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…
Southern flounder are the fish that humbles you. I’ve watched experienced anglers walk right over flounder holding in a sandy depression just inches from their feet, completely unaware. These flatfish are so well camouflaged that they become part of the bottom—and that’s exactly what makes them fascinating and challenging to catch. I developed a deep…
If there’s one fish that defined my childhood on the water, it’s the spotted seatrout. I grew up fishing the back bays around Apalachicola with my dad, and speckled trout—that’s what everyone calls them down here—were the fish we chased more than anything else. They’re beautiful, they fight hard, and if you know what you’re…
You cross a fence, you think you’re on WMA ground. Or maybe you weren’t sure and figured it’d be fine. Then a game warden walks out of the treeline. That moment — right there — is the difference between a clean season and a criminal charge that follows you the rest of your life. Understanding…
The mourning dove is still the most hunted migratory bird in North America. Three hundred and forty-six million birds, according to 2023 USFWS estimates. Over sixteen million harvested annually. By the raw numbers, that sounds like a species doing just fine. But dig into the long-term data — sixty years of Breeding Bird Survey records…