Recommended Tackle and Equipment
Every professional angler needs top-quality equipment, but I depend on my gear more than most. That’s because, unlike charter captains, I can’t carry backups. I have to travel light, so if my electric reel fails, for example, or a guide insert breaks on my bottom rod, it changes my day of fishing — and my clients’ day. Because of that, I use and recommend only what I believe to be the highest-performing and most dependable gear available at any price.
Gulfstream Custom Rods
Every Gulfstream rod is designed and handcrafted by lifelong South Florida angler Timothy Schmitz and his small team using premium American-made blanks and the finest components and materials available anywhere. Tim makes everything from inshore spinners to kite rods to New England bluefin rods, but the rods I use day in and day out are:
The Mutton Manager, a 7’, 40-70# jigging and bottom rod with a soft, shock-absorbing tip combined with lots of backbone for muttons and grouper on our wrecks and reefs
The DDR, a 50-100# uni-butt deep drop rod that matches perfectly with Tanacom and Beastmaster electric reels for tilefish, queen snapper, snowies and more
The WMD, a specialized Florida swordfish tip rod that can handle up to 15 lbs. of lead while still remaining sensitive enough to see bites and to absorb shock during long fights, preventing hooks from wearing holes in fish
The Offshore Spinner, a versatile, powerful 7’ boat spinning rod ideal for live bait applications, especially during our winter sailfish and spring tuna fisheries
Gulfstream Customs also offers a curated selection of gear and equipment specifically for South Florida offshore fishing:
Gaffs and harpoons
Seigler and Okuma reels
Custom rod leashes and lassos
Handmade deep drop rigs
Wind-on swordfish leaders
Bluefin USA Performance APparel
Like my tackle, my fishing apparel has to stand up to the kind of wear the average fishing shirt or pair of board shorts will never see. Bluefin USA gear holds up to the daily abuse I put it through while also offering superior performance in South Florida’s hot, humid summers and windy, rough winters.
My favorites in the Bluefin lineup are the Tech Tees, performance shorts, face gaiters and Big Game Jacket.
Baitmasters of South Florida
There’s a reason Baitmasters of South Florida is the preferred supplier of rigged and unrigged baits for anglers all over the world. They offer better quality, more variety, faster service and lower pricing than anybody else.
I depend on them for expertly rigged trolling baits, squid and eels for my swordfish baits, bottom and deep-drop bait, and chum, but Baitmasters also carries a great selection of specialized gear like dredges, planers, and rigging tools and supplies.