The Guidebook
Fish
Every fish named in the book, and how Matt went after it.
The ones that matter
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Common snook Fishing royalty. The black lateral stripe is the tell-tale. Matt's 36-inch, 20-pound monster at South Point… Ch. 1Ch. 2Ch. 4Ch. 5 +2 -
Tarpon ('silver king') The trophy fish of South Florida and the tournament's main event. Old Scarface. Rose's 68-inch, 81-pound… Ch. 1Ch. 2Ch. 7Ch. 8 +3 -
Redfish (red drum, 'spot-tail') The first keeper Matt ever caught, at Comer Key. Rose's cooler-toppling redfish at the marina. The 22- and… Ch. 2Ch. 3Ch. 7Ch. 8 +1 -
Spotted seatrout 'Grass bed fishing meant trout.' Three keepers on the first client trip; Dave's trout off Little Pavilion Key. Ch. 2Ch. 3Ch. 7Ch. 16 +1 -
Mangrove (gray) snapper Dave's 22-incher; the snapper bonanza at the river mouth ('leave that snapper in the water, it'll attract… Ch. 2Ch. 3Ch. 7Ch. 13 +2 -
Grouper (goliath / gag) Matt's favorite eating fish. The 'unseen giant' that dragged the anchored Bonefisher across the channel; the… Ch. 2Ch. 3Ch. 13Ch. 14 +2
Sharks
Bait and bycatch
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Striped mullet The baitfish the Bagley Mullet lure imitates. Mullet 'splashing in the current' is part of the Everglades… Ch. 4Ch. 5Ch. 6Ch. 15 -
Pinfish Baitfish fleeing bigger fish at South Point. Ch. 4 -
Ladyfish Matt's metaphor: the tiny ladyfish that minds its own business before the snook gobbles it. Ch. 2 -
Hardhead catfish The 'spiny catfish' Matt caught as a kid off the Anglers Motel dock. Ch. 2 -
Pufferfish 'Those little puffy buggers were tough to unhook.' Ch. 2 -
Jack crevalle 'Aggressive jack fish darted frantically under the surface' herding baitfish at South Point. Ch. 4
Also mentioned
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Black drum The 'single black drum, which were hard to find these days' in the Rabbit Key cooler. A tournament category. Ch. 7Ch. 20 -
Cobia A tournament category at Port of the Everglades. Ch. 20 -
Yellowtail snapper On Dan's list of what the Ten Thousand Islands offers. Ch. 2 -
Gulf flounder On Dan's list. Ch. 2 -
Sheepshead On Dan's list. Ch. 2 -
Bonefish The fish President Bush hooked with Snapper on the Key Largo flats. Ch. 19 -
Greater amberjack 'Bleeding like a dang amberjack' — Doc. Ch. 17 -
Bluegill ('brim') The 'giant brim' Russ watches with his grandson off the lake dock up north — about the size of Everglades… Ch. 3 -
Lionfish (invasive) The Chokoloskee Gazette article: smuggled exotics destroying local reefs and 'outcompeting' native species. Ch. 1
Sizes and seasons here describe the book. Florida rules change every year — before you keep anything, check the current FWC saltwater regulations.