Surf fishing

Over the course of my life, I’ve seen several “fads” come and go. Who doesn’t remember the infamous “pet rocks,” and the Alaskan fad of “mooseltoe” than entertained some and grossed out others? My wife and I considered picking up a bunch of rocks from our yard and advertising them for sale, but we never did anything about it.

Over the years, I’ve seen some outdoor fads that developed into a regular activity. Nearly thirty years ago, for instance, when I was still working for ADF&G, I tried to get some money earmarked through the Sport Fish Division Angler Access Program for snowmachine trails to several remote lakes in the Valley to support a fledgling ice fishing program. The “higher-ups” refused my request saying ice fishing would never catch on up here. I wondered what they were smoking to think ice fishing wouldn’t become a big winter activity in Alaska.

Another fishing activity I’ll call a fad for now, but which has the potential to become a big deal is surf fishing on Alaska’s beaches. There’s a group on Facebook called “Alaska Surf Fishing” which has daily posts from folks about what they’re catching, the gear they’re using and other related information.

Naturally, there are few references to where the fish are being caught, but that’s to be expected. I’ve been following this ongoing discussion almost since the beginning and must admit to being intrigued by the concept. I’ve learned a fair amount about the whole process just by reading the posts.

For instance, the species with the biggest draw is halibut, but dogfish, sole, greenling, Irish lord, and other bottom dwellers are being caught. You don’t need special gear, like a 10-foot surf rod and a large, heavy-duty spinning reel, but this equipment does make the fishing easier, especially getting the distance needed in casting out from shore. The best times to fish are from a couple of hours before high tide to a couple of hours after the tide changes.

I went rummaging through my fishing gear and found a 30-plus year old, 8 ½ -foot spin fishing surf rod and one spinning reel I bought years ago to fish for king salmon which is too large for that activity. The reel is already filled with 60-pound test braided line, so that equipment is good to go. I also went through my old halibut terminal gear and found weights, hooks, and leader material which will also work.

Folks online have been asking about terminal gear and which baits work best. There are several different ways you can rig your terminal gear, but generally, whatever you tend to do when halibut fishing with bait from a boat seems to work. Don’t use jigging lures, however, since this is a bait fishery with the bait resting on the bottom, waiting to be found by a passing fish.

Comments to the amount of weight needed range from not much to around 6 to 8-ounces if your rod can handle that much while casting. The consensus seems to be that 4-ounce weights work well in most situations. The trick is getting a good cast with enough weight to hold your bait on the bottom without a lot of movement from tides and currents.

I’ve read that the longer rods cast better and farther but a “shorter” rod is better for fighting a fish, once hooked. The best baits mentioned are octopus and herring. For herring, comments have been posted that keeping the bait partially frozen will help it survive the rigorous casting process better and help it stay on the hook longer.

I’ve also read that one guy down on the Kenai jumped through the hoops and got all the paperwork done to be a recognized and licensed surf fishing guide. He’s been guiding folks for a few weeks now and having good success with his clients.

Just to get an idea of what a good surf rod and matching reel would cost, I went shopping at a couple of local outdoor stores. When I asked about rods, I was told the store couldn’t keep up with the demand and to quote the employee, “interest in surf fishing is just exploding right now.”

Fish and Game posted a surf fishing “how-to” video on their YouTube page, which I recently watched, so they recognize this is an up-and-coming activity. I also haven’t tried this fishing activity yet, but if I get a chance, I will, and I’ll let you know how it went.