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VOLUME 26 • ISSUE 314

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F R A N C H I S E

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W O R L D W I D E

MAY 2021

Secrets of a Billionaire Revealed “Price is what you pay; value is what you get. Whether we’re talking about socks or stocks, I like buying quality merchandise when it is marked down.” — wisdom from the most successful investor of all time

e’re going to let you in on a secret. Billionaires have billions because they know value is not increased by an inflated price. They avoid big name markups, and aren’t swayed by flashy advertising. When you look on their wrist you’ll find a classic timepiece, not a cry for attention–– because they know true value comes from keeping more money in their pocket. We agree with this thinking wholeheartedly. And, so do our two-and-a-half million clients. It’s time you got in on the secret too. The Jet-Setter Chronograph can go up against the best chronographs in the market, deliver more accuracy and style than the “luxury” brands, and all for far, far less. $1,150 is what the Jet-Setter Chronograph would cost you with nothing more than a different name on the face. With over two million timepieces sold (and counting), we know a thing or two about creating watches people love. The Jet-Setter Chronograph gives you what you need to master time and keeps the superfluous stuff out of the equation. A classic in the looks department and a stainless steel power tool of construction, this is all the watch you need. And, then some. Your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed. Experience the Jet-Setter 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. Now CLIENTS LOVE that the secret’s out, we STAUER WATCHES… can’t guarantee this $29 chronograph will stick around long. Don’t overpay to be “The quality of their underwhelmed. Put a precision watches is equal to many chronograph on your wrist for that can go for ten times just $29 and laugh all the way the price or more.” to the bank. Call today! — Jeff from McKinney, TX

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Jackpot! Hoard of 1881-S Morgan Silver Dollars Found & Secured Mintage accounts for only 1.94% of all Morgan Silver Dollars Struck!

In 1859, Nevada’s Comstock Lode was discovered, and soon its rich silver ore made its way across the nation, including to the respected San Francisco Mint—the U.S. Mint branch known by collectors as the source of some of the finest U.S. coins ever struck. That includes the 1881 Morgan Silver Dollar, which exhibits crisp details, blazing luster, and the iconic “S” mint mark of the San Francisco Mint. Now you have the chance to add these historic, 90% pure U.S. silver coins to your collection!

Here’s the breakdown: in 1881, just 4.25% of the total Morgan series was struck. Less than half of those coins came from San Francisco. In the end, the 1881-S Morgan Silver Dollar accounts for just 1.94% of the entire series—and that’s before the mass meltings that have left so few coins for collectors to secure. And we can expect that even fewer of the survivors are of collector grade...

.71 ear Pe s O rY l ea d r!)

(MS63) condition by NGC/PCGS

 Sealed in protective holder  1881-S accounts for just 1.94% of all Morgans Struck

Actual size is 38.1 mm

Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS)! Grading service varies. The condition of these coins are as though they were struck yesterday, despite being minted 140 years ago to circulate in commerce! And yet they have survived with a quality level of eye appeal that won’t cost you an arm and a leg.

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The Morgan Silver Dollar was struck from 1878 to 1904, and again in 1921. In the 100 years since, most of these beautiful U.S. Silver Dollars have been worn out or melted down for their silver. It’s estimated that as little as 15% of all Morgans struck exist today in any condition. Even fewer come from this particular mintage.

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The Morgan Silver Dollar is the most popular and iconic vintage U.S. coin. They were the Silver Dollars of the Wild West, going on countless untold adventures in dusty saddlebags across the nation. Finding a hoard of Morgans doesn’t happen often—and when it does, it’s a big deal. So when we came across a recent hoard of 549 Morgan Silver Dollars—all struck at the San Francisco Mint in 1881—it was like hitting the jackpot!

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OFFER DETAILS: Activate a new subscription to SiriusXM Marine Fish Mapping and receive your first month free (a $99.99 savings), plus get free activation (an additional $25 savings), for a combined savings of $124.99. Add SiriusXM Select radio package at the discount rate of $11.99/mo. Fees and taxes apply. A credit card is required on this offer. You must cancel during your free month to avoid being charged. At the beginning of your second month service will automatically renew thereafter every month and you will be charged at the then-current rates. Fees and taxes apply. Please see our Customer Agreement at siriusxm.com for complete terms and how to cancel, which includes calling us at 1-800-985-9200. All fees, content, and features are subject to change. This offer may not be combined with any other trial offers and may be modified or terminated at any time. Subscription and hardware sold separately. $100 Rebate from SiriusXM available through Dec 31, 2021 with hardware and subscription purchase, see Rebate Offer Details at siriusxm.com/fishmapping. © 2021 Sirius XM Radio Inc. SiriusXM and all related logos are trademarks of Sirius XM Radio Inc. and its respective subsidiaries. All rights reserved.

THE BASICS

By Michelle Dalton

Flying OF

Kites T

here’s something about kite fishing for big pelagic gamefish that gets me going. Flying kites presents baits with a natural appearance and allows you to cover lots of water for higher catch rates. Also, the technique provides the ultimate adrenaline rush, as you get to watch the strike happen. For those unfamiliar with kite fishing, let’s go over the basics. Captains consider everything from water color and clarity to baitfish and birds to determine where to start fishing. I like fishing edges, where water color turns green to a deep blue, usually somewhere in 100 to 300 feet of water. There are different kite designs for different wind velocities. Kites are typically launched and retrieved with electric reels. Launching kites is not a piece of cake, but with the right equipment, patience and steady winds, a beginner can practice and perfect the skill. Attached to your kite line are three release clips.

Each clip is assigned to a rod. An experienced crew will fish three live baits off one kite, with each reel’s line clipped to the main kite line. Although it seems like a potential tangled mess, it’s rather organized. For the bait lines, I use high-capacity baitcasting reels spooled with 20- or 30-pound monofilament. Attached to the mono, above the leader, there are a few terminal tackle items that make up your rigs.

First, a ceramic ring is attached to the kite line using release clips. Next, a neon float dangles in the sky above each bait to help track them from a distance. From there, a small egg sinker maintains the vertical drop that keeps baits at the surface. Finally, a bead separates the sinker from your leader. Your leader depends on the targeted species. For the toothy critters, I use an 18-inch wire leader connected to fluorocarbon with an Albright knot and a 7/0 live bait hook. For sailfish, I use 10 to 12 feet of 60-pound fluorocarbon leader with a 7/0 circle hook. By paying attention and adjusting the lines, the angler keeps the baits on the surface where they make the slight commotion predators find irresistible. The rigs suspend in air above the baits, completely out of sight of the fish. I prefer fishing goggle-eyes, threadfin herring and sardines. Healthy bait is far more likely to be eaten. Ahead of tournaments, my team and I spend weeks feeding and nurturing bait to keep it healthy. If you’re fortunate enough to hook a sailfish, don’t immediately clear the other lines. Sailfish often travel in groups. Leave those other baits in the water for a chance at additional bites. Traditionally, when winds start to die at the end of spring, the number of boats trolling offshore grows. However, kite fishing goes on year-round in South Florida. Even with very little wind, a kite will fly with the help of a helium balloon. Next time your friends want to troll around offshore, tell them to “go fly a kite!” Michelle Dalton books charters through her social media pages: @Bombchelle_fishing.

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on ply. ce mer ect ely. ng. COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM

MAY 2021

NATIONAL 7

Humbled

ON THE DAVIDSON By Nick Carter

he Davidson River in Brevard, N.C. is one of the most widely publicized trout streams in the Southeast. It’s a challenging fishery with beautiful water that holds some very nice fish. Part of the Davidson’s appeal, or its main drawback, is easy access. The river flows roadside through most its publicly accessible length. There is small water in the headwaters accessible only by foot, but for the most part it is a park-and-fish kind of place. On a gorgeous summer weekend, a buddy and I heeded advice from the guys at Davidson River Outfitters to join the dawn patrol. We arrived on

the river at first light to find a pod of big fish, maybe four or five in the 16- to 20-inch range, hovering near the bottom of a bellybutton-deep run. They were clearly visible in low summer flows. For the next hour, we worked the run together, one or the other of us making the same drift repeatedly as the other man tied on a new fly. It was a challenge that bordered on infuriating to see those trout, an occasional belly flash belying the fact that they were eating… just not what we offered. We tried everything, right down to a size 22 red midge pupa recommended at the fly shop. Finally, because we had tried everything else, I

tied on a white Woolly Bugger—another Davidson River staple. Just twitching it through the hole, a fish we had not previously seen streaked from the periphery to slam the streamer. Those big fish didn’t even flinch as I stripped in a pretty 11-inch brown. As I released the fish, an older gentleman waded down the side of the run. He glanced out at the pod of big fish still sitting on the bottom. “Wasn’t the one you were after, was it?” he asked. My response was to offer him a shot at the run. He declined. “Don’t want any part of it,” he grumbled. “Spent all afternoon yesterday standing right where you are.” That’s a snapshot of what fishing the catch-andrelease, fly fishing only section of the Davidson is like. The river is full of fish—and some big ones. It is also frequently full of anglers. The steady pressure makes trout wise. Of course, there’s always a guy who lights up Internet message boards with a photo of a big old bruiser. He’ll give advice like, “Use a little split-shot to get it down,” but I suspect there’s more to it. Pressured fish are on guard. Catching them requires perfect presentation of the perfect fly and also being in the right place at that right time. Arriving early, staying late and fishing hard makes it more likely you’ll be there when a 2-foot-long trout makes a mistake. This story is an abbreviated excerpt from the book “Flyfisher’s Guide to North Carolina & Georgia,” which includes maps and GPS coordinates to access points for all the region’s best trout fisheries. Purchase the book on Amazon or by contacting the author at nsc8957@gmail.com.

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BUILD YOUR OWN RODS

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A Family Reunion Aboard Rock Solid

I come from a large family of siblings and we had the chance to come together in April coming from as far away as Texas, Kansas and Maine. While here I wanted to arranged something special and since we all like fishing, what better activity than a day out on the water. I knew we were taking the chance of uncertain weather in April, but I asked the Lord for calm seas, warm weather and plenty of fish. The Lord answered my prayers. We boarded Rock Solid with Capt. Aaron Kelly at the helm, First Mate Bob Feldhaus and Meat Hog poles and lures at Oden’s Dock in Hatteras Village around 9:00 a.m. and off we went to the vast blue Atlantic. After about an hour, we had the pleasure of seeing several sea turtles basking in the sun. A couple dolphins also came close to the boat for pictures. Several miles out, Capt. Kelly found some rocky bottom where we dropped our first lines using shrimp and cut bait. We landed Amoco jack. several keeper black bass and some nice size He moved us to several of his honey spots to keep us on fish all day. We ended up catching a moon fish (which was bitten in half by a shark on the way up), a trigger fish, a red snapper (which was released), s silver red snapper, a rock bass, two white dotter sharks, several black bass and a king mackerel. But that wasn’t all we caught. My brother Mike fought a large fish (probably a shark) for over a hour before yielding to the pain and handing the rod to me. Unfortunately, after fighting it a while longer, the line broke but the Meat Hog rod never gave way. As the picture show, the Meat Hog rod bent nearly in half but never yielded to the pressure not only from that large fish, but from two other 7 to 8-foot sharks which we were able to mussel to the side of the boat before their release. One other nice and exciting visitor was a baby 8 to 10-foot great white shark which swam within 5 feet from the side of Rock Solid. It raised its head, saw us and the boat and made a quick left and swam away. We were hoping that its mother wasn’t anywhere close by. We had an awesome day! The weather was sunny and warm and the ocean was calm and relaxing. This was our second trip on Rock Solid and I’m sure there will be many more. Make sure to book your next fishing trip on Rock Solid with Capt. Kelly and First Mate Bob! If you are interested in purchasing the Meat Hog rods or lures, check them out on https://meathogfishing.com/ COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM

MAY 2021

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

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS J. JIM JIM AARON CHRIS JOHN JAKE

ANDRE BAUGH DAVISON KELLY MCCOY 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

MAY 2021

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THE FLYING FISHERMAN

By J. Andre

FISHING BUDDIES Yesterday, Catfish Eddy (AKA Chicken Eddy) and I made plans to pursue the whiskered beasts separately on our boats #8 and Moby Dick. Actually, C.E. made a feeble attempt to lure me away from my hot spots on the North Landing River, by telling me he was going to the spillway on Back Bay. I think he was setting up the old switcher-roo. Once I started catching, I texted C.E. a picture of my first Blue Cat and asked him how he was doing on Back Bay. That’s when I got a phone call and heard his story of woe about waking up late, forgetting to get the bait, and blah, blah, blah. Then, he ‘fested up that he launched on the river instead of Back Bay – likely, his plan all along. I fished all my hot spots in the creeks and caught nothing but one eater Blue Cat and a nice Channel Cat. You know something is off when a White Perch or Bluegill bait fish can’t be coerced to bite on a Beetle Spin or juicy Canadian night crawler. After 30 minutes without a bite, it was time to move. Eddy’s last report had him working his spots to the North. He also sent along a picture of a nice eater Blue that must have collided with a piece of his red chicken breast bait and got foul hooked in the process. I like fishing with Eddy, but ever since he started polluting the water with chicken marinated in Strawberry Jell-O, I have had a hard time taking his fishing pursuits seriously. I thought, “Well, just maybe he’d like to share some of my natural bait. Maybe, I should move North and check him out.” Number 8 was giving me all 25 horses as we headed to the split in the river. As I made the turn to the East, I looked to the right and there he was not 50 yards away and up against the bank. Breaking his solitude with noise and wake, I maneuvered within casting distance and set up shop. He declared that he caught a couple, all on strawberry chicken. That’s when I stopped feeling guilty about blasting into his fishing spot. I set up one rig and casted out behind my boat. Somehow, I failed to close the snap swivel and the Santee Rig detached in flight from the main line and sinker. The sinker went behind #8 like I planned, but the rig splashed down right behind Moby Dick. Eddy said, “I suppose you’re going to have to get that now.” First, I intruded on his space, then I wallowed through it like a herd of cattle while recovering my rig, now floating around in the center of his spread. “I’ll be out of your way quickly,” I indicated as I retreated a little further upstream. From this point, I could watch him going from one rod to the next managing bites – all on that flavored chicken. He even caught a few fish in my presence. It was pretty tough to take. Then after reeling in a fish, he casted over one of my lines. “That was a bit close,” I claimed. “Not before you moved there,” he fired back. I stayed for about 15 minutes after his last chicken fish was reeled in. Then we exchanged pleasantries and I headed for the ramp. He might do okay on those little fish, but you don’t really think he can catch a big cat on that foo-foo chicken, do you? We’ll have to do it again soon. Get Slimed.

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OBX By Aaron Kelly

INSHORE

It’s May and fishing can be very exciting. We have a full arsenal of options. Light tackle guides will be chasing puppy drum and speckled trout. Tossing 1/4 ounce jigs with chartreuse z man tails is a good start. Inlets and along the beaches there will be great opportunities to make contact with big drum and cobia. Cobia from 15-80 lbs will be happy to pounce on your well timed and placed meathog jig. These jigs are custom tied adorned with a myriad of colors and really entice cobia! Medium heavy rods with 30-50 lb braid and 60 lb fluorocarbon is a good match for these brutes! Offshore fishing will be excellent as well! Gaffer dolphin and yellowfin tuna will be putting smiles on anglers. Stable weather will afford more opportunities to get to the bluewater. Feel free to stop by one of our many well stocked local tackle shops when you are here. The lastest info, gear, locations, and techniques all can be found here. Enjoy the weather and enjoy the fishing! Captain Aaron Kelly

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WHAT IS AN ECOS (engine cut-off switch)? Can you add one to your boat? By John Tiger

On April 1, our Congress and Coast Guard approved and implemented a new boating law, one that requires the use of an engine cut-off switch on any boat less than 26 feet in length and capable of producing more than 115lbs of static thrust (about 3hp). Since 99.9% of new boats have this switch installed by the manufacturer anyway, and have for some time now, for buyers of new boats it’s nothing new. While this writer is never a fan of more laws, in this case I make an exception. An ECOS is a smart addition to any craft. Having one, and always connecting the lanyard, is good practice. Boating safety is a good thing for all; hopefully this new law will help prevent more runaway boats, and in the process, help boaters enjoy time on the water more safely. But what is an ECOS (and ECOSL), what does it do, and if a boat owner with an older rig wants one, can one be retrofitted? All good questions, and since the ECOS topic is fresh, it’s a good time to explore this accessory, and how to fit one to an existing rig. ACRONYMS - Back in the day, an “emergency engine stop switch” was a fancy name for an engine “kill switch”. But in these times, those words are scary to corporate attorneys, so we have “ECOS” (Engine Cut Off Switch) and ECOSL (Engine Cut Off Switch Link). The ECOSL is the lanyard that connects the captain to the switch, which is typically mounted on the

dashboard, the engine controls, or in the case of a smaller tiller-controlled outboard, on the engine cowl itself. QUICK & DIRTY - An ECOS can be retrofitted to most any engine, even really old ones. First, you need one. Good news is, they’re readily available and inexpensive. Some excellent, durable examples are T-H Marine’s switch and lanyard (thmarinesupplies.com) and a universal switch and floating lanyard from Sea Dog (sea-dog. com). Both are available online and from any marine dealer for well under $50. Installation is typically easy for any modern CD ignition engine, and just a little more involved for older engines with points/ condenser style ignition systems. To mount the switch, a location near the helm (ideally near the ignition key switch) is best. For tiller operated outboards, mounting the ECOS near the tiller or front face plate of the engine is best. A hole (usually 1/2” or 5/8”diameter) is drilled in the mounting surface. The switch is fitted to the hole and secured with the supplied mounting nut or mounting plate. The wiring is a bit more involved. Most switches provide a wiring diagram that’s easy to follow. The two switches referenced here each have two wires protruding from the rear of the switch housing. On most, if not all, engines with modern CDI (Capacitor Discharge) ignition systems, the switch is wired in between the ground circuit (black wire) and the engine stop circuit wire (black with yellow stripe). Older (mid 1970s and prior) Mercury, Johnson and Evinrude outboards have different ignition wiring colors; follow the instructions in the kit for your engine. For older engines (both outboard and inboard) with points & condenser ignition systems, one wire from the ECOS must be wired to ground; the other wire connects to the points. If there are more than one, then both sets of points must be wired to the ECOS. Be sure to make good connections and protect them, with liquid electrical tape or heat shrink tubing. If your switch wires must pass through metal (the engine shroud, or aluminum dashboard) use a grommet. Test your installation; start the engine, and pull the ECOSL to ensure the engine stops immediately. Of course—for the ECOS to work, the ECOSL must be connected to the captain! WIRELESS TECH - For those tired of the traditional lanyard, a wireless ECOS/ECOSL is available from Fell Marine (FELL Marine – FELL Marine Inc). This unit provides the safety and peace of mind of a wired ECOS, and complies with the new laws, but there’s no bothersome tether lanyard to get in the way. This is a good solution for those who like a less cluttered helm. REFERENCES: Wiring diagram, Saf-T-Stop: KS-1-DP_1.pdf (shopify.com) Wiring diagram, Sea-Dog: Graphic1 (sea-dog.com) 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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“MAY I HAVE CLAMS & SHRIMP One of my favs, you wll need,

JIM BAUGH’S RECIPE OF THE MONTH

1 cup of white wine 1 stick of butter. chopped fresh parsley. 5 cloves crushed garlic. As much shrimp and clams you want to buy, I usually do 100 clams and 2 pounds of shrimp for two people. It’s a feast. Do not use a steamer! Use a large sauté deep skillet. Add the wine and butter plus the garlic and heat until melted. Then throw in the clams, once they are almost done, throw the shrimp on top of the clams. I also will put sliced white onion in the mix which is a nice addition. Serve in a large party dish with fresh cut lemons and dipping sauces of melted butter and a strong horseradish cocktail sauce.

ON THE SHORE FOR MOTHER’S DAY AND DRUM! by Jim Baugh reporting from Oyster Farm at Kings Creek, Cape Charles VA It’s May! Here we go! The solution for kicking off the month that is a sure winner. Book your dining at the Seafood Eatery at the Oyster Farm in Cape Charles. Best view of the Bay, it is incredible. Now while the family is enjoying this special treat, that means that someone deserves a Drum trip! The bite is happening and will only get better. Contact Neil or Clinton Lessard for the latest info on the bite. Clinton also got a new ride and it is awesome. Both Neil and Clinton are on Facebook, Great charters!. A good idea as well is to check out charters that fish the shallows of the barrier islands Sea Side. We have filmed some excellent shows this time of a year and it is an amazing fishery. A day to remember for a lifetime! Also now is a good time to call and book your slips for the season. Just a click away. www.theoysterfarmatkingscreek.com Stargazers! We really filmed 3 awesome Nightscapes in Virginia Beach and the Eastern Shore. One was of the “Canoe Sculpture” on top of the new Lesner bridge. Approximately 100 images were takin to create this Nightscape. NOW METAL PRINTS ARE AVAILABLE! And boy are they beautiful. Check them out, you can view all our nightscapes on our JBOTV blog below, digital and Metal prints are available 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! And folks If your company needs any film produced or drone work whether for promotional, commercial or educational purpose just contact us below. https://jimbaugh.blogspot.com/ or 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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an you believe it is already May? This is one of my favorite fishing months of the year because the Cobia start to arrive inshore and the Dolphin start showing up offshore. Also the bottom fishing starts to pick up, as well as pier and surf fishing action. May is a great time to plan an inshore or offshore charter with your friends and family. After working last summer and fall on several charter boats out of Oregon Inlet Fishing Center, I found that some customers have a different expectation of what they want versus what they are getting when they secure a charter for a fishing trip. Some customers were booking a half day charter and expecting to go to the gulfstream and catch Dolphin, Tuna, Wahoo or even Billfish. Some were chartering soundside charters and expecting to go into the ocean and vice versa. The communication gap and expectations can make for a bad day and a bad experience. So if you are thinking about booking a charter, take these things into consideration and do some research before calling to book a charter. The first thing you need to ask yourself is how much do I want to spend on a charter? Full Day Gulfstream Charters from Oregon Inlet Fishing Center, Pirates Cove Marina and OBX Marina range from $2200-$2400 dollars. The boat will provide all licenses, tackle and bait. You will go 40-50 miles offshore and target Billfish, Tuna, Dolphin and Wahoo. The trip will begin at 500AM and you will be back to the dock around 300 to 500PM depending on different factors. Other expenses you will have to plan for are the tip for the first mate and fish cleaning. I work as a first mate on the offshore charter boat Seaducer and as a mate it is my job to make sure your trip is enjoyable and hopefully productive. My work begins the night before your trip as I prepare rigs and lures for the next day. Your mate will be on the boat an hour or more before you even arrive at the dock prepping the boat with ice, setting out the rods and reels, and getting the bait ready. First mates are normally tipped 18-20 % for their work during the day. I cannot guarantee you will catch fish but every mate on each boat is going to work hard to see that you do. Believe me, we want you to have a great day but also remember fishing is not a sure thing on every trip! Another service that is offered is fish cleaning services,and they usually charge by the pound to clean and package your catch. Other charters available are near shore, inshore and sound charters. Each one of these is different. Near shore will take you anywhere from the sound to about 25 miles offshore. Inshore charters will fish right outside the inlet and go north or south with land in sight. Sound charters stay inside the inlet and in the sound. Whatever type of charter you choose, research and call the marina booking desks, ask questions, get prices and tell them what you want to catch and make sure your expectation is met before you commit to a trip. Jake Worthington First Mate on The Seaducer Charter Fishing Boat out of Oregon Inlet Fishing Center.

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LEADERS: MONO OR FLUOROCARBON By Capt. Jim Davison, Miss Disturbed Sportfising

ello everyone I am new to the Coastal Angler and wanted to take a minute and let you know who I am and what I like to do. I’ve been fishing eastern North Carolina and Virginia now for 25 years. I love everything saltwater and enjoy helping others get on the water. I’m a boat owner, build my own tackle and rods and enjoy teaching others on the craft of rod building and getting someone started in saltwater fishing. I’m looking forward to sharing some of my success and failures. Hopefully someone will find this information helpful and is able to apply it and most importantly catch a fish or two. Enough about me lets get on to the topic-Mono or Fluorocarbon for leaders? I’ve seen this question come up often. I’m going to give my opinion and what I personally use on my boat. I have used both and been very successful so spending the money on fluorocarbon was a battle for me. When fishing out of Virginia Beach, I used all mono leaders and caught a load of tuna. I used hollow core braid (100#) and a 200-yard top shot (80#) to a 20’ leader and small wind on swivel. The leader would change depending on how the bite was going but usually landed around 80#. I would carry 50#, 60#, 80# and 100# on the boat so I could change if needed. I have had to drop down to 50# to get fish. The biggest thing is to make sure you change your drag settings if you drop down that low. By the way, my strike drag setting is set for my top shot which at the time was 80# mono so strike drag was around 20#. This set up caught fish and a lot of them. Now fishing out of Oregon Inlet and 5 years later, I found myself a little behind the curve with hookups. What was I doing different? It didn’t take long to figure out. I was running mono leaders! I decided to bite the bullet and get fluorocarbon and that was the difference. As with everything there is a ton of different fluorocarbon out there, all different poundage and colors, even pink. I like Seaguar Blue Label but will not pass up a sale on others, again I’m cheap! Here is the setup I use now no matter where I fish offshore Penn 50 2-speed reels with 100# hollow core braid, 200 yards 80# top shot, 20’ 130# fluorocarbon leader, 80# wind on swivel. Below the wind on swivel is where I play around with the line size. I usually start out with 5 feet of 100# fluorocarbon but carry 80# and 60# with me just in case the fish are really picky. With this set up my hook up ratio has doubled. I would recommend to anyone looking to increase their hookup ratio to run some sort of this combination. Tips and Tricks • Use a good wind on leader. • Use a good wind on swivel, not because you want to reel it on but because of the size, these things are very small and very strong. • Don’t be afraid to drop down in line size on that last 5 feet of leader. Some days going from 100# to 80# was the difference in no bites and a box full. • Have some 100#, 80#, and 60# 5-foot leaders made up so changing out isn’t a big issue. • If boats around you have rods bent over and you haven’t had a knock down, something is wrong; change up what you are doing. I hope this small read helps someone out and you are able to get on the fish and get some rods bent over. Until the next time keep it safe out there!

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FISH SMELL 1000X BETTER THAN WE DO. Underwater. In current. And even in nutrient-dense saltwater, fish can pick up a scent at the parts per billion level. Think that’s impressive? How about a bait with the ability to trick that sense of smell into believing it is even better than real food. In scientific tests, Gulp!® proved so effective on saltwater gamefish, it actually outfished real bait time and time again. Not only does the scent outperform real and artificial bait, it has 400 times the scent dispersion of the best competing soft plastic bait. Now, Gulp! is available in all of the most popular sizes, colors and actions, including the new Firetail options. Berkley® Gulp! We’ve done the science, now you catch the fish. berkley-fishing.com ©2020 Pure Fishing, Inc.

THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE BITE Berkley Saltwater Gulp! Continues to Outshine Live Bait for Coastal Anglers

ll along the coast, as the highways near the busiest launch ramps, the bait shop signs announcing what’s for sale reinforce what most anglers already know: natural bait does a good job of catching fish. Live baitfish and live shrimp are almost always on the bait shop menu as they present the most natural food source. But even the frozen slabs of baitfish and chunks of cut bait that are also widely sold—baits which have no action to them whatsoever—are eaten by saltwater species if presented the right way. But why? The answer is simple, as it all pertains to one of the most misunderstood senses in fish biology: a fish’s sense of smell. It’s this sense of smell that inspired the development of Berkley Saltwater

Gulp!, the line of baits that has transformed saltwater fishing with their effectiveness, ease of use and value. For as effective as live or cut bait can be in saltwater fishing, it’s far from the perfect solution. Live bait can be very expensive and difficult to keep alive. Unused bait becomes a treat for pushy pelicans or gets dumped into the water. Presented with a problem, the scientists at Berkley set out to find a solution. Fish smell on the parts-per-billion level, the equivalent of a single drop of water in an Olympicsized swimming pool. This powerful sense of smell is extremely important to a fish’s ability to feed. Fish rely upon their sense of smell because they live in an aquatic environment filled with particles

and debris that can look like food. Their noses tell fish the difference between food and other organic compounds. Berkley scientists set out to make the first artificial bait that really appealed to a fish’s sense of smell. The first step was getting scent to disperse from a soft bait. While fish attractants and scents are nothing new, all of the competitive versions were oil-based. And just like the old adage reminds us, oil and water don’t mix. An oil-based scent that is smelly to a human has no effectiveness on fish since it is not soluble in water. That’s why Gulp! scents are water-based. The water-based scent formula, now known as Berkley Gulp! and which has since become synonymous with saltwater fishing across the country, caught more fish than live bait in headto-head tests. This scent, combined with the proprietary material used in Berkley Gulp! baits, disperses scent 400 times more effectively than any other soft bait, meaning it creates a scent field that is easily detected by fish and which continues to expand as the bait is retrieved. “I started really using Gulp! in about 2007, a few years after it came out,” said Capt. Jot Owens, who operates out of Wrightsville Beach, N.C., where he specializes in putting his clients on big redfish, flounder and other species. “And from the first year I started fishing with Gulp!, we were catching more and bigger flounder than we had ever caught before—and we were fishing in the same areas we had always been fishing. I don’t

know what the magic formula is, but it really wakes fish up.” Capt. Owens said he prefers Berkley Saltwater Gulp! for a host of species, but especially for redfish and flounder. His go-to set up for flounder varies slightly depending on whether he’s fishing inshore or farther out. The set up consists of a 6-inch Saltwater Gulp! Jerk Shad (Chartreuse/Pepper/ Neon or Firetiger) on a 3/8-ounce long-shank jig head. Because Gulp! baits are wet inside and out, they can come unrigged, so Capt. Owens relies on a Berkley Fusion19 jig that has lead lips and a wire hook to keep his Jerk Shad rigged properly. When fishing inshore, he uses a medium-fast Fenwick HMG Inshore paired with a Size 2500 or 3000 PENN Battle III DX spinning reel, which is spooled with 15-pound braid and a 30-pound fluorocarbon leader. Farther out, he will increase the line size to a 20-pound braid mainline and a 40-pound fluorocarbon leader spooled onto a Size 3500 PENN Spinfisher. “Just make sure the bait is bouncing on bottom; I’m typically jigging with the rod tip pretty high,” Capt. Owens said. “It’s not that you won’t get bit dragging it on the bottom, but the bait is more effective bouncing up and down.” For redfish, Capt. Owens has his clients using 3- or 4-inch Gulp! Shrimp (Sugar Spice Glow or Chartreuse) on a 1/8- or 1/4-ounce jig head, increasing the weight of the jig based on fishing depth and current. The rest of his redfish set up is similar to that of his inshore rig for flounder:

medium-fast Fenwick HMG Inshore paired with a Size 2500 or 3000 PENN Battle III DX spinning reel, which is spooled with 15-pound braid and a 30-pound fluorocarbon leader. “The best retrieve is a hop-hop; let it sit for a second or two then give it another hop-hop,” Capt. Owens said. “Redfish are really bottom feeders, so they’ll almost always hit it on the drop or while it’s sitting on bottom for the brief pause. The way the Berkley Saltwater Gulp! Shrimp is putting out scent, redfish pick it up with the same excitement as they would a hunk of cut bait even though it’s not moving.”

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Troll and Watch Bottom for Spring Grouper By CAM Staff

I CALL FOR YOUR LOCAL DEALER

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t’s a lot more fun to fill fish boxes when the various Gulf and Atlantic grouper seasons open in spring. These days, advances in electronics have made finding good grouper bottom easier than ever. There is, however, a trade-off. In the good old days, captains precisely timed their courses out of the pass in hopes of coming off throttle near a fish-producing rock pile. Before GPS and sonar, the best indicators of productive bottom were boats already there and catching fish. Successful anglers even welcomed new PHOTO COURTESY OF CRYSTAL LAFOSSE boats to the party, reasoning that more baits in the water served to excite fish into feeding. In case you didn’t notice, that’s not the way things work any more. Now any yahoo with a boat can plug coordinates into their navigation system and sleepwalk straight to a ledge or wreck. Community holes and artificial reefs are crowded and sometimes picked clean of fish. To avoid this, a good set of numbers is a jealously guarded secret. Camaraderie on the open sea is officially a thing of the past when picking up and moving off productive bottom is a logical step to avoid being marked in the mapping system of a passing vessel. We’ve traded open sharing of information for technological advancements the old salts couldn’t have dreamed of. With advanced radar, sonar, mapping and GPS, it’s up to the angler to spend time on the water to locate their own magic numbers. With grouper seasons opening in state and federal waters off the southern states, most species have finished with the peak of spawning. They have begun moving to deeper water and are hungry to feed-up and regain what was lost to the rigors of the spawn. However, grouper are also spread out more thinly right now than they are when they group up on deep-water structure in summer. You might not have to run as far to reach productive bottom, but you will likely have to do more spot-hopping to fill the boxes. It’s a good time of year to troll. Some fish will still be shallow enough to target with deep-diving lures. Using planers and downriggers, it’s possible to get lures down to 60 feet or deeper, and some very deep-diving plugs can get down to 40 feet on their own with the right braided line. This allows you to cover ground on and around those ledge coordinates you have marked. It’s a throwback to the olds days, when trolling up a grouper was the method for finding an area to stop and drop baits. If you keep an eye on the bottom machine, you might even spot a small formation you didn’t know was there. These small blips are the honeyholes that produce when the larger reefs and structure succumb to constant fishing pressure. Don’t care for boat rides and watching rods? Traditional bottom fishing may still be the best method. Check your shallower coordinates as you head out this time of year. Many boats ride right over good structure on the way to their deeper summer spots. Reefs or rocks as shallow as 40 feet will hold fish before they head out to their mid-summer haunts. Just be sure to drop some chum down upstream of the structure to bring them out of their hidey-holes. See your state’s saltwater fishing regulations to determine which species of grouper are open for harvest where you fish.

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On the Swordfish Ledge

off Marathon

By Capt. Quinlyn Haddon

f you’ve ever been swordfishing out of Marathon, Fla., chances are you were deep dropping the same area I was in April, when the U.S. Coast Guard ticketed us for fishing in Bahamian waters. Dropping for swordfish is exhausting. Staring mindlessly at one single rod tip, it’s easy to lose your mind questioning if every other wave was a bite. It is also possible to spend an entire day doing the crazy-eyed swordfish rod stare and never get a nibble. During a slow drift along the ledge in 1,800 feet of water, our luck finally changed. A flock of diving terns approached and crossed behind the

boat. We opened bails on the flat lines and let pinfish swim toward the commotion. Immediately we hooked up and stole a school of mahi from under the birds. With four mahi hooked up along the port side, we had just begun the assembly line from hook to killbox when we were informed the U.S. Coast Guard was about to board our boat. Approaching from starboard to accommodate our fishing, three “Coasties” boarded to conduct a routine safety check. After about half an hour with our official guests on board, we finished with the school of mahi and decided to reel up the sword line. We activated the electric reel, and— distracted by our visitors—it took a moment to

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realize we were hooked up. The Coasties were going to have to put a pin in it. “Hang on fellas; we’re hooked up!” For the next half hour, we didn’t hear a word from our visitors. As the fish began to surface, the line scoped out underneath the Coast Guard cutter raft. We radioed asking them to move. After a lot of chaos and tight boat maneuvering, we landed the 150-pound swordfish with the Coast Guard on board. They even took the catch photos. It was all high fives and celebration until they asked us for our Bahamian fishing licenses and informed us we were illegally fishing in the Bahamian Exclusive Economic Zone. Later on, extensive research by Steve Steenstra, owner of Blue Magic Charters, revealed the Bahamian EEZ line runs about 24 miles from land, straight across the U.S. sword ledge. None of us, not even our GPS mapping knew about this line. A law enacted some 40 years ago had just been enforced for the first time. We were the first vessel cited. As I understand it, after visiting the Coast Guard Station in Key West, the EEZ line was drawn straight down the middle by default. Now that they’re enforcing it, recreational swordfishing from the Keys is threatened, along with the livelihoods it supports. As the situation unfolds, it would be wise to stay up to date before venturing offshore from the Keys. Capt. Quinlyn Haddon and Blue Magic Charters are following this situation closely. Contact her at (504) 920-6342 or through Instagram @CaptainQuinlyn and @BlueMagicCharters.

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ach spring, inshore anglers are greeted with big winds, big tides and small baitfish. There is no time where the size of your lure can make or break your trip more than the spring season. With the abundance of small baitfish in the water, it can be difficult to get the attention of your target species, especially when you are fishing with artificial lures. It is also very common to find gamefish gorging themselves on tiny glass minnows. This is routinely evident when you land a fish and they spit up these miniature meals. As anglers, we have two obstacles here: the sheer amount of forage in the water competing with your lure and the small size of the lure required. What I have found to be the most successful tactic is to use the smallest lure I can cast and appropriately present to the fish. Both hard and soft lures can be effective. Another key to success is color. I prefer a white-and-silver combination that closely matches the natural forage. I like to fish these lures on the edge of large bait balls when possible. I try to keep my lure on the edge or under the school to let the fish focus on a single target rather than a large mass.

By Capt. Michael Okruhlik

Using a slow-sinking lure is an advantage at this time of the year. A lure that will suspend or slow-sink is ideal. This allows the predator time to target your lure, and it also gives the appearance of a wounded baitfish, which is always a plus. When the bait is this thick, your lure needs to stand out, but you still need to match the forage in size and color. The use of tandem rigs allows for a couple of advantages. Casting two smaller lures could equal the weight of one of your typical offerings. This allows you to cast farther and still have the appropriate size lure. Rigging two small silver spoons with white bucktails is a great combination when fishing glass minnow schools. I also like to use a small floater/ diver with a small spoon trailer. The diving action in conjunction with the added weight of the spoon is a unique combination of action to entice strikes. Downsizing your lure presentation in spring can definitely up-size your catch. Capt. Michael Okruhlik is the inventor of Knockin Tail Lures, Controlled Descent Lures and the owner of www.MyCoastOutdoors.com.

PHOTO COURTESY OF KNOCKIN TAIL LURES

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“For Me, It’s a Fishing Tool”

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“T

he easiest way I can explain ‘boat position’: if you’re at the baseball game, you’re either playing—which is fishing—or you’re watching the game, which means you’re not…” Capt. Mickey Brelsford decided he’d rather be in the game than on the sidelines, so installing the Rebel EZ-5 became a no-brainer after researching product information and helpful documents on the company website, then calling the drum anchor winch plate design that allows the drum to free-spool when the manufacturer’s technical support team for additional pointers. clutch plate is disengaged. To get that “ good, solid anchoring In the past, using a windlass yielded poor retrieval results position,” press and hold the “raise/power up” side of the and left no room for customization, like adding special button for about five seconds: this will cause the clutch plate to attachments or splicing rope and chain. Now, Capt. Brelsford once again rotate, but this time clamping down on the drum says his Rebel free-fall unit is the perfect fishing tool, providing and holding the boat at anchor. him a “good, solid anchoring position.” “Once I deploy my anchor and it goes into a free-fall, it’s “I don’t know how many times I’ve been on boats where straight down to the bottom as quick as it can go…” Brelsford [the line is] hanging up, snarling, getting knotted up in the said. “And then, once I set the anchor, I can free-line out as windlass or shredding line.” Brelsford said. much anchor rode as I need: that’s what I call ‘boat position’.” A retired policeman, Capt. Brelsford enjoys his time fishing As an added bonus, the Rebel drum anchor winch is near the coast of St. James City, Fla. on his 37-foot “Nostalgic compatible with an E-Z Anchor Puller wireless long-range Lady”: a 1981 Hatteras Sportfish that carries 300 feet of ⅝-inch remote, which controls your drum anchor winch from rope and 20 feet of heavy-duty chain. After adding a pulpit to anywhere on the boat. Capt. Brelsford purchased his on the his vessel, Capt. Brelsford used to pull up all his rope by hand, wasting time company website, ezanchorpuller.com. and energy on multiple retrieval and deployment attempts as he tried to find “This [unit] here—don’t worry about it—it just rolls right on and keeps on the perfect “boat position.” rollin’. That’s what it is: E-Z!” Unlike E-Z Anchor Puller Mfg. Co’s two direct drive series (the Hero To learn more, call 1-800-800-1640 or visit ezanchorpuller.com. and Patriot series), the Rebel drum anchor winch has a clutch and friction

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