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Three Days For Atlantic Snapper PHOTO BY CAPT. BLAKE RIGBY COURTESY OF TRIPLETAIL CHARTERS WWW.TRIPLETAILCHARTERS.COM VOLUME 26 • ISSUE 316

GROUPER

GAME CHANGER

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JULY 2021

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very once in a while a timepiece comes along that’s so incredibly good looking, masterfully equipped and jaw-droppingly priced, that it stops us stone cold. A watch that can take you seamlessly from the 18th hole to the board room. A watch that blurs the line betweens sports watch and dress watch. We’re talking the Blue Stone Chronograph, and it sits at the top of the discerning gentleman’s watch list. Striking in appearance and fully equipped with features, this is a watch of substance. The Blue Stone merges the durability of steel with the precision of crystal movement that’s accurate to 0.2 seconds a day. Both an analog and digital watch, the Blue Stone keeps time with pinpoint accuracy in two time zones. The watch’s handsome steel blue dial seamlessly blends an analog watch face with a stylish digital display. It’s a stopwatch, calendar, and alarm. Plus, the Blue Stone resists water up to 30 meters, making it up for water adventures. A watch with these features would easily cost you thousands if you shopped big names. But overcharging to justify an inflated brand name makes us blue in the face. Which is why we make superior looking and performing timepieces priced to please. Decades of experience in engineering enables Stauer to put quality on your wrist and keep your money in your pocket.

Your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed. Experience the Blue Stone Chronograph for 30 days. If you’re not convinced you got excellence for less, send it back for a refund of the item price. Time is running out. Originally priced at $395, the Blue Stone Chronograph was already generating buzz among watch connoisseurs, but with the price slashed to $69, we can’t guarantee this limited-edition timepiece will last. So, call today!

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n the era of the coronavirus, outdoor recreation has become an important survival tool. Last year, the boating industry saw a record number of new boat owners. Both new boaters and seasoned boaters changed their habits to social distance while making the most of their love for the recreational outlet. According to a survey of 3,500 boaters by Sea Tow Services International, this trend is expected to continue into the 2021 summer season. Pandemic-influenced boating behavior: • 52 percent of boaters surveyed anticipate their boating activity to increase this summer compared to last. • 20 percent cite the pandemic as the reason for extending their boating season again in 2021. • 24 percent plan to vacation on/by boat (versus other forms of travel) because of the pandemic. • 35 percent plan to use their boat primarily for cruising near their home. • 16 percent upgraded to a larger boat in 2020 or plan to do so in 2021. • 52 percent plan to use their boat primarily for fishing (65 percent inshore/30 percent offshore/5 percent freshwater). • 30 percent have found it more difficult to find dockage and/or marina space. “Our member survey has typically been a very strong indicator for seasonal recreational boating trends,” said Kristen Frohnhoefer, President of Sea Tow. “Last year, Sea Tow saw a 34 percent increase in requests for on-water assistance in the summer of 2020, and our nationwide network of captains are anticipating another busy season for 2021.” With the sale of a record number of new boats in over a decade and an influx of new boaters, Sea Tow noted that in 2020 owners of new boats were 142 percent more likely to need ungrounding services, 108 percent more likely to need fuel delivered to them and 11.2 percent more likely to need a battery jump. Alternately, new boat owners are 22 percent less likely to need a tow. “These numbers are very interesting,” Frohnhoefer said, “They reflect the fact that new boaters are not yet familiar with things like shifting sandbars and hard to navigate channels, or how to manage their fuel, like their more seasoned counterparts–which is getting them into trouble and causing them to call us for assistance. But likewise, these stats demonstrate what we’ve been saying all along—that when it comes to new boats, on-water assistance typically is needed due to user error, not mechanical failure, as newer boats and engines are more reliable than ever before.” With the number of new boaters recreating on the water, the need for boating education has never been more important. Sixty-nine percent of boaters surveyed are looking for more advice on local navigational assistance, mishap prevention and general boating basics. “2021 is sure to be another banner year for boating,” said Frohnhoefer, “We’ll find out real soon if these trends for recreational boating activity are in fact here to stay.” For more on Sea Tow, visit www.seatow.com.

4 NATIONAL

JULY 2021

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he very best hunting knives possess a perfect balance of form and function. They’re carefully constructed from fine materials, but also have that little something extra to connect the owner with nature. If you’re on the hunt for a knife that combines impeccable craftsmanship with a sense of wonder, the $79 Huntsman Blade is the trophy you’re looking for. The blade is full tang, meaning it doesn’t stop at the handle but extends to the length of the grip for the ultimate in strength. The blade is made from 420 surgical steel, famed for its sharpness and its resistance to corrosion. The handle is made from genuine natural bone, and features decorative wood spacers and a hand-carved motif of two overlapping feathers— a reminder for you to respect and connect with the natural world. This fusion of substance and style can garner a high price tag out in the marketplace. In fact, we found full tang, stainless steel blades with bone handles in excess of $2,000. Well, that won’t cut it around here. We have mastered the hunt for the best deal, and in turn pass the spoils on to our customers. But we don’t stop there. While supplies last, we’ll include a pair of $99 8x21 power compact binoculars and a genuine leather sheath FREE when you purchase the Huntsman Blade. Your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed. Feel the knife in your hands, wear it on your hip, inspect the impeccable craftsmanship. If you don’t feel like we cut you a fair deal, send it back within 30 days for a complete refund of the item price. Limited Reserves. A deal like this won’t last long. We have only 1120 Huntsman Blades for this ad only. Don’t let this BONUS! Call today and beauty slip through your fingers. Call today! you’ll also receive this

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TIPS TO DIAL IN RIVER-RUN BASS S

By Nick Carter

triped bass don’t stay in the same place long. Huge spring runs up the Atlantic Coast and into freshwater rivers to spawn is natural behavior for stripers. Even fish trapped by dams in inland reservoir systems retain a strong urge to move. Across the east, wherever reservoir striped bass exist, the movement begins as a spring spawning run. Fish push out of the lakes and as far up creeks and rivers as they can go. This spring run is followed by a larger summer migration, when stripers pile into the rivers seeking more comfortable water conditions. Here are a few tips from the pros for dialing in river-run stripers. • Make Shots Count: “Fish good water, and fish it well,” said Bill Stranahan. Stranahan guides with Southeastern Anglers, and the striper run on Tennessee’s Hiwassee River is a summertime staple. Fishing the Hiwassee run is like deer hunting. You’re fishing hard for a few bites from monster fish that get up into the 40-pound range. “Look for good structure, whether its wood, shoals or rock faces,” Stranahan said. “When you’re on that good structure, don’t rush it. You can spook ’em with a bad throw, so take your time and make good shots.” Whether you’re throwing streamers with a fly rod or swimbaits with conventional gear, Stranahan warned against locking into the big bait, big fish theory. “We all know stripers will chase down big 6-, 7-, 8-, 9-inch skipjack and gizzard shad, but don’t forget your smaller baits,” he said. “A lot of their forage base is 4 inches or less. There’s a time and a place for fishing small stuff.” • Fish it All: Rob “Mustache” Smith, of The Fish Hawk in Atlanta, has guided the Chattahoochee River striper run for two decades or more. He knows all the hotspots where there are always fish. He also knows those spots

PHOTO COURTESY OF GARNER REID

get a ton of pressure. Smith said to slow down and fish all the likely structure instead of rushing to areas where you’ve caught fish before. “If you’re on the river, fish everything,” he said. “Those fish are constantly moving, and you’d be surprised at the fish you’re passing when you’re rushing to get to that one little area. Fish it all, and fish it like you expect a fish on every cast.” • Move Some Water: “When they’re in the river, those fish are laid up in ambush,” said Garner Reid, who made his name guiding fly fishers to big Georgia stripers on the Etowah River. “You’re drawing reaction strikes, and what triggers them is a fly that looks like it’s wounded or fleeing.” Reid said it’s easy to get sloppy with the retrieve when you’re blind casting all day. He reminds anglers that it takes an aggressive presentation to move some water, cause a little commotion and trigger a striped bass’s predatory instinct. “Use the current and the swing to enhance your strip,” he said. “Make that fly hunt for you.” Visit Southeastern Anglers at www.southeasternanglers.com. See The Fish Hawk website at thefishhawk.com. Call Garner Reid at (770) 866-0301.

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COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM

JULY 2021

NATIONAL 7

THREE CLUES TO

Mahi Mahi By Capt. Quinlyn Haddon

ahi fishing can be tricky in some places and times of year. They congregate under floating material adrift in the current, leaving them with no fixed address within an area of greatly variable depths. If you are fortunate enough to be able to target dolphinfish along the Gulf Stream this summer, you are in the right place at the right time. You shouldn’t have much trouble filling your cooler and even maxing out on the generous daily bag limit of this species. Head out to target mahi with a full tank of fuel. Assume you will have to run far and wide to find them, but hope to get lucky along the way. Recruit everyone on board to remain on the look out for the three telltale mahi hangouts: weeds, birds and floaters. Weeds can be productive whether they are formed tightly in a line, or even a tight patch. Birds can be a great sign of actively feeding fish at the surface, but they can also just be birds being birds. Learn to read them properly to avoid wasting time. A group of circling birds or diving birds is what you want to look for, and the more the better. Sometimes, a bird that’s on fish will flicker in the sun, reflecting the sunlight in a sporadic pattern as it moves its body to stay on top of something it has spotted under the surface. Circling frigate birds are always a good sign. If you see one even attempt a dive, start trolling immediately. Floaters can be anything floating in the water, from debris to sea turtles. When you find floaters in open water, it doesn’t take long to feel out if it is productive or not. If you happen to see all three of these goldmines come together, with birds diving around debris sucked to a weedline, troll the ever loving shi…mano out of it. When trolling for mahi, you won’t need to run more than four lines. Troll two small lures long, ideally on the outriggers, to draw in smaller dolphin. Troll one medium lure or ballyhoo at mid-length, and one large lure close. Dolphinfish have the mentality of a toddler. When you reel one to the boat, leave the fish in the water, put your rod in the rod holder, and cast out behind the hooked fish. The school should have followed your mahi to the boat, and with their mahi-see, mahi-do mentality, they’ll all want to partake in snack time. Continue hooking mahi and leave them in the water until you run out of available rods to cast. Start by putting one fish in the boat, but don’t take the second out of the water until the first rod has gone back out and hooked another fish. Try switching from live bait to chunk bait to keep them eating. If they don’t slam a bait as soon as it hits the water, try twitching the bait. Even a completely healthy and well-presented live bait sometimes isn’t as enticing as one that’s getting yanked away from them. Mahi will eat nearly anything, especially if you know how to taunt them properly. One of the biggest challenges in catching them is trolling through weeds. Weeds that cling to your lures is a pain to manage on the deck, while constantly clearing lines, and you also miss a lot of opportunities to catch fish. All lures catch weeds, the determining factor is whether they shed those weeds. Deep diving lures that never breach the surface are not your friend in this situation. Lightweight, squid-skirted lures do an excellent job of popping out of the water when bogged down with weeds. Most times, they clear themselves of weeds. Blue Magic Charters makes their own 3D-printed lures designed to troll in weeds. Visit them in Marathon, Fla., and ask us about their DR. BUBBLES lures. Capt. Quinlyn Haddon fishes with Blue Magic Charters in Marathon, Fla. Contact her at (504) 920-6342 and visit CaptainQuinlyn.com.

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RHODAN: TOTAL GAME CHANGER FOR GROUPER

Tim Barefoot

here was a time—not too long ago— when only a select few would consistently come home with grouper, and not just “bottom fish.” There were several reasons for this. First and foremost, not everyone wanted to learn and spend the energy it took to learn to anchor. Anchoring accurately is an art form not mastered by all, but when mastered, it is the gateway to consistently catching grouper. Rhodan trolling motors, with their GPS Anchor systems, have made it so anyone can have a shot at catching grouper and not just all the other species down on the bottom. It’s one thing to have a trolling motor with “Spot Lock” that will hold position in a small bay boat, but Rhodan made the tool for serious offshore

boats to sit on the same place without using the anchor. Partner this Rhodan with a couple 36 volt lithium deep-cycle batteries, like Dakota, Ionic or Lithium Pros on a battery switch, and you have the tools it takes to score. Rhodan is just one aspect of what it takes to go grouper fishing, and not just “bottom fishing.” The way I set the dinner table for a grouper on every ledge is to have everyone on the boat sending down whole squid on the first five or six drops. I don’t care what they’re catching during this “chumming exercise,” because chumming is exactly what we’re doing. We’re getting one spot on the bottom chummed up with little pieces of squid swirling around. The smell and sound of an ongoing feeding

frenzy draws in the top of the food chain in no time at all. This is the point when we start to grouper fish. Yes, I’ve caught a lot of grouper on the whole squid, also, but this part of the routine is strictly to get the party started. Once it’s going, we drop live baits that none of the grunts, pinkies or sea bass can fit in their mouths. The smaller fish just hang out looking at these bigger baits and hoping for scraps. This is when grouper see four or five live baits on the bottom attached to Squid or Crab Decoy Jigs. To them, it’s a no-brainer. The sight of a grass grunt, pinfish or sailor’s choice struggling against the weight of the jig is more than a grouper can understand. They are hardwired to eat these fish that eat their eggs. The live bait and Decoy Jig combo gets the bite because a struggling bait is a “gimme.” Also, while you’ve got those grouper lines on the bottom, don’t forget to send a light out near the surface. Bait it with a live or frozen bait to catch pelagics like kingfish, dolphin, wahoo or tuna that happen to be swimming past. What does this all have to do with the Rhodan? Well, Rhodan’s powerful and precise GPS anchoring eliminates drift without all the aggravation and hard work of anchoring. Let Rhodan change your game by allowing you to concentrate on the fish while it keeps the boat in place! See more from Capt. Tim Barefoot, of Barefoot Cats and Tackle, at barefootcatsandtackle.com.

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NATIONAL 11

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TIDEWATER / OUTER BANKS

JULY 2021

By Capt. Jim Davison, Miss Disturbed Sportfising

What’s in your spread? With so many different types of lures available for trolling the question comes up, what are you running in your spread? I mean there is 1000’s of different makes, models, shapes, etc. of lures made by 1000’s of manufactures. If you think you have everything in your tackle bags, I challenge you to visit stores such as Melton International Tackle, Bass Pro Shops, Tackle Direct, Capt. Harry’s and so on. I promise you will find something you don’t have. The numbers tell the tale. Anglers spend near $50 billion per year on fishing gear and trips; yes, that’s BILLION. So, with so many different things available what do you like to troll behind your boat for tuna? I know everyone has their favorite lures and where they run them, everyone has their go to for cloudy days and sunny alike. Here is what I like and it has produced pretty good for me. I always have a blue/white islander, a green machine, and at least 2 sea witches in my spread someplace. My blue/white islander I like to pull off one of the long rigger. Make sure if you are pulling this thing on a long rigger you are using a 50 wide or better when marlin are around. Marlin like this thing just as much as tuna and a 400 pounder can break your heart real quick. I also like to have a spreader bar someplace. Usually, I pull one in the prop wash off, a flat line or a short rigger. I also like to pull something on a planer or a diving lure such as a Nomad on one of my corner rods. This diving lure will get down below the prop wash and some days it’s the hot lure. So where is the green machine? Well, I like it behind a bird down in the center and way, way back. Some of the other things I like are cedar plugs, flippy flops, Nomads, weighted wahoo lures, and chuggers. I also like to pull daisy chains with a small islander or sea witch following it. I usually like to rig these with smaller 3-4” squid. I really like these on my short riggers; however, keep an eye on these guys if white marlin are around! And again, you will hear me say this over and over, don’t be afraid to run good ole naked ballyhoo, these things produce. With a $50 Billion dollar industry, don’t get hung up on having to have 1 of everything on your boat and pulling 15 lines at one time. Plan the night before and stick with your plan. I usually have a 5-gallon bucket with about 20 lures that I can grab pretty quick. I also have plastic containers that have each type of lure, all kept together, that I keep in the cabin. When I fish offshore that is the tackle I have on the boat. When I fish inshore that is the tackle I have on board. I also take all my tackle off after every trip to clean and re-organize. In closing, develop a game plan the night before, stay to that plan, run basic spreads, don’t be afraid to leave the “fleet,” talk to your fishing buddies, and most important, have a great time and make memories. The ocean is a beautiful thing, cherish it. Go fishing and get some blood on the deck. See ya out there! COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM

PUBLISHER & EDITOR BRENDA RIGGS MIKE RIGGS Co-publishers & Editors

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS J. JIM JIM AARON JOHN JAKE

ANDRE BAUGH DAVISON KELLY TIGER WORTHINGTON

GRAPHIC DESIGN JENNY DIAZ

CONTACT INFORMATION For editorial comments, articles, photography, artwork and all other inquiries please contact:

BRENDA RIGGS brenda@coastalanglermagazine.com

757.409.7518 MIKE RIGGS mriggs@coastalanglermagazine.com

757.681.5001

JULY 2021

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THE FLYING FISHERMAN By J. Andre

The Promised Waters You know I love catfishing, but there was a time before I met Mr. Whiskers. As a young teenager, I was totally emersed on weekends fishing with my father up North on Narragansett Bay and Block Island Sound. We heard impressive tales of fishing on Chesapeake Bay and off the Virginia Capes. We wondered how the fishing could get much better than our own paradise. Then the Navy got ahold of me and set a different course for my life. I wondered if I’d ever hold a fishing pole again. After four years of sea duty, I received orders to FCTCL in Dam Neck, VA for instructor duty at Air Control School. On the very first day while checking in I noticed my shipmates had weather-beaten faces and deeply tanned skin. Many of their fingers had cuts like I used to get from tying knots in monofilament fishing line. The school building was right on the beach dune line. When a sailor approached any window facing east, they stopped to scan the water like the forward lookouts on the Titanic. All the student ready rooms and instructor office spaces had sport fishing magazines scattered around. The small talk in the passageways wasn’t the normal sailor talk. Instead, the focus seemed to be that something “could show up any day now.” The first couple of days I quietly and cautiously observed this behavior. The cult-like “regulars” that would gather by the windows facing the water really had me wondering. Then one day it happened, all hell broke loose. There was this primordial scream. Someone was blaring some kind of unintelligible babble that had everyone, but myself, in an uproar. This was the height of the Cold War, so I expected the worst. All hand were obviously heading for their battle stations - strange for a training center, I thought. Oceana Naval Air Station, the largest Master Jet Base on the East Coast, was only 5 miles up the road. Maybe, Giant Killer had detected some Soviet TU95 Bears inbound, and Oceana was scrambling the F-4s and F-14s. This was serious stuff ! The staff and students were scrambling about preparing for serious action. Maybe SAC had already pushed the button. All the superfluous gear that was stored in various lockers over the prolonged peace was getting cleared out. Obviously, making room for more practical fighting gear. Tackle boxes, waders, fishing poles were appearing out of some of the strangest places. Some sailors appeared worried about getting caught with this unauthorized civilian fishing gear in official spaces. They were running like Jesse Owens to get to the beach to pitch it all into the sea, I guessed. Those that made it to the water’s edge stripped out of their shoes, socks and pants and just waded in, gear and all. Some just went in hThen a seasoned Chief from North Carolina grabbed me and yelled, “What’s wrong sailor, didn’t you get the word?” “Chief, I just got here.” I replied. “I haven’t been assigned a station yet, and I don’t have any gear.” “Boy, you don’t need a station! It’s every man fer his own self! I got extra gear, c’mon before it’s all over with!” “Chief, what the hell is going on? Are the Reds here?” “No boy, thems comin next month. These is Blues. Ain’t ya see’num. Millions of um. This is it! THE BLUES ARE BLITZIN!” (Yankee translation - THE BLUEFISH ARE RUNNING!). So went my introduction to Bluefishing - Virginia Beach Style. It wasn’t long before I received a proper introduction to the local waters - the Chesapeake Bay and the VA Capes coastal waters to the east. This was certainly Paradise - South. There was plenty of salt and freshwater action. During my tour at Dam Neck, it continued like this, and more. I soon realized that the Navy instructor staff was part of a small boat navy of their own. The Chesapeake Bay “Mosquito Fleet” was every bit the equal of our beloved New England small boat fleet. We were hard at it from March through December with an occasional break for deer season. There was always someone generously recruiting a crew for their next fishing trip. I had plenty of opportunities to be on the water. Soon there would be Boat #4, #5, and #6. COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM

JULY 2021

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OBX By Aaron Kelly

INSHORE

Inshore the backwater fishing has been outstanding. Big speckled trout have been showing up. Fish are ranging up to ten pounds. Some of the sizes we have landed are absolutely unreal. Drifting the grass with a popping cork with a two-foot leader and a quarter ounce jig with a soft plastic has been the weapon of choice. Puppy drum in the slot have been plentiful as well. Inshore Spanish mackerel in the mornings and evenings has been the staple. Triggerfish, shark, amberjack can be encounters around the ship wrecks. Plenty of Spanish gold has been seen as well. Well just kidding just wanted to make sure you were still reading. Offshore it has been tilefish on the bottom. Big tuna and mahi on the top. Bailer dolphin in numbers around grass lines and float. Seeing some nice signs of blue marlin some days as well. Enjoy the calmer seas, warm water and hot fishing!!! Captain Aaron Kelly rocksolidfishing.com 252441-6575

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SWINGIN’: INSTALLING A FOLDING SWING TONGUE ON YOUR TRAILER

SHOULD YOU REPLACE YOUR TIRED OUTBOARD? WHAT’S OUT THERE TO BUY? By John Tiger

t’s summer as you read this—time to think about upcoming fishing action, and after that—as winter approaches, maybe upgrading your boat, your outboard, your trailer—or even a whole new rig? As boaters are eventually faced with a decision about their aging equipment, often the first component that comes to mind is their outboard—should you rebuild or open the checkbook and buy brand new? It takes hefty green to buy a new engine today; even a mid-sized 90hp can cost well over $10 large when rigged and ready for the water. Repairing or even totally restoring the engine you have can be a reasonable alternative. However, there’s more to it than the initial cash outlay. Newer outboards have much more sophisticated fuel management systems, and like today’s cars, pollute significantly less than those made even ten years ago. In the end, the bottom line is--are they worth their price tag, especially for a “toy” that likely gets used less than one total month per year? HOW OLD IS OLD? Your outboard, depending on its age and horsepower size, may be “ancient and crusty” or it may already have most of today’s engines’ features and benefits. If yours was built in the 1980s or later, for sure it already has most modern features: • No overboard fuel drains; these were eliminated in the early 1970s. Prior to that, unburned fuel that never made it into the engine was simply drained into the water. • Power trim and tilt (very handy for skiing, fishing and even docking and storage). • Oil injection (makes for much easier fuel-ups). • Primer starting (vs. chokes-an electric primer shoots fuel into the carburetors, making cold starts much quicker and easier). • Electronic Fuel Injection: EFI makes an outboard easier to start and run, less smoky and better on fuel, as well as just a bit better than a carbureted engine when it comes to pollution. If your engine has some or all of these features, then there are only two significant advantages that buying a brand-new engine could give you. Outboard manufacturers have been forced by the EPA to build and sell engines that pollute less. Since Evinrude left the market in May 2020, brand new two stroke outboards, even direct injected ones like E-Tec, are no longer available. Today, four stroke outboards are all that’s available when considering new engines. Today’s four-stroke outboards burn between 35% and 50% less fuel than their older carbureted two-stroke predecessors and reduce emissions pollution an equal amount. But putting on your accountant’s green visor for a moment—is the price of admission worth it? COST DIFFERENCES It helps to look at what buying new costs compared to repairing or rebuilding what you have. A typical new mid-sized outboard (75 to 130 horsepower) will cost you at least $9000—plus controls and propeller. Rebuilding an older engine of the same size will typically cost about $3000 or so—or about a third of the cost of a new engine. A total restoration (total rebuild plus new factory paint and decals, essentially a new engine) costs around $4000. That’s a huge difference from a new engine and will buy a lot of gas—so consider carefully. WHAT’S THE RIGHT ANSWER? There’s a lot to consider. Money, family time, environmental consciousness are all valid concerns. • Your budget may not permit buying a new outboard. Rebuilding what you have may be your only course. • If you’re concerned about reducing emissions, a new four-stroke engine may be for you. • Regardless of how much you use the engine, the initial cost differences between buying new and repairing old are so large that “potential fuel savings” with a new engine will be negligible in the long run. This consideration should be low on your list, unless fuel prices rise dramatically. • Consider your local dealer and his availability and the time you actually have to use your boat. You need that outboard to run properly, every time—because there’s family and friends wanting to have fun with it now—not two weeks from now. A new engine may be a wise investment. You’re likely to get quicker service turnaround from your local dealer if you buy a new engine there. If you’re thinking of saving a few bucks buying from a discount dealer, will you be happy about bringing it to that dealer for service if he’s hundreds of miles away? • Lastly, if you’re considering rebuilding, talk you your local dealer or mechanic about it. Get firm cost estimates and ask about a warranty. If your engine is older than 1980 or so, forget it. It’s too old, parts likely too scarce and technology is way out of date. If it’s an ‘80s or later engine and a new engine is out of the question, rebuilding is a good option that will add many more years to your old outboard’s life. John Tiger, a recognized expert in high performance boat setup, rigging and driving, outboard repair and trailer towing, John’s boating and racing experience has helped him write popular columns such as Outboard Tech and Seat Time as well as many hundreds of feature stories.

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Also known as sashimi. It does not get any better than this. First you MUST have fresh, off the boat yellowfin tuna. Clean and slice the tuna into pieces. Now this is where it gets a little different. Look for some wasabi mustard as apposed to straight wasabi radish. Use the mustard sparingly and add a little soy. Invite your friends, they will be blown away! ENJOY!

JIM BAUGH’S RECIPE OF THE MONTH

TIME FOR TUNA!

by Jim Baugh reporting from Oyster Farm at Kings Creek, Cape Charles VA

Talk about a rock and roll Tune trip!!! Seaside Vacations, LLC in Chincoteague invited Jim Baugh Outdoors TV for a little Tuna fishing. Well, in our 33 years of filming, this was the best Tuna show we ever filmed. At one time, we had six, that’s SIX yellowfins on at one time. Other times we would have three on. All day I think we only had one bonita bite that I knew of. The crew really threw a lot of baits at them; everything but the kitchen sink. All anglers worked together really well and we did not have any real tangle ups to speak of. Baits were laid out very nice and the crew worked hard not to get fouled up in the other lines once a fish was hooked. After the two hour ride offshore, the bite started within minutes and we were all done by around noon. We could have easily caught our limit, but with eight fish on board everyone agreed that was plenty. We headed back to the dock to clean fish. Great day! Look for this new Tuna show on Jim Baugh Outdoors TV You Tube Channel, and later on Amazon Prime Video. We will post the show on our Facebook page as well as soon as its completed post production. Hey, if you go to Chincoteague to get on this awesome fishing, contact Seaside Vacations and they will put you on a place to stay, call at 757.336.7070. They can also recommend some charter captains as well. Here around the Oyster Farm in Cape Charles, the cobia and drum bite has been good. Especially the drum. There are some great charters at the Oyster Farm. They have everything you need including charters, accommodations and lodging, and the Seafood Eatery is all available at their web site. www.theoysterfarmatkingscreek.com Stargazers! July you can see the Milky Way about an hour and a half after the sun goes down. Just look in the south east sky. The galactic center of the Milky Way will be just below or next to the bottom tail of Scorpius. There are great view from the deck of the Oyster Farm. Check out our new metal prints of JBOTV Nightscapes at https://jimbaughoutdoors.blogspot.com/p/prints. html. All Metal Prints are approved by me personally for quality controlled, signed, dated, and numbered. Don’t miss out on these special editions! You can also use the Q and R code below. Also check our new Nightscapes JBOTV filmed in Wachapreague. Many thanks to the Wachapreague Inn for hosting my Milky Way Workshop event, it was great. I will be doing another one in July. There is limited space so if you want to attend and learn how to film the Milky Way just email me at jbotv@outlook.com. Jim Baugh, Jimbaugh.net, Jim Baugh Outdoors TV For more updates on our fishing trips and latest shows log on to: https://jimbaughoutdoors.blogspot.com/ for updates on everything, digital prints gallery, etc. Jim Baugh Outdoors TV Amazon Prime Video https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B07Z9S825F/ref=atv_ dp_share_cu_r JBOTV Online Hubb: https://jimbaugh.blogspot.com/

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Jake’s Outdoor Adventures

By Jake Worthington

s I am writing this article in early June, we are in the middle of one of the largest classes of yellowfin tuna bites that has been seen out of Oregon Inlet. We are catching yellowfin tunas that are surpassing the North Carolina Citation Saltwater Fishing weight of 70 pounds easily. I am the First Mate on the Seaducer out of Oregon Inlet and we have been consistently landing yellowfins between the weights of 75 to over 100 pounds. These same catches are being consistently landed across the fleet and many boats are reporting these high weights of fish. The only problems we are facing are sharks eating them while they are being reeled in and the fish are so big they are snapping leaders. We have had to bump up our tackle to adjust because the yellowfins are higher than the normal weight class. We even had one yellowfin una that had part of his tail end eaten off by a shark and he still weighed 87 pounds! One older Captain out of Oregon Inlet Fishing Center even told me to enjoy this class of fish because he had only seen one season like this during his entire fishing career and he has been fishing for a long time. We have also been having consistent catches of big eye tunas that have been ranging from 100 pounds to over 200 pounds. It sure makes for a nice day for us as a crew and the charter party when the box is full and they are happy and want to go in early. It doesn’t happen often but when it does, it is nice. Many of our clients have experienced these great yellowfin bites and they will also have great memories of this epic class of yellowfins. So, if you want to get in on the action of this possible once in a lifetime opportunity of this epic yellowfin tuna bite, call the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center at 1-800-272-5199 and book a charter with us on the Seaducer. If we are booked, anyone in our Oregon Inlet Fishing Center Fleet can also help you get in on this bite. Stop by the boat and say Hi! Jake Worthington First Mate on The Seaducer Charter Fishing Boat out of Oregon Inlet Fishing Center.

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COVERING WATER WITH A BLADED JIG

TYLER WOOLCOTT

s you approach a new lake or even one you have been to a thousand times, it’s always a good idea to throw a confidence bait you know will get bites. The bladed jig, aka chatterbait, is my confidence bait. It is extremely versatile and can be thrown around any type of cover. It allows you to cover a vast amount of water and locate bass that might take days to find with other tactics. The market is flooded with different brands, sizes and colors of the bladed jig. I have experimented and found the Z-Man Jackhammer is the best performing bladed jig out there. In a variety of colors and sizes, they run perfectly out of the package every time. To me, it’s worth the expensive price tag. Let’s talk about matching the chatterbait to natural forage. Depending on the time of year and what kind of bait the bass are feeding on, there is a color to match the hatch. If shad is the prevalent forage, I stick to a white or a baitfish-color like pearl and silver with a silver blade. If its bluegill, you can get by with a green pumpkin or anything with some yellow and orange mixed in with a darker blade color. Sometimes water color can play a factor in color choice, as well. If the water is very dirty, use a color that will stick out so fish can see it coming by. Something like a white and chartreuse with a white blade, for baitfish imitation, or even a bright orange with a black blade, for crawfish imitation, can do the trick. Sizes and weights are important, as well. Ranging from ¼ oz. up to 1.25 oz., the depth you are fishing should decide what you tie on. I typically start with a 3/8- or a ½-oz. jig, which allows me to cover water depths from 1 to 10 feet, depending on the retrieve. If I find some deeper cover, I will go a little heavier. Attaching a trailer enhances the allure of a bladed jig. I try and match the color of the trailer to the color of the skirt. The type of trailer can be more complicated. When fish are aggressive, I use a swimbait-style trailer with a boot tail like the 13 Fishing Pleasure shad. When they want something more subtle, I use a twin-tail trailer like the 13 Fishing The Jerk. When throwing a bladed jig, it’s important to have the correct gear. I use a 13 Fishing Omen Black Chatt-R-Crank rod paired with a 13 Fishing Concept A 6:8:1 reel. I spool up with 17-lb. Seaguar Abrazx line. This set up is perfect for the job! All across the country, I rely on a chatterbait any time of year to put fish in the boat. Next time you hit the lake, tie on a chatterbait to cover some water. Tyler Woolcott is a professional tournament angler and guide. Check out his website at www.tylerwoolcottfishing.com.

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t hardly seems worth the boat ride to catch one red snapper per person, but if you happen to be out bottom fishing in federal waters of the Atlantic and catch one, there are three days this year when you’re allowed to keep it. NOAA Fisheries Service, the federal entity tasked with setting seasons and limits, announced in early June that it will allow recreational harvest of red snapper on July 9, 10 and 11, 2021 in federal waters of the Atlantic (3-200 miles) off the coast of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. This year’s season is a day shorter than last year’s because anglers exceeded the total allowable catch last summer. The bag limit is one per person, per day, with no minimum size limit. Anglers are required to use dehooking tools to minimize damage when unhooking snapper and grouper species. A descending device is also required to be onboard and readily available for use. Hook requirements north of 28º North Latitude, which is a line roughly between Vero Beach and Cape Canaveral, Fla. are for non-offset, nonstainless steel circle hooks. South of that line, anglers may use any style hook, as long as they are not made of stainless steel. The season for the commercial sector opens July 12 and will remain open until Jan. 1, or until the annual catch limit is met. That occurred in about a month and a half last summer. For more information, see www.fisheries.noaa.gov.

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STRIPES ARE BLITZING OFF MASSACHUSETTS

ack Murphy, of Lucky Jacks Fishing, said the season for striped bass started with a bang and is progressing well off the coast of New England. “There have been and will be larger striped bass on pogie schools in Buzzards Bay,” he said. “The similar schools of striped bass will soon be harassing offshore pogie schools, and the resident striped bass will be moving into their nearshore haunts chasing mackerel and smashing lobsters.” The offshore bite is where many of the monster 40-plus-pound stripers are caught each year. In low-light conditions, pods of big fish harass big schools of pogie found 5 to 10 miles offshore of Massachusetts, both north and south of Cape Cod. If you want to get in on the action, you need to make plans now. Check out Lucky Jacks Fishing at www.luckyjacksfishing.com.

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Y EARS ANNIVERSARY

PHOTO COURTESY OF ROSEMARY J. WHITE

TARPON NOW CATCH-AND-RELEASE IN NORTH CAROLINA

ffective immediately, tarpon fishing in North Carolina state waters is now catch-and-release only. The new regulation was implemented after an appeal from North Carolina pier operators failed during the legislative review process. North Carolina now joins Florida as Atlantic states with no-keep regulations for the highly migratory species. Florida sells a permit that allows anglers seeking a state or world record to keep one tarpon for that purpose. South Carolina has a limit of one tarpon per person per day with a 77-inch minimum length limit. Georgia allows angler to keep one tarpon per day with a 68-inch minimum length limit. “Protecting this magnificent fish while it spends time in our North Carolina waters is a great move by the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries Commission Board,” said Capt. Jot Owens, who is a guide and BTT Conservation Captain. “Thank you to everyone who supported this amendment and a special thanks to the commission board members who voted in favor of this ruling.” For more on North Carolina marine fisheries, visit http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/mf/home.

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Sizzling Hot Deals From Suzuki’s Summer Sales Event Suzuki’s Summer Sales Event is finally here! It’s time to get to your local Suzuki Marine Dealer for a sizzling hot deal on the Ultimate Outboard Motor. You can get Low-Rate Financing on the all new DF140BG with Drive by Wire Technology, or our Flagship DF350. Get all the details at your participating Suzuki Marine Dealer.

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*REPOWER FINANCE is available through Synchrony Retail Finance, as low as 5.99% APR financing for 60 months on new, unregistered Suzuki outboard motors, subject to credit approval. Not all buyers will qualify. Approval, and any rates and terms provided, are based on creditworthiness. $19.99/month per $1,000 financed for 60 months is based on 5.99% APR Hypothetical figures used in calculation; your actual monthly payment may differ based on financing terms, credit tier qualification, accessories, or other factors such as down payment and fees. Offer effective on new, unregistered Suzuki outboard motors purchased from a participating authorized Suzuki dealer between from July 1, 2021 through September 1, 2021. †5 YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY applies to qualifying purchases of Suzuki outboard motors sold and delivered to the retail purchaser, for pleasure (non-commercial) use only, from April 1, 2021 through March 31, 2022. See Suzuki Limited Warranty for additional details. The Suzuki “S” and model names are Suzuki trademarks or ®. Don’t drink and drive. Always wear a USCG-approved life jacket and read your owner’s manual. © 2021 Suzuki Marine, USA, LLC.

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