If you’re that special breed of fisherman that considers powerful tuna to be the most adversary of opponents, then the summer season is what you’ve been waiting for.

Only 80 or so miles from the Palm Beaches, the Freeport/Port Lucaya area on the southern side of Grand Bahama Island offers explosive world class tuna action. Throughout the summer months hordes of hungry yellowfin swarm the clear blue Caribbean waters of The Providence Channel and with a little preparation, south Florida anglers can get in on the action.

More and more inshore anglers are learning to appreciate one of the most powerful and ferocious shallow water predators on the face of the earth THE BARRACUDA!

As the son of a drift boat captain, I have had the opportunity to experience south Florida fishing the way it used to be. Throughout the 70’s I joined my father and his crew on daily half day outings to chase king mackerel along the reef lines that parallel our coast. On the slow days when the action was short of non stop, they made the exception and drifted over wrecks in a variety of different depths. 

One of the most effective ways of catching dolphin and a variety of other blue water species is by trolling rigged ballyhoo. The biggest problem while trolling ballyhoo along productive weed lines is constantly having your bait fouled with weeds. Why not rig weedless?

The state of Florida, with it’s vast coastlines, wonderful climate and impressive fisheries, claims to be the “Fishing Capital of the World”. Few areas can dispute this claim. Its reputation is well deserved and touted by anglers worldwide. The sugar sand beaches of the pan handle, the tarpon flats off Homosassa Springs, Pine Island Sound, the marshes of the northeast, the lagoons of the west central peninsula, the sailfish alley of the southeast coast and the crystal clear waters of the Florida Keys comprise a big part of this wonderful fishing paradise that we call Florida. However, the crème’ de la crème’, the best the State has to offer, is the waters surrounding Chokoloskee Island in the western side of Everglades National Park. It is rich in history, rich in opportunities, rich in diversity and rich in experience. Located only 90 minutes from Miami, Ft. Lauderdale and Ft. Myers, few places can rival the western park area. It is a massive nursery of marine life that feeds a diverse array of sport and food fish.

There are few charter skippers in south Florida who would disagree with the merits of the good old planer rig. Wahoo, dolphin, kingfish, and grouper all fall prey to this extremely effective method of getting your bait deeper in the water column. Currently, inshore & offshore trollers really have only two effective methods of getting their baits down deep. These include the previously mentioned planer rig and down riggers. Both have their benefits as well as inherent problems although over the years improvements have been grudgingly made.

Just as you have to learn to cast, pole a boat or tie a proper knot, out on the flats, you’ve got to learn to see the fish on the bottom.  It was a steamy late afternoon back in 1982 when after work I stopped by the local fly shop in Islamorada. Mike Hyman, the owner wasn’t there but Don Gapen (the inventor of the freshwater Muddler Minnow fly) was in the process of putting out the “gone fishing” sign.

This year, south Florida’s winter was as cold, vicious, and as ornery as it could be.
Icy blows chilled and kicked up our waters from the back bays to the Gulfstream.
While the early spring months may still feature some encore fronts, they inevitably will
bring warmth while the sun will be higher in the sky and the days will be longer.
As south Florida’s marine waters begin to warm, inshore anglers will break through their winter
thaw, and begin the water temperature watch with excitement and expectancy. After spending
too much time in the sixties, surf temperatures will climb back in the mid-seventies. This lifts
the starting gate for south Florida inshore anglers to pursue the return of the
dynamic duo, the tarpon and the bonefish.