Cold Weather Means Big Seatrout at Steinhatchee
It’s December, and the cold-ish weather has brought cool water temperatures to the Gulf and River at Steinhatchee, in Taylor County. That mean lots of seatrout are schooling, and anglers returning to the Sea Hag Marina have been bringing in steady limits (5 fish, one can be over 20″, none under 15″). Many folks are …
Getting To Know Your New Boat
From The Fishing Wire: Every new boat requires an owner break-in period. Experiences from this new owner just may help you with yours. Dan Keating has owned several boats over the years and is an avid fisherman. When he decided to replace his aging center console with a new Yamaha-powered Contender® 32ST, he realized it …
Investigate the Inside of Cedar Key’s Islands and Find Seatrout and Redfish
All too often anglers spend lots of time circling the islands near Cedar Key, failing to realize that on higher tides that there’s enough water inside the islands to float small boats and paddlecraft. Two examples are Atsena Otie Key and Snake Key, located due south of the boat basin at the end of SR24. …
Florida Removes Venting Tool Requirement for Reef Fishes
Soon Florida anglers will no longer be required to have and use a venting tool when fishing for reef fish in Gulf of Mexico state waters. During its Nov. 21 meeting, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) removed the requirement in Gulf state waters, making state regulations consistent with rules in federal waters. …
Using Nautical Charts (and Variations)
NOAA has recently (2013) announced that printed nautical charts are being discontinued. However, there are many options for printed charts, mostly geared to fishermen, as well as electronic versions of charts embedded into the systems of GPS and combination GPS/Sonar units for boats. If you’re looking for a good fishing chart that’s detailed enough to …
Catch More Fall Fish on Florida’s Big Bend, Rig “Carolina Style”!
From Capt. Rick Burns: This week I’ll share one way of how to go about catching our sometimes sluggish Autumn fish with live or cut bait. I love the thrill and challenge of fooling fish with plugs and artificial lures. But, when these times can render some fish “lockjaw lethargics”, you sometimes have to revert …
Watch out for manatees migrating to warmer waters
Florida manatees are beginning their annual migration to warmer waters, which is their instinctual response to winter’s approach and surviving the cold. As these slow-moving aquatic mammals migrate along rivers, canals, bays and coastlines, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) cautions boaters to slow down and watch out for manatees. The average adult …
Expect Great Fall Fishing Action at Cedar Key’s Seahorse Reef
Seahorse Reef, a ridge of shallow bottom that lies due south of the town of Cedar Key in Levy County, is no secret to Big Bend fishermen. The “reef” is often overlooked as the ride from the downtown boat ramp in Cedar Key can be a rough one on windy fall days. However, weather fronts …
Poor Man’s Tarpon–Catch A Big Bend Ladyfish!
Fishing’s not always about eating and with the recent cool weather, the Big Bend has been overrun with hordes of fish that are fun to catch—and not necessarily good to eat. Of course, I’m referring to ladyfish—also known as “poor man’s tarpon”. These boys and girls have been fattening up all summer, gorging on white …
Buckeye Reef Off Taylor County Expanded — Sponsored By The Gainesville Offshore Fishing Club
The Gainesville Offshore Fishing Club donated funds to increase the size of the Buckeye Reef. You can find a video of the reef here: https://youtu.be/uuxIgKwYWr0. As you can see from the video, shortly after the culverts were put in place, there were amberjack and grouper present, with schools of baitfish. The GPS coordinates for the …