Working in a new beach house at Crystal beach next week. Was thinking of bringing a couple of rods along. Anybody have any tips on what I should bring along? Never been there fishing. Don't really care what I catch, just want to sit and fish for awhile.

Rollover is combat fishing at it's finest.

i put this up every year or so. Rollover in the old days and the old bridge.

When the water is cold like it is now, it's hard to beat dead shrimp fished on bottom at Rollover pass. All dead shrimp is not the same though. If you wouldn't eat it, many fish won't either. Buy some frozen table shrimp, head on, at the grocery store. Keep it cold while you fish.

At Rollover current is king. The pyramid type weights will hold better in a strong current. Get yourself a variety of sizes from 1 to 3 oz and you should be covered. Rig up with the weight on bottom and a hook above threaded thru a loop tied on a byte with a figure 8 knot. 12 to 15 lb test will handle most everything you'll likely catch. Avoid the urge to use a giant hook. 1 ought or 2 ought should be the biggest hook you need. Put a piece of shrimp on big enough to hide your hook. Try peeling it too, which can release more scent. This helps when the water's murky. Cast to the middle and wait. Action can be fast on the right tide. If they're not biting as soon as you get there, wait it out. It can turn on quickly at Roll Over P.

This time of year fishing dead shrimp on bottom expect to catch sand trout, whiting, piggies, silver perch and hardheads. A wayward croaker may still be around. I've heard that they've been catching a few gulf trout in the pass during winter the last couple of years too. If you get what looks like a giant sand trout or like a keeper speckled trout with no spots, it may be a gulfie. Redfish, flounder, and speckled trout are not out of the question, but live bait would work better for those.

Good Luck
shoreboundangler

Fish the ocean side of the pass the other side is loaded with trash and hang ups. I went 2 years ago, for the first time and was not excited once I got there... Really trashy. I would fish the beach before I go there ever again. My opinion.