Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2024 i Florida Sportsman

As a duck hunting destination, Florida dodges the media spotlight granted in recent years to Louisiana, Arkansas and some other states. Still, duck hunting is very popular here, evident by the headlamp flashes of insomniac hunters deploying diver spreads on the Gulf; the sudden appearance of mud motors at boat ramps, rugged all-welds piled high with palm fronds. For many, the excitement began months ago, in the annual online race to draw access permits for choice Everglades marshes. It’s all coming to a head on November 23, opening day. Florida, in case you didn’t know, is near the tail end of North America’s Atlantic Flyway, hosting an influx of ring-necked ducks, blue- and green-wing teal, wigeon, scaup, pintail and more. We also have resident black-bellied whistling duck, wood duck, and…

My lake trolling has been strictly for crappie, using jigs and small, neon-colored, adjustable corks. With my 16-foot jonboat, I use a 40-pound-thrust electric mounted on the transom. Three trolled lines has proved optimal with one straight behind the motor and two rods projecting port and starboard. Four rods can turn into a mess real quick, especially if the wind is blowing the boat around. Ideally, you want a calm day where the boat will coast to a stop while you battle or reel in fish. According to my records, we landed 202 crappie in eight trips last winter, using cork and jigs. After using “peg” corks, I won’t go back to clip corks, which won’t adjust without some handiwork. Mine were 1.5 inch, bright orange, oval peg corks. They…

Quail hunting requires fast reactions and a well-honed sense of anticipation as to when and where the birds will appear. To be honest, it’s not my forte. I like my prey larger and relatively still. Quail dart. The tiny birds flee thickets of palmettos at 30 to 40 mph. Fortunately, others in my world are good shots, keeping the freezer stocked. Wild quail in Florida are making a bit of a comeback, but still are not easy to find. We hunt annually at Hard Labor Creek in Chipley. The birds weigh about seven ounces, so you’ll need at least two per person. Stuffing them makes for a heartier plate. This recipe can easily be doubled to feed four. ▶ INGREDIENTS 4 dressed quail (2 per person)½ cup plain yogurt2 Tbsp.…

Anglers around the country and in just about every fishery have complained for years about sharks honing in on their catches. For many shallow water sportsmen, that means a variety of species including bull sharks. Complaints initially were rebuffed by state and federal regulators. They said shark stealing events could not be quantified and shark species often couldn’t be accurately identified. That left fishery managers with few tools to help anglers. Well, help is on the way from Congress. Yet more work must be done. The bipartisan SHARKED Act (Supporting the Health of Aquatic System through Research, Knowledge and Enhanced Dialogue) passed the House of Representatives in February in 2024. The act was sponsored by Rob Wittman (R-VA), a long-time fisherman and former marine scientist, and co-sponsored by Garret Graves…

FOR THE FISH GEEKS in the room, there are some “gray areas” in ID characteristics among fish Tampa Bay locals like Eli Rico commonly refer to as silver trout. In case you didn’t know, in Florida coastal waters there are two closely related seatrouts somewhat shaped like our familiar spotted seatrout, or speckled trout. Big difference: These two “others” don’t have spots, at least not the big, “starry” looking spots of spotted seatrout, a.k.a. Cynoscion nebulosus (that last part aptly named). Sand trout can grow bigger than silver trout, and may tend to have yellowish fins and a faint dark spot by the pectoral fin. But there’s more to the story. (Florida also has weakfish, C. regalis, mostly in the far northeastern corner near the Georgia border.) Among some silver…

The 10,000 Islands region of southwest Florida is one of the most diverse and exciting fishing destinations an angler can choose to spend his or her time. This region offers a wide variety of angling options and outdoor excursions for every level of angler and nature seeker. The region is also home to some of the most amazing wildlife and spectacular sunsets in Florida. As the cooler temperatures push down from the north, so do many species of popular gamefish. Bluefish, or “choppers,” are named for their aggressive nature and razor-sharp teeth. They are powerful fish that feed voraciously on a wide variety of natural and artificial baits. Bluefish are cannibalistic and know to feed on the young of their own species, hence these fish often travel in packs of…

Some of my best fishing days in the West Central Region have been during November. Cold fronts making their way south make air and water temperatures right for most species. Blasts of cooler dry air, replace humidity and heat. Gulf water temperatures hitting the low 70s make wave after wave of kingfish and Spanish mackerel appear along the beaches as they push southward from the Panhandle. This region becomes a target-rich environment inshore, nearshore, offshore, and in the freshwater venues. Abrupt weather changes trigger a feeding response from fish. They sense the changes coming and realize feeding conditions will become more difficult as winds create turbidity and rain pushes backwaters out of marshes, staining the water and reducing visibility. Abrupt changes drop or raise the barometric pressure as weather approaches and…

When ranking months for outdoor activities, wouldn’t November have to rank near the top? If I could figure out how to hold my rifle in one hand and a sailfish reel in the other, I’d never feel the urge to do anything but fish and hunt. November 12-16 will be the dates of the “El Pescado” Billfish Tournament out of St. Augustine. It seems every year, the sailfish we used to target off Fort Pierce, are moving further north all the time. Sailfish should be showing between 110 feet and 200 feet off the northeast region. Small naked ballyhoo trolled behind a dredge can produce double-digit release days. The kingfish reels are stashed until June, and it’s time to start thinking wahoo. Wahoo are the perfect illustration of how much…

It’s easy to get excited over a fish finder screen scrolling by a mountainous wreck or a lit-up ledge. But for South Georgia spearo Brent Booth, not everything that glitters is gold. He’s more interested in less flashy bottom that most fishermen and divers would overlook. His curiosity to investigate smaller reefs served his team well in the 59th annual St. Pete Open. “We ran across a spot with a couple small pothole caves south of the popular Elbow area and checked them out last year,” said Booth who lives in Tifton, Ga. and spends his weekends diving off Carabelle. “This year, I saw a 100-pound black grouper, but couldn’t get a shot. There were some big red grouper, too.” With red grouper closed, Booth snuck up on a big…

No matter what the outcome is on Amendment 2, Florida’s Right to Hunt and Fish, a ballot measure to amend the state constitution, you as a Floridian, per statute 379.104, have the RIGHT to hunt and fish. Regardless of the election results on November 5. However, if you haven’t voted yet and see me questioning this amendment as a trick question, let’s step back and lift the hood and see what’s driving this thing. For starters, here’s the Amendment 2 ballot text: RIGHT TO FISH AND HUNT.—Proposing an amendment to the State Constitution to preserve forever fishing and hunting, including by the use of traditional methods, as a public right and preferred means of responsibly managing and controlling fish and wildlife. Specifies that the amendment does not limit the authority…

With endless sizes and colors of swimbaits to choose from, you can match just about any baitfish out there. In recent years, a new variation of these has emerged in the salt water: line-through swimbaits. With these, you get the same fish-catching lures, with a few benefits that normal swimbaits don’t offer. First, look at the profile of a line-through bait. There’s no hook eye. Instead, the line enters the head of the bait. Where did it go? There is a channel that the line runs through the bait, coming out the belly or back and ties directly to a hook. Hence the name “line through.” The hook seats in the crevice where the line exits and holds tight when fishing the bait. When you get a bite, this is…

You don’t need an oft-quoted Chinese philosopher to tell you a journey of a thousand miles begins with a first step. But after this long, tedious trek, Florida water watchers are sure suffering from tired legs and sore feet. The Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual—LOSOM as it’s often called—was recently, finally adopted. Army Corps of Engineers Brigadier General Daniel Hibner, Commander of the Corps’ South Atlantic Division, signed LOSOM into record Aug. 12. That’s great news because going forward, this document provides the blueprint to move water into and out of Lake Okeechobee. This profoundly affects many Florida Sportsman readers who visit Lake O, the state’s largest lake. If you fish for crappie, bluegill or shellcracker, it affects you. If you hunt ducks or alligators, it affects you. If you…

Fishing is like agriculture—you don’t always harvest what you want. But when a certain species is plentiful, take advantage of it. In November, that means grabbing a favorite bait of mine—pilchards. Pilchards are usually found in the Florida Keys during the late fall and winter. They can be hard to catch, but are more than worth it. Keep an eye on diving pelicans in shallow waters surrounding mangrove islands throughout the Keys. What makes pilchards so special? They're able to make even the choosiest fish lose its ability to sense danger and go into a feeding frenzy. Pilchards work on many species and in many different environments. They can easily turn a slow day into amazing action. To catch them you’ll need to learn how to throw a cast net.…

Some changes for the sportsman in the Southeast Region in November. The time will change on Nov. 3, so roll those clocks back and put those long days in the rearview. Changes in weather are apparent this month, as well. Nor’easters carrying in cold fronts shake things up a bit for both inshore and offshore anglers. It often spices things up for the waterfowl hunter, too. November seems to be the first look at the winter sailfish bite. Dreams of flying kites prior to a hard cold front and hot fish will be on the minds of many. A 10 to 15 mph wind forecast is standard. Which is perfect for those kite fishing, especially those fishing the edge from Boca Raton to Jupiter. Good baits are essential when fishing…

November can bring big swings in Big Bend weather. It can be cold and windy for several days, turning off the fish, or offer “ice cream” conditions with calm, sunny weather ideal for topwater action. If summer’s floating grass disappears by this month, then try a topwater plug; a savage strike on the surface is far more exciting than using popping corks or soft plastics. Following our July hurricane (Debby), floating grass was a big problem between Keaton Beach and Horseshoe Beach. It was so bad, we shifted operations south to Cedar Key and Crystal River, where grass is never the problem found further north. A noisy plug with a scooped face shaped like a pop cork, or the Chug Bug, will draw big strikes from visiting bluefish, trout, even…

What are the requirements for the ideal fish? It’s one that can be caught all year long, has a generous bag limit, is good to eat and gathers in places that are easy to find. Sheepshead easily meet all of these requirements. Limited seasons and restricted bag limits on many game fish make it easier to fish sheepies. The only requirement they don’t meet is they aren’t always pushovers when it comes to biting. They are well equipped with aptly named sheep-like teeth, that they readily use to steal bait and even break thin hooks. Northwest Florida has what might be considered ideal habitat for these black and white striped fish. They love oysters, barnacles, fiddlers, mud crabs and shrimp. All these can be found around oyster bars and beds,…

BIG NUMBERS ON LAKE APOPKA! MAJOR LEAGUE FISHING GENERAL TIRE TEAM SERIES SEASON 2023, EPISODE 25 ONCE A POLLUTED MESS, Florida’s second largest lake has been on a rebound. Watch how teams of touring pros break down the fishery in this awesome episode of MLF General Tire Team Series. Jacob Wheeler—who admits to never having fished the 30,000-acre lake in Central Florida—fishes a canal and catches 56 fish on a prototype Rapala jerkbait, contributing massively to his team’s final day tally of 68 scorable bass weighing 133 pounds, 4 ounces. Wheeler and teammates Dylan Hays and Jason Lambert win the event by a huge 72-pound, 8-ounce margin. It’s December and air temp is low 60s, water temp low 70s, light north wind… and a lot of discoveries, even for Florida…

“It’s like they’ve learned an outboard means a free fish dinner.” In recent years, stories of gamefish lost to sharks are common all around Florida. Out of Flamingo, in far South Florida, locals say it’s gotten completely out of control. It’s like they’ve learned that an outboard motor means a free fish dinner, just like freshwater porpoises have learned on the Amazon River basin. A shark isn’t supposed to be that smart, right? The late Dr. Eugenie Clark, the famous “shark lady” from Mote Marine Lab in Sarasota, trained lemon sharks many years ago to push the right buttons for dinner. These fish can figure things out. Sharks around Flamingo today have little or no fear of boats, and will even sit beneath a boat waiting for that hooked or…

AS I SIPPED MY COFFEE, I noted the callouses on my hands: war wounds from three days of battling sailfish and other big blue-water gamefish. Fishing Central America for Pacific sailfish and the huge mahi and other fish that often accompany them is an experience every Florida angler should make time for. Costa Rica, Panama, Guatemala—all these nations have well-developed sportfishing ports and services ready to put anglers into fertile waters. Earlier this year, I joined a group of 12 anglers, meeting in Miami for a flight to Guatemala City. Our destination, Pacific Fins, arranged for bus transport to the coastal town of Iztapa. The lodge there is separated from the Pacific Ocean by a canal and small island. Upon arrival, we were greeted with warm smiles and cold drinks. Aboard modern,…

Anglers in the South Region can take advantage of red-hot rod-bending nearshore shallow water bottom fishing when targeting patch reefs inside of 30 feet of water in November. Cooler water temperatures have arrived with the pattern of cold fronts sweeping through the region. That has brought many migratory fish from the north. They continue sliding by our coast enabling them to be caught inside and outside of those shallow water reefs. From Deerfield Beach to Government Cut, the shallow reefs will hold mangrove snapper, mutton snapper, lane snapper and yellowtail snapper. Gag grouper (catch and release until May 1), black and red groupers often invade these spots, too. Spanish mackerel, cero mackerel and king mackerel, plus bluefish, grunts, cobia, yellowjacks, jack crevalles, blue runners, and lesser amberjacks will steal your baits…

With the end of 2024 near, the cold fronts will come more frequently. How far those cold fronts descend through the state, will determine what, when and where we will fish. Every year is different. Being in the Southwest Region sometimes gives us a reprieve. October gave us a little glimpse of things changing. These changes give many anglers lots of opportunities. We will have new species of fish to hunt, as well as the year-round quarry. Water temperature, wind direction, and the beginning of our “winter tide” influence will all become big factors in fishing patterns. A typical November brings a few good cold snaps that might have a negative impact on fishing for a few days, before things get back to normal. The push of fish migrating from…

Load up the long rods, sand spikes, and sandflea rakes—surf fishing season has begun. As the first real drops in water temperature strike the Atlantic Coast, surf species start moving inshore and southward to our doorstep in the East Central region. Black drum are the first to arrive. They tend to concentrate on Space Coast beaches between Port Canaveral and Satellite Beach, preferring to root around in the slightly silty waters of Cocoa Beach and rocky reefs south of there. They feed really close to shore so long casts are actually counterproductive. Flip a rig of sandfleas or fresh peeled shrimp right into the trough where the drum roam. A surf with temps in the high 60s to low 70s, clear, and tinted in an aquamarine/teal color is pompano water.…

November is the last real month for fishing a fall pattern in the Panhandle region. On good weather days, it’s definitely underrated. We'll inevitably get nasty cold fronts, but between their arrivals, we'll have great fishing, inshore and offshore. Leave the flounder alone this month to spawn unbothered (statewide harvest closed Oct. 15-Nov. 30). I’ll spend my time searching the flats for happy redfish and traveling trout. Offshore is hit or miss, so rely on the weather to drop water temperatures to the mid to low 70’s and give us good windows to push offshore. Surf fishing is also hit or miss, but often, if you have all your ducks in a row, you can have a few home run days on the beach. When fishing the transition to winter,…