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The Gulf of Mexico has the highest marine biodiversity in the US. Add on top of that the Atlantic coast of FL and you get more species(more fishing opportunities) than any other state. WA has some unique species too but people are less into fishing there (the culture in FL is geared towards sea activities due to the weather).
I am an avid fisherman and scuba diver down here in Florida and it is easy to see why Florida is called THE FISHING CAPITAL OF THE WORLD.
There are so many species of fish to target, both salt and freshwater. There have also been numerous world records set in Florida waters.
Fishing is an integral part of the Florida culture. You can see guys in suits fishing from piers during their lunch break. Also some of the best guides in the U.S. are found in Florida.
Granted, I have never fished in the Pacific northwest but I would find it hard to believe it is better than the fishing in the beautiful state of Florida.
They have some unique endemic species, giant pacific octopus, 6 gill sharks, wolf eels, seals, nudibranchs (cold water diving is interesting and rewarding) but since I dive too I can tell you FL has better marine biodiversity because of the reefs (there are no reefs in WA state). Plus lately starfish are dying all the way down to CA (I was up there for Christmas and saw sunflower starfish dying off the beach, sad but true). Seems there's more pollution up there than in FL. FL reefs are coming back due to measures taken (plus staghorn/elkhorn acropora corals are multiplying again in certain reefs).
Fishing in Florida is like magic, you never come home empty handed. I personally had the best success in the gulf. Just got back from Destin Florida this afternoon and we were on top of a nice school of Red Snapper. I caught plenty of fish with little to no effort. The lake and canal fishing is very easy and takes little effort to catch a fish. The thing I like about South Florida fishing is that you sometimes catch species that are not indigenous to Florida or the USA, like the many species of Snakehead, Walking Catfish, and huge Tilapias. All good eating by the way! South Florida tropical climate makes it easy for alien species to thrive from other tropical places like India, Africa, South America, and South Asia.
Never been fishing in the PNW, but have been fishing in the Pacific off the coast of Half Moon Bay CA. I didn't have much success and seems that you have to be more skilled and have more patience. I did enoy looking at seal but sadly I didn't catch anything. I quess it is all about timing.
I'd say a no brainer. FLORIDA by far. But I'm slightly biased and fish mainly offshore salt water and you can't beat the variety. There is a reason a lot of tackle company's, guide/charter services, boat builders, etc.. are based out of there. Look at the hundreds of miles of coastline from the Atlantic around to the gulf, including nursery areas such as the Indian River. How can anything compare. Inshore, back bay, semi-offshore, offshore, it has an untouchable variety based on location and the vast area the state covers. And that doesn't even take into account the world class bass fishing in the many freshwater lakes and ponds.
You dont have to sit in 90 degree heat and humidity in Washington. Florida sucks.
You don't have below freezing temperatures, constant drizzle or snow, wind, ridiculous regulations and freezing you balls off to deal with in Florida. Washington sucks.
Last edited by bad apples; 04-28-2014 at 01:41 AM..
in WA they have salmon,trout,flounder,bass and many more fish. WA is my choice.
Salmon, steelhead, cutthroat, bull trout, walleye, channel catfish, sturgeon fishing are all fun when you can do it. Washington can be a bit more involving to catch fish and most streams are temporarily or permanently closed. The wild trout fishing is great when it's open, unfortunately it is a very short season and you can only keep two-four trout a day depending where your fishing. Washington isn't the kind of place where you walk a few minutes from your house and start fishing, it is usually a very involved process requiring a fair amount of planning/travel if you actually want to catch fish. Washington lakes have the most stunted midget bass I have ever seen. They look like fully grown hogs with a belly but are only about six inches long. Don't get me wrong there are some big bass in Washington but they are really hard to find. It's just to damn cold up there for Largemouth Bass, panfish and most species of catfish. There are a few Smallmouth Bass fisheries and its probably the best place out west for Smallies. However Smallmouth fishing here is only found in a few places and isn't anywhere near as good as where they are native but at least they have them. There is a Washington statewide regulation now that requires you to fish with single hook barbless lures anywhere you go for the most part and you can't use bait for trout. The game wardens act like Gestapo when they check you and you better have your freakin catch card filled out or you face serious fines. It is so much easier to just grab a rod and go fishing in Florida without having a game warden looking to bust you. You can also do it pretty much year round anywhere. Granted you aren't going to be catching sacred softfin salmonids but there is a lot more diversity in Florida. Good luck finding places to fish in Washington year round without having to drive clear across the state. Seriously what is up with the WDFW fishing rules. You need to make notecards just to understand what is open and when. Oh and please don't even try to compare bass fishing in Washington with Florida, anyone who has been to both states knows what I mean. Bass fishing sucks in Washington state. A seasoned fisherman in Washington can spend 8+ hours trying to catch a salmon or steelhead and not get a single bite. It is like comparing apples to oranges really, I mean Washington is about 90% cold water fisheries and Florida is about 100% warm water fisheries. I have been to both states and fished a lot and enjoyed fisheries in both. Im my opinion Florida has the edge with overall cost, length of seasons, overall diversity, ease of access and easy to follow guidelines and regulations, come on where else can you hook a three foot gator and have it jump out of the water. Fishing in Washington state is not a poor mans activity and is usually a hassle. If you plan on visiting Washington for fishing which I would suggest because it can be an awesome experience you will want to check out the rule book prior just to get yourself formally acquainted and avoid any fines. They are steep.
Last edited by bad apples; 04-28-2014 at 02:42 AM..
Puget sound>florida. Puget sound has such a unique array of species, and then there is also the pacific ocean, and a ton of rivers and lakes.
I think you will find that the number of fish species living in the waters offshore and inshore in Florida greatly outnumber the unique array of fish in the North Pacific and Inland Northwest. There are only a handful of species native to the Inland Northwest. Warm water fisheries are much more productive and diverse. It is true that there are many rivers and lakes in Washington but many of them are not even fishable due to regulations.
Location: northern Vermont - previously NM, WA, & MA
10,744 posts, read 23,798,187 times
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For catch and release: Florida
For catch, fillet, and eat: most definitely Washington
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