Fishing Florida Online Magazine Home Page with Captain Mel Berman. Fresh and Saltwater Fishing Information.

Good Line Control, the Secret to Success with Artificials Why do the same people consistently catch fish with artificial lures and flies? It can’t be luck. Have you ever shared a boat with a companion who constantly out fished you, even though you both used the same equipment?

A User’s Guide to the Opening Snook Season It was a long, tough four months for the “hook ‘em and cook ‘em” crowd, but at the stroke of midnight this Sunday, August 31st, Florida snookers can not only count on catching -- but keeping one tasty linesider. And for some reason or other, there are always those fishing right at the stroke of midnight, Aug.31st to catch that first keeper.

Back to Grouper Basics There is a strongly held assumption that most who fish for grouper know what they're doing. Well, without sounding like "Mr. Know-it-all,” many grouper diggers don't really have a clue! They leave early in the morning, burn lots of fuel and get out to that "magical GPS number," only to occasionally catch a few keeper gags.

The Lure of Baby Tarpon Of the many emails I receive, there is one topic that is constantly brought up --- "where and how to catch those baby tarpon." By the way, those “babies” can weight 40 and 50 pounds or more and are among the most accomplished "pullers."

Boat Protection During Hurricane Season It’s time to think about the “what if” regarding hurricane season and our area. This season has been predicted to be active. The question for many Floridians who live near the coast on both sides of the state is just how intense this year’s hurricane season will be...

Kick Starting the New Snook Season The anticipated moment is near. At the stroke of midnight August 31st, snook season officially reopens. Remember, there are rules with which west coast snookers should be acquainted. The bag limit is now one snook per day, Not less than 28” or more than 32”Atlantic -Not less than 28” or more than 33” Gulf ..

Jig Fishing -- It's not Brain Surgery Of all the lures that clog our tackle boxes, the most common and abundant is the jig. I would suspect that this is an ancient design which has caught billions of fish down through the millenniums.

Juvenile Downtown Tampa Tarpon There’s no doubt that one of an angler’s greatest lifetime achievements is bringing to heel a mighty 150-pound tarpon. Yet there comes a time when you’ve been there and done that

Poppers and Panfish Think back to some of your first experiences fly fishing. What were the things about those days that kept your enthusiasm and interest all this time? I would bet that your excitement centered around adventures on a pond, or small freshwater lake. I know mine did.

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Baitfish Planning a nighttime Tarpon trip recently, I posted a question on one of CapMel.com ’s message boards to see if I could get any frozen menhaden anywhere in Tampa. I know where I can buy them in St. Pete, but not on the north side of the bay.

Catfish Encounter It was a fine afternoon in late September, and we were fishing the backcountry of Little Cockroach Bay, trying to put a redfish in the boat. I had a live pinfish rigged under a float on one rod, and chunks of ladyfish on the other two.

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.

Night Fishing Growing up, I couldn't wait for summer to arrive. For me, summer meant longer days to do all the fishing and hiking and camping that I wanted to do. But as I travel the country as a professional angler, I realize that to a large portion of the country summer means one thing: blazing heat.

Jigging the Tampa Bay area for Pompano I’ve been meaning to gather my thoughts and experience and put it on paper and share it with everyone. First of all, I am no expert; I just spend a fair amount of time chasing them. I think most of you have read about catching them with fiddler crabs around the bridges or using sand fleas, but I will always jig for them.

It's Tuna Time in the Gulf If you’re a sushi lover, this is the time when you can get yourself some tuna on the hoof. Right after a full moon of May, Suncoast anglers head out to deeper Gulf waters in search of the powerful blackfins. The plan is to arrive at the fishing site by the break of dawn. That’s about when most shrimp boats anchor up following a night of trawling.

All the Best: Celebrating Lefty Kreh Flip Pallot’s new book “All the Best,” is both a tribute to and biography of the life of Lefty Kreh. The “Coffee Table” sized book tells the story of Kreh’s extraordinary life through pictures and the words of Pallot, Kreh, and people that played an important role in his life. .

Lures-Only Charters Catching on For most inshore guides, running live bait charters is a confidence thing. Their clients usually have little or no skills and, by simply tossing out a live offering, the odds of catching something will be an almost certainty. Yet there is a growing legion of skippers who have decided to run their charter business without the extra work of tossing chum and nets, using lures...

Summer Bait My approach to fishing with live bait takes the path of least resistance. So instead of beating my 17-foot boat to death in search of scaled sardines in the summer months when they are scarce, I opt for the easiest bait – threadfin herring. They look a lot like sardines, but any avid Florida angler can tell the difference at a glance.

Fishing Related Stories Worth Knowing About Pain at the pump…It comes as no surprise to most of us, but a June survey by AnglerSurvey.com says the record (and still-rising) fuel prices are causing anglers to cut back on their fishing plans. Last June more than a third of anglers said the fuel prices would have "no effect" on their fishing habits.

Topwater Time Along with warm temperatures and long days, summer brings topwater action to bass anglers. Now is one of the best times of the year to catch fish on surface presentations. "When fish are more active because of warmer temperatures this time of year, they are more likely to feed on the surface," said Dave Dreves, a fisheries research biologist..

Gulf Fishing Goldenrod stalks sprouting from the decks of derelict shrimp boats signal the condition of the domestic shrimping industry around Bayou La Batre. Even shiny, relatively new shrimp boats with their clean green nets sit idle as skyrocketing fuel prices and imported, farm-raised shrimp make turning a profit virtually impossible.

The Great Tampa Bay Redfish Bonanza “You can soak your greenback, but keep an eye on that rod with the cut bait,” urged Capt. Tim Whitfield. Locals call it “dead-sticking” -- where a chunk of ladyfish, pinfish or almost any kind of cut bait is cast out, letting it lay on the bottom where a foraging redfish can find it and eat it. “Remember, if you move that bait, you won’t catch a thing,” cautioned Capt. Tim.

New EPA Regs Cause Concern In response to a federal court order, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a draft permit for millions of recreational vessels for "normal operational discharges" that could open a Pandora's box of compliance problems and unfairly subject recreational boaters

Shade Fishing for Bass Most people think that catching big bass in the summer is more difficult, but it doesn't have to be. Much like anything else that has to spend all day outside during the hottest part of the year, bass will look for a shady place to hang out. Finding these places is the first step towards catching more than a sunburn during the summer. Shade fishing will pay off on big lakes, farm ponds, backwater sloughs and creeks in the middle of the day where it is common to find bass holding on the shady side of boat docks,

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