rodney smith

Capt. Rodney Smith leaves a legacy as one of the Space Coast’s All Time Greats.

We lost a wonderful human being on December 11th. The news of his passing came as a shock and hit deep. Rodney and his lovely wife Karen were the catalyst to my entry into the outdoor publishing world.

I had the privilege to meet them both in 2009 as they were growing Coastal Angler Magazine (CAM) into one of Florida’s premier fishing magazines. This meeting changed my life forever. I was so blessed they picked us to sell the original Brevard County Edition of CAM to. I remember the meeting like it was yesterday. My wife and I drove over to Satellite Beach. We picked up lunch and went to Pelican Park to talk with Rodney and Karen. I could tell they wanted to know who they were considering selling their business to. It was an outstanding meeting.

I learned very quickly that Rodney was a kind and passionate person who truly loved fishing and conservation. There were so many things he was involved in to spread his love of fishing and conservation to others. Coastal Angler Magazine, Anglers for Conservation and Hook Kids on Fishing, to name a few. He had a positive impact on so many people of all ages and backgrounds. He was an author, writing a number of different books and loved to surf. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather and most of all, a genuinely fantastic person to his core. He chartered on the waters of the Space Coast for many years and I always loved to hear his stories about his early day’s guiding in this area. He truly had his thumb on the pulse of our lagoons, knowing them so intimately.

Rodney was a great man that touched so many lives and he will be missed dearly. There will be a celebration of life for Rodney on Saturday, January 4th 11am-4pm at Pelican Park in Satellite Beach. For more information, visit the event’s facebook page.