Perdido Key to Cape San Blas Includes Pensacola, Gulf Breeze, Fort Walton Beach, Destin, Panama City and Port St. Joe August 20 – 22 First off, I hope everyone stayed safe in the midst of Tropical Storm Fred this week. If you are in the Apalachicola/Panama City area, be very mindful of floating debris if you get on the water this weekend. Nearshore Ryan with a beautiful 36” amberjack caught in 75’ of water on a live hard tail. Greater amberjack opened August 1st and they have been willing participants on nearshore wrecks all month! My favorite spots to target them are steel structures with h ..read more

Includes Pompano Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, and Homestead. August 20 – 22 Deerfield Beach to Key Largo & Flamingo to Cape Sable NOAA Weather is forecasting winds to be out of the east southeast at 5 to 10 knots late Friday and all-day Saturday before increasing to 10 to 15 knots on Sunday. We will under the effects of a full moon this weekend. Pompano Beach, Port Everglades, Haulover, Government Cut to Ocean Reef Look for catch and release snook to be biting in the Ocean Inlets, along the jetties, and along the beaches from Cape Florida to Deerfield Beach. The snook are biting live shri ..read more

Homosassa to Steinhatchee Includes Homosassa, Crystal River, Yankeetown, Waccasassa Bay, Cedar Key, Suwannee, Horseshoe Beach, Steinhatchee and Keaton Beach August 20 – 22 Tropical rains have cooled the Gulf waters for some good trout fishing. As we move toward fall look for the trout bite to be best on the outgoing tide and popping cork rigs are the best way to go. Some of my favorite colors are watermelon red flake, glow gold rush, golden bream and new penny. Three to five feet of water is the best depth. The nearshore rocks are a great place to put some nice snapper in the box. High profile ..read more

August 20 – 22 Unstable weather due to tropical storms could put a damper on your weekend plans to get on the water in a boat. But a late shift in direction of these storms could make for some great fishing. Don’t let that keep you from going fishing. Just pay attention to the weather and you should be ok. Tides from this Sunday’s full moon should provide good action inshore. If seas settle offshore, look for some excellent fishing. OFFSHORE/ NEARSHORE Red gouper action has been steady for anglers fishing on the party boats out of Hubbard’s Marina at John’s Pass. Nearshore fishing for red gr ..read more

  Key Largo to Key West Includes Islamorada and Marathon August 20 – 22 Backcountry Hello everyone! Lots of fun to be had this weekend in the Everglades National Park. The shallow water bite through out the park has been productive early in the morning and late in the afternoon with snook, trout and some tarpon around as well. DOA Jerk baits rigged weedless will get you on the action. Work the deeper channels and run offs around Flamingo on the last of the outgoing tide and beginning of the incoming tide for a decent bite of snook, jacks and other rod benders. As the water rises, get up o ..read more

Includes Vero Beach, Ft. Pierce, Stuart, West Palm Beach and Lake Worth August 20 – 22 Inshore Doug Blanchard with a large 42″ snook. Fishing this week has been excellent for trophy breeder snook. Catching 40″ plus snook is very common this time of year. Large baits on heavy tackle will be key to successful trophy catches. Quick pic and revival for a healthy release is imperative. Tarpon fishing is starting to heat up. Large tarpon are feeding on crabs and mullet this week. Fish are ranging 50-120 pounds, so heavy leaders and larger tackle is suggested. Some large jacks are roaming around al ..read more

Fernandina Beach to Flagler Beach Includes Jacksonville and St. Augustine August 20 – 22 Offshore Hot water temps combined with mild wind conditions should promote a variety of ocean fishing this weekend. Drifting live pogies along beach areas for tarpon would be one. Look for diving birds or surface activity from tarpon before choosing an area to fish. Inlets such as St. Augustine are loaded with tarpon this time of year and should be approached with different rigs for live or dead bait. Drifting or just anchoring over a drop off and letting baits sit on the bottom can be two effective ways t ..read more

Less tackle usually equates to more bites, but some situations demand it. Swivel size is only part of the equation. The lowest profile is a knot (far left), but there are reasons for various sizes and designs. I have long been a proponent of putting as little tackle in the water as possible. I rig to get bites from sometimes finicky fish. When I can get away without wire, I use as light a fluorocarbon as I can get away with. For me, swivels are a necessary evil, but if your boat’s in gear, or you’re casting a spoon, you’re probably going to need one. If I’m drifting live baits on flat lines ..read more

Quality of the shrimp makes the difference—and a few key ingredients seals the deal. Add cheese? Meh. Pancetta and sausage liven it up without trampling flavors of shrimp and grits. It’s been about 100 episodes of Sportsman’s Kitchen since I first featured shrimp and grits. That 2013 column was mostly about the proper preparation of the grits, and the part with shrimp was almost an aside. This year, I’ll address the shrimp—and few extra improvements like pancetta and Andouille sausage. Likely one of the world’s most popular seafood, shrimp are available in all corners of the United States, t ..read more

Measures to make your bay boat fly fishing friendly. Double mackerel catch from a pair of ‘Brent’ gents. Pictured starting left: Brenton Roberts and Brent Brauner. Fly line management can be a nightmare in just about any boats, other than technical poling skiffs designed to be snag and clutter-free. But many bay boats and open fishermen sometimes need special attention to make them fly-fishing friendly. Generally, the bigger the boat, the more gadgets that a loose, snaking fly line can find to snag. On the plus side, most bay boats do have a pronounced “drop-down” front and rear casting deck ..read more