I always wanted to as a kid when we would go to the shore Back East. However, family and friends dissuaded me, citing cost of equipment.

In my 20s and 30s I was a trout, bass, and catfish, crazy fool, but I was still interested in surfcasting. Again, my more knowledgeable fishermen friends kept me from it with talk of spendy tackle. A shame, really, because I was only about 45 minutes from the Pacific.

Now I'm living further from the ocean than at anytime in my life, and naturally I've decided to take it up.

There is a Cambodian fellow living over in Corvallis by the name of PK Yi, who espouses fishing the breakers for perch with relatively light tackle, 20lb braided line, 9.5' to 10.5' rods, and a maximum of a 2 ounce weight, with a pair of #2 hooks baited with artificial sand worms. His concept is to cast often and retrieve fairly fast. Cast 5 times, or for 5 minutes. No bites? Move down the beach.

He has well over 50 videos on YouTube, and is quite obviously enjoying the heck out of fishing. So much so that it is infectious, and I'm putting gear together to sally forth and do battle.

Turns out I already have a couple of 9.5' casting rods that meet his criteria, and I bought a 10' spinning rod to make sure my quiver is full. Reels? Don't ask, don't tell, right? Let's just say yeah, old Tony has a few extra reels stashed away.

So I have more than enough appropriate rods and reels to cover myself and probably the rest of the tribe in a pinch. I've ordered in some line and sinkers, and hit the local Sportsmans Warehouse for hooks. Gonna prepare some prebuilt leaders and get wet.

Haven't been excited about fishing for awhile, but darned if this hasn't fired me all up. Talked about it with a friend this morning, and it turns out he has access to some prime private river property, so we are going out for some bass here right quick. The fever just might be back!

Otony

Keep us informed....when I was just a wee lad we watched Rockford surf fishing in Malibu about every third of fourth Friday night....never remember him catching anything....

Rockford was my first thought as well. - JM.

Late in the last century when we lived up on the Caribbean I took my spinning reel to the beach with us once. Caught a "sierra" using a Mitchell 300 reel, 6 foot pack rod and a trout spinner.

...with no luck. Small streams are my thing, using those artificial bugs on a dry line. Try "iFish" forum for more info on surf slinging for fishies.

I did it most of my life. It always seemed sort of odd, my father and I would put the boat in, then take the boat out to where we'd fish off the beach. The only way to get there.

In the 90's we had access to a great beach and an inlet, so the boat didn't see any use for a while. I was working nights and would go every day while the fish were running.

After we lost the access I got another small aluminum boat that I left in the harbor. That was used equally to get to the surf casting beach or just to fish off of.

Then fishing got set aside for a while. A couple years ago I bought a fishing kayak and have done some fresh water and salt water from that.

As for surf casting and usually from the boats, I pretty much only fish top water with popping plugs. It more exciting, something to watch and has always been more effective for me. Bucktails and the like from the beach, I've never caught anything but the bottom. And it bores me to tears.

When I was a kid my dad made his own poles, so we have a few, 10 to 13 footers. I only use store bough ones off the boat, one because you don't need a big pole and two for fear of losing them. lol

"Small" summer blues, though nothing beats them off the beach in the fall when they're twice that size or more.

What the fellows say on youtube, but apparently one needs to watch for the "rogue" waves.

Don't know if that is a seasonal issue, but it would pay to check into it.

Yes, those videos make me want to go somewhere and try it.

Just do not know if it is as good in the gulf as it is on the NW coast.
Maybe some folks here do have some suggestions of surf fishing sites as well as the lead slinging six gun sites

Used to fish in the St.Johns basin east of jville and caught a lot of croakers then they would stop hitting then weakfish then they would leave and then finally blues....presumably each type chased away by the subsequent more predatory one....

The filipino mess cooks gave us shrimps for bait in exchange for what we caught....but they always made a grimace at the sight of blues as if they did not like them and those goomers would eat almost anything.

Nothing like standing on the Outer Banks in the middle of the night. You never know what might swim by & take up your line.

You are right about that. The Oregon coast can be unforgiving to the point of death. Sneaker waves, rip tides, undertow, you name it.

My plan is to never, ever, wade in deeper than my knees. As I've aged, my balance hasn't improved any, and it was never all that great to begin with. I was never much of a skateboader, heck I could hardly roller skate.

Sort of doubt you will ever see me taking a chance with the waves in Oregon. But I deeply appreciate the advice sir.

And yes, the videos are quite entertaining. Makes me want to drive over tomorrow, but I guess I will just go to work instead.....

Otony

.....I'm annoyed with myself for never just giving it a whirl. Had a huge mental block about the equipment thing.

"We grow so soon old, and so late smart." My Great-aunt Frances used to be fond of telling me that. I guess she knew me all too well....

Otony

Thank you for sharing! Irreplaceable memories for a certainty.

Kayaking is something the wife and I used to do before the kids came along, and we enjoyed it thoroughly. Certainly wouldn't mind getting back into it if it was suitable for fishing, but my kids would go insane if they couldn't accompany me. A boat has been mentioned quite a few times around the dinner table of late....

Otony

I read an comment by a guy who was going after steelhead - with a Zebco 808 and a cheap fiberglass pole that he picked up at the store. He was hearing folks making comments about his gear, but didn't care as he'd had good return from the investment in the past. In other words, the fish don't care how much you spend on the gear and you don't have to have "optimum" gear in order to have fun.

.......that iFish forum is pretty darn good. Out of curiosity I searched for PK Yi, and he came up a fair number of times, and each time was complimentary. His “Cambodian” surf casting style seems to be pretty much universally accepted.

Otony