Going to venture into saltwater for the first time
 

I'm going to take my 1975 Airslot 165(Johnson 120hp VRO outboard) into St. Andrews Bay in Panama City, Florida for the first time soon.

I would like to have some advice to a new saltwater fisherman.

What weather reports should I be checking?

I have an automatic bilge pump, life vests, air horns. I am not going to be able to afford a radio of any type, but I do not really plan on leaving the bay at all in this boat until I am much more experienced. Is there any other important safety equipment I should look into?

Additionally, I am new to saltwater fishing in general, although I bass fish regularly. Where can I get some good info on setups to use while bay fishing?

I'm going to rinse the boat off thoroughly after use as well as flush the motor.

fish finder rig is a basic setup works for pretty much anything that feeds near the bottom. depending on the size of your gear, basically a weight slides freely up and down the line and a leader on the other end. weather wise you want to look for wave hieght and wind speed. not much different then freshwater, no clue what your boat is like, just take it out and see waht she can handle. safety gear is the same except i recommend a second anchor and carry your cell phone just incase if you dont have a vhf, and dont get stuck on a sandbar bieng anchored when the tide is going out lol,

Here's a good place to start...get familiar w/this site and read FORECASTS THOROUGHLY...then find and study all the CHARTS you can of the area you plan to fish...visit local tackle shops and don't be afraid to ask...if you can, fish w/a friend who knows the area and techniques before taking your own boat out...always helpful...tide forecasts as well...yer wise to stay inshore for a while...let someone know the general area you are fishing before you go and make sure your Airslot is FLORIDA LEGAL...take a digital camera and post up some pics of your trips, so we can see 'em

http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=pclf1

I will be inshore until I get a new boat! Sticking to the bay while I'm in a 16' boat for sure. Thanks for the tip about Florida legal, a few different requirements than Alabama where I live. Where can I pick up some charts from?

sax, let me know what local info i can provide for you. boat should be plenty for bay cruisin. where are you staying and where are you looking to launch.
http://www.halfhitch.com/ is a good tackle shop for info and supplies. i have been slacking on the fishing in july & aug we go into scallop & crab mode.
i will be glad to help any time

pd

That right there is what makes this board AWESOME

Absolutely awesome. Thanks for the link. I haven't picked anywhere in particular to launch from, I was looking at St. Andrews State park to launch, but I am 100% open to suggestions. I live in alabama, but its an hour and a half drive to PCB.

I am super new to saltwater fishing, went deep sea fishing on a charter a few weeks ago and I was instantly in love. I enjoyed it a lot more than bass fishing which I do 2-3 times a week!

I really need some ideas of where/what I should look for in a fishing spot. What kind of fish are the best to eat from the bay? I will visit that tackle shop as soon as I can for some advice on setups. We just grilled up some scamp and trigger fish I caught from the gulf last week and they were amazing.

I also want to find a chart or list of types of fish around there and legal limits for keepers.

Picture of my boat!

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-c...TPY/image.jpeg

Bingo!!...:clap:

OK..here ya go...this will answer all the size limits, what's out there and how to catch 'em...

http://myfwc.com/

Not to mention licensing and other requirements...sorry...gotta do it...

Thankfully I'm military so I can get an annual permit for $20 at a tax collectors office. Just have to find some time this week to go grab one.