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A farewell to a

Key West

Icon

the hogs are back!the key to catching sailfish

offshore key westbring on thecold weather

The Fishing, Diving and Boating Magazine of the Florida Keys

FishMonster January/February 2016 Vo lume 6 Issue 1

blackfin tuna

SAFETY GEAR CHECK BY CAPT. BEAU WOODS

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25 January is not a month known for really good hog fishing, but thanks to the closure of recreational harvest of hogfish by the National Marine Fisheries Service back on August 24, 2015 until January 1st, 2016, it is now!

THE HOGS ARE BACK BY CAPT. MIKE MAKOWSKI

DRIFTING WITH LIVE BAITBY CAPT. JOHN SAHAGIAN

ISLAMORADA OFFSHORE REPORTBY CAPT. RICK RODRIGUEZ

HAPPY NEW YEARBY CAPT. BOBBY MANSKE

SCUBA DIVINGCAPT. ERIC BILLIPS

¡UN HÉRO MIO!A FAREWELL TO CUBAN JOEBY CAPT. GENE CHRZANOWSKI

SOME THOUGHTS ON FLY FISHING FROM A KAYAKBY CAPT. RANDY MORROW

FishMonsterM A G A Z I N E

January/February 2016 Contents

BLACKFIN TUNA OFFSHORE KEY WEST

UTOPIA

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COVER PHOTO

CPA Don Kramer from Des Moines, Iowa travels to the Florida Keys every year prior to tax return season for a day of fishing offshore of Key West. A full sized blackfin tuna caught aboard the Premium Time was just what this numbers expert needed to prepare for his number filled tax season AND just what we here at FishMonster Magazine needed for our January/February cover shot. Happy New Year!

EDITOR’S NOTE

READER PHOTOS

ARTIFICIAL WRECK & REEF COORDINATES

FLORIDA KEYS FISHING REGULATIONS

It may be the very best place to be in the entire continental United States for beautiful weather during the months of January and February. There is no such thing as a hard freeze in the Florida

Keys or Key West. The fiercest winter chill may dip the digital thermometer barely below 60 degrees and for only hours at a time. The balmy temperatures of our gulf stream current keep the winter shock at bay for our fish and visitors. This is the wintertime American utopia. As always, our writers have plenty of ideas for you on how to enjoy your winter on the water.

You will also notice within the pages of FishMonster Magazine a few new adjustments. First, we have combined the January and February issues and made other improvements which include a higher quality paper inside the cover. It’s easier to read and the colors

are more vibrant. The combined issue also allows for a more enhanced experience at FishMonster.com that will evolve throughout the year as a leading information source for the saltwater experience in the sub-tropics. You’ll find some of our most popular posts; more pictures; more videos: and more articles by top guides from the Florida Keys, the Bahamas and Cuba.

We’ve reached this point because of YOU our reader, our sponsors and of course our writers. This will be the BEST YEAR EVER!

Thanks again for your support of FishMonster Magazine........

~Capt. Marlin & Dianne Scott

16 THE MUDSBY CAPT. GRIF HELWIG

Advertising Inquiries 305-432-0046 Sales@FishMonster.comPO Box 420844 Summerland Key, FL 33042 www.FishMonster.com 305-432-0046

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IN EVERY ISSUE!

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If you think you’ve got what it takes to be the FishHead of the Month send us your picture! Tell us when and where you were and why you think you measure up. you could win a FishMonster TSHIRT! email usat contest@fishmonster.com!

Jack Snider

FishHeadof the Month

Junior Fishmonsterof the Month

If you know someone who should be featured here send a photo and the

reason why to photos@fishmonster.com.

Dale GoddardDale had to share his full sized black grouper with a VERY LARGE SHARK offshore of Big Pine Key

in 70 feet of water.

Junior angler Jack Snider catches his first black grouper trolling the

reef in the lower Florida Keys.