{jcomments off}
How To Catch and Fight Fish
June 17, 2013
Top Tips for Catching Tripletail
by
Tripletail, or "Trips" as we sometimes call them, are a big, primarily dark green and striped fish that you can find in anything from 10 to 1,000 feet of water, depending on where in Florida you're fishing for them. Here on the West Central Coast where we're writing this story, they're normally found in relatively deep water. They show up in the early springtime and you can find them in a host of places both inshore as… Read More
May 24, 2013
Spinner and Buzz Baits
by
Spinner baits are often confused with buzzbaits, but they are not the same. A true Spinner Bait is one that has a single spoon attached to a wire body so that the spoon spins and rotates around that wire body. The body of the lure remains stable as it moves through the water, and the spoon rotates. The front of the wire is bent with a small loop that holds the spoon as it spins, and in front of the loop is a bead or two.… Read More
May 12, 2013
Tips for Catching Speckled Trout
by
The speckled sea trout is a fish that some guides and many serious amateurs consider too common to bother catching. Smaller fish are, in fact, so abundant at times on our grass flats, and deeper channels are loaded with them. Small fish are far more common than the big ones, but in the past ten years cleaner water and the long-term impact of the reduction of inshore commercial netting has made big ones – 5, 6, and even… Read More
April 29, 2013
Using Lures - Action or Cadence
by
This is an article about how to use fishing lures. That is a challenging headline to fulfill for an article, and in some ways misleading. We cannot teach you to use a lure as well as some people we know who make them. There's a man who invented DOA shrimp, for example. You cannot believe this guy with his own lures. Ditto the man behind Mirrolures. He can catch fish on plastic when they will not eat scaled sardines,… Read More
April 10, 2013
How to use Topwater Lures
by
Some fish look down when they're hunting for food. Called "Inferior" fish, their top jaws are longer then their lower jaws. Redfish come to mind, and sure enough, if you know them, you are more likely to use a jig that bounces on the bottom with a small soft plastic 'tail' or real shrimp tail (better yet) then you are to use a splashy topwater lure. In this article we are going to talk about using topwater lures. You can… Read More
April 04, 2013
How to Catch Tarpon the Easy Way: Fishing Bridges
by
"Tarpooooon!", yelled Captain Mike. The fifty-pound test Ande monofilament was singing. I can still hear it when a line gets tight enough, though a head injury in 2006 left one ear as dead to sound as a fingernail. But the vibration monofilament makes when it is between the tip of a heavy Ugly Stick and a 120lb Megalops do not need to shake your eardrums to shake your head. It doesn't matter what species or strength; it… Read More
March 01, 2013
How to Fish with a Cane Pole
by
Fishing is something that has been important in people's lives since the dawn of time. First as a way to feed families and then as a way to spend time with them. Fishing with a cane pole is the easiest and most ancient method of fishing you can share with your kids, your parents, friends you have, or friends you have not met yet. Learning how to fish with a cane pole is a good part of anybody's fishing library. To learn… Read More
February 04, 2013
Grouper Fishing: How to Catch Red and Gag Grouper
by
There are many different grouper in Florida waters, and you will be finding stories and extensive information for those that remain in water deeper than 200', but for this story we are going to talk about grouper fishing for a few of the species within a reasonable distance from the shoreline - and even inside the bays and inland waterways: gag grouper and their close cousin, the red grouper. Understanding the species… Read More
February 03, 2013
How to Catch a Shark
by
Learning How to Catch a Shark is something that many of our readers would love to learn more about, and is a very popular speciality of the sport we all love so much. We're going to talk a little bit about how anybody can successfully target and catch these primeval sea creatures. You are not likely to catch one of these massive and incredible whale sharks -- but we've sure seen them a lot of times in the deeper waters… Read More
January 30, 2013
How to Catch Black Drum
by
The black drum is a chunky, high-backed fish with many barbels or whiskers under its lower jaw. Younger fish have four or five dark vertical bars,but these disappear with age. The bellies of older fish are white but coloration of backs and sides can vary. Fish from Gulf waters frequently lack color and are light gray or silvery. Free spawning occurs mostly in February, March, and April, with some later spawning occurring… Read More
January 23, 2013
Surf Fishing Tips
by
A lot of our readers spend their entire lives nowhere near the beach, and may never spend a day getting so burned by the sun's harsh rays that locales can almost tell what state you're from by the smell of the meat searing. And they've never spent an hour or a weekend doing something that is very, very special in the world of angling: Surf Fishing! If you're new to surf fishing, or are thinking about it, you're in the… Read More
January 21, 2013
10 Tips for Catching Largemouth Bass
by
Each of the many species we talk about here on TheOnlineFisherman.com presents their own unique challenge. This specific article is going to be: 10 Tips for Catching Largemouth Bass. Catching Largemouth Bass Some fish – grayling, let's say – are incredible, but little-known on the angling circuit. The almost-magical dorsal fin on the northern species, lifting as amazingly as if it were attached to an Atlantic Sailfish –… Read More
January 18, 2013
Fishing with Shrimp
by
Some of the very best anglers in the world never touch bait whether it is dead bait or living bait, relying solely on the use of plastic, feathers, metal, and assorted organic and man-made components made to look like a natural bait. But learning how to fish with bait or fishing with shrimp starts with understanding what bait works, where it works, and when it works. After that, you should learn how to effectively catch… Read More
January 16, 2013
How to Set a Hook
by
Assume you have been visiting our site for a while, you have a rod, a reel, the correct line, the right bait or lure, and you cast it perfectly to the place where fish are waiting unsuspecting for food. You get a strike?!!! The trick now is to learn how to set a hook. How to set a hook Before we talk about actually setting the hook, it is important that you understand that different fish hit differently, they have… Read More
December 15, 2012
Catching Largemouth Bass on a Rubber Worm
by
Largemouth bass are surely one of those fish that everybody has either caught, almost caught, or thought about catching. Having grown up most of my life in the Sunshine State – also referred to as the Fishing Capital of the World – I am certainly no stranger to largemouth bass. Since the very first one I caught, I've been catching them on black (or purple) rubber worms. While I've successfully caught them using every… Read More
December 13, 2012
How to Catch Flounder
by
Last night I drove the mile-and-a-half down the street (a hill all the way) to lower Tampa Bay, to a neighborhood they named *CoffeePot Bayou* many, many years ago. A charming area, the tiny fisherman's shacks gave way to stunning mansions in the twenties, decrepit again in the early seventies, until money found its way back to the waterfront. The houses face a sidewalk that is a two-mile long seawall onto grass-rich and… Read More
December 10, 2012
How to catch Bass: Winter Bucketmouths
by
I had the pleasure to fish with Roland Martin a gazillion years ago in the winter on the big “O”, Okeechobee, during the wintertime and the one thing he told me that has stuck in my head was, “You cannot fish too slow, there ain't no such critter. Cast it out, let it sink to your desired depth between the mat of the Hydrillias and think crank it in slow and now, cut that slow crank in half as you approach your grass… Read More
December 10, 2012
Jig Fishing
by
A long time ago on Saturday mornings in Tampa Bay, Captain Mel Berman's chocolate voice warmed his audience, at times approaching 70,000 avid, new, old, experienced and green anglers. Fond memories aside, even 20 years ago on that radio show jig fishing was a favorite subject. What are Jigs? A jig is a lure designed to simulate a baitfish, shrimp, crab, or other Crustacean. They have been around as long as fishing rods… Read More
November 25, 2012
How to Catch Sheepshead
by
There are certain men, women, and even what we would consider kids that have a certain gift when they're hunting fish. First of all, they're born hunters; they have a nose that smells things normal humans fail to notice. They see things. They hear things. When I want to talk about yoga, I talk to a man who's lived in the caves of the Himalayas. Arrowheads? A guy named Jim Bennet. When I want to talk about how to catch… Read More
November 19, 2012
How to Catch Pompano
by
"Do you think of Pompano as a well-kept secret?", Frank Sargeant asked about Tampa Bay Pompano fishing in his landmark book Secret Spots in Tampa Bay. Although locals were somewhat peeved at the many honey holes that Frank revealed, to our knowledge, the chapter about catching pompano around the area's bridges went unnoticed. Still, there are plenty of locals who consistently target and catch these highly-prized, silvery… Read More
October 09, 2012
How to Catch Trout
by
When a five year old boy was asked in the spring of '57 if he wanted to learn how to catch trout, the blond-haired, blue-eyed little boy whose brass shoes were on a bookshelf, didn't know the difference between trout and sardines in a can. I take the back. I did know. I ate both and knew that they tasted a lot different. I loved both and still do - one fried in butter and one taken from a can. There were no options in… Read More
September 11, 2012
Snook Fishing From a Pier
by
From the Publisher: John Montagnino has been around the fishing community for a long time, and wrote a book about snook fishing that really deserves a review - and will get one soon. The name of the book is "A Fisherman's Secrets to Successfully Catching Snook On Florida Fishing Piers". We know the importance of delivering information to shore-bound and pier-bound anglers. A lot of people don't have their own boats. And… Read More
August 19, 2012
How to Catch Grouper: Inshore
by
Of all the people I encounter, a good percentage of them are anglers. I ask complete strangers, you see (being immune to what an idiot many people think and are convinced that I am). Doctors, people at the gas pump, cops I run into (not literally, fortunately), people next to me at a restaurant, etc. I always bring up the subject. What the heck, right? About ten percent of them fish or know somebody that fishes. If I… Read More
July 21, 2012
How to Catch Catfish
by
When is the last time you caught a catfish? Not the ones we complain about all the time. I am not talking about gray saltwater catfish, or gaff topsail catfish. I am talking freshwater catfish. Delicious, fun to target, tough to catch, and in waters near where you are sitting right now. A how to catch catfish article surely isn't something you often see in today's high-end, glittering sailfish world of fishing… Read More
July 19, 2012
How to Catch Redfish
by
It was a hot summer July night in Tampa Bay. I had never fished before and my brother invited me to go fishing with him for the 200th time and something in me finally said, "OK, let's do it". My brother had been fishing for a while, but mostly from local ponds and lakes for bass...or anything else that was biting I guess. We decided to go out to the Sunshine Skyway fishing pier for some night fishing. We didn't catch… Read More
March 22, 2012
Fishing on the Edge (How NOT to lose a fish)
by
Thud! I can feel the sound more than I can hear it. It's that moment a fish with some size to him - what we call a fish "with shoulders" -- grabs our bait or lure and stops it cold in its finny tracks. That moment, and that sound that somehow rings in your fingers is ultimately what keeps us out there. Sure, the pull is part of a complex dance of prey, predator, and angler - but to me it will always be that thud that… Read More
January 06, 2012
Sacrifice
by
I’ve had time to review the moment, and I still don’t know what it is I’ve learned. Something lost. A fishing rod, the best I’ve ever owned. I broke it Christmas Eve morning, 2011. A day cold enough that without gloves on, you would’ve lost your hands. We were codfishing east of Block Island. I wish I could say it happened dramatically, the boat taking a heavy roll in a breaking sea, spilling bodies, water blowing… Read More
November 29, 2011
Dock Fishing in the Winter Part 1
by
These series of articles underscores what many of us think is the most challenging and entertaining category of winter inshore action on saltwater -- fishing residential docks! The mud in the backwater where residential docks have been built by the thousands in and around the bays and intercoastals is black and thick. When the water's cold, it holds warmth. That warmth attracts fish. Redfish and snook, in particular,… Read More
September 24, 2011
Lighten up!
by
This time of year the main target inshore species are trout, redfish and sheepshead! For the most part the average fish are less than 5 lbs and most are in the 2 to 3 lb range. The numbers are on average higher than the summer time numbers and some of the best baits are artificial! So to have more fun with these fish it is not a bad idea to lighten up your rig! Read More
September 10, 2011
Casting a baitcaster
by
Something we feel is very important to the new site we're in the process of designing are videos -- lots of them. It takes us a lot of time to find ones we feel are appropriate, useful, and fun to watch. This is one of two videos we've chosen (so far) from the 1950s. Needless to say, they predate computers -- or at least publicly available computers. Space ships in science fiction movies were equipped with lots of black… Read More
September 05, 2011
Bass Sweeping
by
Tell us what you think after watching this incredible video. Not only is it funny, but I will take the first opportunity to try it on a largemouth near me! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3G8XGFTxFDE In the olden days we used to "noodle" for cats and such. Now this guy comes along in a kayak and sweeps a buzz bait at six inches from the tip of his rod and wham, bam, a fish? No casting necessary. In Florida you do not need… Read More
.jpg&w=150&h=125&zc=1 "Slot Specks & Spots")
September 01, 2011
Slot Specks & Spots
by
Laying Her Out...No Fish Tale Here! Angling Lemon Bay, Englewood, Florida for Sea Trout (Specks) and Red-Drum, a.k.a. Redfish or Spots, is a real adventure this time of year, as we are in mid-spawn. The Spots are extremely active, whether following the pack, (females bunched and tailing like a school of mullet), or hanging in the pots in wait for a meal. Catching Specks to Spots in the Slots is a real challenge, unless… Read More
August 25, 2011
Help from FWC
by
These great resources are available from the State of Florida for fishers and hunters in our state enjoying our wonderful fishing and hunting. Thanks to the people at FWC for their outstanding work to keep us on the water and in our forests and those waters and forest clean and safe! The FWC seeks to ensure access to hunting, fishing and other recreational opportunities for persons with disabilities. This section of our… Read More
July 27, 2011
Everglades Bass
by
Several people I know had told me there was good fishing for largemouth bass just north of me, but I hadn’t done much about it. Once I tried, but that was a cold winter day and I had no luck at all. I was nearing the end of my seven month stint in the Everglades, and I was staying on the water in Chokoloskee. "Sorry?", you might wonder, because even most Floridians have no idea where it is. Chokoloskee is at land's end,… Read More
July 09, 2011
How Smart are Tarpon?
by
Fishing is a very personal thing. What's amazing and worth any effort to one person on the water might not be of any interest whatsoever to the next guy or girl. Running a web site like we do, it's easy to see that one forum member from Land-o-Lakes is primarily interested in fishing skinny saltwater, and doing so from a kayak. Another user -- based on their hit-statistics -- can be identified (and introduced to… Read More
June 23, 2011
Secret Cream
by
In the world of publishing, a magazine or book in progress has a way of taking over one's life. You go to bed at night thinking about the next day's story, or edits, or printing presses, or national sales. You think about upgrades to software, and you think about the stuff you're writing. In our case, it's fishing. Talking about fishing to someone either brings a blank look into their eyes as they fade away; or (in many… Read More
June 14, 2011
Lake Talquin
by
If you don't know about Gadsden County, you really should take the time to click the link and learn a little about it. This report from an oustanding new contributor -- Jeff DuBree -- is the first of what we hope are many reports coming from Lake Talquin and surrounding waters. Seven miles north of our State Capital in Tallahassee, Gadsden is rural, historical, and so very beautiful that its proximity to the political… Read More
May 25, 2011
The Sour Taste of Summer
. As we quickly near the annual kick-off of Florida's dreaded hurricane season, the fishing is starting to heat up quickly, along with the asphalt that is now hot enough to fry an egg on, thus signifying that summer is in full swing here in South Florida. Along with summer, some of the lucky ones get to indulge in three month long vacations and all the other benefits that come along with being young still. So to sample… Read More
May 17, 2011
The King & I
by
The Silver King and I have had our battles, some long, some short. The months of May and June are considered the season for those battles here in South Florida. Just try to find a good guide with an open date and you will see the stage is set for the joust. But beware; the tables are not in your favor. You can equip yourself with the very best guide with his mulit-thousand dollar high-tec flats boat, the very best flyrod… Read More
May 09, 2011
Spring Time Pompano
by
Spring time is one of my favorite times of the year. Not only is the weather heating up but so is the fishing! Out of all of the fish that show up in the Spring, pompano are one of the best to fight and delicious to eat. Pompano are known as, Trachinotus Careolinus, and are silver sided with yellow on the bottom. They are small scaled and toothless with a rounded head. The tail of a Pompano is narrow and forked. They are… Read More
April 11, 2011
Warsaw Grouper and the blindfold 2007
by
Captain Mike Cole supplied me with this photo and the story! Read More
February 10, 2011
Sand Fleas for Sheepshead
by
Sand Fleas will yield up more sheepshead than you could ever imagine! Sand Fleas, also called sand crabs or mole crabs make good bait for sheepshead. They’re no bigger than 2 inches and have no real pinchers. I held one and it was weightless. We dug a few up... only to release them and watch how fast they could dig themselves back into the sand. They're perfectly camouflaged so it's hard to spot them swimming back into… Read More
January 17, 2011
Florida Sinkhole Bass
by
With the lack of spring to summer rains here in south Florida, winter water levels are a bit down, causing foliage and such as aquatic vegetation to also be sparse in places with only large patches of cat-tails or Pussy-willows to make the breaks of your drop-off lines along Florida natural sinkholes. Sinkholes too are areas if which many a gravel to coral-rock quarry are often started in Florida, as this material is… Read More
January 06, 2011
A Fishermans Dream
by
Its been over 2 months since I have been fishing. My fishing partner left for Italy a month ago, and the time before that we’ve had some boat issues that need to get resolved when he gets back next week. Last night I had a dream that I was out there on the cool water sometime after 10pm, fishing the docks around St Pete. Read More
November 15, 2010
Sharky's Sharks
by
Out on the Boards with Sharky's Sharks As water temperatures have been on the drop, with the passage of each new weekly cold front, so too has been the bite of a variety of fish. Those magic temperatures between 70 and 75 degrees bring in the Kings as they run their migratory dash up or down our beaches, depending on the time of year it is and to this migratory run are to those who would dine upon them; sharks, big… Read More
November 03, 2010
Fall/Winter Bass/Snook Bite
by
Shallow to Deep Bass Bite Hot on Top & Snook too! With the lack of spring to summer rains here in South Florida, water levels are a bit down, causing foliage and such as aquatic vegetation to also be sparse in places with only large patches of Hydrillias and lilies floating on top along drop offs, causing the bass bite to be as hot as ever. Largemouths are taking any lure mimicking small bait fishes in the three inch or… Read More
October 24, 2010
Ron Presley and Secret Access
by
Rod Presley's a unique guy; as the Treasurer and Secretary of the Florida Guide's Association, let's say he has a couple of emails laying around. Having emails is nothing though -- take it from somebody that looks for them anywhere he can find and legitimately use them. In Presley's case, his history as a well-known writer, teaching resource, author, and professional charter captain had already established a list of… Read More
October 19, 2010
Fishin'Buddies
by
Or "Watch between the lines"... Like everyone I have a short list of those who I enjoy fishing with the most, some I only fish with once or twice a year, but they are still one of my favorite fishing partners. This past week, my list became shorter. My father in law was taken from my family unexpectedly. I would like to share a couple of our stories with you. Read More
October 14, 2010
Claw Daddies to Blue Coats
by
Well, it’s that time of year again with the open season; lasts from Oct. 15 to May 15 here in Florida, of those big orange and black pincers stuffed with sweet, succulent white meat to begin reappearing on menus and in marketplaces everywhere, known as Stone Crab Claws. Besides being tasty, claws are a guilt-free way to enjoy Florida seafood for these lucky little crustaceans doesn’t normally die when their claws are… Read More
October 12, 2010
Brackish Water Fishing
by
When the wind whips up, I love the brackish waters from Snook Haven to the canals of Ft. Myers, and down through the vast stretches of the Glades and across Alligator Alley for that is where one can find an abundance of excellent fishing. Yaking the brackish waters of our canals, streams and rivers will pit you up against some hefty critters on the rod, fly and gators in your eye. Caution should be taken when angling… Read More
.jpg&w=150&h=125&zc=1 "The Kings Highway")
October 02, 2010
The Kings Highway
by
Trolleys posted on the end of the pier at Sharky's, are an indication of the onslaught to come in weeks, if not days ahead, of the annual Fall migration of Scomberomorous cavalla, the Kingfish or better known as King Mackerel. This biannual migration of the Kings occurs first in the springtime and then again in the fall before water temperatures become too cold for their comfort. Trolley rigs account for most of the… Read More
September 27, 2010
Just don't act like a seal...
by
What's the matter? Forget to wear your man boots?" Casting the barbed comment was a guy named Jason Boyle -- better known to people lucky enough to fish the Live Wire with him and the boat's owner, Captain Travis Palladeno -- as "SuperJ". So here I am 120 miles offshore on Travis' boat, being abused by the first mate. The funny thing, though, wasn't the fact that I was told I had worn the wrong "gear" when I came that… Read More
September 24, 2010
The History of Fishing
by
Since you're reading a fishing site, you're not surprised by a lot of pulls, losses, jumps, singing drags, fishing politics, scary regulations, wonderful friendships, a place to talk fishing, blah blah. If you're really into fishing, you would read hieroglyhics about fishing if you could. Stick you in the right place without web sites like ours or GregPoland.com or SpanishFlyTV.com, and you would figure out what little… Read More
September 19, 2010
Fine Line
by
There's a fine line between fishing and standing on the shore like an idiot -- Steven Wright From the Publisher: All of our contributing guides are communicators. Some of them send us emails with sentences like "Red Big 30 Noon" and others tell stories while others write 1000 words of literature. Tim Whitfield is a guy whose writing is like Captain Gary Anderson's in a lot of ways. While not having the years of… Read More
September 16, 2010
The Spawn is On!
by
This article by Gary Anderson is another in the vast field of content the man has inside him. His history is something to hear -- which you will when we finally get around to writing something close to a real biography on the guy. From planting sub-tracking devices for some dark ops people to owning a shrimping boat ala-Gary Senese's Colonel Dan in Forrest Gump to fishing northern pike for years in the canals of Holland… Read More
September 15, 2010
Fish Finder Rigs: Are They Effective?
by
If you do something enough times, and you start doing it well enough that it begins to produce repeatable results, there's a danger of figuring that your way is the way. That's true with painting a ceiling and it's true with tying fishing rigs. If you do it and it works to produce a beautiful and evenly colored ceiling or you do it and it produces big breeder reds, three-foot long snook, and a 50lb cobia once-in-a-while… Read More
.jpg&w=150&h=125&zc=1 "Bass Notebook: Topwater Euphoria!")
September 09, 2010
Bass Notebook: Topwater Euphoria!
by
7.04 pound on 6 # test! Pulling into the boat ramp to unload the ‘Snapper’, our 16 foot tandem 1978 Mohawk canoe, there was an angler on the dock casting one of the larger Zebco casting reels in search of fish. I ask him what he was targeting and he replied fish, anything that will bite my hook. I then went onto explain that by targeting a particular species, he could improve his chances on bring home the bacon. He then… Read More
August 21, 2010
Rigging Florida Flats Shrimp
by
Rigging Florida Flats Shrimp Rigging a Florida Flats shrimp will keep your bait on the hook for those stealthy long casts across those grassy beds full of what ails you; trout to reds and other fish too. Using a Florida Flats rig on your live shrimp will also keep it virtually weed less when slow presentation is involved or under a cork in the grass or weed lines and it is a rigging every angler should know. Angling deep… Read More
.jpg&w=150&h=125&zc=1 "Bass-Beads Bass Notebook Pt. 4")
August 08, 2010
Bass-Beads Bass Notebook Pt. 4
by
Bridge Bass on Bass Beads w/live bait Part 4 of The Online Fisherman Bass Notebook Whether you are using a G-MAG, Oversize Worm hook designed by Gamakatsu to fit magnum size tubes, worms and jerk baits or your own favorite variety, slide a colored bead onto your line before tying on the hook. Your bead will slide freely on casting giving you an advantage in catching big bass over average to little ones. Depending on… Read More
August 04, 2010
Never Give Up...
I didn’t have high hopes for the Whiskey Joe’s Tampa Bay Redfish tournament. The weather was definitely not in my favor with an all day incoming tide and winds up to 20mph, who would? I just knew that locating reds off my 14’ kayak was going to be tough but that didn’t stop me. Dedication is the name of the game when tournament fishing is involved. Contributor Derick Burgos and a friend named Redfish. Derick's a regular… Read More
July 29, 2010
Drifting; How to Fish the Flats
by
"We're in trouble." It was about 6:00pm, the sky to the north of my Saint Petersburg home way too dark to be out on the water. The voice on the phone was a friend of mine I had fished with just the day before. Scouting the flats outside the mouth of the Manatee River resulted in sardines, a few really nice trout, and the sighting of at least three beautiful redfish. Slot reds, but big fatties. The trouble that my friend… Read More
July 19, 2010
Here Kitty-Kitty
by
Here Kitty-Kitty; In Search of Florida Freshwater Cats Channel Cat fishing, no matter where you fish, has always been a past time to cool away under an oak tree, spinning tackle to a bamboo pole, a can of worms, your favorite stink bait or just a pint of chicken livers from your local grocery. In Florida, well back in the days before electronics, a staple for the table, ranking only behind the largemouth bass in terms of… Read More
June 30, 2010
A Captain's Nightmare
by
It has not happened to me yet in the approximately 7 years that I've been guiding professionally, but has happened to many of my professional captain-friends. Hearing the story from people you trust is one thing. telling it's another. Here goes... You get a late night call for a charter trip for the next morning. Four people, 8 hours, a $700 pay check. You're exited as you start planning your last-minute trip. Something… Read More
June 27, 2010
Sample Chapter from Skinny
by
I worked a long time with Mel Berman to write the book Skinny: How to Fish in Shallow Saltwater. Now you can get the book at Tampa Fishing Outfitters, and enjoy a 20% discount if you mention you heard about it at TheOnlineFisherman.com. This is a sample chapter from the book. It discussed one of the fundamental issues we pointed out in the book; how to identify structure. What is structure? This brief five-page discussin… Read More
June 26, 2010
Hooked On Fishing
by
Better yet, How not to be hooked on fishing... The best way to introduce myself to all is through a mishap, that I now chuckle about quite often, that happened as I was fishing out on the Venice City Pier. Remembering back, a couple of years ago, hindsight is a good thing to think about when hooks and proper usages are applied. Snook season was ending but I had a new rod and snook stamp, with angling for that big one on… Read More
June 26, 2010
Perspectives on Tarpon
by
From the desk of Dr. Steve Bortone... Executive Director, Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council This white paper -- the work of contributor Doctor Steve Borton -- was described by the down-to-earth fisherman as 'perhaps being somewhat dry' when he gave it to us. He was kind enough to provide our readers the very, very cool scientific look at a species some of us literally live to chase at certain times of the year --… Read More
June 18, 2010
How to Videos
by
What good is a fishing site that doesn't have a video section? Fishing videos can be found everywhere -- on people's phones, on the Internet, and on TV every weekend. In keeping with our promise to build the most useful, entertaining, and educational fishing site in the US of A, we offer a complete video library -- but one that's growing every week. TheOnlineFisherman.com is a "dynamic" web site -- which means that the… Read More
June 17, 2010
The Beauty of it All
by
As I was thinking back to my humble beginnings in fly fishing Northern Michigan, I recalled the time spent chasing shinny steelheads up and down streams. The steelhead trout which is a salmonoid, can be found in many waters of North America and my favorite place to catch them is in a stream. Although I have not chased one of these finned bullets in many years, I will never forget the glory of getting my butt kicked by a… Read More
.jpg&w=150&h=125&zc=1 "No Oil Here, Just Fish; Bass On!")
June 13, 2010
No Oil Here, Just Fish; Bass On!
by
Part 2 Bass Notebook An American tradition etched into my mind that of a young girl, boy or both hand to hand walking along side their dog, a can of worms, armed with a cane pole brings to life a symbol of our youth learning the importance of independence while connecting with nature. Most of us as kids started out angling much the same way. Often from the banks of a nearby creek or pond and our first catch could have… Read More
May 29, 2010
You Want To Find What?....
by
Sherlock Holmes here, My friends here at the online fisherman have brought you a bit of my intuition in finding clues to help YOU find fish. Its a bloody brilliant idea and honestly it brings the technology of my bloke james bond with my ability to find anything you might need fishing related. Built through the wonders of the internet we have compiled a collection of maps for you to access here. Maps that matter to… Read More
May 22, 2010
My First Marlin
by
It was the mid ‘80s and we were going to spend a few weeks fishing Cabo. This is before the party world discovered the place and it was still mostly a fishing locale. In fact the spot on the beach where we camped for $3 a day now has a high rise resort as does the rest of the beach. As we left the launch marlin was our quarry. I had never caught a billfish but Ken had caught many. Striped marlin are very common there but… Read More
May 21, 2010
Bass Report 5/21
by
Bass Report 5.31 The bass are done spawning by this time of the year. The water has warmed up and the bass will be looking for shady spots. I have been finding the bass in the lilly pads close to deep water. With the change in temperatures the bass are more prone to aggressive topwater strikes. Buzz baits in the morning seem to always get a few exciting topwater explosions, as well as Doug Hannon's topwater snake over… Read More
May 17, 2010
Structure at Your Local Lake
by
When looking at local lakes finding the structure might be the difference between catching fish or just wetting a line. Bass are creatures of habit. They will find structure and hang around it. The saying "think like a fish" gets thrown around alot but if we do take a moment to "think like a fish" we can see that in small ponds bass will stick to structure even if it seems insignificant. Bass need a few things. 1.Food… Read More
May 15, 2010
Casting a Baitcasting Reel
by
Before we think about casting a Bait Casting reel we must set the tension adjustment to try and prevent as many backlashes as possible (backlashes are when the lure stops but the line continues to come off the spool, resulting in a mess on your reel) The spool on a casting reel is shaped like a barrel that turns within the gears and mechanisms of the reel. There will be a small knob on the side of the reel that will be… Read More
April 30, 2010
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Forecast for May
by
Tarpon will come on strong this month as their yearly migration begins. There may also still be some other migratory species around, such as Spanish mackerel and cobia. As fishing pressure shifts towards tarpon, anglers fishing bay waters should have fast action with trout, reds, pompano and more. Snook will move to passes and will also be found in the surf this month. Tarpon Tarpon should be plentiful by the middle of… Read More
April 30, 2010
A True Fishing Story
by
Many years ago I read an article about this fish a called a hybrid. It was a cross between a striped bass and a white bass. It's was called a sunshine bass and could be caught in Florida. From the day I read about the sunshine bass I had an urge to find a place where I could fish and catch one. That was over 30 years ago. I never did fish for or catch one. Matter of fact I spoke to my friend Steve, who knew of a place… Read More
April 27, 2010
The Bass Professor
by
D8E281C9BA1FF376 To see additonal videos in this category, click the square button right on top of the Play/Pause button. Read More
April 03, 2010
It weighed HOW much?
by
Calculating The Weight of a Fish If you've ever fished with another fishing addict, you have asked the question a million times. "How much you think this fish weighs?". It could be a thirty pound snook or a three pound sheepshead, but you gotta ask your friend what he or she THINKS it weighs. Lose one, and you can say it weighed anything you want to say; you never saw it, for God's sake. But if you get one in the boat,… Read More
March 29, 2010
Bass at your local lake
by
So with this wind and the nice weather I have been wanting to go out fishing, well not having much time (and 20+mph wind) I figured hitting some residential ponds in my area would be a great idea since A: I get to fish B: There is always a chance for bucket mouth C: Fishing the bay with 20mph is no fun, but I want to put a tug on my line D: Most people will drive right by you not knowing there are good size fish around… Read More
March 24, 2010
How to Fight a Fish
by
Successfully identifying a strike and responding fast enough to set the hook solidly aren't enough to ensure that you'll consistently catch fish. Hooking fish and getting them to your boat are two entirely different things. Even pros lose their share of fish, especially when using light tackle. There are lots of bruisers out there, many that have been caught before, and plenty of structure for them to cut you off with.… Read More
March 23, 2010
Hybrid Bass
by
The Online Fisherman's Picture of the Week If you look at our Contributing guides, you'll find an incredible picture of a man named Josh Zacharias holding what you just know fought like a freight train, wasn't a stupid fish that grabbed a piece of masking tape wrapped around a long-shanked hook (try it for Macks; you might surprise yourself, and if you string a six foot piece of 6lb mono with tiny gold hooks and wrap… Read More
March 21, 2010
Baby Steps
by
This article was written years ago by a friend of Captain Mel Berman's named Chris Hofstader and his wife Susan. I had it as part of the content for the book Skinny that we wrote together, and it remains the best article I've found on fishing -- and sharing our love of the sport -- for people injured and "challenged". "Wha-da-ya think yer doin'?!?" Yelled the young man standing near me on the Weedon Island fishing pier.… Read More
March 19, 2010
Between shopping
by
These past couple of days i have had the opportunity to get out and do some late afternoon bass fishing with a good friend of mine. So far every pond that we have fished in the Tampa Palms area has been holding a decent amount fish. Due to this cold Winter the bass have started there spawn later and are still on the beds. Lately we have been throwing the whole tackle box at them to see what is working best for the beding… Read More
March 18, 2010
A Blind Guy on the Flats
by
Set it! Yelled Captain Brad. Set it Set It Set it, he continued. Having absolutely no idea what Brad meant, I took a guess and started cranking the reel. I felt awkward as I used my left hand to do the turning while some sea creature tried to pull the rod out of my grip. My reel complained loudly with an odd whining noise and I thought I might lose control. Let him run! Instructed one of the others aboard the boat. Huh?… Read More
March 17, 2010
What's Biting next month?
by
April is a good month to catch your Snook, Redfish and Trout in one outing. Now I am not saying its always easy, but your chances increase a lot. The water temperature and the abundance of whitebait will make this possible. Whitebait is a scaled sardine or a threadfin herring. In the North Suncoast region scaled sardines are the primary bait that is around our grass flats. They also last longer then a threadfin herring.… Read More
March 15, 2010
Why I Fish
by
While fishing one day I caught a very large bass. It weighed about 8.9 lbs. That is very big for a largemouth bass. It was a mother bass ready to spawn its young, so I did not handle it too much. I released it quickly with care so it could continue its life cycle and produce all the baby fingerlings. While driving back home for some reason, I started to think about what had occurred on my fishing trip, getting to see… Read More
