Familiarity Breeds Success When fishing new waters, target species similar to ones you catch at home. There’s an old saying that “familiarity breeds contempt,” and it’s no doubt true in many instances. Still, when it comes to the fishing game, familiarity also breeds success. Such is often the case when it comes to probing new […]
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When I was a kid growing up in Southern California, I used to hang out on Balboa Island at a place called Bisbee’s. It was a big game tackle shop and fuel dock on the water in Newport Bay. I was young — maybe 15 or so — and learning the ropes of saltwater fishing […]
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It’s 4 A.M. and I can’t sleep any longer. Today will be my second visit to the remote Flamingo region of Everglades National Park; the first time was so unreal that this second trip has literally kept me awake, which is surprising because one of the most incredible aspects of this very special place is […]
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When you think about southern California, there are many things that come to mind. Deserts, tacos, and sprawling urban landscapes jump to the front. However, one opportunity has flown under the radar of many adventurous fishermen who may find themselves in the warm sunshine of SoCal. The corbina. Corbina are a favorite local fish for […]
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This is the time of year that all boaters and fishermen have the opportunity to see everything ‘under one roof’! This annual show gets bigger and better every year with vendors that represent virtually every product available to support our SW Floridian ‘lifestyle’. Furniture, fixtures, fishing equipment, marine cleaning products and marine electronics, boat insurance […]
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SNAP! CRACK!! BOOM!!! My car shook as another wave of thunder rolled by, the final breath of a storm that had kept me up all night wondering. The lightning and deep rumble were less than a second apart, telling me, yes, that was close. It was early and the sun was just starting to break […]
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An in-season, legal-size lobster is a fantastic bait for cubera snapper at night. Use a two-hook rig when rigging the tasty marine crustacean. George Poveromo The worn adage “elephants eat peanuts” acknowledges that big fish sometimes consume small baits. But is that an exception that proves the rule? Big fish have insatiable appetites, hence their […]
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For coastal anglers, daily ebb and flow govern the when and where of fish movement. The fluctuations are predictable and, for the most part, fairly well balanced, except for the seasonal extremes known as a “negative low” — an outgoing tide that falls below mean (average) low. These tides occur during winter’s new and full […]
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NAME: Tyler Kapela LOCATION: St. Petersburg, Florida SPECIALTY: Tarpon, inshore/nearshore BOAT SPECS: Contender 25 Bay AFFILIATIONS/SPONSORS: Pelagic Gear pro team captain, Contender Boats pro team, BKK Hooks pro staff, Cast Fishing pro staff, Captains for Clean Water ambassador MEDIA AFFILIATIONS: Emcee, Pelagic Gear international offshore tournament series; host, North American Fisherman TV (NBC Sports Network […]
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” There’s plenty of ocean around, why do you have to be in my way?” If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably yelled this, or some variation of it with a few choice words added, at a fellow boater. While it’s great to see more and more people partaking in fishing and boating, the resulting […]
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NAME: Capt. Jason Sullivan LOCATION: Everglades National Park SPECIALTY: Light tackle and fly fishing for tarpon, snook and redfish. BOAT SPECS: 17.8-foot Hell’s Bay Boatworks Professional 15-foot Glades jon boat SPONSORS & AFFILIATIONS: Orvis, Simms, Hell’s Bay Boatworks, Daiwa, G Loomis HOW DID YOU GET STARTED? I have always wanted to be a fishing guide, […]
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Take the Bait Secrets from the pros to get a handle on basic live-lining I know the exact moment I first got hooked on live-bait fishing. It was June 1970. I was 10 years old and having a blast catching bluegills from shore at a pond not far from my home. As I reeled in a smallish […]
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Little Things Mean a Lot When you fish is just as important as where you fish. One early truth we all learn as anglers is that nearly every aspect of our fishing approach can be improved. I’ve been at this over five decades now, and I still learn something different or come up with a […]
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Z-Man ‘immortal’ HerculeZ exhibits astonishing action and toughness Ladson, SC (January 26, 2023) – Admittedly, bite force is a concept best understood by anglers whose fingers accidently slip into the mandibles of powerful gamefish. With an audible snap—not unlike an angry alligator maw—aquatic predators like snook, tarpon and striped bass can all crush baitfish (or […]
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Skin mounts kill. Replicas don’t. But turning raw fiberglass blanks into lifelike reproductions takes an artist who knows his fish. Jon Whittle Chris Murrah is really into African pompano right now. Surfer, angler, jazz musician, and now lead painter at King Sailfish Mounts, he grew up in East Fort Lauderdale fishing on the Tarpon River. […]
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The wide-ranging game fish that hunt Sunshine State shallows feed on a huge variety of forage species, with baitfish making up a great deal of their diets. However, while predators display unique preferences as they pertain to shimmering baits from pilchard and herring to pinfish and pogy, few shallow-water targets will ever pass up a […]
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Trophy snook sustain the population, so a safe release will positively affect the local fishery in the future. George Poveromo A few years ago, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) estimated that the mortality rate for released snook caught on the Gulf coast was only 2.13 percent. The research is clear that carefully […]
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Hybrids offer anglers the best of both worlds, giving them the ability to chase fish both in- and offshore. They’re also well-suited to sandbar duty. Courtesy Pathfinder Anglers who want to fish big water one day and backwater bays the next will be served best by a hybrid bay boat. Hybrid bay boats run larger, […]
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Treasure Hunt Florida’s Treasure Coast is a hidden gem. Tangerine and cotton candy-colored clouds billow along the horizon creating the perfect backdrop for this laid-back, picturesque Florida region. Tucked along the Atlantic Coast just north of Palm Beach, the Treasure Coast comprises Martin, St. Lucie, and Indian River counties. This hidden gem is a wondrous […]
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For winter offshore fishing, there are very few fish that won’t eat a live, dead, or chunk of ballyhoo. Ballyhoo, otherwise known as “half beaks,” are a favorite for anglers as cut bait or trolling, but they also have been used as live baits while drifting or chum. They are found both offshore and inshore […]
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