(Part 2) Best products from r/Fishing

Here's a copy paste of my old comment, take from it what helps you

I'll try to be brief as possible. Also, I'm not sure your experience level, so I apologize if I go over things that are obvious to you.

Basically you need to be aiming for Spanish Mackerel. They are a fucking blast to fish for.

Your set-up will work fine. These fish only get up to around 8-12 pounds, 15 if you're (extremely) lucky. But, bank on your catches being 8-12 pounds (closer to 8).

What you need:

Leader. You'll need to tie 40 or 50 pound monofilament line to your main line. Spanish have razor sharp teeth and will bite off smaller line. I'll go over later how to tie leader to main line. You can just buy the cheap mono line. I keep both 40# and 50# with me. I'll use 40# first, and if I get bit off 2 times, I switch to 50#. But, no need to spend too much money, just grab a spool of 40 or 50 pound. Worth noting, Spanish have eyes of a hawk and can easily be spooked away from lure, that's why I try with 40# first. So, it's a gamble of getting hooked up/ getting bit off between 40 and 50#. I suggest 40#

Lure: Gotcha plugs. Seriously, That's the only lure you need. Spanish love them. You'll also catch other things such as blue runners and possibly king mackerels. Get them at the local walmart down there in Destin (as well as your other fishing needs) prices online are a little high, and walmart has the best prices (believe it or not). Like I said ealier, get about 5 per person, as you will get bit off. But different colors; sometimes spanish will wanna strike white body/ yellow head, where as the next they want gold body/orange head. They also come in metal body and plastic body. I suggest getting both. In the picture of the gotcha plug above i linked is a gold body/ orange head/ metal body, I highllly suggest that, that is my go-to gotcha plug.

You said you already had line, but I suggest getting 12-20lb braided line. Braided line casts far and has better response.

Pliers. Last thing you want is a Spanish biting your finger. Have some pliers so you can pull the hook out of its mouth.

a big cooler. You may want to rent a cooler cart at the pier. It's a hassle to carry a cooler to the end of the pier, and then back full of ice and fish. bring a long cooler with you

food drinks. don't waste 20 minutes of good fishing by having to walk to the front desk to buy a $4 coke and $3 snickers bar, have that shit with you.


Get to the pier before sun break. You want to be on the pier, in your fishing spot ~15 minutes before the sun comes up. As of today, 6:19 AM is sunrise for Destin, FL. So, you want to be walking on the pier to the spot at like 6:05am. Spanish run early in the morning to about 12pm and then head back to deeper water (they return a few hours before sundown, when the water cools off). Can't stress this enough, be there before sunrise.

Here is a video on how to tie your mono leader to your main line.

When you get to the pier, you'll see other guys out there fishing for Spanish, you'll know where to be. generally it's somewhere in the middle of the pier. Just keep an eye on the other guys and watch where they fish and how they do it. When you cast the gotcha, you'll retrieve it fast with somewhat of a jerk here and there.

So, to recap, hopefully put 12-20lb braid on your rig. Tie with uni-knot 40-50lb mono leader to you main line. Tie gotcha plug to leader (no swivels or anything, just line tied to line tied to lure). be in middle of pier before sunrise. Cast as far as you can, retrieve lure fast with some jerking.

Oh, and when you leave the pier, wash your poles off with the water hose at the entrance to the pier. Especially with your gear that is not designed for saltwater. Saltwater is very corrosive and will lock your reel up if not washed off your reel when done. But, don't wash the reel too much and clean the lubricant inside of it. Just a simple wash will do.


extra: while you're at walmart, get a lure called a sabiki rig. looks like this or this (get sabiki brand, not cheap stuff) Tie to your line, and add a weight to the end. Go near a pilling and drop it to the very bottom, then real up a few cranks and manually bring your pole up and down (tip of pole going up and down about 4 foot). It's always good fun to catch 4-5 fish at the same time. Most of the time it's fish you throw back, but fun none the less. If you were fishing for King mackerel you would do this to catch live bait. You'll see the Korean people on the pier doing this


Most importantly, have fun. If you take my advice, you're bound to have fun! I'll be in Panama city here in about a week and will be fishing non-stop. update me with some pictures of fish!

edit: Here is the gear I suggest for Saltwater fishing from pier (with capabilities of surf fishing)

Pole: Shakespeare Ugly Stik GX2

Reel: Penn Battle II 4000

Line: Power Pro Braided Fishing Line 20lb/300yards I use moss green. Color choice is up to you. High vidiabilty colors (yellow for example) do help when fishing on a crowded pier. People can see where you are casted at. Helps reduce hook ups with other fisherman.

For good, cheap, and easily stowable I'd recomend a Shakespeare catch more fish combo, or a Shakespeare Ugly Stik. People online seem to shit on the former a lot, but I have two and they've never done me wrong. The ugly stiks get a lot of praise.

I have this for catching bass, panfish, any other small to medium sized fish and love it. I'm sure it could easily catch bigger fish, but I have another, heavier version of the same rod which I got while on vacation in North Carolina when I knew nothing about fishing and I still use it for catfish and carp. They're pretty good, especially for the price.

I would not get a telescoping rod, instead, get a nice 3-4 piece travel rod. I have several for airline travel and they work quite well. Most come with a tube case, although I bought a carry on bag specifically for rods and reels that hold 4 rods and reels easily. For all purpose use, something like an Okuma Nomad Inshore is good, as you can fish salt and fresh water. I have mine paired with a Penn Battle II 4000 reel. I also have a Nomad surf rod for casting out farther from the beach, paired with a Battle II 6000. Bass Pro Shops in the US makes a nice Offshore Angler travel rod in both spinning and baitcasting, but I'm not sure those would be worth the shipping and import costs. Same thing with St. Croix. That's going to be more like 71cm broken down for a 3 piece 213cm rod, or a bit shorter for a surf rod that breaks down to 4 pieces, but in a bag like this that slides under a seat easily it won't be a big deal. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LODESHW/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A3U0RNCURVAA7Z

I would use braid with flourocarbon leader instead of mono, that'll handle the heat better. If you have soft plastic baits, you might consider keeping them in your cooler. I have a horribly unfashionable but very functional waist pack style tacklebox that works well for travel. You really don't need too much gear, I would take your 5-6 favorite types of lures in a couple of colors, things that work for fresh and salt, and you should be set.

There are a few books out there for an "everything" guide to fishing. I know that BASS and the North American Fishing Club both had books out, and I have seen some other ones at outdoors stores. I did a quick search on Amazon and found "The Complete Guide to Freshwater Fishing. Know though that all of these books are pretty much the same. Most go through the types of baits, reels, rods, knots, and fish (including their range, how to fish for them during different times of the year, etc.). There may even be one at your local library. You can also find old versions of books on Amazon as well- this is an old edition from the NAFC.
As for a rod/reel, I would go to a store and ask someone. When I first started out I would ask what they would recommend and have never been disappointed (just know what fish you want to go after and a price range).


EDIT: I just found one of the books that I own, which in my opinion is the best beginner's book out there (it helped me out when I started). It's by the NAFC and it's called "Catch fish anywhere, anytime". You may be able to find it on other websites besides Amazon as well.

Can someone recommend me the best battery / power center / whatever else I'll need. I just bought this boat yesterday from Amazon and also picked up the trolling motor, here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005QIB7K8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Amazon suggests I buy the Minn-Kota battery and power center. Is that the best option or is there a better one? I read some shady reviews on the power center.

Those are informative videos, especially the first one. Thank you! It looks like such a great setup! It'd be a bit to get used to though, having to switch hands for the cast and retrieve, and reeling with my other hand.
You're right, I was talking rainbow and cutthroat. Anyway, what exactly do you mean, "mending a drift" in a river?

As far as an entry-level setup, how do you feel about Abu Garcia products? http://www.amazon.com/Abu-Garcia-Profile-Baitcast-Finish/dp/B005GOU5BE/ref=sr_1_3?s=hunting-fishing&ie=UTF8&qid=1398130422&sr=1-3

Off the top of my head, a good multitool like a Leatherman.

A scale with measuring tape. For making sure you are within a size limit or for bragging rights.

Bogagrip like grabber or Fish Gripper for handling fish.

Hemostat for extracting a deep hook.

A good hat, UV rated shirt, sunblock and mosquito/tick repellent. Maybe a backpack with water reservoir a la CamelBak. I also keep a small first aid kit and a hook removal kit just in case.

Dry bag if you are going to be on a boat or kayak. No one likes a water damaged phone.

Edit:

A folding net. Nothing is worse than having a good fish and losing because it too big to drag it up on the bank. I lost a good sized trout last week because I didn't have a net handy.

This has been great so far: http://www.amazon.com/Vexilar-SP100-SonarPhone-Transducer-Pod/dp/B00CJJBM66 I've used it a handful of times in my kayak and I have to say it was pretty awesome.

ah, thanks for the picture this actually explains a lot about why my casts don't go that far. Basically, the situation I'm in right now is that I just started fishing "for real", in a sense. I've been fishing since I was young and was using whatever setup my dad gave me but I recently started researching more about fishing and how to make the best out of it. Finding out the difference in line types, casting methods, what reels, etc. My dad has been using these gigantic reels with rods that are both 10-15 years old so I figured it was time I got my own, but on a budget I could manage.

The current setting I'm looking at is this:

Reel: Okuma Avenger ABF40 or ABF50

Rod: Daiwa Beefstick 10ft 14-40lb

Line: Power Pro, Not sure which yet.

If I go with the ABF50 Reel, and 30lb 300Y braid, the total comes to around $100 USD, whereas the ABF40 with 30lb 150Y braid, comes out to just under $80 USD, and if I come up short on the braid, I can use some of the one I have right now. Would it also be possible to put some of my 30lb braid I'm using right now on the spool first, then attach like a 10 or 15lb braid onto that so my cast gets far?

I would not recommend a telescoping rod for anything but tiny fish. People have landed pretty large fish on them but my experience with them has always been inconvenient. No backbone either.

I'd recommend something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Shakespeare-Spinning-6-15-Pound-6-5-Feet-Medium/dp/B00F0KM4DG

It might not be the most fantastic rod performance-wise but Ugly Stiks are almost always adequate and tough. The four piece construction will make it easy to travel with. Google "fishing rod tube," and pick one that suits your fancy. Pair it with a decent spinning reel and you're set for bass, bream, trout, small catfish maybe.

Nice :) I recently bought an Intex Seahawk II that's perfect for fishing. It has 2 pole holders, room for a tackle box and cooler, and you can mount a motor on the back. Not bad for $100 new.

[$10 bucks, comes with measuring tape] (https://www.amazon.com/Dr-meter-Electronic-Measuring-Batteries-Included/dp/B00ZWNGZFO/ref=sr_1_4?s=hunting-fishing&ie=UTF8&qid=1494103744&sr=1-4&keywords=fish+scale)

Super light and portable too. I've had mine for a few years and it still works great.

Honestly get two Shakespeare GX2's they are only $40 each. The GX2 is a great combo; I would say get the 6ft medium action. Spool them with 15lb test Mono!

Here are the links

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00F0KMLCK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003OLRQO0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/Rapala-Heavy-Electric-Fillet-Knife/dp/B00F5EK3CG/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1543603210&sr=8-3&keywords=electric+fillet+knife

Buy one of these and never look back. One of the best investments I've ever made. I fish freshwater and this thing zips through walleye like nothing. Mister Twister make a cheaper one, but this one is better on larger fish.

I recommend that before you purchase anything, that you borrow or buy the book Kids Gone Fishing

It is a very basic book on fresh water fishing. This book does an excellent job of explaining how hook sizes work. It also show you how to properly set up a float for bait fishing.

Thanks I appreciate it. I'm thinking of going with this setup. I need something anyway and thought maybe this would be versatile for more than just striper (catfish, tog, etc). I really like the idea of having a baitfeeder reel. Right now I just have some tiny baitcasters I use for large mouths and pike. Thoughts?

Rod

Reel

Main line

I'd recommend this rod, doesn't get much more inexpensive than $15.

I purchased it a few months back and then my roommate couldn't resist and got one as well. Just bought another for my girlfriend.

It's the perfect thing for hiking or just keeping in your trunk as you mentioned.

You can't go wrong with a Penn Battle or Penn Spinfisher V. I personally own the Spinfisher and they're solid as can be. For sharks and rays grab a 6000 or 7000. For trout, snapper, and the like grab a 4000.
As for a rod, look in the 6-7 foot range. Star Rods, Shimanos, and Penn all make quality products. And you can't go wrong with going to your local tackle shop and asking for advice. It's hard to match a rod and reel without feeling it, so I actually strongly recommend checking them out.

I ended up getting:

• http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0030FXDSS/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
• http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ZKNFW0/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
• http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000EYW8MK/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i02?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
• http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001NXC8S0/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i04?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
  I'm heading to the bait shop tomorrow to pickup nightcrawlers, bobbers, and anything else the guy there suggests.
  
  Thanks for all the help!

Box at home, bag for the road. I just got this and it's been working out well. Nice waterproof zippered pocket for the cell, external clips for elastic loops for pliers/knife, and it fits three large plano boxes (very) snugly. Hard bottom is a nice touch, and the price is right. Only problem is I've had it for two weeks and already two of the nylon loops attached to the zippers have come off. Other than that, all good.

Yeah I figured. Thanks dude! Also too, Its on amazon for $99!

I got one of these and have been incredibly happy with it: http://www.amazon.com/Ready-Fish-Soft-Sided-Tackle/dp/B002RPMUHM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417251660&sr=8-1&keywords=tackle+bag

It will fit three larger plano hard cases in it, along with all the other goodies I need.

Did you know Amazon will donate a portion of every purchase if you shop by going to smile.amazon.com instead? Over $50,000,000 has been raised for charity - all you need to do is change the URL!

Here are your smile-ified links:

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B015L58RFI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_v3mJzbYX87M2J

---

Never forget to smile again | ^^i'm ^^a ^^friendly bot

I also recommend the Intex Seahawk II. Mine is pretty thick and sturdy. The material sort of looks like rubberized fabric.

I see what you mean. There are two ways lakes like that are fished for pike. First is ice fishing and the second is trolling which, is setting up a rig off the back of the boat and towing slowing at various depths. You might not have a boat in which case it is a lot of walking the edge. If you do not have a boat yet it might be something to save up for. I once saw a guy on Lake Champlain fishing from a raft he made out of drums and plastic bottles with a electric motor on the back. It is easier to cast to the shore than out into the lake. Remember this: fish are only using 10% of the water. Bigger fish are not out in the middle of that lake. Fish follow food. Plankton/ zooplankton is pushed by the wind and smaller fish follow and so on. Though fish do move and change depth according to temperature and dissolved oxygen and at times light penetration in general they are to be found on the edges. If you are really interested here is a great book. I would scan the pages and email you the section but it is 20 pages on pike alone.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1589230094/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=1535523722&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=1589233212&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1M84A1BZ5AVRRSWN0C1K

I agree that telescoping is more convenient then a multipart, but every cheap telescoping rod I have laid hands on has been real shitty feeling. I fished with a Eagle Claw Telescoping rod as my hiking rod for my first 2-3 years fishing and while I caught a bunch of fish on it, it's really only suitable for treble hook lures, it's very very challenging to get a hookset with a single hook once you get above panfish size. It's not the worst way to spend $16, but it's not a great rod for much.

This Kastking rod has floating guides, which is good, but their marketing leaves a bad taste in my mouth. They do sales all the time so it might be worth poking around.

I have this Okuma Travel Rod and I like it a lot, but I swear it was like $50-60 when I bought it a few years ago. I got it off of ebay, so I might have just gotten lucky.

If you are just going to use it for a single hike then it doesn't make sense to spend much, but a cheap one that breaks just become dead weight you have to lug around. You could just bring a hundred feet of mono, some bobbers, some hooks, and some split shots and just use it as a hand line or cut a cane pole.

this one has great reviews though

Here is my rod - it is pretty versatile, I have managed to use lures that go way beyond the recommended weight (eg 2 ounces kastmaster).

http://www.amazon.com/Shakespeare-Spinning-6-15-Pound-6-5-Feet-Medium/dp/B00F0KM4DG?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

What do you think about this one? It's pretty inexpensive and it has the kit with bobbers and lures.

My 1st rod/reel was this:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F0KM8GE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_OrIQBbYF8FXFX

It's an Ugly Stick GX2 rod /reel combo, medium/heavy 6'6.

Ive been using it for months and love it. I have it spooled with 20lb braid. I use lures of all different weights and I've always been happy with my cast distance.

Although to be fair it's my first setup and up until recently I haven't had anything to compare it to. I recently picked up a baitcast, but won't be able to try it out until Sunday:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075MY4D3X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_MvIQBbSB0X40E

One thing I found out quickly was that depending on the lure I was using I feel I really need to put a lot of "muscle" behind the cast. A lot of variables can effect cast distance so it could be one thing or several things effecting your distance.

I recently got a daiwa tws coastal from jet with a coupon for $139. It's a nice real. Here it is for $148

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015L58RFI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_v3mJzbYX87M2J

I also use lews inshore bb1. Can find it for around$120-at times.

By beach caster do you mean baitcaster? Or are you looking for a rod and reel combo?
Combo Abu Garcia

Ugly Stik

How about a sonar phone? http://www.amazon.com/Vexilar-SP100-SonarPhone-Transducer-Pod/dp/B00CJJBM66

rod and reel. That combo will handle any fish at the pier and will leave you enough money to get braid to go with it.