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.
Bob Mitchell was a mentor, a colleague, and a friend. On a professional level, what I remember best about Bob was his commitment to precision. We were fishing one day years ago, and Bob was counting the seconds as we watched my paper depth recorder. As exactly as he predicted, when he hit 60, the seabed rose 200 feet. He was calculating compass heading, speed over ground and closure rate to the target, much of what a modern day GPS will do, but this was Loran-C days. I was in awe. But I should not have been surprised. Bob nurtured the growth of marine and sportfishing businesses, from charter captains to leading national manufacturers of boats and fishing tackle. A former combat and active commercial aircraft pilot, Bob had carried…
Few destinations offer as many diverse angling opportunities as Pensacola, Florida. Home to Native Americans for millennia and first settled by Europeans in the 16th century, Pensacola sits at the confluence of multiple rivers, bays, and the Gulf of Mexico. On calm days, the Gulf of Mexico boasts not only reef fishing, but cobia, false albacore, and Spanish mackerel sight-fishing. Stay within the bay for estuarine reef fishing that can yield both snapper and grouper, or skirt the grassflats of the Santa Rosa Sound for redfish and speckled trout. Pensacola Pass is where everything converges, including an epic sheepshead run during March and April. Looking for freshwater species? No problem. Put in on the Yellow River and cast among the cypress knees for bass, bream, stumpknockers and more. If darkness…
GAMEPLAN Plan ahead for different weather conditions. Wind direction can make the difference between fishing in Pensacola Bay, trying your luck in the Gulf, or sheltering along the barrier islands of Santa Rosa Sound. WHEN All year. Fall brings bull redfish into the bay, spring means sheepshead and pompano, summer is perfect for offshore fishing, while winter’s cooler temperatures push anglers to the deltas to target seatrout. LODGING Options for every budget. Camp at Fort Pickens for early access to the sand, rent a condo on Pensacola Beach, or snag a hotel room or Air B&B near Pensacola nightlife. FOOD If cooking in the condo or campsite, a visit to Joe Patti’s World Famous Seafood Market is a must. For eating out, try the Fish House or Nom Sushi Izakaya.…
SEA LION 27TE The Sea Lion 27TE may be equipped with twins but also performs admirably with a lone Suzuki DF350, posting 30 mph for 2.7 mpg, and topping out over 40 mph. The 22.5-degree deadrise hull rides sharply through 3-foot seas without the slightest hard landing while keeping everyone aboard dry and comfortable. Three belowdecks insulated compartments combine for 640 quarts of cold storage while twin 140-quart dry boxes, along with a spacious console interior, provide plenty of gear storage options. Forty-gallon livewell in the helm seat and 30-gallon transom well hold a full day’s bait supply easily. Base price: $130,000. www.sea-lionboats. com CONTENDER 44ST The new Contender Boats flagship 44ST brings the ability to fish farther from home in rougher weather within easy reach. This nearly…
Being a successful bottom fisherman in a boat without a GPS-driven trolling motor is all about anchoring. A blue marlin may hear a lure moving through his territory a hundred yards away, and we’ve all seen schoolie dolphin come greyhounding into the spread from great distances, but a grouper could care less what’s going on just a few yards away from where he’s sitting. Miss dropping your bait in front of him, and you’d might just as well be in the next area code. Captain George Strate spent a long and illustrious career as a captain of four Mayport partyboats. He anchored up to 15 times a day, and he had to be right on the money. In Northeast Florida, the fishing business depends on developing a regular clientele, anglers…
The low profile baitcaster. A reel born into the bass fishing scene some years ago. Anglers were looking for an ergonomic reel that was light and comfortable for those long days on the water. Nowadays, you’re hard-pressed to find a bass angler without a handful of low pros on their boat. Ergonomics weren’t the only benefit of these palm-sized work horses, and the saltwater anglers recognized this. Companies did, too, and started producing reels that could withstand the corrosive environment. In the past ten years, these have pretty much put the old “round” baitcasters to rest when it comes to the inshore scene. Do you fish a low profile when targeting your favorite inshore species? If not, here’s a few more reasons you might want to. GEAR RATIO Unlike spinning…
