Tom Rowland Podcast

Brandon Cyr is a 4th generation Conch. A Conch is someone born in Key West, FL and there are fewer now than ever. Brandon developed the fishing passion at an early age and grew up into one of the best flats guides in Key West. I originally contacted Brandon to discuss his recent trip to Cuba. However, the Cuba trip took a back seat to his recent marriage proposal on his birthday, permit fishing and tagging bonefish. We finally got around to discussing Cuba and he filled me in on an amazing trip.

The Lower Florida Keys are one of the very best places in the world to catch Permit on the flats. In order for Permit to be plentiful, they need the right temperature, food source, vast inshore and offshore habitat and structure such as wrecks, coral heads, and bridges. Best Seasons and TidesIn the Florida Keys, the permit fishing is truly year-round. Of course, there are better times than others for permit, but anglers can feel confident that with enough looking, permit can and will be found. My favorite times of the year are Feb, March, June-November. The months of Feb and March coincide with the water temperatures climbing back into the comfort zone of the permit while also being just before the spawning season for permit. This time seems to be when there is a lot of permit on the flats and also when conditions are conducive to catching the fish on the fly. I look for post-cold front days when the sky is completely clear and the temperature is increasing for the best opportunities. The windy conditions that usually accompany this meteorological scenario allow anglers to get close to the permit and require shorter casts.I like the summer and fall the best for finding the largest number of permit both on structure and flats. The calm conditions of the summer and fall will require longer casts with both spin and fly, however, the opportunity at the fish abounds.During both times of the year, I prefer a big high tide in the middle of the day of 1.5 or greater. This allows me to fish virtually wherever I want and lets the permit frequent areas formerly inaccessible. It is important to remember that we have a 4-6 hour tidal difference between the ocean and many areas of the backcountry so many anglers make a big mistake by choosing the time to fish simply based on the tide chart. Each area has its best tide and the discovery of this only comes through many days spent researching these areas. Now that you know the best times to go and how to find a good guide, we will go over the tackle and techniques necessary to catch Permit in my next couple of posts. First we address spinning tackle, bait, line, leaders, casts and strategy before moving onto fly fishing.This podcast is brought to you by Waypoint. Produced by Tom Rowland and Brock Rustand. Audio editing by Brock Rustand. If you have any questions, email podcast@saltwaterexperienece.comSee you on the water,Tom Rowland

This is number 2 of a six-part series dealing with your thoughts, words and how it determines your success or failure. To start off we have a couple of quotes, this one is from Chad Wright: “Your tongue is your rutter, it will steer the direction of your life and the outcome of your situations 98% of the time.” Zig Ziglar says: “There is power in words, what you say is what you get.” Pierre du Plessis: “Words create worlds”It is very difficult for us to have complete control over our thoughts. Our thoughts often run wild and sometimes when you are in a difficult situation you have some thoughts that you might fail or you might think you aren’t good enough. Most of the time you can dismiss them, but there is a serious change when you speak that you are going to fail or that you “can’t do it.” Your thoughts become your words. Your words become your actions. Your actions become your habits. Your habits become your character, and your character determines your destiny. There is so much truth to that statement, and after last week we went over thoughts and this week is on words. Although sometimes it is hard to battle thoughts, you do have complete control over your words and you don’t have to say that you can’t do it, or speak that you might fail. Because when you speak your thoughts out loud, you give them power. And just like Zig said, if you say that you will fail, that is what you’ll get.This works negatively or positively. If you chose to speak positive words it can help you continue in difficult situations and help you get through them. It has been really good for me to understand the power of this; when I give negative thoughts power by speaking them aloud, it is very detrimental to anything I am doing. Whereas if I can speak positive words to myself or anyone around me, that can have incredibly beneficial results.You see this play out with athletes like Muhamed Ali would say this often, that he was going to be the champion and that he would be the greatest of all time. Similarly, Connor McGregor also does this, he believes very strongly in mastering his thoughts and his words.Now there are some words that I have tried to avoid saying because they can be so destructive. One of those words is CAN’T. I really try to avoid using that word, because as soon as you say that you can’t do something, it shuts off all possibility to do that thing. “Can’t” is giving up on the possibility of doing exactly the thing you are trying to do. The way so many things get done is through creative thinking and by forcing yourself to look at other options.Other words I really try to avoid are HATE, ALWAYS, IMPOSSIBLE and NEVER. These words have similar effects where they will shut off possibilities, and eventually will put you in a corner where you won’t be able to do anything. You can just about make anything happen, you just have to be creative enough to find a way there.This episode was brought to you by Waypoint - Watch all your favorite Saltwater Experience episodes at any time and find your favorite podcasts on the Waypoint Outdoor Collective. The episode was produced by Tom Rowland and Brock Rustand. The show was edited by Brock Rustand.See you next week - no excuses, -Tom Rowland

Whatever industry you may be in, it is common to hear of the legends. Those people whose name continues to surface in conversations with other customers or competitors. In the inshore fishing business, Capt Joe Gonzales is one of those people. Despite working 150 miles away from one another, I heard Joe's name and stories on the regular. His reputation precedes him as a professional who might actually have some Bonefish DNA mixed in with his. Many have said that Joe knows all the bonefish in Biscayne Bay. This may be true but that is not what makes a great reputation. There is much more to becoming a legendary Captain. Like most of the legends I know, Joe has stayed curious and seeks to learn more about all things fishing in order to continue to improve.I visited Joe in his home in Little Havana, Miami. He was gracious and welcoming and certainly told some great stories. I hope you will enjoy this podcast with Capt Joe Gonzales. If you do, please share this one with a friend. Find Joe on Social Media: @captjoegonzalezVisit Joe's WebsiteThis episode was brought to you by Waypoint - Watch all your favorite Saltwater Experience episodes at any time and find your favorite podcasts on the Waypoint Outdoor Collective. The episode was produced by Tom Rowland and Brock Rustand. The show was edited by Brock Rustand.See you next time,Tom Rowland

I was in the boat recently with a couple of my friends, Jason Stemple and Jake Perry and we started talking about little things that make a big difference on fishing trips. So we each put our two-cents in on the things that are the cheapest and that might be the most important. If you could carry a couple of these items instead of just one, it would exponentially increase the enjoyment and productivity of the day. So here is our list of things that we think will make your fishing experience much better.Hook Remover: When fishing for kingfish or barracudas (or anything with teeth) you will need this. Roughly $12 to $14 dollars. You will want an extra one because they don’t float and you might lose it. I prefer the Hook Extractor from Bass Pro Shops.Wire Straightener: Probably the cheapest thing you will have on your boat, but this can be the most important for kingfish, barracuda, sharks or anything with teeth. If you have a leader straightener, $2 it can help you get back out there much faster. AFW Econo Wire Straightener $2.48. You will want an extra one of these for sure because it could easily blow off the boat.An Extra Hat: Just get a hat that is given away or an old hat. You will want an extra in case it flies off your head.Extra Glasses: It is great to have an extra pair for yourself or a friend. Just get some cheap pair for back up. You don’t need something that you would wear all the time, but just a pair to get you through the day.Extra Buff: I will usually vacuum seal my Buff so that it won’t get moldy and will always be ready to go if I need it. A Buff is one of the few things that I will turn the boat around to make sure that I have it ready.Sunscreen: This is something you probably have a lot lying around, so make sure that you have some extra just in case someone starts getting sunburned.Cutting Dikes: In case you get a hook through the thumb (as I did recently, see the video below) you can use this to get rid of the barb on the hook. For tools like this one and the buff (ones that you might need in case of emergency), you can vacuum seal them all together so that they are always fresh and perfect.Small First Aid Kit: In case you get a cut but don’t need stitches, you would want some alcohol and bandaids to just clean up the wound and stop the bleeding.Extra Pair Of Pliers: I always use needle-nose pliers that I can cut with and I can get hooks out with them. I always have an extra pair of those in my bag that goes with me everywhere.The Boat Plug: You would need a couple of extras. I keep an extra boat plug in my truck and a couple of extra ones in my bag and an extra one in the bilge right next to where it would go. At least have one extra if not more than that.This podcast is brought to you by Waypoint. Produced by Tom Rowland and Brock Rustand. Audio editing by Brock Rustand. If you have any questions, email podcast@saltwaterexperienece.comSee you on the water,Tom Rowland

Your thoughts will influence your words, which determines your actions. Your actions will define your habits which make up your character. Your character will determine your destiny. Learn to master your thoughts. 

Captain David Cohen is a coast guard 100 ton Captain who runs a pathfinder with a 150 Yamaha. He’s a south Florida Native that specializes in Big Tarpon and Snook with his vast knowledge of fishing Biscayne Bay for 30 years. He takes pride in giving each client an experience that they will remember for a lifetime. The Salt Life is simply the way of life for Captain David Cohen.I met Capt David Cohen at Jeff Magio's Lunkercon (Hear the podcast with Jeff at that Lunkercon here). Right away I liked David and was impressed with his passion for guiding. Luckily, we found time to get together as I was going through Miami. David has been getting some attention lately with a new article published by Sportfishing magazine, a recent article in Sun-Sentinel on mullet run, Team Saltlife member, IRT Reels head team ambassador, team Bubba, as well as Seaguar and Owner Hooks pro staff. Follow David on social media: @captdavidcohenThis podcast is brought to you by Waypoint. Produced by Tom Rowland and Brock Rustand. Audio editing by Brock Rustand. If you have any questions, email podcast@saltwaterexperienece.com.See you next time, Tom Rowland

Whatever industry you may be in, it is common to hear of the legends. Those people whose name continues to surface in conversations with other customers or competitors. In the inshore fishing business, Capt Joe Gonzales is one of those people. Despite working 150 miles away from one another, I heard Joe's name and stories on the regular. His reputation precedes him as a professional who might actually have some Bonefish DNA mixed in with his. Joe walked me through his Bonefish Rig, you can see detail instructions below with links to the knots the Joe is referencing:To start off Joe uses an 8-foot spinning rod - this gives him a little more distance, especially when fishing out of a Marquesa and the bonefish are more aware of Joe’s presence in such a large boat. With the 8-foot rod Joe is able to cast further and into the wind.Joe uses a light rod (light action) and uses a 20-pound-test and will tie it with a Uni Knot or a Clinch Knot. Then Joe will use an offset 2/o with a bait keeper. He will then bite the tail off of the shrimp and will thread the backside of the shrimp. He does it this way because it is aerodynamic, and head heavy, but also because with the head clipped off, there is some scent as well.Watch the video HERE.This podcast is brought to you by Waypoint. Produced by Tom Rowland and Brock Rustand. Audio editing by Brock Rustand. If you have any questions, email podcast@saltwaterexperienece.com

Today is about recovery - being a professional guide or just an active person, you are going to get beat up quite a bit. Most importantly, when you live an active lifestyle, you don't really have time to rest and recover. So a crucial way to recover that is quick and helps you become more agile is yoga. I understand that time commitments that go into an active lifestyle and I know many of you might not want to travel to a studio or be in an uncomfortable situation. So I would encourage you to look into all of the free opportunities that are available for you out there. You can find yoga on Amazon Prime Video and there are over 4,000 videos where you can isolate your back or hamstrings and maintain flexibility and mobility.

Heath Daughtry runs the small boat division at Yellowfin Yachts.  He is responsible for 4 boat models from 17-26 feet.  His attention to detail has improved the quality of our boats over the years.  Heath also started the Skiff Challenge which is a 1300 mile race around the State of Florida which has grown into a fundraiser and awareness generator for the water issues affecting the State of Florida.  Today, Captains for Clean Water runs the race and is bringing additional attention to the race and the issues.Last year, Heath won the race with his partner Chase Daniels (Hear that podcast here). However, this year, that team is breaking up and Heath has asked me to be his partner in the race.  We announce my participation and discuss preparation for this endurance event.1300 miles in a skiff is going to be difficult no matter what the weather is and both Heath and I are preparing mentally as well as physically for the race.  Past Skiff Challenges have been motivation for Heath to embrace the physical culture and create habits that have led to him losing 40 pounds and being in fantastic shape.  I shared a workout with him and his trainer Ray Gardiner at FitCrew in Bradenton before the podcast.You can help us reach our entry fee and raise additional dollars for the water issues by visiting the Captains for Clean Water website.  Follow the race and progress on the race website and social media.Follow Heath on social @onlyinayellowfinThis podcast is brought to you by Waypoint. Produced by Tom Rowland and Brock Rustand. Audio editing by Brock Rustand. If you have any questions, email podcast@saltwaterexperienece.com.