Author: Capt. Scott Goodwin

Central Florida on the East coast is renowned for its inshore saltwater fishing. We have a variety of shallow, saltwater and brackish bays, lagoons and creeks that hold a wide variety of our most famous sportfish as well as serve as a nursery ground for many more. Anglers chase redfish, snook, speckled seatrout, black drum and tarpon to name some of the more famous ones, but the variety doesn’t end there. Jacks, ladyfish, mangrove snapper, flounder and others are also willing to put a bend in a rod for local and visiting anglers.

Capt. Scott Goodwin explains his obsession with the Gulp! Mantis Shrimp soft plastic for his inshore fishing needs in the Indian River Lagoon in the Central Florida area. He uses it for redfish, snook, spotted seatrout, tarpon, black drum, and more. “The combination of the Gulp! Mantis Shrimp’s look and smell with the Mustad Impact Spring jighead is the perfect match for what I’m doing inshore in my home waters,” says Capt. Scott. “I can run out for a quick trip in the morning or evening and never have to worry about getting bait or keeping it cold. The Gulp!…

Last year I wired a new 24′ Morgan from scratch after a long-drawn-out build process. Of course, all boat projects take longer and cost more than you plan, but in the end, I was happy with my final product. (you can follow my build thread here on Bloodydecks) I built the boat with the full intention of spending most of our fishing time along or near the coast of our Central Florida area. We did bump up the fuel capacity because I knew we would be fishing on the local wrecks and reefs; one of my favorites. Because of the…

Having the right boat cleaning supplies and a streamlined method will make boat washing as painless as it can be. Capt. Scott Goodwin shares some tips for washing your boat and keeping it like new.

Dexter Outdoor knives already have a great SOFGRIP™ handle that fishermen love, but the orange UR-Cut is meant to be molded to your own hand for maximum fit, grip, and comfort. 

Capt. Scott Goodwin shares some handy boating tips on a wide variety of topics like docking, tying up your boat and making it last with maintenance tips. Boating Tips From OA Dock Lines Tip – How To Throw The Rope Here is a great way to throw dock lines to a piling or cleat on the dock without having to be a professional cowboy.  Often times when docking a boat, getting the first dock line to the dock can be challenging, especially if it is windy or the current is strong.  Often in these conditions, your first attempt needs to work…

Capt. Scott Goodwin knows it can be frustrating to have issues out on the water, but being prepared with a variety of spare parts can help you “MacGyver it” to get through the day or help get you home.

Capt. Scott Goodwin offers a how-to video demonstrating his version of the haywire twist followed by a barrel wrap finish.

Ride along with Capt. Scott Goodwin as he explores the inshore backwaters of Southwest Florida’s Matlacha catching redfish and snook from Hobie’s new lines of fishing kayaks.

Editor’sNote: I like to bring this back each year as a reminder of what season it is.   To all of us who love the outdoors, be it fishing, hunting, boating, hiking; what ever your version, we are driven by the seasons. The season may be determined by Mother Nature or your friendly neighborhood fisheries service, but our thoughts, focus, excitement and energy revolves around the seasons. It renews our love of our hobby or obsession depending on your personality type. It refreshes our minds as we get excited to prepare for the next type of pursuit, be it grouper season,…

Satmodo Saves the Day As fishermen, hunters and avid explorers, we all enjoy being on the fringe of the busy world with all its stresses and the constant barrage of communication. That is a big part of why we like being outdoors; to escape of the world, but what if something happens. We take precautions, spare parts, first aid, vhf radios, but those only cover so much for so far. Heaven forbid something drastic happens and you need help. Normal means of summoning help by cell phone or radio will not work because you’ve gone off the grid so to speak. Enter the…

AFTCO’s products are created by real fishermen who understand how brutal the elements can be on anglers. That’s why AFTCO created the Hydronaut Heavy-Duty Jacket, and Bibs for wet, cold-weather fishing!

As fishermen, it seems we can never have too many rods. Manufacturers make a fishing rod for just about every occasion these days. There are trolling rods, casting rods, jigging rods, spinning rods… The list goes on and on. At the end of the day, most of us have a pile of fishing rods sitting in the basement or garage and a wish-list for more! Storing all of those fishing rods can become a challenge and if you don’t store your fishing rods in an out-of-the-way spot, there’s a good chance they will get damaged. Like so many others, I…

I wish I could go back in time to fish some of my old spots, but I want to take an incredible feature of modern marine electronics, sonar history, with me when I do.

Capt. Scott Goodwin offers some bottom fishing insights on how to cut bait to maximize bites and minimize spinning and tangles.

Check out the incredible wood fish carvings of Doug Snider, Central Florida resident and angler.

As a charter and private boat captain, I’ve done lots of bottom fishing as part of our programs. Here is how I set up the anchor for a trip to offer you the chance to get it back if it hangs in the bottom.

In the past couple of years, Plano has continued to expand its new line of premium tackle storage options, the EDGE series of Plano storage boxes for any variety of tackle.

I just came home from a fishing trip to the Bahamas were we pulled a mixed spread of trolling lures and ballyhoo. Using a mixed spread is ideal when you’re targeting a range of offshore species such as dorado, wahoo and tuna, but mixing baits and lures can also be tough on your baits. Lures oftentimes look better when pulled fast but baits will take a beating when you troll them at higher speeds. We protect the ballyhoo by adding a small lure head or chugger in front of the bait. This keeps the bait from washing out and helps…

You did not want to trip and fall into the water.  The competition between sharks had them fired up and even if they didn’t eat you, the “test bites” would be your end.

Taking care of a boat involves wearing many hats. Ensuring that every seal is done right helps make your boat seaworthy and safe.

For those that are still using monofilament line for certain purposes, Capt. Scott Goodwin offers a quick fishing tip to de-twist your line after a long battle.

One of the great parts of being in nature and fishing for many years is the wide array of weird and strange fish that one encounters.

I’ve found some instances that are unique and require “offshore-sized” tackle to pull powerful fish from heavy, barnacle-encrusted cover, and splicing your leader into hollow braid is the answer.