Fishing Crash Course Tips and Secrets
This page is set up just for newbies and intermediate level inshore fishermen. You will learn how to get started catching fish as quickly as possible.
I am a kayak fishing guide on the Treasure Coast of Florida and I have been fishing the mangroves, mudflats and beaches around Florida for more than 40 years. In the article below, I will teach you how to get great at inshore fishing.
Watch the video below first.
This page is set up just for newbies and intermediate level inshore fishermen. You will learn how to get started catching fish as quickly as possible.
- You will learn the correct rod and reels to use.
- You will learn how to fish the entire water column.
- You will learn how to find feeding fish and avoid dead zones.
- You will learn how to effectively change your fishing strategies.
I am a kayak fishing guide on the Treasure Coast of Florida and I have been fishing the mangroves, mudflats and beaches around Florida for more than 40 years. In the article below, I will teach you how to get great at inshore fishing.
Watch the video below first.
How do you choose the right rod and reel combo for your needs?
Make sure that you don't spend too much money buying a whole bunch of fishing gear. If you go to the tackle shop or bass pro shops they are going to try and sell you all kinds of things that you do not need.
All that you need to get started saltwater inshore fishing is a decent rod and reel combo. The one mentioned in the video above is a great place to start. That combo was about $200 all in and that combo has caught everything from tarpon to huge snook to one pound speckled trout. It catches everything.
That is the combo that I use on my fishing charters because it is commercial grade and can handle getting dunked by inexperienced fishermen. It has a 10 pound braided line on it and that will work in most scenarios for you too.
You have got to learn how to fish the entire water column.
Different species of fish inhabit different parts of the water column. Some species of fish will inhabit every part of the water column so you really need to know how to fish from the top water realm down to the bottom if you want to consistently catch fish.
Top water lures work best in the morning, sunset, on cloudy days, at night and when the water is dirty. You have to practice using a top water lure to get good at using it. It is my favorite way to catch fish because you can get some amazing strikes on top water lures.
Perfect the walk-the-dog fishing technique using lures like the Zara Spook and the Mirrolure Top Dog. Get a white one and a natural looking one and that is all that you need.
The middle part of the water column is great for paddle tail soft plastics with a 1/8 ounce or 1/4 ounce jig head. My favorite is the DOA CAL 3 inch shad. You will need a white one, a dark one and a natural colored one. That is it.
The bottom part of the water column is best fished with heavy jigs. Inlets, bridges, deep channels are all great places to fish a heavy flair hawk style of jig. You can catch snook, grouper, redfish, tarpon and all sorts of fish on or near the bottom with a flair hawk jig.
You have to find feeding fish.
If the fish ain't bitin' move! It is really as simple as that. You will have to cover a lot of water some days to find the fish. Keep moving until you see life. It might be birds diving or dolphins hunting. Once you find life start to cast around at different depths until you figure out where the feeding fish are.
Be ready to change your plans.
I don't know how many times I am so excited to go to my favorite tarpon spot and get on some Silver Kings. BUT when I get there no tarpon are present. Where are they? They were here yesterday at this time.
Maybe boat traffic spooked them off of the flats. Maybe the bait fish schools moved. Maybe the water got too dirty with the strong wind....... Whatever happens you have to have another plan to catch fish.
I target 5 inshore species of fish most of the time. Those fish are tarpon, snook, redfish, speckled trout and flounder. The cool thing about having a favorite five fish like that is that if one isn't cooperating them you can move and target another one of your favorites.
This is a basic article to get you started on catching more fish inshore. The weekly articles that you get in your email box will become for and more in depth as your knowledge increases.
DO THE FIRST STEP AND GET YOUR ROD AND REEL AND START PRACTICING!
SEE YOU IN A WEEK!!!!
-FYAO