Crystal-clear water, bright sun, and heart-pounding hits—this is flats fishing at its best. Barracuda explode on the bait while sharks crash the party, making for one unforgettable day on the water.

Fathead minnows, leeches and worms are mainstays in bait-shop refrigerators across the country. These old standards have pro­duced stringers of game fish for decades, and they’ll continue to produce ...