I hoped my bait would appear to have moved just slightly away from the pod. Get ready for surf fishing success with the Fish Finder Rig! Leader: It’s best to err on the lighter side of leader for beach snook fishing. The ninety minute windows of low light around dawn and dusk can provide the best action of the day. “I prefer seas in the 1- to 2-foot range for an 18-foot flats boat like mine. A fish might have eaten your bait and you’ll need to reel your Fish Finder Rig in to replace it. When fishing on the beach, bring multiple types of bait. Low Light: Is a peak period of fish activity. I haven’t been able to get any info or really helpful tips from any local bait shops, and no one really seems to understand these fish quite like you do. Thanks for posting that vid! Hooked up and hanging on, with a buddy at the helm to keep from losing all the line. I personally adjust the hook size to the size of the bait… 4/0 for 3-4 inch pinfish, 5/0 for 5 inch pinfish, and 3/0 for smaller ones.

I was actually using one in this video… a 4/0 circle hook from Owner (Model # 5378-141). Looking to get the a good rod and reel for redfish and trout. I have become a SIGNIFICANTLY better fisherman since I have joined. Copyright © 2020 Sport Fishing Magazine. A Fish Finder Rig is one of the simplest, yet most effective saltwater bait rigs for surf fishing. The Fish Finder Rig accomplishes this with the following components: The rig is weighed down by a large (often lead) pyramid sinker. Chris Britton in Stuart has ways of catching tarpon this time of year and would be a great choice for booking a trip! I was pretty sure he couldn’t safely get his flats boat offshore except under the best of conditions. Well the answer depends on how and where you'll be using the board. First, I would like to say thank you for your amazing website and videos. We also recommend getting a pair of surf fishing waders if you’re serious about it. You don’t know whether you’ll be going north or south along the beach or out to the shrimp boats after clearing the inlet… and if you don’t know where you are going to be fishing, nobody else does, either. I’ll rig these small soft baits with a  1/4oz swimbait hook rigged weedless. Hey Ezekiel, yes, croakers can be rigged this way as well. Thanks so much for making time to leave the nice comment Dan. In late-summer, shrimp boats drag their nets in the area and big schools of tarpon gather behind them feeding on the bycatch they dump overboard.

An optimized approach can be to use monofilament for the first 40 ft, then braided for extra backing. The sharpness of the pyramid weight digs into the sand and prevents the waves from pushing the bait back into shore. Fish the trough: It’s common to see beach anglers trying their best to cast as far away from the beach as possible. I’d use one and the captain would use the other. They also work great if you plan on bead fishing in the fall for salmon. I was using a 4/0 circle hook from Owner (Model # 5378-141). Check the tide charts before you leave and don’t try running through an inlet in a small boat except when it is safe to do so. We wish you the best. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu.

I have free lined them and put them under a popping cork. Cast your Fish Finder Rig out into the surf as far as you can or into one of the above areas.

I’m a West Virginia girl new to inshore fishing. They feared the dozen or so tarpon we could see rolling on the perimeter of their ever-tightening ball and who knows how many more hungry tarpon waited below. What is the hook size and fluoro leader length used? They're really important features of a rod that can help you catch more fish, or make it harder for you. – If you think that your angler friends or fishing networks would enjoy seeing this, please Tag them or Share this with them. How to Catch Tons of Pinfish Without a Cast Net or Pinfish Trap. I visited St. Maarten last year and found small tarpon (three to three and a half feet) every where.

I cranked the handle of the spinning reel several turns and set the hook hard.

I like to freeline them in areas without much structure on the bottom for them to dig into. The tarpon feed on crabs and baitfish, but as the sun climbs overhead, the fish "lay up" or suspend motionless just below the surface.

In east/central Florida, it will either be shrimp boats or bait pods. There are a few key features that concentrate populations of snook into predictable patterns. The long length of the rod helps cast your bait far out into the surf and keeps you covered if you hook into a monster. Bone (white) lures work just about anywhere for snook, and beach fishing is no exception. See pros and cons in this post. Industry Names Best Electronics and Top Manufacturer for 2020, New Products and Electronics for September 2020. Do you recommend the FG or is there a better knot for freelining pinfish when targeting larger snook. We hooked our mullet behind the dorsal fin and the pogies were hooked just ahead of the eye socket. While outgoing tides tend to produce the best, they have some downsides. We’re dedicated to providing entertaining, engaging high quality outdoor and lifestyle content for our viewers. Peak periods of tidal flow will trigger snook to feed regardless of the temperature and sunlight.

We also recommend getting a pair of, As far as rods go, just make sure it can withstand 30 to 50 lb line and up to 25 lbs of drag. Some saltwater anglers refer to the Carolina rig as "fish finder rigs." Thanks for the info. If shrimp boats are congregated a little further out dumping their bycatch, you’ll see birds in the air diving to pick up floating baitfish. As long as water temperatures remain 75 degrees or more, they will stay in the area and search for food.

Regardless, you need one or the other. Thanks the Club is so worth it !!! Click Here to Have Florida Sportsman Magazine Delivered to Your Home. My mullet, which had been swimming around with seeming indifference, was now starting to tug and pull erratically. It also allows fish to eat the bait easier without feeling the hook right away. Be sure to use, A circle/octopus hook will allow you to attach, First, we are going to make the leader part of the rig. You will frequently find larger groups of snook within a half mile of passes. nes that provide access to winter backwater areas and abundant forage. While I generally use 30lb to 40lb test leader while fishing heavier structure inshore, I’ll often opt for 20lb – 25lb fluorocarbon while targeting snook in open water. I like to connect my braided line to leader using a slim beauty knot for an ultra durable connection. I tend to keep my color selection simple. Outgoing Tides: Generally, outgoing tides provide an abundant supply of food being swept out to sea from the back country. The leader was 5 feet of 20-pound fluorocarbon followed by a 2-foot piece of 60-pound fluorocarbon. Required fields are marked *, Hey Captain Ross, I love the website and all the helpful information you have posted. Adding a barrel swivel will prevent your sinker slider from sliding all the way down to your hook. We were beach fishing, just off the beach, for tarpon. The world record tarpon was caught in 2003 at Rubane, Guinea-Bissau, Africa and weighed in at over 286 pounds and was about 7 feet in length. The Florida state record is 243 pounds and was caught in 1975.

Thanks for making time to leave the nice comment Cary! A circle/octopus hook will allow you to attach many types of surf fishing bait to your Fish Finder Rig and helps prevent bait from falling off in the surf. For fish heads, hook them through the nose.