Pros Tips

Build it or buy it because if you’re serious about land based fishing you’ll need it.

Have you ever been to the beach for a casual outing and chuckled at the tourists lugging nearly everything they own to the sand. Coolers, umbrellas, towels, beach chairs, toys, sunscreen, kids…and the list goes on. Don’t laugh too hard just yet because if you routinely fish Florida’s beaches and piers, you’ve probably committed the same obscene act. Rather than trudging through parking lots with inflatable beach toys, you’re shuffling buckets, nets, sand spikes, coolers and rods.

Play The Waiting Game

While many things in life are uncertain, there's one thing you can always count on. Tides will rise and fall due to the combination of the sun and the moon's gravitational pull on the earth. If you've spent any amount of time on the water then you are fully aware that tidal movement greatly influences the feeding habits of highly prized game fish. So what does it take to capitalize on one of the world's greatest natural phenomenons? It's all about being at the right place at the right tide.

A Beginners Guide to Buying Binoculars

echnology has certainly evolved over the last decade. Yet, even with state-of-the-art multi-function displays at our fingertips, some things are still best done with our very own two eyes. This is exactly where binoculars enter the picture. Magnifying distant objects and barely visible shorelines has been an essential tool that has aided mariners for centuries. While advanced hardware certainly takes a lot of the guesswork out of situational awareness and object identification; binoculars are here to stay.

It's Your Choice

Of all the great game fish roaming our seas, few are as highly prized as the shortfin mako shark. Fearless, makos are arguably the fastest pelagic predator, capable of reaching 50 mph and skyrocketing 20-feet in the air. They are savage killers in a league of their own—lone hunters stalking the depths at the very top of the food chain.

All Braids Are NOT Created Equal

Single out one item that has undisputedly revolutionized fishing in the 21st Century, and the spotlight would have to shine on braided fishing line. Today's super lines provide superior strength, ultra-thin diameters and virtually zero stretch. Not only have they changed the way we fish, but they've also changed the way manufacturers build rods, reels and lures.

While we recently highlighted the most innovative and effective trolling lure designs (The Perfect Hoax May/June 2010), we purposely left out the old faithful cedar plug because it is, in fact, in a league of its own. While no doubt a quality producer pulled across the entire eastern seaboard and beyond, the simple cedar plug is widely considered the ugly duckling in a spread of pricey polyurethane producers. But if you remember how the classic fairy tale ends, the disliked duckling comes out on top.