Giving you more of what you're here for

CLEARWATER - When I told Bill McGill, the chief executive officer of MarineMax, that the St. Petersburg Times was expanding its outdoors coverage, he had one thing to say: "It's about time."

McGill, who took a small boat dealership and transformed it into one of the top 10 money-generating businesses in the Tampa Bay area, loves to talk about the "water gene."

"That is why people move to Florida and never leave," said McGill, whose company had a $450-million year in 2002. "The water gets in your blood."

Florida, with 1,200 miles of coastline and 12,000 miles of rivers and streams, is a boater's paradise.

The Sunshine State has clear skies, calm seas and year-round boating. It's no wonder that one of four boat builders in the nation calls Florida home.

If you asked most Floridians to name the state's No. 1 product, they probably would say oranges.

But at $14-billion, the marine industry pumps more than twice as much money into the state economy as the citrus industry.

There are 13-million recreational boats in the United States, and about 1-million are in Florida on a given day. In the bay area, with sheltered inland waters and easy access to the Gulf of Mexico, boating is a way of life.

Bay area residents own boats for many reasons. Some like to fish, and others wake board or water ski. Some consider themselves racers, and others, with no particular place to go, like to take it slow.

"We've done market research," said McGill, whose Clearwater dealership sells Sea Rays and Boston Whalers. "Since 9/11 people are staying close to home. They are spending that money they might have spent on a European vacation on a boat. Boating is a good, healthy family activity, and it appeals to many people."

Living in a world that seems to be getting more unpredictable, it is good to have an outlet for relaxation. I remember an angler who entered a local kingfish tournament in the not-so-distant past in a small aluminum boat called My Prozac.

He caught two kingfish, and since he didn't have a place to put them, he took off his jeans, soaked them in seawater, then shoved a fish down each leg. He walked up to the weigh-in in his boxer shorts with the jeans slung over his shoulder. Stress? Not this guy.

Fishing always has been one of the top ways to blow off a little steam. But in Florida, casting a line is more than recreation. It's big business.

According to the International Game Fish Association, more than 700 world records have been set in Florida waters. That is seven times more than any other state. And it is more than any other country.

The state has about 2.1-million resident anglers, and another 1-million fishing tourists visit each year. Tampa Bay has one of the best tarpon fisheries in the state, and our snook, redfish and trout fishing is as good as it gets.

If you add it up, fishing alone pours another $5-billion into the state's economy, giving Florida the right to call itself the "Fishing Capital of the World."

That's why we have created Gulf & Bay, to give you water sports enthusiasts more of what brought you to the area in the first place. The monthly magazine will feature cover stories on boats and boating.

Ed Walker and Dave Mistretta, local charter boat captains who learned their craft on the old Indian Rocks Pier, will give you the latest news on inshore and offshore fishing. Rick Frazier, another veteran, will cater to bridge, pier and wading anglers in his Landlubber report.

There will be photos, graphics, maps, a monthly calendar and more as the special section continues to grow. We hope you enjoy it and encourage you to contact us with your suggestions and ideas.

Until then, tight lines and see you on the water.