Best Bets

These are our top targets for hunters and fishermen this month!

BY WILLIAM KENDY

DEER HUNTING LOCATION AND COMFORT

Alabama is blessed with a long deer hunting season and liberal bag limits. To take full advantage of this opportunity you need to do “due diligence” which means scouting (for lack of a better term), either with today’s sophisticated computer programs and apps or by having “boots on the ground” or preferably, both. Whether you are a “still-hunter” and prefer to slowly mosey through the woods and, if the opportunity arises, stalk a whitetail or hang out (literally) in a tree, an elevated blind or a ground shooting house in hopes of an ambush, knowing the terrain and where to place your stands is key. For more information see Josh Honeycutt’s piece, “How to Pick Treestand and Blind Locations.”

Not everyone (myself included) hunts in tree stands and for those of us who feel safer a bit closer to ground and prefer a few more creature comforts, David Strickland outlines the deal in his article, “the pros and cons of investing in a quality hard side blind.”

THE SURF FISHING GAME

Surf fishing requires high-capacity reels, longer rods with enough background to cast heavier weights. capable of anchoring baited rigs in robust currents and patience. You need to know what to fish (sand fleas are my top choice, followed by shrimp) and it is always a challenge to read the beach water to figure out the locations that are more apt to hold fish. It is more challenging than it seems. There is another wrinkle to surf fishing. There are times when fish are close to the shore, maybe only 10-40 yards out and you can successfully fish with lighter weight gear and rigs and even throw artificial and come home with your limit. David Thornton explains in his article, “The Best Surf Fishing Rigs You Need to Know” some of the rigs you can use to be successful.

IT’S NEVER TOO EARLY TO BOAT SHOP

While fall may be the most coveted time of the year for hunters and late season fishing is in full-bloom, it is also a good time for those considering buying a new bass boat to do some shopping and “test the waters” of what is available in the marketplace. As Frank Sargeant explains in his article on “Picking the Best Boat for the Money” you get what you pay for and a top-of-the-line bass boat can run upwards of $50,000 depending on what type of goodies and bells and whistles you decide that you need. Sargeant also points out that for those more budget minded bass boat hunting fishermen aluminum boats are less pricey than their fiberglass counterparts and have some advantages. Since they are lighter than fiberglass, they require less power which means smaller outboards which equates to less fuel burned and have shallower drafts, allowing them to be used in “skinnier” water not accessible to deeper draft fiberglass boats. VOLUME 25 ISSUE 10 OCTOBER 2021

PUBLISHED BY: Great Days Outdoors Media, L.L.C.

PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Joe Baya

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MANAGING EDITOR: William Kendy

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