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Fish Tales From The
Florida Keys
Find Your Niche
By Waldo "Double
Treble" Tejera Jr. Staff Writer
Most successful businesses have one thing in common. They sell or do one thing and do it well. They focus their efforts on one particular product
or service and specialize in it in order to differentiate themselves from all the other
guys; in business lingo this is called “finding your niche”. Well what works in business works in fishing too. Most fishing guides and charter captains target
specific fish or fishing areas. They have one
or two species of fish in mind when they set out and they employ methods and styles they
know will catch a certain fish.
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Florida Keys Fishing Online Mailbag
- Inside you'll find some e-mail's we've gotten here at the website and
thought everyone could benefit from our answers.
Spiny Lobster-General Facts
Commonly referred to as the Florida spiny lobster, the Caribbean spiny
lobster inhabits tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean,
Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico.
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An overview of the Common Snook in Florida
The common snook, Centropomus
undecimalis, is one of Florida's most popular inshore gamefish because
of its spectacular fighting ability and merit as table fare.
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An Overview of the Red Drum (Redfish)
The red drum is one of the state’s most widespread estuarine inhabitants.
Red drum are prodigious spawners that may produce tens of millions of eggs
each year. Their relative hardiness and prolific nature make them ideal
candidates for rearing in hatcheries. Stringent fishing restrictions have
been instrumental in restoring populations of this fast-growing fish, which
frequents practically all of the state’s estuaries.
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An Overview of the Tarpon
- One of Florida’s most spectacular game fish, the tarpon (Megalops
atlanticus) is a feisty foe whose powerful leaps from the water and
bone-jarring bursts of speed test the skill and fortitude of even the most
experienced angler. A hardy giant that can survive in a variety of habitats
and salinities, the tarpon can even gulp air for extended periods when not
enough oxygen is present in the water to sustain it. Despite its popularity
among sport fishermen, many aspects of this extremely long-lived fish’s life
cycle and behavior remain a mystery.
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Bait Fish Of Florida
"Baitfish” is the common term given to a multitude of small, schooling fish
whose main claim to fame is that they are an important food source for other
fish. This large and diverse group of fishes is an integral part of the
complex, interconnected marine food web. Baitfish are used in a variety of
products such as fish meal, oil, pet food, and fertilizer and are, of
course, used as bait. Regardless of the purpose of the catch, baitfish
harvests support the state’s lucrative and popular fishing industries, both
recreational and commercial.
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Acrobat Required)
The Bonefish
Renowned by anglers for their wariness and fighting spirit, bonefish are
stealthy and speedy residents of the shallow bays and backcountry of south
Florida. Although they are not usually consumed by people, bonefish are a
major target of sport fishermen, especially in the Florida Keys, where
bonefish are a pillar of the recreational fishing industry.
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Required)
General Fact About Dolphin
(Mahi-Mahi)
Dolphin,
Coryphaena hippurus, is an important fishery species in tropical and
temperate waters worldwide. Dolphin, also known as mahi mahi, are usually
found well offshore, but can occur within a few miles of the coast when
winds blow steadily onshore or the Gulf Stream is close to shore. Dolphin
can be caught along Florida's coastline, but are concentrated in the
southeast region of the state. At times, schools of smaller dolphin can be
found congregating beneath any object floating in the water such as wood or
mats of Sargassum weed.
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Facts About Grouper
Adult groupers, members of one of the largest families of fishes found in
Florida waters, run the gamut of sizes and shapes, from the diminutive grays weighing several pounds, to the mammoth goliath that can top the
scales at 600 pounds or more. Grouper is an important commercial and
recreational commodity in Florida. Broiled, fried or spicy “blackened”
grouper is a staple on the menus of seafood restaurants.
Full Story
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Required)
Hurricane Preparedness For Boat
Owners
By Douglas Gregory, Director/Sea Grant Marine
Agent University of Florida/Monroe County Cooperative Extension
The key to protecting your boat from
hurricanes or any threatening severe weather is planning, preparation, and
timely action. A boat owner/operator may be held responsible for damages
caused by his vessel during a natural disaster.
Each boat owner needs a plan unique to
the type of boat, the local boating environment, and the characteristics of
available safe havens. A detailed action plan could be to secure your boat,
either in the marina, out of the water, or to leave the area.
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Industry and Government Cooperation
Creates a Sustainable Lobster Fishery
by Douglas Gregory University of Florida/Monroe County
Extension Service
The
two-day lobster sport season is over and the regular season begins this
week. The two-day July sport season and the month of August is the primary
time of year for lobster sport diving harvest.
Full Story.
Keys Marine Habitat (PDF)
Great information
about our delicate Florida keys marine habitat.
Habitat Restoration (PDF) Article from the FWC
"Fishing Lines" newsletter about ways to help our marine habitat.
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