Scoping beaches

[lamnidae]

Just wanted to ask advice.
When looking at potential beaches to fish for grinders and stingers, do you guys look for the same signs as surf fishing  like nice holes, dropoffs, troughs, etc? Or do you set up on beaches near reef edges and known dropoffs outside the breakers?

You guys are the experts and my rate of actually shark fishing the surf is minimal right now. But when I do, I want to know the signs.
I understand the the large waves and seaweed factors, but the others are what I'm interested in.

[sasquatch]

 All of the above. Reefs hold food, holes hold food. The more structure there is the better I like it. A deep area, near a reef, with a trough that leads out to sea is nice to find.

[Latimeria]

As Steve said, any place that holds baitfish... which also holds the bigger fish (bait) for the sharks.  I usually accept a place as a possible shark spot if I catch a bass, lobster, eel, rockfish etc...  Almost every time I put my dues in and worked a spot for multiple sessions, I've got a shark there. 
Putting the time in is harder than it looks, but that definitely increases the law of averages!

[Eric H]

Yes to all the above,  inlets are nice too.

[Eric H]

Kelp forests too,  I've found  a couple just outside casting range..

[spideyjg]

Go visit them at super low tides and high.

Low to see structure, high to see if it is accessible. Been to some that you have to bail as the tide comes up to not get cut off from where you came in.

Jim

[Chris]

I usually just drive around till I see some long rods on the beach or a familiar truck. Drop a pin then come back later. 

The usual signs are 11-13ft surf rods, 1-3 dudes standing around with hands in their pockets and it's usually a really good find if they have aluminum or heavy duty metal rod holders.

[WheresMyBeer]

LMAO Chris ...

[sasquatch]

That got a laugh here too.

[Pinoyfisher]

GPS tracking devices help a bunch!

[Chris]

While it is funny it does happen and there's at least two people here guilty of it. Not including myself. I've ran across people fishing specialized gear while out and about and of course I had to see if the area was good or not. 

[Pinoyfisher]

While it is funny it does happen and there's at least two people here guilty of it. Not including myself. I've ran across people fishing specialized gear while out and about and of course I had to see if the area was good or not. 

Guilty

But it was more of an accident than actively searching. Google Earth is my friend, along with a good buddy system of a very small number of anglers willing to share info as they know I can keep my mouth shut.

[Latimeria]

I am the Ninja....  You are the Walrus. 

[sasquatch]

While it is funny it does happen and there's at least two people here guilty of it. Not including myself. I've ran across people fishing specialized gear while out and about and of course I had to see if the area was good or not. 

I've done it. Not going out looking, but seeing while I'm out and about.  Saw some guys with big gear including a 12" gap gaff. I've fished the spot before without much action, but now I wonder.

[Eric H]

When I was cruising the coast in ventura I saw two old timers with huge custom sand spikes with their old school conventionals sitting 10 ft in the air. Damn right I stopped and shot the sh!t with them. I already knew it was a slightly known 7gill spot. Asked them what they were going for and they said 7s, also said they catch the occasional black sea bass there too.