Look at the teeth on this guy!

Florida Gar

Fish On!

Now that's what I call the South Florida Hat Trick!

 

Largemouth Bass

Florida Gar

Butterfly Peacock



Fish On!

It was a little chilly out this morning but I still caught this Lunker and my first Florida Gar!!!

 

4 1/2 Pound Butterfly Peacock

My First Florida Gar

Fish On!

It was cold out but I still caught a few nice butterfly peacocks today!  Here's one of them!

Are your business's marketing efforts regulated by the government?

Certain industries are regulated by the government as to what they can and can't do in advertising and marketing.  Commissions such as the SEC limit the ability for businesses to be creative in their marketing efforts.  So how can you differentiate yourself from all the other firms?  Sometimes transparency with some humor helps...


Using transparency and humor when limited by gov't regulations

One fish two fish red fish blue fish!!!

We all remember and love Dr. Seuss but what marketing lessons can we learn from him???

One fish two fish red fish blue fish...

13 foot 719 pound Gator Caught

Check out this 13 foot 719 pound alligator!!!  The biggest gator I've seen fishing is about 6 ft!!!

Florida hunter bags giant alligator

Fishing Southern Grass

Here's a great article about fishing southern grass in the winter.  Perfect advice for fishing Lake
Okeechobee!

Fishing Southern Grass

November Lunker Box Review

Greetings from sunny South Florida and welcome to my November Lunker Box review!  Today I'll be opening my box and showing you what I got!  Check back later in the week for the full review after I test it out Friday! 

Lunker Box November

Big shout out to the guys at Lunker Box!  This is my first box and I'm counting down the day till I get my next one!

Here's an article about a hammerhead shark following two kayakers!  Just click the kink below...

Hammerhead Shark!

Fish On!

Got to love fishing South Florida!  Where else can you catch a largemouth bass on one cast and a snook on the next cast!

Fish On!

Caught this beautiful 17 3/4" 3 lb. Largemouth this morning!

Fish On!

Caught this 18 inch 4 1/2 pound beauty this morning!  This wasn't even the most exciting part of the day... I hooked a 4 ft Tarpon and fought it for over 15 minutes as it danced across the water only to have my line snap when the fish was 6 ft away!

Snakehead!

Here's a great article about snakehead fishing in South Florida... Snakeheads!

Fish On!

Fished the South Florida canals this morning.  Where else can you catch a largemouth bass and snook in the same place!

Fish On!

Slow morning at the canal but still caught a few butterfly peacocks including this beauty!

 

 



Fumble V

Who wants to bring a net every time they go fishing? You already have to carry your rig, rod holder (for those of us running multiple rigs), tackle box or backpack and bait. That's only the necessities! What about a cooler, chair, and extra supplies like bug spray, sun block, etc. Not to mention your lucky fishing hat!

So I can understand why a lot of people leave their nets at home but it can be the difference between landing that big one and cursing your decision to leave your net at home. Let the Laughing Pescador lay it out for you!

As stated above, the main disadvantage to brining your net is that you simply don't have the room- this is even more of an issue when you walk to your fishing hole like the longest time I would leave my net at home simply because I didn't think I would need it bass fishing in the canals. Then came the day I hooked a Tarpon. Now Tarpon are rare (but not unheard of) in the section of the canal I fish so you can imagine my excitement. We battled- he jumped, danced across the water and fought harder than any bass I had ever hooked. So you can imagine how I excited I was when I got him to the shore but that's when things went wrong... SNAP! Just as I was getting ready to pull him out of the water (like I do with my Largemouth fatties) the line snapped. The tarpon was simply too heavy for my 12 lbs test- something I knew but with net collecting dust in my garage it was my only option.

I had never caught a tarpon before so I was pretty disappointed that my laziness not to carry a net was the difference between landing it and watching it swim away. I promised myself from then on out I would always carry a net. Well it might not be a Tarpon but my net enabled me to land this Snook!

Hook Sizes

Why is a 2 bigger than an 8?

What the fish is does the /0 mean?

Yikes!

Deciphering the confusing hook sizing system can seem daunting but have no fear because The Laughing Pescador has tackled the issue!

Hooks are sized by the number that represents the distance between the point and the shank.  Simplified, it is the measurement of the gap.  Basically the unconventional sizing system starts at 32 (smallest) and ends at 20/0 (largest).

Really not that complicated once it's broken down! 

Now it is important to remember two things.  First, different brands size differently.  Albeit a minute difference but their could be discrepancies when comparing brands.  Second, most brands size from 32 to 20 but some go even bigger!

Now if you are one people saying thanks Laughing Pescador for explaining the system but what size and type should I use?

Size depends on a number of external factors such as the fish you are trying to catch, bait being used, and so on but I would recommend starting with a 2.  I've used 2's successfully with both night crawlers and shiners.

As for what type of hook you should use... We'll tackle that in our next post!

Fumble IV

Here's a fumble from when I first got started...

When I moved to the swamp from the city I knew I wanted to start fishing again so I went to Bass Pro Shops to get all set up.  I got a new rod and reel with all the necessary tackle supplies.  I started out using night crawlers for bait but was not getting a lot of action so I decided to do a little research.

I was using a 5/0!  I literally had to use two night crawlers just to cover the hook!

I quickly switched to a size 2 hook and haven't looked back!

New Gliss Line Update!

World Fishing Tackle is excited about its new GLISS brand of monofil line that could replace braid.  I'm also pretty excited to get my hands on it!  Are you?

 

 

Check out the full article here...

angling-international.com/overwhelming-response-new-gliss-line/

Weighing Fish

Everyone wants to know how much that massive bass I caught weighed but I didn't weigh it.  I didn't want to risk hurting that beauty so I opted for the photo and release option.  Sure it might be easy to just hook the fish but even the most seasoned angler can cause permanent damage to the fish.  Since we are catch and release anglers we want to return the fish to the water with as little stress (damage) as possible.  This way he can go home, get fatter and get ready to be caught again.

So follow this easy, inexpensive and most importantly least stressful method to weigh that 15 pounder so you can brag to your buddies... just don't forget to take a picture too!

• Catch the fish
• Put fish in a plastic bag
• Think Publix, Wal-Mart, Walgreens, etc.
• Thread the hook of the scale through bag handles
• Mark the weight
• Subtract the weight of the bag
• Weigh the bag alone in advance
• Usually 0.3-0.35 ounces
• Post to Facebook!

So all you need to effectively weigh your fish is to add plastic bags to your tackle box.  Then when you're done fishing you can use the bag to collect all your garbage.

Fish On!

Had a great day fishing the canals!  Not a lot of bites but I made them count!

Fish On!

New Gliss Line could replace Braid

Here is a link to an artice about the new Gliss Line that could replace braid...

https://www.angling-international.com/new-line-tipped-replacement-braid/

Swearing at Fish

This past weekend I was out fishing the canal but was getting skunked.  I was using night crawlers then switched to a crank bait but nothing was working.  I saw fish jumping so I knew they were there.  Then I remembered one of my favorite episodes of River Monsters in which Jeremy Wade and his native guide couldn't get a bite.  Then the guide started swearing at the fish in his native tongue and BOOM he had a bite!  Then Jeremy started to swear at the fish in his own British way and he had action!  Thought to myself why not give it a shot?

After launching a fierce verbal assault (think Al Pacino last scene of Scarface) I landed this guy...

Fish On!

Fish On!

Great day fishing the canals this morning!  Caught two nice peacock bass and a bunch of mayans... Fish On!

Fumble III

After the gator took off with my shiner trap I knew I needed a new strategy.  So I went to my local pet store and bought a 10 gallon tank starter kit and hooked it up in my garage (Lisa was surprisingly cool about this).  Then it was time to go stock up on shiners as my plan was to fish first thing the next morning and not have to waste time going to the bait shop.  Of course I show up without my bait bucket and had to buy another one (great job Jason!).  With my new bucket and a dozen shiners I was in business and on my way home.

Once I got home I put them in my new tank and realized these weren't the same shiners I grew up catching.  These were BIG- like 3-4 inches!  My little 10 gallon tank was big enough for maybe 2-3 but not 12!  They all started to huddle next to the aerator due to lack of oxygen in the water.  It was clear they wouldn't last an hour so I released them into the pond by my house.

It became obvious that if I wanted to use shiners I would have to buy them on the way to my fishing hole.

Fumble II

I decided I wanted to step up my game a little and switch my bait from artificial lures to shiners.  Rather than buy shiners from a bait shop I decided to catch my own so I bought a $10 wire shiner trap.  I thought this would be an easy endeavor since as a child I literally pulled thousands out of the creek behind my parent's house.

So the next time I went fishing I brought my trap, put in a little bread, hooked up the chain and tossed it in the canal like I did hundreds of times as a kid.  Then I grabbed my pole and started fishing.  About 30 minutes later I heard the chain start to move only to look up and see a 4ft gator cruising down the canal with my trap!

Time for a new strategy!

Fumble I

Last time I introduced you to the Laughing Pescador while mentioning that I experienced a few mishaps or as I like to call them "fumbles" along the way.  Well this would not be the Laughing Pescador if I did not start out with the "fumbles" right out of the gate!  The hardest part is deciding where to begin...

When I first started fishing the canals I lost a lot of action because my line was snapping.  I thought there was some giant bass out there crushing by rig.  I decided to do a little research to see what could be taking my lures when I stumbled across my problem- I was using normal everyday knots to tie my lures on!  Realizing my error I quickly learned, mastered and memorized the palomar knot.

It's a strong knot and easy to tie so I recommend you perfect it and commit to memory.

Welcome from the Laughing Pescador!

My name is Jason Macko and I am the Laughing Pescador! You may be asking yourself what is a Laughing Pescador and what is this blog about?

Let's start with the latter. I am writing this blog so that you do not make the same mistakes I have made and give you a good laugh along the way. This blog is:

• NOT written by "experts" talking down to you
• Instead, written by a novice with a thirst to learn more
• NOT a series of "how to's" or advice that you already know or does not apply to your fishing needs.
• Instead, it is a series of real life stories and the lessons I've learned from.

So what is a Laughing Pescador? Laughing Pescadors are anglers that fish because they love to be outdoors and interact with the wild. Laughing Pescadors are anglers that have a good time fishing regardless of the fish caught.

I started fishing because I needed a new hobby. I'm happily married to my best friend Lisa and we do everything together. But I needed something that I did on my own- my own time- my quiet time and golf was getting too expensive.

I wanted a new challenge but soon realized all the fishing knowledge I amassed as a kid bass fishing in Upstate NY was either outdated or I had forgotten it (much more likely). This led to a lot of "fumbles" which will be featured throughout my blog.

So sit back, relax and laugh a little while we talk fishing or in some cases talk a little fishing while we laugh!