Coastal Angler Magazine | March 2023 | Treasure Coast Edition

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A MODERN-DAY TED WILLIAMS

By A. DeGruchy

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

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

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

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

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

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

full-grown one to boot.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

TO REMEMBER

By Deidra Thrappas

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

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

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

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

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

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A CHANGE OF PACE

By Capt. Michael Okruhlik

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

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

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

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

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

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

PHOTO COURTESY OF KNOCKIN TAIL LURES®

It’s Pompano Time in South Florida!

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

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

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

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

which has that milky look.

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

By Emily Rose Hanzlik

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

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

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BLADED JIGS TIPS FROM A PRO

TYLER WOOLCOTT

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Triple Threat Throwdown to Ra e O Loaded Fishing Kayak

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

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

Triple Threat Club

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Goliath Harvest Opens for the First Time in 30 Years

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Nestled on six lush tropical acres of pristine waterfront directly on the Indian River Lagoon, take a step back in time to experience the very best of Old Florida charm with modern conveniences and services to make your stay truly memorable and unforgettable.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

For more information, go to myfwc.com.

NEW BRICK PAVER SIDEWALKS THROUGHOUT!

BRIGHTLINE PASSENGER TRAIN CLOSING STUART RAILROAD BRIDGE FOR 21 DAYS

By Ed Killer for CAM

The Marine Industries Association of the Treasure Coast notified its member businesses and the boating community Jan. 25 about Brightline passenger train company’s planned closure of the railroad bridge across the St. Lucie River in Stuart.

The bridge will be closed for 21 days beginning May 1, according to a draft plan sent by Brightline to MIATC and the U.S. Coast Guard. Here is what the plan says:

Full closure of bridge to all boat traffic

• 6 a.m. May 1 until 6 a.m. May 22

Nighttime closure of bridge to all boat traffic

• 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.

April 16 through April 28

• 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.

May 22 through May 28

According to Brightline’s draft plan, the bridge closing to all boat traffic is necessary because the repairs needed are different than repairs completed in 2022 to the Loxahatchee River bridge.

“Preparation work will be performed during nighttime hours (2000 to 0600 daily). Work includes drilling new rack attachment holes in the existing counterweight. Bridge must be in the down position to drill the holes. Holes must be drilled in advance of the navigation outage in order to limit duration to 21 days.

Navigation outage work will be performed 24 hours per day 7 days per week. Work includes supporting the bascule leaf on falsework, machining all four trunions in place, installation of new trunnion towers and bearings, removal and replacement of all mechanical drive machinery, and installation of a new control system. The machining of the trunions and replacement of the mechanical drive machinery render the bridge inoperable, so once work begins the bridge must remain in the down position until completion.

Tuning work will be performed during nighttime hours (2000‐0600 daily), as may be required. Tuning work includes making final adjustments to the span, machinery, and control system and performing final balance of the bascule leaf.”

Brightline work commences on the railroad bridge over the St. Lucie River in Stuart ahead of 21 days of planned closures to tentatively begin in April.

PHOTO CREDIT: Ed Killer.

MARCH UPDATE

By Jim Moir, Executive Director

How Does Florida Restore the Indian River Lagoon?

The Indian River Lagoon has suffered some serious damage. The development of coastal Florida to an agricultural and residential mecca has enlarged the Lagoon’s watershed by many 100%. The drainage of this vastly larger area and the use of artificial fertilizer and septic systems has dramatically increased the load of nutrients into an ecological system that didn’t evolve handle it nor have the ability to dilute it. In an ecologically short

period of time, we have turned a thriving diverse ecosystem into something resembling a pond.

The Indian River Lagoon is a remarkable place that has a unique geographic position. The biodiversity that evolved in or became endemic to the estuarine habitats of this special place relied on seagrasses and epiphytic (attached) algae to be the primary producers using sunlight and available nutrients to be the foundational food resource in

the system. This nutrient limitation drove the inhabitants of the Lagoon to specialize and diversify to take full advantage of area’s niches and resources. A magnificent plethora of life flourished in this fragile balance.

The onset of the 20th century boom and efforts to landscape Florida to maximize its capacity to support monocultures of specialized agricultural crops, and to capitalize on the regions climate much of

Florida’s coastal margins were sculped to accommodate urban development and have allowed much of the nutrient loaded topsoil to run into the Lagoon transported many miles unimpeded. Many wetlands were filled or drained. The ground water that is connected to the Lagoon through seepage and artesian vents is polluted with nutrients from sewage. Eventually about a third of the regions stormwater makes it directly

into the Lagoon, rather than siting and denitrifying. The unfortunate outcome of these feats of engineering are cycles of phytoplankton blooms, sediment overload and shellfish and seagrass die-offs, fish kills and perhaps thousands of starved and stressed dead or dying manatees and a precipitous loss of biodiversity. There are many organizations ready to try to replant seagrasses in the nearly 350 square miles of the

Indian River Lagoon to help restore the once verdant seagrass meadows. This is a difficult and costly task on a relatively small scale, whether it can be scaled up and whether the state of water quality will allow it to thrive is an open question. There are issues of grass eating animals grazing on the emerging grasses too. These obstacles may not be insurmountable but it will be expensive. Really expensive!

It is interesting that as many of the measured parameters of water quality seem to be improving, while the condition of habitat in the Lagoon is failing. Certainly, it’s worth increasing our capacity to monitor and investigate why. We must continue to try to meet Federally mandated and state regulated standards. We have to find methods of monitoring sediment condition and habitat health and find ways to improve their condition. But we must improve the quality of the waters entering the Indian River Lagoon system from the land. We need to have substantially more conservation and treatment areas to denitrify water before it runs into the estuarine systems. Monies allocated for the purchase of conservation lands must be used for that purpose. It is critical to address the land-

based sources of polluted water while we work on the symptoms of the damage we have imposed on our aquatic environments. It can’t be an either or proposition it must be both. The states proposal to fund new projects can’t steal funding from critically necessary land acquisition funds to do what should be public private partnership projects.

It has taken decades of misuse to set the stage for the problems that we now confront, and a healthy ecosystem will not recover immediately or without some serious modification of the ways we treat our natural systems. State agency control has not nearly been up to the task. We have to turn to Federal protections oversite and resources to protect the Lagoon and the near shore reef. Let’s make the Indian River Lagoon and the near-shore reef a National Park.

If you are a business owner and would like to learn more about the benefits of supporting Indian Riverkeeper, email Executive Director Jim Moir at keeper@ theindianriverkeeper.org or call (772) 341-4953. Contact us if you are interested in volunteering at future events, which we will announce on our Facebook page, “Indian Riverkeeper.”

Marina.

A beautiful orange sunset over the Indian River Lagoon in Sebastian, Florida.

PHOTO CREDIT: AllMyRoots/Shutterstock.

MARTIN COUNTY OFFSHORE

Capt. Scott Fawcett

Off the Chain Fishing Charters (772) 285-1055

offthechainfishing.com

fishscottyf@bellsouth.net

I’mnot sure if I’ve ever looked forward to March so much. The end of January and all of February were huge let downs off the Treasure Coast this year. We still managed to catch some sails, mahi, blackfin, kings and I will say the wahoo bite was pretty good and we even released a blue marlin on fly one day while fishing with our great friend and client Fred Church, but between poor weather, lack of bait and just barely enough fish to make it worth while going; please let the “March-inal” winds this month start pushing some fish back to us.

With a huge shortage of bait off our Treasure Coast this past season, most fish that pushed down just kept on going. As the winds switch to the south and waters start to warm,

I’m hoping that the bait starts to stage off our beaches again and the sails, mahi, blackfin and other pelagic species will congregate nearby for a little longer than they did on the way down as they make their way back up the beach.

This is a perfect time to utilize the incredible side imaging and 360-degree capabilities of the HumminBird sonars. The ability to spot bait up to one hundred yards away and then mark it on your chart without being over it is an incredible advantage I’ve been utilizing over the last five years turning early spring and summer into our prime fishing time.

This is the time of year when busting out your Tigress kites will benefit you the most off Stuart. Offering a light wind, all purpose and high velocity model, these kites fly extremely well in a variety of conditions and are easy to fine tune, steer, and deploy, allowing you to get your baits away from the boat, keep them on the surface where they are most vulnerable and creating a huge footprint virtually taking the size of your boat out of the equation. These kites are a huge equalizing factor

allowing bay boats to cover the same amount of water with their baits as a huge sportfish does. Couple them with a Minnkota trolling motor to keep you heading into the wind at the perfect speed and it’s not only easier and more productive, but it is way more comfortable than drifting or trolling.

Focus along current edges and scattered weed lines in depths along our major reefs which are the six mile and eight mile ranging from 65 feet of water out to 145. Wrecks out to 200, and even Push Button Hill out in about 300 are also good places to concentrate this time of year.

We’ve seen more blackfin tuna than usual the last few years, especially during these spring months so don’t be caught off guard when what you thought was a little tunny turns into a nice tuna.

Whether you’re planning on catching bait or not, it’s always a good idea to call Brian and Mike from Stuart Live Bait to hook you up with a dozen or two of theirs. That way if you see something going on before you catch your bait or if you can’t find bait, at least you’re covered for the day and can still take advantage of a nice outing on the water.

The popularity of our new 39 Contender is way beyond what I had ever anticipated. We still have plenty of days available in the coming months, but we have more trips

MARTIN COUNTY INSHORE NEARSHORE

Capt. Jonathan Earhart

Chaos Fishing Charters

(772) 341 – 2274

www.chaosfishigcharters.com

jon@chaosfishigncharters.com

March is a great month for a variety of species inshore and nearshore. Snook fishing really starts to pick up this month. Fishing around structure will yield lots of bites, remember snook size limit is 28-to-32 inches and one per person per day. Also, expect a lot of jacks, ladyfish, bluefish, redfish, and the occasional cubera snapper when fishing near structure.

MARTIN COUNTY DEEP SEA

Capt. Rocky Carbia

Safari I Deep Sea Fishing

Pirates Cove Resort and Marina

4307 SE Bayview St. Port Salerno

Reservations: (772) 334-4411

Safari-1.com

Excellent snapper fishing will continue to prevail through the days of March and will highlight the diversity of bottom dwelling fish that can be caught among the many reefs, wrecks, and snags that lay beneath the offshore waters of Martin County. Lane snapper will still be posted up on near shore reefs and artificial structures in 50 to 60 feet of water and will land in big numbers on fish box ice, again this month. Sturdy mangrove snapper will also be representing in a similar zone and on structures out to 90 feet of water. Mutton snapper will make a solid

Tarpon fishing has been hit or miss along the channel edges using large live mullet.

Running the beach this time of

showing in the March ocean, with medium to larger representatives of the species (10- to 20-pound fish) making their presence known along the naturally occurring reef line in 70 to 80 feet of salty liquid.

The anchored boat will encompass the best strategy for getting attached to these salty snapper groceries, as precision positioning will be crucial in cycling for “snapper slams” and will allow anglers to settle in overtop of favorite fishing spots to conduct a surgical strike against their scaly opponents.

As the winter days of March slowly and subtlety transition to the spring equinox (March 20), fishing captains and their crews will continue to monitor dynamic weather fronts and the winds that are associated with them. March is typically another windy and rough month in general, especially initially, and historically can taper to more fishing friendly conditions during the latter half of the month. However, since weather forecasting

year early in the morning can give you additional chances to sight fish tarpon.

Pompano are still around in

is not an exact science, it`s not uncommon to see late arriving cold fronts that wipe out the offshore playing field at any time during the month. So, with this in mind, keep a mindful eye on the weather and be prepared for when a user-friendly window does open. Using forecast savvy web pages like Windfinder. com can help with planning for an offshore fishing trip for a particular week. Another excellent virtual, web page is Windstream at earth.school. net, which is a satellite wind map that gives a snapshot of wind velocity and direction, and allows the user to position a cursor, offshore, via a GPS number to determine wind velocity in an area one may be considering to fish on that day.

Open weather friendly windows will lead to a colorful bounty of snapper during this offshore calendar month and will also have the potential to host a flurry of cobia activity, as hungry cobes glide through our zone during the fishy days of March.

good numbers. As a general rule they start to vacate the river as we approach April. Bottom fishing in the river will produce plenty of black drum, redfish, snapper, and flounder. Live shrimp or fish bites on a fish finder rig will be your technique of choice.

Nearshore fishing this month is always good for cobia, snapper, kingfish, Spanish mackerel, and bluefish. Cobia jigs on a heavy rod while cruising along the beach looking for rays will be a great way to find these large tasty brown critters. Spanish mackerel are still hot and heavy at Peck Lake south of our St. Lucie Inlet.

Snapper fishing with chicken rigs around nearshore wrecks will produce the snapper bites you’re looking for.

Tight lines!

TRIP TIMES

Adults

Adults $80; Children $70

Jon Iavarone with a keeper snook caught on a live pilchard with a 4/O BDD circle hook with 40-pound Tsunami fluorocarbon leader.

PHOTO CREDIT: Capt. Jonathan Earhart.

Large mutton snapper will begin to bite again this month, like this jumbo mutton caught by Bill Payne aboard the Safari 1

PHOTO CREDIT: Safari 1.

FORECASTS

FISHING ST. LUCIE COUNTY DEEP SEA

Capt. Scotty Gold

Miss Fort Pierce Fishing (772) 766-0191

fortpiercefishing.com

AsMarch is upon us, so is the wind. We must make the best fishing choices to go fishing in between the “weather windows,” March tends to be the roughest sea conditions.

This month the bottom fishing for mangrove and mutton snappers takes a big step forward. More activity as they increase their

feeding for the late spring breeding. Triggerfish become more plentiful as well as porgies and lane snapper. You will see more kingfish make their presence known as well. As always fresh cut or live bait is the key. Be prepared to bottom fish in 70-100 feet of water.

The Miss Fort Pierce continues to sail daily on our all-day schedule weather permitting.

Come join us on the Treasure Coast’s “Queen of the Fleet,” the largest only all day fishing boat, the party boat that fishes like a charter. We look forward to seeing you out on the water. To book your reservations, visit us at www. fortpiercefishing.com or call us at (772) 766-0191.

booked in advance than I’ve ever had. Even going back to the days when I ran the BoneShaker the calendar this year is way more busy. Fortunately since we still have the 31, which was totally redone a couple months ago, we are still usually able to get you and your party out for the day so please call and ask, but if you’re thinking about treating yourself to the 39 and experiencing the incredible difference just a few feet makes along with the how much the Seakeeper

eliminates the roll on a vessel like this, I recommend you call us sooner than later.

We have always offered exceptional light tackle sport fishing charters out of Stuart, but we have been doing much more fly fishing too the last few years. If you’re interested in catching any offshore species on fly rod, or light convention tackle please give us a call to discuss your options. Whatever you decide to target this March I hope you’re successful in doing so, and I hope your next trip is Off The Chain

PHOTO CREDIT: Miss Fort Pierce Fishing.

MC OFFSHORE FROM PAGE 4

Capt. Adam White

St. Lucie Flats Fishing Charters

(609) 820-6257

www.stlucieflatsfishing.com

March has arrived bringing lots of windy days to the area. Utilize the winds to your advantage to get the best fishing opportunities. Warmer weather will bring water temperatures up into the 80s. Fishing is always good this month on the Treasure Coast so get out and enjoy!

Sheepshead, drum and snapper will be along channel edges and docks and willing to take a live shrimp. Snook fishing will pick up around the inlets, bridges and docks. Live pilchards or greenies are some of my favorite baits in March. Mackerel, bluefish, jacks and many

other predators will be coming in with the tides and feeding around the inlets and channels of the river. Small shiny lures work best for these fish.

Pompano are in the river and along the surf and willing to take a Doc’s Goofy Jig, shrimp or sand fleas. They usually can be found in channels and deeper parts of the flats in March. There will be nice sized fish in the river and along the beaches feeding with whiting. They are fun to catch and very good on the table!

The blacktip and spinner shark migration should be in full swing by now. Getting out on the beach and targeting these hard fighting acrobatic sharks is a blast. On most days you can find all the bites you want at the boils or Walton Rocks. Trolling or drifting small live jacks, blue runners, bluefish and the like, is almost a sure thing on getting a hook up.

Winter wasn’t so bad even though we complain about it. Living in Florida spoils you! March is a good time to check equipment. Both fishing and the boat should be checked a few times a year to make sure everything is in good working

order. Some of these windy days will provide a good chance to check rods, reels and safety gear for when good weather arrives. Have a great March and enjoy the last little bit of cool weather. Summer is knocking at our door.

Capt. Bo Samuel

Pullin Drag Charters (772) 971-6661 facebook.com/Pullin-Drag-Charters catainbofishing@gmail.com

March is a terrific time to go fishing and you don’t need too much luck because our Treasure Coast waters are an angler’s dream! This windy month we typically see big migratory fish move closer to shore as they follow schools of bait fish. That means anglers of all ages will have plenty of opportunities for trophy cobia, kingfish, and tripletail. Keep an eye out for manta rays this time of year also. While these shadowy gliders migrate down the coast you just might find some monster cobia swimming along with them. It pays to be prepared with a handy pitch rod for just this reason. Cobia can be found from just off the beach all the way out to the offshore wrecks and are highly attracted to buoys, wrecks, and floating objects. These powerful, pelagic fish are very aggressive feeders and will take almost any bait, live or artificial, from shrimp and crab to pilchards and mullet. I always have a gaff ready since these feisty “brown bombers” can get up to 100 pounds and are known for their awesome fight. They are also well known for being one of the tastiest fish in the sea with firm white meat.

Catching one of these will definitely feel like you’ve found treasure!

Bottom fishing should continue to be solid with fish boxes full of mangroves, lanes, and muttons found at around 60-80 feet of water. February gave us some super snapper days and we are still pulling drag on some good size fish. Watch for those great weather windows and head for the reefs.

Finally, a big shout-out to good friend Dr. Lorae’ Simpson Foltz of the Florida Oceanographic Society for the February 4th oyster matting day at Sailfish Brewing Company in downtown Fort Pierce. This was a very successful event with over 40 oyster mats made by volunteers. As part of the Living Docks Program, these mats will be used in the St. Lucie Estuary to help improve water quality. Saving our waters is important to sustaining our fishing

industry. Get on board and learn more at https://www.floridaocean. org/living-docks

If you need a ride out to our bountiful reefs, just give me a call. Pullin Drag Charters is the fishiest

boat on the Treasure Coast and hits all the hot spots off our beautiful Fort Pierce Inlet. Looking for that famous pot o’ gold? It’s in the water! Hope your St. Patrick’s Day includes a bit of luck Pullin Drag!

ST. LUCIE COUNTY OFFSHORE

Matt Dial caught a prize cobia with Pullin Drag Charters.

PHOTOS SUPPLIED by Capt. Bo Samuel.

PHOTO CREDIT: Capt. Adam White.

Bob with a nice snook that ate a freelined pilchard.

Dr. Lorae’ Simpson Foltz shows a finished oyster mat.

Dean Rocco is a believer in the advantage the stealthy approach wading provides. This nice trout took a gently presented live shrimp in 18 inches of water.

Capt. Gus Brugger

Pattern Setter Charters

(772) 360-6787

www.WelcomeToSebastian.com

March is a transitional month for the Sebastian area inshore fishery. Warming waters improve snook fishing at Sebastian Inlet and kick start tarpon and snook fishing in the Sebastian River while an increase in shrimp and baitfish activity turns on the bite for all species throughout the lagoon.

SEBASTIAN RIVER – March is a fine month for tarpon and snook in the Sebastian River and an excellent option if the wind is howling on the open waters of the lagoon. Once water temps are in the 70s the Sebastian River and its juvenile tarpon become active. D.O.A. Shrimp and TerrorEyz jigs along with MirrOlure MirrOdine plugs and Yo-Zuri 3D minnows are my go-to lures for the Sebastian River. The upper south fork seems to be the

first area that juvenile tarpon begin to show themselves. Snook of all sizes are spread throughout the entire river system, but backwater bays and shallow areas that warm quickly with the sun seem to be the best places to get them to bite.

INDIAN RIVER LAGOON – Trout, snook and redfish are the main targets of lagoon anglers in March. From the backwaters to the spoil islands trout of all sizes can keep anglers busy. Redfish and snook are also available

and will generally be found close to shoreline cover but stay alert as pods of reds and big snook are often laid up sunning on the flats. A 4-inch D.O.A. C.A.L. jerk-bait on a ⅛-ounce head is a great all around lure for everything that swims in the lagoon in March. Wade fishing will give anglers an edge, and March is probably the best month to employ this tactic. Spoil islands are excellent areas to wade and often hold good numbers of trout in March. The close proximity of the islands to the deeper waters of

the Intracoastal Channel make them excellent places for all types of fish to lay in wait for the migrating shrimp that use the channel and its current as a highway this time of year. A live shrimp fished with a natural drift while wade fishing can be amazingly effective in this situation.

SEBASTIAN INLET – Sebastian

Inlet snook fishing should pick up as water temps rise. Bucktails at night and live pinfish, pilchards and shrimp both day and night are effective. In addition to the snook, Sebastian Inlet will play host to big jack crevalle, redfish, bluefish, pompano, Spanish mackerel, black drum and sheepshead are also available to inlet anglers in March.

NEAR SHORE ATLANTIC – The waters from the beach to a few miles offshore can be very productive in March if the wind allows boaters and surf fishermen the opportunity to fish them. Surf fishermen target pompano, bluefish and mackerel on both bait and artificials with a preference for incoming tides. Boaters keep an eye open for cobia, cruising schools of big jack crevalle as well as bonito and Spanish mackerel chasing minnows. Tight lines!

PHOTO CREDIT: Capt. Gus Brugger.

Capt.

Old saying goes, “March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb”. However sometimes it’s the last week in March and we’re still looking for that lamb. The fishing should be worth the wait.

Look for good catches of mangroves, triggerfish and hopefully still some cobia lingering. Last year in the 85-to-90-foot range, fishing was great, when we could find clean water. The winds of March can sometimes leave us with a decent ocean but dirty water conditions. Good to be prepared to run to 160 feet or deeper to find clean water. Chicken rigs with squid will produce catches of vermilion snapper, trigger fish and porgies. It’s a great way to salvage the day and put some dinner on the table.

Offshore trolling should be slow but there’s always a chance of a black fin tuna occasional dolphin or

wahoo. I like to troll some ballyhoo from spot to spot while I’m looking for a mark of fish on the bottom. There’s the chance of picking up a fish as well as giving the rest of the crew something to do other than stare at you, starring at the bottom machine.

I’ve found the water to be stirred up after long periods of March winds to where fish don’t mark or bite right away when you get to a spot. If that’s the case, you might give it some time. Stay to make it pay. If the water is dirty the fish will be back in the ledges and take some coaching to come out and bite.

The fishing near shore is usually tough due to lack of calmer water keeping it stirred up. With the crazy changing weather patterns though you never know will we get a couple weeks of decent March weather or just a couple days. If it’s the latter, I take advantage of this time to prepare for April fishing. I go through everything from safety equipment, bilge pumps, engine maintenance, tackle, also a good time to respool reels and restock your spare parts inventory. Sometimes having an extra fuel filter or set of spark plugs can salvage your fishing day as well as your reputation. If there’s a calm day in March I’ll be out there on the Big Easy.

“Fish On Gotta Go!”

PHOTO CREDIT: Capt. Terry Wildey.

A nice catch of triggerfish, mangrove snapper and kings with Warden, Rick, Joe and friend from March last year.

March is a wonderful time to fish from shore. Snook are starting to move onto the beaches and make it easy to catch them.

The first place I would look to fish would be the inlets. Fort Pierce or St. Lucie Inlet where the ocean meets the river. First light or sunset being the best time. I love throwing plugs and you can’t go wrong with the Yo-Zuri Crystal minnow in black and silver. This lure in the suspended model will get the bite when others won’t.

I tie 50-pound leader to 30-pound braid with an 8-foot rod. I use the Spinfisher VI from Penn. I cast right in the surf, the rougher the better, most bites will be right at your feet.

Tarpon will be plentiful around the old Roosevelt Bridge in Stuart. My main bait would be a live herring or sardine on an 80-pound leader tied to

50-pound braid. Look for them when the tide is moving right along pilings and use heavy gear to catch and release. On the beach, you can’t beat a spoon. These tarpon are 100-poundsplus.

Jack crevalle fishing will be hot river or beach and they come in packs. These fish will be in numbers, some will be over 30-pounds. I like to use spoons and top water plugs to get them to bite.

So, this month is going to be hot for onshore fishing.

Send your pics to Chris Beachwalker Sharp on Instagram, until next time, tight lines!

PHOTOS SUPPLIED by Chris Sharp.

Jack crevalle fishing will be hot in the river or on the beach.

KAYAK FISHING FORECAST

Brian Nelli

Pushin’ Water Kayak Charters (772) 201-5899

Brian@tckayakfishing.com www.tckayakfishing.com

INSHORE: Spring is in the air! We have had a much drier start to the year this year and clean water has been much easier to find. Snook, redfish, and trout will still be along mangroves and in between docks. Focus your time on points in the mangrove line and docks with the most current. Throwing D.O.A. Shad Tails and jerk baits will work well matching the hatch of glass minnows in the water. There will still be some pompano action around as well. Fish the channel edges with D.O.A. Shrimp and Goofy jigs.

OFFSHORE: Fishing will start to pick up this month with larger kingfish and more mahi swimming through. The sailfish bite will continue to be

good as well. Cobia in March has always been good for us. These fish will start to move from the beach to the reef line. Fishing Jupiter to Delray Beach reefs bouncing the bottom with jigs, sardines, and pilchards are your best bets. Put your time in and you should find a few.

FRESHWATER: The last few cold fronts slowed things down a bit, but the peacock bass, largemouth, and clown knifefish are still biting. Live shiners and/or shad are your best bets. All three of these fish will be looking for deeper water when the water temps get colder. Find the right depth and you will find the fish.

Matt with a stud peacock bass.

BOATS TAKEN

Fly Fishing Corner

By Capt. Michael Mauri

“It depends” is probably one of the most used words from guides all over the world when it comes to answering a client’s question.

There is not such a thing like “for sure” in the fishing game regardless of how talented you may be. Thank goodness we are really spoiled here on the Treasure Coast. “It depends” is more related to what kind of fish we chase and fishing techniques, instead of catching or not catching.

It all depends on the weather where I chose my fly fishing. March can be a great month for inshore, nearshore and offshore. Having all these options on a good day provides a whole variety for all kinds of species and my customers appreciate it no matter where they’re from.

incredible night fishing. Spring is a great time for this type of fly fishing and typically delivers consistent good numbers of snook in all sizes. A lot of the daytime spots work well but add all the docks with their lights on top and you have even more spots to choose from. There are still plenty of dock lights out there but compare to three years ago where we had at least 40% more lights for our fishing available that changed it quite a bit.

Not sure why so many dock lights are not getting turned on anymore but I sure hope it will change back. Enjoy springtime happy fly people!

Capt. Michael Mauri www.mauriflyfishing.com michael@mauriflyfishing.com

PHOTO CREDIT: Capt. Michael Mauri.

What’s That in My Shrimp Basket? How a Day at Lake Okeechobee Got My Goat

By Ed Killer for CAM

It was one of those warm, golden breezy Florida days the weatherman ordered up just for a special occasion. In Clewiston—America’s sweetest town—half the burgh seemingly showed up for the celebration.

It was a big day. The Army Corps of Engineers had invited scores of folks to help them mark the moment. The tent had 100 chairs under it. The flag stand was ready to hold the stars and stripes, Florida state flag and ones from the military branches. The posters were standing atop the dike explaining why everyone was there.

It was a big day. The Herbert Hoover Dike repair work was almost done. For 17 years and at a cost of almost $2 billion, the Corps contractors had worked to build a wall that would keep Glades communities safe from a dike breach.

There will be no flooding for Belle Glade, South Bay, Pahokee, Moore Haven or Clewiston for the next century. Good ol’ fashioned American ingenuity (actually German) will see to it that no harm come from floodwaters from Florida’s greatest lake.

The crowd gathered slowly eventually exceeding the allotted chairs by a few dozen. Army military personnel were dressed in battle fatigues. Representatives of Senators and Congressman sported blue blazers, as if they were also in uniform. Water management personnel had shirts emblazoned with logos. NGO reps mixed in with the state and federal employees.

To me, it seemed as if everyone wanted to claim a share of the credit. There had to be 20 of those oversized scissors to cut a symbolic ribbon with. The list of speakers was about seven speakers too long. What could anybody say about the immense infrastructure project that one person couldn’t cover with a few remarks?

I laughed to myself as the hard south wind wafted smoke from the burning sugar cane fields over the dike and behind the speakers. I also chuckled as every once in a while, the shouts of the nearby lock manager yelled down to a bass boat passing through into the lake to go fishing. Nearby, a speck fisherman quietly wondered to himself what was causing all the pomp and circumstance.

Three things that really got to me—three reasons I wrote this column—I can’t hold back anymore. It’s why I almost screamed out loud during the middle of the ceremony, but somehow kept my mouth shut.

One. Many speakers claimed the shored-up dike—the concrete and steel wall built 34 feet down inside the middle of the dike where we can’t even see it - will allow the Corps to hold water levels higher in the lake. Don’t bet on it. As they spoke, discharges to the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee Rivers were flowing for no good reason.

Two. Martin County commissioners Doug Smith, Stacey Hetherington and Harold Jenkins, and county manager Donald Donaldson were all

op-ed

in attendance. To protest discharges? No. Why would any county resident vote for them who have done nothing to stop lake discharges?

Three. Safety was a word thrown around a lot by speakers. Safety for the Glades communities is why the Army spent $2 billion on this project. Ok. So, if safety is such a big deal, why does the Corps allow so many people to live literally up against the outside of the dike? Pahokee and Belle Glade

ABOVE: Smoke from the burning sugar cane fields over the dike and behind the speakers crowned the celebration. LEFT: To me, it seemed as if everyone wanted to claim a share of the credit. There had to be 20 of those oversized scissors to cut a symbolic ribbon with. BELOW: An aerial view of the Herbert Hoover Dike.

had hundreds of residents living within a few feet of the foot of the dike. Why weren’t they moved?

Afterwards, I sat at Roland and Mary Ann Martin’s Marina Tiki Bar enjoying a fried shrimp basket with hush puppies while I worked. Something slowly drifted down into my basket from the sky.

Sugar cane ash. I laughed. What a fitting way to end the day.

This 20 inch red grouper was caught offshore Jupiter by Alan George with cut sardines while fishing with Black Dog Charters.

PHOTO CREDIT: Christina George.

Cody Ehrlund caught this kingfish on the Juno ledge while drifing frozen Spanish sardines on his birthday! Happy Birthday Cody!

PHOTO CREDIT: Travis Ehrlund.

Nicole Reynolds with her first wahoo caught aboard No Daze Off with Clay Daynew, high speeding off Singer Island. Fish weighed in at 28 pounds.

PHOTO SUPPLIED by Nicole.

D’Angelo Pulliza with a 20 pound blackfin tuna speared in 87 feet of water: “I leveled my body out, relaxed and pulled the trigger….”

PHOTO CREDIT: D’Angelo Pullizal

Jim and Pam Butterworth caught a few nice blackfin tuna fishing out of the St. Lucie Inlet.

PHOTO CREDIT: Jim Butterworth.

Publisher’s daughter, Heather Lynn, with a nice early morning ‘hoo caught off of Palm Beach.

PHOTO COURTESY of Heather.

Let’s grow with Florida together.

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

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

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

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

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

Georgia On My Mind STRIPERS

By Danny Patrick

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BECOME AN FWC SCALLOP-SITTER

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

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

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

• Have no FWC violations on your record

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

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

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

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

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

By Will Schmidt

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

B.A.S.S. PHOTO

COLOMBIA: A GOLDEN ERA OF FISHING BEGINS

By Riley Love

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FastTrack™Angler 385fta

The Fastest, Most Stable, Best Paddling Fishing Kayak

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

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

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

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

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

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

By CAM Sta

SUPER GLUE BELONGS IN YOUR TACKLE BOX

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

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

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

For more tips, go to coastalanglermag.com.

By Molly Kirk

GOLDEN BASS CAUGHT IN VIRGINIA

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

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

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

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

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

TIES STATE RECORD

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

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

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

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

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

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