# Saltwater fishing tips for a beginner



## leoparddog (Jul 25, 2018)

Cross posted - sorry if you've seen it twice.

I've committed to a 4 day kayak fishing trip to Port St Joe with some buddies in mid-October and don't know where to start figuring out how/what to fish. I've never done any inshore fishing. My existing gear I use for bass fishing and I think it will be fine for this trip even if a bit light. I have questions about terminal tackle, techniques, lures etc.

There is plenty of information here embedded in the threads but lots of digging through posts for tidbit and tips. Where can I go to find a body of information on inshore saltwater fishing?
Thanks


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## notnksnemor (Jul 26, 2018)

Popping cork tied to main line, fluorocarbon leader to a 1/0 hook.
Live shrimp. 
Have a blast.


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## campboy (Jul 26, 2018)

What he said^^ Plus youtube


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## Swamprat (Jul 26, 2018)

As said above popping cork with live shrimp or gulp shrimp if you prefer the artificial. Just beware the pin fish will wear out a gulp bait.

I generally start out at first light on the grass flats throwing a topwater, Zara Spooks are my go to along with a Spook Jr and Tiny Torpedoes. Most of these will be a smoke gray color or silver. Work the edges of the grass or over any sand potholes in 1-3' of water. Even working along a drop off will produce fish

Also keep an eye on any grass lines along the shore for tailing reds looking for crabs and shrimp using the grass for cover. SJB is pretty shallow anyway on the South and East sides so you might find tailing reds anywhere

As the sun gets up work out to where the flats drop to 3-5 feet and break out the popping cork rig. This also works well if you can find a channel or cut between two flats.

If anybody knows how to throw a cast net bring one. Nothing like free bait. I prefer to net my own instead of spending beer money on shrimp. Fingerling mullet, pinfish, mud minnows, etc. all make good live bait for trout and reds. Even chunks of bait are good for cruising reds in a tight channel or cut.

There is a kayak launch where the road bends to the North at the SW corner of the bay across the road from the stump hole. You will see all the rocks on the Gulf side.

Your bass equipment should be fine. I generally fish with a 7 foot spinning rod and 10 lb test. Just make sure to rinse off everything at the end of each trip.

Hope some of this helps.


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## notnksnemor (Jul 26, 2018)

It ain't rocket surgery.
Just have fun and be safe in the yak.


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## jeardley (Jul 26, 2018)

Follow swamprat's advice. I make a couple trips down there each year in a kayak and do just that, minus the live bait. Natural and new penny gulp shrimp have worked the best for me.


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## Swamprat (Jul 26, 2018)

I will also add this. I fish out of a 12' Jackson Cuda on a lot of flats in the panhandle of Florida and what I do is at first light till maybe 8 or 9 in the morning I have a 30' piece of light rope with stainless clip hooks on each end. Clip one end to the front carry handle of the yak and the other end to a belt loop on my shorts and get out in shallow water and wade fish. 

More stealthy and if you need to change a lure, get a drink, etc. you just pull the rope to get the yak to you. I am usually barefoot and shuffle along. Knock on wood have never been barbed by a stingray and I started wade fishing in Mosquito lagoon at 8 years old and I am now 52 and now exploreing the panhandle since 2003.

I do have a stake pole which I use sometimes or sometimes beach the yak but find it easier to tow behind me. If I need to get back in just get to shallower water and go.

October is a great month, water still good temp and the fish are feeding preparing for upcoming winter.


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## alphachief (Jul 30, 2018)

Pin fish will wear out your gulp baits...but if you can cast net you up a bunch of small pin fish, the trout will wear them out.


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## leoparddog (Jul 31, 2018)

Cast net - Check.  I'm not that good with one, but someone in our group should be.

Gulp Shrimp - current online reviews are that the quality of them has gone down but I'll be having a supply on hand.  

Wading - I grew up wading for bass around Winter Haven FL so I'm very familiar with that type of fishing and will plan on bringing some old shoes for wading.


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## fairweather (Jul 31, 2018)

I agree about the Gulp. They used to be very sturdy, but now they're very soft and don't last much longer than natural bait. I've pretty much switched over to Z-man baits which seem to work just as well and are very durable.


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## Ihunt (Jul 31, 2018)

Live pinfish or cut pinfish under a popping cork. No telling what will bite. 

Try above on the bottom also. May catch a bunch of catfish and rays but they’re fun on bass tackle.


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## chehawknapper (Jul 31, 2018)

leoparddog said:


> Cast net - Check.  I'm not that good with one, but someone in our group should be.
> 
> Gulp Shrimp - current online reviews are that the quality of them has gone down but I'll be having a supply on hand.
> 
> Wading - I grew up wading for bass around Winter Haven FL so I'm very familiar with that type of fishing and will plan on bringing some old shoes for wading.


Pay close attention to the above comment regarding "shuffling feet". Speaking from hard earned experience, picking your feet up and setting them down is a major no-no! Sooner or later you will find a stingray and you won't forget it.


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## Rabun (Jul 31, 2018)

^^^agree 100%.  Have never been stuck, but have seen a ton of them swim off right in front of me as i shuffled along.


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## Swamprat (Jul 31, 2018)

leoparddog, far as the cast net I just carry a 5 footer with me on the yak. I am not looking to fill up a live well on a boat just maybe a dozen or so. If I run out just go shallow and net some more.

5 footer is easy to manage. Get one and just practice in your yard.


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## leoparddog (Aug 1, 2018)

Swamprat said:


> leoparddog, far as the cast net I just carry a 5 footer with me on the yak. I am not looking to fill up a live well on a boat just maybe a dozen or so. If I run out just go shallow and net some more.
> 
> 5 footer is easy to manage. Get one and just practice in your yard.



Thanks Swamprat, I've tried to throw bigger ones without much luck. Do you need to chum up the bait fish or just try and spot a small school of them?


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## Darkhorse (Aug 1, 2018)

Leaporddog, I grew up in Plant City and forgot to shuffle one time. We were castnetting for mullet at night at Pinellas Park and I got impatient and started walking to try and catch up with a school. Big mistake but I was lucky as the barb just cut a furrow across the ankle bone. Still it hurt enough to still remember it clearly.


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## Swamprat (Aug 2, 2018)

I just look for schools of baitfish. Lot of times just blind casting will net up a pinfish or 3.


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## DAWG1419 (Aug 3, 2018)

fairweather said:


> I agree about the Gulp. They used to be very sturdy, but now they're very soft and don't last much longer than natural bait. I've pretty much switched over to Z-man baits which seem to work just as well and are very durable.


That’s why i fish a voodoo shrimp


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## Mr Bya Lungshot (Aug 28, 2018)

You could pick up a medium stiff 7ft rod for the 20 pounder your likely to run into. Something you can bring home and be a little on the heavy side for largemouth and catfish or strippers. Any saltwater is gonna hold something big. Put a whole live pin fish on it and free line it till it gets hit. Your reels will probably handle it but a stiff medium 7ft rod will pull in the big reds and more.
Big bait=Big fish.


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## leoparddog (Sep 3, 2018)

I've got a medium heavy Mojo Bass rod and a good baitcaster on it; it is my big swimbait rod.  Also bringing two medium/fast spinning rods that have some backbone to them.  I'd like to get a bigger bait casting reel but probably won't.

I've been stocking up on DOA shrimp and a few Vudu Shrimp, also sorting out my large Zara Spooks and a few big swim baits just because I like fishing them. We'll see how those work out.

Today I rigged up a kayak plywood deck station with a yard stick screwed to it to help me stay legal.  I can also mount my depth finder on it if I decide I'm taking it.  I know we'll be fishing pretty shallow but it might be nice to figure out where the drop offs are and fish the edges.


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## Spineyman (Sep 7, 2018)

Listen, use the kiss principle. It is not brain surgery and the fish will be hitting anything that swims. A 15 pound rod and any size reel will handle just about anything you will encounter. Full size Zara's are incredible, as are the super spook jr's. I personally like the silver glitter myself. If you have any shadow rap shad in your bassin stuff, by all means bring them. They are deadly, but you will need to switch the rings and hooks to salt water extra strength. Grab a couple of the Rapala twitchin minnows as well. If they come with single hooks by all means switch them out to trebles too. I personally net my fish so I can subdue them without trebles flying everywhere. I unhook the fish, snap a pic or two and release or bag. Then I unhook the lure out of the net.


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## swamp hunter (Sep 8, 2018)

You sure don't need a Depth finder in your way.
You will be able to see any Drop off's or little Channels...


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## Bubba_1122 (Sep 9, 2018)

Caught 7 reds yesterday in Apalachicola Bay using Gulp jerk shads (camo color and watermelon with red flake). Using 1/8 or 1/16 Owner twist lock hooks. Yes - the tails got eaten off of quite a few Gulps, but had pretty consistent action. Also a few trout mixed in. It was a very good day for me.

On Friday had as many strikes but was using Slayer twist lock style hooks. All pulled except one. Have retired the Slayer hooks and content and confident in the Owner hooks.

Do a Google search for Salt Strong and see what you think. Some decent info from some pretty good fishermen in there.

BTW, went to a flats fishing seminar couple of years ago and guy said we over complicate this flats fishing thing. He said we're fishing in 4' or less of water - we can fish on top, in the middle and on the bottom. Also, he said there's only 2 colors: dark and light. That gives us basically 6 choices to make.

That's probably an oversimplification, but we do tend to over-complicate this shallow water fishing. The guy was primarily fishing out of a kayak, and said he carried everything he needed for a day of fishing in a nylon briefcase.

His comments helped me greatly simplify my approach (I carry 4 or 5 types of lures, not many colors and generally only fish 2 or at most 3 during a trip out).


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