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A-Team Fishing Adventures I N S H O R E G U I D E S E RV I C E Mobile Bay + Mobile Delta + Dauphin Island
3 TIME ALABAMA INSHORE TRAIL CHAMPION MULTIPLE REDFISH TOUR WINS
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35 YEARS EXPERIENCE
877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // JULY 2021 3
HUNTING & FISHING IN ALABAMA & THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE
8
12
16
CONTENTS
Selecting the Best Catfish Baits by Species. . . . 8 by John E. Phillips Choosing the Best Night Vision Optics for Hunting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 by Josh Honeycutt Tag Alabama What Fish Tagging Teaches Us. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 by Butch Thierry Flounder Gigging Tips and Equipment Essentials. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 by John E. Phillips Choosing the Best Tractor and Equipment For Your Money. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 by David Strickland Conservation, Mitigation & Land-Owner Profits. 32 by Frank Sargeant Frequently Asked Questions of Pond Ownership .36 by William Kendy How to Make Money Investing in Land. . . . . . . 40 by Joe Baya Blue Marlin Magic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 by Frank Sargeant Land Loan Interest Rate Update . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 by William Kendy
In Every Issue
32
4 JULY 2021 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
42
Best Bets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 by William Kendy Camphouse Kitchen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 by Hank Shaw New & Cool Gear for Outdoorsmen. . . . . . . . 50 by William Kendy From the Commissioner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 by Chris Blakenship From the Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 by Charles Sykes The Gun Rack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 by Craig Haney Paddle Fishing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 by Ed Mashburn Coastal Outlook. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 by Chris Vecsey Pier & Shore. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 by David Thornton Regional Freshwater. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 by Ed Mashburn Prime Feeding Times, Moon, Sun, and Tide Charts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Pensacola Motorsports Trophy Room. . . . . . 72 Great Days Kids Corner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Classifieds & Fishin‘ Guides . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Fishing Tips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 by Bobby Abruscato A Great Day Outdoors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 by Jim Mize
L
WIL
E D I V DI
White Oak Farm
Divisible Fruitdale Cabins & Lakes Hunting & Timber Retreat
Great deer and turkey hunting located only a few minutes from Moundville. This tract is made up of mostly mature hardwood on rolling terrain, making it an ideal habitat for turkeys. There are several nice food plots already set up with shooting houses. An internal road/trail system throughout the entire property makes it easy to get around to all the great hunting spots. Elliotts Creek and several drains running through the property provide a great water source for the wildlife. There is also a barn to store ATVs, tractors, and equipment.
This turnkey, divisible, waterfront property is a rare find. Tracts this size & quality are rarely available in this area, much less with a fishing lake, duck pond, furnished cabins, & equipment included. Hunting is fantastic, w/wildlife management & feeding programs in place for decades, & the abundant deer, turkey, ducks, & doves present show just how effective it has been. Lg, placed food plots, w/mature sawtooth oak and fruit trees adorning each, as well as elevated shooting houses. Enjoy views of the lake from main cabin with 2BR, 1BA, roomy open floor plan, utility room, and large screened-in porch. Nearby guest cabin has 2BR, 1BA, and the offset 3rd cabin is ideal for kids or extended family with 1BR &1BA w/a spacious den/kitchen combo that could hold additional bunks. Located near Fruitdale, AL, minutes from groceries, fuel, and shopping, & less than an hour from Mobile.
Hale County, Alabama, 800+/-Acres
Washington County, Alabama, 456.8+/-Acres
FL Panhandle Listings
Alabama Listings COUNTY Autauga Autauga Autauga Baldwin Baldwin Baldwin Baldwin Baldwin Barbour Barbour Barbour Barbour Barbour Bibb Bibb Bibb Bibb Bibb Blount Blount Blount Blount Blount Bullock Bullock Bullock Bullock Butler
ACRES 116 110 85 1995 710 223 113 44 342 278 179 77 75 653 416 395 368 284 211 153 81 40 36.9 2436 99 92 30 395
COUNTY Butler Calhoun Calhoun Calhoun Chambers Cherokee Cherokee Cherokee Chilton Chilton Chilton Choctaw Choctaw Choctaw Clarke Clarke Clarke Clarke Clarke Cleburne Cleburne Cleburne Colbert Colbert Colbert Conecuh Conecuh Coosa
151.05 337 80 48 103 938 62 0.25 421 20 13.64 175 122.51 37 620 176 54 9.2 6.08 856 100 65 20 17.37 10 119 0.77 1200
ACRES
Coosa Coosa Coosa Coosa Covington Covington Covington Covington Covington Cullman Dale Dallas Dallas Dallas Dallas Dallas DeKalb DeKalb Elmore Elmore Elmore Elmore Elmore Escambia Escambia Fayette Fayette Fayette
430 128.5 100 55 730 360 63.04 0.86 0.84 20 63 5960 1260 1204.51 782 510 338 4.53 194 163 62 36.44 4.37 1219 4.75 672 640 484
COUNTY Fayette Fayette Franklin Franklin Franklin Franklin Greene Hale Hale Hale Hale Hale Henry Henry Henry Henry Henry Houston Houston Houston Houston Jackson Jefferson Jefferson Jefferson Jefferson Jefferson Lamar
473 344 244 234 10 8 38 800 420 160 150 127 199 151 26 18 3 325 155 93 6 80 256 247 23 21 19.45 373
Lamar Lamar Lamar Lamar Lauderdale Lauderdale Lauderdale Lauderdale Lauderdale Lee Lee Lee Limestone Limestone Limestone Limestone Limestone Lowndes Lowndes Lowndes Lowndes Lowndes Macon Macon Macon Macon Macon Marengo
ACRES 202 153 92 90 75 35 33 14 10.76 4505 53 1.59 60 53 30.31 3.42 1.6 1083 1013 783 656 583 486 483 289 232 120 1164
Marengo Marengo Marengo Marengo Marion Marion Marshall Mobile Mobile Mobile Mobile Mobile Monroe Monroe Monroe Montgomery Montgomery Montgomery Montgomery Montgomery Morgan Perry Perry Perry Perry Perry Pickens Pickens
558 551 451.21 131 286 40 40 1800 439 308 260 160 129 106 95.36 509.34 353 250 116 80 5.1 610.58 330 270.21 240.75 240 430 121
COUNTY
ACRES
Pickens Pickens Pickens Pike Russell Saint Clair Saint Clair Saint Clair Saint Clair Saint Clair Shelby Shelby Shelby Shelby Shelby Sumter Sumter Sumter Sumter Sumter Talladega Talladega Talladega Tallapoosa Tallapoosa Tuscaloosa Tuscaloosa Tuscaloosa
40 18 5 9.2 50 1174 585 304 281 237 200 182 80 79 75 2151 842 658 640 530 137 112 96 264 13 817 500 479
Tuscaloosa Tuscaloosa Walker Walker Walker Walker Walker Washington Washington Washington Washington Washington Wilcox Wilcox Wilcox Wilcox Wilcox Winston Winston Winston Winston
357 341 140.27 131.47 95.91 85 68 1320 456.8 240 213 200 522 370.12 205 180 120 160 69 40 2.3
COUNTY
Calhoun Calhoun Calhoun Calhoun Holmes Holmes Holmes Jackson Santa Rosa Walton Washington
ACRES 30 10 10 10 127 64 63 242 95 52 22.5
Over 700 more tracts across 47 states available...
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877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // JULY 2021 5
BEST BETS
BEST BETS FOR JULY These are our top targets for hunters and fishermen this month! BY WILLIAM KENDY
FLOUNDER GIGGING ON THE GULF COAST
VOLUME 25 ISSUE 7 JULY 2021
Gulf Coast flounder gigging is a combination of night time hunting and fishing in shallow water with a multiprong spear and lights. Those in the know say that flounder gigging works best on the Gulf when there is a full tide outgoing and a north wind. The fish move out of the deep into the shallows. As the tide falls, bait fish, crabs and shrimp start pulling out of marshes into little drainage areas and “doormat” flounders just lay on the bottom waiting for dinner to arrive.
PUBLISHED BY: Great Days Outdoors Media, L.L.C. PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Joe Baya
You don’t need a bunch of expensive gear to get into flounder gigging. On the other hand, you can go “Flounder Wild” with all sorts of gear and even boats.
EXECUTIVE EDITOR Butch Thierry
For the expert scoop, see John Phillips article “Flounder Gigging Equipment Essentials” in this issue
MANAGING EDITOR: William Kendy GENERAL MANAGER: Samatha Hester
TIME FOR TARPON
When July rolls around, so do the tarpon. These “Silver Kings’ ‘ migrate in schools along the Gulf beaches from east to west and can be intercepted by throwing out live baits like threadfin herring, Lys and mullet fishing from piers or even along the surf. They will also bite on swimbaits like the Hogy Protail.
CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Wendy Johannesmann
According to David Thorton in his July “Pier and Shore” column, many tarpon are “incidental hookups” by anglers fishing live baits targeting king mackerel.
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.
To catch these bruisers, that can weigh 100 pounds or more, requires stout tackle. A ninefoot medium heavy to heavy action rod with a heavy-duty reel that can hold 300 yards+ of 20-pound monofilament or 65-pound braid fits the bill
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Great Days Outdoors Media, LLC PO Box 460248 Escondido, CA 92046
If you are lucky enough to catch and land one of these magnificent fish, make sure to release it unless you have a harvest tag.
SHOOTING IN JULY
Ok, you have an itch to go hunting but it isn’t time yet and it is too damn hot. You want to go shooting but you can’t find affordable ammo or, ammo at all, for that matter. The solution is air guns. Today’s air rifles are affordable, accurate and powerful. You can get an air rifle in calibers ranging from .17 up to .50, capable of harvesting pests, small and big game, including deer and feral pigs at close range. The cool thing about air guns is that you can buy pistols and rifles without having to go through an ATF/ NICs background check. Retailers like Pyramyd Air (www.pyramydair.com) can ship product right to your door. Ammunition is plentiful and inexpensive. Air guns are quiet and allow you to have fun in your backyard and sharpen your shooting skills without spending a ton of money or bothering your neighbors. 6 JULY 2021 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
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. 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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877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // JULY 2021 7
Catfish are fun to catch in many different ways. Although catfish feed along the bottom, they also will school-up and swim in mid-water and often just under the surface. All catfish species will eat almost any bait at certain times of the year. • • •
•
Little or no current – Sink chum bags or cans of dog food as well as fish stink baits for channels and blues in dead lakes, beaver ponds and shallow lakes. Standing cypress trees in shallow water. Night crawlers will produce channel catfish there. Tailraces with running turbines – When mayflies swarm in the spring and cover the water around tailraces, fishing with mayflies will catch blues. Also cut shad, dead shad minnows, live minnows and shad guts will produce blues and channels in tailraces Riprap and rocky structure - Flatheads sometimes prefer live bait like small bream, large minnows or large, live shad.
LEARN THE CHARACTERISTICS OF CATFISH TO HAVE THE MOST SUCCESS All North American species of catfish have long feelers or barbels (whiskers) on their faces that enable them to locate food. A catfish tastes with these feelers as well as its entire body that has more than 100,000-food sensors. Some catfish, particularly the channel catfish, are sight feeders too. You can pinpoint catfish with your depth finder and by studying topo maps before you fish by looking for long, sloping points, flats, old roadbeds, dropoffs, holes, canals and submerged bridges. Catfish also follow seasonal migration patterns, according to water temperatures. With a water temperature of 55 degrees or below, catfish generally will be found in deep holes. In the early spring, catfish move into more-shallow water, which warms-up first. Lakes with rocky banks, riprap, rock slides and exposed layers of underwater shale will have catfish near those sites, since rocks hold heat and warm-up the water around them. Rocky banks facing south and southwest usually warm-up first too. Depending on the subspecies, catfish spawn when the water temperature is 60-84 degrees. In areas where both channels and blues live, the channels will spawn first before the blues, which generally spawn in 70-75-degree water. Flatheads require the warmest water for spawning with 80-84 degrees their favored water temperature. People may be surprised at what baits catfish will hit. Some years ago when the catfish were biting, a good friend of mine was out of bait and couldn’t find any at the bait shop. After spotting a dead possum on the side of the road, he skinned the possum and sliced and diced it. He told me later, “I was very surprised. The catfish hit the possum bait better than they had other baits I’d been using.” The best baits to catch “no-scales” depend on several things: water temperature, price, smell and availability of the bait when you’re fishing, the catfish’s mood and its available food source. Also baits that work well in the winter may not produce in the summer. Check-out the stomachs of the catfish you catch to learn what the catfish are eating where at the time of year you’re fishing. The temperature of the water also governs how actively catfish feed, because the enzyme action in a catfish’s stomach doubles with each eight-degree increase in water temperature. The hotter the weather becomes, the more catfish feed.
8 JULY 2021 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
FISHING
Selecting the Best Catfish Baits by Species BY JOHN E. PHILLIPS
Often flathead catfish like this one are big and ugly but usually prefer live bait more than dead bait.
877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // JULY 2021 9
Selecting the Best Catfish Baits by Species
pieces of the doughball, and throw them out in your general fishing area with little or no current. Peanut Butter – Another stink bait recipe combines 80% three-year-old cheese, 5% Calf Starter that you can purchase at any feed store, 10% dried animal blood, 5% peanut butter and flour. Mix the ingredients together. Slowly add the flour, continue blending, and then dip plastic worms in it. Wheat - To lure cats into main river points, the intersections of river and creek channels and the backs of small bays off the main rivers, fill a five-gallon bucket about 3/4-full of wheat. Add four cloves of garlic and five squeezed lemons, and cover with water. Let the mixture sit for one to two weeks to ensure thorough fermentation of the wheat, continuing to add water as it evaporates. Spread the wheat mixture with a scoop on the tops of points, along the edges of creek channels and/or in the backs of bays. Soap - When fishing for catfish in cool water, use Ivory or Octagon soap. The cooler the water, the better soap works, because it disintegrates in water slowly. Put the bars of soap on a cookie sheet, and heat them in a 250-300-degree oven, until the soap becomes soft and pliable but not runny. Remove the soap from the oven, cut it into 1/2- to 1-inch chunks, and bait the soap on your hooks. All night fishing with limb lines and yo-yos often will produce a good stringer of channel catfish like the ones pictured here.
KNOW CATFISH BAITS THAT WORK * Shad Guts: You can fish with fresh shad gut, very productive in tailrace areas, and frozen shad gut after thawing. * Out-of-Date Shrimp: Ask your grocery store if you can buy out-of-date shrimp and freeze it or keep it on ice. * Bonito: The bloodiness of this saltwater fish and the water-soluble oil it produces causes the meat to turn rancid easily. The bonito’s white belly seems to be the most-productive bait. * Dead Fish Mixture: Put pieces of cut-up fish, clams, minnows, crawfish and eels into a loosely-covered glass jar. After this mixture turns to oil, mix 1 part oil of anise with five parts of the fish oil, and use it on catfish baits. * Out-of-Date Beef, Kidneys and Livers: Buy these inexpensive pieces of meat, cut them into small chunks, put the chunks in mason jars, and place lids on them. Bury the jars in the ground for 2-5 days. Because the jars don’t see sunlight or are exposed to air and/or drastic temperature changes, the meat becomes rancid but not rotten. * Dip Baits: My friend Monte Burch comes from a long line of serious catfishermen and shares this recipe. Use 2 gallons of dead shad or minnows, seven pounds of Limburger cheese and one ounce of oil of anise. Put this fish in a five-gallon bucket, cover it with water, put a lid on the bucket, and bury the bucket in the backyard. Three to four days later, dig the bucket up. Pour off the liquid, shred or melt the Limburger cheese, and mix all with oil of anise. Dump the mixture into pint fruit jars, and put lids on them. Don’t screw the lids down tightly to keep the jars from exploding. Then a week later, thread pieces of plastic worms that have been dipped in the mixture on your hooks. * Doughballs, Rice, Peanut Butter, Wheat and Soap: Doughballs – Place flour, cornmeal and creamed-style corn in a bowl. Pour pineapple juice into the flour mixture, and mix. Add flour and pineapple juice until a large ball of dough forms. Mix in uncooked rice. Put the dough in a burlap bag, and sink it in a lake. Or, before you begin fishing, pinch off 10 JULY 2021 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
Disclaimer: Check with the Department of Conservation to make sure you can use soap in the area where you want to catfish. * Dogfood: To chum-up cats with dog food, use an ice pick, and punch two dozen holes in a can of inexpensive dog food. The day before you fish, sink the can of dog food on a rocky, clay or a sandy bottom without mud to call catfish. Some outdoorsmen sink burlap bags containing dry dog food at the backs of bays, the edges of creek channels or even under their boat docks. * Hot Dogs: Outdoorsman Mike Handley had run out of catfish bait the day before he planned to put out a trotline. He searched through his refrigerator, found hot dogs and said, “I cut the hot dogs into small pieces that would bait well on my hooks, put the hot dogs in a quart fruit jar, poured a commercial catfish lure into the jar to completely cover the hot dogs and let the jar sit overnight. The next day after trotline fishing for just 2 hours, I’d caught more cats than ever before.” * Cheese and Honey Sponge Baits: Place rancid cheese in a large, flat, throw-away aluminum pan, light a Coleman stove outside, due to the nasty smell, melt the cheese, and add four or five tablespoons of honey. Lay out sheets of tin foil on the ground, cut pieces of 1/4-inch-thick sponge to fit inside the pan, and spread the cheese-and-honey mixture. Turn the sponge over, and let the other side soak. Remove the sponge from the pan, cool it on the tinfoil, and use scissors to cut the sponge into bait-size, 1/4- to 1/2-inch squares. Place in quart freezer bags, and seal. This durable bait produces for hook-and-line fishermen and limb liners, trotlines and juggers. * Golden Raisins: Golden raisins are good catfish bait for set hooks, trotlines or any method of fishing that allows the bait to be in the water for an extended time. The raisins are the most-productive during the hot summer months – particularly when fishing at night. The raisins in beaver ponds or dead sloughs off a main river with still water and very-little current will swellup on the hooks and ferment, and due to their bright-yellow color, the cats can find them easily. * Natural Baits: The Asiatic clams on the Tennessee River and in other places during the summer often experience die-offs that call catfish. The dead clams open their shells, the little animals inside float to the surface, and catfishermen can bait with those, or collect the mussels, open the shells and use them as catfish baits. Miniature marshmallows also work when the Asiatic clams die-off.
Selecting the Best Catfish Baits by Species
The majority of catfish Tony Adams catches in the summer are big blue cats like the one pictured here.
Other natural, catfish-calling baits include caterpillars found on catalpa trees, hellgrammites, live or dead grasshoppers, crickets, roaches, shad, minnows, mayflies and small bream in states where permitted. NO BAIT? NO PROBLEM! Oftentimes the most-difficult part of catching catfish is getting the bait. The easiest and quickest way to make sure you always have bait before you go catfishing is to have some extra packages of Fish Bites’ Yeh Monn! freshwater catfish baits (www.fishbites.com) with you. “Cut hickory shad (often called skipjack) produces the most and biggest catfish for me and my clients when we’re jug fishing at Lake Eufaula on the Alabama/Georgia border,” says Tony Adams of Eufaula, who has fished Lake Eufaula for 27 years, says. “I did a side-by-side comparison and baited half the jugs I put out with the Yeh Monn! baits and half of my jugs with the same cut hickory shad bait I’ve always used. “The results of my tests showed we caught the same numbers of catfish on the Yeh Monn! baits as we did on the cut shad. Fresh-cut shad often is hard to find at certain times of the year, so I have no hesitation in using the Yeh Monn! product.”
BY LANA STUART
Recipe and image courtesy of www.lanascooking.com
Baked Catfish with Herbs Prep: 5 mins • Cook: 20 mins • Total: 25 mins
Ingredients • 2 tbsp. minced fresh parsley 1 tsp. salt • • ¾ tsp. paprika ½ tsp. dried thyme • • ½ tsp. dried oregano ½ tsp. dried basil • • ½ tsp. ground black pepper • 4 whole catfish fillets • Juice of one lemon • 2 tblsp. melted butter ¼ tsp. garlic powder • • Non-stick cooking spray Instructions 1. 2. 3. 4.
Consider keeping a couple of packages of the Fish Bites Yeh Monn! Freshwater Catfish Baits on hand just to be prepared.
5. 6. 7.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the parsley, salt, paprika, thyme, oregano, basil and pepper in a small bowl. Sprinkle over both sides of catfish fillets. Place the fillets in a 9x13 baking pan that has been coated with non-stick cooking spray. Add the melted butter, lemon juice and garlic powder to a small bowl. Mix well to combine. Drizzle the butter-lemon-garlic mixture over the fillets. Bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes or until the fish flakes easily.
877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // JULY 2021 11
Hunting at night and under low-light conditions is a fun adventure. Chasing hogs, and even bobcats, coyotes and fox or fun nighttime challenges. (Honeycutt Creative photo)
12 JULY 2021 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
HUNTING
Choosing the Best Night Vision Optics for Hunting BY DAVID STRICKLAND
BY JOSH HONEYCUTT
The terms small, compact, and utility are used to describe a Gearing up for the best nighttime hog or smaller framed tractor introduced a few decades ago and has evolved into something similar to a “Swiss Army Knife.” Although predator hunt of your life. a miniature tractor with limited use, it has transonce considered formed into a multipurpose machine with an impressive array of
Those who’ve never experienced an after (daylight) attachments. Because of their smaller size, versatility, and ease it’s obvious that huntersand aren’t usingare thetaking night hours hunt with night vision equipment are of missing use, moreWhile businesses, homeowners, farmers goggles to “hunt” ducks, a big part of being a out on quite the adventure. Despite very different advantage ofvision this agile class of machinery. good duck hunter is knowing what you’re shooting circumstances and decreased risk intensities, at. This isorimportant in regard to abiding by species creeping through the timber with such gearThe will term “Compact Utility” loosely refers to smaller tractors bag limits. And if you at canthe getPower-Take-Off a good idea of what’s certainly make you feel like a real-life Navyhaving Seal orless than 40 horsepower (PTO) and flying before daylight, it might help you be Special Ops personnel. a gross weight notright exceeding 4,000 pounds. more accurate when trying to determine what a duck is once light at SunSouth begins. Of course, that isn’t the aim. The goal is to After knockspeaking with Rustylegal Walters Tractor, he down legal game, and night hunting is vastly informed me that John Deere has around 20 models in the SPECIALthat CONSIDERATIONS different from chasing critters while the suncompact is up. category and some models push the boundaries of Many hunters like using thermal when hunting, It requires different tactics, but especially different that definition. but Kirk said it isn’t as effective as night vision gear. Nightin vision reigns supreme in low-light “We have soequipment. many models the small tractor category that conditions. BEST APPLICATIONS helping a landowner or small business make the right choice is Those who are intrigued by the thought of usually just a matter of asking a few key questions,” Walters said. “A lot of hunters think they should have thermal using night vision technology to hunt with should thereinare some disadvantages to thermal,” understand its legal restrictions and limitations. Ob-has but Walters worked agricultural sales for nearly a decade and “Youtomight in fronttoofhis thecustomviously, you aren’t hunting whitetails, wild turkeys has learned Kirk whatsaid. it takes matchhave the brush right tractor shotsaid thattheir you 2021 cannotlineup see when or other highly-regulated game animals. Instead, ers’ needs. He addedlooking a few through tweaks the and scope, because the heat you’re most likely focusing on wild hogs, coyotes, upgrades to thermal last year’s models, so I you’re asked only him seeing what would be a of the animal. device, with and a select group of other predators. good model signature for someone who didn’tWith havea anight lot ofvision experience youneeded would be able one. to see and identify the animal, tractors or just a new “Our line of night vision devices allow, within certain and anything that would impede the shot along the way.” parameters, the ability to hunt wild boars, coyotes, “For someone looking to purchase their first tractor, I would recand other things that you can legally hunt atommend night,” a John Deere 3025E,” Walters said. “It can fit into tight thing to remember is just how much said Sean Kirk with Photonis Defense, Inc places, has aAnother small footprint with a three-cylinder dieselgear engine hunters take afield. Having a lot ofmid-sized things on hand and a hydrostatic transmission. It’s a smaller compact is cumbersome, especially when in- or That being said, when permitted by state law, withit four-wheel drive and plenty of power forthe thepoundage homeowner also can be used in other non-hunting applications. creases. underestimate this aspect. Carrying small landowner withDon’t 2-5 acres.” This might be when getting gear, and yourself, too much weight will wear you down. situated before daylight during another typeCompact of hunt. tractors can mow grass or weeds, auger holes, dig The same holds true for packing everythingtrenches, up after and “When gear around, weight and size moveyou’re piles carrying of dirt, gravel, and mulch. dark once the hunt ends. matter,” Kirk said. “You not only have thousands of dollars worth of gear also atheir lot ofuse weight. Rarely “They have smaller footprints thatbutenable in yards, near Kirk also likes it for other case uses. are and you on getting out of Walters the trucknoted. and setting right homes, shops, job sites,” “Theirupversatility or attachments riding in. Withavailable other models is due in partthere. to theYou’re largepacking variety of for the “I’m a big duck hunter, and I use them all offront, the back and on the market, size of andthese weight are issues. Ours under the belly tractors.” time for setting up my layout blinds,” Kirk said. offers about a 40% decrease in weight and size “Instead of having a flashlight on my head, USED I’ll use a TRACTORS [from other models]. It’s not as stressful on your night vision device. Then, before sunrise, it’s great had neck, not as on your head.” Walters someand advice for heavy someone working with a smaller for identifying what species of ducks are flying over. As the sky starts to glow, you can see them clearly Once hunters understand that thermal doesn’t enough to know what types of ducks are around.” trump all, and that a well-designed set of night 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // JULY 2021 13
Waves lapping. Warm coastal breezes. Pelicans and herons soar overhead. Steam rising off a plate of fresh shrimp. A big fish pulls on your line. When you’re ready, come experience the sights, sounds and scents of the Alabama Gulf Coast. We’ve missed you.
877-341-2400 14 JULY 2021 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
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Selecting the Best Night Vision Optics for Hunting
vision is crucial, they’re ready to gear up. GEARING UP Fortunately for hunting enthusiasts, Photonis Defense offers a line of products that make night hunting much easier and more enjoyable. “For hunting applications, I would go with the two Photonis PD Pro devices (https://www.photonisdefense.com/pd-pro-series),” Kirk said. “One is a monocular, and one is a binocular. The monocular works well because you can have it in your pocket or vest. It’s small and compact. You can use it as needed.” According to him, you can also have a flip mount on your weapon. You can flip it in and out of line with your existing day sight. Use it as a night scope for when hunting feral pigs [and coyotes], essentially. Photonis also offers a set of night vision binoculars that are generally used for spotting. Maybe you’re driving on an ATV to get to a spot, such as a blind. Perhaps you’re looking on the horizon for animals. It’s great for spotting, regardless of the exact scenario. As expected, good night vision can be pricey, but as with most things, pricing reflects quality. There are pros and cons to anything, of course, but this option certainly has more benefits than drawbacks. It’s worth the price tag.
The Photonis PD Pro Monocular is a great way to view your surroundings, or even use it as a weapon-mounted device.
“The thing you want to be sure of, is you get what you pay for when buying night vision gear,” Kirk said. “People spend thousands of dollars on weapons, and then buy a cheap Chinese or Russian knock-off night vision goggle, and expect it to perform. When buying the Photonis PD line of products, you’re getting what you pay for, and getting a quality image with the best resolution available on the market.” OPTIMIZE THE HUNT While quality gear is one aspect of hunting, it isn’t the fix all. Great gear doesn’t make you a great hunter, but great gear can make a good hunter more effective, which can produce more desirable results. It might even mean getting the kill shot off, when without it, you would not.
(Photonis Defense photo)
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So, spend time learning your craft. Whether chasing bobcats, coyotes, hogs, fox or other legal nighttime game, understanding how to call, where to locate, when to set up, and otherwise pursuing these animals is still important. Become proficient in the hunting of each species before going afield. Then, with quality night vision equipment in hand, go get the job done, and have fun while doing it. SAFETY MATTERS As with all aspects of firearms and hunting, safety matters. Whether going afield during the day, or at night, safety is No. 1. This is also true when using night vision equipment. Understand how the technology works, how it’s appropriately used, and what not to do when using these devices. Take precautions, protect yourself (including your eyes), as well as those around you. Also, be aware of your surroundings. This can be more difficult at night, but night vision certainly helps in this regard. Still, know your target, and know what’s beyond it. Never pull the trigger unless you’ve correctly identified the target, and that there’s a safe backdrop beyond it. Then, send it.
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877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // JULY 2021 15
Tag Alabama
What Fish Tagging Teaches Us BY GREG MCCAIN
BY BUTCH THIERRY Executive Editor of Great Days Outdoors magazine and host of the weekly Alabama Saltwater Fishing Report presented by Great Days Outdoors
When it comes to making plans which work to solve problems and improve life, there’s nothing like having good, solid, verifiable information. This is particularly true when it comes to making plans and regulations for fishing, which requires scientists, government officials and private citizens to work together. This kind of information gathering work on Alabama’s inshore fisheries has been done by a combined effort of private guides and anglers as well as educational agencies. That includes the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, the University of South Alabama and concerned groups of citizens with the Coastal Conservation Association. Together these hard-working and dedicated folks through the “Tag Alabama” program have gathered some excellent information about Alabama’s fish, the effects of recreational angling and survivability of caught fish, and statistics which can help people make good, valid recommendations for those who make season and size limits. Three people, who represent the three parts of Tag Alabama’s effective fish tagging and data collection, tell us about what has been done, what is going on right now, and what is planned for the future of fish tagging in Alabama. Captain Richard Rutland is a fishing guide and fish tagger who has been very influential in the development of the tagging program. Crystal Hightower is the Senior Research Laboratory Manager at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab and Blakely Ellis is the executive director of the Alabama Coastal Conservation Association. These folks have worked closely together and with other professionals and non-professionals in starting and developing the Alabama tagging program. These dedicated citizens can give a lot of information about the tagging program and why other folks should step up and do their part to increase knowledge of our inshore fishery. RICHARD RUTLAND One of the first guides to join the efforts of Tag Alabama is Captain Richard Rutland. Rutland fishes the Mobile Bay system extensively, and during the course of the year, he 16 JULY 2021 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
tags hundreds of fish. He can tell us a lot about the day in, day out activities involved with properly tagging, recording, and safely releasing fish. “I feel like I helped pioneer this thing with Crystal and the Sea Lab and then getting Blakely and the CCA involved, which is great. I am becoming efficient at doing this. I’m tagging 400-plus fish a year,” Rutland said. “And one thing that helps me be efficient and quick at it is having my tagging kit ready. I already have a tag loaded in the needle, and I’ve got two needles, so I’ve got one for redfish that I only do redfish with and one I only do trout with. Heck, I’ve got another needle I do bull reds with and I’ve got them all loaded up. I’ve already got the tag number written down in my book, so all I have to do is pop the fish with a tag, get a measurement on it, and then ‘boom’, it’s right overboard. All I have to do is remember the length, the location, and that I caught the fish, and then I pull out another tag, put it in the needle, write the tag number, and then I’m ready to go.”. “With tagging speckled trout, you’re talking about condensing that amount of time a fish is out of water to seconds. You need to handle that speckled trout with care,” Rutland added. “When you get a tagging kit, it’s really important that you pay attention to how you tag the fish. When you tag a fish, you have to pass the midline of the fish with the barb so that you can lock that tag in. If the fish is just superficially tagged in the muscle, that fish can push the tag out by rubbing up against stuff,” he said. CRYSTAL HIGHTOWER As the Senior Research Laboratory Manager of the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, Crystal Hightower heads a crucial element of the entire Tag Alabama program. In conjunction with the University of South Alabama, the Sea Lab coordinates the collection, recording, and analysis of information generated by the field tagging and recollection of tagged fish.
FISHING
877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // JULY 2021 17
Preserving Alabama’s natural resources starts in our backyard. Did you know longleaf pines are home to roughly 120 endangered or threatened plant and animal species? That’s why Alabama Power is working hard to help them grow. We’ve teamed up with partners across our state to preserve the natural resources that make Alabama a great place to put down roots – especially if you’re a longleaf pine.
AlabamaPower.com/Environment
© 2021 Alabama Power Company
18 JULY 2021 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
Tag Alabama- What Fish Tagging Teaches Us
It doesn’t take long for a fish to be tagged, measured, recorded, and sent on its way safely.
“Last year we were able to continue our work safely, and we got a lot of great science done. We finished our offshore survey, we worked with our inshore surveys, and we kept Richard Rutland doing a lot with Tag Alabama. We’re ready to get going in 2021,” Hightower said. “There are many different tools that we can use in fishery science, and our main goals of the external tagging and studies of fish is primarily to learn more about the ecology of the fishes, and mainly about their movements around coastal Alabama. With enough data, we could provide information that can be used by the states to better manage these fisheries through either local studies of growth or estimates of fishing mortality,” she said. “When it comes to fisheries management, the more data that we can put in there that we know are real numbers, they’re not modeled data, so we know the uncertainty around that data is very small. When we have anglers doing this tagging, we know these are real numbers,” Hightower added. “Our main consideration with this work with Tag Alabama relies on anglers to tag the fish and tag them properly. That tagged fish hanging on to the tag throughout its lifetime is super-important in how the program works.” Proper tagging of fish for the Tag Alabama program is critical. Hightower said that one of the most frequent comments that we get from taggers at the first workshop is, “I thought I knew how these tags worked. But I didn’t, really. I didn’t realize that you have to go past the midline of the fish so that the tag will lock in.”
Tagged fish that are recaptured and reported provide a great deal of needed information for fisheries planners.
BLAKELEY ELLIS The Tag Alabama redfish and speckled trout program is sponsored by the Coastal Conservation Association of Alabama, and they provide funds for the materials and operation. This program receives much of its funding from the sales of CCA specialty vehicle license tags, and when a driver buys a CCA tag when renewal time comes around, their tag fees really go a long way to support this vital program. Anglers who are members of CCA are automatically eligible to take part in the Tag Alabama program, and there’s a training session- either in person or online- to demonstrate how fish can be safely tagged, how to keep and maintain data from the fish, and how to submit data to the folks from South Alabama so the information can be entered into the program’s data base. There are annual contests for anglers who have tagged the most fish and there are categories and rewards for professional guides and for non- professional anglers.
CCA Alabama has a number of fundraising activities to help support the Tag Alabama program.
“CCA Alabama helped to develop and launch the TAG AL Recreational tagging program. We modeled it after the very successful TAG Louisiana recreational tagging program that CCA Louisiana has helped out with for a long time. We cover the cost of the tagging kits, tags, tag needles, seminars, recaptured fish reward fulfillment, sending out the hats or shirts for anglers who catch and report a tagged fish,” says CCA Alabama Executive Director Blakely Ellis. “The two requirements for taking part in the Tag AL program are simple. You must be an active member of CCA ($35 per year) and the angler must attend a tagging seminar. These take place during the year, and now that in-person meetings are an option, we will start to schedule and hold these seminars through the summer,” Ellis added.
Important Contact Information
Both the seminars and the tagging program itself cost money, and CCA raises funds to cover the costs through fundraising banquets, donations, and through their saltwater fishing CCA Alabama license plate sales. Forty-two dollars of the fifty dollar cost comes back to CCA Alabama to help them with their conservation projects including the TAG Alabama program.
Dauphin Island Sea Lab 101 Bienville Blvd Dauphin Island, Alabama 36528 251-861-4646
Captain Richard Rutland Cold blooded Fishing 251-459-5077 Richard@coldbloodedfishing.com
CCA Alabama 25595 Canal Road, Suite 1 Orange Beach, Alabama 36561 251-478-3474 info@ccaalabama.org 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // JULY 2021 19
First Lite Launches Exclusive Whitetail Camo Line Proceeds to go to National Deer Association via “Camo for Conservation” Initiative Hunting apparel company, First Lite has introduced its new proprietary camouflage pattern Specter, the first algorithm-generated camo engineered specifically for whitetail deer hunters. The new design was created via a nature-based algorithm that mimics naturally occurring patterns in the wild, which helps to distort and hide the human body. First Lite worked with seasoned whitetail experts to test the product in the field to ensure quality and efficacy. Designed to function in a wide variety of environments, Specter expertly transitions between locations and seasons. The new Specter pattern will be available for purchase across all First Lite whitetail hunting apparel. As a company dedicated to preserving land and wildlife with its widely heralded ”Round Up for Conservation” initiative that has generated over one hundred thousand dollars in donations to conservation not-for-profits, First Lite pairs the Specter launch with a new commitment to preserving the outdoors: First Lite’s ”Camo for Conservation”. A portion of all sales of Specter will go directly to the National Deer Association, the leading organization dedicated to preserving wild deer populations and habitats. “First Lite is proud to launch Camo for Conservation, which expands the North American tradition of hunter-funded conservation while supporting the critical work of the National Deer Association. Wildlife and wild places are the core of our passion and business model and this initiative will help conserve game populations and protect our hunting heritage,” said Ford Van Fossan, First Lite’s Conservation and Content Manager. “We’re very excited about how our partnership has grown with First Lite, and the Camo for Conservation initiative is just the latest example of how we’re working together for deer and hunters. A strong conservation focus is part of the fabric of the company, and this commitment further illustrates that.” said Nick Pinizzotto, President and CEO of the National Deer Association. Contact Information First Lite – www.firstlite.com Specter, Camo for Conservation National Deer Association www.deerassociation.com 20 JULY 2021 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
Wind of Change Adventure’s calling. Answer it with something completely different.
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OR CALL US AT: (888)-262-4867 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // JULY 2021 21
Flounder Gigging Tips and Equipment Essentials BY JOHN E. PHILLIPS
Today Bruce Howle guides and teaches flounder fishermen to see and gig flounder using very-bright LED lights.
22 JULY 2021 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
FISHING To take a mess of fish without getting sunburned, you can enjoy a new skill set inexpensively and have fun by learning to gig flounder.
likes this stainless-steel gig head that won’t rust, since Cosson welds titanium tips on his gigs.
After dark, flounder will move-up into shallow water and feed on bait fish. Here are the most-important factors for a great night of flounder gigging. You must know:
“Flounder stay on this gig head better than any I’ve ever used. I like a threeprong head when I’m wading, and a four-prong gig head when I’m fishing out of my boat,” Howle said.
• • • • •
FLOUNDERING LOCATIONS Understanding how to find flounder is very important to your success whether wade gigging or boat gigging.
where the flounder should be, depending on the tide; what the rules and regulations are for gigging flounder; where are some of the best places to look for flounder; what’s a quality gig: and what equipment you need besides a gig, including wading shoes, a light and a stringer.
Once you decide this sport is the one for you, then you may want to buy a shallow-draft boat, a set of LED lights and possibly a generator. AFTERDARK CHARTERS’ BRUCE HOWLE, JR. One of the men who has made the complete journey from wading and gigging to boat gigging is Bruce Howle, Jr., of Theodore, Alabama. Howle owns and operates Afterdark Charters. Most nights in the spring, summer and fall, he’ll be taking out newbies to the sport. Howle guides his parties to where they can gig flounder and teaches them about the sport of flounder gigging. On an average night, Howle and his party will take as few as five flounder to as many as 20. “In Alabama, we can harvest five flounder per person,” Howle explained. “If we gig in Mississippi waters, we can take 10 flounder per person, per night. We usually leave at dark and return to the dock around 12:00 midnight or 1:00 am. Our average flounder will be 18-20 inches in length.” HOWLE’S FLOUNDERING EQUIPMENT Howle started his flounder-gigging career and business by wade gigging for flounder wearing an inexpensive pair of Magellan wading shoes from Academy Sports. “Wading shoes can protect your feet from most things on the bottom that may cut, puncture or scrape your feet and are a necessity to wade gig. My shoes seldom last a season,” he said. Howle recommends Jerry’s LEDS, handcrafted and custom-built underwater lights. Like most newcomers, Howle started out with a bright white light, but after researching Jerry’s LEDS, he found them to be super-bright and durable, giving off a yellow light. He said that If you’re gigging somewhat-dingy water, the yellow light seems to cut through the stained water best. Since this light draws more power out of the battery you use to operate it than most lights do, Howle has a larger battery that fits in a backpack he’s purchased from Battery Source in Mobile. With two batteries, Howle can get about five to six hours of battery life to constantly run his Jerry’s LEDS. You can buy a pole for the light from the Jerry’s LEDS website too, but Howle makes his own poles using five foot-long, 3/4” PVC pipe. Howle recommends that a wader carry a floating stringer tied to his belt. Then when he gets a flounder on his gig, he can take the stringer off his belt, run the pointed end of the stringer through the flounder’s mouth and slide the fish down the stringer, allowing the float on the stringer’s other end to ride the flounder high in the water. Howle’s gig head is a Cosson, a custom, hand-crafted gig head that can be purchased at Brunson Nets in Foley or from Cosson’s Facebook page. Howle
“At certain times of the year, I love to gig in the marsh. But in the summer months, the beaches on the gulf seem to produce better,” Howle noted. The main beaches he gigs in Alabama are Dauphin Island and other islands. However, he also gigs in Mississippi, which is about 40-minutes away from his home. “There seems to be a lot more marsh area in Mississippi, and usually the water is much clearer in the Mississippi Marsh than it is in the Alabama marsh,” he noted. Another critical key to finding flounder to gig is keeping up with the tides. On a falling tide, Howle prefers to gig in Alabama and Mississippi marshes because as the tide falls, bait fish, small crabs and shrimp start pulling out of the marsh into little drainage areas where the flounder can lay on the bottom at their mouths and have the bait come to them. Howle prefers to fish the beaches on an incoming tide, since the flounder can’t hide there like they can in the marshes. The flounder only can go as far as the edges of the beach, making them easier to find. Mississippi also has a more-liberal flounder limit of 10 per person than Alabama does with 5 per person. He always takes a quality insect repellent with him, regardless of where he’s fishing. CLAUDE TEED FLOUNDER GIGGER EXTRAORDINAIRE According to Scott Bannon, Marine Resources Division Director for Alabama’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, “Claude Teed is one of the best recreational flounder giggers in south Alabama.” Forty-five year-old Teed of Theodore, Ala., can’t remember a time when he hasn’t gigged flounder along Alabama’s Gulf Coast and its back bays. PLACES TO FLOUNDER “The time of the year determines where I expect to find the most flounder,” Teed said. “I gig flounder all year long, so I hunt different places in the spring, the summer and the winter. I start at Dauphin Island, the Grand Bay area, the Fowl River and Mobile Bay. If the tide’s falling, I begin my night looking for points, oyster-shell reefs and sandy bottom places. If the tide’s coming in, I’ll search for flounder around grassy places,” Teed noted. “The water’s clarity plays a major role in how-many flounder I can see and gig. The fastest I’ve ever filled my limit of five flounder was in 30 minutes. That night had a falling tide and clear water, and the flounder were stacked-up close to the bank. Flounder gigging is so much fun, and I love to eat delicious flounder. My biggest flounder ever weighed 9-1/2 pounds. Although the state has a 14-inch minimum size limit on flounder, I rarely gig a flounder less than 18-inches long,” “Average summertime flounder, usually males, generally weigh about 2-1/2 pounds. Winter flounder, which are mostly females,typically weigh 3-1/2 pounds. Possibly the winter flounder are heavier because they feed and gain weight just before they move offshore to dodge the cold weather in the more-shallow waters,” Teed said. 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // JULY 2021 23
For Those That Do, The Seasons Never End
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Flounder Gigging Tips and Equipment Essentials
Teed considers a falling tide, a full moon and clear water the perfect night for gigging flounder. He mentioned that you may see a flounder’s outline or perhaps only a flounder’s eyeballs above the sand. His best floundering nights ever are when three people in his boat take limits of 15 flounder in 4-5 hours.
flounder gigs and frog gigs.” Flounder are fun to gig, delicious to eat and often plentiful on the beaches and in the back bays on the Upper Gulf Coast.
TEED’S FLOUNDERING EQUIPMENT Teed likes a Triton 3-prong gig that he purchases at Brunson Nets and attaches to a 12-foot pole. He started floundering by wading and gigging; however, today he uses a boat. He has seven, 20,000 lumen LED lights on the front and around the sides of his boat, much like those bow fishermen use, and powers the lights with a small generator that he says doesn’t spook the flounder. He advocates using a small flat-bottom Jon Boat that drafts little water and can be maneuvered in only one to two and half foot deep water. JIM COSSON’S CUSTOM GIG HEADS Jim Cosson of DeFuniak Springs, Florida, had prostate cancer and learned that the surgery he needed cost $8,000. “When I found that out, I had to figure how to come up with a lot of cash. When I was a boy, my dad bought a welding machine and taught us boys how to weld. So, I took a week’s vacation from work, built a bunch of flounder gigs and then visited some major Florida sporting-goods stores. But none of the buyers were interested in my gigs. I noticed a fellow stayed nearby while I explained that my gigs were custom-made from stainless steel and featured quality points and barbs. This fellow stopped me and said, ‘I’ve got a friend who gigs flounder commercially, and he knows everyone who gigs flounder in this area.’ “He took me to meet his friend, and that one man bought all the gig heads I had. The Good Lord blessed that trip. My church and I raised the rest of the money I needed to pay for my surgery. After my surgery, I tried to learn how to build the best flounder gigs ever from the Internet. Today, I build quality
One of Claude Teed’s better flounder, pictured here, measured a whopping 22 inches in length.
FLOUNDER LIMITS Scott Bannon, the Division Director of Marine Resources, says “The limit for recreational flounder giggers is the same as the limit for hook-and-line anglers. That is five flounder per person per night. The length limit on flounder has changed from last year and is 14 inches today. Remember, flounder will look bigger than they really are when in the water. If you’re planning a flounder trip, the wind will be your best friend. Look for places where you can get on the leeward side of an island or a body of water to find the clearest water. Don’t forget that flounder move on tide changes.”
TM
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WWW.BNMPOLES.COM 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // JULY 2021 25
Flounder Gigging Tips and Equipment Essentials
Multitudes of various kinds of fish, crabs and shrimp swarm into ankle-deep water along the Eastern Shore of Mobile Bay when a jubilee occurs. (Photo courtesy of the Fairhope Museum of History).
JUBILEES WITH SCOTT BANNON Jubilees are fairly-rare occurrences, and Bannon reports that to the best of his knowledge, jubilees only occur in two places in the world - here in Alabama, and at another location in Japan. A jubilee takes place during a low-oxygen event and no wind. “The oxygen in the water will be hot, and the air will be stagnant,” Bannon explained. “A jubilee usually occurs on a neap tide. The fish, shrimp and crabs experiencing a low-oxygen event will move into the very-shallow water. Historically jubilees have been reported on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay at Fairhope and the southern part of the bay. Occasionally, smaller jubilees occur on the western shore of Mobile Bay. In the past, before social media became so prevalent, there was a secret list of people to contact kept by eastern shore fishermen, who would walk the bay at night when the air was stagnant during a neap tide. They’d look for fish, crabs and shrimp right up against the bank. The people on the list would grab ice coolers, wash tubs and lights and head to the shore to catch large numbers of flounder, shrimp and crabs.” However, Bannon mentions that a problem associated with jubilees is that people want to exceed the bag limits on fish, crabs and shrimp and may not have saltwater fishing licenses. An old wives’ tale that has been perpetuated over the years is that the flounder, shrimp and crabs will die when they move into that ankle-deep water trying to get more oxygen. But, according to Bannon, “All that’s required to revive the fish is a tide change, and then they’ll move back into deeper water.”
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Flounder Gigging Tips and Equipment Essentials
Top Flounder Fishing Guide Bruce Howle of Afterdark Charters – 5 Star Rating https:// www.facebook.com/gulfcoastfishingadventures/ (251) 214-8326 Hand-Held and Boat-Mounted Lights and Batteries for Floundering * AlumiGlo Flounder Lights https://www.fishinglightsetc.com/shop/flounder-lights/ * Battery Source – Mobile, Alabama https://www.batterysource.com/ * Boat Lights US https://www.facebook.com/BoatLightsUS/ * Jerry’s LEDS https://www.jerrysleds.com/ * Lights for above and under the water for wading to flounder, and Batteries and Jig Heads http://www.gigflounder.com/ * Ultimate Gig Lights Boat light systems that don’t require a generator and operate on a 12 VDC deep-cycle battery to provide 10 hours of lights. https://www.ultimategiglights.com/ Flounder Gig Heads * Brunson Nets 5 Star Rating on Products https://www.facebook.com/brunsonnet/ (251) 943-6911 Cosson Gigs https://www.facebook.com/jacosalaqua79/ (850) 635-1826 Recipe courtesy of Denise Phillips www.nighthawkpublications.com
Roussos Seafood Restaurant’s Baked Stuffed Flounder Prep: 10 mins • Cook: 15 mins • Total: 25 mins
Ingredients • 1/2-pound butter • 1 cup white onion, minced • 1/2-cup green onions, minced • 1-1/2-cups celery, minced • 3 cloves garlic, minced • 1 cup parsley, chopped • 2 cups seasoned breadcrumbs • 2 cups cornbread, finely chopped • 1/2-pound fresh crabmeat • Salt and pepper, to taste • 8 flounder (1- to 1-1/2-pounds each) • 16 whole fresh shrimp Instructions In butter, sauté white onions, green onions, celery, garlic and parsley. Gradually stir in 1 cup of bread and 1 cup of cornbread, cooking until thickened. Add crabmeat and thicken further with remaining breadcrumbs and cornbread. Add salt and pepper to taste. To prepare flounder: split each flounder, and fill with dressing. Garnish each fish with 2 whole shrimp. Then cook under the broiler for about 15 minutes or until the fish are done.
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Choosing the Best Tractor and Equipment For Your Money BY DAVID STRICKLAND
An enclosed cab is a good option that allows you to ignore the bugs and weather.
28 JULY 2021 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
LIFESTYLE So you’ve rationalized your need for a tractor to the point you are now ready to begin your search. You want to get the most for your money, but you also want something dependable with a lifespan of decades and not just a few years. Taking the time to learn the actual cost of long-term ownership can help you decide if you buy new or used and where you ultimately make that purchase. Whether you cruise your community looking for a used machine or visit a dealer like SunSouth, headquartered out of Dothan, AL with multiple locations, can depend on looking at the bigger picture. You can calculate your yearly fuel costs, routine maintenance and even add a little to your budget for the occasional broken part. However, there are still a few more considerations about long-term ownership that might sway your final decision and provide you with a better idea of the ultimate cost. BEGINNING YOUR SEARCH It’s a good idea to take a pen & paper and make a list of the tasks you will most often perform with the aid of your new machine. You might even write down a few questions before you start kicking the tires on a potential candidate. If you decide to go the used tractor route, you need to know what to look for to ensure that it’s in good working order. Hour meters are essential, but they don’t tell the whole story. Knowing the service and repair history is vital to a good evaluation. Also, what accessories are you going to need down the road? Will you be trailering your machine to remote locations? Will you need auxiliary power for devices or tools? Will you occasionally leave your machine in remote areas that might be tough to reach in your everyday truck? VISITING A LOCAL DEALER I took a list of questions about new and used tractors and also discussed the other equipment that my local SunSouth dealer in Tuscaloosa has to offer. I sat down with master salesman Drew Shirley, who has been in the tractor business for 15 years, to better understand what is meant by the term “Ultimate Cost.” Shirley said that about 50% of his customers are first-time buyers with lots of questions. “Let’s say you need a part for a 20-year-old John Deere. There’s a good chance we have it in stock in our parts department or at any of the other 20 SunSouth stores in Mississippi, Alabama, or Georgia. If it’s not in stock we can quickly deliver it to wherever it’s needed,” Shirley said.. “That’s an important aspect to long-term ownership. Knowing that factory-certified mechanics will help you keep your equipment in tip-top shape and that parts will be available down the road is how we help customers estimate the ultimate cost.” “Our customers are surprised when they walk into our showroom and see Stihl chainsaws, weed eaters, blowers, and even pressure washers to keep their equipment clean,” Shirley said. “John Deere has partnered with Stihl and Honda to carry a line of products that complements the equipment that landowners and businesses need for farming, landscaping, and commercial applications.” SERVICE & PARTS “The fact that we offer pick-up and delivery, on-site service, in-store financing, extended warranties, and can service your equipment or sell you parts on a Saturday is part of our long-term commitment to customer satisfaction,” Shirley added. “People sometimes think that purchasing a new, or even a used John Deere is out of their budget. When we explain our financing options and the package deals we offer, they are surprised that there is often very little price difference between new and used equipment, especially in today’s market.” “SunSouth also offers a customer portal that allows you to track your equipment purchases, order parts, request service, and print invoices from your mobile device. It’s a great tool to help customers organize and keep a record of everything related to their equipment,” Shirley noted.. Shirley also talked a little about the history of John Deere and the proud heritage it represents. 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // JULY 2021 29
Come See Our Inventory!
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1-800-I’M-READY (467-3239) www.bucksisland.com 4500 Hwy. 77 • Southside, AL 35907 30 JULY 2021 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
Choosing the Best Tractor and Equipment For Your Money
SunSouth has partnered with Stihl & Honda to provide the homeowner or business an impressive variety of electric and gas powered tools to maintain their property.
“It is a deeply rooted American company with 15 factories in the U.S. They have other factories across the globe, but most of the equipment you see at our dealers is made right here in the U.S,” he said. COMPACT SERIES Determining how many acres your tractor or lawnmower will be taking care of is critical when it comes to making your final choice. The popularity of compact tractors reflects a growing trend that sees many families becoming more involved in brush clearing, fencing, gardening, and wildlife habitat. There are over 20 models to choose from in the John Deere tractor Compact Series, and their website lists over 200 commercial-grade attachments. This versatility allows owners to accomplish everything from mowing lawns to clearing land.
the mud off the tires and keep your equipment clean, a high-volume water pump, chainsaw, blower, weed eater, hedge trimmers or a trailer to haul it all also qualifies. For the average home-owner, a tractor is their largest and most powerful piece of equipment. It is the primary tool for a farmer, landscaper, or someone in forestry. Anyone who has owned a tractor for any length of time gathers peripheral items such as chains, straps, and tie-downs. It’s an added bonus to know that all these items are available at your local SunSouth dealer.
The ability to adapt and connect your tractor to various commercial-grade attachments with a simple, secure system like the one developed by John Deere is a bonus. It makes going from grass cutting to setting fence posts a much simpler task with their new Quick-Kinect system.
FINAL THOUGHTS The amount of land and your budget will ultimately determine the right-sized tractor and the attachments that will meet your needs. To arrive at the Ultimate Costs, you need to factor in the initial purchase price, attachments, operating cost, and depreciation. You can then subtract the value of the potential and actual work it can perform multiplied by its lifespan. A premium brand that is well maintained will hold its value for many years to come. The availability of parts 10-20 years down the road is also an additional benefit.
ACCESSORIES Anything that allows flexibility or assistance in how you use your machine is my definition of an accessory. That might mean a dedicated lawn mower verses. a mowing attachment. It might also mean a Gator UTV or side-byside to haul fuel, a generator, or to check fences. A pressure washer to clean
Whether you have a lawn-care, landscaping, logging, or construction business, or just a landowner ready to get serious around your homestead, knowing the long-term value of your investment can help you decide which tractor you will bring home. It might even determine if you park it in the front yard...or around back. 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // JULY 2021 31
Conservation, Mitigation and Land-Owner Profits BY FRANK SARGEANT
Mallards and other puddle ducks quickly find improved wetlands and make use of them.
Biologists and engineers from DU are available for landowner consultation on wetlands improvement projects.
32 JULY 2021 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
Marsh restorations are not only good for waterfowl and other wildlife, they can also be profitable for landowners.
Managing Wild Turkeys Through Teamwork
Having your cake and eating it too is everybody’s goal in life, but we soon learn in most pursuits that’s impossible. However, it’s not necessarily the case when you put money into creating a great duck hunting and fishing area for yourself, your family and friends, because that investment may pay you back not only in years of recreation but also in cold, hard cash if you use it as “mitigation” for other undeveloped property you own, or that a nearby developer owns, that can be developed to a higher level. In addition, the conservation land itself is also likely to become more valuable as it produces improved hunting, fishing and outdoors recreation. Improving land for fish and wildlife—and for anglers and hunters—has become a path to profit for many landowners as the outreach programs of Ducks Unlimited (DU) have assisted land buyers and land owners in making their land more friendly to wildlife and to eventual profit on mitigation and sometimes resale. Dr. Tom Moorman, former chief scientist with Ducks Unlimited, says that working with landowners is an integral part of Ducks Unlimited’s mission. “Those who own land and care about wetlands and wildlife can help DU protect and restore wetlands and other types of habitat on their land. By letting DU know that you, or someone you know, own land and are interested in conservation, you are helping DU achieve its mission of protecting, restoring and managing wetlands for waterfowl, other wildlife and people,” Moorman said. DU has teams of biologists and engineers that provide wetland restoration, management and protection services directly to landowners. When a private land project is matched up with wetland mitigation funds, the result is improved habitat for wildlife,and possibly also financial gain to the landowner. “Conservation easements protect private lands. Easements are tailored to
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LIFESTYLE the money spent of onthe turkey permits, which isallowing part offor thethe licensmeet the needs and interests individual landowner, protection of natural habitats while continuing use of the land forthat economic ingkey requirement to hunt turkeys in Florida, goes into fund. gain or recreation,” Moorman said. “Such protection assures that large areas of riparian wetland and important willare be preserved in perpetuity, “Manyhabitats hunters and NWTF uplands members heavily involved in for the benefit of waterfowl raising funds forand theother wildwildlife, turkey and and for its future habitatgenerations.” by participating in NWTF hunting heritage banquets, whereby a portion of
DU has a long history of wetland conservation across the country, and also those funds raised goes into the cost-share program,” Nicholhas relationships with landowners and agencies. This network, combined with son said. “Hunters’ hunting equipment helps comprehensive knowledge of thepurchases restorationoflandscape, enables DUalso to locate support wildlife conservation through the Wildlife and Sport sites suitable for mitigation and other ecological services,” he said..
Fish Restoration Program, which brings federal grant funding to the state wildlifeMitigation management agencies suchmitigation as the FWC.” According to National Banking Association, banking is defined as “the restoration, creation, enhancement, or preservation of a wetland, stream, or other habitat areaeffort undertaken expressly the purpose Through this combined from the NWTF, for FWC, FFS and of compensating unavoidable resource losses in advance of development Floridaforturkey hunters, the wild turkey population is healthy actions, when compensation cannotAnd, be achieved development site andthe flourishing in Florida. if you’reata the turkey hunter, then or would notyou be must as environmentally beneficial.” be getting excited because spring turkey season
and the youth turkey hunt weekends are just around the
DU contributes to numerous private land restorations and mitigation projects corner. by handling project costs, offering wetland protection in perpetuity through conservation easement contracts, providing consultation with biologists and supplying engineering and construction services. Their conservation Contactdesign Information efforts extend well beyond the realm of waterfowl to benefit over 900 species of wildlife (including numerous speciesProgram listed as threatened and endangered), Wild Turkey Cost-Share improve waterFlorida qualityState and promote health across the Federation continent. Chapter ecosystem of the National Wild Turkey (NWTF) “Contact DU’sFlorida regional offices for free help from their Commission experts,” Moorman Fish and Wildlife Conservation (FWC)adForest offices Serviceand (FFS) vised. “CheckFlorida with regional they can often get one of our biologists Green Swamp Wildlife Management Areado(WMA) out there to provide advice. Some state agencies also this, but DU has Gulf Coastal Plain Ecosystem Partnership particular expertise in managing for waterfowl.” Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program Even if your land has not historically had ducks, good management can bring
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Conservation, Mitigation and Land-Owner Profits
them in, Moorman advised..
“Some of the best areas are close to managed waterfowl refuges, within 25 miles or so. It’s great if you can get neighbors to participate also,the more of these areas that are close together, the more birds you’ll all have,” Moorman noted. Adam Putnam, CEO of DU, notes that habitat work produces up to 30 percent of the funding for Ducks Unlimited projects around the continent. “State agencies match our funds to stretch conservation dollars further. DU has conserved or restored over 14 million acres since founding. Some are a dozen acres, some are thousands of acres. We help more than hunters—outdoor recreation, bird watchers, anglers, kayakers and lots more. And of course these marshes are great water cleaners. We believe in public lands access and management—not untouched preservation,” Putnam said.. Here’s how the process works, according to Moorman.
Landowners and friends can enjoy great hunting on improved wetlands, while also increasing the value of the land.
“A landowner proposes a bank, designs it with an expert from DU or the state wildlife agency and then takes the plan to the U.S. Corps of Engineers for approval. If approved, he gets x-number of credits to sell. Credits might be worth $3000 each. He can sell those credits to a developer who is developing wetlands elsewhere to offset. “The developer has to buy three acres of credits for every one destroyed. The landowner pays the cost of restoring the wetland, but you can definitely profit from this work as well as help waterfowl. You maintain the wetlands for an extended period as the holder of the bank. The developer must purchase credits close to the site of his destroyed wetland, with approval of the Corps of Engineers. So both sides are profiting, and so is wildlife.” Moorman said that it also may be possible to benefit by donating some “Priority Wetlands” as a tax hedge. DU biologists inspect the property and if it’s found suitable, they approve for a conservation easement. “The owner gives up rights to develop, but still can hunt and fish, manage and harvest timber and enjoy it in other ways. The property is appraised with the easement and without the easement the difference is deductible on federal taxes over a 16-year extended period.” There are some cautions, however, according to Moorman. “Have a business plan to include ALL your upfront costs to assure you make money after everything is added in,” he advised. “Contact your regional DU office and get the staffer who handles mitigation banking. You then have the option of hiring DU to design the wetland. We sometimes participate in the mitigation bank as a joint venture—we are allowed to make a profit on mitigation credits if we put it back into wetland conservation, so it’s a revenue source that helps fund our mission. We can be either a contractor or a business partner. You still own the property that’s in the bank, but it must remain in wetlands. With a conservation easement on it, it can be sold but the next owner must also maintain the wetlands. It assures long-term preservation, and it can make you a profit.” Local banks are often willing to assist in these programs. Brandon Simpson is assistant vice president from First South Farm Credit, which is a member-owned cooperative with 9,000 members in 44 branches in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana, all prime Mississippi Flyway country. Simpson says getting pre-approved for a loan on mitigation lands buying and development simply entails stopping into a First South office and providing some basic information, such as tax returns, pay stubs, driver’s license, sometimes bank statements and some other data in order to tailor a program for the customer and issue a pre-approval letter. 34 JULY 2021 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
Contact Information First South Farm Credit 800-955-1722 www.firstsouthfarmcredit.com https://www.ducks.org/conservation/du-wetland-mitigation Southeast Regional Office call 601-956-1936.
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The Frequently Asked Questions of Pond Ownership BY WILLIAM KENDY
Electrofishing is an effective tool not only establish the predator population of a pond but to remove the fish in your target range.
36 JULY 2021 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
FISHING As president of Southeastern Pond Management Noman Latona has pretty much seen and heard it all when it comes to managing fish ponds and lakes.
cious feeders, eat all the big stuff and then are forced to eat the little fish which doesn’t really do much to stimulate growth so the fish adapt to a leaner environment.
SEPond services a large part of the Southeast and provides ecosystem analysis, management programs, pond construction, liming, fertilizing, fish inventory assessment, removal processes, stocking of forage and game fish, pond maintenance and more.
“The bass don’t know that they are supposed to weigh two pounds when they are about a year old or five pounds at two or three years,” Latona said. They adapt to whatever conditions are present in terms of foraging.”
On a recent GDO Alabama Freshwater Fishing Report podcast we were able to ask Latona a couple of the most common questions sent to us by listeners. Question #1: Why are all the bass in my pond small? Latona pointed out that if it is a new pond that is only one or two years old, the bass are small because they are not very mature. On the other hand, if it is an established pond that has been around for a while, the reason is most likely that the pond is “predator crowded”. In other words, there are too many hungry fish and not enough or not big enough food for them to all eat to grow. They have exceeded the “carrying capacity” of the pond to grow large fish. “What happens is that every year the bass spawn and multiply and a new crop of bass comes out and this just adds to the overall number. They grow fairly well until they are six, eight or up to 10 inches in size,” Latona explained. “Typically, these ponds are full of bluegill and they spawn like crazy, every 30 days or so and they supply an ample supply of fry for the bass to eat until they transition to a size where they need larger forage to continue to grow.” The reality is that in predator crowded lakes the bass, which are vora-
Bass respond to this scenario by becoming semi dormant. They will seek out the coolest, quietest water where they can duck under cover and just wait for something to swim in front of their mouths. They are not actively searching for food since it is inefficient and a waste of energy. So, it seems logical to think that if these fish are in a “starvation/survival mode” but are hungry why don’t they hit every bait or lure you throw out to them? You would think they would attack anything that resembles a decent meal. According to Latona, when bass adapt to an environment with a limited amount of food they have changed and adapted their behavior. They might not eat much of anything for days or even weeks and just shut down to a point and that makes catching fish in predator crowded lakes actually harder than in a balanced pond, even though there are more fish. Even if there are forage fish in the pond, that forage needs to be of a size that will provide the nutrition to help grow a respectable bass. While bluegill fry may be wonderful for two- or three-inch bass, it is like popcorn for larger fish and just isn’t worth the time or effort and certainly isn’t going to sustain any sort of real growth rate. Latona said it is the same as if you put a bowl or rice at the end of your driveway and then run down from the garage to the bowl of rice and eat
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Southeastern Pond Management Frequently Asked Questions
one grain and then run back to your garage. If you keep repeating that you are just wearing yourself out and certainly not beefing up. “They are not putting their mouth on something that benefits them beyond the energy it took to catch it,” Latona said. One of Latona’s key indicators of a “predator crowded” pond is the presence of a ton of fry and a lot of eight- and nine-inch bluegills but nothing in between. That is critical because the three-to-five-inch bluegills will do the 12–14-inch bass the most good. The larger bluegill are pretty much “predator proof” since it takes a fairly big bass to swallow an 8-inch bluegill. So what is the solution? The answer to the stunted bass problem is simply to increase the amount of forage but the solution is twofold. The first step is to decrease the number of predators. In other words, remove 30, 40 and even 50 pounds or more of bass per acre per year. The second step is to add intermediate size forage fish in the three-tofive-inch range that will most benefit the stunted 12–14-inch bass. Doing one doesn’t work very well without the other. “Corrective or supplemental stocking of forage is critically important but the harvest side is equally as important,” Latona said. “If we start adding forage alone and we don’t do anything about the overcrowding, we’re going to be right back in the same boat and it is a losing proposition.” Latona feels that it is best to target the crowded segment of the bass population which is typically in the 10 to 13 and maybe, depending on the pond, up to 14 inches. When you couple the removal of fish with the introduction of suitable forage is where you will see dramatic results.
What is the best way to harvest excess bass? The most obvious answer is to catch them by hook and line. That sounds well and good but unless you want to open up your pond for a bunch of fishermen, maybe hold a fishing tournament or two or devote a lot of time trying to catch them, taking out 40,50, 60 or even 70 pounds an acre annually is a daunting task. “There’s a little bit of a concern when you start harvesting with hook and line and you’re keeping everything you catch which may be the most aggressive fish, the ones that bite artificial lures and the ones you don’t want to eliminate,” Latona said. “Hook and line harvesting can be effective but it has to be done consistently.” The answer is electrofishing. Electrofishing basically stuns the fish and then they can be collected for tagging, measurement, research and even harvesting. The process doesn’t permanently harm the fish and allows you to keep the fish in your target range and release the others. It enables you to get a “profile” of your pond and identify the forage base, the predators and is a tool that you can use to manage your pond and grow bigger and healthier bass if that is your goal. Question #2: I caught a nine-pound bass in my lake and wondered how old it was. Latona said that there are a number of factors that come into play when it comes to age analysis and it is very difficult to guess how old a fish is without knowing a lot of detail about the fish populations, age, nutrition and genetics. “Bass are capable of growing at a rate of three pounds a year but that is optimal and kind of perfect foraging scenario,” Latona said. “It isn’t un-
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Southeastern Pond Management Frequently Asked Questions
usual to see bass grow at about a pound a year in balanced ponds but the only way to know for sure, other than knowing when the pond was stocked is to age the fish and unfortunately, you have to kill it to do it.” Bass have a little bone in the inner ear called an “otolith” which is a calcium carbonate structure that can be dissected and ground down and, when put under a dissecting scope, shows rings that can be counted much like rings to count the age of a tree. “Proper fish harvest combined with an efficient forage base can make the difference between mediocre fishing where you are catching 12-to14-inch fish to outstanding fishing where you are catching five-pound fish every time you go,” Latona concluded.
Contact Information Southeastern Pond Management Norman Latona 205-288-1371 www.sepond.com nlatona@sepond.com
Electrofishing can not only measure the predator population but establish baseline data on your forage fish base.
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Ways To Make
MONEY Investing in Land
PART 1
BY JOE BAYA
Everyone has heard that land is a safe and stable investment, but you may not know why. In this multi-part series, we’re going to learn all of the different ways that you can make money investing in land. LEVERAGE The first way we’ll discuss that land can make you money is through leverage. Leverage is using borrowed capital for an investment while expecting the profits made to be greater than the interest payable. Daily Thomas, vice president and branch manager of First South Farm Credit in Birmingham said that while interest rates have been historically low, lately they have been creeping up a little but have been holding pretty steady in the low to mid 3% level for shorter term fixed products and up to the low and mid 5% mark for longer term instruments. “The stock market has been pretty good lately and if you can make eight to ten percent in the market with your money, why not borrow funds at four percent to purchase land? You’re still clearing six percent just from that and you are anchoring your portfolio with a non-depreciable asset that most likely is going to appreciate in value over time,” Thomas said. “So, it is kind of a win-win there.” Let’s take the following example: If I invest 100,000 of my own cash in land, and that land’s value goes up $8,000, I’ve made an 8% return on investment. Using leverage, if I invest $20,000 of my own cash in land while borrowing $80,000 and my land goes up 8,000, I’ve made $8,000 on $20,000, or 40% before debt service. Land (Real Estate) is one of the few assets that you can leverage to acquire. LEVERAGE VERSATILITY If you have enough equity in a piece of property and a good investment comes up, you can use your existing parcel to leverage the purchase of the other property. “If a person has property that’s paid for, and they want to buy another piece of property, we can take a mortgage loan on what they already own, using the equity there and they are basically covering their down payment with the property they already have,” Thomas said. “Equity loans or even lines of credit are options for timber management or having available funds for livestock. As far as the versatility of land goes there are a lot of possibilities” Thomas said that while short term gains can be made on land, it is basically a long-term investment. “Land is a long-term investment and even with some short-term dips over a 30-year period the chances are really, really good that the value is going to be worth more than it is today,” Thomas said. “So, hang on to it and you should come out ahead.” Leverage is a powerful tool that, when used to buy good investments, can compound your wealth building. While the possibilities of the above examples are exciting, it’s important to understand that leverage cuts both ways. If your investment goes down in value, the percentage loss is also compounded negatively. Anytime you use leverage to make money, you had better make sure you do your homework into what factors may cause a land’s value to go up. It is important to seek out experts (like land professionals) who understand the different components of value in a property and can help you spot which properties have the best chances for appreciation and possibilities for earning increasing revenue. APPRECIATION It goes without saying that the value of the property is greatly influenced by location and demand. A parcel of land in what was once considered a “remote” location may now, because of spreading population and growth
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LIFESTYLE patterns, be in a prime location and suddenly in demand for development and transitions to a “higher and better” use. While I’d argue that our rural land is of the “highest and best” use as it sits, certain characteristics of the property, such as physical and legal access, along with location, may make it attractive to industrial and business interests and even for municipal projects like roads, major highways, business parks and even airports. That all equates to property appreciation.
LEASING Hunting and farming leases are another way that you can increase net operating income (NOI) from the tract. If you have a piece of property that you aren’t personally using, it makes sense to put the dirt to work and derive some income from the land. While hunting and farming leases are common, there are an increasing number of ways that landowners can share their property to generate revenue.
An industry “rule of thumb” is that a property owner can expect to see his dirt appreciate at a compounded interest rate of around 1.5% a year for basically just holding on to it. It can go up to around 10% or even higher depending on a development plan for site improvement and enhancement and the attributes of the property itself. This is independent of commodities being produced on the property such as timber or crops.
New York based company Tentrr is aiming to help landowners earn more income by sharing their land for camping. They even set up luxury campsites on your property that guests can then rent for the night or the weekend. They’ve created a marketplace where landowners can even sell their camping guests extras such as firewood or kayak rentals.
For example, there may be timber that can be harvested on a rotating scale, farming or even mining and mineral extraction that can help appreciate the value of the parcel. Some of those improvements can be depreciated. You can do a number of things to “force” appreciate the value of the land and that includes building and developing barns, camps, road systems, food plots, ponds, or even converting an existing stand of pine trees into pine straw production. Anything out there that if you spend $1 on and it gives you a return over and above that $1, that is a cost-effective improvement. In addition, there are certain improvements, such as burning, spraying, road work, construction of fire lanes that can be written off your taxes that year so appreciation and depreciation really helps at both ends.
AS you can see, land is a versatile resource that offers many opportunities to make money and enjoy the property at the same time. Try doing that with a publicly traded stock. In part 2, we’re going to learn about even more ways that landowners are making money. Did you know you can get paid to NOT cut your trees? Stay tuned… Contact Information First South Farm Credit www.First south land.com 800-955-1722 Joe Baya National Land Realty jbaya@nationalland.com 855- NLR-LAND
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BLUE MARLIN MAGIC BY FRANK SARGEANT
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FISHING Blue marlin are what fisheries scientists call “obligate ram ventilators”, which means they have to swim constantly to move oxygenated water over their gills—unlike a redfish or a red snapper, they can’t pump their gill plates to breathe. Not surprisingly, this results in them covering a lot of territory. As any offshore angler knows they can be here today, 40 miles away tomorrow.
“We map the most recent up-wellings and down-wellings, water temperatures, chlorophyll levels, which predicate water clarity-, ocean eddies and currents, wind direction, salinity levels, bottom structure, Fish Attracting Devices (FAD), oil and gas rigs and the actual daily movement of drill ships and other moreor-less permanent structure out there,”Hilton said. “Where the most favorable conditions intersect, the angler has the best chance of finding billfish.”
Finding them in the Gulf of Mexico, 1,000 miles from east to west and 580 miles from north to south is definitely a challenge, especially in a one-day trip.
Hilton said that one of the most important functions his service can provide marlin fishermen is up-to-date, detailed water temperature offshore.
Still, billfish have some very specific habitat preferences based on water temperature, ocean currents, water clarity and food availability.
“The marlin are going to move to find the upper 70’s temperature as the lower end of their comfort range, and that trumps everything else in spring and fall,” Hilton said.. “In summer, on the other hand, the water in some areas actually gets too warm for them, in the high 80’s/low 90’s, so the marlin (and the fishermen) are looking for the coolest water they can find.”
According to a study by the University of Miami School of Marine Science, billfish spend up to 75 percent of their time within 50 feet of the surface that can make them vulnerable. That means surface conditions are critical, even though they sometimes dive to feed and can temporarily endure much colder water in the depths.
The conditions are in constant motion in the Gulf, but Hilton said that his system allows captains to monitor the trends and project where things will be right on their fishing days.
Blues to around 300 pounds mostly eat small (under 10 pounds) tuna including skipjack, little tunny and blackfins, as well as mahi, rainbow runners, squid and other smaller species. Bigger fish seek bigger prey—that rare grander may gulp down a 50-pound yellowfin! The tunas, mahi and other species gather where the conditions for the base of the food chain-- water temperature, oxygen level and water clarity--make for easy living. So do the marlin that eat them. Finding the fish often means finding the prey species, which is why a service like Hilton’s Realtime Navigator is becoming a standard feature on many top sportfishing boats. Founder Thomas Hilton has been monitoring ocean conditions on a daily basis for over 17 years. His system makes use of the layering capability of satellite photos to record various parameters offshore daily.
“If you see a temperature break that’s maybe meandering east a few miles a day, that’s likely to continue for some time, so you can plot a course for where it will be on your trip, rather than on where it was in the middle of the week,”Hilton noted. “It saves fuel, it saves time and it saves money.” The Hilton system includes a navigation tool, as well. Once the angler finds the ideal set of conditions he wants to fish, he can quickly draw the nav route from his home port to that location without ever leaving the program. There’s an additional function called the “Trip Planner”, which allows the user to set up to 15 waypoints and save the route, allowing an accurate estimate of running time verses fishing time as well as fuel consumption for the day.
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Blue Marlin Magic
Hilton said that the Gulf Loop Current is the primary current in the Gulf of Mexico, entering via the Straits of Yucatan and hitting the continental shelf just east of the Mississippi Delta. It then curls east to follow the shelf past Destin before turning south about 100 miles offshore of Florida’s “Big Bend” area. This flow of warm, clear water exits the gulf around the south end of the Florida Keys, then flowing north between the state’s east coast and Cuba to become part of the Gulf Stream.
As any offshore angler knows they can be here today, 40 miles away tomorrow. But the massive water motion of the Loop also creates many unnamed whorls and sub-loops, and these are often great spots to find gamefish, defined by water color changes, rips and weedlines. Hilton’s system helps anglers locate these currents, as well as many other fish-attracting conditions. Even all this knowledge rarely makes billfishing easy. Fortunately, there’s an ace in the hole in the Gulf of Mexico. STRUCTURE There are thousands of fish-attracting oil and gas rigs found every few miles offshore along the continental shelf, and in some cases well beyond. Recently deployed FAD’s, now add to the bonanza. Fisheries scientists say fish densities are 20 to 50 times higher around the platforms and FAD’s than in open Gulf waters, so they’re clearly a major part of the offshore fishing equation.
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“The structures on the edge of the continental shelf and beyond are fish magnets,” Hilton said. “They can sometimes ace all the other parameters, because they have what the gamefish want to eat almost all the time.” “There are a lot of structures out there and not all of them are good all of the time. We recommend you find a structure that’s at 600 feet or beyond with as many of the other favorable parameters as possible,” Hilton said.. “A structure that’s got a good current flow, upwellings, clean water and the right temperature is usually going to produce, while one without any of those conditions or only one is rarely going to be a hotspot.” Those who regularly fish the oil structures also note that catching billfish near them is often a live bait regimen, since there’s so much natural food in the water. Slow-trolling a live bonito or blackfin around the structures frequently results in hookups, particularly on those where there are no other boats in sight. Hilton’s released an updated website in April of this year with many new user-friendly features as well as ties to five new satellites providing up-to-date parameters on offshore waters. The RT-NAV app allows customers to download maps with all the favorable conditions to the smartphone for on-the-water navigation. Hilton also noted that the H.E.L.P. look-back feature allows users to see what the parameters were last year and the year before, so that they can make a good estimate of where they might find fish at the same time this year. He calls it “fishing with a rear-view mirror,” a sort of electronic logbook. And as always, Thomas Hilton himself is always available on cell-phone to talk his customers through the program as well as provide a bit of seasoned
Blue Marlin Magic
advice on where the fish are likely to be biting offshore. To learn more about Hilton’s Realtime Navigator, visit https://realtime-navigator.com. TIPS ON MARLIN FISHING Captain Adam Peeples of One Shot Charters in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, regularly charters for blue marlin and swordfish in the Gulf of Mexico and offers these tips for anglers who want to get hooked up: 1.
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Live bait is king for blues around the rigs: Any of the football sized tunas, rigged on a size 12/0 or larger Mustad or Eagle Claw circle hook via floss through the sockets gets them. Pull the bait at 2 to 4 mph, just so it stays lively. Traveling between rigs, make use of Hilton’s to spot the most likely rips and upwellings and troll these areas with fast-moving lures and rigged ballyhoo. You’ll pick up lots of dolphin, wahoo and tuna and maybe get lucky on a blue. If you’re serious about getting a blue to the boat, fish International 80’s loaded with 300 yards of 130-pound-test mono topshot, along with as much hollow-core 100-pound-test braid backing as the reel will hold. A fast boat is an advantage in the Gulf. Peeples runs a 40 foot Invincible Catamaran with quad Mercury 400’s to give him lots of range on targeted billfish charters, a 31 Cape Horn with twin Yamaha 300’s for other targets.
Peeples has caught and released blues to an estimated 800 pounds in his nine years of chartering on the Gulf.
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Land Loan Interest Rate Update BY WILLIAM KENDY
First South Farm Credit (FSFC) has been financing rural land since 1916. Since it was founded over 100 years ago, FSFC now has grown to over 40 branches with 9,000 members and serves the “Deep South” in Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi.
develop his property or its habitat or the amount of wildlife there. If you’re playing in the dirt, we want to be in there with you, as long as you’re improving the value of the dirt, which is the collateral of the loan,” Hart said.
As an affiliate of the national Farm Credit System, a network of borrower-owned lending institutions, First South Farm Credit specializes in providing credit for farming operations that include crops, livestock, land, and timber. FSFC is also chartered to help with financing lifestyle farms, rural home sites or rural land tracts for enjoyment or investment purposes.
But wait, it gets better.
As a rural lender, First South Farm Credit basically lends money to people for pretty much anything that they want to do “in the dirt”. That could be row cropping, growing timber, raising livestock or farming for wildlife. It doesn’t stop there. FSFC can assist a property holder in enhancing the value of the land. That includes things such as improving timber stands, clear-cutting, clearing roads, planting green fields, building ponds and planting trees and shrubs to improve green areas and cover for deer and turkey. It even encompasses lending money for controlled burns and planting of grasses and grain crops for things such as quail development and assisting in constructing access roads. “First South Farm Credit can make construction loans and, if needed, can turn those loans into long-term loans. Some landowners are building secondary homes, hunting cabins or lodges, and others want to put their primary residences on 20 to 30 acres” says Taylor Hart, the branch manager of First South Farm Credit in Opelika, AL. “Perhaps that person wants to sit on his or her back porch and look at a pond and we make loans for pond construction as well.” “First South can make loans for anything a landowner wants to do to 46 JULY 2021 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
In addition to its extensive experience in agricultural and land financing, one thing that sets First South Farm Credit apart from other lenders is that they are a cooperative. When you borrow money from FSFC, you become a member and that means you own part of the business. That ownership entitles you to share in the profits through their Patronage Refund Payment Program. In other words, First South Farm Credit gives its customers, who are actually owners, money back. While it can’t guarantee payments back to you or the exact rate of return, as long as it remains profitable and well capitalized, FSFC is committed to sharing its profits and has made patronage payments for the past 26 consecutive years. As of June 10, 2021, most rates for Land loans at First South Farm Credit are in the low to high 4% range. Stated rates are dependent on an individual’s credit rating, terms of the loan, collateral value, and other deciding factors. First South Farm Credit has sixteen (16) locations in Alabama. You can call 1-800-955-1722 or visit their website at FirstSouthLand. com to find the location nearest you – and to start the conversation about financing your land.
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BY HANK SHAW Photos by Holly A. Heyser
Pan Seared Mahi Mahi Prep: 30 mins • Cook: 45 mins • Total: 1 hr 15 mins Ingredients
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3 cloves garlic, smashed 1/2 onion Salt 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 yellow onion, minced 1 poblano or green bell pepper, minced 2 cups long grain rice 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon dried oregano 2 bay leaves 1/4 cup sherry or cider vinegar Salsa • 1 cucumber, peeled if the skin is bitter • 4 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced • 1 white onion, minced • 2 serrano chiles, minced • 1/2 cup lime juice • Salt to taste • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro Mahi Mahi • 1 1/2 pounds mahi mahi • Salt • 3 tablespoons grapeseed, avocado or other high smoke point oil • Black pepper to taste Instructions Rice 1. Cover the beans with about 3 inches of water and bring to a boil. Add the smashed garlic and the half onion. Simmer until tender, then add salt to taste. Remove the garlic and onion and discard. Strain the liquid off the beans, but save both the beans and the liquid. 2. In a pot you can cook the rice in, sauté the onion and pepper in the olive oil until soft, then add the rice. Sauté this for a minute or two. Measure out enough of the bean liquid to cook the rice in -- look at the package, but it’s normally 2:1 with long-grain rice, so 4 cups. If you don’t have 4 cups of bean cooking liquid left, add water to get there. Pour this in and stir well. 3. Add the beans, cumin, oregano and bay leaves, stir well and cover. Cook the rice until done, then gently fold in the vinegar. Remove the bay leaf. Salsa 4. Dice everything small and toss everything together except the cilantro. You’ll mix that in right when you serve. Hold this at room temperature. Mahi Mahi 5. Salt the fish well and set it on a cutting board or plate at room temperature while you make the rice. I do this once the beans are cooked. 6. Heat a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Pat the fish dry with paper towels. Swirl the oil in the pan, and when you see a wisp of smoke rise, lay the fish down, one at a time. The moment the fish hits the pan, jiggle it a bit to slick the bottom of the fish. Do this with all the fish until the pan is full -- it is important that the pieces of fish do not touch once they get 48 JULY 2021 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
CAMPHOUSE KITCHEN
7.
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to searing. Give it a minute, then tilt the pan to pool the oil and baste the top of the fish with a spoon until the meat turns opaque. Let the fish cook until it can be easily lifted off the pan, about 5 minutes or so. It’s OK if there are a few sticky spots, but it should not be fused to the pan. If it is, keep cooking it. It will release. When the fish is ready, set the pieces seared side up and grind pepper over them. Serve over the rice with the salsa.
Wood Duck with Acorn Dumplings
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Prep: 30 mins • Cook: 20 mins • Total: 50 mins Ingredients Winter Salsa • 1 fennel bulb • 10 Jerusalem artichokes • 1 celery stalk • 2 tablespoons minced chives • 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves • Grated zest and juice of a lemon • 3 to 4 tablespoons hazelnut oil or walnut oil • Smoked salt (or regular salt) Acorn Dumplings • 1/2 cup acorn flour • 3 tablespoons regular flour • 1 cup milk • 2 tablespoons duck fat or butter • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 1 beaten egg • A grating of nutmeg Wood Duck • 4 to 8 wood duck breasts • Salt • 2 teaspoons duck fat, lard or vegetable oil • Hazelnut oil for drizzling Instructions
1. To make the winter salsa, finely dice the carrots, fennel bulb, Jerusalem artichokes and celery. Toss with the lemon juice,
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lemon zest and hazelnut oil in a bowl. Add smoked salt (or regular salt) to taste and set aside. (You’ll add the green herbs later.) To make the acorn dumpling dough, put the milk, duck fat and salt to a simmer in a small pot. Whisk in the acorn and regular flour, turn the heat to low and stir until the dough starts to come off the sides of the pot. Turn off the heat and let the dough cool for about 10 minutes. Stir in the egg and grated nutmeg, then move the dough to a bowl. Cover and let it stand for at least 20 minutes and up to overnight. Take the duck breasts out of the fridge and salt them well. Let them sit on the counter for 30 minutes or so while the dumpling dough rests. While this is happening, bring a large pot of water to a boil, then salt it so it tastes a little salty -- not as salty as pasta water. Once it boils, reduce the heat to a bare simmer for now. Pat the duck breasts dry with a paper towel. If the duck is fatty, put the 2 teaspoons of duck fat in a large sauté pan and turn the heat to medium-high. When it melts, add the duck breasts skin side down. If the duck is not fatty, do the same thing, but let the pan get hot first. Cook the skin side of the duck breasts on medium heat (it should sound like sizzling bacon) until the skin is brown and crispy, about 6 minutes. Turn the breasts over and use the finger test for doneness to determine when they’re ready; I like my duck medium-rare. Take them off the heat and let them rest on the cutting board. While the duck breasts are cooking, turn the heat up on the water to a solid simmer, but still not a boil. Shape the acorn dough into dumplings the size of a walnut with wet hands. Gently drop them into the simmering water and let them cook for a minute or two. Use a spoon or something to nudge them off the bottom of the pot, so they can float when they are cooked through. Once the dumplings float, let them cook for another minute and then move them to a shallow pan. Gently coat them with a little hazelnut oil. Repeat with the rest of the dough. Once the duck breasts are resting, add the green herbs to the winter salsa. Slice the duck breasts and serve skin side up, with a little drizzle of the hazelnut oil, with the dumplings and salsa on the plate. 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // JULY 2021 49
NEW & COOL GEAR BY WILLIAM KENDY
Benjamin Marauder Air Rifle
The Marauder PCP air rifle features an ambidextrous raised comb, reversible bolt, a 10-shot magazine capacity and handles up to 32 consistent shots without a fill. It has a built-in pressure gauge, quick-disconnect Foster fittings for easy refills, an adjustable two-stage match-grade trigger and delivers 31.7 foot pounds of energy making it the perfect air gun for small game hunting and pest control. Available in .17 and .22 caliber. Suggested Retail Price: $529.99 www.pyramydair.com
Easton Introduces Carbon Legacy Traditional Arrow
The Carbon Legacy. Legacy comes fletched with three 4” left wing helical feathers including a traditional barred index feather with combinations of solid red, white, and bright yellow hen feathers. It is accurate, durable, and has exceptional flight visibility. Legacy is available in five popular hunting sizes (340, 400, 500, 600, and 700) and includes RPS inserts and pre-installed 6.5mm 3D Super Nocks. Suggested Retail Price: $69.99 (6-pack, feather-fletched) www.eastonarchery.com
Sea Falcon S Impact Slow Pitch Jig
Designed to stimulate the swimming pattern of an injured fish by having a long fluttering fall and a long fluttering lift. If it is jerked during the lift, it can make some irregular movements. Each jig is hand painted and is available in eight different combinations in weights from four to seven ounces and while it is a multiple species lure, it is targeted for tuna, grouper and snapper. Suggested Retail Price: $23.10 - $29.30 www.seafalcon.usa
Wear a “Snappy” Space Age Belt
The grove belt combines proprietary webbing, rare earth neodymium magnets and A380 aluminum alloy buckle and the result is a tightly woven nylon belt that offers just the right amount of stretch, won’t bunch up and will stay put. All additional “flap” tucks neatly on the inside of the belt. The low-profile neodymium magnets snap together and offer a tight and secure buckle. Suggested Retail Price: $59.95-$64.45 www.groovelife.com
Brella Unisex Non-Restrictive Rain Jacket
Now you can spend more time doing what you want even when it is raining. The high quality Brella unisex waterproof rain jacket integrates the best features of a normal rain jacket and a poncho. It delivers head-to-waste waterproof and wind protection, breathable, non-restrictive upper body mobility, customizable peripheral vision, easy access to a user’s weapon, one size fits all and is packable down to 7”x5” x6”. Suggested Retail Price: $99.00 www.brellabrella.com
50 JULY 2021 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
NEW AND COOL GEAR FOR OUTDOORSMEN
Muddy’s New Merge Wireless Camera:
The Merge wireless camera can capture images up to 26 megapixels and record up to six images per triggering at a blazingly fast trigger speed. All this adds up to clearer and sharper images for the hunter. It has an 80-foot detection and IR range, a quick scan QR code set up, all powered by the Stealth Cam Command Pro app, giving unlimited access anytime, anywhere. Suggested Retail Price: $149.99 www.gomuddy.com.
Koola Anti-Microbial Game Bags Offers Game Meat Protection
Prevent your meat from spoilage for flies and microbes with Koola buck antimicrobial game bags. All Koola bags are permeated with a blend of natural, flavorless acids derived from fruits and other bacterial inhibitors to stop spoilage organisms on the surface of the meat before they even get started. Made from a tightly-woven, stretch and form fitting cotton/polyester blend with a doublestitched bottom. 13 different options available. Suggested Retail Price: $8.99-$39.99 www.koolabuck.com
Hi Mountain Seasons Offers Limited Edition Cutting Board
The Hi Mountain Seasonings 30th anniversary cutting board is the ideal size for handling any cutting and chopping task. Measuring 11”x17”x1” thick it is made of solid North American black walnut and it has a grooved channel to catch juices when carving meat. It sports a food-safe mineral oil finish and is engraved with the HiMountain Seasonings 30th anniversary emblem. Suggested Retail Price: $49.95 www.himtnjerky.com
AKU Introduces Riserva GTX Hunting Boot
Featuring AKU’s patented Elita Stride Technology and a soft rear cuff collar, the Riserva GTX boots are easy to walk long distances in all hunting conditions and terrain. Available in either nubuck or full grain leather; the rubber toe rand offers added protection, and the Vibram sole has a wide footprint with deep lugs for superior grip and the Gore-Tex liner offer breathability and moisture control. Suggested Retail Price: $299-389 www.akuoutdoor.ca/
Dry Case Offers Brunswick Backpacks in Mossy Oak Patterns
These Brunswick Mossy Oak backpacks are the first ever 100% waterproof backpacks released by Mossy Oak in Shadow Grass Blades for duck hunters and the versatile BreakUp Infinity pattern is versatile to all hunting. This three-pound 100% waterproof backpack offers 35 liters of storage and is constructed of marine-grade Gnarwall material, features a padded lower back support, internal zippered pocket, roll-down closure and more Suggested Retail Price: $119.00 www.drycase.com 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // JULY 2021 51
New Laws Increase Opportunities for Hunters, Disabled Veterans
Feral hogs cause an estimated $50 million in property damage in Alabama annually.
This past spring, Governor Kay Ivey signed bills passed by the Alabama Legislature that give hunters a new opportunity to pursue two problem animals and that give disabled veterans the opportunity to buy reduced price lifetime hunting and fishing licenses. One new piece of legislation allows me, as Conservation Commissioner, to establish a season for hunting feral swine and coyotes at night without the need for a depredation permit. BY CHRIS BLANKENSHIP Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation & Natural Resources
Alabama residents will be able to purchase a $15 license ($51 for non-residents) to hunt feral hogs and coyotes at night. Because legislation that is passed is not effective until three months after its passage, the 2021 season will run from July 1 through November 1. On July 1, you can go to outdooralabama.com and purchase the license. The 2022 season will start on February 11 and end on November 1. No hunting at night will be allowed during gun deer season. Previously, the only way for landowners
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to deal with feral swine destroying private property, agricultural crops and native habitat was to obtain a depredation permit from the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Division. That option is still available, but the new license makes it much simpler and easier for hunters, landowners and the WFF staff. The law provides for a license that allows anyone in the state to hunt feral swine and coyotes at night on any private or leased property where they have permission to hunt, so long as landowners and corporations leasing the property allow hunting at night. Estimates are that feral swine cause $50 million in private property damage, including to agricultural crops and land, in Alabama annually. Feral hogs now live in all 67 counties in the state. The damage to wildlife habitat is difficult to assess, but feral hogs will eat just about anything. When a sounder (family) of feral hogs moves through an area, it leaves it almost devoid of any food for other wildlife, including white-tailed deer, wild turkeys and
FROM THE COMMISSIONER native animals and birds. When I was growing up, coyotes were not particularly widespread throughout Alabama. Now, they’re everywhere. Studies show that coyotes are quite effective predators of whitetail fawns and can have significant impacts on populations of white-tailed deer. We at the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) know this new law is not going to eradicate the feral swine and coyote populations in the state. However, this new hunting privilege will provide extra benefits for those who lease property for a hunting club and allow landowners to make available new lease opportunities when big-game seasons are closed. This also makes it easier on the landowner who had been using a depredation permit to control these animals. Previously, if visitors came in for the weekend and wanted to hog hunt, the landowner had to contact WFF and ask that the visitors’ names be put on his permit. Now, those visitors can simply go online and purchase the licenses and the landowner doesn’t have to be involved. Other states have taken advantage of the opportunity to hunt feral hogs and coyotes at night, and that hunting opportunity is becoming increasingly popular. Until the COVID-19 pandemic hit, outdoors activities like hunting had been on the decline. This new license will provide for a different activity for hunters to embrace and provide a modicum of predator control. Because this is a new activity for many people, we want everyone who purchases the license to proceed wisely and keep safety utmost on the priority list. Develop a plan to keep up with fellow club members or hunters when you’re out pursuing feral swine or coyotes at night. Be absolutely certain of your target and what is beyond before you fire. What we are doing is making it simpler for people to remove more pigs and coyotes from their property or hunting land. It is another tool available to do what you think is best to manage your property. As for the new lifetime licenses for disabled veterans, Governor Ivey signed that legislation to recognize the sacrifice these veterans have made for our country and to make it easier for them to enjoy Alabama’s great outdoors. Veterans who are residents of Alabama can purchase lifetime licenses for hunting, freshwater fishing and saltwater fishing. The cost of the licenses depends on the degree of disability. These new lifetime disabled military veterans licenses will be available at the start of the new license year on September 1, 2021. With a 40-percent disability, as determined by the U.S. Veterans Administration, disabled military veterans less than 50 years old can purchase a lifetime hunting license for $60, a lifetime freshwater fishing license for $45 and a lifetime saltwater fishing license for $45. Disabled military veterans with a 40-percent disability who are 50 years or older can purchase a lifetime hunting license for $30, a lifetime freshwater fishing license for $25 and a lifetime saltwater fishing license for $25. Disabled military veterans who are designated as 100-percent
The new license, which will be available July 1, allows hunters to take feral swine and coyotes at night during the special season.
disabled can purchase a lifetime hunting license for $45 if they are less than 50 years old or for $25 if they are 50 years or older. The lifetime fishing licenses are the same price for both levels of disability. We think this is a great way to honor our disabled veterans, and we hope they take advantage of this opportunity to purchase these licenses at a greatly reduced rate. We also hope that the general public will take advantage of the opportunity to pursue feral hogs and coyotes at night while following all procedures to ensure a safe hunt.
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pureflats.com 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // JULY 2021 53
The Next Step in Alabama’s R3 Program
Alabama, like many other states, has taken an active role in the nationwide R3 movement.
BY CHARLES “CHUCK” SYKES Director of the Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF)
Organized sports, ballet and gymnastics, video games, and many other activities have pushed time in the woods and on the water out of the limelight for many families. Couple that with the mass exodus of people leaving the country and moving into urban and suburban environments, in turn losing their connection with the land, it’s no wonder that hunting and fishing participation has been on a steady decline nationwide for decades.
efforts. The Alabama Adult Mentored Hunting Program is getting bigger and better as it begins its fifth year. For more information on this program, visit www.outdooralabama.com/ hunting/adult-mentored-hunting-program.
However, the COVID-19 pandemic gave relevancy back to the outdoor pastimes many of us hold dear, drawing many new outdoors enthusiasts into Alabama’s great outdoors. As a state agency, our biggest challenge is to remain relevant with this new user group while not alienating our core groups of hunters and fishers. In other words, we still need to dance with who brought us here. But we can’t squander the opportunity to bring new users into the fold.
During the calendar year 2020, 39.5 million new guns were sold. This was the single largest firearms purchase year in recorded American history. According to FBI background check statistics, eight million of those firearms were sold to first-time gun buyers. This provides a unique and much-needed opportunity for conservation agencies to recruit new constituents to our many outdoor recreation offerings and to better educate them about how their purchases serve to protect the natural resource wealth of our nation. It provides the opportunity to make them knowing partners in conservation efforts through their Pittman-Robertson Act contributions and gives the opportunity to educate them about what those
That is where R3 comes into play. R3 is the recruitment, retention, and reactivation of hunters, anglers, and recreational shooters. Alabama has been on the leading edge of many of these
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With this program proving its worth in the R3 area, it’s time to introduce the next step in our R3 program, Adult Mentored Shooting Events.
FROM THE DIRECTOR funds are being used for in their individual states. The shooting community is diverse. Those who take up the sport do so for reasons as different as the backgrounds and communities they come from. Consistencies among these new shooters do exist though. All beginning shooters want and need two things: first is a place to shoot their new firearm, and second is proper instruction in safe gun handling and marksmanship. The men and women of the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) Division Hunter Education Unit (Hunter Ed) have been addressing those specific needs for nearly fifty years. Since 1973, Hunter Ed has promoted safe hunting practices by educating Alabama’s youth. A staple subject taught in all hunter education classes is firearms safety. Additionally, Hunter Ed maintains and operates a robust network of public shooting ranges and archery parks across our state. Being distinctly prepared to address the influx of first-time shooters, our Hunter Ed staff saw a prime opportunity to connect with this new user group and provide them with the facilities and instruction they are seeking. In March of 2021 the Adult Mentored Shooting Program was formally added to Alabama’s consolidated R3 program. Beginning that month, Hunter Ed conducted the first of a series of Firearms 101 courses, reaching out to this new shooter group through advertising the four-hour beginners’ course, hosted at WFF-operated public shooting ranges. The course is basic and low cost, with the only fee being the cost of the Heritage License required to shoot on the range. The course revolves around shooters’ needs to learn safety and marksmanship. The first course was an immediate and overwhelming success. Staff conducted two sessions that day, and both were at maximum capacity, with an additional 50 students on the waiting list. WFF provided all the necessary safety gear, firearms, and ammunition. Students learned about their local public shooting range and what license is required for its use. Most importantly, they overcame their fears of stepping out on the range for the first time by learning the etiquette of how to use a public range. Students received one-on-one instruction from a local Conservation Enforcement Officer. This provided an excellent opportunity for our staff to make connections in the community. For many in the class, this was their first interaction with a “game warden.” At the conclusion of the class, students heard a short lecture on how their license and equipment purchases had provided for everything in use that day, including the salaries of the men and women who instructed them. All in attendance were amazed to learn that they contribute 100% of the funds used to protect and enhance wildlife simply by purchasing a license and equipment and enjoying their sport.
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As the new shooters learned, so did we. We found that 95% of course participants had never purchased any form of license in the past. We were immediately bombarded with requests for more classes so that friends and family members could share the same experience. Many students emailed with stories of return trips to the range and with new firearms purchases. Staff continue to schedule courses each weekend at our public shooting ranges across the state. To date, we have not had a single vacant slot in any course. This series of courses has been a tremendous success. We are very pleased to have found a way to connect with a diverse and massive new user base as we continue to meet the evolving outdoors needs of Alabama’s citizens and guests. Future rifle and shotgun classes are already in development. If early success is any indicator, the Adult Mentored Shooting Program will continue to grow and spread our message; our only challenge is keeping up with the demand. Go to https://www.outdooralabama.com/programs/firearms-101 for more information.
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850-832-2238 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // JULY 2021 55
The Ammo Shortage: Bad News & Good News
Spending time at the range shooting targets or trying new loads has been curtailed by the ammo shortage.
Where did it go, where’s all the ammo? That has been asked countless times over the last year and with good reason. In times past when there have been ammo shortages, it has centered around 9 mm, .22LR and .223 or 5.56 yet firearm owners have still been able to buy their favorite hunting, target, shotgun or handgun cartridges. Not this year, no matter the caliber or gauge, ammunition availability is limited, although some of the specialty dangerous game cartridges like .416 Remington, .416 Rigby and .450 Nitro are easiest to find.
BY CRAIG HANEY Photo submitted by Craig Haney
REASONS FOR THE SHORTAGE During the coronavirus pandemic, Americans have been buying guns and ammunition at a record pace, motivated by fear of President Biden’s gun control policies and rising crime among other reasons. Certainly, the addition of over 8 million new gun owners in 2020 played a part in the shortage. If each of the new gun owners bought just 2 boxes of ammo when they purchased their new gun that would add sales of over 16 million boxes of ammo sold which makes it hard for manufacturers to react quickly adding stress to the marketplace. Conspiracy theories from consumers have been prolific during this shortage with accusations of manufacturers not producing enough so the price would rise or the
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stockpiling of ammo in warehouses under orders from the federal government. In a video on the company website, Jason Vanderbrink, President of Ammunition Division for Vista Outdoor (Federal, CCI, Speer and Remington) vehemently denied all conspiracy theories. “We are making all the ammunition as fast as we can. We are doing our damnedest to meet this demand,” he noted. To that end, Vista Outdoor has hired about 1,000 workers since the pandemic started last year. They also increased their manufacturing capacity by the purchase of Remington Outdoor Company for $81 million late in 2020. Another problem for ammunition manufacturers has been the availability of ammo components as well as other raw materials like resin used in product packaging, corrugated cardboard, steel and copper. Many consumers hoping to solve their personal ammo shortages decided to start reloading but found that presses, dies, bullets, cases, primers and powder were in short supply just like manufactured ammunition.
THE GUN RACK MARKET CONDITIONS FROM 2020 STILL EXIST. Southwick and Associates, a market research and economics firm, specializing in the hunting, shooting, sport fishing and other outdoor recreation activities recently released a survey from April 2021. They surveyed more than 1,800 ammunition consumers as part of its quarterly HunterSurvey/ShooterSurvey tracking study. In 2020, four of five consumers encountered out of stock issues while trying to purchase ammunition, while three-quarters encountered out of stock issues so far in 2021. Of these respondents, 79% reported either fully or partially reducing their target shooting and hunting outings as a result of depleted ammunition shelves. Going forward, ammunition demand is expected to remain high. Nearly twothirds of ammunition consumers report their current ammunition inventory was lower than they would prefer. When asked how much more ammunition they would like to have on hand, 43% reported “much more” while 38% reported a “little more.” Only 17% reported they were satisfied with the amounts they currently had on hand. When asked why they desire more ammunition, key reasons included: • Uncertainty about future ammunition supplies (72%). This is especially true among consumers 45+ years of age. • Uncertainty about future restrictions on ammunition purchases (70%). • Uncertainty about future economic conditions (54%). • Increased shooting and hunting activity (26%). This was more common among the 25-34 year-old consumers.
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“At some point, demand will certainly soften”, reports Rob Southwick, President of Southwick Associates. “However, frenzied buying and empty shelves often fuel increases in demand. We do not see demand softening in the near future.” GOOD NEWS The 8+ million new gun owners in 2020 plus the boom in ammunition sales resulted in a significant Pittman-Robertson fund boost. Earlier this year, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service announced it had distributed $1 billion to state wildlife agencies through the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program which was a $121 million increase over the 2020 apportionment, paving the way for future generations to take part in hunting and the shooting sports. “The growth we’re seeing is going to help conservation efforts for many, many years. The growth and diversity of buyers over the past year is “awesome” for long-term viability, observed Vanderbrink. “It’s very healthy for our industry to have such a wide variety of new entrants. Interest from women and minorities has skyrocketed: our industry really needed that,” he added. Another positive for 2020 is that manufacturers have increased their research & development budgets over the last year. The production side of companies has improved in terms of efficiency and production while the quality of the ammunition is high. “In this demand surge, we’ve doubled down to prepare for future years. In case the market softens, we can offer a great deal of products to end users from the projects we’re working on right now,” Vanderbrink said. FINAL THOUGHTS Early in the pandemic, toilet paper became near-impossible to find because of consumers hoarding the product. One of the most common products everyone uses was depleted beyond demand. It was ridiculous to have 5060 rolls of toilet paper at home but that was not uncommon at the time. We can’t be like the toilet paper people during this time of ammunition shortages, buy what you actually need and leave some for the next person.
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Kayaks and Crates a Match Made for Fishing
Use lots of zip ties to make secure rod holder attachments to the crate.
I’ve never been on a fishing kayak that had enough good storage space. There’s just not enough room in a basic kayak for everything that might be needed on a fishing trip. This shortage of space to put gear, water bottles, extra tackle and even a change of clothes in case of rain can be a real problem for kayak anglers. Being a smart bunch in general, kayak anglers long ago figured out a way to provide safe, secure storage for gear on fishing kayaks, and they figured out how to do this on the cheap.
BY ED MASHBURN Photos by Ed Mashburn
Plastic milk jug crates were never made for the convenience of kayak anglers, but the truth is, those easy to find and cheap to buy plastic milk jug crates are perfect for the start of a kayak storage system, and plastic milk crates are
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infinitely adjustable to fit specific anglers’ needs. PLASTIC CRATES AND PVC PIPE It seems that plastic crates originally designed to transport jugs of milk to store shelves might just as well have been made for kayak anglers to safely and securely store their gear. These plastic crates can be found for sale in many stores, and with a bit of applied kayak angler ingenuity, they can be made to function as great kayak equipment. These crates fit securely into the built-in storage wells behind the seats of most kayaks, and being made of plastic, the crates don’t corrode and rust, so they won’t mar the finish of a kayak. The basic crate is lightweight but strong enough to take some abuse and hard use from kayak anglers. A crate can hold tackle boxes and assorted gear, but small bits of equipment can slip through the open base and walls of a crate and get lost easily. There’s a way to deal with this problem. Stay tuned.. One of the most easily made modifications to a milk crate which helps
PADDLE FISHING kayak anglers out the most is to take short, say eighteen inch-long sections of two-inch PVC pipe and attach these to the sides of the milk crate to form rod holders. Four short sections of PVC can provide a lot of secure and safe rod storage which puts rods behind the angler and out of the way but still within easy reach. I’ve found these “rod holders” to be very effective storage of landing nets for big fish.
When putting a milk jug crate on a fishing kayak, anglers need to secure the crate to the boat. The best way to do this is to use those cheap and easy to find bungee cords to attach the crate to the kayak both front and back and side to side. Six bungee cords will make sure the crate stays where it is supposed to be, and at the end of the trip, bungee cords are quick and easy to remove so the crate can be off-loaded out of the kayak.
There are many ways to securely attach PVC rod holders to a milk crate, but the quickest and easiest way is to apply several plastic zip-ties to hold the pipe to the crate. These ties are cheap, easy to use, and being plastic, there’s no danger of rust or corrosion. Most anglers apply the PVC rod holders to keep the rods in a vertical position, but there are good reasons to attach a couple of PVC rod holders in a 45 degree angle.
Another point of importance for kayak anglers using milk crates for a fishing tool is to make sure that rod holders are well-secured to the crate. A couple of zip ties will hold a PVC pipe rod holder to the crate if no pressure is ever placed on the pipe, but if the rod holder is being used to hold a trolling rod, six ties are much better. This is especially true for kayak fishing out in the Gulf waters where there’s a good chance very big fish will come calling. Make sure those PVC pipe rod holders are well-secured. Zip ties are cheapuse a bunch of them.
PVC rod holders which are secured to a crate at 45 degrees allow anglers to have lures or bait trolling behind a kayak with the lines held well off to the side of the kayak and not have the lines directly behind the kayak which can create tangles.. This allows multiple lines to be out, and it presents a wider present of bait to cover more water. By the way, trolling from a kayak is one of the most effective ways for kayak anglers to find good fish. Slow trolling with rods held in PVC pipe holders in a crate is great for early spring lake fishing for pre-spawn crappie, and in winter, slow kayak trolling up small bayous and creeks is a great way to catch big specks and redfish. Of course, this sort of kayak trolling set up is absolutely the best way to find and hook big king mackerel in summer when paddling or pedaling a quarter-mile off the beach. A milk crate with PVC rod holders is an inexpensive yet effective way to use a kayak to its full potential.
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READY- MADE ACCESSORIES Kayak anglers can improve the utility of a milk crate by obtaining a “liner” made of fabric which provides a solid bottom and sides to the crate so small tools and other gear won’t slip through the open crate. These crate liners are sold by a number of companies, and they don’t cost much. I’ve used a Softcrate by Plano ($59.99), and it has given good service for many years. This liner gives me “saddlebags” which provide even more gear and tackle storage, and a strong lift handle which attaches to the crate itself so at the end of a trip, I can detach the bungee cords and simply lift the crate out of the kayak for easy loading. These kayak crate liners are very helpful for secure storage of gear, and they keep small stuff from being lost in transit. KEY CRATE POINTS One of the first things I learned about using a milk crate in a fishing kayak is that even though the crate sat well and seemed secure when I just put the crate in place behind my seat and put the cords which stretch across the storage well around the crate, the crate is really not safe and secure, and neither is the gear stored within. When three or four fishing rods are put in rod holders mounted on the crate, this puts a lot of leverage up high, and in a strong wind or some waves, the crate can tip and even fall over the side. Believe me, this can happen and it’s not a good thing when it happens.
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27122 Canal Rd. Orange Beach, AL • 251-981-4245
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Gulf Coast Fishing Outlook
July is prime time for the mighty Tarpon! Photo courtesy Chris Vecsey
It’s hot and sticky along the northern gulf coast. Bring plenty to drink and slap on the sunscreen, the fishing is also going to be hot! Our area sees some big swings this month. Water temps will reach the low 80s in most places although summer showers will bring occasional cooling periods to inshore waters. These high water temps will push many inshore species into deeper channels and pockets in search of cooler water and forage.
BY CHRIS VECSEY
Speckled trout in particular are well known for this movement through the midsummer heat. Specks will often stack up along drop offs adjacent to flats and shallow bars, suspending in deeper, cooler water while waiting for bait to flush over the edges.
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Channel edges and potholes along grass flats will also hold these fish. Big trout are reaction strike predators and will respond well to hardbaits like the Mirrolure MR17, Rapala Rip Stop jerkbait, Heddon Zara Spook and Slick lures. Cadence is everything when trout fishing, so vary your retrieve until you find the right movements. Redfish, flounder and others will often mix with the trout in these locations and action can be great at several periods through the day. Focus on the tide swings and fish the first couple hours of the tidal change. Periods around the full moon can be exceptionally good, especially at night. It’s a great way to beat the heat, just make sure you have proper lighting. Black drum will be a solid target for those wanting to pull on something big in the
FISHING OUTLOOK backwaters. These giants love the frequent rock jetties, bulkheads, oyster bars and anywhere they can find their preferred food of crabs, shellfish and other invertebrates. In shallow water, they will often reveal their locations when “tailing” as they nose-up as they feed along the bottom. A blue crab is hands-down the best bait for these big guys, but shrimp, oysters and hermit crab also work. A few artificials will take big drum as well. DOA shrimp, small grubs and Buggs lures work well on feeding drum. Smaller drum make decent table fair, but bigger fish are best released. These larger specimens are often loaded with worms and the meat is rather coarse. July is perhaps the best month for targeting Tarpon in our region. The mighty silver king generally runs through our waters from April through October, but July is typically the peak month. You can target these fish by intercepting them as they migrate along the beaches. Live baits like bumper (crazyfish), threadfin herring, LYs and mullet work best but they will also take a well placed swimbait like the Hogy Protail or baitfish imitating flies. Tackle should be stout, as these fish will average around 80 pounds and many will surpass the triple-digit mark. Keep in mind that Tarpon are generally released and a permit is required for harvest. It’s best to beat them quickly with heavy tackle for a prompt release. Offshore, red snapper will be the main focus for most boaters. Gas and oil platforms, artificial reefs and any significant bottom structure will hold these numerous and tasty targets. As the season progresses, it pays to drop down on tackle size to attract bites. Cigar minnows, sardines and menhaden will make top baits.
CCA AL Events Check our website for our online silent auctions and giveaways this month!
Snapper may be the main focus while the season is in, but that hardly makes them the only target on offshore structure. Cobia will be a common bonus to those bottom fishing and be taken on drift lines and jigs while holding over reefs and around rigs. All grouper species are in season as well. Grouper will hang around the same structures as snapper but the ratio of grouper to snapper can be increased by fishing natural bottom areas instead of artificial reefs. Both live and dead baits close to the bottom will produce. Slow pitch jigging is also very effective and has become very popular in our region. Further out, the bluewater action has already been incredible this season and it doesn’t look like this month will be any different. Tracking the locations of rips, temperature breaks and bluewater is always key to offshore success. Subscribe to a satellite imaging service like Hilton’s Realtime-Navigator to stay in the loop on where the best locations are. Wahoo and dolphin will be abundant on weedlines and rips. Pull mixed spreads of surface and diving lures on the clean side of these rips. Tuna and billfish frequent these rips as well and often take the same lures and baits. Slow trolling live baits or downsizing lures will increase your shots with tuna. On the days where the surface bite is slow, go deep for a solid plan B. Swordfishing has become a very popular and reliable option in recent years. Fishing bottom structures deep during the day and suspending baits at varied depths at night offers some of the most reliable billfishing the gulf has to offer. Squid, mackerel and strip baits of bonito are generally best. Target depths of 1,100-1,700ft for consistent action. Celebrate our country’s birthday in style. Get out on the water and bend a rod.
Show Your Support for Alabama’s Coastal Fishing & Marine Resources. All proceeds from your TAX DEDUCTIBLE purchase are used for marine conservation in Coastal Alabama.
For more info on the events or CCA Alabama www.ccaalabama.org 251-478-3474 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // JULY 2021 61
Pier & Shore Fishing Outlook
Early morning is the best time to wade fish for speckled trout in July.
This is the best chance for pier anglers to experience some world class big game angling from a land based perspective.
BY DAVID THORNTON Photos by David Thornton
vicinity of storms and showers.
Our summertime weather pattern is well established along the Emerald Coast by the time July rolls around. Pop-up thundershowers are the norm for inland locations during the heat of the afternoon and early morning thundershowers are common along, or just off the beaches as the warm moist air over the Gulf rises overnight. The water temperature usually peaks in the middle 80s this month and it will fluctuate just a few degrees throughout the rest of the summer.
The annual promenade of pelagic fish species reaches its zenith this month as the tarpon migration peaks in total numbers of fish and frequency of sightings from the gulf beach piers. This is the best chance for pier anglers to experience some world class big game angling from a land based perspective. Tarpon schools are migrating just outside the longshore sandbar as they make their way toward the mouth of the Mississippi River for their annual spawn. Many are hooked incidentally by Panhandle pier anglers targeting king mackerel with live or fresh dead baitfish.
Tropical activity, though still relatively rare in July, cannot be ruled out. Even undeveloped tropical waves can be a factor in controlling our general weather pattern from week to week. So keep an eye on that as you plan your fishing excursions. For the most part though, predictable land breeze/ sea breeze conditions will prevail. Leaving us with light winds and seas away from the
Still,savvy anglers will watch and wait for tarpon schools to approach with large swim baits, like the six inch Hogy paddlletail. The large lures can be cast in front of the school’s line of movement, and worked in front of the breaching tarpon, or allowed to sink deeper when they sound. The tackle needs to be stout to handle the enduring power of tarpon that often exceed 100
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FISHING OUTLOOK pounds. Nine or ten foot heavy action spinning rods rated for 40 to 65 pound braided line used can subdue these hard fighting fish.
bait presentations like live shrimp, sardines (LYs), or finger mullet will practically guarantee strikes.
The vast majority of tarpon are not killed. In fact, a tarpon tag must be purchased prior to retaining one. Most get away on their own anyway. Either by throwing the hook during one of their many renowned leaps, or just by sheer strength to break the line or strip all the line off an inadequate reel. Line capacity is critical to subduing a tarpon, and your reel should hold at least 300 yards of 40 to 65 pound braid. As well, the drag and gears need to work smoothly when extreme pressure is applied. So the reel should have enough pulling power (max drag), to use all the line strength and rod action at your disposal. The fish is considered “caught” when it is brought to the surface near or under the pier within reach of a rope gaff. Then the angler simply reels up tight, points the rod tip at the fish, grabs the spool, and jerks backward sharply to “pop” the line off near the lure. This is the least stressful way to release these magnificent gamefish to fight another day, and not leave a lot of line trailing behind it.
Many anglers carry a six or seven foot, 3/8 inch mesh “bait cast net” to catch their own bait fish from the seawall. Just watch out for the rocks a few feet down along most of the wall. These have claimed many a net of unwary anglers. The small sabiki rigs and red ribbon rigs with 3/8 inch mesh work well too (legal in Alabama), to ensnare the small LYs one at a time. From-shore anglers can be quite resourceful when gathering bait!
Ladyfish are miniature cousins to tarpon, and one of their nicknames is “poor man’s tarpon” because of their habit of leaping from the water when hooked. They are often the most numerous fish in the surfzone all summer long, where they test the lighter rigs angler often use to target spanish mackerel, pompano and speckled trout. They even feed at night around pier, bridge and dock lights, or even under bright moonlight. Listen for the telltale splashes of feeding ladyfish and bluefish for some top notch surface action. They will readily strike a variety of topwater lures, spoons and sub-surface plugs night or day. Color doesn’t often seem to be a factor in near total dark conditions though. Night fishing is a great way to beat the July heat and that blazing summer sun. Lit-up back bay piers and docks offer great locations to intercept feeding white and speckled trout, along with redfish and occasional flounder. Over-slot sized redfish and black drum can be targeted as well with chunks of blue crab, cut mullet or fresh croaker. The after dark angling options are a whole nuther sport in itself, that seems to add more followers each year. PIER NOT YOUR THING? Beach fishing still offers some pompano to anglers willing to put in the time and effort running double drop set rigs baited with Fishbites and/or fresh shrimp. But the incidental catches of ladyfish, bluerunners, etc. will far outnumber the pompano. Anglers may still encounter a few stray pompano this time of year, but occasionally they will school up to provide more substantial action. Most often though, the surf is just too calm and the water too clear to target pompano successfully with set rigs. That’s when blind casting pompano jigs, Silly Willy or Goofy jig pompano jigs will greatly increase your odds of finding pompano but you will still likely have to cull through a lot of bycatch and even lose some jigs to do so. Besides the pier and surf fishing followers, the seawall and jetty on the west bank of Perdido Pass has its own growing group of faithful. This unique venue offers 24/7 free-fishing opportunities to anglers in a safe environment, literally just a few steps from their vehicle. In July, most anglers are casting spoons, jigs or plugs for spanish mackerel but bluefish, ladyfish, and blue runners are common bycatch that often outnumber the mackerel in the pass. In fact, the mackerel can get rather finicky at times, especially around the slack tides and NEAP tide periods (16th and 29th), refusing to bite the artificials for just a short while, or all together. That’s when natural
The three inch long baits are usually hooked with a #8 treble in the clear spot in front of the eyes and cast out away from the wall to struggle in the current. Add enough split shot to encourage the bait to sink, so the fish will see it and seagulls won’t be tempted to eat it. Use light wire or heavy, clear monofilament to prevent being cut off from sharp toothed mackerel and bluefish. Most anglers like light to medium action spinning tackle in the 6 to 12 pound class on seven foot rods. 2000 to 3000 size reels are more than a match for most of the one to three pound fish you can expect to catch with this method. It is a good idea to have some sort of long handled landing net to get larger or foul-hooked fish safely over the wall. It’s a lot of fun, often with fast action or long lulls, and a great fishing community of anglers, much like the pier fishing groups that frequent those venues. So, no matter what species you pursue, or venue you choose, July offers a plethora of angling options both day and night. Fish abound in the warm summertime. Beat the heat, and beat the crowds to get your fishing in as you enjoy these great days outdoors!
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REGIONAL FRESHWATER Fishing Outlook BY ED MASHBURN Photos by Ed Mashburn
Crappie will be found in deeper water near structure in July.
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FISHING OUTLOOK
FLORIDA WATERS
period. Use crickets, worms, or small artificial lures near the edges of the weeds.
APALACHICOLA RIVER SYSTEM Tony Poloronis from Outcasters Bait and Tackle in Apalachicola said that Bass anglers will have good luck with soft plastics in July fishing deeper structure in the Apalachicola river system. A good thing for bass anglers to remember is that the coastal bass love to eat shrimp, and so having a bucket of live shrimp will often pay off with good largemouth bass in summer.
Another hot fishing venue in July is for stripers, hybrids, and white bass near the dam when water is being actively pulled through the dam. Use silver or other shad pattern lures to target the striped hard-pullers on gravel bars in 10-25 feet of water. Lime Kiln Hollow and Hog Island are good locations to start a search for the big catfish in July.
Bream will still be bedding in July, but the biggest part of the spawn will be over. Anglers can fish live worms or crickets around treetops and snags for good action.
For smaller eating size cats, the Wheeler Dam tailrace and flats in the mouth of Big Nance Creek are good drift-fishing locations. Use cut shad, chicken livers, shrimp, and nightcrawlers for bait.
July is prime catfish time on the Apalachicola River system, so anglers who offer up prepared catfish baits like Catfish Magic sold at Outcasters Bait and Tackle can expect to find some fine catfish in the river.
LAKE GUNTERSVILLE According to captain Jake Davis from Mid-South Bass Guide Service, bass anglers can have good luck with soft plastics and crank baits on the ledges along with jigs. Lures with a touch of red are also good.
Anglers are reminded that river levels can vary greatly in July, and that upstream heavy rains can produce high water conditions downstream for quite some time. LAKE TALQUIN “Carolina rigged soft plastics and deep diving crank baits will work well on the Talquin bass in July,” says Buddy Cartwright of Whippoorwill Lodge on Lake Talquin. Crappie will be in deep water near channels, and anglers will want to try live minnows near the ledges and drop-offs. Bream will be scattered in the lily pad fields, and anglers can do very well with either crickets or red worms fished near the pads. For some real hard fighting summer fish, anglers can fish the Ocklawaha Creek area with deep diving crank baits for striped bass. LAKE SEMINOLE Local guide Jody Wells says that he has found that when fishing a frog, the bass are more willing to strike regardless of the light and sky conditions. “With the frogs, it doesn’t matter. I’ve caught some big bass in the middle of the day with bluebird skies.” Wells said. Bream anglers will have a great time catching big bream, both bluegill and shell crackers in July. Crickets and red worms will both work, and fishing on either the new moon or a full moon is really good in July.
“A ½ oz MuscleCrawler jig from Tightline jigs in either Guntersville Special or Green Tequila colors is very good,” Davis said. As July moves on, the world-famous Guntersville frog bite will commence. Anglers can have a lot of excitement fishing frogs over the heavy grass. Davis recommends a Pro-Z Bait frog in dark colors. Panfish can be tough in July. Both bream and crappie will be deeper and slower to bite in July, but anglers can still find good fishing especially below floating docks in deep water. WEISS LAKE Captain Lee Pitts has been connecting anglers with bass and crappie on Weiss Lake for over 15 years. He advises anglers to fish very early near floating cover. Spinnerbaits can be very good. Many bass anglers fish the shallows all day long with good success, but fishing near heavy cover is best.
Another bit of advice for bass anglerslook for green fallen trees in the water. Bass seem to really orient to the stillalive trees at this time of year.
Catfish bite at Seminole year round, and in July they bite especially well on stink baits fished on the channel mouths and ledges on the main lake.
When the sun gets up, the top water bite will usually be over until almost dark, but bass anglers can find lots of good largemouth and spots on ledges and breaks on creek channels.
Wells recommends anglers start their trips at Seminole Lodge and Marina (850-593-6886) which is right on the water, is clean, and has good dock facilities for anglers.
Crappie will have dispersed and their conditions are not best during hot weather. However, for those hard-core crappie anglers who just want to catch slabs, fishing around bridge structure and under lights can be productive.
ALABAMA WATERS
WILSON LAKE For best results, veteran guide and captain Brian Barton tells us that big catfish will be on the beds, so flats and creek channels can be good places for big cats in July.
Crappie will be very deep. The best crappie fishing will be at night under lanterns and dock lights.
July is a great time to catch lots of big bream so anglers looking for bream should target weed beds along pea gravel shorelines. Bream will be bedding when the full moon comes, so try to fish during this time
“For catfish anglers, this is your time of the year. Jugs, rods and reel, heck you can jump in and grab them by hand!,” Pitts said.
Catfish anglers might want to take a trip to visit Lake Weiss this month.
877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // JULY 2021 65
Regional Freshwater Fishing Outlook
MILLER’S FERRY Over at Miller’s Ferry, Joe Dunn of Dunn’s Sports says that crappie will be spawned out and will respond to vertical jigging. Dunn likes Roadrunners with Southern Pro grub bodies in popsicle and Weiss Lake killer colors at this time- sometimes larger size jigs and grubs work well at this time. Bass anglers will want to work channels and grass beds early. Working the shallows sometimes work if the shallows are close to deeper, cooler water. Dunn reminds us that for all fishing at Miller’s Ferry, the best fishing will occur when the dam is pulling water and there’s a current present in the lake. Another bit of advice for bass anglers- look for green fallen trees in the water. Bass seem to really orient to the still-alive trees at this time of year. For some great fishing and eating, cat fishing at night can be great using whole shad and they will attract some big catfish. Long lining jugs in the main river channel with 15-30 foot long jug lines can really produce in July. LAKE EUFAULA “Trash piles and ledges in 12 to 25 feet of water will hold both bass and crappie,” says Captain Sam Williams Hawks Guide Service Carolina rigs, big lip crank baits, and jigs will all be good, and black is a very good color at this time. A ¾ oz Texas rig with a big black Mann’s Jellyworm is good for big bass in July. Bass anglers will find bass eager to bite at Eufaula early and late, and bass will be holding where anything casts a shadow on the water. Lily pads in particular can be a very good cover in July. Threadfin shad pattern crank baits work well. Crappie will be best at night both under lanterns and around bridge structures. Try to find the level that the schools of shad are holding and then fish a jig at that level for good crappie. For some real fun in a different way, jug fishing for catfish is a very effective way to gather a big mess of good-eating catfish in July. SIPSEY FORK Randy Jackson of Riverside Fly Shop tells us that during July, trout anglers will want to use terrestrial flies such as hoppers, crickets, and beetles. Winged ant patterns are very good in July as this is the month when these insects hatch out and leave their nests, so the trout are used to seeing the ants in great numbers on the water. The river may still have some good midge hatches early and late.
generated by the tides, and anglers will want to pay attention to where the water is moving. That’s where the bass will be more active,” says Captain Wayne Miller Mobile-Tensaw Delta Guide Service. Miller advises us that ledges, deeper undercut banks and wood structure will all be prime locations to find bass in July. Anglers can find some good topwater bites early and late in the major lakes off the main rivers, but the main rivers will have a more reliable bite in July. Bass anglers should try spinner baits, deep running crankbaits, and jigs and soft plastics around treetops in the water and other wood structure. The key to good bass fishing on the Delta rivers in July is to find current, and look for similar conditions in other locations. What produced fish in one spot will probably work on other similar locations.
Important Contact Information Joe Dunn Dunn’s Sports 334-636-0850 33356 Hwy 43, Thomasville, AL Captain Sam Williams Hawks Guide Service 334-687-0400 Brandon Jackson/ Randy Jackson Riverside Fly Shop 17027 Hwy 69N Jasper, AL 256-287-9582 Riversideflyshop.com Captain Lee Pitts 256-390-4145 www.pittsoutdoors.com Captain Brian Barton 256-412-0960 brianbartonoutdoors.com Captain Jake Davis Mid-South Bass Guide Service 615-613-2382 msbassguide@comcast.net Buddy Cartwright Whippoorwill Sportsman’s Lodge Lake Talquin 850-875-2605 fishtalquin@gmail.com
Caddis flies may show some good hatches in July, but this is dependent on weather and water conditions.
Jody Wells 850-209-2420
Anglers who haven’t yet mastered the long rod can still catch plenty of trout by using ultra-light spinning gear. Single hook Roostertail spinners are good, but for maximum results, a clear bubble for casting weight about 2 ½ feet above a fluorocarbon leader with the same flies that fly rod anglers use will catch trout on Sipsey Fork.
Tony Poloronis Outcasters Bait and Tackle 631 Hwy 98, Apalachicola, Florida 850-653-4665
MOBILE DELTA “The main river currents far up the river from the Delta itself are greatly influenced by the tides down on the coast. Currents in the river are 66 JULY 2021 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // 877.314.1237
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MOON & FEED TIMES
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Johnny Alexander with a nice intercoastal red
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Judy Hall with her nice eight point whitetail
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Cody & Cora w/their biggest Flathead catfish caught on a limb line!
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Mason Mannion just caught his first bull redfish at Pelican Point. 20.5lbs
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Jax Brewton, 5, of Monroeville caught his first catfish fishing with his grandparents
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Brantley Rice 13, from Linden AL with a mess of ducks
Marlie Brewton of Monroeville caught her first fish w/MiMi & Gdad
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Addalynn Kilgore, 8 LOVES her keeper bucketmouth
Zadie Ikner, 13, from Frisco City AL killed her first turkey on April 14 2021 with 8 1/2 inch beard with her uncle Dewayne Matchett at his hunting club in Uriah AL
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Summertime Structure Fishing for Speckled Trout
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Southeastern Pond Management . . . . 7
As water temperatures on the central Gulf Coast reach the highest levels of the year, the speckled trout bite gets best in the deeper waters of the area. “Deep” water in the Mobile Bay system is anything deeper than 8’. In those depths the water stays cool enough in the lower third of the column to hold dissolved oxygen and keep trout active well into the day. Specifically in said deep water, the best concentrations of speckled trout will be on the 4 “R’S”, which means “rigs, reefs, wrecks and rock piles”. These forms of structure are all over the Bay and Sound. They can be found on nautical charts, mapping chips, etc. and, the great thing is that all hold fish.
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The key to fishing this structure is to use live bait, the right rigging technique and, most importantly, to present the bait properly. Live shrimp always
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work, but as the water heats, so does the appetite that trout have for croakers. I try to carry both, often finding that the croakers out produce the shrimp and the bite is much cleaner during the summer months. Slip corks and tight line rigs are far and away the “go to” set ups for summer structure fishing. Check my website (www.ateamfishing.com) for diagrams of both. When setting up to fish the structure, try starting on the up current side and allow the baits to drift freely with the current. Set the depths so the baits are in the lower third of the column and vary the depths a foot or so on each drift so you cover the entire lower third before giving up on a piece of structure. If you start getting bites on the down current side of the structure, you can always re-position the boat to get closer to the fish. 877.314.1237 // GreatDaysOutdoors.com // JULY 2021 77
A GREAT DAY OUTDOORS
Beanpole and the Sneaky Snakes dropping off branches into boats and scaring fishermen into the lake, which is not smart since there are probably just as many snakes in the lake and if you want to get away you have to get back in the boat and by then you don’t know where that snake is so now you have a boat with a snake hiding in it and . . .”
BY JIM MIZE
Beanpole’s questions never came in singles, like a busted covey on a quail hunt. Deceptively, they swarmed like a flock of doves criss crossing a field on opening day with guns blazing. Even though you tried to pick out the one question that would bring them all down, doing so was as impossible as limiting out with a single shot.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” I said, feeling like I was heading off a stampede running toward a cliff. “So is your concern that snakes will drop off limbs onto you while you’re fishing?” “Well, yeah. And not only that, but I read about one fisherman who had a cottonmouth swim into his livewell through the outlet and when he lifted the lid to throw a fish in it jumped out after him.” “I heard that story, too. But didn’t the fishermen get away unharmed?” “I think so.”
breaking wind causing global warming. But forget that last part because the last thing I want to do is have you go buy a book on global warming so we have to talk about that the next time we go fishing. Does that about cover it?” Beanpole had a little grin on his face like he had just won an argument. I decided that leaving him with that conclusion was a bad idea. I started packing up my gear to leave and a light breeze had picked up pushing us toward the bank. An old beech tree shaded this part of the cove with branches reaching well out over the water. Beanpole had turned his back to me at this point and was fidgeting with his own rod. So just as he drifted into the shade of the old beech, I took off my artificial worm and flung it back in his direction. My marksmanship was better than I expected and the worm hit him square in the back of the neck and wrapped partially around both sides. Beanpole sprung like a jack-in-thebox and was all arms and legs in mid-air. Unfortunately, his trajectory took him over the water and for all his efforts, he couldn’t walk back to the boat.
So as the sun rose over the lake bringing with it the heat that prompted laziness, Beanpole began to glance my way. I flipped a watermelon worm next to a stump and both the worm and I waited.
“Ever occur to you that you might be worrying about something that will never be a problem?”
“Hey, Jim,” Beanpole said, lofting the introduction like a hand grenade into a foxhole. “Why do snakes climb trees?”
“Well, look at it this way,” I said. “The snakes in trees are probably not venomous anyway so you have nothing to worry about.”
I had no idea where this line of questioning was headed, so I gave it all the seriousness it deserved.
“That’s not true,” said Beanpole. “The book said that copperheads will climb trees to eat cicadas.”
After Beanpole bobbed up, I extended a hand bracing myself in case he decided to pull me in. Once back in the boat, he sat quietly dripping, not saying a word. So I broke the silence.
“For a better view?”
“You’re not a cicada are you?”
“Hey, Beanpole?”
“Why would snakes want a better view?” asked Beanpole, as if I might be serious. So I just ran with it.
“You’re not much help are you?” echoed Beanpole. “You see, here you are making fun of me while I try to have a scientific conversation. Snakes don’t fall out of trees because people look edible. They fall out because they are surprised. So if I surprise a copperhead, he might fall out of the tree on me.”
“Yeah?”
“Snakes may be long but they are not tall,” I explained. “The typical snake lives with his head three or four inches above the ground, so every now and then one will climb out on a branch for a look around.” “Oh,” said Beanpole. He paused and cast by the same stump I had just fished. “That makes no sense.” “Why are you worried about snakes in trees all of a sudden? Did you get a book on snakes?” “Well, they had one at the library. I wanted to find out why we always hear about snakes
“I just want to be careful,” said Beanpole in a whisper.
At this point, I took a deep breath and tried to think of an angle that would bring all this to a head. “Alright, I will concede that copperheads don’t fall out of trees at people trying to eat them. Also, cottonmouths can be kept out of the livewell with a screen filter on the outlet. And snakes probably don’t climb trees for the view although that one might be worth some government study. It would make more sense to study that than the methane from cows
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“Maybe you should get a book with swimming lessons.” And then I ducked. JIM MIZE still watches the trees during cicada season. You can find more Beanpole stories and Jim’s award-winning books of humor at www.acreektricklesthroughit.com
Ron Davis
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