Capt. Patrick Smith has quietly established himself as one the very best nearshore, inshore and backcountry fishing guides in South Florida. He specializes in reef fishing, blackfin tuna, kingfish, snook, bowfin, largemouth bass, peacock bass and gator hunting. He is recognized as one of the fishiest dudes in the area. In this In The Spread fishing video, Patrick breaks down how he approaches nearshore reef fishing. With the third largest reef system running 350 miles along the coast, Florida fishing in the 20-300 foot range is defined by the reef. This can be your go to area for a wide variety of gamefish. Snapper, grouper, jacks, bonito, mackerel, dolphin, amberjack, African pompano, wahoo, sailfish and more are caught on the reefs and wrecks that sit just off the beach. From the bottom end of the Keys to Jupiter, the reef sits very near shore, comprising some of the best action you will find. For Patrick, this is simple fishing and it can be for you, as well. This is basic reef fishing. Nothing complicated is involved. He will walk you thru catching bait that will be used for both live chumming and hooked baits. You will learn where he likes to setup and how to establish a good drift in the current of the Gulf Stream. What position does your boat need to be in for best results? This is not anchor fishing, so understanding the current is crucial. Learn how to use your bottom machine to determine whether you should setup on a spot. If you are drifting across unproductive grounds, you will not get tight. It is also important to know how long to fish a given area and when to move. If you are not catching fish, you may only need to move a very short distance to find more action. Knowing a little bit about this style of fishing will pay off. While there is always a chance of hooking into a donkey, most of the species you will encounter do not require heavy tackle. But, you do need to have the right rod and reel spooled with the right line. Since there a big sharks in the water, you need to be able to put the heat on and get your fish to the boat. Patrick will explain his outfits for Florida fishing nearshore reefs and how he keeps things very simple. Everything he will share is very attainable. See the jigs and poppers he uses in conjunction with live chum. Jigging gets the action going and the chum draws in other desirable species like mackerel and dolphin. You do not need to spend a lot of money on your lures, as several of them will be lost in the process. There is no reason to go out and not catch fish. You may have to adapt your program a little bit, but if you follow the fishing techniques Patrick is sharing, you will catch more fish. Florida fishing on nearshore reefs has never been made easier. Add these fishing techniques and tackle knowledge to your arsenal and go with confidence. The more you know, the more fishing success you will have.
Florida Nearshore Reef Fishing
(00:52:19)Along the Atlantic coast of Florida, the largest coral reef ecosystem in the continental United States, known as the Florida Reef System, runs from the bottom end of the Florida Keys north to Jupiter. This is about 350 miles. This natural reef is the third largest in the world. Mixed into this natural environment are a large number of wrecks and artificial structure. Combined, the amount of relief available to anglers is impressive. With plentiful options for rock piles, reef edges, low profile wrecks, high relief wrecks and a huge offering of structure, outstanding Florida fishing action awaits. Reefs and wrecks afford fishermen some of the best Floria fishing opportunities to wrangle a wide variety of species. Florida reef fishing is a veritable pandoras box of porgies, snapper, grouper, kingfish, blackfin tuna, dolphin, amberjack, African pompano, sailfish, wahoo and a whole lot more. Trolling, fishing planers, kite fishing, casting lures, jigging, live baiting, dead baiting, chunking, chumming, drifting, anchoring or whatever tactics you prefer are all viable options for fishing Florida along the southern Atlantic coast. You just never know what is going to be biting. Having a plan and an assortment of tackle can help. But, hey, you can still crush with a single rod and reel. Just be smart and know your limitations. For this In The Spread fishing video, we teamed up with Capt. Patrick Smith. He is not an Instagram star or someone who toots his own horn, but his reputation as one of the fishiest dudes on the coast is solidified. Patrick guides and fishes over 300 days a year. He is an unassuming fishing and hunting intellect that guides his clients to trophy catches year round. Whether you are fishing nearshore reefs and wrecks, inshore, inlets, canals, backcountry, freshwater or hunting gators, Patrick Smith is an highly respected professional. For this Florida fishing video, Patrick is going to show you a simple approach to nearshore reef fishing. He will break down catching bait, getting out to productive waters, using electronics, setting up a drift, live chumming, how he uses jigs and poppers, how long to work an area, his go to tackle for everyday fishing, as well as share several savvy fishing tips that will benefit you on the water. Starting in 20 feet of water and out to 300, you can have good fishing. It depends on your specific area, but the action is there, as well as the eats. Patrick will share with you where, in terms of depth, he likes to start fishing and how to manage your drift. For this type of fishing, there is no reason to anchor up, so your boat will be moving the entire time. You have to consider that you are fishing in the Gulf Stream and even though it doesn't seem like the current is moving that fast, you will cover a fair amount of ground quickly. Understanding how to take advantage of he current and your positioning is crucial. How you position your boat makes a huge difference. Patrick will share a few key tips that will help you get your boat in the right position relative to the current and structure. In the course of the time you are on the water, you will need to reset your drift several times. Aside from your drift, you have to consider whether the grounds you set up on are holding fish. How are the fish relating to the structure you are fishing? Fish like snapper, kingfish and blackfin tuna will hold down current, so they can tuck in behind cover and not expend so much energy. The bigger apex predators like big grouper, amberjacks, pompano and jack fish can be found up current. One spot may be super productive and another 30 yards away may not be, so being in the right spot starting off is important. How do you know? Your electronics can help. Patrick will discuss what he looks for on his machine and how this helps him determine where to actually start. If you are seeing activity on your machine, throwing out some live chum baits will help attract more fish to your boat and the area you are fishing in. One of the quickest ways to get the action going is to drop some jigs to the bottom and start cranking them up through the water column. You can get fish in the boat in short order utilizing this fishing technique. There is a certain jigging technique that works well and you will see how to jig fish this way. A lot of what you will initially hook up with will be false albacore “falsies” or bonito. As the action picks up and the chum begins to attract other species, you will get mackerel and dolphin. When Patrick starts to see surface activity, he will cast poppers. There are a load of big sharks on the reefs, so you angling needs to be tight. He really need to get those fish to the boat quickly or your catch will get eaten. Having the right tackle can make all the difference. Patrick is not using heavy tackle for this presentation, as he is not specifically targeting the big predators, but rather demonstrating how to get started with nearshore reef fishing. Nonetheless, you still need to have tackle that can get the job done. Patrick will go into detail about all the tackle, rods, reels, jigs and poppers he uses and why he selects those specific lures. He will show you the knots and connections he uses for his reef fishing rigs. See which hooks he prefers for hooking live baits and how he gets them to swim different ways for different purposes. His program for nearshore reef fishing is very straightforward and something you could put together with relative ease. We hope this basic reef fishing video featuring Capt. Patrick Smith helps you gain a deeper perspective on how dynamic your Florida fishing can be with just a little more knowledge. His fishing tips and techniques are proven and easily applied to your own program. This is a great way to add another tool to your fishing arsenal. There is no reason to struggle with catching fish along this amazing reef system. Go with knowledge and feel far more confident about basic reef fishing. [Wreck and Reef Fishing Videos](https://inthespread.com/reef-fishing-videos) Fishing with Patrick: [http://www.swamptosea.com/](http://www.swamptosea.com/)
