From Gold Coast To Treasure Coast: Fishing At The Palm Beach International Boat Show

Boat show season traditionally takes place in the fall and winter months — a chance for us to keep the boating fun alive, even when we have to winterize our boats and trade our deck shoes for snow boots. But even now, as the world’s starting to thaw and sunny fishing days beckon, there’s still plenty to enjoy at a late-season event. That’s right: It’s time for the Palm Beach International Boat Show.

To celebrate the return of one of the Sunshine State’s biggest boating events, we’re taking a look at some of the exciting attractions to look forward to — plus, some fun ways to experience the Palm Beach area (and its angling scene) from your Blackfin Boat. Let’s jump in!

A Lay Of The Land

First, if you’re not yet familiar with the Palm Beach boating scene, you’ll want to familiarize yourself with the local topography — because it’s not like anything else in the Sunshine State.

This is due to a particularly unique meeting of landscapes on Florida’s southeast coast. You may know that the state is divided into different stretches of shoreline — and the area surrounding Palm Beach is known as the Gold Coast, followed by the Treasure Coast immediately to the north.

But what does it all mean? Both nicknames come from the Sunshine State’s historical association with shipwrecks — and, as a result, the gilded treasure that’s rumored to abound on our ocean floor. But in our book, the real treasure might just be the water itself — with tropical, Caribbean-esque beaches and keys to the south, and action-packed inlets to the north. Blowing Rocks Preserve, for example, looks like a cliff formation that would be more at home in California — not Florida! But alas, that’s the pleasantly surprising nature of the place where Florida’s coastal enclaves meet.

What they both have in common, of course, is some seriously amazing angling opportunities — but more on that later. First, now that you’ve brushed up on the local topography, you’re ready to check out the boat show!

Study Up

In addition to exploring new Blackfin Boats (plus all of the marine accessories a boater could dream of), there are plenty of opportunities to learn about new angling techniques at this year’s show.

For example, you can attend a seminar about boating to The Bahamas — ranging from practical preparation tips, to actually navigating your way to the island chain. There are also courses about specialized topics in the yachting industry, which may be geared more toward commercial captains but still prove the show is committed to a wide variety of educational opportunities!

Of course, as anglers, our favorite seminar offering has to be the returning Hook the Future: Kids Fishing Clinic. This popular seminar gives kids interested in fishing the tools and tips needed to put their curiosity about fishing to practice and, just maybe, reel in their first catch. Hook the Future won’t just introduce young attendees to helpful techniques and different fish species, but it will also provide your little one with a complimentary rod and reel combo — so your family can quickly test out everything they’ve learned during boat show weekend.

Break Time Bites

Speaking of which...

Yes, the boat show itself may be the main attraction — and as the above seminars prove, there’s a lot to glean from a weekend of angling education! But once you’re breathing in the salty Palm Beach air, you’re going to want to stick around and explore the local waterways on your Blackfin Boat. And who could blame you?

In our book, there’s no better way to spend the remainder of boat show weekend than with some fishing fun. Here are a few fish that you may find biting at this time of year.

The Treasure Coast, for those who venture north after the boat show fun:

• Bonito
• Cobia
• Mahi-Mahi
• Snapper
• Snook

Springtime also offers the first taste of several popular sportfish — including yellowfin tuna, mackerel, and marlin, which all tend to come on the scene toward the arrival of April.

The Gold Coast, for anglers who prefer to explore Palm Beach and below:

• Amberjack
• Crevalle jack
• Cobia
• Blackfin tuna
• Grouper

Like its neighbor, the Treasure Coast, you can expect these Sunshine State cities to bump up their game on several fish species as springtime progresses — especially blue marlin, snook, and tarpon, to name just a few popular catches.

Now, how do you go about sportfishing off Florida’s southeast coast? As we mentioned a little bit earlier, this region is known for its abundance of historical shipwrecks — which just so happens to lend itself to some pretty excellent angling, if you know where to go!

These wrecks have the effect of serving as artificial reefs in their marine ecosystem: ready-made places for fish to congregate for shelter, for example, or in pursuit of a snack. Anywhere you find cover or structure underwater is a good place to start fishing, so be sure to include this lucrative type of “terrain” in your South Florida angling adventure!

To make the most of these action-packed reefs, you should be an experienced angler comfortable with venturing out to new spots on your Blackfin Boat as needed. But you can also have a great time sticking even closer to shore, as South Florida is a great place to go flats fishing (i.e., fishing near a sandbar or other shallow area) or even surf fishing from the beach itself! This can be a refreshing change of pace if you’ve just boated into town and want a break from navigation duty for a few hours.

Whether you’re on the market for a new Blackfin Boat, or simply want to sample boat show fun from your current ride, we hope you have a thrilling weekend — and a happy start to boating season!