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O P P O R T U N I T I E S
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Hauling Mutton And Grouper
Off The Marathon Bottom By CAM Staff
Darcie Arahill’s biggest mutton snapper to date came from 200 feet of water off Marathon in the Florida Keys.
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ottom fishing is about hard-pulling fish and filling the cooler with some delicious table fare. With grouper season in full swing, there may be no better way to get your daily workout than floating over a reef or wreck. And you’d be hard pressed to find a better place to do it than off of Marathon in the Florida Keys. Darcie Arahill, host of the YouTube channel Darcizzle Offshore, spent a day with Capt. Dave Schugar and the crew with Sweet E’Nuf Charters out of Marathon and absolutely loaded the coolers with mutton snapper, amberjack, blackfin tuna and yellowtail snapper. It was the kind of trip that bottom fishing is supposed to be. Capt. Dave spent the early part of the day hopping from wreck to wreck and patch reef to patch reef, briefly prospecting each one with baits before moving on in search of hungry fish. He eventually found them over structure in about 200 feet of water. “You gotta keep moving to find those bites,” said Darcie, understanding the searching it takes to find productive bottom. But after setting up a drift on this spot, the whole boat knew they were on the fish. The action started quickly and it was fast, with multiple double and triple hookups. They caught some fish vertical jigging, but Darcie’s largest mutton snapper ever—a beautiful 13.6-pounder—was battled off the bottom after it ate a live pinfish. The live-bait rig consisted of a pinfish hooked through the lips with a circle hook, which was tied into 25 feet of leader and a three-way swivel. A 10-oz. teardrop sinker was deployed off the other arm of the swivel to get the bait down to the bottom. The group hauled several muttons up from the depths, and they also caught amberjack, jack crevalle, bonita and blackfin tuna off the same spot. Capt. Dave took the opportunity to give a quick demonstration on how to properly bleed a blackfin to deliver better tasting fillets to the table. Instead of cutting the fish’s throat, use your hands to tear the gills beneath the gill plate.
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“You don’t want to cut the heart,” he said. “You want to cut the gills so all the blood can drip out… The heart’s still pumping, but it breaks the circuit so all the blood will pump right out.” With the fish boxes filling up, Capt. Dave decided it was a good time to head for shallower water to pursue grouper and yellowtail snapper. They ended the run in about 100 feet of water over the sunken center swing span of the original Seven Mile Bridge. In the 1980s, 4,500 tons of concrete and steel from the bridge were sunk as a part of Florida’s artificial reef program. Constructed in 1912, the Over-Sea Railroad bridge connected the Florida Keys to the mainland and to each other for the first time. Now pieces of the railroad make great fish habitat. With a couple heavy-duty grouper rigs deployed with big live grunts, Darcie went to work on the yellowtail. Yellowtail fishing with light tackle offers fast action and delicious fish. It’s a lot of fun and a perfect style of fishing for families, Darcie said. With chum out, it’s as easy as flipping out a piece of cut bait on a lightweight spinning rod and allowing it to drift with the chum until a fish picks up the bait. As the boxes continued to fill, this time with yellowtail, there was a vicious takedown on one of the grouper rods. A grueling struggle to haul the fish up was rewarded with a big 25-pound black grouper. It was the exclamation point on the end of a fine day on the water. Check out Darcie’s YouTube channel Darcizzle Offshore at www.youtube.com/user/DarcizzleOffshore.
To see more Mutton fishing with Darcizzle, go to
CRYSTALSALTWATERS.COM
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The History Of Rapala
I
t all began with a hungry Finnish guy and a carving knife. It was the 1930s when a simple fisherman made an observation of simple genius: Big fish eat little fish, especially little fish that are wounded. So began one of the greatest fishing stories ever told. As Lauri Rapala fished the waters of Finland’s Lake Paijanne, he quietly rowed and watched. And what he saw was how hungry predator fish would dart into a school of minnows and attack the one that swam with a slightly off-center wobble. Lauri realized that if he could craft a lure that mimicked the movements of a wounded minnow, he could catch more fish, earn more money, and not spend time constantly baiting lines. So Lauri set to work. He whittled, carved and shaved. Eventually a lure took shape. Using a shoemaker’s knife and some sandpaper, he created his first successful lure from cork in 1936. Tinfoil from chocolate bars formed the lure’s outer surface. Melted photographic negatives were the protective coating. It perfectly imitated the action of a wounded minnow. Legend has it that Lauri sometimes caught 600 pounds of fish a day with that new lure. And as word of his abundant catches spread, the lure’s reputation grew. The rest, as they say, is history. That first lure was the forefather to the lure that has helped more fishermen experience the thrill of more big fish than any other: the legendary Original Floating Rapala. As fishermen around the world began to catch more and bigger fish with Rapala’s lure, it became clear that what triggered them was the lure’s tantalizing
wiggle and wobble. Even though fish throughout the world are different, predators and baitfish always acted true to form. Big fish hammer wounded little fish. That’s why Lauri tested each lure to make sure it swam true to the unique “wounded-minnow action.” It wasn’t the fastest way to make a fishing lure. But it was the only way to make a Rapala. To this day, Rapala lures are hand-tuned and tank-tested to swim perfectly right out of the box. It’s an action as distinct to a Rapala as a fingerprint is to a person. With every unforgettable trip of a lifetime, every successful Saturday afternoon with a kid at the local fishing hole, the Rapala legend grew. A deep-seated trust formed between anglers and Rapala. Weekenders became hardcore. Dads became heroes. More and more fishermen began reaching for Rapala. For millions, success could be measured by the growing number of trophy fish caught on Rapala lures. To this day, no other lure holds more world records. And because we the designers at Rapala are fishermen first, they know not only what fishermen need, but what they can’t live without. When the Shad Rap exploded onto the scene, its ability to catch fish spread like wildfire. Tackle shops sold out across the country. Resort owners and mom-and-pop bait shops rented out Shad Raps by the day, and even by the hour. Yes, it was that good. Twenty years later, it’s still one of fishing’s most successful lures. Likewise, the moment Rapala introduced Fish ’n Fillet knives, they enhanced the fishing experience for millions. The tapered design and unique flexibility of the Fish ’n Fillet made filleting easier, which is why they’re still the number one fillet knives in the world. And so a foundation was laid. The successes of the Original Floater, Shad Rap, and Fish ’n Fillet were followed by other Rapala products that found their way into tackle boxes and history books. They are lures like the Magnum, the Rattlin’ Rapala, the Fat Rap, the CountDown, the Husky Jerk and the Tail Dancer. There’s a reason so many fishermen around the world put their faith in Rapala. It’s a confidence that stretches through 140 countries and is validated each year by the 20 million Rapala lures sold. Simply put, Rapala products make better fishermen. Nothing is rushed to market; everything is carefully crafted from years of experience. It is a legacy of unwavering quality that can be seen in every lure, every fillet knife, every tool, and every cast of our premium monofilament line. It is a legacy that continues with new Rapala offerings, new actions, new sizes, new colors, new finishes, new tools, new accessories and new ways of catching more fish. The sweet smell of success lingers long after the scent of fish slime fades. Tens of millions of walleye, trout, bass, wahoo, snook and tarpon later, Rapala continues to stand the test of time. Because through it all, one simple truth has endured. That which is irresistible to fish will always be irresistible to the fisherman.
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ne of the most prolific inshore species available to anglers on any coast, spotted seatrout come in two varieties: eaters and gators. Eater trout—those measuring in the 15-inch range—are extremely popular, due to their affinity to gather in big schools and chase down lures. Gator trout, however, are a whole different ballgame. Targeting big trout requires a different approach. Most resources suggest moderate-sized artificial lures, like imitation shrimp, for seatrout of any size. Yet, on numerous occasions, I’ve had big gators run down and attempt to swallow smaller trout while I’ve reeled them in. As seatrout grow larger, their diets shift from small crustaceans to almost exclusively fish—the bigger the better. Live baits are my preference for targeting big fish. Mullet are a favorite, as are pinfish and croakers. With big baits in the livewell, it’s time to find gator water. While it’s common to find schools of smaller trout in deeper channels adjacent to shallow flats, trophy trout spend more time around subtle depressions and breaks. If you’re catching large numbers of eaters, a change of areas is usually required to find gators. Most of my fishing is done in super-skinny water in heavily pressured areas with tough fish. Fishing these small, shallow areas requires stealth and patience. For big trout, I move into an area as quietly as possible, put the Talon down, and wait.
As things settle down, it’s important to assess the area. Flooded oyster bars or current-swept mangroves are always worth a shot, but don’t overlook inconspicuous spots. If an area is relatively shallow, with one washout or depression that’s just a foot deeper than everything else, that spot can be key, especially at low tide. Before the first cast is made, it’s important to select proper tackle. Line and hook size should be greater than what’s considered routine. With a mainline of 20-pound braid, I attach a long leader of 25-pound test fluorocarbon. It’s my only hope against razor-sharp oyster bars. I tie on a 5/0 to 7/0 VMC circle hook that’s super strong. A small float helps keep track of a hard-swimming mullet. It’s important to lob baits delicately toward the target. However, once a fish is hooked, any delicacy is tossed aside, as big inshore fish don’t play nice. Here, the proper rod becomes key to the equation. I like St. Croix’s Mojo Inshore rods for gator trout hunting. These rods are workhorses, covered in a double layer of finishing cure and backed by a five-year warranty. But durability doesn’t come at the sacrifice of quality. Mojo Inshore models are built from SCII graphite and contain hardcore components. Longer models aid in casting, hooksets and moving big fish away from cover; the 7’6” medium-heavy is perfect. Once your trophy trout is boat-side, be sure to handle it carefully. Summertime water temperatures leave these fish compromised after a fight. Giant spotted trout are rare and always females; to release them in a healthy state ensures a future for us all.
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Beautiful Log Home Erected in One Day!
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ounds incredible, doesn’t it? When we first heard that statement from Chip Smith, Owner of Blue Ridge Log Cabins, I smiled and said, “We would like to see that.” Chip’s confident smile back and his reply, “Great. Let’s get you scheduled to observe a cabin construction first hand.” The following article documents the amazing process developed by Blue Ridge Log Cabins and verifies construction of a 5,000 square foot log cabin in one day! This awesome engineering feat can be viewed in a time-lapse video by visiting www.blueridgelogcabins.com. Take a look; it’s quite impressive. Celebrating 25 years as an innovator in their industry, Blue Ridge Log Cabins have been featured on “Extreme Makeover,” HGTV’s “Amazing Log Homes” and were recognized as America’s Favorite Log Homes 2017 in a survey conducted by Log Cabin Hub. Editor’s Note: the logs used by Blue Ridge Log Cabins are engineered in their state of the art, 110,000 square foot, temperature-controlled production facility in South Carolina and are kiln-
dried and precisley constructed in their facility. Every log fits perfectly before it arrives to your job site. In their system, your log home has already been constructed at their facility before it arrives to be assembled. Nothing is left to chance, no guesswork, no hassles. It truly is an amazing process to watch. Their process is a truly personalized experience. They have a wide variety of floor plans to choose from in their Estate, Classic and Cabin Collections. Or bring your own ideas to them and let Blue Ridge Log Cabins customize a home for you. Then choose your style and decor so that your home truly is unique to you. All plans are reviewed and approved by a licensed third-party engineer to make certain all local building codes are met. The Blue Ridge Log Cabins team will visit your land to ensure there are no unexpected surprises as construction commences. Should you need help in finding the perfect property, they can assist with that, as well. Once you finalize your plan and design your home, Blue Ridge Log Cabins’ team of experts begin building your home inside their facility. While your foundation is going in on your property, they’re building your dream home including electrical, plumbing, windows and doors as well as installing appliances, fixtures, cabinetry and more. Once your home is delivered to your property and onsite construction begins, your dream cabin will be up before the day is over. If you enjoy the beauty and ambiance of wood and the mystique of log home living you owe it to yourself to see how easily and economically a Blue Ridge Log Cabin can come together. We were impressed and have no doubt that you will be too. For more information, please visit www.blueridgelogcabins.net or call toll free 888-340-9782.
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By Capt. Michael Okruhlik • Photo courtesy of Controlled Descent Lures
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he Texas summer surf can spoil a newcomer in a heartbeat and is what the seasoned surf angler awaits each year. Vacation days are set aside well in advance and excuses to come in late to work are ready and often recycled. Spoil a newcomer, addiction, you might ask, what is so special about the surf? My fastest limit, 10 trout from the upper Texas coast, came on 12 consecutive casts. One was a dud, a lost fish, and 10 were solid trout, 19.5 to 24 inches. After I caught my limit, I continued to catch and release solid trout up to 5 ½ pounds. If that doesn’t spoil you, nothing will. Days like this are not uncommon when the conditions are right. The key to a successful morning in the surf is to remember you don’t plan a trip when you want, you go when the surf calls you. Green incoming tides rising with the sun paired with a calm surf are my favored conditions. May and June routinely provide the best odds of landing the larger trout with Independence Day marking the arrival of masses of school-size fish. I like to start my day before the sun’s rays illuminate the horizon. Standing on the sand, tossing topwaters or suspending baits parallel and as close to the sand as I can effectively work the lure. I have caught many trout pushing 7 pounds along with large flounder and snook using this approach. It is amazing the size of fish that will feed in mere inches of breaking water. As the blanket of darkness no longer conceals my presence, I will begin to gradually angle my casts towards the open Gulf. I will broaden my search area and structure type until I find where the fish are feeding, never overlooking the shallow water where I began my day. As the sun climbs, the trout will typically find comfort in the guts, chasing mullet, shrimp, shad and other baitfish. When this occurs, I still vary my cast from parallel to offshore, covering the deep guts and not overlooking the structure, which is the bar. As you would do while fishing the bay, don’t overlook the drop off. Casting along it can produce great catches. White water and waves crashing is an often-overlooked hot spot. I seldom see surf fishermen casting into the whitewash, which can be a huge mistake. The turbulence disorients the baitfish which are easy meals for the thick-bodied, strong-swimming surf trout. I can remember one day in particular when most, if not all, of my trout were caught in the white water on top of the bar. A solid trout inhaled my slow-sinking lure as it tossed and turned in the froth. After that, I made repeated casts into the turbid water to end a successful day that up until that point had been quite slow. Let me check the forecast, is it calm yet? Capt. Michael Okruhlik is the inventor of Controlled Descent Lures and the owner of www.MyCoastOutdoors.com.
For basics on Surf Fishing, go to
www.coveralls.biz
FISHINGWATERS.CO
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DAVID MANEY, FOWLER’S SUNGLASSES
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aving been actively involved in the sunglasses industry for over 20 years and having sold over 25,000 pairs of sunglasses last year, I’m often asked, “What is the most important thing to consider when choosing a pair of sunglasses?” My answer is always, “the way they fit your face; comfort is the most important consideration.” I’m surprised at the number of people who choose their sunglasses based on brand. For anglers, and I am one, the next consideration can be offshore or inshore. The blue mirror lens models hold the best lens clarity for offshore while the green mirror/amber lenses produce the clearest lens visibility for the inshore angler. I’ve been a big fan of Revo’s Blue Crawlers for my offshore sunglasses, and I switch to my ambers as my go-to inshore glasses. Another big consideration for some is OSHA-approved eyewear. The correct approval body is ANSI approved. This ANSI validation of the sunglasses is the only accepted approval by OSHA’s requirements, however, few brands actually possess the ANSI approval. If OSHA requirements are important for your choice of sunglasses, make sure you’re seeing the ANSI approval in writing and not simply relying on your representative’s assurance. Finally, if you’re a prescription eyewear user, ensuring that the lens you receive when you request your prescription sunglasses from your favorite brand is not always apples to apples. Make sure that the exact same lens technology
is available for your prescription sunglasses as their nonprescription lenses. Otherwise, you could own an expensive pair of non-angler-friendly sunglasses. Believe me, it happens all the time. There are many new entries in the sunglasses field these days. Lens technology advancements continue to improve the quality of the angler’s viewpoint. If you’re in the market for a new pair of sunglasses, I recommend you do a little research before you make your purchase. Don’t just go buy XYZ sunglasses. Find the pair, regardless of brand, that’s best for you. If Fowler’s can be of any assistance in helping you make that decision, please feel free to call or email us. We’re happy to help ensure that you’re completely satisfied with your next sunglasses purchase. David Maney is considered to be one of the most published experts in the general field of sunglasses. He has appeared in Southern Living Magazine, USA Today and U.S. World Report and even appeared on Oprah. Fowler’s has been in business for 118 years and has sold over 250,000 pairs of sunglasses. For more information on Fowler’s and David Maney, visit www.fowlerssunglasses.com or call 888-340-9021.
6 Reasons Why Fowler’s Sells More Sunglasses than Anyone Else in the U.S. Over 250,000 Pairs Sold #1. Price #2. Selection #3. Price #4. Selection #5. Price #6. Selection
Since 1955
Toll Free
888-340-9021
www.FowlersSunglasses.com
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SUNGLASSES NATIVE EYEWEAR SIGHTCASTER Native Eyewear’s Sightcaster is all about giving you the right tool for the pursuit of a good catch. Color enhanced, high-definition optics cut through glare on the water allowing you to see deeper and farther. Native’s premium polarized lens technology also blocks up to four times more infrared and protects against harmful UV rays, helping your eyes stay fresh even after a long day on the water. The full-wrap, X-Large frame comes with nonslip grip material along the temples and nose pads to ensure all-day comfort with a lightweight and secure fit.
WWW.NATIVEEYEWEAR.COM COSTA REMORA
Costa Del Mar was born on the water and is committed to protecting it. This summer, Costa will celebrate its tradition of conservation by launching its OCEARCH Limited Edition collection. Costa is a primary supporter of OCEARCH, a research organization that generates critical scientific data on keystone marine species like great white and tiger sharks. Its vessel, the M/V OCEARCH, is an at-sea laboratory that puts science on the side of sharks to help protect our oceans worldwide. One of the models in this OCEARCH Limited Edition collection is the Remora, a brand new frame that features all of Costa’s signature performance technologies. This particular pair features a brand new lens as well! The Gray Silver Mirror lens is great for all-day wear. It is a polycarbonate lens with silver mirror on a gray base. The frame color is called Tiger Shark, and reflects the patterns of its namesake. Think of it as the popular tortoise shell in a more shark and ocean-inspired colorway! MSRP: $169. These glasses also come with a limited edition cleaning cloth and C-MASK. For more on OCEARCH, go to www.ocearch.org.
WWW.COSTADELMAR.COM RIO RAY SEASIDE Rio Ray Optics is the best new brand and most comfortable polarized sunglasses on the market. Designed for the outdoor lifestyle, all Rio Ray sunglasses come with 100 percent optically correct polarized CR39 lenses, indestructible TR90 frames, optical spring hinges for maximum comfort and a hassle-free lifetime warranty. All Rio Ray hard-coated polarized lenses are made of the highest quality CR39 and contain nine layers of protection with 100 percent UV protection. A hydrophobic coating on the front repels water, sunscreen and dirt, which makes cleaning and maintenance easy. A vibrant flash mirror provides additional glare reduction and a superior scratch resistant coating prevents lens damage. The backside anti-reflective coating eliminates bounce-back glare. Rio Ray MaxFlex frame technology makes these the most comfortable sunglasses on the market utilizing lightweight TR90 nylon, which maintains the frame shape and offers incredible durability. Our frames were designed to be 100 percent prescription ready, and each pair comes with a full array of accessories including a hard and soft case, cleaning cloth and retainer. There are over 40 styles to choose from, an average MSRP of only $149.99, and new styles are on the way for each season. Replacement lenses are available for only $24.99. Rio Ray is always looking for high-quality retailers to partner with, and they have the best retailer friendly program in the sunglass industry. For dealer inquires, call 800-498-2104 or email jarrod@ riorayoptics.com.
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S RE VIEW2017 REVO GUIDE S AND GUIDE II Back in 1985, Revo became a global performance eyewear brand known as the leader in polarized lens technology. Their glasses were first created utilizing lens technology developed by NASA as solar protection for satellites. Today, Revo continues to build on its rich tradition of technology and innovation by offering the clearest and most advanced high-contrast polarized sunglass available. With two new frames, the Guide II and the Guide S, Revo seeks to fill the needs of those seeking the best in performance sunglasses. Both frames feature HighContrast Polarized Serilium lenses that are lightweight, shatterproof and formulated of polycarbonate. Revo’s 8-base lens technology offers a more curved fit relative to your face, and elastometric nosepads provide a more secure fit for active wearers. Sleek and modern, the Guide II adds an element of comfort to the all-activity, allcondition mentality. What carries on in the Guide lineage, however, is the confidence to exceed expectations and reach the objective. The Guide S blends all-terrain functionality with a sleek fit. They are equipped with fast-flow vents and Motion-Fit technology for optimal comfort in any condition or environment.
WWW.REVO.COM
SKELETON OPTICS RENEGADE
FLYING FISHERMAN MORAY
New for 2018, take hold and be bold with Flying Fisherman’s Moray sunglasses, a sporty frame equipped to take your fishing game to the next level. Built with durability and comfort in mind for anglers who work hard and play even harder, the medium fit, semi-rimless wrap-around frame provides generous lens coverage, helping shield the sun from all angles. Non-slip, co-injected temples and adjustable, rubberized nosepiece give this frame solid performance and comfort for all-day wear. The Flying Fisherman Polarized, AcuTint lens coloring system eliminates glare and enhances color contrast, without distorting natural colors. The enhanced visual sharpness and comfort adds to fishing productivity, and maximizes the outdoors experience for anglers and watersports enthusiasts who need to see below the water’s surface to spot fish and structure. Morays are available in matte black frames with copper-red mirror, smoke, or smoke blue-mirror lenses, matte grey frames with smoke blue-mirror lenses, and matte white frames with smoke-blue mirror AcuTint lenses. MSRP is $24.95 - $29.95, and the Moray will be in stores this September. Call 305-852-8989 or visit the website for more information or to receive a free catalog.
WWW.FLYINGFISHERMAN.COM
POPTICALS POPSTAR
Skeleton Optics high-performance eyewear delivers superb craftsmanship, trend-forward innovation and advanced technology for outdoor enthusiasts everywhere. From the Rocky Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean, Skeleton Optics sunglasses are designed to empower ordinary people to do extraordinary things, inspiring them to live the “No Boundaries” lifestyle. The new Skeleton Optics Renegade frames not only embrace that belief but take it to the next level. Adding to their already popular Original Collection, Skeleton Optics took the wraparound feature of the best-selling Scout model, and extended the frame width while working closely with the Zeiss Optical team to increase the lens height and create the all new Renegade sunglasses. Rugged and durable, yet sleek and stylish, Renegade sunglasses are perfect for a day on the water, on the trail, in the car, at the beach or in town. Renegades feature polarized polycarbonate lenses by Zeiss with 100 percent UV protection and advanced TRI-PEL/RI-PEL coating to enhance colors and promote clear vision in any outdoor environment. Lenses also include a premium hard coating for scratch and impact resistance. Grilamid TR-90 frames were designed and manufactured in Italy for lasting durability, comfort and protection. The in-line nosepiece is anti-slip and moisture wicking. Specifications: • Base Curve of 8 • DBL: 18mm • Temple Length: 115mm • Lens Size A/B: A65xB40 For information, call 888-564-9025.
WWW.SKELETON-SUNGLASSES.COM
Sunglasses are a necessity, but they’re also a burden. There is an ever-present possibility to lose or damage this expensive piece equipment. And you can forget about storing a conventional pair in a case in your pocket. They’re just too bulky. That’s where Popticals steps in. This revolutionary new line of portable, pop-out sunglasses has a patented design that makes storage safe and convenient. Popticals’ FL2 Micro-Rail System allows the sunglasses to easily fold down to be stored in a small hardshell case. You won’t even notice this compact design in your pocket, and the unit can be clipped to anything with an included carabiner. These glasses are high-performance, as well. The NYDEF Nylon Lenses manufactured by Carl Zeiss Vision are clearer and 16 percent lighter in weight than polycarbonate lenses. They offer complete UV protection, filtering out 100 percent of harmful UVA and UVB rays, while hydrophobic and oleophobic technology repels water, oil, sweat and dust. The Swiss Grilamid TR 90 frames provide long-lasting durability and resistance to extreme temperatures while remaining lightweight and comfortable for extended use. Popticals are engineered in the U.S.A and handcrafted in Italy. See the Popticals website for a wide range of styles designed for any outdoor pursuit.
WWW.POPTICALS.COM
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FLY FISHING
TARPON TIME: THE TWO HANDED STRIP
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t’s tarpon time! Many of you will be headed to tarpon waters this summer looking to hook one of ocean’s greatest gamefish on the fly. When you go, consider altering your fly retrieval technique from the standard one-hand strip to the two-handed stip. If you do, you might be surprised at how effective a two-hand strip can be at catching this great gamefish. There are some saltwater fish that react to a fly that is stripped as fast as possible. Tuna, barracuda, roosterfish, amberjack and yellowtail are all good examples. These guys prefer a fly that moves like an Indianapolis racecar. If the fly isn’t imitating a fleeing baitfish, and suddenly stops, this group of gamers will turn and swim away. The two-handed strip is also a wonderful technique for feeding a well-presented fly to a tarpon. But there is a difference. The twohanded strip is slightly different for tarpon than it is for offshore and nearshore species. Where offshore fish like tuna want the fly to burn through the water without pause, a tarpon often wants to see the fly move through the water at a slower pace while still keeping the fly’s continual motion. An advantage of the two hand strip technique is the angler has total control of the fly’s pace through the water, making it possible for the angler to speed up or slow down the fly depending on the reaction of the tarpon to the fly. For example, if a tarpon reacts aggressively toward the fly, the angler might speed up the retrieve to initiate a strike. If the tarpon’s reaction is less aggressive, almost passive, the angler can manipulate the fly’s speed and try to turn on the tarpon’s “light switch” to instigate a strike. Another advantage to using the two-hand retrieve is that the rod is placed under the arm rather than in the hands, making it almost impossible to lift the rod tip on a strike. This combats the urge of freshwater converts to set the hook by lifting the rod, a big no-no
in tarpon fishing. With the rod under and arm, the only way to hook the fish is with a solid stripstrike. For a successful twohanded strip do the following: • After the fly has been cast, place the rod under the arm (right or left). • Point the rod tip down, keeping the tip on the water at all times. • Begin the strip by pulling the fly line with your hand at the first stripping guide. Repeat this with the other hand. • There should be a continual motion, changing hands with each strip. • Vary the speed of the fly as you strip it through the water. • Strip the fly all the way to the boat and repeat. If you feel a strike, give your line a solid strip-strike. Use the two-handed strip, and I guarantee you will never go back to the one-hand strip again. Good luck on the tarpon grounds this season!
For Tackle Box Essentials from Bowman, go to
CAMFLYFISHING.COM
High Performance Eyewear
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FLORIDA
Big Turnout for Sebastian Exchange Club Blue Water Open
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he 24th Annual Sebastian Exchange Club Blue Water Open was held on June 3 with tournament headquarters at Capt. Hiram’s Resort in Sebastian. Despite the weather, it was a great success, with a fleet of 110 boats registered to fish. Fifty boats weighed fish and reported mixed results on the catch.
The dolphin bite was sketchy, with the first and second place fish weighing in at 26.35 and 21.85 pounds. They were caught aboard C Monster with Capt. Matt Lennon. The 21.85-pound dolphin landed Matt’s son, Matthew, the Junior Angler award and a new kayak. Only one wahoo was weighed in, a 35.05-pounder caught by George Kessel, of Grant, on the Shake Down. George reported the fish was caught around midday in about 150 feet of water. Several nice kingfish made it to the scales. Celtic Knots took first and second place in that category with a 40.5-pound and a 33.6-pound fish, caught by Steve Fritzson. The real money was made by the fishing team aboard Restricted Species. These guys took first place grouper with a 45.05-pounder and second place with a 34.15-pounder. That big grouper, caught by Rob Reilly, won them the Big Fish Bonanza for a whopping $4,720, in addition to $1,000 for a new award this year, The Capt. William Charles Catchin’ and Cookin’ Memorial Award for the largest grouper caught in the tournament in memory of Capt. Bill. Interestingly, the 34.15-pound grouper was caught by Matson Scott, who fished with Capt. Bill many times. Matson said he sent up a prayer to Bill on the way out that morning to be with them that day. Looks like prayer may work! First-place fish were worth $1,250 and second place $600. In addition to the four places on the main scoreboard, the Blue Water Open offers an additional 10 places on the Bonus Board worth $200 each, for fishermen who don’t make the main board. Other categories for the biggest fish caught were amberjack, cobia and new this year, tripletail. Cobia and Tripletail went unfilled, but Steve McElveen aboard Wreckreation landed a 39.25 amberjack worth $1,000. Top Boat went to Fred Smith of the Lickety Split with an aggregate weight of 54.45 pounds for three fish in at least two main-board categories. The Top Boat payout was $2,000. For complete tournament results, visit www.bluewateropen.com or like Sebastian Blue Water Open on Facebook. The Exchange Club of Sebastian has raised almost $500,000 over the years through the efforts put forth in the Blue Water Open. All proceeds go to worthy charities in the local community, with a special emphasis on preventing child abuse.
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Mike holds a redfish landed on Ande Backcountry 8-pound test near Useppa Island Club.
By Nadeen Welch
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ike and I decided it was time to get out of Dodge and take a road trip with our flats boat. The hustle and bustle of south Florida makes this kind of trip a stark contrast and welcome break. We ended up on Useppa, a small island between Pine Island and Cabbage Key on the southwest coast of Florida. These places are almost due west of Fort Myers near the mouth of Charlotte Harbor. The path that led us there was anything but ordinary. It was as if we were being beckoned. My first contact with Useppa was from the Palm Beach Boat Show in March. I attended a media event at the Lake Pavilion on the Waterfront and discovered an oasis in the midst of all the craziness of the boat show. It was a gorgeous photo of Useppa Island: paradise without a passport, with an inviting area to relax during the media event. There were some goodies there and information, which I grabbed. That photo just seemed to call me…. We had planned to visit the west coast in the coming weeks, a trip to Bokeelia, on the north end of Pine Island, to fish. Once we finalized
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the dates, I reached out to Brian and Mary—the Useppa People, who are realtors. They invited us to visit the Private Island Club, have lunch at the historic Collier Inn, and then took us on a golf cart tour of the island. There are no roads here, only golf cart paths and walkways. My kind of island! It just seemed magical. We were invited to come back for an overnight visit to experience the island. Brian and Mary made the arrangements for us to return and visit as their guests. So, we loaded the car, hooked up the boat and were off. Pine Island Sound here we come! We stopped in Matlacha and made a phone call to the Pineland Marina to check on bait. Good call. They were out of shrimp. We visited Carrie at the Barnhill Seafood Market in Matlacha who loaded us up with 200 monster shrimp. There was a stream behind the shop where we could get a few buckets of water to transport the shrimp safely to the marina. When you are on an island, you need to be proactive about supplies. Consider travel distances on the water to get what you need, and that options can be limited. We launched the boat; I drove to park for the weekend and was greeted with a golf cart escort to the ramp. Headed out the cut from the marina, it feels as if you are soaring—having been set free from civilization and traffic. The waterways are expansive, and there are multiple mangrove cuts around every turn. There is so much water, so many cuts and areas to explore. The seagrass beds have expanded in the area 10 percent since the storms of 2008. The abundance of shoalgrass and turtlegrass has increased while the abundance of manatee grass has remained stable. In fact, the number of quadrants monitored in the area that are devoid of seagrass has decreased by 50 percent since 2005. This all makes for some clean water and great fishing. Our first visit to Bokeelia, we limited on seatrout every day. On our trip to Useppa a month later, we encountered mostly snook and a monster red, caught by Mike on the next to last shrimp! And there are always tarpon. Nadeen Welch is co-publisher of the Fort Myers edition of Coastal Angler Magazine.
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6/19/17 3:35 PM
Health
How a Chicago Doctor Shook Up the Hearing Aid Industry with his Newest Invention New nearly invisible digital hearing aid breaks price barrier - 90% LESS
Reported by J. Page
Chicago: Board-certified physician Dr. S. Cherukuri has done it once again with his newest invention of a medical-grade, ALLDIGITAL, affordable hearing aid. This new digital hearing aid is packed with all the features of $4,000 competitors at a mere fraction of the cost. Now, most people with hearing loss are able to enjoy crystal clear, natural sound—in a crowd, on the phone, in the wind—without suffering through “whistling” and annoying background noise.
Digital Hearing Aid Outperforms Expensive Competitors This sleek, fully programmed, light-weight, hearing aid is the outgrowth of the digital revolution that is changing our world. While demand for “all things digital” caused most prices to plunge (consider DVD players and computers, which originally sold for thousands of dollars and today can be purchased for less), the cost of a digital medical-grade hearing aid remains out of reach. Dr. Cherukuri knew that many of his patients would benefit but couldn’t afford the expense of these new digital hearing aids. Generally they are not covered by Medicare and most private health insurance plans.
Nearly Invisible!
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invisible profile Advanced Noise Reduction to make speech clearer Feedback Cancellation eliminates whistling Wide Dynamic Range Compression makes soft sounds audible and loud sounds comfortable Telecoil setting for use with compatible phones, and looped environments like churches 3 Programs and Volume Dial accommodate most common types of hearing loss even in challenging listening environments
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to your listening environment — prioritizing speech and de-emphasizing background noise. Experience all of the sounds you’ve been missing at a price you can afford. This doctor designed and approved hearing aid comes with a full year’s supply of long-life batteries. It delivers crisp, clear sound all day long and the soft flexible ear domes are so comfortable you won’t realize you’re wearing them.
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Can a hearing aid delay or prevent dementia? A study by Johns Hopkins and the National Institute on Aging suggests older individuals with hearing loss are significantly more likely to develop dementia over time than those who retain their hearing. They suggest that an intervention—such as a hearing aid—could delay or prevent dementia by improving hearing!
“Satisfied Buyers Agree AIR is the Best Digital Value!” “I am hearing things I didn’t know I was missing. Really amazing. I’m wearing them all the time.” —Larry I., Indiana “Almost work too well. I am a teacher and hearing much better now.” —Lillian B., California “I have used many expensive hearing aids, some over $5,000. The AIRs have greatly improved my enjoyment of life.” —Sam Y., Michigan
The doctor evaluated the high priced digital hearing aids on the market, broke them down to their base components, and then created his own affordable version - called the MDHearingAid AIR® for its virtually invisible, lightweight appearance.
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By Diane Claridge, PhD and Charlotte Dunn, PhD
When you upgrade your outboards at a Mastry Suzuki Repower Center, you have chosen the best 4-stroke technology available. Plus, you receive the exclusive Owner’s Edge advantage, the benefits of which include: Suzuki Repower Network Support Exclusive Discounts on Parts and Service Unique Trade Allowance Program Access to Parts Online Special Events Informative Seminars
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T
urns out that’s a difficult question to answer. Beaked whales feed at more than ½ mile down and are fairly skittish critters while near the surface, and weighing in at over a ton means catching, measuring and releasing is certainly not an option! Besides, perhaps a more important question is, who cares how big these whales are? Well, the U.S. Navy, that’s who. Unfortunately for beaked whales, their deep-diving behavior means they share waters with Navy submarines, and when the Navy uses powerful sonar during training exercises, beaked whales are affected. Recent studies at the U.S. Navy’s Atlantic Test and Evaluation Center (AUTEC), off Andros Island in The Bahamas indicate that Blainville’s beaked whales move away from sonar when they hear it. We believe this movement is displacing whales from their preferred feeding areas and are concerned this will compromise the animals’ body condition, which will impact their survival and reproduction success. And that’s why size matters. With funding from the U.S. Office of Naval Research, the Bahamas Marine Mammal Research Organisation (BMMRO) and NOAA Fisheries, we conducted a feasibility study to test whether a drone could be used to measure length and girth of beaked whales. Using length, we can monitor growth as animals mature, while girth measurements tell us if an animal is pregnant, and if so, we can monitor if the calf survives. Based in Sandy Point, off the southwest coast of Abaco Island, BMMRO has been studying beaked whales for 25 years and knows these whales individually: how old they are, what sex they are, how many offspring they have had, etc. So, Abaco was the ideal place to try to get measurements of whales of known age and current reproductive state. From our Novurania 680DL rigid-hulled inflatable, our science team deployed a small APH-22 marine hexacopter named “Goose” with a camera attached to obtain vertical images from 100 feet above beaked whales. During 30 flights over the 2-week study, “Goose” successfully photographed 10 different beaked whales. So, we now had images in hand of males and females, both young and old, as well as females with and without calves. So… how big is a beaked whale? Blainville’s beaked whales ranged in length from the smallest calf measuring 9 feet to the largest adult at 14 feet. The girth of one female seen without a calf was notably larger than the other females, and we predicted she was pregnant. Three months after the study ended, we saw her again with a newborn calf! With the success of our feasibility study, plans are to apply this approach to measure the length of beaked whales at AUTEC and monitor pregnancies to determine if displacement from sonar is causing nutritional stress and affecting reproductive success. It is the responsibility of the U.S. Navy and the science community to effectively monitor populations that are being impacted to affect change when needed. This study serves an example of that process in action. The authors are research biologists with the Bahamas Marine Mammal Research Organisation. Follow the organization’s work at http://www.bahamaswhales.org and also on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
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6/19/17 3:35 PM
THE ALTERNATIVE TO BUYING A NEW BOAT
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LOWER UNIT LOCKING SYSTEM REMOVE
INSTALL
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The perfect fishing knot is not a knot, but a weld!
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ishermen have been on an eternal quest for the perfect knot. This effort is futile because the line must bend to tie any knot, which always weakens the line, in many cases, substantially! Tauten has replaced the knot with a polymer line weld which results in virtually no loss in system strength. Instead of the line breaking at the weld, the line itself will fail first. Works on braid, mono or fluorocarbon Simply run line through lure/hook and back over device, push button and line is welded to itself in seconds Takes easily replaced and inexpensive polymer cartridges (up to 12 welds per) Device derived from one used by surgeons to tie surgical knots and is extremely durable, lightweight and it floats! Allows you to use smaller diameter line or increases the breaking strength of existing line No more failed knots!
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FISH & FISHING
LURE LOGIC
S
MARK SOSIN
ome lessons gnaw at your memory for years. A group of highly skilled fly fishermen stood on the bank of a well-known river visiting and talking about nothing important. Suddenly, within casting range, a trout kept rising and picking insects off the surface. One of the long time anglers began casting a dry fly upstream of the fish, letting it float past the target. Nothing happened. He made cast after cast, watching the trout ignore his offering and keep feeding on the real thing. I saw it happen. For no particular reason, the angler made a cast that was slightly (and I mean slightly) different from all the others. The trout rose and took the fly. Witnessing that made me totally aware that success or failure when fishing an artificial lure could hinge on a factor almost too minor to notice. I’ve seen times when vibrating your wrist when retrieving a plug spelled a strike while simply cranking the reel proved futile. There have been times when a momentary pause in reeling a plug allowed it to rise slightly and that made the difference. A tackle box full of different artificials is not the answer. You can get by with a half-dozen different baits once you learn how to fish them effectively. The basic rule states that if you are not getting strikes, vary the retrieve. Fish are cold-blooded and react slower and for shorter distances as the water temperature drops. When a fish is holding in one spot waiting for food to come to it, your cast and retrieve should follow that pattern. And keep in mind that your favorite lures on your home waters work just as well on the road. I’ve caught the same species on the same lure a continent apart. In your selection of lures, you want to be able to cover the water column from the bottom to the surface. That doesn’t mean each bait has to travel that distance, but rather that you should have some that work the bottom, others for the surface, and the rest in between at mid-depth. Fish see differently than we do. What looks good to you may not tempt a fish into striking. And, if there are standards and
rigid laws, I haven’t learned them. I’ve caught sailfish on a plastic worm rigged for largemouth bass and another one on a cigar. My wife caught a sailfish deep jigging with a white bucktail. The key to success with artificial lures is not the baits you choose, but presentation. It has to look edible to a fish and trigger the desire to strike. Part of that presentation has to appear that the lure is trying to escape. All predators expect their next meal to try to get away from their jaws. No predator expects to be attacked by its prey. I can’t help but think about that trout on that memorable day. The untrained eye could not see that the fly floated just a hair differently when the fish sucked in the dry fly. Look for subtle differences in your retrieves and your catch ratio will become impressive. That should make you smile.
For more about artifical lures with Mark Sosin, visit
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It’s Mahi Time Off Key Largo By CAM Staff
D
rop everything you’re doing right now. Go book a mahi trip out of the Upper Keys. Capt. Ross Early with Early Bird Fishing Charters said they are hammering dolphinfish right now, with piles of schoolie-sized mahi packed in around the weed lines and big gaffers and slammers showing up under the birds. Summertime is all about mahi off the Atlantic side of Key Largo. Really, the bite stretches all the way south through the Keys, but it’s hard to beat Largo down through Islamorada for ease of access. The Upper Keys are close enough for a day trip from the south Florida mainland. Capt. Ross said the bite usually ramps up in May and lasts into September or October most years as the mahi migrate down through the Keys. A typical day begins early, with a quick stop inside the reef line to
catch bait with a net or sabiki before heading offshore with a tank full of cigar minnows and ballyhoo. The destination is the weed line that drifts in the current offshore. Capt. Ross said the run to the fishing grounds can be as short as 8 miles, and he fishes in anywhere from 300 to 1,000 feet of water. But the depth doesn’t really matter, because the fish are near the surface feeding on forage that congregates around the weeds. He’ll start by searching, trolling with lures and dead ballyhoo to find the fish. When that first rod goes down is when the real action starts. It’s a scramble to clear all the trolling lines, because that first fish typically brings other fish with it. Everyone on deck grabs a 20-pound spinning outfit to pitch chunk bonita, squid, live baits, or whatever to dolphin that are schooled up and feeding. “It can become organized chaos,” Ross said. “There are fish all around the boat, and you want to catch as many as you can, while you can, because it can turn off as fast as it turned on.” Generally, this blast of action consists of 6- to 10-pound schoolie-sized mahi with fillets perfect for the dinner plate. The 40- and 50-pound slammers are a little more solitary. “I’m always on the binoculars looking for birds,” Ross said. “I’m looking for frigates and yellow-billed terns. They’re our eye in the sky.” Three or four birds in one spot hovering or picking at the weeds indicate there are fish below pushing bait to the surface. Capt. Ross will climb into the tower of his 45-foot Custom Carolina, Early Bird, to look for fish and steer the boat on collision course with them. Packs of three or four big mahi will be moving southwesterly this time of year, and the trick is to get out in front of them. With Ross spotting fish and shouting direction to the anglers below, casting live baits accurately will usually lead to an incredible rush when a big slammer ties into a 20-pound spinning rig. It’s the kind of thing one must experience to understand. And who knows, you might encounter blackfin and skipjack tuna, sailfish, wahoo and the occasional marlin, as well. Book your trip with Capt. Ross Early and Early Bird Fishing Charters by calling 305-942-3618 or emailing ross@fishearlybird.com. Check out their website at www.fishearlybird.com.
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Our stars come out at night.
From bridges teeming with tarpon and snook to swordfish prowling down deep, the night fishing in Key Largo is out of this world. In fact, it’s right up there with the daytime fishing, which is nothing short of stellar. fla-keys.com/keylargo 1.800.822.1088 COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM
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MCTKL-2842 Coastal Angler LO1 • July 2017
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6/19/17 3:35 PM
By Erika Zambello
T
high-deep in the warm, brackish water of the Choctawhatchee Bay, volunteers stood in straight lines, their arm-lengths connected a barge loaded down with bagged oyster shells to a partially completed oyster reef in Marina Cove, Niceville. Moving as one, volunteers from the barge handed off mesh bags stuffed with oyster shells to those standing in the water, each person then passed the bag like a hot potato to the next until finally the shells were placed in a brand new oyster reef. After a year of effort, the 700-foot oyster reef—the largest the Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance (CBA) has ever constructed—was complete. The journey for the oyster shells here closes a critical natural resource loop. In the past, people harvested oysters and sold them to seafood markets and restaurants. Once shucked and eaten, the shells were thrown away, destined for eternity in a landfill. Alison McDowell, director of CBA, explained, “In a fully-functioning system, oyster larvae will settle on shells of adult oysters, attaching and growing to create ever-expanding oyster reefs that provide food and shelter to all sorts of creatures like fish, crab, and shrimp.” Restaurants represent only one facet of oyster demand. McDowell continued, “In Choctawhatchee Bay, this habitat-building process was
interrupted for most of the 20th century, as oyster shell that provided the foundation for new oysters to settle was dredged and removed for commercial purposes like road beds and livestock feed.” In 2010, CBA and their AmeriCorps Green Team launched an initiative to return shell to the bay. Their O.Y.S.T.E.R. Shell Recycling Program collects oyster shells from local restaurants and dries them at CBA’s headquarters before bagging shells for use in oyster reef construction projects. The new reef will join others CBA has constructed to provide critical habitat and other ecosystem services. The reef is a breakwater, as the structures protect the shoreline from erosion. The oysters are filter feeders, each individual improving water quality to the tune of 50 gallons each and every day. The improved water quality, in turn, can encourage growth of seagrass and other submerged aquatic vegetation, providing additional habitat for fish. Moreover, the reef structures themselves shelter juvenile fish species. For example, Matt Wegener, a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission biologist, explained that redfish “use them for refuge from predation and foraging opportunities.” “Mesh bags hold together all the shell, and the cracks and crevices provide hiding places for young fish,” Rachel Gwin, restoration coordinator for CBA, added. They’ve documented numerous varieties at their sites, from species in the goby and blenny families to shrimp. In all, more than 200 volunteers worked toward the reef ’s construction, from the owners and staff of Bluewater Bay Marina to kids and families on National Marina Day to college students contributing hours during Alternative Spring Break. Through collecting and bagging the oyster shells, pushing the material in heavy dock carts to the barge, then laying the shell itself, the community came together to create habitat and improve water quality. To learn more, visit CBA at basinalliance.org. Erika Zambello is a freelance writer and photographer who serves as communications coordinator for the Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance in northwest Florida. To watch great fishing on the Choctawhatchee Bay, go to
FISHINGWATERS.CO
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Welcome to the
BIG BEND
For Advertising Information, Contact Capt. Mike McNamara
850.510.7919
captmike@coastalanglermagazine.com
2 BIG BEND
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Topwater For Beginners Written By: Kristi Williams
I
’ve been inshore fishing the St. Marks area for a little over water and it gives you another option to add to your fishing a year now. If I’m in the mood to catch redfish or speckled arsenal. Good luck! trout, I’ve found myself sticking to either a jig with a jerk bait/ paddle tail or simply popping a cork. It’s what I know how to do; I’ve got the little bit of technique down that goes with it, and it works! However, I recently started playing with topwater. I’ve got to say, if you’ve never used one, you have to try it. It’s a little frustrating at first. It’ll take you about 20-30 casts to really get it and maybe even a day or two to really get your groove to come naturally. Once you get it though, it will be hard for you to pick up anything else. I’ve been using a white Rapala Skitterwalk. I like using white for two reasons: I can see it and so can the fish! You will be amazed and downright addicted to how far you can cast these things. You will cover so much water. They make a clicking sound, similar to the beads on top of a cork. When you’re working the lure back to the boat, you want to hear the beads go: click, click; click, click; click, click. There should be a little wake behind the lure when you have the right pace. The fish CANNOT resist striking if this thing floats over their head. If they strike and don’t take it all the way under water, DO NOT set your hook. Let it sit there. If nothing happens, very slowly start twitching it back to the boat. Sometimes they’re still circling it and trying to decide whether they want it or not. You have to tease them and get them to reaction strike. Once your lure is totally under water, then set your hook. The explosions are ridiculously fun. The fish cannot resist it. You cover so much COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THE ANGLERMAG.COM
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BIG BEND 3
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LANARK
I
t’s July, and we’re midway through the ‘dog days of summer’ in terms of heat. Forgotten Coast anglers will need to set their alarm earlier to take advantage of the peak bite of the day. Fish will start to change their habits as the summer progresses and we, as anglers, will need to adapt as well. Look to target redfish and trout on the early morning or late evening high tide. These fish have been holding to deeper water during the day and moving in shallow to feed early and late. The key to catching a trophy fish is to slowly Liam with two maui caught 20 miles south of work this structure looking Dog Island! for cuts or channels between bars. These areas will hold predator species ready to eat your perfectly placed bait of choice. The guides choice of artificial baits being used are topwater plugs like the Heddon One Knocker in bone or the Mirrolure in chrome and bone. Soft plastics are also a sure bet around oyster bars. Rig up a 1/8 OZ jig head with a Gulp shrimp or Slayer SST Minnow and work it slowly over the bars. This technique is a sure bet to coax a red, trout or flounder to the ice chest. Tarpon are still being seen in decent numbers around the Mud Cove area and around Turkey Point. These fish will be around for another month or so and will start to lessen in number towards August. The off shore bite has been fantastic this year inside State waters. Gag grouper season came to a close this past month and I received unreal reports of folks taking advantage of the early season for near shore grouper. Cobia and kingfish continue to be the topic of conversation for July for near shore anglers all across the Big Bend. River mouths during the summer months can be the most productive areas to fish. The key to July is to find good moving water around bars, rocks and docks. Look to catch fish early and often. So get out, support your local tackle shop and bend a rod! June is a prime month to begin targeting multiple species on any trip. So get out, support your local tackle shop and bend a rod! FORECAST BY: Liam Callaghan IFA Kayak Tour National Angler of the Year St Croix Rods Pro Staff Native Watercraft Fishing Team
S
chool is out and it's time to hit the water. Planning is key to a successful day on the bay. The best fishing will be early and late because the mid-day will be brutally hot and a good time to take a swim or stop in at Rock Landing for lunch and a cool drink. Redfish are showing up in Levy, Dickerson bays and the East end of Piney Island eating Heddon Zara Spook jrs. topwater and D.O.A.'s Hunter McDaniel shows off his biggest gag grouper ever! bounced on the bottom. Trout have been tough so far but if you head out to the long bar due South of Piney you should be able to pick up a few on a popping cork with a gulp shrimp. While drifting along drop a live pinfish or cut bait behind the boat for that predator sneaking by. Tarpon are here and there have been several stories about hooked trout getting smashed while being reeled in. Cobia are cruising and should be near channel markers or hunting the flats for an easy meal. Laura Ginger said this black sea bass was a fighter… Gag grouper just closed in the four counties here but Federal waters opened up on June 1st-December 31 so make a run outside the 9 Nautical miles and catch some gags, red grouper and more. Remember gags must be minimum 24 inches total length and you can harvest two per day per person. Bay Scallop season opened on July 1st- Sept. 25 from Rock Island/Fenhollaway River in Taylor County to St. Vincent Island in Franklin County so check the grass beds in 3-6 feet of water for those tasty little critters. Check with FWC for any other areas. Monitor the thunder storms, enjoy and respect the days on our resources. Be safe and take a kid fishing! Important Information —The Feds re-opened red snapper season in Federal waters on Friday, Saturday & Sunday starting on June 16 - September 4, 2017, also open on July 3 & 4, limits remain the same 16 inch total length, 2 per person per day. Thank you CCA !!! Check out these dates, catch em up and be safe!
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JULY 2017
FORECAST BY: Captain Steve Hobbs SkeeterBite Fishing Charters splopscapt@gmail.com Call or text 850-363-0527 Check us out on Facebook Candy Strand says this flounder is coming
to dinner with her!
The "crew" with a limit of red snapper! 6 BIG BEND
PANACEA
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ST. MARKS
INSHORE LIGHT TACKLE FISHING KAYAK RENTAL • RETAIL GUIDE SHOP
S
ummer fishing season is here! It is going to be hot, but hot is normally connected to calm morning winds. This month take advantage of the perfectly still mornings and get out early. Get back to the landing by noon, and beat the heat. The trout bite will slow this month with the heat. The spring fishing of limits of trout will be rare. Catching a good trout bite this month will be worthy. Trout have started to feed heavily on shrimp, so look for the outgoing Terry Cole and grandson Cole sharing some tides. July is the month to throw redfish time! shrimp patterns. Cracking a cork with a Gulp shrimp will catch them. The redfish bite has been good. Mostly do to the calm mornings, and the ability to throw topwater. Topwater will allow you to cover a bunch of water. Calm water will allow you to key on bait. Both are the tickets to catching redfish. Find a high tide and a grass line and let them fly. Deeper in the bay, cobia will hang all summer on the Cole Brothers getting in some trout to with dad! reefs. They will be there with macks, flounder, and sea bass. Find a calm morning and take a run offshore. Bounce some heavy jigs, and enjoy. July will have the tarpon rolling. Again, it will be hot, but calm mornings are perfect for finding them rolling. Shell Point to Piney Island is a great place to start. Live pinfish or pigfish will catch them, but jerk baits work too. Find a spot or sneak and cast to cruising fish. Scallop season begins this month, and it looks like the reports are good. June put twelve plus inches of rain in the bay, so visibility is reduced. Grey Mare rock will be your target to find clear water and scallops. Operate boats with caution in the area! Look out for swimmers and rocks! This area is best treated as a NO WAKE ZONE during scallop season. If I find a bunch this month, I will post on Facebook, stay tuned. I love summer mornings, and slick calm water. We will be running a bunch of kid trips this month, so bring the kids! We still have plenty of mornings and evenings open. Call/text/email if you need a day of salt, fish, and sunshine!
721 Port Leon, St Marks FL
Contact Capt. Mike at
(850) 510-7919
or at redfish@stmarksoutfitters.com www.stmarksoutfitters.com
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Anny Lin, with her first speckled trout!
FORECAST BY: Captain Mike McNamara Stmarksoutfittters.com redfish@stmarksoutfitters.com call/text 850-510-7919 COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THE ANGLERMAG.COM
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JULY 2017
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BIG BEND 7
HOURS: Monday - Friday 9 am to 5 pm Saturday 10 am to 4 pm+ Sunday 12 noon to 4 pm+
www.GulfSpecimen.org 222 Clark Drive • Panacea, FL 32346
(850) 984-5297
ST. MARKS RIVER ENTRANCE TIDES – JULY 2017
Fisherman’s Rest
Spring Warrior
Low Tide -2min
Low Tide +3min
High Tide -14min
8 BIG BEND
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JULY 2017
High Tide -9min
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Rock Islands High Tide -3min Low Tide +4min
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Shell Point, Walker Creek High Tide -3min Low Tide -3min
Bald Point, Ochlockonee Bay High Tide +33min Low Tide +19min
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STEINHATCHEE RIVER • DEADMAN’S BAY TIDES – JULY 2017
Withlacoochee River High Tide +7min Low Tide +55min
Cedar Key Daily Predictions
Suwannee River High Tide +6min Low Tide +18min
Salt Creek
Pepperfish Keys
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COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THE ANGLERMAG.COM
High Tide +12min Low Tide +24min
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JULY 2017
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BIG BEND 9
KEATON BEACH W
STEINHATCHEE B
ell, scalloping starts this weekend ( today is June 14th) and I won't mind as I will have more room to fish. No, I don't do scalloping trips....I fish.... We have had a Great June so far, with BIG trout coming in on each trip as of late. Matt Williams of Dallas, Ga. had a 25" trout on Friday, then the Jeremy Brown of South Florida with his first-ever next day had a 26" trout. We Keaton Beach Redfish. had had our one fish over 20" per angler on five trips in a row and today lost a trout over 6 pounds at the boat which my client just never quite caught up to in order to set the hook. We landed a 21", 22" and 23.5" without the 6ixer. Trout continue to come in from the deeper outside flats early in the tide and then we are catching some larger females, which have already laid out, on top of the tide in shallower water, sometimes mixed in with the reds. Live pinfish rigged up 34" under Back Bay Thunders continues to be the" ticket for success" on board One More Cast, and I see no change in July. We fish these rigs on matching Star Stellar Lite Fast Taper SG817FT76 rods with Star Aerial Ex 4000 reels spooled with TrikFish Matt Williams of Dallas, Ga. with a 25" trout taken June Game Green 10 lb. test 9th. monofilament. Expect to land some Big trout using pigfish ( if you can catch them) in July and don't be surprised if a Tarpon or two jump your larger Pigfish offerings. I have yet to experience "Moving Day" the day the migration of Tarpon moves through our waters . It usually hits before the 21rst of June, so any day now. I just hope to be on the water and get to see them. It is not unusual to see over a hundred Tarpon if it is a calm day like it was this a.m. Redfish have been moving a bunch staying where the bait is and you have to work a bit to find them. Intruder Hex II Copper and Cajun Copper spoons have taken some nice reds in June, and I would expect will in July also. Thunder-Spins will also land keeper redfish in the July heat. In the meantime..... Let's Go Fishing!
ring extra water onboard, it is going to get hot and you don't want to find yourself in need of water. Dehydration is real and happens fast. One gallon per person is the starting point. Red snapper fishing is fantastic. It is a no-brainer quick stop limit. Check out the revised regulations at www.myFWC. com or page 13 of the Big Bend edition. Gag grouper fishing is real good but can be frustrating due to the abundance of red snapper. There are three choices. One, fish through the red snapper and catch the occasional keeper gag, while gut-hooking and killing numerous red snapper in the process. That's not a good option. Two, troll deep diving plugs which separates the snapper from the grouper bite. That has been working well. Or, fish shallower where the red snapper are less abundant. Florida snapper and sea bass fishing has came back strong. The best catching of keepers is between forty and fifty feet. Any deeper and you'll run into the problem of catching red snapper. The bait is typical squid or cut bait. Many of the Fl snapper and sea bass caught recently have been exceptionally large. For more fun, scale down the tackle. Trout and red fish are being brought back to the docks with regularity. I don't have the 411 on any particular bait or color, so I'd go with the best bait you have, confidence. Cobia–my favorite fish—are being caught all around me to my chagrin. I fish the best baits, at the best locales, only to slink away empty or with a tale of woe as the fish escaped in some marine Houdini-fashion. Then someone using a hand-me-down push button reel with the original line regale, “I was drifting along trout fishing when this fish swam up to the boat and swallowed my jig. It wiggled a little but then I stuffed it, as best I could, in my trout net and pulled it in the boat. It weighed forty-six pounds at the marina and the fella told me it was a cobia.” In the meanwhile, I'm running around in need like a Democrat in search of a support-puppy and I got nothing to show. Life ain't fair. But I'm happy for that guy. Don't forget those succulent little bivalves that cause the youngest to the oldest to get off the sofa and into the pristine estuaries off of Steinhatchee for a big-kid's easter egg hunt! Scallops are abundant and the season will be in full swing by the time you read this. Thank you to the men and women that have given their all for our freedom!
Pat McGriff dba One More Cast guide service for 28 years! www.onemorecast.net onemorecast@gtcom.net cell: 850.838.7541
FORECAST BY: Capt. Brian E. Smith BIG BEND CHARTERS LIKE us on Facebook! captbrian@bellsouth.net 877-852-FISH • www.BigBendCharters.info
Jim Hardegree holding a 24" trout caught on his Star rod and reel with TrikFish Game Green line. 10 BIG BEND
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HORSESHOE BEACH
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uly in Horseshoe means scallops. They will stretch from just south of Pepperfish all the way up to Keaton Beach. I love this time of year. I will get up in the morning and fish until about 10, run back and get everyone and go hit the scallop grounds. I will focus in on the area just north of Bull Cove. It is always clean water and I can usually find them in 3 foot of water which makes it easy for the kids. Make sure to stay within the recommended range of the boat, this is a high traffic time of year and we do not want to see anyone hurt. The red fishing as it always is in this area is very good. I will spend most of my time just south of Horseshoe to avoid all of the scallop traffic. The fish will be much less skittish and will feed more than the ones with boats running around them all day. I will use my normal artificial baits first thing in the morning but with the water temps climbing I will switch off to cut mullet or ladyfish in the middle of the day. This will produce more fish. The Zman Paddlerz have been my bait of choice on the artificial side here lately. Fish them around any creek mouth points and oyster bars. We have been seeing fish from lower slot to well over. The trout bite has been extremely good. The 3 to 5 foot range just south west of Pepperfish key has been holding plenty of fish. With all the floating grass this time of year it is hard for me to pick up my Mirrodines so a Zman trout trick has been the weapon of choice. You can always go with old faithful, a shrimp under a popping cork to get the job done. As the scallop traffic picks up these fish will push off a little further so keep that in mind. The gag grouper have been going strong offshore. The 40 to 50 foot range has been producing good numbers. Bottom fishing has been better than trolling plugs. A piece of cut squid or sardine will get you in a tug of war with some of these tasty table fair. Until next month, have fun, be safe and take your kids fishing. FORECAST BY: Capt. Craig Spitznogle Florida Flats Charter Co. 352-445-4978
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CEDAR KEY
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ell folks, Summer break is in full swing and Scallop Season starts in our region this month. Although Cedar Key is not a major destination for scallopers, there are always a few divers around, so watch for the divers-down flag if you are running around. The redfish bite should stay fairly stable from now till the fall on the outer islands. Cut mullet will be my primary bait to target them on my guide trips. We cut the mullet into steaks and fish them right on the bottom, with a 4/0 Mustad circle hook. The trout bite has slowed down considerably with most of the keeperfish being on the deeper grass flats that run in the 9 to 12 foot range. Sea Horse Reef is a pretty good spot this time of year for trout. Spanish mackerel will also be out at Sea Horse reef. Trolling spoons or jigs works really well. Chumming is another great technique to draw them up. Once you get them in the chum, you can pick them off with a free-line shrimp, with a wire leader. Well guys, I hope this will help y'all out and as always, get outdoors and enjoy what God has made for us. FORECAST BY: Capt.Jimbo Keith Saltwater Assassin Fishing Charter fishcedarkey.com 352-535-5083
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Image Credits: FWC
FWC Reminds Scallopers to Stay Safe, Recognize and Use Divers-Down Flags and Buoys
With the opening of scallop seasons, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) wants to remind everyone engaged in this fun outdoor activity to use a divers-down warning device whenever they are snorkeling or scuba diving while searching for these tasty treats. The divers-down symbol is rectangular or square and red in color with a white diagonal stripe. A divers-down flag displayed on a boat must be at least 20 inches by 24 inches and displayed at a high point where it can be observed from 360 degrees around the vessel. A buoy may not be used or displayed from
a vessel. A divers-down flag or buoy, displayed from the water, must be at least 12 inches by 12 inches. A flag must have a wire or other stiffener to hold it open and a buoy can be threeor four-sided. All divers must prominently display a divers-down device in the area in which the diving occurs. “Proper use and understanding of what a divers-down symbol means are critical,” said Capt. Tom Shipp of FWC’s Boating and Waterways Section. “It is meant to alert boaters to the presence of people under the water’s surface and to give them plenty of room.” All vessels must make reasonable
effort to stay at least 100 feet away from a divers-down device within a river, inlet or channel. In open waters, vessels must make reasonable effort to stay 300 feet away. For safety, divers should stay within those same distances of their displayed device. A vessel that approaches closer must be fully off plane and at idle speed. “Divers share the responsibility of boating safety with the boat operators,” Shipp said. “Diving without the divers-down symbol displayed or using it for reasons other than to inform others of the presence of divers is unlawful.” The divers-down device should only be displayed when divers are
ready to enter the water or are in the water. When divers or snorkelers exit the water, it must be taken down.
FWC’s Fishing in the Know... Never “toss” a fish back! Always release your fish head first into the water. This allows water to be forced through the mouth and over the gills, essentially giving it a “breath of fresh air.”
2017 Lionfish Challenge Action: Revamped program has commercial and recreational categoriesv Information: R emove 25 or more lionfish (or sell at least 25 pounds commercially) between Lionfish Removal and Awareness Day (May 20, 2017) and Labor Day (Sept. 4, 2017) to enter the FWC’s Lionfish Challenge and be eligible to win prizes. The recreational and commercial harvesters who check in the most lionfish will be crowned Florida’s recreational Lionfish King or Queen and Commercial Champion, respectively.
Gag Grouper - Gulf Action: Recreational season starts June 1 in most state waters Information: The recreational gag grouper season starts June 1 in most state and all federal Gulf of Mexico waters. This season will remain open through
Dec. 31, closing Jan. 1, 2018. Monroe County follows Atlantic regulations and is open from May 1-Dec. 31. State waters off Franklin, Wakulla, Taylor and Jefferson counties are open April 1-June 30. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will discuss adding a fall open season for the four-county area at the July Commission meeting in Orlando. Learn more or comment on these changes at MyFWC.com/ SaltwaterComments. For your comments to be considered at the July 10-11 Commisv sion meeting, please submit input no later than May 31.
Red Snapper – Gulf Ac t i on : St at e re c re ational season continues through July 9 Information: Recreational season in state waters will remain open daily through July 9. The season will reopen Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in September and October, and on Labor Day. The recreational season in Gulf federal waters is June 1-3 for private anglers and June 1 through July 19 for federally permitted for-hire vessels such as charter boats and head boats.
Recognition Programs Catch a Florida Memory today
Information: Participation in any of these three programs encourages ethical angling while earning rewards for your efforts. • Saltwater Fish Life List: A list of 71 different species. Can you catch them all? • Saltwater Reel Big Fish: Recognition for extraordinarilysized catches. • Saltwater Grand Slams: Earn rewards for catching three different specified species in a 24-hour period.
Gulf Reef Fish Survey Attention Gulf Anglers Information: Snapper and grouper season is here. That means it is time to sign up for or renew your participation in the Gulf Reef Fish Survey. Registration for this survey is required for all anglers (including those exempt from licensing requirements) fishing from a private vessel for the following reef species in the Gulf: red and vermilion snapper; gag, red, and black grouper; greater and lesser amberjack; banded rudderfish; almaco jack; and gray triggerfish. To renew online, visit GoOutdoorsFlorida.com. If you are NOT a Gulf reef fish angler and don’t plan on fishing for
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these reef species in the Gulf this year, please do not sign up or renew your participation in the Gulf Reef Fish Survey. By only sampling anglers who plan on fishing for those species, Florida is improving recreational data collection. Questions? Contact us at Marine@MyFWC.com.
FWC needs your feedback Information: FWC is collecting feedback on several fisheries including cobia, sheepshead, tripletail and flounder. Provide comments online at MyFWC.com/SaltwaterComments.
Sport Fish Restoration Do you: Buy fishing gear? Fuel up your boat? Purchase a fishing license? Every time you do these things, you are helping to improve your fishing experience. You are among the many anglers and boaters who support the Sport Fish Restoration Program. This national program, managed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS), collects money from excise taxes on fishing equipment, import duties on fishing equipment and boats, taxes on motorboat and small-engine fuels. The revenue collected is used to create future fishing and boating opportunities.
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SOUTHEAST PORTABLE BUILDINGS Pole Barn Kits THE PRICING FOR THE POLE BARN KITS IS AS FOLLOWS: 16 x 24…$1,575 16 x 36…$2,150 16 x 48…$2,750 16 x 60…$3,250 20 x 30…$2,330 24 x 24…$2,050
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HOMOSASSA I
t’s time to beat the summer heat. Scallop season is upon us and there’s no better way to keep cool than snorkeling the shallow grass flats and gathering some tasty scallops. The pristine grass flats off Citrus County are where family’s come in great numbers to have a fun day on the water. The 3ft to 5ft depth range is ideal for locating scallops and areas from Mangrove Point South off Crystal River and St. Martins Keys off Homosassa are the hot spots. A dive flag, snorkeling gear, and a saltwater fishing license (for those 16 and over) are all that’s needed to enjoy the fun. Know the limits and regulations before you hit the water and this may be a family tradition for years to come. For a mixed bag of species, it’s tough to beat the deep grass patches just west of the foul area or also known as the bombing range. The most consistent trout action will be in this vast spotty bottom. Using a variety of DOA shrimp, cal shad tail and MirrOlure Lil’ John jigs in the glow, bourbon and root beer colors, rigged on a 1/8oz jig head are excellent choices. Trout, flounder, black sea bass, grouper, mackerel, etc… are always a possibility. Keep in mind the gulf water temp is in the 80’s, so an early start to the day, while using the tides to your advantage, will help with a more successful trip. With the hot water, there’s hot red fishing. The large redfish schools are arriving around the major moon phases and the much anticipated redfish schools are always a summer treat. Anchoring along the rocky points with a live pinfish will seldom get refused by the over slot redfish running these banks. Also, for those who prefer to use bait, the old time Homosassa tradition with a fresh piece of cut mullet will keep the rod bent. Be sure to up your leader to at least 30lb fluorocarbon, due to the healthy snook population we now have. As always if you have any other questions about the area, feel free to contact me anytime…Good Fishing. FORECAST BY: Captain Dan Clymer, (352) 418-2160 Racin’ Mullet Charters www.crystalriver-fishing. com
12 x 20 Wood lofted Barn Rent to own for $211.00 /mo. and $311.00 Down. Delivered, blocked, leveled and tie downs.
Other Sizes & Engineered Pole Barns Available Delivery & Engineering Available 6034 W. Tennessee St. • Tallahassee, FL • 850-580-6400 www.southeastportablebuildings.com 14 BIG BEND
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Meals, Malts & Madness under the Tiki Coordinates: 30 1.29’N 84 23.12’W
850-713-0020
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REGISTER ONLINE TODAY! JOIN THE BEST LOCAL FISHING CLUB IN THE BIG BEND!!!!!
Redfish Tournament – Panacea 1st Chris Harwood, Keli Harwood, Gavin Harwood & Daniel Wiley 2nd Steve Hobbs, Steve Stinson & Andrew Stinson 3rd Jimmy Milton, Jeff Rainey & George Goodson 4th Will Thompson & Tommy Thompson 5th William Davis & Haley Davis
11.97 lbs 10.81 lbs 10.07 lbs 9.20 lbs 7.74 lbs
SIDE POT WINNERS Big Trout Will Thompason Big Red Gavin Harwood Spotted Red Asa Martin Big Flounder Steve Hobbs Mystery Fish Will Carry Over to the July Tournament Total Weight Steve Hobbs, Steve Stinson & Andrew Stinson
3.90 lbs 6.62 lbs 10 spots 2.09 lbs 16.03 lbs
2017 Schedule Date
Weigh-In
Launch Boundaries
Tournament
July 8th August 5th September 9th October 7th
Lanark Market C-Quarters Marina Sea Hag Marina St. Marks Outfitters
Ochlocknee River to Carabelle River Lanark to East Point Steinhatchee River Open
Slot Trout Slot Trout Redfish Trout
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BIG BEND 15
Life’s A Beach in Wakulla by Gary Droze
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s we coast into the Big Bend’s coastal mid-summer, I think of northern-based Florida visitors who yearn to experience Sunshine State beaches, but want to sidestep the overpacked summer seaside sands of of Panama City, Daytona Beach, Miami Beach, Clearwater Beach, Destin, and other super-popular vacation destinations on our seashores. I’m thinking some of them might get Googling for a Florida beach that seems far off the beaten path, and electronically arrive at Wakulla Beach. After all, it is in Florida, and – technically – it is a beach. Visitors: it’s time for good news/bad news. The good news is that Wakulla Beach can offer outstanding fishing in July. The bad news is that Wakulla Beach has about as much a real beach as Cheez Whiz has real cheese (that would be zero; I looked it up on Wikipedia). Essentially, Wakulla Beach is a middling stretch of mud flat, at the end of a dirt road off Highway 98 called – get ready – Wakulla Beach Road! Let’s get back to the good news… While there is no formal boat launch at Wakulla Beach, kayakers can easily paddle out either east or west on a rising tide and find fishies in either direction. To the west, about ten minutes of paddling will get you to the mouth of a narrow creek that will hold flounder and speckled trout. My strongest fishing memory of that area involved the catch and release of a ladyfish that inhaled a topwater plug so deeply that it bled for a good minute after I let it go. That turned into a bad minute for the fish when a monstrous alligator erupted off the bottom and slurped down the ladyfish with one theatrical gulp (note to self #1: Do NOT wadefish West Wakulla Beach).
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An eastward paddle presents more options. Again, just ten minutes of effort gets kayakers to a productive area. Specifically, you’ll be at the confluence of three creeks, all of which may give up redfish, flounder, or speckled trout. This is oyster bar territory, so you’ll need to either suspend your offerings from the grabby bottom, or use lures such as spoons with upturned hooks that dodge the oyster clump hangups. Four summers ago, I connected with a six-foot blacktip shark at the eastern creek mouth that towed my budget kayak around Goose Creek Bay for 45 minutes before giving up (note to self #2: Wadefishing East Wakulla Beach is perhaps also not a good idea). Bottom line: Wakulla Beach waters are superb for fishing in July. Sunbathers should stay on shore where they belong.
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Photo Courtesy of Capt. Larry McGuire, Show Me The Fish Charters
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ag grouper opened for recreational harvest in most state and all federal Gulf of Mexico waters June 1. It will remain open through Dec. 31. Monroe County is excluded from this season because it follows the Atlantic state season. Franklin, Wakulla, Taylor and Jefferson counties are also excluded from this opening because they have their own season from April 1-June 30. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) will discuss extending this shorter four-county season at the July commission meeting in Orlando. Learn more or comment on these changes at MyFWC.com/SaltwaterComments. Gulf state waters are from shore to 9 nautical miles. Federal waters begin where state waters end and extend to 200 nautical miles. The minimum size limit for gag grouper in Gulf waters is 24 inches total length, and the daily bag limit is two fish per person within the four-grouper-per-person aggregate limit. If you plan to fish for gag grouper in Gulf state or federal waters from a private recreational vessel, you must sign up as a Gulf Reef Fish Angler (annual renewal is required). To learn more, visit MyFWC. com/Fishing and click on “Saltwater Fishing,” “Recreational Regulations” and “Gulf Reef Fish Survey” under “Reef Fish.” Sign up today at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com.
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HERE COMES SCALLOP SEASON!
By Lynn Crutchfield ach year we plan our calendar around July 1st. That’s opening day for scallop season, and everyday between July and September is a good day for scalloping.
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inlet, and less than a mile from the shoreline. 3. Jump in the water. 4. Look down, you’ll see them. The white seashells stick out against the green sea grass.
If you have never been scalloping before, don’t worry about 5. Grab them with your hand “Learning How To Scallop.” Did they don’t bite. you have to learn how to Easter Egg Hunt? 6. Put them in a mesh bag. HERE'S HOW YOU SCALLOP: 1 . Get a snorkel and a good fitting mask. We like the dry snorkels. 2 . Get a boat ride to the Homosassa or Crystal River Scallop Grounds (usually within a couple of miles from either
7. Repeat steps four thru six until your bag is full (usually a couple of fun hours). 8. Open them and take out the scallop. 9. Eat and enjoy! If you have missed this wonderful Florida harvest
event in the past, you owe it to yourself and your family to get over to Citrus County this year and experience this fun, fun, fun harvest. If you need information about places to stay, boat rentals, boat ramps or even restaurants that will cook your catch just call or email The Citrus County Visitors Bureau at 352-628-9305. www.visitcitrus.com
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By Andrea Whitaker
Pura Vida Instructor Craig Buss peeks through rebar structures on Palm Beach’s newest artificial reef.
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nder the waters off Palm Beach, history is coming alive. Sunken between depths of 70 and 85 feet off Singer Island lie the remains of the Flagler Bridge. This bridge was once the connection between Palm Beach Island and downtown West Palm Beach. Now, it will lie in the depths as an artificial reef, bridging the gap between previously sunken artificial reefs to one another. But why? Why take old bridge rubble and sink it offshore? To start, the town of Palm Beach didn’t just get rid of the Flagler Bridge access to and from Palm Beach Island. They are replacing the bridge, and construction is slated to be complete by the end of June 2017. Second, Florida has one of the most active artificial reef programs in the nation. Creating artificial reefs facilitates new scuba diving destinations and improves fishing opportunities. Palm Beach County’s Environmental Resource Management had 40 Airline_Ad_CoastalAngler_8-1-14_Layout 1 8/1/14 1:14 Page 1 Flagler Bridge. to 50 loaded barges of rubble available from thePM previous
They contacted Pura Vida Divers, a member of the Palm Beach County Dive Association, asking for recommendations as to where to place most of the bridge rubble. Pura Vida’s suggestion was to fill in the gap between a few of the area’s most popular artificial reefs, the Mizpah Corridor (a series of four artificial reef shipwrecks offshore Singer Island) and the recently placed Danny McCauley Memorial Reef and Mermaid Statue (another artificial reef shipwreck offshore Singer Island north of the Mizpah Corridor). This was the ideal location because placing the bridge rubble between these two wreck sites would create an approximately 1-mile-long dive site, with multiple routes for divers to enjoy and a series of new habitats for our marine life to congregate. Now, with the rubble in place, we were ready to explore this exciting new dive. Upon hearing the captain’s famous words that signal the start of every underwater adventure, “Dive! Dive! Dive!,” divers descend down upon the massive remnants of the Flagler Bridge. Following the current, they will come across concrete lateral bracing, fenders and bearings that give off an eerie type of feeling 80 feet below the surface. As time progresses and nutrients flow, the bridge rubble will provide refuge to colorful marine life influencing and seducing reef fish and larger pelagic fish to come rest and feed among the others. Come dive this new artificial reef of Palm Beach County with Pura Vida Divers! Pura Vida Divers runs daily SCUBA charters, and divers are welcome to request their favorite sites, including this fantastic new series of artificial reefs. For more information about diving this location or to schedule a charter, call Pura Vida Divers at 561-840-8750 or email info. pvd@puravidadivers.com.
For more Palm Beach Reefs, go to
PEACEFULWATERS.CO
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By CAM Staff
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his is a mighty big horseeye jack Sharon Kartrude Pryel caught while fishing with Mystic Rose Charters and Capt. Mark Stoe out of Jupiter in June. Sharon said the fish weighed 26 pounds, which would be good enough for a Florida state record if the paperwork submitted to the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) passes muster. As far as we can tell, the largest Florida horse-eye jack on record weighed 25-pounds, 12-ounces. It was caught back in October of 1997 by David Leavitt, who was fishing out of Palm Beach. The IGFA all-tackle world record weighed 32 pounds. It was caught in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Texas by Terry Lee Ramsey in September, 2012. Sharon said she caught the fish drifting a sardine on a 1-oz. weight over 130 feet of water. Horse-eyes aren’t really known as a great food fish, but they are edible, and like all jacks they put up a heck of a fight when hooked. Sharon said Capt. Mark was impressed with her strength as she hauled the big fish up. She is a 6-foot-tall wallpaper hanger, which makes for a strong back. That jack didn’t stand a chance. “It was awesome. I was so proud of myself,” Sharon said. “I seriously thought I had a shark. The rod was just bowed.” Sharon is a native of West Palm Beach and a member of the online community www.meetup.com/NPBCFishingoutdoors. The group organizes charter trips each month, and she is excited about all she is learning about fishing. COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM
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CA Florida, the state’s leading organization dedicated to marine fisheries conservation, education and advocacy, today shared details on the first winner in the nonprofit’s signature event: CCA Florida STAR, presented by Yamaha. While two of the event’s tagged redfish were caught, only one angler was registered to win, and will walk away with a prize package worth more than $55,000 from Maverick Boat Group and Yamaha Outboards. Monticello resident Benjamin Gavins caught a 19-inch STAR tagged redfish (tag FL637) on June 1 near Lanark Village in Franklin County. A CCA Florida member since 2013, Gavins was shocked to see the tag on his catch and immediately notified the organization, per event regulations. “Frankly, I was stunned when I saw the green tag on that beautiful little red,” said Gavins. “This is my third year fishing the STAR event and it continues to be the most enjoyable fishing competition I have ever entered, and it’s all to support the conservation of our precious marine resources. I call that a win-win.” Of the event’s major prizes, Gavins chose the 2017 Pathfinder 2200 TRS bay boat. A second STAR tagged redfish, tag FL704, was also caught on June 1, but in Sisters Creek near Jacksonville. At the time of his catch, the angler was neither a CCA Florida member or registered for the STAR event and is ineligible for any prize package. CCA Florida STAR, presented by Yamaha, is the largest family-friendly saltwater fishing competition in Florida and kickedoff on Saturday, May 27. STAR focuses on conservation and offers up to $500,000 in prizes and scholarships. CCA Florida is using the social media-based, 101-day event to educate the public on the importance of protecting Florida’s marine resources. Recognized as a “catch, photo and release” competition, STAR’s smart phone app eliminates the requirement for anglers to harvest or capture and transport fish. Prizes in the event’s STAR Signature Division include a new GMC Sierra Pickup or one of several Yamaha- powered boat packages including a Contender 22 Sport, Pathfinder 2200 TRS, Maverick HPX-S, Sea Hunt 225 Ultra or the Carolina Skiff 21 Sport & Fish. Youth anglers will be eligible to participate in the tagged redfish division with the first two winners taking home a Carolina Skiff 16 JVX CC powered by a 40hp Yamaha. The STAR Youth Scholarship Division presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors offers the opportunity to win one of twelve scholarships totaling $100,000. Other divisions include Conservation and Costa Kick Plastic, which encourage trash and debris collection, and Open, Ladies, Fly, Kayak, Lionfish Professional Guides. Eligible species are spotted seatrout, snook, sheepshead, non-tagged redfish, cobia, dolphin and kingfish. Division winners are determined by a random drawing, a format that encourages participants of all ages to protect and conserve Florida’s fisheries.
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For more information on STAR or to register, visit the CCA Florida Facebook page or ccaflstar.com. COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM
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COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM
6/19/17 3:35 PM
By Julie Richardson
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he first time I heard the term ‘shallow-water blackout’ my family had already been freediving and spearfishing for 24 years. My 19-year-old son Robert had taken a course and began describing this phenomenon of how a freediver could blackout while breath-hold diving. I waved my hand dismissively. “That happens to people who don’t know what they are doing,” I said. “We’re experienced.” Three months later, I got schooled in just how wrong I was. April 19, 2008 dawned with beautiful calm seas and clear skies—a spearfisherman’s dream. It was Robert’s 20th birthday, and he wanted to celebrate it by diving with his 16-year-old brother, David, and three other friends: Carson, 20; Nicky, 16; and Richard, 15, who were not experienced freedivers. The boys left early in the morning to freedive together, and we planned to join them in the afternoon with friends and family who were coming out with us on our larger boat. After a successful dive of 50 feet, the boys decided to do a deeper dive. They put the anchor out in 92 feet of water, and Robert headed down first with David behind him. At the bottom, they both grabbed some sand before heading back up. Robert was 15 feet from the surface when he looked down at his brother and saw David motionless 30 feet below him. Robert swam down and grabbed his unconscious brother around the chest before heading for the surface. That’s the last thing Robert remembers. Their friends on the boat suddenly noticed my sons’ bodies drifting face down in the current some 30 yards away. Carson dived off the boat and swam out to them with Nicky right behind him. They turned the boys over. My sons’ faces were blue with swollen purple lips and open staring eyes. The color of their eyes had faded. They were not breathing and were bleeding from the mouth. Their three traumatized friends— engulfed in a nightmare—worked together to bring them onboard and start CPR. And then I got the call. “Hello?” “There’s been an accident.” “Which one?” I asked as fear enveloped me. “Both.” I clung to the table. My heart felt like it was going to explode. I took deep breaths trying to ease the pain in my chest, but it didn’t work. I started praying, with Carson’s girlfriend, that my sons would be spared. My husband Walter and I met the helicopter at the hospital. The boys’ arterial blood gases (oxygen levels) were so low—32 and 54 per-
cent—the ER doctor did not believe the report and had it verbally repeated five times. The pulmonologist told us our sons’ lungs presented as drowning victims. Yet, after three days in ICU, Robert and David were sent home to finish healing. It was a miracle. Soon after the accident, concerned freedive experts contacted me and encouraged me to use my story to make a difference. I felt a strong desire to respond, and so two months after the accident, I founded DiveWise to further freedive safety education. Tracking fatality reports is vital in understanding how accidents happen and how we can prevent them. Divers Alert Network (DAN) maintains an online Breath-hold Incident Database, so divers can report fatal and non-fatal blackout events easily and anonymously. This can be accessed at DiveWise.org. Through much effort and single-minded dedication, Terry Maas has given a gift to freedivers everywhere with his ingenious device, the Freediver Recovery Vest (FRV). This unit is designed, through the diver’s preset depth and time setting, to deliver a blackout victim to the surface face up. You can read more about it at oceanicss.com. My sons now wear the FRV when they freedive and spearfish. There are other ways freedivers can mitigate the risk in this sport: 1. Dive with an evenly matched partner and conform to the level of the least capable diver. 2. Weight yourself correctly by being positively buoyant at the surface after a full exhalation. 3. Do not hyperventilate to excess. 4. Dive one up/one down maintaining constant visual contact. 5. When conditions allow, each diver should have a dive flag; if a boat is involved a dive flag should be conspicuously displayed. 6. Maintain close, direct supervision of a freediver for no less than 30 seconds after they surface, even if they have signaled “OK.” 7. Make your minimum surface interval twice the duration of your dive time. 8. Do not take every dive to its limit; maintain a reserve. 9. Review, practice, and discuss how to recognize and handle blackouts and near blackouts. Never before has more effort from more groups created a greater combined potential for saving lives in the sport of freediving and spearfishing. We are hopeful this will correspond to a lower fatality rate. DiveWise isn’t my organization. It’s yours. We are here to serve the freedive community. Please help by donating online at our website DiveWise.org, a 501 c(3) nonprofit organization, or by offering your suggestions on how we can better help the freedive community. We offer a big “thank you” to the organizations and individuals who have given generously these past nine years in support of our work. We couldn’t have done it without you. Julie Richardson lives in Miami, Fla. with her husband and their three sons. She and her family are avid boaters and spearfishers. In 2010, Julie won the National Award from the Coast Guard funded National Water Safety Congress for her work in promoting water safety. To learn more visit DiveWise.org.
To learn more on Freediving blackouts, go to
CAMOFFSHORE.COM
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FRESHWATER $1200 IN-HOUSE REBATE OR FREE BOAT COVER By Frank Geremski t The St. Lawrence produced a tie for the state record smallmouth last August when Patrick Hildenbrand caught this 8-lb., 4-oz. fish that was just 21.5 inches long.
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he St. Lawrence is a majestic river that combines a world-famous historic seaway with breathtaking scenery. Countless islands speckle the St. Lawrence, coining the area’s moniker as the 1000 Islands Region. The area’s beauty must be witnessed first-hand to be truly appreciated. Most important for anglers, this deep-water channel that connects the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean creates countless fishing opportunities. The 1000 Islands Region of Upstate New York offers world-class fishing for huge and plentiful northern pike and tasty walleye, and for as long as anyone can remember it’s been the musky capital of North America. But it’s the St. Lawrence’s bass fishing that will take center stage this summer, with the Bassmaster Elite Series coming to the 1000 Islands Region for the third time in five years. This fishery has always offered tremendous bass fishing, with countless shoals and sunken ships that create textbook structure for smallmouth bass, and myriad bays and weedy backwaters that offer phenomenal largemouth opportunities. A full day of bent rods on 2- and 3-pound smallmouth has always been the norm. In the last decade, an invasive baitfish species, the goby, has populated this and other Great Lakes. Their spread has been like steroids for the smallmouth population. The goby’s desired habitat aligns perfectly with the smallie’s dinner table. Evidence of this is the pot-bellied New York record 8-lb., 4-oz. smallmouth landed last August. This trophy smallmouth fishing has lured the highest level of tournament bass fishing to small, yet quaint Waddington, N.Y. from July 20-23. Bassmaster recently polled its professionals and found that the St. Lawrence ranks among their favorite destinations. Five fish bags over 20 pounds are expected. The Angler Magazine field expert and Bassmaster Justin Walts predicts about 75 percent of the professionals will target smallmouths. In smallmouth waters, pros often ensure a five-fish bag of 2- to 3-pound smallies before seeking out bigger largemouth. On the St. Lawrence, the dynamic changes because of the possibility of scoring huge smallmouth. Walts, who fishes the St. Lawrence often, favors drop-shotting deeper shoals in 25 to 50 feet of water with watermelon, shad or perch colored V-tailed shad or casting crankbaits and swimbaits on shoals 25 feet or shallower. Flipping weeds or tossing frogs in back bays is the ticket to score largemouth. Spectator participation is also a factor for the Elite Series return to Waddington. In 2015, the town hosted over 30,000 fishing fans, breaking an Elite Series record. Waddington hosts a four-day event to entertain and feed visitors, with music and fireworks provided by local sponsors. Waddington is easily reached via a picturesque drive from Syracuse, or via airports in Massena, Ogdensburg, or Watertown, N.Y. Visit www.waddingtonpartyinthepark.com for more details. For more on fishing St. Lawrence County, visit www.fishcap.com to receive a free St. Lawrence County Anglers Guide and information on other tremendous fisheries, specifically Black Lake which is loaded with bass, crappie and pike. 20
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FRESHWATER A Pro’s Guide To Okeechobee Bream By Steve Daniel, The Voice of Okeechobee
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ake Okeechobee is known as one of the best bass lakes in the world, but it is also a fantastic bream fishery. Every spring Okeechobee is invaded by thousands of anglers loaded down with cases of live crickets. I prefer to use artificials. For this reason, I look for them in open water instead of around heavy grass. Okeechobee bream spawn in big groups. When you find them, you can catch your limit quickly, and they’re easy to spot on the edges of the grass when the sun gets up. The only lure I use is a modified black Beetle Spin. I take a 1/32-ounce Beetle Spin and replace the arm and blade with an Arkie Jig Spinner, which is a slightly larger blade that makes the lure easier to cast and feel. I also replace the head with one that weighs 1/16 of an ounce. It is important to use a heavier jig that has the same size hook that comes with the original lure. That way you can use the black plastic grub that comes with the Beetle Spin. Cast this lure around the beds, and you won’t have any trouble filling your livewell. The limit on Okeechobee is 50 per day.
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UNDER THE SEA 24
SPEARFISHING – WHERE TO BEGIN?
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club members are there because they are sociable and willing to help others. They remember starting out and are often willing to take you out and give advice. Just remember to return the favor by being a good buddy; help pay for the gas, bring snacks and water to share, and help clean the boat. That will hopefully get you invited back. Learning from others who already do it is probably the most valuable step you can take. If you are lucky, you will share many great experiences, have a new AJ Hally and Sheri Daye with dinner. set of lifelong friends, and maybe even find a mentor or two.
ummer is here! What better time to learn to spearfish? Many people have gotten into it because they were already “divers” and wanted to try another activity while underwater—as happened to me. A few fishermen, who weren’t yet divers, have asked me where to begin if they wanted to learn. My first piece of advice to anyone is to be sure you are comfortable underwater, whether scuba diving or freediving. One must be so comfortable underwater that it becomes second nature. If scuba diving, achieving proper buoyancy should happen without even thinking about it. If freediving, it’s best to have many dives under your belt before picking up a speargun. Fortunately, there are many dive agencies and dive shops that offer scuba certification and freediving instruction. Beyond that, I recommend at least one year’s worth of experience diving under different conditions before attempting to spearfish. It is a very good sign if you are so calm and collected in the water that fish which are normally “spooky” will let you swim near them instead of running from your presence (such as mutton snappers and black groupers). This is the sign of an experienced diver and will help you to properly hunt fish. When ready to begin, it’s important to have the right equipment— and I’m not just talking about a speargun. Get advice from a reputable dive shop that specializes in spearfishing. They will guide you toward the right wetsuit, mask, knife, gloves and speargun. Dive shops are familiar with local conditions and will give good advice. If you have a spearfishing club in the area, by all means, join! Many
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Here are a few more tips: 1. Always remember that safety comes first. Don’t do anything that is risky or beyond your comfort zone. 2. Learn what size and species to target in order to maintain quality and selectivity. Keep it honorable and ethical. Consider setting even higher standards than the law allows. 3. Spend more time observing in the beginning. Watch the more experienced hunters; you can learn a lot just by watching them. 4. Consider starting with a polespear instead of a speargun in order to refine your stalking skills, as this requires that you get closer. This is especially good for young divers. 5. Enjoy the experience, keep it fun and consider being a mentor to someone else as you improve. 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.
For more Sheri Daye, go to
CAMSPEARFISHING.COM
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6/19/17 5:01 PM
CAM Special Correspondent Tobin Strickland
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t’s summertime, and shallow-water fishing for reds is kicking off this month. It will last through mid October on the Atlantic Coast, and to mid February along the Gulf Coast. Before you “see” your first tailing redfish, you really feel like everyone is just making this up. You see nothing during an eight hour shallow-water expedition, and others come back speaking of tails “… like a used car lot, flags everywhere,” as Capt. Chuck Uzzle of Orange, Texas would say.
But why aren’t you seeing this? There are several factors involved in seeing tailing redfish, redfish swimming in shallow water; they are not easy to see. If you are fishing shallow seagrass, marsh or even flooded spartina marsh in areas where redfish roam and you’re doing it during a season when shrimp are abundant in those areas, then there are tailing redfish there. Let’s take a look at what you should be looking for with your eyes. Both Capt. Steve Soule of Galveston, Texas and Chuck McKinney of Portland, Texas say you should be looking for the horizontal line of the redfish’s back. Everything in the marsh and on seagrass flats tends to be either vertical or irregular shaped. Grass is vertical, potholes are irregular, even oyster reef edges are irregular. See a redfish cruising the flats, and the first thing you will notice is the horizontal line of it’s back. A good pair of Costa 580g lenses is what you want for this. The only difference between a cruiser and a tailer is that the tailer is probably nose down into the mud and a little bit of his tail is sticking out of the water. You’ll probably only see a little dark triangle at the end of the horizontal line of the redfish’s back. You typically won’t see the big blue tail and black dot rising out of the water waving at you like a little red flag back and forth. So begin to look for the horizontal line, the small triangle, and the glow of coppery orange. This should help you to see what’s been in front of you all along. Let’s talk about something else here that’s also a problem for most people. These environments are very grassy, and throwing an open-throated jig head during summer low tides is asking for trouble. Might as well go ahead and throw the lunch salad on a hook, because that’s all that fish is going to see. You have to throw something weedless that you can cast accurately, no matter the wind, something that can get the fish’s attention with action or accuracy, and sinks naturally so they can’t pass up such an easy meal. The troutsupport.com lure solves many of the frustrations sight casters have to put up with. Both reds and speckled trout love it. It casts far and accurately, walks the dog, wobbles like a big slow spoon, but is buoyant enough to sink slowly right in the fish’s face. Tobin created TroutSupport.com to help anglers develop their abilities by learning what to look for on the water.
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Choosing Colors
For Your Trolling Lures By Darrell Primrose, Ballyhood Lures
“M
atch the hatch” is an old adage fishermen have used for ages. It comes from freshwater fly fishing, in which anglers seek to match, with an artificial fly, the insect life hatching off the water to fool feeding trout. The same concept applies across the fishing world. Offshore, this can mean taking the time to examine the stomach contents of the first fish you catch to see what it was feeding on. Cut that fish open and check the length and size of the current forage as well as its color. Then use that information to choose your lures accordingly. I get to talk to anglers worldwide on a daily basis. I ask them all, “What colors are most prevalent?” What I’ve learned from them goes into our Ballyhood trolling lures, and the best color combinations change from location to location. On the West Coast, where anchovies, sardines, mackerel and squid
are the most prolific forage species, the most popular trolling lure colors are used in our Mexican flag, which is green/yellow/red/white. Black/ purple is another color scheme proven to produce in a trolling spread. Squid turn purple, and that could be a reason it is such a successful color. Zuchini is also a very popular color used on the West Coast. It’s a green/ orange/yellow lure. Now, taking a look at the northeast—in the Atlantic off New York, Massachusetts and New Jersey—they catch more tuna than most places in the world. Their top must-use colors are solid green, green/yellow and black/purple. In Florida, the Bahamas and the Virgin Islands, the No. 1 color is light blue. Colors known as Bally Blue and Flying Fish Blue are quite productive. I’ll assume you caught the baitfish reference in those color names. Pink/white and black/red also see a lot of time in the water, but anglers in these southern waters very rarely use anything green. Their water is very clear, which I think has something to do with it. In the Northeast, as on the West Coast of the U.S., the water is fairly dark. When you start to get farther south in the Pacific around Cabo San Lucas and down to Cancun, the colors used tend to lean toward the same choices as those used in Florida, the Bahamas and the Caribbean. The southern Pacific has the same type of clear water as they enjoy off south Florida. I can tell you the most overlooked color on the southern West Coast is pink or pink/white, at the same time pink/white is the No. 1 color for albacore off Oregon and Washington. Another guideline to color choices is to use dark colors on dark days and bright colors on bright days. Now some of this information has to do with matching the hatch, some of it is based on water clarity, but all off it is gathered from onthe-water experience and reflects what produces fish the best. Color is an absolutely critical factor in choosing which lures to include in a spread. For information on Ballyhood Top Gun Lures see www.ballyhood. com or call 714-545-0196.
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Find your Dexter at your local or online retailer
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT DEXTER SOFGRIP FILLET KNIVES Dexter SOFGRIP flexible fillet knives are the outdoors standard and make filleting tasks easy. A soft-to-the-touch, textured handle provides both comfort and a slipresistant grip. An ergonomic handle shape fills and matches the contours of the hand, making it more comfortable to use and easier to hold. The protective finger guard prevents slippage and unintended cuts. Dexter’s “wiggleworm” trademarked handle design and surface ornamentation tells you it’s a genuine Dexter. Dexter SOFGRIP fillet knives are crafted with DEXSTEEL, a proprietary high-carbon, high-alloy, stainless cutlery steel that enhances sharpness, edge-holding, corrosion resistance, and ease of re-sharpening. Each fillet blade features Dexter’s legendary just-right flexibility to help get the job done quickly and efficiently. Dexter SOFGRIP fillet knives are proudly made in the U.S.A. and are available in 6”, 7”, 8” and 9” lengths. The 8” fillet knife is also available in a wide, stiff blade. They are all available at your local and online retailer. When shopping for a sharp, durable fillet knife, make sure it’s an original… make sure it’s a Dexter. For more information and to view all Dexter fishing knives, visit dexteroutdoors.com. Already use a Dexter? Visit us on our FB page at facebook. com/DexterOutdoors and tell us about it.
MUDHOLE.COM/SALT-KIT Build Your Own Custom Saltwater Rod With This Turnkey Kit
(866) 790-RODS
COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM
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The Skimmer Kayak Motor Kit
P
addle 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 ble motor that mounts snap it on when you
is a lightweight, portaeasily to your stern. Just 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.
SAVE YOUR BACK
With a touch of a switch
TILT & TRIM
Rated for 130 h.p. & smaller motors
WHY NOT BUY THE BEST? You won’t believe it is the same boat when you experience more prop clearance, more speed, better boat handling and lower fuel consumption while using this #1 selling after market tilt & trim.
Kayaktrollingmotor.com
800.654.3697 Call for your nearest dealer CMC Marine, Inc., 3920 S. 13th St., Duncan, OK
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MOTORIZE YOUR KAYAK
FAST • EASY AFFORDABLE
iets k rd cano o t o s an k a m kay r k o ator kit f y a k mo g r n eght trolli See the Skimmer in Action @ m i e m w t KayakTrollingMotor.com Ski a ligh 28
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PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT
Feds Extend Gulf Red Snapper Season
TSUNAMI SHIELD SPINNING REELS Saltwater can be a double-edged sword! It’s in our blood and it’s what fuels our passion to keep searching for that next trophy. But, it is also the great enemy of fishing tackle. The unique Tsunami SHIELD series of saltwaterproof spinning reels feature up to 13 internal seals in key, strategic locations to shield critical components from harmful saltwater intrusion. The internal seals, super smooth and strong CF3 carbon fiber drag system and five sealed stainless steel bearings are wrapped in a hybrid machined aluminum body combining protection, precision and toughness. The heavy-duty rotor brake controlled bail system and precision machined aluminum, braid-ready spool assure the best control of super braids cast after long cast. The 3000 and 4000 SHIELD models contain 11 strategically located internal seals for years of reliable use with minimal maintenance. The 5000 and 6000 Shield reels contain 13 various internal seals at all of the locations where salt water could reasonably be expected to penetrate the reel for even greater protection in these larger reels. Hybrid all metal construction includes precision machined aircraft aluminum and tempered aluminum precision stampings and heavy duty protective anodizing to keep these reels operating up to factory specifications year after year. The combination of these top-notch designs and precisely mated components are what make the Tsunami SHIELD spinning reels an all-new contender for your favorite reel for years to come! MAP: 3000/4000: $99.99; 5000/6000: $109.99
I
n mid June, the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) announced that private recreational anglers would be allowed an additional 39 days to harvest red snapper in federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico. This allowance, the result of negotiations between the five Gulf states and the DOC, comes on the heels of the shortest recreational red snapper season in history. Private recreational anglers were originally allowed just three days of snapper fishing in federal waters June 1-3. This newly re-opened season consists of three-day weekends, Fridays through Sundays, June 16 through Sept. 4 (Labor Day). The extension, however, comes with a tradeoff. State controlled waters extend out to 9 miles, and federally controlled waters are from 9 miles out to 200 miles. In exchange for the additional opportunities in federal waters, state waters will be closed to red snapper harvest for private recreational anglers Mondays through Thursdays this summer. Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas have indicated there might be additional fishing days in state waters this fall depending on the harvest estimates from the summer season. This extension does not make any changes to the quota or season length for the federally permitted for-hire component of the recreational fishery or the commercial individual fishing quota program and the 2017 commercial quota.
The all-electric Power-Pole Micro anchor is compact, virtually silent and drives the 3/4” Micro Spike at the push of a button. Add the rechargable Micro Battery Pak and you’re ready to go wherever adventure takes you. Get all the details and find a dealer near you at power-pole.com.
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PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT INTERLUX INTERPROTECT HS InterProtect HS is a versatile, costeffective, two-part epoxy that meets the most restrictive V.O.C. regulations and helps reduce solvent emissions into the environment. It can be used above and below the waterline as a primer for all substrates. The high solids formula requires fewer coats to reach the desired dry film thickness. An underwater barrier system applied either by roller/brush or airless spray can be achieved in just 7 mils Dry Film Thickness (DFT). InterProtect HS uses Micro-Plate® Technology, which substantially reduces water migration through the epoxy to the hull surface and provides protection from corrosion for all metals. It can also be used as part of a gelcoat blister repair or prevention system and as an alternative no-sand primer on new, or never-been-painted fiberglass boats. For more information, go to www.yachtpaint.com.
WWW.YACHTPAINT.COM
QUICK DROP Line Guide
Outrigger line management system
Features and Benefits: • Attaches to existing outrigger eyelets. • Easily install and remove with a few turns. • Smooth roller action eliminates halyard line wear. • Swivel design, pulley guides can swivel for proper orientation. • Fits all non and telescoping outriggers with eyelets. • Prevents wear on tackle by removing gear when not in use.
2 Free Halyard line Winders
with the purchase of 4 or more line guides.
Use coupon code CAM at checkout for Free shipping 3191 SW 11 ST Bldg 200 Deerfield Beach, FL. 33442
954-429-3703
www.quickdroplineguide.com
Promotion Ends 7/31/2017
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The Gator Den is a brand new, 12 room motel located at Angler’s Resort, on the Withlacoochee River, Dunnellon, FL. We have a Bait & Tackle Shop, Pontoon and Jon Boat Rentals, Airboat Tours and the Blue Gator Tiki Bar Restaurant, all on premise making this a fisherman’s getaway. 12189 S Williams St Dunnellon, FL 34432 | www.AnglersResort.us Motel: 352-489-2397 Restaurant: 352-465-1635 Boat Rentals: 352-489-2397
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT TECNIQ BOAT SPREADER LIGHTS Some of the best fishing happens after the sun goes down. For illumination assistance and safety on board at night, TecNiq offers its new P10 and P11 LED Boat Spreader Lights. Available with all white or white/red LEDs, they deliver up to 1,450 lumens with remarkably lower power draws. Offered in recessed and surface-mounted versions, they’re perfect for a tuna tower or T-top. Boat Spreader Lights feature anodized and white powder coated aluminum bodies and impact-resistant polycarbonate flood projection lenses for exceptional durability. Both TecNiq models are available with four highperformance white LEDs, or two white and two night-vision friendly red. They’re completely waterproof and sealed to IP68 standards. TecNiq’s recess mounted P10 Boat Spreader Light installs flush for an integrated appearance. The four white LED model produces 1,300 lumens, or 700 lumens white and 160 red in the combo version. Both draw a maximum 1.2 amps at 12V DC or 0.6 amps with 24V DC. It measures 4.8” L x 1.73” W x 1.26” D. It retails for $145. The P11 surface mounted Boat Spreader Light installs anywhere with its included stainless steel hardware. It produces 1,450 lumens white, or 825 white and 160 red in the combo version. Its maximum draw is 1.6 amps at 12V DC or 0.8 amps with 24V DC. It measures 4.8” L x 1.6” W x 2” D. It retails for $154. Contact TecNiq, 8850 M, Richland, MI 49083. 269-629-4440. sales@ tecniqinc.com; www.tecniqinc.com.
EXPERIENCE THE
FIGHT! Full Variable Speed Control Powerful Brushless Motor Retains Handle Function Digital Line Counter Auto Stop, 12/24VDC Compact & Sleek Design
855-HOOK-ONE
WWW.TECHIQINC.COM COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM
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What Makes A Great Pair of
Fishing Sunglasses?
F
ishing is about being in the right place, at the right time, with the right gear. One bit of gear nearly every angler uses yet may take for granted are sunglasses. But when it comes to fishing sunglasses, what separates a good pair from a great pair? First, fishing sunglasses should always be polarized. Polarization eliminates glare reflecting off of the water, to better show what’s happening under the surface. Not all polarization is equal. Some polarized sunglasses block only 20 to 30 percent of glare. Maui Jim Sunglasses feature patented PolarizedPlus2 technology, eliminating 99.9 percent of glare using high-efficiency, proprietary polarizing film. Maui Jim’s lens materials also stand out. Their SuperThin Glass is 20 percent lighter than standard glass and is saltwater resistant so they won’t peel after too much time at sea. Add it all up, and Maui Jim Sunglasses offer anglers unmatched color, clarity and detail. It’s also important to have the correct lens color to match conditions. Days with varying conditions, from overcast to sunny, are best suited for more versatile lens colors, such as Maui Jim’s HCL Bronze, Maui HT or MauiRose. For days when the sun is on blast, a darker lens color like Maui Jim’s Neutral Grey is your best bet. Another obvious reason any angler should wear quality sunglasses is eye protection. Maui Jim’s block 100 percent of harmful UV rays from the eyes and surrounding areas, and are the only premium sunglasses to have the Skin Cancer Foundation’s Seal of Recommendation. Finally, because accidents happen, a stout warranty never hurts. Maui Jim’s two-year warranty and unparalleled customer service can ease fears of the occasional mishap. So, before your next fishing adventure, be sure to pack a quality pair of sunglasses like Maui Jims. The difference will be crystal clear!
Defender
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COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • Freight THEANGLERMAG.COM I that JULY I NATIONAL At Harbor Tools, the “Compare” or “comp at” price means the same2017 item or a similar functioning item was advertised33 for sale at *Original coupon only. No use on prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase or without original receipt. Valid through 11/1/17. or above the “Compare” or “comp at” price by another retailer in the U.S. within the past 180 days. Prices advertised by others may vary by location. No other meaning of “Compare” or "comp at" should be implied. For more information, go to HarborFreight.com or see store associate.
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BIG ICE
MAKE YOUR OWN ICE!
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bigice.com contact@bigice.com
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Fishing Lights Dock Lights Flounder Lights 785-621-2646
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SUZUKI DEALS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ALL THREE SUZUKI DEALS FOR MORE SUMMER FUN
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
Rates as low as 5.99% on new Suzuki outboards (OAC).*
For details and the name of your nearest participating Suzuki Marine dealer, visit www.suzukimarine.com Gimme Six Extended Protection promo is applicable to new Suzuki Outboard Motors from 25 to 300 HP in inventory which are sold and delivered to buyer between 7/01/17 and 9/30/17 in accordance with the promotion by a Participating Authorized Suzuki Marine dealer in the continental US and Alaska to a purchasing customer who resides in the continental US or Alaska. Customer should expect to receive an acknowledgement letter and full copy of contract including terms, conditions and wallet card from Suzuki Extended Protection within 90 days of purchase. If an acknowledgement letter is not received in time period stated, contact Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. – Marine Marketing via email: marinepromo@suz.com. The Gimme Six Promotion is available for pleasure use only, and is not redeemable for cash. Cash Rebates apply to qualifying purchases of select Suzuki Outboard Motors made between 7/01/17 and 9/30/17. For list of designated models, see participating Dealer or visit www.suzukimarine.com. Customer and participating Dealer must fill out the appropriate rebate form at time of sale. Customer will have the choice to either apply the cash rebate against the original dealer invoice (Suzuki will credit Dealer parts account) or have a check sent directly to the customer. There are no model substitutions, benefit substitutions, rain checks, or extensions. Suzuki reserves the right to change or cancel these promotions at any time without notice or obligation. * Financing offers available through Synchrony Retail Finance. As low as 5.99% APR financing for 60 months on new and unregistered Suzuki Outboard Motors. Subject to credit approval. Not all buyers will qualify. Approval, and any rates and terms provided, are based on credit worthiness. $19.99/month per $1,000 financed for 60 months is based on 5.99% APR. Hypothetical figures used in calculation; your actual monthly payment may differ based on financing terms, credit tier qualification, accessories or other factors such as down payment and fees. Offer effective on new, unregistered Suzuki Outboard Motors purchased from a participating authorized Suzuki dealer between 7/01/17 and 9/30/17. “Gimme Six”, the Suzuki “S” and model names are Suzuki trademarks or ®. Don’t drink and drive. Always wear a USCG-approved life jacket and read your owner’s manual. © 2017 Suzuki Motor of America, Inc.
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