Florida Sportsman is the complete fishing magazine for Florida and the Tropics. Devoted to fishing, boating, and outdoor activities in the Sunshine State, Florida Sportsman is the authoritative source for Florida's most active fishermen.
If I had to pick a best-ever all-star team of fishery officials one name would pop up real quick. Tom Fraser. We need him now. Tom would I think lead us out of this amazingly dumb red snapper imbroglio whereby we have seasons of a couple days, or confusing closures. And we even face situations where commercial takes of red snapper may be allowed even while any personal-use angling could be banned. For eight years (four as chairman), Dr. (fisheries professor) Tom Fraser was a key leader of the Marine Fisheries Commission, now the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. He had found himself out gunned by the influential gillnet industry and eventually endorsed the constitutional net ban of 1995. It was good to see Tom's name just a few days…
Young 27 New for 2017 from Young Boats is this 27-foot “Hybrid Fishing Machine” designed to satisfy the needs of nearshore and offshore anglers alike. The unique cockpit design and deck layout offers very easy stem to stern mobility not unlike what you’d experience on a bay boat, combined with a true offshore capable hull design. This is a solid blue water fishing rig that will troll the Gulf Stream one day and allow you to deploy the trolling motor along the mangroves the next. Young offers this model in several configurations including full or half tower versions along with optional forward seating or open deck. Additionally, they are offered rigged with a trolling motor for searching shorelines and docks or to spot lock on a reef honey hole. Base…
Unless you either own property or have a close friend who does, you’ll likely be hunting on public land or paying for a hunting lease or a hunt club membership this fall. Both hunting leases and hunt clubs have advantages and disadvantages; there’s no one-size-fits-all solution to where to hunt. Cost Generally speaking, hunting leases are more expensive than hunt club memberships. Memberships may range from several hundred to a thousand or more dollars a year, and when you first join, there may be an initiation fee. Compare that to the cost of leasing anywhere from 150 to a couple thousand acres for $8 to $11 an acre on your own. Then add in the cost of inputs such as corn for feeders, seed and fertilizer for food plots, tractor…
Snap, crack, pop, crunch! We have all heard these sounds. You’ve just unintentionally converted your favorite one piece rod into a two piece. Maybe it was a defective rod blank, or you happened to crunch it in the front door on your way out to the fishing spot. After the handful of choice words (or many handfuls) and childish tantrum us men tend to throw when this happens, it’s time to get the rod fixed. Here’s what you need to do. Some fixes are a simple matter. Let’s say you stepped on a guide of your rod that was lying on the deck of your boat. Or you accidently reeled up your leader too far and knocked out the ceramic insert on the tip. Easy, peasy. Save your money on…
There are millions of seductive spots to cast a No. 8 popping bug on the St. Johns River. Branches with dangling moss stick out over the water, and half-fallen trees lean down, calling for a caster to zing a fly under them, back against the bank in those “pockets.” The river’s no place for a beginner. It takes experience to snatch and jerk flies loose from the bushes without snapping your fly rod. You’ve got to know when to pull hard enough to bust a fly off and tie on another one. It helps if you tie your own. I keep my fly box open on the seat. After countless hours of fishing, I could have put my entire catch in my pants pockets. Enter a guide named Denny Tittle.…
Years ago, most personal flotation devices available to paddlers were hot, uncomfortable and wound up strapped on top of kayaks. Today’s inflatable PFD designs are a major improvement, and there are also conventional models in fishing-friendly styles. What must you have to meet U.S. Coast Guard regulations for a PFD when you are on a kayak, canoe or paddle board? You must have one USCG-approved Type I, II or III personal flotation device for each person on board. The PFD must be in serviceable condition and readily accessible. You must be able to put it on in a reasonable amount of time in an emergency. They should not be stowed in bags or compartments or have gear stowed on top of them. Everyone on board under the age of 6…
