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Bad to the Bone Full tang stainless steel blade with natural bone handle —now ONLY $79!
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4 NATIONAL
SEPTEMBER 2021
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deep waters it was designed to explore and it’s sporty screw-down crown can take the pressure in stride. Your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed. If you are not completely convinced you got excellence for less, simply return the Explorer Dive Watch within 30 days for a refund of the item price. At Stauer, we never leave our customers high and dry. Limited Edition. Sure you could give your hard-earned money to those other guys, but why would you? We’ve got the thinking man’s timepiece right here. This watch takes six months to engineer and it’s already making waves, so we can’t guarantee it will be around for long. Call today, and experience how good it feels to get true luxury for less.
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NATIONAL 5
IN THIS BATTLE, YOU NOW HAVE THE ADVANTAGE OF SHOCK AND AWE.
The next generation of our workhorse spinning reel, the new PENN ® Battle ® III now features our proprietary CNC Gear ™ Technology for ultimate durability, and the proven HT-100 ™ Carbon Fiber Drag System for ultimate control during the fight. Available in nine different sizes, from 1000 to the new 10,000, and in select high speed models, it can handle any situation. The new Battle® III. Fish won’t know what hit them. PENN. LET THE BATTLE BEGIN.
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See Extensive ICAST Coverage In The Angler Video Mag
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CAST 2021 marked a return to normalcy for the fishing industry. In the 64th exhibition of the world’s largest sportfishing trade show, the halls of the Orlando’s Orange County Convention Center bustled with activity July 21-23. As usual, the event kicked off with the ICAST Cup bass tournament at nearby Lake Toho, and the renowned big-bass factory did not disappoint. In a short four-hour tournament, the winning team weighed a tournament-record 25-pound, 7-ounce five-fish limit. But most of the action went on indoors. The annual ICAST New Product Showcase is an event the fishing world eagerly awaits every year. It is the venue where industry heavyweights and innovative newcomers roll out their best new gear for the year to come. This year, 686 new products were entered by 218 companies to compete for Best of Category awards in 30 different categories. From rods, reels and lures to apparel, electronics, gadgets and accessories, the New Product Showcase is gear-head heaven. The Angler Video Mag team was on-hand at ICAST 2021 to cover the show and give you a first-hand look at some of the cool and innovative products that will make you a better angler this year.
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NATIONAL 7
Live Bait Snook on South Florida Beaches
H
ere on Florida’s East Coast, we have access to some of the most exciting shore-based fishing there is. From spring, through summer and into fall, big snook run the beaches of South Florida, and they can be caught from the sand with lures and even sight fished with flies. I am a lure fisherman, and everyone knows it, but fishing with artificials can be difficult during the doldrums of late summer and fall. The Atlantic Ocean is flatter and big snook become wary. The fish are still here; what are we to do? Here’s a pretty simple technique that will catch snook when the fishing gets tough. The hottest bait this time of year is live croakers. Croakers are catching so many snook right now that the local bait shops here in the Stuart, Fla. area sell out as soon as they get a shipment. With the artificial bite kind of drying up, my friend and occasional fishing buddy, Mike Vars, showed me how to catch big snook on live bait. Mike buys a dozen croakers when he can get them. All you need to keep them alive for a couple days is a round bucket with an aerator. Good baitsized croakers are 5 to 8 inches, anything larger might catch a big snook, but they are harder to fish. Mike uses a 3 or 4 size circle hook and hooks his croakers through the nostrils so they can
8 NATIONAL
SEPTEMBER 2021
By Richard L. Matteson
swim freely. Some anglers prefer to hook them through the tail. Since the tactic involves free-lining, with no weight, casts should be just past the trough on a high tide, which is about 20 feet here. Then open the spool and let that croaker run. On low tide, it might be necessary to wade past the trough and cast farther out. Mike uses a 60-lb. leader and 20-lb. braid on a spinning reel. Before the snook takes the bait, the croaker will often wiggle excitedly—this is a signal you are about to get bit. When the line suddenly starts moving fast, it means a snook has your croaker. Let her have the bait for a few seconds, and then begin reeling steadily so the circle hook lodges in the corner of her mouth. Mike Vars with a nice beach snook Mike averages three or four big female snook caught on live bait. each trip with this method. He has caught several over-slot snook, with the biggest measuring about 40 inches. Florida’s Atlantic Coast. You’re allowed one per day If you want to catch your own bait, use a between 28 and 32 inches. sabiki rig and tip hooks with a small piece of Richard Matteson writes for the Stuart Rod & shrimp. Or fish the trough with light tackle and a Reel Club and he is a long-time contributor small piece of shrimp. to Coastal Angler Magazine. Sept. 1 marks open season for snook on
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The Mullet Run Is On! By CAM Staff
I
t’s that time of year again when the lowly mullet becomes a primary target of interest for Florida anglers. Over the next few weeks and months, mullet in untold numbers will migrate out of the estuaries and run down the coast to their spawning grounds off South Florida. The mullet run is on, and it has switched on the predatory drive of almost every fish in the ocean. From the beach, or on a jetty, pier, bridge or boat, anglers who encounter fish feeding in huge schools of mullet are in for a treat. These intrepid little pilgrims have made their way south from as far up as the Carolinas, and it’s a good thing they come in numbers, because a whole lot of them get gobbled up along the way. Snook, tarpon, flounder, redfish, sharks, bluefish, jacks, Spanish mackerel,
2 FLORIDA
SEPTEMBER 2021
ladyfish… they all answer the dinner bell when mullet are balled up. To find the fish, you must find the bait. Young finger mullet make an easy meal when large schools of them are pinned against a jetty or are caught out in the open by predators running the beaches. Live or dead mullet are the obvious baits to fish if you’ve got time to throw a net, but don’t get caught cast-netting when there is a frenzy going on. A plug or soft-plastic will also get hammered when the melee is on. Don’t pass up your window of opportunity when the action is hot. Bait might be heavy in an area one day and gone the next. Anglers with boats can run the beaches in search of diving birds and find fish blowing up on top. Seawalls, rocky shorelines and other obstruction to the southward migration can serve as ambush points or corrals where baitfish are pinned in. Any structure that steers schools of mullet into a predictable path can turn into a killing ground. Shore-bound anglers must rely on good intel or just show up and hope to get lucky. Some prefer to pick a place that has been productive in the past and return frequently to catch it when it’s right. Others have a list of likely locations and eat up the road in search of activity. It’s the time of year when your gear should remain rigged and ready in the back of the truck. A good network of fishing buddies is worth its weight in tarpon during the run. Sharing good information on locations and the southward progression of bait is a two-way street. Take care of someone else, and they will likely take care of you. This time of year is a great time to be on the water. Temperatures are beginning to cool, most of the tourists have gone home, and thick waves of baitfish are there to be found, running the coastline with big predators in hot pursuit. For more information, go to coastalanglermag.com.
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PHOTO COURTESY OF KNOCKIN TAIL LURES.
A
Fall
Transition Pay Attention to Detail By Capt. Michael Okruhlik
s fall approaches, fish patterns change. By understanding the habits of fish, you can target them with confidence. Spring fry have matured in the marsh and are ready to move into open water. Knowing the timing, tides and location of this migration can lead to great action. I recently tried a new area. It’s a place I really hadn’t heard anything about. I planned to target reds, since satellite imagery suggested it should be favorable. This area had a long meandering bayou that emptied into a small lake, which ranged in depth from 1 to 3 feet. I was at the top of a chain of lakes and marsh, so this particular drain would see the first of the baitfish and shrimp exiting their summer home. Targeting the inland-most marshes and bayous early in the season will be the most productive. Follow the bait and schools of fish out as the season advances. Although the reds were there, they were only 12 inches long, and the trout were smaller. They were gorging on shad and shrimp as tide poured out of the bayou into the lake. Once I noticed flounder busting completely out of the water attacking the schools of shad, I quickly changed my retrieve. I had been working my soft-plastic swimbait high in the water column to keep it in the bait balls. When I saw those flounder, I immediately lowered my rod tip and began vigorously twitching my rod down and to the side to make the jig head hit the mud bottom hard. Kicking up clouds of silt attracts flatfish. I started landing flounder immediately with the new retrieve. It was obvious they were aggressive since they were going airborne to feed on shad. This is why I worked the lure hard and fast, unlike a traditional flounder retrieve. I’m not sure how many I caught, released and lost, but it was well into double digits. The most productive color was white or pearl to mimic shad. Since they were attacking schools of bait, I tied on a tandem rig using the same lures. I think the presentation looked more like the schools of baitfish they were targeting. I rigged my second lure so it would look more natural floating above the first jig-head swimbait, which was bouncing on the bottom. This increased my strikes. Paying attention to the details of the location, season and tide, as well as how the fish were feeding all played a huge part in my success. These concepts can be applied in any situation at any time of year. It was not what I expected, but I will take a limit of flounder any day. Capt. Michael Okruhlik is the inventor of Knockin Tail Lures and Controlled Descent Lures. He owns www.MyCoastOutdoors.com.
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SEPTEMBER 2021
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FORT LAUDERDALE www.coastalanglermag.com/fort-lauderdale Follow us on Instagram @camftl
k with a Josh Patric nakehead Tamarac s frog. n artificial caught on a
Double header wahoo caught aboard the Catch My Drift.
Bob Badgle y fooled this juvenile tarpon with a topwater lure.
Tim Milan with a stu d peacock bass caught on a fly.
ht with er caug p p a n s arters. Mutton Headqu Fishing
EMAIL US YOUR CATCH PHOTOS!
Email your high-quality photos (at least 500KB) with details — species, size, location, who caught it (and how) —to FortLauderdale@CoastalAnglerMagazine.com
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FROM THE
PUBLISHER A
fter being closed for the last three months, the Atlantic snook season opens back up on September 1st. Snook are lots of fun to catch because they are excellent fighters and make for great table fare if you can catch one within the slot limit. In order to keep a snook, the law says they must be a minimum of 28 inches and not larger than 32 inches with the tail squeezed. You must also possess a saltwater fishing license and a snook permit. This time of year, snook can be found congregating in and around our local inlets, fishing piers and even right off the beach. As long as there is some moving water and some type of structure that they can use as shelter, the snook will be there. When targeting snook, you can use both spinning or conventional gear, but be sure you have a rod with some backbone and a reel with decent line capacity. Once hooked, a snook will typically run towards structure in an attempt to escape. If you allow them to get into the structure, you will likely get cut off. Snook will eat a variety of live and artificial baits. The best live baits are pilchards, finger mullet, shrimp and crabs. On the artificial side, they will eat both topwater and sub surface baits. When water temperatures are warm, use baits that can be worked fast as the snook will be very active. When the water temperatures cool off a bit, snook won’t be as aggressive, so use baits that you can work slower. Keep reelin,
GENE DYER
Editor & Publisher Coastal Angler Fort Lauderdale fortlauderdale@coastalanglermagazine.com
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FORT LAUDERDALE AREA 3
FORECASTS
OFFSHORE
beginning of sailfish season and a few sailfish are already showing up. Within a month, when the wind picks up, almost all our fishing trips will be going after sailfish. Sailfish are spectacular game fish that spend more time he big game fishing off Fort Lauderdale when on the line out of the water, than in it. is going off. Offshore, schools of mahi They put on an incredible aerial display that is mahi are formed up and being found offshore. Most of them are Big African schoolie sized or slightly bigger, pompano caught but we are finding them stacked with Fishing up into small schools made up Headquarters. of 10 to15 fish. Trolling offshore and covering a lot of ground and keeping a lookout for weedlines, floating debris or diving birds is the best way to find dolphin. There are usually some nice weedlines formed about 10 to 12 miles offshore this time of year. Tuna and wahoo are also being caught offshore and there are even a few blue marlin around if you get really lucky. On the reefs, the kingfish and bonito are still biting pretty good. A few big blackfin tuna are being caught slow trolling live baits, along with some really big kingfish. The bigger kingfish bite strong this time of year and dominate the reefs. September is the
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exhilarating to see. Wreck fishing deserves an honorable mention this season too. The big amberjacks of the spring have moved along, leaving a lot less competition for food on the wrecks. There are still a few amberjacks around, but the massive schools of them are gone. Groupers are beginning to move in and make their homes again around these shipwrecks. Black groupers, gag groupers and the biggest ones, warsaw groupers are biting pretty good around the deeper shipwrecks. Big mutton snapper, cobia and the rare cubera snapper are also being caught around these wrecks. Just pull up over the top of a wreck, drop down a live bait and wait for the bite. It’s really simple and can yield some very cool fish this season. There’s a lot biting out there these days no matter what you fish for. I’m looking forward to a great September fishing season. Tight lines everyone.
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Juniors On The Circuit
T
he Pompano Beach Saltwater Circuit Series is one of the biggest and most competitive tournaments in South Florida. Some of the best captains and crew fish for not only tens of thousands of dollars in cash and prizes, but more importantly, bragging rights! Top teams have fished together for years and know exactly what to do and when to do it. However, every great team had to start somewhere and for team Nauti Gator, that start is now! Nauti Gator is a team of junior anglers made up of 6 kids aging from 7-13 years old. Katelyn (13) and Louie (11) Rosado, Trey (11) and Chase (7) Gailing, Pilar LaCaria (12), and Benji Coopersmith (12). Yes, dads are there to assist, but the kids do the work. As a kid on Nauti Gator, we do everything from rigging and catching bait, to putting out the spread, to cleaning the boat after we fish. Even though it sounds crazy, we actually enjoy doing all the work. It’s fun, especially because we get to hang out with our friends while we do it. After a few years of fishing on other
BY KATELYN ROSADO
people’s boats, my dad asked my brother and I if we would like to start our own team where the kids were in charge. We were super pumped to ask our friends if they wanted to fish with us and even more excited to finally have a team of our own. Once we got our friends involved, the Nauti Gator fishing team was launched. We couldn’t wait to start fishing until we realized how much work and preparation we had to do. Our first tournament was a real eye opener about how much time, effort and planning goes into fishing. We went from just showing up to fish, to busting our butts trying to prepare. We went bait fishing, pre fishing and threw rigging parties, which usually ended up turning into pool parties. So far, all of our hard work has been worth it. On the first leg of the Circuit, we fished hard and caught fish consistently all day, just not the right ones. Our youngest
angler, Chase Gailing won 2nd place in the pee wee division. For the second leg we made a long run from Hillsboro Inlet all the way up to Jupiter. We caught fish all day, but the sharks were relentless! We hooked a bunch of nice fish that ended up getting sharked, but we didn’t give up. We did end up catching some nice fish. Not only did Chase get first place pee wee this time, but his brother, Trey also won first place junior angler. It was awesome hearing Jaime Bunn call all of us up on stage to announce that we were the top Junior Anglers and handed us a trophy and gift cards. We can’t wait to fish the Saltwater Showdown, the final tournament of the series. We know we have a lot to learn and a long way to go, but eventually we would not only like to be the top Junior Anglers, but also place in the tournament as one of the top overall teams. In the meantime, we’re gonna have a fun time fishing with our friends and learning all sorts of new things.
FORECASTS
FRESH
WATER
city heat, but don’t forget the bug spray! White bucktail jigs, topwater prop baits and subsurface twitch baits are my go to lures for Everglades fishing in September. My pro tip for you guys for the month of September is to bring your sunglasses and your rain gear because Florida weather is unpredictable! Lastly, don’t forget about our incredible spillway fishery this time of the year. Catch bigger baits such as bluegills, mullet and gizzard shad for when the floodgates are open. I would suggest using a heavier spinning setup for those monster snook and tarpon. Sometimes it takes a while for a bite, but it’s usually worth it, especially when fishing those big baits. Shiners work great at the spillways too for bigger peacocks, largemouth bass and smaller snook. Tight lines, Moving along to the Everglades, the water level is higher than average but holds CAPT. JOHNNY STABILE the most consistent fishing for South Florida Fishing Charters peacock bass. The Everglades (954) 440-5200 is also a nice break from the sflfishingcharters.com Capt. Johnny Stabile with a bullseye snakehead.
F
ishing is hot! No literally, it’s very hot outside. Water temperatures in the 90s have the peacock bass FIRED UP! Peacocks this time of the year are in the more shallow areas, which makes sight fishing them a blast. Use anything from a small Yo-Zuri 3D minnow to a DOA TerrorEyz and move it quickly through the water. The urban fisheries in Broward continue to produce large numbers of peacock bass daily. Leave the live bait at home and keep your artificials moving fast. The largemouth bass bite slows down briefly for those big lunkers, but get out your ultralight and a speed worm for nonstop action on the smaller bass. Snakeheads in West Broward are plentiful and are easily intrigued with a big swimbait or frog. The key with snakeheads is they usually see you before you see them, cast right along the banks, and try to be as stealthy as possible.
Snakeheads don’t have eyelids, so they wedge themselves under bank vegetation to protect their eyes from the sun. My favorite times to fish for snakeheads are in the rain and overcast conditions.
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High
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11:11
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7:41
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Wed
3:55
2.4
4:54
2.6
10:39
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11:13
1.2
6:59
7:41
1
Wed
4:14
2.3
5:11
2.6
10:25
0.6
2
Thu
5:13
2.4
6:02
2.7
11:20
0.6
6:59
7:40
2
Thu
4:58
2.5
5:51
2.7
11:33
0.7
6:59
7:39
3
Fri
6:05
2.5
6:49
2.8
12:03
0.9
12:11
0.5
7:00
7:38
3
Fri
5:56
2.6
6:42
2.9
12:05
1.0
12:22
0.6
7:00
7:38
4
Sat
6:53
2.6
7:32
2.9
12:50
0.8
12:59
0.4
7:00
7:37
4
Sat
6:50
2.8
7:29
3.0
12:51
0.9
1:08
0.4
7:00
7:37
5
Sun
7:40
2.8
8:13
3.1
1:33
0.6
1:45
0.2
7:01
7:36
5
Sun
7:39
3.0
8:12
3.2
1:35
0.7
1:51
0.3
7:00
7:36
6
Mon
8:26
3.0
8:52
3.2
2:14
0.4
2:28
0.1
7:01
7:35
6
Mon
8:25
3.1
8:53
3.3
2:16
0.5
2:34
0.2
7:01
7:35
7
Tue
9:09
3.1
9:31
3.2
2:54
0.3
3:11
0.1
7:02
7:34
7
Tue
9:11
3.3
9:34
3.3
2:57
0.3
3:17
0.2
7:01
7:34
8
Wed
9:53
3.2
10:10
3.2
3:33
0.1
3:53
0.1
7:02
7:33
8
Wed
9:56
3.4
10:15
3.4
3:38
0.1
4:00
0.2
7:02
7:33
9
Thu
10:38
3.3
10:52
3.2
4:14
0.0
4:39
0.2
7:02
7:32
9
Thu
10:43
3.5
10:58
3.3
4:21
0.0
4:46
0.3
7:02
7:32
10
Fri
11:27
3.3
11:37
3.1
4:59
0.0
5:28
0.3
7:03
7:31
10
Fri
11:32
3.4
11:43
3.2
5:07
0.0
5:35
0.4
7:03
7:31
11
Sat
12:19
3.3
5:49
0.0
6:23
0.5
7:03
7:30
11
Sat
12:23
3.4
5:57
0.1
6:27
0.6
7:03
7:30
12
Sun
12:27
3.0
1:15
3.2
6:45
0.1
7:22
0.6
7:04
7:29
12
Sun
12:32
3.1
1:20
3.2
6:52
0.2
7:26
0.8
7:03
7:29
13
Mon
1:22
2.9
2:17
3.1
7:44
0.2
8:25
0.7
7:04
7:28
13
Mon
1:28
3.0
2:22
3.1
7:54
0.3
8:32
0.9
7:04
7:27
14
Tue
2:23
2.8
3:26
3.0
8:48
0.3
9:32
0.8
7:04
7:26
14
Tue
2:31
3.0
3:30
3.1
9:02
0.4
9:42
1.0
7:04
7:26
15
Wed
3:37
2.7
4:39
3.0
9:56
0.3
10:41
0.8
7:05
7:25
15
Wed
3:41
2.9
4:39
3.1
10:12
0.4
10:50
0.9
7:05
7:25
16
Thu
4:53
2.8
5:42
3.1
11:04
0.4
11:45
0.7
7:05
7:24
16
Thu
4:52
3.0
5:44
3.2
11:17
0.4
11:52
0.8
7:05
7:24
17
Fri
5:59
2.9
6:38
3.2
12:06
0.3
7:06
7:23
17
Fri
5:58
3.1
6:40
3.3
12:17
0.3
7:05
7:23
18
Sat
6:57
3.0
7:29
3.2
12:42
0.6
1:03
0.3
7:06
7:22
18
Sat
6:55
3.2
7:29
3.3
12:47
0.7
1:10
0.3
7:06
7:22
19
Sun
7:50
3.1
8:16
3.2
1:34
0.5
1:54
0.3
7:06
7:21
19
Sun
7:46
3.3
8:13
3.4
1:36
0.5
1:58
0.3
7:06
7:21
20
Mon
8:37
3.2
8:57
3.3
2:19
0.4
2:40
0.3
7:07
7:20
20
Mon
8:32
3.4
8:54
3.4
2:21
0.4
2:42
0.3
7:07
7:20
21
Tue
9:21
3.2
9:36
3.2
2:59
0.3
3:21
0.3
7:07
7:19
21
Tue
9:15
3.4
9:31
3.4
3:03
0.3
3:24
0.4
7:07
7:18
22
Wed
10:01
3.2
10:13
3.1
3:37
0.3
3:59
0.4
7:08
7:17
22
Wed
9:55
3.4
10:07
3.3
3:42
0.3
4:04
0.5
7:07
7:17
23
Thu
10:39
3.2
10:49
3.0
4:13
0.3
4:38
0.6
7:08
7:16
23
Thu
10:33
3.3
10:42
3.2
4:20
0.4
4:43
0.7
7:08
7:16
24
Fri
11:18
3.1
11:27
2.9
4:50
0.4
5:19
0.7
7:08
7:15
24
Fri
11:11
3.2
11:17
3.1
4:58
0.5
5:22
0.8
7:08
7:15
25
Sat
11:59
3.0
5:29
0.6
6:03
0.9
7:09
7:14
25
Sat
11:50
3.1
11:54
2.9
5:36
0.6
6:01
1.0
7:09
7:14
26
Sun
12:06
2.7
12:42
2.9
6:12
0.7
6:51
1.0
7:09
7:13
26
Sun
12:31
3.0
6:15
0.8
6:43
1.2
7:09
7:13
27
Mon
12:48
2.6
1:29
2.8
7:00
0.8
7:41
1.1
7:10
7:12
27
Mon
12:34
2.8
1:18
2.9
6:59
0.9
7:31
1.3
7:10
7:12
28
Tue
1:33
2.5
2:21
2.7
7:50
0.9
8:35
1.2
7:10
7:11
28
Tue
1:20
2.7
2:11
2.8
7:51
1.0
8:29
1.4
7:10
7:11
29
Wed
2:26
2.5
3:24
2.7
8:45
0.9
9:33
1.2
7:11
7:10
29
Wed
2:15
2.6
3:11
2.7
8:52
1.1
9:33
1.5
7:10
7:10
30
Thu
3:31
2.5
4:28
2.7
9:45
0.9
10:32
1.2
7:11
7:09
30
Thu
3:18
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The Perfect Vacation Getaway for Fishing, Boating & Outdoor Enthusiasts A drop shot is an awesome way to get bites when it gets tough. With the bait suspended off the bottom above your weight, it gives fish a different presentation than the normal Texas rig. Pitch it around hard cover like wood and rock, drag it through grass or throw it around dropoffs or deep spots. I always have a drop shot rigged this time of year, and it puts fish in the boat.
Drop Shot Gear A drop shot is a finesse approach. I use a 13 Fishing Omen Black 7’1” medium fast action rod paired with a 2500 size spinning reel. Spool this combo with Seaguar 10-lb. Smackdown braid leading to an 8- to 12-lb. Abrazx fluorocarbon leader depending on the cover and water clarity you are dealing with.
TIPS FROM A PRO
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DROP SHOT WHEN THE BITE IS TOUGH
T
TYLER WOOLCOTT
he end of summer is here, and the fishing is a little tough. From fishing pressure through the summer to warm water temps, this time of year can be a grind at times. Fish tend to get a little lock-jawed, and this can be really frustrating. When this scenario presents itself, I pull out a spinning rod, downsize my line and bait, and slow down my presentation to get finicky fish to eat. One of my favorite techniques this time of year is a drop shot. My drop shot rig consists of a weight tied to the end of the line with a hook and soft plastic tied in about 12 to 18 inches above the weight. There are two styles of baits I like to drop shot. One of them is a finesse-style worm like the 13 Fishing Rabbit Ear Joy Stick Ultra Thin 4.5’ worm. I like a worm on my drop shot when I’m targeting largemouth, especially in Southern states. These fish are usually feeding on a little bit larger forage, and the finesse worm is a perfect fit. Rig this worm on a 1/0 Hayabusa FPP Straight hook with a 1/4or 3/8-oz. WOO Tungsten weight for the perfect presentation. The other soft plastic I like on a drop shot is a small baitfish imitator. The 13 Fishing Vertigo Minnow gets a ton of bites. When you find fish chasing small baitfish or you’re up north where there are smallmouth bass, this style of soft plastic gets the job done. Rig it on a Hayabusa DSR132 #1 hook with a ¼ or 3/8-oz. WOO Tungsten weight, as well.
Tyler Woolcott is a professional tournament angler and guide. R E S E RV E Check out his website at www.tylerwoolcottfishing.com.Y
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I like to keep things simple when it comes to colors. With finicky fish, you want your bait to look as natural as possible. I match colors to the forage in the lake. When throwing the finesse worm, my favorite colors are the green pumpkins and even pinkish colors like a morning dawn. With the baitfish, I stick to white and pearl or your green pumpkin and brown. A drop shot is an awesome way to get bites when it gets tough. With the bait suspended off the bottom above your weight, it gives fish a different presentation than the normal Texas rig. Pitch it around hard cover like wood and rock, drag it through grass or throw it around dropoffs or deep spots. I always have a drop shot rigged this time of year, and it puts fish in the boat.
P
Drop Shot Gear A drop shot is a finesse approach. I use a 13 Fishing Omen Black 7’1” medium fast action rod paired with a 2500 size spinning reel. Spool this combo with Seaguar 10-lb. Smackdown braid leading to an 8- to 12-lb. Abrazx fluorocarbon leader depending on the cover and water clarity you are dealing with. Tyler Woolcott is a professional tournament angler and guide. Check out his website at www.tylerwoolcottfishing.com.
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MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR TRIP Tim Barefoot
Y
es, everyone wants to catch a grouper, or three, but you should be prepared— tackle-wise—to come home with “the groceries.” One way to accomplish this is to keep a beeliner/triggerfish rig ready on a rod and to have someone willing to use it when you get on the right mark. Not all big stacks of bait on the recorder are beeliners and triggerfish, but get accustomed to it and you’ll have a pretty good idea of what you’re looking at. The bigger species of the reef complex tend hang out under a big stack of bait, like cigar minnows, sardines, beeliners, etc. But the truth of the matter is, what you might be looking for is near the top of the stack. For example, the larger beeliners might sometimes be the first taps you get on your jig as it drops toward the bottom. When I’m grouper fishing, I fish a revolving spool reel rather than a spinning reel for several reasons. The main reason is so I can feel the bait as it drops. If you feel the bait on the jig getting tapped on the way down, understand that you’re in beeliners, triggers and/or American reds. At that point, it’s up to you to capitalize or just continue to grouper fish for grouper only. If you choose to do it, you can load up on some pretty tasty groceries by sizing down your tackle.
T H E
P E R F E C T
I take a 5-lb. box of squid on every trip offshore for a number of reasons, but this is one of the main reasons. Using a small 1/0 circle hook, double tackle and a 2- or 3-oz. bank sinker, you can harvest grouper bait and dinners deluxe. I count the strips it takes to get to the fish. This is also where multi-colored line can come into play. Drop your bait down to the same color where they were hitting, and then start a very slow descent. These fish like to eat bait as it falls. When you feel the tap or the bait just stops falling, click the reel into gear and let the circle hook do its work. When you get them working upward in the water column, keep them going. If you stop catching them, you’ll see the top of the mark start working it’s way back closer to the bottom. The top of the school is typically where the larger fish will be, especially the triggerfish. Triggers are hard to catch on the grouper jigs, but smaller circle hooks are deadly on these crafty bait stealers. I always anchor to grouper/bottom fish. This style of teasing beeliners and triggers up toward the surface only works from a stationary boat, not drifting. Check out videos on rigging and using doublecircle-hook tackle at barefootcatsandtackle.com.
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F L O R I D A
MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR TRIP
Y
Tim Barefoot
es, everyone wants to catch a grouper, or three, but you should be prepared—tackle-wise—to come home with “the groceries.” One way to accomplish this is to keep a beeliner/triggerfish rig ready on a rod and to have someone willing to use it when you get on the right mark. Not all big stacks of bait on the recorder are beeliners and triggerfish, but get accustomed to it and you’ll have a pretty good idea of what you’re looking at. The bigger species of the reef complex tend hang out under a big stack of bait, like cigar minnows, sardines, beeliners, etc. But the truth of the matter is, what you might be looking for is near the top of the stack. For example, the larger beeliners might sometimes be the first taps you get on your jig as it drops toward the bottom. When I’m grouper fishing, I fish a revolving spool reel rather than a spinning reel for several reasons. The main reason is so I can feel the bait as it drops. If you feel the bait on the jig getting tapped on the way down, understand that you’re in beeliners, triggers and/or American reds. At that point, it’s up to you to capitalize or just continue to grouper fish for grouper only. If you choose to do it, you can load up on some pretty tasty groceries by sizing down your tackle. I take a 5-lb. box of squid on every trip offshore for a number of reasons, but this is one of the main reasons. Using a small 1/0 circle hook, double tackle and a 2- or 3-oz. bank sinker, you can harvest grouper bait and dinners deluxe. I count the strips it takes to get to the fish. This is also where multi-colored line can come into play. Drop your bait down to the same color where they were hitting, and then start a very slow descent. These fish like to eat bait as it falls. When you feel the tap or the bait just stops falling, click the reel into gear and let the circle hook do its work. When you get them working upward in the water column, keep them going. If you stop catching them, you’ll see the top of the mark start working it’s way back closer to the bottom. The top of the school is typically where the larger fish will be, especially the triggerfish. Triggers are hard to catch on the grouper jigs, but smaller circle hooks are deadly on these crafty bait stealers. I always anchor to grouper/bottom fish. This style of teasing beeliners and triggers up toward the surface only works from a stationary boat, not drifting. Check out videos on rigging and using doublecircle-hook tackle at barefootcatsandtackle.com. COASTALANGLERMAG.COM COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COMSEPTEMBER JUNE 2020 2021
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he recreational harvest of greater amberjack and gray triggerfish opened in Gulf of Mexico state and federal waters in August. Greater amberjack is scheduled to remain open through Oct. 31 in Gulf state and federal waters. Gray triggerfish is scheduled to remain open through Dec. 31 in Gulf state and federal waters, but an early quota closure is possible for either species. The bag limit for amberjack is one per person, per day, with a minimum length of 34 inches fork length. The bag limit for triggerfish is one per person, per day, with a minimum length of 15 inches fork length. If you plan to fish for amberjack or gray triggerfish anywhere in Florida state or federal waters from a private recreational vessel, you must sign up as a State Reef Fish Angler (annual renewal is required). To learn more, visit MyFWC.com/SRFS. Sign up today at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com.
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“A
iyeeeeee, yeeee, yeeee, yeee!” The shout sounded Cajun, or perhaps like the intro to a mariachi tune. Either way, it amplified the chaos on deck. Three rods were bent. Two anglers scrambled to uncross lines screaming off reels. A third angler dove to wrap an arm around the 10-year-old who held a death grip on rod number three. It was a tossup as to whether the kid would lose the rod or be yanked overboard into a very active chum slick. The whole scene unraveled when a 10-foot tiger shark rose to the surface. It smashed the boy’s cobia straight through the surface, blowing up close enough to drench us, maybe 15 feet off the stern. There was stunned silence, then... “Ayeeee, yeeee, yeeee, yeeee!” our captain hollered. “I love chaos!” Man, what a trip. It was a lot more than my two brothers and I expected upon reconnecting with a childhood friend in Bluffton, South Carolina. Our captain, Keene Reese, is a successful real estate agent with Ussery Group, Charter One Realty in the Lowcountry. He is also a very fishy dude. In mid-June, he invited us—along with my 10-year-old son— on a 20-mile ride offshore, where cobia were thick on a well-known wreck. With a beautiful chum slick snaking off the stern of Reese’s 25’ Regulator “Copacetic,” it didn’t take 10 minutes for “brownies” to start showing on the surface. There was no need for down-lines that day. All the action was on top, visible and simple. Pitch a live menhaden on a freeline, and a cobia would take it before you reached the rod holder. Over the course of a few hours, we boated well over a dozen cobia,
although the action came in such crazy spurts that no one could keep count. The thing is, we only landed four fish longer than the 36-inch minimum. That’s good news, according to Mel Bell, the director of Fisheries Management with South Carolina DNR. For decades, South Carolina was famous for its inshore cobia runs. May is the peak of a spawning run that once saw scads of cobia pushing into Port Royal Sound, Calibogue Sound, St. Helena Sound and the Broad River. Bell said boats lined up to target big eggbearing females before they could reproduce. The fishery collapsed. “We were in a bad place in 2016,” Bell said. “The numbers were scary. Even the anglers were telling us we had to do something.” While overall Atlantic cobia stocks are in good shape, according to the latest assessment, Bell said sound-spawners in South Carolina are a distinct “sub-population.” The Southern Cobia Management Zone was formed in 2016 to protect these inshore-spawning fish. The zone stretches from Jeremy Inlet on Edisto Island, S.C. south to the Georgia border. It extends three miles offshore, and within this zone there is a one fish per person, three per boat daily limit—except in May, when cobia harvest is closed. The limit in federal waters is one per person, six per boat. The minimum length is 36 inches, which brings us back to all the short fish. Bell said South Carolina DNR isn’t ready to release hard data. However, he’s heard fishermen reporting lots of smaller fish, which are likely the age classes protected since 2016. If anecdotes translate into survey data, it would mean the restrictions are working. Bell said next year might be time to take a close look and see just how well cobia are returning to the sounds. PHOTO BY GILBERT CARTER
By Nick Carter
For more information, go to www.dnr.sc.gov.
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he approach of autumn doesn’t mean you should fall back on the game! The seasons are changing, but the action isn’t. Fall is nothing more than a second spring. So, spring into action with the Contender series raglan long sleeve shirt. The raglan sleeve construction allows for increased movement, which you will need since the fair weather will liberate you from the sweltering summer heat. Even though the sun is less intense in the fall months, you still need sun protection, and the raglan long sleeve shirt delivers by blocking UVA and UVB rays for all-day protection. In fall, there’s no better time to be out on the water. With fall breezes blowing in, you’ll need to check out our men’s tournament anorak. Featuring a full storm hood and a center placket that provides critical coverage to protect you, you can count on the jacket to comfortably protect you, rain or shine. As the days get shorter, you will need something sturdy like the men’s pro series storm fleece. Designed with spacer-fabric and engineered with air pockets embedded in the fabric that provides insulation and temperature control to keep the piece lightweight, it is the perfect accessory to make your fall epic. No matter the season, GILLZ has you covered. Check out the website: gillz-gear.com
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THREE WAYS TO TARGET
I
BIG CATS
f you like the feel of really big fish on the end of a line, catfish are a good option. There are several different types, but trophy hunters set their sights on blue and flathead catfish. Both species grow large and can weigh in excess of 100 pounds. For bait, catfish have been caught on just about everything you can think of. But generally, big flatheads are predators and like whole, live, hand-sized bream. Blues like large cut bait like bream, skipjack or carp. Once you’ve got your bait, here are some ideas for how to fish it. Fish a Fan: My favorite technique is to anchor up in a good spot near rocky bottom or structure such as a ledge, river channel or creek bed. I have 14 Driftmaster 255 H Pro Duo rod holders, which I use to put out a fan of baits on Penn Fathom reels and medium to heavy rods. These are spooled with 80-pound PowerPro braid. The terminal end is a weight slide on the main line then a swivel and a 3- to 5-foot leader, with a Gamakatsu 8/0 circle hook on the end. These are the rigs I use to fish Cabela’s King Kat tournaments. They are heavy duty because you never know when a 100-pound monster will show up. Back-Trolling: On big rivers, back-trolling can be very effective. Use your trolling motor in reverse to slow
the boat’s drift in the current and present baits to catfish holding on the bottom. Bottom bouncing is Bill Dance’s preferred method on the Mississippi River. It’s also very popular on the Tennessee River. It allows you to keep your bait about a foot off the bottom and bounce it to fish facing upstream. Tie a three-way swivel to a mainline of 40- to 80-lb. braid. On the bottom eye of the swivel, tie in 12 inches of 20-lb. mono drop line and attach a bank sinker. The drop line should be lighter than your main line so you can save the rest of the rig when your sinker gets caught. On the third eye, use a 2- to 3-foot piece of the same line as your main line and attach a 6/0 to 12/0 circle hook, depending on the size of your bait. Drift Fishing: Drift fishing is very popular on big lakes like Santee Cooper in South Carolina. On windy days, set all your rods on one side of the boat with weights that will slide along the bottom. Pencil, Lindy and slinky sinkers all work well for this. If the wind pushes the boat too fast, deploy driftsocks to slow the boat. If you don’t have driftsocks, 5-gallon buckets work in a pinch. Gary Turner is a long-time contributor to The Angler and Coastal Angler Magazine. Contact him at gary@purgeright.com.
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The highest level of innovation. Unparalleled ventilation. Extremely versatile. Your practical solution to a life lived less ordinary. GILLZ technical fishing apparel is there when you need it most. GILLZ keeps you cool and comfortable, so you can always master your game.
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COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM
SEPTEMBER 2021
NATIONAL 13
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INSETTA BOATWORKS:
I
A LOOK AT THE NEW 35IFC AND ITS ‘RELATIVELY NEW STYLE DRUM WINDLASS’
nsetta Boatworks has always aimed to “continuously challenge the standards of an average catamaran” by setting the bar high for performance, stability and safety. Insetta’s IFC system (Internal Foil Catamaran) not only increases cruising speed and handling and stability, it also provides the boat with better acceleration and better fuel efficiency by 20 to 40 percent, meaning “20 to 40 percent farther cruise range.” Last spring, their commitment to being “the best-performing center console sportfish boat in its class by way of the hull design, cruise speed and best miles per gallon” expanded to the anchoring system on the new 35’ Internal Foil Catamaran. They installed an E-Z Anchor Puller Patriot EZ-3 drum anchor winch. The Georgia-based, fiberglass original equipment manufacturer excitedly announced in an April 23 Facebook post that they were “extremely impressed with the performance and reliability” of the installation, posting the maiden voyage of their demo boat on social media as well as writing about it on their official blog. “We kept it simple on Hull #2 with the Patriot by E-Z Anchor Puller Mfg. Co. and have really enjoyed using it,” they wrote. In another Facebook post from July, they wrote: “[It] takes up [approximately] 3 cubic feet and holds 560’ of chain, rope and dyneema.” Utilizing the Patriot series, Insetta’s boats are equipped with a complete 316 stainless steel unit, much like their commitment to use this corrosionresistant, marine-grade metal wherever applicable during the construction of their own vessels. Insetta has instilled a standard of transparency in their day-to-day processes as well, encouraging factory visits and taking a sales-
team approach to the buying process by giving customers a single point of contact for each buying experience. “The highest quality materials and best workmanship possible are paired to produce the finest boats on the market. From the first drawing to final installation, the Insetta design and construction teams ensure the final boat can withstand the rigors and stripes in adverse conditions.” - Insetta Boats, insetta.com
About the Patriot Series The Patriot series is the perfect shallow coastal saltwater anchoring solution for center consoles and sportfishing boats. With three sizes, the Patriot spools rope capacities from 1/2” nylon down to 1/4” dyneema. Completely 316 stainless steel components make the Patriot the ultimate saltwater anchoring solution. Engineered to evenly spool anchor rope, these units deploy and retrieve at an average 100-feet-per-minute. Call 1.800.800.1640 or visit ezanchorpuller.com for more information.
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“If you or someone you know has a pond, lake or boat-dock, get a BO-JO FISHLIGHT! The best fish attractor I’ve ever seen!” - Fish Fishburne
COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM
SEPTEMBER 2021
NATIONAL 15
16 NATIONAL
SEPTEMBER 2021
COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM
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*REPOWER FINANCE is available through Synchrony Retail Finance, as low as 5.99% APR financing for 60 months on new, unregistered Suzuki outboard motors, subject to credit approval. Not all buyers will qualify. Approval, and any rates and terms provided, are based on creditworthiness. $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 from July 1, 2021 through September 1, 2021. †5 YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY applies to qualifying purchases of Suzuki outboard motors sold and delivered to the retail purchaser, for pleasure (non-commercial) use only, from April 1, 2021 through March 31, 2022. See Suzuki Limited Warranty for additional details. 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. © 2021 Suzuki Marine, USA, LLC.
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