Saltwater Fishing Tips Articles

Introduction to Surf Fishing

The waves are crashing into the beach. The smell of salt is in the air. You can walk for miles along the sandy shores. What an environment to surround yourself in. And, you could be pulling some fish from those frothy waves. But, where do you start? What makes a good fishing beach? What kind of tackle do you need? Is this going to cost me an arm and a leg to get started? These are all valid questions so let’s get to answering them!

Surf Casting Gear-Scaling Down

Surf fishing is most often perceived as casting large sinkers paired with various types of live and dead baits with the aid of a stout spinning rod exceeding 10 feet in length. A large spinning reel spooled with hundreds of yards of 20 – 30 pound test monofilament line has historically been the norm. And, of course, with this comes the fatigue brought on by hours of casting this rig into the rolling waves. It is often necessary to use outfits of these specifications to get baits into proper placement when the surf is high, rolling and crashing against the beach. But in many surf situations this just ends up being overkill and the angler winds up exerting much more energy than is needed. With recent advances in fishing technology, the surf angler can put together rod and reel combos that are lighter, shorter and easier to cast than the traditional surf sticks that tend to be so unwieldy.

How to Spool a Fishing Line Onto a Reel

Many inshore saltwater anglers ask us, “Should I buy a filler spool of line and put it on the reel at home, or have you guys do it in the shop from your bulk spool?” The answer for us is always to have the reel spooled in the shop, and here is why. With professional spooling on a line winding machine, with professional, competent staff at the controls, you will get exactly the right amount of line for the reel, zero line twist, and the proper tension applied.

Conventional & Baitcasting Reel Repair & Maintenance

Conventional and baitcasting reel repairs and maintenance are generally best left to the professionals. An assortment of necessary tools, oil, reel grease and some mechanical know-how are required to be successful in completing the needed maintenance. But, there may be times when you just can’t wait for someone else to fix your reel. You may find yourself in a far away location (like on a Fly-in Canadian fishing trip) and you just have to get that reel working again right away. The following information will give you some guidance and some confidence in cracking open that pesky reel and getting her back into fish catching condition. This information will also aid the beginner in learning the ins and outs of spinning reel repair. Most conventional reels work on the same basic gear drive design. There may be some parts variations on some reel models that are not mentioned in these procedures. But, they mostly all work in the same general fashion.

Topwater Dogs

Topwater action is probably the most exciting method of fishing with artificial lures. Sure, you’ve thrown the poppers and the chuggers but have you have taken the dog for a walk? Here is a lure that catches nearly any fish that feeds on the water’s surface. Whether its largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, pike, musky, bluefish, striper or schooling tuna, this system works and provides some of the most eye-popping strikes you will ever see.

Fishing Leader Systems-An Introduction

What is a leader? Why should I use a leader? When should I use a leader? Well, the world of sport fishing is vast and we won’t be able to address every fishing scenario. But, let’s start will some basic salt and freshwater situations to get started. The information you gleam from this article should help you in understanding the concepts and how to apply them in other settings.

Poor Man’s Fish Finders

Many anglers new to our sport (and some not-so-new) have a challenge finding fish, or just knowing if they are working a fishy spot. Angling from a boat rigged with an electronic fish finder, depth, temperature, and GPS coordinates does give the inshore saltwater angler a distinct advantage. Such is the ability to easily move out of unproductive areas, the ability to mark fish beneath the surface and to log in the water temperature, the depth, and even log a global position for later use.

Buying and Storing Live Sandworms and Bloodworms

Sandworms and Bloodworms are the ubiquitous bait for a multitude of ocean gamefish. The following refers to harvested worms and not farmed worms. Sandworms “Nereis Succinea” are reddish brown marine worms that can exceed 10” in length when mature. They are free swimming scavengers which feed on algae and other smaller worms. They live in the estuary areas and are harvested in Maine. Sandworms are now farmed and are available at a premium price for those willing to pay the extra money. The consistency in size seems to be better and the shelf life the same.