Are you planning a summer trip to the beach? Do you love to fish but realize fishing charters are out of your budget? Well you can still try your hand at catching some saltwater fish while spending very little money in doing so!
I recently wrote an article focused on fishing while on vacation. There are many fishing opportunities out there if you know where to look and have some extra time while you are on vacation or traveling on business. Florida is a popular summer vacation destination with countless fishing opportunities. My family loves to go to Destin Florida every summer. Having been on several Florida beach trips, I will share my favorite tips for saltwater fishing without spending hundreds of dollars on a fishing charter.
How can you saltwater fish with a small budget?
There are a couple ways to catch saltwater fish without spending a ton of money. The two options I like to use are Surf Fishing State Parks and Local Fishing Piers. These two options can be found throughout the gulf coast of Florida. I have also saltwater fished from a pier in Virginia. Both options are great opportunities for someone able to spend a couple hours attempting to catch a saltwater fish. However, each option has some pros and cons. Below, I break down each option so you can see which option might be best for you and your family.
Saltwater Fishing Florida State Parks
Average cost depends on the current price of permits and nonresident fishing license if you reside outside of Florida. However, I paid $17 for a three day permit the last time I fished a Florida state park.
Florida has a number of state parks throughout the gulf coast. For the most part, they are well maintained, as well as, easy to locate. You will find the parks are very well operated and keep clean. The best part, you can surf fish on just about every State Park in Florida located on the coast. I have fished a couple of State Park beaches, below I share the pros and cons I have found when fishing Florida State Parks on the gulf coast.
Pros to fishing state park beaches
- State Parks are found throughout Florida’s Emerald Coast.
- Some Florida state parks offer opportunities to catch both salt water and brackish water fish species.
- Often State Parks are less crowded than fishing piers. However, this is not always the case during peak tourist season.
Cons to fishing state parks
- Out of state fishing license are required if you are not a resident of Florida.
- Access to the beach can be difficult depending on the State Park you choose to fish. Trust me, it can be extremely difficult to walk long distances through sand while carrying fishing gear!!
- You have to buy your own fishing gear and bring with you, instead of renting gear like you can on a fishing pier.
Saltwater Fishing From Piers on the Florida’s Gulf Coast
Average Cost For Adults: $7
Average Cost For Children under 12: $3
The average cost listed above does not include gear rental. Fees and costs are subject to change from year to year.
Pier fishing is a great way to introduce your kids to saltwater fishing! Much like State Parks, Fishing piers are found throughout Florida’s Emerald Coast. Fishing Piers are excellent for someone looking to take a break from the beach and catch a fish. The fishing can be great, plus they extended to deeper water giving you the opportunity to catch some of the larger species of saltwater fish. They also offer structure for fish to congregate around. I love to saltwater fish from piers. I have fished several piers on Florida’s gulf coast, below are a list of pros and cons I have found based on my personal experience.
Pros to Saltwater Fishing piers
- In most cases, once you pay a fee to fish the pier, you are not required to buy a nonresidential fishing license. (Always make sure you purchase the required permits and licenses for the specific area you intend to fish)
- You can rent all the fishing gear you need instead of buying expensive gear designed for saltwater fishing.
- Most Fishing piers are equipped with lights so anglers can avoid fishing in the hot sun during the day.
Cons for saltwater fishing from piers
- Piers can become extremely crowded during the summer months in Florida.
- If you choose to rent fishing gear, you will find the rental gear is low quality and can be aggravating to use.
- If you begin to catch a large number of fish, other anglers will begin to fish closer and closer to you and eventually they will end up casting over you lines.
So what should you do?
The choice is yours! I recommend you do further research once you decide where your family will be staying during vacation. Once you guys have decided where you will be staying, start looking up local fishing piers and state parks near your location. Typically, I fish the nearest of the two options when on vacation.
However, you can always do both if you have the basic gear to catch saltwater fish. I decided long ago, if my family was going to continue to visit Florida often, I needed to buy some basic saltwater gear for our Florida Vacations. I got tired of renting junky equipment. After a while, I learned enough about fishing from the piers and beaches to know the type of equipment I needed. You can buy very basic equipment and still successfully catch fish.
Basic Gear
I have the basic essentials that will work for surf and pier fishing. I am no expert nor do I claim to be, however like any redneck fishermen, I always try to observe what the locals use wherever I fish throughout the country.
Redneck Tip
If possible, before buying gear, take a walk on a fishing pier or beach and see what baits and rod&reel setups the locals are using. During my second trip to Destin, I casually walked by fishermen and observed what they were using. I also rented gear in the past and saw how the rental equipment was set up. This gave me a basic knowledge of what I need to buy. Of course, this only works if you are already on vacation in Florida. If you guys are wanting to buy gear before you go on vacation, you will likely need to order your fishing equipment online because most retail stores only stock Saltwater Gear near the coast. However, I recommend you buy your gear once you are there because you can find local advice on the equipment you actually need.
Baits
I seem to have my best luck using shrimp and squid. You can find both at any local bait shop. Most fishing piers sell shrimp and squid in frozen containers also. However, I’m sure you noticed I use some other artificial baits in the gallery above. The large silver spoon bait is a great bait to use as well. I love the Owner Circle Hooks for fishing with shrimp and squid. You can actually buy leaders with hooks already tied on. The picture below is the setup I recommend you buy for fishing with squid and shrimp.
You can attach the super rigs to the line that comes on your rod&reel. However, if you are going after larger species of saltwater fish you might want to consider upgrading the line on your Reel.
I know people love the convenience of shopping online. However, I recommend you wait and buy lures once you are at the area you intend to fish. I feel as though you will save money by buying lures and baits near the area you intend to fish because you can see which hot baits the locals are using and purchase only what the fish are biting for the brief time you are there.
The rod&reel
Regardless of the fish species you are after, I highly recommend you purchase a rods and reels at retail stores. I believe you should always see first hand how smooth the reel functions and how balanced the rod feels in your hand. Once you have found a combo you like, you can always go home and order online if you wish to do so. However, my personal favorite setup is a Daiwa D-Wave M Saltwater Spinning Rod and Reel Combo. It is 9 ft rod medium action with a 4.6:1 standard spinning reel. I remember paying under $65 for the whole rig. The reason I use this setup is, I can use it for surf fish and pier fishing.
Basic Fishing Methods
If you have ever tight-lined for catfish, you will enjoy success saltwater fishing from the beach or on a pier. My favorite bait setup is rigged up by attaching two hooks spaced about one foot apart with a 2 ounce pyramid weight hanging about six inches below the bottom hook. It’s like a double hook drop shot rig on steroids. Place a shrimp or squid on the hooks and cast into the water. Let the bait hit bottom then take up the slack. You will feel when a fish is on and experience the thrill of catching your first saltwater fish!
Conclusion
You can can have a ton of fun saltwater fishing without spending a ton of money for a fishing charter. Don’t get me wrong, a fishing charter can be great if you have the time and money to do so. However, if you want to experience world class saltwater fishing, I recommend you book a charter in my home state of Louisiana. Florida has some good places to saltwater fish but Louisiana’s Gulf Coast offers World Class saltwater fishing.
I hope this article will help you guys catch some saltwater fish without spending a ton of money! I love to surf fish every time my family visits Florida. You should give it a try! Thank you for reading this post. If you want more useful tips for fishing check out or fish page at Americanhuntjngsafari.com. If would like to learn more about hunting or fishing go to Americanhuntingsafar’s Home Page then select the type of wild game you would like to learn how to hunt. We also have a wild game cooking page where we share some delicious recipes. Please subscribe to receive new post from Americanhuntjngsafari.com.
Thanks for reading and good luck!