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THE IMPORTANCE OF BOAT INSURANCE
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FATHER’S DAY: THE PERFECT TIME TO FISH WITH YOUR KIDS
THATCH MAGUIRE, EDITOR AT LARGE
Father’s Day is one of the best opportunities to take your kid !shing.
It’s a celebration of the powerful bond forged when dads pass down the timehonored tradition of !shing, a tradition that stretches back thousands of years. While !shing once put food on the table out of necessity, today it still feeds something deep within us. at ancient connection to the water lives on in every angler, whether they realize it or not.
Inviting your son or daughter to !sh on Father’s Day regardless of their age makes a timeless statement. It bridges distance, mends di erences, and rea rms love in a way few other gestures can. Even if the day ends without a single bite, the act of !shing together creates a bond that words can’t express. It’s not about the catch. It’s about the connection.
ere are countless lessons a father might teach a child, but carving out time to share a quiet day on the water—free from the noise and distractions of modern life is one of the most meaningful. By saying, “Let’s !sh together today,” you’re also saying, “Let me share who I am with you.” And that’s a gi no one forgets.
Don’t have a son or daughter? No problem. Take any kid !shing this Father’s Day. Whether it’s a neighbor, a niece or nephew, or a friend’s child, the impact is the same. You’re passing on something real, something rooted in tradition, and something that could change a young life forever.
KINGFISHING
ON A SHOESTRING BUDGET
By Capt. Steve ompson
Targeting king!sh during their annual migration season o Florida’s east coast is a predictable event that coincides with the annual migration patterns of the Atlantic stock of king!sh. During the summer, anytime from midMay through August, when the water is warm enough for the kings to stick around, we all have a great chance of catching a tournament class king!sh, at almost anyplace we decide to !sh.
King!sh can be caught anywhere from the mouth of an inlet, on out to 200 foot depths, and that means that almost any seaworthy vessel can, and does, go a er these !sh during the “mostly calm” summer days.
Everyone has heard about the GJKT tournament winner that Fred Morrow caught at the tips of the north rocks, or Bob Johnson on his Traveler who won the aggregate, with two nice !sh, also right o the beach. What do these teams have in common? ey won in small boats with very little overhead, with very short runs to their !shing grounds. But they did their homework and had a plan, and went straight to where they were going to !sh. Because let’s face it, the small boater isn’t going to run all over the ocean chasing !sh that have already been caught. And those are not the only examples, this same scenario takes place every year
in tournaments up and down the Atlantic coast.
Another way to !sh on a budget is to not get caught up in the latest and greatest gear. Sure, you need quality equipment, but one can good used reels from friends, who are upgrading, or from yard sales or even at swap meets at your local o shore club.
As far as rods go, if you know what “feel” you like on your rods, you can !nd o name rods at sidewalk tent sales at your local tackle store, that perform as well as a custom rod, for a fraction of the cost!
To avoid buying that expensive bait, become pro!cient with a cast net! Kings get fat and happy on a steady diet of “pogies”, or menhaden found along our beaches. You need a heavy fast sinking net to have all the bait you want for a day’s !shing. No pogies, you say? Don’t worry, many king!sh over the years, have fallen to other baits than just a pogy. A pound of shrimp on tournament day could very well be a day saver. Croakers are great king baits, as well as blue runners and blue!sh. Ribbon!sh can also be used but are best caught a few days before and brined so they are easily trolled. If you like !shing the Party Grounds always have some sabikis on board. ese are small feathers on small hooks on a special rig that will catch fresh sardines and cigar minnows on most of the o shore reefs and wrecks.
Don’t be intimidated when you sign up to !sh any tournament. You have the same chance to catch a tournament winning king!sh as the next guy. And you do not have to drop big bucks to do so. Just do your homework, pre-!sh as much as possible and, come tournament day, have a plan and stick to it…and we’ll see you at the weigh scales!
Capt. Steve ompson is Chairman of Jacksonville Marine Charities / Greater Jacksonville King sh Tournament and a 40-year successful veteran of competitive king sh tournaments all over the Southeast. Contact him at (904) 251-3011 or email: gjkt@king shtournament.com.
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SOUTHPORT FISHING REPORT
May and June the ocean will be in full swing here on our Long Bay beaches from the Cape Fear River to Georgetown! Spanish and Kings on the beach to Mahi, Blackfin, & Wahoo offshore. There will also be plenty of good Cobia fishing. Look for big schools of Menhaden on the beach for live baiting, or use Cigar minnows and Ballyhoo pulled behind Mackahoos and sea witches. The live baiting bite will be on fire from the beach out to 20 miles. Keep a pitch rod close by with a 4oz spot jig head and plastic eel body for those unexpected visits by the Cobia right behind the boat or free swimming within casting distance. Live baiting Menhaden on 24-30” of wire leader and a double treble hook rig can be an amazing opportunity with fish swirling and skying out on the baits. Light tackle sight fishing on schooling Spanish and Blue fish with small jigs and gotcha plugs can provide fast and furious action near the big bait pods. Good luck and tight lines.
CAPT. AARON
Salty Southern Adventure saltysouthernadv@yahoo.com
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WRIGHTSVILLE FORECAST
SUMMER IS HERE AGAIN
June is one of those months you can catch anything, and almost everywhere you want to fish for them. For example… the Gags are everywhere, and I do literally mean everywhere!!! From all that good hard bottom 8 to 10 miles off the beach, to the break and beyond. The Wahoo can be inshore or still along the edge of the break, so keep a light line out everywhere you go. The African Pompano are all over that pretty bottom down south near the tower, and the Cobia are potentially on every piece of bottom you fish. We catch more Cobia on the bottom while Grouper fishing than on top with the light line bait. If you want to catch a King, just put a frozen cigar on the light line while you Grouper fish. There’s no need to troll to catch a King, they readily eat a frozen cigar minnow not to mention a LIVE cigar, or sardine. I’ve said it before, but I will say it again… the Sabiki can be the most valuable player of all tackle on the boat. If you put a live cigar minnow or sardine on the crab decoy jig, its life expectancy is under 10 seconds on the bottom, nothing can deny that. Sure, I’m looking for fish and good bottom on the recorder, but I’m also looking for bait before I post up to bottom fish. When you find the bait you find the fish. I will spend part of my day jigging bait to put back down because
remember, whatever is there is what they eat. Speaking of bait, we always try to take live pinfish from the marina along with a couple boxes of frozen cigar minnows. The live pinfish sometimes makes the day and don’t hesitate to take the smaller ones. Sometimes I’ll put two small pinfish on a decoy jig, one on the main hook, and one on the stinger hooked through the lips. This tackle can be more than they can take even when they’re picky. For example, the picture of this Hog Snapper was just that case, it ate the crab decoy jig with two small pinfish. But you can’t keep the American Red Snappers off this combo either. I think the Red Snappers are so thick, you could catch them on a snickers bar. At some point, our national
fisheries managers are going to have to give us some relief on the Gag grouper and American Red Snapper. Don’t take my word for it, ask any diver you know and they’ll tell you. I’ve been bumping around out there for over 40 years now, and there has never been more American Red Snappers than now, and the Gags are everywhere in big numbers. We could settle this once and for all with large area (underwater) video surveys just like they did in the Gulf Coast to verify the vast numbers of American Red Snappers there. However, they don’t want to do that because it would prove they’ve been wrong all along. I’m not sure exactly what their end goal is for shutting down our fisheries, but all you have to do is follow the money, I think this starts to paint a pretty accurate picture. I’ll close this June article by saying I don’t think we’re too far away from removing some of these (woke agenda) bureaucrats and installing common sense fisheries managers that that will work WITH the people and FOR the people.
Take the kids out there, drop some baits to the bottom and catch some good dinner(s). Enjoy your June. Summertime is here.
All the best fishing,
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8 Sun 6:17 3.2 6:56 4.4 12:25 0.6 12:15 0.2 5:57 8:23
8 Tue 4:58 3.8 5:25 3.6 11:15 0.5 11:31 0.5 6:41 7:34
9 Mon 7:02 3.2 7:39 4.5 1:10 0.5 12:56 0.2 5:57 8:23
9 Wed 5:47 3.8 6:09 3.8 11:54 0.5 6:40 7:34
10 Thu 6:28 3.7 6:47 4.0 12:19 0.4 12:32 0.4 6:38 7:35
10 Tue 7:46 3.2 8:21 4.5 1:55 0.5 1:40 0.2
11 Fri 7:04 3.7 7:20 4.2 1:04 0.4 1:07 0.4 6:37 7:36
11 Wed 8:29 3.2 9:03 4.4 2:39 0.4 2:24 0.2 5:57 8:24
12 Sat 7:37 3.7 7:52 4.3 1:44 0.3 1:40 0.4 6:36 7:37
12 Thu 9:13 3.2 9:46 4.4 3:22 0.4 3:08 0.3 5:57 8:25
13 Sun 8:08 3.6 8:23 4.4 2:20 0.3 2:12 0.4 6:35 7:38
13 Fri 9:58 3.1 10:29 4.3 4:04 0.3 3:50 0.3 5:57 8:25
14 Mon 8:39 3.5 8:56 4.4 2:54 0.3 2:43 0.4 6:33 7:38
14 Sat 10:47 3.2 11:14 4.2 4:44 0.3 4:32 0.4 5:57 8:25
15 Tue 9:13 3.4 9:32 4.3 3:28 0.4 3:15 0.4 6:32 7:39
15 Sun 11:38 3.2 5:26 0.3 5:17 0.5 5:57 8:26
16 Wed 9:50 3.2 10:14 4.2 4:04 0.5 3:49 0.5 6:31 7:40
16 Mon 12:01 4.2 12:31 3.3 6:12 0.2 6:10 0.6 5:57 8:26
17 Thu 10:33 3.1 11:03 4.0 4:44 0.7 4:27 0.6 6:30 7:41
17 Tue 12:49 4.1 1:23 3.6 7:02 0.2 7:15 0.7 5:57 8:26
18 Fri 11:24 3.0 11:54 4.0 5:28 0.8 5:11 0.7 6:28 7:41
18 Wed 1:37 4.1 2:15 3.9 7:57 0.1 8:27 0.6 5:57 8:27
19 Sat 12:15 3.0 6:16 1.0 6:03 0.8 6:27 7:42
19 Thu 2:27 3.9 3:08 4.2 8:51 -0.1 9:34 0.5 5:58 8:27
20 Sun 12:45 3.9 1:08 3.0 7:12 1.0 7:06 0.9 6:26 7:43
20 Fri 3:20 3.8 4:05 4.5 9:44 -0.2 10:37 0.3 5:58 8:27
21 Mon 1:39 3.8 2:08 3.2 8:17 0.9 8:23 0.8 6:25 7:44
21 Sat 4:19 3.7 5:05 4.8 10:36 -0.4 11:36 0.1 5:58 8:27
22 Tue 2:40 3.8 3:14 3.5 9:17 0.7 9:35 0.6 6:23 7:45
22 Sun 5:22 3.6 6:05 5.0 11:29 -0.5 5:58 8:28
23 Wed 3:44 3.8 4:16 3.9 10:06 0.4 10:33 0.3 6:22 7:45
24 Thu 4:41 3.9 5:11 4.4 10:51 0.1
23 Mon 6:22 3.6 7:01 5.2 12:33 0.0 12:22 -0.5 5:59 8:28
24 Tue 7:19 3.6 7:56 5.3 1:30 -0.1 1:16 -0.5
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26 Thu 9:08 3.6 9:42 5.0 3:19 -0.2 3:07 -0.4 5:59 8:28
27 Fri 10:03 3.6 10:34 4.8 4:09 -0.1 3:59 -0.2 6:00 8:28
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29 Sun 11:51 3.6 5:41 0.2 5:39 0.3 6:01 8:28
30 Mon 12:14 4.2 12:44 3.7 6:27 0.3 6:33 0.6 6:01 8:28
Kristina Marquard fishing about the Ali-Kat Sportfishing Aquasport caught this beautiful upper slot Red on a Slick Jr in the PMint on a 3/8oz jig head!
Slack Tides Fishing On YouTube-On our way back, Capt. Adam Hathaway and I spotted birds working the shoals and chaos ensuing at Ali Kat Sportfishing Aquasport.
Genevieve Olinger of Kitty Hawk NC with a 40” Redfish caught while fishing with Capt. Allen Jernigan of Breadman Ventures Guide Service.
John Pastino fishing Topsail Island, NC Five days of hard fishing paid off with Bonito and Spanish Mackerel. Caught several on my custom fly rod— what a blast!
TOPSAIL FISHING FORECAST
June is a great month for everything inshore in NC. Since the powers to be have us closed down on multiple species, (speckled trout, flounder, striper) let’s take a look at the Red Drum’s ugly cousin, the Black Drum.
When you think of Black Drum, structure is usually the first thing that comes to mind, but what is structure? What really defines structure in the inshore world? We all know Black Drum like to hold on bridges, but there is so much more that people drive right on by heading to those well-known areas. I like to use the modern technology we have at our disposal and look for Black Drum in other lesser-known areas. I look for deepwater oyster rocks, concrete piles dumped long ago and for old stump beds in some of our coastal rivers. All these locations will hold Black Brum. Docks are always good also. Trial and error can help eliminate unproductive spots. Black Drum are not homebodies either, keep that in mind. They like to roam and after 10-15 minutes they are either not there or simply not feeding.
Usually, if we are Black Drum fishing, we use shrimp. Fresh shrimp works good, but so does that nasty black shrimp you forgot in the cooler last week. I like to use can corn and peas also, but that’s a story for another time. For the Carolina rigs we use 30-40# braid on 3000 series Shimanos, 30-40# flurocrabon leader, egg weight based on depth and current and 4/0 VMC O’shaugnessy Live Bait hooks with the black nickel finish. I like to keep my leader as short as possible, 6-10”. That helps with the soft Black Drum pick up and little nudge they like to do when I have inexperienced anglers on the boat. Black Drum are great table fare but I urge everyone to release fish 10 pounds and above. Black drum get wormy as part of their natural life cycle. The worms are harmless but as the fish increase in size, the chances of that larger fish having worms is much higher. I prefer 2-8 pound Black Drum for the table.
Please be courteous and safe out there!
Topsail Island Fishing Hosts 3rd Annual Meet & Greet with SPEARiT Veteran Project
Earlier this month, Topsail Island Fishing—a Facebook community founded by Captain Eris Jones—hosted its 3rd Annual Meet & Greet at the fairgrounds in Sneads Ferry, NC. The event, open to the public and designed for more than 20,000
members, celebrated local fishing culture while supporting a meaningful cause.
This year’s gathering partnered with the SPEARiT Veteran Spearfishing Project, a nonprofit that brings veterans and first responders together through the healing power of the water. Founded in 2022 by Osee “Trey” Fagan, a 17-year Marine Special Operations Sniper, and Captain Randy Batts, SPEARiT offers support and community for those navigating life after service. The event raised $2,800 toward SPEARiT’s 2025 fundraising goal of $10,000. Donations are still being accepted at www.spearitfishing.com/donate. Attendees enjoyed a full day of fishing fellowship and hands-on education. Local captains gave talks
on various styles of fishing and helping anglers sharpen their skills. Demonstrations included cast net techniques, SiriusXM marine electronics, and boat walk-throughs with opportunities for Q&A. The event also featured a swap meet, sponsor booths and of course—BBQ, hot dogs and more, freshly cooked on-site from the early morning hours.
Despite the chilly weather, the atmosphere was warm with camaraderie, knowledge sharing, and support for a great cause. A special thanks goes out to all who participated and made the event a success!
Featured in Marlin Magazine's top 15 highest-paying tournaments.
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14 Sat 3:18 3.5 3:29 2.5 9:52 0.3 9:31 0.2 5:51 8:22
15 Sun 3:59 3.5 4:17 2.6 10:33 0.3 10:21 0.2 5:51 8:23
16 Mon 4:44 3.5 5:12 2.8 11:18 0.2 11:18 0.3 5:51 8:23
17 Tue 5:33 3.3 6:10 3.0 12:06 0.1 5:51 8:23
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18 Wed 6:25 3.2 7:10 3.2 12:22 0.3 12:56 0.0 5:52 8:24
20 Sun 12:45 3.9 1:08 3.0 7:12 1.0 7:06 0.9 6:26 7:43
19 Thu 7:21 3.0 8:11 3.4 1:28 0.3 1:47 -0.1 5:52 8:24
21 Mon 1:39 3.8 2:08 3.2 8:17 0.9 8:23 0.8 6:25 7:44
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21 Sat 9:21 2.8 10:15 3.9 3:38 0.3 3:34 -0.3 5:52 8:24
23 Wed 3:44 3.8 4:16 3.9 10:06 0.4
22 Sun 10:23 2.7 11:12 4.0 4:40 0.2 4:29 -0.3 5:52 8:24
23 Mon 11:21 2.7 5:39 0.2 5:24 -0.4 5:53 8:25
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ith the rising water temps in May, we are starting to see more baitfish around. Come June, there will be bountiful amounts of bait, so get your cast nets ready! Spanish Mackerel and Bluefish will continue to congregate the area in large numbers. Trolling spoons behind planers or trolling weights will be the move. If you do happen to see busting fish, casting 5/8oz or 3/4oz metal jigs will put some smiles on faces.
Inshore, Red Drum are usually more cooperative for me. Catching fresh shad (menhaden), finger mullets, or live shrimp is a great way to start the day. Putting those baits under a popping cork or Carolina rig will earn some bites when hard or soft plastics aren’t getting the job done.
The Atlantic Bonito normally leave the area by June, but keep your eyes peeled for a bait ball or sea turtle. Very often a cobia or two will be nearby! Good luck and tight lines.
GO DEEP(ER)
Tim Barefoot
I’ve written quite a few articles on the tactics I used to catch grouper on the edge and inside the edge with bait in a decoy jig in the past, but now is a good time to push out a little further to see what’s up in the 350 to 500+ foot depth range. !is type shing may require you to change gears on your thought process and/or tackle, but you may be pleasantly surprised with the results.
First o , you will want to use a spinning rod with backbone and a lighter braided line. I’m not going to suggest any tackle manufacturer for rod, reel or line, but the line in the jig is the most important part of this equation. I know this sounds crazy, but you can get away with braid, a small is 20 pound test connected to a short 6-foot shot of uorocarbon leader, and catch the big boys from the deep. When you sh ledges, wrecks and rock homes, you have to use heavier tackle to coerse the grouper and big snapper out of the structure, but in the deep the sh tend to congregate around bait, and there is very little structure out there for them to get you in. !e bait out there consists primarily of squid—the universal bait for all the seven seas of this planet, period. Squid are present at all depths, from the surface at night to their migration back to the deep by day; just ask any sword sh. Ha!
!is deeper water shing may also require a change in electronics. In order to mark the sh and bait you need to have enough power to send the signal and
get a return. You can run all over creation trying to mark sh or bait in vast areas of water, but having the correct electronics will assist in this greatly. Once you start marking the blue-speckled screen on the bottom, you know you’re in squid. I’ve always said it, but when you nd the bait you found the sh. Once you mark the bait, more than likely, it will be squid and it’ll be time to drop in the correct jig.
I’ve made several videos using the 4 ounce (so plastic) Squid Jig, but I’ve also had a 6 oz. size made. A 10 inch mold cra ed squid, trimmed properly, can be very e ective at times. Fish like a champ on the 6 ounce headed down deep. !e jig stays perfectly horizontal and jumps like the 4 ounce, and everything down there sucks it up. I’ll be publishing videos soon on this.
I’ll close with this: nd the bait and you’ll nd the sh...using the correct electronics. Once you nd the bait/ sh, drop in the correct jig that imitates what they eat on a daily basis and you’ll get the bite. And one more very important note. Pay close attention to the MPAs, which are marine protected areas, and seasons you can sh in them. You need to be well informed of where you are when you nish shing and what you could put in the cooler. You have to play by the rules.
Check out Tim Barefoot’s YouTube channel and website, barefootcatsandtackle.com.
CAST LURES IN A MITZI TOURNAMENT 17
EMPTY TANK?
TIPS FROM A PRO
FISHING A BIG WORM
hile there are many ways to target bass, one method consistently stands out— shing with a big worm.
Worm shing may not be the ashiest technique, but it allows you to present your bait from a distance and work it slowly—ideal for tempting big, cautious females that ignore faster presentations.
One of my go-to techniques is casting a Texas-rigged stick bait. It’s a common tactic, but many anglers waste time casting at dead water. I focus on high-percentage areas, such as isolated patches of grass or lily pads. Even when the sh aren’t visible, they o en hold tight to this type of cover. Similar results can be achieved by targeting wood or rock. Make multiple slow retrieves through these areas for best results.
I prefer a larger 6” stick bait in dark colors like black and blue tip. For weights, 1/16 or 1/8 oz keeps the presentation subtle and natural. I recommend 17–20 lb uorocarbon, which o ers strength without sacri cing stealth—braid can be too intrusive here.
To cover more water and locate active sh, I switch to a big speed worm. While it’s a popular technique in Florida, where I predominantly sh, it works well across the country. !e bait’s vibration drives bass crazy, making it an excellent search tool. Once I nd sh with this method, I slow down and ne-tune my approach with other techniques. For stained water, I like darker colors like junebug; for clearer water, I use green pumpkin with ake. Weight ranges from 1/8 to 1/4 oz depending on depth and wind. Fluorocarbon in the 15–17 lb range is ideal here too.
Another e ective presentation is the wacky rig. It’s a more subtle approach and shines in pressured waters. Like with the Texas rig, I cast this bait weightless to isolated cover. I use lighter line and a spinning setup—typically 10–15 lb leader—adjusting based on cover density. In dirty water, I stick to dark colors; in clearer water, I go with more natural tones.
Flipping a worm is another technique I use, especially when there’s a lot of heavy cover. While not as stealthy, ipping allows you to place the bait precisely where other rigs can’t reach. I use large Senko-style baits, braided line, and heavier weights (3/8 to 3/4 oz) to penetrate thick vegetation. It’s perfect for pads, long banks, and heavy wood or grass. !e key is to sh slowly and thoroughly, putting your bait where others haven’t.
Rod and reel setups vary slightly depending on the technique. For most casting and ipping styles, I like a longer rod—around 7’6”— with medium-heavy to heavy action. !e 13 Fishing Omen Series has a few ideal models. I pair these with a high-speed baitcasting reel like the Concept A 7.5:1, which helps pull sh out of thick cover quickly.
For the wacky rig, I downsize to a 7’3” medium-heavy spinning rod. It o ers enough backbone to move sh but also provides the sensitivity and exibility needed when using lighter line. A spinning reel with a smooth drag is crucial. I recommend the 13 Fishing Axum, which o ers the control and power necessary for nesse shing around cover.
!ese worm shing techniques consistently produce. Whether you’re casting to isolated cover, ipping into thick vegetation, or working a speed worm through open water, there’s a big bass out there waiting to bite. I’m excited to put these methods to work—and hope they help you land some giants too.
Tyler Woolcott is a professional tournament angler and guide. Check out his website at www.tylerwoolcott shing.com.
WHY BUY NEW WHEN YOU CAN RENEW?!?
STATE RECORD FISH TITLE BROKEN THREE TIMES THIS YEAR!
For the third time in less than a year, Georgia has a new freshwater !sh state record spotted sun!sh!
Josh Forsythe of Homerville, GA (Clinch County) landed the newest record catch of 0 lb, 13 oz on May 5 from the Suwannee River. is almost 9-inch catch beats the previous state record tie of 0 lb, 12 oz, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division (WRD).
“My 5-year-old daughter and I were !shing for bream on one of my favorite rivers, the Suwannee, when I caught this spotted sun!sh,” said Forsythe. “I have been !shing this river for more than 15 years and it is one of my favorite places to !sh for good-sized bream, especially spotted sun!sh. I recommend waiting until river levels are below 4-foot and using top water bugs to catch giants, but a beetle spin or even a cricket or a worm on a cork will work.”
Spotted sun!sh are found in the Ocmulgee, Oconee, Altamaha, Ogeechee, Ochlockonee, Suwannee, St. Mary’s, Satilla and Savannah River basins. When angling for them, WRD recommends using worms, crickets, small spinners, ies and popping bugs.
“Maybe hearing about that state record tie for spotted sun!sh !red up some folks to land a new record – and we love to see it,” says Scott Robinson, WRD Chief of Fisheries. “Are you the next state record holder? Georgia has the best variety of angling opportunities across the state so Let’s Go Fish Georgia!”
NC CERTIFIES NEW VERMILION SNAPPER RECORD
North Carolina‘s Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Marine Fisheries recently established a new state record for Vermilion Snapper (Rhomboplites aurorubens).
Colby Shaw of Newport caught the 7-pound, 4-ounce sh o Morehead City on April 18, 2025. !e previous state record was 6-pounds, 9-ounces landed out of Ocean Isle in 2009.
Shaw was shing in his own vessel, o shore south of Beaufort Inlet when the sh struck his cut bait. Shaw made quick work of reeling in his state record sh, landing it using his Shimano rod and reel with 65-pound braid.
Shaw’s sh measured 23.5-inches fork
to the fork in the tail) and had a 17-inch
sheries sta at the Morehead City Headquarters
!e
Division of Marine Fisheries.
Bill Dance Signature Lakes O er Impactful Improvements to Tennessee’s Fishing Waters
By David Haggard & Heather Lose
Representatives from Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, and Tennessee State Parks celebrate the ribbon cutting of the Bill Dance Signature Lakes project at the Bassmaster Classic in Knoxville on March 25, along with the project’s namesake. Photo Courtesy of the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development:
