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Anglers Set To Show How It's Really Done

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By FRANK SARGEANT

Tribune correspondent

Published: September 26, 2008

TAMPA - Many of Florida's best-known anglers will headline the Florida Sportsman Fishing & Boat Show on Saturday and Sunday at the Florida State Fairgrounds, show director Robin Smillie said.

"We have how-to seminars going on almost constantly throughout the show," Smillie said, "and then our rigging clinics provide hands-on help anytime for any angler needing a bit of personal instruction on knots, bait rigging, fly casting, cast netting, anything that will make them a better fisherman."

Among the top clinics are likely to be the kayak-fishing seminars hosted by Florida Sportsman associate editor Jerry McBride, who is recognized as perhaps the top angler on a staff of hardcore fishermen at the magazine's Stuart office.

"I got into kayak fishing years ago, but it gradually just took over all my fishing - and last year I sold my powerboat," McBride said. "I catch more fish and bigger fish out of the kayak, and I go fishing more often because I always have the boat on top of my truck."

He said the big advantage of a kayak is you can launch anywhere in minutes, and often can get into waters that are too shallow for conventional powerboats to fish.

"A kayak also forces you to slow down," McBride said. "You can't motor off to some spot miles away, so you fish the water that's nearby thoroughly, and you'll often find a lot of spots that most people miss where there's really great fishing."

McBride, who is scheduled to deliver his seminars at noon and 2 p.m. daily at the show, said he sometimes uses his kayak merely as a "bridge" to cross deep water; he gets out and wades when he reaches prime spots.

"The big thing is the stealth," McBride said. "You get to your spot quietly, you keep a low profile and you're moving slowly, and all those help you avoid spooking big fish."

McBride fishes the waters around Stuart, including the fabled Sailfish Flats near the St. Lucie Inlet and the St. Lucie River, and catches some prodigious snook and trout.

"I've caught a number of legitimate 40-pound snook on artificials with the help of the kayak, and we get trout in the 7- to 8-pound range on a regular basis," he said.

McBride said a kayak rigged for fishing typically costs $800 to $1,000 - a fraction of the cost of the smallest powerboat.

"Invest in a 'yak with a comfortable seat and a good carbon-fiber paddle," McBride advised. "You can get a $400 rig, but you'll turn around and spend another $400 getting the seat and the paddle and rod holders, so you might as well buy one rigged right to start with."

He said his current favorite is a 13-foot Hobie Quest that weighs only 57 pounds.

"I actually have five kayaks right now, including one that operates through pedals," McBride said. "I like the pedal boats for deeper water and longer trips, but the paddle-type boats are best for the shallowest water."

He said wherever he fishes, his all-time favorite lure is the 3-inch DOA holographic shrimp.

"I fish that like a twitch bait - just flip it up off bottom and let it sink and then repeat, particularly around mullet schools," McBride said. "It's just a great lure for big fish of all species."

AT A GLANCE

WHAT: Florida Sportsman Fishing & Boat Show
WHERE: Florida State Fairgrounds (east of Tampa, off Interstate 4)

WHEN: Saturday,

10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sunday,

10 a.m.-5 p.m.

ADMISSION: $8; free for children 12 and younger with a parent. Discount coupons at www.florida

sportsman.com/shows/coupon.

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