CATEGORIES

The Lowdown On Lake

How Top Pros Dissect the State’s Most Challenging Fishery

Shine On

THE SUCCESS OF FLORIDA’S WIDESPREAD FISHERIES is a direct result of the impressive migrations of minuscule baitfish that visit our waters each and every year. The life of a tiny baitfish is a difficult one, and the truth is their purpose is to feed the food chain. Performing an incredible migration for their small stature, Atlantic silverside make an annual pilgrimage from the chilly waters of Nova Scotia to the temperate waters of Florida we are so fond of.

Aluminum Pipework Protection & Maintenance

A GLEAMING TUNA TOWER, HALF-TOWER OR T-TOP can make any vessel look like a first-class angling platform. On the contrary, aluminum that has been poorly maintained gives the appearance that your vessel just came out of Cannery Row Creek. The following are a few tips and tricks on how to keep new towers and T-Tops looking that way, as well as extending the useful lifespan of older pipework.

Underwater LEDs

MY CENTER CONSOLE WAS RECENTLY OUTFITTED with full spectrum color-changing underwater LEDs and I can’t wait to test them out. I’m aware of their ability to attract forage and predator species to the boat from dusk till dawn, but are high intensity LEDs effective at attracting life during the day? If so, what color shines brightest amid the natural light of the sun?

Reeling In The Magic

Add Big Bass to Your Next Disney Adventure.

Big Sky's The Limit

Carving Turns and Catching Trout in the Land of Lewis and Clark.

Traveling Light

WITH THE NEW YEAR UNDERWAY, I was set on a fresh approach to fishing the flats. My resolution to seasons of follies and failed attempts was to hit the shallows with only the basics. Heck, I might even forgo my brand-new bay boat for a pair of wading boots and learn the intricacies of the stingray shuffle.

SeaVee 370Z

Two Steps Forward

Regulator 34SS

The Legend Carries On

Blackfin 272 CC

Elevating a Revered Reputation

Model Behavior

Circle-Hooks Modernize Soft Plastics

Benjamin Knot

When Heavy Tackle Takes Precedence

Hands Free: Planer Fishing Made Easier

WHETHER IT’S YOUR TOP TACTIC right out of the gate or a last resort when the afternoon heat shuts down the bite, using planers to present trolling baits at various depths beneath the surface is a trusted technique that has stood the test of time. Once the planer reaches the rod tip the reel is rendered useless and a mate is forced to hand-line the hooked quarry to the boat, leaving coils of leader on the deck and greatly complicating the end game process.

Control Freak: Joystick Technology Provides Unprecedented Maneuverability

WHILE SEASONED CAPTAINS CAN DOCK A VESSEL with the utmost control under the worst conditions, many boaters are truly terrified about navigating a crowded marina. They say a smooth sea never made a skilled sailor, but for owners of outboard-powered vessels with twin, triple and quad configurations, advanced steering systems eliminate much of the adversity by delivering precise directional thrust for total boat control. 

Carbon Copy

FROM A PIECE OF BALSA WOOD CARVED into the rough outline of a minnow to a softplastic shrimp that requires you look twice to make sure it’s not the real thing, the wide range of incredibly lifelike artificial lures that has become available to anglers over the years is truly astounding. It’s understandable why lures are made to look and swim like the real thing, but are the newest imitations more proficient at hooking fish or fishermen?

Order to the Disorder

CAPTAIN STEVE DOUGHERTY, 10 Tips to Help You Catch More Inshore 

Silent Hunters

Finding the Winning Formula for the Perfect Push Pole

Seal Of Approval

WHILE THERE’S NO ARGUING THE FACT BALLYHOO are the most versatile and effective natural offerings for enticing pelagic game fish, there is some contention regarding the most effective rigging styles and methods. Opportunely, the best mates can make dead ballyhoo swim as if they were alive and are able to evolve and improve their rigging techniques as competitive fisheries around the world merit the need for such impressive innovations.

Walk The Line- How to Fish Topwater Lures Like a Pro  

AMONG THE WIDELY VARYING artificial offerings available to entice shallow water game fish, topwater lures elicit the most intense surface strikes that are quite possibly the pinnacle of adrenaline-filled inshore exploits. And although the strikes are predictable when ambush predators are nearby, anglers must be dedicated in their efforts and fish a topwater with purpose to achieve the most effective presentation, not simply fan-casting a flat and ripping the lure back to the boat.

Ocean City, Maryland

 The White Marlin capital of the World.

End Of The Road

Historic Highway Leads Anglers to a Winter Wonderland.

FG Knot

FISHERMEN ARE ALWAYS INNOVATING and adapting tactics and techniques in their never-ending quest to beat game fish with the greatest efficiency and effectiveness. For light tackle anglers targeting big game, rigging of leader and mainline becomes one of the most important considerations influencing the outcome of any encounter

Fooling Florida's Favorite Demersal Delicacy

THE AVAILABLE FISHERIES ACROSS FLORIDA’S GULF AND ATLANTIC WATERS undoubtedly vary from one region of the peninsula to the next, but a commonality across the state’s tropical latitudes is the presence of live reef. While grouper and snapper remain top targets along these dynamic ecosystems with tremendous biodiversity, there is perhaps no demersal species anglers would rather throw on ice than the heavily pressured hogfish.

Lost & Found

WHILE MANY COASTAL FLORIDIANS stick to the state’s sensational saltwater fisheries, I prefer the freshwater game. In fact, I’ll take the peace and quiet of a secluded sweetwater hot-spot over the chaos of a dozen center consoles harassing a single frigate bird any day of the week. However, during a recent outing deep into an urban canal system, things quickly went from calm to catastrophe.

Without A Hitch

AS AN AVID ANGLER ONE MUST BE PROFICIENT in a variety of facets to overcome the numerous obstacles that inevitably arise along the road to angling glory. Meticulously maintaining a vessel, tackle, gear and accessories is a massive undertaking, with anglers often failing to provide the same attentive service to their trailers.

Divers Down

WHETHER LOBSTERING IN ISLAMORADA, scalloping the Big Bend, spearing off Palm Beach or diving the USS Oriskany in Pensacola, the Sunshine State offers many ways to enjoy the underwater world. However, it’s critically important helmsmen know what is legally required of them to maintain safety for all.

Float Plan

Maritime Law of a Different Sort

Cilantro Lime Swordfish

Fresh…Fast…Fantastic!

In The Best Light

Deciphering Lumens vs. Watts

The Perfect Pop

Insight to Setting Release Clip Pins