Fishing in Jacksonville requires the right equipment. You need a rod and reel, the right line, and a boat to reach the best spots. Of course, you also need the right bait. Without good bait, nothing else really matters.
Throughout Jacksonville, you will find both freshwater and saltwater fishing options. The bait chosen by the best Jacksonville fishermen depends on what they are going after, the time of year, and where they are fishing. Here's a look at some of the top choices when it comes to bait in Jacksonville.
Shrimp
For many types of fishing and times of year in Jacksonville, shrimp is the bait of choice. Shrimp offer the ability to catch all types of fish. You can use them on the bottom with a sliding sinker rid or you can even use a jig head if you want to bounce the bait off the bottom.
Really live shrimp are good for almost any fish you target. They can be used in the St. Johns River and even in the Atlantic Ocean. Even bass are often attracted to shrimp if it's used as a floating rig.
Menhaden
Also known as pogie, bunker or moss bunker, the menhaden is bait you can use for all seasons. It's also used for a ton of different fish including: Sailfish, Kingfish, Cobia, Blackfin Tuna, Sharks, Tarpon, Cudas, Wahoo, Flounder, Redfish, Seat Trout, Black Drum, Croakers, Whiting, and more!
The bait can be used whole or you can cut fresh strips from the larger bait for different types of rigs and fish.
The Atlantic menhaden is actually a herring indigenous to the Western Atlantic. It's a baitfish found in warm water near New England to North Florida and throughout the Gulf of Mexico. It's very abundant and eats plankton.
While it's bait for all seasons, it often works best from April through October.
Golden Shiner
A great bait used in Jacksonville for Black Bass or Largemouth Bass is the Golden Shiner. This bait is often cooked through the back or lips with a larger hook. It's used best in the spring time, but can be used as early as January through late May or even later in the year, but the peak months are March and April.
Plastic Worm
Another excellent bait used in Jacksonville is the plastic worm. This worm can be Texas-rigged or Carolina-rigged for a weedless fishing bait. It works best with heavy plant cover and a variety of colors and as well as scents.
Other popular baits used by Jacksonville Fishermen include: Topwater plugs, Crankbaits, Spinnerbaits, Streamers, Poppers.
But many people believe that for fishing in Jacksonville, live bait is the best choice.
The right bait certainly makes a difference. Often, you want to choose the right bait and the right time of year to use the bait. Of course, this will all depend on the type of fish you'll be going after on your next fishing trip.