Fishing Blog
Dead fish, sea turtles, manatees, sea birds and even a shark have washed up on the beaches and clogged canals stretching from Tampa Bay to the Florida Keys this summer on the toxic bloom.
Every year, both Florida and Texas deal with red tides, but in Florida this has been the worst year since 2006. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, defines a red tide, or harmful algae bloom, as a rapid growth of microscopic algae that produces toxins, which can have a harmful or deadly effect on marine life, birds and even humans. “The blooms can also cause large fish kills and discolored water along the coast,” NOAA officials said.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has documented almost 300 sea turtle deaths in the waters off southwest Florida since the bloom started last October
The mayor of Sanibel, Florida, along the Gulf Coast said the tide was a result of a “perfect storm of coastal pollution and a hot Gulf ignited by flushing nutrient-laden water from Lake Okeechobee,” the Miami Herald reported. “All they do is obviously fuel the red tide. So, it’s a catalyst in making the problem worse,” Mayor Kevin Ruane said.
Red tide season in Florida usually last from October to around February, but has now lasted more than 10 months. It’s unclear how long the red tide conditions might persist and how many animals will die in the meantime.
Hook & Tackle offers the official University of Miami UV-sun performance field shirts and hats for the Shark Research and Conservation team. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the shirts and hats are donated to this most important conservation program.
During Shark Week on the Discovery Channel, the team took New England Patriots All-Star Tight End Rob Gronkowski "The GRONK", sporting a Hook & Tackle UV sun protection performance field shirt, to the Bahamas to learn how to tag a Tiger Shark.
The new trucker hat and the vented back UPF 50+ performance shirts are extremely popular and and functional. See them now at www.hookandtackle.com
World-Renowned Marine Ecologist, Dr. Neil Hammerschlag, Director of the University of Miami Shark Research and Conservation Program wears a Hook & Tackle cap.
Hook & Tackle is a proud sponsor for the 3rd year in a row of the ECBC - Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic in Sandestin, Florida. With over 100 boats participating, several thousand on lookers all gathered at the weigh-in that went on from 4 pm to almost midnight!
The winner of the tournament weighed in a Blue Marlin at over 699 pounds on the boat, Can't Deny it from Alabama.
The Crew all in Hook & Tackle Caps!
As one of the main corporate sponsors of the Miami Dolphins Foundation Fins Weekend, Hook & Tackle is proud to have been a part of this very giving organization for 21 years.
On June 2, 2018, Fins Weekend will be celebrated in in Key Biscayne, FL with over 1500 people in attendance including the Miami Dolphin players, coaches, cheerleaders and alumni, plus many celebrities. Enjoy a Full Day of Fishing or Golf followed by the big party celebration that evening at the Miami Marine Stadium in Key Biscayne.
One hundred percent of all the dollars raised benefits the City Year organization which helps to mentor children from underprivileged neighborhoods and keeps them in school and go on to college.
"It's amazing to watch these children grow and prosper even with the hardships they deal with daily, I was so proud to visit these schools and meet these inspiring children" says Stan Rudman, a co-chairman of Fins Weekend and an owner of Hook & Tackle.
Amberjack are a game fish, most often found in the warmer parts of ocean.There are many types of amberjacks, including greater amberjacks (Atlantic), lesser amberjacks (Atlantic), Almaco jack (Pacific), yellowtail (Pacific), and the banded rudderfish (Atlantic).
They usually have dark stripes extending from nose to in front of their dorsal fins.They have no scutes and soft dorsal bases less than twice the length of the anal fin bases. They are usually 40 pounds or less, and are found associated with rocky reefs, debris, and wrecks, typically in 20 to 75 m (10 to 40 fathoms). Greater amberjacks are also found in the Pacific.
The Crew all in Hook & Tackle Caps!
