Maintaining any boat, especially an older one, can be an expensive proposition. I know this to be fact. A repair shop in Matlacha has a dedicated parking space for me with my name on the blacktop and a plaque with my picture on the wall inside. Clearly, the boat is happier there than at my ...
Congratulations! Charlotte and Carl Veaux provided the first correct answer to last week’s Thanksgiving antique lure quiz and thanks also to the many others that responded. Heddon Batwings and Four-points appeared in the early 1900s and are actually hookless fish decoys highly prized by ...
If you could only use one lure type on your next Southwest Florida big money flats tournament, what would it be? Would you choose a top-water plug, MirrOlure-type twitch bait or a soft plastic jig? A spoon? For someone that carries a small tackle store's worth of lures and flies on each ...
New fly rod anglers looking to purchase equipment may be sticker shocked to find that a top quality fly rod and reel outfit can cost $1,500 to $22000 or more, fly line not included. The latest hi-tech graphite technology and materials go into today’s magic wands driving up prices. High-end ...
As of this writing, the wind is gusting to 60 mph with sideways rain. It was my turn to be on tornado watch so I found myself sitting by the window typing and silently praying to the shingle Gods for old roof mercy when my friends had to go out. Yorkie actually lifted off and flew a good four ...
An item missing from many boats is a basic toolbox containing a handful of essentials and one that shouldn’t be overlooked. A few years back I was travelling at night when I hit a crab float. In an instant the prop wrapped the float rope stopping the motor. Knife in teeth I slid over the ...
With changing water temperatures and bait on the move, fishing is in high gear both in and offshore, up and down both coasts. For the traveling angler that likes to follow seasonal Florida fishing peaks head north for a few days and try Port Canaveral. Hire a local guide or tow your rig and ...
Lately, my bay boat seems happier living at the local repair shop instead of my place. This time it was $800 to get it back, which is twice as bad as the $400 I paid not too many months ago. Boat (“break out another thousand”) should be a happy word. Not a frustration trigger. I do as ...
If you’re looking for a change from the ankle deep flats game and want to get in on the offshore bite and some tasty fresh fillets but don’t have the appropriate sized boat and tackle, then consider a local offshore fishing charter. Offshore or deep sea Gulf of Mexico charters typically ...
For the salty angler who enjoys the sport of quietly hunting shallow water gamefish, nothing beats the sudden sighting of a big fish, nose down, tail happily wagging in the air as it scours the bottom for its breakfast. The only thing better is seeing a whole school of glistening waving tails ...
