Coastal Angler Magazine | January 2024 | Lakeland/Sumter Edition by Coastal Angler Magazine

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By Capt. Quinlyn Haddon

Tuna Town TO

had only been fishing a few years when I wound up taking a job in Venice, Louisiana. I had gotten the lead on a first mate position through a mutual friend of a captain who I had never met before. When I called the captain, I asked when he needed me. He told me, “yesterday.” So I went to the tackle shop, bought my first pair of slickers, and hit the road. The only thing I knew about Venice was that there was no cell phone service and no women. As I drove down the road south of New Orleans, I began to notice ships on both sides of the road simultaneously. I realized I had better call someone to let them know I was heading to a deadzone in the middle of nowhere, filled with lonely, salty men. I arrived at night and located my captain’s houseboat, where I would be staying. I made the jump across to the boat and opened the door without knocking—as I was instructed to do. A dozen men, drinking beer, went silent as they stared at me. I looked around the room at the welcoming party, and the walls that were lined with shelves of alcohol bottles and a deer head decorated with Mardi Gras beads and bras. They offered me a beer and I declined. After the 14-hour drive, I most definitely wanted a beer, however, this did not seem like the time and place to let my guard down. The captain showed me the boat docked out back, my bunk where I would be staying, and told me what time to set my alarm for the charter the following morning. I had no idea what to expect or what I had gotten myself into, but I quickly fell in love with the fishery and a week-long trip turned into a year and a half. The fishermen there were nothing but respectful and treated me like one of the guys. I had only been fishing for two years at the time and had a lot to learn. I spent evenings teaching myself how to tie snell knots and throw a cast net. When the locals would go out fun fishing and bring back coolers with hundreds of trout, they were more than happy to teach me how to fillet fish. The fishermen didn’t cut me any slack for being a woman, which I was grateful for. I worked just as hard as they did, earned respect, and learned everything I needed to become a competent fisherman. I was openly doubted every step of the way, until I was able to learn and prove myself, which I did. But I was told that if I made it to the fall, there was no way that a woman could handle shrimp-boat season. Shrimp-boat season involves pulling behind shrimp boats and then boarding them by jumping from the bow of your boat onto the tires that hang from the stern of the shrimp boat. Then you promptly scurry up before your bow has a chance to crush your feet. You then shovel bycatch into a bag or basket, get it back to your boat, and hopefully get yourself back on the boat before your crew hooks up to a big tuna and abandons you there for the fight. The goal is to not die, break your ankles or get murdered by the shrimp-boat crew in the process. I did make it to the fall, and I did survive shrimp-boat season, and it was some of my favorite fishing I’ve done, to this day. It wasn’t until I left that the ball-busting ceased and I received positive feedback, when a captain called to tell me I did a really great job and that I’d earned a place and should come back for the following season. I am so grateful Tuna Town was a stop on my journey to where I am now. I am indebted to the fishermen there who helped teach me things the right way, without mercy. Capt. Quinlyn Haddon, with Sweet e’nuf charters out of Marathon, Florida Keys, can be reached at (504) 920-6342. See CaptainQuinlyn.com and @captainquinlyn.

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THROW UMBRELLA RIGS FOR WINTER BASS

When the bass are feeding up on baitfish in the winter, the natural bait ball presentation with multiple baits swimming together drives these bass absolutely crazy. It can make for a very fun day on the water. Setting up your “rig” is not complicated. Depending on how deep you are looking to fish, use 1/8-ounce jig heads for shallow water (10 feet or less) and ¼-ounce jig heads for anything deeper than 10 feet. Pick TYLER WOOLCOTT out some small 3- to 4-inch natural shad colored boot-tail swimbaits to attach to your jig heads and that’s all there is to it. inter can be a tricky time of year to go fishing, The winter months is typically the time when bass to feed up before but I want to tell you about a bait that might help you put some more fish in the boat. In fact, this lure is so good that they spawn. Whether you see it going on or not, they are eating a lot of bait somewhere on your some tournaments don’t allow body of water. You can throw anglers to use them anymore. this rig basically anywhere, I’m talking about the Alabama and if there are fish around, rig, which some people call they will bite it! I throw it the umbrella rig. around grass, rocks, docks, This device made its debut open water, points and on the bass fishing scene in ditches. 2011 and absolutely dominated the tournament fishing scene Gear for a few years before it was When throwing an A-rig, eventually outlawed by most it can get pretty heavy once professional fishing series for you add all the jig heads and basically being an unfair way swimbaits onto it. You’ll want to catch fish. The rig consists to use a big heavy rod with of a baitfish-style head where some strong line. A 13 Fishing you tie your line with multiple Muse Black 7’6” rod paired metal-wire arms that extend with a Concept A 6:8:1 reel is out where you attach jig heads a good fit. Spool this up with with a swimbaits. Most come 20-pound Seaguar Abraz-X standard with five metal arms line and you are good to go! and five jig heads. Good luck out there! Even though the Alabama rig is outlawed by most pro fishing leagues, that doesn’t mean you can’t use it when you are out fun Tyler Woolcott is a professional tournament angler and guide. fishing or even fishing smaller tournaments. It is a fish-catching machine! Check out his website at www.tylerwoolcottfishing.com.

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JANUARY 2024

NATIONAL 7

A GREAT LAKES FORMULA FOR

By Nick Carter

JUST ONE FISH

obi Pellerito’s goal in a day is just one fish, and with the surge in Great Lakes smallmouth fisheries, there’s a good chance he’ll find what he’s looking for: one giant smallie. “Big smallmouth is my jam,” he said. “It’s not like tournament fishing, where you’re looking for a limit. I’m out there looking for one big fish.” Pellerito theorized that three invasive species are responsible for Great Lakes smallmouth achieving grotesque proportions with weights in the 7- to 8-pound range. European round gobies and rusty crayfish from the Ohio River Basin have become important prey species since their invasion. European Zebra mussels are forage for another smallmouth favorite: perch, and these filter-feeders also create clear water, which is great for visual hunters like bass.

8 NATIONAL

JANUARY 2024

Pellerito bemoaned the destruction these invasives wreak but figures we might as well take advantage. THE FORMULA: The size of the Great Lakes system is incredible. From a home base in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, Pellerito has explored parts of it from Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, downstream through lakes Michigan, St. Clair, Huron, Erie and over to the St. Lawrence River. Over this vast expanse, state fisheries reports tell him where the largest smallmouth are. “Once you’ve picked a fishery, there’s no substitute for time on the water,” he said. “Find the most desirable structure in the lake or in the part of the lake you’re fishing.” Smallmouth can be patterned seasonally. From there, Pellerito fishes long days to eliminate water. He looks for big points and transitions in bottom composition. He seeks out subtle structure like boulders or logs on barren flats. Bait presence is important, whether its gobies or crayfish in the rocks, perch in the grass or balls of suspended baitfish. THE FISHING: When he finds an area he likes, Pellerito covers water quickly with a crankbait. He likes a Megabass Deep-X 300, which dives 12 to 15 feet. “Covering water until you find where the fish are is important, then you slow down,” he said. “The biggest fish tend to be a step off from where the rest of them are.” Big smallmouth hold in “wolf packs” of two or three fish, and this can sometimes lead to days of more than “just one fish.” Recently, Pellerito boated an incredible 35-pound, 9-ounce five fish limit. Find one big fish, and it pays to pick that area apart. For this, Pellerito switches to classic drop shots or tubes. A standard tube crawls through the rocks like a goby or a crayfish. With the drop shot, Pellerito fishes a Megabass 3-inch Hazedong, which looks like a goby. It takes light line to draw strikes in clear water. Pellerito uses 15-foot leaders of 5- to 7-pound fluorocarbon with a main line of 8- to 10-pound braid. He’s experienced tremendous success with these tactics. This season, he boated 39 fish heavier than 6 pounds, 19 heavier than 7 pounds and two heavier than 8 pounds. To see more of Cobi Pellerito’s giant fish, see his Instagram @cobi.pellerito.

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CATCH FRENZIED SPANISH MACKEREL

panish mackerel are a year-round target, but this time of year they love following bluefish schools to clean up injured baitfish left behind. During this time, bluefish and mackerel all tend to school together into a feeding frenzy of terror. I definitely wouldn’t want to get my hand in the way of any of those toothy fish. Spanish mackerel are sometimes confused with baby kingfish and cero mackerel, since they can school all together. However, there are a few ways to differentiate these fish, which is important since they all have different regulations. All these mackerel have yellow spots on their sides, but there are a few differences to look for. Cero mackerel have yellow lines along their lateral line that are combined with the yellow spots. King mackerel tend to have smaller spots that are closely grouped along the lateral line. As for the Spanish mackerel, they have large uncontrolled spots. There is simply no rhyme or reason for their pattern. Another way to identify Spanish mackerel is they usually have a wider girth compared to the other mackerel. A large Spanish mackerel is considered to be around 24 inches and over 5 pounds, while kingfish are typically over 20 pounds and ceros tend to be smaller. Spanish mackerel are typically nearshore fish that hang close to shore in order to feed on bait

schools by pushing them into the breakers. In certain locations, you can find Spanish inside the intracoastal. In specific conditions, if the water becomes too warm, mackerel move deeper to find their preferred 70 degrees. Spanish mackerel are found off the Atlantic coast of the United States and in the Gulf of Mexico. They follow a migration pattern of spending the winter off Florida and then move north to North Carolina in early April and all the way up off the coast of New York by June. There are many ways to target Spanish mackerel. Some use live bait such as sardines, baby pilchards and smaller threadfins. A simple freeline with a short wire leader to a live bait hook and one of these smaller baitfish can be deadly. The wire is not absolutely necessary, but mackerel do have extremely sharp teeth. When mackerel are tailing bluefish schools, they are normally frenzied. They’ll slash at everything that comes their way. I like throwing crappie jigs into the frenzy, and I think any kind of small jig will work. A lot of commercial anglers use popping corks with a spoon tied about 4 feet below. The pop gets their attention, and then the shiny fluttering spoon is too much for them to resist.

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By Emily Hanzlik

For larger Spanish mackerel, X-Raps or other diving crankbaits work best since they imitate larger baits. If you’re throwing a lure, don’t use your favorite one. There is a good chance you might lose it. Emily Rose Hanzlik holds 62 IGFA world records in various categories. Find her on social media @emilyhanzlikoutdoors.

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FLORIDA 3

By Astrid deGruchy

No Telling What You’ll Catch

ON THE PATCH

atch reef fishing is the epitome of, “You never know what you’re going to catch.” These underwater gems are filled with all sorts of fish, and it makes them fun and exciting places to be an angler. Patch reefs are small coral formations found in the shallower parts of the water. They were named for the patchy appearance when viewed from the surface and form wherever hard bottom exists in 10 to 25 feet of water. The rocky bottom, combined with ledges, coral heads and other growth provides the structure fish love. Many of these areas are well-known here in the Keys, but if you’re up for some exploration you can find less-pressured patch reef especially when the water is clear and visibility is good. Just keep an eye out for rocky or live bottom. These areas are usually not too far from shore, so they’re easy to reach and perfect for angling action. All sorts of fish congregate around these patches. The variety includes mutton snapper, mangrove snapper, yellowtail snapper, lane snapper, hogfish, black grouper, red grouper, gag grouper, porgy, cero mackerel, yellowjack and barracuda. We fish a lighter setup on the patch reefs, and this makes for a blast. Our go-to is a PENN Authority 4500 reel with the PENN Carnage III rod. Live bait like pilchards or shrimp work like a charm. If catching live bait is a problem for you, just stop at a local tackle shop and grab some live shrimp, pinfish, or even some frozen ballyhoo. Keep it simple, and tie on a knocker rig or jig head. Anchoring the boat in the right position to present baits around the reef is an important part of this style of fishing. Dropping bait on the sandy areas near the reef allows you to fish the bottom without getting hung up. Chum can be a good idea, but don’t be so quick to put out the chum as soon as you get lined up. I recommend breaking it out only if the fishing is tough. Chum can attract some of the “trash fish” like blue runners, jacks and sharks. Also, make sure you’re up to date with the rules and regulations. There are so many species you might catch, and some of those species might be out of season. Patch reef fishing is a blast. It’s a mix of stunning views and tons of action. If you want to experience this, the cooler months are the best for this type of fishing. That’s when some better-quality fish move into the shallower reefs.

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SLIP CORKS AREN’T JUST FOR LIVE BAIT

Tim Barefoot

here was time in my life when I was fanatical about live bait, and a lot of the fishing I did was under a sliding cork. Well, that ship has sailed, at least the live bait part. I still fish under a sliding cork, but I now fish artificial lures under the cork for several reasons, only one of which is the evolution of soft plastic baits. Here are a few arguments for fishing artificial: 1) There’s no need to catch and store live bait. 2) My entire tackle box is now small and light enough to fit in a backpack for travel. 3) Soft Plastics are versatile in terms of presentation, and they’re effective. 4) Artificials can be cast farther and more accurately. 5) You can be ready to fish at a moment’s notice anywhere, under almost any conditions. These advantages add up to the sum of my new fishing style under a sliding or popping cork. I cherish my two- or three-hour mini vacations after work, wherever I am while traveling. I travel quite a bit and can bail out of the truck and fish for whatever is there. I’ve grown fond of fishing under and around bridges for several species, and the ease and effectiveness of this style of fishing is easy to love. In addition to fishing just a single lure under a cork—or without a cork in deeper, faster water—I’ve started fishing a tandem tackle. The bottom bait is the jig head for the weight, and the second bait has no weight and just trails out behind the jig. Some days, it’s all bites on the jig; other days, it’s a third or more of the bites on the weightless trailer. This suspended bait and trailer under a cork is not only effective, but it keeps you from staying hung up. Once I figure out how deep the water is, it’s easy to adjust the depth. I typically keep one rod set up for 6 feet deep as a starting point. If I see the cork laying over, it means the jig is sitting on the bottom. I’ll shallow it up a bit to where the jig is just off the bottom and makes a clean drift. If the water is deeper, I’ll adjust it deeper. The end goal is to keep the jig a foot or two off the bottom and allow a natural drift. I like to fish a pair of DOA Shrimp on this tackle in saltwater, and this same tactic is deadly in freshwater with Zoom Flukes or Super Flukes for smallmouth, largemouth and striped bass. The other bait I love for this style of fishing is Gulp! baits. For more detailed videos of the tandem tackle and how to tie it, and the construction of my sliding cork set up, visit my Youtube channel and/or the website. For more from Tim Barefoot, visit barefootcatsandtackle.com.

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appy New Year from the Kissimmee Chain and the staff of the Coastal Angler Magazine! As predicted by the Farmer’s Almanac, the cold fronts and cooler temperatures have arrived much earlier this year. Crappie anglers: get ready for one of the best Crappie winters you have seen in years on the Kissimmee Chain! For numbers and size, expect Lake Rosalie, Tiger Lake, and Lake Kissimmee to lead the way. However, I wouldn’t overlook Crooked Lake or Clinch Lake in the Frostproof area. While you’re fishing these two lakes check out Anchor Down in downtown Frostproof for all your bait and tackle needs. Very knowledgeable and very professional! For Crappie jigging on Lake Kissimmee, I prefer a 1/16 ounce teardrop ice fishing jig in either white with chrome back, or chartreuse and white with chrome back. Southern Pro’s plastic Triple Tip Grub in white, red and white, chartreuse work really well on the Tear Drop jig. For Lake Rosalie and Tiger Lake, most of the Crappie are congregating in 13-feet of water suspended at a depth of 7 to 10 feet. Slip cork sets with While you’re launching your a medium-sized minnow is really the way to go. Stagger boat at the Big Dawg store you the depth of your sets day or might want to go in and order night between 6 and 9 feet deep for best results. some of Layla’s biscuits and Now it’s time to talk about Bass fishing for the gravy. There’s nothing New Year. I don’t think this better to start off the day on is going to be a really good year as far as numbers of a cold January morning! Bass caught in previous years. However, I do think this year is going to be better for catching trophy class Bass. I’m thinking Lake Hatchineha most likely will produce some of the biggest Bass in the Kissimmee Chain this year. The Bull rushes on the South or North side of side of this lake are your best bet for this to happen. Dead sticking a Senko or flipping a Texas Rig raw with a ¼ ounce rattle weight will work best in those areas. Tiger Lake and Lake Rosalie are also on my Trophy Class watch for this year. On Tiger Lake, I favor the outside edges of the East side lily pad line from Bud’s fish camp on down to the South end of the lake. Senkos and speed worms work best with 1/8 ounce rattle weight Texas Rig set. I think Lake Rosalie could be the surprise of the Chain this year for trophy class Bass. Fishing the grass lines that are protected from the wind is the ticket on this lake. I rely heavily on weightless Senkos and Flukes on this lake. Speed worms, Texas Rigs with a 1/8 ounce rattle weight, and Spinner baits are also working well. While you’re launching your boat at the Big Dawg store you might want to go in and order some of Layla’s biscuits and gravy. There’s nothing better to start off the day on a cold January morning! Steve and Layla also have a very nice Pro Shop, clean cabins, and good boat ramp. At the end of the day, there is a cozy tap room where you can knock down some suds with your buddies after a hard day of fishing! It’s nice to see hard work still pays off the way it should. Thank you for your service to the community!

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appy New Year to our loyal readers! Start the year off right and go out and catch some fish. The bass are finally schooling due to the recent cooler weather and are chasing shad and fatting up for the spawn during the January and February full and new moon phases. The bass bite in the Harris Chain of Lakes has been a little slow due to the recent cold fronts moving in and out, but that should be changing soon with the recent warming trend and moon phases during January. Try chatter baits, bright orange or chrome/blue Rattle Traps, Lakeside Bait and Tackle in June bug or black with blue tail trick worms, Senko’s or Tavares near the Buzzard speed worms worked slowly Beach boat ramp is selling a along the deeper Kissimmee grass close to deeper water ton of minnows and says that or ledges. The bigger fish will be the crappie is really starting staging close to mouth of to show up both in numbers canals, creeks, or the Dead River in the surrounding and size on Lake Dora... cover. Areas with several different types of cover such as Kissimmee grass, reeds, cattails, eel grass, hydrilla, and lily pads in the same area will hold the bigger and better sized fish. Slow trolling a large live wild shiner under a cork or balloon will always pay off. Lake Harris, Lake Eustis and theirs canals as well as Lake Dora and the Apopka Canal will be the best places to look and hunt for the first wave of bedding bass. Lakeside Bait and Tackle in Tavares near the Buzzard Beach boat ramp is selling a ton of minnows and says that the crappie is really starting to show up both in numbers and size on Lake Dora, in Lake Eustis and Lake Griffin. Anglers are catching them on mylar jigs, Road Runners, and minnow rigs. Look for them to move up in the shallows on the next new and full moon phases in later January and February. If you are going to fish for crappie, be sure to get registered and enter your crappie in the 14th Annual Shad & Crappie Derby. Owens Fishing and Marine, Lakeside Bait and Tackle and Nobles Marine are sign-up locations - it only takes one fish to win! Take a kid fishing with you and start the New Year off right, good luck.

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his his month month we we can can expect expect cold cold north north winds winds combined combined with with multiple multiple fronts. fronts. Don’t Don’t get get me me wrong. wrong. There There have have been been plenty plenty of of January’s January’s in in FloriFlorida da where where we we are are all all wearing wearing shorts, shorts, but but generally generally speaking, speaking, it’s it’s usually usually cold. cold. Offshore Offshore Anglers, Anglers, those those fire fire trucks trucks open open January January 1st! 1st! Red Red grouper grouper can can be be found found on on limestone, limestone, hard hard bottom, bottom, and and live live rock rock in in depths depths of of 40 40 to to 100 100 feet feet for for the the big big ones. ones. There There are are plenty plenty of of juveniles juveniles that that can can be be caught caught in in the the 10 10 to to 30 30 foot foot range. range. These These fish fish can can be be caught caught on on squid, squid, cut cut bait, bait, ballyhoo, ballyhoo, pig pig fish, fish, and and pinfish pinfish to to name name aa few. few. We We generally generally start start with with 50 50 pound pound fluorocarbon, fluorocarbon, but but we’ve we’ve caught caught several several on on as as light light as as 20 20 pound pound fluorocarbon fluorocarbon leader. leader. One One more more thing thing about about these these red red grouper, grouper, the the closures closures have have come come sooner sooner and and sooner sooner each each year year so so ifif II were were you, you, II would would get get out out there there the the first first half half of of the the year year while while we we still still have have aa chance chance to to put put them them in in the the box. box. Fun Fun fact fact -Did -Did you you know know that that all all red red grouper grouper are are born born female, female, and and some some change change to to male male when when they they are are mature? mature? Inshore Inshore bite bite should should be be great great this this month month with with the the Sheepshead Sheepshead and and Sea Sea Trout Trout stacking stacking up. up. You You can can target target both both with with shrimp shrimp on on aa small small jig jig head. head. January January is is also also aa great great month month to to gig gig sheepshead sheepshead at at night. night. We’ve We’ve seen seen good good numbers numbers move move in in last last month! month! IfIf you’ve you’ve never never tried tried it, it, it’s it’s aa different different fishing fishing experience. experience. You You must must move move very very slow slow and and take take our our time time with with the the right right approach approach so so that that you you don’t don’t spook spook them. them. Another Another great great thing thing about about sheepshead sheepshead and and trout trout is is that that they they can can often often be be found found in in the the same same areas. areas. Keep Keep your your eyes eyes out out for for deep deep holes holes and and pockets pockets with with rocks. rocks. There There are are aa few few good good satellite satellite maps maps that that you you can can use use to to help help locate locate the the right right areas areas for for these these fish. fish. Remember Remember the the best best time time to to go go fishing fishing is is any any time time you you can! can!

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CENTRAL FLORIDA REGION FORECAST

ell, ell, we’ve we’ve officially officially made made itit to to 2024 2024 and and we’ we’dd like like to to wish wish everyone everyone aa very very Happy Happy New New Year Year from from Paula Paula and and myself. myself. Since Since she she retired retired from from State State Farm Farm last last month month after after “many” “many” years years she’s she’s becoming becoming aa bigger bigger piece piece in in our our operation operation and and I’m I’m very very thankful thankful for for having having the the best best “First “First Mate” Mate” in in all all of of Central Central Florida! Florida! As As the the weather weather forecast forecast and and Farmer’s Farmer’s Almanac Almanac stand stand for for January, January, we’re we’re in in for for aa lot lot colder colder than than normal normal month month with with most most days days reaching reaching 70 70 for for the the highs highs which which isis not not our our normal normal SOP (standard (standard operating operating ... pick the color but I always have SOP procedure). procedure). That That being being said, said, a white one and also a dark brown most most days days fishing fishing will will likely likely focus focus on on very very deliberate deliberate or black. These are great search presentations presentations and and generally generally aa baits for finding shad and where little little bit bit slower slower fishing fishing style. style. IfIf you you plan plan on on burning burning down down there’s bait, there’s bass. aa grass grass line line with with your your trolling trolling motor motor on on 90% 90% like like KVD KVD itit may may not not be be your your best best approach approach for for these these next next few few weeks. weeks. IfIf itit works works for for ya, ya, honest honest to to God God please please email email me me and and tell tell me me itit did. did. II never never pretend pretend to to know know itit all all and and will will always always take take in in new new info info to to learn learn and and grow. grow. Let’s Let’s get get going going with with trips trips on on the the Kissimmee Kissimmee Chain Chain fishing fishing out out of of Camp Camp Mack, Mack, aa Guy Guy Harvey Harvey Lodge, Lodge, Marina Marina & & RV RV Resort. Resort. Out Out here here my my main main focus focus will will be be on on areas areas with with healthy healthy vegetation vegetation adjacent adjacent to to relatively relatively deeper deeper water, water, and and ideally ideally having having shell shell beds beds that that will will hold hold heat heat in in as as the the surface surface water water temps temps drop. drop. In In these these temps, temps, most most of of you you will will beat beat me me to to the the ramp ramp in in the the dark dark because because I’m I’m waiting waiting for for the the sun sun to to break break the the trees trees and and hit hit the the water water and and start start warming warming itit up, up, even even ifif ever ever so so slowly. slowly. Baits Baits of of choice choice will will always always without without hesitation hesitation include include aa black black & & blue blue stick stick worm worm with with blue blue flake flake and and blue blue INSIDER’S TIPS: tip. tip. Do Do NOT NOT leave leave the the 1. For those not local you can find dock dock without without one. one. Next Next these and everything else you need isis aa hollow hollow body body frog, frog, at Bridgemaster’s on Hwy 60 in Lake you you pick pick the the color color but but II Wales. always always have have aa white white one one 2. If you are bringing your boat, or and and also also aa dark dark brown brown have it down already, and need or or black. black. These These are are great great anything service related please call search search baits baits for for finding finding Crossed Industries in Haines City. shad shad and and where where there’s there’s I will tell you hands down, with bait, bait, there’s there’s bass. bass. My My next next my own business on the line, if you “have “have to to have” have” on on deck deck isis aa need help with any of your boating/ Gambler Gambler EZ EZ Swimmer Swimmer to to marine needs Chaz and his staff are slow slow roll, roll, wake, wake, or or put put on on aa the best in the biz! belly belly weight weight and and fish fish lower lower thru thru the the pad pad roots. roots. Moving Moving over over to to Winter Winter Haven Haven and and fishing fishing on on the the South South Chain Chain our our approach approach isis still still patience, patience, slower, slower, and and methodical. methodical. Because Because the the primary primary forage forage isis smaller smaller shad shad –– glass glass minnows, minnows, emerald emerald shiners, shiners, etc. etc. –– we’re we’re throwing throwing smaller smaller baits. baits. That That being being said said aa standard standard sized sized Rapala, Rapala, SK, SK, or or whatever whatever your your favorite favorite flavor flavor of of jerkbait jerkbait isis will will work work well well in in whites, whites, silvers, silvers, or or most most shad, shad, even even the the “sexy “sexy shad” shad” produces produces well. well. A A small small swimbait swimbait that that isis in in the the 2.75” 2.75” –– 4” 4” in in natural natural pearls, pearls, white white with with some some watermelon watermelon red, red, chartreuse, chartreuse, etc. etc. will will serve serve you you well well on on ¼ ¼ jig jig head. head. Always Always have have flukes flukes on on board. board. IfIf you you only only take take one one pack, pack, make make itit the the ZOOM ZOOM fluke fluke in in watermelon watermelon pearl. pearl. You You can can thank thank me me later. later.

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SALTWATER ACTION FORECAST Winter Tips and Tricks

ew year, new tactics! Winter time fishing, means different temperatures, different weather and different conditions. Shallow water for bigger fish like Snook and Redfish. As the temps drop fish will move to shallower water. The reason for this? Warmer water. The sunlight will heat up shallow water especially if slow moving and sand bottom. The down side this though is getting skinny. I have observed reds and snook in six inches of water, slow cruising and in no hurry. This change in weather is why a lot of anglers don’t even pursue Reds or Snook in the winter time. It can be harder getting into these shallow locations. Don’t be discouraged though, Sea Trout and Sheepshead are more primed this time of the year. Grassy flats for trout and structure for sheep’s. My go to bait this time of the year is shrimp. However this is a double edged sword and bigger isn’t always better. Shrimp this time of the year tend to be bigger. I like a shrimp no more than three inches in length. Too big of a bait and fish will just nibble it off. Even though chunks will work I like to match the hatch so I use a full sized shrimp. Rig setup is a little more forgiving this time of the year. For trout my go to is a popping cork with three feet of leader and a small split shot about six inches from the hook. Helps the shrimp stay in the strike zone. Work the popping cork like you would a skitter pop. You want to be able to hear the clicking of the beads on the wire. Throw the cork out, let sit for about five seconds or until the ripples fade. One crank and a pop of the wrist. Let sit for about a second. However, don’t be afraid to play with the frequency of the pops. It’s all about finding what the fish respond to. For sheepshead, find the structure. For new anglers I recommend sitting rod in rod holder and waiting till you see the rod bend. Trust me you’ll get frustrated trying to time the bite. The more you fish for sheepshead the better you will get. Patience is the key to sheepshead. Let them hook themselves. Good luck, and remember you should always be learning while you’re fishin’. CAPTAIN MIKE AYERSMAN

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ake Panasoffkee has experienced some good fishing this past fall. The bass fishing did well as usual and the specks started on their biting trend on Thanksgiving weekend. The water levels were starting to drop some due to a below normal summer rainy season but a wetter than normal November has put us back in pretty good shape. The January forecast is looking good. The bass will continue their pre- spawn feeding early in the month and start to spawn by later in the month. Live bait will be the bait of choice, but flukes, frogs and other Minnows will be the bait plastic baits should do well also. Early in January trolling of choice so get your bucket shiners out in the lake and around and go by one of the local bait the pads in the North End will be shops or fish camps and they your best bet. Later on, I would work the spawning areas on the should have everything... east side of the lake between Shell Point and Colemans Landing. The Specks should continue chasing drifting minnows, but the jig fishermen will produce as well. Most of the spec fishing will be in the trough straight out from the outlet, the mouth of Big Jones Creek and along the deeper areas on the east side of the lake. Minnows will be the bait of choice so get your bucket and go by one of the local bait shops or fish camps and they should have everything you need for your trip. JIM VEAL

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he results are in for Florida’s 2023 Lionfish Challenge, and it was a record-breaking year for divers working hard to protect our reefs from the scourge of invasive lionfish. With 281 participants embarking on 917 trips, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) annual four-month tournament removed 30,494 lionfish from Florida waters. It was a recordbreaking year for participation, nearly doubling the program’s previous high. The total number of lionfish removed was also a new record and beat last year’s numbers by nearly 5,000 fish. The event is one tool in FWC’s box to beat back the invasion of these beautiful but destructive little critters that plague Florida’s reefs. Lionfish are native to the Indo Pacific and the Red Sea. They were first reported off the Atlantic coast of Florida in 1985, and since then have spread like wildfire. They now inhabit the Atlantic coast up to North Carolina, the entire Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean. Lionfish are well equipped to outcompete native species on warmwater reefs. An array of venomous spines makes them unlikely prey item for larger fish, and they are voracious predators of smaller native fish and invertebrates. Lionfish reproduce prolifically and populate suitable habitat in high densities. They reduce native reef populations and have negative effects on overall reef habitat and health. They are a nasty invasive, and humans killing them continuously is the only way to combat them by controlling their numbers. By the way, they taste pretty good sizzled up in butter. Divers competing in the Lionfish Challenge are rewarded for their efforts, and winners are announced at the conclusion of the tournament. The following are the divers who speared the most lionfish in the 2023 Lionfish Challenge.

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By Nick Carter

CHIPOLA SHOAL BASS

hen it comes to warm-water fly fishing, shoal bass are about as fun as it gets. These pugnacious river bass are native to only one river system: The Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin, and their preferred swift-water habitat was years ago reduced to tributaries and stretches between dams in Georgia, Alabama and Florida. While Georgia claims the healthiest native, reproducing populations of the species in the Flint River and in pockets of the Chattahoochee River, the situation is a little more tenuous for Florida’s shoal bass. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), The 95-mile-long Chipola River is the last remaining waterbody in the state with a known naturally reproducing shoal bass population. The species was dealt a massive blow in 2018, when Hurricane Michael ripped over the Panhandle and depleted more than 90 percent of the Chipola’s shoal bass population. FWC stepped in to suspend harvest and possession of shoal bass in the Chipola River and its tributaries. Then they began hatching and releasing genetically pure shoal bass into the river. It appears to be working. Over the last two years, 11,000 fingerling shoal bass have been stocked into the Chipola. In subsequent samplings, DNA analysis showed more than 60 percent of yearling fish sampled came from these stockings.

“The stockings over these past two years have certainly made an impact on the population; shoal bass that were stocked last year are already within the 9-10 inch range,” said FWC biologist Andy Strickland. This is the first time genetically pure shoal bass have been successfully raised in an FWC hatchery, which is a big deal because genetic impurity is one of the largest threats shoal bass face. Across their native range, interbreeding with introduced non-native black bass species like Alabama bass and spotted bass has muddied the gene pool except in small pockets where genetically pure populations are isolated from interlopers. “It is extremely encouraging not only to successfully spawn this species in a hatchery setting but also to document the significant contribution the hatcheryreared fingerlings have made to the existing shoal bass population in the Chipola River to date,” said Bob DeMauro, Hatchery Manager at FWC’s Blackwater Research and Development Center. Biologists will continue to monitor Chipola River shoal bass and evaluate these stocking efforts in years to come. To learn more about a great shoal bass fishery, visit flyfishga.com.

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common principle anglers abide by during winter months is to slow down their retrieve or presentation. Although this is a good default option, it may fail to entice strikes of those big, cold, winter trout. Let’s discuss. Some of my favorite lures for targeting trophy trout in the winter are those that suspend, slow sink, and have an erratic movement. When I

define a slow presentation, I am referencing the speed at which the lure moves toward the angler, the retrieve speed, not the motion. As a young angler, I was always told to slow down when it’s cold and then slow it down a little more. Although this has its place, it should not be set in stone, or ice if it’s really cold. OK, enough of the bad jokes. When trout are cold and may not be feeding

as aggressively as we would like, an extremely erratic motion can entice the strike. This erratic motion makes the lure dance in place with little to no forward movement. I use a rod with a whippy action for this. This allows me to point my rod tip at the lure and shake it up and down aggressively causing the lure to almost dance in place. I then let it pause, suspending or slow-sinking as I reel up the slack. I then repeat this practice, modifying according to the conditions. Fishing braided line is imperative for this method. The stretch in mono will not allow your slow-sinking lure to dance in place at the end of a long cast, but the zero stretch of braid makes it move like it is on a wire. I learned this the hard way 20 years ago. I was fishing with four friends, and I was the only one using mono and the only one not catching. I mimicked every move my buddy made to no avail. I then ask him to cast his lure and retrieve it near me. I watched it dance past with great action. I then cast my lure near him. Although I moved my rod more vigorously, he said my lure was moving in a straight line as if I was just reeling it in. I switched to braid on the next trip and never went back, and of course this dancing method started to produce fish! If you pay attention to the strike, this method will let you know if you should modify your retrieve. If they bite on the pause, you may want to slow it down a bit. If they bite on the shake, you may want to speed it up. I hope this helps you land more big trout this season. Good Luck! Capt. Michael Okruhlik is the inventor of Knockin Tail Lures®, and the owner of www.MyCoastOutdoors.com

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t was a chilly winter morning, and my crew—a good friend Zach and his two sons—all knew it was going to be either a tough day or a great one. It was a typical morning for winter here in the Daytona, Fla. area, with overcast skies, highs in the low 60s and a dominant wind and swell headed from the northeast. The inshore bite is typically pretty good this time of year, with a variety of different species usually willing to cooperate. Red drum are a favorite backcountry target during the colder months. When they move up on the flats to feed, it can lead to good action on spoons and paddletails. On the end of the outgoing tide, we hoped to bag a few redfish before the switch, but the bite never happened. We kept busy with some small permit, pompano, mangrove snapper and even a flounder. By the time the tide switched mid-morning, the bite had slowed down with just a few small sheepshead taking our bait. Sheepshead are delicious, and around here the causeways of the Intracoastal along with barnacle- or oyster-encrusted docks, bridges and jetties are a pretty good bet for picking up a few for the cooler. They love sand fleas and fiddler crabs but will also eat shrimp on a jig head or Carolina rig. Something I like to do while targeting other species is to leave baits out for red or black drum. I had two dead stick bottom rods out the back soaking halved blue crabs in the hopes that a drum would be hungry enough to pick it up. With the action pretty slow, and while we still had some time left in the trip, I decided we should make a move. I told Zach’s younger son Gavin, who is an employee of mine at Yellow Dawg Bait & Tackle in Ormond Beach, to reel in the back rods that had been soaking. At first it looked like he had a snag as the rod bent when he picked it up, but then the drag took off. Big black drum are tanks! It’s almost like they have shoulders and they’ve been working out all week waiting for you. The big ugly that highlighted that trip was somewhere in the 50-plus-pound range, a trophy for sure! Gavin, who is the younger guy in the photo, will be in U.S. Coast Guard boot camp when this edition hits the racks. His dad, Zach, is a veteran, along with his other two sons Logan and Cameron. A big thanks to all the men and women out there who serve our country! Capt. Jamie Thrappas is Co-Publisher of Coastal Angler - Volusia County and owner of Yellow Dawg Fishing. Check out yellowdawgfishing.com. To win a free half-day inshore or offshore charter with Capt. Thrappas, enter the Fish with Coastal Angler drawing at coastalanglermag.com/contest.

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AT FIRES CREEK, N.C.

delayed harvest trout stream is a better place than most to spend a winter afternoon, and if you can find a two- or three-day warming trend, there’s a good chance you’ll get into some pretty good fishing. North Carolina’s Fires Creek has a 2-mile stretch of delayed harvest water on U.S. Forest Service land off U.S. 64 between Murphy and Hayesville. Rainbow, brown and brook trout are stocked in the creek and protected under catch-and-release, single-hook, artificial only regulations during the October into June delayed

harvest season. It’s a small-stream setting with more and bigger trout than one would find in most creeks this size. The creek is gorgeous, with clear plunge pools and deep bend runs sliding into skinny pocket water that twists for miles through the bottom of a rhododendron-choked valley. Even the rounded river rocks are notable for their beauty, with striking dark gray and tan bands that’ll make you want to stash a few flat stones in your vest to take home. The fishing is about like any other delayed

harvest in terms of fish size and the density of stockings, but it is a small stream, so you’ll be tempted to—and you should—explore your way upstream instead of settling in on the big holes. Small streams are just more fun when you fish them that way. Around each bend lies a new challenge, another series of pools and runs. Tightlining nymphs is probably the most effective way to fool fish this time of year. They might fall for the standard “junk flies,” but a few months into the DH season, the fish might also be looking for something more natural. In winter, the aquatic insects will be small. Little black stoneflies, midges and blue-winged olives might hatch off on a warm afternoon and lead to some dry fly action, but unless you see bugs in the air, you’re better off fishing subsurface imitations of these insects. A double-nymph rig with a big attractor nymph below a smaller more natural looking nymph is always a good option. The foot bridge at the Fires Creek Picnic Area is the lower boundary of the DH water. Access above the foot bridge is easy on a streamside trail and also along Fires Creek Wildlife Road. This gravel track parallels the creek way up into its headwaters. The delayed harvest ends at the Forest Service 340A bridge. Upstream of this point, the trout population trends toward stream-born rainbows that top out at 10 or 11 inches. For GPS coordinates to access points and detailed maps of North Carolina and Georgia’s best trout water, check out “Flyfishers Guide to North Carolina & Georgia.” It is available at fly shops, on Amazon, and signed copies are available from the author by e-mailing nsc8957@gmail.com.

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A FEW THOUGHTS ON

SHEEPSHEAD By CAM Staff

heepshead have become a wintertime staple when water temps drop and the regular cast of inshore characters become more difficult to target. If you’re a cold-weather inshore angler, you’re probably already familiar with sheepshead, so here are a few tips you might not have heard yet. Finding Fish: Convict fish travel and feed in packs. Once you locate them, the action can be fast, but you have to find them first. Obviously, they like structure like bridges, docks and jetties, where they can happily gnaw on barnacles. When considering structure, older, rambling docks with lots of pilings provide more surface area for established colonies of crustaceans. These can be honeyholes, but keep moving if you’re not catching fish. You might run a dozen different structures in a day and catch 90 percent of your fish on one. In the clear water of winter, sheepshead can often be sight fished, and they don’t really spook, so look for them before casting. If the water is too dingy to see them, you can sometimes hear them crunching shells if you listen quietly. Chum ’Em Up: This might sound silly, but sheepshead get excited about free food just like any other species of fish. Keep a shovel on the boat and scrape barnacles off the structure you’re fishing. This rings the dinner bell, and it’ll also help you spot them as they dart around to pick off the falling morsels. Looking for scraped pilings is also a good way to identify where other anglers have chummed sheepies before. Play the Tides: Pretty much every fish feeds best on a moving tide, but a ripping flow can be detrimental when fishing for such a structure oriented fish. Fast moving water tends to pin sheepshead right up against structure. This, and the tide itself, can make presenting baits more difficult. Find a moderate tide, and

sheepshead will spread out and move around a little more, which makes them easier to catch. Position yourself up-current and allow your baits to drift down into the fish. The Business End: Although they are not skittish, sheepshead can be selective. Whether you’re fishing fiddler crabs, shrimp tails, sand fleas, oysters or clams, use a small, short-shank hook and hide it inside your bait. Also, fish braided line. Braid has less stretch, so those little bumps when a sheepshead taps your bait translate better to the rod tip. Braid also has better abrasion resistance for when they pull you around a piling, but the increased sensitivity is key. With their black and white bars, convicts are notorious bait thieves. You need to know it the instant they suck in your bait.

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