I think it was 8 years ago now that I found my passion for fishing to be a little bit overboard. I know that I have mentioned before, but the need to replace a bad habit and better myself led me to this addiction that is now a profession. Thinking back to those first six months that I went from driving around the creek chasing my tail with a double dropper rig, 3 oz pyramid sinker, and nasty frozen shrimp to actually locating reds and letting my Carolina rigs with live mullet do the work. It is no surprise that I am constantly excited when I get on the boat or in front of the camera and can share a tip to make a new salt’s life a little easier. I had no money to buy a new boat or to get the best of tackle, but I was blessed with permission from a great uncle to use his boat as much as I wanted to and enough rods to get me by. I used what little knowledge I had from renting boats at Cedar Hill with my dad in my years as a youth to what I watched Harry Evans share on Southern Saltwater. I also never once hesitated to ask for help. The answers would vary and I know now how tight lipped most of us are with some of our knowledge But I am forever grateful for those that were willing to share a couple tips. However vague, they were helpful and without spending time on the water the tips would have meant nothing.
One of the best tips that I think I can ever give someone new to saltwater fishing is to hire a local guide for a couple on board seminars on your boat. Now I know your first thought is that he is not going to divulge all of his top secret spots. Well, you are in fact, most likely correct in that assumption. However, while location is a large part of the puzzle to figuring out this great sport, the tactics and techniques will help you in a large way to solve this puzzle. For those of us that spent a couple hundred days on the water a year, we have learned through trial and error and sharing of experiences among those of us that call ourselves friends. The small percentage that choose to keep to themselves are sure to find days when they wish they had been a little more considerate to those that laid the groundwork for this business in our areas.
Just this weekend I spent a day on the water with a boat owner from the upstate fishing and sharing tips. We chose to spend time nearshore and target mackerel and spade fish as these have been the hottest things to target. This trip was originally scheduled for the weekend that Sandy visited our coast and had been postponed due to weather several times this Spring. The owner of the boat mentioned his interest in purchasing the correct tackle and rods and all the set up of things in the boat. I brought all my rods and tackle down to a gaff and gloves for this day. This was so that he would see where things should go in the boat and give him an idea of how much room he would need to store all these extra items.
Upon joining them at the ramp I paid close attention to the boat and motors as this was the initial sea trial for this boat and our safety is always my first concern. After a long wait for a busy landing to clear so we could board the boat we made our way to the ocean to catch some menhaden. I explained how to load a net and the techniques for throwing as well as the ways to locate a school of menhaden. Throughout the day it was mentioned that I had given great details into everything I did from operating the trim tabs to the light action on the tips of my rods for live bait trolling. These are all small things that we take for granted, but had someone shared with us we probably would have had smoother rides and killed far less menhaden after minutes of trolling and getting their head jerked off in every wave. I also went on to explain to these friends that the amount of tackle I needed for a great day targeting these species would fit into a small bag. I think the overwhelming part of fishing can definitely be the choices in so many tackles and consumer confusion. Remember, most tackle is designed to catch you and not the fish.
I think probably the most rewarding part of the trip for them came when we were doubled up on small cobia but one managed to get entangled in the motor. I had to cut the line and then re-attach it with a fast double-uni and continue the fight with the fish. These are things that are second nature to some of us, but would have ended with a lost fish for most. I went on to show them a couple knots that I use for attaching rigs and lures and then instructed them that animated knots on the World Wide Web was a lot of help. I also suggested to seek out knowledge from your local tackle stores like Perry’s Bait and Tackle and Pawley’s Island Outdoors where they are going to try to build a relationship with you and have employees that fish all the time. Before we headed to the dock I was sure to give some time, as we cruised through the inlet, to answer questions and to make sure that the crew was comfortable with what they had learned. The first question I got was if I could go the following weekend to show them how to catch flounder and spanish on the reefs. These guys see the value in a couple hundred dollars for a few trips to straighten the learning curve and they will be having a great time by the end of the summer on their own.
All of the great guides in Coastal Angler would be willing to do this and I suggest if you just bought that new Key West boat to look into hiring one for a day or two. Remember this is their business and if you call for free help over the phone you will probably get some short answers without much sincerity. But to take them on the boat and let them do their job is rewarding for both you and them at the end of an educational day on the water. Remember the saying, “90% of the fish are caught by 10% of the fishermen” and taking the time and expense to hire a captain for a trip will increase your chances 100%.
Tight Lines and Full K2’s E
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