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Saltwater Fishing - Where to Begin?
Posted on 4/12/17 at 1:37 pm
Posted on 4/12/17 at 1:37 pm
I have been freshwater fishing my whole life but would like to hit the specks/reds. While I have fished saltwater a few times, it was always with someone using their gear. Where do I even begin??? I have a 16' Xpress with yamaha 40. I know that won't take me offshore, but I assume this would be ok for brackish/specks/reds? All of my fishing gear is freshwater (& cheap). Will my spinning rod & reels with 6lb line be sufficient? Lures? Where are the boat launches? Is some form of gps/navigation needed, or can you just use phone apps.
These seem like such simple questions, but honestly it seems so much more overwhelming than hitting a freshwater lake. Thanks for the help!
These seem like such simple questions, but honestly it seems so much more overwhelming than hitting a freshwater lake. Thanks for the help!
16
Posted on 4/12/17 at 1:41 pm to MurpheyJT
quote:
Where do I even begin???
Keep going with friends until you get a good feel for it would be my suggestion. Mimic what they do if they are successful. It can be very expensive to get into if you want to do it right.
Posted on 4/12/17 at 1:48 pm to MurpheyJT
begin fishing the causeway baw. Easiest fishing there is!
Posted on 4/12/17 at 1:50 pm to 34venture
Go with friends to learn.
Or you could book a couple of trips with guides to learn the ropes/see how its done.
Where do you want to fish???
Or you could book a couple of trips with guides to learn the ropes/see how its done.
Where do you want to fish???
Posted on 4/12/17 at 1:52 pm to MurpheyJT
quote:
I have a 16' Xpress with yamaha 40.
That's fine for fishing in the marsh.
quote:
Will my spinning rod & reels with 6lb line be sufficient?
No. 6 lb. line is woefully small for specs and reds. Especially if you hook a bull red. It would be a one hour fight on 6 weight line.
quote:
Lures?
Stick to live bait until you learn it.
quote:
Where are the boat launches?
Everywhere. Figure out where you want to fish first, then look for a launch.
quote:
Is some form of gps/navigation needed, or can you just use phone apps.
Yes.
Posted on 4/12/17 at 1:52 pm to MurpheyJT
6 pound test is not enough. use 12 or 15, I would bring your boat to an area like Delacroix or Hopedale and stay extremely close to the dock get live bait use a popping cork and pound the shorelines with that setup, you'll catch some reds this way.
Posted on 4/12/17 at 2:00 pm to MurpheyJT
quote:
Saltwater Fishing - Where to Begin
If you are going to venture more than a mile or so from the dock make sure you have some sort of GPS(doesn't have to be latest & greatest) or at least a map that you are comfortable navigating with. Easy to get lost quick in the marsh.
As far as tackle 12 lb test. Bait would be easiest to start with. However, if you want to use artificial get some popping corks, 1/4 oz and 3/8 oz jig heads, Chartreuse plastics (sparkle beetles/matrix shad).
Posted on 4/12/17 at 2:11 pm to MurpheyJT
Get a guide in the area you want to learn. Tell him your situation.
Download Google Earth and study maps.
Download Google Earth and study maps.
Posted on 4/12/17 at 2:15 pm to MurpheyJT
I learned a ton from the Troutsupport DVDs when I first got started. Especially the DVD on redfish marsh/grass flats.
Posted on 4/12/17 at 2:32 pm to MurpheyJT
quote:
Where do I even begin???
Like the others have said, start off going with a guide. Even though they are a little pricey, will be well worth your while. Learning one area well will really be beneficial as well, the marsh can be a dangerous place if you don't know it well. Underwater obstructions, low tides, etc. all things that get even seasoned guys.
Posted on 4/12/17 at 2:41 pm to MurpheyJT
get some fresh dead shrimp and fish them on the bottom Carolina style
You'll catch something
You'll catch something
Posted on 4/12/17 at 3:18 pm to MurpheyJT
quote:
I have a 16' Xpress with yamaha 40.
This should suit you just find in the inshore marshes, but you may want to do some extra preventative maintenance after running your boat in salt water like flushing the motor with freshwater.
quote:
All of my fishing gear is freshwater (& cheap). Will my spinning rod & reels with 6lb line be sufficient?
I'd recommend 20# to 30# test braided line to start out. You also might want to freshwater rinse all of your reels as soon as you get off the water and get home since you mentioned that they were cheaper.
Posted on 4/12/17 at 4:25 pm to Mark Makers
Download Google Earth and study maps.
This, it took 5 years of fishing the marsh to get to the point where I'm coming home with fish every weekend.
This, it took 5 years of fishing the marsh to get to the point where I'm coming home with fish every weekend.
Posted on 4/12/17 at 5:34 pm to MurpheyJT
Tackle: Upgrade line to 15# braid. Buy 15#-20# mono leader line, swivels, #5 trout hooks, 1/4-3/8 oz jig heads, coned popping corks(with concave top). You can interchange set ups between live and artificial.
Lures: white flukes, green sparkle beetles, matrix shad w/ green coloring, hard plastic plugs.
Locations: With a boat your size, stay in the marsh. Find shell bottoms of cuts or in small bays/lakes. Tide, wind, and water clarity dictate location.
Gear: GPS/depth finder, trolling motor, power poll/Cajun anchor.
Advice: Check tides, winds, and maps. Hauling arse through a marsh can be dangerous, make sure you study maps and know where main traveling waterways are.
Live bait in the summer and artificial in winter/spring. Speckled trout come in troves, sometimes the bite will be hot and slow which doesn't always mean it is time to move. Pay attention to where they are moving, water depth, and what the tide is doing. Sometimes a slight move can put you on the fish. This is important for efficient fishing in the future. Fishing a bank where the water goes from 4-8/12 ft (at the deepest) near a cut with a popping cork and a 3-4ft leader is ideal for that set up.
Never hit the big lakes in a westerly wind. Lake Borgne and Lake P will make you fear for your life if you attempt to fish it in your boat.
Good luck, Baw.
Lures: white flukes, green sparkle beetles, matrix shad w/ green coloring, hard plastic plugs.
Locations: With a boat your size, stay in the marsh. Find shell bottoms of cuts or in small bays/lakes. Tide, wind, and water clarity dictate location.
Gear: GPS/depth finder, trolling motor, power poll/Cajun anchor.
Advice: Check tides, winds, and maps. Hauling arse through a marsh can be dangerous, make sure you study maps and know where main traveling waterways are.
Live bait in the summer and artificial in winter/spring. Speckled trout come in troves, sometimes the bite will be hot and slow which doesn't always mean it is time to move. Pay attention to where they are moving, water depth, and what the tide is doing. Sometimes a slight move can put you on the fish. This is important for efficient fishing in the future. Fishing a bank where the water goes from 4-8/12 ft (at the deepest) near a cut with a popping cork and a 3-4ft leader is ideal for that set up.
Never hit the big lakes in a westerly wind. Lake Borgne and Lake P will make you fear for your life if you attempt to fish it in your boat.
Good luck, Baw.
This post was edited on 4/12/17 at 5:41 pm
Posted on 4/12/17 at 8:09 pm to MurpheyJT
quote:
Saltwater Fishing - Where to Begin?
Go to Tackle store:
By map with satellite imagery for the Mouth of the River (Venice area).
Bring scrimps.
Put some decent line on them reals.
By a GPS.
Have fun.
Posted on 4/13/17 at 1:52 am to MurpheyJT
12-15# line. It's a choice between mono or braid. First time you hook a big red and it pulls down into your spoil you will switch to Mono.
I use stren clear blue fluorescent 17# if fishing Lake Pontchatrain. Lighter sometimes other areas.
Your boat is fine for marsh and fall, winter and early spring trout.
The best advice I ever got was from an old gentleman down in Cocodrie.
He said pick you and area you want to fish and learn it. Learn the water. Learn how to find clean moving water with the wind blowing from different directions. Learn the hydraulics. How the water moves in and out with the tide and the wind.
As soon as you learn that you will always catch fish.
He said if you want to get a short course, take a few charter trips. Don't ask the guide for spots, ask him to explain the water. Most will share that info. You will soon be catching fish.
He was absolutely right. It took about 2 years. But more and more I started catching fish. I still learn new things. But in most conditions, not all, I can catch and and put people in my boat on fish.
If you want the names of some solid fishing guides from different areas I can put you in touch with them. I've become friends with them and owe a lot if not most of what I know to them.
I fish Cocodrie, Dularge and Lake Pontchatrain. I'm comfortable at all three. LP is different from the other 2. They are all on fire right now.
But except for really calm days, the window is closing for trout with your boat. I started with a 18 ft boat.
Send me a PM and I can give you a lot more info. Especially if you want to fish the 3 areas I mentioned.
Good Luck!
I use stren clear blue fluorescent 17# if fishing Lake Pontchatrain. Lighter sometimes other areas.
Your boat is fine for marsh and fall, winter and early spring trout.
The best advice I ever got was from an old gentleman down in Cocodrie.
He said pick you and area you want to fish and learn it. Learn the water. Learn how to find clean moving water with the wind blowing from different directions. Learn the hydraulics. How the water moves in and out with the tide and the wind.
As soon as you learn that you will always catch fish.
He said if you want to get a short course, take a few charter trips. Don't ask the guide for spots, ask him to explain the water. Most will share that info. You will soon be catching fish.
He was absolutely right. It took about 2 years. But more and more I started catching fish. I still learn new things. But in most conditions, not all, I can catch and and put people in my boat on fish.
If you want the names of some solid fishing guides from different areas I can put you in touch with them. I've become friends with them and owe a lot if not most of what I know to them.
I fish Cocodrie, Dularge and Lake Pontchatrain. I'm comfortable at all three. LP is different from the other 2. They are all on fire right now.
But except for really calm days, the window is closing for trout with your boat. I started with a 18 ft boat.
Send me a PM and I can give you a lot more info. Especially if you want to fish the 3 areas I mentioned.
Good Luck!
Posted on 4/13/17 at 10:24 am to meauxjeaux2
L O L 
Posted on 4/13/17 at 10:36 am to MurpheyJT
You got some great advice here! I second what an above poster said. Start with live bait!
Posted on 4/13/17 at 1:07 pm to MurpheyJT
If you want to use artificial for specks, fish winter months.
Chartruese is the main color I use. Buy some 1/8-1/4 oz jig heads with sharp hooks.
Fish slow. Find some drop offs since trout usually hang there looking to snag bait.
Chartruese is the main color I use. Buy some 1/8-1/4 oz jig heads with sharp hooks.
Fish slow. Find some drop offs since trout usually hang there looking to snag bait.
Posted on 4/13/17 at 1:28 pm to MurpheyJT
quote:
These seem like such simple questions, but honestly it seems so much more overwhelming than hitting a freshwater lake. Thanks for the help!
I love to freshwater fish as well but saltwater fishing is a lot easier. Do you fish freshwater on any tidal bodies of water? Inshore saltwater fishing is all about the wind and the tide. Understanding how the water enters and drains from the marsh is key.
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