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Getting Prepped for the Ultimate High-Adrenaline Saltwater Fishing Accomplishment: The Florida Keys Grand Slam

The Florida Keys Grand Slam, or Keys Slam, is a fishing competition—an angler must catch a bonefish, a permit, and a tarpon on the same day. To be fair, it’s more of a personal fishing challenge than a competition; the only prize is bragging rights. Completing the Keys Slam or not, it involves chasing some of the world’s most adrenaline-pumping, hardest-fighting game fish in one of the world’s most famous fishing paradises. Either way, anglers chasing the Keys Slam have to be prepared. That means picking up some professional-grade performance fishing shirts and an excellent source of local knowledge before attempting the Florida Keys Grand Slam.

Performance Fishing Shirts

Get Ready for Some Weather

If there’s one thing that can be said for sure about Florida’s weather, it’s that it doesn’t do anything by half-measures. On those beautiful sunny days, the heat and sunlight are unrelenting. When storms blow in, whipping winds, churning chop, and stinging rain are not unheard of. When you’re ready to seek the Slam, prepare for it all.

Get the Right Gear for the Slam

Having the appropriate gear is essential to preparing for the Keys Slam. Go out prepared for sun or storm by packing rain gear just in case. Find high-performance fishing gear that’s fabricated from professional-grade polyester. It provides exceptional UV protection and a barrier from the elements while being lightweight and breathable enough to stay cool. Make sure to invest in one designed to dry quick and wick moisture. Get long sleeve performance gear and complete the coverage with a fishing mask. If you haven’t experienced the protection of a fishing mask yet, it’s high time you did.

Get a Very Good Source of Information or Get a Guide

Having a wide variety of fishing tackle, the right boat, and the right bait will play a significant role in hitting the Florida Keys Grand Slam. However, the most significant resource anyone swinging for a Keys Slam can have in their corner is information. While putting up a fight like few other water species, tarpon, permit, and bonefish can be skittish and challenging to hook. If you aren’t familiar with where to look for those species and what they’re hitting where you are, or when it is in the season, join or invite a seasoned local. If that’s not an option, your best bet is to hire a reputable guide.

Get to Sight-Fishing the Flats

Should no local veteran angler be available, nor a guide be an option, don’t despair, fish. Head out to the beautiful, glass-clear waters of the Florida Keys’ backcountry flats and sight-fish for tarpon, bonefish, permit, and anything else that takes your fancy. Whether you complete the Florida Keys Grand Slam or not, you’ll still be fishing. And that means you’ve won.

About Gillz®

As long as Kent Hickman can remember, he has loved fishing. As a Florida native, Kent grew up with no shortage of opportunities for world-class fishing, and he took full advantage of them from the beginning. Kent’s love of angling eventually inspired him to join the tournament circuit and fish professionally. However, Kent ran into an issue: professional anglers faced conditions that were often brutal and unforgiving, and he had no luck finding fishing apparel that stood up to the challenge. Anglers like him needed gear that kept them dry, cool, and comfortable; gear that protected them from the elements and the harmful rays of the harsh Florida sun. So, he rose himself to the challenge. In 2009 Kent founded Gillz® to provide anglers who loved the sport as much as he did with stylish, high-tech, high-performance fishing clothes, fishing masks, shirts for fishing, accessories, hats, and a good deal more high-quality fishing gear.

Prep for your Florida Keys Grand Slam expedition with the right gear from Gillz® at Gillz-gear.com

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