salt water fishing

Question
I just got my self a 25 foot boat, center console, and I love fishing, only that I don't know very much about it. What reels should I have, what tacle should I use? I have some casting rods, can I use them for trolling? I need any advise usefull.

I live in Costa Rica, the normal fishes here are, the DOLPHIN, WAHOO, MACAREL, RED SNAPER, MARLIN, BASS, TUNA...

Thank you very much!!!

Best regards,

didier  

Answer
Hi Didier;

 How to fish in your area for specific fish is something best learned from local fishermen.  Ask questions and listen to any advice given.  Remember, free advice is something you can take or leave, depending upon just how reasonable it sounds.

 On the matter of choosing tackle, I can give you a very fundamental understanding of what you should be doing.  Keep in mind that you do not match the rod and reel to a particular species of fish.  Too many people think this way and they are wrong.  Instead, the rod and reel should be matched to the method you intend to use.

 As an illustration:  I do a great deal of striped bass fishing from my boat.  Depending on time of year and location, I employ various tackle and methods in an attempt to catch the same species and sized fish.  When fishing natural baits such as clam and fish chunks in the shallow back bays, I use baitcasting rods and reels with 12 to 15 pound test line.  When baitfishing with live herring or bunker along the beaches, I umploy somewhat heavier tackle with 20 to 30 pound test lines.  Trolling very large deep running plugs, bunker spoons, and umbrella or shad rigs, even heavier tackle is used, rods and reels rated for lines in the 30 to 50 pound range.  And at other times I will use spinning tackle with 8 and 10 pound test lines to cast small surface plugs and 3/4 ounce soft plastics.  Sometimes, bouncing a jig on the bottom is effective, whether it is a bucktail, diamond, or jig head rigged with a soft plastic.  But depth, current and drift conditons will often dictate just how light or heavy a jig can be used, and even thought the method is the same, different rods are needed for different weight jigs.  A baitcaster just does not let me work a heavy jig properly, and by the same token a stiff heavier rod will not give the right action to a light jig.  

 All these diffent methods and tackle are for the same fish.  The diffence is the presentation.  There is no way I could troll a heavy lure with the spinning or baitcasting outfits, and it would be just as impractical to try and cast light weight lures with trolling rods and reels.  


 I would suggest you start with what you already have and see how appropriate that tackle is to the method being used by other fishermen in your area.  Always keep in mind that the tackle is not dictated by the fish, but the method used.  The character "Santiago" in Hemingway's story of "The Old Man and the Sea" fished for marlin with a hand line.  There are people seeking records who fish with fly tackle for species that are not what such tackle was originally intend for.  There are no rules that prevent you from using whatever you want.  But from a practical point of view, remember to match the tackle to the method used rather that the species being sought, and you should do well.

-Rich