2025 has come and gone, and with it, a year of angling stories that some will tell for a lifetime.
The Gulf of Mexico became the Gulf of America and its name still causes divisiveness. I tend to just call it the Gulf as I care more about what comes out of it and not its name.
In January, the Gulf was still reeling from hurricanes that came through near the end of 2024. Water was dirty and finally started to clean. Angler Jamie Brown boated a large 32-inch dog snapper while fishing off St. Petersburg, something rarely seen this far north. In shallower water, angler Angel Cruz had a surprise at the Skyway Fishing Pier causeway when he landed a bonefish on a light jighead…