Florida Sportsman

Florida Sportsman is the complete fishing magazine for Florida and the Tropics. Devoted to fishing, boating, and outdoor activities in the Sunshine State, Florida Sportsman is the authoritative source for Florida's most active fishermen.

Florida Sportsman

NEW ARTIFICIAL REEFS 2025

Let’s Reef-Cycle!

Make Time To Help Save a Reef

Destin/Okaloosa County Nearshore Reefs • Good fishing just getting better.

STRANGELY EDIBLE • Blue runner, bonito, lizardfish—and a few you won’t want to try.

SLIP INTO THE SALT • Slip floats can help keep your bait in the strike zone and get you more bites!

PICK A POPPER • Flyrod poppers take everything from bream to billfish.

SHELL BAR BASSIN’ • Small midriver bars, some less than 10 feet wide, hold big-leagues bass.

THE ART OF STAYING PUT • Tips for choosing the right anchor.

TUNEUP TIME • Get out to a sporting clays range this summer and get in shape for fall hunting seasons.

MOTV DIGEST • Tips and tactics selected by our editors from episodes of popular fishing, hunting, and shooting series streaming now at My Outdoor TV. www.myoutdoortv.com

Tripletail Ceviche • A tangy twist on a classic seafood preparation.

Arch of Progress • Introducing Reef Arches, a novel design for augmenting coastal marine fishery habitats.

ADD THESE GPS NUMBERS AND FISH OR DIVE ON A NEW REEF

PICK-OF-THE-REEF • HOW TO HOOK WHAT YOU WANT, AND NOT WHAT YOU DON’T.

UPDATE ON LIONFISH: Menace on Florida Reefs • CONTROLLING INVASIVE LIONFISH HAS BECOME PART OF THE DAY-TO-DAY FOR FLORIDA DIVERS.

Turning Heads • RESTORING A CLASSIC WITH MODERN TECHNOLOGY.

WADE FISHING 101 • GETTING YOUR FEET WET CAN PUT YOU IN THE IDEAL POSITION TO CATCH FLORIDA’S BIG THREE OF INSHORE FISH—REDS, SNOOK AND TROUT.

GET the DROP ON LOBSTERS • WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE MINI SEASON OPENS LATER THIS MONTH.

Bump IN THE Night • PADDLEBOARD FISHING THE FLATS AFTER SUNDOWN YIELDS AWESOME SURPRISES.

JULY ACTION SPOTTER • OUR REGIONAL EXPERTS GUIDE YOU TO THE HOTSPOTS

Snapper, Mahi and More

Run the Weedlines

Fishy Fireworks

Gear Up for Lobsters

Falling Tide, Rising Action

Tackle Tips for Mixed Bag

Scooping up Scallops

Go Light for More Bites

Kingfish Capital?

Fish Deep on Fresh and Salt

Dog Days, Fishy Ways

OUTDOOR DIRECTORY

Best Bites • Gulf reds, Canaveral yellowfins, and giant SE FL kings top the scorecards.

How to Start a Scholastic Fishing Club

JULY 2025

Slammed by a Storm • West of Key West, a weather nightmare morphs into a dream day of fishing.