As an angler or a fishing enthusiast, you might have known that fishing is the most popular and common recreational pastime in America. Other pastimes such as golf, tennis, sailing, etc. are, in no way, close to fishing regarding popularity and rating. Approximately 25 million people are associated with only saltwater fishing in America. Whether it’s deep-sea fishing or inshore fishing, people related to saltwater fishing know how thrilling and enjoyable it can be. Let’s get the full picture of saltwater fishing.
Types of Saltwater Fishing – Saltwater Fishing Guide
1. Inshore Saltwater Fishing
Inshore saltwater fishing includes all kinds of fishing that do not need any boat. Inshore saltwater fishing involves fishing from the beach or the piers. It also includes drone fishing as well. There are three types of inshore saltwater fishing.
2. Surf Fishing
It means fishing from the beach. Surf fishing is not easy, but it is enjoyable and exciting. You need to get drenched in the sea water for surf fishing. You also need quality surf fishing reels for an enjoyable surf fishing experience.
3. Pier Fishing
Most of the piers are located near seawalls or bulkheads. You can get on these piers to catch fish without getting drenched in salted water.
4. Drone Fishing
It’s a new phenomenon. Using drones to catch fish from the beach is called drone fishing. It makes surf fishing a lot easier. However, drones can be used for deep-sea fishing also.
5. Deep-Sea Fishing
Deep-sea fishing means fishing offshore and fishing out on the open ocean. If you are a professional angler and you have a boat that can be navigated even in the unwanted conditions of the ocean, deep-sea fishing is a thrilling and profitable business for you. However, you must take some preparations and precautions before going for the deep-sea fishing even if you are a professional angler. So, if you are a beginner, you might go with a professional and learn from him.
Saltwater Fishing Gears
Saltwater fishing gears are naturally different from the freshwater fishing gears. The types and nature of the saltwater fishing gears depend upon whether you are into deep-sea fishing, surf fishing onshore, or fishing from a bridge or pier. There are different kinds of fishing gears available for different types of saltwater fishing.
1. Saltwater Fishing Boats
For deep-sea fishing, a heavy boat with the built-in navigational feature might be your best choice. If you are into saltwater fly fishing, you might not want to buy a heavy boat. You can do it with a small boat instead.
2. Saltwater Fishing Rods and Reels
You will need high-grade conventional or modern saltwater fishing rods and reels for big game fishing offshore. If you are a beginner, you might want to start out with a quality medium-weight spinning combo for fishing inshore.
3. Saltwater Fishing Line
Constant exposure to the saltwater and intense sunlight can damage any normal fishing line. So, it is important that you buy a quality fishing line that is specially made for saltwater. However, the types and sizes of the line will depend on your target fish. You might need to change saltwater fishing line more often whether you use monofilament or a braided line.
4. Hooks and Baits
Choosing the hooks and the baits depend on the fishes that you are targeting. The size of hooks should match your baits. So, you might want to buy different sizes of hooks for different sizes of baits.
5. Saltwater Fishing Lures
Live baits are always better than the artificial lures. However, you might use good quality saltwater fishing lures if you cannot afford or find live baits. Buy lures according to the eating habit of the fish you are targeting.
Best Time for Saltwater Fishing
For determining when to fish and where to, keeping track of the saltwater tides is very important. Consider these facts about saltwater tides:
- Avoid fishing when a slack tide is on the sea. A slack tide means no tide at all. Without the movement of the water, saltwater fishes do not move and eat. So, there is little chance to catch fishes in that time.
- A strong incoming tide is the best time to fish because the current bring the bait fishes and the predator fishes come to eat the bait fishes.
- Different seasons have different impacts on the fishes. When the sun shines directly at the water, the fishes do not come near the beach. If you are into inshore fishing, the dawn and the dusk are the best time for you to catch fish.
- Deep-sea fishermen should always see the weather report in the area they are targeting and avoid the risks of getting hurt by disasters.
Saltwater fishing is different from freshwater fishing in many ways. Though saltwater fishing is more thrilling and profitable, it has its underlying risks. So, taking all the precautions is mandatory before going out for saltwater fishing unless you want to lose the joy while endangering your life.
