When I discovered that guiding anglers was actually a way to make a living, I dove in head first.  My career started in Jackson, WY at Bressler Outfitters.  I was the everything guy who was the lowest on the totem pole and called “The Swamper”.  I did everything from changing bearings on trailers to taking firewood to camp.  I also got to do some guiding when everyone else was full and when they weren’t it was up to me to go teach fly casting at local guest ranches to try to recruit some trips.

My favorite rod is a St Croix Legend XTreme Inshore Spinning Rod. I like it in the 7 foot Medium/Heavy action.

I thought that the Opah was only found in the Pacific Ocean, but I was wrong.  My friend, Geoff Arias sent me a picture today of an Opah.  (You may remember Geoff...we shot a TV show together and you can see that here.)  When I first looked at it, I thought that he had probably taken a trip to Hawaii.  Then, I looked back at the text and saw that it was not caught in Hawaii but rather, off the coast of Ft Lauderdale.

Jesse Simpkins of St Croix Rods comes down to visit and test some St Croix Mojo Salt and Mojo Inshore rods on the giant tarpon of the Florida Keys.  Mission accomplished!

Check out this SLO MO tarpon jump right next to the boat.  

St Croix Rods are the perfect tool for the Florida Keys Tarpon.  We like so many of the models, but it is hard to beat the Mojo Salt and Mojo Inshore for outstanding quality, incredibly durable boat rods for a charter boat.  Day in and Day out, these things stand up to the abuse of these giant fish and (sometimes) the abuse of the clients.

Check out the very first episode of our new project Saltwater Experience Weekly.  We will put out a weekly show on Facebook and Youtube that will show exactly what is happening in the Florida Keys and beyond.

One of the things I did to keep my kids super excited about fishing was to become very involved in the Key West Fishing Tournament.  The tournament is a long format ongoing tournament that begins March 1 and ends on the last day of November each year.  Anglers and guides receive a citation/certificate for fish that achieve the minimum citation length.  The tournament keeps records for All Time and for the year which allows for anglers and guides to target specific fish on specific tackle to try to win the different categories...

Mercury introduced the Joystick piloting a few years ago and it is getting even better.  We have watched our 5 year old kids dock a 3 engine Yellowfin like they are playing a video game.  This technology allows anyone to be able to dock a big boat with confidence.  If you are going to the Miami Boat Show, stop by Mercury and see the newest technology...

Lowrance has done it again and the bar has been raised!  The new Carbon Series is incredible.  I just put the biggest 16 inch monitors on my new 24 Yellowfin and I could not be happier...

Trolling motors continue to evolve into more effective fishing tools.  We have been using the Xi5 motors from MotorGuide for years and have been very pleased. Now, MotorGuide just introduced the Xi3 motor which is a little lighter, and skips a few of the features of the Xi5 and comes in a little cheaper.  Here are the Features of the new Xi3...

Some power and service has been restored in the Florida Keys. Some landlines are working at Bars and establishments in Key West and other Keys, therefore much more news is getting out of the Florida Keys. We are doing our best to vet this information and republish or share accurate, helpful information. We will be doing this throughout the day today and whenever we see good information. Relief efforts are beginning and supply drops are being organized. If you have a relief effort and want to get the word out, please let us know and we will post it here.