Common Saltwater Fish Species
Saltwater fishing is different from freshwater fishing in that it covers alarger area in which to fish. Finding the fishes usually takes some time whichadds up to the challenge of the sport. Here are some of the popular saltwaterfishes that people would wish they can catch on their next fishing trip.
Marlin
The Marlin is also called a spearfish and is a popular fish of choice forbig game fishing. The size alone makes them a challenge for people who are intosaltwater fishing. Marlins have elongated body that can sometimes exceed fourmeters in length. They are also distinguished by their spear-like snout andcrest-like dorsal fin.
Marlins are very fast and can swim a distance of a hundred meters in justfour seconds. This makes them quite an achievement for saltwater anglers tocatch.
Striped Bass
The striped bass is a migratory fish moves north during the spring and backsouthward during the fall. Size of stripers can range from 10 to more than 50inches in length, and can weigh in excess of 50 pounds, making them anattractive fish to catch.
Striped bass can be caught by casting, drifting or fly-fishing. Striped bassare nocturnal fishes and usually feed when it is dark. Fishing for them isespecially good during an evening or early morning tide when the sun is not yetup.
Live or natural baits are effective for catching striped bass, especiallylive eels, pogies, and chunks of mackerel, squid or herring. An 8 to 10-footsurf rod and reel spooled with 30-pound test strength line, or a medium toheavy spinning rod with 12 to 20-pound test line is preferable, depending onfishing location.
Effective lures for striped bass include the spoons, poppers, lead-head jigsand swimming plugs. Popular fly baits include streamers that look like baitfish.
Atlantic Mackerel
The Atlantic mackerel is a fast-swimming saltwater fish species that oftentravels in large schools. The size of an Atlantic mackerel can range from 12 to18 inches in length. this fish species usually weigh less than 3 pounds. Fortheir size, fishing using a medium spinning rig spooled with 15-pound test lineis best for casting with a single, 1 to 10-ounce mackerel jig. Any small jig orshiny metal lure can also be used for catching atlantic mackerels with goodresults. Effective bait for this fish includes worms, clam necks and squid.Effective lures include diamond jigs and mackerel trees.