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.
To start the new year, this month we’re bringing you a bit of everything Florida has to offer. We’ve had our team of writers all over the state, looking for fresh angles to help you enjoy your time on the waters and afield. In this issue, David McGrath, a writer and avid angler from southwest Florida, explores one of our state’s premiere parks, Lake Kissimmee State Park. It’s remote, it’s well-maintained, and it’s ideally located. Roll out of the tent on a cool spring morning and fish one of the nation’s best bass fisheries. David A. Brown hits the waves with Melbourne, FL guide Caleb Couture to spotlight 12 hints for surf fishing success. Brown, incidentally, is a veteran outdoors writer from the Florida Gulf Coast and knows a thing…
Tournament season blows into Islamorada with the first big cold fronts of the new year, building to a crescendo with back-to-back sailfish events in late January. The Cheeca Lodge Presidential Sailfish tournament (Jan. 24-26) and the Islamorada Fishing Club Sailfish Tournament (Jan. 29-30) are the final three legs in the Florida Keys Gold Cup series. Crews send pilchards or goggle-eyes aloft on fishing kites; slow-troll live ballyhoo; or pursue “tailing” sailfish on the edge. For anglers not signed up for the tournaments, a noteworthy byproduct: The Islamorada charter fleet is on the action this time of year, and the mates are as skilled as any on the planet. Sailfish action is just one facet of the diverse angling scene in the “Sportfishing Capital of the World” (the title is self-proclaimed…
WHERE: Stretching about 20 miles long, Islamorada sits 1 1/2hours from Miami and 2 from Key West. Take the Florida Turnpike south to U.S. 1 south, which becomes the Overseas Highway. Option: Take Card Sound Road split-off in Florida City to visit North Key Largo on your way down. WHAT’S IN A NAME: Translated, Islamorada (once “Isla Morada”) means Purple Island. Tales of origin vary. Spanish explorers witnessing mass aggregations of indigenous purple snail? Colors of sunset? Brilliant bougainvillea purple? GAME PLAN: Sample the offshore scene for pelagics and reef fish; stalk the flats for bonefish, permit and tarpon or run across Florida Bay for backcountry redfish and snook. WHEN: Fall-winter best for the flats and backcountry, as cooler temperatures offer pleasant conditions. Summer typically brings the calmest seas for…
INVINCIBLE 35 CATAMARAN The latest offering from Invincible Boats is the 35 Catamaran. The popularity of the Morrelli & Melvin design is further evidence that multi-hull center console fishing boats have established a firm foothold in the marketplace. The Invincible 35 Catamaran is the smaller cousin to the company’s 37 and 40. It’s positioned as a more manageable hull that will run efficiently with a twin-engine installation. At the same time, her 35’ 10” by 11’ 7” stature is formidable enough to accommodate quad power to 1,200 HP. She carries up to 550 gallons of fuel for long range expeditions and is capable of speeds in excess of 70 MPH. See www.invincibleboats.com BELZONA 27CC Launched by Belzona at the 2019 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, the new 27CC speaks directly…
My old black Lab Kramer was a not only one of my best friends, he was pretty smart, too. You see, I’ve worked from home the last 20 years, which means my dress code rarely changes. Nor does the time I get up, or my morning routine in general. If I was going to spend the day sitting at my computer, with him curled up at my feet, he was thrilled. If I was going fishing, he would sink into a funk. It took me many years to realize the minute his mood would sink, would be the minute I slid my pliers on my belt. Pliers meant Dad was going to be gone all day. I was raised with a pair of pliers on my belt every day I…
Sheepshead are fun to target, satisfying on the table and found throughout coastal Florida. It is during what passes for “winter” in the Sunshine State when the cold-tolerant sheepshead earns its highest marks from anglers. Structure is key when it comes to sheepshead. Docks and bridge pilings are your best bet. You want to find the structure with barnacles. I’m talking about the pilings you have nightmares of accidently bumping your boat into. These are typically concrete. These barnacles not only provide a home for small crustaceans the fish crave, but sheepshead enjoy eating the actual barnacles. You can often see fish rooting around in the white clumps like a hog rooting up soil. You want to keep your bait tight to the structure so the fish can easily find…
