by kieran » Tue Aug 30, 2016 9:16 am
all excellent advice...
Shockleader is key for beach fishing if you want to use weights - the rule is 10 lbs breaking strain for each ounce of lead, so 5 ounce lead means 50 lb shockleader.
If you have the time, you should put 30 lb shockleader on a separate spool as fishing with a 3 ounce lead that moves around a bit can be useful on beaches...
15 lb breaking strain line is perfectly good for most beaches and most fish you will encounter off them. Hounds and bass would be your optimal catch in the SE.
Some shirring elastic (fine) wrapped around the baits will prolong their life and stop crabs and small fishing stealing it all too quickly. Use hook sizes 1s or 2s for now. I know some people go down to 4s on the east coast, whereas I never use anything below a 1/0 on the west even if it is mostly for doggies - different strokes etc.
You don't have to distance cast to get into the fish. Flounder will come into six inches of water. You are typically aiming around the second and third breaker, but you can experiment to see where the fish are. Try looking at the beach at low water to identify fish holding marks like small gullies, rip tides, small stretches of rock, etc.
Hope this helps... blanks are not uncommon in sea fishing, but the next six months are the best "season" so stick with it...