Surf fishing checklist

The season can run into December if you don't mind the cold. Mostly stripers and bluefish throughout the fall and maybe an occasional weakfish.
Don't cheap out on a reel, go with Penn or Shimano, something that will hold a couple hundred yards of 12-17 lb test line, I have had Okuma and Diawas that didn't make it through two seasons, but have several Penn and Shimano from 10-20 years old and are still working just fine.. A 9-10 Ft medium action rod is a good starting point
If a bottle jack can get you off the ground stick with it, if not get a highlift. The tow strap you mentioned should work ok. I carry the crappy little folding shovel, never had to use it.

Can't beat this beefy strap for the price...

http://www.sportsmansguide.com…4-x-30-tow-strap?a=450228

Quote from brihvac

Shipping is half of the price of the strap

They run free shipping promos fairly often.

Best deals on straps, go to metal liquidators in newport, they have tons of straps super cheap.

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A big advantage with a TJ is you don't have to air down unless conditions are really bad. That being said, In 11 years I haven't aired down. Come close to needing to a couple times but always managed to get through.

Tags can be bought at Park Offices same day, they are good for Jan - Dec. You can buy 2 year passes. Any other places need to call ahead as they run out.

Quote from flutterby

Tags can be bought at Park Offices same day, they are good for Jan - Dec. You can buy 2 year passes. Any other places need to call ahead as they run out.

To elaborate on flutterby, you can buy the passes at any of the state park offices. Meaning if you want to save a little time on that first day out, you can hit up northern state park office well in advance and have the tag all mounted up and ready to go on the day of your trip.

Shovel... I bought a small one from Harbor Freight and used conduit anchors to attach it to the HiLift mount.

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Quote from flutterby

A big advantage with a TJ is you don't have to air down unless conditions are really bad. That being said, In 11 years I haven't aired down. Come close to needing to a couple times but always managed to get through.
...

Although I agree, airing down on a Jeep isn't absolutely required, it does have some real benefits.

- Better ride and much easier to control, getting out of ruts and such.
- Easier on the drive train, more power , riding on top of the sand is easier on everything rather than pushing 4 piles of sand everywhere.
- Some Automatic transmissions can over heat (some Jeeps have even burned ) .
- Almost no chance of getting stuck and looking like a tool on the beach and getting pulled out by a Chevy or Ford !
- The more aggressive the tread, the more airing down helps,

That said, short run, no biggie. Longer beach runs, you might like it better aird down to 18-20 psi.

Quote from deadfeat

Although I agree, airing down on a Jeep isn't absolutely required, it does have some real benefits.

- Better ride and much easier to control, getting out of ruts and such.
- Easier on the drive train, more power , riding on top of the sand is easier on everything rather than pushing 4 piles of sand everywhere.
- Some Automatic transmissions can over heat (some Jeeps have even burned ) .
- Almost no chance of getting stuck and looking like a tool on the beach and getting pulled out by a Chevy or Ford !
- The more aggressive the tread, the more airing down helps,

That said, short run, no biggie. Longer beach runs, you might like it better aird down to 18-20 psi.

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Do lockers benefit you at all on the beach? I prefer beach driving in 4H but can't use lockers (Rubicon) unless I'm in 4L. I have a FlashCal so I technically can run lockers in 4H but is it even beneficial in that type of terrain? This is in an effort to not get stuck. Most likely if I end up stuck i'm probably going to go to 4L and lock front/rear to try and crawl out anyways. This is just when you're actually driving around etc.

I always run the beach in 4lo. Easier on the drive train. No supposed to drive fast anyway. Shouldnt need lockers.

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I've always ran in 4L and haven't had issues.
I don't have lockers.

Quote from erager84

Do lockers benefit you at all on the beach? I prefer beach driving in 4H but can't use lockers (Rubicon) unless I'm in 4L. I have a FlashCal so I technically can run lockers in 4H but is it even beneficial in that type of terrain? This is in an effort to not get stuck. Most likely if I end up stuck i'm probably going to go to 4L and lock front/rear to try and crawl out anyways. This is just when you're actually driving around etc.

I always use 4Lo on the sand, better torque so your engine doesn't get bogged down trying to rev up through the gear. For the autos, it really helps to prevent overheating (not that big of a concern for Jeeps, except the 07-11 years). It also helps keep you from speeding up too fast and spinning the tires (and possibly digging a hole).

Lockers, not usually. I only turn on mine going through the really soft section where the access road meets the beach, just to keep all 4 tires moving over the sand. I've never aired down my JK, even with the factory BFG MTs.

I usually get my permit from Eastern Marine, too. There's a small service fee, I think a dollar or two vs buying from at a state park.

haha...

My Jeep was the "fastest" one there, with a 4:1 4Lo gear and 3.73 axle gears. You should have a 2.71 4Lo and 4.10 axle gears (bigger numbers, more reduction... so slower), so you'll be a bit faster than a walking pace once the engine warms up.

For the manual trans folks, 2nd gear and 4lo seems fairly popular.

I've used 4 high in every vehicle I've ever taken on the beach. I don't see the advantage of 4lo out there.

Quote from brihvac

...Anything else?

I am considering tendering my resignation because it took until page 2 for someone to say beer. Don't forget the beer. I don't know who you people are anymore.