Dazed and confused chasing dolphin for hours on end? Keep your strategies straightforward for sweet summertime success.

Couple increasing recreational fishing with a depleting fishery, and what South Florida anglers are left with is a situation where it is becoming more challenging than ever to put together a respectable catch of everyone's favorite blue-water game fish - dolphin.

Whether fun fishing or competing in a prestigious tournament, anglers of all skill levels are constantly on the hunt for that special edge – an edge that may very well be right under their nose.

With so many options, selecting the proper marine electronics for a new install or modern retrofit can be a seriously daunting task. Unlike a piece of terminal tackle which can be easily altered, such as scaling down to a lighter leader, switching to an alternate color trolling lure or tying on a different size or style hook, the installation of fish-finding and/or navigation equipment is generally a one time shot, so it’s important that you get it right!

It was a brutally hot summer afternoon with very little to show for our angling efforts. Locating weedlines and debris in the Gulf Stream can be a hit or miss proposition and thus far on this particular day, we missed. The stiff winds and choppy seas were doing their best to hide any flotsam, but we eventually stumbled upon what appeared to be a distinct current-edge with a few large Sargassum mats thrown in the mix – an offshore anglers dream come true.

Our guide, Bert Adderley, gently tapped me on the shoulder. “Bonefish,” he said softly, “There must be a hundred of them.” I stared into the opening between the mangroves where Bert was pointing and saw nothing.

Fortunately, directly overhead, a gap in the clouds allowed the brilliant sun to shine through. Along the bottom, about two-feet under the rippled, crystal-clear water, I could suddenly make out dark shadows with the occasional brilliant flash swimming steadily towards me over the cream-colored coral sand.

A pair of inshore guides combine efforts to prove cooperation and common courtesy among professionals…yields rewarding results.

There was absolutely no moonlight as I approached the ramp on the serene Banana River. Nearby causeway lights glistened over the smooth adjacent waters, and one of the two lights that normally illuminate the small ramp was burnt out, leaving us in a somewhat darkened state. As my boat floated off the trailer and alongside the ramp, the luminescent glow of small baitfish appeared from nowhere to signal the presence of the abundant life residing in the lagoon.

What happens when you put two of the finest redfish anglers, alone, on a stationary school of 800 hungry redfish? You get a three-day clinic performed by teammates Andrew Bostick and Mark Sepe during the first stop of the Oh Boy! Oberto Redfish Cup in Punta Gorda, Florida.

In its sixth-year, the Redfish Cup showcases the country’s top 49 redfishing duos as they compete in four events from Florida to Texas before the 2008 season culminates in October with the Oh Boy! Oberto Redfish Cup Championship in Biloxi. The series has created the sport’s first true professional tour with a full schedule of TV coverage beginning Saturday July 5, at 8:30 a.m. on ESPN2.

While Caribbean spiny lobster cannot be targeted with rod and reel, it is an undeniable fact that they are an extremely important species to Florida’s recreational and commercial fisheries. In fact, if measured by total annual dollar value – approximately 20 million – the spiny lobster fishery is the most lucrative commercial fishery in the entire state! Think about it; who doesn’t love lobster? Cubera snapper and goliath grouper both relish a live lobster snack, and what angler doesn’t enjoy freshly grilled, fried or baked lobster after a long day on the water?

Wonder what goes into manufacturing the tackle, gear and accessories we all use today? Anglers often take for granted the tremendous effort it requires to engineer, design and build all of the equipment and countless components which combine to enhance our boating and sport fishing experiences. You name it, and somewhere in Florida is a team of dedicated professionals investing long hours to produce the assortment of fishing gear we so cherish. We wanted to learn more about these people and about the products they specialize in and know that you, too, will be fascinated with what we discover in our ongoing quest to find out “how it’s made.”

Step up to the plate and hit one out of the park!

In the sport fishing community there are various awards that recognize amazing angler achievements. One such award is the Grand Slam. To receive this notable accolade, anglers must catch a particular trio of three species in a single day – three species which typically have somewhat similar feeding or behavioral characteristics. The recognized Florida Grand Slams include; Panhandle Grand Slam (seatrout / redfish / cobia), West Coast Grand Slam (redfish / snook / tarpon), East Coast Grand Slam (seatrout / redfish / tarpon), and the South Florida Grand Slam (bonefish / permit / tarpon).

New Gulf Reef Fish Gear Requirements...Know the law!

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) reminds anglers that new rules went into effect June 1, 2008 requiring all persons fishing from a vessel in the Gulf of Mexico off Florida for any reef fish species to carry and use non-stainless steel circle-hooks when fishing with natural baits. Gulf anglers also must carry and use a dehooking device and a venting tool. Reef fish species include all snapper, grouper, sea bass, amberjack, gray triggerfish, hogfish, porgy and tilefish.