New to salt

[mhossom]

Gang,

I have been fishing FW exclusively for a few years now. I really love how my Cuda fishes and the speed is more than adequate for the waters I fish. I would like to make my first foray into salt water. However, I have no cold water gear so I will have to wait until spring.

My question is this, will my Cuda 12 be adequate for the bay and its tributaries (stability and speed)? Also, what are the "must haves" for salt water fishing? I already have a PFD and other personal safety gear.

Thank you.

Mike

[Scrumptrelecent]

You shouldn't have any issues with your Cuda. You just need to find what water conditions you are comfortable with. There are many apps/websites for forecasting wind/waves/tide that will help you determine your limitations. I mostly fish FW also and I didn't really add much to my gear for fishing saltwater. I've switched out some hooks on a couple of lures. A pair of fish grips are handy for handling fish as most SW species have teeth but a net always works so not really a must have. Always remember to rinse your gear and tackle with FW at the end of the day.

[mike o]

I second what Scrumptrelecent said. You should be fine with your Cuda and can use your fresh water stuff in salt just rinse it off at the end of the day.

[chimo]

The Cuda will be fine just take your time and get a feel for the bigger water. Biggest change for me when I started off in the salt was the tides and how much the bite can depend on moving water. Slack tides can be really tough. Rinsing your gear is good advice as well, I've got a few reels that took it hard.

[mhossom]

Thanks Guys. I will probably post again in the spring looking for someone to tag along with.

[lovett88]

Also one thing I would invest in fishing bigger water is a vhf radio. From weather, Coast Guard, and some even have gps. Its a tool I always bring when out in the bay. Other then that I believe most fresh water stuff will translate well to the bay. Another thing is to have a whistle on your pfd and keep your head on a swivel at all times. Busy weekends you always have to watch out for the boaters. But chimo is right about tides. Watch them and it will make fishing that much better.

Sent from my LGLS990 using Tapatalk

[J. Rentch]

I fished the tributaries around the Bay Bridge in 2015 in a Native Slayer 10 (generally with someone) and felt very comfortable. You should do fine in your Cuda 12. Common sense will let you know when to get off the water. I would also recommend getting a VHF radio. That is a must if you get into big water. Good luck this year.

[Salty Dog]

I spend as much time as I can in the salt. If you are talking about fishing coastal salt, be aware of winds, and tides. Plan your trips around the tides as you will need a better understanding of slack, ebb, and flow tides. Having said that, I love the salt and do well in coastal waters. Not to say that I have not been caught is tough situations. Best suggestion is to prepare for the worst and enjoy the best. And yes a cuda 12 is a great boat for the salt, of course unless you have an outback.

[mhossom]

I knew I could count on this furum. I already have a whistle on my PFD. Any recommendations on the VHF radio. There is not much fat in my budget.

[Salty Dog]

Check out some of the floating Horizon models.

[Scrumptrelecent]

I knew I could count on this furum. I already have a whistle on my PFD. Any recommendations on the VHF radio. There is not much fat in my budget.

VHF radios open up a whole new discussion. I bought one a year ago when I went out a few miles to some oil rigs on the Texas Gulf Coast. The first day I had it clipped to my PFD and I ended up donating it to the Gulf before I got into my kayak. I bought a Cobra VHF (link below) the next day at a Gander Mountain and it's worked fine for me. This one floats, has a burp mode (shakes water out of the speaker if it gets submerged), has 3 different output settings, etc... A lot of guys like the Standard Horizon radios also. If you're on a budget this isn't a bad choice. I wouldn't recommend going any cheaper. If you get into a dicey situation it may become your life line so this is one of those items you'll want to fork some coin out for.


http://www.gandermountain.com/modper...Black&i=708011

[Mark]

In addition to safety considerations, perhaps the best fish finder you'll have is a VHF radio.

There's nothing nicer to hear than this call when you're on the water with your buddies: "Hey Guys! They're over here!"

[mhossom]

That's awesome! Thanks again. I will talk to the boss (wife) tonight about ordering the radio.

Hopefully, I will see some/all of you on the water in the spring.

[D3NAL1]

take a drive out to a future launch point and establish some good sources for wind and tide forecasts. some weather sites or apps advertise something waaaay off. At first this is what kept me in, reports would say minimal winds. Then i would go to launch and it would be blowing its a## off. Ive never had the need for a radio when out on the water, maybe i should invest in one. I had several fishing gear build up some corrosion since i did not rinse off my gear, dont make the same mistake. but since then i have invested in abu garcias salwater line up and love it.