Coastal Angler Magazine | June 2024 | Mississippi Gulf Coast Edition

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PUBLISH YOUR OWN FISHING MAGAZINE

Swordfshing is great any time of the year, but during summer you can justify the fuel burn to get where they live. It’s nearly impossible to run that far ofshore in June and not come across diving birds indicative of mahi or tuna. With minimal efort, this can be a nice score to put something in the box if you don’t have luck with the swords. It is normal to get skunked while swordfshing, and I don’t recommend going if you can’t accept that possibility. Te best way to go into it is to be fully prepared for both a fsh of a lifetime or to just chill with friends. Make no mistake, when you do land one of these beasts, it’s some of the most exciting fshing you can experience, and it’s worth the skunk risk.

Although you don’t have to run as far, the same consolation prize applies to heading out for tilefsh, snowy and yellowedge grouper, queen snapper, barrelfsh and rosies. Mahi fshing to, from and during deep-dropping rounds out a trip nicely.

Be prepared for mahi when heading ofshore in summer. Keep at least four rods designated for working a school and more for trolling. J hooks are a must for these head-shaking, sky-rocketing, fippy-fappy, squirm-fsh, but just about any line and bait will do. Tese tasty little dummies aren’t picky and would strike a banana peel if you jigged it right. Tat said, the speed of the bait is a variable you might have to adapt to. Teir toddler mentality kicks in when you try to take a bait away from them, encouraging them to strike something they just turned their nose up at. If you get hit when reeling in your bait, open your bail and give them a chance to eat.

If you get excited about fsh with pointy faces, be prepared for a marlin encounter this time of year. I keep rigged ballyhoo in a trolling spread and a pitch rod set up. Marlin aren’t overly common here, but when you see one, you want to be prepared for more than to simply wave and think, “that was neat.”

SBy Capt. Quinlyn Haddon

SUMMERTIME’S BACK, BABY!

ummer in the Keys, albeit hotter than the devil’s you-know-where, is one of the best times to be on the water. With more calm days, open seasons for most species, and mahi peppering ofshore waters, this is the time of year to boogie out and hunt for whatever tickles your fancy.

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and

of our

Marlin enjoy a mahi snack as much as we do and will pop up unexpectedly while mahi fshing. If you have a large live bait, toss that sucker out. If not, a mahi from the box will do in a pinch. Give her time to eat, hang on and enjoy the ride.

Mahi season is already of to a great start for both size and numbers. Come on down and fll your coolers!

Capt. Quinlyn Haddon; Sweet e’nuf charters, marathon, Florida Keys; @captainquinlyn; captainquinlyn.com; (504) 920-6342.

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At 18’2” in length and with a 70” beam, the Mosquito is a very capable hull for many situations – however it’s designed to do one thing with absolute perfection: silently stalk inshore

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FISH THE GREATER JACKSONVILLE KINGFISH TOURNEY JULY 13-20!

The “Grandaddy of all Kingfsh Tournaments” will get the First Coast buzzing July 13-20, as the 44th annual Greater Jacksonville Kingfsh Tournament presented by VyStar Credit Union hosts a full week of tournaments with more than $500,000 in cash and prizes.

Te competition kicks of July 13 with the Kingfsh Kick Of Beach Tournament, in which competitors are limited to state waters within 3 miles of shore. Tis event evens the odds for the smaller boats to haul in the largest kingfsh of the day and collect the $50,000 cash prize.

Fishing for the General Tournament begins Friday morning, July 19. Tis cornerstone event pays out to 20 places for both large fsh and aggregate. First place for largest fsh of the tournament will be awarded a Contender 28T with twin 200 Yamaha outboards, an Ameritrail Trailer and a custom T-top and leaning post by Custom Marine. Tis boat package is valued at more than $225,000.

Junior anglers have a shot at a 16foot boat with a 15 hp Yamaha, and the Junior Ofshore Tournament pays out to 25 places. Te Ladies Division pays out to 10 places.

cold beverages, hot food and vendors. Awards Day on Saturday, July 20 is all about celebration, with Kids Zone activities, rafes and seminars.

For inshore anglers, the popular Redfsh Tournament fshes on Saturday, July 20 with payouts of more than $12,000.

Jacksonville Marine Charities is the operating arm of the event, and it supports non-profts throughout the state. Recently, Child Cancer Fund, the Down Syndrome Association and the Child Guidance Center have beneftted from the organization, which also supports other local charity fshing events like Te Premier Trout, Flounder Pounder, Wounded Heroes on the Water and others.

For complete details, visit king fshtournament.com.

All the boats and fsh coming to the docks at Jim King Park and Boat Ramp at Sisters Creek Park in Jacksonville creates a festival atmosphere. Te

Trout are Eating Your Nymph More than You Realize

Alarge trout rising to a high-riding dry fy is one of life’s true pleasures. It’s pretty darn easy to see. Te fy is bouncing happily along the surface, and with a splash it’s gone.

On the other hand, that same fat rainbow trout sucking in a nymph 6 feet down in a dark run may not be as obvious. When you’re nymphing, speed is of the essence. In a second, that fsh will expel the fy. Tere are a bunch of diferent strike indicators designed to help you see the sometimes-faint signal of a hit. Some work well, some break, some slide, and some just suck.

I love yarn indicators for their sensitivity and the plastic air-flled bobbers for ease of use. Both styles rigged up the leader about twice the depth of the water you’re fshing help you detect the strike. Any hesitation, dive or shif in direction of your indicator might be a hit.

I tell clients, if they think a fsh might even be breathing on the fy to set the hook! You get a heck of a lot more strikes than you think you do when nymph fshing. Any slack between your indicator and fy allows a fsh eat and spit your nymph out, and sometimes go completely undetected.

At close range, high-stick or Czech-nymphing techniques work great. No indicator is needed, as diferent colored lines or coiled-line indicators that straighten when a fsh takes are the deal. A lot of the time, the trout is felt when it takes the fy, or you will see the line suddenly stop. Tis method is deadly in experienced hands.

Another method of strike indication is the use of a big dry fy as the

indicator. Usually, a piece of fuorocarbon tippet is tied to the hook and a nymph or two hang underneath. Tis is a good when the fsh might spook if a plastic bobber crashes on their heads. A buggy looking dry fy is a lot less scary.

Another cool way to catch trout on subsurface fies is to watch them eat it. I call this ninja fshing! You’ll need the sun at your back or directly overhead. Start by locating a particular fsh, and then tie on a brightly colored fy that stands out and is easy to see. Cast upstream of the fsh, and let it drif down to the fsh. Sometimes a fy bounced right into their face will get a refex strike. Tis is a good way to learn how fsh react to fies and how currents afect your ofering. If you are in a pool with several fsh, you might be amazed at how many fsh take a swipe at it. You will then realize how many strikes you’ve been missing.

David Hulsey is a North Georgia-based guide and fy fshing instructor. Call him at (770) 639-4001 and visit Hulsey Fly Fishing at hulsey fy fshing.com.

WIN A KAYAK FISHING TRIP

Skye

Opening day of Snapper season is upon us and with that the boat ramps will be packed with anglers headed out looking to fill the decks with Red Snapper, Vermillion, Grouper and much more. This month we are going to breakdown 3 rigs that can bring huge success this summer!

Chicken Rig -

By: Nathan Rich

The chicken rig is an awesome rig for catching your smaller species fish such as vermilion and trigger fish to name a few. I also personally use a chicken rig to catch a lot of bigger live bait like grunts and porgies. For my chicken rig I use 50-pound main line to a 120-pound power swivel, from the swivel I use 50 pound leader and tie 2 dropper loops. I attach 1/0 circle hooks to the dropper loops and a 6oz tear drop weight to the end of the leader. The best bait to rig up on a chicken rig is squid or peeled dead shrimp.

Carolina Rig

The Carolina rig is my go-to rig for dropping down bigger dead baits like cigar minnows, Spanish sardines and pogies. This is an excellent rig for catching mid to large size snapper and is one of the easiest and wellknown rigs to tie. For this rig I run 60-pound main line and place a 6-8 oz egg weight on the mainline. I then tie on a 120-pound power swivel to the

main line and attach 60-pound leader (approximately 2-3 feet long) and attach a 6/0 circle hook on the end.

Knocker Rig

So, you want to catch big fish… well this is the rig!! The knocker rig is used for larger fish such as Grouper, AJ and huge snapper. This rig is typically used when large live bait is present. For this rig I use 80-pound main line to a 120 pound power swivel, then 80 pound leader to a 8oz egg weight. Lastly, tie a 8/0 circle hook to the end of the leader. This rig is designed to have the weight sitting directly on top of the live bait but does not allow the bait to swim around. The bait acting frantic but not able to get away is extremely enticing to larger reef fish.

I hope you found this information useful, and you get out and smash some big fish this summer. You can find much more information available on our YouTube channel “Southern Salt”. Until next time tight lines and stay safe!

SOUTHERN SALT

YOU CAN ALSO VISIT OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL, WHERE WE HAVE SEVERAL VIDEOS GOING IN DEPTH ABOUT THESE RIGS AND SETUPS

JUNE

Start Time: Safe Light Weigh-in: 2:00pm-6:00pm Entry Fee - $50 per person • After June 9th - $65 per person

Inshore Challenge: Redfish/Speck/Flounder 1st Place-$750; 2nd-$500; 3rd-$250

Cobia Shootout: 1st Place-$1,000 Snapper Shootout: 1st Place-$1,000 Redfish with the Most Spots: $100 Triple Tail: 1st Place-$750

CAPTAIN’S MEETING : June 14th, 2024

Doors open at 6:00pm and Meeting starts at 7:00pm, Pascagoula Country Club KIDS FISHING RODEO INSHORE CHALLENGE/BIGGEST FISH 12 AND YOUNGER •

EVERYONE WELCOME! FAMILY FUN DAY from 2:00pm - 7:00pm! Food, music, and many raffle prizes!! For more info and rules go to: Facebook@pascagoulamensclub pascagoulamensclub@gmail.com Chris Langston 910-813-6015 or Jack Northrop 228-369-5867

Congratulations Diberville Warriors Bass Fishing Team!!

Jr. High & High School State Champions

High School State Champions Cooper Rouse & Ryker Reed

4.61

High School State Champions Olivia King & Harper Krohn

Summer is here, bass are hungry, and it’s HOT. This can be a confusing time to fish for Largemouth Bass. The good news is this, they are VERY hungry! You just need to find them. But how?

Breaking it down by time of day is a great way to be successful. Bass move around according to the conditions. Approaching your fishing trip with a general plan is always a good idea and using a basic plan like time of day can be the difference between catching them and not. This 3 Step Plan is an easy way to up your odds of success.

1. Early in the mornings, the water temperatures are lower than midday and bass like to cruise shallow flats looking for an easy meal. Often, the best shallow areas to fish are close to deep water. Here in south Mississippi, those shallow areas on the backside of river bends with sandbar points can be very productive. Bait fish often use the eddy of a bend to find refuge from current. Bass know that and use those areas as ambush points. This is a great time to run a square bill fast and with a lot of bottom contact along the edges of those sandy flats or hopping a jig with a crawfish profile along the bottom.

2. As the mid-day temperature rises, bass like to move a little deeper in the water column. Start by looking for deeper pockets near structures like ledges, bends with a channel running close to them, brush piles in deep pockets, and areas that have moving water nearby such as a small creek dumping into a bend or backwater lake. Those areas are a big deal this time of year. Large bass live near them and take advantage of the cooler water ambush points. Spinnerbaits, bladed jigs, and flipping crawfish style plastics are all good options for those cooler water areas, but a fluke, floating worm, or jerk bait can really steal the show. Remember, easy meals always catch fish.

3 EASY STEPS TO CATCH SUMMER BASS!

3. Wait for the afternoon cool down! This can be the most productive time of day to fish. The fish have moved deeper to beat the heat of the day, but now the cooling temperature gets them fired back up to feed heavily. These bass become more aggressive and start to chase bait. They make the transition back to the shallows to feed on baitfish and prey that are worn down from the heat of the day. Big baits this time of day can be the ticket. Glide baits, larger squarebill crankbaits, and baits that move a lot of water are good choices to throw.

So – GetOut&Fish – this summer by doing it with a solid & proven game plan that can help you find and catch more fish! Pick the time that best suits your needs and try these techniques for the conditions!

Joel Davis Fishing

at Sea 2 Swamp Outfitters (Gautier & Gulfport) & Nelson Outdoors (Pascagoula)

Mississippi Kitchen Delights

By: Sean Varone

Flounder Tacos

Spring/Early Summer is an excellent time for flounder fishing in Mississippi and Alabama as the waters warm up and flounder become more active. Look for them in shallow areas near marshes, oyster beds, and sandy bottoms, especially during incoming tides. Use live bait like mullet, mud minnows, or shrimp, as well as artificial lures such as soft plastics like the Hoodwink by Southern Salt Bait Company or silver spoons. Fishing around structure like docks, bridges, and piers can also increase your chances of success. Be patient and attentive to subtle bites, as flounder are known for their gentle nibbles. Flounder are one of the tastiest inshore fish to eat and can be prepared in countless ways! This is a little different way to make fish tacos, but I guarantee it’s one of the best ways!

We used Mexican herbs and spices for this recipe, but you could take this in any direction. Asian, Cajun, or Italian additions would make for a tasty twist! We served the tacos with rice and black beans alongside sliced avocado and lime wedges. Any fresh fish like sheepshead or snapper would also be perfect.

Ingredients:

3 flounder, cleaned and filleted

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp hot Mexican chili powder

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

1-2 tsp sugar, to taste

1 tbsp oil

1 pint grape tomatoes

1 sweet onion, thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1-2 jalapeños, minced

1 cup lager style beer

Juice of one orange

Juice of 2 limes

Juice of one lemon

Combine cumin, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, sea salt, pepper, and sugar in a small bowl. Season filets generously on both sides, like a blackening blend.

Heat large iron skillet over medium-high heat, add a drizzle of oil. Cook filets around 3 mins per side. The edges will lift easily when ready to flip. Set cooked flounder aside.

Add tomatoes to the skillet and cook until they begin to burst. Then add onions and cook til they soften, 4 minutes or so. Add garlic to skillet and cook til fragrant.

Add beer to skillet to deglaze. Bring beer and veg to a boil and allow sauce to reduce by half.

When reduced, add jalapeno and citrus juices to skillet sauce. Taste for seasoning. Remember your flounder is coming back to the party so don’t over salt.

Carefully place cooked flounder back into the skillet sauce and spoon sauce over the fillets.

We served the flounder in warmed tortillas with the sauce spooned over the fish and some finely diced onion and cilantro. You can serve yours over rice if you’d rather not have tacos.

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HIT-AND-RUN GROUPER

Tim Barefoot

I’ve long been a proponent of chumming up a place on the bottom with squid and then feeding grouper a big live bait.

However, afer the last few trips, I’m starting to rethink this tactic because of the number of sharks we’ve been catching.

I’ve never seen as many sharks as we are seeing right now. Te bottom is covered with them, and the top layer of the water column is full of them. Tis past trip, we put out fve Spanish mackerel on light lines hoping for a wahoo bite. We caught fve sharks almost instantly. One of these bites was the biggest tiger shark I’ve ever seen. It was at least 12 feet long and 2 feet wide across the head. Te rest of them were standard 6- to 9-footers; it takes a toll on you to get them to the boat for dehooking.

apart to create a lot of smell down on the bottom. Ten I drop live pinfsh or small snappers to the grouper drawn in by the “chum.”

Lately, I’ve resorted to dropping big, pretty live baits frst to see if we can get a few grouper bites before the taxman arrives, and it’s become a matter of WHEN rather than IF he shows up. It’s “hit-and-run” fshing. We pull up on a nice mark with pinfsh and grunts already rigged on the jig. I hit the spot lock on the Rhodan and drop in for a few good bites. When the sharks show up, we just move up or down the ledge. Lather, rinse and repeat as ofen as needed. Granted, we haven’t boated as many of the smaller snappers or seabass for the cooler, but we’ve caught some beautiful grouper with this “hitand-run” style of bottom banging. Te wahoo are diferent story. We quit putting the light line out due to the instant shark bite. I’ve got to fgure something out for that. From now until the end of October or the frst of November, wahoo will be everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Tey will come inside the edge of the Gulf Stream following big stacks of bait. As usual, some king mackerel fsherman will catch a 100-pounder on a live menhaden in less than 100 feet of water while chasing a tournamentgrade kingfsh.

Between all the American red snappers—which we aren’t allowed to keep—and all the sharks, we’ve been run of of several square miles of bottom lately. Tankfully, we’ve found some of the grouper we’re looking for, but I’m seriously rethinking the “chumming” part of the tactics I usually employ. Normally, I begin on a spot by dropping whole squid on jigs, which the smaller fsh pick

I said all that to say this: We’re going to take more pinfsh and less squid to catch “hit-and-run” grouper. Someone please educate me on a bait that will not catch a red snapper!

For more info on the jigs and bait, check out Tim Barefoot’s YouTube channel and website, barefootcatsandtackle.com.

C-HAWK MITZI SKIFF: & Two Brands, One Philosophy

In the boating world, brand loyalty is earned. Over years, boater experiences with vessels— good and bad, on and of the water—are what build the reputations of boats. It might, or might not, come as a surprise that two brands that have garnered sterling reputations in the industry for functionality and dependability are manufactured by the same builder.

C-Hawk and Mitzi Skif are both built in the U.S.A. with the same philosophy that simplicity leads to vessels that are easier and more afordable to operate and maintain. A simple, well-designed and well-built boat, comes with less hassle, leaving more time to spend on the water. Especially among anglers, this philosophy has built large followings for both brands among people who are more interested in fshing and boating than they are in pampering their pretty boats.

“We build a keep-it-simple-stupid boat. If you want something you can sof scrub at the end of the day and put it away, you’re my guy,” said Brad Grubbs, the owner and manufacturer of C-Hawk and Mitzi Skif. “We set out to make boats that are afordable to operate and afordable to own, and the philosophy has worked.”

Mitzi Skiff

Although Mitzi Skif originated in the 1990s for a singular purpose, the same philosophy for simplicity applies. Fly fshing the fats drove Tom Mitzlaf to design a skif with quiet maneuverability, extremely shallow draf and a clean deck layout to make him a better fsherman. It was simple by necessity, and it revolutionized the industry.

Tree decades later, Mitzi’s line of 15’, 16’and 17’ skifs achieves those purposes exceptionally well, and they have led the way with innovations that make them the fats boats other boat builders imitate. A Mitzi does everything the pricier skifs do, yet they are afordable enough for any angler to own and operate.

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fx it,” Grubbs quipped. Mitzi builds skifs for anglers more interested in fshing than in spending a lot of money.

Te 15’ remains a purpose-built fats boat for one or two anglers to sneak up on wary fsh in super-skinny water. Te 17’ models are more multi-purpose. Tey can fsh three anglers, and while they are primarily a fats boat, they perform admirably as bay boats with a modifed V-hull and an 11-degree deadrise at transom to reduce hull slap. Rolled gunnels knock down spray for an exceptionally dry ride.

Tey are solid and durable for long years of heavy use, and from hideaway pushpole holders to fush-mount hardware, Mitzi delivers clean and stable casting decks designed specifcally for hard-core anglers. www.mitziskifs.com

C-Hawk Boats

C-Hawk has been around since the mid1970s and ofers lines of bombproof 16’ to 29’ center consoles and 22’ to 29’ sport cabins that were originally developed for commercial applications. C-Hawks remain widely used commercially, and many recreational

boaters also see the value in a vessel that’s built to take a beating.

“Really, we just took a commercial-duty boat and put a little lipstick on it,” Grubbs said. “ Te boat is as tough as it ever was. It’s been the same boat for nearly 50 years.”

At their core, C-Hawks are hardcore workhorses, and the center console models have become popular with charter captains because they are built to withstand hard use for years of trouble-free boating. Grubbs pointed to C-Hawk’s 25 CC as a great example of what the brand has become. It’s an extremely stable fshing platform that drafs just 12 inches, and with a 300 horsepower max it’ll take you anywhere you need to go from skinny water to light ofshore duty. What’s more, it’s infnitely customizable from the factory.

“We can mix and match consoles, fsh boxes, full transoms, cut transoms, bare hulls… you name it,” Grubbs said. “ Tere are some recreational guys adding towers and sight fshing for cobia, and such. Everything we do is built around keep it simple, keep it efcient, keep it easy to maintain, keep it cost efective to own and operate. Tey are all unique… no cookie cutter trailer queens here. Te 25 is a great example of what C-Hawk is.” www.chawkboats.net

Every month, I provide tips to help make you a better angler. Tis month’s tip is one of the most important. With so many tackle and gear options on the market these days, staying organized on the water is difcult. Here are a few things I do that make me a more efcient angler because I know exactly where to go when looking for the right tool for the job.

Storage options vary depending on the type of fshing you do. I’m going to stick to bass fshing, but don’t be afraid to alter these tips to your style of fshing.

When storing baits, hooks, line and gear, your No. 1 enemy is moisture. Keeping your tools dry should be a priority because it keeps hooks sharp and everything else rust-free. I store almost everything in waterproof boxes or bags. Tese storage options might be a little more expensive up-front, but when compared to losing a whole box of lures or hooks to rust, your investment will pay for itself many times over.Another good trick I’ve learned is to use DampRid moisture absorbers. Here in Florida, where humidity is high and temperatures fuctuate, condensation builds up in boat compartments. Te best thing to do is to take your tackle out of the boat and move it inside, but this is not an option if you fsh a lot and have a lot of gear. DampRid containers help keep everything safe and dry by absorbing moisture from the air in your boat’s storage compartments.

Now let’s talk about organization. If you’re a bass angler, you have a ton of sof plastics in diferent styles and colors as well as packs of hooks, jigs and weights to fsh them. I use plastic Sterlite containers with latches to store my bags of sof plastics. You can buy them at Walmart. I organize my baits by the type of sof plastic they are, and I label each container. On the water, this makes it easy grab the style of bait I’m looking for. Also, before I leave the house, labels make it easy to load what I think I’ll need for the day and remove what I don’t.

On the hook side of organization, one mistake people make when organizing hooks is to take them out of the original packaging to place them in compartment boxes. Tis is a huge mistake. Hook packs are clearly labeled by size and style, which allows you to quickly identify them on the water. Also, hook packs are designed to keep hooks sharp, untangled and dry. You can store your hooks in a box, but you should leave them in their original packaging.

Hopefully, these tips help you be more efcient on the water and save you some money by protecting your investments.

Tyler Woolcott is a professional tournament angler and guide. Check out his website at www.tylerwoolcottfshing.com.

TYLER WOOLCOTT

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2024 British Silver Britannia: One of The Royal Mint’s flagship coins, this 2024 issue carries the portrait of King Charles III for only the second year ever. Struck in 99.9% fine silver at The Royal Mint.

Your Silver Passport to Travel the World

2024 China Silver Panda: China Silver Pandas have been collectors favorites since their introduction in 1983—noted for their heartwarming one-year-only designs highlighting the maturing of Panda cubs. Struck in 99.9% fine silver at the China Mint.

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Just Released and AVAILABLE NOW!

These amazing, just released 2024 Silver Passport 5-Coin Sets featuring five popular Silver Dollars from around the world are in stock now.

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2024 World Silver 5-Coin Set

Regular Price $249 – Only $199 per set!

FREE SHIPPING: Standard domestic shipping. Not

SAVE $50.00 (over 20%) + FREE SHIPPING