Thread: What do I need?

Hi. New to the forum never fished in salt water before only fresh water here in tennessee. Have a trip coming up to orange beach here in a couple weeks and not exactly sure what I need to bring/buy I will have a bad rod for flounder and other smaller fish and a 8 foot catfish rod with a Abu Garcia 6600c3 casting reel with 20 lb mono. But for bait and lures I'm not sure what exactly I need any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Welcome, below is a very good thread to start / also you'll see info on the Salt Water License.

http://www.gulfshorespierfishing.com...t-timer-11846/

The search feature at the top right of the page is your best friend, and I'd strongly advise you to get a spinning outfit in the 6500 range. A casting reel is great but can be a liability when (not if) you have to cast into the wind. Also, there are some great deals on Penn combos right now. One of the best moves you can make is to go by J&M Tackle in Orange Beach as soon as you arrive and talk to their sales people about what you will be doing. I guarantee you won't regret it.

Welcome to the forum.

Originally Posted by Rntmaestro

Hi. New to the forum never fished in salt water before only fresh water here in tennessee. Have a trip coming up to orange beach here in a couple weeks and not exactly sure what I need to bring/buy I will have a bad rod for flounder and other smaller fish and a 8 foot catfish rod with a Abu Garcia 6600c3 casting reel with 20 lb mono. But for bait and lures I'm not sure what exactly I need any advice would be greatly appreciated!

You can start out with freshwater gear and add saltwater later if you want. Just keep you reels out of the sand and rinse them off everyday. If you're fishing off the pier, you may want to use different gear than from the surf or bay. Where are you planning to fish? Do you plan on using lures or live bait?

Hey welcome to the forum. Im actually from north alabama. As haywire said in the wind a spinning reel will be your friend. I grew up fishing the tennesse river and learned to fish the pier with bass and catfish tackle. If they are available in your area buy some bojole spoons like people use to catch skipjack for bait. 1.5 oz weight carolina rig and reel like there is no tomorrow. EVERYTHING in the gulf will eat it. You wont forget the experience. Bring plenty cause as youve probobly read sharks love spanish mackerel. Btw my first king was on a 6600, just have to fish downwind

I use mostly baitcasters. If you're using a relatively heavy lure like a "Gotcha", you can usually even cast into the wind, depending on your skill level at minimizing backlash. Just adjust the reel where it doesn't revolve too fast and you'll be fine, as long as you're proficient. That said, my "go to" rod for live-bait/cigar minnow king fishing is my Penn spinning reel with an Ugly Stick rod. They make one good run and then they're pretty much whipped and come right to the gaff.

With my baitcaster, I use 17 lb line so that WHEN a bigger king (OR JACK) hits away from the pier, I have enough line for his initial fast/strong run. It gives me just a little more line so that I don't get completely spooled.

For bait/tackle suggestions, check out the SEARCH function and make plans to visit J & M Tackle before you come to the pier. They'll fix you up with everything you need to be successful. Before your trip, in your research you'll want to decide which fish to target, since tactics/bait vary according to species. If you want to fish out toward the end of the pier for king mackerel you'll rig one way. Let the fishing professionals at J & M know what you're primarily interested in fishing for. I suggest rigging for spadefish(you can use your smaller rod for them), since they're a summer standard and they'll usually hit SHRIMP FISHBITES, an artificial bait that you put on a small strong hook. Check the archives, since every fishing tip that has ever been submitted by successful pier fishermen can be found using the SEARCH feature.

Originally Posted by ShallowWaterAngler

You can start out with freshwater gear and add saltwater later if you want. Just keep you reels out of the sand and rinse them off everyday. If you're fishing off the pier, you may want to use different gear than from the surf or bay. Where are you planning to fish? Do you plan on using lures or live bait?

Probably fish close to the pier around the pilings and definitely on the beach and in Perdido pass. I would love to catch some flounder. Probably use artificial with the smaller rod and live bait with the caster. I also have the penn battle 2 combo in my sights but that might have to wait till next year's trip. Thanks everybody for the feedback it's greatly appreciated!

Oh yeah also I would love to get some speckled trout. How would I go about them??

I've only caught speckled trout in perdido bay during guided trips. I don't know how much they make their way out. You'll catch flounder in the bay as well though I've not fished for them.