Salt Strong Fishing

If you're a serious saltwater angler, you've certainly heard of the Indian River Lagoon. The IRL is world-renowned for its amazing fishing and endless seagrass (or at least it used to be). It also used to be a place that anglers from all over the world would travel to catch a trophy speckled trout, redfish, or snook. But the last 20 years have been incredibly harsh on the Indian River Lagoon - from overdevelopment to runoff from homes to sewage spills to agriculture, the Lagoon is littered with pollution. One group called ORCA (Ocean Research & Conservation Association) is doing some really amazing things with technology to discover the main causes of the pollution (along with coming up with solutions). Listen is as we discuss their unique way of using pollution mapping and other science-based technology to save the Lagoon.

I've always struggled with a good answer when someone asks me how I am sure that a Higher Power or God exists... But then this week, the answer practically fell in my lap through a book that showed up on my desk. Listen in as I share what I found.

In this episode, we reveal some exciting news about the latest and greatest shrimp lure for catching redfish, speckled trout, snook, snapper, grouper, and more. Listen in as we discuss the design, the process of making the shrimp lure, why it works so well, and more. Enjoy and tight lines!

If you're an inshore saltwater angler, it's critical that you use a leader line when fishing (yes, even in murky water). However, not all leaders lines are the same. When you factor in all of the other variables (such as leader length, knots, type, etc) it's not hard to understand that mistakes can happen. So in this episode, we break down all of the top mistakes when it comes to fishing leader lines.

I was recently interviewed for an international online show and one of the main areas of interest was creating more FREEDOM and CONTROL in life. I shared 5 action items on how to create more freedom in your life and I'd love to share them with you. Enjoy!

In this episode, we share some of the findings from the most in-depth fishing rod breaking study ever done. I'll be honest, I was shocked at the stats (for instance, only 2% of all rod breaks were due to a manufacturer defect). So listen in as we discuss why fishing rods break, how fishing rod manufacturers deal with the breaks, and how you can prevent your rods from breaking. Tight lines.

We've heard from a bunch of anglers who aren't finding or catching as many speckled trout as they want to. So we created an episode to help you find more trout in the winter. Listen in as we discuss where to find winter trout, what lures catch the most trout in the cold, and some tricks to try if you are in a trout honey hole but they just won't bite. Enjoy!

It's sad to think how many people are currently suffering from depression, loneliness, and the overall feeling on not being happy in life. The good news is that there is ONE thing we can all be doing to make a BIG impact here. Listen in as I share something you can do starting right now. Much love, Joe

When we first set out to become great inshore saltwater anglers (after having been bass anglers for many years) we were shocked to find out there wasn't much on the water fishing reports. There is just nothing as powerful as watching someone actually fish a real area (showing the good and the bad). That's why we made on the water fishing reports one of the main features of our Salt Strong "Insider" Club. Listen in as we discuss how you can cut the learning curve of finding the fish by using these fishing reports.

Want to hear about the best redfish lures for the year? Then listen in as we share the only 5 lures we'll be fishing with this year for redfish. Remember, the secret to catching more of your favorite saltwater fish is SIMPLICITY and SPECIALIST. If you don't know what that means, you will after this show! Enjoy and tight lines.

Do hard things... do hard things. That's one of the main phrases I've been hammering into my kid's heads so far this year. Why? Because doing hard things is the only way to grow into the person that God created us to be. Look at any Bible hero and you'll see that every single one of them was faced with a "hard thing" they had to face or overcome. Same with any hit movie. The main character (or characters) is always faced with something hard they must conquer or fight. So buckle in and enjoy this hard-hitting episode.

If you've ever had one of those days where the fish are so spooky they won't seem to hit anything, you aren't alone. The good news is that there are a few things you can do on your end to increase the chances the fish will strike. Listen in as we discuss some advanced tactics to get even spooky fish to hit your lure or bait. Enjoy and tight lines!

If you've ever wondered if there was a secret way to work your lure for more strikes, then you've got to hear his new episode. Our coaches break down some of their best tips for getting more strikes with different lures (including some cool tricks to work your lure that fish find irresistible). If you want to catch more inshore saltwater fish in 2022 with lures then you don't want to miss this.

If you want to hear from God this year, I've got some help for you. This used to be something that I struggled with until I figured out where I needed to go (and ironically it wasn't in a typical church). Enjoy and here's to an amazing year.

In this episode, we break down why we're doing this insanely popular fishing lure promotion along with which lures are best for certain scenarios. Better grab your 11 lures while you can! They are going FAST.

Join us in kicking off 2022 with a state of the saltwater fishing union address. The main three topics we cover are: 1) Fishing Tackle 2) Fishing Technology 3) Fishing Community We also discuss everything from what's going on with the supply chain issues to custom lures and rods to gambling on fishing! Enjoy and tight lines.

Obedience plus Faith plus ______ equals God's Favor. Listen in as I share what's made a MASSIVE impact in my life in terms of happiness, love, relationships, my walk with God, and even money. Happy New Year!

In this episode, we review all of the top world records for redfish, speckled trout, snook, flounder, and even ladyfish! Some of these records are absolutely nuts and will probably never be overtaken. Enjoy and tight lines.

If you're considering getting a new boat, your first boat, or simply upgrading to a new boat or skiff, then you're going to love this episode. All 5 of us discuss our experience with boat ownership, mistakes made, best overall entry-level boats and skiffs, and more. Definitely listen in before you make a boat purchase. Enjoy and tight lines!

What an awesome message about FAITH, habits, and small steps. Listen in as special guest Pastor Johnny Kelley shares a message about letting God write our story. You'll love this one (make sure to listen until the end).

In this episode, we had a ton of wind (and some frozen shrimp) so we decided to see what we could make happen under a bridge. Turns out, we caught a ton of fish (even a few keepers). Everything from mangrove snapper, yellowtail snapper, gag grouper, and more. Enjoy and tight lines!

In this episode, we break down the only two (three max) knots you really need to be a successful inshore saltwater angler. Listen in as we discuss why these knots are best, how to tie them, and when to use them. If you've been confused on which fishing knots you need to know, this will simplify everything for you. Tight lines.

It took me the entire year but I just finished reading the Bible. Besides it not being as boring as I'd imagined, I had some really interesting discoveries from it. Listen in to find out. Enjoy.

When Justin first asked me, "What makes a great angler?" I didn't know how to answer him. But after a brief debate, we both realized there was a lot to unpack with this question. Listen in as we have an open discussion about what makes a great angler? We look forward to hearing your feedback.

If you aren't finding (and catching) as many redfish as you want, then you've got to hear this new episode on finding feeding redfish. Luke and Joe break down the top 7 reasons most anglers don't catch as many redfish as they desire. Everything from not fishing in the 90/10 zone to having the wrong bait to fishing bad tides (along with solutions to every problem). Enjoy and tight lines!

Holy smokes! My eyes saw something that wasn't actually there this morning (that actually changed my body heart rate, temp, etc) and it got me thinking how many times our eyes and what we visualize effect our happiness and success (both negatively and positively). Listen in as I share what happened.

You spoke. We listened. Now with over 25,000 members in the Salt Strong Insider Club and Community, it was high time we made some big updates. So after taking in all of your feedback on ways we could make the online community even better, we made it happen. Listen in as Nick shares all of the latest updates (along with some new features we'll be adding soon). If you haven't joined the Salt Strong club yet, you'll be doing it after you see this! Enjoy and tight lines!

Suspending hard bait lures from brands such as Mirrolure and Rapala can be amazing in certain situations. However, they can also be ineffective during certain times of the year and certain types of structure. So we had a few of our fishing coaches chime in to discuss when (and when not) to use suspending hard lures. Enjoy and tight lines!

If you've ever struggled to find faith in yourself (or just been down on yourself or low self-confidence), you aren't alone. I've been there many times before and I'm betting that most everyone has. Sometimes the toughest part is pulling yourself together and getting out of the rut. Here's how to do it.

We've had a bunch of requests for targeting sheepshead on bridge pilings so Luke and I grabbed some shrimp and hit a random piling to test our luck. Listen in as we share our favorite sheepshead rig, how to make sure you catch more fish than structure, and how to maximize your time and bait. Enjoy and tight lines.

Luke and Justin came back from their 3-day rod building class and said they learned more about fishing rods in 3 days than they had in 30 years. They even mentioned that many of the big manufacturers weren't sharing enough of the much-needed intel on what makes a rod great. So I got them on the show to share everything they learned. Enjoy and tight lines.

Yep, it's over. A little over two years ago, I instituted a 3-drink maximum into my life. And for the first year, it worked perfectly. But then it became not as much fun. Here's what happpened.

If you'd like to catch more mangrove snapper inshore (without having to head miles out) then you've got to hear this. Luke and I fish residential canals using a super simple shrimp rig and catch a bunch of snapper. The best news is that these shrimp rigs are super affordable and this can be done before work it's so simple. Enjoy and tight lines.

It's almost here! The ultimate online course on catching trout from Texas to Florida to North Carolina (and everywhere in between). So in this podcast, we briefly discuss the upcoming course with Capt. Peter Deeks (and a monster lineup of top trout guides) along with sharing some great speckled trout tips for the late fall and winter. If you love catching speckled trout, then you don't want to miss this!

Being a parent isn't easy. Some days you get it right (or at least feel like you did), and some days you feel like you failed. I had a recent conversation with my 10-year old that quickly made me realize I had failed her in one of the most important departments of her life. I'm willing to bet I'm not alone. So grab some popcorn (and maybe a tissue if you're inclined to tear up) and listen to what just happened.

A recent video released by Simms (about the striped bass decline up north) had a very clear smoking gun... the recreational angler. It was one of the first times most of the fingers were pointed at us recreational anglers (instead of commercial fishermen, pollution, etc). It created an internal debate here at Salt Strong about what would actually happen if we all agreed to release every fish for a year? I'm not convinced that is the answer but my guess is the answer lies somewhere in the middle of two extremes. Listen in to find out more and please leave us your candid thoughts on this topic. It's definitely a discussion (and NOT a sermon or lecture).

Fishing in the winter months can be amazing. The fish are all congregated together (so if you find one, you usually find a bunch of them), plus there aren't as many knuckleheads out on the water. But one of the toughest parts about fishing in the winter is the cold. Combine the cold with water (which will inevitably find it's way on you) it can be tough. So in this episode, we break down exactly what we use to stay warm from Texas to Florida to the Carolinas. Tight lines!

For years, I held my insecurities and issues in close to my chest. I felt that if I shared them with anyone that I'd be looked down on... that I'd look weak... that people would consider me a failure. The irony is that when I finally did open up, the complete opposite happened. Listen in as I share a personal story on this week's Salt Strong UNCHURCHED.

In this episode, we bring on the famous pro bass writer and interviewer Rob Newell to discuss the main mistakes that hold bass anglers (even really good ones) from having as much success as they want when saltwater fishing. We cover everything from why you don't need live shrimp, why a boat can actually hurt your chances in some areas, why you don't need all new lures, and more. Enjoy and tight lines!

If you've ever had a rough day trying to catch inshore saltwater fish, you aren't alone. Regardless if your skunky day is because you failed to prepare, bad moon phase, no current, or just plain bad luck, this tip will help you at least catch something. Tight lines and avoid the skunk!

If you could name the top 2-3 things that are most important to you in life, what would they be? Regardless of your answer, if you'd like to enhance each one, then you've got to hear this about this simple method. It can help repair, enhance, and completely rejuvenate any relationship from a spouse, child, parent, sibling, friend, or even God. Enjoy.

In this episode, we discuss all of the tricks that pro anglers and rod builders use to make their fishing rods last much longer. From the right (and wrong) way to transport them, to properly washing them down, to storage, and more. If you own at least one fishing rod or more, you don't want to miss this one.

If you fish enough, you'll find yourself fishing on a high, slack tide every now and then. The big misconception is that it's almost impossible to get fish to strike lures when the tide is slack like this. But it's simply not true. So in this LIVE on the water episode, we reveal exactly how we like to target snook (and other inshore fish) on a super high tide. Enjoy

In our efforts to never miss anything, we tend to miss almost everything. We're rarely truly in the moment (instead distracted by dings, beeps, and thoughts of the future). I know because this is something I'm dealing with too. So in this episode, I share what I've discovered in a really powerful new book that I know can help you as well. Enjoy.

Sometimes it super helpful to take it back to the basics. So in this episode, we break down all of the tips, tactics, and shortcuts that we wish someone had shared with us when we were transitioning from bass anglers to inshore saltwater anglers. We discuss the easiest way to find spots (even if you don't have a nice boat or trolling motor), how to simplify your tackle, why less is more, and why you'll actually catch more fish if you do this... Enjoy and tight lines.

What an epic day! It's one thing to stumble upon a massive school of redfish in a small area, its another to get them to bite not once, but seven times!!! We doubled up, then doubled up again. All using artificial lures in this one area. If you love catching redfish, you will love this episode!

I was recently "busted" by my wife who called me out for spending too much time reading about and discussing the Gabby Petito case. Her point was, "Why not spend that time with me and our kids?" OUCH!!! So it got me thinking... what if we all spent less time getting all fired up about politics, news, masks, murders, and presidents and spent more time focused on our family? Can you imagine what that would do? It would certainly create a ripple effect that could impact the entire country. All from just less engagement with the news and social media and more time with our family. So listen in as I share a personal story of how I learned this the hard way.

Want to know which trolling motor is best between Minn Kota and MotorGuide? Our review is in (and it's not very flattering for one of these brands). So in this episode, we share our experience of having both motors, what happened when one of them broke down in the first 5 months, customer service experience, and pros and cons of each motor. If you're a saltwater boat owner you'll want to hear this one!

A grass flat (or any flat for that matter) is one of the best places to catch redfish, speckled trout, and snook in the fall. The only bad news is that some of these flats can be massive and can be really hard to figure out the 90/10 zone (the fact that 90% of all feeding fish are in just 10% of any area). So in this episode, we head out on a LIVE (unedited) on the water recording to reveal exactly what we look for when we hit a new flat. It's the ultimate shortcut! Enjoy and tight lines.

Did you know that saying "I can't" (even in your head) is one of the best ways to self-sabotage what you want in life? Yep. Just listen in to this story that happened between my wife and I this past Sunday. It's crazy what just two negative words can do to your brain...