I have three different ways of getting my gear to the beach. Which one I use depends on the situation and the purpose.
Method #1 – Hit & Run/Lean & Mean
This is good when I’m trying out potential spots, new locations or monitoring seasonal transitions. I bring a minimal amount of gear. I’m very mobile and not planning to spend a lot of time in any one spot.
This method is best used for exploratory when you’re not familiar with a location or haven’t been out in awhile. You can try several locations in a short amount of time
My usual list with this method:
- One rod
- A sand spike
- Two buckets
- Minimal tackle
- Artificial, frozen or salted bait
If I happen to get on a good spot I can always go back to the truck for one of my carts and more gear.
Method #2 – Easy Come, Easy Go – Folding Surf Cart
This is the method that I like to use most of the time. The cart handles the walkover stairs pretty well. It’s fairly mobile, light weight and I can get most of my gear to the beach easily.
This cart folds up flat and goes in and out of the truck easily. It loads quickly and I can be on my way. If I had to choose between this and a full size surf cart I probably would go with this cart. Most of the places that I fish have stairs to negotiate. So a full size cart is a lot more work getting back and forth from the surf line.
My usual list with this method:
- Two or three rods
- Two or three sand spikes
- Bucket
- Tackle bucket
- Umbrella
- Water bottles pre-fozen
- Snack bag
- Cameras
- Artificial, frozen, salted or cut bait
The other nice thing about this cart is that it also serves as a chair if the action is slow.
Method #3 – I’m All In – Full Size Surf Cart
My full size cart is used when:
- I want to spending more time at the beach
- I plan to bring more gear than the folding cart can handle.
- There are ramps or paths to the beach without stairs
- If I’m fishing with a friend & can get assistance over stairs
This cart is nice because it has flat surfaces to set things out on plus it has a cutting board attached to the front. It pulls easily on hard sand but not so much over the soft sandy areas. Bigger wheels would help but that would have doubled the cost of the cart which only cost about a $100 to make.
My usual list with this method:
- Three rods
- Three sand spikes
- Bucket
- Tackle bucket
- Umbrella
- Water bottles pre-fozen
- Small cooler
- Cameras
- Bait bucket
- Cast net
- Sand flea rake
- Artificial, frozen. salted. live or cut bait
Each of these methods serves a purpose. I like the fact that they give me different ways to access locations and more opportunities to get my gear to the beach.
The only thing better than any of these methods is if you can drive on the beach.
I’m with you, # 2 is the quickest, up & down stairs holds my fishing stuff & chair & umbrella, perfect for a long or short day at the beach.
I bought my cart for 49.00 at walmart, it was intended for hauling beach stuff not fishing, but it has a lot of storage, hold a beach umbrella, built in cooler,and a soft side compartment to hold poles, tackle, bait and a chair. and it folds up easy for storing, Blue with wide tires for the sand.
Hi Randy, thanks to one of you’re earlier articles, I saw the folding beach chair set up, and you were kind enough to give me the info to get one. I absolutely love it, and I can now access many more beach areas than before. I still use the other two methods also, depending on my agenda, and the type of beach access. My folding cart is blue, and just to provide added durability to the cart, I purchased an inexpensive folding blue chair at Dick’s Sporting Goods [$5.99]. The chair comes with a cover, and my wife took the cover and sewed a reinforced section of it onto the back and around the sides of the cart. It’s now much stronger, looks great, and I got a new folding chair as well.
Where did you find the folding cart? On my cart, I use a square sided cat litter bucket instead of a standard bucket as it packs better beside my cooler, tackle box, etc. With the the lid on, you can stack two in one space. Ask a cat owner you know to save an empty bucket for you. Give the cat a fish or two….
I got my folding cart from Amazon. Here’s link for the Collapsible Beach Chair & Cart if you want to check it out.
I like N number two. That would work for me on Most of my trips . Nice carts.
Randy, I like them all, but I prefer to drive my truck on the beach with everything at the ready. We can do that on the Texas gulf in most areas. The choice three would be my next best thing.
Corky
I’m with you Corky. I wish we had more places to drive on the beach here. One of the best places was recently closed for driving on the beach by the Feds. It’s on Federal beach property by the Mantanzas Inlet
Other areas north of me charge $8 to drive on the beach.
Fishing the Outer Banx of NC a truck is the first and most important access. Now with the closures on the beach that has been placed annually due to mating birds; you have to be versatil. If you want to be able to fish and get to the fish sometimes; one as to have the abiliy to walk a mile or so in the sand. So I due have cart and emplore the bucket method. Yes I will buying a folding cart in the near future.
I like that folding cart. Might be possibility for me when heading
to the Florida ocean coast. Thanks for the tip, Randy.
Great ideas,,,,,but I’m cool with carts for surf fishing, what I need is
Info on beaches to fish in my area. Just relocated to south Florida
( Boynton beach ) I have found the Boynton beach area is not to good for
Surf fishing like other areas. I met some other fisherman and all
Seem to believe Boynton area is very slow, and fishing is better north
And south of here. Any info on where, access points etc.
Dan try this page http://www.boatlessfishing.com/boynton.htm for some tips.