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.
Where are the Hidden Gems for Florida anglers and hunters? You’ll find out in this issue! Could be you’re also wondering: Who are these people writing about them? Florida is a huge state with diverse geography, complex climate and labyrinthine waterways. It would be impossible for a team of writers based in one office to fully cover it all. Readers familiar with Florida Sportsman recognize we’ve always maintained a list of Field Editors. These are steady hands who contribute articles and guidance for their respective areas of the state, specifically for our popular Action Spotter departments. Yes, they are paid for their work at FS, though none are full-time employees (Rick Ryals, in Northeast Florida, is pretty close—he hosts our Action Spotter Podcast, Florida Sportsman Live! Radio and is among…
The largest river in Florida, the St. Johns River is also our longest river, stretching 310 miles from its headwaters in Indian River County north to its mouth in the Atlantic Ocean near Jacksonville. In its heyday, bass anglers couldn’t find a better place to fish for big bass, according to professional anglers like Cliff Prince, of Palatka. “I’ve been fishing tournaments on the river for 30 years and I’m not sure what has happened, but since Hurricane Irma in 2017 there’s very few bass over eight pounds being caught and there’s virtually no eelgrass on the St. Johns from north of I-4 all the way to Jacksonville,” Prince said. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has acknowledged the issue and has been actively trying to regrow eelgrass…
QUANTUM MERIT COMBOS Available at tackle shops any day now, the new Quantum Merit spin combos match precision engineering and IPX6 water-sealing technology with rub-your-eyes, “can’t believe the price” value. The reels are graphite body and rotor but frankly feel as rigid as metal. Drags are CFX200 carbon fiber, field tested extensively. The rods feature single-piece HD304 stainless steel guides. The combos are available in lengths and capacities to suit just about any coastal saltwater application in Florida, from a 7-foot light combo suitable for 1 ⁄ 16-ounce lures ($109.95) to a 10-foot, heavy action two-piece surfcasting rod ($159.95). Quantum has been busy developing saltwater spinning tackle for wide users, from the pros to the joes. The Merit combos, as backups or primary weapons, will probably generate excitement among both camps.…
COBIA 305 CC The new 305 CC from Cobia builds on the company’s recent successes in the 26- and 28-foot center console market. It’s a beamy boat with a clever deck layout maximizing space for fishing while providing comfort and amenities for passengers. There are four insulated, macerated in-floor fish boxes, dual insulated transom livewells, as well as forward seating with convertible bow lounge and a forward-entry head with 6’2” headroom. Vacuum-Assisted Resin Infusion System (VARIS) construction at the Fort Pierce, Florida, factory ensures a lightweight, strong and durable build. MSRP $345,499 with twin Yamaha 300 XSB2 engines. www.cobiaboats.com SOLACE 30CS Solace, in Edgewater, Florida, build innovative designs catering to a range of missions. The new 30CS (Center Console Step) is well-equipped for offshore fishing. It features the company’s Dual-Step…
RIBBONFISH, or Atlantic cutlassfish, are strange-looking but have a special place in the hearts of veteran anglers. They’re a sleeper hit bait source for big king mackerel, and fresh ones—if you can get them—are good eating. Frozen ribbonfish are sometimes available at saltwater bait shops. How can you catch fresh ribbons? Glad you asked. Last fall during a run at Port Canaveral in East Central Florida, Rodney Sahr and his pal Capt. Billy Bright hosted me on a ribbonfish-catching session. We put five dozen into the boat. This is what I learned. Deep ports and inlets—Canaveral is famous here—tend to gather ribbonfish in the late summer and fall. On a warm, breezy evening, Bright idled maybe 1,000 yards from a local boat ramp and set up on a familiar spot.…
NIGHT FISHING during the Florida summer is becoming less of an option and more of a necessity during the recent trend of incredibly hot summers. If you love fresh trout, flounder, and reds as much as I do, and the daytime temps are unbearable, then you need to start loading gear in the boat about the same time you would usually be desperately trying to rehydrate after a long day in the sun. Now, I have lived on the banks of the St. Johns River for almost 50 years. The funny thing is, I think I have more questions about night fishing now than I did when I first started. For example, just about all the inshore saltwater fish feed at night, but why are they so much harder to…
