A saltwater bay is a large body of water that is partially enclosed. Since it doesn’t contain much fresh water and is protected from severe ocean conditions, it’s also a great place to find saltwater fish. Bays are often the ideal place for many types of saltwater fish to lay their eggs, which means these areas also attract larger saltwater fish that are looking for food.
- Ideal Saltwater Bay Fishing Equipment: For the best chances of successful fishing in a bay, use a 7-foot heavy-action rod with a spinning or baitcaster reel. You’ll also need a monofilament line that is rated at 20 pounds with a 30 to 50-pound test fluorocarbon leader. Lastly, make sure you have 5/0 barbless hooks and 6/0 to 7/0 circle hooks.
- Ideal Saltwater Bay Bait: You’ll need several different types of live and artificial bait if you plan to fish in a bay. It’s a good idea to bring some bucktail jig lures, gold metal spoons and live bait. By bringing a wide variety of bait, you can try different types to see which ones the fish like the best.
Saltwater Bay Fishing Areas
The following are some examples of the best places to fish in a saltwater bay – it may be helpful to use a fishfinder, GPS or topographical map to find these locations:
- Reefs
- Hills and Humps
- Channels and Holes
- Shallows and Shoals
- Convergence Zones
- Bays and Estuaries
- Nearshore Reefs and Shoals
- Merging Water
