What is your favorite thing about shore/beach fishing?

[bigal3]

Depending on the time of year and the species you are after, you can have very different experiences with shore fishing. I mostly fish off the coasts of North Wales, where you have quite a variety of fish. In summer the mackerel shoal in and you can have great fun with light tackle. The shoals can be so thick that you basically cast and catch three or four fish as you reel in and this can last for a couple of hours. Exhausting, but a great workout. At the same time I have used fly-fishing gear to go after mackerel, which makes it much more of a sporting proposition.

On the extreme, there are some long sandy beaches where you cast out several rods at low tide, then wait for the tide to come in in the hope of catching bottom-feeders like rays and flatfish. Excellent eating and quite hard work to get them in, but there is a long period of waiting where you can sit and read or just enjoy the scenery.

The more typical fishing where I grew up is on the many rocky outcrops that dot the coastline. Then I tend to take heavier beach rods and fish with bait for larger species whilst taking light spinning equipment for garfish, pollack, bass and mackerel. That way you can intersperse periods of waiting with periods of activity. It's surprising just how quickly the day disappears on a trip like that.

I used to live in Hawaii where there are some of the world's most beautiful beaches and some very active shore, beach fishing I have ever had the pleasure to enjoy. There we would fish very much like you do only difference is probably the species of fish caught. There we would catch Tiger sharks, some rays, Ulua which is a type of Sea Bass. Barracuda and a variety of others to numerous to mention or my memory is too foggy in my old age to remember. Bottom line it was always a pleasure fishing from the beaches of Paradise.

 

[NickJ]

Hawaii has to be the best place to fish because you can catch fish, but also catch "other things" that you can snap photos of and have good stories to tell on the way home.

 

[Esperahol]

Hawaii has to be the best place to fish because you can catch fish, but also catch "other things" that you can snap photos of and have good stories to tell on the way home.

You know nick when you put quotation marks around things... well it makes things look mighty suspicious. I'm just saying partner.

 

[NickJ]

LOL! I don't mean women. I mean like other sea life. I try not to have women around when I'm fishing. I think it's when I'm at my least glamorous.

 

[bigal3]

Hawaii has to be the best place to fish because you can catch fish, but also catch "other things" that you can snap photos of and have good stories to tell on the way home.

You got that right! Some of the "scenery" Is quite spectacular if you know what I mean. It is a bonus and makes fishing REALLY a pleasure even if you catch no fish.

 

[happyflowerlady]

One of the things that I really enjoy about fishing from shore, is the potential of being able to have a little campfire or BBQ pit, and then cooking the fresh fish that you catch.
There was a favorite spot that I always loved to fish near Olympia, WA, and it was right where a small creek ran into the bay inlet. When the tide was out, the water was the fresh water from the creek, and then as the tide came back in again, the area filled up with seawater, and we would always catch smaller bass, and nice flounder,and some kind of a little perch- looking fish.
We fished as the tide filled up the area, and then by the time it had changed, and we were at low tide again, we usually had a nice little batch of fish cleaned and ready to cook and eat while the tide was out........ Yummy !