The Angler Magazine | February 2024 | The Panhandle Edition

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THE PANHANDLE 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

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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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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.

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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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5:12

High4:01

PM

ft

Rise

Set

6:43A

0.1

7:29

6:19

7:29

6:20

7:28

6:21

-0.7

7:27

6:22

7:26

6:24

3

Fri DateSat

4

Sun

5

Mon

6

Tue

7

Wed

8:44

1.6

6:56

-0.9

8

Thu

9:29

1.6

7:44

-0.9

9

Fri

9:49

2

1 2 3

AM

ft

PM

Sat

8:59

-0.1

3:19

12

Mon

2:08

1.0

9:47A

13

Tue

3:15

0.7

14

Wed

4:48

0.4

15

Thu

17

Sun

9:45

PM

ft

Mon Fri

1.3

9:51

6:25 7:29 6:20 7:24 6:26 7:25

-0.5

7:23

11:04A

10:14

0.7

12:05

3:47

12:31

0.5

7:23A

3:38

7:41A

0.2

0.2

3:36

0.5

0.4 5:21 0.7 1.3 10:33 4:20 -0.5 0.9 1:05 0.2

6:05 1.3 1.4 2:55 5:12 -0.7 -0.4

3:19

1.1

1:50

-0.1

Sat

3:55 4:47

1.4

4:12

-0.5

19

Mon

5:47

1.4

6:24

-0.6

6:27 0.9

0.0 7:28 6:22 7:20 6:30 7:19

6:31

7:17

6:32

7:16

6:34

-0.6 7:23 1.4 1.5 5:22 6:05 -0.8

7:17 6:33 7:26 6:23

20

7 21

Tue

Wed Wed

6:57

-0.6 8:44 1.3 1.6 7:12 6:56 -0.9 8:24 1.3 7:51 -0.5

7:15 6:34 7:26 6:24 7:14 6:35

22

Thu

9:12

7:25 6:25 7:12 6:37

8

Thu Fri

1.3

8:19

-0.3

9:29 1.2 1.6 8:19 7:44 -0.9 -0.2

5:48 7:00A

7:53

9:43

7:13

6:36

7:11

6:37

Your one stop shop for summer fun!

24

Sat

2:42P

0.4

10:07

1.1

5:53

-0.1

4:42

0.3

25

Sun

3:02P

0.4

10:16

0.9

6:10

0.0

5:32

0.2

26

10

Mon

3:07P

0.5

10:04

0.7

6:30

0.0

6:20

0.2

27

Tue

2:27P

0.6

10:08

0.5

6:48

0.1

7:07

0.2

28

Wed

2:43

0.5

2:27

12:10

0.4

7:00A

29

11

Thu

3:42

0.4

2:45

6:38A

0.3

7:05

Sun 8:59 -0.1 3:19 0.4 9:56 1.0 6:37 -0.3 11:04A -0.2 5:48

9

Fri

Sat

9:49 1.5 8:36 -0.7 9:45 0.8 1.3 10:19 9:51 -0.5 0.3 1.0

12:36

0.2

6:38 7:24 6:26 7:10 7:09

6:39

7:08

6:39

7:23 6:27 0.3

7:55

6:41

12 Mon 2:08 1.0 9:47A 0.2 3:36 0.5 10:14 0.7 12:05 0.9 7:00A 13

We have it all!

The Cape Tradin’ Post is your connection to civilization while staying on Cape San Blas, at Indian Pass or in St. Joseph Peninsula State Park.

7:27 6:22 7:18 6:31

3:21

Tue

7:28 6:21 -0.2

-0.3

Sun

23

Moon

Rise Set Moon 7:28 6:22

6:37

18

6

ft

4:52 0.4 1.2 9:56 3:27 -0.3 1.0

Sat

Sun

5

AM

4:27 1.5 1.0 8:36 2:30 -0.1 -0.7

Fri

11

16

ft

Low

Thu 3:42 0.3 7:23 4:01 1.5 0.8 6:05 1:40 -0.8 0.2 6:43A 0.1 7:29 6:19 7:26 6:23

10

4

The Only Liquor Store in Cape San Blas!

Tue 3:15 0.7 3:47 0.7 10:33 0.4 12:31 0.5 7:23A 0.0 7:53

Full line oF grocery • Top QualiTy MeaTs cuT on The preMises • Fresh FruiTs • VegeTables • eggs • Dairy proDucTs • soFT Drinks • Juices • cold Beer • greaT Wine selecTion • chaMpagne • baggeD ice • T-shirTs • AppArel haTs • sunglasses • Toys • gaMes • sun care • scalloping & snorkel gear • FloaTs • BreAkFAst • bisQuiTs • DonuTs coFFee • Hot luncH & dinner • sTeakburgers hoT Dogs • subs • Wings • hunT broThers pizza hanD-DippeD ice creaM & Frozen TreaTs • BAit And tAckle

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14 Wed 4:48 0.4 3:38 0.9 1:05 0.2 7:41A 0.2 7:20 6:30 15

Thu

3:19 1.1 1:50 -0.1

7:19 6:31

16

Fri

3:21 1.3 2:55 -0.4

7:18 6:31

17

Sat

3:55 1.4 4:12 -0.5

7:17 6:32

18

Sun

4:47 1.4 5:22 -0.6

7:17 6:33

19 Mon

5:47 1.4 6:24 -0.6

7:16 6:34

20

Tue

6:57 1.3 7:12 -0.6

7:15 6:34

21 Wed

8:24 1.3 7:51 -0.5

7:14 6:35

22

Thu

9:12 1.3 8:19 -0.3

7:13 6:36

23

Fri

9:43 1.2 8:19 -0.2

7:12 6:37

24

Sat 2:42P 0.4 10:07 1.1 5:53 -0.1 4:42 0.3 7:11 6:37

25

Sun 3:02P 0.4 10:16 0.9 6:10 0.0 5:32 0.2 7:10 6:38

NATIO N WARR WIDE ANTY!

— COMPLETE AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR — CUSTOM WHEELS AND TIRES — CUSTOM EXHAUST WORK

Sit back and catch more buSineSS.

advertiSe in

26 Mon 3:07P 0.5 10:04 0.7 6:30 0.0 6:20 0.2 7:09 6:39 27

Tue 2:27P 0.6 10:08 0.5 6:48 0.1 7:07 0.2 7:08 6:39

28 Wed 2:43 0.5 2:27 0.8 10:19 0.3 12:10 0.4 7:00A 0.3 7:55 29

Thu 3:42 0.4 2:45 1.0 12:36 0.2 6:38A 0.3 7:05 6:41

2 THE panhandle

february 2024

COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM

contact elizabeth

(850) 499-5685 capt.elizabeth@ coastalanglermagazine.com

T

n

th

e.com

Things with Teeth

The

Panh andle

Pull

Fishing Forecast with Capt. Preston muller

E

Gulf Angler Charters • 850-428-0118

ven though fishing in the month of February is not the first thing on everyone’s mind in our area of Florida, it is a good time to read up and prepare for the upcoming season. With hunting season about to close and college football behind us there isn’t much to do in February as an outdoorsman other than prep for Spring which will be here in no time.

Let’s talk about shark fishing this month. In the Florida Panhandle we have almost all of the common species of sharks. Bulls, Spinners, Sandbar, Dusky and Tiger Sharks are the most plentiful but the occasional Hammerhead, Mako and even White Shark is not uncommon. You will hear locals refer to sharks as “the man in the grey suite” as he often shows up just when you’re on a hot bite. They can be very frustrating in the summer months especially when it comes to amberjack and snapper fishing. These predators will quickly ruin a honey hole causing you to move locations as they devour your catch on the way to the surface.

But, they can be fun to catch for those that like to go toe-totoe with a sea monster. When we shark fish we make our rigs with 400 lb mono leader mated to a braided steel leader with a big circle hook and large treble stinger hook about 8 inches behind the circle hook. Bonita slab, bluefish and mackerel are the best shark baits. When we shark fish we will have a surface bait either on a balloon of freelined up top as well as a down bait mid water column. The best way to hook a shark is to have both rods in the rod holders and the drags backed off really lightly so that when the shark takes the bait he doesn’t feel pressure right away causing him to drop it. Once the shark picks up the bait let him run for a bit before tightening the drag and setting the hook. In my boat we have a dedicated box labeled “things with teeth”. It has premade leaders and material to make new leaders as well as crimping tools and various crimp sizes. I recommend keeping a box like this so you can quickly migrate from normal fishing to shark fishing if someone on board wants to.

In the Florida Panhandle we have great shark fishing everywhere. From the Choctawhatchee bay, to the Destin pass to just about any reef you can find sharks. In my opinion, they are overpopulated and starting to become a real issue for fishermen in our area.

Enjoy your February prep as we prepare for a great 2024 fishing season!

Paul’s Marine service, inc

“I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me” Phil 4:13 COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM

february 2024

the panhandle 3

F a M i ly O w n e d & O p e r at e d

Apalachicola, FL - Feb 2024 Apalachicola, FL - Feb 2024 2

Date Fri

3

Sat

1

4

Set

-0.1

0.2

7:28

6:18

7:43

1.1

3:00

-0.3

1:23

0.4

7:27

6:19

8:14

1.1

4:11

-0.4

8:58

1.2

5:40

-0.6

7:54

-0.9

7:09

0.6

9:59

0.5

AM

ft

PM

ft

AM

ft

PM

ft

Rise 6:20 Set Moon

7:26

6:20

1.1

7:25

6:22 6:24

3

Sat Sat

4

13

5

Mon Wed

6

Fri 7:18 1.3 3:17 -0.5 4:47P 1.1 11:08 Tue 1.3 7:54 -0.9 7:09 1.1 7:17 7:25 6:30 6:22

7

Wed Mon

4:41P

Tue

12 14 15 16 17 18 19

8

20

4:47P

1.1

11:08

1.3

Thu

12:36

1.3

5:22

1.1

9:35

-1.0

8:48

0.9

7:23

Fri

1:50

1.4

5:38

1.0

10:23

-1.0

9:38

0.8

7:23

2:54

1.5

10:32

0.5

7:22

Sun Mon

3:56

1.5

4:59

1.4

Tue

6:03

1.2

7:19

1.0

9:08

0.8

Tue

5:02 1.1 8:45 -1.0 Fri 9:59 0.5 7:43 1.1 3:00 -0.3 8:03 1:23 1.0 0.4 7:24 7:27 6:23 6:19

Sun

Thu Sat

Sun

8:14 1.1 4:11 -0.9 -0.4 5:48 1.0 11:05

7:27 6:25 6:20 6:25

8:58 1.2 5:40 -0.6 6:02 1.0

11:23

0.3

7:21

12:14

-0.4

7:20

6:13

12:40

-0.1

7:19

1:00

0.3

7:19

1:11

0.5

7:18

6:29 6:31

5:54

1.0 1.1

11:42 12:11

-0.7 0.0

9:54 1.2 6:57 -0.7 6:30 1.2 1:02 -0.2

7:26 6:27 6:20 6:26 6:28

7:26 6:29 6:21

6:51

1.2

2:02

-0.4

7:56

1.2

4:43

-0.6

7:16

8:56

1.2

6:13

-0.7

7:15

5:02 1.1 8:45 -1.0 7:03 8:03 1.0 1.0 7:14 7:24 6:32 6:23 1.1 7:22 -0.7 6:32

1.0

10:12

4:11P

1.0

11:50

1.1

8:15

-0.7

7:58

0.9

7:13

6:33

Thu 12:36 1.3 5:22 1.1 9:35 -1.0 8:38 8:48 0.7 0.9 7:12 7:23 6:34 6:24 4:19 1.0 9:00 -0.6

21

Wed

22

9

Thu

1:22

1.1

4:33

1.0

9:41

-0.5

9:16

0.6

7:11

6:35

1025

Sun 3:49 1.2 5:07 1.1 10:59 -0.1 Sat 2:54 1.5 5:48 1.0 11:05 -0.9 11:07 10:32 0.3 0.5 7:08 7:22 6:37 6:25

Sat

3:05

1.2

5:00

1.1

10:40

-0.3

10:33

0.4

7:09

6:36

Mon

4:32

1.1

5:13

1.2

11:13

0.0

11:38

0.1

7:07

6:37

Tue

5:16

1.1

5:21

1.2

11:29

0.1

Wed

6:04

1.0

5:33

1.3

12:08

0.0

11:48A

0.2

7:05

Thu

7:02

0.9

5:50

1.3

12:40

-0.2

12:09

0.4

7:04

24 26

FriFri 1:50 1.4 5:38 1.0 10:23 -1.0 9:55 9:38 0.5 0.8 7:10 7:23 6:35 6:25 2:19 1.2 4:48 1.1 10:14 -0.4

11

Sun 3:56 1.5 5:54 1.0 11:42 -0.7 11:23 0.3 7:21 6:38 6:26

29

12

Mon 4:59 1.4 6:02 1.0

13

Tue 6:03 1.2 6:13 1.1 12:11 0.0 12:40 -0.1 7:19 6:28

27 28

7:06

6:39

12:14 -0.4 7:20 6:39 6:27

14 Wed 7:19 1.0 6:30 1.2 1:02 -0.2 1:00 0.3 7:19 6:29

BAY BAITS Reel in the Adventure of a Lifetime!

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february 2024

15

Thu 9:08 0.8 6:51 1.2 2:02 -0.4 1:11 0.5 7:18 6:29

16

Fri

7:18 1.3 3:17 -0.5

7:17 6:30

17

Sat

7:56 1.2 4:43 -0.6

7:16 6:31

18

Sun

8:56 1.2 6:13 -0.7

7:15 6:32

19

Mon 4:41P 1.0 10:12 1.1 7:22 -0.7 7:03 1.0 7:14 6:32

20

Tue 4:11P 1.0 11:50 1.1 8:15 -0.7 7:58 0.9 7:13 6:33

21 Wed

4:19 1.0 9:00 -0.6 8:38 0.7 7:12 6:34

22

Thu 1:22 1.1 4:33 1.0 9:41 -0.5 9:16 0.6 7:11 6:35

23

Fri 2:19 1.2 4:48 1.1 10:14 -0.4 9:55 0.5 7:10 6:35

24

Sat 3:05 1.2 5:00 1.1 10:40 -0.3 10:33 0.4 7:09 6:36

25

Sun 3:49 1.2 5:07 1.1 10:59 -0.1 11:07 0.3 7:08 6:37

26

Mon 4:32 1.1 5:13 1.2 11:13 0.0 11:38 0.1 7:07 6:37

27

Tue 5:16 1.1 5:21 1.2 11:29 0.1

7:06 6:38

28 Wed 6:04 1.0 5:33 1.3 12:08 0.0 11:48A 0.2 7:05 6:39 29

Moon

7:27

10

23

8:00 aM - 5:00 pM

Rise

2:03

PM Low1:07

ft

1.1

8:11

Wed

11

O p e n M O n d ay - F r i d ay

ft

PM

27 9

5527 US Hwy 331 S DefUniak SpringS, fL 32435

Sun

High7:19

AM

ft

Mon 9:54 1.2 6:57 -0.7 Thu 8:11 0.6 7:19 1.1 2:03 -0.1 1:07 0.2 7:26 7:28 6:21 6:18

8

5,000 Sq ft of partS & acceSSorieS fULL MacHine SHop cUStoM rigging ... anD MUcH More!

Thu

Low ft

AM

15 6

Marine SaleS & Service

www.USHarbors.com

High

Date

Authorized deAler & Full Service center

www.USHarbors.com

Thu 7:02 0.9 5:50 1.3 12:40 -0.2 12:09 0.4 7:04 6:39

COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM

W

its bee weath on the Inshor which bottom night c jigs ar be tric makin wreck can fin JACKS want a windo aroun and sa fishing

rs.com

Capt. OG'S

Insight Fishing Forecast

Moon

with

Capt. Brett Tennant

Bout Time Charters • (850)512-3334 www.bouttimecharters.net www.facebook.com/www.bouttimecharters.net IG is @groupertrooperfishing

Pensacola, FL - Feb 2024 Pensacola, FL - Feb 2024 2

Date Fri

3

Sat

1

4

AM

ft

Thu

Sun

AM

Low

High3:42

ft

AM

ft

0.5

4:48

-0.1

4:12

0.6

3:12

-0.2

5:02

0.8

3:56

-0.4

6:06

0.9

4:48

-0.5

ft

PM

PM

ft

AM

ft

15

Mon Thu

7:11 1.0 5:44 -0.7 3:42 0.5 4:48 -0.1

27

Wed

Fri

9:10 1.2 7:39 -0.9 4:12 0.6 3:12 -0.2

10

3

Sat Sat

4

Sun Mon

12:01

0.9

1:01

0.6

13

5

Mon Wed

Tue

2:13

0.3

6

Fri Tue

4:04 0.9 2:48 -0.4 8:12 1.1 6:43 -0.8

7

Wed Mon

9:10 1.2 7:39 -0.9 7:33 1.0 6:01 -0.6

6 8 9

11 12

15 16 17 18 19

8

8:12

Tue

1.1

6:43

ft

Set

6:38

5:26

6:37

5:27

Rise 5:27 Set Moon

6:36 6:35

8:31

-0.9

6:33

1.1

9:15

-0.9

6:32

5:02 0.8 3:56 -0.4 9:52 -0.7 2:18 3:10

Thu Sat

Sun

0.3

8:53

0.8

1:12

10:52

-0.1

6:29 6:27

4:00

-0.6

6:26

1.0

5:03

-0.6

6:25

9

Thu

FriFri

11:03 1.1 9:15 -0.9 10:39 0.8 8:41 -0.4

1025

Sun Sat

8:52 -0.1 9:52 -0.7

10:00 11:20

0.9 0.6

Mon

12:08

0.5

1:40

0.3

Tue

1:09

0.3

1:24

0.4

Wed

1:26

0.6

Thu

1:42

0.7

8:15 8:56

5:39

6:34 5:40 5:31 5:41

6:24

6:33 5:42 5:32

-0.6

6:23

5:41

6:22

-0.5

6:21

5:43

6:32 5:44 5:33

6:20

-0.2

6:19

5:44

6:32 5:45 5:33

6:18

7:50

0.1

7:04

0.2

6:17

6:41

0.2

9:16

0.1

6:16

10:35

-0.1

6:15

5:46

11

Sun 12:01 0.9

29

12

Mon 1:01 0.6

13

Tue 2:13 0.3 2:18 0.3 8:53 0.1 10:52 -0.1 6:29 5:36

27 28

10:19 -0.4

5:37

6:35 5:38 5:30

6:27

1.0

6:54

5:36

6:35 5:37 5:29

6:28

6:26

1.0

5:34

6:30

-0.3

22

Sat

6:36 5:35 5:28

6:31

5:13

8:30

Tue

6:37 5:33 5:27 5:33

-0.4 0.1

5:32

6:32

6:06 0.9 10:25 4:48 -0.1 -0.5 7:11 1.0 5:44 -0.7 2:34 0.6

5:30

6:37 5:31 5:27

6:34

1.2

10:19

5:28

6:38 5:29 5:26

6:35

11:03

Sun

10:25 -0.1

6:31 5:47 5:34 5:47

6:30 5:48 5:35

6:13

14 Wed

2:34 0.6

6:28 5:37

15

Thu

3:10 0.8 1:12 -0.3

6:27 5:37

16

Fri

4:04 0.9 2:48 -0.4

6:27 5:38

17

Sat

5:13 1.0 4:00 -0.6

6:26 5:39

18

Sun

6:26 1.0 5:03 -0.6

6:25 5:40

19

Mon

7:33 1.0 6:01 -0.6

6:24 5:41

20

Tue

8:30 1.0 6:54 -0.6

6:23 5:41

21 Wed

9:18 1.0 7:39 -0.6

6:22 5:42

22

Thu

10:00 0.9 8:15 -0.5

6:21 5:43

23

Fri

10:39 0.8 8:41 -0.4

6:20 5:44

24

Sat

11:20 0.6 8:56 -0.2

6:19 5:44

25

Sun

8:52 -0.1

6:18 5:45

26

Mon 12:08 0.5 1:40 0.3 7:50 0.1 7:04 0.2 6:17 5:46

27

Tue 1:09 0.3 1:24 0.4 6:41 0.2 9:16 0.1 6:16 5:47

28 Wed

1:26 0.6

10:35 -0.1 6:15 5:47

29

1:42 0.7

6:13 5:48

Thu

COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM

Moon

6:37

10:07

10:07 1.2 8:31 -0.9 9:18 1.0 7:39 -0.6

26

PM

Rise

Fri

Thu

24

ft

Thu

Wed

23

Low PM

-0.8

21

20

W

www.USHarbors.com

High

Date

14

hats up my Panhandle anglers?! February is here and the sun is starting to peak its head back out. This has been a wet and stormy winter due to it being an El Nino. The seas have been rough and its been relatively chilly but there hasn’t been much of consistency in the weather, with temps cold at night and hot during the day. I have been staying on the lunar clock as far as fishing times go because its been very accurate.

Inshore fishing will be a mix of Redfish, Sheepshead and white trout. All of which can be found around structure, rocks, bridge pilings, and deep water bottom structure in the bay and pass. Shrimp, fiddler crabs, oysters, and night crawlers or bloodworms have been the baits of choice and Bird of Prey jigs are killer for sheepshead. This time of year offshore bottom fishing can be tricky trying to find something thats open to harvest. Flounder will be making their way down the beaches in 60 foot or less off the edges of big wrecks or chicken coops. Vermillion snapper will be good to harvest if you can find them! I like February every year because thats when some GIANT JACKS are on almost all the big name wrecks and they are starving! If you want a great fight send down a live bait and hold on! If you get a weather window to run far enough to the FADS then there maybe some wahoo around or some mahi. First light is best so turn on you radar and navigation and safety lights and leave on your journey in the dark. Next month the fishing should really heat up! See yall then!

www.USHarbors.com

february 2024

the panhandle 5

Anhingas Swim for Their Supper

W

Come fish with us!

ith common names like water turkey, snakebird, and even devil bird, the Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga) is a bird of folklore and mystery. Found yearround in Florida, the Anhinga’s native range includes coastal states from South Carolina to Texas as well as parts of Central and The Anhinga’s tail, when fanned, resembles South America. They can the tail of a turkey, hence its nickname live in salt or freshwater water turkey. environments and are frequently seen in cypress swamps, mangrove-lined bays, and tidal streams—wherever they can find logs or open branches upon which to rest.

Mostly black with a long tail, long neck, and long, pointed bill, the Anhinga is one of two Florida birds adapted to hunting fish underwater.

Unlike wading birds that typically pluck small, unsuspecting fish from above the water column, an Anhinga slips into the water quietly and swims to pursue and spear its prey in the side using its sharp, serrated bill. They sometimes consume their prey while underwater, but usually bring it to the surface where they toss it in the air before swallowing it headfirst. In Florida, the Anhinga’s favorite foods include sunfish, bass, killifish, mullet, and mojarra, but they also eat insects and crayfish or other crustaceans.

Anhingas typically swim with their body submerged and only their head and neck above the water, hence the nickname snakebird. They can remain submerged for up to a minute as they hunt and are able to dive to depths of 60 feet. This is possible because they lack the gland that ducks and other water birds have for buoyancy and waterproofing, therefore they must spread their wings to dry their feathers in the sun before their next flight.

Anhinga feet are “totipalmate,” which means all four toes are joined with webbing. This puts them in the order Pelicaniformes, along with pelicans, boobies, gannets, tropicbirds, frigatebirds, and cormorants.

Anhingas need clean water and healthy waterways to go after their fishy prey—just like anglers! Whenever you’re out on the water, you can protect Florida’s birdlife by retrieving and removing misguided tackle and line from trees and properly disposing of all trash. Together, we can advocate for wetlands restoration and other conservation projects across Florida to protect the places Anhingas need to survive and thrive.

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The incredible freshwater biodiversity our area boasts makes for an incredible panfish fishery. Alabama is home to the current world record bluegill as well as a former world record shell cracker.

In addition, 2 more previous world record shell crackers came from the Florida panhandle less than 100 miles from Andalusia. With such incredible panfishing at our door step; you can imagine the number of fishermen in our area who pursue these fish religiously. And being located in the heart of bream fishing country and surrounded by so many bream fishermen means we’ve been up to our ears in “bream boats” for as long as we can remember.

8 THE panhandle

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The “stick steer” boat or panfish boat as it’s more commonly called these days; has been around for almost as long as the fishermen that use them; and aren’t going away anytime soon. Made popular due to giving the boat driver the ability to better see upcoming obstacles because of the forward seat placement and due to providing the ultimate in comfort by allowing the driver to stay seated the entire trip; while operating the outboard, fishing, etc.

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

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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.

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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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C-Hawk 25 Center Console The C-Hawk 25 Center Console is an infinitely customizable boat with a huge following among hardcore anglers. They are the boat of choice for many charter captains who prefer functionality over flash and want a no-nonsense vessel that’s designed to perform and built to take a beating.

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One of the great advantages of the C-Hawk 25 is it’s totally customizable, so it can be purpose built to be a better boat for whatever it is you need to do.

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

“In Georgia and South Carolina, they’re using it as a small passenger ferry.

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.”

Whatever you plan to do with it, all C-Hawk boats are built battleship tough

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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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RESCUE

AT SEA

OFF VENICE

By Capt. Quinlyn Haddon

E

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

14 NATIONAL

FEBRUARY 2024

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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.

NORSE BY NORSEWEST?

Embrace your Scandinavian side with a 7" blade

I

f you looked out your window a thousand years ago and saw a fleet of Viking longships coming your way, you knew you were in trouble.

For roughly two centuries, the Vikings voyaged, raided and pillaged wherever they pleased. As expert sailors and navigators, they reached as far from Scandinavia as Iran, Constantinople, North Africa and the New World in their quest to expand their kingdom.

Sta

Impossibuer le Price ®

$99

A mini sword. Too organized and too aggressive, no one stood in a Viking’s way. That’s exactly the message that our Viking Blade sends.

Crafted from Damascus steel with brass inlay, this 12" full-tang knife is essentially a mini sword. Paired with its hand-tooled leather sheath, this knife belongs in the collection of any avid aficionado.

JOIN MORE THAN , SHARP PEOPLE WHO COLLECT STAUER KNIVES The steel of legend. For centuries, a Damascus steel blade was instantly recognizable and commanded respect. Renowned for its sharp edge, beauty and resistance to shattering, Damascus steel was the stuff of legend. While the original process has been lost to the ages, modern bladesmiths have been able to re-create Damascus steel to create the best blades imaginable.

Sure to impress, naturally. Combining natural strength and natural wonder at a price that’s hard to beat, the Viking Blade is a study in Damascus steel that’s sure to impress. And should you ever find yourself facing a Viking horde, a flash of this knife will show that you’re not to be messed with.

Don’t delay: Order within the next week and we’ll offer this blade to you for just $99, a savings of $200! That’s the best bang for your buck we can possibly offer: our Stauer® Impossible Price. Get your hands on one of the fastest-selling knives in our company’s history today.

Knife Specifications: • 12" overall length. 7" Damascus full-tang blade • Includes genuine leather sheath Viking Blade $299 $99* + S&P Save $200 California residents please call 1-800-333-2045 regarding Proposition 65 regulations before purchasing this product. *Special price only for customers using the offer code.

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Stauer® |

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®

IT’S PRIME TIME

ON AMERICA’S HOTTEST BIG BASS LAKE

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.

The Return of a

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

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ou may think you understood the concept of “priceless” jewelry. For years, “priceless” meant “astronomically expensive.” That is, until now ...

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Each gemstone’s shape and translucence ignites the velvety, violet hues. The polished amethysts are hand-strung on double-knotted jeweler’s thread, and the stunning 18" necklace (with 2" extender) secures with a goldfinished lobster clasp.

Too good to pass up. Too good to last long. Amethyst is one of the world’s most coveted gemstones and our supply is extremely limited. We can only offer such an outrageous deal for a short time every few years. Over 30,000 thrilled customers were lucky enough to get this promotion last time.

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1-800-333-2045

Your Insider Offer Code: LAN510-05

* This offer is valid in the United States (and Puerto Rico) except in TX, FL, CO, OK, RI, NH, WV, OR, SC, VA, CA and ID. These state residents will be charged one cent ($.01) + shipping & processing for the item. Void where prohibited or restricted by law. Offer subject to state and local regulations.

Not valid with any other offers and only while supplies last. This offer is limited to one item per shipping address. ** Free is only for customers using the offer code versus the price on Stauer.com without your offer code. † For more information concerning the appraisal, visit www.stauer.com/appraisedvalues.asp.

Stauer, 14101 Southcross Drive W., Ste 155, Dept. LAN510-05, Burnsville, MN 55337 www.stauer.com

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