Every angler talks about it. Not every angler has the guts to do it.
Robert did it – he packed his bags, his trailer, and his 1,763 GoPros and moved to Cape Coral, Florida for one reason: to be closer to the fish. Instead of being 1,300 miles away from the tarpon, snook, and peacock bass, he now lives in their backyard.
We wanted to know what went into the decision and what his plans are with his newfound in-state Florida fishing license.
What made you make the decision?
“I’ve been in Texas for a long time and had been ready for a change of scenery for a while. I love Texas, but there’s too much world out there to stay in one place. I met a guy named Mike Plainte at the Battle in the Bahamas tournament this past April, and we got to talking. My lease was going to be up in November, and he had an extra bedroom in his house. Now, eight months later, here I am.”
What are you most excited for?
“Being able to fish close to home. This past year I didn’t really fish at all within 3 hours of my home in Dallas. The closest good fishing was in Austin, 3 hours away. Now I’ve got a multitude of fisheries and species to target close to home. Tampa Bay, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Okeechobee and the Keys are all within about 3 hours of me. I’m excited to knock a bunch of new species off my list without having to travel far to reach them.”
What are you most nervous about?
“I don’t think I’m really nervous about anything. I have a lot of friends out here in the Sunshine State, and my new roommate is a fishing guide here in our backyard, so I should be able to adjust pretty quickly.”
What are you going to miss most about Texas?
“The people. I’ve traveled all over the country, and so far the nicest people seem to reside in Texas. Besides that, I’ll miss my sister the most. She goes to Texas A&M (where I went), so I went from being 3 hours away from her to about 1,300 miles away from her. She works on projects for us at YakFish TV, so at least I’ll get to continue working with her from afar.”
What are your kayak fishing goals for the new home waters?
“New species. I’m hoping to check everything Florida has to offer off my bucket list in 2017. Target species include tarpon, snook, peacock bass, blackfin tuna, wahoo, cobia, snakehead, and a variety of new sharks like hammerhead and tiger. I’m excited to try and figure out each species without leaving my new home state.”
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Want to learn more? You can follow along on Robert’s Florida adventures on his personal Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, or here on the YakGear blog.