# BRAND NEW to saltwater fishing, please advise. Santa Rosa sound.



## Coyote (Apr 15, 2014)

Hi, I live in GA right now (nobody's perfect), and I am new to saltwater fishing and to this forum.

We are probably going to vacation a few days in May, in the Navarre area. I have a smallish boat (16 ft. fiberglass fish / ski with 90 hp Johnson), so I can't go offshore, but I want to fish the Santa Rosa sound (bay). 
I really don't care what kind of fish I catch, anything over a pound or two is fun for me. I hear that there are flounder, redfish, and sea trout, but I'd probably be just as happy with one of the "non-game" species....

Now, in freshwater, I like to fish for Striper. I'm not really a lure-throwing-near-structure bass fisherman. I like to troll about 4 rods, with downlines or planer boards, with live bait.

So I'm going to give you my plan, and PLEASE tell me if I sound really stupid! I have NO experience in saltwater!









I figure on buying some live bait in the evening and keeping it in my bait tank, for backup. Then getting up an hour or two before daylight and try to cast net some bait with a light. Then start trolling around watching my sonar, adjusting bait to the depths I see fish.

My main questions are:

1. Can I cast net for bait? What kind of bait am I looking for? (I don't think there are shad like in freshwater







)
2. What bait can be purchased? Does cut bait work just as good as live out there?
3. Anywhere I should start looking for fish, like near docks, bridges, grassy flats or channels?
4. Anything I need to do to prepare for saltwater? ( boat, motor, bait tank). 
5. Anything I am overlooking or not thinking of???

Thank you very much for any help in advance!


----------



## Pier_King (Apr 14, 2014)

Coyote said:


> My main questions are:
> 
> 1. Can I cast net for bait? What kind of bait am I looking for? (I don't think there are shad like in freshwater
> 
> ...


Well...I am new to the forum but not new to fishing back home...to start off
Question 1...I always try to catch live bait...especially shrimp if you can luck up and find them (last resort buy them)

2. Nothing works better than live,,or you can use some mullet cut in strips.

3. Any structure you can find fish...pilings,rocks, etc (sheephead and black drum), open water, blue fish, white trout

4. i really can't advise on the boat because I do most of my damage on a pier (see username)

5. Don't forget license...I never used any but that seems like it!!!


----------



## atlantacapt (Oct 2, 2007)

use google earth and locates some nice grassflats. anchor just off of them and freeline live shrimp, small pinfish, finger mullet, menhaden, etc. back there. Shouldnt be long before you have a trout, red, pompano, jack, blue, spanish, flounder or catfish.....


----------



## welldoya (Oct 5, 2007)

Put in at the launch next to Juana's and fish the grass flats along the north side of the sound with live shrimp. I like to use a bobber.
Be careful and watch for sandbars. Don't just throttle up if you've never been in those waters. It can get shallow around there.


----------



## badonskybuccaneers (Aug 19, 2013)

Live bait is to be had- by then there should be plenty swimming around- so bring the bait net, at least a 6' if you are serious about catching bait. My wife prefers live shrimp- readily available at your locally owned/ operated bait and tackle stores. *Note: shrimp do not keep in a bucket for long periods of time without a water change. We usually only buy what we anticipate we'll use that day. 
Bug the guys at the tackle stores, they'll usually be willing to give you a heads-up on what has been biting, when, what on, and maybe where.
Inshore / bay fishing is more like some freshwater fishing than some might think. I often use top water plugs, spinners, and coffee tubes for redfish and trout inshore similar to freshwater artificials. So don't be afraid to try some of your freshwater tactics. Find structure / bait, you'll find fish.
If you can, don't forget to flush your motor daily with fresh water for at least 15 minutes. We usually keep a handful of quarters with us and stop at a car wash and do a quick soap and rinse to get that "icky" saltwater residue off the boat and do a quick flush of the motor, then I do a detail clean and flush at the house. Cleaning up your boat after an outing on the gulf is a lot more involved than fresh water boating.
As I always say.... I hope this has been helpful. Good luck.


----------



## 60hertz (Oct 1, 2007)

Save all of the trouble, expense, and risk of trailering your boat down here. 

Hire a guide to take you fishing. 

It'll be more fun and you'll learn what to do next visit.


----------



## First Cast (Oct 8, 2007)

Around the Navarre sound the best fishing is going to be on the north side of the sound in the grass flats. I like topwater lures at sunrise, then a gulp shrimp or a sidewinder spoon after the sun gets up a bit. Plenty of redfish around there that like gold spoons at sunset around the docks. Your first stop when you get to Navarre should be Broxson's Outdoors on Hwy 98 about a mile west of the Navarre bridge. Also, don't forget about the gulf side. There are plenty of fish to be caught from the shore or off the pier, and you don't have to put gas in the boat.


----------



## Yakavelli (Mar 17, 2010)

If you want to set out rods and troll for big fish, trailer your boat a little closer to the pass and troll with large lipped plugs and duster rigs for king mackerel. You could put a couple smaller rods out with smaller lures and catch spanish mackerel, ladyfish, etc.

If you're just looking to have fun trolling, this will probably give you your best chance of catching saltwater fish with very little knowledge. Start researching "trolling for king/spanish mackerel" now and get some ideas of the tackle you'll need.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk


----------



## Fielro (Jun 4, 2012)

Welcome to the forum. In mho, it isn't worth the time, trouble and clean up to bring a boat. Hire a guide for two days and you will learn more than months of fishing on your own. Tight lines


----------



## Yakavelli (Mar 17, 2010)

Some of you guys jump to the "hire a guide" thing way too quickly. Some of us prefer to do it ourselves...win or lose. I'm one of these guys. I'm a fisherman. I want to show ME I can catch fish. Anybody can be taken to a fishing spot by a pro and be told to cast over there. Sure, it'll guarantee you to catch fish but will you really go home feeling like you accomplished something as a fisherman? 

I have a goal to accomplish in the next couple years. I'm gonna catch a snook or two. When I do, it'll be on MY rod, from MY boat (kayak) and according to MY game plan due to MY preparation/homework. Why? Because I'm a fisherman. That's what I do. If I ask a bunch of snook-catchin' forum guys in S Florida for advice, I hope they don't all tell me to hire a guide.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk


----------



## Coyote (Apr 15, 2014)

Thank you very much everyone for the input.

Thanks but no thanks on the guides, first of all it won't be much expense, I'm already driving the suburban. Light boat, may cost me $20 extra in fuel + boat fuel. Secondly, as Yakevelli said, I would like the satisfaction of catching them myself. Also, with my boat I can come and go as I please, every day from before daylight to 9 or 10 o'clock. Then get out and hit the beach with the family. And hiring a guide a couple times will cost more than my condo rental....

About the saltwater rinse, do car washes have hose hookups to connect to the muffs? Or should I look for a freshwater boat ramp nearby to rinse the motor?

Yakevelli, you said "trailer your boat a little closer to the pass". What is the "pass"?

badonskybuccaneers, I have an 8' cast net. 

Well, I think I'm going to try early mornings trolling live minnows with freelines and planer boards in the grassy flats. Then as the sun gets high anchor near docks, bridge pilings, or other structure and toss shrimp around me under bobbers.  Maybe from Juana's, head along the bridge northward and turn left when I hit land. Sound like a good plan?


----------



## badonskybuccaneers (Aug 19, 2013)

Coyote said:


> Thank you very much everyone for the input.
> 
> Thanks but no thanks on the guides, first of all it won't be much expense, I'm already driving the suburban. Light boat, may cost me $20 extra in fuel + boat fuel. Secondly, as Yakevelli said, I would like the satisfaction of catching them myself. Also, with my boat I can come and go as I please, every day from before daylight to 9 or 10 o'clock. Then get out and hit the beach with the family. And hiring a guide a couple times will cost more than my condo rental....
> 
> ...


:thumbsup: on the 8' net, I like your style. Not too big, not too small. 

I don't have any suggestions for car washes in that area- might have to shop around, I would think most coastal car washes have a boat motor flush hookup. 

I am half and half mixed feelings on the guide thing... I've used them, but on the other hand, anyone with boating experience and a good set of electronics can usually do pretty well (with some tips from the local bait shops). Something else I like to invest in is a good fishin' chip. A few companies offer them, and it sure takes some of the guesswork out of locating structure, reefs, and a few hot spots.
Sounds like you have a plan, good luck!


----------



## acoustifunk (Mar 29, 2008)

Navarre boat launch has been a POS here recently with all of the sand. The pass is in Pensacola. I would trailer it down to Shoreline Park in Gulf Breeze and fish Pensacola Bay and the pass. It might be a 15 to 20 min drive from Navarre. Gulf Breeze Bait and Tackle is really close to Shoreline Park for anything you have forgotten. The times you are talking about going traffic will be a breeze. There is more structure and fish to be caught in Pensacola.


----------



## Yakavelli (Mar 17, 2010)

Try swapping your methods with the trolling vs live shrimp thing. Use the shrimp under bobber on the flats at daybreak and then troll around later around the bridges. 

The pass is the cut where the bay connects to the gulf. The gulf is where you wanna troll. Trolling the grass flats with planers will only catch you huge clumps of grass. Most of these flats are 1-4' deep. Trolling them spooks the fish. 

I don't know what kinda boat you have but the gulf can get pretty sporty. Only make that decision on short notice according to the weather...

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk


----------



## First Cast (Oct 8, 2007)

Especially on the north side of the sound, watch for sand bars and shallow water that'll ding your prop. There's a huge sandbar about two miles west of the Navarre bridge out near the barge channel, and the grass flats close to the shoreline at low tide will be about 12" in spots. Just take it slow if you're not in the channel. Also, think more drifting and less anchoring, even around the docks.


----------



## Chapman5011 (Mar 7, 2013)

Coyote said:


> Hi, I live in GA right now (nobody's perfect), and I am new to saltwater fishing and to this forum.
> 
> We are probably going to vacation a few days in May, in the Navarre area. I have a smallish boat (16 ft. fiberglass fish / ski with 90 hp Johnson), so I can't go offshore, but I want to fish the Santa Rosa sound (bay).
> I really don't care what kind of fish I catch, anything over a pound or two is fun for me. I hear that there are flounder, redfish, and sea trout, but I'd probably be just as happy with one of the "non-game" species....
> ...


Down load the marine weather app for phone or tablet. It tell you the water temp and seas condition. If your pulling your boat and it predicts 1 and 2's you could take your boat out a little bit to troll and around the jetties. Or you may want to research catching speckled trout and red fish inshore. Almost gonna be just like bass fishing.


----------



## welldoya (Oct 5, 2007)

If you have something like a bass boat, I would stay away from the pass, especially with the long run from Shore Line park.
If you wanted to dunk your boat and run the engine in fresh water, there's a ramp on East River about 3 or 4 miles north of Hwy 98 on Hwy 87.
Just be sure and rinse everything (rod and reels, boat, etc.) really well after fishing because I swear saltwater can rust plastic.


----------

