Salt Strong Fishing

Do you want to hear about one word that has helped some people live a happier and more fulfilled life? Then listen in to these powerful stories. Enjoy.

Fishing author Frank Sargeant is known as one of the top authorities on snook, redfish, trout, and tarpon. Not only does he have some of the top-selling books on the following species, but his books are jam-packed full of great tips, tactics, and evergreen tips. In this podcast, Luke and I break down some of our favorite chapters in Frank's "Snook Book." Enjoy and tight lines.

We've secretly been creating a tackle index (similar to the Dow Jones 500 Index) revealing all of the best value fishing tackle for inshore saltwater fishing. We cover everything from: The best value inshore fishing reel The best value inshore fishing rod The best value inshore swimbaits The best value inshore braided line The best value inshore leader line The best value inshore topwater lure The best value inshore hooks And a WHOLE lot more. Join us on of our most in-depth tackle podcasts yet!

I've always struggled with tithing and giving throughout my adult life. Perhaps it because I've never had a salary job in 20+ years (which results in some feast or famine years - and some of those thin years made it very tough). So in this episode, I share what's been happening in my life over the past 6 years of learning to give and be generous even when times are super tough. I'd love to hear your stories as well.

Great news! You can have the Salt Strong Insider community, Smart Fishing Tides, and all of our valuable content right on your phone home-screen like all of your other apps. Listen in as Luke and Joe discuss the history of the Salt Strong app, why they went with a progressive app, and how you can quickly get it on your phone or tablet today. Tight lines and we appreciate you.

Taking a vacation this summer and still want to catch fish (even if you can't bring a boat or kayak)? Then listen in as the Salt Strong team shares some of their best tricks and tactics for getting tight lines on vacation. We discuss bridge fishing, pier fishing, and beach fishing (along with best rigs and lures for each). Enjoy.

The current events in our world have been at the top of my mind and prayers. And every time I get frustrated, God gives me a sign. Listen in as I share the latest. I'd love your feedback on this one.

If you aren't using rattles in some of your lures (both hard baits and soft plastic lures) then you are missing out! Luke recently did a test targeting redfish, speckled trout, snook, grouper, and mangrove snapper using rattles (and no rattles) and the results were pretty astonishing (rattles won). So listen in as we share when to use rattles in your fishing lures and when to avoid them as well. Tight lines!

Pier fishing has been around for ages and is one of the most effective ways to get tight lines without a boat. However, not all piers are created equal. So in this episode, we break down pier tactics, which piers are best for certain situations, and how to make the best of pier fishing during the summer months. Join us in this fun discussion. You'll also get to meet Andy, one of our new fishing coaches for the Panhandle.

The Ben Franklin system is where you become laser-focused on improving one aspect of your life for a full week (13 total habits to change) in the pursuit of becoming a more godly man or woman. My first week was trying to eliminate negative or hurtful thoughts, words, or deeds. But little did I know that gossip (most of it negative) was going to wreck my plans of a great start. Listen in as I share what went down...

Swim bait. Paddletail. Crank bait. Jerk bait. Stick bait. Twitch bait. Slash bait... there are so many different names for fishing lures that it can get confusing. So in this episode, we break down what each of these lures is, when to use each one, and how to retrieve it. Enjoy!

The 90/10 zone is the biggest game-changer for finding the best redfish, snook, and trout spots fast. So in this training, we go over the following 3 case studies: Case Study #1 – How To Use The 90/10 Rule To Catch Endless Amounts Of Speckled Trout Every Trip (even if you don't have a trolling motor)! Case Study #2 – Simple steps to eliminate all of the dead zones in your area (from the comfort of your couch) Case Study #3 – How to use the 90/10 FISHING RULE to PREDICT where the REDFISH will be (even in the heat of the day)… Enjoy and tight lines!

A little over a year ago my wife and I were in a rut... With three little kids all home from school and a combination of life's stresses and the fact we couldn't travel, our relationship was at it's lowest point. But I heard a trick that a pretty famous author did to completely transform his relationship and fall in love all over again with his wife. And it only cost about $3.97 (so I figured I didn't have much to lose). Listen in as I share what happened and how this completely changed our marriage.

There has been a ton of debate around fishing line color. Does it matter? Can fish see your line? Do fish really care? Listen in as dive into the world of fishing line colors. We'll discuss what we think about the different colors of line, which ones have performed best for us, and some underwater testing we'll be doing to prove this out. Enjoy and tight lines.

Capt. Caleb McCumber and Salt Strong fishing coach Wyatt Parcel absolutely crush it in this podcast about the science of redfish. Listen in as the two discuss redfish migration, why redfish can be found at certain types of areas during certain times of the year, best lures and bait for redfish, and much much more. If you love catching redfish, then you'll love this! Tight lines

While down at my in-laws farmhouse in Georgia, I came across an old book that contained a 295-year old formula for success and happiness from none other than Ben Franklin. Listen in as I share how the formula, how I tweaked it a bit, and how you can replicate it in your own life right now. Enjoy!

In this episode, we have the Salt Strong team come on to share some of the craziest fishing etiquette fails that have happened to us on the water. We even share a few things that we've accidentally done in the past (aka learning lessons). If you love hearing about the crazy things that happen out on the water from googans then you're going to love this. And if you're a new angler/boater and want to make sure you have proper etiquette, this is a must-listen to episode!

For the past five years, we've been in pursuit of the best fishing rod for catching our favorite inshore species (redfish, speckled trout, snook, flounder, mangrove snapper, and grouper). And through those years we've used a TON of different rods (some from big brands like St. Croix, G. Loomis, TFO, Ugly Stik, etc), some from middle sized brands (like Bull Bay) and some from smaller brands. We've even had quite a few custom rods made. So listen in as we share where we've been in terms of rods, what blanks we like the best, along with some rod new discoveries we've been testing. Enjoy!

I was doing some spring cleaning and came across some of my private notes from the book, Fishing For Happiness. Up at the top of a page I saw, "Today is the day after my death..." I got a bit emotional reading it as I vividly remember going through the exercise to write my own eulogy. Buckle in and enjoy this one. It's a hard-hitting episode for sure! Joe

In this episode, we go LIVE during a real tarpon fight (with a 150-pound tarpon) to share exactly how we use cut-bait (like cut mullet) to catch big tarpon. Find out the best times of year to catch tarpon, best tarpon spots, best baits, best tarpon rigs, and more. Enjoy getting to hear Joe get absolutely whooped by a big tarpon!

Don't make this surf fishing mistakes!!! In this episode, we bring on surf angler Courtney Woznek to share all of her hard-earned lessons in fishing from the beach. You'll discover how to find the best spots to fish on the beach, what lures to avoid, how to know when you're in a dead zone, and much much more. If you love surf fishing (or doing it for your first time), you'll get some great nuggets of wisdom from this episode.

We recently discovered that a competitor went behind our back and did something pretty dirty. At first, I was pretty angry. And I'd be lying if the idea of retaliation didn't cross my mind. But after a day of praying on it, God hit me with a message that was too powerful not to share. If you get burned by someone or if someone is trying to bring you down to their level, this is meant for you. Much love, Joe

In this episode, Capt. Tyler Kapela breaks down all of his best tips, tactics, and guide secrets to hooking up with more tarpon. Listen in as he shares the best types of spots to find feeding tarpon, the best baits, gear, and most common mistakes. Capt. Tyler also share some insight into the best days, tides, and more. Enjoy and tight lines!

This weedless shrimp rig is deadly around docks (and bridges). Listen in as we go LIVE (uncut) and fish a brand new spot in Tampa Bay where we put this shrimp rig to the test. Not only does it attract bites from almost everything from grouper to snapper to sheepshead to snook to redfish, but when rigged correctly, it stays completely weedless and lets you fish area with structure with far fewer snags. This is definitely one of the best (and easiest) ways to get yourself and your friends on a bunch of fish fast. Enjoy and tight lines!

What's holding you back from the success and fulfillment you want? If you're anything like me, it's probably due to some old fear or disappointment in your past. So in this podcast, I share some of the best ways to get out of a rut, to pursue your dreams, and to conquer your deepest fears. Enjoy.

If you want to hear about the types of places we fish on super windy (and rainy) days to catch inshore slams (redfish, snook, trout, and flounder), then definitely listen in. We share the types of areas we look for, how to fish a super windy day, the best types of lures to catch inshore slams, and some retrieval tips. Enjoy this tough trip where we eked out a slam. Tight lines!

As anglers, we've all purchased fishing tackle that doesn't work (some of us more than others). The worst part is that newbie anglers seem to take the brunt of it as they are buying up each and everything that looks good. Important Note: what looks good in a tackle store doesn't always look good to a fish. So in this episode we break down all of the major mistakes that we've made when it comes to buying fishing tackle. The best news is that all anglers can learn from this. Tight lines and here's to only buying tackle that works!

For years, I had trouble falling asleep. Some nights my anxiety would kick into high gear while other nights I simply rolled around for what felt like hours. I began to think I had sleep apnea. But one day I was listening to a highly successful man (Ron Carson) talk about how a book on sleeping changed his life. I read the book and before too long I was having some of the best sleep of my life. I truly believe this can work for almost anyone (of course, if you have a legit sleep disorder then you need more help). Hope this helps.

In today's episode, we take out 9-year old Shauna in Tampa Bay to get her on some fish. A cold front had just come in and it was tough to get bait so instead we simply trolled the flats until we found the fish. Ended up having a pretty awesome day (shortly after we stopped filming, we found a big school of trout and caught them until we were tired). The moral of the story is, do some trolling until you find the fish. Enjoy.

If you're wondering why it's so hard to get fishing tackle right now, here's the truth about why tackle is hard to come by. In a sentence, the demand for fishing tackle has DOUBLED (if not tripled), and supply has been crushed (due to a combination of Covid, lack of components, supply chain issues, workers not showing up, etc. Listen in as we share exactly what's happening, when we should expect things to get better, and what this means for fishing in 2021.

A study by Gallop revealed that 85% of Americans do not enjoy their job. These same people are the ones who "live for the weekend" and get almost all of their pleasure in life starting Friday afternoon. This might sound harsh, but if this describes your life, you're wasting it. God never intended any of his children to "live for the weekend" and be stuck in dead-end jobs that we don't love. Listen in as we share some ideas on how to fix this national issue.

It's been a crazy windy year! The bad news is that for most of us we don't get to choose the days we fish so we've got to know how to get some strikes even when the wind is cranking. This past week, we had 20+ MPH winds and were having trouble fishing our normal spots. So listen in to what we did on the edge of a grass flat. Best news is that it doesn't require a trolling motor or PowerPole. Tight lines!

In this episode, the Salt Strong crew breaks down the best braided fishing lines based on tests they have been doing. We discuss fishing line breaking strength (knots), casting distance, wind knots, and more. Some of the main brands we discuss are PowerPro, Daiwa J-braid, Fins, Beyond Braid, Sufix, and Spiderwire. If you've ever dealt with wind knots, knots that slip, or just a bad batch of braided line then you don't want to miss this episode. Tight lines!

For years, I was a bit "clumsy" when I prayed. I didn't know what to say or what to ask for. But after many years of trial and error, I've finally found some rhythm to praying. Hope this helps someone out there.

We get a lot of anglers asking us about many of these "super realistic" looking inshore saltwater fishing lures. And we try them all... But truth is, most (but not all) of them don't work very well. In fact, some of these crazy realistic lures flat out don't work at all! And yet, they are some of the most expensive. Listen is as the team discussed some of the best (and worst) realistic lures we've tried.

In this episode, we target large speckled trout on the flats using nothing but two artificial lures, some custom scent, and some long casts. You'll discover the types of fishing spots that hold these big trout, the best color lures to use, the best fish scent, and even some conservation tips. If you love catching big trout, then you're going to love this LIVE on the water episode.

Yep, I cried again on a podcast... Hearing this story of a family I know lose their 5-year old son due to a truck running him over was a tear-jerker. What's also sad is that a tragedy like this usually breaks up families and sends people into a tailspin. But God had different plans for Summer, her husband Reppard, and their family. Listen in as Summer shares how they found hope, forgiveness, and the goodness of God out of all the suffering. A must-listen to episode (and a must-read book where they've documented everything called "Hope Remains.")

In this episode, we have on Estuarine Ecologist Charles Martin to discuss everything they are discovering in their snook tagging research. The wildest thing is that snook aren't necessarily moving south like we all think... most are moving either inland or north! Yes, they are finding snook upwards of South Carolina now! Listen in as we discuss some cool intel on the common snook.

If you want to catch more inshore slams (redfish, speckled trout, snook, and flounder) this spring then you don't want to miss this episode! We have the entire team on to share their best tips on finding the fish during this spring transition period. We share WHERE (best spots), WHEN (best tides), WHAT (what lures and bait to use), and HOW to use each one to maximize strikes. Enjoy!

Let's face it, we're all busy. The sad part is that most of us get so busy that we sabotage our own days by having all of the things that really matter out of order. We say that family is important, yet we barely give our families and spouses much of our time. We say that God is important, yet we don't set aside time to talk to HIM (unless it's convenient). If you've ever felt overwhelmed and are looking for some structure and more freedom in your life, then you're going to love this episode.

In this episode, we have on Uncle Shane from Fishing's Future to discuss how he's using fishing to unite families, getting parent's re-engaged with their kids, and expanding the fishing footprint across America. You'll get to hear about his family fish camps, the amazing fishing curriculum he's using, and how his Fishing Future chapters are making a difference in America. Enjoy.

Even if you're not a live bait angler, this episode will benefit you big time. Because let's face it, if there is bait around, then there is most likely some predator fish around. In fact, we've found that tossing out a bit of our exclusive chum has been a great way to bring in the trout, spanish mackerel, and mangrove snapper right to your boat! Listen in as we show the easiest way to catch a bunch of bait on the flats (even in the winter).

I just had a few instances where I realized just how much our young kids are listening (and mimicking) us... sometimes good, sometimes not so good. Listen in as I share a few things that have happened recently with my own kids repeating things that I didn't know they were hearing... I'll also share a story of a young man who just lost a job with us due to something he said on social media. Enjoy.

Attention all kayak anglers looking to take their game up a notch! In this episode, we have one of the top saltwater kayak anglers (Justin Ritchey) on to discuss why most inshore saltwater anglers fail in their first few tournaments. Justin went from the bottom of the leaderboard to the very top (going all the way to the Hobie World Event) and has documented everything that helped him reach the top. Regardless if you want to enter your first tournament, if you're already participating in tournaments, or if you just want an edge over your buddies, this episode has some amazing intel. Enjoy!

Are you a mono or fluoro angler? After hearing this, you might change your mind... We recently had a long conversation with someone high up at one of the leading leader material manufacturers and we share everything we learned (plus compare it what our own tests are showing). If you want to ensure that you have the best leader line for inshore saltwater fishing, then you don't want to miss this.

In this hard-hitting episode about pornography and what it is doing to our relationships, families, and kids, we have on Kyle Vardeman to discuss everything he's discovered after years of research on the negative effects of porn. Not only does it affect our brain, but porn is directly tied to sex trafficking and minors. Finally, we discuss some solutions that Kyle has seen work time and time again.

We've said it time and time again... one of the main keys to becoming a consistent inshore saltwater angler is to become a specialist with one or two lures. Well, Floridian Eric Lhopitault took our advice and fished with just one paddletail lure (Z-Man SLAM SHADY) for an entire year! What happened surprised even Eric! Let's just say he had a record-breaking personal year, caught more snook and redfish that he thought possible (some days catching over 60 snook), and hasn't been skunked in years now. Listen in to this awesome story.

If you want a quick and easy way to catch sheepshead then you're going to love this. Not only did we not have to crank up the big motor, but we caught these sheepshead on artificial crabs! Listen in as we discuss one of our favorite ways to catch sheepshead on bad conditioned days. You'll learn: The best crab lures for sheepshead The best type of residential docks for sheepshead The ideal rig and hook-set Enjoy!

I've got to apologize in advance for getting emotional on this one... but there was a lot to unpack and it was one of those God moments I'll never forget. If you've ever wondered if there is a God, this episode is for you.

Have you seen Slam Shady in Bass Pro Shops yet? How about Dicks or Academy? Listen in as we discuss how the proprietary Slam Shady color is going global (even found in Australia) and exactly why this is taking off crazy! If you don't know the full Slam Shady story (and makes this lure so special), then you're going to love this.