Boat & Fishing International - Issue 02 by Pelagic Media

SPINNING I TIPS FOR FISHING IN COLD WATERS

ISSUE 1

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INDEX

5 News 13 Fish & Cook / Needlefish in Saor

Chef Antonio Stabellini

14 Bolognese / Selective Baits the Rockpool Shrimp by Mimmo Marfè

20 Spinning / Bluefish ON! by Antonio Pradillo Carrasco

26 Spinning / Bluefish invasion in the Adriatic Sea! by Zdravko Savor

Spinning /

Bluefish, Topwater & Sub-surface fishing! by Cristian Rodríguez

38 Spinning / Barracuda time! by Milos Cetkovic

44 Shore Jigging / Shore jigging’s secrets by Antonino Oddamo

50 Biology / Common Dentex

by Giovanni Bianchini

56 Bottom Fishing / Tricks for Black Seabreams! by Rino Scalzo

62 L ive Bait Trolling / My Amberjack

by Maurizio Pastacaldi

68 Live Bait Trolling / The shoals’ king: the Common dentex by Frederic Caliendo

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INDEX

MAGAZINE INFORMATION Boat & Fishing International is a bimonthly publication.

74 Offshore Trolling / Albacores Where, how and when to fish them

The opinions expressed on this magazine are not always of the magazine or its owners. The magazine is not responsible for the content of the advertisements. Contents, photographs, texts and layouts are integrally property of the publishing company Pelagic Media. It is illegal to copy or reproduce this magazine or its part without written permission.

by Cristiano Lagostena

80 Vertical Techiques / “Minor” Groupers on vertical! by Emiliano Gabrielli

BUSSINESS OFFICE:

88 Spearfishing / Fares Boughzala’s Tips for catching Common Dentex

PELAGIC MEDIA GEORGE POLYCHRONIOU & SIA Ε.E.

by Fares Boughzala

92 Outboard / New Mercury V6 & V8 engines by Vassilis Nikolaou

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106 Boat Test / KARNIC SL 720 by George Polychroniou

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112 Boating / Jeanneau SUN LOFT 47 A Monocat designed to charter by berth!

EDITOR IN CHIEF: GIOVANNI BIANCHINI

by Giovanni Bianchini

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CONTRIBUTORS: FARES BOUGHZALA FREDERIC CALIENDO MILOS CETKOVIC EMILIANO GABRIELLI CRISTIANO LAGOSTENA MIMMO MARFE‘ ANTONINO ODDAMO MAURIZIO PASTACALDI ANTONIO PRADILLO CARNASCO CRISTIAN RODRIGUEZ ZDRAVKO SAVOR RINO SCALZO

Cap Camarat 9.0 Center Console & Walk Around by Giovanni Bianchini

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116 Boating / TECHNOHULL Explorer 40 The RIB combining thrilling ride with comfort & seakeeping by George Polychroniou

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EDITORIAL

FISHES AND BIOLOGICAL SIZES In the first editorial I (rightly) wanted to give greater emphasis to the magazine’s first issue explaining in detail the project and what its aims were. But I really wanted to make a speech aimed to respect the minimum sizes of our beloved fish, not only from a legal point of view but also (and above all) from a biological perspective. Who writes is, indeed, a marine biologist who has always focused his attention on Osteichthyes (bony fish) documenting as much as possible about these wonderful creatures. We always talk about minimum “legal” sizes, but we rarely hear about biological sizes of fishes, those dictated by laws greater than ours: those of Mother Nature. From the desire of informing the general public about this important and delicate issue, this section of the magazine was born, focusing precisely on the biology, growth and age detection of those species commonly targeted by anglers in the Mediterranean waters. Knowing what the REAL minimum size is, in fact, allows us to understand whether they have reproduced or not and possibly to release them to safeguard not only fishes but also our enjoyment and that of future generations in the years to come. I am an optimist by nature and I strongly believe that each of us, in his own small, can do something to safeguard the sea and its inhabitants. I assume that all the readers of this magazine are sea lovers and that they may love it in an almost visceral manner as who writes. Many enthusiasts, however, do not have the slightest

idea of which minimum biological sizes of the various species of their desires are; this is why this column was born. The ultimate goal of this work is not only to “educate” sea lovers about the various biological notes of the species they are looking for but also to raise awareness among the largest number of people in order to defend what it is, at the end, our fun. Because when fishes will end up, unfortunately, our fun will also end and we will all be forced to dedicate ourselves to another hobby. For the avoidance of doubt I have deliberately decided not to talk about both illegal and professional fishing as very extensive topics that need (and we will talk about them soon) to be treated individually. Mine therefore wants to be a far-sighted vision; do not just think about today but also try to think about tomorrow and what you will leave for your children. Now more than ever there is the need for people to be informed about biological features such as: growth, sexual maturity and reproductive period of fish species in the Mediterranean. I therefore hope that this series of columns, edited by me, can be read, understood and implemented, I wish, by the totality of the readers and not only. Let’s respect the sea and it will give us back unforgettable emotions. Tight lines Giovanni Bianchini

Cover: Our contributor Maurizio Pastacaldi, with a large Greater amberjack, caught by live bait trolling technique.

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NEWS IGFA’s NEW EUROPEAN & MEDITERRANEAN REGIONAL COUNCILS IGFA has recently communicated the appointment of a new European & Mediterranean Regional Council driven by Massimo Brogna (Italy) IGFA Trustee and Council Chair. Main purpose of the new IGFA Regional Councils is to constitute local organizational structures to assist IGFA driving its mission of game fish conservation and promotion of ethical angling practices all over the world. IGFA Regional Councils will support IGFA headquarters in maintaining and cultivating relationships with IGFA clubs, captains, weigh stations and members in their respective regions. After the regional meeting in Barcelona (Spain), IGFA trustees, representatives, members, captains and club representatives residing in the region participated in a two-week nomination process for recommending council officers and committee members. A total number of 47 nominations were received and reviewed by IGFA staff and European trustees and, after a careful consultation, the following people were

selected as officers of the new IGFA European & Mediterranean Regional Council. Pier Affre (France) was nominated as Chairman of the Conservation Committee formed by: Omar Ardati, Alvis Birkovs, Yann Giulio, Armando Piccinini and Ahmed Shaker. Lorenzo Roca (Spain) was nominated as Chairman of the Education Committee formed by: Andrey Grigoriev, Serdar Gunseren, Roberto Ripamonti, Raul Roca and Endrik Tonsberg. Elvio Pennetti (Turkey) was nominated as Chairman of the Rules and Recognition Committee formed by: Giacomo Forti, Sandro Onofaro, Johan Pettersson, Bruno Sares and Marc Werquin. Finally, Ignasi Ferrer (Spain) was nominated as Chairman of the Development Committee formed by: Yann Giulio, Michel Marchandise, Andre Montocchio and Gregory Tordjeman. Source: IGFA

FOX INTERNATIONAL UP FOR SALE FOR £150m Recently, an UK-based industry magazine has reported that Europe’s largest privately owned fishing tackle company is going to be on sale. Indeed, Mayfair Equity Partners, owner of Fox International, has appointed banker William Blair to prepare the company for a sale with an asking price that is believed to be in the region of £150m. Fox International based in Hainault, Essex (U.K.), was bought by Mayfair Equity Partners in 2015 in a deal worth £50million. With the Fox, Matrix, ISSUE 2

Specialist, Predator and Fox Rage brands covering disciplines such as carp, Match, coarse, traditional predator and modern lure fishing, Fox International is firmly established as one of the leading tackle manufacturers in Europe. In recent years the company has continued to grow from strength to strength and now currently sells well in excess of 3,000 products in over 30 countries, including the USA,

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NEWS Japan and Russia. The Fox portfolio of brands has a number of flagship products that help to reinforce a formidable reputation for innovation and quality. Concerning the saltwater section, Fox Rage has fast become a very good firm for the modern predator angler, offering a

wide range of top quality products for lure angling. With a host of soft and hard baits, rods, reels, clothing and luggage, Fox Rage is set for continued rapid growth over the coming years. Sources: Angling International, Fox International

SHIMANO EUROPE B.V. AND RAPALA VMC CORPORATION BROKE UP

The divorce’s formalization between Shimano Europe and the famous lure brand Rapala VMC Corporation is now a reality. In fact, we learn that by 2020 all the exclusive distribution agreements between Shimano Europe and Rapala VMC will cease in Europe and South Africa. Following an agreed notice period, Shimano will go its own way with the marketing, sales and distribution of the Shimano, G. Loomis and Power Pro brands. The distribution partnership between Rapala and Shimano remains unchanged in Russia and other East European joint-venture countries. Indeed, there will be no 6

change in the distribution agreements regarding Shimano or Rapala Group branded products in Rapala controlled jointly owned distribution companies in Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Kosovo, Bosnia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Albania and Moldova. The countries and Rapala VMC companies affected will be: Spain and Portugal (Normark Spain SA), France and Switzerland (Normark France SAS), Denmark (Normark Denmark A/S), Norway and Iceland (Normark Norway AS), Sweden (Normark

Scandinavia AB), Finland (Normark Suomi Oy), Estonia (Normark Eesti OU), Lithuania (UAB Normark), Latvia (Normark Latvia SIA) and South Africa (Rapala VMC South Africa Distributors Pty Ltd). President of Shimano Europe B.V., Marc van Rooij, declared: “This move is necessary for Shimano to further strengthen its fishing tackle business in Europe and South Africa”. Moreover he added: “For each country Shimano is studying future business set-ups so as to serve the retail market with the best conditions, including warranty and repair services.” The notice period for Spain, Portugal, France and Switzerland ends on July 1st, 2020, and for all other affected countries (Germany, Italy, Turkey, the UK and the Benelux countries) it will be on October 1st, 2020. President and CEO of Rapala VMC Corporation, Jussi Ristimaki, commented: “We

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NEWS have been partners with Shimano for a long period, but the world is changing and it has been agreed by Shimano and Rapala that in these countries referred to above it is better for both countries to control their own destinies and give more focus on their own brands in the largest European markets”. Furthermore, he added: “While our partnership with

Shimano will continue in the jointly owned distribution companies, we are sorry to see Shimano going their own way in several countries. At the same time this opens us several new opportunities. The large European markets which have been previously handled by Shimano will in the future be directly fully controlled by Rapala. We are already selling Rapala

Group-branded rods and reels in some countries and we will intensify and accelerate the development of this category in the future. The separation from Shimano will also enable us to consider approaching the rod and reel category strategically on global basis”. Sources: Angling International, GlobeNewswire

LOWRANCE FOUNDER DARRELL LOWRANCE DIES AT 80

The fishing industry lost a giant of innovation whose ingenuity continues to hel pointless anglers. Darrell Lowrance, pilot, inventor, founder of Lowrance Electronics and a former President of the American Fishing Tackle Manufacturers Association (AFTMA), has died at the age of 80 after suffering a stroke. CEO of Navico (parent company of Lowrance), Leif Ottosson, said: “With his passing ISSUE 2

the world has lost a great man and true visionary. Darrell’s passion for fishing, innovative design and dedication to driving the marine electronics industry forward, led to innovative ideas and products that have shaped the fishing experiences for millions of anglers globally for over 60 years. The fishing world and our Navico family mourn this loss, and we offer our sincere condolences to Darrell’s wife, Kathleen, and his family.” Lowrance told people he conceived of the idea of fishfinders after flying an airplane over Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees in Oklahoma in the 1950s. The water was clear and he could

see the schools of fish and he wondered if sonar developed to locate submarines could be used to locate those schools. Darrel Lowrance served as President and CEO of Lowrance Electronics from 1964 to 2006 and as President of AFTMA, now the American Sportfishing Association (ASA), from 1983 to 1984. In addition to the first recreational sonar product for anglers, the Fish-Lo-K-Tor (commonly referred to as the “Little Green Box”), he also led the development of the first graph recorder and the first integrated sonar/ GPS along with other innovations. Sources: Angling International, Bassmaster

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NEWS I EVENTS FISHING ACADEMY & CUISINE Text and photos: C.B. Fishing Academy press office

Recently, the first fishing & cooking on board’s school in the world was established. A project conceived and created by Andrea Bottacin to allow, in collaboration with Cristian Battista’s brand “Pesc’amore”, all guests on board to live a unique experience. An experience for living the sea at 360 degrees on the “Frau”, the first boat becoming part of the “fleet” Fishing Academy & Cuisine, based on the island of Pantelleria, a suggestive location for 8

the school that during the summer season can be easily reached by direct flights from Milan, Bergamo, Turin, Venice, Verona, Bologna and Rome. Also other 19 boats throughout Italy from Chioggia to Sardinia/ Sicily, given the success’ wave achieved by the initiative, joined the new project. Indeed, several boat owners gave their willingness to host this very special cooking school. All accompanied by great brands of Italian’s food service such as: the food

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NEWS I EVENTS company “Roberto”, “Aquamaris” (kitchen seawater), “Ca del Sole” (quality wines and sparkling wines), “Bake off Italiana” and Chef Antonio Stabellini, “Lowrance”, “Sunrise professional fishermen” who designed a fishing rods’ line expressly dedicated to this project. Moreover, “Caffè Diemme”, “Numeri uno tv”, “Rai eri”, edited in collaboration with Sileno Candelaresi who will direct the “il giro d’Italia Pescando” (the Italian tour fishing). The super event “Big Game Città di Roma”, which saw the Fishing Academy as a prominent sponsor and took place on April 27th and 28th, has recorded the SOLD OUT for some time after registration. This event was masterfully organized by the athletes of the SS LAZIO PESCA, Andrea Riccobello and Fabio Salvucci.

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NEWS I EVENTS IGFA EUROPEAN & MEDITERRANEAN REGIONAL COUNCIL’S MEETING 2019 YACHT CLUB PORTO ROTONDO, 23-27 MAY 2019 Text and photos: Sandro Onofaro

For the first time Porto Rotondo will host a meeting between the public and the world sport fishing federation IGFA (International Game Fishing Association). Many activities will take place during this particular meeting, from the scientific committee with the most authoritative

world institutions of both biological and marine scientific research, to unprecedented meetings with the public, to the world premiere of a documentary by the “Luce” Institute about tuna traps. And yet fishing sessions with the aim of fishing and releasing Mediterranean spearfish

applying satellite tags for scientific studies and launching the new children’s fishing school format, result of the collaboration between the IGFA and the YCPR Fishing Division’s sporting director, Sandro Onofaro. For this important meeting the participation of the highest IGFA leaders from North and Central America is planned, as well as the European Representatives, from all countries bordering the Mediterranean and the Middle East. Events open to the public and institutions will of great appeal. IGFA, at the first official visit of the New President Nehl Horton, will indeed open the meeting to all enthusiastic. Moreover, the IGFA 20192022 strategic plan and the operational plan of the new European Regional Council will be defined. IGFA as part of the Association’s international development programs has established 7 new Regional Councils. Main scope of this is to decentralize activities to better increase their own presence and develop their own programs in the world with particular regard to environmental protection, sport ethic’s education and promotion especially among

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NEWS I EVENTS young people and the Association’s development programs. In addition of being able to enjoy the splendid location of Porto Rotondo, its Marina and the Yacht Club, the participating public will be able to attend some important events. On Friday 24 and a series of meetings will be held within the YCPR. In the morning there will be a meeting on the Mediterranean Spearfish Project, a worldclass scientific project promoted by Sea Life Care together with the Anton Dohrn Institute in Naples, in collaboration with the IGFA and the Stanford University. This project concerns the study and the preservation of an endemic species of the Mediterranean Sea, the only Billfish, together with the Swordfish, of the Istiophoridae family present in our sea: the Mediterranean Spearfish, whose highest concentration is found right in the sea facing Porto Rotondo. Till now this species has never been studied scientifically, but given the very high sporting value and the increase the territory’s tourist-related impact that it can generate, Sandro Onofaro with the YCPR’s Fishing Division and the President Roberto Azzi have decided to support the project in every possible way. “In addition to sharing with IGFA the green oriented

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vision of a Plasticless world, already promoted by the Porto Rotondo Yacht Club and to share education and respect for the marine environment and the promotion of sport fishing among young and very young, we could not give up such a noble occasion as that of studying to safeguard and promote internationally a species as the Mediterranean Spearfish. A fish of such great interest both for sport fishermen and for the entire territory’s tourism sector” declared the Yacht Club President Roberto Azzi, interviewed for the occasion. The event is in partnership as well as the Porto Rotondo’s Marina also with the Sporting Hotel, a structure that has always been the most favorite by international customers and in particular by American ones. These initiatives want to ensure that Porto Rotondo becomes a full-fledged reference point in the Mediterranean and in the whole world for the Mediterranean spearfish fishing. Just to follow up on this goal, during the 2019 season two of the tournaments starting from Porto Rotondo’s Marina and the Yacht Club (5-7 July and 23 August) will focus on this wonderful typical Mediterranean species’ fishing. By sea or by land, we are waiting for you to share our passions and the richness of this territory.

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NEWS I IGFA SHORT NEWS BONEFISH Angler Dotty Ballantyne caught and released this 3-pound, 8-ounce bonefish (Albula vulpes) to potentially set the new women’s 1 kg (2 lb) tippet class world record. Ballantyne fished this specimen on ultra-light tippet during a recent trip to the Bahamas. Source: IGFA

PACIFIC CUBERA SNAPPER Angler Salvador Aristi caught and released this impressive 120 cm Pacific cubera snapper (Lutjanus novemfasciatus) to potentially set the new All-Tackle Length world record (the current one stands at 115 cm). Aristi was fishing in Jicaron Island, Panama and needed 10 minutes to land the hard-fighting snapper after it crushed the live bonito he was using for bait. Source: IGFA

GOLDEN TREVALLY Angler Jason Hornhardt caught this 9.74-kilogram (21-pound, 7-ounce) Golden trevally (Gnathanodon speciosus) potentially setting the new men’s 8 kg (16 lb) line class world record. Hornhardt was fishing with a live mullet out of Dampier, Australia, and needed approximately 10 minutes to land the hard-fighting trevally. Source: IGFA

CUBERA SNAPPER Angler Lance Jackson, age 15, caught this massive 86-pound cubera snapper (Lutjanus cyanopterus) to potentially set the men’s 10 kg (20 lb) line class and Male Junior world records. Jackson needed 30 minutes to land the monster cubera after it striked on the Williamson vertical jig he was fishing with. Source: IGFA 12

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FISH & COOK

NEEDLEFISH

in Saor Chef Antonio Stabellini

INGREDIENTS (FOR 4 PEOPLE): • 8 fresh needlefish • 3 tropea onions • 100 gr. raisins • 50 gr. capers in brine • 50 gr. dried apricots • 10 cl white wine vinegar • 1 tablespoon of EVO oil • Pepper and salt as needed.

PROCEDURE: Heat the grill over high heat for a few minutes, place the needle on the grill and cook over medium heat. Meanwhile put a pan over high heat with: oil, sliced onions, capers, raisins and apricots cut into cubes and let it go on a medium heat for 4/5 minutes, stirring occasionally. At this point add the vinegar and raise the heat until the vinegar has evaporated almost completely turn off the heat, add salt and pepper to taste. Lay down Needlefish on a serving plate and sprinkle them with Saor, let stand a few minutes and serve on the table. CHEF RECOMMENDS Eating this dish cold the day after preparation, marinade will add an extra touch. ISSUE 2

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BOLOGNESE

Selective Baits

THE ROCKPOOL SHRIMP

The use of flesh fly’s larva as bait for the Bolognese technique has certainly facilitated many aspects of a technique that mnakes invisibility and lightness its pillars. However, what is missing in the use of the flesh fly’s larva is the size selection of possible preys. The live rockpool shrimp can compensate this deficiency.

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Text and photos: Mimmo Marfè

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BOLOGNESE I SELECTIVE BAITS: THE ROCKPOOL SHRIMP

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BOLOGNESE I SELECTIVE BAITS: THE ROCKPOOL SHRIMP

he warm season brings, close to shores, those fishes that in wintertime stay mostly offshore. Among these is the Saddled seabream, a fish often underestimated but very sporty. It is a small, very combative predator often managing to detect too thick lines and too static baits. With oxygenated waters or at night it’s possible to catch many nice Saddled seabrems but if we want to select them in size, the most selective bait we can use is the live rockpool shrimp. Beyond the more or less complex methods, we will have to look for them at night on a submerged vertical quay. Lighting up walls with the light of a headlamp and picking them up with a small, narrow net will not be a too complex task. If we have the opportunity we could keep them alive and lively by keeping them in a plastic bottle to which we will realize small holes, useful for changing water and which, weighing down and immersing it into the sea. The live rockpool shrimp will be rigged on hooks that are not too small; let’s say a numbering between 10 and 12, as personal opinion, will be the 16

most appropriate. The leader’s armrests, which will have to be long enough, may be a few cents greater than those used when using the flesh fly’s larva and a 0.12 will be more than adequate. Important during the fish recovery will be the use of a net because the Saddled seabream tends to damage the leader with its small teeth. With this bait, that can work even detached from the bottom, generally we will have bites of adult fish but if Saddled seabreams will be one of the most frequent catches, also bites of some Gilthead sebreams, especially in coincidence with sunrise and sunset, will be quite likely to occur. For this last fish we will not change the fishing approach, we will just make the lure working near the bottom. Indeed, while for the Saddled seabream a meter and a half leader will

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BOLOGNESE I SELECTIVE BAITS: THE ROCKPOOL SHRIMP be fine, for the Gilthead seabream (but often also the White seabream will bite), we will shorten the leader bringing it to just less than a meter.

SPOTLIGHT: SADDLED SEABREAM Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s talk about the Saddled seabream, a fish that in spring makes a massive first approach towards the shore and where it will stay, with movements dictated by sea and moon conditions, for another five or six months. It belongs to the Sparidae family and to the order of Perciformes. And here I stop because

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I suppose this kind of information can be easily found online. The maximum size, the Saddled seabream can reach, is about 35 centimeters for 1 kg of weight. Its average size ranges from 150 to 500 gr. This fish is certainly part of the pelagic fishâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s group, those fish that do not swim in close and constant contact with the seabed. It rather likes to swim between the surface and just above the bottom, moving continuously. His wandering is imposed by two main needs: the first is that of the predator, constantly looking for preys to hunt, the second concerns water quality, and in particular its level of oxygenation.

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BOLOGNESE I SELECTIVE BAITS: THE ROCKPOOL SHRIMP

FISHING FLOATS In my personal opinion using a fishing float that does not offer too much resistance at the bite time will favor the bait’s swallowing thus facilitating a safer

recovery. Then light fishing floats with a more or less rounded overturned pear shape, able to support a wide series of small rounded fishing leads in size varying from 9 to 10. Although it is said that with live rockpool shrimp prawn pasturing should not be used, in my personal and long experience I have found that combining this live bait with a light pasturing action made with flours to which a shrimp puree is added (obtained with the blender) facilitate a lot the fish’s arrival right under our fishing float. The Bolognese fishing will always dictate very soft casts in order to do not damage the bait, after all many fishes go to feed right near the point of contact between the solid elements of a cliff or quay and the bottom. Useless and harmful trying to perform unlikely long casts. Furthermore it is important to measure the bottom so that our live bait works slightly detached from it. Otherwise the crustacean could hide behind some algae’s tuft or under some abandoned rope.

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BOLOGNESE I SELECTIVE BAITS: THE ROCKPOOL SHRIMP

HOOKS AND LEADERS The best suited hook for rigging the live rockpool shrimp and to the Saddled seabreamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bite must own a very penetrating tip that will pierce the small crustacean at the height of the second telsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s section on the tail side. This rig preserves the vitality of our bait long enough. Just as an example an indicative

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hook for this rig is the Gamakatsu 120 N; I personally prefer this hook for this kind of fishing in size 12. Regarding leaders our preferences will go for fluorcarbon lines with diameters ranging between 0.10 and 0.13 or for slightly softer but also slightly more visible fluorine ones. With daylight our preferences will surely fall on the fluorocarbon. BF

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SPINNING

Bluefish ON! Bluefish is one of the most appreciated and coveted catch around the Mediterranean and along warm Atlantic coasts. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a fast, strong, acrobatic and fearsome predatoar reaching 8-10 kg, but in spite of its size we can fish it with a light tackle.

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Text: Antonio Pradillo Carrasco - Photos: RaĂşl Gil & author

SPINNING I BLUEFISH ON!

ere I am again, after 30 years of bluefish lure fishing, writing about it. I think Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m really lucky of living in Valencia (East Spain), because all year round I can fish for this species, even before going to work during the best seasons. Even I can go to the Ebro Delta with my kayak only 2 hours driving, so I can consider myself privileged. Think about it, from March to middle June I can go fishing for one hour just before start working, early, when bluefish wake up and are very aggressive. Just a couple of good lures, one 15 - 40 gr rod and a 4000 or 5000 reel to have an exciting half hour with very few light on

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the sky, when each cast has a smashing bite. When darkness is blurring on sunlight is, indeed, time for them to hunt; activity is going down gradually as sun is going up, and same at sunset.

SURFACE KILLER Bluefish likes to hunt on the surface. When water temperature is around 1718ÂşC its activity is really high and is the best moment for casting our surface lures. On the Spanish lure history, best first lure was clearly a popper, a well casting and noisy popper, like could be a Roosta from Halco that was sold by

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SPINNING I BLUEFISH ON! hundreds. But bluefish were getting cleverer and cleverer, and casting distance was needed, so some skipping lure like all Roberts family appeared on the box, and specially a great range of pencil poppers like Yo Zuri Surface Cruiser. On that moment, current average catches were up to 5 Kg, and you could catch several specimens each day. Fish were easily attracted by rattles, but all of this has now changed. Average catches’ weight has decrease amazingly to 2 kg, “tropical” popping scares bluefish and I don’t choose the rattle lures from my box. With too many lures swimming on the water every day, bluefish have become clever; it is not as easy as many years ago and you need an accurate knowledge of how to do it. I use poppers, yes, but not making noise; I only move them with

small movements like a stickbait walking the dog; It moves water, but not making aggressive noise, and It works. Pencil Poppers still work, but not fishing them as fast as you can. Indeed, we have to “play” with bluefish by making “stop & go” retrieves with some hits of the lure on the stop and sometimes they bite on extremely slow retrieves, mainly when temperature is low. We are fishing with the Surf Walker from Savage Gear, and it allows a side to side action (WTD) that we combine with the “Stop & Go” retrieve, thus becoming really successful in our pressured waters.

AND SUBSURFACE! When I was a teenager I used to fish in a clear water harbor and I could see a big school of small bluefish following, at

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SPINNING I BLUEFISH ON! each cast, my old Rapala lure (It was the only one available at the shops!). It was plenty of fish there, but any bite occurred with the sun up. I tried to stop and hit the rod, and fish became crazy, biting the lure at each cast. I didn´t know then, but I discovered “jerking” and “twitching”! Rapala Husky Jerk was an amazing lure on the following years (not too much to choose though!). Everywhere was easy to fish, even I had a place where you could catch a hundred of bluefish each day from April to November on jerks. Mostly small fish, less than 2 kilos, and I remember that It was plenty of big beasts. On 2001, a new brand appeared on the market, Savage Gear was born mainly as a pike fishing brand. First catalogue had a

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lure called Deviator, a pike stickbait that worked with a pronounced side to side action on jerking. I tried on a shallow river mouth where bluefish appears in early spring since in this period offshore water temperature is 14 ºC whereas reaching 17-18 ºC in inshore waters. In that place fish were not feeding, they were just getting sun on surface. You can see fins on calm water in these situations but then we discovered that jerking on big stickbaits can turn to aggressive these “peaceful” fish that attacks the new generation of big sized slim minnows, like Tide Minnow or Sandeel Jerk Minnow. Many people don’t really know how to use this kind of lures, especially submerged stickbaits, and this is the key to keep success 2 decades after;

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SPINNING I BLUEFISH ON!

so add them to your tackle box, cast and jerk them!

BIRDS & SCHOOLS Sometimes we can find bluefish schools feeding on surface, generally biting small sardines or anchovies in Spring or Autumn. Then bluefish can be selective, feeding better on small lures, so we should take a light equipment to allow the cast of a 8-12 cm WTD lure and we should try if they bite fast, slowly or even staying completely quiet in the middle of the school. Fishing with small lures makes more easy for the bluefish to cut the line (they have dangerous sharp theeth!); on the other hand we use to solve this problem when using long and big lures, because bluefish rarely attacks its prey in the middle for cutting it. Anyway, firstly 24

we used wire, but now we go for a 0,50-0,70 mm leader tied to a 0,16 braid (0,19 mm for beginners or heavy rods could be Ok).

MY FAVORITE LURES Savage Gear: Deviator, Freestyler & 3D Mack Stick All stickbaits from Savage Gear are extremely efficient. Deviator is out of market, but it is amazing on slow jerking action to hunt trophy specimens. Freestyler, Salty Freestyler or 3D Mack Stick are faster lures working better on twitching. Yo Zuri: Surface Cruiser This is an old lure that is still in my box. It floats perfectly, has all rear weight so you can cast it far easily and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s silent. It is also a leerfish killer!

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SPINNING I BLUEFISH ON! Savagear: Sandeel Surf Walker Pencil popper that works perfectly on a WTD retrieve, extremely efficient when temperature is not high and we need to fish slowly, although as a pencil we can retrieve it faster like a skipping lure. It’s a perfect lure for fishing schools of small size, but catching big ones when you don’t see signs of fish around. Shimano: Silent Assasine Expensive but needed big sized slim minnow. It’s silent and you can cast it really far fishing where other minnows can’t arrive. It works quite well on jerking.

casting distance is really amazing.

Daiwa: Tournament Saltwater The old shore line, is now called Tournament Saltwater Slender, and It´s another slim, well sized minnow that can be casted amazingly far. It works worse than others on the hits of the rod, so we have to retrieve it more slowly, but

Savage Gear: Sandeel Jerk Minnow Have a look at the 21 cm size if you like to fish on jerking. It’s a silent and well casting lure that works really well on jerking. The key is to make a stop & go twitching (It’s suspending). BF

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SPINNING

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SPINNING I BLUEFISH INVASION IN THE ADRIATIC SEA

BLUEFISH INVASION in the Adriatic Sea! Ten years ago bluefish was common only in southern part of the Adriatic Sea. During the last decade an invasion spread bluefish to almost every part of the Adriatic Sea at the expense of other fish species that often fall under the sharp teeth of this predator. The bluefishâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s presence can only cheer fishermen since it is very attractive and can be fished with various types of lures.

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Text & photos: Zdravko Savor

SPINNING I TIPS FOR FISHING IN COLD WATERS

A SHARP TEETH PREDATOR WITH ALIEN FACE The Northern part of the Adriatic Sea is the area where my friends and me used to fish for a longer period. More than ten years ago in Istria for example we used to fish for seabass, leerfish and some other species with lures. Best positions are areas where fresh water is mixed with the sea, area full of mullet and other small fishes’ schools. Today mullet almost disappeared and replaced with a huge number of bluefish. I’m pretty scared how future will look, since bluefish is destroying not only mullets, but also other species and squids. Bluefish can be found in ports where fishing boats throw their catch’s remains and there you can

try to fish them with dead fish baits like sardines for example. To resume, this aggressive fish can be caught both with lures and live or dead fish. Choice is up to you, but we prefer lures for catching them. Average bluefish’s size in the Adriatic Sea range from 500 gr to2 kg, specimens around 5 kg are capital fish, but very rarely it can be found in size up to 10 kg.

ON THE SURFACE OR BELOW First precondition for a successful bluefish’s fishing session is to be at the right place, in the right time and in the right period of the year. This is migratory fish and in some part of season some spots can be full of them, but in

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SPINNING I BLUEFISH INVASION IN THE ADRIATIC SEA others it is quite impossible to see and, consequently, catch them. Even if you are at the good place in the right period of the year, bluefish behavior can deviate on a daily basis. One day can be good and another can be poor, depending on many factors. But as long as you can see schools of bluefish following your lure, you know that you have chance if you will be persistent enough for success. Bluefish can be caught during the whole day and night, but there are some periods when these fish are more active and aggressive. Early morning, last hour before night and first few hours at night are for sure periods when you have good chances. Raining days or when weather is changing are as well excellent moments to try. Sometimes you can see furious and aggressive attacks at the surface and this is the right sign for you. Main problem could be that of getting close enough to cast your lure in the feeding zone and this is much easier if you have boat or kayak. Second problem is that after few fish caught with your lures the others will leave the area moving to a decent distance. Bluefish is a good learner and will learn how to avoid your lures very soon. In this situation you can only change lure’s type and action and the way of retrieving it. You can change color, size or you can have 15 minutes of “no fishing” pause to rest the place. The most attractive fishing is that with surface lures but sometimes bluefish react on big “minnow type” hard lures below the surface. Lure’ choice will follow-up.

SURFACE LURES Bluefish surface spinning is pretty much like asp fishing in fresh water with a ISSUE 2

similar type of presentation. Lures for bluefish can be larger and longer since it will attack much larger prey than asp in rivers. “Walk the dog” lures, metal spoons, unweighed silicone lures, pencil lures or poppers will work for you. Both fish are very aggressive when feeding on the surface, chasing shoals of small fishes, they make a lot of noise. The biggest difference between these two predators, apart from the fact they live in different types of environments, are teeth. Indeed, bluefish is armed whit sharp teeth that will bite victims with surgical precision, thereby not sparing your fluorocarbon leader. Talking about advisable top water lure for bluefish (and asp) we come to long cast ballistic perfection called Duo Bay Ruf Manic 115 in “no colour” transparent design. Long casts and the possibility to be retrieved

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SPINNING I BLUEFISH INVASION IN THE ADRIATIC SEA

on the surface in different ways, often will produce results. Otherwise it is recommended to retrieve it with tight rolling without wobbling or wide action, but for bluefish you can retrieve it an higher speed splashing the surface of the sea and imitating a pray in a panic run. Believe me, this can convince a bluefish to attack your surface lure. Different

variations of needlefish imitations like Jack Fin Stylo 210 probably are the most popular lures in Croatia for bluefish. This type of lure is good for active searching, since they can attract bluefish to follow from distance and you will be informed about their presence. If pursuit will not end up with an attack then you will have to change lure. Anglers choose colors according to their subjective reasons and experience. Realistic colors works better in clear, white color in murky water, but at the surface fish sometimes react better if lure is clear transparent and has no color at all. Bay Ruf Manic and other surface lures in transparent decor are the best evidence of it in The Adriatic Sea. Countless times Bay Ruf Manic in transparent color achieved better results than with other colors, especially if we are talking about sea bass and bluefish.

UNDER THE SURFACE Below the surface you can try your luck with hard type minnow lures. Personally I prefer 140 - 200 mm long minnow lures like Duo Tide Minnow Slim Flyer, but other lure brands have many to offer too. Flyer has good ballistic characteristics, you can cast it far away and it has to be twitched hard combining movement with the stop and go technique. Patience, self30

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SPINNING I BLUEFISH INVASION IN THE ADRIATIC SEA confidence, believing in your lures and what you are doing are crucial points for reaching your goals. Bluefish are pretty suspicious and fast learners. It will refuse your bait if something in presentation is not done well. For example metal wire will spare your lures but will scare bluefish for sure. Even if you are fishing with dead fish, tiny wire should not be seen outside of the fish body. So you have to find the right measure in using light but strong enough both lines and gears. If lure is big and you are retrieving it fast, the chances that bluefish will cut your line are not that high, but with silicone lures mounted on jig heads it could be a problem. Bluefish will positively react on fast silicone lures with no action (I prefer Slug Go lure mounted on a dart jig head) and unpredicted change in direction. You can retrieve this type of lures fast and when you stop, it will fall down at high speed; this inciting the aggressiveness and the consequent

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attack of the predator. The only problem is in realization because chances that you will lose both lure and fish are high because of sharp teeth. Sometimes you can catch seabass and bluefish in the same areas, but I think you will not be unhappy if a seabass will occur at the end of your fishing line.

FISHING GEAR It is advisable to use rods up to 50 g depending on the lureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s size and weight you are using and size of fish in the location. Rodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s length should be between 2,4 - 3 m. Longer is better if you need to cast lure far away. Strong and reliable spinning reel is what you must have since you will twitch with big lures and if reel is not in right size and quality it will not last for long. Regarding braid, a good PE 1.2-1.5 will ensure casting abilities and enough strength for middle size lures. At the end of braid you should use a fluorocarbon leader in 0,30-0,40 mm diameter. For the connection of your fluorocarbon leader with main braid it is recommended to use a FG knot. Bluefish fishing with spinning technique is fun and from a gastronomic perspective, if you like to eat fish, bluefish could satisfy your expectations on the plate. Sounds like double pleasure for you and your family. BF

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SPINNING

BLUEFISH

Topwater & Sub-surface fishing! If there is an aggressive fish, that reaches good size, jump, have speed and has a totally predatory physiognomy and behavior, that fish is the bluefish. This line-cutter fish is also one of the most powerful species that we can catch with spinning tackle on our southern shores, but if there is something that characterizes it is its great attraction for surface lures. Anyone who wants to start topwater spinning finds in the bluefish the perfect species to learn and improve, since weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re talking about the perfect predator.

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Text & photos: Cristian RodrĂguez

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SPINNING I BLUEFISH

MULLET HUNTER With this statement is how I would define the bluefish, a tireless hunter, stalker of mullet. Therefore, it’s clear that if we want to seek for bluefish, first we must know where they are. Any place with mullets will have bluefish around. As a good predator it doesn’t reject squids and cuttlefish, or other fish like needlefish, horse mackerels, sardines and they seem to lose their head for little barracudas. They even prey on their own smallersized congeners and are able to attack fish of their own size by mere territoriality. As you can see, it’s primarily a natural born predator that competes with another great predator like leerfish, sharing many of the same habitats as the Caragidae member.

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SPINNING I BLUEFISH

WHERE

ALSO DEEP AREAS

Fishing bluefish with surface lures can be as easy as just casting our lures in their hunting territory, and seeing the variety of species that serve it as sustenance, the trick is to know where those fish are concentrated. If there are three species, for which the bluefish feels special devotion, these are: the mullet, the needlefish and the barracuda. Therefore, if we want to catch bluefish it’s more logical to try to fish where their favorite preys inhabit. Among the places that these fish tend to choose the most important are freshwater mouths and the vicinity of ports. Don’t forget that bluefish is also a scavenger fish and in port areas finds food of all kinds. In addition, harbor’s structures serve as a refuge for their natural preys. The other scenario where I have fish bluefish is in sandy areas and rocky shoals, where they take advantage of the level of the bottom to go unnoticed and attack, by surprise, their helpless preys.

If we are talking about surface fishing, it’s taken for granted that we are looking for predators that swim in middle water but close to the surface, and for this situation to take place, it’s necessary to consider some basic requirements that will broaden our probabilities of capture. The first aspect to consider is the depth. What interest us is shallow areas. With some practice you can fish bluefish on surface even in deeper places, but that is because these fish tend to swim near the superficial layers of water, and in addition, this particular situation is given rather in specific points. Some of these specific points would be, for example, the surroundings of fish farms, pontoons that enter the sea and surface hunts in open water. As we see, these are very specific places, and we will not always find bluefish in these fishing spots. In this deeper context it would be more effective using sinking lures as: casting jigs,

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SPINNING I BLUEFISH

bucktails, softbait shads and jerkbaits. Therefore, it can be said that it’s possible to catch bluefish on surface in areas with depth, but it’s not the usual or the best place for trying it.

SHALLOW AREAS, THE PERFECT SPOT Topwater fishing can become very effective as long as we do it in the right place. Where most of the game is taken is in shallow areas, flats, sand banks, where the lure literally passes over the predators, inevitably recalling their attention. And this is one of our first objectives, to draw attention to attract the bluefish to our plugs, a task that in days of activity is rather simple, but this situation changes in days of low activity or in large areas where predators are more scattered than concentrated. Starting from this base, it will always be easier to draw the attention of predators in shallow waters, where any noise or ISSUE 2

alteration is warned much faster than in deep water. Knowing the different hunting sites of bluefish, it is easy to identify possible effective places to fish them on spinning tackle and surface lures. Once we know these specific points, it’s more a matter of correct using of the lure depending on the conditions.

FLOATING LURES: SLOW OR FAST? As a general rule, poppers and stickbaits have worked better with bluefish which are not just decided, or that inhabit pressured waters. I have also used them at the beginning and end of the season, with cooler water, although they work all year round with this species. But you could say that when the fish are suspicious, a popper picked up with pauses or a stickbait swimming slowly with a slidding action can be detonating attacks. That doesn’t mean they’re not effective

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SPINNING I BLUEFISH

picking them up fast. In fact, with warmer water we can use continuous retreiving on high speed, and have very good results, but for this type of retreiving I’m more supportive of using other lures like pencil-poppers and skipping lures. Pencil-poppers, cousins of the poppers, are more elongated and stylized, with a look reminding that of stickbaits. During regular fishing days, these are some of the most practical and effective surface lures to be used with high speed retrieves. Skipping lures represent another important lure to be used with high speed retrieves. Its name comes from its action in the water: they are lures that cruise the surface and originate splashes able to recall the attention of many predatory species, not only bluefish. 36

SUB-SURFACE FISHING: SINKING STICKBAITS Don’t ask me why, but there are days when the voracious bluefish seem not to be as aggressive as usual or they don’t attack our lure and instead, they are only limited to follow them till our feet. And apparently, many of these days of suspicious and quiet bluefish are the most suitable to try with our sinking stickbaits. I like very much this kind of stickbaits for its great versatility in movement, its great weight balance allowing them to catapult to very good distances, and its action just below the surface. They are lures moving lot of water and therefore allowing them to be easily spotted by predators. They can also be used by make them swimming a bit in deep. When bluefish

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SPINNING I BLUEFISH chase lures from below, perhaps it’s time to change a conventional surface lure with a sinking one. Many times it’s a good way to make them react and provoke their attack. It’s a rather slow fishing because not all sinking sticks tolerate a lot of speed, and it’s logical that the increase of it ends up with the lure on surface.

LIGHT (BUT STRONG) TACKLE The bluefish is a very combative fish that jumps, runs, changes direction, sinks, seizes the currents and is able to look for obstacles in order to cut the line or to unhook. It’s not the same to catch blues in “open” spaces without sharp rocks or tangled ends, than to do in places with structures or irregular bottoms. If we fish in sand or open waters without anything that hinders us, we can use light spinning tackle, a set up composed by a reel in 2500 or 3000 format filled with braidline of 10 or 12 pounds and a rod with a casting weight of around 20 or 30

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grams. Apart from having a great fun with the rush of a good specimen and our rod curved to the limit, this set up allows us to land a bluefish of medium size, between 3 and 6 kilos of weight in places without obstacles. However, if instead of fishing in shoals of sand we do it on rocky shoals or close to artificial structures, we need a little more power to avoid that a good sized bluefish can go straight towards there. We can also use more powerful equipment if we want to cast properly heavier lures; don’t forget that some lures that work very well with bluefish are quite big and its weight exceeds 30 grams, some of them even 50 grams. If, in addition, in the area we usually fish there are also large leerfish, don’t hesitate to use something more powerful. Therefore, taking into account the above variables, we would be talking about a rod that can cast up to about 40 or 50 grams, and a reel in 4000 or 5000 format with a braidline of 20 to 30 lbs maximum. BF

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SPINNING

BARRACUDA TIME! Spring months represent, along with autumn ones, the best time of the year for fishing European Barracudas with Spinning technique. In this article you will find out a series of information coming directly from my experience that will help you in getting ready for the just started season. Text & photos: Milos Cetkovic

he European Barracuda, belonging to the family Sphyraenidae, is a fish having an elongated body, dark brown back, white belly and the characteristic vertical dark bands present on both sides. Body is designed for high speed attacks and its head is elongated with the lower jaw, longer than the upper one, armed by thin, strong, razor sharp teeth. These are very penetrating and suitable for grasping and crushing its preys. European barracuda is a very aggressive predator and this feature often

pushes it to attack our lures making it an excellent trophy for spinning anglers. The European barracuda is smaller than its tropical â&#x20AC;&#x153;cousinâ&#x20AC;?, having an average weight ranging between 1 and 3 kg but being able to reach remarkable dimensions even over 5 kg and 1 m long. Until a decade ago this species was practically unknown to most of fishermen and its capture was considered rare. But due to the progressive rise in sea water temperatures within the Mediterranean basin, first isolated catches began and

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SPINNING I BARRACUDA TIME! news of increasingly frequent sightings came from many locations. In a short time, barracuda had spread through the whole Mediterranean outclassing even the sea bass in the ranking of the most captured prey by spinning anglers.

WHERE AND WHEN

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Best times for fishing this predator are represented by spring and autumn. The months that are more suitable for this type of fishing are April, May, September, and October till mid of November. Some catches, however, have also been achieved at other times of the year, such

as summer and winter. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve managed to catch barracuda even in December but its presence close to shore in the winter period is subject to waterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s temperature. Best places for fishing these predators are constituted by ports (where it is allowed to fish), docks and cliffs along the coast line. Fishing can be conducted at any time of the day but, personally, sunrise and above all, sunset are the best moments for catching them. Some catches took place even in the middle of the night and in these cases, full moon nights or illuminated areas (for example in ports) are preferred.

SPINNING I BARRACUDA TIME! The appropriate time for catching Barracuda is right about high tide. But it is not unusual to catch them during low tide as well. High tide normally draws barracudas near to shoreline to hunt on small baitfish which are moving around tidal areas. It is at this point that you can cast your lures and hope the predator will notice it and strike! Barracudas seem to prefer calm and clear water conditions for their attacks. Most of my catches were carried on in calm waters but waves can be also good for catching barracuda since these predators love to follow the prey and strike it just before it disappears in the turbulent foam near the cliff. So donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be stunned if a barracuda will attack your lure just under your feet.

EQUIPMENT RODS & REELS The ideal is a fast/medium fast rod of the length that you prefer, personally, I prefer a 2 sections 3 m length rod with a casting weight of 15-50 grams. There are plenty of excellent rods models on the market that meet these requirements but my favorite for this fishing is 40

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SPINNING I BARRACUDA TIME!

represented by the Major Craft Crostage 15-42g. Brands that produce really highquality sea equipment are, for example, Shimano and Daiwa and you can find their products at very good prices if you don’t want to buy an expensive rod. Reel size depends also on the fisherman; ideal for this kind of fishing is a 25004000 size reel spooled with at least 150 meter of braid. I use a Shimano Twin Power XD 4000 XG that is a very smooth and powerful reel. I suggest spooling at least 200m of braid since you never know which predator could bite your lure. Indeed, in these months and conditions you can hook up other predators like bonitos, bluefish, dolphinfish or even leerfish.

but I think a good nylon is more than enough for the purpose since price of some brands are very expensive. Barracuda’s teeth are very sharp even though they are not very close to each other. It can happen that the fish may be able to cut the leader if it comes into contact with its teeth. This had already happened to me several times. A good solution is to insert the fluorocarbon before the lure itself. Best diameter of fluorocarbon range between 0.30 mm

BRAIDS & LEADERS Best braid’s diameters range from 0.14 mm to a maximum of 0.20 mm. I use a 0.16mm 8x braid which is a good compromise for casting lure quite far. I used to try lot of braid brands but my favorite is the Daiwa Tournament Evo8. Braids are definitely great for spinning, ISSUE 2

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SPINNING I BARRACUDA TIME!

and 0.50 mm but I prefer to put a 0.40 mm just in case the barracuda would grab it between teeth or in case of getting in contact with sharp rocks. Fluorocarbon is better than monofilament since it is invisible in the water, has high strength and better abrasion resistance.

LURES Lureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s choice is perhaps the most important factor. The best advice is to change them often since there are

no universal lures that will catch well anywhere and at any time. It all depends on the place, visibility conditions and time of the day since barracuda is a very unpredictable predator and changes its habits often. I would definitely choose long and slim minnows ranging between 14 and 20 cm. You can also try top water lures like poppers and needle lures, but for catching barracudas minnows are the most successful lures to use. Personally I have used several lure

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SPINNING I BARRACUDA TIME!

brands but once I have tried Duo Tide Minnow Slim 175 Prism Ivory I use it since then and most of my catches were realized with this lure, both early in the morning or before sunset as previously mentioned. Other great colors are Sayori, Clear Blue back and new Red Tails. Other lures that gave me very good results are the Duo Tide Minnow Slim 140, Duo Realis Jerkabait 120, Rapala Max Rap 13cm Orange Anchovy and, as topwater, the Evo Lures Zargana 150 in snow white and frissa colors.

FISHING ACTION Lure’s recovery must be conducted very slowly. It is better to stop often and ISSUE 2

occasionally give sudden accelerations and then continuing with a very slow recovery. It happened to me several times to catch a barracuda when the artificial was already stopped for a few seconds. Since barracuda is very curious, sometimes it approaches the lure by giving light touches, without attacking it; therefore it is better to vary the recovery’s speed often. When hooking the barracuda tight the reel’s drag, in order for it not to take line, and retrieve it a bit faster without stopping since barracuda in unpredictable and will start turn around and above, jumping out of water just in an attempt to win its freedom. BF

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SHORE JIGGING

SHORE JIGGINGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S

SECRETS

Shore jigging is one of the most exciting techniques we can carry out from shore, addressed mainly to pelagic fish such as: Atlantic bonitos, Little tunnies and Chub mackerels even if, with this technique, you must be prepared for everything in the most absolute way! Although rarely, at least in my area, it is not difficult to hook fishes such as Amberjacks, Common dentex and Tunas! Text & photos: Antonino Oddamo

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SHORE JIGGING I SHORE JIGGING’S SECRETS

EQUIPMENT

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That said it seems only due to start talking about the equipment to be used, on the market, with the spread of this technique during recent years, more and more specific tools have been created to practice it at best. Rods ranging from 2.70 to 3 m with a power range able of managing jigs up to 100 grams! Exactly, you read it well 100gr! Shore jigging is a fairly “tough” technique, requiring a strong equipment and arms able to manage hundreds of casts

SHORE JIGGING I SHORE JIGGING’S SECRETS and recoveries accompanied by the characteristics jigging action. In this technique jigs’ weight ranges from 40g to 80g, generally to have a long casting range and to better cope with both wind and current. Concerning reels, we must rely on the SW type ones designed and built specifically for sea fishing, where fatigues are enough. Size will vary from 5000 up to 8000, so as to have enough braid capacity and a decent recovery power. Regarding braid, it must be of at least 20 lb and connected to a 60 cm of 0.45 fluorcarbon leader at the end of which we will tie our snap.

NEVER IMPROVISE! I am convinced that we must not improvise in any fishing technique. I am of the firm opinion that every technique must have its own dedicated equipment, and trust me, it is needed and it makes the difference. Especially with Shore jigging I saw people breaking their reel just while retrieving a fish or even cracking their rods like breadsticks because of the numerous casts made with heavy jigs. Indeed, there are many tool’s features that bring numerous advantages, starting from the rod action that will allow us to better manage our lures both during the casting phase and during the recovery 46

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SHORE JIGGING I SHORE JIGGINGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S SECRETS

one. Obviously it is useless talking about the advantages a SW reel owns, starting from the recovery power and reliability over time!

SPOTS & TIMES Spots where practicing shore jigging are shores where bottom rushes quickly and where there are sudden changes of current such as cliffs or beaches exposed to them. Spots where baitfishes usually gather are also other excellent spots to try. It is not difficult to find yourself in the middle of a feeding frenzy; therefore we could take advantage of the moment by casting our jig in the frenzyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s proximity and cheating predators with our lures! As in almost all fishing disciplines, even in shore jigging the best times are those of light changes such as sunset and sunrise, where fish are more active and in any case are better cheated by our jigs that, in these low light ISSUE 2

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SHORE JIGGING I SHORE JIGGING’S SECRETS conditions, tend to attract fish with flashes visible at great distances.

LURES As previously mentioned, lures that we are going to use will be of the “jig” category, made of metal and lead alloy, usually imitating small baitfishes like sardines or anchovies. Colors can be pretty various going from the classic sardine color with bluish and green reflections to the more fantasy (but not less luring) ones.

TREBLE OR ASSISTS? Many times I have been asked this

question by numerous anglers; I think that this choice is dictated by one main reasons: the recovery style. Indeed, if we carry out a fairly linear recovery we will go for the tremble hook, whereas if our recovery will be mainly composed by a jigging action we should go for the assist hook so as to prevent the treble hook from getting tangled up with the leader while carrying out the jigging action. I usually prefer treble hooks for the jig, focusing mainly on the Atlantic bonito that usually attacks the jig from behind and 48

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SHORE JIGGING I SHORE JIGGING’S SECRETS therefore I think it is more convenient to go for this rig. You can also try adding, along with the treble hook, even a small assist hook at the top of the jig so as to have a higher strike percentage at the fish’s attack time.

CASTING DISTANCE This factor is crucial for this technique, indeed trying to finish casting technique and having tools allowing it is the real weapon for you to have many more possibilities to catch. Casting distance, apart from casting technique, is also influenced by other factors such as the jig’s shape, surely a jig with a barycenter shifted to the tail will help us a lot to cast it far away, to be more stable in the air and contrasting the wind better. Another factor that determines casting range is the braid we will spool onto our

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reel. Indeed, we must never exaggerate with diameter; let’s always remember that the thinner the braid the longer the distance. Hope my advices will be useful to you and will help you realizing lot of catches! BF

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BIOLOGY

Biology, growth and age detection of the

Common dentex (Dentex dentex)

This paper-review will provide the latest data on: biology, growth and age detection of the Common dentex (Dentex dentex), using studies carried out in France, Corse (France), Spain, Canary Islands (Spain), Croatia and Crete (Greece) from 1989 to 2015. Text: Giovanni Bianchini Photos: Archives B&F International

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BIOLOGY I COMMON DENTEX

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BIOLOGY I COMMON DENTEX

he Common dentex (Dentex dentex) is a demersal fish species belonging to the family Sparidae living from 0 to 200 m, usually between 15 and 50 m, in the Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea and the East Atlantic, from Mauritania to Senegal. This fish can reach a maximum length of 100 cm and weigh up to 14.3 kg (Froese, R.and D. Pauly. 2019. Fishbase). The current IGFA all tackle world record for this species is reported to be of 14.2 kg. (IGFA, 1999). Even though in the past the maximum lifespan appeared to be

of 28 years (Morales-Nin et Moranta, 1997) results from recent studies have widened the maximum lifespan up to 33 (Marengo et al; 2014) and successively up to 36 years (Baudouin et al., 2015). The Dentex dentex, ecologically speaking, belongs to the trophic level 4.5 and its diet is composed by 69.19 % by fish and by 30.81 % by cephalopods (Froese, R.and D. Pauly. 2019. Fishbase). This species represents one of the exceptions to the rule of hermaphroditism in the Sparidae’s family, as it is a gonochoristic species (species having separated sexes) although some individuals may be hermaphrodite in young stages (Morales-Nin et Moranta, 1997; Loir et al., 2001; Rueda & Martinez, 2001). No differences in terms of morphological or length/weigth ratio is reported between the two sex (Rueda et Martinez, 2001). Around spawning season the sex ratio can be determined in terms of colouring, indeed males shows a bright blue colour while females appears to be paler with pink spots (Loir et al., 2001). The Common dentex has been classified by the IUCN as “vulnerable” in the Red List of Threatened Species in the Mediterranean Sea. Reasons for this ranking can be found in the continuous declining of landings over a recent 15 years-period (from 7000 tons in 1990 to 1000 tons in 2005 years). Furthermore, this fish represents a highly valuable target by recreational fishermen and, to make matters worse, it is a relatively long-lived and slow growing species; both these factors indicate that populations are then slow to recover (Marengo et al., 2014). Generally, the spawning season occurs from the end of March until the end of June (Marengo et al., 2014) even

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BIOLOGY I COMMON DENTEX though this range varies according to water temperature and latitude. In Crete (Greece), spawning takes place between the end of March and May instead in Split (Croatia) it takes place from the beginning of May until the end of June (Loir et al., 2001). In the Mediterranean Sea the size at which 50% of the population of Dentex dentex is mature is estimated at the length of 22.58 cm for females and 23.32 for males, 75% of the population is mature at 26 cm and 100% of the population is mature at 33 cm (Marengo et al., 2014). Population of Dentex dentex is considered as slow-recovering, this is due to the low population resilience of this species with a minimum population doubling time of 4.5-14 years (Marengo et al., 2014). How is possible to know how old a Common dentex could be? The age of a fish can be detected by using scales or the whole otoliths counting “rings” inside them. Despite scales, otoliths age detection is resulted to be more accurate for the higher priority of otolithes in the utilization of calcium continuing to grow with the fish ages. All the growth “rings”

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reported are conserved since otoliths are almost never resorbed (Baudouin et al., 2015). A maximum age of 33 years was reported in a study made by ChemmamAbdelkader et al. in 2004 year by using scale as age detector but, successively, another study made by Baudouin et al. in 2015 had widened the maximum lifespan of Dentex dentex up to 36 years by using sectioned otoliths as age detector. The study made by Baudouin et al. shows that scales appear convenient for estimating age up to 5 years, whole otoliths are suitable up to 12 years and sectioned otoliths are the most precise and trustworthy structures for all age ranges. It is possible to detect the age of Dentex dentex, although not in such a precise way as with otoliths and scales, by a length/age ratio developed through a study made by Morales-Nin et Moranta in 1997. According to this study, males of Common dentex would have 4,2 years

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BIOLOGY I COMMON DENTEX

at the length of 40 cm, 10.8 years at the length of 60 cm and 19 years at the length of 80 cm. Females of Dentex dentex would have 4 years at the length of 40 cm, 10 years at the length of 60 cm, 20 years at the length of 80 cm and from 22 years up at the length of 100 cm which is the maximum length reached by this species.

CONSIDERATIONS FOR SPORTFISHING As it can be seen from the information contained in this paper-review, published by the undersigned (which is both a marine biologist and a fisherman), the Common dentex is a long-lived species with a slow growth, reason by which this species exhibits low resilience and a very slow generational turn over (from 4.5 to 14 years). The Dentex dentex 54

is therefore an extremely vulnerable species that needs to be respected and protected by us fishermen. The minimum legal size, which can vary from one country to another, undoubtedly need to be respected but, most of the time, it is largely underestimated compared to Mother Natureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s laws. Specifically, for the Common dentex the minimum biological size, that is the size at which the fish has had the chance to reproduce at least once, is of 33 cm. This measure must be respected in order to safeguard the future of this species. Another note concerns the reproductive period of this species which, generally, in the Mediterranean Sea runs from the end of March till the end of June (this may vary depending on the geographic area). At this time of the year it is better to reduce catches to a single specimen per boat per day. Indeed, during

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BIOLOGY I COMMON DENTEX this period females are loaded with eggs (bear in mind that a pregnant female can produce from 32,000 to 393,000 eggs per kg of body weight) and males are extremely vulnerable because of their over aggressiveness due to the defence of their harem from any intruder. Out of that period it would be a good rule to do not make more pickups by the same spot but to have more hot spots available so that they can be inspected by rotation. Moreover, I remind that every fisherman is allowed to fish up to a maximum of 5kg or one fish of higher weight per day. By respecting these 4 simple “rules” each of us, in its small, will help safeguarding the populations of this beautiful fish in the years to come. BF

REFERENCES -Baudouin, M., Marengo, M., Pere, A., -Culioli, J.M., Santoni, M.C., Marchand, B., Durieux, E.D.H. 2015. Comparison of otolith and scale readings for age and growth estimation of Common dentex Dentex dentex. Journal of Fish Biology, 88, 760-766. -Chemmam-Abdelkader, B., Kraiem, M.M., El Abed, A. 2004. Etude de l’age et de la croissance de deux especes de Dentex (Dentex dentex et de Dentex maroccanus) des cotes tunisiennes. Bulletin de l’Institut Nationaldes Sciences et Tecnologies de la Mer de Salammbo, 31, 43-51 -Froese, R. & Pauly, D. 2019. Fishbase -Glamuzina, B., Jug-Dujakovic, J., Katavic, I. 1989. Preliminary studies on Reproduction and larval Rearing of Common Dentex, Dentex dentex (Linnaeus 1758). Aquaculture, 77, 75-84 -IGFA. Database of IGFA angling records. IGFA, Fort Lauderdale, USA ISSUE 2

IUCN 2019. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2017-1. http://www. iucnredlist.org -Loir, M., Le Gac, F., Somarakis, S., Pavlidis, M. 2001. Sexuality and gonadal cycle of the Common dentex (Dentex dentex) in intensive culture. Aquaculture, 194, 363-381 -Marengo, M., Durieux, E.D.H., Marchand, B., Francour, P. 2014. A review of biology, fisheries and population structure of Dentex dentex (Sparidae). Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries. -Morales-Nin, B., Moranta, J. 1997. Life history and fishery of the Common dentex (Dentex dentex) in Mallorca (Balearic Islands, Western Mediterranean). Fisheries Research, 30, 67-76 -Rueda, F.M. & Martinez, F.J. 2001. A review on the biology and potential aquaculture of Dentex dentex. Reviews in Fish biology and Fisheries, 11, 57-70

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BOTTOM FISHING

Tricks for

BLACK SEABREAMS!

Very suspicious and with a rather moody attitude, the Black seabream sometimes appears to flaunt a sort of extreme behavioral bivalence capable of putting many anglers in difficulty. This aspect seems to reach its maximum expression when, during an initial moment of feeding frenzy, a definitive arrest of the trophic activity intervenes. Such conduct can be explained both in environmental conditionsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; changes (see a sudden drop in the current, etc.) and in an imprecise approach by the angler often dissuading fish from biting. In this case then, starting from the bottom fishingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ABC, we will start avoiding some obvious technical errors among which the use of too thick nylons or too short armrests, the proposition of unappetizing and accurate rigs, an incorrect pasturing method and even an inadequate management of fishing equipment. Text & photos: Rino Scalzo

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BOTTOM FISHING I TRICKS FOR BLACK SEABREAMS

NYLON SPOOLED This is a necessary condition for achieving the capture of the most beautiful specimens. As we have just seen, naturalness and sensitivity of the leader-bait complex must therefore always be able to visually cheat at the first tasting attempt every kind of prey intent on approaching our rigs. In addition to have fairly long leaders with small diameters, this inevitable prerogative of

our lines can be obtained “upstream” with the use of a softer nylon instead of the hard and more noticeable braided line. Although heralding a lower sensitivity on touches, a prerequisite that can be easily overcome thanks to a bit of training, this simple operation will give our fishing lines great movement capacity, making, in fact, the leader free from the heavy constraint of the braid and more fluttering in current. Moreover the nylon’s softness will bring notable advantages especially during the first, delicate, tasting attempts, so avoiding to immediately alarm the fish with the braided line’s strange and unnatural resistance that can sometimes mortify the recall even of the most appetizing rig.

LONG AND LIGHT During the worst days, when fish’s activity seems to have definitively ceased, let us 58

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BOTTOM FISHING I TRICKS FOR BLACK SEABREAMS

remember that it is always better to get a large fish, working it for a long time and eventually losing it instead of not seeing for hours even a touch. In light of this, in order to overcome the bigger specimens’ suspiciousness, we must never skimp on the leader’s lightness by progressively proposing long armrests characterized by diameters that someone would define insane at first sight. Obviously protected by a few centimeters of terminal reinforcement, fluorocarbon of 0.16-0.18 can probably be used also on depths of 40-50 m even in presence of over kg fish; a long rod, a good drag together with a good dose of “arms” and patience will do the rest. The same applies to armrests’ length, to be considered never long enough (even more than 4 meters) if we fish by drifting technique and1-1.5 m if we fish by bottom fishing technique, even in conditions of fair current.

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INVITING…ACTIONS A certain series of maneuvers will often induce even the most sated fish to attack our baits in homage to a predatory instinct on which we will almost always be able to leverage. With quite shrewd, rather fickle and above all absolutely cautious in tasting attempt fish, we will adopt different strategies among which fishing in current and the “slow invitation”, obviously proportioning these to: fish moods, time of the day and current conditions. First type of approach, namely fishing in current, is usually used when fish, in presence of a certain current flow, appear to be listless or maybe rather sparse that they must be enticed or seek through a “dancing” line on the bottom. Absolutely intuitive, this maneuver can be performed by inserting on the line a fishing sinker of less than necessary weight so as to “slip” in a controlled

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BOTTOM FISHING I TRICKS FOR BLACK SEABREAMS

way with the reel’s anti-return, on the seabed until a touch is detected or the fish’s stationing area is found. The slow invitation, on the other hand, may prove particularly effective when, in the almost total absence of current, preys although present likes, to be induced to eat it, a quite “elusive’ bait able to set in motion their natural predatory instinct. In this case, after firmly leaning the bait on the bottom, we will take action by starting animating our rigs through some slow and repeated rod’s upward movements during which the first signs of interest from fish will often be felt.

VISUAL UPGRADES Often relegated to the role of complementary accessory, the use of

additional attractions on our leaders has often resolved rather critical situations, sometimes shaking fish from irreversible indolence towards our baits. In order to maximize the seductive capacity of our baits, despite not having yet reached terms of a specific record about the use of particular colors in relation to different fish species, we noticed that the chromatic contrast’s rule is mainly valid for Black seabreams. To enhance the baits’ visual component we will then prefer to apply, on our leaders, beads with rather strong colors as: fluorescent yellow, orange, pink or red so as to create a clear separation between the bait and the surrounding environment. In the same way, by working at greater depths (70-80 m), good results were achieved

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BOTTOM FISHING I TRICKS FOR BLACK SEABREAMS by inserting the classic phosphorescent beads on the line.

SCENTED BAITS In addition to the visual element, in situations of Black seabreams’ low activity, there is certainly another decisive factor on which we should focus our attention: the rigs’ palatability. Besides the proposition of rigs with different organoleptic peculiarities or rigging methods, greater attractiveness to our tricks can be given by “supplementary additions” capable of enhancing the bait’s recall capacity on a chemical-organoleptic level. In this sense, excellent results can be achieved either by using the classic concentrated sardine oil as by using appetizing or stimulating substances of both natural and synthetic derivation. The use will be very simple, taking for example squid fillets we will just keep the baits soaked for about an hour for then obtaining baits with a trace and above all a truly unmistakable aromatic value. Different rigs Without having to resort to external additions many times the proposition of a well diversified bait range will be enough for stimulating fish’s attention and appetite. Grooved razor shells, clustered Bobtail squids, whole small squids, long black tiger slice, Peanut worm fillet etc. will accompany the classic triad composed of sardine, squid and deep-water rose shrimp. Still remaining on the so-called conventional baits, excellent results can be found by simply varying the rigging’s type and method.In this case, to give an example of it, we will use squid fillets that will be ISSUE 2

UPWARD ROD By catching Black seabreams with spooled nylon, the fishing action will have to be conducted with a certain degree of concentration as touches of these fish will generally be very light especially during the initial phases of tasting attempt. By keeping the rod upwards on the water’s surface, we will try to identify the first signals of tasting attempt that will be detected by soft tip’s curves. Felt the bite it will be good to lower the rod towards the fish, so giving some line, allowing the fish to freely swallow the bait before performing a strike. This will never be violent and will be carried out by progressively lifting the rod up.

slightly more “hammered” than usual so to obtain a very soft rig, auto pasturing and well fluttering even in absence of current. Finally, let us remember that we can often shake fish out of their momentary listlessness by proposing voluminous rigs (even two or three stripes or the whole Bobtail squid), a trick that often leads to capture of the largest specimens. BF

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LIVE BAIT TROLLING

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LIVE BAIT TROLLING I MY AMBERJACK

My Amberjack Since humanityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dawn the challenge between man and the sea linked to fishing has been an assiduous struggle, above all as a means of sustenance. Now, once the supply phase for nutritional purposes is over, fishing has become a real sport, where it is possible combine business with pleasure, thrill with adventure and exploration bug. All this has contributed to a knowledgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s growing desire towards our beloved hobby to till the point of motivating a day in contact with nature where the dream to achieve is that of getting a strike. Text and photos: Maurizio Pastacaldi

THE DREAM Trolling is a great passion, and often due to unforeseen events, fortuitous events and commitments we are unable to realize the dream of a fishing day together with our loved ones or some trusted

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friend. But when the spring starts, the true enthusiast does not reason and in all ways needs to go out putting into practice the empirical ideas he has in mind. We must also be realistic; trolling is often made up of early starts, not always pleasant sea weather conditions, high costs for boats, petrol, equipment and the

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LIVE BAIT TROLLING I MY AMBERJACK disappointment, always lurking, of spending whole days at sea without even catching a fish. Nevertheless we are equally ready to go, for which reason? Probably to hear our lever drag reel sing loudly after hours of calmness? Yes, that’s right. Trolling is all this and even more; it is a continuous test with yourself and the sea. Fishing means hoping one day to take the BIG Amberjack that has been living in our imaginationfor years.

IN PARTICULAR Since my early trolling angler’s stages my goal has been the amberjack; its power in the escapes, the cunning and such an exceptional predatory instinct fascinated me till the point of becoming a real mania. The angler gets excited if the rod move with a “strike” but I can guarantee you that my lever drag reel’s alarm intones a unique melody when engaged with an amberjack. Twenty years of trolling and a “palmarès” of more than 1500 amberjacks’ strikes but lately things have changed drastically, indeed these fish, particularly the big ones, are gradually disappearing. Professional fishing with the increasingly active use of purse seine and changing in seasons have made big amberjacks increasingly rare and difficult to catch, substantially reducing the average size of captured specimens. 64

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LIVE BAIT TROLLING I MY AMBERJACK

In any case, the amberjack is one of the fish that, given the same body size, offers the most tenacious and vigorous defense of all other Mediterranean species, sometimes even more than the energetic Bluefin tuna. It does not make large escapes, but its strength is so much that it cannot be stopped when trying to reach the bottom. During the strike the fish, feeling hold, the first thing it does is to go

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cutting the line on the rocks of the shoalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s edge. Once this first obstacle has been overcome, the fight will be a continuous tug of war until the moment when the exhausted amberjack will surrender and dragged exhausted near the boatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s side showing all its golden livery. From late August to late autumn, this important predator chases nonstop along shoals and rocky ravines, schools of needlefish

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LIVE BAIT TROLLING I MY AMBERJACK

THE OPINION

and other pelagic fishes hunting, as well, fries and juvenile fishes, vital element of the food chain. The spectacular frenzy of this period makes almost easy catching smallmedium sized specimens. As the cold period arrives, cephalopods move close to shore turning the interest of amberjacks, especially big sized ones, towards these delicious â&#x20AC;&#x153;bon bonâ&#x20AC;?.

The dilemma that torment every trolling angler is where, how and when to look for big amberjacks. Anyone who is passionate about live bait trolling, has surely caught more or less conspicuous spoils, but everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dream is to hook the big specimen. There are places like shoals, banks, wrecks, edges, where you can probably have good chances for getting an energetic bite; but from my last experiences, I can assert that in order to have the desired result, in addition to a good dose of perseverance, there is the need not to rely on usual canons and above all to leave commonplaces. As a first tip, when our intent is to catch big specimens, we need to rig only big baits. Huge needlefish, oversized squids and why not Little tunnies, Bullet tunas and European barracudas. This is because small predators certainly do not bother, for fear, majestic baits that are instead the desired object, for curiosity and for appetite, of big sized predators.

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LIVE BAIT TROLLING I MY AMBERJACK I achieved excellent results by trolling around 60 meters deep in the area next to the fishing spot. Often, large specimens move close to rocky shoals only for feeding purposes and at certain times of the day, the remaining time they station outside of the shoal on the mud. Best hours for catching big specimens are those of first daylight and sunset. Using fluorocarbon leaders is a winning move; I almost always make them with the Seaguar Pink Label. In addition to being invisible in water,

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it is very abrasion resistant; for this reason it is indicated for the powerful amberjacks’ palate. To complete the leader I mount thin but robust hooks, in order not to damage bait’s vitality. They have to be built with a self-extinguishing alloy so, in case of release or fortuitous unhooking, the hook in contact with salt and prey’s stomach acid will be able to dissolve in short time, thus not damaging fish’s vitality. BF

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LIVE BAIT TROLLING

The shoalsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; king: the COMMON DENTEX Emblematic fish of the Mediterranean but also present in the Atlantic Ocean, from the Canary Islands to southern Senegal, the Common dentex swims and lives up to a depth of 200 m. It is found more frequently between 15 and 60 meters deep, feeding on cephalopods (squids, cuttlefish) but also of horse mackerels, mackerels, needlefish, etc.

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Text and photos: Frederic Caliendo

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LIVE BAIT TROLLING I THE COMMON DENTEX

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LIVE BAIT TROLLING I THE COMMON DENTEX

regarious in the juvenile stage it becomes solitary in adulthood and his reproduction take place from March till the end of June. There are several techniques available to fish this beautiful

species but only one in my eyes turns out to be really effective in capturing especially trophy fish, specimens owning an aggressive appearance with that big jaw provided with big

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LIVE BAIT TROLLING I THE COMMON DENTEX

pointed canines. Of course I’m talking about the live bait trolling technique! We all have in our circle a friend, a member of our family or just an acquaintance who one day had the chance to catch a big fish, but how many can claim to do this with continuity? Trust me, very few. To be part of this small circle, you will first need to perfectly know your fishing area, but also the fish’s stationing depth based on seasons and the thermocline’s depth. Remember to observe: climatic conditions, surface current, sun’s position but also, if present, a bottom current and its direction so as to adapt the weight of your guardian lead and be able to present your bait in the most natural and realistic possible way. Once these parameters are taken into consideration, you will choose a bait that has to be of the same type as those preys the Common dentex is feeding at ISSUE 2

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LIVE BAIT TROLLING I THE COMMON DENTEX

that time, because if it is true that the squid remains his favorite prey, I can assure you that a darting needlefish in summertime will be much more effective! As often repeated, by an internationally renowned friend and fisherman “It’s the bait that makes the fisherman”. You will have to drag the bait at a very low speed, which will go from 0.8 knots to a maximum of 1.5 knots. Personally, I use a Raymarine fishfinder and GPS whose quality and precision are no longer to be demonstrated. Regarding fishing gear, I use a TopShot XS rod from Sunrise and an AVET MXL Raptors 6/4 reel distributed by Sunrise as well; with a 0.22 diameter braided line followed 72

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LIVE BAIT TROLLING I THE COMMON DENTEX by a 0.55 diameter preleader in nylon and a fluorocarbon leader of the same diameter. The latter will be armed with 2 Daïchi hooks, 4/0 the head and 6/0 the tail hook, this one tied with the Palomar knot. Now all you have to do is put all these parameters into practice and be patient, also knowing that according to the studies conducted in Corsica by the “Stella Mare” platform and the CNRS, the age of a 9 kg fish can be more than 36 years! The growth of young specimens is rapid, but slows sharply after the non-mature adult phase. This majestic fish, classified as vulnerable, deserves respect; personally I support and practice sustainable and responsible fishing and I invite you all to do the same. BF ISSUE 2

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OFFSHORE TROLLING

ALBACORES Where, how and when to fish them

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OFFSHORE TROLLING I ALBACORES: WHERE, HOW, WHEN It is precisely in this period of the year that it is possible to start fishing for Albacores with offshore trolling, an extremely spectacular but also very complex technique. In this article we will analyze where, how and when to fish this species, also revealing a whole series of tricks, fruit of my experience, to prevail over this fish.

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Text & photos: Cristiano Lagostena

OFFSHORE TROLLING I ALBACORES: WHERE, HOW, WHEN

HABITATS, PERIODS AND HABITS The Albacore is a pelagic fish belonging to the same family of the Bluefin tuna. Its name derives from the long falciform pectoral fins that arrive till behind the second dorsal fin. It has a spindle-shaped body, like its larger brother, with 8 yellowish and whitish pinnules with black edges above and below the tail. Body color is dark blue on the back, degrading towards bright silver on the sides and the lower abdomen. Fins are grey. The Albacore is a gregarious species that reproduces during the summer months, preferring the more temperate sea areas of 76

our Mediterranean. This continuous searching of â&#x20AC;&#x153;warm seaâ&#x20AC;? makes this sought-after tuna carrying out atypical migratory movements within our basin. From the very first spring Albacores begin their journey eastward from the North African coasts, meeting the Aegean Sea, then Greek and Turkish coasts. Successively, at the end of spring, their route change and they begin to swim towards the north-west meeting the Ionian Sea, the southern Tyrrhenian Sea, with Sardinia as its watershed, to end the race in the middle of summer in the Ligurian Sea. It rarely moves to the Adriatic Sea. The most important feature that really identifies it is

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OFFSHORE TROLLING I ALBACORES: WHERE, HOW, WHEN

its preference in frequenting important bathymetries. Hardly, in our offshore trolling sessions, we will have Albacore’s strike below a thousand meters deep. Personally, I assiduously frequent two fishing spots, since more than ten years now, where is possible to carry out nice catches of this species. In Sardinia, Costa Smeralda, at the beginning of summer in the months of June July, distancing of about twenty miles from the coast it is easy to find large-sized Albacores swimming in this stretch of sea. In late summer, in the months of August and September, when we are in the best period for practicing offshore trolling, we can meet small Albacores’ schools off the Ligurian Sea, especially in the western area where we find one of the deepest points of the Mediterranean with over 2500 m of water column! This stretch of sea starting from Capo Corso and arriving till the Côte d’Azur is also called the Cetaceans’ sanctuary. Indeed, this is an area affected by strong currents that move waters and therefore leaving tons of micro organisms (krill and Plankton) in suspension, of which whales (and not only those) are very gluttonous. ISSUE 2

ALBACORES & MINNOWS The Albacore, unlike the Bluefin tuna, hardly attacks on lures trolled close to our boat, it definitely prefers those lures trolled “in the clean area” of our wake, the less turbulent to be clear, consequently we will have to outdistance our lures a lot from the transom. Another very effective trick is that of sinking the central lures through the use of quick-release fishing sinker in order to make them “swim” under the turbulent zone created by the boat propellers’ movement. With tons and tons of burned fuel and thousands

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OFFSHORE TROLLING I ALBACORES: WHERE, HOW, WHEN

of miles traveled, I can confirm that the most catching lures, for Albacores, are undoubtedly the minnows ones. There are various brands and types on the market, not to mention colors. From my experience, however, I can strongly recommend Halco lures, especially the “Laser Pro” model. This Minnow has the characteristic of having an interchangeable diving lip; it is supplied with two different diving lips in order to make, the same lure, swimming at

different depths. Another characteristic that distinguishes it is its almost neutral attitude while swimming. What I mean is that even at very high trolling speeds, around 9-10 knots, the “Laser Pro” always maintains a proper swimming, very attractive, without excessively “loading” the rod with its traction. Concerning liveries, even here we have something to indulge; there are dozens and dozens of colors from the classic “Rapala” colorations to the “mirrored” ones that I have to confirm being very luring.

FISHING ACTION The trolling setup to be used is the classic research set-up that is normally used to fish all possible preys that offshore trolling can offer us (see diagram below). Once we have the certainty of the Albacore’s presence we must make small changes in our fishing action, so as to make our lures be more visible. 78

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OFFSHORE TROLLING I ALBACORES: WHERE, HOW, WHEN In preparing the lure set behind our stern, we cannot neglect the fact that every specific lure has its own characteristics, and not everyone can work indifferently in any position. For example it is inadvisable to troll from downriggers jet heads that are too heavy; indeed this might result in a higher sinking rate therefore increasing the risk that these lines would intertwine with the shorter ones, especially if the latter are lighter and swim on the surface. Therefore it is preferable to leave on the outriggers those jet heads in plastic or resin. It is better to reserve the steel ones, always very effective but above all indispensable in rough sea conditions, for the internal rods. In drawing 1 the American technical terminologies are given, thus indicating the lure’s position in trolling phase. The indicated one is a fishing set used by hundreds of professional Captains, sure to cover with their lures what is called the “Strike Zone”. With five rods we are sure that at any time and with ISSUE 2

any sea our jets or our minnows will be clearly visible to predators and will allow us to easily turn and change directions without running the risk of running into annoying tangles. Lure’s choice in reference to positioning is fundamental, it is possible that both yield and swimming of a jet, a feather or a minnows will not be the same if pulled like a Shotgun or a Short Corner. Fishing is an art, it’s the desire to try, to change but above all it is freedom! BF

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VERTICAL TECHNIQUES

“MINOR” GROUPERS

on vertical!

We often talk about big Dusky groupers, fish that enliven our fishing sessions in an incredible way. However, It must be said that much less space is given, in journalistic terms, to its “lesser” cousins. Minor in terms of size, but certainly not in terms of beauty and fishing value: we are talking about the Goldblotch, the White and the Mottled groupers. These fish, having an average size ranging between 3 and 7 kilos and only in rare exceptions exceeding 10 kilos, are Serranids owning very different characteristics from the Dusky one, both in terms of geographical distribution, as well as hunting strategies and chosen habitat. Text & photos: Emiliano Gabrielli

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VERTICAL TECHNIQUES I “ MINOR” GROUPS ON VERTICAL

HABITATS AND HABITS These three types of fish have absolutely less benthic characteristics than the Dusky grouper, in fact they do not spend most of their time into the den, in close contact with the bottom, choosing resting areas only if they are rich in crevices and caves, and shaded areas as Dusky groupers do. Indeed, we can find the groupers object of our article in areas of mixed seabed, debris and not in the vicinity of large rocks, or shoals, or in any case of macroscopic structures on the seabed that could facilitate 82

their identification exactly as, instead, happens with the Dusky one. Instead, spots characterized by muddy and debris areas are very valid, particularly where these are interspersed with Posidonia beds, especially when looking for White groupers. Best bathymetric levels, for spotting these species, range from 20 to 80 meters but juveniles can also be fished in the immediate coastal waters. The groupers we are talking about today have pseudo-pelagic habits, so they tend to move a lot even following baitfishes schools, not unlike how other fish as Common or Pink dentex do. These fishes are particularly common in the southern Mediterranean, as in Greece, Turkey and Tunisia, but we also find them in Italy and, mainly, in some areas of southern Italy, such as Sicily, Calabria and in few areas of Sardinia. These species are constantly threatened by professional fishing’s pressure and, for this reason, catches’ number in the last few years has rather decreased. Although they are not an easy target for professional fishing, once the area in which these fish are stationing is located, the school is easily decimated by gillnets, as well as by long-lines of various kinds. Indeed, these groupers are very aggressive and ravenous, easily attacking many types of baits and at different depths, so it is not difficult to guess that with some professional fishing techniques is easy to decimate an entire school in a short time. Fishing for these fishes gives lot of satisfaction just because, unlike the Dusky grouper, which often frequent the same areas every year in the same period, we can find “minor” groupers in

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VERTICAL TECHNIQUES I “ MINOR” GROUPS ON VERTICAL

areas where we do not expect their meeting. These are fishes that move much more than the Dusky grouper and we can often identify them, as we do with other predators, thanks to the use of a good fishfinder that highlights their presence (perhaps with marks not far from those of baitfishes’ schools). Very often it had happened to me to catch Goldblotched and Mottled groupers in areas where I had never caught them before, just finding them among

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feeding frenzies close to bottom, feasting with other predators such as Common dentex, Amberjacks, Barracudas or Pink dentex.

FISHING TECHNIQUES All vertical techniques are valid for fishing the “lesser” groupers. Indeed, their diet is based heavily on cephalopods and small fishes; therefore we can lure them practically with any vertical technique, starting from Vertical Jigging, passing through Inchiku and Kabura and ending with the use of softbaits.

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VERTICAL TECHNIQUES I “ MINOR” GROUPS ON VERTICAL

VERTICAL JIGGING With this technique short or hybrid jigs are particularly valid, especially those that works well even when maneuvered in a not particularly fast way. However, once reached the bottom, even if starting with a rather slow jerking can be a valid tactic, it must be emphasized that “minor” groupers can be fastshooting fish and it will not be rare to have attacks even when we are moving our jig with a rather animated short jerking action. With these species it often happens to have attacks detached from the bottom, sign that we have been able to induce the fish to follow our lure till attacking it: this situation certainly gives greater satisfaction than when hooking the grouper as soon as the jig touches the bottom. Alternating slow jerking action at start, followed by sudden accelerations, can be very effective especially for Mottled and Goldblotched groupers that will not hesitate to launch their attacks as soon as they feel the sudden lure’s departure.

INCHIKU Many times we have talked about the inchiku’s effectiveness for many predators of our sea. Well, we can say with absolute certainty 84

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VERTICAL TECHNIQUES I “ MINOR” GROUPS ON VERTICAL that also while aiming for these groupers species the thing is not different at all; indeed, we can add that this technique is one of the best fishing approaches we can choose. It may be the octupus and the strong resemblance of this lure to the small cephalopods which these fish feed on from their earliest stage, the fact is that this lure continues to give great results even where the classic vertical jigging guarantees many less strikes. I’ve noticed that in this technique colors also make a great difference, particularly chromatisms that contrast two different shades give excellent results. For example, inchiku half golden and half red/orange, as well as orange and yellow, or with glow parts (especially if you are fishing in deeper depths, cloudy days or twilight hours). Also octopus’s color is very important; particularly the winning colors seem to be bright pink, as well as fleshcolored octopus maintaining the rubber’s transparency. In some cases also glow, bright yellow or even yellow/orange can be very productive colors with these species.

KABURA This lure, especially of generous size and characterized by showy and mobile skirts, can give good results when is made skipping ISSUE 2

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VERTICAL TECHNIQUES I “ MINOR” GROUPS ON VERTICAL solution that is nothing more than a “mort manie” (usually done with cuttlefish or squid). This represents a decidedly effective choice in many cases, but not frowned upon by some jigging purists.

SOFTBAITS

and slithering on debris bottoms. It can be particularly effective to “garnish” these lure with parts of cephalopods or whole ones rigged on two hooks connected to the kabura’s assists. Basically, we are going to present a

Last but not least, we can talk about using jig heads combined with shads. These lures, also given their considerable weight, allow us to easily reach important depths and in any current situation we may face with. Thanks to their silicon tails, they can guarantee a large and “natural” lure’s presentation even with rather slow movements, often excellent for inducing even the laziest grouper to

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VERTICAL TECHNIQUES I â&#x20AC;&#x153; MINORâ&#x20AC;? GROUPS ON VERTICAL

attack. To get good results, we will detach the lure from the bottom with progressive recoveries and slow jerk movements, sudden stops and accelerations. I was one of the first in Italy talking about these lures applied to deep jigging for catching large predators.

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After some time, now I see that many fans are now back to catch fishes, thanks to this technique, even where traditional approaches yielded poor results. This makes me very happy. Try it yourself, maybe in search of a Mottled grouper, you will not regret it. BF

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SPEARFISHING

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Tips for catching Common Dentex

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SPEARFISHING I TIPS FOR CATCHING COMMON DENTEX

I’m Fares Boughzala, 23 years old, from Tunisia, precisely from Monastir (Ksar Hellal) city. I started spearfishing since 13 years now and I started participating championships since 5 years obtaining good results and titles. I’m the youngest athlete in Pathos pro spearfishing team ( mr Aggelos Michalopoulos & Giacomo De Mola) and I’m very proud to be part of this family. Text and photos: Fares Boughzala ISSUE 2

he Common dentex is my favorite fish, during the last 3 years it has become very hard to catch in Tunisian waters because of the increased quantity of professional fishing boats and nets in shallow waters. When I go for a spearfishing day I try to catch at least 1 specimen. Even if I catch lot of different fishes if I don’t take even one Common dentex it’s like I didn’t catch anything. When I dive looking for a fish and I see a Common dentex my heart starts beating, adrenaline submerges me and I enter in a dream, I almost forget myself and all the other fishes

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SPEARFISHING I TIPS FOR CATCHING COMMON DENTEX

around me. Many times I come back home without any fish because of the Common dentex. With this species you have to make sure not to experience sunlight and that you are not under the thermal line (thermocline) because this fish doesn’t like cold water. Common dentex has a very curious and suspicious nature; it approaches you only at a distance by being extremely discreet and reserved. Moreover, its hunt is reserved for deep water spearfishermen. Given its strength and its phenomenal vivacity when harpooned, it is advisable to shot at the head; otherwise the risk 90

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SPEARFISHING I TIPS FOR CATCHING COMMON DENTEX of seeing it getting off the harpoon while making the first run is pretty high. This predator hunts against the current and with its lightning acceleration it leaves no chance for the prey to escape. If you hunt in shallow water try to put yourself between the sun and the fish itself, it will distinguish you harder and you will be able to try a shoot; you also must always look for the right position that does not expose your body. When fish arrive, I’m always careful not to shoot at those specimens that are patrolling ahead of the group. In Τunisia we can find Common dentex all year round but it depends from climate, depth and place. From September to December these Sparids are quite easy to catch and you don’t need long time to approach them but average size is not very big (1 -2 kg). From February to March we can find big specimens (5- 8 kg) in special rocky places but you need much searching. On April-May these fish are in the reproductive period and is better not to disturb them. On June small specimens less than 700g swim in big schools and they are very easy to catch, on July you can find the biggest specimens (up to 12 kg) but in deeper waters (+30 m). Concerning equipment, for this kind of fishing you need a powerful speargun, manageable and far-reaching. Personally, I mostly use pathos laser 110 cm carbon 2 elastics. Recently, “roller” spearguns have appeared on the market. These new generation spearguns ISSUE 2

offer minimum recoil and a strong firepower, but still I find a weakness in maneuverability especially on large models. The final tip, for catching Common dentex, is that there are no universal recipes. Indeed, you have to dive, dive and yet dive writing down on your notebook all the conditions you have found in your fishing sessions for then making statistics and, gradually, start getting some results. BF

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marine industry, as they are designed to be highly configurable and to meet the needs of a wide variety of boating segments. He also mentioned that “These engines are naturally aspirated (without a supercharger), durable, powerful and provide options for the consumer that they’ve never had before. This new lineup aligns with what

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In February 2018, Mercury introduced new outboard models, equipped with a freshly designed V6 3.4 Lt block, at the International Miami Boat Show. Just a few months later, Mercury yet again launched new motors, this time for the large outboard lineup, equipped with a newly designed V8 4,6 Lt engine block.

ohn Pfeifer, the president of Mercury Marine, proudly announced that the presentation of the new V6 engines was Step One of Mercury’s 2018 projects, and that they felt thrilled to officially announce -shortly after- the new V8 models as a Step Two. Mr. Pfeifer also added that these brand new V6 and V8 models will set a new benchmark in the

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consumers are asking for, and we are delighted to deliver it to them”. These next-generation outboards constitute the largest new-product development program that Mercury has undertaken in its 80-year history; thus, Mercury considers this to be a good reason for a major expansion to its manufacturing footprint. Now, let’s see what lies behind and what constitutes the strong trump card of the legendary American company, in designing and creating these new models, which represent the company’s new course in the large outboard category.

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MERCURY’S CORPORATE CULTURE Thirty years ago, the American outboard manufacturers were too busy with the development of powerful 2stroke DFI engines and relevant patents, with little time available to design and develop high-tech 4stroke engines to compete with the really tough Japanese competition. Two stroke engines phased out almost two decades ago, leaving the American manufacturers without -ready for production- large 4stroke outboard models. Mercury wasn’t intimidated by this challenge and invested a

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good amount of money, time and grey matter in creating the powerful supercharged Verado lineup, so that they would compete with the Japanese manufacturers, highly experienced in the designing of high output naturally aspirated 4stroke engines. The so called “Project X”, despite its huge cost, was highly successful and thousands of boats got one or more supercharged Verado models on their transom. The raw but refined power was astounding because of the supercharging, as well as the use of new high-tech accessories such as the digital Smartcraft technology and the digitally controlled throttle and shifting (DTS), features that brought Mercury in a leading position as a boater’s first choice. A supercharged engine certainly has high output from small displacement, great amounts of torque in a wide rpm range and astounding performance, but features also a high manufacturing cost,

bigger weight and relative complexity. Marine engines must be as simple, light and reliable as possible, due to the harsh sea environment. Despite the very good performance, durability and reliability of the supercharged Verado models for more than a dozen years, Mercury engineers decided to follow an alternative path. Mercury thought that the time has come, to move forward and demonstrate further its status as a manufacturer, by “raising the bar”. The whole thing started with a blank sheet of paper, more than a billion $ invested and Mercury’s “stubborn” engineers pushing the boundaries, not only by creating something exemplar, but also to lead the outboard market; rightfully so, as Mercury is indeed the only company that exclusively designs and manufactures marine engines. Initially, Mercury engineers chose the conventional way, to design naturally

Fig.1 Fig.2

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OUTBOARD I NEW MERCURY V6/V8 ENGINES aspirated V engines, similar and analogous to other competitive engines, but they simply just didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stay there. The project was the manufacturing of a large displacement (without supercharger) naturally aspirated engine platform, with displacement larger than the competition if possible. In order to keep the manufacturing costs at a lower level and to achieve a low cost of ownership for customers, the new engine platform (175-300Hp Four-Stroke platform) included a commonality approach with interchangeable components and ideas e.g the ECU and the ignition coils are the same as the ones used in Mercruiser V6 & V8 models. The pressed in iron liners are similar to the ones used in Verado models or the common trim system (Opti or L6 Verado), the ease of maintenance features (75-150 Hp models) etc.

PROS AND CONS OF A HIGHER ENGINE DISPLACEMENT Regarding the pros, the higher displacement of an engine offers a higher torque output especially in the low to mid rpm range, something essential for decent holeshots and boat acceleration. Engines with high displacement feature also a smoother operation compared to lower displacement engines as the engine may easily overcome typical loads with less stress. Having that in mind, less stress means greater reliability and durability, because lower displacement 7

engines need more rpm for the same result comparing to the higher ones, which results in greater wear of the engine components. Moreover, a higher displacement engine may outweigh a significantly lower displacement naturally aspirated engine even if the latter is equipped with hi tech systems such as Variable Valve Timing, Variable induction systems, twin spark systems etc. In simple words a massive production 2.0 lt engine even with hundreds of technological tricks on it wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t outweigh (torque wise) a 5.0 lt naturally aspirated engine, unless it has been greatly pushed through supercharging or turbocharging. The latter is usually avoided by marine engine manufacturers as they try to combine smooth operation through the whole rpm range, low NVH and reliability for daily use without exotic technological solutions with related higher manufacturing cost. And just about here the old mechanical engineering saying â&#x20AC;&#x153;there is no replacement for 8

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Fig.3

displacement”, springs to mind. Speaking about the cons of higher displacement engines we usually refer to their bigger weight and fuel consumption. The bigger weight of an engine pushes down the transom altering the boat’s leverage, increasing the hull’s drag etc. Let alone that the bigger and heavier engine components, the added internal friction and a greater air/fuel mixture, promote higher fuel consumption. The above problems were known to Mercury technicians and through extensive R&D, the new engines are

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considered really lightweight and not “fuel thirsty” comparing to their displacement.

NUMBER OF CYLINDERS Multi cylinder engines have quite a few more advantages compared to engines with a relatively lower number of cylinders. A multi cylinder engine provides better power output and is considered smoother due to its more “balanced” nature and the fact that more cylinders handle load better. As a result, a 6 cylinder 2.0 lt inline engine provides usually slightly more power and torque in a smoother way than a 2.0 lt inline 4-cylinder engine. Mercury engineers decided that the best way for the creation of their new engines was the V configuration so they went all the way to create from a blank sheet of paper new V8 engines for the higher HP range and V6 for the mid to high horsepower range (175 to 225 HP). The V configuration has some advantages such as a rigid engine with a compact dimensional profile allowing a bigger displacement, something that

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Fig.5

makes easier multi-engine installations due to the typical 26’’ distance (Fig.1) between engines. More cylinders mean more power and a better torque curve but on the other hand they add weight and complexity, something that was thoroughly implemented by Mercury engineers as their goal was specific: engine improvement at all levels and weight reduction

THE V6 & V8 PROJECT Designing an engine from a blank sheet of paper is not easy; high tech solutions

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were adopted in the designing and manufacturing of the new V engines. Reducing weight is another factor that an R&D department has to comply with, in order to remain competitive. Lost Foam Casting in Mercury’s own foundries (P.1), hi-tech patented alloys and exotic die-casting, several parts created from synthetic materials and complex CADCAM systems were adopted in order to create engines characterized by rigidity, durability and low weight. The result is an extra lightweight engine (the V6 is even lighter than a competitive

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inline 4) combined with high displacement, something that makes these engines to stand out among the hard competition. These new engines have extensive development such as reduction of parasitic losses (less friction in internal components), very light but sufficiently durable components (P.2-pistons with minimized skirts and weight), carefully designed pistons with anti-friction coating (P.2), increased rigidity for the engine block, extensive airflow and combustion system development (Fig.2), balance shaft for vibration reduction (P.2), a new approach in the engine’s lubrication system with carefully calculated bearings, journals, oil ducts,cooling etc (Fig.3). Even the oil windage around 13

the crankshaft was analyzed in order to reduce the friction between the small oil droplets and the crankshaft through crankscrapers. The same approach was applied also to the gearbox design. Both blocks (V6 & V8) are both equipped with cylinder heads which contain dual overhead camshafts per cylinder bank (P.2, P.3) with 4 valves per cylinder (P.4). This quad-cam design promotes engine breathing, a typical design for any contemporary high-performance engine. The new engines are equipped with a closed loop fuel injection system with wide band oxygen (lambda) sensors (P.5V6 sensor) for better accuracy of the data that the ECU receives for adjusting the air/fuel mixture. The more accurate wide band sensors will promote fuel economy through the A.R.O (advanced range optimization) system. Mercury engineers didn’t adopt a highly sophisticated Direct Fuel Injection System in order to further improve fuel economy, although GDI (Gasoline Direct Injection) in 4stroke engines is used for more than a decade among car manufacturers. Mercury’s approach is a typical indirect fuel injection system (port-PFI, P.4) and its engineers are claiming that it

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was chosen because it is more reliable, simpler and with less cost, while it promotes fuel economy similar to GDI through the ARO system. Considering that most of these automotive GDI systems have carbon build up problems in the valve system and failed injectors which function in the combustion chamber with temps above 900°C, we may safely say that the R&D crew had the right decision for the moment, the same as their Japanese competitors. The gearcases (P.6-V8) were also developed in powerful computational systems (Fig.4) in order to improve their hydrodynamic characteristics for less drag. Hundreds of small improvements were also implemented in the ECU mapping, the cowl design, the air filter box and its resonance properties, the conventional and the brand-new Gen II AMS (Advanced Mid-Section-Fig.5). The latter eliminates vibrations from the engine to the boat providing a ISSUE 2

really smooth and refined ride. All the above have dramatically resulted in the noiseless and refined behavior of these new engines after several tests and many months of labor in Mercury’s facilities. The engineers’ goal was achieved with V6 and V8 engines being very light although their high displacement, noiseless, compact, accompanied by a rich torque curve and a relatively low fuel consumption.

MERCURY’S ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS CONTRIBUTION TO BETTER BOATING Operating a boat is not an easy task; the conditions usually vary on the water, let alone the fact that the average boater is not necessarily experienced or an engineering connoisseur, who would successfully evaluate if the engine’s trim angle was excessive resulting in the propeller piercing the surface; nor detect whether or not he/she adjusted

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OUTBOARD I NEW MERCURY V6/V8 ENGINES

the throttle properly allowing for the extra load when towing a skier and at the same time making a quick turn with the boat. Mercury’s exclusive Active Trim and Adaptive Speed Control Systems give a solution to the above problems. Joystick piloting (P.7) also eliminates the need for bulky and complex bow thrusters for maneuvering. Mercury has developed several systems (Smartcraft integration, DTS, Skyhook, Active Trim, Adaptive Speed Control etc.), that can be combined with the aid of the VesselView display (P.8) or the VesselView mobile (P.9) and make boater’s life easier as follows.

ADAPTIVE SPEED CONTROL The new V6 & V8 engines are equipped with an intuitive Adaptive Speed Control system which monitors and maintains engine r.p.m regardless of varying loads or condition changes. This practically means that in conditions such as sharp turns, towing, rough water etc., the boater won’t trouble himself in adjusting the throttle, as the engine’s ECU will collect various data and will actuate rapidly an 100

idle control system in order to keep rpm steady.

ACTIVE TRIM SYSTEM This brand new and awarded system, designed by Mercury, seems to be the “Holy grail” of every boater as it gives a solution to the well-known problem: when and how much to trim the engine. The engine’s propeller ideally will give the optimum thrust to the boat when the engine’s longitudinal axis is vertical to the water surface, but even the most experienced boater cannot adjust the trim angle accurately in every condition possible such as during planing, acceleration during turning, wavy conditions etc. The Active trim (P.10) is constantly self-adjusted through a patented GPS system, which enables the trim system to function according to engine’s r.p.m and boat’s speed. It seems obvious that this system improves dramatically fuel consumption compared to a boat that relies only on the boater’s trimming skills, as it is smart enough to avoid -a faster than required- trimming

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OUTBOARD I NEW MERCURY V6/V8 ENGINES up during planing or trimming down the engine during a close turn with the propeller working at surface piercing conditions. The system is equipped with five setup profiles (P.10) which will satisfy the average boaterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s needs and can be selected through the Vessel View gauge. The Active Trim can be deactivated (manual mode) for sportier boats pressing a relevant switch and it reactivates automatically as soon as trimming is stopped.

ADVANCED RANGE OPTIMIZATION (ARO) This newly designed system works along with the closed loop fuel control in order to precisely adjust the fuel

mixture and deliver, according to needs, the best possible fuel efficiency. Mercury engineers claim that the new engines feature a 15% improvement in fuel economy and 20% more torque than their predecessors and their 4-cylinder competitors. Various data is collected by the engineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ECU which in turn determines the optimum air-fuel mixture under ideal-specific load conditions. When these load conditions are met, then the ECU reduces fueling while simultaneously adjusts spark advance and throttle opening to boost torque that was lost due to the above fuel reduction. Mercury engineers developed the system in order to optimize cruise fuel economy through a Lean Mode Operation, allowing Fig.6

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boaters to stay longer out on the water. The whole system works seamlessly and won’t be felt by the boater but the technician through Mercury’s G3 diagnostic software may see the various parameters that make ARO architecture visible.

All the new engines are either equipped with the new powerful alternator of 115A or the smaller output of 85A which means that there is plenty of power for a lot of accessories. The smaller 85A alternator has up to 10A better output than the previous (70A) Verado models.

IDLE CHARGE BATTERY MANAGEMENT

THE NEW LINEUP

A common problem that boaters usually face is the battery drain problem, which occurs in the low rpm range, especially when a lot of accessories are functioning simultaneously. The alternator (Fig.6,d) provides current related to the engine’s r.p.m and this practically means that at low rpm the current output is low. In such a condition the accessories are drawing current from the battery, therefore gradually depleting it. The Idle Charge Battery Management System monitors constantly the battery voltage and increases engine’s idle rpm up to 200 rpm in low voltage conditions (such as in trolling conditions) in order to keep them properly charged. Mercury claims that the alternator may provide up to 20A for battery charging at the low rpm range. 102

With the new V6 & V8 engines the Mercury’s lineup changed drastically in order to set a new benchmark in the Marine industry. The high horsepower range changed totally and the whole scenery is comprised of the Verado, the commercial SeaPro, the performance ProXS and the Fourstroke series which are equipped with the new V6 and V8 engines. The 350 HP and 400HP Verado models remain the same with the proven 6-cylinder inline supercharged block of 2,6 Lt displacement. The rest of the big Verado models (300HP & 250HP) will be equipped with the new V8 block of 4.6 Lt displacement. The SeaPro models are also equipped with the big V8 (300HP, 250HP and 225HP) while the smaller 200HP model will be equipped with the smaller V6 3.4 Lt block. There are also two 300Hp

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OUTBOARD I NEW MERCURY V6/V8 ENGINES SeaPro models which are equipped either with the Conventional Mid-Section (CMS-Fig.5) or the newly designed (Gen II) Advanced Mid-Section (AMS-Fig.5) which eliminates vibrations through an intuitive design with strategically placed mounts on a specially constructed lightweight sub-bracket. The bigger models (300HP, 250HP, 225HP and 200HP) of the performance ProXS series are now equipped with the big V8 block while the 175HP will be a V6 model. Last but not least, the 300HP & 250HP Four stroke models are actually V8 while the 225HP, 200Hp and 175 HP models will be equipped with the V6 block. Standard and optional characteristics will vary depending on the models and may differentiate from country to country.

NOISELESS, VIBRATION FREE AND REFINED ENGINE OPERATION The NVH (Noise, Vibration, Harshness) factor is well known to the automotive industry and it also applies to the Marine Industry as the average boater’s demands for noiseless engines are increasing. Long gone are the days that the boater couldn’t talk to his colleague near the helm, as his high output outboard engine’s noise was several db, capable of covering any other sound. Now Mercury has its own NVH Technical center (P.11) in Fond Du Lac and its engineers did a terrific job by refining the already naturally balanced V6 & V8 engines, adding multi-chamber air intake systems that decrease noise, covering the fuel injectors to reduce the high frequency noise and add specific features to the engine’s cowl to prevent noise from reaching the ISSUE 2

operator. The engine is noiseless at low and cruising rpm and the bass exhaust sound is pleasing to the ear at high RPM. Certain Verado models are also equipped with an Advanced sound Control System (P.12) which allows users to alter the exhaust sound, by selecting between Sport or Stealth exhaust note. The next generation Advanced mid-section (AMS) has specially designed mounts, not only to reduce vibrations (66% less than leading competitor at the helm, according to Mercury engineers) but also to control engine roll to support mounting at 26’’centres (multiple engine installation).

AESTHETICS The new V6 & V8 models have an angular, aggressive, futuristic look, very

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pleasant to the eye. The new models are now available in the typical Mercury Phantom Black color and in three shades of White (Cold, Warm and Pearl fusion). In addition, Mercury offers cowling accent panels made from polycarbonate material that are attached to the upper and lower cowl. The panels allow engine personalization (P.13) through 5 different colors (Mercury Silver, Pacific Blue, Redline Red, Graphite Grey, or Pro Black (Pro XS exclusive)-or ready-to-paint panels to custom match your boat. 14

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EASE OF SERVICE The engineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s oil is as essential as blood is for a human being. Frequent checks and oil changes are really important for an engineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s longevity and reliable performance. Mercury engineers did their best to make the basic service procedures easier for the boater. Apart from the color-coded service points (P.14) and the relevant maintenance info decals (P.15), a quick-access door on the top of the cowl (P.16) gives the customer the option to check easily oil level and to refill oil if needed. The oil and the relevant

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OUTBOARD I NEW MERCURY V6/V8 ENGINES

filter change are easier through a no-spill oil drain system. Opening this quickaccess door has also the advantage of revealing a cowl removal handle which retracts with the simple press of a button, something that is unique for the market today. An industry first is also the oil level sensor that checks engine oil at key-up and alerts the operator if the level is low. The latter is standard on Verado and optional on others. Additionally Mercury’s exclusive lifetime maintenance-free valve train will save the owner from pricey valve-lash adjustments (think only that the big V8 has 32 valves).

CONCLUSION This new platform seems that will strengthen significantly Mercury’s core product lineup with a design approach that leads the way to powerful, light, compact and fuel-efficient engines, better than the previous lineup as well as the competition. Careful design, extreme testing, precision engineering and in-house manufacturing procedures ISSUE 2

really paid off. Versatility is another key-point as Mercury offers the option of hydraulic or power steering, digital controls, analog or digital instruments, black or white cowls, a variety of accent panel colors, less well intrusion and in general these new engines are considered ideal for easy repowering also. With a palette of high tech solutions, powerful acceleration and a rich torque curve that reminds us of 2-stroke DFI engines, noiseless and refined operation, weight less than 4cylinder competitors and better fuel economy than its predecessors, these engines gave a big smile to a lot of journalists in the Baveno Lake during the relevant Pan-European Presentation. New electronic systems such as the awarded Active Trim, point the way about how a company listens and takes care of the modern-day boater and this is another strong trump card that Mercury proudly holds. Mercury really “raised the bar” yet another time and in an exceptional way, too! BF

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BOAT TEST

KARNIC SL 720

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BOAT TEST I KARNIC SL 720 Karnic Powerboats Ltd -the Cypriot boatbuilders- is constantly launching new models, distinctive in a global level. More particularly, the all new KARNIC SL 702, a 7,80m length boat, stood out and won the second place at the i-Novo Design Award. In addition to its streamlined design lines, impressive styling and aggressive sport profile, it offers a modular design for the deck, enabling customer-defined layout configurations to suit different needs.

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Text & photos: George Polychroniou

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BOAT TEST I KARNIC SL 720 alteration â&#x20AC;&#x201C; addition, so that one can check all options available. Definitely worth a try to visit the web page! Besides, potential buyers can choose among a variety of optional features for their boat, such as swivel seats, teak floor, hard top, refrigerator, fire extinguishers, stainless steel rodholders, and many more.

KARNICâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S JOURNEY

his might seem complicated to people that have little experience of how to configure their boat; yet Karnic, and mostly the owner and founder Nikos Karaolis with his team, have seen to that. Designing the webpage www. karnicboats.com step by step in such a way, that the user can first choose the layout of the stern (four options available) and then follows the rest of the boat. There is a photo for every equipment

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Karnic started off in 1993 as a little boatbuilder that would satisfy the needs of the Cypriot market for little open top polyester boats. The fine building and the quality result made the company wellknown abroad in only a few years, so that in 1998 Karnic starts exporting its first boats. In 2000 Karnic Powerboats moves to new, modern, private owned facilities, improving constantly the quality of its boats. In 2000, Karnic receives the first local award thanks to its great

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BOAT TEST I KARNIC SL 720

export activity, certifying and enhancing the very important presence of Karnic in international markets. The years that follow will find Karnic developing rapidly, adopting new frontier technologies for building and advanced quality control systems, such as the CAD-CAM and CNC technology for the designing and manufacturing of the prototypes, the Closed Molding Technology (casting resin in a closed mould) for the manufacturing of smaller size components, as well as the quality control system Smart Production Controller, exclusively using computing systems, In 2016 Karnic Powerboats will make yet another step forward, skyrocketing the design philosophy of the Cypriot boatbuilders. This would be the design system “Modular Design”, through which potential buyers can choose the ISSUE 2

layout of their boat, shaping a product that will suit their personal needs, as mentioned above. The new SL series of Karnic is built according to this exact new designing approach, which sprang from the need of creating a “smart” boat that would offer numerous possibilities to the boat owner.

THE DECK Karnic SL 702 was designed around two years ago and first presented at Dusseldorf fair in early 2016, making a great impression both for its design as well as the functionality of its deck. The area behind the stern seat is an excellent example of versatility in design. More particularly, the free area for fishing use, equipped with tanks for live bait, can be enriched with a sofa option in various shapes, so that the area behind the stern

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BOAT TEST I KARNIC SL 720

seat can be transformed in a sunbathing spot or a living room with a table. The central sofa can be extended to the left, over one of the two live bait tanks, so that on the right there will be plenty of space for the easy walk-through to the motor well hatch and the toilet compartment. Under the stern seat there are standard storage compartment as well as an optional space dedicated for positioning an Igloo coolbox. The stern seats are comfortable and of high quality with a reverse option, in case the standing position is preferred for cruising. The dashboard offers slots for large and clearly visible devices; anyway the ones already onboard are more than enough.

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The double curvature console windscreen duly protects the crew and at the same time adds to the boatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fine design with the finishing touch of its oval section stainless grab rail. The stern with the comfortable sundeck is easy and safe to access thanks to the large walk-through areas. The boatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cabin is quite spacious to accommodate two adults and can also convert to a living room with the use of an optional central table.

IN THE WATER At the boat fair in Genoa, was an excellent opportunity to test the SL 702. Following the recent cooperation with

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Selva Marine, the boats of the Cypriot company Karnic were at their stand, aka the unique European manufacturer of outboard motors, who -by the wayalso have a big range of boats. With Carlo Selva himself (grandson of the founder Lorenzo Selva) at the steering wheel, we sailed through and out of the marina, at a day where the waves were quite difficult. The boat wore the Selva Fin Whale 225 Hp, with maximum horsepower at 250 hps, according to the boat’s technical specifications. Despite the high waves and the strong air, the boat was cruising finely without “sprinkling” the crew and with no shocks, giving a sense of security, even to the very young Italian friend of ours, who together with his father, came along to the short ride, in order to decide whether to purchase the boat. With these kind of weather conditions the measurements were not possible, so Carlo gave us similar ones from his colleague in Italy, with top speed at 40 knots and 6.100 rpm with fuel consumption 1,95 lt/nm and cruising speed at 26 knots (4.500 rpm – 1,4 ISSUE 2

lt/nm). In line with the above, the SL 702 has got everything that we might need from a boat, destined for short or long rides, offering spacious areas for sunbathing, along with all the conveniences for nautical tourism or fishing. BF SPECIFICATIONS Length Overall 7.80 m Hull Length 6.80 m Beam 2.45 m Draft 0.37 m Approximate Weight 1450 Kg Fuel Capacity 200 L Water Capacity 45 L Waste tank Capacity 35 L Certification Persons 8 Design Category C Maximum Power 250 hp Sleeping Adults 2 Info: Karnic Powerboats Ltd www.karnicboats.com 00357 25399911

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BOATING

Jeanneau launches the

SUN LOFT 47 a Monocat designed to charter by berth! By Giovanni Bianchini

eveloped to take advantage of emerging trends, the SUN LOFT 47 is designed first and foremost to be chartered by berth. The ‘Sun Loft’ project is a so-called monocat; a monocat is generally understood to be a variant of a multihull boat. It starts in the bow area as a monohull construction, while its rear end is designed like a catamaran owning two hulls. This type of boat is narrower than other multihulls, thus combining the advantages of mono- and multihulls. Jeanneau stepped forward as the first boat builder to develop such an 112

innovative concept meeting the demands of the sharing economy with the launch of the SUN LOFT 47. This monocat directly answers to the needs identified by Janneau’s long-time charter clients, and, in particular, Dream Yacht Charter. Indeed, the Executive Director of Dream Yacht Charter, Loic Bonnet, reported that the Sun Loft 47 is an original, versatile sailboat designed to offer “easy and comfortable” living spaces to a young and more urban clientele who is ready to experience a vacation aboard a boat at a reasonable price. This monohull will be

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BOATING I JEANNEAU SUN LOFT 47

offered to charter companies and to tour operators. The Yacht Week, MedSailors, G Adventures and Dream Yacht Charter are already among the first to place their confidence in the brand. The design concept, by Jeanneau and Philippe Briand, offers multiple living spaces with an exceptional degree of comfort designed for sharing. Indeed, the SUN LOFT 47 features 6 cabins able to accommodate 12 people on board (+1 skipper); they are designed exclusively as comfortable sleeping spaces offering each person on board the privacy of an enclosed environment. Inside, this monocat has no fewer than four heads with shower compartments, two of which afford direct access to their respective cabins. The SUN LOFT 47 is designed for sharing and enjoying time with friends by offering unique living spaces. On the exterior, this monocat features a vast and versatile cockpit layout that can be converted to suit diverse programs and needs. Each of its two large independent tables can be transformed into a sun bathing area. The deck layout is optimized to ease circulation and sharing onboard and to provide well-being. This sailboat offers the chance of maximizing both sensations and pleasures of life at sea. ISSUE 2

To enjoy each moment on the water, the SUN LOFT 47 offers a huge open galley directly adjoining the cockpit. The focus on enjoying the outdoors is found in every feature, including the protective awnings that can be opened and closed to provide protection when needed. This protection can be easily deployed for sun, rain or wind. The cockpit can be covered and completely closed. This central protection keeps safe skipper(s) for an absolute comfort. BF

GENERAL PROVISORY SPECIFICATIONS OVERALL LENGTH (WITH BOWSPRIT) HULL LENGTH OVERALL BEAM DRAFT WEIGHT STANDARD MAINSAIL BERTHS CABINS ARCHITECTS / DESIGNERS

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14 M / 46’ 13.24 M / 43’4’’ 4.49 M / 14’7’’ 1.85 M / 6’06’’ 12000 - 15000 KG / 33069 LBS 105 M. / 1130 SQ FT 12 + 1 6 + 1 (SKIPPER) PHILIPPE BRIAND YACHT DESIGN, JEANNEAU DESIGN 113

BOATING

CAP CAMARAT 9.0

Center Console & Walk Around

Both the Cap Camarat 9.0 Center Console and Walk Around boast a very elegant and trendy design. The traditional V-shaped hull was designed by Michael Peters. Stable and powerful, the hull assures excellent seakeeping and very secure handling at sea for family cruising or sporty outings. By Giovanni Bianchini 114

hese 9 meter-boats have recently won the 2019 Motor Boat Award in the Sportsboats and RIBS category. The Motor Boat Award, organized by the English magazine “Motorboat and Yachting”, had its award ceremony on May 7th at the Corinthia Hotel in London and saw the new Jeanneau’s creatures winning the competition by standing out in the category. All the boats were tested by the magazine’s technical experts and the Motor Boat Awards’ jury finally commented that Jeanneau could have so easily built a safe and sensible 30ft sportsboat but instead it had created a boat with the creature comforts expected of a Cap Camarat endowing it with real ability and exhilarating performance, therefore this effort had to be applauded. The shipyard was delighted to receive this famed award highlighting the significant achievement of the Jeanneau team and Sarrazin Design Office.

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BOATING I CAP CAMARAT 9.0

CAP CAMARAT 9.0 WALK AROUND The new Cap Camarat 9.0 WA revisits the concept of the 8.5 WA, a sporty boat with a family-friendly spirit, which has been a great success. With its pure, streamlined design inspired by the Cap Camarat 10.5 WA, its look is decidedly on trend. The Walk Around concept by Jeanneau cleverly combines all of the above features, allowing you to fish, cruise, ski and overnight. On the exterior, the vast cockpit benefits from a helm station with seating for two, a portside galley and numerous storage options. This new flagship Walk Around includes a very large forward sundeck and an immense and very comfortable saloon served by an exterior galley. On-board access is facilitated by two large aft swim platforms. On the interior, the new Cap Camarat 9.0 WA will delight all those who appreciate full comfort: it features a very large double berth, a saloon that also converts into a double berth, a head compartment with separate shower, a «breakfast nook» and copious storage. Perfect for family cruising, this model also features long windows in the hull for an extremely bright interior. The layout and spacial organisation of the Cap Camarat 9.0 WA make it the ideal boat for day trips or weekend cruises.

CAP CAMARAT 9.0 CENTER CONSOLE The Cap Camarat 9.0 Center Console meets the standards of high-performance fishing boats of the latest generation, with exceptionally fluid movement about the deck. Features such as the protective centre console, the wrap-around dashboard and seating for three facing ISSUE 2

the sea all enhance your comfort while under way. The daybed can be lifted up thus providing direct access to the cabin, bathing the interior in light. Sidedecks without steps translate into an impressive ease of movement about the deck. To the aft, a deep central bench seat, a true sofa, and two folding bench seats contribute to the feeling of spaciousness and comfort in the very large cockpit. The spacious aft cockpit incorporates the latest evolutions of the line and can be configured to suit the programme for the day. It can accommodate a table to create a very nice cockpit saloon, but it can also be converted into a very large sundeck. Moreover, it opens onto a very large storage locker that can accommodate a generator or an air conditioning unit. Regarding fishing, the leaning post contains a fully equipped exterior galley, fishing net storage, rod holders, live wells and diverse additional storage lockers that facilitate fishing activities. The Cap Camarat 9.0 Center Console, which can accommodate up to 11 people on board, owns the performance of a fishing boat, the comfort of a family boat, and the design of a high-end model; thus offering multiple possibilities for fun outings on the water with family and friends. BF

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BOATING

TECHNOHULL Explorer 40 The RIB combining thrilling ride with comfort & seakeeping

12.1 meters in length, the new sport cruiser will be capable of 70 mph-plus Peak performance is available from a pair of Seven 627 motors, packing a massive 1,250 hp in total The sea-kindly hull guarantees a dry and smooth ride TECHNOHULL® introduces spacious decks with distinct areas for different moments of the day New Explorer 40 will be launched next summer.

By George Polychroniou

roduction has started on the first examples of the brand-new Explorer 40 from TECHNOHULL®. The 12 m sport cruiser will combine the thrilling ride, for which the Greek company is known, with comfort and seakeeping making it ideal for family enjoyment. All wrapped up in an elegant, contemporary design that will turn heads. Expect to see the first Explorer 40 splash this summer. The heart of the all-new model is TECHNOHULL®’s

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patented Dynastream hull, which was five years under development by a dedicated in-house team of naval architects. The design uses five distinct steps in the hull, to channel in air and providing lift and unprecedented stability at all speeds. Variable stepped hulls are not new, but the hyperventilated Dynastream is 10-15 per cent more efficient than its previous hull shape, which was already a class-leader. Through a rigorous process of CFD simulation, scale and full-sized tank testing and the expertise of Davidson Stephens Laboratory in the United States, TECHNOHULL® has gained an unprecedented understanding of this technology. It is part of what allows the hull to plane at just 14 mph. What’s more, the super deep-V hull form gives the Explorer 40 true offshore capabilities. It deflects spray with even a

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BOATING I TECHNOHULL EXPLORER 40

heavy seaway making light of tough conditions. It has always been TECHNOHULL®’s goal to deliver safety and ease of handling at any speed. This is the reason why the Explorer 40 represents a perfect cruising platform for families.

ULTIMATE POWER TECHNOHULL® is known for its very high-performance RIBs, so naturally the Explorer 40 is an athlete at heart. Preliminary modeling suggests that the boat will be capable of 70 mph-plus*, courtesy of a range of inboard and outboard propulsion options. The boat will be introduced to the market with twin 350 hp outboards. The top spec with Inboards engines is 880 hp, using two of Volvo’s new V6-440 hydraulic drives.

ROOM FOR COMFORT But don’t be misled by the 70mph top speed. The Explorer 40 is every inch a cruiser. Indeed, TECHNOHULL® has made a great effort in order to ensure that the RIB is an ideal passage maker for families or groups up to 10 people. Its sea-kindly hull guarantees a dry, smooth ride, and it is so efficient that the Explorer 40 enjoys a range of 250 nm-plus from the 750-litre fuel tank. Lunch in St Tropez, dinner in Monaco? No problem! TECHNOHULL® has also worked hard ISSUE 2

to introduce spacious decks with distinct areas for different moments of the day. At the bow there is a large sunpad and a deep, comfy seat, making this the best spot on board to relax in the sun. The modern, functional driving console amidships is well protected and offers two sports seats for the driver and a guest. Choose from further seating aft or a single, vast sunbed. Other options include a hard top for ultimate protection or a soft bimini. Almost unprecedented for a RIB of this size, TECHNOHULL®’s designers have created a room below the centre console for a day heads and a double bed. This carefully arranged accommodation offers real comfort for day cruising and longer passages. Refreshment comes as standard, with a wet bar, fridge and espresso machine, as well as top-quality Fusion Apollo entertainment system, with JL speakers.

ULTIMATE FLEXIBILITY As with any TECHNOHULL® model, most client wishes can be accommodated. Change the deck layout, specify your choice of hull color or upholstery, or style the boat to match the mothership. The

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BOATING I TECHNOHULL EXPLORER 40

Explorer 40 would make an ideal chase boat for a superyacht. Not only it can follow you through all conditions with ease, but the full tube fender makes docking a stress-free experience. It all adds up to hugely versatile sport cruiser with huge appeal across the boating spectrum. Its stability, speed and comfort will speak for themselves.

EXPLORER 40 BRIEF SPECIFICATIONS •LOA: 12.10m •Beam: 3.50m •Displacement: 3,200kg •Fuel: 750lt •Water: 120lt •Engine options: inboard/ outboard •Max engines 2x627hp outboard (*) Top speed indications are based on our factory testing program. Boat speed may vary depending on weight, fuel load, water conditions, wind, engine package, engine tuning, propellers, number of passengers and numerous other factors beyond our control.

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ABOUT TECHNOHULL® A sea story of Greek pride TECHNOHULL® is a Greek company known for their impressively fast and safe high-end RIBs. Over the last fifteen years, the experienced and enthusiastic TECHNOHULL® team has expanded in the international boating market, achieving both remarkable and stable growth in production and sales. Based in Athens, TECHNOHULL® has a business network that promotes the excellence of “Made in Greece” with their one-of-a-kind aesthetic taste, design & innovation appeal. TECHNOHULL®, after 14 years and many hundred RIB produced has become one of the most respected producer of high performance luxury boats. It all started in Alimos (Athens), where passionate RIB owners were looking for a better option for their concept of performance related luxury. So they decided to build their own

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RIBs. Since then the company’s growth has never stopped and the company has never forgotten the yard’s mission: to provide the ultimate in high performance finely finished RIBs. Today the yard offers a complete product mix, with more than 30% annual growth and 60% of turnover coming from exports. A successful Greek case history, based on innovative thinking, obsession to detail, real hard work, an aesthetic touch and passion. Since the company’s inception, TECHNOHULL®’s mission is based on four core values: extreme performance, perfect safety and seaworthiness, top efficiency and long distance travelling ability. Each element of a TECHNOHULL® RIB is produced and installed by highly expert in-house artisans, from the mould and hull layers to the teak decks. Every single model unit is designed from scratch and is based on a different hull model to best fit the length and the different characteristics required by its owner. Highest quality materials are selected in every construction and finishing process. Top quality gelcoat color multi-directional fibers and high-quality resins are standard in every boat. All TECHNOHULL® models are equipped with ORCA Penel Flippo 1670 tube fabrics. Vacuum infusion technology, epoxy materials and of course handlaid polyester are all ISSUE 2

combined when producing the composite elements. Completing the sophisticated hull design, top quality techniques and materials are applied throughout - the required process for building a masterpiece. Many parts are built of pure carbon fiber, further reducing overall weight. Throughout the production process ISO 9001: 2008 standards are strictly followed.

TECHNOHULL® DYNASTREAM PATENTED HULL TECHNOLOGY By evaluating the working envelope of each model and the demands of the range, TECHNOHULL® has derived separate hull design constraints. Using state-of-the-art computer programmes and hull structure algorithms, key hull design aspects have been confirmed. After several design loops, the hydrodynamic profile is streamlined. As a result, strake geometry, step number, step positioning and the variable deadrise distribution along the hull’s surface have been optimized. The combination of the above has resulted in a boat that is perfectly balanced, efficient and extremely seaworthy, perfect for fast commuting, yet with a very smooth and safe ride, providing a high thrill factor both for experts and newcomers. BF Press Office / SAND PEOPLE COMMUNICATION Angelica Vairos Mobile: +39 349 4534014 Email: a@sandpeoplecommunication.com Website: sandpeoplecommunication.com

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ELECTRONIC INSTRUMENTATION

Raymarine’s

New LightHouse OS Update

Revealed

The new LightHouse Annapolis 3.9 operating system unlocks exciting new features and functionality for Raymarine MFDs. The coastal city of Annapolis, home to thousands of boaters and magnet for generations of sailors, powerboaters and fishermen, is the inspiration behind the name of Raymarine’s latest LightHouse operating system update. By Giovanni Bianchini 120

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ELECTRONIC INSTRUMENTATION I LIGHTHOUSE OS UPDATE

eginning with LightHouse 3.9, Raymarine is adopting alphabetical names for LightHouse OS updates that pay homage to the great boating destinations of the world. Whether you sail, fish or cruise, LightHouse 3 Annapolis unlocks powerful new features and functionality in your Raymarine Multifunction display. As with every Raymarine LightHouse operating system update, it is possible to download it for free and easily at http://www.raymarine.com/ multifunction-displays/lighthouse3/.

NEW PERFORMANCE SAILING FEATURES Live Layline Display LightHouse Annapolis 3.9 supports display of dynamic laylines on the navigation chart. Laylines are a dynamic rendering on your navigation chart that show how far the boat must sail on its current tack in order to make its target waypoint after tacking, given present wind conditions. Laylines can be configured to show from a performance profile using settled angles or from polar performance data. Sailing along laylines maximizes your boat’s Velocity Made Good (VMG) to windward, carrying out upwind sailing in the best possible way.

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Built-In Polar Performance Data LightHouse Annapolis 3.9 had built-in polars for over 200 sailboat’s popular models. Polars are a detailed plot of performance data for a specific boat model. Polar plots are published by boat builders and indicate the theoretical attainable speed for that boat at various wind speeds. It is possible to choose your brand and model and enjoy optimized laylines specific for your boat model. Polar performance targets can be displayed in the newly upgraded Dashboard application. Dashboard App and Sailing Dials The data Dashboard app has been enhanced with new sailing-specific items working alongside the laylines on your

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ELECTRONIC INSTRUMENTATION I LIGHTHOUSE OS UPDATE NEW NAVIGATION ENHANCEMENTS

chartplotter. These new additions help to indicate which direction to steer in order to maximize your VMG to windward. Additional data items can show you the percentage of performance achieved against your boat’s polar plot. New displayable data items include distance to tack, time to tack, sailing distance to waypoint, waypoint time to go, speed through water, target speed through water, steer to layline and polar performance. Trimming sails for optimum performance hasnever been easier.

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ClearCruise Augmented Reality for Thermal Cameras With ClearCruise AR, Raymarine Axiom users can make smarter decisions with navigation objects overlaid directly on Axiom’s high definition video display. ClearCruise Augmented Reality (AR) is now supported on FLIR M132 and M232 thermal camera systems. Both during the day and at night, AR shows you valuable identification data for navigation aids, AIS contacts and waypoints. The AR display even updates automatically to work with the pan and digital zoom capabilities of the M232 for true 360° viewing. ClearCruise AR is only available on Axiom MFDs.

NEW FISHING FEATURES

RealBathy™ Contour Mapping RealBathy is Raymarine’s fast and accurate engine that lets you build detailed bathymetric charts in real-time. Using data from your MFDs GPS and connected sonar or fishfinder, RealBathy draws detailed depth contours in any body of water. Best of all, RealBathy does not require chart purchase or subscription, but it does require a microSD card with available space

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ELECTRONIC INSTRUMENTATION I LIGHTHOUSE OS UPDATE

inserted into the card reader. RealBathy is only available on Axiom MFDs. Sonar Pinch and Range Shift Controls LightHouse Annapolis 3.9 now supports intuitive pinch-to-zoom touchscreen control as well as touch-and-drag range shift. By using pinch-to-zoom it is easy to enlarge the on-screen display to see additional detail and resolution of underwater targets. The zoom definition is infinitely adjustable up to a maximum magnification of 8X. It is also possible to touch and drag the image to slide it up or down to study a smaller portion of the water column with greater detail and a faster ping rate.

NEW INTEGRATION ENHANCEMENTS

Additional Features and Capabilities UAV App: LightHouse Annapolis 3.9 now supports the DJI Mavic 2 Pro and Mavic 2 Zoom drones. Audio App: Multi-zone volume level control added for FUSION marine source units Dashboard App: -Name, monitor and calibrate Oceanic digital tank level sounders -Radar sector blanking is now available for Magnum radars Video Player: Play back video streams recorded from video-over-IP marine and thermal cameras Language Support: Estonian language selection now available. BF

Yamaha Command Link Plus Integration Checking the status of your Yamaha engines just got easier than ever thanks to the new Command Link Plus integration for LightHouse 3. Certified by Yamaha, this system monitors up to 4 engines plus tanks and batteries right on your multifunction displays. ISSUE 2

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