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By Capt. Mike Weinhofer hen I arrived in Key West more than 30 years ago, there was a sign on the fence at the airport that said “Sportfishing Capital of the World.” At the time I had no idea how special Key West was as a fishing destination. It isn’t that it’s the best fishery for any one species. The opportunities here are endless. It has a lot to do with Key West’s location and topography. Key West is a tiny island 120 miles out in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the Gulf of Mexico on the other. It has shallow waters surrounding it to hold bait and deep water near to shore. It’s a very unique ecosystem. It’s a natural migration point for many species to feed and breed. Shallow flats surround Key West and serve as a breeding ground for bait and shallow-water trophy fish. The tarpon migration is world famous. Whether you want to fly fish or bait fish for tarpon, they are always willing to entertain. The shallow flats are also home to bonefish and permit, the hardest fish in the world to catch on a fly. But while the flats are loaded with fish, it’s not just the shallow water that mesmerizes. The call of bluewater seems to ring in everyone’s ears. Just 5 miles offshore on the Atlantic side lies the shallow-water reef. The reef is home to grouper, snapper and all types of tropical fish as well as myriad baitfish. The reef is also a congregation point for bluewater fish. The small ballyhoo and other baitfish attract larger and larger fish to the shallows. It is not uncommon in the winter months to watch sailfish chase ballyhoo in less than 15 feet of water. Just outside of the reef, the water drops to about 120 feet in 500 yards, and then there is an area called “The Bar.” It’s the old coral reef from when the water table was 40 feet lower. The Bar is about 200 yards wide and holds all kinds of fish. It shadows the reef for about 20 miles to the west. The west end of the bar is a magical place, with east-bound current upwelling on the end, bait feeds on pushed-up nutrients, and where bait congregates fish follow. Now for the offshore bluewater. “Woods Wall” is named after the man that discovered it, the famous Keys fisherman Norman Woods. At
W
make even more structure. So close to shore and holding such a variety of fish, it is a bluewater angler’s dream. Amazingly enough, we have not even touched on the fishing west or the north of Key West yet. To the west lie shallow flats and a string of islands that hold bait, tarpon, permit, sharks and many more species. Then, when you get about 20 miles west of Key West there is an island atoll call the Marquesas. It is a special place. Flats fishers come from all around the world to fish this little island. Many stories have been written about epic battles with tarpon and permit and what a magical place it is at sunrise, when anglers watch shallow-water fisheries come to life. Farther to the west are 10 or so wrecks in less than 15 feet of water. Fishing around these wrecks is like fishing in an aquarium. The water is crystal clear and bait is everywhere. Whether it is barracuda, permit, cobia or sharks, the wrecks are alive with activity. Another magical place 64 miles west of Key West is the Dry Tortugas, a group of small islands surrounded by shallow water and some of the best bottom fishing in the world. The Dry Tortugas is home to Fort Jefferson, a national park and a whole other ecosystem I could spend an entire article describing. To the north of Key West lies the Gulf of Mexico, a shallow basin for the nearshore that drops to about 100 feet in depth at 40 miles. The Gulf is loaded with wrecks that hold all kinds of bottom fish. Grouper, snapper and cobia fishing is a blast, as is the jewfish and shark fishing. Never mind fishing behind the shrimp boats for blackfin tuna, bonitas, cobia and other fish. And there are the radio towers that stand tall out in 80 to 120 feet of water that hold all kinds of bottom fishing opportunities as well as kingfish, amberjacks, sharks and cobia. In short Key West is not the best fishery for any one thing, it has it all. The topography makes it like no place else in the world to fish. Its unique layout allows us to hide from prevailing winds and make even the worst winds fishable. Quite often the hardest decision is which way to turn in the morning, left or right can make all the difference. It is one of the few places you can catch tarpon in the morning, sailfish in the mid day and dolphin or tuna in the afternoon. Everything is just so close, and there are just so many choices it makes each morning a debate. After 30 years, I still enjoy all the hard choices. Capt. Weinhofer runs charters on the Compass Rose. Visit www. KeyWestFloridaFishing.com or call 305-395-3474.
the edge of the continental shelf, the top of the wall is 800 feet deep with a shear drop to deeper than 1,800 feet in a mere 100 yards. The Gulf Stream slams into this shear face and makes rips and upwellings. If that weren’t enough, there are cracks in the wall that extend inshore to 8
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For more tuna fishing in the Keys, go to
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Fight the blues.
If nothing makes you happier than battling a billfish, you’ll find plenty to smile about in Key West. Minutes from shore you can go toe-to-toe with behemoth blue marlin, the greatest gamefish of them all. You can chase after tuna and dolphin, too. Wahoo! fla-keys.com/keywest 1.800.527.8539 COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM
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ON THE COVER Editor’s Note:
Each month, Coastal Angler Magazine and The Angler Magazine staff search our vast coverage area for photos that will grace our covers. With well over a million readers in diverse coastal and inland markets, our magazines strive for broad national appeal as well as local-level intelligence to put anglers on fish. The cover is different depending on which edition you, the reader, are holding. The following is a little information about this month’s covers.
COASTAL ANGLER MAGAZINE Freeport, Bahamas Yellowfin
FREE
Sushi doesn’t come any fresher than it does Outdoor 32nd Annual on the deck of the Finster when yellowfin Palm Beach Apparel International Edition Boat Show tuna are pushing bait off of Freeport in the Bahamas. This month’s Coastal Angler Magazine cover photo, courtesy of Picture Perfect Charters, is of Capt. Pete Milisci with a nice tuna that has an imminent encounter Local with a fillet knife and some soy sauce. Team Finster is an offshore tournament team based out of Fort Myers, Fla. They fish sailfish tournaments on the east coast of Florida as well as some offshore stuff on the west coast. All that sounds fun, but so does their annual spring tuna outing across the Gulf Stream from Fort Lauderdale. It’s the kind of trip most occasional anglers dream of, and these guys do it pretty much every year when the yellowfin show up. They spend the better part of a week operating out of a condo in Port Lucaya, venturing out just 10 miles from the docks each day to chase birds and catch big tuna. They load coolers with mahi, blackfin and yellowfin tuna, and even the occasional mutton snapper caught from the dock while they are cleaning the day’s catch. What more could an angler ask for? March 23-26
WHOLESALE CUSTOMERS WANTED! The Best American Hooks & Weights For Better #Fishing
Fishing Reports Catch Photos News & Events
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THE ANGLER MAGAZINE Lake Erie, Smallmouth Bass
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Over the last decade or so, Lake Erie, the fourth largest of the Great Lakes, has really taken off Outdoor Apparel as one of the best smallmouth bass fisheries in Edition the world. This has been widely credited to the arrival of the invasive round goby, a bottomdwelling species that has become a staple in Local the diet of bass and other game fish. Biologists have reported impressive growth rates of smallmouth bass in Lake Erie since the gobies took hold there. The long-term impact these invasive fish will have is not completely understood, but for the meantime they are propping up a great fishery. The photo on the cover of this month’s editions of The Angler Magazine is of Kayla Culp, of Ridgeway, Ontario and a chunky bronzeback she caught while drop shotting soft plastics in Lake Erie’s East Basin. She mainly fishes the Canadian side of the lake, where bass season doesn’t begin until early summer. Anglers on the U.S. side of the lake also get to experience fishing through the stages of the spawn, which typically begin with a pre-spawn push to shallower water in April and run into June when the fish retreat back to the depths. The photo was taken by her boyfriend, fishing buddy and all-around lucky dude Matt Sirianni. Fishing Reports Catch Photos News & Events
VOLUME 22 • ISSUE 265
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APPAREL Product Review XTRATUF KRYPTEK ANKLE DECK BOOT Introducing the Kryptek Ankle Deck Boot from XTRATUF, a beloved fishing boot brand popular amongst recreational and commercial fisherman alike. XTRATUF boots are a gear staple of every man, woman and child in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest and beyond, not only for the protective properties that have made them must-have gear for boating, sailing and fishing enthusiasts, but as a fashion and trend statement around the world. This boot is a simple, wearable way to achieve a fashion-forward look in a truly iconic boot with significant brand heritage. New for spring 2017, XTRATUF and Kryptek, camouflage design innovators, are collaborating on a new deck boot collection that combines the technology of the popular XTRATUF Performance Ankle Deck Boot with sleek Kryptek camo designs, including the Yeti and Pontus patterns (MSRP $90). It features a 1mm Neoprene XpressCool bootie that surrounds the whole foot and ankle providing all day comfort. Like all XTRATUF footwear, the Kryptek Ankle Deck Boot is 100 percent waterproof, and it includes a boatload of performance features. • XpressCool lining to keep feet cool in warmer weather • Full-rubber, lightweight silhouettes • Slip-resistant chevron outsole • Pull-on tabs for easy on and off
WWW.XTRATUFBOOTS.COM
L.L. BEAN HYBRID FISHING SHIRT With a unique combination of fabrics, excellent ventilation and built-in sun protection, L.L. Bean’s Hybrid Fishing Shirt delivers unbeatable performance. This shirt is slightly fitted to provide on-thewater functionality while looking good. A relaxed fit through the chest and sleeve as well as stretchy knit upper arms with built-in articulation allow for a full range of motion when casting. A slightly slimmer waist keeps uneccesary fabric out of the way when you’re fishing. The Hybrid Fishing Shirt features a blend of woven and knit nylon and polyester with built-in UPF 50+ sun protection. It’s breathable, and a caped back for ventilation will keep you cool and comfortable during long days on the water. Polygiene treatment prevents the growth of odor causing bacteria to keep you from smelling worse than the fish you catch. L.L. Bean has designed a performance fishing shirt that looks as good as it performs on the water. Trim for attaching zingers and forceps and streamlined pockets for gear complete the package.
WWW.LLBEAN.COM
SCALESKINZ MULTIFUNCTIONAL HEADWEAR Capsmith Inc. is the No. 1 trusted source for fishing and outdoor enthusiasts with more than 32 years of experience in the headwear industry. Scaleskinz Multifunctional Headwear can be worn many different ways, and will attract all the right attention with colorful detail and sun protection. Scaleskinz feature a seamless tubular design that can be worn in 12 different ways, including a cap, scarf, facemask, headband, neck shade or shape it to fit your needs. This exclusive product offers maximum protection against sun, wind and rain. Scaleskinz are the perfect addition to retail stores that cater to fishing enthusiasts. Available designs include Dolphin, Tarpon, Marlin, Redfish and Bass. One Size Fits Most. For wholesale Scaleskinz inquiries, contact Capsmith Inc. at 1-800-228-3889, or buy online at www.ihatehats.com.
REEF CONTOURED CUSHIONED SANDALS
Reef has become the go-to purveyor of sandals that look as good as they feel on your feet. Their new Contoured Cushioned Sandals are so comfortable you might not even take them off to go to bed. These sandals feature molded rubber sponge footbeds, so you really are wearing pillows on the soles of your feet. Synthetic-nubuck-leather uppers are stylish and durable, and they are padded with jersey lining to feel super soft against your skin. Finally, these shoes are outfitted with anatomical arch support to keep you comfortable all day long, through any adventure. What more could you expect from a company that is world-renowned for making high-quality footwear for those who enjoy life on the water. Whether you’re headed offshore or to the tiki bar, Reef’s Contoured Cushioned Sandals will keep your feet looking as good as they feel.
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APPAREL Product Review PELAGIC BATTLE GLOVES Ever look at an old salt’s hands? Fishermen are right up there with mechanics for having the most abused hands out there. Pelagic, a company that designs clothing specifically for protecting anglers from the harsh marine environment, has the perfect solution for protecting your hands while they’re doing battle. Pelagic Battle Gloves give anglers an edge when fighting monsters of the deep. These heavy-duty “Sure Grip” fishing gloves are ideal for fishing heavy mono, braid or wire lines and are Kevlar reinforced for maximum protection from line cuts, blisters, sharp fins and teeth. Made with open fingertips for maximum dexterity and finger maneuverability, they protect your hands while allowing you to do the intricate work of rigging lines and baits and tying knots. These gloves increase angler endurance, yet are versatile enough to use for fish handling, bill grabbing, fish filleting, and many other offshore purposes. With Velcro security and stamped with the Pelagic deluxe logo, Battle Gloves are a must-have for any offshore adventure.
WWW.PELAGICGEAR.COM IN GOGS WE TRUST! The Kluch Signature Gog Tee features a simulated goggle eye portrait complete with $100 bill background and Kluch lettering. Available in a variety of styles, this shirt is built of a 100 percent ringspun cotton fabric for that true comfort fit. When it comes to sport fishing, having the right bait means everything! The “In Gogs We Trust” collection was inspired by those brutal days fishing tournaments and being down a release needing another bite to edge into first. After countless attempts of creating luck, teams turn to their wells in search of the best-looking bait to catapult them onto the podium. When all of a sudden the right short starts acting up and there he is!
BODY GLOVE 3T BAREFOOT WARRIOR
Many watersports require toe dexterity, and that’s where the Body Glove’s 3T Barefoot line of water shoes shines. Whether you’re a top athlete, a beginner, or somewhere in between, 3T Barefoot shoes are the perfect footwear for everything water. It doesn’t matter if it’s Stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking or just swimming off a rocky shore, the 3T Barefoot is up to the task. A patented three-toe design allows for dexterity in the toes that need it. A minimalist, neutral-balance foot bed allows for maximum ground feel while keeping your foot protected. Body Glove’s Integrated Drainage System (IDS) lets water drain out while preventing debris from entering the shoe. It can be worn either in or out of the water. Other features of the 3T Barefoot include adjustable shocklaces, easy slipon design, hybrid use for in or out of the water, zero heel lift, and the drainage system, which cools the foot with air circulation when out of water.
WWW.BODYGLOVE.COM OLUKAI PA‘A SANDALS
WWW.KLUCH.COM A good pair of sandals is as important to life on the water as a boat, maybe more important. The Hawaiian company OluKai knows this well, which is why they make footwear designed specifically for the ocean lifestyle. At the core of OluKai’s philosophy are quality, durability, comfort and craftsmanship, which means their sandals are crafted to perform and last. OluKai’s new PA‘A sandals were designed with on-the-water action in mind. Translated, PA‘A means secure in English, and these flip-flop-style kicks provide secure footing while battling fish from the deck of a boat or while scrambling out on a jetty to cast. They are fully adjustable on both straps with molded D-rings and micro hookand-loop to ensure a snug fit so the sandals won’t fall off your feet. Water resistant synthetic straps and soft, quick-drying jersey knit lining provide comfort in and out of the water. The footbed is crafted of anatomical, compression-molded EVA midsole with a brushed ICEVA drop-in. The outsole features a non-marking, wetgrip sticky rubber base enhanced with rubber pods for durability and maximum water traction. If you’re looking for a sandal that offers all-day comfort and secure footing in any situation, PA‘A sandals are about as good as it gets.
WICKED DRY & COOL PERFORMANCE SHIRTS Hook & Tackle, designers, manufacturers and distributors of authentic performance fishing apparel since 1963, introduces the new Wicked Dry & Cool collection. Designed with a breakthrough Wicked Dry & Cool proprietary fabric that wicks moisture while keeping you cool, the shirts feature radial sleeves for expansive arm movement. The extremely light yet durable fabrication offers UPF 50+ sun protection, quick dryness and odor resistance. Tested and proven to be the coolest shirts in the market, they are now available in four designs from sizes XS-3XL. For more information, contact Stan at srudman@sportailor.com or visit the site.
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Lake Erie’s
Big Brown Bass L
By Nick Carter ake Erie boasts some of the best smallmouth bass fishing in the world. And over the nearly 10,000 square miles of surface area on this massive lake, the Eastern Basin offers some of the best habitat for bronzebacks. The Eastern Basin is the deepest part of the lake and is separated by a ridge that runs north to south from Long Point in Ontario, Canada to Erie, Pennsylvania. Buffalo New York sits on the eastern shore at the mouth of the Niagara River. Anglers visiting Niagara Falls would be foolish not to set aside a day for fishing the irregular near-shore topography that makes the Eastern Basin such a good fishery. Biologists see incredible growth rates from smallmouth in this area, and 5- to 7-pound fish are a regular occurrence. Kayla Culp, a teacher from Ridgeway, Ontario, has spent years patterning smallies on the Canadian side of the lake. In the Canadian waters of Erie, bass season is closed in spring to protect bedding fish. This is not the case for U.S. waters, where anglers take advantage of pre-spawn migrations as early as April. When the fish move up onto sand flats and chunk rock and into the bays and major tributaries in early spring, it is a time for bumping the bottom in 15 to 20 feet of water with spoons, tube jigs or blades. It can be a grind to find fish, but anglers who set up over a school will find plenty of action and potential for giant smallmouth bass. Lakewide, bed fishing is generally frowned upon. When the Canadian season opens in late June, smallmouth are typically feeding aggressively during their post-spawn transition to deeper water. Culp
said early summer is a fun time to fish the lake. Smallies will be on the weed edges, and they are susceptible to run-and-gun tactics or trolling with fast-moving lures like jerkbaits, spinnerbaits and crankbaits. Location is everything when fish are spread out over so much water. Some enjoy drift fishing to find fish. Culp said to trust your fishfinder and cruise, looking for rock-to-sand transitions. This is especially important as fish move deeper. In summer, big smallies will hang around structure or transitions just off the bottom. The depth can go from 10 to 15 feet in early summer out to 30 feet as the water warms. This summer bite is Culp’s favorite of the year. She enjoys drop shotting soft plastics and tubes into schooled-up fish. When it’s on, 30 fish or more from 2 to 5 pounds and larger are a definite possibility. A natural approach is best in Erie’s clear waters. Dark colors like green and brown make up the majority of Culp’s soft-plastic arsenal. This makes sense. It fits the color scheme of the round goby. These little bottom dwellers invaded the lake in the mid 1990s, and smallies developed a taste for them. Biologists have estimated that gobies account for up to 75 percent of an Erie smallmouth’s diet. The goby invasion is widely credited for accelerated growth rates of smallmouth in the lake. For more bass fishing on Lake Erie, go to
CAMFRESHWATER.COM
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The Freeport Meat Run
Lorem ipsum
An Annual Trip Of A Lifetime By Nick Carter
By CAM Staff - Photos Courtesy of Picture Perfect Charters
F
or some anglers, the fishing trip of a lifetime is an annual event. Team Finster, out of Fort Myers, Fla., fishes top offshore tournaments, but one of the highlights of their fishing year is an annual spring meat trip that coincides with the arrival of big yellowfin tuna in the Bahamas. Team member Pete Milisci, who operates Picture Perfect Charters out of Fort Myers, feels it’s well worth hauling Team Captain Zac Carpenter’s 34’ SeaVee three hours across the peninsula to launch off Florida’s east coast near Fort Lauderdale. Big yellowfin move through in late April and early May, and five guys spend the better part of the week chasing birds and filling fish boxes. The trip starts with provisioning and bait. As charter captains, team members begin saving and freezing leftover bait from charter trips a month in advance because chumming is key. They prefer fishing live bait, so the livewell is loaded with pilchards and threadfins before they leave. Provisions and gear are crammed into every available hold before they set out on what should be a couple hour run in front of twin Mercury Verado 300s across the Gulf Stream to Carpenter’s condo in Port Lucaya, Freeport, Grand Bahama. The crossing always takes longer than it should. It’s difficult for a boatload of anglers to pass up fish along the way. “Last trip, we had all the fish boxes full before we even got there,” Milisci said. “We came upon a whole tree adrift with mahi all over it. They were good mahi, too, all gaffers.” It’s a good thing there’s an ice machine at the condo. Even when cleaning fish at the dock, there is opportunity to put more meat on ice. Milisci said tarpon and big mutton snapper appear to clean up the scraps. Cooked whole and fresh, those snapper are fine eating. The main event begins after checking in with customs and unloading. “The fishing is right out front. It’s within 10 miles,” Milisci said. “You lose sight of land, and you’re in ’em.” Tuna move constantly, and they move fast. Finding fish is a matter of finding birds on the radar. Huge groups of birds are typically found over bonito, so Team Finster is looking for smaller pockets of birds that are a giveaway for tuna. They never pass a frigatebird without checking it.
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When fish are found, the boat is maneuvered in front of the anticipated direction of the school’s travel. The engines drop into neutral and heavy chumming begins with a month’s worth of frozen baitfish. “The fish are on the surface. They’re coming up blasting baits, and the birds are diving on the bait they push up,” Milisci said. “Sometimes you’ll see fins coming up on your bait.” When fishing in a maelstrom of 10- to 15-pound blackfin tuna and yellowfins weighing 30 to well over 100-pounds, it’s important to fish heavy gear. There are also sharks mixed in, and they will leave nothing but a fish head at the first hint of blood in the water. Anglers must crank hard and fast with 60w and 80w Penn Internationals spooled with 200-pound-test mono and 200- to 300-pound leaders. Anglers either reel fish in from the rod holder with bent-butt rods or fight them with a belt. Tuna will eat dead bait, but the team prefers presenting pilchards and threads on a slack line until they run out of live bait. Milisci said the fish are smart enough to let a bait go if they feel the slightest amount of tension on the line, so that slack is important until a fish eats. Then it becomes a grueling race against the sharks. The reward is almost immediate when a fish hits the deck. Wasabi and soy sauce are kept on-hand, and knives go to work while the rod-man catches his breath. For more on Team Finster or to contact Zac Carpenter or Pete Milisci, see finsterfishing.com. To book an inshore trip with Milisci out of Fort Myers, go to www.pictureperfectcharters.com. For highlights from this Tuna catch, go to
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Spawning Phase Will Play A Big Role In Conroe Bassmaster Classic
K
elly Jordon is not a weatherman. He can’t say for sure what the conditions will be when 52 of the world’s best anglers descend on Lake Conroe, an hour outside of Houston, Texas for the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods, March 24-26. But as a Texas native and a 22-year veteran of the Bassmaster Tournament Trail, Jordon knows bass are likely to be in some phase of the spring spawn— and he said the angler who best identifies that phase is likely to be the winner of the event. “If I was going to guess—depending on what the weather does—I’d say we’ll be toward the final quarter of the spawn,” said Jordon. “There will still be some fish on the beds, but there will also be a lot of postspawn fish.” A spawn/postspawn scenario could provide a lot of options, and it could certainly lead to some giant fish being brought to the scales at the Houston Astros’ Minute Maid Park. Jordon said the bluegill will likely be coming up to spawn, and big bass can often be found feeding around bluegill beds. Male bass are also likely to be guarding recently hatched fry, and big females that are hungry from the spawn could be roaming the shallows. Though some bass are likely to still be on the beds, Jordon said he doesn’t expect sight fishing to be a dominant technique. “I don’t think somebody can win on sight fishing alone,” he said. “You’re likely to see several giant fish caught off beds or maybe a key 5-pounder at a time when someone really needs it. But I don’t think it’s something you’ll be able to totally hang your hat on.” As for the type of structure that’s likely to be most popular, Jordon said anglers will have their pick. “The water color will depend on how much rain we get and which part of the river you’re fishing,” he said. “The water way up on the upper end could be a lot more stained than the lower end. But when you get up there, you’ll find plenty of backwater stuff, some side creeks, some marinas, some residential
areas with canals, big gigantic flats—a little bit of everything.” The lower end of the lake could appeal to dock fishing specialists. “The lower half of the lake—if not more than half—is pretty much wall-to-wall boat docks and seawalls,” Jordon said. “Whether you want to fish shallow shoreline cover or deep shoreline Bassmaster Elite Series angler and cover, there’s tons of it Classic competitor Bradley Roy caught available. You can find this giant largemouth during pre-pracseawalls that may have tice on Lake Conroe. 10 feet of water around them. “You’ll find flat banks and deep banks. It’s a really dynamic place—and since we’ll be in the spring spawning season, the person who finds not only where the fish are, but where they’re headed, is going to be the one who’s in the best position to win.” With the phases of the spawn playing a major role and Conroe’s reputation for producing big bass, there’s a good chance there will be some 30-pound sacks brought to weigh-ins. For more on last years Bassmaster Classic, go to
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FLY FISHING
WADE FISHING ESSENTIALS
W
ade fishing is one of the most rewarding ways to target shallow-water fish like bonefish or redfish. However, there is more to wade fishing than just walking on a white sand flat or beach and casting to fish. To make the wade fishing experience more enjoyable, here are a few tips to help you make longer casts, protect your feet, blend into your environment, stay safe and catch more fish! Stripping Basket There is nothing more frustrating than fishing from the beach and having your fly line wrap and tangle around your legs and feet especially after you have made a perfect cast to a school of stripers, a corbina or surf perch. The simplest way to solve this problem is to invest in a stripping basket. Made from a variety of materials and available in many styles, a stripping basket will assist you in managing your line. Removing your concern for loose line will allow you more time to concentrate on improving your casting and distance. A stripping basket is not limited to beach fishing, either. More and more anglers are also accepting the value of the stripping basket on boats. A taller free-standing cousin to the wearable basket allows you to keep your line off the deck and avoid its many potential hang-ups including boat cleats, shoe laces, coolers and the other obstructions on a boat’s deck. Wading Footwear There are hundreds of different types of practical shoes for fishing. Select a shoe with high ankle support, a firm and solid toe and stiff arch support. Since you’ll be wading in a variety of bottom conditions from soft mud, soft sand, hard sand and even reefs or oyster beds, it’s a good idea to get a shoe that has a thick sole to prevent punctures. Blend In Blend into your environment. Match your clothes to your
surroundings. If you are fishing the beach, wear neutral colors like tan, light green or even brown. When fishing the flats, a light blue shirt, and stone-colored shirts or pants are your best choice. Also don’t overlook camouflage outfits when stalking spooky fish in shallow water. There are plenty of camo patterns on today’s market, and aside from looking good, wearing camouflage allows you to blend into the environment. Don’t Get Lost One of the worst fishing nightmares is becoming lost or disoriented on the ocean, on the flats or in a marsh’s maze. A handheld GPS can prevent this terrifying situation. Also, if you find an outstanding area where the fishing is red-hot, you can mark it in your GPS and return to the exact spot whenever you choose. Most GPS units contain moon phase and tidal information, which are keys to successful saltwater fly fishing.
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B
ass anglers use lipless crankbaits in many circumstances and ways. I believe it is not used enough for reds, trout, tarpon and snook. In fact, a lipless crankbait is one of the most effective baits to catch fish in shallow water, and it’s definitively one of those I use often. And I’m not alone. When Louisiana’s famous Team Broussard was at the very top of their tournament career a few years ago, “Cajun” Phil and Capt. Kevin had many wins including the Redfish Cup and Team of the Year titles. The secret weapon they were hiding from media and competitors alike was a Flatt Shadd 50 snagless. That small, compact, lipless crankbait puts out vibrations that travel far through the water, catching the predator’s attention as if it was of a much larger bait. The quick, side-to-side motion also creates a lot of flash, adding visual attraction. When I was the Mepps spinner designer 20 years ago, I worked closely with scientists who had an understanding of the factors that attract predatory fish. The type of vibration and its volume were key. Both with inline spinners and lipless crankbaits, moving a significant amount of water is essential for creating signals that are much larger than many other types of baits. This is why baits with spinning blades and those that emit vibrations commonly catch large fish, even when the lures are small. Often, a predatory fish is first alerted to a potential meal by its lateral line, a natural radar. These small baits fool the fish into thinking it is chasing down much larger and more significant prey. How do you use a lipless crankbait best when you’re on the flats or casting close to the mangroves? If it is deep enough, you can cast and burn it or slow roll it to offer consistent action and cover lots of water as a search bait. This is the main way I use a lipless bait when targeting tarpon or large channel bass (red drum) in main inlets, estuaries and anywhere there is enough depth and preferably some current. But for the true, shallow inshore and backcountry fishing, I use them as I would a soft jerkbait rigged on a jig head. I twitch-twitch-pause and yo-yo it. The great thing with a vibrating bait is every time you pull on the rod, you can feel the bait reacting. Action can be constant when fish are aggressive, but for cold water or finicky fish, don’t hesitate to let the lure pause on the ground for a few seconds here and there. You might be surprised to find the majority of bites happen on the drop, or even when the lure is lying motionless. Fish can be so hungry for it that they swallow it in a snap, resulting more than you can imagine in hook sets deep within the fish’s mouth. If you haven’t thrown a small lipless crankbait around in the shallows, give it a try. You might be pleasantly surprised. Patrick Sebile is the owner and lure designer of Sebile Innovative Fishing (www.sebile.com).
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SOUTHEAST
How To Catch A
$10,000 Striped Bass By Capt. Clay Cunningham
F
or those who fish for striped bass in reservoirs, early spring awakens big fish fever. In case you haven’t heard, the Greater Atlanta Area edition of The Angler Magazine has placed a $10,000 bounty on a 50-pound striper caught from Georgia’s Lake Lanier. And the big-fish bite is on at this 59-square-mile impoundment of the Chattahoochee River north of Atlanta. With longer days and rising water temperatures, stripers are beginning to feel the urge to spawn. The next eight weeks are the peak of the year to catch the biggest striped bass in the lake. The last few years, several people have come very close to claiming the bounty. It is only a matter of time before it happens. The spawn increases a striper’s metabolism. They eat more frequently and are not as selective. This leads to big fish gobbling herring with hooks hanging from their heads. Fish will also be very shallow in water that warms faster and draws baitfish. This weeds out a lot of water an angler must search and reduces the potential for break-offs in Lanier’s deep timber. Two primary baits will be used to catch big stripers, live herring and gizzard shad. Both should be pulled shallow on a freeline. A freeline is nothing more than a line with a hook pulled behind the boat. The hook should always be matched to the size of the bait rather than the fish you hope to catch. Rig a 7 ½-foot Shakespeare medium light striper rod with 15-pound Trilene Big Game on a Penn Squall 20LC Linecounter Reel. Tie in an 80-pound Spro Power Swivel and a 5- to 8-foot leader of 15-pound Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon. Use a Gamakatsu 1/0 to 3/0 Octopus hook depending on the size of the herring. For gizzard shad, step it up to a 5/0 hook, and add a stinger rig to the mongo gizzards. Talk to the guys at local shops like Hammond’s and Oakwood Bait & Tackle about the stinger setup. It is a discussion in itself. The most productive area for trolling herring is over open water. Mid-lake is reliable, and if you can see the local landmark Browns Bridge, you are in a good spot. Pull baits about 1 mph on the trolling motor, and cover as much water as
possible. About the time you get distracted thinking nothing will happen, a rod will get hammered. Shallow flats are prime targets for pulling gizzards. Any shallow flat can hold big fish in spring. The 50-pounder you’re looking for will be hanging on the deep edge of the flat waiting for you to drag a gizzard off the drop. Soon as she sees the shad, a torpedo will explode under your bait. The bites are so ferocious you will think a bowling ball has fallen from the sky. Who will catch the 50-pound striper? I am curious to see. Capt. Clay Cunningham operates Catching Not Fishing Guide Service and is a full-time striper guide on Lake Lanier. Contact him at 770-630-2673 or at catchingnotfishing@yahoo.com. For more HUGE Striper catches, go to
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GEORGIA
Early Spring
River Bassing By Garner Reid
M
arch can be a magical time of year to be on the water here in the South. The arrival of longer days and warmer temperatures bring on the much-needed thaw from the doldrums of winter. Folks are ready to gear up and get on the trout streams to take advantage of the early spring hatches that show us some fantastic fishing. If you are one of the more dedicated winter anglers, you will probably start seeing an influx of cars and boat trailers at the parking areas of your favorite trout water. This shouldn’t discourage you too much, as there is still plenty of water and fish to go around, especially if you seek out some of the lower elevation waters. March is also the kickoff for some of the best warm water fly fishing of the year! Late February and early March are generally when reservoirs begin to fill back up, and water conditions begin to stabilize, producing nice water clarity and flows in our rivers that either feed into or come out of reservoirs. The coupling of warmer temperatures and good water flows really turn on the bite in warm water fisheries like the Etowah River. Most warm water species such as spotted bass, white bass and stripers are transitioning out of a winter cycle into a pre-spawn mode when their primary goal is to eat as much as possible. On the Etowah, we begin to see the white bass and hybrids really show up in numbers on top of the resident spotted bass. Fishing
for these species this time of year can also afford us some very high catch rates. Fish can be found congregated in areas like creek mouths, submerged timber and in current breaks below shoals. Finding a school of big hungry white bass will give your six- or sevenweight a serious work out! Don’t be surprised either if you happen to get sucker punched by an early arrival hybrid or stripe lingering in the mix. You might want to have your drag knob set a little tighter for insurance. Spotted bass shouldn’t be left out of the conversation; March can be a great time to catch a true trophy spot as well. The variety of species and aggressiveness of the fish are something not to be missed. Flies and gear for type of fishing is pretty straightforward. I prefer a six- to seven-weight rod with either a floating or intermediate tip line paired with an 8- to 12-pound fluorocarbon leader. A plethora of streamers will get an eat, but I favor any Clouser-style fly such as a Cowen’s Coyote or one of my White Trash Baitfish. If you haven’t tried this type of fishing before, feel free to call us at the shop and book a day out on the water or get yourself geared up for some Bassamania! Garner Reid is head guide at Cohutta Fishing Company in Cartersville, Ga. Contact the shop at 770-606-1100 or see their website at www.cohuttafishingco.com.
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Attention Advertising Sales Reps Have you ever wondered what it would be like to own the media company that you were selling advertising for? Ever considered how different your life would be if you didn’t have to hand over the bulk of your sales revenue to your employer? Have you ever thought about how much easier your sales job could be if you didn’t have to beg your sales manager for every little extra thing that you wanted to give your customer? Ever wondered what it would be like to control your own time? You don’t have to wonder anymore. Coastal Angler and its freshwater component The Angler Magazine are offering magazine franchises throughout the continental U.S. and abroad. Now, you can be the publisher and completely control the advertising department of your magazine. After nine years of franchising this magazine and with 42 current locations, we can say with confidence that these home-based magazine locations can be opened in nearly any location with a minimum population base of 500,000 and an active angling community. We have also identified our ideal candidate as being someone with previous media sales experience. Male or female, success in this endeavor is gauged more on advertising sales than fishing prowess.
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Photo by Jason Jenkins
T
he Michigan Department of Natural Resources has put out a global call to the public, offering $1 million for the best proposal to stop invasive Asian carp from reaching the Great Lakes. These carp are the ones everyone knows from videos of big fish jumping in the air when startled by passing boats. They are fast-growing filter feeders that can reach weights up to 100 pounds, and they are highly prolific, producing as many as a million eggs. They have the potential to disrupt entire ecosystems, and have been called an immediate and grave biological threat to the Great Lakes. Currently, silver and bighead carp are backed up in Chicago waterways just 10 miles from Lake Michigan at three electric barriers. Despite these barriers and rotenone treatments, which kill all fish species in an area, environmental DNA testing suggests that some silver and bighead carp have made it past the barriers toward Lake Michigan. Researchers predict bighead and silver carp pose a significant threat to disrupt the food chain that supports the native fish of the Great Lakes, such as walleye, yellow perch and lake whitefish. Such a disruption may result in diminished recreational and commercial fishing opportunities. The Associated Press reports that the federal government recently approved $42 million to prevent these carp from reaching the Great Lakes. If you are the one with the million-dollar idea that will stop the scourge, submit proposals at www.michigan.gov.
CANGL_FIL1-FIL4.indd 2
Media Sales Representatives wanted immediately for fishing magazine franchisee opportunity. Must have 2 to 5 years media sales experience. Dependable transporation, a love of the outdoors and a good solid work ethic. Type A’s welcome.
For Information Contact Editor in Chief Ben Martin at 888-800-7974 or email at camads@coastalanglermagazine.com
2/14/17 5:02 PM
The Angler Magazine Southwest GA & East AL
Publisher: Bob Rice Contributing Writers: Dr. Andrew Cox O’Neill Williams Nick Carter David Randall Cefus McRae Renae Randall Henry Cowen Jake Davis Noey Vineyard Keith Hudson Paul Tyre Mark Smith Jim Farmer Sam Williams David Hare Casey Crawley Matt Henry Gary Turner Rene Hesse Wayne Wooten Steve McCorkle Graphic Designer: Meri Mock merimockdesigns@yahoo.com A Free Publication The Angler Magazine is Published Monthly and Distributed Across the Southeast.
By B & B Publishers P.O. Box 766 Madison, GA 30650 706-614-8231 bobr@theanglermagazine.com Reproduction of Contents in Any Form is Prohibited
706-614-8231 www.coastalanglermag.com COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM
MARCH 2017
Cover Photo by Garner Reid, Cohutta Fishing Company SOUTHWEST GA EAST AL 1
Fishing from the Back of the Boat
With the warm days beginning this month and into next month, the fishing season returns in earnest. Even though I have my own boats, I enjoy fishing with others and will often occupy the back of the boat while fishing from a friend’s vessel. Unfortunately, over the years when fishing from the rear of the boat, I notice that often my partner in the front of the boat will catch more fish. I will use the same lures, and retrieves but my front of the boat partner would still catch more fish. After some study, I found that this phenomena is not unusual. An obvious reason is that the front angler has first shot at the prime fishing spots if throwing to or close to the bank or structure. Angles of the lure as it is retrieved will be different in the water column and impacted by the speed of the boat as it moves through the water or propelled forward via a trolling motor. The lure depth will be different from the front and back anglers’ presentations. There are several tips for back seat anglers that I have gleaned from my study and experience: • Accept the fact that the front angler will catch more fish; that is the price you pay to fish with a friend or a more experienced angler. You may learn many important fishing lessons through observation of a more experienced angler.
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MARCH 2017
• Quit beating up on yourself. Those deregoratory self-remarks destroy your confidence which detracts from your fishing. • Usually fishing the same lure as the front seat angler is the kiss of death when fishing from the back of the vessel. Choose baits that you have confidence and continue to use them from the back of the boat. • From the back of the boat, fish lures deeper and slower, targeting fish that your front partner missed. • Set up a system where you and your partner switch fishing positions over the course of the fishing day. If you fish the back of the boat during the morning, you have the front during the afternoon. A downside of switching boat angling positions is that the front angler many times has to operate the trolling motor. A recent angling trip to Lake West Point with a long time fishing friend illustrated some of the points made above. My long time angling friend likes to fish mostly shallow water, targeting grass, weeds or bank structure. My friend was throwing his usual assortment of buzzbaits and soft plastics to shallow water targets even though the lake’s level was down several feet. He had some success in
by Andrew A. Cox
catching some spotted bass. I was using a tight lining jig approach with a hair jig. This was a much slower approach, using light line, and fishing somewhat deeper water. I indeed caught a few spotted bass, but caught substantial numbers of hybrid and striped bass, much more than my long time fishing buddy. Sticking with the hair jig fished slowly and deeper paid off over the course of the fishing day with similar if not more positive results. Hopefully some of these tips will pay off for you when being a back seat boat angler. Be ever observant and do not be afraid to try different techniques from your front angling friend. Dr. Andrew Cox is a contributing writer to outdoor publications and newspapers. He is a member of the Georgia Outdoor Writer’s Association. Dr. Cox financially supports his fishing habits as Professor Emeritus at Troy University, Phenix City, Alabama. He may be contacted at andrewtrout@aol.com.
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The Best Part of the Season
When the month of March arrives, it’s the start of the best part of the season! March bring so many different presentations for the average fisherman to be successful. Here are a couple of things to watch for. Let’s take a short look at weather and its effect on how the fish respond. Nothing changes the bite more than a few degrees of water temperature increase or a cold front in the early springtime. This year, with all the constant up and down weather change, this has been extremely evident. The increase in water temperature effect is easily noticed during the change of real cold water like in the 40’s moving to the 50’s, but it also is extremely obvious in the change of 55 degree water to 57 degree water. A small change in your tactics can make or break a day on the lake. The key is knowing when to move to the shallow water with the slight changes in water temperature.
The first thing that is important is the type of day. Is it sunny or cloudy? There is no question the sun warms the water temperature from the early part of the day to the mid and later part. This is your sign to start hunting warmer water to find a bite. The bass will turn on just like a light bulb when we see this sunny weather make slight changes in water temperature. Most times the movement is very near the deep water, so look for main river points, then the bays around close to deep water to find the first temperature change. Bass migrate back and forth several times throughout a given 24 hour period, thus main river points are exceptional places to start. Mud lines almost always show water temperature increases. Fishing the edge of the mud lines can be critical as the fish will hang on the mud line next to the increased water temperature area. As we move into spring, the bass migrate from their winter
haunts to the spawning areas like clockwork. The key is to understand the lake you’re fishing on so you can fish the migration (pre-spawn areas). Look for likely spawning areas, then adjust to transition areas; the main river points, road beds in this area and grass or stumps along the way. If the lake is shallow, then migration is probably done through grass points, stump fields and just about any kind of hard bottom or hard bottom structure. If the lake is deep, then your paths are more likely to be deep dropping points and, many times, boat houses near dropping creeks are the paths you’re looking for. No matter what lake you’re on, the rocky areas warm first and the migration path normally starts near the rocky areas. If you like fishing fast moving baits, rattle baits, square bill crankbaits or burning swimbaits over grass beds can be extremely successful. Any fast moving presentation can catch you a big
by Capt. Jake Davis
sack of fish in a short day on the water. As the month of March goes on, burning big spinnerbaits normally proves to be an ideal time to do it. Anglers should never pass up boat docks on the bright sunny days, especially the docks where the creeks front end the spawning grounds. I also really like a football head jig because the bass always stage and move as water temperature increases, allowing you to slowly move or drag that football head on the bottom as they slowly migrate with increased water temperature.
Capt Davis is a USCG Licensed Professional Fishing Guide on Lake Guntersville and Tim’s Ford. Visit www.midsouthbassguide.com or 615-613-2382, msbassguide@comcast.net
Golf Carts
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MARCH 2017
SOUTHWEST GA EAST AL 3
Local Lakes & Forecasts West Point Lake
Lake Seminole
Forecast by Capt. Keith Hudson Keith Hudson Guide Service hudsonsprobass@gmail.com
Forecast by Guide Paul Tyre paultyrefishing@yahoo.com 850-264-7534
706-884-1483 or 706-882-1743 Water temperatures are mostly in the upper 50's and low 60's. The lake is slightly stained and pulled back down about 4-5 feet (after being nearly full). Be sure to book now to insure your day during PRIME TIME (March 15th – June 15th). Visit www.LakeWestPointFishing.com for more info. Bass: Good- Warming weather and a stained lake should move many of the largemouth shallow quickly. Shallow-water baits such as chatterbaits, square-bills and Rat-L-Traps should work effectively. Spinnerbaits and jig'n pigs are also producing fish around wood. It's a good time to catch a big fish, even though the numbers are not that great early in the month. One of the main keys to this type of shallow fishing is to look for warmer water. A ditch or creek run sometimes helps to bring warmer water into an area, especially after a warm rain. Dark chunk rock and red clay retain heat and attract bass. Fishing for spots can be awesome as they will start to bed in March as well. Linesides: Good- The river run starts up in March, and how good it gets usually depends on weather and water conditions. I usually start out with cut bait soaked in garlic spray in water temps around 60 or lower. Live shad usually work better in water temps of 60 or higher. Start around Ringer Access and follow the fish upstream as the water warms. Stripers mixed with hybrids and white bass can continue to school on top throughout early spring as well. Gulls and loons are also still out there now to help you pinpoint the schooling linesides. The mouths of Yellow Jacket, Wehadkee and Maple Creeks have all been producing some fish. Downlining with live shiners will also work. Trolling with mid-depth crankbaits, Alabama Rigs, bucktail jigs and vertical jigging with spoons has also been producing in these same areas. The key is finding a little clearer water. Crappie: Good- A few warm days in a row will improve the crappie fishing. Some crappie are already being caught in the shallows on minnows and jigs under a float, especially in the afternoons. Blowdown trees in 5-10'of water are still holding fish as well. Some fish are being caught by drop-shotting minnows near deeper brush as well. Expect the shallow bite to turn off in the event of an extended cold snap or get even better with an extended warming trend. Trolling for crappie usually kicks into high gear soon. Whitewater and Yellow Jacket Creeks almost always seem to turn on first. Trolling always seems to work better in clearer water. Expect many of the crappie to bed on the full moon in March this year with the mild winter we have had.
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MARCH 2017
Water temp.: 61 degrees, lake level: full pool, lake clarity: stained to muddy. The bass have started to move into shallow waters all over the lake in order to spawn and have been hitting a variety of different lures. There have been some bedding bass in the clear backwater areas, and they have been biting swim jigs like a 3/8 ounce Strike King Tour Grade Swim Jig in Green Pumpkin rigged with a Strike King Caffeine Shad. The grass lines in 6' to 8' of water have been producing some nice bass on vibrating jigs like a Strike King Pure Poison. This little jig attracts bass by making a vibration that bass can feel in the murky water. We have been seeing some huge hybrids and stripers being caught by the fishermen who want a good fight. They are using umbrella rigs with great success. Nice limits of crappie have been coming across the docks at Wingate's Lunker Lodge. They are starting to bed and are being caught with jigs and minnows. They are of nice size and just waiting to be caught. Catfish have been plentiful and big as evidenced by Mr. Smokie Wilson's catch last month. We think the biggest one weighed at least 35 pounds. Springtime on Lake Seminole is awesome for bass fishing. To schedule a fishing trip, contact Paul Tyre at (850)264-7534.
Lake Eufaula/Walter F. George Forecast by Capt. Sam Williams, Hawk’s Guide Service 334-687-6266 hawk184@earthlink.net Water temp.: mid 50's, water level: 190.05 msl, clarity: heavy stain, dingy. The heavy rains up north over the past few days have the river rising. Pumping at the dam has the river dirty, but the creeks are staying cleaner. The shore cover that has greened up with the extremely warm winter is now under water and holding baitfish. Bass are hitting shaky heads with short trick worms. Noisy baits are doing well. Frogs and topwater plugs are working as well. Catfish are loving the dirty water. Cut bait on jugs are bringing in some great catches. I had a friend tell of one over 30 pounds he saw on a jug in the creek. Crappie fishing is trying to get better as the creeks clear up. Use your fish finder and locate the trash piles on the creek ledges. Minnows on jigs is a good bet. Bream are eating worms near overhangs and shore cover. Please check put www.alabamachildrensclassic.org for new items and our April 15 concert details with country singer/songwriter, Addison Johnson. Visit www.wiregrassbass.com for tournament schedules and post your events free. Be safe on the water and enjoy God's great outdoors. God bless and good fishing.
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Lake Martin
Forecast by Capt. David Hare Alex City Guide Service 256.401.3089 davidbhare@yahoo.com Sitting here trying to figure out what will be happening in March can be a bit tricky, but I'll tell you what should be happening based on past years of guiding here and living on this lake. March is a month that you could find stripers on most any part of the lake, however, some of my favorite places in March are in the creek channels for example, but not limited to Elkhatchee, Blue Creek, Big Sandy and others. Creeks do not hold all the stripers by no means, but for me they produce very well. The next several weeks (12-14 weeks) you can have lots of fun fishing creeks for trophy size stripers. In fact, a couple years back on March 13th one of our guides boated a record 52 pounder at the mouth of a creek channel. That same day we had several fish in the 30 to 40 pound range. That being said, March produces monsters. I know, I know, I haven't told you what to fish with or how. It's no secret that we (Alex City Guide Service) specialize in live bait fishing, which for most people is a very challenging way to fish due to catching shad and not to even mention being able to keep them alive. So what you can do is go out and catch some bream on a hook and line, keep them alive and go right then and fish them on planer boards in these areas. Take your time, be patient, work creek areas and you just might be surprised at what you catch. That sounds like a lot of work, time and trouble. Well, that's when you just pick up the phone and call me to book a trip of a lifetime. We are considered the go-to guide service on Lake Martin, and year after year we entertain thousands of clients and produce some of the best catches in the South. For you anglers who want to learn techniques to be able to catch stripers on most any striper lake, we have a seminar here locally on March 25, 2017. This seminar is going to focus on live and artificial baits, locating fish, planer boarding, downlines, trolling, tackle, rigs and rigging, gear, electronics training and more. Capt. Cefus McRae of Nuts & Bolts of Fishing, Capt. Mack Farr of the popular Capt. Mac umbrella rigs and tackle and Capt. David Hare, owner and guide of Alex City Guide Service on Lake Martin, are going to be giving presentations. This seminar is a must for the novice and an eye opener for the most advanced striper fisherman. It starts at 9:00 am and ends at 3:00 pm. Lunch is included along with door prize drawings. It's a no brainer when you get all this with only a $75.00 admission fee. For reservations and more info contact Capt. Cefus McRae by logging onto Nuts & Bolts of Fishing 2017 Seminar Series. Seminar will be held rain or shine inside the Alexander City Sports Plex Cabin in Alexander City, AL.
Lake Jackson
Forecast by Brian Lee leebrian16@yahoo.com
Water temp: 52-58 degrees, lake level: full pool, water clarity: stained. Jackson Lake will only get better as the month goes on and the warmer weather approaches. As the days get longer, the bass will start to make the transition to spawn. The bite has been great early, with spinnerbaits and crankbaits being the best lures of choice. Points should start to hold more fish as they are the highway to spawning areas. Find potential spawning flats with any point around and you should find bass holding there. Crankbaits are very good search baits. Once you find them, you can throw a shaky head to catch the inactive fish. As the day warms up, you'll see more fish making the move. These fish will be eating preparing for the bedding process. This time of year you can load the boat with bass and possibly catch a personal best. If you are wanting to learn a new technique, now is the time to do so, as the bass will hit just about anything they see. Take a child fishing so they too can enjoy the great outdoors.
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MARCH 2017
SOUTHWEST GA EAST AL 5
Lake Sinclair
Lake Blackshear
Forecast by Matt Henry Sinclair Marine Guide Service
678.283.8855 matt@sinclairmarina.com
www.sinclairmarina.com
Lake Sinclair is down 1.05 feet with water clear and the temperature in the 50’s. Bass fishing is fair. On most days the shallow water will work with a spinnerbait, jig or worm. Add the Rapala Shad Rap or other small crankbait. The number of daily bites will be lower than during spring, but the average size of fish may be higher. For the spinnerbait, try a ¼ ounce Stanley in chartreuse and white with tandem Colorado blades, one nickel and the other gold. Slow roll the bait around blow downs, brush piles, rocks, rip rap, grass and docks. Several large fish have recently been caught on Shad Raps like a #5 or #7 and a #4 or #5 in the RS series in chrome blue and fire tiger on bright days and fire tiger, shad or gold black on cloudy days. Fish these small crankbaits around any of the fore mentioned cover and just about anywhere else. Retrieve the bait slowly. Try moving the bait with a slow sweep of the rod tip and use the reel to take up slack only. Repeat casting to the same cover will also work well on some days. Jigs with pork or plastic should also be tried. Stay with lightweight jigs if possible. Try a 3/16 or 5/16 ounce Stanley casting jig with a #11 Uncle Josh pork frog in black blue, black and or pumpkin brown. Texas and Carolina rigged worms are also catching fish from shallow water. Bass are also coming from deep water in the central and lower lake. Depths are ranging from 15 to 30 feet. Some of these fish are following shad schools and moving a lot. Others are holding on humps, points, and flats along the main river and creeks. The best baits are jigging spoons and Carolina rigs.
Forecast by Rusty Parker 229.322.6864 • ragfly@bellsouth.net
The crappie spawn is just around the corner here on Lake Blackshear. The crappie very rarely spawn in February, but if the weather stays the same, I honestly feel that the spawn will begin by the last week of February. A lot of fishermen and ladies have been catching a few limits the last few days mainly on the southern end of the lake. With the reports I have been getting, most of the slabs are being caught by pushing minnows over deep water structure in water that is averaging about 15 to 28 feet. Now there is some good slabs being caught in some shallow water down close to the dam north of Goat Island by long lining jigs. The best color so far is chartreuse/watermelon/chartreuse and chartreuse/pink/chartreuse. Sorry to say but I forgot to get the surface temperature. It’s my "old timers" acting up once again. May your catch be large and plentiful and God bless you all.
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Lake Oconee
Forecast by Mark Smith Reeltime Guide Service (404) 803-0741 reeltime@bellsouth.net
Lake Oconee is full with the water clear on the south end and stained up the lake and into the river with the water temperatures 50-54 degrees. Striper fishing is poor. Some fish are starting to show up at the dam for the spring run. Live bait fished on downlines will pick up a few fish. Use small baits like a very small threadfin or a crappie minnow. Most of the stripers being caught are by crappie fisherman. Crappie fishing is good. The fish are moving into the major creeks. Use a dark jig tipped with a minnow. Spider rigs have been the best producers over the past week. Use your Lowrance to located the depth and location of the schools and adjust your depth to put the jig on top of the fish. Over the next few weeks the largest fish will be moving into the coves and creeks to spawn, so now it the time to fill a cooler with big slabs.
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6 SOUTHWEST GA EAST AL
MARCH 2017
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by Jay Striker
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Preparation: The next process of4 theCrappie plan is that I startEufaula/Florence doing equipment checks. ability to see details that contour maps won’t provide. Another March State Park (334) 520-7587Rods and reels who will help youNutz a lot. good process to develop is a pre-tournament network - a deal groupandMarch the business end of the they to Team perform well.WestThe next check is(706) my523-0547 boat and truck hav 4 have Highland Point/Highland of people you can trust to help you during pre-tournament time. March 4 Boyd’s Marine Eufaula/Lakepoint 794-2598 beRods in good working can’t catch fish if you c Preparation: The next process of the plan is that I start doing equipment checks. and reels are order. You (334) This might be a local or a good friend or relative, but someone March 12 Eufaula Bass Trail Eufaula/Lakepoint (334) 726-5697 the will business end aoflot. the deal and they have to perform well. The next check is my boat truck have to get and to them. My Tundra gets a once over and all fluids who help you March 18 Reel Money Seminole/Big Jim’ s (229) 416-5661 beprocess in good working can’tI catch if you can’t Preparation: topped off, tire pressure checks, Myand boatreels and are mo Preparation: The next ofThe theorder. plan You is that startfish doing equipment checks.etc. Rods Marchgets 18 aAmerican Fishingand Tour all fluids West Point/Highland (404) 550-3610 get process to them.ofMy once over next theTundra get a lot of next attention also, especially thetruck nuts and bolt the business end of the plan deal they haveMarch tochecks, well. The check is my boat and have to 19 perform Highland West Point/Highland (706) 523-0547 isand that start topped off,Itire pressure etc.Team My boat and motor thatworking hold theHarding/Country engineYou toMarket my TH (334) Marine jackifplate. I’m s Crappie Nutz 520-7587 doing equipment in good order. can’t catch fish you can’t get a lot of attentionMarch also,25 be especially the nuts and bolts checks. Rods tojack check them every time. I’m (229) not to miss lookin 25 THAmerican Fishing Tour Blackshear/Mega 886-4087 that hold the engine March to my Marine plate. I’m sure to them. My Tundra gets a once sure over and all fluids and reels are the April 1 getWind Creekover Trail the trailer Martin/Wind Creek Marina too. Once all of(386) the546-3614 research and to check them every time. I’m sure not to miss looking business end of the off, tire pressure checks, etc.(334) My boat and motor April 1 topped s Marine Eufaula/Lakepoint 794-2598 equipment are done, it’s time to take the over thethey trailer too. Once all ofBoyd’ the research and checks deal and have April 2 getReel Money Eufaula/Lakepoint atime lot of attention also, especially(229) the416-5661 nuts and bolts to perform well. equipment checks are done, it’s to take the knowledge I have gained and head out to the lake and start putting the plan together in real time. 2 that American Tour Seminole/Seminole Lodge (850) 376-2628 checkputting is April holdFishing the engine knowledge I have gained and head out to theThe lakenext and start the plan together in real time. to my TH Marine jack plate. I’m sure West GA Bass Club Eufaula/Lakepoint (706) 756-2411 my boat and truck have to be in good working order. You can’t April 2 Practice: You have to put in sometotime on the water physically in order to understand what you check them every time. I’m sure not to miss looking 8 Highland Team West Point/Highland (706) 523-0547 catch Practice: fish if youYou can’thave get to Tundra a once over and April to them. put inMy some time gets on the water physically in order to understand what you are up against. There are times I will spend all fluids topped off, tire pressure checks, etc. My boat motor over trailer too.just Once all of research andhours just ReelI the Money Seminole/Big Jim’ s the (229) 416-5661 upand against. ThereApril are8 times will spend hours get a lot of attention also, especially the nuts and bolts that hold April 8 idling around in my boat staring at my electronics Crappie Nutz Blackshear/GA Vetit’s Park (334) idling around in my boat staring at my electronics equipment checks are done, time to520-7587 take the the engine to my TH Marine jack plate. I’m sure to check them April 9 Fishingimportantly, Tour Westwhy Point/Highland looking for schools fish, (404) and550-3610 most importantly, looking for of lake fish,American and knowledge have gained head outschools to the andmost start putting the planoftogether in real time. every time. I’m sure not to missI looking over theand trailer too. Once April 15 Eufaula Bass Trail they Eufaula/Lakepoint (334)electronics 726-5697 is aare must to Trusting your there. is a must all of the research and equipment checks are done, it’sthey timeare to there. take Trusting your electronics April 22 practice Reel Money (229) 416-5661 be successful. During time it be is asuccessful. good Blackshear/Veterans idea toDuring practice the knowledge I havePractice: gained andYou headhave out totothe lake and start time itwhat is a good ide put in some time on theAmerican water physically in order to understand you are 22 baits. Tour that the Oconee/Sugar Creek (770) 365-4795 putting the plan together in real time. experiment with April several If Fishing you find bait experiment with several baits. If you find that the up against. times I will spend May 7 American Fishing Tour There Westare Point/Highland (404) 550-3610hours just Practice: You have to put in some time on the May 13 Fishers of Menaround 315-8490 idling inWest myPoint/Highland boat staring (706) at my electronics water physically in order to May 20 Highland Team West Point/Highland (706) 523-0547 looking for schools of fish, and most importantly, why understand what you are May 21 Eufaula Bass Trail Eufaula/Lakepoint (334) 726-5697 up against. There are times they are there. Trusting your electronics If you would like to see your upcoming tournament listed is a must to I will spend hours just beAngler successful. During practice on The Magazine tournament page,time emailit is a good idea to idling around in my boat staring at my electronics bobr@theanglermagazine.com or call at 706-614-8231. experiment with several baits. If you find that the bai looking for schools of COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM
MARCH 2017
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PANAMA CITY TIDES - MARCH 2017
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1 Wed 12:44 0.6 12:34 0.5 6:42 0.5 7:35 0.2 2 Thu 12:45 0.7 9:37 -0.1 3 Fri 1:18 0.9 11:36 -0.3 4 Sat 2:06 1.1 5 Sun 3:08 1.2 1:15 -0.5 6 Mon 4:21 1.3 2:34 -0.7 7 Tue 5:38 1.3 3:38 -0.8 8 Wed 6:51 1.3 4:32 -0.7 9 Thu 7:57 1.2 5:17 -0.6 10 Fri 8:57 1.1 5:51 -0.4 11 Sat 9:54 0.9 6:11 -0.1 12 Sun 2:03 0.4 7:13 0.2 13 Mon 12:48 0.5 6:54 0.5 6:16 0.5 14 Tue 1:00 0.6 12:35 0.7 6:13 0.6 7:47 0.3 15 Wed 2:45 0.5 12:42 0.8 4:49 0.7 9:06 0.2 16 Thu 1:01 0.9 10:23 0.1 17 Fri 1:29 1.0 11:45 -0.0 18 Sat 2:05 1.1 19 Sun 2:51 1.1 1:09 -0.1 20 Mon 3:47 1.2 2:22 -0.2 21 Tue 4:54 1.2 3:22 -0.2 22 Wed 6:06 1.2 4:10 -0.3 23 Thu 7:17 1.2 4:50 -0.3 24 Fri 8:27 1.1 5:24 -0.2 25 Sat 9:37 1.1 5:52 -0.0 26 Sun 10:53 0.9 6:11 0.2 27 Mon 11:55 0.5 6:19 0.5 4:59 0.5 28 Tue 12:23 0.8 6:02 0.8 6:34 0.3 29 Wed 2:43 0.7 4:41 1.0 7:58 0.0 30 Thu 11:54 1.2 9:24 -0.2 31 Fri 12:32 1.3 10:55 -0.3
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RISE
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6:06 5:43 6:04 5:44 6:03 5:44 6:02 5:45 6:01 5:46 6:00 5:46 5:59 5:47 5:58 5:48 5:56 5:48 5:55 5:49 5:54 5:50 6:53 6:50 6:52 6:51 6:51 6:52 6:49 6:52 6:48 6:53 6:47 6:53 6:46 6:54 6:45 6:55 6:43 6:55 6:42 6:56 6:41 6:57 6:40 6:57 6:38 6:58 6:37 6:58 6:36 6:59 6:35 7:00 6:34 7:00 6:32 7:01 6:31 7:01 6:30 7:02
17 SET
5:43 5:44 5:44 5:45 5:46 5:46 5:47 5:48 5:48 5:49 5:50 6:50 6:51 6:52 6:52 6:53 6:53 6:54 6:55 6:55 6:56 6:57 6:57 6:58 6:58 6:59 7:00 7:00 7:01 7:01 7:02
So You Want to Fish From a Kayak? I know you've seen this before. A blog or Facebook post is written with the simple question of “What's the best kayak to buy to fish from?” And then the responses commence, with a series of reasons as to why his or her kayak is “the best” for everything and typically very strong opinions regarding other brands on the market. Let me ask you a question though, would you buy a car without first taking it for a test drive? Then why buy a kayak without taking it for a test paddle? Kayak shops these days understand this. Most of the staff at these places either have, or currently, fish and have used many of the models they stock in the store. Product training is key to passing information along to their clients and customers. The technical features available on newer kayaks are only words on a page or forum until you have a knowledgeable person walk you through it. Here are a few tips from an experienced kayak angler on how to choose a boat that works for you. Know where you are going to spend most of your time fishing. Are you pond hopping or floating a few hours downstream to shuttle back? The hull design of your kayak will depend on whether or not you are looking for stability and maneuverability or tracking ability. A wider
hull typically provides a lot more primary stability to the boat, making it seem less tippy and easier to control, also being more comfortable for the beginner to paddle on flat water. The more stability you have, the less tracking ability, normally due to the lack of a defined keel. Longer, narrower V shaped hulls displace water better, allowing the kayak to cut through the water with less effort. This hull design would be great for traveling across large lakes, but not so well in narrower rivers with current and obstacles. This design will feel more tippy to a beginner and will give the false impression that the kayak is not very stable. Know what you want to take with you. Are you carrying 4 or 5 rods every trip? Are you looking to carry a cooler for an all-day outing? A lot of the newer fishing kayaks have you in mind, with weight capacity soaring into the 700800lb range. The average, about 400lbs, is usually more than enough room for angler and accessories, with a little room to spare for the ice cold beverages. Options include interior storage and deck storage, just make sure you splurge on the extra tie down kit, and leash your rods! The rigging solutions out there now are astonishing, but you have to decide what you really need. I suggest taking it on a few trips
by Chris Largent
first with as little as possible, and then figuring out what else you would enjoy having, and then trying it out. Most of the fishing kayaks on the market now come with a basic set up of a rod holder or two, and all you have to provide is a motor (your paddle) and rods. Know how the kayak handles. How do you do that? Rent one. Demo one. Borrow one from a friend. Most kayak dealers have a demo available of the popular models and will rent them out to you for that reason. Some of them even offer to deduct the rental fee from the purchase price of the boat, meaning you won't be out any actual money in the long run. You can take all the advice in the world on how a kayak handles, but until your butt has to paddle it, you won't have the firsthand experience. I strongly suggest taking it to the waters you will be fishing, and give it the full test of abilities. If it doesn't work, move on to another model. I would even go so far as to
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MARCH 2017
test a kayak that may not even spark your interest. You may be surprised at what you find. Call your local dealer. Hound them. Ask them the random questions from the list you've made. Most of them have been in the same shoes and have pretty good advice on how to handle it. Most of the shops are there to provide you with quality gear but also quality knowledge. So as you are deciding on whether or not to jump feet first into one of the fastest growing and greatest sports around, remember you must figure out your goals, your needs and decide based on your experiences before making that final purchase. I hope this helps you along your way and I hope to run into you out on the water someday soon! Chris is part owner and
General Manager of Outside World Columbus located in Columbus GA. To learn more about kayak rental and demo opportunities, visit outsideworldcolumbus.com!
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Solunar Table March 2017
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Christmas Tree Rig
Yes, I know, it’s almost over, the deep brush crappie fishing that is, but December – February will come around again next year, and you should have an idea about what to do and where to go to catch big slab crappie in Southern reservoirs. If a big crappie in Georgia is called a slab then is a big croppie in Alabama a slob? Wondering. We wrote a bit about using a Road Runner for various species last month. For March, we’re being more selective and focused. You’re going to think I’m a bit ‘off ’, but if you’ll just give it a try next season, you’ll catch more than you’ve ever caught before, and they’ll be big and easy to reach; no boat, no long ride, no minnows to look after. Think ‘Christmas Tree Rig’. I don’t know how it got named that, but that’s what we call it. Three feet up on a soft rod with six-pound line, rig a 1/32 ounce Road Runner with a bit of plastic. It’s a start, but there’s more. Twelve inches down, attach a #4 stand out hook. Ever used one? Makes a huge difference. On that hook put a Fisher’s Choice Super worm or Meal worm. What? Trust me now. I’ll explain. On the tag end down another 12 inches, put another 1/32 ounce Road Runner with a little Fisher’s Choice Shrimp. No plastic, just the shrimp. Good Grief, what have you done? The top bait is an attractant and what the crappie eat anyway. Good! The middle bait on the ‘Stand Out’ is a scent spreader. Don’t worry, it gets bites too, but with the scent in the water, the crappie will bite better and stick around longer to get caught. The bottom bait is a scent spreader AND holds the rig vertical. You’re all set; three baits in the water, scent all around. Now where? Brush piles, of course. That was easy, but didn’t I say something about it being easy with no boat, no fast ride, not getting wet? I did. Large commercial marinas on the major reservoirs across the South will work just fine. It’s easy. You have to get permission from the marina owner, but if you’re nice and promise no drinking or shouting or partying, just a couple of worn-out old fishermen trying to do their best, he’ll probably let you roam the dock and catch a bucket full. You might offer to share a few. To make it even easier, borrow a portable fish finder with the transducer mounted on a pole. Ken Sturdivant showed me how to use a Lowrance. It worked beautifully. You can go dock to dock, slip to slip, and soon you’ll find a gold mine of crappie, thousands of them. Catch a mess, leave a few thousand for the next fisherman, or little kid, and you’re done. Might mention here that the commercial marina is not the key, it’s the brush pile put there by the slip renters; no brush, no fish. The crappie don’t know there’s a marina there, but it does afford a giant shadow and makes them shy away from traveling out in the sunlight; no eyelids or sunglasses and all that. The crappie are in the deep brush all over the lake, but what the marina shade affords us is a great place to fish without the boat ride.
By O’Neill Williams
I’ve included a photo of the Christmas Tree Rig, and a package of ‘Stand Out Hooks’, and hope you can make out how to fashion it. This rig will get you more bites, and if you are any good at it, catch more fish. The ‘Stand Out’ makes the middle bait work. I’ve had two and sometimes three crappie on at once. When you hook the first one, don’t reel in so quickly, and often another will bite another bait. The Fisher’s Choice canned meal worms, super worms and shrimp are sold at Walmart and other bait places and even online. Again, it’s Fisher’s Choice Baits. In the cans, they will last 5 years, and after opening, they’re good for two weeks. It saves a great deal of time and heartache not to have to scrounge up live baits and carry around a minnow bucket. These are truly shrimp, meal worms and super worms. They were once alive and have been preserved for the fisherman. Anyway, there you are. December and 50 degree water temperatures in the reservoirs comes around next year, usually after November. Works that way every year. Has for a while anyway and likely will again. Give it a try. I’ll probably see you on one of the lakes. Look for me sitting in an easy chair on a dock in the shade.
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MARCH 2017
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Brag Board bream This pretty hand-painted ar was caught in Owl Creek ne ell Sumatra, FL by Tim Hartz
Amy Nipper caught her biggest fish ever on her birthday. Photo compliments of The Anchor Holds Bait and Tackle in Cordele
*
N I W
!* R E N
Tony Adams with a big Eufaula crappie
Cheshire Trawic
big Seminole bass Nic Jeter with a couple of
k caught this bi g king off of Mexico Beach
*This month’s winner will receive an Angler Magazine cap 12 SOUTHWEST GA EAST AL
MARCH 2017
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Rod Actions for
Coastal Fishing By CAM Staff • Photo Courtesy of Matt Holder
B
roomstick. That’s what I started out coastal fishing with nearly 20 years ago. I had done quite well bass fishing with heavy-action rods growing up fishing freshwater lakes and ponds. When I began fishing saltwater bays, I was quite fond of my medium-heavy and heavy action broomsticks. Of course I was using them to ‘horse’ 8to 11-pound bass out of heavy cover and matted vegetation. Those actions are fine to start with in saltwater bays, but fishing for speckled trout and redfish in most bays doesn’t require bringing out the heavy artillery. In fact, going lighter and allowing today’s more precisely built fishing tools to do their job at the upper end of their limits is much more effective in catching more and bigger speckled trout, and they do fine on most slot and oversized reds up to almost 42 inches. Lately I have seen quite a few inquiries on the saltwater inshore boards asking “is this rod ok, or can I use that rod action for trout?” I thought I’d cover some rod actions that handle the bays, flats and marshes a little more like Craig Biggio handled a baseball bat. That guy was awesome in the field, didn’t swing a big bat but produced big results with consistency. That is what we are after. For saltwater inshore fishing with a casting rod and reel for speckled trout and redfish, the most used rod and action would be something in the realm of a 6’6” medium-power rod with a fast tip. It should be rated to throw lures weighing from 1/8 to 5/8-ounce. I regularly throw lures up to ¾-ounce, such as Super Spooks or other
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large topwater plugs, on this specific rod rating. Line ratings will fall generally between 8- to 15-pound test. Each rod maker will have a little different variation on this, but they’ll be close to this range. This rod will cast a large variety of saltwater inshore lures ranging from soft plastics on 1/16-ounce lead or bismuth jig heads all the way to 3/4 or 1-ounce topwaters. Overall, it will function best and cast the longest with lure weights that fall within its rated specification. For example, one can certainly cast a ¾-ounce MirrOlure Paul Brown slow sinking FatBoy or Mirrodine XL on a rod that’s rated for 1/8 to 5/8-ounce, but I find that it may not cast as far since it’s slightly over-loading the blank. A fast-action tip will help mitigate some of the distance loss (and we’re just splitting hairs here) but it’s going to get the job done and allow you to fish with that one rod all day with just about any lure in the box. I recently switched over to Lew’s Inshore rod series with blanks that are specifically made for saltwater inshore anglers. I’m really liking them.
2/14/17 5:02 PM
B.A.S.S. Calls Anti-Lead Edict Anti-Fishing
O
n the day before President Barack Obama left office, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) issued an edict to ban lead fishing tackle and ammunition from hundreds of thousands of acres of land and water managed by that agency. Executed without stakeholder input, the controversial action has sparked outrage from fishing and hunting communities. B.A.S.S. joined with state fisheries management agencies and the American Sportfishing Association (ASA) in calling on the new administration and FWS to put a hold on the order. “This 11th hour order, just hours before the new administration was to take office, was an obvious attempt to push through an order that is part of the previous administration’s environmental agenda without full consultation among all the stakeholders,” said B.A.S.S. Conservation Director Gene Gilliland. Scott Gudes, ASA’s vice president of government affairs, added, “The sportfishing industry views this unilateral policy to ban lead fishing tackle, which was developed without any input from the industry, other angling organizations and state fish and wildlife agencies, as a complete disregard for the economic and social impact it will have on anglers and the recreational fishing industry.” Signed by FWS Director Dan Ash, Order No. 219 requires “the use of nontoxic ammunition and fishing tackle to the fullest extent practicable for all activities on service lands, waters and facilities.” Fortunately, action was taken by the new Trump administration that could hinder its effectiveness. A memorandum issued from the White House to departments and agencies announced a freeze on implementing new regulations, pending review. Still, individual jurisdictions within FWS might choose to enforce the rule. For years, environmentalists have attempted to gain a complete ban on lead ammunition and fishing tackle by filing lawsuits. They’ve done so, Gilliland said, “despite the lack of a clear connection in many cases of negative population-level impacts on fish and wildlife.” Their arguments have been rejected by the courts. At the same time, selective bans have been
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implemented where research suggests a need for them, such as in some northern waters, where loons ingest lead shot. “In the limited instances where lead fishing tackle is demonstrated to harm local wildlife populations, the sportfishing industry supports actions to minimize or eliminate these impacts,” Gudes said. “However, unnecessary and sweeping bans such as this director’s order will do nothing to benefit wildlife populations and instead will penalize the nation’s 46 million anglers and hurt recreational fishing-dependent jobs.” If not rescinded, it also will damage the partnership between the federal agency and the states, according to Nick Wiley, president of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. “This action flies squarely in the face of a long and constructive tradition of states working in partnership with the service to effectively manage fish and wildlife resources,” he said. “The Association views this order as a breach of trust and deeply disappointing given that it was a complete surprise and there was no current dialogue or input from state fish and wildlife agencies prior to issuance. It does a disservice to hunters and anglers, the firearms and angling industries, and the many professionals on staff with the USFWS who desire a trusting and transparent relationship with their state partners.”
2/14/17 5:03 PM
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2/14/17 1:02 PM
Wilderness Trout
Fishing On The Jacks River, Ga. (An abbreviated excerpt from Flyfisher’s Guide To North Carolina & Georgia)
By Nick Carter
W
hile hiking the more than 6 nearly vertical miles out of the valley, my buddy stopped, sat on a rock and unlaced his hiking boots. Without saying a thing, he slung his new boots off the ridge into a hollow. “I ain’t walking in them anymore!” he grumbled. I suppose he was better off hiking in his felt-soled wading boots. It wasn’t until we arrived back at the truck that he showed off the angry red sores on his feet. That’s also where he discovered the 20 pounds of nice flat river rocks I had secreted in his pack before the hike out. That’s what he got for bringing a day-pack to a three-night pack-in fishing trip. I had carried all the camping gear and food all weekend. I’m sure he would have brained me with one of those rocks if he hadn’t been so tired. This was the aftermath of a pretty spectacular fishing expedition. Three of us had spent three days exploring and fishing the Jacks River in north Georgia’s Cohutta Wilderness Area. We had all caught fish, plenty of them. We also witnessed something that would excite any fly angler. After a late supper, three of us were kicked back
4
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around a campfire that was slowly dying from lack of attention in the damp river bottom. Full bellies and a full day on the river lead to lethargy. Conversation fizzled. The rush of the river and the drone of familiar night sounds lulled everyone into a comfortable sleepiness. Eyes fixated on smoldering red embers amplified the darkness around. It was from the darkness they came. With a shout, one buddy shot upright, slapping at the back of his neck. Headlamps clicked on. Smack! It stung when one slammed full-speed into my right cheek. Within minutes, the campsite was abuzz with huge black stoneflies. There were dozens of them, 2 inches and longer, with orange accents and long creepy legs. After the initial excitement and a determination that the bugs could not carry us away without an organized group effort, everyone went directly to their fly boxes. The giant stoneflies were gone the next morning, but the fish were still looking for them. All three of us caught trout on big red and black stonefly nymphs with double beads until all the flies were lost or unraveled. It was the standard Jacks River mixed bag of rainbow and brown trout from 5 inches up to 12 inches. We have caught a few fish significantly larger than that from the Jacks, but none of the huge browns the river is rumored to contain. It is well over 15 river miles between vehicle access points to the Jacks River on Cohutta WMA. It’s about as deep into the wilderness as one can get in the Southeast. Flyfisher’s Guide To North Carolina & Georgia is 218 pages of extensively researched information on the area’s best trout fishing. It includes more than 40 full-color maps, photos, driving directions, GPS coordinates and tips and tactics. It is available on wildadvpress.com, Amazon and at fly shops, and signed copies are available by contacting the author at nsc8957@gmail.com. For more trout fishing in Georgia, go to
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2/14/17 1:02 PM
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UNDER THE SEA
ear!
SPEARFISHING APPAREL
by blending into the reef, and some just want SHERI DAYE to look cool. Ladies, if you’re looking for he popularity of spearfishing in the “skins” for the summer U.S. has grown significantly, and it in attractive patterns, has spawned product innovation and improvements—not only with spearguns, check out Slipins. You might not blend into but with associated dive apparel. Believe it the reef, but you will look amazing! 2) Gloves: There are more sizes, or not, how you dress can play an important thicknesses and features now. I’ve been part of the hunt. Here are some examples: 1) Wetsuits: It’s important for a hunter to diving in water so cold that I lost feeling be comfortable in the water. If you are cold in my hands and couldn’t feel the trigger. and shivering, if your suit is rubbing the I should have sprung for a thicker pair of back of your legs, if it feels too tight in the gloves when I traveled to California. With the popularity of polespearing, chest—you will not perform as effectively. In this regard, new wetsuits with open-cell there’s a need for gloves that make it easy to technology and newer materials have been hold a loaded polespear, so the grip is made a godsend. They are softer, stretchier and of nitrile or latex while the rest of the gloves thinner, yet they keep you warmer than the (back of hand and wrists) are a dynema/ old materials. A good wetsuit should feel Kevlar composition. The all-Kevlar gloves like a second skin and should not let water are useful for handling fish or lobsters. It’s in anywhere. The following brands are not uncommon to get cut by gill rakers when available at your local dive shop: Yazbeck, dispatching bigger fish. Wearing solid gloves will give you confidence when handling fish. Mares, Riffe, Omer, Cressi and more. Most spearfishing wetsuit brands now Check out Neritic and Akona, among others. 3) Booties: With the advent of long fins have both a men’s and women’s cut, resulting in a better fit. The new stretchy materials for spearfishing, it’s become more important are forgiving enough to fit most bodies. for the fin-pocket/bootie combination to Still not happy with the fit? No worries; form a good fit. An ill-fitting fin will greatly there are several affordable custom wetsuit reduce efficiency in the water. As with gloves, manufacturers who will tailor one to your there’s a greater variety of choices, and it’s important to try them on with the foot measurements. Try Oceanos or Elios. Another recent development is the pocket you plan to wear. Next time you go spearfishing, make wide variety of camouflage patterns. Some hunters believe it allows them to be stealthier sure you are dressed for success!
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TIPS FROM A PRO
FRESHWATER THE THINGS WE WEAR
O
BRANDON LESTER
utdoor apparel isn’t as much fun to talk about as how to catch big bass, but it’s important for those of us who spend a lot of time on a boat. I’m not sponsored by any clothing companies or anything like that, but I do know what I like. Let’s start with hoodies. You just can’t beat a quality hoodie for chilly mornings and running down the lake. Most of my sponsors have sent me a hoodie or two, but I have to say my all-time favorite one is from Raymarine. There’s something about the texture of the hoodie. It’s manufactured by
cover up from the sun as well. They keep me cool and really make a difference in how much energy I have after a long day on the water. I also like MHX’s lightweight hat as well as a trucker hat I have from Phoenix Boats. A rain suit is key for me too. Mud Hole was nice enough to send me one from Gill that really works well. They make good stuff. Raymarine sent one made by Stormr, and it is my favorite for cold weather. Mercury provided me one from Simms that is really nice, and it has held
Sport-Tek and is just extremely comfortable. It looks good too. For those cold mornings, I really like to have on a beanie, too. I have accumulated several from Mercury, and I really like theirs. Mercury’s are good quality and don’t shrink. I’ve had others that got loose and feel like they were going to fly off. Everything has to be tight when running at 70-plus mph. Buff USA makes good beanies, as well, and several other cold weather products I like. Most of us think of Buff for sun protection, but they perform in the cold too. Speaking of sun protection, I will indeed have a UV Buff around my neck 95 percent of the time. I also wear their gloves, and honestly it feels a little strange to not fish with gloves on anymore. As younger anglers, we’ve heard stories and seen pictures of sun-damaged skin. Most of us heed the warnings. I wear MHX sun shirts to
up very well. You can never have too many rain suits. You never know when you’ll need a backup for either yourself or someone fishing with you. To complete the look and feel, I like to wear lightweight, comfortable fishing shorts from Mercury. You see a ton of anglers wearing the Mercury shorts, so it was obviously a brilliant marketing move for them to send them to us. It just feels like “game day” when I have them on. Did I mention all this stuff is wrinkle free. Even our jerseys are wrinkle-free. I usually stay in hotels, and I’m thankful to be able to pull my gear out of the suitcase or out of a boat compartment and have it look good. Valley Fashions does a good job with our jerseys. That’s enough about clothing. Next month we will get back to fishing. If you ever have any topics you would like me to cover, hit me up on Facebook or Instagram.
Get more tips from Lester at
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FISH & FISHING
PRIORITIES
A
MARK SOSIN
nglers tend to reverse priorities. Instead of focusing on fishing an artificial effectively, they worry more about choosing some magical fly or lure guaranteed to produce a spectacular catch simply by being in the water. Success seldom happens that way. If you have confidence in your choice and believe it will work, it probably will, provided your presentation and retrieve are effective. The best bait in the box will bomb unless it looks realistic and natural to your quarry. Fishing an artificial is a mental game. It’s easy to be distracted and simply cast and retrieve without any purpose or thought behind each presentation. Every cast should be made to correctly cover a specific segment of water and effectively put an offering in front of a fish. Simple things can make a difference. Here are a couple of examples. I watched an angler cast a swimming plug with a lip into the shallows, crank the reel handle four to six times so the plug dove downward along the dropoff, pause for a moment until the plug began to rise, and then continue the retrieve. If you stood next to him and simply retrieved the plug without pausing so it could rise, you couldn’t buy a strike. Another time, a friend who had been a guide was fishing with me. He kept getting strikes on his lure, while I became more frustrated with every cast, and we were using the same artificial. I watched his every move and tried to duplicate it to no avail. Finally, I asked him what he was doing that was different than my retrieve. As he worked his lure, he kept vibrating his hand. It was too subtle to see. Vibrating his wrist caused his lure to flash underwater just like a real baitfish. That made all the difference. Finding a school of breaking fish on the surface stirs the soul and telegraphs the imminent success to every fiber in your body. The key is to keep the boat away from the school while moving up ahead of it. Casts should be made in front of the school when possible or
at least close to it so that the retrieve follows the basic path of the school. Assuming the school is moving north, you want your retrieve to cover the northeast or northwest quadrant. It should move in the general direction of the main body of fish. Not very often will a school member chase a lure going in a direction opposite that of the main body of fish. Retrieving an artificial must make it appear to the fish that it is trying to escape. If the predator senses that the lure is moving toward it, you can bet it will spook. Every cast should be carefully calculated to make the lure look realistic. If a fish fails to strike, vary the retrieve. And, in cooler water, don’t overlook a slower retrieve. Those anglers who set the standards fishing artificial baits make every cast count. Follow their lead and you should begin to catch more and more fish on artificial lures.
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TACKLE CORNER:
GETTING A FRESH HANDLE ON SPINNING RODS By Mike Pehanich
T
he topic of spinning tackle can be a lightning rod among fishermen. Opinions on it vary greatly across the angling spectrum. Some rely on spinning tackle and, literally, can’t fish without it. Some hate it and can hardly broach discussion of this “down-side” style of fishing without a snide aside (“a birdsnest waiting to happen”) or epithet challenging the user’s manhood (“fairy wand”). In recent years, effective finesse techniques in the bass world have taken the fire out of the debate, and a sober “it’sjust-a-tool” mentality has cleared a place for spinning in the arsenals of most serious anglers. Design Disadvantage Outside the realm of partisan debate, however, spinning tackle has remained open to at least one legitimate complaint. The design of most spinning rods compels the fishermen to grip the rod across the reel seat and straddle the reel stem, leaving the angler’s hand little or no grip security and comfort. The design leads to particular disadvantage when fighting big fish or fishing in adverse weather conditions, from snowstorms and freezing cold to tropical humidity and lightning bolts. Fortunately, solutions have come to the fore. Here are three options to answer the spinning rod conundrum. Hooded Reel Seat With Polymer Grip: Hooded reel seats,
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such as those in Fuji’s VSS series, are designed for a grip shaped to extend over the reel seat. The design provides palm support—grip comfort and security at the palm interface—even with fingers straddling the spinning reel stem. Fuji, through its exclusive American distributor Anglers Resource, introduced a proprietary set of Winn grips (WVSS1615, WVS17), tailored to fit precisely with two of its newest and most popular spinning reel seats and its Perfect Fit Trim. This combination of grip and reel seat adds ergonomic benefit and puts more of the hand into contact with the non-slip Winn grip polymer. Aero Comfort Finish Reel Seat: American Tackle offers a spinning reel seat with a topside extension that delivers palm support. Like hooded reel seats, the design provides ergonomic benefit by supporting the palm, but it is a hood-like portion of the reel seat rather than grip material that reaches up to meet the palm. The “comfort finish” reduces the degree of hand slippage. Mummy wrap: West Coast saltwater anglers were the first to overwrap spinning rod handles with Winn Superior Rod Wrap, a “skin” of patented Winn polymer, known for its tackiness in adverse weather conditions. The tape-like material is backed with a forgiving adhesive that wraps easily around rod handles. The “mummy wrap” approach adds a continuous wrap from rod butt to foregrip with the reel already in place. The mummy wrap straddles the reel stem over both ends of the reel foot. Palm and fingers have complete contact with the non-slip polymer covering the entire handle. Check out the spinning rods in your arsenal, and see if one of these solutions can add comfort and effectiveness to your fishing. Rod wraps are simple solutions. Check with a custom rod builder or rod repairmen about retrofitting spinning rods with a new grip or reel seat.
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EAGLE MARINE TRIO ROD HOLDER Eagle Marine’s new Trio Rod Holder conveniently stores three rods while only utilizing one rod holder in your boat’s gunnel. This setup is ideal for kite fishing or anytime when multiple rods will be used. All aluminum construction is bright dipped anodized to ensure many years of protection from the harsh marine environment. Custom soft PVC Liners help create a secure fit into the tapered rod holders that feature a welded cross pin. The Trio Rod Holder fits standard gunnel-mount rod holders. It features three 8 ½-inch tapered and flared rod holders with custom fitted white PVC liners. These rod holders are ideal for kite fishing or any time an angler needs to add more rods to a spread. For more information on this and all of Eagle Marine’s fine products, see www.eagleproducts.us/ eagle-marine/.
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ecreational anglers are again feeling the sting of federal regulations. NOAA Fisheries announced in late January that cobia harvest in federal waters of the Atlantic from Georgia through New York will be closed for the remainder of 2017. As recreational anglers continue to scream of arbitrary data being used to set catch limits and estimate annual landings, NOAA says the recreational landings of Atlantic migratory group cobia exceeded 1.3 million pounds, more than double the annual allowable catch for 2016. These numbers came despite a closure in federal waters for nearly half of 2016, which was spurred when catch data from 2015 indicated an even larger recreational catch of 1.55 million pounds. Federal waters begin outside of three miles in the Atlantic, and a large majority of the recreational cobia catch occurs within state waters when these brown bombers migrate to shore and northward in the warming waters of spring and summer. NOAA has predicted the annual catch limit will again be exceeded in 2017, as state marine fisheries managers refuse to fall into line with strict federal regulations. NOAA has said the federal closure will be reevaluated if state regulations change in 2017. This federal closure does not apply to cobia on the Atlantic coast of Florida, which are part of the Gulf of Mexico migratory group. It also does not change regulations for commercial anglers, who will still be allowed two cobia per day.
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LIMIT 5 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 7/1/17. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
SUPER COUPON
LIMIT 5 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior
NAT_0317.indd 40
5999 comp at
29 PIECE TITANIUM NITRIDE COATED ITEM 62281/61637 shown HIGH SPEED STEEL DRILL BIT SET
purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be
hft_coastalangler_0317_spread_M-REG100630.indd 2-3
$
comp at
SUPER COUPON
SUPER COUPON ITEM 62279/62302/62866 68861 shown
MULTIFUNCTION POWER TOOL
$3999
99
Customer Rating
$10.99
LIMIT 7 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 7/1/17. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
ITEM 69043/63282/42304 shown ITEM 42305/69044/63171
SAVE 59%
YOUR CHOICE
49 $2999 $69.99 $
LIMIT 4 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 7/1/17. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
$ 99 comp at
comp at
9 PIECE FULLY POLISHED SAVE 59% COMBINATION WRENCH SETS
40
ITEM 61740/63109 63152/4077 shown
5999 $64.99 SUPER COUPON
Customer Rating
12 VOLT, 250 PSI PORTABLE INFLATOR
99
LIMIT 4 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 7/1/17. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
SAVE 57%
SUPER COUPON
SUPER COUPON
SUPER COUPON
$39
B. PANCAKE
B SUPER COUPON
Cu
ITEM 95275 shown 60637/61615
Customer Rating
$5999
SUPER COUPON
A. HOT DOG
ITEM 69269/97080 shown
A
69265/62344
LIMIT 5 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 7/1/17. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
3 GALLON, 100 PSI OILLESS AIR COMPRESSORS
ITEM 60581/60653 shown
SUPER COUPON
79
SUPER COUPON
Customer Rating
SAVE RETRACTABLE AIR HOSE REEL $138 WITH 3/8" x 50 FT. HOSE ITEM 93897 shown
$
S
99
$129.99
LIMIT 5 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 7/1/17. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
comp at 99 $28.83
LIMIT 6 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 7/1/17. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
Customer Rating
SUPER COUPON
JACKS IN AMERICA
LIMIT 800-423 purchase Offer g presente
SAV 65
ITEM 69779 67500 shown
$2999 99 7 $2 $44.99
SUPER COUPON
LIMIT 800-423 purchas Offer g presente
comp at
LIMIT 3 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 7/1/17. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
2/14/17 1:46 PM
75
OG
own
WITH
ITEM 63599/69052 shown 69111/62522/62573
SUPER COUPON
$
14999
comp at
$9999
$205.99
Customer Rating
12" SLIDING COMPOUND DOUBLE-BEVEL MITER SAW Customer Rating WITH LASER GUIDE
2000 WATT CONTINUOUS/ 4000 WATT PEAK POWER INVERTER
Customer Rating
ITEM 60432 69662 shown
ITEM 63091/63248 68998 shown
SUPER COUPON
$2999 SAVE $ $76
900 PEAK/700 RUNNING WATTS, 2 HP (63CC) 2 CYCLE GAS GENERATOR EPA/CARB
19999
$339
LIMIT 5 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 7/1/17. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
SAVE $95
SUPER COUPON
$11999 $16999 $215.41 comp at
LIMIT 3 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 7/1/17. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
SUPER COUPON
ITEM 46807/68975 69221/62123/63017 BAR 69222 shown
12" RATCHET CLAMP/SPREADER
WIRELESS SECURITY ALERT SYSTEM
3
t
$
$299
comp at
ITEM 93068 shown 69590/61910/62447 Customer Rating
SAVE 68%
SUPER COUPON
$ 99
1499 SUPER COUPON 99 comp at
$20.76
$31.46
LIMIT 6 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 7/1/17. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
SUPER COUPON
SAVE $60
MAGNETIC TRAILER ALIGNMENT KIT Customer Rating
9
$ 99
comp at
$19.99
ITEM 69778
SUPER COUPON
$6
$
LIMIT 8 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 7/1/17. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
NAT_0317.indd 41
•
• No Gas Required
120 AMP FLUX WIRE WELDER
ITEM 61849/62719 Customer Rating 68887 shown
SUPER COUPON
99
750+ Stores Nationwide
$9
LIMIT 9 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 7/1/17. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
SUPER COUPON
SAVE 65%
comp at
LIMIT 4 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 7/1/17. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
ITEM 63024 63025 shown
SUPER COUPON
$8999 $10999
99
comp at 99 $149.99
$8999
LIMIT 4 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 7/1/17. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
SAVE NOW
LIMIT 5 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 7/1/17. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
SUPER COUPON
3
SAVE 85%
3799 $106.34
SUPER COUPON
18 VOLT CORDLESS 3/8" DRILL/DRIVER WITH KEYLESS CHUCK SUPER COUPON
comp at
wn
ing rior ipt. be day.
SUPER COUPON
130 PIECE TOOL KIT WITH CASE
ITEM 69651 62868/62873 68239 shown
$13499
$
comp at
9
$ 99 $19.97
LIMIT 5 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 7/1/17. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
SUPER COUPON
SUPER COUPON
Blade sold separately.
• 1000 lb. capacity
LIMIT 1 - Cannot be used with other discount, coupon or prior purchase. Coupon good at our stores, HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Offer good while supplies last. Shipping & Handling charges may apply if not picked up in-store. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 7/1/17. Limit one FREE GIFT coupon per customer per day.
SAVE $204
ON
ON
$7
99
VALUE
SUPER COUPON
ITEM 61969/61970 69684 shown
62
ing rior ipt. be day.
SAVE $106
SAVE 59%
SUPER COUPON
Customer Rating
E
3
ITEM 60497/93888 shown 61899/62399/63095/63096 63098/63097
4
SUPER COUPON
E %
N
MOVER'S DOLLY
Customer Rating
$ 97
LIMIT 4 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 7/1/17. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
15
9
ANY PURCHASE
SUPER COUPON
3-1/2" SUPER BRIGHT NINE LED ALUMINUM FLASHLIGHT
KE
L T
10 FT. x 20 FT. PORTABLE CAR CANOPY
ITEM 63054/60728/69034/62858 shown
own
alling prior ceipt. be day.
FREE
SUPER COUPON ™
inal day.
SS RS
SUPER COUPON
SUPER COUPON
80 PIECE ROTARY TOOL KIT ITEM 97626 shown 68986/69451 63235/63292
$1699
Customer Rating
Includes one 18V NiCd battery and charger.
SAVE $ 65%
1999 $49 comp at
LIMIT 4 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 7/1/17. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
ITEM 69924 shown 62403/62862 Customer Rating
SUPER COUPON
6" VARIABLE SPEED DUAL ACTION POLISHER SAVE $95
SUPER COUPON comp at SAVE $ 99 71% $24.15
9
$
LIMIT 7 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 7/1/17. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
SUPER COUPON
PORTABLE FISH FINDER ITEM 62675/94511 SAVE Customer Rating 46%
$
SUPER COUPON
$699
MULTI-USE TRANSFER PUMP
ITEM 62961/63144/61364 63591/66418 shown
SAVE 59%
$65
At Harbor Freight Tools, the “comp at” price means that the same item or a similar functioning item was advertised for sale at or above the "comp at" price by another retailer in the U.S. within the past 180 days. Prices advertised by others may vary by location. No other meaning of "comp at" should be implied. For more information, go to HarborFreight.com or see store associate.
HarborFreight.com • 800-423-2567 COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM
$149.99
SUPER COUPON
SUPER COUPON
LIMIT 3 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 7/1/17. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
comp at
LIMIT 5 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 7/1/17. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
3999 $3499
comp at
6999
$5499
Customer Rating
SUPER COUPON
6
$499
$ 99 comp at $12.39
LIMIT 7 - Good at our stores or HarborFreight.com or by calling 800-423-2567. Cannot be used with other discount or coupon or prior from original purchase with original receipt. last. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 7/1/17. Limit one coupon per customer per day.
purchases after2017 30 days MARCH Offer good while supplies
NATIONAL
41
2/14/17 1:46 PM 2/13/17 10:14 AM
THIS YEAR, MAKE THE MOST OF EVERY DAY ON THE WATER
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE MATCHED BY EXCEPTIONAL VALUE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THESE SPECIAL BOAT SHOW OFFERS FROM SUZUKI MARINE
REPOWER FINANCE
Six Years of Protection at no extra charge on all new outboards 25 to 300 HP.
Cash Rebates on select models. See your dealer for details.
Rates as low as 5.99% on new outboards (OAC).*
Offers end March 31, 2017. See your participating Suzuki Marine dealer for details or visit www.suzukimarine.com.
42
Gimme Six Extended Protection promo is applicable to new Suzuki Outboard Motors from 25 to 300 HP in inventory which are sold and delivered to buyer between 01/01/17 and 3/31/17 in accordance with the promotion by a Participating Authorized Suzuki Marine dealer in the continental US and Alaska to a purchasing customer who resides in the continental US or Alaska. Customer should expect to receive an acknowledgement letter and full copy of contract including terms, conditions and wallet card from Suzuki Extended Protection within 90 days of purchase. If an acknowledgement letter is not received in time period stated, contact Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. – Marine Marketing via email: marinepromo@suz.com. The Gimme Six Promotion is available for pleasure use only, and is not redeemable for cash. Cash Rebates apply to qualifying purchases of select Suzuki Outboard Motors made between 01/01/17 and 3/31/17. For list of designated models, see participating Dealer or visit www.suzukimarine.com. Customer and participating Dealer must fill out the appropriate rebate form at time of sale. Customer will have the choice to either apply the cash rebate against the original dealer invoice (Suzuki will credit Dealer parts account) or have a check sent directly to the customer. There are no model substitutions, benefit substitutions, rain checks, or extensions. Suzuki reserves the right to change or cancel these promotions at any time without notice or obligation. * Financing offers available through Synchrony Retail Finance. As low as 5.99% APR financing for 60 months on new and unregistered Suzuki Outboard Motors. Subject to credit approval. Not all buyers will qualify. Approval, and any rates and terms provided, are based on credit worthiness. $19.99/month per $1,000 financed for 60 months is based on 5.99% APR. Hypothetical figures used in calculation; your actual monthly payment may differ based on financing terms, credit tier qualification, accessories or other factors such as down payment and fees. Offer effective on new, unregistered Suzuki Outboard Motors purchased from a participating authorized Suzuki dealer between 01/01/17 and 3/31/17.“Gimme Six”, the Suzuki “S” and model names are Suzuki trademarks or ®. Don’t drink and drive. Always wear a USCG-approved life jacket and read your owner’s manual. © 2017 Suzuki Motor of America, Inc.
NATIONAL
NAT_0317.indd 42
SZ_Q1Promo_WIP.indd 1
MARCH 2017
COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM
2/14/17 1:46 PM
12/4/16 1:46 PM
SPIDERWIRE® STEALTH™
EXTREMELY STRONG EXTREMELY CASTABLE
GO THE DISTANCE WITH STEALTH SMOOTH 8 CARRIER TIGHT-WEAVE BRAID WITH A SUPER SMOOTH, SUPER THIN COATING FOR QUIET AND EFFORTLESS CASTING
SPIDERWIRE.COM COMMON CVRS_0317.indd 3
2/13/17 11:38 AM
WHATEVER THE SEA THROWS AT YOU, STAND YOUR GROUND. BUILT FOR ALASKA, FIT FOR EVERYONE XTRATUF boots have been proven and tested in the unforgiving Alaskan seas. Now, that same toughness is available in the XTRATUF Performance Deck Boot. With a non-marking, slip-resistant Chevron outsole, these 100% waterproof boots are as tough as the elements.
Kryptek Pontus Kryptek Yeti
www.xtratuf.com © 2017 Honeywell International Inc.
COMMON CVRS_0317.indd 4
INTRODUCING THE NEW KRYPTEK ANKLE DECK BOOT
2/13/17 11:38 AM