To provide some background into my life and why I’m writing this blog I would like to start by discussing why I do something that I love: fishing.

Plenty of people have evident reasons to fish. Some feed their families, while others earn a livelihood behind a net or rod.

But when it comes to sportfishing, rationalizing an angler’s actions isn’t as straightforward.

As a sportfisherman, I can’t say I fish for a salary or sustenance, but I can say that the sport itself has become a major part of my life and something that I care about preserving.

Before I was old enough to even stand on a seawall, my dad had taught me how to hold a fishing rod.

I kept a copy of Vic Dunaway’s Sport Fish of Florida tucked in my backpack all through gradeschool. While most kids were memorizing their multiplication tables I was memorizing fishing techniques, regulations and species in my free time.

I still remember my first snook as vividly as my first kiss. It was a little fish no longer than 8 or 9 inches but at the time I felt like I had just landed Moby Dick.

I could go on for days justifying my love for fishing through the experiences that have helped shape who I am, but the true reason why I fish isn’t something I understood until I left South Florida for the University of Florida two years ago to pursue my undergrad degree.

In Delray Beach—my hometown—I loved to fish the beach, inlet, canals, and even a golf course with tarpon in its ponds.

I took my friends fishing fairly often, but my dad was by far my most common companion. He had taught me how to fish, and from my earliest memories fishing played a major role in our relationship.

Fishing didn’t just bring us together as the typical “father-son” activity. I mean it did bring us together, but it also served as a skill for us to master together and develop a passion for.

We fed off of each other’s excitement and ambition to catch fish. The grin I always saw on my dad’s face after I managed to pull in an impressive fish constantly reminded me why I enjoyed fishing, and why I kept doing it.

That’s why when I got to Gainesville and no longer had my father to fish with, I realized that my value in fishing was rooted in more than my will to catch fish and refine my skills. Having someone I was happy to share my knowledge and experiences with always meant a lot to me.

For that reason I’ll be sharing my South Florida fishing wisdom through this blog. My expertise is primarily inshore saltwater fishing on lighter tackle, but I also know my fair share of bass spots and offshore reefs along Florida’s Southeast coast.