| What You Need to Know About Fishing Rods. Many think of the fishing rod as a relatively recent invention. But there is evidence that early fishermen as far back as 2 AD, fashioned their own rods from long sticks, made hooks of bone or wood, and even built primitive landing nets. Over those centuries, the fishing pole has evolved into a highly developed product, and today’s models provide the ultimate combination of strength and sensitivity. |
| What's Troubling Our Waters Around the world, people are eating more seafood than ever before. Demand is increasing due to growing populations, and because health-conscious consumers are choosing seafood more often. To help supply the global demand for seafood, people are raising fish, shrimp and oysters like farmers raise cattle and chickens. Today, nearly half of our seafood comes from farms. The ecological impact of fish farming depends on which species are raised, how they are raised and where the farm is located. |
| Three Fishermen and Dog Rescued With teamwork, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Taylor County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) made a successful rescue of three persons and their dog Oct. 31, 2007. The vessel, a 19-foot boat named “Snowbird,” had been reported missing when the occupants did not return after setting out for a fishing trip Sunday evening when they were reported overdue, according to FWC officials. |
Shark Fin Profits Outweigh Fears of Prosecution
Substantial profits in the shark fin trade have outweighed fears of prosecution for those involved in the illegal business, according to Palau President Tommy Remengesau. Palau is a small archipelago part of the Western Caroline Islands, where President Remengesau said "I guess the profit makes people take the risk." As his administration announced its seizure of the third haul of shark fin and mutilated bodies from a foreign vessel in under three months. |
| No Distractions? Well Maybe the Fish! Call me particular, even picky, but I like to be able to see the fish I’m casting to. That’s why I like the three feet of added elevation I get from my front casting platform, or the 6 feet of height I get from standing on my poling platform. Because I want as much visibility as possible, I’ve resisted fishing from a kayak. However, that all changed when Anna Maria Restaurateur Ed Chiles introduced me to Patrick Bradley, owner of No Distractions Kayaks. |
| Why Don’t More People Fly Fish? One of the comments frequently heard when discussing fly fishing with either a group or an individual is represented by the title of this article. “Why don’t more people fly fish?” And to me it comes as a genuine surprise that when out fishing our Florida waters, seeing someone using a fly rod is a rarity. Conversely, in the Keys, it is very common sight. |
| Does Fishing Really Have To Be That Aggravating? Some of our most treasured moments are those serene, relaxing days on the water – wetting a line – away from the pressures and cacophonies of everyday life. Yet, somehow, this is no longer the all too brief peaceful Shangri-La most of us seek. A case in point are the confrontations between guides netting bait at the Skyway and the anglers fishing above. |
| Just Give Me a Good Pull! Not a knock on most serious anglers, but it is almost a mantra of fishing to pursue only the ‘preferred’ species -- snook, tarpon reds, etc. Yet, I willingly confess to being just a pedestrian kind of guy – one who not only loves hooking monster linesiders and brawny redfish, but also anything in Mother Nature’s cauldron of species that has the inclination to strike a bait and give me a good pull. |
| Feds Put Swordfish Longline Boats In Florida East Coast Protected Area For "Research" Purposes The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has issued Exempted Fishing Permits (EFP) for three commercial swordfish longline boats to fish for research purposes in the Florida East Coast and Charleston Bump closed areas. "NMFS issued the permits despite overwhelming public objection an opposition," said Bill Bird, CCA Florida President. |
| Pompano Flourish During Mild Winter. The waters were dead calm. Off in the distance, Capt. Rick Grassett and I could occasionally hear the sudden splashing of flamboyant pompano. And what a sight it was. Jumping way out of the water, those frolicking silvery critters seemed to relish being a late season participant in our vibrant Florida fishery. All this excitement was even more heartening because little more than a year ago, Sarasota Bay was virtually devoid of any sealife. |
| Hooked On Lures One of the bonuses of being “Capt. Mel” is that I get many invites from some of the areas best fishing guides. Because of the inadequacies of their novice clients, most use the tried and true live bait method of fishing. But my personal problem is that, over the last several years, I have become so enamored with the use of artificials that “soaking” a live bait frankly doesn’t get it for me. |
| How To Use Scented Baits For Cold Water Bass After seeing what I have while fishing thousands of days in hundreds of tournaments across the country, I know that scented baits catch more fish. It's no secret, really, and nowadays pretty much every angler uses scented baits to his or her advantage. |
| A Guide's Secrets to Catching More Fish It is often said that fishing guides have a “sense” for fishing. This is how they're able to fish and make a living at it. I have heard people say of certain guides who have an uncanny ability to catch fish, “he can smell the fish” or “he was reincarnated from a fish.” Setting myth and legend aside, one is left with a person who has developed and honed their skills by spending a lot of time on the water. |
| Fishing Offshore From Land As fishery managers ponder closed offshore fishing seasons, the ever-increasing price of fuel has imposed its own restrictions. Many deep-water aficionados have been scrambling to sell their fuel-guzzling offshore vessels so they can switch to much more affordable inshore rigs. So what are avid bottoming anglers to do for their big grouper fix? Well, they could get in their vehicles and drive to the Skyway fishing piers. |
| Fish Florida First? Florida cannot be beat as the No. 1 place to cast a line, pitch a lure or land a lunker. No tall fisher's tale here — this title has been earned, according to a survey by the U.S. Census Bureau. Every five years the Census Bureau conducts the "National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation." This survey is the gold standard for comparing outdoor recreational activities between the states. |
| A Few Fresh Ideas For Possibly Helping Our Fishery As a new arrival to Florida in 1969, I remember walking down Tampa’s main drag, Franklin Street, thinking to myself, “what a nice sleepy little town. “ The entire area (later to be known as Tampa Bay) appeared to me at the time to be a typically quiet, low population Florida west coast community. Now let’s jump ahead 38-years to 2007 The Tampa Bay population has exploded to about three million residents, |
| Turtle Conservation Is Like Its Namesake: It's Slow, But There Are Big Rewards Marine turtles have thrived for more than 100 million years. But only the last few hundred years have given the huge, spectacular, prehistoric amphibians serious trouble. And that's where people like Earl Possardt, an international sea turtle specialist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, come in. |
| Personal Locator Beacon Leads to Rescue of Florida Fisherman's GearThe story starts early in the morning of October 19th, recreational fisherman Eric Pierce of Boca Raton returned to the dock after a night of swordfishing. While trailering his 31-foot sport fisherman, a fishing buddy grabbed Pierce's fishing gear and set it on the dock—some $6,000-plus in gear, including a recently purchased ACR PLB. |
| Angler Vocabulary Test and Gift Giving There are people who like to fish, and there are people who live to fish. It is important to be able to distinguish between the two groups when trying to buy a Christmas present for someone in either. That's because the "like" individuals are pretty much pleased with anything that has to do with the outdoors. Most any gift that says "fishing" is just fine. The "love" group is more complex. |
| Never ‘Tick-Off’ a Fishing Buddy Rising over the steep crest of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, I was happy to see that the bars and rocks in the bay below were already covered with water. "Good incoming tide," I thought. In the rear view mirror, Merrill’s old 1978 Toyota trailed its one headlight not quite as bright as the other. My late friend Merrill Chandler, alias ‘The Canoe Man’, followed me off onto U.S. 19 heading toward the "Fast Fetch" for an ice stop. |
| IGFA Record Contenders for NovemberHot Catches: Rebecca Wright, the world records department coordinator of the International Game Fish Association currently lists 15 recent submissions being considered by the world records committee. |
| The Ins And Outs of Flipping Late fall can be a rough period of fishing because the bass are in transition in most areas and sometimes difficult to find. But in many places, the bass are targeting schools of spawning shad in backs of coves. And while the bass might not be actively gorging on the schools all day long, they will never pass up an opportunity for an easy meal |
| Women On the Water: Independent Equality I decided to write this article after witnessing the evolution of a sport which was once thought to only be a man’s game. Saltwater fishing though, is not just a guy thing anymore. I’ve concluded that fishing is one of the most equal opportunity sports in existence. |
| Non-Native Aquarium Fish Found in Florida Waters The NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Sciences reports that the non-native aquarium fish, Red Sea Bannerfish, has been found living on Paul's Reef off Palm Beach, Fla. The Red Sea Bannerfish (Heniochus intermedius) is native to the Red Sea in the Middle East, but is sold in the U.S. as a saltwater aquarium fish. It is one of several exotic aquarium fish species that have been photographed or captured in recent years living on reefs off southern Florida |
| Record Spanish Mackerel Caught In Chesapeake's Lower Bay Dean Mitchell of Dagsboro, Delaware was fishing aboard the charter boat Karen Ray II out of Crisfield, Maryland with a group of friends chumming for striped bass at the Middle Grounds in the lower Chesapeake Bay on October 6 when he got the surprise of his life. All fishermen know that when you cast your line out you just never know what you might catch. |
| Florida Bass Fishing After Cold Fronts First, let me say that as an angler I understand that bass fishing after a cold front can be very frustrating. Especially if you fish in areas with Florida-strain largemouth bass, cold fronts can pretty much be the excuse you need to park the boat and head to a deer stand or sit in the house and watch football. But cold fronts are just a fact of life for most of the country from about October through April. That's a long period of time to simply give up on bass fishing. |
| A guided fishing nightmare Most, if not all of our local fishing guides have a great deal of respect for the sea, wind and weather conditions that might arise during any charter. They certainly cannot control what Mother Nature dishes out, but are required by law to ensure the safety of their clients. Here one of our readers describes an experience that can prove to be highly instructive the next time you charter a fishing guide. |
| Sharing the Water with Sharks: Awareness and Education are Key Who will ever forget the story of an 8 year-old boy trying to escape the grips of a 7-foot bull shark? Young Jessie Arbogast has been making national headlines ever since his attack last July near Pensacola. For months to follow shark attacks were making news, gaining lots of publicity and raising public concern |
| The Ancient Art of Hand-lining These days, most of us have a substantial investment in rods, reels, and all the pricey accompanying accoutrements. Yet, there was a time in America when a fishing outfit was an expensive luxury that many a family found too rich for their meager budgets. Such were the days for the late Jupiter/Palm Beach Correspondent, Art Harris, who began his youthful fishing career catching fish using a simple handline. |
| Some Confusion in Neighboring Alabama With New Saltwater Fishing Rules When the Alabama Legislature passed House Bill 255 in June, the law regulating saltwater fishing changed. While much of the focus at the time was the much-needed increase in saltwater license fees, another change in the law redefined who must possess a saltwater fishing license. "At that time, our law said that you had to have a saltwater license if you were 'taking or attempting to take' fish in the salt waters of this state... |
| 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?” |
| Who Are Your Fellow Anglers? Have you ever wondered what some of your fellow fishing enthusiasts do when they're not behind a rod and Reel? Apparently, one of our forum members did. It was one of the most compelling collections of information to come out of our popular web site forums accessible by clicking the Forums link above . |
| Fall Freshwater Trout Fishing Recently, while giving a presentation to a local fly club, I asked the following question, "How many of you have fished for freshwater trout?" Almost every hand went into the air. I was really surprised. In southwest Florida how is this possible? Many of our members are transplants from northern states where trout streams were in their back yard. |
| Kayak Fishing -- "A Mother Ship Trip" On Saturday last January 3rd, we took a kayak fishing mother ship trip to the Lostman’s River area. A few anglers had to cancel at the last minute, so there was only three of us. We loaded up in Chokoloskee about 8:30 and headed south about 25 miles. We put out twice, once to fish the rising tide and once to fish the falling. The first drop, we fished a small bight on the outside, sheltered from the light easterly breeze. |
| How to Turn Cooling Weather Into a Hot Bite Among all the different factors that affect bass behavior, none has more impact than the seasons. Fish - especially bass - are ruled by the weather. Just like all creatures, two things drive fish: survival (food, safety) and reproduction. But the first step to catching any fish is knowing where to find them. . |
| The Confidence Bait They’re out there -- hundreds, perhaps thousands of wood, plastic and metal replicas of natural baits. They represent a massive segment of the multi-billion dollar sportfishing industry. All across the nation, anglers eagerly plunk down the big bucks for what they hope will be that “magic bullet” of lures that will take them to the next level of fishing success. |
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