A great advantage of being a Florida native and living on the coast is the abundance of fishing opportunities our state offers. Whether it’s fishing on the open ocean, lake, river, or fishing from the surf, Florida has a thriving ecosystem that provides anglers an array of fishing experiences.  As Florida begins its summer months, I’ve already landed a few pompano, redfish, and whiting on the Atlantic side of the state. While I’ve mostly fished the intercoastal waterway, I recently had the opportunity to learn more about surf fishing alongside Guy Harvey Resorts Pro Guide, Noel Kuhn. Guy Harvey Resorts St. Augustine Beach offers an excellent surf fishing academy for anglers of all experience levels at its resort location. As a founding member of the Florida Surf Casters Club and an expert in surf fishing techniques, Noel will hook you on this sport and have you casting up to 600 feet by the end of your lesson.

The beautiful pristine coastline of St. Augustine Beach is well known as one of Florida’s premier fishing destinations, which makes it an excellent location for an early morning surf fishing excursion. I met Noel on the beach just north of Anastasia State Park before dawn and began the process of finding the prime location. After choosing our spot near the runout, Noel demonstrated the proper cutting and baiting techniques when using a fresh assortment of blue crabs, clams, sand fleas, and small fish.

Throughout the summer months, surf anglers on Florida’s east coast can expect to catch a wide variety of species including redfish, flounder, jacks, whiting, seatrout, and sharks. Due to differences in fish species size, diets, and depths at which they feed, each pole is outfitted with specialized rigging. Noel shared factors such as hook size, test, lures, and types of sinkers that affect your probability of catching fish. Having the proper surf fishing gear combined with the knowledge of fish species migrations are essential to hooking the fish you’re targeting.

As an accomplished surf angler, Noel specializes in long distance casting techniques and demonstrates on multiple rigs the importance of mastering the timing, technique, and tempo of your cast. Regardless of your skill level, he will teach you how to cast long distances and effectively land within the prized sandbar location. An additional benefit of attending the Guy Harvey Outpost Angler Academy is learning from Noel’s expertise in reading the structures of waves and tides and checking for differences in surf to locate the runout and sandbars.

Whether you are a local or vacationing in Florida, the Guy Harvey Outpost Resorts in St. Augustine Beach offers you the opportunity to try your hand at surf fishing while improving your casting techniques. The Angler Academy has surf fishing spots available with Noel Kuhn on ,July 21, August 18, September 22, October 20, and November 17 and can be booked at OutpostAcademy.com.  All gear and equipment will be provided and ready on site when you arrive. The only items necessary for you to bring along are your fishing license, sun protection, and a notepad. In addition to surf fishing, Guy Harvey Outpost Resorts offers many ecoadventures for the whole family that can be booked directly on the Outpost website.