* Please note, this is the 2009 seminar schedule. The 2010 seminar schedule will be updated shortly.

Seminars given by fishing experts begin at 11am and run all day long, both Saturday and Sunday, at separate inshore and offshore stages. Each following seminar will also begin at the top of the hour. Plan on grabbing your seat early, the best seats go fast.

In addition you can learn all about fishing from the pros at our:
--Riggin' it Right Classroom
--Angler on Foot
--Hobie Kayak Stage
--Federation of Fly Fishers Casting Instruction at the Indoor Fly Pond

Sportsman Show Reels in the Experts!

On September 12-13, 2009 at the South Florida Fairgrounds in West Palm Beach, the Florida Sportsman Fishing and Boat Show will host two days of hard-core fishing information offered by a dozen top fishing pros on subjects that range from catching Palm Beach’s legendary sailfish to fishing the fall mullet run. Realistic fishing conditions will be simulated as seminar speakers share their knowledge from the bow of a flats boat floating in a 10,000 gallon pond and an offshore boat fully tricked out for deep water angling. The audience will experience the virtual reality of fishing and enjoy a sense of being there on the boat with each seminar speaker. You won’t want to miss this opportunity to find out first hand what makes these pros so successful.

All Seminar Schedules Same Both days

Riggin’ it Right Schedule

Offshore
11 a.m. Bonito Strips--how to make ‘em, how to fish ‘em. Guest Instructor Eden White
12 p.m. Lines and leaders- 30 second kingfish rigs, haywire twists, and line to leader knots
1:30 p.m. Natural bait trolling for sails--better baits and teasers
2:30 p.m. How to keep, prepare and fillet your catch
3:30 p.m. How to fish the entire water column with outriggers, downriggers, kites & balloons

Inshore
11 a.m. Artificial Basics- rigging plastic baits for snook, trout, reds and bones
12 p.m. Live baiting--learn tricks on how to rig live & dead shrimp, mullet and crabs
1:30 p.m. How to set up the basic sliding float rig with success
2:30 p.m. Soft-plastic modifications--think beyond the manufacturer’s instructions
3:30 p.m. How to keep, prepare and filet your inshore catch
4:00 p.m. Two knots for line to leader -- surgeon knot and Spider hitch

Angler on Foot
10:45 a.m. Beach fishing Florida’s East Coast
12 p.m. Effective bridge and pier fishing
1:30 p.m. Locks, spillways and canal banks
3:00 p.m. Beach fishing Florida’s East Coast
4:00 p.m. Effective bridge and pier fishing
4:45 p.m. Request hour

Hobie Kayak Stage--Fishing Seminar and slide show Noon and 2 p.m. by Florida Sportsman Associate Editor Jerry McBride. Or stop in anytime and see the tricked-out boats and talk to the experts about how to fish from kayaks.

Inshore Stage 10,000-gallon pond with Sterling flats boat, mangroves and slide show

11 a.m. Capt. Mark Nichols Wadefishing the Flats

Noon Capt. George Gozdz Fishing the Indian and St. Lucie Rivers

1 p.m. Capt. Eden White Fall Mullet Run for Big Snook

2 p.m. Larry Finch Surf Fishing College

3 p.m. Capt. Mike Hakala Catching Gator Trout

4 p.m. Capt. Tony Bozzella Planning Trips Around Tide Flows and Moon Phases

Offshore Stage Offshore boat with downriggers, outriggers and kites--slide show

11 a.m. Ray Waldner Family style bottom fishing

Noon Capt. Sam Heaton Get More From GPS and Fishfinders

1 p.m. Capt. Hank Williams 101 Quick Tips to Catch More Fish

2 p.m. Capt. Terry LaCoss Pro/Am Kingfish Techniques

3 p.m. Capt. Eden White Palm Beach Sailfishing

4. p.m. Capt. Rick Ryals Author Sportsman’s Best--Dolphin

Inshore Stage

11 a.m., Wadefishing the Flats Capt. Mark Nichols, inventor and manufacturer of D. O. A. lures, has tested his lures in shallow water all over the country and the techniques he developed in the Indian River of Florida work just as well in Texas bays and Louisiana coastal islands. “Keeping a low profile is essential in skinny water,” explains Nichols, “and I can’t do that from the bow of a boat. I’ll get out and go down on my knees on a submerged sandbar when I see a fish, which might put the water around my chest.” Nichols will demonstrate his version of lure retrieval while he wades in the Inshore Stage, a 10,000-gallon pond, and casts his lures to a virtual reality snook and redfish that are swimming in the roots of artificial mangrove plants. What is Mark‘s best advice for lure retrieval in shallow water? “If you think you’re retrieving it too slow, then what you need to do is slow it down some more!”

12 p.m., Fishing the Indian and St. Lucie Rivers Florida native Capt. George Gozdz of Jensen Beach has appeared on numerous TV shows, including Florida Sportsman, Shallow Water Angler and ESPN, always leading the host to big catches of snook, trout, jacks, and tarpon in the Indian and St. Lucie rivers of Martin and St. Lucie counties. Capt. George is well rounded in technique, using live bait, artificials and fly, and just as versatile in species--he is one of the few who are taking on Goliath grouper with 300# test around the inshore bridges of Martin county. “When you use a five-pound jack as bait and a reel usually used for billfish,” says Capt. George, “I don’t call it fishing, I call it holding on. But you can‘t take a knife to a gunfight so you have to be totally prepared.” Topics will include fishing for monster snook in the rivers, inlets, and canals, fishing for trout and reds on the flats, how to fish the fall mullet run in inshore waters, and end with a special segment on how to gear up for and find Goliath grouper.

1 p.m., Fishing the Fall Mullet Run for Big Snook Capt. Eden White is a Florida Sportsman field editor and host of the Palm Beach edition of the Florida Sportsman Live radio show. He is also a top-notch local charter captain, turning his clients on to catches of huge snook during the fall mullet run that heats up in mid September. “Mullet are stacked up on the beaches and in the rivers,” says Capt. Eden. “It‘s like a daily fireworks display and my seminar will teach people how to take advantage of this historic phenomena. I like to hit the beach early and target big snook, but you never know what you‘ll catch since offshore predators like barracuda and even big snapper get in on the feast.” Topics will include tackle selection, how to catch bait and keep it alive, rigging techniques, and how to “read” the water to find predators, which is pretty easy says Capt. Eden--“…just look for a hundred mullet flying through the air as if a bomb went off beneath them.”

2 p.m., Surf Fishing for Pompano and Whiting Larry Finch teaches Angler on Foot at all Florida Sportsman Fishing Shows throughout Florida. He also makes his living pulling fish from the surf--each November he averages 100 pounds of pompano per day on hook and line. “I’ve been surf fishing the east coast of Florida for 35 years,” says Finch, “and these are the best days of surf fishing I’ve ever seen.” If you’re like most surf fishermen, you’ve stood there without a bite while Finch reeled them in right next to you. This seminar will teach you how a pro does it and cover everything about catching and rigging sandfleas, tackle selection, tying terminal rigs and Finch’s secrets to being at the right place at the right time. As an added bonus, one lucky seminar attendee will win one of Finch’s DVDs on surf fishing the east coast of Florida.

3 p.m., Trout College Capt. Mike Hakala was pictured on the Oct. ‘98 cover of Florida Sportsman holding a “gargantuan” 30-pound redfish that he caught using one of his own “Flats Candy” lures, and has been featured in numerous FS stories, including Flats Action by the Spoonful and Pop the Top. Capt. Mike is now manufacturing a new spoon called Aqua Dream and is guiding in the Mosquito Lagoon area of the Indian River “This year’s trout fishing is as good as its ever been,” says Capt. Make. “You can catch trout all year, on both Florida coasts by learning just a few simple techniques that focus on their habits and habitats.” Topics will include sight-fishing strategies, boatmanship, live and artificial bait selection, and end with a special segment on “gator” trout. “Small trout are easy to catch in large quantities and make for an excellent family outing, but you definitely have to change your strategy to target the gators.”

4 p.m Planning Trips Around Tidal Flows and Moon Phases Capt. Tony Bozzella is Florida Sportsman’s inshore Riggin’ it Right Team Leader at all Fishing Shows around the state, teaching thousands of anglers the secrets to catching more fish using the tried and true baits, rigs and tackle that Florida Sportsman has helped developed over the past forty years. Capt. Tony is also the maker of TBS Jigs and has over thirty top five wins in inshore tournaments from Louisiana to Northeast Florida. Tony says his key to success has always been his keen understanding of how tidal flows and moon phases effect each species. “If you know how to take advantage of high and low tides, and most importantly the fast currents in between, you’ll put more fish in the box and never get skunked. I actually follow the fish all day, from the staging areas of low tide when fish are pooled up in pockets, through their migration to feeding areas in fast-flowing incoming tides where monster trout hang in eddys behind structure, to the flooded flats where I can’t normally take my boat. You need to learn to not look at your watch but look instead at what the tides are doing.“ This interactive seminar will be species and location specific and everyone should bring questions to the table to learn where, when, and how tides in Southeast Florida affect fishing.

Offshore Stage

11 a.m., Family Style Bottom Fishing As a marine biology professor with a doctorate in ichthyology, Ray Waldner knows the fish he’s seeking as well as the ways to catch them. This seminar will be all about how to take the family out in a center console and target reef fish like snapper, grouper, African pompano, cobia and amberjack. When asked what is the best tip for catching more bottom fish, Waldner answers, “Know the habitat of each species and you will improve your catch 100 percent, and that means also knowing that small fish and large fish of the same species hang out in different areas.” Waldner will explain where to find big mutton snapper, which isn’t the same place as you will find smaller muttons, a little known fact that also applies to plenty of other species. Topics will include boat handling for anchoring and drifting, tackle selection, how to keep the kids busy catching bait and end with a special section on how to rig Waldner’s secret weapon for big mutton snapper, the ballyhoo plug.

12 p.m., How to Get More From Your Electronics--GPS and Fishfinders Capt. Sam Heaton is the promotions manager of the marine electronics group of Johnson Outdoors, which includes Humminbird, Cannon and Minn Kota. His job has taken him all over the world, guiding just about every fishing luminary imaginable, including Hank Parker, Jimmy Houston, Roland Martin and many more. “Most people think of their GPS as something that tells them where they are,“ says the ever affable and animate Capt. Sam. “But I want to get them thinking about using it to tell them where they want to go. Think like this--where was I the other day when I caught those three big snook under the dock? Then turn to your GPS and ask it that question.” Capt. Sam will also teach how to use your GPS to read barometric pressure, check tide info and catalogue your way points. Topics will also include how to use other types of electronics, like dual beam sonar and side imaging, to catch more fish.

1 p.m., 101 Quick Tips to Catch More Fish Capt. Hank Williams is the owner of Wet Willy Charters and has fished Florida waters for over 30 years, learning ways to spend less time and money to catch more fish. Hank has developed dozens of nifty tips that will produce better catches of snapper, grouper, cobia, kingfish and all the offshore fish that Florida Sportsman has been covering for over forty years. This seminar will be all about maximizing your catch while minimizing your effort and expense. “If you learn to be a better fisherman you will save money on fuel and tackle,” advises Capt. Hank. “Boating has become more time consuming and more expensive over the years so you need to learn every little trick rather than using the same old tactics that aren’t working. This economy has caused all of us to start to think beyond the basics and old tactics. It’s not more money or more time that will improve your catch, it’s smarter fishing, pure and simple.” Along with rigging techniques to catch popular table fish, Capt. Hank will offer advice on using electronics to find fish you couldn’t find before.

2 p.m., Mastering Kingfish Capt. Terry Lacoss is a Florida Sportsman Department Editor and the author of numerous FS feature articles and Sportsman’s Seminars columns. Capt. Terry recently followed up his first book, Sportsman‘s Best--Redfish, with a second book, Mastering King Mackerel. Capt. Terry has multiple wins in Southern Kingfish Association tournaments and will cover many key techniques that are in the book, which will make a huge difference in your kingfishing success. One popular topic will be how to catch more fish by staying close to shore. “Close-in fish can be ten to twenty pounds larger than the ones you catch further out,” says Capt. Terry. “You just don’t have to go far out or use a big boat--I’ve seen kayaks catching kings in 25 feet of water just off the beach. You can get back fast if the weather turns and you only need half a day to catch quality fish.” Lacoss will teach everything from simple trolling methods to little-known professional techniques.

3 p.m., Palm Beach Sailfishing from a 23’ Center Console Capt. Eden White is a Florida Sportsman field editor and host of the Palm Beach edition of the Florida Sportsman Live radio show. He is also a top-notch local charter captain with twenty-five years of fishing Palm Beach’s legendary sailfish fishery. “The winter sailfish fishery is the best but I never discount them other times of the year,“ says Capt. Eden. “In the fall--September and October--you may not rack up the numbers that you will in winter but its still a reliable fishery if you know where to look and what baits to use.” Capt. Eden advises that during September the fish are still a bit north, around Jupiter and the Loran Tower, but as the water cools the fish move south and that’s when you can stay within three miles of the jetties and catch some consistent numbers. “You’ll see the kites go up and the live baits go out when the water cools--using 20# spin exclusively I run two baits from a kite, two flat lines and one deep on a downrigger.” Capt. Eden advises to use 100# mono instead of wire for his downrigger--”When you hear that wire to the downrigger humming, just stop and think--the fish can hear it too!”

4 p.m., Dolphin Fishing Capt. Rick Ryals is the author of Florida Sportsman’s soon-to-be-released book, Sportsman’s Best: Dolphin, and team leader of Riggin’ it Right at all Florida Sportsman Fishing and Boat Shows. Ryals has won many tournaments over his 30 years of Florida fishing and will speak about how to greatly improve your catch of one of the most sought after table fish in Florida--dolphin. “They’re great fighters, with the prettiest jumps and best runs around,” says Ryals. “They’re all over Florida and they grow at an incredible rate, consuming twenty percent of their body weight daily--the biggest bulls around are just three years old!” Ryals skippers the fabulous Cabo sportfisherman Dos Amigos all over Florida and the Bahamas and there’s nothing he’d rather catch than big dolphin. This seminar will be all about how to find and catch the big “slammers,” including what baits to use and how to rig them, what conditions to look for, when to troll and when to run and gun, and how to plan your trip so you’re in the right place at the right time. At the end of the seminar someone in the audience will win an autographed copy of Ryals’ other book, Sportsman’s Best--Snapper and Grouper.