Coastal Angler Magazine | February 2026 Boston Edition

BOSTON EDITION

TRUST BR AND MARINERS

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fve things you should know about boat insurance

Are you ready to embark on your next on-water adventure? Before you set sail, here are fve things to know about boat insurance.

1. Boat insurance isn’t just for accidents

With comprehensive coverage, you’ll also be protected fnancially for theft, vandalism, and unexpected events like storms if you need repairs or replacements due to damage. 2. Accidents can happen to anyone

When accidents happen, boat insurance offers liability coverage for damages or injuries you cause while boating, up to specifed limits. It can also cover lawsuit costs if you’re sued.

3. Boat insurance can cover medical payments

Boat insurance offers a range of optional medical payments coverage limits, helping to cover medical expenses if you’re in an accident or someone is hurt on your boat, regardless of fault.

4. Most lenders require boat insurance

If you fnanced your boat, you’ll likely need boat insurance since most lenders require boat insurance to protect their investment. Additionally, some marinas or municipalities require proof of insurance for docking.

5. Progressive offers specialized boat coverages

Ever worry about getting stuck on the water?

Progressive’s Sign & Glide® On-Water Towing coverage** can help. It’s an additional coverage that steps in if your boat is disabled or breaks down on the water, paying for on-water towing, jump starts, soft ungroundings, and fuel delivery. Fuel cost isn’t included.

Don’t let unforeseen circumstances disrupt your voyage. Cruise with confdence thanks to Progressive Boat insurance. Because when it comes to your boat, peace of mind is the ultimate luxury.

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Flounder Fishing 101

Do you want to catch more !ounder? You will need to nd an area with current, bait and structure for the !ounder to ambush its prey.

Where are they?

Flounder are very prevalent in creek mouths, jetties, sandy points, oyster bars, docks and any other underwater structures. e !ounder will take advantage of the structures to block the current, saving them energy and bringing bait right to their gluttonous mouths.

Flounder are the perfect ambush predator. ey like to bury in the sand adjacent to structures of some kind facing directly into the current. Your lure presentations always need to come from up current or you will spook them.

What do they eat?

CAPT. MIKE SMITH

and bait sh imitations.

Flounder love to eat unsuspecting shrimp and sh brought to them by the current. e best lures to catch !ounder are scented shrimp

e best colors of lures to use for !ounder are any color as long as it is white. White is by far the best color of lure to catch !ounder. Do other colors work? Yes, if you want to catch fewer !ounders, then use something other than white.

e best lures that I have found for !ounder are Gulp! Shrimp and swimming mullets on a jig head. Start small and go bigger if you notice the bait in the area is large. Having an assortment from 3 to 5 inches will usually be perfect.

A great second choice for a !ounder lure is a white bucktail jig. Add a small piece of shrimp to add odor for best results.

How do you catch a flounder?

Flounder have a very small cone of awareness. ey are very unlikely to notice and

chase a lure that is more than 3 or 4 feet away from them.

ey also have a very small strike zone. ey are very hesitant to rise more than 18 inches o$ of the bottom to eat your lures.

Let’s say you found a beautiful oyster point at the mouth of a creek with plenty of current and bait !owing around it. is scenario is perfect for catching a !ounder.

Cast up current and work the lure on the bottom very slowly in 1 to 3 feet of water. When you think you hooked an oyster, set the hook. Flounder strikes are subtle and o en feel like a hang up.

It is very hard to work your lure too slowly for a !ounder. Old timers will tell you to just drag it on the bottom. I personally like to bounce my lures o$ the bottom being careful to not li it more than 18 inches into the water column.

Pro Tip: Use braided line and !uorocarbon leaders when shing for !ounder. Flouro sinks and helps you present your lures more e$ectively on the bottom. Braid doesn’t stretch and will help you feel a !ounder’s very subtle bites.

If you want to become an o cial !ounder pounder, then follow the tips above and catch more !atties. Go get ‘em!

Capt. Mike Smith, owner of Fish Your Ass O Charters, is an inshore "shing guide who has been "shing the inshore waters, oyster bars and grass ats of Florida for more than 40 years. Reach him at (561) 339-2317, email: contact@ "shyourasso .com or visit "shyourasso .com.

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America 250: Henry Knox Gets His Due

By The Coastal Angler Staff

With the onset of the Semiquincentennial year of 2026, plans to recognize the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and other events of Revolutionary significance of the year 1776 are well underway. One historical happening that is already getting a lot of attention is the two-and-a-half century anniversary of General Henry Knox’s mission to haul artillery from Fort Ticonderoga in northern New York state, over difficult terrain in the dead of winter, to General George Washington in Boston.

The Noble Train of Artillery, as Knox’s mission became known, was successful, as he delivered the cannons to Washington’s forces on

nalai, recently told news station WNYT in Albany how Knox’s mission helped liberate Boston and demonstrated American unity.

Knox was an interesting man – he was a Boston bookseller interested in engineering and self-educated in miliary science, whom Washington elevated to the Continental Army’s artillery commander.

The Massachusetts Historical Society has a fascinating description of Knox and his heroic feat (MHS Collections Online: Henry Knox diary, 20 November 177513 January 1776):

recorded his last entry just four days before reaching the Cambridge camp.

Dorchester Heights, overlooking Boston and the harbor, thereby forcing the British army to evacuate and end the siege that they had imposed on the city over much of the previous year.

Communities across New York and Massachusetts –from Albany to the Berkshires to western and central Massachusetts to Framingham and ultimately Boston -- are commemorating this milestone as part of America 250, the celebration of the Semiquincentennial of America’s independence. One of the major sources of information is the Massachusetts Historical Society, which holds Knox’s diary within its collection. The society’s chief historian, Kanisorn Wongsricha-

Knox rose from the civilian book trade to become the youngest American major general in the Continental Army. Knox's most remarkable achievement during the war was the establishment of a formidable artillery regiment, when virtually none existed, by retrieving the captured cannon from Fort Ticonderoga and dragging them 300 miles through the dead of winter to blast the British out of Boston.1 This small and sketchy diary, hastily penned by the hand of Henry Knox, chronicles his incredible journey from Fort Ticonderoga and across the Massachusetts frontier to Westfield, Massachusetts, where he

Born in Boston in 1750, Henry Knox was the seventh son of William Knox and Mary (Campbell) Knox. When his father abandoned the family in 1762, Henry at the age of twelve was apprenticed to a local bookseller. There he devoured the volumes that surrounded him, and he became most interested in military history and engineering science. At the age of twenty-one, the enterprising and sociable Knox opened his own book and stationery store in Boston. It quickly became a favorite meeting place for Boston patriots, British officers, and fashionable women. One lively Tory lady, Lucy Flucker, caught his eye. Henry's staunch patrio-

(Continued from Page 2)

tism was well known and much to the displeasure of her father, Thomas Flucker, Royal Secretary of the Province of Massachusetts Bay, Henry and Lucy were married in 1774. That same year, the British Army took over the military occupation of Boston.2

In the fall of 1775, the besieged Boston was at a frustrating stalemate. General Washington was in need of big guns to contest the British troops and their imposing naval fleet. The Continental Army, however, had virtually no regular artillery company nor any impressive cannon except for a few unserviceable field pieces left behind by retreating enemy troops. Washington and John Adams were so impressed with Knox's energy and knowledge of military science that they advised

Congress to immediately appoint him to succeed the ailing Richard Gridley as colonel of the Regiment of Artillery. Enterprising, energetic, and persistently optimistic, Henry Knox proposed the wild idea of undertaking the trek to Fort Ticonderoga to retrieve the cannon, captured by Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys, to fortify Boston's Dorchester Heights. Washington immediately dispatched Knox to New York commanding that "The want of them [cannon] is so great that no trouble or expense must be spared to obtain them."3 Exceedingly cold weather, snowstorms, and unexpected midwinter thaws were to compound this treacherous journey.

On November 16th 1775, Knox rode to New York City to order ammunition and then proceeded on to Fort Ticonderoga. For

three days his troops disassembled fifty-nine brass and iron cannon, howitzers, mortars, and cohorns from their mounts and secured several tons of shot, 2300 pounds of bullet lead, and 30,000 gunflints.4 They then hauled the over 119,000 pounds of guns and ammunition to the northern tip of Lake George for the beginning of an incredible 300-mile journey of unbearable winter hardship. The munitions were loaded onto a "Scow, Pettianger, and a Battoe," and Knox rushed to sail the lake before it froze. At Fort George, he wrote to Washington and promised him a "noble train of artillery."5 For two weeks, Knox hired a convoy of New York teamsters with wagons, sleds, horses and oxen to transport the heavy ordnance down the western Hudson River shore. Holes were cut in the ice to strengthen the river crossing at Albany, but a few of the heavily laden sleds broke through and their vital cargo had to be dredged up from the icy river bottom.6

Knox's impressive artillery train, including "42 exceeding strong sleds" and "80 yoke of oxen," crossed the river and the weary teamsters labored eastward through the freezing weather and snow-covered forests of the New England Berk-

shires. Massachusetts wagonmasters replaced the New York teamsters at Springfield, and the convoy continued on to Washington's elated army at Boston. Generals Ward and Thomas directed 2,000 men and 400 oxen to position the guns at Dorchester Heights, and the British eventually evacuated the city on March 17th, 1776.7

Major General Henry Knox's formidable artillery regiment continued to exhibit skill, precision, and valor through all the major battles in the North. After the Revolution, Knox was appointed first secretary of war under the Constitution, drew up plans for the military academy at West Point, and was founder of the Society of the Cincinnati. Knox's brilliant military career ended abruptly in 1806 when he died at the age of fifty-six in Maine at his mansion Montpelier.

Henry Knox is not always remembered among such giants of the American Revolution as Washington, Adams, Revere, and Jefferson, but over the next couple of months, that will change. As Americans learn more about the Noble Train of Artillery and the Knox Trail from such sources as the Massachusetts Historical Society, it will become apparent what an important role he played in the war for independence.

LOOKING FOR THE BEST WAY TO EXPERIENCE BOSTON IN THE SUMMER? ON THE WATER OF COURSE!

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Chatham Theatre Screened New

Crime Doc.,

VIP

Fundraiser

All proceeds went to the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute.

By The Coastal Angler Staff

On a dark and cold January evening, a group gathered at the Orpheum Theatre in Chatham, a charming relic of old Cape Cod, to see the documentary The Boston Strangler: Unheard Confession. Before the show, it was a sea of happy faces, men and women smiling as they sipped their cocktails and snacked on hors d’oeuvres, chatting with friends, old and new, a stark juxtaposition from the somber and grim tale they were about to hear.

The film, starring Casey Sherman, a New York Times bestselling author and journalist, chronicles Casey Sherman’s renowned reinvestigation of the notorious 1960’s serial murder case, in which Sherman’s aunt, 19-year-old Mary Sullivan, a 1962 gradu-

ate of Barnstable High School, was believed to be the youngest and final victim.

For the first time ever, the world heard the audio taped confession of self-proclaimed killer Albert DeSalvo, offering the raw and unfiltered account of the crimes that contradict the official story and raise new questions.

“I look forward to sharing this deeply personal story with guests during this special event at the Chatham Orpheum,” said Mr. Sherman.

This gripping two-hour documentary casts fresh doubt and reignites the debate over the real identity of the infamous Boston Strangler.

Following the screening, Mr. Sherman host-

ed a Q&A session with Clementina Chery, the Founder and CEO of the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute, the organization for whom the screening was dedicated. All proceeds from the ticketed event benefited the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute, which is dedicated to assisting survivors of homicide victims and fostering peace on Cape Cod and across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

“I am proud to support the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute for this effort. I only wish my family had an organization such as this when we lost my beloved aunt so tragically in January 1964.”

- Casey Sherman

“For families who have lost loved ones to violence, being seen, heard, and supported is everything. We are deeply grateful to the Chatham Orpheum and Casey Sherman for using the power of storytelling to honor victims, uplift survivors, and bring our community together in the spirit of healing, justice, and peace.

-Clementina Chery, Founder and CEO of the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute.

The Louis D. Brown Peace Institute’s mission is to serve as a center of Healing, Teaching and Learning for families and communities impacted by murder, trauma, grief, and loss.

Coastal

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• Selling all advertising (both print and web)

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• Managing the layout and collaborating on graphic design

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our website (www.plumislandsurfcasters.org) for more details on upcoming events.

at Salisbury Hilton Senior Center, (behind the fire station), 43 Lafayette Rd (Route 1), Salisbury, MA 01952.

at 6:45 pm | Fishing seminar at 8:00 pm Free for all club members. $5 admission for Non-members

Hooking Giants In Ketchikan, Alaska BUCKET

By Capt. Lukas Brickweg

If you’ve ever dreamed about catching halibut and cod in the wilderness of Alaska - rod bent, line screaming, and majestic wildlife abound – now is the time to turn that dream into reality. Every season in Ketchikan, Alaska, May marks the kicko! to world-class halibut and Paci c cod shing, and we are ready to put you on the sh of a lifetime.

May Is Extraordinary!

May is a special month in Southeast Alaska. e long daylight hours return, the ocean comes alive, and the early-season halibut move onto nearshore waters to feed. Halibut gather on the underwater ledges, humps, and sandy $ats, areas that we know like the backs of our hands, ranging from 200-400 feet.

At the same time, hungry Paci c cod patrol the same bottom structure, adding an action-packed bonus to every trip. “Alaska cod shing chaos” is the best way to describe

this seasonal bite. ere are no limits on retaining Paci c cod, allowing anglers to bring home huge hauls of cod and halibut. is means you can o en pull up a mixed bag of halibut, cod, and rock sh - making for one of the most productive and delicious shing experiences anywhere in the world.

Reeling up cod and halibut until your arms give out is a good way to summarize Alaska bottom shing in May.

May trips tend to ll quickly because the reputation for aggressive sh and minimum shing pressure. is combination equates to an anglers dream scenario. Whether you’re $ying in for our three to four day allinclusive lodging/ shing packages or on a cruise, it’s best to start planning and booking early. Ketchikan provides convenient $ights, accommodating guests from all over the US. Our all-inclusive packages provide airport transfer, lodging, meals, shing and sh processing.

The Bottom Line ere’s shing, and then there’s Alaska shing. And when it comes to halibut and

cod, May in Ketchikan is as good as it gets. So give us a call to book your spot, and come experience the thrill of hooking giants where every trip is a story worth telling.

Book your "Bucket List" trip to Alaska with Capt. Lukas Brickweg, of Ketchikan’s Finest Fishing Charters, at ketchikan shingtrips.com, call (907) 617-4717 or email ketchikan shingtrips@gmail.com.

CAPACITY: Four Adults or 800 pounds (reduce by accessories and gear) Rear sun deck with retractable ladder for boarding in deep water. Two passengers face forward and two face backward. The front passengers pedal.

BRAVING THE COLD FOR BIG WINTER STRIPERS

By CAM Sta

Whether in saltwater or freshwater, excellent striper shing awaits anglers hearty enough to brave winter conditions. So layer up, zip into that parka, and go—some of the biggest sh of the year are feeding right now.

At the southern end of their fall migration, striped bass spend the winter o! the coast of North Carolina. ey follow schools of bait up and down the shoreline from Wilmington to the Outer Banks, feeding heavily along the way. In many years, Oregon Inlet becomes the epicenter of the action, though stripers can be found in most inlets throughout the region.

e key is to follow the birds, which o en reveal bass blowing up on menhaden, glass minnows, or eels. At times the action pushes close enough to shore that surfcasters can hook stripers right from the beaches of the Outer Banks. More o en, however, the best approach is hiring a local captain armed with recent intel and a fast boat.

Farther south, Wilmington provides another winter opportunity as striped bass stack up in the Cape Fear River. ese sh hold near structure, dropo!s, and creek mouths, and can be caught on arti cials—or even on $ies. is resident population is separate from the highly migratory sh wintering o! the Outer Banks. Cape Fear stripers are strictly catch-and-release and must be returned to the water immediately, so keep an eye out for tagged sh.

Meanwhile, freshwater reservoirs across the Southern states and into the Mid-Atlantic also produce solid winter striper shing. While smaller, schoolie-sized sh can become sluggish during the coldest periods, larger stripers continue to feed. e pace may not match summertime downline action over massive schools, but the sh that do bite are o en bigger.

Tactics vary by shery, but when water temperatures stabilize—or during a multi-day warming trend—the largest sh in the lake o en push shallow, sometimes surprisingly so, as they shadow schools of small shad. Find the $ickering bait, and you’ll nd the stripers. You may even see them picking o! prey near the surface. Stealth is critical in these situations, and so plastics like Flukes frequently outproduce live bait. ey’re easier to cast and allow for a slow, controlled retrieve.

Another e!ective approach is covering water by trolling wide spreads of small live baits, pulling umbrella rigs loaded with swimbaits, or combining both methods. When shing this way, good local information is invaluable. On some lakes, stripers spend the winter near the dam; on others, they push far up into the creeks.

Winter may test an angler’s resolve, but for those willing to endure the cold, striper shing can be at its best. From coastal inlets and rivers to inland reservoirs, striped bass remain active and accessible, o en with less pressure and a better chance at trophy-sized sh. Success comes down to preparation, paying attention to bait and bird activity, and adapting tactics to changing conditions. Bundle up, do your homework, and embrace the season—the reward could be the biggest striper of your year.

OVER 100 ANGLERS TO COMPETE IN 2026 BASSMASTER ELITE SERIES

Coming o! the heels of a record-breaking 2025 season that awarded 11 century belts, saw four- rst time champions (two of which were members of the 2025 rookie class) and garnered over 183 million social media impressions, B.A.S.S. has announced the 101-angler eld for an exciting 2026 Elite Series season.

is year, anglers will be put to the test with the use of forward-facing sonar only being allowed at ve of the nine regular-season Elite events. Anglers will be competing for a $100,000 rst-place prize at each stop of the season, while also accumulating valuable Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year points in hopes of making it to the 2027 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour.

“Each season, the Bassmaster Elite Series showcases the very best in professional bass shing, and 2026 will be no exception,” said B.A.S.S. Elite Series Tournament Director Lisa Talmadge. “We’re excited to welcome 101 incredibly talented anglers who represent the heart of this sport—a mix of proven champions, rising stars and hungry newcomers all ready to compete on some of the most iconic sheries in the country. It’s going to be an unforgettable season for our anglers and fans alike.”

With the exception of one angler, every 2025 Elite Series angler who quali ed is returning next year. e list of anglers includes 2025 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic champion Easton Fothergill of Grand Rapids, Minn., who won the most coveted trophy in bass shing during his freshman season on the Elites. Two-time Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year Chris Johnston will also join the ranks of returning anglers alongside Dakota Lithium Bassmaster Rookie of the Year Tucker Smith, who took home his rst blue trophy at the 2025 Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork with a 127-pound, 8-ounce winning weight that also earned him a century belt.

Ten anglers from the Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Quali ers will also be joining the 2026 Elite roster, including 20-year-old Alabama phenom Fisher Anaya who claimed the 2025 Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Quali ers Angler of the Year title. Wisconsin’s Nick Trim clinched an Elite Series spot for himself alongside his big win at the 2025 Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Championship at Upper Mississippi River presented by Lowrance. e 2026 Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series kicks o! on Alabama’s Lake Guntersville February 5. From there the tournament trail will wind through six states as anglers battle for cash prizes and attempt to qualify for the 2027 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour.

Each tournament will begin with the full eld of anglers on Days 1 and 2 before the eld is cut to the Top 50 on Semi nal Saturday. Only the Top 10 anglers will sh the nal day of the event, with a $100,000 rstplace prize and a blue trophy on the line. For the complete roster, and to keep up with all the action from the 2026 Elite Series season visit Bassmaster.com.

February Cold Water Offshore: Wahoo

This is the time of year to nd the wall of warmer water and get the wahoo bite going. All of the water nearshore is cold and where the 68- plusdegree water meets that cold water can be an excellent spot for targeting wahoo. is is a great time of year to target wahoo during the rst hour or two of your trip using high speed trolling. You can cover a lot of ground high speed trolling, which speci cally targets wahoo. Once the sun has been up for a few hours your chances at a wahoo bite diminish unless it’s an overcast or rainy day. Wahoo regulate the amount of sun they take in by going deeper as the sun rises, so midmorning is a good time to change tactics.

Slow dri s, kite shing and jigging the column with live baits is a great mid-morning tactic and the bigger the bait the better. ere’s no telling what you’ll raise during these colder days shing the temperature change. Never count out deep dropping near these temperature change areas either. Fishing the entire water column from the surface to the bottom turns a cold day into a cooler full of sh and some awesome dinners.

Meet the Beauty in the Beast

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For almost a hundred years it lay dormant. Silently building strength. At 10,000 feet high, it was truly a sleeping giant. Until May 18, 1980, when the beast awoke with violent force and revealed its greatest secret. Mount St. Helens erupted, sending up a 80,000-foot column of ash and smoke. From that chaos, something beautiful emerged… our spectacular Helenite Necklace

Helenite is produced from the heated volcanic rock of Mount St. Helens and the brilliant green creation has captured the eye of jewelry designers worldwide. Today you can wear this massive 6!-carat stunner for only $99!

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Make your emeralds jealous. Our Helenite Necklace puts the green stone center stage, with a faceted pearcut set in .925 sterling silver finished in luxurious gold. The explosive origins of the stone are echoed in the flashes of light that radiate as the piece swings gracefully from its 18" luxurious gold-finished sterling silver chain. Today the volcano sits quiet, but this unique piece of American natural history continues to erupt with gorgeous green fire. Your satisfaction is guaranteed. Bring home the Helenite Necklace and see for yourself. If you are not completely blown away by the rare beauty of this exceptional stone, simply return the necklace within 30 days for a full refund of your purchase price.

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