Are You An Ironman? If Not, You're Seriously Missing Out!

The vertical jigging craze has hit Florida full-force; however, this deep-jigging technique is not a novel concept. Anglers in Scandinavia, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Asia and California have been deep-jigging for decades. It wasn't until the early 90s when Japanese anglers reinvented this technique with the introduction of specialized equipment and terminal tackle, and brought this exciting style of light-tackle fishing to a whole new level called, "Vertical Jigging."

Fish Beware…I’ve got Braid! In a simpler time, all fishermen had to do was decide what lb. test monofilament to load on their reels, but today, a plethora of colors, sizes and styles, including fluorocarbon, hybrid, and fused line make selecting a fishing line a challenge in itself. The real winners, however, are you and I as we now have the ability to truly match our line to the precise application our angling adventures demand.

There is no question that sharks are the most misunderstood fish in the sea. With increasing popularity of Shark Week and other marine related TV broadcasts, sharks have gained the reputation of savage beasts hungry for blood. While this may be true to a certain degree, sharks are not out prowling for human flesh at our favorite coastal beaches. Most so-called “shark attacks” are simply a case of mistaken identity. They may be perfect eating machines, but the damage we cause them and their ecosystem heavily outweighs the damage they do to us.

There is no question that a large percentage of the most commonly targeted species sought after statewide, are members of the snapper complex. Tasty, hard fighting, and often fairly easy to locate and catch during just about any month of the year, snapper simply rule! Yellowtail, lane, vermillion, mangrove, mutton, red, cubera, dog snapper, you name it, and a group of anglers somewhere around Florida are getting ready to go hunt them down. And while there are as many opinions as to the perfect snapper rig as there are different species of snapper, a few have time and again proven their effectiveness in a wide array of situations. Nevertheless, serious anglers can’t get complacent.

With favorable weather patterns and calm sea conditions now prevailing, an increased number of midsize boaters will venture offshore into the Gulf Stream currents in search of a grueling brawl. While their chances of finding a fight under the cover of darkness are currently greater here in southeast Florida than anywhere else we know of, crucial elements to their success will still be careful preparation and proper execution, not to mention being well equipped with adequate tackle, accessories, and essential terminal gear.