An important side note on structure. Structure is only one third of the equation that leads to a bite. You need fish to be in the area (in season basically) and you need bait that they feed on in the area. If bait is around and fish are around, then they will use the structure present to their advantage when feeding. Structure doesn't manufacture fish. Fish have to be in the area to begin with, and if they are, they are probably there because bait is present. Once you have these three elements, then you need to figure at what stage of the tide the fish feed on (the bite). Thanks again for all you positive feedback. I am working on another video to be uploaded soon.
Nice area - Martha's Vineyard. Beens years since I've been up that way. Catching fish from shore is a trip, the real deal. Takes patience and time but is well worth the effort. Kept me off the streets lol.
Thanks Rich. 6th time I'll be watching your Reading The Beach series in 3 years. Watch it every Spring and Fall just to keep it fresh in my mind. IMO best series on the net on surf fishing. Thanks again
RIch, your videos have led me to love surf fishing via the success that your videos have afforded me. As a beginning surf fisherman I am amazed at how many poor souls are wasting precious time fishing "structureless" water that I wouldn't consider fishing based on what I've learned watching your great videos. Thank you very much, Art
Thanks for watching Art. Structure is one third of the equation, with bait and fish being the other. To quote myself: "Structure alone does not magically produce fish. They have to be in the area, and if they are, they are probably there because of the presence of bait." Structure will frequently attract bait, which in turn attracts the predator species. Other times, structure is what predators use to assist them in feeding, like pinning bait up against the backside of a sand bar. I'm happy you have found my information useful and thank you for watching.
I’ve been surf fishing all my life and after watching this and #2 in the series, I realize I have been fishing blindly. You have no idea how much you have taught me. Thank you so much.
Hi Chris.Sorry for the late reply. Been on a 7 day a week work binge. I'm glad you found the info useful and you are very welcome. Have a good fall. Be well and stay safe.
Canadian Here just heading to Pedasi Panama to start my New Life fishing the Surf. Great Education you have provided for anyone that Really wanting to Take their Fishing the Surf too the Next Stage.
Without doubt the clearest information i have seen on such an interesting and important aspect of shore fishing and very applicable to my local area here in the UK. Thanks.
Thank you so much for taking the time to teach the physics behind waves in a quick cliffnotes version. It's helping me get stuff to click in my head on how to work on my catch rate.
+Robert Bulatao You're very welcome Robert. Being able to read wave action and water won't magically make fish where there are none. But when fish are in the neighborhood, knowing what the bottom contour is (by reading the water) will put you in the best position to catch them.
I was one of those fishermen that spiked a pole in the sand and started casting, with no catched fish of course. Now when I go I take my time reading the features, and usually have a great time usually having 2+ fish hooked at same time on different poles. Thanks Rich!
Thank You so much for an "AMAZING" Video. This fairly complex subject has just been made so much easier to understand because of your videos. Your time and trouble, doing these videos, will not go without it's reward for many people; me being one of them...
Thank you so much for this great information. I am from KENTUCKY but go fishing in Costa Rica every year, and I have never been around many beach fisherman. So you are extremely helpful to me.
Thanks for the awesome video! I'm fairly new to the coast,but have always considered myself a bit of a student when it comes to fishing, always trying to learn what can give me the advantage. I grew up fishing deep water walleyes on the great lakes and some northen inland lakes, so reading structure via electronics was always an important key to success. I am trying to learn how to use wave action to do the same thing, but it's a lot tougher than I imagined!
Carp Crusade Bowfishing It takes time because weather and tide can affect what you see. Best days for making observations are those with onshore breezes and incoming tide. This way everything is working in the same direction and you don't get false positives. Some structure is very obvious, like many of the examples I show on my videos. Many more times the structure is less obvious and harder to spot, but over time you learn to see what the water is doing. Even when it's doing nothing, that tells you something lol. As I've told others, there is no hard and fast answer. You basically look at everything that affects wave action and current, even minimally, because you just never know what's going on beneath the waves fish-wise. My post just below this also points out that structure doesn't create fish, it just gives them a feeding advantage. Fish and bait have to be in the area for structure to have an impact. If they're there, then they will feed using the structure, it then becomes a matter of figuring out at what stage of the tide the bite happens.
These videos are mesmorising, thank you for creating them. I've been surf fishing for close to 20 years in NC each time I go for vacation, and I feel like these videos may finally give me a leg up. I usually catch fish but it'll be nice to target specific fish for once
Hi Patrick. Sorry for the late reply, was away for a couple weeks. Where abouts in NC? I'll be making my first trips down there in a couple weeks, at least that's the plan for now lol. Thanks for watching.
@@richtroxler I usually stay in Avon, and at least on my last trip, it seemed really hard to discern structure off the beach. I know I'm just learning but I think maybe I should try a few more spots North and South.
Just want to let everybody know that I've been having troubles with youtube messaging, so if you sent me a message and you didn't get a response, it wasn't from lack of trying. I'll try and get the problem resolved (not sure if it's youtube or my email client) and get those replies out to you. Thanks for subscribing to my channel, more videos to come!
No matter how many articles I've read on the subject, I never end up fully understanding it. Thank you for taking the time to explain this more fully - I'm hoping to get a better grasp of it after watching your video a few times more..... There is a beach that I've wanted to fish for a long time here in Australia, but that I never see anyone fishing.. This particular beach has lot's of waves breaking very far out and consistently through to the shore.. I've waded out up to my knees and many times the waves will bring the water level straight up from knee height to chest height and then back down again, waves there make it very hard to fish, but I know there are big fish there. 'Would you try to fish such rough surf conditions or is this something I should just leave alone? I'm pretty sure if I tried wading out any further, the bull sharks will be biting my legs off, but I know there is a big variety of reef species at this spot and am dying to get to them... Would I have to cast past all of these breaking waves in order to get deep enough (If there are no gutters) or am I misinterpreting your video?
***** The bottom line is that fish are where you find them. Some fish may prefer shallow rough conditions for feeding and that comes with local knowledge. The point of my videos is to help people understand what wave action is telling you about the bottom contour. If you have a species of fish that likes shallow rough water for feeding then the long steady breaking (spilling breaker) will tell you where the flat, shallow bottoms are. Conversely, if your particular local species likes hole and washed out channels and troughs, then wave action will tell you where those are also. Most of the predatory fish in my neck of the woods prefer deeper bottom contour changes so that is what I mention in my videos, but it doesn't necessarily hold true for all species. If the fish like big water, then fish the big water, or give it a try. Like I said, fish are where you find them and if what they feed on is trying to scoot by in shallow rough water, then they'll go in after them.
richtroxler I hear you. I know that here in Australia there are many pelagic species of fish that do prefer heavy surf-shallow waters such as.. Greenback Tailor, Golden Trevally, Saltwater Salmon, Spotted Mackerel... and Mulloway on occasion also.. I guess I'll just have to cater to those species.. Just sucks that I don't have a bigger boat as I don't eat any of the above mentioned fish, except for the Greenbacks. 'Meanwhile I know people who go only a few kilometers off-shore and come back with Cod, Coral Trout, Snapper, Pearl Perch, Red Emperor.... Sweet-lip etc, which are more sought after. Anyway, after watching your video again, I can safely say that I now havea far better understanding of how the bottom contour affects above wave formation/water behavior, Many thanks.
Can't wait to see them. Your's are probably the best, most explanatory videos I have watched. I am thinking about doing some in the future concerning the salt marshes where I live in Georgia, and I intend to refer back to yours for style and structure. I hope you take that as imitation being the most sincere form of flattery, because I have gotten so much from your series.
Hey Rich, I watched a ton of your videos two years ago and I've come back to re-watch them again. I just wanted to leave a comment to let you know how much you've helped me increase my bite percentage. I was throwing blind on the beach before watching these videos and now not only do I catch more fish, but I find the beach so much more interesting to observe/analyze. Thanks again and stay well!
I'm glad that you found value in my vids. Unfortunately, was out of commission again for a while, so for now I'm just trying to get caught up on responding to everyone and trying to finish up on some new content and other stuff. Thanks for hanging in there with me and I'll get this thing going again.
Sorry for the late reply, still having problems with my notifications. Thanks Bay, hoping to get back up to Long Island this Fall for a couple weeks to fish some of my old stomping grounds and see my friends. Cheers to you!
I was drawn to this sight because I metal detect and an individual I was researching mentioned cuts, troughs and bars. This was the first video I found in my search in regards to the matter. I like to fish, too, so I have to say that this was a "very" informative and very interesting video. Thank you so much for sharing you knowledge with us!
Hi Jon. Very sorry for the late reply. I had a health issue that dragged on for a while but I'm back now. Welcome to the salt side of the fishing world. Rule #1: Be patient. The first thing I tell people about surf fishing is that there is no instant gratification. Rule #2: Go to the beach (no rod and reel) and watch what people are doing. Find those that "seem" to know what they are doing and ask questions. Most guys are friendly enough. If one guys a prick, move to the next one. I was really lucky when I first moved down here 8 years ago, to bump into a local rod builder and excellent fisherman in the wee hours of the morning, on one of my first trips out for red drum. Local knowledge is a big help in the learning curve. Rule #3: Watch my surf fishing series. It'll help put things in perspective. Rule #4: Enjoy the ride! It's a life long learning experience, so enjoy the little victories along the way. That'll keep you coming back for more. Thanks for watching and I will be having new content coming in the near future. Be well.
This comment just popped up in my feed under "not responded". Apparently it's from 8 years ago. I'm not sure what happened but please accept my most sincere apologies for not responding to your post. I try to respond to everybody who posts on my channel, so a belated thank you for watching my video.
Really looking forward to the rest of this series. Our approach to things seems to be very similar (continual learner, appreciating the journey not the destination, etc) so your message really resonates with me. Additionally, you are a solid educator in your mix of technical knowledge with effective, well-labeled visuals. All that to say, thanks for taking the time and sharing. I'm about to take my annual trip to VA Beach in a couple weeks. I'm not sure if it's a "Dead Beach" or one with good, dynamic hard and soft structure ... but just the fact that I'm now saying those terms and looking at the shoreline through this new lens is extremely exciting to me.
Hi Ben. I'm very sorry for the late reply. VB beach is pretty boring. Long sandbars but not really dramatic troughs. I usually look for holes next to points. Right now not a lot going on. Some Spanish Macks and Bluefish running the beach as well as the usual small bottom dwellers (Spot, Croaker, etc). If you get lucky, you might bag a drum. Thanks for watching.
Hi Bill, so you're a local ;-) Not sure if they are letting people fish there yet because of the construction, or more accurately deconstruction of the old bridge, going on. I think it's supposed to be done this year. I would then give the bridge a season to settle down after all that construction, before the fish start to settle in around there during the season. I ran into this back on Long Island when they rebuild the south shore bridges. The fishing always took a while to settle back in after construction was complete. The new bridge is farther north than the old one so I'll have to figure out how to fish from shore again. Can't wait to splash my kayak in the Lynnhaven again. Probably start at Rudee first. Thanks for watching.
Thank you for the video and comments. I did take a class with Nick Curcione years ago but, It's nice to get a visual refresher. Time to get back on the water and rip some lip.
This comment just popped up in my feed under "not responded". Apparently it's from 4 years ago. I'm not sure what happened but please accept my most sincere apologies for not responding to your post. I try to respond to everybody who posts on my channel, so a belated thank you for watching my video.
Thank you so much u have enlightened me on how waves work and now ive been on google images looking at beaches and telling myself what type of structure there is 😂 Thank you again this will definitely help!!!
Hi Vernon. Be aware the ocean beaches change a lot so google images of beaches may not be the same when you get there. It's good for looking at inlets and bays, but ocean beaches change with every storm, so it's best to look at the beach you will fish in person. If you fish the same beaches over and over, you will become familiar with their patterns. Thanks for watching and stay safe.
This comment just popped up in my feed under "not responded". Apparently it's from 8 years ago. I'm not sure what happened but please accept my most sincere apologies for not responding to your post. I try to respond to everybody who posts on my channel, so a belated thank you for watching my video.
Awesome video. Can't wait to try to apply it to what I see before me when I'm out fishing. It's one of those things I'm not sure if I would have figured out but, after watching the video it makes total sense.
You are welcome. Fishing is a life-long process and I learned early on that the real reward comes from every step I took along the way. For me, it's always been the journey, not the destination, not only in fishing, but in my music, art, woodworking, writing, basically everything I do lol. And there is always more to learn.
Thank you .very important knowledge for scientifically fishing. very painstakingly and precisely done ,very professional. I am amazed. once again Tkyu. looking forward to your next video. Lonely fly fisher RVM
This comment just popped up in my feed under "not responded". Apparently it's from 7 years ago. I'm not sure what happened but please accept my most sincere apologies for not responding to your post. I try to respond to everybody who posts on my channel, so a belated thank you for watching my video.
Excellent Rich and thanks. I'm not sure if you'll receive my comments as this is an older video but hopefully so. Good luck and good fishing from your newest subscriber.
Very good. If I can make a suggestion, one thing that would be very helpful to novices like me might be a video on how this relates to fish. That is, you've explained waves and reading the beach but not how bait fish or predatory fish that are commonly encountered behave to these various environments. One predator might lay in wait by a hole whereas another predator might swim the troughs or stay on the edge of cuts.
+MrSteve280 That is a good suggestion and I am planning to do a few more videos in the series that will help connect the dots. Busy fishing right now so I don't have a lot of time, but your suggestion is a good one. Thanks
This comment just popped up in my feed under "not responded". Apparently it's from 8 years ago. I'm not sure what happened but please accept my most sincere apologies for not responding to your post. I try to respond to everybody who posts on my channel, so a belated thank you for watching my video.
This comment just popped up in my feed under "not responded". Apparently it's from 8 years ago. I'm not sure what happened but please accept my most sincere apologies for not responding to your post. I try to respond to everybody who posts on my channel, so a belated thank you for watching my video.
Thanks. Unfortunately, was out of commission again for a while, so for now I'm just trying to get caught up on responding to everyone and trying to finish up on some new content and other stuff. Thanks for hanging in there with me and I'll get this thing going again.
This comment just popped up in my feed under "not responded". Apparently it's from 8 years ago. I'm not sure what happened but please accept my most sincere apologies for not responding to your post. I try to respond to everybody who posts on my channel, so a belated thank you for watching my video.
hey mate first of all thanks for the information, very helpful vidoes. I surf fish from South Australia, we have recently discovered a surf beach like no other. The gutter are huge and the holes are like lakes, the surf is rough every time we go the landscape has changed we have had success with lots of salmon during the day and have had good night's with gummy shark. But I still think we are putting our baits in the wrong place, some nights are too quite but we know the shark should be there. Would I be able to send you some pictures, I think you would be interested to see and if I could get some feed back on these spots?
+nathan h Sure, message me your email address and I'll ping you back with mine. Also, provide as close to the exact location as you can, like city name and beach name, so I can zero it in on Bing maps and look for myself. I've seen the vids of the guys fishing tuna from the rocks down there. I added that experience to my bucket list.
Hi Rich , I am a novice to beach fishing and am greatly appreciative of your videos. In correlation to the information that you have given to the types of structure beaches have to offer, is there a way of knowing where the fish typically dwell, i.e., points and submerged points. Do they travel along the edges? Are troughs and holes likely to hold fish in one place or do they travel along the areas within the confines of it?
Hi Ray. I'll give you the short answer to your questions. Fish on the open beach don't typically "dwell". They move around, following bait, feeding, and when they are near shore they tend to follow edges like a shadow. A lot depends on the "bite". They may feed at the last hour of incoming on the inside edge of the bar (in the trough), or run the lip if the bait is there, or the bite might be on the last two hours of the out going at a cut when bait is being flushed out of a trough. But whenever the bite is, it will usually be near an "edge", because edges give predator fish an advantage.
great videos man ! I pulled some nice fish from there, but sometimes a big, big load of peanut bunker appears, literally between my legs... can not get any bite !!!some baitfish is good but too much is bad. am I right? thanks for all the info.
Glad you enjoyed it! Unfortunately, was out of commission again for a while, so for now I'm just trying to get caught up on responding to everyone and trying to finish up on some new content and other stuff. Thanks for hanging in there with me and I'll get this thing going again.
@@richtroxler I actually used your info. I went out for the first time ever surf perch fishing and made a successful video. I look at the water different now.
Sorry for the late reply, still having problems with my notifications. You're very welcome and yes, I might make a few videos on boat fishing, stuff like anchoring over structure, pulling drifts, anchoring, stuff like that.
I am planning a trip to Pompano Beach at the end of August. So far I don't see the sandbars, trough and cut but maybe I will pick up on it in the next two vids. Where are you located? Maybe I can hire you for a morning as this dumb pollock from NY can sure use some help !!!
Russel Johnson Hi Russel. The answer is both. I move around a lot when I fish, even when fishing with bait. Most fish relate to edges and current, so I'll fish the far trough edge if reachable with a cast, I'll fish the lip close to the beach if there's enough water, particularly at night. And I'll always fish both sides of a cut, with the inside edge where the cut meets the out trough edge (backside of the bar) being a great place to start. That's if you can reach these structures. So as long as you have differences in depths, or what I call "edges" then you have something to work with. Anything other than plain, flat bottom.
This comment just popped up in my feed under "not responded". Apparently it's from 8 years ago. I'm not sure what happened but please accept my most sincere apologies for not responding to your post. I try to respond to everybody who posts on my channel, so a belated thank you for watching my video.
hi sir..what the productive spot if i cast my rigs?shore, cut, troughs, behind the sandbars, holes, pls sir give me the direct casting spot that productive fishing spots?thanks and GOD BLESS
Hi Dave. There is no one direct casting spot that produces fish. They have fins and they swim and they feed when they want. Catching fish consistently is a combination of many elements, with where to fish just one of those elements. That being said, when looking for fish I will focus my attention on holes, troughs directly behind sandbars and cuts in the sandbar systems. I tend to move around a lot if there is an abundance of structure, but if there is only isolated structure, then I stick with until I figure out when the bite is.
This comment just popped up in my feed under "not responded". Apparently it's from 2 years ago. I'm not sure what happened but please accept my most sincere apologies for not responding to your post. I try to respond to everybody who posts on my channel, so a belated thank you for watching my video.
This comment just popped up in my feed under "not responded". Apparently it's from 8 years ago. I'm not sure what happened but please accept my most sincere apologies for not responding to your post. I try to respond to everybody who posts on my channel, so a belated thank you for watching my video.
This comment just popped up in my feed under "not responded". Apparently it's from 8 years ago. I'm not sure what happened but please accept my most sincere apologies for not responding to your post. I try to respond to everybody who posts on my channel, so a belated thank you for watching my video.
Sandbars and their associated structure are notoriously fickle. They can appear after one storm and then disappear with the next. But for some reason, some beaches seem to have conditions that produce and maintain sandbars and cuts for long periods of time. These are usually massive sandbars and are further from shore. The smaller ones. the ones closer to shore, are more common and come and go much more frequently.
o it's cause I fish in South Padre island and I found a cut through Bing map birds eye and I fished and was so cool and I wanna go back but didn't know if it would change but thanks for the info .I guess I'll have to do it manually and see what I'm looking at ..
+wazup3333 If waves are small but the water ways have current, then you need to seek the rip lines. Rip lines form where the bottom contour changes, or two currents collide. If you don't have waves or current, then move around a lot until you get bit.
+wazup3333 Sorry for the late reply. A rip line is any disturbance in the surface of the water. When current passes over any kind of structure, or change in bottom contour, it usually gives some sort of indication in the way the water on the surface appears. Sometimes it's nothing more than a little whirlpool or eddy, sometimes a small or larger standing wave (a ripple that doesn't move from it's location) that mirrors the bottom contour change. When there's no moving water, it's not really possible to read bottom contour, but if water is moving, it'll usually show something.
This comment just popped up in my feed under "not responded". Apparently it's from 8 years ago. I'm not sure what happened but please accept my most sincere apologies for not responding to your post. I try to respond to everybody who posts on my channel, so a belated thank you for watching my video.
Hi Bo. If you spike your rod, then circles are the way to go. You just have to hook the bait a little different. I hold my rod, so j-hooks get it done for me. It would be hard for me to just start reeling and not set the hook. Too many years habit to break lol.
Sorry for the late reply.. Yes, volume was a problem on some of my earlier videos. I'm trying to redo them as time allows. I just re-loaded one about sandbars, troughs, and cuts with the volume fixed. Thanks for toughing it out and watching :-)
Can't fix the volume problem with the older videos, at least not easily. I'd have to re-record and re-edit the entire video. Windows Movie Maker had a problem with the encoding of some of my audio tracks and squelched the volume down. Sorry.
Volume is a problem, but can't fix it on my old videos. I can't reload an existing video, it would be a new upload and I would lose my search position. Unfortunate but true.
Hi Joe. Very sorry for the late reply. I had a health issue that dragged on for a while but I'm back now. Thanks for the compliment and for watching AND the sub! Be well.
Blame Windows Movie Maker for the volume. Can't fix it without completely recording and editing the entire dialog and then re-aligning the slides, basically redoing the whole video. My later videos have a fix applied to them, so the audio is louder.
I know, some of my early videos have low volume. Didn't have my audio configured properly. Plug it into an amp and crank it up. Thanks for watching and have a pleasant holiday season.
+Vanessa Daniels Yeah, not sure what happened on this one, but I've had those complaints. I think Windows movie maker screws with the volume of my soundtrack when it compiles the movie. I use protools to do the audio and I'm pinning the volume meter lol. Thanks for watching.
Thanks for the tips. I'm a freshwater fisherman, but watching YT videos now has me interested in getting into surf fishing.
An important side note on structure. Structure is only one third of the equation that leads to a bite. You need fish to be in the area (in season basically) and you need bait that they feed on in the area. If bait is around and fish are around, then they will use the structure present to their advantage when feeding. Structure doesn't manufacture fish. Fish have to be in the area to begin with, and if they are, they are probably there because bait is present. Once you have these three elements, then you need to figure at what stage of the tide the fish feed on (the bite). Thanks again for all you positive feedback. I am working on another video to be uploaded soon.
Amazing work man, thank you!
This is my first year of fishing from the shore. Thank you for providing valuable information for those of us that have no idea what we are doing!!!
Nice area - Martha's Vineyard. Beens years since I've been up that way. Catching fish from shore is a trip, the real deal. Takes patience and time but is well worth the effort. Kept me off the streets lol.
Thanks Rich. 6th time I'll be watching your Reading The Beach series in 3 years. Watch it every Spring and Fall just to keep it fresh in my mind. IMO best series on the net on surf fishing. Thanks again
And thank you for watching. I'm trying to get some new videos out soon.
RIch, your videos have led me to love surf fishing via the success that your videos have afforded me. As a beginning surf fisherman I am amazed at how many poor souls are wasting precious time fishing "structureless" water that I wouldn't consider fishing based on what I've learned watching your great videos.
Thank you very much,
Art
Thanks for watching Art. Structure is one third of the equation, with bait and fish being the other. To quote myself: "Structure alone does not magically produce fish. They have to be in the area, and if they are, they are probably there because of the presence of bait." Structure will frequently attract bait, which in turn attracts the predator species. Other times, structure is what predators use to assist them in feeding, like pinning bait up against the backside of a sand bar. I'm happy you have found my information useful and thank you for watching.
I’ve been surf fishing all my life and after watching this and #2 in the series, I realize I have been fishing blindly. You have no idea how much you have taught me. Thank you so much.
Hi Chris.Sorry for the late reply. Been on a 7 day a week work binge. I'm glad you found the info useful and you are very welcome. Have a good fall. Be well and stay safe.
Canadian Here just heading to Pedasi Panama to start my New Life fishing the Surf. Great Education you have provided for anyone that Really wanting to Take their Fishing the Surf too the Next Stage.
Without doubt the clearest information i have seen on such an interesting and important aspect of shore fishing and very applicable to my local area here in the UK. Thanks.
Thanks Rob! Glad you found it useful.
Thank you so much for taking the time to teach the physics behind waves in a quick cliffnotes version. It's helping me get stuff to click in my head on how to work on my catch rate.
+Robert Bulatao You're very welcome Robert. Being able to read wave action and water won't magically make fish where there are none. But when fish are in the neighborhood, knowing what the bottom contour is (by reading the water) will put you in the best position to catch them.
you have given me so much information on reading the beach where I live in Wales and now my catch rate has risen . thank you
You are very welcome. Most of fishing is actually problem solving, so we can never have enough information.
I was one of those fishermen that spiked a pole in the sand and started casting, with no catched fish of course. Now when I go I take my time reading the features, and usually have a great time usually having 2+ fish hooked at same time on different poles. Thanks Rich!
Glad my vids helped you out. 90% of the fish in 10% of the locations.
Thanks to you. I've been studying your videos for about a year and definitely paid off. Now fishing in South East, East Central Florida.
Thank You so much for an "AMAZING" Video. This fairly complex subject has just been made so much easier to understand because of your videos. Your time and trouble, doing these videos, will not go without it's reward for many people; me being one of them...
You are very welcome Roland, and thank you for the kind words.
Thank you so much for this great information. I am from KENTUCKY but go fishing in Costa Rica every year, and I have never been around many beach fisherman. So you are extremely helpful to me.
You are welcome Scott and thank you for watching.
Thanks Rich for sharing your knowledge. I hope to meet you on the beach someday so we can get our lines wet together.
Thanks Joe, and thank you for watching. I hope I stay healthy this season (no vertigo) lol.
Thanks for the awesome video! I'm fairly new to the coast,but have always considered myself a bit of a student when it comes to fishing, always trying to learn what can give me the advantage. I grew up fishing deep water walleyes on the great lakes and some northen inland lakes, so reading structure via electronics was always an important key to success. I am trying to learn how to use wave action to do the same thing, but it's a lot tougher than I imagined!
Carp Crusade Bowfishing It takes time because weather and tide can affect what you see. Best days for making observations are those with onshore breezes and incoming tide. This way everything is working in the same direction and you don't get false positives. Some structure is very obvious, like many of the examples I show on my videos. Many more times the structure is less obvious and harder to spot, but over time you learn to see what the water is doing. Even when it's doing nothing, that tells you something lol. As I've told others, there is no hard and fast answer. You basically look at everything that affects wave action and current, even minimally, because you just never know what's going on beneath the waves fish-wise. My post just below this also points out that structure doesn't create fish, it just gives them a feeding advantage. Fish and bait have to be in the area for structure to have an impact. If they're there, then they will feed using the structure, it then becomes a matter of figuring out at what stage of the tide the bite happens.
Fantastic tutorial, I truly appreciate your teaching skills and programs. Very educational for all especially fishermen!!!
Thanks for the kind words, and thank you for watching.
Excellent information my friend! Keep up the GREAT & informative work!!!!!!! Tight lines!
Thanks John and same to you.
Your videos and speech along with scientific explanation are very informative. Thank you for sharing god bless you!
Sorry for the late reply, still having problems with my notifications. Thank you for the kind words, they are appreciated.
These videos are mesmorising, thank you for creating them. I've been surf fishing for close to 20 years in NC each time I go for vacation, and I feel like these videos may finally give me a leg up. I usually catch fish but it'll be nice to target specific fish for once
Hi Patrick. Sorry for the late reply, was away for a couple weeks. Where abouts in NC? I'll be making my first trips down there in a couple weeks, at least that's the plan for now lol. Thanks for watching.
@@richtroxler I usually stay in Avon, and at least on my last trip, it seemed really hard to discern structure off the beach. I know I'm just learning but I think maybe I should try a few more spots North and South.
Just want to let everybody know that I've been having troubles with youtube messaging, so if you sent me a message and you didn't get a response, it wasn't from lack of trying. I'll try and get the problem resolved (not sure if it's youtube or my email client) and get those replies out to you. Thanks for subscribing to my channel, more videos to come!
Thank you all for your kind words. I'll be doing more on reading specific structures and how to fish them in the very near future, so stay tuned.
No matter how many articles I've read on the subject, I never end up fully understanding it. Thank you for taking the time to explain this more fully - I'm hoping to get a better grasp of it after watching your video a few times more..... There is a beach that I've wanted to fish for a long time here in Australia, but that I never see anyone fishing.. This particular beach has lot's of waves breaking very far out and consistently through to the shore.. I've waded out up to my knees and many times the waves will bring the water level straight up from knee height to chest height and then back down again, waves there make it very hard to fish, but I know there are big fish there. 'Would you try to fish such rough surf conditions or is this something I should just leave alone? I'm pretty sure if I tried wading out any further, the bull sharks will be biting my legs off, but I know there is a big variety of reef species at this spot and am dying to get to them... Would I have to cast past all of these breaking waves in order to get deep enough (If there are no gutters) or am I misinterpreting your video?
***** The bottom line is that fish are where you find them. Some fish may prefer shallow rough conditions for feeding and that comes with local knowledge. The point of my videos is to help people understand what wave action is telling you about the bottom contour. If you have a species of fish that likes shallow rough water for feeding then the long steady breaking (spilling breaker) will tell you where the flat, shallow bottoms are. Conversely, if your particular local species likes hole and washed out channels and troughs, then wave action will tell you where those are also. Most of the predatory fish in my neck of the woods prefer deeper bottom contour changes so that is what I mention in my videos, but it doesn't necessarily hold true for all species. If the fish like big water, then fish the big water, or give it a try. Like I said, fish are where you find them and if what they feed on is trying to scoot by in shallow rough water, then they'll go in after them.
richtroxler I hear you. I know that here in Australia there are many pelagic species of fish that do prefer heavy surf-shallow waters such as.. Greenback Tailor, Golden Trevally, Saltwater Salmon, Spotted Mackerel... and Mulloway on occasion also.. I guess I'll just have to cater to those species.. Just sucks that I don't have a bigger boat as I don't eat any of the above mentioned fish, except for the Greenbacks. 'Meanwhile I know people who go only a few kilometers off-shore and come back with Cod, Coral Trout, Snapper, Pearl Perch, Red Emperor.... Sweet-lip etc, which are more sought after. Anyway, after watching your video again, I can safely say that I now havea far better understanding of how the bottom contour affects above wave formation/water behavior, Many thanks.
Can't wait to see them. Your's are probably the best, most explanatory videos I have watched. I am thinking about doing some in the future concerning the salt marshes where I live in Georgia, and I intend to refer back to yours for style and structure. I hope you take that as imitation being the most sincere form of flattery, because I have gotten so much from your series.
Thank you so much for this valuable information and taking the time to share this with others!
Hey Rich,
I watched a ton of your videos two years ago and I've come back to re-watch them again. I just wanted to leave a comment to let you know how much you've helped me increase my bite percentage. I was throwing blind on the beach before watching these videos and now not only do I catch more fish, but I find the beach so much more interesting to observe/analyze.
Thanks again and stay well!
I'm glad that you found value in my vids. Unfortunately, was out of commission again for a while, so for now I'm just trying to get caught up on responding to everyone and trying to finish up on some new content and other stuff. Thanks for hanging in there with me and I'll get this thing going again.
Best video series on how to read a beach hands down! Thanks Rich. Time to get that striper. Cheers
Sorry for the late reply, still having problems with my notifications. Thanks Bay, hoping to get back up to Long Island this Fall for a couple weeks to fish some of my old stomping grounds and see my friends. Cheers to you!
I was drawn to this sight because I metal detect and an individual I was researching mentioned cuts, troughs and bars. This was the first video I found in my search in regards to the matter. I like to fish, too, so I have to say that this was a "very" informative and very interesting video. Thank you so much for sharing you knowledge with us!
Thanks for the kind words Robert.
I've always been a freshwater fisherman and am just getting into surf fishing. Thanks for making this helpful series
Hi Jon. Very sorry for the late reply. I had a health issue that dragged on for a while but I'm back now. Welcome to the salt side of the fishing world. Rule #1: Be patient. The first thing I tell people about surf fishing is that there is no instant gratification. Rule #2: Go to the beach (no rod and reel) and watch what people are doing. Find those that "seem" to know what they are doing and ask questions. Most guys are friendly enough. If one guys a prick, move to the next one. I was really lucky when I first moved down here 8 years ago, to bump into a local rod builder and excellent fisherman in the wee hours of the morning, on one of my first trips out for red drum. Local knowledge is a big help in the learning curve. Rule #3: Watch my surf fishing series. It'll help put things in perspective. Rule #4: Enjoy the ride! It's a life long learning experience, so enjoy the little victories along the way. That'll keep you coming back for more. Thanks for watching and I will be having new content coming in the near future. Be well.
This series has helped me and my friend fish off the beach very well caught some big black drum and whiting thanks for the information
AJ Green12346 Glad you were able to apply this info and get on some fish.
Awesome video Rich! Can't wait to seethe rest!!!!
This comment just popped up in my feed under "not responded". Apparently it's from 8 years ago. I'm not sure what happened but please accept my most sincere apologies for not responding to your post. I try to respond to everybody who posts on my channel, so a belated thank you for watching my video.
Really looking forward to the rest of this series. Our approach to things seems to be very similar (continual learner, appreciating the journey not the destination, etc) so your message really resonates with me. Additionally, you are a solid educator in your mix of technical knowledge with effective, well-labeled visuals. All that to say, thanks for taking the time and sharing. I'm about to take my annual trip to VA Beach in a couple weeks. I'm not sure if it's a "Dead Beach" or one with good, dynamic hard and soft structure ... but just the fact that I'm now saying those terms and looking at the shoreline through this new lens is extremely exciting to me.
Hi Ben. I'm very sorry for the late reply. VB beach is pretty boring. Long sandbars but not really dramatic troughs. I usually look for holes next to points. Right now not a lot going on. Some Spanish Macks and Bluefish running the beach as well as the usual small bottom dwellers (Spot, Croaker, etc). If you get lucky, you might bag a drum. Thanks for watching.
Great information. Thanks very much. I'm heading for the lynnhaven bridge as soon as the weather warms up a bit.
Hi Bill, so you're a local ;-) Not sure if they are letting people fish there yet because of the construction, or more accurately deconstruction of the old bridge, going on. I think it's supposed to be done this year. I would then give the bridge a season to settle down after all that construction, before the fish start to settle in around there during the season. I ran into this back on Long Island when they rebuild the south shore bridges. The fishing always took a while to settle back in after construction was complete. The new bridge is farther north than the old one so I'll have to figure out how to fish from shore again. Can't wait to splash my kayak in the Lynnhaven again. Probably start at Rudee first. Thanks for watching.
great information. will definitely be using this to hopefully improve my catch rate. i look forward to your new tutorials. many thanks.
+alan blackie Thanks for your kind words Alan. More videos coming.
Thank you for the video and comments. I did take a class with Nick Curcione years ago but, It's nice to get a visual refresher. Time to get back on the water and rip some lip.
Nothing finer than time on the beach. Looks like you were getting info from the best with Nick Curcione.
Thank you so much for this valuable information and taking the time to share this with others!
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Thank you so much u have enlightened me on how waves work and now ive been on google images looking at beaches and telling myself what type of structure there is 😂 Thank you again this will definitely help!!!
Hi Vernon. Be aware the ocean beaches change a lot so google images of beaches may not be the same when you get there. It's good for looking at inlets and bays, but ocean beaches change with every storm, so it's best to look at the beach you will fish in person. If you fish the same beaches over and over, you will become familiar with their patterns. Thanks for watching and stay safe.
Excellent video. I can't wait to put this to work.
This comment just popped up in my feed under "not responded". Apparently it's from 8 years ago. I'm not sure what happened but please accept my most sincere apologies for not responding to your post. I try to respond to everybody who posts on my channel, so a belated thank you for watching my video.
Awesome video. Can't wait to try to apply it to what I see before me when I'm out fishing. It's one of those things I'm not sure if I would have figured out but, after watching the video it makes total sense.
Thanks and sorry for the late reply. I've been finding a bunch of posts that somehow got missed, and I hate not answering posts ;-)
Thank you for putting these up, hopefully now with a bit more information I can maybe get minorly into that 10%.
You are welcome. Fishing is a life-long process and I learned early on that the real reward comes from every step I took along the way. For me, it's always been the journey, not the destination, not only in fishing, but in my music, art, woodworking, writing, basically everything I do lol. And there is always more to learn.
Beautiful and knowledgeable content, thanks!
Thanks for watching!
Definitely a subscriber! Great video loaded with information!
Thanks Born. I have another video in the works.
im gonna try surf fishing in a few days lucky i found this vid's full of very useful tips before my trip to the beach ... thx
+indra fardian I hope it helps. Remember this, fishing is a life long learning process, it never stops, so embrace the process and enjoy the ride.
You’re awesome. Great lessons. Thank you!
Thanks for the kind words Tom.
Thank you .very important knowledge for scientifically fishing. very painstakingly and precisely done ,very professional. I am amazed. once again Tkyu. looking forward to your next video. Lonely fly fisher RVM
This comment just popped up in my feed under "not responded". Apparently it's from 7 years ago. I'm not sure what happened but please accept my most sincere apologies for not responding to your post. I try to respond to everybody who posts on my channel, so a belated thank you for watching my video.
Excellent Rich and thanks. I'm not sure if you'll receive my comments as this is an older video but hopefully so. Good luck and good fishing from your newest subscriber.
Thanks Bass and thanks for subscribing. Will be adding some more videos soon.
Very good. If I can make a suggestion, one thing that would be very helpful to novices like me might be a video on how this relates to fish. That is, you've explained waves and reading the beach but not how bait fish or predatory fish that are commonly encountered behave to these various environments. One predator might lay in wait by a hole whereas another predator might swim the troughs or stay on the edge of cuts.
+MrSteve280 That is a good suggestion and I am planning to do a few more videos in the series that will help connect the dots. Busy fishing right now so I don't have a lot of time, but your suggestion is a good one. Thanks
Now that's just what I've been waiting for,really great video!!
This comment just popped up in my feed under "not responded". Apparently it's from 8 years ago. I'm not sure what happened but please accept my most sincere apologies for not responding to your post. I try to respond to everybody who posts on my channel, so a belated thank you for watching my video.
this was explained very well, thank a bunch
You're welcome Chuck. Hope it helps you out.
Great video and duly shared, thanks.
This comment just popped up in my feed under "not responded". Apparently it's from 8 years ago. I'm not sure what happened but please accept my most sincere apologies for not responding to your post. I try to respond to everybody who posts on my channel, so a belated thank you for watching my video.
This is a fantastic video!
Thanks. Unfortunately, was out of commission again for a while, so for now I'm just trying to get caught up on responding to everyone and trying to finish up on some new content and other stuff. Thanks for hanging in there with me and I'll get this thing going again.
Thank you. Great information.
This comment just popped up in my feed under "not responded". Apparently it's from 8 years ago. I'm not sure what happened but please accept my most sincere apologies for not responding to your post. I try to respond to everybody who posts on my channel, so a belated thank you for watching my video.
hey mate first of all thanks for the information, very helpful vidoes. I surf fish from South Australia, we have recently discovered a surf beach like no other. The gutter are huge and the holes are like lakes, the surf is rough every time we go the landscape has changed we have had success with lots of salmon during the day and have had good night's with gummy shark. But I still think we are putting our baits in the wrong place, some nights are too quite but we know the shark should be there. Would I be able to send you some pictures, I think you would be interested to see and if I could get some feed back on these spots?
+nathan h Sure, message me your email address and I'll ping you back with mine. Also, provide as close to the exact location as you can, like city name and beach name, so I can zero it in on Bing maps and look for myself. I've seen the vids of the guys fishing tuna from the rocks down there. I added that experience to my bucket list.
Cool mate, email address is nht1000@hotmail.com
+nathan h Got it. Check your email.
Great info!!!!!
Thanks James. I hope it helps you out.
Hi Rich , I am a novice to beach fishing and am greatly appreciative of your videos. In correlation to the information that you have given to the types of structure beaches have to offer, is there a way of knowing where the fish typically dwell, i.e., points and submerged points. Do they travel along the edges? Are troughs and holes likely to hold fish in one place or do they travel along the areas within the confines of it?
Hi Ray. I'll give you the short answer to your questions. Fish on the open beach don't typically "dwell". They move around, following bait, feeding, and when they are near shore they tend to follow edges like a shadow. A lot depends on the "bite". They may feed at the last hour of incoming on the inside edge of the bar (in the trough), or run the lip if the bait is there, or the bite might be on the last two hours of the out going at a cut when bait is being flushed out of a trough. But whenever the bite is, it will usually be near an "edge", because edges give predator fish an advantage.
What would do you if you have only flat beaches or dead beaches where waves are almost nonexistent ??
Look for bait. Try to find pods of bait.
great videos man ! I pulled some nice fish from there, but sometimes a big, big load of peanut bunker appears, literally between my legs... can not get any bite !!!some baitfish is good but too much is bad. am I right? thanks for all the info.
Excellent video, well explained. Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it! Unfortunately, was out of commission again for a while, so for now I'm just trying to get caught up on responding to everyone and trying to finish up on some new content and other stuff. Thanks for hanging in there with me and I'll get this thing going again.
@@richtroxler I actually used your info. I went out for the first time ever surf perch fishing and made a successful video. I look at the water different now.
Glad to hear it. I'm going to go check out your video!
Glad to see somebody other than me loves to catch big carp lol!
Great info thanks so much. Any chance you will be making info about boat fishing? God bless
Sorry for the late reply, still having problems with my notifications. You're very welcome and yes, I might make a few videos on boat fishing, stuff like anchoring over structure, pulling drifts, anchoring, stuff like that.
great video!
Thank you. Hope it helps you get on some fish.
I am planning a trip to Pompano Beach at the end of August. So far I don't see the sandbars, trough and cut but maybe I will pick up on it in the next two vids. Where are you located? Maybe I can hire you for a morning as this dumb pollock from NY can sure use some help !!!
Definitely watch the video on identifying sandbars. That will help a lot. I'm in Virginia Beach, nowhere near Pompano Beach ;-) Thanks for watching
Love these vids
I apologize for the delay in responding. I just got done moving again. Got another one on the way. Thank for watching.
Good stuff!
Thank you!
Thanks for the informative videos
You're very welcome Sean.
really cool thank you
You are welcome Nedim.
Do you throw your line into the cut or in the troughs? What about outside of the cut before the trough?
Russel Johnson Hi Russel. The answer is both. I move around a lot when I fish, even when fishing with bait. Most fish relate to edges and current, so I'll fish the far trough edge if reachable with a cast, I'll fish the lip close to the beach if there's enough water, particularly at night. And I'll always fish both sides of a cut, with the inside edge where the cut meets the out trough edge (backside of the bar) being a great place to start. That's if you can reach these structures. So as long as you have differences in depths, or what I call "edges" then you have something to work with. Anything other than plain, flat bottom.
Thanks for the tips.
You are most welcome Teemoos. Thank you for watching.
Thanks From Kerala, India
Sorry for the late reply, was away for a couple weeks. And you are most welcome Suneeth!
Good video thanks!!
This comment just popped up in my feed under "not responded". Apparently it's from 8 years ago. I'm not sure what happened but please accept my most sincere apologies for not responding to your post. I try to respond to everybody who posts on my channel, so a belated thank you for watching my video.
this is so informative. Thanks alot
You're very welcome Ahmed!
hi sir..what the productive spot if i cast my rigs?shore, cut, troughs, behind the sandbars, holes, pls sir give me the direct casting spot that productive fishing spots?thanks and GOD BLESS
Hi Dave. There is no one direct casting spot that produces fish. They have fins and they swim and they feed when they want. Catching fish consistently is a combination of many elements, with where to fish just one of those elements. That being said, when looking for fish I will focus my attention on holes, troughs directly behind sandbars and cuts in the sandbar systems. I tend to move around a lot if there is an abundance of structure, but if there is only isolated structure, then I stick with until I figure out when the bite is.
Sometimes, a plunging breaker then plunged, and then spills down towards the shore
This comment just popped up in my feed under "not responded". Apparently it's from 2 years ago. I'm not sure what happened but please accept my most sincere apologies for not responding to your post. I try to respond to everybody who posts on my channel, so a belated thank you for watching my video.
Great Vid!
This comment just popped up in my feed under "not responded". Apparently it's from 8 years ago. I'm not sure what happened but please accept my most sincere apologies for not responding to your post. I try to respond to everybody who posts on my channel, so a belated thank you for watching my video.
Great video
This comment just popped up in my feed under "not responded". Apparently it's from 8 years ago. I'm not sure what happened but please accept my most sincere apologies for not responding to your post. I try to respond to everybody who posts on my channel, so a belated thank you for watching my video.
hey rich if there was a cut a month ago will it always be there or will it change ???
Sandbars and their associated structure are notoriously fickle. They can appear after one storm and then disappear with the next. But for some reason, some beaches seem to have conditions that produce and maintain sandbars and cuts for long periods of time. These are usually massive sandbars and are further from shore. The smaller ones. the ones closer to shore, are more common and come and go much more frequently.
o it's cause I fish in South Padre island and I found a cut through Bing map birds eye and I fished and was so cool and I wanna go back but didn't know if it would change but thanks for the info .I guess I'll have to do it manually and see what I'm looking at ..
thank for the video
felix musicman You are very welcome felix!
How do you identify structures off of the beaches in the waterways which waves are extremely small
+wazup3333 If waves are small but the water ways have current, then you need to seek the rip lines. Rip lines form where the bottom contour changes, or two currents collide. If you don't have waves or current, then move around a lot until you get bit.
by rip lines you mean rip currents? theres isnt enough wave action or strong enough current to identify the rip
+wazup3333 Sorry for the late reply. A rip line is any disturbance in the surface of the water. When current passes over any kind of structure, or change in bottom contour, it usually gives some sort of indication in the way the water on the surface appears. Sometimes it's nothing more than a little whirlpool or eddy, sometimes a small or larger standing wave (a ripple that doesn't move from it's location) that mirrors the bottom contour change. When there's no moving water, it's not really possible to read bottom contour, but if water is moving, it'll usually show something.
Awesome
This comment just popped up in my feed under "not responded". Apparently it's from 8 years ago. I'm not sure what happened but please accept my most sincere apologies for not responding to your post. I try to respond to everybody who posts on my channel, so a belated thank you for watching my video.
what if the water is calm and there are no waves . How can you read structure?
+steve b You can't. There either has to be some current or wave action in order to determine what is going on on the bottom.
How do you like circle hooks?
Hi Bo. If you spike your rod, then circles are the way to go. You just have to hook the bait a little different. I hold my rod, so j-hooks get it done for me. It would be hard for me to just start reeling and not set the hook. Too many years habit to break lol.
Good info, volume is lacking big time though
Sorry for the late reply.. Yes, volume was a problem on some of my earlier videos. I'm trying to redo them as time allows. I just re-loaded one about sandbars, troughs, and cuts with the volume fixed. Thanks for toughing it out and watching :-)
thenk you
Tou're welcome!
how about reloading them with some VOLUME!
Can't fix the volume problem with the older videos, at least not easily. I'd have to re-record and re-edit the entire video. Windows Movie Maker had a problem with the encoding of some of my audio tracks and squelched the volume down. Sorry.
@@richtroxler No worries it's a shame, your video's have some great info....thanks
Great video please fix volume a lil low
Volume is a problem, but can't fix it on my old videos. I can't reload an existing video, it would be a new upload and I would lose my search position. Unfortunate but true.
I saw a rip current in that video
Sorry for the late reply, these are crazy times. There may have been. Thanks for watching.
ok , now where's the fish?
That's for you to figure out. Different species like different things. I'm just explaining how to know what you are looking at.
Genius
Hi Joe. Very sorry for the late reply. I had a health issue that dragged on for a while but I'm back now. Thanks for the compliment and for watching AND the sub! Be well.
hi rich, I have replied your email, did u get it?
I did and sent my reply. Check your email.
It would have been a good video, if I could hear it. The volume is so darn low I cannot hear it clearly.Pls fix
Blame Windows Movie Maker for the volume. Can't fix it without completely recording and editing the entire dialog and then re-aligning the slides, basically redoing the whole video. My later videos have a fix applied to them, so the audio is louder.
i got the 1,000 like, what do i win?!
LOL
Sound..??? good info but hard to hear
I uploaded a volume fixed version, but it has a different thumbnail. Here's the link: ua-cam.com/video/JCOf8rw8yMI/v-deo.html
Cant hear you say it louder 🔊
I know, some of my early videos have low volume. Didn't have my audio configured properly. Plug it into an amp and crank it up. Thanks for watching and have a pleasant holiday season.
Dead beaches are beaches that people and other beaches are dead there
Ya got me there.
Uh...what?
Uh,...I don't know lol.
speak up. My speaker is up all the way and I barely hear you.
+Vanessa Daniels Yeah, not sure what happened on this one, but I've had those complaints. I think Windows movie maker screws with the volume of my soundtrack when it compiles the movie. I use protools to do the audio and I'm pinning the volume meter lol. Thanks for watching.