The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) made it easier for both visitors and residents of Florida to complete the boating safety exam required for recreational boaters born on or after January 1st, 1988. Online providers are permitted to offer the temporary certificate exam 24-hours a day, seven days a week, and it can be accessed by tablet, laptops, and even smartphones.

Prior to this change, paper exams were the only option, and had to be completed and passed on the spot by rental vessel operators, while boat rental facilities had to purchase, administer, and mail in the valid hard copies. The newer convenient method can be completed online before a vacation or a trip to rent a boat.

The $3 online exam is 25 questions…

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On September 1st, the much awaited recreational snook season reopens in Palm Beach County for the duration of September, October, November, and midway through December.

South Florida snook is one of the most prized and most regulated fish due to a few good reasons. Snook not only puts up a powerful fight, but its mildly-firm white meat has an excellent flavor due to its diet of crustaceans and other small fish. Because of this, if snook fishing was left unmanaged, they would surely be a rare sight.

Buying or selling a snook in the state of Florida is illegal, so if you’re dying to feast on this sly silver fish, you’ll just have to catch it yourself!

The bag limit for harvesting snook is ONE per harvester per day, your catch must be between…

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Blue crabs have a sweet mild meat, and they're on the tastier side of the crustacean family, not to mention abundant in Florida waters. My father taught me how to catch blue crabs, and I highly recommend it as a fun family activity, especially if you live on the water! What sounds more fun- paying $20 for crab cakes at a restaurant, or spending quality time teaching your kids something new on your own dock? Here’s how to catch these delicious bottom-dwellers:

First off- while blue crab season is usually all-year-round in Florida, in an effort to retrieve lost and abandoned crab traps, there are seasonal closures every other year for 10 days. Currently, blue crab season is closed in Palm Beach, Martin, and St. Lucie Counties, but scheduled to open…

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 Pictured: REEL DECISIONS captain and son with their "King of Kings"

This past weekend at Rybovich Superyacht Marina, over 85 boats from all over Palm Beach County showed up to support the much-needed research and awareness of prostate cancer by fishing in the Anglers For The Cure KDW Tournament.

The day of fishing proved sparse for most competitors, with kingfish being the only species that seemed to truly be showing up. Although most teams tried zig-zagging for wahoo at first light, the only wahoo caught was reeled in around 2 pm. At 22.9 pounds, it weighed in and won 1st place wahoo (and only wahoo on the board) in the Mark Gerretson Memorial Fishing Tournament in Delray Beach, as well as number one and only in the Anglers For The Cure…

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Pictured: Snook caught by North Palm Beach angler Jessica Bright

If you’re looking to have some fun but don’t care about putting food on the table, catch and release snook have been the main event this week inshore, at the Juno Pier, along the beach, and Palm Beach Inlet has been pretty solid. Live croaker should get the job done during the day, and if you’re looking to do some night fishing, Juno Bait Shop should be able to help you out with some flair hawk jigs. Snook season starts September 1st, so hold off on harvesting them until then!

Not much action has been seen offshore this week. There are plenty of patches of seaweed, but it seems like they’re true nurseries right now, only inhabited with crustaceans and schools of peanut mahi. It’s…

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Florida recreational divers have a little over three weeks left to cash in on rewards ranging from $500 to $5,000 for harvesting FWC-tagged lionfish.

The statewide Lionfish Challenge began on Lionfish Removal and Awareness Day (May 19, 2018) and runs through Labor Day (Sept. 3, 2018). FWC tagged lionfish with external dart tags at 50 randomly-selected non-disclosed artificial reef sites between the depths of 80’ and 120’.

To participate, you must complete a registration form, and find and harvest an FWC-tagged lionfish, then submit a clear photo of the lionfish and tag including documentation of the harvester name, tag ID#, GPS coordinates of harvest location and date harvested to Lionfish@MyFWC.com.

Cash rewards ranging from $500 to $5,000…

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On Saturday, August 11th, the Village of North Palm Beach will be hosting the annual Kids’ Fishing Derby onshore at Anchorage Park.

This family-friendly event is free and open to all kids, and there is no pre-registration required. Junior anglers will be able to fish from shores, seawalls, and piers with parent supervision, and all fish caught will be properly released.

There will be awards and prizes given for largest fish in each age group at the awards picnic at 4:00 pm. Food and drink are available for purchase.

Get your kids together and bring your fishing gear to Anchorage Park this Saturday!

For more information, go here.

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There’s nothing like a “Sunday Funday” on the water (or Saturday Funday for that matter). When you factor in the warm Florida sunshine, the blue water, and the convenient variety of waterfront restaurants, the intracoastal waterway (ICW) from Palm Beach Inlet to Jupiter always provides for the ultimate cruise. We’ve given you a line-up of nine restaurants not only accessible from the water and in order from Palm Beach Inlet to Jupiter Sound, but worth adding to your bucket-list!

Stop #1: Sailfish Marina, Singer Island

Voted the “Best Sunday Brunch” on Trip Advisor, it’s only appropriate to kick off your Sunday shenanigans at Sailfish Marina on Singer Island. Overlooking Peanut Island, this well-known resort and fishing destination opens at 7am…

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This year marks the 4th annual Anglers For The Cure KDW fishing tournament benefiting research efforts and awareness of prostate cancer. The tournament will take place at Rybovich Superyacht Marina in West Palm Beach on August 9th and 11th, 2018.

Anglers For The Cure was founded by Jupiter resident Adriana Somberg’s husband Reed passed away from prostate cancer in 2014, less than 5 years after his first PSA (prostate-specific antigen) screening.

“Had Reed taken his first PSA screening earlier — at 45 or 50 instead of 54 — he’d still be with us today,” says Somberg.

The goal of Anglers For The Cure is to educate men in their 30s, 40s, and 50s about the importance of early PSA screening so no other man, husband, father, or brother and their…

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A week out from “mini-season,” the two day sport season that gives a chance for recreational divers to take home some fresh tail meat before the commercial fisheries cash in, Floridians and vacationers alike are excited for regular season to open.

2018 regular spiny lobster season dates are from August 6th to March 31st, and allow for licensed recreational divers to take home six lobsters per person per day. This bag limit applies to possession limit as well- on and off the water- and lobster must be brought to shore in whole condition. Seperating the tail from the body is prohibited in Florida state waters.

Harvested lobster must have a carapace larger than 3 inches, and must be measured in the water. The carapace is measure beginning at the…

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