Whether you reach your surf-fishing spot by car or boat, you won’t have all those storage compartments on the sand, so consider how you’ll transport your gear up and down the beach.
Here are a few ideas:
• Standard gear bag — If you plan to keep your operation within a short walking distance in either direction, a single bag with room for tackle trays and pockets for pliers, dehooker, leader spools, flashlight or any other accessories will suffice. Plano’s Hydro-Flo series (planomolding.com) includes a raised hard-plastic bottom that keeps your bag dry when sitting on wet sand.
• Wearable bags — From your standard backpack, to waist-belted lumbar packs to the Cabela’s Advanced Anglers Sling Pack (cabelas.com), portable tackle bags enable you to carry the essentials on longer hikes.
Wading belts come in handy for walking the surf and casting for trout, reds, etc. Foreverlast’s G2 Pro Wading Belt kit (foreverlastonline.com) features an adjustable Velcro lift-and-lock system that allows anglers to position tool holders where they choose.
• Beach carts — For beaches accessible from roadways, consider transporting your gear with a beach cart with wide, sand-friendly tires. Rod holders, bait station with cutting board, space for tackle bag and cooler — these are the features you want.
Online retailers like basspro.com offer several aluminum-framed models, while Berkley (berkley-fishing.com) makes a collapsible cart with canvass sides and bottom that’s handy for packing into trunks or strapping to luggage racks.
For boat approaches, keep your gear to a minimum, but consider that a grocery style cart modified with a few PVC rod holders and beach tires will ride easily on the deck of most inshore skiffs and facilitate your efforts to roam the beach and find those sweet spots.
