Coastal Angler Magazine | August 2023 | The Florida Keys Edition

Themarket’s swimming with overpriced dive watches.

We’re here to tell you those guys are all wet. At Stauer our philosophy is everyone deserves the best without having to dig deep into their pockets. We’ve been in the watch industry for decades and know more than a thing or two about getting the ultimate bang for our buck— which means we can pass the fruits of our know-how onto our clients.

Case in point: The Explorer Dive Watch. This tough-as-nails sophisticate would cost you in the thousands if you got it from a high-end retailer that’s really in the business of selling a big name more than a quality watch. We keep the big names out of the equation so we can price this top-notch timepiece for just $99 ––a price that let’s you dive in and have enough left over for an excursion or two...or three.

You’re getting a lot for your money with this watch. The Explorer is the perfect companion in any locale–– whether you’re exploring coral reefs or investigating the rum options at a beachside bar. With a case, band and crown of stainless steel, this watch is built to last, and its water resistance rating of 20 ATM means it can handle most of your aquatic adventures to a depth of 678 feet. The striking metallic blue face reflects the

deep waters it was designed to explore and it’s sporty screw-down crown can take the pressure in stride.

Your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed. If you are not completely convinced you got excellence for less, simply return the Explorer Dive Watch within 30 days for a refund of the item price. At Stauer, we never leave our customers high and dry. Limited Edition. Sure you could give your hard-earned money to those other guys, but why would you? We’ve got the thinking man’s timepiece right here. This watch takes six months to engineer and it’s already making waves, so we can’t guarantee it will be around for long. Call today, and experience how good it feels to get true luxury for less.

Offer

“...dive watches feel authentic—they project an air of necessity which other categories of timepieces simply fail to match”

disappoint.”

By Capt. Quinlyn Haddon

Athe cooler waters of great depths, deep-water grouper are some of the better tasting sh in the ocean. of deep-water grouper we target o coast of the Florida Keys are snowy grouper and yellowedge grouper. ey are found in depths of 400 to 1,000 feet.

Yellowedge are open year-round, and they can be a little di cult to nd. ey congregate in localized areas in depths between 600 and 800 feet. You might nd snowies and tile sh where you nd yellowedges, but this is not true the other way around. When you nd an area with yellowedge grouper, mark it, save it, and do not over sh it. Keep your harvest light, and this honey-hole will produce for you again in the future.

When making a deep-dropping rig, use larger hooks on the top and bottom of a ve-hook rig. Mustad 11/0 circle hooks provide excellent hookup ratios for this kind of shing. A x larger baits on these hooks, with the bottom intended for yellowedge, and the top intended for snowy grouper. Pepper in smaller ones in the middle for tile sh.

e nice part about dropping ve hooks is you can play with a variety and see what works. e best

to do what it is made to do.

Bait selection can vary greatly, so use anything and everything. I use chunks of fresh sh, with skin that will stay on the hook longer, for my top and bottom hooks, and squid in the middle. At least one hook should have some greasy, oily, stinky squid for deep dropping.

When it comes to catching deep-water species such as grouper, tile sh, barrel sh and rosies, you don’t need to break the bank to get a reliable electric set-up. e lower priced reels can handle these and can be paired with a rod and stacked with line on a budget of $1,000 to $2,000. I don’t recommend buying these used, as everything electronic on the water has a shelf life, and you never know how they were cared for previously.

With mahi-mahi still prevalent in o shore waters, and with snowy grouper still in season, the timing is perfect to hunt yellowedge grouper. If you aren’t interested in the trial and error of searching the depths of the vast ocean by yourself, Sweet

Tesoro spinning reels feature a carbonite high-output DFD drag system with Cal’s drag grease that puts out over 55-pounds of fsh stopping power. Built with strength and protection in mind, Tesoro features an IPX-7 full-body waterproof design and proprietary ALUMILITE body, side plate and rotor. With an interchangeable screw-in handle system and fve models from 8000 to 20000 size, Tesoro spinning reels are sure to complement any big game saltwater arsenal.

okumafshingusa.com TA-140000HA

E’nuf Charters’ two-boat eet is available to help put you on the grouper.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SWEET E’ NUF CHARTERS.

BILL DANCE SIGNATURE LAKES to Solidify Tennessee as the Heart of Fishing in the Southeast

Bill Dance Signature Lakes will connect the world’s most-loved angler with some of Tennessee’s most excellent natural resources – its lakes. is program is intended to make Tennessee a best-in-class destination for anglers worldwide.

With the new initiative’s goal to improve and enhance Tennessee lakes, increase visitation and honor Dance’s legacy, Tennessee will invest $15 million in improvements above and below the water at 18 lakes that bear shing legend Dance’s stamp of approval. Tennesseans will bene t from increased stocking, habitat and sheries management and improved access for shing and boating. e collaborative e ort between Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, Tennessee State Parks and Tennessee Department of Tourist Development seeks to solidify Tennessee as the heart of shing in the southeast and drive economic activity across the state.

“I’m unbelievably humbled and excited to be involved in such a helpful project that will bene t so many people and our natural resources in my great home state of Tennessee,” said Bill Dance. “You can bet your favorite lure this project will have a ripple e ect for a mighty long time, not only giving the weekend sherman but tournament anglers a wonderful shery as well, thanks to the great state of Tennessee and my friends at TWRA.”

Bill Dance Signature Lakes touches 39 counties, including 22 at-risk or economically distressed counties, and is an essential step in helping those communities create new revenue streams through increased visitation. Fishing generates $1.2 billion in economic impact annually and supports 7,480 jobs across the state.

Bill Dance Signature Lakes includes nine large reservoirs with a proven track record for quality shing for a variety of sh. In partnership with the Tennessee Valley Authority, reservoirs will receive new or upgraded best-inclass ramps to improve public access for both recreational and tournament anglers. Each of the 18 lakes will see such above-water upgrades as courtesy docks, ample parking, additional access points, shing piers and signage, to name a few. Several smaller lakes, many which are located within Tennessee State Parks, will be managed intensively by TWRA for Bill Dance approved family shing with regular stocking to ensure the best chance for success.

Projects are slated to begin in 2022 and near completion by the fall of 2024. For more information, see www.tnvacation.com.

Hanapa‘a - Mahi

Hanapa‘a

Hanapa‘a - Ahi

Hanapa‘a - Marlin

Performance Bulletin Available

59 YEARS OF REPOWER EXPERIENCE!

Mastry Engine Center has received the Suzuki Marine Super Service Award and has been ranked #1 in Suzuki Marine US Sales!

Repower packages designed to best fit your needs and not stretch your budget. Financing available.

All Suzuki repowers come with the new Suzuki 5-year factory warranty.

Many of our Suzuki RePower Centers feature Water Accessible Drop Travel Lifts.

Suzuki RePower Centers are stationed around the southeast to help with your Suzuki service and repower needs.

GETS THE FISH

When the low for the month is 82 degrees and the highs average 100, we have to make some modi cations to our lifestyles… and so do the sh. Let’s cover a few opportunities to take advantage of as we try to entice a bite this summer.

In the past I have written about some night shing techniques, but I realize that is not for everyone. However, optimizing your time on the water when the temperatures are at their coolest is imperative.

Water and air temps should be at their coolest just before dawn, and that is prime time to be chunking and winding. I like to be casting at least 30 minutes before the rising sun. I recommend locating an area that will have ample tidal ow. is obviously encourages the sh to feed, and it also helps keep the temperature lower. Pair the moving tide with some structure like shells or deeper water adjacent to a shallow at, and you should be in business. e area obviously needs to be holding bait, also.

Topwater lures are always fun and a popular

choice before and at sunrise in August. Once that bite slows, it’s time to bounce the bottom with some plastics. I try to not specify jighead weight if I am not covering a speci c location because it depends on tide, depth and a score of other variables. I would position myself to cast toward the shallows and bring my lure down the drop o . is is a good method to locate sh and cover di erent depths. Fish could be shallow early and fall o the edge as the sun rises. I also like to vary my retrieve speed, and don’t be afraid to work your lure very slowly ticking the bottom structure. Fish in warm water can become lethargic just as they do in cold water. Another time to hit the water is a er a summer rain. Take advantage of these showers, which cool

the water temps. ese periods can be short-lived depending on the extent and duration of the rain event. Heavy lighting tends to slow the bite a er the storm moves on, so I am not a big fan of shing a er a lightning storm.

I hope these tips can help you catch a few more sh this summer and stay out of the heat. Another bene t of shing early and heading home is you have the rest of the day to do other things. Wear your sun block, stay hydrated, and have a fun summer on the water!

Capt. Michael Okruhlik is the inventor of Knockin Tail Lures®, and the owner of www.MyCoastOutdoors.com.

PHOTO COURTESY OF KNOCKIN TAIL LURES®

FIND THE BAIT, FIND THE FISH

Tim Barefoot

August is a pre-transition month, when we’re at the end of summer, and just before the true transition months of September and October. e shing can be hot as a recracker if you pay attention to the bait. is is a pre-staging month for the bait and the bottom sh, as well. Huge schools of cigar minnows and sardines will start their annual migration toward inshore waters for spawning, waiting for the fall and winter.

When o shore bottom shing, I’m looking for large stacks of beeliners as well as cigs and sardines. is is where you nd the sh. Period. Many years ago when I was commercial shing, we would stay for days at a time looking for grouper and snapper. We concentrated on the bait as much as the structure. If you found these two together (bait on a ledge), so much the better, but we o en found sh on slick, at, sand bottom on stacks of bait. We’d anchor on these big stacks of bait and go to work. If the bait school moved, so did the sh… and so did we! We’d y the anchor and move around until we found them again. It was just like magic, with instant bites on the bottom. is is the reason I keep saying, nd the bait, nd the sh. It doesn’t matter where these big stacks of bait go, the sh will follow.

With late summer water temperatures, pelagics like the tunas, wahoo and dolphin are scattered all over the nearshore waters due to the hot water. e water temperatures on the beach will be close to the water temps in the Gulf Stream by now, and the sh will follow bait wherever it goes. In August and September, some unsuspecting king mackerel sherman always catches a stud wahoo trolling live bait on some nearshore stack of bait. I remember wrestling a yellow n for more than an hour on lightweight king mackerel tackle just 10 miles o the

beach. We were bottom shing and had a live cigar minnow out on the light line. Eventually, I lost the ght due to a swivel that couldn’t take it anymore. Ha! Neither could I.

Keep a good eye on the recorder and any surface activity around structure. You know the areas that hold the big schools of cigs and sardines. Keep going back to these places now and into September. is is where you’ll nd what you’re looking for.

I’ve always been a bait freak. Now that I’ve seen more than just a few cycles of what happens through the seasons, I’m better able to see the big picture. Bait moves around for speci c reasons during di erent seasons. Whatever you are shing for requires food to keep them in a place. So… nd the bait, nd the sh.

For more from Capt. Tim Barefoot, check out Barefootcatsandtackle.com.

A nice scamp caught o a big stack of beeliners.

CATCH LATE SUMMER TRIPLETAIL SOAKING IN THE SUN

By Emily Hanzlik

In late summer, the humidity is crazy and the heat wants to take you down. e shing can slow down during this time; however, chilling in the sun is a lifestyle for some sh species.

e tripletail is one of the strangest sh in the ocean. Tripletail are usually dark brown with some lighter shades mixed around, and they can sometimes be yellow, depending on their area. ese sh don’t have a typical body structure. Instead, they have a at almond-shaped body and get their name from the appearance of having three tails, which is an adaptation of enlarged lobes on the posterior ns. ey usually don’t grow any larger than 15 pounds and typically range from 20-30 inches. For their size, they put up a heck of a ght.

Many tagging studies have been done on these sh to track their migrations. However, science has yet to gure it all out. e idea is they move north to south, then back up the coast going no further than Georgia. In the Gulf, they make it as far as Texas. e timing of their movements appears to be random, but it probably depends on currents, since they don’t free swim much.

Sometime during the summer months, tripletail will oat o shore to breed. Like most,

they broadcast spawn, with females producing anywhere from 4 to 8 million eggs. ey can spawn every three to ve days.

When these sh aren’t o shore spawning, they typically hang near lots of structure. You might spot them oating near crab buoys, mangroves, oating leaves and poles in the water. Tripletail are known for mimicking and blending in with their surroundings. is makes it especially di cult while shing to spot these creatures. However, it gives them amazing bene t, since their prey is also hiding in these places. Tripletail usually prey on shrimp, sh and small crabs.

ere are many di erent ways to target tripletail. Since they aren’t big swimmers, you’ll normally nd them oating around with seaweed or next to buoys. You can pitch baits, like live shrimp, to target them. Usually, you’ll want to use a small live bait hook without a weight to get a natural dri in front of them. If live bait isn’t your style, you can also use small jigs or swimbaits to grab their attention. Another great way is y shing. Here, you’ll want a y that mimics a small shrimp or bait sh. When targeting them, make sure to nd which end is their face. en try to dri your o ering in front of their nose.

e current IGFA all-tackle world record is

42 pounds. It was caught in South Africa in 1989.

Emily Rose Hanzlik holds 62 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.

PHOTO COURTESY OF AMY LOCKHART

Let’s grow with Florida together.

Florida Keys

DOG DAYS OF SUMMER

The dog days of summer are upon us here in the Florida Keys. In my area of Islamorada, the early morning fishing has been pretty decent lately as we have been leaving the dock by 6am and by the time we get 1/2 way to the Flamingo backcountry area to fish, the sun is just coming up. It makes for some great photos and it’s simply a great way to start the day!

The backcountry has been on fire with a lot of smaller snook and tarpon and we have been

By: Capt. Greg Poland

catching them on artificial baits as well as doing quite a bit of fly fishing. Because we get off to such an early start this time of the year and leaving so early, the fact is that summer shrimp are just so small now so it’s the perfect time to give the artificial baits a try. There are so many to choose from and honestly, I get my info from my neighbors next door as these kids are masters at making the rubber baits swim like pilchards do.

Attached are a few photos from some recent trips to the Flamingo backcountry area. I have also been hearing some great reports from the guys fishing offshore, but I have not been out that direction in quite a while. Mostly, I have been fishing for snapper and with enough chum and pilchards we have put quite a few nice ones into the Yeti. If you get out early enough you will stay cooler while out fishing and if you would like to get out on the water in your boat or mine give me a call and I’ll show you how we get it done this time of the year.

— Contact Capt. Greg at 305.393.3327 or email gregpoland@icloud.com Instagram: gregpoland Facebook: Fishing in the Florida Keys with Capt. Greg Poland

BUGGIN’ OUT

By: Capt. Angelia Swanson

ugust brings one of my personal favorite and most exciting times of the year in the Florida KeysLOBSTER SEASON! Even though we have our 2-day mini season the last Wednesday and Thursday in July, as of August 6th our annual season starts and harvesting of these delicious ocean dwellers goes through March 31st of the next year.

Some tips from my personal experience of many years of lobstering would be to first have some hunting spots picked out ahead of time. There are a lot of people out on the reef hunting lobster on opening day, so having some spots picked out ahead of time is an advantage. Most people are staking out their spots well before sunrise and you can see hundreds of anchor lights shining across the reef just waiting for the sun to break the surface of the horizon. Secondly, I highly advise for maximum hunting success to have a formidable partner. These buggers are quick, and they shoot backwards with amazing speed. They are often located within our coral heads that have many holes in them. As one person uses the “tickle stick” in a hole on one side of the coral head, the lobster will shoot backwards and out of a hole on the other side. Having a

Apartner on the other side waiting with a net to catch them as they try to escape is key for teaming up on the lobster and maximizing your efforts.

My most important words of advice on your lobster hunting endeavors is to follow the regulations set in place by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The rules vary from area to area and are strictly enforced. Always measure your lobster while under water with the approved measuring device. Adhere to the legal limit of six lobster per person per day. No double dipping with two trips! Save your enthusiasm for the next day! Make sure to have your dive flag up during your time in the water, and take it down afterwards, even if just moving to another spot. And avoid any areas marked as Marine Sanctuaries. It is illegal to harvest ANY marine life in these sanctuaries and law enforcement is on the water in great numbers to enforce these laws. Also, stay away from the commercial traps. It is a felony to try to remove lobster from commercial traps and there is no recreational trapping of lobsters allowed.

While you are lobstering, please respect our coral. We have been blessed to have over 120 miles of the only living coral barrier reef in the continental United States. Standing on or bumping the coral can damage it and anchoring on it will cause severe damage. Always use a mooring ball or anchor in sandy bottom areas.

When in doubt, download the Fish Rules App. It will use your GPS position to give you exact regulations from your location.

— Come out fishing with me by contacting me at: floridasaltycowgirl.com | 813-610-0078

BEATING THE HEAT

By: Capt. Bruce Andersen

August, here we go. We’re in the dog days of summer and it is blazing hot out there! As hot as it is I can’t think of a better way to beat the heat than heading offshore for some fishing with maybe a quick dip at the sandbar on the way home. Pack up the family, bring plenty of cold beverages, sunscreen, and a big straw hat and go enjoy the beautiful waters of the Florida Keys one last time before school starts!

We’ve got several options for fishing this time of year. Offshore, mahi fishing is still a great option and some of my better days fishing for dolphin have come late in the summer, especially the last couple of years. The black fin tuna fishing also really starts to heat up in August, and together with the mahi make for an awesome offshore experience. So far this year the seaweed hasn’t been nearly as bad as many reports on the news and social media had made it out to be. There’s actually been a little bit less sargasso weed than many of the past several years, but there’s still enough to form up nice weed lines and large patches most days which is great for mahi fishing.

On the reef the snapper are biting! Mangrove, yellowtail, and mutton snapper are all part of the catch. The tail end of the mangrove snapper spawn is still going strong with huge hordes of mangroves on many of the reef spots in 30 to 60 feet of water. I like to chum heavy for these fish. You’ll often get the small and medium sized fish chummed right up to the surface where you can catch them on light spinning tackle. While this is going on don’t forget to put a bait on the bottom for a chance at the large ones! Cut bait of many types will work, but live pilchards will really spark up the bite if you have them.

After a day of fishing it’s always a great idea to hit the sandbar for a quick dip to cool off! As long as I have enough notice that you’re interested in the sandbar it’s always an option on the way in from a fishing charter. Give me a call and let’s get out there one more time before summer is gone!

— www.captaineasycharters.com

You can reach Captain Bruce Andersen at Capt. Easy Charters, MM 85, call 305.360.2120 or email at: captbrucekey@comcast.net

CHANGE OF SEASONS

By: Beth Steele

The deep blue waters have been cooperating perfectly this month with mostly 1-2 ft. seas. It’s been so calm like a lake, but this time of the year it always seems to be extremely hot.

The mahi and mutton snapper have been abundant and nice in size. Swordfishing has also been on point (no pun intended.) Deep dropping season has ended for certain species, which is always a bummer as it is one of my favorite fishing techniques, but also gives us anglers the opportunity to fish for something different. With some luck, I recently tagged and released three swordfish and kept an additional two for the friends and family to enjoy. We saw so many dolphins on the last trip out as they just seemed to be everywhere! Dolphins are so much fun to watch, and it is always a beautiful sight to see them dancing in front of the sunrises and sunsets.

I lucked out with another big golden tile fish. It’s kind of crazy the number of ways you can cook a single fish, but no matter how you cook it, nothing beats fresh fish!

I’m super excited for mini season and it is definitely one of the busiest times of the year in The Florida Keys. Captains are thriving with all the trips they are booking, and spots are filling up quick. Make sure to book your next fishing charter with Hooker Booker!

Here

— Beth Steele | Owner, Hooker Booker LLC fishing@hookerbooker.com | @hookerbookerllc

USE CODE: CAM10 FOR 10% OFF!

www.theknottydawg.com

The Knotty Dawg is an apparel and dog accessory company that gives back to animal shelters and rescues in need. Owners Samantha and Kevin Mesa mixed the love of their lifestyle, dogs, and charity to create relatable and meaningful products. The brand is dedicated to and inspired by the couple's two pups, Beau and Buddy. Both rescued from local shelters. With thousands of amazing dogs in shelters, Samantha and Kevin want to use their brand to not only share their dogs' stories but also to inspire and educate people about adoption.

@TheKnottyDawg

Summer Fishing and Diving

By Captain Tony Young

When fishermen think of summer in the Florida Keys, they think of mahi mahi. As anglers head offshore, the shallow water patch reefs and reef ledges are often skipped over. This provides for a huge opportunity to capitalize on one of the best fisheries we have in the Florida Keys, our summertime Mangrove Snapper. From full moon night fishing, fishing with kids, or shallow water freedive spearfishing, the summertime snapper bite is something you do not want to skip over.

Mangrove snapper is a species of snapper that moves out to the shallow patch reefs and deeper reef ledges to spawn in the summer months. A long-time tradition and one of my favorite ways to catch these fish is targeting them at night during a full moon. These snapper will be feeding all night during a full moon and with the right setup you can raise the fish up and get them right behind your boat. Using live bait, pilchards or pinfish, will help you target the larger mangrove snapper that reach well over 20 inches in size. One of the best parts of fishing at night is simply being one of the few boats on the water and watching the summertime storms pass through the bay waters of the Florida Keys. This is the perfect way to enjoy some easy fishing with friends or family!

Night fishing the deeper reef ledges is my favorite way to target mangrove snapper, but daytime fishing the shallow patch reefs is equally as fun. If you are heading back in from an offshore mahi trip, or looking to have some fun with junior anglers, the shallow patch reefs are always worth a stop. With a little bit of chum and patience, it should not take long for you to have a good number of fish behind the boat. The fishing here is shallow and very visual, most of the time you can sight fish the snapper and this is a great way to teach kids how to feel the bite as they can see what is going on. I like to run one rod on the surface for the kids and two rods on the bottom with live baits for adults. The larger fish usually stay near the bottom and can’t resist a good live bait below the feeding frenzy going on above them. On the surface you will catch the smaller to midsized snapper, perfect for lighter tackle that the kids can easily handle. It does not take long to put a few fish in the cooler, and this is the perfect way to end a day of offshore fishing.

These shallow patch reefs are not only productive for anglers, but also entry level freedivers. Many of the spots we like to visit are only 20-40 feet of water, perfect for the newer diver that is just getting their fins wet. The reefs themselves are beautiful, teaming with life, there is always something to look at while hunting these areas. A decent breath hold and simple speargun, we like the 45-50” hatch Amero speargun with a small reel, is all you need to harvest a few good sized mangrove snappers from this depth. Most of the larger snapper will be on the bottom, often under or near the edge of coral. These fish will be schooling, so it is important to relax as you dive and target the largest fish that is within shooting range during your breath hold. Although there may be a larger fish in the distance, minimize your movements and shoot what is within your range. The common mistake we see is divers having a hard time choosing a fish, leading to a split last-minute trigger pull that often results in spooking the school away. It is easy to tell if you startle the school, they will swim away from you sideways to the sand with their backs darker than the rest of their body. If this happens, it’s best to leave the fish and try another spot. Always dive close to your buddy, no matter how shallow the water is, keep an eye on each other and dive one person at a time.

The summertime angrove snapper fishery is something we look forward to all year long. It opens up some great opportunities for young anglers, entry level freediving, and exciting live bait night fishing. The summer months are also a busy time of year for the Florida Keys. As always, respect other anglers and always fly a good dive flag.

Enjoy your fishing and dive safely!

— Capt. Tony Young can be reached at Forever Young Spearfishing in Islamorada, FL at 305-680-8879

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

The 2023 lobster mini-season is scheduled for July 26 and 27 and that means coastal waters will be flooded with lobster hunters angling for this year’s bounty.

“Mini-season is a great time for residents and visitors alike, and I want to ensure everyone is aware of the law and has fun in a responsible, and safe manner,” said Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay.

A new website, www.keyslobsterseason.com, includes interactive videos with need-to-know dive and boating safety tips, up-to-date rules, and regulations such as daily limits, harvesting techniques, and no-take zones. Marine thefts commonly happen in the Florida Keys and thieves may see mini-season as an opportunity to target people who aren’t being careful with their valuables. Make sure you remove electronics, fishing, and diving gear from your boat.

Keys to remember:

• If you’re keeping your vessel at a marina, talk to the manager about security measures in place.

• Always stow and remove fishing gear and valuables on your vessel.

• Use security video wherever possible and link it to your phone using Bluetooth technology.

• Drive carefully on and off the water. Pay attention to those around you. Be patient.

• Drunk boating is as illegal as drinking and driving

Let’s CALL 911 IF A CRIME IS TAKING PLACE

2023 NOW HIRING: — $5,000 Detention Deputy — Trainee sign-on bonus! — $3,000 Communications — Officer sign-on bonus!

mini-season

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!

The Billy Knowles Memorial Poor Boys Tarpon Fly Tournament 2023 OFFICIAL RESULTS

The Billy Knowles Memorial Tarpon Fly Fishing Tournament is held annually out of the Lorelei Restaurant and Cabana bar with the kickoff on July 4th and fishing on July 5th & 6th. The tournament was originally started by local guides over 40 years ago to be held after the “Big 4” Tarpon Tournaments. This unique tournament allows guides and family members a chance to fish together and gives anyone the opportunity to compete and catch a silver king on fly.

2023 was a record year with 26 teams competing and 65 tarpon measuring at least 4 feet long were released over two days of fishing.

Final Results:

• Will Swope went home with Best Junior Angler with 5 releases over all

• Paul Ross & KC Spaulding won High Point Day 1 with 5 releases

• Rob Fordyce & Kyle Fordyce won High Point Day 2 with 4 releases

• Parker Cox & Jake Leon came in Third Runner Up with 6 total releases (on time) Adam Fernandez & Derek Rust came in Second Runner Up with 6 total releases Paul Ross & KC Spaulding went home as Grand Champions for the second year in a row with 7 total releases Registration

Paul Ross & KC Spaulding High Point Day 1 with 5 releases won leather sheaths by Backyard Leather

Rob Fordyce & Kyle Fordyce High Point Day 2 with 4 releases won leather sheaths by Backyard Leather

Group Photo of the Poor Boys Crew at the Lorelei

Grand Champions Paul Ross & KC Spaulding - 7 Releases

Adam Fernandez & Derek Rust Second Runner Up with 6 releases won Costa Sunglasses & tarpon by Custom Salty Signs

Paul Ross & KC Spaulding High Point Day 1 with 5 releases won leather sheaths by Backyard Leather

Jake Leon & Parker Cox Third Runner Up (on time) with 6 releases won carved wood tarpon paintings

Will Swope Best Junior Angler with 5 releases overall won a custom rod by Frank Venable

By: Randy Morrow

As a kayak fishing guide, I meet a wide variety of anglers, from novice to expert. Some of my clients just want an occasional day on the water, while others plan their vacations completely around fishing. One of my best anglers is John V., who averages 250 days on the water every year. John hails from Annapolis, Maryland, and is one of the best fishermen with a spinning rod that I’ve seen. He usually makes the trip to the Lower Florida Keys at least twice a year and will hire me for multiple days each time he visits.

He likes catching a variety of species, no matter the size. But there were a few fish on John’s bucket list for this trip, notably juvenile tarpon and goliath grouper. We had fished for tarpon on a previous trip, but our hookup ratio hadn’t been very good.

Since the weather for the first two days of his trip was forecast to have almost no wind, I suggested we make tarpon the focus of our trip, with an emphasis on improving our number of landed fish.

Consistent success with small tarpon does involve some simple, yet subtle techniques. The 2 things that are the trickiest for most anglers are knowing when to set the hook and how to set the hook. Regarding when, you want to wait until you’re sure the fish has eaten the bait. Many hair-triggered anglers will give a big yank as soon as they see or feel anything. Since tarpon aren’t “nibblers”, there’s no need to be too quick about the hookset. Sometimes the smaller fish will swipe at the lure and miss, even multiple times. But once you feel a strong pull from the fish, then set the hook. As to how, I like two short but very firm hook sets. The hard, bony mouth of a tarpon is a difficult place to plant a hook, but the dramatic over-the-shoulder stuff you see on TV isn’t recommended. Just a couple of short, very firm pops should do it. John patiently put all of these things into practice, and in two mornings of tarpon fishing, John jumped 12 fish and landed 7, which are solid numbers in the tarpon game!

Next on his bucket list was goliath grouper. I knew a few spots to find them but catching them is tricky due to the fact that they like to stay in the mangrove roots and generally will only come out briefly to eat before returning quickly back to the cover of the trees.

I set up a medium heavy rod and cut up some frozen ballyhoo for bait. After throwing some small slivers of the bait downstream to wake up the fish, I had John cast into a very narrow creek. Within seconds he was hooked up and battling a nice specimen!

The rest of our time together was also productive with several species landed, including a fantastic sight-cast bonefish.

As always, if I can help you with your kayak fishing adventures in the Lower Florida Keys, call, text or email me anytime!

CAPT. JOEL’S FISHIN’ HOLES

By: Capt. Joel Brandenburg

ne of our favorite fish to target during the heat of summer is mangrove snapper. The Mangrove snapper spawn starts in the beginning of July and ends at the end of August. We like mangrove snapper because they are fun to fight, great to spear fish, school up to chum and they’re very tasty table fare. Many people agree that Mangrove snapper meat is the finest snapper meat. More firm than yellowtail or mutton and whiter meat than Queen, vermillion, Lane or School Master. When Mangrove snapper are spawning, they do nothing but feed and breed.

The females are thick and juicy and full of roe. The males are fat too, spewing seaman and puking chum all over the place when boated. Avid Mangrove snapper anglers in the Florida Keys know the best summer snapper bite has to be at night on a moving tide under the last full moon of July and the first full moon of August.

During that night bite we like to use bright lights and a lot of chum. We have several different spots on the reef that we anchor up on, but without posting Lats and Longs, we’ll say the best spots are deeper than 25ft and shallower than 65ft in our opinion. The best bait in order is small pinfish, small goggle eyes, large razor bellied pilchards, large Sandy Key pilchards, large glass min-

nows, mahari sand perch, large live shrimp, cut ballyhoo, cut fresh squid and dead peeled shrimp. The best rigs in order is a Carolina rig which is a small egg sinker attached to your main line sitting on a swivel with 3 or 4 feet of 12lb to 17lb fluorocarbon moon leader with a 1.0 or 2.0 short shaft “J” hook. The next best is a knocker rig where the small egg sinker slides down the leader and sits on top of the eye of a 1.0 or 2.0 short shaft “J” hook. The next would have to be what’s called a chicken rig. I won’t try to describe it, just google chicken rig. The old faithful is your bait hooked to an appropriately sized jig head which a 1/8th ounce jig is the normal go to size depending on the speed of the current. The mangrove snappers annual migration is as follows:

The most popular Summer Mangrove Spawning spot to fish in Marathon is called “the parking lot” about a mile and a half west of the Sombrero Light house in 32ft of water.

O• Winter: bridges, wrecks, structure, feeding on moving tides.

• Spring: back country, flats, gulf pre-spawn feeding.

• Summer: coral and limestone and patch reefs, spawning feeding and breeding.

• Fall: back country, flats, gulf post spawn feeding. My personal best Mangrove snapper weighed about 5lbs and measured over 25 inches. The IGFA world record mangrove snapper was caught by Tim Champagne from Lafayette La caught in a little unincorporated shrimping, crabbing and fishing village called Cocodrie in Terrebonne Parish, LA on Oct 9th of 2015 and weighed in at 18.63 lbs. and didn’t list how many inches long it was but I’d estimate over 40inches if I was to guess. Some big mangrove snapper have been caught right in our back yard in Marathon Florida Keys. The most popular Summer Mangrove Spawning spot to fish in Marathon is called “the parking lot” about a mile and a half west of the Sombrero Light house in 32ft of water. Most locals know the parking lot. If you go to the parking lot or any other busy reef spot just remember don’t drive through another angler’s chum slick. Hope to see y’all out there!

— 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.

Florida Keys

If you have a catch to brag about send your picture and caption to: flkeys@coastalanglermagazine.com

Julie landed this Mahi off the coast of Marathon.

August Needles caught this 34” Snook fishing in the Marquesas Keys.

Big snowy grouper caught aboard the Main Attraction Charters.

Clark Bowcock with a monster Golden Tilefish caught with Captain Mike Taute of LFish Charters

Lyndsey Bowcock landed this beautiful Mutton Snapper with LFish Charters.

FLORIDA’S WATERS NEED YOUR HELP!

Anglers, your help is needed: Florida’s waters are in serious trouble.

Even a partial list of facts demonstrates the broad failure of Florida’s environmental regulatory system to protect our waters.

• Red tides have increased dramatically in frequency, duration and intensity.

• South Florida is bracing for yet another summer of massive blue-green algae blooms.

• Nearly a million acres of estuaries and 9,000 miles of rivers and streams are contaminated with fecal bacteria.

• Seagrass beds are on the brink of a death spiral.

• Eighty percent of our 1,000 springs are polluted.

• No state has lost more acres of wetlands.

• No state has more acres of polluted lake water. When it comes to our polluted waters, the buck stops with the state. Florida waters su er because our state government permits pollution and environmental degradation through its actions and inactions.

e primary problem is special interests, such as big agriculture, big development and big mining, which wield undue in uence over legislators and thus environmental policy. It’s pro t over public interest.

In 2020, looking to clean up their polluted waterways themselves, an astounding 89 percent of Orange County voters approved a Right to Clean Water/Rights of Nature charter amendment.

e state legislature swi ly took that right away by preempting the authority of local governments statewide from passing such laws. If you want proof that a rights-based approach to protecting our waters would be e ective, it’s right there.

at preemption le Floridians with only one viable course of action: amend our state constitution to give all Floridians a fundamental right to clean and healthy waters, a right beyond the reach of legislators. e amendment is indefeasible and self-executing; it can’t be annulled or compromised by the legislature.

is fundamental right would be on par with other fundamental rights such as the right to free speech and the right to bear arms.

Given how critical clean water is to Floridians, we merit this right. We need this right. With it enshrined in our constitution, we can hold state government accountable when it permits pollution and degradation of our waters and aquatic ecosystems.

To get on the 2024 ballot, 891,589 signed and approved petitions are needed by Nov. 30, 2023.

Go to FloridaRightToCleanWater.org to read the full text of the amendment. Browse the FAQs. Note the growing list of over 150 organizations and businesses supporting this amendment.

CONSTITUTIONAL

Learn that this right doesn’t mean your neighbor can sue you for fertilizing your lawn, or that there will be a proliferation of lawsuits. It means our government must provide real remedies for polluted waterways. en, if you are a registered Florida voter, print out, sign, and mail the petition. Get family and friends to do the same.

Florida waters depend upon it, and we all depend upon clean water.

Visit FloridaRightToCleanWater.org for more ways you can help make a di erence.

Ballot Title:

Ballot Summary:

Amendment Information

Right to Clean and Healthy Waters

This amendment creates a fundamental right to clean and healthy waters. The amendment may be used to sue State executive agencies for harm or threatened harm to Florida’s waters, which include aquatic ecosystems. This amendment defines terms, identifies affected constitutional provisions in Article IV governing the executive branch, provides for civil action enforcement, allows attorney’s and expert witness fees to prevailing plaintiffs, and provides equitable remedies including restoration of waters.

See separate document for the full text of the proposed constitutional amendment.

04/22/2022 2202 Date Approved Serial Number

Sponsor's Information (Return all completed petition forms to the address below.) Name: Address:

FloridaRighttoCleanWater.org

13300 South Cleveland Avenue Suite 56 Fort Myers, FL 33907

Voter's Information

I am a registered voter of Florida and hereby petition the Secretary of State to place the above proposed amendment to the Florida Constitution on the ballot in the general election.

Address

Update my voter registration record to this address. (check box)

Petition Circulator's Information

This Petition form is only to be collected by a volunteer or directly by the voter him or herself.

A paid petition circulator must use the DS-DE 155B version of the form. Forms for paid petition circulators can be obtained from the Division's Paid Petition Circulator website. Visit https://dos.elections.myflorida.com/InitiativePetitions/ for more information.

Attention

• This form becomes a public record once filed with the Supervisor of Elections.

• It is a first degree misdemeanor to knowingly sign the same petition more than once. [§104.185, F.S.]

• An improperly completed form will not be validated.

DS-DE 155A (10-2021) R1S-2.009, Fla. Admin. Code

THROW A WACKY RIG TO GET BIT!

TYLER WOOLCOTT

Have you ever heard the saying, “going catching, not shing?”

Well, there’s a technique that will help you do just that. More than any other bait I can think of, a wacky rig gets bit at any time, under any conditions. If you haven’t heard of a wacky rig, it’s simply a Senko-style bait with a hook through the very center of the worm.

ere are a few reasons this bait outperforms many others when it comes to getting bites. First o , it is versatile when it comes to areas where you can throw it. I wacky rig with a weedless hook, which allows me to pretty much put this bait anywhere. Hayabusa makes an awesome hook called the Wacky Fluoro Guard that is completely weedless and helps you sh through cover. What kind of cover? e options are endless. Docks, grass, wood and rocks are some of the places I’ll throw a wacky rig.

I use a spinning rod with a wacky rig, which allows easier casts, especially when skipping the bait under cover most people can’t reach. A wacky rig skips extremely well, and this lets you reach sh that might never have seen a bait before. e natural falling shimmy action of the Senko drives sh absolutely crazy. It will catch bass when nothing else seems to be working.

For colors, I like green pumpkin or some type of brown when the water is clear. If there’s some stain to the water, I use a darker color like junebug or redbug to help it stand out. In muddy water, the silhouette of a darker bait is what the bass pick up on.

Typically, the slower you sh a wacky rig, the better. I throw it or skip it under and around cover and then let it sink for a few seconds. A lot of times, bass will eat it on the initial fall. If not, I give it a few small twitches or a pull of the rod to cover some area. Repeat this process a few times until your bait leaves the strike zone. If there is a sh around, it will bite.

Wacky Rig Gear

A spinning rod is ideal for this technique. I like a shorter rod for more accurate casts and skips. e 13 Fishing Defy 7’1” medium is an awesome rod for a wacky rig, and it’s super a ordable. Pair it with your favorite 2000 or 3000 size reel, and spool up with 10-pound Seaguar Smackdown braid. I use a uorocarbon leader to help keep the line visibility down. A 10- to 15-pound leader works, depending on the type of cover I am targeting. Seaguar Abrazx is an awesome uorocarbon line that I use for most of my spinning rod leaders.

Tyler Woolcott is a professional tournament angler and guide. Check out his website at www.tylerwoolcott shing.com.

Surf Expo, the premier watersports and coastal lifestyle tradeshow, enhances the buying experience for both watersports and out tter retailers with the debut of its new Shoreline o ering during the Sept. 7-9, 2023 edition.

Shoreline at Surf Expo will feature products dedicated to technical apparel, equipment and gear any enthusiast needs to transition from a day on the water to stretching out on land.

“From the trails to the lakes and beyond, Shoreline at Surf Expo supports the natural evolution of the waterman’s lifestyle with gear, apparel and accessories that will take consumers from coastal shoreline activities into camping, hiking, climbing and other recreational activities found along rivers and lakes,” said Roy Turner, Emerald SVP and Surf Expo Show Director.

Shoreline is positioned to become the hub for industry-leading retailers and brands focusing on shing, boating, wakeboarding, technical apparel, outerwear, camping, watersports hardgoods as well as essential gear and accessories.

e newest oor category complements Surf Expo’s extensive product o erings—Surf, Skate, Paddle and Bluewater—by targeting the business associated with outdoor amenities and recreation found in lake towns across the country.

Eric Marvin, founder of Elakai Outdoor, is exhibiting outdoor games within the new Shoreline category. Some games include cornhole, bocce ball, croquet and more. While this is Marvin’s rst year participating at Surf Expo, he knows it will be the right t for his business.

“Our products can be used on the beach, by the lake or near the ocean. Exhibiting at Surf Expo is a natural t for who we are as a business and what the Shoreline category is all about,” said Marvin.

Shoreline will also create a seamless connection with Surf Expo’s Bluewater category, which showcases notable inshore and o shore apparel and accessory products ranging from lifestyle and technical apparel to footwear, outerwear, sportswear, T-shirts, sunglasses and much more.

“Blending the inshore and o shore worlds under Surf Expo’s one roof exposes buyers and sellers to this growing crossover market within the coastal lifestyle industry,” added Turner.

SHORELINE & BLUEWATER EXHIBITING BRANDS INCLUDE:

Ronix Wake/ Radar Skis, Columbia OCS, MANG, Hest, Bimini Bay Out tters, Burnside Sierra Paci c Apparel, Elakai, Fahlo, HEST, Kracken Adventure Bikes, Intracoastal Waterway, Kanga Coolers, Lowtides Ocean Product, Line + Cleat, Pirani, Preston 1947 by Ebinger Brothers, Promo & More, Sunski, Sunburn Drink, e Grateful Diver, XTRATUF, Welly Bottle, and ZEP-PRO.

Summer-Long Fishing Competition Engages Youth Anglers

CCA Florida’s summer-long STAR shing competition o ers anglers a shot at more than $500,000 in prizes, with $100,000 in youth scholarships and invites anglers of all ages and skill levels to walk away with prizes from new boats to scholarships and more.

“Since we launched STAR in Florida, we’ve seen anglers catch more, release more, support the recovery of our state’s marine resources and walk away with new boats, scholarships and amazing new gear at the same time,” said STAR Director Leiza Fitzgerald. “Since the start of the competition, we’ve awarded anglers with over $2 million in prizes, including $800,000 in scholarships and two new ski s to youth anglers across the state.”

e 2023 STAR competition ends Sept. 4 and includes 15 divisions targeting 12 species both inshore and o shore. Awesome boat, motor, trailer packages and cash prizes and more will be awarded for di erent divisions.

STAR and its scholarship partners also provide tremendous incentives to engage youth in shing and conservation. For only a $10 New Tide Membership, youth ages 6 to 17 can enjoy free registration in STAR and participate to win boats, scholarships, other great prizes and earn community service hours.

At the conclusion of the competition, scholarship winners will be determined by a random drawing of all eligible photo entries.

Registered youth anglers may submit one photo a day of their sh on the 2023 STAR O cial STAR measuring device of the following species: lady sh, jack crevalle, sheepshead, snapper, snook, spotted seatrout, red sh, tarpon, grouper, dolphin or king sh.

e STAR Youth Scholarship Division presented by Realtree Fishing, o ers $100,000 in scholarships: two $25,000 scholarships presented by Realtree Fishing and e Slade Kerr Family and 10

$5,000 scholarships. is year Academy Sports + Outdoors, Florida Cracker Tournaments, e Plantation Inn Red sh Classic, Sodium Fishing Gear and Millers Boating Center join Coastal Conservation Association Florida, Southeast Environmental Solutions, Florida Sports Coast, Florida Sport shing Association, Phillips & Jordan and Tailin Toads Apparel as partners in presenting the $5,000 scholarships for 2023.

e Tagged Red sh Division Youth Prizes include two ski s, complete with Minn Kota trolling motors and Humminbird electronics and powered with Yamaha Outboards sitting on a trailer. e Tagged Dolphin Division o ers a $10,000 scholarship if the rst tagged dolphin is caught by a New Tide member.

Youth anglers also have another wonderful opportunity in the Costa Kick Plastic Trash Division presented by Papa’s Pilar. Youth participants can pick up garbage from the water or a shoreline during the competition and get rewarded. ey must submit a photo of the 5-gallon buckets full of trash for a shot at a $1,500 prize package, Kahuna Wagon, sunglasses certi cate and other great prizes. For every 5-gallon bucket of garbage a STAR Youth participant submits, they will also be provided with 30 minutes of community service hours.

For a full list of divisions, visit cca star.com.

For more information on STAR, or to register, visit the Facebook page or cca star.com.

By TAM Sta

CRAPPIE TIPS for Deep Summer

Spring is long gone and so are the quick limits of shallow-water crappie. at doesn’t mean you can’t go load the cooler with some slabs for a sh fry; it just means you’ll have to work a little harder. Here are a few tips to help you catch crappie when the weather and water are hot.

Trust the Electronics: Sonar is your best friend when crappie move deep. You might know where good brush and structure are on your lake, but you won’t know where the schools of crappie are until you spot them on the graph. Use side-scan to look under docks and around points, ledges, ditches and creek and river channels. Don’t even bother wetting a line until you’ve located sh with your electronics.

Find the Shade: Crappie don’t like the sun, and deepwater docks or piers can be the mother lode on bright days. Even underwater structure like ledges, humps and creek channels provide shade. Pay attention to the location of the sun, and then start searching the side of a given piece of structure that will provide some shade.

Go Early: ere’s no sense baking in the sun for a few sh when you can load the boat in just a few hours before and a er daybreak. Boat tra c and water temps are both lower in the morning, which means crappie and the small bait sh they feed on will be most active. In the morning, crappie move shallower up on the humps and ledges to chase bait. ey are more likely to bite when they are actively feeding.

Troll the Humps: O shore humps that top out at 15 feet or deeper will hold crappie this time of year. ey’re even better when there’s brush on them. Early and late, or if there is some dam-generated current, the sh will move

up to feed on these humps. ey suspend o the sides when the sun is high or the water is still. Slowly pull a spread of jigs or small, deep-diving crankbaits or spoons over and around humps where you’ve located sh. Pay close attention to how deep your lures are getting and add weight if you need to get them deeper.

Shoot Docks: Main-lake docks with 15 or more feet of water under them are comfortable places for crappie to hang out when the water is warm. Shoot lightweight jigs as far under these docks as you can, and let them sink slowly to the bottom before beginning a steady retrieve. If there are sh under a dock, they usually won’t let that jig hit the bottom.

Drown a Minnow: A school of crappie suspended o structure at 15 or 25 feet over a 40-foot bottom can be a frustrating scenario. You see them on your electronics, but they are slow to bite. Try dropping a live minnow down there where you’re marking sh. en just let it sit. e bites will be light, so pay attention.

PHOTOS BY NICK CARTER

Re-Discover Old Florida Waterfront Charm

The Perfect Vacation Getaway for Fishing, Boating & Outdoor Enthusiasts

n a dark, muggy morning, we eased into Campo’s Marina in Shell Beach, Louisiana.

By Gary Turner

We picked up 150 live shrimp for our rst day, and every morning began the same way for the rest of the week.

5 a.m., and it would be getting light at 5:30.For some of us— Dewayne and Blake Pro t, Darrel and I—this was the rst time we had been to Shell Beach in search of giant red sh,

Nestled on six lush tropical acres of pristine waterfront directly on the Indian River Lagoon, take a step back in time to experience the very best of Old Florida charm with modern conveniences and services to make your stay truly memorable and unforgettable.

• FULLY FURNISHED 3 ROOM COTTAGES WITH FULLY EQUIPPED KITCHENS

Kingfsh Lodge includes a wide screenTV and bar for small gatherings

Sailfsh House features a wide covered wrap-around porch for larger groups

• Boat Trailer Parking on site w/ Water and Power

• 250 Foot Dock w/ Covered Area

• FREE Ice / FREE Guest Dockage

• Cable TV, Hi-Speed Internet

Cover NEW

• 2 miles to the Ft. Pierce Inlet

• 12 miles to the Gulf Stream

Your

Insurance

• Laundry, BBQ Grilles and FREE use of our Kayaks

NIGHTLY • WEEKLY • MONTHLY • SEASONAL RATES

3011 N. Indian River Dr., Ft. Pierce, FL 34946 www.indianriverlagoonwaterfrontcottages.com

massive sheepshead and gator trout. Touted as the “Best Inshore Fishing in the World,” Shell Beach did not disappoint! e red sh shing was incredible! We hooked some giants, some we never even saw!

We shed spinning gear and 17- to 20-pound line with 2/0 circle hooks baited with either live shrimp or chunks of fresh blue crab. We also used two di erent techniques. Some of us popped a Cajun under cork. I used a Carolina rig, with the weight on my line, then a barrel swivel and an 18-inch leader terminating in my 2/0 BKK circle hook with a live shrimp.

Now… back to the sh we never saw! We shed some ats right where the tall marsh grass met the canals. e water was usually less than a foot deep. We would cast right next to the grass and wait for sh that were cruising this edge in search of food. en it was on! Your line would cut a wake as the sh ran for deep water and peeled drag. ese sh used any structure or rocks they could nd to break o . Even when they ran to deep water, they just kept going. We broke several lines before deciding to pull up anchor and chase the next big one.

at worked well, so we started chasing down lots of big red sh. Blake hooked one with the popping cork that broke him o . Later, we spotted the cork in the shallows and eased up to try to net it. Just as we got to it, the sh took o and was never seen again.

e days were hot, in the low to mid 90s with pop-up thunderstorms every day. One day we even spotted two waterspouts. We did our best to dodge all that, but we did get wet a few times. e last 30 minutes of daylight were always the most productive. We shed rock walls and hooked up several big red sh each evening. Mixed in with the red sh were some giant sheepshead that fell for the same tactics as the reds. Blue crabs are everywhere. You can catch them with a long-handle dip net or rod and reel.

Shell Beach is in St. Bernard Parish on the Gulf Outlet Canal near Lake Borgne, just 30 minutes from New Orleans. We plan on going back next year.

Check out Gary Turner’s YouTube channel @FishingMagicWithGary.

O

NORSE BY NORSEWEST?

Embrace your Scandinavian side with a 7" blade

If you looked out your window a thousand years ago and saw a fleet of Viking longships coming your way,you knew you were in trouble. For roughly two centuries, the Vikings voyaged, raided and pillaged wherever they pleased. As expert sailors and navigators, they reached as far from Scandinavia as Iran, Constantinople, North Africa and the New World in their quest to expand their kingdom.

A mini sword. Too organized and too aggressive, no one stood in a Viking’s way. That’s exactly the message that our Viking Blade sends. Crafted from Damascus steel with brass inlay, this 12" full-tang knife is essentially a mini sword. Paired with its hand-tooled leather sheath, this knife belongs in the collection of any avid aficionado.

Join more than 322,000 sharp people who collect stauer knives

The steel of legend. For centuries, a Damascus steel blade was instantly recognizable and commanded respect. Renowned for its sharp edge, beauty and resistance to shattering, Damascus steel was the stuff of legend. While the original process has been lost to the ages, modern bladesmiths have been able to re-create Damascus steel to create the best blades imaginable.

Sure to impress, naturally. Combining natural strength and natural wonder at a price that’s hard to beat, the Viking Blade is a study in Damascus steel that’s sure to impress. And should you ever find yourself facing a Viking horde, a flash of this knife will show that you’re not to be messed with.

Don’t delay: Order within the next week and we’ll offer this blade to you for just $99, a savings of $200! That’s the best bang for your buck we can possibly offer: our Stauer® Impossible Price. Get your hands on one of the fastest-selling knives in our company’s history today.

Knife Specifications:

• 12" overall length. 7" Damascus full-tang blade

•Includes genuine leather sheath

Viking Blade $299 $99* + S&P Save $200

California residents please call 1-800-333-2045 regarding Proposition 65 regulations before purchasing this product. *Special price only for customers using the offer code.



“This knife is everything promised. Beautiful beyond comparison. And completely functional. Love it.”

— Gene, Auburn, WA

1-800-333-2045

Your Insider Offer Code: VGK168-01

99 Stauer®Impossible Price

Tennessee Angler Breaks His Own State Record

Aer a grueling 15-minute battle while shing solo, angler Micka Burkhart successfully netted and boated a 122-pound blue cat sh from Tennessee’s Cumberland River on June 28. e sh is a pending state record that should top the 118.7-pound record mark, which Burkhart set himself at Barkley Reservoir last September.

e whole ght can be viewed on a video posted to Burkhart’s YouTube channel, with the action climaxing as Burkhardt breathlessly pleads with the sh and promises to release it if he can just get it in the net.

Burkhart’s monster blue o cially weighed 122.3 pounds and measured 57.5 inches long, with a 42.25-inch girth. It ate a white bass head shed on 40-pound-test line. A er transporting the sh in a large livewell on his trailered boat to get o cial measurements, Burkhart returned to the Cumberland River and successfully released it back to the Stewart County stretch in northwest Tennessee near the Kentucky and Missouri borders. In a Facebook post, Burkhart reported that he also caught 69- and 72-pound blue cats on the same day. at’s a mighty ne day of shing.

e IGFA all-tackle world record blue cat sh weighed 143 pounds, even. It was caught from Kerr Lake, Virginia by Richard Nicholas Anderson in June of 2011.

The Return of a

To watch Burkhart catching the new state record, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ni4BPAaEng&t=1s

This Is How You Walk the Walk

Comfort and class go hand in hand with our Walking Stick Collection. Yours for ONLY $59 each!

They call walking the “perfect exercise.” It gets your heart pumping, clears your head and fills your lungs with fresh air. Not bad, but we found a way to make it even better. Before you take your next 10,000 steps, add a little strut to your stroll. Take a Stauer Walking Stick anywhere and I promise that you’ll feel like a conquering hero. Heads will turn. Doors will open. Its powers will astound you.

What’s the secret? Pure class. Our Stauer Walking Sticks are a tip of the top hat to turn-of-the-century tradition. Today these tributes to a gentleman’s power, prestige, and posture are fetching as much as $200,000 at auction. But only Stauer can deliver a modern version of these vintage classics that looks and feels as good as the original for $59 each!

Stauer Walking Stick Collection

A. Derbyshire $79* $59 +S&P Save $20

B. Earlsford $79* $59 +S&P Save $20

C. Knightsbridge $79* $59 +S&P Save $20

D. Hinwick Hare $79* $59 +S&P Save $20

E. Gentleman’s $79* $59 +S&P Save $20

• 36" long • Imported Eucalyptus wood

• Etched & sculpted solid brass handles with varying finishes

• Rubber tips • Supports up to 250 lbs.

• All models available in 40" height—call for details.

1-800-333-2045

PRAISE FOR STAUER WALKING STICKS

Your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed. Experience the comfort and class of our exquisite Walking Sticks for 30 days. If you’re not feeling the power and prestige, simply send it back within 30 days for a refund of the item price. At Stauer, we walk the talk. Limited Edition. Only 500 each available for this ad only! These handcrafted beauties take months to craft and are running (not walking) out the door. So, take a step in the right direction. Call today!

“An excellent walking stick. Solid and elegant. Perfect for a night out. Well crafted.”

– J. from Pacific Grove, CA

Your Insider Offer Code: WSC286-01 You must use the insider offer code to get our special price.

14101 Southcross Drive W., Ste 155, Dept. WSC286-01 Burnsville, Minnesota 55337 www.stauer.com

*Discount is only for customers who use the offer code versus the listed original Stauer.com price.

Stauer… Afford the Extraordinary . ®

A.

B.

C.

D.

E.

A Time of Porpoise

Amemorable beach moment: You’re basking in the warm sun, toes in the sand, letting the gentle turn of the foam-capped waves lull you into a state of complete relaxation. As your eyes scan the endless horizon of blue on blue, you’re rewarded with a school of dolphins making their way across the sea.

There’s no denying their signature shape as they leap from the water. If you don’t see anything else extraordinary the rest of day, you can take solace knowing you’ve witnessed one of nature’s most playful and human-like creatures in their natural habitat.

Why not re-create that special moment with our Balinese Dolphin Pendant? We’ve captured two dolphins mid-jump in sterling silver crafted in the Balinese style. Tucked between these beloved sea mammals is a full carat of shimmering blue topaz. Made by some of Indonesia’s finest artisans, this pendant is an absolute steal at JUST $29! That’s what we call our Stauer IMPOSSIBLE PRICE!

Nothing captures the shimmering color of the ocean in the midday sun like blue topaz. With its sparkling, clear blue color and high reflective index, blue topaz is one of the world’s top-selling gemstones. The Gemological Institute of America lauds topaz for its hardness, noting that blue topaz is known for its intense color that’s better than aquamarine. With this special price, you can score quite the catch. Satisfaction guaranteed or your money back. Enjoy the Balinese Dolphin Pendant for 30 days. If it doesn’t pass the test swimmingly, send it back for a full refund of the item price.

Limited reserves. This pendant is already one of our best sellers this year. A full carat of genuine blue topaz set in .925 sterling silver for this price is as rare as a dolphin sighting. We cannot guarantee availability for long. Call today! This offer is limited to the first 1,900 responders to this ad!

Jewelry Specifications:

• Made in Indonesia

• Blue topaz and .925 sterling silver

Balinese Dolphin Pendant (1 carat)

$299 $29* Save $270

*Special price only for customers using the offer code.

1-800-333-2045

Your Insider Offer Code: DNP141-01

Impossible PriceONLY

29

What Stauer Clients Are Saying About Our Topaz

“Just lovely! Would recommend it as a purchase. Thank you STAUER.” — Mary L.

One carat of shimmering blue topaz set in sterling silver for  $29