Despite the emphasis on big boats and offshore rigs for saltwater, fishing from the beach offers variety and excitement. At the beach, you can catch something different nearly every time you cast. Some anglers even say the diversity of fish that beach fishermen encounter is greater than offshore fishing.
The species you can catch in different areas of the coastal South include redfish, sheepshead, croaker, snook, cobia, tarpon, flounder, bluefish, Spanish mackerel, sea trout, shark, mangrovesnapper, jack crevalle, pompano and whiting (see here for pictures of many common species).
What you catch will vary with location, season, beach conditions, the bait or lure you're using, the stage of the tide and other environmental conditions. But a few general rules and basic baits are enough to get you "hooked" on beach fishing.
What You Need
First, find a clean five-gallon plastic bucket. It's a handy container in which to carry iced drinks and fish, and it makes a great seat when you get tired of walking on the sand and want to sit down for a while.
Second, locate a backpack. You'll probably do a lot of walking while you fish, and the backpack will enable you to carry a variety of items and still keep your hands free.
Besides your tackle box, carry sunscreen to prevent burning, a filet knife or other sharp knife to cut bait, and a couple of sandwiches. Be sure to include polarized sunglasses; not only will they protect your eyes, they'll give you a big advantage over the fish. According to the experts at online retailer REI, polarized lenses realign light waves bouncing off the water, making it possible for you to see into the water and see what's swimming around down there.
Rigs, Baits and Lures
A plethora of terminal tackle, live and cut bait, and artificial lures are available. As you get into beach fishing, you'll soon learn what experienced fishermen in your area are using, but a little basic equipment will get you started.
To fish live or cut bait on the bottom, you'll need either pyramid or barrel sinkers, swivels and hooks. One advantage of a pyramid weight is that it digs into the sand, and is less likely to roll around than the barrel weight. For 12-pound line, use one-ounce sinkers, and 1/0 to 3/0 saltwater hooks. Match other line, sinker and hook combinations accordingly.
You can tie bait rigs several ways. One common method is what expert Bob McNally calls a "basic bottom rig." In his book Fishermen's Knots, Fishing Rigs, and How To Use Them, he shows a pyramid sinker at the bottom of the line, with a three-way swivel above it, and a leader 18 to 20 inches long coming off the swivel with a hook on the end.
Another good rig is what McNally calls a "fish finder." In this case, thread your line through the loop on top of a pyramid sinker, attach a swivel, and then add an 18 to 20 inch leader with a hook. The line should slide freely through the loop on the sinker and help entice your quarry to pick up the bait.
Many live or formerly live baits will work with these rigs. You can use strips or chunks of mullet and squid, and live or frozen shrimp.
One way to fish live shrimp is under a "popping" cork; this is a rig McNally said is excellent for seatrout, redfish and snook. This cone-shaped foam float is slit on one side and has a plastic pin through the center. You can fasten the float to your line by removing the pin, inserting the line into the slit and replacing the pin. When you jerk or twitch the line, the float emits a loud "pop," hence the name.
For saltwater lures, go to your bass-fishing tackle. Do you have spoons? Topwater plugs? They'll work in saltwater, too. Many guides use gold and silver spoons for tarpon, redfish and trout. Just cast the spoon out and bring it to you with a steady retrieve, so it looks like a baitfish. Stay away from light-weight spoons stamped from thin metal. Go instead with heavier spoons that are designed for casting.
Many topwater plugs will catch everything from ladyfish to tarpon, trout to redfish, and occasionally even cobia, bluefish and croaker. Try plugs such as the Devil's Horse, Zara Spook or Mirrolure, or anything else you have on hand.
And don't forget that old standby -- spinner baits. Try them for redfish.
One widely used type of lure is jigs, which you can tip with shrimp or other cut bait. Bump them along the bottom to imitate shrimp hopping along on the bottom. Pompano, especially, may hit yellow-colored jigs. Standard jig heads from one-eighth ounce up to one-half ounce and even larger will make for easy casting.
When You Get Home
Since saltwater is corrosive, you'll need to give your gear a little extra care when you get home from your jaunt to the beach. Wash everything, including lures, with plenty of fresh water. Otherwise, the next time you pull out your gear, you may find your tackle has rusted in the interim.
Check Regulations
One word of caution: before you wet a line, check with local authorities about bag limits and license requirements. Some species of special concern are catch-and-release only under some conditions. Other bag limits change frequently. In addition, some states require beach angler to purchase saltwater fishing licenses in some situations.
Sources for current license information
Louisiana
Mississippi
