Sam Hudson

Orlando

Executive Editor at Salt Water Sportsman

Executive Editor at Firecrown

Executive Editor at Sport Fishing

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Articles

Best New Braid | Sport Fishing Mag

5 days ago | sportfishingmag.com | Sam Hudson

Berkley Forward is designed for forward-facing sonar fishing. Courtesy Berkley Berkley ForwardThe skinny: This premium braided fishing line is designed for forward-facing sonar fishing. Distinctive forward-weighted construction and optimal sink rate make it ideal for targeting specific spots you pinpoint on your screen. Break strength: 4- to 17-pound-test availableDaiwa XBraid SS112The skinny: The SS stands for “safely sinking” in Daiwa’s new braid.
Chasing Dinosaurs: Record Alligator Gar Catches

1 week ago | wired2fish.com | Sam Hudson

I always have to catch myself when I spot a gar while fishing in Florida. Working a topwater plug near a shoreline, I’ll often notice a gar breaking the surface with its long snout and sharp teeth. Immediately, I’ll think “alligator gar.” But that’s an assumption, given there are five native species of gar in the US, including the alligator, longnose, spotted, shortnose and Florida gars. The Florida specimen is more common in my neck of the woods. But this isn’t about Florida.
The Air-Breathing Fish Trying to Establish Itself in the Empire State

2 weeks ago | wired2fish.com | Sam Hudson

New Yorkers need to be on the lookout for an out-of-towner. The northern snakehead might look like a native, but it’s straight from the waters of Asia. And Channa argus has the ability to outcompete native species for food, causing millions of dollars in management, plus potentially irreversible ecological damage. The state’s Department of Environmental Conservation wants anglers to be on the lookout for snakeheads.
World Record Striper | Biggest Striped Bass Ever Caught

2 weeks ago | wired2fish.com | Sam Hudson

It’s no surprise that a fish caught near sod banks, beach shorelines, piers, jetties or nearshore bunker schools is fanatically popular. The anadromous striped bass is an all-time favorite for any angler fishing the waters of the Mid-Atlantic or Northeast. And don’t forget about the stripers introduced to San Francisco Bay more than 100 years ago, or the many freshwaters where striped bass are stocked and thriving. They’re all the same species: Morone saxatilis.
Dock Fishing Techniques for Snook, Flounder and Bass

3 weeks ago | sportfishingmag.com | Sam Hudson

Pick a Piling: Residential docks as fish attractors don’t receive enough attention. Brush up on your skip-casting to put your baits back in those hard-to-reach spots. Adrian E. Gray About 40 percent of the population resides in counties along the coastline — land that makes up less than 10 percent of the land area of the contiguous United States. California holds the top spot for coastal populations in the U.S., with 26.8 million residents.
Snelling a Hook, How to Tie a Snell Knot

2 months ago | sportfishingmag.com | Sam Hudson

Do you remember in the early 2000s when pork was branded “the other white meat”? I think of snelling a hook as “the other fishing knot.” Although not as common as everyday knots, the versatile snell knot can be used with different styles of hooks, different techniques and different strength leaders. Plus, it’s easy to tie. While researching this column, I realized just how many ways there are to snell a hook, whether it’s a uni-style or traditional snell wrap.
Best Pedal Fishing Kayaks

Mar 26, 2025 | sportfishingmag.com | Sam Hudson

If you can ride a bike or e-bike, jump into a pedal kayak. The future of kayak-fishing is hands-free movement, with help from advanced pedal systems. Pictured, a striped bass. Courtesy Old Town In 1997, Hobie’s MirageDrive delivered a new way to kayak-fish by incorporating pedaling with the feet as a source of movement. The pedal-driven propulsion system was innovative, allowing anglers to put down the paddle in the kayak.
Fishing for the Everyman Grand Slam in Key West

Feb 26, 2025 | saltwatersportsman.com | Sam Hudson

Retired news anchor and fly-fisherman Tom Brokaw once wrote: “Is it my imagination, or are almost all stories about fly-fishing told in hushed tones in pristine settings where man and trout are engaged in a solitary test of wits that, whatever the outcome, has a deeper meaning than mere fishing?”Pfft… I just wanted to catch some drag burners. In truth, landing a tarpon, bonefish and permit in a single day hadn’t crossed my mind as I hopped aboard Capt. Anthony Solmo’s 24-foot Yellowfin bay boat.
What Gamefish Do Sharks Eat?

Feb 20, 2025 | sportfishingmag.com | Sam Hudson

Shark depredation can occur on the flats, all the way out to deep oceanic waters. A recent study looked at what Southeast U.S. offshore anglers were experiencing the last couple years. Courtesy Return ‘Em Right Sharks are a problem. At least that’s what many anglers point out when fishing for bottom fish in the Southeast. Scientists call it “shark depredation” — when your catch gets eaten before you can bring it to the boat.
How to Tie Leader to Braid

Nov 21, 2024 | saltwatersportsman.com | Sam Hudson

Braided line, sometimes called Spectra or polyethylene (PE) line, is not particularly easy to tie to leader material. Braided lines and fluorocarbon or monofilament leaders seldom play well together with conventional fishing knots designed for mono-to-mono connections. Braided line can slip out of inappropriate knots, at times, because of its small diameter and slick coating. Also, a bulky knot can get caught in the rod tip, leading to catastrophe.