Good for you on washing down everything with fresh water.
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For the past 4 years, I have taken my bass tracker to Panama City and have fished St Andrews bay with it. We have the best time catching all kinds of fish from red fish, speckled trout, ladyfish, flounder, non edible catfish, ladyfish, Spanish makeral and an occasional king makeral. The bay is huge but surprisingly shallow in most areas. This helps keeps wave levels down. Never have been forced off the bay due to wave height. Rods and tackle are the same as you might fish with here. Light tackle will catch most fish in the bay, and since they fight so much harder, it's a blast. Spoons, are a main lure. Trolling them finds fish then casting in the area is productive. Using a bobber with either live shrimp or a plastic shrimp is one of the best methods to catch red fish or trout. I use saltwater reels after ruining a number of reels over the years, but you don't have to invest in that gear. Just buy something cheap and pitch it when you leave. if you get the bug and fish down there every year you will buy a Penn reel eventually. $150. Caution: Salt water is highly corrosive to boats!! My bass tracker is an older boat, but in good condition. I paid I wash it after every day I use it down there. I run fresh water through the motor everyday. I run fresh water through the live well and rinse the trailer good too. In the last 4 years everything has held up well. I did have an issue with corrosion with the steering arm back by the motor seizing up. Since then, I make sure it has plenty of grease to keep water out of the tub, which has helped. The other issue I just encountered was corrosion on the terminals at the battery. Several broke from the saltwater. I don't spay the batteries with water. That was an easy fix. Anyway, if you have a basstracker or v bottom boat and have always wanted to fish Florida, it is really fun.
Last edited by huntingteacher; 10-23-2016 at 09:47 AM. Reason: Spelling
Tyme2fish liked this post
Good for you on washing down everything with fresh water.
I've got a 1998 Tracker Pro Team 175 which is in excellent shape; garage kept and meticulously maintained. I fish saltwater for redfish once or twice a year around Charleston, S.C. in the tidal creeks. I have always wanted to take my Tracker but have been very fearful of corrosion and rust on the boat, trailer and motor. Because of this, I've kept my redfish fishing to shore and kayak fishing. I'd really hate to damage my beloved Tracker, but I know I can catch a lot more and bigger redfish if I had my own boat. This is my quandary every time I leave for the coast.
I have a 2011 Xpress XP20 cc with Yamaha 150, we take it to Florida once a year, every year and fish a weeks worth of 8+ hour trips in a row. We wash it thoroughly and never have any problems. As I am sure you already know, your engine has a zinc anode on it which will should take on the brunt of any corrosion.
The experiences seen fishing bays is unlike any other and every trip it is something new. We literally just got back from the Florida Keys; outside of my wife catching a really nice grouper out in the backcountry (of all places), we both hooked into a nice sized tarpon (I got 3 jumps and she got 1 but we never landed, sigh...) and I was reeling in a jack crevalle when all of a sudden a huge barracuda came out of nowhere and chomped on it and trailing behind him were not one but two 8' bull sharks. I started a feeding frenzy by throwing a large handful of live pilchards over a deeper "hot zone" where the bay slowly churns into the Atlantic. Having those fish get that close to my boat was an experience I will never forget.
You only live once, get out there and get it.