Everything you need to know about Florida’s alligator hunting season — application dates, the FWC lottery process, permit costs, CITES tags, management units, and what to do if you don’t draw.
Everything a first-time Florida alligator hunter needs to know — from the FWC permit lottery and legal methods to spotlighting techniques, safety rules, and field-to-freezer tips.
Black drum don’t get the respect they deserve. Ask most Florida anglers about inshore fishing and they’ll mention redfish, trout, or snook before they mention black drum. That’s a mistake. Black drum (Pogonias cromis) are large, powerful, widely available, and readily catchable by anglers of all skill levels—and the big ones, the “puppy drum” stage…
There’s something honest about catfish fishing. No pretense, no expensive gear required, no need to read the tides or study current charts. You put the right bait on the bottom in the right place and you catch fish. It’s pure, accessible, effective fishing—and the result is one of the finest freshwater meals available anywhere in…
I came to crappie fishing later than most. Growing up in the Panhandle, saltwater was always the focus—trout, reds, flounder. It wasn’t until my father-in-law took me out on Lake Talquin one February morning and we boxed 40 crappie before noon that I understood what all the fuss was about. These little fish have serious…
There are fish you catch and there are fish that stay with you. Mahi-mahi belong to the second category. The first time I pulled one over the gunwale—all electric blue, gold, and green, glowing like something that shouldn’t exist in nature—I stood there for a solid few seconds just staring. Even Cole made me take…
The first time I spotted a cobia while working a reef buoy offshore, I didn’t recognize what I was seeing. A dark, shark-shaped silhouette cruising slowly just below the surface, right next to a cownose ray. I cast a jig at it almost on instinct—and the fish exploded on the lure before it had sunk…
Ask any serious Florida inshore angler which species they’d fish for if they could only pick one, and the majority will say snook. Common snook (Centropomus undecimalis) represent everything great about saltwater fishing in one fish: aggressive surface strikes, incredible acrobatic runs, a preference for complex structure, and a biology sophisticated enough to keep you…
The first time I caught a Florida pompano, I couldn’t believe how hard it fought for a fish that small. Something about that deep, plate-shaped body and those powerful pectoral fins translates into one of the most thrilling light-tackle battles in the ocean. Add in the fact that pompano are arguably the best-tasting fish in…
There’s a running joke among Florida anglers that sheepshead exist specifically to frustrate us. These black-and-white striped characters have teeth that look disturbingly human, fins sharp enough to draw blood, and the uncanny ability to strip your hook clean before you feel a thing. I love them completely and unconditionally. Sheepshead (Archosargus probatocephalus) are one…