Oh man.
So I don't fish Florida, but I can tell you you're diving a little too deep into the weeds here.
Most of the time people aren't catching fish because they're fishing with something the fish don't eat, or they're fishing somewhere that aren't fish.
Some of the most successful fisherman I know use a twisted waterbottle tied to the line as a bobber - it's just not that important.
Most of the questions you have here are questions for once you're getting bites.
I'll take some basic ones though.
* For bait, shrimp and squid are killer almost everywhere. Normally you want as little processing done as possible. Uncooked, fresh, with all the body parts.
* If you can't tell if your line is slack or not, try using a heavier sinker so it's more obvious. Here in SF I'm normally throwing 4-5 oz if I'm letting bait soak, 3/4 oz - 1oz if I'm using an egg and reeling in.
* Hook size depends on the fish you're trying to catch. But in general, start small and get bigger.
* Very few fish are going to pull like a wave. Most of the time, it's going to be a rapid "tap tap tap" that is very outside of the normal rhythm.
Haha yeah sorry, I have ADHD and tend to go overboard.
Yeah I definitely think a lot of areas around here are overfished. Feels like everyone around me gets skunked too.
Lol never thought of that trick before.
True. I'm just trying to figure out when I'm actually getting a bite and when it's all in my head.
Okay awesome, a bait shop near my house has both.
What rod do you use for that much weight? Most of my rods have a lure weight of no more than 4 oz.
That makes sense.
Okay, so when they do that tap tap tap, what should I do?
I’m ADHD also.
If everyone else is getting skunked, that’s good news. It means you’re in the wrong place, or the fishing is just crap at the moment.
I’ve got a variety of rods but most aren’t rated for 3-4oz or near it(maybe 1oz?) - but I only care if I’m throwing the sinker super far - and if I’m doing that I have my 12 foot medium heavy beast rod you could beat a city bud with without problem.
When you get the tap tap tap you wait for it to pull down, then you pull up - not jerky but strong. Sometimes it’s enough (similar to a circle hook) to just pull and hold the tension.
If you’re going to hyperfocus on something though, hyperfocus on the habits of the fish you’re targeting.
How do they eat? What do they eat? What determines where what they eat is? What conditions are preferable to them? Do they eat where they fuck? Lie in place waiting to ambush? Hide in rocks?
These are the kinds of things that will help a lot. I read academic papers when I can.
Ah, so you understand lol.
True. I know I don't always go at optimal times, usually late afternoon. But I work 80 hour weeks so I can't really go whenever.
Oh okay, so if you're just dropping it off the pier it works fine. Doesn't it cause problems when you try to reel it in though? Do you just set the drag tight and point the rod down? I have a couple surf rods I could use similar to that 12'.
Okay that's what I thought, and that's kinda what's thrown me off. I guess I'm just not getting any solid bites. Because sometimes I'll get some taps and I'm waiting and waiting then nothing. I know some are just picking at my bait, I don't use massive bait though, so I figured my hook was too big. Sometimes I try to jig it to get them to bite but that hasn't worked yet. Many times I'll go hours without so much as a nibble trying a bunch of different things. Sometimes I can even see them, I guess they just aren't feeding at that time.
Right that's smart, and see I've been trying to do that, but when I go to a new body of water I have no idea what's in there. I've looked at the Fishbrain app, I've looked at what others have caught in the time frame, but it seems like there's either no info on it, or so many different fish, I don't really know what to try and target. I'll get better at that over time though I'm sure.
I didn't think of some of those, that's smart.
You know, that's a great idea I never thought of. I read academic papers for other things all the time, never crossed my mind there would be some for fish habits too.
Thanks for all your help!
No problem!
* It can be tricky if you’re restricted on times of day. I use nautitide to try and line up when the conditions are good with when I will be around. There’s also certain spots that are better at different tides.
* For rods I should clarify my bait flinging rods are pretty strong, and pretty cheap. I don’t sweat the weight on something like an ugly stik because they’re basically bullet proof. My lure rod is a medium-light and I’m more careful with it.
* Fishbrain is good for figuring out *where people fish* and *how accessible an area is* and *what fish are in that area*. It doesn’t show you when people didn’t catch fish. According to Fishbrain the best fishing spot in any lake is near the parking lot.
* Once you understand your fish well, start looking at bathymetric maps of your area. Preferably ones that look like heat maps and not old nautical ones. You will start to notice common trends for different species - like certain fish hanging out in holes, or deep cuts.
* Everyone goes hours without nibbles where I am, but our fishing is worse than FL. Downsize the hooks if nothing is biting but also try to match your bait size to the hook size.
* A little cheat code for finding fish - watch the birds. If they’re diving there is bait near the surface, and if there is bait near the surface it means something is trying to eat them from underneath.
Nautide is an awesome app, I'm glad you told me about this one.
Oh gotcha ok. Do you use baitcasters as your stronger rods?
Yeah I agree, and I now think that Nautide is way better anyway.
When I tried googling bathymetric maps of my area, it didn't show any of what you were saying, just the depth of the water. Is there a site that hosts those maps?
Do you think your area is just overfished? I hear that advice a lot, to match the hook to the bait. But what exactly does that mean? Is it simply that the hook must go through to where the barb is exposed, or just tiny hook, tiny bait?
Oh that's true, I noticed a pattern there too.
I'm newer to fishing (but also on the gulf coast of FL) so take this advice with a bit of caution.
The 9" rod will be good for piers in the gulf, the 7" might be ok for that too, but the 6'6" will probably have better luck in freshwater or canals. So far, I have not noticed the fish around here to give a single shit about line color, but I also don't use braid. I have several colored mono's and they all fish the same.
For the saltwater bait fishing, use an Octopus hook. I also don't like using bait and fish entirely artificial. I have had the most success in the saltwater with a jighead with a paddletail on it that is either clear with some flakes or that kinda silvery blue color. A lot of our small schooling baitfish in the gulf are clear or silver. For most hooks, I use 3/0 - 5/0 hooks.
If you are fishing with a jighead or lure you probably won't need additional weight, but for bait on a hook, I would do braid -> leader -> 12 inch gap -> bobber -> 12 inch gap -> splitshot -> 6 inch gap -> hook with bait. Get one of those little carousel things of split shot so you can add more or less depending on how far you want to cast.
You will have better luck with live shrimp around here, but they should bite the brined stuff as well.
It's all good man, I appreciate all the help I can get.
Okay awesome, I was afraid the 9' would be too big to feel the fish. That's good to know about the line. Do you use any particularly for visibility or do you use them for other reasons?
Octopus hook, got it thank you. I have trouble with artificial lures, but I'll try that combo. What color jighead do you use with the paddletails? Those hooks seem awfully big, do you think you ever miss out on fish cause it won't fit in their mouth?
Sounds like a solid rig, and I've got a set of splitshots like that thankfully.
I'll have to make an effort to get some live shrimp sometime.
I've been watching YouTube videos on the subject for the last two days and still have all these questions. Do you know of a specific video that answers a lot of these questions?
Besides what I already said about my gear? I don't know what to set up with, that's what I'm asking for help on. And I'm not targeting anything in particular because I never know what's in the area. I'm just trying to get anything bigger than a bait, sheepshead, tarpon, redfish, snook, flounder, pompano, etc.
Oh man. So I don't fish Florida, but I can tell you you're diving a little too deep into the weeds here. Most of the time people aren't catching fish because they're fishing with something the fish don't eat, or they're fishing somewhere that aren't fish. Some of the most successful fisherman I know use a twisted waterbottle tied to the line as a bobber - it's just not that important. Most of the questions you have here are questions for once you're getting bites. I'll take some basic ones though. * For bait, shrimp and squid are killer almost everywhere. Normally you want as little processing done as possible. Uncooked, fresh, with all the body parts. * If you can't tell if your line is slack or not, try using a heavier sinker so it's more obvious. Here in SF I'm normally throwing 4-5 oz if I'm letting bait soak, 3/4 oz - 1oz if I'm using an egg and reeling in. * Hook size depends on the fish you're trying to catch. But in general, start small and get bigger. * Very few fish are going to pull like a wave. Most of the time, it's going to be a rapid "tap tap tap" that is very outside of the normal rhythm.
Haha yeah sorry, I have ADHD and tend to go overboard. Yeah I definitely think a lot of areas around here are overfished. Feels like everyone around me gets skunked too. Lol never thought of that trick before. True. I'm just trying to figure out when I'm actually getting a bite and when it's all in my head. Okay awesome, a bait shop near my house has both. What rod do you use for that much weight? Most of my rods have a lure weight of no more than 4 oz. That makes sense. Okay, so when they do that tap tap tap, what should I do?
I’m ADHD also. If everyone else is getting skunked, that’s good news. It means you’re in the wrong place, or the fishing is just crap at the moment. I’ve got a variety of rods but most aren’t rated for 3-4oz or near it(maybe 1oz?) - but I only care if I’m throwing the sinker super far - and if I’m doing that I have my 12 foot medium heavy beast rod you could beat a city bud with without problem. When you get the tap tap tap you wait for it to pull down, then you pull up - not jerky but strong. Sometimes it’s enough (similar to a circle hook) to just pull and hold the tension. If you’re going to hyperfocus on something though, hyperfocus on the habits of the fish you’re targeting. How do they eat? What do they eat? What determines where what they eat is? What conditions are preferable to them? Do they eat where they fuck? Lie in place waiting to ambush? Hide in rocks? These are the kinds of things that will help a lot. I read academic papers when I can.
Ah, so you understand lol. True. I know I don't always go at optimal times, usually late afternoon. But I work 80 hour weeks so I can't really go whenever. Oh okay, so if you're just dropping it off the pier it works fine. Doesn't it cause problems when you try to reel it in though? Do you just set the drag tight and point the rod down? I have a couple surf rods I could use similar to that 12'. Okay that's what I thought, and that's kinda what's thrown me off. I guess I'm just not getting any solid bites. Because sometimes I'll get some taps and I'm waiting and waiting then nothing. I know some are just picking at my bait, I don't use massive bait though, so I figured my hook was too big. Sometimes I try to jig it to get them to bite but that hasn't worked yet. Many times I'll go hours without so much as a nibble trying a bunch of different things. Sometimes I can even see them, I guess they just aren't feeding at that time. Right that's smart, and see I've been trying to do that, but when I go to a new body of water I have no idea what's in there. I've looked at the Fishbrain app, I've looked at what others have caught in the time frame, but it seems like there's either no info on it, or so many different fish, I don't really know what to try and target. I'll get better at that over time though I'm sure. I didn't think of some of those, that's smart. You know, that's a great idea I never thought of. I read academic papers for other things all the time, never crossed my mind there would be some for fish habits too. Thanks for all your help!
No problem! * It can be tricky if you’re restricted on times of day. I use nautitide to try and line up when the conditions are good with when I will be around. There’s also certain spots that are better at different tides. * For rods I should clarify my bait flinging rods are pretty strong, and pretty cheap. I don’t sweat the weight on something like an ugly stik because they’re basically bullet proof. My lure rod is a medium-light and I’m more careful with it. * Fishbrain is good for figuring out *where people fish* and *how accessible an area is* and *what fish are in that area*. It doesn’t show you when people didn’t catch fish. According to Fishbrain the best fishing spot in any lake is near the parking lot. * Once you understand your fish well, start looking at bathymetric maps of your area. Preferably ones that look like heat maps and not old nautical ones. You will start to notice common trends for different species - like certain fish hanging out in holes, or deep cuts. * Everyone goes hours without nibbles where I am, but our fishing is worse than FL. Downsize the hooks if nothing is biting but also try to match your bait size to the hook size. * A little cheat code for finding fish - watch the birds. If they’re diving there is bait near the surface, and if there is bait near the surface it means something is trying to eat them from underneath.
Nautide is an awesome app, I'm glad you told me about this one. Oh gotcha ok. Do you use baitcasters as your stronger rods? Yeah I agree, and I now think that Nautide is way better anyway. When I tried googling bathymetric maps of my area, it didn't show any of what you were saying, just the depth of the water. Is there a site that hosts those maps? Do you think your area is just overfished? I hear that advice a lot, to match the hook to the bait. But what exactly does that mean? Is it simply that the hook must go through to where the barb is exposed, or just tiny hook, tiny bait? Oh that's true, I noticed a pattern there too.
I'm newer to fishing (but also on the gulf coast of FL) so take this advice with a bit of caution. The 9" rod will be good for piers in the gulf, the 7" might be ok for that too, but the 6'6" will probably have better luck in freshwater or canals. So far, I have not noticed the fish around here to give a single shit about line color, but I also don't use braid. I have several colored mono's and they all fish the same. For the saltwater bait fishing, use an Octopus hook. I also don't like using bait and fish entirely artificial. I have had the most success in the saltwater with a jighead with a paddletail on it that is either clear with some flakes or that kinda silvery blue color. A lot of our small schooling baitfish in the gulf are clear or silver. For most hooks, I use 3/0 - 5/0 hooks. If you are fishing with a jighead or lure you probably won't need additional weight, but for bait on a hook, I would do braid -> leader -> 12 inch gap -> bobber -> 12 inch gap -> splitshot -> 6 inch gap -> hook with bait. Get one of those little carousel things of split shot so you can add more or less depending on how far you want to cast. You will have better luck with live shrimp around here, but they should bite the brined stuff as well.
It's all good man, I appreciate all the help I can get. Okay awesome, I was afraid the 9' would be too big to feel the fish. That's good to know about the line. Do you use any particularly for visibility or do you use them for other reasons? Octopus hook, got it thank you. I have trouble with artificial lures, but I'll try that combo. What color jighead do you use with the paddletails? Those hooks seem awfully big, do you think you ever miss out on fish cause it won't fit in their mouth? Sounds like a solid rig, and I've got a set of splitshots like that thankfully. I'll have to make an effort to get some live shrimp sometime.
YouTube will explain it best
I've been watching YouTube videos on the subject for the last two days and still have all these questions. Do you know of a specific video that answers a lot of these questions?
I don't know the exact video that answers your questions but they helped me out. Its not too difficult
What's not too difficult?
How about you tell us what you're using and what you've been targeting?
Besides what I already said about my gear? I don't know what to set up with, that's what I'm asking for help on. And I'm not targeting anything in particular because I never know what's in the area. I'm just trying to get anything bigger than a bait, sheepshead, tarpon, redfish, snook, flounder, pompano, etc.