Surf Fishing Lures - Top Lures for the Surf

Surf Fishing Lures - Top Lures for the Surf

I'm a fishing tackle junkie. When I wander around in a well-stocked tackle shop, a rig or lure will catch my eye, and I'll buy it. I can't help it.

Recently I noticed something about my tackle inventory. Most of those flashy, "guaranteed to catch" lures that captured my interest are still in their original boxes. They have never been used, and I was the only thing they caught.

But the scars of battle mark several lures in my tackle bag. The paint is chipped, they are covered with tooth marks, and many of the hook's barbs are crimped flat. These lures have been used often, and they caught fish.

The author's selection of "go to" lures in the surf. (Joe Malat photo)


There is nothing scientific to support this theory, but I'll bet if an informal poll was conducted among experienced Outer Banks surfcasters, a majority would admit they use the same few lures on a regular basis; not necessarily because they look pretty, but because they catch fish.


I firmly believe an angler will work a lure harder or longer if he has faith in it, and believes it will catch a fish. I know that works for me, and the number of my "go to" lures that catch fish consistently on the beach can be counted on a few fingers. Let's have a look at those proven lures in my tackle bag.

Every surfcaster's tackle box should contain a selection of metal spoons. Blues are often the primary targets for these metal lures, but they come in all sizes and anything may bite them. Hopkins, Gator, Krocodile, Kastmaster and Stingsilver are just a few of the most popular names, but there are several other brands. The common thread for all is a shiny, weighted lure that replicates a swimming baitfish. They can be retrieved fast, slow, or with an erratic jigging motion. Most of the lures are silver or chromed, but a gold or even a painted finish will produce fish. The advantage for most of these lures is their weight and streamlined shape. The larger sizes, in the 2 to 4 ounce range, will cast like a bullet. They are just the ticket when fish may be at the edge of the outer bar, or holding in a distant rip that's formed outside of an inlet. From a fish's perspective these big spoons resemble large baitfish such as mullet, menhaden, spot, or croakers.

Several years ago when big blues made regular appearances in the Outer Banks surf, I always used a short piece of wire leader in front of each large metal lure, mostly to prevent bite-offs from the blues. But the leader is also a good way to drag the fish out of the wash and up on the beach. Twelve to eighteen inches of single strand wire or cable was preferred.

I often replace the treble hooks on them with singles, and crimp down the barbs. The release is easy, but a lost fish due to a thrown hook is rare, if the angler keeps the line tight. The big blues have been scarce recently, but stripers will also eat metal and that's why these old standby lures still have a place in my bag.

Small, streamlined and shiny lures are also one of my favorites when fishing light tackle on the beach. A � ounce Hopkins or 1-ounce Kastmaster is great fun to cast with a seven to nine foot, light spinning rod. I fill my reel with 8 or 10-pound test mono and can cast these tiny lures a country mile.

These small metal lures look more like a glass minnow or silverside on the retrieve. When the lure is worked with a fast or jigging retrieve, it's great for small blues and Spanish mackerel, but a slow retrieve, just barely dragging the lure across the bottom, will produce speckled trout, puppy drum, gray trout, small stripers and even the occasional flounder.

Chrome is a common finish, but chartreuse or pink can be a hot color for Spanish mackerel. I'll pass on metal leaders and run a short piece of 15-pound test in front of the lure and fix it to the main line with a tiny, black barrel swivel.

A top contender for first place among beach fishing lures has to be the lead head/soft plastic tail combination jig. Along the Outer Banks they are most often used by anglers pursuing speckled trout and puppy drum, but lead heads will also catch bluefish, flounder, pompano, Spanish mackerel, gray trout, sea mullet, and even large croakers. On more than one occasion, I've hooked a false albacore on the lure. The variety of tails is endless, with Fin-S, Twister Tails, Touts, and Grubs among the leaders. The beauty of the lead head/soft plastic combo is the fact that the color, size and action of the lure can be changed in seconds.

This lure will work with a variety of retrieves, but can be deadly when fished with a slow crawl. A heavy leader will only detract from this lure's effectiveness. Use a short piece of 15-pound test monofilament tied to the lure with a Uni knot loop, sortie the lure directly to your line. Adding to their versatility is the ability to change the color and action of the lure simply by replacing the rubber tail. When fishing the beach for speckled trout, I always carry a variety of colors in my pocket. If I were marooned on a deserted island with only a spinning rod and one type of fishing lure, the lead head jig and soft plastic tail would be my choice.

Outer Banks speckled trout devotees (and there are plenty of them) would never go to the beach without a MirrOlure, some will take nothing but these fish-catching hard-plastic lures. These too, will fool a variety of species, but their primary targets are trout and puppy drum. Their light weight requires the angler to use light spinning tackle, and this allows for the lure to be worked to it's maximum potential from the beach. Mostly the retrieve is a slow, steady crank, punctuated with an occasional twitch of the rod tip. The correct and effective method of working a MirrOlure is developed with practice over time, and rookies would do well to watch the veterans.

These are certainly not the only lures that will catch fish from the Outer Banks beaches, but if I was forced to get rid of all those lures I have stashed in my garage, I guarantee I would still hold on to these three artificials.