Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Stories, stories

I just got off the phone with a friend of ours named Greg Poland. He had to hang up the phone yesterday to talk to a friend of his from London. Turns out -- as is often the case with Greg -- that the friend of some-15 years started out as an angler on Greg's boat. Starting with an article about Poland he read on a cross-Atlantic flight, James' adventures led to my asking the Captain if I put a pin in every country whose anglers he's put on fish.

A lot of pins are necessary. The story of James the top level software professional from IBM Europe and a bonefish in the mangroves is next in the ongoing tale of Poland in the Sportfishing Capital of the World, The Florida Keys.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Wind and weather and site construction

When I asked our Keys Editor conditions, he had a short answer; it was "wind's 30". I work on the second floor of a 100-yr-old house. The oak trees outside were planted in the 20's, when the house was built. To the right of them across the street are palms. The palms can be moving and I'll go fishing; they indicate winds of 15-20 quite well. But if that oak's outside branches seem to be shifting, the wind's above 20.  But I know full well that those black drum are on the flats on both sides of the bay, Sheepies are mating, hungry, and largely deep-water sheeps, moved in to spawn. Five pounders aren't uncommon in April.

Read the forecasts on our site: http://www.TheOnlineFisherman.com. They're alive with positive feeds from the more than 30 professionals that feed partner Captain David Rieumont the latest fishy insight.

On another hand, the site's being updated. Not only updated, but redesigned. It's going to be divided into three primary sections; General fishing (the main newspaper as it works today), the Florida Keys (being Sportfishing capital of the world it deserves its own magazine within-a-magazine), and Fishing Politics; the world of the Recreational Fishing Alliance.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Trolling 101

Dedicating the day to an article that's part of a book and video series I'm lucky enough to be working on with my friend and fellow activist Vance Tice. Vance has taught hundreds of fishers how to catch beautiful keeper grouper well-within site of land, and he's about to share that knowledge with the world :)

Starting with the basics of dragging baits behind a moving boat, and working our way from there, the series will teach about species, structure, gear, and using your computer to be a better hunter of the grouper we love so much.

 Vance Tice is on the Board of one of the nation's leading activist groups, the Fishing Rights Alliance (http://www.JoinFRA.org), founded by Executive Director Dennis O'Hern. He also helps with http://www.TheOnlineFisherman.com, and through that assistance helps me in my capacity as the Communications Director for the Recreational Fishing Alliance (http://www.JoinRFA.org).

Vance developed one of the 'go-to' baits in every grouper-digger's arsenal, the "Bubba Jig", and is one of the leading supporters for retail tackle shop owners in today's challenging economic conditions, further exacerbated by an unprecedented rise in over-regulation of both commercial as well as recreational fishing.