| Fishing around Disney World Many of our site visitors plan Florida vacations including a pit stop at Walt Disney World. And for visiting bass fishing enthusiasts there are five superb bass lakes within easy driving distance of the Magic Kingdom. It's doubtful we'll find such a relatively small vicinage doing so many big things anywhere in the nation to provide a quality fishing experience for residents and visitors than in the Orlando area. |
| Fishing Clearwater’s bountiful Intracoastal The Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) is a boating highway that rings the Florida Peninsula, making it possible for most vessels to safely traverse a virtual kaleidoscope of Sunshine State landscapes. After several years of existence, several waterway locations have become extraordinary habitat for many of our favorite target species. One intriguing stretch of the Intracoastal cuts right through the city of Clearwater on Florida’s Gulf Coast, providing an abundant, convenient and relatively pristine fish haven for local anglers to work. |
| Keep a trophy ... save a fish Few things beat the satisfaction you get from landing a big saltwater fish, or catching a type of fish you've never caught before. It's also natural to want to preserve your special moment, and sometimes you want something more than just a photo of your catch to commemorate your experience to share with family and friends. Today, it's possible to do just that and still do your part to conserve Florida's precious marine resources. Professional fish taxidermists produce high-quality, anatomically accurate fish mounts for anglers; they can even capture the size, shape, markings and colors of your fish. |
| Looking into boating from the police blotter Four years ago, I lost a very good friend and business partner in a boating accident. It was one of those incidents that was a compounding of little things that resulted in a horrific nighttime crash into an unmarked piling from a long-removed bridge. There's no real desire in my mind to revisit the tragedy, but there is a point: sometimes it's not a gigantic event that triggers a tragedy |
| Cool weather lights up west coast fishing As a Floridian of some 40-years, I still can’t get over our great gift of productive year-round fishing. While our northern angling compatriots have either hung up their tackle for the next several months – or begun sawing out fishing holes in the ice -- we in our sub-tropical paradise just move on to other seasonal favorites. Snook and reds are still around, having traveled further inland to their comfort zones up rivers, creeks and residential canals. But as those fish depart, other fun species show up keeping the brisk action going on the outside. |
| There’s a lot more to fishing than catching fish When most of us were kids, anticipating a fishing trip kept us awake the night before. The idea of spending the day with a beloved relative or friend in a pristine setting, surrounded by the glories of nature made for a restless night. These days, there’s no doubt that, even at our advanced ages, we still tingle in anticipation of any fishing trip. And it has a lot more to do with the total experience. The fishing trip is somehow a sort of “adult hooky.” The everyday cares and challenges are set aside the moment one shows up at the waterfront. |
| There's a new largemouth bass record ... Gotcha with the headline, right? We thought so. There is a new largemouth bass record, but it's not the "world" record some people are waiting to hear about from the International Game Fish Association. News from that organization about the big bass caught last summer in Japan is expected to be announced soon. No, this news came late Wednesday about a new bass record in Tennessee. But it really isn't a record, officially. It's just that there is a giant largemouth bass swimming in a public lake in the western part of the state that easily eclipses the existing record. Veteran outdoor communicator Larry Rea of Memphis broke the story on his site |
| Florida needs a voice in the U.S. House Committee Florida is fortunate to have both of our U.S. senators - Bill Nelson and George LeMieux - on the Senate Commerce Committee, overseeing marine fisheries issues, but Florida is not represented on the equally important House Natural Resources Committee. Important federal fisheries law is going to affect lots of jobs and billions of dollars in Florida's economy. Florida is unique. We are the only state that borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, with a lot riding on wise management of fisheries.. |
| Despite clouds, many things to be thankful for this year Much has been said and written this year about the economy and the outdoors industry, especially the boating industry that has been hurt so badly. I won't go deep into that litany again. This is a holiday of thanksgiving, a holiday for which we should look for the proverbial silver lining. True, storm clouds still loom. We're not out of the roiling waters of the economic rapids just yet. A reminder of those clouds was received Tuesday via the Soundings Trade Only Today e-blast . |
| Speckled Trout Handling Tips Speckled Trout in the “South Region” are closed to harvest in November and December. They are great light tackle “catch-and-release” fun but they are unfortunately one of the most delicate species of fish that we encounter in the Tampa Bay area. Implementing some of the following suggestions and techniques will increase the chances that those fish will survive the encounter. Some fatalities will happen no matter how perfect your “plan” but, consider some of the following suggestions. |
| Circle hooks for reef fish. It's the law. A circle hook is a fishing hook designed so that the point is turned perpendicular to the shank to form a circular shape. The principal advantage to using circle hooks is that fish are almost never deep-hooked - research has found that circle hooks are more likely to hook a fish in the mouth rather than the gut, making them easier to remove and reducing harm to the fish. Watch the short video below for a quick overview. The principle behind the hook is simple: after the hook has been swallowed the fisherman applies pressure to the line, pulling the hook out of the stomach. |
| Fishing Buddies Even though it is difficult to explain the gut feeling, it is extremely gratifying to recall the friendship- the kinship- you have with a fishing bud. The outright satisfaction of hearing an old friend when he pulls into the driveway at 0500; the unspoken, but knowing exchange over coffee at the café on the causeway; the friendly banter of whose time it is to buy the bait. For the shared thrill when one or the other lands the prize lunker of the day. |
| CCA Florida releases report entitled “truths, misconceptions and misrepresentations about catch shares and IFQ’s” The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is intensively promoting and implementing programs which grant exclusive access privileges to public fishery resources to private individuals and corporations. Several national environment groups and the commercial industry are also promoting catch shares. Unfortunately, in mixed fisheries where there is a large and growing recreational sector, exclusive fishing rights proposals maximize benefits to the commercial fishing industry while ignoring the participation and beneficial economic impacts of recreational fishing. Damaging impacts on recreational fisheries are being disregarded. |
| Red snappers a plenty, First Coast fishermen say First Coast fishermen told the federal agency responsible for protecting fish along the Southeast coast that there are plenty of red snapper and the species doesn’t need any additional protections. The comments came Thursday afternoon, during the penultimate public hearing in Jacksonville by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council to seek input on their proposed snapper/grouper management measures. About 300 people, mostly fishermen, packed the hearing. Red snapper was the focus of the meeting and most speakers blasted the measure that aims to end overfishing, set annual catch limits, accountability measures, rebuild stock and a monitoring program. |
How About Giving Freshwater Fishing a Try?
Come on, admit it. You're a dedicated saltwater angler, but have often flirted with the idea of checking out the freshwater scene. "Right now’s a great time because bass fishing is at its peak," says ESPN’s "Bass Professor," Doug Hannon. "With these cooler fall waters, saltwater species have many travel options. Freshwater fish don’t have that choice. They’re landlocked in canals and coves. And the larger bass are staying put, guarding their beds during the spawning period." |
| Mentally Challenged Boaters Did ya ever wish you could be a plain-clothes FWC Enforcement officer and hand out tickets to other boaters who suffer from terminal cases of the "stupids?" It's really amazing that we don't have more serious accidents, drownings and altercations on Florida waters. Does anybody take the time to at least partially learn the official Coast Guard Boater's Rules of the Road? Seeing the breathtaking antics of some of our fellow fishing and boating enthusiasts, I have foresworn any weekend on-water excursions. It's too nerve-wracking. |
| Grouper digging: The way it was Until the late 1970s, grouper digging off Florida's "left coast" was a sheer joy. On several occasions, I can remember returning to my marina in Tarpon Springs and triumphantly off-loading hundreds of pounds of large gag grouper. I should hasten to add that in those days we were all "meat fishermen," selling our catches and lavishly supporting our offshore fishing avocation. None of us harbored any thoughts of depleting what seemed like a never-ending cornucopia of fat grouper. It also was an era when the small group of anglers who took the time and trouble to learn how to fish for the grouper |
FRA sues over Gulf AJ closure |
| Spotted Seatrout: A Gamefish for Anyone Snook may be Florida's most sought-after gamefish, but these sporty creatures are only available to a select few anglers and only in the southern half of the state. Redfish are proving to be the bass of salt water, as several tournament trails pursue reds in a number of southern states. But redfish are kind of unpredictable. They seem to have some good years and some slow years. |
| Seasickness: How to avoid or at least deal with it Some time back I received an email from one of our readers, Ken Gacsy, on a not so pleasant subject, but one for those of us who venture offshore must occasionally confront. Yes, it's the scourge of seasickness. Many of have lived through this incredibly miserable experience and would do everything on our power to avoid this very uncomfortable situation. |
| Skipping lures: It catches fish! If you enjoy fishing mangrove edges, docks or other structures, here's a technique that you might want to add to your fishing resume. Once mastered, this method can improve your fish-catching ability. Once you learn how to skip baits, you will be able to get them all the way back to where the snook lives. The late Merrill 'Canoeman' Chandler, who was our "Master Skipper," told us exactly how to do it in one of his informative articles. |
| Don’t be afraid to ask! There he was sitting right next to me, using the identical lure with virtually the same kind of fishing outfit, reeling in one fish right after another. And me? I was catching nothing – nada! It really is frustrating and incomprehensible. How in the heck does he do that? I’m sure, at one time or another, you’ve been confronted with the same situation. Why does your fishing partner seem to have “the touch” while you have “hands of stone?” “How are you working that,” I blurted out. “I thought you had to work the DOA Shrimp slowly across the bottom.” |
| To Be a Woman and a Guide Over the last decade, there has been a notable increase in women anglers. A sport that heretofore appeared to be a men-only club is now populated with a growing number of female fishing enthusiasts. Many are quite talented and can often fish rings around their male counterparts. Yet, when it comes to fishing guides, the ratio of women to men is surprisingly small. What are some of the limiting factors for the distaff side? Why is it so few have taken up this profession, while the ranks of male guides have increased at a good pace? For some answers, we spoke with Capt. Rachel Cato who, a few years ago, made the life-changing decision -- becoming a full time guide. |
| The Learning Experience Many professed fishing enthusiasts spend all of their available time wetting a line, trying to hook that big lunker -- or in most cases, attempting to hook just about anything that will pull back on the other end of the line. But do we practice the angling art by rote? Or do we head out viewing each trip as a valuable learning experience, with the intent of picking up some small nuggets of information that will improve our skills? |
| Federal managers shut down another Gulf fishery CORPUS CHRISTI, TX- The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) continued its bizarre history of biased management regarding Gulf amberjack when it announced this week that the recreational season for the popular offshore species will close on October 24 due to the recreational sector overfishing its quota. This announcement comes barely two years after the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council arbitrarily shifted a significant portion of recreational allocation to the commercial secto |
| “How do you get a job like Capt. Mel’s?” July marked my 25th anniversary with 970-WFLA. It all started in the 1980s when then sports talk host Tedd Webb asked me to do a weekly Friday evening fishing report for his popular “Sports Huddle.” Not only was it a blast teaming up with the zany Tedd, but it provided an opportunity for me to get back into my life-long profession of broadcasting. The Friday reports led to more appearances with Tedd on the “Sports Huddle” and three years later, Jed DuVall, 970-WFLA program director at that time, approached me to do a Saturday morning fishing show. |
| Redfish Cup tournament circuit is shut down The championship was held just weeks ago down in Florida, with all the hoopla and celebration afforded to top teams and champion anglers. Now, that event has become the swan song for the Redfish Cup inshore saltwater tournament circuit. Officials with Career Sports & Entertainment of Atlanta, parent company of the Redfish Cup circuit, confirmed to The Fishing Wire on Thursday that it will not continue the tournament trail in 2010. |
Edward Medard Reservoir: Bag and size limits suspended |
| Dock Lights Are Snook Magnets I will gladly admit my favorite fly rod quarry is a mean Old Snook. Daytime Snook fishing with a long rod is hard work. Yes, there are many areas where numbers of small Snook can be tempted during the day, especially during the first and last hours and under low light conditions. If you want to get really rattled and have your tackle tested, fish in the dark. One of my fishing buddies, Bob Finck, told me years ago, after a Snookin’ good trip, “Pat, they’re like largemouth bass on steroids.” If you’ve never pursued Snook at night, where do you begin? |
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