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…
Here in the Florida Keys, the fishing can be very very difficult. We're looking for every single advantage that we can get. We love to fish for Bonefish, Permit, Tarpon, Redfish, things that stick their fins out of the water or that will make a disturbance with the bait or if we find the bait we can find the fish. One great way to do that is to use binoculars on the flats.
Using binoculars in saltwater fishing is one of the most effective ways to find the fish. Whether its inshore or offshore binoculars can really help me find fish more efficiently. I learned at a young age working on charter boats that if you find the birds you find the dolphins. When looking for birds, if you use a 10-powered pair of binoculars you will find ten-times more birds and ten-times more fish.
Barracuda Tackle has a history of developing high quality fishing tackle, but in the the mid-1900’s they actually were manufacturing parts for the U.S. Navy. After the war ended, Barracuda Tackle picked up the fishing game and they began looking into cast nets.
Today, Barracuda is making the best and most innovative cast nets on the market. Not only do they come in custom colors, but they come with the easiest opening nets we have ever thrown, making these “Famous Fish Getters” our favorite.
In our world, a cast net is not only a necessity, but a crucial piece of equipment used day in and day out. We are constantly looking for the best, and we have found them. Whether inshore, offshore, big baits or small, Barracuda nets have a wide selection that allows us to have the perfect net for every situation.
If you are looking for a new net, give these guys a serious look.
Thats all for now,
Capts Tom & Rich
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.
S15:E1 - “Triple Tail In The Everglades” (2020)
Captains Tom Rowland and Rich Tudor bounce around the Florida Bay Everglades and take advantage of some rare activity by the interesting and delicious Atlantic Triple Tail
When 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 are here to make you rethink that presupposition on this episode of Saltwater Experience … Read more on Waypoint…
S14:E11 - “Paddleboard Everglades” (2019)
Captains Tom & Rich try something new by using paddleboards in the Everglades to sneak up on Snook.
S14:E10 - “Yellowjacks Of Home” (2019)
Tom & Rich don't have to travel far for yellowjack & other desirable fish in the Middle Florida Keys
S14:E9 - “Blacktips By Spin And Fly” (2019)
Tom Rowland & Rich Tudor set out for a fish that always entertains: the acrobatic Blacktip Shark.
S14:E8 - “Snappers In The Mangroves” (2019)
Tom Rowland & Rich Tudor get back to the basics with a day of Snapper fishing around Florida Bay.
S14:E7 - “Ballyhoo Sprays” (2019)
Captain Tom Rowland and Captain Rich Tudor spend some time on the reefs in the Middle Florida Keys.
S14:E6 - “Everglades Snook And Reds” (2019)
Captains Tom Rowland & Rich Tudor head to the fertile grounds of the Everglades to target game fish.
S14:E5 - “Matt Hughes vs. The Sharks” (2019)
Captain Tom Rowland and Captain Rich Tudor are joined by nine-time UFC champion Matt Hughes.
S14:E4 - “Lower Keys Tarpon” (2019)
Tom & Rich fish the Lower Florida Keys for tarpon and find the jackpot.
S14:E3 - “Lower Keys Redbones” (2019)
Tom & Rich are targeting bonefish but are pleasantly surprised by an eager school of redfish.
Daniel Andrews of Captains for Clean Water discusses the state of the Everglades with Tom Rowland and Rich Tudor on Saltwater Experience Television show. As seen on the Discovery Channel, Waypoint and Sportsman Channel.
S14:E1 - “Hawks Cay Grand Reopening” (2019)
Tom & Rich celebrate Hawks Cay reopening post-Hurricane Irma.
Located on Duck Key, Hawks Cay Resort is a perfect location for fishing, sight-seeing, and diving. Only a mile away offshore, fishing at Hawks Cay is an easily accessible activity to do at the Florida Keys. Though there is a great variety out in the water, here are my top five favorite fish to catch near Hawks Cay:
I really like to teach people how to do what I do and show them this incredible experience of the fishing on the shallow clear flats of the Florida Keys. I was fishing out of a 16 foot boat, when I started, and I could take a maximum of 2 people at a time.
Tarpon are the ultimate gamefish. They are big and athletic, they jump when hooked and make insane drag screaming runs. People from all over the world descend on the Florida Keys to try to catch them. They are called the Silver King and that name stuck for a reason. They are the King of the gamefish found in the Florida Keys for several reasons:
My favorite rod is a St Croix Legend XTreme Inshore Spinning Rod. I like it in the 7 foot Medium/Heavy action.
Starting out, I did everything from changing bearings on trailers to taking firewood to camp. I also got to do some guiding when everyone else was full and when they weren’t it was up to me to go teach fly casting at local guest ranches to try to recruit some trips.
In my professional as a fishing guide in the Florida keys, the most important thing that I can do is continually learn new spots. Learning how to explore areas quickly is one of the most valuable skills a guide or angler can acquire. I used to run up to a flat and then pole it as fast as I could. The first time I ever went to the flat, I wasn’t completely concerned about actually catching the fish that are there, but more concerned with discovering if this was a spot worth returning to.
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...