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 only we could look ahead to see what newly elected officials will do about vital issues. Lotta promises about cleaning up the waters, from both parties. Let’s hope they keep them. One thing we can look ahead to see are the tides for 2019. Right now, at www.floridasportsman.com/tides, you can begin planning your upcoming year of fishing. The reason we can look ahead is because the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) calculates and publishes tide predictions for different stations around the state. There are corrections, or adjustments, we can use for the “primary” stations, to find tide times, plus or minus, for fishy locations like downtown Jacksonville, Destin Pass, Boca Grande and more. The reason our Florida Sportsman tides (which are based on NOAA predictions) look the way…
Anclote Key is the namesake landmass in a quartet—also, North Anclote Bar, South Anclote Bar and Three Rooker Island—comprising Anclote Key Preserve State Park. The park is located a few miles from the mouth of the Anclote River bordering Tarpon Springs. Accessible only by private boat and ferry service from the Tarpon Springs Sponge Docks, Anclote Key measures only three and a half miles long and a quarter mile wide, but this is one of the West Central Florida’s fishiest destinations. Punctuated by an historic lighthouse (1887), the forested island is a favorite for day trippers and campers, with plenty of opportunity for catching a fresh fish dinner. Anclote’s east side boasts some of the area’s most productive grassflats, where potholes and broken bottom host trout, redfish, snook, bluefish, jacks…
ANKONA ADVENT 17 The new Ankona Advent 17 combines the backwater personality and technical ability of a micro skiff with the stability and extra deck space of a larger flats boat. The Advent 17 is sized to carry that extra angler if necessary and provide you the appropriate amount of storage space for three people’s needs along with a single 10-gallon livewell (second well optional). She’ll take you into 6 inches of water packed light, while her 16 feet, 10 inch by 68-inch footprint will deliver exceptional stability. She exhibits impressive poling manners with the combination of a light 350-pound carbon/ Kevlar hull and Variable Radius Transom. The Advent 17 is offered in remote steering center or side consoles as well as tiller steering models with boat, motor, trailer packages…
Rugged, high-speed, lipless trolling plugs such as the Yo-Zuri Bonita, Halco Max and Braid Marauder have long had a place in the Florida bluewater angler’s arsenal. These lures are perhaps at their most productive in circumstances where natural baits may be unavailable or undesired. Good example: trolling from one bottom fishing spot to another. Speed is less a limiting factor with these lures than with, say, rigged ballyhoo or mullet. Drop two high-speed plugs in the wake, run 12 knots or more. Get where you intend to go, add a wahoo or tuna to the box. Rinse and repeat. This year, Yo-Zuri introduced a kind of crossover high-speed plug that fills the same role while suggesting other applications. The High-Speed Vibe is a 5 ¼-inch, 3-ounce little cousin to the…
MAXEL offers a couple of interest ing hybrid-style reels this year, great for deep-jigging, bottom fishing or slow-pitch jigging. The Rage 25HBGD ($499) is a compact lever-drag in a one-piece aluminum body. It holds about 300 yards of 30-pound braid and offers up to 17 pounds of stopping pressure. The gear ratio is a brisk 6.2:1, culling in 38.5 inches of line per crank. A Hybrid Star Drag HY20SG ($279) from the same maker comes in two sizes, a narrow and a standard. This little gem fishes like a premium bass reel, with thumb bar freespool, but it’s bluewater-capable, with no levelwind—and with a carbon drag system offering 28 pounds of braking force.…
Surf fishing cranks up when fall arrives in Florida. It’s easy fishing, if you’ll select the right rod and terminal gear. If you are bait fishing for pompano, whiting, red drum, bluefish or come-what-may, you have to cast your bait and then keep it in place. One key is choosing the right sinker for your tackle and surf conditions. Casting distance is important but so is preventing your baits from being carried down the beach by current. Sinker weights for surf fishing range from as little as 2 ounces to as much as 8. Sinker styles vary, too, and each has its place. First, let’s talk about your rod class. The lightest spin rods, those rated for up to 1-ounce lures, mustn’t be overloaded with 3 ounces of lead. The…
