Cobia are a great tasting fish that yield a lot of meat, give a good fight, and can be found all over the Florida Keys. We’ll get into some of the things that Tudor and Rowland observed about these fish and how to effectively catch them. Here’s everything you need to know about offshore cobia fishing.
Read MoreAmberjacks are a strong and stubborn fish. According to Rowland, “They call the amberjack the reef donkey because it’s stubborn, it does not want to come in.” Justin, one of their guests for the day, had done most of his fishing in the northeast and was in great physical condition, but when he got his first amberjack bite his eyes got wide as that rod doubled over.
Read MoreBonefish, one of Florida’s more coveted species of fish, particularly among serious flats anglers, are a staple of the industry down there. On this episode of Saltwater Experience, Captains Tom Rowland and Rich Tudor head to Islamorada to go after these unique fish, giving a couple tidbits of wisdom from their years of tournament bonefishing experience.
Read MoreWhen it comes to finding fish, Florida anglers have a wide variety of locations they can try, many of which are bound to hold fish. One of those options involves the many bridges that span the gaps between islands and channels. According to Tom Rowland, “There are a lot of bridges in the Florida Keys and most of them hold fish.”
Read MoreTuna are one of the tastiest and most frequently sought after saltwater game fish, and the blackfin is no exception. Lightning fast and strong fighters, blackfin tuna are a regular request from clients fishing in the Florida Keys. Captains Tom Rowland and Rich Tudor head out with orders to bring some blackfin home to their families. Along the way, they give their best tips for how to catch these awesome fish in the Florida Keys on this episode of Saltwater Experience.
Read MoreIf you’ve ever been out on the open ocean, there’s a good chance that at some point you’ve gazed over the side into the deep blue, straining your eyes to see just how far below the surface you can see, wondering what could possibly await hundreds or even thousands of feet down below the sparkling rays of sunlight. Captains Tom Rowland and Rich Tudor sure have, and on this episode of Saltwater Experience they decided to see for themselves what they could haul out of that great, mysterious realm by using a technique called Deep Dropping.
Read MoreThe Florida Everglades make up one of the most well-known and treasured American National Parks. They are also being “strangled” by water issues. Since the damming of the Kissimmee River, the Everglades’ primary source of freshwater, this beautiful fishery has seen “endangered wildlife populations, declining water quality, water mismanagement, [and] extensive urban and agricultural development,” according to Captains For Clean Water, a conservation organization dedicated to restoring the health and natural beauty of the Everglades.
Read MoreBarracuda have an unfair reputation among many saltwater anglers as a pest, but they can actually be a lot of fun to fish for in and of themselves, as we’ll see here in this episode of Saltwater Experience. Captains Tom Rowland and Rich Tudor make their way down to Big Pine, FL to meet up with acclaimed artist Derek DeYoung, an avid fisherman drawn particularly toward barracuda.
Read MoreIn this episode of Saltwater Experience, Captains Tom Rowland and Rich Tudor join up with Nick Labadie, an accomplished guide in Key West, Florida. It happens to be Rowland’s birthday, so, to celebrate, the trio sets out to try for a Grand Slam, an impressive accomplishment in which an angler catches a tarpon, a bonefish, and a permit in one day. It’s a race against time leading to an incredible day on the water and a memorable birthday for Rowland. We’ll take a look at some of the techniques they employed to catch each species so that you can go out and get your own Key West Grand Slam.
Read MoreWhen you think of delicious game fish in the Florida Keys, tripletail is probably not the first thing that comes to mind due to its dinosaur-like appearance. But captains Tom Rowland and Rich Tudor of Saltwater Experience are here to make you rethink that presupposition.
Read MoreAs Captains Tom Rowland and Rich Tudor set out for tarpon fishing on this episode of Saltwater Experience, they are met with 20 mph winds as a cold front sets in. Thankfully their bay boat allows them to navigate the shallow canals of the mangrove islands where they can fish for snappers.
Read MoreIn this episode of Saltwater Experience, Captains Tom Rowland and Rich Tudor take a stab at sailfishing after hearing about a ton of incredible ballyhoo sprays in the deeper waters of Florida. Though the conditions aren’t quite right at first, keeping them inshore for the morning, they eventually improve enough that Tudor feels comfortable taking his bay boat out into the open sea. Once they’re out there, though, it’s a pretty incredible sight to see.
Read MoreConditions out on the ocean are fickle. One week can be perfect weather, clear water, blue skies, and the next could bring choppy waves, rain, and high winds. Captains Tom Rowland and Rich Tudor of Saltwater Experience expected calm seas for their outing, but were met instead with a cold front. Instead of stubbornly heading out to sea despite the conditions, Rowland and Tudor decided to try a more uncommon strategy: Paddleboards in the Everglades. It’s a unique and unconventional tactic, but highly effective for the conditions of the day.
Read MoreYellow jacks are an unusual fish for the Florida Keys, and in this episode of Saltwater Experience captains Tom Rowland and Rich Tudor get into a pile of them using Tudor’s Motorguide trolling motor just off the shore from their resort. They’ve got a lot of insight into catching and cooking this elusive beauty.
Read MoreAdaptability is one of the most valuable traits of an angler, as demonstrated by Captains Rich Tudor and Tom Rowland of Saltwater Experience. In this episode, Tudor and Rowland get set up to fish for some tarpon. But when, instead of tarpon, they catch barracudas their plan shifts to something equally as exciting: Shark fishing. It’s a thrill ride as they try different tactics on both spin and fly rods out in the flats.
Read MoreWhether you are after Baby Tarpon near the shore, or you’re setting out after some Snook and Redfish on an adventure into the Everglades, there is a wide variety of fishing to be had in the Florida Keys. In this episode, Tom and Rich share their insight and knowledge into the Keys after a successful day.
Read MoreSharks hold a special place in popular culture as one of the most fearsome creatures in the ocean. In this episode of Saltwater Experience, Tom and Rich host special guest, and UFC champion, Matt Hughes and help him cross shark off his bucket list. Here are four basic rules they followed that set them up for a successful day with several sharks on the line.
Read MoreTo be fair, finding the fish is part of the greater challenge that makes fishing attractive to so many competitive anglers, but no one sets out in the morning hoping to burn up their full tank of gas jetting from spot to spot while they try to find the action. On the other hand, it feels like the best fisherman always manage to find the action. So how do the pros find those pockets of oases teeming with marine life in the middle of an otherwise (seemingly) empty ocean?
Read MoreEven the best fishermen have days when it feels like you're on the outside of an inside joke, with all the fish laughing back at you. That's how Tom Rowland and Rich Tudor felt in their latest episode of Saltwater Experience as they hit the water in the Lower Florida Keys, but they used their knowledge to better their day on the water. Here are 3 key tactics they employed, to get baby tarpon on the line, that you can use on your next trip down to the keys.
Read MoreTom Rowland and Rich Tudor from Saltwater Experience have years of experience on the flats. After watching them for a long time you could learn about bait and tackle strategies, and many more secrets they use to land fish - however, they have recently shared a deadly secret that very little anglers know about.
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