Bonefish & Tarpon Trust News

The first-ever closed season on harvesting permit in most Florida Keys waters ends on July 31. During the three-month closure that runs May through July, anglers in the Special Permit Zone in the Keys have been limited to release-only fishing for permit. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission created the permit zone and new […]

The Florida Guides Association and fishing clubs all over Florida-as well as individual anglers-are invited to participate in the FGA/FWC Spirit of Tarpon DNA Sampling Challenge. The challenge is being promoted to encourage more anglers to participate in the Tarpon Genetic Recapture Study, an effort by state biologists to learn about the survival, growth and […]

“The explosive nature of the population expansion is ominous. We’re getting reports of thousands of them documented across the northern Gulf and thousands in the Keys, all within a few years,” said Bob Shipp, head of marine sciences at the University of South Alabama. “Whether they replace some of our native species on the reefs, […]

I of course had my trusty spinning rod with one of Dad’s old Prince Albert cans full of worms that I had dug from my mothers beloved rose garden the evening before. Her climbing rose bushes were cared for with the same kindness and tenderness that she gave her children And never once did she […]

Enjoy Your Own Bahamas Bonefish Haven While Supporting BTT There is a beautiful piece of sand available for sale in the Bahamas that is literally surrounded by bonefish. With a shallow stretch of the Atlantic on the front side and the 3-mile long Blanket Sound on the back, this 150 beachfront foot (.56 acre) lot on Kamalame […]

BRP announced today an agreement with legendary flats fisherman Stu Apte as he launches a new line of Stu Apte Signature Series Beavertail Skiffs in partnership with Aeon Marine. Having fished shallow waters for more than 60 years, Apte has an unmatched understanding of the equipment needs of flats fishing enthusiasts. “Evinrude outboard engines have been […]

Cheeca Lodge & Spa has announced the dates for the First Annual Cheeca Lodge & Spa All American Backcountry Fishing Tournament, with proceeds to benefit Bonefish & Tarpon Trust. The tournament represents a new addition to the roster of backcountry tournaments in the “Sport Fishing Capital of the World”, dates are November 9-11, 2012. Fishing headquarters for the […]

More than 9,000 representatives from the global sportfishing community, exhibitors, buyers and outdoor media, converged on the Orange County Convention Center Wednesday through Friday last week, for the world’s largest sportfishing trade show. The 55th International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades, better known as ICAST, represents the cornerstone of the sportfishing industry, driving sportfishing companies’ […]

Covered in small, butter-yellow flowers and thick green leaves, an unusual bush looks out of place amidst the surrounding sea of black needlerush marsh grass. It is a black mangrove, a plant typically associated with the coastlines of south Florida and the Caribbean. This particular bush is believed to be growing farther north than any […]

In the 1950s, tarpon fishing on Florida Bay was a lonely game, with few players.Spring is here and giant tarpon are returning to the fishing flats of Florida. Facing off against this annual invasion are great picket lines of flyfisher-men, by now a familiar sight on the shallow banks of the Florida Keys, South Dade and (a […]