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With this new boat I'm wanting to go try some trout and reds somewhere on the coast. I have my LA licenses, but would try MS waters if anybody has any insight or experience. A buddy of mine is begging me to go with him on a DIY trip, but I've only been a handful of times and don't wanna make that trek for a dry run. Any areas to start or places to start looking would be helpful
Good luck.......I am not going to put my boat and trailer in salt water
MO, Several places you can catch some reds and Speckled trout down there. The bridges at biloxi are decent for reds and some MONSTER black drum pushing 60 pounds. Horn Island on the south side has some nice flats you can fish. Reds, trout, Pompano and sharks. Then over on Cat Island there's a good many trout and reds plus a few flounder. Get live bait buddie. Shrimp, Croakers and bull minnows will catch you something but make sure the tide is moving. If the tides not moving, the fish won;t be biting. Just check the tide charts
G is right. The salt air is really rough on the wiring on your boat and trailer. You can hose down with fresh water what you can get to and it will be ok. But there is going to be a lot of places you can't get to. Wiring, inside the frame on your trailer, etc.
Not taking mine down there, ifn I go it will be with someone from that area, no need in exposing mine to the elements down there.
The salt water won't hurt your rig Brandon. You have an aluminum trailer, and the engine has a flush port on the side of it. Run it like you do in fresh water, and screw a water hose in the flush port when you get home and flush the engine. Easy to do, and it won't hurt a thing. They just need a bit more care than fresh water rigs.
if you have a Minn Kota Terrova I would not put it in saltwater , if it gets messed up you void your warranty by using it in saltwater !!! just a heads-up !!!
We went on a DIY trip a time or 2 out of Leeville,LA had a blast. very inexpensive trip. Stayed at Bordeaux's right on the water. When we headed back home , stopped by enid and dropped boat in and ran it flushed the motor real good.. completely submerged the trailer also. Never had any issues . Guys that I started going with had been doing that way for years with no issues
I'm looking at salt water series boats and equipment for this very reason. I've got a buddy who just bought a 22' Skeeter Bay that ain't nothing but fine!
I plan to try it, this boat model is made for salt water, alum trailer, heck, I ain't gonna baby it or spend a boat payment to get a guy to take me out for a day... Bought it to use it, if I gotta do some maintenance after, that's just part of it... We bow fished out of it sat night and it was NASTY! We washed it down good Sunday morning and she's good as new!
I've used my Alweld in salt several times. Just flush and wash it down when you get home, and you shouldn't have any problems.
La has better fishing. Jmo
Think I will be hitting sw LA. Talked to a buddy and he is letting us stay at his place and gonna go with us and show us some spots around carlyss... Looking at the last week of September
Late Sep and Oct should be good for Reds, MO.
Hopefully we'll get on some, gonna try to squeeze in a teal hunt while we're there
You crazy to put that new boat in saltwater.
Now if you go to Ala and want some monster reds drift across the Dixie Bar, east side of Mobile Bay. Big salt water minnows behind 3-4 oz of lead. Can even catch some on big jigs too.
Thanks for the tip, have a buddy that lives over there also. He does taxidermy work and said he would trade out a fishing trip to mount a duck for me, may have to take the offer!
Wilbur, this boat isn't gonna get pampered. I will wash it and take good care of it, but by gosh I'm gonna use it! If anything I will do a little preventative maintenance before I go, make sure all connections are tight and use di-electric grease to help as an extra layer of protection on low lying parts.
Been doing all three kinds of water for 40yrs. Salt,fresh,and brackish. Only way to hurt a boat is to not take care of it. Buras is on fire right now and so is Lafitte if you don't want to go that far. Back side of Breton has good specks but you better know where the oyster beds are. Good luck okra!
Thanks for the tips!
It will take a couple of years, but don't come whining when the electrical starts giving you problems.
How do people fish salt water every day and their boats not just spontaneously combust after a few trips? I bought the boat to use for EVERYTHING I do on the water. Crossing dams on the river, saltwater fish, duck hunt... Just for the record, I know salt water is corrosive and the risk of putting it in the water... If it screws something up, then I'll fix it, and it will be right the next time I go out
They use special salt water trolling motors and they use outboards that have different sacrificial annodes on them for the salt water.Quote:
Originally Posted by MO' MONEY
The annodes are more for if ya leave it in a marina full time. In and out on a trailer has little effect on them if ya wash down the boat.
The last 3 saltwater trips I have been on have been in brackish marshes out of a skeeter bass boat. Did not wash the boat or flush the engine, sold it last year after 6 years of service without problems. I guess the marsh is not as high of a salt concentration, maybe that makes a difference, I just think a little effort after the trip should preserve the boat pretty well...
Bill, I guess I'll be the crash test dummy for how these boats stand up to salt!
Yep. Annodes are for leaving in saltwater full time. Bring home, run in fresh water. Take to car wash and hose down with soap and water. Leaving one out in the rain all the time is far worse than putting in saltwater or brackish water
My dad's boat has about 1,500 saltwater operating hours on the motor. His compression is within a few lbs. of its 100 hr. checkup. I fished out of a rig with a 225 Honda with 4,000+ operating hours on the motor. Those are motor operating hours, not hours spent on the water.
You DO need to rig a boat properly in order to run it in saltwater. NAPA crimps without heat shrink or liquid tape will eventually give you problems. That can happen on a freshwater boat as well, though.
My advice is if you plan on rigging your boat out for multiple purposes, make sure to buy aluminum and stainless components- screws, plates, and such.
Hose down your boat and trailer. Pay attention to the hubs.
Flush your motor.
Wash down your tackle- even your hooks and lures. Don't put used tackle back into your tacklebox until you rinse it off.
Otherwise you'll be fine.
See also- Florida. Just, Florida.
Thanks for the heads up, I have had some others warn me of the rod/tackle damage as well.