Courtesy of Florida Sea Grant
February 08, 2025
By Jeff Weakley
Yeah, yeah, tell me about another online fishing education course. Go chop mullet, dude.
I’ve waded through FWC’s Shore-Based Shark fishing module, the Skyway Fishing Pier bird tutorials, and the Everglades Boater Education permit. I was born long before 1988, but voluntarily went through a boating safety course to get my FWC Boater Safety ID card.
I’m filled to the gills with requisite learning.
So it was with some reluctance that I clicked through the Florida Friendly Angler course. It was developed through a partnership with the FWC and Florida Sea Grant and introduced in 2022.
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Turns out, this one isn’t part of any requirement.
Also, as it turns out, it’s pretty great.
To be fair, the Florida Friendly Angler course is overly long at 1 ½ hours. A 25-minute capstone module on the inner workings of fisheries management—think of it as “How a Bill-fish Becomes a Law”—will require an extra cup of coffee. There’s some clunky back-and-forth with YouTube, audio irregularities and occasional confusing navigation.
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But! Stay with me on this!
After going through it, I think this Florida Friendly Angler thing is a must-watch for new anglers. It’s worth the time. And it’s worth promoting.
Yours truly got his Florida Friendly Angler certificate. It’s a cool concept. Lot of the subject matter is common sense, but how common is that, these days? It goes over stuff that veteran anglers, deep down inside, wish we could relate to everyone who picks up a rod or launches a boat on Florida waters.
How to operate a boat without tearing up seagrass or coral. How to minimize plastic trash. How to de-hook a seabird. How to respond if you see a turtle or marine mammal in distress. How to release fish so they’ll reproduce and fight again. How to use venting tools and descenders. How to engage with the necessary work of developing fishery assessments and regulations. Down the road I hope the Florida Friendly Angler developers will trim it some, maybe inject a bit more energy. Heck, I’d be willing to share video clips they could use–like squeezing down hook barbs with pliers to make releasing fish easier. Maybe some hints on boat ramp and pier etiquette?
Set aside some time and check it out .
The Florida Friendly Angler certification program is not perfect, but it’s a very good start. As we welcome more and more anglers into the Sunshine State, it’s good to have this kind of a “Start here, please” resource. There’s a professional fishing guide’s certification side to it, too: Florida Friendly Fishing Guides.
I’d give ’em both two fins up!
Jeff Weakley is Editor-In-Chief of Florida Sportsman magazine. Click to subscribe .
