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00:00On this week's World of Saltwater Fishing, I'll have my Mako 214 behind the Edgewater
00:04Lodge in Layton, Florida Keys.
00:06I'll be participating in an age-old tradition of catching Spanish mackerel in the backcountry.
00:12Stay tuned.
00:26For George Bovarumo's World of Saltwater Fishing, big fish don't stand a chance.
00:40Spanish mackerel.
00:42It's a fish that can be super easy to catch and also quite challenging too.
00:48And for me, it brings up some of the roots that I enjoyed as a kid growing up in North
00:52Miami and in North Biscayne Bay.
00:54Now, Andy Neumann, who heads up Neumann PR.
00:59He's been the PR spokesman for the Florida Keys for decades.
01:03He grew up also in Miami, but points south.
01:06Spanish mackerel, for me, it's just reliving my childhood dreams, okay?
01:12George and I, you know, we lived sort of parallel lives even though we didn't know each other
01:17as kids and we would love to go out with our dads and we'd go down to Southwest Biscayne
01:23Bay and we fished for the Spanish mackerel when it was too rough to go offshore.
01:29So for us, Spanish mackerel really hits home.
01:32It's something that we grew up doing.
01:34And Andy, being an Isle Armada Florida Keys resident, said next time the Spanish mackerel
01:39start running through Florida Bay, which is a big tradition down here in the Florida Keys,
01:43let's get together, go into backcountry and enjoy catching them.
01:47And I'll tell you what, I had to make that happen.
02:01I had trailered my 214 Mako down to the Edgewater Lodge, which is in Layton, Florida Keys.
02:06Layton is very, very close to Long Key.
02:09The location is great.
02:11It's right by the beginning of the Long Key Bridge.
02:14And so you can easily go out to the offshore scene, the reefs, the way offshore, or you
02:20can go back into Florida Bay there and it's a super location for anglers.
02:27And as we closed and we neared to the Edgewater Lodge, we crossed over the Channel 5 bridge
02:33and then I turned into the parking lot.
02:36And from there, they had their own boat ramp.
02:39And best of all, let's talk about convenience.
02:42They have all the chum you want and they have all the light shrimp, which are two big ingredients
02:47for chasing Spanish mackerel in the backcountry.
02:50Having fished Spriga Bank from Isla Morata, this was the first time that I was actually
02:54going to make the approach from the Edgewater Lodge down in Layton.
02:58So to make sure that it had the right depth, that it was going to run across any shallows,
03:02I pulled up my Simrad chart.
03:04So with that Simrad map to guide us, we took off on a cool day in the Florida Keys.
03:22We ran across to our spot on a cool front.
03:27And this was just the ingredients that we were looking for to push these mackerel in
03:32in good numbers.
03:33So we were expecting a big day.
03:34Wind was probably north, west, north, probably around I'd say 15 knots or so.
03:41Our depth, average depth, we're going to be fishing anywhere from maybe 7 feet at the shallow
03:45end to about 11, maybe 12 feet on the deep end.
03:49And then from there, putting a block of chum over and chumming heavily.
03:52So typically what you want to do is start out with a long shank, 2-0, 3-0, okay, on suffix
03:59fluorocarbon leader, okay, maybe two or three feet long.
04:04You want to go ahead and connect that to the braid or your mono, doesn't make a difference.
04:09And you bake the shrimp and you just go ahead and you cast it out there.
04:13And we're just waiting for the Spanish to show up.
04:16Andy, on the other hand, decided to go ahead and use a titanium wire, a 27-pound test.
04:24So if something ate his line, he was going to catch it.
04:27So we had a gamble out there, a fluorocarbon leader.
04:29We had a metallic leader out there who was going to win.
04:34Well Andy got all excited.
04:36Oh, that was a Spanish.
04:37I just missed it.
04:38I just missed it.
04:40And I said, you sure?
04:41Oh, definitely.
04:42The good news, the Spanish mackerel are here.
04:45The bad news, it snipped right through my fluorocarbon.
04:47I tied on another 2-0 long shank hook, put that split shot, threw it on the live shrimp,
04:52and got right back out there.
04:54And bam, I got hit.
04:56He's got something.
04:57He's got something.
04:58That's like a hound fish.
04:59I don't know.
05:00I don't know.
05:01I don't know.
05:02It ain't the mackerel yet.
05:03Not yet anyway, right?
05:04Not yet.
05:05I know it.
05:06And we have a mackerel.
05:07Oh, wait a minute.
05:08That's a mack.
05:09Yeah, yeah.
05:10Yeah, we do.
05:11You got your net.
05:12You got a mackerel.
05:13Here, let me get the net.
05:14There's your Spanish.
05:15There you are.
05:16God, you didn't run like a mackerel.
05:17Look at that.
05:18Hang on.
05:19Hey, don't worry.
05:20No sweating.
05:21I only got a fluorocarbon leader.
05:23All right, Andy.
05:24I'm going to lead them to you here.
05:25You trust me to do this, huh?
05:26Oh, I have no other option.
05:28There we go.
05:29You got them for me.
05:30Okay, Andy.
05:31Of course.
05:32What do you think?
05:33Well, I held my breath there.
05:34I'm a professional, man.
05:35And I held my breath, too, when you said that.
05:38Okay, let's get them out of there.
05:40Watch your fingers.
05:41Yeah, I can cut my fingers.
05:42All right, there we have it.
05:43That's a good fish, but there's bigger ones out there.
05:45Well, go fish.
05:46I'm going to try.
05:47I'm just going to get the net out of your way.
05:49Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
05:50All right, well, here's one.
05:51We're going to take it to Licketts tonight and have them do some Spanish mackerel for us.
05:55All right, Andy.
05:56Good job there, George.
05:57George Poveromo's World of Saltwater Fishing is proudly brought to you by Penn.
06:02Let the battle begin.
06:03Mako.
06:04You'll find them where the fish are.
06:06Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's.
06:08Your adventure starts here.
06:09Mercury Marine.
06:10Go boldly.
06:11George.
06:14As a Spanish macrobyte heats up off Springer Bank, Andy Newman and I ponder the best leader choice.
06:20Is it 27-pound titanium wire or 30-pound fluorocarbon?
06:24But first, let me tell you all about Edgewater Lodge in Layton in the fabulous Florida Keys.
06:31The Edgewater Lodge is nestled away alongside the Long Key Bridge.
06:35I've seen this place before, but this is the first time I've actually fished here.
06:39Convenience is the big draw here.
06:41They have a boat ramp where I launch my Mako 214 and storage for my float-on trailer.
06:47The accommodations include choices among standard and deluxe rooms.
06:51There's a pool and even a bait shop featuring chum and live shrimp.
06:55The Lickit BBQ food truck is an anchor here.
06:58They serve amazing lunches and dinner, including handcrafted pizzas, barbecue specialties, and they'll also cook your catch.
07:06One doesn't have to leave the Edgewater Resort.
07:09Now, let's get back to the fishing.
07:12I throw back out.
07:14Fluorocarbon leader.
07:15Bam.
07:16Snipped off again.
07:17Rigged up again throughout.
07:19And he hooks up.
07:20That might be the right fish.
07:21There we go.
07:22There we go.
07:23There we go.
07:24I'm keeping mine now in case there's another one, Andy.
07:25That's him.
07:26Come over here.
07:27Take over here.
07:28That's him.
07:29I'm going to put my rod here.
07:30Not very big, I don't think.
07:31But you need a net job on him, or?
07:33Yeah, what the heck?
07:34Oh, there was another one that was just behind him.
07:36I know.
07:37That's why I was staying in play.
07:38Oh, you had titanium, didn't you?
07:39Yeah, I did.
07:42Good job, George.
07:43Why don't you take this?
07:44I have to get to the other rod since there's more there.
07:46I was getting nervous, too, with that date.
07:48Okay, just give me a second.
07:50All right, take your second.
07:51I'm sort of like Uncle Joe on Petticoat Junction.
07:53Moving kind of slow.
07:54Moving kind of slow at the junction.
07:56Okay.
07:57There we go.
07:58That's what we're here for.
08:00Yeah.
08:01One of the most coolest winter fish.
08:04And sure enough, another Spanish mackerel.
08:06I scoop it up with a net, and I see how this is going right now.
08:09And sometimes that's what happens.
08:11When you first get on the spot,
08:13and the Spanish are really unaware of what is going on,
08:16that you're trying to catch them,
08:18they'll hit aggressively.
08:19And that's what they were doing.
08:21That's one.
08:22Yeah, baby.
08:23That's it.
08:24I got one too, Andy.
08:25Okay.
08:26I'm going under you.
08:27Let's switch.
08:28Okay.
08:29I'll go over here.
08:30You're there.
08:31I don't know if I got a mackerel here or not.
08:33It's acting like one.
08:35I definitely got a mackerel.
08:37I know.
08:38I could do that line racing out here.
08:39I can tell you that right now.
08:40I got a little catfish.
08:41Unbelievable.
08:42Catfish?
08:43I got to be careful.
08:44Oh, my God.
08:45One of the little gaff tops.
08:46I got to hide this from the people on the television, too.
08:48Yeah, yeah, yeah.
08:49You don't want to show that.
08:50Come on.
08:51There's a freshwater cat.
08:52Different story, but you know.
08:53Yeah.
08:54Get out of here.
08:55I don't think it's anything.
08:56You need help?
08:57No.
08:58Do I need help?
08:59What?
09:00With a net?
09:01Not yet.
09:02I'm not going to go to the boat yet.
09:03Well, man, he took off a lot of line, didn't it?
09:04He did.
09:05Are you sure you got yourself?
09:06There he is out there.
09:07I told you.
09:08He's a good fish, too.
09:09That's a very nice one.
09:10Yeah.
09:11I'm going to do my best here for you.
09:13Hang on.
09:14He ain't ready yet.
09:15I know that.
09:16I guarantee it.
09:17He ain't ready yet.
09:19I'm playing with a 30-pound fluorocarbon, and you're getting a titanium.
09:24Well, I know, but it's a different situation.
09:27Yeah, I know.
09:28Hang on.
09:29I think I'm going to get him in the next.
09:31Okay.
09:32Good job, George.
09:33I'm going to take it for you.
09:34There we go.
09:35That is an ax handle.
09:36Yes, it is, Andy.
09:37This is a really good fish.
09:39Without a doubt.
09:40I knew.
09:41I saw the line running out, and he could tell automatically.
09:44Hang on.
09:45You're still wrapped up pretty good into snag.
09:47Okay.
09:48I'm sorry, but the fish are still very active.
09:53Hang on.
09:54Let me see if I can get some.
09:57Should we release this fish?
09:59No.
10:00We're going to eat them tonight.
10:01Of course not.
10:02Okay.
10:03Well, can you open up that box for me, George?
10:05Yes, I could.
10:06Since you're right there.
10:08The bottom environment in Florida Bay encompasses turtle, shoal, and manatee grasses.
10:14These grasses act as a filtration system by reducing nutrients and sediments from the water column.
10:21They also serve as habitats for hundreds of marine organisms, including bonefish, hermit,
10:26and tarpon.
10:28It's the winter shrimp run through these grasses, which fuels the Spanish mackerel migration.
10:34And artbypasta.com from catch-to-canvas rendering.
10:37Catch-to-canvas, baby.
10:39George Poveromo's world of saltwater fishing is proudly brought to you by
10:44Simrad.
10:45Never settle.
10:47Rapala.
10:48Holds the world record for world records.
10:51Suffix.
10:52Always use the best line.
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11:00George, we'll be right back.
11:04I'm fishing off Springer Bank in the back country behind Edgewater Resort, Florida Keys.
11:09I'm with Andy Newman, and our macro count keeps on building.
11:13Andy scored another fish with a metallic leader.
11:15So these fish are a little bit reckless right now.
11:17So it's time to take advantage and make sure that every bite counts.
11:21So I switched over and put on a short trace of 27-pound test.
11:25Titanium leader.
11:27Got back in the game.
11:28Bam.
11:29I'm hooked up.
11:30He almost cut my finger off of the braid on that.
11:32That's him.
11:33Hold on to him, George.
11:34I am.
11:35Come on.
11:36They got him.
11:37I got a titanium.
11:38I'm betting on the fish.
11:42Yeah, I'll listen to you, Andy.
11:45Do you need help with the net?
11:48Uh, yeah.
11:49Yep.
11:50I don't want to sort of chance it.
11:52Okay.
11:53Let me just.
11:54Oh, I'm sorry.
11:55I can't.
11:56Go for it.
11:57Oh, yeah.
11:58I can't.
11:59Oh, I can't.
12:00Yep.
12:01All right.
12:02I guess we're all over in for himself, huh?
12:03Well, hold on.
12:05I can probably flip him in.
12:07Don't flip him in if he's a good fish.
12:09Here, hang on.
12:10I'm coming.
12:11I'm coming.
12:12Ready?
12:13Yeah, go ahead.
12:14Oh, man.
12:15You could have flipped this fish in, George.
12:1610 minutes.
12:17I want to do that.
12:18Why'd you sit here and make me come over here?
12:20I don't want you to get out of shape with netting.
12:22Okay.
12:23Let's get him out of the net now.
12:26Get him out of the net so I can go get my rod, because I got a fish on.
12:28Yeah, you do.
12:29Go put the net up front.
12:30You get your rod to get a fish on.
12:31Go ahead.
12:32I got a fish on.
12:33I'll get this one.
12:34Okay.
12:35Let me get through here.
12:36That line's right behind us here.
12:37Oh, God.
12:38Whoa.
12:39Oh, you're on.
12:40So you got a mackerel, too.
12:41I know I got a mackerel.
12:42You trade place.
12:43Let me get behind you or whatever.
12:44All right, the Spanish mackerel.
12:46The closest thing is to get to dolphin fishing with a school dolphin.
12:49That's right.
12:50You're right about that.
12:51You're right about that.
12:52It is.
12:53It is.
12:54Where you at?
12:55I'm up here in front of the boat here.
12:56That's a nice...
12:57Beauty.
12:58It's another nice fish.
12:59Titanium on it, right?
13:00Titanium on it.
13:01You think he could swing and flip?
13:03Oh, look at that.
13:04He's foul hooked.
13:05Oh, boy.
13:06That's a net.
13:07Okay.
13:08Yeah, that is a net.
13:09There you go.
13:10All right, Andy.
13:11There you go.
13:12There we go.
13:13There we go.
13:14Double fish.
13:15And we're like two kids growing up in Miami on a Spanish mackerel run like we used to do.
13:21It was like, now we're two adults and we're having just as much fun and just as much excitement
13:26catching these fish as we did back in the day.
13:28And that's the excitement that Spanish mackerel brings to the table.
13:31And that's why that fishery is so great for the family.
13:36Okay?
13:37Because, you know, you have kids or whatever and they can catch fish and normally the action
13:43is continuous.
13:44And so the kids are not going to get bored and neither are the adults.
13:48Now, Andy Newman, he has handled the Florida Keys Tourism PR for decades.
13:55And actually his father had done it prior to Andy.
14:00There would be times when I would see rain coming down in the show or the big black thundercloud,
14:08you know, coming down the show.
14:10Or George and his guests bundled up like he was in New York in a darn snowstorm.
14:16We call that the Andy Newman list.
14:19That list includes in the Florida Keys, it never gets below 79 degree temperatures.
14:25In the Florida Keys, the wind never ever hardly gets around and above 15 knots.
14:31The Florida Keys, there's absolutely no rain whatsoever.
14:35Maybe a general misting, but that's a rarity.
14:37And also in the Florida Keys, hurricanes are as rare as unicorns.
14:42And when it does rain, or should I maybe say liquid sunshine to sort of fit in Andy's terms
14:48in the Florida Keys, it sort of cools things off when it really gets hot out there.
14:52So we have our fun with Andy too, but he definitely runs a tight ship when it comes to portraying
14:57what the fabulous Florida Keys should look like to the rest of the world.
15:04Several years ago, the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary developed a Blue Star program.
15:10Blue Star operators are committed to responsible tourism, and they go that extra step to educate
15:17their clients about the South Florida ecosystem, the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary,
15:22and most importantly, responsible diving and fishing etiquette.
15:27They undergo annual training to keep staff up to date on the sanctuary and the ways to protect the environment.
15:35Right now, we have about 20 fishing charter operators and 30 dive operators.
15:40There's more coming in every month.
15:43And so when planning a diving or a fishing trip within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary,
15:49look up a Blue Star recognized charter and know that you're selecting an operator
15:54that's dedicated to education and habitat conservation.
15:58Mercury performance stats, late in Florida.
16:01Seas, two feet.
16:03Power, Mercury Pro XS V8 250 horsepower.
16:07Prop, Mercury Inertia Eco 19-inch pitch.
16:10Total miles, 40.
16:12Consistent cruise, 4,500 RPMs.
16:15Speed, 37 miles per hour.
16:18Total fuel burn, 15.8 gallons.
16:22George Poveromo's World of Saltwater Fishing is proudly brought to you by
16:27The Florida Keys and Key West.
16:29Come as you are.
16:31ACR, the leader in marine safety electronics.
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16:54From 7.5-quart to 30-quart models, they come with high-performance lithium aerators
17:00and a lift net, which makes culling the live shrimp, crab, or other small baits simple and quick.
17:07Check them out at anglecoolers.com.
17:10As the sun drops closer to the horizon, Andy Newman and I know we need to head back to the barn.
17:16But first, we each need to make that one famous last cast times 10.
17:21That thing hit and then didn't quite do what a mackerel did.
17:26I'm looking down here with a small mackerel.
17:28It is a sea trout.
17:30How about that for a bonus catch?
17:33And not a bad one at that, Andy.
17:34Hey!
17:35Is that fish legal?
17:37He's a little over 17.
17:39Oh, okay.
17:40But I think that's a legal fish.
17:41It is.
17:42I'll tell you what.
17:43We're doing a Spanish mackerel, what we did growing up.
17:46And you look at my area, North Biscayne Bay, I used to fish sea trout a ton.
17:50So this is like a little cellar coming home.
17:52A mackerel, and they've thrown a sea trout bonus.
17:55And it's a really good tasting fish, too.
17:58No doubt.
17:59It's fabulous.
18:00And another trout.
18:02Another pleasant little surprise.
18:05Yeah, look at that.
18:08You're going to have to keep that fish.
18:11If you don't want it, I'll take him.
18:14Yeah, that's good fish.
18:21My wife will eat that.
18:22For sure?
18:23Yeah, yeah.
18:24Well, how many inches has it got to be?
18:26They've got to be 10.
18:27Oh, how can we see?
18:28That's like a 12-inch fish, I believe.
18:30Andy Newman and I enjoyed a successful day in the water.
18:39It was now time to head back to the Edgewater Lodge.
18:44Put my Mako 214 back onto its float on trailer.
18:50Clean fish.
18:51And get ready for a sunset dinner featuring our fresh caught Spanish mackerel prepared by the staff at Lickett Barbecue.
19:10How's that for Florida Keys Hospitality?
19:13But fishing with him was really fun and rewarding.
19:16I've known him for decades.
19:18And it's funny with how strict he is on how to portray the Florida Keys.
19:22It was nippy that morning and I had a jacket on, but I think the Spanish mackerel got him so excited.
19:27I don't think he noticed my jacket.
19:29You know, to be able to wrap up the 44-plus year career with a guest angler role on George's show is super special.
19:41It's certainly going to be one of the highlights of my career.
19:43I don't know if they're going to talk about it when they spread my ashes out there at 409 Hump and Monster Alley here or not.
19:52But for me, it was very special.
19:55Maybe George will actually let me fish again with him.
19:59But even then, to Andy's credit, it got warm in the Florida Keys.
20:04I had to take that jacket off and enjoy some of that Florida Keys sunshine even on a winter day.
20:08It was just a blast out there catching Spanish mackerel with him in the backcountry of the fabulous Florida Keys.
20:14If you're a fan of our show, keep up with our adventures by following us on social media.
20:19I'm on Instagram at George Poveromo.
20:21And on Facebook, go to facebook.com forward slash George dot Poveromo.
20:27You can also watch our episodes at any time on YouTube at George Poveromo TV.
20:31We'll see you on the water.
20:32We'll see you on the water.
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