Coastal Angler Magazine | October 2023 | Naples/Marco Island/Everglades/Bonita Springs Edition

Watauga River

Home of world class fishing on the beautiful Watauga Lake, rugged Doe River and designated trophy trout stream, Watauga River PLAN

Watauga Lake

Doe River

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By Capt. Michael Okruhlik

AN

GAME PLAN FOR

ARTIFICIALS INSHORE

October is one of my favorite months to fish, and the dwindling traffic on the bays is just a small reason why. September may have been a record hot month for a lot of us, but the transition of the seasons is more than just the temperature for wildlife. The length of the days play a big part in the fish transitions for the season. Although October opens several new opportunities for anglers, I am going to give you an insight as to how I plan to catch them.

The marsh should be full of life and hold an

abundant amount of the big three: trout, redfish and flounder. It will not be uncommon to find all three in the same location gorging themselves on last spring’s hatch of shrimp and finfish. I will predominantly throw smaller soft plastics in the 3.25-inch size. I like a durable lure because the action can be fast and furious, and I don’t want to waste time changing out lures after one or two fish and miss my opportunity for more. I lean toward paddletails because I can work them faster, cover more water, and the added

vibration will draw strikes since these fish will be aggressive. The cover type and water depth will determine if I rig them weedless or on a jig head. Either method is acceptable, just adapt to the structure.

I prefer to fish outgoing tides in these areas. Generally, an outgoing tide produces a better bite and concentrates fish in smaller areas where I can target them. These pinch points can be mouths of drains, bayous, pinch points within a bayou or a bend. Those are the more obvious ones, but don’t overlook points extending into a bay or cuts through a reef. The points of islands or reefs can also increase the flow of current congregating the fish in an area.

Here are some retrieves I like to use for each of these three species in October. Keep in mind none of the fish read this article, so you will catch others on these retrieves. In general, reds will hit a lure on a steady retrieve, trout like the erratic twitch-twitch, and flounder react well to my lure darting along the bottom. When darting my lure along the bottom, I hold my rod tip down or sideways to the water and give it firm twitches. I make sure to keep my lure on the bottom and not bouncing it up and down like I would for trout. I want to disturb the bottom to get their attention.

As we all know, all fish will eat any retrieve, but if you are not catching the species you want, try a different action before you change the lure. Enjoy the cooler weather and take a kid fishing, I know I will do both!

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

PHOTO COURTESY OF KNOCKIN TAIL LURES®

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Jetty Fishing:

TIPS ON BECOMING A ROCK JOCKEY

The presence of life was obvious long before we reached the jetty. On an outgoing tide, dingy water rushed through the channel cut from the bay to the ocean. It flushed with a brown plume that carried the detritus of marsh decay.

Diving birds were the first sign we were in the right place at the right time. As we got closer, other anglers came into view. There were a couple of boats jockeying for position off the end of the jetty, another trolled the rip farther offshore, and the beach brigade was set up fishing that corner pocket where current flowing down the shore piled up against the rocks.

Pods of pogies flickered and darted, harassed by gulls from above and by redfish, trout, small sharks and who knows what else from below. Blue crabs skittered around doing cleanup duty just outside a light surf.

With all this life, catching fish shouldn’t be a problem, right? Well, if you talk to any veteran of

By Nick Carter

the rocks, they’ll tell you putting in the time to learn a particular jetty is the key to success. Every jetty has its own peculiarities, its best times and tides, its hidden holes and mixing currents.

Here are a few tips to help flatten the learning curve at a new jetty.

1) Start in the Rocks: The food chain of a jetty is created by the stuff pushed against the rocks. The rocks also create current breaks and hidey holes where predators lay in ambush for baitfish, shrimp and crabs that feed on the buildup of organic matter. Start your search close to the rocks. Work quickly but meticulously to pick a jetty apart. You can’t see everything that’s going on under the surface, but with experience, the sweet spots will become evident.

2) Make Friends with the Old Guy: In the scenario above, it was our first time to this jetty, and we went straight in with a cast net to scoop up pogies. It seemed obvious to match the hatch, and we caught some fish… mostly stingrays

and catfish. As we clambered all over the jetty in search of the magic combination of factors to produce a more exciting catch, an old man posted up in a beach chair came tight with an enormous bull red. After helping him land the fish and jawing with him a while, he gave up a secret. He’d been fishing the jetty for years, and big reds and tarpon at this spot are suckers for half a fresh blue crab fished on the bottom. Because jetties draw anglers as well as fish, being friendly or just watching can lead to solid local knowledge.

3) Find the Current Seams: Fish where fast and slack current meet. Predators hang in the slack and wait as a conveyer belt of food is swept past them. Conversely, baitfish also seek refuge and stack up where there is current shade. Either situation makes these areas high probability targets for anglers.

For more fishing tips, go to coastalanglermag.com.

PHOTO CREDIT: WAYNE CROSS

PHOTO CREDIT: DON SHETTERLY

PHOTO CREDIT: SHANE TROTTIER

GAR CAUGHT ON 6-LB. TEST!

A283-pound alligator gar caught at Sam Rayburn Lake in Texas is set to break a 72-year-old IGFA alltackle world record. Here’s the kicker: It was landed with 6-pound-test line!

Kentucky angler Art Weston teamed up with Texas Capt. Kirk Kirkland on Sept. 2, in search of lineclass records. Weston is an IGFA record breaker who already has numerous lineclass records for alligator gar and other species. It was the first day of a week-long booking aboard Capt. Kirkland’s The Garfish Enterprise, and they hooked and landed what Kirkland called “the Holy Grail of the fishing world.”

Sam Rayburn Lake is the largest reservoir in Texas at 114,000 acres. It’s an impoundment of the Angelina River near the Louisiana border north of Jasper, Texas. According to a report on FoxWeather.com, Kirkland told Weston of an area on the lake with a sandy, snag-free bottom that would suit light line tactics well. The guide also told Weston there might not be many fish in the area, but they were obviously going for quality over quantity.

Before the pending world record showed up on the scene, the pair caught two other monster alligator gar, including a 169-pounder. When they came tight with the

largest alligator gar caught in nearly three-quarters of a century, it took about three hours, remarkable skill and more than a little bit of luck to land the fish on such light line.

“Lots of blood, sweat and tears (and broken line) went into this achievement,” Kirkland wrote on Facebook. “Angler and world record Chaser Art Weston and I did what no other alligator gar angler has been able to accomplish in 72 years.... catch a fish bigger than the all-tackle world record set so many years ago on the bank of the Rio Grande River.”

The existing all-tackle world record weighed 279 pounds. It was caught by Bill Valverde from the Rio Grande in 1951.

“We both had a look of shock when the scale just kept going higher and higher,” Kirkland said. The gar weighed 283 pounds on camera. It measured 100 inches long, with a 48-inch girth. After taking measurements, the giant fish was released alive.

To read the entire FoxWeather report, go to https://www.foxweather.com/lifestyle/world-recordalligator-gar-texas-sam-rayburn-lake

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By Emily Hanzlik

Emily Hanzlik shows one of her more recent records, a 23-pound longnose gar caught on 8-pound test.

area? Living in Florida, I knew bow n were available to me, so that’s where I started. On the IGFA website, you can search speci c species and see the current records for di erent categories. Here you’ll see the all-tackle, alltackle length, conventional female and male, y male and female, junior male and female, and smallfry categories.

For the junior category, you must be 16 or younger. However, if you are a junior you can submit a record for the adult category. All-tackle length is a newer division that requires a special measuring device from the IGFA, so keep that in mind if you want to try for a length record.

Read the rules regarding the category you are shing for. I cannot stress this enough. Many simple mistakes happen, and it is not worth having a record rejected. e rules are in the record book and on the website. IGFA rules can be complicated and include restrictions on things like the lengths of leaders. Your record quest will be much less frustrating if you know the rules and sh accordingly.

Let’s discuss tools you’ll need to record records. I prefer the Rapala Mini 50-lb. scale, which needs to be certi ed. e easiest way to certify your scale is to ship it to IGFA. ey will certify it for you.

LEARNING TO

Break RECORDS

Some people sh for the meat, in tournaments, or simply for fun. I take a di erent approach. I seek out world records.

e International Game Fish Association (IGFA) keeps track of every record ever caught on rod and reel. I’ve been tracking down these records for more than six years, and here’s a little insight into the process.

First, you need a starting place. What species can you target in your

Most IGFA records are line-class records, which means you’ll o en be shing light lines, and the line must be approved by IGFA, meaning it breaks at the speci c pound test. I like Ande tournament line because it breaks at the correct poundage.

Once all your ducks are in a row, you can target the sh you’ve planned for. is is going to take a lot of time and patience, but eventually putting in time pays o . When you eventually catch a sh that looks big enough to break the current record, there are steps you must take. For the all-tackle length record, you need a photo of the sh on the IGFA measuring device and a photo of the angler with the sh and rod. For the other records, you need photos of the girth, length, weight, and the sh and angler.

e main thing to remember is to have patience and enjoy the process. Breaking records isn’t easy, so just keep trying!

Emily Rose Hanzlik holds over 60 IGFA world records in various categories. She hails from West Palm Beach, where she has a part time Bow n Guide Service as well as shing classes for Jr. Anglers. Find her @emilyhanzlikoutdoors.

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A SINGLE TEAM STICKS 648 LIONFISH AT TWO-DAY DERBY

Divers put a hurting on invasive lion sh on Sept. 8 and 9 at the 14th annual REEF Florida Keys Lion sh Derby. A record 1,898 lion sh were collected, and a single team set another tournament record by bringing 648 of the nasty critters back to the docks.

Team Forever Young, led by Capt. Tony Young, of Forever Young Spear shing, really put in the work and won the “Most Lion sh” division of the tourney. With team members Jason Vogan, Billy Moscatello and Luke Rankin, this is the third time Forever Young has set a new tournament record for total catch.

Overall, 22 teams of divers competed at the event, and $7,000 in cash and prizes were awarded to teams that brought in the most, largest and smallest lion sh. e “Most Lion sh” category included the competitive Apex Predators division and the Reef Defenders division for casual lion sh hunters. Forever Young obviously won the Apex Predators division. Volitans nished second with 291 lion sh, and Team Trash placed third with 101 lion sh.

In the Reef Defenders division, Men of Science won rst place with 156 lion sh. Sea Venom Creations brought in 128 lion sh for second place, Barnacles won third place with 121 lion sh.

Competition was close in the largest and smallest lion sh categories. Barnacles won rst place in the “Largest Lion sh” category with a 16.85inch lion sh. Men of Science’s second place sh measured 16.57 inches, and Forever Young took third with a 16.34-inch sh.

e smallest sh of the derby was 2.36 inches and was collected live by ZooKeeper. Team Will 2 Spear won second place with a 2.83-incher, and Tequila Little Time brought in a 2.99-inch sh, also live, to take third. e two live lion sh will be part of an educational exhibit at the REEF Campus.

In case you been under a rock, lion sh are native to the Indo-Paci c and are highly invasive and detrimental to native marine life on our coasts. Events like REEF’s derbies are held all along the Florida coast to both raise awareness of the problem and to cut down on lion sh numbers.

“Lion sh derbies show how a community can come together to support ocean conservation while combating invasive species. It’s so exciting that our teams set a new Florida Keys record of 1,898 invasive lion sh removed. We are very thankful to all of the derby participants, event volunteers, and everyone who attended and helped make the Florida Keys Lion sh Derby & Festival such a great success,” said Alli Candelmo, Ph.D., REEF Conservation Science Manager.

For more information about REEF Lion sh Derbies, visit www.REEF.org/lion sh-derbies.

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ing FOR A CAUSE

By Capt. Quinlyn Haddon

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Fishing for charitable causes has become a growing venue for bringing together our love of the sport and helping those in need.

e duality of empowerment and peace that shing brings helps people who have struggled. From easing post-traumatic stress disorder, recovering from physical trauma, mental and social disorders, to helping troubled youths nd redirection, shing can easily be classi ed as therapeutic. No matter what cause is important to you, there is likely a shing tournament dedicated to it.

Fishing tournaments have been put together by donations solely to get certain groups on the water to participate, such as events for veterans and

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pediatric cancer patients. ese events create incredible opportunities for people who truly need them, and they are a great way to donate and help share the therapeutic power of shing.

e other style of charitable shing tournaments are ones you can participate in yourself, and proudly take a minor hit on your winning payout, knowing you are donating to a good cause. While the rst type is extremely sel ess and noble, let’s face it, everybody needs a little shing therapy in their life. O en, the shing tournaments where you participate provide opportunities to people a ected by the cause, and you will be joined by the people you are there helping, as well. is is easily one of the best excuses to sh, and way more fun than simply signing a check.

In honor of breast cancer awareness month, the ladies of the world would like to o cially turn your attention to the boobies. at’s right, you’re invited to look.

Breast cancer a ects one in eight women. Although this type of cancer is rare in men, it has a higher mortality rate due to late detection, and that is a part of the awareness this month is dedicated to.

ankfully, with advancements in awareness and detection, survivability of this diagnosis has increased exponentially. Many survivors turn to shing for recovery, both physically and emotionally.

If you nd yourself in Pompano Beach Oct. 5-7, e Pink Ladies Breast Cancer Foundation invites you to sh their multi-species, 2nd Annual Cureament shing tournament. Founder, and cancer survivor, Carolyn Stash, has put together a non-pro t tournament for breast cancer awareness and fundraising for a cure. She has worked her ta-tas o to attract sponsors and has put together exciting prizes and ra e items for this year’s tournament. Among the list is a one-of-a-kind, pink, 9-foot Reef Runner, with a trailer and a 9hp motor, and shing charters, including one from yours truly, at Sweet E’nuf Charters out of Marathon, Florida Keys.

Fish alongside erce breast cancer survivors and their dedicated supporters. If you miss this year, mark your calendars for next year. Contact Carolyn Stash at (954) 465-3743 and visit their website at www.pinkladiesbreastcancerfoundation.org to get involved.

Call Capt. Quinlyn Haddon, of Sweet E’nuf Charters, Marathon, Florida Keys at (504) 920-6342.

GATOR HUNTERS

BAG 900-POUNDER

A900-pound, 13-foot-long alligator caught on Aug. 25 might be the second largest gator in Florida history, and it’s by far the largest gator we’ve heard about so far this alligator season.

Capt. Kevin Brotz, of Get Bit Outdoors, guided clients Carson Gore and Darren Field to the giant gator on an Orlando area lake, according to Outdoor Life. It took close to four hours to subdue the beast.

“Honestly, my rst concern was safety, because we were in a smaller boat, and then you add a gator whose head is this big,” Brotz said as he spread his arms wide in a CNN video interview. “All he has to do is turn, and we’re in trouble.”

“I laid down in the front of the boat and said I have to lay down until we get back,” Gore told CNN. “I thought I was going to die. at thing was huge.” At one point during the battle, the gator leapt 3 or 4 feet out of the water right next to the boat. Brotz told Outdoor Life it was like being eye-to-eye with a T-Rex.

e statewide alligator season runs Aug. 15- Nov. 1. Hunters are required to apply for and obtain a limited entry permits each season. For information go to MyFWC.com.

Watch video of the team ghting the gator on Field & Stream’s YouTube channel.

Targeting Reds

By: Caitlyn Gatrell

Redfish are a fun species to target in the fall months. They are more active during this time, thus providing greater chances at hooking up to some. My favorite way to fish for reds is to stroll along the shallows and inshore regions. We follow along mangrove lines and spend a good amount of time near oyster beds. During the cooler months they are loaded with redfish. One day our boat went backto-back on bringing them in and ended up in the double digits!

I find that almost any time of the day allows for productive redfish fishing. However, the best periods are during high tide, as the shallow regions are covered with water. The oyster beds are just below the surface and schools of redfish are close by. They also lurk within the mangrove islands in search of food and shelter. When the tide is going out, a lot of bait are present and passing by these regions. This gets all the other species fired up, including the reds.

When we head out during the early mornings or the late evenings, we find schools of redfish blowing up on bait at the surface. Our go to method is to throw a topwater lure in there and watch them blow up on it. It’s a pretty cool feeling when three people on our boat are hooked up to big reds all at once!

When it comes to bait, we like to use

finger mullet in the 2-3 inch range or pilchards in the largest size we can find. We find our bait along beaches and shallow regions. We scoop them up with a cast net and make our way to our honey holes. In addition to topwater lures, swimbaits, including D.O.A lures and Gulp shrimps, are great.

One thing that can become an obstacle is structure. Redfish can travel out in the open, but we typically find ours close to structure, whether its mangrove branches or oyster beds. It’s easy to get tangled up in the mangrove mazes or stuck along the oyster beds, which can be a challenge. When using artificial lures, we make sure to continually bounce them to keep them from sitting too long and getting stuck. For live bait, it’s kind of a similar process but we go a little easy, so we don’t injure the bait.

One of my favorite things about redfish is their strength and fun fights. Typically, I will feel a hard yank and then the line takes off. They make what I would describe a “digging effect”, where you just feel them slightly jerk the rod down as if they were trying to “dig”, or swim, downward. It took me a bit of time to figure it out, but now I know what a “redfish bite” feels like. Fishing for redfish in Southwest Florida is a lot of fun once they become more abundant in the fall.

FLY FISHING FOR SPOOKY REDS

by: Brendon Allen

'Tis the season for ghosts and ghouls, so what better time to discuss the spookiest of fish for fly anglers prowling the waters of Southwest Florida — the redfish. Unlike their counterparts in other parts of the country, the redfish inhabiting our backwaters are not known to be aggressive eaters. Increased pressure has sharpened their instincts, rendering them cautious even of the most seasoned angler’s tactics. It’s not uncommon to have days on the water where the redfish are completely indifferent to even the most perfectly selected fly. Assuming the fly is indeed perfectly selected, what can be done to persuade these fish to bite? Sometimes it just comes down to the presentation.

If fly selection or casting skills aren’t the problem, the key to getting that finicky redfish to eat may be to adjust your presentation so it's lighter and less visible. This involves making careful choices in your fly rod, fly line, and leader selection. A standard fly setup for inshore fishing usually includes an 8-weight rod, a corresponding line, and a leader ranging from 9 to 10 feet that gradually tapers down to a 16 to 20-pound tippet. While this is a typical setup, it can be adjusted for a lighter and less conspicuous presentation that should increase your odds of getting that fish to bite.

Starting with the fly line, lines that are too heavy can slap the water

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and potentially startle fish, especially in shallow water. Using a lighter bonefish line when using an 8-weight rod or scaling down to a 6 or 7-weight fly rod, with matching line, enables a more delicate presentation that is less likely to alert fish to your presence. However, this does come with a trade-off. Lighter fly lines are more difficult to cast in the wind, especially when throwing heavy, bulky flies. That being said, with the right conditions and a well-honed cast, using a lighter rod and line can increase the odds of enticing that wary redfish to eat.

Another variable that can be adjusted is the size and length of your leader and tippet. Opting for a leader that tapers down to a thinner 8 to 12-pound tippet allows for a stealthier presentation, which is especially important in the upcoming winter months when the water is clear and tides are low. Additionally, extending your leader to 10 to 12 feet allows for a softer presentation by creating more separation between your fly and the fly line. It is important to keep in mind that longer and lighter leaders can be more difficult to turn over, so always practice your cast and experiment with these combinations at home before employing them on the water.

Fly fishing for redfish can be challenging, but with a few variables dialed in, it’s possible to get even the spookiest of fish to eat.

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It Is The Science of Tides

By: Capt. Billy Norris

As any angler will tell you, the tides play a critical role in your ability to catch fish. Everyone knows that the tides are affected by the moon, but have you ever asked how the moon actually affects the tides. The answer is actually very interesting, and having a greater understanding of how this system works will give you an additional advantage when planning your next fishing trip.

When you observe the tide coming in or out, what you’re actually seeing is a cycle of small changes to the distribution of Earth’s oceans. The moon’s gravity actually pulls on the Earth, shifting Earth's mass and distorting its overall shape. Although the Earth isn’t a perfect sphere, it is relatively close. The moon’s tugging distorts the Earth’s shape causing it to bulge and changes it slightly into a more elongated shape, similar to that of a football. The strongest gravitational pull occurs on the points closest to the moon, so the Earth gets elongated at the equator and shortened at the poles.

Because the moon is orbiting in the same direction that the Earth rotates, you cannot easily predict the tides by just following the path of the moon. As the moon orbits and pulls on the Earth, the planet moves

through the zone that the moon is exerting its gravitational influence on. When a particular location passes through this zone, it pulls the hardest on the Earth, creating high tide.

Here in Southwest Florida, we are on a semidiurnal tide, meaning we typically have two high tides, and two low tides in a 24-hour period. However, this isn’t a set rule and there are many factors that can have an effect on our tide cycle. Most notably is the difference in tide heights and strength. We call these spring and neap tides. What is a spring tide? Well, there happens to be another huge solar body that plays an effect on Earth’s tides; the sun. Although the sun is 27 million times the size of the moon, it is 390 times farther away than the moon, which gives it a little less than half of the moon’s tide-generating force. However, it does still play a role. Twice a month, when the Earth, moon, and sun line up, their combined gravitational powers generate exceptionally high tides where the bulges occur, called spring tides, as well as very low tides where the water has been displaced. About a week later, when the sun and moon are at right angles to each other, the sun’s gravitational pull works against the moon’s and partially cancels it out, creating weaker tides called neap tides.

Although not overly complicated, it is fascinating to learn how the tides actually work. When fishing, everyone loves a hard moving tide. Backwater fish like snook, tarpon and redfish are extremely active in rapid moving water, and the wreck bite offshore can be extremely productive as well. The combination of a strong tide and full, bright moon make fishing after dark, like night snapper trips, very productive. The tides play a major role in our aquatic environment here in Southwest Florida, and understanding how they work will definitely benefit you when coming up with a fishing game-plan. Summer is now over, so get ready for some of the best fishing of the year as we move into our cooler fall months!

The Hunt for October Redfish

By: Capt. Terry Fisher

It’s been a fun and eventful summertime for 1st Mate Vicki and I working areas of the Florida Keys ‘Keys’ when the winds permitted. A recent trip to Marathon produced quite a bit of mahi-mahi action for us even though it was extremely hot during the day. Fortunately, the 10-12 mile per hour easterly winds provided just enough relief to where we could enjoy full days of trolling the waters. Unfortunately, it was too hot to anchor on reefs for grouper and snappers, as the heat index was almost unbearable. Our last trip to the ‘Keys’ this year was late September when we joined other Pathfinder owners at a Maverick Boat Event at Hawks Cay (Duck Key). This event was designed to meet other boat owners, Captains and friends for fishing, relaxing and meeting with industry leaders for a fun filled weekend.

Back here at home in SW Florida, it is the time to go back to work as the redfish are here in good numbers. The weather and water temperatures are working in our favor. The high tide phases will continue to be an asset for providing easy access to remote areas for anglers wanting to catch them. My clients and I have had a great time targeting these fish throughout the summer months. Most of the catches included small redfish together with ‘slot’ and oversized fish. Until now, some of the bigger fish remained offshore in deeper waters, but with the cooler water temperatures, should now be holding up in the shallows to eat and spawn until they move back to deeper water in late November. The month of October affords an opportunity for inshore anglers to catch their ‘redfish of a Lifetime’!

While numerous opportunities exist for a lot of species this time of year, for both offshore and inshore, I am mainly focusing on redfish. These big fish are hungry and will eat artificial presentations as well as live and dead baits. While there are a number of manufacturers with proven baits, I prefer live baits, such as shrimp, pilchards (live), cut ladyfish, pinfish (live or cut) and crabs. These presentations can be free-lined, placed on the bottom with a weight or under a cork to keep the bait just off the bottom.

Nonetheless, for those that like the challenge of artificial, have the vessel and necessary equipment, such as a trolling motor, I suggest the following types of presentations; Mirr-O-Lure MR-19 or other similar twitch baits, Bomber, Rapala, Heddon top waters, gold spoons, Zman or Gulp scented soft plastic in root beer colors. The use of a trolling motor is imperative so as to keep on the move to different locations long docks, mangroves, creeks and oyster bars. One can only count on catching a fish during the first 3 presentations to a small area. If they don’t ‘take the bait’ by then, odds are you’re out! Game fish wise up and are pretty quick to spook.

Du ring high tide months (including October) my strategy for locating redfish is simple. On high tides that allow access to back water areas the fish have a tendency to congregate in schools and move into shallows around, in and under mangrove roots that offer protection while usually providing some oyster clusters housing food, including small shrimps, crabs and minnows. On lower tides they will move around to deeper holes in the seabed close to the mangroves, dead oyster beds and dead tree structure. I work around the islands until I locate them. This month it should not take long to find them as they will be aggressive with the cooler fall water temperatures.

MY SIX BASIC STRATEGIES FOR LOCATING AND CATCHING REDFISH

1) Work the top half of the incoming and outgoing tides around the mangroves and oyster beds.

2) Be quiet, as bigger redfish (as well as snook) spook easy.

3) Fish the points of spoil islands and oyster beds. Fish the edges of and under the mangroves.

4) Do not hesitate to move to a new location or along the mangroves to other areas if no action within 10-15 minutes. No bites likely mean they are not there or have been ‘spooked’.

5) Do not hesitate to return after an hour or so to a previous, non-productive spot. Give it another try.

6) Ar rive in the fishing spots about 2 hours before the high tide peaks or even sooner if the water levels are extremely high due to a new moon or a strong tide with southerly winds. If the water gets too high before one arrives, the fish will be too far back in bushes.

As mentioned before, October is a good month for both inshore and offshore. Water temperatures are cooling and offshore species moving in closer to shore. Unfortunately, during the summer months, offshore anglers found they had to go out 50-60 miles for bigger reef fish. That should change, especially with some of the migratory species added to the mix.

Inshore, look for snook off the beaches, around the points of islands and under docks. Seatrouts in the grass flats. Live free-lined pilchards for snook and shrimp for seatrouts.

Hurricane Birds Cause a Flamboyance

For the first time in almost a century, Floridians are seeing a lot of flamingos. Blown in by Hurricane Idalia in late August, American Flamingos have been spotted across Florida on beaches and in other natural areas, including the Florida Keys, Tigertail Beach, the Sanibel Causeway, Bunche Beach, Siesta Key, Clearwater, Treasure Island, Tarpon Springs, St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, and at Lake Pithlachoco in Alachua County! People have even reported seeing flamingos in Ohio, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Alabama, and Tennessee.

Boaters and motorists in Collier County spotted fourteen flamingos, including several immature birds (they have gray feathers), near the Jolley Bridge to Marco Island on August 31. When the tide rose high enough to touch the young birds’ bellies, the flock moved from Factory Bay to Addison Bay.

Where did they come from? American Flamingos are more numerous in Mexico and Cuba, and Hurricane Idalia likely “captured” small flocks from these regions and blew them to Florida on strong storm

winds. Some flamingos that arrive in this way remain in Florida, like the famous Pinky that showed up at St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge after Hurricane Michael in 2018 and has appeared for part of every year since.

More than a century ago, plume hunters swept through wading bird colonies in the Southeast and Florida, decimating bird populations for feathers for ladies’ fashion. Only through the formation of the National Audubon Society and the passage of laws outlawing this carnage, plus hiring wardens to protect the wading birds—did bird numbers begin to recover. Sadly, their recovery was stymied in the 20th century when humans ditched and drained the Everglades, which destroyed wading bird habitat.

Wading birds show that if you get the water right, they are capable of breeding successfully once more. Both 2018 and 2020 proved to be strong nesting years for many of the Everglades’ wading birds, with hopes that continuing restoration projects will make the region more resilient as Florida deals with the ongoing and future impacts of a changing climate. Audubon works towards a future where American Flamingos raise their families in Florida again.

As Roseate Spoonbills have recovered, as an example, they have spread their range farther north, and Floridians now regularly see them in places like Tampa Bay. Through additional restoration and conservation efforts, we can see a similar recovery for the equally pink American Flamingo. You can help:

• Enjoy the view from a distance—these birds are struggling to survive in an unfamiliar environment and constant disturbance expends valuable energy needed for foraging.

• Record your sightings on public platforms like eBird, so researchers can track flamingo numbers and locations in the Sunshine State.

• Advocate for Everglades restoration and efforts to improve water quality. If American Flamingos have healthy places to live and raise their families, their Florida population numbers can improve. Learn more at: fl.audubon.org

Photos submitted Courtesy of Coastal Angler Readers and Contributing Writers

Raquel Gaudet and her son James Thomas in Boca Grand caught some pin fish!

Mike Zinuca caught some nice red snapper out w/ Capt. Bill D’Antuono.

Denis Burke with a canal tarpon caught on a fly rod.

Rich Sarni had a good time out with Capt. Perry and Wes! Gabi Sarni was not to be outdone by her dad!

Zane Hendrickson showing off a nice Charlotte Harbor redfish.

Kelly Sheehan had some fun with this bass, in Estero.

Capt. Terry Fisher putting his clients on nice redfish!

Soldiers out w/ Naples Take a Soldier Fishing with Capt. Billy Norris @PaleHorseFishingCharters.

Let’s grow with Florida together.

CRANKBAITS KAYAKS &

By Coty Perry

Tricks You

Didn’t Know You Needed to Know

Although kayak anglers use the same lures as bank and boat anglers, we o en must adjust our approach. One lure I’ve found myself using di erently while bass shing from a kayak is the crankbait. I love throwing a crankbait, but a challenge to shing one in a kayak is the drag created by the lure. Fishing kayaks are much lighter than bass boats, so your kayak moves toward the lure as you retrieve it. Learning to control the yak was a signi cant adjustment I made when

transitioning to shing a crankbait from a kayak. I now steer my yak while reeling a crankbait instead of picking up a paddle. All I do is point my rod tip in the opposite direction I want to go. When my rod tip points to the le , my kayak dri s to the right and vice versa. To go straight, I point my rod tip straight ahead.

Speaking of the rod, I use a shorter rod, mainly because I sh areas with a lot of overhanging trees, and shorter rods transport easier in my rod box on my trailer and kayak. I also use a higher-speed reel than bank and bass boat anglers because I’m losing speed as the kayak dri s towards my crankbait. So, instead of a 6:1, I use an 8:1 or 7:1 gear ratio.

I spool up with braided line and use a 3- to 5-foot, 12- to 17-pound test uorocarbon leader. e length and strength depend on water clarity and how deep I sh.

More than likely, I have a squarebill crankbait tied on while shing shallow, which is a majority of the time. However, I will tie a deep-diving crankbait during the summer.

Where to Fish a Crankbait in a Yak

Crankbaits have a lot of bene ts, but they also have limitations. A lipless crankbait can be shed in the grass, especially along the edge of the grass, but most of the time, I sh crankbaits along rocky or riprap banks and over the tops of brushpiles.

I want my lure hitting every rock on the retrieve back because this o en triggers a bite. e same holds true for shing around laydowns and brushpiles. I don’t want to get snagged, but I’ve gotten so many bites a er bumping into submerged limbs.

Fishing in these two areas has helped me catch loads of bass on a crankbait, plus a few cat sh.

When to Fish a Crankbait in a Kayak

I sh a crankbait year-round. However, I change the style. In the cooler months, I tend to break out a lipless crankbait the most. As the water warms, I switch to a squarebill, and once I’m sure the sh have moved to deeper water, I’ll tie on a deep-diving crankbait during the hottest times of the year.

Coty Perry is a third-generation angler, who has a lot of experience on the water and loves sharing what he knows on anglers.com.

By Will Schmidt

RELEASING FISH THE RIGHT WAY

With so many species closed to harvest, releasing sh properly is more important than ever as we need these sh to thrive and spawn. ere are some very simple rules to follow that will help ensure the vitality of a released sh.

First and foremost, keep them wet. A sh out of water is going through a major amount of stress. is is especially true a er a long ght. It’s like running a race and then having to hold your breath. e best-case scenario is to use a dehooker that allows you to release the sh without ever taking it out of the water. Long pliers or dehookers that slide down the line and allow you to ip the sh o work great. If you do need to li the sh, work fast and get the sh back in the water before it stops dripping water. When taking pictures, keep the sh in the water until you are completely ready. Also consider a more creative angle other than the traditional hero pose so the sh stays in the water. e way you handle the sh out of water makes a huge di erence. Keeping them wet also preserves the vital slime on the sh which is crucial. Make sure your hands are wet. Avoid putting sh on dry surfaces. Rough dry surfaces like boat decks and rocks remove much of the vital slime from a sh. Never use a dry towel to handle a sh; that can be the kiss of death. Using a rubber net versus a nylon net also greatly reduces the amount of slime removed.

Bottom shing in deep water creates another issue, barotrauma, or the expansion of gas inside a sh as it ascends from the deep. You know the bulging stomach and eyes. Descending devices are easy ways to ensure sh su ering barotrauma make it safely back to the bottom. ey are required by law now in many areas for many species. While venting tools work well, most people do not use them properly and o en don’t have the proper tool. Ice picks are not proper devices.

Lip clamps and inverted hook style release techniques are simple and work great. Here’s a bonus: if you visit Return ‘Em Right (https://returnemright. org), you can get the equipment you need for free. It’s a $100 value.

Have a rod rigged and ready with your descending device so you get the sh back in the water and down as quickly as possible. I’ve also found that the using a lighter weight than provided by Return ‘Em Right is much easier to retrieve and works on smaller snapper and such. at said, with many grouper out of season, make sure you keep a heavier weight with you for when you get a big one.

Helping sh survive being caught today is the key to having sh to catch tomorrow.

Will Schmidt is a seasoned tournament angler who has been writing about shing from more than two decades.

Hurricane Season

Be

STICK MARSH FILLS UP FOR FALL FISHING

One of Florida’s premier bass sheries, known as Stick Marsh or Farm 13, is re lling and should become a better shery thanks to a large-scale habitat restoration conducted by FWC and the St. Johns River Water Management District.

e reservoir, which straddles Brevard and Indian River counties, was drawn down by 4 feet in February to stimulate submersed plant growth and re-establish native emergent vegetation, which should improve habitat for sh and wildlife. FWC sta planted the southern portion of the reservoir with native aquatic plants, including 131,000 bulrush and 40,000 spatterdock plants at a total cost of $400,000. Plants were installed across the waterbody going east-west to provide a natural wave break for the shallow southern end.

Custom Spliced Dock Lines & Anchor Rodes

Two tree islands form a Critical Wildlife Area within the reservoir, which provides nesting and roosting habitat for imperiled waterbirds, including roseate spoonbills and tricolored herons. e lower water levels created by the drawdown bene ted waterbirds by increasing foraging habitat and concentrating prey. Water levels will be allowed to slowly rise with rainfall and by now should be back within the normal range.

ree Forks Conservation Area to the north also underwent a drawdown. ree Forks Reservoir will be back within normal range before Stick Marsh/ Farm 13.

e St. Johns Water Management Area boat ramp at Stick Marsh/Farm 13 and the omas O. Lawton Recreation Area boat ramp at ree Forks Conservation Area remain accessible. Be aware that shallower water continues to create underwater hazards.

For more information, visit MyFWC.com.

SHRIMP: THE KING OF BAITS

Tim Barefoot

In the Atlantic, mature white shrimp go on the move in fall and transition to tighter fall and winter homes in the ocean.

ere are only a few sh that do not actively seek out white shrimp this time of year. For almost all the sh we seek to catch, it’s the ultimate bait.

At one point in my life, I spent an incredible amount of time cast netting and storing white shrimp (green tails) for trout shing in October, November and December. e biggest problem with shrimp as bait is all the trash bites from pin sh and all the other little snappers. Snook and tarpon will de nitely key on a big pretty shrimp, but keeping the trash o of them is di cult. Everything down there will give a shrimp a whack and at least take a few legs or the tail o is is the reason I went the arti cial route years ago when it comes to shrimp.

ere is nothing, I mean NOTHING, more e ective on inshore species than a live shrimp with a 6/0 - 8/0 circle hook under a sliding cork or freelined. With that said, I’ve taken the path of least resistance and now sh a DOA Shrimp on a jig head. It gets the bite, and I don’t spend hours messing with live bait or netting it on the morning of the trip.

I’m not saying catching live shrimp is a waste of time… it’s not, but with arti cials, I can show up with my entire tackle box in a small backpack full of tricks.

e hour or two at daylight in the morning, I prefer the “measles” color DOA because a shrimp’s legs and underbody are red in the dark and at rst light. When the sun gets up, I switch to the “near clear” color when the water is clear, but only if they stop eating the measles color. You can’t x what ain’t broke.

I mash the barb down on the jig hook. is way, when sh I don’t plan to eat come to the boat, I don’t have to touch the sh. Just grab the jig head and give a quick reverse motion. e hook comes right out. You can get back in the action, and the sh has a better chance of survival. e same jig and so plastic shrimp combo is extremely e ective shed under a xed cork at night. Make a long cast up-current around bridge pilings, docks or other structure. is is not the situation for a popping cork with all the beads and rattles. I like a nice quiet, heavy-duty cork that can be shed quietly or with quite a bit of noise. I stay in touch with the cork, and let the current dictate the speed of the retrieve. Any way you sh it, white shrimp reign supreme for inshore shing, especially in October and November.

To see more from Tim Barefoot, go to barefootcatsandtackle.com.

GO GET SOME GULF SNAPPER!

Florida’s extended fall Gulf of Mexico red snapper season is still going on. Gulf Anglers are taking advantage of some great shing, and there are still eight weekends in October and November to get in on the action.

e limit is two per person, per day with a 16-inch minimum size limit. e remaining 2023 dates available for harvest of red snapper in the Gulf are:

• October 6–8

• October 13–15

• October 20–22

• October 27–29

• November 3–5

• November 10–12 (Veterans DayWeekend)

• November 17–19

• November 23–26 (ThanksgivingWeekend)

Anglers pursuing red snapper in state or federal waters from a private recreational vessel, even those exempt from shing license requirements, must sign up as a State Reef Fish Angler (annual renewal required) at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com.

For more information, go to MyFWC.com.

ATLANTIC BLUELINE HARVEST CLOSED

Prospects for loading the cooler bottom shing got a little slimmer when harvest of blueline tile sh closed in Atlantic state waters of Florida on Sept. 1. is closure is consistent with the closure in adjacent federal waters. Harvest will reopen May 1, 2024.

ese delicious bottom dwellers are frequently caught by anglers targeting deep-water groupers. ey inhabit 250- to 800-foot depths and their popularity as a game sh has risen in the last decade as restrictions on other species has led anglers to target them. ey came on the radar for federal sheries managers in 2014 and 2015, when blueline tile sh were determined to be over shed.

e regular season for blueline tile sh in Atlantic state waters is May 1 through Aug. 31. e daily limit is three sh within the aggregate limit for blueline tile sh and grouper.

For more information, visit MyFWC.com.

You need a new watch…the one you are wearing was made when Nixon was in office, but extravagantly-priced watches that add zeros just because of a high falootin’ name are an insult to your logic. Why shell out big money so some foreign company can sponsor another yacht race? It’s time to put an end to such madness. It’s absolutely possible to have the highest quality, precision classic timepiece without the high and mighty price tag. Case in point: The Stauer Urban Blue

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COOK ISLANDS GRANDER CAUGHT SOLO FROM A 22-FOOT BOAT

Catching a grander is one of the most sought-after feats in sportfishing. Boats, crews and anglers enter rare air when they hook and land a 1,000-pound-plus marlin, and untold time and money are spent chasing the dream.

Fishing solo from a 22-foot boat, angler Arnold Pauro achieved his lifelong dream Aug. 25 when he hauled in a 1,128-pound blue marlin that is a new record for the Cook Islands. According to the Cook Island News, Pauro came tight with the huge blue fishing just 3 miles off the southern end of the island Rarotonga.

Rarotonga is the most populated of the Cook Islands, which is an archipelago nation out in the middle of the South Pacific northeast of New Zealand. Rarotonga is renowned for excellent flats fishing, especially for bonefish, and like many volcanic islands, the water drops into thousandfoot depths just a few miles offshore. This creates a situation where bluewater fishing is very accessible, even for anglers in smaller boats.

According to the Cook Island News, Pauro managed to subdue the giant fish solo in his small boat, Haurua, by keeping a short line. He first brought the fish boat-side after just 3 minutes, and then all hell broke loose. Arnold told the news outlet that the fish jumped 40 or 50 times and ran out of steam after about an hour and a half.

“I kept it to 50 metres of line, kept it short, I don’t like letting my marlin go,” he told the Cook Island News.

Arnold’s fish topped the Cook Island weight record of 1,045 pounds, which was set by angler Paku Poila in November 2020. The IGFA all-tackle world record for blue marlin was caught off Brazil in 1992. It weighed 1,402 pounds.

To read the original report, go to www.cookislandsnews.com.

Hanapa‘a - Mahi

Hanapa‘a - Ono

Hanapa‘a - Ahi

Hanapa‘a - Marlin

Fish flags inspired by Sun Dot Marine Flags.

@fishflags

For the third time in the last 13 years, serious flaws have been revealed in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) data collection programs for recreational fisheries. A recent pilot study conducted by NOAA itself and published in August found that estimates on angler effort might be overestimated by 30 to 40 percent.

These inflated estimates are important because they are part of the equation used to manage our fisheries. The data is used in stock assessments, and to estimate harvest numbers and recreational discard. By overestimating angler effort, catch data is also inflated, which means the data erroneously reflects a larger harvest by recreational anglers than actually exists.

In a nutshell, the pilot study found that the Marine Recreational Information Program’s Fishing Effort Survey is confusing to respondents, which led to “reporting errors” and “illogical responses.” NOAA said this survey, which is mailed to licensed saltwater anglers, “remains the best and sometimes the only available science for tracking relative year-to-year and long-term effort trends.”

The immediate reaction to this revelation from some outlets was a call to reduce restrictions on recreational anglers. The estimate means fewer fish were actually caught, which means there are more fish still in the water, right? Not so fast. This catch and effort data also figures into stock assessments. The inflated effort numbers translate to an overestimation in fish populations.

“The news of this significant overestimation has serious implications for all of our fisheries. Since every species is managed differently, the ramifications of this information cannot be quantified under a singular umbrella,” reads a

report from the American Saltwater Guides Association (ASGA). “It does not mean that because fishing effort is less than originally expected, there must be more fish to harvest. In fact, it will mean there needs to be a major re-calibration because effort is used to help determine stock size. If we have overestimated effort, we also overestimated the stock. We must go species by species to understand the best path for management moving forward. Now more than ever, we need to be precautionary in our management approach.”

NOAA has indicated it will initiate further studies into the findings of its pilot study, according to the ASGA report. Meanwhile, a group of marine conservation and recreational fishing organizations has ramped up its call to wrest control of recreational data collection from the federal government and turn it over to state agencies.

“Yet another major revision to the federal recreational data collection system is upon us, and it should bring a realization that NOAA is just not capable of doing this job,” said Ted Venker, conservation director of the Coastal Conservation Association. “At best we are looking at several more years of questionable revisions, recalculations, and recalibrations based on a suspect data system that has never proven it can produce accurate information. This is no way to manage a public resource. It would be irresponsible to continue down this road rather than exploring and supporting state-based options to better manage the recreational sector wherever feasible.”

HIGHWAY 17 SOUTH, GREEN COVE SPRINGS, FL 32043

31-INCH LIMIT ON ATLANTIC STRIPER EXTENDED

New Management Plan Delayed Until at Least January

Recreational anglers in Chesapeake Bay and along the Atlantic Coast must continue to release all striped bass longer than 31 inches after fisheries managers extended an emergency regulation that was set to expire on Oct. 28. The extension’s new expiration date is Oct. 28, 2024, which gives the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) more than a full year to grapple with a complex management plan intended to rebuild the coastwide striper population by 2029.

The emergency measure was first implemented in May, after estimates showed recreational harvest nearly doubled in 2022 over 2021’s figures. At the time, projections plummeted from a 97 percent chance the stock would be rebuilt by 2029 to just a 15 percent.

NOAA’s Fisheries Effort Survey, which was found recently to have overestimated angler effort by 30 to 40 percent, is an important part of recreational harvest estimates. It also plays into stock assessments for the striped bass fishery.

However, scientists still believe striped bass reproduction has been down since 2015. The 2015 age class was strong, and those fish are now the larger fish in the population that contribute most to reproduction. The emergency measure was implemented to protect the larger breeding fish.

The Chesapeake Bay “Trophy” season, which has historically been an important fishery for bay anglers, is exempt from this emergency regulation. The short early May season in Maryland has allowed anglers to keep one fish longer than 35 inches per person. A press release from ASMFC warned anglers that this special season might change once the emergency measure is replaced by a management plan that is supposed to come from ASMFC’s Addendum II of the Atlantic Striped Bass Fishery Management Plan.

Addendum II is a complex document with a range of management options intended to rebuild the striped bass stock by the end of the decade. It was hoped Addendum II would be ready for implementation in October. After five hours of back and forth at an August commission meeting, the decision was made to delay action. Now, the earliest a new management plan can be implemented is January 2024.

“Moving the emergency action forward was an important stop-gap measure to balance fishing mortality in the recreational fishery,” said David Sikorski, a Maryland delegate to the ASMFC. “Unfortunately, the delay in advancing draft Addendum II leaves uncertainty in our ability to meet our rebuilding goals and reduce overall fishing mortality ahead of the 2024 fishing year. Between now and the October 2023 meeting, draft Addendum II will be updated and provided to the board and posted online.”

The 31-inch maximum emergency rule will remain in place until Oct. 28, 2024, or until it is replaced by restrictions in Addendum II.

For more information, go to http://www.asmfc.org/

SNELLING A HOOK

Snelling a hook is an age-old way of attaching it to your line. It is a technique that pre-dates the invention of hook eyes, when hooks only had flattened tops and snelling the hook was required to create a good connection to the line.

Thanks to hook eyes, this is no longer necessary, but a snell knot remains one of the best connections out there for simple line-to-hook connections. The knot’s ability to orient the point of the hook in the right direction for octopus and circle hooks makes it a go-to knot for live and cut bait fishing. You’ll get more solid hook sets when you snell circle hooks.

A snell knot is quick and easy to tie and it provides a strong connection. The only real disadvantage is the knot is on the shank of the hook, where it is vulnerable to the teeth of toothy critters. It’s probably not the best choice if you’re fishing for muskie or barracuda.

For more information, go to usangler.com.

HAVE

YOU CAUGHT A LENGTH-RECORD SMALLIE?

This gorgeous Colorado River smallmouth bass is a new IGFA alltackle world length record for the species.

The chunky smallmouth measured 53 centimeters (20 inches) on an official IGFA measuring device, which tied the fish for the length record with two other officially recognized smallies. Sarah Harris landed her big fish while night fishing on the Colorado River in Arizona. It slammed a topwater lure and was boated after a short fight. After snapping some photos, Harris released it safely.

Harris’s bass tied a smallmouth caught by William Brent Evans from Alabama’s Lake Guntersville in 2014 as well as one caught from Washington’s Osoyoos Lake by Shane Hoelzle in 2020.

The IGFA all-tackle world record smallmouth by weight is a longstanding 11-pound, 15-ounce mark that was set in 1955 by David Hayes at Dale Hollow Lake in Tennessee.

Hayes’s Dale Hollow fish is a record that might stand forever, but those length records can be beaten. While a 20-inch smallmouth is definitely a trophy fish, 20-plus inchers are caught pretty regularly. It’s a matter of time before someone with an official IGFA measuring device puts one in the boat. For more, go to IGFA.org.

SEARCH WITH A BLADED JIG

TYLER WOOLCOTT

This time of year, when bass are feeding up ahead of winter, it’s tough to beat a bladed jig—or Chatterbait—to find hungry fish.

In most cases, the Chatterbait is in my arsenal as a search bait to cover a ton of water. There isn’t a piece of cover that I can think of that I haven’t thrown it around with success. Docks, wood, grass, rocks, anywhere a bass might live and feed is a good place to throw it. Most of the time you can locate fish with this bait and then go back through the same area with something else and pick up some more bites. If there are hungry bass around and you present this bait in the right way, you will get a bite.

A lot of times I am trying to duplicate an injured baitfish with a Chatterbait, whether they be shad, shiners or bluegill. Whites, golds and green pumpkin colors are my go to baitfish imitators and are what I have tied on most of the time. If the water is dirty or when fish are feeding on crayfish, I’ll switch to a black and blue or even an orange or red color. Match a trailer bait of your choice on the back like a swimbait or a craw trailer, and you’ll be good to go.

Chatterbait bites are usually reaction strikes, so I vary the retrieve to create erratic action while keeping the lure in the strike zone. I do this by speeding up my retrieval speed and then pausing for a very short period of time and then resuming a normal retrieval rate. Believe it or not, there are way more fish that follow your bait and don’t commit than you think. A very small adjustment in the speed can make the difference and convince these fish to eat. A 3/8-oz. and a ½-oz. are pretty much the only two sizes I throw. This covers all different depth ranges from a foot of water down to 10 feet. Cover as much water as possible until you pin point a healthy population of feeding bass then slow down with a different bait that you can work slower.

Chatterbait Gear

A moderate-action rod makes a huge difference when it comes to keeping fish hooked up. The 13 Fishing Omen Black 7’4mhm is absolutely perfect for fishing a Chatterbait. I pair a 7:5:1 gear ratio Concept A 13 Fishing reel with this and spool it with 17-lb. Seaguar Abraz X. I throw some bigger line with this, as you are usually around some type of cover and are working the bait fairly fast, so they won’t get a chance to see your line anyway.

Hope this fishing tip will give you some confidence to try this technique, if you haven’t already. It flat out catches them. Good luck out there and tight lines!

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

THROUGHOUT!

RECORD MAHI CAUGHT OFF WASHINGTON STATE

A20-pound mahi might not be surprising off the coasts of Florida or Mexico, but this 21-pound, 48-inch-long dolphinfish is a super rare catch off the coast of Washington State. It’s the largest one anyone’s ever caught there.

Angler Wade La Fontaine caught his state record mahi 42 miles out in the Pacific off the Washington coast on Aug. 25. He was on a charter trip with Capt. Keith Johnson aboard the Tunacious. They were trolling for tuna with plastic squid lures behind a spreader when the mahi hit.

Upon landing at the dock in Westport, Washington, the dolphinfish was checked by a Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist, then weighed on a certified scale. After review, the record was certified on Aug. 30.

Dolphinfish are sporadically caught by recreational and commercial fishers targeting albacore tuna and other species off the Washington and Oregon coasts, including a handful recorded last year at the ports of Westport and Ilwaco and at least two this summer.

“Most mahi mahi caught off our coast are smaller fish in the 6- to 12-pound range,” read a WDFW press release. “La Fontaine’s fish — which was 48 inches long and 40 inches to the inside fork of the tail — was more reminiscent of large

dolphinfish caught in warmer waters off southern California, Mexico and Hawaii.”

The previous Washington state record weighed 16.27 pounds. It was caught by Albert DaSilva in 2013.

The charter reported 70-degree water temperature in the area where the fish was caught, which is warm, even for the warmer offshore currents, though not unprecedented especially during El Nino years, explained the release.

The Return of a

“I’m blessed beyond comprehension,” La Fontaine said. “I’ll be getting another tattoo of a mahi!”

Albacore tuna are the primary target for Pacific Northwest offshore anglers, with large schools of these “longfin tuna” abundant off the coast of northern California, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia in the summer and early fall. Albacore are found in the blue water, a mass of warmer Sea Surface Temperature water typically found off the West Coast of North America during summer and fall, and off Southern California yearround.

For more information, go to https://wdfw.wa.gov/