| Drifting and Fishing After 37 years as a Floridian, it’s been my pleasure to fish all venues – offshore, back bay, bridges, wading from shore and even freshwater lakes. I have enjoyed working mangrove edges, casting my baits under docks and from the beaches. But now I have concluded that, given a choice, I would much rather spend my time floating across our lush grass flats to catch whatever cares to bite. | | FWC Moves To Combat Boat Theft Spike The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's (FWC), Division of Law Enforcement urges boat owners to protect their boats from theft and to avoid boat title fraud schemes. More than 1,200 boats have been reported stolen in Florida this year. That reflects a 30-percent increase compared to the same period last year. Also, the FWC said there is a growing trend in theft of "go-fast" type boats. | | Estuaries & Shallows Are Key to Marine Life Cycles The next few months will be prime time for the enjoyment of backcountry fishing among the many square miles of pristine shallows that comprise Charlotte Harbor and Pine Island Sound. Cooler weather, clear water and plentiful snook, redfish and trout make the backwaters a great place to fish. | New Recreational Hunting & Fishing Fee Schedule in Effect | | Trolling for grouper There's a fascinating transformation that occurs in each of us when the weather morphs from the choke-hold of winter to the benevolent serenity of a spring day. The once relentless northerly winds have now veered to a more benign east and south bearing. The air smells good, remains dry, invigorating, always agreeable. | | What Is It About Sharks? I first met Dr. Bob Hueter almost 20 years ago, just after he arrived at Mote Marine Labs in Sarasota. He was a very bright, engaging individual whose passion then, as it is today, was the study of sharks. As a young scientist with a PHD in zoology from the University of Florida, and an undergraduate degree and masters in marine biology for Miami University, Hueter became part of Mote’s important Shark Biology Program in 1988. | Make Fishing More Enjoyable For All Of Us
If you really want to know why fishing is fun, all you have to do is take a child out and watch the glorious stream of emotions that light up his face as he learns to bait a hook, cast and finally hook-up and retrieve a fish. The pride of learning, the reconnection with nature and our heritage, and the fulfillment of knowing he can catch his own meal -- just like the pioneers -- all contribute to that sensational smile. | | Turning To Grass for Bass After the warmth of summer, there's no doubt that your favorite fishing hole has some vegetation built up in it. In summer, when the water warms, the different aquatic vegetations are able to bloom. And if you are a bass angler, there's nothing that makes you happier than grass in a fishery. Grass is important to a fishery for a multitude of reasons. First, young fish (called fry) are able to retreat into the dense aquatic vegetation and escape predation | | Catch & Release: What a Concept! You would think that me, “a reformed meat fisherman” would take these things in stride – go with the flow. But I gotta tell you – seeing that beautiful, hapless big tiger shark dragged in dead off the New England coast by a group of guys hoping to win a prize-- really turned me off. And to compound the matter, many of the “no-nothing about fish and fishing” TV media hailed these men as “conquering heroes” | | Whale of a Tale - or a World Record? Claiming a world record isn't as easy or pleasant as it would appear. When you present what you feel is a record accomplishment, you might feel yourself puff up with pride, but if you have the same experience as Neptune, New Jersey resident Monica Oswald, you may have second thoughts about submitting your second record. The off duty nurse was fishing off the Monmouth County, New Jersey coast two weeks ago when she landed what some have called the Holy Grail of record fish - | | Left is Right Close your eyes for a moment and visualize the first time you tried to ride a bike. If you were like me, it was a process of wobbling uncontrollably while heading for the nearest patch of grass and a “soft” landing. Fast forward to today and think about the motor skills that were necessary to master this feat and how you can jump on these precariously balanced two wheeled vehicles without so much as a second thought. | | Secrets To Securing Your Boat Ever heard of the thieves that would steal anything that wasn't nailed down? While you work hard to buy and maintain your dream rig, there are some among us who would like nothing better than to raid your rod lockers, make off with your trolling motor, electronics, outboard, trailer - or maybe all of it. | | CCA Florida: "Recreational Fishery Hijacked" The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council has declared that Gulf greater amberjack are overfished and is considering increasing the commercial share of the fishery and reducing the recreational bag limit to one fish for every two anglers aboard a vessel. The recreational restrictions are being considered despite the fact that unchecked commercial overfishing since 1990 is the primary cause of problems in the fishery. | | There’s a Lot More to Fishing than Just 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. | | Paddle Fishing Safety-It's No Accident In the last few years, we have seen the kayak fishing boom explode before our eyes. Many who heretofore had no access to open waters, can now, quite inexpensively, navigate out to where the fish are and of greater importance, do so with a measure of stealth not available to power boats. Now though these paddle craft do not burn any fuel and rely on human propulsion, doesn’t mean that there are no hazards or safety considerations. | | Redfish Success: Plenty Of Fight Left In The Redfish Thanks To Conservation From high atop the skiff's poling platform, an eagle-eyed guide points toward an opening in the mangroves. On the front deck, fly rod at the ready, an eager angler sees it, too: a giant bull redfish (Sciaenops ocellatus) is tailing near the cover, in search of an easy meal. For fear of spooking the fish back into his wooded confines during high tide, the angler quickly and quietly casts a large counterfeit squid in front of the cruising giant. | | Our Beloved Toadfish I have a theory that more toadfish are left to waste than any other fish in Tampa Bay each year. The hardhead catfish ranks a close second, but it’s the toadfish that gets absolutely no respect. They are never targeted, just left to die when caught. If you’ve walked the length of a pier or a bridge with a catwalk you’ve seen a toadfish. Sometime no one will be around it. It’ll just be lying there, dead, or nearly so. | | Snook Season Has Reopened - With Changes The statewide harvest season for snook has reopened, and anglers should note several new snook regulations are in effect. The FWC recently changed snook bag and size limits and harvest seasons to help protect and preserve snook stocks in Florida. There is now a one-fish daily bag limit per person statewide for snook and a slot limit of 28-32 inches total length in Atlantic waters and a 28-33 inches total length limit in Florida’s Gulf, Everglades National Park and Monroe County waters. |
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