Welcome to Simple Saltwater Fishing (SSF), the first and only fishing resource of it’s kind. SSF was created to help you catch fish using basic gear and straight-forward methods that are available to everyone. You don’t even need a fishing boat. Instead of constantly promoting hot new products, the SSF philosophy is that fishing is about effort, skill, and sport…not the gear. The gear we use is mainly a means to an end, although an important one. Therefore, I like to stick with reliable and time-tested products, and I freely share this information with you throughout my articles.

If you have an interest in simplifying your approach to fishing, or you are a regular fisherman that is not seeing the results that you want, don’t worry….this site will “hook” you up with plenty of great ideas for catching fish. Thank you for visiting!

Scope of This Site

SSF focuses on sharing in-depth saltwater fishing knowledge in three main areas:

1. Kayak fishing
2. Wade fishing
3. Shore fishing (including surf, jetty, pier, and seawall/bulkhead fishing)

I picked these areas because life is hectic, and this ensures that I have plenty of options to fish, no matter what my schedule or the weather has in store. If it’s a busy week, I can shore fish on my lunch break or go for a quick wade. If I have free time on the weekend, I can take the kayak out or drive down the beach to surf fish.

Getting Started

Getting started is easy, it just depends on what you are interested in.

• If you’re not sure, visit the Index page. This page displays nearly all information on this website, listed out by topic. Just jump in and start exploring!
• Are you looking for detailed how-to articles, guides, research, and experiments? Visit the Articles and Guides section. Here you will find detailed how-to articles, strategies, guides, checklists, research, experiments, and updates. Information found here is organized chronologically, but if you’re not finding what you’re looking for, visit the Index page where the same information is listed out by topic. There are many useful tools in this section that are free to download.
• Are you planning to purchase a new rod, reel, or other piece of gear? Check out Gear Reviews where I inspect and test gear using a rigorous process, and provide honest feedback. But, don’t forget to check Articles and Guides too, because that’s where I provide sizing charts for various gear.
• Looking for current or past fishing reports for Corpus Christi, Texas and the surrounding area? Visit Fishing Reports. Occasionally, I’ll post fishing reports from other areas of the state as well.
• Want to see some recent catches or need a little motivation? Visit the Fish Wall. This page features catches from The Simple Fisherman, family and friends, and other local anglers.
• Feel like shopping? Great! Visit the Store (coming soon). This is where I sell reasonably priced products that will help you up your fishing game! And as time allows, I will have some top-notch gear available too!

Who is This Site For?

This site is intended for anyone that is interested in a simpler (and cheaper) approach to saltwater fishing, particularly kayak fishing, wadefishing, and shore fishing. I have many beginner articles, although experienced fishermen (and boat fishermen) will find this site useful as well. I dive deep into advanced topics with the goal of simplifying the concepts into understandable and actionable steps. With that being said, there are several types/styles of saltwater fishing that I don’t talk about much on this site. These include:

• Bay boat/skiff fishing
• Offshore fishing
• Fly fishing
• Spearfishing/bowfishing
• Trotline/sail line fishing
• Gigging

Each of these fishing styles are interesting in their own way, and there are many publications and videos out there that address these styles. I just won’t address them here in any great detail.

Simple Fishing Ideas

SSF is structured around a few key ideas that form the backbone of the simple fishing philosophy. In no particular order, here they are:

Idea #1: Fishing is Simple

• We can try to complicate fishing all we want, but at the end of the day, we’re trying to get a small-brained creature to bite a bait. That’s it. And yet, this creature “outsmarts” us all the time, even those who spend a lot of money on their hobby.
• Using relatively simple gear is perfectly fine. After all, that’s pretty much the only gear that was available for thousands of years (fishing is one of mankind’s oldest activities).
• Specific techniques may seem mysterious or complicated at first, but when you really look closely, they really are just common sense.

Idea #2: Fishing Should Be Affordable

• As one of mankind’s oldest activities, it should not break the bank.

• The prices of fishing gear these days is quite disturbing. This includes boats, fishing kayaks, and all other types of hyped-up gear. Don’t worry, you don’t need all of this stuff. The fish don’t care.

Idea #3: Do Your Own Thing

• Read all of the fishing reports and articles that you can get your hands on, but take them with a grain of salt. They have good information and are a good “data point”, but the things that you read in there are not absolute truths. If you take the information literally, then you will not be willing to experiment.

• There is no substitute for thinking outside the box. If you have an idea, test it.

• Become the expert in your area and your conditions. Remember that the things that you read in articles are based on the author’s expertise in their area and their conditions.

• Let go of the idea that you need to compete with other fishermen in any way. Trying to beat them to “the good spot” on any given morning is a crappy and stressful way to fish. Once you let go of this, real opportunities will open up.

• Avoid crowds on the water, especially clusters of boats or other fishermen. Get away from them and go literally anywhere else. Even if they are catching fish.

Idea #4: Build Skills

• Fish hard, and get after ’em. This means being muddy, wet, sandy, salty, sweaty, tired, achy, uncomfortable, and sometimes bored. You will lose fish, tangle line, break gear, and many times go home empty-handed. Embrace this, because this is real fishing. At least you are not at work!

• Study, learn, analyze, observe, and consistently improve.

• Become a part of the fish’s world. Ditch the “loud” human habits, because those scare fish away. Instead, become a silent hunter. Learn to adapt on the fly, with the confidence to fish any body of water, anywhere, any time, under any conditions. This is a lofty goal but one that is worth pursuing.

• Learn to maintain, repair, and modify your own gear. In some cases, you may need to make your own gear.

• Fail over and over, then figure out where you went wrong. Become a student of the game and enjoy the process. It’s about the effort, not the gear.

Unique Features Of This Site

This site contains a few unique features, including:

• Original thinking and writing by myself, The Simple Fisherman. I don’t believe in following the school (get it?) or copying someone else. All of the tools, systems, and main ideas on this site were created from scratch. Any research that I incorporate into my articles will be properly cited and credit given to those authors.

• Original photographs. I can’t explain it, but I hate stock photos with a passion, so I use my own. Stock photos just don’t have any personality. With that being said, I’m not an expert photographer, so my photos won’t be perfect.

• I provide lots of free tools, available for download through various articles.

• I provide plenty of options for fishing without a boat (although I do use a kayak). I believe that boatless fishing improves focus and makes you a sharper fisherman.

• I talk extensively how to build, modify, maintain, and organize gear. These skills are very important for the simple fisherman.

• Real product reviews. I don’t have any sponsors, therefore I can freely scrutinize products. I utilize a thorough review criteria to help you make an informed purchasing decision. Ultimately, I want the gear that you purchase to do the job that it’s intended to do, with as little hassle as possible.

About Me

I have fished the Texas coast since I could walk (1986 or so), and saltwater basically runs in by blood. I have devoted thousands of hours to saltwater fishing and I still have much to learn. I enjoy nearly every type of saltwater fishing that is available to the average person. In my younger days, I spent many late nights on Bob Hall Pier and bay piers in the Corpus Christi area, waiting for fish to bite. As I got older, I developed less of a tolerance for fishing shoulder-to-shoulder with other people and began to focus more on kayak fishing and wade fishing.

As I got older yet, kayak fishing became my “stay sane” activity during the early stages of family and career. Time was limited, money was limited, work was busy, and I took my adult responsibilities seriously. However, most weeks I would find time to get Old Blue (my 9 foot, no frills, plastic Ocean Kayak) out on the water for a few hours of great fishing (see here). It was common for me to do chores on Saturday, then fish on Sunday mornings from sun up to 10 or 11am. I would usually make it back to the house and have all my gear cleaned up and put away by noon. This type of short trip was possible (and essentially free) because I kept things simple. The best part was that I was hardly missed because my family would sleep in late on Sundays! Keeping things simple and cost effective is a huge priority of mine; this is a core themes of this blog as I’ll explain below.

I am not a fishing guide or serious tournament fisherman. I am just an avid fisherman who attempts to solve the fishing puzzle. The thoughts expressed on this site are my viewpoints. These viewpoints were formed over many years, and are based on my experience (much of it trial and error), my world view, and research/reading that I have done. There are plenty of other ways to do things, and there are plenty of other great fisherman. I simply offer up some ideas that work for me.

Closing

Fishing is an addicting sport, and I’m honored to share the water with you. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please email me at simplesaltwaterfishing@gmail.com. Welcome again, and enjoy the site!

Have a reel good day,

– The Simple Fisherman

Disclaimer: Fishing is inherently risky and can even be dangerous. Pursue at you own risk! The fishing methods discussed on this site require a moderate to high level of fitness, so make sure you are up to the task. Also remember that hooks can be sharp, stingrays are everywhere, and Mother Nature can be unpredictable and violent. Simple Saltwater Fishing is not responsible for injury or adverse effects to any person(s) or equipment. This site is intended for entertainment and educational purposes only.