A new traveling exhibit at the Tampa Bay History Center casts a line into Florida’s fishing heritage, exploring more than a century of angling history from the Gulf to the Atlantic. The Lure of Florida Fishing opens on Saturday, August 23, in the Wayne Thomas Gallery.
Featuring more than 50 locally made lures, vintage photographs, rare artifacts and ‘fish tales’ from across the state, the exhibit brings Tampa Bay’s prominent role in Florida’s fishing legacy to the forefront. From early tarpon expeditions to modern charter operations, the display highlights how fishing helped shape Florida’s tourism and outdoor recreation industries.
The exhibit includes contributions from the Touchton Map Library, which holds dozens of historical fishing maps, many of which identify long-guarded ‘secret’ spots.
“Secret fishing spots have been around as long as people have been fishing, and putting those ‘secret’ spots on maps followed soon after,” said Rodney Kite-Powell, director of the Touchton Map Library at the history center. “The Touchton Map Library collection has dozens of fishing maps, and this exhibit gives us a great opportunity to share them — and those secret spots — with our visitors.”
Art also plays a key role in the exhibit, with a dedicated section featuring 22 original paintings by Southern artist William Aiken Walker. Found in a shipping box labeled for the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair, the paintings include images of tarpon, grouper, Spanish mackerel and other Florida game fish.
“There is wonderful art in The Lure of Florida Fishing exhibit, including a section on William Aiken Walker’s fish paintings, painted carvings by artist Conrad Brayman and artworks by Lamar Sparkman and Kent Hagerman,” said Michelle Hearn, director of curatorial affairs at the history center. “There are 59 lures that were designed and crafted in the Tampa Bay area.”
The Lure of Florida Fishing also examines the rise of sport fishing clubs, fishing guides, techniques, tackle and tournaments throughout the 20th century, including notable personalities such as Ernest Hemingway, Ted Williams and President Dwight D. Eisenhower. It concludes with a look at conservation efforts and Florida’s modern role as the top fishing destination in the country.
The exhibit will be on view in the Wayne Thomas Gallery through January 11, 2026, and is included with regular museum admission. The Tampa Bay History Center is located at 801 Water St. in downtown Tampa and is open daily from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
For more information, visit the website at https://tampabayhistorycenter.org/.
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