Summer Surf Lures

[Chuck D]

Well with todays warm temps and spring on the horizon, I'm already thinking of the fantastic surf fishing from may to october. I used mainly live pilchard last summer, and am looking to use more artificials this summer (so I can fish for an hour or two before work without having to go through the hassle of finding and netting bait.) What lures do you guys like best for summer Snook and Tarpon for the beach? I've heard of and seen guys having success with white buck tails. What colors and sizes do you guys use? Topwaters? Are DOA shrimp worth tossing in the summer, or mostly baitfish imitations? Does anyone toss a flair hawk? Are the snook still there at night? I'm on the Atlantic Coast if that matters.

[PeacockFever]

my buddy caught a nice slot snook on a red tail hawk jig the other night, as far as I'm concerned that jig has been producing both in day and night. dont really have much luck with tarpon on lures but im sure that DOA lures will produce. the DOA terror eyez baitfish imitator is great for snook, hoipe this helps!

[Michael Repper]

The best luck I've had with fish imitation lures in the surf is with Crippled Herring:



These things cast soooo far it's crazy.

Other than that, bucktail jigs with a decent amount of white coloration. Maybe some yellow, red, or orange accents for good measure. But I fish those more like a crab, sandflea, or shrimp than like a fish imitation.

[fishboy]

For snook on the beach, I throw windcheaters and x-raps in the Atlantic... On the gulf I throw a lot more light baits like mirrodines, flukes and DOA shrimp, because the surf is so calm...

[Snookmeister]

Rapala subwalks in the olive color are excellent for surf fishing. Can't go wrong with a magnum zoom fluke either in white or Arkansas shiner color. DOA CALs in the glow back with prism belly, shallow running bait busters, and terroreyez are all good DOAs. Mirrodines are money, also don't overlook topwaters. I have caught more than my share of good beach snook early in the morning casting topwaters along the swash. I like to imitate small pilchards and mullet than the snook really feed on hard in the summer on the beaches. Lol, if you get out at the right time, something that imitates a baby sea turtle will get crushed. I witnessed snook frenzied on hatchling turtles at Honeymoon island twice.

[fins4me]

My favorite surf lure is the kastmaster..