Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2020 i Florida Sportsman

There’s this little joint in Key Largo where we like to go to catch our breath now and then, The Pelican Cottages. Nothing fancy, nice place to bring a boat. The dock is on the “Gulf side,” on Buttonwood Sound. Fine waters for sunset cruises, kayaking, and the like. If the breeze nudges you a little west, watch it, Pal—you might cross the line. Now you’re in Everglades National Park. Not until very recently had I thought much about that boundary. Drifting for seatrout and snappers, enjoying sunsets over the last 20 years or so: We were in a park? This year, that distinction matters. Everglades National Park now requires anyone crossing into park waters to pay an entry fee. Now, I’m accustomed to paying a park entry fee when…

(from FishRulesApp.com) Gulf of Mexico Federal Waters •Bag Limit: 2 (included in aggregate grouper bag of 4) •Min. Size: 20 inches Total Length •Gear: Circle Hooks & Dehooking Device •Season: Closed Feb. 1-Mar. 31 when fishing beyond the 20-fathom break FL Gulf State Waters •Bag Limit 2 (included in aggregate grouper bag of 4) •Min. Size: 20 inches Total Length •Gear: Circle Hooks • Season: Open year round South Atlantic Federal Waters •Bag Limit: 3 (in agg grouper bag of 3) •Min. Size: 20 inches Total Length •Gear: Circle Hooks & Dehooking Device •Closed Seasons: September 25, 2019 - April 30, 2020. (Likely to close by summer 2020 due to adjustment in federal Annual Catch Limit; see safmc.net and/or Fish Rules app.) FL Atlantic State Waters •Bag Limit 3 (included in…

Twisted Limbs Bowfishing is a member of the Bowfishing Association of America (BAA) and participates in several of their state tournaments each year. According to their website, the BAA was incorporated in 1989 to manage bowfishing tournaments in the United States with a mission to preserve, protect and provide education on the sport of bowfishing, working closely with biologists and natural resource departments to help reduce the spread of invasive fish species around the country, as well as control populations of non-game fish with few natural predators. While this doesn’t pertain to saltwater fishing as much, bowfishing is one means employed by Florida anglers to rid the freshwaters of invasive species such as tilapia and various breeds of pleco catfish. This helps clean up the waterways and provides a fun…

Clint Gregory caught the big red on the Banana River, in East Central Florida, using a 1/4-ounce jig. Clint's picture was featured on Florida Sportsman's Instagram page recently, with a fun back story from pal Kris Muszynski. 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…

Stage Set for Spring If we have a warm February, the month of March has anglers in the 10,000 Islands focused heavily on tarpon. There always seems to be a push of tarpon into the region sometime during the month and if you can be on the front end of it, action can be downright amazing from these silver kings. Look to the days around the 9th and 24th when we have a full and new moon respectively, as these stronger lunar periods usually trigger the first big push of migrating tarpon through the region. Being prepared for these magical periods and knowing where the tarpon will be will ensure success. As the water warms and the month progresses, bays like Fakahatchee, Pumpkin, Buttonwood and Palm Bay will also have…

Weather’s Right, But Many Seasons Still Closed As cold fronts lose their grip on the Suncoast, warmer weather stirs appetites of snook, trout, redfish, tarpon and many other shallow water favorites. Along the coast, baitfish and pelagic predators are also on the move, heading north. Remember that snook, trout and redfish were scheduled to remain closed from the Pasco/Hernando county line south into Collier County until the end of May as a result of last year’s closure to rebuild those fish stocks that were affected by red tide. Biologists will decide whether to reopen or keep closed each species of fish individually based on an assessment at that time. Most anglers say snook have made a pretty good showing up and down the coast. Trout began coming back into the…

Stars Align for Offshore Fishing, But Will the Weather? Oh, if we could only take the wind out of March! What a cruel trick Mother Nature often pulls on us this month. The wahoo have usually been pushed out closer to the ledge, which stacks them up, and makes them easier to find, if we can only get to them. Blackfin tuna will be with them, and if we get a repeat of last Mach’s warm water, we may see a return of great sailfish fishing in March. Fishing with a young crew of hotshots last year, we released a dozen sails, which was a personal best for me. Bottom fishing should be stellar from 120 feet out for triggerfish and vermilions. The problem remains that we have thrown the…

ENIGMA PACK MASTER SERIES Backpacking into a remote pond? Traveling by air with carry-on bag only? Enigma Fishing’s Pack Master Series is a cool concept: These telescopic travel rods are built on sections of 24-ton Toray carbon, with snug ferrules and one-piece feel and performance. Assembly is basically instantaneous. Replacing a broken section? Easy—butt cap unscrews to remove tip sections. Medium- to medium-heavy action Pack Masters are available in three spinning and four casting models, from 6’6” to 7’6” lengths. Prices start at $79.97. See www.enigmafishing.com…

Jim Frank’s cobia tagging teams, using low-tech durable spaghetti tags, have logged 18,872 fish at last count. According to Franks, “The vast majority (more than 95%) of these fish were tagged and recaptured by anglers. Our lab’s angler-based tagging program for cobia remains very active with many hundreds of volunteers tagging cobia along the east coast from Virginia to south Florida and all Gulf States.” The project is funded by the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (Sport Fish Restoration Program). The latest numbers from University of Southern Mississippi’s massive cobia tagging effort (using spaghetti tags) are as follows: >Total number of cobia tagged and released between 1989-2018 is 18,872 fish. >Total number of tagged cobia recaptures between 1989-2018 is 1,248 fish, for a recapture…

Averaging about 3 feet deep, Florida Bay sits on a shallow shelf where fresh water from the Everglades blends with Gulf of Mexico brine. Capt. Rick Stanczyk, who guides out of Islamorada’s Bud ’N Mary’s Marina, said he expects greater water movement in the bay than on the Keys’ south side. “The backcountry tide is actually almost completely opposite from Islamorada, so when it’s high here it’s low there,” Stanczyk said. “It’s also a little bit more of a significant change in some areas; it’s almost a 4- to 5-foot swing, as opposed to 2 to 3 feet in Islamorada. The Florida Bay tide goes out to Gulf, and the Islamorada tide goes out to Atlantic. It’s just different forces, which is why it’s opposite.” BRINGING A BOAT Several Islamorada…

Florida Gulf Waters (State and Federal) 15-inch fork length minimum 1 fish per day Closed season: January and February. Triggerfish season opens March 1 and closes again from June 1 through August 1. Triggerfish catch seasons may be closed by federal determination at any point. If you plan to fish for gray triggerfish in Gulf waters from a private boat, you must sign up as a GULF REEF FISH ANGLER. Visit MyFWC.com/Fishing and click on “Salt Water Fishing” for full information. Florida Atlantic Waters 12-inch fork length min. (14-inch fed. waters) 10 fish per day Season open year-round. Reef fish gear requirements apply: Circle hooks if using natural bait; de-hooker tool must be carried.…

Tarpon Today, Sails Tomorrow March ushers in the first signs of the long-awaited spring. Some of these signs are subtle and may go without notice, while some are downright in your face, like going over the Bahia Honda Bridge and spotting a mass of tarpon making their grand entrance into the Florida Keys! Slowly but surely, all of the most sought-after species like tarpon, permit, sailfish, mahi, cobia, and many others will be up for grabs. Anglers from around the world will migrate here over the next few months to try their luck and skill to scratch a few of these species off their bucket lists. The trick is selecting your target based on the weather. Sometimes spring comes early, but we might also have a late winter which can…

Early Bird Gets the Big Fish Weather is going to dictate what’s going on this month. Late season front push through? We might have a last run of pompano and Spanish mackerel. Summer-like heat already on the horizon? A few early season tarpon might show up. The ocean can get kicked up pretty good this month leaving many days unfishable offshore. If opportunity arises and you can get out there, you might hit the fillet table with some monster dolphin. We don’t usually see our large push of fish just yet this month, but some big bulls at the head of the pack can make a day of fishing. Watch the weather, and if it lines up right during the week, it might be worth burning up one of those…

Big Bend Grand Slam The winter’s been good to Big Bend anglers. Fishing for spotted seatrout has been off the chart—the hardest part, for many anglers, has been catching suitable numbers of fish small enough to meet the 15- to 19-inch slot limit. Redfish have been plentiful too, in the shallows. And the late 2019 season for gag grouper was exceptional, especially in the 50-foot-plus offshore waters. So, what’s left as spring is just around the corner? Well, gag grouper is presently closed, but if you get offshore on a calm day, triggerfish, sea bass and grunts will provide the makings of a fish fry. Moreover, there’s the dependable and delicious sheepshead, a species found in the nearshore/ offshore waters all along our Gulf coastline this time of year. Catch…

March to Good Fishing March marks the beginning of outstanding fishing in Northwest Florida and it only gets better as the migratory species return. In addition to speckled trout and redfish action picking up, kingfish and Spanish mackerel are some of the first fish to move inshore from southern waters. Kings and Spanish mackerel both follow the large schools of baitfish that also move inshore with the warming temperatures. The baitfish are following their own food source of plankton and other microrganisms that respond to warmer water. While they all can be found in seemingly open water, they are often attracted to some type of structure. This may be an offshore tower, markers, wrecks and especially natural and artificial reefs. Open water fish are usually moving somewhere; structure causes them…

Fishful Thinking at Chub Cay If you have been blessed with the opportunity to zip across to the Bahamas and fish Bimini or West End, consider yourself lucky. And if that's as far as you have ventured, maybe you’re ready to explore a smidge farther. In that case, put Chub Cay on your short list. Located 125 miles southeast of Ft. Lauderdale, Chub Cay is positioned at the south end of the Berry Islands chain, about 15 miles northeast of Andros and some 30 miles northwest of Nassau. Chub is perfectly positioned to fish both Tongue of the Ocean and The Pocket. Think deep, think steep ledges that drop over 1,000 feet in some places, and think fishy. Very fishy. Bill Clutter (Ft. Lauderdale) feels that the fishing at Chub…

On days when the ocean is engulfed in whitecaps, the big 40-foot-plus sportfishermen are likely out there battling waves in search of sailfish and, possibly, lucrative tournament payouts. Their crews may be pulling hundreds of dollars worth of fresh mullet on the complex dredge teasers, and fresh ballyhoo on their hooks. But when the wind and seas lay down, out come fishermen just as capable—if perhaps minimalist in their approach. Matt George of Stuart, FL, is a good representative of Florida’s committed and resourceful fair-weather billfish fleet. If you don’t think these guys catch their numbers, think again. Matt has a 22-foot Islamorada Bay Boat. He has no outriggers, and he uses no downriggers. He pulls the same Fishrazr strip teaser every day, and fishes only three lines at a…

God forbid we should ever have a worldwide famine, I’m moving close to Capt. David Borries. I’ve never fished with someone more in tune with the natural world. He knows where the white pelicans migrate to and from, and where the butterfly flying across the creek is headed. David also understands the Intracoastal Waterway better than anybody I know. He understands that a sloping beach generally means a gradual decline of depth, and a pretty much featureless bottom structure. He can tell you just by looking at the bank where the best structure will be, and I jumped at the chance to pick his brain while we fished together. “No more secret spots,” said David as he lowered his trolling motor maybe 20 yards from the edge of the ditch,…

Hurricane Irma in 2017 inflicted terrible damage on the Florida Keys, but the storm made some positive impacts on the waters. According to Islamorada’s Capt. Rick Stanczyk, the scouring effect seems to have rejuvenated much of Florida Bay. “For the fishing, it was an overall positive thing because it helped clean up a lot of the silt and sediment and uncovered a lot of the toxins that had been trapped in the bay,” Stanczyk said. “This is an area where there’s not otherwise a lot of water flow and current, so when you get 100-mph winds for (approximately) 20 hours, it blows all that stuff out. “Once everything had a chance to settle down, a few months later, areas that had been dead became good again. A lot of flats…

Embarrassment is missing a flounder in 18 inches of water. The arrow was nearly twice as long as the fish was deep! Forgiveness is reasonable with shots at mullet darting in and out of the darkness. Even whiffing on a nervous sheepshead worrying around submerged debris is understandable. A flounder? Essentially a pie plate resting on the bottom, both eyes glaring up at your toes? Sad, sad, sad. But, that’s the harsh reality of bowfishing under the bright lights. Captain Travis Lanphar was mostly kind, but the ribbing was earned, and I couldn’t even fall back into Excuse Mode as everything was presented perfectly. I couldn’t believe I missed. A flounder was on my hit list of species I’d not stuck with an arrow, too. Flounder Fever, perhaps. I redeemed…

Old Lady’s Pond was said to lie deep within a dark, ravine-scarred wood. There was some trail you took, off a dead-end road in one of those borderline neighborhoods. This was the kind of place where the tough kids rode their bikes, where dirty magazines and other contraband was stashed, where stories of murders and witches loomed up in the minds of boys in the Deep South. Friends and I knew of ponds in closer woods which held sunfish and small bass, but Old Lady’s Pond was rumored to have ten-pounders. Of the fabled lady of the lake, so to speak, we’d heard only that there was a house out in the woods, and she lived alone. Some of the houses, we’d been told, were old slave quarters. Some—we knew…

From Bass to Blue Water Weak cold fronts, strong northeasterly winds and big, hungry, northbound predators will always get my blood rushing and that is what South Florida’s March fishing is all about. From Ocean Reef north to Deerfield Beach, inland and offshore, the fishing possibilities are almost endless. And don’t forget largemouth bass could be stacked up by the thousands in the Everglades due to low waters. Oceanside piers and jetties will put anglers on great action from migrating bluefish, pompano, Spanish mackerel, cobia, plus jack crevalle, blue runners, barracuda, sharks, snook and tarpon. Here is a list of fishing piers that are available for you to try: South Pointe, Newport Pier Park, Dania Beach Ocean Fishing Pier, Anglin’s Fishing Pier, Pompano Beach Ocean Fishing Pier, Deerfield Beach Ocean…

Flats Spring to Life Charlotte Harbor’s flats spring to life in March. Seagrass that thinned out over the winter starts to fill back in and a crop of small shrimp, tiny pinfish and other baits shows up. This in turn attracts a mix of trout, pompano, jacks, ladyfish, bonnethead sharks, possibly Spanish mackerel, bluefish and a handful of other species. Drifting on active flats with shrimp and popping corks is almost certain to produce fish, though you may have to hunt to find productive areas. Active zones can be found by looking for diving cormorants, dipping terns, or signs of tiny baits dimpling on the surface, but if nothing obvious is happening just keep fishing along until the rods eventually bend. Large black drum can be teases. They’ll often laze…

March Madness Canaveral and cobia have a redundant ring you’ll hear often in March when the right inshore conditions fall into place for the popular ocean fish. We’ll need ocean surface readings in the 67- to 70-degree range, clean water, clear skies, schools of spring baitfish, and lots of manta rays to boost the numbers for this sight-fishing experience. Anglers scouting within several miles of the beach to the south around Sebastian Inlet should start seeing cobia by late February and they’ll be outside Port Canaveral by the first two weeks in March. When the peak occurs, March Madness sets in at Canaveral. The 44-foot deep ship’s channel with a width of 400 feet extending 3.5 miles offshore from the mouth of the Port, plays a major role in attracting…

Great Expectations Inshore fishing opportunities this month are mostly determined by Mother Nature. If the winds lay down, catching sheepshead during the spawn and redfish around the bridges and jetties will be the best choice. If winds pick up, fishing the beach can be a great choice. Look for sheepshead to pile up around the bridges, jetties, seawalls, and deeper docks near the passes. A Carolina or slip lead rig is best with a small number 3 gold Eagle Claw hook and a 2- to 3-foot 15-pound fluorocarbon leader. Live fiddler crabs and shrimp are my first two choices. Keep your baits close to the structure and on the bottom. I like to go where I have found the fish thick in the past first and then work my way…

One of the great things about the Florida Sportsman Expo series is the chance to meet people like Joe Mahler. Joe will be the chief flycasting instructor at our Fort Myers Expo this month, March 14-15. To some, flycasting instructor might suggest an air of elitism. Not so with Joe. He’s a patient torch-bearer who lights the way for new converts—and brightens the horizons of the initiated. We caught up with Joe by telephone a few weeks before the Expo. Joe’s lived in Fort Myers since 2002, but at the time of our conversation, he was in frozen Indianapolis giving flycasting instruction. He’s an author and illustrator by trade, featured in many popular outdoors magazines, but also an in-demand flycasting coach—giving over 200 private lessons a year. FS: Tell us…

“I asked if she would be my best catch. She said yes. After that, I saw a tarpon roll 20 feet from our campsite...” We both live in Jupiter, Florida, and we also are both managers for Publix Super Markets. I’m 30 years old, Kirsten is 24. We’ve been together for three years and she’s just the greatest woman in the world. I decided to get a campsite at Bahia Honda State Park in the Keys for my proposal. Kirsten loves to fish and be outdoors, as I do. She’s an outdoorsman like me. While Kirsten was on the tailgate of the truck cutting up the vegetables for ceviche, I went into the cab of the truck, took the hook off my fishing pole, attached it to the ring box…