The top live baits for saltwater fishing in Florida are
shrimp, shiners, pin fish and grunts, mullet, crabs, and sand fleas
. These baits are readily available at Florida bait shops and many can be caught by anglers. They will catch every species of game fish throughout the state.
What is the best bait to use right now?
- Soft Plastic Stickbaits.
- ChatterBaits (aka Bladed Swim Jigs or Vibrating Jigs)
- Lipless Crankbaits.
- Topwater Hard Lures.
- Squarebill Crankbaits.
- Paddle Tail Swimbaits.
What lures to use in Florida?
- Jerkbait/Fluke. Now these lures aren’t put in any particular order because it really depends on what type of cover you’re fishing that will determine which you’ll want to use. …
- Speed worm. …
- Worm/Senko. …
- Swimbait/Swim jig. …
- Frog. …
- Rattletrap. …
- Spinnerbait.
What live bait can you use in Florida?
- Whitebait (aka Scaled Sardine or Pilchard) Whitebait is my overall #1 pick for inshore live bait. …
- Pinfish. Pinfish are my second choice in terms of the best live bait. …
- Threadfin Herring (aka Greenback or Greenie) Threadfin, Greenbacks, Greenies.
What is the best month to fish in Florida?
The best time to fish in the state of Florida in saltwater is normally
April through September
whereas the best times to fish freshwater are spring through November. Each species of Florida gamefish will have its peak high seasons.
What size bass can you keep in Florida?
No person shall take in any one day more than the following bag limits of freshwater game fish: 5 Black bass (including largemouth, Suwannee, spotted, Choctaw and shoal bass, individually or in total), only one of which
may be 16 inches or longer in total length
. There is no minimum length limit for largemouth bass.
What do you need to catch bass in Florida?
Bass in Florida feed early in the day, when the water is coolest, especially in the summertime. Look for weed lines or moving water. In calm water,
topwater baits like poppers and buzz-baits
can be particularly useful. In breezy conditions, cast and quickly retrieve lures such as spinnerbaits and lipless crankbaits.
What attracts bass the most?
Stick Bait
The legendary Stick Bait is the most popular and fundamental Bass lure ever. Many argue that Green Pumpkin, Cinammon, and Chartreuse are the most productive colors and we agree. You can work these fattys on just about any soft plastic rig, but the most famous method is the Wacky Rig.
What month is best for bass fishing?
When it comes to catching bass, every season has its opportunities and challenges. Fishing can come alive in the dead of winter on a mild afternoon, but
spring and fall
usually present the best action. Generally, I try to avoid extremes of heat and cold and times when the water temperature falls rapidly.
What’s the best bluegill bait?
Live bait works especially well for bluegill. The most common baits are
worms and night crawlers
because they are readily available and bluegill love them. The key is to use only a piece of a worm—just enough to cover the hook. Other productive baits include crickets, grasshoppers, red wrigglers and meal worms.
Is it illegal to use goldfish as bait in Florida?
No live nonnative fish, except variable platys and fathead minnows, may be transported to or between waters for use as bait.
Live goldfish and carp may not be used as bait
. … Panfish less than 4 inches in total length raised by a licensed aquaculture facility may be purchased and used for bait.
Can you use live bait in Florida?
Florida. Florida has a partial ban on fishing with live bait. …
Whole pickerel or panfish
, such as bluegill, redear sunfish, redbreast sunfish, spotted sunfish, flier, warmouth or parts thereof may be used as bait for sportfishing by the angler who caught them.
Can you use pinfish as bait in Florida?
Pinfish are a great bait choice for fishing both offshore and inshore in Islamorada as well as many other locations. … Fish such as
redfish, snook, and tarpon
will all take a pinfish. They work great in the gulf or on the reef for things such as cobia, grouper, mackerel, and snapper.
Is winter a good time to fish in Florida?
Anglers Florida inshore winter fishing will do well to think “
deeper and slower”this time of year
. Grass flats in 4 feet of water to 6 feet of water that are normally productive may not have fish on them. Speckled trout and other species will move off the flats and seek refuge in deeper holes and channels.
What is grouper season in Florida?
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), recreational harvest of gag grouper opens
June 1 through Dec. 31
in all federal and most state waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Franklin, Wakulla, Taylor and Jefferson counties opened April 1.
Is February a good time to fish in Florida?
February. In February, the fishing forecast
does change up
a bit, with speckled trout, flounder, and pigfish being more common. In a place like Port Canaveral, you can expect redfish as well. Of course, there are always other fish like a drum that is relatively year-round.
