You will find hooks already rigged, or snelled as it is called, in local tackle shops. Some will feature tiny red beads and a gold or silver spinner above the hooks. It is a matter of personal preference on whether to purchase this style or hooks without the additional hardware. The flashier rigs might be better when surf conditions are rough and dingy, but experiment for yourself and see what works best.

You can catch a whiting on nearly any type of bait you put in the water. These fish will reliably take cut shrimp, menhaden or mullet, pieces of squid, cigar minnow chunks and bloodworms. The latter are particularly attractive to spots, another species sometimes encountered in the surf.

The premier fish species in the surf this month is pompano. These guys are heat seekers. Pompano begin to move up from the south and appear in the Lowcountry surf when water temperatures get into the 60s. However, the bulk of them are here when water temperatures are in the 80s and approaching 90 degrees, which is mainly in August. They will stick around as long as it remains hot, but the first cool snap of the late summer will send them scurrying back south again.

Pompano are a beautiful fish that feature whitish-platinum sides and a belly and fins that are a striking golden hue. Their buttery flesh makes them very attractive for the table.

Like whiting, do not expect very large fish in the surf zone. Most pompano will only tickle the 1-pound mark. That said, some bruisers do exist. In last year's Trident Fishing Tournament in Charleston, a 4-pound-plus pompano was tops in the ultralight line-class category. Use the same rod size as you would for whiting.

"You do not need a very big rig for pompano," Oliver said. "You can use the same commercially-made double-hook rig that you would use for whiting. Hook size will run about a No. 1 or No. 2.

"Sinker size will average about 2 ounces, depending on surf conditions. Some anglers have gone to using a coin sinker," Oliver said. He described the coin sinker as the size of a quarter with a hole drilled along one edge.

"Most of sinkers used for surf-fishing stick up some from the bottom," Oliver explained. "This makes them have a tendency to roll with the current, unless they're very heavy. The idea behind the coin sinker is it lies flat on the bottom and is less likely to be dragged by the water."

Oliver said you can catch pompano on any of the baits recommended for whiting. But one bait, although not listed for whiting even though a whiting might take it, that stands out for pompano is sand fleas, which are also known as mole crabs. These guys are the little boogers you see burrowing into the sand after the water retreats back toward the ocean following a breaking wave.