do know the pain and suffering of being the caregiver and the daily hardships of the ups and downs of seeing your spouse suffer. I truly am sorry and Hope you and your family find comfort and solace. You and yours will be in mine and my wives prayers. Bless You.


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## ROWDY ROD

My deepest condolences....


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## abass105

Prayers go out to you and yours Chef Robb. May God keep you in His warm embraces.


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## ChefRobb

Thank you guys.... I appreciate the thoughts. Fishing has always been my pressure release, so it won't be long before I'm out again, but with a memorial service and other family events next week I guess the only time I'll get in are promised trips to my son and grandson, who both need the away time too.


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## BubbaHoTep

abass105 said:


> Prayers go out to you and yours Chef Robb. May God keep you in His warm embraces.


This.

I am so sorry for your loss.


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## Bambam567

So sorry for your loss. Prayers are with you.


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## GC Since73

Very sorry to read this.


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## Trhenley

Sorry for your loss


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## catfish218

So sorry for your loss. You are in my prayers.


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## Big Rad

God bless you in this time of sorrow.


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## rickyble

fished yesterday morning in the surf until around 8:15. One keeper whiting, one small pomp and one small loggerhead turtle. All on shrimp and bloodworm fishbites


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## rickyble

fished yesterday morning early and this morning early. Both days caught small whitings and 14 inch reds. They are definitely biting now in the surf. If it calms down the fishing should really pick up


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## rickyble

the last two days the blues have been biting. Caught so many yesterday morning i lost count. brine shrimp and fish bites. so good to see the bite back in the surf


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## ChefRobb

rickyble said:


> the last two days the blues have been biting. Caught so many yesterday morning i lost count. brine shrimp and fish bites. so good to see the bite back in the surf


Further up the beach at the jetty I was nailing reds on live, small mullet on a Carolina rig. There were two boats in the corner of the surf where I was and we all caught a ton, although most were in the 14-15" range. After I saw you I went into the marsh to net small (3-4") mullet....the bigger ones in schools were too big for the reds to take whole. I did take home a 20" red and a 19" black which I picked up in the rocks on a fiddler. That went on through the high tide, but then the bluefish showed up in numbers and the reds scattered. Some moved to the mouth of the inlet to start feeding on shrimp on the outgoing tide, and I picked up a pretty nice sized grunt and a hefty 9 or 10" juvi sea bass.


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## rickyble

Fished yesterday morning early a couple of hours. Three undersized black drum in the suds. Nothing farther out in deeper water.


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## rickyble

Hit the surf yesterday morning high tide. one just under black drum and something else that got off just in the suds. I suspect it was a legal black drum. Just inches from landing it and it unhooked. I have been losing more since I switched to circle hooks.


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## rickyble

fished the last three days in the am between 9-11am. Not a single nipple nothing. All three rods one far out one medium one in the suds. Three different kinds of bait. Shrimp squid and fishbite. Not even a bait stealer. Damn down right depressing


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## joek

rickyble said:


> Hit the surf yesterday morning high tide. one just under black drum and something else that got off just in the suds. I suspect it was a legal black drum. Just inches from landing it and it unhooked. I have been losing more since I switched to circle hooks.


If you are keeping tension on the line may be that .
Your hooks are to small.
If the gap is not big enough to circle the fish's jaw they wont work.
if your hook is buried in the bait can stop it from working also.
the hook needs to be free to swing and circle the jaw


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## SloppyTilapia

rickyble said:


> fished the last three days in the am between 9-11am. Not a* single nipple* nothing. All three rods one far out one medium one in the suds. Three different kinds of bait. Shrimp squid and fishbite. Not even a bait stealer. Damn down right depressing


Hate when I can't even get a single nipple. LOL. 

On a serious note, follow advice of joek and also remember that you do need to "set the hook" when fishing circles. They do all the work for you as soon as the line goes tight.


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## SmoothLures

Last slot black I caught from the surf was on a #4 Owner Mutu, it only had a 1/4" of his tongue on the hook. Just pulled it a little and it came right out once he was on the sand. A 1/0 or so would be much better, but the #4 is so much better for whiting and pompano, and they readily eat the same baits... Could go to a kahle or long shank J hook, never had any problems with them.

Pomps can also pull off very easily depending where you hook them. Play everything easy if it feels better than a whiting. It ain't a race. 

Just my .02


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