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.
DIGITAL WEB EXCLUSIVES 4 FOOL-PROOF SPANISH MACKEREL RIGS Hungry schools of mackerel are heading south, tie these rigs for Spanish success. YOUTUBE SNAPPER IS FOR LOVERS Impress your valentine with this fancy fish dinner curated by pro spearfisherwoman Valentine Thomas. PODCAST FOUL WEATHER FISHING This month Capt Rick and the guys focus on how to best navigate fishing amongst inclement weather and rough seas. BECOME A SOCIAL STAR Send post-worthy pics: @floridasportsmanmagazine or #floridasportsmanmagazine GET YOUR MUG IN THE MAG Email your best catches or scenic shots to photos@floridasportsman.com…
Trade secret: A little exercise I do, when I’m hunting ideas for this column, is to think of things I’d like to see more of in Florida. Alternately, I think of things I’d like to see less of. We’re kind of in an age where criticism and pessimism overflow, and so I naturally lean into “more of.” I figure all of you, readers, are well-supplied with “less of” topics. However, this month I have writer’s block. So instead of a fully formed column, I’m throwing open the curtain. In no particular order, my brainstorm: MORE: Skateboards and fishing rods LESS: “No Fishing” signs MORE: Native green anoles LESS: Red-headed agamas MORE: Re-using LESS: Recycling MORE: Made in the U.S.A. LESS: Made in China MORE: Metal LESS: Plastic MORE: Mud LESS:…
In Florida, tourism is the largest industry, contributing over $90 billion in direct spending and another $25 billion in federal, state and local tax revenue. You’d expect the state’s Chamber of Commerce and Florida Legislature would fight tooth and nail to protect this all-important revenue source. Well? Like I said, you’d expect they would. Except the sugar and phosphate mining industries pay heavily to keep the water mucked up. “Big Sugar, and the phosphate mining industry spent over $11 million on campaign contributions for the 2022 election cycle, and employed a small army of lobbyists,” said Gil Smart, Executive Director of VoteWater. “All of this spending is specifically designed to tilt the playing field in favor of these special interests,” Smart said. “And history shows us it works, too.” Coupled…
Any good football coach will tell you that their games are not won or lost on game day. They are won or lost during “two-a-days” in August when the best teams push a little harder. The truth is, it’s the preparation before any sporting event that usually determines who wins and loses. Offshore fishing is no different. After spending days watching the weather patterns, my “day before” will start with a stop at the busiest bait and tackle store around. If there’s a chance we’ll be trolling, I want to make sure we have the freshest ballyhoo I can get. Why the busiest shop? The faster the tackle shop turns its ballyhoo, the less time it spends in the freezer. Please do not ever buy your ballyhoo from a shop…
The Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show in late October delivered plenty of new and exciting technology. Here are four of the top innovations I saw there. SEAKEEPER RIDE I’ve always approached with skepticism any new technology that promises “automatic” control of basic helm functions. Whether it’s autopilot, auto functioning joystick controls, or auto trim tabs, I favor AUTOnomy over AUTOmatic. My main concern is that I know I’m more capable of making decisions regarding the operation of a vessel than a gadget with limited ability to react in real time to rapidly changing conditions. A good example of this is the use of automatic trim tabs. With the sole mission of keeping your vessel’s bow down and the boat level to the horizon, what the auto tab function doesn’t take…
Quietly slipping the bell anchor over the gunnel, I allowed for some slack to escape and tied the rope to the cleat. As the boat settled into place, I could just make out about 50 basketball-sized cleared out depressions—the beds of redear sunfish, what we Florida anglers call shellcracker. I watched my slip bobber lightly hit the surface and immediately it disappeared. I raised the rod with a sharp upward motion and was fast to a beautiful shellcracker which bulldogged into some vegetation, dove under the boat and then circled a few times before reaching the ice box. A process that can happen 25 times until the legal limit is reached. Shellcrackers are known for their ability to crush up and consume mollusks that grow on the lake bottom. For…
