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.
For many of us, nothing says summer like the squalling of drag as a king mackerel takes off for the horizon. In June, you’re liable to catch a king just about anywhere along the Florida coast. Kayakers at Melbourne Beach find them in the minnow schools. Pier fishermen at Navarre and Pensacola, in the Panhandle, hook them on cigar minnows or blue runners caught right there in the emerald surf. Off Miami, you’ll catch a few on rips as deep as 200 or 300 feet, now and then out there you'll get one of those “Bahamas kings" with the unusually deep bodies. Up in Northeast Florida, where the pogies bloom offshore of the St. Johns and St. Marys river deltas, kings are a huge hit all summer. In another few…
Three years, 80 scientists, hundreds of returned tagged fish and the results are in! The Great Red Snapper Count estimates that there are more than 110 million red snapper in the U.S. waters of the Gulf of Mexico. This number is three times the number previously thought to be in the Gulf. The astonishing results are the culmination of an unprecedented new population assessment led by the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies (HRI) at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. Previous estimates by federal fisheries officials put the population at about 36 million red snapper—meaning this new absolute abundance estimate should change the way the Gulf of Mexico fishery is managed by federal and state officials. The greater estimate is mostly attributed to a major new discovery of fish…
Surf’s up in Cocoa Beach, but steer clear of the life size concrete surfer dude outside of the “World Famous” Ron Jon’s mini-mall and head south a couple of miles to historical downtown Cocoa Beach. There you’ll find less Disney and more old school surf vibe. Several multi-color vintage, park-in-front-of-your-room, hotels throw you back to spaceships and I Dream of Jeannie. And the best part of these beachside hotels is that you’re only a twenty-minute drive to some of the hottest fishing in the state. Late May through July you have your pick of fishing the Indian River, Banana River, the Port of Canaveral and/or nearshore or offshore ocean fishing. “Cast right up under the bridge structure, next to the piling, just past the shadow line,” Capt. Alex Gorichky casually…
BLACKFIN 302CC The newest offering from Blackfin, the 302CC is intended to span the gap between the company’s popular 272CC and 332CC models. This well-appointed, multi-use design features a double stepped Michael Peters Yacht Designed hull and combines comfortable family features and fishability alike. U-shaped forward seating with a convertible table are perfect for entertaining and bow-to-stern coaming bolsters provide comfort while fishing. The console interior features a full sized head compartment. A fiberglass hardtop and leaning station are standard and the cockpit tackle station offers a fresh water pull out sprayer and rigging surface along with tackle drawers and a 45-quart Yeti pull out cooler. A pair of insulated 208-quart fish boxes and 30-gallon transom livewell are also standard equipment. Family comfort and fishability are the hallmark of this…
I have long been a proponent of putting as little tackle in the water as possible. I rig to get bites from sometimes finicky fish. When I can get away without wire, I use as light a fluorocarbon as I can get away with. For me, swivels are a necessary evil, but if your boat’s in gear, or you’re casting a spoon, you’re probably going to need one. If I’m drifting live baits on flat lines, it’s no swivel for me. Learn to tie an Albright special knot. Take a piece of No. 5 wire and haywire twist a hook on one end, and simply bend a couple inches of the other end back on itself. Your total piece of wire need not exceed 12 inches. Tie the Albright around…
SEA TIME BAIT CUTTER A good idea from a charterboat in Key Largo, Florida: This is miter-saw style guide for your bait knife, allowing you to stabilize the bait and make precision cuts with minimal risk to your fingers. The Bait Cutter is made from a polycarbonate plastic that will not dull the blade of your knife. It come with (2) 45-degree slots (right or left-handed folks) if you want the bait to roll, as well as a straight 90-degree slot for “chunking” bait. It’s about 15 inches long and 5 inches wide, and easily screws down to an accessory cutting board or other surface. Cost is $15. www.seatimebaitcutter.com…
