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Shallow water fishing is popular in Florida Bay and nearshorecoastal waters

The breadth and diversity of fisheriesin south Florida, particularly in theFlorida Keys, make it one of the premierdestinations for anglers in the continentalUnited States. Although perhaps not asprolific as historically documented, noother locale offers fishing enthusiastsopportunities to encounter such awide array of species and habitats. Thepresence of targeted species is correlatedto seasonal patterns of movement and, inthe short term, tidal phase and ambientwater temperature, which affects foodsources and comfort zones.

lnshore fishing includes flats,backcounty, and reef fishing and is looselydefined as fishing within 8 - 10 kilometers(5 - 6 miles) from the edge of land, outto and including the bank reef tract.Theshallowest areas near to shore are knownas "fl ats" or "tidal fl ats," which are mixturesof seagrass and hardbottom communities.Flats fishermen seek out bonefish, permit,tarpon, barracuda, and sharks. Waterclarity on shallow flats is exceptionaland enables sight casting to theseanimals, perhaps the most technicallychallenging form of fishing. Flats fishing ispredominantly catch and release.

Backcountry fishing is defined asinshore fishing around uninhabitedmangrove islands and tidal channels,like those found on the Gulf side of theKeys. Other backcountry options includethe shallows of Florida Bay, EvergladesNational Park, and tidal channels andshorelines in the Ten Thousand lslands.Snook, tarpon, redfish, speckled trout,gray snapper, and sharks are common

Jack Teague

Tlpical "skinny water" flats fishing skiff used in southFlorida.

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Mutton snapper caught on a patch reef off of KeyWest is fine table fare.

backcountry catches. Other inshoreoptions include bay and wreck fishing,such as in Biscayne Bay and wrecks offMarco lsland and other locations in theshallow Gulf of Mexico.

As water depth increases with distancefrom the shallows, coral communitiesbegin to dominate the sea bottom. Withinthe boundary created by the tidal flatsand offshore bank reef on the Atlantic sideof the Keys are numerous isolated coralcommunities often referred to as "patch"reefs. The bank and patch reefs, as well asartificial reefs, provide excellent structurethat provides habitat for several speciesof grouper and snapper that are prizedby anglers as food fish. Predators, such assharks and barracudas, are also commoninhabitants of these areas. Seasonally,members of the mackerel family visitpatch and bank reefs, and pelagic species,such as little tunny and sailfish, visit thebank reef.

Healthy fisheries in south Floridaare directly related to preservation ofeach habitat type that supports variousphases of fish life cycles (e.9., seagrass,mangroves, marshes, hardbottom, coralreefs). Habitat loss and degradation hasresulted in diminished catch per effortratios compared to historical catches. Theimportance of preservation of habitat tothe sustenance of inshore fishing cannotbe overstated.

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Responsible fishing practices and informed management arereguired to sustain south Floridat world-class offshore fishery

Jack Teague

may be caught year-round. Fish targetedduring fall/winter include sailfish, kingfish,wahoo, and tuna. During spring/summer,dolphin fish usually dominate the offshorecatch, but marlin, tuna, sailfish, andwahoo are also regularly caught.

The position of south Florida as thetip of a geographicalphalanx jutting outinto the confluence of Caribbean, Gulf ofMexico, and Atlantic Ocean subtropicalwaters places it directly in the migratoryroutes of many pelagic species of fish. ltis the legendary territory of blue water,deep-sea fishing.The Florida Current flowsconstantly through the corridor known asthe Florida Straits, creating currents andthermal edges that control the location offorage fish and floating structure, such asSargasso weed and flotsam. The locationof the shoreward edge of the FloridaCurrent varies; generally, it is about 16kilometers (10 miles) off Key West and 3 -5 km (2 - 3 mi) off Fort Lauderdale. At 32- 40 km (20 - 25 mi) out, the continentalshelf drops away, creating bathymetricfeatures that influence ocean currents aswell.

Sailfish are a popular game fish in offshore waters.

Anglers ply these waters seekingpopular big game fish, such as bluemarlin, sailfish, dolphin fish (Mahi-Mahi),wahoo, tuna, and swordfish. The presenceof their quarry is often indicated byactivity on the ocean surface, such as thepresence of diving seabirds, particularlyfrigates and terns, and sprays of bait fishleaping from the water in an attempt toescape death from below. The tenure ofthe big game species in south Floridais typically seasonal in nature, thoughoccasional members of any of the species

foraging habitat for big game fish, such as dolphin fishand sailfish.

The floating seaweeds, Sargossumnatans and Sargassum fluitans (collectivelycalled Sargasso weed), are commonlyfound offshore and can cover large areasof the ocean. Generally, weed lines areconcentrated along the edges of currentsand eddies. Sargasso weed harbors adiverse community of sea life, consistingof the floating live weed, the myriad tinysea creatures living in its clusters, andsuccessive orders of predators attractedto the forage. The Sargasso weed is theessential foundation of the food web andnursery for a healthy pelagic fishery.

Sargasso weed has commercial andindustrial uses and has been harvestedfor its economic value without concernfor the creatures living within andbeneath the mass. Sargassum is subjectto the whim of current and wind; itpasses through the waters of severalpolitical boundaries, so its protection andpreservation beyond south Florida mustbe a national and multinational effort topreclude serious detrimental collateralimpacts to pelagic fish species.

Floating Sargasso weed is essential nursery and

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