Coastal Angler Magazine | February 2024 | Greater Orlando Edition

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GREATER ORLANDO EDITION

TRIPLETAIL

@CAMTAMagazine

TIPS

BLITZING BASS

RESCUE AT SEA

FEB 14-18

PHOTO CREDIT: KAREN IANNOTTI

VOLUME 29 • ISSUE 347

COASTALANGLERMAG.COM

F R A N C H I S E

O P P O R T U N I T I E S

A V A I L A B L E

FEBRUARY 2024

W O R L D W I D E

S P E N D YO U R T I M E W H E R E I T S TA N D S S T I L L R U N T H E WAT E R ™

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else, here are a few tips to help you hook and land more tripletail.

• Cruise Carefully: Floating at the surface and doing its best to imitate a garbage bag, a tripletail is easy to spot once you develop an eye for it. Run a trap line on plane with a dedicated spotter and you can cover water quickly to locate “trips.” However, you’ll put fish down if you wake them too hard.

Stay at least 30 feet off a trap line or channel markers while prospecting.

When you spot a fish, give it a few minutes to settle and come back to the surface while you bring the boat around to approach with the trolling motor.

A tripletail at ease on the surface is an easy fish to target.

• Consider Your Eyewear: Obviously, polarized glasses are a must when sight fishing anything. The color of your lenses matters, too. It’s worth investing in a couple of good pairs so you can switch out according to conditions. Gray or blue works best in clear water. In dingy water, go with copper or rose lenses.

• Stay Rigged and Ready: If you’re targeting trout, redfish or whatever, keep a tripletail rig on hand and keep an eye out for them when you’re running to a new spot. A good basic rig is a popping cork with a short 20-pound fluorocarbon leader of a foot or less and a 2/0 circle hook. Live shrimp is best, but if you’re fishing artificials, a DOA shrimp or a Gulp! shrimp or crab will also work.

• On Approach: Come at your quarry from down-current and cast well past it so that your bait drifts back in front of its nose. If that cork starts to dance, give it a few seconds before coming tight. Tripletail have small, hard mouths and you want to be sure the fish has taken the bait.

• Fish Small Baits: The reason a tripletail is hanging out on that marker is to eat the small crabs and shrimp that live there. They’re used to small food and have small mouths, which is why they’ll sometimes reject big shrimp.

Pitch small or medium shrimp to them or small baitfish and lures no longer than about 2.5 inches.

• Stick With Them: If a tripletail spooks or goes down, it usually isn’t going far. Try drifting an unweighted bait on a longer 4- or 5-foot leader that will get down deeper on a long drift past your structure. If that doesn’t work, t will soon be the time of year when everyone’s favorite oddball, the go hit your next mark and come back later. There’s a good chance the fish will tripletail, starts moving in closer to shore to hang out on structure or free- be sunbathing happily on the surface when you return. floating debris. Whether you actively sight fish them by running a line of traps and markers or if you just happen to see one while pursuing something For more tips and tricks, visit coastalanglermag.com.

By CAM Staff

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ASING H C

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your veins. Then, bam! The tarpon puts on a show, soaring into the air with moves like no other. It’s a show that leaves even the most seasoned anglers wide-eyed. Those silver kings? They’re not just strong; they’re the rockstars of Islamorada.

Now, let’s talk strategy. These tarpon are known for their spontaneity, so patience is your best friend. When it comes to bait, think live mullet or crabs–the kind of irresistible treats that tarpon just can’t resist. Toss your bait in front of where you think they could be, let it drift back in the current, and patiently watch the magic unfold. When your line starts to load, get ready for a ride. Keep that tension steady, brace yourself for some serious speed, and be prepared for tarpon acrobatics. It’s like a rollercoaster on water, and trust me, you’ll want to savor every twist and turn. When they jump, it’s important to bow your rod toward them to give them the slack so the hook doesn’t pull out.

As you get closer to that leader touch or face grab, remember, gentle is the name of the game. Tarpon have delicate mouths, and going all WWE on them might end in heartbreak. If you’re going out with a guide, I recommend booking more than one day to give yourself better odds of landing a tarpon.

So come late February through March, and the stage will be set for a front-row seat to Islamorada’s Silver King show.

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FLORIDA 3

By Emily Hanzlik

Catch South Florida’s

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own in South Florida, the influx of exotic species is crazy. Most people know about peacock bass and snakeheads, but clown knifefish are a lesser-known exotic that are a blast to catch. You might see these fish rolling on the surface, but they’re tough to catch due to their intelligence.

Clown knifefish are silver in color with black spots along their tail. These fish have a very unique shape that almost resembles the blade of a knife.

Their faces are similar to snook or a tarpon, but they have a huge shoulder right behind their eyes.

4 FLORIDA

FEBRUARY 2024

These fish have a similar texture to freshwater trout, as they have micro scales and a slime coating that makes them smooth to the touch. A fun fact, since their anal fin and tail fin are conjoined, it allows them to undulate and actually swim backward. If you get one boat-side, watch as they back away from the net.

Clown knives are native to southeast Asia. Their popularity as aquarium fish has led to their spread because they quickly outgrow most home aquariums and are released. These fish like warm water, and they are bimodal air-breathers, which means they surface to gulp air if the water is too stagnant. This makes them well-suited to the swamps, lakes, canals and backwater rivers of South Florida. Juveniles school together and hide in roots of plants. When they grow larger, they become solitary but still hunt from the cover of aquatic vegetation.

Clown knifefish spawn in the spring. Research suggests they prefer three straight days of rain before laying and fertilizing eggs. When the time is right, the female lays eggs on a root or some other secure surface. The male then tends the eggs. Even after the eggs hatch, the male will guard the fry until they are large enough to be on their own.

These fish are nocturnal. The best time to catch them is at night, or at dusk or dawn. When the sun is up, they seek refuge under structure or in thick mats of vegetation. Clown knifefish are aggressive ambush predators.

If you walk canal banks at night, you can see their eyes glowing in the beam of a flashlight.

I’ve found the fishing is always best after a rain, as it gets them frenzied.

I use live bait like shiners or shad and freeline them near flowing pipes or in fast-moving canals. If knifefish are there, you’ll see them rolling on the surface. I use a small live bait hook on a 20-pound leader, since they do have sharp teeth. For artificials, a 2- to 3-inch white swimbait or a jig will work.

An exciting option is to fish a white topwater frogs at night.

Remember, when they get to the bank the fight isn’t over. They always come up to say hi, and then quickly back away into the darkness.

The current IGFA all-tackle world record is 14-pound, 8-ounce fish caught from Florida’s Lake Ida in 2018 by Michael Donvito.

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Emily Rose Hanzlik holds 62 IGFA world records in various categories.

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Hello fellow anglers, families and friends, another tournament has come and gone. This last tournament was a tough one to start the new year. Weather pattern changes created quite a challenge and our teams struggled. All in all, team James Crew and Ben Brackett lead the club with their best finish at 28th place with 6.98 lbs. on Sunday 1/7. There were more than 100 teams fishing. While the fishing was difficult, the three teams that travelled all had fun and learned more about lake Seminole in Bainbridge Ga. While we do fish the Big O in February, we are now asking for your help Come fish with the Seminole Junior Anglers club for the St Johns River Bass Bash! We are holding our 10th annual fundraiser tournament February 24th on Lake Monroe including parts of the St Johns River launching out of the beautifully renovated Wayside Park in Sanford under the I-4 bridge at safe daylight. The weigh-in will be around the corner hosted at Boat Tree Marina. There will be a guaranteed $1500.00 1st place payout (35 boats minimum) along with 2nd and 3rd place payouts and a big fish pot. There will also be giveaways, lots of raffle prizes and food. $125 per boat to enter and 100% of the money goes towards the club’s expenses in our group.

Please mark it on your calendar and come support these young anglers and see some of the area’s best local bass anglers bring their catch to the scales. Coastal Angler Magazine’s Phil Wolf will be the weighmaster and will be live on FB. Email seminolejunioranglers@gmail.com to register and lock in your boat launch number!

As always, we could not do it without our sponsors! Our title sponsors; Coastal Angler Magazine Orlando, Avid Sportswear, Mudhole Custom Tackle, Accurate Fence, Grove Scientific and Engineering Co, Mullinax Ford, Dave’s Hot Chicken, and Oakley.

We hope to see you on the water - If you have a young angler, and they would like to fish with our club. Please call Coach Troy Bennett about joining SJA for next season. Troy Bennett - 321-303-0650.

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FEBRUARY 2024

ORLANDO

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SAVE the DATE

Meeting: Thursday, March 7th Events: Tuesday, March 12th Tuesday, March 19th Tuesday, March 26th

Presenting Sponsor

Jolly Gator Bass Series Begins in March

By Phil Wolf, Co-Publisher Coastal Angler Magazine

March always starts our new season on the first Tuesday after Daylight Savings time, March 12th this year. This tournament has been running for so many years that we have lost track, Orlando Coastal Angler Magazine’s staff has been involved for 10 years now.

Co-publisher Phil Wolf is the official Weighmaster for these events - pics and results can be reviewed on the Coastal Angler Magazine Orlando Face Book page.

Thursday March 7th at 6:30 pm, Jolly Gator Fish Camp Bar & Grill will be the host for our annual Team registration meeting as well as the weigh-in site for all events next to CS Lee Park and ramp. These events are open to all 2 angler teams, $40 fee per event.

Events are every Tuesday evening and one Saturday per month until our end of year Classic in mid-August.

Pay-out is one place per 7 boats and $10 per boat for Big-Bass of the event. Teams that finish in the top 10 in points or win an event and fish or pay for at least 20 events all qualify for the end of season Classic. The team with the most points at the end of our season along with the “Big Bass” of year will also win big bucks for their efforts. This Central Florida Bass Series has grown to be one the areas’ largest averaging over 25 boats per event the last several seasons.

4

ORLANDO

FEBRUARY 2024

Over $10,000 bucks was paid out at last year’s Classic Event! Some of the area’s best anglers fish with us, so if you think you want to give it a shot come and join us for a weekly event. All Tuesday fishing starts at 5pm and launches at CS Lee Park next to Jolly Gator just east of Sanford on SR 46 at the St Johns River Bridge.

Saturday events start at safe light till 2pm.

The public is welcome at our events to watch our anglers bring their daily catches to the scales. Jolly Gator restaurant recently renovated after the flood has great food and some of the coldest beer in town.

Come join us for our events and become a regular fan.

COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THE ANGLERMAG.COM

Water levels have dropped, and the water flow has slowed. Largemouth bass, black crappie and American shad are February target species.

The spawn is on! Shallow beds during full and new moon phases will produce the biggest bass all year.

Bass and shiners are synonymous in February. Slow trolling large wild shiners in pre-spawn areas (not more than 500ft. from the beds), can yield the monster bass you’re looking for.

Catch, photo, and release these large female fish for the reproductive cycle to complete. Choose artificial baits that mimic predators of eggs, namely: lizards, shiners, and bream.

Lipless Rattle Trap style crank baits, plastic lizards, and shallow surface lures work great. Look for sunshine bass feeding at first light near the mouth of the lakes, especially the west side of Lake Monroe near Interstate 4.

Speckled perch (crappie) are feasting every chance they get during the

spawn. Minnows are plentiful in the river system and grass shrimp round out their diet. Jigs slowly trolled (tipped with minnows) along channel edges is a sure bet. Watch your depth recorder in the river bends while trolling and you will learn to see them before they strike the lures. Crappie spawn in colonies and bunch up – locate them and troll many passes for a bucketful of good eating. Florida limit is 25 per person.

Check local regulations if you fish in lakes.

Shad are in full swing; go get them while they last. Small tandem jigs trolled against the current at 1.5 to 2.0 mph should get a strike in shad alley – between Mullet Lake Park and Puzzle Lake. If the minnow hatch continues like it did in January, make sure to choose small baits, 1.0 to 1.25 inches long. Use your pocket knife or small scissors to trim the tail off small jigs.

15th Annual Shad and Crappie Derby – Derby ends February 29, 2024, at sunset. Hurry, there is still time to win! Visit www.coastalanglermag. com/orlando to learn how to register.

While you’re there check out the Derby photo gallery and see the competition.

February is the month that bass anglers wait all year long to catch huge 5 bass limits on the Harris Chain of Lakes. Successful angler catches are being made by finding schools of fish staged along offshore grass that is close to shallow water flats and spawning areas. With the up-coming new moon around mid-month and full moon on the 24th, plus our recent cool snaps - water temperatures will be sending the big females to answer mother nature’s calling.

Try your luck fishing with white spinnerbaits and bladed jigs.

You can fish these baits near lily pads and other grasses. Baitfish hide near structure for shade and protection, and to ambush prey.

Areas with hydrilla hold all sorts

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of bait and bass. Try your bottom machine graph and look for deeper grasses that are near canals, docks, or bridges. Weightless flukes in white, copper field, and watermelon red are another bait to have tied on with this cooler weather. Twitch, twitch pause is the cadence that seems to make your bait dart back and forth. Lipless crankbaits in bright orange or chrome blue can really make for some fun days of fishing when they are feeding on baitfish. A yo-yo technique can trigger reaction strikes. Cast them out and vary your retrieve until you get bites then repeat.

Topwater baits are a great way to get explosive strikes too. A walkthe-dog lure or popper or Evergreen Pencil popper are good to catch them. Check the canals all over the chain for the bedding females. Take care of these fish when caught and take time to release big females for the future brood stock.

FEBRUARY 2024

ORLANDO

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CENTRAL EAST COAST FEBRUARY 2024 DAY

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TIME

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Miami Beach, Government Cut

1TH 12:29 AM 1.89 H 6:10 AM 0.27 L 12:33 PM 1.84 H 6:35 PM 0.03 L 2F 1:17 AM 1.83 H 6:59 AM 0.36 L 1:16 PM 1.77 H 7:25 PM 0.03 L 3SA 2:12 AM 1.8 H 7:57 AM 0.43 L 2:08 PM 1.72 H 8:24 PM 0 L 4SU 3:16 AM 1.81 H 9:01 AM 0.44 L 3:10 PM 1.71 H 9:27 PM -0.07 L 5M 4:23 AM 1.88 H 10:06 AM 0.39 L 4:19 PM 1.78 H 10:30 PM -0.21 L 6TU 5:27 AM 2.02 H 11:06 AM 0.26 L 5:26 PM 1.92 H 11:28 PM -0.37 L 7W 6:25 AM 2.19 H 12:02 PM 0.08 L 6:27 PM 2.11 H 8TH 12:23 AM -0.54 L 7:17 AM 2.38 H 12:54 PM -0.12 L 7:24 PM 2.3 H 9F 1:15 AM -0.67 L 8:05 AM 2.53 H 1:45 PM -0.33 L 8:17 PM 2.48 H 10SA 2:06 AM -0.73 L 8:51 AM 2.63 H 2:34 PM -0.51 L 9:08 PM 2.6 H

11SU 2:56 AM -0.72 L 9:37 AM 2.67 H 3:23 PM -0.63 L 9:59 PM 2.65 H 12M 3:46 AM -0.64 L 10:22 AM 2.64 H 4:12 PM -0.69 L 10:51 PM 2.62 H 13TU 4:37 AM -0.48 L 11:08 AM 2.54 H 5:03 PM -0.66 L 11:43 PM 2.52 H 14W 5:30 AM -0.29 L 11:56 AM 2.39 H 5:56 PM -0.56 L 15TH 12:38 AM 2.37 H 6:26 AM -0.07 L 12:47 PM 2.21 H 6:53 PM -0.42 L 16F 1:36 AM 2.2 H 7:26 AM 0.12 L 1:43 PM 2.04 H 7:55 PM -0.28 L 17SA 2:41 AM 2.05 H 8:31 AM 0.26 L 2:46 PM 1.9 H 9:01 PM -0.17 L 18SU 3:50 AM 1.96 H 9:38 AM 0.33 L 3:55 PM 1.83 H 10:05 PM -0.12 L 19M 4:58 AM 1.95 H 10:41 AM 0.33 L 5:02 PM 1.84 H 11:05 PM -0.12 L 20TU 5:57 AM 1.99 H 11:37 AM 0.28 L 6:00 PM 1.9 H 11:58 PM -0.14 L

PONCE INLET (Halifax River)

PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE

SEBASTIAN INLET BRIDGE

TIME OFFSET High +5 min / Low +33 min HEIGHT OFFSET High *1.18 ft / Low *1 ft

TIME OFFSET High -64 min / Low -38 min HEIGHT OFFSET High *1.5 ft / Low *1.43 ft

TIME OFFSET High -48 min / Low -24 min HEIGHT OFFSET High *.93 ft / Low *1.0 ft

CAPE CANAVERAL

CANOVA BEACH

SEBASTIAN (IRL)

TIME OFFSET High -66 min / Low -44 min HEIGHT OFFSET High *1.5 ft / Low *1.42 ft

TIME OFFSET High -53 min / Low -26 min HEIGHT OFFSET High *1.49 ft / Low *1.5 ft

TIME OFFSET High 92 min / Low 156 min HEIGHT OFFSET High *.15 ft / Low *.5 ft

ORLANDO

FEBRUARY 2024

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6:46 AM 2.06 H 12:27 PM 0.19 L 6:50 PM 1.98 H 22TH 12:44 AM -0.18 L 7:27 AM 2.13 H 1:10 PM 0.1 L 7:33 PM 2.06 H 23F 1:26 AM -0.2 L 8:04 AM 2.19 H 1:49 PM 0 L 8:13 PM 2.13 H 24SA 2:04 AM -0.21 L 8:38 AM 2.23 H 2:25 PM -0.07 L 8:50 PM 2.17 H 25SU 2:40 AM -0.18 L 9:10 AM 2.23 H 2:59 PM -0.13 L 9:26 PM 2.2 H 26M 3:14 AM -0.13 L 9:42 AM 2.21 H 3:31 PM -0.15 L 10:02 PM 2.19 H 27TU 3:47 AM -0.05 L 10:14 AM 2.15 H 4:03 PM -0.15 L 10:38 PM 2.16 H 28W 4:19 AM 0.04 L 10:46 AM 2.08 H 4:34 PM -0.12 L 11:15 PM 2.11 H 29TH 4:53 AM 0.15 L 11:18 AM 1.99 H 5:09 PM -0.09 L

In West lake Toho, the bass bite is right on schedule. The females are in shallow water spawning on the beds. This is the best time to put the trolling motor in and hunt for bass beds. One of the most important tools is a good pair of polarized glasses to cut the glare off the water. Bait of choice will be anything that you can see in the bass bed that the fish will pick up. My favorite color and soft plastic are white senkos. Most fish are being caught in the Kissimmee grass in 2 to 3 feet of water. Sandy areas are best.

Bass will go back to the same bedding areas, and in a month’s time, several bass will use the same bed over and over. Live wild shiners will produce even bigger bass during the spawn. I prefer wild shiners 8 to 12 inch-

The crappie bite is right on time in the Kissimmee chain. Look for the crappie to be spawning in shallow water around any vegetation like lily pads, reeds, and Kissimmee grass. The males will be the first ones in, competing for spawning areas. The males will be smaller, and their tails will be all shredded up from fanning the beds. The male crappies will be aggressive, ready to eat anything near the bed. Bait of choice is minnow on a gold hook under a float. Now the key is to keep coming back every few days and you will find the big females will come in. One other thing to check is, outside the edge of the grass line, sometimes when the males are in the female crappie stack outside, then slowly move in and you can really work them over. Always practice safe boating - check out SeaTow.com.

U

A

Okeechobee.

Fishing on the big O has been nothing short of wonderful, with customers catching their personal best bass and limits of good-sized crappie. The bigger bass have, for the most part, been caught fishing with live shiners.

Customers who enjoy throwing lures to catch their PB have been successful with plastics such as worms and flipping-style lures like a Gene Larew salt craw or tube. Customers often ask when wanting to book a trip “can we fish with live bait and throw some artificial lures in the same trip”? The answer is yes, this type of fishing day accomplishes several things…customers can fish with live bait if they have never tried it before and lure fishing, which gives the customers opportunities to ask questions and learn some new techniques. Typically, when young kids are involved, I often suggest live-bait fishing which can offer more action on the water and something the kids will remember having fun fishing Lake

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When it comes to crappie trips, jigging for them in the shallows around the beds yields limits. Customers who book a “speck” trip will learn a new technique and go home with one of the best tasting freshwater fish you can eat so don’t wait to book. The season to fish for crappies is now until around mid-April, then it will be bluegill time moving into the summer months. New crappie anglers to Lake Okeechobee who are looking for a good place to start, try Harney Pond canal. Work the edge of the canal on a slow troll with minnows or jig slowly along the edge. HP canal offers cover from the wind when you just can’t get out on the big lake.

Plastic colors for crappie: chartreuse; green; white/blue; orange; black or white colored jig head.

If you need help, just ask! To book your fun-filled, productive day fishing Lake Okeechobee call/text me at 863-228-7263. www.southfloridabassfishing.com For all your tackle and live bait needs stop by Big Water Bait & Tackle in Lakeport just West of Harney Pond canal and see Jack or Kathy.

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Community Service Providers Triangle Marine

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popping bug.

I have thoroughly High School Bass fishing clubs are continuing to grow all throughout enjoyed hearing the popping the state of Florida. Now more thanbug three hundred clubs and more get hit. Daytime anglers are than 800 anglers fish tournaments incatching our stategood and the numbers are numbers fishing growing. To actually win one of these become more and theevents shallowhas bedding areas.

Bait of cricketsfishing fishedwith under more difficult because of the great choice young isanglers thea Another good area to fish is new trend in using today’s available float. electronics. canals when the water is flowing,

trolling will only trigger more bites.

Right our Greater Orlando area the hot pair of Westhere Lakein Toho - The summer Crappie - Anglers areanglers fishing from open bass Florida’s” bite has team beenof improving “Club Tommy Rust andforDylan Quilatan hastipped won water crappie using jigs the best times to fish in the 2 with of these events back-to-back.

As all anglers know luck sometimes with a minnow.

Anglers trolling morning late evening. are catching goodgiant limits of isearly a part of the and winner’s secret likejigs catching a 6-pound bass Summer rains have kept the flood crappie. The key is to find them only 5 minutes before weigh-in time culling a 14-ounce squeaker control gates open every few suspended in open water. indays. your 5The bass bag quality limit. Not so for this pair of young anglers. The water is clear. pair won the recent Bassproducing Nation High School event in December on Goblins Cove is still East Lake Toho - Bass fishing on good numbers of bass - fishing the famed Lake Okeechobee with a East 5 bassLake bag has limitbeen weighing good 20.42 using with live shiners byover hydrilla. pounds, anchored the “Big Bass”artificial of the baits day atearly more than 7 The lbs. morning.

Fish recently the boatRust runs’and entrances at fished Most Quilatan the MLF Basswill Series best place to fish be atHigh the sunrisetournament for good topon water edgesofofLakes the cattails.

Then move School the action.

Harris Chain catching a record Every morning at sunrise, bass to open water as the morning setting bass limit of 29 pounds This giant bag was over 8 lbs. can be5 found schooling on shad;plus!. progresses. anglers heavier thanthere the is next best of 240 College TeamsMost weighing in theare 3 anywhere flow.

It usually flipping open water pepper grass days championship. maybematts a little, but these Florida lastsof 30 minutes afterLuck, sunrise. with good success. team Fish Big beetle anddoing smallwhat M-5 it the anglers workspins hard on takesdeeper to get edges bites and thengrass catchof the Rapalas best. in the boat. them and work put them watermelon seed, Junebug, and Bluegill - I have been trying a new

red colors work best.

After withATroy the club director and coach for tacticspeaking this summer. goodBennett, way to Panfish Fish open water shell the Seminole Anglers here in Seminole- County, he mentioned beat the heat.Junior I have been fishing beds with red wigglers. If you are that this pair of fished with 2 seasons and for he dinner, would at nighttime in anglers the canals using a them looking to fill theago cooler fly rod, throwing popping bugs up the have loved to have the pair fishing withopen his club thisshell year.beds He said water are against bank.

On a good they are the strong anglers and moon are excited them. The Seminole Jr. hard for to beat. phase, have the bluegill will crush theas well, their club has been honored Anglers a great track record as winning club of the year back-to-back the last 2 years in a row, which to date has never been done. They also have to their credit 3 Team of the Year awards in the past 7 years with the team of brothers Davis and Bryce DiMauro winning the honored title in back-to-back years. To date this has not been repeated. Bryce started his freshman bass trips which getting are typical for this past fall at Bryan College in Dalton Tennessee, a Fullthis time of year. The month of Ride scholarship from their bass fishing team program.

Congrats to September is when to start thinking of booking your bass fishingKeep trip, these young anglers for their dedication and hard work efforts. it up and good things will happen! as the females start to feed up

Fishing Lake Okeechobee in August can be challenging but fun!

Challenging due to hot temperatures, possible afternoon thunderstorms and lower water levels. Now is a good time to brush up on your deeper water angling skills whether its fishing in the Kissimmee River or the Canal system. Bass like the deeper, cooler water temperatures tie on those deep diving crank baits.

Along with crank baits, a CarolinaRig (c-rig) or a texas-rigged big worm will produce some quality bass.

In the early morning hours have a hard top water lure tied on like a bang-a-lure or devils horse and aim at the edges working the lure out about 20-25 ft as you go along the rock-bottom in the River and Canals. If you’re fishing the lake, some areas of the lake are showing signs of algae which is normal this time of year.

while they make their way into the shallows for the early spawn time.

It’s also the time to book your fall crappie trip too. Good fishing areas: parts of the shoal; Dupree Bar; Dyess ditch and Horse Island and Indian Prairie. Tin house has been solid throughout the season for crappie, bass and bream, work your way up towards 3rd and 2nd point where you’ll find some bass feeding on the bedding bream. A few areas on Kings Bar have been good and the water looks perfect.

To book you’re next fun-filled, productive and educational fishing trip call me at 863-228-7263 or log onto my website to check out the customers and their catches; hotel recommendations; guide rates and etc. Capt Angie’s sponsors are: Caymas boats and Toho Marine; Lews; G-Loomis; BnM Poles; MidSouth Tackle; Maui Jim; Gill; Bullet Weights; Road Runner; Real Magic; Tru Turn hooks; Mega Strike; Gene Larew; Pradco Brands and BUFF USA.

What’s biting now? I’ve been taking bream trips; fingerling catfish and

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Wind and more wind, go away already. Near shore fishing has been great and should continue. Massive schools of redfish have been sighted near the port and around the tip of Cape Canaveral. Look for the birds diving and there is a good chance that they’re on them. There have been large bunker schools around, so take the time and look. The bunker (menhaden shad) may not be flipping so watch your machine and look for mud balls. The reds will eat anything you throw in the school, bucktails, bunker, and of course shrimp.

They’re all big and upwards of 35 lbs. so handle with care and release them to continue their spawn.

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Many of my offshore trips turned into port trips and beach trips if we were lucky with a west wind. If you want to catch a bunch of fish and keep the kids happy, get a few dozen live shrimp and have fun. The way we do our beach fishing is with medium

Troy Perez 321-607-2033 capt.troyperez@gmail.com Red fishing has definitely picked up in the Mosquito Lagoon. We have been catching tons of small redfish which is a good sign for the fishery.

February can be some of the best sight fishing in the lagoon on nice sunny, crisp blue-sky days following a cold front. No clouds make it great for throwing flies, spoons and jigs while poling along the shorelines. On colder nights the fish go deeper which means it could only be 2-3 feet deeper and in the mud.

The redfish, trout and black drum will bunch up together and these are generally smaller fish. As it gets warmer during the day they will spread out on the flats. Up to 90% of my black drum are caught on 1/8 - 1/2 oz. jig heads with a piece of shrimp on it. Most of the trout are caught on 1/8 oz. Mission Fishin jig heads with white paddle tails, we prefer Wyze Guyz Tackle paddle tails. On cloudy days look for mullet on the shorelines. If it 12

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FEBRUARY 2024

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rods and light tackle while using a 1/0 circle hook with 20-pound leader to a small swivel then mainline. On the mainline use a 1 or 1.5 oz egg sinker.

This is the typical fish finder rig which works great and is very basic. Everything eats a shrimp. Shark fishing has been on fire as well. Large blacktips, hammerhead and blacknose have been plentiful. A bunch of bull sharks too.

Offshore on the days we can get out have been great, but this is also the time of year that the kings are picky.

If they don’t have a live bunker or threadfin flashed in front of their face they won’t eat. You will literally watch everyone around you hooked up and they will not touch a dead spinning minnow. You really must put the effort in right now to catch the live baits.

Last year this time was the best cobia run. Many of the giants were caught in February, it was even better than March. Take advantage of those sunny days and go look around. 55-foot depths seem to be the most productive this time of year. Patrick has always been productive. The rays are showing up! Have a great month and good luck. www.firedupcharters.com

is windy, soak cut bait like mullet, pinfish or ladyfish on the windward shorelines. Generally, if there is mullet or a good current around a point, it is usually the best place to fish. This time of year, the giant schools of large black drum are still around. They can be found around bridges, pilings and on the flats eating pieces of crab, whole shrimp, Gulp shrimp and you can try flies also.

In the ocean, the very large schools of black drum are on the beaches. They usually eat a Troy Perez Lure Co. 5/8 oz. bucktail jig, whatever color you like. They also eat flies well, but you should use sinking fly line. The black drum can get over 80 pounds! Tripletail fishing should start to pick up on the weeds and buoys depending on the water temp reaching 68 degrees. Use live shrimp on tripletail at the buoys. Cobia will show up along the weed lines and on bait pods depending on the water temperature and bait. Troy’s fishing tip for February: Spring is around the corner - perform maintenance now - make sure your trailer and boat are ready to go.

g a 1/0 er to a On the sinker. which . Evfishing blackknose of bull

get out so the picky. ker or ir face watch up and inning he efe baits. t cobia caught r than e sun55-foot roduchas alys are th and s.com

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large on the a Troy tail jig, y also ld use drum ipletail up on ending 68 deipletail ow up n bait r teming tip nd the e now d boat

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It would be easy to pass February off as a time to let the fishing gear rest and tackle some of that maintenance needed to be prepared for the soon to come spring and summer season.

Those people lying low can certainly fill that time making sure everything is ready for their angling adventures to come, but not keeping a trained eye on the weather will have them missing some great fishing opportunities. February is notorious for winter’s grip holding tight with consistent cold fronts keeping those lagoon temperatures in their lowest range of the year.

When those winds blow cold it will be a lot harder to find a bite in all but the deepest canals and dredged holes. However, for those paying attention and watching the weather some windows of prime conditions can be found when the frontal winds calm, and clear skies have the chance to warm the shallower waters.

On those magic days the flats and shorelines adjacent to the deeper water refuges will fill with predators looking to not only warm themselves, but also get a bite to eat. These fish will be lethargic for the most part due to the cold. So, plan accordingly with smaller offerings and even some live bait like freelined mud minnows can be needed to get the hit.

One big target on the list will be the snook that has been so prolific in our lagoons the last few years. Threse fish are particularly susceptible to cold temperatures as they are considered a subtropical species. Though, if you find the right shoreline and the right warming conditions you can have chances at some great fishing. This is also a great time to get in on seatrout action.

They pile into the deeper holes and canals in mass and are always willing to keep a rod bent regardless of your angling proficiency. This is where all our canal front Islanders can shine, even more so if you have a light on your dock. Those cool early morning deepwater sessions will not only get you plenty of fish, but your chances at hooking a true monster seatrout are high.

I personally have all too fond memories of hitting some of the undeveloped canals with my father on the coldest days of the year. The banks and fishing holes in the trees would be lined with locals all looking to find those hefty trout looking to stay warm for the night. Long gone are the undeveloped canals for land fishing, but kayaks work great for this action. Imitation or live shrimp freelined or under a popping cork is a time-tested way to catch as many seatrout as you would like, soft plastic paddle tail lures will also hook plenty of fish for the artificial crowd.

Black Drum also makes a solid showing for lagoon bound kayak anglers. They can vary in size from small fun ones to absolute sea monsters. Shrimp or crab are a must to be successful in this game when you find them on the flats, in the mangroves, or on the bridges.

14

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COASTAL ANGLER GREATER ORLANDO

FOR ADVERTISING INQUIRIES, CONTACT PHIL WOLF

phillip@coastalanglermagazine.com 407.790.9515 coastalanglermag.com/orlando

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Capt. Rick Burns Capt. Chris Cameron Capt. Angie Douthit Capt. Randy DuMars Capt. Alex Gorichky Charlie McCullough Capt. Troy Perez Phil Wolf

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Keith and Thomas winners of the Bass Division with over 20 plus pounds and 1st repeat winners! Hook’d On Lake Monroe

Bray Gilman & Grady Yates with 4 giant bass caught in a private pond mid January totaling over 35 lbs.

Crappie Addicts Owner Brian and his partner Greg were all smiles with the big win! Hook’d On Lake Monroe

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Chad Christian with “Big Bass of the Day” honors, winning the side pot.

Hook’d On Lake Monroe

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Fish Methodically When the Bite Slows PHOTO COURTESY OF KNOCKIN TAIL LURES®.

By Capt. Michael Okruhlik

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recently had a stretch of tough fishing days that called for a thorough covering of a cove to find what I was looking for. Over the next few paragraphs, I’ll cover what changes I made that saved the day, and I think you will see the logic in my decision and possibly implement this method when you find yourself in a slow-bite situation. Keep in mind, I typically don’t have the patience to utilize this approach, as it is very methodical, leaving no stone unturned, so to speak, but it can and did pay off.

During a normal wade, I only target the sweet zones, but when they are not there or not feeding, I map out a deliberate path where I cover every inch of the area, twice. Depending on whether I start from the shore or from offshore via a boat or kayak, I will choose a direction to wade. For this example, let’s say I walked in and started from the bank. I will slowly walk out to the maximum depth I want to fish casting to my right, left and straight ahead. I vary my retrieve speed, depth and action throughout until I find what the fish are looking for. Once I reach the farthest point I want to cover, I make a 90-degree turn and walk about the distance of a long cast as I continue casting right, left, and straight ahead. Once I reach that point, I turn another 90 degrees and head back toward the shore repeating the same casting process.

One direction will be covering the same water I just fished but from a different angle. At times, this can make a difference and entice the bite, depending on how they are staged on the structure or the direction they are swimming through the area.

Once my cast has reached the shore, I may decide to change lure size or type. Once again, I turn 90 degrees and repeat the process. During a tough bite, you need to pull out all the stops. This is not the time to be stuck in a rut of what typically works or what your favorite fishing style may be.

It’s important to change your retrieve style and speed. Don’t let a slow bite convince you that inactive fish will only eat a slowly presented lure. Many times, a faster erratic retrieve is what gets them to strike. Cover the gamut and see what works.

I rarely use this method, as it is tedious. However, if I have high confidence in the area and the fish are inactive or possibly deeper or shallower than I anticipated, working methodically has paid off, and I learn something new each time it does.

Take a kid, and even a tough day of catching will still be a good day of fishing.

•A

•SUP •ENH •99%

Capt. Michael Okruhlik is the inventor of Knockin Tail Lures®, and the owner of www.MyCoastOutdoors.com.

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TIPS FROM A PRO

FISH TOPWATER TO LOCATE SPAWNERS

Shallow flats adjacent to deeper water are preferred spawning grounds, and a topwater is one of my favorite ways to cover water and locate productive areas. Whether it be a frog, walking bait, prop bait or buzzbait doesn’t matter. Pick your confidence lure and chuck it around to see if you can get some bites. Typically, a bass on a bed will show itself TYLER WOOLCOTT to some form of topwater, even if it doesn’t actually eat it. They might eat it, or they might just wake behind it or swirl on it. Curiosity and his time of year, in some parts of the country and especially in the South, bass are about to start transitioning to protectiveness of the area typically gets the best of them this time of year, and a topwater is an awesome way to move up on beds and spawn. cover a lot of water to find productive Whether you’re fishing from shore in areas. a pond or by boat in a big lake, this Once you’ve located some fish, time of year is prime time for making slow down with something like a memories because the biggest fish wacky worm to pick up some of the in the lake become more visible and other fish in the area. Typically, bass more vulnerable to anglers. prefer to spawn next to some sort As the bass spawn rolls northward of cover or structure, so keep this with warming temperatures over the in mind. They will use grass, trees, next few months, keep the following docks, rocks, sand, or pretty much tips in mind. For the most part, I do anything hard to make a bed for their the same things, whether I’m fishing eggs. Find a shallow area with plenty for big Southern largemouths or of objects you can cast to, and there’s smallmouths up north. In a nutshell, a good chance bass will be around it I’ll fish through areas fairly quickly in some stage of the spawn. until I find some aggressive fish and The biggest bass I’ve ever caught then slow down and pick them apart was during the spawn in 2013. It with something slower. This is when weighed 13 pounds, 1 ounce and is I can also look for beds with my eyes pictured here. Get out there and find to sight fish. some big egg-laden females over the The spawn is triggered by a few key factors. Major moon phases, whether it be a full moon or a new next few months, and there’s decent chance you’ll get to take a photo moon, along with a general warming weather trend are the triggers for with your new personal best. bass to move up and start their spawn. Staying on top of these factors will Tyler Woolcott is a professional tournament angler and guide. tell you when fish are likely to be moving shallow at your lake. Then you Check out his website at www.tylerwoolcottfishing.com. can go find them and put them in the boat.

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“We have 10-plus guides using them on the west coast of Florida,” said C-Hawk Boats Owner Brad Grubbs.

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In Chesapeake Bay, it’s a crab boat.”

to commercial-application standards. They are designed to withstand hard use for years of trouble-free boating, and you can customize your C-Hawk from the factory in any way that suits your purpose.

At its core, the C-Hawk 25cc is a hard-core workhorse with a 300 horsepower maximum that will take you anywhere you need to go. Its 9’6” beam allows it to float in very skinny water with just a 12” draft, and it is also extremely stable, which should appeal for bottomfishing, diving and any other pursuit where a stable platform is preferred.

“We can mix and match consoles, fish boxes, full transoms, cut transoms, bare hulls… you name it,” Grubbs said. “There are some recreational guys adding towers and sight fishing for cobia, and such. Everything we do is built around keep it simple, keep it efficient, keep it easy to maintain, keep it cost effective to own and operate. They are all unique… no cookie cutter trailer queens here. The 25 is a great example of what C-Hawk is.”

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NATIONAL 11

BLITZING BASS INVADE

EARLY SEASON ESTUARIES

By Nick Carter

S

triped bass are king along the crags and marshes of the Massachusetts North Shore, and each year around the first week of May something very interesting takes place. They call it the early season in this stretch of coastline north of Boston, and it can bring on some of the fastest action of the year.

All the baitfish—the herring, the sand eels, the silversides and bunker— push into the estuaries in search of warmer water temperatures. Big schools of striped bass move in with them. It leads to classic bass blitzes, when pods of stripers push bait up to boil on the surface as birds hammer them from above.

You can bet Matt Zimmerman, owner of Back Eddy Charters out of Beverly, Mass., will be there in the middle of the melee standing in the water waving a stick in the air.

“I fly fish pretty much everywhere for everything, but it’s better early season,” he said. “You can use a slower presentation, mimic smaller baits, and cover the water column a lot better with a fly.”

Historically, the pattern produced 40-fish days of smaller 14- to 26-inch stripers, known as “schoolies.” However, recent years have seen an uptick in larger 26- to 30-inch fish in the early season.

“That’s great for fishing, but it’s not a great sign for the fishery,” Zimmerman said.

If you haven’t heard, fisheries managers are scrambling to prop up Atlantic striper populations. Since 2019, striper reproduction on the Eastern Seaboard has been dismal due to weather conditions. Emergency action reduced the recreational limit to one fish in a slot limit from 28 to 31 inches, and more restrictive measures may be on the horizon.

“The regs? I’m all catch and release, so it hasn’t impacted me too much,” Zimmerman said. “They’re trying to get the stocks up, but most of what we’re seeing is slot fish and up.”

That’s not necessarily the case in the early season, which Zimmerman said is a time when you can just park the truck and wade in.

“Most of the time I fish from a boat,” he said. “But early season, when there’s lots of fish in the river, it’s easier and you can catch more fish wading from shore.”

Zimmerman fishes 5- to 8-weight rods and leaders of straight 20- or 30-pound monofilament. Intermediate sinking lines allow for good depth control, and a handful of Clousers and Deceivers are all you need. Zimmerman suggested 4- to 6-inch patterns and colors of green/white, yellow/white and gray/white.

The fishing is best on the last three hours of an outgoing tide or the first couple hours of an incoming tide, when the bait moves around and incites feeding activity. This river bite is Zimmerman’s go-to pattern for about a month, after which he’ll move out to the beaches and rocky islands, where huge stripers herd bait and slam 6- to 8-inch Hollow Fleyes.

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arly in my career, I fished out of Venice, Louisiana. On off days, we fished inshore and roadside, which produced incredible catches like bull reds, 100-pound alligator gar and 70-pound blue cats. It was nothing to complain about, but my heart is always offshore. The offshore fishing off Venice is topnotch for yellowfin tuna, wahoo, marlin and swordfish, but the gas bill was too much for me to get out there as anything but crew.

One evening, I was invited on an offshore trip and was told I got to plan the route. I ecstatically hit my Hilton’s offshore report to check the salinity chart and decided to hit an overlooked rig called Moxie.

We headed out the next morning, caught bait and arrived at the rig. This rig sits in shallower waters and is a bit off the path for rig hopping, so it is often passed by. I was surprised to see another boat when we arrived. The bottom machine lit up with giant marks, and we tossed out our baits.

I was running the deck and focused on the back of the boat, but I kept hearing the captain comment on the other boat. It seemed like they were diving, but they didn’t have a dive flag up. I heard him say the boat looked to be sitting

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low in the water. All of a sudden, Capt. Travis Mayeux started screaming, “LINES IN, LINES IN!” I was reeling everything up as quickly as I could when he pushed the boat to full throttle. I wasn’t sure what was going on until I had the lines secured and I turned around. The motors of the other boat had gone under, and the bow reached for the sky before slipping away. The boat sank in seconds.

By the time we got to the scene, most of the flotsam had been carried away by the currents. We rescued the spearfishermen, one Pelican case and a fish bag.

We ended our trip and took the spearfishers back to the dock. Their wallets and keys sank offshore, so they called Plaquemines Parish Sheriff ’s Office to get into their truck. The deputy ran their names, and one of them had an outstanding warrant. He was taken to jail for the weekend. It was a rough day for those guys, but it could have been much worse.

Fishing offshore oil rigs provides a false sense of security. You are still very much offshore even though you are near a structure. The crew on those rigs are not lifeguards and are not paying attention to you. Considering how quickly the debris dispersed and how unfished that rig was, those fellas were very lucky we were there that day.

Capt. Quinlyn Haddon guides with Sweet E’nuf Charters, out of Marathon, Florida Keys. Contact her at (504) 920-6342, captainquinlyn.com or @captainquinlyn.

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By Nick Carter

I

f a truly giant largemouth bass is on your bucket list, make plans to visit O.H. Ivie Lake in Texas over the next few months. Last year, this 19,000acre impoundment of the Colorado River burst onto the scene as the hottest big bass lake in the nation. A string of 17 monster largemouths from January through April kept O.H. Ivie in the headlines, and 10 of them were caught in February.

And when we say monster, we’re not talking about 8- to 10-pounders, we’re talking about 13-plus-pound behemoths. According to data from Toyota ShareLunker, Texas’ trophy bass recognition and breeding program, February is the time to catch a giant at this central Texas reservoir.

Bass are at their heaviest and most aggressive ahead of the spawn, when they are fat, feeding and full of eggs. Last February’s incredible streak was highlighted by an enormous 17.03-pounder that is the lake record and the eighth largest bass ever caught in Texas. Jason Conn caught it on Feb. 13, 2023, and he said the fish was even heavier before it started regurgitating shad in his livewell.

Moving into March and April last year, the trophy bass statistics were still pretty amazing—with 34 fish heavier than 8 pounds—but the giant fish tapered off. Five 13-plus-pounders were caught during those two months, and then no one registered another one until November, when Shawn Strength caught a 16.65-pound monster. The totals for 2023 were 75 fish heavier than 8 pounds and 18 heavier than 13 pounds. The true total is potentially much more impressive, because these statistics include only the fish anglers bothered to register with ShareLunker.

So, why has the productivity of O.H. Ivie largemouth bass fishing exploded

over the last three or four years?

According to Texas Parks and Wildlife, intensive stocking of bass with Florida-strain genetics is the secret ingredient. Florida strain genetics produce larger, faster-growing fish than the native-northern strain genetics in the system. Part of the mission of the ShareLunker program is to breed trophy fish, and they do this by using 13-plus-pounders caught by anglers in their breeding program. It is estimated 75 to 85 percent of the bass in O.H. Ivie possess those Florida genetics. On top of that, weather played a role in the lake’s rise. Following a prolonged drought, heavy rain in the fall of 2018 raised water levels by more than 30 feet.

“It gave these bass pretty much unlimited food and space to grow,” said a ShareLunker representative, “and they just grew like crazy.”

Stay tuned. It’ll be interesting to see what America’s hottest big bass lake produces over the next four months, especially with all the added angler attention that comes with a bright hot spotlight.

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See more on last year’s incredible fishing at O.H. Ivie at coastalanglermag.com.

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