I fish. Therefore, I am.

How to catch nurse and reef sharks:
1) Get some barracuda heads and shove them in a mesh bag.
2) Tie the bag to a cleat on the boat and drop over the side of the boat.
3) Dump some dirty barracuda-juiced water into the ocean.
4) Take a hunk of barracuda, thread onto large circle hook so point pushes through skin which holds hunk onto hook.
5) Pitch cast bait out. Let current take it out a bit.
6) Stand at front of boat and scout for incoming sharks.
7) Let fish take bait and swim away.
8) Slowly… Continue

While talking on the phone last night sitting by our Center's "conch wall" I could see and hear big splashes near our dock. After getting off the phone I by-passed hitting the bars/karaoke and grabbed my fishing gear. I took out a bag of frozen conch scraps, my box of hooks, Hook-Pick, and my hand-line spool and wandered down to our dock. Not 10 minutes later the water erupts around the dock and big, dark shadows scatter through the shallows. Realizing I might need some heavier equipment, my gir… Continue

Being down here in the Caribbean has been interesting and enlightening on several levels. One that stands out is my practice of catch-and-release is so foreign to most of the fishermen down here that I am DEFINITELY in the minority. I told a guy yesterday that stateside I release all my fish and can't remember the last time I filleted a fish. He just sort of looked at me and then laughed. He said that drinking and women are "sport" for him, not fishing. Had a good laugh over that.

So here I am:… Continue

1) Don't wade out 400 yards to a barrier reef with a large storm brewing nearby, and think you can easily walk back to shore... because you just can't.
2) Get the $%^& out of the water if there's lightening nearby!
3) Dive sheds make great cover from 50+mph wind, rain, and flying debris.
4) Buy a spare snorkel/dive mask for driving the boat in rain.
5) No fish is worth your life...

Here I am studying in the Caribbean surrounded by turquoise blue waters. My problem isn't ice; it's the wind. This damn wind won't stop blowing. Makes wading the nearest and ONLY accessible sand flat pretty difficult. It's doable for sure, but trying to sight fish barracuda in 1-2' waves is pretty difficult. Their light silver backs blend in so well with the mixed sand/seagrass. I could blind cast the area but there's nothing cooler than spotting a 4' missile, casting beyond it, burning your bai… Continue