What saltwater lures should I get

[CameronB521]

I’m planning on going on vacation this summer to ocean city, maryland, and I was wondering what some good tackle would be for surf fishing. I got a cheap saltwater combo, that I spooled with some braid I had laying around. I need some help deciding what lures or bait to get, this is my first time so I’m not really sure what I’m doing.

[Luke Barnes]

22 minutes ago, CameronB521 said:

I’m planning on going on vacation this summer to ocean city, maryland, and I was wondering what some good tackle would be for surf fishing. I got a cheap saltwater combo, that I spooled with some braid I had laying around. I need some help deciding what lures or bait to get, this is my first time so I’m not really sure what I’m doing.

So mind you I've never surf fished but..... I watch alot of you tube haha. Multiple people on different channels all had luck using Gulp Salt Worms. I like Gulp for freshwater so i thought it was interesting. No idea how they rigged it, just know they used it haha. 

[CrankFate]

I rarely use lures in saltwater. Depends on what you’re going for, I’m not from MD, but I’d think bait is the way to go.

[LrgmouthShad]

I have heard the Zman shrimp is dynamite

[Junger]

I like Cotton Cordell Spoons, MirroLures, Heddon Spooks for a topwater blitz, Gulp mullets on a jighead, and if it's slick calm, Vudu Shrimp on a popping cork.

 

Otherwise just bloodworms, shrimp, or squid on a high/low rig bottom rig.

[GetFishorDieTryin]

You dont need super heavy gear to surf fish.  Bring a 7ft M-MH spinning rod with 10-15lb line of your choice as well as the new set up you bought.  Between the saltwater and sand surf fishing is extremely hard on gear even when your really careful, so bring a reel you don't mind putting through the ringer.  Saltwater is bad while sand is the worst, make sure to keep your reel out of the sand.  After your done fishing rinse the reel with a gentle mist of cool water to flush out sand an break up salt deposits.  Water under hogher pressure will drive sand and debris deeper into the reel.

Stripers, Fluke, Weakies and Blues will eat a lot of the same baits a bass will.  Superflukes, ribbontail worms, boot tailed swimbaits all work great.  If you have the chance grab a pack or 2 of saltwater gulp,  I like the 4" grubs and the sand eels.  Gulp is kind of like soft plastic that is heavily scented, at times it can make all the difference.  Colors are fairly simple, white/pearl, chartreuse, pink/bubblegum are the base colors with white being the failsafe.  Your Arkansas Shiner, Tenn Shad, Silver Mud, Smelt baitfish colors work as well.  Get a pack of 1/4oz jigheads and pack 1/2 jigheads with a 2/0 or 3/0 hook and maybe a 1/2oz-3/4oz bucktail if you like fishing jigs.  Those 2 weights will cover most situations.  If you do use gulp do not leave it on the jighead after you are done.  If they dry out on the jighead they are nearly impossible to get off.

The other must haves are tins or metals, ie spoons.  If you run into a school of bluefish you can go through a bag of plastics in a dozen casts.  If you start out with soft plastics and run into to blues tie some metal on and have some fun.  Kastmasters and Hopkins are great, but you can get away with the cheap Hurricane spoons from wong-mart for half the price.  You can bomb a spoon, they're great for covering water.  1/2oz and 1oz should cover most situations.  Blues aren't fun to deal with, single hook spoons let you get more casts in while the school is going by and causes way less damage to the fish.  If you have some good casting poppers you wouldnt mind beating up take them along.  Top water blues is something everyone should experience.  

Wet wading in the surf is IMHO the funnest way to fish, theres nothing like it.  As long as you dont go too far above your waist and keep your eye on the waves you will have a blast.  Good Luck     

[desmobob]

Bucktails, jig heads w/white curly tail grubs and large Bass Assassins work...

Don't forget the Tsunami Talkin' Popper for topwater.

[thunderblack]

Some favorites for SW when I am on vacation. They catch fish everywhere!

 

• 4" jerbaits - Rapala XR10, Lucky Craft pointer 110, Mirrolure mirrodine
• 4" paddletail swimbaits
• 3" grubs w/ 1/4 oz. jighead
• silver or gold spoon in 1/4 - 1/2 oz 
• Most bass lures work! Throw a couple in your box - poppers, walk the dog, lipless cranks work too!

Make sure you run a good fluoro 20lb-30lb leader roughly 2-3 foot long. 

 

[soflabasser]

Bucktails are one of the best lures you can use for shore fishing in the ocean. 

[bulldog1935]

Here's a Really Good link on

How to Read the Beach 

 

Everyone has covered most of the good lures.  My surf lure rig is a raced-out Abu CT, 5500 width, shallow spool and braid, 8' RH Composites rod, 1/4 to 1 oz.  

It will sail that 1/4 oz 100 yds.    

But 30 years before, I was fishing the surf with a Lew's and 7' rod, 15-lb Big Game mono.  

 

I would be covered with Mirrolure and Kastmaster spoons for the heavy end.  

Also like Hogy's epoxy jigs for casting forever to surface fish sign.  

For topwater, I go to Megabass Dog-X and swap the hooks for salty trebles.  

 

A very good neutral-density lure for slow subsurface dog-walking is TSL Grasswalker - can't possibly look or behave more like mullet.  

you can also fish it with a weighted swimbait hook to get a bit deeper in the column and retrieve a bit faster. 

Vudu shrimp is tough to beat for bottom-bouncing, but the lure just above works about as well.  

 

If you have a chance to fish pier lights at night, the smallest jigs, swim-shad and bucktails rigged tandem are king.  While glow is an obvious night color, blue catches more fish at night.  My best tandem rig is 2" swim-shad, glow in front and blue in the back.  

Back to the surf - if you want to fish cut-bait on the bottom, you need spider weights to dig into the sand and keep your bait out there longer. 

Pick spider weight at your rod max weight capacity, and multi-hook heavy-leader rig - you should be able to buy all kinds of terminal tackle at local shops.  

[WVU-SCPA]

Depending on the time frame of your trip I'll give some suggestions....best one is find one of the saltwater fishing forums for the east coast to read up on. 

 

June-September in OCMD is going to be lacking in game fish species that will hit a lure on the ocean side.  Water clarity will dictate the chances of connecting on lures.  Outside a lucky streak of clearer water, your best chances will be with "live bait".  Sea mullet, snapper blues, and croaker will be present.  The right spots will hold flounder.  Last year the Spanish mackerel made it up to OCMD which isn't the norm, but clear water is key with targeting them with lures.

 

September will bring the chance of red drum and stripers into the fall.

 

OCMD can be a busy beach so don't be afraid to look at other options in the surrounding area.

 

I'm not an expert by any means, so I would google something like "surf fishing forums".  I'd link them but not sure on the rules.  The site bulldog linked has a lot of useful info throughout. 

 

23 hours ago, bulldog1935 said:

Here's a Really Good link on

How to Read the Beach 

 

[Chris at Tech]

spoons, bucktails, swimbaits, jerkbaits, surface plugs

 

Better yet, stop in a local tackle shop once you get there and ask for their advice.  They've got better intel than anyone on here.

[bulldog1935]

On 6/17/2021 at 6:41 PM, Chris at Tech said:

...Better yet, stop in a local tackle shop once you get there and ask for their advice.  They've got better intel than anyone on here.

always a wise approach.  

My buddy Donny had 3 hours to kill waiting for the rest of us -  Feb when he arrived at Rockport driving from CO.  His time in always reliable Tackle Town paid off, and the Vudu shrimp he left with was the next day's top pick - he released 27 redfish and kept his 3 slot fish.  

Of course, I get planning kudos for nailing the tide event (picked it 6 weeks before), Josh for providing exceptional digs, and I can't complain, releasing 16 of my own.  

 

etc. ...

...another kudo for Josh's chef skills

[Deleted account]

There are two really good tackle shops in Ocean City, they can hook you up with what you need as well as point you in the right direction. The tackle and lure suggestions above are all good.

[Jigfishn10]

Diamond jigs and bucktail jigs are always solid starters.

 

If it's windy, diamond jigs are the way to go. Bucktails are time proven. ?

[microotter]

This thread is very helpful. Anyone know if I can use my Shimano Stradic CI4+ in salt water? This reel is an older model 2015 or 2016 maybe. It is black and red. 

[bulldog1935]

Absolutely.  Just don't dunk it, and rinse it well - light water flow, not pressure.  

I used to rinse mine daily, but now I'll fish them for 3 or 4 days and rinse when I get home.  

This Lew's BB-1NG fished inshore for 20 years, and there's nothing salt-proof about this reel.  

[Jigfishn10]

I use a Daiwa for salt and do the same as @bulldog1935 recommended, a quick rinse of the reel, rod, rod guides, reel seat and lure. 
wipe down and a small battery powered leaf blower to get any water that couldn’t be wiped.