| Today, the chief trend in salt-water fishing | | | | in fresh water. You pick a likely target, |
| is toward the use of lighter tackle. Although | | | | cast, and start your retrieve slowly, just in |
| the time-honored heavy outfits still have a | | | | case a wide-awake fish happens to be there. |
| place, great numbers of salt-water anglers | | | | Play the lure very slowly, let it sit quietly |
| are finding that they have more fun - and | | | | for half a minute, then give it a slight |
| catch as many fish - with outfits no heavier | | | | twitch by lifting the rod tip. |
| and little different from those used in fresh | | | | |
| water. | | | | After about six hitless casts, start |
| | | | increasing the speed of the retrieve. |
| Actually, most fresh-water gear can be used | | | | Sometimes you will get a strike on the |
| for light-tackle salt-water fishing. On light | | | | fifteenth cast and sometimes it takes forty. |
| tackle, many small- to medium-size inshore | | | | But if the fish is there, you'll almost |
| game fish, such as striped bass, bluefish, | | | | certainly get action eventually. |
| sea bass, shad, yellowtail, mackerel, and | | | | |
| croakers, provide thrills rivaling those of | | | | Plugs of various designs, spoons, spinners, |
| the big-game species. While you can use still | | | | metal squids, and feathered jigs are all good |
| lighter conventional tackle, the term "light | | | | underwater lures. But I don't want to leave |
| tackle" generally means the use of | | | | the impression that top-water artificials |
| bait-casting, fly, push-button, or spinning | | | | should be ignored. Surface plugs such as |
| tackle. | | | | darters, injured minnows, and plunkers are |
| | | | sometimes more valuable in salt water than |
| Part of the fun of light-tackle fishing is | | | | the underwater types. |
| the element of surprise; in salt water nearly | | | | |
| anything can happen. You may be fishing for | | | | Most salt-water species seem to prefer a |
| weakfish, expecting fish of around a pound or | | | | straight, darting action rather than the |
| two, and a 25-pound channel bass may decide | | | | wiggles and wobbles to which many fresh-water |
| to take your bait. Snook of around 5 to 10 | | | | fish respond. Be that as it may, remember |
| pounds are great sport on light tackle, and | | | | that salt-water fish are very unpredictable |
| it takes all the skill you possess to handle | | | | and are apt to take almost any |
| them; but when a tarpon of 60 to 70 pounds | | | | cast-and-retrieved artificial lure - that is, |
| decides it likes the same lure - brother, | | | | when they're in the mood. |
| you've got thrills, and plenty of them. | | | | |
| | | | Casting techniques, whether employed in fresh |
| The first type of light tackle used in salt | | | | or salt water, are the same. But since the |
| water was the bait-casting outfit; it is | | | | way of playing a lure varies somewhat |
| still very popular today, and with good | | | | according to the species of the fish, only |
| reason. Of all light tackle, bait-casting | | | | experience will teach you which retrieve to |
| gear is best able to cope with large game | | | | use for which salt-water fish at which time - |
| fish; the short rod (about 5 feet, 2 inches | | | | and even then you can often count on coming a |
| in length) and relatively heavy lines are | | | | cropper. |
| suitable weapons for big fish. | | | | |
| | | | If you are after bottom live-bait feeders |
| This form of salt-water fishing may be done | | | | such as sea bass, tautog, tomcod, porgies, |
| from rowboats, from the shores of inlets, | | | | halibut, cabezon, sheepshead, corbina, |
| bays, and lagoons, and from bridges and | | | | bocaccio, pompano, and kingfish, you will |
| piers. Wherever fish congregate along the | | | | need the right terminal tackle, the proper |
| inshore waterways - and there are thousands | | | | live or cut bait, and the right weight to get |
| of these spots dotting the Gulf of Mexico and | | | | down where the fish live. One general rule to |
| Pacific and Atlantic coasts - plugs, | | | | follow is that the bottom-feeding fish that |
| spinners, spoons, or bait hurled out by the | | | | live mainly on shellfish will not take |
| fresh-water (or special salt-water) casting | | | | artificial lures very readily. |
| rod will bring a sizable catch. | | | | |
| | | | With time and experience you will have great |
| The procedure for awakening a drowsy fish in | | | | success in this type of fishing. Good luck! |
| salt water is the same as that used for bass | | | | |