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RODS & REELS • LOCAL FISHING REPORTS & CATCH PHOTOS Photo credit Goose Hummock Shop VOLUME 11 • ISSUE 108

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ost folks associate the word “gators” with big scaly reptiles or a college mascot. Mention gators to a cadre of hardcore inshore anglers and you are likely to elicit fond memories of 30-plus-inch silver flanks speckled with black spots and gaping yellow mouths sporting a wicked pair of canine teeth. I’m talking about seatrout, big trophy trout that prompt some of us to wake up at 4 a.m. so we can be on the water throwing topwater plugs at first light. Big trout don’t act like their smaller brethren, and the techniques that hammer schoolies won’t work on bigger fish. Most gator trout are caught on shallow grass flats 1 ½ to 3 feet deep. Look for flats with dense grass mixed with a few sandy potholes that big trout use to ambush prey. The flat should also have a healthy supply of bait like mullet or pinfish, and it should be close to deeper water, so a wary old trout has a short escape route. During the hottest days of summer, big trout retreat to deeper water off the edge of a flat or seek out shade under mangroves or docks. During the coldest nights of winter, gator trout move into deep channels, canals and dredge holes where they can be targeted with sinking plugs and shrimp imitations worked slowly along the bottom. Seatrout see well in low light, unlike their prey items, like mullet. So, big trout feed best during low light. It is best to

By Paul MacInnis

SLING LURES for Grass Flat Gator Trout

fish early mornings, late evenings, on overcast days and at night. It may seem counter intuitive, but more trophy trout are caught on artificials than bait. Big trout are loners. Lures allow you to cover a lot of water, increasing your odds of intercepting bigger fish. About 80 percent of an adult seatrout’s diet is fish. With that in mind, large mullet-imitating lures are a good choice. The classic gator trout lure is a topwater “walk-the-dog” bait like the venerable Zara Spook. Of course, big swimbaits and shallowrunning plugs also work, along with soft plastic shrimp. A seatrout doesn’t grow to trophy size by being stupid. Big trout are wary and will evacuate a flat at the slightest indication of danger. Hull slaps and pressure waves from a drifting boat put wise old trout on high alert. It’s best to ditch the skiff and either wade or fish from a minimally invasive vessel like a kayak. It also helps to make long casts to get your lure in front of a fish before it detects your presence. Catching a true gator seatrout is not easy, and even when you do everything right there is still an element of luck involved. When you finally catch that trophy fish, handle with care and release her gently. A mature female seatrout can release over a million eggs during a spawn. Let her go to release her big-fish DNA into the gene pool.

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The Experts in Custom Rod Building Have Much to Share

ud Hole Custom Tackle is the world’s largest supplier of rod building and tackle crafting goods and instruction. The heart of Mud Hole is its people, who strive for excellence and truly care about what they do. From leadership to customer service, and from product development to the warehouse floor, Mud Hole is comprised of passionate anglers and rod builders who use their own products every day and are eager to bring custom rod building to anglers everywhere. Established in the 1970s as a custom rod shop in New Jersey, and named after the famed Mud Hole trench at the outflow of the Hudson River, Mud Hole has truly humble, “tackle-shop” origins. Things really picked up in 1999, when the headquarters moved to Oviedo, Florida and the Internet made it easier to connect across the globe. Promoting the many benefits of custombuilt fishing equipment, Mud Hole Custom Tackle thrived and brought custom rod building to the masses. As interest in rod building grew and the industry flourished, Mud Hole dedicated itself to providing accessible DIY rod building instruction and resources to anyone who wanted to learn. Today, the Mud Hole YouTube channel hosts almost 500 videos with over 10 million views, and is followed by over 31,000 subscribers. From Rod Building

101 instructional videos to product reviews to Rod Recipes to Mud Hole TV episodes—where the team builds custom rods and puts them to the test against the most popular target species—Mud Hole provides the highest quality, most entertaining rod building content available. In addition to recorded video content, Mud Hole also hosts a live, streamed rod building show, Mud Hole Live, where hosts and guests share rod building techniques with an interactive, online audience. Who knew that custom rod building would hit the big time! Beyond making quality rod building content easily accessible to DIY audiences, Mud Hole also offers custom rod building classes with professional instructors. The workshops take place in the Mud Hole Education Center in Oviedo, Florida, in local markets across the U.S., and even online, in the comfort of your own home. A variety of topical classes are offered, from beginner workshops to application-specific builds, such as surf, fly, redfish and mahi rods. All classes include every component, supply, and all of the personal interaction needed to build high quality, custom fishing rods. Mud Hole also collaborates with schools and youth organizations like the Boy Scouts of America and 4-H to bring rod building to students through

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George K. Regan, Jr. Publisher Boston Edition

Julie Kahn President, Regan Marketing & Media

Every year we all wait with great anticipation for the New England Boat Show. The Boat Show kicks off show season for the weeks that follow and this year is no exception. Even with the social distancing and mask mandates abound, people will turn out to immerse themselves in the coastal lifestyle and experience they love. Some may come looking to upgrade a boat, purchase the latest release of electronics or safety gear; while others may come to take what they’ve learned, after some time on the water, to the next level. The New England Boat show has always done a great job of providing attendees with valuable seminars for all experience levels. So without further ado, let show season commence! Goose Hummock seminars are back this season, let them help you get in the game with the right gear and learn about the tremendous fishery we have right off our shores.

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EDITORIAL Building Out Your Quiver: Rod and Reel Combos for Targeting New England Game Fish By, Matt Stone, Scott Schneider, and Evan Kamoen Black Hall Outfitters Pro-Staff

is just flat out more fun than soaking bait rigs on the bottom. The Daiwa Harrier is built for slow-pitching, with deep rod bend and a comfortable split grip. It’s also absurdly light and packs a punch when battling feisty black seabass in both deep and shallow water. The Tranx is an incredibly popular saltwater bait caster made by Shimano. It’s also a beloved freshwater musky reel, so you can already tell it’s built for power! If you have not given slow pitch jigging a try yet, you are truly missing out, and this rod and reel combo can get you into the game with confidence. Fluke (Boat): The Rod: Shimano Trevala 66MH Casting The Reel: Shimano Trinidad 14A

icking the best rod and reel combination for a given type of fishing and a particular target species can be overwhelming and stressful. Everyone has preferences that they swear by, and it’s very likely that you could do your research and make the leap to purchase a highly recommended combo only to show up to your local boat launch or jetty and have a different angler scoff and claim you’ve got it all wrong. In the end, choosing a rod and reel setup is a bit like choosing a pizza place: Even the not so great ones very likely get the job done. As long as you’re not showing up to Falmouth Harbor ready for a day of albie fishing with your trusty Finding Nemo rod, you can make it work. Below are some of our favorite setups for targeting common game fish in most coastal New England waters. When relevant, we’ve differentiated between kayak and boat setups. Keep in mind, these are simply the recommendations of a few experienced kayak and boat fishermen and provide curious anglers a starting point. Note: if your budget is a challenge, many of these combos can work for multiple styles of fishing if desired. Topwater Striped Bass (Boat) The Rod: Daiwa Proteus Inshore

be sending out a ton of casts, so a When fluking from a boat, you don’t setup boasting an effective strength have to shy away from breaking out + weight combination is crucial. the all-star lineup, and the Trevala + Trinidad combo is exactly that. This A perfect do-it-all rod and reel Live Eels or Live Bait for Striped duo will excel when bottom fishing combo for effectively chucking Bass: for nearly any species. The rubber most topwater plugs, the Proteus The Rod: Shimano Trevala PX handle of the Trinidad is grippy and series from Daiwa has a fantastic 7MH well-shaped for when you’re cranksoft tip for working poppers and The Reel: Daiwa Lexa TW 400P ing in line at 38 inches per turn, and spooks, but the backbone is strong the Trevala is a well-rounded Shias steel and kicks in at just the right When you’re throwing live bait for mano rod capable of dealing with all time when fighting big stripers. big stripers, your gear must be up of your fluke fishing rigs. The length With the 5000 Vanford, Shimano for the challenge. You’ll want to is suggested at 6’ 6” in order to has a gem of a reel. Buttery smooth come prepared and end up on the maximize power and leverage when drag and ball grip lets you fight right side of a potential battle for setting the hook on bottom-dwellfierce cow stripers with confidence. a new PB. The Trevala PX is stiff, ing fluke. This combo will serve you strong, and can put the brakes on well and get some compliments in Topwater Striped Bass (Kayak): even the biggest stripers. It pairs the process. The Rod: Lamiglas Black Inshore great with the new Daiwa Lexa 7630S (76H) TW, a T-wing assisted saltwater Fluke (Kayak): The Reel: Daiwa BGMQ 6000 bait caster maxing out at 28.7 The Rod: Daiwa Saltist Inshore 7H pounds of drag. The T-wing assists The Reel: Tsunami Forged 12 This combo is a dual threat beast. in The rod provides the leverage preventing backlash, so when In a kayak, we like to add some you need to both cast large, heavy you’re sending slippery eels up into length and strength to our rod. The plugs, and effectively fight big the rocks you can do so confident- thinking here is that empirically stripers. At times in a kayak, large ly. we’ve learned being lower in a kayak stripers will tow you at will, so if means we lose a bit of leverage and you’re fishing near structure like Slow Pitch Jigging for Seabass: power with a shorter rod, hence the boulders it’s imperative to use a The Rod: Daiwa Harrier 66MH change from a 66MH when fluking rod strong enough to winch them The Reel: Shimano Tranx 300HG from a boat to a 7H when fluking away from hazards, even if they’re from a kayak. The Saltist has a great still towing you around while Slow pitch jigging, popularized in butt-end grip, is lightweight but you do so! The BGMQ is strong Japan in the early 2000’s, has taken strong, and can handle heavy flukin the drag department with 26.2 the American saltwater scene by ing gear. With the Forged 12, you’re pounds max, while also providing storm. It’s a multispecies tactic and getting a strong reel with a max drag a light frame at 15.2 ounces. You’ll 76MH The Reel: Shimano Vanford 5000

22 BOSTON FEBRUARY 2022| COASTALANGLERMAG.COM COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM BOSTON | FEBRUARY 2022 • THEANGLERMAG.COM

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EDITORIAL (Continued from Page 4)

of 30 pounds and a nice price point. The Tsunami Forged series is very popular for targeting a variety of bottom species, and the 12 fits just right for fluke. Tautog with Jigs (Boat): The Rod: Tsunami Trophy 7H The Reel: Tsunami Evict 3000 The Trophy series from Tsunami is an affordable, durable line of rods, and a 7H is great for doing battle with tautog. A compact, powerful rod ensures a strong hook set, and it’s got the sensitivity in the tip to pick up on the sometimes-soft bite of a keeper tog. Pairing with the Evict 3000 may raise an eyebrow since it’s a spinning reel, but the Evict was built by Tsunami for bottom-fishing, and its internals manifest that claim. This setup is cost effective, battle-tested, and makes fighting smaller tog fun while giving you the confidence to land a double-digit day-maker. Tautog with Jigs (Kayak): The Rod: Tsunami Trophy 76XH The Reel: Daiwa Lexa TW There’s nothing quite like targeting the bullheaded tautog from a kayak. These fish, a fall specialty from Atlantic City up to P-town, pack a punch, and their natural habitat consists of boulders, wrecks, and pilings. You’ll need to get a hook into them, and then get them out before they shred your line on the nearest barnacle-crusted rock. A 7’6” XH Tsunami Trophy can do just that, while ensuring you get a good hook into the tog’s leathery lips. Again, leverage is key, so it’s recommended that kayak anglers use a longer rod. The Daiwa Lexa is suggested here because togging can be cold, dreary business and often comes paired with the slime of crab guts and frozen fingers, so you’ll want a no-nonsense reel that you can count on.

Carbon Shield II became a beloved rod very quickly as its reach expanded north. When targeting torpedo-quick albies and bonito, you’ll want something that can whip a light soft plastic or metal jig as far as humanly possible, and the medium strength Carbon Shield II does just that. These fish can flat out fly, and since you’ll often be using leader in the 12-15lb range, a smooth drag is absolutely imperative to ensure you’re not snapping off when they make ripping runs. The Stradic 3000 is light, durable, and can handle all the above, so that when those slashing splashes boil and you lock into a speedster, you’ll come out on top. And there we are: A handful of rod and reel combos, battle-tested, angler-approved, and geared toward specific New England-based gamefish. It’s all about dialing in your equipment and honing in on what works best for you as an angler. Good luck and tight lines!

False Albacore and Bonito: The Rod: Tsunami Carbon Shield II 76M The Reel: Shimano Stradic 3000 Originally designed for reds and specks in the Gulf of Mexico, the COASTALANGLERMAG.COM COASTALANGLERMAG.COM••THEANGLERMAG.COM THEANGLERMAG.COM

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FEBRUARY CATCH PHOTOS Catch of the Month Sponsored by:

Salt Warrior • thesaltwarrior.com This Month's Prize: $50 Gift Certificate for a Personalized Tackle Box Enter to be next month's winner: Option 1: Submit a photo of your catch at thesaltwarrior.com/giveaway Option 2: Submit a photo of your catch on the Catch of the Month page (Bragboard). Contact: frank@thesaltwarrior.com

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Paul Lopes with a bass 44 BOSTON FEBRUARY 2022| COASTALANGLERMAG.COM COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM BOSTON | FEBRUARY 2022 • THEANGLERMAG.COM

sy Tuna Sportfi shing Shaun O'Brien of Tip York Beach, ME caught this striper in

EDITORIAL Preparing for when the Cows come home By, Jared Wood

efore you know it our line sided friends will be here and it will be time to hit the suds. There is plenty of prep to be had during the winter months. Visit your local tackle shop for those few essential items you may need during the winter months. Go early and beat the rush by getting spooled with a new line, getting a cracked guide replaced, or picking up a plug that was hot for you in the past. The time for changing lines, changing hooks/tying tail hooks, tying leaders, and so forth is now.

against the spool. Make it a point to strip your line off every season and clean your spool. We subject our reels to punishment all season and the least we can do is clean them up and get them ready for next season. Take a look at your rods as well since you probably just took your reel off it. Check your guides for any corrosion or cracks. I like to take a Q-tip and rub it around the inside of my guide. If there is a crack in your guides the fibers from the Q-tip will get caught indicating a cracked guide. Don’t let a cracked guide cost you a fish next season. Make sure your reel seat is free and clear of debris that might get built up or trapped in there from the season. Just give your blank a good look over to make sure that there are no chips, cracks, or splits.

Get your reels serviced early if you take them to a shop or service your own. By getting your reel into a shop early it allows them time to work on your reel and get the parts needed to fix the reel. Even if you are vigilant about rinsing your reels after every trip, salt still gets trapped deep in the line resting Tying tail hooks and tail flags can

help to break up cabin fever. Using different materials and colors that match your plugs; as well as matching the action of the plug to the material. Hairs, feathers, and synthetic material all have their own unique action under water. Pairing these materials with one plug produces a completely different action from another. To tie your own hooks and flags you can pick up an inexpensive vise and have some fun experimenting with different materials for the upcoming season. When it comes to changing out my hooks I don’t sit down and do all my plugs at once. Taking it on in small batches watching a Bruins game works best for me. Working with batches of similar plugs that use the same size hooks and split rings makes things go quicker. While changing hooks check your lures over to make sure they haven’t become waterlogged, cracked, have bad hook hangers/swivels, or broken lips. Taking these steps will help to prevent heart ache when that cow comes calling.

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Preparing your leaders in advance before you hit the surf next season is crucial. When you fish in the rocks you will go through plenty of leaders. Sitting down on the couch tying up leaders for plugs and bait in the comfort of your warm house is better than making leaders in the pounding surf. Other things to look over this off season would be your waders which are probably leaking by now. If they are repairable, patch them if not replace them. Your boots' laces are tattered and need replacing. The soles of your korkers are probably missing a few studs. The most important thing is to rejuvenate your body with sleep. Before we know it the bass will be here and the sleepless nights will be upon us. Jared Wood is a surfcaster who fishes from Maine to Connecticut. Targeting Striped Bass, Bluefish, Albies, and Bonito in the surf. He can be found on instagram as surfcaster_jared. For any question he can be reached at jaredwood25@gmail.com.

FEBRUARY FEBRUARY2022 2022

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EDITORIAL

A Match Made in Heaven by, Tim Moore

more weight on the business end of your setup. A 28-inch rod paired with 4-pound test line is a more appropriate match for a heavier lure, such as a ¼ ounce Blade Spoon. If your lure is too heavy for your rod it will load the rod and prevent you from controlling the lure and detecting bites.

ne of the first lessons I teach new anglers and those looking to increase their catch is how to properly match their rod and reel to their line and lure. A correctly matched rod, line, and lure is an important ingredient in the success of any angler. Will you catch fish with an improperly matched setup? Sure, but with well-balanced gear you’ll catch more fish, feel your lure, detect more bites, and ultimately become a better angler. The species of fish sought usually dictates what size rod and what pound test line to use, but lure weight and action often plays a heavy role in which rod and line to use. Every lure is designed to produce a specific action. Some

lures are designed to be fished fast, while others are designed to be fished slowly. When fishing lighter lures, such as the Epoxy Drop, 2-3 pound test line will allow you to produce the quick kicking action that drives most fish crazy. Light line will straighten out faster, allowing you to produce the quick kicking action that works for any of the Tungsten Drop Series lures. Depending on the size of the fish you are after, a 24 or 26-inch rod will allow you to control your lure, but also detect bites under most circumstances. If you increase the size of your lure, say to a ¼ ounce blade spoon, you’ll want to increase the size of your line and rod to accommodate

Selecting line for use in cold weather presents a unique challenge. Even the best monofilament line has memory, especially when it gets cold. When your line comes off the spool it is going to want to coil. These coils act as springs and can dampen the action you are attempting to produce with your lure. Line coils also prevent you from detecting bites by adding cushion the same way a shock absorber adds cushion to your vehicle. Your line should be light enough that your lure can straighten it out. Small jigs like the Epoxy Drop or Dingle Drop work best with 2 or 3-pound test line. Increase the size of your lure and you should increase the size of your line. Rod construction is very specific. Every rod is built to certain specifications based on power and action. Power (light to heavy) refers to how much pressure it takes to flex a rod, and action (slow to fast) is determined by where the rod flexes. With today’s rod construction you can tailor your rod to the lure you’re using and fish species you’re after. For instance, due to the size and power of Lake Winnipesaukee’s white perch, I prefer the 30-inch Jason Mitchell

66 BOSTON FEBRUARY 2022| COASTALANGLERMAG.COM COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM BOSTON | FEBRUARY 2022 • THEANGLERMAG.COM

Gen8 and 28-inch Dave Genz Legacy series combos. I run these combos with 3 pound test line for Epoxy Drops and 4 pound test line for Blade Spoons. These set ups are a little heavier than I would recommend for most other species, but you never know when a lake trout will hit your line while white perch fishing on Winnipesaukee. Even with slightly heavier set ups, I still get good lure control, bite detection, and can handle the power of 2 to 3 pound white perch. One of the best ways to gain an appreciation for a matched setup is to fish with one that isn’t matched well. It won’t take long to realize how much of an advantage the right match gives you. When you change the size of your lure, be sure you make the necessary adjustments to the rest of your gear. A properly matched setup allows you to maximize the potential of your equipment, which means better sensitivity, better lure control, and more success. More success means more confidence, and more confidence means more fish.

Tim Moore is a year-round professional fishing guide in New Hampshire. He owns and operates Tim Moore Outdoors, LLC. He is a member of the New England Outdoors Writers Association and the producer of Tim Moore Outdoors Fishing on YouTube. Visit www. TimMooreOutdoors.com for more information. Email questions or comments to info@TimMooreOutdoors.com.

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EVENTS LISTING February Event Listing Castafari Offshore Fishing Seminar | March 5 – 6 | Marriot Hotel, Quincy, MA https://www.castafari.com/fishing-seminar/ New England Boat Show | February 16-20 | Boston Convention & Exhibition Center https://www.newenglandboatshow.com/ New England Saltwater Fishing Show | March 11-13 | Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence, https://consumershows.com/e/new-england-saltwater-fishing-show-11-march-2022 Plum Island Surfcasters Fishing Show March 19 | Hope Community Church Newburyport MA https://www.plumislandsurfcasters.org/fishing-show-march-19-2022/ Connecticut Fishing Outdoor Show March 25-27 | Mohegan Sun Eart Expo & Convention Center https://ctfishingoutdoorshow.com/ Kittery Trading Post Fishingfest & Spring Hunt Event - March 31 - April 3, 2022 | Kittery ME https://www.kitterytradingpost.com/ktp-events/ COASTALANGLERMAG.COM COASTALANGLERMAG.COM••THEANGLERMAG.COM THEANGLERMAG.COM

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And many more features and seminars!

Alberto Knie

Roy Leyva

DJ Muller – Saturday

Hawg Trough

Friday 1–7 Saturday 9–6 Sunday 9–5

DECADES OF BUILDING NATIONAL BRANDS

88 BOSTON FEBRUARY2022 2022| COASTALANGLERMAG.COM COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM BOSTON | FEBRUARY • THEANGLERMAG.COM

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CATCH SMALLMOUTHS IN THE MOUNTAINS OF NORTH CAROLINA

By Capt. James McManus

ere in the western North Carolina mountains, we get a lot of visitors. Snowbirds are what we call people who come here from up north to enjoy our milder climate. One snowbird most fishermen cherish is the smallmouth bass. We are at the southern end of their natural range, and almost all of our watersheds contain some. Smallies have characteristics that endear them to anglers. They are aggressive, eat year-round, grow to respectable size and when hooked spend as much time out of the water as in.

You can find these beauties in most of our sizeable rivers. River fish seem to be more active in summer. I think it’s linked to terrestrial food items being more available. Floating area rivers like the Tuckasegee, Little Tennessee, Hiwassee and French Broad will keep you in fish regardless of your preferred method. For fly guys, any minnow or crawdad imitation will draw strikes, and in warmer weather nymphs and hoppers get their attention. Poppers and sliders can be lots of fun, just remember river smallies tend to be smaller than their lake buds. I spend more time chasing lake fish. There is less competition from other anglers, and average size is much better. Winter and early spring are the best seasons, in my opinion, only because the females are chock-full of eggs. It is when we catch our largest fish of the year. Many methods produce, and I throw a lot of jigs and jerkbaits. Lake fish have a variety of forage, so anything resembling threadfin shad, blueback herring or crawdads fits their menu. Dropshot, Shaky head and wacky-rigged worms all catch fish. Average depth for smallies year-round is 45 feet, or so. However, our clear mountain lakes allow them to identify prey up on the surface. Don’t shy from throwing topwater just because you mark fish deep. Especially when they are feeding up pre- and postspawn, you’ll find smallmouths on rock or gravel, where they love to eat little lobsters. They also suspend in open water to chase shad, but this is more of a warm-water behavior. On Lake Fontana, my home lake, we troll a good bit, and it’s not unusual to find them suspended at 45 feet over 200 feet of water. I should note that while we still have good smallmouth fishing, invasive spotted bass have forced their way into smallie enclaves. For this reason, we never kill a smallmouth. If you like to eat fish, take all the spotted bass you want; they are better eating anyway. Smallies and spots use the same spawning areas and hybridize. While not good genetically, it produces a fish that has that hybrid vigor, hence the name “meanmouth.” Markings and coloration make the smallmouth one of the prettiest of all fish. We should try hard to preserve them so our kids have the thrill of fighting one of the gamest fish around. Captain James McManus owns 153 charters out of Sylva, N.C. Call him at (828) 421-8125. James fishing McManus/Instagram.

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RUN LONG. RUN CLEAN. RUN STRONG.

Don’t drink and drive. Always wear a USCG-Approved life jacket and read your owner’s manual. Suzuki, the Suzuki “S” ECSTAR and Suzuki model and product names are Suzuki trademarks or ®. © 2021 Suzuki Marine USA, LLC.

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REEL LIFE HOODIES

eel Life has your back on those cold fly fishing mornings. Hook elusive permit in total comfort in the Men’s Captiva Hoodie. Wearable on its own, or layered when there’s a chill in the air, the long cotton fabric is super soft. Wear the Captiva Hoodie while at your favorite fishing spot or hanging out at the marina. Of course, if you don’t fish in winter, you might be looking toward warmer waters. The breathable vented design is ultra-lightweight and breezy to keep you cool without sweating. It’s a delicate balance when fishing for cobia in southern Florida, and a bonus that lets you wear it year-round. From mornings on the boat to evenings at the beach, Reel Life’s Women’s Sanibel Hoodie helps you have fun in the most comfortable fabric possible. The Sanibel Hoodie is breezy, ultra-soft, and with six different designs to choose from, there are options for everyone! From fishing and kayaking to boat shows and beach hangouts, the ring-spun cotton is breathable, lightweight and eye-catching. Reel Life hoodies provide maximum comfort and style, no matter where you REELLIFEGEAR.COM are or what you’re doing. COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM

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C-HAWK & MITZI SKIFF: DEPENDABLE SIMPLICITY

here’s a certain type of boater who values simplicity and functionality over flashiness. Most anglers fall into this category. A simple boat comes with less hassle, allowing you to spend more time on the water. Two brands that fit right into this niche for dependability and easy boating are C-Hawk and Mitzi Skiff. Across the product lines for both boats, a no-nonsense reputation has developed a considerable following among people who would rather fish than look at their boats. No trailer queens here! “We build a keep-it-simple-stupid boat. If you want something you can soft scrub at the end of the day and put it away, you’re my guy,” said Brad Grubbs, the owner and manufacturer of C-Hawk and Mitzi Skiff. “We set out to make boats that are affordable to operate and affordable to own, and the philosophy has worked.” C-Hawk, which has been around since the mid-1970s, offers lines of 16’ to 29’ center consoles and 22’ to 29’ sport cabins that were originallyw developed for commercial applications. C-Hawks remain widely used commercially, and many recreational boaters also see the value in a vessel

H that’s built to take a beating. “Really, we just took a commercial-duty boat and put a little lipstick on it,” Grubbs said. “The boat is as tough as it ever was. It’s been the same boat for nearly 50 years.” Mitzi Skiffs were designed for a specific purpose, yet the same philosophy applies. When the first Mitzi was designed in the mid-1990s, the concept was simple. There was nothing on the market with the shallow draft, clean layout and quiet maneuverability needed for fly fishing the flats. Those ideas propel the company today. Almost 30 years later, Mitzi’s line of 15’, 16’ and 17’ skiffs achieve those purposes exceptionally well, and they are inexpensive to own and operate. With the original design and continuing innovation, Mitzi Skiffs are flats boats other boat builders imitate. C-Hawk and Mitzi Skiff boats are available exclusively through select dealers. Contact your local dealer to find out how they can be rigged out to fit your style of fishing.

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ave yourself the parking headaches—oneshot your boat or trailer into position every time with one of Parkit360’s Electric Trailer Dollies. Parkit360 units are powerful and easy to use. Even large trailered boats, campers and cargo trailers are infinitely more maneuverable, especially in tight spaces, with a Parkit360 Trailer Dolly. The Force and Transformer models are compatible with almost every trailer right out of the box thanks to their ball-mounted Stablelock technology. Just freewheel the dolly to the trailer, connect to the hitch and steer your trailer into place. With weight capacities ranging from 5,000 to 15,000 pounds, these portable powerhouses can handle the most difficult parking challenges with ease. Parkit360 makes compact dollies that make parking easy, even on difficult surfaces. With planetary gearing, all Force and Transformer models include 6.5” tires, standard, which provide excellent traction on a wide range of surfaces like firm grass, packed gravel, asphalt and up to a 6 percent incline. Unlike a driver who relies on mirrors and backup cameras, the user faces the trailer, giving them complete visibility and control while parking. See exactly where the trailer is at all times and steer within inches of any obstacle if needed. You can park in ways that are impossible with a truck and have the flexibility to move around the trailer at any time to check its position or for obstacles that might damage your precious cargo. The dolly’s compact design also allows the user to park hitch-end forward as a serious theft deterrent, something that is pretty much impossible to do with a vehicle. All models include Intelligent Speed Control, a great feature for those looking to move through open areas quickly, and more precisely in tight spaces. The high and low speed

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