Summer is here, and the fishing is in full swing. Live shrimp fished inshore can produce a multitude of species, as there is not a fish inshore that does not eat shrimp. In fact, on some inshore trips in the summer, we have landed 16 to 20 different species of fish! As you can see, the problem with only fishing live shrimp is that every fish eats them, so you will use a lot of baits to catch a game fish such as trout, sheepshead, redfish or flounder. Since small fish such as whiting, croaker, spot, perch and others will take a shrimp as well, it is best to switch your live bait out with a ZMan shrimp, gulp or DOA for a better catch rate of the game fish. At high tide, use floats to suspend bait just above the bottom around shore lines or creek mouths, particularly those where oysters are present. On lower tides, try fishing around docks or pilings, or where small creeks feed into bigger creeks.
The reefs off the coast are great places to fish all year, but there will be more variety during the summer months. The same gear you would use inshore for reds and trout will work fine out there unless you are targeting sharks and cobia. The same lures or baits will work out there, too. The key is to get the boat anchored over structure. If you are not catching fish in 10 to 15 minutes, you need to try another area of the reef. In fact, do not be afraid to try several different areas of the reef. Spadefish can be caught on shrimp, squid or pieces of cannonball jellyfish. It is always a good idea to have at least one rod rigged with a diamond jig, gotcha plug or spoon in case you run across schools of Spanish on your way out.
Capt. Mike Waller
www.saltfisher.com
(843) 224-8197
