Reel Florida Fishing

Here are a couple tips for tackle when getting ready to head out for your long awaited weekend fishing trip. This is somewhat of a “before I go fishing” mental checklist to increase the skill vs. luck ratio.

What’s the first thing you think of when you hit the water? Bait! That is one of the many things that will make or break your fishing trip. I always say that more is better with bait. The more you have the less likely that you will run out and the more you have to entice the fish as far as chumming goes.  Not only do I like to have as much as my bait well can hold but I also like to have a good variety of sizes and species. For example when I go out for grouper I like to have dead, alive, sardines, pinfish, squirrel fish, and squid, and that’s just the start of the list. Another thing to remember is when fishing with live bait if you see it close to dead throw it off and put new bait on. No use in using dead “live bait.” When using dead bait such as sardines or squid try to have it as fresh as possible. The fresh bait will not only stay on your hook longer but it will put off a stronger scent.

Downsize your tackle! Don’t be afraid of using a small wire hook. It will penetrate the mouth or lip faster and most of the time you will land more fish. I also once heard an old fishing guide say that he crushed all of his barbs so there was less resistance when hooking the fish.
When choosing an artificial always remember to “match the hatch.”  Which basically means to come as close as you can to the natural surrounding bait. Four important factors to remember are size, color, shape, and sink rate. When determining the sink rate of the lure always try to stay in the feeding column of the water for your species.  Always remember to “see clearly” which is the term I use for choosing the right color depending on the clarity of the water. You always want the fish to see your lure as easy as possible.
Try to use the lightest tackle you can. How small of a sinker can you use to get to the bottom? How light of a leader line can you use? These are the kinds of questions you want to ask yourself before going out on your next fishing trip.
Fish don’t like stuff that looks different from what their used to. Fish expect their bait to be swimming in the current and once you can put your bait in front of the fish and have it looking natural in the current. Then the next step is to present you bait like it is trying to escape. Once you have satisfied these requirements the strike should be imminent.
The next big thing that most fisher men over look is silence. Being quite is one of the most important aspects of fishing. Being able to sneak up on a school of fish will make your attempt to catch fish profitable. Once the fish has realized you are there it becomes increasingly harder to trick them into biting the bait. My suggestion is to use a push poll or an electric motor and to keep your distance.
To me the most important question you should ask yourself when looking to catch a certain species of fish is “Where in the water column are my fish?” The tide is very important; it dictates whether or not your fish are on the flats or under fishing docks. Some fish will only bite at certain stages of the tide. My suggestion is to set up a system that finds a pattern to produces more fish.
One of the biggest misconceptions in fishing is setting the hook. Most people believe that yanking the fishing rod back is the best technique. In all reality, I have caught more fish using the reel to set the hook.