Toby Lapinski

I am saying this just as much to myself as I am you, the listener of The Surfcast Podcast: now is no time to let down your guard and take it easy in the surf.

I have gone way, way down the rabbit hole of tail dressings, testing and retesting different plugs with different combinations to the point where I have developed a loose but consistent playbook for what to do to make a particular plug behave exactly the way I want it to.

I know some of you are saying to yourself, “There’s no bad time to fish a bucktail jig,” and you’re not wrong. The thing is, most of my bucktailing is done in outflows—breachways, inlets, drains, and similar areas. I’m just not much of an open-beach bucktail guy. I have plenty of other lures and jigs that I feel outperform a bucktail in the open surf.

Whether you call them bunker, greenbacks, mossbunker, or even pogies, Atlantic menhaden need your help!

Is the conventional (revolving spool) reel all but dead in the surf?

What is the most overrated fish that anglers target in your local surf?

They’re seemingly everywhere right now. Surfcasters, boat anglers—just about everyone is running into sharks, whether they’re the target species or an unexpected bycatch. And I’ll admit, they’re on my mind every time I step into the surf.

I’m going to make a bold statement today—one I never would have considered making 20 years ago.

So, whatcha wearin’ bro?

Some plugs have that elusive “it” factor — something that can’t be explained or duplicated.

This week I’m sharing a quick tip for followers of In The Wash—something I plan to do from time to time throughout the season.