Salt Water Fishing

[Teri C.]

While I am on the "how to", I would like to know what I need to do some basic ocean fishing. I just booked at trip to Sanibel Island over Thanksgiving and I plan on smuggling some fishing gear with me. I only went deep sea fishing once when I was a kid.



What reel should I bring, spinning or bait cast? What pound line? My rod selection will be scare because most of my rods aren't 2 pieces.



What lures can I use? The same ones I use for bass fishing? I will probably just be fishing from the beach, no boat.



Will the water damage my fresh water stuff??



Don't want to spend money, just want to know what I can use that I already have. Any info would be helpful.

 

[Roy Cody]

Teri,



Don't use any of your tackle that has magnesium spools. The salt will destroy them.



RoyC

 

[Sue DeLelys]

Teri,



Give me a call at Guest at 1-888-483-7865 ext 135. I've been in the area several times and have some info I can pass along.



Sue D.

 

[Bill Hamilton]

Teri - Just got back from Sanibel / Captiva about two weeks ago. Spinning or baitcasting is OK and many of the same lures that you use for bass fishing will work. I would also use some natural baits (shrimp / cut up bait / bloodworms / etc) and fish from some of the piers.



Noticed that on the north end of Captiva many were on the beach using fly fishing gear with some success.



If you use your freshwater gear make sure you hose it down after every use. Leeward side is mostly brackish water (mixture of salt / fresh) but can still wreak havoc on your gear.



Enjoy the island(s). We were there the full week between the two hurricanes and our weather was perfect!

 

[Teri C.]

Does a Curado have a magnesium spool?

 

[Roy Cody]

The standard Curado has an aluminum spool. I believe the Super Free models come with the magnesium spools.



You can go to the shimano website for details.



RoyC

 

[brooks williams]

Fall is a great time of the year to be in Florida. I fish a lot of inshore saltwater for seatrout and redfish and use my bass rods and reels. If you have a few older or seldom used combos, use those. Make sure you wash em down really well and you should have no problems. I like spinning reels to sling live bait rigs (shrimp catch everything) and jigs, and baitcasters for topwater (use your big zara spooks, rapalas, etc.) or soft jerkbaits (super flukes, etc.).



Find a jetty on a cut between islands or try wading in protected waters on the bay side. Off the beach it will take a long cast and heavy lead to tame the surf.

 

[Staci Matheis]

Teri -



I've been to Florida a number of times. My father lives in Naples and I used to tow my boat the 1200 miles just so I could fish the waters between the Everglades and the Gulf!



As I reported in another thread, I used to love to fish the areas around my father's dock and near the mangroves with light spinning tackle and 6# line. I'd use a shad-colored Zoom fluke or Slugo on a #3 wide gap hook.



You can also purchase shrimp and crabs - they are phenomenal! I'd use them on medium or medium-heavy baitcaters.



You'll find the waters loaded with Jacks, Sheepshead, Lady Fish (poor man's tarpon), Snapper, Trout, Snook and, if you're lucky, every once and a while a small tarpon! The jacks are a ton of FUN!! They fight like crazy! Lots of rays and sail fin catfish.



BE VERY CAREFUL OF THE SAIL FIN CATFISH. They have the nastiest poison in their spines. Hurts like hell if you get stuck. They are all over the place down there.



Have fun!

me!





This picture was taken about 1997. I was on an island that was only about one acre in size just southeast of Marco Island. The Gulf is immediately to the left.