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Southeast Florida was spared the damage and destruction of Hurricane Ian, but the blustery winds and resulting rough seas from the storm’s feeder bands kept people from fishing offshore. As the wind and waves subside, anglers should enjoy the best fishing of the fall.

Anglers who think they need to run far offshore to catch dolphin, also known as mahi-mahi, in the Florida Keys can save on gas money and time while catching plenty of fish in shallow water.

Snook are Florida’s most popular inshore fish because they fight hard, they hit a variety of lures and baits and they are delicious. And now is the best time to catch a keeper snook because the season opens on September 1 and the fish are off South Florida beaches, in local inlets and around bridges and spillways in the Intracoastal Waterway.

In more than 60 years of fishing in South Florida, Capt. Bouncer Smith had caught just about everything in the ocean except a barrel fish.

The legendary Miami Beach charter captain, who has caught everything from snook and tarpon to sailfish and swordfish, finally checked that off his bucket list.

Freshwater kayak anglers catch lots of clown knifefish and peacock bass on Lake Ida

The canals are filled with hungry largemouth bass, peacock bass and exotic panfish

Freshwater kayak fishermen will have their shot at a big payday by competing in the second annual Exotic Bass Roundup April 23 out of Lake Ida Park in Delray Beach. The angler catching the heaviest total weight of one peacock bass and one clown knifefish wins $2,500 courtesy of Nautical Ventures Marine.

Florida’s lobster season closes March 31 and the seasons for grouper and hogfish don’t open until May 1, so what’s an underwater hunter to do in April?

The big fish are showing up from Key Largo to Key West

With winds gusting to 40 or more miles per hour, Joe Hector of Extreme Kayak Fishing wisely decided to postpone his Sailfish Smackdown tournament by a day. And he and his anglers were rewarded with much better, safer fishing conditions.

Despite some obstacles, Joe Hector of Extreme Kayak Fishing says his hugely popular Sailfish Smackdown tournament will be held no matter what.

Big kingfish can be caught year-round in Key West, but January is when anglers catch the biggest kings, and more of them.

According to Capt. Casey Hunt, one of many experts on the Nautical Ventures Weekly Fisherman radio show that airs from 6-8 a.m. Saturday on WINZ 940-AM and live-streams on the Nautical Ventures Facebook page, big kingfish are moving out of the Gulf of Mexico toward the Keys. And the fishing should remain excellent through February.

Now that winter is here in South Florida, the vast majority of flats anglers won’t bother fishing for bonefish when a cold front drops the water temperature.

According to Capt. Bouncer Smith, who does the Tackle Tips segment on the Nautical Ventures Weekly Fisherman radio show, which airs from 6-8 a.m. Saturday on WINZ 940-AM and live-streams on the Nautical Ventures Facebook page, one of the best ways to catch grouper this time of year is by trolling skirted ballyhoo along shallow coral reefs.

If you can wait out the cold fronts and the rough seas that they stir up, you can enjoy some good lobstering when the ocean calms down according to Jim “Chiefy” Mathie.

Now that the first cold fronts of November have moved through South Florida, get ready for red-hot offshore fishing.

Competitive fishermen in south Florida have a variety of tournaments open for registration for 2022, including old traditions and newer challenges.

While people head north to catch the fall foliage, local anglers head to beaches, fishing piers and jettys to catch the annual fall mullet run, which happens in late September and October.

As captain of the United States Spearfishing Team, Francisco Loffredi has high hopes for his freedivers who are competing this week in the 2021 Spearfishing World Championship in Arbatax, Italy.

It used to be that May and June were the prime months to catch big dolphin in South Florida. But now, September and October are best for catching dolphin over 20 pounds.

For Capt. Bouncer Smith, the inaugural Gray Fishtag Research Swordquest tournament was a highlight of his long, legendary career as South Florida’s most respected charter fishing captain.

Florida fishermen and boaters can’t seem to get enough of the water. While lots of these men and ladies will be found fishing from a center console all weekend long, many of them have found themselves hopping in a kayak when a full boat trip is not warranted. A quick weekday evening fishing trip or a speedy paddle between dropping off the kids at soccer practice is ideal in a kayak.

Such a peaceful and relaxing sport, how can it be extreme or dangerous? Kayaking in anyone's common mindset would be a visual of a serene setting, on a lake or some flat body of water, meandering through trees and creeks, but it is not the same when it comes to fishing, especially the BIG fish. So this is how it goes. An angler goes offshore, kayak tricked out with all the latest gear (just like a regular fishing boat), and fights winds, current, the open ocean, and catches really big fish.

The grouper season in South Florida closes for four months on January 1, so time is running short to catch one of the hard-fighting, great-tasting fish.

Recreational fishing and boating organizations supported a final House bill for including provisions reflective of the recommendations of the Commission on Saltwater Recreational Fisheries Management, also known as the Morris-Deal Commission, named after co-chairmen John Morris, the founder of Bass Pro Shops, and Scott Deal, president of Maverick Boats.
 

Recently a new bill was passed by the U.S. House of Representative as part of the SHARE ACT – Sportsman’s Heritage and Recreational Enhancement Act. The new bill, called the “Preserving Public Access to Public Waters Act,” S. 2807, will safeguard the role of state fisheries management agencies and help prevent unwarranted fishing closures.

Ryan Jones grew up near Oklahoma City, where he was honing his kayak fishing skills for over 15 years.

The 2016 EKFT Sailfish Smackdown was definitely the most action packed tournament to date. Here are the results from this Battle in the Bahamas:

 

At the risk of using an old adage, I'm going to say, “You get what you pay for.” Nowhere is this more evident than with professional grade fishing tackle – especially reels. But we found a line that really combines the latest technology, machine capabilities, and materials without breaking the bank… Truth Fishing Reels.

Jigging is the practice of vertical fishing with a lure where you create a up & down jerking motion to attract the fish. Ideally the fisherman uses a rod with enough sensitivity to feel contact with the lure and ultimately the strike of the fish. Most fish are caught near the bottom.