So far, this past spring has been great for surf fishing up and down the Maryland and Virginia coast. There was a nice run of big rockfish, mainly post spawners that were moving up the coast to their northern summer haunts. Many of these caught were in the 30 to 40 pound range and even better. Maryland even had a new coastal striped bass record come from off the beach.

There was also a scattering of bluefish mixed in and also some decent sized black drum as well. As far as red drum goes, depending on whom you talked to, it was either a good spring season or bad one. There were some beautiful fish taken from some beaches, but there were also a lot of wind days that knocked many trips off track. And as I right this now, there are still stripers being landed along the Maryland and Virginia surf, along with bluefish, kingfish and sharks in the 12 to 20 pound range. Unfortunately also joining this beach parade of catches are wads of skates and stingrays, which will inhale any type of bait thrown near them.

SUMMER SCENE
By early July, with water temperatures rising, species tend to even out for the rest of the summer. Thus anglers usually encounter all the usual suspects such as kingfish, flounder, croaker, weakfish, bluefish and some sharks. There may be a few stray rockfish and red drum around in the evenings and early mornings, and spot will show up by August. So there's enough species variety to keep family fishermen or even the most pretentious anglers happy.

BEACH ACCESS
For both Maryland and Virginia anglers, the easiest beach access is Assateague Island with its 37 miles of accessible surf. It has all the classic characteristics of any barrier beach island with drop-offs, sloughs and sandbars. The best areas to fish are where there is a deep drop-off right off the beach, preferably facing a cut in the outer sandbar area. This is where bait will wash in and out and predators will lurk to ambush them. The best time to read a beach is at extreme low tide, when you can see where the bars and sloughs are located.

Virginia has of course, several other barrier beach islands that are open to public fishing, but you'll need a boat to get to them. Hog, Parramore, Cedar, and Cobb are popular destinations for the hard-core surf casting gang.

The best time to fish a beach is either early in the morning and just before and after dusk. This accomplishes two things: many big predatory fish feed in low light conditions, and usually at these times the beach crowds are gone. But on the other hand, tides often play a critical role in surf fishing and regardless of the time of day, their influence can either make or break a day of surf fishing.

Many veteran anglers prefer to fish the top of the rise through the early ebb, no matter what time of day it is. Wind is also important. I find that a southeast or northeast wind is best, since it pushes bait up under the beach, and this attracts bigger game.

Due to the variety of fish available in the summer, bring at least two types of bait and a couple of different rods. One rod should be a light 7-8ft. medium action spinning rig which you can use to cast small double dropper rigs, a small float rig or a high /lo rig. These rigs work well to catch spot, kingfish and several of the other school species that can be found right near the breakers. The best bait for these panfish is either bloodworms or small pieces of peeler crab. But squid strips and clam pieces can work just as well. I like to stand right in the surf to fish, enjoying the warm water.

I always bring a second rod, one with a little more backbone, because puppy drum, striped bass, bluefish and small sharks are often feeding on the same small fish you are trying to catch on your other rod. So a larger outfit, such as 9-10 ft spinning or baitcasting rod, is handy at times. Use fresh cut spot (which you just caught on the smaller rod), mole crab, peeler crab, clam, or fresh mullet. "The most effective rig for this type of fishing is the "fish finder rig" which allows the baited line to slide up past the weight and free float in the current," says surfcasting champion J.T. Bolding of Melfa. But the ubiquitous high-lo rig or single dropper hook, between 3/0 and 7/0 can often score as well. Also always carry an assortment of lead weights, because you'll need to hold bottom at all times. And its always wise to carry an assortment of lures such as Hopkins Shorty, Mann's plugs, Spro jigs or Rebel Windcheaters, which will give you an additional shot at breaking bluefish or stripers swirling near the surf line.

Other standard surf gear includes sand spikes, knife/cutting board, drinks, flashlight, etc., and a tall bucket to hold everything in and can also serve as a place to sit your butt on.

Surf fishing is fun, not very complicated and you don't have to spend a lot of money. And it's also a great way to introduce kids to fishing.