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THE IMPORTANCE OF BOAT INSURANCE
Embarking on the open water is an exhilarating experience, flled with the promise of adventure and relaxation. Whether you’re a seasoned sailor or a weekend cruiser, protecting your vessel with proper insurance is not just a choice—it’s a necessity. Explore the reasons why every boat owner should prioritize boat insurance for a worry-free voyage.
Unpredictable waters
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Damage and injury
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Incurred medical payments
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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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Greenlight to A Deep Dive Without Going in the Red
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Crankin in marsh redfish.
By: Nathan Rich
There are few things out there that are more fun than targeting redfish cruising around the marsh. Something about seeing redfish with their tails up and backs completely out the water gets the adrenaline flowing!
With that being said, targeting these redfish can be a little tricky due to the thick grass mats submerged beneath the surface and the continuous snags from oysters around every bend. However, with the right lure you can effectively target these redfish while reducing snags. One lure that I have had a tremendous amount of success on for marsh redfish is the Southern Salt Bait Co Wake Bait “THE GOAT”. This lure is designed to be retrieved 2-6 inches beneath the surface which is ideal around submerged grass and oysters. The Goat Wake Bait also has a lot of flash from the metallic finish along with loud rattling chambers that have been proven to get redfish fired up! These wake baits can be thrown a country mile allowing you to cover an enormous amount of water in comparison to other lures. The wake bait is also one of the easiest lures to retrieve being that all that is needed is a simple, steady retrieve.
YOU CAN ALSO VISIT OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL, WHERE WE HAVE SEVERAL VIDEOS GOING IN DEPTH ABOUT
Great areas to throw the wake bait are around shallow oyster beds, creek mouths, and flooded marsh grass. Some of my best days catching redfish have been in areas where the wake bait was making steady contact with the oyster beds. Redfish dig around the oyster beds looking for crabs and bait fish, and with this lure coming through the area deflecting off the oysters, it is highly likely to get a reaction strike from a nearby redfish.
There are several videos available on our YouTube channel “Southern Salt Kayak Fishing” that show us using The Goat Wake Bait to catch upwards of 22 redfish in a single 4 hour trip, as well as videos on how to use the wake bait to maximize your success on the water. Be sure to stop by and check us out on Facebook and Instagram as well. Until next time, tight lines!
Brown Water Banter Podcast
FISHIN’ IN JUNE
BY: SONNY SCHINDLER SHORE THING FISHING CHARTERS
June is probably one of the most popular months to fish down here on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. It’s hard to argue why so many people enjoy this time of year. The waters should be clean, warm, salty and FISHY!!!
Even though the speckled trout spawn most of the year, their biggest spawn should be around the full and the new moons this month. If you can get a halfway decent weather day and you want to put all your eggs in one basket, the pre-full and new moons would be a very safe bet . These bites dont happen at one exact spot. Focus on shell bottoms, near shore reefs, or grass beds. All of these areas should be teaming with speckled trout. Look for diving birds, flickering bait fish, or jumping shrimp. Of course, when you can see and smell the “trout slicks” that indicate feeding Trout, you will definitely be in the right location. Don’t let the crowds fool you, the fishing should be good throughout our region. Don’t be afraid to find a new area and avoid the chaos.
With the huge amount of bait and fish coming through, the big critters will be everywhere.. The sharks should be in full force around the barrier islands. The big schools of Jack Crevalles and Bull Reds should start terrorizing the mullet and the pogies as well. On the calmer days just scan the horizons even right off the beaches. The unmistakable white water explosions make these feeding fish easy to spot.
I always bring a large spinning outfit with 60 to 80 pound braid on a stout rod. You can either throw large poppers or even better a small white trout or mullet if you want to tangle with the big fish.
Red snapper season will be in full swing this month. Judging from early scouting reports, everyone is anticipating a big year with those tasty offshore dwellers. The biggest hurdle to get over, like anything are rough seas, and heavy current. Hopefully you can plan your trips on the calmer days and bring plenty of lead in case the water is rolling quickly. Bring plenty of bait like pogies, sardines, white trout, mullet.
Triple tails should be pouring in this month. Be sure and check under all the Buoys and floating structures in open water. The best part of the day to look for triple tails is usually midday when the sun is high visibility is better. Little to no moving water seems to bring the fish up to the surface better. A big frisky live shrimp near a triple tail is almost a guarantee that they will eat it.
You don’t have to travel far if you don’t want to this month. The nearshore reefs, Bridges, and Bay of St. Louis will all be teaming with life as well. Yes, you can get away with top water and soft plastics just about anywhere this month, but Live shrimp under a popping cork if the water is 4 foot or less is deadly. A Carolina or dropper loop rig in the deeper water also lethal with a live shrimp. If the catfish, Lady fish, or small fish are in your area, just move. This is the month we’ve all been waiting for and there are plenty of fish and fishing spots for everyone. Please be courteous to other boaters and anglers. Also, don’t be afraid to ask for help and if someone is in need, please offer help them.
Mississippi Kitchen Delights
Snapper Patties
In honor of Snapper
Season beginning June 1, 2025, I decided to share my recipe for Snapper Patties. This dish can be made with any flakey fish from Salmon to smoked Mackerel, but snapper is my favorite. This is a great way to utilize your leftover snapper that has been grilled or baked!
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups of chopped, chilled Snapper
1 minced red bell pepper
1 minced green bell pepper (replace with jalapeno if you prefer a little heat)
1 minced yellow bell pepper
Sliced green onion can be added if you wish
1 slice of toasted light bread crushed up (Ritz crackers work as well)
2 tablespoons of Mayo
2 tablespoons of ranch
1 table spoon of grey poupon
Season to taste with Compass Point Creole Blend
You may want to add a pinch of salt
1 tablespoon of horseradish (learned that from Unc. Hiram)
PROCEDURE:
Chop your snapper up into small pieces
Combine the snapper and other ingredients in a mixing bowl
Use an ice cream scoop to portion out the mix into little balls
Pat them into small patties about the size of your palm
Heat a griddle or non-stick pan over medium heat
Add some olive oil once the pan is hot
Sear each side for 3-4 minutes, or until crispy & brown on both sides
Serve with a remoulade or yum yum sauce!
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:
