By John Brownlee
Capts. Clay and Blake Shidler operate Hang ‘Em High Sport Fishing out of Crystal River, Florida. They run a large fleet of center consoles including five Freeman catamarans (four 42s and a 47) and six bay boats built by Young Boats of Inglis, Florida, all powered by Suzuki outboards. They employ six captains other than themselves to man this fishing armada! My old friend Jacob Hartman is one of their top captains.
Their area along Florida’s Gulf coast north of Tampa offers a wide variety of inshore and offshore species. Inshore, they primarily target redfish, speckled trout, snook and tarpon, while the offshore fishery has American red snapper, mangrove snapper, yellowtail snapper, hogfish, plus three plentiful grouper species: gag, red and scamp.
Over the last few years, a new fishery for hogfish (sometimes called hog snapper) has been developed. Hogfish are an immensely popular and tasty fish to catch, and it was long thought that you could only take them by spearfishing.
But the Shidlers, Hartman and their other savvy Gulf captains have perfected catching them on rod and reel, a great light-tackle fight and one of the best-eating fish in the Gulf. Call Hang ‘Em High and see what this spectacular part of the world has to offer for yourself.
Hang ‘Em High Sport Fishing
352-586-2748
hangemhighsportfishing.com
