Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2020 i Florida Sportsman

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…

A Lake Kissimmee State Park 14248 Camp Mack Rd., Lake Wales 863-696-1112 $4 ramp fee (no charge for paid campers), good parking, one lane, closed at sundown. B Grape Hammock Fish Camp 1400 Grape Hammock Rd. Lake Wales; 863-692-1500 or chandley@grapehammock.com On the lake’s south side, Grape Hammock has bait, tackle, gas, ice, licenses, boat ramp and lodging, including rental cabins and tent and RV camping with boat slips. C Joe Overstreet Boat Ramp 4900 Overstreet Rd., Kenansville East side of lake; four lanes open 24 hours; good parking and docking. Free. D Camp Mack, a Guy Harvey Lodge Marina, and RV Resort 14900 Camp Mack Rd., Lake Wales 800-243-8013 Located on the Kissimmee River, Camp Mack provides access to lakes Kissimmee, Hatchineha and Cypress. Cabins,…

Three Ways for Wahoo Now that the holidays are over we can concentrate on fishing, and first thing that comes to my mind in January is wahoo fishing. Fun to catch and great to eat, wahoo are some of the most elusive and yet most prized targets in the Florida Keys. They are pelagic predators that will often come near and or over the reef in the Atlantic side of the island chain to feed. Wahoo are one of the fastest fish in the ocean, known for their explosive bursts of speed that will put your knot-tying to the test. Also, their teeth are razor sharp and are known to cut anglers by accident even after they’re dead. There are a few different ways to rig and get after the…

Mixed Bag on the Flats and Reefs It’s a “grab bag” this month inshore. You never know what you’re going to catch: redfish, black drum, sheepshead, mangrove snapper, seatrout, snook and pompano, to name a few. The cool thing is a lot of these fish can be caught in the same spot. Minus the snook, the above species are open season and make great table fare. I spoke with Capt. Jon Earhart of Chaos Fishing Charters (www.chaosfishingcharters.com) in Stuart and he tipped me off on a few things to look for. Structure. Structure. Structure. Docks, bridges, channel markers and rubble are where you’re going to find fish this month, especially on the cold days. Their metabolism slows and these fish become lethargic, so chances are you’re going to find them…

Trout Inside and Out It’s been a few years, but if we get a taste of a “real” winter, we’ll see cold fronts blast through from the northwest, followed by several mornings of “ice on the deck” and some great fishing for spotted seatrout. What follows are spots I remember from the “good ol’ days” of winter trout fishing, in hopes we’ll have a colder winter than we’ve had recently. While any cold day’s midday sunshine can warm shallow coastal rocks and bars, attracting baitfish and seatrout, it’s the deep holes and channels that hold them on the bleakest of days. The Big Bend is without a doubt the epicenter of Florida's seatrout fishery. Looking back, the power plant discharge channel alongside Rocky Point north of Crystal River has always…

Slow Down for Fast Action In many things, faster is better but not fishing in January. This is the time to throttle it back if you want to catch fish. On Lake Talquin, for example, largemouth bass respond to cooler weather by moving to the deeper parts of the lake. This is usually in or near the river channel that meanders along the southern side of the lake. The “ledges” where deeper water meets shallow water is where bass like to hang out, especially if there is structure such as downed trees or stumps. Bass not only use these places because of the comfortable temperature, they can also feed on the schools of shad that swim by without having to hunt them down. Since most of the deepest water is…

The spinnerbait is the Swiss Army Knife of Florida bass lures. Works in a variety of situations. And, it has blades! Spinnerbait, like the iconic pocket tool, doesn’t take the place of specialty tools you’ll want in certain circumstances: Seductive plastics for pitching to spawning beds; weedless frogs for heavy cover; diving plugs for reservoirs. But as a basic first-choice for largemouth, it’s hard to beat. Spinnerbait, in case you’re new to spin class, is different than a spinner—and certainly different than buzzbait, which also has a spinning element. The familiar in-line spinner (think Roostertail) has a blade that spins forward of the hook, directly in line with it. The spinnerbait also has a blade, but it’s set off on separate arm, like an open safety pin. Some folks add…

Ten miles off a beach in northern Costa Rica, Frank Wilhelm struggled as a 300-pound blue marlin ripped line from his Tiagra 50W. Where I normally fish, out of Jacksonville, Florida, we’re accustomed to running 60 miles or more before putting lines in. About the same amount of time, Frank and I learned, will get you from the Atlanta airport to the some of the hottest blue-water fishing on earth. Four hours after takeoff, Nosara, Costa Rica, was providing all kinds of surprises. Visiting Costa Rica is a fabulous experience that I highly recommend to any fishing family. Frank and I brought our wives. We rode horses through the mountains and took the world’s longest zip-line. But for me, it was all about the fishing. We had already released a…

ON MOST PHOTO TRIPS, I like to take my own tackle bag; not necessarily because I think I’ll need anything beyond what my host brings—it just makes me feel better. However, during my patch reef trip off Islamorada, Capt. Max Gaspeny was pretty happy to see the small bluegill peg float I had, for some unknown reason, tossed into my terminal tackle tray. Way too small for most saltwater applications, this little float was just right for “hair hooking” the ballyhoo gathering in our chum slick. Pegging the float about 18 inches above a size 10 long shank Mustad Carlisle hook, Gaspeny added a small chunk of shrimp that was just large enough to cover the point and carefully sized up his cast. “Ballyhoo are notoriously panicky,” Gaspeny said. “You…

Sail Into the New Year With a few exceptions, it’s all about the offshore fishing in January off the South Florida coast. Migrating schools of sailfish can be plentiful for the offshore fishing fleet this month. These fish can be individuals or groups of a dozen fish that run in sizes from 30 to 90 pounds. Sailfish are one of the fastest fish in the sea and once hooked spend most of their time jumping high out of the water, sometimes over a dozen times. If they don’t jump, then they will make long and lightning fast runs that often leave the fishing line in one location and the fish a hundred feet or more in another direction. Every year sailfish migrate from the north to the south and as…

“Big Three” Still Catch and Release As the new year begins, Southwest Florida’s coastal anglers are faced with “no harvest” status on the three most popular inshore species: snook, redfish and spotted seatrout. Unless the FWC unexpectedly changes course, these fish will be on a catch-and-release basis in this region for several more months. Fortunately, the extended closures have resulted in a noticeable improvement in the quality of the fishing for all three. Which means that snook will be stacked up under bridges and docks in the canals, redfish will be found cruising mangrove shorelines and in the deeper bends of tidal creeks, and trout will be moving into deep tidal creeks and canals as the water temperature drops. Black drum, including jumbo specimens pushing the 50-pound mark, are schooled…

Ex-Speck Great Things There are good reasons why the crappie is a freshwater favorite during the winter months in East Central Florida. For starters, they’re concentrated for spawning in January through March so they’re easier to catch, they don’t require costly tackle, and their food value is superb. Crappie get top billing at many a fish fry. What’s more, the black crappie—aka speckled perch—is found in practically every lake and river system, including canal systems. But for whatever reasons, some water bodies hold greater numbers of the preferred 1½- to 2-pound “slabs.” So, what are some of the better lakes? Big bass made Farm 13-Stick Marsh south of Palm Bay famous but the 6,000-acre reservoir also yields big crappie. And unlike the bass, they don’t have to be released. Expert…

Deep Woods, Distant Rigs January is not often thought of as a great month for outdoor activities in the Panhandle, but the truth is, it can be one of the best. In the woods, deer season is in full swing and for most of our region the rut is either about to start or already started. Offshore, the tuna bite can be hot and if they are biting, they are usually the big ones! Inshore, the backwaters can be a great place to get out on the water while the weather is less than ideal. The tall marsh grass and wood lines can offer relief from the cold winds. The same areas may hold a variety of species including redfish, trout, catfish, hybrid bass, and even possibly largemouth bass. Inshore,…

In a corner of my office a 16 gauge Remington Model 870 shotgun stands proudly in a wooden cabinet. The 870 is flanked by my father’s Browning Sweet Sixteen and my grandfather’s 12 gauge Remington 11-48. While it’s been years since any of these arms have been in the field, they are a constant reminder of priceless memories and life lessons. Though the lesser in monetary value, the Remington 870 provided me with the most valuable insights and experiences. Flash back 50-plus years to 1968: There was the Martin Luther King assassination, Vietnam, Abbie Hoffman, Hippies and general unrest in the nation. I was 14 years old. Oblivious to the national mayhem, my buddies and I could only dream about owning our first shotgun and the hunting experiences that would…

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…

Costa Rica is admirably positioned as a sportfishing destination. The climate is tropical and stable. A rainy season (tourism promotors call it the “green season”) lasts from May through November; dry season, December through April, with some local deviations. The nation is stable, too, as well as prosperous and progressive, with many natural areas protected. The expession “pura vida,” used to say “hello,” “goodbye,” “please,” “thank you,” etc. is a standard salutation, and translates to “pure life.” It defines how Costa Rican people feel about their country. Spanish is the main language, though English is widely spoken in tourist areas. Costa Rica has two coasts, Caribbean and Pacific, as well as interior rivers providing freshwater fishing opportunities. The Caribbean coastline stretches over a hundred miles from the southern border of…

SEND US YOUR PHOTOS WE WELCOME your fishing and hunting photos for publication in the Action Spotter and in our online community galleries at www.floridasportsman.com. SEND DIGITAL PICTURES, 600 KB to 1 MB in jpeg format. For smartphone photos, email the Actual Size—highest resolution. Images must not have appeared or been submitted elsewhere. Send photos to: photos@floridasportsman.com. INCLUDE NAMES of people pictured, hometowns, location of catch and any key details, such as weight of big catches. NOW ON PODCAST! Florida Sportsman magazine’s READER- FAVORITE Action Spotter section has gone PODCAST. Every Thursday at 7 p.m., tune in to find out where the bite is in your backyard and across the state. EACH WEEK, host Capt. Rick Ryals will dial in on the bite across the state, mirroring the…

Depend on Drum January has always been a bit unpredictable throughout the 10,000 Islands region and that is mainly due to weather. Some years we’ll be putting tarpon rods in the boat as early as Valentine’s Day. Other years, we’re fishing through strong northeast winds and weekly cold fronts, catching resident sheepshead and trout. Regardless of the conditions, one fish that seems to always show is the black drum. Large schools of black drum are on the move in the winter and January is generally the best month to target them in the 10,000 Islands region. These whisker-chinned, tough old fish take up residency in the deep passes such as Dismal Key and Sand-fly, as well as in many of the deeper rivers. To target drum, you’ll need good current…

Fish Through the Ups and Downs The kinds of fish that hang here in the winter vary with the weather. Some fish head to deeper water, 20 to 40 miles out or more. But then others are comfortable staying near shore. Short runs to 40 and 80 feet of water can produce plenty of mangrove snapper along with some hogfish. Continuing deeper, yellowtail, vermilion, and lane snapper, along with the occasional red grouper can be caught beyond the 100-foot mark. At 130 feet and beyond you can add scamp grouper, and while you’re at it, deploying a live threadfin on a flatline gives you a shot at blackfin tuna, African pompano and possibly even some kingfish. Typically, on colder days the scent of fresh-cut baits will attract and produce more…

Pick Your Days Watching cold fronts and predicting when we can fish changes from being a weekly ritual in the summer, to an hourly watch during the Northeast Florida winter. For the freshwater angler, the bass will start scouting out places to spawn, but passing cold fronts will move the fish on a daily basis. If we get a stretch of calm warm weather, it may well be time to hit lakes like Orange, Newnans or Rodman Reservoir. Speckled perch will be more dependable than bass in December. They are more likely to cooperate in open water than in the lily pads, but I’ve always believed the bridges over places like Julington Creek and even the Ortega River hold more specks in the winter than most people realize. “Spider trolling”…

Bahamas Fishing, By the Book It’s time to start planning those spring and summer Bahamas trips. Also a good time to review the fishing regulations over there. Once you crossing the Gulf Stream in your boat, check in immediately with customs and immigration officials at the nearest Bahamas port of entry. Bahamas rules are clear regarding wetting a line on the way over: “You should not fish until you have checked in.” At the check-in, the captain of the vessel will purchase needed permits, including the Sportfishing Permit and Cruising Permit. Further, if you intend to spearfish (no spear guns allowed—pole spear or sling only) or use a net to catch bait, notify the agent so you can get the correct permits endorsed. While in the Bahamas, the fishing rules…