It is true that Florida is one of the most beautiful states to go fishing and hunting in the Summertime. Nothing feels better than being out in nature with the golden sun on your face, and the wind whooshing through your hair.
To this day, I have never met anyone who fishes, hunts all 4 seasons, as well as knows the Florida coastlines like Ethan Michael. A man in his element , fishing comes natural and effortless that it feels like breathing to him, one might say his life revolves entirely around wildlife and being out in nature.
Mostly self taught, Ethan Michael has been fishing for 15+ dedicated years and is one of the most experienced game hunters out there as well. Ethan Michael started out hunting small game such as gray racoons, squirrels and rabbits, but now has larger deers, and wild hogs in his sights.
You can catch Ethan Garrett by the heart of Florida’s coasts at various seasons, in destinations such as Flint Rock, Lake Wales Ridge, Jennings Forest, and Chipola River, Richloam just to name a few. Ethan is someone you might call a perfectionist. All his Fishing Rods, Hunting Rifles and Knives are organized by size and material. But the most fascinating thing to watch is the detail in which he polishes his boat, spending over 40 minutes to an hour going over every inch of his craft. Despite his methodical approach to the game, Ethan is also willing to get his hand dirty and is known to wrestle a few heavier trouts, bass, and anglers on his best days.
The best thing about having someone like Ethan with a vast amount of knowledge about the sport of fishing is that Ethan is always giving tips and sharing lessons from his experiences from over the years.
The two most important tips I learned from Ethan are : Fishes like to protect their eggs in the shallow areas of the water, so you will catch twice as much fish if you laid your rod down in those shallow areas. Ethan insists that all fishers should focus on coves that are hidden from the wind because those are the main areas. Secondly, to use a file to properly sharpen the fishing hooks every single time a fish is caught. The main reason being that Fish are slippery, and most avid fishers have had the experience of watching a fish slip out of their grasps, so sharpening after every catch can make 99% of the difference for the next one that tries to slip out your grasps.
Whether fishing for fun or are someone who regularly fishes with friends and family to the sport, I would suggest having the tropical florida keys on your bucket list. Fishers like Ethan Michael have equipped me with both the confidence that I too can go out to the Florida Keys and catch a fair game.
So what are you waiting for? If Ethan showed me, a novice fisher, how to do it, then i’m more than certain you can too.
