Fishing offshore is a great way to target some of the biggest fish of the ocean. Most anglers refer to offshore as being far enough out that you can’t see any land. We believe the actual definition for fishing offshore is 20 miles away from shore, but the term offshore is used loosely among different anglers. Whether you are out just a few miles or 20 miles, most anglers will be trolling or bottom fishing. To fish offshore you need a certain type of boat that can handle the big waves that live offshore. For most anglers, their only chance to fish offshore will be with a fishing charter.
Inshore fishing means fishing within the sight of land. Saying “let’s head inshore” means moving the boat from offshore back towards land. The term inshore fishing is most commonly used with saltwater fishermen. Some of the inshore areas to fish can be creeks, rivers, harbors, jetties and intracoastal waterways. Some anglers consider fishing from the pier or surf to be inshore fishing, while others may refer to inshore fishing as being from a boat near shore. Some of the popular fish to target inshore are redfish, snook and trout.
Fishing from the surf can lead to some very exciting saltwater fishing with minimal costs. Because a variety of fish feed just off the surf, anglers can catch many different types of fish. Pompano, whiting, Spanish mackerel, bluefish, redfish, striped bass and sharks are some of the popular fish that are targeted from the surf.
Many anglers enjoy fishing from the numerous fishing piers that can be found along the beaches. Fishing piers will usually give anglers the best chance to catch a bigger saltwater fish while fishing without a boat. There are so many different saltwater fish that can be caught from the piers.