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S13:E12 - “Cowfish Rodeo” (2018)
A tough start in search of bonefish leads Tom & Rich down a path of just taking what the day brings.
Captains Tom and Rich are out in Duck Key to test their luck in catching some bonefish. Out on the water, it was a perfect day for sight fishing because of great visibility and good weather. After a few minutes, and much to their surprise, they found a school of boxfish, also known as cowfish.
Known for their exoskeleton and as a super bony fish, boxfish can be eaten for their meat located near the tail end. Their coloration makes these fish look like the average bonefish at a quick glance, but they don’t swim nearly as fast. The Captains then quickly find a school of nurse sharks spawning north of Duck Key and exhibiting some behavior that neither of the Captains had seen before. One Nurse Shark tried to eat a hooked Jack Crevalle which is extremely aggressive behavior for a Nurse Shark. Tom was later able to catch a huge Jack Crevalle over 20 pounds. While Tom and Rich’s main goal was to catch bonefish, they were excited to spend their day finding new surprises along the way.
As always, we had Jason Stemple with us to document this trip in ultra high quality still photos. Here are some of my favorites. Enjoy!
Have you ever eaten a Boxfish?
See you next time Jack.
A nice Jack Crevalle on the flats.
See you on the water,
Capt. Rich Tudor & Capt. Tom Rowland
S15:E6 - “The Lower Keys Highway” (2020)
Captains Tom Rowland and Rich Tudor head to the Lower Keys for Tarpon and various types of Jacks.
S15:E5 - “Blackfin In The Keys” (2020)
Captains Tom Rowland and Rich Tudor venture to the Atlantic oceanside of the Keys for Blackfin Tuna.
The 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 more on Waypoint…
S15:E4 - “Up From The Deep” (2020)
Captains Tom Rowland and Rich Tudor head out from their Middle Keys home base to deeper waters.
The 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 more on Waypoint…
S15:E3 - “Flamingo Returns” (2020)
Captains Tom Rowland and Rich Tudor enjoy a productive day in the Florida Bay area of the Everglades
It’s about 6:30 am, just as the sun is beginning to peek over the horizon and Capt. Labadie is charging ahead to the crew’s first destination. Since tarpon are the easiest of the three to catch in low light conditions, this is where Labadie opts to start. Rowland and Tudor remark that they were somewhat surprised at first by the guide’s choice to fish right in front of the coastline resorts and houses. On a day that they were purely targeting tarpon, the Saltwater Experience hosts would tend to go somewhere a little more remote. Labadie chose this spot because he knew the fish would be there, but, more importantly, it was on the way to their other targets, eliminating the need to backtrack later and burn up precious time. Read more on Waypoint…
S15:E2 - “Key West Birthday Slam” (2020)
Captains Tom Rowand and Rich Tudor are joined by Key West guide Nick LaBadie.
The J Knot was taught to me by Dave Justice and has been a standby in my fishing ever since. It is a simple knot, really, that combines the best of 2 knots to create a strong, reliable and quick knot for fluorocarbon to braid...
Tom Rowland give step by step instructions for tying the Non Slip Mono Loop Knot. Watch and learn..
S15:E6 - “The Lower Keys Highway” (2020)
Captains Tom Rowland and Rich Tudor head to the Lower Keys for Tarpon and various types of Jacks.
S15:E5 - “Blackfin In The Keys” (2020)
Captains Tom Rowland and Rich Tudor venture to the Atlantic oceanside of the Keys for Blackfin Tuna.
The 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 more on Waypoint…
S15:E4 - “Up From The Deep” (2020)
Captains Tom Rowland and Rich Tudor head out from their Middle Keys home base to deeper waters.
The 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 more on Waypoint…
S15:E3 - “Flamingo Returns” (2020)
Captains Tom Rowland and Rich Tudor enjoy a productive day in the Florida Bay area of the Everglades
It’s about 6:30 am, just as the sun is beginning to peek over the horizon and Capt. Labadie is charging ahead to the crew’s first destination. Since tarpon are the easiest of the three to catch in low light conditions, this is where Labadie opts to start. Rowland and Tudor remark that they were somewhat surprised at first by the guide’s choice to fish right in front of the coastline resorts and houses. On a day that they were purely targeting tarpon, the Saltwater Experience hosts would tend to go somewhere a little more remote. Labadie chose this spot because he knew the fish would be there, but, more importantly, it was on the way to their other targets, eliminating the need to backtrack later and burn up precious time. Read more on Waypoint…
S15:E2 - “Key West Birthday Slam” (2020)
Captains Tom Rowand and Rich Tudor are joined by Key West guide Nick LaBadie.
Join Saltwater Experience with Captains Tom Rowland and Rich Tudor as they team up with expert spearfishing guide Tony Young in the Florida Keys. From nonstop Yellowtail Snapper action to adrenaline-pumping Wahoo spearfishing and Lionfish hunting, this episode showcases the ultimate Florida Keys saltwater adventure—both above and below the surface.