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Winter's

Best Bites

Switch It Up Offshore

PHOTO COURTESY OF DARYN ANDREW WHITE VOLUME 25 â€¢ ISSUE 298

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O P P O R T U N I T I E S

A V A I L A B L E

JANUARY 2020

W O R L D W I D E

12/11/19 4:15 PM

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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

A s

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.

For more Bowman, go to

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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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By Tonya Wiley, Havenworth Coastal Conservation

awfish are shark-like rays named for their saw-shaped snouts. Smalltooth sawfish were once found in coastal waters from Texas to North Carolina; however, fishing mortality and habitat loss led to dramatic reductions in both their numbers and range. Now they are regularly found only in southwest Florida, especially around Everglades National Park. NOAA Fisheries listed the smalltooth sawfish as “Endangered” under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 2003. Because of the protections afforded by the ESA, it is illegal to target, harm, harass or handle sawfish in any way. While it is technically illegal to catch a sawfish except with a research permit or in a fishery where incidental take has been authorized, captures do occur while fishing for other species. Mortality from incidental captures in both commercial and recreational fisheries is an ongoing threat to this endangered species. It’s the responsibility of all fishers to follow guidance to quickly and safely release, without harm, all sawfish caught while fishing. Sawfish are powerful animals that can whip their saws very quickly, which can cause serious injury to the angler and the sawfish. The number one rule to remember when releasing a sawfish is to leave it in the water at all times. Because of the ESA protections, it is illegal to possess a sawfish. Removing it from the water is considered possession and is a clear violation of the law. Do not lift a sawfish out of the water onto your boat or a pier, and do not drag it onto shore. Simply cut the line as close to the hook as is safely possible. Never remove the snout, called a rostrum, as sawfish use it for detecting and catching food. In addition to being illegal, removal of the rostrum severely limits the ability of the sawfish to find enough food to survive, and could result in death from starvation. Mishandling and

By Will Schmidt

magine slowly stripping a shrimp fly, with prey in pursuit, when your guide says, “Quick… pick it up before the bonefish gets it.” It seems nonsensical, but it happens more than you think while casting at permit in Ascension Bay, Mexico. Known to many fly fishermen as one of the most permit populated places on earth, the waters of the southern Yucatan hold much more than world class permit.

the purposeful injury or killing of captured sawfish is both illegal and detrimental to the recovery of the population. These guidelines ensure the safety of both the sawfish and the angler. If you catch or see a sawfish, take a quick photograph of it, estimate its size, note your location, and share the details with scientists. The details of your sightings or catches of sawfish help to monitor the population and track the recovery progress. Share your information by calling 844-4-SAWFISH (844-472-9347) or visiting www.SawfishRecovery.org. For more information about sawfish research, conservation, and management in the United States visit www.SawfishRecovery.org.

The journey starts with an easy flight to Cancun. From there, a two-hour van ride to Tulum might still have you wondering how to get away from all the tourists. However, once you board your panga and start the hour ride through the pristine waters of the lagoon system of Ascension Bay, you will realize you are truly on the path less traveled. Once back on land at the Grand Slam Lodge just north of Punta Allen, you’ll be greeted with margaritas and shown to first class accommodations in your beachfront villa. You will also notice there is nothing else around, and you are actually at the end of the road in the middle of nowhere. This fishery is nothing short of amazing. Home to a lobstering community, there is no other commercial fishing. All the recreational fishing is catch and release. These waters hold more permit than anywhere else I know, but be forewarned they are still permit and not easily fooled. Additionally, the number of bonefish here is staggering, and although not typically as large as the fish you’ll encounter in the Bahamas, they average a respectable 3 to 4 pounds in quantities that are astounding. There are also large numbers of tarpon, snook (which the guides seem to get particularly giddy about), jacks and barracudas to keep you busy all day. One of the other unique aspects of fishing here is each boat has two guides, the head guide and a junior guide. The second guide is extremely helpful to the angler as an extra set of eyes as well as for quickly changing outfits for the variety of species encountered and to help manage tangle-prone fly line. If you want to be spoiled, two guides does it. Ascension Bay is one of the greatest fisheries I have experienced. This is a renowned destination for fly fishermen seeking permit and a wonderful intro for anglers new to saltwater fly fishing. To see the quantity and quality of fish here, you would expect to travel much farther and stay in far more rustic accommodations. I recently returned from a trip in the “off season,” which is in reference to the number of tourists not fish. In three days of fishing, I never saw another angler while fishing. It provided us with abundant, pressure-free, happy fish to target. Will Schmidt is an experienced tournament angler who has been writing about fishing for more than two decades. For more information, check out grandslamfishinglodge.com.

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• Dick’s Sporting Goods – Clermont, 1325 Sandy Grove Ave., Clermont, FL 34711 • Dick’s Sporting Goods – Colonial Fashion Square Mall, 724 Herndon Ave., Orlando, FL 32807 • Dick’s Sporting Goods - Waterford Lakes, 1100 Alafaya Trail’ Orlando, FL 32828 • Dick’s Sporting Goods – Sanford,350 Towne Center Circle’, Sanford, FL 32771 • Dick’s Sporting Goods – Orlando Millenia, 4615 Millenia Plaza Way,Orlando, FL 32839 • Dick’s Sporting Goods – Florida Mall, S. Orlando • Bagg’s Produce, Sanford, 2485 Sanford Ave, Sanford, FL 32771 • Boat Tree Marina, 4370 Carraway Place, Sanford, FL 32771,(407) 322-1610, boattreemarina.com • Noble’s Marine Leesburg,Highway 441& Palmetto,Leesburg, FL 34748, noblesmarine.com • Noble’s Marine Crystal River, 1931 NW Highway 19, Crystal River, FL 34428, noblesmarine.com • Bithlo Bait & Tackle, 17162 Old Cheney Hwy., Orlando, Fl. 32833 • Mudhole Custom Tackle, 400 Kane Court, Oviedo, FL 32765, mudhole.com • Big Toho Marina, 101 Lakeshore Blvd., Kissimmee, FL 34741, bigtoho.com • Pier 44 Marina, 34526 State Road 44, DeLand, FL 32720, pier44marina.com • Highbanks Marina & Camp Resort, 488 W Highbanks Rd, DeBary, FL 32713, campresort.com • Thomas Lumber Company – Orlando, 231 West Gore Street, Orlando, FL 32806, thomaslumber. com • Orlando Outﬁtters, 2814 Corrine Dr., Orlando, FL 32803 • Bitters Bait & Tackle, Longwood, 165 N. US HWY. 17-92, Longwood, 32750 • Gibson’s Truck World, 3455 S. Orlando Dr., Sanford, Fl.32773 • Owens Fishing & Marine, 935 N. Bay St. Eustis, Fl. 32726 • Avalon Ace Hardware, 14807 E. Colonial Dr., Orlando Fl., 32826 • Richardson’s Fish Camp, Kissimmee, 1550 Scottys Rd, Kissimmee, FL 34744 • FWC Ofﬁce, Kissimmee, Scotty’s Rd, Kissimmee, Fl. 34744 • Wojo’s Bait & Tackle, St. Cloud, Oak Park Center, 4245 13th St, St Cloud, FL 34769 • West End Trading Co. 202 S. Sanford Ave., Sanford, FL 32771 • Lakeside Bait & Tackle, Tavares, 1000 W Burleigh Blvd, Tavares, FL 32778 • Halls Feed Store, Apopka, 15 E. 5th Street, Apopka, Fl. 32703, The Florida Angler at 786 W. Montrose St, Clermont

Trophy-sized largemouth bass, limits of crappie, and the shad run will keep anglers busy this January in Central Florida. Water levels have dropped, and the water ﬂow has slowed. Fishing is best when you can but working around the cold fronts will produce the best bites. Want to pay off those holiday bills? Don’t miss out – Free – Hook’d on Lake Monroe Fishing Tournament Jan 10-12. Don’t forget to sign up for the Shad and Crappie Derby! Fish of the Month - American and Hickory shad are here. Look for them from Mullet Lake Park all the way upstream into the Econlockhatchee River and Puzzle Lake. Match the minnow hatch – wild minnows are small. Try a one-inch black 2 ORLANDO

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with chartreuse tail tube bait on a 1/16th ounce jighead (minnow tipped). Another tip – try a 1/8 oz. jighead with a 2” curly tail or 2” paddle tail soft plastic. Keep your baits small. Longline troll a little faster than you would for specks, about 1.8 – 2.8 mph with plenty of line out so that the lure is near the bottom. The by catch might just be a large sunshine bass! Crappie – Full and new moons will see spawning activity – specks bed in colonies. Males prep beds in shallow while larger females will stage in 6-10 feet of water where drop offs are close to the shore of the lake. January will see the river bends swell with staging females. Minnow tipped jigs tied 12 inches below a ¾ ounce egg sinker ﬁshed a foot above the bottom is sure to catch a stringer full. Mylar and ice jigs work great in January too. Longline trolling improves when tipping with a live Missouri minnow.

Cold fronts are moving in on Central Florida from the north. This weather is like a dinner bell to the largemouth bass. I have noticed that the bass are willing to eat most baits that resemble some sort of shad imitating bait, especially during pre-front conditions. Lipless crankbaits would be something I would try throwing around shoreline grasses, points, pockets and coves. Make sure to make some long casts and count a few seconds before you start to reel it in. I try to use either a 1/2 oz. or 1/4 oz weighted lure. Remember you can catch multiple ones on this bait because of the two treble hooks on it. I try to vary the retrieves till I either get bites or start catching some. Another bait to try is a small swimbait in a 3-inch to 5-inch size. You can ﬁsh these types of lures in shallow spots but also deeper water. Just count a few seconds before reel-

ing it in when fishing deeper than three feet. Jerkbaits - either a soft or a hard bait are another one that has really produced some nice bass and also numbers. Remember to work the baits with the rod tip then reel up the slack line. Spinnerbaits can be casted into some pretty heavy cover and reeled out of. Make sure to make multiple casts at areas that look like a hungry one would hang around. Chatterbaits or a bladed jig is another one I would tie on. You can add a swimbait as a trailer to make the baits profile larger hopefully resulting in larger catches. If you try to mimic some sort of baitfish your trip should be more successful. Crappie fishing will be picking up with small jigs and minnows. A small white roadrunner jig has been my go-to for catching them. This is a great time of the year to book your own guided charter on the Harris Chain of Lakes. For charter information, updates, and catch info visit www.cprbasscharters.com.

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12/13/19 6:46 PM

Get Hook’d on Lake Monroe Fishing Tournament and Seafood Festival Friday Jan. 10th 6:00pm – 8:00pm Captains Meeting All fishing teams must come to register for the tournament at the captains meeting to be able to fish in the tournament on Saturday. Anglers are required to stay for the entire captains meeting. An overview of the contest and rules will be given by the tournament director followed by Q & A for anyone with questions. Registered Anglers will receive a free White Claw at the captains meeting and will receive all the rules and regulations and tournament ruler. Saturday Jan. 11th 7:00am – 1:00pm Fishing Tournament Both the Bass and Crappie tournament will start at 7am. Weigh-ins will start at 1:00pm and will be separated out in flights of 25 teams per every 30 minutes. 1:00pm – 4:00pm Tournament Weigh-in All anglers will be assigned a time slot for weigh-in at registration during the captains meeting. Slots will be pulled lottery style. A onepound penalty per minute late for arriving late to weigh in. Angler will be disqualified after 15 minutes late, no exceptions. Anglers must check out if not weighing fish. Noon – 9:00pm Seafood Festival All the festivities for friends, family and spectators start at noon. There will be over 30+ food vendors as well as many other vendors and product demos going on from noon until 9pm. A large outside stage will host Bands, DJ’s and the tournament Award Ceremony. Seafood festival will also include Kids Zones and Conservation/Education Zones. 5:00pm – 6:00pm Tournament Award Ceremony Winners will be announced, and prizes will be awarded. Following the ceremony there will be a performance by The Supervillains at The West End Trading Co. Sunday Jan. 12th 9:00am – 10:00am Conservation and Fishing education seminar We will have space for 150 kids to participate in the conservation class. All kids that participate will receive a free fishing pole. Parents must be present for kids to participate. Sign ups will begin Saturday at the Sea Food Festival but kids will be able to sign up morning of as well as long as there are still spots available. The class will consist of 5 stages including; Safety, Conservation, Knot tying, Tackle, and Casting 10:00am – Noon Kids Fishing Rodeo All kids will fish the small pond behind the Sanford Museum. All parents must be present while their kids are fishing. There will be volunteers to assist children. Small prizes will be awarded to kids during the tournament. Noon – 2:00pm Fish Fry and Wrap Party The weekend wraps up with a free fish fry at Celery City Craft. Celery City’s outside stage will host live music

Tournament Pay-Out: Bass Division 1st Place: $2,500 2nd Place: $1,000 3rd Place: $500 4th Place: $250 5th Place: $125 6th Place: $100 7th Place: $75 8th Place: $50 9th Place: $25

Crappie Division 1st Place: $2,500 2nd Place: $1,000 3rd Place: $500 4th Place: $250 5th Place: $150 6th Place: $125 7th Place: $75 8th Place: $50 9th Place: $25

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Kissimmee grass, reeds, or bull rushes. These are the areas I have most success with - once you find them it is like fishing in a barrel. Baits of choice for artificial are the plastic lizard type baits, watermelon seed color, work it really slow. Lizards eat the eggs and will get eaten. Live wild shiners are best bait always for big bass if you can get them. The Crappie bite is really good on East lake Toho since the drawn down to remove unwanted vegetation. The fish are concentrated in open water grouping up. The best way to catch Crappie is trolling with jigs in the deepest water you can find. Always tip jigs with live minnows. Drifting minnows under a cork – vary the depth until you find what the specks like. As the water keeps dropping use caution at the boat ramps. Enjoy the winter fishery, Captain Randy.

The bass and crappie are biting! Now is the time to book your funfilled exciting day of fishing. Wanting to catch big bass and crappie? The winter months is the prime time to book your trip, wet a line and enjoy some great fishing. The north-end of the lake has been the hotter area(s) of the lake to fish since the beginning of the spawn near the northern shoreline and areas around the Kissimmee River. The bass have been on the beds. Fun times catching them on swim jigs; swim baits; worms and top water lures. The pitching/flipping technique with creature-style lures can produce some of the bigger bites as the big females hang out nearby waiting to move up to their bedding areas. If you’re wanting to jig for big crap-

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pie in the shallows now is the time to book your trip, the season is typically Dec –March and sometimes on into April It’s a fun way to catch them and learn a new technique with great action. Don’t know how to jig for crappie? Not a problem, I teach my customers how to catch them and will go home with some great-tasting fish to eat. I provide all tackle used for both bass and crappie trips. Soft plastic lure colors to use when fishing for bass - June bug, red bug, black/blue, watermelon/red and white. Areas to look for bass and crappie are the North shore, Tin house, Kings Bar, Buckhead Ridge and on the east side around Hendry Creek. Booking info for Lake Okeechobee visit www. southfloridabassfishing.com or call 863-228-7263. Capt. Angie’s Sponsors: Mercury Marine; Lews; G-Loomis; Gene Larew; Reel Magic; Gill; Pradco; Mega Strike; Bullet Weights; Navionics; Power-Pole; Mid-South; Maui Jim and Tru-Turn hooks. Let’s go catch some fish!

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SJA had another amazing outing on their home waters in the Harris Chain of Lakes on November 23 and 24, 2019. This was the third leg of the 2019 - 2020 B.A.S.S High School Regional and State Qualifying tournaments. On Saturday the 23rd we had 7 teams compete for points and scholarship money, and to help them qualify for the National Tournament on Kentucky Lake in August of 2020. Our season starts in August and goes thru August of 2020. So far, we have fished 3 weekends consisting of Lake Okeechobee, Lake Seminole, Harris Chain of Lakes, and lastly, we will be going to St. Augustine on the North St. John’s River in mid-December. There are more than 200 teams in the State of Florida that compete in the B.A.S.S. High School tournament series. SJA has 7 teams this year. This year we have 4 teams in the top 10 for the region and we currently occupy the first and fifth place slots for the State of Florida. SJA is kicking bass this year! Congrats to Team DiMauro (Bryce and Davis) and Zach Temperly and Will Grace for what they have accomplished early season. The Harris tournament was difficult fishing for most teams. It has been tough to get on a consistent offshore bite with all the weed killed off. The wind blew both days and temperatures were in the mid to upper 60’s. The water is cooling off and the fish seem like they want to start heading in for wave 1 of the spawn. The most consistent bags came out of Lake Griffin. Most of the fish have been caught on Rat-L-Traps, senkos, chatter baits, and jerk baits. Any lure that can be snapped through or worked thru the grass is going to be your best bet right now. We caught a few smaller bucks close to the shore and had one nicer fish hooked in the shallows - but I still think we are a month or so out. One of the highlights of the Harris Tournament was a young freshman angler for SJA - Bryce DiMauro - age 14 - caught a monster 10.75 lb. bass. Right now, this bass leads the big fish caught this year in the B.A.S.S High School series. And, it helped anchor their 14.20 oz bag of fish and lock them into winning the State Fall Series for 2019 - 2020 season. This will qualify them early to fish in the National tournament in August of 2020. Congratulations Team DiMauro and all the SJA anglers. We are always looking for new anglers. If you know of a High School student angler and want them to help them get involved, please have them write me at dave@dbgpromotions.com. Thank You to our sponsors: Orlando Coastal Angler Magazine, All Terrain Tractor Services, All American Excavating Airport Chrysler Jeep Dodge, Oakley Fishing, Bitter’s Bait and Tackle, Mud Hole, MHX, Citizens Bank of Oviedo, Sun Ray Paving, Teen 10-4 kids, Kysek Coolers, Onyx, DBG Promotions, Rothrock Marine, Starbrite, Lews Reels, Shimano, Evolve, Winter Park Scenic Boat Tours and so many other organizations that help us throughout the year.

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drop the bait in front of them and wait. Twitch only once. In general, slow down lure presentations during cold weather to increase success. When water temperatures are low, it is best to fish later in the day when the flats warm up. These species will be feeding For starters, the American and on crabs and shrimp, so adjust hickory shad are my preferred your lure and bait selection acwinter freshwater fishery as they cordingly. move up the St Johns River on their annual spawning run. Both Along the beach out of Port Cawater conditions and numbers naveral look for good numbers of early arriving shad are looking of pompano, ladyfish, and jacks good. These species are easy to located just outside the breakers. catch and great fun on light tack- Use small jigs tipped with a piece le, both spin and fly, and the fish- of fresh shrimp. Also, January is ery is very accessible especially the month when the breeder size on those windy days. Included redfish move into the passes and with these species are sunshine feed in the mouth of the inlets and largemouth bass, striped during the last part of the falling bass, crappie, brim and bluegill, tide. As the tidal currents slow and channel catfish. down, the large redfish push up to the surface chasing baitfish. On the Mosquito Lagoon, redfish, These monsters are brood stock, sea trout and black drum sight so please handle and release fishing improves as water levels them with care. drop and the water clears up. Cast past and in front of the fish, reel quickly along the surface,

Handler Fishing Supply tipped with a whole squid has been the best for me.

I hope everyone had a great holiday season and a safe New Year. The last few weeks have been great near shore and should continue until the weather gets cold. Cobia and triple tail have been hanging close to the beach. For triple tail I like to use a small bucktail tipped with a piece of squid or a live shrimp with just a small shot of weight on it. Tease them with it a little and most of the time they will eat it. Triple tail makes some of the best eating around. You will find them free swimming and holding to pieces of weeds and anything else you can find floating. Cobia have been hanging out in the same areas as the triples, have the bucktail with squid ready. There are many things you can use for them. If they’re hungry they will eat, so to speak. A bucktail from

Pushing a little farther out, Pelican and 8A have had some decent kings on them. I have been using many different baits since live bait is a little hard to find this time of year. Have your dead sardines handy? If you can’t find any bunker, try sabiki rigs around the buoys or wrecks on the way out for some blue runners or threadfins. Live bait will definitely be better. Farther offshore the dolphin, wahoo and sails have been doing much better. Although there’s specific tactics and ways to target each specifically, I use smaller Islander lures with small ballyhoo. All three species can be expected this time of year. Wahoo can be targeted with a little more speed in your troll. This is the time of year they are around in greater numbers. Keep things simple. We catch more wahoo and mahi-mahi while king fishing than targeting them.

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Boat Dealers New & Consignment Sales 1 - Astor Marine (352) 759-3655 24535 FL-40, Astor, FL 32102 www.astormarine.com

18 - Monroe Harbor Marina (407) 322-2910 31 N Palmetto Ave, Sanford, FL 32771 www.moroneharbor.com

42 - Central Florida Airboat Tours (407) 32107534650 E State Rd 46, Geneva, FL 32732 www.centralfloridaairboattours.com

6 - Sea Tow of Central Florida Lakes

31 - Pyramid Cabinets (407) 947-8499

9 - Instant Insurance Agency (352) 735-5560 25833 State Road 46, Sorrento, FL 32776 www.instantinsuranceagency.com

34 - Thomas Lumber Company (407) 841-1250 231 W Gore St, Orlando, FL 32806, www.thomaslumber.com

51 - A & D Custom Canvas (407) 331-8184 725 Montana St. Orlando 32803

49 - Martin Tree Service, Inc. (407) 359-1119 1215 Bob White Trail, Chuluota, FL 32766 www.martintreeserviceinc.com

(877) 800-1492 12307 Wedgefield Drive , Grand Island, FL 32735

2 - Nobles Marine (352) 787-5792

437 N Palmetto St, Leesburg, FL 34748 or 1931 N. Hwy 19, Crystal River www.noblesmarine.com

3 - Craig Catamaran (407) 290-8778 4333 Silver Star Rd. #100 Orlando, FL 32808

Bait & Tackle Shops / Outfitters / Apparel

4 - Triangle Marine (352) 343-6146

451 Fairvilla Road, Orlando, FL 32808 www.codepyramid.com

15 - The Florida Angler (352) 708-8290

50 - Campbell Renovations Inc. (407) 947-0016 285 Campbell Ranch Run, Geneva, FL 32732 www.campbellrenovationsinc.com

5 - Lakeside Bait & Tackle (352) 742-3336

1000 W Burleigh Blvd, Tavares, FL 32778

55 - Vapor and Company (407) 878-7397 3617 S. Orlando Dr., Sanford, FL 32773 www.vaporandco.com

1021 N Orlando Ave, Maitland, FL 32751 www.centralfloridamarine.com

7 - Owens Fishing & Marine (352) 357-3030

56 - Ice Age Air Conditioning (407) 324-7283

38 - Orlando Boat Sales (407) 253-7111

11 - Highbanks Marina & Camp Resort

11415 US-441, Tavares, FL 32778 www.trianglemarinecenter.biz

786 Montose St., Clermont, Fl 34711 www.thefloridaangler.com

30 - Aamco East Orlando (407) 277-3311 6304 E. Colonial Dr. Orlando FL 32807 Full Service Mechanics

25 - Central Florida Marine (407) 647-6262

935 N Bay St, Eustis, FL 32726

(386) 668-4491 488 W Highbanks Rd, DeBary, FL 32713 www.campresort.com

3165 N John Young Pkwy, Orlando, FL 32804 www.orlandoboatsales.com

37 - Southeast Marine (407) 851-1965

14 - Boat Tree Marina (407) 322-1610

7576 S Orange Ave, Pine Castle, FL 32809 www.southeastmarinesales.com

4370 Carraway Pl, Sanford, FL 32771 www.boattree.com

24 - Boat Max USA (321) 866-0306

2953 Alafaya Trail, Oviedo, FL 32765 www.boatmaxusa.com

3455 S. Orlando Dr. Sanford, FL 32773 www.gibsontruckworld.com 14 - Boat Tree Marina (407) 322-1610 4370 Carraway Pl, Sanford, FL 32771 www.boattree.com

Boat improvement / Service & Repair Centers / Replacement Parts 36 - All American Marine (407) 855-9988 7024 S Orange Ave, Orlando FL 32809 www.allamericanmarineorlando.com

39 - Fish on Fire (407) 812-6881 7937 Daetwyler Dr, Orlando, FL 32812 www.fishonfireorlando.com

10 - Get Hooked Bait & Tackle (407) 704-8755 670 Kissimmee Ave, Ocoee, FL 34761

40 - High Tide Harry’s (407) 273-4422

45 - Wojo’s Bait & Tackle (407) 891-1003 Oak Park Center, 4245 13th St, St Cloud, FL 34769

28 W Jersey St, Orlando, FL 32806 www.manta.com

48 - Mud Hole Custom Tackle, Inc.

37 - The Steer (407) 286-6802 8015 S. Orange Ave., Orlando FL

2814 Corrine Dr., Orlando, FL 32803 www.orlandooutfitters.com

Home Improvement Contractors & Service Providers

32 - Portside Marine (407) 249-1124 2730 Forsyth Rd, Orlando, FL 32792 www.portsideorlando.com

26 - DWR Plumbing LLC. (407) 293-3717 6344 All American Blvd, Orlando, FL 32810

23 - Talon Marine Services (407) 542-7600

27 - Orlando Painting Service (407) 896-0839 65 Harold Ave, suite B, Winter Park, FL 32789

439 Aulin Ave, Oviedo, FL 32765 www.talonmarineservices.com

www.orlandopaintingservice.com

20 - Team Marine Services (407) 260-8326 8235 N. Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando FL 32810 www.teammarineservices.com

28 - Millennium Electric (407) 420-2001 4340 Edgewater Dr, Orlando, FL 32804 www.millennium-electric.com

19 - Ahoy Marine (407) 323-8373

41 - Water Works Pressure Cleaning & Sealing

511 E 25th St, Sanford, FL 32771 www.superpages.com 8 ORLANDO

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33 - Boston’s Fish House (407) 678-2107 Aloma Square Shopping Center, 6860 Aloma Ave, Winter Park, FL 32792 www.bostonsfishhouse.com 17 - St. Johns River Steak & Seafood

56 - Orlando Outfitters (407) 896-8220

29 - Lake Fairview Marina (407) 295-0117 4503 N Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando, FL 32804 www. Lakefairviewmarina.com

4645 S Semoran Blvd, Orlando, FL 32822 www.hightideharrys.com

57 - Hollow Point Apparel (386) 547-5455 Real Apparel for Real People www.hollowpointapparel.com (407) 447-7637 400 Kane Ct, Oviedo, FL 32765 www.mudhole.com

35 - All Star Marine (407) 423-9953

47 - Jolly Gator Fish Camp Bar & Grill

43 - Bithlo Bait & Tackle (321) 355-0591

44 - Big Toho Marina (407) 846-2124 69 Lakeview Dr., Kissimmee, FL 34741

381 Evangeline Way, Sanford, FL 32771 www.rothrockmarine.com

Areas Best Picks for Restaurants (407) 349-5554 4650 E State Rd 46, Geneva, FL 32732 www.thejollygator.com

17162 Old Cheney Hwy, Orlando, FL 32833

12 - Rothrock Marine (866) 375-6143

59 -DK Plumbing (321) 303-1426 Licensed and Insured dkplumbing@cfl.rr.com

21 - Bitters Bait & Tackle (407) 699-6619 65 N US Hwy 17 92, Longwood, FL 32750 www.bittersbaitandtackle.com

46 - Gibson Truck World (407) 321-0660

You Can Reach Us 24/7 www.iceageac.com

(407) 878-0980 550 N Palmetto Ave, Sanford, FL 32771

22 - Huey Magoo’s (407) 706-6004

160 Tuskawilla Rd #1204, Winter Springs, FL 32708 www.hueymagoos.com 3 Locations – Winter Springs – Altamonte Springs – Oviedo

13 - Camp House Restaurant (407) 915-5401 100 S White Cedar Rd, Sanford, FL 32771 www.camphousebarandgrill.com 52 - The Deli (407) 332-8800 4360 Carraway Pl, Sanford, FL 32771 53 - T J’s Seafood Shack (407) 365-3365

197 E Mitchell Hammock Rd, Oviedo, FL 32765 12231 E Colonial Dr. #230, Orlando(407) 250-4191 www.tjsseafoodshack.com

54 - Otters On The River (407) 636-6300 4380 Carraway Place, Sanford, FL 32771

(407) 376-9526 490 Buck Lake Lane, Geneva, FL 32732 www.jmwaterworksinc.com

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Community Service Providers Astor Marine

Team Marine Services

Sylvan – Oasis - Sun Chaser Pontoon Boats Honda – Mercury – Suzuki - Yamaha

Honda Outboard Sales and Service Boat Repairs, Maintenance, Parts

Nobles Marine

Ahoy Marine

24535 FL-40, Astor, FL 32102 Phone:(352) 759-3655 www.astormarine.com

437 N Palmetto St, Leesburg, FL 34748 or 1931 N. Hwy 19, Crystal River Phone: (352) 787-5792 www.noblesmarine.com Mako – Tracker – Nitro – Tahoe - Sportsman Yamaha - Mercury

8235 N. Orange Blossom Trail Orlando, FL 32810 Phone: (407) 260-8326 www.teammarineservices.com

AHOY MARINE INC.

CRAIG CATAMARAN CORPORATION World Headquarters & Showroom 4333 Silver Star Rd. #100 Orlando, FL 32808 - 407-290-8778 SHOWROOM HOURS Monday - Friday 9 AM to 5 PM Saturday By Appointment We give test drives at our showroom in Orlando, FL!

Triangle Marine

11415 US-441, Tavares, FL 32778 Phone:(352) 343-6146 www.trianglemarinecenter.biz

Lake Fairview Marina

4503 N Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando, FL 32804 Phone: (407) 295-0117 www. Lakefairviewmarina.com Consignment Sales – Outboard Service – Storage – Ship Store – Sailing Classes

Portside Marine

2730 Forsyth Rd, Orlando, FL 32792 Phone: 407) 249-1124 www.portsideorlando.com Service for: Mercury – Yamaha – OMC – Mercruiser – Volvo Replacement Parts – Trailer Service & Repair

All American Marine

Boat Tree Marina

Service All Outboard Brands – Stern Drives – Canvas – Interiors – Trailer Repair

Crest Pontoon – Yamaha – Suzuki – Volvo Penta

Central Florida Marine

Boat Max USA

Pathfinder – Hewes – Maverick – Mitzi Siff – Gheenoe – Yamaha Your Shallow Specialists

Pioneer Boats – Consignment Sales Authorized dealer for Yamaha and Suzuki Glasstream Boats - Mobil Service - Outboard Motor Part Sales

1021 N Orlando Ave, Maitland, FL 32751 Phone: (407) 647-6262 www.centralfloridamarine.com

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Mercury Marine Premier Service Center Mercury Marine Repower Center Factory Authorized Parts and Service Mariner Parts and Service

Bennington Pontoons – TideWater Johnson – Evinrude – Yamaha

7024 S Orange Ave, Orlando, FL 32809 Phone: (407) 855-9988 www.allamericanmarineorlando.com

10 ORLANDO

511 E 25th St, Sanford, FL 32771 Phone: (407) 323-8373

JANUARY 2020

4370 Carraway Pl, Sanford, FL 32771 Phone: (407) 322-1610 www.boattree.com

2953 Alafaya Trail, Oviedo, FL 32765 Phone: (321) 866-0306 www.boatmaxusa.com

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12/13/19 6:47 PM

Community Service Providers Gibsons Truck World

Thomas Lumber Company

Specializing in Ford, Chevy, Dodge Ram, and GMC Pre-Owned Trucks Since 1969 “King of Lifted Trucks”

Old Fashion Lumber Yard – Lumber – Trim – Custom Doors – Hardware – Delivery – Customer Service

Sea Tow of Central Florida Lakes

Millennium Electric

Free Member Towing – Captain Kerry Kline, Serving All of our Central Fl Area – One Call Service

Commercial – Industrial – Residential Service, Wiring & Repairs

A & D Custom Canvas

Campbell Renovations Inc.

3455 S. Orlando Dr., Sanford, FL Phone: (407) 321-0660 www.gibsontruckworld.com

12307 Wedgefield Drive , Grand Island, FL 32735-8413 Phone: (877) 800-1492

725 Montana St. Orlando 32803 Phone:(407) 331-8184 Boat Covers – Canvas & Bemini Tops – Custom Upholstery – Side Curtains

231 W Gore St, Orlando, FL 32806, Phone: (407) 841-1250 www.thomaslumber.com

4340 Edgewater Dr, Orlando, FL 32804 Phone: (407) 420-2001 www.millennium-electric.com

285 Campbell Ranch Run, Geneva, FL 32732 Phone:(407) 349-0016 Cell: 407-947-5460 www.campbellrenovationsinc.com State Certified Contractor CBC 1255779 Residential & Commercial New Construction – Renovations – Kitchens – Bathrooms – Additions – Tenant Build Out

Mud Hole Custom Tackle, Inc.

Vapor and Company

Rod Building Classes – Rod Components & Supplies – Tackle Crafting

Electronic Cigarettes and E-Liquid Experts in Smoking Cessation Orlando Coastal Angler Magazine Approved! Altamonte Springs Location Too

DWR Plumbing LLC.

Orlando Painting Service

400 Kane Ct, Oviedo, FL 32765 Phone:(407) 447-7637 www.mudhole.com

6344 All American Blvd, Orlando, FL 32810 Phone: (407) 293-3717 Commercial – Residential – Re-Piping – Licensed – Insured – State Certified

Owens Fishing & Marine

935 N Bay St, Eustis, FL 32726 Phone: (352) 357-3030 Saltwater Tackle & Bait - Ballyhoo, Freshwater Tackle - Live Bait - Wild Shiners Costa - Shimano Top Shelf Dealer Outboard Service & Boat Parts Hunting & Snorkeling Accessories Bow Fishing

3617 S. Orlando Dr. Sanford FL 32773 Phone:(407) 878-7397 www.vaporandco.com

65 Harold Ave, suite B, Winter Park, FL 32789 Phone: 407) 896-0839 www.orlandopaintingservice.com Commercial – Residential Custom Homes – Re-Paint Specialist – Pressure Washing

The Florida Angler

Located in Historic Downtown Clermont 786 W. Montrose Street, Clermont, FL 34711 352-708-8290 www.thefloridaangler.com Daiwa, St Croix, 13 Fishing, UPF apparel, line spooling. “Proudly serving the unique breed of Fisherman”

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Community Service Providers Huey Magoo’s

160 Tuskawilla Rd #1204, Winter Springs, FL 32708 Phone: (407) 706-6004 www.hueymagoos.com Fresh Chicken Tenders - 7 Locations – Winter Springs – Altamonte Springs – Oviedo

Boston’s Fish House

Aloma Square Shopping Center, 6860 Aloma Ave, Winter Park, FL 32792 Phone: (407) 678-2107 www.bostonsfishhouse.com Fresh Seafood Flown in Daily from New England – Beer – Wine

St. Johns River Steak & Seafood

550 N Palmetto Ave, Sanford, FL 32771 Phone: (407) 878-0980 On Water Location – Special Events – Full Bar – Steaks – Fresh Seafoodel

T J’s Seafood Shack

197 E Mitchell Hammock Rd, Oviedo 12231 E. Colonial Dr., Orlando - Raw Bar Phone:(407) 365-3365 Award winning Fish Tacos - Fresh Seafood Specialties - Raw Bar 2 Locations - Oviedo - East Orlando

Fish on Fire

7937 Daetwyler Dr, Orlando, FL 32812 Phone: (407) 812-6881 www.fishonfireorlando.com Full Bar – Fresh Seafood – Steaks – Prime Rib – Chicken – Entertainment – Special Events

The Steer

8015 S Orange Ave, Orlando, FL 32809 Phone: (407) 286-6802 Serving Fresh Beef, Pork and Wildgame Specials, Now Open for Lunch, Closed Sunday & Monday

Camp House Restaurant

100 S White Cedar Rd, Sanford, FL 32771 Phone: (407) 915-5401 www.camphousebarandgrill.com American Grill – Full Bar – Cold Beer Wings – Burgers – Sandwiches – Salads

Water Works Pressure Cleaning & Sealing 490 Buck Lake Lane, Geneva, FL 32732 Phone: (407) 376-9526 www.jmwaterworksinc.com

Residential – Commercial – Fences – Walks – Driveways – Paver / Re-sand / Seal – Screen Enclosures

ADVERTISE HERE!

Be seen by more than 10,000 people monthly. Contact us now! Contact Phil Wolf for more information.

(407) 790-9515

phillip@coastalanglermagazine.com 12 ORLANDO

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12/13/19 6:47 PM

Wednesday January 1 Happy New Year! The staff at Orlando Coastal Angler Magazine hopes that all our loyal readers have a wonderful, blessed start to the 2020 New Year! Start the day off right out on the water and catching a memory with a child, a friend or another family member. Wednesday January 1Orlando Coastal Angler Magazines’ 11th Annual Shad and Crappie Derby continues! Check our website or the current issue of in print to find a sign-up location near you. With over 25 locations in Orange, Seminole, Lake or Osceola Counties there is one sure to be one close to your home or where you buy your minnows or get bait. FREE to enter and fish, adult division and youth division. Monthly prizes for largest fish of the month and grand prizes for the overall winners of each division. Over $5000 in prizes to give away to our lucky winning anglers. Tournament continues until the last day in February. Complete info online https://coastalanglermag. com/orlando/. Thursday January 9 - 5pm to 8pm, “Alive After 5” in Sanford - The staff of Orlando Coastal Angler Magazine invites you to join us for an evening of fun in downtown Sanford. This event is the second Thursday of each month downtown. Block Party on First Street! Don’t miss the chance for a fun night on the town. Thursday January 9 – 7pm, Backcountry Fly Fishing Association, monthly meeting locations change and are TBD monthly, check our web-site just prior to meeting. This is a “Free” club to join for more info contact or visit www. bfaorlando.com January 10-12, 2020 – Get Hook’d on Lake Monroe Fishing Tournament and Seafood Festival - $10K in Cash & Prizes – Free to Enter! Crappie will count in the Shad and Crappie Derby! Anglers must attend the Captains meeting from 6:00 to 8:00pm Friday January 10th to register your team, get your weigh-in time and enter

a FREE raffle for $500 bucks cash drawing. Cash Prizes of $2500 for winners of the Bass or Crappie divisions as well as cash paid through 9th place in each division. (See schedule in this edition page XX) Tournament starts at 7am on January 11th, weigh-in opens at 1pm. Tournament Weighin will be at Sanford Harbor Boat Ramp next to Monroe Harbour Marina downtown sponsored by Orlando Coastal Angler Magazine. Live music, Hook Kids on Fishing Event, Kids Fishing Derby and Funspot, Seafood, Vendors and More. Contact Dustin Gioertz at West End Trading Company, 202 S. Sanford Ave – www.drinkatwestend.com, Dustingioertz@gmail.com. Saturday February 15 - 4th Annual Seminole Junior Anglers St. John’s River Bass Bash. This is a fundraising event - open bass tournament with proceeds going to fund the high school anglers that qualify to fish the National High School Bass Championship in Alabama and Kentucky. $125 entry fee for 2 angler team, includes Big-Bass award and a Captains bags of goodies and shirts for each angler. Guaranteed $1500 bucks for the winners. Registration begins at 5:30 am at Wayside Park, under the I-4 bridge on Lake Monroe and the St. Johns River. Lots of raffle items and family fun. The weigh-in will be hosted at 2:30 pm at Boat Tree Marina, 4370 Carraway Place at the Port of Sanford. Come out and see the best anglers in our area bring their fish to the scales and help support our future generation of Bass Anglers - help raise money to send them to Nationals! Visit seminolejranglers.org for more info and registration forms or contact Dave DiMauro at 407353-4575. If you have an event or meeting you would like included in the “What’s Hitting Around Town” column, send your details to: Phil Wolf phillip@ coastalanglermagazine.com. Deadline for inclusion is the 10th of the preceding month.

401 Commerce Way Suite 101, Longwood FL 32750 www.respitecmedical.com • 407-834-2266 and 1-800-945-6685 Specializing in meeting rhe needs of the home respiratory and sleep therapy patients.

East Coast Tide Charts Tide Charts brought to you by these businesses

January 2020 Time

2Th

4Sa

5Su

7Tu

9Th

Miami, Government Cut

Height

12:23 AM 2.0 6:19 AM 0.3 12:46 PM 2.1 6:54 PM 0.3 1:12 AM 1.9 7:11 AM 0.4 1:30 PM 2.0 7:45 PM 0.3 2:06 AM 1.9 8:05 AM 0.5 2:18 PM 1.9 8:37 PM 0.3 3:02 AM 1.9 9:01 AM 0.5 3:10 PM 1.9 9:27 PM 0.2 4:00 AM 2.0 9:56 AM 0.5 4:04 PM 1.9 10:16 PM 0.1 4:57 AM 2.1 10:46 AM 0.4 4:59 PM 2.0 11:03 PM -0.1 5:50 AM 2.2 11:34 AM 0.3 5:51 PM 2.0 11:49 PM -0.2 6:40 AM 2.3 12:21 PM 0.2 6:42 PM 2.1 12:35 AM -0.4 7:28 AM 2.4 1:06 PM 0.1 7:31 PM 2.2

10F

11Sa

12Su

13M

14Tu

15W

16Th

17F

18Sa

Time

1:21 AM -0.5 8:15 AM 2.5 1:51 PM 0.0 8:19 PM 2.3 2:07 AM -0.6 9:01 AM 2.6 2:38 PM -0.1 9:08 PM 2.4 2:55 AM -0.6 9:47 AM 2.6 3:26 PM -0.2 9:58 PM 2.4 3:44 AM -0.6 10:34 AM 2.6 4:16 PM -0.3 10:50 PM 2.4 4:36 AM -0.5 11:22 AM 2.6 5:08 PM -0.3 11:44 PM 2.4 5:31 AM -0.3 12:11 PM 2.5 6:04 PM -0.3 12:42 AM 2.3 6:30 AM -0.2 1:04 PM 2.4 7:04 PM -0.3 1:43 AM 2.3 7:33 AM 0.0 2:00 PM 2.2 8:05 PM -0.3 2:48 AM 2.2 8:37 AM 0.1 3:00 PM 2.2 9:07 PM -0.3

Po nce de Leo n Inlet Hig h Ti de -11 m in ute s Lo w Ti de +19 m in ute s

(Approximate Times)

19Su

20M

21Tu

22W

23Th

24F

25Sa

26Su

27M

Time

Height

3:54 AM 2.2 9:41 AM 0.1 4:03 PM 2.1 10:08 PM -0.4 4:58 AM 2.3 10:42 AM 0.1 5:05 PM 2.1 11:05 PM -0.4 5:57 AM 2.3 11:38 AM 0.1 6:03 PM 2.1 11:58 PM -0.4 6:50 AM 2.3 12:29 PM 0.0 6:55 PM 2.2 12:48 AM -0.5 7:38 AM 2.4 1:17 PM 0.0 7:42 PM 2.2 1:34 AM -0.5 8:21 AM 2.4 2:02 PM -0.1 8:26 PM 2.2 2:17 AM -0.4 9:01 AM 2.4 2:44 PM -0.1 9:07 PM 2.2 2:59 AM -0.4 9:38 AM 2.3 3:25 PM -0.1 9:47 PM 2.2 3:38 AM -0.3 10:14 AM 2.3 4:04 PM -0.1 10:26 PM 2.1

Time

Height

28Tu 4:17 AM -0.2 10:50 AM 2.2 4:42 PM 0.0 11:06 PM 2.0 29W 4:55 AM 0.0 11:25 AM 2.1 5:21 PM 0.0 11:46 PM 2.0 30Th 5:35 AM 0.1 12:02 PM 2.0 6:01 PM 0.0 31F 12:30 AM 1.9 6:17 AM 0.2 12:41 PM 1.9 6:45 PM 0.1 1Sa 1:18 AM 1.8 7:06 AM 0.3 1:24 PM 1.8 7:34 PM 0.1 2Su 2:11 AM 1.8 8:02 AM 0.4 2:15 PM 1.7 8:29 PM 0.1 3M 3:12 AM 1.8 9:02 AM 0.4 3:13 PM 1.7 9:27 PM 0.0 4Tu 4:15 AM 1.9 10:02 AM 0.4 4:16 PM 1.8 10:24 PM -0.1 5W 5:16 AM 2.0 10:59 AM 0.3 5:18 PM 1.9 11:19 PM -0.3

Ft. Pie rce Inlet, S. Jetty Hig h Ti de -31 m in ute s Lo w Ti de -18 m in utes

Po nce Inlet, Halifax Rive r Hig h Ti de +5 m in ute s Lo w Ti de +33 m in ute s

Jensen Beach Hig h Ti de +2 ho u r s, 17 m in ute s Lo w Ti de +3 ho u r s, 4 m in ute s

Po rt Canave ral (Tr i dent Pie r) Daily Pre dictio ns

Sewell Pt Hig h Ti de Lo w Ti de

Patr ick Air Fo rce Base Hig h Ti de -1 ho u r, 4 m in ute Lo w Ti de -38 m in ute s

Ju pite r Inlet, S.Jetty Hig h Ti de -10 m in ute s Lo w Ti de -9 m in ute s

Sebastian Inlet Br i dg e Hig h Ti de -48 m in ute s Lo w Ti de -24 m in ute s

Po rt Eve rgla de s - Tu r n in g Basin Hig h Ti de -31 m in ute s Lo w Ti de -13 m in ute s

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Height

JANUARY 2020

+1 ho u r s, 13 m in ute s +2 ho u r s, 9 m in ute s

ORLANDO 13

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Santa and his reindeer have clocked out and are headed on vacation. They would be smart to investigate some Brevard county kayak fishing for a way to relax. January is the unofficial start of the space coast sight fishing season and now is the time for all Central Florida to get ready. The winter winds that occupy our cold fronts as they pass are ready made to blow the water out of our lagoons to the east. With no tidal movement on the lagoons of the space coast, north or south winds are the factor that set the seasonal water levels; though rain amounts also play a factor. (Simplified: a constant wind from north means the water drops, winds constant from the south and the water rises). Couple that with diminished rain fail and out flow amounts and cool waters with very little small organism growth. All these factors will converge on the space coasts’ lagoons to ensure the shallow flats will be blanketed in the cleanest water of the year. You will certainly see some monster trout warming themselves on the flats, but you’re most consistent catches will come from croakers of a different color. Redfish and black drum do reside in the same family “croakers” as Seatrout, but the ability for both reds and black drum to withstand and even enjoy cold water set them miles apart from the spotted cousin they share habitats with. True students of the lagoons will have noticed another very visible clue to the winter flats puzzle. Bait size (less than 10inches) finfish are seemingly non-existent in all areas, less around some of our deeper holes and canals. Not to mention fish biology dictates a slower metabolism in cooler times that alters the digestive functions of our sub-tropical game fish. Cue up the buffet of shrimp, crabs, marine worms, snails, minnows and the like to carry our fish through those tough cold days until the spring bait fish bounty returns. The red fish’s new diet has an obviously limited amount of movement that the reds exploit for a more laid-back feeding pattern that suits our chilled out reds just fine. Slowly working the lagoon flats on sunny and calm late mornings will greet Brevard’s kayakers with tailing, pushing, and laid up reds. Most will be hungry and willing to eat an offering as long as they don’t need to work hard to capture it. Longer casts that don’t land to close are best to achieve a natural appearance to your shrimp like offering. When rigging your tackle for these clean water fish look to not only lighten your leader to the 20lb. range, but also lengthen your leader. Downsize your artificial lures and attempt to work them slowly on all but the warmest days.

14 ORLANDO

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Bryce DiMauro with a monster 11lb plus bass caught on Harris Chain while ﬁshing High School State Tournament a nice Derby Entry “Hammer Time” Jeff Hammer with

averal, caught aboard Huge Bull Redﬁsh from Port Can s rter Cha Fired-Up

16 ORLANDO

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Winners of Bobby Lane Cup High School division, also Big Bass honors, Cableb Kinyon and Grayson Ashley and Captain Joey Bloom from Team Seminole Jr Anglers 17.01 lbs and Big Bass over 7lbs over 120 High School Teams competed!

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orey Kitzmann, of Davenport, Iowa, knows what it’s like to catch a freshwater monster. The 57 ¼-inch muskellunge he caught back in August was recently certified as a new Minnesota catch-and-release state record. The nearly 5-foot-long muskie measured 25 ½ inches in girth and had an estimated weight of 47 pounds. Kitzmann was fishing alone at Lake Vermilion, a more than 40,000-acre Canadian Shield lake west of Lake Superior. He was working a bucktail on 80-pound line when the toothy critter ate. “When I set the hook, I knew immediately that I had a nice fish on,” he said. “It wasn’t until the fish made its way to the side of the boat that I realized I had a true giant.” But getting the fish to the boat wasn’t the end of the fight. Kitzmann was able to net the fish solo, but he had to wave down a nearby boater to help haul it out of the water for photos before a successful release. Minnesota’s certified-weight state record for Muskie is 54 pounds. That 56-inch fish was caught way back in 1957 at Lake Winnibigoshish. The IGFA all-tackle world record for muskie has stood since 1949. It weighed 67 pounds, 8 ounces and was caught from Lake Court Oreilles in Wisconsin.

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By John Lidington t’s January—named for Janus, the two-faced god who looked forward and backward at the same time. It’s also New Year’s resolution time. That’s when we look at what we should have done, to figure out what we ought to do. Doing this, I’ve come up with a long list of shortcomings that could stand some attention in 2020. But resolutions don’t have to focus on negatives. Accentuating the positives is equally important. One such positive event was a special snorkeling session at the Blue Heron Bridge. The 6-year-old granddaughter of some friends was coming to visit, and they wanted to introduce her to snorkeling. They heard the Blue Heron Bridge was a great site, but had never been. Knowing it’s a spot I frequently dive, they asked if I would guide them. I agreed, and we chose a day with an early afternoon high tide so

the weather would be at its warmest. Of course, the bridge delivered its usual magic—magic that was amplified and transformed by a 6-yearold’s reactions to experiencing it for the first time. We swam the full length of the snorkel trail—saw the sunken boat, the shark statues, the rock piles and the artificial reef castings. I pointed out critters left and right to a very excited audience. When we reached the end, she insisted on retracing our path back to the beginning. She wanted to see everything again! As we wrapped up, it hit me that even though I had not seen a single frogfish, octopus or nudibranch, I was psyched. I realized that I’ve come to treat the standard cast of fishy characters—angelfish, barracuda, porkfish, grunts, parrotfish, porgies and so much more—as background noise while I search for “rarities.” Familiarity had bred complacency. It took the contagious enthusiasm of a 6-year-old to knock me out of my rut. That was a special afternoon. I’d like to think I helped start someone on a lifetime of appreciation for the marine environment. But it was important for me, too. I felt good that, through a small investment of time and effort, I could make someone happy. I also welcome a renewed enthusiasm for what I had begun to treat as commonplace. So what’s my New Year’s resolution? Well, I have three grandchildren, spaced a bit more than a year apart, with a fourth on the way. I resolve to offer all of them a good introduction to snorkeling. Obviously, that’s a multi-year resolution. It will let Grandpa interact with them in a way that will keep them excited and my outlook fresh. If I’m really lucky, they will transition to PADI’s Junior Open Water SCUBA Diver program as they turn 10, opening up even more years of fun for us. If you’ve got someone to take under your wing (or fin), get out in the water with them! There’s no shortage of easy snorkeling sites in Florida, and Pura Vida Divers will show you where to go. The rewards are great for all involved. Give Pura Vida Divers a call at (561) 840-8750 or make an online reservation through their website at www.puravidadivers.com.

a few inches wider, a few #10 self-tapping stainless screws, some indoor/outdoor carpet and a pool noodle.

Tim Barefoot

ot an aluminum jonboat that makes a lot of noise with hull slap? The Silencer eliminates this hull slap noise and allows you to get closer to the fish. With a few basic hand tools and materials, you can have a jonboat that is as quiet as a V-hull fiberglass boat. Internal insulation reduces the noise of hull slap, but The Silencer eliminates the chop that causes this hull-slap noise all together. Sure, you will have to drill a few holes in your bow, but this simple homemade gadget allows you to get closer to wary fish. Fish hear your noise way beyond casting distance. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been frustrated by watching trophy fish swim right past the boat in shallow water. These fish have lockjaw. They’ve heard the boat, and they’re trying to get away instead of smashing that topwater lure. Noise absolutely matters! Fish are not stupid to the sounds of trolling motors and hull slap. There is nothing I can do about trolling motor noise, but when you need to get closer to fish upwind, the Silencer allows you to get within casting range without the noise from hull slap. I created this method due to my own frustration at watching fish spook before they were in casting range. From ponds to the Intracoastal Waterway and the sounds, aluminum boats offer advantages for fishermen. But their built-in disadvantage is they are noisy. The materials for The Silencer are simple. Everything you’ll need for this project can be purchased at the local hardware store or flooring supply store. All you need is .125-inch (1/8 inch) x ¾ wide aluminum (or stainless) bar stock cut to the width of your bow or

STEP 1: Sew a loop of the carpet around the pool noodle (as shown in photo). The carpet should be as wide as your bow and slightly longer than the height of your bow off the surface of the water. STEP 2: Screw the aluminum bar stock and the non-pool-noodle end of the carpet to the bow rail. Drill (.187) 3/16-inch (clearance) holes in the aluminum bar stock, and match the self-tapping holes in the bow of your boat to match. Use an impact driver or drill to “seat” the self-tapping screws into the bow rail, through the clearance holes in the bar stock and the indoor/outdoor carpet. STEP 3: You’re done. Toss the pool noodle end of The Silencer off the bow. Chop is absorbed by the carpet and pool noodle, leaving an eddy of still water between The Silencer and your hull. For a detailed video of how to DIY, visit

BAREFOOTCATSANDTACKLE.COM click on: “The Silencer.”

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FLORIDA

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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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FLORIDA

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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.

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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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