snook_fly_mx

02/06/2026

Hurricane season is here again, and for anyone who lives, fishes, trailers, launches, or works around coastal water, this is the time of year when “keeping an eye to the sky” becomes more than just a saying.

For Flats Nation, this one is less about hype and more about preparation. The National Hurricane Center remains one of the best tools available for tracking tropical development across the Atlantic, Caribbean, and Gulf, and coastal boaters should have it bookmarked before the first named storm starts making noise.

Whether you are a flats angler, skiff owner, guide, waterfront homeowner, or someone who travels to fish shallow water destinations, hurricane season deserves your attention before the ramp gets crowded, the fuel lines get long, and trailer parts suddenly become worth their weight in gold.

I went back and refreshed this Flats Nation article for the 2026 season with updated hurricane-season reminders, NHC links, and practical coastal boating prep notes.

Read it here:
https://www.flatsnation.com/post/keeping-an-eye-to-the-sky

Stay safe and Many Blessings!

Keeping an eye to the Sky! Quickly (single click) find out if you need to hitch up the boat, lower the shutters, and fill up the bathtub.

28/05/2026

Some skiffs are built only for the calmest days on the flat.

The Hell’s Bay Marquesa has always been a little different.

It still has the shallow-water manners and quiet poling presence expected from a true technical flats skiff, but with more beam, more room, more fuel, and more confidence when the ride home gets choppy.

For this Flats Nation model overview, I took a closer look at the ever-popular Marquesa, including its place in the Hell’s Bay lineup, its 2012–2013 hull update, the squared-off stern design changes, current factory specifications, and why it remains one of the benchmark skiffs for anglers who need both skinny-water performance and open-water confidence.

If you fish flats, beaches, mangrove shorelines, or bigger bays where the conditions can change fast, the Marquesa is one of those skiffs worth understanding.

Read the full overview here:

Some technical skiffs are built to disappear across a slick calm flat. Others are built to run when the bay gets ugly, the tide turns against you, and the ride home starts looking more like a small craft advisory than a casual evening cruise.The Hell’s Bay Marquesa one of my personal favorites, ha...

25/04/2026

Some skiffs are built to impress at the dock. The Hell’s Bay Waterman feels more like the one that already left before sunrise.

Simple by design, shallow by nature, and built around the kind of clean, quiet fishability that matters in skinny water, the Waterman is a reminder that less can still be more when the mission is right.

We put together a new Flats Nation overview with video, history, and a closer look at one of Hell’s Bay’s most practical technical skiffs.

Read and watch more here:

Some skiffs are built to impress at the dock. The Hell’s Bay Waterman feels more like the skiff built for the angler who already left the dock before sunrise.

08/03/2026

**Flats Nation has officially rolled out a fresh website update.**

This latest round of work was focused on improving site performance, simplifying the visual presentation, and creating a smoother reader experience across devices—especially on mobile.

Updates included faster-loading article images, a simplified background presentation, and a series of behind-the-scenes SEO and usability improvements.

The goal was straightforward: build a better experience for our readers while continuing to strengthen the platform behind the Flats Nation brand.
You can see the updated website here: https://www.flatsnation.com/

22/01/2026

Boost Performance, Protection, and Practicality with These 5 Boat Upgrades.

Small, strategic upgrades can make a big difference on the water. From protecting your engine with an oil filter magnet, adding low-cost hatch liners to safeguard gear, installing cup holders without drilling, organizing essentials with a console caddy, to shielding your trailer from saltwater corrosion — these practical improvements enhance performance, extend the life of your boat and equipment, and make every outing smoother and more enjoyable! See the links below for updated articles on each of them...

https://www.flatsnation.com/post/oil-filter-magnet-the-filtermag

https://www.flatsnation.com/post/low-budget-hatch-liners-for-your-skiff-boat

https://www.flatsnation.com/post/skiff-bay-boat-cup-holders-without-drilling-any-holes

https://www.flatsnation.com/post/flats-nation-edition-console-caddy

https://www.flatsnation.com/post/better-protect-your-trailer-from-salt-water-effects

Enjoy, and let us know how these ideas work out for your use case. 😎

Tight lines and Many Blessings...

03/12/2025

Where Marsh Meets Magic: A Lifestyle Look at Poisson Rouge on The Fly

There are places where time seems to slow down just enough for you to notice the world again — the hush of a rising tide, the sudden flick of a copper tail, the way the morning light settles over a Louisiana marsh like a gold leaf. Poisson Rouge on The Fly guides anglers straight into that world, one quiet push-pole glide at a time.

This isn’t just another fishing charter. It’s a passage into a landscape where tradition still rules, the fish are as strong as the guides are seasoned, and every cast feels like it was borrowed from a simpler era. You can read and view more about one my (and other's) personal bucket list trips here:

Awesome Redfish caught on Captain Mike his new Hell's Bay Professional Skiff.

02/11/2025

Yes, it does...

Tight lines, and God Bless!
— Dave & The Team

https://www.flatsnation.com/

25/10/2025

Great stuff!
We also discovered another way to use it — you’ll want to give this a try that you can review here:

It's now my go-to shaving lotion for so many reasons!

06/07/2025

From the archives of our friends at Hell's Bay Boatworks comes a interesting video "Save the Sawfish" showcasing the team's efforts to study the Sawfish and other related marine life in Florida and you can read and watch it here:

https://www.flatsnation.com/post/save-the-sawfish

Tight lines, and God bless!
— Dave & The Team

From the archives of our friends at Hell's Bay Boatworks comes a interesting video on Sawfish research.