Adult Saltwater Fishing Beginner

Question
Sir,
I live in Hollywood,FL..not far from the east coast of FL. How can I do the best fishing with the least resources and no boat? Any locations, rod suggestions, bait/lure suggestions. I would like to catch edible fish, but would also love to reel in a snook, tarpon or other gamefish.
Thank you much,
William Cantallops

Answer
Hello William:
I used to run a charter fishing boat from the Hollywood dock, so I am familiar with the area.  That dock, at the end, was a prime snook spot (I've seen snook over 30 pounds caught there).  You need a spinning rod and reel(or a conventional spool set-up) with monofilament line testing about 30# for that kind of fishing. Live shrimp are your best bet (see my book FISH FLORIDA:SALTWATER for rigging and knot instructions with pictures and diagrams). Go to the Bass World store in Dania for a great selection of equipment much of which is low-priced. Also, the piers at Dania Beach and south at Baker's Haulover are good places for pompano (great eating) and other such as snapper and grunt plus an occasional larger fish. Golden Beach,just south of you, is super for pompano if you can find access to the beach.  But for surf and pier fishing you will need a heavier outfit which means a rod at least 6 feet (better at 8-10 feet) in order to cast out enough (you could use this same equipment in Hollywood Lake). Around the middle of October schools of mullet will migrate south and with them bluefish, tarpon and anything else looking for an easy meal. If you want to use artificial lures, use the lighter spinning rod mentioned above and buy Mirro-Lure plugs, floating  and sub-surface, with black or green backs.  Yellow or white nylon jigs would work and spoons heavy enough to cast, too.  Good luck. Boris