Traveling to New England this summer…

[jdr99a]

We’re staying in a nice house on the water this July near Mystic, CT (near the mystic harbor which is saltwater).  I’ve got a 7ft MH travel casting rod that I plan on bringing with me.

 

The problem is that I only know how to fish for bass (and then, only sometimes -ha). I don’t care what I catch out there, I just want to catch something. I assume something like a saltwater rattle trap or paddle tail in a jig head would catch multi species out there. Does that sound about right? What kind of line should I spool up? Is 15 pound fluorocarbon too light? Too heavy? Should I go braid? Braid to leader? Mono?

 

 I’m clueless when it comes to saltwater, but I want brainless lures that can catch just about anything out there. 
 

 

[bulldog1935]

A lure that shouldn't be overlooked for shore casting salt is a basic gold spoon, Kastmaster, Johnson's Sprite.  They cast like a bullet, flash, and act like baitfish.  The flash will often double for a bait ball, and fish may take a larger lure when they're eating smaller bait.   Johnson Silver Minnow spoon (esp black nickel) imitates a crab as they flutter to the bottom. 

        

My dad's bread-and-butter saltwater lure was Spec Rig, a pre-tied hair-jig tandem, and he's caught every possible inshore mixed double on them.  

 

A couple of soft-plastic recommendations, Z-man Texas-Eye jighead for 3" shad bodies, and TSL Grasswalker on weighted swimbait hook.  

 

You can also tie your own killer tandems on (2"or) 3" swim shad, such as Tsunami SS3 and WildEye shad - use 20-lb fluoro leader and tie a double-surgeon's loop for the unequal legs.   Best night combo is glow in front and blue in back.  

 

 

15-lb fluoro is plenty.  Since you probably want to fish a spoon on a swivel, best choice is fish this with a stainless or titanium wire leader - toothy fish like blues and mackerel can't bite through them.  

If you consider yourself backlash-proof, you can get more distance casting braid, and add a short fluoro shock leader.  But you should be thinking 20-lb braid (832).  To load this on a deep spool, fill it halfway with 20-25 yds 20-25-lb mono backing, and load your working braid on top.  A good low-profile leader knot for braid to backing (improved Allbright) will pass through your LW guide.  

Fluoro is always a better mainline and leader choice than mono in salt, because it's denser and sinks, while mono floats.  

 

Of course, I'm not suggesting you run out and buy all of this, but you know how you like to fish, and giving you ideas of what works routinely.  

 

Think about rock jetties for fishing in the day, and lighted piers for fishing at night.  The idea here is get farther away from the beach, and access deeper water.   Jetty structure provides bait focus, and pier nite-lites draw bait.  

[Swamp Girl]

@bulldog1935: Such a generous, information-laden response!

[jdr99a]

That’s awesome information and exactly the insight I need. Thanks for taking the time to respond!

[Chris at Tech]

Once you get there, visit a local tackle shop for good intel.

[Further North]

2 hours ago, Chris at Tech said:

Once you get there, visit a local tackle shop for good intel.

The best way to find out what's happening locally.

Spending some $$$ helps.

[bulldog1935]

they'll have spec rigs on a card display on their pegboard, which are cheap, anyway.  

 

Same thing you can do with a spec rig, you can do with a fly rod, well, 15-s countdown on the sinking shooting head, rod under armpit, and two-hand Chernobyl strip, but it gets the same result.   In addition to smacks, I've caught kings, blues, jacks, tripletail this way, and of course, inshore grand slam.  

 

@jdr99a - already found a jetty for you:  

https://ctparks.com/parks/rocky-neck-state-park

[MassBass]

I think your original idea of a Magnum Rattletrap is actually a good idea for a striper, which is the fish I would suggest targeting at that time. 

 

Use what you know about largemouth and try to apply it to "The Basse"