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Flats Fishing On Airboat

jdotson

Well-known member
Did anyone get to watch the fishing show on Tampa's channel 8 WFLA at noon this past Sunday? It was a great show featuring flats fishing on airboats in the Placida area. They did a terrific job highlighting the advantages of airboats and the guide even explained the extraordinary etiquette he uses to avoid irritating other anglers. I wish I had Tivo'd the episode. The entire 30 minute show was on the airboat fishing. Not sure how true but they had a trivia pop up that stated Alexander Graham Bell was the first person to invent airboating way back around 1909 or sometime close in I think Austria? Not sure but it was some foreign country in the very early 1900's.
 
I saw a special a few weeks/month ago where they were flounder gig'n somewhere.(maybe in Tampa Bay-St Pete area) They had a 16ft (maybe more) airboat with an aluminum hull with bow lights and a plastic 55 gal drum with a cut out lid so you could fit the gig in it and pull the flounder off. They were crusin in about a foot of water, I wish I could remember where. It looked like a lot of fun, and they gigged a pile of fish.
 
YALL ! WANT TO FLAT FISH LET ME KNOW ! THATS ONE REASON I HAVE MY TOUR BOAT TO RUN THE BAY ! :D I GOT A LITTLE HOLE DOWN FROM MY HOUSE TAKE YOU RIGHT IN TO TAMPA BAY ! :DTHAT SPECIAL WAS SHOT AROUND DIFFERENT PLACES AROUND THE BAY ! YOU HAVE TOO USE A ONE POINT GIG ! MORE THAN ONE HOLE IN THE FISH WILL GET IN TROUBLE ! THE OTHER CAD GUY FISHES LIKE THAT ! :shock:
 
fatboy0054":2xl4950o said:
YALL ! WANT TO FLAT FISH LET ME KNOW ! THATS ONE REASON I HAVE MY TOUR BOAT TO RUN THE BAY ! :D I GOT A LITTLE HOLE DOWN FROM MY HOUSE TAKE YOU RIGHT IN TO TAMPA BAY ! :D
When we get there in March, I might just take you up on it! The in-laws have a place in St. Pete (don't all the old Yankees) and we're sure to see them for a couple days...and after a couple hours I'll need sme reliefe. :wink:
 
The boat in the episode was about 18' fiberglass with what looked like a direct drive Caddi on it. The film crew was on another airboat which was shown briefly. They were emphasizing the right time of year with low tides and being able to run no matter what the tides did. The guide spoke about Tampa Bay and how there is many more flats to fish up there with airboats. It was truly the best televised coverage of airboats I've ever seen. I'm sure the guide will be getting a lot of business from the show airing. Hats off to WFLA for airing a positive recreational side to our passion. Anyone interested could contact WFLA to see if a copy of the show is available. BTW, thanks Plum for the tip on the show.
 
GTO has a saltwater airboat only fishing tournament each year around March or April. Last several years out of Cedar Key Fl. I'd guess over 100 boats with a $15k payout last time we went. Great event and awesome food at the cookout afterwards + some cool "door prizes". Good "flats" fishin' for Reds and Trout
 
Heres a couple of pics of some old fish gigs I had built a long time ago. Now most folks use one with the folding flipper on it. They gig the flouder and he will spin up the rod and if theres anymore close by you just keep stacking them up on the gig rod. I don't have any pics of the ones folks use now, I have fixed some of them and built them some rods to fit them. Maybe someone else has a couple of pics of their gigs. Wish I had gotten to see the show. Ya'll stay warm,I am. Later, Cajun

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Jdotson, Bell built the first airboat in the foreign country of Canada. He used the airboat or hydroplane to test propeller designs. Here's a clip from Canadian Airboats:

Who built the first airboat? The first Airboat that was ever built, was built in Canada. Dr. Alexander Graham Bell with the help of his engineers, built an airboat, and called it the Ugly Duckling. This first airboat was used to test various test Engines and props in the Province of Nova Scotia. Beinn Breagh was the town and 1905 was the year. Sir Alexander Graham Bell was the Earliest Inventor of the airboat, Bell also invented the phone.
 
The salt flats off of Keaton Beach is another great place to airboat fish. About 20 minutes off shore there is a sandbar that is just visible most of the time. You can run up on it and fish off both sides of the boat. olf
 
an airboat was all my pop fished off of back in the day. they'd get back in the mangroves and pull reds, trout, mullet, flounder, you name it. just gotta make sure that you run polly or those oyster bars will eat up your slick bottom in a heart beat.
 
I've ran Bull Bay and Turle Bay once in an airboat and loved it. I've been wanting to go back ever since but not until I rerig with stainless.
 
You're right about the stainless. Jdot. Saltwater is hard on everything. If you do flats fish, the next stop after you haul the boat should be to a water hose or a car wash and spray it down good with fresh water.

Car motors aren't any better off than aircraft either. The next time I go I'm going to clean my engine good before, and then spray a can of clear engine enamel all over everything that has alloy in it including the electric fuel pump. olf
 
Been known to do it here in Texas,
Evry time I run out in the bays, its always a fresh water rinse and a good spray down with Corrosion X.
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Oh man, Hog ..... that's my kinda fishin'. Pretty stuff ...... Sisters Creek up here in NE Florida looks very similar to that and it's saltwater too. olf
 
We fish and gig out of our airboat almost all the time. Got a jonboat with a jet foot but would rather use the airboat. I've got a 16x7.5 aluminum GTO, stainless rigged, and a reducted auto engine. When giging I have a 3000 watt cheap generator and 4/500 watt halogen lights that are easily removeable. We put the generator under the drivers foot platform. If you do it buy a cheaper generator because the salt water is going to ruin it pretty quick. When we were out this weekend the water is so clear in Yankeetown it should be great gigging
 
we run tha same set up bowfishing here on tha texas coast,try using a bow with a retriever or zebco reel,it wont take long and you will be hooked
 
What a nice mess of fish!
get the cooker going and the hushpuppies ready....just don't get any better.
 
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