Thread: 1st time Fla fishing help

Being an Ohio guy - you are not exposed to Saltwater fishing.

I would take opportunity to really enjoy a guide trip into the Gulf - weather on
big fishing boat or guide trip with 3 -4 others on board.
Grouper fishing plus various other saltwater fish are totally different than you have
ever been around.. Guide trip going to cost but it will be a memorable trip of your
life. Check out guides in Marco area - there are several ... You should not be
disappointed. Florida is also excellant freshwater fishery. - but you are on
vacation........enjoy something different.

Snook, redfish and trout all behave similar to bass. Pretty much same tactics work. But highly tide driven feed times. Each area will have preferred tide stage for best bite. Find structure and fish it same as bass. Zara spooks and storm chug bugs are great topwater baites. Flukes and and swimbaits are good. Bucktails work great as well as bass tubes for flounder. Can always tip with thumbnail size piece of fresh shrimp. Live shrimp or finger mullet or pigfish under a cork work good. Beach side your typical botom rig for catfish is main set up surf fishing. Just wash everything well when done. And same as fresh look for bait or signs of bait and fish will be around. Especially if you see an area all of a sudden get herons flocking in and pelicans paying attention. Terns and pelicans diving on beach is good sign too. A big spoon with wire leader should always be ready on the beach in case some mackeral cruise through. And a word of caution, trout, flounder and mackeral have big teeth and redfish, drum and snook have razor bleades for gill plates. Most of all have fun. Oh and last thing, your 1/8oz crappie jigs are great for pompano tipped with a tidbit of shrimp.

Great info guys, I am convinced I need to put a small tackle bag together and I have a spinning reel w/t 30#power pro braid I will have to find room for. It looks like I will have plenty of time fishing the shore and peirs, I was going to pay for a charter seeing My Sister is putting Us up for a week, it looks like the going rates there are basically $100-150/hr for a party of 4, or singles get a better fair. I watched a few You tube videos of how to catch native fish there, I was surprised the Trout have one tooth? not like the rainbows and spots I've caught in Ky.

Step back and think this out: First time to Florida - primary thing, due you have funds
to be involved with a charter out to the reef's /wrecks etc........Thats where the
big fun is, memories, pictures. Working shore line- buying a 7 day saltwater license, carrying a shrimp
bucket - necessary saltwater gear - min equipment and maybe you have couple
hundred involved - places to go - maybe to pay piers - shoreline ?? - bridges, etc.
(for each hr you fish in salt - will take you that long to clean up, dry off equipment.

After you have come down for couple years (and you will be back) than start
getting lay of land and whats going on / where & how to fish / hang out at
fishing pier's ....
Again, just my 2-cents..............
I was lucky in my youth - father lived in Florida - had 38 ft boat - we could
go out deep or work Tampa bay...............and man did we have some fun times.
Father lived here and had spent much time on saltwater - also excellant fisherman.
Which really made it that much more fun.

That 1 or 2 teeth are big and sharp. With power pro I would add a 2' flourocarbon leader. They tend to be line shy in clear water. Have not fished that area so not positive on water clarity. Hope to change that some day soon though. The area is an inshore mecca.

Before taking a charter check on snapper and grouper closures. If they are closed avoid a party boat and ask many questions on 6 pack charter. An expensive boat ride sucks.

Agree with Mike on this one: Know what your getting when taking a charter.
The more questions asked the more fun you will have on trip.
The 25 -50.00 party boats are not really what you want to do - you want the
feel of the real deal of Saltwater Fishing. If they are going after grouper - that
is a fish with unbelieable power for size when they hit, along with several other
salt fish. One thing about Saltwater fishing - you have no idea when you hook
into something whether you will get to eat it or it will eat you.

Good advice. As a long time offshore charter captain, gauge your target species on what is biting. Listen to the crew. If they don't want to talk it out on the phone, move on to the next.