ideal swell height for beach fishing

[MidNrthFisho]

Hey guys,

I've been getting into a bit of beach fishing lately and have started to get some consistent results on the whiting and bream as well as catching the occasional tailor and salmon.

My question is what is the ideal swell height for fishing off the beach? I know it will depend on the beach etc, but it seems when there is no swell its hard to pick gutters/there isn't much water movement to stimulate any activity, whereas when the swell is large there is too much water movement and white water to be able to find the gutters and keep your bait in the right place.

Seeming as the beaches I fish are a bit of a trek away, I am trying to figure out when it is best to call it sometimes and go with a plan B.

As always, thanks for the help guys!

Mike

[Lutha]

Love to hear the thoughts as I find the same thing and only been beach fishing for a few months. I find it hard to pick gutters in the wash too, end up fishing around rips which is probably not the best spot.

Thinking about heading out at sunset tonight and rise tomorrow, can't let the weather beat me any longer.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Crossfire63]

I'll fish anything for .5m to 2m

Its all about having the right gear to fish the conditions

When its flat its hard due to the lack of water movement, pretty much the same as fishing at the top or bottom of the tide, which usually shuts the fish down due to the lack of movement in the water.

I find the best time is around 2hrs either side of the tide change

Lutha if you end up fishing rips your in the right spot as these are structures which will lead to deep water. Don't fish the middle of the rip, there's very little there. Fish the edges which is where the fish lie in wait for food being washed into the gutter

Edited April 26, 2015 by Crossfire63

[Rock&Beach]

Hi Guys agree with Crossfire63. Just to add I have had some great results at lower tides as it concentrates the fish better. Just depends what I am chasing. The swell will also depend if you have sand bars good sand bars lots of structure not so much swell needed. If they are breaking in front of you then fish just at the back of the break with a loose line. Good luck, by the way any time out there is good time you always learn

[JewCraze]

On 4/26/2015 at 7:51 PM, Rock&Beach said:

Hi Guys agree with Crossfire63. Just to add I have had some great results at lower tides as it concentrates the fish better. Just depends what I am chasing. The swell will also depend if you have sand bars good sand bars lots of structure not so much swell needed. If they are breaking in front of you then fish just at the back of the break with a loose line. Good luck, by the way any time out there is good time you always learn

Hi Rock&Beach,

 

May I ask ... "the back of the break" means casting further out over the break or shorter cast into the water after the break? Sorry if this seems like a dumb question as I'm not sure which side of the break is back and which is front.

 

Thanks!

JewCraze

[Volitan]

I have many different fishing options close by so I only fish the beach when the swell is between 1 and 1.5 metres.

At 2 mtrs and above  it’s inconvenient due to longshore drift, tangles, seaweed etc. I don’t really know if there’s less fish, I just find it a nuisance.

Below 1 mtr I haven’t had much success. The one exception might be whiting.

I know conventional theory is to fish the rip but I’ve had more outstanding trips when I’ve found a long, deep gutter and fished right in the middle of that. Maybe just me, but you have to be mobile on a beach so try both.

Finding structure can be hard on the beaches around here. People visit at low tide and mark the rips by standing large pieces of driftwood etc upright as markers.

Google Earth also helps - on some beaches the rips move around a bit, on others they stay in the same place for years. GE has a little-known feature where you can scroll backwards through years of photos and see which one you are dealing with.

I avoid dead low tide because I just can’t access enough deep water on the local beaches. Otherwise, any tide will do.

 

[Rock&Beach]

On 6/29/2018 at 10:47 PM, JewCraze said:

Hi Rock&Beach,

 

May I ask ... "the back of the break" means casting further out over the break or shorter cast into the water after the break? Sorry if this seems like a dumb question as I'm not sure which side of the break is back and which is front.

 

Thanks!

JewCraze

Whoops. So if the waves ate hitting directly on the beach and not a sand bar further out then just in the wash at the back of wave. If the waves are breaking on the beach they are stirring up a of food so join in the party. Cheers R&B

[JewCraze]

3 hours ago, Rock&Beach said:

Whoops. So if the waves ate hitting directly on the beach and not a sand bar further out then just in the wash at the back of wave. If the waves are breaking on the beach they are stirring up a of food so join in the party. Cheers R&B

R&B,

Ah, I think I got it now. Thanks a lot for clarifying. I was thinking about a sand bar when I asked my question. But I learnt from your answer that in the absence of a sand bar the wash at the back of the wave is the sweet spot. I never thought of this, as I've been reading up on how to read the beach from the wave and was thinking about sand bar only. Now I'm armed with another piece of very helpful info, thanks heaps!

JC