I have fished saltwater from a variety of locations, but not the surf.
The surf most available to me is Florida east coast, generally clear waters on a gentle slope with small rollers.
Wading (swimming) or looking from the piers I rarely see predators attacking bait fish in the shallows.
Without wading to my armpits, casting beyond the rollers is not very feasible.
So...
What's the trick? Shooting heads? Spey rods? Should I just expect there to be fish under the rollers?
Honestly, I haven't tried it because it seems like wasted effort. I never see anyone else trying.
But...
There are plenty of stories about fishing the surf -- none of which explain how it's done. (Thanks a lot.) If I knew how I'd probably get addicted.
Howz it done?