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Our favorite season is coming! Warm weather, sunshine, and tight lines.

Some of the best times and trips are the ones with no planning involved. This was one of those times, on a Thursday in July Ken asked if I was available for the Saturday trip with out hesitation I said yes. We had been trying to line our schedules up for a while and finally it worked, now all I had to do was hop in the truck on Friday afternoon and make the trip from North Florida to South Florida.

The weather didn't give us everything we wanted but we did make the most of it. We spent a lot of time poling around Biscayne Bay targeting a fish that had been on my list for quite a while. I told Ken you have to put me on a Bone fish if nothing else and finally I got to check that of my list. We also put a nice Mutton Snapper in the boat which was a blast as well. As a kid growing up in North Florida the whole idea of sight fishing in clear water was a whole new concept that I could learn to love. It makes blind casting not near as fun anymore. 

Of course I couldn't leave without putting some AD gear in his hand. So I had to leave him with what I thought would be best for that Crystal clear Miami water is our Aqua Camo Performance!      

Oh the stories this boat could tell!

Im sure if you’re anything like us, you couldn't wait to hear the story after seeing the immaculate condition of this little Cobia. We’re still not sure of the exact year of this beauty however, it's somewhere between 1970 and 1975. One of my childhood best friends called me and told me about his grandfathers boat years ago. However, i'd never had the chance to see it before. Just recently, his grandfather Dennis has sadly passed away. 

Since then, I have had the privilege to come see the boat in person and wow, wow, wow is it clean... Not only did I get to come see it in person I was able to learn a little about the boat as well as Avery's Grandfather Dennis! He had an extreme eye for detail in everything he did. Avery begin to explain to me how meticulous he was in refurbishing this boat. This wasn't just a spray over repaint. He separated the Hull by suspending the top from the rafters of the garage. The next thing he did was stripped the original gelcoat all the way to the fiberglass. He then re painted the entire boat from top to bottom! Bringing every detail back to life even down to the original upholstery on the front seating area! It still has the original metal onboard fuel tanks in mint condition. The only thing needing to be finished is the port and starboard seating. The best part is not only is the boat in pristine condition, it is fully functional and water ready.... with some seats that is haha. 

Mrs. Carolyn Louise isn't just any Shrimp Boat. Mrs. Carolyn Louise provides tremendous amounts of Mayport Shrimp to Jacksonville, Florida and surrounding areas. The term "Mayport Shrimp" started right here in Jacksonville, Florida! Its name comes from Mayport, a small settlement at the mouth of the St. Johns River, which claims to be the oldest fishing village in the United States. Like us Shrimp To Shore is a small family and locally ran business. Shrimp To Shore isn't like most shrimping companies. Not only do they sell shrimp to the local restaurants, they also will deliver fresh shrimp straight from the boat to your front door!

We finally got to get get out....

A flight to Asheville for the weekend included waterfalls, repelling, National Landmarks, and a weather delay.   

Why Comfort Colors and what led us to print on them?

Some of the characteristics we were looking for in a shirt were comfort, class, fit and most importantly quality! For over four decades, Comfort Colors has been making relaxed apparel people love to live in. Our goal at Atlantic Drift is to provide our customers with the same quality products as our customer service. With the exception of a select few all of our shirts are printed on Comfort Colors. Comfort Color shirts are made in Central America!

Care Instructions

Garment-dyed goods should ALWAYS BE WASHED SEPARATELY BEFORE WEARING to avoid bleeding issues.
Due to the nature of the dyeing process employed with Comfort Colors pigment dyed shades, loose pigments may remain on the surface of the garments even after the first wash. We therefore strongly recommend washing these garments only with like-colored garments, as some of the pigment dyes may stain light-or white-colored garments in the wash cycle. Washing the garments in cold water will reduce the possibility of staining. Shade variations are inherent in the garment dyeing process.

For more information visit the Comfort Color Website 

Shop our Short Sleeve or Long Sleeve here!

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The C.A.S.T. for kids events are extra special to us. 

We believe the C.A.S.T. for kids programs provide an incredible opportunity to kids that might not otherwise know or experience the thrill of reeling in the "big one". We believe that everyone deserves to have a fishing story to tell and maybe even exaggerate just a little oh.... okay a lot! But whatever the case is no one should be denied those experiences based on a disability and that is what C.A.S.T. for kids is doing, they are making it possible for kids with disabilities to spend the day fishing with the help of some incredible volunteers and staff. The events also don't just happen there is tons of planning hard work that goes into making these dreams a reality but reality is that these events aren't free they have a cost associated with them that is covered by donations from the fishing and business community. If you would like to be part of or help support the mission of CAST for kids you can do so by following this link.  https://impact.castforkids.org/give/178292/#!/donation/checkout 

    C.A.S.T. for Kids Program:  Children with special needs (ages 6-18) and their caretakers come together with community volunteers for a fun day of fishing they may not otherwise experience. These events provide a refreshing break from their daily challenges. Spreading a positive message that kids with disabilities can accomplish anything, we include all children, despite their limitations. This is all made possible through national and local sponsors-people who want to make a big difference in the lives of kids with special needs thus strengthening their community

ATLANTIC DRIFT BUXTON BUTTON DOWN SHIRTS

Atlantic Drift Buxton Button Down Shirts
I would never call myself an experienced fisherman by any means. Although, I do occasionally bait a hook a few times a year and did cast a line a few times this weekend at the lake. With that said, I’ve been following the coastal brand, Atlantic Drift, from the early days and purchased a tour visor from them over 3 years ago to use on the golf course. A few weeks back, the team sent me over a few of their Buxton button downs and a hat to review and send feedback.

WHAT DID I THINK?

Upon first inspection the shirts looked great and two of them even sported a wrinkle-free tag. I threw them in the laundry and wore them around town a few times for various events.

I am a huge fan of the fabrics. They aren’t a true “wrinkle-free” as the tag said, but they didn’t take much but a quick steam from the iron to freshen them up. The fit is a little on the boxy side, but after talking to Nathan (one of the co-founders), he said his goal is to work on slimming up the fit just a bit. The shirts feature a button down collar, pearl buttons, box pleat, barrel cuffs, and chest pocket with the Atlantic Drift logo. The collar has a very nice roll when worn causally with the top two buttons unbuttoned.

These are great causal shirts for the spring/summer seasons. Pair ’em with some chinos at work and transition to denim for a night on the town on Friday, and roll up the sleeves and wear them with shorts to run errands on Saturday or Sunday.

A must read for all sporfishing enthusiest about one of our favorite places, the Blue Marlin Capital of the World and how it made fishing what it is today.

http://www.marlinmag.com/albatross-hatteras-offshore-fishing-history?src=SOC&dom=fb#page-5

All credit via MarlinMagazine.com

Origins: We can't say how far back this superstition goes, but at least among sport fishermen there exists a belief that bananas on a boat are unlucky.

The sea offers plenty of opportunities for turns of ill luck. Fishing boats run aground or become lost. Mechanical failures result in boats floating helplessly adrift. Crew members become deathly sick from mysterious illnesses. Foul weather sweeps in. Any and all of these have been at various times attributed to bad luck.

Banana While the superstitions involving fishermen and their boats are almost too numerous to mention, one particular entry in that category appears to attach almost solely to those who engage in sport (rather than commercial) fishing.

Bananas are deemed unlucky by recreational fishermen and those catering to that trade. Usually this rumor takes the form of the fish not biting on the day when bananas were discovered onboard, but mechanical breakdowns and other mishaps are also pointed to.

Some in the fishing charters business extend their distaste for the fruit to include not only banana ingestibles (fresh or dried chips of banana, banana muffins, plus anything banana flavored) but even to items bearing the word "banana" or anything evocative of it, such as Fruit of the Loom underwear, Banana Republic apparel, and Banana Boat sunscreen. (The prohibition against Fruit of the Loom underthings is particularly baffling because that clothier's logo depicts an apple, leaves, green grapes, currants, and purple grapes, with nary a banana in sight.)

In 2001 The New York Times quoted Rick Etzel of Montauk, New York, captain of The Breakaway, as saying: "Fishermen believe bananas are bad luck. Something about a shipload of bananas that carried some weird bacteria which killed everyone on board. Maybe fictitious, but some people take the banana thing very seriously. A few years back, a guy on one of my
charters showed up wearing a Banana Republic T-shirt. Another guy in the group went up to him with a knife and slashed the logo."

When the fishing starts out bad and stays that way, charter boat captains are likely to interrogate their clients of the day as to whether any of them might have brought a banana aboard. When the offending item is found — be it the fruit itself, a banana muffin, or a tube of Banana Boat suncreen — it is quickly flung overboard. Almost immediately, say those who have performed such exorcisms, the boat's luck turns around — the fish begin biting and a good day at sea is enjoyed by all.

No clear reason exists as to how this superstition came to be. Common explanations include:

1. When top-heavy ships of earlier eras would sink, precious little other than the bananas they'd carried would be found floating on the surface, thereby leaving some to conclude conveyance of the fruit itself had led to these naval mishaps.
2. Spiders, snakes, and other poisonous vermin living among bananas carried in the hold would, on long haul trips, expand their horizons by infesting other parts of the ship.
3. Because the speediest sailing ships were used to get bananas to their destinations before they could spoil, those attempting to fish from them never caught anything while trolling.
4. Fisherman became ill after eating the fruit.
5. Other fruits would spoil more quickly when bananas were being shipped along with them, causing folks to deem bananas "bad luck." (Actually, it wouldn't have been ill fate that resulted in the spoilage of other foodstuffs, but instead the ethylene gas emitted by bananas as they ripen.)
6. Crew member injured by slipping on discarded banana peels.
7. Fisherman misses landing the big one due to a case of "the runs" caused by bananas he'd ingested.
8. Banana oil rubs off onto the hands of fisherman, thereby "spooking" the fish.
9. Early anglers in Hawaii would embark upon lengthy fishing trips in dugout canoes provisioned with (along with other food items) bananas. The farther they went, the fewer the fish, causing some of them to mistake correlation for causation.

Source: Barbara "yes we have no bananas" Mikkelson

Snoopes.com - http://www.snopes.com/luck/superstition/bananas.asp

https://www.atlantic-drift.com/collections/long-sleeve-tees/products/no-bananas-tee-l-s-watermelon