CATEGORIES

A Whole Different Animal - Wild Cats that Got the Cream

MOST ANGLERS HAVE STRONG BELIEFS ABOUT WHAT HULL TYPE IS BEST. Running hard in rough water requires a seaworthy platform with the strength and stability to keep you safe, comfortable and dry. Among the different trends that have consequently become evident from the evolution of center consoles, boat builders are cornering a new niche of complex and competitive catamarans harnessing more outboard power than ever before. Breaking the barrier with innovative hull designs and deck layouts, the newest catamarans offer unobstructed fishability while providing increased fuel economy and speed per applied horsepower.

Pulley Ridge 2.0 The Jig Is Up

WE’RE FORTUNATE TO HAVE SOME of the most rewarding bottom fishing north of the equator. If the Sunshine State’s countless reefs, wrecks and ledges aren’t enough to keep you entertained, then you should know about a unique deep-water coral community that exists within a day’s boat ride from Key West. For adventurous anglers lucky enough to have experienced these rich waters, the area has proven to yield a bottom fishing bonanza beyond anyone’s imagination. However, the approach at Pulley Ridge has changed dramatically since we first started exploring the depths nearly a decade ago.

The Lotus Effect - Exploring The Science Of The Shine

THERE HAVE BEEN COUNTLESS TECHNOLOGIES AND INNOVATIONS inspired by the animal kingdom, with the science of emulating nature known as biomimetics. Evolution has perfected natural designs and environmental approaches over hundreds of millions of years, providing chemists, biologists and engineers with a perfect platform to advance modern materials and manufacturing processes. Learning the way of the lotus leaf has revealed remarkable self-cleaning properties resulting from the unique flora’s ultrahydrophobic surface architecture producing water droplets in nearly perfect spherical shape.

Everglades Enlivened

Ailing Florida Bay Shows Promising Signs of Life

Yellow [Fin] Fever

Amid the Confines of Pristine Natural Habitat, Tuna Aplenty Defines This Pacific Island Hideaway

Reeling In The Magic

Add Big Bass to Your Next Disney Adventure.

Big Sky's The Limit

Carving Turns and Catching Trout in the Land of Lewis and Clark.

Underwater LEDs

MY CENTER CONSOLE WAS RECENTLY OUTFITTED with full spectrum color-changing underwater LEDs and I can’t wait to test them out. I’m aware of their ability to attract forage and predator species to the boat from dusk till dawn, but are high intensity LEDs effective at attracting life during the day? If so, what color shines brightest amid the natural light of the sun?

In-Depth

The Real Deal on Reporting Draft

Three-Pointer

Treble Hook Selection for Specific Applications

Shrimp Stir Fry

THOUGH TAKEOUT IS TEMPTING, homemade stir fry is easy to prepare and adaptable to a wide range of ingredients. In my kitchen, simplicity rules and I prefer to make the most of lean protein and the availability of fresh vegetables. And when faced with only a half hour to put dinner on the table, my go-to shrimp stir fry recipe pleases all.

Bote Rover

BY ALLOWING ANGLERS TO CAPITALIZE on the stealthy attributes of a paddleboard combined with the longer range of a skiff, BOTE is lifting limitations and redefining what can be achieved from such a minimalist platform. With a super shallow draft and recommended 6 HP four-stroke, the endless pursuit on your quest for the one truly is infinite in opportunities when perched atop the tricked-out Rover.

First Coast Fast Lane

An Inside Look at Noth Florida's Often Overlooked Winter Wahoo Fishery.

Busted

Barrel Swivels Tested the Breaking Point.

Shine On

THE SUCCESS OF FLORIDA’S WIDESPREAD FISHERIES is a direct result of the impressive migrations of minuscule baitfish that visit our waters each and every year. The life of a tiny baitfish is a difficult one, and the truth is their purpose is to feed the food chain. Performing an incredible migration for their small stature, Atlantic silverside make an annual pilgrimage from the chilly waters of Nova Scotia to the temperate waters of Florida we are so fond of.

Aluminum Pipework Protection & Maintenance

A GLEAMING TUNA TOWER, HALF-TOWER OR T-TOP can make any vessel look like a first-class angling platform. On the contrary, aluminum that has been poorly maintained gives the appearance that your vessel just came out of Cannery Row Creek. The following are a few tips and tricks on how to keep new towers and T-Tops looking that way, as well as extending the useful lifespan of older pipework.

Hands Free: Planer Fishing Made Easier

WHETHER IT’S YOUR TOP TACTIC right out of the gate or a last resort when the afternoon heat shuts down the bite, using planers to present trolling baits at various depths beneath the surface is a trusted technique that has stood the test of time. Once the planer reaches the rod tip the reel is rendered useless and a mate is forced to hand-line the hooked quarry to the boat, leaving coils of leader on the deck and greatly complicating the end game process.

Control Freak: Joystick Technology Provides Unprecedented Maneuverability

WHILE SEASONED CAPTAINS CAN DOCK A VESSEL with the utmost control under the worst conditions, many boaters are truly terrified about navigating a crowded marina. They say a smooth sea never made a skilled sailor, but for owners of outboard-powered vessels with twin, triple and quad configurations, advanced steering systems eliminate much of the adversity by delivering precise directional thrust for total boat control. 

Carbon Copy

FROM A PIECE OF BALSA WOOD CARVED into the rough outline of a minnow to a softplastic shrimp that requires you look twice to make sure it’s not the real thing, the wide range of incredibly lifelike artificial lures that has become available to anglers over the years is truly astounding. It’s understandable why lures are made to look and swim like the real thing, but are the newest imitations more proficient at hooking fish or fishermen?

Order to the Disorder

CAPTAIN STEVE DOUGHERTY, 10 Tips to Help You Catch More Inshore 

Silent Hunters

Finding the Winning Formula for the Perfect Push Pole

Seal Of Approval

WHILE THERE’S NO ARGUING THE FACT BALLYHOO are the most versatile and effective natural offerings for enticing pelagic game fish, there is some contention regarding the most effective rigging styles and methods. Opportunely, the best mates can make dead ballyhoo swim as if they were alive and are able to evolve and improve their rigging techniques as competitive fisheries around the world merit the need for such impressive innovations.

Between The Lines

BRAIDED LINE REMAINS THE MOST substantial advancement to sport fishing seen in the last few decades, with its introduction revolutionizing the game in both freshwater and saltwater venues worldwide. Today, tightly woven superbraids are better than ever, but it’s important anglers consider target species, application, reel class and line capacity when making a final decision among the many different types of braided lines available on the market. 

Tight Is Right

WITH THE BACKGROUND NOISE OF A STEREO, squawking birds, turning motors, wave action, wind and many more distractions on the water, it is amazing the subtle snap of an outrigger clip opening under the tension of a striking game fish is at all noticeable. Yet even with the ambient noise and disturbances, the best mates can still make out the slightest pop of a rigger clip before line starts screaming offthe reel and know from experience how important proper halyard tension is to success in any trolling scenario. 

Fresh Catch Or Forbidden Fishery?

AMONG ALL OF THE REGULATIONS placed on game fish throughout Florida’s Gulf and Atlantic waters, none have caused more controversy than the rules that oversee our red snapper fishery. Across their wideranging distribution, red snapper stocks were once headed for failure. Today, rigid state and federal regulations have red snapper populations happier and healthier, but the same can’t be said about recreational anglers plying the expansive habitats of these demersal delicacies. 

White Marlin

AMONG THE PELAGIC GAME FISH THAT VENTURE WITHIN reach of Florida fishermen during seasonal migrations, white marlin are one of the most highly prized. It’s arguable they are more elusive than blue marlin, evading capture from even the most seasoned crews scouring offshore waters from Jacksonville to Key West. With many anglers going their entire lives without witnessing the acrobatics of a lit up white, it’s no surprise chance encounters are talked about for years to come. But just a few hundred miles up the Eastern Seaboard the species is one of the most available offshore targets where top teams hang serious laundry after long days trolling deep water canyons upwards of 100 miles offshore. 

The Lowdown On Lake

How Top Pros Dissect the State’s Most Challenging Fishery

Front Lines

Spanish Mackerel Entice Marlin & More

Buttoned Up

Rigging a Harpoon the Right Way

Onslow Bay 33

Tournament Approved