When you pick up a new magazine and flip through the pages, you look to connect with the spirit and personality of the thing.
You give it a once-over, sizing up a new acquaintance as with a handshake or a few minutes of light conversation.
Editors have that kind of relationship with dozens of magazines.
As one who reads and re-reads every word before it goes into Florida Sportsman (and writes a great deal of them), I have for years now had a habit of picking up older issues and getting to know them anew.
At least once each month, usually when we’re planning a coming issue, I’ll spend a half-hour with a random back issue. I’ll kick back and scan the pages to see where we were then, and where we are now.
To commemorate our 35th anniversary, I extended my back-issue sessions into a week-long “binder bender.” I spent time with each and every issue, tracking the doings of that Old Friend. It was fascinating, not to mention inspirational (I balanced my reading with getting out on the water, on an hour-for hour basis).
Many subjects over the years fit neatly into single issues. Others carried forward year after year. It was impressive to me how Florida Sportsman chronicled and in many ways influenced the development of sportfishing in the state.
Here’s some of the content that I especially noted, though it’s obviously a sampling. We should mention that dates posted refer to the year events were recorded, not always when they happened.
For many of you, the year-by-year trek will trigger memories of your own.
—Jeff Weakley, Editor
1969
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Florida & Tropic Sportsman Debuts
Eliott Fishman tells of catching record Atlantic blue marlin, 845 pounds, in St. Thomas.
SeaBee and other casting lures as “New Secrets for Snook.”
125-hp Mercury is most powerful production outboard.
Rep. Gerald Lewis’ editorial spurs opposition to Cross-Florida Barge Canal.
Vic Dunaway hunts pigeons on Andros Island (no longer legal).
1970
Hatchery-reared striped bass first introduced to Talquin and other Florida lakes.
Kite fishing for sailfish promoted by Bill Barnes; who was himself convinced by Capt. Tommy Gifford.
Grouper trolling becoming popular off Homosassa.
Early 4-cycle marine outboard: Fisher-Pierce Bearcat 55 and 85 hp.
Publisher Karl Wickstrom reports on boat trip to Bimini; complains of paying 58.9 cents per gallon on fuel, versus 35.9 cents in U.S.
$70 gets you a “flasher” kit—your first fishfinder.
Guide to Artificial Reefs: Total of 70 sites around the state, with navigation instructions like “1 mile offshore from 1 mile North of Ft. Pierce Inlet.”
1971
One flats boat listed in trailerable boat review: Hewes Bonefisher ($1,700 base price).
American League MVP Boog Powell pitches Spinmaster spinning reels in full-page ad.
Bertram 28 introduced.
Waterfront condos in Delray Beach advertised for $22,900.
3-year-old Bass Anglers Sportsmans Society (BASS) attracting members. Typical bass boat of the day: 16 feet, 50 hp.
A live white marlin is found in the intake canal at Turkey Point Power Plant, Miami.
WOCN 1450 Radio “Flying Fisherman” offers weekend fishing reports from the air over South Florida.
1972
Dusky 17 sells for $995.
Formula 233 Fisherman runs 50 mph on twin 165 Mercruisers.
Japanese longliners slaughtering fish in Gulf of Mexico; “Conservationists believe a 200-mile limit can be the salvation of the future.”
Biscayne National Monument unveiled in FS; was first proposed by Rep. Dante Fascell in 1964.
Frank Sargeant, now Projects Editor, joins FS as editor at large.
VHF radio explained in detail; boaters warned that AM systems will soon be phased out.
State begins experimenting with grass carp for weed control.
1973
“March of the Aliens”: Scientists sound the alarm bell for an invasion of blue tilapia, oscars and other exotics: “…within 20 years, people in wide areas of Florida will be catching mighty few bass and bream.”
Florida League of Anglers forms. Lyman Rogers elected president; Vic Dunaway vice president.
Ambassadeur rolls out the 5500C3 casting reel.
13 companies producing trolling motors.
A week’s stay at Andros Beach Hotel: $168
Report on manatees indicates “…they are rarely seen in many of their haunts.” Park Service naturalist attributes population wane to habitat loss.
Pompano Beach partyboat Helen S running trips to Bahamas.
1974
Spotlight on Herb Goodman, 75, “King of the Shark Fishermen” at Boynton Inlet. Best catch? 850-pound tiger shark, from shore.
Preserving Florida wetlands will be “The Battle of the Decade.” Nat Reed, U.S. Dept. of Interior Assistant Secretary, describes Florida as a “test tube baby” for the nation and probably the world in solving serious environmental problems.
Daiwa Silver Series reels advertised.
Mako 26 debuts in FS
State agrees to purchase east end of St. George Island. “Bulldozers and condos may take over part of the island, but not all,” writes Harlan Franklin.
Florida law protects all marine turtles, nests and eggs.
1975
Offshore oil deposits discovered in northeast Gulf.
Fuji Hard Speed Guides become the rage for rod builders; aluminum oxide rings protected by a shock ring.
25-mile-long Canaveral National Seashore approved by Congress. Wilderness model prevails over early plans for development.
“There are panthers in Florida, out there somewhere, at least 150 of them, maybe twice that,” writes Frank Sargeant.
“One Knot for Every Need”: Vic Dunaway introduces Uni-knot system, a simple, powerful tool for connecting lines to lures, leaders, fly lines, double lines and more.
Escambia Bay recovering; had been pronounced “dead” in 1971. Industrial pollutors forced to clean up by National Environmental Policy Act.Offshore oil deposits discovered in northeast Gulf.
Fuji Hard Speed Guides become the rage for rod builders; aluminum oxide rings protected by a shock ring.
25-mile-long Canaveral National Seashore approved by Congress. Wilderness model prevails over early plans for development.
“There are panthers in Florida, out there somewhere, at least 150 of them, maybe twice that,” writes Frank Sargeant.
“One Knot for Every Need”: Vic Dunaway introduces Uni-knot system, a simple, powerful tool for connecting lines to lures, leaders, fly lines, double lines and more.
Escambia Bay recovering; had been pronounced “dead” in 1971. Industrial pollutors forced to clean up by National Environmental Policy Act.
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1976
Cayo Costa Island selected for state purchase under Florida’s brand new, voter-approved Environmentally Endangered Lands Program.
FS article repeats the words of Stuart News Editor Ernie Lyons: “Where the beautiful St. Lucie River was attractive and inviting a few years ago, there is now a wide and muddy expanse of silted water. The spillways are open again…”
Sunshine bass, created in 1973, have been stocked in 50 Florida lakes.
FS breaks “Swordfish Premiere.” On July 5, off Miami, the first swordfish caught by plan (348 pounds), “heralding the start of a new era in South Florida big-game fishing.”
1977
Light spinning tackle and live ballyhoo now tools of trade for most Islamorada sailfish charterboats.
First Daytona Beach Striking Fish Tournament advertised.
Magnuson Act passed by Congress, implementing 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone. South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council recommends prohibiting longline boats from keeping billfish.
Blue-tail fly revealed by Capt. Bill Curtis as new secret for Biscayne Bay bonefish.
235 Evinrude roars onto the scene.
1978
FS goes monthly
Ciguatera villain unmasked: It’s a dinoflagellate, says Japanese researcher.
Capt. Skip Bradeen and Blue Chip live-chumming blackfin tunas on Islamorada Hump.
Momentum builds for restoration of North Biscayne Bay. Dade Rep. Robert Graham (soon to be governor) pushing a plan in the Florida Legislature.
Billy Pate, Dick Pope, Ed Corlett, Hank Brown and others fighting to rid Everglades National Park of commercial fishing.
Panama City and Jacksonville anglers blazing trail for weekend reef-builders: “So find yourself a culvert, refrigerator, washing machine, tires or assorted other junk, and build yourself a reef,” we report.
1979
Scaup are a “10-point bird” in Florida. Waterfowl hunting managed by point system; 10 bluebills would comprise a 100-point bag limit.
Advertising: The cost of one Nelco Loran C: $2,795. The cost of a Boone Tout at K-Mart: 54 cents. The thrill of firing your mail-order, M-19, 3,000-round BB submachine gun? Priceless.
“Fish Traps: New Menace to the Future of Coral Reefs”
“Quail shooting isn’t democratic anymore around here,” proclaims Charles Waterman.
1980
Homosassa tarpon: “Serious fly fishermen have been gathering in increasing numbers each spring with hopes of being the first to catch a 200-pounder on fly.”
Feb. 3: Elbo Seven returns to Sailfish Marina in Palm Beach Shores, flying 83 sailfish release flags.
Sen. Robert McKnight oversees the drafting of bill to create Florida Marine Fisheries Commission and saltwater license.
Florida State Park admission fee doubles: from 25 cents to 50 cents.
Florida League of Anglers fights unsuccessfully in Legislature to ban net-fishing of kingfish, Spanish mackerel, redfish and seatrout.
FS Bahamas Fishing Guide appears.
1981
EPSCO color video sounder introduced to sportfishing market.
‑ FS advocates spawning season closure for snook.
My 8-pound can beat your 8-pound; Berkley lays $100,000 on the line in challenge.
“Where Have All the Swordfish Gone?” Commercial longlines have decimated the fishery.
Puff the Magic Dragon pattern introduced as secret fly for taking permit (still a pipe dream to most).
Vic Dunaway writes that, “…next to nobody outside of extreme South Florida fishes for redfish on the flats.”
Ecologist Art Marshall, for Everglades Protection Association, proposes plan to restore sheetflow to South Florida’s marsh and mangrove wilderness.
1982
“Key West’s Miracle Marlin” Capt. Norm Wood reveals a nascent marlin fishery on a deepwater dropoff.
Roller-rig gillnetters scoop up 2 million pounds of Spanish mackerel in Dade waters; what fish aren’t sold on the flooded market are dumped, by the ton, into the Miami River.
Saltwater Fisheries Study and Advisory Council, enabled by Legislature, proposes regulations for marine fish and shellfish.
Daiwa introduces first graphite body spinning reel.
Central Gulf Coast fisheries popularized: Sight-fishing for tarpon off beaches, and livebait chumming for snook.
Everglades deer herd decimated by flooding, due to inept water management.
1983
In the same year that the Marine Fisheries Commission takes over saltwater management, FS proposes transferring marine resource management to the constitutionally empowered Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission.
Hobos and Hill tides at Boca Grande.
Anchored off South Florida, mesh FADs (fish attracting devices) become a short-lived fad.
Also short-lived: Walleyes stocked in some Florida lakes by GFC.
“Premixing oil and gas will be a thing of the past,” writes Boating Editor Jim Martenhoff.
Florida Clean Water Act and Save Our Everglades program.
Semi-automatic UZI advertised in FS.
1984
Boca Grande vacation homes advertised for $155,000.
Eagle Claw promoting new “circle hook.”
Walker’s Cay moves for all-release format to billfish tournaments; Miami Billfish and other Florida events debating their own changes.
FS begins constitutional amendment drive to merge marine resource management with GFC, under “Wildlife and Fisheries Commission.”
Largely due to inept leadership in MFC, gill-netters have decimated kingfish in the Gulf of Mexico. FS reports: “From Naples in the south to St. Marks in the Panhandle…a once-booming recreational king mackerel fishery, along with a multi-million dollar support industry, is now stone dead.”
1985
FS tackles challenges facing a fast-growing state. Boom areas of early ’80s: Orlando, Tampa/St. Pete, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton and Fort Myers. We advocate state and federal legislation to protect wetlands and other natural areas; increased spending on aquiring beaches and lands for public access; Growth Management Bill restricting urban sprawl. Some hopes realized, others not.
Dr. Elton Gissendanner, executive director of state Department of Natural Resources, recommends state waters net ban to save mackerel stocks. Ignored by MFC.
FS advocates gamefish status for redfish.
Among bluewater lure trollers, the bird is the word.
1986
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Yamaha advertises first counter-rotating outboards.
“The Black Days for Gulf Redfish” Conservation community is galvanized by news of market-fishing atrocities. FS releases story of Raffield Fisheries captain arrested with 4,000 oversize redfish, totalling 71,041 pounds. The captain is the son of MFC Commissioner Gene Raffield. Total number of Gulf redfish landed by commercial fleet in 1981: 40,000 pounds. In 1985: 3.3 million pounds.
Florida Conservation Association (FCA), organized in 1985, begins membership drive in FS.
Another famous acronym debuts in FS: GPS, Global Positioning System. First consumer model sold by Raytheon will cost $15,995.
1987
We report, happily, that the Cross-Florida Barge Canal plan has been formally and finally laid to rest by Congressional legislation.
FS writer Don Mann catches “All Nine” billfish species in one year.
Shrimping comes under scrutiny for alarming bycatch; it’s revealed that only 10 percent of typical catch is shrimp. Sea turtles and finfish being decimated.
Little Green Devils (jigs) dancing in Boca Grande Pass.
Monocore flylines come of age, reports Chico Fernandez.
A bull shark is landed in Lake Griffin, 150 miles from the ocean.
Emergency closure of redfish fishery in Florida.
1988
Federal fishery councils vote in favor of no-sale status for marlin and sailfish; Florida passes similar regulations.
First special FS flats issue.
Ups and downs reported on Gulf Coast: Trout and reds coming back in Tampa Bay; offshore grouper stocks declining.
Good news for tarpon: Florida implements $50 kill tag; “World’s Richest” event in Boca Grande tries weigh-and-release format.
Spectacular summer marlin bites in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, inspire respective camps to duke it out for claim to “Ma
rlin Capital of the World.”
115-pound yellowfin tuna landed from Southern Blvd. Bridge, Lake Worth.
1989
Florida Cabinet approves no-sale status for redfish. Legislature enacts saltwater fishing license.
12,000 acres of turtlegrass mysteriously die in Florida Bay.
State reports evidence of mercury contamination in Everglades bass.
Eric Wickstrom, now Internet Editor, notes magazine’s 20th anniversary with first of his comprehensive Dreamboat features, about a re-done 19-foot Robalo.
Gulf Coast net-fishery for mullet accelerating to over 20 million pounds a year; roe selling for $25 a pound in Asian markets.
1990
Advertisement for new sounder promises to locate and differentiate species—trout, muskie, walleye and others. “The information you need to help you find your fish is programmed into Specie Select. All you have to do is push the button.” Editors of fishing magazines worrying about job security.
Owner Cutting Edge hooks introduced. Makers of hook sharpening devices in same boat as magazine editors.
Crusade for fish trap ban in Atlantic federal waters initiated by Keys commercial divers Don DeMaria and Fernand Braun, among others.
Courts uphold ban of drift gillnets in Atlantic mackerel fisheries.
1991
Openers columns propose constitutional gillnet ban.
Yellowfin tuna fisheries getting attention: Canaveral adventurers tackling the 120-mile weather buoy; Key Westers live-chumming.
Two years after being opened to fishing, Stick Marsh and Farm 13 impoundments in East Central Florida are poised to provide “the absolute best bass angling in the world.”
“Manatee Management: The Hidden Agenda” Managing Editor Biff Lampton exposes anti-boating sentiments at the heart of manatee activist groups in Florida.
1992
FS launches “Ban the Nets: Save Our Sealife” campaign, with constitutional amendment petition. Two years of editorial content spotlight horrors of entangling nets, documenting bykill of gamefish, sea turtles and porpoises; economic threats; and frailty of a management system tainted by conflicts of interest.
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For the third year in a row, the federal government announces a season closure for recreational fishing for “Gulf group” king mackerel. Flawed data collection system had erroneously reported 124,802 kings caught from shore.
Tell-all “Deep-Drop” how-to article inspires anglers to explore bottom fishing beyond 400 feet.
1993
Inshore mullet netting so out of hand, it’s factoring into fishing reports along with weather and tides. Action Spotter reporter John Preeg writes: “Unfortunately, the Ten Thousand Islands mullet netting fleet is at full strength in January, which greatly limits the backcountry fishing in the Naples and Marco Island areas…netters converge from all over the Southern United States in search of mullet roe.”
Flats fishing for redfish catches fire. After gamefish status, the “Gentleman Drum,” proclaims Biff Lampton, “began showing up on flats where his kind had long been absent.”
1994
“When our citizens cast yes or no votes on Amendment 3, titled Limiting Marine Net Fishing, they’ll collectively chart the course for Florida’s future fish and marine life populations,” writes Publisher Karl Wickstrom, Openers. Signatures from 540,000 citizens place the constitutional amendment on the November ballot. It passes: 2.8 million votes to 1.1. Success bolstered by grassroots campaigning, media coverage in FS and state news-papers, and support of fishing clubs, environmental organ-izations and a cast of influential personalities ranging from farm worker Hazel Filoxsian to Marjorie Stoneman Douglas.
Federal court upholds ban on fish traps in Atlantic federal waters (had been approved by NMFS in ’91).
1995
“Nature is a continuum. When one thing ends, another thing begins.”—Editor Biff Lampton, in “The First and Last Hunt,” of bird dogs, quail hunting and the cycle of the seasons. Article published posthumously following Lampton’s death in a car crash April 8.
It’s “Jigtime Tarpon” at Boca Grande, as breakaway jigs become popular—and, later, controversial.
No-Fishing Zones proposed in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
State begins efforts to stem the decline of bay scallops; includes seasons, limits and closure south of Suwannee River.
Kingfish stars in life history installment by Joe Richard, now assistant editor.
1996
A new era in offshore fishing dawns on the Central Gulf Coast, as “center console ‘go boats’ in the 25- to 35-foot class, are burning up the deep blue water around the deep structure.”
Casters are treated to “A New Twist,” as manufacturers work the economic and performance kinks out of ultra-strong, ultra-thin gelspun polyethylene lines. Braided line revolution ensues.
Loran numbers still listed before Lat./Long. in our “Wrecks & Reefs!” special issue.
Catfishing gets serious as biologists explain our “Different Breed of Cat”—the giant flathead, now established in Apalachicola and Ochlockonee rivers.
Northeast cobia run gets in-depth coverage from newcomer Frank Bolin, now associate editor.
Fluorocarbon gains acceptance as leader material.
Paddle-power devotees begin “Yakkin’ the Flats.”
Citizens vote on two major ballot initiatives: A unified Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (passes with flying colors) and Everglades Cleanup (partly passes, but Big Sugar public misinformation campaign torpedoes important penny-a-pound industry tax).
1997
“New 4-strokes are here,” we report in our Boatmanship department, though none available yet over 90 hp.
Alas, farewell peanut oil! Sportsman’s Kitchen writer Mark Weintz addresses cholesterol concerns.
Fishing mullet muds explored in first of many features by Mike Conner, now managing editor.
Weedless, soft-plastic jerkbaits skip where no lure has skipped before.
Tarpscam/trapscam: Commercial fishers temporarily circumvent net ban and fish trap laws.
1998
Boom and bust times for billfish:
—‑December ’97, Stuart Sailfish Club posts an incredible 382 sailfish releases on 32 boats in first day of Light Tackle Tournament.
—‑Chefs boycott swordfish, calling attention to longline crisis.
St. Lucie River under seige from torrential release of Lake Okeechobee waters; mullet, sheepshead and other fish dyingfrom outbreak of related Crypto bug.
1999
Decades of efforts to restore water quality in North Biscayne Bay yield an impressive return of seatrout to the grassflats.
Key West gillnet fleet hammers kingfish in federal waters, taking nearly twice its annual quota while federal fisheries offices are closed for holiday weekend.
New “Pier of Dreams” opens on Juno Beach.
Reclaimed Tenoroc phosphate pits near Lakeland showcase trophy bass management tactics of FWC.
Red snapper on the rebound along Florida’s West Central Gulf Coast.
2000
Rainbow trout in Florida? Why not? Tallahassee pond-owner stocks ’em each winter.
Florida purchases 18,272 acres along Fisheating Creek, ending a standoff with property owners who had attempted to block public access to this pristine Central Florida stream.
Lake Okeechobee emergency: Bulrush and other vegetation decimated by high water; fishery managers fear crisis looming.
“Running of the Bulls” Spawning-class redfish tearing up bait schools offshore in the Gulf of Mexico, validating management decisions made more than a decade ago.
FS unveils Redfish & Trout Annual Guide, in response to growing interest in these coastal species. The title will evolve into the quarterly Shallow Water Angler.
2001
“Manatee Madness” hits fevered pitch, after closed-door agreement between radical manatee preservation groups and state and federal authorities paves the way for proposed new slow boating zones.
Anglers locked out of 151 square miles near Dry Tortugas.
Research continues on shoal bass, a North Florida river species said by one authority to “be the last sport fish in North America to be described and named.”
Florida quail preserves number at least 37.
Florida’s first “grander” blue marlin documented: A 1,046-pounder weighed during Bay Point tournamentin Panama City.
“Video Fishing” emerges as price and technology of underwater cameras stimulate interest among anglers.
45 flats skiff manufacturers listed in FS survey.
2002
Writer Steve Kantner reveals the secrets of the Bisquick Nymph in “Mullet Musings.”
Gulf Coast anglers enthusiastic about widespread reports of lunker seatrout.
“Swordfish Fight Back,” one year after closure of Straits of Florida to longline fishing.
Freedom to Fish Act gains momentum.
On central and southern Florida marshes, partnerships between hunting groups, water management authorities and state wildlife officials bring us “A New Dawn for Duck Hunts.”
Artificial reef update: state records show 1,843 sites around Florida coast.
2003
Florida anglers are “Back in Macks,” we happily report. Bag limit now 15 per person, up from 4 in 1988, and 10 in 1993.
Becoming an Outdoors Woman (BOW) workships catching on in Florida; national phenomenon has reached 44 states.
Elevated mercury levels discovered in many saltwater fish, but may in fact be declining overall, based on reductions in atmospheric deposition from waste incinerators.
Grass carp receive some sporting respect from fly fishers.
2004
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FS exposes “cast gill net” loophole as commercials entangle tons of mackerel, litter fragile reefs with lost gear.
Spinnerbaits, crankbaits and soft lures continue to blur the line between bass and saltwater lures.
Hunters willing to pay upwards of $325 for the right to access certain “User Pay” state Wildlife Management Areas.
Improved “Zone D Diet” water level schedule proposed for Lake Okeechobee, to ensure health of big lake, as well as that of St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee rivers.
38-foot center console with triple 225-hp outboards, 66 mph top end and 540-mile range advertised.
24-foot skiff with single 300-hp outboard advertised.
Fish traps still hurting grouper stocks in Gulf waters, though scheduled for phase-out by 2007.
Conflict between livebait and jig fishers at Boca Grande simmers as FWC attempts to legislate and enforce stability.
Writer Tom Levine chronicles a family trip up the Suwannee River by houseboat…and describes a pastoral wilderness little changed since FS writer Tim Chapman reported on a canoeing trip in 1972.
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