Browse 37 US sport fish
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Pro Tips
Catch more, cook better
General
Dawn and dusk beat midday
Low-light periods almost always outfish bright sun. Arrive 30 minutes before sunrise or fish the last hour of daylight.
Match the hatch
Check what baitfish are in the area and pick a lure that matches their size, color, and action. "Match the hatch" applies in salt and fresh water alike.
Watch the birds
Diving birds like pelicans, terns, or gulls reveal active baitfish schools — and usually predators underneath.
Cover water, then slow down
Start with a search bait (spinnerbait, topwater, swimbait). Once you locate a school, slow down with jigs or finesse rigs.
Incoming tide
Best bite on the rising tide
Predators move onto flats and into creeks as the incoming tide brings baitfish. Target points, creek mouths, and grass edges 1-2 hours into the flood.
Outgoing tide
Ambush at the outflow
On the falling tide, gamefish stack up at cuts and channels as bait is pulled out. Fish artificials or live bait in the deeper water adjacent to draining flats.
High tide
Work the shoreline and structure
At high slack, fish retreat into flooded vegetation, mangroves, and docks. Pitch soft plastics tight to cover.
Low tide
Focus on deeper holes
At low slack, fish concentrate in channels, troughs, and deep holes. Slow your presentation and fish vertical.