Amelia Island Fishing Tips

Two things that most surf fisherman probably never think about are aerodynamics and drag. Over the years I've learned that those two things play a big part in tossing it out and dragging it back in when applied to sinkers used for surf fishing.

To learn about surf fishing aerodynamics and drag, you can try a simple test one day when the fish aren't biting and you have an extra few minutes to kill.

If you're like most surf fisherman, you probably use pyramid sinkers (3). To do the test, you'll need either a trolling sinker (4) or a bank sinker (2), so take one along on your next trip (same weight as your pyramid).

Test Step One - Aerodynamics - You probably already know how far you can toss your 4 ounce. pyramid with two hooks and two chunks of cut mullet. Remove the hooks and bait, and give it whip with just the sinker. Notice the extra distance you get with the bait and hooks removed. That's aerodynamics. Now that you've tossed the pyramid an extra 25 yards, make a mental note of how hard it is to drag the pyramid back up onto the beach.

Test Step Two - Drag - Remove the pyramid and tie on a bank or trolling sinker of the same size. Give it a whip. You may notice a slight difference in distance (more than the pyramid) but what you'll really notice is the lack of drag when you haul it back in. Much easier to retrieve 4 ounces of trolling sinker than 4 ounces of pyramid. A 4 ounce pyramid will feel like you are dragging in a small fish; a 4 ounce trolling sinker will feel like you are winding in nothing but line.

The moral to the story is simple - different water and wind conditions dictate what kind of lead you use, and what kind of lead you use will dictate how far you can toss the bait and how much muscle power you'll need to drag it back in again. The right choice will make your casts longer and your arms a lot less tired at the end of the day.

Pyramid sinkers (3) - These are designed for rough water. They hold much better than the trolling or bank sinkers. On a day when the water is rough, if you're fishing in close to the beach, or it's windy and the wind is dragging your line, these are your best choice. But you don't have to use a pyramid every time you surf fish just because most everyone else does.

Trolling or Bank Sinkers - On a nice day, when you're fishing out past the break, and wind is fairly calm, try a trolling sinker (4) or a bank sinker (2). I prefer the trolling type sinkers, because they cast a little better and they're easier to hook to a small snap swivel. They both retrieve so much easier than the pyramid because they don't dig into the sand on the trip back to the beach.

Break Away Sinkers - When the water gets really rough it's hard to make a 6 ounce pyramid hold still, and on the days that the fish are way out and you're tossing the bait as far as you can, the wind and current have a tendancy to drag the line. Break away sinkers (1) are sinkers with some wires that really give you extra hold. The type pictured above have wires that are spring loaded - they'll pop loose for easier retrieves - but you'll also find these sinkers with fixed wires. Getting one of these types of sinkers out of the sand to haul it back in requires some horsepower, so don't toss one out on a 10 pound test line because you'll break the line trying to get it up and moving. Give this type a try on the days when everything else just washes back up onto the beach.

Experiment with different types of lead and you'll find you're casting farther, and not cranking so hard on the way back in to the beach.

Article By Amelia-Island-Fishing.Com Staff