I still fish for trout and redfish aka "spot tail bass" the same way I did as a kid 45 years ago with Dad. I use a pole float with a slip knot ......its crazy I have to order floats from amazon these days, they used to be everywhere in every tackle shop and what I am about to describe was called a "trout rig". A 1.25 or 1.5 ounce trolling sinker goes under the float, then a leader and hook. You can use lighter weights and smaller floats with lighter tackle if you want but the technique is the same. I like big floats because I can see them good when they are aways off. Live shrimp is the bait. Everyone used to fish that way now not many do. Most use popping floats. I can fish any depth I want from a foot to as deep as I want and have caught every kind of inshore fish on the described setup I use a 9 ft rod and a baitcast reel. I use Penn #9 but you could use the Abus or whatever you want. You could use a big Zebco for that matter if you want to take someone who does not know how to throw anything else. I have one for that purpose. Its dang hard to find a decent "trout rod" anymore. They got a million of em at the Bass Pro but nothing suits me like the old stuff I have had for years..... last good "new' ones were bought sometime in the 1990's. Closest thing now to what I use would be a "steelhead rod". Evidently in some far away place they have a fish called a steelhead and they fish for them like I fish for trout, spot tails, flounder, and whatever else that bites. I thought a steehead was a campfire member with a hard head!
I know gulf fishing is different but I don't see why that would not work. I think ya'll have way more fish left than we do. When I take someone who never fished much I often use a circle hook so all they to do is reel up the slack and the fish hooks itself. I been snatching to set the hook when the float goes down for 45 years now and can't stop.....can't catch anything with a circle!
