Since the March Merkin, I’ve been getting out with Ian Slater a lot to get some practice in before the tournaments. We’ve been working hard, catching fish at times and at others wishing for better attitudes. Last week we caught a nice fish that would have been a joy in a tournament setting that we…

It’s very likely that by now anyone reading this has heard from other places that the 2023 March Merkin was a grind for everyone. The fishing has been slow lately for permit, and the weather has been beautiful for the last few months, which pushed them offshore earlier than normal. The recent weather was also…

With the March Merkin starting Tuesday, I’ve been fishing very little as Kat prepares for the tournament with Doug Kilpatrick. Since the Cuda Bowl, in fact, I’ve only been able to get out on the water a single day. This isn’t much, but that’s about to change: once the tournament is over, I’m on relatively…

Last weekend the 2023 Cuda Bowl took place, and for the first time in a few years I fished it. It was fun to step back into the mix in this tournament, which has grown in both popularity and participation over the years. I fished it this year with Doug Kilpatrick, and while we didn’t…

Earlier in the month I had a trip planned in the Everglades with Steve Huff, and the idea was that Kat and I would go up there together and throw 4 pound tippet at snook. The ladies record, at 6.5 pounds, is a fish that is many times more available than the men’s record, which…

Last week I had a chance to fish with Brian Helms. Brian is a good friend, and I’d like to fish with him more, though the chances we have to get out are fewer than I’d like. Between the fishing I do in order to prepare for tournaments and his own with his clients, it’s…

My good friend Dave Skok just wrapped up a visit to Key West, fishing a day each with me and Kat and Aaron Snell. Prior to his arrival down here he spent three days fishing in the Everglades with Steve Huff, catching (unsurprisingly) the snook of his lifetime and (even less surprisingly) having the time…

Over the last month, I’ve been able to get out a fair amount. After the IGFA Permit Invitational wrapped up we were struck harder than anticipated by Hurricane Ian, which as everyone knows also hit the Fort Myers area much more severely. The consequence of the storm for us here was mild on a personal…

Earlier in the week I fished with Ian Slater, and while we got a late start we still gave it our all towards having some fun in the off season. We’ve been kicking around the idea of getting back into the tarpon record game, and as the only two records remaining that are more possible…

Over the past month or so I’ve been able to get out a few times, though not with the typical regularity. Still, there have been some fun times out there that are worth sharing. The first is a fish from a few weeks ago, fishing with Ian Slater. We’ve been using the lack of permit…