Saltwater fishing in South Florida has become a huge phenomenon and a popular hobby. People mostly tend to fish from either land, boat, or kayak/canoe. Some pros of fishing from land are that you can be more comfortable while fishing and can take more equipment with you. Whereas when you are on a boat, you are confined to a smaller space and it is harder to pull your fish in. However, when you fish from a boat you can catch more fish and sometimes larger. In addition you can cover more water with a boat or kayak to find the fish.

 There are two parts to saltwater fishing, inshore fishing and offshore fishing. Inshore fishing means that you are fishing a body of water like a bay, canal, or intercoastal. Offshore fishing means you are fishing off the beach or deep in the ocean. Some common species that can be caught Inshore in South Florida are mangrove snapper, sea trout, jack crevalle, snook, and grunt. Common species for Offshore include blackfin tuna, bonita, red snapper, mackerel, and mahi mahi. In order to catch these beautiful fish you have to be at the right place at the right time and have the right bait. The two best all around baits for saltwater fishing are shrimp and mullet. Shrimp is typically better for smaller fish such as snapper, sheepshead, sea trout, and many other species. Overall shrimp will catch you more fish in Inshore fishing just because of how many species of fish feed on shrimp. Mullet and other bait fish such as pilchards are an excellent bait to catch larger predatory fish. The size of baitfish that you use varies by the size of the fish that you are targeting. For example if there are 3 foot jack running around you can throw almost any sized baitfish at them and they will eat it. But if you see a 25 inch snook, it’s best to use a 5 inch finger (baby) mullet or pilchard.

 Another important part to fishing in general is the rod and reels that you use. I have always tried to keep fishing, but at the most affordable price possible. As most experienced fishermen know, fishing can get very expensive. If you are a beginner saltwater fisherman, I don’t suggest that you get a combo over $100 because you could break it easily. A great rod and reel combo is the Okuma Avenger baitfeeder 55 combo. It provides you with a strong, yet light rod to ensure that you can make far casts and land big fish. The reel is especially amazing because it can handle over 20 lbs of drag and it has a baitfeeder system which is perfect for live bait fishing. A baitfeeder system basically means that you can lower the drag so that the fish can move freely and whenever your fish gets eaten it automatically turns off so that you can reel your fish in. Another combo that you can take a look at is the Daiwa BG 5000. This combo costs like $120 but provides you with a strong, anticorrosion reel and rod.

There is much more to fishing than just rods, reels, and bait. You have to remember to think about your hooks, lines, buckets, castnets, and more. The best type of hook to fish with is a circle hook because it is easiest to remove from a fish’s mouth and it has a better fish hook ratio. It’s important to have a castnet so that you can catch your live bait. My favorite size for a castnet is a 6 foot net for beginners. This will allow you to get as much bait as you need. There also several species of Saltwater game fish. A game fish is basically a highly priced fish that many fishermen compete to catch. Some game fish include Tarpon, Snook, and Mahi Mahi.

Lastly, you must always try to pick a good time to fish to enhance your fishing experience. It is best to fish on high tides and in the sunrise and sunset because that’s when predatory fish are most actively feeding. I personally prefer to fish sunset because I think that there are more big fish, which overall makes it a better time to fish. Also, to catch fish you must choose a place in which there are a good amount of fish. So always be on the lookout for structures like docks, bridges, piers, etc. and wherever there are lots of bait fish or birds. Whenever you see birds or bait fish that is a sign that there are big fish there.

Saltwater fishing in South Florida can be one of the most fun relaxing things to do. So whenever you get some free time, go ahead and use these tips and tricks to catch more fish. Don’t forget that fishing is always more fun when you bring a buddy with you and good luck to you next time you go out on the water fishing.