The bluefish will readily gobble up flies, plugs, soft plastics and chunks, yet this game fish is often disparaged as a "trash fish" — the lowliest of epithets in the angling world. They’re dubbed “chopper” or “gator,” sometimes said with abject contempt due to their proclivity for slashing leaders and taking off with plugs intended for the more forgiving yet revered maws of a striped bass. Editors Charlie Levine and Owen Burke have a deep affection for bluefish stemming from time as young fishermen chasing snapper blues in Long Island Sound. Both anglers love catching bluefish, but eating them, well that's a topic of much debate.

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Photographer and Anglers Journal contributor Jay Fleming says, "I always try to capture a sense of place for the locations I am photographing, and for me, the majority of my work happens to be on Chesapeake Bay, where I was born and raised." His striking landscapes, marine photography and portraits have appeared in magazines and galleries. In this podcast, Fleming explains how he became a photographer and found the perfect subject matter, focusing on commercial and recreational fishing, and the men and women who earn a living on the water.

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Every year the American Sportfishing Association hosts ICAST, the world’s largest tackle trade show. At the event, rod, reel, line, lure and accessories manufacturers unveil their latest and greatest products. These new products can then be entered in one of several categories in the hopes of winning a new product award. All of the various award winners are then placed in consideration for the coveted Best in Show award.

In 2024 PENN, a longtime rod and reel manufacturer based in Philadelphia, took home the Best in Show award for its Fathom Electric reel, the first electric reel with an integrated battery. PENN is owned by Pure Fishing, which also owns Berkley, Abu Garcia, Fenwick, Ugly Stik, Pflueger, Plano, Frabill, Stren and several other brands.

To get a better understanding of how much research and design goes into product development, we sat down with PENN Senior Category Manager Ben Joyce and Capt. Rush Maltz, a Florida Keys-based PENN ambassador and host of a fishing television show.

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Long before the internet and YouTube taught us how to tie knots and flies, anglers relied on books and magazines to learn the craft of fishing. Nick Lyons, now 92, spread the love of fishing through his words and the books he published via Lyons Press and other imprints he worked under. Throughout his career he worked with a long list of well-known writers including Lefty Kreh, Mark Sosin, Lee Wulf, Tom Rosenbauer and many more. Lyons published a Hemingway anthology and worked closely with Jack Hemingway. He's fished many of the world's best trout streams and had plenty of time to reflect on life, family and the pull of a fish.

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A study conducted by the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust and Florida International University showed that bonefish were testing positive for a wide range of pharmaceuticals. The research helped push the need for better waste water management, just one of many issues facing bonefish and tarpon in Florida. Dr. Aaron Adams is a longtime angler and outdoorsman who has made it his life's work to improve coastal fisheries by conducting scientific research, applying scientific findings to conservation activities, and communicating science to those who are using and benefiting from the resource. In this episode, we dive into a range of issues BTT is tackling to help future populations of bonefish, tarpon and other coastal fishes.

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Sponsored by Visit Lauderdale

Anglers Journal contributor Dave Ferrell sits down with swordfish master R.J. Boyle to talk about the diverse fishing found off Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Boyle is an accomplished angler, marine artist, tackle shop owner, charter boat operator and local fishing historian. When it comes to the Fort Lauderdale fishing scene, few folks are as dialed in as Boyle.

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Ask any bottom fisherman in the Southeast about red snapper and they will tell you there are more snapper out there then any time in recent memory. If you're targeting other bottom fish such as grouper, you literally have to fish past the snapper or move, that's how thick they are. Despite all this, the federal fishery management system claims populations of red snapper are so depleted that they've limited recreational fishing to a single day, July 12, for the 2024 fishing season. To get a better understanding of the situation, we speak with Jeff Angers, president of the Center for Sportfishing Policy. Angers has a vast understanding of the situation, and he explains the flaws found in the data that led us here and what the future holds.

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Angie Scott is a Renaissance woman of sorts in the fishing world. She does it all. She launched the Woman Angler & Adventurer podcast in 2018 to highlight female anglers in the sport who are doing amazing things. She's a USCG Licensed Master Captain for Freedom Boat Club of Tennessee, and a professional angler on the Women's Pro Bass Tour. Angie developed a love for fishing in her youth, chasing walleye in Minnesota. She moved to Nashville to pursue a profession in the music world, but found herself longing to have a career that revolved around fishing. That's what led her to launch a podcast and connect with remarkable women in the outdoors world. Angie joins the Anglers Journal Podcast to talk about her work and her passion for getting more women involved in fishing.

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Visit Woman Angler and Adventurer at thewomanangler.com

David Coggins is a longtime writer based in New York City. He has written for a number of magazines including Esquire and Financial Times. He covers a range of topics from travel, culture and men's fashion, but one of Coggins' strongest passions is fly fishing. His first fly-fishing book, The Optimist: A Case for the Fly Fishing Life, dove into the virtues of the sport, along with his personal triumphs and failures. His writing style is poignant and funny; serious and silly. 

In his latest book, The Believer: A Year in the Fly Fishing Life, he embarks on seven fishing pilgrimages to some of the world's top fisheries. He visits Norway, Cuba, Belize, Spain, Argentina and more. He tests his skills and jumps outside his comfort zone. He silences his phone and focuses on immersing himself in the pursuit. His writing is honest and fresh, mixing travel and fishing challenges into a delicious soup that any angler can appreciate. 

Coggins joins the Anglers Journal Podcast to discuss his journeys, the highs and lows and reflect on how the world perceives passionate anglers and their need to fly off to a foreign land knowing full and well that the fish they are after may never even show up. Make sure to pick up a copy of The Believer and sign up for Coggins' newsletter, The Contender.

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John Skinner's videos on YouTube have been viewed nearly 40 million times, and the reason why is pretty simple. John is authentic, smart, informative and very good at explaining the various tactics, gear and techniques he uses to catch striped bass, fluke, snook, tarpon, blackfish and more. In this conversation, we ask John about his background as an engineer and how it has helped him become a better angler. John also shares information on fishing from kayaks, the game fish he chases and what he has planned for his upcoming videos. John has been featured in the pages of Anglers Journal in a story titled "The Bucktail Believer." His YouTube channel is simply called John Skinner Fishing.

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