Versatile Tackle Box
Six dependable First Coast choices
- Live shrimp
- Finger mullet or mud minnows
- Blue crab or fiddler crabs
- Natural-color 3–4 inch paddle-tails
- White or chartreuse bucktail jigs
- Gold spoons and walking topwater plugs
First Coast Bait Guide
Match the catch for Northeast Florida fish.
Use this chart as a starting point, then adjust for the season, tide, water clarity, and the forage you see. Local bait shops are often the best source for what is working today.
Saltwater & Freshwater
Bait and lure recommendations
| Fish | Where & when | Best natural baits | Productive artificials | Presentation tip |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redfish | Creeks, oyster bars, flats, and docks | Live shrimp, finger mullet, blue crab pieces | 3–4 in. paddle-tail, gold spoon, popping cork | Work current seams and oyster edges; keep natural bait moving naturally. |
| Spotted seatrout | Grass flats, creek mouths, and docks | Live shrimp, mud minnows, finger mullet | Suspending twitchbait, paddle-tail, topwater plug | Try topwater at dawn; slow the retrieve in cold water. |
| Flounder | Inlet edges, creek mouths, docks, sandy potholes | Mud minnows, finger mullet, live shrimp | Bucktail with strip bait, jig and paddle-tail | Keep it near bottom and pause briefly before setting the hook. |
| Sheepshead | Bridge and dock pilings, jetties, shell structure | Fiddler crabs, shrimp, oysters or barnacles where legal | Small crab imitation or tipped jig | Use a small hook and light leader; bites often feel like extra weight. |
| Black drum | Channels, bridges, docks, and shell bottom | Blue crab, shrimp, clam | Scented shrimp or crab jig | Fish a simple bottom rig with minimal movement. |
| Tarpon | Inlets, beaches, and river mouths in warm months | Mullet, menhaden, swimming crabs | Large swimbait, plug, or baitfish fly | Match the bait size, use stout tackle, and release fish quickly. |
| Snook | Inlets, bridge shadow lines, and docks | Pilchards, mullet, live shrimp | Paddle-tail, jerkbait, topwater plug | Target structure during moving water, especially low-light periods. |
| Pompano | Surf troughs and inlet sandbars | Sand fleas, shrimp, clam | Pompano jig or banana jig | Use a double-drop surf rig and keep baits compact. |
| Whiting | Surf troughs and sandy bottom | Small shrimp pieces, sand fleas, clam | Small jig tipped with shrimp | Downsize hooks and bait pieces; fish close to the bottom. |
| Spanish mackerel | Beaches and inlets, usually spring through fall | Menhaden, pilchards, small mullet | Silver spoon, Gotcha plug, epoxy jig | Retrieve fast; use heavier leader or short wire around teeth. |
| King mackerel | Nearshore bait pods, reefs, and offshore structure | Slow-trolled menhaden, cigar minnows, blue runners | Ribbonfish rig or diving plug | Slow troll lively bait on a light wire stinger rig. |
| Cobia | Rays, buoys, reefs, and beaches in spring and summer | Eels, crabs, pinfish | Heavy bucktail or large swimbait | Sight-cast ahead of the fish and let the bait cross its path. |
| Mangrove snapper | Docks, bridges, jetties, and nearshore reefs | Shrimp, pilchards, small pinfish | Small jig or baitfish plastic | Use light fluorocarbon and present bait tight to structure. |
| Largemouth bass | St. Johns River, tributaries, pads, grass, and docks | Wild shiners, worms | Plastic worm, spinnerbait, frog, crankbait | Work cover thoroughly and slow down after a cold front. |
| Crappie (speckled perch) | Creeks, oxbows, and deeper brush in cooler months | Small live minnows | 1/32–1/16 oz. crappie jig | Present vertically and slowly at the depth fish are holding. |
| Catfish | River channels, bends, holes, and bottom structure | Cut shad or mullet, worms, shrimp | Scented soft bait | Anchor upcurrent and place bait on bottom in the scent trail. |
| Striped & sunshine bass | St. Johns River current breaks in cooler months | Shad and live minnows | Bucktail, swimbait, spoon | Cast or troll near current and structure where bait is concentrated. |
On a phone, swipe sideways to see the complete chart.
Fish Responsibly
Protect the resource
Keep live bait aerated, never release nonnative bait, and dispose of unused bait properly. Non-offset circle hooks can reduce deep hooking when fishing natural bait.
Seasons, size limits, gear rules, and bait-harvest rules can change. Check current Florida regulations before fishing.
Check regulations