Reading a Surf Beach - help for a beginer

Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Tressagail Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Reading a Surf Beach - help for a beginer
    Posted: 07 Jan 2023 at 8:34am
Tressagail View Drop Down
Bronze
Bronze


Joined: 06 Jan 2023
Status: Offline
Points: 6
Hi there.
I have been in the last couple of month privigaged enough to be able to purchse a bach at Baylys beach. 
This has spured me to want to try my hand at surf casting.
I have done quite a bit of reading (on this forum and other) as well as watching a bunch of YT to get me started, However one of the things that i am really struggling with is reading the bach (i have read the pinned post here as well)

At my bach i am lucky enough to have access to the cliffs on at the right of the bach, so on any given day i am up here, i can get a pretty good areal shot.
however when i look at the beach i see a beach, and am struggling to pick out the formations that would give a good indication of where to set up.
I have attached a photo to this post and am hoping someone can start to point me in the right direction.

Appreaciate any help
Cheers

Photo stored here: (dosen't seem to want to let me add the photo)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/dVyz4Cfqd4ag6TKw8


Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote shaneg Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Jan 2023 at 10:10am
shaneg View Drop Down
Titanium
Titanium
Avatar

Joined: 12 Jul 2009
Location: New Zealand
Status: Offline
Points: 4768
Look for clear patches of water where waves aren’t breaking as these are deeper holes where fish will conceal themselves.
Also look for patches of clearer water behind sand banks which you can still cast into or over. These are gutters, often run parallel to beach, where fish will sit or use the deeper water behind a bank to approach shellfish beds, or edge of banks where food such as crabs or shellfish are being uncovered or dislodged by wave action.
Fish change of light as this is when fish more often feed and are also more likely to enter shallower water in the lower light less bright conditions.
That said often fish are taken from open apparently featureless beaches in bright conditions. Just a matter of being lucky and having bait in water.
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote smudge Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Jan 2023 at 8:03pm
smudge View Drop Down
Moderator - Ninja
Moderator - Ninja
Avatar

Joined: 17 Jul 2002
Location: Te Toro
Status: Offline
Points: 32159
Look where others are fishing - especially if they are catching. I'd try toward low tide when the swell is down plus the stuff that ShaneG mentioned
Best gurnard fisherman in my street
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Shilo Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Jan 2023 at 8:55am
Shilo View Drop Down
Silver
Silver


Joined: 07 Mar 2007
Location: Kawhia
Status: Offline
Points: 470
One good way of looking at it is that the places where it is dangerous and you shouldn't swim are the spots to throw a bait in.  Heaps of info on the web about how to recognise rips and channels for swimming dangers.  Any rip going out to sea will normally have a channel leading to it, different spots along the channel and the rip exit make for good fishing.

Another way is to walk the beach at low tide.  You will see long lengths of low areas, these are where the channels are during high tide.  They normally last a few days to a few months.  Draw a line marking each side of the low area up above the high tide mark and head there with the rod a couple of hours before high tide. 

If you wish to fish during low tide or at high tide if you haven't sussed the area out previously, then spotting the difference in wave action is the best way.  The higher you are the better so climb the sand dune and just watch the waves in the area.  For a channel or a hole you will see the waves breaking further out but as they come in closer the break stops and the form a smooth lump before breaking close to the beach again.   The exit of the channel or hole will see an area (think road) heading out to sea where the waves just aren't breaking as much as they are at the rest of the area of the beach.

If there is not much swell and calm waters, the holes and channels can be near impossible to spot.  This is why it is better to suss the beach out when it is rough.   Any hole / channel you discover will fish well for quite a few days to months, but it will eventually start to fill in and shallow up.  Don't worry, another will be forming somewhere else on the beach.
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote BananaBoat Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Jan 2023 at 9:02am
BananaBoat View Drop Down
Platinum
Platinum
Avatar

Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Location: Westy Aucks
Status: Offline
Points: 1714
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Shilo Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Jan 2023 at 9:03am
Shilo View Drop Down
Silver
Silver


Joined: 07 Mar 2007
Location: Kawhia
Status: Offline
Points: 470
Using your own photo:
Possible channel marked here since it is a stationary photo.  Seeing the wave movement will highlight it more.  Not all rips have channels but most do:

Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Tressagail Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Jan 2023 at 9:13am
Tressagail View Drop Down
Bronze
Bronze


Joined: 06 Jan 2023
Status: Offline
Points: 6
Thanks for the advice   :)
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Tressagail Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Jan 2023 at 9:14am
Tressagail View Drop Down
Bronze
Bronze


Joined: 06 Jan 2023
Status: Offline
Points: 6
awesome thanks :)
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Tressagail Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Jan 2023 at 9:15am
Tressagail View Drop Down
Bronze
Bronze


Joined: 06 Jan 2023
Status: Offline
Points: 6
Originally posted by Shilo Shilo wrote:

Using your own photo:
Possible channel marked here since it is a stationary photo.  Seeing the wave movement will highlight it more.  Not all rips have channels but most do:


Thanks for this. 
This confrims what i was thinking, but was really a bit unsure as to what i was looking at!

Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (1) Likes(1)   Quote Shilo Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Jan 2023 at 6:16pm
Shilo View Drop Down
Silver
Silver


Joined: 07 Mar 2007
Location: Kawhia
Status: Offline
Points: 470
One extra tip.  I prefer to fish the edges of the rips, holes, or channels.  The centre of these areas can have some strong currents and fish are lazy, why swim up against the current when you can cruise along the edges and use less energy.   Also any crabs, tuatua's, worms etc are being exposed as the current wears away the sand at the edges.  More food + less energy needed to get it = what I would do if I was a fish! Big smile
Back to Top
Post Options Post Options   Likes (0) Likes(0)   Quote Tressagail Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Jan 2023 at 8:04am
Tressagail View Drop Down
Bronze
Bronze


Joined: 06 Jan 2023
Status: Offline
Points: 6
Originally posted by Shilo Shilo wrote:

One extra tip.  I prefer to fish the edges of the rips, holes, or channels.  The centre of these areas can have some strong currents and fish are lazy, why swim up against the current when you can cruise along the edges and use less energy.   Also any crabs, tuatua's, worms etc are being exposed as the current wears away the sand at the edges.  More food + less energy needed to get it = what I would do if I was a fish! Big smile

Awesome tips thanks!

Back to Top
Forum Jump
Forum Permissions View Drop Down


This page was generated in 0.281 seconds.

Fishing Reports Visit Reports

Saltwater Fishing Reports
Top of the South Fishing Report - 22/03/24

Tasman and Golden Bay snapper still running hot We are not far away from daylight... Read More >

22 Mar 2024
Saltwater Fishing Reports
Bay of Islands Fishing Report - 22/03/24

Variety is the spice of life On one recent trip, the plan was to spend a... Read More >

22 Mar 2024
Saltwater Fishing Reports
Hauraki Gulf Fishing Report - 22/03/24

Fish where the fish are! Catching fish or just going fishing? I tackle this issue... Read More >

22 Mar 2024
Saltwater Fishing Reports
Inner Hauraki Gulf Fishing Report - 22/03/24

Thoughtful tactics required for better fish Over the course of each year the fishing varies,... Read More >

22 Mar 2024
Fishing bite times Fishing bite times

Major Bites

Minor Bites

Major Bites

Minor Bites