From Powder To Plastic

Have you ever wondered 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 produce all of the equipment and countless components which combine to enhance our boating and sport fishing experiences.

To claim that the West Palm Beach Fishing Club’s Silver Sailfish Derby has a rich and deep legacy full of history is a vast understatement.

In fact, the Derby’s presence on South Florida sailfishing is so well fortified that it’s responsible for developing the red release pennant! Established in 1935, this prestigious event is the longest running billfish tournament in the entire world, and during its 72-year history the only time the Silver Sailfish Derby wasn’t held were three years during the 1940s when recreational angling took a backseat to World War II.

Customize your flats skiff and make it your own

A brand new flats skiff is sure to pique any shallow water anglers’ interests, but lets think for a moment that you had a blank check and the ability to customize your new skiff with the latest and greatest must-have accessories and technical gadgets.

Art by Carey Chen – Cayman Arts

The Straight Up Scoop To Seasonal Snook Behavior

From as far back as I can remember I was extremely proficient at catching all of the members of the infamous Trash Can Slam. Oh yeah…and the treat of an occasional seatrout or a slot-size redfish really made my day. Sheepshead were no problem, but big black drum were a bit more than my mighty Zebco could handle.

Solve the Florida Keys permit puzzle and go from zero to hero with a single fix.

Webster’s dictionary defines addiction as compulsive need for and use of a habit-forming substance characterized by tolerance and well-defined physiological symptoms upon withdrawal. I propose the addition of tight-lipped permit tailing in the afternoon sun to this list of habit-forming substances. Permit fishing might just lead to a distorted view of all other species and a total collapse of your personal well being. After your first permit comes boatside don’t expect to enjoy fishing until your next fix.

Fish the nation’s oldest city

The emerald green waters of the St. Augustine Inlet had almost slowed to slack tide. Captain Tom Winrow was sure that this magic point in time would bring battalions of game fish to feast on our pogy platter. These unfolding moments were downright easy for any inshore angler to get excited about. Here we were in Florida’s oldest city not far from some of the finest hotels, restaurants and bed & breakfasts in the world. And further, we were poised for red-hot action with bull redfish, powerful jack crevalle and mighty tarpon on Captain Tom’s tricked-out Maverick, which sported a huge livewell full of frisky pogies.

Statewide Tips For Coming Out On Top

If you were to ask any inshore angler what type of fishing brings the most enjoyment, most would say that a topwater bite is the pinnacle of all strikes. There’s nothing like witnessing your lure get slammed by an aggressive redfish, snook or seatrout – especially when there are several fish competing over the same floating fake!

Remain calm, refer to the following information, and you, too, will prevent the dreaded blowout!

It finally happened! After thousands of dollars invested in a vessel, a garage full of tackle and what feels like a lifetime spent on the water, you found the motherload, the golden chalice, pay dirt…whatever you want to call it.

Forget the rest; we put the best pliers to the ultimate test!

What angler doesn’t own a pair of fishing pliers? We all do, and have since our adolescent years when we wanted to be just like our father - the greatest fisherman in the world. As we’ve continued to mature and delve deeper into our sport, all of us have also made the mistake of purchasing blue light special pliers because we were in a pinch, or believed we were actually saving a few bucks. We soon regretted this purchase after corrosion set in.