However, this is not just a series of pretty underwater
pictures. Captain Jose clearly explains all the behavior
and environment we see, and how understanding the life
below the surface can make us all better fishermen.
There are some amazing things happening below the surface
and Vida del Mar is going to share it with the world.
Tune in to ESPN2 starting December 30th, Sundays at 8:55am EST
All Episodes available on ESPN2 and in HD on ESPN HD
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"Areas of Life" Isla Contoy, Gulf of Mexico
 December 30th, Sunday at 8:55am EST
How can finding manta rays and whale sharks in an area help find some of the highly sought after gamefish like sailfish and marlin? Just watch as Jose takes you underwater to see that the common denominator is..... the food! |
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"Sailfish Baitballs"
 January 6th, Sunday at 8:55am EST
Having found an area in the lower reaches of the Gulf of Mexico that is teeming with baitfish, the next obvious jump up the food chain are the predators that eat them! In this case wolfpacks of sailfish team up to corral these bait schools in one of the most amazing underwater ballets of fish actually hunting together! By looking at this behavior, fishermen can get an idea of how to target those sails in that area. |
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"Matching the Hatch... with Sailfish"
 January 13th, Sunday at 8:55am EST
Understanding how sailfish hunt and how they lock into baitballs, Jose and crew use this knowledge by rigging bait in a chandelier fashion known as a dredge. Trolling these dredges behind the boat simulates the sought after baitballs. Mimicking this natural feeding scenario, fishermen can then pitch a single naked bait back to simulate the hurt straggler falling from the bait pod! |
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"Dolphin Weed-lines"
 January 20th, Sunday at 8:55am EST
Life seems to concentrate along edges. These edge can be in the form of a color change marking a drop off in the reef, or in a weedline that can be found developing far offshore. Take a look as we see the intricacies of these self contained ecosystems that attract large pelagic species. |
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"Vertical Structures"
 January 27th, Sunday at 8:55am EST
It's a pattern that is repeated In many places around the world, Fish congregate around vertical profile reefs rocks and islands in a very predictable way. Go underwater to see how a fisherman can very specifically target different fish simply by where they spend their time in different "zones" around that structure. |
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"Migratory Tarpon"
 February 10th, Sunday at 8:55am EST
Go underwater to see springtime migratory Tarpon staging in the channels of
the Florida Keys, and understand their behavior to help you catch these
awesome gamefish. |
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"Bonefish Muds"
 February 17th, Sunday at 8:55am EST
Bonefish migrate to a very small degree, fisherman can use this information to find large schools of fish when the cold fronts in the fall push the bulk of the resident population out to deeper water. |
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"Conch & Lobster"
 March 2rd, Sunday at 8:55am EST
As a way of life in the Bahamas and the islands of the Turks and Caicos, the local fishermen know first hand where to look for Conch and Lobster. See these creatures’ habitat as we explore the coral heads and grassy bottoms that tend to hold them. |
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"Florida Keys Backcountry"
 March 9th, Sunday at 8:55am EST
Get an aerial and underwater perspective of what makes the flats in the Florida Keys backcountry so productive for inshore species of game fish like Tarpon, Permit and Bonefish. It has to do mostly with the two main bodies of water, the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean and how the islands of the Keys divide them. |
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"Goliath Grouper Resurgence"
 March 16th, Sunday at 8:55am EST
The story of the Jewfish or Goliath Grouper is one of the more successful conservation stories around. Commercial fishing pressure nearly annihilated the species so much so that the Federal government mandated no take policies.
The fish has come back to a point where the larger fish even the juveniles are back in the shallow water mangrove shorelines. |
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"Tides & Tackle for the Flats"
 March 23rd, Sunday at 8:55am EST
A little knowledge about the tides in the Keys backcountry goes along way in helping a you pick the spot and the species to fish for. The level of the tide at the particular spot can also help you pick the tackle and bait to use as well. |
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"Tidal River Systems"
 March 30th, Sunday at 8:55am EST
Shows how certain patterns in nature repeat themselves even though they may be oceans apart. In this case tidal rivers seem to be most productive at the lower phase of the falling tide. See what the common denominator are between river systems in the Florida Everglades and Coiba, Panama |
Bonefish Seasonal Habitat Changes
California Kelp Forests
