The Angler Magazine | January 2020 | Ft. Myers/Cape Coral/Charlotte Harbor Edition by Coastal Angler Magazine

FORT MYERS/CAPE CORAL/CHARLOTTE HARBOR EDITION

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Winter's

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Switch It Up Offshore

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JANUARY 2020

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Photo courtesy of Big Ol’ Fish Guiding Service, bigolfish.com

hether saltwater or fresh, good striper fishing awaits those hearty enough to brave winter on the water. So layer-up, zip into that parka and go. Some of the biggest fish of the year are feeding right now. On the southern end of their fall migration, striped bass are holed up for the winter off North Carolina. They’ll be chowing down and following schools of bait up and down the coast from Wilmington to the Outer Banks. Many years, Oregon Inlet sets up as the epicenter for the bite, but striped bass can be found in most area inlets. The key is to follow the birds and find bass blowing up on menhaden, glass minnows or eels. The action can sometimes come in close enough that surf casters can catch stripers from the beaches of the Outer Banks, but the best bet is to hire a local captain with recent intel and a fast boat. A little farther south, Wilmington offers another option, as stripers pile into the Cape Fear River, where they hold around structure, drop-offs and creekmouths and can be caught on artificials or even flies. These resident fish are a separate group from the highly migratory fish that winter off the Outer Banks. Cape Fear stripers are catch-and-release only, and must be returned to the water immediately. Keep an eye out for tagged stripers swimming these waters. Finally, on freshwater reservoirs across the Southern states and up through the Mid-Atlantic, fisheries stocked with striped bass produce pretty well for anglers this time of year. While smaller schoolie-sized stripers tend to get tough during the coldest temperatures of the year, the larger fish will still feed. The action won’t be as fast as dropping downlines to massive summertime schools, but the fish that do eat tend to be larger. Tactics will vary depending on the fishery, but when water temperatures stabilize or during a warming trend of a few days, the biggest fish in the lake tend to move up shallow—sometimes very shallow— behind schools of small shad. Find the flickering shad, and you’ll find the stripers. Sometimes you’ll see them plucking bait near the surface. Stealth is imperative in catching them, and a soft plastic such as a Fluke will usually out-produce live baits in such situations. It’s easier to cast and slowly retrieve an artificial. Another popular tactic is to cover a lot of water trolling wide spreads of small live baits or pulling an umbrella rig loaded with swimbaits, or both. When prospecting like this, it’s wise to seek out good information on where the stripers are holding. On many lakes they spend winters down by the dam. On others, you might find them way up in the creeks.

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12/10/19 9:01 AM

It’s boat show time! And the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), which produces 18 boat and sportshows across the country, is investing in more experiences and education than ever to meet the desires of attendees and inspire the next generation of the boating workforce. Attendee favorites will return, too, from fishing ponds to Super Thursdays. Here are some 2020 show season highlights. • With a need for skilled workers in the marine industry (more than 31K open jobs), NMMA boat shows are expanding Boating Career Days, offering the chance for students and job seekers to learn more about opportunities in the boating industry, get career advice from marine professionals and check out job openings. Last year the program attracted more than 550 students across eight shows. In 2020, the program is expanding to 14 markets: New York, Baltimore, St. Louis, Kansas City, Nashville, Louisville, Atlanta, New England, Atlantic City, Minneapolis, Northwest, Miami, Norwalk and Tampa. • New for 2020, NMMA is introducing The Discover Boating Experience (DBX), the “Hub for Boaters,” an educational marketplace that provides space to mingle, enjoy expert seminars, explore new products, learn boat care, discover new technologies, learn to navigate a boat show and more. DBX offers a place to relax and have a drink while enjoying a variety of topics, inspirational stories and live music. • The Progressive Boat House features an Occulus Rift Virtual Reality boat race game, the Annapolis School of Seamanship’s expert seminars and a docking pool with a remote-control boat and helm station to master docking skills. • Returning favorites include free fishing for kids and special deals, like $5 tickets after 5 p.m. and Super Thursday, offering deeper discounts, exclusive pricing and incentives. • Ongoing education for boaters and anglers of all skill levels is a hallmark of NMMA boat shows with free daily seminars.

The Progressive Insurance Miami International Boat Show, Presented by West Marine cruises into the docks at Miami Marine Stadium Feb. 13-17. Great deals and hands-on experience with hundreds of boats and the associated gear are the big annual draw. Highlights of the 2020 boat show include:

• Costa Conservation Village will showcase the work of some of Florida’s leading environmental organizations, such as The Nature Conservancy, Captains for Clean Water, and Costa’s Kick Plastic program.

• Presentations on sustainable seafood from esteemed Chef Allen Susser and an opportunity to get a signed copy of his new cookbook, “Green Fig and Lionfish: Sustainable Caribbean Cooking.”

• Junior Captains Program, where kids ages 13-17 can learn to operate a boat with Annapolis School of Seamanship.

• Boat US on-water training with Intro To Boating, Women on the Water and Precision Docking.

• The Progressive Boathouse, offering boating seminars, a remote-control docking pond and an Oculus Rift Virtual Reality boat race game.

• Wining and dining at three full-service, sit down restaurants at

the Show including: Latin Café, V&E Restaurant Group Showcasing menu items from Havana 1957 & La Cerveceria De Barrio and SuViche featuring select menu items from Novecento.

• For more information, visit www.MiamiBoatShow.com.

For more information and the schedule of 2020 NMMA boat shows, visit to www.boatshows.com. 4

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The easiest way to find bait when you’re ready to go fishing is by using the new Baitfinder App, available for free download on both Apple and Android devices. Bait shops are the best possible resource for local information on what’s biting, and on what bait, to ensure you have the right equipment and knowledge before you head out to target a specific species of fish. Everything about Baitfinder is designed for anglers, by anglers, allowing all bait shops in your area to advertise their bait availability in real-time. There’s no more last-minute anxiety about locating bait or driving all over to locate the bait you’re looking for. Anglers can reserve their bait of choice prior to getting to their favorite bait shop to pick it up, and it’s all easily done on the app! Let your friends know of this free app, and encourage all your local bait shops to enroll at: WWW.BAITFINDER.COM

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By Nick Carter

otivating yourself can be tough when daytime temperatures fall into the low 20s and ice forms on the edges of Southern tailwater trout fisheries. Even on these dam-fed systems, where water temperatures remain relatively consistent, trout become difficult when tiny midges are the primary food source. But there’s a phenomenon that occurs on some tailwaters that makes fishing the cold snaps worth sucking ice out of your guides. It’s called a shad kill. When it happens every fish in the river takes part in the feast. Shad kills are caused by extended cold weather. When air temperatures drop into the teens or lower for several days in a row, baitfish in reservoirs that feed our tailwaters suffer from plummeting water

temps. Either stunned and dying or just diving deep to find more comfortable conditions, shad and blueback herring get sucked into dam turbines. What’s washed out into the tailwater is a mix of chopped up, whole dead, and quivering stunned baitfish. “All of a sudden, they get flushed out into the tailrace. It’s like chumming the river in that upper mile or so below the dam,” said Bill Stranahan, who guides with Southeastern Anglers on Tennessee’s Hiwassee River. “Good browns and rainbows will key in on it. The ones you catch are so stuffed they look like they’re about to pop.” Fed by high-mountain winters on Appalachia Lake, the Hiwassee shad kill is a good one. In the Arkansas Ozarks, the White River sees shad kills almost every year. The Cumberland River in Kentucky and Georgia’s Chattahoochee River below Lake Lanier are two other tailwaters where trout put on the feedbag for these events. But shad kills are not like a hatch you can follow by calendar. It takes rapidly cooling water temps to disorient the numbers of baitfish necessary to be noticeable in the tailrace. During the winter’s hardest freeze, intrepid anglers should hit the water near the dam and watch for activity. “You’ll see them floating down the river stunned or dead,” said Stranahan. “Sometimes you’ll see fish coming up to the surface to swipe at them.” White and flashy are the keys to catching fish during a shad kill. White Zonkers or other bunny flies, white Woolly Buggers, anything that looks like a dead or dying baitfish will work. Stranahan said to match the size of the baitfish you see in the water and to experiment with depth and presentation. Sometimes a jerky retrieve is preferred, while other times a dead drift is the ticket. At times trout will feed on the surface, and some days call for a sinking line to get the fly down. Shad kills can be ephemeral or they can last a couple weeks when conditions are perfect. It’s the kind of thing you have to be on the water to encounter, and when it happens it brings out the biggest fish in the river.

Contact Southeastern Anglers through their website at www.southeasternanglers.com.

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after wrestling it from between the pilings, it turned toward open water. As I felt the battle shift in my favor, the line parted, likely from earlier contact with the pilings. “That can happen when you’re fishing up tight like this,” said our skipper, “but some days you have to dig in to get the big ones. Other times we’ll find them in more open water around oyster bars or in the surf.” Captiva Island, on Florida’s southwest coast, is prime territory for snook, redfish, sea trout, tarpon and a variety of other inshore species. “Our waters produce so well because we have a ton of bait, structure and opportunity here,” said Fischer, proprietor of Tarpon Fischer Charters (http:// www.tarponfischercharters.com). “Pine Island Sound, on the backside of the island, for example, has several passes that allow water and bait to flow in and out. The Peace, Myakka and Caloosahatchee rivers also empty into here. I run a lot of my charters out of South Seas Island Resorts (https://www.southseas. com) at the north end of Captiva, and from there you can be fishing in the sound or the open Gulf in a matter of minutes.” Snook and redfish top 40 inches, tarpon range from chickens to 200 pounds and sea trout are abundant. Those species are resident, noted Fischer, but come December and January, offshore action also kicks in with snapper, sheepshead, grouper, kingfish and cobia, among others. For anglers, these waters call for medium-light spinning tackle. Rig a size 3/0 J-hook or a light jighead on a 2 1/2-foot leader of 30-pound mono to freeline live baits around structure, mangroves or the surf edge. Add a 1/2-ounce splitshot two feet above the hook to get down in deeper water or stronger currents, or add a float two feet above this rig to fish the flats. If you prefer to throw lures, toss a 4-inch paddletail, Rapala Skitter Walk or Zara Spook. Fischer favors a 7 1/2-foot, 8- to 17-pound class Bull Bay rod and Shimano 4000 spinning reels for his inshore fishing. Keep in mind this area occasionally suffers from red tide blooms. “It can be here one week and gone the next.” Fischer said. “If it occurs during your visit, simply head for the cleanest water you can find.”

By Tom Schlichter

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apt. Nick Fischer nodded at a boat dock ahead. “There should be a Launching is available at South Seas Resorts (if you are staying there) or good one under there,” he said. “We had a couple there this morning from the Sanibel Island Public Boat Ramp ($5/hr. parking fee: 239-472-6397; but saw a real solid fish just before we left.” 888 Sextant Dr., Sanibel.) Nearby, the ‘Tween Waters Inn is another good spot It didn’t take long to confirm a nice snook was home. I hooked it and, to spend the night. More info at www.fortMyers-Sanibel.com.

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t’s prime time for wahoo in the sparsely populated southeastern Bahamas, where a fleet of boats shows up each winter specifically to target some of the biggest wahoo in the world. Just off San Salvador and Cat Island, precipitous ledge drops within a 15- or 20-minute boat ride from shore are a magnet for wintering wahoo. The prime wahoo season runs from November to about April, when fish are densely congregated. Triple-digit weights are not uncommon, and the average wahoo will tip the scales between 50 and 60 pounds this time of year. High-speed trolling is the name of the game. Pulling lures at 14 knots and zig-zagging along the ledge over depths from 400 to 600 feet is the kind of fishing that produces world records. Five current IGFA line-class record wahoo came from the waters off San Salvador and Cat Island. Two of those weighed more than 150 pounds. When that reel goes off, screaming from the pull of a big fish moving at 60 mph, it’s important to crank down on the drag and power it to the boat as quickly as possible. Oceanic whitetips are thick in the area, and they’re known to show up and rip a trophy fish to shreds.

For information on lodging and charters in the southern Bahamas, go to www.bahamas.com.

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Winter can be brutal, but to the saltwater fly fisherman it can be the greatest time of year to catch some quality fish on the fly. The beaches, flats and bays are practically deserted, the “sunshine” fishermen having retreated to their firesides at the appearance of the first raindrop or snowflake. It’s time for the serious fly flingers to put on thermals, grab a fly rod, and head for the water. Two of my favorite wintertime saltwater fish are the speckled trout (or spotted seatrout) and the redfish, two game fish that thrive in cooler water and make for some great fly rod action even “when the frost is on the pumpkin.” The speckled trout is a coastal fish found on the shallow mud flats and sand flats from North Carolina to Texas. A fish generally traveling in large schools, the “speck” is capable of providing fast action on the fly whether you’re wading or fishing from a skiff, kayak or boat.

A proven way to locate the “speck” is to look for depressions, channels, holes or cuts on or along these areas. Once located, cast into them with a floating or intermediate line, a 9-foot leader and a baitfish pattern. A weedless fly like a Bent Back works well. The key to catching speckled trout in cold water is to retrieve the fly sl-o-o-o-wly using short, jerky strips. The strike is often as light as an aunt’s peck on the cheek, so keep close eye contact with your fly. Another worthy wintertime adversary is the redfish, a fish found in the same areas as the speckled trout. Redfish (red drum), can tip the scales from 5-pounds to a heavyweight of 40 pounds. These members of the croaker family take up residence near breakwaters, pier pilings, channels, estuaries and marshes. They are a great match for the fly rod. Redfish can be finicky eaters and sometimes the fly needs to be placed close to their noses, especially in colder water. An accurate cast is essential in fishing for these rascals. Come prepared with a 9- or 10-weight rod, a floating line (weight forward), a 9-foot leader and a pocket full of crab patterns, as reds favor crustaceans. Don’t hang up your fly gear at the first signs of the winter solstice. Winterize yourself and go fly fishing; it beats sitting in a chair and dreaming of warmer weather.

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By CAM Staff

veryone seems to gets excited about those spring runs, when cobia push north in their migration and can be targeted by sight while cruising the beaches. With the run-and-gun nature of these tactics, it’s arguably the most exciting way to catch them. But it’s not the most efficient. Die-hard cobia fans know that wintertime, before the big move, provides some of the best fishing of the year. Consolidated is a good way to describe cobia populations during the winter. On the Atlantic coast as well as in the Gulf of Mexico, fish have moved southward and offshore in search of comfortable water conditions.

At no other time are cobia populations so dense around the Florida Keys, but they can also be found grouped up on deeper wrecks and reefs along both Florida coasts. In the warmer waters of the Keys, deep jigging the ocean-side reefs with butterfly jigs or 1-ounce bucktails will haul up a mixed bag, which will likely include cobia, and chumming them up to the surface is also tried-and-true tactic. Out on the reef line, anchor up and drop a chum bag of chopped-up frozen baitfish and wait for the action to come to you. Cobia will show up with sharks, as well as various mackerel and snapper species. Whether it’s pinfish or shrimp, present your bait weightless, and you might want to add a wire leader for the toothy critters in the melee. Farther north on both coasts, resident cobia are schooled up and easier to locate than they are at any other time of year. Find a good winter day, with warm sunshine and calm seas, and make the run to offshore wrecks or reefs. The key to this is water temperature, so look for temperature bands with surface temps around 70 degrees, and find some good structure with bait present on the sonar. Again, chumming can bring cobia right up to the surface, which leads to fast action on live baits, but jigging is a tactic that is both fun and effective for targeting fish you actually spot on the screen more than 100 feet down. It’s quicker, cleaner and more efficient than live bait. The key to this technique is finding the magic depth where the cobia are schooled up. Drop a 2- to 6-ounce jig, depending on the current and depth, vertically to the depth you’re marking fish. Experiment with the action until they eat. Some pump a jig up with fast, short jerks, others prefer to swing it up high and let it flutter back down. Both techniques will work, and the jig should be sweetened with either a 7-inch soft-plastic trailer or a natural bait like cuttlefish. Some of the biggest cobia of the year come off wrecks and reefs in winter. So head down to the Keys or make the run offshore and catch them before they scatter with the spring run.

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By CAM Staﬀ

ahamian waters did not disappoint for the more than 70 anglers competing Nov. 7-10 in Bimini’s Wahoo Smackdown IX. Hosted by the historic Bimini Big Game Club Resort and Marina, more than 1,500 pounds of fish were landed during the event. A fleet of 14 boats fished, with 11 teams making it to the leaderboard. Over the two days, 108 fish were caught, the largest weighing

52.7 pounds. Team Blitzsea, out of Pompano Beach, Fla., took top team honors with their six largest of 16 fish weighing a total of 251.4 pounds. It earned them $8,200 in cash winnings. Second place Team Remain Calm, also out of Pompano Beach, Fla., earned $4,500 in cash winnings with 13 fish for a total catch weight of 238.3 pounds for their six largest. Another Pompano Beach team, Team Mi Novia, finished third, taking home $2,500 in cash winnings for a total catch of 13 fish and a total catch weight of 190.7 pounds for their six largest. Team 4 Play caught the largest fish of the tournament, at 52.7 pounds. Outstanding catch went to Indecisive for a 23.5-pound king mackerel. Top Lady Angler went to Lisa aboard Blitzsea. Top Junior Angler went to Luke Pinder aboard Bad Habit. Tournament coordinator Beth Watson said the weekend “went flawlessly,” despite some rough seas and rain with squalls up to 40 knots on Day 2. “The teams that did attend were amongst the most competitive we have seen in all of our years of hosting fishing tournaments,” she said. Tournament festivities included live local entertainment nightly, a cocktail reception for the Captains’ Meeting, a barbeque at Sharkies Bar & Grill on day one of the tournament, and a closing awards party in the Hemmingway lounge, featuring a buffet, live entertainment and a full open bar. Sponsors included David Dunleavy Performance Fishing Apparel, Juno Bait, Carey Chen Marine Artist, Morita Custom Gaffs, CS Custom Lures, Starbright, Paul Cuffaro Brand, Flanigan’s Seafood Bar and Grill, Mermaid Vodka, Tropic Ocean Airways and Piper’s Angels. With more than 50 record-setting catches in the waters around the island, Bimini has often been referred to as the Sport Fishing Capital of the World. Plans are already underway to make Wahoo Smackdown 2020 the biggest best one yet!

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he following fees will be applied to boats staying in The Bahamas for up to 3 months: • Boats up to 34 feet: $150 (no change) • Boats 35-99 feet: $300 (no change) • Boats 100-149 feet: $500 • Boats 150-200 feet: $800 • Boats over 200 feet: $1,000 The fees cover both a cruising permit and fishing permit, as well as the departure tax for up to three people. Each additional person will be charged a $20 departure tax. The fee is good for a second re-entry within a 90-day period. For stays longer than 3 months: • Boats up to 34 feet: $300 annually • Boats 35-99 feet: $600 annually • Boats 100-149 feet: $1,000 annually • Boats over 150 feet: $2,000 annually For a stay longer than 12 months, special arrangements must be made with Bahamas Customs and Immigration. Concurrent to the fee structure announcement, the government plans to launch an on-line entry portal (Click2Clear) this spring to streamline the process for boating entry permits and fishing licences. Attendance Fees, Fishing Permit, Transportation and Overtime fees are all included in the price of the cruising permit. The only additional fees would be for additional departure tax if there are more than three people at a cost of $20 per additional person. It is illegal to tip government employees. Boaters are asked to report if they are ever asked for these types of payments to the local marina manger or dockmaster.

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New Habits

By Capt. Bart Marx

ello fellow anglers, can you believe it is 2020? A New Year and let’s make some changes, New Year’s resolutions LOL. Usually those things don’t last more than a couple of weeks. I’m making a change in my fishing habits; I plan to spend more time in the Gulf trolling and bottom fishing. This month nearshore the sheepshead and flounder should be on the close-to-shore reefs and small ledges. Shrimp would be a great bait; they are close-to-shore and inshore this time of year. Shrimp makes for the best bait till about Easter. The local shrimpers pull their nets in the harbor for the bay shrimp or brown shrimp because of the water color, it makes them have a brown tint. These shrimp tend, to be as we say, sweeter- I think it is there diet in the local waters. And this time of year there are the pinks that are into the Gulf. There are places that sell these from the boat; if you find them those are the best, they are fresh YUM! So that makes shrimp a great bait Jan., Feb., March. With that said, in the 30’-50’ range hogfish, lanes, and grunts are all good table fare. When I bottom fish, I like to have several different baits frozen. I start with these and if you have live baits, shrimp or pin fish, then as the bite slows, send one of the live ones down. At times this will produce some of the bigger fish as they have been sitting back and waiting. Spanish and king mackerel should be feeding close to the passes and bait balls. You can troll a jig and spoon combo for the Spanish, or for the kings use a planer and a spoon that matches the size bait in the area. And while you are bottom fishing set out

a bonus rod with something, live or not, behind the boat. I usually put a foot-long piece of wire because the kings and Spanish have razor blade teeth and will cut through mono; also use a float about 6’ from the hook. And my Pops always said kings at 72° and that is a good gauge to follow. Also, this time of year red grouper out 60’ and deeper; you can drift for them depending on the wind. If it is windy you may need eight to ten ounces of weight to keep your bait in the strike zone. Personally, I like to anchor up, this gives you a chance to find everything in

Nice keeper red grouper!

the area that is hungry. Back in the day we would drift and have a marking jug ready, if two of us got a bite at the same time we threw the jug. This is where we would crank the motor and anchor at the jug. I get it, some of y’all don’t like to pull anchor and have those fancy trolling motors that have an anchor-hold button. I have a WINCH on my boat and the ball and ring that works well too. If you do anchor, I have been told to have as much chain as the length of your boat to make that thing stick the first time. This way you don’t miss your spot, sliding waiting for the anchor to stick. And always remember singing drags and tight lines make me smile. <*(((((>{

Capt. Bart Marx at 941-979-6517 2 FORT MYERS | JANUARY 2020 | COASTALANGLERMAG.COM/FORT-MYERS/

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Winter

appy New Year!! Wishing everyone a great 2020. It looks like Mother Nature has finally pushed her way into Southwest Florida. We have seen some temps drop down into the upper forties. Well fellow anglers when this happens it is time to put up the cast nets, and get out the jig heads. Water temps play a large role in our fishery, and this is when you need to slow things down. This time

of year our fishery can be a roller coaster ride of emotions. We may have a week of warm weather followed by a cold front. Luckily for us our fishery keeps going year around. Some of the species that we overlook during the warmer months of the year take center stage. The biggest mover will be sea trout. The cooler waters will have these guys moving into deeper water. The past few months trout have been out on the flats trying to get ready for winter. Shrimp will be the best option to get these guys to bite. One of my favorite ways is a shrimp and jig head on the bottom. A slow presentation will normally fool a hungry trout. The bonus, when you find one you’ve probably found a good school. Another fish that has been looked over as long as I can remember, Its been marked as a trash fish

by Capt. Dave Stephens

Patterns

due to its name. Many names come with many faces. Yes, I’m talking about the sheep head. The fish that is often mistaking for a freshwater fish that lives in the great lakes. Sheep head that live in our coastal and near shore waters come from the porgy family. Over the years local anglers have shortened the name from sheep headed porgy, to sheep head. In my opinion these striped bandits are not only one of the hardest fish to catch, but possibly one of the best eating. Living on a diet that consist of mostly crustaceans ensures a nice flaky white meat. Catching these guys can be a lil tricky, I promise they earned those black and white stripes. A downsize in tackle will help. Another key to locating these guys is structure. Since crustaceans is on the menu, areas that hold their food source is a must. Locating old docks and rock jetty’s will get you in the right direction. Probably the best advice I can share is, set the hook about a half second before the bite. Cooler water temps doesn’t mean that our fishery is not active. It just means that you need to adjust your style of fishing to fit our fishery. Just remember to slow things down, and you will be surprised at the outcome. If you would like to experience some of South West Florida’s finest fishing, give us a call or send an email. All of our charters are customized to fit you and your party’s needs.

Back Bay Xtremes at 941-916-5769 4 FORT MYERS | JANUARY 2020 | COASTALANGLERMAG.COM/FORT-MYERS/

Winter’s

By Capt. Mike Manis

Midlife

s we enter the height or what could be considered this winter’s midlife, the conditions or elements we face won’t differ all that much from last month. That being wind and low tides. I will try to put an emphasis on fishing the incoming tide. More importantly, I’d prefer to be setting up to cast at the beginning of the incoming and the fresher the tide the better. Because they’re tolerant to cold conditions, I’ll concentrate on

has a chance to vanish. I’ll downsize my baits and go with crab and clouser patterns. The Placida ramp at Boca Grande and Ponce Park ramp in Punta Gorda provide good access to backcountry creek systems. From Placida, Bull Bay between Gasparilla Sound and Turtle Bay has lots of room to explore. From Ponce Park, south along the east side from Alligator Creek to Pirate Harbor is full of small creek systems.

redfish. In many cases, there’s a good chance they’ll be on the small side, rat-sized redfish. This is due in part because I’ll most likely find myself as far back in creek systems as I can get looking for dead end coves covered with a sand bottom. After a couple cool months, this is a natural transition area for our game fish, as they’ll move up into these areas to warm up on the shallow sandy bottom. Multiple months of cool weather is also why I also like the early incoming tide. Bait has been scarce for long enough that redfish will begin looking with some urgency. They feel the tide instantly and begin working up the creek or flat rushing to get a shot at what was unobtainable on low water. The low tide has left the mixed sand and grass dry. Crabs and other crustaceans come out of hiding to feed. The fish know their chances are best early, before the prey

Out on the grass flats, spotted sea trout should fish well. Look anywhere from two to four feet off the intracoastal from Lemon Bay to Pine Island Sound. They’ll eat a fly as well as any soft plastic and of course, live shrimp rigged with a popping cork. In the harbor, pompano can be found on the hard bottom just off Cape Haze Point. A ¼ ounce Nylure Bomber pompano jig is all you need. Sheepshead are everywhere and can be fished from land as well as the boat. The Placida trestle can be fished from both land and boat and the Boca Grande trestle is a popular spot by boat. Every dock, pier, underwater structure, and artificial reef will hold sheepshead. A fiddler crab or piece of shrimp is your best bet. Until next month, good tides.

Capt. Manis at 941-628-7895 FACEBOOK.COM/COASTALANGLERMAGAZINEFTMYERS/ | JANUARY 2020 | FORT MYERS 5

Back Bay

By Mike Hammond

recent Calusa Blueway marker repair recently gave me the perfect excuse to paddle Back Bay in Bokeelia, which is a small community on the north end of Pine Island. Paddlers have a couple options for access to this water. You can park along the eastern side of Stringfellow Road across from Four Winds Marina and launch through a break in the mangroves. From here it is about a 200 yard paddle to the point where Jug Creek passes under Stringfellow Road. Following Jug Creek west, past Four Winds Marina, will put you into the eastern side of Back Bay. I opted for direct access and launched from Capt’n Con’s, which is a private facility on the island’s very most northern tip. It was easy. Pull up, honk your horn as the sign instructs and staff will approach in cart and tell you

where to launch and park and collect launch fees. Staff usually instructs paddlers to launch at the ramp next to the property manager’s house rather than the powerboat ramp. We had plenty of space and time to prepare our gear. (Anglers will find several bait and tackle shops on their way through Matlacha, as they drive out to the island prior to launching; bait shops can be harder to locate on Pine Island.) Back Bay is a shallow round bay with a diameter of about a half-mile. Most of the bay is undeveloped and fringed with mangroves. In search of the marker that needed repair, we paddled across the bay and followed Jug Creek west. Paddlers must be aware that there are blind curves and narrow sections in this area. Even during the middle of the week, we had several

boaters pass by fairly close at high speed. The boaters were operating safely and legally within the channel, but the twists and turns of Jug Creek put paddlers and boaters in close proximity. Listen for boat engines before crossing the channel, if needed. If you are with inexperienced or young paddlers, you may want to remain in Back Bay. Heading west on Jug Creek, paddlers can explore areas such as Little Bokeelia Bay, Tom Bay, mangrove tunnels, or open water. We chose the mangrove tunnel and found some small hidden lakes that are inaccessible to

motorboats. The tunnel was so tight in some places that fully rigged kayaks may not be able to pass through either. Anglers with a minimalist mindset however, may find a hidden treasure. There are many places to stop for a post paddle meal between Bokeelia and the mainland, but we chose to eat right at Capt’n Con’s and enjoy the view of Charlotte Harbor. The restaurant caters to boaters and anglers. The fact that I looked like I had just spent an hour in the mangroves did not alarm anyone. If you are looking for a lowhassle paddle away from beaches and busy parks on fishy water, give Back Bay a try.

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Spearfishing

By Rick Bennett hook and line, the

he water clarity in January in SW Florida is usually noticeably clearer than most other months. Bay and river water that is normally stained dark brown from leaves and rain runoff, is now clean and clear. Coupled with the colder weather, which pushes many species of fish closer to shore and into the bay and river, January is a great month to

go spearfishing. Besides the offshore ledges, wrecks and artificial reefs, there are several inshore rockpiles, bridges, and docks that provide the structure on which fish congregate. The current restrictions against keeping any snook, trout, or redfish, make an afternoon of spearing sheepshead, snapper and hogfish a welcomed opportunity to bring home some fish for eating. The same size and bag limits still apply, but spearing has many unique dimensions. For one thing, a fish does not need to be hungry to get speared, it only needs to be in range. Also, by getting in the water you can learn so much about the type of structure that attracts fish, their exact location, size, and numbers. Later when you fish these same areas with a

lessons learned by seeing things with your own eyes will help you visualize where the fish will be and the best way to present the bait to them effectively. Not all the aspects of spearing are in the sportsmanâ€™s favor; being in the water with the fish also poses some additional risks. The water can be very cold and the current or tide must always be considered. A wetsuit will provide some level of warmth and after removing your weight belt, the wetsuit will also provide flotation. It is highly advisable to always dive with a buddy and in many cases, to leave an additional person in the boat to help ensure that all divers can get back to the boat when needed. When in the water, you are no longer the top of the food chain. The shark that bit your tarpon in half last June may still be nearby, so remain

aware of your surroundings at all times and you may also want to remove injured fish from the water soon after spearing them to reduce the chance of attracting sharks. Shark attacks are rare, so any encounters you have will most likely be a treasured memory, but use caution. My family and I have found spearfishing to be a fun and productive challenge that combines the exercise and beauty of diving with the thrill and satisfaction of harvesting wild game in its natural environment.

FACEBOOK.COM/COASTALANGLERMAGAZINEFTMYERS/ | JANUARY 2020 | FORT MYERS 7

A NNUAL

very month of every year will present different challenges to all anglers. This year should be no different from the previous year, in regards to knowing when or where to go in quest of a particular species. Each year at this time, I present my views on what I believe will hold true for the new calendar year as to what species is best to target and during which months (on a ‘quarterly’ basis) as follows: JANUARY- MARCH Sheepshead will lead the charge as the bigger fish migrate from the gulf waters and infiltrate docks, seawalls and mangroves. They will be found in each and every ‘PASS’ (Redfish, Captiva and Boca Grande) as well as creek mouths and back waters with structure, especially those areas with old piles and rocks. I fish for them with shrimp tails while periodically hurling the heads for chum. Use small #1 or # 2 size bait hooks.

Snook is a year around favorite of mine and they have moved from the beaches to the canals and creek mouths. Artificial baits such as ‘twichbait’ (MR 19 MirrOlure); Shallow Running Swim or ‘Crank’ baits; weedless soft plastics or top water plugs (Heddon Spook Jr.) will all produce. Preferred live baits include sardines, herring, pinfish and big shrimp. Jack Crevalle will prevail in canals and creeks. The will be spotted busting glass minnows at the surface. Almost any artificial presentation will work when they are feeding. Use sardines or shrimp for live bait presentations.

By Capt. Terry Fisher

FISHING GUIDE

Spanish Mackerel will begin their migration southward. Artificial baits such as; gold and silver spoons, Got-cha lures for good action. Use wire leaders to prevent cutoffs. Watch for diving birds and usually the mackerel will be a part of the action together with Lady Fish. Grouper/Snapper move closer to inshore as water temperature cools. Causeway, Edison, Helens, Pace and other well know reefs will hold fish. Shrimp, pinfish, sardines and squid are my baits of choice. APRIL-JUNE Seatrout will inhabit grass flats in 3’-6’ of water. Look for murky green color indicating sea grasses. Larger seatrout will be more prevalent during the early spring month of April. Artificial baits of all types will work. Also, fish shrimp under a cork (weighted or free-lined) suspended above the seabed. Ta r p o n will begin their migration from the waters of Mexico. Look for them off Ft. Myers Beach, and the beaches of the outer islands of Sanibel, Captiva, Cayo Costa. Fish live small ‘dollar’ crabs, threadfins, mullets or big pinfish under a cork for best results. Anchor up ahead of their paths. Dead baits placed on the bottom of the seabed will produce and include mullet, catfish fillets. Fishing Boca Grande Pass requires additional skills and different techniques to yield success. I suggest hiring a guide for that adventure and learn some of them. Snook beginning to move from the canals and creeks to the beaches and passes. Redfish become more plentiful and larger inshore with higher tides and stronger

currents. Look for them around oyster beds and mangrove islands on incoming tides. Big

shrimp, cut pinfish and crabs are all great baits to use fished on the seabed or suspended under a popping cork. Mangrove Snapper are an inshore favorite this time of year. They are very tasty. Live cut shrimp on small circle hook placed under docks and around mangroves should yield plenty, for a nice meal. Tripletail/King Mackerel/ Cobia/Permit offshore may all join the party as waters warm. Troll artificial lures for mackerel. Try big shrimp for tripletail and cobia. Mackerel and cobia will likely be caught while fishing for snapper on the reefs mentioned above. JULY-SEPTEMBER Redfish become the predominant fish. The bigger ones (around September time frame) are known as ‘Bull Reds’. Warmer water triggers their migratory senses to move closer inshore. High tides, plenty of food and protection give them the ability to eat, spawn and fatten up for their long winter offshore. They will be found in schools. They love artificial gold spoons and soft weedless plastics. Live shrimp, pinfish and crab are great baits to use in back country locations off oyster shoals and around mangrove islands. Snook will be found in the same locations as redfish during this time of year. While

8 FORT MYERS | JANUARY 2020 | COASTALANGLERMAG.COM/FORT-MYERS/

targeting redfish, one will likely catch snook on the same presentations used for redfish. Seatrout will remain active, but will be smaller in size. Look for the larger ones in the ‘potholes’. Grouper/Snapper will require going further offshore to find. The bigger ones will hold in 45’-120’ of water. Last year the far offshore boats caught a lot of different varieties of both species. are fighting Permit machines and will show up on the reefs. Live crab is my bait of choice. OCTOBER-DECEMBER ‘Red-fishing’ may be at its finest early on this ‘quarter’. However, depending on the water temperatures, it will likely be the ‘beginning of the end’ for the larger Bull Reds. Usually, the month of October is the best and things will begin winding down sometime in November, when cooler

water temperatures move the schooling fish offshore. Seatrout are here year around and are usually plentiful to catch and release but not as big during the last quarter of the year. Pompano/Spanish Mackerel will for the most part be by catches while targeting seatrout. These species are migratory and will show up from time to time throughout the year.

Capt. Fisher at 239-357-6829

FACEBOOK.COM/COASTALANGLERMAGAZINEFTMYERS/ | JANUARY 2020 | FORT MYERS 9

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Opportunities

very year I compete in a few kayak fishing tournaments here in SW Florida. As part of the preparation you need to prefish a week or so before hand to try to establish a pattern of fish behavior and location so you’re more tuned in to the fish come tournament day. If it’s a SWFL slam series you’ll need to catch a snook, spotted sea trout and a redfish. Some of these fish are so predictable, trout and snook, that you can just go to a spot and know that you’ll find them. Redfish on the other hand need a little more finesse to pin them down, so I spend a fair amount of time specifically targeting them. Not only am I guilty of bypassing opportunities to catch other fish, but I see this all the time, a guy or gal comes back to our launch

time that the prep work I was doing became secondary to my mission. While debriefing this trip, I also realized that I was so locked into a particular lure and style of fishing that I may have missed the chance to catch even more fish. I think we’re all guilty of this so don’t be afraid to instantly change tactics or bait, even location and species as you just may hit upon something completely different that results in the fish you’ve been chasing. Bryan, the owner of Gulf Coast Kayak, and I were recently fishing a tournament in “our” backyard and I watched him paddle into this area that I’ve paddled by hundreds of times because I felt it was unproductive only to watch him boat a beautiful redfish out of a school of twenty fish. This same

dejected because they just spent four hours trying to catch one species and failed. I’ll usually try to engage them a little further only to find out that they’ve caught more than a dozen fish that on any given day would be a record for someone else! Usually it’s multiple species, but not the intended target so the trip is seen as a failure but in truth adds to the background knowledge you build in patterning fish behavior. Changing your expectation is paramount to enjoying every trip out and will increase the opportunity to catch more fish. On a recent scouting trip, I landed upwards of forty fish, six different species and no real trophies but had such a good

scenario plays out everywhere every day and while no one wants to lower their expectations for a fishing trip, just a slight change in attitude may reward you in the long run! On a side note I’d like to give Island Coast Trailer in north Cape Coral a shout out for their outstanding, prompt and reasonably priced service. Like many of us here in S.W. Florida I also own a center console boat with a trailer that needs servicing periodically and these folks will treat you right every time! It’s A Wild World-Get Out There! Fishman Dan

Dan Carns at 239-283-1125 10 FORT MYERS | JANUARY 2020 | COASTALANGLERMAG.COM/FORT-MYERS/

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Hanging

By Joe Sheaffer

withMullet

iguring out and discovering different keys and ways to catch inshore species can be a challenge, but a very rewarding endeavor. Three years ago when I moved down to SW Florida and started my inshore fishing adventures, many fishing reports and experienced anglers would talk about fishing around mullet schools. Because of my lack of patience and inexperience fishing these inshore fisheries, I never quite understood the “Mullet Factor”. I’m sure I don’t have it all figured out now, but I definitely have a better understanding and

up on structure, points, and funnel areas along the path of these mullet schools and will feed on them as they go by. Obviously the predator fish feed on mullet, but many times these fish hang with mullet because the large schools stir up and spook many types of bait and the predators take advantage of this. This behavior is very similar to cobia hanging around rays or manatees. When they spook/ stir up different species of bait, the cobia are all over it. I really like fishing schools of large mullet and when I see them slowly meandering along, flashing side to side, my

have figured out a few keys to fishing around mullet. The first key: many inshore species will relate and hang near or around mullet schools. Second: these species are not necessarily trying to eat mullet, especially the very large mullet and third; as anglers we can pick up some important clues from the body language or activity from the behaviors of the schools. Many Species will relate or hang with or around mullet; redfish, snook and trout to name a few. I have often seen redfish swimming in with the mullet schools. Snook will set

confidence in getting a bite is very high. Those larger mullet create more commotion and when they are in that slow flashing swimming mode it is almost a guarantee I’m going to catch a redfish. When I plan a fishing trip and pick out areas that I’m going to fish during that day, I’m hoping to find mullet in those areas. Usually if I don’t see any mullet activity I will move to the next area. Spend more time fishing around mullet schools and I’m sure you will improve your chances of catching fish!

12 FORT MYERS | JANUARY 2020 | COASTALANGLERMAG.COM/FORT-MYERS/

Changes

Wow, is it just me or did 2019 just fly by in a flash? 2020 is upon us hope everyone had a great holiday and did not do anything to crazy for New Years. Real quick, January fishing in SWFL is usually a little difficult. Cold Fronts disturb our usual sunny warm conditions and can create havoc on our freshwater species, especially in our canals. Bass and crappie fishing is the one exception. The bass do not seem to care

Crappie

too much for the change in pressure but the cooler temps do not seem to bother them much. On a super bright note, if you are a pan fisherman and love to eat crappie this is one of the best months to fish. Trafford and all the lakes in our area will be stacked up with the edible little creatures. Let us focus on the bass fishing for a second. If all goes well weather wise and we have moderate temps and no hard freezes then you should find some bedding bass on both the new moon and especially the full moon in January. This goes mostly for the lakes, but do not rule out the canals especially along I75 closer to Ft. Lauderdale. Pitching creature type baits on braided line usually works the best, a good pair of polarized glasses are a must so you can

By Capt Roan zumFelde

Jig see Crappie what is going

on. Pitch in and around their bedding area, pay close attention to your line and lure. Most of the time they are not really eating, they are just trying to move a potential threat to their eggs. I like to use a very visible soft plastic for this operation so I can see when the fish picks it up. I am not a huge fan of people fishing bedding fish, but it is a fact of life that it if you want to catch a big bass this is one of the most productive ways. I do ask though, please take a quick pick or get a weight and return her to the water near the bed so that she can continue to do what she needs to do. Crappie, or specks as some call them, well; they eat well. Great numbers are caught this time of the year and you really havenâ€™t lived until you sit down to a plate of fried crappie with cheese grits! Most productive way to find concentrations is to drift fish with a tiny crappie jig. Once you find a concentration it is time to deploy the Missouri minnows, either on a jig or on a hook with a bobber and small split shot, they really cannot resist them.

Bass Jig Capt. Roan z at 239-775-2248 FACEBOOK.COM/COASTALANGLERMAGAZINEFTMYERS/ | JANUARY 2020 | FORT MYERS 13

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Catch

By Capt. Neil Eisner

o catch more fish, you need to try to change things up a bite when you’re fishing the back country. During the winter we have smaller fish around. Change your Fluorocarbon Leader

leader to a twenty-pound test fluorocarbon. As we move through the seasons we beef it up. In the spring I’m using twenty-five pound. By summer I am up to thirty-pound test.

During the fall, back off to a twenty-five-pound leader. Before you know it winter fishing is back. I use a Yo-Zuri pink leader because it disappears in the water column. Popping corks work well year-round when fishing for trout. But if you’re fishing for reds and snook in the winter months, put the corks away and try a lead-headed jig. I use a 1/4 oz. I don’t believe the fish like to chase the bait in colder water. They are lethargic and don’t move much. It’s easier for them to just pick the bait up off the bottom with little effort. Circle hooks are also a way you can go. Again, I move down in what size hook I’m using. From a 3/0 in the

Circle Hook

summer to a 2/0 or even a 1/0 when fishing for sheepshead or trout. Use a split shot about 12 to 18 inches up on the leader. Make sure your leader is two feet long, approximately. Want to learn more, email or call me.

Capt. Neil Eisner 239-860-4242 FACEBOOK.COM/COASTALANGLERMAGAZINEFTMYERS/ | JANUARY 2020 | FORT MYERS 17

F I T OA

By Capt. Tim Ramsey

e a r s ago, in a fishing magazine I saw a boat called “FITOA.” It meant “Fishing Is The Only Answer.” Some may wonder the question, while others understand completely. I think it’s one of the answers to life. One of them. There are many and they are all connected. Here’s what I

helicopter to a camp in the Nangarhar province of eastern Afghanistan. One day I noticed the Pashtun camp commander had a fishing rod propped up in a corner and asked him about it. Fast forward to he and I knee deep in a local river, myself in body armor, armed with an M-4 carbine, fishing for their version of trout, as two armored vehicles with men standing

mean. I’ve been lots of places. Some were to go fishing. Some were not. However, fishing was occurring whether it was me or someone else, and in some unexpected places. Like during wartime. We used to regularly travel by

in turrets on top behind .50 caliber machine guns faced up and down the river protecting us from the Taliban. Or stationed in strange places. In South Korea we had a man who fished in what we considered a drainage ditch on the side of

18 FORT MYERS | JANUARY 2020 | COASTALANGLERMAG.COM/FORT-MYERS/

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the road, around the corner from our little camp, ten miles from the Demilitarized Zone (way above the 38th parallel, what troops call the “No Smile Line”). The fish were no bigger than a whitebait or greenback, but he smiled happily as he ate them, still flapping, straight from hook to mouth. Or on vacation. We went to Bali a few times surfing and ended up fishing. Planned on one thing and did another. Same thing in Costa Rica, Panama, Belize, Hawaii, Germany, Hong Kong, Kuwait, Iraq, Oman, Qatar, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates. Even on a cruise, fishing from the ship while at anchor. It was the same going to Florida, North Carolina,

they used telescopic fishing rods bought at the department store. Didn’t matter if they were fishing off the bank or in a boat. We hand-lined off that cruise ship and caught flying fish. In Costa Rica I watched a man about 5’2” tall take a 5-foot trolling rod as thick as a broomstick with a Penn Senator the size of a volleyball attached to it sling a silver spoon so far, I couldn’t see it when it landed. It’s still the most amazing cast I’ve ever seen. In the spring in New Jersey, my son and I stand thigh-deep in the cold inlet water surf casting for big blues and striped bass, followed by beers and steaks. In the summer those fish are somewhere else.

"Nothing Like A Day On The Water!"

WE KNOW BOATS!

Why insure yours with anyone else! I'm Capt. David Schuman a second generation insurance agent. Our family has been serving Lee County for 42 years. New Jersey, Hawaii, Tennessee, Kentucky, Houston, and the list goes on. Now I fish in Florida from a boat and think of the little differences that made it a fishing trip in other places. Fishing in Abu Dhabi meant that as we were scuba diving, locals would roar up in their 40-foot center consoles with quad outboards and hand-line for little snappers and grunts as we were 80-feet down watching the dangling baits. In Dubai

So, fishing really is the answer. “FITA.” Is it really “FITOA?” Who knows. It might be. We can do it alone or in groups, for fun, food, or money. It can be pastime, tradition, or part of a culture. We all seem to do it. It’s how we’re connected. Put our differences aside and we’re all just a bunch of people that love to fish. For some, I think, so passionate about it, fishing really is the only answer.

Boat Auto Home Motorcycle Life Business Capt. David Schuman 1329 Hibiscus Dr., Cape Coral, FL 33909 239-242-8072 Davidschuman3@allstate.com 2801 Del Prado Blvd S., Cape Coral, FL 33904 239-945-8888

3114 Lee Blvd Suite 4, Lehigh Acres, FL 33971 239-369-1313

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Brag Board

The Best Angler Photos From Southwest Florida!

This lady (Brittany Cortes) is the “fish whisperer”! Capt. Bryan of Reel Tight FC with tripletails for dinner.

Luis with a HUGE 68# Cobia out of Naples.

A beautiful tripletail caught out with Pale Horse FC!

George caught a beautiful yellowtail snapper offshore Naples!

Spanish mackerel brought fight to Capt. Terry Fisher’s guest!

This Living Waters guest with an Amelia Island grouper.

Dalton Rybka is happy with his Matlacha redfish.

Capt. Rodney Raffield is still finding nice reds in the Everglades backwaters.

Photos submitted Courtesy of Coastal Angler Readers and Contributing Writers 24 FORT MYERS | JANUARY 2020 | COASTALANGLERMAG.COM/FORT-MYERS/

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By John Saporito

ith winter temperatures upon us, its time to switch tactics when targeting inshore gamefish. The warmer months feature an abundance of life on the flats and shallow beds, but winter shows the opposite trend. Both gamefish and their prey seek out stable water temperatures, many moving upriver and into creeks to find refuge from the cold. Due to the high specific heat capacity of water, many fish will escape the cold by moving into deep-water areas of our bays and estuaries.

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Often, fish will congregate in passes, boat channels, and around bridges, where the bottom has been scooped out, creating places that assure consistent water temperatures. These deep-water haunts are excellent places to score in winter, where fish can keep themselves at the appropriate temperature while exploiting the bottom structure and moving water to help with their feeding activity. Whenever deep moving water is in play, there is one technique that stands out above the rest: jig fishing. Jigs are the most effective tool when it comes to pulling fish out of a lateral current. Their unique ability to ride naturally through the turbulence and get down to the bottom where fish are holding makes them ideal for this style of fishing. A single upright hook allows them to bounce off most obstructions and has the strength to hold heavy fish in heavy current. But not all jigs are created equal. The two main styles of jig in use today are the nose-eye and offset-eye. The nose-eye jig has its eye in a forward position on the head of the lure, while the offset-eye jig has its eye in a centered position on top of the jig’s head. The offset-eye jig is superior thanks to its knack for maintaining a horizontal orientation during retrieve. This makes natural presentation with the offset-eye jig a cinch. Weight is a critical factor when using jigs. The lightest possible jig that can get and stay within a few feet of the bottom will net you the most fish. Too heavy a jig will drag uselessly in the bottom sediment, while too light a jig will be unable to reach the deep-water strike zone. Water depth, current speed, wind speed and direction, line material and diameter, and the type of trailer used on the jig are all variables that go into weight selection. Once you’ve selected the appropriate jig, cast it up-current, allow it to sink to the bottom, and let the current sweep it toward any fish-holding structure that might be present. This structure may consist of bridge abutments, dock pilings, boulders, sand waves, ridges or holes. If you can get your jig to glide through the strike zone close to structure in fast deep water, hold on! A jig can help you clean up with your favorite inshore gamefish all winter long. John Saporito is a lifelong fisherman and student of the seas. Visit him online at guerillaangling.com and follow on Instagram @guerilla_angling.

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COLD WEATHER BASS HAMMERING SHAD

Travis Poole with a fine winter bass caught while fishing with C-note Charters. By Randy Cnota hen the north winds blow across Florida, bass experience significant shock from rapidly dropping water temps. Those fronts actually kill many shad; not all, but many. Through the fall and winter, bass tend to school and follow balls of shad to take advantage of feeding opportunities available due to the cold. The abundance of forage and the natural urge to fatten up turn bass into eating machines. Airline_Ad_CoastalAngler_8-1-14_Layout 1 8/1/14 1:14 PM Page 1 action and As a shad dies, it flails about in a jerky twitching

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eventually sinks. If any bass are around, it will never make it to the bottom. Lures that mimic this action and excel this time of year include jerkbaits, A-rigs, spinnerbaits, lipless and deep-diving crankbaits and spoons. The flutter spoon is a personal favorite due to its ability to trigger a feeding response when other lures won’t. The erratic fluttering motion as it falls appears as a very familiar sight bass have been witnessing as shad succumb to the cold. When they strike, you’d best be holding on tight! Spoons are a great tool for scouring depths from 5 to 50 feet. Not only do they generate bites in open water where schools of bass roam for bait balls, they are deadly fished around deep and shallow grass beds. For this, rig a spoon on 50-pound braided main line with a 15-pound-test monofilament leader and cast to grass edges. Allow the spoon to fall into the grass, and then rip it out to generate bone-jarring strikes. Note: 99 percent of spoon bites come as the lure falls on a slack line. Suspending jerkbaits provide a different action needed for winter bass. When it’s bitter cold and bass are depressed from the conditions, you need to slow down while still presenting a shad imitation. Fished on light fluorocarbon line, jerkbaits reach deeper depths than you might think. In clear cold water they produce with reliable results. Long casts and slow retrieves with long pauses between twitches will get cold bass to move and strike. As winter moves toward spring, I cast a lipless crankbait at shallow grass near deep drop-offs. Bass will start moving closer to spawning areas long before they actually spawn and will continue to feed. If weather conditions create a slight rise in water temps, this technique can be hard to beat. Even if water temps are still in the low 50s, but have increased slightly, a fast retrieve will allow you to cover vast areas and pluck off many bass that have started to scatter from their winter schools. During these coldest times of the year is when some of the biggest bass are caught. Don’t let the conditions deter you from searching out that trophy bass. Bundle up and get after it! Randy Cnota is co-publisher of the Panama City/Destin/Forgotten Coast edition of Coastal Angler Magazine and owner of C-note Charters. Contact him at (229) 834-7880 or randyc@coastalanglermagazine.com.

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By Michael Okruhlik • Capt. Michael Okruhlik Photo courtesy of Controlled Descent Lures.

or those who enjoy targeting speckled trout of larger proportions, we know they are not easy to come by. The majority of trophy trout hunting is done in cooler water temps and below normal feeding patterns. Utilizing solunar tables for feeding times can improve your hookup ratio and help you get the edge on gator trout. When I was a child, I would look at the calendar on the wall and see how many fish were on the day I had a trip planned. Multi-fish days built the excitement and anticipation while zero

fish still left me wanting to go, but lessened my expectations. During my younger years, I also found no consistent correlation between my success and the number of fish on the calendar and soon felt no reason to review it. I felt it was more of a folktale than a tool. As I matured into a somewhat better angler, and started spending more time saltwater fishing, I once again started to study the solunar tables along with the tides. To be clear, these tables are not a magic act, nor do they place fish where they are not, but I am a believer that if you are on fish, they will be more aggressive during the feeding times specified in the tables. Many people misinterpret the major as the better bite. This is not necessarily the case. The major vs. the minor is the length of time the bite will last. The major is typically two hours long while the minor is about an hour and a half. Both can share the same intensity of the feeding period. I plan each trip around the bite times. Naturally, I fish more than the two hours of the major bite, but I place myself in what I feel is the prime area during the bite. One rule that I stick to is to fish during the feed times rather than travel from one spot to another. On a recent trip, I wasn’t having any luck and considered moving locations. I checked the time and realized the bite was approaching. I decided to not move during the bite and continued to fish the once non-productive area to realize an aggressive feed during the specified time slot. I find this approach especially true when hunting gator trout. They do not feed that often and are difficult to catch, therefore utilizing the solunar can give you the edge for catching these larger specks. As I stated previously, these solunar tables do not guarantee you will catch fish. However, if you have the correct conditions of tide, wind, water clarity, temps, bait and most of all FISH, giving it your best during the feeding times greatly increases your odds of catching fish, and gator trout. Capt. Michael Okruhlik is the inventor of Controlled Descent Lures and the owner of www.MyCoastOutdoors.com.

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urf Expo is coming to Orlando’s Orange County Convention Center Jan. 8-10. It is an enormous one-stop shop, where retailers can stock up for the upcoming season. The expo’s Bluewater category is designed specifically for retailers of fishing gear, apparel and accessories. Here is a list of Bluewater vendors at January’s Surf Expo: Smithfly, Monster Cooler, Fish Hard Gear, CEECOACH, Big Ocean Sport, Apparel by Home Run, Kanga Coolers, Float Pak, Mang Gear, Fish Hippie, Ugo Wear, Reel Happy, Hooked Soul Fishing Company, 5Fin, AFTCO, Marsh Wear Clothing, Heybo Outdoors, HUK, Tormentor Fishing Products, Jeep by Buck Wear, Bimini Bay Outfitters, Salt Life, Pure Lure Reel Fishing Gear.

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ll of us have enjoyed those rare days when fish would ingest virtually any lure or bait tossed in the water. Those experiences are certainly the exception, because fish are selective about their diets and seldom vary extensively in their choice of foods. Only when they cannot find enough of their standard fare will they range in their choice. Let me share a few examples: It was a beautiful day on the offshore grounds with a strong current that should hold fish. As the hours passed, our frustration increased. We couldn’t even raise a fish. Finally, the captain told us to reel in the lines. It seemed obvious he was going to try another spot, but that wasn’t his intention. Instead of moving, he took the trolling lures off the rods and rigged them with a single hook. One of the outfits had a sinker so it would go deeper. Then he turned the boat broadside to the current and cut the engine. We were now being pushed by the natural flow of water. A live baitfish was put on each hook and then streamed off the starboard side of the boat. He chopped up dead bait and threw a handful overboard as chum every couple of minutes. It didn’t take long before the big guys hit the live bait, and it suddenly became a banner day because the skipper did something different. More than 50 years ago, the late Joe Brooks told me no

one to his knowledge had caught an Allison (yellowfin) tuna on a fly, and he was sure I could do it. Joe set up a trip for me to Bermuda, where yellowfins responded to chum. I had fished chum slicks with a fly with my father since I was a young boy, and we simply cast in the slick and retrieved the fly. I can’t remember ever having a problem with that method. We were anchored on the edge of a bank in Bermuda, with the current taking chum off the edge into deep water. Tuna were devouring chum, and I was sure it would only take a cast or two to hookup. To say I was wrong was an understatement. The tuna ignored the fly as I retrieved it. They swam around it and kept eating chum. Finally, in desperation, I dropped the fly into some chum that lingered on the surface and did not move it. To this day, I can see that tuna inhaling the fly. It weighed 53 pounds and 6 ounces. The point to remember is that if the more common method isn’t working, try a modification. A friend and I were both fishing the same plug. He kept getting strikes, while nothing touched my offering. Finally, he showed me how he periodically vibrated his wrist. It made the lure flash, and that’s all it took. In a similar situation, another friend and I were using diving plugs. He kept hooking fish while I couldn’t buy strike. While I followed a standard retrieve, he would pause for an instant periodically. That allowed the plug to float upward before diving again. Simple, isn’t it? Before you claim there are no fish where you are fishing, try a few variations to standard practice. You might be surprised with the results.

For more from Mark Sosin, visit

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heepshead are some of the tastiest fish in the ocean. They are abundant throughout the Gulf and up the Atlantic coast, usually holding tight to structure like piers, pilings, seawalls, jetties and wrecks. Sheepshead are easy to find, but difficult to hook. They have hard mouths and teeth designed to crush the shells of barnacles, shrimp and mollusks. They’ll crush bait, and the hook, without an angler even knowing they were there. That’s why a dropshot rig is a good tool to have. The standard Carolina or fishfinder rigs are effective, but the added sensitivity of a dropshot, where everything is in line, lets you know the fish is there before it gets away. You’ll get two taps. Set the hook on the first one, because the second tap means the fish is gone. Fishing a dropshot rig is simple. Drop it to the bottom and reel up any slack. With a sensitive rod, the smallest peck is transmitted to the angler’s hand. Here’s how to tie it: • Use a double uni-knot to secure 6 feet of 15- to 20-lb. fluorocarbon leader to a 10- or 15-lb. braided mainline. • Use enough weight to stay in contact with the bottom, and tie it into the end of the leader. • Choose your depth, typically about 2 feet up the leader, and use a Palomar knot to tie in the hook so it rides point-up. Use a sharp J hook (#1-4) depending on the size of the bait, whether it’s a fiddler crab, sand flea, pieces of clam, or shrimp.

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he Regata Storica started in 1489, when the beautiful Caterina Cornaro, wife of the King of Cyprus, renounced her Cypriot throne in favor of Venice. The people of Venice welcomed her with a parade of elaborately-decorated gondolas, in a rainbow of popping colors. Every year since, the spirit of 1489 is recaptured in those world-famous canals when the famous Regata is repeated. Our Cornaro Necklace is the essence of Venice, with the revelry of the Regata channeled into one perfect piece of jewelry. The gorgeous colors recall the Regata itself, and the 59 beads of authentic Murano are the only thing as historic and uniquely Venice as those gondolas. Each necklace is handmade by the legendary Murano glassmakers, where the proud Venetian tradition has been passed down from generation to generation, dating back to before the city threw that first famous party for Caterina.

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