Fishing

As a professional fishing guide in the backcountry and flats around the Florida Keys, I've noticed some of my clients come more prepared than others. Experience and casting ability are important, but skill is no match for the elements. Whether you fish with a guide 100 days a...

We've all heard the cliche about other fish in the sea, Cobia, or lemon fish, or crab crunchers, or ling and all the other tongue-in-cheek pet names (some too crass to mention here) are all allusions to the journey-proud pelagic hailed by scientist as Rachycentron canadum. Cobia is an...

Part I: The Pole "Just off the bow... 2 o'clock," I whispered. I could see tails rising from the shallow water covering the flat - my angler couldn't. The glare from the morning sun was directly in his eyes. I needed to reposition the skiff so my angler could see the...

Using freshwater shiners for grouper fishing? Are you kidding - why would you want to do that? And then the real question of - Well...does it work? These are the responses I typically get from avid fishermen. The idea of using live freshwater shiners for saltwater...

It's almost that time of year again. Inshore water temperatures will be down in the lower 50s--too low for a good grouper bite. That leaves you with just three options: Stay home watching TV and doing honey do's, run way off shore to deep water in search of grouper, or...

Like smugglers under the cover of darkness, we turn off the navigation lights as we search for the cut through the mangroves that will eventually lead us to our booty. As midnight approaches, the temperature is still hovering well above 90 degrees as the sweat rolls down our unshaven...

I am an admitted fishaholic and saltwater junkie. I can not stand to go very long without having my line stretched, my pole bent, or spending time on a flats boat. I guess this is the madness which pushed me into becoming a flats guide several years ago. Early in...

The news is out! Mako sharks have been spotted eating jacks and tuna on the deep wrecks and springs off our Gulf coast. Running offshore 50- to 60-miles requires careful planning. The weather must be right for an enjoyable trip and all of the necessary supplies must be accounted for, including...

Ignorance is bliss, at least until you are checked by Officer Friendly and issued a citation for a fishing violation. As an avid angler and former lawyer for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWCC), I used to think I knew Florida's saltwater fishing regulations. That all...

Take a look around. I know you've had to notice the mass of colorful, plastic boats strapped to the tops of cars around your favorite launch site. Please do not be intimidated, but know the ball is rolling and won't be stopped. With the present state of our...

By dictionary definition, a stakeholder is a person who holds a concern or interest in something. A stakeholder will not work towards short-term gratification, but towards the long-term quality and prosperity of his respective organization or business. He or she will make sacrifices and put in many hours...

My first impression is of a bank of glowing, white clouds. I stare out the plane window and see dunes, then finally realize I am staring at snow-covered mountains, stretching as far as I can see. Finally, the levity of my trip hits me. I am en route to Kuwait,...

When one thinks about crabbing, Alaska's frozen weather, huge seas and 800-pound pots usually come to mind. Here in Florida, however, crabbing is simpler, warmer and quite a bit safer. Now that water temperatures are starting to cool off and the Northwestern fronts are back, stone crabs will start crawling. There...

Bumbling Boatsman, you deserve kudos on the positive end to your kayak fishing experiment. We see lots of speckled trout here in the Everglades, but rarely do they get that large. Most Everglades kayak fishermen have one thing in mind... snook... big snook. Some even go as...

When Robbie Green and Jim Chalkey returned to the weigh-in at Gulf Shores Alabama, on October 14th, after completing the third and final event of the 2008 Gulf Coast Division of the IFA Redfish Tour, never did they imagine their performance would garner 1st place, thus pushing them into 2nd...

On a recent tarpon trip to the famous 7-Mile Bridge in the Florida Keys, I had an unfortunate hookup. When my tarpon-ready rod doubled over in the rod holder, I knew something huge had eaten my live crab. Like clockwork, my buddy brought in the other line and...

Part III in a Three Part Series A Deep Look into Drifting Shallow Water It was early afternoon, mid-spring. The rising tide's progress was evident as the previously exposed flat, of an hour earlier, began to disappear below the surface of the water. A light breeze was casting an ever-so-slight...

The sky turned light gray, signaling the approach of daylight. ...

The spotlight was on red snapper restrictions at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's (FWCC) February meeting, but far more Gulf of Mexico anglers will be impacted by new requirements for fishing gear. Starting June 1, 2008, recreational anglers in the Gulf of Mexico must have two devices...

Okay, so its blowing 20 to 30 knots and the weatherman called for ten. Your boat is loaded down with ice, bait, tackle, fuel, drinks, food, etc., and the kids are on the dock staring at you wondering why they dont have a rod in their hands yet. The high winds concern you,...