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FOLLOW THE BAIT FOR NEARSHORE WAHOO
T
Tim Barefoot
his is the time of year when water temperatures allow pelagics like wahoo, dolphin and tuna to show up right on the beach… so to speak. I live in North Carolina, and every year there are stud wahoo caught “right on the beach.” Here “right on the beach” is the 20to 25-mile area off the beach. For some folks in Florida, “right on the beach” might be that first sea buoy right out of the inlet. In late summer, we have a monolithic water temperature from the Gulf Stream to the beach in the mid 80s. That allows wahoo to follow huge schools of bait wherever they go. This is what we call the beginning of the end… the end of summer. The cigar minnows and sardines come nearshore, and the wahoo follow them as far in as they are comfortable with the water depth, which is usually not much less than 75 or 80 feet. They will eat whatever they want, including live menhaden or cigs pulled around by king mackerel fishermen. We call it the beginning to the end of summer, but it’s also the beginning of a wonderful time of year for me… fall and winter. The cigs and sardines come in. The pelagics follow them for a month or so
until the water starts to cool in mid September. Then the magic happens. When cooling water runs off the wahoo, the gags show up in numbers. It’s all a very beautiful dance. Let’s enjoy every step along the way. I keep talking about the nearshore activity of the cigs and sardines, but the offshore schools are also getting bigger now, and this draws the attention of everything from pelagics to bottom fish. All the grouper and big snappers shadow these schools wherever they go. This is why it’s so important to “find the bait.” Cigs and sardines are not the only thing I’m looking for offshore. I like to find a big stack of beeliners. Wherever you find a big stack of beeliners, you can bet your bottom dollar there are grouper and big snapper directly under them and wahoo and kings around them. August is also a month to consider spending the night offshore. Yes, there are late afternoon thunderstorms that pop up, but overall weather patterns are consistent, and you can fish for days, back to back. Leave in the early afternoon, get where you are going and get acclimated to the setting sun. Anchor up on a pretty piece of bottom and bait, and turn on the lights. This is a “National Geographic moment.” The minnows and squid come to the light, so you can easily load up the livewell before the daylight bite starts. I will close with this: We lost a fishing pioneer and legend last month with Mark Sosin’s passing. Our thoughts, prayers and celebrations go out to his family. See more from Tim Barefoot at barefootcatsandtackle.com.
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LIVE BAIT AND ARTIFICIAL TACTICS FOR
J
upiter, Fla. is a worldrenowned fishery. In the summertime it’s known for hot inshore snook. Offshore produces an epic sailfish, kingfish, tuna and pelagic bite. There are always fish willing to eat. One of my favorite bites is for springtime blackfin tuna. From March through May, jumbo blackfins migrate down the east coast of Florida. It is not uncommon to catch them anywhere from 20 to 35 pounds. From their deliciousness on the table to their long powerful runs, blackfin tuna are one of my favorite offshore fish to target. They are sure to send you to the tackle shop to get your reels serviced after a productive day of fishing. Blackfin tuna are excellent hunters. Often, they work together to ambush schools of baitfish. They are equipped with massive eyeballs, which are designed for pitch black and low-light conditions. They spend a majority of their time down deep feeding on squid. However, at dawn and dusk, the tunas move higher in the water column to feed near the surface. Be on the lookout for frigates and disturbance on the water’s surface. It’s not uncommon to see them exploding and flying out of the water on a bait ball. I keep an easily accessible casting rod, with a plug or weighted feather jig tied on, for this scenario or in case a school of mahi shows up. Blackfin tuna will often hold to areas with bottom topography like humps, reefs and wrecks. You can find success drifting over areas like these with live bait. Live sardines, pilchards, threadfins and gogs will all work. I prefer live sardines. For me, they have been the most productive bait.
Chumming is important to bring blackfins higher in the water column. Chunk up pilchards and throw a few pieces out at the bow, mid and stern every couple of minutes. The best chum is live chum. Small- to medium-sized pilchards are your best bet. I throat-hook a sardine and send it out on a free line. The bait will swim down on its own, and you should keep some tension on it. I also drop a live bait on a down rod and wait for the bite as I drift along. Blackfins’ excellent eyesight means they can be leader shy, so I often run a 40- to 50-pound fluorocarbon leader, but will go as light as 30 pounds. A triplehook rig for freelining or a single 4/0 or 5/0 circle hook depending By Ryan Izquierdo on the size of the bait is my hook preference. You can also catch them kite fishing, trolling feathers/spoons, with ballyhoo rigs, cedar plugs, planer fishing, vertical jigging and slow-pitch. Second to live bait, slow-pitch jigging is a fun and effective way to catch tunas when the hot mid-day sun pushes them down deep. My go to jig is a Jyg Pro 240 Gram strike jig. I like to jig anywhere from 200 to 350 feet. Send it down to the bottom over active areas and work your rod up high and let the jig flutter back down. You can change the pace and tempo of your jigging until you find what works. Don’t be surprised to get hit as you are burning the jig back to the surface. I hope these tuna tips bring you success and dinner to share with your close friends and family. Keep on fishing! Check out Ryan Izquierdo’s adventures on his YouTube channel: Ryan Iz Fishing.
You raise the flags of the fish just caught to show you weren’t skunked. Once onshore you can take it a step further showing your fellow anglers your catch of the day wearing “slippahs” from Scott Hawaii.
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FREEDIVER SPEARS WORLD RECORD CUBERA SNAPPER A massive 137-pound Atlantic cubera snapper speared by a Texas freediver in early June was heavier than the existing IGFA all-tackle world record as well as the Texas state record. It will not, however, qualify for either record because of the method used to catch it. Who cares? The diver, Braden Sherron, a student at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, can rest assured that his monster cubera is one of the largest of its species ever caught by any method. It will likely be the new International Underwater Spearfishing Association’s world record. If approved, it will replace a 122.4-pound fish shot in 2006 off the coast of Brazil. According to a Field & Stream story on the catch, Sherron first encountered the giant snapper while freediving a Gulf of Mexico oil rig about 60 miles out of Port Aransas, Texas. He did not take his shot at the time because he was not equipped to handle such a large fish. A week later, on June 3, he returned to the rig with heavier gear, dove to about 55 feet and put a dart into the fish. Luckily, the cubera wrapped the trailing line up in the oil rig, which kept the fish from diving. While the fish fought itself, Sherron returned to the surface to wait 10 minutes before diving down to secure
By CAM Staff
his prize with two more shots. When Sherron brought his fish back to the scales at Fisherman’s Wharf in Port Aransas, it began making the rounds on social media almost immediately. It truly is an enormous fish, which outweighs the existing IGFA record—a 2007 Louisiana fish that weighed 124 pounds, 12 ounces—by more than 10 pounds. Sherron’s fish also outweighs the Texas state rod-and-reel record of 131 pounds. The only larger cubera snapper research was able to turn up was a 151-pound monster that’s listed as an “other methods” catch by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. That fish, caught by handline out of Port Mansfiled in 1984, weighed 151 pounds. The thing is, none of these other anglers were holding their breath when they caught their fish. Sherron’s catch is absolutely one for the record books. “I would equate it to shooting a 200-plusinch whitetail deer on public land,” he told Field & Stream. “It’s one of those things that happens once in a lifetime, and you can’t believe it when it does.” Check out video of Braden Sherron’s spearfishing on his Youtube channel: https://bit.ly/3yKm8EP
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August is the Best Month for
GIANT SNOOK By Emily Rose Hanzlik
A
ugust offers the best chance for anglers to catch a 40-inch-plus snook in Florida waters. With a majority of snook returning from offshore spawning grounds, the big girls will feed up to recover from the rigors of the spawn. Right now is a good time to catch them. Snook are widespread, but their range is limited by temperature intolerance. They are found throughout the Caribbean on the Atlantic and Pacific sides, including most of Florida. Due to their limited cold tolerance, Snook avoid temperatures below 60 degrees. There are 12 species of snook that can be found in just about any body of water within their range. Snook can be caught all year long. In winter they prefer shallow flats and deep holes in bay areas. As water temperatures rise, they move out to offshore structure to spawn. When snook are not spawning, they move inshore and travel upstream. Since snook are euryhaline, meaning they can live in a wide range of salinity, they travel upstream into brackish and freshwater areas. Snook have a special osmoregulation feature that allows them
to control the water content inside their bodies to maintain the same salinity as the outside water. Snook spawning takes place between April and October with peak around June and July. During this time, females and males move into higher salinity locations where they broadcast spawn with the females releasing eggs into the water column and the males fertilizing them. One female snook can release up to 1.5 million eggs each spawn. All of the hatchlings are born as males and transition to females when they reach between 12 and 35 inches in length. They are protandrous hermaphrodites, meaning the males change to females as they age. Some of the best places to locate big girls in large numbers this time of year are at the mouths of inlets, bridges and piers. Heavier tackle is preferred, since you will most likely be fishing heavy structure. Some of the best baits for really big fish include croaker, mojarra, snapper, needlefish and southern sennet. It is best practice, if you do land a big fish, to release the fish safely back into the water using a
SU
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TH sling. Where a bridge/ pier net is used to land the fish, the net can also be used to release the fish when a sling is not available. Lay the fish in the net with its head as far upwards as possible. The largest IGFA-recorded common snook weighed 53 pounds, 10 ounces. It was caught from Costa Rica. Emily Rose Hanzlik holds 51 IGFA world records in various categories. She hails from West Palm Beach, where she has a part time Bowfin Guide Service as well as fishing classes for Jr. Anglers. Find her on Social Media @emilyhanzlikoutdoors.
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fishery in Florida for future generations while balancing stakeholder interests,” said FWC Commissioner Steven Hudson. The changes to redfish management regions and regulations, as part of FWC’s new management approach, will better capture regional differences and improve angler satisfaction. The new management approach includes annual reviews of the redfish fishery For more information, including the July 2022 Commission and redfish regulations may be changed each meeting presentation, visit MyFWC.com/Commission year in response to the reviews. and click on “Commission Meetings.”
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HYDRASTEPP 18’ The New Face of High Performance Flats Boats
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By Phil Wolf
f you are in the market for a new flats boat, the 2022 Hydrastepp 18’ might just be the boat you’re looking for. It has all the whistles and bells that a flats boat needs, plus great looks, high-quality construction and performance abound. This new 18-foot flats boat is the result of several years’ trial and improvements. Renowned racing boat designer/ builder Steve Stepp has 50-plus years of experience in the industry. His previous company, Velocity Powerboats, in Sanford, Fla. holds 14 world records, showing that his advanced designs achieve performance and efficiency that most manufacturers cannot match. Hydrastepp Boats are built right here in Central Florida. Check-out their website at www.HYDRASTEPP.com, and take a look at this impressive HP flats-boat. At first glance, you’ll notice this boat’s sleek and clean lines. It has 94” beam, which is extremely wide for an 18’ boat. This makes it very stable when walking around on the wide gunnel. There is a huge storage compartment up front, with a removable tackle storage system and two additional large storage compartments in the rear, both at port and starboard. Two 28-gallon livewells are located in the front and the rear, and a new rod-storage system holds 16 rods. Custom divided sport seats with removable backrests, like you see on offshore racing boats, provide comfort. The console is very sleek and sports
a pair of 9” Simrad flush-mounted monitors for fish-finder/ GPS and supports all the normal gauges: tachometer, waterpressure, temperature, gas and speed by GPS. They are all linked to the motor and fuel system, which is very cool! A 29-gallon gas tank allows this boat to make long runs thanks to the super high-efficiency hull design. On a recent test ride of the new 2022 demo model Hydrastepp 18’, the boat was equipped with a 150 hp Mercury Pro XS, a 30” pitch Mercury 4 blade prop, three-quarters of a tank of gas, a Motorguide 24 volt trolling motor, 50 pounds of gear in the front compartment, three batteries and two adults. The boat’s performance was outstanding! It gets on a plane in 2.5 seconds with little effort. Top speed with load is 65 mph at 5,800 rpm, while getting 5 miles per gallon. Fuel consumption at 30 mph and 3,050 rpm was 7 miles to the gallon (best), allowing over 200 miles to the tank! To say this vessel is super-efficient is an understatement. I’ve ridden in just about every flats boat on the market. This Hydrastepp 18’ outperforms all of them by far. If you are in the market for a flats boat, give Steve a call to schedule a test ride for yourself, and place your order for the new face of flats boats! Tell them that you read about them in Coastal Angler Magazine! Phil Wolf is co-publisher of the Orlando edition of Coastal Angler Magazine. Check out HydraStepp boats at hydrastepp.com.
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AUGUST 2022 PUBLISHER & EDITOR SCOTT GOODMAN
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS NESTOR RAYMOND ABIE BOUNCER MIKE TONY
ALVISA MUNIZ RAYMOND SMITH TOJDOWSKI TOJDOWSKI
GRAPHIC DESIGN JENNY DIAZ
CONTACT INFORMATION For editorial comments, articles, photography, artwork and all other inquiries please contact:
SCOTT GOODMAN miami@coastalanglermagazine.com
786.863.7823
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AUG. 2022
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g n i l e av TheTrFisherman by Capt. Bouncer Smith
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nother 2000 miles on the truck in June. I had some great times for sure. I started this adventure in Melbourne having dinner with my good friend Adrian Gray and then we listened to Jason from Salt Strong educate us on slow pitch jigging. I learned a lot about that game. Thanks to Florida Sport Fishing Association for hosting this club meeting. My next stop was R. J. Boyle Studio for the captain’s meeting for the Gray Fishtag Research, Swordfish Tagging Extravaganza. Two days later we fished this event. 6 out of 9 boats caught swordfish, but not us. Last time we were heroes this time bums. 4 satellite tags were deployed! The next day I rode to Islamorada with R. J. Boyle for Mission Fishin’s annual Miss Islamorada adventure. Nick Stanzyck and Boyle hosted 40 guests and challenged youth, their siblings and parents to a fun fishing trip. Loads of fish and laughs were caught on a flat calm ocean. Monday it was off to Flamingo in Everglades Nat’l Park at 3:30 in the morning with Ben Eskanazi. Our mission was for Bob Lemay to help Ben catch his first fish on fly. We caught 5 tarpon and 5 snook on fly and plug tackle. Ben succeed with a snook on fly. Next game, slow pitch jigging and bottom fishing with Jim and Tom off Miami. We caught 3 grouper 7 to 14 pounds, a Cuda, a shark, a bonito and 4 amberjacks. A long time client invited me to join him on the first fishing trip on a used boat he had bought. We had engine trouble, the trolling motor didn’t work, the depth finder was intermittently working and we lost our fish. But, I got to spend the day with a great friend who was near death with cancer for a couple of years. He’s doing much better now. After an afternoon with my good buddy Ryder, my next trip was 2 nights of swordfish hunting. We caught a
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big night shark the first night. The second night we caught a nice tuna. Then just as we discussed calling the effort a failure, Captain Freddy David called from the stern that we had a bite. Billy Howell from Texas ran to the stern and caught a 80 pound swordfish. This completed his second billfish Royal slam. August is a hot month. Lobster season gets in gear, so be extra diligent when running your boat to watch for divers. The last few years the mahi fishing has been better in August through November. Let’s hope that happens again. Wahoo should fire up in 100 to 300 feet of water. Mangrove and cubera snappers will be spawning and schooling on the reefs. And lastly skipjack tuna should show up offshore along with this mahi. Drink lots of water and wear long sleeves and big hats. Capt Bouncer Smith 305-439-2475 captbouncer@bellsouth.net Check out Bouncer’s new book “I’m not done yet” on Amazon Note from the Editors and Publishers of Coastal Angler Magazine about Captain Bouncer: Captain Bouncer Smith is a legendary Captain in South Florida, and might we add an amazing fisherman. Although he is now retired he continues to contribute to the magazine and continues to share his vast wealth of fishing experience through a new series of books he has released called The Bouncer Smith Chronicles. All three books are currently available on Amazon. We would encourage you to look them up and enjoy them as we have! This Man is part of our South Florida fishing heritage and part of the Coastal Angler family. Please consider supporting him so that he can continue to share the wisdom of 50 plus years of sportfishing experience in South Florida.
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AUG. 2022
MIAMI 3
INSHORE by Capt. Abie Raymond
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he weather in August can be HOT but the fishing can be HOTTER. While people are making their arrangements to get the kids back in school, and sneaking in that last summer vacation, Biscayne Bay is usually less pressured than the rest of the year. This makes for some exciting opportunities with light tackle. Snook season is closed and as a direct result, snook catching can be red hot in August. Historically speaking, look for them in large schools around the inlets. Fish the outside (ocean side) of the rock jetties on the incoming tide and the inside (inlet side) of the jetties on the outgoing tide. The snook school with their’ heads facing into the tide waiting to ambush bait schools traveling in and out of the bay. Try to mark them with your sounder and then focus on that school until you get bites. Fish live baitfish of any kind. We have the best luck with a Jupiter rig which is a sliding sinker rig on a one foot stretch of 100 lb. test line, between the main line and the leader. Choose a 1 to 2 oz egg sinker (depending on depth and current) sandwiched between 2 small beads and two 1/0 swivels. Your leader, connected to the fishy end of this funny looking’ rig, should be three foot of 50lb test with a circle hook appropriate for the size of your baitfish. Again the Jupiter rig is: main line to 1/0 swivel, to 1 foot of 100lb test line, then slide on a bead, then slide on the sinker, then slide on a bead, to another 1/0 swivel, to the leader, to the inline circle hook. In line hooks are critical as the they tend to be less lethal than offset circle hooks. Please make an effort to preserve our resources during catch and release. August brings hot water and with hot water comes lots of “summer bait” or “rain bait” in Biscayne Bay. These 1-2 inch baitfish are usually sandy key pilchards or pilchards and these schools bring lots of fun size tarpon. Fish around the inlets and canal mouths. When I say fun size, I’m referring to the ones that won’t demand a chiropractic appointment after landing them. These fish are 10-40 pounds on average and lots of fun on light spinning tackle. I like a 12 lb. outfit with 20 lb. test braid line as my main line and 40-50 lb. test, 3 foot casting leaders for ease of casting on rolling fish. Use an in-line circle hook matched to the size of your baitfish. Fish with a baitfish much larger than that of the bait-size in the “summer bait” schools that we are talking about. Live pilchards are best in August. Fish early in the day in August. You will beat the heat and catch the best fishing while dodging the afternoon thunderstorms. Mangrove snapper are at the tail end of their’ spawn in August. Fish them around structures like docks and rock piles and you will do best fishing those “summer baits” with a small jig head and 20 lb. test leader baited with one of those very small pilchards hooked up through the lips. Captain Abie Raymond 305.775.5197 @abie_raymond www.gohardfishing.com
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RE-ELECT JUAN FERNANDEZ-
Republican For State Representative – District 118
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FLAMINGO by NestorAlvisa
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s we get into August and deeper into the summer, water temperatures only get warmer, flamingo gets buggier, and our afternoon showers become a normal thing. During this month, I typically find myself running around the park and out in the gulf covering as much water as possible and trying to mix it up as much as I can. If I have a falling tide, I’ll usually start my mornings out around middle cape looking for some tarpon or free-floating tripletail. My clients will begin by casting sub surface plugs looking for the bite while I’m setting up two rods off the transom with either mullet or pinfish. I’ll also keep a light spinning rod nearby, with either a live shrimp or small artificial, in case we run into a floating tripletail. If I have high water in the morning, I’ll start off fishing the shorelines around Lake Ingraham or up the coast looking for snook and redfish. This time of the year we tend to do very well on both snook and redfish when fishing a bobber rigged with a live shrimp on either a circle hook or a small jig head. Another thing that works very well under the bobber is a Gulp shrimp or curly grub tail. I like white or chartreuse. As the sun gets higher and the water gets hotter throughout the day, I like to push out into the gulf and fish around structure. I tend to find a lot of nice mangrove snapper, some snook, permit and cobia out there. For bait I will use live or cut pinfish on the bottom using a knocker rig, blue crabs for the permit. Then I’ll free-line one or two rods off the back of the boat and leave one close by ready to cast if we see them. Light and heavy bucktail jigs are always good to have on hand to pitch at any floating cobia or to work on the bottom. Nestor Alvisa HookedOnFlamingo.com @hooked_on_flamingo_charters 786.387.2443
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AUG. 2022
MIAMI 7
FRESHWATER by Captains Mike & Tony Tojdowski
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n August the sun and Miami heat is a brutal force to deal with. That being said, finding shady areas to fish is key this month. I truly believe this will result in bigger fish being landed. Fish, like us humans, enjoy the sun to some extent but when given a choice often seek the refuge of a shady spot to spend most of their day. Since shade is limited and valuable real estate, the bigger more dominant fish are the ones that hold these spots. I often find peacock bass and other exotic species hang out under bridges, huge overhanging trees, and in cooler temperature, deeper waters with structure. To locate deeper spots, use your boats depth finder or look for evidence of fallen trees. Some of our biggest fish have come from fishing these deeper holes. If fishing with live bait, it’s ideal to use a small split shot about 6 inches from your hook. This will result in your bait sinking faster to reach the bigger predators that you’re seeking. The bite in August will continue to be solid if you focus your efforts in the early part of the morning or late in the afternoon when the sun is already past its highest point and not directly beaming on the water. 70% of our catch this month will likely be peacock bass and the other 30% a mixed bag of tarpon, large mouth bass, snook, jacks, jaguars and Mayan cichlids. The rain in August keeps the water levels up allowing anglers to target small ponds and lakes via shore, producing nice examples of all these species of fish on the edge of the drop in about 10-15 feet of water. You want to fish a little bit slower with a suspending lure or a weighted soft plastic that will drop slowly. The trick is to work the bait for a couple cranks of the reel then pause, allowing the fish enough time to either hit it or start trailing your bait. Working the bait toward the shore is the most likely time to get a strike! Featured Tool: Keeping a pair of long pliers helps save a ton of fish when they swallow the hook / lure too deep. The trick is to clamp onto the middle of the hooks shaft and with one swift movement go in and out, if done correctly you will recover your hook and the fish will be saved. This helps reduce stress on the fish and get them back in the water quickly. If you see that the fish took the hook all the way to the belly, then it’s best to just cut the line at the leader close to the fish’s mouth. Trying to recover your hook will most likely kill the fish. Don’t worry about leaving the hook in the throat / belly since they will eventually rust out and fish can still feed with a hook back there. It’s honestly one of the best tools we won’t leave home without. You can buy a pair of these pliers for only a couple dollars at your local fishing tackle supply store or online. Remember we all need to do our part to ensure quality fishing in Miami for our future generations to enjoy for years to come. Captains Mike & Tony Tojdowski Urban Legends Fishing Charters Call/Text 305-998-3375 Facebook / Instagram @Urbanlegendsfishing or check out our website ULFish.com
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suzukirepower.com | 1-800-545-4574 COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM
AUG. 2022
MIAMI 9
FLORIDA O B S T E R Spiny
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lorida spiny lobster season begins this month and the butter and the garlic and the grill are ready for action. The commercial lobster season spans more than half the year and our south Florida waters are the premier locale for the delicacy, offering us the cream of the harvest, if you will. Florida lobster is an age-old culinary tradition in Miami and the Florida Keys. In fact, the lobster was coveted by the native Calusa Indians centuries before settlers figured out how to eat them. The commercial industry in Florida didn’t pick up speed until the 1800s. Now a’ days the Florida lobster are no secret and fresh tails command a pretty penny. When my dad was a kid growing up in the fifties, they cut the tails into chunks and breaded and fried them to perfection. I’d say today the most common preparation is to spit the tails, coat them with minced garlic salt and cracked pepper and butter and herbs and grill them. They may accompany a filet mignon, or star as the main attraction. Over the years I have experimented with lobster in salads, soups, in tacos, and in fritters. My favorite salad is a poached and shredded lobster tail over a bed of arugula with a light mustard vinaigrette. Although I do love tails, Florida lobster can make a fantastic bisque and the dish allows you to use the whole thing rather than just the tail. Bisque is easier than you might think. Lobster is versatile and easy to work with so long as you do not overcook it.
Lobster Arugula Salad with light mustard vinaigrette
• Salt • pepper • 1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest, plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard • Olive oil • Coarse salt • 6 cups fresh arugula • 1 small thinly sliced yellow onion
Poach the lobster tails and remove from the shell. With a sharp knife chop the lobster meat. Sprinkle with lemon juice and refrigerate in a covered bowl. Combine lemon juice mustard, salt and pepper and olive oil in a small dish In a serving dish lay down a generous bed of arugula and place over the top the thinly slice onion. Sprinkle the desired shredded lobster meat over the greens and lightly dress with the vinaigrette Zest lemon over the dish and serve. Enjoy
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AUG. 2022
MIAMI 11
MANGROVES & YELLOWTAILS by Raymond Muniz, Capt. Jax
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ith August, the super-heated dog days of the Miami summer continue. Typically, the wind slows down and the mercury continues to creep up. One of the things I like to do, to avoid heat stroke during these steamy months, is target mangroves and yellowtail at night. These great eating fish are fairly easy to catch. The mangrove snapper can be caught both in shore and offshore, while the yellowtail is mostly caught offshore. For the purposes of this article we are anchored on the reef in 40 to 60 foot of water, at night, with a chum slick behind us. We will fish either tide, so long as the water is moving. For the coveted offshore mangrove snapper, I like to use a fish finder rig A.K.A. a Carolina rig. That is a 1 or 2 oz egg sinker, chosen depending on depth and current, which slides on the main line but is restricted from sliding all the way to the hook by a swivel. To the swivel, tie an 18-to-24-inch fluorocarbon leader, and the hook will depend on the bait, which I’ll get to in a moment. I like to use a 6000-size reel for the mangroves because you need the power to be able to stop them from getting into the reef or any structure where they can cut you off. I use 20 lb monofilament for my main line and 20-25 lb. fluorocarbon as my leader line. The hook depends on the bait I’m using. For example, if I’m using cut herring, cut ballyhoo, or whole pilchards, I like the Mustad 92661 - 3/0. If I’m using shrimp I like Mustad 92661 2/0 as the shrimp is a lighter and more delicate bait. With mangroves the hook set is super important. The hook set technique and timing changes based on the bait and other factors. A lot of fishermen miss the mangroves with cut bait because they set the hook too soon. Often, with cut bait I find that the fish mouths the bait on the first tap, then grabs the bait on the second tap. If it’s a nice size snapper it will just take the whole bait and swim away slowly. I give it 3-4 seconds after the second tap before I set the hook. If the bite is hot and the fish are competing for the baits, they will swallow it on the 2nd bite. This technique only works if using herring, pilchards, or ballyhoo. When fishing shrimp you must set the hook on the first tap or you will lose your bait. For yellowtail snapper it’s pretty easy. You want to have a light set up, maybe a 4000 or 5000 combo with 10-12 lb. test mono and a 12 lb. test fluorocarbon leader. Invisibility is the goal. You want your bait to look like part of the chum line, so a line-to-line knot to connect leader is the way to go. I use a yellowtail jig head as the line causes some buoyancy. Picking the size of jig head is also important. When it’s close to the full moon or the new moon the tides are highest, and you want a heavier jig head. I like to use a 3/16 with faster current. When there is less current, I use a 1/16 oz yellowtail jig. The best baits to use for yellowtail snapper are silversides or cut up squid. Yellowtail can be found from 15-150 ft of water. I normally fish for them in around 40-60 ft of water. Make sure to take plenty of chum when snapper fishing. Once the chum runs out… your done and might as well go home. Once the chum is flowing in a nice stream off of the stern, all you have to do is bait your jig head with a silverside or small piece of squid and toss it behind the boat. You don’t want to close the bail, you want to feed line at the pace of the current. Once the yellowtail find your bait it will rip the line out of your hand and all you have to do is close your bail and lift the rod tip. A quick note on night fishing in a boat offshore. Make sure all of your nav lights are in perfect working order. Make sure your electronic nav systems are in perfect working order and make sure you are oriented without them. If you are responsible, you can operate in an emergency without GPS. Make sure your float switches and bilge pumps are in perfect working order. Once anchored, switch your batteries over to your house battery and make sure your cranking battery is not being pulled on by your bait well pumps, lights, radio etc… Do not fish at night alone or in inclement weather. Any issues that you encounter in a boat offshore are 10 x harder to deal with at night. So be careful. Know your limits and the limits of your equipment. It’s not for the faint of heart or the ill prepared. Capt. Jax Captain Jax Bait and Tackle 490c E 4th Ave, Hialeah, FL 33010 @captainjaxmiami 786.300.5362
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PARGOS by Raymond Muniz, Capt. Jax
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os días del caluroso verano de Miami continúan en su pico durante el mes de agosto, el viento disminuye considerablemente y el mercurio sigue subiendo. Una de las cosas que me gusta hacer para evitar la insolación durante estos meses, es apuntar a la pesca nocturna del Pargo Mulato y Pargo Cola Amarilla. Estos peces de gran sabor y son bastante fáciles de pescar. El pargo mulato se puede pescar tanto en la costa como en alta mar, mientras que el pargo cola amarilla se pesca sobre todo en alta mar. Para los fines de este artículo, estaremos anclados en el tranquilo paisaje nocturno del arrecife, entre 40 y 60 pies de agua, con una atractiva carnada. Siempre que el agua esté en movimiento, pescaremos con cualquier marea. Para el codiciado pargo de mulato de alta mar, me gusta usar un aparejo de buscador de peces, también conocido como aparejo Carolina. Se trata de un plomo de huevo de 1 a 2 onzas, elegido en función de la profundidad y la corriente, que se desliza por la línea principal pero que no llega hasta el anzuelo gracias a un eslabón giratorio. Al dicho eslabón se ata un bajo de línea de fluorocarbono, de 18 a 24 pulgadas, y el anzuelo dependerá del cebo. Me gusta usar un carrete de tamaño 6000 para los pargos mulatos porque necesitas la potencia para poder impedir que se metan en el arrecife o en cualquier estructura donde puedan cortarte el paso. Utilizo monofilamento de 20 libras para mi línea principal y fluorocarbono de 20 a 25 libras como línea líder. El anzuelo depende del cebo que esté utilizando; por ejemplo, si utilizo arenque cortado, ballyhoo cortado o sardinas enteras, me gusta el Mustad 92661 - 3/0; por otro lado, si utilizo gambas, me gusta el Mustad 92661 - 2/0, ya que las gambas son un cebo más ligero y delicado. Con estos peces, la colocación del anzuelo es muy importante; la técnica que se use y el momento de la colocación pueden cambiar según el tipo cebo, entre otros factores. Muchos pescadores fallan al usar un cebo cortado, porque colocan el anzuelo demasiado pronto. A menudo, con el cebo cortado, veo que el pez muerde el cebo en el primer toque y luego lo agarra en el segundo; si se trata de un pargo de buen tamaño, se llevará todo el cebo y nadará lentamente, así que espero de 3 a 4 segundos, después del segundo toque, antes de poner el anzuelo. Si la picada es caliente y los peces están compitiendo por el cebo, se lo tragarán en la segunda picada. Esta técnica sólo funciona si se utilizan arenques, sardinas o ballyhoo. Cuando se pescan gambas hay que clavar el anzuelo en la primera picada o se perderá el cebo. Pasando al pargo de cola amarilla, su pesca es bastante fácil y resulta conveniente tener un equipo ligero, tal vez un combo de 4000 o 5000 con mono de 10 a 12 libras de prueba y un líder de fluorocarbono de 12 libras. El objetivo es la invisibilidad; quiere que su cebo destaque pero no demasiado, así que un nudo de línea a línea para conectar el bajo de línea es el camino a seguir. Yo utilizo una cabeza de jig de cola amarilla, ya que la línea provoca cierta flotabilidad. También es importante elegir el tamaño de la cabeza del jig; cuando se acerca la luna llena o la luna nueva, las mareas son más altas y se necesita una cabeza de jig más pesada, yo uso una de 3/16 cuando la corriente es más rápida. Por el contrario, cuando hay menos corriente, uso un jig de cola amarilla de 1/16 onzas. Los mejores cebos para el pargo de cola amarilla son los pejerreyes o los calamares cortados. El pargo amarillo se puede encontrar entre 15 y 150 pies de agua. Yo normalmente los pesco a unos 40 a 60 pies de profundidad. Asegúrese de llevar mucha carnada cuando pesque pargos, pues una vez que el cebo se acabe... se acabó y será mejor que se vaya a casa. Cuando el cebo fluye en una buena corriente de la popa, todo lo que tiene que hacer es cebar la cabeza de jig, con un pejerrey o un pequeño trozo de calamar, y lanzarlo detrás del barco. No hay que cerrar la fianza, sino alimentar la línea al ritmo de la corriente. Una vez que el pargo de cola amarillo encuentre el cebo, le arrancará la línea de la mano y todo lo que tiene que hacer es cerrar la fianza y levantar la punta de la caña. Tips rápidos sobre la pesca nocturna en un barco en alta mar: Asegúrese de que todas las luces de navegación están en perfecto estado de funcionamiento. Asegúrese de que sus sistemas electrónicos de navegación están en perfecto estado de funcionamiento y de que también se puede orientar sin ellos. Si es responsable, podrá operar en caso de emergencia sin GPS. Asegúrese de que sus interruptores de flotador y bombas de achique están en perfecto estado de funcionamiento. Una vez anclado, cambie las baterías a la batería de la casa y asegúrese de que la batería de arranque no está siendo utilizada por las bombas del pozo de cebo, las luces, la radio, etc. No pesque de noche solo o con mal tiempo. Cualquier problema que se encuentre en una embarcación en alta mar, es 10 veces más difícil de resolver por la noche, así que tenga cuidado. Conozca sus límites y los de su equipo. No es para los débiles de corazón o los mal preparados. Captain Jax Bait and Tackle 490c E 4th Ave, Hialeah, FL 33010 • 786.300.5362 @captainjaxmiami
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FLAMINGO
by NestorAlvisa
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medida que nos adentramos más en el verano, las temperaturas del agua se vuelven más cálidas, el área de Flamingo se llena de bichos y los chaparrones de la tarde se convierten en algo normal. Durante el mes de agosto, normalmente me encuentro corriendo por el parque y en el golfo, cubriendo la mayor cantidad de agua posible, y tratando de mezclar todo lo que pueda. Si tengo una marea descendente, suelo empezar mis mañanas en los alrededores del cabo medio en busca de algún sábalo o de un triplete que flote libremente. Mis clientes comenzarán lanzando tapones sub-superficiales en busca de una picada, mientras yo preparo dos cañas en el espejo de popa con salmonetes o pececillos. También tendré cerca una caña de spinning ligera con una gamba viva, o un pequeño cebo artificial, por si nos encontramos con un triplete flotante. Si el agua es alta por la mañana, empezaré a pescar en las orillas del lago Ingraham o en la costa, en busca de róbalos y gallinetas. En esta época del año nos suele ir muy bien con estos peces, a cuales los atrapamos usando un bobber montado con una gamba viva en un anzuelo circular o con un pequeño jig. Otra cosa que funciona muy bien, bajo el bobber, es un camarón Gulp o una cola de Grub rizado. A mí, particularmente, me gusta el blanco o el chartreuse. A medida que el sol sube y el agua se calienta durante el día, me gusta adentrarme en el golfo y pescar alrededor de las estructuras. Suelo encontrar muchos pargos de manglar (conocidos también como pargo rabo amarillo), algunos róbalos, palometas y cobias. Como cebo, utilizo pececillos vivos o cortados en el fondo con un aparejo de pesca, y cangrejos azules para la palometa. Luego, prepararé dos cañas en la parte trasera del barco y dejaré una cerca, lista para lanzar en caso de que los veamos. Siempre es bueno tener a mano jigs ligeros y pesados para lanzar a cualquier cobia flotante o para trabajar en el fondo del agua. Nestor Alvisa @hooked_on_flamingo_charters Hooked On Flamingo Charters 786.387.2443
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AUG. 2022
MIAMI 19
AGUA DULCE by Capitáns Mike & Tony Tojdowski
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l sol y el calor de Miami son una fuerza brutal con la que hay que lidiar durante el mes de agosto. Dicho esto, encontrar zonas de sombra para pescar es la clave este mes. Los peces, al igual que los humanos, disfrutan del sol hasta cierto punto, pero cuando se les da la oportunidad, a menudo buscan refugio a la sombra para pasar la mayor parte del día. Dado que la sombra es un terreno limitado y valioso, los peces más grandes y dominantes son los que ocupan estos lugares. A menudo encuentro que la lubina y otras especies exóticas pasan el rato debajo de los puentes, de los enormes árboles que sobresalen y en aguas más profundas donde encuentran una temperatura más fría. Para localizar los lugares más profundos, utilice el localizador de profundidad de su embarcación o busque indicios de árboles caídos. En nuestro caso, algunos de los peces más grandes que hemos atrapado provienen de la pesca en estos agujeros más profundos. Si se pesca con cebo vivo, lo ideal es utilizar un pequeño señuelo a unos 15 centímetros del anzuelo, pues esto hará que su cebo se hunda más rápido para así llegar a los depredadores más grandes que está buscando. La picada en agosto seguirá siendo sólida si se concentran los esfuerzos en las primeras horas de la mañana o en las últimas de la tarde, cuando el sol ya ha pasado su punto más alto y no incide directamente en el agua. El 70% de nuestras capturas este mes serán probablemente pavones y el otro 30% corresponderán a una mezcla de sábalos, róbalos de boca grande, róbalos, jureles, jaguares y cíclidos mayas. La lluvia en agosto mantiene los niveles de agua arriba, permitiendo a los pescadores apuntar a pequeños estanques y lagos a través de la orilla, produciendo buenos ejemplos de todas las especies de peces en el borde de la caída en unos 10-15 pies de agua. Hay que pescar un poco más despacio y con un señuelo de suspensión, o un plástico blando, con peso que caiga lentamente. El truco es trabajar con el cebo durante un par de vueltas del carrete y luego hacer una pausa, dejando al pez el tiempo suficiente para golpearlo o empezar a arrastrar el cebo. Pescar con el cebo hacia la orilla le dará mayor probabilidad de conseguir un buen golpe. Herramienta destacada: Mantener un par de pinzas largas ayuda a salvar una tonelada de peces cuando se tragan el anzuelo o señuelo en la profundidad. El truco es tener la pinza en el medio del eje de los anzuelos y con un movimiento rápido entrar y salir; si se hace correctamente, se recuperará el gancho y el pez se salvará. Esto ayuda a reducir el estrés del pez y permite devolverlo al agua rápidamente. Si ve que el pez ha mordido el anzuelo hasta el vientre, entonces es mejor cortar la línea en el líder cerca de la boca del pez, ya que intentar recuperar el anzuelo probablemente le causará más daño y puede matarlo. No se preocupe por dejar el anzuelo en la garganta o vientre, ya que eventualmente se oxidarán y los peces podrán seguir alimentándose con un anzuelo allí. Sinceramente, es una de las mejores herramientas y nunca salimos de casa sin ellas. Puede comprar un par de estos alicates por sólo un par de dólares en su tienda local de artículos de pesca o en línea. Recuerde que todos tenemos que hacer nuestra parte para asegurar la calidad de la pesca en Miami, para que nuestras futuras generaciones disfruten también en los años venideros.
Capitáns Mike & Tony Tojdowski Llamada / Texto: 305-998-3375 Síguenos en Urban Legends Fishing Charter Facebook / Instagram @Urbanlegendsfishing www.ULFish.com 20 MIAMI
AUG. 2022
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Orgulloso Patrocinador de la Sección Española.
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LA MITAD DE LA DIVERSIÓN EL MEJOR DÍA EN EL AGUA Familia, amigos, pesca y diversión en el agua... Todo ello con el poder del Ultimate Outboard Motor . Con la gran reputación de Suzuki Marine en cuanto a rendimiento y fiabilidad, puede estar seguro de que su día de navegación será tan maravilloso que le permitirá crear recuerdos que durarán por años.
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3/11/2022 12:54:30 PM
de BAJURA by Capt. Abie Raymond
E
l clima en agosto puede ser CALIENTE pero la pesca puede resultar AÚN MÁS CALIENTE.
Mientras que la gente está aprovechando los últimos días del verano y se preparan para que los niños vuelvan a la escuela, la Bahía de Biscayne se encuentra menos ocupada que el resto del año, lo que hace permite encontrar algunas oportunidades emocionantes que solo requieren de un equipo ligero. La temporada de róbalo está cerrada y, como resultado directo, la captura de róbalos puede ser muy intensa en agosto. Históricamente, búsquelos en grandes bancos alrededor de las ensenadas. Pesque en la parte exterior (lado del océano) de los espigones de roca con la marea entrante y en la parte interior (lado de la ensenada) de los espigones con la marea saliente. Los róbalos se agrupan con sus cabezas mirando hacia la marea, esperando para emboscar a los bancos de cebo que entran y salen de la bahía. Intente marcarlos con su sonda y luego céntrese en ese banco hasta que consiga picadas. Pesque peces de cebo vivos de cualquier tipo. La mejor suerte la tenemos con el aparejo Jupiter, que es un aparejo de platina deslizante en un tramo de un pie de línea de prueba de 100 libras, entre la línea principal y el líder. Elija una plomada de huevo de 1 a 2 onzas (dependiendo de la profundidad y la corriente), intercalada entre dos pequeñas cuentas y dos eslabones giratorios del 1/0. El bajo de línea, conectado al extremo de este curioso aparejo, debe ser de un metro de prueba de 50 libras, con un anzuelo circular apropiado para el tamaño del cebo. Una vez más, el montaje Jupiter es: línea principal a eslabón giratorio 1/0, a 1 pie de línea de prueba de 100lb, luego deslice un cordón, después el plomo, otros cordón y otro eslabón giratorio 1/0, al bajo de línea y al anzuelo circular en línea. Los anzuelos en línea son fundamentales, ya que tienden a ser menos letales que los anzuelos circulares compensados. Por favor, haga un esfuerzo para preservar nuestros recursos durante la captura y liberación. Agosto trae agua caliente y con esta viene un montón de “cebo de verano” o “cebo de lluvia” en la Bahía de Biscayne. Estos peces de cebo, de 1 a 2 pulgadas, suelen ser sardinas europeas o sardinas de arena. Estos bancos atraen a muchos sábalos de diferentes y divertidos tamaños. Cuando digo tamaño divertido, me refiero a los que no exigirán una cita quiropráctica después de desembarcarlos. Estos peces pesan entre 10 y 40 libras de media, y son perfectos para un equipo ligero de spinning. A mí me gusta usar un equipo de 12 libras, con una línea trenzada de 20 libras como línea principal y líderes de 3 pies de prueba de 40 a 50 libras para facilitar el lance de los peces rodantes. Utilice un anzuelo circular en línea que se adapte al tamaño de su pez de cebo y pesque con uno mucho más grande que el de los bancos de “cebo de verano” de los que estamos hablando. Las sardinas vivas son las mejores en agosto. Durante este mes, la recomendación es pescar a la primera hora del día, pues así vencerá el calor, esquivará las tormentas de la tarde y conseguirá la mejor pesca. Nota adicional: El pargo de manglar está en la cola de su desove en agosto. Pesque alrededor de estructuras como muelles y pilas de rocas; use esos “cebos de verano” con una pequeña cabeza de jig y un líder de 20 libras de prueba cebado con una de esas sardinas muy pequeñas enganchadas a través de los labios. ¡Buena Suerte! Captán Abie Raymond 305.775.5197 @abie_raymond www.gohardfishing.com
22 MIAMI
AUG. 2022
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MIAMI 23
MIAMI BRAGBOARD We want to see your catch! Send your photos with name(s) and details to miami@coastalanglermagazine.com Luis Bolden with a nice porgy snapper caught patch reef fishing off Elliott Key
Captain Brian G. & Angler Josie N. with swordfish
Matthew Alvarez with large mouth bass
Mike Turkal Red Snappers
Hans, Isaac & Gabriel getting in on some evening mango action.
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Tame the Beast with Okuma’s Silver Slayer T
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A Full tapered cork butt with Fuji gimbal and spinning reel seat
RODS
here is nothing like the sight of a monster tarpon as it sails through the air trying to shake your hook. Your hands begin to sweat profusely and your triceps suddenly tense up as you buckle down to try and gain control over its wild acrobatics. Will you get that fish back to the boat? That’s the question we all think about at that very moment. Full of excitement, tarpon fishing is a bucket-list item for many fishermen, but it can also be extremely taxing on fishing gear for those who do it. If you’ve ever hooked up to a giant tarpon, 4 you understand that they are big and mean fighting machines. For that very reason, Okuma has worked to perfect a rod that is designed SILVER SLAYER TARPON RODS to allow anglers to - Specifically, designed rod blanks for Tarpon fishing - SeaGuide double locking Alien reel seat - Powerful and responsive 24-ton carbon rod blanks - Tapered cork fore and rear grip with rubber cork inlay go toe-to-toe with Silver Slayer specific models. The four models include a 7’ heavy, 7’ extra-heavy, - UFRII: Ultimate Flex Reinforced rod tip technology - Premium Fuji gimbal for support fighting big fish these beasts of 7’9” heavy and a 7’9” extra-heavy. These rods have the backbone to tarpon rodsby a Limited areLifetime - Fuji K-Concept deep press frames help reduce tangles - Silver Slayer rods are backed warranty - Silky smooth performance from Fuji FazLite guide inserts the salt. We built with powerful and really work your fish to the boat and feature a tapered cork fore and give you responsive 24-ton carbon full-rear grip design with a rubber cork inlay. the Silver SILVER SLAYER TARPON RODS With the brute strength that tarpon possess, Silver Slayer rods rod blanks that feature Okuma’s SLAY-S-701H-FG H MF 7' 0" 15 - 30 lbs 1/2 - 2 oz 12" 1-pcs 7 + Tip A Slayer have all the components to match. Each rod is designed with Fuji UFRII rod tip7"7" technology. What’s SLAY-S-701XH-FG XH MF 7' 0" 20 - 50 lbs 3/4 - 3 oz 12" 1-pcs 7 + Tip A tarpon proprietary blends SLAY-S-791H-FG H MF 7'UFR-II? 9" 15 - 30 lbs This 1/2 - 2 oz 7" 13-1/2"process 1-pcs 7 + Tip AK-Concept deep press frames that help reduce tangles and line SLAY-S-791XH-FG XH MF 7' 9" 20 - 50 lbs 3/4 - 3 oz 7" 13-1/2" 1-pcs 7 + Tip rod! unidirectional fiber over 24-ton carbon in Atwist after all-day casting. Each of these guides holds firmly in place S = Spinning Model the extended tip section of the rod to increase a Fuji Faz-Lite guide insert for silky smooth performance. The rods lifting strength and power by as much as 400 also have a Sea Guide double locking Alien reel seat that keeps your in place. And while fighting percent. This technology provides for the ultimate in spinning reels firmly and comfortably Okuma | Product Catalog 2022 90 strength without sacrificing sensitivity so that you can feel your fish, the Silver Slayer rods all come standard with a premium Fuji gimbal for even the lightest of bites down deep. Learn more at OkumaFishingUSA.com. There are four Silver Slayer tarpon rods that are all spinning- support.
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Leg
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Legendary Angler Mark Sosin Dies
T
he fishing world is mourning the death of Mark Sosin, a legendary fishing writer and television personality who was a long-time columnist for Coastal Angler Magazine. Sosin died on Thursday, June 30 in Boca Raton, Fla. He was 88 years old. Mark Jessurun Sosin was born on July 7, 1933, in Highland Park, New Jersey. He was introduced to fishing at an early age by his father, whose tactics and dedication to conservation were frequent topics in Sosin’s writing. Before making his way into the fishing industry, Sosin graduated from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania and earned a master’s in business administration from New York University. He then spent four years in the U.S. Navy and after being discharged worked in several different positions. All the while he fished and dreamed of earning a living from his passion for fishing. Sosin’s long and illustrious career as a writer began in the 1960s, when he began writing magazine articles and books on fishing. Sosin is estimated to have written more than 3,000 magazine articles over his career and more than 20 books on fishing. After moving to Boca Raton with his wife, Susan, in 1979, Sosin launched his TV show, “Mark Sosin’s Saltwater Journal,” in 1983. The program ran for 27 years. Much of Sosin’s work was geared toward education and conservation. His legacy in the fishing industry is that of an educator who helped generations of anglers enter and improve in the sport we all love. Go to www.coastalanglermagazine.com to read Mark Sosin’s columns for Coastal Angler Magazine.
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LURES
LURE APPENDAGES FOR LONGER CASTS
PATRICK SEBILE
W
hen it comes to lures designed for longdistance casting, some are built with appendages that truly help reach distances other lures can’t achieve. These appendages might be located inside or outside of the lure. One popular appendage on minnow-style baits is a mass-transfer device. A weight located inside the lure moves to the tail when the lure is held vertically in the casting position, and once it hits the water the weight slides back to its original location for better swimming action. Typically, these lures are best when they use a magnetic mass transfer device. Some billed minnows use a heavy fixed weight in the tail and can achieve longer casts than mass-transfer lures. Either way, one thing is sure: minnows not built for distance do not cast as well as those designed for this purpose. The external shape of a lure also plays a large part in the distance it is capable of reaching. Remember: a floating lure does not perform as well as a sinking or super-long-distance model because of its low density. Denser lures cast better as a rule of thumb, but they might not be best for catching fish because of where they swim in the water column or because they lack seductive action. Appendages can help achieve the best of both worlds by providing
for long casts as well as swimming well at the desired depth. Side wings are an incredible advantage. They add water lift, which helps compensate for a heavier lure and generates great swimming motion. This is how some SK and SLD poppers and pencils can weigh 25 to 100 percent more than similar floating lures and still be able to be used on the surface. The added weight allows for significant increase in casting distance. In the case of a 160mm (6 3/8”) pencil, the floating model weighs 2 ½ ounces, while the sinking model weighs 3 ¼ ounces. This weight increase translates into 50 percent longer casts. On the typical topwater retrieve, the sinking model does everything a floating one can. Actually, the walkthe-dog action is a bit superior, and it’s also possible to fish the heavier pencil like a swimbait with a slow steady retrieve. Those appendages provide great fish-catching action. But there’s a catch. Sinking lures sink. When you need a lure that floats at rest, floating lures with pointy noses cast farther. The physics are simple. Any lure flying through the air generates turbulences in front of the lure, where the line attachment is. This turbulence acts as a suction cup, dragging on the lure and diminishing casting energy. Like on a jet plane, a pointy nose helps limit this effect. Floating lures with pointed noses consistently cast farther than floating lures with similar style and length. Pay attention to these appendages next time you’re buying lures. They will reward you when it comes to distance—and fish caught! Legendary angler Patrick Sebile is a world record holder and an award-winning designer of innovative lures and fishing gear. Check out his creations at abandofanglers.com.
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STAY AHEAD of the Weather
“I took the kids fishing because it wasn’t supposed to rain, but mother nature decided otherwise. I was able to monitor the storm path using SiriusXM on our display, wait ‘til the storm cleared and kept the kids dry!” — Rob Lupola, Raymarine/Strike Two Fishing Team, Pensacola, FL Boater receives complimentary service.
Stay informed and spend more time on the water with SiriusXM Fish Mapping, our most comprehensive Marine service. Get the latest satellite weather, sea conditions and forecasts, plus recommended fishing locations for popular gamefish, plankton and temperature fronts, weed lines and more. Get all that and SiriusXM entertainment on your compatible display.
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Trial Offer Details: Activate a new monthly subscription to either: (i) SiriusXM Marine Fish Mapping or (ii) SiriusXM Marine Fish Mapping and the SiriusXM Platinum audio entertainment plan on the same device, and receive your first (1) month free for each activated service (a savings of $99.99 on Fish Mapping and $22.99 on Platinum plan), plus get free device activation (an additional savings of $25). A credit card is required on this offer. Service will automatically renew every month thereafter and, at the beginning of your second month, you will be charged at then-current rates (currently, $99.99/mo. for Fish Mapping and $22.99/mo. for Platinum plan). Fees and taxes apply. You must cancel your subscriptions during your promotional period(s) to avoid future charges. Please see our Customer Agreement at www.siriusxm.com for complete terms and how to cancel, which includes calling us at 1-800-985-9200. All fees, content and features are subject to change. This offer may be modified, suspended or canceled at any time. Subscription and hardware sold separately. Your Platinum subscription plan may be eligible for a multi-radio discounted rate if maintained on the same account as an activate full-price SiriusXM Marine Weather or Fish Mapping subscription package. NOTE: SiriusXM services may include weather, other content and emergency alert information which is not for “safety for life,” but is merely supplemental and advisory in nature, and therefore cannot be relied upon as safety critical in connection with any seacraft or any other usage. SiriusXM is not responsible for any errors or inaccuracies in the services or their use. © 2022 Sirius XM Radio Inc. SiriusXM and all related logos are trademarks of Sirius XM Radio Inc. and its respective subsidiaries. All rights reserved. Photo credit: Greg Poland Photography.
CCA FLORIDA STAR AWARDS $80K RIG TO FLORIDA ANGLER
I
n early July, CCA Florida, the state’s leading organization dedicated to marine fisheries conservation, education and advocacy, named and verified the first Tagged Redfish division winner in the 2022 West Marine CCA Florida STAR competition presented by Yamaha. Jeff Moore, of Punta Gorda, selected a prize package from Pathfinder Boats and Yamaha Outboards valued at more than $80,000. “I still cannot believe I landed a STAR 2022 Tagged Redfish and that it won me a new Pathfinder!” Moore said. “I almost released the fish when I noticed something on its back, which looked like a parasite, so I brought it back over the edge of my ’yak for a better look. You can understand my excitement when I realized it was a STAR tag. I knew I needed a photo on the measuring device to submit my catch through the STAR app and follow the rules to win. I was jazzed that I had registered for STAR. It is like an insurance policy for fishing; don’t fish without it because you could win a boat!” This year, nearly 160 Tagged Redfish were released across Florida’s coastal waters, giving participants more opportunities to win. Remaining
22 FLORIDA
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prizes in the Tagged Redfish Division include a Contender 22 Sport and a Spyder Vapor 19FX, all powered by Yamaha along with $50,000 cash from Alta Equipment Company. Additionally, STAR’s other tagged division, the Tigress Outriggers and Gear Tagged Dolphin Division, will award $10,000 to the first registrant who catches a tagged dolphin. Unlike traditional fishing competitions, CCA Florida STAR focuses on conservation and offers $500,000 in prizes and scholarships during the 101-day event. Recognized as a “catch, photo and release” competition, STAR’s smart phone app eliminates the requirement for anglers to harvest or capture and transport fish. “Not only is STAR about having fun and winning awesome prizes, but it is also dedicated to fishing smarter to help restore, preserve and improve Florida’s marine habitat and water quality,” CCA Florida STAR Director Leiza Fitzgerald said. “Implementing a catch-photo-release competition is just one way to continue fulfilling our organization’s mission and protect our coastal waterways.” STAR is also focused on youth participation, with its Youth Scholarship Division presented by Realtree Fishing, offering $100,000 in scholarships. Youth anglers (ages 6-17) can register for free with a current CCA Florida youth membership ($10) and are eligible for prizes in both tagged divisions. Youth winners in the Tagged Redfish Division will be awarded a new boat with Humminbird Electronics, MinnKota trolling motor, Yamaha 40HP motor and trailer. Additionally, if the first registered angler to catch one of the 20 tagged dolphin (mahi mahi) is a youth, then he or she will win a $10,000 scholarship in the Tigress Outriggers and Gear Tagged Dolphin Division. The STAR competition includes 17 divisions and 12 species and most winners are determined by a random drawing, giving anglers of all ages and skill levels the opportunity to win. Registration is $40 for current CCA Florida members or $75 for non-members. For more information or to register for STAR, visit Facebook, Instagram or ccaflstar.com.
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The U.S. Mint Just Struck Morgan Silver Dollars for the First Time in 100 Years! It’s been more than 100 years since the last Morgan Silver Dollar was struck for circulation. Morgans were the preferred currency of cowboys, ranchers and outlaws and earned a reputation as the coin that helped build the Wild West. Struck in 90% silver from 1878 to 1904, then again in 1921, these silver dollars came to be known by the name of their designer, George T. Morgan. They are one of the most revered, most-collected, vintage U.S. Silver Dollars ever.
Celebrating the 100th Anniversary with Legal-Tender Morgans
Honoring the 100th anniversary of the last year they were minted, the U.S. Mint struck five different versions of the Morgan in 2021, paying tribute to each of the mints that struck the coin. The coins here honor the historic New Orleans Mint, a U.S. Mint branch from 1838–1861 and again from 1879–1909. These coins, featuring an “O” privy mark, a small differentiating mark, were struck in Philadelphia since the New Orleans Mint no longer exists. These beautiful
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By Will Schmidt
Your Grouper Grounds
F
inding new spots to fish has been one of the biggest issues facing us since… well, since fishing started. For years inshore fishermen have used satellite views to find points with cuts, oyster bars and other features that can be seen from above in the shallows. The good news is offshore anglers can now take advantage of similar imagery to make finding new spots feel like you’ve got it made in the shade. High-definition relief shading like that in the new Garmin Navionics Vision+ package gives anglers insight into spots they would have never known about unless they just stumbled across them. There are countless examples of offshore spots where I’ve marked and caught fish without knowing that just a few hundred feet away were even better looking spots. It’s hard to know every ridge or well-defined bottom feature, so getting a view of what is down there can be extremely beneficial. Of course, not all
spots that look good hold fish, but it’s a start. Once you find something of interest, spot lock trolling motors make it easy to move and drop baits to see if anyone is home. For larger areas, such as long ridges, sometimes trolling makes a bit more sense to cover more ground. When chasing bottom fish such as grouper, there are a few techniques that work well. Downriggers and planers with jig heads and large paddletail baits work well, but I find deep diving plugs to be even better. There are a host of deep divers out now that provide an accurate depth to which they will dive. The Nomad DTX Minnow is one of my favorites. It is deadly on grouper and does double duty with its high-speed capability for chasing pelagic species as well. I also love the fact that they come rigged with single hooks versus treble hooks. The key is to just graze the sandy bottom next to the rocks to get the groupers’ attention. They have keen sight and will charge out quickly to grab a meal, and the bonus is you start with them already away from the rocks. Just a few hundred feet away The great thing about using highfrom where the author has definition relief shading and trolling marked and caught grouper for grouper is you might have one is a massive ledge that holds even more fish. spot that quickly turns into four or five locations to drop baits in a relatively small area. Sometimes the spots are within a few hundred feet and sometimes farther. Regardless, this technology is a game-changer, and by covering new ground quickly it can make finding new productive spots much easier. Will Schmidt is a seasoned tournament angler who has been writing about fishing from more than two decades.
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them carefully when dog-day temperatures peak. Fish are fighting for their lives with every ounce of their strength on the end of a line. The stress can kill them when water conditions are less than ideal. That, along with blazing hot sun on the back of the neck, is enough reason to strike out in search of a more appealing environment when it gets hot. My 11-year-old son and I recently spent a couple days on the headwaters of North Carolina’s Nantahala River at a place called Standing Indian. Standing Indian Mountain tops out at close to 5,500 feet, and its slopes feed the river with plenty of cold water from numerous headwater branches. This area, upstream of the U.S. Forest Service’s Standing Indian Campground, is off of U.S. 64 west of Franklin, N.C. The Nantahala at Standing Indian bears little resemblance to the big whitewater river it becomes downstream near Bryson City. In its headwaters, there are about six miles of public water that might be 20 feet across in the wide spots. It’s a great little stream for folks who enjoy slinging dry flies on a four-weight fly rod for pretty little rainbow and brown trout. The fishing wasn’t exactly stellar the two days my son and I fished in mid-June. There were thunderstorms each night, so the river was a little high and stained. My son is also new to a lightweight fly rod, and overhanging rhododendron and river birch are hardly easy terrain for a beginner. Still, we managed to catch numerous gorgeous rainbows slinging a dry-dropper rig with a small Pheasant Tail fished beneath a yellow Stimulator. There were little yellow Sally stoneflies in the air, so our selection of dry fly matched the hatch. Good small-stream browns in the 14-inch range come from this stretch of water pretty regularly, but all we caught were rainbows with a couple measuring maybe 10 or 11 inches. That’s a pretty good fish in terms of little By Nick Carter wild trout streams in the Southeast. We considered our mission accomplished returning to a riverside campsite each evening. While my son might not be old enough to appreciate it, the cool mountain rout anglers have two options when it comes to deep summer. They can air and bedding down to the gurgle of the creek were the highlights of the trip. either hit tailwater fisheries, where dam-controlled flows provide stable The air temperature was easily 20 degrees cooler than back home, and I don’t year-round water temperatures, or they can seek out high-elevation know if I’ve ever slept better. headwaters, where both fish and angler find comfort in rhododendron-shaded For information, check out Nick Carter’s book “Flyfisher’s Guide to creeks with water conditions perennially perfect for little wild trout. North Carolina & Georgia.” It’s available on Amazon or by Big fish and big hatches of tailrace trout fishing are certainly appealing. contacting the author at nsc8957@gmail.com. However, anglers should play fish intended for release quickly and handle
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ass are on the move in deep summer. Throwing search baits, especially topwater, is one of the best and most fun ways to find groups of feeding fish. A style of lure that was created a long time ago but still works wonders today is an old-school topwater popper. You can throw this just about anywhere around rocks, grass, wood, docks and in open water to get bites. When the weather gets hot and more people get on the water, getting fish to commit to a surface lure is sometimes almost impossible. What I like to do is put away the bigger topwaters like walking baits or Whopper Ploppers and take out a smaller Pop-Rstyle bait. There are a few reasons this bait gets more bites in the right situations. The first is it’s smaller and quieter. A smaller profile and less noise is sometimes what these finicky fish want. I have seen many situations when throwing a big noisy topwater won’t get a single bite, but throwing a popper in the same area makes fish eat. Another reason popper-style baits are very good is the speed at which you can work them. There are many topwaters that require highspeed retrieves. With a popper, the slower you work it the more it drives them crazy. I vary my retrieve and see what the fish are feeling, but usually I’ll pop the bait subtly a few times and vary the action to make it look like a dying baitfish. Then I’ll let the bait sit for a few seconds before creating another movement. This absolutely drives them crazy. One last reason poppers are deadly is that feathered rear treble hook. When fish are feeding on tiny baitfish or bugs, the feathered treble makes them bite. Sometimes even the small profile of the bait is still too big for them, but they come up and see the feathers and eat those instead. Fishing the right rod and reel with a Pop-R makes a huge difference in landing fish. You want a rod with a good amount of bend because you don’t set the hook. Instead, you just reel into them. I use a 13 Fishing Defy Black 7’ cranking rod. For the reel, you want something that is able to cast a light lure as far as possible. You also need one that will pick up the bait fast for another cast in case a fish misses or you spot surfacing fish. I use a 13 Fishing Concept with an 8:3 gear ratio. I spool it with 30- to 50-lb. Seaguar Smackdown Braid. Next time you get on the water, pick up a popper style lure like a 13 Fishing Poppy McPop Face and see how deadly it can be in the summer months. Tyler Woolcott is a professional tournament angler and guide. Check out his website at www.tylerwoolcottfishing.com.
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