Coastal Angler Magazine | September 2021 | Mississippi Gulf Coast Edition by Coastal Angler Magazine

MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST EDITION

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SKINNY WATER

SNOOK

COBIA CHAOS

BEST OF PHOTO CREDIT: ALICIA BROOKS PROVIDED BY: SAVANNAH FRANCIS VOLUME 26 • ISSUE 318

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F R A N C H I S E

O P P O R T U N I T I E S

A V A I L A B L E

SEPTEMBER 2021

W O R L D W I D E

Bad to the Bone Full tang stainless steel blade with natural bone handle —now ONLY $79!

he very best hunting knives possess a perfect balance of form and function. They’re carefully constructed from fine materials, but also have that little something extra to connect the owner with nature. If you’re on the hunt for a knife that combines impeccable craftsmanship with a sense of wonder, the $79 Huntsman Blade is the trophy you’re looking for. The blade is full tang, meaning it doesn’t stop at the handle but extends to the length of the grip for the ultimate in strength. The blade is made from 420 surgical steel, famed for its sharpness and its resistance to corrosion. The handle is made from genuine natural bone, and features decorative wood spacers and a hand-carved motif of two overlapping feathers— a reminder for you to respect and connect with the natural world. This fusion of substance and style can garner a high price tag out in the marketplace. In fact, we found full tang, stainless steel blades with bone handles in excess of $2,000. Well, that won’t cut it around here. We have mastered the hunt for the best deal, and in turn pass the spoils on to our customers. But we don’t stop there. While supplies last, we’ll include a pair of $99 8x21 power compact binoculars and a genuine leather sheath FREE when you purchase the Huntsman Blade. Your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed. Feel the knife in your hands, wear it on your hip, inspect the impeccable craftsmanship. If you don’t feel like we cut you a fair deal, send it back within 30 days for a complete refund of the item price. Limited Reserves. A deal like this won’t last long. We have only 1120 Huntsman Blades for this ad only. Don’t let this BONUS! Call today and beauty slip through your fingers. Call today! you’ll also receive this

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4 NATIONAL

SEPTEMBER 2021

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NATIONAL 5

IN THIS BATTLE, YOU NOW HAVE THE ADVANTAGE OF SHOCK AND AWE.

The next generation of our workhorse spinning reel, the new PENN ® Battle ® III now features our proprietary CNC Gear ™ Technology for ultimate durability, and the proven HT-100 ™ Carbon Fiber Drag System for ultimate control during the fight. Available in nine different sizes, from 1000 to the new 10,000, and in select high speed models, it can handle any situation. The new Battle® III. Fish won’t know what hit them. PENN. LET THE BATTLE BEGIN.

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See Extensive ICAST Coverage In The Angler Video Mag

CAST 2021 marked a return to normalcy for the fishing industry. In the 64th exhibition of the world’s largest sportfishing trade show, the halls of the Orlando’s Orange County Convention Center bustled with activity July 21-23. As usual, the event kicked off with the ICAST Cup bass tournament at nearby Lake Toho, and the renowned big-bass factory did not disappoint. In a short four-hour tournament, the winning team weighed a tournament-record 25-pound, 7-ounce five-fish limit. But most of the action went on indoors. The annual ICAST New Product Showcase is an event the fishing world eagerly awaits every year. It is the venue where industry heavyweights and innovative newcomers roll out their best new gear for the year to come. This year, 686 new products were entered by 218 companies to compete for Best of Category awards in 30 different categories. From rods, reels and lures to apparel, electronics, gadgets and accessories, the New Product Showcase is gear-head heaven. The Angler Video Mag team was on-hand at ICAST 2021 to cover the show and give you a first-hand look at some of the cool and innovative products that will make you a better angler this year.

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NATIONAL 7

Live Bait Snook on South Florida Beaches

ere on Florida’s East Coast, we have access to some of the most exciting shore-based fishing there is. From spring, through summer and into fall, big snook run the beaches of South Florida, and they can be caught from the sand with lures and even sight fished with flies. I am a lure fisherman, and everyone knows it, but fishing with artificials can be difficult during the doldrums of late summer and fall. The Atlantic Ocean is flatter and big snook become wary. The fish are still here; what are we to do? Here’s a pretty simple technique that will catch snook when the fishing gets tough. The hottest bait this time of year is live croakers. Croakers are catching so many snook right now that the local bait shops here in the Stuart, Fla. area sell out as soon as they get a shipment. With the artificial bite kind of drying up, my friend and occasional fishing buddy, Mike Vars, showed me how to catch big snook on live bait. Mike buys a dozen croakers when he can get them. All you need to keep them alive for a couple days is a round bucket with an aerator. Good baitsized croakers are 5 to 8 inches, anything larger might catch a big snook, but they are harder to fish. Mike uses a 3 or 4 size circle hook and hooks his croakers through the nostrils so they can

8 NATIONAL

SEPTEMBER 2021

By Richard L. Matteson

swim freely. Some anglers prefer to hook them through the tail. Since the tactic involves free-lining, with no weight, casts should be just past the trough on a high tide, which is about 20 feet here. Then open the spool and let that croaker run. On low tide, it might be necessary to wade past the trough and cast farther out. Mike uses a 60-lb. leader and 20-lb. braid on a spinning reel. Before the snook takes the bait, the croaker will often wiggle excitedly—this is a signal you are about to get bit. When the line suddenly starts moving fast, it means a snook has your croaker. Let her have the bait for a few seconds, and then begin reeling steadily so the circle hook lodges in the corner of her mouth. Mike Vars with a nice beach snook Mike averages three or four big female snook caught on live bait. each trip with this method. He has caught several over-slot snook, with the biggest measuring about 40 inches. Florida’s Atlantic Coast. You’re allowed one per day If you want to catch your own bait, use a between 28 and 32 inches. sabiki rig and tip hooks with a small piece of Richard Matteson writes for the Stuart Rod & shrimp. Or fish the trough with light tackle and a Reel Club and he is a long-time contributor small piece of shrimp. to Coastal Angler Magazine. Sept. 1 marks open season for snook on

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Gonna try and make it a “September to Remember”. We have been on one of the better trout bites we’ve seen in a while. Croakers and live shrimp have gotten plenty of use thus far. Structure has played a huge part in what we’ve been doing all year. Rocks, shells, and keys have been where we start looking for trout. Typically when the tide gets moving is when the bites get better. Of course we are never ones to pass up a flock of diving gulls either. The big bull reds and jacks should be in full force all month. On the calmer days, you can see the explosions up and down the beaches. Try and see which way the schools are moving and cut them off. I prefer heavier jigs, for longer casts. Just be prepared to chase these fish, some of these brutes can easily spool a light tackle set up. I prefer a 40’class spinner like the Okuma Epixor or Cedros. The big sharks have moved in. We have been having a ball with these hard fighting critters. The absolute easiest way we’ve found to consistently catch the big boys, is to focus on schools of lady fish. The sharks are almost always underneath those schools. Catch a couple lady fish, cut them into big chunks, and cast that back into the school. I’m still using big 10/0 circle hooks, wire leaders and big spinning rods. The Okuma Coronado 65 with 60-80 braided line is lethal. The baitfeeder(free spool) feature makes shark fishing painless. Lotta options this month. Bring plenty of water, and watch for storms. The crowds should start thinning with the hunting season about to kick off. As Always, Have Fun and

Be Safe

Publishers: Rocky Brooks

To Advertise With Us: Rocky@coastalanglermagazine.com

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SEPTEMBER 2021

MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST 1

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MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST 3

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MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST 5

6 MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST

SEPTEMBER 2021

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Offshore Report Derek Stiglet Nelson Outdoors Pro-Staff

September 2021

August and September tend to be my favorite time of year to target the Mangrove Snapper, also locally known as the Gray Snapper here along the Gulf Coast. A lot of standing oil and gas platforms along the Mississippi and Louisiana coast hold an abundance of this species of Snapper. They range in size from under 1lb to upwards of 15 lbs. They put up a tough fight and have sharp canine-like teeth. Depending on the water color and what size fish are in a particular location, will determine what size fluorocarbon leader I’ll use since they can be a bit finicky and tricky to entice to eat a bait. I prefer dirtier water conditions when targeting these snapper. In this dirtier water, I’ll tend to use 40-50lb leader when wrangling with the larger size mangroves to help pull them out away from the structure as they tend to head for cover as soon as you set the hook. And in clearer, greener water, I’ll drop the leader size to maybe 20-30lb Seaquar Flourocarbon. I’ll rig up a stout rod such as my Penn Carnage II jigging rod and spool the Penn Fathom 25 or 30 size reel with 65lb Power Pro braid and top it off with the Flourocarbon leader and tie on a Mustad live bait hook with uni knots for all of my connections. Bait of choice is as easy as fresh, cut chunks of pogy . Live baits also work well for the larger Mangrove Snappers. Chumming the waters behind the boat will sometimes pull them up from beneath and can attract Red snapper or Cobia as well. Larger mangroves will put up a good fight and can add a lot of action to a day of fishing. Their sharp teeth and habit to run for cover into the rig can cause a loss of a lot of tackle so be prepared with ample amounts of tackle and bait.

Nelson Outdoors is your one stop shop for all your hunting and ﬁshing needs. 2034 Market St. Pascagoula, Ms 39567 228-769-6699 COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM

SEPTEMBER 2021

MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST 7

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8 MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST

SEPTEMBER 2021

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SEPTEMBER 2021

MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST 9

Trout-Redﬁsh-Flounder 10 MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST

SEPTEMBER 2021

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Biloxi Tide Chart Louisiana, South Pass, Biloxi (Cadet Point), Biloxi Bay N 30° 23.4' / W 88° 51.4' Date

Day

Sunrise

Sunset

6:02a

High Tide 1.5

High Tide

5:05p

0.1

6:18a

7:48p

6:38a

1.8

5:39p

0.0

6:18a

7:47p

7:19a

1.9

6:15p

-0.1

6:19a

7:46p

8:04a

2.1

6:51p

-0.3

6:19a

7:45p

8:49a

2.1

7:27p

-0.3

6:20a

7:45p

9:34a

2.2

8:03p

-0.3

6:20a

7:44p

10:18a

2.2

8:37p

-0.3

6:21a

7:43p

11:02a

2.2

9:09p

-0.1

6:22a

7:42p

11:46a

2.1

9:40p

0.0

6:22a

7:41p

12:33p

1.9

10:05p

0.3

6:23a

7:41p

1:21p

1.7

10:15p

0.6

6:23a

7:40p

2:17p

1.4

9:45p

0.8

6:24a

7:39p

4:50a

1.1

10:32a

0.8

6:24a

7:38p

4:20a

1.4

2:28p

0.6

6:25a

7:37p

4:42a

1.7

3:37p

0.1

6:26a

7:36p

5:26a

2.1

4:33p

-0.1

6:26a

7:35p

6:20a

2.4

5:26p

-0.4

6:27a

7:34p

7:20a

2.5

6:18p

-0.4

6:27a

7:33p

8:22a

2.5

7:07p

-0.4

6:28a

7:32p

9:23a

2.5

7:54p

-0.3

6:28a

7:31p

10:22a

2.4

8:37p

-0.1

6:29a

7:30p

11:18a

2.2

9:13p

0.3

6:29a

7:29p

12:12p

1.9

9:38p

0.6

6:30a

7:28p

1:05p

1.7

9:38p

0.8

6:30a

7:27p

2:00p

1.4

8:50p

1.1

6:31a

7:26p

2:46a

1.2

8:19a

1.0

6:31a

7:25p

2:38a

1.4

11:40a

1.0

6:32a

7:23p

3:02a

1.7

2:06p

0.7

6:32a

7:22p

3:39a

1.8

3:11p

0.6

6:33a

7:21p

4:26a

2.1

4:01p

0.3

6:34a

7:20p

5:19a

2.1

4:46p

0.3

6:34a

7:19p

4:08p

3:20p

1.0

Low Tide

1.2

Tide Chart Sponsored by:

Low Tide

7:03p

6:45p

0.8

1.1

Mike Wards Liberty Safe 3663 Sangani Blvd Suite D D’Iberville, MS 39540 228-354-8964 mikewardslibertysafe.com

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SEPTEMBER 2021

MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST 11

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12 MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST

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SEPTEMBER 2021

MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST 13

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SEPTEMBER 2021

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3 TIPS FOR NIGHT FISHING September is one of the hottest months here on the Gulf Coast and spending those long days out on the water can really take it out of you. This time of year, I really like to focus my efforts fishing lights around docks and marinas, lights can provide many awesome opportunities to catch a variety of inshore game fish. Here are a few tips that are sure to increase your success out on the water. The first tip is to pick the right time to go. The best time to target lights will be after midnight. The later into the evening it gets, the more bait fish will start to appear near the lights which will attract your trout and redfish. It is also important to note that things begin to get quieter after midnight, the boat traffic slows down, and the neighborhood cookouts and parties have shut down, the only noise to be heard is caused by nature itself. This will bring the big guys out to feed. The next tip is have the right approach to the docks. The one thing you do not want to do is pull up to a promising light just to throw out your first cast and hook the dock. To prevent this always stage up where your casts will be made parallel to the dock instead of throwing directly at the dock. This will also give you the opportunity to work your lures through the strike zone longer, which is directly next to the dock. The last tip is all about tackle. When fishing lights you want to go light! Remember that these smaller baitfish are higher up in the water column and the trout and redfish are feeding up on the baitfish. A heavier presentation will put you lower in the water column and may reduce the number of bites you get. I try to stay with a 1/16 or 1/8 oz. jig head for fishing lights. I hope you all find these tips helpful, get out there, and land some biggins. If you have any questions or want to find more helpful tips for fishing around the MS and AL Gulf Coast please feel reach to reach out to us on YouTube at Southern Salt Kayak Fishing. Until next time tight lines and stay safe!!

Tight Lines,

Nathan Rich COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM

SEPTEMBER 2021

MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST 15

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SEPTEMBER 2021

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SEPTEMBER 2021

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PHOTO BY ETHEL WARE CARTER

“A

iyeeeeee, yeeee, yeeee, yeee!” The shout sounded Cajun, or perhaps like the intro to a mariachi tune. Either way, it amplified the chaos on deck. Three rods were bent. Two anglers scrambled to uncross lines screaming off reels. A third angler dove to wrap an arm around the 10-year-old who held a death grip on rod number three. It was a tossup as to whether the kid would lose the rod or be yanked overboard into a very active chum slick. The whole scene unraveled when a 10-foot tiger shark rose to the surface. It smashed the boy’s cobia straight through the surface, blowing up close enough to drench us, maybe 15 feet off the stern. There was stunned silence, then... “Ayeeee, yeeee, yeeee, yeeee!” our captain hollered. “I love chaos!” Man, what a trip. It was a lot more than my two brothers and I expected upon reconnecting with a childhood friend in Bluffton, South Carolina. Our captain, Keene Reese, is a successful real estate agent with Ussery Group, Charter One Realty in the Lowcountry. He is also a very fishy dude. In mid-June, he invited us—along with my 10-year-old son— on a 20-mile ride offshore, where cobia were thick on a well-known wreck. With a beautiful chum slick snaking off the stern of Reese’s 25’ Regulator “Copacetic,” it didn’t take 10 minutes for “brownies” to start showing on the surface. There was no need for down-lines that day. All the action was on top, visible and simple. Pitch a live menhaden on a freeline, and a cobia would take it before you reached the rod holder. Over the course of a few hours, we boated well over a dozen cobia,

although the action came in such crazy spurts that no one could keep count. The thing is, we only landed four fish longer than the 36-inch minimum. That’s good news, according to Mel Bell, the director of Fisheries Management with South Carolina DNR. For decades, South Carolina was famous for its inshore cobia runs. May is the peak of a spawning run that once saw scads of cobia pushing into Port Royal Sound, Calibogue Sound, St. Helena Sound and the Broad River. Bell said boats lined up to target big eggbearing females before they could reproduce. The fishery collapsed. “We were in a bad place in 2016,” Bell said. “The numbers were scary. Even the anglers were telling us we had to do something.” While overall Atlantic cobia stocks are in good shape, according to the latest assessment, Bell said sound-spawners in South Carolina are a distinct “sub-population.” The Southern Cobia Management Zone was formed in 2016 to protect these inshore-spawning fish. The zone stretches from Jeremy Inlet on Edisto Island, S.C. south to the Georgia border. It extends three miles offshore, and within this zone there is a one fish per person, three per boat daily limit—except in May, when cobia harvest is closed. The limit in federal waters is one per person, six per boat. The minimum length is 36 inches, which brings us back to all the short fish. Bell said South Carolina DNR isn’t ready to release hard data. However, he’s heard fishermen reporting lots of smaller fish, which are likely the age classes protected since 2016. If anecdotes translate into survey data, it would mean the restrictions are working. Bell said next year might be time to take a close look and see just how well cobia are returning to the sounds. PHOTO BY GILBERT CARTER

By Nick Carter

For more information, go to www.dnr.sc.gov.

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ALL SEASON LONG! T

he approach of autumn doesn’t mean you should fall back on the game! The seasons are changing, but the action isn’t. Fall is nothing more than a second spring. So, spring into action with the Contender series raglan long sleeve shirt. The raglan sleeve construction allows for increased movement, which you will need since the fair weather will liberate you from the sweltering summer heat. Even though the sun is less intense in the fall months, you still need sun protection, and the raglan long sleeve shirt delivers by blocking UVA and UVB rays for all-day protection. In fall, there’s no better time to be out on the water. With fall breezes blowing in, you’ll need to check out our men’s tournament anorak. Featuring a full storm hood and a center placket that provides critical coverage to protect you, you can count on the jacket to comfortably protect you, rain or shine. As the days get shorter, you will need something sturdy like the men’s pro series storm fleece. Designed with spacer-fabric and engineered with air pockets embedded in the fabric that provides insulation and temperature control to keep the piece lightweight, it is the perfect accessory to make your fall epic. No matter the season, GILLZ has you covered. Check out the website: gillz-gear.com

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SEPTEMBER 2021

NATIONAL 11

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ave the parking headaches—oneshot your boat into position every time with one of Parkit360’s Electric Trailer Dollies. The Force and Transformer models are compatible with almost every trailer thanks to ball-mounted Stablelock technology. Just connect to the hitch and steer your trailer into place. With weight capacities ranging from 5,000 to 15,000 pounds, these portable powerhouses handle the most difficult parking challenges with ease. The user faces the trailer, allowing complete visibility and control while parking. Park in ways that are impossible with a truck, with the flexibility to move around the trailer to check its position. The dolly’s compact design also allows the user to park hitch-end forward as a theft deterrent. All models include Intelligent Speed Control to move through open areas quickly and more precisely in tight spaces. Have a unique trailer hitch? Easily move any ball-mounted, fifth-wheel or gooseneck trailer with standard adapters, or try the Telescopic Hitch Adapter. It’s a non-invasive, alternative connection point that bolts around your existing trailer frame. Built strong and secure to safely move on firm grass, packed gravel, and 4- to 6-percent inclines. Move your trailer with ease, and get PARKIT360.CA in and out of storage faster than ever!

12 NATIONAL

SEPTEMBER 2021

COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM

THREE WAYS TO TARGET

BIG CATS

f you like the feel of really big fish on the end of a line, catfish are a good option. There are several different types, but trophy hunters set their sights on blue and flathead catfish. Both species grow large and can weigh in excess of 100 pounds. For bait, catfish have been caught on just about everything you can think of. But generally, big flatheads are predators and like whole, live, hand-sized bream. Blues like large cut bait like bream, skipjack or carp. Once you’ve got your bait, here are some ideas for how to fish it. Fish a Fan: My favorite technique is to anchor up in a good spot near rocky bottom or structure such as a ledge, river channel or creek bed. I have 14 Driftmaster 255 H Pro Duo rod holders, which I use to put out a fan of baits on Penn Fathom reels and medium to heavy rods. These are spooled with 80-pound PowerPro braid. The terminal end is a weight slide on the main line then a swivel and a 3- to 5-foot leader, with a Gamakatsu 8/0 circle hook on the end. These are the rigs I use to fish Cabela’s King Kat tournaments. They are heavy duty because you never know when a 100-pound monster will show up. Back-Trolling: On big rivers, back-trolling can be very effective. Use your trolling motor in reverse to slow

the boat’s drift in the current and present baits to catfish holding on the bottom. Bottom bouncing is Bill Dance’s preferred method on the Mississippi River. It’s also very popular on the Tennessee River. It allows you to keep your bait about a foot off the bottom and bounce it to fish facing upstream. Tie a three-way swivel to a mainline of 40- to 80-lb. braid. On the bottom eye of the swivel, tie in 12 inches of 20-lb. mono drop line and attach a bank sinker. The drop line should be lighter than your main line so you can save the rest of the rig when your sinker gets caught. On the third eye, use a 2- to 3-foot piece of the same line as your main line and attach a 6/0 to 12/0 circle hook, depending on the size of your bait. Drift Fishing: Drift fishing is very popular on big lakes like Santee Cooper in South Carolina. On windy days, set all your rods on one side of the boat with weights that will slide along the bottom. Pencil, Lindy and slinky sinkers all work well for this. If the wind pushes the boat too fast, deploy driftsocks to slow the boat. If you don’t have driftsocks, 5-gallon buckets work in a pinch. Gary Turner is a long-time contributor to The Angler and Coastal Angler Magazine. Contact him at gary@purgeright.com.

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SEPTEMBER 2021

NATIONAL 13

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INSETTA BOATWORKS:

A LOOK AT THE NEW 35IFC AND ITS ‘RELATIVELY NEW STYLE DRUM WINDLASS’

nsetta Boatworks has always aimed to “continuously challenge the standards of an average catamaran” by setting the bar high for performance, stability and safety. Insetta’s IFC system (Internal Foil Catamaran) not only increases cruising speed and handling and stability, it also provides the boat with better acceleration and better fuel efficiency by 20 to 40 percent, meaning “20 to 40 percent farther cruise range.” Last spring, their commitment to being “the best-performing center console sportfish boat in its class by way of the hull design, cruise speed and best miles per gallon” expanded to the anchoring system on the new 35’ Internal Foil Catamaran. They installed an E-Z Anchor Puller Patriot EZ-3 drum anchor winch. The Georgia-based, fiberglass original equipment manufacturer excitedly announced in an April 23 Facebook post that they were “extremely impressed with the performance and reliability” of the installation, posting the maiden voyage of their demo boat on social media as well as writing about it on their official blog. “We kept it simple on Hull #2 with the Patriot by E-Z Anchor Puller Mfg. Co. and have really enjoyed using it,” they wrote. In another Facebook post from July, they wrote: “[It] takes up [approximately] 3 cubic feet and holds 560’ of chain, rope and dyneema.” Utilizing the Patriot series, Insetta’s boats are equipped with a complete 316 stainless steel unit, much like their commitment to use this corrosionresistant, marine-grade metal wherever applicable during the construction of their own vessels. Insetta has instilled a standard of transparency in their day-to-day processes as well, encouraging factory visits and taking a sales-

team approach to the buying process by giving customers a single point of contact for each buying experience. “The highest quality materials and best workmanship possible are paired to produce the finest boats on the market. From the first drawing to final installation, the Insetta design and construction teams ensure the final boat can withstand the rigors and stripes in adverse conditions.” - Insetta Boats, insetta.com

About the Patriot Series The Patriot series is the perfect shallow coastal saltwater anchoring solution for center consoles and sportfishing boats. With three sizes, the Patriot spools rope capacities from 1/2” nylon down to 1/4” dyneema. Completely 316 stainless steel components make the Patriot the ultimate saltwater anchoring solution. Engineered to evenly spool anchor rope, these units deploy and retrieve at an average 100-feet-per-minute. Call 1.800.800.1640 or visit ezanchorpuller.com for more information.

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SEPTEMBER 2021

NATIONAL 15

16 NATIONAL

SEPTEMBER 2021

COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM

Sizzling Hot Deals From Suzuki’s Summer Sales Event Suzuki’s Summer Sales Event is finally here! It’s time to get to your local Suzuki Marine Dealer for a sizzling hot deal on the Ultimate Outboard Motor. You can get Low-Rate Financing on the all new DF140BG with Drive by Wire Technology, or our Flagship DF350. Get all the details at your participating Suzuki Marine Dealer.

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