Innholdsfortegnelse for January/February 2026 i Florida Sportsman

My policy with big, good-eating fish like keeper cobia, blackfin tuna, grouper or gaffer dolphin is pretty straightforward. If the size and season are good, the first one that hits the bait usually hits the ice. I love to eat fish. Truth be told, I actually like eating smaller fish even better—things like lane snapper, yellowtail, pompano, grunts, croakers and sheepshead. But for these I have a slightly different policy. The first one I catch, unless it’s a very big one, I either toss it back or put it into my livewell. With small fish, before I commit to sharpening my fillet knives and sprinkling my driveway with fish scales, I want to make sure I’m going to get a good number. I don’t trust that first catch. I want…

Football season is finger food time. What’s better than a tender venison backstrap wrapped in delicious prosciutto with a dipping sauce that moderates the salty prosciutto with its mild heat and maple sweetness? It’s very simple to make with few ingredients, just right for your game day. May the best team win! FS MAPLE/RASPBERRY DIPPING SAUCE 1 Tbsp. canola oil½ cup sweet onions finely chopped¼ tsp. pressed garlic (optional)½ tsp. hot pepper flakesSmall pinch of sea salt¼ tsp. black pepper2 cups fresh raspberries½ cup pure maple syrup Over medium heat, sauté ingredients canola through black pepper until onions are translucent. Add raspberries and maple syrup. Sauté gently adjusting heat to low, stirring lightly until a sauce consistency. Taste and adjust flavors to your liking. Cool in refrigerator then puree in…

There’s a certain kind of fishing that gets in your blood—not for the glamour or the fight, but for the puzzle. For me, that obsession started on the Vilano Pier, where the brackish tides of Northeast Florida swirl with secrets. It wasn’t tarpon or snook that caught my eye in the beginning. It was sheepshead—those striped, snaggle-toothed bandits that haunt the pilings like ghosts with armor. And it was a couple of old saltwater veterans, Ray and John, who pulled back the curtain and showed me how to catch them right. Ray had the quiet confidence of someone who knew fish the way most people know their own backyard. John had a laugh that could cut through the wind and a tackle box that looked like it had lived three…

When we think of antique fishing lures, we think about colorful plugs, the tackleboxes of our grandfathers, big fish that have grown much bigger over time. We have favorite old lures or, if not the actual lure, memories of those poppers or sashaying plugs that worked every time on the fish. Antique lures are wonderful to collect. Amid all the hobbies that could be taken up, the search for specific lures or fishing items is fun. Antique stores? Phone call from a friend about a guy who knows a guy or widow with something? Flea markets, old tackle shops, collector shows, and maybe a weekend estate sale. An online click here or there, perhaps a desired item that maybe isn’t as desired anymore. Or perhaps you’ve found gold at the…

The cooler temperatures this time of year usher in some of the hottest offshore bites of the year. Sailfish, wahoo, blackfin tuna, large kingfish, cobia, bonito and more will move through this time of year and spend time in the Florida Keys. Most of these pelagic species can be found in the outer edge of the reef that runs parallel to the Keys along the Atlantic side. Live bait definitely gives anglers the upper hand, but trolling dead baits or using artificial baits can also get you hooked up as well. For live baits this time of year in the Keys, expect to find ballyhoo, threadfin herring, pilchards, blue runners, speedos and goggle-eyes. Unless specifically looking for sailfish or blackfin tuna, I would suggest using wire leader in case a…

The weather is still a gamble these months. Hard nor’easters may be followed by slicked out water and bluebird days. You may have to be selective with your time on the water...always a good excuse to burn up a few of those sick days from work. I’ve referenced the tide chart in the back of the magazine in the past, a great tool to have. But don’t gloss over that fine print at the bottom of the page. That is your over and under or “major” as well as your moon rise and set or “minor.” “Over” is when the moon is directly overhead and “under” when the moon is directly on the other side of the earth. Connections between these times and heightened fish and wildlife behavior are admittedly…

For those willing to brave our chronic daytime low tides during winter, coastal inshore fishing has either turned to the many salt creeks and the deeper Suwannee River, deep holes at low tide on the outer flats, or shallow water near rock outcroppings, said to warm the surrounding water on sunny days. Most baitfish, including pinfish, are scarce or absent and predators such as trout, redfish and flounder aren’t shy about grabbing soft plastics bounced slowly on bottom. Trolling shallow-diving plugs also works, if one can avoid floating grass on this grassy coast. Our Gainesville Offshore Fishing Club top 10 species list begins each January, and they know winter is generally best for bagging that big trout. The club’s fish have to be weighed on shore to steady those digital…

January and February are the coldest months in Florida but that doesn’t have to be a fishing disadvantage. Most fish won’t be where they were in June, but the cold makes it easier to find them. There are simply fewer places where fish are comfortable. In saltwater this translates into finding warmer water and it’s usually in deeper water. Skip topwater fishing; use slow-moving baits near the bottom instead. Along the coast, this involves fishing deep holes in rivers and tidal creeks, or spots where springs emerge. During sudden cold snaps when the temperature drops dramatically for several days, spring fed rivers such as the Aucilla, Wakulla and St. Marks Rivers offer a quick refuge for trout and redfish. This also happens on many other Northwest Florida rivers, even those…

I generally don’t make New Year’s resolutions, so I probably shouldn’t suggest one for you. But, as long as it doesn’t include a downward dog, beer or barbecue, I figured you may be receptive. How about this one: In the New Year I will get involved with an issue that helps improve the quality of fishing in my home waters. If you’re nodding your head in agreement to this noble but general resolution, fantastic, but to help ensure you follow through with it, how about we dial it in a bit. The more personal, the better. What policy or law affecting the quality of fishing near you needs to be changed or addressed? I expect there’s something local you can insert into your New Year’s resolution. If you can’t think…

In South Florida, there’s always something willing to bite. For anglers who know what, where, and when to fish, January and February can deliver outstanding days on the water. Offshore and nearshore fishing can be hit-and-miss this time of year, but when the wind comes up and the water turns a bit off-color, the action often lights up. Pompano, Spanish mackerel, bluefish, and snook move in close, feeding in the surf and just beyond the sandbars. These fish can be reached from ocean piers, jetties, or small boats working along the beach. Farther offshore, anglers can expect a mix of Spanish and king mackerel, bonito, blackfin tuna, wahoo, barracuda, and sailfish. January is prime time to chase sailfish off the South Florida coast, especially on breezy days when the kites…

Those who visit Southwest Florida during the winter think our weather in January and February is amazing. Look I get it, our weather is great from the perspective of those typically dealing with snow, overcast all day, and sub-freezing conditions day in and day out. However, as Floridians we do not like cold weather, and as fishermen we do not like cold water. Our local fish, that are also Floridians, feel the same way we do and it shows. Many fish that we now target regularly have moved into the area for a few months, just like snowbirds. Ironically those “tourist fish” think things are great and are very comfortable living here for a few months. To understand what “cold” is to a South Floridian we need to remember average…

With its colossal cruise ships, dilapidated docks, and an ominous military presence, Port Canaveral isn’t a pretty place to go fishing. Fortunately, fish don’t mind the Port’s industrial backdrop. They winter in the deep and food-rich waters of this ever-growing harbor, providing a variety of light tackle options for anglers willing to ignore the omnipresence of man. Pompano, weakfish, whiting, seatrout, mackerel and bluefish move in and out of the Port depending on water temperatures. If surf temps drop into the 50s, schools of fish stake out in some of the Port’s deepest basins. Some of these turning basins boast depths over 40 feet to accommodate deep-drafting ships. When temps sink, anglers can use their boat’s sonar to locate deep schools of fish or baitfish and drop small bucktails, spoons,…

With the holidays behind us, we are in a true winter pattern. In the Panhandle region, it seems like every three months we have a seasonal species to target that you can’t consistently catch throughout the year. If the Gulf is nice this time of year, you will find me a couple miles offshore with light tackle catching flounder. If it’s rough, you can bet I’ll be under a bridge looking for sheepshead. The weather is going to be the biggest factor to pay attention to. Every fall, flounder make their way offshore to spawn. When they do, they remain there about 4 months before they head back into the bays. This gives us a great opportunity to have our fill. In years past, we would start fishing for them…

IT’S NO LONGER any great challenge to catch golden tilefish. The advent of compact electric reels and low-diameter, non-stretch poly braided line has made it easy for anglers to fish the 600- to 900-foot depths favored by these unusual critters. Multi-hook deep-drop rigs are widely available at tackle shops. Squid or cut bonito are good baits, but tiles will also strike jigs—particularly those with glow finishes, charged up by sunlight. Finding them isn’t too difficult. Tiles inhabit soft, mostly flat sea bottom. With very powerful sonar you can zoom in and pick out the burrow holes they dig out, or excavate. Some of this stuff is visible on supplemental bathymetric imagery overlays, like those from C-Mor. Or you can simply drift with the current—2 knots or less is preferable—keeping baits…

For a limited time, use the promo code: FLORIDA30 and get a 30 day free trial of MyOutdoorTV*Offer valid for a limited time. Cannot be combined with other offers. BIGGER IN TEXAS BUCK COMMANDER SEASON 16, EPISODE 1 DEEP SOUTH WITH LUKE Luke Bryan, well-known country singer and judge on TV’s American Idol, and sons Bo and Tate, hunt deer in the deep south, Texas. Bryan is an avid deer hunter with bow and rifle and had frequently appeared on Buck Commander over the years. His teen sons are excellent hunters in their own right. Buck Commander is all about the thrill of the hunt and the bonds that come with it. The crew is a group of fun-loving guys who include their families in their love for deer camp,…

This time of year, in Ten Thousand Islands, as temperatures cool and the rainfall amounts fall below the 2 inches per month mark, the grassflats of the Florida Everglades begin to significantly dry up and create a unique opportunity for anglers of all skill levels. Many species of fish find themselves having to work their way to the deeper holes, larger bodies of water, or the many canals that crosshatch the region. This scenario creates a great opportunity for anglers to target a wide variety of fresh and brackish water species such as largemouth bass, peacock bass, bluegills, cichlids, tarpon, and up to five species of snook. Although there are some 1,400 miles of canals throughout what is considered the Florida Everglades, these fish become far more concentrated and easier…

Anglers might be able to catch an extra hour or two of sleep over the next few months while the metabolisms of fish begin to kick in after the sun has been up for a few hours. January and February are typically the two coldest months of the year in the West Central Region. The daily high air temperatures average 70 to 71 degrees, and the lows are around 54 to 55 degrees. Water temperatures will be more constant in greater depths of water. The shallows inshore can radically change overnight, 10 degrees or more, with incoming cold fronts that will push much of the water in bays out into the Gulf with strong northly winds. Water temperature will be the single most important key to finding feeding fish inshore.…

Ugh! I’m glad we live in Florida for these two months. I don’t like cold weather, but I do like good fishing, and if you’re flexible enough to fish around the wind, you can put together some great catches in the heart of winter. Wahoo have become the most sought after pelagic in the Northeast Florida region, and for good reason. Winter is the start of monster wahoo fishing, and the guys that have put in the time (and money) to master the locally proven tactics, high speeding and live baiting, have scored fish to rival anywhere in the country. The secret formula seems to be to search for action running around good bottom between 100 and 140 feet, until one of your high-speed 50-wides starts screaming. That’s usually a…