5 things I wish I knew before I started saltwater fishing
- By: Joseph Simonds
- on
Let me take you back to our early days of saltwater fishing.
We were two bass anglers thinking we had it all figured out… until we got smacked in the face by reality (and a lot of lost fish). Tides, tackle, spooky fish, broken lines—you name it, we did it wrong.
Now fast-forward to today—we’ve spent countless hours on the water, tested more gear than we care to admit, and helped nearly 60,000 anglers level up their game inside the Salt Strong Insider Club.
But if we had known just five simple things from the start?
It would’ve saved us thousands of dollars, years of trial and error, and a whole lot of frustration.
So in this podcast episode, Luke and I sat down to let it all out.
These are the 5 critical lessons we wish someone had told us before we ever bought our first rod or tied our first loop knot in salt.
Some of what we share might surprise you…
Some might even ruffle a few feathers.
Here’s a hint of what we cover:
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A common fishing product that performs worse than its cheaper counterpart
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The simple concept that unlocks where the feeding fish are hiding
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The one piece of gear we completely overlooked (but now swear by)
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Why going lighter might be the biggest power move you can make
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And the unexpected factor that separates the consistent anglers from the ones still chasing spots
We promise you’ll leave this one smarter, better equipped, and maybe even a little fired up to get back out there and slay it.
Links Mentioned in Podcast:
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Salt Strong Insider Club
👉 Join the Insider Club to catch more fish in less time — guaranteed.
🔗 https://wp-staging.saltstrong.com/pricing -
Our Tackle Store
🛒 Shop the gear we actually use and trust — no fluff, just proven tackle.
🔗 https://www.fishstrong.com -
Fluorocarbon vs Mono Abrasion Test
🔬 See the real test results — fluorocarbon vs mono, no hype, just truth.
🔗 https://wp-staging.saltstrong.com/articles/mono-vs-fluoro-abrasion-contest/ -
Fishing School
🎓 Take the free Fishing School to shortcut your learning curve fast.
🔗 https://wp-staging.saltstrong.com/fishing-school/ -
Smart Fishing Spots App
📍 Get Instant Access—Know where and when to fish with the Smart Fishing Spots app.
🔗 https://wp-staging.saltstrong.com/pricing -
Insider-Only Community
🤝 Get real-time intel from serious anglers inside the Insider Community.
🔗 https://community.saltstrong.com
Not Yet an Insider? Do you want to find the best fishing spots and save hundreds on your tackle?
Then join the 53k+ passionate fishermen in the Salt Strong Insider Club, where you’ll:
- Unlock the Best Fishing Spots with Smart Fishing Spots, Daily Fishing Reports, and Weekly Trends.
- Catch More Fish in Less Time with AI Game Plans, Regional Coaches, Mastery Courses, and More.
- Save Hundreds on Tackle with Insider-only discounts to fishstrong.com.
- Have More Fun with the best online fishing community, local chapters, fishing meet-ups, and more.
👉 Click Here to Learn How the Insider Club Can Work For You
Tight lines!
Joe Simonds
Salt Strong Co-Founder
Related categories:
STOP WASTING TIME ON THE WATER!
Do what the “SMART ANGLERS” are doing and join the Insider Club.
Here’s what you’ll receive today when you join:
- Weekly fishing reports and TRENDS revealing exactly where you should fish ever trip
- Weekly “spot dissection” videos that walk you through all the best spots in your area
- Exclusive fishing tips from the PROS you can’t find anywhere else
- Everything you need to start catching fish more consistently (regardless if you fish out of a boat, kayak, or land).
STOP WASTING TIME ON THE WATER!
Do what the “SMART ANGLERS” are doing and join the Insider Club.
Here’s what you’ll receive today when you join:
- Weekly fishing reports and TRENDS revealing exactly where you should fish every trip
- Weekly “spot dissection” videos that walk you through all the best spots in your area
- Exclusive fishing tips from the PROS you can’t find anywhere else
- Everything you need to start catching fish more consistently (regardless if you fish out of a boat, kayak, or land).
Great info as always, thanks
I personally do not use anything smaller than 30 lb. braid in my baitcasters. Reason being is when setting your hook, 10 lb. braid tends to inbed itself in the spool. And when you go and cast again your line will come to a quick STOP when it reaches the point where you set the hook the last time. If you do have 10 lb. braid in a baitcaster, make sure you pull your line out before you cast again. I do use 10 lb. braid in my spinning reels.
Good information as always !
Awesome video Luke and Joe, most definitely well presented and prepared and it all call across outstanding…
You hit the nail on the head with just about every idea and thought process possible on all the points you were trying to get across ……. I know that I for one am glad that you both put your heads together and started the Salt Strong Fishing Club ……. You both should be very PROUD of yourselves for the opportunity and achievements that you have achieved not only for yourself but as well to every Salt Strong Fishing Club “ MEMBER “ too ….. ! Thank you both ……… !
Hey guys, Great show today, reinforced what Ya’ll already showed me in the last couple of yrs. Got me fired up for spring 😁 didn’t fish to much this past winter just got to cold for me. An the wind ( I’ve got a 10ft. Yak) an wind kicks my butt everything. There are some wind brakes where I fish but it’s a chore to get to when it’s windy. I just turned 70yrs. So I don’t have the arm strength I once had. Anyway keep up the good work, tight lines 🎣😎
You mentioned fishingschool.com is there a link from SaltStrong member area? Also, is it different from our courses on SaltStrong member site?
I put fishingschool.com on Google and it wasn’t your link below. Thank you for the link on this page, but is it a link from the main page?
Hey Stephen!
Here’s the link to the fishing school (from the Insider community) – https://wp-staging.saltstrong.com/fishing-school/
This is completely separate from the courses and Insider-only content you have access to as a member.
We appreciate you!
Good stuff as always…thanks.
Thank you, Jeff!
Should I not use fluorocarbon?
Hey Todd! Personally, we don’t.
Check this full video out if you haven’t already – https://wp-staging.saltstrong.com/fishing-tip/mono-vs-fluoro-debate-settled/
Everything you said is so true a real eye opener and a lot of money and time saved in so many ways thank you mike justice
Thank you, Mike!
A good reminder for the new members or for those who maybe forgot. Most of the 5 things became known well after you guys started SS. What I’ve learned over the years as an Insider is that knowledge is not static, and conventional wisdom will likely change as the learning process and technical advances progress. And seldom is there only one correct answer or way to do something, especially in fishing. Underlying many fishing beliefs is that all fish of a particular species behave in the same way, and some don’t differentiate advice for different species. I don’t think that’s correct as God created species uniquely different as He also did with man. The human species clearly has differing preferences and patterns of behavior, and understanding the psychology of any living creature helps predict what they might do. My bet is that the beliefs you guys now hold will likely change in the years ahead, and that’s healthy. I remember the days when the Slam Shady color was said to be the only one needed.
I think as bass fishermen, you understood the 90/10 zone but not by that name. Luke correctly associates structure and current as what underpins the 90/10 zone. Current is less at play in fresh vs.salt. Doubtful you guys were fishing in the middle of a large fresh water lake having no observable structure. Trial and error or others telling you not to fish there were ways you fished the 90/10 zone but not calling it that. To grow the membership and increase tackle sales, you’ll likely pitch to offshore anglers at some point. That’ll create some issues as one could argue a 90/10 zone applies everywhere and to all fish but fish migration and long movements of pelagic species complicates the way it’s currently explained and identifying smart spots holding them. Keep moving forward!!
Great points, Rob. I always appreciate your attention to detail.