EXCERPT

CATCH FISH NOW! on Floridas Panhandle

This book is about fishing. Oh, not just any old fishing. We're going to be talking about some of the world's best saltwater sport fishing along Florida's fabled Panhandle. That's where the action is. The Florida Panhandle is unequivocally a fisherman's paradise. By any standard, it has it all. Over 30 premiere gamefish that approach world record sizes and cooperate 12 months of the year. Incredible water that just demands to be fished in all its glory -- and, a diversity of opportunities that makes a fisherman's toughest choice: what to fish for today. No kidding, Florida's Panhandle does have it all.


CATCH FISH NOW! on Florida's Panhandle


CATCH FISH NOW ! on Florida's Panhandle is about the 270 miles or so of coastline highlighted above. But, obviously, we will be talking about a lot more than just coastline. Here are just a few of the interesting and fishy features that make the Panhandle a sensational place to fish.

* A giant, immensely fertile estuarial bay full of seagrass, oyster bars, salt marshes, and an intricate network of creeks and rivers.
* Miles and miles of near wilderness intracoastal waterway that provides superb fishing opportunities across the Panhandle.
* A dozen bays that frequently hold both inland gamefish and those usually found in deeper Gulf waters.
* An abundance of capes, islands, sounds, bayous, creeks, and rivers full of bait and hungry fish.
* Seven significant passes that connect incredibly rich inland waters with the Gulf of Mexico.
* Five world-class Gulf piers that bring a significant additional dimension to fishing the surf and near shore waters.
* Over 100 miles of brilliant white sand and emerald green water that provide extraordinary surf fishing year round
* The legendary big-game fishing of the famed DeSoto Canyon area.
* And, finally, literally hundreds of artificial reef sites complemented by an abundance of natural fish-attracting bottom features.

And that hardly does justice, even as an intro, to the Florida Panhandle. There is lots more, as you'll see shortly. To that end, let's talk a minute about this book. FYI, it is organized so that even an old fisherman like me can understand it. In chapters two through five, were going to talk about when and where to fish. On a purely arbitrary basis, I divided the Panhandle into four chunks starting at the Alabama line. Then each of the chunks is further divided into the different kinds of fishing that you might want to try along that stretch of the coast. The top part of the following chart summarizes this approach.




Surf/Piers/Inland Waters Inshore/Offshore Black Drum Pompano Amberjack Dolphin Spanish Mackerel Black Sea Bass Redfish Barracuda Flounder Swordfish Bluefish Sheepshead Black Drum Grouper Tarpon Cobia Snapper Black Sea Bass Jack Crevalle Triggerfish Flounder Spanish Mackerel Blackfin Tuna King Mackeral Tripletail Jack Crevalle Tripletail Blue Marlin Sailfish Wahoo King Mackerel Trout Bonito Sheepshead White Marlin Ladyfish Whiting Cobia Snapper Whiting Yellowfin Tuna
Where the Panhandle Fish Hang Out

The bottom part of the chart provides some useful information, too. If you look closely, you'll see that you can catch a lot of the same kinds of fish in a lot of different places. In fact, there are only a relatively few species that can't be caught in more than one kind of water. Let's use king mackerel as an example. Kings can be caught off a number of the Panhandle piers, as well as in adjacent inshore and offshore waters. Flounder are another good example. At several times during the year, you can find these guys inshore by bottom fishing on structure, drifting, or anchored along the intracoastal waterway (ICW). Well, big deal, you say. So what? Simple. Some knowledge of who lives where just might help you salvage a fishing trip one day. Here's an all too common scenario that makes the point. Your little center console is all loaded for a fast inshore trip to get some fresh kingfish. Company is coming tonight for your world-famous sesame grilled filets. But blast, as you head out the pass, it's obvious that the small craft warnings were real. There are 10 foot swells breaking over the jetties. Are you out of luck? Absolutely not. You know kings love rough weather, and often turn on around an area pier. You get the drift

OK, after this intro, chapters two through five cover where and when to fish in the Pensacola, Destin, Panama City, and Forgotten Coast areas.. Theyre followed by chapter six, which provides the how-to information necessary to successfully accomplish the catching part of fishing. The chapter presents specific tactics, tips, and techniques for the gamefish you are most likely to encounter on Florida's Panhandle. Once that's taken care of, the chapter concludes with some thoughts on natural and artificial baits that get the job done on the Panhandle.

Well, it is finally time. It's time to really get serious. The fish are out there waiting for you. Let's go confirm that this book achieves its purpose -- and helps you CATCH FISH NOW!