Finding Reliable Saltwater Fishing Reports

A lot of fishermen, especially those interested in fishing the open seas and coastlines, depend on saltwater fishing reports to get information on what species are poking up their heads in various areas of the country prior to embarking on their fishing expeditions. However, how do these anglers know where to look for the best fishing information? What reports are there to follow, and what areas do each of them cover? Here's a look at some of the various online sources for saltwater fishing reports throughout the country.

For those looking for general information on species that are available and wish to search various forums, you can try reports on wmi.org. This particular site has a complete list of various areas that are posted by other anglers, reporting on the successful (and sometimes unsuccessful) fishing in their particular areas. Because it is such a popular place to post, you can find reports from most areas of the country on the specialized forum.

For those who prefer to search by type of fish sought after, you can visit Fintalk, where you'll find listings of reports by fish species. Look for reports of swordfish, tuna, and wahoo in Venice or L.A. You'll also find information on particular areas, such as Kona, Hawaii or Miami, Florida.

Most states, through their parks and wildlife services or other natural regulatory division, publish their own reports. For example, you can pay a visit to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Division and find complete reports for various areas of the state. Other various states can be searched the same way, simply pulling up the state website and looking for saltwater fishing reports.

If you intend to go fishing in the northeastern New England area, you may want to check out reports at Noreast, where information specific to the fishing in this area can be found. For more generalized information on all sorts of areas, try Fishing Reporters, where hundreds of individuals post their own fishing experiences so that you get clear reports for the areas where they live. You can also find interesting information at FishReports and TidalFish. At this latter site, you'll find articles touting the reports during various seasons for varying areas. For example, one article found here discussed the Virginia Chesapeake Bay weekly report in February, explaining that the chilly air and water temperatures of around 40 degrees were perfect for striped bass fishing. Reports in the northeast referred to expectations for spring, including thoughts of light tackle fishing and fly fishing. The site is also expanding to include reports for areas like North Carolina and Florida.