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East Central Florida

Meet The Captain’s

Capt. Jamie Thrappas Yellow Dawg Fishing Charters

Licensed USCG Captain Jamie Thrappas grew up on the water just outside of Baltimore, MD. The son of a commercialfishermanontheChesapeakeBay,hegrewup learning what it took to successfully bring his catch to the boat Whether it was spending his summers working on the commercial boat with his dad or the charter boats with his brother and cousins, fishing was no doubt a passion. Upon moving to Florida when he turned 18 to attend college,Thrappas found a renewed love of fishing with all ofthedifferentspeciestotarget.

Soon enough, his passion for fishing turned into an addiction. 15 + years of fishing in Daytona Beach has certainly allowed for Capt. Jamie to dial in his tactics, which he openly shares his techniques with his customers. Alwayswillingtolearnsomethingnewandalwayswilling to teach others is what sets Yellow Dawg Fishing Charter apart Let them get you out on the water for a fish-filled dayyouwillalwaysremember!

Yellow Dawg Fishing offers inshore fishing charters, offshore and deep sea fishing excursions in Daytona Beach, FL. They are able to accommodate between 2-6 passengers on their fishing boats for up to ten hours at a time Their fishing vessels are captained by an experienced, licensed, and insured local captain who has an abundance of knowledge about popular fishing grounds.Infact,he’strainedinfirstaidandCPR.

Capt. Jeff Stone

Captain Jeff is a native Floridian born and raised in Daytona Beach. Born into a fishing family, he grew up in PonceInlet(theSouthendofDaytonaBeach)whenitwas nothing more than a fishing village. Jeff is a third generation charter and commercial fisherman. His father and grandfather, along with others, were the pioneers of thecharterfishingindustryintheDaytonaBeacharea He took his first fishing trip into the Atlantic Ocean with hisdadattheageof5.Itwasn’tlongafterheknewthathe wanted to follow in his father and grandfather’s footsteps bymakingfishinghisprofession.

Throughout his teenage years, Jeff would spend his summers and weekends during school working on local head boats and charter boats. He was actively learning his craft from some of the best captains and fishermen in the area.

After graduating high school, Jeff started working full time in the fishing industry He earned his captains license at the age of 22 During his fishing career, Jeff has been blessed to be able to experience and fish pretty much the entire East coast of the United States and many locations around the world. In this time, he has learned many differenttypesoffishingandtechniques.

With over 30 years of fishing experience, Jeff hopes to make your fishing trip a fun and memorable experience thatyouwillnotforget!

Come experience the joy of fishing the Florida coast with a third generation profes yourfishingsuccess!

Inshore

Offshore

SharkFishing

Upto4Passengers

DockedatAdventure

YachtHarbor

Front

Leary Family Owned Since 1999

Waylon caught this nice redfish from the jetties in Ponce Inlet. He was using bait from EJ’s Bait & Tackle in Port Orange.

Casi caught this shark from the Dunlawton Fishing Pier on bait from Donald’s Bait & Tackle in Port Orange.

rozenBait ozenBait Shrimp/MudMinnows/FiddlerCra Shrimp/MudMinnows/FiddlerCra Shrimp/MudMinnows/FiddlerCra Tackle/Rods&Reelsandmore Tackle/Rods&Reelsandmore Tackle/Rods&Reelsandmore

Purchase a Fish Florida license plate for your vehicle to support kids’ fishing education and show your passion for fishing in Florida. The sailfish design looks great with any vehicle and boat trailer! The Fish Florida plate is available at your tax collector's office.

Employee of E & J’s

Bait & Tackle Keenan

aka Casey caught this shark on a Bonita. The redfish below was caught on a shrimp from E & J’s.

The importance of fishing during a tide change the transition between high and low water is primarily due to water movement, which acts as a "feeding bell" for predatory fish. Most saltwater species are more active and easier to catch when water is moving, as current concentrates bait and creates ambush opportunities.

Why Tide Changes Matter -Triggers Feed Windows-Concentrates BaitMoving water makes Oxygen and Temperature Changes

The best fishing typically occurs in the two hours before and after a tide change.

Good size sheepshead caught by Matt Blake and his Nephew Drew Blake fishing with sand fleas on the intercoastal near the Ponce Inlet Jetty.

Rivers Leary with a largemouth

NLBN (No Live Bait Needed) baits are considered highly effective primarily because they combine extreme realism with a specialized rigging system that maintains a natural presentation. Their popularity stems from several key design features:

1. High-Quality Realism

Convincing Profiles

Pearlescent Finish

Hand-Poured Colors

2. Superior Swimming Action

Low-Speed Performance

Natural Motion

Balanced Glide

3. Proprietary Rigging System

Screw Lock Jigheads

Durability and Stability

Color Matching

4. Versatility and Target Species

bass caught on NLBN bait from Granada Pier Bait & Tackle in Ormond Beach.

Ethan Brown the snook slayer on the NLBN fishing out of the New Smyrna Beach area.

kids

ly Handling Your Catch

Written By: Captain Marty

We all enjoy catching fish and snapping a great photo to share with our friends and followers When taking part in this routine it becomes critical to do so with care and urgency.Handlingsaltwaterfishwithcareduringarelease is critical to ensure their survival, as improper handling leads to high death rates from stress, physical injury, and infection. Proper technique in releasing your catch keeps fishpopulationshealthy,helpstomaintainourecosystems, andpreserveslocalfisheriesforfuturegenerations

Releasing fish the right way dramatically increases their chance of survival. A fish that swims away isn’t necessarily a fish that survives. Stress, lactic acid buildup, internal injury, and improper handling can lead to delayed illness or death hours or even days after their release. By making a few thoughtful adjustments to your technique, youcanhelpensurethesefishlivetofightanotherday

Redfish are hardy compared to many other inshore species, but they’re still susceptible to overhandling, deep hooking, and stress from warm, low oxygen water (in the summer months). When handling a Redfish be sure to utilize circle hooks especially when fishing with live or cut bait Try and keep the fish in the water whenever possible to ensure a safe and quick release Always wet your hands before handling your caught Redfish. When holdingyourfishforaphoto,besuretousetwohandsand position them horizontally while supporting underneath the belly. When it comes time to release your Redfish, gently revive them by facing them into the current and lightlymovingthemsidetosidesomovingwatercanpass overtheirgills

Snook are powerful, sensitive, and temperature-dependent species. This species is especially vulnerable to jaw damage from improper handling, stress from longer drawn out fights, and cold water/weather shock When targeting Snook, be certain you are using heavier tackle to reduce the time you’re actually fighting the fish A worn-out Snookismorelikelytodieafterthereleaseifnotproperly executed. When holding a snook always position them horizontally and never hold/hang them by the jaw alone. In fact, be sure to use two hands to hold your Snook, one supporting the head and the other supporting the belly region Do your best to limit the Snooks time out of the water to 10 seconds or less A good method would be to hold you caught Snook in the water until your photographer is in position and ready with the camera to takeaphoto.

While the Tarpon are often considered the ultimate catch and release species because of their size and strong acrobaticactions,theyalsorequirethemostsensitivecare. Tarpon often suffer from exhaustion after a longer battle. Thisiswhyitbecomescriticaltoallowyourfishplentyof time to revive while in the water before setting them free. Similar to Snook, position your Tarpon into the current allowing water to flow over their gill plates for an extended period of time before setting them free Always allow the fish to kick off with power to ensure they’re readytoswimoff.

Never remove a Tarpon over the size of 40” from the water as this is the law. Doing so could cause serious damage to this species insides. With any size Tarpon it is ‘Best Practice’ to simply leave the fish in the water even when snapping a photo of your catch Simply support the Tarpons head and keep the gills submerged when photographingyourlargerTarpon

Jaw injuries are common with this species of fish from the long/hard fights as well the way anglers tend to grab this species to position them for photo. If you are to remove a smaller juvenileTarpon from the water, be sure to position them horizontally with two hands while supporting their head and belly Do your best to get that fish back in the water in less than 10 seconds to ensure they swim off nicely. Always avoid touching the Tarpon’s gill plates as they’reextremelysharpandcouldeasilybedamaged. Ifyouseeafishrollbellyupuponbeingreleased,thatisa clear indication that they need additional time to be revived before being set free/swimming off. Please take the time to practice a healthy and proper release of your caught fish With any species of fish, be sure to handle them with care and urgency to ensure they survive to fight anotherday.

As a licensed, insured, and experienced captain, I’d be happytodemonstrateproperreleasingtacticswiththebest oftrophyfishourregionhastooffer.Simplycontactmeif you’dliketobookacharterandlearnfromthebest!

Early registration until May 27th $350 Non-Member $325 HSFC Member May 28 Entry increases $50 for Non-Members th

Weigh-In June 6, 2026 4pm-6pm Down The Hatch 4894 Front St, Ponce Inlet Captains Meeting & Casino Night June 4, 2026 @6pm HSFC 3431 S. Ridgewood Ave Port Orange Awards Ceremony June 9, 2026 @6pm Down The Hatch 4894 Front St, Ponce Inlet

Contact: Jim at tournaments@hsfc.com for questions or visit www.hsfc.com

Kids Fishing Trip

Sunday June 28, 2026 1pm-5pm

Ages 8-15 Years

Must be accompanied by an adult!

Ifyourentryisdrawnfeeis$20perpersoncashonlytotipthe mates.Duebeforeboardingboat.

Cost of private charter has been donated by the Sea Spirit Family! Thank you for supporting our next generation of anglers.

Snacks and Waters will be provided.

Email children’s names and ages along with 1 parent/guardian that will accompany children if more than one child is between the ages of 8-15 years in a family only one parent/guardian can attend and will be responsible for their child or children.

Email to: fishandhuntday@gmail.com. Deadline to enter June 1st.

caught this 7 1/2

the

Vanessa Schurr

pound bass fishing

St. Johns River area in Astor with Capt. Scott Laney.

East Central Florida

FWCapprovesholisticmanagement approachforSpottedSeatrout

At its February meeting, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) approved new management regions and regulations for spotted seatrout as a part of FWC’s holistic regional management approach. These new regulations will go into effect on April1,2026.

The rule changes: Establish nine management regions for spotted seatrout

Establish regional regulations for recreational and commercial bag limits, slot limits and closed seasons.

Theseregionsandregulationsarepart of the FWC’s holistic management approach for Florida's most popular inshore fisheries. This approach takes a more holistic view of the fishery by evaluating multiple metrics, including fishing,stakeholderexperiencesande i lf smaller regional scale It improve regional differences in environ stakeholder experiences and provid addresslocalizedconcerns.

PanhandleRecreational

Openseason:March1–Jan 31

Closedseason:February.

Baglimit:Threefishperperson.

Slotlimit:15-19inches.

Over-slot allowance: One fish overallowed per vessel or per person fishingfromshore

2021 Dutchman Kodiak Ultimate RV w/ 3 slide outs situated on a corner 4,744sqft lot Lot features a 12’x12’ deck (2021), beautiful landscaping, pavers/rocks,firepit,and8’x10’utilitybuildingwithwasher/dryer Theresort offersclubhouse,2pools,hottub,tenniscourts,dogpark,dock,&boatramp toLittleLakeKerr Perfectforweekendsorfulltimeresidence HOAfeeis $706/quarter $148,000

Unique living in this wonderful 2bedroom Geodesic dome home! Hasanarrayofhardwood,laminate and tile flooring Frame guest housewithtileflooringandpaneled walls Has a detached garage/workshop with many electricaloutletsand220outletfor a welder 8’x 10’metal shed and freestanding double carport 239 acre lot that adjoins the Ocala NationalForest $360,000

BigBendRecreational Openseason:Year-round.

Closedseason:None.

Baglimit:Fivefishperperson.

Slotlimit:15-19inches

Over-slot allowance: One fish o orperpersoniffishingfromsho

Tampa Bay, Sarasota Ba Southwest,SoutheastRecreati Openseason:Year-round

Closedseason:None

Baglimit:Threefishperperson

Slotlimit:15-19inches.

$72,000

Over-slot allowance: One fish over-slot allowed per vessel orperpersoniffishingfromshore.

Indian River Lagoon Recreational (South of the South CausewayBridgeNewSmyrnaBeach Openseason:Jan.1–Oct.31.

Closedseason:Nov.1–Dec.31. Baglimit:Twofishperperson. Slotlimit:15-19inches.

Over-slotallowance:None

including

overlooks canal Two bathrooms that withtiledshower,andtheotherhasajacuzzi

North of the South Causeway h

rson management strategy has been Florida’s most popular inshore and snook, and now spotted approach has been met with ldersacrossthestate m for more information.

Ronnie with a nice flounder caught on a mudminnow from Donald’s Bait & Tackle located by the Dunlawton Bridge in Port Orange.

Vacant 0.43ac lot, zoned R4, lightly wooded with a small garage building Located in

North East

2026 FWC Lionfish Challenge expands with new categories and prize opportunities

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) 2026 Lionfish Challenge will kick off May 22 and run through Sept. 14. The challenge will feature several exciting new competition categories designed to recognize a wider range of participants and prizepackages.

The previous Recreational and Commercial Champion titleshavebeenreplacedwiththefollowingawards:

*Lionfish King: Top male participant in the recreational division.

*Lionfish Queen: Top female participant in the recreationaldivision

*Commercial Champion: Top participant in the commercialdivision.

*Junior Harvester: Top recreational participant younger thanage18.

*Veteran Champion: Top active-duty service member or militaryveteranintherecreationaldivision

The FWC Lionfish Challenge will also recognize its Top SupporterandTopFWCLionfishCheckpointParticipant. For more information on how to participate in the 2026 FWC Lionfish Challenge visit ReefRangers.MyFWC.com/Lionfish-Challenge and to keep up with FWC lionfish program news, follow the FWCReefRangersatFacebook.com/FWCReefRangers.

“Lionfish derbies and the FWC Lionfish Challenge are a great way to help reduce lionfish numbers on coral reefs,” said Tony Hart, FWC Lionfish Outreach Coordinator “Divers who participate are supporting conservation and doingtheirparttoprotectthevitalmarineresourcesinand aroundFlorida’swaters.”

Lionfish are an invasive species with the potential to negatively impact native wildlife and habitats A single female lionfish can release as many as 30,000 eggs every four days, enabling lionfish populations to grow rapidly, and outcompete native species for food and habitat. FWC encourages divers, anglers and commercial harvesters to removelionfishinFloridawaterstolimitnegativeimpacts to native marine life and ecosystems. To learn more about lionfish,visitMyFWCcom/Lionfish