Where to cast in the surf

So in my ever present search to really learn surf fishing, I want to know where you throw in the surf and why. Specifically, which side of the breakers do you throw on? I've always seen and heard that you throw where the wave dumps back in to the trough (the beach side) but I've seen some videos lately where it was stated they were throwing on the backside of the breaker (the ocean side). Is it simply a function of time of day, or are there other reasons for throwing past the first breaker? I'm mainly asking in the case of pompano fishing but would welcome answers for other species as well.

IF you fish multiple rods, you can 'stagger' their distances to locate whether the fish you are targeting are 'inside' or 'outside' the sandbar.
In my experience they are most often 'inside' (beach side) as the tide is rising, or the waves are 'dumping' and then 'backing off' to a swell.
And they tend to be 'outside' (gulf side) at lower tide, or when the water is calm and clear.

Hope this helps!

Some days the whiting are literally right at your feet in the surf, as in if you cast 20', you have gone past the feeding fish!
Other days, the whiting are more spread out.

I once had a great time catching whiting with a cane pole. Sometimes they are within 10 feet of the beach. I used the cane pole to prove to my son that you don't have to wade out and get wet to catch fish

If you want a crash course in surf fishing, I highly recommend hiring Bama Beach Bum for a morning or afternoon. His knowledge of the surf zones and the variety of species that inhabit those zones is worth every penny. Plus he's just a great guy! Took my three teenagers fishing with him a couple of weeks ago and we caught black drum, a slot red, a big pomp, and a few blues.