Many times surf fishing comes down to a game of distance and reaching fish with a lure can be critical.  Live bait and cut bait fishing lends itself to large weights and lengthy leaders that are cumbersome to cast and create drag that may cause the cast to fall short of where the fish are feeding.  A real go to lure for surf and pier fishermen are casting jigs.

Casting jigs are long and heavy pieces of lead or metal with a treble hook on the trailing end.  The front of the lure will be a sturdy, stainless steel swivel and the treble hook in the rear may or may not be dressed with a deer hair skirt.  The premise is very simple, the long slender lure should be the same size as the bait.

Following the simple design is the simple technique to fish the casting jigs.  Cast the lure and beginning reeling while you occasionally twitch or jerk the rod tip.  This retrieve will imitate the fast,darting motion of a small bait fish.  The irratic speed and jerks will intice the fish and cause them to strike.  You can control or vary the speed of the retrieve to cover all levels in the water column.  For pier fishermen, you also have the option of dropping the jig right down beside the pier.  Jigging the lure along the pier will imitate a small bait fish that is feeding from the pilings.  This can work well if the pier is really crowded.

Two of the most popular are the Stingsilver and the Hopkins.  Both lures are super tough for the surf fishing environment and have proven for many years that they catch fish.  Just remember to choose the correct size and color of casting jig and you will be successful.