I'm going surf fishing the beginning of april at salvo nc (otter banks). I'm not sure about is how to find fish in the surf if you could tell me what to look for and any other advice you have will be great.

I'd stop at one of the local tackle shops for advice on "what's biting now" and how to rig for it.  I look for irregularities off the beach that create structure, like sand bars, sloughs, points, etc.  And I look for any signs of baitfish in the water.  It's almost the same as freshwater fishing -  find the structure, find the bait, find the fish.  Also remember that you often find some species of fish inside where the waves are breaking, so long casts are not always the ticket.  If any of the fishing piers are still standing and open, they are often a great place to go for action. 

When Surf fishing for stripers lots of birds = lots of bait fish, lots of baitfish = lots of bigger fish that are after the bait...

 

And always be looking up and down the beach to see if anything is going on on the surface...

 

Sometimes if I can't find the fish I will use a topwater bait that splashes a bit or that has sometype of noise that will get a fish's attention and possibly find more than one... ( or sometype of swimming plug with a rattle )...

I do a lot of surf fishing, it isn't the same everywhere but there are some constants.  Jitterbugger's appraisal is on the money, baitfish are the main factor, no bait no fish as a rule, that's not absolute as I've caught many a rogue just swimming around with no bait in the area.  Nothing replaces local knowledge and understanding the nuances of each different species, some are caught in the trough (swash) and others require a bit more casting distance.  Weather is always important, but never let the wrong conditions from keeping you not out there.  Beach structure is always changing with the ebb and flow of the tide.

One of the biggest misconceptions people have about saltwater is there is a fish a cast, nothing could ever be further from the truth.  SW fishing is all about a window of opportunity that can close real quick, I've seen the window anywhere from 5 seconds to an hour or so.  Certain times of the year I can days or a week without a strike and other times it can be a fish a cast.  As far as lures go, you really only need a few things, if the fish are on almost any lure will be productive, spoons and bucktails rule........topwaters are fun when the water is right, normally flat water is best for them but I've caught many fish on topwater in 3-4' surf, they'll come and get it.