Florida Sportsman Action Spotter Podcast

Are Fishing Tournaments with Boundaries The New Big Deal?

·52 min·5 clips

Captain Rick Riles asks if fishing tournaments with boundaries, which drew 676 boats in St. Augustine, are the new big deal.

The episode begins with host Captain Rick Riles introducing the topic of boundary tournaments, prompted by the success of an event in St. Augustine that drew 676 boats. He explains how faster boats have dominated traditional tournaments, leading to the rise of boundaries to increase participation. Riles then conducts a statewide fishing report, starting with Craig Sutton in Nassau, Costa Rica, who discusses marlin and roosterfish bites, and shares his view that bluewater tournaments should remain open. Next, Jimmy Ross in East Central Florida reports on tarpon and redfish, noting unusual bait preferences. John Earhart in Stuart covers sailfish tournament results and wahoo catches. Ray Rocher in Miami mentions dolphin and wahoo fishing. Steve Dahl in the 10,000 Islands talks about cobia and critiques tournament governance, advocating for boundaries in inshore events. Greg Stamper in Southwest Florida discusses tarpon and permit, and supports boundaries for fairness. Ray Markham in West Central reports on trout and redfish, sharing a personal story. William Toney in Homosassa details snapper fishing techniques. Kevin Lanier in Northwest Florida notes large beeliners, and Tyler Massey in Pensacola discusses snapper and pelagics. Throughout, Riles revisits the boundary debate, with guests offering insights on its pros and cons. The episode wraps with Riles summarizing the discussion and looking ahead to next week.

As heard by us

A grounded Florida fishing review of tournament boundaries, faster boats, fair play, and the cost of reaching remote water.

Florida Sportsman Action Spotter Podcast turns a practical tournament question into a broader look at how Florida fishing has changed: do faster boats and longer runs to remote water tilt the field?

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Why you'd press play

You want to know whether tournament boundaries can keep faster boats from turning long runs into an edge.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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