Whether you are a brand new angler or an established one, you may feel a bit overwhelmed when you see these large fishing boats outfitted with all of the latest electronic gadgets. In fact, some fishing boats contain electronic fish finders, depth finders, GPS coordinates and a variety of other tools that you may think give the inshore saltwater anglers advantages that you simply do not have, nor do you necessarily have the funds to acquire. So, if you’re not a rich angler that can compete with these larger anglers, you might be wondering if you need to forgo the sport of inshore saltwater fishing. Actually, you couldn’t be more wrong, you just have to identify resources that can help you become adept at adapting!
Using online resources
The internet has opened up a whole new world for anglers and others. Take some time to investigate the websites that offer information for shoreline areas where you’ll be fishing. Many of these sites offer forums where anglers can share information with others who are interested in fishing specific areas. You might be surprised at the amount of information and you’ll quickly find that it was well worth your time to stop by. If you do find information that’s helpful, make sure you stop back and let others know about the tip you used and how successful it was, share it with others for their future use.
Local Tackle Shops
Your local area is no doubt a wealth of great information about fishing holes that anglers have found worth spending time at. Simply make a trip to your local bait and tackle shop, and you can pick up all types of tips. Just remember that information sharing is a two way street, and you’ll get a far better reception if you are a “buyer” rather than an information seeker. If you indicate that you’re a beginner and in need of help and guidance you’ll more than likely get some help, especially from more established anglers.
Local Fishing Clubs
Take a look at your community pages in your town and find out if there is a local fishing club. It’s true that these clubs are usually membership based, but they are comprised of members with a passion for fishing. What could be better than hanging out with anglers with a love of the sport and sharing stories and collecting information in a casual setting? Not only that, but fishing clubs tend to interest only serious anglers, so you won’t find a lot of ‘non-fishermen’ in the group.
Charter Cruises
Local charter cruises are set up with one goal in mind, to connect anglers with fish during a brief tour of the waterway. Keep this in mind and consider dropping the considerable fee. You might be surprised at how much information that you can pick up about the local waterways and you will most likely figure it was worth the price. These charters are popular because the captains know the waterways like the back of their hands and they often offer plenty of words of wisdom that you’ll be able to use on your own. Although some people may consider it a waste of funds, if you hire a fishing captain to take you on a chartered fishing cruise, you might be surprised at how much information you can garner from one of these trips. Remember, these charters make their money by taking anglers to the most populated areas for fishing. If you listen while you’re on board, you can glean great information from not only the captain, but other anglers. This is all information that you can use later when fishing on your own.
Check out the Wildlife
When you were fishing the last time you probably noticed a group of birds overhead. There’s a reason for this, they are far more in tune to what is happening in the water than most anglers are. In fact, it’s not unusual to see seagulls, osprey, eagles and cormorants overhead.
Ocean birds like osprey, cormorants and eagles feed on baitfish and you can spot them circling around an area and screeching at the top of their voices – this is a good indication that they have located a bait-fish school. Since stripers and blues feed on many baitfishes, it’s highly likely they are not too far behind.
Area Anglers
As you walk along the beach, you may see a few things that tip you off to a good fishing area. One of these of course is a group of happy anglers. These fisherman are generally in small groups and are easily identified by loud whoops and bent rods. Another good sign that an area is going to produce a decent fishing trip is blood and scales along docks, jetties and the beach. This means that in the not too distant past, someone has been very successful fishing that area.
You can spend some extra time in getting to know the area that you’re interested in fishing to find out the right time of day and the right bait for inshore saltwater fishing, or you can spend thousands of dollars on a big expensive boat and all the toys that you need to be successful. You make the decision about which method you prefer.
When you are preparing to undergo a saltwater fishing experience, it is important that you have the proper fishing gear. Some of the most popular gear include Shimino Reel, Okuma Reel and Van Staal Reel.
