Coastal Angler Magazine | March 2023 | Greater Orlando Edition

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A MODERN-DAY TED WILLIAMS

By A. DeGruchy

Major League Baseball’s JD Martinez has garnered a lot of accolades, including three Silver Sluggers, a Hank Aaron Award and MLB Player of the Year. e man is a vetime All-Star! What some folks might not know about the former Boston Red Sox turned Los Angeles Dodger is he’s also an avid sherman.

Growing up in Miami, he o en escaped to sh the Florida Keys. rough the years, that passion never faded. He now lives in Islamorada and spends the o season shing with Capt. Brandon “ e Bean” Storin.

Capt. Bean grew up in Baltimore, Maryland and has vacationed every year in the Keys since he was 5 years old. He shed with Capt. Jimmy Willcox, who inspired a dream to become a backcountry guide. In 2021, e Bean ful lled his dream.

Together, JD and Capt. Bean have made memories while landing some awesome sh. eir rst trip in the Islamorada backcountry produced JD’s personal-best tripletail. It was JD’s rst time tripletailing, and they were sight-casting buoys. Just like hitting a 95-mph fastball, timing and execution are everything, and JD made the perfect cast when they spotted a stud tripletail. Several runs and exhales later, Bean swooped deep and netted the 20-plus-pound

beast. It was JD’s rst, and it is a personal best that will take some work to beat.

Another epic adventure took place during a sunset black n tuna mission. Capt. Bean knew ns, and they used light spinning tackle to make it more fun. It didn’t take more than a couple minutes for JD to get tight on a monster n. All you could hear was the reel screaming, and the rod was doubled over the whole ght. It was JD’s personal-

full-grown one to boot.

On their most recent adventure, Capt. Bean and JD were bottom shing for mutton snapper when an unexpected bite inhaled a whole ballyhoo. It ended up being an almost record-breaking yellowtail snapper, which at 29 inches was the sh of a lifetime. Gray’s taxidermy commemorated the yellowtail to add to JD’s mount collection, along with the aforementioned tripletail.

JD is a good angler, and he is not the rst Red Sox slugger to nd a shing home on Islamorada. Ted Williams, considered by many to be the greatest hitter of all time, played for the Sox from 1939-1960. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1966, and he is also a member of the Fly Fishing Hall of Fame. Williams resided and shed in Islamorada for bone sh and tarpon with legendary Capt. Jimmy Albright. It is said he became as good an angler as any of the guides.

MLB and the Islamorada backcountry have a shared history. Capt. Bean and JD continue adding to the legends to this day.

Follow JD Martinez (@jdmartinez28) and Capt. Bean (@bnmbean) on Instagram. Some of their adventures are featured on YouTube at Bean Sport shing TV.

Noodling for Cat sh...what have I gotten myself into?

is past summer, I wanted to do something exciting and di erent with my friends for my “bachelorette” getaway. I always thought noodling would be a cool experience.

If you’re not familiar with noodling, it’s a technique anglers use to catch cat sh with their hands. In the lead-up to the spawn, cat sh nd holes in the banks where they will eventually lay and guard their eggs. It’s up to the angler to locate either a natural hole or a strategically placed box that a cat sh has decided to call home. e angler then sticks their hand into the hole, triggering the cat sh to chomp down on their hand and forearm. en, it’s a wrestling match to the surface.

e athead cat sh we pursued don’t have teeth, but they do grow large, with some sh reaching well over 50 pounds. It takes all your strength to get them out of their happy place and up to the surface to become sh celebrities.

Because it takes place during the spawn, this style of shing has become almost 100-percent catch-and-release for many noodlers. A er a few photos, sh are released safely to return to their holes and continue spawning duties.

When my two best friends and I le the familiar clear Florida waters for the beautiful state of Alabama, we had the goal to get one of these monster cats to bite... our arms. I’m not going to lie; I was a bit nervous getting on the boat. It was beautiful and peaceful on the river,

TO REMEMBER

By Deidra Thrappas

but the water is murky like chocolate milk and the banks are muddy. Shoes are highly recommended.

When I entered the water at our rst spot, it kind of hit me: “What have I gotten myself into?” But there was no turning back. Our guide located the wooden box he had planted earlier in the season and instructed me to hold my breath and lie on the bottom while slowly sliding my hand into the hole.

At rst there was nothing. en… WHAM! It was like a toothless gator grabbed me. I had been instructed to grab that sucker by its lower jaw with both hands and not to let go. So that’s what I did. A er a brief struggle, I had a dandy on the surface staring right at me! rough the day, we tried many holes, some empty and some with sh. Each time we stopped, the anticipation and excitement were the same as at the rst hole. It was a great experience, and I plan to go again soon. If you’ve ever thought of going noodling, I highly recommend it, 10/10.

e noodling season runs from midspring through the summer, depending on the location. Get online and nd a local guide for the area you’re interested in. Feel free to contact me with questions on Instagram @ get_outside_with_deidra or my husband, Capt. Jamie rappas @yellow_dawg_ shing.

Deidra and her husband Capt. Jamie rappas are co-publishers of the Volusia County, Fla. edition of Coastal Angler Magazine.

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A CHANGE OF PACE

By Capt. Michael Okruhlik

Today we are going to cruise past the shallow South Texas ats, through the pass, and nd some nearshore rocks loaded with huge legal Texas red snapper! What a di erence a few miles and 68 feet of water can make.

I typically make a handful of trips to the short rigs or rocks o the Texas coast each summer for a change of scenery. On the calm summer days, the mosquito eet (smaller bay boats) breaks the jetties and heads out for kings, cobia and red snapper. ese shallow-water snapper are typically in the 16- to 20-foot range. ey are tasty none the less, but nothing like what you nd close to shore in winter, as I recently observed during my rst winter o shore trip. Recently, we were in between cold fronts and had our rst sunny day in more than a week. Several days of windy, cloudy, cold, rainy days had me longing for some sunny rays. When my brother called and asked if I wanted to join him and his neighbor for some Texas red snapper, I didn’t hesitate to say yes! e photos he sent of the previous trip’s catch were the icing on the cake. e forecast called for 2- to 3-foot seas—which turned out to be less—70degree sunny temps, and wind at 6 knots from the east. is was a one-day window.

When we pulled up to a small set of rocks, there were two other boats there and four rods were doubled over! One of the boats was doing a bag check, and I watched him tossing and counting 15- to 20-pound snapper into the cooler. His count ended at 14, two shy of his limit… and they had two on the line. Keep in mind, at this time my personnel best snapper was about 8 pounds, and everything I was seeing was more than twice that size. e anticipation was high as I waited for the trolling motor to lock in.

Once the trolling motor settled into place, we pinned chunks of squid onto bottom rigs weighted with 8 to 12 ounces of lead and the fun began! It became a bit chaotic with doubles on while trying to coax a 20-pound snapper into an oversized net while still trying to catch one yourself.

It is hard to beat the drag zinging of a king mackerel or the Mack Truck power of a cobia during the calm days of late summer, but I might have to switch my snapper season from summer to winter! When the smallest winter ones are twice the size of your largest summer catch, it’s an easy switch.

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

PHOTO COURTESY OF KNOCKIN TAIL LURES®

It’s Pompano Time in South Florida!

Pompano have already begun to show up here on South Florida’s east coast, and the bite will only get better as we move deeper into spring.

Temperature drives the movements of these tasty little jacks. ey prefer 70- to 80-degree water temps, they travel in schools and feed on mollusks and crustaceans in inlets and o sandy beaches. ese are some of the reasons pompano are a favorite target of shore-based anglers. Once you nd them, you are in for a world of fun.

Florida pompano, like permit, are in the jack family. ey have a strong resemblance to each other, so it’s important to be able to tell them apart. Size is a dead giveaway when you’re dealing with mature specimens, as pompano rarely grow larger than 6 pounds and permit regularly reach weights of up to 40 pounds. Pompano and juvenile permit, however, have a similar appearance. e most noticeable di erence is a permit’s larger, humped forehead. Pompano also tend to be more yellow throughout their body, while permit only have yellow on their bellies near their anal ns.

Anytime from March into the beginning of September, pompano move o shore to broadcast spawn. Since they already travel in schools, this is spontaneous, and they head back inshore when they are done. Prime time to sh for them here is April and May, and you’ll nd them along sandy beaches as well as around oyster and seagrass beds. Pompano seem to enjoy water with more current,

which has that milky look.

Pompano migrate seasonally to stay in their preferred water temperatures, and they have been found as far north as Massachusetts. ey move north or farther o shore to nd cooler water in deep summer. ey come back south in fall to prepare for the spring mating season. Local movements also happen due to tides and other conditions. ey are either in an area or they are not, and they move to nd waters where they can feed comfortably. A er strong storms, our sandbars tend to change, which will also change where pompano are feeding.

By Emily Rose Hanzlik

Pompano are very spirited ghters on light tackle. Small jigs in yellow or chartreuse are commonly used with great success. Beach anglers use long surf rods and chicken rigs baited with shrimp, clams, crab knuckles and sand eas. Sand eas are the preferred bait. Many anglers take it a step further by adding a piece of arti cial bait, such as Fishbites, to the natural baits. is is especially e ective when other sh peck o natural bait quickly. It ensures something stays on the hook, as most of these arti cial baits are very durable. ese arti cial baits can also be added to jigs for scent.

Emily Rose Hanzlik holds 56 IGFA world records in various categories. She hails from West Palm Beach, where she has a part time Bow n Guide Service as well as shing classes for Jr. Anglers. Find her on social media @emilyhanzlikoutdoors.

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BLADED JIGS TIPS FROM A PRO

TYLER WOOLCOTT

Let’s talk a bait that works absolutely everywhere. e bladed jig, also called a chatterbait, is one of the most versatile baits you can tie on the end of your line. It’s one of my all-time favorites. From Florida to New York, in any season, this bait catches them.

ere are hundreds of situations that make me want to sling a chatterbait. I always keep one tied on because it’s so versatile. Whether it’s grass, rocks, docks, wood or open water, there isn’t a situation where this bait doesn’t work.

Use a chatterbait as a search bait and cover some water. If there is a hungry bass around and you match your color to the forage they are feeding on, you will get them to bite. Unless the water you are shing is extremely muddy, matching color to the forage species is important. In cold water, where bass are feeding on red and orange craw sh, tie on a bright red or orange bladed jig. If you are in the south and bass are feeding on bluegill or shiners, stick to natural colors like a green pumpkin or some kind of gold and silver. e only time I throw

a bright white or chartreuse chatterbait is in extremely stained water, where I need the bait to stand out. Always match the hatch!

I live in Florida, and our spawning season is earlier than most. By the time you read this, most of our sh will be nished spawning. Farther north, they’ll just be getting started. A chatterbait is deadly when bass are staged up before, during and a er the spawn. e chattering blade drives these sh crazy. It’s a sh call. row it around in a staging area and you will have a very good day on the water.

ere isn’t a wrong way to use it. With the many colors, weights and size options, there is a match for the style of shing you want to do. From northern smallmouths to giant South Florida largemouths, every bass will eat a bladed jig. Like any bait, a chatterbait will perform best when matched with the right gear. I like a medium-heavy, moderate-action rod. You don’t want to set the hook as much as you want to reel into the sh when they eat the bait. Treat it like a bait with treble hooks. e 13 Fishing Omen Black 7’4mhm is absolutely perfect for this application. I pair a 7:5:1 gear ratio Concept A 13 Fishing reel and 15- to 20-pound Seaguar AbrazX. Hope this shing tip nds you well and puts more sh in your boat. Don’t hesitate to contact me on social media with any questions.

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

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Triple Threat Throwdown to Ra e O Loaded Fishing Kayak

Florida’s saltwater angler recognition program, Catch a Florida Memory, is sweetening the pot this year by o ering anglers a shot at winning a fully loaded shing kayak.

Rigged out with an accessory package from Yak Attack, this Bona de SS127 series kayak is a shing machine. It will be ra ed o to one lucky member of Catch a Florida Memory’s Triple reat Club a er a season-long event billed as the Triple reat rowdown. Only members of the Triple reat Club who are recognized with a Catch a Florida Memory achievement between now and Sept. 5 will be eligible for the ra e.

Triple Threat Club

Triple reat Club status is awarded to anglers who have quali ed for recognition in all three of the following Catch a Florida Memory programs. Once an angler enters the Triple reat Club, they are a member for life. ey receive a dry- t performance shing shirt and entry into Triple reat Club opportunities like the Triple reat rowdown.

• A Saltwater Grand Slam consists of catching three speci ed species within a 24-

hour time period. ere are nine di erent grand slam categories for di erent saltwater species in di erent habitats.

• Saltwater Reel Big Fish recognition is for anglers who catch one exceptionally large specimen from a list of 30 di erent species with pre-determined qualifying length.

• e Saltwater Fish Life List 10 Fish Club is for anglers who have caught 10 di erent species of saltwater sh from the Catch a Florida Memory Life List of 70 species.

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Eligible anglers must qualify for a recognition between now and Sept. 5, 2023 and be a member of the Triple reat Club at the time of the drawing. Eligible recognitions include a Grand Slam, a Reel Big Fish recognition, or a Life List recognition. Each angler will receive only one entry into the Triple reat rowdown ra e.

For more information and to submit catches, go to catcha oridamemory.com.

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This month, for the rst time in more than 30 years, a few Florida anglers will have the opportunity to harvest a goliath grouper. e limited and highly regulated season runs from March 1 through May 31, and you’re out of luck if you don’t already have a state-issued Goliath Grouper Harvest Permit.

Just 200 non-transferable permits were issued by lottery a er the application period back in October 2022. is spring, permit holders will hit the water in search of a very expensive sh sandwich. On top of a $10 fee to enter the lottery, anglers selected for a permit paid $150 for Florida residents and $500 for non-residents for the chance to harvest a single sh.

“No way. Not interested at all,” said one angler from the Florida Keys when asked if they hoped to get a permit. “I guess there’s some novelty in eating a sh that no one is supposed to have tasted for 30 years, and it might make sense if they let you keep a big one, but it’s hardly worth my time to chase a 10-pound grouper.”

e slot limit for the one sh allowed per permit holder is 24 to 36 inches. Fish above or below that slot must be released immediately. Anglers with goliath tags will be intentionally shing for juveniles rather than the enormous 8-foot-long, 800-pound monsters that lurk around shallow, nearshore structure.

is highly regulated and extremely limited harvest seems to be the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) way of testing the waters. Harvest of goliath grouper was completely banned in 1990 a er the population collapsed due to over shing and the loss of mangrove habitat required by juveniles of the species. Since then, the population has rebounded and abundance continues to increase. Removal of just 200 sh from the population, and no more than 50 sh from Everglades National Park, will not hinder rebuilding, according to an FWC presentation on the shery.

Additionally, goliath grouper may not be harvested from federal waters or from the waters of Martin County, including the St. Lucie River and its tributaries, south through the Atlantic coast of Monroe County and Dry Tortugas National Park.

Goliath grouper harvest will also allow FWC to collect important data for a species about which there is plenty to learn. Upon catching their one goliath, tag holders must immediately apply their tag to the lower jawbone of the sh and report their catch online within 24 hours. Even if they don’t catch a sh, tag holders must report that a er the season ends. Some permitted anglers will be required to provide a biological sample of their sh for genetic testing.

For more information, go to myfwc.com.

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Derby Update

By the time you are reading this our 14th Annual Shad & Crappie Derby will be in the books. Visit our Facebook page for official results and pictures of the winners. We go to print weeks before our March magazine hits the shelves therefore official results will be printed in the April issue. While the shad have been biting this past month, we had several entries uploaded to our Derby site as plus a record 16” black crappie caught by youth angler Brandon Cordero. Brandon has fished the Derby for years now and winning the Youth Division is commonplace to him. Brandon is lucky to have his grandparents to take him crappie fishing often. He has already sent several other fish he caught this season. His grandfather Rick Hacker also a long time participant has several 15” plus crappie to his credit. Rick also won the Big Crappie and Big Shad of the month for January!

Please join us for our awards event on March 16th at 6:30 pm at Celery City Craft Beer Garden in Sanford, same place as early registration meeting and the registration for the Get Hook’d on Lake Monroe event. Lots of prizes will be given away to our monthly Big Fish winners as well as the Champs

for Adult and Youth Divisions for both Shad and Crappie.

This event is the longest running FREE to enter fishing derby in Central Florida and many thanks to all of our registered anglers. Thanks to all of our great product sponsors and Academy Sports and Outdoors for providing our winning anglers with lots of awesome products. We hope to see everyone at the awards event. Please tell any angler you know about our annual Derby - it will be here again before you know it. Special thanks to Celery City Craft for providing the venue for our Awards party, see you there!

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Jolly Gator Bass Series Returns in March

By Phil Wolf, Co-Publisher Coastal Angler Magazine

March always starts our new tournament season on the first Tuesday after Daylight Savings time startsMarch 14, 2023, at 5:00 pm boats will launch! This tournament has been running for so many years that we have lost track, your Coastal Angler Magazine Orlando’s staff has been involved for 9 years now, Co-publisher Phil Wolf is the official Weighmaster for these events and all results can be reviewed on the Coastal Angler Magazine Orlando Facebook page.

per event in 2021. Over $10,000 was paid out at last year’s Classic! Some of the best anglers fish with us, so if you think you want to give it a shot and learn how, come join us for an event. All Tuesday events start at 5pm and launch 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 3pm.

The public is also welcome at our events to watch our anglers bring their daily catches to the scales. Jolly Gator has great food and some of the coldest beer in town. Come join us for our events and become a regular fan! We’re looking forward to seeing everyone at the weigh-ins – Good Luck from Phil.

5

Thursday March 9th at 6:30 pm, Jolly Gator Fish Camp Bar & Grill will be the host for our annual Team registration meeting, this is the weigh-in site for all events. All tournaments are open to any 2 angler teams, $40 entry fee per event. Events are every Tuesday evening and one Saturday per month until our season’s Classic in mid-August. Payout is one place per 7 boats and $10 per boat for the Big-Bass of the event. Teams that finish in the top 10 in points or win an event and fish at least 21 events all qualify for the end of season Classic. The team with the most points at the end of our season and the seasons’ largest bass will win big bucks for their efforts. This Central Florida Bass Series has grown to be one Central Florida’s biggest and best weekly bass tournaments - averaging over 25 boats

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Look for schools of live bait getting crushed by sunshine bass and schooling largemouth bass at the mouths of the lakes and in the deep river bends at first light or late evening. Topwater is the name of the game! Nothing beats that explosive topwater strike - these hungry fish will destroy a Heddon Spook Jr. in bone color, or you can also try your favorite saltwater topwater baits if they are small-sized. Second best are rattling crank baits –Rattle Traps and their look-alikes (no rattle works great too). If the bass are finicky, tie on a white jerk bait – first try unweighted and use a walk the dog style retrieve just beneath the surface.

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4-H Club Projects – Achieving Goals, Learning Responsibility

Head, Heart, Hands, and Health. These are the four Hs that stand for the values members try to work on in America’s largest youth development organization. There are over six million members learning skills that will lead them for a lifetime. 4H club members range in age from kindergarten to seniors in high school. Members of 4-H market programs can participate in projects that include beef, lamb, and hogs. An important part of raising livestock as a 4-H project is learning valuable life skills such as basic animal science care, management and responsibility!

Aubrie Winters got involved with 4H at the age of five raising chickens. At the age of 8 Aubrie completed her first market project. She raised a pig that she sold at the Central Florida Fair market auction. During her swine project Aubrie learned how to train, feed, care, and market herself but this was never her end goal. Aubrie has always loved the cows in the pasture. With the money Aubrie’s swine project brought and she had saved she purchased a young steer for her to raise and take to auction. Three years later she is growing her life skills and building her resume and savings account. This year Aubrie picked out a Maine Angus steer to raise. She named him Wallen. Aubrie and Waller have been attending shows all season competing against other 4-H members. This early March Aubrie will round out this year’s project at the Central Florida Fairgrounds. At the fair she will compete in events that judge her skills handling, grooming and livestock knowledge. Her project with Wallen will conclude on Sunday March 12th. There buyers can come and bid on Wallen at the auction or make a add-on donation and this will help Aubrie continue to learn and finance her project for the following year. Please join us at the event and see how 4-H is helping our youth set goals be responsible!

Interested in learning more on how you can help support Aubrie? Contact winters.4H.project@gmail.com to find out more info! Hope to see you at the fair!

ers are the best bait if you can find some. For giant largemouth, remember these female fish are the breeders for the future – lift them out of the water supporting their belly and hold them out of the water only as long as you can hold your breath. Avoid holding large bass vertically by the lower jaw. Take measurements of length and girth, take pictures to save and share the memory. Practicing catch and release for trophy bass is honorable.

Panfish will readily eat minnows. They love red worms, night crawlers, and crickets. Look for bedding areas in shallow waters. Bluegill and Shellcrackers will take over beds used earlier by bass and crappie, look in those same areas and concentrate efforts where there is a shell bottom near drop-offs, and nearby cover (lily pads). Crappie will be found in the pads during full and new moons, other times try longline trolling or spider rigging the drop-offs along the river.

The bite has been on again off again for both bass and crappie on the chain of lakes. Some good catches have been coming on or around the New and Full moon phases. It seems that they bite better 2 to 3 days before the moon phases or for several days just after.

March is usually the last month for spawning bass all throughout the chain of lakes. Get out on the water on the second or third day after the cold front passes for better results. The bass have been staging in the deeper grass edges, eel grass beds or in the lily pads and mix vegetation close to the spawning areas. The mouths of canals, both ends of Dead River, Haynes Creek, 9th Street area, Little Lake Harris have all been good places to

check. Lipless crank baits, chatter baits (bladed jigs) and swim baits have all been producing bites. Once you get a bite or two in the same area slow down and work through the same area with a June bug or black-blue trick worm or Senko style worm, Texas-rigged or wacky style. Check the canals in or close to moon phases for the buck bass and big females as they push up into these areas when they are ready to lay their eggs.

The crappie bite has been equally the same, with some days better than others. Road-Runners tipped with a minnow or just a plain live minnow when fished in the heavy vegetation and very shallow near the moon phase is good. Eustis, Little Harris and Lake Dora have all been producing limits when the bite is on. Fishing multiple poles with minnow-tipped jigs is how to maximize the bite - long-liners and spider rig setups are the way to go.

Seminole Junior Anglers are up to their old tricks. Lake Seminole was the second stop of the Spring qualifying tournament for Florida Bass Nation High School. Lake Seminole is in Bainbridge, Georgia. This is an amazing lake and river system. The lake is bookended by the Flint and Chattahoochee River. This lake fishes a bit like our Florida lakes and our anglers dominate these waters nearly every tournament - and we did not disappoint. On Saturday, February 4, 2023, the team of Dalton and Mackenzie Bailey anchored our squad with nearly 17 lbs. of bass (five fish limit). This was good enough for a 2nd place finish. And on Sunday, February 5 our team of Nathan Bennett and Austin Mairena sacked up a nice limit of bass weighing just over 17 lbs. Rounding out a top 10 finish was Kam and Drew Bradstreet and Bryce DiMauro and Bryce

Our team is leading Club of Year right now, but many other Florida High School teams are on our tail. We are trying to repeat as Club of Year Champions and trying to win Team of the Year this year too. Florida Bass Nation High School has +/- 175 high school teams competing each month. This trail has some of the best high school competition in the entire

On another note, we just got the totals in for our SJA Fundraising Tournament on the St. John’s River back in February. It was an incredibly successful day for our club. Anglers from all over Central Florida came out to support our club. We had a great day of fishing and fundraising. The team of Thomas Ottrik and Keith Johnson won first place with over 23 lbs. Travis Hansen and Scott Laney finished second with 22 lbs. plus and big bass at 8.73 lbs. All proceeds go toward travel expenses for SJA teams to state and national fishing competitions this summer. The funds raised go a long way to help with our teams lodging, tournament fees, gas, oil, and food for an entire week. We would love to thank Coastal Anger Magazine, Gumbo Wars, Boat Tree Marina, and so many other incredible sponsors for helping us keep our student anglers on the water. We are so

We

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Early March usually brings wind, but if conditions are right the cobia show up with the rays on the beach. Look for them head ing north from 100 yards up to 5 miles off the beaches and with a water temp around 68 de grees. T

the east and bring in weeds, try sight fishing tripletail along with the cobia on the weed lines. is some of the best near-shore fishing in March.When fishing tripletail, use a 3/0 hook and freeline a live shrimp.When tar geting cobia use a 1- 1 ½ ounce cobia buster jig.

so try sight fishing for redfish in big schools on the flats. To target large schools of redfish, throw in front of the school (not on top of them) and you will have better success. Use a 3/0 hook, no weight and freeline a live shrimp for best results. Also, try using gold spoons or 1/8-ounce jig heads with a 3” Gulp shrimp. While you’re on the grass flats try the jigs for spotted sea trout wherever you see mullet. Before the grass grows too tall in the lagoon, use 1/8-ounce jig heads with 3” Gulp or white Wyze Guys paddle tails. You can also use a 3/0 hook with live finger mullet to catch trout.

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March. When shrimp. When -

Miami, Government Cut (Approximate Times)

March windy days are best spent in the Indian River or Mosquito Lagoon. Redfish usually school up this time of year for breeding. Grass in the lagoon is starting to come back which is encouraging

Large black drum schools should still be around on the flats, bridges and causeways, use 1/8 to 1/2 ounce jig heads with a piece of crab or shrimp. Small black drum should still be on the flats in schools. Captain Troy’s Pro tip for March to help your fishing experience: When throwing a freeline live shrimp, try using a 3/0 hook and hook you’re shrimp in the last section of the tail for better distance and accuracy.

when they are debating what to eat at the boat.

CENTRAL EAST COAST

with the best times to fish in the

MARCH 2023

The water quality is clear.

popping bug. I have thoroughly enjoyed hearing the popping bug get hit. Daytime anglers are catching good numbers fishing the shallow bedding areas. Bait of choice is crickets fished under a float.Another good area to fish is canals when the water is flowing, trolling will only trigger more bites. Crappie - Anglers are fishing open water for crappie using jigs tipped Anglers trolling jigs are catching good limits of crappie. The key is to find them

Miami Beach, Government Cut

Florida that -

March Madness is here - bring on the cobia! This is the historic time frame here along the central east coast of Floridathat the migra tion of cobia swims by. Although anglers catch them all year long, this is usually the best time. The water is warming back up to the 70-degree mark. Free-swimming cobia are the most fun to target, a few things must come together though. One being sunny skies, you must be able to see into the water a little bit and two, try to get as high as possible.

Hungry cobia are not picky fish nor are they the smartest. Bait of choice is a buck tail with a whole squid hooked on it. This gives a natural look and smell. There are many different types of baits and lures people use. Even the steel (spoons) works well at times

Sometimes, live bait matters. Bunker (also called pogies or menhaden shad) and pinfish work great. It’s fun to watch a cobia go nuts trying to eat a live bait. Sometimes there are days that you will see 30 fish and maybe only 2 will eat or get ‘Fired Up’ on a jig. Not many cobias turn down a live fish. Some say they will never turn down a live choice shrimp or their magic swim bait etc. Fishing is just what it says, fishing.

Gear of choice is a 7-foot medium action rod with a light tip to allow jigging the lure, and enough backbone to stick the hook. Line is 40lb braid and a 50lb mono leader. When using live bait, try an 8/0 circle hook and hook the live fish through the back of the head. Cast forward and past the fish. For jigs – you cannot reel faster than a baitfish swims. Do not let the jig go down, or the cobia may never come back up.

1W 4:08 AM 1.79 H

10:00 AM 0.49 L

4:10 PM 1.71 H

10:25 PM 0.11 L

2TH 5:10 AM 1.82 H

10:58 AM 0.46 L

Goblins Cove is still producing good numbers of bass - fishing with live shiners over hydrilla. Fish the boat runs’entrances at sunrise for good top water action. Every morning at sunrise, bass can be found schooling on shad; anywhere there is flow. It usually lasts 30 minutes after sunrise. Big beetle spins and small M-5 Rapalas work best.

5:12 PM 1.76 H

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11SA 4:23 AM 0.04 L

10:52 AM 2.15 H

4:39 PM -0.23 L

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12SU 6:05 AM 0.14 L

12:30 PM 2.08 H

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13M 1:16 AM 2.18 H

22W 3:24 AM -0.45 L

9:56 AM 2.73 H

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23TH 4:11 AM -0.36 L

10:38 AM 2.67 H

4:30 PM -0.6 L

11:10 PM 2.77 H

East Lake Toho - Bass fishing on East Lake has been good using artificial baits early morning. The best place to fish will be at the edges of the cattails. Then move to open water as the morning progresses. Most anglers are flipping open water pepper grass matts with good success. Fish the deeper edges of the grasswatermelon seed, Junebug, and red colors work best.

3F 6:02 AM 1.91 H

11:49 AM 0.37 L

6:05 PM 1.85 H

4SA 12:06 AM 0.01 L

6:46 AM 2.02 H

12:33 PM 0.25 L

Bluegill - I have been trying a new tactic this summer. A good way to beat the heat.I have been fishing at nighttime in the canals using a fly rod, throwing popping bugs up against the bank. On a good moon phase, the bluegill will crush the

6:53 AM 0.26 L

1:15 PM 2.01 H

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14TU 2:12 AM 2.1 H

7:51 AM 0.36 L

2:10 PM 1.96 H

24F 4:57 AM -0.21 L

11:20 AM 2.55 H

6:52 PM 1.97 H

5SU 12:48 AM -0.06 L

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1:12 PM 0.13 L

7:34 PM 2.08 H

6M 1:26 AM -0.11 L

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1:48 PM 0.01 L

8:13 PM 2.18 H

7TU 2:02 AM -0.13 L

8:35 AM 2.27 H

2:22 PM -0.08 L

8:52 PM 2.26 H

8W 2:37 AM -0.13 L

9:10 AM 2.29 H

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15W 3:18 AM 2.05 H

9:00 AM 0.42 L

3:19 PM 1.94 H

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16TH 4:30 AM 2.07 H

10:14 AM 0.38 L

4:37 PM 2 H

10:46 PM -0.14 L

17F 5:40 AM 2.18 H

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5:52 PM 2.15 H

11:52 PM -0.25 L

18SA 6:42 AM 2.34 H

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6:58 PM 2.36 H

5:15 PM -0.48 L

11:55 PM 2.62 H

25SA 5:43 AM -0.03 L

12:03 PM 2.39 H

Panfish - Fish open water shell beds with red wigglers. If you are looking to fill the cooler for dinner, the open water shell beds are hard to beat.

6:01 PM -0.31 L

26SU 12:41 AM 2.43 H

6:30 AM 0.17 L

9:30 PM 2.31 H

9TH 3:11 AM -0.1 L

9:43 AM 2.27 H

3:27 PM -0.21 L

10:08 PM 2.33 H

10F 3:46 AM -0.04 L

10:17 AM 2.22 H

4:01 PM -0.24 L

10:47 PM 2.31 H

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 fishingin the Kissimmee River or the Canal system. Bass like the deeper, cooler water temperaturestie 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.

19SU 12:51 AM -0.36 L

7:37 AM 2.51 H

1:20 PM -0.21 L

7:56 PM 2.57 H

20M 1:46 AM -0.45 L

8:26 AM 2.65 H

2:11 PM -0.42 L

8:49 PM 2.74 H

21TU 2:36 AM -0.48 L

9:12 AM 2.72 H

2:59 PM -0.57 L

9:38 PM 2.83 H

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.

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

8:43 PM 0.24 L

29W 3:18 AM 1.9 H

9:20 AM 0.63 L

3:23 PM 1.8 H

9:47 PM 0.33 L

30TH 4:22 AM 1.85 H

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4:31 PM 1.77 H

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31F 5:25 AM 1.88 H

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5:36 PM 1.83 H

bass trips which are typical for this time of year. The month of September is when to start thinking of booking your bass fishing trip, as the females start to feed up 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.

11:45 PM 0.31 L

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.

Ponce Inlet, Halifax River

August can be considered a tough time to fish in East Central Florida for several reasons, but that does not mean you can’t find plenty of opportunities to bend the rod and do battle with some awesome fish. The most notable factor that effects our lagoon fishing is the sweltering summer heat and how it plays into the day for most of our desired gamefish targets. There is only one way to beat the heat and stay catching regardless of how hot it gets. Fishing in the cooler times of the day is a sure way to keep yourself a bit more comfortable and achieve your goal of some solid catches. Hitting the water very early or late in the afternoon and even exploring your local night fishing is a spectacular work around keeping you off the water in those times of high sun and maximum heat.

Spring comes quickly to our East Central Florida waters and March is a month of transition. Less frequent, even nonexistent cold fronts give way to mild temperatures and sunny days. The afternoon thunderstorms of summer are not going to be prevalent for several more months and the water is still a bit on the cool side. That cooler water and lack of rainfall set the stage for our clearest lagoon waters of the year. On dryer spring to summer years that clear water can hold out well into our warmer months. Rain and its associated runoff are a large contributor to the lack of lagoon water clarity. The clearer water allows us an opportunity to do one of my favorite types of fishing and something that was a cornerstone to lagoon anglers for years before our water issues. Sight Fishing!

With little tidal current until you get to the Ponce Inlet area in the north or Sebastian Inlet to the south, we do not have the relief of cooler ocean water flooding the shallows multiple times a day regardless of where the sun is. In those nontidal areas, the water temperatures climb as the sun does and by midday it is uncomfortably hot. Just like ourselves the fish also react to the oppressive heat and look to find some refuge. For us some cold drinks and a little shade with some breeze is exactly what we look for to cool down and relax, maybe a little time in the AC even. Typically, the last thing we look for is a giant meal. Fish do the same and look to find cooler deeper water or some shade to ride out the heat. Much like colder weather the heat also causes fish to become lethargic and many time unwilling to feed or do anything but sulk. If you do find yourself looking to catch in the heat, baits like live shrimp are a good choice as they fit the bill of a lite snack and not a full meal. In the cooler times like early morning, late evening, and even nighttime you can look to utilize more substantial offerings and the topwater plug excels at this. With the summer waters heavy bait presence those topwater plugs will get a look and can even be fished at night with great success. Also, live baits like mullet will get plenty of looks and are a great choice in the dark. Don’t let the dog days of summer get your fishing in a slump! Beat the heat and keep catching.

The act of sight fishing is simply stalking around in clear shallow water waiting to see your target before presenting a bait or lure directly to it. This is more like hunting than if you were to fish in the same area via a repetitive “blind” cast technique. In my mind keeping the lure or bait in the water will lead to more strikes and more caught fish. However, you cannot downplay slowly observing and waiting for that perfect shot on a nice fish and the exhilarating scene of a fish turning to engulf your offering. Of course, those ever so common flats style shallow water skiffs are literally built for this fishing and for obvious reason do the job of stalking fish very well. However, kayaks can achieve the same fishy results with a significantly easier price tag. Some of my best days sight fishing have come off the kayaks and their ability to stalk the shallow so effectively. Even if you do not have the ability to stand on your kayak you can still sight fish. The idea is to go slow enough and pay close enough attention that as soon as the fish is seen a cast is made. This fishing tends to be minimalist and does not require bait, though a couple fresh shrimp might tempt some stubborn fish to chew. Typically, a small selection of lures that imitate bait fish or shrimp will more than cover your needs. Fly fishing is the act of making angling as complicated as possible, but it too is tailor made for this type of fishing. So, hold that cast and keep your eyes peeled, just be prepared for sight fishing to be the only way you want to fish, because it is addicting.

August fishing can be a challenge sometimes, but it’s always a fun time. The cold-water upwelling is still around and causing issues for bottom fishing and finding bait. By cold water, I’m talking about the yearly thermocline. Just because you can’t get a bottom bite going doesn’t mean the bottom fish don’t come up in the water column a little. Get on the wrecks and chum. You will find the cold pushes the fish up. They try to get to the warm water level. It’s not uncommon at all to see amberjack, snapper, cobia, mangroves, and many other species not far from the surface. Picking out the biggest fish can be fun especially for your charters.

March is the best time all year for a trophy largemouth bass. Spawning is occurring with many species and fishing in the Kissimmee Chain is on!

Bass: The bass are spawning just like they should. As the water temps warm, the bass are spawning out in deeper water up to 5 feet deep. Look for sandy spawning areas – look for sand holes in the grass along the banks. Put the trolling motor down and start hunting for beds – water levels are down enough to find them. The key is to go right back to where you were catching bass in early February and just move out until you see the beds. Polarized glasses are a must. Open water hydrilla patches are holding good numbers of bass that have already

Kingfish should continue to do

Bass and Crappie fishing in February was amazing and the fun continues in March. The excitement continues with bream moving into the shallows starting their spawn lasting for months. If you couldn’t make the trip to the big O this winter don’t worry you can still catch the specks and bream in March and April. The MLF tournament held on Okeechobee early February set records which shows you how good the bass fishing is here too.

If you’re fishing for Crappie (specks) and you prefer live minnows try slow trolling the Kissimmee River along the rock edges or Indian Prairie or Harney Pond canal, popular places to fish especially on weather windy days. If you’re wanting to crappie fish the lake: Eagle Bay and Grassy; Kings bar and backside of Kings bar; Buckhead ridge and parts of Tin house and Indian Prairie; Dyess ditch (big grass clumps) south-side of Dupree bar; some spotty areas in the

well, many fish in the 40/50lb class have been caught recently. Captain Joe of the FireFight had a 48-pound kingfish last week. Stud of a king. Nice work Joey

spawned. Bait of choice is large live wild shiners for big bass. Artificial baits of choice will be Rattle Traps chrome and black back, plastic baits in Okeechobee candy color has been hot!

are there and rolling every day.

Bonita and king are an excellent

Panfish: Crappie are still inside spawning in shallow then making their way out to open water. Fish the pads and reeds that are clean with no hydrilla, minnow on a gold hook works best in about 3 feet of water. At the end of March start looking for shell cracker beds in 2 feet of water. Sandy areas are where they congregate. The bluegill will also start spawning on the full moons when the water temps are warming. Another good place to look will be the canals where there is running water. Walk along the banks and look down to find beds on the edges. Check back every couple days, sometimes the bedding fish might be there only for a few days then disappear. A good pair of polarized sunglasses - are as important as the fishing rods you use.

Nearshore beach fishing is going to really be picking up. Tarpons are there and rolling every day. You can slow troll them or just drift in the mornings with live bait. We have caught them on everything. Chunk baits, live baits and artificial. There is not much they won’t eat. Beach fishing in 20-30 feet is a blast. You’d be amazed how shallow all these fish come in. Kings, bonito, jack crevalle and many other extreme fighting fish. Look for the schools of bunker. If you find them, you will find the fish. Shark fishing is about as good as it gets right now. If you’re looking for some fun with the kids, anchor up in 20 feet off the beach and hold on. Bonita and king are an excellent

Monkey box. For bass fishing, the areas mentioned above you’ll find bass and on the east side around Hendry Creek and some areas as you head towards J & S. Lures for bass: popping frogs; swim baits/swim jigs; senkos/worms; rattle traps; some spinner baits and top-water and the flipping/pitching technique with creature-style lures or jigs. Colors to use: June bug; Red bug; white; shad, bream and crawdad patterns and black/blue.

where

idabassfishing.com to find up-to-date -

If you’re driving from the West, located just before the Harney Pond canal is Big Water Bait & Tackle store, where you can buy live shiners, minnows, rod/reels, tackle and snacksJack or Cathy will be happy to help. To book you’re fun-filled day on the water fishing Lake Okeechobee call 863-228-7263 or visit www.southfloridabassfishing.com to find up-to-date information on fishing reports, pictures of customers and their catches; hotel recommendations; trip cost; etc. Capt. Angie’s Sponsors: Mercury Marine; Toho Marine (St. Cloud, Florida); BnM poles; Mid-South Tackle; Gene Larew; Pradco Brands; Lews; G-Loomis; Bullet Weights; Real Magic; Maui Jim; Gill; Rapala; Navionics and Big Bite Baits.

some spinner baits and top-water and the flipping/pitching technique with creature-style lures or jigs. Colors to use: June bug; Red bug; white;

you can buy live shiners, min-

cury Marine; Toho Marine (St. Cloud, Florida); BnM poles; Mid-South Tack le; Gene Larew; Pradco Brands;

PUBLISH YOUR OWN FISHING MAGAZINE!

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Coastal Angler Welcomes New Volusia County Co-Publishers

Please join us in welcoming Capt. Jamie and Deidre Thrappas, the new owners of Coastal Angler Magazine’s Volusia County edition.

Capt. Jamie is a 21-year resident of Volusia County, where he and his wife Deidre live on a 10-acre horse ranch in Osteen, Fla. They acquired the Volusia County edition jointly and enter their latest venture armed with a wealth of business and sales experience.

Coastal Angler Magazine and Capt. Jamie’s existing businesses complement each other perfectly. Nine years ago, he launched his own successful charter business, Yellow Dawg Fishing, out of Daytona Beach, and last year he opened Yellow Dawg Bait & Tackle in Ormond Beach. With existing contacts in the local business community, nearly a decade in corporate sales, and a three-year stint managing sales for Native Eyewear and Costa Sunglasses—while running charters—the Thrappas are well positioned to be the voice of the local business and fishing communities. Their yellow lab, Bay, will continue duties as a mascot.

“When I heard about this opportunity, I knew it was a perfect fit,” said Capt. Jamie. “I love the fishing industry, and I am pretty connected in that industry as well as with the local community here in Volusia County. I look forward to making a positive influence on fishing in the area as a whole as well as helping other small businesses grow.”

The Thrappas’s are consummate outdoorspeople, who love fishing, bowhunting, riding horses, surfing and spending quality time with friends, their dogs and family.

To contact Deidra and Capt. Jamie, email volusia@ coastalanglermagazine.com.

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Travis Hansen and Scott Laney with over 22 lbs. at the Jr Anglers Fundraiser Event including Big Bass of the Day at 8.78

Gumbo Wars Inc. donated $2,500 each to Seminole Jr Anglers, Osceola Anglers and Teen Sportfishing Association at the Jr Anglers Fundraiser Tournament event hosted at Boattree in Sanford

High School angler Trent Allen with a sack at the Bass Nation event on Lake Seminole

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n cold, rainy, winter days, when most shermen are happy to stay home dreaming of better weather, a few die-hards gear up and get on the water. In the Southeast, bad weather is striper weather, my friend, and just the thought of hooking a 15- or 20-pound striped bass is enough to keep you warm on the inside.

Atlantic striped bass get all the attention up north. Blitzing linesiders are a prize of inshore and nearshore recreational sheries from the Carolinas up through the mid-Atlantic and New England. But they are down here in the south, too, and not just the landlocked stripers stocked in reservoirs by the states. My home base is Jacksonville, Fla., and although red sh and trout are the staple inshore species here, there are striper populations in coastal rivers like the St. Johns, Nassau and St. Marys.

I, however, was lured by reports a little farther north in Georgia, where rivers like the Satilla and Altamaha are producing big-time striper each front that rolls through. Stripers prefer low-light conditions and colder water temps, so overcast, rainy and cold days are the best days.

the rocks in order to navigate over the shallow sand and mud bars of the river. Georgia’s sounds and rivers are littered with piles of ballast rocks, many of which are sh magnets. We shed the point for a good 20 minutes with no

shed several spots with only a sh and speckled trout to keep our attention. We shy-looking downed timber and carefully navigated beneath a low bridge, where nd sh on the outgoing

Georgia On My Mind STRIPERS

By Danny Patrick

He was correct. Jones hooked up with a nice 6-pound hybrid striped bass on his rst cast near the bridge. Hybrids are a hatchery-produced cross between striped bass and white bass. ey are unable to reproduce and are an excellent sport sh with the aggression of white bass and some of the size of a striper. ese hybrids came from the Georgia DNR hatchery at Richmond Hill, Ga.

I was giddy about the cold, foggy drizzle at 6:30 a.m. when I met guide Drew Jones at the Two-Way Fish Camp on the Altamaha near Darien, Ga. Jones runs charters in the area, and he’s caught more than 300 stripers up to 14 pounds for clients this season. ey’ve had some 30- and 40- sh days, and this felt like a perfect striper day!

All I had to do was get in the boat with my gear and a thermos of hot co ee. Jones was waiting for me with his Carolina ski in the water and a livewell full of gorgeous local live shrimp. As we motored o in the mist through creeks and the winding river, he told me a little about the shing.

Stripers are constantly on the move, and they hunt in packs. Jones dri shes live shrimp on oat rigs to locate concentrations of sh. en he switches to arti cial lures. Slow-sinking stick baits and bucktail jigs with so -plastic tails both work great.

Between Brunswick and Darien, Ga., the Altamaha system is a maze of creeks and tributaries. We stopped at the mouth of a creek on the Darien River, not far from downtown Darien. e tide was still coming in but slowing near the end of the high tide. Jones said to cast shrimp out in front a point where the current split to create a back eddy of slower ow. He said this was one of his favorite striper spots. It was an old ballast pile, where sailing ships from the 1800s dumped ballast weight from their hulls a er crossing the ocean from Europe. ey used hundreds, if not thousands, of 10- to 20-pound round rocks to stabilize their ships during the crossing and then dumped

Jones said he catches true stripers and hybrids together, and that sometimes aggressive stripers move in and take over when he’s catching trout. I threw to the same spot Jones caught his sh and immediately hooked and boated a 4-pound hybrid. e bite was on! We saw them busting nger mullet and had one come unbuttoned right at the boat. But then, as is sometimes the case with stripers, it ended as suddenly as it had begun. anchor and went back to the creek mouth where we started. Now the tide was running out swi ly. We caught several trout and a couple more hybrids before we headed back to the docks.

As we ran past downtown Darien, I saw remnants of old buildings from the 1800s and thought of the history. is was a major port during the early rise of the United States. Cotton and rice from slave plantations were shipped out of Darien, and old-growth cypress trees were logged way up the Altamaha. Loggers would cut trees close to the river and then ra them together in units of dozens of massive logs, which were oated down to the coastal sawmills with men riding the ra s.

Darien is a quiet town now, but it was a truly a bustling place then. It is beautiful with old live oaks and Spanish moss, and history bu s will not be disappointed. If you want to change up your shing and explore a special place, give Jones a call. He can hook you up…

Capt. Drew Jones can be contacted at (912) 242-2502.

BECOME AN FWC SCALLOP-SITTER

If you’re a scalloper looking for a way to get involved in making more of the bivalves we all love, FWC has put a call out for “scallop-sitters” in the Florida Panhandle. e Scallop-Sitter program is available for volunteers in St. Joseph Bay, St. Andrew Bay and St. George Sound, and it is intended to increase scallop populations and reintroduce them to suitable areas from which they have disappeared.

Scallop-sitters volunteer to maintain cages with up to 50 bay scallops from June through January. On a monthly basis, volunteers check, count and clean their cages and scallops. Each volunteer will receive a cage, a bucket of scallops, tools to maintain cages, instructional materials and some fun giveaways.

To register as a scallop-sitter, you must meet the following requirements:

• Have no FWC violations on your record

• Live near St. Andrew Bay, St. Joseph Bay or St. George Sound

• Have access to the bay: via private dock, boat, or kayak

• Register through the UF Pace platform before May 25, 2023

• Watch virtual training video following registration and complete the program pre-survey

For more information, go to MyFWC.com or email bayscallops@myfwc.com.

By Will Schmidt

If you don’t already troll for grouper or if you’re looking for ways to improve your success rate, here are some things to consider while we wait for the seasons for our most popular species to re-open.

Large-lipped and big-pro le plugs are deadly, but many anglers struggle with getting lures into the strike zone. Many think if they are shing in 30 feet of water they need a plug that dives 30 feet, but that’s not always the case. Maximum dive depths are with everything optimum: speed, amount of line out and rigging.

First, consider your speed. I use Nomad DTX Minnow lures, which are designed to run anywhere

from 20 to 50 feet at speeds of 2 to 12 knots. e plugs will dive deeper at the higher end of that speed range than the lower end. I usually run about 5 knots and can easily get a 40-foot plug down to 30 feet at that speed, but a 30-foot plug would likely be short of the bottom. e amount of line you have out also greatly a ects the depth your plug is running, and this is where many mistakes are made. Slower speeds equal a atter angle of descent, so more line is needed. e idea is to be so close to the bottom that you occasionally bounce o it. Watch your rod tip for signs of the lure bouncing o the bottom. You will likely nd you need more line than you think. Keep dropping back until you start hitting bottom. e downside of this is you will get snagged on the bottom occasionally. When you do, don’t just try to wrench it o the bottom, get back behind the lure and pull it o in the opposite direction. A plus to the DTX Minnow is the single hooks seem to come o the bottom easier than treble hooks.

e nal piece to the puzzle is your rigging. Pulling 8- to 9-inch lures, and handling the sh that smack them, means you need stout tackle. But heavier lines create drag in the water that will impede the lure’s ability to dive. Using braid is a huge plus, as the diameter is much smaller and creates less drag. To further streamline, I use crimps on my leader between my lure and a small (but strong) swivel. It’s a little thing, but knots on heavy leader can be bulky and add to the

Heavy drags as well as keeping the boat in gear helps pull the sh away from cover quickly. Large single hooks aid in keeping you connected as the bigger gaps decrease the possibility of ripping the plugs out of the sh. Trolling is fun way to catch grouper and it’s a great nd new spots, as you can cover a lot of ground.

Will Schmidt is a seasoned tournament angler who has been writing about shing for more than three decades. Check out Nomad Lures at nomadtackle.com.

“The renown of Italy’s jewelry, with its sensual beauty and extraordinary craftsmanship, is founded on the goldsmithing skills passed down through generations.” – The New York Times

Iguess I was a little bored. For the past hour, I’d been on the phone with Daniele, the head of my office in Italy, reviewing our latest purchases of Italian gold, Murano glass and Italian-made shoes and handbags.

“Daniele,” I said, “What is the hottest jewelry in Italy right now?” His reply? Woven gold bracelets studded with jewelry. He texted me some photos and I knew immediately that this was jewelry that Raffinato just had to have.

The best part about these bracelets? The price. Because of our longstanding connections in Arezzo, the mecca of Italian goldsmithing, we can offer both bracelets together for just $99, a fraction of the price you’ll pay anywhere else for similar jewelry. Order today. These bracelets are one of our hottest sellers this year, and with disruptions in the supply chain, we can only guarantee that we have 1,273 861 of these bracelets on hand for this ad.

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Located within two hours driving distance to all major attractions in central Florida, international airports and Florida’s beautiful beaches, Putnam County’s outdoor recreational choices are legendary. Between world class fishing, boating, hunting, cycling, hiking, golf, and more, Putnam County has it all. Whether you are seeking real Florida culture and heritage, recreation, or just relaxing in a small historic town, the residents and businesses of Putnam County invite you to Experience Real Florida visitputn

2023 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic Returns to the Tennessee River

The prestigious championship bass tournament—widely known as the “Super Bowl of Bass Fishing”—will be held March 24-26 in downtown Knoxville and on the University of Tennessee Campus.

e Bassmaster Classic pits 55 of the world’s best bass anglers against one another for the title of Bassmaster Classic Champion. e Classic is a catch-and-release event, with bass being returned to the shery under the supervision of the TWRA.

Daily takeo s will be from Volunteer Landing on the Tennessee River in downtown Knoxville each competition day, and weigh-ins will take place in the ompson-Boling Arena on the University of Tennessee campus. e fan-favorite Bassmaster Classic Outdoors Expo will be held Friday through Sunday, March 24-26 in the Knoxville Convention Center and the adjacent World’s Fair Exhibition Hall.

All activities and venues are free and open to the public. For more information, visit Bassmaster.com.

B.A.S.S. PHOTO

COLOMBIA: A GOLDEN ERA OF FISHING BEGINS

By Riley Love

Twenty years ago, I wrote an article on the Golden Age of Panama shing. Long have anglers waited for access to the salt and freshwater environments of Colombia.

In 2016, a lengthy peace process was negotiated and a nal agreement for a cease re and cessation of hostilities between the government and militias. In truth, there are still areas of the country to be avoided and cocaine production remains high, but the political and drug-crime environment has improved enough to move Colombia nearer the top of the target list for angling. e country’s upward trajectory with new tourism outstrips its neighbors. e latest three trips we’ve taken to the country have been completely safe.

Fishing the Amazon and Orinoco River basins are “peacock bass trips.” It is a stunning shery, where you routinely encounter fellow anglers from the far side of the world. From there, these trips can be divided into peacocks and “what else.” In Guyana it was giant arapaima. For the last Brazil trip, it was big wolf sh. is venture was to the Guaviare River, massive itself, a tributary to the mighty Orinoco. It is hard to understand the size of these watersheds until you see them yourself. Our quarry here was payara, the vampire sh.

e dichotomy of life in the tropics is the wet and dry seasons. During the time of rain, the rivers swell from their banks into dense rainforest. Sitting in your boat, you listen to peacock bass bust prey far back in cover where no cast can go. e shing season is re ned to those months when the rivers shrink back into their skeletal forms and sh are targeted in remaining aneurysmal pools. But the payara have a need for speed. ey stack up in current and mouths of tributaries where more water ows. ere is something about going a er speed freaks… it presses my buttons.

Alberto “Beto” Mejia is the young progenitor of FISH COLUMBIA. He has developed lodges here, on the Orinoco and on the Paci c coast at Punta Ardita, just inside the Panamanian border. He is a stone-cold payara y sherman. is lodge is more rustic, and you really feel away from it all.

Peacocks and payara take ies very well, both poppers and streamers. For the conventional sherman, it’s a chance to use multiple baits and techniques. Very large topwater prop baits and poppers, big minnows at multiple depths. e Dramatis personae includes numerous others- pacu, sardinata, also the opportunity for multiple species of cat sh, some in the 400-pound range. Uraima falls in Venezuela was a specialized lodge for payara. is is o the list as a destination for various sordid reasons. I have bagged them across the frontiers of South America. Most run 6 to 7 pounds, and a very good one about 15 pounds. e sh on Columbia’s Orinoco run twice that size. I believe this is the best payara lodge on the planet.

For more information, go to www. shcolombia.com. For more from Riley Love, go to rileylove.com and nd him on social media @rileyloveauthor.

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The in atable shing kayak is super rugged and ready to take on hooks, ns, and rocks. Tough, fast, portable, and built especially for anglers. The patented NeedleKnife™ keel cuts through the water so you can paddle or motor your way to your favorite spot quickly and easily. The Angler 385fta is 12’6” x 36” fully in ated and holds up to 2 people or 635 lbs. of people and gear. Packs down to 36” x 15” x 20” to t in a car trunk, SUV, RV, any small place. Various seating and trolling motor options are available.

console or tackle bag. You’ll nd other uses as necessity dictates.

Soft Baits: You’re throwing away money if you sh so plastics and don’t use super glue. Most so plastics are designed for action rather than durability. ey’re disposable, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get the most you can out of them.

If you’re shing a paddletail, grub, eel, worm or any so plastic on a jighead, a small drop of super glue will extend the life of that bait inde nitely. Secured to the jig, it will never slide down to the bend of the hook like a loose sock. To a lesser extent, this trick works for bare hooks, as well. Forget multiple sh, a so bait can last multiple trips when it’s glued in place— barring, of course, interactions with toothy sh.

When it comes to sh with teeth, there’s no way to avoid rips and tears in your so plastics. Even toothless sh will beat up a bait with extended use. Super glue repairs slices and gouges in so plastics. e rigidity of the repaired area will a ect the action of the lure, but this can be a trip saver when you’re down to the last in a bag of that one color sh are biting.

Hard Baits: With hard baits, super glue is for on-the-water repairs. If the lip on your crankbait gets loose, a tiny dab of glue will hold it tight and keep your lure swimming true. If the screw eye comes out of your favorite topwater or swimbait, gluing it back will render it stronger than it was to begin with. Super glue extends the life of expensive lures that would otherwise be headed for the trash.

By CAM Sta

SUPER GLUE BELONGS IN YOUR TACKLE BOX

Just like pliers or a good knife, super glue is an essential item in your shing kit. ere are numerous practical uses for this stu in shing, and it’s also a catch-all tool. It’s like liquid duct tape. When you have it, there’s no end to the situations when it comes in handy. Here are a few good reasons you should keep a tube of super glue in your

Knots: e debate is ongoing on whether super gluing knots increases their strength. Most folks who do it are in the “it can’t hurt camp.” However, there are a couple situations when it just makes sense. Coating line-to-line connections that frequently run through the guides smooths the knot and protects it from wear. With braided line, good knots, and the right knots, are crucial. Even so, braided line can cut itself when knots shi and tighten under stress. A drop of super glue keeps knots snug and secure.

Miscellaneous: Super glue can save the day when an eyelet or rod tip comes loose. It’ll also keep you on the water when you cut yourself chunking bait. Glue the wound shut and keep shing. Save the emergency room for later.

For more tips, go to coastalanglermag.com.

By Molly Kirk

GOLDEN BASS CAUGHT IN VIRGINIA

Virginia angler Jacob Moore was quite surprised when he reeled in this largemouth bass from the James River. Moore was expecting to catch a largemouth—he was targeting them. But he de nitely wasn’t expecting to catch a golden largemouth!

“I was out there practicing for a tournament, catching a bunch of sh,” said Moore, who works as an arborist and participates in local tournaments. “I was on the lower James near Chippokes [State Park]. When I hooked into that one, I thought I had a saltwater sh on at rst, but lo and behold, it was a largemouth! A very di erent largemouth, though. I haven’t seen anything like that before. I’ve seen bass with black spots, but I’d never seen an albino one.”

“Golden largemouth bass are extremely rare and most anglers have never seen them, let alone heard of them before,” said Alex McCrickard, Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) Aquatic Education Coordinator. “ e sh is a product of a genetic mutation that alters the skin pigments called xanthism. Yellow pigmentation dominates in xanthism, as you can see in Moore’s golden largemouth.”

Moore measured the sh at 16 ½ inches, took a few photos, then returned it to the water.

For more information, go to dwr.virginia.gov.

TIES STATE RECORD

This big Georgia sheepshead tied a two-decade-old state record for the species a er weighing in at 14 pounds, 14.37 ounces.

e angler, Ben Golden III, of Midway, Ga., caught his sh near the Sunbury community outside of Midway on Feb. 3. e catch quali es as a tie with the existing record of 14-pounds, 14-ounces set by Ralph White, of Rincon, Ga., in 2002.

“To be honest, I’ve been telling folks it’s been my goal to catch a state record for 10 or 12 years,” said Golden, who grew up in Midway and has been shing the Georgia coast most of his life. “I’m excited to say that I did it.”

Sheepshead are common around 7 pounds but can easily be found up to 10 pounds. ey reach maturity around 3 to 4 years of age and primarily live inshore, o en near rocky areas, docks, bridges or arti cial reefs, or other areas with barnacles.

Between 2017 and 2021, NOAA Fisheries estimates that Georgia recreational anglers caught an average of 490,197 sheepshead each year, with an average of 262,457 being harvested.

For more information on the Georgia Saltwater Game Fish Records program, visit www.CoastalGaDNR.org/SaltwaterRecords.