Coastal Angler Magazine | April 2017 | Upstate New York by Coastal Angler Magazine

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UPSTATE NEW YORK EDITION

Bass Pro

Mike Iaconelli Talks Kayaks Inshore

Make New Lures

Confidence Lures

Local

Fishing Reports Catch Photos News & Events

ELITE SERIES PRO MIKE IACONELLI CHASES REDFISH FROM A HOBIE KAYAK VOLUME 22 â&#x20AC;¢ ISSUE 267

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Each month, Coastal Angler Magazine and The Angler Magazine staff search our vast coverage area for photos that will grace our covers. With well over a million readers in diverse coastal and inland markets, our magazines strive for broad national appeal as well as local-level intelligence to put anglers on fish. The cover is different depending on which edition you, the reader, are holding. The following is a little information about this month’s covers.

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The cover of this month’s Coastal Angler Venice, Louisiana: editions features a gorgeous Louisiana red A Paddler's caught by Kaku pro-staffer and Louisiana Heaven tuna captain Jeff Schneider while fishing from the deck of a Kahuna SUP. There is perhaps no better place in the world to chase redfish from a paddle-powered boat Local Bass Pro Mike Iaconelli than Venice, Louisiana. Kaku’s president Talks Kayaks Inshore Kevin Hawkins tells us all about it in this issue. With thousands upon thousands of acres of marshland situated around the mouth of the Mississippi Delta, it is a paradise for inshore species and the anglers who target them. There are so many options for kayak and paddleboard anglers around Venice. They range from mothership trips out in the Gulf of Mexico for big cobia, jacks and bull reds to easier hand-launch expeditions off the side of the road in Venice, where marsh ponds and canals in tall grass make it easier to find fishing out of the wind. No matter where or how one decides to deploy a little plastic boat in the waters around the Delta, the fishing will be fantastic. It truly is heaven for anglers under paddle power.

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THE ANGLER MAGAZINE Bass Pro Mike Iaconelli: Down Off The Deck

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Professional bass tournament angler and Mike Iaconelli TV personality Mike Iaconelli is one of the most recognized anglers in the world. The 2003 Bassmaster Classic Champion and 2006 Make New Lures Angler of the Year, “Ike” can claim to have won Confidence Lures Local almost every major award in professional bass fishing. But he’s also a self-described fish-head, who will fish anywhere, any way for anything that will pull on the other end of a line. It’s fitting that the rig pulling his stateof-the-art Bass Cat boat also has a Hobie kayak strapped to the roof for quick and easy, on-the-spot fun fishing. In this month’s magazine, Ike tells us about his love of kayak fishing in a question-and-answer session that delves into some of the tools and techniques he uses inshore. Ike is one of the best bass fishermen in the world, and his tournament skills translate well to saltwater. The cover of this month’s The Angler Magazines is of “Ike” with a good redfish caught while filming for his TV show “Going Ike” in Port Fourchon, Louisiana. We interviewed him in the run-up to this year’s Bassmaster Classic, and taking a moment to talk kayaks seemed a breathe of fresh air for him during crunch time. Talks Kayaks Inshore

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Kayakin’ The Spring

By Patrick Sebile

ife is getting vibrant. Things are warming up, and spring is here. As a ritual long established, I feel the need to be close to nature. And to me there’s no better way to experience the feeling of life awakening than riding a kayak with a rod in my hand. I have fished and guided from all kinds of boats, from small skiffs to majestic deep-sea vessels, but a small plastic shell puts me right next to the fish, my hands always a few inches from the water’s surface. It’s not a money matter, as I own boats. Perhaps it is the challenge? I definitively spend more time each year fishing from my skiff or bass boat, and surely catch more fish from these boats. They are true fishing machines, helping me cover lots of water to find fish. And they can carry all the gear necessary for any situation. On my kayak, I have to think effectively about what my needs are and carefully consider every single thing I will bring onboard. It’s a good way to find the balance between needs and wants. So how do I fish while kayaking? In freshwater and saltwater, my approach is to slowly and surely cover every spot. In a kayak, I am much more aware of, and more capable of, targeting the places where fish hide. Superbly silent, my Pro Angler carries me at the edge of two worlds, above the surface where we

live and the liquid world, which holds the object of all our passions. My kayak tackle boxes have a variety of carefully selected key lures that will help in different situations and environments, nothing more than what I will need. I carry Magic Swimmers, hard for open water and soft for heavy cover and structure. A Flatt Shad snagless is effective in both open and snaggy areas. Twitch baits like the Stick Shadd definitely go into my box, as they are needed if fish are active. A handful of plastic worms, a couple of bucktails, and then a topwater or a pivot frog will complete this set to fish from a ’yak. Seated just above the water, gliding silently with gentle movements of my feet on the pedals, rod in hand and with eyes searching, I use the smooth approach to get as close as I can to the spot or to the fish. Then all that’s left is a short but accurate cast. Proximity also gives me greater enjoyment of seeing the fish and seeing it bite. That’s why I love kayak fishing this time of the year. And you never know; I may let my lures sit in the tackle box and simply hook a shiner or a shrimp and let it swim. Or maybe I won’t even do a thing, just watch the water and the life that surrounds it—just enjoy life… and a kayak ride. Patrick Sebile is the owner and lure designer of Sebile Innovative Fishing (www.sebile.com).

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Mike Iaconelli Talks Kayaks And Redfish

Editor Nick Carter had the chance to interview professional bass angler Mike Iaconelli just before the Bassmaster Classic. We didn’t want to jinx Ike by talking about the Classic, so we asked the Hobie pro about his love of kayak fishing.

hat’s the appeal in stepping down from the deck of a bass boat into a kayak? Ike: Growing up in southern New Jersey, I consider myself a small-boat angler first. Many of my early childhood experiences fishing involved fishing from the bank, rowing a small jonboat or paddling a canoe. Kayak fishing fills a huge niche in my fishing life. Outside of competitive bass tournament fishing, I’m still a huge fish head. That means fishing for all freshwater and saltwater species in my down time. When I’m fun fishing or filming for TV shows, I love to access remote places that I can’t get into with my full size bass boat. Kayak fishing is also a HUGE breath of fresh air to leave behind the big boat and all of the time and preparation that go along with launching and running that boat. With your tournament schedule, do you get to spend much time on the salt? Ike: I definitely try to go inshore and offshore fishing each fall when the tournament season concludes. This past fall, I spent a week in Port Fourchon, Louisiana hanging out at Hobie Worlds 6 and filming a kayak fishing episode for season two of my TV show, Going Ike, which premiers this spring on the Pursuit Channel! I had a great time catching big redfish and trout, plus it was awesome meeting the Hobie World Championship competitors from all over the world who love fishing as much as I do. I also had a chance to go offshore fishing with my buddy Ish Monroe in San Francisco during November. We were mainly targeting lingcod, and it was an amazing day of fishing! Where do you put your kayak in and what do you fish for in New Jersey? Ike: I mostly fish the small lake behind my house, which has largemouth bass, northern chain pickerel, crappie and sunfish. My son, Vegas, got a brand new Hobie kayak from Santa for Christmas this year. The fish in our lake better watch out this summer! I’m really looking forward to spending time with my family and pursuing exciting new fishing adventures. How do redfish compare to “green fish?” Ike: Anyone who has caught a big redfish would agree that they are definitely more powerful and are a very aggressive fish in general. One of my favorite things about targeting redfish is that most of the time I can focus on shallow-water power-fishing techniques and search for active, feeding reds. With the “green fish,” there are a lot of times that I have to slow down and present a bait to them slowly such as with a jig, worm or finesse fishing.

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What skills, techniques and gear from your bass arsenal translate well to inshore? Ike: Casting accuracy/ presentation, reading tides and powerfishing techniques are the first three that come to my mind. Often when I’m inshore fishing, I am targeting fish that are relating to a grass edge or current break. If I can make accurate, quiet casts, there’s a good chance I’m going to catch more fish! Having grown up fishing the Delaware River, which can have up to a 7-foot tide swing between low and high tides, I’ve spent much of my life learning how fish position based on the tide level and current. This experience translates extremely well to inshore fishing…. I bring a lot of traditional power-fishing gear that you’d also find in my Bass Cat boat when I’m fishing for bass: Abu Garcia “Ike” Series Rods, Berkley Trilene braided/ monofilament/ fluorocarbon fishing lines, Rapala Skitter Walk and Skitter V topwaters, VMC jigheads, and Berkley Powerbait and Gulp swimbaits, grubs, and more soft plastics. How is your Hobie rigged out? Ike: I have a Power Pole Micro Anchor to stop the kayak on a dime. This is a very crucial piece of equipment, which allows me to quickly stop and fish an area without the kayak drifting with the current or wind. This is huge when you are fishing specific targets such as points, current breaks, laydowns, docks and more. I also have a Lowrance HDS 9 Touch unit, a storage crate for my Flambeau Zerust tackle boxes and tackle bags, landing net, rod holders, and of course, Hobie’s Mirage Drive pedals so I can keep my hands fishing instead of paddling! Electronics play a huge role on the bass tournament scene, what’re your thoughts on electronics in kayaks? Ike: Electronics play just as huge of a role in kayak fishing. I really use it the same as with my Bass Cat boat! As I just mentioned, I run a Lowrance HDS 9 Touch unit on my Hobie for its GPS/ sonar abilities. I rely heavily on the information I can gather from the Lowrance such as mapping/ bottom contours, reading the water temperature, and using the sonar for locating fish, cover and structure to name a few. I may mount a Hydrowave on the Hobie as well soon. It’s another great innovation in electronics, and I use it often in my boat to fire up fish. I’m always interested in adding tools to my boat or kayak that help me catch more fish!

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Lou

By Nick Carter - Photos Courtesy of Kaku

f there’s a heaven for folks who fish from paddle-powered boats, it must look a lot like Venice, Louisiana. This narrow spit of marshland at the Mississippi River Delta is a maze of canals and bays that flush into the Gulf of Mexico with fecundity born of joining waters. Channels and marsh ponds tucked into thousands of acres of wetlands make it the perfect habitat for redfish, seatrout, flounder and other species. It’s like the landscape was designed for fishing and exploring with a paddle. Kevin Hawkins was born and raised in Tarpon Springs, Fla. He is the president of Kaku Kayaks & Paddleboards but calls himself the company’s chief pro-staffer. He prides himself on the amount of fishing he does and designs his boats on experience. Venice is one of his favorite testing grounds. Whether its launching roadside into the marsh, a trip outside the pass from remote Port Eads or a mothership expedition to the Gulf ’s famous oil rigs, it’s the perfect setting to test his boats. It doesn’t hurt that the fishing is awesome. When the seas aren’t too rough, there’s no adventure quite like a mothership trip out to the oilrigs in search of cobia, kingfish and bull reds. Kaku pro-staffer Capt. Jeff Schneider is also a tuna captain who runs a 36-foot Contender when he’s not paddling a small plastic boat. With kayaks loaded, it’s about an hour and a half run from Venice Marina out to 50-foot-deep rigs in West Bay. Hawkins described a day he fished with Schneider, and although the primary target was cobia, a big 45-inch redfish was the highlight. Armed with big 5000 reels and 40- to 50-pound tackle, they dropped Kaku Wahoo kayaks into 2- to 3-foot seas. Even on the stable fishing platform, Hawkins said it might have been a bit much for new paddlers. For a veteran it was fun. “It’s awesome, man. I love paddling a good kayak in that stuff and busting over big waves,” said Hawkins. “When it gets rough like that, it’s fun.” They fished a series of four or five structures linked by a bridge, which gave space to paddle around and explore. Hawkins said he paddled right up to the corner of a pier, dropped his jig straight down and began back paddling before jigging. That’s when the big bull red ate. “When you’re in the shallows and they pull you around, they call that the Cajun sleigh ride,” Hawkins said. “When you’re in deep water like that, he heads straight down. He was pulling me, and that kayak was smashing straight down on those waves. It was pretty intense.” Invariably, fish seek something to wrap the line around, and only by kicking off a beam was Hawkins able to keep himself from going

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Experience Heaven

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under the rig and losing the fish. He gave a piece of advice for battling big fish from a kayak in deep water. “Keep the tip of the rod toward the front of the boat,” he said. “When the rod goes to the side, that’s when you run the risk of flipping.” If an open-water mothership trip seems a little much, Port Eads sits on the southernmost tip of Louisiana, right at the end of the Mississippi River. It’s only accessible by boat, and reasonable prices buy lodging and good meals. Also known as South Pass, the location is a few minutes paddle from the open Gulf and offers excellent fishing for big jacks, reds, cobia, blacktip sharks and any number of other species big enough to warrant medium-heavy rods, 3000 to 4000 reels and 30- to 40-pound-test lines. Hawkins likes artificials and prefers Slayer Inc.’s Sinister Swim Tail rigged on a 4/0 jig head. For him, sinking bait outside the pass would detract from the reason he fishes from kayaks and SUPs in the first place. “Kayaks are about stalking and hunting the fish,” he said. “You’ve got to use your instincts to find them. I don’t like to just sit on a hole and fish bait.” It’s as much fun as you can have sitting down… or standing up if seas are calm enough for an SUP like Kaku’s Kahuna, which is specifically designed for fishing. But perhaps the best bet for calm waters is a third Venice option, to launch roadside. Highway 23 runs from New Orleans to Venice, and Tidewater Road is where the pavement ends. There are any number of places to hand-launch a kayak or paddleboard. Hawkins mentioned Yellow Cotton Bay as well as a series of marsh ponds and cuts at a circular canal known as The Pinwheel. Once you find fish off the grass edges, it’s probably the best inshore action in the world, and it’s easily accessible to paddlers. Popping cork rigs are a no-brainer, but Hawkins said once you get tired of catching scads of rat reds and trout, it’s time to switch to the paddletail rig he likes to fish outside the pass. “We’re looking for the big ones,” he said. “You’ve still got to be ready for the big ones. No matter where I am in Venice, I’ve got a 30-pound rig.” For more information on Kaku Kayaks & SUPs, see kakukayak. com.

To learn more about fishing from a Kahuna Paddleboard, go to

FISHINGLIFE.CO

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The 12.5′ length of the Wahoo helps ensure stability. The Wahoo spans 33″ wide, great for fishing! Weighing only 74 lbs, the Wahoo is WWW.kakukayak.com lightweight, but incredibly stable. The Wahoo has a capacity of 400lbs.

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Paddlesports Product Review COVERALLS KAYAK COVER

CREEKKOOLER FLOATING COOLER

Who says kayak covers need to be bulky and thick? CoverAlls kayak covers deliver protection, strength and durability in a lightweight, tough material that keeps your kayak clean and dry year-round. Protect your kayak from nature and the elements. Prevent dirt, debris, pollen and leaves from piling up in the cockpit and seat. Block bugs and critters before they move in. Keep water out with material that’s not just water-resistant—it’s water-PROOF. Our covers are also UV-resistant to preserve your kayak’s hull and rigging from the sun’s damaging rays. Best of all, CoverAlls kayak covers are a breeze to use. They slip on quickly, draw closed with a single poly cord and cam lock—not zippers—and get snug with durable Velcro straps. There’s even a built-in red flag for transport. The cover slips off easily and stows neatly in an included compact stuff bag that even fits in most deck hatches. Spend more time with a rod and reel and less time with a hose and scrub brush. See how much better protection can be at www.coveralls.biz!

Space is always at a premium when you’re on the water in a paddle-powered vessel. Whether it’s a kayak, canoe or stand-up paddleboard, a lack of stowage often forces us to leave behind the things not absolutely necessary for the activity at hand. On a larger boat where there’s plenty of room, many anglers wouldn’t think of going fishing without a cooler full of iced-down beverages. With the new Creekkooler, those navigating under paddle power can have the same luxury. The Creekkooler is an innovative floating cooler designed with dual-wall construction and top-quality insulation to retain ice and keep things cold for extended periods. Its shape cuts through the water, limiting drag and allowing it to be pulled easily behind a boat. Creekkooler has a 30-quart capacity and will hold 30 12-ounce cans and 20 pounds of ice. It has four drink holders on deck and a 1/8-turn watertight lid that makes it a great tool for extra dry storage, too. Whether it’s for keeping drinks cold during a day on the water with buddies, packing in provisions for a multi-day float trip, or extra dry storage for the stuff you need but don’t have room in the boat for, Creekkooler is an innovative new product that will make your excursion under paddle power more comfortable.

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WHALEBACK PADDLEBOARDS TORTUGA

When I’m not in the studio or at the racetrack, I’m fishing. Every chance I get. I recently started SUP fishing, and the 12’6” Tortuga by Whaleback Paddleboards is a real game changer. At 12’6” x 34” x 10.5”, with twin pontoons, the stability is ridiculous. I can walk nose to tail and all around the rails to reel in fish from any direction. Its 3-inch side bite tracking fins allow me to squeeze into shallow flats, and its maneuverability and stability is great offshore as well. With a fullcoverage, water-resistant traction pad, the deck space is unmatched. And its 28 customizable

By Matt Nix, Racin’ Nation Radio

WWW.WHALEBACKPADDLEBOARDS.COM

JACKSON KAYAK KRAKEN 13.5

Jackson Kayak’s Kraken 13.5 is an all-new option for paddlers looking to tackle big water. Based on The Kraken 15.5 platform, the 13.5 sheds some length for more maneuverability but with all the punch of its big brother. This kayak, just like the original, is designed for the most challenging paddling environments and intended for the offshore and big-lake kayak angler. It’s a natural follow up to the first collaborative design between legendary kayak angler, Jim Sammons and Jackson Kayak’s design team led by Tony Lee. The new Kraken 13.5 is a boat shaped and built to accommodate those hitting the open water in a nimble, smaller footprint but still capable of big water management. It’s designed for punching through surf, handling rough offshore currents, swells, beach landings and those who desire ultimate performance and maneuverability. With more features than can be listed, Jackson has considered all the needs of bigwater anglers and packed them thoughtfully into this kayak. Its great-tracking hull has the speed to cover miles and the volume and storage to carry you and your gear comfortably on long outings. 16

inserts and deck tie downs let me rig up my YakAttack lean post, rod holders, GPS and paddle holder and still have room for the cooler, cup holder and lawn chair. Because let’s face it, nothing’s better than celebrating a good catch with a cold one. Whether you’re an experienced SUP fisherman or just getting started, the 12’6’ Tortuga is the board for you. It sets you up with everything you need. You just have to find the fish. All Whaleback boards are made in the USA. Visit www.whalebackpaddleboards.com or call 561-3361612 for a dealer near you.

PAU HANA BIG EZ ANGLER At 11 feet long and available in both 32 and 36 inches of width, Pau Hana’s Big EZ Angler is built to be stable, the perfect platform for fighting any game fish. This paddleboard is derived from the classic Big EZ, and is shaped to provide anglers the balance they need while remaining easy to maneuver in shallow water without disrupting fish underneath. It is lightweight at just over 30-pounds, which means it is easy to launch anywhere there’s a place to carry it to the water. It can be rigged up for any kind of fishing, can handle heavy loads and carry all the gear you need. With a soft and stylish deck and space in between the pieces for water drainage, the Angler comes pre-equipped with 25 multiple threaded mount attachment points using Pau Hana’s innovative SeaMount System. Coolers, tackle boxes, anchors, nets, rod holders, paddle clips, lights and anything else an angler needs can be easily mounted on deck. The Big EZ Angler is a real teak paddleboard with the capacity to carry everything an angler needs and provide a stable platform to fish from.

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Paddlesports Product Review RAM MOUNTING SYSTEMS Whether you are on a lake, stream, whitewater, inlet or ocean, kayaking is all about adaptability. RAM has created a complete line of rust-resistant mounting solutions for kayaks that allow anglers to mount items where they are needed. RAM Mounting systems offer the widest selection of kayak fishing accessories to adapt to a wide range of fishing scenarios. With a patented ball-and-socket design, RAM mounts allow anglers to mount almost anything at the perfect angle. This provides flexibility to mount equipment within reach, but out of the way. RAM’s kayak mounts and fishing accessories are rugged, compact, and have no sharp edges or points. All of our kayak mounts are backed by a lifetime warranty and are made in the USA. RAM mounts are the solution for mounting anything you might need on the water. A full line of rod holders covers everything from fly rods to conventional baitcasters and spinning rods of all sizes. Electronics, like fishfinders, chartplotters, phones, tablets and cameras can be mounted securely where they are needed. RAM even has a special system for mounting transducers for depthfinders. If there is something that needs to be mounted on a kayak, chances are RAM has thought of it and designed a product to hold it.

WWW.RAMMOUNT.COM

THE SKIMMER KAYAK MOTOR KIT Paddle fatigue getting to you? Want to motorize your kayak or canoe? There’s no need to pay $2,000 for a motorized kayak. Watercraft Technologies’ The Skimmer is a simple system for motorizing your kayak or canoe, and it costs less than $400. It is a lightweight, portable motor that mounts easily to your stern. Just snap it on when you need it. Fishing has never been easier, safer and more convenient. Go farther and save your energy for fishing! Increase your range! Catch more fish! The Skimmer weighs only 6 pounds. It’s 12v battery operated. There are easy controls for steering and motor lift. It’s environmentally safe, with no pollution, oil or gas spills. The Skimmer is made for saltwater, but does great in brackish or fresh water. It is able to propel a craft 2-4 knots and lasts two to five hours per charge. Imagine running your kayak at that speed and that long with zero effort! This propulsion system is great for people who want to get on the water and not worry about paddling hard into a swift current or strong wind. It is also great for those with shoulder, back or elbow issues. This kayak trolling motor kit carries a one-year, full parts replacement policy. See The Skimmer in action and order online at www.kayaktrollingmotor.com or order by phone at 631-848-3119.

WWW.KAYAKTROLLINGMOTOR.COM

MALIBU X-WING CONSOLE

Storage is a huge issue when all the gear you need at hand must fit in a space the size of your legs and lap. Malibu’s X-Wing Console is a fantastic option for storing and organizing gear in the cockpit of a kayak. Mounting of electronics, rod holders and other accessories can all be accomplished on one unit without drilling unnecessary holes in a kayak’s deck. A dry-storage compartment included in the unit makes the perfect place for valuables as well as being a great place for a battery. The X-Wing slides back and forth on a track mounted to the gunnel, so placement can be customized on the fly so it’s there when you need it and out of the way when you don’t. It’s also completely removable for storage and transportation. The X-Wing fits Malibu Kayaks, and modifications and adapters can be used to make the console fit other brands.

WWW.MALIBUKAYAKS.COM

YAKGEAR COOLER SEAT A cooler is one of the most valuable tools in most anglers’ arsenals. It goes everywhere and serves as a refrigerator, stepladder, poling platform, storage box and even a seat. YakGear’s Cooler Seat and Rigging Kit allows anglers to turn their cooler into a more comfortable and practical seating platform. Perfect for fishing, paddling, camping, tailgating and hunting, the YakGear Cooler Seat and Rigging Kit consists of the YakGear Sting Ray Seat and the necessary hardware to mount and secure the seat to a cooler. The kit is compatible with all coolers that feature “Front Locking Holes” including Yeti, Grizzly, Engel, Yukon, Icehole, some of the Bison models, and many more. The YakGear Sting Ray Seat features built-in back braces, which allow rigid back support without pressure from an exterior backrest. While most seats slouch down or fold over, the YakGear back braces hold the seat in place. As an additional feature, the seat has an aggressive non-slip pad to prevent unwarranted movement while sitting.

YAKGEAR.COM APRIL 2017

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FLY FISHING A Modern Take On Booking Fishing Guides And Charters

a better way. In April 2016, Fisher Guiding was founded. Since then, Hill has been working full time to turn his dream of easy one-stop shopping for charters and guided trips into reality. Fisher Guiding is a web-based service that lets anglers book trips with guides and charters online. It allows potential customers to search, review, message and pay guides all through an easy-to-use website. This service allows guides and captains to advertise and book clients based on available dates. It makes payment hassle free and allows guides and captains to market to customers in a way never before available. For some independent guides, the local fly shop is the only avenue available for them to book clients. Fisher Guiding is looking to supplement and modernize by offering a variety of scheduling and booking tools. Right now, Fisher Guiding currently has booking options from Alaska to the East Coast, Bahamas, Belize and Costa Rica. Although the consumer website just launched eight days ago, Fisher is already off to a great start with trips booked and new guides joining daily making for a constantly growing community. “Ultimately, the goal is to have guides and charters representing every market and fishing destination in the USA and around the world,” said Hill. It will be interesting to see how Fisher Guiding impacts the industry. The advantages are obvious for guides and charter services, but the greatest benefit may be for the consumer. Customers can read reviews and even message guides right through the website. Booking and paying for trips can be handled in two easy steps. While all change forces adaptation, a more competitive and transparent system will serve both the professionals and consumers. Ultimately the goal of Fisher Guiding is to make guides and charters more accessible to the public and contribute to the growth of the sport. A high tide will raise all the boats. See for yourself at www.fisherguiding.com.

FLY FISHING

ooking fishing guides and charters has not really changed at all for 50 years, so the industry is ripe for change and improvement. That is what Edward Hill—founder of Fisher Guiding– thought before launching his online service for guides and captains and the anglers who use them. Hill worked at Front Range Anglers before By Charlie Warfield graduating from the University of Colorado. There he saw firsthand how the guiding business worked in the local area. After school, he did private sector work in Washington, D.C., but after a couple years felt the need for a change and a new challenge. He began planning a trip to the Everglades with his father to do some fishing and reflection. Hill began searching the Internet for local guides. He was frustrated by the lack of information and the hoops he had to jump through to get hold of a guide. He had to look up guides and then call them for available dates and rates. It was a hassle, and it then turned out the guides he tracked down didn’t have the dates available he was looking for. Hill thought there must be

CHOOSING THE CORRECT BAITFISH FLY

f you look in many fly anglers’ boxes, you will see a huge array of flies in all shapes, sizes and colors. However, having the one correct fly in the box is the key to fishing success. Picking the correct flies for any saltwater fly fishing situation is key to whether or not you’ll be catching fish. Walking into a fly shop and looking into the fly bins can prove mindboggling to the uninitiated. The bins are filled with so many flies with which the fledgling saltwater fly fisher has little or no knowledge. Saltwater flies differ from their freshwater cousins in size and dress. Sometimes, like the kid in a candy store who is more influenced by the attractive wrapper than its contents, the beginning saltwater fly angler often chooses the eye-candy, over-dressed flies far too bulky to resemble a baitfish or a crab, flies that hook fishermen rather than fish.

Baitfish patterns

I believe a sparsely dressed baitfish pattern is preferable to a bulked up flashy fly. Why? The sparsely dressed fly will have a more natural look than will an all-too-spruced-up fly. Also, my experience has shown that a fish is far less selective when presented the sparsely dressed fly. The fly is only an imitation, a hint, of what the fish is feeding on, producing in the fish a reflexive action to strike. Perhaps one of the most important parts of the saltwater fly is its large eye that resembles closely the good-sized eyes on baitfish such as sardines, pilchards, and anchovies. Game fish zero in on that oversized eye when chasing and feeding on baitfish. Focusing on that eye results in fewer lost meals.

Color

Natural colors work best. Olive green, browns, tans and

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FLY FISHING Upstate New York

Bass On The Fly! By Mathew DeRosa

t was a very successful spring steelhead season on New York’s Salmon River. Approaching the tail end of the season, a friend and I made a “last chance” trip in hopes of finding a few final drop-back steelhead left in the system. We fished the lower section of the river, near Lake Ontario, to increase our chances of a tight line. It was one of those days when spring starts meshing into summer. The sun was shining with a few high clouds, the warm breeze was 70 degrees, and we had the river to ourselves. For an angler, being outside and fishing in a short sleeve shirt with no one around should be enough to call any day a success. This day was about to get better. As we cast into a river with increasing water temps and a majority of the steelhead already back in Lake Ontario, our expectations of a tight line were low. Soon enough, as we launched large flies

into the water, the addicting tight line grabs began. These fierce strikes were not steelhead, but hungry smallmouth bass. We enjoyed a full day on the river swinging 4-plus-inch flies and catching more than 25 smallmouth bass apiece. Are you a bass fisherman? Have you experienced the power of a bass on a fly rod? Smallmouth and largemouth bass will aggressively hunt down prey, which makes catching them on a fly rod extremely enjoyable. The late spring and early summer months are perfect to experience bass on the fly in Upstate New York. Altmar, N.Y. is on the Salmon River a short drive from the Tug Hill Sportsman Club. Both the Salmon River and the Tug Hill Sportsman’s Club are great places to learn how to fly fish and test your skills on bass. The beautiful scenery and vast expanse of meandering clear water make the Salmon River a top-priority fishing location in late spring. Favorable river conditions draw in large numbers of smallmouth bass. The river has more than 12 miles of public fishing property, and you can fish all day without encountering another angler. Smallmouth enter the river in April to spawn and remain in the system until September. Average Salmon River smallmouth bass range from 2 to 3 pounds; some weigh more than 5 pounds. Bass are present the entire length of the river from Altmar to the Douglaston Salmon Run. Tug Hill Sportsman Club The Tug Hill Sportsman Club is located on 450 acres of gently rolling land and is home to four lakes. The lakes make up about 45 acres of pristine largemouth bass-infested water. New to fly fishing or experienced, the opportunity to catch a world-class largemouth is there. The fish in these small lakes have had unpressured feeding, growing and reproductive conditions as the property has been carefully managed for more than 25 years. The goal is to provide guests with the highest quality angling. Enjoy Tailwater Lodge’s relaxing accommodations and fish the Tug Hill Sporting Club with Zero Limit Adventures! Matthew DeRosa is a guide with Zero Limit Adventures. For more information on the Tug Hill Sportsman’s Club and Zero Limit Adventures, visit www.zerolimitadventures.com.

whites are all great color combos for baitfish patterns. You should, however, carry a selection of blue and white, red and white and, of course, chartreuse and white in your fly box.

Size

Depending on what type of fish you’re pursuing, the size of your flies will vary. But, in most saltwater fly fishing situations, you’ll also need baitfish patterns that range from a small anchovy patterns in size 6 to large sardine or pilchard patterns in size 2/0. Remember, just as it is on the spring creek or on the large river, it’s all about matching the hatch, weather it’s insects or baitfish.

For more flyfishing with Bowman, go to

CAMFLYFISHING.COM

35 Acres of Private Access to the World-Renowned Salmon River 42 Luxurious Accommodations On-Site Bar and Restaurant • Daily Hot Breakfast Included Salmon River, Altmar, NY 315-298-3434

TailwaterLodge.com

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APRIL 2017

UPSTATE NEW YORK

Angler Mag Field Experts Favored April Streams MARCH’S BIG SNOW CERTAINLY BLANKETED THE WHOLE STATE and Northeast with a late snowfall that guaranteed a later spring for everyone. Though it seemed as if we were weeks away from our boating season when we were basking in late February 70 degree weather, Mother Nature had her last laugh once again. Our opinion is this big widespread snow did us a huge fishing favor. Last year found us with low waters and higher than normal water temperatures. Long term these conditions are damaging to our fisheries that are dependent on cool water and a good deal of it. An early spring would have likely lead us to an early summer and a similar circumstance as last year’s low and warm conditions during summer. When I see late snowfall, I get excited for the conditions that follow, snowmelt. This snowmelt is what produces our off-colored waters running off into our lakes, particularly but not limited to Lake Ontario. In this issue, we introduce a new Champlain writer Shawn Hayes, who has been consistently nailing early season browns and landlocks on Lake Champlain. The tactics that our contributors share for their home waters can be successfully applied on your pet water. I have always loved the freshness of the spring and the potential and energy that the winters snowmelt provide. I love trolling in front of small streams looking for packs of trout and salmon that are magnetized to this renewed flow, awaiting pods of baitfish to gorge on. For those just learning about Upstate NY fishing, the water entering open lakes from streams and rivers in spring have much more color and nutrients in them than the open lake water that are often gin clear. This becomes structure that gamefish and bait orient to. This water often warms quicker which also attracts both bait and all sorts of fish feeding on them. This is also why I prefer to fish small streams in April, early in the trout season. These streams warm up faster and are better suited for early season bait dunking and spinner tossing, saving the bigger waters for later spring and summer. That leads to our leadoff spring article... ANGLER MAGAZINE FIELD EXPERT FAVORITE SMALL STREAM TROUT WATERS, starting off is Dave Cramer of the Troutfitter of Syracuse, www.troutfitter.com.

Trout will respond to even a modest increase in water temperature. On most spring days, the best fishing will occur during the warmest part of the day. Remember that smaller streams will have a greater swing in daily temps than a larger river, and plan accordingly! Early spring is a good time to find large fish in places you wouldn’t ordinarily expect them. Don’t be afraid to explore some new places and consider hitting the headwaters of your favorite stream.

CNY High Water Alternatives

(1) Butternut creek below the Jamesville Reservoir (2) Limestone creek near rt. 80 below Deruyter Reservoir (3) Chenango canal near Bouckville CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Early Trout Streams of Central NY BY DAVE CRAMER ANGLERS WHO PLAN ON FISHING THE TROUT STREAMS of Central NY early in the season should keep two variables in mind. The first is water level. Our local streams tend to run high and off color on many spring days. If your favorite stretch of water is too high to fish productively consider heading upstream. Often you can get above many tributaries and you may find the water much less turbid and more suitable for fishing. Keep in mind that streams with a steep gradient tend to clear faster and streams behind a damn tend to clear fastest of all. In the Syracuse area Butternut Creek below the Jamesville reservoir often runs clear when other local streams are still a mess. Anglers who want success should also keep an eye on water temps.

NOW ONLINE www.theanglermag.com/upstate-ny For editorial comments, articles, photography, advertising and all other inquires please contact: The Angler Magazine Upstate New York. CALL OR TEXT 518-898-6484 OR EMAIL frankie@theanglermagazine.com OR VISIT www.theanglermag.com/upstate-ny

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The next field expert is Jerrod Vila, multi-species fanatic who shared his Nymphing secrets in March issue of The Angler.

A Worthwile Early Season Trout Stream BY JERROD VILA

HANS CREEK, NEAR THE BORDER OF SARATOGA AND Fulton counties in the town of Fish House is a worthwhile early season trout stream to try your luck on. Access can be gained from a small pull off county route 110 where Hans Creek crosses the county road just south of Vunk Road and another access point is the upper reaches of Vunk Road along state land which requires a mild walk through the woods to reach the stream. It’s tight and fairly small but with a little searching some nice pools, log piles, and undercut banks can be found. Dead drifting beadhead buggers has produced surprisingly nice fish over the years for me here. On a side note, the stream is closed to all fishing from the bridge at Route 110, downstream to the Great Sacandaga until the opening of Walleye and Pike season in May. Our last field expert tip comes from Pete Lancaster. Pete is very stealthy on small streams and exclusively tosses salt minnows, preferably those bought at the WIGGLY WORM!!

A Stream for the Experienced Angler BY PETE LANCASTER

Jerrod Vila applying small stream tactics!

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FABIUS BROOK IS NOT A STREAM TO START YOUR TROUT fishing career.... it s a tough walk through thick brush with lots of twists and turns but if you are an experienced angler the rewards are worth the wait..... brown trout can reach 20-24 inches.... salted minnows are deadly early in the season hook your minnow threw its mouth and then threw its back for a life like presentation!!!! It’s also a stream when other streams are running high in April, Fabius will be at a perfect water level.

Reiter’s Marina has been in business and members of Boating Industries Association of Upstate New York since 1973, when Bud and Rose Reiter purchased the facility formerly known as “Bubels”. Through the years the facilities have been renovated and expanded, to better serve our clients, as business and market conditions allow.

9203 State Route 3, Sandy Creek, NY 13145 www.reitersmarina.net • 315-387-3881 • reitersmarina@frontiernet.net 2 UPSTATE NEW YORK

APRIL 2017

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Early Season Trolling On Lake Ontario BY ZACK RAYNO, FOUNDER GREAT LAKES STEELHEAD CO AS OLD-MAN WINTER LOOSENS HIS GRIP ON NEW YORK, my mind wanders to bitterly cold, early-morning sunrises set to the soundtrack of the slow, steady hum of a boat engine. It’s finally time to troll mighty Lake Ontario. Another, consecutive, mild winter has many anglers excited for this coming season. Ice cover held below 35% through 2016, which is a sharp contrast to 2014 and 2015, which had ice cover averages above 88%. The limited ice lends a hand to the survival of our gamefish, as well as our baitfish, namely the alewife. As a member of the Coldsteel Sportfishing fleet (www. coldsteelsportfishing.com), my home port is Oswego, NY. Generally speaking, brown trout are our primary target early in the trolling season. When pursuing our square-tailed friends, I am searching for two things; warmer/stained water and baitfish. These conditions are often found at tributary stream mouths, especially after a melt or precipitation. My lure selection, or spread, is usually a healthy mix of stickbaits and spoons run on planer boards and downriggers. I am a believer in checking and changing lures often, but I follow a general set of guidelines when choosing a bait. I like to keep the glows, bright greens, oranges and white lures out in the morning, on an overcast day or when the water color is a heavy stain. As I pursue fish in these conditions, I like to keep my trolling speed on the slower end, giving fish time to notice the baits. When faced with clear water and/or a bright sunny day, I find the natural color tones suit me well. A simple black and white or silver often produces. I also find that a higher trolling speed will illicit strikes, as fish may be reacting and chasing. This also helps you to explore,

potentially stumbling upon better water color or a slight jump in temperature. Some days the shoreline brown trout bite is short-lived or maybe not at all. When it’s time to examine other angling avenues, I look offshore. Early in the season, Lake Ontario will not hold a thermocline, having very little change in temperature in the top 100 feet of water. As I scour the deep, I am looking for any kind of structure. This can be in the form of a current line, a change in water temperature or a change in bottom structure. Keeping an eye on your electronics is crucial. Off-shore, I like to keep a spread heavy in spoons, throughout a wide-range of the water column. Leadcore off of planer boards is the chief producer, more often than not. I also keep a copper long-line off the stern. Typically, I have a large flasher with an A-TOM-MIK trolling fly behind it, you never know when you’ll find a spring king with an appetite. Checking, changing and adjusting your lure selection is important. I like to keep a high trolling speed when off-shore, as I am searching for fish. So, as the days grow a bit longer and warmers, prepare to dust off the trolling rods and re-organize the tackle boxes. The challenges and rewards of fishing Lake Ontario for another season are just around the corner.

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APRIL 2017

UPSTATE NEW YORK 3

Small Boaters Advantage Spring BY ROBERT MALLORY, The Angler Magazine Monthly Contributor Part II – Part I of the series is available @ www.theanglermag.com/upstate-ny AS THE SURFACE TEMPERATURES IN THE SHALLOWS WARM into the mid-60s, the brown trout which had been the mainstays of the spring fishing in the shallows begin to move offshore in search of more comfortable temperatures. Brown trout of course like to eat - and will stay inshore gorging on spawning alewives and round gobies as long as the temperatures and food supply is to their liking. The preferred temperatures for brown trout occur between roughly 48 and 65 degrees, and the trout will usually position themselves oriented to the bottom in this temperature range, in the vicinity of an ample supply of bait. As the fish move farther and farther offshore to their summer haunts and the thermocline begins to set up , where their preferred temperatures intersect the bottom – brown trout will be found. Many anglers continue to target brown trout into the early and mid-summer on the eastern end of Lake Ontario as they anxiously await the first King Salmon to infiltrate the eastern end of Lake Ontario. To catch these fish once they have located offshore, it is important to understand their daily movements. Early in the morning for a brief window of time, these fish can be found feeding on suspended alewives and often times can be taken on the same surface lures that are trolled tight to the shoreline in April and May. Once the sun starts to come up the brown trout will then usually start to sink through the water column back to the bottom as the morning wears on. To be successful this time of year the angler needs more than the basic setups discussed in the first part of this article – this time of year you

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need to present your baits at the right depths and at the right times to score on big browns. This time of year dipsey divers, downriggers, and segmented leadcore lines are the name of the game. Fishing higher in the column early and then lower later in the day is a typical scenario that is encountered once the fish transition away from the shoreline. Early in the morning stickbaits fished off of inline planer boards or such as Rapala F-11s, Challenger Junior Minnow, Smithwick Rogues can be deadly as brown trout chase suspended alewives on the surface. Once the sun comes up segmented leadcores on the same inline planers can take over. Three, Five, Seven, and ten color leadcore segments are popular and usually fished with spoons – a 20-30 foot leader is added to the leadcore to get the spoon away from the segmented leadcore for a stealthier presentation. The average sink rate for leadcore is about 5 feet for each “color” of leadcore that is let out and fishing in the water. Popular spoons include a variety of Michigan Stinger spoons in the regular Stinger and Stingray sizes, as well as some older standbys such as Evil Eye (3F and 5F sizes). Colors include anything silver/ black, silver/blue, as well as brighter chartreuse and green patterns. In the Michigan Stinger line of spoons, Black Wiggler, Chicken Wing, Natural Born Killer (NBK), and Mongoose are standard patterns that catch brown trout day in and day out. Early in the mornings, and on overcast days darker spoons may produce whereas in the high sun, more flash and brighter colors can be the key to success. Dipsey divers are another tool this time of year that can take a number of fish on any given day - and just like leadcore segments –

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Brown Trout these directional diving planers take your offering away from the boat and slightly out to the side out of the disturbances that are associated with the boat. Dipsey divers can be tuned to run at almost most any depth holding brown trout by simply letting more line out to get the device and lures deeper. Small size 0 Luhr Jensen Dipsey Divers will dive about one foot down for each four feet of line out. The larger size 1 Dipsey Divers with the standard ring will dive around 1 foot down for every three feet of line out. This brings me to the importance of using reels with accurate linecounters to be able to replicate successful presentations. Fishing dipsey divers where you are marking fish or slightly above them, is the key to getting bites on dipsey divers. Set your drags slightly loose so that line will be pulled out of the reel on a strike, or use a snubber due to the bone jarring hits that dipsey divers seem to take. Leaders between dipseys and spoons should be around 12-20 pound test, but no heavier as heavy line can kill the erratic action of the spoons. Downriggers are another option for catching brown trout – Downriggers can be fished at any depth. In general, I fish a longer lead off the downrigger ball the shallower I am fishing – when the fish are deep 10-15 feet off the ball is all you need as brown trout in general are not nearly as rigger shy as king salmon. A couple more tips that can help you put more brown trout in the boat: If you are marking large schools and pods of bait on your electronics – they are likely alewives and in general fishing with larger spoons such as Evil Eye 5Fs and Michigan Stinger Stingrays will bring you more success. Browns will not pass up an easy meal. If on the other hand you are marking Brown trout close to the bottom but the large

The authors wife with a 14 pound brown trout taken in late June out of Oswego NY off an inline planer board, with 5 colors of leadcore pulling a Black Widow Michigan Stinger. bait pods are absent – switch over to smaller spoons such as regular Michigan Stingers, and even small warrior Flutter Spoons to imitate gobies and stickleback minnows which are likely what the browns will be feeding on when the big bait isn’t present. When trolling occasionally putting the boat in neutral for a few seconds and then kick it back in gear. The abrupt change in wobble and speed of a spoon can cause a brown trout or a fish that has been following to suddenly grab that spoon. Catching brown trout once they have moved offshore can be challenging at times and it can be some of the fastest action of the year. Engaging in a tug of war with a big brown is one of my favorite things about summer fishing. With a little bit of specialized equipment one can easily take advantage of this fishery and pass the time until the king salmon come to town.

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APRIL 2017

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IRISH KNOTS FISHING MEXICO BAY REPORT BY CAPT. CHRIS YARD www.IrishKnotsFishing.com AS I WRITE THIS REPORT, WE FACE ANOTHER ONE OF OUR bigger snow threats of the season. Another arctic blast, followed by warming temps! This has been a typical cycle for the past few months in Central New York. The Adirondack Region and local snow belts received 300 plus inches of snow so far, which should hopefully provide plenty of run off to ignite our spring fishery. Hopefully the creeks and rivers pushing warmer, dirty water into the lake will invite the brown trout to our shorelines! We launched the “LIL KNOTS” for a shake down in late February, as we were blessed with 60 degree temperatures and relatively calm waters. So, we took advantage and worked some of the Eastern Basin’s shoreline, looking for some of those Check out our Website spring browns, www.eddiessalmonriverlodge.com steelhead, or shallow lake trout. Cold, clear water kept us searching, only finding minimal colored water and temps of 36.538 degrees. Mini icebergs were a but we Cozy lodge located by the famous Salmon River nuisance worked our way Find us on @eddiessalmonriverlodge through them.

Caught aboard IrishKnotsFishing.com Since we fished the lake, we’ve had some exceptional winds tossing Lake Ontario waves nearly 14-feet high and cold temperatures turning some shoreline properties into ice sculptures... These winds will obviously stir the water and give us some of the colored water us spring fishermen look for. Things continue to look up as our April fishery quickly approaches! It’s not every year we get to fish in February or March, never mind launch “Irish Knots” for the season. March 9th was our launch date in 2016 but it’s looking more like the last week of March this year Full service marina located off (weather pending). Lake Ontario on the Little Salmon River. I’ve heard a few reports that the Marina · Boat Service · Hotel & Lodging fishing was decent with some early spring browns to (315) 963-3119 the West, and a few 266 State Route 104B, Mexico, New York browns caught in the East – still very early and cold water. April showers will be upon us shortly so that should help set us up for what we need to pin point these spring browns. Until this We welcome fisherman! weather breaks, stay Conveniently located off tuned and follow us interstate 81 fishing access, boat launches and on Facebook @ “Irish Take Out & Delivery bait shops nearby. Knots Sport Fishing” (315) 668-1546 for updates! 5771 Miller Rd, Brewerton, NY 13029

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APRIL 2017

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Simple Steelheading – Spinners BY GUIDE WAYNE O

www.guidewayneosguideservice.com

HAVE YOU WANTED TO TRY FISHING FOR STEELHEAD BUT not sure where to start? A trip to a local tackle shop may have you thinking it’s going to be complicated. Do you really need a centerpin? How do you rig a shot line and a float? Why do you need a rod that is 13 feet long? If you want to catch steelhead without breaking the bank or spending an entire season learning how to rig and fish a float rod you are in luck. There is a killer method that has been gaining great popularity the past few years. That method is throwing spinners for steelhead. Steelhead fishing with spinners is by far the simplest and cheapest technique there is. A spinner set up will cost you about $100 plus the cost of a few spinners and some snap swivels. The best part is during the right times of year it can been extremely effective and the majority of fish hooked make it to the net. A good basic set up for fishing spinners is a 9-foot medium action Riversider rod which retails for about $50. I would pair that up with an Okuma Avenger spinning reel for another $40. Everyone has their preference when it comes to fishing line. I have always been a big fan of Berkley Big Game line and that doesn’t change for my spinner rods. My choice is 10-pound Big Game. You could drop down to 8 pound if wanted but I don’t see the need and like knowing I have a little more strength between myself and the fish. Next you will need a good quality snap swivel. This is one place you cannot skimp. The $1.99 twenty pack of snap swivels just won’t cut it. You will have trip ending line twist in less than one day on the water. Do yourself a big favor and spend a few dollars on some good swivels. Personally I like Spro products but any good quality swivel will work. Even with a good swivel you will still get line twist after multiple days of throwing spinners. This is again one of the reasons I like Berkley Big Game line. It is very strong but also not very expensive. Whether you are spooling reels yourself or having it done at the tackle shop it will only be a few bucks each time. Now when it comes to spinners there is a vast selection out there. Everything from Mepps to custom made spinners are available. Remember most Lake Ontario tributaries require you to use a single hook on sinking lures. Make it easy on yourself and buy spinners with single hooks already on them. There are two brands of spinners I fish. The first is Finger Lakes Tackle spinners. They are available in many tackle shops and online from Great Lakes Steelhead Company at www.glsteelheadco.com. The second are custom made spinners from Davy Jones Locker Custom Flies and Tackle which are also available in many tackle shops and online at www.djl-customs.com. Both offer a great product that catches fish. You are going to want to start off with at least 6 spinners in a few different colors. The normal colors of orange, blue, and pink are excellent on the Salmon River. Fishing spinners is by far the easiest technique. Find a section of water that ranges from 2 to 5 feet deep with good flow and fish holding structure such as big rocks. The current speed can be faster than you would think. The heads and tails of pools are great spinner water too. I generally

skip over the belly of the pool as it is too deep and slow. Cast the spinner straight across or just slightly upstream if there is a little more depth in the section you are fishing. Keeping the rod tip low let the spinner swing across the river until it is directly downstream of you. At that point the lure is out of the strike zone and can be quickly reeled back in. Make sure you hang on the strikes are violent and will surprise you. As you work an area vary the distance of your casts so you are coving different lines. Make sure to work the area thoroughly especially if the water is on the cold side and the fish may not be willing to move far. If you don’t get hit take a few steps down stream and start over. Once you are hooked up don’t raise the rod tip up. Keep it somewhat low and out to the side. Remember you have ten-pound line directly to the swivel so there is no need to baby the fish. This is why the majority of the fish hooked end up in the net. You aren’t worried about breaking off a four-pound leader. The best times to fish spinners are from mid-October to mid-December and April through May. Once the water temp drops and the fish move into the deeper holes the spinner bite slows way down or dies all together. The secret of the spinner is fishing it in faster water where the fish have to make a quick decision whether or not strike before it gets away. When you start fishing the deeper slower pools the fish have too long to study the bait. Now that doesn’t mean you won’t get one to hit during the cold months it just means there are better options at that time. That being said my boat rarely hits the water without a spinner rod even in the winter time, it is just not my go to rod first thing in the morning. Spinner fishing truly simplifies something that has become very complicated and in many cases expensive over the past ten years. The spinner allows you to be very mobile and cover a lot of water without spending a lot of money. It is a simple technique that is easy for anyone to learn in just a few minutes and best of all it catches fish. Many days a lot of them.

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APRIL 2017

UPSTATE NEW YORK 7

LAKE CHAMPLAIN REPORT BY SHAWN HAYES, FISHING FANATIC ITS SPRUNG! EARLY SPRING SALMON AND TROUT FISHING that is. Some amazing catches are happening right now at the time of this writing in mid March. But I should mention the conditions that were seen throughout mid February and March weren’t so typical with low water and warmer than usual temperatures. With the recent two feet of snowfall fishing should closer resemble our usual April fishing on the big lake with higher, muddier water. Salmon and Brown trout fishing can be incredible in April depending on several important factors, water clarity, temperature water flow, wind and weather. As the water temperatures and rivers rise so does the aggressive nature of Lake Champlains salmonids. This higher warmer water sets up breaks or transition areas that attract baitfish and the hungry predators we seek. Both trout and salmon can be caught by shore fishermen and boater alike in or around the mouths of most rivers entering the lake in depths from five to fifteen feet of water. Mud lines, temperature breaks, deltas and drop offs. A mud line or plume of dirty water shooting out into the lake from a swollen river mouth can be a great place to fish this time of year from shore or from a boat. Water temperatures usually vary from the dirty water to the clear water and even a few degrees in the month of April can make a world of difference.

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These same deltas or river mouths create their own under water structure and drop offs. Sediment builds up as it is pushed into the lake which can create an abrupt depth change and holding area for predators. For shore anglers a medium to medium heavy 7’ to 8’ foot rod spooled with some quality 8lb test line and an assortment of casting spoons, stick baits and even live bait can produce good catches this time of year. Some better known river mouths that produce are Lamoille, Winooski, Platte, Otter and Lewis Creek.

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Jeremy Lucia with one of many trout and salmon already caught this spring with Crazy Ivan spoons.

For the trolling and boat fishermen, flatlining, planer boards or downriggers can all produce in these same locations in April. The edge of the mud line or temperature break can be fished much more thoroughly and temperature monitored more closely. Fishing depths five to fifteen with a variety of small spoons, flies or even small stick baits can give you a great chance at one of the lake many trophy browns or salmon. For spoons you might try the Needle Fish, Mooselooks, Crazy Ivans and the Michigan Stinger in the 2” to 2 1/2” size. When it comes to stick baits we’ve had success with Yo Zuri pins minnows, Challengers and assorted Rapalas. Streamer flies in the same size range as the spoons in assorted colors can be the ticket some days as well. Colors can change from day to day, hour to hour, and in different light conditions of course. As I mentioned in the beginning of this article right up until 3 days before this writing many salmon and browns from four to eight pounds were being caught with great regularity. Lake Champlains open water trout and salmon fishing for 2017 is looking to be another great year for more and bigger fish than ever. I have to add that the water temperatures and weather in April is still to be taken seriously and extra caution in and around these high, swift water areas should be used. And life preservers are a must in the month of April on Lake Champlain. Respect the water, respect the Deli • Grocery • Pizza weather and respect (518) 251-3355 each other. 1688 State Route 28N, Minerva, New York <>< Fish On!

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UPSTATE NEW YORK 9

The following article was written by Richard Preall, retired NYSDEC fisheris biologist. I became friends and fishing buddies with Richard years ago while he would help me research the ADK brook trout waters I wished to explore. I learned so much from Rich and truly gained complete respect for the hard work and dedication our biologists devote. Check out the anglermag.com/upstate-ny for articles on fishing Lake Clear Wabblers. –Angler Frank

ICE OUT ADK BROOKIES BY RICHARD PREALL, RETIRED NYSDEC FISHERY BIOLOGIST “ICE OUT!” IS A TERM OF ANTICIPATION and excitement for any brook trout angler. My phone calls tripled in number in March with folks wanting a prediction of when the ice would be gone on various Adirondack lakes and ponds. A normal ice out time in years’ past would be around April 15th, but recent warm winters have nudged ice out closer to April Fool’s Day. I think this year will see a similar early ice out date since there were several very mild weather spells in the Adirondacks. Trout season opens on April 1st and it is often possible to fish then even if ice still locks up most of the pond. You just need to find an open margin of water along the shoreline or near any inlets or outlets. I know fellows who have been quite successful casting a worm onto the ice sheet then reeling it slowly back to fall just at the ice edge. Brookies often lurk in the shadows under the ice waiting for easy prey. A word of advice though, you are only allowed to fish natural openings in the Author Richard Preall with a well deserved ADK brook ice. Entrepreneurs who break up thinning trout from a Moose River Plains pond.

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ice with a boat or via other means may need to do some explaining to an Environmental Conservation Officer (ECO). Ice out generally happens first on shallow, darkly stained waters. The ice will depart first from the northern shores of a pond, because that shore gets more sunlight due to the sun having a southerly arc in the spring. If a pond has a dark bottom it will also warm faster and that spurs trout feeding. Once a pond is completely open, those same areas generally hold more trout in the first weeks of the season. If you don’t know a pond’s depth or coloration, then you need to pick an area that has multiple brook trout ponds within portage range of each other. One of them is bound to be open. A prime area for this is the Massawepie Boy Scout Camp in St. Lawrence County. Deer Pond, Pine Pond, Boottree Pond, Horseshoe Pond and Town Line Pond are all consistent trout producers CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

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APRIL 2017

with most fish in the 12-15 inch size class and an occasional lunker to dream about landing. Only Pine Pond requires extra effort to fish, all the rest are accessible by dirt roads. You might get surprised by a kokanee salmon in Deer Pond also – it is one of the few waters where that formerly stocked western U.S. species is naturally reproducing. Another good area is the Pharaoh Lake Wilderness in the Town of Schroon Lake in Essex County. Gull Pond, Oxshoe Pond, Horseshoe Pond, Burge Pond, Rock Pond, Little Rock Pond, and Gooseneck Pond are just some of the trout ponds in that vicinity. The St. Regis Canoe area in Franklin County offers another trout pond concentration including Bone Pond, Bear Pond, Little Long Pond, Grass Pond, St. Regis Pond, Ochre Pond, Tuesday Pond, Kitfox Pond, Nellie Pond, Bessie Pond and Lydia Pond. To find other trout ponds you should consult DEC stocking lists at www.dec.ny.gov/ outdoor/30467.html. Just be sure you are looking at the Fish Stocking List (actual) – most brook trout are stocked as fingerlings in October. The Spring Stocking List names waters which get yearling brown trout, rainbow trout or lake trout. Brook trout are rarely stocked as yearlings. A unique way (in New York) to reach some ice out brook trout ponds is via bush plane. Helms Aero Service in Long Lake, Hamilton County ((518) 624-3931 or 624-3561) and Payne’s Air Service in Inlet (315) 357-3971, www.paynesairservice.com) will fly-in anglers to some hard to reach ponds. A favorite ice out destination is Lower Sargent Pond near Raquette Lake. This pond produced the most consistent, high quality spring trout fishing in the Adirondacks for 30 years until largemouth bass somehow got in there. The bass ate the young brookies and success plummeted. In the fall of 2013, I helped plan and carry out the reclamation of Lower Sargent Pond using the organic pesticide called rotenone. I consider that action a highlight of my career as a fisheries biologist. Survey work done in 2016 confirms the bass are gone and natural reproduction has blossomed. Other good fly-in lakes are Squaw Lake, Tirrell Pond, Big Rock Lake and Pine Lake – all in Hamilton County. No doubt Tom Helms or Jim Payne know a few other spots where you can drop in on a brook trout. Ice out means cold water and even though brookies like the cold, their metabolism is a little slow until water temperatures are in the 50’s Fahrenheit. That means you need to slow down lure and fly speeds. It also means you should be bottom bouncing in those warmer parts of the pond. In early spring, brook trout focus on eating dragonfly larvae and leeches – both of which like hiding under leaf litter near shore. Slow trolling or casting flies such as a Montana nymph, black or olive green wooly buggers, and black rabbit strip leeches are a good bet. Brook trout fingerlings hang out very close to shore in the spring and by that time any maternal or paternal instincts of their parents are long gone. Yes, brookies are cannibals. So, streamers which imitate a young trout’s coloration such as a Hornberg or Mickey Finn should be flung anywhere there is woody debris or other cover near shore. Other streamers with white, red, yellow or orange color combos will also work. Spin fishermen can toss a size CD3 1.5” or CD5-2” floating or sinking Rapala in the brook trout pattern to tempt those bad trout parents. Lastly, early season brookies get a hankering for hardware at times. Slowly retrieving a small gold Phoebe with red tinting or a Goldfish has provoked many strikes for me. You can carry all the lures you need in a tackle box no bigger than your hand… something you will really come to appreciate after hiking a few miles. Frank already mentioned the Lake Clear Wabbler…. a lure which probably catches 90% of Adirondack brookies. See how-to articles on fishing Lake Clears @www.theanglermag.com/Upstate-ny. Many anglers will only fish a Wabbler, so that gives other lures little chance to catch up. Trolling a Wabbler does need some skill. It is a mistake to troll in a straight line at one speed unless you are just searching for active fish. Once you find a hot area, start rowing in a figure eight pattern to keep the lure in the zone. As you turn, the lure will speed up or slow down and change depths – that is the action that will spur hits. I have also learned not to set the hook on the first tap of a brookie – especially when using a Wabbler. Instead, stop rowing and let the line drop or even feed some line out. Brookies often try to stun a target on the first hit; they will return to gobble up the helpless morsel in short order.

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continued from page 10 You know you are in the Adirondacks in the spring when every other car on the road dons a boat bonnet of either a Radisson, Sportpal or Lost Pond canoe or guideboat. These lightweight canoes are patterned off the old wooden guideboats developed in the 1800’s. They have a wide keel with a flat bottom and are usually rowed rather than paddled. Rowing allows for easy S-turns and figure 8’s. Plus, they are set up with yolks that permit portaging for miles if need be. Hornsbeck Boats are becoming part of the ADK cultue, go to www.hornbeckboats.com to view the anatomy of the Lost Pond Boats. Light action rods with four to eight pound line strengths are all that is needed for brookies. I try to match line color with the color of the pond water I intend to fish. Brookies feed by eyesight and will avoid heavier lines. When using a leader trailing a Wabbler, it is sometimes necessary to lengthen it to 18 inches or more to trigger wary fish. Brook trout will twist, gyrate and roll once hooked. The fight is as unique as the beauty of these native char. The greatest threat to keeping these fish around for the next generation to enjoy is the introduction of non-indigenous fish species to a trout pond. Hundreds of trout ponds in the Adirondacks have been ruined by anglers using baitfish. Golden shiners quickly overpopulate ponds and greatly reduce trout survival and growth rates. Putting bass, perch or other warmwater species in a trout pond is a kiss of death for brookies. The best brook trout anglers I know never use fish as bait – there is simply no need. Much to the surprise of some folks in Albany DEC, a recent survey of New York anglers found they greatly valued the chance to fish for brook trout in a remote setting. The allure of having a trout pond all to yourself after sweating out a hike while toting a canoe and other gear inspires many. Its romantic, primeval and rewarding all at the same time. Once you hold that trout and see its dark beauty all fatigue vanishes… you have escaped back to a time that was simpler and more natural.

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ANGLER MAGAZINE FLY FISHING...next 4 pages

The Ausable River Region of Upstate NY BY CHARLIE WARFIELD, THE ANGLER MAGAZINE FLY FISHING EDITOR THE ADIRONDACK STATE PARK WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1892 and it boasts 6 million+ acers of wild terrain and epic water. As a Native of the arid state of California, when I moved here 6 years ago I was immediately impressed by the sheer amount of water in the Adirondacks. The Adirondacks are famous for their majestic beauty and this alone is enough to keep me here despite the long cold winters. The great fishing opportunities, in the ponds, lakes and streams of the Adirondack Mountains has been the subject of many volumes. But none are as storied as The Ausable River. The Ausable (Awsay-ble) starts in New York’s High Peak region of the Adirondack Mountains, with the west branch starting high on the south side of beautiful Mt. Marcy near Lake Placid. The East branch starting as the outflow of the upper and lower Ausable lakes. From there it tumbles down the mountains towards Ausable forks were the two branches meet. The West branch attracts most of the fly fishing attention, due to its rich, cold, highly oxygenated waters along with its dramatic beauty and relative easy access. The trophy sections (Catch and release special regulations) are particularly good with a variety of plunge pools, deep runs and pocket water that keeps it interesting and diverse. One of my favorite areas to fish on the West branch, is just up

river from Whiteface Mountain Ski resort downstream to The Hungry Trout Resort www.hungrytrout.com . This section gets a fair amount of pressure but with seasonal stocking and natural reproduction the fishery is kept productive throughout the year. There is even a chance at trophy sized hold over fish. Although my largest fish in this stretch is just over 20” I have had my streamers http://www.jprossflyrods.com followed by some very healthy 24” plus fish. The gorge section near Whiteface Ski Area is a favorite of mine. It is a beautiful gorge with steep granite walls and hard to access pools that have some of the larger fish living in its deep holes. There are great options for camping or lodging depending on your needs including the Notch campground overlooking a great technical section just below Monument falls. The Hungry Trout Resort is a beautiful destination with its well stocked fly shop and plenty of knowledge from its local guides. The resort also has great package deals that include lodging, dinner at their restaurant, and a day’s access to their “Dream Mile” which is a catch and release fly fishing only section of the river with a daily rod limit of 8 (call 1-800-766-9137 for information and booking) The Ausable has dependable hatches from April through October, and for the streamer junkies there are plenty of large territorial fish. I particularly like to fish the aggravatingly small (think size 24-30) Trico hatch in late summer with its ravenous and seemingly undiscriminating fish. Stone

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Charlie Warfield fky fishing the Adirondacks. During the early history of The Angler of Upstate NY, Charlie Warfield has been writing and editing our fly fishing content. He will be increasing his scope by acting in the same capacity in the national fly fishing section of The Angler Magazine. flies, terrestrials, and other large patterns like Stimulators or Ausable bombers are a good bet if there isn’t an obvious hatch and during midday fishing. I love living near this area so I can visit frequently but for those of you further away I would definitely suggest that you take the time and make the trip to this beautiful river. The Adirondack Spruce Lodge in Wilmington, NY is a quaint, friendly resort who expressed interest in accommodating fishermen to The Angler Magazine by offering fisherman’s packages, call 518-946-8232 and use promo code: Angler mag or go to www.adirondacksprucelodge.com for room availability. The High Peaks region is also a great family destination with plenty of attractions and activities for everyone to enjoy. Catching beautiful trout among the breathtaking High Peaks is breathtaking. Experiencing it yourself is priceless and just a short ADK drive.

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Fly Tying Struggles BY MARK USYK

I SIT AT MY TYING BENCH BECAUSE IT’S NEAR WHITE OUT conditions outside. Late last night the thought had entered my mind about hitting the Oriskany Creek today, but old man winter has other plans, and I’m not feeling like having a fist fight on a creek with an elderly man that always gets in the last swing. Not today anyways. So in between putting the finishing touches on a couple stories destined for various readers and finishing up reading the last chapter of a book about the guide who kick started all the bone fishing lodges in the Bahamas, I find myself in front of my vice tying up a buggy, nymphy looking thing one moment, a streamer the next, then staring out the window as the snow fall picks up. Reading about bone fishing in the Bahamas is something that does not help one cope well with the white stuff falling outside, in case you were wondering. I’m tying for some peace of mind on a cold day, but I’ve got a couple planned trips coming up to great lakes tributaries that I need to be filling a box for, so I’m at least tying patterns that will get me ahead of the game on that front. Funny thing the way that works though. No matter how many I tie, the day before I’ll decide I don’t have enough and go into fly tying panic. Staying up late the night before is in my near future, it’s almost a guarantee. And what’s

even funnier than that is that I’ll tie in preparation, then tie in panic, and then when I’m actually on a river for a couple days, I’ll only use a couple of them if the box has thirty in it. It’s a viscous cycle that repeats itself all the time. Fly tying was something I thought I wanted to do simply because I’ve always been the kind of person happy doing things for myself. I don’t remember the last time I fished a fly I didn’t tie. Actually in the beginning I used the excuse that I was going to tie them myself to save money, but if you don’t know the truth to that one allow me let you in on a little secret before you try it for the same reason yourself. There is no way possible that you are going to get into tying flies and save money. Actually, there’s one way, and that would be if you tied them, sold them, but never fly fished yourself. You think you just want to tie Woolly Buggers so you buy a cheap vice, a package of hooks, some marabou and chenille, and a spool of thread. Then before you know it you’ve rebuilt a room in the house to hold a tying desk, a wall of drawers full of materials ranging from hackle capes from every known chicken and game bird known to modern ornithology, rabbit pelts, buck tails in more colors than the kids breakfast cereal with all

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the marshmallows, squares of elk hair in twelve different shades, and more tinsel that the past five years Christmas trees all put together. As a matter of fact, you actually kept some of the tinsel off this past year’s tree because it was a different thickness than any you already had, and you can’t stand to see possible fly tying materials go to waste. Some people might look at you as a type of hoarder, but you have plans for everything you stuff in a drawer or plastic storage bin, even if you don’t know exactly what that plan is just yet. I’ve got a small collection of books as well. Anything to do with fishing and especially fly fishing I scoop up when I come across it. My favorite books are just collections of stories, but I’ll admit to having no less than ten which deal specifically with tying flies. I’ve flipped through them all, but never actually used one to tie a fly. At the most I might refer to a picture in one although even that’s rare. But still, I’m a fly tier and there was a book on the subject, so I had to have it. Fly tying relates to fly fishing in two ways. In one, the flies are what you cast to catch the fish. That’s the simple one. The other is the fanaticism that’s connected to both. It takes over just as the fishing itself does. I’m in Upstate NY, but last week I tied up a couple squid patterns that you’d use in salt water, the idea that I could fool my brain into feeling like I was in a warmer, sunnier, tropical environment. All I did was drink rum because of it instead. I don’t know what’s more alarming in this instance. The fact that I tied up a squid pattern in the frozen north, or the fact that I had the right materials to pull it off. The struggle is real.

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Planning your Walleye opener in the Saratoga/Sacandaga Area BY JOE GRECO www.newyorkfishing.com ON GREAT SACANDAGA COME MAY WALLEYES ARE IN different stages and can be fished in different ways. I prefer to get right to trolling or drifting spinners and small cranks. “Running” contour lines using the latest in GPS mapping technology is my go-to technique when targeting fish at a certain depth. This time of year, look for bends in the old creek channel and sunken structure that’s just a little shallower than typical summertime depths, usually in the 20ft range or so. I prefer to cover lots of water, troll or drift contours and find the fish at a certain depth. If they’re on a break in 18ft. I can program my minnekota i-pilot to repeat the run I just made, Try white and gold spinners with crawlers, small jointed raps black and silver and black and gold will work too. I have also had great luck on the small size 5 Berkley flicker minnow behind lead core or on mono with snap weights adjusted accordingly. Hot colors are clown, silver chartreuse, pink and gold perch. Saratoga Lake can also be tricky this time of year. If water temperatures are still colder in the low 50s you may find fish up in the shallows. You may find fish in various areas of the lake already stacking up in classic summer locations. If it’s been a cold spring the fish may have just finished spawning. This means probably a transitional phase, and some that are feeding actively. Regardless, I would start my search with some casting style baits and jigs and fish new weed growth and rocks for active fish. Shad raps, in-line spinners and swim baits all produce a variety of fish in Saratoga Lake in spring. When fishing shallow shoreline structure, consider wind direction as it will likely gather baitfish and will produce warm water as the sun heats up the shore and the waves recirculate warm water in back into the lake. When I work my way to deeper main lake structure, I will search with similar baits. Try thin profile crankbaits and swim baits this time of year. Another option is slip-floats and live bait, which may turn inactive fish into biters’.

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CAPT JJ’S LAKE GEORGE REPORT WE ARE BACK TO OPEN WATER FISHING AFTER A STRANGE winter that saw cold temperatures early and late with a pretty warm January and February wedged in the middle. Never was able to get any ice fishing customers out this year after it looked like we were in for a great season back in December. Lake George finally froze for a time in February and there was some ice fishing in a couple areas. Then it really warmed up in late Feb. (60s) and the ice was lost, only to be followed by another cold snap and re-freeze in March. So it was looking like an early Spring and another poor smelt run, but that changed and some late snows should provide the stream runoff needed for a good smelt spawn. (One note: our freshly stocked salmon need a good smelt spawn with plenty of fry to eat so they can survive and grow big.) This typically happens around the third week of April but can vary by 2 weeks or more depending on the weather. It is a great time to fish for lakers and salmon in shallow where they are feeding on the smelt that are now easier for them to catch. Trolling with stickbaits, spoons and streamers off flatlines and planers will produce, along with downriggers/leadlines for slightly deeper fish, mostly lakers. The lake trout can really group up near shore at this time in places where smelt are concentrated, making it a good time to cast for them: bucktails, plastic/jighead combo and heavier casting spoons can work; fly-rodders can get in the the action, too. Salmon can be very catchable for a couple days right after ice out, then they slow a little waiting for the water to warm up. This is

when surface temperature can make a big difference, even by only a degree or two. Keep an eye out for warmer pockets while trolling and concentrate your efforts there and you may be rewarded with a nice landlock. Another spring option is to try for the abundant yellow perch, especially if you still want to fill you freezer after a poor winter season, they were hardly touched this year. Perch will be in the same areas as late winter feeding before they spawn later in the spring. Drift or anchor as necessary, you should see the schools on your sonar.

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MICKEY’S ONEIDA LAKE REPORT BY THE TIME THIS REPORT GOES TO PRESS, ONEIDA LAKE should be poised for some great pan fish action. As the ice vanishes and water temps begin to rise, perch, sunfish and crappies should begin there annual migration to shallow water; a scenario shoreline pan fish aficionados eagerly anticipate. Some of the most productive fishing will occur along feeder creeks and lake tributaries. The marinas that dot the shore line can play host to the annual pilgrimage of pan fish, however getting access to these locations may prove difficult; that’s were having a boat comes in handy. The month of April and May is defiantly shore line opportunity time. Public access for Oneida Lake anglers can be had at Brewerton,

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Silvan Beach, Toad Harbor and all public boat launch sights such as Godfrey, Oneida Shores and Chapman Park. When fishing for pan fish its always best to use light action rods designed for 2 to 6lb line. The number one method for putting fish in the pale is a small weighted bobber supporting a 1/64oz to 1/32oz jig tipped with a spike or piece of worm. Jigs can be of the hair, feather or plastic variety. As always, pay close attention to the weather; cold fronts can be a nuisance. A fish that doesn’t get the attention that it use to is the bullhead. At one time bullhead fishing on Oneida Lake was considered a right of spring for a multitude of anglers. The bullhead fisherman were the first to arrive once the ice had disappeared. Oneida Lakes night life would be characterized by lanterns and campfires spread out along its shore line; and O Boy, if by chance a warm rain should intervene, get ready for two rods going off at once at least until the bait runs out. Bullhead are not line shy; 8 to 12lb test line connected to tandem #4 snelled hooks and a ½oz bottom sinker is what you need. For bait try night crawlers, leeches or raw shrimp. A good bullhead outfit consists of a closed face push button reel mounted on a 5 to 7 foot medium light spin-cast rod. Closed face reels are great especially for night fishing where dirt and derbies can be problematic. Fishing bells of the clip on type provide a way to detect bites. Cant understand why bullhead fishing has lost its sparkle for many anglers. It was always a fantastic way to share with friends the fishing experience. Lawn chairs, coolers, lanterns and poll props; what can I say.

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Welcome to Marble Island Bait and Tackle BY NICKOLA MESSINA AND ADAM CASE ON PAPERMILL ISLAND IN BALDWINSVILLE, NY, THERE’S a little place that popped up three years ago, that made the local fisherman in the community very happy. There hadn’t been anywhere to go for fresh live bait or specialized tackle in the area for years, but then Marble Island Bait and Tackle was created. Since then, we have met fishermen from all over the state, the country, as well as other parts of the world, and they have all helped us grow into something we are proud to be part of. The waters here on Seneca River and surrounding bodies of water bring an abundance of 64 different species of fish, many of which are in season at all times of the year. Right now, Northern Pike and Perch are being reeled in. Brown, brook, and rainbow trout are also in inlets in surrounding areas. We will have more reports throughout the seasons on what’s biting and where and can find them on our Facebook page along with updated monthly reports in our Angler Magazine column. Our local water ways are among the best in the world for wild Carp anglers. We have been proud sponsors of The Wild Carp Classic in May (this year it will be held May 11th-14th) and the Ed French Open in October (date not set at this time) since 2015. People from all over come to Central NY for these four day catch and release tournaments to win top prizes. We like to host meet and greets a day before the tournaments and welcome both local and out of state fishermen to come and get to know each other and share their fishing stories. So, come on in and see us. Bring in your dog pals or the catches you’re proud of for us to snap your picture for our new Monthly Mascot feature. We will use your pictures to show off what a wonderful

community we have and will gather your pictures for a MIB&T calendar. We wouldn’t be here without the support of all those who’ve come into this little family run shop. As anglers, ourselves, we know the fish don’t stop biting during regular business hours. We will be here for you 6am to 9pm but will open 24/7 with just a phone call. Need crayfish at 2am because the Catfish are frisky? Come to us and we will be happy to serve you. Together we are building great memories and bringing back the feeling of a hometown fishing community. And remember: Bait your own hook, clean your own fish, tell your own lies. Tight lines and Happy fishing!

Aprils fishing forecast in CNY:

If March is any indication into how April is going to look then it will be cold. But in Central NY, that can change in a matter of moments. Average air temps. are 55 degrees, and water temps. are 43 degrees prospectively. Early season trout fishing in CNY will be your best opportunity on having a good experience of angling in the early spring, although here and there you may have to contend with some left over ice burgs. Creeks like NineMile, Butternut, and Chittenango are your best bet for filling your creel with some beauties this spring. Remember that the colder the water the more lethargic the fish will be, so slow movements with your jig is key. Since the first nymph fly hatch doesn’t start until weather is about 55-60 degrees, your choice to use a jig that will shine and make a bit of noise but isn’t brightly colored and won’t spook the already shy trout is the optimal use of your tackle.

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Carp Fishing New York BY PAUL RUSSELL, GUIDE CARP FISHING NEW YORK www.carpfishingny.com HI FOLKS! I’M PAUL RUSSELL, PROFESSIONAL CARP ANGLER and owner of Carp Fishing New York Guide Service. You can find me on Facebook at Carp Fishing New York, on Instagram at carp_fishing_NY and my website at www.carpfishingny.com. I love to catch big fish and there is no limit to the size of the fish I want to catch; the bigger, the better. When I’m fishing in my boat in the ocean it’s all about sharks and tuna but when I’m fishing back home in the freshwater, I leave my boat at home. Because I want to be on the bank fishing for one of the largest hardest fighting freshwater fish there is, the carp. So how did I get into carp? These fish always fascinated me, but they were also considered kinda taboo. When bass fishing, I would see 20 pounders cruising the shallows, I wanted to catch one so badly, but they would never bite. I finally got sick of it and decided to do something about it. I was going to learn how to catch these fish once and for all. I did a ton of research on the fish and attended seminars to learn as much as I could. After all of the time and energy I put into learning, it was time to test out my new found knowledge. I fished very simple, starting out with just the basics, nothing too fancy and I was rewarded with some very nice carp. I was so amazed at the power the fish had, they took off like big redfish or striped bass, wow! I knew that this fish was made for me; size, strength, speed and smart, this fish had it all and no one was fishing for them around Central New York. It was an untapped resource and it was all mine, I was giddy with excitement. Today, I’m a professional carp angler and guide. My affinity and passion for the sport has never wavered. We have 2 major tournaments on the Seneca River every year held by Wild Carp Club. They have been doing this since 2010. The Wild Carp Classic is in the spring and The Ed French Open is in the fall. These tournaments are 65 consecutive hours and are very demanding. They are like an endurance competition and a fishing tournament all wrapped up in one. The format is you draw a peg, which is a small section of the river, and that’s where you fish for the whole 65 hours. You get up to 3 guys on a team. The spring Classic is a big 10 tournament and the fall open is a big 6 meaning only your biggest 10 or biggest 6 count consecutively. All other fish must be let go. Carp bite both night and day but the night bites are some of the hottest bites, so there is not a lot of sleeping. 2010 was the year I competed in my first tournament. My partner Sean Lehrer and I took first place and caught the biggest fish in the Wild Carp Companies Fall Qualifier. Today, Sean is a member of the USA Carp Fishing Squad. They fish the World Championships in Europe every year. In 2014, I placed 3rd in the Wild Carp Classic and 4th in the Ed French open with the help of my partners Joe Rinaldo and Jason Bernhardt. This fall I placed second in the Ed French Open and we also placed 3rd in the big fish category with the help of my partners Joe Rinaldo and Steve Bailey. These style tournaments draw some of the best anglers from around the Country and Europe. My teammates and I are very proud of our accomplishments amongst a field of such great carp anglers. We would not have had such top finishes without the help of our two sponsors. Marble Island Bait in Baldwinsville was a huge help to us. Adam Case, the owner knows how involved it can be organizing for a big carp tournament and came through every time for us. Adam has a ton of fishing knowledge for various species including carp. He carries a variety of bait and tackle and can put you on some carp right across the street from his shop. Carp Maxx Baits was another huge help for us. We would have never caught the quality of fish that we caught in the tournaments without them. So if you never have caught a carp before and want to give it a try, I will give you a few tips. Get a medium heavy rod or whatever you got that’s close enough. Then match it with a reel with at least 12 pound test or 20 pound braid line and a smooth drag. You’re going to need a 1 to 3 ounce sliding sinker and a good strong hook, not too big, size 4 is a good start. Run the sinker on your mainline to a barrel swivel on the other end of the swivel run, a 6 to 8 inch braid leader to the hook. You can bait the hook with corn or learn how to tie a hair rig. The hair rig is easy to tie and will catch you more fish. For bait, use boiled feed corn or Carp Maxx

boilies. Feed corn is cheap and can be bought at any feed store or tractor supply. Just boil up a bunch use it for baiting a spot where you know there’s a bunch of carp and fish it the next day. Also, learning how to make pack bait is very important. It’s another bait you use with the hook bait. Once you bait the hook, you pack the pack bait around the sinker with the hook bait dangling below it. Then just cast the whole thing out there. It can be pretty heavy, that’s what the stiff rod is for. The pack bait will breakdown in the water and displace itself around the hook bait. Throwing pack balls into your fishing area is also a great way to bait the fish. But nothing is better than baiting and fishing with boilies, but you need to learn the hair rig to use boilies so do your research and catch some carp. I will give you a simple pack bait recipe to get you started. 1 42 ounce can of old fashion oats or rolled oats 1 can of cream corn 1 can of drained whole kernel corn 1 Box of strawberry jello 2 Tbsp of kosher salt

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Tackle Corner:

By Mike Pehanich

Angling for comfort and joint health

nce upon a time, fishing was deemed a passive, even contemplative game, a quiet pastime spent under a straw hat and a warming sun. No more! Modern angling is an active endeavor generally characterized by energetic casts, and plenty of them. The aggressive style of the modern angler takes its toll on the body with back, wrist, elbow and shoulder injuries. “As we get older, our bodies kind of fall apart,” said Bassmaster Elite Series angler Mark Menendez during an outing on Kentucky Lake. Menendez has developed tendinitis in his elbow. “I have had to figure out ways to fish that are less taxing on my body.” He has changed technique and equipment to reduce the wear. He fishes soft swimbaits like the Strike King Shadalicious far more these days, working them on relatively light spinning tackle and line testing no more than 10 pounds. It’s effective and easier on his elbow. The other adjustments he makes relate to his tackle. He lauds the Winn grips now featured on Lew’s Custom Lite, Lew’s Tournament Performance TP1 Speed Stick and Lew’s Mach Speed Stick rods. “The advantage to the angler is that the Winn grip adheres to your hand, but it’s not sticky,” he explained. “It just makes you feel you have a good grip on your rod and reel. The grips also allow me to make longer casts because I have better control of my rod and reel.” Musky and saltwater anglers are also taking advantage of the “tacky” feel and security of the non-slip polymer to protect against joint stress. Eavesdrop on a group of musky fishers for long and you’re bound to hear complaints of sore elbows and forearms. Many musky anglers are building custom rods with Winn grips, employing larger 1.25-inch Straight Taper split grips or a Straight Taper fore

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grip coupled with a 15-inch Straight Cylinder Saltwater grip capped with a fighting butt to extend the rear handle to 18-plus inches. Winn will add a new 18-inch grip to the Saltwater line this spring. Builders of custom surf and offshore rods are already making plans for its use. But oversized grips and rod wraps are finding favor with other anglers, too. At the Bassmaster Elite Series event at Lake Okeechobee in February, anglers with arthritic hands and joint issues noticed the booth Winn shared with North Fork Bait & Tackle owner and rod builder Steve Keller, who also operates a Winn Authorized Service Center at his store in Jensen Beach, Fla. Arthritis sufferers noted their preference for larger grip diameters to ease gripping pressure. The 1.25-inch Winn grips caught their attention, as did the array of offerings in the Winn Superior Rod Wrap line of overwraps, which enable the angler to put a layer of non-slip Winn polymer over existing cork or EVA grips. Winn grips and rod wraps (www.winngrips.com) are available in a wide range of sizes and colors. The Winn interchangeable grip system offers an endless combination of configurations.

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TIPS FROM A PRO

FRESHWATER LEARN CONFIDENCE IN NEW TECHNIQUES

BRANDON LESTER

rowing up in southern middle Tennessee, I was fortunate to have a lot of really good fisheries within a couple hours of my house. I had my choice between the Tennessee River lakes like Guntersville, Wheeler and Wilson or the typical highland reservoirs located in the hills of Tennessee. I spent many days fishing club events and absorbing every bit of knowledge I could. It helped me become a versatile angler and to stay in tune with the seasonal movements of bass. These things helped prepare me for the situations I would later face on

the Bassmaster Elite Series. I remember my very first Elite Series event. It was at Lake Seminole. I had never been to the lake and didn’t know a thing about it. After a tough first day of practice, I ran way up the Flint River to see if I could find something up there all to myself. What I found was a couple of small backwaters with clear water and fish that were setting up to spawn. These places had been completely overlooked, and I finished 21st in that tournament. I caught almost every fish on a floating worm, something that is very popular during the spawn around my home waters. That tournament and many others since have taught me that no matter where you go in the country, or what body of water you’re on, there will always be something that fits your fishing style. It may not always be the winning pattern,

but more times than not, I would rather be fishing for fewer fish with more confidence. The very best lure in any tackle box is confidence. But this doesn’t mean I stubbornly sticking to the same techniques I’m comfortable with. Successful tournament anglers must keep up with the latest trends. Lures, line, rods, reels and everything else are constantly evolving. It helps to stay on the forefront. As I travel the country, I learn a lot of new techniques and about new baits that work in particular regions. Every time I go to a tournament and a new technique arises that I’m not familiar with, the first thing I do when I get home is take it to a nearby lake and try to learn it. When trying to learn something new, it’s best to do it in areas you know hold fish. A good example of this was at the first Elite Series event of this year at Lake Cherokee. Cherokee is in east Tennessee, but it is much different than my home waters. There is a hot new trend among the locals there called the “Damiki rig” that is dynamite for catching smallmouth relating to baitfish. It is a small fluke-style lure rigged on a Lake Erie-style jig head that allows for precise placement of the lure at depth. I had heard about the rig leading up to the tournament and tried it in practice, but I never could figure it out. Our tournament was actually won on that rig, and several of the top guys were doing it. After that tournament was over, I spent the next day on my home lake with nothing but that rig. I wanted to learn everything there was to know about it. I went on to catch some big smallmouth on my home lake with it, and although I still don’t consider myself an expert, I feel like I can catch them on it next time the opportunity arises.

Get more tips from Lester at

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FRESHWATER BIRDIE BLOCKER Tired of scrubbing bird droppings from the tops and decks of your boat? If you’ve got a problem with birds using the railings of your craft to roost, Birdie Blocker is the solution that will keep your boat free of roosting birds and the nasty mess they make. Birdie Blocker is an easy-to-use and extremely effective bird deterrent to protect any boat with 7/8- to 1-inch railings. It is a simple system using fishing components and some high-quality UV clips. It can be installed in about five minutes, and it’s just as convenient to remove and stow when it’s time to head out for a cruise. A barrier of monofilament held up with easy-to-mount clips deters birds from landing on your rails and roosting on your craft. It is tangle-free and simple, and at less than $100 it will cover about 40 feet of railings. Two Birdie Blockers are the ideal solution for larger boats. The clips are also multi-purpose and can also be used to hang lighting, decorations or double as a make-shift clothesline. The Birdie Blocker is a great gift for any boater. These quality systems arrive pre-assembled and can begin protecting your boat in about five minutes with simple set-up that requires no measuring. It’s a no-brainer for anyone who is sick and tired of cleaning up after birds. Call Birdie Blocker at 440-231-4767 to order or email birdieblocker@ gmail.com. Visit www.birdieblocker.com to see an easy to use video.

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Endless Fishing Opportunities

In Marathon

By Capt. Chris Johnson, SeaSquared Charters Marathon, the very heart of the Florida Keys, offers fishing options as vast as the crystal blue waters that surround the islands. to experience the exhilaration of big game sport fishing closer to shore and easier on your budget. Rounding out the sport fishing options in Marathon are bonefish, snook, Goliath grouper, permit and barracuda. Each challenging in its own right and all worthy of a place of honor on your trophy wall.

ill Your Trophy Wall With visions of Ernest Hemingway’s exploits in their heads, adventurers flock to Marathon from around the globe to fulfill their dreams of catching the sportfish of a lifetime. The offshore deep blue waters are the realm of the mighty swordfish, who live in the 1,500-plus-foot depths. Fishing for swordfish is highly technical and is best done with an electric set-up. While a magnificent creature to display above the fireplace, swordfish are also prized for their food value. Closer inshore are sailfish, which are unsurpassed in their size range for combined strength and spectacle. These silver speedsters, with their distinctive blue fan-shaped fin, are free-roamers that seem to prefer the coral reef areas. They are best fished for where their favorite foods are plentiful, such as along weed lines or around schools of blue runners, goggle eyes or pilchards. Perhaps the most elusive of all the sportfish in the Marathon waters is the Silver King. The tarpon that visit the Middle Florida Keys each spring love to hang out at bridge passes, where their food of choice is easily obtainable. These areas are known for their relative calm conditions, making tarpon fishing a comfortable experience for all anglers, even those prone to seasickness. Using light spinning tackle and circle hooks, fishing for tarpon is about as sporting as it gets. And, to hook one and chase it through the bridge pilings, hoping to be rewarded with a few jumps and maybe a picture at the side of the boat is an unforgettable experience. With a plethora of media coverage of sharks, catch-and-release fishing for them has become increasingly popular. The Marathon area sees a vast spectrum of sharks, including lemons, blacktips, bulls, blacknoses, nurse, spinners, hammerheads and tigers. These range in size from little guys to behemoths at 12 to 15 feet in length. Light tackle, shallow water angling for sharks in the Middle Florida Keys presents the opportunity 30

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Fill Your Dinner Plate When it comes to catching fish with a top-quality food value, you’d be hard-pressed to find a greater bounty than contained in the waters surrounding Marathon. On the Atlantic coral reefs and wrecks, snapper of all variety are plentiful for the taking year-round. Yellowtails, mangroves, muttons and lanes offer endless rod-bending entertainment and fill the bellies of hungry anglers at the end of the day. Grouper – blacks, reds and gags – are ever-present as well, although they tend to retreat to deeper waters during the summer heat. Additionally, the season is closed for them from January 1 to May 1. There are many more species that provide high-quality table fare – too many to list – but include amberjack, cobia, kingfish, Spanish mackerel, cero mackerel, pompano and on and on. Marathon’s offshore waters are fishing central for pelagic species that provide angling excitement. Venture 26 miles out to the Marathon Humps and you will be in tuna heaven. Blackfin and skipjack tuna are abundant year-round, and the only thing that can prevent you from getting there to catch them on any given day are the winds. But, on a calm day, the ride out and back is comfortable and the catching typically rapid-fire. Dolphin (mahi) and wahoo roam the open sea in a continuous hunt for food. Anglers seek them along weed lines and around any sort of floating debris. Feeding birds, particularly frigates, also indicate their presence. The spectacle of the blue and yellow blaze of a dolphin or the blue and white zebra-like stripes of a wahoo on the end of your line is indelible. Entertain The Family. There’s nothing finer for family bonding than spending quality time together on the water, away from the interruptions of everyday life. Marathon boasts multiple venues that are ideal for a day of family fun fishing. The patch reefs, Hawk Channel, the Seven Mile Bridge and the nearshore bay waters are chock-full of fun-catching fish. Snapper, hogfish, porgy, yellowjack, maybe even grouper, keep the rods bent with tasty rewards at the end of the day. Just for fun, there are sharks, barracuda, jacks and more. Catch ’em and release ’em and on to the next! So, whether you’re looking to fill your trophy wall or your dinner plate, or just have a great day out with the family, Marathon offers the fishing opportunities to make your dreams come true. Capt. Chris Johnson specializes in offshore, gulf/bay, reef/wreck, sailfish, shark and tarpon fishing with SeaSquared Charters, docked at Faro Blanco Resort and Yacht Club in Marathon. You can reach him at 305-743-5305, http://SeaSquaredCharters.com and http://Facebook. com/MarathonFishing.

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Micron: Generations of Innovation Every parent hopes their children will do well and have a better life than they did. At Interlux, we feel the same way about the products we make. With each new advancement and generation of Micron® Technology comes better performing, higher quality solutions. Innovation is a tradition we are proud to have carried on for over 30 years. From the long lasting and always dependable Micron CSC to our new, powerful water-based Micron Optima with Activated Biolux®, we build on our past success to deliver state of the art protection today. Whatever the year, you know you’ll always have the latest and best in Micron Technology. Visit our website for more information – yachtpaint.com

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The Bahamas Extreme Kayak Fishing Tournament

Photo courtesy of Controlled Descent Lures

nglers with the guts to mix big-game tournament fishing with kayaking will head to beautiful Grand Bahama this month to compete in the Extreme Kayak Fishing Tournament April 2023. This two-day kayak fishing tournament will attract anglers and their family members from all over the world for a chance to win more than $40,000 in cash and prizes, and all to help raise funds for the Humane Society of Grand Bahama. There will be free entertainment, food, drinks, a huge raffle and lots of fun for the entire family! “This event, now in its fourth year, has gained tremendous interest and notoriety for anglers and sporting enthusiasts from throughout the USA, Canada, China and Brazil. We have seen the competition grow each year from 40 anglers in our inaugural year in 2014 to some 280 participants last year,” said Bahamas Ministry of Tourism (BMOT) spokesman Richard Treco, Sr. “The high level of competition, coupled with our incredible on-island authentic cultural experiences and diverse product offering, makes this event most attractive for the seasoned as well as relatively new to the sport, angler.” Joe Hector, of Extreme Kayak Fishing International and organizer of the event, said he is excited to work with The BMOT on this tournament, and is particularly pleased with its rapid growth. “The Bahamas Extreme Kayak Fishing Tournament truly is the gold standard for kayak fishing in the world, as it provides everything into one great getaway: fun and family adventures, awesome fishing from white and blue marlins to huge mutton snappers, friendly people and the most beautiful destination in the world,” said Hector. Pre- and post-tournament packages range from $595 triple or qua-

druple occupancy for a three nights stay to $1,370 single occupancy for a seven nights stay, which includes tournament registration, hotel accommodations at the Flamingo Bay Hotel and Marina, round-trip transportation for the angler and his/her kayak from Port Everglades to Grand Bahama, a cocktail reception and awards dinner. Fish caught during the tournament will be given to the Grand Bahama Children’s Home, Flamingo Bay Hotel and Marina, and volunteers assisting with the project. For more information or to register for the tournament, visit www. extremekayakfishing.com or call 954-661-0175.

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UNDER THE SEA

SLINGS AND POLESPEARS

from companies have challenged this SHERI DAYE traditional design by changing the here’s a fun retro-movement taking hand position. The place in spearfishing—a trend toward Headhunter Guerilla primitive hunting gear. Slings and Sling has a comfortable polespears are used in places that do not allow trigger mechanisms, such as Bermuda or the grip, which transfers the weight load from Bahamas, but they are growing in popularity the wrist and distributes the force throughout the forearm. Sea Archer slings look like an outside these regions too. This could be attributed to the new Sling/ underwater bow and arrow. The user holds Polespear category for world records, run by the body of the sling just as they would with a the International Underwater Spearfishing bow and arrow. There’s nothing more beautiful Association (IUSA). However, I suspect the than watching a skilled underwater hunter real reason is that many hunters appreciate using a sling and hitting the mark with a freethe challenge and simplicity, not unlike land- flying shaft! Polespears are another fun option. hunters opting for bow-and-arrow over rifles. It’s a beautiful art form that evokes images of They can be made of fiberglass, aluminum Indians using extreme stealth and having great or carbon fiber. The tip can have a flopper, three-prong paralyzer tip or a slip-tip. Neritic respect for their prey. Slings and polespears are great tools for Diving company makes polespears with someone who is either learning how to spearfish interchangeable sections that can be assembled or interested in improving their hunting skills. in different length configurations. Users may Compared to modern spearguns, they force a choose to use a shorter polespear when hunting diver to become calmer and stealthier because in dirtier water or in tight spaces. When diving of their shorter range. One must slow down and in deep clear water, fish may not be cooperative study the behavior of fish in order to get closer and a longer polespear may be desired. The to them. While both slings and polespears are ability to quickly construct your weapon of powered using rubber bands without trigger choice is one of the best recent innovations, along with magnetic slip-tips that don’t fall off mechanisms, these two styles differ. Slings, sometimes called “Hawaiian slings,” while diving. I must admit that I can’t help feeling a are similar to a slingshot where the band is pulled back to launch the spear. Traditionally, smug sense of satisfaction when I land an the shooter was a tubular-shaped piece of wood elusive fish with a simple stick and rubber with a hole drilled down the center so the shaft band. Regardless if you are a novice or could slide through when being launched professional, primitive hunting offers a forward by the band. Recent innovations fun and entertaining challenge. Why not

Charles Duffie with a polespeared hogfish. Photo by James Ferrara.

add another skill to your spearfishing resume and another choice in your toolkit? It will double your fun and make you a better hunter! Sheri is a world-record holder, host of Speargun Hunter and producer of “The Blue Wild Ocean Adventure Expo” in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Follow “Sheri Daye” and “The Blue Wild” on Facebook and Instagram.

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3/20/17 3:40 PM

Spearfishing Course for Freedivers

By Capt. Chad Carney Photo courtesy of Controlled Descent Lures

n 2016, Freediving Instructors International (FII) presented their new spearfishing course at The Blue Wild Expo in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. If you’re new to spearfishing or a veteran, this wealthof-knowledge course, from many of the world’s best spearfishermen and freedivers will be invaluable. All students must already have a Level 1 freediving certification from an internationally recognized agency. FII founder Martin Stepanek, and freediving instructors John Dornellas and Cameron Kirkconnell, wrote the textbook for the course, called FII Spearfishing. The first course was taught by Martin and John at Florida Freedivers, Jonathan and Kelsey Dickinson’s dive shop in North Palm Beach, Fla. just days before The Blue Wild. Jonathan became a FII Spearfishing Instructor in September and taught the course to most of his staff and several customers since. The classroom section of the course runs a half day and is packed with great content including spearfishing ethics, freediving safety, location safety about dive planning, site obstructions, currents, marine animals, divers and boats. Information about spearfishing gear, it’s handling and use is covered thoroughly along with underwater hunting skills and techniques. The second half of the day is the pool training, where speargun handling and float line training is hands-on. The provided spearguns are unique in that they can be loaded in the water with total safety, because their shafts are completely stationary, as they are permanently bolted to the muzzles and mechanisms. Otherwise, the spearguns are fully functional and allow the best practice for pool or confined water training. Hunting styles and tricks are also taught and practiced in the pool around a portable artificial reef at the pool bottom where students will stalk a foam fish. Certification is completed with the classroom and pool session, along with a written test. A day of real ocean spearfishing is an option and may vary from location to location, but in the Palm Beaches, Jonathan says they plan for a day of spearfishing in moderate depths where water entries with gear can be polished, and also float lines can be used in currents. Reefs with low structure are available for stalking with, aspetto and agguatto techniques. The photo is Jonathan Dickinson with a recent 70-pound amberjack!

Check out www.floridafreedivers.com and www.freedivinginstructors.com for more information about the course and spearfishing and freediving equipment. Capt. Chad Carney runs diving and spearfishing charters in southeast Florida and can be reached at 727-4237775 or chad.carney@yahoo.com.

To learn more about Florida Free Divers, go to

Nothing gets you closer to the fish than your small craft. And nothing anchors you better than a Power-Pole Micro anchor made just for your vessel. Add the Micro Battery Pak and you’re ready to go wherever adventure takes you.

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FISH & FISHING

THE LIGHT WAND MARK SOSIN

earning to fish a fly in saltwater adds a new and extremely challenging dimension to the sport. Light-wand enthusiasts on the marine scene don’t have to trip over tradition that sometimes limits the thinking and performance of their brethren who focus attention solely on trout and salmon. There are differences. When you work over fish in a stream, you often have ample time to contemplate the situation, change flies if the first one doesn’t work, and even try several approaches. Even a shoreline largemouth bass lays claim to a stationary feeding station near a log or under the lip of a lily pad. Saltwater critters remain on the move, probing and prowling continuously or they hold on a seat in the restaurant until the water level rises or falls a certain amount. Then, they change position. If you happen to spot your quarry, you only have seconds to get a fly in front of it. The first cast has to count. Simple hesitation can cause you to miss the opportunity. When you are blind casting, it’s important to read the water and recognize another set of signals. Predators frequently follow a feeding rhythm tied directly to the stage of the tide. Since they are not restricted to a few deep pools or the tail end of a run, finding them and presenting a fly with accuracy requires detailed knowledge of their habits and habitat. Casting in saltwater demands a bit more distance than it does in many freshwater settings. False casting becomes a handicap when you’re trying to drop a fly in the path of a cruising gamefish. You won’t have time to admire the tight loops or match the distance to the target precisely before dropping the fly gently on the skin of the water. The repeated surges of a powerful marine denizen tethered to flyline, leader and backing, or the task of driving a fly into the wind and in front of a cruising fish have no parallels in other forms of angling. Once experienced, these challenges trigger an insatiable appetite that demands more.

For smaller species of fish, a 9-weight fly rod that is 9-feet long would be my first choice. The reel should be single action, hold adequate backing, and left or right hand retrieve. You should turn the handle with your primary hand rather than what many fly fishermen do today. With a 9-weight rod, the reel should hold at least 200 yards of 20-pound dacron or braid. The second outfit for larger fish starts with a 12-weight or 13-weight rod and a reel that holds at least 275 yards of backing. Again, if you are right handed, choose a right hand retrieve. If you’re new to fly fishing, the time to break out the fly rod is when fishing is very good and your chances of success are boosted. It pays to keep it rigged and handy all the time. Let me warn you that catching fish on a fly rod becomes addictive. Once you start hooking fish on the light wand you will also be hooked.

For more Mark Sosin visit

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UR-Cut

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A slippery knife can make filleting fish a difficult chore. Dexter UR-Cut Fillet knives were designed to eliminate this problem, while providing comfort and control by custom molding the grip to a user’s hand. Coastal Angler put Dexter’s design to the test at the docks with a cooler full of sheepshead, which are known to be difficult to clean. The customization involves boiling the handle before dipping it in cold water and gripping it tightly so the owner’s grip is impressed on the handle. With attention to thumb position during the process, we were able to customize the grip to the exact position our fillet men prefer. It took just a few minutes, and the result was a well-balanced tool that felt secure and comfortable in the hand. Then we took our blades to the cutting table. Dexters are known for maintaining a super-sharp edge, and having just the right amount of flexibility. Past experience has taught us they are also easy to sharpen. We were not surprised to find the blade on our new UR-Cut knives performed flawlessly working along spines and ribcages. Our hands and the table were coated in slime, and this is where the URCut showed why it is more than just a good knife. We intentionally created a slippery situation by not washing down, and the non-slip properties of the custom handles performed as advertised. For more information, visit...

UR-Cut features the same legendary DEXSTEEL, super-sharp edge, and just-right flexibility that you are used to with Dexter... 1.Dip handle in boiling water for 2 minutes. 2. Dip in cold water for 1 second. 3. Grip and form handle for 10 seconds. 4. Put back in cold water for 10 seconds and your done.

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APRIL 2017

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O/B MOTOR BRACKET Mounts to your existing swim platform

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ADD SOME KICK WITH PANTHER’S ALL-NEW SWIM PLATFORM O/B MOTOR BRACKET Transform your boat into a fishing machine and make trolling for your favorite species more efficient and productive. www.MarineTechProducts.com

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PANTHER SWIM PLATFORM OUTBOARD MOTOR BRACKET Now, with the new Panther Swim Platform Outboard Motor Bracket you can transform the family boat or even the work boat into a fishing machine. The convenience of having a kicker motor makes slow trolling for your favorite species much more efficient and productive. The new bracket easily mounts to most swim platforms and features three levels of convenient height adjustment to accommodate most platform heights and motor shaft lengths, for optimal prop depth and performance. • Rated for two- and four-stroke motors up to 20 hp with max motor weight of 195 pounds • Constructed of black powder coat aluminum • Comes complete with transom support bar for weight support torque resistance For more information, contact MarineTech Products at 1 651-486-2010 or visit

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ost anglers would probably enjoy a shopping spree in the fishing section of the local Walmart. An Ohio man allegedly helped himself to not one, but two free-ofcharge shopping sprees last October, and has now been charged with stealing an estimated $3,800 worth of fishing gear, according to NBC affiliate WLWT. Warren County, Ohio prosecutor David Fornshell told reporters that Derrick Marcum, “pretty much cleared out the aisle.” According to the WLWT report, Marcum was arrested last October when he attempted to carry two backpacks stuffed with fishing gear out of an Ohio Walmart. He was arrested that same day for the theft of $1,300 worth of gear. But it wasn’t until recently that investigators connected that incident with another theft that occurred the previous day at another Ohio Walmart. Marcum allegedly filled five plastic bins with tackle and then proceeded to the self-checkout, where he paid only for the bins. Investigators valued that heist at about $2,500. A grand jury indicted Marcum, and he waits in jail for his arraignment, according to reports. Jail time seems a pretty steep price, even for thousands of dollars worth of fishing gear.

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suzuki spring savings Three Limited Time Offers Make A Good Deal Even Better Suzuki Gives You All Three So You Don’t Have To Choose One Or The Other

Buy a new Suzuki outboard from 25 to 300 horsepower and take advantage of not just one, but ALL THREE Suzuki Spring promotional offers.

Add cash rebates on select models and you can get up to $800 cash back. Plus our Repower Financing is available at attractive interest rates (on approved credit.*)

Just say, “Gimme Six!” and you’ll get six years of product protection. That’s right, you’ll get Suzuki’s three-year limited warranty and Suzuki’s 3-Year Extended Protection Plan at no extra charge.

See your participating Suzuki Marine dealer today and find out how you can get the ultimate deal on the Ultimate 4-Stroke Outboard.

Six Years of Protection at no extra charge on all new outboards 25 to 300 HP.

Cash Rebates on select models. See your dealer for details.

REPOWER FINANCE

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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 4/01/17 and 6/30/17 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 4/01/17 and 6/30/17. 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 4/01/17 and 6/30/17. “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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