AS SEEN IN THE JAN/FEB 2008 ISSUE 

Bridling Gogs – if you’re not doing it, brother you're missing the boat!

Of all the baitfish in the world's seas, bigeye scad, commonly known as goggle-eyes to the South Florida angling community, are likely the most effective live bait for South Florida's most glamorous gamster - sailfish. These Olympian swimmers are unrivaled in their ability to ‘hang in there’ for hours on end while either dangling from a kite, or fished on a flat line. Our own editor, Captain Mike Genoun, jokingly comments, “Once you put a goggle-eye in the zone; one of two things is going to happen. It’s going to get slammed, or it’s going to get slammed!

AS SEEN IN THE MAY/JUNE 2007 ISSUE

“Look at all of that bait! We nearly blacked-out the well with greenies and baby runners. Man, we’re going to beat ‘em up today!” Sixty minutes later, the recently enthusiastic angler reaches into the well to grab his first baitfish of the day and unexpectedly blurts, “What in the world happened to our bait? They’re all dead! They were doing fine when we ripped them off our bait rigs and threw them in the livewell. Now, what in the world are we supposed to do?”

AS SEEN IN THE JAN/FEB 2007 ISSUE 

Load up at the inlet- year-round.

It’s no secret that nearly all passes attract and hold baitfish. None more so than the ones that feature jagged, rocky formations known as jetties. Couple this sort of eco-friendly coastal structure with the oxygen-rich rushing water constantly flooding and ebbing, and it is easy to see why inlets provide ideal habitat for a long list of baitfish species. The most popular and arguably the most effective include pinfish, pilchards, runners, gogs, mullet, and threadfins- and the list goes on. With only a small investment in time and effort, anglers of all skill levels can capture these prime offerings for later use when targeting favorite game fish- completely free of charge.

AS SEEN IN THE MARCH/APRIL 2007 ISSUE

Sabiki Suggestions - 10 tips for guaranteed bait-catching success!

Perhaps no other piece of terminal tackle in recent history has proven its effectiveness as often as the multiple-hook quill rig. Some call them Sabikis or Pescador rigs, while others still refer to them as chicken rigs or gold-hook rigs. We simply call them, “Bait-Catching Machines!”

AS SEEN IN THE SEPT/OCT 2006 ISSUE

Bull Minnow , Fundulus grandis

Cocahoe minnow, bull minnow, mud minnow, Gulf killifish, or just plain killifish, whatever you prefer to call them, this baitfish rarely grows longer than a young child’s palm. Unlike most baitfish species that saltwater anglers across Florida are accustomed to fishing with, Gulf killifish can live in a wide range of environments ranging from nearly pure fresh water to extremely salty surroundings. Their territorial range includes northeastern Florida to Key West, and the northern Gulf of Mexico all the way down to Cuba. They prowl shallow grassy tidal areas, coastal rivers, marshes, and bays feeding on small animals and crustaceans that live on mud bottoms, their preferred habitat. Hence the nickname “mud minnows.”

AS SEEN IN THE JULY/AUG 2006 ISSUE

Sand Perch Diplectrum formosum

Coastal anglers of all skill levels will attest that the Sunshine State is not only home to a wide array of prized inshore, near-shore, and offshore gamefish, but also provides perfect habitat for dozens of both migratory and resident baitfish species. The most popular that immediately come to mind are mullet, sardines, cigar minnows, etc. but there is also a wide array of less popular choices which, when you can get your hands on them, produce equally outstanding results. One in particular is the sand perch.

AS SEEN IN THE MAY/JUNE 2006 ISSUE

The Spanish mackerel is one of only a few species which serve a dual role, both as highly sought after light tackle game fish, and as extremely effective baitfish. Migratory by nature, Spanish mackerel swim in enormous schools, thus anglers may encounter huge numbers one day and find the same area completely devoid of life the next. Fishermen of all skill levels catch this species from the surf, off piers, and from boats anywhere inside of Florida’s many passes, to a mile or two offshore of the Atlantic coast and up to five miles off the Gulf coast. For use as a baitfish, Spanish mackerel, both rigged and unrigged, can be purchased from select big-game natural bait retailers.

AS SEEN IN THE WINTER 2004-05 ISSUE

Scaled Sardine (Harengula jaguana)
The scaled sardine is commonly known as a pilchard or white bait, and they make excellent enticements for just about every Florida marine fish species. Scaled sardines are distinguished by their bright silver and white scales, and enlarged keel-like bellies. They usually have a small black spot just behind the gill plate.

AS SEEN IN THE FALL 2004 ISSUE

Ladyfish
(Elops saurus)

Commonly known as ten-pounders or whatever they’re called, ladyfish make excellent bait for both inshore and offshore fishing applications.

The ladyfish begins its life offshore, after the adults spawn during the winter months. After being carried inshore, the larval stage under-go a metamorphosis in the estuarine systems throughout coastal regions.

AS SEEN IN THE 2004 SUMMER ISSUE

Ballyhoo - Or is it a balao?

Scientifically recognized as Hemiramhus brasiliensis, ballyhoo are the most popular offshore bait. Rigged or un-rigged, pre-packaged ‘hoos can be found in the freezer of bait shops from New York all the way to the northern Gulf of Mexico, and for good reason. I don’t think there’s a fish that swims that wouldn’t eat ballyhoo. Some may prefer it whole and others may prefer a perfectly cut chunk, but they’ll all eat it!

AS SEEN IN THE SPRING 2004 ISSUE

Pinfish make ideal bait for a wide variety of local species. Found grazing by the thousands throughout the shallow inshore waters, they’re often very easy to catch  From spring to late fall large concentrations of pinfish inhabit just about every sea grass bed, bridge, pier, natural and artificial reef along both sides of the State. In the Gulf, you’ll also find pinfish actively foraging in the surf.

AS SEEN IN THE NOV/DEC 2005 ISSUE

When it comes to live bait fishing, every angler has his preference. Some prefer the appeal of a juicy threadfin herring. Some prefer the flash and fishability of a pilchard. Others say there’s simply no substitute for the distress signals sent out by a live finger mullet dangling from the end of a light-wire circle hook.

AS SEEN IN THE SEPT/OCT 2005 ISSUE

RIBBONFISH: ATLANTIC CUTLASSFISH

Ribbonfish are certainly not the most handsome of fish. Long, thin and toothy, many saltwater anglers actually mistake these prehistoric looking creatures for eels or a strange breed of sea snake. However, they are in fact a fish, Atlantic cutlassfish to be exact. Common in bays and other inshore waters, ribbonfish’s primary habitats are the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic.

AS SEEN IN THE JULY/AUGUST 2005 ISSUE

Although often confused with other members of the tuna family, bonito stand alone as one of the most prolific pelagic species in North American waters. Often caught well below the Florida Keys and as far north as Montauk in the Atlantic; and throughout the entire Gulf of Mexico, these super swimmers have exploded onto the sport fishing scene as a favorite target of light-tackle spin and fly fishermen alike.

AS SEEN IN THE MARCH/APRIL 2005 ISSUE

Anchovies, or glass minnows, are small, oily fi sh that make excellent baits or chum. Anchovies are found in temperate waters from New England to the Gulf of Mexico. They are pelagic and feed on copepods, zooplankton, and tiny fi sh and crustacean larvae. Adult anchovies are rarely larger than three inches long.

AS SEEN IN THE WINTER 2003/04 ISSUE

Ranging throughout the Gulf of Mexico from the Yucatan Peninsula to Tampa Bay, Gulf menhaden are commonly known in different regions as either pogies, moss-bunker, peanut-bunker, shad or just plain old menhaden. They roam both the inshore and offshore waters of the Gulf and should not be utilized for human consumption under any circumstances.