Books & Tapes for SE Florida Saltwater Fishing

Fishing, Saltwater

Cover Fish Florida Saltwater / Better Than Luck-The Fool Proof Guide to Florida Saltwater Fishing;Boris Arnov.

I have to recommend this as the one best source for everything you need to know to get started in saltwater fishing in Florida. It covers almost every species you are likely to fish for with good information on where and how to catch them. I won't say that nothing was missed or that there are absolutely no errors, but if there are, I don't know enough yet to point them out to you. This is the first book I turn to when planning a trip.
Re-released with a new cover in 2002.

Fishing Florida; Kris Thoemke Dividing the state into seven regions, Thoemke lists fishing sites within each region including maps and descriptions. No one book can list every place to fish in the state, but this book offers a good selection. If you travel around the state much, or just want to expand your fishing horizons, this book is worth a look. This is one of the books I used creating my Boat Ramps page.

Good Luck and Tight Lines!; R. G. Schmidt
Cover
This is offered as "A Sure-Fire Guide to Florida's Inshore Fishing". In most ways this falls somewhere between "Fish Florida Saltwater" and "Fishing The Local Waters" above. There are no specific locations and it doesn't cover as many species, but it does have good general information to "teach you how to catch fish-any kind of fish that's available where you are-in the shortest period of time." Fishing bridges & piers, flats, beaches and from boats are some of the topics covered.

Fishing in the Florida Keys and Flamingo; Stu Apte First released in 1976, my edition is from the fifth printing in 1990. There are lots of reasons besides just the author's outstanding reputation why this guide has lasted so long. Each article is packed with specific detailed information to improve your next fishing trip to the Keys. There are also fishing charts that cover Flamingo to Key West and Bonefish to Billfish. This is the quickest way to become one of the "Old Pros" of the Keys.

Fishing Guide to the Upper Keys and Florida Bay; Martin Smithson It would be impossible not to compare this to Stu Apte's book above. This is my most recent purchase and the first thing I did was to compare them side by side while planning a trip to Flamingo for trout and redfish. (The outboard died on one of the best fishing days this spring, but that is another story. Jim) One interesting thing is the use of color aerial photos by Smithson to show fishing locations. It would be hard to pick one over the other and each has some unique information. Oh well, I have them both now so I guess I don't have to pick.

The Snook Book
The Redfish Book
The Tarpon Book
The The Trout Book
The Masters Book of Snook : Secrets of Top Skippers; Published 1997
Frank Sargent offers a series of Angler's Guides covering Snook, Redfish, Tarpon and Trout. Each book is full of information on where, when and how to fish for each species. This is specific information right down to the type & color of lure, line, leader and type of retrieve for various conditions (i.e., all the things even your fishing buddy won't tell you). He covers the best locations around the state for each species and what to expect as the seasons change. If you are interested in any of these species, and if you are an inshore fisherman anywhere in the state of Florida you must be, then you want these books.

The Reef Fishing Book Part of the Penn Reels "Saltwater Series",this book is for the offshore line dropper. It covers all the main species of grouper and snapper; plus locations, seasons, tackle, live bait, electronics, boat selection & handeling and how to cook your catch.

Other books by Frank Sargeant Frank Sargeant's Secret Spots: Tampa Bay to Cedar Key

Captain Scott Moore's Snook Fishing Secrets; G.B. Knowles with Scott K. Moore Once you have finished Sargent's Snook Book, it is time to reach for Capt. Moore's Secrets. This book has an interesting mix of fishing tips and techniques with the history of the snook as a sport fish. While much of the discussion is about South West Florida, the information about the snook's habits and the tips to take advantage of them will apply to snook fishermen everywhere.

How to Fish For Snook; Earl Downey Revised in 1985, more than a few copies of this book have been sold. When, where and how are all covered with a lot of information you won't get from today's authors.

Fishing Mate; Capt. Andy McLean This book may be getting a little dated, but the fish probably haven't changed all that much over the years. Capt. Andy covers the Everglades from Flamingo to Marco and all the major species in-between. There are charts to show you were to fish and a "Year-Round Fish-Finder" to tell you when. Most of this book is a collection of short (one or two pages) articles on a variety of related subjects. (Not available online)

Fishing the Flats; Lefty Kreh & Mark Sosin While both of these authors are most often associated with fly fishing, this book is written for a much broader audience. If you fish on the flats, or want to, this book not only tells you how, but also shows you with great illustrations. From bonefish to barracuda, spotting fish to landing them, on fly, spinning or plug, this book has it covered.

Other books by Lefty Kreh cover
Fly Fishing in Salt Water
Saltwater Fly Patterns; Hardcover
Saltwater Fly Patterns; Paperback
Bluewater Fly Fishing; with Trey Combs
Practical Fishing Knots; with Mark Sosin
Longer Fly Casting; by Lefty Kreh

Salt Water Sportfishing Techniques; Mark Sosin & George Poveromo
This is the same book as the text book for the Salt Water Sportsman Magazine's National Seminar Series. (Or at least it was in 1993 and 1995.) While it suffers some from trying to cover all saltwater fishing everywhere, the information here is clear, useful and well illustrated. The offshore fisherman will find more of interest here than in most of the other titles I have listed. (The new text is Salt Water Fishing II by Mark Sosin and George Poveromo. It is not available yet, but I will keep and eye out for it.)

Other books by Mark Sosin
Practical Saltwater Fly Fishing; Cortland Library Series.
Practical Fishing Knots; with Lefty Kreh.
The Complete Book of Light-Tackle Fishing; by Mark Sosin

CATCH FISH NOW! on Florida's East Coast; by Mike Babbidge (Catch Fish Now! series);
Note: "The book provides detailed WHEN, WHERE and HOW-TO coverage of inland water, surf, pier, inshore, and offshore fishing action between the Georgia Line and Biscayne Bay. Inland water, Inshore, and Offshore specifics include over 500 LORAN and GPS coordinates for proven productive bottom structure."
Catch Fish Now! in the Florida Panhandle; by Mike Babbidge
Catch Fish Now! on Florida's West Coast; by Mike Babbidge
Catch Fish Now : In the Florida Keys, the Everglades, and the Ten Thousand Islands; by Mike Babbidge
Catch Snook! by Capt. Fred Everson This is my most recent addition to the library and quite good. While Capt. Everson is most familiar with fishing around Tampa, much of the information would apply where ever snook are found. Tips on equipment and custom rods were particularly interesting.(You can order directly at The "Catch Snook!" Book by Capt. Fred Everson )

cover Flip Pallot's Memories, Mangroves and Magic; Linda Rogers (Editor) I don't have a copy of this one yet, but I have spent some time looking it over in the bookstore. The pictures are great and if you watch his show you already know the high level of his prose.

Cover A recent email from a visitor to this site reminded me of a major fishing author that I had totally overlooked. There was probably nobody more knowledgeable then the late A. J. McClane about fish and fishing. While I only have one of his books (oops, make that three now) in my library right now, I have used several of them and would recommend any book by him. Unfortunately, many of his books are now unavailable. McClane's New Standard Fishing Encyclopedia and International Angling Guide This book is 1156 pages long and covers everything from Aawa (Hawaiian name for the black-spot wrasse) to Zooplankton. Not for everyone, but if you are a real information freak, or just want ten years of good bedside reading, there will probably never be another fishing book quite like this again.
McClane's Field Guide to Saltwater Fishes of North America

Other identification guides The Complete Guide to Game Fish : A Field Book of Fresh and Saltwater Species; by Byron W. Dalrymple.
Saltwater Game Fish of North America; by Herbert A. Schaffner.
Handbook of Saltwater Fishes; by Sandra Romashko.
cover Sport Fish of Florida; by Vic Dunaway. I just bought my signed copy at the Florida Sportsman's promotion for the new Ft. Lauderdale Outdoor World. Very good, very complete, not as much fishing information as "Fish Florida Saltwater" by Boris Arnov, but a good place to start and the color illustrations by Kevin Brant make this a real keeper! Jim

These are small tackle box sized guides commonly available throughout Florida. The information is generally good, if sometimes a bit brief. They make good gifts or stocking stuffers for kids (of any age) who are interested in fishing and may want to try something new. Guide to Florida Fishing Tips (Wildlife Series); by Robert Anderson.
Guide to Florida Freshwater Fish and Fishing; by Robert Anderson.
Guide to Florida Pier and Bridge Fishing; by Robert Anderson.
Guide to Florida Salt Water Fishing; by Robert Anderson.
Guide to Florida's Sharks and Shark Fishing; by Robert Anderson.

Other books that look interesting, but that I am not familiar with.

Captain Mike Fuery's South Florida Bay and Coastal Fishing; by Mike Fuery.
Crunch and Des : Classic Stories of Saltwater Fishing; by Philip Wylie, Karen Wylie Pryor (Editor)
Dolphin: the Perfect Gamefish; Capt. Jim Sharpe
The Fisherman's Ocean; by David A. Ross, Ph.D. I just started reading this and will post more when I'm done.

Cover Southeast Guide to Saltwater Fishing and Boating; by Vin T. Sparano (Editor), January 1,1996. Topics covered include fish charts, boat ramps, shore access, records, seasonal guides and inshore techniques.

Salt Water Adventure in the Florida Keys : An Introduction to Fishing for Kids; by Jacky Robinson.

cover The Saltwater Fisherman's Bible; by Erwin A. Bauer, Bob Stearns, 3Rd/Rev Edition

Cover Simon and Schuster's Guide to Saltwater Fish and Fishing; by Angelo Mojetta

and... just in case you carry a mask and fins along with your rods. Fish and Dive Florida and the Keys; by Timothy O'Keefe, Larry Larsen. (I recommend this book for the angler/diver planning a visit to Florida. It offers a solid introduction to the fishing and diving activities available in each area of the state.)
Diving and Snorkeling Guide to Florida's East Coast : Including the Palm Beach Fort Lauderdale and Miami Areas; by Susanne Cummings, Stuart Cummings.
Snorkeling Guide to Marine Life : Florida Caribbean Bahamas; by Paul Humann, Ned Deloach

Titles
American Big Game Fishing ; by Eugene V., III Connet (Editor), Eugene V. Connett (Editor), Eugene, V Connet III

Florida Enchantments (Blue Water Classics Series); by A. W., Julian A. Dimock
Hemingway on Fishing; by Ernest Hemingway, Nick Lyons (Editor), Jack Hemingway
Ken Schultz's Fishing Encyclopedia; by Ken Schultz
The World Atlas of Saltwater Fishing; by Ken Schultz
Orvis Pocket Guide to Fishing for Bonefish and Permit; by Jack Samson, his item will be published in January 2001
Profiles in Saltwater Angling : A History of the Sport - Its People and Places, Tackle and Techniques; by George Reiger
Saltwater Fishing Log; by Amy Halsted, Donna Dove

Tales of Fishing Virgin Sea; by Zane Grey
Tales of Southern Rivers; by Zane Grey
The Barefoot Fisherman's Guide to the Emerald Coast : From Gulf Shore, Alabama, to Apalachicola, Florida; by Gregory Dew, Gregory Dow
The Big-Game Fishing Handbook; by Len Cacutt

cover Billfishing : The Quest for Marlin, Swordfish, Spearfish & Sailfish; by Peter Goadby

cover photo Florida Fishing;
by Allen Applegarth

Fish Have No Hands : Catching Tons of Fish in Bays and Estuaries; by Mike Gardner
Fishin' Tips; by Bud Ruddle
In Quest of the Big Fish; by Henry Waszczuk, Italo Labignan
Plugger : Wade Fishing the Gulf Coast; by Rudy Grigar, W. R. McAfee (Editor)
Power Surfcasting; by Ron Arra, Curt Garfield
Shadows on the Flats : The Saltwater Images of Chet Reneson & Ed Gray (Images); by Chet Reneson, Ed. Gray
cover Tarpon Quest; by John N. Cole (Just out in paperback. The all too familiar story of the author's long ordeal to his first tarpon on a fly in the Keys. Very good! Jim)

cover Boating Magazine's Ultimate Guide to Sportfishing; Tips, Tricks, and Tactics for the Serious Angler by Lenny Rudow, Leonard H. Rudow
Mulletheads; The Legends, Lore, Magic, and Mania Surrounding the Humble but Celebrated Mullet by Michael Swindle

The 10-Minute Snook Book; by John McLean

All About Blue Crabs : And How to Catch Them; by Russell Roberts

Fishing Fame : How to Catch a World-Record Fish; by Jeanne Craig
Fishing Guide to the Upper Keys and Florida Bay by Martin Smithson
Fishing Inshore Salt Water; by W. Cary Derussy
Larry Bozka's Saltwater Strategies :How, When and Where to Fish the Western Gulf Coast; by Larry Bozka

Salt Water Fishing Tactics :; Learn from the Experts at Salt Water Sportsman Magazine ;
Saltwater Gamefishing: Offshore and Onshor; by Peter Goadby

Top Rated Saltwater Fishing : Bays, Estuaries, Flats & Offshore in North America; (Top Rated Outdoor Series) by Maurizio Valerio, Maurice Valerio (Photographer), Allison C. Mickens (Editor)
Pocket Guide to Fishing Inshore Salt Water; by W. Cary Derussy
The Hungry Ocean : A Swordboat Captain's Journey; [UNABRIDGED] by Linda Greenlaw