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For details and the name of your nearest participating Suzuki Marine dealer, visit www.suzukimarine.com 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 7/01/17 and 9/30/17 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 7/01/17 and 9/30/17. 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 7/01/17 and 9/30/17. “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.
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EDITOR IN CHIEF : Ben Martin • camads@coastalanglermagazine.com VICE PRESIDENT : Tracy Patterson • tracy@coastalanglermagazine.com ART DIRECTOR : Rebecca Snowden • graphics@coastalanglermagazine.com EDITORIAL COORDINATOR : Nick Carter • editorial@coastalanglermagazine.com WEBMASTER : Dmitriy Pislyagin • webmaster@coastalanglermagazine.com ADVERTISING INQUIRIES: Corporate Headquarters info@coastalanglermagazine.com • 888-800-9794
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BIG BEND : Mike McNamara • (850) 510-7919 • captmike@coastalanglermagazine.com BREVARD : David String • (321) 684-5888 • dstring@coastalanglermagazine.com DAYTONA/NEW SMYRNA BEACH : Don Meadows • (321) 436-5895 • donm@coastalanglermagazine.com FLORIDA KEYS : Cliff Lumpkin • (305) 849-9093 • cliff@coastalanglermagazine.com FORT LAUDERDALE : Gene Dyer • (954) 680-3900 • gene@coastalanglermagazine.com FORT MYERS : Nadeen Welch • (239) 595-8265 • nwelch@coastalanglermagazine.com GREATER MIAMI : Scott Deal • (561) 945-6999 • scott@coastalanglermagazine.com Monica Isaza-Deal • (561) 945-8899 • monica@coastalanglermagazine.com GREATER ORLANDO : Phillip & Giselle Wolf • (407) 790-9515 • phillip@coastalanglermagazine.com LAKELAND & SUMTER : Mary Brasher • (352) 598-4219 • maryf@coastalanglermagazine.com NAPLES : Nadeen Welch • (239) 595-8265 • nwelch@coastalanglermagazine.com NC FLORIDA/NATURE COAST : Cary & Lynn Crutchfield • (352) 372-4237 • crutch@coastalanglermagazine.com NE FLORIDA : Danny Patrick • (904) 742-4696 • danny@coastalanglermagazine.com PANAMA CITY/FORGOTTEN COAST : Randy Cnota • (229) 834-7880 • randyc@coastalanglermagazine.com PALM BEACH COUNTY : Barbara Ryan • (561) 373-8040 • barbara@coastalanglermagazine.com SARASOTA : Phil Prevoir • (239) 257-4684 • pprevoir@coastalanglermagazine.com TAMPA BAY : Chuck Atkins • (239) 464-5153 • chuck@coastalanglermagazine.com TREASURE COAST : Misti & Gary Guertin • (772) 285-6850 • treasurecoast@coastalanglermagazine.com flahama@coastalanglermagazine.com
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GALVESTON/MATAGORDA/UPPER COAST : Chanci & David Mowry • (713) 446-7395 • chancim@coastalanglermagazine.com • davidm@coastalanglermagazine.com MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST : Adam Nelson • (228) 627-5903 • anelson@coastalanglermagazine.com Toby Nelson • (228) 623-1761 • tnelson@coastalanglermagazine.com NEW ORLEANS : Dr. Dave Dunaway • (225) 400-8156 • nola@coastalanglermagazine.com
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UPSTATE NEW YORK : Frank Geremski • (518) 898-6484 • frankie@theanglermagazine.com WEST MICHIGAN : Phil Belsito • (616) 957-1714 • phil@theanglermagazine.com
INTERNATIONAL BAHAMAS : Misti & Gary Guertin • (772) 285-6850 • treasurecoast@coastalanglermagazine.com flahama@coastalanglermagazine.com PUERTO RICO/VIRGIN ISLANDS : Ace Bassue • (407) 285-9453 • ace@coastalanglermagazine.com © 2017. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. Disclaimer: Coastal Angler Magazine / The Angler Magazine will not be held liable for injuries incurred while partaking in activities described herein, or for claims made against products or services provided by advertisers.
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Best Of By CAM Staff
Overall Best of Show - Bote Rover
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ach year, the fishing industry and anglers eagerly await ICAST, the world’s largest sportfishing trade show, to see what new rods, reels, lures, apparel and gadgets companies will roll out in the show’s New Product Showcase. For the gear-heads out there, it never disappoints. This year, 1,263 products, accessories and apparel were entered by 280 companies to compete for Best of Category awards in 26 different categories. The products were viewed and voted on at ICAST in Orlando on July 13. This year’s big winner was the Bote Rover, which took home Overall Best of Show. It also took top honors in the Boats and Watercraft category. It is a truly innovative little SUP/Skiff hybrid, powered by a small outboard to get you where you’re going. Once you get there, it gives you all the skinny-water and stealth capabilities of an SUP. The following is a list of all the other cool and innovative products that earned top honors in their categories. Boating Accessories: Yeti Coolers LoadOut Bucket With the LoadOut Bucket, Yeti has done for the lowly 5-gallon bucket what it did for the cooler. This injection-molded workhorse is Yeti tough and designed to exceed any need from the boat to the backyard. Eyewear: Costa Sunrise Mirror Lens Sunrise Mirror lenses are designed for low-light conditions. They let in 30 percent of the available light while maintaining 97 percent polarization for optimal performance and eye protection at dawn, dusk or on cloudy days.
Huk Attack
Footwear: Huk Performance Fishing Attack The Huk Attack is the most engineered, purpose-built fishing shoe ever created. It brings performance features for the serious fisherman with unique traction, bullet-proof durability and all-day comfort and support. Giftware: The Catch and Release Print Shop Actual Size An alternative to taxidermy, these fish prints are created to the exact length of your catch and stamped with your name and information about your catch. Lifestyle Apparel: Frogg Toggs Prym1 Series Pilot II Jacket and Bibs The Frogg Toggs Prym1 Series Pilot II Jacket and Bibs is the company’s camouflage style of its bombproof Pilot II. It is available in shoreline blue, silver mist and blackout options. Technical Apparel: Frogg Toggs Sierran Transition Wader A zippered, flip-out chest pocket, large multi-function pocket and exterior fly storage area allow these waders to fill double-duty as a chest pack for storage of fly fishing gear. Electronics: Humminbird Solix 15 Chirp Mega SI GPS Humminbird has achieved improved detail and target separation with Chirp Digital Sonar. With touch screen or keypad interface, the screen can be customized and viewed with up to four panels. Fishing Accessory: Yeti Coolers Panga Duffel The Panga Duffel is a hardcore drybag designed to withstand brutal treatment and be completely watertight. It is fully submersible, and Yeti called it a gear fortress. Fly Fishing Accessory: Simms G3 Guide Stockingfoot Wader Simms has built its most breathable and durable wader yet in its new G3 Guide, with four-layers of Gore-Tex fabric in the legs and three layers above the waist. They also feature a chest pocket, handwarmer pockets and built in utility tabs.
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Fishing Line: Berkley Fireline Ultra 8 With four times the abrasion resistance of its original Fireline, Berkley’s thermally fused Ultra 8 comes in a range from 4 pound test up to 30 pound test. FishSmart: Eagle Claw 2017 Flounder Sample Pack Eagle Claw jumps in for the conservation of summer flounder and catch and release with its 2017 Flouder Sample Pack. Kids’ Tackle: 13 Fishing Ambition Combo Designed specifically with the smaller size of a child in mind, but packed with some features required by serious anglers, these salt and freshwater combos are perfect for the little angler who is really into fishing. Tackle Management: Daiwa Tactical Backpack This tackle backpack is perfect for hiking into a stream, walking the banks of a pond, hauling down to the surf or for use as a quickgrab on your buddy’s boat. It is custom designed to hold all the gear an angler needs.
Saltwater Soft Lure: LIVETARGET Hollow Body Mullet The Hollow Body Mullet is sure to find a place in nearshore and inshore boxes and be deadly for sea trout, redfish, snook, flounder and striped bass. It is an incredibly detailed and lifelike walking bait with great action. Fly Reel: Pflueger Supreme QRS Fly Reel With its innovative Quick Release Spool, the Supreme QRS offers an interchangeable large-arbor cassette spool system. The polycarbonate cassettes are secured in the spool carrier by an advanced locking system enclosed by a full stainless steel and alloy construction. Freshwater Reel: Shimano Curado K Baitcasting Reel As if the Curado weren’t legendary enough, Shimano has improved on its venerable reel with the latest in Shimano technology, such as smooth, efficient, durable MicroModule gearing. It is available gear ratios up to 8.5:1. Saltwater Reel: Shimano Sustain Reels C4000/5000 Shimano’s Sustain Reels are a saltwater line of spinning reels that fits into the higher end of Shimano’s line. Featuring Shimano’s advanced Hagane technology, they are smooth, powerful and durable for anglers seeking to do battle with midsized saltwater species.
Terminal Tackle: Trapper Round Bend Treble With an innovative “trap,” the standard version of this odd-looking hook has proven itself by holding baits in place and keeping fish on the hook. The treble-hook version of the trapper is revolutionary. Freshwater Hard Lure: Savage Gear 3D Topwater Bat This crazy-looking bait plays on the nature of predatory species to strike on reaction. It is a hard, surface-walking bait 3D scanned to mimic a bat struggling in the water.
3D Topwater Bat
Saltwater Hard Lure: Rapala X-Rap Magnum 40 Did somebody say wahoo? The new X-Rap Magnum 40 dives consistently to 40 feet with aggressive swimming action. It can be trolled as fast as 13 knots without rolling or kicking out.
Rapala X-Rap Magnum 40
Freshwater Soft Lure: Lunkerhunt LP Prop Series The Lunkerhunt Prop Series combines the design of hollow-body soft plastics with modern prop technology previously found only on hard-body lures. The Prop Series features three body styles: The Prop Frog, The Prop Fish Sunfish and The Prop Fish Shad.
Rod & Reel Combo: Lew’s Mach Crush Speed Spool Combo This baitcast combo features Lew’s exclusive SLP Super Low Profile compact design in a premium 10-bearing Speed Spool reel with MSB Multi-Setting Brake dual cast control system. The combo’s onepiece IM8 graphite rod sports a Winn Dri-Tac splitgrip handle. Fly Fishing Rod: G. Loomis IMX-Pro Fly Rod G. Loomis’ IMX-Pro series was designed for professional guides. IMX-PRO MATRIX is a material that allows Loomis to use fewer wraps of graphite and build fast, responsive rods that are lighter and more sensitive without sacrificing power or durability. Freshwater Rod: 13 Fishing Fate Black With crisp action, incredible sensitivity and superb balance, the Fate Black offers the benefits of a Japanese 30T HTC blank, an innovative seamless reel seat, tanglefree guides with zirconia inserts, hybrid comfort grips and handles made of hand-selected Portuguese cork. Saltwater Rod: St. Croix Legend T o u r n a m e n t Inshore Legend Tournament Inshore rods are the blending of the sensitivity, power and durability found in St Croix’s existing Legend Tournament Bass and Walleye series with components and technology reserved for saltwater environments.
Lunkerhunt Prop series
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A boater’s paradise, Bay Point Marina is gently tucked away along the Grand Lagoon in Panama City Beach, Florida, yet conveniently located just five minutes from the beautiful Gulf of Mexico and 15 minutes from the Intracoastal Waterway. Fortunately for patrons and guests, Bay Point Marina is also just minutes by boat from Shell Island, which offers excellent snorkeling, superb fishing and some of the most secluded beaches available in North Florida. This quiet, full-service marina offers worldclass facilities and services including 180 protected slips, housing for boats up to 125 feet and luxury pontoon boat rentals at a relaxing price.
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Alaska’s Can’t Miss
Freshwater Fishing Adventures
By Christopher Batin
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laska sportfishing offers wilderness realized rather than imagined and quickens the pulse in all types of anglers, from panfishermen to veteran world anglers. When an angler returns from Alaska and shares an evening on the flats or at the catfish hole with friends, talk quickly turns from big catfish stories to Alaska fishing adventures. The reason is obvious. If you are searching for action, the roostertails of spray generated by a 50-pound chinook salmon on a five-jump run through shallow water will satisfy your need. If the sight of huge shad migrations have you tying on a lure in finger-fumbling fashion, wait until you view pristine rivers teeming with five species of Pacific salmon that are counted not by the thousands, but by the millions. Valdez anglers see the return of as many as 11 million pink salmon to intertidal waters. Choosing the right Alaska adventure is complex, with its various runs, timing and weather. Knowing when to go, where to go and with whom is key. I’ve fished and covered Alaska’s fishing for more than 42 years, and I’ve helped countless anglers find the trip best suited for them. Each angler has separate needs. In the freshwater realm, here are some of the top considerations for can’t miss adventure, fish-hooking action and personal service worthy of the Alaska experience. Interior Alaska
If you’re looking for a quiet place to fish, with scenery, comfortable cabins and located far from the crowds, drive down to Denali National Park and visit Kirk Martakis at Fish Denali. He offers several lakes on private property that offer about 3,000 wild rainbow trout to 31 inches and trophy-sized grayling. They cruise the lake like sharks, and the clear water makes sight casting to them with single-hook jigs, nymphs or topwater lures too much fun. It’s some of the best lake rainbow fishing I’ve experienced. Cozy, fully equipped cabins located at lakeside offer everything you’ll need for a multi-day stay, including Wi-Fi and multiple bedrooms. It’s a good choice for large families, fishing buddies or couples who want a quiet, laid-back trip with some of Alaska’s best scenery (www.Fishdenali.com). Float fishing offers a change of scenery around each turn in the river as well as great fishing opportunities. Alaska River Tours offers remote float trips along the road system, with neither the crowds nor the expense. Depending on the season, owner Reinhard “Reini” Neuhauser chooses the best rivers for grayling, trout, sheefish, pike, salmon and char. On overnight excursions, he provides tents, camping gear and boats. You arrive ready to fish. I recommend the overnight float, which makes the most of Alaska’s 19-plus hours of daylight. Fish when it’s light, and float during the remaining five hours from midnight to the 4 a.m. during the twilight period, when it’s still light enough to read. It’s a heady trip that is only surpassed by his camps and food served (www.akrivertours.com). The Kenai Peninsula For a quick day of fishing, the Kenai River offers big king salmon to 70plus pounds that sizzle drags. Guide Joe Connors was my instructor back in 10
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my college days, and he’s still as tough on catching fish as he was on me learning public speaking. He’s a long-time Kenai veteran, and his guides at Big Sky Charter and Fish Camp have a long-time, sterling reputation for helping anglers of all skill levels catch silver and sockeye salmon, char and rainbow trout in the 25- to 34-inch range. He offers comfortable riverside cabins, evening barbecues and a quiet place to enjoy the river (www.kenaiguide.com). Bristol Bay Bristol Bay lodges offer the crème de le crème of Alaska sportfishing in these western Alaska waters, where tens of millions of salmon move into various watersheds each year. A couple hundred lodges and camps offer a variety of services, from bare-basic outfitted trips to spectacular lodges with fly-out fishing, shore lunches, and gourmet meals. Mike Gorton runs Goodnews River Lodge, the only lodge located on the 400-milelong river that offers some of the best boat-accessible river fishing for silver salmon, rainbow trout and char you’ll find in the region. It is a mixed-bag fishery, where no matter the weather, you can fish. There wasn’t a stretch of the Goodnews when friend Mark Wade and I fished that didn’t have silver salmon hammering our flies and big rainbow trout swarming in numbers like piranhas. The guides have great people skills and are skilled in their knowledge of the river (www.goodnewsriverlodge. com). Southeast Alaska In southeast Alaska, Marlin Benedict, of Fish Wrangell, offers freshwater fishing for salmon, cutthroat trout and char in the remote, beautiful jungle streams of the Tongass National Forest. You don’t walk long distances here, as most of the good fishing is within a half mile or so of saltwater, which also guarantees fish as fresh as they come. The most fun in fishing these shallow waters is watching salmon attacking your fly or lure. Personal service is topnotch. (www.fishwrangell.com). Chris Batin is editor of The Alaska Angler and author of nine award-winning books and Alaska fishing DVDs. He is featured as an Alaska legend in a new book, “Alaska’s Greatest Outdoor Legends,” published by the University of Alaska Press. For over 40 years, he has run The Alaska Angler Information Service. Discover more at www.AlaskaAngler.com.
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PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT
HAMMERHEAD TUFF GRAB AMARRA
Hammerhead Tuff Grab spearfishing gloves are the toughest warmwater spearfishing gloves available. Tuff Grabs were designed in Hawaii for use in asspetto spearfishing, which involves the diver descending to the bottom and scratching up substrate to attract inquisitive fish. In this style of ambush diving, normal diving gloves only last weeks. Tuff Grabs last months, saving the diver money in the long run. A full 5-finger, 2mm neoprene glove with reinforced flexible amarra (synthetic suede) palm and double-stitched gripped reinforcements offer exceptional durability without sacrificing dexterity. Anti-Slip rubberized grips are sewn into each fingertip and palm, leaving the knuckles open for flexibility. Large batting-glove style Velcro enclosures keep the glove tight. Tuff Grabs are available in both Deep Reef and Pelagic Shatter camouflage to help make you the ultimate predator.
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MAVERICK DARIAN YOKOOJI HYBRID SPEARGUNS Darian Yokooji made his first speargun back in 1993 because he didn’t have money to buy one. Since then, his Hawaiian-made, handcrafted guns have become highly sought after by spearfishers around the world. All of Yokooji’s guns are handcrafted in small batches to ensure quality workmanship, and he uses only the finest materials to construct beautiful, durable spearguns that perform to the highest level. His best-selling guns are his Hybrid Signature line. Originally designed in 1996, this line offers the stability of wood with the maneuverability of a pipe gun. The latest rendition of this classic gun has been retooled through collaboration with Maverick America’s Mark Laboccetta to improve on the original body design, add a carbon fiber barrel and redesign the Delrin muzzle. It is an exceptional, versatile speargun available in lengths of 53, 55, 57 and 60 inches. Check out all the specs online.
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Center sp Are Log Homes Practical? Why Buy a Log Home?
Log Cabin process. Each log is perfectly engineered in our state of the art, climate-controlled facility prior to construction. This precise engineering of the logs prior to construction also ensures a superior thermal mass. Prior to the Blue Ridge Log Cabin process, thermal mass was affected by less than airtight construction. Ensuring exact fitting and high thermal mass has enabled our log homes to be very competitively priced with traditional construction and traditional building thermal efficiency, making our log homes View time-lapsed video at www.blueridgelogcabins.net an exceptional value, both now and into the future. bviously the number one attribute for log home owners tends Ben Martin: You’ve mentioned the “manufacturing process.” to be the aesthetics. Log homes and the feel of real wood tend to create an ambiance that tends to suit the outdoor enthu- How is it that log homes would have a manufacturing process? Chip Smith: Blue Ridge Log Cabins is an innovator in the log siast more than the traditional American home. But what about the cost to build and maintain a log home? Is it practical? That’s the ques- home industry. We were recently voted on as one of “America’s Favorite Log Homes” by Log Cabin Hub. Our unique process of comtion that we asked Chip Smith, Owner of Blue Ridge Log Cabins. Ben Martin: Chip, some people would suggest that the cost of pletely engineering each log in our facility has enabled us to provide a consistency previously unavailable in the log home industry. This a log home is more than that of a traditional home. Is that correct? Chip Smith: There was a time when that would have been true has also enabled us to produce a more energy efficient log home. Eliminating the inconsistencies normally associated with log but today with our improved efficiencies in development and construction of a Blue Ridge Log Cabin the answer is no, they are not home construction has allowed us to create a better value for our more costly than a traditional home. This innovation in the actual customers and a more efficient building process. Beautiful log homes manufacturing of the logs themselves is at the core of the Blue Ridge do not have to cost more than traditional homes.
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FLORIDA
Florida’s Freshwater Odd-balls
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By Nick Carter
ith warm, nutrient-rich waters, south Florida’s system of freshwater lakes and canals makes perfect habitat for exotic species from all over the world. Regardless of how populations of these weird and sporting fish arrived, they are there to stay. Anglers might as well enjoy them. Darcie Arahill, a.k.a. Darcizzle Offshore, knows her way around these canal systems. She has a particular enthusiasm for Delray Beach, Fla.’s Lake Ida, which is a small water body in an extensive system along Florida’s southern Atlantic coast. She enjoys the excellent bass fishing, but perhaps more appealing are the exotics that happen to be fantastic gamefish. The following oddballs are some of Darcie’s favorites from a fishery unlike any other. Sunshine Bass: These hard-fighting fish are produced and stocked by the state to control shad populations. They are a hybrid cross between striped bass and white bass without the capability to reproduce. State agencies across the country stock their versions of sunshine bass, and regional variations are called hybrids, wipers, whiterock and palmetto bass. Sunshine bass offer the fight and some of the size of a striped bass, while displaying the aggressive feeding behavior and warm-water tolerance of white bass. Although the current strain being produced might not be capable of achieving the size of the more than 16-pound state record, Darcie said they catch plenty of 5 to 6 pounders. Sunshine bass will take artificials like bucktails and swimbaits, but Darcie said you’re better off fishing live American shad or shiners on a Carolina rig. Clown Knife Fish: Lake Ida, its northern sister Lake Osborne, and their canals are the only places in North America where anglers can pursue clown knife fish. These aquarium escapees have become a desired gamefish for those in the know. They are a flat, silvery fish with a snake-like tail. They can swim powerfully either forward or backward, which produces a unique fight. Darcie said these natives to tropical Asia jump like tarpon, and they have been recorded up to 10 pounds in Florida. A clown knife fish might eat a
swimbait, but Darcie said live shad or shiners are your best bet. Peacock Bass: A native to the Amazon River Basin, the butterfly peacock bass has driven many a grand adventure to South America. These gorgeous fish were introduced to Florida by the FWC in the 1980s to control invasive forage species. Anglers are glad to have them. Sensitivity to cool water keeps peacock bass in check. They thrive only in southeast Florida and grow to their largest size in the canals around Miami-Dade and Broward counties, where they’ve been documented up to 12 pounds. Darcie Arahill shows off a big clown knife fish. “They’re very aggressive, and they’re a beautiful fish to catch,” said Darcie. “They fight twice as hard as a largemouth.” Butterfly peacocks make it as far north as West Palm Beach, but cold snaps knock them back every few winters. They will hammer topwater baits and moving baits. Check out Darcie’s YouTube channel Darcizzle Offshore at www.youtube. com/user/DarcizzleOffshore.
For more canal fishing with Darcizzle, go to
FISHINGLIFE.CO
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UNDER THE SEA
2. Use dangling flashers and chum to increase your chances of attracting them. 3. When you become aware of their presence, do not move a hair as they will disappear if they detect any change in your body language. here’s something about jumping into the blue 4. Do not look at them directly; they do not like eye contact. Use your abyss that gives some people the creeps. For best acting skills to imitate an innocent many, there’s an eerie sense of turtle who has no interest in wahoos. vulnerability knowing that “something” 5. Use a throw flasher to bring them in could materialize from any place at any closer, within range of your speargun. time out of the deep blue. For others, 6. Dive in with a slow and soft descent, the excitement of being able to hunt with your eyes and head turned elsewhere. different species propels them to set 7. If you have done everything correctly aside any doubts about venturing off the and they are still hanging around, extend reef and into new territory. your speargun slowly and take careful Spearfishing in water that is aim, because you will get one chance. hundreds or thousands of feet deep 8. Unless you are extremely confident is a completely different feeling than you can get the kill shot, aim for center reef hunting. For one, looking through mass where your chances of hitting the your mask into deep blue water can be Sheri Daye swims in a big wahoo. target are highest, but not too far back or disorienting when there is nothing for Photo by Vaeamuni Kama too low as a gut shot will result in a tearyour eyes to focus on—no reef, no cover, off. no frame of reference. But just when 9. Let the wahoo complete its initial you begin to wonder why you are floating around in this vast sea of run. The burst of energy with the spear, line and float in tow is impressive, nothingness, you suddenly become aware of another presence—a wahoo but the fish will tire quickly and to the point where you can pull it in by is floating beside you! No matter how hard you are looking, you never the float line. see them coming in; they just materialize out of nowhere. 10. Once you have your fish in hand, gloat, take pictures, show off, Wahoos are one of the most coveted fish for bluewater hunters. That grill and eat! is because they are stealthy, good-tasting and way smarter than you are. They can solve differential equations, calculate the exact range of your P.S. Bluewater spearfishing is thrilling but should only be done after speargun and read your mind. Their elusive nature and narrow body proper training and experience. shape provide a challenging target even for the most experienced of hunters. Sheri is a world-record holder, host of Speargun Hunter, and producer Here are some tips for hunting this wary species: of “The Blue Wild Ocean Adventure Expo” in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Follow 1. Use the right equipment. Bluewater spearguns have longer range “Sheri Daye” and “The Blue Wild” on Facebook and Instagram. and detachable terminal equipment, including shaft with slip-tip, float line and surface floatation. Do not use a reel gun unless you want to get For more Sheri Daye, go to spooled in seconds and lose your gun.
WAHOOS—WONDERFUL AND WILY
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Surf Angler Lands Enormous Brevard County Hammerhead
The perfect fishing knot is not a knot, but a weld!
By Wade Senti
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ur day began with a late start. We expected to drop our baits at sunrise, but arrived around 9 a.m. We quickly set up a sunshade tent, rolled the fishing cart down with our gear and carried the kayak to the spot. My family has fished the coastlines of Brevard County since the mid 1990s, long before kayaks became so popular, when you used surfboards to get your bait out well beyond the surf. My father has recorded some noteworthy catches with this technique using live bait on conventional reel setups. On this day, we picked up some frozen bonita from a local bait shop and were specifically targeting sharks for catch and release. I brought two heavy conventional reel setups, a spinning setup for tossing in the trough and a heavy surf rod for tossing lures into the surf. We planned for a long day of fishing in southern Melbourne Beach. I spread our rod holders down the beach, set up our rods and began arranging the fishing rigs. We use custom rigs for sharks. The one I used to beach an enormous hammerhead in early July consisted of a 20/0 circle hook (debarbed), 6 feet of 600-pound coated steel leader and approximately 10 feet of 300-pound mono shock leader. I’ve found debarbing circle hooks makes for easy and quick hook removal, especially with smaller sharks, such as blacktips. We took turns dropping the baits with our kayak, the shortest being about 175 yards and the longest around 250 yards off the beach. Our baits were secured by tying about 8 feet of breakaway biodegradable twine at the hook eye with a cement block piece at the end. The baits sat for five and a half hours before we got any action. At this point, I figured the crabs had picked apart our bonita and the day was done. We were cooling off in the water when my buddy’s, Pete Filiberto, Penn International 80w went off. He ran out of the water, but the bait had been taken. I saw a little activity with my rod, but figured a sea turtle had passed over the line. Less than five minutes later, that hypothesis had changed. The deeper drop proved worthy. My tuned-up Penn 12/0 Senator began screaming, and I told my buddy to grab the plate and belt, while I tightened my newly upgraded drag to full. We struggled to get the belt in place, so I ended up fighting with the rod butt in the sand; it was nature’s fighting chair. I kept the pressure throughout the struggle with my 125-pound Bullbuster mono line. The fight lasted approximately 30 minutes, standstill at times, but I never lost much gain. A few equipment malfunctions such as my handle grip coming loose and my shorts falling off didn’t stop me from successfully landing and quickly releasing the enormous hammerhead. I was exhausted. We did not have time to tag or measure it, but we believe it was at or over 10 feet in length.
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Gamefish Grande Tournaments Ply Cuban Waters
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he second annual Gamefish Grande Tournaments wrapped up June 13 in Havana, Cuba. The two-tournament series fished the fertile waters off the island nation, with teams releasing multiple blue and white marlin and sailfish. The first of the two tournaments was held out of Marina Gaviota, a 1,200-slip marina in the beautiful resort town Veradero, where teams were pampered by the hospitality of marina staff. Teams fished June 5-8 out of the marina, which sits at the midpoint of Cuba’s narrow Hicacos Peninsula east of Havana. Over three Hog Wild took first place at the June 10days, two blue marlin Team 13 Gamefish Grande in Havana. were released. First place honors went to team Seamaster, a 78’ Rybovich with owner Dan Devine fishing. The Seamaster released a blue marlin on day one to take home the top trophy. Second place went to Wayne Carmignani on the Hog Wild, a 52’ Viking. Wayne released a blue marlin on Team Seamaster won the June 5-8 Gamefish day three. The Hog Wild Grande tournament in Veradero. also released the largest dolphin of the tournament weighing 32.4 pounds. Participants in the Varadero tournament were treated to gourmet meals at the Kike-Kcho Restaurant where they dined on fresh lobster, giant prawns and paella. From Veradero, the teams travelled to Havana, where the fishing really picked up June 10-13. After checking in at Marina Hemingway, participants were treated to a Cuban dinner at El Laurel Restaurante. The fleet fished just offshore for three days and released seven blue marlin, 1 white marlin and five sailfish. Team Hog Wild, from Naples, Fla., placed first with five blue marlin, one white marlin and three sailfish released. William Ray, aboard his 43’ Ocean No Fly Zone, came in second, releasing two blue marlin. Blue Heron finished up the leaderboard with a third place win releasing two sailfish. According to the organizers, Marina Hemingway was an accommodating host for the event and made all participants feel welcome. Members of the Cuban Fishing Federation were onhand to help judge the releases. The top teams at each tournament received custom-designed trophies from tournament trophy sponsor King Sailfish Mounts. AIM Marine Group, which produces and manages Gamefish Grande, wished to thank sponsor Mantus Anchors, the official anchor of Gamefish Grande. Sponsor Cuba Travel Services provided T-shirts for the anglers and arranged travel, tours and accommodations for tournament guests. Zeidel & Co. supplied hats for the tournament as well as custom-printed burgees for each participating boat. Tournament sponsor RMK Merrill-Stevens awarded certificates to the winners of each tournament for haul out, power wash, yard services and a Pettit paint voucher. For more information on the Gamefish Grande, visit gamefishgrande.com and be sure to follow them on Facebook. To contact the Gamefish Grande, email jdudas@aimmedia.com.
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Make reel memories.
Fall Gag Season Approved For Four Counties
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FWC Photo
t its July meeting in Orlando, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) approved lengthening the Gulf of Mexico gag grouper recreational season in state waters off Franklin, Wakulla, Jefferson and Taylor counties by opening the season Sept. 1 through Dec. 31. The Commission also approved changing the gag grouper commercial minimum size limit in Gulf state waters from 22 to 24 inches. This size limit change is consistent with pending federal regulations. For the gag grouper recreational season, state waters off Franklin, Wakulla, Jefferson and Taylor counties are currently open from April 1 through June 30. The FWC received stakeholder requests for a longer season that would make fishing opportunities in the four-county area more comparable with the rest of the Gulf, where there is a seven-month season that runs June 1 through Dec. 31. “The regional management of this species has been a success story. Anglers have been able to fish for this species during more desired times of the year while still promoting conservation,” said Chairman Brian Yablonski. “We are excited that we can offer these additional fishing opportunities to Florida’s anglers.” The fall season from Sept. 1 through Dec. 31 will be in place in time for anglers to participate this year. For more information or to view the presentations given at the Commission meeting, visit MyFWC.com/Commission and select “Commission Meetings” then click on the link below “Next Meeting.”
Stuart, located in Martin County, is known as the Sailfish Capital of the World. Sitting on the most biodiverse estuary in the Northern Hemisphere, Martin County is home to 100 artificial reef systems and over 800 species of fish. Its climate, waterways, natural environment and opportunity for diverse catches make it a mecca for fishermen and nautical explorers year-round. An array of unique shops, fine restaurants, great golf courses and quiet beaches make a day ashore fun, too. Inshore, offshore, saltwater or fresh, head out for an adventure and reel in the memories.
Plan your trip at discovermartin.com 8
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The water is shallow. The lessons run deep.
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ugust in the Upper Keys is full of options. One could find fast action on the reefs or dolphin offshore, but Capt. Greg Poland prefers the shallow stuff this time of year. Whether it’s classic skinny-water targets like bonefish, snook, tarpon, permit and redfish or huge sharks cruising the flats, Capt. Poland loves the thrill of fishing in less than 3 feet of water. With ocean-side flats on the front and Florida Bay and the Everglades National Park on the backside, one of the toughest decisions Poland faces each morning is which way to go. Aboard his skiff or his 25’ Contender Bay Boat—from GTB Boat Sales on Key Largo—all options are in-range, and the Everglades are just a 10-minute run from the docks. The whole area is a playground for the shallow-water angler. Permit and Bones: While bonefish show up on the flats on either side of the island, permit stick to the Atlantic side, either on the flats or out on the near-shore reefs. Capt. Poland said the best way to catch either species is with bait. For permit, he’ll fish a live crab on a 3/0 hook with a 7-foot spinning rod spooled with 15-pound monofilament and a
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20-pound fluorocarbon leader. For bonefish, Poland sizes down to 10- or 12-pound mono with a 10-pound fluorocarbon leader. He sight fishes for bonefish with live shrimp, but he also catches a lot of fish dead-bait fishing. The technique involves Power Poling down in an area where the bones should be. Capt. Poland then rigs a hook with a single live shrimp and a half of a dead one. “There’s a live shrimp that’s jumping around with a dead one that’s just sitting there smelling,” he said. It’s a remarkably effective technique. Tarpon and Snook: The bay side of Largo is a hot-bed for tarpon and snook. This time of year, there will be plenty of slotsized and larger snook along with juvenile tarpon from 2 to 4 feet in length around the mangroves. Capt. Poland starts his mornings cast-netting the preferred bait: pinfish and pilchards. Depending on conditions, he rigs them with or without a cork on a 3/0 or 4/0 hook and a 2-foot leader of 40- to 60-pound fluorocarbon. Then he goes looking for some moving water and pitches the baits around the mangroves. Even with 60-pound line, a 32-inch snook or a tailwalking 4-foot tarpon is a handful, especially in these snaggy, shallow environs. Sharks: Finally, and what Poland called “last, but definitely not least,” are big sharks.
Capt. Poland hung into his first big shark when he was just 10 years old and fishing Florida Bay on a guide trip with his dad. The captain tricked the fish into biting by dragging a dead ballyhoo in front of its nose. He then handed the rod over to a young, enthusiastic and impressionable boy. Poland has been doing the same thing ever since. “I wonder why I ever do anything else,” he said. “They’re big, they’re powerful and they’re fun.” With a heavy spinning rod or up to a 30w conventional setup, he fishes bait on an 8/0 circle hook and 4 feet of wire. The first order of business it to deploy a frozen block of chum. Then, if he’s caught a good live bait like a jack crevalle, he’ll fish it. If all he has is dead ballyhoo purchased at the bait shop, that works just as well when fished just like Poland saw the captain do it many years ago. On windy days, Poland sometimes even deploys a kite, just like the ones used offshore. He’ll bait it with a live blue runner, and wait for the show to begin. “There’s nothing like seeing a 10 foot lemon or hammerhead come up out of the water to eat that bait in 3 feet of water,” he said. Unless you go see for yourself, you’ll just have to believe that’s the truth. From offshore to the backcountry, Capt. Greg Poland is skilled in all the fishing the Florida Keys have to offer. Check out his website at www.gregpoland.com.
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The water is shallow. The lessons run deep.
Key Largo’s backcountry guides are the best instructors in the business. Not only will they take you to the fish, they’ll give you an unforgettable history and science lesson along the way. From East Cape snook to Everglades reds to bonefish on Key Largo’s flats, come experience a day on the water that will last a lifetime. fla-keys.com/keylargo 1.800.822.1088 COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM
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MCTKL-2940 Coastal Angler LO1 • August 2017
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Life is a BeachLight Tackle Beach Fishing
By Richard L. Matteson Jr., Stuart Rod & Reel Club Staff Writer
W
hen it’s hot, put on your bathing suit, grab your spinning rod and head to the beach for some great fishing. In the summer and fall, the fishing on the beach heats up. Tarpon regularly patrol the shallow ocean shoreline looking for schools of greenies and mullet. The tarpon may be there at any time, even in the heat of the day. Large topwater lures, jerkbaits and CAL jigs all work for these line-busters. Unless you have heavy gear, chances are a big tarpon will spool you. Since I use light line, any big tarpon would need to
be broken off. If you use heavier tackle, it’s harder to cast. These are the trade-offs of beach fishing. In mid-summer, snook leave the inlets and cruise the shoreline looking for an easy meal. For best results, fish the first hour of sunlight or the last two hours of the day. During these low-light hours, snook will be around the first cut (closest breaking wave) and will sometimes run up into the foam chasing bait on the shore. Cast at an angle to keep your lure near the first breakers where the fish are. Try a 3/8- to ½-ounce CAL jig with 4-inch paddletail. I like a slow steady retrieve so I can feel the lure and any strikes. Topwaters, spoons and jerkbaits all get results. Jacks prowl the beach in summer and fall, too, and schools of them can be seen chasing bait on the shorelines. Jacks are very aggressive and will hit any lure. You’ll also catch the occasional mackerel and bluefish. In the fall, during the mullet run, it’s not uncommon to catch 30 bluefish in a couple hours. When your line gets cut, it’s usually one of these sharptoothed predators.
Beach fishing is like any fishing; you have to find the bait. Drive to a beach access, and get out to scan the beach. If there is no bait and no birds, get back in your car and try another location. Sometimes a spot just a mile away will have lots of bait. Tides are important, too. Some of the best spots, like Herman’s access north of Stuart, are almost unfishable at low tide. There’s a sandbar, and the bigger fish won’t usually cross it at low tide. You might need to go south to Tiger Shores, where the water’s deeper. Don’t go fishing right before the slack tide. At the beach, I like first incoming, but all that matters is that the tide is moving. Where to Go: Get on A1A, there are dozens of beach accesses from Bathtub Beach (Inlet) in South Stuart to Fort Pierce (Inlet). Tackle: I use 6- to 12-pound test braided line, with 2 to 3 feet of 25-pound fluorocarbon leader on a spinning reel. Bring extra leaders and lures. The Stuart Rod & Reel Club meets at 7 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month. For information, call 336-414-3440.
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Martin County Lionfish Round-Up Breaks Records
A
round-up reschedule due to weather seemed to be the right call for tournament officials as beautiful weather prevailed for the 7th annual Martin County Lionfish Round-Up. This year’s event had 78 divers participate to remove 941 lionfish from our local waters. This broke the tournaments highest participation and fish collection numbers set in 2015, where 57 divers removed 579 of the invasive species. Team Todd Schoppe brought in 153 lionfish to take home the $1,000 award for Most Lionfish by a Team. Most Lionfish by an Individual honors went to Brian Kennedy, who collected 103 fish. The largest fish, caught by Rena Trotter, measured 16.9375-inches, while the smallest fish, captured by Albrey Arrington, was 4.75-inches. Both Trotter and Arrington took home $1,000 prize checks. Second place winners went home with $250 each, while third place winners received prizes valued at $100. Lauren Arrington was the first-ever recipient of the Kerry Dillon Junior Diver award
Team Todd Schoppe, first-place team that brought in the most fish. PHOTO CREDITS: Sea-Life Habitat Improvement Project, Inc. PHOTO CREDITS: X
Kathy FitzPatrick counting fish
for removing five lionfish via paddle board in the lagoon. Sea-Life Habitat Improvement Project, Inc., and those who supported the event by participating or through sponsorship helped raise funds for future artificial reefs in Martin County. For more information, visit www.McLionfish.com.
martin county lionfish round-up RESULTS 78 Divers / 941 Lionfish Harvested
First: Most Lionfish by a team: Team Schoppe - 153 fish. Most Lionfish by an individual: Brian Kennedy - 103 fish. Largest Lionfish: Rena Trotter - 16 15/16". Smallest Lionfish: Albrey Arrington - 4 3/4". SECOND: Most Lionfish by a team: Team Dickinson - 116 fish. Most Lionfish by an individual: Tony Crumrine - 98 fish. Largest Lionfish: Todd Schoppe - 16 5/8". Smallest Lionfish: Rena Trotter - 5 3/16". THIRD: Most Lionfish by a team: Team Benring - 99 fish. Most Lionfish by an individual: Albrey Arrington - 27 fish. Largest Lionfish: Brian Kennedy - 16 7/16". Smallest Lionfish: Lauren Arrington - 5 7/16". Kerry Dillon Junior Diver Award: Lauren Arrington - 5 fish
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AUGUST 2017
TREASURE COAST 1
7/16/17 2:47 PM
Florida Fish and Wildlife
FWC
news updates
The 2017 regular spiny lobster begins on Aug. 6 and runs through March 31. Planning on catching some of these tasty crustaceans? Here is what you need to know before you go. No one wants a small lobster for dinner. Make sure you check the size. Measuring devices are required, and lobsters harvested while diving must be measured while they are in the water. If the carapace length is not larger than 3 inches, it must be left in the water. To protect the next generation and your future chances to have lobster for dinner, harvest of egg-bearing females is prohibited. Lobsters have hundreds of thousands of eggs that are easily visible and attached under the tail. While most lobsters have completed reproduction by the start of the fishing season, finding lobsters
with eggs is common in August. Stick to the bag and possession limits so there will be enough lobsters for all your friends and family. During the Aug. 6-to-March 31 regular season, the daily recreational bag and on-the-water possession limit is six spiny lobsters per person for all Florida waters. Know where you can go. Lobster harvest is always prohibited in Everglades National Park, Dry Tortugas National Park, Biscayne Bay/ Card Sound Spiny Lobster Sanctuary, certain areas of John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, and no-take areas in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Visit FloridaKeys. NOAA.gov/regs/mc_lobster.pdf External Website to learn more about areas in Monroe County that are open to spiny lobster harvest. Bring a cooler big enough to hold
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AUGUST 2017
PHOTO CREDITS: FWC.
Lobster Season
CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP, LEFT: Boat operators must slow to idle speed if they need to travel within 300 feet of a divers-down warning device in open water or 100 feet of one on a river, inlet or navigational channel; FWC staffer Grant Stoecklin holds a spiny lobster; An FWC officer measures a lobster to make sure it has a carapace length greater than 3 inches as is required by law.
the entire lobster. Spiny lobsters must remain in whole condition until they are brought to shore. Also, do not take spiny lobster with any device that might puncture, penetrate or crush its shell. Have the proper paperwork. A recreational saltwater fishing license and a spiny lobster permit are required to recreationally harvest spiny lobsters unless you are exempt from recreational license requirements. Information about these licenses and permits is available online at MyFWC.com/License. Safety first. Divers, even those who wade in, should stay within 300 feet of a properly displayed divers-down warning device (red with a white diagonal stripe on a flag or buoy, for example) when in open water and within 100 feet of a properly displayed divers-down warning device if on a river, inlet or navigation channel. Boat operators must slow to idle speed if they need to travel within 300 feet of a divers-
down warning device in open water or 100 feet of one on a river, inlet or navigational channel. Divers-down warning symbols displayed on vessels must be at least 20 inches by 24 inches. If you are using a flag, a stiffener is required to keep it unfurled and it must be displayed from the highest point of the vessel, must be visible from all directions and must be displayed only when divers are in the water. When the divers are out of the water, take down the flag. Divers-down symbols towed by divers must be at least 12 inches by 12 inches. More information on diversdown warning devices is available online at MyFWC.com/Boating by clicking on “Boating Regulations.” Additional information on recreational spiny lobster fishing, including how to measure spiny lobster, is available online at MyFWC. com/Fishing by clicking on “Saltwater Fishing,” “Recreational Regulations” and “Lobster.”
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7/16/17 2:47 PM
PHOTO CREDIT: Backcountry Fishing Association.
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AUGUST 2017
TREASURE COAST 3
7/16/17 2:48 PM
fishing forecasts
martin county offshore
Capt. Scott Fawcett
Off the Chain Fishing Charters (772) 285-1055 fishscottyf@bellsouth.net offthechainfishing.com
H
ot, and calm, with the chance of afternoon thunderstorms should pretty much sum up the weather forecast for this August and that makes for great run and gun styles of fishing. Here's a list of fish to target and things that might help you increase your odds a little. This time of year, live bait is a great option to utilize. The better your bait is, the better your chance of getting a bit. Hooker Electric has come out with the best DC live well pump on the market. Silent, dependable and best of yet, they can feed multiple wells with variable speed and outflow up to 6500 gallons per hour. This is a huge benefit for when your
carrying different types of bait depending on what your targeting, and especially when you decide to black out the well for chumming on those hot summer days. Right outside the inlet you should be able to find various types of bait. Grab a Homeport Chart #36 for bait and bottom spots. We use R&R Tackle Sabiki rigs to catch our hook live baits. They have a lighter main line, better flash, and more hooks per rig so you catch more at a time and are done with bait and moving on to the real game faster. Also, be sure to use a dehooker when unhooking your baits. It's better for them and your fingers. I think "Sabiki" translates into flash magnet. This time a year, when the water is clean, one of my favorite things to do is sight fishing the beach. Cobia, tarpon, snook, jacks, permit, and even sailfish are just a few of the species you can encounter within a few hundred years of the beach. A good pair of polarized sunglasses is a must, not only for this style of fishing, but for the protection of your eyes as well, especially this time of year. Costa Del Mar's 580 lenses are crystal clear, cut the glare, and seem to exaggerate the differences in colors so fish stand out better. This is a huge advantage since most
Mon. – Sat. 5:30 a.M. – 8:00 p.M. Sun. 5:30 a.M. – 6:00 p.M.
Stop by aND chEck o our NE ut ExpaNS w ioN!
Ronnie, Chris, and Scott came all the way from Idaho to try their luck. Here's one of the swordfish they caught while fishing with Capt. Scott Fawcett. PHOTO CREDIT: Capt. Scott Fawcett.
fish you'll see are actually deeper down in the water column and not right on the surface. Live threadfin herring, sardines, pilchards and crabs are all great go-to baits for any of these opportunities. From an artificial standpoint, I prefer the D.O.A. Bait Busters, TerrorEyz, or shrimp, which leads us to the next great thing to do in the summer months, looking for schools of mahi.
It’s no secret that mahi like food and things that float. When pulling up to anything holding dolphin, my bait of choice again are the D.O.A.'s. You can have them ready on multiple rods and they are durable enough to catch multiple fish. The hooks on the Bait Buster are stouter, so if you see some larger fish in there, those are what I would
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7/16/17 2:48 PM
. wcett.
martin county inshore nearshore
Capt. John Young Bites On Guide Service (772) 708-3593 snoooky12@yahoo.com
I
f you can’t take the heat, then hit the water. Lobster season opens this month and the water should be crystal clear on the inshore reefs to hunt down the Florida spiny lobster, also known as ‘Bug’. Snorkel shallow
or dive deep, the lobsters are hiding under the rocky ledges. Many lobster 8-pounds to 12-pounds are caught in our local waters. All it takes is one or two good low profile ledges to catch your limit. Tripletail should be on some of the channel markers in the Indian River. You can slow troll a mullet in the St. Lucie River for tarpon or pitch a greenie at rolling fish around the inlet. On calm mornings, run to the power plant boils with crabs for permit and tarpon. Many toothy critters frequent the power plant area so if you’re looking for a long fight, bring along some bloody bonito for
bait. South of the St. Lucie Inlet on the beach has been thick with post spawn snook and big jacks. A lot of sharks patrol the surf line this time year so please release the snook carefully and quickly after catching. Fish the shadows under the docks in the Indian River for snook, snapper, sheeps and reds. With the water temps being so high, they like the cooler water under the docks. Use the tide flow to keep your bait under the docks longer for a better chance of hooking up. Keep the waterways clean and wear your Costa sunglasses for eye protection.
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
T
he offshore anglers of August will find themselves deep in the heart of the forever Florida summer. Snapper fishing will be the go to strategy for near coastal “meat hunters” as many local species of snapper, including lane, vermilion, mangrove (gray), and mutton, will be engaged in their yearly spawning period this month. These snapper and the salty groceries they represent, will populate an expansive swath of Martin County's reef system from 50 to 180 feet of water, allowing captains and anglers to dial in a daily fishing strategy that best fits individual desires and abilities. Depths of 55 to 95 feet of water will be the focal point for most snapper fishing and will allow anglers to catch representatives from all four categories of snapper
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Snapper happens aboard the Safari 1! Mutton and mangrove snapper caught by Jerry Joslin aboard the Safari 1. PHOTO CREDIT: Safari 1 Deep Sea Fishing.
mentioned above. “Snapper Grand Slams” will be a highly achievable feat during offshore bottom fishing outings this month, as these
representatives of the snapper family coexist at similar reef sites and will fall prey to similar baits and tackle presentations. All varieties of
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cut bait, including squid, bonito, sardines, and ballyhoo (to name a few), will result in snapper catching success. Chicken rigs and single hook, straight leader rigs will suffice for bait delivery options to these tasty bottom dwellers. Large cut baits and live baits presented at the end of longer (20 to 70 feet) straight leaders will produce a snapper bite from larger representatives of the mutton and mangrove species at these same reef locations. (For local GPS coordinates for Martin County's Artificial Reef sites, go to martinreefs.com). Besides a flavorful selection of snapper as fish targets, anglers will continue to be able to catch and keep grouper this month. Grouper will also be found alongside schools of spawning snapper at these some reef outcroppings, making a bottom fishing strategy for a day's outing, a highly desirable option. As in all summer months, fishing teams must maintain a healthy concern for thunderstorm activity and shape their trips accordingly. So, in August, stock the boat up with plenty of lead and cut bait and target the many species of snapper that inhabit the near shore waters of Martin County.
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PHOTO CREDIT: Capt. John Young.
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GUIDE SERVICE
Capt. John Young
In between all the trout bites, Brandon Miller hooks up with a nice redfish.
Sunday 8:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Adults $60; Children $50
AUGUST 2017
TREASURE COAST 5
7/16/17 2:48 PM
fishing forecasts
south indian river lagoon
Capt. Charlie Conner
Capt. Charlie’s Fish Tales Charters (772) 284-3852 captaincharlie@fishtalescharter.com www.fishtalescharter.com
A
s summer continues to bring the daily chance of afternoon rains and thunderstorms, fishing will take the usual second seat to the opening of lobster season. It has been a fairly dry season so far and rain hasn’t been a big factor up to now. Expect lots of boats on the water each day as they head out in search of the spiny critters. Practice safe boating tactics and don’t be in a hurry to get out there. Those dog days of August will continue with hot weather, so take the normal precautions while on the water. Have a great August this year! Trout and snapper will continue to be the best bite around the river. Top water lures, like the D.O.A. Airhead or Bait Buster, fished early, followed
variety of predators to feed by a D.O.A. shrimp or C.A.L. on them. Again, the fresh jerk bait will be productive water runoff will play a part on the grass flats. Water in determining where to quality has been very good fish this month. Everything this year to date, but with on the water loves to eat all the hot weather the water those glass minnows. Fish temps have been higher than the edges of the bait pods normal. Queen’s Cove, Bear and you should find some Point and Harbor Branch predators hanging out there are usually active with trout. waiting to feed. The edges Fish shallow early and move of the channel will also be to the edges of the flats as the holding lots of snapper sun warms thing up each day. around any of the structure Look for sand holes on the Grandpa Brad (above) and his grandson, or rocks. It’s a great time of grass flats. Trout love to sit in Connor, had a fun day on the water. They each year! them and wait for the tide to caught a nice slot black drum while fishing Make it a point to keep bring their food to them. We along the channel edges in Fort Pierce. hydrated and lathered up have enjoyed a good amount PHOTO CREDIT: Capt. Charlie Conner. with sunscreen. Take those of big trout this year on the flats. This month will provide great work well for you. As the rainy season precautions early so that the end of weather in the mornings for fishing continues, try some of the spillways your day will be as enjoyable as the when the water is actively running beginning. Sunburn or sun poisoning the river. Head out to the docks along the over them. A root beer TerrorEyz is a isn’t any fun and can become dangerous to your health. Drink river for snook, snapper, sheepshead great lure around those areas. Bridges will hold some nice plenty of water or Gatorade. Have fun and redfish. Some big fish will be hanging under the shady areas snapper during the month along with in August and good fishing! Remember, as always, fishing around many of the docks along the some sheepshead and black drum. river from Vero to Stuart. Fish your The turning basin should become is not just another hobby, it's an lures slowly. If you use the tide in alive with glass minnows and a ADVENTURE! your favor, the lure will remain under the dock longer and give you a better chance at hooking up. Snook will be active around the jetties, bridges Fort Pierce and docks of the river. Live baits, Deep Sea TerrorEyz and Bait Busters will all
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AUGUST 2017
G
oodbye July, hello August! Much like the first part of the summer, the snapper fishing will continue to be exciting. In addition to the wide variety of snapper available, cobias will be making some moves as the water (temperatures and currents) do the same. Baitfish are plentiful, and the availability of live bait (shiners, goggle eyes, and pilchards) give the summertime anglers an added advantage. In the late summer months, we expect to see a thermocline, or coldwater upwelling that will cause some changes in the bottom fishing bite. The upwellings are nutrient-rich and bring both positive and negative changes to the snapper and reef fish game. On the up-side, cold water pushes the cobia to the surface which makes for great targeting, catch and dinner. On the flip-side is the snapper bite. The cold water is known to cause the snappers to take on a “lock jaw” attitude. Thankfully, we know of a few tricks to fight off the "lock-jaw" and keep the snappers biting. Night time fishing offers booming catches and a cool break from the
Neve Hall with a 10-pound mutton snapper. PHOTO CREDIT: Lady Chris Charters.
unforgiving August sun. Grab your favorite spinning setup, your livewell and hit the reef. Live-bait will be plentiful and you can find pilchards right along the beach, with sardines and cigar minnows along the second (outer) reef. Live-bait is a great way to increase your bite and presenting lighter tackle and a change in bait, day or night, will make for increased catches. With lobster season open, the reef bite on, and schools out, we see August to be filled with great catches! Lastly, during the good times of summer pay extra attention to your surroundings, especially other boaters, anglers and divers. Be aware and be safe. Tight lines and good vibes!
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st. lucie county inshore
Capt. Joe Ward
Capt. Joe’s River Charters (772) 201-5770 or (772) 461-1335 CWard11605@aol.com captjoeward.com
T
he summer patterns are in full swing, so the best times to be on the water is just before first light until about 9 a.m. and from 6 p.m. until dark. The rest of the day is going to be too hot and on most days, there will be rain showers in the midafternoon. In the morning, the trout and redfish bite will be at places like Bear Point, Midway Road area and at Harbor Branch. The bite should be red hot when using top water
st. lucie county offshore
Capt. Danny Markowski
LottaBull Fishing Charters (772) 370-8329 lottabull4@bellsouth.net lottabullfishingcharters.com
A
ugust has arrived and will bring the warmest temperatures of the year so far, both in the air and on the surface of the Atlantic waters. Bottom fishing will be the way to go to get the most rod bending action, but keep a lookout for a nice cobia that might be lurking around your boat. Usually the bottom temperatures will still be cooler in the deeper depths, which can push the cobia to the surface. This time of year is a great time for catching a lot of bottom species, such as a variety of snapper
baits like a Zara Spook, D.O.A. or a MirrOLure, all in the natural colors. As the sun gets up, go to a live bait like a pilchard, finger mullet or a shrimp. The snapper fishing should be good along the channel edges and the local bridges when using a live shrimp fished on a .25-ounce Troll-Rite hook and a 20-pound fluorocarbon leader. For the afternoon fishing, try a live shrimp fished under a popping cork or a soft plastic bait like a D.O.A shrimp or a Bait Buster or a fluke jig. Try the area around Queen's Cove and Round Island. Fish up tight around the mangroves. The tripletail are still here. Just fish around the channel markers with a Troll-Rite hook and a live shrimp. The Fort Pierce Inlet should be full of catch and release snook. Your best choice of baits will be a pigfish, pinfish or a pilchard fished on the
Danny Maroscci with a 55-pound dolphin he caught out of Fort Pierce in 180 feet of water. PHOTO PROVIDED by Capt. Joe Ward.
bottom at your favorite spot, like the cleaning tables or Judy Rock. There should be tarpon at several places in St. Lucie County. First around the Fort Pierce Inlet, next
in the turning basin and last down by Big Mud Creek. All the fish will be around just before daylight and just before dark. Free lining a live mullet will be your best choice.
to present your bait will be and trigger fish. There are the most important. You numerous areas to target will want to use just enough these bottom species off the weight to get your bait to Treasure Coast from the the bottom. I prefer a 4-tobeach to 150 feet depths 5 feet piece of 30-pound and beyond. If you are new fluorocarbon leader; it is to the area and don’t know thinner than mono line and where these areas are, it more abrasive resistant. I is suggested to get a chart prefer a 2-3-O-size hook so available at any tackle shop. that it cannot be seen. Braid Also, be sure to pick up the main line is preferred by latest fishing regulations for most for bottom fishing as size and quantity limits for it helps you feel lighter bites the area you are fishing. and does not stretch. When on the water, look To beat the heat, fishing at for structure on the bottom, After a couple of hours of fun fishing, the night is a great thing and it is if there is bait marking on LottaBull team caught a variety of fish---snapper also harder for the fish to see the structure that is a plus. and trigger fish bottom fishing and a king fish and your tackle. Please remember Anchor up near the area dolphin on a flat line. All fish were caught in 70 August is the start of lobster and get to catching. Bottom feet of water. The bottom dwellers were caught on dead sardines and the flat lines were caught season, so please keep your species will eat almost any on live pilchards out of the Fort Pierce Inlet. distance from divers and live or cut bait that is offered hopefully they will respect to them such as sardines, PHOTO CREDIT: Capt. Danny Markowski. your area as well. There is a squid and chunked grunt. Trigger fish, lane snapper and snapper will be a bit away from the lot of ocean out there for all of us. Get out on the water, catch some mangrove snapper will be relatively structure waiting in the sand. close to the structure. Mutton The terminal tackles you use fish, have fun and be careful!
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AUGUST 2017
TREASURE COAST 7
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fishing forecasts
sebastian inshore
Capt. Gus Brugger
Snook stack up at the mouth of Sebastian inlet in August to feed and spawn. Tight slot and bag limits have really paid off for this fishery. Catch and release only until September 1st.
Pattern Setter Charters (772) 360-6787 www.WelcomeToSebastian.com
Sebastian River – Tarpon will continue to be the main target for anglers fishing the freshwater rivers and creeks along the Treasure Coast. The north fork of the Sebastian River is usually the place to look for tarpon in the early morning and evening. Flies, plugs, D.O.A. root beer TerrorEyz and finger mullet when they become available will all catch these backwater tarpon. Indian River Lagoon – Things will stay status quo in the lagoon until the finger mullet show. Trout will remain available early and late for anglers using artificials, while live pigfish will catch trout in deeper pockets throughout the day.
sebastian area offshore
Capt. Randy Lang
Sebastian Gypsy Fishing Charters Email: gypsycharters@gmail.com www.sebastianfishingcharter.com
A
ugust in Sebastian can be a challenging month to fish and has many possible rewards for the keen offshore angler. One must be flexible enough to change the target species based on a wide range of conditions. Baitfish and water temperature will be your key clues. When the water is clean and warm and there are flying fish around, look for dolphin, kings and sails in as close as 50 feet of water. Just outside the 70 feet break seems to be a fishy area this time of year. Try trolling different baits than you might not usually use in the Gulf Stream. Try a trolling feather with no ballyhoo. Small poppers are always good and small naked ballyhoo swimming on the surface are deadly. Sometimes I find myself running past the fish in my quest for the Gulf Stream only to find barren waters out deep. My proposition is that the pelagics will come in until they find the bait plentiful (as long as the water
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PHOTO CREDIT: Capt. Gus Brugger.
Look for redfish on any flats that have grass coverage and along mangrove shorelines. Top-water plugs, D.O.A. C.A.L. jerk-baits and gold spoons will usually get their attention. Snook fishing around docks and shorelines can keep anglers busy during the day. Skipping D.O.A. shrimp and jerkbaits under cover will produce violent strikes from linesiders of all sizes. You may also find a fair number of trout, redfish and mangrove snapper in the
quality/temp is acceptable). This time of year, the Atlantic sharp nose shark invade our reefs from 40 to 100 feet depths. Oftentimes while bottom fishing, you can’t put bait in the water without getting swarmed by these small, frisky sharks. When this happens, move around a lot. Sometimes the first few drops will produce a snapper or grouper but once the shark get your number, move on quickly. Oh yea, and don’t forget to enjoy the fact that you are catching a fish, even though it is a “throwback” shark. Remember you could be catching nothing or even worse, you could be working! Also try downsizing to a #1 hook and a tiny bait on a dropper rig. You’ll put some tasty trigger fish and snapper in the box. The sharks are less responsive to tidbits of squid and shrimp. The summer cobia run can be hot in August. Sometimes big bull sharks will set up camp on some of the bigger reef systems. You may see them on your sonar suspended off the bottom. Cobia and amberjack will probably be with them. Cobia will also swim on the surface near reefs and bait pods especially when the cold water
AUGUST 2017
same areas. Six-to-eight-inch mullet fished around docks and ambush points have been accounting for some bragging sized snook and redfish this summer. Residential canals are a good place to look for juvenile tarpon rolling. Drop a D.O.A. tiny TerrorEyz right where the tarpon roll and jig it vertically, allowing it to stay close to where the tarpon rolled for as long as possible. Sebastian Inlet – In years
gone by, August was my favorite month to fish “The Inlet”. Snook will be stacked on top of one another and the big reds will be right there with them. Live bait including croakers, pigfish, greenies, pinfish, shrimp, in that order, will be the key to daytime inlet action. Night fishing can also be great, whether you drift through the bridge with live bait, or chuck plugs or bucktail jigs from the rocks. Catch and release is the law until September 1st, please handle the snook with care. Near Shore Atlantic – Weather permitting, August should still find kings, Spanish and occasional cobia and dolphin not too far off the beaches. Resident tarpon schools will also be a good bet over the reefs just off the beach. As mullet and other baitfish begin their southern trek late in the month, the near-shore can come alive. Big tarpon, kings, Spanish mackerel, sharks, snook, jacks, and more, all chase the bait south and unlike the spring run they tend to stay within surf casting distance of the beach where the mullet like to swim, so surfcasting for fish weighing in the double and even triple digits is possible.
the jig, your buddy should be there with a live bait to seal the deal. Remember that lobster season is in full swing this month, so if you scuba dive, get out there and grab a few bugs. If you’re fishing, remember to watch for divers anywhere in the vicinity of a boat flying a dive flag. The rule is stay 300 feet away in open water and 100 feet away in a constricted area like the inlet. Near the end of August, the first of the mullet run starts. It catches most of us off guard as we usually think of the run happening in the fall. Run the beach and look for big boy tarpon showering the mullet. An artificial will draw a strike when they’re fired up but a live mullet on a big circle hook takes The boys from Pittsburg sure enjoyed away the guess work. Use at this beautiful sailfish. Jarod (smiling) least 7 feet of 60-pound leader hooked it and almost got spooled during and a rod with backbone. Great a dancing/drag screaming flurry. Dave fighting blacktips and spinner helped with the fight and Shawn and shark will be in the mix too. Robert assisted in the successful release Snook will be on the beach boat side. The fish slurped in a small near the mullet pods. First light blue and white feather lure trolling in 75 and afternoon dark clouds are feet of water on a July afternoon. good times to get into some hot action. PHOTO CREDIT: Capt. Randy Lang. Best of luck out there, and upwelling comes in. Keep a buck tail remember to obey your instincts and jig handy and if they snub you with fish!
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OKEECHOBEE SOUTH END
Capt. Mark Shepard
Lake Okeechobee Fishing Guide (863) 673-4966 www.lakeokeechobeeguide.com
S
ummer months are in full swing with the weather warm and the sun shining. Many people enjoy the beach but taking a break from the ocean is always a bonus when visiting or traveling to Florida. Explore Lake Okeechobee for some of the best bass fishing you can find in the nation. Rainy season is in full effect here in Florida. The rain has cooled off the weather and has helped maintain the water levels. The increase waterfall has brought the levels of the lake up. At the time this forecast was inked, Lake Okeechobee water levels are at 12-feet 4-inches above sea level. The lower water levels on the Lake actually help with production of grass beds the bass thrive in. One of the benefits of a rise in water levels is safe navigation across the lake. Lake Okeechobee is filled with rock and natural low points. It is highly advised to idle where you may believe the waters are low or navigate
the waters with a professional guide to show you the safe zones. The flats are a great place to locate bass this time of year. It is one of the many locations that you can experience those low water conditions making for some exciting fishing. I always advise idling to your location when coming into the flats that are new to you. Bass are moving into these flats this time of year chasing the bluegills. Bluegills have been spawning all summer. The bass love this time of year because they can easily hunt them out. You can catch the bluegills using live bait but many have been spawned out already. They love live crickets and night crawlers. Bluegills are exciting to catch, especially in numbers. You can target bass in multiple different ways this time of year. As the bass school on these flats, a variety of baits can be used to catch them. A spinner bait that swims just beneath the water is one of the more exciting methods. You can catch a lot of bass with the flash of those blades. Top water baits are also highly effective this time of year. The soft plastic Bass Assassin “Logger Toad” buzzing across the top of the water is irresistible to these summer bass feeding heavily on the flats. The
Explore Lake Okeechobee for some of the best bass fishing you can find in the nation. PHOTO CREDIT: Capt. Mark Shepard.
and shaky heads. Use an Abu Garcia Silver Max combo for some of the best light tackle fishing you can find. The largemouth bass will continue to let you know where they are located across the lake. The summer heat will push them to into schools as they chase bait. Early mornings and afternoons are the key times to target bass this time of year. Keep your eyes out and catch them up. We hope you catch the fish of your dreams.
Berkley “Rib Shad” is also a highly effective pattern to throw when the bluegills are spawning. If you do not want to fish the flats, you can also focus in on the rim canal this time of year. The bass are schooling in the deeper water against different structures. The riprap or rock structures along the bank can hold bass that are transitioning and moving throughout the lake. I would target bass on these structures using shallow running crank baits
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AUGUST 2017
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fishing forecasts
FROM THE SHORE
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Capt. Chris Sharp
Beachwalker Guide Service (772) 475 8412 beachwalker32@gmail.com www.facebook.com/ BeachwalkerGuideService
A
ugust can be the hottest month of the year. It is also the best time to catch a lot of fish off the beach, with snook being the target species. Big schools can be seen at your feet. They range from from18 inches to 42 inches. The snook spawn lasts up to mid-September so if you like to catch snook, this is the time to catch a lot of them and anyone can catch them. Simple rules to follow. Fish the beaches near inlets. Fish early morning and a moving tide. Throw baits that look like mullet or greenies, like the live target shad or mullet pattern. Tarpon will be eating mullet on the beach and these fish will be on the move so get there early and at night. Tarpon love to eat at night so look at bridges where water
August is a great month to catch snook. PHOTO CREDIT: Chris Sharp.
is moving. The Stuart Causeway holds a lot of big tarpon on the ocean side. If you catch mullet and use a circle hook and throw the bait under the shadow line of the bridge and let it flow pass the light, tarpon will just hang outside the light line. Make sure you have moving water. Tarpon will be sitting in the current just waiting for the bait to come by. Big permit will be cruising the shoreline near Walton Rocks Beach. You don’t have to cast far. Permit love to feed on patch reef, so look for them all over the near shore reefs where they will be to eat crabs, shrimp, and mullet. Don’t waste a day not fishing this summer. Get out and catch some fish!
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10 TREASURE COAST
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AUGUST 2017
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7/16/17 2:48 PM
diving forecast
Steve Wood
Deep Six Watersports - Stuart (772) 288-3999 Stuart (772) 562-2883 Vero Steve.wood@deepsix.com www.deepsixintl.com
W
ith warm water, calm seas and the opening of the regular lobster season, August may be the best time all year to dive the Treasure Coast. Clear water should also be expected at most dives spots in our area, including shallow sites off local beaches all the way out to the deeper reefs and wrecks offshore. Provided tropical activity remains low, the Treasure Coast is in for a spectacular month of diving. Light winds and calm seas should hold through the month allowing for clear water to continue for much of the local area, but it’s wise to watch tides if diving close to shore. Beach visibility maybe hindered at low tide since wave action is more likely to stir sediments up into the water, but while the water is deeper
visibility is usually better. Divers looking to hit Peck Lake just south of the St. Lucie Inlet for lobsters, should plan trips to coincide with high tide since outgoing tidal water usually heads south as it heads out to the ocean. Provided large swells and heavy rains stay away, our area should be in for some great conditions this month. As strange as it sounds, our area could experience some of the coldest water temps of the year during the mid-summer months. Short-lived cold water upwellings are common this time of year and usually don’t last more than a few days to a week. Sometimes these are welcomed ways to beat the heat at the surface but in years past they can be chilly at times. Divers are wise to pack a wetsuit just in case. Many locals who may have skipped the mad rush during miniseason may time their first dive trip in August to coincide with opening day of lobster season, especially since August 6 falls on a Sunday this year. Everyone wants to know where to find their first bug and despite being hotly guarded secrets, there are a few go-to places where lobsters have been caught in years past. Shallow is sometimes better with many ten-pounders grabbed
Everyone wants to know where to find their first bug and there are a few go-to places where lobsters have been caught in years past. PHOTO CREDITS: Deep Six Watersports.
just off the north jetty of the Fort Pierce Inlet. Bathtub Reef and the shallow artificial reefs off Jensen Beach, known as the ‘mitigation reefs’ or ‘Nearshore A, B, and C’ on MartinReefs.com, are also great places to check either off the beach or from a boat.
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AUGUST 2017
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KAYAK FISHING forecast
Brian Nelli
Pushin’ Water Kayak Charters (772) 201-5899 Brian@tckayakfishing.com www.tckayakfishing.com
SAVINGS AND SERVICE THAT WILL FLOAT YOUR BOAT. 772-905-3311 3970 Northwest Federal Highway Jensen Beach geico.com/treasurecoast Some discounts, coverages, payment plans and features are not available in all states or all GEICO companies. Motorcycle and ATV coverages are underwritten by GEICO Indemnity Company. Homeowners, renters and condo coverages are written through non-affiliated insurance companies and are secured through the GEICO Insurance Agency, Inc. Boat and PWC coverages are underwritten by GEICO Marine Insurance Company. GEICO is a registered service mark of Government Employees Insurance Company, Washington, D.C. 20076; a Berkshire Hathaway Inc. subsidiary. GEICO Gecko image © 1999-2017. © 2017 GEICO
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12 TREASURE COAST
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AUGUST 2017
PHOTO CREDIT: Brian Nelli.
INSHORE — The summer snook spawn is in full swing. The beaches and inlets are still your bets for snook fishing. Try using D.O.A. jerk baits or C.A.L. Tails, as well as a larger swim bait. Buck tail jigs and live bait fished near the bottom around the mouths of the inlets will also work well. Always be cautious fishing in the inlet. Currents and other boats are your concerns. Be sure to have a PFD and all safety equipment for any inlet trip. A great launch is Phil Foster Park to the north of the inlet. Try fishing the outside of the north and south jetty as well as drifting the current in the main channel.
Running the normal depths of 70150 will put you in the zone for kings. Fishing Delray Beach area will put you in closer proximity to deep water for the sailfish, mahi and wahoo. If mahi is on the brain; look to run out 5-to-8 miles to find the bite. Most will be small, but there are chances for a big bull. As I mentioned, the wahoo bite should be on the mind this month. Running baits on a downrigger anywhere from 60-to-80 feet below surface will give you the best opportunity to land a wahoo. Check us out Pushin’ Water Kayak Charters on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for all the Offshore — Expect the offshore latest adventures my clients and I get kingfish bite to remain consistent into. See you on the water! especially in the Jupiter area.
MC OFFSHORE..........FROM PAGE 4
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Brian with a stud snook.
work. Speaking of that, Garmin also has In Reach. A great way to keep in touch with friends and family via text while you’re out of cell range. This is great for when we're on the swordfish grounds or traveling to or around the Bahamas. Both, also great things to do in August.
recommend. For smaller fish? You'd be surprised how fast a mahi will attack a shrimp when you're around sargassum weed. Over the last decade it's incredible how far technology has come. I can’t say enough good about our Garmin XHD2 radar with "Bird Mode". It is so precise, we can easily mark one or two birds from over four miles away on a calm day. We use it to mark weed lines, current edges, and even pieces of debris as small as a submerged milk crate. So often, when you come across something like that way offshore it will change the whole day. The advantage this gives a fisherman is priceless. We have had numerous great days of mahi and tuna fishing Eric is no "Average Joe" using the already using this amazing Fin Nor Marquesa to catch this technology from Garmin and beautiful snowy grouper. it has totally changed how I fish around here. PHOTO CREDIT: Capt. Scott Fawcett. Sirius weather, which I Whatever it is you decide to have talked about before is also a huge safety advantage and peace of do this August, I hope it's Off The mind. Especially if you're heading so Chain. Looking forward to fishing far offshore your phone apps won't with you soon.
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AUGUST FISHING CONDITIONS August 1
POOR
Morning
August 22
POOR
Evening
August 2
POOR
Morning
August 23
POOR
Evening
August 3
FAIR
Morning
August 24
POOR
Evening
August 4
GOOD
Morning
August 25
POOR
Evening
August 5
GOOD
Morning
August 26
GOOD
Evening
August 6
BEST
Morning
August 27
GOOD
Evening
August 7
BEST
Evening
August 28
POOR
Evening
August 8
BEST
Evening
August 29
POOR
Morning
August 9
BEST
Evening
August 30
POOR
Morning
August 10
BEST
Evening
August 31
FAIR
Morning
August 11
POOR
Evening
August 12
POOR
Evening
August 13
FAIR
Evening
August 14
FAIR
Morning
August 15
POOR
Morning
August 16
POOR
Morning
August 17
BEST
Morning
August 18
BEST
Morning
August 19
POOR
Morning
August 20
POOR
Morning
August 21
POOR
Evening
What do the ratings mean? POOR day basically means the fish will either steal all your bait or will not even touch your line. FAIR day means that you catch one or two fish but you will have to work hard to do so. GOOD day means that you will catch enough fish to feel gratified. BEST day means that you will catch something almost every time you cast your line in the water. SOURCE: The Old Farmers’ 2017 Almanac
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Visit the Best Kept Secret in Martin County! THE HISTORIC...
St. Lucie County Artificial Reef Program Update: August 2017
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mprovement in water quality in the Indian River Lagoon is one of the goals of the St. Lucie County Artificial Reef Program and is vital to the fish stocks of the lagoon and to many of the fishes of our artificial reefs. Of the 59 species on the South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council’s Snapper/Grouper Complex (the fish assemblage representing hard bottom or coral reef communities), 47 are found in waters offshore St. Lucie County, 24 of these 47 species have been monitored using St. Lucie County’s artificial reefs, and 13 of the 24 species use the Indian River Lagoon during some period of their life history. Improving water quality in urban tributaries to the Indian River Lagoon is essential to the maintenance of fish life in those receiving waters. Unlike larger canals, which often carry nutrients and degraded water quality from larger agricultural areas, urban tributaries can carry inorganic pollutants (such as heavy metals, pesticides, oil and grease) from stormwater runoff from a relatively small, but concentrated drainage basin. Urban tributaries also are subject to crowded and improperly maintained septic systems which can result in altered nutrient and bacterial profiles in the water column. These water bodies sometimes receive effluents from golf courses which also may contribute additional chemicals to the water column. The maintenance of water quality in urban areas is a responsibility of all involved, whether you reside in, drive through or recreate within the areas’ watershed. In January 2017, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) along with the FWC contractor, Sea and Shoreline, Inc., began planting tapegrass (Vallisneria americana) in Moore’s Creek. Tapegrass is a type of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) that is similar to seagrass and thrives in freshwater. SAV
PHOTO CREDIT: St. Lucie County.
Final bank of cages.
helps to reduce nutrients in the waters, stabilizes sediments which helps light penetrate the water column, enabling these plants to photosynthesize. SAV also provides nursery habitat for juvenile fishes. Sea and Shoreline has developed herbivore exclusion cages to prevent plant-eating animals (turtles and ducks) within the creek. By May 31, 2017, 62 cages had been installed and planted with tapegrass. Inspection of the cages on June 28, 2017, revealed that the tapegrass had proliferated and was starting to expand outside of the cages. It is important to note that additional plantings inside more cages may be necessary before the tapegrass can overcome the herbivory in the creek. On July 1, 2017, MMPS Environmental, Inc. called for a cleanup and to discuss future involvement in Moore’s Creek. MMPS is planning to create a filtration demonstration project to help clean Moore’s Creek surface water, which will be collocated with the Community Garden and will be used by the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) to demonstrate the use of plant communities (such as pollinator gardens and native wetlands vegetation) in filtering surface waters. Cleanup participants included volunteers from: MMPS Environmental, the One Florida Foundation, City of Fort Pierce, B94.7 Radio, Marine Cleanup Initiative, and SWORD Outreach. The intent of this diverse collection of groups and volunteers is to create a mechanism for residents to restore the creek for the improvement of the area. For more information on the St. Lucie County Artificial Reef Program or restoration of oyster reefs in St. Lucie County, contact Jim Oppenborn, St. Lucie County Coastal Resources Coordinator, at oppenbornj@ stlucieco.org or (772) 462-1713.
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Bone’s Babes Fish Harbourside Rotary Tuna Classic for a Cause
O
n June 2 and 3, boats from all over the Bahamas took to the rough waters to bring home great prizes, and of course, bragging rights. This year there was only one boat that could hold stakes in being the only all-female angler boat. Kristi Long, Nikki Waugh, Nikki Rose and captain Siobhan AntoniBates, all hailing from Grand Bahama, took on the challenge of rough waters against a sea of male anglers. In addition, each of them were fishing against their husbands, who participated on various other boats. The ladies did not disappoint and brought home a variety of tuna and mahi with two weigh-worthy yellowfins. Most impressing, however, was their desire to create something fun and exciting from the tournament while also giving back. The team was able to raise huge sponsorships,
including products from Smith Sunglasses, Sands Brewery, Docktail Bar, Coastal Angler Magazine, and Bahamian Life. In addition, they received financial support from Mechanical Engineering, Freeport Ship Services, Bimini Big Game Club, Entwined, Bootleg Chocolates, Long’s Marine, Panama Jack, and of course the main sponsor, Bones Bar. Due to the donations, Bone’s Babes were able to give a donation of $850 to the Bahamas Rotary. Check out the Bahamian female fishing team, Fish n’ Chicks, at their next tournament in November at Bimini Big Game Club, The Wahoo Smackdown. They will be donating to a different cause each tournament so reach out to them if you’re interested in sponsoring. Contact telephone number is (242) 727-4366 or email siobhan.antoni@mac.com.
PHOTOS CREDIT: Fish n’ Chicks Fishing Team.
PHOTO CREDIT: St. Lucie County.
BAHAMAS NEWS
CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP: Bone’s Babes Kristi Long, Nikki Rose, Nikki Waugh and Capt. Siobhan Antoni-Bates; Kristi Long with a tuna by the tail; Nikki Waugh with a nice dolphin; Capt. Siobhan Antoni-Bates reeling in another fish.
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How to Avoid Propeller Injuries & Vessel Strikes BOATING & DIVING By
I
nexperience and negligence are contributing factors to propeller and vessel strikes on divers and swimmers. Adherence to Federal and state boating laws here in the U.S. certainly helps but regulations vary by location and do not apply elsewhere in world. The fact is, regardless of your location, the key to preventing injuries and death by propeller and vessel strikes is simple: boaters, divers, and swimmers must be proactively aware of one another at all times.
Boaters: 8 Ways to Prevent Propeller and Vessel Strikes 1. Avoid alcohol consumption while on board. This applies to your passengers, as well. 2. Use a kill-switch with lanyard (a.k.a. kill cord) at all times to automatically shut off the engine in the event something happens to the driver. 3. Avoid swimming zones and stay a safe distance away from dive flags. Maintain a distance of at least 300 feet from flags and buoys in open water and at least 100 feet in inlets or navigation channels. 4. Ensure the engine is off and the propeller is still before allowing boarding or disembarking.
This includes the swim platform; do not allow anyone near it while the engine is in gear. 5. Make it clear to your passengers that they must stay clear of the propeller at all times, even when it is not moving. An immobile propeller can still cause injury. 6. Before starting the boat, make sure no one is swimming or diving near or under the boat. 7. Do not allow people to sit on the transom, bow, or gunwales. All it takes is one good bounce
or unexpected swerve to send your passengers overboard. 8. Constantly look for people in the water. Do not assume divers and swimmers are always visible. Glare from the sun, waves, passenger activities, weather conditions and other factors can make visibility challenging. Bonus Tip: Be prepared. Depending on your
SEE BOATING & DIVING..........................PAGE 20
BOATERS STAY A SAFE DISTANCE AWAY FROM DIVE FLAGS. Maintain a distance of at least 300 feet (90m) from diver down flags and buoys in open water and at least 100 feet (30m) in inlets or navigation channels.
DIVERS USE THE DIVER DOWN & ALPHA FLAGS APPROPRIATELY. Stay within 300 feet (90meters) of the diver down flag or buoy in open water and 100 feet (30meters) when diving in rivers, inlets or navigation channels. Aim to surface within 150 feet (45 meters) of the dive flag.
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SUP Fishing Start-Up Tips By Matthew Gebhart
ABOVE: Always troll, when going from spot to spot. Paddling at two-to-three miles an hour is perfect for many fish. LEFT: The hardest fighting "little tunny" I have ever landed, easily 36-inches long.
E
ver had a big snook or a king mackerel tow you around on a standup paddleboard?! What a rush! Stand up paddleboard fishing allows you to sight fish like you are in a boat tower, with much less gear. You don't need a bunch of fancy gear to get started; however, you do need to know your ability to manage the conditions you plan to paddle in (current, wind, swell, and tide). A nice light paddle helps you conserve energy, and a v-hull (displacement style) board cuts through the water quickly and quietly. You will want a about one liter of board volume for each one pound of weight you plan to carry. I weigh 185-pounds, carry up to 30-pounds of gear, and on a
PHOTO CREDITS: Matthew Gebhart.
great day up to 50-pounds of fish; therefore, I need a board volume of 265 liters or more. Board shape and width will also depend on your ability and how far you plan to paddle. As for gear storage, the good ‘ole
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milk crate rod holder works great. Most boards have four anchors on the front or rear that work great for securing your milk crate rod holder. Remember to set your drag lighter than usual, you do not want a big
fish to flip your board while trolling! Further, always wear your leash. If your board gets away from you it will be a long swim home, your leash is your lifeline. I’ll also encourage you to wear your PFD. If you do wind up in the water, you will likely be holding onto a fishing rod you don’t intend to let go of! A folding anchor, and emergency beacon are always a good idea too. If you’d like to learn more you are welcome to visit us at Village Bike and Paddle in Hobe Sound.
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Treasure Coast AUGUST Day
Time
height
1TU 4:08 AM 2.09 H 10:26 AM 0.26 L 4:58 PM 2.12 H 10:55 PM 0.59 L 2W 5:03 AM 2.07 H 11:17 AM 0.25 L 5:53 PM 2.16 H 11:46 PM 0.57 L 3TH 5:57 AM 2.1 H 12:05 PM 0.21 L 6:44 PM 2.23 H 4F 12:34 AM 0.53 L 6:48 AM 2.16 H 12:50 PM 0.16 L 7:31 PM 2.33 H 5SA 1:18 AM 0.46 L 7:36 AM 2.25 H 1:33 PM 0.09 L 8:15 PM 2.44 H 6SU 1:59 AM 0.38 L 8:21 AM 2.34 H 2:13 PM 0.04 L 8:56 PM 2.53 H 7M 2:39 AM 0.3 L 9:05 AM 2.42 H 2:52 PM 0 L 9:36 PM 2.6 H 8TU 3:17 AM 0.23 L 9:47 AM 2.48 H 3:30 PM -0.02 L 10:16 PM 2.64 H 9W 3:55 AM 0.17 L 10:29 AM 2.53 H 4:09 PM 0 L 10:55 PM 2.65 H 10TH 4:33 AM 0.11 L 11:12 AM 2.56 H 4:50 PM 0.04 L 11:35 PM 2.63 H
11F 5:15 AM 11:57 AM 5:34 PM 12SA 12:16 AM 6:00 AM 12:44 PM 6:22 PM 13SU 1:00 AM 6:50 AM 1:36 PM 7:16 PM 14M 1:49 AM 7:46 AM 2:34 PM 8:17 PM 15TU 2:45 AM 8:49 AM 3:38 PM 9:23 PM 16W 3:48 AM 9:54 AM 4:44 PM 10:30 PM 17TH 4:56 AM 10:59 AM 5:50 PM 11:33 PM 18F 6:02 AM 12:00 PM 6:51 PM 19SA 12:32 AM 7:04 AM 12:57 PM 7:47 PM 20SU 1:27 AM 8:01 AM 1:51 PM 8:38 PM 21M 2:19 AM 8:54 AM 2:42 PM 9:26 PM
0.07 2.57 0.11 2.59 0.05 2.56 0.21 2.54 0.04 2.54 0.31 2.49 0.05 2.52 0.4 2.45 0.04 2.52 0.45 2.45 0.01 2.56 0.43 2.49 -0.05 2.65 0.35 2.59 -0.14 2.78 0.23 2.73 -0.21 2.9 0.11 2.85 -0.26 3 0 2.95 -0.26 3.04
L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H
22TU 3:08 AM 9:44 AM 3:31 PM 10:11 PM 23W 3:56 AM 10:31 AM 4:18 PM 10:54 PM 24TH 4:42 AM 11:17 AM 5:04 PM 11:36 PM 25F 5:28 AM 12:02 PM 5:51 PM 26SA 12:17 AM 6:14 AM 12:46 PM 6:38 PM 27SU 12:59 AM 7:02 AM 1:33 PM 7:27 PM 28M 1:43 AM 7:52 AM 2:21 PM 8:20 PM 29TU 2:30 AM 8:46 AM 3:15 PM 9:17 PM 30W 3:22 AM 9:43 AM 4:12 PM 10:15 PM 31TH 4:20 AM 10:39 AM 5:10 PM 11:10 PM
-0.06 2.99 -0.2 3.03 -0.07 2.97 -0.09 2.96 -0.03 2.9 0.07 2.85 0.06 2.79 0.25 2.71 0.18 2.66 0.44 2.57 0.31 2.52 0.62 2.43 0.44 2.4 0.76 2.32 0.54 2.32 0.85 2.25 0.59 2.29 0.89 2.23 0.59 2.32 0.86
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BOATING & DIVING...............................................................FROM PAGE 17
320CC POWERED BY
Proactive awareness, on everyone’s part, is critical to avoiding propeller and vessel strikes. PHOTO and Infographic courtesy of Divers Alert Network.
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location, a 911 call via cell phone may not be an option so knowing who to contact for emergency medical evacuation and having multiple forms of reliable communication with which to reach them, is critical. Also keep in mind that if it took you several hours (or days) to get to your current location, it could take emergency personnel the same amount of time to reach you. So make sure you have well-equipped first aid kits and oxygen units aboard and that you know how to use them.
Divers and Swimmers: 7 Ways to Avoid Propeller and Vessel Strikes
1. Remain clear of the propeller at all times. Even a disengaged propeller can cause injuries. 2. Use the diver down and alpha flags appropriately. Stay within 300 feet of the diver down flag or buoy in open water and 100 feet when diving in rivers, inlets or navigation channels. Aim to surface within 150 feet of the dive flag.
3. Establish clear communication with the boat operator and others onboard so everyone knows what you plan to do. 4. Pay attention to the boat procedures and dive briefing. 5. Wait until the boat operator indicates the engine is off, and it is safe to enter the water; follow the established safety procedures for entering and exiting the boat. 6. Never assume you are visible in the water. Use flags, buoys and other devices to make yourself more noticable. 7. Maintain vigilance. Keep an eye out for boat traffic at all times. Divers: scan for boat traffic during your safety stops. Bonus Tip: Have an emergency action plan in place. Prior to arriving at a dive site or anchoring point, make a plan for how you will respond to and evacuate someone who was injured by a boat or propeller. If you’re traveling on someone else’s boat, find out if the owner/operator already has a plan in place and, if so, get the details.
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All T a
TREASURE COAST CASTERS RECAPS Furiato Wins Treasure Coast Casters Junior Division July Tournament
T
reasure Coast Casters held it’s bi-monthly Junior Division inshore tournament in Fort Pierce on July 9, 2017. The weather was great, temperatures were toasty, water temperatures a tad cool at 73 degrees, and the fish bite a tad light. “We’re not sure if the bite was slow due to the dip in water temperatures or if it was due to the staged dredging equipment at Harbour Pointe Park, but our morning started off slow as catching goes,” reported tournament organizers Cammie and Capt. Joe Ward. Fish weighed in ranged from a few puffers and robinfish to lane snapper. Dillon Furiato, a second-grade student at Manatee Academy in Port St. Lucie, won the tournament weighing in two puffers. Zack Sines, a fifth-grade student at Northport K-8 in Port St. Lucie, started off the fishing action catching the first fish and the biggest fish of the tournament, a 1.02-pound spiny puffer, and took the second-place spot. Third-place went to Nick Sines, a sixth-grade student at Northport K-8 in Port St. Lucie, who weighed in a robinfish.
Results 1st: Dillon Furiato 2nd: Zack Sines 3rd: Nick Sines Biggest Fish: Zack Sines Notables at the tournament included Michael Rochedieu, the current Treasure Coast Caster of the
www.treasurecoastcasters.org Protecting Our Marine Resources Today for Tomorrow’s Anglers July trophy winner Dillon Furiato. PHOTO CREDITS: Treasure Coast Casters.
Year and an Eagle Scout candidate, who was on hand helping anglers and assisting with fish weighing, and new Treasure Coast Casters members Nick and Zach Sines. The next Junior Division tournament will be held on September 3. Treasure Coast Casters offers experiences that educate young anglers on the importance of marine conservation, while maintaining a sustainable and healthy estuary and marine environment. The allvolunteer non-profit offers two fishing tournament divisions, a Junior Division for youth 5-11, and a Senior Division for youth 12-18. There is no cost to join or to fish a tournament. Anglers bring their own bait and fishing gear. For more information, visit www.treasurecoastcasters.org or visit Treasure Coast Casters on Facebook.
Treasure Coast Casters is extremely grateful for the generous support of our sponsors. snook
COASTAL ANGLER
redfish
trout
Cammie and Capt. Joe Ward www.treasurecoastcasters.org (772) 201-5773
Treasure CoasT CasTers is a non-profit organization providing a volunteer based no-fee program. It was created to educate the younger generations on environmental issues, conservation and stewardship of the Indian river Lagoon. TCC has two divisions – Junior Division ages 5 to 11 and senior Division ages 12 to 18. Participants must maintain a 2.0 GPa and the senior Division must obtain their boater safety card.
All Treasure Coast Casters who participated in the July tournament received a fish towel and a rubber bracelet, thanks to volunteers Pat and Gwen.
Sponsors and volunteers are always needed. For information call (772) 201-5773 or visit our website: www.TreasureCoastCasters.org
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Squid Chains I
By Capt. Chase Cornell
t was mid-April this year when I went fishing out of Fort Pierce on my good friend, Diego Henriquez’s 27-foot Grady White. Fishing with us that day was lifelong friend Jesse Guthrie. The marine forecast had us slightly concerned, with southeast winds scheduled to blow 15 miles-per-hourplus and seas running around four feet. We cleared the inlet shortly after sunrise and were greeted by a steady chop from the southeast. To stave off the discomfort of a confused sea, we pointed the bow east-northeast and pulled the throttles back to a slow cruise. We were committed to an entire day of fishing and we knew that if we took our time we would get to where we were going. The steam offshore lasted about an hour and we set the lines out in the first blue water we found. For the spread on Diego’s boat and other smaller boats that I fish on, I run one short, bent butt 50W TLD with 80-pound braid main line, a shock of 20-to-30 feet of 150-pound test monofilament connected to the braid with a 20 turn FG knot that is finished with a crimped 300-pound snap swivel. Attached to the snap is a 64-ounce trolling lead with 60 feet of 200-pound shock finished with a crimp and heavy duty (but smaller in size) ball bearing swivel. I then attach around 4-to-6 feet of #9 wire with either an Illand Lure or Sea Witch and a long shank 10/0 Mustad and a medium or large ballyhoo. For the other flat line, I run a 30-pound class outfit with either a naked or skirted small or medium ballyhoo. I fish with all wire because I don’t want to lose all those tasty fish that have teeth. The key to this flat line bait is to make sure you have a chin weight on your pin rig and that you run the line through a flat line clip. You want this bait to swim just behind the teasers in and out of the wash. A bait that swims is not only going to entice more strikes, but it is going to keep from skipping over top of your teaser, a legitimate concern when fishing out of a small
22 TREASURE COAST
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boat where you can’t get as much width in our spread. Each outrigger is set up with two lines. On the short lines, I have solid stainless rings. Through these rings I run my teaser line. A little trick if you are fishing out of a small boat, try setting up a kite rod with either a Penn Senator or a Daiwa Saltist and either thick braid or mono. When you don’t have electric teaser reels or reels in the hard top, this will allow you to retrieve your teasers quickly and pull them away from pursuing gamefish. On a side note, having a smooth drag on your teaser reels is also important if a fish bites down on the back end of the teaser and heads the other direction. I run two squid chains for teasers. When I rigged my squid chains, I had the size of the boats that I fish on in mind.
AUGUST 2017
for the
Win!
Since most of the boats I fish from are smaller, the space between the squids on my chain are shorter. This comes into play when you reel the chain up to the solid ring in the outrigger. If the chain is too long and the tail end is not completely out of the water, it has a chance of getting entangled with a hooked fish on the line, or could fall victim to a hot gamefish in attack mode. On the back of both of my chains I have an Illand Lure chugger and a hookless horse ballyhoo that gives the teaser some taste. What you need to rig your own squid chains: 220-pound Mamoi extra hard, inline crimp swivels, crimps, beads and a small snap swivel to attach in the back squid for the Illand Lure chugger. Beyond the chains, on the long rigger lines, I use black release clips and fish small and medium sized ballyhoo either skirted or naked. Sea surface conditions, current and the overall speed we are trolling will dictate how much weight to use under the chin of your rigger baits. On days when it is very windy, I like to use more weight so that my baits track
PHOTO S PROV IDED by Chase C ornell.
better in the spread. There is nothing less appealing than having all your baits blown to one side of the wake. If conditions allow, I will run a fifth line straight down the middle and way back. The shot gun bait is generally run out of the t-top or center rigger if available. On our fishing trips, this bait is known as “way back winky,” “county line,” or “shot gun.” The names may be funny, but you will not be laughing when you go trolling and that is the only rod that gets hit the entire day. Often gamefish are leery feeders and they do not want to come up into the wake. I often will let half a spool out on the shotgun bait to ensure my bait is swimming in clean water. This is a tactic used by tuna fishermen around the world and it can easily be applied into your everyday trolling spread. With our spread out, we continued offshore. For the first few hours of the day we didn’t get a knock down. I had a hunch that the fish would be out deeper as I had caught them out deep for the last few weeks leading up to the trip. However, I always try and start a little shallower first thing in the morning. One problem I think people have is that they blow by the fish or miss conducive conditions due to low light early in the morning. At around 11 a.m. we had our first gaffer eat a rigger bait. After a tenminute fight we gaffed and boxed a nice mahi. As the day went on, we continued to pick away at the fish, picking up several more gaffers and a black fin tuna on the way back in. Around lunchtime, the wind picked up a touch more and a well-defined edge began to form in 250 feet of water. As we worked our way inshore with the seas, a wolf pack of mahis came piling into the spread. I watched as a 50-pound bull head mahi crashed the squid chain, engulfing the Illander/horse ballyhoo hookless teaser in one gulp. I looked over at the left rigger as
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s
DREAMS
REALITY
What you need to rig your own squid chains: 220-pound Mamoi extra hard, inline crimp swivels, crimps, beads and a small snap swivel to attach in the back squid for the Illand Lure chugger.
it bowed down towards the water and line screamed off the teaser reel. The fish ate the ballyhoo off the teaser and was back for more. We already had a fish on the flat line, so I popped the left rigger out of the pin and brought the bait in front of the massive, infuriated mahi and he devoured it down. An intense triple hookup ensued and we boated all three fish, the big bull coming aboard last. We enjoyed great fishing that day and captured a bull head that none of us will ever forget. The entire spring
season was highlighted by incredibly visual strikes on the squid chains. My biggest tip would be to try and not overdo the spread. Keeping it simple will allow you to make the right moves when you come across the fish. If you enjoy trolling and visual strikes, I would highly recommend adding a squid chain (or two) to your spread.
Whether you enjoy a relaxing day trying to catch that elusive bass, or an action-packed day trying to bag that big marlin, fishing means making memories with friends and family.
Chase lives in Vero Beach and loves to fish and write about his adventures. Read more of his fishing escapades at bitepress.wordpress.com.
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Email your information ality and high-qu rger) (500KB or la @ easurecoast photos to tr e.com. lerMagazin CoastalAng
Skyler from Santa Clause, Indiana, enjoying the good life here in Fort Pierce, Florida. Photo credit: Larry Lucas.
Coral Arnold, 3, with a snook. She has grown up on the water fishing with her parents and siblings. Photo credit: Cherlyn Arnold.
Noah and his grandmother, Karen Glenton, with a 22.5-inch, 3.5-pound trout caught by "Grandma" with live shrimp on the flats of Round Island. Photo credit: Nichole Glenton Miles.
Quinton Lawrence with an 18-inch snook caught at the Martin County spillway. Nice fish, Quinton! Photo credit: Craig Lawrence.
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Rosa and Leonard Fox with Rosa's first ever sailfish, caught trolling in 100 feet of water on Memorial Day midway between St. Lucie and Fort Pierce inlets. Sailfish was immediately returned to the sea unharmed. Photo supplied by Leonard Fox.
Sebastian and Justin Degennaro with a snook caught at a Port St. Lucie spillway on a Spooltek lure. Photo CREDIT: Joey Degennaro.
7/16/17 2:49 PM
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FISH & FISHING
LURE LOGIC
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t’s worth repeating. Today’s marketplace is overflowing with shelves full of artificial lures embodying the look and actions of countless live baits. If you were limited to a single lure guaranteed to catch fish in a variety of situations from shallow water to offshore, on the surface or near the bottom, anywhere in the world, what would you choose? While you are wrestling with your decision, consider that the government answered that question for you more than 75 years ago at the beginning of World War II. Survival kits aboard warplanes and in life rafts contained a leadheaded bucktail and a length of fishing line. Story after story talks about how successful that bucktail was in providing food for starving military when they were in a life raft or stranded on an island. The popularity of the bucktail has waned over the years and only a relative handful of anglers today recognize its true value. It remains my favorite lure, and I can’t even begin to list the myriad species I have caught on it in many of the world’s waters. Before the advent of soft plastics, we just fished a plain bucktail or we hung a strip of bait on the hook. By the way, dangling a length of bait from a bucktail is exceptionally effective today. In the early days of soft plastic, the worm combined with a bucktail worked well. Now, there are countless soft plastic tails that greatly improve the effectiveness of the leadhead. If you decide to use a bucktail more often or plan to
MARK SOSIN try it for the first time, let me remind you of some of the basics. You always want to attach the leader with a loop knot so the leadhead can swing freely without moving the line or leader up and down. The rule of thumb is to use the lightest weight bucktail that will reach bottom or the depth you want to probe. And, it goes without saying that the lightest leader also makes a difference in performance. You’ll find that some leadheads and plastic tails will outfish others. It’s a matter of preference, experience in fishing them and how you rig them. If you are targeting bottom species, the bucktail has to bounce along the bottom and not rise very far above it. When you are simply probing, it pays to work the offering from the bottom to the surface. Trolling a bucktail can also be extremely productive. The best approach is to fish it on a flat line and not more than three or four waves behind the boat. One rule that I try to follow is to keep a spare rod rigged with a bucktail whether I’m inshore, on the flats or offshore. You never know when a situation will arise when you need to present a bait to a fish you can see. That’s when a bucktail provides the answer. If the fish remains in sight, you can fish the lure shallow and, if it disappears, the bucktail can be allowed to drop in the water column. The leadheaded bucktail has been catching fish long before the military made it part of their survival gear, and it still catches fish today. Try it!
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ere’s a pretty cool research tidbit from Gray Fish Tag Research, an organization that tags varied species worldwide to keep track of their movements. A tagged cobia named “Cathy” was recently caught off of Key West, 152 miles and 452 days after being originally caught and tagged off Key Biscayne. Cathy was originally tagged and released by John Ozer on Dec. 16, 2015 while fishing with legendary Capt. Bouncer Smith a few miles southeast of Key Biscayne. The Cobia was caught on live bait and measured 28 inches, with an approximate weight of 6 pounds. Incredibly, on March 13, 2017, one year and three months later, that same cobia was recaptured by Capt. Jimmy Jones of the boat “Little Gigger.” The fish was in excellent condition, and it had grown to about 37 inches in length. The recapture took place about 11 miles west of Key West and approximately 152 miles from the original tag location. Cobia are known to be highly mobile, so Gray Fish Tag Research could not draw any conclusions as to where Cathy went during the 452 days. What they do know is the fish was back in the warm coastal waters of South Florida and the Florida Keys. Just imagine what Cathy was up to over the nearly year and a half from her first capture. Gray Fish Tag Research is seeking funding for satellite tags that would tell them exactly where she went between the original capture and recapture. For more information and more amazing tag stories, go to grayfishtagresearch.org.
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Limited Fall Season For
Gulf Gray Triggerfish
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t its July meeting in Orlando, FWC Photo the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) approved several management changes for gray triggerfish caught in Gulf of Mexico state waters, including a limited fall season and several conservation measures. Due to the 2016 federal quota being exceeded, the Gulf recreational gray triggerfish season was closed in state and federal waters for all of 2017. After considering public testimony at the July 2017 meeting, the Commission directed staff to issue an executive order to reopen the fishery for a limited season this fall. Staff will issue another press release once the season has been determined. The season will also be posted online and will be found at MyFWC.com/Fishing by clicking on “Saltwater Fishing,” “Recreational Regulations” and “Triggerfish.” Approved federal consistency changes include (to go into effect only after federal regulations go into effect, likely sometime in 2018): • Decreasing the recreational daily bag limit from two to one fish per person. • Increasing the recreational size limit from 14 to 15 inches fork length. • Creating a January through February annual recreational closure in addition to the current June through July annual spawning closure. These federal consistency measures should help maintain fishing opportunities for gray triggerfish in state and federal waters for 2018 and the future. For more information on these changes or to view the presentations given at the Commission meeting, visit MyFWC.com/Commission and select “Commission Meetings” then click on the link below “Next Meeting.”
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Lobster Hunting:
5 Tips for Success
C
Photo by Melissa Johnson
ome Aug. 6, SCUBA divers, snorkelers and free divers will hit the water with bug-grabbing tools in hand for the start of the 2017 lobster season! Lobstering offers water-lovers the chance to take home a tasty meal, all while having fun in the south Florida sunshine. This year, keep these tips and tricks in mind as you search for these succulent crustaceans on our local reefs. Whether you are a seasoned pro or a new diver about to experience lobster season for the first time, following these key points will help ensure that you keep the reef healthy and undamaged so it remains a great habitat for future generations of lobster. 1) Choose the right tools: Every diver has their own unique lobster hunting setup, from nets and “tickle sticks” to snares. Since personal preference varies, it’s best to stop by your local dive shop— like Pura Vida Divers, on Singer Island, Palm Beach County, Fla., and talk to the staff about the benefits of each method. Remember,
every diver looking for lobster should also carry a gauge, and we recommend bringing along a sturdy mesh bag with a one-way opening to hold your catch. 2) Know the laws: The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) enforces a few guidelines that help protect spiny lobster populations. Every SCUBA diver hunting for lobster must hold a valid saltwater fishing license, with a crawfish permit. You can purchase these licenses by visiting the FWC’s website at www.myfwc.com. 3) Measure your catch: To properly measure whether or not a lobster is within catch limits, place the inside edge of your gauge firmly between its eyes. Ensure that the lobster’s carapace (the top part of its shell) extends past the 3-inch mark of the gauge. If you are unsure how to measure a lobster, stop by the local dive shop for a lesson. 4) Perfect your skills: Lobster season offers divers a great reason to brush up on their underwater skills. Maintaining good buoyancy, watching for potentially harmful animals like scorpion fish, and knowing how to use your equipment to best snare a lobster will help keep you safe and ensure our reefs stay healthy and thriving. Need to brush up on your dive or buoyancy skills before hitting the water? Set up a refresher or a specialty class with your local dive shop. 5) Stay within catch limits: Perhaps the most important thing to remember during lobster season is that hunting responsibly will allow us to continue enjoying the fun of the catch for generations to come. Throughout most of south Florida, recreational divers are limited to a catch of six lobster per person per day. Be sure to check local guidelines, as limits may vary by county. Lobster season runs in Florida from Aug. 6 through March 31. Remember that Pura Vida Divers is dedicated to helping you have fun, stay safe, and take home an awesome catch! Pura Vida Divers is located at 2513 Beach Court, Singer Island, FL 33404. Visit their website www.PuraVidaDivers.com or call 561840-8750.
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Goliath Grouper Workshops To Discuss Possible Limited Harvest FWC Photo
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he Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has scheduled a series of workshops to gather public input on goliath grouper management, including the possibility of a limited harvest in Florida state waters. Share input and learn about the current status of goliath grouper by attending one of these workshops. Workshops will be from 5 to 8 p.m. local time: • July 31: Lake Worth, Lantana Road Branch Library, 4020 Lantana Road. • Aug. 1: Key West, Key West Marriott Beachside Hotel, 3841 N. Roosevelt Blvd. • Aug. 2: Marathon, Hyatt Place Marathon/Florida Keys, 1996 Overseas Highway. • Aug. 3: Key Largo, Murray Nelson Government Center, 102050 Overseas Highway. • Aug. 8: Crystal River, Plantation on Crystal River, 9301 W. Fort Island Trail. • Aug. 9: Carrabelle, Franklin County Senior Citizens Center, 201 NW Ave. F. • Aug 16: Pensacola, Sanders Beach – Corinne Jones Resource Center, 913 S. I St. • Aug. 17: Panama City, Bland Conference Center, 4750 Collegiate Drive. • Oct. 9: Jacksonville, Pablo Creek Regional Library, 13295 Beach Blvd. • Oct. 10: Titusville, American Police Hall of Fame & Museum, 6350 Horizon Drive. • Oct. 11: Stuart, Flagler Place, 201 SW Flagler Ave. • Oct. 12: Davie, Old Davie School Historical Museum, 6650 Griffin Road. • Oct. 16: Pinellas Park, Bill Jackson’s Shop for Adventure, 9501 U.S. Highway 19 N. • Oct. 17: Port Charlotte, The Cultural Center of Charlotte County, 2280 Aaron St. • Oct. 18: Naples, Collier County Public Library - South Regional, 8065 Lely Cultural Parkway. If you cannot attend an in-person meeting, submit comments online at MyFWC.com/SaltwaterComments. Staff is working on a virtual workshop that should be available in the near future. Additional details and updates to these meetings will be posted at MyFWC.com/Fishing (click on “Saltwater Fishing,” “Rulemaking” and “Workshops.”)
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In praise of the lowly mullet
M
any Florida fishermen don’t think much of the mullet. For example, I know that once a year many Floridians stand at the state line and toss dead mullet into Alabama in the annual Mullet Toss hosted by Flora-Bama Beach Bar in Pensacola. But have you ever heard a fisherman say, “I’m going to go out and catch some mullet today?” And yet, mullet have been an important source of food in many countries since Roman times. There are many different kinds of the fish, maybe as many as 78 different species. They can put on quite a show when schools of them can be seen jumping out of the water either to escape predators down below or maybe to ingest oxygen-rich air. Smaller species of the fish, so called “finger mullets,” have been a favorite kind of bait. In some parts of the world, people eat mullet, but many in this country consider them too “muddy tasting” or “bottom feeders,” meaning that the fish will eat lots of junk found at the bottom of the waterway. However, even picky eaters may like them as a dip or smoked, a delicacy one can find near Florida’s Indian River Lagoon, including at temporary stands along the road, and also in other Airline_Ad_CoastalAngler_8-1-14_Layout 1 8/1/14 1:14 PM fishing towns.
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Among the fish that like to take mullet baits are bluefish, jacks, mackerels and striped bass. In fact, many if not most predatory fish like such baits. And of Luke,” in which one of the characters used course, you may have seen brown pelicans “mullet head” for someone of diminished diving into schools of mullet right below smarts. I know that “Mullet Wrapper” is the the surface for a quick bite. Commercial fishermen go after mullet, not only for name of a newspaper in our Panhandle and some restaurants, but especially for in the Everglades. The latter newspaper ordinary fishermen wanting a break from shows an image of the paper wrapped frozen shrimp or artificial lures for their around a mullet, recalling the disparaging bait. Many of those fishing from our piers idea that some newspapers are only good or even on boats have come to prefer for wrapping up fish. But let’s give the mullet bait. I think my father used to use mullet its due as a nice-tasting delicacy mullet when he fished off the beach on and a very effective bait. New Jersey’s Long Beach Island. Kevin McCarthy, the award-winning I’m still not sure why we use “mullet” to describe a guy’s hairstyle that is short at author of “South Florida Waterways” the front and sides, but long at the back. (2013 - available at amazon.com for $7), It may go back to the Beastie Boys, a hip- can be reached at ceyhankevin@gmail. hop group that used “mullet” and “mullet com. head” in their 1994 song “Mullet Head.” For more on Kevin McCarthy, go to It also may go back to a Florida novel/ Page 1 movie, “Cool Hand
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Give me that stretch! Why Monofilament Line Is Still King By Randy Cnota
I
n the world of fishing line, the choices can be overwhelming. High-end braid, fluorocarbon and other specialty hybrid lines can confuse people and make choosing the right line difficult. There’s no question that braid and fluorocarbon lines have an important place in most anglers’ arsenals and are specifically required for certain applications. But good old-fashioned monofilament will always be just as important to putting fish in the boat. While braid and fluorocarbon manufacturers tout the “little-to-no-stretch” characteristics of their products (as well they should), we shouldn’t overlook the importance of “stretch” and other characteristics that mono possesses. I recently spoke with Rick Snellgrove, owner of Howell Tackle in Panama City, Fla., about the role that mono continues to play in the fishing world. He helped me better understand its importance by pointing out some obvious facts about stretch, shock strength, buoyancy and cost, just to name a few. He offered many reasons why mono is still so important. When your line has to withstand the sudden impact of a bone-jarring strike or a fish thrashing next to the boat, mono is, without question, your best option because of the superior shock strength. As you fight a fish, the stretch characteristics reduce the possibility of the hook coming dislodged. A low-stretch line can cause the hook penetration point to widen or tear away. Mono’s stretch, or forgiveness, is a must if your reel has a sticky drag. Mono’s buoyancy makes it a no-brainer when throwing topwater and near-surface lures in most conditions. Sinking lines like fluorocarbon will kill the action of a surface plug. If you’ve ever had a big fish smash a chugging surface bait close to the boat, you might better appreciate all mono has to offer. The cost-factor is also a big deal when you have to change line on your reels. If you’re spooling large reels or smaller reels more frequently, it’s a huge cost difference. The thin diameter of braid means it requires more to fill a spool, and it’s considerably more expensive per yard. Here comes mono into play again; build a mono foundation under your braid to fill a portion of the spool on big reels. Line of any kind has to be changed regularly, and mono will save you big bucks! Rick at Howell Tackle is an authority on all things fishing and offers a huge variety of mono brands including Ande, Suffix, Hi Seas and Berkley. If you’re in the Panama City area, bring your reels to Howell Tackle (3100 West Hwy 98 Panama City, FL; (850) 785-8548) and let them spool you up.
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Rockin’ Bass In The Adirondacks By Rich Ortiz
Rich Ortiz, the “Fishin’ Musician,” shows off a nice Adirondacks largemouth. Check out Rich’s music and outdoor adventures at richortiz.com. Photo by Louis Torres Photography.
B
y the time I was 12 years old, I knew and fished at least two dozen bass waters, most of them from a canoe with my Pop. Usually there were no boat ramps, no houses and seldom another fisherman. That’s the beauty of the Adirondack region of Upstate New York. There’s tons of water and lots of fish. Often when the Adirondacks (ADKs) are mentioned in fishing circles, pristine secluded trout rivers or brook trout ponds come to mind. Our secret is that the ADKs have countless bass fishing options, as well, with any kind of water you could think of. Three renowned waters within my 30-minute fishing radius are perfect examples of the great bass fishing in our area. Lake George, Lake Champlain and Saratoga Lake provide varied and endless opportunities for both largemouth and smallmouth action, with a spectrum of habitats that could keep any bass enthusiast occupied for a lifetime. Additionally, if it’s a secluded canoe/kayak adventure you’re after, I dare say the ADKs have more backwoods bass waters on public land than any state I can think of. These woods are the same natural forests they were in 1885, when they were deemed untouchable thanks to Teddy Roosevelt. Imagine fishing secluded, crystal-clear waters with green mountains as a backdrop, moderate temperatures and a relaxing breeze. Since the founding of our country, these waters have provided sanctuary from the heat and congestion of the growing East Coast industrial cities. Summer retreats to the ADKs to fish and hunt were the norm, and coupling
these outdoor activities with attractions like Saratoga horse racing or a Lake George steamboat ride created traditions of the American summer vacation. Today, if you are serious about bass fishing, yet want to include family on the vacation, the Saratoga/Lake George area is the spot. I feel qualified to endorse the attractions, since when I am not fishing or hunting, I’m performing music at many of the area’s top resorts and restaurants. Though my profession as a traveling musician has allowed me to fish all over North America, my heart is still at home fishing the 6-million-acre Adirondack Park. Let’s start with Lake George, which is a large deep-water lake that is the ultimate finesse bass water. This beautiful 32-mile-long glacially carved lake has rock shorelines and is speckled with islands that provide endless bass structure. Lake George has AAA reservoir water quality and is crystal clear. Light 6- to 8-pound fluorocarbon line is a must while drop-shotting 30- to 50-foot rocky bottoms for big numbers of smallmouth and some nice 4-pound-plus fish. When drop-shotting I prefer natural presentation baits like the Berkley’s Gulp! Nemesis in the Smelt color. The lake temperature remains cool all year, and shaky-head worm presentations or small bass jigs will score a mix of largemouth and smallmouth in ultra-clear 20- to 40-foot depths. This is a great training ground for teaching your family or friends to fish. Shore fishing is a bonus, and many others and I make trophy catches all year from shore. I rely on my Costa sunglasses on this lake as much as my Lowrance Sonar. It’s so clear that I can watch strikes in 20 feet of water. I keep three pairs of Costas on board. I prefer yellow lenses for sunrise, low light and cloudy days. These lenses work wonders sighting fish and contrasting bottom structure. I use blue mirror on bright days and amber green mirror lenses for most other situations on the lake. Just to the north of Lake George, Lake Champlain offers everything a fisherman can imagine. Many experts rank Champlain among the top fisheries in the country for largemouth and smallmouth bass. You can fish just about any presentation in this vast lake, which combines natural and man-made structure like sunken ships, submerged train tracks and dock cribbings. My fishing concentrates on the southern end of the lake, where the water is usually very stained. Vast water chestnut beds yield many 5-pound-plus largemouth bass. Heavy abrasion-resistant line is a must; I prefer fluorocarbon or braid, depending on presentation. I normally punch the weeds with 1- or 2-ounce tungsten and big 10-inch Power Bait or Yum worms. Dark colors work best. Topwater and flipping are also go-to tactics, with countless backwaters providing breathtaking views and heart-pounding hook sets. To the south, Saratoga Lake is much smaller than George or Champlain. It is slightly stained and can be highly pressured but still provides large numbers of largemouth in the 3- to 5-pound range. Dense concentrations of cabbage and mixed milfoil create great opportunities for tossing plastics and jigs on the edges of long weed lines. Saratoga Lake’s close proximity to the City of Saratoga Springs makes it an ideal morning or evening getaway for those visiting during track season, which lasts through Labor Day. While the tourist season winds down, the fish really turn on, which make for some magical days in fall. The big lakes are great, but to me the gems of this area are the smaller lakes and ponds I learned to fish on. The unique chance to toss a lure to unpressured fish on public waters is a reality. The Adirondack Park features countless opportunities perfect for canoe and kayak fishing. With today’s lightweight watercraft, you can be alone with 2- to 5-pound bass after just a half-mile hike to numerous ponds and lakes. Many canoe and kayak waters are also roadside or within a state park. New York does a wonderful job providing trailhead access and parking areas for anglers with car-top boats. Research access at www.dec.ny.gov. The amount of good bass water in the Saratoga/Lake George is staggering. With its proximity to so many metropolitan centers, a short drive up I-87 can have you setting hooks on some beastly bass in no time.
For an overview map of the area, go to
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FRESHWATER Mille Lacs Ranked No. 1 Bass Lake By B.A.S.S. Photo by Doug Kerr
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innesota’s Mille Lacs Lake has long been known for exceptional walleye fishing and ice fishing, but the smallmouth bass fishing on this more than 130,000-acre lake north of Minneapolis is what catapulted it to the top of Bassmaster Magazine’s 100 Best Bass Lakes rankings. According to B.A.S.S. research, 20-pound five-fish limits of smallmouth bass are a regular occurrence, 30-pound sacks show up in some events, and two 36-pound limits were weighed in during events last fall. Those numbers are almost unbelievable on a smallmouth lake, considering a 36-pound limit would average out to more than 7 pounds per bass. Here’s the rundown of Bassmaster’s top-12 bass lakes in the nation: 1. Mille Lacs Lake, Minnesota 2. Sam Rayburn Reservoir, Texas 3. Clear Lake, California 4. Shearon Harris Lake, North Carolina 5. Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California 6. Lake Berryessa, California 7. Lake Erie, New York 8. Santee Cooper Lakes, South Carolina 9. Lake St. Clair, Michigan 10. Falcon Lake, Texas 11. Thousand Islands area St. Lawrence River, New York 12. Chickamauga Lake, Tennessee
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Focus On Redfish In August By Tobin Strickland
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big question on all the Internet message boards lately is, “Where are the midrange trout in the heat of summer?” One of the indicators of either fishing too shallow or fishing in the wrong part of the bay for the season is catching mostly undersized trout. So, if you’re catching nothing but “dink” trout in August, fish deep structure with current. I don’t like catching dinks, so I’ll focus on upper-slot redfish and sight casting to the big shallow trout I see while I’m fishing for reds. The summer heat finally forces redfish to go in search of food in the marsh and grass flats. Shrimp are now mostly gone, except large white shrimp, so while there are main-bay, open-water redfish chasing those fish-big shrimp, some reds will now begin to work over juvenile white shrimp and shad in the marsh and grass flats. They’ll also be eating mullet and crabs when the opportunity presents itself. Redfish are simple. They use current to feed, and the faster you learn about where the niche is, the more consistent you’ll be catching redfish in shallow waters. Follow a current from a marsh cut to the bank of a marsh pond it’s flowing too, and you’ll find redfish. Also look for eddies behind structure and where the current edge crosses structure, and that’s good as well. Big trout are similar in the summer in shallow areas. They are there for the big mullet and to eat little trout but are in small niche areas of their own. Tobin created the TroutSupport.com weedless, snagless, long casting, walk the dog soft plastic for fishing shallow grass, shallow oysters, rocks, and mangrove where reds and snook live. COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM
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MAKO SHARK ON THE FLY
I
f you’re looking for some spectacular fly fishing for toothy critters, mako sharks are tough to beat as a game fish. They can be found pretty much worldwide, but right now is the time of year to visit southern California, where shortfin mako sharks show up off the coast every year within easy range for fly rodders with a small skiff. The mako shark is one of saltwater fly fishing’s outstanding but unappreciated game fish. Found on both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, a smaller mako in the 20- to 30-pound range can be the perfect-sized fish for the beginning saltwater fly fisherman. Of course, fishing for sharks is a tad different than fishing for bluegills in your Uncle Ned’s farm pond, and the equipment also differs. First, you’ll need a boat, preferably a boat over 18-feet that can handle fairly choppy seas. Most center-consoles will do; however, a skiff with a beam of 8 feet or wider and a not-too-deep V will settle in the water better and will reduce pitch and roll to a minimum, offering a much more stable casting platform. A good chum line is the most effective way of attracting makos to within casting distance of your boat. Chumming attracts the larger makos and will place you in the position of being able to sight-cast to them. Into a chum bag, place the belly sections or fresh carcasses of tuna, bluefish or bonito, then place the bag into a milk crate or 5-gallon bucket and lower this mess over the side. Then sit back and listen for the musical score from the movie “Jaws” to begin. You won’t have long to wait once that chum slick begins to spread. Ideally, you should use fresh carcasses, but store-bought chum will suffice. One bit of important advice: Less is more when chumming; you don’t need much; no matter how small the slick, a shark can smell it from
miles away. Now that you have the boat and chum, the next thing to do is find a mako. On the West Coast, we are fortunate to have the continental shelf only a few miles offshore. On the east coast, you’ll have to venture a bit farther offshore. Keep your eyes peeled for working birds and surface-busting bait; constantly check the water temperature looking for readings between 66 and 70 degrees. But, be patient when chumming. I will wait at least an hour or an hour and a half before moving to another spot, but there have been occasions when the sharks made their appearance within a few minutes of 1 ½ hours. Once in the slick, makos will stick around for most of the fishing day. Drifting allows you to cover more water and in the process, attract more makos to your boat. By choosing the right season, having the right chum and chumming the right areas, you can count on hooking and releasing a good number of makos during the course of a single day on the water.
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SCALLOP SEASON IS OPEN! DAVID MANEY, FOWLER’S SUNGLASSES
Value Versus Ego In Sunglasses
A
t Fowler’s, we know sunglasses. We sold more than 25,000 pairs last year, and we represent more than 30 companies, all clamoring for attention in the marketplace. This gives me intimate knowledge of most of what’s offered, and I have some insight to share on what makes a pair of sunglasses the right pair for you. There are two types of
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Realize that frames represent very little in the cost of production for a pair of sunglasses. What you are paying for--or should be paying for-in an expensive pair of glasses is lens technology. A better set of lenses is going to cost more and last longer. Those inexpensive glasses with sprayon lens protection will serve you almost as well as the expensive ones off the shelf, but they might
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sunglasses shoppers. One views sunglasses as fashion accessories, to be matched to an outfit or activity. This is all well and good. Good-looking glasses do help you look cool. The second type of shopper, which is a group I have found many anglers fall into, is more interested in sunglasses as an essential tool. All-day comfort and performance are considerations that come before style or brand for people in this second group. If performance is more important to you than ego, do not lock yourself into one particular brand of glasses. They can range from $5 to $500, and all manufacturers promote their own bells and whistles. Sometimes you get what you pay for, other times you are paying for a brand logo on the side of the frame.
only maintain that performance for a year. The single most important consideration with frames is they are essential to fit and the resulting comfort for the wearer. This is why you should not be locked into a certain brand. Everyone’s face is different, and so are everyone’s sunglasses needs. Do not be a branded person, choose a pair of sunglasses that fits your face and your needs.
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1,000-Pound Tournament Hammerhead Shatters Texas Record Photo courtesy of Texas City La Marque Jaycees/Facebook nglers hauled some big sharks out of the Gulf of Mexico during this year’s Texas City Jaycees Tackle Time Fishing Tournament. Chief among those sharks was a 1,033-pound great hammerhead that shattered a 37-year-old Texas state record. Tim McClellan obviously took first place for the giant shark he entered in the annual fundraising tournament for the Texas City La Marque Jaycees. The tournament awards the top three fish in multiple inshore, offshore and youth divisions. This year, it ran June 30 – July 9, and 964-pound and 817-pound tiger sharks rounded out the top three in the shark division. McClellan’s fish beat out the 871-pound Texas state record great hammerhead, which was caught by Mark Johnson in July of 1980. The current IGFA world record great hammerhead weighed 1,280 pounds. It was caught from the other side of the Gulf by Bucky Dennis fishing out of Boca Grande, Fla. in May 2006. Texas City is on Galveston Bay, just southeast of Houston, and offers easy access to the open Gulf of Mexico through the pass between Galveston and Goat islands.
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AMBASSADOR A M B A S S A D O@JUSTINPOWELLBASSIST R @ J U S T I N P O W E L L B A• S PHOTO S I S T •@THEJEFFBROCKMEYER PHOTO @THEJEFFBROCKMEYER
AVAILABLE AT AT AVAILABLE STRIKE STRIKE ZONE • ACE HARDWARE • LOWER KEYS TACKLE • ARMED ANGLER • SALTWATER ANGLER • BACKCOUNTRY COWBOY OUTFITTERS •• THREE THREE BROTHERS BROTHERS PADDLE PADDLE BOARDS BOARDS •• FLINT FLINT CREEK CREEK OUTFITTERS OUTFITTERS •• SALTY SALTY DOG DOG SURF SURF SHOPS SHOPS •• WEST WEST COAST COAST KAYAKS KAYAKS •• AMI AMI OUTFITTERS OUTFITTERS •• BLUE PELICAN MARINA • HARBORWALK MARINA • BASS PRO SHOPS • WEST MARINE BLUE PELICAN MARINA • HARBORWALK MARINA • BASS PRO SHOPS • WEST MARINE
NATIVE Coastal Anglers SemiFinal.indd 1 COMMON CVRS_0817.indd 4 NATIVE Coastal Anglers SemiFinal.indd 1
5/25/17 9:24 AM 7/18/17 5/25/17 9:30 9:24 AM AM
COMMON CVRS_0817.indd 3
7/18/17 9:30 AM