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them a newfound level of respect for anglers and, for many, sparked a newfound interest in shing. e competition was close, but Team Gypsea, led by Capt. Taylor Sanford and supported by fourtime Pro Bowlers Matthew Judon and Dalvin Cook, claimed the championship trophy. e grand prize winnings consisted of a $100,000 donation to the Coast Guard Foundation.

“It was fascinating to watch elite NFL athletes realize how much e ort it takes to reel in saltwater sh,” said Je Stillwell, president of Salt Life. “ eir willingness to learn about techniques and take a genuine interest in doing things correctly shows why they are top-tier athletes. Plus, there is nothing like seeing someone catch a sh for the rst time!”

SFC’s e Catch had various components, including a pro-am tournament with other NFL legends and athletes. e Awards dinner was incredible, featuring a breathtaking drone light show and a Havana-themed atmosphere.

For more, visit sport shingchampionship.com. Follow Astrid Degruchy’s shing adventures on Instagram @catching_astrid.

By Mark Ambert

The Florida Keys are an adventure with many great places to stay, fish, eat, and drink. Add it to your “frequent destinations” list and you won’t be disappointed.

With spring fever in full swing and the June summer transition just ahead, it was time to take a short trip someplace fishy. The spring season is also the best time to load up on some delicious blackfin tuna that migrate thru our area. What better location than Islamorada and the Florida Keys. This destination is just a stone’s throw away from most of us along the southeast coastline and yet feels every bit remote as a Caribbean destination. And of course – fishing is a primary recreational activity!

It has become a family tradition to fish then head to any of the excellent local restaurants to eat what we catch. Our preferred destination for this is Islamorada and the famous Islamorada Hump! Roughly twenty miles offshore, this location holds an abundance of fish year-round.

The topology of any of the humps along the east coast is perfect for holding baits throughout the seasons and therefore a surefire feeding lane for pelagics like tuna. The Islamorada Hump rises from the depths to within 290 feet of the surface and creates many desirable rips and currents to fish. We could be reasonably sure with the right boat and captain we would intercept feeding fish. These same conditions hold true for any of the local humps that can be found out of many ports of call along the Eastern Seaboard.

There’s no better way to spend an evening –fresh homestyle fish dinner with friends.

Our first order for a successful trip was engaging a local captain, knowledgeable in this fishery. Enter Captain TJ Zinkland, Heavy Guns Fishing. We have used him in the past because quite simply he is excellent at what he does and produces results. TJ is a “natural”. You just know this man will find the fish.

Conditions were questionable, with an abundance of both nuisance weeds and sharks this year. With a steady twenty knot wind out of the northeast, conditions would be lumpy at best. TJ’s vessel is a 36’ Contender center console with triple Merc 300’s –more than up to the task.

Even in these undesirable conditions, Captain TJ went up in the tower and began the day “run-andgun” style searching for birds that might indicate feeding fish. This is critical in the Keys and not so much in Jupiter – my home port of call. We seldom rely on feeding birds as they are just not as prevalent as in the Keys. TJ had a mix of live and fresh frozen baits at the ready and gave us a rundown on what to expect. I’m proud to say we boated eight tuna and three mahi without TJ having to come down from the “crow’s nest” to assist! My good friend and partner for the day, Tom O’Brien and I, didn’t lose a single hooked fish although we came close several times given the adverse conditions.

The secret to boating these football sized tuna and school sized mahi is to reel them to within three feet of the rod tip then use their forward momentum to pitch them over the side and in the boat. Once we were

With summer on our minds, it is hard to believe we are halfway thru 2023! The water temperatures will be gradually rising another two degrees to an average of 82.6⁰F. During this month, wind speeds should become fairly consistent with calm to moderate easterly breezes the majority of the time. Anglers, please be sure to take heed of Mother Nature and pay attention to afternoon thunderstorms. Late afternoon thunderstorms build and creep up on you quickly if you’re not paying attention. I would suggest getting an early start if you decide to head offshore to find dolphin. If you are the first to find an offshore weedline it can make a huge difference as to what lands in your fish box at the end of the day.

Bottom dwellers such as groupers, yellowtails, mangroves and muttons will continue to be plentiful. Blackfin tuna ranging