Outdoor Academy

Avid outdoorsman and fine artist Derek DeYoung draws inspiration from nature to create vibrant, captivating pieces that celebrate the pursuit of fish and wildlife. This article explores DeYoung’s roots, his profound connection to the natural world, and his ability to bridge his experiences with his creative vision.

This Ultimate Guide is designed to equip you with the skills and knowledge necessary for a successful and memorable redfishing experience. Get ready to explore the behavior, strategies, and best fishing spots in Florida for targeting redfish. This is also your one stop shop to find and book the best inshore redfish fishing guides in Florida to help ensure a fun and successful day on the water.

It’s amazing the degree to which the stories of fish landed and fish lost affect us as human beings. Each time we leave the dock, we unveil the next chapters of our own fishing anthologies — forging memories in company of fellow anglers or in complete solitude. While some of these stories embody life’s most carefree moments, Monte Burke’s Lords of the Fly tells a fisherman’s tale of much higher stakes. Burke’s writing transports the reader to the storied flats of Homosassa, Florida, during an era of fierce competition among world-class fishermen in the hunt for angling history. We sat down with Monte to dive deeper into his life, writing, and research in covering the race to catch record-breaking tarpon on a fly rod.

While bonefish and permit are widely touted as world-class targets for those on the hunt for tailing fish, a different species reigns king for anglers in the shallow estuaries and salt marshes of the North Florida Lowcountry. Redfish — also known as red drum, or spot tail — frequent these intracoastal habitats from the Mid Atlantic all the way to South Texas. Redfish thrive among the intricate tidal latticework of mud-banked creeks, snaking through dense clusters of spartina and other marsh grasses in search of fiddler crabs, mud minnows, and other unwary crustaceans seeking refuge within the dense intertidal vegetation.

The Florida Keys is renowned for its deep-sea angling opportunities. From marlin and sailfish to tuna and mahi mahi, deep-sea fishing the Florida Keys provides unbelievable adventures on the water. With easy access to the offshore waters of both the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico, this tropical paradise boasts world-class angling. Whether you're a life-long angler or a beginner looking to get on the water for the first time, the Florida Keys offer charters and guides to ensure an unforgettable deep-sea fishing excursion.

Proper maintenance of fishing gear is essential for extending the lifespan of your equipment, saving money, and catching more fish. Well-maintained gear performs better, ensuring your tackle doesn't miss a beat on the water.

Time to grab your vise and follow along as Capt. Conner Bryant walks us through how to tie the “Marsh Creature.” This simple black and purple fly only requires a handful of basic tying materials, and is easy to crank out in batches. This is one of Conner’s top summer redfish patterns in the South Carolina lowcountry, but it looks fishy enough to fool reds from Pamlico to Port Aransas.

If you're seeking an exhilarating fishing experience filled with excitement and a touch of challenge, look no further than bonefish fishing in the Florida Keys. Expert navigators of shallow water haunts, bonefish are dubbed the ‘grey ghost’ for their speed and elusiveness. Before embarking on your bonefishing adventure, you should know a few essential pieces of information. In this ultimate guide to bonefish fishing in the Florida Keys, we'll cover everything from bonefish behavior and the best times to fish, to conditions, gear, and tactics to help you make the most of your next trip to the flats.

When choosing the best bait for tarpon fishing, it is important to choose a bait that will trigger a bite by mimicking the movements of their natural prey. Using effective flies can enhance your chances of success while tarpon fishing. The benefits of using effective flies include attracting the tarpon and, eventually, getting the tarpon to strike. The following article is a guide for the best baits, lures and flies to use while tarpon fishing. Along with information on the characteristics, techniques and considerations for selecting the most effective options, this guide will help anglers enhance their chances of landing one of the most exciting species of fish in Florida.

In saltwater fly fishing — when stronger fish, larger flies, and more extreme conditions are at play — it is critical to have a well constructed leader for success on the water. A leader is the connection between your fly line, the fly, and ultimately the fish. Understanding how to put together a well built leader helps anglers improve their chances of success on the water.