1. Know what the tide is doing
The tide is the most important thing about saltwater fishing. It washes across the reefs, telling the bait to move and the fish to eat. Basically, on days when you have multiple tides, meaning water moving all day, that’s good fishing. On days with no tide, that’s a day you probably want to mow the lawn.
Capt. Bob Leonard, treasurer of the Texas Salt Water Guides Association
2. Become scentless
Redfish have a keen sense of smell, so I carry a bottle of lava soap wherever I go to get rid of the smell of gas or sunscreen. I don’t want those scents getting on my lures.
Mike Laramy, professional redfish angler
3. Stay away from junk fish
If it’s the middle of the summer, you want to stay away from high-profile areas like shipwrecks and large reefs because that’s where the sharks and barracudas hang out. Head to low profile areas like live reefs and rock bottoms. Grass beds are best.
Capt. John Parks, 2005 Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour Championship winner
4. Change fluorocarbon after a fight
Once you fight a fish on a fluorocarbon leader, it becomes stressed and will rearrange its chemical properties, becoming visible to fish again. So whenever you catch any decent-size fish, you want to change that line because you probably won’t catch another on it.
George Poveromo, host of George Poveromo’s Salt Water Fishing on ESPN2
5. Pick the right lure depending on depth
Anglers should be aware that a fish’s best vision occurs at the surface. The moment you go past 50 feet in most coastal waters, the colour spectrum becomes much narrower. Use your colourful lures near the surface, and your whites and darker lures in deeper water where bottom fish key on contrast, not on colour.
Keith Jones, director of fish research for Berkley
