I've never fished in saltwater before and I'm planning to for the first time next summer.  This type of fishing is so unlike what I've done before, so I'm really stumped.  I am planning on surf fishing and fishing off of a pier in either Florida or North Carolina.  What species of fish would I be able to catch?  I've already considered fishing for sharks with meat chunks or catching Redfish and Snook with live shrimp or shrimp immitations.  Also, what type of tackle would I need?  Line size, rod length, reel size, etc.?

well if you are fishing in nc i can help. i usualy fish for flounder and sea bass, use a 7 ft rod with a spining reel spooled with 20 lb mono or braided. you can either cast and retreev using a 1 oz. sinker size 2/0 hook witha squid strip, gulp 3'' mullets or shrimp (gulp)with not such a fast retrive. or you can let the bait sit by using a 3 oz sinker and some clams.
iknow that you being a freshwater angler you will be woried about the presentation and all that stuff but dont wory i am a fresh water and saltwater angler so you can trust me any questions just ask dont hesitate if you think i wont know what your talking about.

Do you surf fish or fish off a pier with the presentation you were talking about, or does it matter?

What type of Sea Bass do you catch?  White or Black? (I'm not familiar with the different species range)

Sorry about all the questions.  I figured seeking info from you would be better than refering to a 20 yr. old saltwater fishing book.

Thanks for the help!

forget about presentation i fish for black sea bass and there isent a huge difference between peir and surf fishing. i sudgest the shakespear peir/surf fishing rod, it comes with every thing you need

Have you caught a shark before?  If so, what tackle and bait would you recomend?

Do I have to worry about losing a digit?

sorry iv never caught a shark before (other than a baby shark icought by mistake try posting in the offshore section. i forgot to mention from a pier you can use jiging spoons. i would sugest viper spoons
any questions pleas e-mail me at ralphrox@aol.com because i wont be able to use the computer for a while but i can e-mail from my phone

Hey FisherFanatic...This is what I would do...Once you get to where you are going (Florida, S.Carolina) go to a local tackle shop and pick their brain...ask a million questions, they should be able to help and direct you to where the fish are and what kind of bait to use and what kind of tackle to use. For starters, I would use a 7ft med/hvy rod with 30 lb braid (I use Power Pro). As for the reel, being that you are going to fishing from shore or pier, I would use a good spinning reel, in the med. class ( I use Quantum Cabo 40) so you can get some good long casts. As for bait...nothing is better than fresh bait for saltwater. Here in NY, we use Bunker for Bluefish, Stripedbass. We use Clam and Spearing for Fluke, Porgies, Seabass, Weakfish. Artificial baits are good if there not hitting the fresh bait so keep a couple of lures, spoons in your tacklebox. Oh, dont forget flurocarbon leader...don't tie your hooks directly to your main line...your not bass fishing anymore...lol
There's alot more, such as terminal tackle: fish finder rigs, 3 way swivels, bank sinkers etc, etc...also what types of hooks: circle, octopus, o'shaughnessy and bait holder. Alot of info to learn, but you got all winter...Good luck! If you have any questions, dont hesitate to ask..

Hey Fisherfanatic, As a former Long Islander your post picture scares me. Almost all Saltwater fish have sharp teeth or gill plates. What ever you catch, please refrain from putting thumbs or any other digits in a Saltwater fish's mouth, if you plan to keep those digits. You will definitely want to step up to a med/heavy pole 6 1/2 to 7 feet and start at 30lb test. The thing to remember with Saltwater is you may be targeting one species but catching quite a few others. My last Sea Bass trip we caught Sea Bass, Trigger ,porgie, Tautog ( i really hated to throw that one back) , Blue Fish, a Nice Fluke, et****il you are used to it. it is better to over size you equipment than to undersize.

I kinda figured that saltwater fish would have a larger set of chompers and that you might want to stay away from them!

Then again, you might see me on the news someday:
Loonatic fisherman gets his hand severed by a five foot Lemon Shark.  He obviously wasn't using his brain, as he stuck his hand right in it's mouth to remove the hook...

Thanks for all the help!

yup that is very true. OVER SIZE THE TACKLE

Rinse the tackle off after each use. Salt rusts metal.

Tight lines,

Salty Dan
Orange Texas

o forgot to mention chiken works realy well. just regular raw chiken meat. you can either cut them up in to strips and use it like squid or use chunks like using clams

I think that is one of the more important tips to remember.

Posted By fisherfanatic on 18 Nov 2010 03:35 PM
I kinda figured that saltwater fish would have a larger set of chompers and that you might want to stay away from them!

Then again, you might see me on the news someday:
Loonatic fisherman gets his hand severed by a five foot Lemon Shark.  He obviously wasn't using his brain, as he stuck his hand right in it's mouth to remove the hook...

Thanks for all the help!

C'mon put your hand in there   If you know how to handle them dangerous fish, sharks, etc are fun...

If you intend to Shark fish. I highly advise do NOT fish alone! Try to find someone to take to help you with your catch. Debarb your hook, and use a long dehooking tool for shark! Catch ladyfish, sting rays etc, use them Live if possible, and many large sharks are located in the surf, you do not need to fish offshore for big ones. They are found every where. I know i fish inshore, and offshore. Use a good stand up rod, preferably 6' with 65 lb rated braid, a 4 ought Penn reel would be good. 300# rated barrel swivel, 200# single strand twist wire, with a minimum 16 ought Circle hook to 20, or 12 ought J hooks minimum. Good Luck.