Little Gasparilla Island

GaJeff

Hello All!  I will be on LGI the week of Sept 5-12.  I want to do some dock fishing and kayak fishing.  Can anyone give me advice on bait and tackle ?  I have a throw net but never used it in salt water. I will be on the south end of the Island, 8144 Little Gasparilla Island.  I will not have a boat.  I am signing up for a guided fishing trip but want to fish every day from docks and kayak.  Do I need a medium or light pole and what type of lures, hooks, bait, setups... work the best?  Thanks bunches in advance

Aquaholic IV

Hopefully you receive multiple different answers, although this is what works for me.  You might get a better response posting in SouthWest General as this forum is East Coast of Florida.  Looking at Google Earth from that dock I would use a 7'6" Medium rod with 15 to 20 lb. braid and 30 to 40 lb. fluorocarbon leader.  You could use DOA 3 inch shrimp and work it slowly along the bottom, barely lifting it up, slowly.  Color is dependent on water color, dark water use a darker shrimp maybe a root beer holographic.  Lighter water, either clear or white DOA shrimp with holographic.  If you have access to live shrimp, I would use a 1/0 or 2/0 Owner brand SSW Live bait hook with a split shot 18 inches up from hook.  You could also use a popping cork, type with a wire through center and beads to make noise on each side of cork, same hook but no split shot.  Either of the two methods you hook shrimp perpendicular to body under horn on head missing the black spot which is the brain.  If you fish the beach across the island which looks really good, I would use a suspending bait cast parallel to the shore line in the first trough, retrieving it fast looking for a reactionary strike from Snook(Which are out of season due to Red Tide along with Redfish and Trout).  Shrimp will also work on the beach used in a similar manner although I would probably use a 1/8 or 1/2 ounce Hook Up jig with a live shrimp hooked on bottom of head, coming out the top of head without hitting brain.  Let the jig and shrimp bounce on bottom in first trough.  A DOA shrimp will also work.  There are many different methods and you will catch more fish on what you are comfortable with and believe in as you will use it more often.  Good Luck and Catchem up!  Post a report of your catches.