Big fish, such as a big cobia, require a gaff to land, and some knowledge of how to use it. On a small skiff with low free board, a short stout gaff with a well-pointed hook will do the trick. Bigger bay boats with higher sides, however, call for longer, two-handed gaffs — you have to be able to reach the fish and then some. Here are some tips on how to gaff big fish.
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Big fish, such as a big cobia, require a gaff to land, and some knowledge of how to use it. On a small skiff with low free board, a short stout gaff with a well-pointed hook will do the trick. Bigger bay boats with higher sides, however, call for longer, two-handed gaffs — you have to be able to reach the fish and then some. Here are some tips on how to gaff big fish.
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Some years ago Mark Sosin was in town to film a show with Florida’s Capt. Chet Jennings. It looked like he had 20 rods
on Jennings’ boat. What struck me was they all had very short handles — shorter than what you find on the average store-bought rod. We discussed our shared preference for short handles. Here are some advantages of fishing with a short-handled rod.
Easy to differentiate from scaled sardines by a long filament behind the dorsal fin and a smaller eye pupil, threadfin herring tend to haunt deeper water than sardines. Threadfins are also bigger on average than scaled sardines. They come in all sizes, but are most common between 5- and 6 inches long. Here’s how to catch them and fish them as bait for various fish.
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Easy to differentiate from scaled sardines by a long filament behind the dorsal fin and a smaller eye pupil, threadfin herring tend to haunt deeper water than sardines. Threadfins are also bigger on average than scaled sardines. They come in all sizes, but are most common between 5- and 6 inches long. Here’s how to catch them and fish them as bait for various fish.
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As a fishing guide, I use a lot of line. Even carrying only two anglers on my 17-foot Action Craft, I usually carry at least six rods. Each location calls for a rod, reel, and line combination best suited to that individual environment, which throws the
all-around rod and reel combination out the proverbial window.
As a fishing guide, I use a lot of line. Even carrying only two anglers on my 17-foot Action Craft, I usually carry at least six rods. Each location calls for a rod, reel, and line combination best suited to that individual environment, which throws the
all-around rod and reel combination out the proverbial window.
In cold, clear water I’m usually targeting redfish. They are not as
susceptible to the cold as snook, but they do slow down. This translates to smaller, slower prey — mostly crabs, shrimp, sand fleas, and such — particularly in the winter months through early spring. Fortunately, there is a wide selection of good looking soft plastic imitations of all these baits! Here’s how to use them.
Some years ago Mark Sosin was in town to film a show with Florida’s Capt. Chet Jennings. It looked like he had 20 rods
on Jennings’ boat. What struck me was they all had very short handles — shorter than what you find on the average store-bought rod. We discussed our shared preference for short handles. Here are some advantages of fishing with a short-handled rod.