While not impossible, I think it unlikely that the average individual who has never touched a rod or reel in his or her life is going to wake up one morning and shout to the world: "Today I become a surf fisherman!"
More probably the beginner already has some sort of fishing experience under the belt. They have dropped a worm into a creek, or trolled a lake, or scooted a weedless plug through stump clogged waters at some point in their angling evolution. There is a certain familiarity with basic equipment and techniques, all that is left is a desire to adapt these skills to the delightful if frustrating sport of surf fishing. This is not as easy as it sounds.
One might get by with a muskie rig for a little while, (read: until laughed off the beach by the veterans) but most freshwater rigs are woefully inadequate to the task, and exposure to saltwater conditions will ruin most freshwater tackle in very short time. This brings us to what I feel is the most essential element of learning to learn the art of surf fishing, and that is a mentor.
Yes, it's as simple and as basic that. To learn to fish in the surf in the shortest possible time, to catch fish and enjoy yourself while you are doing it, you need to tag along with someone with experience. And, this is where the time you put in looking for bass on the bayou is going to stand you in good stead. You are already a member of the fishing community and therefore you know someone, (or you know someone who knows someone) who already knows their way around a bluefish run.
Call this person up! Tell him or her of your interest, ask for some tips and offer to buy either the bait or the beer or both. You will be surprised how pleased we grizzled veterans will be to share our skills and initiate a newbie. We won't turn the free bait and beer down either, by the way.
A mentor is the single most important dot on your learning curve, and acquiring one is the key step in your beginning development as an accomplished, successful surf fisherman. There are however a few additional suggestions that may prove beneficial.
One of these is simple; do not run out and buy a surf fishing outfit first thing, at least not an expensive one. You are not "there" yet, and whatever you buy initially is almost guaranteed to be the wrong gear and therefore ultimately disappointing. Since you are almost certain to be disappointed, you would be well advised to be disappointed inexpensively. Resist the urge to buy the longest, strongest rod. A nine foot rod is fine for your break in period, as is a medium duty open faced spinning reel capable of handling twelve to twenty lb. test line (be certain that both reel and rod are rated for salt water use!). Later on, when you have a better idea about what you are doing and how you want to do it, you can spring for a major league equipment package. The nine footer will always be useful in some context, so you are not wasting money by purchasing it.
(See links at the end of the article for a few helpful references concerning rods, reels, gaffs, bait and eel rigging.)
Do however, purchase a rugged, well made gaff. It will be invaluable as soon as you bring a big one to the waters edge. And, no matter how sharp this gaff may be when you purchase it, sharpen it a little more one a mini-grinder or with a hand file. A gaff can never be too sharp.
Your mentor will help you gear up with hooks, leaders, weights and a few basic lures appropriate for your patch of beach. You can read up on the subject as well, it is no substitute for hands on experience, but you will pick up valuable tips by doing so.
Another point to keep in mind is that live bait is a good thing. Blood worms and eels, for example, are nasty looking critters but fish don't seem to think so. Eel rigging, by the way, is both an art and a science and a topic of fierce debate among surf anglers. (See article "How to Rig a Solid Eel) in the links section.
Finally, be careful. Surf fishing, particularly at night, can be hazardous. Newbies are generally welcome on the sand; dangerous newbies are not. Your back cast can be hazardous to others; usually a significant chunk of lead is whistling through the dark with a relatively large, very sharp hook in tow. You don't want to injure a brother of the tide or an innocent bystander. Are you a fresh water bass fisherman? Then you know the trick of shoving your thumb in the mouth of the bass and pressing on the tongue, and how that causes instant paralysis to the fish. Do not try this with anything you pull out of the brine. A bluefish can mangle you. There are other denizens of the not-so deep that can remove your hand at the wrist. Listen to other fishermen. If someone tells you not to wade out in a particular spot, don't wade out! We want to see your picture on a magazine holding up a record snapper, not in the obits. Oh, and that gaff we mentioned? Treat it with respect, it can cause a nasty wound if used carelessly.
In the end though, there will come a moonlit evening when you drag that 50 inch striper out of the froth. A buddy will gaff it and haul it out, and envious anglers will huddle round. Someone may hand you a bottle of something cold and frothy that is not salt water. That is when you will know that the dues you paid; the time and travail that it took to become a true surf fisherman was more than worth the effort.
Links:
http://www.southchathamtackle.com/Fishing_Gaffs.htm
http://www.seaisletackle.com/browse.cfm/2,294.html
http://www.ultimatefishingsite.net/surffishingbaits. html
http://www.stripersonline.com/Pages/Articles/rigging _eels.shtml
http://www.edgeangling.com/Surf-Rods.html?gclid=CNO8 0qWn4psCFVRM5Qodyk3HAA
http://www.alltackle.com/surf_fishing.htm
http://www.thesurfcaster.com/EW56Bhttp://www.striper space.com/spring_stripers.html&usg=__XzI7R2eP-UXgGcX9pd5KQRz6RNM=&h=225&w=250&sz=20&hl=en&start=12&um=1&tbnid=ptDh9q0aDJDnrM:&tbnh=100&tbnw=111&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsurf%2Bbait%2B%2522bloodworms%252 2%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DX%26um%3D1%26ie%3DUTF-8WH 6PDZ6EFP