George Gozdz, host of Reel Time Florida Sportsman, shows how to properly trim your boat using both the trim angle of the motor and trim tabs. Having the correct trim while running will allow for a much safer and more comfortable ride.

Navigating the used market for a versatile sportfisher. If you, too, are thinking of moving from a center console or other small boat to a vessel of this class, you should approach the used market with cautious optimism.

Florida Sportsman boating editor Dave East reviews the essential items to pack in a survival bag in case of an emergency. Check out Dave East’s boating seminar “Backcountry Ditch Bag” in the April 2013 issue of Florida Sportsman magazine for more information.

During this FS Seminar, Florida Sportsman publisher Blair Wickstrom goes over the basics of outriggers. Outriggers serve two main purposes: separating your baits and providing a small drop back when a fish strikes a bait.

This Florida Sportsman boatmanship seminar gives step-by-step instruction on how to change the oil in your 4-stroke outboard. Jay Warrick of Palm City Yachts shows us how it’s done.

Some noises draw fish closer, some put them off. Some boats are lucky, some not so much. Mostly that’s the result of the guy at the controls putting the boat in the right place at the right time.

How a T-top makes the boat. T-top offers shelter, an unobstructed deck and a platform to carry an array of electronics, antennas, rod holders, outriggers and overhead storage.

Keep your electronics going strong. Modern marine electronics (engines, too!) are sensitive to a voltage drop and frequently go offline or sound an alarm with even a small reduction in input voltage.

Ever since E10 gasoline (gas containing 10 percent ethanol) became widely available several years ago, boaters have complained about outboard engine problems.

Chasing big fish in tight quarters? Rig a quick-release float to get off the anchor quick. While the finest braided lines, high-speed reels, situation-specific rods and marine electronics do a great job of putting us into position, getting out of a sticky situation is just as important.

Don’t forget to flush! The salt suspended in the water that recently floated your boat—and cooled its engine—is hazardous to your rig’s health. Long after the water has drained or evaporated, the corrosive chloride particles left behind will degrade any metal they come into contact with.

Glass or plastic? Touchscreen or traditional? Secrets to keeping them clean and bright. Saltwater and sunshine are not kind to marine electronics. One especially sensitive area of any plotter or fishfinder is the display screen.

Cellular devices seem capable of doing almost anything thanks to the advent of smartphones and downloadable applications. This versatility and cell phones’ portability are leading many recreational boaters to have too much faith in them as the sole means of communication on the water, especially in emergency situations.

Some days, silence is more important than mobility. It’s the classic image of sight fishing the flats: A skiff with a man high atop an aft poling platform, using a long pole to urge the boat along in search of bonefish, tarpon or redfish.