In article .com,
wrote:

Hi,

I am a complete beginner in fishing and my only experience so far was
fishing in the Mosqito Lagoon in East Central Florida, close to Cape
Canaveral. Using a 6 foot rod, a braided line (20lbs equivalent), a
metal leader (also 20lbs) with a swivel and a snap (I know, this is a
newbie's sin, but it allows me to changes lures easily) and a Jonhson's
Silver Minnow (which is actually golden) I caught speckled sea trouts.

I am thinking of trying to catch some fish in the surf off the closest
beach. All the fishermen here use very large fighing poles and live
bait so I wonder, is my idea of using a small 6 foot rod with my
braided line and my Johnson spoon really silly, or might I still catch
something?

(I do not have the money for another rod, nor do I feel comfortable
changing my line, but I would gladly use another lure if advised to do
so).

Any advice/comments would be very much appreciated!

Kind regards,

TN

You can always use whatever you have and take pleasure in the fact you
are fishing. Equipment can make a difference in the degree of success
you have. However, you could just as easily catch as many or more fish
than someone with better suited equipment.

Nothing wrong with your setup but I would probably change the leader to
heavy fluorocarbon (something 20 - 40 pounds) unless you are fishing
sharks primarily. Using artificial lures it is less likely you will be
hooking sharks.

The benefit of the longer rods is the distance they produce in the cast.
They accomplish getting your bait (usually not artificials) out to
deeper water where predators or scavengers are looking for a meal.

The braided line actually will help you get better casting distance due
to low line memory, slick finish and small diameter for the strength.
The spoon is a good choice, I would probably use silver (for various
reasons but mostly because it has produced many times for me). I always
use a swivel/snap-swivel with a spoon to avoid line twist. I would
probably not do so with a lure as the extra weight will possibly change
the lure balance or action. Using a few simple knots it takes less than
a minute to make the change.

Trout would be a possibility for you along with other species. It is
quite possible to find predators running along the shoreline herding
bait in the shallows. Look for changes in the bottom that may force fish
closer to shore or funnel them through a specific channel where you can
target these fish. Also, areas that allow for easy ambush of the
baitfish.

Maybe some of this will help.

Good Fishin'

atljoe
--
"Atlanta Joe" aka Joe Webb
Flats fishing is Flat Fun!
Visit my site at http://flatsfisher.com