Everything I Pack for SoCal Surf Fishing [2023]

I hope this video can be helpful for those wanting to start out from the SoCal surf!
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[@SMC4117]

I love this channel buddy. You roll with a lot of gear! I’m one of those minimalist surf fishermen… ball cap, thermal long sleeve, t-shirt over, thin frogg togg water/wind proof jacket, surf trunks, barefoot ( surf booties in cold or rocky conditions ) and a large fanny pack with scissors, needle nose pliers, a calissa 110, a lucky craft 115, 2 small bags of 1 1/2” grubs ( root beer and motor oil ) and a little plastic box containing my terminal tackle. One 9’M Daiwa Saltist, one Shimano Sedona 2500 or Saros 3000 spoiled with either 8-10lb Izorline xxx copolymer. Oh, and a dirty rag tied to my pack strap…. Fish on 🎣🤙🏻

[@jtuck682]

Benjie, I know surf fishing is right in your wheel house,me not so much, but I tell what I enjoy about all of your content. You are not producing just another catching video (granted that is the objective) you produce videos that explain how to fish which distinguishes your content from a lot of the other content out there. Keep up the good work. Oh, and it would not be blowing your horn to tell your viewers this.😊

[@BenjieKimFishing]

I appreciate that very much, thank you. I do my best to have fun and hopefully be helpful. Anything good that may come from that is a gift that I’ll always be grateful for. Tight lines!!

[@Photowrm]

Another great Benjie Kim Fishing production! I wear a sling bag that carries just what I need.

[@BenjieKimFishing]

Thank you Bob, yes a sling is a great option and keeps things minimal! Wishing you a great week, thank you always!!

[@michaels2569]

Good stuff Benjie! Only thing I would add for wade fishing is a dive knife of some sort for safety incase you get swamped and can't remove the waders. Plus you can use it to bleed any fish if you decide to keep them.

[@BenjieKimFishing]

That's a very good idea/suggestion that I've yet to implement in my arsenal...but I fully agree with you, can be very useful to have. Thank you so much for adding that!

[@fishphenixrods]

Awesome composing

[@BenjieKimFishing]

Oh wow, I always get surprised (in a good way haha) when I see your comments Li!! Thank you!!

[@inmylifeoutdoors5243]

Thank You Benjie.

[@addicted2fishing119]

Your information is awesome, You would laugh at my set up… I wear board shorts, barefoot(or sometimes my flip flops) and my backpack has 3-5 different lures and 2 different leader sizes, plus my phone , a big trash bag folded inside my backpack to take home my catches…sometimes I tell myself that I brought too much 😂

[@BenjieKimFishing]

Dude I love it. You’re a slayer and your system is what works for you given how you move and fish. Super simple is a good thing imo! Tight lines 🤙

[@addicted2fishing119]

@@BenjieKimFishing thank you, forgot to mention that I keep a foldable knife and a pouch on my belt that holds my wire cutting scissors and needle nose pliers… Those are definitely a must for various reasons 🍻

[@davidlewis6508]

Good knowledge. The UV light was my note. Thanks

[@BenjieKimFishing]

Thanks David, tight lines!

[@HookdtWofishing]

Hey benjie! Thanks for making these videos Im born and raised in San Diego and I’ll be putting your techniques to work once I get my trifecta light! Hahah keep doing what your doing! Btw I’ll put them to the test in La Jolla if that matters.

[@BenjieKimFishing]

haha that's awesome man, the most important thing is getting out there, getting that vitamin sea therapy, and having a great time. Tight lines!

[@CatchFishNotFeelingsYT]

Wow the shot of you in front of the beach is great man!!

[@BenjieKimFishing]

haha thank you Jason. I'm lucky to have good friends with great talent. I hope you are well, I'm so stoked for you brotha, just seeing all the big catches you've been posting.....putting in that time and reaping the rewards. Great stuff!!

[@KyleDixon88]

Really appreciate your content man! Gonna be rigging up some sandcrab and mussel tonight 👍

[@BenjieKimFishing]

Thanks Kyle and yea man what an exciting time of year! Certainly hard to beat sand crab or mussel when it comes to bait for the surf. In my opinion of course. Tight lines!

[@Imjoshuabailey]

Very informative! I will Probly be adding a couple items to my bag after this!

[@BenjieKimFishing]

stocking up on fishing supplies is always fun lol! Thanks Josh, appreciate you man!!

[@Yamamasman]

Thanks bro your Chanel got me started surf fishing I’ve only gone a couple times and all skunks but that’s that game. Keep up the good work.

[@BenjieKimFishing]

Oh man, that's fishing for sure. No doubt that the more you get out there, that the good sessions will follow as well. Thank you for the positivity Ricardo. Tight lines!

[@alf9638]

Dude, right when I just got done overhauling my gear. Was in sav-on yesterday lol lets gooooo

[@myungkwak0311]

Why shop at Sav on? Digitaka or Plat

[@BenjieKimFishing]

@alf9638 haha piling up the fishing gear is part of the fisherman's life!

[@BenjieKimFishing]

@myungkwak0311 Everyone should shop where they want, glad you have your preference!

[@alf9638]

@@myungkwak0311 cos I wanted nice braid and didn't wanna wait....

[@ralphsaldana529]

Awesome!🤙😎

[@BenjieKimFishing]

Thank you!!

[@ham5765]

hwaiting!

[@BenjieKimFishing]

Thank you always Francis!!!!!!!

[@manamike13]

Thanks Benjie.! My shopping cart has new items added to it. 😁

[@BenjieKimFishing]

Thank you Mike, haha gotta love stocking up on fishing stuff! Wishing you a great start to the week!!

[@manamike13]

@@BenjieKimFishing you so right.. 😁

[@ronaldmcdonald3965]

I credit your video on reading the surf (hole/rips/troughs) for me getting my first surf Striper - 27" up North in Pacifica

[@BenjieKimFishing]

Thank you so much for sharing, huge congrats!! It is incredibly humbling to think that I might help others within this beautiful sport. Much more to come for you no doubt, tight lines!

[@Fishingwithdaboys]

The camera 🎥 upgrade is awesome bro!! We need to go fishing again brother!!

[@BenjieKimFishing]

haha I wish I could afford that equipment. Grateful for good friends spending their time to help me. Tight lines Luis, appreciate you brotha!

[@hectorcamacho5565]

Great vixeo. Do you do any pier fishing? If so, do you have any videos on pier fishing?

[@tflstudios1519]

Great video. A newbie here. Btw what kind of measuring tape is that? Thx

[@ronmodafferi8202]

Excellent run down on gear. Light leaders seem to tangle more easily.

[@BenjieKimFishing]

Thanks Ron, absolutely agree. It’s arguably more fun but easy tangles is one drawback! Wishing you a terrific week ron!!

[@ronmodafferi8202]

@@BenjieKimFishing Next week, I hope to get to the coast (Santa Cruz area) to try for halibut, stripers, and/or surf perch. Will now carry 2 pliers for each perch and stripers/halibut.

[@BenjieKimFishing]

@@ronmodafferi8202 oh wow that sounds amazing, go get em! Should be some good chances for all 3 of those species!

[@Rooki3_]

Could you link the sand crab holder please? Thanks for the amazing content btw!

[@8x10proofs]

Love the channel and glad you are in my general area. I took your tips on the Lucky Craft and landed my first legal halibut at 25 inches at one of the spots you hit up in Long Beach. Now I just need to figure out where you got the rod holders. They seem longer than usual? I still gotta watch the rest of the vid though to see if you answer my question. haha.

[@BenjieKimFishing]

WOW huge congrats on your first legal. It really is a huge accomplishment, great job!! Haha, yea I did talk about it later in the video...unfortunately the company that makes the backpack no longer makes them so that's gonna be my last backpack from them as well. Will have to figure out something that works for me when that day comes.

[@VizionsxX]

I need that backpack mr. Kim

[@chanceninh]

WOOOOOO LET'S GOOOO KING!!!!!!!!!!!! THERE GOES MY FKIN HEROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HAHAHAHHAHA

[@BenjieKimFishing]

hahaha dude Chance, much love brotha, appreciate you much!!

[@CaptainHookhatesBooks]

My favorite guy.

[@BenjieKimFishing]

Thank you, appreciate it so much!!

[@dungeonviper2606]

Thank you so much!!! Perfect timing... I'm new to surf fishing and was just wondering what you do if you want to keep a fish. Do you have a special bag or something to put them in so you can keep walking the beach fishing?

[@BenjieKimFishing]

I'm not the best example to follow as I release 95% of my catches. But I do keep a legal halibut from time to time and when I do I'll put it in a plastic grocery bag and put it in my back pack after bleeding the fish. I have friends who attach a stringer to their belt and just walk the beach with the halibut in the water, which probably keeps the fish fresher...obviously this applies for halibut. Smaller species like croaker and perch maybe just bleed and keep in bag and put on ice after fishing.

[@Iwished4]

Who here has good luck with the Big Hammer swim baits, I’ve been throwing those for some time now and have caught nothing with them. Suggestions???

[@cyberspacedecay8750]

have you ever had the chance to fish with legendary SoCal surf halibut fisherman Sinjin Kim? Many say he was the first to throw hardbaits at the surf environment

[@BenjieKimFishing]

I have not. I have heard of him and others though. The OG's were before my time but I'm grateful for their skill and love for the water that has indirectly paved the way for me to learn and fish the surf as well.

[@chuckem]

great videos. dumb question here. you put the socks on the outside of the wader booties before putting on the simms boots, right?

[@BenjieKimFishing]

Hey there! I put my socks directly over my feet, then put on my waders/booties, then Simms boots. If you go bare feet into wader booties your feet get stuck and can be pretty hard to get them out....it'll also get pretty stinky lol. Hope that helps, tight lines!

[@chuckem]

@@BenjieKimFishing thank you for clarifying

[@jklo1313]

Did you say you halibut fish in the seasons other than summer? I thought now was halibut time, when it’s hit out they come in close? Thanks for the great videos .

[@BenjieKimFishing]

Hey there, SoCal halibut is actually a year round fishery. They are certainly around in the Summer but I tend to not focus on them too much cuz it's the only time I can sight fish corbina and I'm typically trying to get on some sport fishing boats as well. My absolute favorite time to target halibut is in the fall. Some of my best days have come in October/November. Cooler weather, less crowds. Some say they come in to spawn then...I have no idea if that's true. Same goes for Spring....seems like they come in thick every spring for the spawn. Lastly, winter seems to have less quantity but better quality. My PB 32" was caught in January. Hope that helps.

[@jklo1313]

@@BenjieKimFishing interesting , thanks for the insight. My area is gavoita to Avila for the most part. You think that holds true up here ? Also, I know we get sea bass , so you think there is a general cut off for Corbina and Crocker ? Thanks you for the help. Great channel.

[@entername5706]

Thanks for the info 👍🏻😎

[@BenjieKimFishing]

you're welcome, thank you for the comment as well. Tight lines!

[@FrankS13]

Before you said the 903 was your favorite rod but now your 904 is the daily driver? Would you say the 904 is a better do it all rod?

[@RollinRollinReelin]

Hi Bengie! As usual, great video share. Everytime I see one of your videos I really wish I could surf fish....someday I'll get the new $5000 wheelchair that will allow me to fish off the beach. Listen, I saw your light that you use to energize your lucky crafts. Is that a resin curing light? I've recently started fly tying. One of the tools of the trade is a brush bottle of UV resin and your curing light. Have you ever considered using UV resin to fix your waders? The stuff is wonderful. If you have an old pair of waders you would like to try and repair let me know and we can try it. If you're going to toss them anyway why not try and repair them? I have the uv resin and the uv light so let's try and see if we can save you some money and extend the life of your waders. Call me! Take care brother! Tight lines!

[@BenjieKimFishing]

Hi John!! Thank you always for your positive stoke and love for fishing! The UV light in the video is not a curing light (I don't think haha). That's really awesome what you're getting into with the fly tying John, super exciting!

[@RollinRollinReelin]

@@BenjieKimFishing well I'll tell you what Bengie. I have the curing light and the resin if you want to try and fix those waders. I'm sure it would work! Let me know if you want to try it! Tight lines my friend.

[@mikeharris2985]

The grippers can rip open the fish mouth or lip hopefully you be careful with them

[@BenjieKimFishing]

Great insight thank you. I’ll be honest, I’ve ripped a fishes mouth before using grippers in the past. Learned my lesson with that experience and certainly something to be wary of in the future. Tight lines

[@marcomunoz7453]

I notice you tend to use line that is above the rods rating. I can’t find any videos online about the pros and cons of doing this. I was talking to the staff at Longfin and they don’t recommend it. Please help

[@BenjieKimFishing]

You are correct. Sort of. I think lol. Just as an example the Phenix Trifecta Lite 903's line rating is 6 to 12. I typically recommend 20 to 30 lb braid. I used to throw 30 lb but I've switched to 20 lb this past year and I'm actually thinking of going down to 15 lb braid. In general, my understanding of a typical line rating on rods is that you double up with braid, which roughly corresponds to line diameter of mono as braid is thinner. So my 20 lb braid technically fits the 6 to 12 rating as the equivalent mono/fluoro would be 10 lb. I do use a 15 lb leader though, which is higher than the rod rating, but the leader doesn't affect casting distance and I'm also pretty careful when it comes to high sticking and just brute pulling on fish. I also set my drag on the conservative side of 30%, which means my drag is at 4 to 5 pounds at most. The purpose of a rod's line rating is two fold - a) casting/castability. So if a rod is rated to throw 6 to 12 pound and you have 30 pound, that rod will not properly cast that 30 pound compared to if you were throwing 10 pound due to action and power of the rod being designed to throw that lighter line. b) Power to pull on fish - If you properly set the drag on 30 pound test, that drag will be at 10 pounds and a rod that is rated 6 to 12 will not be able to handle that much pressure. So in my opinion, what I'm doing with my rod and line choices is negligible and I'm still fishing my rod the way that it was intended to be fished. Not sure if that makes any sense. And who knows, maybe I'm wrong! From what I understand, rod ratings are super subjective and also very dependent on each company so I think that as long as you're in the same range, you should be fine. Egregiously ignoring and going way above or way below a rod's line and lure rating is where you would run into obvious issues.

[@marcomunoz7453]

@@BenjieKimFishing makes sense to me! Also Longfin is having a parking lot sale 9/9. Lots of vendors will be there. Hope to see you there!

[@BenjieKimFishing]

@@marcomunoz7453 I very well might be there! Please say hello if you see me!