Fort Lauderdale Florida is one of the Top fishing destinations in the world.  Only a mile off Fort Lauderdale beaches a year round migration of some of the most sought after game fish in the world occurs. Depending on the time of year, you can catch Kingfish, Tuna, Wahoo, Sailfish, Marlin, Swordfish, Dolphin, Snapper, Grouper, Cobia, Amberjack, Barracuda and Big Game Sharks.  Millions of anglers flock to the Ft Lauderdale and the South Florida region year after year.  Most fish are caught within three miles of shore and this makes Fort Lauderdale one of the least expensive places in Florida to fish offshore.   Once you leave the dock,  lines are in the water in about 20 minutes.   Popular fishing techniques include kite fishing for sail fish, trolling over shipwrecks for cobia, Wahoo, dolphin, amberjack or dropping down bottom baits for grouper or snapper, you will find a trophy catch while offshore sport fishing in Fort Lauderdale!  Normally an eight hour excursion another exciting favorite is nighttime fishing for sword fish!

The Venice of America

You will find and experience the Venice of America. That is what Fort Lauderdale is known as because of the multimillion dollar homes and equally lavish yachts!  The beautiful inshore waters and canals lapping the docks of the rich and some of the famous and the beautiful pristine waters and beaches.  Fort Lauderdale is a place to be experienced on the water!  In addition to the allure of an exciting big game sport-fishing trip there are so many  other reasons anglers and their families visit Ft Lauderdale too, like the abundant sunshine, pristine waters, year round fishing, beautiful beaches and exciting night life. The reasons are endless- which is why “fishing paradise” comes to mind when thinking of Fishing and Fort Lauderdale.

Great weather for fishing. West winds are starting to stack up some weeds offshore,
and they proved to be somewhat fishy this trip. NE of the weather buoy some tightly
scattered weeds proved to be just what the icebox needed. We started around the perimeter
first, and the results came slowly, but good. First fish in was a 15lb Mahi. Like the last
few weeks of fishing these anglers had never caught a “Dolphin”, and made it the target
species of the trip. No company with this catch, so lines back to work.

Another half hour, and the line goes off again. It did not seem too big till the angler
put some bend in the rod, then a couple hundred yards of line peeled. This fish was
not a jumper, but still we waited till we seen the colors to know what we had. It took
a while with our Dolphin rigs to finally work it to the boat, but the Blue stripes was
a very welcome sight. Wahoo in the boat. This 50lb fish made the day for these guys,
and we still had time to fish.

Another pass around the area with no results, so we decided to cut through the weed
field. A little time passed, and a lot of cleaning fouled lines of weed, but another
hookup. Another Mahi was on the line, dragging weeds with it. As we got it near the
boat we saw it had company. The second fish did not take the other lines, so a pitch
rod went to work. It looked, it followed, but nada. Other offerings were put in front of
it but it turned its nose up at all we offered, and eventually made its way off. We sent
lines back out, working the weed field some more with no more action.

Finally we headed to 8A to see if we could pick up a King or two to make a Slam.
One line down, another out the back, and into slow gear we went. 20 minutes into
the run, the downrigger released, and drag went out. This fish came to the surface
and went airborne. A nice 20 lb bull Mahi was on the line. We worked it to the
boat, and about a foot short of gaff range it decided it no longer wanted to play the
game, and unhooked itself. Big smiles were on the anglers faces despite the loss
of this fish. With lobster red sun burnt skin, they were ready to return to port and
clean fish.

SAFETY AT SEA AND YOUR CHARTER.

Charter Boat laws:

Operating a Charter Fishing operation requires more than just a captain and a boat. The Captain must hold a current USCG license with homeland security TWIC card. To be a saltwater Fishing Guide in Florida, you must also comply with U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) requirements.  The U.S. Coast Guard (USGC) requires all operators of for-hire vessels to have a Captain license. Charter vessels must also be commercially registered.  Charter, head boat and saltwater fishing guide operations must have an FWC charter captain or boat license to cover their passengers, who are not required to hold a recreational saltwater fishing license. This license allows the captain and vessel to engage in charter fishing, whale watching, SCUBA diving, and tour cruises. This license is limited to near coastal waters only not more than 100 miles offshore and is not valid for international voyages.  He must be enrolled in a random drug testing program, and carry a current first aid card. The boat must meet USCG – UPV standards (for 6 or less guest). There are many additional safety items required on a charter boat than a recreational boat. Trash and pollution place-cards are required onboard, as well as an emergency plan. Coast Pilot, Tide Charts and Light List for the waters operated are required onboard. Type 1 PFD’s with a whistle, lightened reflective tape are required for everyone on board. A life-ring is also required. This and the PFD’s are required to include either the boats name or registration numbers. Though inspections are not required, it is best if it is done to ensure compliance. A state fishing license must be provided for all guest fishing on the boat. Federal (NOAA) Fishing Permits are required if the boat will engage in any fishing activity past state lines (3 miles Atlantic – 9 miles Gulf). Although VHF’s nor GPS locators are not required, they should be considered as a very important safety equipment that should be on every boat.  Properly licensed Captains and charter operations spend a good deal of money to be so, and will not mind showing these required licenses and permits. If a charter operator will not show you these, then it may be best to look elsewhere.

Always make sure your boat and captain has these safety items on board:

1. 1. Working radio.
   2. A correctly fitting life preserver for each passenger.
   3. Signaling devices both visual and audible such as flairs, whistle and/or hand held air horn.
   4. Anchor.
   5. Some type of shade.
   6. Plenty of fresh water.
   7. Fire extinguisher.
   8. A throw-able flotation device.
   9. First aid kit.

You can do your part by:

1. 1. Wearing proper clothing for a day out in the elements.
   2. Using alcoholic beverages moderately.
   3. Following the instructions of the captain, guide or mate.
   4. Getting plenty of sleep the night before and staying hydrated.
   5. Wear sunscreen and a hat.  The Florida sun can be brutal.
   6. Proper shoes that protect your feet and boat deck.
   7. A life jacket is no substitute for adult supervision of children in and around the water. Children float differently than adults. Because their body weight is distributed differently, children are more likely to float face down in the water.

If you are not sure the boat you are chartering has the necessary equipment ask your captain or guide to show you. If he does not or cannot comply think twice about continuing your charter.  Your safety is your ultimately your responsibility, don’t leave it up to the other guy, insist on good boating safety practices!

.

.

The desire to spread or scatter the ashes of a loved one in a special place is an ever increasingly popular choice.  It is a dignified and simple alternative to the conventional funeral and iOutdoor can help you make arrangements with a captain and vessel to provide this service.  A funeral at sea is a time honored tradition.  It is less costly than a conventional funeral and in many ways is much more refined. We provide for a private charter to take up to 6 attendees out for the scattering in most major ports in Florida. If you are unable to go out to sea, one of our captains will take the cremated remains offshore and scatter the ashes for you.  Unattended we provide a respectful, dignified sea scattering service locally in most major ports in Florida.  Call iOutdoor and for availability and costs.

Burial at Sea–Rules and Regulations.

Ocean Scattering…  As no special permitting is required for this in Florida, you may also do the scattering yourself.  There are certain requirements as set forth below for all ocean remains scattering. This is the actual Environmental Protection Agency rule on burial of human remains at sea.

From The Code of Federal Regulations

Sec. 229.1 Burial at sea.

(a) All persons subject to title I of the Act are hereby granted a general permit to transport human remains from the United States and all persons owning or operating a vessel or aircraft registered in the United States or flying the United States flag and all departments, agencies, or instrumentalities of the United States are hereby granted a general permit to transport human remains from any location for the purpose of burial at sea and to bury such remains at sea subject to the following conditions:

(1) Except as herein otherwise provided, human remains shall be prepared for burial at sea and shall be buried in accordance with accepted practices and requirements as may be deemed appropriate and desirable by the United States Navy, United States Coast Guard, or civil authority charged with the responsibility for making such arrangements;

(2) Burial at sea of human remains which are not cremated shall take place no closer than 3 nautical miles from land and in water no less than one hundred fathoms (six hundred feet) deep and in no less than three hundred fathoms (eighteen hundred feet) from (i) 27 deg.30’00″ to 31 deg.00’00″ North Latitude off St. Augustine and Cape Canaveral, Florida; (ii) 82 deg.20’00″ to 84 deg.00’00″ West Longitude off Dry Tortugas, Florida; and (iii) 87 deg.15’00″ to 89 deg.50’00″ West Longitude off the Mississippi River Delta, Louisiana, to Pensacola, Florida. All necessary measures shall be taken to ensure that the remains sink to the bottom rapidly and permanently; and

(3) Cremated remains shall be buried in or on ocean waters without regard to the depth limitations specified in paragraph (a)(2) of this section provided that such burial shall take place no closer than 3 nautical miles from land.

(b) For purposes of this section and Secs. 229.2 and 229.3, land means that portion of the baseline from which the territorial sea is measured, as provided for in the Convention on the Territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone, which is in closest proximity to the proposed disposal site.

(c) Flowers and wreaths consisting of materials which are readily decomposable in the marine environment may be disposed of under the general permit set forth in this section at the site at which disposal of human remains is authorized.

(d) All burials conducted under this general permit shall be reported within 30 days to the Regional Administrator of the Region from which the vessel carrying the remains departed.

The following  Notice to EPA is required to be filed within 30 days.

All burials conducted shall be reported within 30 days to the EPA Region in writing. The following information should be included and mailed or faxed to the appropriate Region. You can copy the information below or complete and print the Region 4 burial at sea form (PDF)

Getting married in the Florida Keys can be a spectacular and romantic event and IOutdoor can help arrange a memorable experience for you and your wedding party aboard one of our safe and comfortable boats. The Keys are filled with fabulous locations to tie the knot and what better way than to say “I Do” than on the sparkling waters of the Keys.  If you’re considering a tropical wedding then look no further than the beautiful beaches and pristine aqua blue waters of the Florida Keys!  iOutdoor can help you select just the right captain, vessel size and location for your wedding or party.  Whether intimate, simple or grand, we will assist you in finding the right captain and boat in the best location.  Add a touch of excitement and an exotic location to your wedding by taking your vows on the water in the beautiful Florida Keys!  Why have a traditional wedding when you can have an adventure to be remembered for a lifetime!

A Keys Wedding On the Water.

On December 28, 2010 John and Elena Elsea got married on board the That’s Right in Islamorada, Florida with Captain John Oughton. How do you picture your wedding in the Keys?  Take a look below!  This was a beautiful ceremony, a fabulous setting for a very classy couple!

A few facts about Alligators! Alligators may occur anywhere there is water—lakes, ponds, rivers, marshes, swamps, and even man-made canals.  According to the Everglades National Park website, the largest alligator ever recorded in Florida was 17 feet 5 inches, although according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission the Florida state record for length is a 14 feet 5/8 inches male from Lake Monroe in Seminole County.  The largest specimen ever recorded was found in Louisiana and measured 19 feet 2 inches.  A true dinosaur!  The general family Alligatoridae first appeared about 35 million years ago.  When the Spanish explorers first began to trek across Florida and into North America about 500 years ago, they discovered “dragons,” dubbing these giant hard-to-kill toothy reptiles, “El Lagarto,” or “the lizard.” Over the centuries, English-speaking people corrupted the Spanish phrase into “alligator,” known to scientists as “Alligator mississippiensis.”   The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service removed alligators from the Endangered Species List in 1987, there are over 1,300,000 alligators in Florida alone- the average lifespan for an alligator is 50 years.  In the state of Florida, it is illegal to feed wild alligators at any time. If fed, alligators eventually lose their fear of humans and learn to associate humans with food, thereby becoming a great danger to people. .

.

DANGEROUS GAME!

Alligators are considered dangerous game in Florida and should be treated as such, with respect at all times- an alligator can outrun a horse over a short distance! Alligators primarily hunt at dusk or during the night and will eat just about anything including fish, frogs, birds, turtles, insects, snakes, small mammals, other alligators, white-tailed deer, wild hogs, and sometimes people’s pets.  Alligators are agile and can be good climbers!  Adults have been known to climb fences to get to water or escape captivity.  Fences should be more than 4.5 feet tall if you are attempting to keep alligators out of your yard and away from your pets.  More than 200 unprovoked alligator attacks on humans have been documented since 1948, with 17 resulting in fatalities.  There have been 11 people killed by an alligator in the past 53 years in Florida. Five of the deaths have been children under age 12.  But don’t worry too much!!  Did you know that an average of 150 people per year are killed worldwide by falling coconuts? Or that from 1959 to 2003, lightning killed 425 people in the Sunshine State.  With proper care and using common sense alligators can be viewed, enjoyed and hunted safely in Florida’s natural beauty!

Alligator Recipes

Ingredients

• 1 pound alligator meat, cut into chunks Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Flour, for dredging
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup hot sauce
• 1 bottle store bought ranch dressing for dipping

Directions

Heat a deep-fryer to 350 degrees F. Lightly season gator meat with salt and pepper prior to dredging them in flour. Combine buttermilk and hot sauce into 1 mixture. Dip the gator meat into the buttermilk and hot sauce mixture and dip, once again, in flour. Then place in deep fryer until golden brown, just a couple minutes. Drain on paper towels and serve with ranch dressing. .

.

There is open season on hog hunting in Florida during all daylight hours, seven days a week, 365 days a year!  Hogs are not native to Florida and do tremendous damage to pasture lands and crops.  The control of wild hogs is serious business, they have invaded nearly every corner of the state.  European pigs arrived in the country with some of the earliest settlers, and they either escaped or were released into the wild nearly 500 years ago. pigs were probably brought to this country by Hernando DeSoto, the Spanish explorer, who landed in Florida at Charlotte Harbor in 1539.  There are about 4-5 million wild hogs in the US. Wild hogs are the most destructive invasive species in the United States.  An estimated 500,000 wild pigs now roam through the dense vegetation of Florida.  Female hogs can bread at 8 months and A pig can produce two, and sometimes more, litters a year, especially in southern Florida where conditions are perfect, a litter can number a dozen, that’s a lot of pigs.  Hogs can weigh more than 300 pounds, are extremely intelligent and aggressive and can be very aggressive when it comes to foraging for food. They have been known to attack domestic calves and lambs. Hogs can also carry diseases that can be transmitted to livestock,                                                       making them enemy #1 to farmers and cattlemen alike.

.

HOGZILLA!

Hog hunting in Florida is a booming industry and can be hunted year round.  The only exception is on public lands according to FWC: “On wildlife management areas, hogs may be taken during most hunting seasons, except spring turkey. But, if it’s during archery season, you must use a bow – during muzzle loading gun season, you can only use a muzzleloader. And, you do need a hunting license as well as management area permit and any other necessary permits to hunt wild pigs on WMAs – where on some, daily bag limits on wild pigs do apply, and on a few, there’s even a minimum size limit on what you can take.”  Hogs can be hunted in Florida using rifle, handgun, spear, crossbow, dogs, knife, bow and arrow and muzzle loader.  Hogs can be hunted on foot, horseback, ATV or from a swamp buggy or still hunted from a ground or tree blind.  Unusually large, trophy-sized feral pigs have been taken that reach three feet tall, six feet long and over 500 pounds.  Trophy Boars have four continually growing tusks that can be extremely sharp. The upper tusks are often 3 to 5 inches long, but have sometimes been recorded at 9 inches in length.  These tusks can be deadly to animals like catch dogs and humans.  Hogs can run up to 30 miles per hour and are good swimmers.  Hogs feed most heavily at dawn and dusk, spending the majority of the day either wallowing in mud holes or resting in dense vegetation. Wild boar in Florida is considered dangerous game and a charging boar is considered exceptionally dangerous quarry, due to its thick hide and dense bones, making anything less than a “kill shot” a potentially deadly mistake.  Wild boar hunting is neither for the faint of heart nor for solo hunters, the boar can prove to be a vicious opponent that never surrenders without a fight.

Hog hunting knife

Hog hunting pistol

.

Recipes for Wild Florida Hog

Going Whole Hog
Feed an Army the Old Fashioned Way

So the army’s coming over for dinner and you need to come up with something to feed them. How about cooking up a whole hog. It’ll serve nearly 40-50 people so it’s a great choice for that church social or the family reunion.
The first thing you’ll need is a place to do the cooking. You can run out and spend $1000 or so on a good high quality smoker or you can put one together in the backyard. Depending on how industrious you are you could buy some plans or you could rig one up.

Pit Building: One way of building a pig cooker is to get some 8 inch stone blocks a few metal rods and a wire screen. Build a rectangle with the blocks so it’s inside measurements are about 42″ wide 50″ long and 18″ deep. Set the metal rods on top of the blocks to support the hog and place the wire screen over the rods. Then you can place the hog right on top and let it cook.

Preparing the Pig: Once you know how and where you are going to cook the hog you need to get the pig. Try to find a skinned and trimmed carcass around 60 to 100 pounds. You want it to be lean so that you don’t start any grease fires. The carcass should be butterflied so it can lay it out relatively flat. To get a whole hog, call around to some local butchers and see if they can help you out. If you can refrigerator a whole hog get it a day in advance and season it up with a good rub then let if sit for a good day. If you don’t have a place to store it then get everything ready so you can get the hog on the fire as soon as you get it home. Season it as you cook.

Building the Fire: Now you’re ready to build a fire. If you are using charcoal briquettes you need about 60 pounds you can also use hard wood logs burned down to coals. If you have a fancy professional smoker, follow the instructions on building a fire. If you are using a backyard pit, I suggest building a fire ring next to the pit so you can build up the fire there and then move the coals to the pit. You’ll want to keep adding coals to the pit throughout the day. Start with about 20 pounds of coals. Load them all along the bottom of the pit with more coals on the ends under the hams and the shoulders so the hog will cook evenly.
Cooking: The plan is to cook the hog for about 10 hours. Start in the morning. Build up the heat throughout the day and watch the temperature carefully. Use a good meat thermometer placed deep into one of the hams. When you hit about 170 degrees F. (no less) the hog is done. Cook skin side up for 4-8 hours and then flip. Cook an additional 1-2 hours and turn again. Finish cooking skin side up. Make up a good mop and baste the hog about every hour or so. Apply whatever sauce you want at the end.

Pulling: Once the pig is cooked remove it from the fire and let it sit for about an hour, wrapped up tightly. This will let it cool down a bit, but also let the heat even out and the juices flow back into the meat. Now you are ready to start pulling the meat. The meat should pull freely from the bones. You should start by cutting or breaking the pig up into large pieces about 5 to 10 pounds each. From these large sections shred the meat into small pieces or strips. You do not want to crush the meat, but gently pull it apart. A good pair of insulative, latex cooking gloves are a must. You will want to put the shredded meat into a large pot to keep warm and to mix up. A perfect pile of pulled pork should have meat from every part of the pig.

.

Native American Wild Hog Roast Recipe

Ingredients
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 dried juniper berries,crushed
1/2 tsp. crushed coriander seed
1 bay leaf
4 lg. ripe tomatoes, quartered, seeded
1 1/4 cups water
2/3 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup honey
1 Tbl. ground red chile
1 dried medium-hot red chile, crushed
2 tsp. salt
1 oz. square unsweetened chocolate, grated
4 lb. or 5 lb. wild hog / wild bore rib roast

Heat oil in a large heavy saucepan and saute onions in it over medium heat until soft. Add garlic, juniper berries, coriander seed and bay leaf and saute for 2 to 3 minutes longer. Add tomatoes, water, vinegar, honey, ground and crushed chile and salt. Simmer, covered, 30 minutes. Add chocolate and simmer, uncovered, for 20 to 30 minutes, until fairly thick. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place roast fat side up in a roasting pan and baste generously with the sauce. Roast for about 3 hours, basting occasionally with sauce and pan drippings. Let roast sit for 10 minutes in a warm place before carving. Slice and spoon additional sauce over each portion.

.

Super Tasty Wild Boar Hog Summer Sausage

Wonderful and super easy Wild Boar Hog
summer sausage recipe here:

2 pounds ground boar meat
1 cup of water
2 tbsp tenderquick salt
1/2 tbsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp liquid smoke (if baked in oven)
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper

Mix well and refrigerate for 24 hours. Form into logs. Bake at 300 degrees for
1-1/2 hours, or till internal temperature reaches 160 degrees, or smoke until
internal temp reaches 160 degrees.

.

.

Tarpon are also known as The Silver King and for good reason!  Tarpon are large, hard fighting fish and are judged by many to be the world’s most exciting game fish on both fly and spinning reel. Once a tarpon is hooked, it begins a spectacular display of leaping and twisting acrobatic displays into the air. Tarpon are generally between 25 to 80 pounds on average but can range from a few inches in length to almost 300 pounds. The world all tackle record is 283 pounds 4ounces, a truly mighty fish! Tarpon eat crabs, shrimp, pinfish and mullet.

.

Fishing Technique.

You really need a game plan if you are going to be a successful light tackle tarpon master.  Tarpon are powerful and have hard rough mouths, sharp gill plates and abrasive scales. They have extremely tough mouths that are hard and boney and it takes special skill to successfully stick the big ones and get a good hook set. Rule number one - use a sturdy sharp hook and re-sharpen it often!  Because of their sharp gill plates and equally sharp tough scales leaders and leader materials are very important I suggest tarpon fishing leaders should be about 6 to 12 feet in length and of heavy monofilament or fluorocarbon line from 60 to 125 LB test.  A 6/0 live bait hook to an 11/0 circle hook is a good place to start when selecting a hook. Your choice of rod and reel is less important – spend your time on a variety of fresh live bait and on your terminal tackle and on getting it right.

.

.Baits

Tarpon are difficult fish to catch. One day they will like small pinfish and another day crabs and on another day something else entirely different, so having a good variety of bait to offer when you go out is important and will increase your chance of a hook up.  Tarpon are successfully caught on artificial lures and fly rods and is really considered the top of the sport.  From old stand bys like the top water Zara Spook to sophisticated hand crafted fly’s- the choices for artificial baits are endless.  In my opinion fly fishing for Tarpon is at the very pinnacle of the game and my all time preferred method of hunting and catching these fantastic game fish.  On light tackle or fly, a large tarpon can take you on an hour long adventure that will cover most of the available landscape as you chase him and he pulls you around. Your skill as an angler and the quality of your gear and terminal tackle are tested to the extreme.   Knots!  Knots, knots and more knots!!  All fishing depends on good knot tying- if you don’t have a good understanding of knots then start learning how to tie them now- there is nothing more important to any angler and especially so in big tough game fish like tarpon fishing.  At a bare minimum know these knots and how to constantly and successfully tie them under a variety of conditions and with a variety of line sizes and types of line materials- the loop knot, the clinch knot or uni-knot, the surgeons knot and the blood knot. Always be sure you pull your knots up tight!

.

.

Catch and Release!

We don’t eat Tarpon- they are strictly a catch and release game fish.  Always take the greatest care with these beautiful prehistoric sea creatures. These incredible fish were made for angling and you should do everything possible to preserve our tarpon fishery for the generations to come. When using live bait tarpon fishing with circle hooks are the best for releasing the fish unharmed.  Try not to fight a tarpon so long that it becomes completely exhausted- their perfect shark food in this state.  Releasing tarpon at the side of the boat without lifting the fish out of the water produces the best results for the health of the tarpon.  Lifting a tarpon out of the water or dragging a tarpon over the side of a boat for a photograph will potentially kill or damage the fish.  Wear gloves to leader and handle a tarpon so you can leave the tarpon in the water and grab the lower jaw you’re your gloved hand to remove a hook.  If you can’t remove the hook don’t panic- just cut the leader as short as possible- the salt water will dissolve the hook and the fish will recover fine.

.

Artificial-Live-Cut

There are as many choices for baits as there are fisherman!  Do I use an artificial?  Is a Live bait best?  What about frozen baits?  A bit of history: In early times, fishing lures were made from bone or bronze.  The Chinese and Egyptians used fishing rods, hooks, and lines as early as 2,000 B.C., though most of the first fishermen used hand lines.  The first hooks were made of bronze which were strong but still very thin and less visible to the fish. The Chinese were the first to make fishing line, spun from fine silk. The modern fishing lure was made commercially in the United States in the early 1900s by the firm of Heddon and Pflueger in Michigan. Before this time most fishing lures were handmade by individual craftsman. Commercial-made lures were based on the same ideas as the individual craftsmen were making but on a production scale.  There are literally thousands of artificial baits so let’s narrow it down to just saltwater fishing.  And to start off let’s say that nothing beats a properly presented live bait.  The problem with live bait is the ability to find them when you need them and to keep the life in the bait, thus the advent of artificial lures.

Artificial Baits

Since all artificial lures mimic live bait your first job is to find out what your targeted fish like to eat.  Are they top water feeders?  Do they eat crab and shrimp?  Lures are made to mimic every variety of saltwater bait fish and crustacean imaginable.  Proper technique is important when using artificial, retrieve speed is probably where most angles fail when using artificials.  Improve your skills in casting and retrieving to get the best results from lure fishing.   One of the basic axioms is “Retrieve fast in warm water, retrieve slowly in cold water.”  Fish strike for many reasons, they could be hungry, reacting to instinct, or protecting their nests, and sometimes change in retrieve will trigger a response, vary your retrieve, both the speed and the style.  Try to cast beyond your target area so that the lure is working properly by the time it reaches the fish.  In choosing a lure color, another good axiom says “Light days, light colors; dark days, dark colors.”  You may think just the opposite would work since the contrast would show off the lure, but the fish would recognize that something is off and won’t bite.  Remember two keywords: Presentation and Presence.  You are bringing an artificial object into a fish’s environment, trying to trick that fish into biting that lure. The more naturally and deliberately that lure moves through their environment, the better your chances of success.  Lead head jigs with hair skirts are one of the most successful artificial baits and are one of the easiest to use- to ensure a successful day of saltwater fishing, bring along an assortment of saltwater jigs.

Artificial lures come in many types, here are a few of the basics:

Crank Baits. Usually refers to a floating or diving plug of medium size used by freshwater anglers.  The term gets its name from the cranking motion of casting reels.  Can be reeled in or trolled.

Hard Iron. These are heavy lures meant to be thrown longer distances, normally for surfcasting.  Examples are Salas Jigs, Point Wilson Darts, Crippled Herring, Stinger, Hopkins, and larger Kastmasters.

Jerk Baits. The style of jerking or pulling a lure created this name.  It’s most often a floating lure used in freshwater, though sometimes any lure can be used for this style of fishing.  Excalibur, Rebel, and Rapala have models for this.  On a much larger scale, Pencil Poppers are similar.

Jigs. Though it was primarily named for the style of fishing, dropping the lure letting it settle, then pulling it up and dropping it again.  Now a jig means anything with a lead head fastened on the top of the hook.  Bucktail jigs like Hair Raisers or Bug Eyes are the most popular examples.  They can be used jig-style or cast and retrieved.

Plastics. Almost always means soft plastic like worms, crayfish, frogs, and swim baits.  Modern times have rendered it essentially meaningless as a term.

Plugs. Made from wood or hard plastic, these lures are classified in three categories: Floating/diving, Sinking, or Surface.  There is something called a suspension plug, which is a very slowly floating lure. Examples of all three categories are found in Rapala, Shad Rap, Bomber, Rebel, Rat-L-Trap, and Pencil Poppers.

Spinner Baits. This is the lure with a leadhead (like a jighead) on one end of a v-shaped wire and a blade or pair of blades on the other.  It is almost always a black bass lure.

Spinners. Mostly used in freshwater fishing, these lures are also used for salmon, steelhead, and ocean bass.  The design is basic: a spinning blade just under the eye of a hook, followed by either beads or a metal bell-shaped body.  Blue Fox, Mepps, and Panther Martin are examples.  It’s a hard lure to throw because it is so lightweight and is more often a trolling lure.

Spoons. Both shape and effect define these lures.  Spoons wobble and ripple the water, and more often than not they reflect light.  They can be thrown or trolled with great effect.  Most of them, like Krocodile, Pet Spoon, and Kastmaster, are metal, but there are some plastic varieties such as one made by Apex.

Stick Baits. This is a top-water, minnow-shaped lure that is supposed to resemble darting, skipping baitfish on the surface.  It can be retrieved steadily or jerked.  Examples are Zara Spook and Bagley’s Bang-O-Lure.

Swim Baits. Just about every angler saw the Banjo Minnow on TV, and most of us scoffed that it was too ridiculous to be taken seriously. Just one more gimmick. Maybe.  But there is quite a lot to be said for swim baits.  They do catch fish.  The one drawback is that they don’t last very long, especially with the more toothy fish, like halibut.  One or two strikes can often be the end of a swim bait.  However, most anglers will sacrifice a relatively inexpensive swim bait for a nice fish.  They throw beautifully and retrieve splendidly; there isn’t much doubt about that.  Rigging is fairly easy once you get the hang of it.  It’s best to lay the jighead beneath the bait for a look-see before you fasten it.

By definition:

• A jig is a weighted hook with a lead head opposite the sharp tip. They are often covered with a minnow or crawfish or even a plastic worm to get the fish’s attention. The operator moves the rod to make the jig move.
• Surface lures are also known as top water lures. They float and resemble prey that is on top of the water. They can make a popping sound from a concave-cut head, a burbling sound from “side fins” or scoops or a buzzing commotion from one or several propellers. A few have only whatever motion the fisherman applies through the rod itself, though if skillfully used, they can be very effective.
• Spoon lures are made to resemble the inside of a table spoon. They flash in the light while wobbling or darting due to their shape, and attract fish.
• Plugs are also known as crankbaits. These lures have a fishlike body shape and they are run through the water where they can make a variety of different movements caused by instability due to the scoop under the head.
• Spinnerbait are pieces of wire bent at about a 60 degree angle with a hook on the lower end and a flashy spinner mechanism on the upper end.
• Swimbait is a minnow- like soft plastic bait that is reeled like a plug. Some of these have a swimming tail.
• A Daisy Chain is a “chain” of plastic lures, however they do not have hooks – their main purpose is to merely attract a school of fish closer to the lures with hooks.

Live Baits

Nothing really beats live or cut baits.  For offshore bottom and reef species, cigar minnows, pinfish, squid, goggle eyes, ballyhoo and Spanish sardines work well.  Offshore top water mullet use pinfish and ballyhoo.  For inshore; shrimp, crab and mud minnows work well.    And then there is shrimp!  Shrimp are probably the best all round bait you can use.  You will get results on the bottom, top and mid water range under a bobber.

Keeping the shrimp alive is a must to achieve best results, although many bottom feeders like whiting, will eat cut dead shrimp.  A properly aerated bait box is a must for keeping live bait fresh and frisky. The best results are obtained from containers constructed without corners so the bait can swim smoothly along without crowding.  When considering an aeration system, choose a system that employs water circulation from outside and pumps that are not contained in the tank.  Keeping your live baits cool is another important factor for long life and frisky lusty kickers!  If you find a need to cool the water temperature, add sealed containers of ice or frozen gel-packs.

Another good bait for surf fishing and offshore reef fishing are cut clams.  Let’s not forget sand fleas – I have had some of the best shallow water reef fishing using a frozen sand flea and a piece of frozen shrimp on the same hook.  Small crabs and fiddler crabs make excellent bait, fish like redfish and sheepshead absolutely love them.  There are two methods most often used when fishing for specks and reds with live bait. The first method is in shallow water along reefs where various type corks are used to suspend the bait below the water. Corks such as weighted or non-weighted popping, clicking or sliding work well depending on what effect you want to achieve.  Corks mimics a deep gulping sound of a fish hitting bait on the surface, simultaneously producing a water spray, the water spray gives the effect of fleeing baitfish on the surface.

.

Ballyhoo

.

..

Rigging ballyhoo can be done in may ways but the object is simple; get the rigged bait to perform effectively for the fish you are targeting. First, thaw the bait in a brine solution of water, kosher salt and baking soda . The baking soda helps the baitfish retain its vibrant silver and white colors and kills any bacteria that can lead to deterioration. The kosher salt toughens the skin, which keeps the bait together longer on the line. Now remove the eyes by pushing a dowel or a small deboning tool through the eye sockets.  The next step is the most important. Flip the ballyhoo over in your hand and begin pinching the top of the ballyhoo with your thumb and forefinger starting from just behind the head and working back to the tail. As you pinch, feel the meat loosen from the backbone. When done correctly, the ballyhoo will become even more flexible once it’s rigged and it will swim beautifully.  Last step is to remove the stomach contents and air bladder by making a half inch incision at the anal vent and milking the belly contents out the opening. This is done by holding the fish upside down in one hand and placing your other thumb just behind the head and running it down the belly using a moderate amount of pressure. Be sure to empty the belly contents completely. Then rinse the baits in your brine and they are ready to rig.  Now you are ready to use the prepared bait for different methods of rigging split-bills to cover a variety of species and circumstances.

.

FISHING WITH KIDS.

Fishing with your children or somebody else’s can be the most rewarding thing you can do for yourself, your family and the kids you take fishing!  You can start someone off on a lifelong journey of fun and enjoyment that they can then pass on to children of their own!  You can fish off the dock, off of a pier, from the beach, on a pond, wadding shallow water or from a boat. There are so many fishing options in Florida making it one of the easiest and most fun things to do.  What equipment do you need? Patience, patience and more patience!  It’s the most important thing you can bring. After all it is the first few fishing experiences that will either hook kids for life, or send them running back to their Playstations and Gameboys. Show them a good time, and kids will put the outdoors on top of their list of preferred activities. If you or your kids are inexperienced fisherman pick an outing that you and they can handle – something not too challenging the first time.  Remember the trip is about having fun- if it turns into a swimming outing, a rock throwing contest or just exploring the shoreline it should be considered mission accomplished if all have a good time!

WHAT TO BRING.

Make sure you and the kids wear proper clothing and bring a change of clothing for everybody, light jackets, flip flops or shoes they can get wet, plenty of sunscreen and hats all around.  A small medical kit with band aids and hand sanitizer is a good idea as well and make sure you pack a lunch, bring plenty of drinks including lots of water and a plenty of snacks- fishing can make a young angler very hungry!  DON’T FORGET THE BUG SPRAY AND SUNSCREEN!  An hour or two out on the water is generally enough for most younger anglers and as kids get older and if they have a liking for the water and fishing then you can plan longer trips.  In these days of video games and indoor electronics getting kids started outside can be a real challenge but it is important to introduce your kids to all that the outdoor has to offer now.

TACKLE

Keep it simple- light tackle rods and reels are the best thing for the beginner and can be bought reasonably under $25 – stay away from the real kids stuff like toy rods and reels, etc they will cause you more aggravation trying to get them to work properly then you will spend fishing with lines in the water.   Do your research before you go, have the proper bait and  gear and know what to use for bait. Make sure you take the kids to the tackle store with you – an old fashioned tackle store can be a wondrous place for a youngun!   Find some kind of seats to bring with you, this is a must, even if it is just five gallon buckets turned upside down standing all day in the hot sun gets old quick.  A pair of needle nose pliers and a hand towel are basically all you need along with extra hooks, sinkers, snap swivels and a bobber or two.  Practice casting in the back yard before you go, this will raise the anticipation and also get everyone use to handling the equipment.

SAFETY

Always, always have all young children wear life preservers. They are going to kick and scream, they are going to tell you how hot they are and how uncomfortable but never give that one up!  And if you are out in a boat, make sure you wear one as well. The kids can do nothing to help save you and if you get into trouble helping them you are no help at all.  You are out there to catch fish not each other – hooks are sharp and eyes and skin are tender make sure you supervise the casting of bait and hook now is the time to teach your child proper casting etiquette, always look behind you before you cast!

And finally this is your opportunity to teach them “catch and release” and how they should make the area where they are fishing “cleaner when they leave than when they arrived”.  A properly planned trip can be as rewarding for the adult as it is for the child. To see the children’s faces when they catch their first fish may bring back child hood memories of your own. By helping to “pass on” the love for fishing, you are helping to ensure that there will be another generation of future anglers.
Good luck and have fun!

.