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Heads Of Cold Steel Winter Steelheading In Upstate New York By Frank Geremski -The Angler Magazine of Upstate NY publisher
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inter steelhead fishing can be chilling, but once you hook into a 10-pound, lightning-fast bolt of silver, your blood will be boiling. The speed and explosion are what lures steelheaders to expose themselves to harsh Great Lakes winters. And there’s more. On Upstate New York’s Salmon River, there are plenty of beautiful, large, lake-run brown trout mixed in. Plus, today’s lightweight protective clothing provides comfort between strikes. The Salmon River in Oswego County, N.Y. (www.visitoswegocounty.com) offers consistent steelhead fishing during the late fall, winter and spring. In fact, the river has runs of trout and salmon from Lake Ontario all year long. With many quality tributaries along its length and a hatchery, this highquality wilderness river once was home to a legendary Atlantic salmon run. Rebounding populations of Atlantics still exist due to restoration projects, but Pacific salmon dominate the scene in late summer and fall. Huge chinook salmon, some heavier than 30 pounds, and coho salmon run up 14 miles of prime spawning and fishing waters each fall. A good number of steelhead (rainbow trout) follow the salmon to feed on the eggs dropped during this legendary fall salmon run. The steelhead feed aggressively during the salmon run, and they remain in this beautiful blue-ribbon river all winter, providing more than six months of explosive action. Winter thaws and early spring rains invite the remaining Lake Ontario steelhead to spawn and join their riverwintering kin. It’s a truly dynamic trophy trout experience. The Salmon River holds big fish. Ten-pound steelhead are commonplace. Fish in the teens are a definite possibility, and persistent steelheaders get chances every year on specimens in the 20-pound range. When salmon first enter the Salmon River in September and October, steelhead and lake-run brown trout mix in with pacific salmon making their spawning run. Both trout species feed on salmon eggs, and just when the salmon die off, the brown trout begin to spawn. Their eggs supplement the steelheads’ diet. Large numbers of giant trout and steelhead winter in the river, with additional fish running up from Lake Ontario all winter and early spring. When they first enter the river, these brightly colored bullets aggressively strike offerings like egg sacks, bright Estaz flies or beads that imitate eggs. Midriver matriculation brings them past the village of Pulaski, where there are about 10 miles of mostly public fishing access to deep holes, runs, rapids and every kind of trout water. Several high-quality tributaries flow in along the way and provide excellent spawning grounds up to what’s considered the upper section of the river. Natural reproduction does occur, and New York state operates a large hatchery on the upper end of the Salmon River. Since the Salmon River is a tailwater, this upper section is fishable all winter and never ices up. With egg availability diminishing, the winter steelhead diet evolves to more nymphs and stoneflies. Fly fishing is effective yet challenging. This section of river is ideal for fighting and landing large fish, with catch and release encouraged. Many trophy steelhead in the teens are photographed for replica mounts, and brown trout in the 5- to 10-pound range are caught regularly, with fish in the teens a possibility. 8
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The Salmon River has a reputation for tight quarters during the peak of the salmon run. Crowds diminish during winter steelhead season. Weekdays bring even less competition. Two very select permit-only resort properties are located on the two best sections of river offering managed access and exclusive riverside lodging. On the upper river, The Tailwater Lodge in Altmar, N.Y. has private southside access to Schoolhouse Pool and the runs and holes above and below. This is the prime wintering spot for a large percentage of steelhead and the best access for ice-free angling. The Tailwater is an Orvis-endorsed lodge, which includes an on-site fly shop, “The Woodshed.” Zero Limit Adventures Guide Service, also Orvis endorsed, has a collaborative relationship with Tailwater Lodge and provides outstanding guidance to this section and the entire Salmon River. They’ll get you dialed into current river conditions and what the fish are feeding on. The Tailwater Lodge’s opulent accommodations coupled with their location on the river and exclusive access make it the Mecca for Salmon River steelheading. This large section of river provides various speeds of current and holding water with ice-free conditions all winter. Tactics for hooking these giants include fly fishing, spinning, float fishing and center-pin techniques. The Angler Magazine highly recommends booking an experienced licensed guide on your first day to instruct you on equipment, fly or bait selection and technique. Allow Tailwater Lodge (www.tailwaterlodge.com) and Zero Limit Adventures (www. zerolimitadventures.com) ease the entry into this elite pursuit. Douglaston Salmon Run (DSR) manages more than 2 1/2 miles of exclusive access in the lower end of the Salmon River where steelhead first enter from Lake Ontario. Early steelhead action can be fast and furious. Winter access is dependent on weather conditions, as the middle and lower sections of the Salmon River get slushy or iced over during mid-winter cold speels. DSR (www. douglastonsalmonrun.com) publishes an accurate and honest daily report that functions as a great information source for river conditions and fish movement. The highly challenging adventure of hooking and battling your first 10-pound-plus Great Lakes steelhead will certainly not be your last. This divine experience will put you in a league of sportsmen who are the only ones to understand this trophy steelhead quest. It’s a feeling like the adrenaline rush of your first buck or sailfish. This heart-pounding adventure on a beautiful river will provide a memory that can be yours forever. To check out the “Men of Steel” video, go to
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12/15/16 3:09 PM
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Editor’s Note: Each month, Coastal Angler Magazine and The Angler Magazine staff search our vast coverage area for photos that will grace our covers. With well over a million readers in diverse coastal and inland markets, our magazines strive for broad national appeal as well as local-level intelligence to put anglers on fish. The cover is different depending on which edition you, the reader, are holding. The following is a little information about this month’s covers.
COASTAL ANGLER MAGAZINE Houma, Louisiana
FREE
The big black drum on the cover of Coastal Angler’s January editions was caught by Banging The Drums Of Jacki Shae, whose south Florida upbringing Houma, La. taught her a love of fishing from an early age. Winter Chrome In On a recent ladies-only fishing trip to the Upstate N.Y. marshes around Houma, Louisiana, Jacki learned a newfound respect for black drum. Local This often overlooked cousin to the everpopular red drum might not be much on looks, but it puts up a heck of a fight and grows even larger than the big bull reds prized by so many anglers. Rumor has it the fish on the cover was caught with one of those kids’ Barbie rods spooled with 30-pound test. With tutelage from their guide Brittney Novalsky, the ladies also did battle with some of the big redfish Louisiana is famous for. Four young women staying on a houseboat and hauling big fish from the Louisiana mud… what more could anyone ask for from a fishing expedition?
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The covers of this month’s editions of The Angler feature a beautiful chrome steelhead Winter Chrome In caught by Zero Limit Adventures Guide Rob Upstate N.Y. Reynolds. The photo was taken by Zero Limit Banging The Drums Of Adventures Guide Matthew DeRosa. The fish was caught on the Salmon River in Oswego County, New York. To learn more Local about this fantastic fishery view this month’s article “Heads of Cold Steel” by The Angler Magazine Upstate New York publisher Frank Geremski. Zero Limit’s diverse team of guides offer tailored trips of a lifetime and expertly fish many tributaries of central and western New York. They can be reached by e-mail via mderosa@zerolimitadventures.com by phone at 585-766-2421, or view their website at www.zerolimitadventures.com. Zero Limit has a collaborative relationship with the opulent Tailwater Lodge www.TailwaterLodge.com in Oswego County. Tailwater Lodge offers exclusive access and wonderful accommodations on the banks of the Salmon River, home of legendary trophy salmon, steelhead and brown trout runs from Lake Ontario. Call Tailwater Lodge for availability and reservations at 315-298-3434. To learn more about Lake Ontario, the Salmon River and Oswego County fishing go to www. visitoswegocounty.com or call 1-800-248-4FUN. Houma, La.
Fishing Reports Catch Photos News & Events
PHOTO COURTESY OF ZERO LIMIT ADVENTURES GUIDE MATTHEW DEROSA VOLUME 22 • ISSUE 264
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LADIES DRUM UP ACTION IN THE LOUISIANA MARSH By Jacki Shea
I
find myself staying in the strangest places when I go on fishing adventures. But as long as it involves fishing, sleeping on a couch or on the ground really doesn’t matter. On this particular trip, my friends and I found ourselves in a small houseboat on a river in the Louisiana marshes west of New Orleans. It was tiny, there was only one bathroom (picture four girls trying to use one bathroom), and the bed sheets smelled like a man after a long day of fishing. You might be wondering what brought us to such a place, and I will give you two very good reasons: redfish and black drum. Enormous specimens of these two drum species come into the marsh each fall and winter, 20 to 30 pounds to be more specific. If you plan on making the trip to Louisiana to do some inshore fishing, it is not necessary to stay on a houseboat; however, I highly recommend it. When
you wake up each morning, you are on the water ready to fish with your boat tied up next to you. Of the drum family, redfish seem to be the most popular inshore species. Redfish are always a great fight, especially the big bulls. But many anglers seem to overlook black drum, which are sometimes referred to as a “mud donkeys.” It is not an attractive fish, nor is it great for eating; therefore, it is not commonly targeted. This fish does, however, grow the largest of the drum species, and it fights with the same action and power as a bull red. Now that I’ve caught a few, I believe black drum can look very pretty once the Louisiana sun hits those scales just right. Redfish and black drum are thick in the Louisiana marshes all year, but the season for the monsters runs from September to January, when big fish move from offshore into the marsh following migrating baitfish. When the baitfish show up inshore, the big fish won’t be far behind. For bait you can use live or artificial depending on whether you are trying to sight fish or just toss a line out and wait. On our trip, we used a standard knocker rig, with an egg sinker and a hook, and sank split live blue crabs and shrimp to the bottom and waited. The fishing is quite simple when you know where the fish are, although a guide is recommended for those unfamiliar with the waters because it’s easy to get lost in the marsh. Keep an eye out for cold fronts. The cold fronts clean up the water and bring the fish closer to the surface, which makes for perfect sight fishing. The fish also enjoy the cooler inshore water, so they will be more abundant and active. Check out Jacki’s YouTube channel Jacki Shea Fishing for videos of her fishing adventures. Her guide for the Louisiana trip was Brittney Novalsky who can be contacted through www.fishingadventureswithbrittney.com. For more fishing with Jacki Shea, go to
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By Tom Karrow Researcher Tom Karrow assessing fishery health in Abaco with a Bahamian angling guide from the Delphi Club. Photo by Andrew O’Neill
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hen I first started fly fishing in the 80s, the sport was not nearly as popular as it is today. Shops carrying fly tackle were sparse, people with knowledge of the sport were few and far between and getting lessons was nearly impossible. When I think back to those days, recalling the number of flies I lost in trees, the frequent tangles I developed and the shear lack of fish I caught, it is a wonder that I kept with it. Indeed, if it were not for the fly tying component of the sport, I might well have thrown in the towel. I love fly tying; being able to create something to fool fish with is a marvelous achievement. In contrast to my early fly fishing days, today there is a seeming abundance of information on the sport, from equipment, to angling destinations; everyone seems to have some insights. On top of this has been the advent of the Internet, a treasure trove of information and misinformation. The fact of the matter is, fly fishing is not nearly as complicated as it may seem. It is simply a form of fishing that allows for lightweight or nearly weightless “lures” to be used, which without the added weight in the line could not be presented to a fish. In some cases, fly fishing is a far superior method for fooling fish and in others, deep waters for example, far more challenging. When it comes to heavily pressured or sensitive fish, especially those inhabiting shallow inshore waters, I would argue fly fishing can often out-produce other techniques. Being able to imperceptibly drop a fly in front of fish when they are used to loud splashes from heavy lures or live baits can often result in fooled fish. Fly fishing is sometimes called an art, perhaps because of the apparent delicateness of the cast, the manner in which the line travels out over the water, or because many incorrectly, consider it hard. So let me correct this fallacy. Fly fishing is not hard, it does not need to be complicated and it can be very easily learned. If you really want to learn to fly fish, I would suggest a trip to the Bahamas. The weather is beautiful, the waters are stunning, and the people, culture and food are marvelous. The chance of catching fish is very high, as the guides are great instructors and a week’s worth of fly fishing immersion would provide incredible advancement in understanding and skill level. Throughout my travels in the Bahamas, I have met many wonderful guides and visited many top-notch facilities. To highlight one Bahamian guide or lodge is simply impossible. However, when it comes to learning the sport, be honest. When booking a trip to a lodge, perhaps directly or through a travel company like Yellow Dog Fly Fishing or Frontiers International, tell them what you want. Tell them you are a beginner. Tell them you want to learn. Through this strategy, those in the know will put you with facilities and personnel best suited to an instructional 12
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Great equipment meets great Bahamian culture. Photo by Tom Karrow
environment. You want a location that offers everything, lodging and food of course but also equipment, casting lessons, fly tying lessons, safety instruction along with patient and professional guides. One common thread that has become apparent through my research in the Bahamas is the respect that Bahamians have for travelers, specifically bonefish anglers. Bahamians openly welcome tourists, recognizing the importance that bonefishing has on local Family Island communities. Bonefishing on some Bahamian islands provides employment for up to 80 percent of the local population. With that level of economic importance, industry professionalism is critical along with healthy fisheries. In the Bahamas you will find both a high degree of angling knowledge and amazing fisheries. The Bahamas are certainly an excellent place to consider taking a trip and a phenomenal place to learn to fly fish. What I find most attractive about the Bahamas is the shear diversity available. With more than 700 islands, there is something for everyone. And for anglers, old and new, there are always new opportunities to learn from. Tom Karrow is a sustainable tourism scholar from the University of Waterloo. His research focuses on the Bahamian bonefishing industry, centered on the guides and their knowledge, stories and experiences. For more on his research see: http://tomkarrow.wixsite.com/bahamasguide-tek, and follow Coastal Angler Magazine for updates and more. Tom Karrow can be reached at tkarrow@uwaterloo.ca or tomkarrow@ gmail.com. For more Bonefishing in the Bahamas, go to
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Elite Series™ Bassmaster Lester Pro Brandon t the rods tha builds all of he Elite he uses on t ment Trail. a n r u o T s ie r Se
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no weight reduction had gone into the components above the handle. The guides were large and weighty. As a result, the rod was annoyingly front-heavy, even when I mounted two of the spinning reels I had tabbed for the task. Lost balance led to lost feel and sense of control over my bait. It took an oversized reel to bring anything resembling “balance” to this rod, and the resultant combo was still cumbersome. “It’s hard to get a rod perfectly balanced without knowing the reel a guy plans to put on it,” said Russ Lane, a Bassmaster Elite Series angler known for his talent for tackle tinkering. Lane wraps many of his rods with Winn Superior Rod Wrap (www.winngrips.com) to give them the same advantages of hand control and comfort that he gets with the Denali Attax rods and other rods in his arsenal already fitted with Winn grips. But at times there’s a secondary benefit to the wrap. “Sometimes adding the Winn rod wrap can add just enough weight to balance a rod,” noted Lane. He faced a formidable “weight-forward” balance challenge with the flipping/pitching rod he uses to punch matted vegetation with soft plastic lures and 1.5-ounce tungsten By Mike Pehanich weights. “I needed to add more weight to the handle,” Lane recalled. As usual, he covered the cork mid-grip of this 7-foot, 6-inch Denali Lithium Flipping Stick (Xtra Heavy) with the ightness” has been the dominant thrust of rod evolution for years. Lightweight guides, skeletal reel seats, split grips… these and other polymer overwrap. Before he added the wrap to the butt grip, however, he developments have served rod builders in their ongoing quest to added Storm SuspenStrips—adhesive-backed rectangles of soft lead that he reduce rod weight and, in turn, diminish fatigue and enhance angler comfort generally uses to add weight to his jerkbaits—to the tapered butt grip. “You can get the balance perfect by adding just enough lead tape over the and feel on the water. Oddly enough, radical downsizing of rod components sometimes produces butt grip before adding Winn overwrap on top of it,” explained Lane. “Balance the opposite of its intended effect if rod balance is significantly compromised makes a big difference when you are flipping those heavy tungsten weights in along the way or when heavier-than-usual lures or terminal tackle enter the heavy cover all day long.” picture. Several seasons ago, a rod manufacturer asked me to road test a new midFor a word from Lester on the benefits of Winn Grips, go to priced spinning rod the company was planning to bring to market. The design team had taken the split grip concept to an extreme, virtually eliminating the mid (rear) grip altogether and adding a very airy foam to the butt grip. However,
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Some photos shown with optional equipment
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Shown above: Chad Roberson, President of H2O Sports congratulates Danny Amador on his new boat.
hat’s a real mouthful of salutations, but the winner of Coastal Angler and The Angler Magazine’s Boat Giveaway contest is certainly deserving of all three. Danny Amador was drawn as the winner of the 15’10” Cape Craft boat with 75 hp Honda engine and a Coyote trailer. A massive fire at H20 Sports Manufacturing delayed much of their manufacturing, and Danny Amador had to wait until Dec. 9 to pick up his brand new Cape Craft vessel. That’s where the story gets really interesting. Dec. 9 is Danny’s birthday. Yep, and as all December birthday people know it’s always “Happy Birthday and Merry Christmas.” Coastal Angler Magazine would like to salute Danny Amador for his patience in receiving his boat. Unforeseen circumstances can sometimes alter even the best of transactions. Danny Amador’s patience and H20’s commitment to fulfilling the contest award represented the best of our industry. In addition to Danny’s boat, motor and trailer, Chad Roberson, H20 Sports Manufacturing’s President, insisted on
throwing in a free bimini top and invited Danny Amador to pick his favorite custom color for the boat. Good things are worth waiting for. Special thanks to Top Notch Marine in Fort H2O Staff and Danny Amador shown at H2O Sports headquarters. Pierce, Fla. for their assistance in titling this boat to our Florida winner. Once again to Danny Amador: “Congratulations, Happy Birthday and Merry Christmas!”
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UNDER THE SEA
Center s LIONFISH: CAN’T BEAT ’EM? EAT ’EM! SHERI DAYE
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lthough beautiful to look at, the invasive lionfish poses a severe threat to Atlantic and Gulf waters. They are known for having spines that can sting if not handled properly, but the meat is perfectly safe and delicious to eat. In other words, they are venomous but not poisonous. Lionfish is becoming increasingly common on restaurant menus and is even available at Whole Foods grocery stores. Connoisseurs often compare the quality to hogfish – a fine, delicate white meat. The scientific community concluded that home aquarists are to blame. Much like the python in the Everglades, it only took a few released invasive individuals to begin the breeding cycle. Since they are a new and strange looking species, native fish are not consuming lionfish. Yet lionfish are consuming juvenile native species at an alarming rate. Adding to the problem, they also breed at an amazing rate. Females reach sexual maturity at six months and release up to 30,000 eggs every five days. They now cover the east coast of the U.S., the entire Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic side of Central and South America, and can be found between 2 and 1,000 feet deep. The most effective way of hunting them, by far, is spearfishing. Since they have no natural predators, they are not wary which makes them easy to spear. Just handle the spines with care and you will be rewarded with a delicious meal while helping the environment! Lionfish hunting tips: 1. First, you must find them! Unfortunately, they are everywhere—look on reefs, wrecks, sometimes out in the open and often in ledges and holes. 2. Handle them carefully and do not to let the fins puncture your skin. If stung on the hand, remove any rings right away. The best treatment is heat, which breaks down the venom. Heat packs or hot water collected from the boat exhaust can be used. 3. Use the specially designed pole spears (such as Neritic) and use lionfish containers (such as the Zookeeper), which are puncture-proof. These specialty items can be found on the LionfishHunting.com website or your local dive shop.
4. Once back on the boat/shore, place lionfish into cooler and continue to handle with care. The protein-based venom is broken down by heat but preserved by cold. 5. Lionfish can be filleted just like any other fish. See LionfishHunting.com for a good set of instructions with photos on how to fillet. 6. Lionfish can be prepared like any other white-meat fish. Many recipes can be found online. For an impressive presentation, they can even be cooked whole as cooking neutralizes the venom. P. S. The Blue Wild Ocean Adventure Expo, which takes place April 2017 in Ft. Lauderdale, will have a Lionfish Pavilion featuring several exhibitors along with a cook-off event where several chefs will be showing off their best recipes and giving samples. Happy Hunting! Sheri Daye is a world-record holder, host of Speargun Hunter, and producer of “The Blue Wild Ocean Adventure Expo” in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Follow “Sheri Daye” and “The Blue Wild” on Facebook and Instagram.
For more Sheri Daye, go to
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SOUTHEAST dad as a kid and has fished almost every day for the past 33 years! Dave will be at the boat show all weekend. Meet Mermaid Kelly Mermaid Kelly is a Professional Mermaid who swam all the way from Florida. She will have a meet and greet and photo op all weekend. She loves to swim and she loves visiting humans on the land. Coastal Fishing Expo The Coastal Fishing Expo will be held all weekend, hosted by Coastal Angler Magazine. Come meet the fishing experts as they teach tips of the trade.
T
he Charleston Boat Show is an annual tradition in the Lowcountry. Now celebrating 37 years, the show has expanded with more outdoor space. There will be more than 80 boat brands and hundreds of boats on sale at “show only” pricing beginning Friday, Jan. 27 through Sunday, Jan. 29 at the Charleston Area Convention Center Complex. Meet Wicked Tuna’s Capt. Dave Carraro Capt. Dave Carraro is the captain of FV-Tuna.com on NatGeo’s smash hit show Wicked Tuna. Dave holds a U.S.C.G 100-ton Master License and has an invaluable 32 years of experience with Gloucester Fishing Charters. He began fishing with his
Live Music Outside As part of the boat show celebration, there will be live music outside including Return Of The Mack Duo featuring Chris Dodson and Markie Morantz; Classic Rock, Blues, R & B with Ronnie Johnson and Dale Baker and Saluda Shoals, a musical collaboration between singer/songwriter Henri Gates and vocalist Cassie Verhaeghe. Please visit www.TheCharlestonBoatShow.com for all the details.
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NORTH CAROLINA
By Nick Carter
T
he tragic death of a dedicated husband and father just before Thanksgiving in Georgia should serve as a reminder to all outdoorsmen that lanterns, space heaters and campfires, when improperly handled, can be just as dangerous as a loaded rifle propped against the wall with the safety off. Brandon Carter, 36, of Oconee County, Ga., was killed Nov. 20 when an electric space heater ignited a fire in the small wooden cabin he was sleeping in at his rural Georgia hunting camp. Carter’s father-in-law Steven Momberg was
badly burned attempting to rescue the man, who was trapped inside the cabin by flames that blocked the only door. It was a nightmarish scenario that could have taken place at so many makeshift hunt camps that spring up on timberlands across the Southeast. While gun safety is at the forefront of most hunters’ minds, fire safety tends to be an afterthought, even with all the highly flammable fuels and paraphernalia necessary to the camp experience. The tragedy occurred around midnight after the two men had retired to separate buildings. Carter’s cabin and Momberg’s trailer shared a long, covered front porch. They were nestled among more than a dozen other stick-built wooden cabins and campers of BigEye Hunting Club. The blaze began in Carter’s cabin and spread rapidly in high wind. Momberg woke to the sound of ammunition popping and intense heat. With propane canisters exploding around him, he tried in vain to rescue his daughter’s husband. When a 4-wheeler parked near the door erupted in flames, Momberg was thrown into the yard. He then ran to a nearby house where the residents called 911. By the time responders cut a firebreak, the blaze had consumed five structures, two trucks, the 4-wheeler, three golf carts and everything in and around the buildings. The two men were the only hunters in camp that night. The tragedy highlights the importance of multiple points of egress, whether it’s a second door, a trap door in the floor or windows unblocked by bars or AC units. Basic fire safety equipment like smoke detectors and fire extinguishers are inexpensive peace of mind. And just being cognizant of things like not overloading electrical outlets, not burning lanterns and gas heaters indoors, extinguishing campfires, clearing flammable debris from around structures and how fuel is stored can make camps safer. On the Sunday morning before Thanksgiving, Carter’s newly widowed wife Tammi woke her two children—Chase, 10, and Bayli, 9—to tell them they would never see their father again. “It helps me to think there’s something we can do to help, something good that can come of this,” she said, “even if it’s just to let other daddies know so this doesn’t happen to their families.” A GoFundMe account has been set up for the Carter children to ease the long-term financial burden they will surely feel with the loss of their father, the family’s primary breadwinner. Donations would be appreciated at https://www. gofundme.com/trust-for-brandon-carters-children. To donate and/or learn more, go to
INSHOREANGLER.CO
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K H S U R F. C O M
WIDEST SELECTION OF KAYAKS & ACCESSORIES ON THE OUTER BANKS AND CRYSTAL COAST
S A L E S • R E N TA L S • F R E E D E M O S NAGS HEAD, NC: 252.441.6800
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t’s 6:30 a.m., and my photographer and I are following a black Ford F-150 from Georgetown to Rolle Town in Exuma, Bahamas. The sun is slowly making its journey upwards, and the landscape seems to be glowing because of it. We make our way to a little dock below a hill, park our rental car and board the boat. Off we go dashing across the still water in the dim early morning. The sun and its bright orange rays are barely above the horizon. Exuma is an interesting place to bonefish. Known more for the swimming pigs and its dozens of beautiful cays, the island has become a popular hub for tourists in search of authentic Bahamian island life. Boasting top resorts like Sandals Emerald Bay, February Point and Grand Isles, Exuma is not short on gorgeous properties overlooking its turquoise and electric blue waters. My guide, Reno Rolle, explains that Exuma has never been known as the fishing capital of The Bahamas; that title is held by Andros, Eleuthera, Bimini or Abaco. But Rolle said his clientele includes people from Germany, Paris, the Unites States and lately, Canada. And Rolle, who has been fishing for 20 years, does everything he can to make his clients lifelong patrons. “I’ve got a guy from Germany who has been fishing with me for six years,” he said. “For one, I feel that as long as people get comfortable fishing with you as a guide they continue to building that relationship and it becomes naturally like that’s your friend. When we look at bonefishing, sometimes it just draws the outer world into these islands.” There are eight full-time professional bonefish guides on Exuma. Exuma is centrally located in the island chain of The Bahamas. A 35-minute flight from New Providence, Exuma is also an hour from Miami. Flights include Air Canada, American Eagle and Delta Airlines. The Tropic of Cancer runs through a beach in Exuma, aptly named the Tropic of Cancer Beach. There is lots to do on the island. The swimming pigs tour, a journey through most of northern Exuma, takes guests from Barraterre on Great Exuma to Compass Cay in the north. Four C’s Adventures is a recommended guide service that can accommodate large groups. Visitors not only get to meet the pigs on pig beach, they get to explore Thunderball Grotto, an underwater cavern filled with marine life, which served as a pivotal scene in the 1965 James Bond film Thunderball. Within a few miles of that is a sunken drug plane. Then there is a beach filled with endangered iguanas, a property once owned by actor Nicholas Cage and of course Compass Cay and its equally
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famous nurse sharks. These are experiences that can only be found on Exuma. Thousands of sailors anchor in Georgetown each year during the summer season, many are on their way south in an epic exploration of the Caribbean. Exuma’s harbors are well protected and exciting. Chat N Chill, a restaurant and bar found on Stocking Island, overlooks that harbor. On a dull day, you’ll find about 20 people on the island feeding stingrays and eating fresh tropical conch salad and enjoying a Kalik – beer of The Bahamas. Rolle, my guide, grew up on Exuma. The son of a taxi driver, Rolle began instructing me in the ways of the fly rod during our trip. “It’s the only way to bonefish,” he told me. While we circled around the back of Rolle Town searching for the gray ghost in the marshes, I learned just how complex using the fly rod can be. Rolle caught one bonefish that day, I caught zilch. Needless to say, I did not master the fly rod. As we returned from our trip, the tide became increasingly low and suddenly several sandbars appeared above the water’s surface. Exuma is truly one of the most exciting and unpredictable islands in the Bahamian archipelago.
For more Bonefishing in the Exumas, go to
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Morehead city edition
Welcome to the
Photo Page!
above: Jordan White from Swansboro with a nice 6.92-pound trout caught off a creek on a live bait.
Please submit your fishing photos to brians@coastalanglermagazine.com. Each month a winner will be selected from those submitted. The winner will receive a Fish Wide Open! t-shirt. If you have "liked" the facebook page for Fish Wide Open! and Coastal Angler Magazine of NC, you will recieve a Fish Wide Open! ball cap.
above: Skyler Farlow, 10, wanted a fishing trip for his birthday. He and his dad, Adam Farlow, made it a special trip, catching king mackerel, wahoo and yellowfin tuna around the Big Rock. They were aboard Bootlegger, fishing with Capt. Jimmy Canoy.
above: John Paul Allen and Carter Henry Lee show off a pair of nice late fall season flounder they caught on a recent trip with Capt. Noah Lynk of Noah’s Ark Charters.
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above: Holly Foster holds up some nice black bass she caught on a perfect winter day offshore with Yeah Right Charters. january 2017
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Atlantic Beach - Inshore & Nearshore Happy New Year! Let’s hope 2017 is going to be a great fishing year. Hopefully the great bite we had at the coast last fall will continue this year. All we have to do is get through the winter months, but before we know it, we’ll be talking about spring. As we move into January, fishing has slowed down but there are still some fish around to catch. Most anglers are targeting speckled trout, fishing in the back of the creeks and Cape Lookout Rock Jetty. Anglers experienced one of the best speckled trout seasons we’ve seen in quite a few years. We’re still seeing some action right on into the winter months...but not the same as it was in October. You will need to fish a lot slower to find action. Places to look for speckled trout this time of the year will mostly be in the back of creeks, unless we have a little warmer weather then you may find some that’s moved up on the flats to warm up. I get asked all the time which creeks are the best this time of the year. Any creek in the area could be holding fish during the winter months. Usually the deeper above: Doug Nance from Asheboro with a limit of water creeks will speckled trout caught on a 17MR MirrOlure in the hold more fish, custom Chasin’ Tails color Hot Chicken. especially around the docks in them that you’ll find along Bogue Sound going toward Swansboro. Also, the creeks off Adams Creek going up toward the Neuse River area will hold fish during the winter. Most of the trout will hold in the very back of the creeks in the deeper water areas of the creek. MirrOlure 17MR and 18MR and live mud minnows are good bait choices. When fishing the creeks for the trout you will also catch some black drum and red drum that have moved in for the winter. We find most of the action from these drum hiding under the docks in the creeks. Bait shrimp and live minnows will usually get their attention. In addition to the creeks, we have been seeing some action out at the Cape Lookout Rock Jetty...but just like the creeks it’s been hit or miss. But if you have a good weather day it’s not a bad place to try this time of the year. live mud minnows and bait shrimp fished right along the rocks usually will produce some fish. What we’ve been seeing has been a mixed bag, with red drum, speckled trout, gray trout, black drum, ‘taugs and sheepshead. So, if you can catch the weather right and take the right bait there’s a good chance of finding some type of action at the Cape Lookout Jetty now. The same goes for our nearshore reefs like AR330, North West Places and Big 10/Little 10 areas. If the weather allows and we get a good day, anglers have been able to catch plenty of nice-sized sea bass in these areas fishing squid on the bottom. The sea bass fishing is pretty steady this time of the year and you’ll find nice keeper fish closer in than normal. 2 Morehead city/crystal coast
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Some anglers have been catching a few bottom fish around the Port area back toward Beaufort Inlet... there are no real huge numbers of fish since most have moved out. Fishing bait shrimp on the bottom should bring you some ‘taugs, sea mullets, black drum, pufferfish, hogfish and dogfish. Wish I had more to report, but with winter on us, this is all we have been seeing, I tell anglers this above: Jay Feimster from Morehead City with a time of the year nice limit of speckled trout caught on Z-Man baits when they are in fishing around the Coast Guard Station. the shop asking what’s biting - it’s wintertime so if you catch a nice day go give it a try and enjoy the day. Who knows, you might have a great catching day! We have some of the best redfish action you could ask for in the winter months. It’s just all about being in the right place this time of the year. But one thing for sure, you can’t catch anything sitting at the house, so take advantage of the pretty days and see what you can run across. FORECAST BY: Capt. Matt Lamb Chasin’ Tails Bait & Tackle Chasin’ Tails Charters Atlantic Beach, N.C. 252-240-FISH www.chasintailsoutdoors.com
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no problem to hook up with dozens of reds ranging from four to 10 pounds. It’s important to use little to no weight with your baits because most of the shallow flats will have a thick, green algae covering the bottom during winter months. I like to rig a four-inch Smelt Gulp Minnow on a 1/16-ounce jig head or a five-inch Smelt Gulp Jerkshad on a weightless hook (weedless). Whether you’re looking for trout or January can be a tough month for fishermen due to the weather reds this January one thing is true. The weather may slow many anbut it typically offers some mild days that make for a great time on glers down, but these fish must eat! If you put the time in you can have the water! We have a few species that remain here along the Crystal a successful fishing trip this January! Coast regardless of how cold it gets and they must eat...so make it one FORECAST BY: Capt. Jeff Cronk of your New Year’s resolutions to enjoy some fishing this January! Our Fish’n4life Charters www.nccharterfishing.com Ranger/Yamaha/PENN/Berkley Pro-Staff inshore waters and surf zone will be holding plenty of speckled trout, Cell 336-558-5697 • Home 910-325-8194 • jcronk@ec.rr.com redfish and even a few black drum throughout the month. Due to the cold temperatures, fish will definitely be schooled up and anglers will want to focus their efforts in the right areas. Many of our larger speckled trout will move into up river situations during winter. They will migrate into the main channels up our rivers, into the deeper, protected creeks off We made it, we’re here and it’s time to layer up and take advantage our rivers and into smaller of the fishing opportunities that the new year has to offer! I like to creeks or canals along the cherry pick the warmest days during the week and enjoy the vacant mainland sounds and ICW. waterways and empty nearshore waters. There will still be many First off, make sure your safety equipment is functioning properly smaller trout with some before you take to the water. The water temperatures will be in the 50’s good-sized fish mixed in and colder, so make sure you have the necessary equipment to make along the deep channels it back home safely if things go wrong. Survival suits, flare gun and and creeks near our inlets handhelds, VHF radio and a waterproof handheld backup, life jackets, as well as the surf zone. throwable cushions, fire extinguisher and whistle. Be sure and log a There are certain baits that trip plan with someone on land before venturing outside the inlet and work well in the areas with make sure your VHF is working correctly. current and certain baits Red drum will offer anglers a variety of ways to catch them. Look work better in areas with for large schools of reds patrolling the surf zone, inlets and shoals adlittle to no current (upper jacent to them. This is a sight fishing game, so it will largely be ineffeccreeks). A general rule of tive to blind cast for them. Wait for ocean conditions to get very calm thumb while trout fishing and look for the fish on the back sides of the surf zone. MirrOlures, is to go light. Trout seem to gold casting spoons and scented soft plastics on 3/8-ounce jigheads respond more aggressively will get bites from these fish. to baits that have long hang The other option will be to look for the reds holding around waterway times or suspend times. I docks. Deeper docks will hold populations of both red and black drum. above: Hannah from Greenville caught like to use 1/8-ounce to this 5.15-pound speckled trout on a Dead sticking the freshest shrimp you can get your hands on will catch 3/16-ounce jig heads with four-inch Gulp Shrimp while fishing the both. The red drum will also fall for a piece of cut mullet. If soaking a bait my Gulp baits or soft plas- Emerald Isle area with Capt. Jeff Cronk. isn’t your thing, slowly work a soft plastic shrimp or paddle tail. Use the tics while fishing the chanlightest jighead that will allow your bait to get to the bottom. Heavy, fast nels and creeks closer to our inlets that have currents. When I move moving presentations are not the best way to go this time of year. into upper creeks or canals I drop down to 1/16-ounce jigheads. Some Speckled trout will remain present all winter long. Live mud minof my favorite soft baits to put on my jig heads include: three-inch Berk- nows or live shrimp (if you can find them) will be the best bet for ley Gulp and four-inch Pearl White Shrimp, four-inch Smelt Minnow, them. Once the water temperatures dip below 50 degrees, the fish will five-inch Jerkshad in pink or white and Berkley Powerbait’s three-inch be harder to entice. To combat this, slow down your presentations, Pro Grub or Pro Twitch Bait Minnow in Chartreuse Ice or Pink Ice. My lengthen and lighten your leaders and don’t worry about getting out favorite pre-weighted soft bait is Bett’s Perfect Sinker Shrimp. This bait on the water early. The best bite is often later in the day...give the winhas a slow descent and I’ll usually allow a one second pause for every ter sun a chance to warm the water a few degrees. foot of depth I’m fishing. These baits will produce vicious strikes and The main land creeks around Topsail are great places to catch fish they work very well in areas of little to no current. all winter long. The darker mud bottoms will warm faster and these When looking for redfish this January, anglers should focus on the areas also harbor enough baitfish to sustain the fish for the next cousurf zone when we have sunny days with north, northwest or west ple months. Virginia, Becky’s, Turkey and Mill Creeks are great places breezes. The surf will lay down flat allowing anglers to approach the to start your search for trout and red drum. There are also flounder in surf zone, while sunny skies will allow anglers to see through the wa- these areas; they will remain dormant for the most part, but a warm ter and spot schools of redfish moving along the surf. Once located, spell can get their metabolism going and on the feed. these fish will usually strike any soft bait cast into the school. I like a There can be some very good bottom fishing during the winter around 1/2-ounce jig head tipped with a four-inch Berkley Gulp Shrimp or Topsail Island. Larger than average black sea bass can be found in the a four-inch Smelt Shaky Shad. When we have multiple warm days, 5-15 mile range. Baseball size chunks of squid wings is the best way some of these schools of redfish will move through the inlets and to bet them. In the same range look for tautogs, they will eat squid, scour the shallow flats and bays behind our beaches in search of food. stingsilvers and frozen minnows. There should also be some porgies So, anglers can also spend time on the trolling motor, quietly moving around as long as the water doesn’t get too cold. Flounder will winter through these shallow bays looking for reds. Once located, it’s usually over on structure in the 5-15 mile range, so be sure and have some 2-3 (Continued on next page)
Swansboro/ emerald Isle
Surf city/ Topsail Island
4 Morehead city/crystal coast
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oz. bucktails ready to prospect the bottom with. Happy new year y’all and thank you for starting your year off reading Coastal Anger Magazine. This is the time of year that we anglers begin to organize our tackle and replenish items that we have used up over the past year. Be smart and visit your local tackle shop for advice and purchasing your tackle needs. Give your local charter captains a call and let them show you how good the fishing can be during the colder months. Feel free to call us at South End Anglers for advice on wintertime fishing or book a charter this month and enjoy the day of fishing you deserve. FORECAST BY: Capt. Chadwick Crawford South End Anglers 540.460.3432 capt.chadwickcrawford@gmail.com www.southendanglers.com
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Wrightsville Beach Here it is January 2017...where did 2016 go? It’s already time to
think about 2017 fishing. 2016 was a good year in southeast NC for most saltwater species. But hey, now it’s January 2017! What do I target during the cold of the winter? January is the kind of month that I watch the weather forecast very closely. Weather changes much quicker during the winter around our area and can be a big influence on the fishing. I look for warmer, lighter wind and mostly sunny days, even better if we get a few of these kinds of days in a row. January is definitely a pick your fishing day kind of month for a chance at the best possible bites. I can tell you, you can have epic fishing days during January; they are just harder to come by because of weather. During January you can find some of the big speckled trout, you’re not going to find big numbers, but the big ones will bite when it gets cold! Work your lures slower and know that you’ll fish for hours, but the payoff can be great! Try to have patience when winter fishing! One lure that always comes to mind for winter speckled trout is the MirrOlure in the 52M and 52MR, using lighter colors due to the very clear water we sometimes get during the winters here. Working MirrOlures slowly in deeper water breaks and drop offs can produces some very nice trout. If the water gets a bit dirty due to winds or rain/ice/ snow, give three-inch Berkley Gulp Shrimp, Firetail Shrimp and fiveinch Jerkshad a try. Another winter lure is Saltwater Assassin Sea Shad on lighter jig heads. Work them just a bit slower due to the colder water temps. Don’t rule out a nice dray trout mixed in during the winter while speckled trout fishing. Look for the bigger trout to be sitting close to the current, but just off and out of it. Remember, these fish are not going to burn calories they don’t have too by swimming against the current. Large winter redfish schools are one of my favorite things to look for during winter mouths. On calm, light wind days you can find these reds on dark mud flats and oyster rocks. You can also find large schools around inlets and sandbars just off the local beaches. When you find these schools, approach very slowly and quietly, for they spook very easily; also a high quality pair of polarized s u n g l a s s e s above: Jeff Burleson of South Carolina with a nice Cape will help big Fear River striped bass that hit a Berkley Havoc Grass time seeing Pig lure. the schools of reds. I prefer Salt Life Sport Optics with Zeiss lens as my choice of sunglasses. Most of the time the winter school reds will bite pretty easily, but one thing that will help is using scented baits like Berkley Gulp! I prefer Berkley Gulp Ripple Mullet in Pearl/Chart Tail, New Penny and Rootbeer Gold/Chart Tail colors; also the three inch Berkley Gulp shrimp in Sugar Spice Glow. Sometimes you may need to work the bait a little slower during colder months, so try using a light jig head; this will allow you to work the bait slower. You can also use as fresh as you can get cut shrimp or mullet on a light Carolina rig if you prefer to use bait. Not too far from Wrightsville Beach in historic downtown Wilmington run the Cape Fear and North East Cape Fear Rivers. During the winter months, usually starting in December, the local population of striped bass start to bite in the rivers. These fish are not the easiest to catch, but they fight very well, even in cold water. Working dropoffs on the edge of the river, docks and creek months is where 6 Morehead city/crystal coast
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you can find the stripers. I prefer using swimbait lures like five-inch Berkley Havoc Grass Pig and Berkley Gulp Jerkshad rigged on a swimbait weighted hook should put a few Cape Fear stripers on your line. Mid-water diving crankbaits work too; I use Rapala X-raps. Be careful around pilings to not get hang-ups and lose your lures...it’s very easy to do in the Cape Fear with all the timber on the bottom. You can catch these stripers on any tide, as long as it’s moving. Don’t forget that the Cape Fear River striped bass fishery is closed; catch and release only! Tackle run down: PENN Battle II & Clash Spinning reels in sizes 2000, 2500, 3000 for the redfish, speckled trout and striped bass. Rods: PENN Battalion in 6’6” & 7’ med/light and medium action. Line Spiderwire Ultra-Cast in 8-, 10- and 15-pound. Berkley Pro Spec Fluorocarbon leader material. Have a Happy New Year and thank you for reading Coastal Angler Magazine! Forecast by: Capt. Jot Owens Penn Tackle Elite Staff •Ranger Boats Pro Staff www.captainjot.com • 910-233-4139
lower Neuse river The trout fishing in the Neuse region should continue to provide avid anglers plenty of activity. With the water temps getting down into the 40s, these fish will stage up in deep backwater creeks. You may also find them up the Trent and Neuse Rivers in numbers if history repeats. Their body metabolism slows as does their bite. Fishing light DOA jig heads with DOA Cals in shad tail or curlytail will do the trick. Fish real slow with a fast tip rod to feel the subtle tap and set the hook. Don’t be surprised if you come in with a citation-class fish...my first was in late December and 30 degree weather! On warmer days as sun gets high, the water on the mud flats will warm up fast. Trout will tend to move up on these warm flats and can provide some awesome topwater action. The Rapala Skitter V is a great lure for that and look for above: Jim Root of Oriental with a the New DOA PT to be on the nice Neuse River striper caught while shelves as well. It is an amazing fishing with Capt. Dave Stewarts. soft plastic weedless topwater by the master Mark Nichols. The rock will be heading up river and cruising the deep water ledges. This will provide a great jig bite, throwing a DOA 1/4-ounce chartreuse jig head fitted with a white and chartreuse DOA Jerkshad. You have to know the areas and where the ledge drops to get the best of the bite. Let it fall on the drop and watch your line for movement or feel the slight tap and hook up! Always keep a topwater handy, as at times the rock will push a school of bait up to the surface and provide an opportunity for some fun action. If working the bridges and trestles you need to try the DOA Sna-Koil rigged on a 3/0 VMC 1/8-ounce swimbait hook. Cast at and around pilings, reeling slowly and hang on. Be sure you know the laws for the areas you are fishing if you want to keep fish, as they are complicated - inland versus coastal - and what you need to do. Also - safety is a major key this time of year. Water temperature will not be good to you if you fall overboard. Please be safe.
Forecast by: Capt. Dave Stewart KneeDeep Custom Charters • Minnesott Beach Bait & Tackle 36 Country Club Drive, Minnesott Beach, NC 28510 252-249-1786 • specfeverhotmail.com • www.pamlicotackle.com
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ibx/pamlico/pungo Fishing the Inner Banks in January is always an exciting time for me because that is the time of year when I enjoy the cooler fresh winter air and beautiful scenery of the lower Roanoke River system in search of winter stripers and the constant bent pole action of the "not-so-elusive" triple digit catch. For hardcore striper enthusiasts, this fishery is as good as it gets for several reasons. The first is that fishermen get to enjoy quality angling in the wintertime, which is rare in many places. The second is that these fish can be caught with consistency on conventional light tackle and fly tackle. The third is that you will surrounded by one of the most pristine, natural, and wild places in North Carolina. The healthy stock of striped bass in the Albemarle Sound and Roanoke River is no secret. Through restoration efforts and strict management, this fishery is a true modern-day success story in fisheries management. With much of the focus by recreational anglers on the massive schools of fish and triple digit daily catches in Weldon during the spring spawning run, many anglers overlook the potential to catch those kinds of numbers on the lower Roanoke and Albemarle Sound during the late winter months. From December through April, these fish frequent the lower Roanoke River area or "Three Sisters" and the western Albemarle Sound as “staging” areas to fatten up before their spring spawn. Most of the fish range in size from 18 to 22 inches, with bigger fish encountered on occasion. The size of the stripers really just depends on the abundance of each year class that particular season. To avoid the extreme cold water temperatures in the winter and to follow abundant schools of younger shad, alewife and blueback river herring, and menhaden, rockfish stack up in the deeper holes of the main river channels in the lower Roanoke River system. The factor that determines the behavior and location of these fish are the daytime and nightime air temps and our winter weather patterns and how they affect the water temps in the area. When water temps reach the mid-40's the fish tend to move into the deeper water of the rivers to seek warmer water and a greater supply of food. The main river channels in this area usually range in depth from 10 to 50 feet. If you have your sounder tuned correctly, you can mark two important features, the schools of rockfish and the thermoclines (or temperature break) that where they are stacked up. The thermoclines show the zone of separation between the rising less dense water which is approaching the freezing point and the densest (39.2°) water at the bottom of the deep holes and channels. During cold weather, the denser, somewhat warmer water at the bottom of the deep holes and channels is what the rockfish prefer. They tend to stack up on the channel ledges, runs, and glides formed by the river's geology and the deposition of sediments from river flow, wind tides from the sound and storm events. The best baits for this type of fishing are 4-6” soft plastic paddle tail swim baits with 3/8- to 1/2-ounce jig heads. I’ve found that the best paddle tails are those brands that are extremely flexible and have longer, slender tails such as the new Z-Man MinnowZ, SwimmerZ, or Diezel Minnow. The key is to find a bait with enough flexibility to allow the tail to swim while the bait is falling or while not turning the reel handle while slowly drifting through a deep hole. Soft plastic jerk baits such as the Z-Man JerkZ or StreakZ can also be very effective if slowly jigged. The key is to have patience and not expect an aggressive strike. Setting the hook after feeling the first strike or
tap will often cause you to miss the bite. Often the fish that seem to be stacked up the thickest in the deepest portion of the holes are the ones that are the most lethargic. Try working the ledges on either side of the deep channel. The fish that are more actively feeding seem to be using them to ambush baitfish. Although winter striper fishing on the Lower Roanoke can be world class at times, another option for saltwater anglers along the Inner Banks is winter speckled trout fishing. In the winter, the fish bunch up, and if you can find them, you might be in store for some of the best fishing of the year. The late fall and early winter spec fishing from Washington to Belhaven to Swan Quarter to Hobucken to Oriental to New Bern has been steady. Speckled trout range from Massachusetts to Mexico; however, those fish wintering in the northern range are susceptible to winter mortality from freezing water temps. With last year's mild winter following two very cold winters in a row with several significant freezes the years before, the speckled trout population has rebounded dramatically. A one-yearold speckled trout may reach an average length of 10.7" (ranging from 9.7"-12.8"), a two-year-old 18.2" (ranging from 15.6"19.1"), a 3 year old 22.3 inches (ranging from 19.5"-23.2") with about about another inch per year onward. What this all means is that we have been seeing some nice, keeper-size specs and plenty of them. From now through the rest of the winter, the fish will be in a typical winter pattern where a slower presentation is a must. Popular winter baits include the Z-Man MinnowZ on a 1/4- or 1/8-ounce jig head. You can use 1/16-ounce if not fishing too deep and on a dead calm day. You need to have the lowest sink rate and slowest presentation possible. You must be patient and let you bait sink to the strike zone...often in water deeper than 7 or 8 feet. A superlight jig head can also be effective in shallower water when the trout move out of the deeper channels onto shallow flats to feed a little more agressively during warm days and around the full and new moons. Other effective winter baits are hard suspending twitch baits such as the Mirrolure MR-17/27 series or the M/MR-52 series. In clearer water, which is prevalent in the winter, the Bomber Badonkadonk in natural colors such as the menhaden, mullet, pinfish, or croaker might outfish the Mirrolures. Just experiment and you might start noticing a pattern. Winter trout fishing can be a frustrating endeavor because the fish don't always feed. It's just as important to time your fishing day with the right conditions as the lure or bait you throw and the type of presentation you use. To get rid of cabin fever and experience some exciting winter fishing, give us a call at 252-945-9715 or send us an email at richard@tarpamguide.com to arrange your next adventure with TarPam Guide Service. We fish where the fish are in the winter, and we love to teach, so your experience will not only be fun one but also a great learning experience. Other avenues for learning are available through our Fishing the Inner Banks Seminar Series. We will be hosting seminars in 2015 at either Eastside Bait and Tackle or Greenville Marine. Topics will range from advanced speckled trout fishing to striper fishing to giant red drum fishing. For more information, check out our seminar webpage at http://tarpamguide.com/seminars/.
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FORECAST BY: Capt. Richard Andrews Tar-Pam Guide Service (252) 945-9715 www.tarpamguide.com
january 2017
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Harkers Island Here’s hoping that everyone had a great Christmas season, and that 2017 will be even better! January is actually here and the water temps This fall and winter have been really up and down between the high 50s to the lower 40s depending on whether you’re fishing in the ocean or back in the shallow creeks. This fall and winter season have been one of the best speckled trout seasons in recent memory with really nice trout in the two- to five-pound range being caught on a regular everyday trip. There has also been a great redfish bite in the ocean along Shackleford Banks and Cape Lookout on out to the Shoals area, and, if you followed the birds, there have been large schools of old drum lurking out in about 30 feet of water. Most of the speckled trout and redfish I’ve caught have been taken on the MirrO-lure soft bait called the Provoker and the Marsh Minnow as well as the Salty Bay Baits shrimp pattern in Opening Night. When not hitting soft above: Capt. Noah Lynk displays a pair of baits the reds have hit live nice big speckled trout caught fishing the mud minnows but they’ve Middle Marshes near Shackleford Island. preferred artificials to live most of the time. As the month progresses and the weather gets a little nasty, most people think the best fishing has past...don’t be so quick to put up your light tackle gear. The fishing around Harkers Island and Cape Lookout has been really good due to a longer fall than normal which kept water temps warmer longer into the winter. The speckled trout run started with a bang right after hurricane Mathew went by and continues to be hot, you just gotta be in the right place at the right time, meaning you should be mindful of the tides and monitor the weather conditions. An approaching front may trigger an intense feed up until the weather changes and then they may go dormant for a few days or change their feeding habits. Just because their not biting like they were yesterday doesn’t mean they’re not there, it may be the tide or weather conditions. We’re also having a great run of gray trout this year that started back in December out in the the ocean around Cape Lookout and in the deep channels inside. During the month of January if the water hasn’t gotten too cold too fast we may still have some trout and reds way back in the heads of the creeks and marshes but the best fishing usually takes place in the ocean, either along the local beaches such as Atlantic Beach and around barrier islands such as Shackleford Island and Cape Lookout. If you have a boat, the Cape Shoals and around Shark Island will hold large schools of good-sized winter red drum. When fishing the beaches in the dead of winter, I usually go on foot wearing chest waders. I anchor my boat on the sound side and walk across to fish the ocean. I’ll note that a good pair of chest waders are a must as are a good pair of polarized sunglasses so you can spot the schools of fish. When fishing for redfish during winter I’ll usually be using just a few of my favorite baits such as MirrOlures, Paul Brown’s Soft Dines, MirrOlure soft baits such as the Marsh Minnow and Provoker. The new Sea Striker Cedrus lure is also a killer along the beach... not only is it a great lure but you can get long distance casts with this bait. One last bit of advice is that a bottle of Pro-Cure Bait Scent is awesome for winter, as it helps get more and better strikes. Fishing like this from the beach with light tackle you need heavier baits such as those I’ve suggested 8 Morehead city/crystal coast
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to get a good cast. When using lead heads I use a 1/4-ounce, 3/8-ounce, or 1/2-ounce, depending on how far out I need to cast to reach the fish. I may end up walking the beach a mile or more but usually end up finding a nice school of reds feeding near the beach. You will also find the occasional speckled trout working these shorelines. One thing to remember about fishing in the dead of winter is to move your bait very slowly along the bottom as these fish will be very sluggish this time of year. For those that like to bottom fish, all is not lost ‘til spring...just find some nice structure such as the Port Wall in Morehead City or the Cape Lookout rock jetty and use a two-hook bottom rig and shrimp, as the winter tautaug and black drum will usually be somewhere around. You may have to move around a little but you should find them sooner or later. This time of the year a lot of fisherman are getting ready for the winter boat and fishing shows and schools that will take place throughout the state. These shows are a great place to get good deals on fishing gear and also check out the new gear and tackle coming out for the new season. It provides a good diversion for winter as most of the shows have free seminars taking place all day with different captains and fishermen providing knowhow and tips that will come in handy during the next season. One of the companies who will have new tackle and outdoor gear are Hobie Kayaks with the new Mirage drive with reverse; this is an awesome above: Lynda Luther Romentio of feature! I’ve tested this system Havelock shows off a nice speckled trout myself and it can really make and gray trout she caught while fishing the difference when kayaking with Kimo Merril and Capt. Noah Lynk the inside creeks or stemming on a cold day in December. the tide. O.R.C.A Coolers now has all your favorite university colors as well as the new tough textured Chaser 27-ounce hot/cold mug. EGO Nets has their new line of Kryptek Camo series of products that are really hot, as well as the Adventure EGO Ultra Grip 40-Pound Scale. Pro-Cure Bait Scents are putting out some new scents for inshore/offshore fishing. Star Fishing Tackle will be introducing their new hard-core spinning reel called the S- 6000 and S-7000 sizes. These reels are super tough and have an awesome drag system (I’ve been testing theses reels for quite awhile and really like them a lot for large gamefish, like cobia, sharks, dolphin and amberjacks).Also from Star is the new series of VPR rods, beginning with the small spinning rods and going all the way to the larger boat rods. These new rods are using the new Nano Tube technology and they are incredibly lightweight, a must-see at the Big Rock Sports Show. For those looking for a great line of performance fish apparel, Gillz-Gear is really expanding their line and making a big push into the fishing industry with new line of really innovative products. One of the hottest new lines in fishing gloves will hit the shelves this winter and spring; Fish Monkey Gloves are taking the glove industry to new levels for both recreational and commercial fishing for all areas of the world. These are just a few of the new products that you will be seeing this show season. I will be at the Big Rock Show in Raleigh the weekend of January 5-8. At the Big Rock Show you can find me working with Star Fishing Tackle/Sea Striker and also with Cajun Thunder products, so stop by and say “hey.” It’s a great way to get winter past us, and get caught up on the new products and gear coming out. FORECAST BY: Capt. Noah Lynk Noah’s Ark Charters 252-342-6911 or at Cape Pointe Marina on Harkers Island, 252-728-6181 www.noahsarkfishingcharters.com
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offshore/Pelagics
offshore/bottom
Happy New Year!! And I mean that in almost every way! The holiday season has come and gone, we had an insane year with the election of a lifetime regardless of who you were voting for and I personally am moving forward into a big change for 2017. Usually by now the charter fleet has run all its trips and has done quite a bit of bluefin fishing. Well, unfortunately, this year the powers that be allowed our friends to the north to fulfill the entire quota and left us with nothing – NOTHING! We had a great showing of fish, kind of like the good old days, with huge bluefin tuna to be found just barely off the beach. No telling what will be here in January once they open the season back up but most folks are not expecting too much, but I sure hope we are wrong. Most likely the month will find us beginning winter boat projects or maybe doing a little duck hunting. I am sure some will venture out a day or two to take a look for the tuna, but for the most part the fleet will be at the dock. All that said, there are still opportunities available if you are prepared. You can give the bluefin a try yourself if you feel like pulling on a small car going the other way about 30-40 mph! There will always be a little action to be found offshore IF the weather cooperates. The better fishing water will often be fairly far offshore and generally a long ways from our inlet this time of year. If you watch the satellite shots and look for favorable sections of water coming our way, and if you can find that it arrives during a decent weather window – take a shot and catch some early season fish. You will typically be able to find the wahoo and blackfin, possibly a few mahi and a lost sailfish from time to time. No secrets – run a spread with most everything rigged on wire, sea witches and medium ballyhoo. As anytime, find good water and bait – you are likely to find the fish. The most important thing to remember this time of year – it can be VERY lonely out there. You will likely be the only boat headed out so finding someone to “buddy boat” with is an excellent idea. The water is very cold and help is a long ways away so you need to absolutely sure all your safety gear and all the boat systems are in good shape. Do not force the issue with a narrow weather window, they usually do not hold up very well in the winter and it is no fun being beat up and getting drenched on an open boat. File a float plan and stick to it, and worst case, just turn around and come back in if it looks too questionable. 2017 is looking to be a great year. We should all have things to be thankful for from 2016 and hopefully all have things to look forward to in 2017. Happy New Year! Plan ahead, be prepared and have fun!
Time To Change Target Species
When I think of the phrase “grouper season,” it makes my ears turn red because November, December and January were always the best three months of the year for grouper. That was then, this is now...and we might as well get used to the new world order. At least we have new leadership in DC, and hopefully NOAA can get a long overdue facelift. OK, no more of the rant. It’s time to get out of grouper mode and get into triggerfish, sea bass, beeliner, grunt, pinkie and jolt head porgy mode. It’s time to go grocery shopping with lighter tackle to make it sporty, but fill the cooler just the same. I like to anchor up on the big (lump head) sea bass for my own personal dinner guest. Nothing wrong with any of the others mentioned above, but it’s hard to beat a large sea bass. The only problem with scaling down on the tackle, will mean getting broke of by the gags that come into the sea bass “frenzy” and grab a bait intended for a sea bass. Depending on how far you run offshore, you may want to have at least one person target triggerfish. The triggers are easy to catch with basically the same tackle as sea bass, but with different hooks. Instead of using larger hooks, use smaller circle hooks, and don’t let the bait get all the way to the bottom. I like to use a level wind reel for the triggers. Take it out of gear, let the bait start falling and once you get down into the “zone” every 10 feet, put your thumb on the spool and stop the descent for say maybe five seconds, then let it go another 10 feet, stop, and repeat until the bite. You’ll feel the bite, click it in gear and start winding slowly and let the circle hook do its work. I also like to put a marker on the line where you start getting bites. This way you can go back to the same depth every time, and get the triggers “going” at a certain depth. This style fishing will also produce the large grunts, pinkies, beeliners and jolt heads FORECAST BY: Capt. Troy Pate, James Joyce II All of these species are sometimes well off the bottom in the water 252-917-0445 • www.moreheadcitycharter.com column, with the largest triggers being higher in the water column. The tackle is a simple two-ounce double-drop (chicken rig) made with 50-pound fluorocarbon and 1/0 circle hooks. Needless to say, this is the ULTIMATE fishing that younger anglers can be very good at. I probably say it too much, but I can tell you that you and your kids will enjoy this trip with lighter tackle. So, as I always say….dress the younger anglers in warm clothes and proper fitting rain gear, take plenty of photos and video and someday you’ll have personal treasures, much less some wonderful dinners. Let them get involved in helping out with the vacuum sealer or whatever, but they will feel good about taking some of “their” dinner out of the freezer.
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Visit us at www.coastalanglermag.com/nc
FORECAST BY: Capt. Tim Barefoot, Barefoot Fishing www.circlehookjig.com • www.barefootfishing.net
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january 2017
Morehead city/crystal coast 9
12/15/16 3:23 PM
Flying Around with Captain Lee
Boy, time flies, seems like it was yesterday when I did the January report for 2016 and now it is 2017 already. This year, since the hurricane in October, we have seen big trout along with big numbers of them! I think that will continue through January. As the air and water temperatures get colder the fishing should stay good. The trout will be heading to the deeper holes and the dark mud bottoms as well as up creeks with deeper holes. Fish slower for these guys and downsize your baits some. If you can get them, live shrimp or mud minnows are always a great bet. fishing under a cork. A sliding rig cork is the easiest to cast and when fishing different areas, easily adjustable to keep you bait off the bottom a few inches. When fishing hard baits or plastics, a good scent will help get the bite and remember to downsize your bait to mud minnow size. 38M, 4M and 14MR MirrOlures will work well this time of year...if small menhaden are around, use the #17 MirrOlure. Red drum will be in the shallows in larger schools. (I am seeing a lot of them now.) When you find them, back off and make long casts to the school with weightless hooks. Dead shrimp, Gulp, or other soft plastics will work well here as well as Deep Creek grubs, because drum love garlic and other stinky baits. I prefer a crab scent over a shrimp scent but that is just my personal preference. A topwater thrown past the school and worked slowly back over the school will also get them going in the heat of the day; guess I should say middle of the day when it is warmest. Live bait on a Khale or wide gap shiner hook will work also...here I like the lightest weight I can get away with and I like split shot. On the low tides you will find the reds in the creeks around the oyster rocks and in the feeder creeks. If you get one, there are more, so work that area thoroughly. Stripers can be found in the rivers and I like the falling tides to fish. Deep diving crankbaits trolled will work well for covering water. For casting, I like the big four-inch Rattle Traps and soft plastics on lead heads (use just enough weight to get it down); in cover, a swimbait is great. I like the smaller swimbaits for that and I prefer the more natural colors. As always, be safe on the water in this cold weather, fish with a friend and be prepared for the worst, hypothermia happens quickly.
About the author: Captain Lee Parsons 910-540-2464 www.gottaflyguideservice.com Located In Wrightsville Beach at the Bridge Tender Marina
above: Mike Hoffman of Wilmington shows off a nice pair of specs caught while fishing with Capt. Lee Parsons recently.
NCWRC to Conduct Public Hearings Starting Jan. 10 The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission will conduct nine public hearings in January 2017 on proposed changes to 39 agency regulations related to wildlife management, fisheries and game lands for the 2017-18 seasons. Three proposed regulations would redefine youth as anyone under 18 years old and allow them to participate during the youth either-sex deer hunts (H2), Youth Deer Hunting Day (H2), Spring Youth-only Wild Turkey Season (H2), Youth-only Delayed Harvest Trout Water Season (F9), and any youth hunts on game lands (G2). Under these proposals, licensing requirements would not change. Proposed regulation (D1) would establish guidelines and set standards for the Commission to carry out the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact (WVC). The North Carolina General Assembly adopted the WVC in 2008, which creates a way for member states to: (1) Promote compliance of hunting, fishing, and trapping regulations in their respective states; and (2) Provide for the fair and impartial treatment of persons committing wildlife violations in member states. The WVC requires the Wildlife Resources Commission and Marine Fisheries Commission to adopt rules necessary to carry out its purpose. Among the wildlife management-related proposed changes is one that would eliminate the use of paper Big Game Harvest Record sheets (H7). Hunters would report their big game harvest either by phone or Internet. If passed, this proposal would complete the conversion of big game harvest reporting from paper to an electronic registration system, which began with turkey harvest reporting in 2003. Four game land proposals would add nearly 7,300 acres to the Commission’s Game Lands Program. If passed: 10 Morehead city/crystal coast
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156 acres would be established as the new Hill Farm Game Land, which borders the Dan River in northwestern Stokes County and would be designated a permit-only area (G7). 2,400 acres of the 3,170-acre Rendezvous Mountain State Forest in Wilkes County would be enrolled in the Game Lands Program as a three-day-per-week game land with bear hunting prohibited, as requested by the N.C. Forest Service, which owns the tract (G9). 2,818 acres of the newly acquired Voice of America tract in Beaufort County would become a permit-only area (G13). 1,925 acres would be established as the new William H. Silver Game Land in Haywood County, which would be a six-day-per week game land with an introductory either-sex deer season (G14). More information on all of the proposed regulations to the agency’s wildlife management, game lands, fishing and other agency regulations for the 2017-18 seasons can be found online. The comment period for the proposed regulation will run through February 1, 2017. Comments on the proposed changes may be submitted online, at the public hearing, emailed to regulations@ ncwildlife.org or mailed to the Commission. After collecting and considering all public comments, the 19 wildlife commissioners will meet on Feb. 16, 2017 to decide whether to adopt the proposals. Approved proposals will take effect Aug. 1, 2017. Eastern North Carolina Sessions Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017 – Dublin/Bladen Community College Audit. Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2017– Chowan County Public Safety Center Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2017 – Craven Community College Audit. Thursday, Jan. 26, 2017 Nash Community College Audit.
COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM
12/15/16 3:23 PM
kayak Fishing The Newest Propel Fishing Kayak Native Watercraft has done it again! Three Propel kayaks on the market was not enough, so let’s bring out a fourth. You might question if a fourth makes any sense...well, when you take a look at the new Manta Ray 12 Propel you would quickly say, yes there needed to be a fourth in the lineup of the first company that came up with a pedal system with forward and reverse. I know I try to stay away from kayak reviews in my articles since you are all reading them for kayak fishing tips and sometimes a good fishing story but I could not stop myself from writing about this new fishing kayak. Native Watercraft promotes this new kayak as a smooth, quiet fish stalking machine and it really is. With its sharp bow and stern this is a very quiet, very smooth kayak moving through the water, creating minimal wake as you pedal. This is as stealthy as you can get on the water. At 12 feet long, it has great hull speed, cutting through the water like a knife. I have owed an original Manta Ray that you paddle for over six years now and it is the fastest paddling fishing kayak I have ever owned. Now, take that same hull design and pair it with a Propel system and you have one of the fastest pedal-driven fishing kayaks on the market. Besides the speed, Native did not skimp on any of the outfitting. It still comes equipped with a handsewn first class adjustable seat and an impact-resistant rudder with a molded-in keel for extra protection. Gear tracks run the length of the cockpit with two recessed rod holders behind the seat. Don’t forget the forward facing cup holder/rod holder for convenience. In this new generation of Propel fishing kayaks they have also integrated a recessed area in the hull in front of the drive system to mount a transducer if you chose to add a fish finder to this kayak. If you don’t own a pedal kayak for fishing or you are in the market for a new one, The Manta Ray is something you should consider. It is outfitted for the fisherman and designed for speed and stealth on the water...what else would you want? Oh yeah, did I mention even though they brought this hull to market for its quiet speed, it is still stable enough to stand in for those days sightcasting to reds in the shallows...that is when you are not offshore cashing bigger game or in your favorite bass lake landing bucketmouths. Yes, it is that versatile. It is also just priced under two thousand dollars. They have also manufactured a Liquid Logic version of the Manta Ray with the intent to be their first recreational pedaling kayak...just something to think about when your wife wants to go out with you but does not want to fish.
Big Rock Tourney Donates to Hurricane Matthew Relief
The Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament Board of Directors and its sponsors donated $52,707 recently to eastern North Carolina Hurricane Relief funds. To assist in the ongoing recovery efforts, the funds will be divided between the Salvation Army and the Governor’s NC Relief Fund. Big Rock charity chairman, Tommy Bennett, explained, “As we have progressed through Thanksgiving and are now approaching Christmas, our thoughts naturally turn to those in need and additionally, home and family become that much more important. In the spirit of these special seasons and recognizing extraordinary needs, the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament is pleased to make a contribution to The Salvation Army Hurricane Matthew Relief Fund to assist in providing immediate relief to those still impacted by the devastating effects of Hurricane Matthew. At the same time, the tournament is pleased to assist the Governor’s NC Disaster Relief effort for long term recovery aid. Our contributions today are targeted to those in need in Eastern North Carolina - our home. “ Flood waters ravaged eastern North Carolina during and after Hurricane Matthew in October of this year affecting local schools, businesses and private citizens. State and Federal funding has been directed to assist in the efforts. “Today’s donation comes from Big Rock sponsors including Security Systems of America and Release Marine along with a recent retail sales promotion” commented Crystal Hesmer, Tournament Director. “We are so happy to be able to help our neighbors”, she continued. Big Rock Tournament is a 59-year old non-profit organization dedicated to raising funds for charity and worthy organizations. To date the tournament has donated over $4.2 million dollars to charity. The Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament will be held June 9-17, 2017. If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Crystal Hesmer, Tournament Director at 252-241-1515 or email at director@thebigrock.com.
article BY: Chris Tryon Hook Line and Paddle Canoe and Kayak Outfitters, Wilmington, NC Phone 910-330-6999 email: hooklineandpaddle@yahoo.com
above: The Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament recently made donations for Hurricane Matthew relief efforts. Shown are, from left: Tommy Bennett, Big Rock Charity Chairman, Keith Watson-Salvation Army Volunteer, Sherry Watson-Salvation Army Volunteer, Crystal Hesmer-Big Rock Tournament Director, Howard Basnight-Big Rock Foundation Vice-President COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM
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january 2017
Morehead city/crystal coast 11
12/15/16 3:23 PM
9th ANNUAL
Morehead City Tides Morehead City, North Carolina 34.7200° N, 76.7283° W
Day
March 17-19, 2017 NEW LOCATION! Crown Complex Arena Fayetteville, NC
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jaNuary 2017
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3:14 AM 9:39 AM 4:08 PM 10:01 PM 3:57 AM 10:20 AM 4:49 PM 10:47 PM 4:46 AM 11:05 AM 5:32 PM 11:38 PM 5:41 AM 11:55 AM 6:20 PM 12:34 AM 6:43 AM 12:50 PM 7:12 PM 1:36 AM 7:51 AM 1:51 PM 8:09 PM 2:39 AM 9:02 AM 2:55 PM 9:07 PM 3:43 AM 10:11 AM 3:59 PM 10:07 PM 4:43 AM 11:14 AM 5:01 PM 11:05 PM 5:40 AM 12:11 PM 5:59 PM 12:01 AM 6:34 AM 1:05 PM 6:55 PM 12:56 AM 7:26 AM 1:56 PM 7:47 PM 1:48 AM 8:17 AM 2:45 PM 8:39 PM 2:40 AM 9:05 AM 3:32 PM 9:29 PM 3:31 AM 9:53 AM 4:19 PM 10:20 PM 4:22 AM 10:40 AM 5:05 PM 11:10 PM 5:15 AM 11:28 AM 5:50 PM 12:03 AM 6:11 AM 12:16 PM 6:37 PM 12:58 AM 7:10 AM 1:08 PM 7:25 PM 1:54 AM 8:14 AM 2:03 PM 8:15 PM 2:51 AM 9:17 AM 3:00 PM 9:06 PM 3:46 AM 10:16 AM 3:56 PM 9:57 PM 4:36 AM 11:07 AM 4:47 PM 10:45 PM 5:21 AM 11:52 AM 5:34 PM 11:30 PM 6:04 AM 12:34 PM 6:17 PM 12:12 AM 6:43 AM 1:12 PM 6:57 PM 12:54 AM 7:22 AM 1:49 PM 7:37 PM 1:34 AM 8:00 AM 2:26 PM 8:17 PM 2:16 AM 8:39 AM 3:02 PM 8:57 PM 2:59 AM 9:18 AM 3:40 PM 9:40 PM 3:44 AM 10:00 AM 4:20 PM 10:26 PM Tide Tables provided by SaltwaterCentral.Com
Sunrise Sunset
7:14 AM 7:14 AM 7:14 AM 7:14 AM 7:14 AM 7:14 AM 7:14 AM 7:14 AM 7:14 AM 7:14 AM 7:14 AM 7:14 AM 7:14 AM 7:13 AM 7:13 AM 7:13 AM 7:13 AM 7:12 AM 7:12 AM 7:12 AM 7:11 AM 7:11 AM 7:10 AM 7:10 AM 7:09 AM 7:09 AM 7:08 AM 7:07 AM 7:07 AM 7:06 AM 7:05 AM
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Friday 9-7 Saturday 9-7 Sunday 10-5 ADMISSION
Adults $11 Seniors (60+), Active Military & Law Enforcement $8 Children 10 & Under FREE (with paying adult)
PRIZE DRAWINGS EVERY HOUR! Sponsored by
Outdoor enthusiasts will enjoy three days of hunting and fishing exhibitors, wildlife art, decoy carving demos, RV dealers, boats and accessories, truck and ATV displays, fly fishing demos, camping, guides, outfitters, NC Wildlife, Marine Fisheries, clothing, fishing tackle appraisals, Birds of Prey demos, call makers, handcrafted knives, archery demos and fun for the entire family!
www.capefearwildlifeexpo.com
12 Morehead city/crystal coast
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DON’T FLOAT THE MAINSTREAM!
COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM
12/15/16 3:23 PM
GE
O
ne of the slowest ways to learn is learning from your own mistakes… but some of them will be priceless over time and hopefully you’ll laugh at yourself along the way. Just last weekend, a buddy and I hit the bay on a quick afternoon wade fishing trip and we excitedly launched the boat on a super low tide. Fail number one! Even if you are in a hurry, check the tidal forecast. We almost didn’t make it out of the little bayou. It didn’t stop there; we ran to our fishing area only to look at each other and say, “I thought you put my rods in the boat”…. “no, I thought you did”—Fail number 2! We both began to laugh. We always have plenty rods in the boat, and we still had just enough to get the job done, check out our big trout spot and to catch this redfish. There are faster ways to learn than just spending time on the water. You can spend years and not make much real advance guessing where to be and what to use. Hire teaching guides, go with better fishermen, read quality magazine articles, and watch quality instructional videos. Make sure you get good positive referrals to make sure you get the most out of your time and it will be something that will benefit you years to come. Laugh at yourself often. Tobin created the TroutSupport.com DVDs and has supported thousand’s of anglers in taking their game to the next level.
W
By Ed Killer
hen you have empty pockets, the thought of someone pressing a wad of cash firmly into your sweaty palm can be intoxicating. Want also can do that to a country and its leadership. It nearly happened to the Bahamas. For the discount price of $2.1 billion, China wanted to buy fishing, timber and farming rights for the next 10 years from the Bahamas. Reports from the Bahamian capital of Nassau suggest the proposed deal is dead in the water. For now, future fishing and diving trips to the islands will continue to be fruitful and productive. Following two weeks of outcry from Bahamian citizens, environmental groups, tourism officials, fishing organizations, recreational anglers and even the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, it appeared in late November the deal was a no-go. Bahamian Prime Minister Perry Christie said any such deal would have been “rejected outright.” This is a classic case of Bahamian officials trying to monetize what limited natural resources the country has. Once the arrangement became public, however, it was realized how lopsided and short-sighted it was. The deal would have far-reaching ramifications ecologically, economically and internationally. Let’s start with the ecological. Chinese corporations are in the business of feeding a nation of more than 1 billion consumers. To them, the Bahamas must look like a gold mine. Thousands of square miles of tropical reefs are inhabited by creatures great and small, all of which taste good dipped in soy sauce. More than anything, what Chinese interests were paying for was exemption from regulation and enforcement. The cash-strapped Bahamian government already struggles to enforce laws against illegal fishing, human trafficking and drug smuggling. Can anyone envision the Royal Defence Force boarding a factory fishing ship hailing from Shanghai to bust it for undersized lobsters?
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Additionally, according to the Marine Conservation Institute, these fishing businesses often use indiscriminate and destructive harvesting equipment and methods. They kill non-targeted species and marine habitat. Entire schools of migrating yellowfin and bluefin tuna would be at risk. Dolphin, wahoo, snapper and grouper also would be taken in great quantities. And does anyone think for a second that Chinese ships would obey the Exclusive Economic Zone of U.S. Federal waters? The second part of this foolish concept is the economic damage wrought to the Bahamas—and Southeast Florida. The Bahamas chief form of income is tourism. Year-round sunshine and beautiful beaches are the main draw, but right behind those two are recreational fishing, boating and diving. According to an economic study by the World Travel and Tourism Council, tourism represented 43.6 percent of the nation’s GDP in 2014. Some 98,000 jobs in the Bahamas are based on tourism. The deal would impact the Treasure Coast marine economy, too. Thousands of boaters use marinas in the three-county area as well as Palm Beach to provision for trips to the Bahamas. They spend money here getting ready to go there. No fish in the Bahamas would mean a sharp decrease in our boat traffic. Yet, earlier this year, Bahamian minister of agriculture and marine resources V. Alfred Gray authorized ambassador to China Paul Andy Gomez to pursue a deal he initially called a “progressive initiative.” Gray, Gomez and others were willing to mortgage a 10-year projected $38 billion in tourist revenue in exchange for $2.1 billion in fishing rights. For now, it seems Bahamian officials have reached a conclusion that is best for their country’s future. But there will be more offers to come. Not all of them will be brought to light before they are agreed upon. Ed Killer is the outdoors columnist for Treasure Coast Newspapers and TCPalm.com, and this column reflects his opinion. Friend him on Facebook at Ed Killer, follow him on Twitter @tcpalmekiller, email him at ed.killer@tcpalm.com or call him at 772-221-4201. For more about the Chinese and Bahamian relationship, go to
COASTALANGLERSALTWATER.COM
12/15/16 2:16 PM
U.S. Angler Steve LEssard Crowned
Hobie Fishing Worlds Champion
A
fter three days of fish and fun, 11 North American World Championship Team members recently returned to their respective states from Lafourche Parish, La. There they represented the United States and Canada in the sixth-annual Hobie Fishing World Championship, presented by Rhino-Rack and hosted by Hobie Cat Company. Anglers either qualified through regional tournaments or were invited to attend the crowning event held December 8-10. Competitors from 17 countries fished for the chance to be crowned this year’s Hobie Fishing World Champion.
After three days of challenging windy conditions, Steve Lessard deservedly claimed the top prize, becoming the first two-time Hobie Fishing World Champion. Just as soon as handshakes, camaraderie and celebrations were over, the other competitors started planning how the crown could be theirs at the seventh Hobie Fishing World Championship. “The first major cold front of year hit on day one,” Lessard said. “Honestly,
it helped me because I knew fishing conditions would change drastically. I knew it was going to be a physical as well as mental challenge. It’s easy to get discouraged with muddy water and high winds, but I was able to settle in and catch a few fish on the worst day. Day two went better and put me in first place.” Richard Somerton, representing Australia, took home a hard-fought second place. U.S. angler Matthew Vann rounded out the podium with his third place finish. Competitors fished for trout, flounder and redfish from identically rigged Hobie Mirage Pro Angler 14s, provided by Hobie Cat and outfitted with Lowrance electronics, Power-Pole MICRO Anchors, Yak-Attack accessories, Ram Mounts and equipment including Daiwa, Lurefans, Hobie Polarized and AFTCO gear. Bassmaster Elite pro Michael Iaconelli surprised the 49 international competitors when he showed up at the welcome dinner to cheer them on. “Unlike the competitions that I’m involved in, kayak fishing takes more strategy because it is much different and more difficult pedaling to the fish than racing over in a motorized boat,” said Ike. Competitors got a double surprise when he returned to congratulate Steve on his win and participate in the camaraderie that is an integral part of the Hobie Worlds. In the bayous of southern Louisiana, Lafourche Parish is the gateway to Cajun country and the Gulf of Mexico, offering a distinctly Louisiana “bayou” way of life and memorable experience for competitors. And then there is the fishing. According to Hobie’s Keeton Eoff, this could easily be the kayak fishing capital of the world. “We are very proud that Hobie Fishing Worlds chose to host their international tournament in Leeville this year. One of the best assets of Lafourche Parish is the world-class fishing, and Hobie anglers have been able to experience what makes our area so exceptional. The visibility of this tournament on a national and international level allows potential visitors to see the recreational value of our destination and why they should experience it firsthand,” said Timothy Bush, executive director of the Bayou Lafourche Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. For more about Hobie Fishing Worlds, go to
OFFSHOREANGLER.CO
By Jeff Anderson
I
n a significant step forward for the outdoor recreation industry and the sportfishing community, President Obama recently signed into law the Outdoor Recreation Jobs and Economic Impact Act of 2016. This legislation requires the Department of Commerce to assess and analyze the contributions of the outdoor recreation industry, including recreational fishing, to the United States economy. The legislation will help to ensure sportfishing industry jobs and recreational fishing’s economic impact are accounted for as part of the gross domestic product (GDP). The passage of the Outdoor REC Act was needed to make sure that the outdoor economy—and it’s estimated six million jobs and $646 billion in economic activity—receives official government recognition for years to come. “The Outdoor REC Act will also ensure that the outdoor industry’s economic statistics will be measured in the same comprehensive way as other business sectors, such as the automotive and apparel industries,” said American Sportfishing Association (ASA) Government Affairs Vice President Scott Gudes. “This is important because industry economic impact estimates also include data that show the non-direct impact that the activity has on the economy. For example, it would also include sportfishing’s contributions to travel and tourism, not just the purchase of tackle.” ASA is an active part of a team representing a wide-range of outdoor industries that will work with the Department of Commerce to shape how outdoor recreation is defined and ensure our reach and impact are recognized. In post-campaign remarks, President-elect Trump has voiced his support for maintaining fishing and hunting on our nation’s public lands.
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F
ishing the colder months of winter certainly has advantages. Most noticeable is the lack of crowds. This translates to more parking, less boat traffic and fewer people fishing in your favorite spots. Here’s how to dress for kayak fishing in the frigid conditions. Pay attention; for safety’s sake, it’s critical to dress properly and choose a stable kayak such as a Hobie Mirage Outback. Base layer: It’s important to have quality base layers that will wick water away from your skin instead of holding it in. Avoid cotton. Instead, go for wool or synthetics such as polyester. When layering over base layers, look for a zip-up fleece and fleece pants. Immersion layer: The best protection you can get is a drysuit. A suit made with a highly breathable material, such as Gore-Tex, will cost quite a bit more. If you’re going to spend a lot of time in the suit, it is well worth it. Waders: An inexpensive but adequate option for all but total immersion is a pair of breathable waders paired with a breathable dry top. Be sure to wear a wading belt as an extra safety measure. Gloves and footwear: For gloves, go for wools or synthetic materials, like fleece, so when they inevitability get wet, they won’t feel as cold on your skin. Look for a fleece lining and slit fingers that bend back for easy knot tying. For footwear, I like to wear thick wool socks under my dry suit, with booties on top. Wading boots are also nice and warm.
12/15/16 2:16 PM
W
ith the sport of fishing growing and more anglers on the water, there seems to be more information available. All of this information, paired with the quick access to it using smart phones and social media avenues, can make us a lot more productive on the water. Becoming a better angler is great, but it could all be in vain unless we do our best to protect the resources we so greatly love. Knowing how to safely handle and release fish is just as important as being able to catch fish. Below are a few tips that will help any angler become a better steward of the water. Tip 1: Minimize the time taken to fight the fish. There are scenarios that require lighter line or tippet. More often than not, this leads to fish being broken off, but if not, this can be the cause of undue stress on the fish. In general, the lighter the line or tippet, the longer it takes to land the fish. Just like humans, fish build up lactic acid during a fight. If not revived properly, this can lead to an injured or dead fish. Using the heaviest pound test possible for your particular situation can minimize the time it takes to land a fish and can have a huge impact on the health of the fish when released Tip 2: Always handle fish with a wet hand. Virtually all species of fish are covered with a protective mucus membrane. This membrane does quite a few things for the fish. It allows the fish to move through the water with less drag, but more importantly, it protects the fish from diseases, fungi and parasites. Handling a fish with a dry hand removes this protective barrier, and the fish becomes highly susceptible to waterborne diseases and parasites. Wetting your hands before handling the fish will help prevent the removal of the membrane. With
this in mind, a net with a rubber bag can be a great tool for the job. Using a net to cradle fish while removing the hook will greatly reduce the possibility of injury to the fish. We will still need to use wet hands to handle the fish, but minimizing contact can be crucial. Tip 3: Properly reviving the fish before it is released is the next step in safely handling fish. Regardless of species, all fish need to be revived until able to swim away under their own power. The best way to do this is to place the fish in the water facing into the current and firmly, but not squeezing, hold the fish by the base of the tail until it can swim away on its own. Letting go after a good kick of the tail under the assumption that the fish is ready can lead to the demise of the fish. If the water is cold, you need to be ready to keep your hands submerged until the fish is ready. I wear wool gloves most of the winter when fishing. I take the gloves off to handle the fish and replace them once the fish is released. This is also the reason I like a jacket with good water-tight cuffs. Tip 4: Correctly holding fish, especially large fish, can be especially important. Never squeeze a fish. If the fish seems unruly, try turning the fish upside down. This will disrupt their equilibrium and give you a moment to handle the fish without struggle. When it comes to handling trout, you never want to “lip” the fish. This practice may be acceptable for bass, but even bass can be injured this way. Cradling trout and other fish with two hands is the best method. A great way to hold fish is one hand firmly gripping the base of the tail and the other hand supporting the fish from underneath toward the head. Be sure to keep your fingers out
of the gills. Handling a fish by the gills can cause serious injury and will usually lead to a delayed mortality. Tip 5: Hold the fish close to the water. This way, if the fish struggles, it will only fall a minimal distance. Dropping a fish even a short distance to the water can cause serious injury and possibly death. Keeping the fish in the water until the moment of the photo is also critical. It is a good idea to walk through the operation of a camera with the other anglers in your party. This way, if there is any question about how to operate the device, it is taken care of beforehand. Tip 6: Know when to leave the hook embedded. At some point every angler will be faced with this decision: do I cut the line or try to remove the hook? Generally, if you are asking this question, the line should be cut. If the hook is embedded too deep or around the gill area, it’s generally best to cut the line. In most cases, fish have a greater chance of survival expelling the hook on their own as opposed to the angler digging around and trying to remove it. Tip 7: De-barb your hooks. There are benefits to de-barbing fish hooks. One of the most important is it’s easier to remove from the fish. Yes, if we de-barb the hook, it is easier for the fish to throw the hook. It requires more line management and skill to keep the fish connected. Another benefit to de-barbing is that in the event you foul hook yourself or another angler, it is easier to remove. These are just a few tips to handling fish safely. Hopefully you find them helpful and I can assure you that the fish will appreciate your knowledge. For more fish handling tips, go to
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TIPS FROM A PRO
FRESHWATER WINTERTIME CRAPPIE FISHING
BRANDON LESTER
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very year as my bass tournament season comes to an end, I start thinking about crappie fishing. I like to take a break and let the competitive flames refuel a bit. When the calendar strikes November and water temperatures dip into the 50s in Tennessee, I take several days to go crappie fishing. These fish make really good table fare, they are also very fun to catch, especially the big ones like you find in winter. I am well aware of how good crappie fishing is in spring. But for the way I fish for them around home, fall and winter are when you can really fill the livewell.
It works the same way when fishing laydowns. I look for laydowns on vertical banks that have a good-sized trunk. If they have a big trunk, I know there is a good-sized treetop out in the water. If they are there, I will see them on my SideVision. Once you find fish, cast exactly where they are or just beyond them, not 3 feet to the left or right. If you miss a crappie’s strike zone by 6 inches, you’ve missed it by a mile. Make the cast, count your bait down to the desired depth and reel just fast enough to maintain that depth. No jigging, nothing fancy, just a
Crappie stack up in large schools this time of year, at it’s not hard to catch them if you know what to look for. Crappie always hang around cover of some type. The two key pieces of structure on my home water are boat docks and laydowns. There are a few docks that seem to always hold fish, but I like to hunt for them with my Raymarine electronics. I turn on SideVision mode and start searching. Crappie will be in big schools, and I might go down a line of 50 docks with only one dock holding the mother lode. To see how big they are and to make sure they are crappie, I will put an Aqua Vu camera down there and check them out. Most of the docks I fish are floating, and the magical depth is normally at least 20 feet of water under the dock. The crappie will normally be suspended under these docks anywhere from 8 to 15 feet down, depending on the water clarity.
slow reel. My favorite jig head is a 1/32-ounce ball-shaped jig head with a good sharp Mustad hook, but I will go up to a 1/16-ounce if the wind is blowing or I’m fishing deeper than normal. Any soft plastic minnow imitation in the 2-inch range with a straight tail will work. Stay away from twist-tail grubs for this method because they cause your bait to rise too much. I use a S721 MHX rod built with supplies from Mud Hole Custom Tackle, including a Winn grip. It is 6-foot-long, super-sensitive and has the perfect action for controlling small baits. I team it with a 1000-size spinning reel and 4-pound Vicious Panfish line in fluorescent green. The green line helps me detect light strikes. These tips will help you all the way up until crappie start moving shallow to spawn. These fish are fat and healthy this time of year. So get out and have some fun this winter.
Get more tips from Lester at
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Surprising Winter is the Best Planting Time
I am often asked when is the best time to plant fruiting plants. My answer is usually the same; the best time is 20 years ago or today. The second best time to plant is during the winter months. Plants are dormant, and can be easily shipped and planted with no stress on the plant because there is not a lot of maintenance once the plant or tree has been planted. Simply dig a good hole, water thoroughly
at planting, and take the rest of the winter off. Even though there are no signs of growth above ground, the root systems will have time to get adjusted to their new location and begin to initiate new root growth. There are plenty of advantages of growing your own edibles. First of all, you know what has been done over the course of the growing season from a chemical stand point. Second, the fruit just taste
better coming out of your home orchard versus buying fruit from the grocers that have little to no flavors. Thirdly, it is good for your soul and you will feel more connected to the environment and nature. Whether it is an apple tree, muscadine vine or a blueberry bush; now is the time to plant. Let’s Grow Together. Greg Ison, Ison’s Nursery and Vineyards, 800733-0324, www.isons.com
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estled in the picturesque Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina, Jackson County is home to the Western North Carolina Fly Fishing Trail and its centerpiece, the Tuckasegee River, which dissects the county as it flows north to Fontana Lake. The “Tuck,” as it is known to the locals, is a beautiful tailwater trout fishery used for the 2011 USA Fly Fishing Championships, in which the Gold Medal was won by Team USA member Logan Egan. The most popular time to fish the Tuck is during the delayed harvest (DH) fishing season from Oct. 1 to the first Friday in June each year. During this time frame, the Tuck is a catchand-release fishery with artificial-lure, single-hook restrictions. This stretch of specially regulated water runs about 5.5 miles outside the small towns of Dillsboro, Sylva and Cullowhee. The boundaries of the DH are marked by signage on the banks. These regulations appeal to fly fishers and spin fishers alike. You will not only see anglers stripping streamers, drifting nymphs, and casting dries, but you will see a fair number of spinner fishermen taking good numbers of brook, rainbow and brown trout. Jackson County receives an annual stocking of 92,800 trout, the most in the state of North Carolina. In October and November 2016, the Tuck DH section was stocked with 19,600 trout. Rainbow and brook trout made up about 80 percent of this number, and the other 20 percent were brown trout. Normally, trout reach 12 inches in length before making it into the Tuck, but anglers should expect to see, and potentially land, some trophy-sized trout on any drift or presentation. Many anglers wade the river, and drift boats are also popular. Stream flow is controlled by Duke Energy, which posts three days of release schedules on their website, www.duke-energy. com under the Nantahala link. Duke Energy has also provided boat ramps on Old Cullowhee Road and North River Road that many drifters use while floating the Tuck. South River Road is a popular area for anglers and guides due to the number of pull-offs that parallel the river and make accessing the river easy. Access to the Tuckasegee is great compared to some other rivers in the area, but there is some posted private property. Be sure to avoid it. The Tuck is also part of the North Carolina Mountain Heritage Trout Waters program, which allows anglers to fish with a special three-day license that costs only $5. Many anglers opt to purchase a regular fishing license with a trout stamp since the fee is fair and it gives access to almost all the state’s trout waters. A non-resident can purchase a 10-day fishing license and trout stamp for $33 or an annual fishing license and trout stamp for $51. The Tuck DH runs very close to downtown Sylva, yet its beauty catches most first-time anglers off guard.
In fall, the red, yellow and orange leaves dancing on the trees highlight the contours of the surrounding mountains. A bald eagle might closely judge your fishing skills, watching for its opportunity to show you how it’s done. Winter brings cleansing and the occasional snowfall, in which many local anglers find solitude chasing trout on tiny midges. Winter fishing pressure is minimal, which makes it a great time to land a large trout if you’re willing to test your mental toughness wading in cold water. Spring comes to life with budding trees and insects hatching, signaling the coming summer. Anglers spend late evenings on the Tuck sight casting to rising trout honed in on larger dry flies and emerger patterns. Spring evenings can be very peaceful, since most anglers have broken down their rods by 6 p.m. and are headed to the local brewery or one of the many unique restaurants or food trailers in downtown Sylva or Dillsboro. There is a list of local restaurants and breweries at www.mountainlovers.com, or just ask local fly shop employees for their recommendation. In 2016, the North Carolina General Assembly proclaimed Jackson County the Official Trout Capital of North Carolina. Jackson County is home to 4,600 miles of trout streams with a good mixture of hatchery supported streams and wild streams. Check out www.NCTroutcapital.com for more information. Jackson County was also the first to have an officially designated Fly Fishing Trail, which highlights 15 different streams and rivers for any angler to test their skills. Many have taken the challenge of catching and releasing trout or smallmouth bass in each location. There is a map that gives detailed information about each stream, directions, and the type of fish anglers can expect to catch. More information is available at www. flyfishingtrail.com. If you are looking for a fishery with plenty of trout and the opportunity to catch a 25-incher, the Tuck is for you. It is relatively close to Atlanta, Knoxville, Charleston and Charlotte. The Tuck is just an hour west of Asheville, N.C., and it is at the base of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Blue Ridge Parkway. This makes for a nice and easy weekend retreat, or it can be a popular destination for longer stays due to accessibility and other local attractions. Come and experience North Carolina trout fishing at its best! Shannon Messer owns Appalachian Flies and manages and guides at Blackrock Outdoors Orvis Authorized Fly Shop at 570 West Main Street, Sylva NC 28779. Contact him at 828-6314453 or appalachianflies@gmail.com.
North Carolina’s Tuckasegee River, A Southern Gem By Shannon Messer
For more fishin’ on the North Carolina Tuckasegee River, go to
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FISH & FISHING
A DIFFERENT APPROACH MARK SOSIN
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t’s commonplace today, but more than a halfcentury ago few anglers even thought about it. The late Dr. Webster Robinson wanted to catch either a sailfish or striped marlin on a fly rod while casting from a boat that was out of gear so that the fly was not being trolled. Working with his skipper, Capt. Lefty Reagan, these angling legends fathered the concept of teasing a fish. They reasoned that if they could raise a billfish on a hookless bait, capture its total attention by keeping the tasty morsel just out of reach, work the fish within casting range and substitute a different offering at the last minute, the mission would be successful. I knew both men well and listened intently as Web Robinson described the process to me in detail. He even gave me a copy of the fly he used. Teasing ranks as an extremely effective technique for countless species in a variety of situations. Working on sailfish or marlin on the offshore grounds is just one phase. Sometimes known as bait-andswitch, it’s nothing more than using a live bait, dead bait or a certain artificial to excite a fish enough so it will eat the lure or bait you want it to devour on the tackle of your choice. Very light tackle enthusiasts often tease their quarry into striking so that the line doesn’t break on the initial contact. I’ve teased countless species from sharks, albacore and tuna to striped bass, redfish, barracuda, amberjack, snook and many more. Let me share a couple examples to show you how effective teasing can be. Using a spinning outfit, I rigged a plastic worm exactly the same way as I would for largemouth bass. Pacific sailfish normally don’t include plastic worms as part of their diet. We teased one with a bonito belly and, once the boat was out of gear, I cast the worm. My partner yanked the teaser out of the water and the fish inhaled a plastic worm faster than you can read this.
I met a man who showed me beautiful flies for offshore species. When I told him I could catch a sailfish on a cigar just as easily as with one of his flies, he laughed at me. We were shooting a television show in Panama, and late in the day Capt. Karl Anderson asked if I had a cigar. He rigged it with a leader and hook, attached it to a flyrod and waited for a sailfish to show in the trolled teasers. We stopped the boat, Karl yanked the teaser away from the fish, and I cast the cigar. Within seconds, the sailfish crashed the cigar, went airborne, and all you could see was tobacco showering through the air. As Karl put it, that’s no longer theory. Teasing fish opens a broad new dimension to the sport. As an angler, it allows you to hook fish on all types of tackle using any bait or lure you choose including cigars and plastic worms. Try it and you’ll become hooked on the technique just as I am.
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FLY FISHING
CASTING FOR REDFISH: BEYOND THE DOUBLE HAUL
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t is well-known that the double haul and the back cast are essential for fly fishing for redfish. Here are three more casts I believe are very important when targeting winter reds with a fly. Fly Repositioning Cast This cast is wonderful when you need to recast a fly to a redfish that refused it or when you missed your target. It works best when 20 or more feet of line are outside the tip-top. It is essential to the success of this cast to not rush picking the fly line up off the water. The key is to load for the back cast by beginning with the rod tip close to the water and slowly lifting the line off the water. Then wait to feel the rod load on the back cast. Once you feel the rod load, make a forward cast, allowing the fly to hit the mark. I’ve witnessed far too many fishermen rush to recast, and in doing so, miss their target on the second cast. The Quick-Cast For The Short Game When sight casting, you will need to execute some short, quick accurate casts. The short cast is one of the most difficult casts to make because a fly rod made for short casting has yet to be built. When red fishing, unless I know I’ll be making long casts, I keep roughly 40 feet of fly line stripped into a line management basket (a bucket if fishing from a skiff) and 20 feet of line outside the fly rod’s tip-top. The first 15 feet of the belly section of the line will easily load the fly rod with minimal false casting. Place the fly between the index finger and thumb of the hand not holding the rod. If a redfish is spotted at close range, make a back cast while at the same time releasing the fly from your hand and cast to the redfish.
Master The Cross-Wind Cast The wind blows where redfish live. The most difficult winds to a fly flinger are the cross-wind and the following-wind. Both are guaranteed to give the angler fits. The best cast for these challenging situations is the Belgian cast, a very quick cast that when executed correctly presents the fly under challenging conditions. The key is to make an extended side-armed back cast, followed by a high extended-arm overhead cast that will provide the angler distance when working in a big wind. A word of caution: The side cast may produce the painful problem of a fly imbedded in the angler if the wind is blowing toward the casting arm. Put It To The Test When targeting winter redfish, the fly angler will be presented with many different casting situations depending on weather conditions. It’s important to understand and execute each of the casting techniques discussed. Once mastered, a trophy redfish is only a cast away! Conway Bowman caught this 41.65-pound IGFA fly-caught world record redfish out of Hopedale, La.
For More Fly Fishing with Bowman, go to
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FISHING AND DIVING
The Maldives
By Capt. Terry Fisher
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t had been 20 years since I had boarded a followed by fishing. The Maldivian government live-a-board to fish and dive. My friend, Capt. is famous for it’s eco-friendly approach and Wayne Hasson, president of Aggressor and serious application to fish conservation. The Dancer Fleets, invited me to accompany him to government’s prohibition of net and long-line the Maldives for a world-class fishing and diving fishing for commercial purposes has sustained the expedition. Over the years, Wayne and I have abundance of fisheries. Commercial fishermen use fished and dived many exotic locations, including line and pole, preventing by-catch of species other waters of the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Pacific than their main target, which is tuna. Sport fishing, and Atlantic. This was my first visit to the Indian therefore, has thrived. Among the game fish found Ocean. are giant trevally, barracuda, wahoo, dorado, A three-leg flight from Miami through New yellowfin tuna, sailfish and marlin. Bonefish and York and Dubai landed us in Male, the small, permit inhabit the flats. bustling capital of the Maldives. Upon arrival, There are many charter fishing operations Wayne and I quickly cleared customs and were in the Maldives. I had numerous opportunities to assisted by a friendly and helpful crew of the be transported to beautiful sand beaches in the mother ship. We were transported aboard a ‘Dhoni’ middle of the Indian Ocean to fish for bonefish, (dinghy) by water, to lush accommodations aboard giant trevally, jack crevalle and other species. the Maldives Aggressor. This live-a-board vessel While sailing to new dive sites, we used a ‘Dohni’ boasts a full-service galley, huge salon, 10 guest to troll and catch tuna, sailfish, wahoo and dorado. state rooms and decks for relaxing, sunbathing, At night aboard the Maldives Aggressor, we dining under the stars or just getting away for bottom fished for grouper and snapper. some private time. This luxury yacht offered all Trolling, spinning, fly-fishing gear, including of the comforts and amenities of a five-star, land- lures and fly presentations are basically the same as based property with toilets, lavatory and shower we use in the states. Diving various locations and facilities to satisfy the most demanding guests. seeing up close the numerous species that I would This voyage, Dive with the Owners Week, fish for was an added and educational bonus. provided me the benefit of being surrounded Perfect water clarity offered a vast array of marine by a number of crew, divers and fishermen, life at every dive destination. representing more than 10 different countries. The Maldives is a nation of islands. It is also For information on this trip of a lifetime, visit the “Honeymoon Capital” of Europe and parts www.maldivesfishing.com or www.aggressorfleet. of Asia. Temperatures range from 77 to 86. There com. Contact Capt. Terry Fisher of Cape Coral, are 26 atolls with 1,190 islands. One island boasts Florida’s Fish Face Charters at fishfacecharters@ a rainforest. Only 209 of the islands are inhabited yahoo.com. with a total population For more fishing in the Maldives, go to of only 400,000. Tourism is the leading industry,
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ll tournament anglers want to win. The questions are: How bad do you want that win? How much are you willing to sacrifice? How much are you willing to put on the line chasing the big win? The answers aren’t cut-and-dry or crystal clear. Most tournament anglers I know are perfectly content competing at the club and local level for beer money. But don’t underestimate the will of those guys either. I recently competed in a Deerpoint Team Trail event with Travis Poole in which a win would have been a few hundred dollars for us to split. It was low threat, low entry fee and big fun. You’d think that given the conditions that day, any sane man would’ve stayed at home. Approximately 4 inches of rain fell that day, the wind blew and lightning popped around our heads all day. Still, most guys that entered the event that morning brought their catch to the scales in the pouring rain hoping to claim the prize. The weather didn’t seem to dampen their desires one bit. They wanted it bad enough, at least they did that day. For the professional angler, the weather is just one of many elements they must fight to stay in the game. Family, sponsorship obligations, mechanical problems and financial burdens are just a few of the non-fishing issues that require an angler to do a gut-check nearly every day. All these things must be tended to before the angler can even set out to find fish for a coming event, and he’s usually a one-man crew. Some of the top touring anglers have support networks taking on some of this for them, but rest assured, they didn’t get there with them. Stories from many of the top pros sound the same, tales about sleeping in the cab of their trucks for weeks on end, dining on peanut butter day after day, selling possessions off to fund the next event, and practicing in horrible weather because they only have two days to figure out unknown waters. If there was one thing I could define that separates the successful tournament angler from the others, it’s this: he wanted more. The guy in this picture is my friend Johnny Nguyen. He is a great example of what I just described. I can’t tell you how bad he wants it, but I can tell you he possesses at least one critical element for fishing success: the undeniable, unflappable, hard-core love for the sport. No tournament here, just him out fishing on a day he probably shouldn’t have been. But there he is, doing what he loves. Some get it, others never will. Randy Cnota is the co-publisher of Coastal Angler/The Angler Magazine’s Panama City/Forgotten Coast edition.
For More fishing with Randy ‘C-Note’ Cnota, go to
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hose of us who live life outdoors know it’s not always sunny. It can get downright ugly, and many times the best bite of the year is on the leading edge of a nasty front. With good foul weather gear, wind and rain should never stand between anglers and feeding fish. Pelagic Gear, a company founded on and devoted to the ocean lifestyle, has developed a line of gear that guarantees anglers will stay happy and dry, no matter what Mother Nature sends rolling in. Pelagic’s Dri-Flex Lightweight Jacket is perfect to throw in the bag for those dewy mornings or windy evenings when there’s a slight chill. Pelagic’s DRI-FLEX fabric provides the comfort of a lightweight jacket while protecting you from the elements with water repellant technology. When it’s time to take protection from the elements up a notch, anglers shouldn’t get caught on the water without
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Pelagic’s Hurricane Jacket. For more than a decade, this 100-percent waterproof outerwear has been the choice of hardcore captains around the world. It was designed specifically for the harsh conditions of the marine environment with technical features that cater to the needs of anglers. With welded zipper technology, reflective hex-safety patches and a moisture-wicking liner, the Hurricane Jacket keeps anglers dry and shielded in bad weather. And then there are those times when you need protection all over. Pelagic’s Stormbreaker Foul Weather Jacket and Bib are a full barrier to the elements. The suit is made of a lightweight PVC that is 100-percent waterproof, yet comfortable to wear. Again, it was designed specifically for anglers, with a loose cut for optimal maneuverability and plenty of ventilation. This is also the perfect rain barrier for the traveling angler. It is lightweight and packs easily, so an angler never has to leave the docks without the full protection from harsh conditions. Good foul weather gear is essential to every angler. When it comes to selecting protection from the elements, it makes sense to choose gear designed specifically for fishing. Any outerwear will do if the mission is a stroll through the park. Pelagic Gear’s line protects anglers and keeps them fishing in the kind of brutal conditions only found on open water. To learn more about the Pelagic Lifestyle, go to
ANGLERSDREAM.CO
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WAHOO “COWBELLS’’ & ‘’SNAGGER’’ DOLPHIN LURES
44
TOURNAMENT
WINS
TROLLS 6-10 OR UP TO 20 KNOTS — NO WEIGHTS NEEDED
RIGGED N’ READY!
“TOP GUN” SALTWATER TROLLING LURES
714-545 0196
FREE SHIPPING!
6-pak Special $69.00 w/ FREE Case
www.BALLYHOOD.com
FITEC CAST NETS Fitec International has been providing the very best cast nets available to anglers for over 50 years. They are the world’s largest manufacturer of cast nets and their products are in stock or online with all major retailers and distributors where cast nets are sold. The superior quality in their handmade nets gives anglers the fun and performance they deserve while out on the water. Hold a Fitec net next to a competitor and you will see there is no comparison. Fitec’s Super Spreader and Ultra Spreader cast nets are simply the best! Fitec offers four distinct categories to ensure you are able to get the net you need. The patented EZ throw cast net is designed with a disc feature that is perfect for the novice. The RS, or Recreational Series, is designed for shallow waters or for the person who wants a lighter net. The SS, or Sport Series, nets are designed with a 1-pound per radius foot weight system and are the No. 1 selling cast net in the country. Finally, the GS, or Guide Series, nets are designed for the serious angler, built with the highest quality standards and the fastest sink rate. Fitec values your business. They go to work every day with you, their customer, in mind. Their mission is to “bring innovative quality products to customers, with drive and passion every day.”
WWW.CASTNETS.COM
Seeking to become the leading and most comprehensive manufacturer of all things diving and fishing, Hammerhead Spearguns has made another addition to its lineup of gear. They are proud to announce the launch of the Dentex NT, a utility glove so durable yet flexible it’s almost like having a second skin on the hands. The Dentex NT comes with an ANSI Cut Level 5 and Puncture Level 3 and is woven from Hammerhead’s signature red Dentex fabric, but now it has a Sandy Nitrile coating on the palm and fingers, giving it increased resistance to heat and chemicals, plus additional grip. The Dentex NT is also known to be extremely pliant, molding seamlessly into your hands, so no clumsy mitten-hands here. You can even pick up a penny while wearing them! The wide range of things you can do with the Dentex NT gloves is staggering. You can use them not just when you fish or handle tricky, spiny sea critters but also when doing repairs or squaring off with hazardous materials. Welding a piece of metal to fix your boat? Piece of cake! Filleting tuna? Sure thing! Changing lines and hooks? Say goodbye to line abrasions and getting pricked, stabbed, or poked on your fingers. Sharp tools and hot objects no longer pose a threat to your valuable hands.
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PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT ERGODOCK OFFERS IMPROVED RESILIENCE, AESTHETICS AND SAFETY
While many docks along the Florida coastline buckled to the force of Hurricane Matthew this fall, widespread reports from boaters and anglers indicated that docks utilizing ErgoDock technologies held up considerably better. With the damage and debris left in Matthew’s wake, the resilience of ErgoDock proved significant—not only because of its strength, but because of expected durability against future hurricanes that routinely batter the coast. The ErgoDock difference is its inherent structural augmentation. ErgoDock is designed to provide a matrix that evolves the dock into a single structural component instead of a succession of individual parts like most marine docks are constructed. Independent tests report that ErgoDock significantly outperforms all other dock options in comfort, safety and customization. ErgoDock’s unique texture, for example, enhances safety with a far more slip resistant material than wood or composite decking. The ErgoDock surface also is designed to allow more “give,” increasing comfort and safety by easing stress on ErgoDock owners’ feet, back and joints while also mitigating any potential injury from a fall. ErgoDock prevents deterioration, therefore reducing the need for maintenance. Its products adhere with an impervious membrane to seal all decking materials and are self-draining, to prevent UV or water degradation of existing decking or concrete surfaces. “Our purpose was to create a material that far outperforms all other dock options when it comes to safety, comfort, customization and longevity,” said Kent Weisenberg, founder and CEO of ErgoDock LLC. “There is nothing like it on the market. ErgoDock is a multi patent-pending marine surfacing system that is revolutionizing the dock design and repair industries.” Weisenberg, the sole named inventor on 28 U.S. and foreign patents, added, “We passionately pursue improving the world’s infrastructure with green technology. ErgoDock surfaces are made of sustainable materials that fight the depletion of our environment.” ErgoDock products can be used in various stages of a dock’s life whether for preservation, safety, aesthetics or for any combination of the three. Still want that traditional wood dock look? ErgoDock offers ErgoWood Decking, which is select-treated wood that is pre-dried and then encased in ErgoDock’s patented SafeTread material and prevents deterioration from sun and water while increasing a dock’s life by as much as 10 years over current decking materials. “Add it all up, and ErgoDock products represent a major leap forward in dock design and repair,” Weisenberg said. “We want people to know that there is another option out there–one that comes with ergonomic elegance and represents a resilient, safe and viable option that contractors will want to offer their customers.”
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PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT XTRATUF CAMO-LINED LEGACY BOOT Designed to keep fishermen sure-footed on the water, XTRATUF’s Camo-Lined Legacy Boot is the ideal boot for fishing in the elements. An interior camo lining and XTRATUF logo that are visible when the boot is rolled down adds a pop of color to XTRATUF’s classic performance boot. Not your typical rubber boot, the Legacy is triple-dipped to create a seamless coating of rubber that further strengthens an already watertight material, thus sealing the boots and making them impervious to fish oils and chemicals. The soft, pliable and lightweight neoprene latex rubber gives the Legacy boots unparalleled comfort and flexibility. The hand-laye r e d construction allows for flex and strength at critical stress points on the boot. A signature chevron outsole design and unique rubber compound provides maximum surface contact for ultimate traction and stability in even the most severe fishing and work conditions. These 100 percent waterproof boots will keep the warmth in and the cold out when the temperature drops.
P SU CO
LIMIT 800-42 purcha Offer presen
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P SU CO
WWW.XTRATUFBOOTS.COM
LIMIT 800-42 purcha Offer presen
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LIMIT 800-42 purcha Offer presen
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$
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hft_coas
2000 WATT CONTINUOUS/ 4000 WATT PEAK SAVE POWER INVERTER
R PE ON SU UP CO
139
ITEM 60432/63019/63018
$
Customer Rating 69662 shown
$
129
99
$
16999 $268.99
comp at
LIMIT 4 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 5/1/17. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
WOW29 PIECE TITANATEIUMD SUPER COUPON
NITRIDE CO HIGH SPEED STEEL DRILL BIT SET
SAVE 78%
Customer Rating
$
ITEM 62281 61637 shown
19
SAVE $73
ITEM 60338 69381 shown
$
119
89
99
comp at 99 $163.06
LIMIT 3 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 5/1/17. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
6" VARIABLE SPEED DUAL ACTION POLISHER Customer Rating ITEM 69924 shown 62403/62862
$
99 54 $ 99
comp at
69 $149.99
LIMIT 4 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 5/1/17. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
R PE ON SU UP CO 1500
LB. CAPACITY DUAL WHEEL SWING-BACK BOAT TRAILER JACK ITEM 69779/67500 shown Customer Rating
SAVE 37%
$
99comp29 at $44.99
27
$
Limit 1 coupon per customer per day. Save 20% on any 1 item purchased. *Cannot be used with other discount, coupon or any of the following items or brands: Inside Track Club membership, Extended Service Plan, gift card, open box item, 3 day Parking Lot Sale item, automotive lifts, compressors, floor jacks, saw mills, storage cabinets, chests or carts, trailers, trenchers, welders, Admiral, Badland, Bauer, Bremen, CoverPro, Creekstone, Daytona, Diablo, Doyle, Drummond, Earthquake, Franklin, Hercules, Holt, Jupiter, Lynxx, Maddox, Portland, Predator, Quinn, StormCat, Tailgator, Union, Viking, Vulcan. Not valid on prior purchases. Nontransferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 5/1/17.
WOW
SUPER COUPON
$59.97
GAS RECREATIONAL GENERATOR
SAVE 95
ANY SINGLE ITEM
comp at
R 900 PEAK/ PE ON 700 RUNNING WATTS SU UP O C Customer Rating 2 HP (63 CC) 2 CYCLE
R PE ON SU UP CO $
20% OFF
$199299
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$
VALID NOW ON 5,000 + ITEMS
99
LIMIT 5 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 5/1/17. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
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How Does Harbor Freight Sell GREAT QUALITY Tools at the LOWEST Prices? We have invested millions of dollars in our own state-of-the-art quality test labs and millions more in our factories, so our tools will go toe-to-toe with the top professional brands. And we can sell them for a fraction of the price because we cut out the middle man and pass the savings on to you. It’s just that simple! Come visit one of our 700+ Stores Nationwide. R PE ON SU UP CO
RAPID PUMP® 1.5 TON ALUMINUM RACING JACK
WINNER
Customer Rating
– Truckin' Magazine
ITEM 95659 shown 61634/61952 • 580 lb. capacity
89
$
9999
$
99
7
$ 97 VALUE
LIMIT 1 - Cannot be used with other discount, coupon or prior purchase. Coupon good at our stores, HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Offer good while supplies last. Shipping & Handling charges may apply if not picked up in-store. Nontransferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 5/1/17. Limit one FREE GIFT coupon per customer per day.
WOW
SUPER COUPON
A
3 GALLON, 100 PSI OILLESS AIR COMPRESSORS A. HOT DOG
ITEM 69269/97080 shown
B. PANCAKE
ITEM 95275 shown 60637/61615
B
$3999 $
comp at
18 VOLT CORDLESS 3/8" DRILL/DRIVER WITH KEYLESS CHUCK
LIMIT 4 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 5/1/17. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
R PE ON SU UP CO
ITEM 69651/62868 62873/68239 shown
Includes one 18V NiCd battery and charger.
$
19
99 16 99 comp at
$49.21
ITEM 69249/69115/69137 69129/69121/877 shown
Customer Rating
RETRACTABLE AIR HOSE REEL R PE ON WITH 3/8" x 50 FT. HOSE SU UPCustomer Rating ITEM 93897 shown CO 69265/62344
$ $
2999
49
99$69.99
comp at
LIMIT 3 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 5/1/17. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
R PE ON SU UP CO
Blade sold separately.
12" SLIDING COMPOUND DOUBLE-BEVEL MITER SAW WITH LASER GUIDE
Customer Rating
$
12 VOLT, 10/2/50 AMP BATTERY CHARGER/ ENGINE STARTER Customer Rating
LIMIT 3 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 5/1/17. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
SAVE $499 64% comp at $8.48
LIMIT 8 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 5/1/17. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
ITEM 60581/60653 shown
comp at
SAVE $259
LIMIT 7 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 5/1/17. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
SAVE 57%
5999 $98.62
$ 99
2
SAVE 65% $
Customer Rating
7 FT. 4" x 9 FT. 6" ALL PURPOSE WEATHER RESISTANT TARP
SAVE $129
$ $
99 59 99
89
comp at
$189
LIMIT 4 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 5/1/17. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
Customer Rating
YOUR CHOICE
$319.01
LIMIT 5 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 5/1/17. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
R PE ON SU UP CO
SAVE 59%
15999
$119.99
R PE ON SU UP CO
6 PIECE SCREWDRIVER ITEM 62728/62583 SET 47770/62570 shown
SAVE $219
$5999 comp at
WITH ANY PURCHASE
Customer Rating
ITEM 69252 68053/62160 62496/62516 60569 shown
$
FREE
26", 4 DRAWER TOOL CART
SAVE $60
• 3-1/2 Pumps Lifts Most Vehicles • Weighs 34 lbs.
SUPER COUPON
$
ITEM 69684 shown 61969/61970
99 139 99
199
comp at
$399
LIMIT 5 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 5/1/17. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
WOW SUPER12"CORATUPREAONCHDERET BAR CLAMP/SP
ITEM 46807/68975 69221/62123/63017 69222 shown
SAVE 85%
$ 99 $399 .76
2
comp at
$20
Freight.com or by calling prior our stores or Harbor LIMIT 6 - Good at be used with other discount or coupon orreceipt. with original 800-423-2567. Cannot from original purchase be purchases after 30 dayss last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must day. Offer good while supplie 5/1/17. Limit one coupon per customer per presented. Valid through
At Harbor Freight Tools, the "comp at" price means that the same • 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed • 700+ Stores Nationwide • HarborFreight.com item or a similar functioning item was advertised for sale at or above the "comp at" price by another retailer in the U.S. within the • Over 30 Million Satisfied Customers • Lifetime Warranty • 800-423-2567 past 180 days. Prices advertised by others may vary by location. No other meaning of "comp at" should be implied. For more On All Hand Tools information, go to HarborFreight.com or see store associate. • No Hassle Return Policy COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM JANUARY 2017 NATIONAL 33
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PENNFISHING.COM
LET THE BATTLE BEGIN The Slammer is back! Featuring a full metal body and rotor, IPX6 sealed gear box and spool design, a full Brass CNC Gear system,
COMMON CVRS_0117.indd 3
and a smooth yet powerful Dura Drag System. The Slammer is not only back…. it’s better than ever before.
12/14/16 2:59 PM
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