fishing tips? gulf side of fl(bradenton)

[rsw21282]

hi guys, im from illinois and moved down here a few months ago and am getting a grasp on what saltwater fish are around here and how to catch them but i was wondering if someone could give me a brief breakdown of some popular lures, rigs and type environment and season/temp. these fish may live. also i have a 18ft bass boat so i mostly fish inshore but if a really calm day i will go up to 3mi out

snook
red or black drum
pompano
shark
sheepshead
cavellier jack
cobia
seatrout
any of the jacks

i watch the fishing shows and they help a bit but they dont tell me what rigs they are using or what kind of bait sometimes, and one other question i have saltwater fishing license but on occasion fish in the brackish water of the rivers at what point on rivers do u usually need to consider yourself needing a freshwater license? also i see these people on the shows saying we stopped and got cast bait on the way, i have a casting net but how do they find where and what to cast for any advice here would be nice,and if anyone has any recommendations for the bradenton area im all ears.

 

[capt sam]

Re: fishing tips? gulf side of fl(bradenton)

All those fish you listed can be caught inshore on a medium rod/reel setup. I have numerous different set ups depending on what time of year it is, what I'm fishing for, artis or live bait....there's a lot of factors. I tend to fish live bait alot, winter it's tough to find, summer is much easier. Looks for birds gathering on the water or structure like a tower. You can also see schools of bait on the surface especially if ladyfish, jacks or mackeral are tearing it up. You need to learn how to throw a cast net, watch people, google it, ask around someone will know. My most common jigs are a gold spoon or a white or green bucktail, those will kill the snook, tarpon and reds. You really should go to a local bait & tackle shop and ask for help, they're usually good because if you succeed you'll come back and buy more stuff from them. You could also hire a guide for a day, let him know you want to learn, trust me they will save you a huge learning curve and money. Florida Sportsman also has a website with local info, that's another good source.

 

[CheapboatKev]

Re: fishing tips? gulf side of fl(bradenton)

Just dont take a handheld GPS with you (without permission) when you hire a guide..You may not make it back with all your limbs intact! lol..

 

[triumphrick]

Re: fishing tips? gulf side of fl(bradenton)

Just google "netting live bait" and a ton of sites will come up. I almost always use live bait when I can. As sam said, this time of year the bait is scattered, so you may have to draw them in. I go to the feed stores and buy Purina Tropical fish food in 50lb bags.
When near the beach or on the flats I anchor up and feed a steady stream of that off the stern to draw them in. I toss a 10' 3/8" Calusa, that will never be tossed on the rocks. Sand or flats only. I also have a Wal Mart 8' 3/8 that I don't care where I throw it. Has a few rips and tears, but a good throw will get me all the bait I need. The bait is commonly called greenbacks. Small 3-6" silver sides, grey or green tops. Proper names are scaled sardines, threadfin herrings, pilchers, etc. Fish em as light as possible. 6lb power pro tied to a 30# flourocarbon leader with a uniknot and no swivels or snaps. Small 2/0 circle hook. Hook the bait from the chin out the nose. Go to a reputable bait shop, ask for help with the gear or the hooks. They are always willing to help. They are also able to send you off in the right direction. Good luck, keep us posted!

 

[capt sam]

Re: fishing tips? gulf side of fl(bradenton)

the thing is that there are so many varieties of fish and fishing techniques we really can't answer all your questions in this forum. I grew up here, my family has been here for over a hundred years AND I'm still learning stuff. Good luck, be patient, learn the basics like Rick mentioned, if you can do a guide even for half a day it'll be worth it.

 

[rsw21282]

Re: fishing tips? gulf side of fl(bradenton)

hey guys thanks a lot for the tips, i was just wondering as well if anyone has any special methods or preferred methods of fishing for various fish i mention that they are confident in, i have been told that seatrout can be caught on tsunami baits a lot, sheepshead on green muscles, reds on shrimp, and pompano on a jig and fly combo rig i guess what im asking does anyone have any favorites for fishing for certain fish, i will ask bait shops as well just trying to learn the most i can about the characteristics of these fish and the best fishing methods for them. also any advice on flyfishing saltwater? this mostly done on flats? i trout fished with a fly rod a lot in midwest but never saltwater

 

[triumphrick]

Re: fishing tips? gulf side of fl(bradenton)

Here's another place to go and check on fishing tips. Also, lots of people saltwater fly fish and catch fish (tarpon) well over 100 lbs. It's fun on the flats when the trout are hammerin them. Click on where is says tides and check that section out as well. Tides are everything, as you will learn.

http://capmel.com/

 

[capt sam]

Re: fishing tips? gulf side of fl(bradenton)

Like I said, I use alot of live bait and even when I use jigs I will vary alot even on one species, there's a lot of pressure on the fish here and they can be really finicky especially snook. I do have certain jigs that seem to work for certain fish, some of the time...

snook-white bucktails
pompano-pink bananas (Sunshine sells them here)
trout-red jighead with a white tail
tarpon-3" gulp peeler crab
permit-3"gulp peeler crab
redfish-gold spoon or any topwater
sheepshead-gulp or DOA shrimp
sharks-any cut bait
black drum-gulp or DOA shrimp
jacks-they'll hit anything that's moving same as the spanish mackeral

You can flyfish docks and mangroves for snook, I've seen guys get tarpon on fly too, also permit in the flats. Flyfishing the flats in the Keys for bonefish is a blast if you get a chance to run down there.

Rick mentioned leader, make sure you use it especially around docks and mangroves, I use a minimum of 6'-8' and a 2/0 hook or smaller depending on what I'm fishing for. Hope this helps some.

 

[rsw21282]

Re: fishing tips? gulf side of fl(bradenton)

wow thanks, one other fly question that may sound dumb but dry or wet flies? or just depend? and when u r talkin about leaders (regular fishing)you mean steel? i have been using anywhere from a 6" to 18" steel leader on everything so far, i dont know what has teeth that will break it or not, i also dont know what kind of fish will be spooked by the leader. i use 12-20lb line is this overkill? some clear some green does it matter?

 

[capt sam]

Re: fishing tips? gulf side of fl(bradenton)

I have zero flyfishing experience, well almost zero so I can't help much there, that's more my son's gig. Leader should be flurocarbon, 20-30lb, again it depends on alot of things, I only use steel for sharks, barracuda and kingfish, usually #7 or #8. that I will tie using a 6" haywire, the fluro I use a uniknot like rick mentioned. I generally use a loop knot on all my jigs or circle hooks. Rick also mentioned tides, they're important but moving water is most important, slack tide kills the bite.