Next week I'm headed to Pensacola for an extended weekend with the in-laws. They've supposedly rented a condo right on the beach.

I'm borrowing a saltwater rig from a friend who builds rods, I'm furling up some 4lb mono leaders, and will be buying a handful of Clousers.

My thought was to fish from the beach. This has kind of come up too quick for me to really think about a guide (and with my schedule down there as yet unknown, I probably shouldn't try to hire one).

What else should I bring? Pliers? Wire tippet? Handgun? To folks fishing from shore typically wear waders, or wet wade? Is a stripping basket necessary? How deep should I wade? Are sharks an issue if you're dragging in fish?

Another question is whether handling fish is different for salt vs. fresh water. I've only fly fished for trout. I know that some salt species have fins to stay away from - any other tips?

Finally, if anyone knew of any web sites or primers on salt I'd certainly appreciate it.