FREE FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE WORLDWIDE COASTALANGLERMAG.COMVOLUME 27 • ISSUE 331 OCTOBER 2022 PHOTO COURTESY OF SKYE BURKHARDT IG: @BRASSYANGLER87 @CAMTAMagazine OCTOBER 26-30 • FLIBS.COM &SWORDFISHRECORDFISHINGBOTTOMBOUNTIFULGROUPER MULLET-EATING REDS THE FLORIDA KEYS EDITION
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• REDFISH REGULATIONS: Florida recently adopted new management plan for redfish. There are now varied regulations across nine different zones. Anglers need to understand those regulations because they’re intended to protect one of our iconic species in the face
Keep up with Skye Burkhardt on Facebook Inshore Adventures with Skye and on @brassyangler87.Instagram
The mullet run doesn’t have an official start or end date. Large schools of mullet—some the size of three football fields—move south as temperatures cool. Tarpon, sharks, kingfish and redfish are just some of the gamefish that move with these pods. Most years the fishing is on fire in October and November.
The
In the backcountry, I like a light- to mediumaction 2000 size spinning set-up to fish 10-pound leaders and 3/0 circle hooks. I prefer Mustad hooks and tie them on with a simple loop knot. I use an FG knot to connect my leader to a braided main line. This creates a true free-line, without the added weight of a swivel.
Free-lining sounds simple, but where you choose to fish and what you’re targeting will play a role in the set-up and rig you should use.
Handling them with care and releasing them safely is important to the future of our fisheries. The statewide slot limit from 18 and 27 inches is intended to protect the large fish, which are part of the spawning stock.
TARGETING REDFISH During the Mullet Migration
Here are some tips for anglers to take advantage of the mullet run.
By Skye Burkhardt
• ARTIFICIALS: This backcountry lady angler enjoys sight fishing and scouting Mosquito Lagoon and the marshes of the Tomoka Basin along Florida’s central Atlantic Coast. I’ll target bull reds in the inlets, but I spend most days targeting snook, tarpon and slot reds in the backcountry. This style of fishing is perfect for throwing artificials on light tackle.
• BAIT: Obviously, mullet is the bait to use this time of the year. Full-grown mullet are great for shark and tarpon fishing. I prefer freelining finger-sized mullet, because pretty much everything eats them.
• TACKLE: I mainly fish inshore, so light tackle is the way for me. However, it’s important to be prepared to switch up depending on the size and species of game fish present.
To fish with the mullet, I just follow the pods, cast to the outside of the school and open the bail to let the bait swim. When you hit it right, you can hook-up on nearly every cast, with the species changing from one cast to the next. Big gamefish tend to seek out isolated or injured mullet, which is exactly what your bait is.
This time of year, any artificial that resembles a mullet will do the trick. I like Vudu Mullet Swimbaits, Rapala X-raps, Bomber Lures Mullets,
Landing a bull red this time of the year is easy. With the mullet running, simply free-line a mullet or drop one on a weighted rig to land a trophy! Before you experience the drag-pulling run, you should know how to properly handle and release your fish.
Atlantic Coast of Florida experiences one of the planet’s great migrations each fall. When millions of mullet push south in giant schools toward spawning grounds off the southern end of the state, it presents an exciting prospect for fishing. It’s an event anglers anticipate all year long.
Most of the state now has a one-fishper-person daily limit in the 18- to 27inch slot. Some regions have a two-fishper-vessel possession limit and others have a four-fish-per-vessel possession limit. The Indian River Lagoon region is strictly catch-and-release only for redfish. For complete Florida redfish regulations, go
The rigging is pretty much the same if I need to beef up for larger catches. With a 2500-size setup, I’ll fish 15- to 20-pound leader. I’ll bump that up to 25- to 30-pound test on 3000-size gear for bigger fish.
It’s heartbreaking to see breeder fish floating due to carelessness or lack of knowledge. Hauling a big redfish up vertically onto a bridge or pier, dragging it over the rocks on a jetty or tossing it back from up high severely limits its chance of survival. Get a pier net to fish from a bridge or pier, and do everything in your power to ensure the healthy release of your fish.
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and snappers hold a special place in my heart. Starting right now, they should be going off! It’s time consuming to stop on the way out a jig up bait. However, a 15- or 20-minute bait stop could make the difference between a good day and a great day. When you find bait in numbers, it doesn’t take long to rack up. I like to keep a Sabiki angler on each side of the boat handing me baits to dehook into a bucket in the center of the boat. Once I get 20 or so baits in the bucket, I pour them into the livewell and repeat until there’s enough.
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Starting this month, the larger gags will be so close in that it’ll shock you. Don’t run too far, or you’ll run over some of the biggest fish of the year. Go wherever you jig up your cigar minnows and sardines, and the gags will be right there. When you get a few baits in the well, it’s a good idea to have at least one person put a bait right back down.
COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM OCTOBER 2022 NATIONAL 7
Tim Barefoot
Hanapa Marlin
Ahhhh, yeah! This is the time of plenty. Now is the time of year to have a community-sized fish stew to clear out all the vacuum-sealed stuff in the freezer. You’ve got to make some room for freezer-stuffing grouper, snapper and seabass.
For more information, go to Barefootcatsandtackle.com.
You raise the flags of the fish just caught to show you weren’t skunked.
love spring and summer fishing, but let me say this loud and clear: I live for fall and winter fisheries!
Hanapa
BIG BOTTOM FISH ARE THE BOUNTY OF FALL
I also like to take pinfish from the marina as a “bird in hand” for bottom fishing. The beauty of putting a live sardine on a jig and sending it to the bottom is that EVERYTHING down there eats them. The beauty of sending a pinfish, grass grunt or sailors choice to the bottom is that everything down there would love to eat them, but can’t. They can’t get their mouths around the bigger baits, but the ones that can are the fish you want to catch. Go enjoy the bounty of the season!
the possibilities of spawning. The same places will hold large seabass, as well. I love to eat grouper, but the way I grouper fish also produces large seabass, which I think are even better than grouper in texture andScampsflavor.
This is the time of year that can make even me look good. The large male gags have started staging up on nearshore structures, wrecks and traditional bait-holding bottom. The scamps and large snappers have started a transitional move to their deeper wintering grounds. Water temps will soon draw a line in the water that clearly shows you where to fish.
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Once onshore you can take it a step further showing your fellow anglers your catch of the day wearing “slippahs” from Scott Hawaii.
I
After all, that is why the gags are there. They are eating the same baits that you’re catching. They come inshore to a place that holds bait, so all the smaller females have plenty to eat while they are discussing
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• CARPORTS
• Bucket Sitter: Sometimes derogatory term for someone who shes bait from the shore. “Look at those bucket sitters over there sitting on their buckets and drowning worms.”
Dreaded Frustrations: e downward spiral of being so ustered by your poor angling performance that you seemingly can’t do anything correctly. “I was slaying them until I hung my lure on the bottom. en I broke my rod tip trying to get it loose and the dreaded frustrations set in. I couldn’t do anything right the rest of the day.”
Pellet Pig: Derogatory term for sh that reach large size because of a feeding program. “ at yahoo thought he caught a trophy, but those pellet pigs are trained to eat hooks.”
A
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• Damn Carp: A sh caught by an angler that is any species other than the intended target. “I thought it was a big largemouth, but it’s just a damn carp.”
Share your favorite angler idioms with us on our Facebook page: Coastal Angler & e Angler Magazine.
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Dink: Synonymous with peckerhead, a dink is a very small sh. “Look at this dink. It’s smaller than the plug it ate.”
THE LANGUAGE OF ANGLERS
• Mud Dart: A bill sh that dies when released and sinks nose down,
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nglers have their own languages. We make up words or phrases to describe situations we frequently encounter on the water. Some of these phrases are quite amusing, and some are too colorful to be used in print. Like regional dialects, they vary from location to location and even from boat to boat. Without further ado, here are some of our favorite angler idioms.
Easy Release: A sh that shakes the hook right at the boat. Counts as half a sh in informal shing competition. “Oh, well. Easy release. It was a little peckerhead, anyway.”
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Bank of Despair: e opposite of honeyhole, this is an area known for not producing sh. “Man, I wasted three hours over there pounding away on the bank of despair.”
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presumably to stick in the mud on the bottom of the ocean. “Keep hauling sail sh in the boat for photos, and you’re going to keep throwing back mud darts. ”
• SALE
• Bait Chucker: Always derogatory term used by y shers to describe any other type of angler. “I think that bait chucker was jealous of my tweed cap.”
Reef Donkey: Derogatory term for greater amberjack. “We were dri ing baits for kings, but all we caught were reef donkeys.”
Yahoo: Refers to anyone on the water other than the anglers in the group using the term. “We went to our honeyhole, but there were a bunch of yahoos already in it.”
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Leroy Jenkins: Derived from an Internet video game meme, this exclamation is used in kayak shing when you race ahead of your shing buddies to be the rst one on the water. “Y’all can keep mucking around on the boat ramp. I’m going shing! Leeeroooy Jenkiiins!”
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Since these reds aren’t tailing, spotting them means you’re looking for wakes. Mature red sh push wider wakes at a steady pace in a straight line. Mullet make those darting V-shaped wakes.
track a topwater lure and overtake the o ering a er several failed attempts.
“ is at right here was so lush, the grass was thick as could be. But with water quality issues fueling massive seagrass die-o s, miles of underwater vegetation have been reduced to barren sand ats. ere are still giant red sh, though they’ve changed behavior and where they would once tail and search out the sea oor, they now just cruise around looking for bait sh,” re ected Le.
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Once a red sh is spotted, it’s important to be patient and accurate. Nothing will spook a red sh faster than an improperly placed bait falling from the sky.
Anglers imparting the appropriate snap of the rod tip can mimic distressed bait sh on the surface, but it’s important to choose a lure with proper action for the conditions. When the Banana River becomes moderately choppy, loud topwater lures draw in predators. On calm days, it is better to sh a quieter walking lure.
With a blunt snout and downturned mouth, red sh are designed for rooting. ey aren’t wellequipped for attacking prey on the surface, but they certainly display thrilling surface strikes as they
Throw Topwater BANANA RIVER REDS
“We can sight during all hours of the day and in all weather conditions, but since red sh are focused on feeding early and late in the day this is when you will encounter the most cooperative topwater bite. With overcast conditions the topwater shing can stay strong throughout the day,” said Le.
e 31-mile-long Banana River is an isolated lagoon. Here, marsh and mangrove ecosystems ourish in a complex landscape where there is uniquely no tidal ow. ere are no freshwater tributaries, no saltwater inlets, and the only outlet to the Atlantic Ocean is through a lock at Port Canaveral.ACocoa Beach local who has been guiding
Visit coastalanglermag.com for more.
Shimano’s Current Sniper topwater baits o er anglers a lure for every scenario. e Current Sniper Walk 110F Silent is a walking bait that lacks internal rattles and excels in calm conditions. e Current Sniper Walk Hi-Pitch emits a high-pitch rattle for rougher water.
Le shes topwaters with a size 4000 Stradic CI4+ with a 7’6” G. Loomis GCX Inshore spinning rod with medium power and extra fast action. is set-up casts heavy topwater lures well and o ers excellent control for walking the dog.
the Indian River Lagoon for years, G. Loomis ambassador Capt. Willy Le can’t help but reminisce of the days when the Banana River was brimming with seagrass.
A long banner also reduces your control of the lure once it hits the water. A line belly in the water pulls your lure sideways on retrieve. You also won’t be in direct contact with the lure. is a ects the lure’s action, and you might also miss bites.
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Give it an honest try. I’m sure you’ll be convinced that distance lures are superior to lighter models of similar dimensions in many situations.
Again, we all love to sh topwater, but distance-dedicated lures are in many cases the better option. In windy conditions with breaking waves and ripping currents, I de nitely prefer a 3-ounce plug or a 4-ounce darter over a topwater, which weighs half as much.
If the wind is full force into your face, this adds drag on the lure and line during a cast. A high-density lure cuts through wind more e ciently than a oating lure. Everyone loves shing topwaters, but in windy conditions they are not the best choice. A denser lure always casts farther than a oating lure.
On a beach, with the lure on the sand, allow a banner of 50 to 70 percent of the rod’s length. is shorter banner limits the size of the belly in the line when you cast. e larger the line belly is, the more casting energy is taken from the lure’s ight, resulting in reduced distance.
the past few months, we’ve discussed almost everything concerning long-distance lures. We’ve touched on elements an angler can control such as lure choice and the proper rod, reel and line con guration. Now I want to discuss the uncontrollable elements of weather and water conditions. ey play a big role in how far you are able to cast and how e ectively you can sh a lure.
Over
Typically, a long-distance model weighs 30 to 100 percent more than a oating one of similar dimensions. If a oating lure weighs 2 ounces, a similar sized distance-dedicated lure will weigh 3 to 4 ounces. at’s really a big deal, especially in wind.
When you’re casting into the wind, you should also adjust the way you cast. In long-casting lingo, I use the term “banner” to refer to the section of line between the rod tip and the lure. You should limit the banner when you’re shing in wind. Instead of using an overhand cast, try a sidearm cast, which limits the lure’s exposure to the wind.
PATRICK SEBILE
LURESLONG-CASTINGINTHEWIND
Water conditions are another factor worth consideration. Big waves, whitewater and strong currents limit your control. ese conditions are also o en the best conditions for sh to bite. When you cast, engage the reel before the lure hits the water and reel up slack. is gives you a straighter line for better control of the lure, better swimming action and more direct contact with the lure. When you can feel the lure, you can feel the bite and ultimately increase your hook-setting ratio.
LURES
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FORT LAUDERDALE 2525 N. Federal Hwy Fort Lauderdale, FL 33305 954-565-2338
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shing in strong current, simply walk down the beach as the bait dri s. On days when they are hanging out too far for casting, swim a live bait out. Blue runners, jack crevalle and palometa work well for this.
On slow days when the bite is dead and you’re catching nothing but cat sh, swim one out or cut into chunks. If there are any blacktips around, they will eat it. A lot of anglers use huge hooks and long wire leaders, which will require you to get a shore-based shark shing permit to legally sh for sharks in Florida.
Blacktip sharks can be found year-round in the Atlantic from Virginia through Florida. ey have been known to migrate up to Cape Cod, Massachusetts. ough they do prefer more tropical temperatures, a little cold won’t deter them from their mission. Blacktips are de nitely not picky when it comes to hunting grounds. ey can be found in bays, estuaries, coral reefs and mouths of rivers.
Emily Rose Hanzlik holds 51 IGFA world records in various categories. She hails from West Palm Beach, where she has a part time Bow n Guide Service as well as shing classes for Jr. Anglers. Find her on Social Media @emilyhanzlikoutdoors.
By Emily Rose Hanzlik
Photo courtesy of Je Tomalo
Before blacktips begin migrating for the mating season, they will actually be in gendersegregated schools that come together only for mating. Blacktips tend to be separated due to the male’s highly aggressive drive towards the females, which could result in serious injury.
D
uring the mullet run on Florida’s east coast, plenty of blacktip sharks cruise past our beaches with huge schools of bait. Even if you plan to sh for blacktips outside of mullet-run season, you are still in luck. Finding a blacktip shark de nitely isn’t an issue due to a large and growing population of these big sharks.
spring to travel up the coast to Georgia and the Carolinas to mate in summer. Blacktips participate in internal fertilization, meaning that each female is separately impregnated, which will then result in 4 to 11 pups every two years.
e most productive way to catch blacktips is to use a 6- to 8-inch chunk of whatever fresh sh you have. Toss it out without a weight. If you are
BLACKTIPSCATCHING fromBeachthe
ese sharks are viviparous, meaning the pups develop inside the female’s body, unlike other sharks that lay egg sacks. Most pups will be le in shallow nurseries due to the high amount of prey and few predators, which increases their chances of survival.Fishing for blacktip sharks is fairly easy; however, there are days when they can be nicky. Paying attention to speci cs can increase your number of bites. On clear-water days, sharks tend to stay just on the backside of the last sandbar. On milky water days, they can literally be at your feet as they patrol up and down the rst drop.eyde nitely will eat dead bait, but will hit live and fresh-dead bait without hesitation.
COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM OCTOBER 2022 FLORIDA 11
I personally use a 5/0 extra strong circle hook with 2 feet of wire leader attached to 5 feet of 80-lb. test. e largest IGFA recorded blacktip shark weighed in at 270 pounds, 9 ounces. It was caught out of Malindi Bay, Kenya in 1984.
Normally, blacktips leave Florida in the
e Blue Tilapia is considered invasive to the United States. It was introduced to Florida in the 1960s by stocking and experimental studies by both private and state entities. Tilapia are here to stay and can be found in a wide variety of locations, from lakes and ponds scattered around the state to many freshwater and brackish rivers and streams. For anglers, canals found in almost every neighborhood can be shing paradise.
Perhaps a lesser-known draw to the Sunshine State are the exotic species that have taken hold here. ese are the non-native, sometimes invasive species that would otherwise require expensive travel for anglers to target. ey are here, so we might as well sh for them.
Tilapia… blue tilapia, to be exact, are one of more than a hundred species of cichlid native to the Middle East and Africa that are all called tilapia. is is similar to the way U.S. anglers refer to multiple species of sun sh as bream.
Blue Tilapia
Rex Hannon is a regular contributor to Coastal Angler Magazine. See more from Rex at coastalanglermag.com.
ere is no minimum size or bag limit for tilapia. e FWC encourages anglers to catch and eat them like any other invasive species. e white akey meat is mild, and wild-caught tilapia are superior to the farm-raised tilapia sold in grocery stores.
F
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e blue tilapia (Oreochromis aureus) is the most popular of the tilapia and the species most commonly found here in Florida. It is also a very important species in the sh-farming world due to its fast growth, salinity tolerance and the fact that it can be stocked densely. Tilapia have a long history. Farming of Nile tilapia goes back to ancient Egypt, and its importance is noted by the ancients using the sh as a symbol of rebirth.
Exotic Species in Your Backyard:
I’m sure everyone reading this can target blue tilapia within a short distance of home. ey are great ghters that stand toe-to-toe with any species of similar size.
waters o Key West to the many famous bass shermen that made Lake Okeechobee a destination for anglers from around the world, Florida has a rich angling history and amazing shing for everyone.
is species is very fast growing for the rst few months, and then they settle in and grow to the 5-pound class by three to ve years of age. e Florida state record was caught by Pamela Henry, of Stuart, from of a dock on the St. Lucie River in 2011. e 9-pound, 6-ounce beast is also recognized by the IGFA as the all-tackle world record.
Tilapia can be nicky eaters, which poses a puzzle for anglers. eir diet consists mainly of green algae, diatoms and small invertebrates. I have witnessed other anglers catching this species on corn, dog food, hot dogs and bread balls. I have caught good numbers and some very large examples with a y rod. I caught most of these sh on Clouser Minnows and other similar small bait sh patterns.
By Rex Hannon
Florida Keys
Fishing
I recently stopped by Islamorada Fishing Outfitters and had Capt. Randy build me a custom rod specifically for young anglers to do battle with big sharks. I keep it rigged with a wire leader so when the tax man shows up, we simply put on a bait, and we are off to the races.
We’ve gone in a little different di rection when this happens and, on my boat, once the sharks figure out what we are doing we get out the big rod and have a little fun pulling on them for a while! I must admit I have loved pulling on big sharks since childhood, and when Shark Week is on TV, I make a bowl of popcorn and spend a few hours on the couch watching it, and when I get a young angler on the boat that wants to pull on a big fish, I make it happen.
Facebook: Fishing in the Florida Keys with Capt. Greg
By: Capt. Greg Poland
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Instagram: gregpoland
The Sharks are Still at it
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in the Everglades for snook has been pretty good over the last few weeks but the sharks have been all over us. It makes us more conscious that when we do hook up on a fish, we must be on top of the fish as soon as it starts jumping around.
I have been out on the Atlantic side here and there but have not been lucky enough to get any good-sized mahi, however, always enough schoolies to get dinner! I am still hopeful we will catch a few good ones before the season ends. Hope your fishing has been good and I will see you out on the water or if you’re around the Lorelei in Islamorada, stop by to say hello!
— Contact Capt. Greg at 305.393.3327 or email gregpoland@icloud.com
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We were out on a spot in the Gulf last week and tried it out on a goliath that had been eating our snapper and it worked well for that as well. Below are a few photos from the last few weeks, we have been catching everything from african pompano to snook so if you are looking to get out and give the big fish a try, give me a call and we will get you out there!
Capt. Greg Poland 305.393.3327 | gregpoland.com
wedding ring, and trolling motor re mote on, didn’t just go to my GPS num bers and throw but went down the beach, didn’t raise the en gine, and tried to throw over the top of the deployed trolling motor. It wasn’t pret ty. During this Chi nese fire drill, I heard someone say my name in a creaking, high pitch. I looked over and there was a dolphin looking at me. It was the first time since topwater bluefishing outside Big Marco years ago that one had just sat near the boat waiting for something. However, in my regressive, overheated mental state I said, “shut up,” then ig nored it. I eventually abandoned thoughts of live bait fishing and took off.
I packed it up after that and decided to run back in. On the way, I got stopped again by the FWC, this time for the third time in three days by the same guy who was surprised I used his first name greeting him. He claimed I was “coming in from offshore” and wanted to see if I had any fish on board. Just like the two days prior, I invited him to come aboard and take a look, but he declined, only wanting me to open the big livewell in the stern I rarely use. As I held the hatch open, “poof,” a dolphin surfaced nearby. I said to myself “yeah, three in a row” like my powers of telepathy were working with Mr. Bottlenose.Onthe way in, there were people on jet skis harassing dolphins, the tours with their Carolina Skiffs purposely pushing wakes to get them to jump, and the resident dolphins doing their thing. Close to the marina the boat pushed forward at about 1200 rpms. I thought I heard someone creak my name again and spun around to see a dolphin just past the apex of his jump in my little wake, head turning down toward the water. It was like saying “now off with you.” Or maybe it saw my regression and was making sure I got in okay? Flip per and Alfa need not worry, my “Day of the Dolphin” was over. Understand ing both Murphy and irony, although I’ve done all this all before, will probably do it all again, aching thumb and all. I’ll still go out alone but do things a bit differently. See you out there.
Cathartic is not a word I would use for the experience. I’m not one to cry or prone to outbursts of rage (blurting problem notwithstanding), nor was it purifying, cleansing, or enlightening. Truth be told, it may have been a bit regressing, if not outright frustrating. And now, some context.The movie “Day of the Dolphin” came out back in 1973. It featured George C. Scott as a scientist who taught two dolphins some basic words, only to have those animals taken by bad people and used in an attempt to plant explosives under the presidential yacht. Cool, right? Maybe not. Here’s why.
Life
By: Capt. Tim Ramsey
Out front I went down the beach and threw the cast net for the first time in about two years. I regressed to the point where my third biggest pet-peeve (re-learning something you already knew) popped up. I kept my shirt, watch,
2 FLORIDA KEYS OCTOBER 2022 COASTALANGLERMAG.COM/FLORIDA-KEYS
Take for in stance, Flipper, the eponymous movie star of the sixties (I got to use the word “eponymous,” but not really). You see, Flipper was actually five dolphins, with one, named Mitzie, the lead “actor. She is buried at the Dolphin Research Center in Marathon with a full-sized dolphin replica as a headstone. This might make her the second most famous aquat ic mammal celebrity behind Duke Kahanamoku. Oddly, researchers say she died of a heart attack and would have lived far longer than her 13 years if she was not held captive. Kind of like my Aunt Sadie. Went in the nursing home and boom, gone, but what sort of digression is this?
is full of little ironies.
I’ve never been a huge fan of fishing alone. Not sure exactly why, but I’ve always considered it a social or team activity. Taking people fishing is what I’ve always done, but with my son off working on his career and my wife in Pana ma caring for her mother (we could fix that situation. Think “Aunt Sadie”), I had occasion to hit the water alone.
THE DAY OF THE DOLPHIN
I get the fish alongside then realize my lack of preparation. Worst time for it. Tarpon gloves in the bag inside the hatch. Fish gripper inside the leaning post. Long handle de-hooker in the rod holder on the other side of the con sole. Pliers too. Nobody to hold the rod. After a scramble to assemble these items, I get the bright idea to take a picture, all while still holding the rod. While punching in my stupid passcode, the phone squirted out of my sweaty mitts and miraculously didn’t go overboard but landed on the deck with a thud. I managed to get the gloves on, but then grabbed the tarpon’s lower lip, thumb inside, rookie mistake. The fish rolled and thrashed, my thumb made an audible “pop,” and a searing jolt of pain shot up my arm. At that exact moment, besides thinking people nearby were quite entertained by the novice before them, my urge to blurt an expletive was met by the sight of a dolphin jumping out of the water some distance away. For some reason, I said “I know,” out loud. I knew what to set out, how to prepare, and how to land fish, but I forgot it all and just skipped to step ten. My mistake. Plus, who tarpon fishes alone?
Right out of the gate, dolphins near the ma rina and close to the channel. Quick stop by the FWC to once again tell me to wait until fully be tween the markers to get on a plane because sim pletons have been running into dolphins in the area. In the back country, more dolphins. One surfaced so close when he blew out, it was so pro nounced thought he might be calling me a “poof,” as the Brits might say. Then came the group that kicked a big muddy “U” shaped arc around a school of mullet near a mangrove island and took turns zooming in to pick them off one by one. Then I heard one of them say “Fa.” Yep, just like in the movie, where the one named “Alfa” learned to speak, sort of. Well, maybe I heard it. The day was so hot, humid, and bright I expected the African Queen to come around the corner at any moment (Amazon jungle reference), and I contemplated the possibility of wearing my Costas on top of my Smiths. Since my rising body temperature was making my heart pound, it was time to stop throwing a bucktail under the trees and get out in the open.
A short while later, my regression hit an ironic new level. After going old school with my Bomber Long-A out at the mud hole, I locked into a tarpon of about fifty pounds. There I was, standing on the bow of the Skeeter, fighting the fish, oddly not getting the customary cheers from other anglers when it jumped. I figured they must be newbies or skunked guides with the eyes of irritable customers on them. Little did I know I was once-again the newbie.
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You can reach Captain Bruce Andersen at Capt. Easy Charters, MM 85, call 305.360.2120 or email at: captbrucekey@comcast.net
We had just about caught our limit of 10 tuna and on the last pass before heading offshore we hooked what I thought was a double header of tuna. I noticed the one fish that Ryan was fighting was pulling a lot of drag and figured it was a nice tuna but didn’t expect to catch him with all of those sharks around. My son Ian was mating for me that day. It was also overcast that morning and hard to see into the water with the lack of light. I was busy putting the smaller tuna in the box and maneuvering the boat when Ian said to me “Dad I don’t think this is a tuna”. I looked over and saw a 40# wahoo striped up and yelled “it’s a wahoo, stick him”. Ian stroked him and all of a sudden, we had caught the fish of a lifetime for Ryan. Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good. It just goes to show that anything can happen offshore of the Florida Keys!
— www.captaineasycharters.com
O
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By: Capt. Bruce Andersen
We do quite a few different things especially this time of year, but on this day, we were headed offshore in search of mahi mahi and stopped at the Islamorada hump to catch a few tuna on the way out. There are a few ways to target blackfin tuna, but the most basic way is to troll small lures way back on light tackle. I use a 20-pound setup and fish light 30# leaders as the tuna can be line shy. Sometimes we’ll catch some bycatch, mahi can be common and I’ve even caught a few sailfish and wahoo over the years. You’ve got to get very lucky to catch a wahoo this way as you’re fishing with that light fluorocarbon leader with no wire. All it takes is for one of his sharp teeth to touch that leader and it would be over in an instant.
We had a group of regular customers that have been fishing with me for years. A really nice family from Virginia. Their son Ryan is a very special young man who loves to fish. They are some of the most pleasant people you could have on a fishing charter. On this day the tuna bite was good, but the sharks were bad. The sharks seem to get worse every year and we were losing about ½ of our tuna to them. We even had several tuna get eaten right next to the boat which is both exciting and frustrating at the same time.
ne of the great things about offshore fishing, especially in the Florida Keys is that you never know what can happen next. Sur prise catches happen all the time. You might be targeting one t hing and come up with something special you weren’t planning for. On a recent charter aboard my boat, the Captain Easy, we saw a perfect ex ample of this.
You Never Know
Some days there isn’t much to figure out, the fish are biting, and it seems the fish will bite anything. Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen that often at least for me. Most days I have a plan on how I will figure out a pattern that will help me have a successful day on the water.Iusually will start with current flow, looking for areas where water is moving. Current can be caused by tidal flow, wind, or funnel areas. Bait plays a huge role in figuring out a pat tern, usually if there is a bait presence there will be predators around.
where or how are you catching fish? That question comes up quite often. I usually have no problem sharing information that I have learned from the last few fishing trips. That information can be helpful but many times it probably doesn’t help all that much. Fishing in tidal waters creates changing conditions daily if not hourly.
I consider myself a pattern fisherman, figuring out the puzzle each trip can be a challenge but so rewarding when I put the puzzle together.
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There are times when the pattern may change while I’m fishing, usu ally because the tide is changing. There are times where the pattern totally changes and I may need to figure out something else or call it a day. Many days I never really figure out a pattern, I cover water and I catch a fish here andIthere. consider myself a pattern fisherman, figuring out the puzzle each trip can be a challenge but so rewarding when I put the puzzle together. Have a plan and take mental notes as you fish. Many times, one bite can be the clue that keys you into a great day of fishing. Good luck and keep casting.
What’s the Pattern?
Joe,
Other factors that affect a pattern are water levels, water temperature, seasonal trends and water clarity to name a few. Most of the time when I can put together a solid pattern it will hold throughout the fishing trip. I can cover water or run to specific areas and catch fish.
By: Joe Sheaffer
Many times, I may have a great day of fishing, go back the next day and it is totally different and much tougher. Fishing reports can definitely be helpful but most of the time each day presents different conditions and chal lenges. My goal every day that I spend fishing is to figure out a pattern that will produce a consistent bite.
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By: Eric Henson
fish the four major “Game Fish” in our area - Snook, Redfish, Trout, and Tarpon but every so often I get surprised with a beautiful floun der. Most of the time they’re approximately 14- 18 inches with occasional unicorns popping up over 20 inches. Once a Flounder reaches over the 20 inch mark we begin calling them “DOORMATS” because incredibly, they’re nearly as wide as they are long!
When Flounder are born, their eyes start out anatomically correct but as they mature into adulthood, both eyes begin to shift upwards to the top half of their body. They also have the ability to change colors, in order to blend into their surroundings, making it easier to ambush prey. This is why you find Flounder spending most of their time lying on the sandy or muddy ocean floor; they’re waiting patiently for their next meal of crustaceans and small fish! That’s also why their colors vary when you catch them, they can be as light colored as the sand or as dark as the mud they are lying on.
Igenerally
Flounder Pounder!
Flounders are quite impressive, so don’t let their size or shape fool you. They are very quick with powerful large mouths that have sharp teeth, and once they have their eyes on a target they can be quite aggressive! I have had them come off the hook multiple times right beside my kayak but as soon as I drop my lure back down in front of their face, they smash it!
Not only are Flounder fun to catch but also, anyone who enjoys a nice white flaky fish, you can’t go wrong with Flounder! Just make sure you check local fishing laws because size limits change in different areas. They really are an underrated fish and generally when you catch one there will be more to be found in that area.
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Hope you all have a great time out there because you never know when the next DOORMAT will pop up! Respect your fellow anglers and tight lines everyone!!:)
By: Beth Steele
— Beth Steele | CEO of Hooker Booker fishing@thehookerbooker.com | FB/IG/TW:
Linesided Tackle for the products. They have definitely produced. All-in-all, it has been a great month minus a few windy days. I’ve caught three swords, did some bully-netting and topped off an offshore day with a grouper dinner and some fresh lobster.
With
This has been a great summer and keeping my fingers crossed for some big catches until season ends.
I was really excited to try my new deep drop rigs. I’m so thankful for
My favorite part of offshore fishing is still the beautiful ride out with amazing sunrise and big puffy clouds, it never gets old, and I always get so excited for what I find in the seas. My last trip out, I spent 30 minutes watch ing the dolphins play around the boat, jumping and rolling over each other like they were wrestling. For a minute, it felt like I was at SeaWorld having my own dolphin show. They are so smart and such beautiful creatures.
It’s Been a Great Summer
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all the trips off shore and fish I’ve been able to catch this past week, I headed offshore to the sword ground. As I dropped to catch what would hopefully be a big swordfish, I started the trip off with seeing my line bounce and continue to bounce for what seemed like forever. As I’m shak ing my head, a huge cuban night shark started to approach. That obviously wasn’t the plan! We re leased him and the next drop came a second just as big. I was starting to think that sharks were the only thing in the whole ocean that day. On the third drop, I finally caught a big sword. She was a big girl and had twelve squids in her belly. With all the trips I’ve taken this month, the swordfish and sharks seemed to be the hungriest.
There’s also been a ton of mahi with all the scattered seaweed. They have loved the ballyhoo and live bait. Rosies have been everywhere lately as well. I got a 40+ lb. snowy grouper, which made for the perfect deep drop day. Last week I also crossed off one of my Bucket List fish…finally catching my first golden tile. “Go for the gold” as they say, and it was a big one.
@hookerbookerllc
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October is a Transitional Month
As we get to the late part of the month, the grouper will show up, mostly reds and blacks. Use live bally hoo or pinfish for best results. We will also see the arrival of large cero mackerel this month. They’re quite tasty and excel lent for the smoker. These fish can get up to 10 or 12 pounds. Live pilchards or small, live ballyhoo are the best baits. To prevent bite-offs, be sure to use very light #4 wire six to eight inches in front of your 2/0 or 3/0 Owner SSW hook.
By: Capt. Chris Johnson
As always, there are loads of blackfin tuna on weed lines and out at the humps. These fish are running 10 to 15 pounds, with more than a
October also heralds the arrival of the Spanish mackerel run, which re ally heats up in November.
A smattering of king mackerel will make an appearance as well. They’re typ ically in the five- to 15-pound class with the larger kings showing later in the fall.
Fishing offshore, the dolphin (mahi mahi) bite looks to be solid this month, with lots of nice gaffers at eight to ten pounds along with a fair number of larger fish in the 15- to 20-pound class.
Fishing on the reef can always be challenging during October, and it’s best to get out there early in the morning. The snapper bite has switched from mangroves to yellowtails. We’re fishing primarily in the 60- to 90-foot depths, and the fish average 14 to 16 inches. Mixed with the yellowtails are medium-size mutton snappers in the eight- to ten-pound category. Be sure to keep the chum flow nice and steady. Water temps in the low 80’s keep the snappers’ metabolisms revving on high and, hence, they need to eat more. We use YellowtailUp and Chum Drop together with ground chum to keep the fish up and feeding in the slick.
We
begin to see our fall and winter fish arrive in the waters off Mar athon and their arrival coincides with cold fronts, which come later and later every year.
Finally, if we get an early cold front, we may also find cobia and gag groupers on the shallower wrecks in 10 to 20 feet of water.
The usual assortment of lures – blue and white or pink and white – will serve you best. Rigged ballyhoo are also a good bet. Make sure you have live bait with you as the bigger fish will quite often refuse an artificial but gladly gobble up a pinfish tossed in their direction.
Bayside fishing offers copious amounts of good-size mangrove snappers. The seatrout should arrive during the second half of the month. They’ll be mixed with the mangroves on the grass banks and shallow wrecks.
10 FLORIDA KEYS OCTOBER 2022 COASTALANGLERMAG.COM/FLORIDA-KEYS
few pushing 20 pounds.
– blue and white or pink and white – will serve you best. Rigged ballyhoo are also a good bet. Make sure you have live bait with you as the bigger fish will quite often refuse an artificial but gladly gobble up a pinfish...
— Capt. Chris Johnson | SeaSquared Charters, Marathon FL 305-393-2929 | SeaSquaredCharters.com
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12 FLORIDA KEYS OCTOBER 2022 COASTALANGLERMAG.COM/FLORIDA-KEYS www.USHarbors.com Key Largo, South Sound, FL - Oct 2022 Date High Low AM ft PM ft AM ft PM ft Rise Set Moon 1 Sat 1:06 1.8 1:59 1.9 8:27 0.2 9:04 0.6 7:11 7:08 2 Sun 2:03 1.8 3:02 1.8 9:31 0.3 10:12 0.6 7:12 7:07 3 Mon 3:10 1.7 4:11 1.8 10:42 0.3 11:25 0.6 7:12 7:06 4 Tue 4:24 1.8 5:19 1.9 11:55 0.3 7:13 7:05 5 Wed 5:36 1.8 6:21 1.9 12:34 0.5 1:02 0.3 7:13 7:04 6 Thu 6:42 1.9 7:16 2.0 1:35 0.4 2:01 0.2 7:13 7:03 7 Fri 7:39 2.0 8:06 2.1 2:30 0.3 2:55 0.2 7:14 7:02 8 Sat 8:31 2.1 8:51 2.1 3:19 0.2 3:44 0.2 7:14 7:01 9 Sun 9:18 2.2 9:33 2.1 4:04 0.1 4:30 0.2 7:15 7:00 10 Mon 10:03 2.2 10:14 2.1 4:48 0.1 5:14 0.2 7:15 6:59 11 Tue 10:45 2.2 10:53 2.0 5:30 0.1 5:56 0.3 7:16 6:58 12 Wed 11:27 2.1 11:32 1.9 6:11 0.1 6:38 0.4 7:16 6:57 13 Thu 12:08 2.0 6:52 0.2 7:21 0.5 7:17 6:56 14 Fri 12:11 1.8 12:50 1.9 7:35 0.3 8:05 0.6 7:17 6:55 15 Sat 12:53 1.7 1:35 1.8 8:21 0.4 8:54 0.7 7:18 6:54 16 Sun 1:38 1.6 2:25 1.7 9:13 0.5 9:51 0.8 7:18 6:53 17 Mon 2:30 1.6 3:22 1.6 10:12 0.6 10:54 0.8 7:19 6:52 18 Tue 3:31 1.5 4:21 1.6 11:16 0.6 11:57 0.8 7:19 6:51 19 Wed 4:36 1.6 5:19 1.7 12:16 0.6 7:20 6:50 20 Thu 5:38 1.6 6:11 1.7 12:52 0.7 1:09 0.6 7:20 6:49 21 Fri 6:33 1.7 6:58 1.8 1:38 0.6 1:56 0.5 7:21 6:48 22 Sat 7:23 1.8 7:41 1.9 2:20 0.5 2:40 0.4 7:21 6:47 23 Sun 8:08 1.9 8:22 1.9 2:59 0.3 3:21 0.4 7:22 6:47 24 Mon 8:52 2.0 9:03 2.0 3:37 0.2 4:01 0.3 7:23 6:46 25 Tue 9:36 2.1 9:44 2.0 4:16 0.1 4:43 0.3 7:23 6:45 26 Wed 10:21 2.1 10:26 2.0 4:56 0.1 5:25 0.3 7:24 6:44 27 Thu 11:07 2.1 11:11 2.0 5:39 0.0 6:10 0.3 7:24 6:43 28 Fri 11:56 2.1 6:26 0.1 6:58 0.4 7:25 6:43 29 Sat 12:00 1.9 12:49 2.0 7:17 0.1 7:52 0.5 7:26 6:42 30 Sun 12:55 1.9 1:46 1.9 8:15 0.2 8:54 0.5 7:26 6:41 31 Mon 1:56 1.8 2:49 1.9 9:21 0.3 10:04 0.5 7:27 6:41 www.USHarbors.com Islamorada, Florida Bay, FL - Oct 2022 Date High Low AM ft PM ft AM ft PM ft Rise Set Moon 1 Sat 2:00 0.8 4:09 0.5 10:41 0.1 9:37 0.4 7:13 7:10 2 Sun 2:54 0.8 5:39 0.5 11:57 0.1 10:34 0.4 7:13 7:09 3 Mon 4:07 0.8 7:09 0.5 1:20P 0.1 11:56 0.4 7:14 7:08 4 Tue 5:38 0.8 8:11 0.5 2:35 0.1 7:14 7:07 5 Wed 7:08 0.8 8:55 0.6 1:29 0.4 3:35 0.1 7:15 7:06 6 Thu 8:22 0.8 9:31 0.6 2:50 0.3 4:21 0.1 7:15 7:05 7 Fri 9:24 0.9 10:04 0.7 3:57 0.3 4:59 0.2 7:16 7:04 8 Sat 10:17 0.8 10:35 0.8 4:55 0.2 5:33 0.2 7:16 7:03 9 Sun 11:05 0.8 11:04 0.8 5:47 0.1 6:06 0.2 7:16 7:02 10 Mon 11:49 0.8 11:33 0.9 6:35 0.1 6:37 0.3 7:17 7:01 11 Tue 12:32 0.7 7:21 0.1 7:09 0.3 7:17 7:00 12 Wed 12:02 0.9 1:14 0.6 8:06 0.1 7:40 0.3 7:18 6:59 13 Thu 12:33 0.9 1:56 0.6 8:51 0.1 8:12 0.3 7:18 6:58 14 Fri 1:06 0.8 2:43 0.5 9:40 0.1 8:44 0.4 7:19 6:57 15 Sat 1:45 0.8 3:40 0.5 10:36 0.2 9:18 0.4 7:19 6:56 16 Sun 2:32 0.7 4:57 0.5 11:43 0.2 10:02 0.4 7:20 6:55 17 Mon 3:32 0.7 6:36 0.5 12:59P 0.2 11:21 0.4 7:20 6:55 18 Tue 4:47 0.7 7:42 0.5 2:09 0.2 7:21 6:54 19 Wed 6:10 0.7 8:18 0.5 1:05 0.4 3:03 0.2 7:21 6:53 20 Thu 7:23 0.7 8:45 0.6 2:24 0.4 3:43 0.2 7:22 6:52 21 Fri 8:22 0.7 9:11 0.7 3:22 0.4 4:14 0.2 7:22 6:51 22 Sat 9:13 0.8 9:36 0.7 4:09 0.3 4:41 0.2 7:23 6:50 23 Sun 9:59 0.8 10:02 0.8 4:52 0.2 5:07 0.3 7:23 6:49 24 Mon 10:44 0.7 10:29 0.8 5:33 0.1 5:35 0.3 7:24 6:49 25 Tue 11:30 0.7 10:59 0.9 6:14 0.1 6:04 0.3 7:24 6:48 26 Wed 12:16P 0.7 11:32 0.9 6:58 0.0 6:36 0.3 7:25 6:47 27 Thu 1:05 0.6 7:43 0.0 7:10 0.3 7:25 6:46 28 Fri 12:09 0.9 1:57 0.6 8:34 0.0 7:47 0.3 7:26 6:46 29 Sat 12:52 0.9 2:57 0.5 9:30 0.0 8:28 0.3 7:27 6:45 30 Sun 1:43 0.9 4:07 0.5 10:34 0.0 9:19 0.3 7:27 6:44 31 Mon 2:46 0.8 5:26 0.5 11:46 0.1 10:30 0.4 7:28 6:44 TIDE CHART TIDE CHARTKEY LARGO OCTOBER 2022 ISLAMORADA OCTOBER 2022
10 Mon 11:10 2.1 10:54 2.3 4:28 0.2 4:30 0.7 7:21 7:06
7 Fri 8:45 2.3 9:25 1.9 1:50 0.7 2:52 0.5 7:20 7:09
2 Sun 2:15 2.3 5:00 1.2 9:50 0.3 8:27 1.0 7:18 7:14
20 Thu
4 Tue 4:59 2.2 7:32 1.4 12:28P 0.3 11:22 1.0 7:19 7:12
19 Wed
23 Sun
8 Sat 9:38 2.3 9:56 2.1 2:48 0.5 3:26 0.5 7:20 7:08
16 Sun
12 Wed 12:35P 1.7 11:54 2.3 5:59 0.2 5:33 0.8 7:22 7:04
24 Mon
FACEBOOK.COM/CAMFLORIDAKEYS OCTOBER 2022 FLORIDA KEYS 13 www.USHarbors.com Key Colony Beach, FL - Oct 2022 Date High Low AM ft PM ft AM ft PM ft Rise Set Moon 1 Sat 12:44 2.6 2:05 1.8 7:36 0.3 7:16 1.0 7:15 7:12 2 Sun 1:40 2.5 3:15 1.7 8:44 0.4 8:20 1.1 7:15 7:11 3 Mon 2:49 2.5 4:34 1.7 9:58 0.5 9:38 1.1 7:15 7:10 4 Tue 4:09 2.5 5:49 1.8 11:10 0.5 10:56 1.0 7:16 7:09 5 Wed 5:30 2.5 6:49 1.9 12:13 0.5 7:16 7:08 6 Thu 6:42 2.6 7:35 2.1 12:06 0.8 1:06 0.5 7:17 7:07 7 Fri 7:43 2.6 8:15 2.3 1:07 0.7 1:52 0.5 7:17 7:06 8 Sat 8:35 2.7 8:52 2.5 2:02 0.5 2:34 0.5 7:17 7:05 9 Sun 9:23 2.6 9:27 2.6 2:51 0.3 3:13 0.6 7:18 7:04 10 Mon 10:07 2.5 10:02 2.7 3:38 0.2 3:51 0.6 7:18 7:03 11 Tue 10:48 2.4 10:37 2.7 4:23 0.2 4:28 0.7 7:19 7:02 12 Wed 11:29 2.3 11:14 2.6 5:07 0.2 5:05 0.8 7:19 7:01 13 Thu 12:10P 2.1 11:52 2.5 5:51 0.3 5:42 0.9 7:20 7:00 14 Fri 12:53 1.9 6:37 0.4 6:21 1.0 7:20 6:59 15 Sat 12:35 2.4 1:41 1.8 7:27 0.6 7:04 1.1 7:21 6:58 16 Sun 1:24 2.3 2:36 1.7 8:25 0.7 7:58 1.2 7:21 6:57 17 Mon 2:22 2.2 3:41 1.7 9:30 0.8 9:07 1.2 7:21 6:56 18 Tue 3:28 2.1 4:50 1.7 10:37 0.8 10:21 1.2 7:22 6:55 19 Wed 4:38 2.2 5:50 1.8 11:34 0.8 11:26 1.1 7:22 6:55 20 Thu 5:43 2.2 6:37 2.0 12:20 0.8 7:23 6:54 21 Fri 6:40 2.3 7:16 2.2 12:20 1.0 12:59 0.8 7:23 6:53 22 Sat 7:30 2.4 7:52 2.3 1:07 0.8 1:35 0.7 7:24 6:52 23 Sun 8:16 2.4 8:26 2.5 1:50 0.6 2:10 0.7 7:25 6:51 24 Mon 9:01 2.5 9:00 2.6 2:32 0.4 2:45 0.7 7:25 6:50 25 Tue 9:45 2.4 9:35 2.7 3:14 0.2 3:21 0.7 7:26 6:50 26 Wed 10:30 2.4 10:12 2.8 3:57 0.1 3:58 0.7 7:26 6:49 27 Thu 11:16 2.2 10:53 2.8 4:43 0.0 4:38 0.7 7:27 6:48 28 Fri 12:05P 2.1 11:39 2.7 5:32 0.0 5:20 0.8 7:27 6:47 29 Sat 12:58 1.9 6:26 0.1 6:08 0.9 7:28 6:47 30 Sun 12:31 2.7 1:58 1.8 7:26 0.2 7:06 0.9 7:28 6:46 31 Mon 1:33 2.6 3:05 1.8 8:32 0.3 8:16 1.0 7:29 6:45 www.USHarbors.com Key West, FL - Oct 2022
5 Wed 6:29 2.2 8:16 1.5 1:28 0.4 7:19 7:11
Date High Low AM ft PM ft AM ft PM ft Rise Set Moon
6 Thu 7:43 2.3 8:52 1.7 12:43 0.9 2:14 0.4 7:20 7:10
15 Sat
1 Sat 1:21 2.3 3:30 1.3 8:34 0.2 7:30 1.0 7:18 7:15
18 Tue
21 Fri
22 Sat
17
14 Fri
3 Mon 3:28 2.2 6:30 1.3 11:13 0.3 9:49 1.1 7:18 7:13
13 Thu 1:17 1.6 6:44 0.2 6:05 0.9 7:23 7:03 12:27 2.2 2:04 1.4 7:33 0.3 6:37 1.0 7:23 7:02 1:06 2.1 3:01 1.3 8:29 0.4 7:11 1.0 7:24 7:01 1:53 2.0 4:18 1.2 9:36 0.5 7:55 1.1 7:24 7:00 Mon 2:53 1.9 5:57 1.3 10:52 0.6 9:14 1.2 7:25 7:00 4:08 1.9 7:03 1.4 12:02P 0.6 10:58 1.2 7:25 6:59 5:31 1.9 7:39 1.5 12:56 0.6 7:26 6:58 6:44 1.9 8:06 1.6 12:17 1.1 1:36 0.6 7:26 6:57 7:43 2.0 8:32 1.8 1:15 1.0 2:07 0.6 7:27 6:56 8:34 2.0 8:57 1.9 2:02 0.8 2:34 0.7 7:27 6:55 9:20 2.0 9:23 2.1 2:45 0.6 3:00 0.7 7:28 6:55 10:05 2.0 9:50 2.2 3:26 0.4 3:28 0.7 7:28 6:54 10:51 1.9 10:20 2.3 4:07 0.2 3:57 0.7 7:29
25 Tue
9 Sun 10:26 2.2 10:25 2.2 3:40 0.4 3:59 0.6 7:21 7:07
6:53 26 Wed 11:37 1.8 10:53 2.4 4:51 0.0 4:29 0.8 7:29 6:52 27 Thu 12:26P 1.7 11:30 2.5 5:36 -0.1 5:03 0.8 7:30 6:51 28 Fri 1:18 1.5 6:27 -0.1 5:40 0.8 7:30 6:51 29 Sat 12:13 2.5 2:18 1.4 7:23 0.0 6:21 0.9 7:31 6:50 30 Sun 1:04 2.4 3:28 1.3 8:27 0.1 7:12 0.9 7:31 6:49 31 Mon 2:07 2.3 4:47 1.3 9:39 0.2 8:23 1.0 7:32 6:49 TIDE CHARTTIDE CHARTKEY COLONY BEACH OCTOBER 2022 KEY WEST OCTOBER 2022 Milly Cruz, 305-363-8869RealtorRSPS Milly@SeafarerRealty.com Ginger Perreault, P.A. Ginger@SeafarerRealty.com305-731-8148Realtor Danial Marrs, PSA Danial@SeafarerRealty.com305-767-3495RealtorAlexia Mann, GRI, MRP, AHWD Alexia@SeafarerRealty.comBroker/Owner305-209-5166 Jen Jen@SeafarerRealty.com815-236-1328RealtorDavis Michele Safos, MRP Michele@SeafarerRealty.com724-691-6613Realtor Janell ExecutiveLawrenceAssistant305-414-8160 Janell@SeafarerRealty.com
11 Tue 11:53 1.9 11:23 2.3 5:14 0.2 5:02 0.8 7:22 7:05
5. Don’t leave your line unattended.
— Photos by Carol Cassels
By: Dan Carns
3. Cover bait buckets and take unused bait home.
1. Don’t feed the birds, which teaches them to approach where they are more likely to be hooked.
with artificial lures is a little bit art, a little bit luck and a lot of practice. There is now a dizzying array of hard and soft plastics that all claim to be the “one” and sometimes I believe they are designed to entice you more than the fish but over time and through either experience or shared ex pertise you will find the ones that work for your area. Admittedly I’m a soft plas tic fanatic as the range of colors, sizes and shapes help me present baits that are closely matched to what the predators we chase are already eating. Sure, you can toss your favorite lure all day and perhaps trick one or two fish to hit but alternating between various options may increase your catch rate. Don’t get me wrong as I’ve been known to throw a top water bait for hours, well past the magic couple of early morning hours that is typical, knowing that I’m going to entice one more top water attack just to prove I can but in reality, catching more fish is the goal!
ven if you precautionarytakesteps to avoid it, sometimes you might hook a bird by accident. That’s when it’s important to remember—don’t cut the line and let the bird fly away with it attached. This will lead to entanglement, resulting in death of that bird and possibly others as well. Instead, follow these simple steps to unhook the bird: Reel. Remove. Release.
4. Never pull the hook out but carefully push the end through the skin, cut off the barb and back the hook out using pliers or clippers. If the bird is entangled, remove all line.
7. Help others learn what to do when they accidentally hook a bird. It’s pretty easy, once you know how.
Artificial Lures
2. Dispose of filleted bones where birds can’t get them—in a trash can with lid or at home. Bones of a filleted fish will become lodged in or tear throats, stomachs and intestines leading to the death of that bird .
4. Dispose of fishing line in a monofilament recycling bin or cut into small pieces and place in the trash.
how they use a lure as it will shorten the learning curve. There is one technique that I personally think is being com pletely overlooked and that is the steady retrieve. Because I fish out of the pedal drive kayak, I can peddle and troll baits behind me. I’m now catching more fish on this method so I’ve included this steady retrieve even while stopped and it’s a proven style for me.
Friends of the Pelicans
1. Wear safety glasses and enlist a partner for help.
6. Cast carefully to avoid hooking a bird in flight or being snared on trees, bridge pilings etc.
5. Release the bird (if healthy) by placing it on the ground near the water and allowing it to take off.
As fall is now approaching there is one fish to target that will absolutely respond to a large array of plastic baits and that is the redfish. October is prime redfish season although once you figure them out you’ll be able to target them year-round. These fish will gladly follow a slow worked paddle tail or shad tail rubber bait, on a twist lock weighted hook, across a shallow flat until it decides to attack or turn off. You’ll know when you see a big bulge of water coming up behind the bait and a word of caution, do not stop a bait that the fish are pursuing as they are used to prey darting away not pausing.
E
8. Sponsored by Friends of the Pelicans, Inc. More detailed information can be found at friendsofthepelicans.facebook.com/
2. Reel the bird in slowly and lift it from the water using a hoop net. Even a large pelican weighs only 4-8 pounds
14 FLORIDA KEYS OCTOBER 2022 COASTALANGLERMAG.COM/FLORIDA-KEYS
6. If the bird has swallowed the hook or is severely injured, contact a local wildlife rehabilitator from the list at MyFWC.com/unhook.
— It’s a Wild World - Get Out There | FishmanDan@paddlinandfishin
How else can you help a seabird or wading bird?
3. Grasp the bird by the head just behind the eyes and fold the wings against the body. For pelicans, hold the beak, keeping the mouth slightly open so it can breathe. Cover the bird’s head with a cloth to keep it calm.
Trout are another species that will readily take plastics and especially a paddle tail on a jig head worked right across the top of grass and potholes. Get some plastics and start practicing your “style”!
Fishing with lures takes practice because you’re trying to convince a fish that something that is not natural is food so presentation and what is called cadence meaning the speed at which you reel the line back and the way you twitch your rod tip or pause the retrieve is the all deciding factor. Over time and with practice a pattern begins to emerge for each bait that helps you present the right action to elicit a strike. Don’t be afraid to ask others
Fishing
MARINE THEFT PREVENTION
• Remove the steering wheel if the boat won’t be used for a long time.
• Back the boat close to a house, wall, or other stationary object.
• Install surveillance cameras and make sure they will capture the face of an intruder. Cameras are often installed too high and only capture the top of a suspects head or the brim of the hat he is wearing.
• Engrave your driver’s license number or make a distinctive marking on your valuable property for identification purposes.
• Disconnect the batteries to disable the trim / tilt function. Keep the engine down, touching the ground so the lower unit can’t be removed.
• If the boat is on a trailer, chain the rims together or boot one of the wheels to prevent the boat and trailer from being stolen.
If you see something you think may be suspicious. Call CrimeStoppers with any crime tips: 1-866-471-8477
CALL 911 IF A CRIME IS TAKING PLACE
• Whether on a trailer or in a canal, make sure your boat can be seen by neighbors and/or deputies patrolling the neighborhood.
• Install bolt locks on the engine or put extra-long engine bolts on and bend the ends.
• Destroy the threads on one bolt so the nut can’t be removed.
• Keep a trailer hitch lock on at all times.
• Keep valuable electronics in a secure location. It might be a hassle, but it will same you thousands of dollars in the long run.
• Install motion sensor lights. Make sure areas around the boat are well lighted.
• Install a GPS tracking device on your boat and/or engines.
• Remove the keys from the boat, if its is on a lift, turn the breaker off in the house to disable it.
• Take pictures and record serial numbers if available.
• If you are gone for an extended period, call your local Sheriff’s Office substation. Our deputies will keep an eye on your property while you are away.
MONROE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
• Install a boat alarm. Alarms are very effective at preventing equipment and boat thefts.
• Don’t leave fishing and diving equipment unattended outside. It only takes a thief a minute - literally - to take it.
Crime Stoppers offers a reward for the arrest of anyone in a felony criminal case. If you see anything suspicious, call the Sheriff’s Office immediately! It is our job to check out suspicious activity. Your call may be the one that helps us catch the bad guys!
Submit tips online at www.floridakeyscrimestoppers.com
Florida Charter Spearfishing Boats
My dive boat “Cu bera” is a 36 ft. x 13.5 ft. express sportfisher man 40 ft. LOA and carries 6 divers max. 3/4 & full day trips, or 4 divers for live aboard trips Fridays - Sundays. I run out of different areas but prefer the Gulf side. I’m repowering a 2nd time and hope to be up by the spring of 2023, we’ll see.
Lookvalues.for a 6-pack charter boat (6 pas sengers max.), with an owner/captain/spearo and a dive instructor is a plus. Liveaboards are even better and much more comfortable. On the Gulf side, run out to reach at least 45 ft. depths and 15 ft. visibility. It gets better if you run further out to about 60 ft. deep and 20-30 ft. visibility. The
Want
to shoot bigger and better fish? But you and your friends don’t have a boat, or an experience to find fish? Spearfishing charter boats are rare these days, but here’s what to look for to find a good one.
• Complete Boat & RV Detailing • Ceramic Coating • Bottom Maintenance & Painting • Monthly Washes & Boat Care • Pressure DetailingTheKeys@gmail.comWashing Licensed & Insured • Locally Owned & Operated Servicing Key Largo to Key West!
— Captain Chad Carney - Diving Instructor & Journalist mobile: 727-423-7775 | e-mail: chad.carney@yahoo.com www.floridaskindiver.com | www.deeperblue.com/beginners-guide-spearfishingwww.facebook.com/floridaskindiver
By: Capt. Chad Carney
Boats need spray shields, sun and rain tops, and padded seating for ev eryone. Space for gear bags, tanks and gun racks, a dive platform and ladder, and some big fish coolers!
best is about 120 ft. deep and possible 40-50 ft. visibility.
16 FLORIDA KEYS OCTOBER 2022 COASTALANGLERMAG.COM/FLORIDA-KEYS
First avoid big slow boats packed with dive students or hook and liner known as “cattle boats.” The Keys and Southeast Florida are full of them, running 1/2 day AM trips close to a pass or inlet, so they can rush you back and pick up their double dipper - $$! 3/4 and full day trips are the best
FACEBOOK.COM/CAMFLORIDAKEYS OCTOBER 2022 FLORIDA KEYS 17
18 FLORIDA KEYS OCTOBER 2022 COASTALANGLERMAG.COM/FLORIDA-KEYS
reef is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get”! One of the other glorious events that happens on our reef at the end of every summer is our world-famous spiny lobster season. I, personal ly love to snorkel the reef for sheer pleasure. It really is a sight to see! But all of a sudden, our lobster season opens, and I snorkel with a mission. Opening day of mini season is like a national holiday for us and people come from all over to join in. They are great fun to hunt and oh so deli cious on your dinner table. Look for holes, ledges, or anything else they may be able to hide in and as you hunt you will eventually see the tell-tale large antennae sticking out. Always abide by the regulations. Carry your net and tickle stick with the measuring device attached and measure them under the water. Having a formidable partner will also increase your odds of catching them because they are fast and sneaky! After mini season the actual season starts, the tourists will soon disappear, and lobster season is forgotten by them until next year. For those of us lucky enough to live here, the hunt continues until next Spring, and we are lucky enough to have fresh lobster on our tables through the winter months.
— Come out fishing with me by contacting me at: floridasaltycowgirl.com | 813-610-0078
Grouper season is always a favorite for me. When I first moved to the Keys, I had a little trouble catching them because fishing in the Gulf vs. fishing on the reef is completely different. On our beautiful reef in the Keys the grouper really go after live pilchards. Sure, occasionally you’ll catch a decent squid or cut bait eater, but if you want to catch them consistently, go for live pilchards! While you’re hoping for that monster grouper bottom fishing the reef, you’ll also catch any number of other species. Grunts are a constant catch (and highly underrated as table fare, but trust me, they are delicious!) You’re also likely to catch mangrove snapper, yellowtail snapper, porgies, triggerfish, and a count less array of ornamental reef fish. I always quote Forrest Gump,” fishing on the
By: Capt. Angelia Swanson
The Best Part of The Keys..The Reef
Ireally
consider myself an offshore, blue water kinda girl, but my passion for all things fishy really began on the Central Gulf Coast of Florida bottom fishing on head boats and my love for both continues to this day, but nowadays, my love for the water has expanded and I enjoy every kind of saltwater fishing to be had! Here in the Keys, I mostly bottom fish on the reef. It is a treasure trove of life. Seasons may change, and the fish may move to different areas, but the 120 miles of North America’s only living reef has something to offer everyone all year long!
19 FLORIDA KEYS OCTOBER 2022 COASTALANGLERMAG.COM/FLORIDA-KEYS LeBoeufsMarine.com • 305-998-4390 100991 Overseas Highway, Key Largo FL 33037 FLORIDA’SSOUTHONLYBLAZERBAYDEALERSHIP! “1Day In & Out” Annual Service Outboard Facility Outboard Premium Services Certified Technicians Engine Inspections 2440 BAY IN STOCK: 2220 Fisherman with Mercury 225” COMING SOON: 2700 Hybrid with Suzuki DF350”
In the Florida Keys we have the tour ist season schedule figured out to per fection. If you are a restaurant owner, or fishing charter, or vaca tion rental homeowner or any business that serves our tourists, it only takes a few years to pin down when the tourists come and go.
In my opinion these are the on and off-sea son dates: “on-season” is January - August (8 months), “off-season” is September - January (4 months). I’ve said for years, “I fish 300 days a year so I can afford to hunt the other 65 days”.
*
Capt. Joel’s Fishin Holes
* Beat the crowds Discounted rates Great Fishing Awesome weather
By: Capt. Joel Brandenburg
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20 FLORIDA KEYS OCTOBER 2022 COASTALANGLERMAG.COM/FLORIDA-KEYS Find us at Angler Eddy’s Scan to Like us on Instagram! Scan to Like us on Instagram!
— For a charter with Captain Joel or Jojo Brandenburg of Ana Banana Fishing Company in Marathon Florida Keys call cell 813-267-4401 or office 305-395-4212 or visit www.marathonkeyfishingcharters.com or visit us in person at Ana Banana Marina located at 11699 Overseas Hwy Marathon Florida Keys. Look for the big yellow Ana Banana sign with antlers around it.
I actually don’t hunt the entire 65 days. I leave town for week and come back and fish for a week and on and off through the off-season. Fact is that the off-season is only called off-season for tourists only. It’s definitely not off-season for fishing.
If you’ve been thinking of making plans to come down and explore the Florida Keys, you might want to consider coming in Oct, Nov and even Dec.
During off season, we catch snap per, grouper, jacks, mahi, tuna, billfish, wahoo, permit, cobia and a lot of deep drop, trolling oppor tunities as well as back country, flats, reef, wreck, bridge, ledge, etc. Most of the tourists are gone, many restaurants, resorts, vacation rental homes, businesses, etc. temporarily close to remodel or clean for a few weeks. Several businesses however stay open and off-season rates are much lower than on season rates. It’s a great time of year for anglers to come down to the Florida Keys. Get to experience the Keys lifestyle crowd free and like a local, while paying discounted off-season rates for food, drinks, lodg ing and fishing charters. People ask me all the time: “What time of year is the best all-around fishing?” I think the best all-around months for fishing in the middle Florida Keys is in this order: October, May, November, and April. Biggest difference between May and April vs October and November is in May/April it’s hard to find a place to stay. If you do find a place, the in-season rates are off the charts expensive! During Oct/Nov off-season you can pick your place at half the cost as in-season. During Oct/Nov you don’t have to make reservations at the restaurants. As a charter captain, I’m fresher and less worn out in Oct/ NOV not running as many back-toback charters and you get more of the captain’s attention in Oct/Nov. Oh and by the way, it’s the most beautiful and comfortable weath er in the year too. Not too hot, not to cold and normally a cool breeze. Fishing isn’t the only thing that’s hot in Oct/Nov, we also love spearfishing and diving for lobster. If you’ve been thinking of making plans to come down and explore the Florida Keys, you might want to consider coming in Oct, Nov and even Dec.
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The best part for me, is giving them the revive they need. After a big kick showing she’s ready, I let go and watched her swim away, deeper in the water un til I could no longer see her. Along with the celebration afterwards, and thanks to those that helped with all the teamwork, those moments are hard to forget, and allow me to see exactly what fishing is all about!
The intense scream of the drag and the sudden line pulling occurs right before that big jump out of the water, as the tarpon emerges. It really does get my heart racing and gets me so excited just watching the beauty of these fish as they jump incredible heights with great speed. It was around a 25-minute fight, with lots of run, lots of jumps, and lots of excitement, getting this fish to the boat. Seeing this fish up close was so amazing, really getting to see the length on this girl! I knew from the first jump it was going to be my personal best but when I saw her up close it was even more of a confirmation.
and the variety of species making their way to the surface, trying to get a tasty meal, makes it all the more exciting. I remember specifically, I threw my live mullet into one of the deeper areas, where the current was moving quick ly, keeping my bail open and finger slightly on the line, waiting for that thump. It didn’t take too long before I could feel the line race across my fin ger, slamming the bail shut and getting ready to fight this fish.
If anyone knows me well, they know there’s nothing I search for more during my oppor tunities on the water than the silver king. These fish amaze me in many ways, and it is always an honor to get a hand on these beau tiful creatures. Tarpon, known as the Megalops Atlanticus, seem to find their ways in the backwater bays where we spend quite a lot of time in the Back country, while of course no secret spots can be given out, we find them traveling amongst sections of man grove islands, with deep cuts and plenty of strong currents. Adding in a vari
22 FLORIDA KEYS OCTOBER 2022 COASTALANGLERMAG.COM/FLORIDA-KEYS
My personal best tarpon was caught in a setting like this, on a strong out going tide, close to sunset, with an almost full moon. The intensity of the strong current ripping through the waters, pushing small branches and leaves around,
By: Caitlin Gatrell
ety of bait fish, other fish species, as well as dolphins, sharks, turtles, manatees, stingrays, and even the occasional alligator, it is a prime spot to find these fish.
PERSONAL BEST TARPON
If you have a catch to brag about send your picture and caption to: flkeys@coastalanglermagazine.com
First mate holding up not one, but TWO slammer bull dolphins, caught aboard Main One of the Main Attraction fleet.
Everybody gets a dolphin! Our Main Attraction 2 crew hold up gaffers and slammers from their offshore trip.
Derek McQuaig was trolling for grouperoff Key West and found dinner!
Pedro Hernandez landed this beautiful30 lb. Wahoo while trolling for dolphin.
Micah caught this blue line in 600 ft of water in Key West, after a morning of trolling!
Florida Keys
1st Mate Nick on Blue Magic Charters with a Summertime Snapper in about 60’ Near Marathon.
WhileAnglers:it is technically illegal to catch a sawfish, captures do occur while fishing for other species. These guidelines will teach you about quick, safe, and legal release of incidentally caught sawfish. If you catch a sawfish, leave the sawfish, especially the gills in the water at all times. Removing sawfish from the water is a clear violation of the law so do not lift it out of the water onto your boat or a pier, and do not drag it ashore. Only if it can be done safely and with the sawfish in the water, untangle any fishing line wrapped around the rostrum or saw. You may need to cut the line along the saw with
are majestic marine animals that were once found in coastal waters of the United States from Texas to North Carolina. Unfortunately, decades of mortality in fisheries and the loss of important nursery habitats led to dramatic reductions in both their numbers and range. Now they are generally only found in Florida and most commonly in southwest Florida around Everglades National Park. Sawfish are federally protected as endangered species under the Endangered Species Act and need your help to survive and avoid extinction. It is illegal to target, harm, harass, or handle sawfish in any way. The guidelines below will teach you how to Respect, Release, and Report sawfish you encounter while diving or catch while fishing.
Sawfish
If you see or catch a sawfish, note its estimated total length, and the date, time, and your location with GPS coordinates if available. Scientists use your sawfish encounter data to track recovery of the population, and steer research and conservation efforts. Please share the information by visiting www.SawfishRecovery.org, calling 1-844-4SAWFISH, emailing sawfish@ myfwc.com, or entering the details in the FWC Reporter App. The ultimate goal is to recover the United States population of smalltooth sawfish to the point that it no longer needs the protections of the Endangered Species Act. Following these Respect, Release, Report guidelines will help prevent extinction and aid in population rebuilding and ultimately recovery.
24 FLORIDA KEYS OCTOBER 2022 COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM FACEBOOK.COM/CAMFLORIDAKEYS OCTOBER 2022 FLORIDA KEYS 2414 SARASOTA / BRADENTON | OCTOBER 2022 | COASTALANGLERMAG.COM/SARASOTA/
SAWFISH NEWS Tonya
REPORT
RELEASE
Respect-Release-Report: Guidelines for Interactions with Endangered Sawfish in the United States
RESPECT
Photographs provided, credit Havenworth Coastal Conservation.
scissors or a knife to be able to free the line from the sawfish. Always cut the line as close to the hook as is safely possible. Any sawfish caught while fishing must be released as quickly as possible. Don’t use a gaff or ropes to secure or handle a sawfish as this may cause injury to the animal and delays the release. It is illegal to remove a sawfish’s rostrum; sawfish use their rostrum for detecting and catching food so removing the rostrum ultimately leads to starvation.
Wiley, Havenworth Coastal Conservation
by
TheseDivers:guidelines will aid divers in safely, respectfully, and legally enjoying their encounter with a sawfish. The most important thing to remember when viewing a sawfish is to not disrupt its natural behavior. If a sawfish swims away because of your presence, then you are too close. So, if you are lucky enough to see a sawfish while diving, please keep your distance and don’t chase, feed, or touch any sawfish you encounter.
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14 FLORIDA OCTOBER 2022 COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM
Both sh were caught slow-pitch jigging with JYG Pro jigs.
Izquierdo’s sh weighed 15.38 kilograms, which is 33 pounds, 14.5 ounces and some change. On the same trip, Robert Navarro boated another star-studded grouper that weighed 15.51 kilograms, or 34 pounds, 3 ounces and some change. Both sh will be recorded as all-tackle world records in the books.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON RECORD FISH, VISIT IGFA.ORG.
oastal Angler Magazine contributor Ryan Izquierdo was on a really hot bite on April 28 while shing out of San Carlos in Sonora, Mexico. e boat he was on landed not one, but two IGFA all-tackle world records for star-studded grouper. With just a fraction of a kilogram separating the weights of the two sh, IGFA recently named them both a tie for the all-tackle world record.
Star-studded grouper are a species that inhabits the eastern Paci c Ocean from Southern California down to e previous all-tackle world record was a 31-pounder caught by Chris Wheaton out of Loreto, Mexico.
TWO RECORDWORLDGROUPER
Caught on the Same Trip!
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Earlier this year, Fin-Nor debuted 20 styles which are purpose-built for anglers and life on the water. Fin-Nor sunglasses are equipped with cuttingedge Lateral Line lens technology, which allows for maximum protection from the sun while giving anglers the best visibility into the depths. e lenses feature premium polarization and coatings on both sides that prevent smudges and scratches and provide optimal clarity. e frames are made from lightweight and durable materials.
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e angler, Ryan Hernandez, caught his “leopard” red sh while shing with Capt. Danny Alvarez in the Upper Laguna Madre near Corpus Christi, Texas on Aug. 27. Hernandez said the sh had more than 300 spots per Leopardside. red sh are rare, but they do show up from time to time. Fisheries biologists believe this rare color pattern is caused by both parents having a recessive pigmentation trait. e wild coloration leaves the o spring particularly susceptible to predation early in its life. Not only is it rare for a leopard red sh to be hatched, it’s rare for them to reach catchable size.According to SaltWater Sportsman, Hernandez kept his leopard red sh to have it mounted. It’ll make a heck of a conversation piece.
ed sh have black spots. Some of them have several black spots. is red sh caught on the Texas Gulf Coast had so many black spots that it doesn’t even look like a red sh.
For more weird catches, go to coastalanglermag.com.
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I hope this new look at snook shing helps you catch your next e theme here is sound attracts sh. So, tie on some noisy lures and get hooked up!
By Capt. Michael Okruhlik
Photo courtesy of Knockin Tail Lures
Capt. Michael Okruhlik is the inventor of Knockin’ Tail Lures, Controlled Descent Lures and the owner of www.MyCoastOutdoors.com.
CATCH BIG SNOOK
W
Now for methods you may not have tried while targeting snook. Let’s visit our friends in the freshwater aisle and pull out an old favorite: the Rat-L-Trap! Pick up a few of these in chrome and blue, buy some stout saltwater-grade treble hooks, stainless steel split rings, and you’re set. ese noisy, rattling hard baits drive big snook crazy. I sh these on a fast and steady retrieve. e simplicity, in itself, is enticing. Among the advantages are the castability of these lures, their bullet-proof construction, and best of all there is not much skill required in this tactic. Simply cast and reel at a fast pace and hold on tight. When a hungry, or mad snook nails a Trap as you burn it through salty water, they will try their best to take the lure and the rod from your hands. ere is nothing like a 40-inch snook hammering a fast-moving Rat-L-Trap!
Here’s my disclaimer: I invented Knockin Tail Lures. e paddletail I use for snook is the Knockin Tail Lure in the Halloween is lure, like the Rat-L-Trap, has a built-in rattle. Trust me,
My other tip involves a color I haven’t seen pictured with many, if any, snook other than those anglers in my circle. e color is in the orange family with gold glitter and a chartreuse tail. is little gem has produced numerous snook over the years. I sh this color in a 5-inch paddletail lure, typically on a heavier jighead. I like a heavy head because I burn these swimbaits through the water.
hen it comes to snook shing with lures, I typically see the same color patterns and lure styles displayed in the jaws of caught sh as the angler proudly presents their catch to the camera. I’d like to share some new colors and lures that I have found to be very e ective when targeting solid-lined trophies.Let’s start with what you might already know. Feather jigs are popular among those who pursue line-siders. Some may tip their jig with a grub of some sort, while others take the simple approach of feathers, lead and a sharp hook. More o en than not, when I see these jigs pinned in the jaws of magni cent sh, the colors are typically white, red, chartreuse or a combination of all three. I don’t typically throw a feather jig, but when I do I prefer to tip it with a paddletail to give it extra vibration. Find one with a rattling tail, and you just increased your odds of hooking up!
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stone crab season opens Oct. 15 and runs through May 1. e minimum claw size is 2 7/8 inches, and recreational harvesters may take a daily bag limit of 1 gallon of claws per person or 2 gallons of claws per vessel, whichever is less.
Recreational
For more information, go to myfwc.com.
20 FLORIDA OCTOBER 2022 COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM STONE CRAB HARVEST
Trapping is the most e cient method of collecting the legal limit. Each harvester is allowed ve traps. ey may be baited and placed in the water as early as Oct. 5, but traps may not be pulled and claws may not be harvested until the Oct. 15 season opener.
15
Whether diving or trapping, it is illegal to harvest claws from eggbearing females. It is permitted to take both claws if they are of legal length, but most people choose to take just one so the crab is le with something to feed and defend itself with.
OPENS OCTOBER
Recreational harvesters age 16 and older who plan to use traps are required to complete an annual no-cost trap registration at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com. rough this process, they will obtain trap registration numbers that must be included on each trap along with the owners name and address.
Diving and snorkeling for stone crabs is also popular. Look for crushed shells in front of holes in the rocks or reef where a stone crab has been feeding. Use a tickle stick with angle of less than 90 degrees to pull them out of the hole and grab them by the claws with gloved hands.
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When Sam returned home he used his new outboard right away and was pleasantly surprised by how well it worked with his boat. ank you to over 10,000 people who entered the contest. We've got some more great prizes every month on CoastalAnglerMag.com, so please keep checking back for more!
To enter in our monthly drawing visit CoastalAnglerMag.com/Contest
Congratulations to Sam Winton of omasville, Ga. for winning a Suzuki DF2.5 Portable Outboard Motor from Coastal Angler Magazine and Suzuki Marine. Winton picked up his prize on Labor Day Weekend from Southeastern Marine and Repair in Douglas, Ga. When Winton arrived at the dealership, Kevin Stone presented Winton with a huge winning check and his outboard.
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If you ever get the chance to fish the Kenai Peninsula, you will love it. Get a group of friends, do some research and go. Fish with a guide or on your own. There are so many options and so many fish that it’s hard not to have an amazing adventure.
We also fished from a boat on the Kenai River, where anchored to deploy small Kwikfish. These lures settle into the current near the bottom and vibrate. Fish swimming upstream see them and attack. Unlike the red salmon, which aren’t interested in eating, the pink (humpback) and silver (coho) salmon jumped all over this setup.
again. It was so fun!
Second only to the Kenai’s fishing is the scenery. There is a majestic feel to this area. The views are beautiful, there is amazing wildlife and tons of stuff to see. We saw it all as we drove all over the place chasing fish.
Last, but not least, we fished Skilak Lake, which feeds the Kenai River from the center of the peninsula. This was my favorite place to fish. It is as beautiful as it is full of fish. We stayed 18 days in Alaska and spent our 17th on Skilak, where we slayed the fish. We landed and released more than 100 reds, silvers and trout that day! It was a great note to end our trip.
Gary Turner is a long-time contributor to The Angler Magazine. Contact him at gary@purgeright.com.
Our lodging was in Soldotna, near the mouth of the Kenai River on Cook Inlet. That’s where we fished the Kenai River for red (sockeye) salmon. The famous king salmon season closed before we arrived this year, or we would have been fishing for them. We “flossed” for reds, which is a technique used in rivers to catch salmon that are more interested in their spawning run than they are in feeding. Basically, you use a weighted leader. As pods of fish swim upstream, the line threads an open mouth and you snag the fish when the hook pulls tight. This was combat-style fishing. We stood a rod’s length from other anglers, and it was mayhem when someone hooked up.
laska’s Kenai Peninsula is a world-renowned fishery, known for all of its salmon runs, of which the Kenai River king salmon run is the most famous. The saltwater fishing out of Homer, Deep Creek and Seward are also amazing. I’ve been to Alaska fishing several times, and this year I fished the fresh and the salt with five friends who were all on their first trip. Here’s a quick look at what we did in freshwater. I’ll write about our saltwater adventures in the future.
Twice, we traveled northeast by van to Hope, Alaska, where we fished for pinks in Resurrection Creek. They were so thick that we stayed busy catching and releasing them after we all caught our limits. On our second trip to Resurrection, we went in search of silvers but they had not arrived yet, so we caught pinks
Catch Amazing Action on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula
We also ventured south from Soldotna to the Kasilof River and caught salmon and trout. We crossed the peninsula to Seward and fished the Resurrection River for silvers, pinks and dog (chum) salmon. The river was full of fish, so we fished until it was too dark to see the bears and called it a day at midnight.
By Gary Turner
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advertise their suitability as mates. The big boys spar with each other for the opportunity to fertilize eggs. They become ornery, and are cocked to lash out at anything that catches their eye.
Across the East, brown trout spawn in a window that runs from midSeptember into December. Males and females of the species leave their summer lies to strike out upstream in search of spawning habitat. They are on the move and more visible to anglers than at any other time of year.
“A productive day is relative. When you’re throwing a 10-foot 7-weight and a 250-grain full sinking line with 3 feet of 20-lb. monofilament, you’re not really going for numbers anymore,” said McCrickard. “You’re looking for one, maybe two fish. You kind of have to go out there with the mentality of, ‘I might get skunked today, but I might catch my best fish of the year… or the best fish I’ve caught in the last five years.’”
AggressiveTactics
By Nick Carter
While the females become preoccupied with cutting nests, called redds, on shallow gravel bars in moving water, the males put on bright colors to
The timing is different on every piece of water, but October is thought to be the peak of pre-spawn behavior for most streams and rivers. Since big browns are more aggressive than they are at any other time of year, anglers who target them should fish aggressively.
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Nick Carter is author of “Flyfisher’s Guide to North Carolina & Georgia.” It is available on Amazon or by contacting the author at nsc8957@gmail.com.
“If I have that fish that’s two feet or larger, I’m feeling really confident having that fish on 20-pound as opposed to having it on 2x,” he said.
Alex McCrickard has a go-big or go-home attitude when it comes to fall browns. He’s a former fly fishing guide and the current aquatic education coordinator for the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. As the days grow shorter, McCrickard breaks out his heavy 6- and 7-weight rods to sling big streamers.Onsmaller streams, he’ll fish floating line with a 9-foot leader that tapers down to no lighter than 2x tippet. The long leader allows a weighted streamer to get down in the water column, and 2x has a breaking strength of about 10 pounds. It’s more than enough to handle the 14- to 20-inchers you might encounter in a creek or stream.
ust and jealousy make males of many species do stupid things they wouldn’t normally do. This is true for humans and whitetail deer, and it’s also true for brown trout, which grow aggressive this time of year as they gear up for the spawn.
On a big tailwater, McCrickard gears up with 250-grain sinking line and runs a short 3-foot leader of 0x tippet. If the water is dingy, he’ll fish 3 feet of straight 20-pound monofilament.
On large or small water, pre-spawn browns will hit bigger flies than you’d think they would. This could be a 2- to 3-inch-long Woolly Bugger on a mountain stream or a 6-inch-long articulated pattern on a big river. Either way, it’s a game of covering water persistently and presenting the fly to as many fish as possible.
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“He’s one of those old-school guys,” Brandon Carney said of his father for an article in the Raleigh News & Observer. “His arm might be hanging off, but he won’t let you know it. After about 30 minutes, it rose to about 20 feet below the surface and we could see how big it was.”
The Return of a
IGFA all-tackle world record swordfish weighed 1,182 pounds. It was caught off the coast of Chile in 1953 by Louis Marron.
ANGLER POUND RECORD SWORDFISH
HAND-CRANKS 504
Two hours later, the big fish was boatside. They roped its tail and used the T-top as a pulley to bring it onboard. It measured 104 inches fork length and had a 53-inch girth.
Carney’s swordfish crushed the previous state record by more than 60 pounds. The old record of 441 pounds had stood since 1979. The thing is, if they had hauled it in with the electric reel, it would not have qualified for the record.The
The angler, 59-year-old Cary Carney, was fishing aboard the 32-foot Willow B, which was captained by his son Brandon Carney. They were fishing in about 1,300 feet of water on Aug. 21, when the big broadbill ate a strip of albacore belly. They had the fish on an electric Diawa MP3000 reel, but a blown fuse rendered it inoperable. Carney buckled down and cranked the fish in by hand on 65-pound test line.
A504-pound,
For more information, visit deq.nc.gov.
8-ounce swordfish caught 55 miles off Morehead City, North Carolina was recently certified as a new state record.
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Berkeley County is a wonderland for outdoor enthusiasts, sports buffs, adventure seekers, and water lovers.
From exemplary fishing for striped bass, or a trophy largemouth bass, to our hiking trails and water activities, along with scenic outdoors where you can catch a glimpse of white tail deer and gators, Berkeley County has activities to fit all visitors and families.
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