Finding Your Perfect Fishing Hot Spot

Skilled anglers know the perfect fishing spot doesn’t appear by accident. Finding it’s more a combination of luck, talent, research, and skill.

In reality, the ideal fishing hole depends on what you need. Do you want salt or freshwater? Will you be fishing from shore or on a boat? Are you fly-fishing, surfcasting, spinning, trolling or bait fishing?

No matter what you want, topnotch spots are everywhere, says Atlas Regional Sales Manager and avid fisherman Alex Dale. “There are great fishing spots all over our world,” Dale said. “I encourage anyone and everyone to get outdoors and experience what our world has to offer.”

In honor of National Fishing Month in August, Dale and other Atlas fishermen told us some of their favorite spots in the United States and beyond:

Florida

With 7,700 lakes, 10,550 miles of rivers, and 2,276 miles of tidal shoreline, the Sunshine State offers a diversity of fishing spots. Consider the recommendations:

Indian River Lagoon (Florida’s East Coast)
The Indian River Lagoon was named one of the most biologically diverse estuaries in North America with about 700 fish species and 2200 animal species.

James Holdsworth, Atlas Roofing’s Central Florida territory sales manager, said he’s landed a plethora of fish, including snook, seatrout and redfish from his fishing dock in Melbourne, FL.

“You can find quality fish every month of the year in almost any weather, hot or cold. If the wind is blowing and you can’t get offshore, you can fish protected inshore waters of the Indian River Lagoon out of a flats skiff. If you are lucky, you might even get to witness a rocket launch from the Kennedy Space Center while you are on the water,” he said.

James Holdsworth

St. George Island (Gulf of Mexico)
St. George Island — a barrier island located between the Gulf of Mexico and the Apalachicola Bay in Florida’s Panhandle — boasts more than 100 species of fish and scores of locations to catch them.

Stanley Bastek, Atlas Roofing’s vice president of sales and marketing, said St. George Island is the perfect saltwater fishing spot.

“St. George Island is peaceful, relaxed, and low key with great offshore opportunities,” Bastek said. “We kayak fish off the beach, fish for sharks, and do bay trips for redfish and trout. It is an all-around great place for variety and quality.”

Stan Bastek and his son

Louisiana

With 77,000 miles of coastline (more than nearly any other state), Louisiana provides ample opportunities for a good catch. One spot is an Atlas angler favorite:

Venice
Situated near the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico, Venice is great for anglers hoping for a trophy catch. If you’re looking for world-class yellowfin tuna fishing, Venice is the spot, Holdsworth said.

“Casting poppers to big yellowfin tuna is a mind-blowing experience.”

Georgia

Georgia has a diversity of fishing locations on the Atlantic coast and inland. None of them are more widely esteemed than spots in the north Georgia mountains. One Atlas fisherman pinpointed one area in particular:

Chattahoochee River
The Chattahoochee River originates in the North Georgia mountains to become an angler’s paradise with more than 20 species of fish.

“The north Georgia mountains are home to many great trout fishing spots. There are not many things better than cold water fishing in the mountains,” Dale said.

Alex Dale's son

Texas/Oklahoma

Both Texas and Oklahoma individually have ample fishing spots, but one location that borders both states gets top marks — Lake Texoma. Ryan Knippel, an Atlas territory sales manager, said it’s a local favorite.

Lake Texoma
Although Texas and Oklahoma can claim Lake Texoma as their own, 2/3 of the lake sits in Oklahoma. The lake is teeming with bass of all kinds, including the coveted striped bass.

“Lake Texoma gives us an opportunity to catch stripers and have a quick getaway to the lake. It’s a short 1 1/2 -hour getaway for a cabin trip. We get on a boat and go after some pretty awesome fish to catch. Not to mention striper is pretty awesome to eat,” Knippel said.

Ryan Knippel and his kids

Mexico

With nearly 6,000 miles of shoreline, Mexico has plenty of places to land fish. Holdsworth pointed out one location that’s abundant with fishing opportunities:

Sea of Cortez
Also known as the Gulf of California, the Sea of Cortez was once lauded as the “world’s aquarium” due to the diversity of sea life. Holdsworth said the small town of Santa Rosalía is an easy launching point.

“It’s an incredible fishery where you can catch 20- to 40-pound Pacific yellowtail, striped marlin, big Pacific sailfish, and lots of dorado (mahi-mahi) all in the same day. We did this in a small 17-foot Boston Whaler,” Holdsworth said.

Bahamas

The Bahamas comprises 700 small islands with plenty of great fishing spots across the island chain. One of the closest areas of the Bahamas is just 120 miles from Florida’s Sebastian Inlet.

Grand Cay
Located in the Abacos area of the Bahamas, Grand Cay has an abundance of fishing spots. Holdsworth said the trip there provided a lifetime of memories.

“It’s the place where I landed my first blue marlin,” he said.

Before you head out to find a fishing spot, make sure you have all the right gear. Check out the Atlas Pro Shop for some essentials:

• Orca 20-quart soft cooler bag
  This durable Atlas-branded Orca cooler's insulated walls keep cold retention for days.
• Columbia Bahama II fishing shirt
  Constructed from cotton poplin, this Atlas-branded, short-sleeved (or long-sleeved) shirt includes fly-box pockets and a rod holder loop at the left chest.
• Asphalt Life straw hat
  Protect yourself from the sun with our Asphalt Life-branded natural straw lifeguard hat that features a 4-inch brim and a stretchable sweatband. Also consider an Atlas- or Asphalt Life-branded baseball cap to block the sun.
• Maxam pocketknife
  The Maxam 4-inch pocketknife (with the Atlas logo on the blade) comes in handy for all sorts of tasks while fishing. The 3-inch KutMaster lock blade knife is also great for fishing trips.

Any way you cast your line, there’s plenty of fish in the sea (or the lake for that matter). So, get out there and try out one of these Atlas-recommended fishing holes today.