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BOOST YOUR CATCH w/RezBoostTM Technology
Interested in getting the most out of your own trusted transducer, or not sure you’re ready for the expense of installing a new CHIRP transducer? Furuno has a solution that will get the very best performance from your traditional narrowband transducer. Our RezBoostTM Fish Finders deliver clearer images than ever before, we’re talking up to 8x sharper. Whether it’s NavNet TZtouch2 or the FCV588/FCV628 stand-alone Fish Finders, RezBoostTM will boost your catch!
Get up to 8x sharper resolution, using a standard narrow band transducer, to more clearly define fish targets.
Assess individual fish size and depth based on echo strength for fish from 4 inches to over 6 feet.
Identify the sea floor composition from four types (Rocks/Sand/Gravel/Mud).
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Electronics GARMIN INREACH EXPLORER+ Going where the fish are often means exploring places where communication becomes very difficult. Whether you’re far offshore, deep in a marshy backwater or high up a remote mountain stream, wouldn’t it be reassuring to know you can connect with someone in the event of an emergency? Or you might just need to let someone know where the fish are biting? The Garmin inReach Explorer+ is a handheld GPS navigator and satellite communicator that allows you to explore anywhere and communicate everywhere. It is a rugged, compact unit that uses 100 percent global Iridium coverage for two-way text messaging and tracking anywhere in the world. Navigate with detailed, preloaded TOPO maps, follow routes, mark waypoints and find your way back with a high-detail bread-crumb trail. Using GPS tracking, you can easily share your location with family, friends, social media or emergency responders. In case of emergency, the interactive SOS allows you to communicate back and forth and receive confirmation that help is on the way. For added capability, use the free Earthmate app to pair your inReach Explorer+ with mobile devices and access unlimited maps, aerial imagery, NOAA charts, weather and more.
WWW.GARMIN.COM FURUNO DFF3D Turn your NavNet TZtouch or TZtouch2 MFD into a multi-beam sonar that can see 120 degrees port to starboard, allowing you to see the depth and direction fish schools are moving, while displaying the seabed condition in real time. Furuno’s DFF3D gives you real-time 120-degree port-starboard view of the water column and seabed in deeper than 650 feet of water, allowing you to find fish in deep water faster than conventional
single-beam sounders. Cross-Section displays the real-time sea column echo in 120 degrees port and starboard. This mode aids in understanding the distribution of baitfish and water column conditions. The 3D Sounder History provides an intuitive and easyto-understand 3D image of the seafloor, along with fish school icons. A single or triple-direction fishfinder image can be displayed. The triple beam display helps you understand the depth of fish and seabed condition in each direction, as well as the direction target fish are moving. Side scan clearly displays the shape of structure to port and starboard as a high definition image.
WWW.FURUNO.COM STANDARD HORIZON EXPLORER GX1700 GPS VHF RADIO The GX1700 makes DSC easy. With an internal 12 Channel GPS built into the front panel, there is no need to hassle with wiring the radio to a GPS for DSC. Out of the box and ready to go, DSC calling, position sharing, waypoint navigation and navigation to DSC distress calls can all be performed with just a few simple steps. The Explorer GPS VHF radio has a compact rear case of only 3.5 inches. The Built-In WAAS GPS receiver and antenna give flexibility to flush mount the radio in tight areas. The GX1700 is capable of entering and saving up to 100 waypoints, which may be navigated to by using a unique navigation compass display that shows bearing and distance to the waypoint. GX1700 is an ITU-R M493 Class D class VHF with a separate Channel 70 receiver, which allows DSC calls to be received even when listening to communications. The DSC DISTRESS function transmits a digital MAYDAY including vessel identification, latitude/longitude and time, to facilitate prompt response. Other features include a big, bold display; RAM3+ remote mic capability, easy position sharing, Clearvoice noise reduction technology, programmable channel names, NOAA Weather channels and Weather Alert. And it’s all backed by a 3-year waterproof warranty.
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Product Review ACR ELECTRONICS RESQLINK PLB
At 4.6 ounces, the ResQLink distress beacon weighs less than a couple of energy bars, and it’s smaller than the cell phone in your pocket. Small and mighty, the ResQLink PLB is a full-powered, GPS-enabled rescue beacon designed for anglers, pilots and backcountry sportsmen. With three levels of integrated signal technology—GPS positioning, a powerful 406 MHz signal, and 121.5 MHz homing capability—the ResQLink PLB quickly and accurately relays your position to a worldwide network of search and rescue satellites. A built-in strobe light provides visibility during night rescues. Even in extreme conditions and situations, the ResQLink activates easily. With its powerful 66-channel GPS, the ResQLink guides rescuers to within 100 meters of your position. And, in the continental U.S., search and rescue personnel are typically alerted in as little as five minutes. Other features include: no subscription fees, self-test and GPS-test features and typical performance 30 hours. If you have to use your ResQLink PLB, ACR will replace it free of charge.
WWW.ACRARTEX.COM
JL AUDIO MEDIAMASTER 100S BLACK EDITION The MM100s-BE is hitting the market just in time for summer. This latest Black Edition of JL Audio’s MediaMaster was introduced with an updated user interface that offers enhanced volume control flexibility and four fully variable zones, each with independent feature/control options; Volume, Tone, and Naming. NMEA 2000 interconnectivity is built into it and equipped with a NMEA2K Connector to integrate into existing networks, enabling MFD control functionality with Lowrance, Simrad and Garmin. Designed for today’s modern media environment, the MM100s-BE features a Digital AM/FM/Weather Band Tuner, Bluetooth connectivity, separate line level AUX and USB/iPhone inputs, and it’s SiriusXM-Ready. Available with an optional MMR-20BE Wired Remote. The MM100s-BE is a premium, single-chassis source unit with superb audio performance, excellent ergonomics and advanced audio features, specifically designed for marine applications. Check it out at http://www.jlaudio.com/. Available at HIGH TECH MARINE in Hialeah, Fla. 305-883-9700.
WWW.HIGHTECHMARINE.COM ANGLER’S PAL ELECTRONICS MOUNTS AND TROLLING MOTOR STABILIZERS
Boaters and anglers invest a small fortune in their equipment. Fishermen, for example, know that quality sonar, GPS, chart plotters and electric motors are vital tools that enhance their experience. For that reason, MarineTech Products, manufactures the Angler’s Pal line of electronics mounts and trolling motor stabilizers. Angler’s Pal mounts are designed to withstand the harsh marine environment and provide rock solid stability with minimal space requirements. The patented universal Ball Locking Device provides 360-degree adjustability and the strength to support the heaviest equipment without “drift.” The Angler’s Pal Trolling Motor Mounts feature a unique rubber lock-down strap that protects your trolling motor from accidental deployment or excessive vibration that can damage the shaft. Overall length: 10” and now THE NEW 14” model for longer shafts and deeper gunnels. They are made of corrosion-resistant stainless steel and hardanodized aluminum for fresh and saltwater use. They are available in a variety of lengths, and all Angler’s Pal mounts can be easily removed for storage. Angler’s Pal also manufactures 700 and 800 Series Rod Holders. For information, contact Marine Tech Products at 1 651-4862010.
WWW.ANGLERSPAL.COM
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BIG BEND : Mike McNamara • (850) 510-7919 • captmike@coastalanglermagazine.com BREVARD : David String • (321) 684-5888 • dstring@coastalanglermagazine.com DAYTONA/NEW SMYRNA BEACH : Don Meadows • (321) 436-5895 • donm@coastalanglermagazine.com FLORIDA KEYS : Cliff Lumpkin • (305) 849-9093 • cliff@coastalanglermagazine.com FORT LAUDERDALE : Gene Dyer • (954) 680-3900 • gene@coastalanglermagazine.com FORT MYERS : Nadeen Welch • (239) 595-8265 • nwelch@coastalanglermagazine.com GREATER MIAMI : Scott Deal • (561) 945-6999 • scott@coastalanglermagazine.com Monica Isaza-Deal • (561) 945-8899 • monica@coastalanglermagazine.com GREATER ORLANDO : Phillip & Giselle Wolf • (407) 790-9515 • phillip@coastalanglermagazine.com LAKELAND & SUMTER : Mary Brasher • (352) 598-4219 • maryf@coastalanglermagazine.com NAPLES : Mike Weber • (414) 531-4172 • mikew@coastalanglermagazine.com NC FLORIDA/NATURE COAST : Cary & Lynn Crutchfield • (352) 372-4237 • crutch@coastalanglermagazine.com NE FLORIDA : Danny Patrick • (904) 742-4696 • danny@coastalanglermagazine.com PANAMA CITY/FORGOTTEN COAST : Randy Cnota • (229) 834-7880 • randyc@coastalanglermagazine.com PALM BEACH COUNTY : Barbara Ryan • (561) 373-8040 • barbara@coastalanglermagazine.com SARASOTA : Phil Prevoir • (239) 257-4684 • pprevoir@coastalanglermagazine.com TAMPA BAY : Chuck Atkins • (239) 464-5153 • chuck@coastalanglermagazine.com TREASURE COAST : Misti & Gary Guertin • (772) 285-6850 • treasurecoast@coastalanglermagazine.com flahama@coastalanglermagazine.com
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Garmin Introduces
W
hether it’s by land, air or sea, Garmin has made a name for itself as the industry leader in navigational electronics. Its popular and varied GPSMAP product line offers the perfect tool for anyone who needs to know where they’re going. In November, Garmin brought powerful new tools to the realm of marine electronics with the introduction of several new networking chartplotters and combination models to the GPSMAP line. Unveiled at the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show, these units lured in boaters and anglers with high-end features at a more than reasonable price point. “These new GPSMAPs are designed for the budget-conscious customer who desires premium features typically found only in a higher-end product,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin vice president of worldwide sales. “We’ve packed these plotters with industry-leading features, builtin conveniences, and we’ve added two new screen sizes to our lineup—a 9-inch touchscreen and a 12-inch keyed—to offer something for every boater.” Ranging in size from 7- to 12-inches, these new plotters are available with and without built-in sonar.
gration, and a 10Hz GPS/GLONASS receiver for smooth on-screen navigation. These compact plotters offer full-network compatibility for the Garmin Marine Network, which allows support for sharing sonar, maps, user data, radar, IP cameras and Panoptix all-seeing sonar among multiple units. Plus, there’s NMEA 2000 and NMEA 0183 support for autopilots, digital switching, weather, VHF, AIS and other sensors. Anglers, cruisers and sailors alike will benefit from the xs series that comes equipped with built-in 1kW traditional CHIRP sonar and CHIRP ClearVü scanning sonar capability for a near-picture quality view of what’s beneath the boat. Preloaded premium mapping features can be found on the GPSMAP 742/742xs and the GPSMAP 942/942xs, including both BlueChart g2 HD charts for the U.S., Canada and Bahamas and LakeVü HD maps. The GPSMAP 722/722xs and GPSMAP 922/922xs come preloaded with a worldwide basemap for general reference with support for optional mapping available at garmin.com.
GPSMAP 7x2/9x2 and GPSMAP 7x2xs/9x2xs Touchscreen Series
GPSMAP 10x2xsv/12x2xsv and GPSMAP 10x2/12x2 and Keyed Series
The GPSMAP 7x2/9x2 series plotters are 7- and 9-inch sunlight-readable touchscreen chartplotters perfect for any boater. The xs series offers the perfect solution for anglers with chartplotter/sonar combination units. These compact and powerful units are exactly what’s needed when functionality is essential and cockpit or deck space is at a premium. Building on the popularity of the 7-inch touchscreen Garmin pioneered in 2010, this series introduces a 9-inch touchscreen to the Garmin line. Both serve customers who value screen size as a compelling option. They feature builtin wireless connectivity for Garmin mobile apps and VIRB action camera inte10
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For those who prefer using a keypad, the all-in-one solutions offered by the new 10-inch GPSMAP 10x2xsv and the 12-inch GPSMAP 12xsv can’t be beat. With an all-new industrial design, these combos feature a large, sunlight-readable screen coupled with a keypad interface and new multifunction rotary control knob that offers precise, simple control for easy menu navigation and setting control, even in rough water. These units also offer four user-programmable hot keys for one-touch access to favorite features and functions. In addition to GPS and connectivity features also found in the GPSMAP 7x2/9x2xs series, the GPSMAP 10x2xsv and GPSMAP 12x2xsv also offer impressive sonar capabilities with built-in
CHIRP sonar, CHIRP ClearVü and CHIRP SideVü as well as support for Panoptix all-seeing sonar. Other premium Garmin sonar modules are also available, including two new CHIRP transducer options–the GT8HW-IH and GT15MTM. The GPSMAP 1042xs/1242xs come preloaded with BlueChart g2 coastal charts and U.S. LakeVü HD, while the GPSMAP 1022xs/1222xs offer a worldwide basemap. Two non-sonar versions, the GPSMAP 1022 and GPSMAP 1222 are also available with a preloaded worldwide basemap.
Advanced Features For Sailors
Premium sailing features have also been integrated into both new series, offering laylines, tidal information, enhanced wind rose, a current slider and other elements that prove beneficial to sailors. All new models also offer integrated ANT support for use with the quatix 3 marine smartwatch, the Garmin Nautix in-view display, gWind Wireless 2 transducer, GNX Wind marine instrument and wireless remote controls. Additionally, all sonar-enabled models feature built-in Quickdraw Contours software, a free, easy-to-use tool that lets mariners instantly create personalized HD maps with 1-foot contours on any body of water.
An Attractive Price Point
The GPSMAP 7x2/9x2 and xs series will range from $799.99 to $1299.99, while the GPSMAP 10x2/12x2xsv and non-xsv series will be priced from $1699.99 to $2999.99. This is exceptionally affordable pricing for top-quality electronics with so many sophisticated yet easy-to-use features. What more could you expect from Garmin, the company that was recently named Manufacturer of the Year for the second year in a row by the National Marine Electronics Association. For a full list of features and more information, visit garmin.com/newmarine.
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Adjustable cap with brim UV-blocking polarized sunglasses
F
Photo courtesy of Controlled Descent Lures
or nearly a century, Eagle Claw has provided premium hooks for all kinds of anglers using American steel and designing and manufacturing them right here in the U.S.A. Founded in 1925 in Denver, Colo., Eagle Claw is extremely proud of its long history of American-made fish hooks. And it is also proud of the high-quality product it produces. Trokar Eagle Claw’s Trokar hooks offer a competitive advantage for serious saltwater competitors. These premium quality hooks offer a faster, deeper, surer point penetration that requires half the pressure of the competition. Manufactured using cold forged high-carbon American-Made steel, they offer better durability and stronger holds for hard-fighting, big-game species. Trokar hooks are surgically sharpened, and their triple-sided points are regarded as the most innovative, sharpest, and most durable on the market today. The Platinum Black finish is designed to withstand repeated use in saltwater and harsh marine conditions. There are more than 20 models of Trokar hooks available for fresh and saltwater. A highlight of the Trokar saltwater line is the TK197 Primal Circle Hook, which is an awesome all-purpose bait hook with an offset, light-wire design. Made of high-carbon steel wire for strength and durability, this hook has a highly durable point and a salt-resistant coating. It offers stronger hold for battling fast and hard-fighting big game fish, and it is a dream come true for serious competition anglers who fish for serious saltwater species. Lazer Sharp Eagle Claw’s Lazer Sharp hooks are designed to be “Sharper, Stronger, Longer,” which means the patented Lazer Sharp needlepoint and forged technology ensures a sharper, stronger, longer hold than the leading competition. Lazer Sharp hooks feature uniquely blended coatings—Sea Guard, Platinum Black and Nickel— which are designed to be more durable and abrasion resistant after repeated use in saltwater. There are more than 30 Lazer Sharp saltwater models available. The L2004EL has become a staple on the boats of big-time billfish anglers. They are approved by the Billfish Foundation for tournament use, and were the original and once the only tournament-approved circle sea hook. The design of this non-offset, circle sea, with a wide gap, light wire and a forged point, results in more solid hook-ups and a much higher rate of fish hooked in the corner of the mouth, which equates to fewer escaping fish as well as less-stressful releases. To this day, the L2004EL is still the single best option for pro and amateur billfish tournament anglers looking for proven performance stemming from a decade of making champions out of competitors. Eagle Claw Fishing Tackle, Co. is an American-based company that has been designing and manufacturing innovative, high-quality fishhooks and fishing equipment for more than 90 years. Its family of brands includes Eagle Claw, Lazer Sharp, TroKar, Wright & McGill and Shappell. For more information about Eagle Claw Fishing Tackle Co. and its family of brands, visit www.eagleclaw.com, find them on Facebook at facebook. com/eagleclaw/, facebook.com/TroKarHooks/ and facebook. com/shappellcorp/ or call 720-941-8700.
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ON THE COVER Editor’s Note:
Each month, Coastal Angler Magazine and The Angler Magazine staff search our vast coverage area for photos that will grace our covers. With well over a million readers in diverse coastal and inland markets, our magazines strive for broad national appeal as well as local-level intelligence to put anglers on fish. The cover is different depending on which edition you, the reader, are holding. The following is a little information about this month’s covers.
COASTAL ANGLER MAGAZINE Costa Rica Sailfish
FREE
The great shot of a Pacific sailfish that graces Pacific Sails the covers of this month’s Coastal Angler In Costa Rica Electronics Edition editions comes from Costa Rica Pro Staff member Francisco Mejias. Francisco is one of the great captains who provide monthly Striped Bass forecasts for our local Costa Rica edition, Are Running Local and he captures some stunning photography as well. Knowing one’s way around a camera is important for getting cover-worthy shots. And it definitely doesn’t hurt to have a target-rich environment like Costa Rica’s beautiful Pacific coast to snap photos of trophy fish. Inside this month’s magazine, Francisco and several other Costa Rica Pro Staff members came together to share the Pacific sailfish experience with our readers. From smaller boats, they pull spreads for sails that can top 200 pounds. The techniques and tools for catching and releasing them safely are laid out in the article, and they are techniques honed by the knowledge that can be gathered during 50-sailfish days. No kidding. The fishing down there can be that good. Fishing Reports Catch Photos News & Events
PHOTO COURTESY OF FRANCISCO MEJIAS, VOLUME 22 • ISSUE 267
COSTA RICA PROSTAFF
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THE ANGLER MAGAZINE Hudson River Striped Bass
FREE
All over the country, wherever striped bass Striped Bass live, spring incites migrations of these bruisers Are Running up the rivers to spawn. This is the time of year when very large fish can be caught in skinny water. In the Southeast, runs of landlocked Electronics stripes can be roughly timed by the blooming Edition Local of the dogwoods. In the Northeast, anglers Picky-Trout Tactics await the arrival of the Alewives. Dave Maneri, of Tivoli, N.Y., caught the big striper on the covers of this month’s The Angler editions. His buddy Paul Hughes Jr. snapped the photo while they were fishing the striped bass run on the Hudson River, which feeds the Atlantic Ocean at New York City. It was an epic day for the two anglers. They caught multiple fish, including the cover fish and another one about the same size, which Paul is holding in the photo that appears with the article. In that article, Dave tells us all about the Hudson River striped bass run and how he goes about catching big stripers from the shore as well as from a boat. The uninformed might assume there’s no fishing to be done in such close proximity to one of the biggest and busiest cities in the world. But striped bass and baitfish still run up the Hudson each year to spawn, just like they have since time immemorial. Fishing Reports Catch Photos News & Events
PHOTO COURTESY OF PAUL HUGHES JR. VOLUME 22 • ISSUE 267
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By Pro Staff Costa Rica • Photos by Francisco Mejias
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he Pacific sailfish is one of the most sought after offshore game fish in Costa Rica. Growing larger than their Atlantic
counterpart, sailfish in Costa Rica average 60 to 80 pounds, but big ones can surpass 200 pounds! They are migratory, with the main concentration of fish arriving in our area of the Central Pacific as the dry season sets in the end of December. They move away as the wet season kicks in during early May. Even though this is the main migration, there are always sailfish present in our waters year round. We fish from smaller boats, so we use the traditional five-rod setup. A combination of natural baits and lures are used, and our main baits are ballyhoo. Our lures of choice are the Magna series from Santos. Variations of pink, lumo and blue combined with a Trokar hook are deadly combinations. If the bite is slow, we often sew a belly flap or strip bait into the lures for a more enticing bait. On the outriggers, we use teasers. A squid chain in pink on one side and a bigger lure like a Santos Carolina Seastalker on the other is a good start. The shotgun gets a Santos lure as well as the long rigger. The short rigger and the two corners are set up with naked swimming ballyhoos on Trokar 7/0 circle hooks. It is also handy to have a mullet, horse ballyhoo or tuna
rigged and ready to go as a pitch bait in case a marlin decides to crash the party. Once the fish is caught it is time for a few photos. This is a critical part of the process, as it involves fish handling. Even though some boats still bring up a sailfish for a photo, it is highly recommended to not do so, as it can be extremely harmful to the fish. It is the process of pulling the fish over the rail of the boat that causes problems. The protective mucus covering is scraped off, leaving an area of skin exposed to bacterial and fungal attack. This can result in death of the fish at a later time. Leave the fish in the water, and with a good pair of AFTCO gloves, grab the outer part of the bill and push the fish as far out from the boat as possible. Keep the head of the fish in the water as much as possible, and lift it briefly for a good photo. Take the shot from the tail end of the fish looking forward or from above if possible. Alternatively, grab the front part of the sail, pull it up and hold the bill with your other hand. Make sure the bill is always pointing away from you and not at you. Take the photo from the front of the fish. If you have never been to Costa Rica fishing, it is definitely worth it and you will be hooked! Pro Staff Costa Rica provides monthly reports for Coastal Angler Magazine’s Costa Rica edition. Search out Pro Staff Costa Rica on Facebook for more great photography, videos and fishing content.
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Spring Striped Bass Run The Hudson River By Nick Carter
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ach spring, through the Hudson River’s mouth at bustling New York Harbor, a massive spawning migration of Atlantic stripers pushes some 150 miles upstream to the Federal Dam at Troy, N.Y. In this long stretch of tidally influenced river, striped bass show up when water temps reach the 60s. Dave Maneri, of Tivoli, N.Y., said the trick is to keep up with the migration and put yourself in the right place at the right time to intercept pods of transient stripers. “They move in big schools,” Maneri said. “Some days they’re there and you can catch them; other days they’re not. You gotta stay on the reports. They’re running the whole river, so you could travel to where the fish are or wait until they’re where you are.” Smaller schoolie striped bass show up first. They come with the spawning alewives, which are baitfish commonly called herring. Schoolies remain in the river for a couple months some years, and there’s also a year-round resident population. But Maneri said the big cows remain only for a week or two each season. They are always on the move, and connecting with them can lead to unbelievable action with big fish measuring past the 40-inch mark with weights heavier than 30 pounds. Fishing bait is generally the most productive tactic. The best bait is herring pulled right out of the river, either live or chunked. Most locals use a scap net to catch herring. A scap net is essentially a 4’x4’ dip net. The schooling herring will follow a swimbait right up to the net where they are captured. Maneri fishes his herring off the bottom using medium and medium-heavy rods with baitrunner-style reels that allow fish to run with the bait on free spool before the angler strikes to set the hook and engage the drag. He employs a main line of 30-pound braid with a 1 ½-foot leader of 15- to 20-pound fluorocarbon. A 7/0 Gamakatsu Octopus should be hooked through the bait’s mouth, and the whole rig is kept down with a 2- or 3-ounce slide swivel teardrop sinker. Maneri said stripers don’t relate to any kind of structure on their spawning run, so the good spots are the drop offs, channels and shallows where baitfish might be funneled. Obviously, a boat gives anglers the ability to move and seek out fish. But fishing from shore is also productive. When he fishes from the shore, Maneri uses rod holders made from PVC pipe and rebar. They can be wedged into rip-rap to free up the angler while waiting on a bite. And the bite can be a tricky thing. Maneri said these stripers have a knack for spitting the bait. One thing is for sure, though; when the hook sets solid and the drag is engaged, a big striped bass in heavy current is a formidable opponent. Dave Maneri is a team member of Catskill Outdoors. Look them up on Facebook.
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Tips For Catching Picky Trout
By Charlie Warfield • Photo by John Winkler, redhouseflyfishing.com
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he upper end of the Delaware River, and more specifically the West Branch of the Delaware in the Catskill Mountains, is a favorite of many fly anglers in Pennsylvania and Upstate New York. It can also be frustrating place, as it holds some very picky trout. The river has a reputation for crystal clear water, and because it is a bottom-release tailwater, it has a very consistent temperature, which makes for great hatches and healthy fish year round. It is known for being very technical, and this is just a nice way of saying it will sometimes make you want to pull your hair out. The first time I fished it, I was tested, even frustrated by this beautiful waterway. But besides the beautiful mountain setting and endless hatches, it is in part the challenge that drove me to go back time after time. I persisted and figured out ways of tricking the beautiful native fish. I learned lessons there that have made me a better angler. The following are some insights that will give you a leg up when you go fish the Delaware or any other technical stream. Downstream Presentation: Many anglers learned to cast upstream and let the fly drift down. But when fishing for spooky or educated fish, this method can sometimes leave you frustrated. It’s harder to get a good, long drift with a downstream presentation, but many times it is your best bet. Next time you’re having a hard time getting a take, cast out at about 90 degrees to the bank, and quickly give an upstream mend, this will help you keep a drag free drift for as long as possible. Keep mending as often as needed, letting the fly swing to its full downstream position. Sweep-Style Hook Set: The downstream presentation should be matched with a sweep-style hook set. To use this technique, swing the rod downstream and strip the line at the same time, this will pull the line through the water, creating tension and giving a good hook set. By swinging the rod downstream, you are also pulling the hook into the corner of the fish’s mouth rather than pulling it up and away from the fish. Slow Down Your Hook Set: Ok, we have all done it before. It’s a tough day on the water and all of the sudden you get a strike, BAM you set the hook… and nothing. I have heard people say things like, “Next time, set the hook faster.” But most of the time the opposite is true. A good technique is to wait one second and then give the rod a gentle lift or sweep. Match the Hatch: Picky fish know what they want to eat. There can be significant variation in color, size and body shape in the same species of fly from region to region, and there are many subspecies for each type of fly we fish. So do your homework. I suggest hiring a local guide or at least stopping in at the local fly shop. It is good to support the community, and you can never beat local knowledge.
For more tips on trout fishing, go to
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The Heart Of The Season
In Nosara, Costa Rica
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he best part of the fishing season is right around the corner for the northern Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. The inshore bite for cubera snapper and grouper remains consistent up and down the Pacific Coast. These reef fisheries are less affected by bait movement, and seem to be more influenced by moon phase or tidal swings. Vertical jigs coupled with a cloud of chunked fresh bonita is the presentation that lures the big ones off of the reefs, with the more enterprising anglers dropping bridle-hooked live bonita. Boats going offshore are finding that the 1000-foot ledge at the 8-mile mark yields dorados of all sizes, from 5-pound schoolies to 60-plus-pound bulls. Dorado will rule this food chain until late May or early June when big yellowfin tuna will swarm in from the north. This changeover is marked by giant schools of spinning porpoises attacking the yellowfins mixed in with marlin and sailfish on the prowl. The extreme water clarity here dictates tackle choices when trolling for billfish, dorado and yellowfin tuna; brightly colored lures and complicated teasers tend to spook the fish. Successful captains report that a cleanly-rigged, unskirted Ballyhoo is the weapon of choice. The water temperature will stay high until late June, when the evening rains will begin to fill the rivers up in the mountains. In addition to taking the edge off the high water temperature, these rains will wash out trees into the ocean, and floating logs quickly become a full ecosystem for baitfish, table fare and predatory billfish. Protected bays dot the coastline of northern Costa Rica’s Guanacaste Peninsula on the central Pacific Coast, supporting old-school fishing villages even in the era of sprawling marina resorts in the southern region of the country. One such bay is Playa Garza, which is home to an armada of 30-
foot, sub-300 hp sportfishing boats operated by local captains. Visitors to this region trade the creature comforts and long boat rides of the big marinas for the chance to catch world-class billfish less than 15 miles from shore. In early April, the 2017 Ship of Fools Tournament was held in Playa Garza with 10 local captains vying for cash, prizes and bragging rights. The winning boat caught a 450-pound blue marlin approximately 12 miles from shore. Capt. Francisco Rosales on the 26-foot Explorer hooked the fish on a naked ballyhoo. The bite is expected to peak in July and August, just before the two-month rainy season begins. In August, it’s not unheard of to have double-digit sailfish releases on a single eight-hour trip. For the past few years, the late-summer action has been white hot with several boats reporting multiple billfish grand slams.
Flats or Bay, which one?
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Bow River Bullets • Bo
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ithout a doubt, Alberta, Canada’s Bow River is a world-class trout fishery. Glacier-fed and flowing more than 350 miles from the Canadian Rockies through the foothills and prairies of Alberta, it is big and scenic by the time it reaches the 50-mile section southeast of Calgary that author Jim McLennan called “the Blue Ribbon Bow.” It is here in this blue ribbon stretch that anglers flock to get in on some of the best brown and rainbow trout fishing in the world. Stephen Laurie considers the Bow his home water. Although most guide operations fish the river from drift boats or rafts, he prefers fishing it from a kayak most of the time. He said it’s a good way to access smaller runs that larger, less-maneuverable vessels can’t reach. Some of his best days of fishing have occurred in back channels that don’t receive much fishing pressure. When speaking of good days on the Bow, one must consider that
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the river holds 2,500 rainbow and brown trout per mile. Laurie said fish average about 15 or 16 inches, and that large fish longer than 20 inches eat lures and streamers daily. He has a fondness for what he called “Bow River bullets,” which are big rainbow trout renowned for their fight. He said visiting anglers are often surprised by how hard these big-shouldered rainbows pull. Early spring to late fall offers a long window when the Bow fishes well. Either end of that time frame can present huge snow banks and bitterly cold temperatures, though. The best fishing can be found following the subsidence of the spring runoff in May and early June. Trout remain hungry and susceptible to a variety of tactics through the summer months. Laurie said fly anglers should bring boxes loaded with streamers like Clouser Minnows, Rubber Buggers and Crystal Zonkers. Nymphs are also very productive, and patterns like Hare’s Ears, Rainbow Warriors, Frenchies and worms are a necessity. And it is definitely worthwhile to stop in at a local fly shop to ask about what hatches might be coming off. The dry fly fishing can be spectacular during heavy caddis or mayfly hatches. “I have always taken a spinning rod when on the river, as the winds can pick up any time and cause some real fly casting issues, especially when fishing from a kayak,” Laurie said. “Having a spinning rod with me has saved a few wind-filled days. Most common lures would be Rapala CD7 and typical spinners in varying colors.” Although it is possible to access stretches of the Bow to wade, float trips are by far a better option because access points are spread out. A floating angler could bite off between three and eight hours worth of fishing or even an overnight trip depending on the put-in and take-out points and how long is spent stopping to wade fish the more productive stretches. With summer vacations coming up, now is the time to start planning a trout excursion to the Blue Ribbon Bow to experience some of the best fishing on the planet.
For more fishing on Canada’s Bow River, go to
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LONG ISLAND EDITION
www.coastalanglermag.com/longisland
MAY 2017
PUBLISHER’S NOTE MIKE AND LISA DANFORTH
Connecticut here we come, and it’s take a mom fishing time!
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fter months of preparation, conversations with distributors, readers, advertisers and other friends, May will bring our roll out of Coastal Angler throughout Connecticut. This brings our mini-regional to distribution in Connecticut, Long Island and Rhode Island. If this is your marketplace, we are the magazine (and website!) for you! To date Coastal Angler has been available at a few key locations in Connecticut: Bass Pro in Bridgeport (over 1300 copies monthly ae picked up as folks exit Bass Pro,) Stew Leonards (because we shop there for the great food, as do many in the media/ad buying community and Fairfield County anglers,) Fishermans World and a few other key locations. This month we will fan out to about 115 locations with a launch circulation of 6,500 copies in this market. As advertising continues to grow and provide us with the mojo we need, we’ll be moving to a full 10,000 as soon as possible! And we can’t wait to get out onto Connecticut waters. Our boat has a date on April 20 with Affordable Marine in Plainsville for fresh bottom paint and some seasonal primping, and then – next weekend – into the Long Island Sound she goes! We just can’t wait to drop a line in the Sound. So we approach this new, 2017 season full of joy and anticipation for an great times on the water with family and friends, and a record new fishing season. So look out for that new Connecticut edition. As always, from Long Island, Rhode Island or now Connecticut, if you have feedback of any kind – good, bad, irate, overjoyed, overwhelmed, underwhelmed or indifferent – please fire away. You make yourself heard by zapping a quick note to us, signing on to our FaceBook page (www.facebook.com/CoastalAnglerMagazineRhodeIsland) or Twitter at CoastalAnglerRI. If you can’t find a copy of your local Coastal Angler at your favorite watering hole, marina, bait and tackle or sports store let them know and let us know. We’re happy to add them to our distribution list. And best of all – it’s free. Never a charge to you or our distributors! If you want the convenience of a subscription delivered to your door go get one at www.coastalanglermag.com/rhodeisland . And if you want to get in on a great ad package – this month is the month! Reach out to Mikecoastalanglermagazine@gmail.com or 203.604.4064! If you would like to supply fishing reports and articles contact Lisacoastalanglermagazine@gmail.com. And … Happy Mother’s Day to all – take a mom fishing this month!
Photo: Felicia Scocozza
New Product Review:
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tand Up Paddleboard fishing is trending so we eagerly tested Sea Eagle®’s new inflatable FishSUP™ FS126. Sea Eagle calls it super stable. We were super impressed. At 12’6” (l) x 40” (w) it’s a spacious platform that’s tough enough to work hardened shorelines. Heavy duty .90 drop stitch material covers the top, bottom and sides for superior protection against punctures and a 90”x18” thick camo EVA pad adds additional buffering while providing a non-slip footbed. An integral 36-inch ruler makes fish measurement a snap. We packed this rig in the trunk, hit the beach, and fully inflated it in less than ten minutes. Smartly positioned D-rings tightly secured optional accessories including a swivel seat with Scotty rod holders, battery, 34-lb thrust electric motor and forward mesh storage box with tube-style rod holders. An SUP paddle, kayak paddle, backpack, hand pump and repair kit come with the basic package. Price: $1099. - Tom Schlichter
Tight Lines. Lisa Helme and Mike Danforth Owners and Publishers PS For those of you who know us well and were expecting a story on fishing in the Galapagos this month – stay tuned, it’s taking shape and will run in June! 2 LONG ISLAND
MAY 2017
Photo: Felicia Scocozza
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FISH FOCUS ZACH HARVEY
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If A Striper Falls in the Forest: Standing By to Stand By
know I’m not the first person to notice that we’re losing prime fishable time from our already foreshortened New England seasons. I also know, having discussed this apparent new trend of the last decade or so with numerous folks in seemingly every party of the larger fishing industry, that the underlying causes for this new challenge are numerous and complex. Obviously, the last 15 years of regulatory wrangling have cost us many or most of our historical rod-and-reeling options—especially those early-season opportunities that helped foregoing generations of anglers justify a decision to dump the boat in three weeks on the frigid side of Memorial Day. Winter flounder landed on the off-limits list some years back with a regulation that closed Rhode Island’s various salt ponds and other estuaries up Narragansett Bay—in reality, all the remaining places that held enough spring flatfish to warrant so much as an attempt. So have those who target spring tautog in Narragansett Bay lost much of their traditional window of focused blackfishing. Some years, we’ve paid for a previous season’s summer flounder excesses with a very late opener that cost us most or all of May.
participation resists economic turmoil better than most leisure activities. Although the decline in spring fishing has been clear for the better part of the last ten years, it has intensified at an alarming rate the last few seasons, to the extent that friends of mine in the marina, tackle, and party/charter-fishing businesses are getting scared for the future. The problem is that there’s no obvious problem to blame for the sharp decline in spring activity. I hate to say it, lest various folks with whom I’ve argued loudly in recent years accuse me of somehow relishing in their misfortune, but I can’t shake the feeling that the lack of early-season fishing ambition/ energy is a direct consequence of our striper situation, specifically the disruption, two years back, of the longstanding two-striper economy. If I’ve learned one thing in my 20-year run in the fishery, it’s that in a community as small and as tight as RI’s sport-fishing world, nothing ever happens in a vacuum. Through the regulatory process that culminated in the passage of measures that reduced the possession limit from two to a single striped bass, all kinds of animosity grew between “private” recreational anglers
See Fish Focus (Continued on Page 11)
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In at least as many cases, biological/ecological reality have put a serious dent in our early angling ambitions. Whereas we enjoyed solid spring codfishing through the 1980s—and had some good years thereafter—the April-May action south and east of Block Island has failed to materialize, even in the years we’ve had bang-up groundfishing straight through the winter. While there’s little doubt the loss of these one-time spring fishing opportunities has contributed to the universal decline in spring effort, truth is, even when those were viable options for folks dying to get an early jump, only a small fraction of Ocean State recs ever really logged much time in those fisheries. Put another way, it wasn’t winter flounder that used to have local marinas starting a waiting list before June. The economic meltdown in 2008 sure didn’t help things for the boating/fishing public. But even in the darkest days of that period, fishing participation was up. In fact, it has typically been true that fishing
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MAY 2017
LONG ISLAND 3
Take A Shot At Tidal Creek Bass BY TOM SCHLICHTER
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he month of May can be a magical time for Long Island anglers. The freshwater lakes are bursting with action, doormat fluke lure their faithful to the North and South forks, and the first keeper stripers are already making waves along the South Shore. All of this is headline-grabbing action and, I have to admit, it draws me in every year. Yet, there is another kind of fishing I cherish come springtime, one that is more quiet, less pressured and closer to home. It’s light-tackle tidal creek action with school stripers, and I never fail to mix in several trips no matter what the headlines scream. TREMENDOUS POTENTIAL From the West End all the way to the eastern tips of Long Island, small tidal creeks etch themselves across the map, snaking their way into the mainland from Jamaica Bay, South Oyster Bay, Great South Bay, Moriches Bay, Shinnecock Bay and Peconic Bay. I’ve caught tidal creek stripers from each of these waters and the action has sometimes bordered on furious. I’ve had 30–fish nights, and I’ve caught bass until I thought my arms were going to fall off in the middle of the day under cloudy skies. Now, to be sure, most of this fishing centers on schoolies measuring 14 to 20 inches, but you will connect with an occasional keeper if you stay at it, and I’ve pulled a few fish weighing between 12 and 20 pounds from these shallow-water hide outs over the years.
Tactical Anglers: The Tactical Anglers CrossOver popper is deadly on stripers and blues of all sizes. The author likes to toss it in the evening when targeting tidal creek schoolies. Photo courtesy of Tactical Anglers. LOOK FOR THE BAIT The key to finding bass in your local tidal creek is to find the bait. Spearing, sand eels, killies and grass shrimp pile into some creeks on rising tides while seemingly avoiding others. Find the creeks with the most bait and you will probably find the bass as well. To locate the bait, you’ve got to scout. One way that works great is to cruise these areas after dark, by boat or by foot, checking shadow lines and lighted sections on calm nights. Both the shiners and shrimp will school tightly in lighted areas, perhaps even dimpling the surface. Look for baitfish to also be tightly packed around bends in the
Dark colored Yo-Zuri Mag Darters are another favorite choice for anglers targeting school bass during later April, May and early June. Photo Courtesy of Yo-Zuri. Be sure to crush down the barbs on your plugs to make releasing these school fish safe and easy. Tom Schlichter photo. Interestingly, the further west you try, the better your chances seem to be for culling keepers. As a rule, however, this is light-tackle fishing for light-weight linesiders. Still, on eight- to 12-pound test spinning gear – or even a six-weight fly rod – these fish can really be a blast. In fact, freshwater bass spinning gear is a perfect match to this kind of fishing. While tidal bassing might not hold the interest of a die-hard trophy hunter for more than a trip or two, it is a great way for novice anglers to begin to learn the ways of stripers and it makes for a great introduction to the fishing game for youngsters - especially with the emphasis on catch and release. New to saltwater fly fishing? Here’s the logical entry point. 4 LONG ISLAND
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creek, and near the mouth of any creek just inside of where it connects with open water. The more productive creeks might also hold shad or river herring early in the season and you can bet that any spot holding these larger baitfish will also hold schoolies, cocktail blues and, possibly, a few keeper stripers or weakfish. Because most tidal creeks are relatively shallow, you’ll want to hit these fishy hot spots at first light, dusk, after dark or under heavy cloud cover. Bass tend to shy from direct sunlight and this can be especially so during the early season before plankton blooms begin to cloud the water. Trying to stay out of the sun also leads the stripers to the deepest holes up tight against structure. Look for dropoffs in creek bends or pinch points with plenty of shade, such as those created by bridges, and you should stumble across a few fish. Generally speaking, the start of outgoing water produces best because it begins to pull baitfish from the shallows and ushers them into the
See Take A Shot At Tidal Creek Bass (Continued on Page 10)
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Western Sound May 2017 BY CAPTAIN TOMMY KAMPA
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he Western Long Island Sound is starting to warm up nicely; the Ospreys have been here since early April, catching Bunker, and building their nests. Striped Bass are in Little Neck Bay, Manhasset Bay, Eastchester Bay and Hempstead Harbor also feeding on Bunker. Fluke will start showing up near Prospect Point, Sands Point and off of Hart Island. Porgies should start being caught on the Centre Island Reef; and near the end of the month we should start seeing Bluefish. In the beginning of the month, those looking to catch Striped Bass should look for warmer water inside the bays for places to anchor up. Chunking with fresh Bunker is a great way to get that first Striper of the season. It’s very important to get the freshest bait possible, it will greatly increase your chances; your local bait & tackle shops will all be stocking Bunker and should be able to give you some good information on where they’re biting! Start a relationship with your local tackle shop, support them and the rewards of their knowledge will benefit your catches. I like using a seven foot medium heavy, fast action conventional setup, spooled with thirty pound test monofilament line. The monofilament line is much more forgiving than braid especially when fishing rocky structures; one nick from a rock with braid and the game
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is over! I use a four foot length of fifty pound fluorocarbon leader attached to a barrel swivel to my main line. This early in the season will snell a 7/0 J hook (I love the feel of setting the hook) to the leader and bait it with a Bunker chunk. The first chunk behind the head is the best; make sure you use the guts, feel for the heart and make sure you put your hook through it. This will help keep the Bunker guts on your hook which will also give the Stripers something to smell. If there is not much current, you will not need any weight; attach a fish finder rig above your swivel with a sinker if you think your baits not staying on the bottom. Toss your baited hook away from the boat, and wait for the Striper to find it; you don’t have to let these fish run more than a few feet before trying to hook them. Any longer and you will risk gut hooking the fish and if released the fish’s chances for survival are not great. Many feel that Fluorocarbon leaders are not necessary due to our water visibility, but I like to use them. Bunker heads also are great chunking baits and will produce some big fish; make sure you give the Stripers a few more feet to run before setting the hook. If you can get them, live bunker will also produce big Striped Bass. You will need a live well to make sure the Bunker are lively; the more active your Bunker the more attractive it will be to the Striper. I will use a longer leader when live lining, enough to let your Bunker swim naturally, Striped Bass will eat the Bunker head first. Hook the Bunker behind the dorsal fin, being careful not to hook it in the spine, killing it. There’s a fine art to live lining, patience is important, you must make sure the Bass has the bait, many fisherman get excited and try to set the hook too early and actually pull the Bunker out of the Stripers mouth. Live lining is my favorite method of catching Stripers! Another good technique is casting small artificial lures; bucktails, rubber shad bodies and swimming lures. Remember to retrieve these very slowly; the fish can be sluggish in the cold water. Around the middle of the month Fluke should start showing up at Prospect Point, Sands Point, Hewlett Point and off Harts Island. I like to buck tail for my Fluke; using a seven foot spinning outfit, a three to four foot Fluorocarbon leader tied directly to a one ounce or two ounce bucktail, depending on the strength of the current. Your buck tail must be bouncing along the bottom, that’s where Fluke live and it must be very active. Fluke are predators, they like chasing down their prey; you must get
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your buck tail to imitate a live bait to be most successful. Fresh Spearing and Squid cut into tapered four to five inch strips; it’s important because you don’t want your bait to spin unnaturally. Gulp four inch curly tails work great also, sometimes they will out fish fresh bait, I always make sure I have two or three different colors; I will also use two Gulp curly tails, running one up the hook and one just tipped through my hook. When I use this technique, I always use two different colors; I like the contrast and my baits profile. Once you have hooked a Fluke, keep your rod tip up, reeling slow and steady to the surface. Keep your fish under the surface of the water till your net is ready; this will keep the Fluke from going crazy. Net your Fluke head first, never lift a Fluke over the rail; many doormats have been lost doing that. Try different depths until you figure out where the fish are; I use the tracking feature on my sonar machine to pinpoint where I’m catching, why take long unproductive drifts if you know where the fish are holding. Porgies will also start moving into our area this month; they can provide a lot of action and are a great way to introduce kids to fishing. They give a great fight, are not too hard to catch once you get them around the boat. Any light boat rod can be used and store bought Porgy rigs work fine also. Fresh clams or Sand worms are the choice baits for Porgies. Chumming will greatly improve your chances when fishing for Porgies; frozen Clam logs in your chum pot dropped to the bottom will get the job done; every once in a while shake the pot a little.
You have worked hard to catch your fish; always make sure you have a cooler full of ice to store your fish in until you get home, it will make a big difference at dinner that night. Catch ‘em up!!!! Captain Tommy Kampa holds a USCG 100 TON MASTER’S LICENSE; he runs a 29’ Dyer custom bass boat, the MOONLIGHT LADY. We are booking Charters now for the season. Captain Tommy can be reached at capttommykampa@gmail.com or 347 203 5087 to book a charter or express a comment or suggestion. Check out our new website Moonlightladyfishing.com. Like us on FACEBOOK at Coastal Angler Magazine Long Island and Moonlight Lady Fishing; I’ll be posting trip reports and photos daily.
Humminbird MEGA Imaging
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ew for 2017, Humminbird MEGA Imaging is bringing sonar to a new level. For the first time in history anglers have been given a product with the capability to operate in the MEGAhertz range for both Side Imaging and Down Imaging. This high frequency offering creates photo-like images allowing the viewer to not only see fish but often classify the species and size. Maximum range is achieved across all frequencies in standard 2D, Down Imaging and Side Imaging by utilizing wideband digital CHIRP transmission pulses. This technology is available in the popular Helix G2N line and the all-new Solix line with screens ranging 9 to 15”. Pioneers in bringing imaging sonar to the market, Humminbird continues to innovate as they step anglers up from kilohertz to the MEGAhertz range.
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MAY 2017
LONG ISLAND 7
WORD ON THE BITE TOM SCHLICHTER
For Doormats Stripbaits Reign Supreme
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any fluke anglers believe that doormat fluke love big baits. I’m one of them, and reports I’ve taken over the years, along with my own log books, prove this theme holds water. For fluke weighing eight pounds or more, long strips of squid, sea robin and bluefish show up time and again in tales of trophy catches, especially during the first few weeks of the season. No doubt it’s squid that generally lure the biggest fluke into our near-shore ocean, sound and bay waters. As the eightarmed cephalopods arrive on the scene in late April and May, you can bet the biggest fluke will be right on their tails. That being the case, it makes sense to give them what they crave, which is why long strips of thick and juicy local squid are probably your best bet overall for drilling that fluke of a lifetime.
There was a time when I used to drag whole squid on the bottom for big fluke, but I’ve actually caught more bruisers in recent years using the double-strip technique. This approach saves bait in the long run, looks more alive in the water than a whole dead squid since the strips react to every twitch of the rod and, being less bulky, allows me to use slightly lighter tackle to keep my offering near the bottom. Whenever possible, I prefer fresh local squid because of its thicker flesh, cleaner scent, vivid color and added toughness, but frozen squid will suffice in a pinch.
COCKTAIL STRIPS There are, of course, other options for making stripbaits. Sea robin is an obvious one. Use the brownish-red top strips over sandy bottoms and the white belly strips over dark bottoms as the contrast helps make your offering a little more visible. Cocktail blues Big black sea bass are also suckers for well-presented stripbaits. are another option. Strips cut from GO LONG If I’m really intent of catching This one proved hungry aboard the Greenport, NY Peconic Star small choppers seem to produce Fleet. Tom Schlichter, photo. big fluke, I’ll cut the longest especially well when presented in stripbait possible. Some of the rip waters. Other stripbait options baits I’ve used to catch big fluke have measured over 12-inches include bunker, mackerel, tinker mackerel, croaker and even in length. Usually, however, I’ll opt for a seven- to nine-inch fluke strips cut from the belly of another keeper. pennant-shaped strip as these provide a good shot at big fish In terms of rigging, it’s best to keep things simple when while still enticing quality keepers in the three- to four-pound targeting doormats with stripbaits. Start with a 24- to 30-inch class. Over the past few years I’ve also experimented with length of 30-pound test mono leader material snelled to a single another option that seems to do a good job of interesting both 4/0 wide-gap or sproat style hook, then tie the leader into the main solid keepers and true doormats: doubling up on the strips. line via a dropper loop four inches above a four- to eight-ounce In this case, I’ll beef up my sinker. Avoid using spinners presentation by adding and flashy adornments as a second strip of squid the may wrap around the measuring an inch or two line when the current gets shorter than the first. pushing, and skip high-hook While strip bait length is teasers as they tempt too important, so is getting the many smaller fish. I keep my width right. You want these rigs completely unadorned baits to dangle straight except for a pearl or glow bead from the hook and bend placed immediately above the in a fashion that allows hook, although I might add a them to wave gently in chartreuse or hot pink skirt if the current. To keep them fishing in discolored water. light while still presenting a substantial profile, cut each DELAY AWAY strip to be no wider than an In terms of the way inch at the hook end. Most big fluke hit large strip baits, No matter what you catch them on, doormat fluke are a precious resource. expect a fairly pronounced tap strips I fish measure just Hats off to this conservation-minded angler who released this 7-pound beast or the sudden addition of a one-half inch across – even aboard the open boat Shinnecock Star. Tom Schlichter, photo. the longest ones. substantial amount of weight 8 LONG ISLAND
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at the end of the line. In either case, ease your rod tip down toward the water while taking up slack line, then lift gently until the rod is parallel with the water’s surface. If you still feel weight at this point, pause for a count of five before setting the hook with a smooth, solid lift. That slight delay is key, for it guarantees a big fish has time to pass the baited hook beyond its toothy, bony jaws and back toward the more tender part of its mouth. Hooking a doormat fluke is one thing; getting it into the boat is quite another. The biggest fluke simply hug the bottom at the start of the battle, then try to move off in powerful spurts that will test your knots and drag setting. If everything holds together, steady pressure will eventually bring the fish up from the depths providing a feeling of relief – and that’s where most anglers come up short. If you keep a tight line and glide the fish smoothly into a waiting net, all should go well. Lift the fish’s head out of the water for just a second, however, and it will respond with a violent head shake and sharp dive that often tears the hook free or simply breaks the line. Don’t be in a rush to get that fish up on deck. A tight line and smooth, steady cranking is the way to win this game. As you read this, big fluke are already sliding into near shore waters up and down the Long Island and Connecticut coast. Keep in mind that the fish you’ll be targeting with this technique have the potential to be true trophies. Just because they are the crème of the crop, however, doesn’t mean you have to keep every one. Consider taking a photo and then tossing
Stripbaits are a quick route to doormat fluke. Here’s the author with a nice spring flattie taken off eastern Long Island. Outdoor Tom Enterprises, Inc., photo.
your next doormat back into the drink. By scaling down your presentation to use smaller baits, or working bucktails and soft plastics inside the bays, you can always go back to catching standard sized keepers that are perfect for the dinner plate.
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LONG ISLAND 9
TAKE A SHOT AT TIDAL CREEK BASS (Continued from Page 4) main channels to create a giant chum slick. CASTING AWAY Because the waters can move swiftly around bridges and pinch points, these are good places to try small tins, round-head bucktails and soft plastics such as Fin-S-Fish and Storm WildEye Shad. If working from a boat, try casting ¼- to 1/2 –ounce bucktails tipped with red, chartreuse or white Fat Cow Jigging Strips slightly upcurrent from the target. Because these strips stay pliable even when out of the water for a considerable length of time, you can rig up two or three rods with different colors and switch from one to the next to give the fish different looks. You can also trim these strips with a scissors if a smaller size will better match your lure. During the evening hours, you might find that a Tactical Angler CrossOver Popper works well up tight against the marsh grass that borders many creeks, especially if the water is calm. I also enjoy tossing Yo-Zuri Mag Darters in that same situation. After dark, my preference changes to a three- or four-inch Berkley Gulp! Swimming Minnow, Panther Martin Big Fin Vivif or a white Mr. Twister Tail on a one-half-ounce jig head. Small swimming plugs, worked just fast enough to keep the line tight, also entice a lot of fish. The time to get out and experiment with tidal creek bassing is now. Some good starting points include, from west to east: Gerritsen Creek, Swift Creek, Haunts Creek, Connetquot River, Patchogue River, Beaver Dam Creek, Carmans River, Peconic River, Red Cedar
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Night tides tend to give up bigger bass for tidal creek anglers. The author took this one from a western South Shore creek while working a Panther Martin Big Fin Vivif. Outdoor Tom Enterprises photo. Creek and Heady Creek. There are dozens of other possibilities but I’ll leave the research up to you. Just know that no creek is too small - and any place that appears fishy is worth a second look if you don’t score the first time.
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Fish Focus (Continued from Page 3) and so-called “for-hire” (i.e. party/charter) recreational fishermen. Where the final regulations made no distinction between the two groups, the truth is that the two user groups use the striper resource differently. None of the rhetorical specifics of the ongoing arguments matter to my point; I mention the rift between charter captains and private recs only because it has muddied the waters badly—made it difficult for either side to concede common ground with the other. In reality, the loss of the second fish has wounded seriously a charter fleet that spent more than 15 years building repeat clientele and filling out seasonal bookings on a two-bass economy. Through dozens of other regulatory losses—the massive escalation of minimum sizes on fluke, the loss of school bluefin tuna or black sea bass, among endless others—the charter fleet kept sailing on striped bass. But every other regulatory loss ratcheted up pressure on the remaining 2@28” bass. During that same span of years, the fishing media, and by extension the recreational fishing public, went trophy-striper crazy. By 2007 or so, it was becoming challenging for RI charterboats to fill in schedules for the early season—May and early June, or again late, October into November, with fast action on generally smaller migrating fish—when every fishing report or feature made it clear the big girls showed the last week of June, first of July. Then, by 2012 or so, when, despite huge loads of 40- and 50-pounders coming from Block Island, the stock began to show stress cracks, the business started to pull back from the ends of the season. In the heat of the debates, I chastised charter captains for creating their own nightmare, teaching clientele to define trip success in terms of “limiting out” on bass, and in the process turning each new group into the worst kind of meat mongers. To be fair, I had many of those same arguments in the cockpit, an uppity deckape grown a bit too big for his rubberized britches. For all my own public righteousness, I made all kinds of coin on striper hides—can’t remember a time then when I wept into the full fish boxes over the plight of stripers. Now, the marinas are still gap-toothed (at best) in early June—a sea of open slips right on the threshold of high tourist season. And the charter docks are packed to capacity weekdays, May through late June— the loss of that second all-important striper just enough to get too many clients standing by for slob time. “If it’s only going to be one fish,” goes their logic, “that one’s gonna weight 35 pounds…” What no one anticipated in all of this is the impact on the larger fishing community of all these charter boats chafing the pilings—all the May and June trips they’re not making. I’m only now beginning to see it, and I observed the comings and goings of those boats on a full-time professional basis for almost two decades. The grim reality is that, since the end of the Moratorium, it has always been the charterboats grinding away, command performance after command performance in windy, raw May conditions that set the whole striper-obsessed world in motion again after each brutal winter. It was the party and charter boats, bigger and more seaworthy, who put in the early weather, who found (or confirmed the arrival of) the first shots of early stripers in the Rip or off the SW Corner or down the beach. More to the point, it was the full-timers who not only returned to port with the first loads of good fish, but understood the need to get that word out to the public. Especially now, in an era when the fishery’s young bucks are trying to make trade secrets out of common knowledge, the fish still keep the old migratory schedules. Still, we need to hear it before we’ll roll the dice. To lean on one very old analogy, we are all standing around with our frame packs slung over our shoulders 20 miles from the nearest stand of scrub maples, 50 miles from the nearest trailhead, ears open, wondering when we can expect to hear the first 100-year-old tree hit the forest floor.
This vessel is the most well equipped 41’ Albemarle Express out there. She’s a 2006, with just over 2000 hours on Cat C-12’s 710hp each, professionally maintained with certified Cat Mechanics, all service records are available from 2012, when this 2nd owner took over. Major extra equipment installed in 2012 is the Flir and All Garmen Electronics, 64 mile radar, transducer that can read up to 6000’, Acer Spotlight, 6 man life raft, 2016, new Oceanic underwater lights.
Contact Captain/Owner Jock Danforth 617-791-9009 email: finandtonic@mac.com For more details.
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LONG ISLAND 11
Introducing New Connecticut Edition and More! We are thrilled to announce the launch of Coastal Angler Magazine for the Connecticut Shoreline. This newest edition of Coastal Angler joins editions in Long Island, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Upper New York State to comprise the Northeast Edition of Coastal Angler, part of Coastal Angler Magazine nationwide. Coastal Angler Magazine Connecticut edition will launch in May. If you would like to carry it in your place of business (free!) or advertise just let us know!
And Seeking Charter Captains! We are introducing a special advertising section within Coastal Angler that includes small ads throughout Long Island, Connecticut and Rhode island starting at $95 per month. The first 3 advertisers will receive free banner promotion on the local Coastal Angler website! Also, we will be expanding fishing reports in the Rhode Island, Long Island and Connecticut markets and are actively looking for one captain in each of the following markets: Connecticut Shoreline, South Shore, Rhode Island Shoreline and The Bay, Montauk and Block Island to be our resident expert and supply weekly fishing reports for our website OR monthly reports for the print editions. In exchange for the time it takes you to create the reports, we will post them on and promote them through all of the associated websites and print issues of Coastal Angler. So you can participate in either or both - reserve your spot for a month or the season (more discounts!) The first 3 advertisers will receive free banner promotion on the local Coastal Angler website! To participate in the new fishing report series or advertise in the section please contact us or stop by our booth at the New England Saltwater Fishing Show: Mike Danforth @ 203.604.4064 or michaeld@coastalanglermagazine.com
Advertise With Us Your ad will reach 20,000 boaters, sailors and anglers throughout Rhode Island, Long Island and Connecticut as well as thousands of interested boaters and buyers who want to boat, sail and fish in our waters. To advertise in any or all of these important markets please contact us by email or phone. lisad@coastalanglermagazine.com or Call 203.321.7635 or 203.604.4064 Visit us on the web at coastalanglermag.com/longisland coastalanglermag.com/rhodeisland/ 12 LONG ISLAND
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Photo by Penn Waggener/flickr.com
Texas Wardens Break Up Illegal Seafood Ring
By TAM Staff
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ith so much turmoil surrounding fisheries management in the Gulf of Mexico, Texas game wardens have announced a potentially huge bust of fishermen plundering important recreational species in the Gulf. The Galveston County Daily News reports that Houston chef, Bruce Molzan, 59, has been charged with multiple misdemeanors involving the purchase and sale of illegally captured fish through his Houston-area businesses. These charges are related to Molzan’s alleged involvement with an illegal seafood network of about a dozen unlicensed commercial anglers that has provided tons of illegally caught fish to his businesses. Illegally caught species include such important game fish as red snapper, tuna, amberjack, grouper and redfish. Officials believe the illegal seafood ring has been operating since 2013, according to the Daily News report. A break in the case came in April 2016, when the U.S. Coast Guard stopped a commercial fishing boat near Freeport, Texas with 1,900 pounds of red snapper alleged to have been illegally harvested off Freeport and Galveston. Game wardens have written more than 200 Class C misdemeanor citations in relation to the case. Two Freeport recreational anglers have been charged with felonies. Molzan owns Ruggles Black restaurant on Kirby Drive in Houston.
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few years ago, Alabama native Jordan Lee was a member of the Auburn University fishing team with dreams of the big show. In late March, at 25 years of age, he ascended to the pinnacle of the bass fishing world by winning the Bassmaster Classic. He collected a $300,000 check, and the trappings of a Classic win will fuel his career for years to come. Lee rose from near the bottom of the heap through the threeday tournament at Texas’ Lake Conroe to claim the coveted trophy. On Friday, he wasn’t even able to put together a five-fish limit and brought three fish to the scales that weighed 8 pounds, 6 ounces. On Saturday, he had better conditions on a hard-bottomed point he found during practice and hauled in four fish that weighed 21-0. It was good enough to push him into 15th place and make the cut for the final day. He had obviously found a big-fish pattern. To that point, California’s Brent Ehrler was sitting atop the leaderboard with 43-4 after two rounds. Lee, with 29-6, would need a monster bag of fish and a little bit of help on the final day. He got both. With engine trouble negating his ability to move, Lee settled in on that same point and worked it for all it was worth, catching a big limit on a football jig dressed with a Rage Craw. After hitching a ride back to the docks with a spectator, Lee weighed in a 27-pound, 4-ounce sack for a three-day total of 56-10. Ehrler managed just 1110 on the final day and fell to third place behind Alabama angler Steve Kennedy, who finished second with 55-1. Of all the stories that come with such dramatics, the most useful is of the location Lee was fishing. About 100 yards offshore, he targeted a section of hard bottom on a flat point. Lee said he thinks it was rock or gravel, and there was no brush. Finding such a magic spot requires an angler to know their electronics. It’s easy to identify structure with today’s technology. Reading bottom composition can be a little trickier, but it’s easy enough if you know what to look for. Hard bottom, whether it’s shells, a roadbed, rock or gravel, can be a magnet for baitfish and bass. A hard bottom reflects sonar waves emitted by the transducer more efficiently than a soft or mucky bottom. On a traditional unit, a hard bottom will show up as a dense, deeply colored line because of strong echoes bouncing off a solid surface. With soft bottom, some sonar waves penetrate the bottom and are reflected back as weaker signals. The resulting image is a thicker line with less density. Color indicators vary by unit, but you can bet Lee knew what it meant when the bottom was a yellow line on his Lowrance. This barely scratches the surface of the capabilities of today’s technology, but it’s a good example of information that can be gathered when one knows how to read and operate their electronics.
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FLY FISHING
PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE
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love this time of year. With the warming Pacific water temperatures and the arrival of pelagic species like bluefin tuna, I know mako shark season is only a few weeks away. There is not a better saltwater game fish on the west coast for the saltwater fly angler than the shortfin mako shark. These apex predators are big, fast and aggressive, which makes them a prime sight-fishing target with the fly. However, it’s a lot like hunting, and to hook one of these amazing fish, an angler must have lots of patience. Chumming for mako sharks can be boring. Sometimes it takes a few hours for the first mako to show up in the chum slick. So, what do you do when you’re waiting for Mr. Grinner to swim up the slick? You play with blue sharks! Pass Time With The Blues The blue shark has helped me pass many boring hours bobbing around in my skiff waiting for a mako to show up. In fact, it’s the blue shark that got me started in saltwater fly fishing. I remember it well. The year was 1993, and I was looking for some adventure in my life. Bored with casting to bluegill and bass at the local lakes, I wanted something bigger, more extreme, a greater challenge. I discovered the blue shark. I don’t cast to blue sharks much these days. I would rather appreciate their beauty and companionship, sort of like a pet dog. The Art Of Chumming The art of chumming for sharks is more about the time invested chumming; sometimes many hours than actually catching the shark. Three things I’ve learned over the years fishing for Mako sharks is: 1) Have good, fresh chum 2) Find a spot where there is plenty of current
3) Find a good temperature break And… be patient. The longer you stay, the bigger the payoff. As my shark-fishing mentor once told me many years ago, “Stick and stay, and make it pay.” Sage advice. www.conwaybowman.com
For more fly fishing with Bowman, go to
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By Nadeen Welch
G
oing on vacation and trying to decide where your next excursion should be? Fort Myers and Sanibel, Fla. offer something for everyone. Beaches, hiking, kayaking, fishing, camping, birdwatching and shelling abound here. With mild temperatures and low humidity, outside is Photo courtesy of Capt. Terry Fisher/ where you want to be Fish Face Charters after being cooped up through the winter! If fishing is your activity of choice, you have made a great decision. You can take the whole family, only those interested or go it alone. Your best bet for a great day on the water is to hire a professional captain or guide. You can go out on a private charter, where you and your family are the only ones on board, or you may choose a “head boat” where there will be 50 other people fishing with you. Either way, almost everything needed will be provided—boat, license, rod and reel, bait, and a good time. Usually the only things not included are sunscreen and alcoholic beverages. Make sure you ask what is included, just to make sure. Charter guides usually specialize in a certain type of fishing. Inshore fishing trips will have you fishing the flats, mangroves and back-bays. The advantage of inshore fishing is it is usually a more active fishing day, and a windy day won’t ruin your day of fishing. Your guide will move to
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estled in the south Georgia pines just southwest of Adel, Ga. is 3,500 acres of sportsman’s paradise known as Live Oak Plantation. Campbell Roberts and I arrived with Ranger bass boat in tow via a fence-lined, well-manicured slice of green earth that led us to the lodge at Live Oak Plantation. This is where we met our expert bass fishing guide, Max Gresham. Max is a seasoned bass angler and a member of the Valdosta State Blazers bass fishing team. Max perfectly planned our day of bass fishing. With 10 ponds and more than 500 acres of fishable water to choose from, he had his sights
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set on two main bodies of water that had been producing quantity as well as quality bass for the past several days. What a breathtaking sight it was as we traveled the winding road past Jim’s Backyard Pond just as the fog was lifting off the water. We made our way to our first destination, Gator Pond and launched at about 7:45 a.m. Yes, there is a reason they call it Gator Pond and yes, we did see a couple of resident gators. The pond was impeccable, with its splendor of bass cover including grass, dollar pads, lily pads and submerged timber. We had a deck full of rods with an arsenal of big bass lures tied on: buzzbaits, frogs, flukes, trick worms and jigs. Campbell was first to hook up on 3-pound bass swimming a fluke across visible grass structure. Max and I followed with several bass including two massive topwater explosions on frogs that resulted in the big bass of the day. Gator Pond was very good to us that morning, yielding about 25 bass in about four hours. We took a break and headed back to the lodge for a quick lunch and then it was back to fishing. This time we launched the boat in Outback Pond. This pond was heavy in willow trees, laydowns and grass. The bass numbers rose quickly in this pond, one after another. The action was nonstop, cast after cast, bass after bass. We located a ball of baitfish, and the bass were close by. The fluke bite was the strongest around these schoolers, and we managed to bag another 40 bass in about four hours. We all caught our fair share of bass on both of these fine bodies of water. You would need a week or two to thoroughly fish all the beautiful ponds Live Oak Plantation has to offer. When you visit, you must stay and dine at the lodge. The lodge will accommodate up to 12 guests in 10 rooms. There is a conference center that will accommodate groups up to 20. In addition to some of the best bass fishing in the state, Live Oak Plantation offers quail, deer and turkey hunting. They also offer tower pheasant shoots. For additional recreation, there is a well-manicured golf course that has three greens and three tee boxes per hole that allows for nine different holes of golf, and there is also a driving range. For additional Information on Live Oak Plantation, visit their websites www.fishliveoak.com and www.huntliveoak.com or call direct at 800-682-4868. Live Oak Plantation is located at 675 Plantation Road, Adel, GA 31620.
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UNDER THE SEA 26
Diving in Tonga with my new PLB
A
fter several years of traveling for work, I had enough frequent flyer miles to take my family to Australia to dive on the Great Barrier Reef. After returning home, we heard on the news that two Americans had accidentally been left at sea by the same dive operator we had chartered. The crew miscounted when tracking divers, and by the time the search began, they most likely suffered a slow, agonizing death. That nightmare incident was portrayed in a Hollywood movie. Unfortunately, these “left-at-sea” stories are not uncommon. Boats can become incapacitated; divers can get caught in a current; the possibilities are endless. According to U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmers, the key to getting rescued is to make yourself visible. A whistle or Dive Alert air horn might be enough to catch the attention of your boat if it is nearby. If lost, it helps if you are wearing a brightly colored wetsuit hood or deploy a brightly colored safety sausage. Even better, you can carry signaling devices such as flares, a mirror (requires sun), or glow sticks (at night). A small LED dive flashlight or strobe can be seen from afar—especially if the USCG is searching with night vision goggles. But what if your boat sank and no one was called? What if you are in a country where there is no coast guard? These thoughts rattled around in my head before a recent trip to a remote island off of Tonga. Fortunately, advances in technology continue to provide new solutions. PLBs (Personal Locator Beacons) on the market today are small, waterproof devices designed to alert search and rescue services of your location anywhere in the world. When activated, it transmits a message on the 406 MHz distress frequency which is monitored by the COSPASSARSAT satellite system. The alert is relayed to the nearest Rescue Coordination Center. Once in the area, rescue services pinpoint your location using the 121.5 MHz homing transmitter. Unlike EPIRBs, which are registered to a specific vessel, a PLB is registered to a person and can be carried wherever you go. Before my trip, I bought an ACR ResQLink PLB from Bass Pro for
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$249. It can be used on land or sea, but divers need to know that taking it deeper than 5 meters could cause the device to activate due to pressure changes, so it should either be secured to a flag float on the surface or stored in a dive canister if taken underwater. The increased peace of mind was well worth the price. There are several similar products on the market. The Ocean Signal rescueME PLB1 operates in a similar manner. Nautilus Lifeline makes a “Marine Rescue GPS” which broadcasts a distress message to all AIS equipped ships up to 34 miles away and to the marine radio on your own vessel. The ultimate survival tool is your ability to keep calm and maintain a positive attitude while taking action to make yourself visible. Prepare ahead of time, and your chances of rescue are very good. Safe diving! Sheri Daye is a world-record holder, host of Speargun Hunter, and producer of “The Blue Wild Ocean Adventure Expo” in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Follow “Sheri Daye” and “The Blue Wild” on Facebook and Instagram.
For more Sheri Daye, go to
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CAPTAINS OF FISHER GUIDING 28
A CAPTAIN AND HIS LUCKY LADY, FISHING THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
BY LUKE CAMBELL
R
obert Mitchell hasn’t stopped chasing marlin since childhood, when he would see the species or its larger-finned counterpart, the sailfish, mounted on walls of seafood restaurants. After catching plenty wall-worthy fish in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf of Mexico over the years, Robert chose the Virgin Islands to begin living his dream as a charter captain. Now, he takes guests on his boat, The Lucky Lady, to catch marlin and other trophy fish surrounding St. Thomas and St. John. After visiting St. Thomas frequently over the last 10 years, local mainstays on the island have helped Capt. Mitchell settle in since moving there permanently in January. Mitchell said, “Jimmy Loveland has been great to go over to and get advice. Getting to talk to a legend like Jimmy has been fantastic. Jim on the Black Pearl (a fellow USVI sportfishing charter) came over and welcomed me into town. He is a good guy, and I would do anything for these two people.” The name Jimmy Loveland may be familiar to those who follow sportfishing. Loveland founded Marlin Magazine and the USVI Open/Atlantic Blue Marlin Tournament that runs every August in St. Thomas. In addition to advice from fellow anglers, Lady Luck has loyally followed Capt. Mitchell to teach him the nuances of fishing here. Mitchell explained, “Everywhere I have fished, I have been blessed with good luck in finding boils, birds and porpoise. Birds down here are very few. When you see a bird, you better follow it. When you see the porpoise, you might make one or two passes, but that’s it. The lonely bird has been far more successful. The other places I have fished, you looked for a flock of birds and when following the porpoise, you were just about guaranteed a tuna strike.”
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Another key difference anglers find in the Virgin Islands is distance. In contrast to other destinations Mitchell has fished, the boat ride is short. The South Drop is 6 miles from dock, and the North Drop is only 20 miles. These drops are famous. While fishing, Mitchell has watched the bottom drop from 90 to deeper than 3,000 feet in a matter of minutes. Paying close attention, and staying over the intended depth is important. Capt. Mitchell described a recent trip aboard The Lucky Lady when that awareness paid off for anglers. They started the day trolling around a FAD (fish-attracting device) when four out of six lines hit on a school of blackfin tuna. They put their spread out again, started trolling, and then the line popped with a 180-pound blue marlin. The group also caught a wahoo of about 45 pounds and a 25-pound kingfish. “It was a great day on the boat, and everybody got a chance to sit in the (fighting) chair and take a turn,” said the new captain. Luke Cambell is a co-founder of Fisher Guiding, an online marketplace to find and book fishing guides, which is proud to partner with Capt. Mitchell and The Lucky Lady.
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C
ustom rod building has entered an era of resurgence, with new components, fresh design concepts, and, most importantly, a broad base of sophisticated anglers and creative rod builders driving developments on multiple levels. Today’s avid angler understands the importance of the rod with respect to a given approach or technique. Credit this recognition in large part to the broader segmentation of the markets for fishing rods and lines. Anglers have a much broader selection of both to choose from. More importantly, they have learned to discriminate and apply the right variations to the proper settings. With better understanding and experience, a fisherman begins to dial in on the nuances that make a rod better suited to the technique and personal preferences. Custom rod makers can give an angler everything he wants from essential components to bells and whistles. While “personalization,” artistry and uniqueness drove custom rod making in the past, functionality and comfort are driving custom rod projects today. “I used to have three to five rods that I would use for a given technique,” recalls bass tournament angler and rod builder Chris Adams of Mud Hole Custom Tackle and a member of the Winn Grips pro staff. “One had the guides I liked. Another had a more comfortable reel seat that added to the rod’s sensitivity, but it didn’t have the backbone or action I wanted. Another had the right power and action but didn’t have the components I liked. I realized the easiest way for me to get everything I wanted into one rod was to build it myself, the way I wanted it!” Adams notes that rod grips from Winn (www.winngrips.com) factor into
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many rod-making decisions. The comfort and tackiness of these all-weather grips provide sure-handed angler control. Bass fishermen have driven a lot of technique-specific rod customization. But more and more saltwater anglers are tailoring rods to their task. Many saltwater anglers have taken up custom rod building as hobby or a basement business to build their own rod arsenals. Classes in rod building are available across the country. At the Saltwater Fishing Expo in Somerset, New Jersey, in March, the custom rod craze was evident. Fishermen were building rods for everything from flounder fishing to trolling for big game species. Saltwater anglers often have a more complex set of needs, from guides resistant to corrosion to rod handles that provide adequate control and comfort. A lot of attention at the Winn booth centered around the sneak preview of new tapered rod grips for heavy-duty saltwater fishing, available in multiple lengths and diameters, and the new Winn Rod Handle System. Winn also unveiled a durable and versatile extension of its very popular overwrap, Winn Superior Rod Wrap. Like its predecessor, it can be the primary material in an original rod handle or applied over an existing cork or EVA grip. Winn also will expand its Saltwater Straight Cylinder line of 1.25-inch diameter grips this summer with black grips ranging to 18 inches in length. Get to know a rod builder in your area to create the perfect rod for any technique or style of fishing. Or take up the practice yourself!
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ack when everyone else was rocking a 3.5-inch grayscale fishfinder, Gary sported a color 7. He always seemed to catch fish. One day I had the nerve to ask him, “Hey Gary, how much did that thing cost?” “More than the kayak,” was the deadpan response. That was years ago. Since then, sonars are more and more capable and feature rich, for less scratch. A Lowrance Hook-7 will run you $449, much less than the kayak. Downscan and side imagining are commonplace. Over time, screen sizes grew until Gary was no longer the exception, he was the rule. So how big is too big? The answer depends on your bank balance and risk tolerance as well as the water you fish and the kayak you captain. Five to 7 inches seems like the sweet spot for kayak use. The screens are wide enough to offer high-resolution readability, yet compact enough to stay out of the way of a cast—or your foot. These days the better question might be, “How big is the transducer?” For peak performance, it’s best to mount a modern transducer in direct contact with the water. Some transducers require adapters such as the Lowrance Ready Total Scan plate to fit properly. Alternatively, kayak anglers can go the MacGyver route and craft their own adapters. Where there’s a will and fish to be caught, there’s a way. Just ask Gary.
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LIMIT 9 - Original coupon only. No use on prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase or without original receipt. Valid through 9/1/17.
YOUR CHOICE
19999 SAVE $95
Item 62429 shown
$395
ITEM 42305/69044/63171
$13499
LIMIT 4 - Original coupon only. No use on prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase or without original receipt. Valid through 9/1/17.
MECHANIC'S GLOVES
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• With Laser Guide
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LIMIT 5 - Original coupon only. No use on prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase or without original receipt. Valid through 9/1/17.
SAVE 59%
ITEM 69684 shown 61969/61970
1099 $19.97
LIMIT 9 - Original coupon only. No use on prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase or without original receipt. Valid through 9/1/17.
204
$
12" SLIDING COMPOUND DOUBLE-BEVEL MITER SAW
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60", 4 DRAWER HARDWOOD WORKBENCH
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SAVE 59%
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7 FT. 4" x 9 FT. 6" ALL PURPOSE WEATHER RESISTANT TARP
SAVE 64%
7
$ 97 VALUE
Limit 1 coupon per customer per day. Save 20% on any 1 item purchased. *Cannot be used with other discount, coupon or any of the following items or brands: Inside Track Club membership, Extended Service Plan, gift card, open box item, 3 day Parking Lot Sale item, compressors, floor jacks, saw mills, storage cabinets, chests or carts, trailers, trenchers, welders, Admiral, Bauer, CoverPro, Daytona, Earthquake, Hercules, Jupiter, Lynxx, Poulan, Predator, StormCat, Tailgator, Viking, Vulcan, Zurich. Not valid on prior purchases. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 9/1/17.
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7999 $198.45
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900 PEAK/700 RUNNING WATTS 2 HP (63 CC) 2 CYCLE GAS GENERATOR
ITEM 63024/63025 shown
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$1699
SAVE 65% $1999 Compare $49
LIMIT 7 - Original coupon only. No use on prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase or without original receipt. Valid through 9/1/17.
COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM Use Coupons: In-Store, HarborFreight.com or 800-423-2567
$8999
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10999
LIMIT 3 - Original coupon only. No use on prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase or without original receipt. Valid through 9/1/17. At Harbor Freight Tools, the “Compare” or “comp at” price means that the same item or a similar functioning item was advertised for sale at or above the “Compare” or “comp at”
price2017 by another retailer in the U.S. within the past 180 days. MAY NATIONAL 33 Prices advertised by others may vary by location. No other
meaning of “Compare” or "comp at" should be implied. For more information, go toHarborFreight.com or see store associate.
4/17/17 3:04 PM PM 4/6/17 4:35
suzuki spring savings Three Limited Time Offers Make A Good Deal Even Better Suzuki Gives You All Three So You Don’t Have To Choose One Or The Other
Buy a new Suzuki outboard from 25 to 300 horsepower and take advantage of not just one, but ALL THREE Suzuki Spring promotional offers.
Add cash rebates on select models and you can get up to $800 cash back. Plus our Repower Financing is available at attractive interest rates (on approved credit.*)
Just say, “Gimme Six!” and you’ll get six years of product protection. That’s right, you’ll get Suzuki’s three-year limited warranty and Suzuki’s 3-Year Extended Protection Plan at no extra charge.
See your participating Suzuki Marine dealer today and find out how you can get the ultimate deal on the Ultimate 4-Stroke Outboard.
Six Years of Protection at no extra charge on all new outboards 25 to 300 HP.
Cash Rebates on select models. See your dealer for details.
REPOWER FINANCE
Rates as low as 5.99% on new Suzuki outboards (OAC).*
For details and the name of your nearest participating Suzuki Marine dealer, visit www.suzukimarine.com
Gimme Six Extended Protection promo is applicable to new Suzuki Outboard Motors from 25 to 300 HP in inventory which are sold and delivered to buyer between 4/01/17 and 6/30/17 in accordance with the promotion by a Participating Authorized Suzuki Marine dealer in the continental US and Alaska to a purchasing customer who resides in the continental US or Alaska. Customer should expect to receive an acknowledgement letter and full copy of contract including terms, conditions and wallet card from Suzuki Extended Protection within 90 days of purchase. If an acknowledgement letter is not received in time period stated, contact Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. – Marine Marketing via email: marinepromo@suz.com. The Gimme Six Promotion is available for pleasure use only, and is not redeemable for cash. Cash Rebates apply to qualifying purchases of select Suzuki Outboard Motors made between 4/01/17 and 6/30/17. For list of designated models, see participating Dealer or visit www.suzukimarine.com. Customer and participating Dealer must fill out the appropriate rebate form at time of sale. Customer will have the choice to either apply the cash rebate against the original dealer invoice (Suzuki will credit Dealer parts account) or have a check sent directly to the customer. There are no model substitutions, benefit substitutions, rain checks, or extensions. Suzuki reserves the right to change or cancel these promotions at any time without notice or obligation. * Financing offers available through Synchrony Retail Finance. As low as 5.99% APR financing for 60 months on new and unregistered Suzuki Outboard Motors. Subject to credit approval. Not all buyers will qualify. Approval, and any rates and terms provided, are based on credit worthiness. $19.99/month per $1,000 financed for 60 months is based on 5.99% APR. Hypothetical figures used in calculation; your actual monthly payment may differ based on financing terms, credit tier qualification, accessories or other factors such as down payment and fees. Offer effective on new, unregistered Suzuki Outboard Motors purchased from a participating authorized Suzuki dealer between 4/01/17 and 6/30/17. “Gimme Six”, the Suzuki “S” and model names are Suzuki trademarks or ®. Don’t drink and drive. Always wear a USCG-approved life jacket and read your owner’s manual. © 2017 Suzuki Motor of America, Inc.
34
NATIONAL
MAY 2017
CANGL_NAT3-NAT42.indd 34 SZ_Q2Promo_1PG_WIPv2.indd 1
COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM
4/17/17 3:04 PM 3/12/17 5:04 PM
You could get a discount when you combine your auto and boat policies.
for your boat geico.com | 1-800-865-4846 | Local Office Some discounts, coverages, payment plans and features are not available in all states or all GEICO companies. Boat and PWC coverages are underwritten by GEICO Marine Insurance Company. Multi-Policy Discount available to auto insureds that have purchased a boat policy through the GEICO Marine Insurance Company. GEICO is a registered service mark of Government Employees Insurance Company, Washington, D.C. 20076; a Berkshire Hathaway Inc. subsidiary. Š 2017 GEICO
COMMON CVRS_0517.indd 3
4/17/17 12:07 PM
© 2017 Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries
THIS SEEMS TO BE THE PLACE WHERE ALL THE FISH HANG OUT. I THINK I’LL DROP IN.
12”
PROGRAMMABLE
HOT KEYS
PRELOADED
BUILT-IN
BLUECHART® G2 + LAKEVUU¨ HD CHIRP SONAR + CLEARVUU¨ + SIDEVU¨
GPSMAP® 1242xsv
COMMON CVRS_0517.indd 4 Coastal Fishing Ad_US-8.125x10.875-CoatalAngler.indd 1 17-MCJT512 GPSMAP 1224xsv
4/17/17 PM 3/8/17 12:07 9:13 AM