Watch this episode now on Waypoint TV
S14:E6 - “Everglades Snook And Reds” (2019)
Captains Tom Rowland & Rich Tudor head to the fertile grounds of the Everglades to target game fish.
We were bouncing around and checking some new spots, initially looking for some tarpon and found some sheltered areas due to the wind. Tarpon are somewhat of a nocturnal fish and will do their feeding at night. Often they are very relaxed and out in the open first thing in the morning as they have had a calm night where no one has bothered them. It’s super fun to go and try to see if you can catch them, because they are not always easy to catch.
We love early morning baby tarpon - the key element to that kind of fishing is a light braided line, thin enough to where you can cast it a mile, with something super light. We used that 10 lb. J-Braid which was stiff enough that it wasn’t getting tangled but thin enough that cast something light a long ways.
What I like about the little tarpon is that they show you where they are, and then you need to make a good cast. If you do it right you have a pretty good chance of getting a bite. But in a situation like this one, the tarpon were in there to feed, and so you need to get it to where they can see it and get it to where they discover it rather than just you showing it to them.
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!
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.


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.