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.
My wife has grown vaguely tolerant of a red-lamped cyclops lurching around the bedroom at 3 a.m. on Saturday morning, hunting flip flops, wallet and rain jacket. She’s accepting of the fact that, somewhere around 1 p.m., I’ll hand a mackerel fillet to my cats and fall asleep on the glider. She knows I’m useless on the weekend, but government scientists seems to think I have some mental capacity remaining. Okay, I’m trying. On my limited Saturday afternoon to-do list, I’ve been logging trips on the South Atlantic Council’s MyFishCount app. First time I opened the app, I got lost. How many grunts did we catch? What kind? Spanish, French, white, what? Pictures? Of grunts? How many inches? Where was the hook, in the lip or throat? Hell, I don’t…
According to an account in Jack Davis’ recent Pulitzer-winner, The Gulf, a young Leonard Destin had Key West in mind when he sailed from Connecticut in the 1830s. Bad luck, in the form of a hurricane, dashed his plans. Shipwrecked, mourning the loss of a father and brother, by and by, his luck turned. Leonard found his way to a pass on Florida’s northern Gulf Coast, with deep, clear water on one side, and a bay loaded with seagrass and fish on the other. Destin, of course, was a fisherman—and in a fitting twist, the town that would bear his name would one day be called “The World’s Luckiest Fishing Village.” Locals can thank Florida Gov. Leroy Collins for that moniker: Collins, visiting in 1956, caught a 19-pound kingfish just…
SEA VEE 322Z Sea Vee’s new 322Z features an innovative, high-efficiency, cross-ventilated stepped hull perfected using proprietary semi-empirical steady state computer modeling. In hard maneuvering, the Sea Vee-patented speed rails keep the boat tracking in the desired direction without compromising speed or efficiency. Hull, stringers and bulkheads are fabricated using vacuum assisted resin transfer Infusion (VARTM), for a light, practically indestructible laminate. Large fishboxes forward, with option for an additional box aft. Twin 40-gallon transom livewells standard; they are longitudinal, freeing up 6 feet of cockpit space. Additional features include built-in swim ladder, optional side door, twin loungers with electrically actuated backrests, aft facing cockpit seat, oversized fiberglass hardtop and freshwater shower and toilet facilities. Base price $199,200 w/twin Mercury Verado 300 HP. ARROWGLASS 248CC The Arrowglass 248CC combines sensible…
“Rigging live baits so they stay alive is important.” Years ago I spotted a sticker in a Bradenton store window that read: “Love is the answer.” After striking out the word love with a slash mark, the author substituted “live bait.” To be sure, live bait is the answer on many a fishing trip. Investing in live bait often makes sense, whether you catch it in a cast net, buy it from a livebait dealer or hoist it up on sabiki quills. Rigging live baits so they swim naturally, stay alive and don’t appear overloaded with hardware is just as important as having frisky baits in your well. When rigging, think clean and stealthy. Small live baits such as Spanish sardines, pilchards and threadfin herring can be simply hooked sideways…
Going for yellowfins, tarpon or other keen-eyed tackle-busters? Check these new hooks from Mustad. In addition to stealthy, low-shine finishes, the Triangle Concept hooks make use of the strongest shape in nature. The wire is shaped using a proprietary three-way forging process; 20-percent stronger than traditional wire, the company says. Currently offered to 10/0 sizes in UltraPoint circle hook (39950TNP) and 4X Hoodlum J-style with Triangle Point (10814TTP) and a catfish style (412TTP).…
“You can make your lure or bait land more delicately.” Nothing turns off a fish more in skinny water than the KERPLUNK of a lure or bait on its noggin. Whether you are stalking red drum, bonefish, snook, seatrout, permit or tarpon, soft splashdowns are a must. By somewhat changing the way you cast, you can make your lure or bait land more delicately. Two tricks: one, “feathering” the landing, and two, casting sidearm to change your bait’s trajectory. These finesse moves are easiest with spinning tackle, especially when presenting jigs, small plastics, live shrimp or crabs. FEATHERING THE LANDING For the sake of distance or sight-fishing accuracy on the flats, I encourage casting basically overhead, or “three-quarters” overhead with both hands—one hand at the reel seat and the other…
