ABOUT Nick Pavone

Growing up in the Tampa Bay area (Brandon), as a kid I always enjoyed fishing the local ponds. Anything within biking distance! In High School, as I began driving, I enjoyed fishing the main bridges of Tampa Bay and local gulf piers for Snook, Trout and Redfish.

41” Snook caught near the Howard Franklin service road just before sunrise on a bubba jig.

My Senior year in high school I picked up a new hobby of buying old boats and fixing them up. My first boat for only $200, had a hole in the hull and no engine. I learned to lay fiberglass and weld. I later sold that first boat and flipped two more boats, which led me to a fun 21’ Wellcraft. Just recently, I restored a 1971 T-craft Gulf Stream, originally from Titusville, FL, complete with a full engine rebuild, paint job and outdrive.

My first boat I purchased for 200 bucks.

Life got busy – I married and had 3 awesome kids. I try to teach my kids anything I know about the water and fishing. Something that was never really taught to me growing up.

My kids with a 27” grouper caught in Tampa Bay.

I am a living organ donor to my beautiful wife. On September 12, 2011, I donated my kidney to my wife in an effort to treat end stage kidney failure.

Now I enjoy fishing tampa bay and offshore on our Grady White. My favorite species is Grouper! And I enjoy cooking (anything from whole pig roasts for 100+ people, to making delicate sushi for my wife and I!)