Poor Man’s Inshore Saltwater Fish Finders

Established anglers and newcomers alike all have seen the expensively outfitted huge boats that are competing for inshore saltwater fishing. These boats are almost always outfitted with the latest gadgets including depth finders, GPS units, electronic fish finders and nearly any other piece of equipment geared towards providing an edge while angling. However, you need not worry about this, you may be electronically challenged or simply not willing to invest that kind of money in your hobby. There are other alternatives to these high-tech options that anyone can take advantage of. You simply need to adapt to what you have available to you and make the most of it. Here are some tips for inshore saltwater fish-finding for the less than affluent fisher.

Using online resources

Take a little bit of your time and check online for your favorite fishing areas. Chances are that you will find a website or blog that contains information that has been shared by other anglers. These sites can be treasure troves of information that you might not get anywhere else, and a lot of it may be from inshore anglers. If you do find information that is helpful make sure you take a few minutes after you return from fishing to drop by and share your experiences. Remember, someone else may be visiting the site who is in the same predicament you were.

Local Tackle Shops

Your local area is no doubt a wealth of great information about fishing holes that anglers have found worth spending time at. Simply make a trip to your local bait and tackle shop, and you can pick up all types of tips. Just remember that information sharing is a two way street, and you’ll get a far better reception if you are a “buyer” rather than an information seeker. If you indicate that you’re a beginner and in need of help and guidance you’ll more than likely get some help, especially from more established anglers.

Local Fishing Clubs

Another great source of information is a local fishing club. These clubs provide a social atmosphere for local anglers to gather, relax and share their tales of success. While these clubs do often require a membership, you’ll be contributing to the education of others in the area who are interested in angling. Remember, these are typically like-minded individuals so you won’t be wasting your membership fees.

Charter Cruises

Local charter cruises are set up with one goal in mind, to connect anglers with fish during a brief tour of the waterway. Keep this in mind and consider dropping the considerable fee. You might be surprised at how much information that you can pick up about the local waterways and you will most likely figure it was worth the price. These charters are popular because the captains know the waterways like the back of their hands and they often offer plenty of words of wisdom that you’ll be able to use on your own.

Check out the Wildlife

Stop and think about the last time you were at your favorite fishing hole. Chances are that if you were being successful you had company. Flying around above you may have been eagles, osprey, sea gulls and even cormorants. Remember, these fish are looking for bait fish and their presence indicates that this might be a ripe fishing area.

Ocean birds like osprey, cormorants and eagles feed on baitfish and you can spot them circling around an area and screeching at the top of their voices – this is a good indication that they have located a bait-fish school. Since stripers and blues feed on many baitfishes, it’s highly likely they are not too far behind.

Area Anglers

This is pretty simple – the continued presence of relaxed and happy anglers, a shout or two of success and bent rods are great signs that you’ve found a good area for fishing. Even if you don’t spot these signs, look for other tell-tale signs such as scales and blood on the beach, around jetties or docks and you’ll be able to tell very quickly if fish have been caught in that area.

Your options are simple: either invest hundreds of dollars (or thousands of dollars) into the latest and greatest equipment or make use of the assets that are readily available and cost you little or nothing. The results in the end is all that matters, not the cost.

When you are preparing to undergo a saltwater fishing experience, it is important that you have the proper fishing gear. Some of the most popular gear include Shimino Reels, Okuma Reel and Van Staal Reels.