This team of troopers overcame gusty cool conditions to earn some great catches – here they have an ornery shark on the line.
When anglers flock to the Florida Keys, most envision sunny skies and flat still waters in which to hunt their prize catch. While it is an island paradise down here, we still sometimes have less-than-dreamy fishing conditions. Winds can come howling in from the ocean, and downpours sometimes block out the sun. But the fish are already wet, so what’s stopping you? The great thing about Florida weather is that it changes quickly. If at first light it’s blustery out your window, don’t despair. Take these guys (above) – we left the dock in less than ideal conditions, but by lunchtime it was postcard beautiful and we fed two tarpon – along with a mixed bag of action-packed rod benders. When you pack for your trip, come prepared for everything and listen to the advice of your captain. He (or she) wants to lead you on a successful adventure and will call off the trip if it’s impossibly fruitless. And even if the sun never shines, by adding torrential rain and gusty winds to your fish fighting story, you look all the more heroic.