Coastal Angler Magazine | July 2021 | Fort Lauderdale Edition by Coastal Angler Magazine

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MAHI

Three Days For Atlantic Snapper PHOTO BY CAPT. BLAKE RIGBY COURTESY OF TRIPLETAIL CHARTERS WWW.TRIPLETAILCHARTERS.COM VOLUME 26 • ISSUE 316

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JULY 2021

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n the era of the coronavirus, outdoor recreation has become an important survival tool. Last year, the boating industry saw a record number of new boat owners. Both new boaters and seasoned boaters changed their habits to social distance while making the most of their love for the recreational outlet. According to a survey of 3,500 boaters by Sea Tow Services International, this trend is expected to continue into the 2021 summer season. Pandemic-influenced boating behavior: • 52 percent of boaters surveyed anticipate their boating activity to increase this summer compared to last. • 20 percent cite the pandemic as the reason for extending their boating season again in 2021. • 24 percent plan to vacation on/by boat (versus other forms of travel) because of the pandemic. • 35 percent plan to use their boat primarily for cruising near their home. • 16 percent upgraded to a larger boat in 2020 or plan to do so in 2021. • 52 percent plan to use their boat primarily for fishing (65 percent inshore/30 percent offshore/5 percent freshwater). • 30 percent have found it more difficult to find dockage and/or marina space. “Our member survey has typically been a very strong indicator for seasonal recreational boating trends,” said Kristen Frohnhoefer, President of Sea Tow. “Last year, Sea Tow saw a 34 percent increase in requests for on-water assistance in the summer of 2020, and our nationwide network of captains are anticipating another busy season for 2021.” With the sale of a record number of new boats in over a decade and an influx of new boaters, Sea Tow noted that in 2020 owners of new boats were 142 percent more likely to need ungrounding services, 108 percent more likely to need fuel delivered to them and 11.2 percent more likely to need a battery jump. Alternately, new boat owners are 22 percent less likely to need a tow. “These numbers are very interesting,” Frohnhoefer said, “They reflect the fact that new boaters are not yet familiar with things like shifting sandbars and hard to navigate channels, or how to manage their fuel, like their more seasoned counterparts–which is getting them into trouble and causing them to call us for assistance. But likewise, these stats demonstrate what we’ve been saying all along—that when it comes to new boats, on-water assistance typically is needed due to user error, not mechanical failure, as newer boats and engines are more reliable than ever before.” With the number of new boaters recreating on the water, the need for boating education has never been more important. Sixty-nine percent of boaters surveyed are looking for more advice on local navigational assistance, mishap prevention and general boating basics. “2021 is sure to be another banner year for boating,” said Frohnhoefer, “We’ll find out real soon if these trends for recreational boating activity are in fact here to stay.” For more on Sea Tow, visit www.seatow.com.

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TIPS TO DIAL IN RIVER-RUN BASS S

By Nick Carter

triped bass don’t stay in the same place long. Huge spring runs up the Atlantic Coast and into freshwater rivers to spawn is natural behavior for stripers. Even fish trapped by dams in inland reservoir systems retain a strong urge to move. Across the east, wherever reservoir striped bass exist, the movement begins as a spring spawning run. Fish push out of the lakes and as far up creeks and rivers as they can go. This spring run is followed by a larger summer migration, when stripers pile into the rivers seeking more comfortable water conditions. Here are a few tips from the pros for dialing in river-run stripers. • Make Shots Count: “Fish good water, and fish it well,” said Bill Stranahan. Stranahan guides with Southeastern Anglers, and the striper run on Tennessee’s Hiwassee River is a summertime staple. Fishing the Hiwassee run is like deer hunting. You’re fishing hard for a few bites from monster fish that get up into the 40-pound range. “Look for good structure, whether its wood, shoals or rock faces,” Stranahan said. “When you’re on that good structure, don’t rush it. You can spook ’em with a bad throw, so take your time and make good shots.” Whether you’re throwing streamers with a fly rod or swimbaits with conventional gear, Stranahan warned against locking into the big bait, big fish theory. “We all know stripers will chase down big 6-, 7-, 8-, 9-inch skipjack and gizzard shad, but don’t forget your smaller baits,” he said. “A lot of their forage base is 4 inches or less. There’s a time and a place for fishing small stuff.” • Fish it All: Rob “Mustache” Smith, of The Fish Hawk in Atlanta, has guided the Chattahoochee River striper run for two decades or more. He knows all the hotspots where there are always fish. He also knows those spots

PHOTO COURTESY OF GARNER REID

get a ton of pressure. Smith said to slow down and fish all the likely structure instead of rushing to areas where you’ve caught fish before. “If you’re on the river, fish everything,” he said. “Those fish are constantly moving, and you’d be surprised at the fish you’re passing when you’re rushing to get to that one little area. Fish it all, and fish it like you expect a fish on every cast.” • Move Some Water: “When they’re in the river, those fish are laid up in ambush,” said Garner Reid, who made his name guiding fly fishers to big Georgia stripers on the Etowah River. “You’re drawing reaction strikes, and what triggers them is a fly that looks like it’s wounded or fleeing.” Reid said it’s easy to get sloppy with the retrieve when you’re blind casting all day. He reminds anglers that it takes an aggressive presentation to move some water, cause a little commotion and trigger a striped bass’s predatory instinct. “Use the current and the swing to enhance your strip,” he said. “Make that fly hunt for you.” Visit Southeastern Anglers at www.southeasternanglers.com. See The Fish Hawk website at thefishhawk.com. Call Garner Reid at (770) 866-0301.

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JULY 2021

NATIONAL 7

THREE CLUES TO

Mahi Mahi By Capt. Quinlyn Haddon

ahi fishing can be tricky in some places and times of year. They congregate under floating material adrift in the current, leaving them with no fixed address within an area of greatly variable depths. If you are fortunate enough to be able to target dolphinfish along the Gulf Stream this summer, you are in the right place at the right time. You shouldn’t have much trouble filling your cooler and even maxing out on the generous daily bag limit of this species. Head out to target mahi with a full tank of fuel. Assume you will have to run far and wide to find them, but hope to get lucky along the way. Recruit everyone on board to remain on the look out for the three telltale mahi hangouts: weeds, birds and floaters. Weeds can be productive whether they are formed tightly in a line, or even a tight patch. Birds can be a great sign of actively feeding fish at the surface, but they can also just be birds being birds. Learn to read them properly to avoid wasting time. A group of circling birds or diving birds is what you want to look for, and the more the better. Sometimes, a bird that’s on fish will flicker in the sun, reflecting the sunlight in a sporadic pattern as it moves its body to stay on top of something it has spotted under the surface. Circling frigate birds are always a good sign. If you see one even attempt a dive, start trolling immediately. Floaters can be anything floating in the water, from debris to sea turtles. When you find floaters in open water, it doesn’t take long to feel out if it is productive or not. If you happen to see all three of these goldmines come together, with birds diving around debris sucked to a weedline, troll the ever loving shi…mano out of it. When trolling for mahi, you won’t need to run more than four lines. Troll two small lures long, ideally on the outriggers, to draw in smaller dolphin. Troll one medium lure or ballyhoo at mid-length, and one large lure close. Dolphinfish have the mentality of a toddler. When you reel one to the boat, leave the fish in the water, put your rod in the rod holder, and cast out behind the hooked fish. The school should have followed your mahi to the boat, and with their mahi-see, mahi-do mentality, they’ll all want to partake in snack time. Continue hooking mahi and leave them in the water until you run out of available rods to cast. Start by putting one fish in the boat, but don’t take the second out of the water until the first rod has gone back out and hooked another fish. Try switching from live bait to chunk bait to keep them eating. If they don’t slam a bait as soon as it hits the water, try twitching the bait. Even a completely healthy and well-presented live bait sometimes isn’t as enticing as one that’s getting yanked away from them. Mahi will eat nearly anything, especially if you know how to taunt them properly. One of the biggest challenges in catching them is trolling through weeds. Weeds that cling to your lures is a pain to manage on the deck, while constantly clearing lines, and you also miss a lot of opportunities to catch fish. All lures catch weeds, the determining factor is whether they shed those weeds. Deep diving lures that never breach the surface are not your friend in this situation. Lightweight, squid-skirted lures do an excellent job of popping out of the water when bogged down with weeds. Most times, they clear themselves of weeds. Blue Magic Charters makes their own 3D-printed lures designed to troll in weeds. Visit them in Marathon, Fla., and ask us about their DR. BUBBLES lures. Capt. Quinlyn Haddon fishes with Blue Magic Charters in Marathon, Fla. Contact her at (504) 920-6342 and visit CaptainQuinlyn.com.

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RHODAN: TOTAL GAME CHANGER FOR GROUPER

Tim Barefoot

here was a time—not too long ago— when only a select few would consistently come home with grouper, and not just “bottom fish.” There were several reasons for this. First and foremost, not everyone wanted to learn and spend the energy it took to learn to anchor. Anchoring accurately is an art form not mastered by all, but when mastered, it is the gateway to consistently catching grouper. Rhodan trolling motors, with their GPS Anchor systems, have made it so anyone can have a shot at catching grouper and not just all the other species down on the bottom. It’s one thing to have a trolling motor with “Spot Lock” that will hold position in a small bay boat, but Rhodan made the tool for serious offshore

boats to sit on the same place without using the anchor. Partner this Rhodan with a couple 36 volt lithium deep-cycle batteries, like Dakota, Ionic or Lithium Pros on a battery switch, and you have the tools it takes to score. Rhodan is just one aspect of what it takes to go grouper fishing, and not just “bottom fishing.” The way I set the dinner table for a grouper on every ledge is to have everyone on the boat sending down whole squid on the first five or six drops. I don’t care what they’re catching during this “chumming exercise,” because chumming is exactly what we’re doing. We’re getting one spot on the bottom chummed up with little pieces of squid swirling around. The smell and sound of an ongoing feeding

frenzy draws in the top of the food chain in no time at all. This is the point when we start to grouper fish. Yes, I’ve caught a lot of grouper on the whole squid, also, but this part of the routine is strictly to get the party started. Once it’s going, we drop live baits that none of the grunts, pinkies or sea bass can fit in their mouths. The smaller fish just hang out looking at these bigger baits and hoping for scraps. This is when grouper see four or five live baits on the bottom attached to Squid or Crab Decoy Jigs. To them, it’s a no-brainer. The sight of a grass grunt, pinfish or sailor’s choice struggling against the weight of the jig is more than a grouper can understand. They are hardwired to eat these fish that eat their eggs. The live bait and Decoy Jig combo gets the bite because a struggling bait is a “gimme.” Also, while you’ve got those grouper lines on the bottom, don’t forget to send a light out near the surface. Bait it with a live or frozen bait to catch pelagics like kingfish, dolphin, wahoo or tuna that happen to be swimming past. What does this all have to do with the Rhodan? Well, Rhodan’s powerful and precise GPS anchoring eliminates drift without all the aggravation and hard work of anchoring. Let Rhodan change your game by allowing you to concentrate on the fish while it keeps the boat in place! See more from Capt. Tim Barefoot, of Barefoot Cats and Tackle, at barefootcatsandtackle.com.

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LIFE IS A BEACH S By Richard L. Matteson

The

Weeds G3 Sportsman 1810

argassum is a brown seaweed with berry-like bladders that at times covers the beaches and is washed into the lagoon around the inlets. Recent fishing at the beach has proven difficult because of the large mats of sargassum. Piles of sargassum are dumped on the beach at high tide and those same piles are pulled back into the ocean with the next high tide. The good thing is baitfish like to hang around sargassum—it protects them from predator fish. Sometimes the fishing is better with sargassum in the water. Conventional crocodile silver spoons with treble hooks do not work at all; they get hung up and you drag seaweed in on every cast. All your conventional crankbaits with treble hooks won’t work either. What to do? You simply have to fish lures with single hooks and use weedless spoons. The Johnson 3-inch weedless spoon is a regular bass and redfish lure. If you want to spice it up, use a pork rind or plastic trailer. This is a deadly lure for any saltwater fish. I like gold, but silver works too. Yo-Zuri makes crankbaits with a single hook, and you can also take off the front hook and put a weedless hook on the back of any crankbait. This might affect the action and takes some tinkering, but it keeps you from catching so many weeds. My favorite lure is a DOA 3/16-ounce jig with a 4-inch shad tail. Surprisingly, unless you fish it deep or hit a large mat of seaweeds, the jigs do not get hung up much. I just caught a nice snook in the weeds this week by popping the jig off the bottom. Sure, you’ll get hung up sometimes, but the jigs can be fished near the surface and usually come up clean. Try a topwater. Now is the time for great topwater action. Most of the time you can maneuver your topwater lures around the weed masses. If it’s bad, just take off the front treble hook and replace the back hook with a single hook. You can use a weedless hook, but it’s usually not necessary. You won’t have many weed problems with topwater, anyway. I like Skitter Walks in trout color and gold Zara Spooks. Lots of Sargassum on the beach? No problem. Switch to weedless or single hooks and catch the big ones feeding on the bait in the weeds. Richard L. Matteson Jr., of the Stuart Rod and Reel Club, is a regular contrinutor to Coastal Angler Magazine. Call him at (336) 414-3440.

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First Winner Named in State’s Largest Fishing Competition

n just the second week of this year’s STAR competition, CCA Florida has named the first verified winner in the CCA Florida STAR West Marine Tagged Redfish Division. After catching his tagged redfish, Ken Clarke, of Fort Pierce, selected a prize package from Contender Boats and Yamaha Outboards valued at more than $80,000. It will be awarded to him during the STAR Awards ceremony on Oct. 9 in Crystal River. A CCA Florida STAR registrant and CCA Florida member, Clarke caught the 20-inch redfish while fishing from a dock with live shrimp near St. Lucie Village on June 10. Clarke immediately notified the organization to begin the verification process. “I read the rules and knew I needed to follow them. Only after I submitted my catch through the STAR app, did the real excitement begin to set in,” Clarke said. “I’m still in shock and incredibly fortunate to be the first registered angler to win. I can’t wait to take out my new Contender 2200 Sport with 200HP Yamaha motor on the water.” This year, 160 West Marine Tagged Redfish were released across Florida’s coastal waters on average four per coastal county with Brevard, Charlotte and Citrus counties being Destination Counties with eight tagged fish each. Remaining prizes in the division include a Pathfinder 2200 TRS with Minn Kota trolling motor, Humminbird

electronics and a Spyder FX19 Vapor all powered by Yamaha. Additionally, STAR’s other tagged division, the Tigress Outriggers & Gear Tagged Dolphin Division, will award $10,000 to the first registrant to catch a tagged dolphin. Unlike traditional fishing competitions, CCA Florida STAR presented by Yamaha focuses on conservation and offers $500,000 in prizes and scholarships during the 101-day event. As a “catchphoto-release” competition, STAR’s smart phone app eliminates the requirement for anglers to harvest or capture and transport fish. “Our state’s fisheries are here for everyone’s enjoyment, and CCA Florida understands that smart fishing can help restore, preserve and improve marine habitats and water quality for today and tomorrow,” said CCA Florida STAR Director Leiza Fitzgerald. “Implementing a catchphoto-release competition is just one way to continue fulfilling our organization’s mission and protect our coastal waterways.” STAR is also focused on youth participation, with its Youth Scholarship Division presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors offering more than $100,000 in scholarships. Youth anglers (ages 6-17) can register for free with a current CCA Florida youth membership. Prizes for the first two youth anglers in the West Marine Tagged Redfish Division include a Salt Marsh Skiff 1656 powered

with a Yamaha 40 HP motor and trailer, and the first registered youth angler who catches one of 20 tagged dolphin (mahi mahi) is eligible to win a $10,000 scholarship in the Tigress Outrigger & Gear Tagged Dolphin Division. The STAR competition includes 17 divisions and 12 species, and most winners are determined by random drawing, giving anglers of all ages and skill levels the opportunity to win. Registration is $40 for current CCA Florida members or $75 for non-members.

Because every ﬁsh could be a winner!

CATCH. PHOTO. RELEASE. WIN. MAY 29 TO SEPTEMBER 6 inner First W home to take ER! TEND CON NEW

CCA Florida STAR is the largest family-friendly saltwater ﬁshing competition in Florida, and it’s unlike traditional ﬁshing tournaments.

• $500,000 in Prizes & Scholarships

• West Marine Tagged Redﬁsh Prizes Include Boat, Motor & Trailer Packages • 1st Tagged Tigress Dolphin/Mahi Mahi Wins $10,000 cash • 101 days of ﬁshing $40 entry for current CCA members. All others add $35 for one year membership.

• Prizes for Additional Non-Tagged Non Species Snook, Trout, Redfish, Grouper, Kingfish, Dolphin, Tarpon & Lionfish

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he summer has officially arrived. It’s only going to get hotter from now through at least the end of September. The good news is calmer seas. The bad news is more boats on the water. With more boats on the water, there is more pressure on our intended species. I could go on and on, but the bottom line is that you should plan to do your fishing early in the morning, late in the afternoon or even at night. Unless you are deep dropping, which is always an option, the least productive fishing is going to be in the middle of the day. Speaking of deep dropping, you can always catch some blackbelly rosefish and maybe even a golden tilefish during the heat of the day FORTIFIED WITH if you are prepared. Big Dog Tackle in Pompano Beach has everything you need, including electric combos that you can rent. Grab a few deep drop rigs with 8/0 to 13/0 hooks, a few stick leads from 5 to 8 pounds and a five pound box of squid. Spend a few extra dollars for a deep drop light and you’ll be ready to go. Set up in 800 toLINE-X 850 feet OF LAUDERDALE anywhere between Haulover Inlet and Boca Inlet. Some guys insist 2033 W. McNab Rd., Ste. 2 upon one whole squid per hook, but trust me when I tell you that you Pompano Beach, FL 33069 can get 2 or 3 baits out of the smallest squid. Get your baits on the 954-969-7795 bottom and you are literally guaranteed to catch fish. Happy Independence Day! Keep reelin,

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ow that we have transitioned from spring to summer, it’s time to focus on fishing the cooler nights instead of in the pounding sun. Nighttime snapper fishing can be some of the most relaxing fishing there is. Wait, is relaxing fishing even a thing? With mid-to-upper 80 degree nights, coupled with variable light winds and super calm seas, it can be very relaxing. Bring a few buddies, some fried chicken, a couple adult beverages and you’re all set! There are several species that can be caught at night while fishing the reef, but yellowtail snapper is the most prominent. You can also catch mangrove and mutton snapper if you can get them past the sharks, but I digress. I employ a very simple setup for nighttime snapper, but there are a few that can be used. Most of my fishing is done with 15- to 20-pound spinning reels on 7 foot medium to medium/heavy action rods. At night, I don’t feel the need to use fluorocarbon. Sometimes I won’t use any

leader at all. My hook selection depends on depth and the speed of the current, but I mostly use 1/16 ounce weighted hooks or jig heads. You can also use a knocker rig, which is simply a 1/2 ounce to 2 ounce egg sinker and hook. Another rig is a short leader of about 18 inches tied to a swivel with an egg sinker above the swivel on the main line. Here, I will use 1 to 4 ounces of lead, depending on current. As far a bait is concerned, fresh is best, but frozen will do. I prefer silversides on the jig heads and ballyhoo plugs on the other rigs. Regardless of the rig, I always chum heavily. I prefer the double ground tournament chum and I always bring a minimum of a case. It’s better to have too much than not enough. I use a chum bag with large holes so that the chum

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flows freely. If I can catch any ballyhoo or pilchards in my chum slick, I will slice them up and start pitching handfuls out every 5 minutes and also switch over to fresh bait. Once you get them fired up it’s nothing but fun! Prior to leaving your dock, it’s always best to triple check all of your electronics and lighting. There are lots of people out there that are too busy doing things other than navigating, so keeping your eyes peeled is highly recommended. Know your route and file a float plan with someone back on land in case you run a little late. Now get out there and fill those coolers!

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ummer and the heat that comes with it is here. Though we will have some of the warmest temperatures of the year, July almost always offers us some of the calmest seas of the year. There will be plenty of opportunities to get offshore this month, but I suggest you get out early to beat the heat and the thunderstorms or head out in the late afternoon and fish after dark. There should be plenty of dolphin available offshore, but you will likely have to run 15 to 20 miles out to find them. Be sure to get out there early because the bite will almost always shut down as the surface temperature warms with the heat of the day. Look for birds that are working the weed lines or weed patches and troll feathers, small lures or rigged ballyhoo. Once you find the school, use cut ballyhoo or squid on 15 to 20 pound spinning gear. It pays to have your cut bait ready to go so you can concentrate on catching fish. Closer to shore, there will be some good size kingfish moving in on the reef. Target them by

trolling sea witches rigged with bonito strips behind a planer or drift dead ballyhoo or sardines on old school triple hook rigs. Be sure to use enough lead above your swivel to get your bait down to where the fish are. Don’t forget about the numerous artificial wrecks and reefs in our area. Many of them will be holding some nice grouper. Send a live bait or slab of bonito to the bottom and hold on. Be prepared to fight your way through an amberjack or two as they will be on the same structure, but higher up in the water column. At night, the snapper bite should be on fire. Drop the hook in 60 to 80 feet of water and start chumming. Be sure to use a chum bag with the larger holes so the chum flows freely. Rig 12 to 15 pound spinning outfits with 3 to 4 feet of 20 pound fluorocarbon and tie a 1/0 circle hook or yellowtail jig to the business end. Best baits are live shrimp, small chunks of bonito or ballyhoo and silversides. Catch ‘em up!

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FORECASTS

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ramp, the better off you’ll do. For the urban areas, I’ve noticed lots of peacock bass tucked way up under structure and docks. Largemouth bass are more toward the middle of the channels and in deeper water. For peacocks, I have been mainly using artificials due to the local spawning of shad. For largemouth, I’ve been using worms rigged Texas or wacky style. In the lake Ida chain, the clown knifefish are in full blown rolling mode. If you are on the lake system, you can watch the water for them to roll. It will be swift, silent and will show a bright silver color for about a second or two, and most importantly, there will be no splash. If you happen to see one of these fish roll, cast a live bait right in their boil and wait. Sometimes it can take up to 40 minutes to get the actual bite. I hope this helps you land some bigguns!

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ummer is in full swing and we can look forward to some great fishing. As we approach the rainy season, you will find me at the local spillways targeting freshwater snook and tarpon, while being prepared to catch peacock bass, largemouth bass and more! These snook and tarpon have made their way up into these freshwater systems over time and sustain themselves by eating local forage such as bluegill, sunfish, cichlids and even mullet that have also made their way into these systems. Match the hatch to get tight! The best time to fish a spillway or floodgate is when the water is moving at a medium rate of speed. If it’s too slow, the fish won’t concentrate within the area, and if it’s too fast, you can’t keep your bait where you want it. Fishing in the Everglades remains on fire. The artificial bite is the way to go for both peacock

Capt. Johnny with a solid clown knifefish caught on a freshly netted live shad.

bass and largemouth bass. The urban fisheries have been producing larger fish, but if you don’t care about size and only want

quantity, the Everglades is where you’ll want to start. Anywhere off Alligator Alley has been great. The further you run from the boat

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