Historical Florida Fishing Photos

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This collection of historical fishing photo's around Florida gives us a glimps into past fishing practices and the massive sized of fish caught. To view the origional images cut & paste the Source: URL into your browser.

Diver is a tide diving suit in the 1940s

Treasure hunter Art McKee wearing suit for tide diving - Moser Channel, Florida http://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/63317

Diver in heavy old fashioned dive suit

Art McKee being suited for Moser Channel project 1942 http://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/63318

drawing of an Astrolabe

Drawing of an Astrolabe, historic instrument for taking latitude, 1886. Source: http://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/2802

Men loading green turtles for shipping on a dock

Men loading turtles for shipment in 1898. Source: http://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/11059

Large Amberjack caught in Palm Beach by a very well dressed angler in 1908

Amberjack caught at Palm Beach, Florida. In: "Sport Fishing in California and Florida," by Charles F. Holder. Bulletin of the Bureau of Fisheries, Vol. XXVIII 1908, Part I, p. 207, Plate VI. Courtesy of NOAA Photo Library

Huge Goliath Grouper on Anna Maria City Pier

Goliath Grouper, caught on Anna Maria City Pier in the early 1940's by Fabio Gutierrez (pith helmet) & Babe Rodriguez Source: http://pierjewelry.com

Image of many men on a 17' boat with fish strung

Using a Palmer Motor to propel this 17' boat, these anglers show their 3 hour catch. Visit this forum for some interesting information on motors used on boats in the late 1800's.Source: http://www.oldmarineengine.com/discus/messages/3430/99922.html

Men with straw hats and spear guns in front of huge groupers hanging

Circa 1950's, location is suspected to be Key West. This photo depicts how big Goliath Groupers were in the past, before the massive commercial extinction of the 1980s. Source: http://www.teamorca.org/cfiles/goliath_popup1.cfm

men with a lot of fish on a board and a dog

Catch of the day on a postcard from 1912 Source: http://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/140141

dozens of fish on a board

Charter boat Alabama captains' fish catch - Saint Andrews Bay 1950 Source: http://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/2925

man on boat with basket of fish

Angler fishing the Hudson, Pasco County, 1920 Source: http://hudsonfla.com/history3.htm

members of fly fishing club with their catch on a board

Members of the Flying Fisherman Club with their catch in Marathon 1953. Source: http://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/71416

teenagers on a port with long bamboo fishing poles

Robert "Kelly" Worely gives fishing advice to two youngsters at Mayport 1957 - notice the bamboo fishing poles and the cars parked on the beach. Source: http://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/74586

woman and man on a small boat with fishing poles

Mr. and Mrs. Henry Freeman, winners of the Mysterious Island home on "The Price is Right" television show, fishing from a boat in Crescent City, 1961. Source: http://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/79713

Woman with rubber boots and her small fish strung on a line over 10 feet long

A womans catch for the day in Panacea 1940 Source: http://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/140125

huge hammerhead head shark on an old pier

Hammerhead Shark, Rod & Reel Pier 1973. Source: http://pierjewelry.com

woman on a boat with fishing pole and pointy bra

Miss Florida 1962, Gloria Brody, fishing in Key West Source: http://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/80689

Young woman fishing on a jetty with cane poles, their close look to be from the 1940s

Young women fishing with cane poles from a jetty 1950? Source: http://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/105743

Woman leaning over man with fish on a boat

Pat Johnson and Al McFayden reel in a fresh water fish in 1954 Source: http://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/94819

men with a small sail boat full of fish

A good catch in 1896 Source: http://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/140158

Girl on a boat with a fish hooked

Cheryl Lawrence reels in a fish at Lake Jackson in 1970 Source: http://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/85272

Kingfish nailed to a sign for charter fishing naples

Fish catch of Kingfish on a postcard, Naples Source: http://ww w.floridamemory.com/items/show/160245

Many fish on a board

Fish catch on a post card in Miami Source: http://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/159960

man at fillet table with dozens of large fish on the dock and a crowd watching

Man scaling fish on a small dock as a small crowd watches in Fort Lauderdale in 1963 Source: http://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/81365

Man very happy holding a fish on a party boat with lots of other people

Very happy angler on a party boat shows off his catch. Source: http://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/73912

Girl holding up her bream fish

Girl holding her Bream caught on Dead Lakes in 1960 Source: http://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/76996

Man and woman on a party boat stringing fish

Man and woman stringing fish on a party boat. Source: http://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/73913

Man with 4 fish on a board and fishing poles standing on daytona beach

Man with his catch on a board on Daytona Beach around 1910. Source: http://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/12292

African man sitting on a bank with his fish strung up, a tire discarded behind him

African man shows off his catch on Aucilla River. Notice the trash on the waters edge. Source: http://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/60850

Grouper strung between palm trees

A days catch on Sarasota Bay in the 1890's. Source: http://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/27249

Men hang their big fish from a palm tree

Zane Grey (left) and brother, R. C. Grey (right), with catch of three Amberjack and a Barracuda at Long Key fishing camp in 1916. Source: http://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/36370

Gentleman show off their catch

Gentleman fisherman in Leon County in the 1930's.

Man on a boat shows off his bass

Howe Sadler shows off his Bass on Dead Lakes in 1947 Source: http://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/67260

Very long boats in the harbor at Panama City full of people

Fishing boats in Panama City 1953. Notice how long they are with roofs. Source: http://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/71602

boat from 1954 with umbrellas on deck and long fishing poles on roof

The "Gertie T" fishing boat in the Florida Keys in 1954. Source: http://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/72489

Group of men and women posse with their big catch

Fishing group poses for a photograph in the Florida Keys in 1957. Source: http://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/74904

Woman and man unhook from a gaff a large barracudda

Ruth Martenhoff and Brian Eakin unhook a barracuda in the Florida Keys in 1957. Source: http://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/74905

Marlins strung over the side of a big sportfishing boat

5 Marlins strung on side of sportsfishing boat in Pensacola in 1965. Source: http://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/82343

Men beside a boat on a lake with a string of fish

Fishermen displaying their string of fish caught from Lake Jackson in Tallahassee 1969. Source: http://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/84653

Man with huge snook strung to wall

Angler with huge Snook, notice how chubby the fish is, in 1920's. Source: http://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/154633

Men with fish strung and hanging on the back of a very old vehicle

Men display their strung up catch on the back of a very old car. Source: http://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/2933

Child stands below large fish strung on a totem pole

Walter Stokes and a large catch of fish in Mohawk in 1893. Source: http://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/35159

Crayfish, florida lobster, 2 are held by a man with a hat

Crayfish (Spiny Lobster) caught off Old Rhodes Key in 1915. Source: http://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/50856

mullets hooked up on wire forming a circle around a camp fire

Mullets smoking around a fire in 1969. Source: http://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/60862

Man in butcher jacket at scale hold mullet fillets for sale

Nat Dobson's fish store displays Florida Mullet filets called "Truman Turkey" in Jacksonville in 1947. Source: http://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/67533

A gentleman displays his fish. The man has a suit on

Gentleman in a suit shows off his catch in Homosasso Springs in 1947. Source: http://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/67005

Man and woman hold string of fish by their car

Man & woman proudly displaying their string of Bass in Homosasso Springs in 1947. Source: http://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/67006

Man in boat with a gaff in a huge garfish, a foot long skinny mouth full of teeth

Bill Wells lands a large garfish in Crystal River in 1952. Source: http://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/70772

Man hold 2 huge baracuda on boat, he is wearing sweat pants

Man proudly displaying two large Barracudas in the Florida Keys in 1954. Source: http://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/72486

2 huge marlins hanging inside a boat

Two freshly caught Marlin in Pensacola in 1965. Source: http://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/82347

Men with a string of huge snook stnading in from of an Airstream camper

John Wilhelm and Clair Conley string their catch of snook in Marco Island in 1965. Source: http://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/81992

Two men holding a large branch with it strug through a huge tarpon almost 6 feet tall

Two men display their Tarpon catch in the 1950's. Source: http://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/126729

Women stands by a tarpon bigger than herself

Margaret Biven Haugdahl posing with Tarpon in 1925. Notice the chain holding the fish. Source: http://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/139438

Fishing from boat and huge tarpon jumping out of water in forground

The date of this picture is unknown but probably the 1960's given the size of the Tarpon and type of boat. Source: http://www.jaysrods.com/

Gentleman with huge tarpon at Boca Grand Dock

Gentleman with his huge Tarpon fishing off Boca Grande. bocagranderealestate.com/ThingstoKnow/IslandHistory/tabid/113/Default.aspx

a seine net full of big fish on naples beach in 1949

Men pulling in a Beach Seine net on Naples Beach in 1949. Notice how big the fish are. Source:http://floridamemory.com/items/show/246328

Men on Naples beach with a seine net full of fish, you can see a huge Snook on the top of the pile

Commercial fishermen hauling in their beach seine net full of fish in Naples in the 1940''s. Notice the huge Snook in the center. Source:http://floridamemory.com/items/show/245614

Huge goliath grouper hanging on a hook

Atlantic Goliath Grouper caught in the Halifax River, Daytona Beach in 1920's Source: http://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/140114

men posing with their fish on a board - there are 4 Sawfish at least 10 feet long, 2 huge Tigerrays and a Tarpon

Fishermen in the 1920's with their huge Sawfish, Stingrays and a Tarpon. Source: http://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/165364

a huge manta ray strung up with a man and a woman on each side

Anglers admire their 1,200 pound Manta Ray caught in Naples 1938 Source: http://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/2927

Diving the Clearwater Wreck in 1954.

Special thanks to the State of Florida's Florida Memory, Division of Library and Information Services website for sharing the Florida Photographic Collection, many of their pictures are presented on this page. To view more photo's please visit Florida Memory.