Needing some tips/info

Tl870314

Greetings from Ohio! My name is TJ and I'm obviously new here. If this type of post isn't allowed, please advise. My family and I are avid freshwater fishermen and love spending time on the water. Every year we vacation to NSB to visit friends. This year we've decided to try our hand at fishing. We have access to a pontoon and kayaks and plan to target Indian river & Mosquito Lagoon for reds or whatever else we can come up with. We don't have the funds to hire a charter, though we plan to in the future. That being said, I could use all the advice I can get. From hook sizes to bait (live and/or lures) to braid or flouro to fishing styles (bottom/top/troll). We aren't necessarily looking to catch trophies or take over someone's secret spot, just would like a good, successful day of fishing. Thank you in advance for the help

Reel Teal

Popping corks with Mudd minnows and shrimp work well and can keep kids entertained. Work them along edges of oyster bars or by deeper mangroves. A crab chunk or live mullet pinned to the bottom on a circle hook(matching the size of the bait) is good for reds. As you get south and hit some grass flats I like to throw topwaters and DOA shad tails and mirrodine for trout. Just cast and retrieve. Jerks baits are always handy for a redfish on the flats, I think a live shrimp works better to throw at them. The visibility has been poor which usually means bait will work a little better for redfish. Cut mullet works well for them too and can be found at any tackle shop.

Some small bait fish can yield a mixed bag around structure like docks and bridges.




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InShoreGrant

Inshore you want to try docks, islands or any structure. I like DOA lures or live shrimp, mullet or pigfish. Any where near the inlet is a good place to start.

Get out early or at dusk are your best time. Good luck!!!

gandrfab

With the yaks you can get into the back creeks around Ponce and try for flounder, reds, mangrove snapper and what ever else that will bight.
We have a new ramp north of the inlet on the inland side of the river.
Look that up and google map the back waters around that ramp.

Tl870314

Lots of good info! Thanks guys and keep them coming. As far as hooks.... I'm not real clear on what works or what "fits the bait." Fishing the different species up here, I've grown very found of circle/octopus hooks. For cats and some bigger species, I usually go with a Gamakatsu 6/0 octopus circle. It seems some fish (like cats) are less sensitive to hook size. Whereas smaller panfish, you need a very small hook. Is there anything that you guys could advise such as a circle 4/0 or bigger for most reds or something like that? Again, I've never fished any coastline before, so I'm going into it without any knowledge. Our vacation is scheduled for June 1-11th. Not sure how much those dates will effect anything. Thanks again

Cyclist

Popping cork and a lead head jig. Gulp, DOA, etc. are good. Different locals favor different colors, white and pink are my go toos.

Reel Teal

When I mean match the bait. Don't use a no 1 hook on a 6 inch live bait it's too small. Don't use a 4/0 circle on a shrimp bc it's too big.

For a nice cut mullet square or a crab chunk 4/0 is a good size, don't go smaller than a 3/0 or larger than a 6/0. Try and picture a red has to grab and crush. He's not biting the same way a snapper or trout will. He will mouth the bait for a bit. For reds I want the hook to be the size of the bait. That way as I reel the circle hook up it gets a nice hook set, smaller hooks seem to miss the redfish more in my experience.



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InShoreGrant

Reel Teal wrote: »

When I mean match the bait. Don't use a no 1 hook on a 6 inch live bait it's too small. Don't use a 4/0 circle on a shrimp bc it's too big.

For a nice cut mullet square or a crab chunk 4/0 is a good size, don't go smaller than a 3/0 or larger than a 6/0. Try and picture a red has to grab and crush. He's not biting the same way a snapper or trout will. He will mouth the bait for a bit. For reds I want the hook to be the size of the bait. That way as I reel the circle hook up it gets a nice hook set, smaller hooks seem to miss the redfish more in my experience.



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Good Advice, I have been using 1/0 and 2/0 circle hooks ill have to try larger next time i fish with that bait.

gandrfab

Stop in at the Fishin' Cove Marina for your bait and tackle.
Ask question and get some local knowledge of what is currently biting.

http://www.yellowpages.com/new-smyrna-beach-fl/mip/fishin-cove-marina-3196230

Sizuper

I go as small as a #4 hook and as big as a 2/0 for shrimp, finger mullet, mud minnows and fiddler crabs and catch pretty much anything that swims in the intercostal waterway. But as ReelTeal says, go bigger if you use bigger bait like a big chunk of mullet or crab.