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877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // AUGUST 2020 3
HUNTING & FISHING IN ALABAMA & THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE
8
CONTENTS
Doves, The Kickoff To A New Hunting Season. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 by Chuck Sykes Jug Fishing Tips to Catch More Catfish. . . . 12 by John E. Phillips Picking The Best Food Plot For Deer In Fall And Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 by David Strickland How To Catch Big Bass In Ponds . . . . . . . . . 26 by Brian Senn Insider Tips On Catching Yellow Fin Tuna In The Gulf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 by William Kendy
12
20
How to catch Cobia and Tripletail in the Gulf. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 by Captain Richard Rutland
In Every Issue
32
4 AUGUST 2020 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
26
Best Bets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 by William Kendy Camphouse Kitchen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 by Hank Shaw New Gear for Outdoorsmen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 by William Kendy From the Commissioner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 by Chris Blakenship From the Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 by Charles Sykes The Gun Rack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 by Craig Haney Paddle Fishing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 by Ed Mashburn Coastal Outlook. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 by Chris Vecsey Pier & Shore. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 by David Thornton Regional Freshwater. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 by Ed Mashburn Prime Feeding Times, Moon, Sun, and Tide Charts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Pensacola Motorsports Trophy Room. . . . . . 68 Great Days Kids Corner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Classifieds & Fishin‘ Guides . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Fishing Tips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 by David Thornton A Great Day Outdoors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 by Jim Mize
PROPERTY PHOTO HERE
PROPERTY PHOTO HERE
North Fork Hurricane Creek
DIVISIBLE - BANK OWNED Black Belt Farm
A 795 +/- acre timber and hunting tract centrally located between Birmingham and Tuscaloosa, Alabama, with only a 30 to 35 minute drive from either location. The property itself has outstanding diversity. Mature hardwood draws, varying ages of pine plantations, rolling ridges, and an array of tributaries feeding the year round North Fork Hurricane Creek that traverses through the property almost bisecting the tract in half. Over 260 acres of mature hardwood timber, planted loblolly plantations ranging from 9 to 35 years old, and about 25 acres of cut over. A solid interior road provides all-weather access to multiple food plots. Some are linear shaped along the road or power line giving longer range shots and some of the plots are irregular shaped tucked away near a hardwood draw. Deer signs are abundant and several turkeys have been seen when touring this property. The property can be divided at North Fork Hurricane Creek with 305 +/- acres on the west side of the creek and 490 +/- acres on the east. Multiple access points allows a natural flow of ingress and egress for either side if purchased separately.
Diverse, bank owned farm has it all: timber, agricultural land, catfish ponds, duck ponds, & a hunting lodge. In the fertile Alabama Black Belt between Orrville & Selma at Beloit, an area renowned for its abundance of trophy whitetail deer, turkey, dove, duck, & other hunting, enjoy easy access w/ paved frontage on Highway 22 & CR 189, miles of internal gravel roads that rival many county roads, & an array of income producing opportunities from cattle, timberland, catfish farming, hunting, & row crop production, all on one tract. Previously used to host commercial hunts, 2BR hunting lodge w/sleeping loft has 3.5 BAs, stone fpl, open floor plan, & views of the surrounding farmland. Downstairs mud/locker rm could be an additional bed or bunk rm, & the walk-in cooler w/ conveyor. Bunkhouse w/a full BA outside the lodge can sleep 4-8, & brick farmhouse just to the East w/5 BR & 3 BA could be for guests, office, owner’s lodge, or caretaker’s home. 440+/- acres of timber consists of hardwood plantation, pine plantation, natural oak hammocks, & areas of mature, natural hardwood. 465+/- acres of open land includes both fenced and unfenced pasture that are flat to gently rolling, with multiple barns, silos, and sheds present, and the 28 catfish ponds w/power & pumps throughout encompass 367+/- acres. Several duck ponds & strategically placed food plots, and Tatum Creek flows through the property providing several large potential fishing lake sites. Two add. waterfront homes are available for purchase if desired & DIVISIONS WILL BE CONSIDERED.
Tuscalossa County, Alabama, 795+/-Acres
PROPERTY TEXT HERE
Dallas County, Alabama, 1283+/-Acres
PROPERTY TEXT HERE
FL Panhandle Listings
Alabama Listings COUNTY Autauga Autauga Autauga Autauga Autauga Baldwin Baldwin Baldwin Baldwin Baldwin Barbour Barbour Barbour Barbour Barbour Bibb Blount Blount Blount Bullock Bullock Butler Cherokee Cherokee Chilton Chilton Chilton
ACRES 860 535 375 371 298 1995 1339 1304 900 463 884 215 120 103 58 30 60 50 4.6 4000 167 85.16 2230 5 146 73 37.81
COUNTY Choctaw Choctaw Choctaw Clarke Clarke Clarke Clarke Clarke Cleburne Coffee Coffee Colbert Colbert Colbert Colbert Colbert Conecuh Conecuh Conecuh Conecuh Conecuh Coosa Coosa Coosa Covington Covington Covington
388 54 38 620 234 220 179 58 66.4 200 33 294 161 133 80 30 142 80 74 35 22 151 120 86 360 331 72
Covington Covington Crenshaw Cullman Cullman Dale Dale Dallas Dallas Dallas Dallas Dallas Elmore Elmore Elmore Elmore Elmore Escambia Fayette Fayette Fayette Fayette Fayette Greene Greene Greene Greene
ACRES 50 22 60 876.25 59 96 30 1283 860 651 463.54 224 450 369 264 120 120 671.6 672 473 321 232 122 2590 2100 490 165
COUNTY Greene Hale Hale Hale Hale Hale Henry Henry Henry Henry Houston Houston Jefferson Jefferson Jefferson Jefferson Jefferson Lamar Lamar Lamar Lamar Lamar Lawrence Lawrence Lowndes Lowndes Lowndes
38 329 150 53.2 41 38 200 100 10 0.5 31 17.5 633 120 75 65 65 202 200 192 160 92 80 45 1013 793.5 783
Lowndes Lowndes Macon Macon Macon Macon Macon Marengo Marengo Marengo Marengo Marengo Marion Marshall Mobile Mobile Mobile Mobile Mobile Monroe Monroe Monroe Monroe Monroe Montgomery Montgomery Montgomery
ACRES 656 500 2370 930 486 396 163 6214 3000 1164 404 131 82 535 1800 308 299.1 260 192 790 298 269 129 110 858 697 623
COUNTY Montgomery Montgomery Perry Perry Perry Perry Perry Pickens Pickens Pickens Pickens Pickens Pike Pike Russell Russell Saint Clair Shelby Shelby Shelby Shelby Shelby Sumter Sumter Sumter Sumter Sumter
469 430 386 240.75 189 160 40 837 513 450 430 240.36 521.95 112 195 50 10 240 159 135.84 126 90 740 550 406.47 350 36.5
Talladega Talladega Talladega Tuscaloosa Tuscaloosa Tuscaloosa Tuscaloosa Tuscaloosa Walker Walker Walker Walker Washington Washington Washington Washington Washington Wilcox Wilcox Wilcox Wilcox Wilcox Winston Winston Winston Winston Winston
ACRES 537 520 115 795 500 490 305 153 203 100 82 61 240 213 190 160 160 2365 1465 660 310 31 265 265 148 2.3 1.3
COUNTY
ACRES
Escambia Gulf Holmes Santa Rosa Walton Walton Walton Walton Walton Washington
257 55 93 680 454 235 60 39.75 35 22.5
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877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // AUGUST 2020 5
BEST BETS
BEST BETS FOR AUGUST These are our top targets for hunters and fishermen this month! BY WILLIAM KENDY
ALABAMA SETS DOVE SEASONS The 2020 Alabama dove season will begin September 5, which is the Saturday before Labor Day in the north zone and Saturday, September 12 in the south zone.
“With COVID-19 still lurking around and threatening the upcoming football season, we aren’t planning on letting the pandemic negatively impact dove season,” says Alabama Director of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Chuck Sykes. “Dove hunting lends itself to being the perfect outdoor recreation for social distancing. A typical dove field will find hunters approximately 50 to 75 yards apart, surrounding the field. This distance is perfect for social distancing as well as hunter safety,” The season openers were largely determined by the responses to a survey sent out to 46,000 hunters. For more information, read Sykes’s article “Doves, the Kickoff to a New Hunting Season” in this issue on page 8.
AUGUST IS HOT FOR TRIPLETAIL
VOLUME 24, ISSUE 8 AUGUST 2020
PUBLISHED BY: Great Days Outdoors Media, L.L.C. PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Joe Baya GENERAL MANAGER: Samatha Hester MANAGING EDITOR: William Kendy CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Wendy Johannesmann
Tripletail ranks high on the August bucket list for Gulf Coast anglers. These tasty fish “layin-wait” by buoys, channel markers, bridge pilings, weeds, floating debris and other cover to ambush shrimp, small crabs, baitfish and just about anything else wanting their share of a safe haven. In terms of tackle, a 4000-class spinning reel coupled with a medium-heavy 7-7 ½ foot rod spooled with 50 pound braid and 50 pound flourocarbon leader fits the bill.
Great Days Outdoors (USPS 17228; ISSN 1556-0147) is published monthly at P.O. Box 1253 Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459 Subscription rate is $30 for one-year, $54 for two-years, and $72 for three-years. Periodicals Postage Paid at Mobile, Ala. and additional mailing offices.
According to the pros, some of the best baits for tripletail are live shrimp, pogies, finger mullet and bull minnows.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Great Days Outdoors Media, LLC PO Box 460248 Escondido, CA 92046
For more information, check out Richard Rutland’s article on “How to Catch Cobia and Tripletail in the Gulf” on page 36 and Chris Vecsey’s “Gulf Coast Fishing Report” on page 56.
SUBSCRIBERS: All subscriptions begin the first issue for the month following receipt of payment, if payment is received by the 15th. Great Days Outdoors assumes no responsibility for delivery after magazines are mailed. All delivery complaints should be addressed to your local postmaster.
BUILDING A FERTILE WATER FOUNDATION TO GROW BIGGER BASS
If you own a farm pond or even a small lake, there are some things you can do to lay the groundwork for establishing a healthy and quality water environment for growing big bass. Southeastern Pond Management specializes in helping people better manage their small lakes and ponds with the goal of creating and maintaining a higher quality bass fishery. As part of an ongoing series, Brian Senn, host of the Great Days Outdoors Alabama Freshwater Fishing Report, interviewed, SEPond owner Norman Latona on the principles behind liming and fertilizing your pond, why and when you need to implement these steps, minimum frequency of treatment and other considerations. See Brians article on page 26 of this issue.
6 JULY 2020 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
CONTACT US: EDITORIAL | JoeBaya@greatdaysoutdoors.com ADVERTISING | SamHester@greatdaysoutdoors.com SUBSCRIPTIONS | greatdaysoutdoors@pcspublink.com Great Days Outdoors Media LLC PO Box 460248 Escondido, CA 92046 877. 314. 1237 info@greatdaysoutdoors.com www.greatdaysoutdoors.com All rights reserved. Reproduction of contents is strictly prohibited without permission from Great Days Outdoors Media, LLC.
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Doves, New Hunting Season the Kickoff to a
8 AUGUST 2020 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
HUNTING
The dove season opener marks the beginning of fall hunting seasons!! BY CHUCK SYKES Director of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries
Why would anyone want to be outside in early September when the temperature is usually pushing triple digits and the humidity is looming around 90%? Dove season…that’s why! Many hunters, present company included, can’t wait for the first hunting season of each fall despite the miserably hot conditions. For decades, the kickoff to fall involves football and dove hunting. With COVID-19 still lurking around and threatening the upcoming football season, we aren’t planning on letting the pandemic negatively impact dove season. We are still on schedule to practice proper social distancing and enjoy the wonderful September weather on a dove field as soon as possible. Dove hunting lends itself to being the perfect outdoor recreation for social distancing. A typical dove field will find hunters approximately 50 to 75 yards apart, surrounding the field. This distance is perfect for social distancing as well as hunter safety. In addition, you don’t have to be still or silent while dove hunting. The older I get, these are two things I’m finding harder and harder to accomplish. Unlike many years in the past, dove season for the north zone will begin September 5, the Saturday before Labor Day, and September 12 in the south zone. I’m going to turn the rest of the article over to our migratory game bird coordinator, Seth Maddox, to explain how the season was set this year. Mourning doves are the most hunted and harvested game species in the continental United States, and Alabama is no exception. The most recent state harvest survey shows that an estimated 35,955 hunters spent more than 194,000 days hunting and harvested more than 1.2 million doves during the 2018-19 season. Most of this hunting activity and harvest occurs within the first two weeks of the season, as Alabama hunters only average five days of dove hunting per season. Although this seems like a short amount of time for such a large harvest, the timing of opening day and available days during the early season influence the harvest and hunter opportunity. Need caption
Since 2000, dove season in the north zone has opened the Saturday before Labor Day three times, 2009-2011. Prior to these years, dove season in the north zone usually opened the third weekend of September. In the most recent years, dove season in the north zone has opened the second weekend of September, the weekend after Labor Day. With a mixture of opening 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // AUGUST 2020 9
Doves, the Kickoff to a New Hunting Season
dates over the last 20 years, the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division (WFF) decided to survey dove hunter preferences to help inform the season-setting process. In 2018 the Alabama Dove Hunter Survey was sent via email to more than 46,000 hunters who were Harvest Information Program (HIP) certified and/or who had signed up to receive information about dove or small game hunting via email. Most respondents (58%) indicated they had hunted dove for more than 20 years. 74% of respondents indicated they typically only hunt one to five days during the 90-day season, and 70% start hunting on opening day. To determine how hunters utilize dove hunting zones in Alabama, a series of questions asked about hunting participation among zones. Most respondents (78%) indicated they hunt only in the north zone for all dove hunts and trips. When hunters were asked about when dove season should open in the north zone, responses were all over the board. However, the greatest percentage of respondents (37%) indicated that they would like the season to open the first Saturday in September. (see Figure 1.) Most respondents (71%) also indicated they prefer that the majority of the seasons open hunting days occur September through October. Most (53%) also wanted the season to include as many weekends and holidays as possible.
Figure 1. Preference of hunters for the timing of the opening day of dove season in the north zone. With the survey results in hand when setting the dove hunting season dates for the 2020-21 season, preferred factors were considered. These factors included timing of opening day, so the season was set to open September 5, the first Saturday in September. Opening the season in the north zone on September 5 allows seven additional hunting days in September and includes an extra holiday (Labor Day) for people to maximize hunting opportunity. Only the 10 southernmost Alabama counties make up the south zone, translating into fewer responses for that zone; however, the largest percentage of respondents (45%) indicated they prefer the opening day of dove season to be the second or third Saturday in September. Historically the south zone has opened the Saturday following the north zone opener. Therefore, the 2020-21 south zone dove season opening date was set for Saturday, September 12, the second Saturday in September. The remaining south zone responses align with the north zone responses. To see the entire dove survey go to www.outdooralabma.com. The Alabama Dove Hunter Survey took some speculation out of the season-setting process, allowing WFF to maximize hunting opportunity by providing hunters with their preferred season options. We intend to replicate this survey every few years to have up-to-date information on hunter preferences. We hope that you can spend some quality time outdoors with friends and family this fall by kicking it off with dove season in September. What better way is there to get together with a group while maintaining social distance than on a dove field?
10 AUGUST 2020 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
Doves, the Kickoff to a New Hunting Season
Hay bales offer the perfect camouflaged blind for dove pass shooting.
877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // AUGUST 2020 11
Jug Fishing Tips to Catch More
CATFISH
Jug fishing Tony Adams’ style produces an average catfish of 8-20 pounds generally, but you must have a big dip net to land the catfish.
12 AUGUST 2020 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
FISHING
“I found no difference between the amount and the size of catfish I caught with Fishbites as compared to those I caught with skipjacks.” Tony Adams BY JOHN E. PHILLIPS Tony Adams, of Eufaula, Alabama, is one of the best catfish catchers I know. In four hours, he can produce 200-400 pounds of catfish by fishing jugs, and most of them individually will range from 8-20 pounds or better. Tony jug fishes water that most catfishermen don’t fish, including the edges of underwater river channels, 20-60 feet deep, with jugs on Lake Eufaula. One of the most-important components of catching catfish while jugging southeast Alabama on the Chattahoochee River is the bait. Great Days Outdoors asked Adams to test Fishbites Yeh Monn! Freshwater Catfish Baits that are biodegradable and made from all-natural ingredients to compare their catchability to his best jug-fishing baits. “I’ve discovered that the most-productive bait for deep-water catfish is hickory shad, often called skipjacks,” Adams explained. “We can catch them with a cast net here on Lake Eufaula, but they’re hard to find. Not only that, but after we get them, they must be frozen quickly and placed in the freezer, which requires a lot of time and effort that I don’t have. So, instead of trying to catch these hickory shad, I buy them from a guy who catches them on the Tennessee River, vacuum seals them and freezes them, while they’re still fresh. But, I have to pay $3 per shad.” When Adams is jug fishing for small catfish, he can get 20 baits out of one shad. However, if he’s fishing for big catfish, he only may get 12 baits out of one shad. To test Fishbites, Adams used the same number of jugs that he did while fishing with skipjacks. “There was no difference between the amount and the size of catfish I caught with the Fishbites compared to those I caught with skipjacks,” Adams said. “I also liked how the Fishbites were more accessible, cost less and didn’t have to be kept frozen. I actually found more reasons to use the 5/8-inch-wide and 12-inch-long ribbons of Fishbites’ Yeh Monn! Freshwater Catfish Baits that are available in crawfish, liver, shad and worm scents than to go through all the trouble required to get, keep and fish with frozen skipjacks.” Tony Adams moved to Eufaula, Alabama, in 1989, and when he arrived, he decided he would learn where and how to catch catfish there. Today, during the hot summer months, Adams runs the lines coming from his jugs down to 40-60 feet deep, and in the fall, 18-60 feet deep, because he says, “The bigger catfish at Lake Eufaula and other lakes will hold in that deeper water. I’ve caught cats weighing from 20-60 pounds each on 60-foot deep lines.”
HOW TO RIG AND BAIT JUGS FOR CATFISH Generally when Adams goes jugging for cats, he puts out about 72, 20-ounce plastic jugs that he often rescues from ballpark garbage cans. “During the summer months, we’ll catch about 300 pounds of cats by putting out those 72 jugs and fishing for 4 hours,” Adams said. “Then during the fall, I’ll usually catch 150-200 pounds of catfish in a 4-hour period to have a fine fish fry.” Adams can produce that many fish in that short time, partly because he uses a Humminbird Helix 12 depth finder (www.humminbird.com) that features down imagining as well as side imaging. ADAMS PUTS HIS JUGS OUT ON THE EDGE OF THE MAIN RIVER CHANNEL Adams paints all his 20-ounce Gatorade and Pepsi plastic bottles orange. The jugs then fit neatly into the racks that drink salesmen use to carry Gatorade and Pepsi into the stores, and they’re stackable. So, Adams’ jugs don’t take up very much room in his boat. “My jugs are easier to see on the water when they’re painted orange than any other color,” Adams explained. “I use 50-60 pound test line coming off my jugs and either No. 5/0 or No. 6/0 stainless-steel circle hooks.” Adams fills the insides of some of the jugs with foam, especially when he’s fishing for very-big catfish. “A big catfish can pull a jug down so deep that the sides of the jug will collapse. So, by spraying foam in the jugs when I’m fishing for big cats, I solve that problem. The foam creates more flotation, and even if the jugs are pulled down deep in the water, the sides of the jugs won’t collapse.” WHY PLACE YOUR JUGS IN A STRAIGHT LINE On some of his jugs, Adams uses an egg sinker above a swivel with about 18 inches of leader line below the swivel going to the hook. According to Adams, “The weight helps the bait reach the bottom faster, and the swivel prevents the cat from rolling up in the line. On some of my jugs, I won’t use any lead, and I’ll only have a swivel to keep the cat from twisting the line. So, when the catfish picks-up my bait, the fish won’t feel any resistance on the line, until it gets the bait well into its mouth. “I like to use No. 5/0 or No. 6/0 stainless-steel circle hooks when I’m trying to catch big cats which is generally larger than what most anglers use. When I want to catch eating-size cats, I use a No. 7/0 or a No. 8/0 hook. I’ll also put about three turns of electrical tape around my jugs to have a place to put the points of my hooks when I take in my lines. Putting the points of the hooks under the electrical tape keeps the line on the jugs from unrolling, and it gives me a good place to store my hooks after I’ve finished fishing. I have reflective tape on some of the jugs to spot them easily when I fish at night.” I also noticed that Adams tended to put his jugs out in a straight line, and he told me, “The easiest way to determine if you’ve got a cat on a 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // AUGUST 2020 13
When you fight a catfish like this one and get it to the boat, you’ve got a trophy and delicious meat to eat.
14 AUGUST 2020 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
Jug Fishing Tips to Catch More Catfish
jug or not is to put your jugs out in a straight line. Then when you start running your jugs, if you see a jug off to the left or to the right of that line, you know you’ve either caught a cat, or a cat has taken your bait. However, most of the time, if a jug isn’t in that straight line where you’ve put it, it will have a catfish on it.” Adams uses a fiberglass Bream Buster pole (https://www.bnmpoles. com/p-148-breambuster-pole.aspx) with a large bass hook on the end of the pole tied to the last eyelet on the pole to pick-up his jugs quickly and play a catfish down. Then he can get the catfish to the surface quicker and up to the side of the boat. WHERE TO PUT OUT YOUR JUGS TO CATCH CATFISH When I fished with Adams, we started putting our 72 jugs for catfish out in the mouth of Barbour Creek. Then we headed north toward the railroad trestle. Adams uses his depth finder to pinpoint the water depth where the shad are concentrating on a river channel. “When you put your jugs on the edge of a river channel, the wind either will blow the jugs on top of the river channel or out over the river channel,” Adams explained. “The catfish will relate to that river channel, especially in the hot summertime, as well as in the fall of the year when they’ll often suspend over the river channel.” Adams cuts his baits into two sizes, big baits for big catfish and smaller baits for catfish 1-1/2 to 8 pounds. “I put my bigger baits out in the deeper water, and my smaller baits in the shallow water,” Adams said.
As we put out the jugs, I saw that the main river channel had a bend on it. Instead of placing the jugs in a straight line there, Adams motored his boat around the bend and placed a few extra jugs in that bend of the old river channel. “I’ll place a few more jugs in this spot than I do when I’m putting them out in a straight line,” Adams mentioned. “For the last 2 years, I’ve hooked a ‘gorilla-size’ catfish that stays in this bend. Once this catfish gets hooked, it goes to some underwater structure and breaks my line. I’ve watched for my jug to come up for 30 minutes before, but that ole catfish will keep it down underwater, and I’ll lose my jug. But I’ve never seen this large catfish.” WHY USE LARGE BAITS TO CATCH BIG CATFISH I asked Adams, “How often do you lose a jug when you put jugs out to catch catfish? “If there’s little or no wind, I may not lose any jugs,” Adams said. “But on a windy day, I may lose three or four jugs, even if I’m working them, taking fish off the jugs and rebaiting, for the full 4 hours. There have been days when I’ve jug fished just ahead of a storm, and the big catfish have been biting actively. When that happens, I easily can lose as many as 12 jugs out of the 72. When those big catfish feel the pressure of the jug, they will run to structure and hang my jug up underwater.” When I asked, “Tony, how often do you change out your hooks?” “I usually change my hooks about once per year. But when I break a line off
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Jug Fishing Tips to Catch More Catfish
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from a jug that’s gotten into structure, I’ll change out the line, the weight and the swivel and put a new hook on that jug. I fish with stainless-steel circle hooks, because they don’t rust, and they’re really strong,” Adams said.
enjoy the great outdoors for years to come!
“The lines on my jugs will get my hook and bait down to 18 - 60 feet deep. Most jug fishermen don’t fish with lines that long. I use lines that long from the springtime until the weather starts to cool down in early winter. Once winter arrives, the cats will move into the creeks. Then, I’ll put my jugs out in the creeks and shorten my lines to 8-16 feet deep. I can catch catfish all winter long at Lake Eufaula by jug fishing.” Adams likes the skipjack’s head for a big bait. He doesn’t catch a big catfish on every skipjack head he baits with, but if a big catfish does find that bait, it really will enjoy the head of a skipjack for breakfast or lunch. And, the same is true of the Fishbites Yeh Monn! Freshwater Catfish Baits Adams tried for “GDO.” WHAT TIPS WILL HELP YOU JUG FISH FOR CATFISH BETTER • A 20-ounce Gatorade or a soft drink bottle with the cap screwed on is an ideal size of jug to fish. It’s not too big and doesn’t take up much space in the boat. • Those 20-ounce jugs rigged and ready to fish can be put in a drink case they’ve been designed to fit in and take up far less room and are much easier to handle than gallon jugs or bigger. • The line will free-spool off the end of the jug just as fast as line free-spools off a spinning reel, by throwing the bait in the water and keeping your big engine running. (No lead necessary). • Deep-water fishing produces more and bigger catfish than fishing in shallow water, or at least, when fishing Lake Eufaula. • Stainless-steel circle hooks require much less maintenance and can help you land bigger cats (https://fishbites.com/products/ freshwater-fishbites-yeh-monn-freshwater-catfish-bait/) than wire hooks will. • A Bream Buster pole with a large bass hook tied to the end of it makes picking up jugs, as well as fighting and landing big cats, easier and quicker than trying to pull the cats in hand-over-hand with the line. • A strong, oversized rubber-coated dip net is a must for success. • You must spend about 4 hours of the day baiting and landing the 16 AUGUST 2020 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
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Jug Fishing Tips to Catch More Catfish
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catfish you catch on your jugs to take the most catfish. However, using Fishbites’ Yeh Monn! Catfish Baits saves time. Jug fishing Adams’ style is one of the quickest ways I’ve ever seen to catch the most catfish in the shortest time for both the table and the freezer.
To learn more about fishing for catfish, check out John E. Phillips’ book, “Catfish Like a Pro” at http://amzn.to/W900eu, available in paperback and Kindle. For more information about Fishbites’ Yeh Monn! Freshwater Catfish Baits, go to https://fishbites.com/products/freshwater-fishbites-yeh-monn-freshwater-catfish-bait/, or call 877-840-2248.
BAD-TASTING CATFISH TO DELICIOUS MEALS Every spring when the river near my home flooded, the water dumped a new crop of bass, crappie, bream and catfish into depressions and ditches in the woods of my hunting club. These low places often would be no more than 3 feet deep, and sometimes as shallow as 2 feet deep. Because these newly-inundated lands were extremely fertile after bringing in new soil, the bait fish the flooded water put into these spot grew and multiplied rapidly, along with plenty of insects and worms on which the fish could feed. Due to these woods ponds being cut-off from the main river eventually, the water became tannic due to decaying leaves. The fish I caught there often had an off-flavor like the tannic leaves. I love to eat catfish. Although I could catch an abundance of catfish, they tasted off. Then a friend of mine taught me how to get the off-flavor out of the fish I caught. • • • • • •
Fillet the fish, and cut the meat into small chunks about the size of your thumb. Put 10 pounds of ice in the bottom of a 48-quart cooler. Place the chunks of filleted fish on top of the ice. Put 10 more pounds of crushed ice on top of the fillets. Buy two, 3 liter bottles of 7Up, and pour over the top of the ice. Put the lid on the cooler, and leave the fish, the ice and the 7Up sitting in a cool place overnight. Remove the fish from the cooler the next day, and cook or freeze it for future meals. This process enables the angler to remove the fishy-taste out of catfish and other strong-tasting fish.
My friend explained to me that, “The 7Up has a lemon/line base that pulls the oil and the off-flavor out of the fish. The 7Up also contains sugar, making the fish taste sweeter.” Some people prefer their fish to taste fishy, but for the people who prefer fine, white meat this recipe has produced hundreds of Friday night fish frys for my family and friends but also for neighbors, church groups and business associates.
Jug fishing is a great way to spend time with your family and provide delicious fish to eat. Fishbites Yeh Monn! Freshwater Catfish Baits takes the hassle out of getting baits.
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BY 1023
Recipe and image courtesy of Allrecipes.com
Kingfish Enchiladas Kingfish, a.k.a. King Mackerel, is a strong flavored sport fish which pairs well with the zesty flavor of salsa. Make sure to remove all of the dark meat from the fish when you clean it. Prep: 30 mins • Cook: 30 mins • Total: 1 hour Ingredients
• • • • • • • • •
1lb king mackerel fillets – cleaned, washed & cubed ½ cup Italian-style salad dressing ¼ cup all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 onion diced 1 green bell pepper, diced 1 (16 ounce) jar salsa 8 (8 inch) flour tortillas 8 ounces shredded Cheddar Cheese
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Combine fish cubes with Italian dressing. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes. Dredge fish cubes in flour and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C. Lightly oil a 9x13 inch baking pan In a non-stick frying pan, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add onions and green pepper. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally until vegetables are soft. Stir in fish cubes and cook until the fish is soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in half of the salsa and remove mixture from heat. Spoon mixture into tortillas, roll up and place seam down in prepared baking pan. Spoon remaining salsa over the enchiladas and sprinkle with shredded cheese. Bake in a preheated oven for 15 minutes.
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Picking the
Best Food Plot for Deer
in fall and winter
BY DAVID STRICKLAND
What comes to mind when you think of fall or winter food plots for deer? If you’re like most hunters you view food plots as a place to sit in a shooting house, ground blind or elevated stand with the hope of seeing and harvesting a trophy deer. Many hunters are unaware of the amount of planning that goes into preparing the soil or choosing the appropriate seed and fertilizer. Each of these must be properly addressed and will determine whether the hunter will spend time watching deer or meditating in solitude. Science and technology have made advances in every area of our modern life. These innovations are apparent in the hunting industry when one looks at the vast array of new bows, firearms and even air powered rifles offered to hunters each year. Today’s hunter has more choices in their hunting clothes and gear than any previous generation. These choices extend to the availability and variety of the seed and fertilizer they can use to attract and keep deer on their property. The hunter’s that educate themselves as to the best available food plot options for their particular location can ensure that the deer will gravitate to their deer plots in the fall and utilize it through the winter. Whether one is the manager of a large hunting operation or simply a hunter with one small field to plant, they each have the same goal of drawing deer to a particular place by planting and fertilizing some seeds. The availability and choices of what crops to plant for deer are so numerous as to be overwhelming. One can now find bags of seed in a wide variety of stores, but just because a bag of seed has a picture of a large antlered buck on the front doesn’t mean that seed will perform well where you intend to plant it. The more factual information hunter’s have 20 AUGUST 2020 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
A good stand of alfalfa in Union Springs, fertilized with “Clark’s Plot Nutrients”
that can be applied to their specific location, the better chance that their time and effort will result in some great memories and good stories as they and their friends hun PLANNING FOOD PLOTS Research indicates that 1/2 acre is the average size of a whitetail food plot. Most experts suggest a 1/4 acre minimum size although some hunters clear small remote areas, known as “micro plots”. If your food plots are going to be in competition with fields on nearby properties, then it’s a good idea to find out what’s being planted in your neighbor’s fields. It’s also helpful to know when they are planting. Deer are similar to humans when it comes to food. We don’t mind experimenting, but we know what we like. Deer eat a variety of browse and plants based on nutritional needs and taste. They need a certain amount of calories each day and their feeding increases as the temperature drops. If a restaurant only has one or two items on the menu, they better taste really good or most folks will go where there is a better variety. Deer are the same way, they have preferences for where those calories come from. TYPES OF FORAGE The main categories of plants that most whitetail hunters plant are cereal grains, brassicas and legumes. Within each of these seed groups are varieties that have been developed for specific soil types, ph tolerance and latitude. Whether it’s along the Alabama Gulf Coast or into the Canadian interior there are plenty of good choices when planting food plots for deer.
HUNTING Brassica is from modern Latin and can be literally translated as cabbage. This category of plants includes many leafy plants such as turnips, radishes, kale, chicory and canola, along with some newer additions. Brassicas do well in moist, well drained areas and tolerate a broader pH range. They require plenty of fertilizer to continue their growth into late winter. They are cold tolerant and draw deer better after the cold changes their starch content to sugars, which makes them more palatable. Food plots planted in these crops have been known to produce up to 10 tons of forage to an acre with crude protein ranging from 20% to 38%. Cereal Grains- This category is the one most of us hunters are familiar with. It includes wheat, oats, rye (not rye grass), alfalfa and triticale. Different varieties of cereal grains tolerate wet soil better (rye and wheat) and some do better in drier soils (oats and triticale). Varieties have been developed for different soil types and soil qualities. If your dirt is higher quality, choose wheat or oats. Rye does better in acidic, shaded, less fertile, or sandy soils. Triticale can perform well in either situation, but does better in higher quality soils. Cereal grains provide great early fall options, stand up well to heavy browsing, and have a 10-25% range in crude protein. Legumes- Lablab, soybeans, cowpeas, Austrian winter peas, clovers and alfalfa are all legumes and they produce their own nitrogen. This means that they require a different fertilizer mix than cereal or brassicas. There are many new varieties that can be grown as far south as the Alabama coast and into Florida. They can be planted separately or in combination with other crops and do well in a variety of soils. They are great for early plots and some do well through cold weather. Deer feed heavily on these and they can be over browsed if deer density is high. They range
in crude protein from 20-30%. CHOOSING THE RIGHT SEEDS One good source for the best choices of seed for your next food plot is Daniel Bumgarner of Wildlife Management Solutions (WMS) located in Eutaw, Alabama. “Our experienced staff has over 30 years of experience advising and providing hunters with seeds, equipment and expert advice. Soil test analysis, planting, food plot layout, plot maintenance, and wildlife opening design are just a few of the services that you can receive when buying products through WMS. We can provide a custom mix of seeds to meet anyone’s goals on their hunting property,” Bumgarner said. Bumgarner addressed the challenges of establishing a good deer plot. “Along with seed choice, planting time is another critical aspect of good quality food plots. Hunters shouldn’t plant just by the calendar, but rather by the weather,” Bumgarner noted. “Soil moisture is important in germination and growth of young plants. Hunters should watch the weather forecast and plan their planting ahead of a rain.” FOLIAR FERTILIZING Another overlooked option for making your fields more attractive to deer is modifying the flavor profile of your forage as you fertilize your plants with a foliar formula liquid fertilizer. This type of fertilizer has been in use for many years in agriculture and sports. Many golf courses around the world depend on it to provide accelerated growth to those lush fairways and
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Picking the Best Food Plot for Deer in Fall and Winter
An easy method of applying Clark’s Liquid Fertilizer
greens. Likewise, many professional football and baseball groundskeepers use the same strategy. I talked to Chris Grantham of Alabama Liquid Fertilizer (ALF), located in Elba Alabama, about their Clark’s Plot Nutrients formulas and the use of their products in deer plots. According to Grantham, most traditional pelletized fertilizer requires a soil pH of 6.5 to 7 in order for plants to absorb its nutrients. “This pH level is usually achieved by applying lime up to three months prior to planting. Even with the proper soil pH only about 60-65% of the nutrients in pelletized fertilizer is available to plants over a period of time,” Grantham noted. “We offer a concentrated solution that has an absorption rate of 80-90% within two hours of being applied directly to the plant’s leaves and stems.” “In addition to the standard plant nutrients, it contains 1% calcium that aids in antler growth and eggshell density for turkeys,” he added. Grantham explained that what this means for the hunter is that they can time the application of this formula to draw more deer to a particular field or a certain part of a field within a short time frame. “Our testing has verified that deer will stay and feed longer on those fertilized plants due to their increased palatability.” Grantham went on to say that the soil pH is not as much of a barrier to nutrient absorption with the liquid since it is absorbed directly through the stems and leaves of a plant and not its roots. “It takes about five minutes to fertilize a 1/2 acre field with our product, and this can be a good way to enhance a portion of larger fields or a small plot a week or so before a planned hunt,” Grantham said.
Benny Stultz manages a bowhunting only property in Union Springs. I spoke with him about his transition from traditional fertilizer to Clark’s Plot Nutrients and he felt that the change has been positive. “Our transition to Clark’s Plot Nutrients has proven very beneficial for our numerous fields. Chris, at ALF, provided a special mix for a field we planted in alfalfa, and so far we and the deer couldn’t be happier with the results,” Stultz said. FALL PLOTS Bow hunting for deer in Alabama has grown in popularity as more hunters look to get an early start with their whitetail season. Many clubs now cater to bow hunters, but having established fields that draw deer in mid-October can be challenging. These early season plots require careful planning because they are plowed and planted in the spring or summer. “We have created numerous combinations that do well in a variety of soils as a warm weather crop with continued growth into bow season,” Bamgarner said. “We offer a custom mix called WMS Lablab-N-Corn that does well through the summer . We also have a custom blend called WMS Deer Magnet.” Bamgarner said that Trical triticale is the backbone of this mix and that Trical 342 triticale is known for its rapid emergence and establishment. “In Auburn University forage trials, Trical triticale consistently produces more tonnage from fall through winter than other wheat, oat, and triticale varieties. This is crucial for areas that have high deer densities. Abundant leafy forage during hunting season will equal more deer on your food plots. Trical triticale has sucrose levels that surpass wheat, oats, and other triticale varieties and is the sweetest forage cereal grain you can plant! It also contains winter peas and annual clovers that emerge quickly to provide early forage. Biennial clovers establish in early fall and provide excellent foraging opportunities from fall through mid-summer,” Bamgarner said. 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // AUGUST 2020 23
Picking the Best Food Plot for Deer in Fall and Winter
“WMS Deer Magnet” is a mix of Forage Triticale, Black Oats, winter peas, annual & biennial clovers and chicory
keep deer coming all season long.” Logan Campbell manages property in Walker and Bullock counties and he agrees withBaugarner. “I started using WMS seed blends about three years ago. Daniel and Dale came to our property and discussed different seed options to get the most out of our fields. I’ve seen deer walk through other forage we had planted to feed in a field planted in WMS Alabama Blend. There is such a variety of seeds that just keep growing right into spring. It’s easy to grow and competitive in price,” Campbell said.
WINTER PLOTS Various seed blends do well in colder weather and provide nourishment to deer and other wildlife into spring. Researchers have covered the globe to find plants that will thrive in most any scenario. It boils down to identifying your soil type and matching the plants to your climate. “Clovers mixed with cereal grains and brassicas will produce good forage throughout the winter and early spring,” Baugarner said. “We believe we have developed the best hunting plot blend on the market with WMS Alabama Blend. We believe it’s the ultimate answer for southern soils. We have developed an eight part mix that is comprised of selected wheat, oats, forage triticale, forage winter peas, daikon radishes, and annual clovers. WMS Alabama Blend will provide attractive forage fast and will
Choosing the best seeds for your next deer plot can be daunting, but a little research can help ease your anxiety. Now is a great time to test your soil and prepare those fields for the upcoming deer season. If you’re still unsure as to the best seed or fertilizer options for your hunting property, contact Daniel Bumgarner of “Wildlife Management Solutions” and Chris Grantham at “Alabama Liquid Fertilizer” Important Contact Information Wildlife Management Solutions Eutaw, Al 877-400-8089 www.productsforwildlifemanagement.com Alabama Liquid Fertilizer Elba AL 334-233-2687 www.alfandsupply.com
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How to Catch
Big Bass in Ponds
BY BRIAN SENN Host, Great Day Outdoors Alabama Freshwater Fishing Report
One of the questions we consistently receive at the Great Days Outdoors Alabama Freshwater Fishing Report podcast is what do fish pond owners need to know and do to catch big bass in their ponds. Obviously, there is no one “silver bullet” for effective bass pond management but there are some things you can do that will start to add some heft to your fish.
Latona pointed out that the “cornerstone management inputs” is the ability to manage the alkalinity, which is the water hardness, and the fertility. He emphasized that the alkalinity and fertility are basically joined at the hip.
To that end, on a recent episode we interviewed Norman Latona, owner of Southeastern Pond Management, headquartered in Calera, Al with offices in three states.
“Our water in this part of the country tends to be acidic which is a reflection of the soils that the water is sitting on and we add lime or other components to increase the alkalinity,” he said. “We can manipulate the fertility level by adding inorganic fertilizer just like you fertilize a food plot or your lawn.”
Southeastern Pond Management offers full-service pond management services including fish stocking, fertilizing, weed control, electrofishing, pond design and construction and more.
When it comes to pond fertilization, phosphorus is the key and the fertilizer that they often use has a little more than a 50% phosphorus content level.
To start the ball rolling I asked Latona, in terms of water quality, what are the types of things that a private pond owner needs to keep his eyes on and address annually or at certain times of the year.
“Through proper liming for alkalinity and managing the fertility through fertilizing, we can dramatically enhance the water quality as it relates to fish production,” Latona shared. “That results in a much greater fish production, faster growth, a higher top end and just a more productive body of water.”
According to Latona, the first step is to make sure that when you are looking at water quality to remember that it needs to relate to something specific and what you want to accomplish. Pond owners need to decide what type of water quality they want. If they want the water to be pretty and clear, to be used primarily for swimming and secondarily for fishing, they need to understand that that environment is not ideal as it relates to fish production. They need to make a choice as to whether they want to grow fish or do something different with the body of water. “Water quality as it relates to water for consumption or swimming is different from water quality as it relates to fish production,” Latona said. “The beauty of a small impoundment is that it is self-contained and you can manipulate the water quality with just a few simple inputs and by being consistent in the application.”
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Latona explained that liming and fertilizing impacts the very base of the food chain, which is the planktonic community (phytoplankton), which consists of tiny, free floating algae that gives the water a green tint. It also affects the zooplankton level, (tiny, aquatic insects) which feed on the phytoplankton as a starter who, in turn, get eaten by predators. Basically, everything emanates from that. Small gets eaten by something bigger, who gets eaten by something even bigger and so on. It is a basic food chain scenario that can be managed. “If we can enhance and increase the production at the very base level then we can control production all the way up to the top and the effect can be dramatic,” Latona said. “That’s why we refer to liming and fertilizing as cornerstone management inputs for small impoundments.”
Southeastern Pond Management results
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How to Catch Big Bass in Ponds
Latona said that liming and fertilizing together create “optimal conditions” when it comes to water quality enhancement to increase fertility for fish production. Just fertilizing alone won’t really get the job done due to the fact that fertilizer is inherently inefficient and, in order to be effective, fertilizer applications need to be consistent and monitored. “We can sort of overwhelm the lake in more acidic conditions by applying more fertilizer than we normally would but it’s not as consistent and part of the reason is because of water turnover and the water doesn’t stay in the pond all the time,” Latona noted. “We look at the growing season as being March through the end of October and, with regular spaced out applications, we can keep the phosphorus and fertility level up.” According to Latona, when the alkalinity level is marginal or low, a pond goes through “boom and bust” cycles of plankton, where one moment it has a nice dense plankton boom and then it will suddenly get brown and the water gets clear again. “Liming helps take these rough edges off a bit and if you’re not willing to lime and fertilize together then you aren’t really managing your pond,” Latona said. Latona shared that effectively liming a pond can be a
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Southeastern Pond Management utilizes pond fertilizer that is phosphorus heavy and applied on a continuous basis
How to Catch Big Bass in Ponds
Southeastern Pond Management crew launching a pond liming barge
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How to Catch Big Bass in Ponds
little tricky because, unlike fertilizer, which is highly water soluble and travels throughout a pond, limestone is rock. While water will ultimately dissolve and wear down limestone “chunks’’ it will take years, and that type of distribution makes it problematic in terms of any viable effect on the water. What Southeastern Pond Management applies is limestone that has been crushed down to a fine powder and then it is distributed over the whole pond.
HOG RUSH “THERE WILL BE BLOOD”
“We pile the limestone onto a big barge and drive out to a section of the lake and we spray it off and we do the same thing for different sections of the lake,” Latona said. “Our objective is to cover the whole bottom with crushed limestone where it ‘rains down’ through the water and settles on the bottom and that is where a chemical reaction takes place between the bottom mud and the limestone and that is where we create alkalinity.” Latona stressed that just “occasionally” fertilizing a pond really doesn’t do the job. “The reality is that putting in 50% of the fertilizer that is indicated to be ideal rarely gets you 50% of the results and a lot of times you get no results,” Latona said. The bottom line is that for the best bass pond management you need to strike a balance between liming and fertilizing that results in high fish production and meaningful fish growth. The big question is how much does all of this cost and is it affordable? Latona pointed out that the cost of materials is relatively low and even with application costs, the project isn’t cost prohibitive and is affordable. “You can buy agricultural limestone for $12-$15.00 a ton and maybe even less and, of course you have to pay for trucking but it isn’t cost prohibitive, even for a larger body of water,” Latona said. “We typically apply about four pounds of fertilizer per acre for every application and if you make ten applications a year then you are putting in about 40 pounds of fertilizer per acre the cost of our water soluble fertilizer (Sport MAX Water Soluble Pond Fertilizer) is typically in the $1.50 to $2.00 per pound range.
THERMAL NIGHT
HUNTS
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Latona said keeping tabs on the water clarity gives a pond owner the heads up on when he needs another fertilizer application. He maintains that in the optimum fertilization mode, the visibility standard should be between 18 and 24 inches. “A good rule of thumb is that if you can see 36 inches in the water, you need to fertilize to get the visibility down to 16 -18 inches,” Latona concluded.
Important Contact Information Southeastern Pond Management www.sepond.com. (888) 830-7663
30 AUGUST 2020 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
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Insider Tips on
Catching Yellow Fin Tuna in the Gulf
BY WILLIAM KENDY
When it comes to catching yellow fin tuna in the Gulf the truth is that the best time to catch them is when you find them and therein lies the challenge.
and subsequently, your chances of hooking a fish in this environment is lessened. This water movement is a major component in fishing success but it is affected by other factors.
These pelagic fish roam the briny blue in search of food and they don’t get beefy by being shy. Gulf yellow tuna can weight upwards of 100-200+ pounds and are tough and stubborn fighters. Still, the battle is worth it, as they are delicious eating, not to mention the challenge of the pursuit and the excitement of the catch.
Hilton RTN founder Thomas Hilton explained that when you are targeting yellow fin tuna there are really two ways to go about it.
LOCATION AND CONDITIONS Before you can try to catch yellow fin tuna you have to locate them and that is where Hilton’s RealTime Navigator comes into play. Hilton’s RTN is an on-line website and system that allows anglers to remotely monitor natural conditions and identify productive fishing locations before they even pull away from the dock. While Hilton’s promises no guarantee of fishing success, it can help eliminate spending time and burning gas motoring out to what very well could end up being non-productive fishing areas. The Hilton RTN system offers anglers a number of monitoring tools such as altimetry, sea surface temperature (SST), chlorophyll and surface current breaks charts and more. Altimetry is basically the measurement of the height of the sea surface and it shows whether the currents are “upwelling” or “downwelling”. This is significant in that “upwelling” currents bring nutrients up from deeper waters where it interacts with the sunlight and is the foundation for the food chain. On the other hand, “downwelling” where the water is pushed downward, holds few nutrients
“You are either going to be out there in open water rip fishing along weed lines and color changes or you can target surface structures, like drill ships, semi-submersibles and spars,” Hilton said. Hilton advises that anglers start with altimetry to identify the upwelling and downwelling ocean current that you will find in open water. In this environment your bait will be free-floating with the ocean’s currents. The big kink in the works is when you fish deep water structures because your bait is no longer free flowing and it is staying within the refuge created by the structure. “If you are fishing the rigs you can pretty much throw the altimetry data out of the window because the bait is no longer flowing in the current and if the baits are not leaving the predators are not leaving either which means you can still catch fish.” Hilton said. “If I had a choice to go to a structure that is in bad altimetry or one that is in good altimetry, I’ll be going to the one in good altimetry. The platforms and drill ships that are in bad altimetry still have predators to be caught and your success may depend on how much pressure those fish get because they aren’t getting refreshed by an upwell,” he added. HOW HOT IS IT? About Sea Surface Temperature (SST) Charts A “temp break” is where warmer water meets colder water resulting in a temperature change. This could be a result of a current passing over varied topography, such as canyons, drop-offs, kinks, ridges, bumps, etc. and the sudden change in depth creates turbulence. These nutrient rich water “breaks” attract baitfish
32 AUGUST 2020 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
FISHING
Knowing the who, what when, where, why and how of yellowfin tuna fishing can result in success.
877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // AUGUST 2020 33
Expert Tips on Catching Yellow Fin Tuna in the Gulf
which attract predators such as yellowfin. Subtle changes of even half a degree may be enough to trigger a bite. “SST charts are useful in a variety of ways. You can define which areas are within the preferred and tolerated comfort temperature zones of the species that you are pursuing,” Hilton pointed out. “You can put in a minimum and maximum temperature range and it will focus in on those parameters and it will only show the water in the region that is inside of that range.” Hilton noted that the regions are fairly large being about 250 miles across on average and because they try to optimize the sea surface temperatures based on the entire region, that results in a fairly large range of temperatures. To address this, the system allows you to go in and focus on the area you want to go to and correlate the cool and warm colors with a cool and warm temperature scale. You can insert that into your range and tell the system that is the only water you want to look at. It will repaint the shot and anything that is cooler than your minimums and above your maximum gets marked. “It is all about playing the odds and every time you get an additional overlapping favorable layer for a spot the greater your chances for fishing success becomes,” Hilton said. Now that we have identified where we think we can catch yellow fin tuna, how do we do it? First off, you need the correct tackle Hilton‘s RealTime Navigator charts increases the odds of fishing sucess.
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Captain Harris Scruggs from Team Aquatic Charter Fishing in Panama City, FL shared his preferred yellowfin tuna’s equipment list.
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Expert Tips on Catching Yellow Fin Tuna in the Gulf
‘Heading off shore I always ensure I am equipped with the Shimano reels. Specifically, I use a Shimano Tiagra 30 reel on a 50-80 class, fully roller guided straight butt stand up rod,” Scruggs said. ‘The reel is spooled with 500 yards of 80-pound Ace Hollow Ace core with a top shot of 60-pound fluorocarbon leader 300 feet but no less than 75 feet.” “I also pair a 50-80 pound stand up roller guided rod with a Shimano 50 Tiagra reel; spooled with 50-pound Ande monofilament. I secure my ball bearing swivel with a 15-foot Bimini twist,” he added. Scruggs pointed out that hooking the fish is key to any successful fishing story and that’s why he uses 5/0 and 6/0 Mustad 39943 NP-BLN 4X offset circle hooks, tied to the leader with 5 wrap Uni knot.
“Learning to identify tuna on your depth-finder is critical. I’ve pulled up to rigs before and marked fish as deep as 600 feet,” he said. “While many boats will move on after a lack of surface action, I like to drop baits and jigs deep and start a chunk line to work those fish up. Patience pays off and I’m a big believer in the saying never leave fish to find fish.”
Contact Information
The most popular ways to catch yellowfin are live baiting, trolling and chunking and all of them center around bait.
For more information about Hilton’s services: Hilton’s Fishing Charts, LLC 5310 East Plantation Oaks Arcola, Texas 713-530-2267 www.realtime-navigator.com/RTN.htm
Anglers agree that, in terms of bait, blue runners (hardtails), poggies (menhaden), threadfins, flying fish, pilchards, cigar minnows and ballyhoos are the top choices.
Angelo Depaola-The Coastal Connection (Realtor) Orange Beach, Alabama 850-287-3440
Veteran Gulf fisherman Angelo Depaola out of Orange Beach, Al. likes to use small live hardtails about the size of his hand to put yellowfins in the box.
Chris Vescey Sam’s Bait and Tackle, Orange Beach, Al. 251-981-4245
“When it comes to baits some people like to hook them through the back, some through the tail but I prefer to hook them through the nose,” Depaola said. “They swim better, live longer and present better to the fish.”
Harris Scruggs Team Aquatic Charter Fishing Panama City, FL 850-532-5458 www.teamaquaticcharters.com
“With baits that size I like a small 5/0 circle hook. For my main line I like anywhere from 60 to 80-pound mono with braid backing on a Shimano Talica 25 or even a Talica 50 baitcasting reel, “he added. “I find the easiest way to catch yellowfins on live bait is put a few of them behind my boat and slowly “bump troll” them by bumping your engine in and out of gear around an oil rig,” Depaola said. “I’ve found that the up-current side of the oil rig is most likely where the majority of the bait will be.” Depaola also trolls naked ballyhos with a “tweaker” fly (mylar duster) at 5-6 knots around oil rigs or weedlines. “When it comes to trolling for una and rigging the bait, I prefer a full ballyhoo spread with all 100-pound fluorocarbon leaders, some baits naked skipping and others rigged on blue and white Ilanders,” says Scruggs from Team Aquatic Charter Fishing. Scruggs’s optimal weather is overcast with a slight chop on the water and during the new moon or right after. He also advises anglers to do a little exploring. “The tide and current are what congregate the bait and moving bait is where fish like to feed. Scouting the right destination for fish can be scary but don’t hesitate to try new locations,” Scruggs said. “Just be sure to avoid areas are aren’t thriving with signs of marine life, like fish, whales, birds flying, sea grass and things like that.” Chris Vescey is an accomplished angler and also the writer of our monthly “Coastal Outlook” “Successful yellowfin fishing often involves several techniques in one trip. You may start out trolling, then switch to chunking, then live baiting or even throwing poppers to feeding fish on the surface,” Vescey said. 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // AUGUST 2020 35
This is a tideline tripletail caught on a shrimp under a patch of grass. Put up a 20-minute fight.
36 AUGUST 2020 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
Catch Cobia and Tripletail FISHING
How to
in the Gulf
BY CAPTAIN RICHARD RUTLAND, Cold Blooded Fishing
There is no doubt that cobia and tripletail are in the top rungs of fish to catch off the Gulf coast in the summer. Both are tough fighters and are top table fare.
get into a tug of war with them and a little helps you get them away from structure and, since your jigging, saves some wear and tear on your arm.
Let’s start out in the Gulf of Mexico and work our way back to shore starting with cobia.
I like a 6’6’’ to 7’ rod paired with a spinning or bait casting reel. As a whole, most jigging outfits are medium to medium heavy power but have a more moderate action which means a softer tip. I really like the high gear ratio of bait casting reels because it requires less reeling to pick up more line in a quick fashion. For bait casters I prefer a 400 plus size reel and for spinning setups I go about 5000 to 6000 size.
In Alabama cobia are called “lings”. In Mississippi they are called “lemon fish”. Whatever you call them these 50 pounds and up fighters are fun to catch and great to eat. You can catch ling if you set up on a reef or rig. You can do a little bit of light chumming and work the water column. Combining jigging with that is effective to get Ling to come up and react. I’ve found it to be very effective jigging around rigs and focusing on the rig legs. The fish are not going to be away from the structure and will hold pretty tight.
When you fish the ship anchorage you really need to pay attention to your bottom machine and look over the surface form because sometimes, they will be laid up right behind the props or the bow running chain. I scan the stern of the ship first and I can see the rudder and the props with my side vision and usually the fish are going to be hiding right below that.
In terms of “rigging for jigging” I use 45-60 pound test braided line just because you can feel so much more and you don’t have as much drag on the line through the water and you get a much straighter shot from the rod tip down to the lure with a much better line of sight. I use 40-60 pound test four to six-foot fluorocarbon leader attached to the braid with an Improved Albright knot with a non-slip loop knot on my jig.
Last year, we caught a 65-pound cobia which was on the bottom on a knocker rig with a dead pogie. A knocker rig is a 4-6 foot section of fluorocarbon leader with a 4-8 ounce slip lead directly above a 5/0 or 6/0 live bait hook. We were just kind of jigging it slowly and I saw the fish on the bottom machine and I started fluttering the rig and giving it a “yo-yo” effect and we got him. Changing your presentation can make a big difference in catching cobia.
Regarding jig weight, I like to use the lightest ones depending on the depth and if you are in 40-50 feet of water you can use a three to five-ounce jig and the deeper you go the heavier you go. I prefer a jig head with a white, pink or chartreuse curly tail on the back of it.
When it comes to catching tripletail, I like running and gunning crab trap buoys but they seem to be getting more pressure so I’ve been working other buoys, channel markers pilings and as much floating stuff as I can find.
You always want to have backup outfits ready and instead of the jig it should be between a four to six circle hook.
Tripletail are scavengers and will eat just about anything including live shrimp, pogies, croakers and any type of frisky live bait should get their interest.
When it comes to the best baits for cobia, live pogies, hardtails and croakers top the list. Addressing tackle for cobia I tend to go a little bit lighter as in a live bait rod that you would use for king mackerel. You’re not going to
I use a 40-pound spinning outfit which is a seven-foot medium power fast action rod with a 5000-class series reel. You need a little meat on your rod because when you hook into big tripletail, they’re not easy to get out of that structure. That is home and they’re going
877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // AUGUST 2020 37
How to catch Cobia and Tripletail in the Gulf
to give it all they got to stay. Usually I go with a slip cork rig (see below) with a 40-pound leader, with either a 2/0 or 3/0 live bait hook, not a circle hook. The reason is that when the cork goes down you need to set the hook and get the line tight so you can get them away from the structure. Once they grab the bait on the slip cork and pull it down, they feel the weight and may figure out pretty quickly that they just ate something that they shouldn’t have so you need a rod with enough backbone to get the job done. As far as my approach for pilings or channel markers go, I use my trolling motor to get a little up-current of the structure and usually start at a shallow depth and work my way down. I’ll make two or three drifts past the structure and I want to be so close that I rub the paint off the cork. While it is frustrating, if you are not getting hung up, you aren’t doing it right. You will get hung up all day on the buoy chain or the piling or whatever it is but that is exactly what you need to be doing. You have to throw your cork up current, let your sinker and bait sink down to the right depth and experiment to get the perfect drift. It can be tricky but most anglers can figure it out pretty quickly.
One of my favorite ways to fish for ‘blackfish” is on tidelines. You can see a water color change on each side of the tideline and a lot of floating structure like grass mats, sticks, logs, five-gallon buckets. This stuff attracts little glass minnows, ballyhoo and other bait. The best way to fish a tideline to keep your eyes peeled and concentrate on both the clear and dirty water all the while keeping a lookout for larger structure. I’ve found that tripletail hanging in tidelines can be really spooky so I’ll go with the light spinning rod with a three to four-foot long fluorocarbon leader with a size 2/0 live bait hook with a smaller shrimp. Just remember, no matter how well you think you have your fishing excursion planned out, be alert for unexpected opportunities. I have literally run over fish and once I realized what was happening, I came back around, shut down, got out my trolling motor and just sat there waiting and nine times out of ten they will just pop right back up to the surface. That’s why we call it “fishing”, not just “catching”. You just never know.
I try not to spend more than 15 minutes fishing one buoy and sometimes not more than five minutes but that depends on the situation.
Contact Information
In setting the slip cork, I usually start at about a foot and half or two feet and go down in 18-inch increments. You should start out a couple of times at one depth, go to the next until you work your way down to the bottom.
Captain Richard Rutland Cold Blooded Fishing (251) 459-5077 www.coldbloodedfishing.com
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38 AUGUST 2020 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
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How to catch Cobia and Tripletail in the Gulf
The ling was caught sight-casting with a live Pogie on a gas platform and the tripletail was caught under a buoy.
TM
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Suspended under a rattlin’ cork • Twitch & pause with swimbait hook • Tight lined on a traditional jig head
877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // AUGUST 2020 39
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BY HANK SHAW Photos by Holly A. Heyser
Chinese Venison and Broccoli This is a classic Chinese takeout version of beef and broccoli, done with venison of some sort; deer, elk, antelope, etc. all work well here. Choose backstrap, flank, skirt or some other cut that is free of sinew. Pretty much everything in the ingredients is available at a decent supermarket, so this is easy to make. Prep: 20 mins • Cook: 10 mins • Total: 30 mins Ingredients
• • • • • • • •
3/4-pound venison, sliced thin against the grain 3 tablespoons soy sauce 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger 2 teaspoons Chinese Shaoxing wine or dry sherry 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 1/2 tablespoons corn, potato or tapioca starch 3 tablespoons lard, peanut or other vegetable oil 2 heaping cups broccoli florets, boiled 2 minutes and drained
42 AUGUST 2020 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
• •
2 teaspoons hoisin sauce Sesame oil, for drizzling
Instructions Put the sliced venison in a bowl and mix in the ginger, cooking wine, garlic, and 1 1/2 tablespoons of soy sauce. Make sure all the meat has some of this good stuff on it. Now sprinkle over the cornstarch and mix again very well. Let this sit as little as 10 minutes, or as long as an hour or two in the fridge. 2. When you’re ready, heat your wok or heavy saute pan over the highest heat on the hottest burner until it’s good and hot. Add the lard or peanut oil and the moment it begins to smoke, add in all the venison. Spread the venison out in the pan in one layer if possible, and let it sit for 30 seconds. 3. Now stir fry the venison for 2 minutes, moving the meat constantly. Add all the remaining ingredients except the sesame oil, plus about 3 tablespoons of water. Stir fry 1 to 2 minutes more, until the sauce has thickened a bit. 4. Turn off the heat and drizzle the sesame oil over everything. Serve at once with steamed rice.
1.
CAMPHOUSE KITCHEN
Fried Dove Breasts with Wheat Pilaf The point of this recipe is to eat doves with what they eat. Most of the ingredients in the pilaf are common food items in a dove’s diet, and are pretty easy to find in a market. If you can’t find wheat berries, use barley. Prep: 30 mins • Cook: 40 mins • Total: 1 hour 10 mins Ingredients PILAF • 1 cup wheat berries • 2 cups dove stock or other stock • Salt • 1 1/2 cups edamame (soy) beans, fresh or frozen • 1 1/2 cups sweet corn kernels • 1/2 cup roasted, salted sunflower seeds • 1 to 3 hot chiles, such as arbol or cayenne, thinly sliced • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro or parsley • 1/4 cup chopped chives • Zest and juice of 2 limes • 1/4 cup sunflower oil DOVE • 12 to 16 dove breasts (both halves) • salt, smoked if you have it • 1/2 cup flour
• • •
1/2 cup corn flour (fish fry) 3 tablespoons peanut flour (optional) Sunflower or other vegetable oil for frying
Instructions Pour the stock and another cup or two of water into a small pot and add the wheat berries. Bring to a boil, taste for salt, then drop the heat to a simmer. Simmer the wheat while you prep everything else. It should take about 30 minutes to get tender. 1. In another pot, bring a few cups of water to a boil and salt it. Boil the edamame for 4 minutes, then drain and rinse under cold water. Put the beans in a large bowl. 2. Add all the remaining pilaf ingredients to the bowl. When the wheat berries are tender, drain them (discard the stock) and add to the bowl. Mix well and add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. 3. Meanwhile, separate the little tenders from the dove breasts. Salt them all on a cutting board and let the salt penetrate for 10 to 20 minutes. 4. Heat the frying oil in a large, wide pan over medium-high heat. Mix the flour, corn flour and peanut flour together. Dust the dove tenders in this and fry for a minute or two. Move the tenders to the pilaf bowl and mix in. 5. Make sure the oil is hot, about 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Dust the dove breasts in the flour mixture, shake off the excess and fry in the hot oil. You should only need about 90 seconds to 2 minutes per side. Serve hot alongside the pilaf.
877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // AUGUST 2020 43
Camphouse Kitchen
Mushroom Sauce for Steak This is a classic French mushroom sauce for steak that you can manipulate depending on what sort of mushrooms, as well as steak, you happen to have on hand. There are two ways to go about this mushroom sauce: You can dice the mushrooms and make this more of a cohesive sauce, as I did, or you can slice the mushrooms thin but otherwise whole, which makes a brown sauce that has mushrooms in it rather than a mushroom sauce, if you get my meaning. I like to serve this sauce with something to eat it with — other than the steak, of course. Mashed potatoes with lots of butter, cream and some garlic is a good call. Crusty bread would be, too. I am using porcini mushrooms for this recipe, but you can use any flavorful mushroom. Other than regular button mushrooms, some good options are shiitake, beech mushrooms, hen of the woods, black trumpets, other boletes, morels and even chanterelles. Prep: 20 mins • Cook: 15 mins • Total: 35 mins Ingredients
• • • • •
3/4-pound fresh mushrooms, diced or sliced 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 shallot, minced Salt and black pepper 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
44 AUGUST 2020 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
• • • • •
1 tablespoon tomato paste 1/2 cup venison, mushroom or beef stock 1/3 cup brandy, Madeira or Marsala wine 2 tablespoons heavy cream 2 tablespoons Minced parsley, tarragon or chervil
Instructions 1. The best way to make this sauce is something of a twostep: Sear the mushrooms first, then cook the steak in the same pan, then, while the steak is resting, finish the sauce. So, start with a large saute pan set over high heat. Add all the mushrooms. Shake the pan and let them release their water, which should happen in a minute or three. 2. Add the butter and toss to combine. Saute the mushrooms until nicely browned, then remove them to a bowl with any stray butter. Wipe out the pan and cook the steaks. 3. When the steaks are resting, add the minced shallot to the pan, adding a little butter if it’s too dry. Brown the shallot for a minute or two -- it will pick up any browned bits from the pan quickly -- and add the mushrooms and any juices from the bowl. Toss to combine. 4. Add salt, pepper and thyme, then the tomato paste. Mix well and let this cook for a minute. When the tomato paste is well incorporated, add the venison or beef stock and mix well. Pour in the brandy and bring everything to a boil. Let this boil until it thickens to the consistency of heavy cream, which will take a couple minutes depending on how big your pan is. 5. Turn off the heat and stir in the heavy cream and the minced fresh herbs. Taste once more for salt and serve.
Butter Poached Tripletail with Chow Chow This recipe works with many kinds of fish, not just tripletail. Choose a fish you can serve as a block or big thick chunk. For the butter, you need a lot, but it can be saved in the fridge and reused three or four times before it gets fishy. The chow chow and nage can be made up to three days in advance. Prep: 45 mins • Cook: 20 mins • Total: 1 hour 5 mins Ingredients NAGE • 4 cups fish or crab or shrimp stock (see above) • 1 cup white wine • 2 or 3 corn cobs, cut into chunks • A pinch of saffron • 2 tablespoons butter
•
CHOW CHOW • 4 or 5 ears of corn • 1/4 cup minced shallots • 1 red or orange bell pepper, diced • 1 tablespoon yellow mustard • 2 tablespoons brown sugar • 2 tablespoons cider vinegar • 2 teaspoons hot sauce • 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
• •
Camphouse Kitchen
1 teaspoon dried thyme 1 teaspoon other seeds, such as fennel, anise, carrot, caraway, yampa, etc. (optional) • Salt and black pepper FISH • 1 to 2 pounds unsalted butter • Salt • 1 to 2 pounds skinless fish, in large pieces • Cavender’s seasoning or black pepper Instructions 1. Slice the kernels off the corn, reserving both the cobs and kernels. 2. Make the fish stock or crab stock as per the recipe, adding in the cut up corn cobs. Strain and add 4 cups of the stock and the white wine to a new pot and simmer it down by half. Add the saffron and let steep for at least 15 minutes. 3. While the stock is simmering, make the chow chow. In a large pan, heat everything (including the corn kernels) over medium heat for about three minutes, until warmed and well combined. Turn off the heat and leave everything in the pan. 4. Melt the butter in a pot just large enough to hold the pieces of fish and the butter. Gently poach the fish under the melted butter for about 15 minutes. Keep this on low heat the whole time. 5. To finish, whisk two tablespoons of butter into the nage. Give everyone some chow chow, top with a piece of fish. Sprinkle on the Cavender’s. Pour a little nage around the bowls and serve.
877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // AUGUST 2020 45
NEW & COOL GEAR BY WILLIAM KENDY
New Rossi® Rio Bravo .22 Now Shipping
The Rossi Rio Bravo .22 rifle incorporates a smooth sliding lever action, a 15 round.22 LR tube magazine, sling studs, a cross bolt safet, all in a package that weighs only 5.5 pounds, making it perfect for small game hunting and general shooting. It is available in either a rich German wood stocked model with traditional buckhorn sights or a synthetic offering with fiber optic sights. Suggested Retail Price: $346.97 www.RossiUSA.com
Crocs™ offers Perfect Comfort at Hunting Camp or out and about.
The Crocs™ Men’s Santa Cruz Realtree EDGE® Slip-On shoe is ideal for everything from hanging out at hunt camp to outings around town. Built on a Croslite™ material sole with canvas uppers, elastic goring along the sides for a secure fit, the men’s Santa Cruz Slip-On is lightweight and offers soft yet supportive comfort with the popular Realtree Edge pattern. Suggested Retail Price: $54.99 www.crocs.com
Millennium L105 and L110 Ladder Stands
Available in two models, these rugged ladder stands are easy to set up and are super quiet. They feature the comfortable comfortMAX seats, making all-day sits easy on a hunter’s body. Both stands are designed with an anti-flex support system that eliminates the need for a tree brace, comes with stabilizing straps and a 35-foot Safelink safety line with a Prusik knot. Both meet TMA safety standards. Suggested Retail Price: $229.99 - $339.99 www.millenniumstands.com.
Halo XD III Pro Series Packed with Affordable Quality
The Halo XD III Pro Series rods are crafted from high-end graphite with exposed blank reel seats. The handles incorporate EVA foam with integrated “Sensi-Touch” cork rings to maximize sensitivity ensuring a comfortable feel and enhanced detection of bites. Stainless steels guides with zirconium inserts are standard. Actions range from medium to extra-heavy depending on rod type with lengths from 7 to 7 ½ feet. Suggested Retail Price: $99.00 www.americanbaitworks.com
Gamakatsu All-Weather Fisherman’s Pliers
The Gamakatsu stainless steel spring-loaded pliers have precise crimping jaws that fit various sleeve sizes. It’s precision split ring feature makes changing or replacing split rings easy and saves your fingernails. It cuts braid, mono or fluorocarbon and features non-slip grip handles, PTFE coating to aid against corrosion and rust and a lanyard and sheath so they are right where they need to be when you need them. Suggested Retail Price: starting at $25.44 www.gamakatsu.com 46 AUGUST 2020 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
NEW AND COOL GEAR FOR OUTDOORSMEN
Doc’s Original Goofy Jigs for Pompano… and more
These handmade durable lures cast like a bullet and were originally developed by a Floridian to target pompano running the Florida coast but are effective for mackerel, redfish, speckled trout…pretty much everything. Available in sizes from 1/8 to ½ ounce in colors ranging from white to yellow to pink and even blaze orange. A number of variations are available including jig, teaser and bucktail fly combinations and also separate teaser flies. Suggested Retail Price: N/A www.docsgoofyjigs.com
Zoom Bait Brush Hog Bait
This versatile bass lure can be fished weightless, Texas rigged or Carolina style and you can pitch them, swim them or do whatever catches fish. Hogs are a combination of design elements from lizards, crawfish and worms to attract attention while displacing water and producing bass catching action. Zoom utilizes a salt mixture to make a fish hold on longer to increase your odds for a hook up. Suggested Retail Price: starting at $4.29 (pack of 8) www.zoombait.comz
Plano Adds Rust Preventive to their AllWeather Rifle Cases
Built to withstand the rigors of travel and still maintain your zero, the AllWeather 2 Rifle case features a tough outer shell with dual-stage lockable latches and a Dri-Loc seal that creates a watertight, dust-proof shield. A Vapor Corrosion Inhibitor (VCI) is infused into a resin and foam emitter and blocks rust and corrosion five times longer than competing products. Suggested Retail Price: $99.99 - $124.99 www.planomolding.com
Easton 6.5 Arrows Help you Hit What You Aim at The new EASTON 6.5 is a USA-made carbon arrow line that uses Easton’s proprietary Acu-Carbon™ resulting in tighter groups and a more consistent shot placement.
The two models designed for hunters are the Bowhunter and the Hunter Classic. They feature light-weight Microlite nocks for improved alignment, stiffer Bully™ Vane Fletching for superior control and quiet arrow flight and strong 6.5MM inserts. Suggested Retail Price: from $49.99 (6 pack) www.eastonarchery.com
Light Your Way to Adventure with the BioLite Headlamp 200
The lightweight and slim BioLite 200 headlamp offers 200 lumens of brightness, is multi-angle adjustable and USB rechargeable and can run up to 40 hours on a charge. It is constructed of a moisture-wicking smart fabric that keeps your forehead cool and dry and a red and white light option and various lighting modes, including a strobe and is available in four colors. Suggested Retail Price: $35.96 www.bioliteenergy.com 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // AUGUST 2020 47
Alabama State Parks Expands Trail Adventures
The dog days of summer have many people in Alabama longing for that first wisp of fall, which makes it the perfect time to start planning to explore all of the new trail opportunities at our great Alabama State Parks. While many Alabamians put their plans on hold during the COVID-19 restrictions, the Alabama State Parks Trail Crew was able to continue expanding and improving our nationally renowned trails system. What we have found over the years at our scenic Alabama State Parks is that the vast majority of our guests will use a trail in some form during their visit. It might be a leisurely stroll along the boardwalk on top of Cheaha Mountain at Cheaha State Park, or it could be a strenuous mountain bike excursion at Oak Mountain State Park. BY CHRIS BLANKENSHIP Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation & Natural Resources
The trail systems in the Alabama State Parks have something for almost everybody in terms of skill or physical ability. Alabama State Parks Trails Coordinator Ken Thomas has been very busy this past year on several projects to upgrade the trail system. His latest project was completed earlier this summer. As part of a campground renovation and grand reopening at Buck’s Pocket State Park in northeast Alabama, Thomas and crew were able to add an ORV (Off-Road Vehicle) trail designed for all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and utility vehicles (UTVs like sides-
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by-sides). The trail is designed for smaller vehicles and is not open to vehicles like Jeeps or other full-size, four-wheel-drive vehicles. Ken utilizes modern technology and a team of volunteers to constantly upgrade existing trails and to blaze new ones. One timesaver he uses is HETAP (Highly Efficient Trail Assessment Process), a technology that assesses terrain and provides trail planners a quick readout of various terrain features. Thomas, the first person in Alabama to achieve HETAP certification, has now trained many of the state parks naturalists to use the HETAP machines as well, so that parks can provide trail users TAI (Trail Assessment Information) sheets to determine which trails are best for them. He also has a mini-excavator and mini frontend loader to significantly speed up the trail building process and his team of volunteers is available with shovels, rakes or whatever it takes to improve the trails. The volunteers help to improve and expand the trail system at a much faster rate and with considerable cost savings to the parks system. We greatly appreciate their hard work. In addition to the project at Buck’s Pocket, Ken spent a lot of his time this year at Joe Wheeler State Park on the Tennessee River near Rogersville, Alabama. Work on the
FROM THE COMMISSIONER eight mile Awesome Trail was completed this spring and provides access to the most scenic vistas Joe Wheeler has to offer. The Awesome Trail was built large enough to allow different user groups to access the trail at the same time. While hikers are exploring the natural wonders at a slower pace, a mountain biker can ease past with no problem. The challenging aspect of building the Awesome Trail was the terrain at Joe Wheeler, which turned out to be much more diverse than expected. Steep terrain near the Tennessee River and First Creek meant the trail crew had to carve out the trail on those slopes to create a level trail bed. Extra work went into the trail to ensure visitors could experience the most beautiful areas of Joe Wheeler. More ravines and drainages were discovered when the trail work started, which meant the trail crew had to devise plans to cross the gaps. By the time the trail was completed, the crew had installed 16 bridges, including two 30-foot bridges and seven that were at least 20 feet long. Visit www.alapark.com/parks/joe-wheeler-state-park/trails for a link to a map of the Awesome Trail, which is drawing rave reviews from users. Other trail projects completed recently include those at Lake Lurleen State Park, Lake Guntersville State Park, and Rickwood Caverns State Park. The new McFarland Trail at Lake Lurleen State Park near Coker, Alabama, was made possible through a donation from the McFarland family to the Alabama State Parks Foundation. The Western Alabama Mountain Biking Association, a consistent supporter of Lake Lurleen, built a mountain biking trail, and the trail crew came in and performed some finish work before the trail was christened.
A mountain bike trail with a 3/10-mile stretch that is ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant was completed at Lake Guntersville near the golf course. Improvements were made to Mabry’s Overlook across from the pro shop at Guntersville to give someone confined to a wheelchair easy access to the overlook that provides a panoramic view of Lake Guntersville. The Rickwood Caverns project with its underground trail and 102 steps to exit the caverns provided a significant challenge for Thomas and Tim Haney, State Parks’ North Region Operations and Maintenance Supervisor. The trail crew was able to install LED lighting throughout the caverns, but accessibility was still an issue. The team came up with a plan to provide those unable to enjoy the caverns because of physical limitations with a virtual way to experience the spectacular underground features of the caverns. A 360-degree camera was used to document the cavern features, and a powerful computer was purchased to provide high-definition video for both a 4K TV screen and VR (virtual reality) goggles to immerse users in the wonders of the caverns. Plans are to expand the VR video to other state parks in the future. If you would like to become involved in supporting the trail system, stop by one of our park or campground offices and purchase a $35 annual “Dirt Pass” bracelet. Your $35 membership goes directly to the maintenance, enhancement and planning of the Alabama State Parks trails system. Although it’s hot outside right now, start planning your trip to one of the 21 Alabama State Parks and enjoy our state’s great natural wonders along one of the many scenic trails. And don’t forget about the 28 miles of trails at Gulf State Park. Visit www.alapark.com/trails for more information.
EASY APPLICATION!!! Unlike many liquid fertilizers, Clark’s Plot Nutrients: • Will not settle out in your tank or application equipment • There are no particles large enough to clog spray nozzles • It is readily absorbed by plants because it is a foliar application. Therefore, within one hour 80-90% of the fertilizer is already absorbed into the plant and working • Heavy rain will not wash away the fertilizer See what a difference it can make on your place!
CALL FOR PRICING & QUANTITIES DISTRIBUTED BY:
Liquid Food Plot Fertilizer Plus Calcium
Clark’s Plot Nutrients is a true liquid fertilizer that is designed to not only provide fertilizer to your food plot, but also supply calcium. Calcium is vital to the development of deer antler growth and egg shell strength in turkeys.
ENDORSED BY:
Chris & Kelley Grantham Elba, Alabama
334-233-2687 ALFandSupply@gmail.com www.alfandsupply.com
877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // AUGUST 2020 49
The Newest
Deer Hunting Zones for 2020 Earlier rut yields earlier hunting
opportunities. Isn’t it amazing what good data will do for hunters and fishermen in Alabama? Take the red snapper fishery for example. It wasn’t too many years ago that Alabama fishermen had a three-day snapper season. Thanks to the hard work of the Marine Resources Division and fishermen participating in Snapper Check, recreational fishermen have a 35-day season this year. Likewise, until the 2013-14 deer season, the entire state fell under one management regimen. Due to quality data, the Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division (WFF) was able to diversify opening dates to allow hunters to take advantage of variations in the Alabama rut.
Hunters in eight Alabama counties will enjoy a new deer hunting opportunity during the 2020-21 season. Parts of Barbour, Calhoun, Cleburne, Cullman, Franklin, Lawrence, Russell, and Winston counties will be included in the newly created Deer Zones D and E. Hunters in these zones will be able to start hunting deer two weeks earlier than hunters in other parts of the state, which means they will be hunting before and during the peak of the rut for those areas. This was not possible with the previous season structure. The creation of Zones D and E follows many years of data collection to determine conception date windows for deer populations all over Alabama. Between 1995 and 2019, WFF’s biologists and their partners collected and examined data from 3,696 does on 281 sites across Alabama. As more data were collected, a much clearer picture of when the rut occurs across Alabama began to appear. The data showed deer over a large portion of Alabama did not breed until late January and early February. This prompted the creation of Deer Zones A and B and the extension of hunting season into February.
BY CHARLES “CHUCK” SYKES Director of the Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF)
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The data also showed that several areas had much earlier ruts than the surrounding areas. After sampling numerous sites in and around the areas with early ruts, WFF biologists realized the early breeding extended over at least three relatively large areas. The boundaries of these areas appeared to be well-defined and large enough to at least propose new deer zones with earlier opening and closing dates for deer season. One area included parts of Cullman, Franklin, Lawrence, and Winston counties in and around William B. Bankhead National Forest and Black Warrior WMA; this is to be Zone D. Zone E will include parts of Calhoun and Cleburne counties in and around the Shoal Creek District of Talladega National Forest, Choccolocco WMA, and parts
FROM THE DIRECTOR ZONE A Bow and Arrow-Stalk Hunting
Either Sex
Oct. 15, 2020 - Feb. 10, 2021
Either Sex
Nov. 16, 2020 - Nov. 20, 2020
Privately Owned or Leased Lands Only
Either Sex
Nov. 21, 2020 - Feb. 10, 2021
Open Permit Public Lands
Antlered Bucks Only
Nov. 21, 2020 - Feb. 10, 2021
Special Muzzleloader and Air Rifle Privately Owned or Leased Lands and USFS Stalk Hunting Only (No Dogs) Gun Deer-Stalk Hunting
Either Sex
Dec. 12, 2020 - Jan. 1, 2021
Privately Owned or Leased Lands Only
Either Sex
Nov. 21, 2020 - Jan. 15, 2021
Open Permit Public Lands where Allowed
Antlered Bucks Only
Nov. 21, 2020 - Jan. 15, 2021
Gun Deer-Dog Deer Hunting: Where Allowed
Either Sex
Dec. 12, 2020 - Jan. 1, 2021
*SPECIAL EXCEPTION: CALHOUN, CLAY, AND TALLADEGA COUNTIES* Other than Piney Woods/Ivory Mountain area where dog hunting is prohibited in its entirety, no dog deer hunting on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday of each week unless Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day or New Year’s Day falls on a Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday. No other state or federal holidays are included in this exception. Dog deer hunting on Thursday and Friday until 2:00 p.m.; on weekends during legal shooting hours where allowed on USFS land in these counties. For a discription of the Piney Woods/Ivory Mountain area and further restrictions and information on hunting USFS lands, see special exception 3, page 25.
ZONE B Bow and Arrow-Stalk Hunting
Antlered Bucks Only
Oct. 15, 2020 - Oct. 24, 2020
Either Sex
Oct. 25, 2020 - Feb. 10, 2021
Either Sex
Nov. 16, 2020 - Nov. 20, 2020
Privately Owned or Leased Lands Only
Either Sex
Nov. 21, 2020 - Feb. 10, 2021
Open Permit Public Lands
Antlered Bucks Only
Nov. 21, 2020 - Feb. 10, 2021
Special Muzzleloader and Air Rifle Privately Owned or Leased Lands and USFS Stalk Hunting Only (No Dogs) Gun Deer-Stalk Hunting
Either Sex
Dec. 12, 2020 - Jan. 1, 2021
Privately Owned or Leased Lands Only
Either Sex
Nov. 21, 2020 - Jan. 15, 2021
Open Permit Public Lands where Allowed
Antlered Bucks Only
Nov. 21, 2020 - Jan. 15, 2021
Gun Deer-Dog Deer Hunting: Where Allowed
Either Sex
Dec. 12, 2020 - Jan. 1, 2021
Either Sex
Oct. 15, 2020 - Feb. 10, 2021
Either Sex
Nov. 16, 2020 - Nov. 20, 2020
ZONE C Bow and Arrow-Stalk Hunting Special Muzzleloader and Air Rifle Privately Owned or Leased Lands and USFS Stalk Hunting Only (No Dogs) Gun Deer-Stalk Hunting Privately Owned or Leased Lands Only
Antlered Bucks Only Either Sex
Open Permit Public Lands
Antlered Bucks Only Either Sex
Nov. 21, 2020 - Feb. 10, 2021 Nov. 21, 2020 - Nov. 29, 2020 and Dec. 19, 2020 - Jan. 1, 2021 Nov. 21, 2020 - Feb. 10, 2021 Dec. 19, 2020 - Jan. 1, 2021
Gun Deer-Dog Deer Hunting: Where Allowed Privately Owned or Leased Lands Only
Antlered Bucks Only Either Sex
Open Permit Public Lands where Allowed
Antlered Bucks Only
Nov. 21, 2020 - Jan. 15, 2021 Nov. 21, 2020 - Nov. 29, 2020 and Dec. 19, 2020 - Jan. 1, 2021 Nov. 21, 2020 - Jan. 15, 2021
Either Sex
Dec. 19, 2020 - Jan. 1, 2021
Antlered Bucks Only
Oct. 1, 2020 - Jan. 27, 2021
Either Sex
Oct. 1, 2020 - Jan. 15, 2021
Either Sex
Nov. 2, 2020 - Nov. 6, 2020
ZONE D Bow and Arrow-Stalk Hunting Special Muzzleloader and Air Rifle Privately Owned or Leased Lands and USFS Stalk Hunting Only (No Dogs) Gun Deer-Stalk Hunting Privately Owned or Leased Lands Only
Antlered Bucks Only Either Sex
Open Permit Public Lands
Nov. 7, 2020 - Jan. 27, 2021 Nov. 21, 2020 - Nov. 29, 2020 and Dec. 19, 2020 - Jan. 1, 2021
Antlered Bucks Only
Nov. 7, 2020 - Jan. 27, 2021
Either Sex
Dec. 19, 2020 - Jan. 1, 2021
Gun Deer-Dog Deer Hunting: Where Allowed Privately Owned or Leased Lands Only
Antlered Bucks Only Either Sex
Open Permit Public Lands where Allowed
Nov. 7, 2020 - Jan. 1, 2021 Nov. 21, 2020 - Nov. 29, 2020 and Dec. 19, 2020 - Jan. 1, 2021
Antlered Bucks Only
Nov. 7, 2020 - Jan. 1, 2021
Either Sex
Dec. 19, 2020 - Jan. 1, 2021
Antlered Bucks Only
Oct. 1, 2020 - Jan. 27, 2021
Either Sex
Oct. 1, 2020 - Jan. 15, 2021
Either Sex
Nov. 2, 2020 - Nov. 6, 2020
Antlered Bucks Only
Nov. 7, 2020 - Jan. 27, 2021
Either Sex
Nov. 7, 2020 - Jan. 15, 2021
Antlered Bucks Only
Nov. 7, 2020 - Jan. 27, 2021
Either Sex
Dec. 19, 2020 - Jan. 1, 2021
Privately Owned or Leased Lands Only
Either Sex
Nov. 7, 2020 - Jan. 1, 2021
Open Permit Public Lands where Allowed
Antlered Bucks Only
Nov. 7, 2020 - Jan. 1, 2021
ZONE E Bow and Arrow-Stalk Hunting Special Muzzleloader and Air Rifle Privately Owned or Leased Lands and USFS Stalk Hunting Only (No Dogs) Gun Deer-Stalk Hunting Privately Owned or Leased Lands Only Open Permit Public Lands
of Barbour and Russell counties along the Alabama-Georgia state line. Deer in both new zones breed much earlier on average than in any other areas in Alabama. Conception dates in Zone D range from November 4 to December 27, and the average date of conception is December 4. Deer in Zone E start breeding even earlier, with conception dates ranging from October 20 to January 20 and an average conception date of December 2. The traditional opening date of gun deer season (i.e., Saturday before Thanksgiving Day) falls right in the middle of the rut for deer in Zones D and E, unlike most of Alabama, where deer don’t typically start breeding until a couple of weeks or months after opening day. Opening the season earlier in Zones D and E will give hunters a much better chance of harvesting a mature buck since one of the best times is right before breeding starts. While the new areas have very similar rut dates, differences in deer density within them made it necessary to create two new zones instead of just one. Zone D, which includes the areas identified in Cullman, Franklin, Lawrence, and Winston counties, will have the same limited either-sex season dates as Zone C since deer densities are lower than in surrounding portions of Zone A. Zone E, which includes the areas identified in Barbour, Calhoun, Cleburne, and Russell counties, has deer densities similar to surrounding portions of Zone A and will have either-sex season from the opening of archery season until deer season closes in late January. Any time season lengths or dates change significantly, biologists must watch for potential negative effects on the deer population. Fortunately, WFF will be able to monitor buck and doe harvests in the new zones using Game Check data. Slight increases in buck harvest within the new zones are expected, but most of the buck harvest will probably just be shifted earlier in the season since this will be during the first half of the rut. Having four complete seasons of Game Check deer harvest data to serve as a baseline makes tracking these changes possible. If substantial spikes in the annual deer harvests in Zones D and E are deemed an issue, WFF will address them. Opening and closing the season earlier in Zones D and E will also help address a concern raised by many hunters and WFF staff in those areas over the last few seasons. Since the season was extended to February 10 in Zone A, many hunters in these areas have reported observing and accidentally killing more adult bucks without antlers in the late season than they did when the season ended on January 31. Deer in most of Alabama do not drop their antlers until March and April, meaning this is not an issue in most of the state, but casting antlers in late January and early February is fairly common in areas with early ruts, such as Zones D and E. Many of these accidental harvests are bucks that were passed by hunters throughout the deer season in hopes that the deer would survive to the next season and have larger antlers. These cast-antlered bucks are often shot by hunters who thought they were shooting a doe to put in the freezer. Ending the deer season earlier in the new zones should help reduce these unfortunate harvests. WFF staff will continue to gather feedback from hunters in Zones D and E, in addition to Zones A and C, to see if this issue is significant and if it needs to be addressed in other ways.
Gun Deer-Dog Deer Hunting: Where Allowed
Either Sex
Dec. 19, 2020 - Jan. 1, 2021
If you have questions about these changes, you can visit www. outdooralabama.com or call the district office in your area. 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // AUGUST 2020 51
need caption
Designing a Custom AR
for your needs
“I really can’t believe how rifles have changed over the last few years,” exclaimed my buddy Wade in a recent phone call. I agree, most every hunter I know now has at least one AR-10 or AR-15 rifle in their collection for hunting deer, hogs, coyotes, home protection or at the range “punching paper”. A good example is my son-in-law Mitchell who leaves his dad’s .308 Model 700 Remington and several of his own deer rifles in the gun safe to hunt with his AR-15 in .300 Blackout at the family property in Blount County.
BY CRAIG HANEY Photo submitted by Craig Haney
The AR-15 has grown in popularity so much in recent years that the National Shooting Sports Foundation estimates the AR-15 style of rifle accounted for 61 percent of all civilian rifle sales in the US in 2016. The NRA estimates there are more than 15 million AR’s owned by Americans today. The number of companies building AR-15 platform rifles has greatly increased with some more interested in custom builds rather than average entry-level rifles. Bay County Armory (BCA) in Panama City is one of the ones leading the custom built path. BAY COUNTY ARMORY (BCA) The guiding force behind BCA is Sonny Vincent, an eleven year federal agent for U.S. Customs and
52 AUGUST 2020 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
the Department of Commerce. Deciding to change careers, he left government work for the private sector where he spent more than a year learning about the retail side of the gun business. He left the retail arena and formed BCA six years ago to build purpose-built rifles on AR-15 and AR-10 platforms for select dealers who wanted a rifle for their customers that was a step up from the cookiecutter, price point AR’s that most dealers stock. When Sonny accepts a new dealer, he works closely with the customer in the specifics of how he wants his rifles built. In the six years since BCA started shipping rifles, they have built a loyal dealer network that appreciates the quality and customer service that BCA provides. BCA’s business has grown to the point, according to Vincent, where it is a balancing act between accepting new dealers and delivering their orders on a timely basis. The company’s aim is to not sacrifice the quality of the rifles and high level of customer service by adding more dealers than their current production resources can handle. THE RIFLES BCA offers three tiers of customization the dealer
THE GUN RACK Bay County Armory offers three different grades of AR-15 platform rifles.
colors to choose from for their rifles. The Century retails for $1050. The BCA Standard is the top of the line for the company. The Standard uses a different stock and grip from Mission First Tactical than the one used on the Sentry. The Standard uses a drop-in 3 pound-pull trigger from Velocity Triggers. Tom Vehr of Velocity Triggers has over thirty years experience in designing, manufacturing and assembling triggers and builds a superior quality trigger. The upper comes with either a 13 1/2 or 15 inch handguard built by Diamondhead. The hand guard is a rounded triangular shape which improves comfort and ease of shooting. It provides exceptional airflow to keep the barrel cooler. It is mil-spec Type III anodized aluminum construction and combat durable. The bolt carrier group is nickel-coated coated providing excellent wear resistance. The barrel is a stainless steel, spiral fluted, match grade barrel for superb accuracy. The standard retails for $1450. Most calibers that can be chambered in an AR can be produced by BCA. The most popular 4429 include 5.56, .224 Valkyrie, 6.5 Grendel, 6.8 SPC2, 7.62x39 and .300 Blackout. Vincent predicts the 6mm ARC developed by Hornady may be the hottest caliber on the market this year. BCA rifles are not for everyone but if you want a quality purpose-built rifle and a superior level of customer service should it ever be needed contact sonny@baycountyarmory.com.
Important Contact Information Bay County Armory 4429 Garrison Rd, Panama City, FL 32404 (850) 832-2238 www.baycountyarmory.com
BUCK’S ISLAND a division of MarineONE Corporation
can choose from when ordering rifles, Sentry Basic, Sentry and the Standard which is the top of the line. The Sentry Basic is for the customer who desires a step up in quality and features from the basic rifle of other companies. These rifles have the standard stock, grip barrel, muzzle brake and ambidextrous charging handle. The controls and trigger are mil-spec and the rifles are available in three colors: Flat Dark Earth (resembles sand and soil colors most often found in the Middle East), Tungsten (medium gray) and Olive Drab. The Century Basic retails for $850. The Sentry brings upgrades in the components as well as a wider choice of colors for the rifle. BCA upgrades to stocks and grips from Mission First Tactical and cold-forged barrels.The Advanced Combat Trigger (ACT) is a tuned mil-spec design with the same design, geometry, and pull weight made by ALG Defense and plated with nitroboron for high surface durability and wear resistance. The trigger and hammer pins are hardened stainless steel, precision-ground and black nitride coated rather than stock mild steel pins. The ACT provides a much smoother trigger pull which breaks at an average of 6 pounds which meets regulatory requirements for those where it is a concern. It also provides a cleaner break than the standard mil-spec trigger. Also the bolt-carrier group is nickel-boron coated which provides greater wear resistance. The stocking dealer has a choice of over sixty paint
Don’t Buy a Boat ‘til You Get a Buck’s Quote!
G3 Pontoon V18 G3 Rebate Now!
$222 Monthly (wac) Call 256-442-2588 or email bimarina@bucksisland.com
1-800-I’M-READY (467-3239) www.bucksisland.com
4500 Hwy. 77 · Southside, AL 35907 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // AUGUST 2020 53
GET A KAYAK THAT FITS In All Ways
When a bigger angler finds a kayak that fits, some big fish will soon be coming aboard.
Despite what some advertisers say about certain products they want us to buy, when it comes to kayaks, “One size DOESN’T fit all.” In fact, when bigger folks are looking to buy a fishing kayak, some kayaks that work well for most people just won’t work well at all for the big folks. Trying to fit a big person in a too-small kayak is like trying to put 50 pounds of mud in a 20 pound sack, it won’t work and it won’t be comfortable. Now, I am not a big person. I don’t know first-hand the problems bigger people face when it comes to picking a good usable kayak because I fit in all kayaks. But I have been fishing with friends who were simply too big for the kayaks they were trying to use, and it didn’t appear that they enjoyed the experience. The good thing for extra-size folks to keep in mind is that there are several superb kayaks designed and built with larger anglers in mind, and when big people find a kayak that fits, they tend to be very good kayak anglers.
BY ED MASHBURN Photos by Ed Mashburn
What Size Kayak for What Size Angler? If a larger angler is interested in getting into the kayak fishing game, a little research online will be of invaluable help. All of the kayak makers and their sales forces present very detailed information on all of their fishing kayak offerings, and anglers can refer to the load limits and room specifications to find a short list of kayaks that might
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best serve their needs. Then the big angler can see where the local kayak shops which handle the brands in question are located and a visit can be made to look the boats over. It is very important that buyers work with a shop that will make arrangements for “on-the-water” try outs of the various boats. Big folks in particular need to pay particular attention to how easy each kayak is to get into and get out of. A kayak with too limited access to the seat can be downright dangerous for an angler. This fact makes sit-in kayaks quite often unsuitable for bigger anglers. Sit on top kayaks are in general better suited for big folks. For kayak anglers of my size and smaller, most seats which come with the kayaks will work acceptably. However, big folks will need to pay real attention to the seats of each potential kayak purchase, and make certain that the seat fits and supports the sitting parts of a big person well. Remember, when we use our fishing kayaks, we will usually be in the seat for several hours, and this amount of time spent in a too-small and uncomfortable seat can be awful.
PADDLE FISHING Also, anglers with long legs will want to make sure that there is adequate leg-room. And for those big anglers who prefer pedal kayaks, make sure the pedal drive mechanism can be adjusted to fit longer legs. Spending a long time pedaling a boat with legs cramped into uncomfortable pedaling positions is not fun. Bigger anglers need to make sure they reach all controls and storage areas on the kayak when they are on the water. Again, the only way to know how a kayak fits is to try it out on the water. How to Match the Kayak to my Weight To start the search for a suitable fishing kayak for bigger folks, anglers can do a quick online search in various kayak builders’ information sites and see what looks attractive. There is a world of kayaks offered for sale now, and the range of sizes, options, and prices is very wide. It’s important to keep in mind that when we look at the capacities of kayaks that not only the angler’s weight but all of the gear and equipment taken on fishing trips be figured in. However, a short list of kayaks, along with their length and maximum load capacity, which are built to safely handle bigger anglers and their gear follows: • • • • •
Wilderness Systems Ride 115X Max - 11.5 feet - 500 lb. load. Feel Free Lure - 13.5 feet - 500 lb. load Wilderness Systems ATAK 140 - 14 feet - 550 lb. load Hobie Mirage Pro Angler 12 - 12 feet - 500 lb. load NuCanoe Frontier 12 - 12 feet - 650 lb. load
Each potential kayak angler should spend a lot of time paddling and pedaling potential kayak purchases before putting the money down. This is especially true of big folks who may have really specific seating and legroom needs. Working with a good local kayak shop when looking at a fishing kayak for a bigger person is a much better idea than trying to save a few dollars by purchasing a used kayak that may or may not fit the big paddler well. Tony Chavers of Fairhope Boat Company in Fairhope, Alabama says that they will take a potential kayak buyer for a try-out on any day. “We do demos every day. We don’t have set demo-days anymore. We’ll just do try-outs when a person wants it,” Chavers said. This is the best way for a potential kayak buyer to paddle or pedal a range of boats to determine the best fit. And just because a kayak company says in its literature that a kayak is suited for “big anglers” that doesn’t mean any particular boat will fit you. There is nothing as valuable for selecting a good kayak which really fits the angler than time spent on the water seeing how each boat handles.
Important Contact Information Fairhope Boat Company 701 N. Section St. Fairhope, Alabama 251-928-3417
This is by no means an exhaustive list of kayaks suited for bigger anglers, but these are all boats I have seen in use with bigger folks, and these all appeared to work very well with big anglers. How to Match the Kayak to my Kind of Fishing For all kayak anglers, picking the right size and kind of kayak for the kind of fishing most commonly done is a good idea, and this is really important for bigger folks.
BAY TRANSMISSION
If an angler mainly works on smaller, more sheltered waters, a shorter, lighter, paddle boat like my 12 foot Perception Pescador Pro 120 is a good choice. This kayak and kayaks like it are lighter, easier to maneuver and the seating is quite good for bigger anglers. However, these smaller, lighter boats may not handle a bigger sea and waves as well as bigger boats. If open water fishing and especially if the bigger angler going beyond the breakers into the Gulf is the game, then a longer, more substantial kayak like the Hobie Pro Angler and the Hobie Revo models are good boats. They are more stable in rough water, and they take a sea better than some lighter boats. And being pedal-drive kayaks, they are better for long-distance trolling and handling big fish. Each individual angler, whether big or small, needs to match the boat to the most commonly encountered conditions for the best fit. Finally - Try Them Out! If there’s one thing I hope my readers gain from this article it is this: Try the kayak out!
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Gulf Coast Fishing Outlook
Beautiful Wahoo caught while trolling off the florida panhandle. Photo courtesy of Capt Adam Peeples with One Shot Charters
August can be brutal. High temps, high pressure. But the bite is there for those who’ll get out and face the heat.
BY CHRIS VECSEY
ALABAMA Inshore in August means several things in Alabama’s inshore waterways, but tripletail are definitely high on the list. These tasty and hard fighting slabs will be scattered throughout the Mobile Bay system and adjacent waterways. Finding debris, crab pot floats and channel markers will lead to the action but be prepared to cover ground. A big live shrimp is hard to beat but various lures such as the DOA shrimp or Vudu Mullet work well. Cobia will also make appearances this month on buoys and ships staging just outside of the bay. Having a few options on board will increase your
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chances with these fish. Keeping a rod rigged for live baits such as pinfish, menhaden or croakers, a large feather jig or a plastic eel will get the bites most days. Chumming around the freighter ships staged just offshore will also lure in Cobia. Offshore, Amberjack season resumes and many other species will add to the box for those bouncing bottom structures. Larger live baits like blue runners (hardtail) do well on AJs as do many other live baits. Speed jigging is probably the most fun way of targeting these fish and ripping large butterfly-style, metal jigs is an exciting (and tiring) way to target Amberjack. Grouper will be another main target to bottom fishermen and hitting natural bottom areas in 150+ ft will decrease the bycatch of red snapper and increase hookups with gag, red and scamp
FISHING OUTLOOK grouper. Live baits and butterflied dead baits will work best. Further offshore, Tuna will be a consistent target around the rigs along with marlin and wahoo. Deep dropping for tilefish, snowy and yellowedge grouper and barrelfish will be a solid plan B. Another option is day or night fishing for Swordfish. The swordfishing is typically very good throughout August and while the daytime fishery is very consistent, many will opt for nighttime action to beat the August heat. MISSISSIPPI Capt Kyle Johnson of Coastal Waters Outfitters in Biloxi adopts a “faster” approach to find the bite this month. “August can be a difficult month to fish. Historically the winds are low and the temperatures are extremely high making everything just plainout tough. One of my main targets will be tripletail simply because it involves a lot of moving around. I will be looking for crab pots, channel markers, and anything floating in the water. I will have anything from artificial shrimps to live and dead shrimp along with pogies,” Johnson said. “Tripletail love pogies!” Along with tripletail, Johnson will also be looking for big schools of bull redfish on the surface. Just like the tripletail, this involves lots of moving around looking for schools. “It’s just putting in time and burning fuel till you see surface action,” Johnson said. “ It’s best to find deep channels around the barrier islands to scout. I also look for schools of bait like pogies and mullet, because that’s what the reds are looking for too.”
Another main target for Peeples in August is Amberjack. “I’ll target these fish on both artificial and natural bottom areas in 175+ ft. Live baits like blue runners, cigar minnows and threadfin herring generally do best.” Peeples likes to keep the terminal tackle fairly stout when dealing with these reef brawlers. “We fish with 80-100lb leaders primarily and occasionally go heavier. Hook sizes vary from 7/0 and up to match the size of the baits.” Peeples will often switch to targeting grouper and various other bottom species once AJ limits are in the box. Natural bottom areas will provide great variety and less interruption from red snapper. August fishing can be outstanding. Just make sure to bring sunblock and plenty of water!
Important Contact Information One Shot Charters Capt Adam Peeples 850-865-7514 www.oneshotcharters.com Coastal Waters Outfitters Capt Kyle Johnson 228-669-3553 www.fishcoastalwaters.com
Johnson pays close attention to the time patterns and says logging the details is key. “Once you find these schools note the time and place. They will most likely show up for the next couple of days relatively close around the same time. I keep binoculars on my boat at all times for this reason. Even when I’m anchored up fishing for something else I’m constantly looking around to catch a glimpse of some white water being splashed around,” Johnson noted. For these schools, Johnson likes to throw a MirrOlure MirrOdine XXL. “It’s a massive hard bait that can take some serious abuse and I like to swap the treble hooks out with Owner 3x strong 3/0 single hooks. This will allow you to unhook this big fish faster for a quick release and they also won’t get tangled in a net like treble hooks do,” Johnson advised. FLORIDA The Florida Panhandle is a great place to be throughout the month. Close, deeper waters offer many options and high pressure and light winds usually create a lot of offshore opportunities.
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Captain Adam Peeples runs One Shot Charters out of Ft Walton Beach. Capt Peeples likes to run the full range of options through this month. “August is probably my favorite month to troll offshore and blue and white marlin, sailfish, wahoo, dolphin and tuna can all be taken in decent numbers and the generally calmer seas creates more windows to get offshore,” Peeples pointed out. “I’ll fish areas like the Nipple, Spur and surrounding natural bottom contours.” Satellite imaging like Hilton’s Realtime-Navigator helps pick ideal locations based on various conditions including water color, temperature, etc. Capt Peeples likes to pull a mixed spread of both lures and lure/ballyhoo combinations.
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Pier & Shore Fishing Outlook
Good sized speckled trout can be caught from the Gulf State Park Pier this month.
“Hopefully, the extremely popular Gulf State Park Pier (in Gulf Shores, AL) will have reopened by August after an extensive refurbishment.”
BY DAVID THORNTON Photos by David Thornton
August marks the peak of summer heat and humidity along the Emerald Coast. But don’t let that stop you from enjoying the wide variety of from-shore fishing options. This month the Florida Panhandle piers offer anglers pelagic and neotropical fish like tarpon, king and spanish mackerel, little tunny (aka “bonita”), and jack crevelle. Along with a host of other jack species (ladyfish, blue runner, lookdown, moonfish, etc.), commonly referred to simply as “yellowtails”. These are fast swimming, hard fighting fish for their size, especially the ¾ to one pound juvenile jack crevelle which commonly dominate the surfzone. The warm fertile waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico hosts a great amount of fast growing sea life. These exhibit the “eat or be eaten”
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philosophy as forage species may prey on eggs and tiny fry of the predatory species, which soon outgrow and turn the tide on the smaller fish. But this rich web of life lends to a great ‘sea feast’ that savvy fishermen may cash in on as well. The annual influx of egg-laden blue crabs (“sponge crabs”) to the gulf beaches is another example of this diversity. Throughout the summer, millions of pregnant blue crabs enter the surfzone to lay their eggs. These eggs and larvae provide food for countless fast growing fish species that are quickly filling up the same warm shallow waters. After the female crabs have spawned, they are legal to harvest by anglers. Even kids with a dip net can catch enough crabs to make a meal or two when the
FISHING OUTLOOK gulf is calm and clear. But the most effective method (by far) is the traditional fish carcass or piece of chicken tied on a string. This crabbing technique has entertained and created generations of ‘bay brats’ who look forward to catching a mess of crabs. The water typically stays above 85 degrees through most of August. This lends to a lot of diurnal thunderstorms which is “jetfuel” for tropical activity as the Cape Verde season kicks off this month. Early predictions are for a “busier than average year”, but let’s hope our area is again spared the worst from these monster hurricanes! The daily heating and cooling of the land often creates a temporary land breeze during the early morning hours. This phenomenon can set up a situation for an hour or two (around sunrise) of topwater fishing action from shore. Lures like the Heddon Spook Jr, or Rapala Skitterwalk can elicit smashing strikes from ladyfish, bluefish, redfish and jack crevelle. And even speckle trout which lurk in the back bays or along the Alabama coast. A topwater bite is a better wake up than morning coffee.
Fortunately, thunderstorms are usually short lived and during the cloudy aftermath temperatures may even be much more tolerable. Nighttime fishing offers a respite from the searing sun for anglers fishing the beaches or from lighted docks and piers on the back bays. Cedar Point Fishing Pier (south of Mobile, AL) is situated at the north end of the bridge to Dauphin Island where Mobile Bay meets the Mississippi Sound. It is open 24/7 and has numerous lights that shine into the water. These help attract numerous inshore species: especially “white” and speckled seatrout, redfish, black drum, flounder, croaker, “ground mullet” and sheepshead. The pier house is well stocked with snacks and drinks to keep even the youngest anglers happy. August is the pinnacle of the mid-summer season along the Emerald Coast. It offers anglers such a huge variety of fishing opportunities and venues. Everyone should be able to find something, somewhere, sometime that pleases them. It’s about as much fun as you can have without air conditioning, as you enjoy your great days outdoors!
As the sun rises, these wary gamefish seek deeper water. So sinking or suspending twitchbaits (like MirrOlures or MirrOdines) are more effective once a topwater bite turns off. Spoons in the ½ ounce to one ounce sizes can be quite effective too, especially to reach fish farther away or when the wind is blowing onshore. Many August days feature a land breeze in the morning and a seabreeze building through the afternoon. The chop on the water surface can stimulate an afternoon bite, often accompanied by a rapidly falling tide. This makes choosing the right spot even more critical as passes or deep water drop offs from sandbars can host evening “blitzes” by hungry gamefish. Hopefully, the extremely popular Gulf State Park Pier (in Gulf Shores, AL) will have reopened by August after an extensive refurbishment. All new wood decking and railing featuring Ipe (pronounced ee-pay) hardwood, new turtle friendly lighting, and a new 20’ X 50’ observation deck on the end. This pier offers a unique mix of pelagic and inshore species to test the patience and tackle of anglers of any experience level. Tarpon are often still around in August, though spanish mackerel tends to be the most popular target species this month. Most anglers use the Bubble Rig, but larger specimens of spanish mackerel (along with occasional king mackerel or little tunny) are often landed using small diving plugs like Rapala X-Rap or Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnow.
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The warm fertile waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico hosts a great amount of fast growing sea life. In “the shallows” (between the beach and longshore sandbar) anglers concentrate on speckled trout, redfish and flounder. Though bluefish, ladyfish and blue runners are oftenmuch more abundant this month, along with a mix of other small jacks (especially juvenile jack crevelle). Occasionally pompano are caught, but they are not usually in numbers large enough to target. Panhandle pier anglers are hoping for opportunities to hook tarpon, which are still migrating by. Also, true pelagic fish such as mahi (dolphinfish), sailfish and even blackfin tuna are occasionally caught from the Florida piers in Pensacola Beach, Navarre Beach, Fort Walton Beach, and Panama City Beach. Truly this is ‘world class shore fishing! However, most anglers are content with catching spanish mackerel, bluefish, or even the much more numerous blue runners, ladyfish and juvenile jack crevelle. They sure can offer a LOT of fun, especially on light tackle. Surf fishers are not left out of the fun either, because all their usual target fish can still be caught from the beaches. But the best fishing is usually early and late in the day, or around thunderstorms. Be especially careful this month, as the beach is no safe place to be anytime lightning is possible.
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REGIONAL FRESHWATER Fishing Outlook BY ED MASHBURN Photos by Ed Mashburn
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FISHING OUTLOOK
The summer heat is a lot easier to endure when we’re on the water fishing.
ALABAMA WATERS
LAKE PICKWICK Veteran fishing guide Captain Brad Whitehead tells us that a good way to find crappie in August is to set the boat up with a spider rig. Multiple rods increase the chances of locating the best concentrations of crappie.
“Spider rigs with lots of rigs using crank baits and minnow-tipped jigs can be good. Anglers should try hot colored crank baits- pink and orange crank baits can be great,” Whitehead said. For bass anglers in August, the key will be fishing early. There will be a good top water bite, but as the sun gets higher, shad go deeper, and the bass will follow them. “Later in the day, try big plastic worms fished on ledges in the 15-20 foot depth,” he added. WILSON LAKE “The hottest month of summer sometimes makes fishing challenging on the Tennessee river lakes, “ says Wilson Lake fishing guide Captain Brian Barton. When possible, make your excursions early or late in the day or even at night. Barton says that August is very good for flathead cats. “At night after 10:00 is usually the best bite, but rain or current can produce good flatheads at any time,” Barton said. The tailrace to Hog Island is a good starting point. Start your search early in the day in 12-16 feet of water then move deeper as the sun rises. Anglers should look for log jams and big trees in the water. Flatheads love wood cover. “Try to fish during peak generation- usually during late afternoon. Late in August, the thermocline will start to disappear, and then fish will be scattered all over the lake,” Barton advised. White bass and hybrids will be chasing shad below the dam, and watching for feeding birds over schools of shad being pressured from below by stripers can be very productive in August. LAKE WEISS “August is a tough time, but if you can stand the heat, you can still catch some good fish,” says Captain Lee Pitts who specializes in connecting Weiss Lake anglers yearround with crappie and bass, including stripers. “We still have very good bass fishing in shallow water in August. We’re fishing water in the three to five foot range. Anglers should look for wave action and dam-produced current to find actively feeding bass,” Pitts said. As the sun gets higher, anglers should move off the banks and concentrate on docks and blowdown trees that make 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // AUGUST 2020 61
Regional Freshwater Fishing Outlook
shadow on the water. Crankbaits and jigs worked in and around the dark shadows can be effective. “Try buzz baits in silver and shad patterns. Spooks and Chug-Bugs can be great on early mornings and cloudy days,” Pitts noted. “In mid-day, work jigs and Texas-rigged worms on ledges. Try pumpkin-green colors.” LAKE EUFAULA “There will be a good early top water bite. Frogs and spinner baits fished around shallow water cover will be strong. Fish the lily pads early,” says Captain Sam Williams from Hawks Fishing Guide Service Many anglers at Eufaula will want to look for created trash piles in 18-25 feet of water for bass holding close to the structure. Deep running crank baits and jigs work well around the deeper structure. Williams says, “Willow fly hatches can produce some really good bream fishing. Also, be aware that some big bass will be close to the feeding bream, they’ll be feeding on the bream that are feeding on the willow flies.” Crappie anglers on Eufaula will want to fish the creek and river ledges. Night fishing around bridges and causeways and other light-producing structures will be best. “Catfishing is always good at Eufaula. In August, try jug fishing with cut bait for some really good catfish action,” Williams adds. MILLER’S FERRY “In August, the crappie bite will be more of a river ledge, main creek channels situation this month,” advises Joe Dunn of Dunn’s Sports. Anglers looking for slabs should spend time bottom bouncing jigs and live minnows in 18 feet of water or so. This bottom bouncing technique works best when the lake is having water moved through it when the dam is pumping water.
Captain Jake Davis from Mid-South Guide Service says that August will provide the start of flipping season for big bass in thick grass. Anglers can start their fishing day off by fishing topwaters, frogs are good, and then switching to flipping and punching heavy grass. When asked what color frog anglers should use, Captain Jake says, “Black, black, and black. The bass can see the black frog overhead easier than any other color.” The Pro-Z Tree Frog is a very good top water frog for Guntersville. When the top water bite slows, anglers can still catch lots of bass using Tightline Jigs Legends Mussel Crawler jigs with Missile Baits D Bomb trailers. Let the heavy jig punch through the weed cover to the shaded areas where the bass will be holding. Panfish anglers can fish the backs of channels along grass lines to find some good bream fishing. SIPSEY FORK Randy Jackson from the Riverside Fly Shop tells us that terrestrials will be the best bet for fly anglers in August. Ant patterns, crickets, and grasshopper flies will work well because that’s what the trout are seeing at this time.
The bass will follow the schools of shad, and by fishing deep with soft plastics, anglers can usually find bass eager to bite
When the dam is moving water through the lake, crappie anglers should try deep vertical jigging over tree tops in river channels. Trolling multiple rigs can be very strong in August with both jigs and Road Runners can be very good when the water is still with little current from the dams. Crappie anglers should look for shad which will be higher early in the daysay four to six feet deep- and then move deeper as the day goes on. Bass anglers at Miller’s Ferry in August should look mostly for moving water and use crank baits, Carolina rigs, drop-shot rigs, and underspinner baits around ledges and creek mouths. A good early morning bite can occur around grass. For most kinds of angling at Miller’s Ferry in August, Dunn advises us that moving water and good current is crucial. LAKE GUNTERSVILLE Bass anglers should have a wide range of fishing techniques to select from for this August’s bass bite. Anywhere along the main channels of the lake will be good where the grass is thickest. 62 AUGUST 2020 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
Streamers can be good in August. The streamers should look like small shad which are in the river now. Cloudy days will work best for trout in August, and the clouds may help hold the temperature of the air down a little, too. Anglers should look for beds of coontail moss in the river which hold immature bugs for the trout to feed on. The coontail moss grows all along the river waters, but it grows thicker farther down the stream.
MOBILE/TENSAW DELTA “One of the hottest months, it can be excruciating, we’re sure not in fall yet”, says Captain Wayne Miller from the Mobile-Tensaw Delta Guide Service. “In August, it’s by far the month of main river fishing. A few deeper lakes off the rivers are OK, but the fish will be deeper.”
Grass lines along the Causeway can be good, but up the rivers, bass will be holding close to clay banks and wood cover. In August, the bass congregate in schools, and they orient to shad schools on the main rivers. Miller advises anglers to bounce from point to point in the big rivers. Anglers may hit three or four points which have no bait and no fish. But when the big schools of shad are located, the bass will be there. Also, Miller says that tide state makes a big difference in current in the rivers, and current is important. If you can fish an outgoing tide, the bite will be better. Shad pattern crank baits will be very effective when the bass are schooled up and working shad. Panfishing on the Delta is slow in August. Crappie will be as deep as they can get, and not very active. Catfish will still be good in August, and catfish angler in the main rivers can expect some big cats to show up and be ready to fight.
Regional Freshwater Fishing Outlook
Important Contact Information Joe Dunn Dunn’s Sports 334-636-0850 33356 Hwy 43, Thomasville, Al Capt. Lee Pitts Leepittsoutdoors.com 256-390-4145
The end of August will start the fall heavy feeding season for Deep South bass.
Capt. Brian Barton www.brianbartonoutdoors.com 256-412-0969
FLORIDA WATERS
LAKE TALQUIN Jeff DuBree over at the Whippoorwill Lodge tells us that anglers on Lake Talquin in August should be looking for stripes. There are some big striped bass here, and they seek out the cooler water of springfed creeks that feed into the main lake.
Capt. Sam Williams Hawks Fishing Guide Service www.hawksfishingguideservice.com 334-355-5057
Stripers when found will bite on swim baits, white bucktails and big Zara Spooks.
Capt. Brad Whitehead Bradwhiteheadfishing@aol.com 256-483-0834
In particular, many striper anglers look at Ocklawaha Creek and its springs for hot weather striper fishing. Bass will be in deep water near the creek channels and wherever shad are schooled up. Using heavy spoons and deeper running spinners like the old Little George spinner are effective for the deep water bass. Bream will still be solid around the edges. Try fishing crickets around the docks and other shade-producing shoreline structure. Catfish will be in eight to ten feet of water close to the main river channel, and they will bite on a variety of live baits. Cut shad is very effective. LAKE SEMINOLE Jody Wells is a veteran long-time Lake Seminole fisherman and he points out that bream will still be on the beds somewhat in August, and anglers can have a lot of fun with them by using crickets and red worms. Bass will be deep in August, but topwaters, especially frogs, fished near hydrilla beds in seven to ten feet of water can be very good early and late in the day. Wells advises anglers looking for bass to look at ledges and sandbars in deeper water. The bass will follow the schools of shad, and by fishing deep with soft plastics, anglers can usually find bass eager to bite. Colors are variable, and he tells anglers to use whatever color soft plastic they have faith in. Hybrids and stripers will be schooling in August. Folks looking for some hard-pulling fun should look for working birds and schools of shad on their electronics. If the shad are found, the big fish will be near. There are lots of two to four pound hybrids, stripes, and white bass at Seminole.
Capt. Jake Davis Mid-South Guide Service Msbassguide@comcast.net 615-613-238 Captain Wayne Miller Mobile-Tensaw Delta Guide Service 251-4557404 Millewa12000@yahoo.com Jeff DuBree Whippoorwill Sportsman’s Lodge Lake Talquin 850-875-2605 Fishtalquin@gmail.com Jody Wells- Lake Seminole 850-269-2420 Tony Poloronis Outcaster’s Bait and Tackle 631 Hwy 98, Apalachicola, FL 850-653-4665 Randy Jackson Riverside Fly Shop 17027 Hwy 69N, Jasper, AL 256-287-9582 Riversideflyshop.com
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MOON & FEED TIMES
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FLORIDA TIDE CHARTS
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FISHING
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Pensacola Motorsports
TROPHY
Daniel and son Luke Johannesmann with a bull red so big you need two pictures to see it all!
You didn’t see it coming. Neither did the fish.
ROOM
Marie Head with her Red Drum
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PHOTO of the MONTH Allison Alred from Northport, AL caught this yellow cat on Lake Tuscaloosa
Dominick Brisolara with his blue cat caught on the Alabama River
Shane Traylor with his big ol’ sheepshead
KID'S CORNER
TROPHY ROOM
Tra Alford, 13, of Northport, AL with a hefty bass.
Jaxen Schuler, 13, loves the outdoors.
Brady Windham, 6, of Demopolis, AL snagged him a big one at the Demopolis Country Club.
1
ST
Fish
Tristan Spath, 4, is all smiles with his bluegill, great job Tristan!
Ava Alford, 14, of Northport, AL showing off her lunker.
Andrew McMillan, 11, with his 20-25lb wahoo.
Carl Metcalf, 8, with his braggin catch.
Give us your best shot!
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August
FISHING TIP
SURF FISHING FLURRIES BY DAVID THORNTON
“Many early summer mornings, when the surf is calm but nearing high tide, the predatory fish may press bait fish up against the beach in tight schools and feed on them in the dim light. There will be occasional little swells (rogue waves) that come in, which may strand some of these bait fish swimming right up against the shoreline trying to escape their predators. Several things savvy anglers can do to take advantage of this situation. One is to make sure you have your rod in your hand, pre-rigged with a small shiny two-inch spoon, like a 1/4-ounce Krocodile or similar style with a heavy mono leader ready to flip out at a moment’s notice. I like a 6 ½ or 7-foot medium action spinning rod with a fast taper in the 6 to 12-pound class. The reel can be fairly small, a 2500 or 3000 size with 120 to 150 yards of 6- to 10-pound monofilament line works. The fish are moving up and down the beach quickly, looking for and chasing the bait fish. When they “pop up” it is often with no warning and just for a few seconds. The key is to always have your eyes on the water to quickly take advantage of what may come your way.” Another key to prolong your success is carrying a small bucket for collecting some of the bait fish, alive if possible. You can use these once the sun rises and the predators begin moving toward deeper water. I like an ultralight spinning presentation in the 4 or 6 pound class on a 7 foot medium action rod and a 1000 or 2000 series reel. The hook type and size should match the baitfish and not encumber their swimming action. A leader is optional if you are targeting speckled trout, but mandatory for bluefish and even ladyfish. You may need to wade out to knee deep or even waste deep water to get the baitfish in front of the retreating predators, but that may reward you with your best fish of the day!” David Thorton “Pierpounder” Email: pierpounder@gmail.com CP: 251-458-2775
Photos by Milton Rittelmeyer
877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // AUGUST 2020 73
A GREAT DAY OUTDOORS
By Hook or By Cook can occasionally pick up the faint taste of burlap. Beware, however, if your host coerces you into pursuing these birds on the following morning. Especially if you have to hold the sack.
BY JIM MIZE Like the smell of powder after the trigger is squeezed or the heft of a largemouth raised by the lip, cooking your own fish and game closes the circle of the chase. The chance to relive the experience is made all the better by the lapse of time and memory that lets you create an improved version of what really happened. Many outdoorsmen consider it drudgery to cook wild game, yet feel obligated to do it anyway since they shot it. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Thinking many sportsmen would undoubtedly cook if they could simply find the right set of instructions, I’ve gathered a collection of cooking tips. In looking through a number of wild game cookbooks, it’s clear that many game recipes are too complex. Still others are impractical for different reasons. Take this recipe for moose ribs. It starts out, “Get one L-O-N-G pan...” Each wild game animal has its own quirks, delighting those outdoorsmen aspiring to be chefs. Boar meat is one that is claimed to be excellent if slow-cooked. In fact, I can think of at least three bores I’d like to see slow-cooked. Some game tastes good, but lacks in presentation. Take gray squirrels. Squirrel meat has an excellent flavor, but once skinned, closely resembles a rat. This would suggest concentrating on the setting, ruling out immediately the possibility of serving it whole, garnished with cheese, stretched out on a large wooden trap. Many nontraditional game animals can also be eaten, including possum. I am personally put off, however, with any recipe that begins with the words, “Remove from bumper...” Other recipes are simply impractical. Take one that calls for two grouse. I’d feel more confident if it called for one grouse and ten empty shells. Snipe recipes often require ingredients that mask the true flavor of this bird, but still, you
Some wild game cookbooks even include recipes for coot. These recipes usually have colorful histories that trace back to a lost bet. Should you want to try one of these but find yourself without a fresh coot, feel free to substitute crow. Fish recipes tend to be straightforward, except for one I have that calls for them to be poached. Personally, I enjoy fish more when taken legally. Some fish just don’t cook up well, and in this category, I’d put carp. Once, I commented to a gentleman about carp being poor table fare and was lambasted. He argued vehemently that carp were excellent smoked.
Each wild game animal has its own quirks, delighting those outdoorsmen aspiring to be chefs. I tried it, but had a really hard time keeping mine lit. Other wild meats taste good, but require a bit of selling. Tongues and hearts are examples, or as they are referred to in the meat business by their technical names, lickers and tickers. My favorite recipe for these two items involves serving them to someone else and not telling them what it is. Wild game cooking is most fun when you begin to try new things. Sometimes when you see certain meats, you may envision them in a novel recipe. Experiment. I do this often and the only bad experience I’ve had was with one I called, “Ballpark eels with mustard and relish.” In many wild game recipes, you may be unable to distinguish the game from domesticated meats. This offers some special opportunities. For instance, if you came back from a deer hunt empty-handed and had already invited guests, here’s a useful tip.
74 AUGUST 2020 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
Go to your local supermarket and buy very lean beef. Cook it twice as long as the deer recipe calls for, since that’s what your guests expect venison to taste like. Not that I’ve ever done this, of course. Since big game animals are so often compared to beef, it does make me wonder if cows wouldn’t be a lot easier to hunt. Except for setting out the decoys. You’ve probably noticed that some stores have begun to sell farm-raised game animals in the frozen meat case. You never know what you’ll find, but I’ve seen rabbit, quail, venison, and exotic game such as buffalo. When preparing store-bought game for guests, I always recommend garnishing with shot, just for credibility. Many outdoorsmen feel comfortable supplementing their recipes with wild mushrooms and edible roots. I have no complaint with this as long as they know what they’re doing and take the first bite. Marinades add moisture to the recipe, a function also served by sauces. Wine, in particular, makes a fine sauce, especially when it’s the guests you’re trying to get sauced. Finally, all these recipes become far more complicated when you try to cook them in camp. For instance, one of the problems comes from the size of the appetites generated by the outdoor experience. Extending wild game to fill hungry hunters can be difficult. Maybe there is a market for something like “Possum Helper”. But no matter what recipe you choose, the key to a good camp dinner is having it all on the table at the same time. As experienced campers know, this is no easy feat where one- or two-burner stoves are the norm. Perhaps that explains why the most common camp side dish is potato chips.
JIM MIZE is careful about accepting
wild-game dinner invitations after someone has been to one of his. You can find his outdoor humor books at www.acreektricklesthroughit.com.
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