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.
If our editorial staff had the power of Executive Order, we, too, would be setting about re-naming a few places. Frankly, Gulf of Mexico was never really on our target list, but thanks to Presidential Executive Order, it’s officially Gulf of America on our NOAA charts, so that’s how we’ll refer to it. Just so you know: We won’t be changing references to “Gulf of Mexico” which may appear in Florida Sportsman archival articles, books, or sun-bleached fish measuring stickers dating back to Y2K. Mostly it’s just “The Gulf” to us, anyway. What are some geographic and institutional names around Florida we think should be changed? Managing Editor Ed Killer and I laid out the map and went to work. We began with plans to better reflect modern priorities for…
The call to action this month is simple enough: Sign a petition to help restore clean water flow to the Everglades and Florida Bay and in the process all but stop harmful discharges from Lake Okeechobee to the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee estuaries. Turning signed petitions into action is a tougher task—but it’s a battle worth the time and effort of all Floridians. I believe and support the people behind Friends of the Everglades, a non-profit started by Marjory Stoneman Douglas in 1969, and their recent campaign launch aptly named “Rescue the River of Grass.” Why now? The money is available. In 2014, 74.96% of Florida voters approved Amendment 1 which has been generating over $1 billion a year from real estate sales for public land acquisition. Why else now?…
Have you ever had a hash puppy? It’s the estranged cousin of the hush puppy that’s filled with blue crab meat and parmesan cheese. If you like blackened fish, which we know you do, you’ll love the hash puppy. I was introduced to this regional favorite at the Flora-Bama Yacht Club, while awaiting a platter of fresh-caught snapper. We’d brought our catch to this iconic state-line restaurant after a productive day of jigging out of Perdido Pass, Alabama. The Gulf waters along the 50-mile Alabama coast are home to around 14,000 artificial reefs. With local guides Blake Brown and Buddy Childress out of Zeke’s Marina, we fished about 40 miles offshore where depths range from 200 to 600 feet. The reefs we fished consisted of mostly sunken concrete pyramids and…
REGULATOR 35 LOA: 35'1" • BEAM: 11'9" DEADRISE: 24 degrees WEIGHT: 16,500 lbs. FUEL: 405 gal. POWER: Triple Yamaha Offshore 350 EVERY SO OFTEN a boat comes along that can truly be called a “game changer.” Such is the case with the Regulator 35, the latest offering by the Edenton, NC boat builder. This Yamaha-powered center console outfitted with the latest Seakeeper technology to provide the smoothest of rides includes a 405-gallon fuel tank, pressurized center transom livewell and up to 49 rodholders. The split forward seating with walkthrough to the bow allows for more leverage when fighting tuna, kingfish or sailfish. Miami Boat Show MSRP $674,995. BLACKFIN 262HB LOA: 26'3" • BEAM: 9'2" • DEADRISE: 17 deg. WEIGHT: 6,300 lbs (dry w/power) • FUEL: 100 gal. • POWER: Mercury V6 350 hp THE…
DAIWA COASTAL SV TW 150 FOR THROWING TOPWATER plugs or pitching jigs into tight cover, a baitcast reel is a great tool. Saltwater-grade components and clever performance features are highlighted by Daiwa in the introduction of the 150-series Coastal SV TW (T-Wing) reel. It’s a mid-size reel, designed for all-day casting, but provides a hefty line capacity of 200 yards of 20-pound-test braid. Max drag rating is 11 pounds. The reel is available in both left- and right-hand models, and in 7.1 or 8.1 brass gearing, with 4+1 corrosion-resistant ball bearings. The SV side of it refers to a Daiwa spool design and magnetic braking system optimized to resist backlashing. MSRP: $279.99 COASTMASTER™ FLORIDA PREMIUM V2 NAVIGATING FLORIDA coastal waters on Humminbird equipment? Check out the new CoastMaster™ Florida Premium V2…
THERE ARE MANY things you can do to improve your chances of boating saltwater fish like king mackerel, cobia and grouper. One great strategy is to look for—and fish—bottom structure in the same way freshwater bass fishermen do. Another tip is to use the equipment bass fishermen have used for years, the bow-mount electric trolling motor. I was primarily a bass fisherman when I began saltwater fishing Amelia Island’s St. Marys Inlet in the early 1970s. Right away I began searching for structure kingfish and other gamefish might be attracted to. On my first trip, I noticed fishing boats were both anchored and trolling and I assumed there was some sort of structure on the bottom. Eventually I located a deep slough at the tip of the south jetties where…
