Boatless Fishing Forum, Reports, Info

Hi, I’m new to FL and love shore (surf) fishing. Using shrimp is all new to me. As a former New Yorker I’m familiar with using squid, clams, crabs, worms, fish, chunks of fish, etc.
shrimp is all new to me. So far I’ve only found frozen and it’s hard to keep on the hook. I’ve tried threading it through like a worm, as well as just hooking through it at various points.
Is there any method anyone can recommend that may keep it a bit more secure. Is fresh shrimp better? Do bait shops sell it fresh? I guess I could try supermarkets if fresh is a better option.
Also do frozen sand fleas work as a good bait? I haven’t tried them yet.
If anyone can offer any tips it would be appreciated.
Thanks.

Hello and welcome
As for shrimp
if I am going to use frozen I go to Publix and get some fresh frozen large shrimp they have white shrimp that is reasonable by the Lb and if you don't use it all cook it and eat it.
Cut the Fresh Frozen large shrimp into nice bite size chunks the meat is much tougher then the bagged bait shrimp.
I think frozen bait shrimp suck all around so don't buy that crap from bait shops

Bait Shops do sell live shrimp and they are great to use, they also normally have Ballyhoo fresh this is great in the summer and fall when using cut fish for bait make sure it is fresh

Sand fleas are best used Fall and Spring because many species are feeding on them but can be used all year long.

The first thing to learn fishing south florida is how to get fresh bait this is vital to produce.

We are lucky because we can catch alot of different bait here so its just learning where they are and how to catch them.

Canals: mullet and crabs, pinfish

Beaches and Piers: Pilchard, Ballyhoo, crabs, sand fleas, small white peanut grunts, sand perch and croakers and mullet sometimes

Inlets: Pilchards, small white peanut grunts, pinfish, sometimes ballyhoo and mullet

Keys bridges just about all baits, if you learn the bridges because certain bait prefer certain bridges

Odd ball baits
Needle fish
Barracuda

Tightlinesny wrote:Hi, I’m new to FL and love shore (surf) fishing. Using shrimp is all new to me. As a former New Yorker I’m familiar with using squid, clams, crabs, worms, fish, chunks of fish, etc.
shrimp is all new to me. So far I’ve only found frozen and it’s hard to keep on the hook. I’ve tried threading it through like a worm, as well as just hooking through it at various points.
Is there any method anyone can recommend that may keep it a bit more secure. Is fresh shrimp better? Do bait shops sell it fresh? I guess I could try supermarkets if fresh is a better option.
Also do frozen sand fleas work as a good bait? I haven’t tried them yet.
If anyone can offer any tips it would be appreciated.
Thanks.

Welcome!

Hey Tommy

Slippery Oscar mayer yeah great bait but are they not protected. Not so sure myself but if recall correctly then they are on the list of no no

Thanks so much for the detailed response. It’s goong to really help me out a lot.

STRIZ wrote:Hey Tommy

Slippery Oscar mayer yeah great bait but are they not protected. Not so sure myself but if recall correctly then they are on the list of no no

Yea you might be right I believe they did add wrasses or at least some

so an edit is required

Thank you Sir All I can say is whoops did i say that

I like Anglers B&T ( Dania ) for frozen shrimp, bigger and fresher than Publix , cellfish...
.

CELLFISH wrote:I like Anglers B&T ( Dania ) for frozen shrimp, bigger and fresher than Publix , cellfish...
.

Really? Never tried their frozen shrimp. If they don't have decently sized live on hand, I'll usually pass on shrimp altogether. Never been a real fan of frozen baits period.

On that note, I'd kill for them or anyone, to open up a bait shop close to Newport. Well, closer than the one in Halover anyway.

I would not buy the grocery store shrimps for bait.... they are farm raised and have no smell or flavor.

You want the bait shop shrimps, specially if you can get the small local B&T shop that freezes the shrimp that die off in the live shrimp tanks... they have some smelly flavor.

You should first use a bait holder hook Leave the shell on and just remember, you cannot cast shrimp with any jerking of your line which will almost always rip the shrimp off the hook. Jigging whole dead shrimp with a jig head is also effective. Also, dead shrimp put up in salt brine will toughen the flesh I`ll take jigging over any method as you can learn how to deift the rig just above bottom and not lose as much gear Cudaman Adventures | Fishing, fun, reports, and some reviews

Thanks so much for this tip. I know a lot of fishing is to try different things out for yourself but just in your opinion would this work good with buck tails, I have many of them.

It's a very good idea to use SHRIMP as bait! How many fish can be caught with such bait and is it worth doing this at all?

During recreation in nature, the human body is actively saturated with oxygen, which benefits the lungs. The cardiovascular system activates the brain, helps relieve stress and depression, and increases the vacationer's optimism and cheerfulness.