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.
Each year in late summer, we ask our field editors and a few guest contributors to write about meaningful Florida places, fisheries, hunts, and experiences. Hidden gems, we call it. Bright spots and subjects that require a little digging to uncover. Not tell-alls, not “cast here, catch this,” just basic introductions—or re-acquaintings. Whether I end up going or not, I’m always stoked to read about out-of-the-way flats, long-forgotten bays, urban legends, unexpected game, unusual tactics. I’m also reminded of something: Anywhere you go in Florida—starting with your very own town, your local boat ramp, perhaps your office—was once a Hidden Gem. It’s normal and healthy for us to look for the next best thing, but let’s not get so wired into the gem-hunt that we neglect to maintain or restore…
It would make a big difference if you Florida residents ages 65 and older, who aren’t currently required to buy a state fishing license, invested $17 for tomorrow. Pay for a license, and immediately your investment will help fund habitat restoration, resource management, research, administrative costs and law enforcement. Without a doubt Florida fisheries are in need of immediate help. Sea grass continues to die by the hundreds of acres. Our fishery managers, who are already strapped financially, now have to manage snook and redfish by region versus the entire state. Research requests go unfunded and we can’t afford to keep our law enforcement on the water at night. Every day, we have age-exempt anglers moving to Florida expecting a retirement of fish-catching bliss. But, it ain’t happening. On some…
The fishing pier at Navarre Beach, just east of Pensacola and halfway to Destin, is 1,545 feet long, the longest fishing pier of the Gulf of Mexico. Anglers can expect to meet with a wide range of fish on this pier, from diminutive but delicious whiting in the surf to jacks and mackerel at the color change halfway out the length of the pier. From the 3,800-square-foot octagon at the end of the pier, almost anything that swims these waters might show up. Big king mackerel, mega-jack crevalle, and in summer, a good run of tarpon are there. All along the pier’s length, anglers can throw a simple 1-ounce jig and by working it in the water column at different depths, catch pompano, redfish, Spanish mackerel, blue runners and more.…
Of all the great things my career with Florida Sportsman has brought me, doing the Florida Sportsman Action Spotter Podcast may well be my favorite. I get to talk with the best fishermen in Florida every week, and every week I learn something new. I mean, you would think as many years as I’ve fished with the best rods in the industry, I would have paid more attention to the flat spot most good rods have near the front of the foregrip. Captain Ray Rosher, of Miami, is one of my favorite people, and a world-class fisherman. The subject of last week’s podcast was, “Give me a tip you wish your charters knew, before you left the dock.” As he so often does, Ray started expounding on ideas way over…
Seawalls found throughout coastal Florida are fish-attracting hotspots, especially for snook and large jack crevalle. Why? There’s no easy way out for baitfish when up against these walls. It’s an ambush point for predators, making it easier to catch these baits, often smashing the baits up against the wall. This makes for some of the most exciting eats you will experience inshore. Concrete, corrugated metal, wood, it doesn’t matter the type of wall, they all hold fish. These walls are often a little shallower and hold heat better, making a great spot for snook to sun, especially on those cooler days. Get lucky and you might sight fish one. Both live and artificials work well on seawalls, but tactics vary. LIVE BAIT When live baiting a seawall, a large mullet…
Going back to the 1980s, early sinking lines had a few shortcomings. Abrupt tapering from the head back to the running line caused a hinging effect on the cast. Plus, the lines did not sink in a level manner. This put a belly in the line, and made setting the hook more difficult. Modern-day full sinking lines sink uniformly, but this is not the case with a sink-tip line, which is not as good a choice when you want to retrieve your fly as deep as possible for as long as possible. Full sinking lines are dense and thinner than floating lines of the same rod-weight. The front 30 feet of both floating and sinking lines actually weigh the same, as mandated by the America Fly Fishing Trade Association guidelines.…
