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SIGHT FISHING
TRIPLETAIL
CAPE COD BLITZES
RECORD BREAKING SWORDFISH VOLUME 26 • ISSUE 312
PHOTO CREDIT: TOMMY LADO COURTESY OF CHEYANNE SINGLETARY
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n the history of timepieces, few moments are more important than the creation of the world’s first Piezo timepiece. First released to the public in 1969, the watch turned the entire industry on its head, ushering in a new era of timekeeping. It’s this legacy that we’re honoring with the Timemaster Watch, available only through Stauer at a price only we can offer. Prior to Piezo watches, gravity-driven Swiss watches were the standard bearer of precision timekeeping. But all that changed when the first commercially available Piezo watch came onto the market. The result of ten years of research and development by some of the world’s top engineers, they discovered that when you squeeze a certain type of crystal, it generates a tiny electric current. And, if you pass electricity through the crystal, it vibrates at a precise frequency–exactly 32,768 times each second. When it came on the market, the Piezo watch was the most dependable timepiece available, accurate to 0.2 seconds per day. Today, it’s still considered a spectacular advance in electrical engineering. “[Piezo timepieces]...it would shake the Swiss watch industry to its very foundations.” —Foundation For Economic Education With the Timemaster we’ve set one of the world’s most important mechanical advances inside a decidedly masculine case. A handsome prodigy in rich leather and gold-finished stainless steel. The simplicity of the watch’s case belies an ornately detailed dial, which reflects the prestige of this timepiece. Call today to secure your own marvel of timekeeping history. Because we work directly with our own craftsman we’re able to offer the Timemaster at a fraction of the price that many Piezo watches cost. But a watch like this doesn’t come along every day. Call today before time runs out and they’re gone. Your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed. Spend some time with this engineering masterpiece for one month. If you’re not convinced you got excellence for less, simply send it back within 30 days for a refund of the item price. But we’re betting this timekeeping pioneer is a keeper.
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By Nick Carter
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ripletail are some of the most exciting gamefish that visit inshore waters. Their peculiar tendency to hang near the surface around floating debris makes them perfect for sight fishing, and on top of that they are absolutely delicious. Capt. Jeremy Davidson is an angler devoted to these oddball fish. His charter service, Southern Salinity, is based out of St. George Island, where he specializes in inshore tripletail on Florida’s Forgotten Coast. “They start to migrate to shallower water when that water temperature starts rising,” he said “It’s wind and water temperature dependent, but everything starts to move in March or April—the bait, the pelagics, everything.” Throughout the Gulf of Mexico and up the Atlantic Coast, tripletail move shallower in waves. Davidson said the timing is different by location, but the patterns are similar. First, scads of smaller
fish move in from offshore through the passes to find homes on floating debris. The early spring bite is characterized by plentiful opportunities at smaller fish. By May or June, larger 8- to 12-pounders settle in on trap buoys, floating vegetation and tide lines. Big fish in the 20-pound range arrive in deep summer. They’re there to feed and procreate, said Davidson, which means they are primed to pick up a bait. However, catching tripletail consistently is more difficult than it might appear. THE SETUP: To spot tripletail, you must train your eyes to look beneath the surface. Fish will stay with a piece of floating cover as long as it harbors the small crabs, shrimp and glass minnows tripletail feed on. Cover could be anything, and Davidson recommends checking out everything floating on the surface. You might spot the fish itself, but the first indication is usually the sub-surface flash of a turning fish. When Davidson spots fish, he leaves the boat in gear and noses into the current to point the bow at the fish within casting range. THE CAST: “Do not hit that fish,” Davidson warned. “Pick a spot out past it. I don’t care if it’s the treeline. Just make sure to pitch past that fish.” Casting past the fish with an underhand pitch allows the angler to retrieve the bait slowly through the strike zone. If the tripletail doesn’t take the bait on the initial retrieve, it’s time to flip the bail and allow the tide to carry the bait back past the fish. “It’s a slow dance,” Davidson said. “Retrieve it slow and easy.”
THE TAKE: Don’t set the hook! Tripletail feed delicately. They ease up and pluck their prey from near the surface. Then, to avoid spooking their next meal, they move away before engulfing it. “Let that fish roll down or go the other way,” Davidson said. “Give it 5 or 10 seconds, then lift up and he’s on. Then he turns into a wild man!” THE FIGHT: The harder you pull on a tripletail, the harder and wilder it fights back. This is important because, along with brute strength, these prehistoric fish have a sharp, line-slicing gill plate. Davidson reiterated his slow dance metaphor, saying you can sometimes lead a fish right to the boat by taking it slow and easy. “Square up with him. Keep your rod tip up, and let him run if he wants to dig,” said Davidson “Walk him around the boat. Stay square with him, and pump him in slow and easy.” THE RIG: Tripletail eat shrimp, pogies and artificials, but Davidson prefers to make a fresh-shrimp lure. He pops the heads off large restaurant-quality shrimp and pinches the flappers off their tails. Then he runs a 2/0 or 3/0 3X Strong VMC circle hook up the tail and out the second notch before turning the point back into the bait. This hides the hook and allows the shrimp to swim like a lure. To make pitching the rig easier, he ties an elongated float, like Boat Monkey’s Cigar Slip Float, between braided 30-lb. main line and a 2- to 3-foot leader of 30-lb. fluorocarbon. More advanced anglers might go bobberless for better control while working the bait. To do this, tie the braid directly to the leader with a double uni knot. Capt. Jeremy Davidson owns Southern Salinity, which runs charters on Florida’s Forgotten Coast. See their website at www.southernsalinity.com.
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ver the last few months, I’ve shared some techniques in these pages that people seem to be trying with some success. When you think about it, incorporating squid into your offshore spreads really is a nobrainer when you can find and purchase good whole squid. One of the best ways to rig those squid, and ballyhoo for that matter, is with a Chin Weight coupled with a “stiff-rig” stinger hook assembly. Recently, I’ve received quite a few calls and e-mails from folks all over the country asking for a simpler way to achieve the end result of a stiff-rig stinger hook. I had to go to the barn, have a few cocktails and dig deep, but here it is: The simple way to keep a stinger hook in a rigid “stiff ” position without snelling it or making a cat’s paw connection. If the terminology is throwing you off at this point, stay tuned, this actually is a very simple solution that anyone can achieve with a limited amount of materials and know how. The key to this rig is inexpensive heatshrink tubing over a standard crimped-wire connection. Granted, you might only get a bite or two out of this rig before teeth shred the heatshrink tubing and it’s no longer rigid. However, it’s so easy to make this rig that you can churn
Step two: Make a second crimp at 90 degrees to the first crimp. This is a (small) diameter in the cable to fit over a 7/0 or 11/0 Tim Barefoot Chin Weight (as shown in photo). Step Three: Slide a ¾-inch length section out dozens in different lengths of heat-shrink tubing over the crimped for different sized baits and keep them at the ready. Cut your cable to the connection of the hook and heat with a lighter correct length and make a few crimps… that’s in the vertical position. That’s it! all there is to it. Step One: Make a standard crimped connection using the High Seas 1.0 crimp and the American Fishing Wire 175# (7x7) or 49 strand cable.
Now, if you’re a visual learner like I am, go watch the video I made on the process. See it once, and it will be like a light bulb going off in your head. It really is that easy. For more information and to watch the video, go to barefootcatsandtackle.com. Click on “Heat Shrink Tubing Stiff Rig Stinger Hook.”
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ne of the most beloved coins in history is a true American Classic: The Buffalo Nickel. Although they have not been issued for over 75 years, GovMint.com is releasing to the public bags of original U.S. government Buffalo Nickels. Now they can be acquired for a limited time only—not as individual collector coins, but by weight—just $49 for a full QuarterPound Bag.
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INSHORE STRATEGIES FOR THE
PHOTO COURTESY OF KNOCKIN TAIL LURES.
Most fish are still in transition between the deep mud and the shallow sand or grass flats, which keeps them spread out through the bays. Add high winds, cool fronts and the small size of the forage, and you have a tougher puzzle to put together than the other three seasons. Here are a few tips to help you sort though this maze and hopefully land a few more fish this spring. First and foremost, baitfish are extremely small this time of year, and it is not uncommon to find dozens of small glass minnows in the bellies of trout and redfish in the spring. This makes my first tip obvious, so I won’t waste a lot of space here, but downsize your lure presentation if you can. Obviously, this can impact one’s casting abilities, so rigging small lures in tandem can be By Capt. Michael Okruhlik a plus and assist in casting distance. Something else I like to use in the spring is a clear or transparent lure with some glitter, or maybe one with a light translucent color. I choose these because it’s more difficult for the fish to see the lure’s actual size, which gives the appearance that it’s smaller than it actually is. I’ve found this to be a productive alternative to downsizing. While choosing a typical-size trout and redfish lure for this application, I look for one with subtle movements. I like either a darting-style bait or a paddle lure with a very subtle vibration. Strong, big-vibrating tails have their time, but early spring is not one of them. One thing I notice about schools of small baitfish is their movement. When displaced, they seldom dart deeper, and most of their movement is side-to-side or upward. Due to this characteristic, I also like a lightweight lure with a slow sink rate. I feel this better imitates spring forage movements and increases strikes. I like a lure that twitches side to side that doesn’t sink very fast on the pause. In early spring while the fish are in transition, they will start to congregate on sandy shores with grass. This will be the main cover for the small fry. While employing these techniques and lure choices, concentrate efforts on broken grass flats with potholes and distinct edges. These areas are best when they are close to deeper water. I hope you find these tactics helpful and as the weather warms and you pring is around the corner, and a lot of fishermen who hang up their gear enjoy the outdoors, don’t forget to take a kid fishing! for winter can’t wait for the temps to rise. Although the enthusiasm is high to wet a line, spring can be the most difficult season to successfully Capt. Michael Okruhlik is the inventor of Knockin Tail Lures, Controlled pattern and to consistently catch inshore fish. Descent Lures and the owner of www.MyCoastOutdoors.com.
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Michael Jordan’s 80-foot Viking, Catch 23, took top honors in this year’s Buccaneer Cup.
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ith a five-release first day, Michael Jordan’s boat, Catch 23, held on to win the 58th annual Buccaneer Cup Sailfish Tournament Jan. 20-23. This year’s event featured a fleet of 38 boats and a total of 63 sailfish caught. It was a big win for Catch 23. The big, beautiful boat has been making national headlines in tournament circuits the last few years, primarily because of the star power Jordan brings to the deck. But now Catch 23 has a big win to hang its hat on. The Buccaneer Cup is one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious sailfish release tournaments. It was held this year out of Palm Beach and Jupiter, Florida during the traditional heart of the area’s sailfish season. The name Catch 23 pays homage to the jersey number Jordan wore through six NBA championships with Chicago Bulls. The custom 80-foot Viking is wrapped with the elephant print that first adorned Air Jordan 3 sneakers and now also appears on Jordan’s jet. Since 2019, Catch 23 has competed in several high-stakes marlin tournaments in mid-Atlantic. It also saw duty in the last two Stuart Sailfish Club Light Tackle Sailfish tournaments, and placed third in 2019. At this year’s Buccaneer Cup, Capt. Stetson Turney led Catch 23 to five releases on the first day of fishing, Thursday Jan. 21. The action came in spurts. Catch 23 called in its first two releases at 9:11 and 9:31 a.m. Jordan was on the reel for the first one, and angler Jimmy David cranked in the second. The team hung two more release flags just before 2 p.m., when Danny Young fought a sailfish to the boat at 1:47 p.m. and David got his second at 1:53. At 3:28 p.m., Jordan reeled in the fifth release of the day to earn the boat 1,000 points and a solid Day One lead. The tournament awards 200 points for each sailfish release using live bait and 300 points for each release caught on dead bait. Catch 23 did not call in another release until just before noon on the final day of fishing Saturday, Jan. 23. This allowed the eventual secondplace boat, De-Bait-Able, to climb into contention. De-Bait-Able, a 60-foot Viking, captained by KJ Zeher, called in two releases on the morning of Friday’s Day Two. Both fish were handled by angler Cameron Walsh. Saturday saw De-Bait-Able make a big push with four releases between 8:27 a.m. and lines out. Anglers Jay Lanigan, Mike Lanigan, Laura Rassel and Tom Walsh battled in their catches to give De-Bait-Able 1,200 points at the end of Day Three. They were one fish shy of catching Catch 23, which called in releases for anglers Annibal Moya and Danny Young on the final day of fishing. For more information on the Buccaneer Cup, go to www.buccaneercup.com.
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lorida is home to one of the most incredibly diverse fisheries on the planet, and every change in season brings entirely new fishing opportunities to our doorstep. With long summers and short winters, temperature changes in autumn and spring bring the most dramatic shifts to our fisheries. Changes are unpredictable this time of year, and the month of March can be absolutely incredible or a total bust. It only takes a few degrees of water temperature rise to bring on full-on spring fishing. This is a wonderful time of year to be an avid fisherman. The delicate and seemingly minuscule weather changes are extremely impactful to the mysterious behavior of fish. We are on the precipice of the next fishing season, but it is based on many factors, none of which are your calendar. Florida is an annoyingly perfect place to be a boater and angler. It may seem like there are always too many boats out there competing for the bite, but, unlike places like Louisiana, where the fishing spots are marked by giant oil rigs, every venture is an opportunity to find a new honey-hole. One of the super-secret offshore coordinates found by the company I work for has been reliably fascinating throughout the year, or even throughout a week. This fishing spot is a unique little ecosystem. The bottom finder is usually marked up like a child’s crayon drawing, yet the species landed can vary greatly from day to day, or season to season. I was fishing this location recently and we caught 53 lane snapper in a few hours. We returned a few days later, and the bottom finder looked the same. We expected to catch lane snapper again, yet it was all mangroves. Then, all of a sudden the screen showed no fish. It was completely blank. This was just as interesting as any other change that had happened there. The fish would reappear on the screen, and disappear, and the bites and lack thereof, followed instantly. All of this happened back and forth within two to five minute intervals. Everyone on board began watching the screen to know when to expect a bite, and then we saw what we had all surmised. Big marks appeared on the screen zipping along solo. There were predatory fish down there. Luckily, we were able to land these predators visiting our honey-hole, and confirm that they were not just sharks. They were giant bull redfish, one of which came up double hooked. Likely not residents of this area, they had stopped by for a snack on their springtime journey through our area. This time of year is unpredictable, and I would never dare claim to understand all the mysterious behaviors of fish, so I will refrain from giving a fishing report. I will, however, say it is a great time of year to be surprised. Capt. Quinlyn Haddon fishes with Reel Lucky Fishing Charters out of St Petersburg, Fla. Give them a call at (504) 929-6342 and check out Capt. Haddon’s social media @CaptainQuinlyn.
8 FLORIDA
MARCH 2021
COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM
By Capt. Quinlyn Haddon
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STATE RECORD
SWORDFISH
The Pompano Beach fishing scene was buzzing in mid-January. Fish were really chewing out on the swordfish grounds, and it seemed everyone with a boat was running 15 miles out to the trench to get in on the action. That buzz rose to near hysteria the evening of Jan. 20, when four anglers between the ages of 17 and 21 returned to the docks at Lighthouse Point Marina. In their boat was an enormous 767.8-pound swordfish. It was a new state record. Here’s the story as told by 21-year-old Timmy Maddock, the new record holder:
I
had just returned from fishing in Costa Rica when I heard the swords were biting. I asked my buddy Hunter Irvine to go swordfishing, and he was ready! That evening, I swung by Big Dog Tackle in Pompano Beach where my girlfriend, Jaime Johanson, is the store manager. I bought fresh baits to rig for the next day’s trip. Hunter and I were up at 5:30 a.m. to load his 31-foot center console. Jaime and our other buddy Jeremy Rafferty met us there. At the sword grounds, we got a good bite on our first drop but were confused when the fish didn’t come back. After making three more drops, we heard on the radio there were bites to the south. We picked up and ran a couple miles south to find five boats stacked up in the area. Out of courtesy, we moved south of the other boats and dropped. The rod went slack the second the lead hit bottom. The four of us kind of looked around at each other, wondering if we had gotten cut off. I engaged the electric reel and started bringing in line to check. After a couple minutes, there was weight on the rod tip. “We got one on!” I yelled. The line was slack because the fish had shot straight to the surface. With the rod loaded and the darts ready for battle, the fish came straight up and jumped out of the water! We were all excited, thinking we might have a 400- or 500-pounder on the line. The lead was off within the first 15 minutes, and that fish raced all over the surface for 30 or 45 minutes before going back to the bottom. While she was up, we couldn’t get a dart in her because she was hauling ass all over the place. After two hours of hard fighting on the bottom, there was a nervous silence. We had begun to speculate how big she really was. She came halfway up and back down four or five times. The last time she dove, she was at 2000 revolutions off the LP electric reel. That’s when we think she died. We tightened the drag to gain line. Every time the boat rocked on a wave, we gained a foot. After an hour and a half of rocking, we finally got the wind-on leader back on the reel. Her head popped out of the water and we all freaked out, knowing she was dead and the fight was over. Jaime grabbed the gaff, holding her phone in the other hand to record this epic moment. Jeremy backed the boat to the fish on the surface, and Hunter put a dart in her to close the deal after more than five hours. When we got her tied off, happiness and adrenalin filled us all as we jumped around and celebrated. We spent 20 minutes trying to get the fish in the boat before radioing for help. Rob Doda was out swordfishing by himself, and he left his spot to come to our aid. He left his boat floating and jumped aboard to explain what needed to be done. After 30 minutes of all five of us pulling, we got her through the tuna door. The boat was taking on a lot of water from the weight on the back corner. We dropped Rob off at his boat and drove as fast as we could to the dock. 12 FLORIDA 1 LOCATION
MARCH 2021 JUNE 2020
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• Word got out quickly as soon as we reached communication range. The folks at Big Dog Tackle led the search to find an IGFA certified scale. Shaughn Miller of Offshore Anglers of Pompano Beach agreed to meet us with a scale at the Lighthouse Point Marina fuel docks. There was a small crowd on hand. The girth of the fish’s tail was bigger than most men’s waist. As she was hoisted from the boat, the scale climbed 400… 500… 600! Everyone was cheering. When she was finally vertical, the scale stopped at 767.8 pounds. It was insane, to say the least. The fish yielded more than 400 pounds of meat that was given away to family, friends and Filet for Friends charity. Some of it was eaten during a celebration barbecue for the community, where many got a taste of the official Florida state record swordfish.
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Kayak Fishing By: Eric Henson
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ell it’s been a pretty decent winter this year with consistent cool temperatures but, March will bring in the new season. The fish that have been hiding in the warmer waters will be inching their way out onto the flats. After the chilly winter they will be hungry and looking forward to their next meal. Some species will start to spawn, and some species will start their journey towards their spawning grounds. Nonetheless, this all makes for a great time of year to get your lines wet. Trout will be spawning at this time and it will generally be the last time to catch a trophy SW Florida “Gator Trout” until next fall. Be careful handling them as they are generally loaded with eggs getting ready to release for the trout’s future generations. Their mouths easily tear and have one or two dagger-like fangs on the top with lots of sheathed little teeth throughout the rest of it. One of the safest ways to handle them is by wetting your hand before picking them up so that it helps from scratching their slime coat off that keeps them protected from many things. Then if you would like a picture, snap a quick pic and get them back into the water as fast as possible. This is also a great time of year to catch trophy size snook as they make their way towards the gulf to spawn in the summer. These fish are very strong and a little bit hardier, they should also be handled with
extreme care. First you must watch out for their razor-sharp gill plate! Snook can be easily held by their mouths, lipped like a bass. You must make sure to not hold the larger ones just by their mouths, but support their second half as well. If you hold a larger fish without any support to their body, you will break their spine and release a toxin into their bloodstream which will slowly kill them within a few days. And finally, the redfish. These fish are probably one of the strongest and hardiest fish out of the three gamefish, but also not invincible to miss-handling. Some people lip them, but I’ve had them completely rip all the skin off my thumb once so never again for me. lol! Wetting your hands, handling them as little as possible, and then releasing them as quickly as possible gives them the best chance of survival. I generally release all these species by holding them by the tail upright in the water, slowly moving them side to side until they give a kick to let you know they are ready to go. We all love to get that grip and grin shot of your best catches but please do your part in safely releasing your fish for the future populations of your beautiful fisheries. Tight lines and Tight knots to everyone!
Casting Kayaks | CastingKayaks.com | 941-504-1349
2 SARASOTA / BRADENTON | MARCH 2021 | COASTALANGLERMAG.COM/SARASOTA/
Thank Goodness for Hogfish in SW Florida! By: Capt. Chad Carney
S
pring brings great spearfishing to the Gulf of Mexico, like these big hogfish my buddies & I shot in 100’ to 130’ range. Males show huge dark snouts & long dorsal plumes and tails, while females are lighter marked, but can get good sized out deep. In early spring, divers are sporting full wetsuits and hoods for the Gulf thermoclines. I wear a 5mm Dec. - March, then go to 3mm. Atlantic water hogs rarely get over 10 pounds, but in the Gulf they can push above 20 pounds and “kiss their wrasses”, they’re bottom grazers - not hog snapper! Seasoned spearos favor hogfish for flavor and beauty, but really not sport. Why? Because arguably it’s the dumbest fish in the Gulf & Atlantic Ocean! New spearfishers, you’ve got to love a fish that is not caught by most hook and
liners, and will swim right up to you turn and pose for a shot, even many big ones do it. Generally hogs are too weak to break your gear or hurt you. Often they watch their mates get picked off, until they’re the last target. After a haircut shot, some will forget the spearo & resume grazing. They swim slow, and although they could bolt, they rarely do, not even from noisy, awkward spearfishers! Inquisitive till they're on the dinner plate. As our prey, what will hogfish do to survive? Hmmm… they’re pretty good at hiding once mortally wounded! Hogfish Regulations in Florida: Go to myFWC.com for more Minimum Size: • Atlantic - 16" fork length Bag Limits: 1 per harvester Season: • Atlantic - Open May 1 - Oct. 31 Minimum Size:• Gulf - 14" fork length Bag Limits: • 5 per harvester Season: • Gulf - Open year round (In July I moved back to the Gulf & SW Florida - primarily because spearfishing & regulations suck in SE Florida - secondary was 6.2 million people in the pandemic.} Shoot straight and enjoy some hogfish! Capt. Chad Carney
Florida Skin Diver | floridaskindiver.com | 727-423-7775
FACEBOOK.COM/COASTALANGLERMAGAZINESARASOTA/ | MARCH 2021 | SARASOTA / BRADENTON 3
Suburbans on Dock Lights By: Capt. Brian Boehm
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ewfish (goliath grouper) will never be a species I target on charters. Maybe I shouldn’t say never, but I can’t envision the chain of events that would need to unfold where the end result is me stabbing a 20/0 hook through the head of a jack crevalle, pitching it off the side of the
finally ended when a fly angler, best described as charmed, joined me for a dock light trip. The fishing gods apparently love her. On her first trip with me she said, “I really want to catch a tarpon on the fly.” A few hours later, we leadered a good one. Before another recent trip, she professed her love for redfish. Wouldn’t you know it, we were surrounded by hundreds
After giving the proper amount of admiration for such a rare occurrence in my area, we left the goliath grouper alone.
boat, then telling a client to “hang on”. It seems implausible. Some of us aren’t wired for that style of fishing. While I don’t foresee any saltwater tug-of-wars with goliaths in my future, I do appreciate these fish for what they are. They are saltwater cave trolls that smite anything resembling an easy meal. A few years back, I saw a goliath grouper on a dock light for the first time. Despite being a modest sized goliath, it dwarfed even the biggest snook in the light. Quite the sight to process for this shallow water guide! The dock light that attracted that monster has been gone for nearly two years. It’s hard to believe that such a nondescript dock, now surrounded by darkness, could’ve ever held a goliath grouper. I’ve run countless dock light trips since that night and not once has another goliath appeared. That trend
of redfish for nearly six hours. This night she asked about sharks. I mentioned that there weren’t any sharks in this area, but I had seen a goliath grouper on a dock light many years ago. After hearing about the goliath, she put the fishing gods on notice and announced her intention to see one. A few hours later as we neared a favorite snook light, a giant shadow emerged from the green glow. Out came the goliath grouper she had wished for – right on cue. Such a ridiculous sight! It fit on the dock light like a Chevy Suburban in a compact car space. We moved closer to admire the monster. It was a healthy goliath, well over two bills. After giving the proper amount of admiration for such a rare occurrence in my area, we left the goliath grouper alone. We headed out in search of some normalcy – far away from the saltwater cave troll. And though we enjoyed good fishing after that, the fishing is not what we’ll remember about that night.
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4 SARASOTA / BRADENTON | MARCH 2021 | COASTALANGLERMAG.COM/SARASOTA/
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8 SARASOTA / BRADENTON | MARCH 2021 | COASTALANGLERMAG.COM/SARASOTA/
Springtime AMI By: Capt. Philip Watson
M
arch is finally here, so we can switch out of this wintertime fishing pattern. The bait will start to move north, and the predator fish will be sure to follow it. We will have Kingfish, Spanish Mackerel, Bonita, and sharks headed our way in no time! This time of year, it’s a good idea to learn how to tie a haywire twist when rigging with wire. Most of these fish are toothy and will break your line if it touches their teeth. Most of these toothy fish like to frequent shipwrecks or high relief areas that attract a lot of bait. Look for threadfins or sardines flipping on top of the water and you’ll be sure to find something that’s hungry. Another thing to note also is while bottom fishing, throw out a flat line. It can be baited with something as simple as a frozen threadfin to a feisty pinfish. This month, our highlighted trip was with the
Roads crew. Zack brought along his children and his nieces for a 6-hour offshore charter. Hogfish was the target and Hogfish is what they got! We left the dock on a flat calm day so when I pointed west, we didn’t stop until we hit 90’ of water. After anchoring up, Porgy’s started to hit the deck along with some short scamp grouper and mangrove snapper. Once the bite slowed down a little the first hogfish came up, followed by a monster porgy. The current changed so I motored to another small ledge nearby where two more nice Hogfish came up. We started to run a little short on time, so we fired up the motors and found a nice spot in 75’ where we caught some more nice Porgys, Amberjack, Scamps, and even a keeper Red Grouper. These kids absolutely wore the fish out!
Just Kickin Back Charters | justfishfl.com | 941-226-1100
FACEBOOK.COM/COASTALANGLERMAGAZINESARASOTA/ | MARCH 2021 | SARASOTA / BRADENTON 9
South Florida's 2 Day Winter By: Capt. Will Hubbard
I
n the last week of January I had clients who had been scheduled for 2 months flying in from Pittsburgh for a big corporate fishing trip. With that said, the pressure was on to put them on some really good fish. The week leading up to the charter my son and I went prefishing every spare second we had. The weather was a perfect low 70's and the fish were biting like crazy. The day before they arrived mother nature decided she was going to be a heffer and sent South Florida's 2 Day Winter. I was determined not to let that affect my clients’ trip. The morning of the trip we headed out and the conditions could not have been worse. It was cold and the wind was blowing in from the north at 20 mph pushing the water out of the bay on an outgoing tide and keeping the water from coming in on an incoming tide. This caused extremely low tides. We had set out at daylight to search for bait
2 hours before we picked up our clients. As you may know, the cold and low tides causes the bait fish to go to deep waters making it nearly impossible to find them. As you can imagine, there was no bait to be found anywhere. Bound and determined for our clients to have a great day fishing we decided to stick to the basics and what we know works in the cold low-tide conditions. With the bait fish hiding in deeper waters we decided to go to the oyster bars with our tough gloves and boots, and hand rake to dig up some good ol' mud crabs. We were happy when we were able to get 4 dozen mud crabs from the oyster bar. Wanting a variety of bait, we also went to Gasparilla Marina and bought 8 dozen for shrimp 10 SARASOTA / BRADENTON | MARCH 2021 | COASTALANGLERMAG.COM/SARASOTA/
for the day. With bait in hand it was time to pick up our clients from their rental on Little Gasparilla Island, so we discussed our best options for the day to make sure our clients catch fish. Our conclusion once again was to stick to the basics and take them dock fishing. With the cold temperatures we couldn't just pick any old dock. We had to make sure the docks we went to were deep water docks. When we arrived to pick up our clients something happened that had never happened before. The clients handed us a $300 tip before they ever even set foot on the boat. I looked at my client in shock and said, "are you sure you want to tip before you catch any fish?" Then the client proceeded to say that he tips on the front end because T.I.P.S stands for, "To Insure Perfect Service".....and the pressure was on! One thing we were excited about was using some new jigs we had bought. These awesome jigs are made here locally in Tampa by Tampa Bay Fishing Channel. We were excited to give them a try dock fishing for sheepshead. As we arrived at our first deep water dock we baited the new jigs with a mud crab. Low and behold on our first cast under the dock - BAM, fish on! We stayed on that dock for 20 minutes and caught 5 nice sheepshead. One of the great things about the jigs is that they have a circle hook on them so the client does not have to set the hook as soon as they feel the first bite. (This specific jig makes reeling in a fish for an amateur client more successful.) As the tide came in a little and the day warmed, we were able to catch some white bait and successfully continued to fish the deep water docks. We took a lunch break and headed back out to some more deep water docks. We used the Tampa Bay Fishing Channel jigs with some white bait and ended up catching an inshore slam (redfish, snook, and trout). Not bad for our 2-day winter in Florida. We finished the trip by cleaning the sheepshead and making sure our clients had delicious dinner! If you are interested in experiencing fishing with us in Gasparilla Sound, give me a call or text 678-630-1536.....(we might even throw in a bonus mud crabbing hunt. ;)
Family Traditions Charter Co. facebook.com/FamilyTraditionsCharterCo | 678-630-1536
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Port Manatee, FL - Mar 2021
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Set
Moon
Mon
12:57
1.9
1:30
1.6
8:07
-0.1
8:11
0.1
6:53
6:32
1
2
Tue
1:52
1.7
1:54
1.7
8:34
0.2
9:10
-0.1
6:52
6:33
3
Wed
2:56
1.4
2:23
1.9
8:57
0.5
10:17
-0.2
6:51
6:33
4
Thu
4:18
1.1
2:57
2.0
9:14
0.8
11:36
-0.3
6:50
5
Fri
6:51
1.0
3:41
2.1
8:55
0.9
6
Sat
4:39
2.0
1:08
7
Sun
6:03
2.0
8
Mon
7:42
9
Tue
12:05P
1.3
10
Wed
12:09P
11
Thu
12
Fri
13
Sat
14
Sun
12:17
15
Mon
16
Low
AM
ft
PM
ft
AM
ft
PM
ft
Rise
Set
Mon
2:08
1.8
2:48
1.4
8:44
-0.2
8:50
0.0
6:52
6:32
2
Tue
3:03
1.6
3:12
1.6
9:11
0.1
9:50
-0.2
6:51
6:32
3
Wed
4:06
1.3
3:38
1.8
9:31
0.4
10:57
-0.3
6:50
6:33
6:34
4
Thu
5:24
1.0
4:09
1.9
9:36
0.7
6:49
6:33
6:49
6:35
5
Fri
4:49
2.0
12:12
-0.3
6:48
6:34
-0.3
6:48
6:35
6
Sat
5:51
2.0
1:36
-0.4
6:47
6:35
2:38
-0.4
6:47
6:36
7
Sun
7:31
1.9
3:02
-0.4
6:46
6:35
2.0
3:50
-0.5
6:45
6:36
8
Mon
9:03
2.0
4:17
-0.5
6:45
6:36
9:04
2.0
4:45
-0.5
3:26
1.2
6:44
6:37
10:15
2.0
5:14
-0.5
3:37
1.1
6:44
6:36
2.0
-0.5
4:35
1.2
1.3
5:28
Tue
1:37P
10:05
9
1.0
6:43
6:37
11:13
2.0
5:57
-0.5
4:49
1.0
6:43
6:37
1.3
2.0
-0.4
5:25
1.2
12:17P
6:02
Wed
1:28P
10:54
10
0.8
6:42
6:38
1.2
6:30
-0.4
5:44
0.7
6:42
6:37
1.9
-0.3
6:07
1:22
1.4
6:30
Thu
12:25P
11:37
11
0.6
6:41
6:39
12:33
1.5
6:53
-0.1
6:46
0.4
6:40
6:39
12
Fri
12:01
1.9
1:27
1.3
6:59
-0.3
6:30
0.5
6:41
6:38
1.8
1:43
1.6
8:13
0.1
8:23
0.2
7:39
7:40
13
Sat
12:44
1.8
1:41
1.4
7:24
-0.2
7:14
0.3
6:40
6:39
1:56
1.6
1:56
1.8
8:31
0.3
9:01
0.1
7:38
7:40
14
Sun
1:24
1.7
2:58
1.5
8:47
0.0
8:56
0.2
7:39
7:39
Tue
2:37
1.5
2:13
1.9
8:49
0.4
9:42
0.0
7:37
7:41
15
Mon
3:04
1.5
3:16
1.6
9:09
0.2
9:38
0.0
7:37
7:40
17
Wed
3:23
1.3
2:35
2.0
9:06
0.6
10:27
-0.1
7:36
7:41
16
Tue
3:47
1.4
3:33
1.7
9:28
0.4
10:23
0.0
7:36
7:40
18
Thu
4:18
1.2
3:01
2.0
9:22
0.8
11:20
-0.1
7:35
7:42
17
Wed
4:34
1.2
3:49
1.8
9:41
0.6
11:11
-0.1
7:35
7:41
19
Fri
5:34
1.1
3:34
2.0
9:30
0.9
7:33
7:42
18
Thu
5:29
1.1
4:06
1.9
9:41
0.7
7:34
7:41
20
Sat
4:14
2.0
12:26
-0.1
7:32
7:43
19
Fri
6:42
1.0
4:30
1.9
12:07
-0.1
7:33
7:42
21
Sun
5:08
1.9
1:44
-0.1
7:31
7:43
20
Sat
5:03
1.9
1:11
-0.1
7:32
7:42
22
Mon
6:27
1.9
3:05
-0.1
7:30
7:44
21
Sun
5:52
1.9
2:24
-0.1
7:31
7:43
23
Tue
8:04
1.9
4:12
-0.2
7:29
7:44
22
Mon
7:19
1.8
3:38
-0.1
7:30
7:43
24
Wed
12:13P
1.4
9:26
2.0
5:04
-0.3
4:07
1.2
7:28
7:45
23
Tue
9:27
1.8
4:42
-0.2
7:28
7:44
25
Thu
12:18P
1.4
10:31
2.0
5:47
-0.4
5:08
1.0
7:27
7:45
24
Wed
1:38P
1.3
10:44
1.9
5:35
-0.3
4:35
1.2
7:27
7:44
26
Fri
12:27P
1.5
11:27
2.1
6:24
-0.3
5:57
0.7
7:26
7:46
25
Thu
1:20P
1.3
11:44
2.0
6:18
-0.4
5:36
0.9
7:26
7:45
27
Sat
12:38
1.6
6:57
-0.2
6:43
0.4
7:24
7:46
26
Fri
1:30
1.4
6:56
-0.3
6:27
0.7
7:25
7:45
28
Sun
12:20
2.1
12:53
1.7
7:27
0.0
7:29
0.1
7:23
7:47
27
Sat
12:38
2.0
1:47
1.5
7:30
-0.2
7:16
0.4
7:24
7:46
29
Mon
1:13
2.0
1:11
1.9
7:54
0.3
8:17
-0.1
7:22
7:47
28
Sun
1:30
2.0
2:06
1.6
8:01
-0.1
8:04
0.1
7:23
7:47
30
Tue
2:08
1.8
1:33
2.1
8:19
0.5
9:09
-0.3
7:21
7:48
29
Mon
2:22
1.9
2:27
1.8
8:30
0.2
8:54
-0.2
7:22
7:47
31
Wed
3:09
1.6
2:00
2.3
8:39
0.8
10:06
-0.4
7:20
7:49
30
Tue
3:17
1.7
2:49
2.0
8:55
0.5
9:47
-0.4
7:21
7:48
31
Wed
4:17
1.5
3:13
2.2
9:13
0.7
10:44
-0.4
7:19
7:48
1
12 SARASOTA / BRADENTON | MARCH 2021 | COASTALANGLERMAG.COM/SARASOTA/
9:30A
0.9
Moon
101 S Tamiami Trl, Nokomis, FL 34275 941.615.7485
VENICE INLET
March/2021 • 27°7’N 82°28’W
www.USHarbors.com
Venice Inlet, FL - Mar 2021 High
Date
15881 Chief Ct., Ft. Myers, FL 33912 239-489-0884
SARASOTA BAY
March/2021 • 27°20’N 82°33’W
www.USHarbors.com
Sarasota, FL - Mar 2021
Low
High
Date
Low
AM
ft
PM
ft
AM
ft
PM
ft
Rise
Set
Mon
1:19
1.8
1:52
1.5
8:34
-0.1
8:38
0.1
6:52
6:32
2
Tue
2:14
1.6
2:16
1.7
9:01
0.2
9:37
-0.1
6:51
6:32
3
Wed
3:18
1.4
2:45
1.8
9:24
0.5
10:44
-0.2
6:50
6:33
6:34
4
Thu
4:40
1.1
3:19
1.9
9:41
0.7
6:49
6:33
6:49
6:34
5
Fri
7:13
0.9
4:03
1.9
12:03
-0.2
6:48
6:34
-0.3
6:47
6:35
6
Sat
5:01
1.9
1:35
-0.3
6:47
6:35
2:25
-0.4
6:46
6:35
7
Sun
6:25
1.9
3:05
-0.4
6:46
6:35
1.9
3:37
-0.5
6:45
6:36
8
Mon
8:04
1.9
4:17
-0.5
6:45
6:36
9:02
1.9
4:32
-0.5
3:13
1.1
6:44
6:37
9
Tue
12:27P
1.2
9:26
1.9
5:12
-0.5
3:53
1.1
6:44
6:36
1.2
10:03
1.9
5:15
-0.5
4:22
0.9
6:43
6:37
10
Wed
12:31P
1.2
10:27
1.9
5:55
-0.5
5:02
0.9
6:43
6:37
12:15P
1.3
10:52
1.8
5:49
-0.4
5:12
0.7
6:42
6:38
11
Thu
12:39P
1.3
11:16
1.8
6:29
-0.4
5:52
0.7
6:42
6:37
12:23P
1.3
11:35
1.8
6:17
-0.2
5:54
0.6
6:41
6:38
12
Fri
12:47P
1.3
11:59
1.8
6:57
-0.2
6:34
0.6
6:41
6:38
12:31
1.4
6:40
-0.1
6:33
0.4
6:40
6:39
13
Sat
12:55
1.4
7:20
-0.1
7:13
0.4
6:40
6:39
1.7
1:41
1.5
8:00
0.1
8:10
0.2
7:39
7:39
14
Sun
12:39
1.7
2:05
1.5
8:40
0.1
8:50
0.2
7:38
7:39
1:54
1.6
1:54
1.7
8:18
0.3
8:48
0.1
7:38
7:40
15
Mon
2:18
1.6
2:18
1.7
8:58
0.3
9:28
0.1
7:37
7:40
Tue
2:35
1.4
2:11
1.8
8:36
0.4
9:29
0.0
7:37
7:40
16
Tue
2:59
1.4
2:35
1.8
9:16
0.4
10:09
0.0
7:36
7:40
17
Wed
3:21
1.3
2:33
1.9
8:53
0.6
10:14
-0.1
7:35
7:41
17
Wed
3:45
1.3
2:57
1.9
9:33
0.6
10:54
-0.1
7:35
7:41
18
Thu
4:16
1.1
2:59
1.9
9:09
0.7
11:07
-0.1
7:34
7:42
18
Thu
4:40
1.1
3:23
1.9
9:49
0.7
11:47
-0.1
7:34
7:41
19
Fri
5:32
1.0
3:32
1.9
9:17
0.9
7:33
7:42
19
Fri
5:56
1.0
3:56
1.9
9:57
0.9
7:33
7:42
20
Sat
4:12
1.9
12:13
-0.1
7:32
7:43
20
Sat
4:36
1.9
12:53
-0.1
7:32
7:42
21
Sun
5:06
1.8
1:31
-0.1
7:31
7:43
21
Sun
5:30
1.8
2:11
-0.1
7:31
7:43
22
Mon
6:25
1.8
2:52
-0.1
7:30
7:44
22
Mon
6:49
1.8
3:32
-0.1
7:30
7:43
23
Tue
8:02
1.8
3:59
-0.2
7:29
7:44
23
Tue
8:26
1.8
4:39
-0.2
7:28
7:44
24
Wed
12:11P
1.3
9:24
1.8
4:51
-0.3
3:54
1.1
7:28
7:45
24
Wed
12:35P
1.3
9:48
1.8
5:31
-0.3
4:34
1.1
7:27
7:44
25
Thu
12:16P
1.3
10:29
1.9
5:34
-0.3
4:55
0.9
7:26
7:45
25
Thu
12:40P
1.3
10:53
1.9
6:14
-0.3
5:35
0.9
7:26
7:45
26
Fri
12:25P
1.4
11:25
2.0
6:11
-0.3
5:44
0.7
7:25
7:46
26
Fri
12:49P
1.4
11:49
2.0
6:51
-0.3
6:24
0.7
7:25
7:45
27
Sat
12:36
1.5
6:44
-0.2
6:30
0.4
7:24
7:46
27
Sat
1:00
1.5
7:24
-0.2
7:10
0.4
7:24
7:46
28
Sun
12:18
2.0
12:51
1.6
7:14
0.0
7:16
0.1
7:23
7:47
28
Sun
12:42
2.0
1:15
1.6
7:54
0.0
7:56
0.1
7:23
7:46
29
Mon
1:11
1.9
1:09
1.8
7:41
0.2
8:04
-0.1
7:22
7:47
29
Mon
1:35
1.9
1:33
1.8
8:21
0.2
8:44
-0.1
7:22
7:47
30
Tue
2:06
1.7
1:31
2.0
8:06
0.5
8:56
-0.3
7:21
7:48
30
Tue
2:30
1.7
1:55
2.0
8:46
0.5
9:36
-0.3
7:21
7:47
31
Wed
3:07
1.5
1:58
2.1
8:26
0.7
9:53
-0.4
7:20
7:48
31
Wed
3:31
1.5
2:22
2.1
9:06
0.7
10:33
-0.4
7:20
7:48
AM
ft
PM
ft
AM
ft
PM
ft
Rise
Set
Mon
12:55
1.8
1:28
1.5
7:54
-0.1
7:58
0.1
6:53
6:32
1
2
Tue
1:50
1.6
1:52
1.7
8:21
0.2
8:57
-0.1
6:52
6:32
3
Wed
2:54
1.3
2:21
1.8
8:44
0.5
10:04
-0.2
6:51
6:33
4
Thu
4:16
1.1
2:55
1.9
9:01
0.7
11:23
-0.2
6:50
5
Fri
3:39
1.9
6
Sat
4:37
1.9
12:55
7
Sun
6:01
1.9
8
Mon
7:40
9
Tue
12:03P
1.2
10
Wed
12:07P
11
Thu
12
Fri
13
Sat
14
Sun
12:15
15
Mon
16
1
Moon
9:22A
0.9
Moon
FACEBOOK.COM/COASTALANGLERMAGAZINESARASOTA/ | MARCH 2021 | SARASOTA / BRADENTON 13
Miss March By: Capt. Matt Fueyo
W
ho will be the Queen this year? Last March, we had some monster female snook come aboard our boats, but it’s a new season and a few changes have occurred since the last migration. During the cold months, snook move from the warmer back water, out to the shallow water reefs and ledges. These “big girls” can be found in the passes too. Last year, we were successful using hand sized pin fish on 4/0-5/0 Mustad circle hooks. An occasional big threadfin herring or large green back would also do the trick. These larger baits are what the big girls are looking for. Some of the changes I mentioned earlier are in regards to dredging that was done in the passes by the army corps of engineers for the re-nourishment of Lido beach. When changes like this are made, it also changes the natural ebb and flow of a pass or channel. Mother Nature will generally fight back and claim what was naturally hers, and the pass will close in a few major storms. I expect fish to use this channel as a way to travel offshore, but natural instincts will still have them moving through their traditional routes. Keep your distance from these big bruisers because they are very smart and have amazing senses. Our captains might try anchoring the boat and allowing guests to jump in the water and quietly wade into casting distance. The goal is to throw your bait past the snook (so you don’t spook them) and then leave your bait in the zone. Making the proper adjustments according to the tidal flow and wind direction are very important. This is not easy with a big bait, but can be done with practice. Once you’ve hooked into a big female snook, be ready for a fun fight! These big girls will make long runs in search of structure in an attempt to break your line off. Bumping up your leader size is helpful, but in crystal clear water this may make your line visible to a big fish. Remember, these fish have big eyes and keen eyesight and will notice any leader line flaws. Make sure there are no chafe marks in your line, and also make sure your hook size isn’t too big. The best part about catching these big female breeder snook is watching them swim away. They might have a sore lip after a good fight, but the memories created for the angler will last a lifetime. The baby snook that she will produce will keep generations of anglers smiling. At RTFC, we are advocates of catch and release fishing. We hope that with continued conservation efforts made by the FWC and other agencies will ensure that that snook, redfish, and trout will be remained closed in our sector of SW Florida. As always, be safe out there, and be courteous of other boaters and fisherman!
Reel Tight FC | reeltightfishingcharters.com | 941-444-9749 14 SARASOTA / BRADENTON | MARCH 2021 | COASTALANGLERMAG.COM/SARASOTA/
some it’s a ce the m the These found Last essful n fish circle al big large also larger g girls me of ioned ds to done army or the ade, it other hers,
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VEN-84008 BW Coastal Angler Ad-7.6325x5.0125.indd 3
3/27/19 8:11 AM
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FACEBOOK.COM/COASTALANGLERMAGAZINESARASOTA/ | MARCH 2021 | SARASOTA / BRADENTON 15
IA C E P • S
L
S P A R W + T A O B APS R W ET
IN G N I IZ
• FLE RS E N N • BA S N G I S • RE & MO
Jerk N Around By: Joe Sheaffer
W
ading the Upper Potomac River years ago, I often would use a plastic Jerk Shad, fishing the many eddies below the swift flowing water. As I would work the lure, jerk and pause, every now and then it would be slammed by a Bronze Bruiser, what an adrenaline rush. This lure and presentation crosses over very well to the inshore fishing game. A couple of strategies that have worked for me may be helpful during challenging conditions. During cold spells when the water has become cool and the water is very low especially this time of the year. Many of our inshore species will work shallow when the sun gets up to soak up the warmth of the sun. These fish can be very finicky, a subtle approach, like a Jerk Shad with a weedless light weight hook can be presented to these fish without spooking them. Making a long cast usually in front of the fish, letting it sit for a few seconds, then slow quick twitches can entice a bite from these finicky fish. This presentation also works great around potholes, jerking the lure then pause it as it gets to the edge of the hole. Another strategy that works great during warmer periods, making long casts, using a quick jerk, jerk, pause, jerk, jerk, pause presentation. This aggressive presentation can produce slamming strikes. One of my favorite ways to present this lure is skipping it under mangroves or docks. The lure skips very well and because it is rigged weedless, it doesn’t get hung up as often as other presentations. Another advantage using this lure is its available from many different companies like Zoom, Zman, and Strike King just to name a few. The names on the packages maybe different but the lures are very similar. This lure is very versatile and can be presented many other ways. It is a very productive lure to have rigged up during your fishing adventures especially in shallow water. Good luck and keep casting. 16 SARASOTA / BRADENTON | MARCH 2021 | COASTALANGLERMAG.COM/SARASOTA/
E
Friends of the Pelicans
ven if you take precautionary steps to avoid it, sometimes you might hook a bird by accident. That’s when it’s important to remember—don’t cut the line and let the bird fly away with it attached. This will lead to entanglement, resulting in death of that bird and possibly others as well. Instead, follow these simple steps to unhook the bird: Reel. Remove. Release.
How else can you help a seabird or wading bird?
1. Wear safety glasses and enlist a partner for help. 2. Reel the bird in slowly and lift it from the water using a hoop net. Even a large pelican weighs only 4-8 pounds 3. Grasp the bird by the head just behind the eyes and fold the wings against the body. For pelicans, hold the beak, keeping the mouth slightly open so it can breathe. Cover the bird’s head with a cloth to keep it calm. 4. Never pull the hook out but carefully push the end through the skin, cut off the barb and back the hook out using pliers or clippers. If the bird is entangled, remove all line. 5. Release the bird (if healthy) by placing it on the ground near the water and allowing it to take off. 6. If the bird has swallowed the hook or is severely injured, contact a local wildlife rehabilitator from the list at MyFWC.com/unhook.
1. Don’t feed the birds, which teaches them to approach where they are more likely to be hooked. 2. Dispose of filleted bones where birds can’t get them—in a trash can with lid or at home. Bones of a filleted fish will become lodged in or tear throats, stomachs and intestines leading to the death of that bird . 3. Cover bait buckets and take unused bait home. 4. Dispose of fishing line in a monofilament recycling bin or cut into small pieces and place in the trash. 5. Don’t leave your line unattended. 6. Cast carefully to avoid hooking a bird in flight or being snared on trees, bridge pilings etc. 7. Help others learn what to do when they accidentally hook a bird. It’s pretty easy, once you know how. 8. Sponsored by Friends of the Pelicans, Inc. More detailed information can be found at facebook.com/ friendsofthepelicans. — Photos by Carol Cassels
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March Passes
By: Capt. Jim Klopfer
P
asses are fantastic spots to fish in March! “Pass” is just a term used on the Gulf Coast for an inlet. Passes are natu-ral feeding and migration spots as they connect the in-shore bays with the Gulf of Mexico. There are two fishing techniques that are very productive for anglers fishing the west coast of Florida. These are bottom fishing and drift fishing with jigs. Both are easy to do and produce a wide variety of species. Tides are an important factor when fish-ing the passes. Generally speaking, it is best to drift when the current is running strong and anchor and bottom fish on the slack tides. It is just too difficult to bottom fish when the tide is running hard. Most passes have structure on one side and a sand bar on the other. Big Sarasota Pass on the north end of Siesta Key is a prime example. The deepest water in the area ex-ists there, up to 25 feet in depth. Structure such as rocks, docks, and seawalls are plentiful. This structure attracts many different species of fish. Bot-tom fish will be there in good numbers. Sheepshead in particular should be thick in March. Mangrove snapper, grouper, black drum, redfish, jacks, snook, and mackerel will also be found in this structure. The best approach is
to anchor just up-tide of the structure to be fished and allow a live shrimp or other bait to drift back with the tide. Drifting the passes while vertically fishing is a very effec-tive techniques as well. It is also easy to do, which is im-portant to fishing guides looking to get inexperienced an-glers hooked up. The key element that makes this so effi-cient is that the lure spends the entire time in the strike zone; on or very close to the bottom. Anglers motor up-tide of the area to be drifted. The jigs are lowered to the bottom then sharply jigged as the boat drifts along. Each lift and fall of the lure will result in a little puff of sand being kicked up. This is a very natural looking presentation that mimics a fleeing crustacean. Pompano, permit, Spanish mackerel, ladyfish, jacks, sharks, and other species will fall prey to this technique. It is important to use the correct style of jig. Special pom-pano jigs work well. They are compact and dense and sink quickly, as opposed to larger soft plastic baits. “Ba-nana jigs” are also very popular and effective on pompano and other species. Capt Jim Klopfer | captklopfer@comcast.net | 941-371-1390
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The Meeting of East and West By: Diogo Yamada
W
hen we add knowledge and experiences we eternalize and justify our own existence. And when America and Japan met they sealed the future of sport fishing in the world. It all started with the occupation of Japan by the Allied Armed Forces between 1945 and mid-1952 led by the United States and which had a great influence on its culture, food and lifestyle. To this day the United States maintains military bases on the Okinawa island and the soldiers liked to fish for Black Bass in the lakes near Tokyo where the young teenager Hirosuke Nori, a Black Bass fisherman, met American soldier Charlie and developed a great friendship. Charlie taught Hirosuke what he knew about black bass fishing with artificial lures. Hirosuke then spent his days trying to improve his technique using American baits like Big-O lures, created by Fred Young, from whom he had great influence. In the 70s Hirosuke founded Alpha and Craft & Balsa 50, the first artificial bait brand in Japan and the predecessor company of SAURUS and it`s first bait created with a design by Tadashi Nishioka was a balsa wood crankbait called Balsa 50 Original, one of the most popular baits ever developed in Japan and today a rare collector's item. In the following years Hirosuke focused on the development of saltwater and bass fishing lures. In the early days of salt water lure fishing in Japan, fishing with minnow plugs and metal jigs was mainly from the field and the targets were Sea bass, yellow tail or small size of trevally and then lure fishing from the boat began to take place. Some anglers have come to use metal jigs frequently because of distance and in the late 90's many Japanese saltwater anglers started jigging fishing in search of even bigger fishes but the problem of this era was the soft rod and nylon line. The metal jig had to be large in order to use the stretchy nylon line and a flexible rod to bend the big balls, and a long rod was needed to move it quickly. To solve these problems SAURUS made a good original metal jig with a 9 foot jigging rod and a water bite. That's the raise oh the famous famous Hilla Jiglla and the beggining of the modern concept of vertical jigging. Until today SAURUS INT. produce and develop not only baits but all kinds of saltwater material under the supervision of Diogo Yamada, always seeking to maintain quality control and respect and honor the name of Mr Hirosuke Nori and his legacy. If you are interested in Saurus products you can find it at The Fisherman's Hut in Bradenton, FL.
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By: Dan Carns
I’m a lifelong fisherman and started kayak fishing before it was a thing. My old sit inside kayak was the most popular style boat available at the time. As in most things, improvements have changed fishing kayaks and now I find that the majority of people are either using a Sit On Top (SOT) or requesting to fish from an SOT. Another trend is the transition from paddling to peddling one, so after many years of resisting this change I’ve made the decision to start teaching not only from a SOT but a peddle drive craft as well. Like most of you there was a set of criteria that my new boat was going to have to meet in order for me to make the switch, so I test rode three major players and settled on Vanhunks Fishing Kayak appropriately named the Mahi-Mahi. This kayak is only 11’ long and weighs about 15 Lbs, less than many but is rich in features and stability! I sit comfortably on the raised mesh seat (that is adjustable front and back) with the added ability to adjust the foot pedals. Super stability allows me to stand and fish and I can paddle it like a SUP for some spectacular sight fishing. There was a fairly steep learning curve in the first couple of weeks as I got used to peddling and steering, but soon got the hang of it and started focusing on the fishing. I was competition fishing and the advantages of peddling are tremendous! Virtually all tournament winners are peddling as you can fish the entire time and continue to re-rig and outfit gear while posting from spot to spot. Once you’ve arrived at the next location you can position yourself so that subtle rudder changes and light peddle strokes help you maintain perfect position. Often the fish will strip out line and run for the first piece of structure to break free from their predicament, but with the peddle drive you can proactively stop this by keeping constant pressure on the fish while peddling away from any obstacles. If you’ve been kayaking for a while and make this same transition from paddle to peddle you must consider how you’re going to pick up, load and transport your new kayak so go test drive one! It’s A Wild World-Get Out There! Fishman Dan
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’m expecting awesome spring action at the beach. Longer days and warmer weather will start bringing snook from the deeper water around the inlets to feed in the surf early in the morning and late in the evening. Tarpon will start navigating the inlets and going along the beach. Pods of bait will have snook, tarpon, large jacks, mackerel and bluefish feeding on them. Even though the pompano bite and mackerel bite will start to end, the whiting and croaker bite will improve, and they will be hitting live bait, small jigs and spoons where you find bait. Follow the Bait: Fish will be following pods of glass minnows, greenies and other bait as they start heading north. Look for pelicans in the water and gulls and terns that dive at the tops of waves, picking off bait. When you go to the beach, look for birds that have located schooling bait or bait pods. The general rule is: No birds, no bait. Find a beach where you can see birds and/or bait. If you walk down to the water, you will see activity around the trough behind the closest breaking waves. You will see splashing or small fish jumping if there’s going to be fishing action. Birds will usually be concentrated on large schools of bait and big pods. The Early Bite is Best: My experience is 15 minutes before daybreak until early morning is the best time to fish the beach. It’s the best snook bite, and the fish will be around the trough because the bait will be in the wash. Usually the bait will start moving out after daybreak. Reels and Tackle: I use a medium to light spinning reel (400 series) with 10to 20-pound white braid on a 7-foot rod. A long rod gives you longer casts. I use a 30- to 40-pound fluorocarbon leader attached to the braid with a uni knot and attach the lure with a loop knot for better movement. Lures: My favorite search bait is a 3/8- to ½-ounce chartreuse jig with a pearl white paddletail, which gives the lure more movement and even works with a steady retrieve. That steady retrieve is useful in rough, windy weather. I use a variety of retrieves depending on whether the fish are hitting near top or off bottom. Usually, I try and fish near the top by holding my rod tip high, twitching the lure, and using a fast retrieve. For bottom feeders like whiting and croaker, I let the jig sit on the bottom and give it an exaggerated jerk, which brings it to the top. I also like shallow-running crankbaits and spoons in gold or silver. For long casts in wind and bigger fish, try 2-ounce silver crocodile spoon.
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f you’re looking for a fishing adventure that’s just a short flight away, where the fishery is as good as any on the planet, and you won’t have to mortgage your home to afford it, don’t overlook Mexico and Belize. Flights to Cancun are available from almost every airport, and if you shop around, very inexpensive flights can be found. Once you get there, accommodations are very reasonably priced, and meals are cheaper than here in The States. I have fished the “Mayan Riveria” from Cozumel to Tulum, with results that are pretty awesome. What’s more, I had most of the areas I fished entirely to myself. I am a fly fisherman, and I spent days wading turtle grass flats for species like tarpon, bonefish, snook, a variety of snapper species, pompano and even the elusive Permit. I recently returned from a trip when the weather was marginal, at best, with high winds and rough seas. Still, I was able to produce several different species, along with some world-class triggerfish. These odd-looking warriors can be found hanging out on shallow coral reefs, and they are a ton of fun on the fly. I also spent a day fly fishing with my friend Will Robins, who owns and operates Fly Fish Costa Maya, in Chetumal, Mexico, near the Belize Border. In one morning, we hooked and broke off four trophy-sized triggers and had legitimate shots at three permit in the 10- to 15-pound range. If you know how difficult permit are to catch on the fly, you’ll understand that just having a few opportunities to cast to them is exciting. The highlight of the trip was a triggerfish we landed that would have been a monster anywhere. If Belize has been on your bucket list, the waters of Ambergris Caye are as good as their reputation. I’ve fished the caye several times with personal friend, Hilian Martinez. Most consider this man among the best in the country. Belize is also very easy to travel to, and reasonably priced. With a little homework, the waters of the Yucatan Peninsula and the waters of Belize can also produce good numbers for those who desire DIY fishing, without a guide. These are just a few examples of opportunities that await just a few hours away in a place that’s as beautiful as it is productive. A world-class fishery awaits, and it’s a lot closer and more attainable that you ever thought possible.
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SPRING TROUT IN THE SMOKIES
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uide Ian Rutter is fired up about spring in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Ample rains and a mild winter bode well for the wild trout that inhabit more than 800 miles of trout streams in the park. This time of year, fish are perking up to feed on an abundance of aquatic insects. But there’s another reason the Smokies are inviting to anglers in spring. The summertime crowds, with their campers and inner tubes, haven’t yet invaded the larger rivers. Ian and his wife, Charity, run R&R Fly Fishing out of Townsend, Tennessee. They have guided anglers in the park for a quarter century and live a stone’s throw from Little River, one of the largest and most popular streams in the Smokies. From high-elevation brook trout rills to roadside rivers, they fish it all, but Ian said it’s wise to stick to the larger flows in lower elevations this time of year. In March, and even into April, it’s likely there will still be snow on the ground up in the hills. Trout thrive in cold water, but their metabolisms slow, and they feed less readily in icy temperatures. Also, the bugs they feed on are mostly dormant at higher altitudes, which can make things slow for fly fishing. Meanwhile, down in the valleys, larger rivers like Little River, Deep Creek and the Oconaluftee will be waking up. In afternoons, even on cold days, fish should be looking to the surface for hatches of mayflies like Quill Gordons, blue-winged olives and blue quills. Throw in a few early brown stoneflies, and you’ll see why the Smokies are known for great dry fly fishing. “Oftentimes you’ll have some combination of those bugs all at the same time,” Ian said. “They’re not too particular. And even the one’s that are particular aren’t as particular as some folks think they are.” Being sneaky is more important than fly selection, Ian said. Trout in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are wild, stream-born and extremely wary of predators. So wading very carefully and making short accurate casts are important to success. Another thing about trout in the Smokies is they grow slowly. Fishing is less about catching big fish and more about the overall experience. “I like to say, ‘your results may vary,’” said Ian when asked about angler expectations. “We do catch some 16-inchers, but the important thing to remember is it’s a wild trout fishery. There aren’t any stocked trout that were put in last week at 14 inches. A 16-incher might be 10 years old. It’s survived every type of predator out there, so it’s super-smart and difficult to catch.” A proficient angler can expect to catch good numbers of brightly colored 8- to 10-inch wild trout. Any angler can expect to wade through some of the most gorgeous mountain trout water in the East. For information on fishing the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, contact R&R Fly Fishing through their website at randrflyfishing.com.
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ILLZ Technical Fishing Apparel takes you to new levels of performance and comfort. Designed in Florida, built by anglers, for anglers, and tested on the water—in every imaginable condition—GILLZ is innovative gear, with performance in every stitch, designed so you can fish better, longer and harder—in unheard-of comfort! Innovation runs deep in the GILLZ DNA.
From proprietary fabrics that breathe to superior functionality and bold graphics and colors, GILLZ is in a class of its own. It starts with revolutionary, chemicalfree GillzTec fabric. It’s engineered to quickly distribute moisture 360 degrees across the garment, so the moisture evaporates much faster, keeping you cooler. The cross-breeze ventilation system channels cooling air under the shirt. In
fact, you’ll find GILLZ shirts breathe like nothing you’ve ever worn. And of course, all of their shirts provide UPF 50+ sun protection, so you can fish from sunup to sundown safely. GILLZ masks feature “gills” that channel air down your neck and mesh mouth openings that prevent your sunglasses from fogging. Plus, their masks can also be worn in a variety of ways to suit your particular needs. Functional hybrid shorts with pockets where you need them also feature four-way stretch fabric, an expandable waistband and a vented, gusseted crotch that lets cool air in. And who couldn’t use some cool air down there? And you’ve got to check out the epic designs and styles. Each color and print is inspired by and pays homage to nature and marine life. You’ll find bold, confident styles for anglers like you. Whatever your destination – the Bahamas, Florida Keys, Outer Banks or the Gulf of Mexico… whether you’re fishing offshore, the flats, lake, or river, only GILLZ Technical Fishing Apparel brings this level of durability, comfort, and performance to the table. That’s why it’s the choice of many pros. Rest assured, GILLZ will continue to push innovation and performance to the limit with elite new products. So, breathe in that moment out on the water when your muscles are working overtime and the sun is beating down. You’ll know that GILLZ apparel breathes with you so you can be at your absolute best. See the latest GILLZ collections by checking out their website: www.gillz-gear.com
COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM
MARCH 2021
NATIONAL 15
LOCAL ANGLER CRUSHES VIRGINIA SWORDFISH RECORD A daytime deep drop expedition yielded spectacular results for a Virginia angler this past September. It took four months for the Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament to officially announce it, but a 597-pound swordfish caught by Nicholas Kontodiakos on Sept. 25, 2020 absolutely crushed the existing state record. Kontodiakos, of Norfolk, Va., was drifting in 1,000 feet of water off Virginia Beach when the massive swordfish hit a bait suspended at 800 feet. Caught along the southern edge of Norfolk Canyon, Kontodiako’s fish topped the existing record by more than 130 pounds. The previous record of 466 pounds was caught in August 2019 by Tony Gower Jr., of Virginia Beach. Kontodiakos and fishing buddy Trey Wallace left Rudee Inlet at 4:30 a.m. aboard the angler’s 2007, 29-foot SeeVee. After arriving at their location, they made several long drifts and had a couple of bites that did not come tight. The lines were set for “one more drift” before they planned to head in for the day. At 3:30 p.m. the deep “buoy rod,” with a rigged dolphin belly on a blue and white skirt, came tight. After wrestling the fish for nearly five hours, it was clear it was a large swordfish, and when the fish was finally secured at the transom, they began to relax. But securing the fish to the transom was
just round one. Round two consisted of couple hours of inching the fish onto the deck. Kontodiakos’ passion for swordfish began a decade ago while living on the east coast of Florida. “I had no idea how to go about catching them,” he admitted. After moving to Virginia Beach and realizing there were swordfish 60-plus miles off the Virginia coast, he decided he needed a bigger boat. Unfortunately, even with a bigger boat, his lack of success in Florida tagged along to Virginia. “No one wanted to fish with me because I never came back with any fish,” he said. Relentlessly perusing information on the Internet and talking to successful anglers eventually began to payoff, and his success improved in recent years. He said he’s caught a swordfish in every month of the year except January. It was nearly midnight when the pair pulled inside Rudee Inlet on Sept. 25. A call had already been made to alert the Virginia Beach Fishing Center of the catch, and the boat’s bow was pointed straight to the Fishing Center’s main dock. Representatives from the Fishing Center were dockside to assist, and a small crowd of onlookers had assembled, despite the late hour. The fish measured 180 inches total length,
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with a lower jaw fork length of 111 inches. It sported a hefty girth of 69 inches. Kontodiakos used a custom Joe Leffler 80-pound class rod, teamed with a Shimano Tiagra 50 reel, spooled with 80-pound PowerPro braid and topped off with a 25-foot, 250-pound Moni mono leader with a Mustad 7691, 11/0 hook, attached to the business end.
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MARCH 2021
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p b sh It’s the fry can Bu catchin vetera tips to 1) crappi hold o times shallow “Th for the the spa mid-5 As Then seek o of cree back o Th targets spawn could have m Sa the 10 discard
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pringtime is crappie time. When water temps begin to climb, the crappie schools move shallow to stage on structure before the spawn. It’s the time of year when loading coolers for a fish fry can be quick and easy. But the thing with crappie is you’re either catching them or you’re not. With that in mind, veteran crappie angler Dan Saknini offered some tips to consistently catch slab crappie. 1) Know The Cycles: The comfort zone for crappie is 35 feet and shallower, said Saknini. They hold on deep brush during the coldest and hottest times of year, but in milder weather they move shallower in search of optimal water temperatures. “This time of year, the crappie are fattening up for the spawn,” he said. “Their comfort zone for the spawn is when water temperatures rise into the mid-50s, preferably closer to 60.” As the spawn begins, fish stage up on structure. Then they’ll move extremely shallow in waves to seek out spawning areas on the banks and backs of creeks. The females move in, lay eggs and move back out. The males stay shallow to guard the beds. Through the stages of the spawn, Saknini targets brush in 15 feet or shallower. With the spawning season lasting about a month, these could be pre-spawn fish or post-spawn fish that have moved back out. Saknini shoots jigs in and around docks in the 10- to 15-foot range. Many lake homeowners discard Christmas trees off their docks. These are
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the docks you need to find. 2) Locate Structure: Regardless of the season, black crappie school up on some type of structure. They change depths, and move off structure momentarily to feed, so catching them consistently means knowing the locations of brushpiles at all different depths. Saknini said good electronics and prospecting are key to being a good crappie angler. If you fish a lake that allows it, you can build your own honey holes. “I probably sink 50 or 60 brushpiles a year,” Saknini said. “Then I go back and fish them. There might be fish there, or there might not, but I always have another one to go to.” 3) Ditch the Minnows: Fishing a minnow under a bobber is traditional, and it can be effective. However, Saknini said fishing jigs is a far more efficient. “Once you get used to jig fishing, it’s always more productive,” he said. “If you’re fishing a minnow, it’s either under a bobber or on a downline, and it’s stationary. With a jig, you’re moving and covering water.” Crappie are lazy and won’t chase a bait more than a few feet, Saknini said. There could be fish all over a piece of structure, but you wouldn’t know it if your minnow is just a foot out of the strike zone. With a jig, you can cover water vertically and horizontally for a better chance of passing through that zone.
PHOTO BY NICK CARTER
Catch More Crappie
Dan Saknini is a member of Lanier Crappie Anglers Club. Check them out at www.laniercrappieanglers.net.
FREEDIVER SPEARS WORLD RECORD SNAPPER
reediver Stephanie Schuldt broke a world record in late November when she speared a 19.3-pound (8.8 kg) dog snapper in the Bahamas. At a depth of 45 feet, Schuldt stuck the big snapper with 9-foot Headhunter Nomad roller polespear while wreck diving off Nassau. The fish qualified her for the International Underwater Spearfishing Association’s women’s world record for the species in the sling/polespear division. It also outweighed the men’s record of 19.1 pounds, which was caught by JonMichael Degidio off Grand Cay in 2016. “At the end of my breath hold I saw the dog snapper swimming in and out of the wreckage,” wrote Schuldt in a description of the event. “I came back up to the surface and told my boyfriend, Matt, ‘There is a world record dog snapper down there.’ I took some time to get a good breathe-up, dropped back down into the wreck and got a solid holding shot on the fish. It fought for a bit on the way up, but I was able to clear it from the wreck and get it to the surface. Once at the surface, it tried to bite me and tangled up my float line, but I was able to grab it by the gills and swim it back to my boat.” Even on a rod and reel, Schuldt’s fish would have been impressive. The IGFA all-tackle world record weighed 24 pounds. It was caught back in 1994 by Capt. Wayne Barder off Abaco. Check Stephanie Schuldt’s adventures at www.saillaviecharters.com. COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM
MARCH 2021
NATIONAL 19
SPRINGTIME FISHING... Fiberglass Center Consoles and Pilothouses Embrace LET’S GO! www.
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STURGEON SEASON LASTS JUST TWO HOURS
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here should be a betting pool for just how quickly the Black Lake, Michigan sturgeon season will end each year. In 2020, the season lasted just six hours. This year, the scheduled Feb. 6-10 season was shut down after two hours of fishing when the harvest limit was met. Imagine getting all geared up to go spear fishing through a hole in the ice for these big prehistoric fish. The season opens at 8 a.m. Then, at 10 a.m., your hopes are dashed when Michigan DNR knocks on the door of your ice shanty. Apparently, that’s the way Black Lake sturgeon season goes for a vast majority of anglers. More than 500 anglers registered to jockey for a harvest quota of just six fish this year. It’s a credit to Michigan DNR that they even hold the event at the 10,000-acre lake, which is connected to Lake Huron by the Black and Cheboygan rivers. Rehabilitation of the lake sturgeon population in the watershed is an ongoing effort, and this limited harvest creates excitement around the effort. There are reports of anglers who have fished the season for decades without getting a single sturgeon. The six fish caught ranged from 50 to 63 inches and 25 to 61 pounds. Three of the fish had been tagged before during studies of the spawning run up the Black River. A 61-inch-long female, estimated to be about 20 years old, was tagged during the 2006 spawning run. Male sturgeon have a lifespan of about 55 years. Females can live longer than 100 years. For more information, go to Michigan.gov/Fishing. 20 NATIONAL
MARCH 2021
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ooking through Facebook and reminiscing on traveling for boat-show season, one conversation starter I remember most fondly is, “That’s too big for my rope locker.” In spite of American fiberglass OEMs like Sea Chaser and Sea Pro factory-installing the Rebel EZ-4 on specific series, there’s still a popular myth that drum anchor winches are built predominantly for aluminum boats. One too many boaters have told me this when they stopped at our company’s booth during the 2020 season, and while we’re officially homebound due to the pandemic, we’re as busy as ever answering questions and informing customers about our product. We want to help them achieve the best anchoring results for them. From newbies who have recently embraced boating, to longtime hobbyists who have extra time to add new features on their boats, there is usually an anchoring solution, whether it’s a Patriot direct drive unit or a Rebel free-fall unit. “You can click the ‘Products’ tab on the website and select the winch that interests you,” Sara Hitchins, E-Z Anchor Puller’s office and trade show manager said. “Select the unit you’d like to view and the link to the dimensional drawings are on the product page. One way to measure is to make a cardboard cutout at home to measure against your boat.” If you’re one of the new boaters looking for a new fiberglass model or researching that windlass upgrade on your family boat, these center consoles from customers and builders prove that a drum winch looks sexy on center consoles, too! SEA PRO: Sea Pro Boats introduced the world to their 320 Deep V Center Console at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, joining Carolina Skiff to become another American fiberglass OEM to factory-install E-Z Anchor Puller’s Rebel EZ-4 free-fall unit, adapting the innovative technology one year after Georgia-based OEM Carolina Skiff began installing. SEA CHASER: “I liked it so much I installed a Patriot on my own personal boat,” Ed Johnston, engineer at Carolina Skiff told us when we saw him at the Miami International Boat Show. The 35’ Sea Chaser also uses the free-fall Rebel EZ-4 and hides it in the rope locker. PARKER: “I know this is an old post, but I love my EZ on my 2820,” one writer on Classicparker.com posted to a company thread, “I have 600’ of dyneema, 75 of nylon and 50’ of chain. With lots of extra room still.” Live2fish posted several pictures depicting the Rebel EZ-4 unit resting on a bow pulpit. ARIMA: Mark Fitch was an avid poster of his installation process on ArimaOwners.com, documenting his journey with various “beer breaks” in between. Mark’s 1987 Arima Sea Pacer was sized for the Patriot EZ-1, a smaller complete 316 stainless steel unit. He still tags #ezanchorpuller in his fishing posts.
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NATIONAL 21
HUGE SWORDFISH SETS NEW FLORIDA RECORD
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n Jan. 20, four young anglers from Pompano Beach, Fla. set out early from Hillsboro Inlet to get in on the fast action being reported from the swordfish grounds, some 15 miles off the coast. They returned to the docks that evening with a 767.8-pound swordfish that set a new Florida state record. The official record holder and the man who manned the LP electric reel was 21-yearold Timmy Maddock. The 31-foot center console they fished from belongs to 17-yearold Hunter Irvine, who put the final dart in the enormous fish. Lady angler, Jaime Johanson, 20, videoed the landing and got in with the gaff, while Jeremy Rafferty, 21, manned the helm as they subdued the new record. It took five and a half hours to fight the fish into submission. It took almost another hour and a radio call for help to get the swordfish through the tuna door and safely in the boat. Rob Doda, who was fishing solo nearby left his boat floating and boarded Irvine’s boat to help haul the giant fish onboard. It was an epic catch for the group of young anglers, and the 400 pounds of meat their fish yielded was shared with friends and family, with the charity organization Filet for Friends, and at a celebratory barbecue for the whole Pompano Beach fishing community. To read Timmy Maddock’s account of the catch, see the Florida section of this magazine or online at www.coastalanglermagazine.com. 22 NATIONAL
MARCH 2021
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NEW ENGLAND AWAITS
warm water, and they’re looking for that constant bait source. That’s what the rivers provide.” Action is fast in tidal rivers like the Weweantic on the north side of Buzzards Bay. Murphy walks the dog with topwater baits like a 7-inch Lil’ Doc to draw explosive strikes from good numbers of stripers in the rivers. They’ll also eat By Nick Carter soft-plastic eel or herring imitations like those made by Hogy, and although these river fish aren’t the monsters Murphy pursues later in the season, there aren’t many anglers who’d turn their nose up to consistent topwater activity from fish up to 20 inches. As the season progresses, the bite moves to the mouths of the rivers, where stripers ambush herring moving out. This is where some of the bigger fish come into play, and they also can be taken on topwater. By mid-May, Murphy said he’ll be chasing the classic New England bass blitzes, when schoolie-sized fish ball up bait and crash the surface. At this point, fish will have spread up around Cape Cod or through the Cape Cod Canal into Massachusetts Bay. Action ou can almost feel the excitement building on the coast of can be intense for fish in the 2- to New England. Winter is ebbing, and soon warming water 10-pound range. conditions will spark the migration of striped bass up the “You can go out early in the Atlantic coast. Jack Murphy will be waiting when they arrive. morning any day and find blitzing Murphy and his partner, Jack Loveday, co-founded Lucky Jacks schoolies,” Murphy said. “You can Fishing in Marblehead, Massachusetts. For them, April begins the catch 30 or 40 fish in just a couple busy striper season off Rhode Island and Massachusetts. hours.” As you read this, striped bass are spawning in tributaries of By the first part of June, anglers Chesapeake Bay, Delaware Bay and the Hudson River. When in search of big fish will head 5 to water temperatures rise into the 50s, these fish push north with 10 miles offshore to find big pogy huge schools of menhaden to feed ravenous post-spawn appetites. PHOTOS BY SEAN MAIORANO PHOTOGRAPHY (menhaden) schools. This is a Murphy said the first fish collect on the south side of Cape Cod WWW.SEANMAIORANOPHOTOGRAPHY.COM short-lived first-light bite. in Buzzards Bay. Timing is dependent on weather and water temperatures, so “When you come on one of these schools that’s getting harassed, you’re in Lucky Jacks spends spring studying winds and water temps to try and intercept the first waves of migrating fish. They normally show up in the second or third for a heck of a day.” Murphy said. “We’ve had a few days when our smallest fish were 37 pounds, and 40- to 50-pound fish are very possible.” week of April. “When river herring (alewife) push into the rivers to spawn, the first waves of stripes will be right on their tails,” Murphy said. “They’re looking for that Check out Lucky Jacks Fishing at www.luckyjacksfishing.com.
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MARCH 2021
NATIONAL 23
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