Senior Living

Ilove surf fishing in North Myrtle Beach. If you have never tried it, here’s what you need:

1. A $10 saltwater fishing license.

2. A 7-foot rod with an open-face reel loaded with 20-lb test line.

3. A rig with 2 hook clips (use 1.5 inch hooks) and a 2-oz. pyramid weight.

4. A camp chair, bucket, knife and a cold drink in a cup. You’ll see why in a moment.

5. About $3 worth of fresh, large shrimp.

Then head to any of our wonderful beaches along the SC coast.

Go to the beach as soon as it is light.

Put water in the bucket as an act of positive thinking.

Next shell and cut a shrimp in half.

Put the halves on the 2 hooks.

Wade out as far as you can and cast out as far as you can.

Walk backwards toward shore.

Keep the line taut so that when you get a strike you can set the hook by quickly pulling back your pole.

Sometimes you will think you have a strike because the waves are tugging on your line, but don’t be mistaken. You can definitely tell the difference between a good strike and a wave tug. Stand with your feet in the water and just enjoy being out in God’s creation.

Pull the line in every now and then to make sure your bait wasn’t stolen by a crab or lost by scraping your rig along the bottom.

When you hook a fish, that is icing on the cake.

That’s why they call it fishing and not catching.

I have caught croakers, spots, white fish, shark, blow-fish, flounder, sunfish, spots, stingrays and an unknown monster in Edisto that broke my line. Oh, yeah. The cup is to pour water from your bucket over your sandy feet before you get back in your car.

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