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.
Here at Florida Sportsman, we mostly agree that a picture is worth a thousand words. But same as you, we like to know the backstory. When a fisherman sends us a great photo of a big catch, invariably our first response is, “Thank you! Now can you tell us a little more?” Perhaps the successful angler will reveal some interesting technique he or she used. Or maybe notes about date, tide and water temp, shedding light on a migration in progress. Whether the person is an “expert” or not, undoubtably they have something worthwhile to share. (Among the best captains and anglers I’ve known, a common trait: They listen… to everyone.) We’ve long celebrated photo field reports in our Action Spotter department in the magazine, and in recent years we’ve…
In 1763 the Dismal Swamp Company was founded to drain, tame and make profitable the low-lying swampland in and around Washington D.C. One of the shareholders was none other than George Washington, our nation’s first president. Reading this I realized that the “over-drainage” of our wetlands is anything but new, chugging into existence nearly 260 years ago and our swamps haven’t been safe since. In an ironic twist, the metaphor of draining the swamp has been viewed as a rallying cry when it pertained to ridding corruption or government waste. But, as we see now, the actual draining of the swamp is at the very root of our water quality woes. Today, for this column, let’s settle for the metaphorical and not the literal. If we can’t rid Tallahassee of…
A distant pistol shot echoed from the Hernando Gun Club, triggering a shock gobble from a longbeard lurking in the palmettos, much to our relief. My 8-year-old daughter, Cile, was retiring fast as the morning sit stagnated. Ten minutes later, though, the tom waddled down a sandy fire break into the decoys, and Cile lowered the boom. While this was her first Osceola gobbler, for me the hunt culminated a decade of wandering Chassahowitzka Wildlife Management Area (WMA), an inhospitable-looking, but uniquely Florida, property at the southern end of the Nature Coast. Affectionately referred to as Chazz, the property is nearly 35,000 acres and steeped in history. The boomtown of Centralia once flourished here, nourished by the ample timber resources and sawmill. Today, the upland habitat of flatwoods, sandhills, and…
The main gate is located on the west side of US 19 just north of Centralia Rd. Chazz is open to the public year round. During non-hunting periods, visitors are allowed from 1½ hours before sunrise until 1½ hours after sunset. During hunting periods, access is allowed any time. HUNTING OPPORTUNITIES Spring turkey hunts are available through the quota hunt system. Applications are posted each November. Applications for certain deer and hog hunts are available in late-spring, though there are walk-in hunts, too. For information on limited entry hunts, visit MyFWC.com and select Hunting from the pulldown below Things to Do. BOAT RAMPS A public boat ramp is located at the Chassahowitzka River Campground (8600 W Miss Maggie Drive, 34448). Use of the ramp is free but a small fee…
RENAISSANCE PROWLER 42 This 42-footer is ideal for long runs in rough weather, providing a roomy and stable platform once you get to the grounds. The deck layout can be configured to the owner’s specs. Forward dual lounge seats are an extension of the console and offer storage below. Under the hardtop, three-across seating is arranged in two rows for six passenger comfort. A tackle center/rigging station combined with a mezzanine seat is located in the cockpit. Two 550-quart insulated fish boxes are below deck, each flanking the helm. In the aft corners are two bilge access points. Dual 55-gallon pressurized livewells are in the transom corners. Rigged with the quad 450R Mercury engines, the Prowler 42 tops 80 mph. . www.renaissanceprowler.com Length: 41'10" • Beam: 12' Base price: $750,000…
Yes, I do remember bamboo outriggers, and how fortunate am I to still be around to fish the new incredible aluminum and carbon fiber poles? Outriggers can be a bit of a hassle, but the new models on the market are easier to handle, and capable of doing much more than the old bamboo or fiberglass models. If you’ve never used them, they provide big advantages over those T-top "king-fish outrigger" rodholders. Do the math. If your beam is 9 feet, and your rods stick out of your T-top 6 feet in either direction, your baits are cutting a path 21 feet wide. Now watch that other boat with the same beam, but with 24-foot outriggers: Its baits are cutting a 57-foot path through the same water. Outriggers do a…
