I learned how to fish from shore with a spinning rod and a handful of tackle. Eventually, I graduated to offshore fishing with a garage full of rods, reels, lures and rigs. Along the way, I learned some hard lessons, and I had a lot of fun. Saltwater fishing is difficult; the ocean is big and finding fish is intimidating. But the payoff is catching a large fish or filling a cooler with fillets. Starting with a simple spinning rod and a handful of tackle, anglers can target a wide variety of fish from the beach, pier or a small boat. The hardest part of saltwater fishing is getting started.
Essential Gear
The first step in saltwater fishing is rigging up. A simple fishing rod and a handful of tackle provides access to a ton of fishing opportunities. Start with a seven-foot, medium-action spinning rod and 2500 size reel. To save money and guarantee a matching rod and reel, pick up a premade combo from a reputable manufacturer. A rod and reel combo for saltwater is corrosion-resistant and durable. Look for a reel with brass gears and stainless steel components matched to a fishing rod made of graphite or composite material. This combo will last for years and carry a beginner to intermediate and expert-level fishing.
Line
There are three types of fishing line: monofilament, fluorocarbon and braid. A good start is spooling the spinning reel with 20-pound braided line. Braided line is thinner and more sensitive, so it casts farther, sinks faster and transmits every bump and bite on the lure.
The downside of braided line is knot strength and line visibility. To improve knot strength and reduce visibility, use a double uni knot to attach two feet of 30-pound fluorocarbon to the end of the braided mainline. Fluorocarbon is abrasion-resistant, virtually invisible underwater and easier to tie into a knot than braided fishing line.
Monofilament is great for trolling because it has more stretch than fluorocarbon to absorb the shock of a fish striking a trolling lure. Monofilament is stiffer than braided line, so it resists tangling.
Terminal Tackle
The next step is adding hooks, lures, floats and weights. With a few basic rigs and a couple lures, a beginning angler can target a wide variety of fish.
To start out, a selection of J-hooks and circle hooks size 1/0 to 5/0 matches a wide variety of bait sizes. J-hooks work best when I’m holding the fishing rod and waiting for a bite and circle hooks are best when I stick the rod in a rod holder and let the fish hook itself. I can use the hooks to make a variety of bait rigs including top-bottom, Carolina and popping cork rigs
Lures fall into categories aligned to the water depth. Jigs work the bottom, suspended lures work the middle and topwater fish the water’s surface. I mostly use a lead jighead and soft-plastic tail. I like a jighead with a heavy-duty, wide gap hook to snare a big fish. Let the jig sink to the bottom and retrieve by lifting the rod tip to bounce the lure off the bottom then reeling in line. Or, cast the jig out and steadily retrieve line to swim the lure higher in the water column.
Suspended lures are designed to sink a specific depth and to target fish in the middle of the water column. The lures are labeled with the recommended depth. Choose a suspended lure shaped and colored to match the local baitfish. Cast out a lipped suspended lure, allow the lure to sink for a few seconds, then retrieve steadily. Twitchbaits are designed to sink slowly. Cast out, let the lure sink for a few seconds then give the rod tip a couple quick jerks to make the lure twitch. Between pauses, hold the rod steady and let the lure sink back to depth. Then give the rod a couple twitches and crank in a few feet of line, pause and let the lure sink.
Topwater lures offer an exciting opportunity to watch a fish attack the lure. To work a popper or walk-the-dog topwater lure, I retrieve line while twitching the rod tip to cause the lure to dance across the surface. With a wakebait, I cast out the lure and retrieve at a steady pace; the lure’s plastic lip makes it zig-zag across the surface.
Safety Gear
Fishing is a safe sport, but anglers face some dangers on the water. According to the Coast Guard, 87 percent of drowning victims were not wearing a life jacket. I wear an inflatable life vest when I’m fishing on my boat and a foam PFD in my kayak. Anglers with reduced mobility should wear a life vest anytime they are near the water. Inflatable life vests are light, small and comfortable. An automatic inflatable life vest activates when it contacts water, so I’m safe if I lose consciousness and fall overboard.
The sun’s harmful rays are a hidden danger of sportfishing. Not only can the sun cause a painful sunburn, but long-term effects include deadly cancer. To protect myself from harm, I wear light-colored, loose-fitting long-sleeved shirt and long pants. A wide-brim hat and neck gaiter protect my head. Fingerless gloves cover my hands while allowing me to tie knots and cast my rod. Breathable and water-shedding shoes protect my feet from sun damage and other injuries.
The most important accessory is a good pair of polarized sunglasses. The lenses are crystal clear polycarbonate or glass with dark tint to block harmful UV rays. Polarization crisscrosses the lens with invisible lines to reduce glare from the sun’s rays bouncing off the water. This increases clarity and allows me to see through the surface of the water. To block sun from entering the side of the sunglasses, I wear sunglasses with a thick frame and large lenses. My sunglass frames are vented and channeled to release moisture and prevent fogging.
Even fully covered in clothes and sunglasses, I apply SPF 50 sunblock to my hands and face to prevent incidental exposure to the sun.
Fishing involves sharp and pointy objects. I am in danger of cutting myself with my knife, poking myself with a hook or a fish biting or sticking me with teeth and spines. The first defense is carefully handling fish, hooks and knives. Always use the right tool for the job. Never use a knife to cut fishing line; I use scissors. Always use pliers to remove a hook from a fish. A pair of fishing gloves and a terry cloth rag defend my hands from fish spines and sharp teeth. For an extra level of safety, I remove the barb from treble hooks to make a fish easier to unhook and, if I do hook myself, I can simply back out the hook and keep fishing.
Choosing Your Location
Unlike freshwater fish confined in lakes and ponds, saltwater fish move great distances daily. Where I live, I target speckled trout in the spring and fall and redfish through the summer. Some locations provide access to spot and croaker while other areas hold striped bass and bluefish.
For a beginning angler, the best strategy is to follow the crowd. Start fishing on a fishing pier or public access point. Not only do these locations allow me to cast my line into a fishy area, but I meet other anglers who share knowledge and experience.
Coastal waters cover miles of shoreline and every inch of beach or bank is a potential fishing location. The general rule is to find deep water near the shore for the best shot of finding fish. I search satellite images on Google Earth and nautical charts from Navionics to find shore fishing locations with public access.
A boat or kayak increases my fishing range to improve my chances of finding fish. Everyone knows fish love structure. I search nautical charts for reefs, channels, shipwrecks, jetties, towers, sandbars and flats. Offshore anglers look for tide lines or current seams to find fish. Anyplace where the water or bottom are interrupted by an anomaly gives prey a place to hide and predators a place to hunt.
Essential Techniques
Casting a spinning reel is easy. I hold the rod horizontally with my right index finger in front of the reel’s foot, my middle, pinky and ring finger behind the foot and my thumb wrapped around the reel seat. My left hand grips the rod butt. To prepare to cast, I loop my pointer finger around the fishing line and open the reel’s bail so the line is free to leave the spool. With the lure dangling a foot from the rod tip, I swing the rod so the tip is behind my head. My right hand is the fulcrum and my left hand works the rod butt like a lever to whip the rod tip in an arch over my head. When the rod tip is pointing the direction I want to cast, I release the line and the lure flies through the air. To stop the flight and land the lure on my target, I use my left hand to cup the reel spool and arrest the fishing line.
For shorter casts, I the rod like a pendulum to swing the lure. As the lure gains momentum, I release the line and lob the lure at my target.
Bottom fishing is harder than it looks. The key is keeping the lure on the bottom without slack in the fishing line. To make a drop, I dangle the lure over the water while holding the line with my pointer finger and opening the bail. Then, I release the line and let the lure fall through the water. When the fishing line stops leaving the reel spool and goes slack, I close the bail and crank the handle a few turns to retrieve any loose line. Keeping my line tight improves sensitivity so I can feel the lure on the bottom and a fish nibbling on my bait. To maintain contact with the bottom, I periodically lift and drop the rod tip. If the line goes slack and I feel the bottom, I know I’m in the right place. If the line does not go slack, I let out more line to drop the lure deeper.
Landing and Handling Fish
Preparation and patience pay off when a fish is on the line. Feeling a fish bite and then struggle for its life is thrilling. Working the rod and reel to retrieve line and let the fish run while praying the hooks and line hold is nerve wracking.
Hooking the fish is the first step. When I feel a fish bite, I lift the rod tip to reduce slack line and force the hook point into the fish’s mouth. With a circle hook, I crank the line tight to pull the hook into the corner of the fish’s mouth.
The key to landing a fish is avoiding slack in the line that could allow the hook to fall out of the fish’s mouth. Reel line in and then pause for the fish to take drag, always keeping pressure on the line. When the fish runs, I stop turning the reel handle to let the drag release line from the spool. I set the drag pressure at ⅓ the breaking strength of the line. As the fish slows down and I feel the line lose tension, I turn the reel handle to retrieve line. For the best chance at winning the battle, learn the fine line between retrieving line and letting the fish run.
At the end of the battle, I need to lift the fish out of the water and into the boat. Smaller fish I swing out of the water. The best way to land a larger fish is with a landing net. I use a net with a handle long enough to reach the water and a hoop big enough to accommodate the size of my target species.
When the fish is just below the surface, I lower the net hoop halfway into the water. Then, I use the rod tip to direct the fish headfirst into the hoop. Once the fish is completely in the net, I lift the handle to pull the fish out of the water and swing it onto my boat deck.
Pier anglers use the same technique with a pier net, a large hoop attached to a long rope. To land a fish on shore, I work the fish into shallow water and then use the rod tip to drag the fish up the beach.
I use needle-nose pliers to remove the hook. If I’m keeping the fish, I use the net to carry the fish to the cooler. To release a fish, I quickly unhook it and use a fish gripper to hold the jaw while my other hand cradles the fish’s belly. Then I lower the fish into the water and hold it until I feel the fish regain consciousness and swim off healthy.
Conclusion
Saltwater fishing is fun for beginners and experts alike. The challenge of finding and fooling a fish doesn’t decrease with years of experience. The more I learn about fishing, the more I challenge myself to target species that are difficult to catch in locations that are difficult to reach. After decades on the water, I still have days when I don’t catch anything. All the time, I snag lures and lose fish.
Fishing appeals to people who are determined and patient. I never give up and I’m always willing to put in more hours on the water. To learn how to fish, I consult experts at the tackle shop and hire local guides to show me the ropes. I watch videos and read material on the species I target and learn from anglers targeting other species.
I learned the basics by fishing from piers, jetties and party boats. Over the years, I moved up to shore fishing and then kayak and boat fishing.
In the end, a day on the water is the prize and catching a fish is a bonus. Waking up early, driving to the fishing grounds, waiting for the bite, fighting the fish and enjoying a fresh seafood dinner are all part of the fun. And, like the old salts say, “You can’t catch them from the couch.”
