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Atlantic Coast of Florida experiences one of the planet’s great migrations each fall. When millions of mullet push south in giant schools toward spawning grounds off the southern end of the state, it presents an exciting prospect for fishing. It’s an event anglers anticipate all year long.
The mullet run doesn’t have an official start or end date. Large schools of mullet—some the size of three football fields—move south as temperatures cool. Tarpon, sharks, kingfish and redfish are just some of the gamefish that move with these pods. Most years the fishing is on fire in October and November.
• BAIT: Obviously, mullet is the bait to use this time of the year. Full-grown mullet are great for shark and tarpon fishing. I prefer freelining finger-sized mullet, because pretty much everything eats them.
Free-lining sounds simple, but where you choose to fish and what you’re targeting will play a role in the set-up and rig you should use.
• ARTIFICIALS: This backcountry lady angler enjoys sight fishing and scouting Mosquito Lagoon and the marshes of the Tomoka Basin along Florida’s central Atlantic Coast. I’ll target bull reds in the inlets, but I spend most days targeting snook, tarpon and slot reds in the backcountry. This style of fishing is perfect for throwing artificials on light tackle.
Most of the state now has a one-fishper-person daily limit in the 18- to 27inch slot. Some regions have a two-fishper-vessel possession limit and others have a four-fish-per-vessel possession limit. The Indian River Lagoon region is strictly catch-and-release only for redfish. For complete Florida redfish regulations, go
By Skye Burkhardt
It’s heartbreaking to see breeder fish floating due to carelessness or lack of knowledge. Hauling a big redfish up vertically onto a bridge or pier, dragging it over the rocks on a jetty or tossing it back from up high severely limits its chance of survival. Get a pier net to fish from a bridge or pier, and do everything in your power to ensure the healthy release of your fish.
The
In the backcountry, I like a light- to mediumaction 2000 size spinning set-up to fish 10-pound leaders and 3/0 circle hooks. I prefer Mustad hooks and tie them on with a simple loop knot. I use an FG knot to connect my leader to a braided main line. This creates a true free-line, without the added weight of a swivel.
Landing a bull red this time of the year is easy. With the mullet running, simply free-line a mullet or drop one on a weighted rig to land a trophy! Before you experience the drag-pulling run, you should know how to properly handle and release your fish.
• TACKLE: I mainly fish inshore, so light tackle is the way for me. However, it’s important to be prepared to switch up depending on the size and species of game fish present.
This time of year, any artificial that resembles a mullet will do the trick. I like Vudu Mullet Swimbaits, Rapala X-raps, Bomber Lures Mullets,
Handling them with care and releasing them safely is important to the future of our fisheries. The statewide slot limit from 18 and 27 inches is intended to protect the large fish, which are part of the spawning stock.
TARGETING REDFISH During the Mullet Migration
• REDFISH REGULATIONS: Florida recently adopted new management plan for redfish. There are now varied regulations across nine different zones. Anglers need to understand those regulations because they’re intended to protect one of our iconic species in the face
Keep up with Skye Burkhardt on Facebook Inshore Adventures with Skye and on @brassyangler87.Instagram
The rigging is pretty much the same if I need to beef up for larger catches. With a 2500-size setup, I’ll fish 15- to 20-pound leader. I’ll bump that up to 25- to 30-pound test on 3000-size gear for bigger fish.
To fish with the mullet, I just follow the pods, cast to the outside of the school and open the bail to let the bait swim. When you hit it right, you can hook-up on nearly every cast, with the species changing from one cast to the next. Big gamefish tend to seek out isolated or injured mullet, which is exactly what your bait is.
Here are some tips for anglers to take advantage of the mullet run.
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and snappers hold a special place in my heart. Starting right now, they should be going off! It’s time consuming to stop on the way out a jig up bait. However, a 15- or 20-minute bait stop could make the difference between a good day and a great day. When you find bait in numbers, it doesn’t take long to rack up. I like to keep a Sabiki angler on each side of the boat handing me baits to dehook into a bucket in the center of the boat. Once I get 20 or so baits in the bucket, I pour them into the livewell and repeat until there’s enough.
You raise the flags of the fish just caught to show you weren’t skunked.
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I also like to take pinfish from the marina as a “bird in hand” for bottom fishing. The beauty of putting a live sardine on a jig and sending it to the bottom is that EVERYTHING down there eats them. The beauty of sending a pinfish, grass grunt or sailors choice to the bottom is that everything down there would love to eat them, but can’t. They can’t get their mouths around the bigger baits, but the ones that can are the fish you want to catch. Go enjoy the bounty of the season!
the possibilities of spawning. The same places will hold large seabass, as well. I love to eat grouper, but the way I grouper fish also produces large seabass, which I think are even better than grouper in texture andScampsflavor.
Tim Barefoot
Once onshore you can take it a step further showing your fellow anglers your catch of the day wearing “slippahs” from Scott Hawaii.
Ahhhh, yeah! This is the time of plenty. Now is the time of year to have a community-sized fish stew to clear out all the vacuum-sealed stuff in the freezer. You’ve got to make some room for freezer-stuffing grouper, snapper and seabass.
BIG BOTTOM FISH ARE THE BOUNTY OF FALL
After all, that is why the gags are there. They are eating the same baits that you’re catching. They come inshore to a place that holds bait, so all the smaller females have plenty to eat while they are discussing
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This is the time of year that can make even me look good. The large male gags have started staging up on nearshore structures, wrecks and traditional bait-holding bottom. The scamps and large snappers have started a transitional move to their deeper wintering grounds. Water temps will soon draw a line in the water that clearly shows you where to fish.
Starting this month, the larger gags will be so close in that it’ll shock you. Don’t run too far, or you’ll run over some of the biggest fish of the year. Go wherever you jig up your cigar minnows and sardines, and the gags will be right there. When you get a few baits in the well, it’s a good idea to have at least one person put a bait right back down.
love spring and summer fishing, but let me say this loud and clear: I live for fall and winter fisheries!
Hanapa Marlin
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nglers have their own languages. We make up words or phrases to describe situations we frequently encounter on the water. Some of these phrases are quite amusing, and some are too colorful to be used in print. Like regional dialects, they vary from location to location and even from boat to boat. Without further ado, here are some of our favorite angler idioms.
• Damn Carp: A sh caught by an angler that is any species other than the intended target. “I thought it was a big largemouth, but it’s just a damn carp.”
By Nick Carter
Yahoo: Refers to anyone on the water other than the anglers in the group using the term. “We went to our honeyhole, but there were a bunch of yahoos already in it.”
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Reef Donkey: Derogatory term for greater amberjack. “We were dri ing baits for kings, but all we caught were reef donkeys.”
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• Bait Chucker: Always derogatory term used by y shers to describe any other type of angler. “I think that bait chucker was jealous of my tweed cap.”
• Bucket Sitter: Sometimes derogatory term for someone who shes bait from the shore. “Look at those bucket sitters over there sitting on their buckets and drowning worms.”
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Easy Release: A sh that shakes the hook right at the boat. Counts as half a sh in informal shing competition. “Oh, well. Easy release. It was a little peckerhead, anyway.”
Dreaded Frustrations: e downward spiral of being so ustered by your poor angling performance that you seemingly can’t do anything correctly. “I was slaying them until I hung my lure on the bottom. en I broke my rod tip trying to get it loose and the dreaded frustrations set in. I couldn’t do anything right the rest of the day.”
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presumably to stick in the mud on the bottom of the ocean. “Keep hauling sail sh in the boat for photos, and you’re going to keep throwing back mud darts. ”
Leroy Jenkins: Derived from an Internet video game meme, this exclamation is used in kayak shing when you race ahead of your shing buddies to be the rst one on the water. “Y’all can keep mucking around on the boat ramp. I’m going shing! Leeeroooy Jenkiiins!”
Dink: Synonymous with peckerhead, a dink is a very small sh. “Look at this dink. It’s smaller than the plug it ate.”
Bank of Despair: e opposite of honeyhole, this is an area known for not producing sh. “Man, I wasted three hours over there pounding away on the bank of despair.”
Share your favorite angler idioms with us on our Facebook page: Coastal Angler & e Angler Magazine.
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• Mud Dart: A bill sh that dies when released and sinks nose down,
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Pellet Pig: Derogatory term for sh that reach large size because of a feeding program. “ at yahoo thought he caught a trophy, but those pellet pigs are trained to eat hooks.”
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“ is at right here was so lush, the grass was thick as could be. But with water quality issues fueling massive seagrass die-o s, miles of underwater vegetation have been reduced to barren sand ats. ere are still giant red sh, though they’ve changed behavior and where they would once tail and search out the sea oor, they now just cruise around looking for bait sh,” re ected Le.
Throw Topwater BANANA RIVER REDS
Since these reds aren’t tailing, spotting them means you’re looking for wakes. Mature red sh push wider wakes at a steady pace in a straight line. Mullet make those darting V-shaped wakes.
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the Indian River Lagoon for years, G. Loomis ambassador Capt. Willy Le can’t help but reminisce of the days when the Banana River was brimming with seagrass.
Shimano’s Current Sniper topwater baits o er anglers a lure for every scenario. e Current Sniper Walk 110F Silent is a walking bait that lacks internal rattles and excels in calm conditions. e Current Sniper Walk Hi-Pitch emits a high-pitch rattle for rougher water.
e 31-mile-long Banana River is an isolated lagoon. Here, marsh and mangrove ecosystems ourish in a complex landscape where there is uniquely no tidal ow. ere are no freshwater tributaries, no saltwater inlets, and the only outlet to the Atlantic Ocean is through a lock at Port Canaveral.ACocoa Beach local who has been guiding
Anglers imparting the appropriate snap of the rod tip can mimic distressed bait sh on the surface, but it’s important to choose a lure with proper action for the conditions. When the Banana River becomes moderately choppy, loud topwater lures draw in predators. On calm days, it is better to sh a quieter walking lure.
Visit coastalanglermag.com for more.
track a topwater lure and overtake the o ering a er several failed attempts.
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“We can sight during all hours of the day and in all weather conditions, but since red sh are focused on feeding early and late in the day this is when you will encounter the most cooperative topwater bite. With overcast conditions the topwater shing can stay strong throughout the day,” said Le.
Le shes topwaters with a size 4000 Stradic CI4+ with a 7’6” G. Loomis GCX Inshore spinning rod with medium power and extra fast action. is set-up casts heavy topwater lures well and o ers excellent control for walking the dog.
With a blunt snout and downturned mouth, red sh are designed for rooting. ey aren’t wellequipped for attacking prey on the surface, but they certainly display thrilling surface strikes as they
Once a red sh is spotted, it’s important to be patient and accurate. Nothing will spook a red sh faster than an improperly placed bait falling from the sky.
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the past few months, we’ve discussed almost everything concerning long-distance lures. We’ve touched on elements an angler can control such as lure choice and the proper rod, reel and line con guration. Now I want to discuss the uncontrollable elements of weather and water conditions. ey play a big role in how far you are able to cast and how e ectively you can sh a lure.
A long banner also reduces your control of the lure once it hits the water. A line belly in the water pulls your lure sideways on retrieve. You also won’t be in direct contact with the lure. is a ects the lure’s action, and you might also miss bites.
Again, we all love to sh topwater, but distance-dedicated lures are in many cases the better option. In windy conditions with breaking waves and ripping currents, I de nitely prefer a 3-ounce plug or a 4-ounce darter over a topwater, which weighs half as much.
Legendary angler Patrick Sebile is a world record holder and an award-winning designer of innovative lures and shing gear. Check out his creations at abandofanglers.com.
LURESLONG-CASTINGINTHEWIND
When you’re casting into the wind, you should also adjust the way you cast. In long-casting lingo, I use the term “banner” to refer to the section of line between the rod tip and the lure. You should limit the banner when you’re shing in wind. Instead of using an overhand cast, try a sidearm cast, which limits the lure’s exposure to the wind.
On a beach, with the lure on the sand, allow a banner of 50 to 70 percent of the rod’s length. is shorter banner limits the size of the belly in the line when you cast. e larger the line belly is, the more casting energy is taken from the lure’s ight, resulting in reduced distance.
Give it an honest try. I’m sure you’ll be convinced that distance lures are superior to lighter models of similar dimensions in many situations.
PATRICK SEBILE
LURES
If the wind is full force into your face, this adds drag on the lure and line during a cast. A high-density lure cuts through wind more e ciently than a oating lure. Everyone loves shing topwaters, but in windy conditions they are not the best choice. A denser lure always casts farther than a oating lure.
Typically, a long-distance model weighs 30 to 100 percent more than a oating one of similar dimensions. If a oating lure weighs 2 ounces, a similar sized distance-dedicated lure will weigh 3 to 4 ounces. at’s really a big deal, especially in wind.
Water conditions are another factor worth consideration. Big waves, whitewater and strong currents limit your control. ese conditions are also o en the best conditions for sh to bite. When you cast, engage the reel before the lure hits the water and reel up slack. is gives you a straighter line for better control of the lure, better swimming action and more direct contact with the lure. When you can feel the lure, you can feel the bite and ultimately increase your hook-setting ratio.
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uring the mullet run on Florida’s east coast, plenty of blacktip sharks cruise past our beaches with huge schools of bait. Even if you plan to sh for blacktips outside of mullet-run season, you are still in luck. Finding a blacktip shark de nitely isn’t an issue due to a large and growing population of these big sharks.
Photo courtesy of Je Tomalo
Before blacktips begin migrating for the mating season, they will actually be in gendersegregated schools that come together only for mating. Blacktips tend to be separated due to the male’s highly aggressive drive towards the females, which could result in serious injury.
spring to travel up the coast to Georgia and the Carolinas to mate in summer. Blacktips participate in internal fertilization, meaning that each female is separately impregnated, which will then result in 4 to 11 pups every two years.
shing in strong current, simply walk down the beach as the bait dri s. On days when they are hanging out too far for casting, swim a live bait out. Blue runners, jack crevalle and palometa work well for this.
BLACKTIPSCATCHING fromBeachthe
COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM OCTOBER 2022 FLORIDA 11
I personally use a 5/0 extra strong circle hook with 2 feet of wire leader attached to 5 feet of 80-lb. test. e largest IGFA recorded blacktip shark weighed in at 270 pounds, 9 ounces. It was caught out of Malindi Bay, Kenya in 1984.
Blacktip sharks can be found year-round in the Atlantic from Virginia through Florida. ey have been known to migrate up to Cape Cod, Massachusetts. ough they do prefer more tropical temperatures, a little cold won’t deter them from their mission. Blacktips are de nitely not picky when it comes to hunting grounds. ey can be found in bays, estuaries, coral reefs and mouths of rivers.
On slow days when the bite is dead and you’re catching nothing but cat sh, swim one out or cut into chunks. If there are any blacktips around, they will eat it. A lot of anglers use huge hooks and long wire leaders, which will require you to get a shore-based shark shing permit to legally sh for sharks in Florida.
Normally, blacktips leave Florida in the
D
e most productive way to catch blacktips is to use a 6- to 8-inch chunk of whatever fresh sh you have. Toss it out without a weight. If you are
ese sharks are viviparous, meaning the pups develop inside the female’s body, unlike other sharks that lay egg sacks. Most pups will be le in shallow nurseries due to the high amount of prey and few predators, which increases their chances of survival.Fishing for blacktip sharks is fairly easy; however, there are days when they can be nicky. Paying attention to speci cs can increase your number of bites. On clear-water days, sharks tend to stay just on the backside of the last sandbar. On milky water days, they can literally be at your feet as they patrol up and down the rst drop.eyde nitely will eat dead bait, but will hit live and fresh-dead bait without hesitation.
By Emily Rose Hanzlik
Emily Rose Hanzlik holds 51 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 on Social Media @emilyhanzlikoutdoors.
Rex Hannon is a regular contributor to Coastal Angler Magazine. See more from Rex at coastalanglermag.com.
Perhaps a lesser-known draw to the Sunshine State are the exotic species that have taken hold here. ese are the non-native, sometimes invasive species that would otherwise require expensive travel for anglers to target. ey are here, so we might as well sh for them.
F
ere is no minimum size or bag limit for tilapia. e FWC encourages anglers to catch and eat them like any other invasive species. e white akey meat is mild, and wild-caught tilapia are superior to the farm-raised tilapia sold in grocery stores.
waters o Key West to the many famous bass shermen that made Lake Okeechobee a destination for anglers from around the world, Florida has a rich angling history and amazing shing for everyone.
It’s 8:17 p.m. Been out on the lake for hours. But there are more fsh in the water. And my LBP batteries are still going strong. Maybe One More Cast . . . the offcial battery of “One More Cast...” Visit lithiumbatterypower.com Or call us at 727-233-9831
Exotic Species in Your Backyard:
is species is very fast growing for the rst few months, and then they settle in and grow to the 5-pound class by three to ve years of age. e Florida state record was caught by Pamela Henry, of Stuart, from of a dock on the St. Lucie River in 2011. e 9-pound, 6-ounce beast is also recognized by the IGFA as the all-tackle world record.
I’m sure everyone reading this can target blue tilapia within a short distance of home. ey are great ghters that stand toe-to-toe with any species of similar size.
Tilapia can be nicky eaters, which poses a puzzle for anglers. eir diet consists mainly of green algae, diatoms and small invertebrates. I have witnessed other anglers catching this species on corn, dog food, hot dogs and bread balls. I have caught good numbers and some very large examples with a y rod. I caught most of these sh on Clouser Minnows and other similar small bait sh patterns.
Tilapia… blue tilapia, to be exact, are one of more than a hundred species of cichlid native to the Middle East and Africa that are all called tilapia. is is similar to the way U.S. anglers refer to multiple species of sun sh as bream.
e Blue Tilapia is considered invasive to the United States. It was introduced to Florida in the 1960s by stocking and experimental studies by both private and state entities. Tilapia are here to stay and can be found in a wide variety of locations, from lakes and ponds scattered around the state to many freshwater and brackish rivers and streams. For anglers, canals found in almost every neighborhood can be shing paradise.
By Rex Hannon
Blue Tilapia
e blue tilapia (Oreochromis aureus) is the most popular of the tilapia and the species most commonly found here in Florida. It is also a very important species in the sh-farming world due to its fast growth, salinity tolerance and the fact that it can be stocked densely. Tilapia have a long history. Farming of Nile tilapia goes back to ancient Egypt, and its importance is noted by the ancients using the sh as a symbol of rebirth.
COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM OCTOBER 2022 NORTH FLORIDA 1 Family Owned & Operated for 45 Years Largest Ship Store in Lake & Sumter Counties Leesburg 352787-5792 Crystal River www.NoblesMarine.com352795-1119 437 N Palmetto St. Leesburg 1931 NW Hwy 19 Crystal River
With
Ochlockonee downstream of the Jackson Bluff Dam at Lake talquin.
Currently, Florida striped bass from the Suwannee River west, which includes the Ochlockonee, are managed under a three fish per day limit with an 18-inch minimum length.
Therelimited.are,however, some pretty good Florida striped bass fisheries thanks to breeding and stocking programs. One of these exists at Lake Talquin, west of Tallahassee, and in the Lower Ochlockonee River, which it feeds. This system is the primary source of adult broodfish for Gulf striped bass breeding programs across the Southeast, according to a report from the FWC, and in the last seven years numbers of these adult breeders have declined.
TAM Staff
REGS CHANGES PROPOSED FOR OCHLOCKONEE STRIPERS
FWC is considering changing regulations to protect large striped bass in the lower Ochlockonee. These large broodfish are important for striped bass breeding programs, and they are also used to breed the sunshine bass stocked in Florida waters.
For more information, go to MyFwc.com.
By
The proposed regulation change calls for a daily harvest limit of three fish person, with no minimum size limit and only one of the three fish may be longer than 24 inches. These regulations would apply to the lower
so much awesome Florida fishing to go around, it’s rare to hear much about striped bass fisheries in the sunshine state. It’s amazing to think that stripers once thrived across much of the Gulf Coast, making spawning runs up freshwater rivers from the Suwannee River west to the mighty Mississippi.Thesedays, Gulf striped bass fisheries are propped up by multi-state stocking programs. Stripers require as much as 100 miles of free-flowing freshwater river for successful reproduction, and that doesn’t really exist on the Gulf Coast anymore. Through damming and other habitat alterations, people have pretty much wiped out the potential for a natural life cycle for Gulf stripers. Some successful reproduction takes place in different locations, but it is
PHOTO BY NICK CARTER
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are not really that common, but Coastal Angler Magazine and its interior freshwater publication, The Angler Magazine, are changing the landscape of the publishing industry. Today, these localized fishing magazines are available for the marine enthusiast throughout the continental U.S. and Costa Rica. These publications are distinctly different, but all provide great information for anyone interested in the pursuit of fishing.
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1. An independent assessment of the red snapper population is now underway – CCA is
urging the Council to delay any decisions until the results of that assessment are known and verified. A similar assessment in the Gulf of Mexico produced a completely new understanding of the red snapper population there.
4 NORTH FLORIDA OCTOBER 2022 COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM
2. Recreational discard data is perhaps the least reliable in the entire management system, relying solely on angler recall and interpretation. New data collection systems – designed and managed by the states – are desperately needed for more timely and accurate estimates.
Coastal Conservation Association has urged caution during the recovery of red snapper from historic lows, but is objecting to the massive closures as completely misguided in the face of a booming red snapper population. Among the many objections to the current proposal:
South Atlantic Fishery Management Council met in mid-September in Charleston, S.C. Two items on the agenda were of particular significance to offshore anglers. In Snapper Grouper Fishery Regulatory Amendment 35, NOAA Fisheries is attempting to force massive time and area closures that would result in severe, negative economic and cultural impacts to recreational fishing, boating and coastal communities in the South Atlantic in order to prevent red snapper mortality even as bycatch.
The
3. Federal fisheries management must be reformed to address the absurdity of a stock being declared above historic abundance, yet still being classified as overfished and undergoing overfishing, and therefore subject to wildly inappropriate regulations.Theother related item up for discussion is Snapper Grouper Amendment 46, which is exploring implementation of a federal reef fish permit. CCA has long supported better data and efforts to define the universe of anglers for improved management. As noted above, there is a critical need for more accurate and timely estimates of the recreational catch and discards. However, NOAA Fisheries track record of recreational management is exceptionally poor.
The meeting was held as this magazine was going to press, so results of the Council’s decision were not yet available.
While the red snapper population is now regarded as abundant as it has ever been in modern times, NOAA Fisheries is insisting that more severe restrictions are necessary to rebuild the population to a fully recovered status. According to NOAA Fisheries, that status cannot be bestowed until older fish – 30, 40 and even 50 years old –are present in the population, which means these severe restrictions could be in place for decades.
recreational data in the South Atlantic, CCA is urging South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia to join Florida in creating state-based systems to provide more timely and accurate data for management of the recreational sector. Nothing in NOAA Fisheries management history of the recreational sector indicates a federal permit will produce the desired results or be used entirely as originally intended. Given recent comments from federal managers, CCA is concerned such a permit in federal hands will eventually be proposed to limit entry in the recreational fishery.
CCA SPEAKS OUT ON POTENTIAL ATLANTIC BOTTOM FISHING CLOSURES
If a mechanism is needed to improve
Photo Suwannee Cary & Lynn Crutchfield
INSIDE THIS ISSUE Tide Charts Local Fishing Forecasts Monthly Recipe
Capt. Brent Woodard
Capt. Andrew Fagan
As always, please, please thank our advertising partners. Let them know that they are appreciated. Without them there would be no FREE Coastal Angler. (What a horrifying thought!) Also, thank the business where you picked up your copy of this magazine.
Dr. Kevin McCarthy
ALACHUA, MARION, COLUMBIA, GILCHRIST, BRADFORD, DIXIE, LEVY, CITRUS
Capt. Tony Johns
Welcome fall, my favorite time of the year. Occasionally, this season is marred by a destructive hurricane, but this year, so far at least, we have been spared. (Fingers crossed!)
Lynn Crutchfield Co-Publisher Coastal Angler Magazine of North Central Florida/Nature Coast
Don’t forget to thank our writers, many of whom, are also guides. They are the authority on fishing in North Central Florida.Thank you John Freeze for photos of our beautiful North Central Florida. (Is that a sunrise or sunset?)
by:
OCTOBER
John
Capt. Jonathan Hamilton
River Water Management District North Central Florida/Nature Coast COASTAL ANGLER
Capt. Katie Jo Davis
Capt. Tommy Derringer
CONTACT INFORMATION crutch@coastalanglermagazine.com352-542-0356 OCTOBER 2022 EDITION Find OutdoorsYourHere!
Central Florida Nature Coast Staff SALES Cary Crutchfield EDITING & PRODUCTION Lynn Crutchfield DISTRIBUTION Rosa Crisman GRAPHIC ARTS & DESIGN Kathleen Stemley CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
North
See page 2 for a different kind of recipe this month. The Crab Plant in Crystal River was closed for Sept., so we could not get any seafood. I decided to share a non-seafood Crutchfield favorite, Zucchini with a Sausage Stuffing. I chose mild Italian sausage, but any sausage of your choice would work.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN, and go get that new vaccine. Stay smart, stay well and stay alive!
Freeze Noel Kuhn
Remove from oven and serve.
or Hot Italian
•
2 Large Garlic Cloves • 1 Large Minced Onion • 4 Small Tomatoes sliced • Salt and Pepper • ½ Cup Finely Grated Parmesan • ½ Cup MozzarellaShaved • ¼ Cup Panko Crumbs • 2 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Parsley INGREDIENTS We could not get seafood this month because the Crab Plant was closed, so I chose a non-seafood Crutchfield favorite for this month’s recipe. I hope you enjoy it. Mild, hot, sweet sausage, or a mixture works. Your choice. DIRECTIONSTIDES • North Central Florida OCTOBER 2022 CEDAR KEY Time Height Time Height Time Height Time Height 1Sa 5:19 AM 4.4 12:40 PM 0.2 7:17 PM 3.2 2Su 12:19 AM 2.0 6:05 AM 4.3 1:43 PM 0.4 8:37 PM 2.9 3M 1:14 AM 2.2 7:04 AM 4.1 3:02 PM 0.5 10:15 PM 2.9 4Tu 2:38 AM 2.3 8:25 AM 3.9 4:28 PM 0.6 11:32 PM 3.0 5W 4:15 AM 2.2 10:06 AM 3.8 5:43 PM 0.5 6Th 12:24 AM 3.2 5:34 AM 1.8 11:34 AM 3.9 6:42 PM 0.5 7F 1:03 AM 3.4 6:38 AM 1.3 12:44 PM 4.1 7:30 PM 0.6 8Sa 1:35 AM 3.6 7:31 AM 0.9 1:42 PM 4.2 8:09 PM 0.7 9Su 2:04 AM 3.8 8:18 AM 0.5 2:31 PM 4.2 8:43 PM 0.9 10M 2:31 AM 4.0 9:00 AM 0.2 3:15 PM 4.1 9:15 PM 1.1 11Tu 2:58 AM 4.1 9:39 AM 0.0 3:58 PM 3.9 9:45 PM 1.3 12W 3:24 AM 4.2 10:17 AM 0.0 4:39 PM 3.7 10:14 PM 1.5 13Th 3:52 AM 4.2 10:55 AM 0.0 5:20 PM 3.5 10:44 PM 1.7 14F 4:21 AM 4.1 11:32 AM 0.2 6:03 PM 3.3 11:16 PM 1.8 15Sa 4:54 AM 4.0 12:12 PM 0.4 6:49 PM 3.1 11:51 PM 2.0 16Su 5:31 AM 3.9 12:56 PM 0.6 7:43 PM 2.9 17M 12:34 AM 2.1 6:17 AM 3.7 1:52 PM 0.8 8:54 PM 2.8 18Tu 1:36 AM 2.2 7:18 AM 3.4 3:06 PM 1.0 10:14 PM 2.8 19W 3:06 AM 2.2 8:48 AM 3.2 4:24 PM 1.0 11:15 PM 2.9 20Th 4:33 AM 2.0 10:26 AM 3.3 5:28 PM 1.0 21F 12:00 AM 3.1 5:40 AM 1.6 11:41 AM 3.4 6:19 PM 0.9 22Sa 12:36 AM 3.3 6:33 AM 1.2 12:40 PM 3.6 7:02 PM 0.9 23Su 1:06 AM 3.5 7:19 AM 0.8 1:31 PM 3.8 7:41 PM 0.9 24M 1:33 AM 3.7 8:01 AM 0.4 2:17 PM 3.9 8:16 PM 1.0 25Tu 2:00 AM 3.9 8:41 AM 0.0 3:01 PM 3.9 8:51 PM 1.2 26W 2:28 AM 4.1 9:21 AM -0.3 3:46 PM 3.8 9:26 PM 1.3 27Th 2:59 AM 4.3 10:03 AM -0.4 4:34 PM 3.6 10:01 PM 1.5 28F 3:32 AM 4.4 10:47 AM -0.5 5:25 PM 3.4 10:39 PM 1.7 29Sa 4:09 AM 4.4 11:35 AM -0.4 6:19 PM 3.2 11:20 PM 1.9 30Su 4:53 AM 4.3 12:28 PM -0.2 7:17 PM 3.0 31M 12:09 AM 2.0 5:46 AM 4.0 1:28 PM 0.1 8:27 PM 2.8 HERNANDO BEACH High Tide -20 min Low Tide 58 min KINGS BAY High Tide 2 hrs, 20 min Low Tide 3 hrs, 7 min HOMOSASSARIVERENT High Tide 4 hr, 30 min Low Tide 5 hr, 41 min HORSESHOE BEACH High Tide 12 min Low Tide 20 min CRYSTAL RIVER High Tide 36 min Low Tide 1 hr, 30 min WITHLACOOCHEEENT High Tide 7 min Low Tide 55 min SUWANNEE ENT High Tide 6 min Low Tide 18 min STEINHATCHEERIVERENT High Tide 2 min Low Tide 0 min Visit their Fresh Seafood Market or enjoy Cooked Seafood to go. You are welcome to sit at their table and view beautiful Kings Bay while you enjoy your delicious, freshly prepared meal, watching manatees, dolphins, pelicans and boats. Or, you can carry it home; your choice. Open Tues-Thurs 10:00-5:30, Fri-Sat 10:00-8:00. 201 NW 5th St. Crystal River 352-795-4700.
In a medium bowl, mix the Parmesan, mozzarella, Panko and parsley.Spoon
4 Medium
• Mild Sausage
North Central
• Zucchini
Remove from oven and generously sprinkle crumb mixture over tomatoes. Lower oven temp to 350 degrees F, and bake until top is golden, about 10 to 15 minutes.
and mound the sausage mixture into the zucchini boats.
ZUCCHINI WITH SAUSAGE STUFFING (SERVES 4)
Arrange tomato slices over sausage mixture. Place in oven for about 15 minutes until zucchini begins to soften.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. With sharp knife, cut a skinny oval lengthwise in each zucchini. With teaspoon, scoop out the flesh from the interior of the zucchini, so they resemble a dugout canoe. Place in 9 X 13 casserole dish or in individual personal oven safe dishes as I did. Chop the flesh and setRemoveaside. the sausage from the casings and break into small pieces. In a medium sauté pan over medium heat, place the sausage and cook for a few minutes. Add the garlic, onion, zucchini flesh, and salt and pepper. Cook until softened, about five minutes.
2 NORTH CENTRAL FLORIDA/NATURE COAST OCTOBER 2022 COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM
COOKING DIRECTIONS
4 Links
Lynn Crutchfield, Co-Publisher Coastal Angler Magazine of Florida
Anyway, such efforts at cleaning our waterways of abandoned, rotting vessels are to be applauded.
COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM OCTOBER 2022 NORTH CENTRAL FLORIDA/NATURE COAST 3
FLORIDA WATERWAYS
owners of such vessels to get rid of such eyesores at no cost. In July, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission set up rules, called the “Vessel Turn-in Program,” which can dispose of privately owned boats, whose owners have abandoned, junked, or dismantled them in state waters. Most people probably realize that such derelict vessels pose a risk to our residents, visitors, and natural resources.
Besides destroying the vessels, the Commission also hopes to inform boat owners how they can donate the vessels to charities, which could then restore the vessels and make them useful again. The federally passed American Rescue Plan Act can also be used to remove derelict
One
A wrecked boat in the Everglades
Keep in mind that in this state it is a crime to take an abandoned boat without first obtaining title to it. You can be fined or put in jail for “stealing” such a vessel without getting title to it. If you come upon such a vessel, you must follow what are called “Statutes for Found Property.” You must report the “abandoned” property
vessels. Such concerted efforts will no doubt make our waterways safer to navigate and more beautiful to boat. The reason we have so many abandoned boats in our waters is no doubt because their owners can no longer afford the costs of parking the boat at a marina, so they just anchor the boat out in the water. Later, when the boats begin to deteriorate, their owners simply abandon them.
An abandoned immigrant boat in the Keys
A wrecked sailboat on a beach
By Kevin McCarthy
Kevin McCarthy, the author of North Florida Waterways (amazon, 2013), can be reached at ceyhankevin@gmail.com.
to law enforcement, after which you can begin the process of claiming the property.
An abandoned boat on Drayton Island
An abandoned, rotting boat
of the eyesores in our otherwise beautiful waterways in North Florida are abandoned, derelict vessels, slowly rotting away on banks and backstreams. Such
Derelict Vessels in our Waterways
The Florida Legislature increased the funding for the removal of derelict vessels from $3.5 million to $8.2 million and gave law enforcement more authority to deal with at-risk vessels that have no obvious means of propulsion or have taken on water or are about to become unanchored.
The Vessel Turn-in Program would target people who have received notices three times in the past 18 months, notices that mention at-risk conditions. The Conservation Commission will declare the vessels in question a public nuisance and pay for their removal from the waterways and eventual destruction. At the moment, the Commission is handling over 700 cases dealing with derelict vessels. Officers on patrol keep an eye out for derelict vessels and can often spot them on a daily basis.
An old, wooden derelict boat
swimmers.tocanhabitats,includingenvironment,harmcanvesselscausetothefishandbeadangerboatersandAnewstateprogramwillallow
KD OUTDOORS FISHING CHARTERS
Captain
4 NORTH CENTRAL FLORIDA/NATURE COAST OCTOBER 2022 COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM
Katie Jo www.fishcrystalriverflorida.comDavis772-882-8932
The triple tail migration is in full swing, and are found floating along grass lines, buoys, and channel markers. Tossing a shrimp past them and reeling it back to allow it to drop in front of their face, creates such excitement as they dive for the bait, and the fight is on! True sight casting at its finest!
KATIE COAST ADVENTURES
Fall is in the air, and there are plenty of fish in the waters along Florida’s Nature Coast! October is a great transitioning month for fish on the inshore aspect. Water temperatures are cooling, and the big fish are nesting the shoreline by theThethousands.bigbull redfish are schooling on the west points of the outside islands, and are extremely hungry for a mudminnow along the bottom. The inshore gag grouper bite will continuously improve as the larger fish seek out warmer water in the shallower water. Casting a shallow diving Rapala Xrap across the rock pile will surely have them fired up.
Fall fishing is an amazing time on the water, and definitely some of my favorite times, creating memories in the outdoors.
JO’S NATURE
COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM OCTOBER 2022 NORTH CENTRAL FLORIDA/NATURE COAST 5
6 NORTH CENTRAL FLORIDA/NATURE COAST OCTOBER 2022 COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM 420 Dock Street Cedar Key, FL info@steamerscedarkey.comsteamerscedarkey.com352-543-514232625LikeusonFacebook! We will cook your catch. We serve fresh local Cedar Key oysters and Tryclams.our delicious Gator. We get it directly from the Gator Man himself. Happy Hour Miller$2.50Monday-Friday3pm-7pm2-4-1Wells1/2PriceWineBudLight,Lite,Yuengling We also offer apparel and promotional items. SIGNS BANNERS Copies Fax Forms Letterhead Envelopes Business -WeddingInvitationsNewslettersBrochuresCards&More&GraduationCome see us at our new location between McDonalds and NAPA - 1517 North Young Blvd. September’s Mullet Run was off the chart great! All the predators were in the surf, and hopefully that bonanza will continue this month until the Mullet Run starts to wane. Be sure to take your cast net with you. My last outing netted me a lot of mullet between four and sixteen inches long! I froze the big ones to use as cut bait later in the year. In November and December, they are hard to find in the surf. However, a chunk of cut mullet in that cool fall water works really well for the big redfish.While enjoying the Mullet Run, it is also time to get ready for the fall run of pompano. When our water temperature drops below 75 degrees, the pomps will start arriving here in Northeast Florida. They have spent a long hot summer up in North Carolina. Now is the time to go catch the best tasting member of the jack family.
heavier line, 50 lb. for me, and the double droppers can be tied out of lighter, 20 lb. for me, line. I could go on and on about bead/float color, but my go-to is a white float on top, and an orange bead on the bottom snood.Mygo-to baits in order of efficiency are live sand fleas, fresh clams, fresh killed shrimp and fresh blue crab knuckles. Remember these pompano and whiting prefer small baits. I never use a whole shrimp. I will take an average live shrimp, now a fresh killed shrimp, and make three baits out of it. First, I will cut off the horn and tail fan. Then make two baits out of the tail, and the third bait I will use the head.Ihope these tips will help you land more fish. Remember, elephants eat peanuts. So go small with your offerings. This will help you fill your cooler with fresh seafood! Now get out there and enjoy October, because this is one of our best months to have your toes in the sand! Tight lines and I will see you on the beach!
The rigging for my favorite fish for the grill is simple. The double dropper rig has many names, but the key to success is two 2/0 circle hooks. You can buy these at any tackle store near the coast or tie your own. I tie all my rigs, and my favorite pompano rig is the Mortician Rig. My friend Paul, who is a mortician, taught me how to tie this over ten years ago. The advantage of tying this one, is that the main line can be tied out of
Noel Kuhn
SURF & PIER
43 years of surf fishing experience, surf fishing guide and long distance casting coach. Founding member of Florida Surf Casters www.TheSurfAngler.com904-945-0660club.
A beautiful over slot snook, caught in the Suwannee fog, fishing with a great group of men from South Georgia.
A beautiful slot sized snook, that was caught in season by Derek Scott, the first he had caught in many years.
It's hard to pick a "best bait", since conditions can change quickly, and the skill level of each angler varies! For the less skilled anglers, I find a popping cork with a jighead to be a great choice! I like the FishBites Fight Club Popping corks paired up with Fight Club Lures or FishBites E-Z Baits. This combination is very user friendly. It can be fished in many locations, and it catches fish, different kinds of fish, and lots of fish!
Captain Tony Johns | 352-221-2510
Facebook:www.lowersuwanneriverfishing.comInstagram:captaintonyjohnsLowerSuwanneeRiverFishingAdventuresorCaptainTonyJohns
If you asked me to pick the best month to fish the Lower Suwannee River Estuary, I would have to choose October. This time of the year you will find the water temps are dropping, the resident fish are feeding often, and the pelagic species are migrating south. With cooler weather and hungry fish, this is a great time to be out on the water!
Over the years, the Lower Suwannee has been mainly known for its great redfish and speckled trout fishing, but now we have a newer player in the pond, the snook! While the snook is a very common fish in the central and southern waters of Florida, historically it was not found in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Then, in the early 2000s, there started to be random reports of snook caught around the Lower Suwannee River Estuary. By 2015 these reports were more frequent and have one thing in common, the fish that were caught, are large adult sized fish over 30 inches. Now it's 2022 and we are catching more snook each year. It seems the snook are breeding and establishing a "resident population".Lookforthe speckled trout on the outside grass flats and oyster bars at the beginning of the month. As the weather cools and the water temps drop, look for the trout to move inshore, and eventually into the mouths of the creeks. The timing will depend on the weather. You will find the redfish in many locations around the Lower Suwannee River Estuary. The fall spawn of blue crabs is a big treat for them! Who doesn't like softshell crabs?! The crabs will be "shedding" in the mouths of the creeks and in the back of the scattered bays along the coast. You will also find small "packs" of redfish working the schools of bait fish as they move through.
COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM OCTOBER 2022 NORTH CENTRAL FLORIDA/NATURE COAST 7
Until next time, be safe and Catchemup!
When trout fishing on the flats, I like the large popping cork with the concave "chugger" top. This cork not only suspends your bait at a chosen depth, but it will also "call" the fish to you. The downside is, that when fishing in shallower water, many times you will spook the fish.
SUWANNEE
When red fishing, I will switch to a smaller cigar shaped cork with plastic beads, allowing me to make a quieter presentation to fish feeding in shallower water, especially around oyster bars.
8 NORTH CENTRAL FLORIDA/NATURE COAST OCTOBER 2022 COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM HISTORIC PUTNAM15487LODGENWUS 19/98 Cross City, 352-440-0414FL Located in Dixie County, your destination for fishing, scalloping, hunting, kayaking, birding, and Much More! Luxurious Hotel Rooms Rooms start at $130.00, Suites $220.00. RV Park opens Summer 2022 Fine Dining. Fabulous Steaks. Beautiful Dining Room. Open Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 5 till 9 pm Special Events, Destination Weddings, and Corporate Retreats www.PutnamLodge.com "ALL YOUR NEEDS ARE COVERED" at the Marine Treated Lumber, Timbers & Poles Boat Lift Needs: Motors, Cradles & Hardware Dock Hardware: Cleats, Ladders, Pile Hoops & more Gangways, Floats, & Floating Docks Vinyl Seawall Panels, Corner & Tie-back Systems Galvanized and 316 Stainless Steel Hardware Composite Pilings and Piling Repair Jackets Boat Trailer Parts Hand Tools & MUCH MUCH MORE! Marine & Lumber Supply Store, LLC 352-542-8389 Krystal@themarinesupplystore.com 19750 SE HWY 19-Old Town, FL www.themarinesupplystore.com32680 Store Hours: Mon-Fri: 8:00-5:00, Sat: 8:00-12:00 Heb. 10:24-25
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10 NORTH CENTRAL FLORIDA/NATURE COAST OCTOBER 2022 COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM
HORSESHOE BEACH
egg sinker to a 5/0 hook. Fish oyster bar edges on high tide, and deeper oyster beds and sand bars, next to deeper cuts and channels, on low tide.Trout have still been hit or miss for me, and when I do find them, it’s generally on the good incoming, on about a 4-foot grass flat. I imagine towards the end of October, we will start to see them moving into the deeper cuts and creeks, especially if we start to get some of these early
Well guys, I hope you have a good beginning to your fall, and if you have been thinking about fishing with me, now is the time. My calendar is filling up quickly, but I can squeeze you in if have an open fairly schedule. Give me a call with any of your fishing needs. Stay healthy, and God bless until next time, and keep it reel native!!
Captain Brent Woodard Reel Native Fishing ReelNativeFishing.comCharters352-284-5514
cold fronts. You can catch these trout the same way with a popping cork, or jig head on the bottom.
Hello everyone. I hope you had a great September. If the fishing continues to get better like it has been, October will be record-breaking. I know I’ve said it a hundred times, but this is literally one of my favorite times of the year. Hunting season has begun, and the fishing is really consistent
Your best bet to redfish is going to be cut mullet/shrimp under a cork, or shrimp on the bottom. For the cut mullet, I like to use a quarter ounce
Up the shallows, the redfish and trout will be on the feed big-time, especially around the concentrations or finger mullet. On the lower tide stages, the finger mullet will gang up, and when you find an area that is holding the mullet, you can be sure there’s something underneath them waiting to attack. I really like to fish the low tide along the ICW this time of year. The area where the water last exits a big flat, is going to be where the mullet, and the reds, trout, and flounder will be hanging out. A few of my favorite fall lures, are any top-water or subsurface plug that resembles a finger mullet and the Saltwater Assassin Sea Shad. Of course, a live or cut mullet will work wonders as well.
Capt. Tommy www.InshoreAdventures.netDerringer904-377-3734
freelined bait ready to go as well.
The flounder bite has been great all summer long and should only continue to get better as it cools off. Some of the areas biggest flounder come in October and November. Don’t be afraid to use some big bait for the “doormat flatties”. A 6-inch mullet seems like a huge bait, but a big flounder has a giant mouth and will have no problem getting it down. Just remember to wait a bit after the bite before setting the hook. Patience pays off big time in flounder fishing. Happy fall, and tight lines!
ST. AUGUSTINE
COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM OCTOBER 2022 NORTH CENTRAL FLORIDA/NATURE COAST 11 Boat with someone you can trust. 15066848 Hugh Cain 800-882-9304Allstate Based on coverage selected. Subject to terms, conditions, availability & qualifications. Allstate Property and Casualty Insurance Co. © 2015 Allstate Insurance Co. www.WhiteOakCreekLodge.com • 334-585-6644 Crappie Fishing - Lake Eufaula, AL Fishing Guide David Paulk Check out David Paulk Fishing on Facebook FIRST check out our website, then call Mack Paulk, 334-701-8820 www.WhiteOakCreekLodge.comFinestAlabamaFairChaseHunts Now BookiNg for 2022-23 SeaSoN www.WhiteOakCreekLodge.com • 334-585-6644 Crappie Fishing - Lake Eufaula, AL Fishing Guide David Paulk Check out David Paulk Fishing on Facebook Is it a trick or a treat that you’ll be offering the fish this month?
Whether live bait or an artificial lure is your thing, October is an awesome month to be on the water. The air temps will start to cool down a bit, and the fish will be chewin! Tons of finger mullet will be invading the inshore waters in Northeast Florida this time of year and just about every predatory fish that swims will be chowing down on them. It’s a great time to use any type of lure that resembles a mullet, with top-water and suspending plugs being the go-to for many anglers. We also have a couple good flood tides left, so if you missed out on the earlier ones, get out there as the flood tide fishing has been great thisWithyear.the influx of bait, the local inlets will be a great place to fish over the next couple of months. Huge bull reds will be found at all the area inlets. I like to fish an hour or two around either side of the slack tides. Some favorite baits are mullet, pogies, or blue crab. Cut the baits in half to allow the scent to get into the water. Use a fish-finder rig with enough weight to hold the bottom, and a good-sized circle hook. Just remember to really revive these big reds, as they are the ones responsible for making the future generations of Northeast Florida’s favorite inshore fish. There will also still be a few tarpon around at the inlets, so it’s a good idea to have a
Moon October 9
12 NORTH CENTRAL FLORIDA/NATURE COAST OCTOBER 2022 COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM
New Moon October 25
Red fishing can still be really good in October. The northern push of migrating redfish can still be traveling through our fishery this month. And if not, we still have great red fishing during the month of October. Most of these migrating fish can be over-sized, so get a quick picture and quickly get them back into the water. Look for these schools to float in with incoming tides around the outside points or keys. Also, look for jumping mullet. My favorite way to catch these fish this time of the year, is on a 1/4-ounce gold spoon. Top water plugs can be a lot of fun as well. If your throwing bait, shrimp rigged on a 1/16th ounce DOA jig head, or a free- lined pin fish can produce. Fly fishing for redfish this month can be super successful as well. You need to be there when these fish are floating in and throw shrimp pattern flies or gurglers.
As always Stay safe.
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HOMOSASSA
October is such an exciting month to be on the Nature Coast, one of my favorites for sure.! It’s that action packed month of the fall that we all look forward to after the summer. Everything is firing off, trout, red fish, snook, grouper, triple tail! Fall air, college football and fishing! It doesn’t get much better than that; right?
info.Full
Fall trout fishing is one of my favorites. Look for yellow bottom with rock grass from trout key bay, outside St. Martin Keys and all the way down to Chassahowitzka point. We have a healthy stock of rock grass this year. These fish are coming in from offshore and they like noise! Fish will respond well to a DOA popping cork followed with 20 to 24 inches of fluorocarbon to a 1/16-ounce jig head, rigged with a Mirror Lure little John in glow or watermelon red flake. The secret to
Capt. Jonathan www.captainjhamilton.com352-403-2073Hamilton
-Stump
fishing the cork rig is to give it time in the pause. 2 to 3 seconds at least. The jig needs to fall to their zone. Fish for snook on the outside points with good water flow. DOA 5.5 CAL in glow nose hooked with a 3/0 J hook will get the job done. As the water cools, these fish will move to the Neareast.shore rocks will be producing a plethora of groceries for your dinner table. Expect to catch plenty of decent sized mangrove snapper, grunts, and mackerel. Shrimp on a jig head will keep the rods bent. Great fun for the kids! Grouper will also be moving into the 10-to-15-foot range. Casting or trolling plugs will produce some nice fish. Live pin fish or cut threadfins will also make them bite. On your way back in make sure to check floating debris, piling, and buoys for triple tail. Shrimp under a cork work the best!
to keep other lines out so that the school of fish remain happy and hungry! Tight lines everyone good luck this month!!
Capt. Andrew Fagan : Capt_redfishdrew
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October on our coast, means only two things! Snook season is in full swing, and the running of the bulls--redfish that is! Inshore, all of the outer points bars and islands will be thriving with live baits of all sorts, from big and small mullet, to whitebait and pinfish.
COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM OCTOBER 2022 NORTH CENTRAL FLORIDA/NATURE COAST 13
This time of year, I try to focus on these points with an assortment of live baits and different tactics. At first thought, most people think it’s a school of fish you don’t have to be stealthy, but that’s the difference in catching a handful of fish, and catching them till your arms are weak! I will run to within 1/8 of a mile with my big motor, then use my trolling motor or the wind, depending on direction, to set myself up until I am within casting range of these fish. An assortment of baits is always welcomed in this situation, and while you can catch them on swimbaits, spoons and topwater live bait, this time of the year, is also the difference in catching a handful, and catching more than you can count. I like to bring shrimp and large mudminnows. Then I cast net some fresh mullet, live and dead, and I pull a few pinfish traps before I head to said spots. You never want to be on the boat, watching the other group of fishermen tear it up, while you sit bored, so bring everything. Stage up, just within casting range, and present a few different baits at different depths, using different techniques until one proves to be what the fish want. Once a fish is hooked, continue
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No matter what gamefish your targeting, they follow baitfish
John Freeze Kayak Fishing and Nature OurNationalForrest@gmail.comTours352-216-5798
COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM OCTOBER 2022 NORTH CENTRAL FLORIDA/NATURE COAST 15 YOUR BAIT & TACKLE SHOP HERE Call Lynn at 352-542-0356 CAPTAINSOUTFITTERSCOVE 39 West Hwy 40 Inglis, 352-447-5610FL www.CaptainsCoveOutfitters.com DW&D BAIT HOUSE 12831 Whiddon Ave Cedar Key, FL 352-543-6109 352-222-9383 44 TACKLE CO. 1522 US 41 North Inverness, FL 352.726.610034453 www.44Tackle.com OCKLAWAHA BAIT & TACKLE 13600 East CR 25 Ocklawaha, FL 352-816-585332179 STARKE LANDSCAPE I 469 S Walnut (US Hwy 30 I) Starke, FL 3209 I 904-964-3 I I 2 www.StarkeLandscape.com BAIT & TACKLE IN NORTH CENTRAL FLORIDA ENGLISH.BRAD@YAHOO.COM24304NW182NDAVE.HIGHSPRINGS,FL32643 CENTRAL FLORIDA INLAND Alright Forest Fishers, one more month and storm seasons pretty much behind us. I gotta say, it's been strange this year. Usually, around the time school lets out, we'll start off with a few small pop-up storms, here and there. Then, as time goes by, the weather progressively gets more intense. We keep an eye out for hurricanes, and in between storms, we catch a bunch of fish that are feeding like crazy.We did start off summer with a few small pop-up storms. After that, instead of more rain, we had sunny blue-bird skies for a solid month (at least) here in the National Forest. It rained all around us, heading our way, but every time, it would turn and slide right by. Thankfully, around mid-August, that all changed. We finally got a piece of those afternoon thunderstorms, and they just kept coming back, day after day. All of a sudden, the forest came back to life. Frogs were croaking louder than ever, the shorelines were lush with vegetation, and the bite was back
Now,on!constant rain gave our lakes and rivers new fallen trees and limbs. "Brush piles" are prime habitat for all types of aquatic life that gamefish love, so be on the lookout. Have a heavy action rod, with heavy line, and a creature bait to pitch or cast around wood. Next, the baitfish population has improved dramatically. Those are easy to spot, especially when bass start blowing up on schools of them. Make sure to bring a long-casting rod and your favorite topwater lure for feeding frenzies. As long as your cast makes it close, they'll smash it.
schools. The great thing is, you'll find the majority of those schools on one corner of a lake. Now, here's the biggest tip to remember when fishing this time of year. Wind blows everything on the water's surface to one side of a lake, right? Well, baitfish will always follow that surface matter because that's what they feed on, and that's what they hide under (from birds, etc.)! If you check the wind direction before you head to the water, you'll already have all the info you need for a successful day of "catching". Take care ya'll, and tear 'em up.
16 NORTH CENTRAL FLORIDA/NATURE COAST OCTOBER 2022 COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM
Sthe
Also, know how you’ll fight a fish. Saltwater species are much stronger than what you’d encounter on a stream or in a pond. With too much drag, they’ll break you off with a quick blistering run. If there’s too little drag, you’ll never get that fish to the boat. Learn how to apply drag manually by palming the reel. This allows you to adjust pressure on the fish more carefully and instantly.
Deal with these things as soon as you step up on the casting deck, and you can turn your attention to looking for fish.
for your shot, your chance to cast at a fish that either you or your guide/poling partner sees. Be ready to capitalize on your opportunity, which means paying attention to yourself.
COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM OCTOBER 2022 NORTH FLORIDA 5
• CASTS: Hopefully you’ve already spent some time working on your double haul. Google it. This technique increases line speed and delivers long accurate casts, which is necessary with the bulky flies and windy conditions inherent to the sport.Yet there’s more to fishing effectively than long-distance casting. You’ll also need quick casts, quick second casts, backhand casts and the dreaded short casts so many people muff when they’ve spent weeks practicing to sling 60 feet of line. You should work on these casts, as well.Learn to flip quick 10- to 20-foot casts to either side of the boat. Utilize water resistance to load the rod when the fly is already in the water. Limit false casting, which wastes time in the limited window of opportunity you’ll have with moving fish. Don’t try to muscle casts. A loaded rod imparts much more line speed than the strength of your arm.
• BE READY: Saltwater fly
For more information, go to coastalanglermag.com.
If you think you’ll need a 60-foot cast, you should have 60 feet of line off the reel and either on the deck or in a stripping basket. If it’s on the deck, make sure there isn’t anything else down around your feet, including your feet, for your line to snag on.
By CAM Staff
Familiarity with your gear and figuring out how to present flies quickly and accurately is all that matters. Get out on the water somewhere and get used to slinging line around.
GETTING INTO FLY FISHING THE SALT
With the fly pinched in the fingers of your off hand, keep the head of your line, at least 10 feet or so, outside of the top guide of your rod. This allows you to load the rod immediately, so you’ll need fewer false casts before letting the fly fly.
most humbling or the most rewarding experience in fishing. Many anglers new to the sport have a hard time adjusting to the techniques and know-how specific to the salt. Here are a few things to think about to help shorten the learning curve during your first few outings.
• CLOSE THE DEAL: When you get a fish to eat, don’t ruin the moment by lifting the rod tip. Train yourself to strip-set and to strip-set hard.
The world spearfishing record for hogfish, according to the International Underwater
The IGFA all-tackle world record hogfish weighed 21 pounds, 15 ounces. It was caught out of Charleston, South Carolina in 2011 by Wesley Covington.
By CAM Staff
COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM OCTOBER 2022 NORTH FLORIDA 7
Florida diver Josh Summerville speared a 24.2-pound hogfish about 40 miles out of Panama City Beach on Aug. 2. The big fish set a new state record for the species.
farther south in Florida. But there he was, and I went toward him right off.”
H
Summerville is a captain and dive master with Panama City Diving. He was on his day off from work and diving the Gulf of Mexico with some buddies from the center’s 36-foot boat Steel Slinger. According to Outdoor Life, Summerville dropped to about 100 feet on an area of live bottom called “Three-to-Five” by locals.“The water was really clear, and I looked down and saw a big hogfish,” he told Outdoor Life. “I was shocked to see him, because usually we don’t see many hogfish off Panama City. There are more of them to the east near Carrabelle or
Summerville took his shot from about 10 feet and hit the fish in the jaw, just under the eye, according to Outdoor Life. He didn’t realize he had a potential new record until they reached cell service on the way in. The fish measured 35. 5 inches in length and had a girth of almost 26 inches.Summerville’s huge hogfish was 2.5 pounds heavier than the previous Florida record of 21.7 pounds. James Michaelin speared the previous record last September in the Gulf. He actually gutted it before weighing it on certified scales, so there’s no telling how much it would have weighed intact.
Spearfishing Association, weighed 24.5 pounds. Diver Bruce Elliott Mock, Jr. stuck that fish off the coast of North Carolina on Aug. 3, 2017.
DIVER RECORDSPEARSHOGFISH
Hogfish are excellent to eat. They are prized by spearfishers and conventional anglers. Traditionally, they were pursued only with spearguns because their diet of crustaceans made them a difficult target on rod and reel. However, Gulf Coast anglers have begun to figure them out in the last few years. There aren’t too many fish in the sea that will turn down a live shrimp when it’s presented to them in just the right way.
For more record fish, go to coastalanglermag.com.
oly moly, what a hogfish!
Have
ANTIQUE TACKLE SHOW OPENS NOVEMBER 11-12
Release
devices are required for reef fish anglers in federal waters of the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico. Florida is looking at making them a requirement in state waters, as well.
The proposed Florida-waters gear requirement would mirror federal regulations and require those fishing from a vessel that are harvesting or attempting to harvest reef fish in state waters to have a descending device or venting tool rigged and ready for use.
These devices are designed to mitigate the effects of barotrauma, which is a pressure-related injury that fish sustain when being reeled up from depth. It is thought that requiring such gear helps improve survival rates of released reef fish. Mortality rates for catch-and-release of reef fish is a management challenge in waters off the Southeastern United States.
Although requirements for barotrauma-mitigation tools differ between Gulf and Atlantic federal waters, Florida is proposing anglers be allowed to choose which device works best for their circumstances. Proper use of such tools is a concern, and outreach has been proposed to educate anglers on their use as well as to increase regulatory compliance.
you ever wondered about the value of that old tackle box your grandpa left you? What about that old rod and reel combo gathering dust in the attic or the vintage outboard in the back of the garage? Well, here’s your chance to find out.
Nationally recognized and promoted, this show will attract advanced collectors from across the country—all attending to buy, sell and trade vintage fishing tackle. More than 4,000 square feet of angling antiquities will be on display—including rare lures, reels, rods, creels and other fishing-related memorabilia and ephemera.
For more information, go to MyFWC.com.
For press passes and additional information, contact Bernie Schultz at (352) 284-2972 or bernie@bernieschultzfishing.com.
RELEASEREQUIREMENTDEVICEPROPOSED
8 NORTH FLORIDA OCTOBER 2022 COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM
The first annual Savannah Southern Classic antique tackle show, cohosted by the Florida Antique Tackle Collectors and the Carolina Antique Tackle Collectors, will be held Nov. 11-12. This first-time show will take place in the Savannah Conference Center inside the Embassy Suites, 145 West Mulberry Blvd., Savannah, Georgia 31407.
The public is welcome to attend at the nominal cost of $5 per adult (accompanied children under 12 admitted free). Once inside, visitors can either browse or buy from the show’s many exhibitors, or receive free appraisals for their old tackle and other fishing-related items. Those interested in selling can consign their items to our Saturday auction, where hardcore collectors will bid aggressively.Publicshow
FOR FLORIDA STATE WATERS
times are Friday, Nov. 11 from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; and Saturday, Nov. 12 from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Those interested in becoming a member and exhibiting at this and future shows should visit www.FATC.net or www.CarolinaAntiqueTackleCollectors.com.
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Both sh were caught slow-pitch jigging with JYG Pro jigs.
Star-studded grouper are a species that inhabits the eastern Paci c Ocean from Southern California down to e previous all-tackle world record was a 31-pounder caught by Chris Wheaton out of Loreto, Mexico.
Caught on the Same Trip!
oastal Angler Magazine contributor Ryan Izquierdo was on a really hot bite on April 28 while shing out of San Carlos in Sonora, Mexico. e boat he was on landed not one, but two IGFA all-tackle world records for star-studded grouper. With just a fraction of a kilogram separating the weights of the two sh, IGFA recently named them both a tie for the all-tackle world record.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON RECORD FISH, VISIT IGFA.ORG.
Izquierdo’s sh weighed 15.38 kilograms, which is 33 pounds, 14.5 ounces and some change. On the same trip, Robert Navarro boated another star-studded grouper that weighed 15.51 kilograms, or 34 pounds, 3 ounces and some change. Both sh will be recorded as all-tackle world records in the books.
TWO RECORDWORLDGROUPER
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• Captain Harry’s and Crook & Crook in Miami
Earlier this year, Fin-Nor debuted 20 styles which are purpose-built for anglers and life on the water. Fin-Nor sunglasses are equipped with cuttingedge Lateral Line lens technology, which allows for maximum protection from the sun while giving anglers the best visibility into the depths. e lenses feature premium polarization and coatings on both sides that prevent smudges and scratches and provide optimal clarity. e frames are made from lightweight and durable materials.
• Strike Zone Fishing in Jacksonville and Melbourne
• Lake and Trail in Okeechobee
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COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM OCTOBER 2022 FLORIDA 15 Ladies, fish Friday & Sunday, inshore or offshore, on charter boats or your own boat! Win prizes! Perfect for beginners or those who don ’t fish a lot. Full-day seminar on Saturday, inshore & offshore. We will team you with others. No experience or boat necessary! Charter fishing additional to registration. Ladies, Let ’s Go Fishing!® Fis hing Fe v e r To u r n a m e n t October 15- 17 • Islamorada, FL Go fishing & win in the Florida Keys! Register in advance to hold your fishing spot at www. LadiesLetsGoFishing. com October 7-9 • Islamorada, FL
• Deep Six Dive Shop in Vero Beach and Stuart
• Sunglass World in Tallahassee, Destin, Pensacola, Panama City, Panama City Beach, Lutz and Daytona Beach
One of the most iconic brands in the shing industry, Fin-Nor has announced that its premium availablesunglassesangler-focusedarenowatpremierretaillocations throughout Florida.
• Outcast Bait and Tackle in Pensacola
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e angler, Ryan Hernandez, caught his “leopard” red sh while shing with Capt. Danny Alvarez in the Upper Laguna Madre near Corpus Christi, Texas on Aug. 27. Hernandez said the sh had more than 300 spots per Leopardside. red sh are rare, but they do show up from time to time. Fisheries biologists believe this rare color pattern is caused by both parents having a recessive pigmentation trait. e wild coloration leaves the o spring particularly susceptible to predation early in its life. Not only is it rare for a leopard red sh to be hatched, it’s rare for them to reach catchable size.According to SaltWater Sportsman, Hernandez kept his leopard red sh to have it mounted. It’ll make a heck of a conversation piece.
For more weird catches, go to coastalanglermag.com.
R
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ed sh have black spots. Some of them have several black spots. is red sh caught on the Texas Gulf Coast had so many black spots that it doesn’t even look like a red sh.
TEXAS CATCHESANGLERSTRIKING LEOPARDREDFISH
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Photo courtesy of Knockin Tail Lures
Here’s my disclaimer: I invented Knockin Tail Lures. e paddletail I use for snook is the Knockin Tail Lure in the Halloween is lure, like the Rat-L-Trap, has a built-in rattle. Trust me,
CATCH BIG SNOOK
My other tip involves a color I haven’t seen pictured with many, if any, snook other than those anglers in my circle. e color is in the orange family with gold glitter and a chartreuse tail. is little gem has produced numerous snook over the years. I sh this color in a 5-inch paddletail lure, typically on a heavier jighead. I like a heavy head because I burn these swimbaits through the water.
W
I hope this new look at snook shing helps you catch your next e theme here is sound attracts sh. So, tie on some noisy lures and get hooked up!
By Capt. Michael Okruhlik
Now for methods you may not have tried while targeting snook. Let’s visit our friends in the freshwater aisle and pull out an old favorite: the Rat-L-Trap! Pick up a few of these in chrome and blue, buy some stout saltwater-grade treble hooks, stainless steel split rings, and you’re set. ese noisy, rattling hard baits drive big snook crazy. I sh these on a fast and steady retrieve. e simplicity, in itself, is enticing. Among the advantages are the castability of these lures, their bullet-proof construction, and best of all there is not much skill required in this tactic. Simply cast and reel at a fast pace and hold on tight. When a hungry, or mad snook nails a Trap as you burn it through salty water, they will try their best to take the lure and the rod from your hands. ere is nothing like a 40-inch snook hammering a fast-moving Rat-L-Trap!
Capt. Michael Okruhlik is the inventor of Knockin’ Tail Lures, Controlled Descent Lures and the owner of www.MyCoastOutdoors.com.
hen it comes to snook shing with lures, I typically see the same color patterns and lure styles displayed in the jaws of caught sh as the angler proudly presents their catch to the camera. I’d like to share some new colors and lures that I have found to be very e ective when targeting solid-lined trophies.Let’s start with what you might already know. Feather jigs are popular among those who pursue line-siders. Some may tip their jig with a grub of some sort, while others take the simple approach of feathers, lead and a sharp hook. More o en than not, when I see these jigs pinned in the jaws of magni cent sh, the colors are typically white, red, chartreuse or a combination of all three. I don’t typically throw a feather jig, but when I do I prefer to tip it with a paddletail to give it extra vibration. Find one with a rattling tail, and you just increased your odds of hooking up!
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Recreational
Recreational harvesters age 16 and older who plan to use traps are required to complete an annual no-cost trap registration at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com. rough this process, they will obtain trap registration numbers that must be included on each trap along with the owners name and address.
For more information, go to myfwc.com.
OPENS OCTOBER
Trapping is the most e cient method of collecting the legal limit. Each harvester is allowed ve traps. ey may be baited and placed in the water as early as Oct. 5, but traps may not be pulled and claws may not be harvested until the Oct. 15 season opener.
Diving and snorkeling for stone crabs is also popular. Look for crushed shells in front of holes in the rocks or reef where a stone crab has been feeding. Use a tickle stick with angle of less than 90 degrees to pull them out of the hole and grab them by the claws with gloved hands.
20 FLORIDA OCTOBER 2022 COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM STONE CRAB HARVEST
stone crab season opens Oct. 15 and runs through May 1. e minimum claw size is 2 7/8 inches, and recreational harvesters may take a daily bag limit of 1 gallon of claws per person or 2 gallons of claws per vessel, whichever is less.
15
Whether diving or trapping, it is illegal to harvest claws from eggbearing females. It is permitted to take both claws if they are of legal length, but most people choose to take just one so the crab is le with something to feed and defend itself with.
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When Sam returned home he used his new outboard right away and was pleasantly surprised by how well it worked with his boat. ank you to over 10,000 people who entered the contest. We've got some more great prizes every month on CoastalAnglerMag.com, so please keep checking back for more!
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Congratulations to Sam Winton of omasville, Ga. for winning a Suzuki DF2.5 Portable Outboard Motor from Coastal Angler Magazine and Suzuki Marine. Winton picked up his prize on Labor Day Weekend from Southeastern Marine and Repair in Douglas, Ga. When Winton arrived at the dealership, Kevin Stone presented Winton with a huge winning check and his outboard.
To enter in our monthly drawing visit CoastalAnglerMag.com/Contest
COASTAL ANGLER AWARDS GEORGIA MAN A SUZUKI OUTBOARD!
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Here’s a memorable beach moment: You’re basking in the warm sun, toes in the sand, letting the gentle turn of the foam-capped waves lull you into a state of complete relaxation. As your eyes scan the endless horizon of blue on blue, you’re rewarded with a school of dolphins making their way across the sea. There’s no denying their signature shape as they leap from the water. If you don’t see anything else extraordinary the rest of the day, you can take solace knowing you’ve witnessed one of nature’s most playful and intelligent creatures in their natural habitat.
Catch Amazing Action on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula
Last, but not least, we fished Skilak Lake, which feeds the Kenai River from the center of the peninsula. This was my favorite place to fish. It is as beautiful as it is full of fish. We stayed 18 days in Alaska and spent our 17th on Skilak, where we slayed the fish. We landed and released more than 100 reds, silvers and trout that day! It was a great note to end our trip.
Twice, we traveled northeast by van to Hope, Alaska, where we fished for pinks in Resurrection Creek. They were so thick that we stayed busy catching and releasing them after we all caught our limits. On our second trip to Resurrection, we went in search of silvers but they had not arrived yet, so we caught pinks
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If you ever get the chance to fish the Kenai Peninsula, you will love it. Get a group of friends, do some research and go. Fish with a guide or on your own. There are so many options and so many fish that it’s hard not to have an amazing adventure.
We also fished from a boat on the Kenai River, where anchored to deploy small Kwikfish. These lures settle into the current near the bottom and vibrate. Fish swimming upstream see them and attack. Unlike the red salmon, which aren’t interested in eating, the pink (humpback) and silver (coho) salmon jumped all over this setup.
again. It was so fun!
We also ventured south from Soldotna to the Kasilof River and caught salmon and trout. We crossed the peninsula to Seward and fished the Resurrection River for silvers, pinks and dog (chum) salmon. The river was full of fish, so we fished until it was too dark to see the bears and called it a day at midnight.
Second only to the Kenai’s fishing is the scenery. There is a majestic feel to this area. The views are beautiful, there is amazing wildlife and tons of stuff to see. We saw it all as we drove all over the place chasing fish.
Gary Turner is a long-time contributor to The Angler Magazine. Contact him at gary@purgeright.com.
By Gary Turner
laska’s Kenai Peninsula is a world-renowned fishery, known for all of its salmon runs, of which the Kenai River king salmon run is the most famous. The saltwater fishing out of Homer, Deep Creek and Seward are also amazing. I’ve been to Alaska fishing several times, and this year I fished the fresh and the salt with five friends who were all on their first trip. Here’s a quick look at what we did in freshwater. I’ll write about our saltwater adventures in the future.
Our lodging was in Soldotna, near the mouth of the Kenai River on Cook Inlet. That’s where we fished the Kenai River for red (sockeye) salmon. The famous king salmon season closed before we arrived this year, or we would have been fishing for them. We “flossed” for reds, which is a technique used in rivers to catch salmon that are more interested in their spawning run than they are in feeding. Basically, you use a weighted leader. As pods of fish swim upstream, the line threads an open mouth and you snag the fish when the hook pulls tight. This was combat-style fishing. We stood a rod’s length from other anglers, and it was mayhem when someone hooked up.
AggressiveTactics
“If I have that fish that’s two feet or larger, I’m feeling really confident having that fish on 20-pound as opposed to having it on 2x,” he said.
Alex McCrickard has a go-big or go-home attitude when it comes to fall browns. He’s a former fly fishing guide and the current aquatic education coordinator for the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. As the days grow shorter, McCrickard breaks out his heavy 6- and 7-weight rods to sling big streamers.Onsmaller streams, he’ll fish floating line with a 9-foot leader that tapers down to no lighter than 2x tippet. The long leader allows a weighted streamer to get down in the water column, and 2x has a breaking strength of about 10 pounds. It’s more than enough to handle the 14- to 20-inchers you might encounter in a creek or stream.
On a big tailwater, McCrickard gears up with 250-grain sinking line and runs a short 3-foot leader of 0x tippet. If the water is dingy, he’ll fish 3 feet of straight 20-pound monofilament.
“A productive day is relative. When you’re throwing a 10-foot 7-weight and a 250-grain full sinking line with 3 feet of 20-lb. monofilament, you’re not really going for numbers anymore,” said McCrickard. “You’re looking for one, maybe two fish. You kind of have to go out there with the mentality of, ‘I might get skunked today, but I might catch my best fish of the year… or the best fish I’ve caught in the last five years.’”
While the females become preoccupied with cutting nests, called redds, on shallow gravel bars in moving water, the males put on bright colors to
L
The timing is different on every piece of water, but October is thought to be the peak of pre-spawn behavior for most streams and rivers. Since big browns are more aggressive than they are at any other time of year, anglers who target them should fish aggressively.
FOR AGGRESSIVE FALL BROWN TROUT
On large or small water, pre-spawn browns will hit bigger flies than you’d think they would. This could be a 2- to 3-inch-long Woolly Bugger on a mountain stream or a 6-inch-long articulated pattern on a big river. Either way, it’s a game of covering water persistently and presenting the fly to as many fish as possible.
Across the East, brown trout spawn in a window that runs from midSeptember into December. Males and females of the species leave their summer lies to strike out upstream in search of spawning habitat. They are on the move and more visible to anglers than at any other time of year.
Nick Carter is author of “Flyfisher’s Guide to North Carolina & Georgia.” It is available on Amazon or by contacting the author at nsc8957@gmail.com.
12 NATIONAL OCTOBER 2022 COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM
advertise their suitability as mates. The big boys spar with each other for the opportunity to fertilize eggs. They become ornery, and are cocked to lash out at anything that catches their eye.
By Nick Carter
ust and jealousy make males of many species do stupid things they wouldn’t normally do. This is true for humans and whitetail deer, and it’s also true for brown trout, which grow aggressive this time of year as they gear up for the spawn.
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The angler, 59-year-old Cary Carney, was fishing aboard the 32-foot Willow B, which was captained by his son Brandon Carney. They were fishing in about 1,300 feet of water on Aug. 21, when the big broadbill ate a strip of albacore belly. They had the fish on an electric Diawa MP3000 reel, but a blown fuse rendered it inoperable. Carney buckled down and cranked the fish in by hand on 65-pound test line.
ANGLER POUND RECORD SWORDFISH
Two hours later, the big fish was boatside. They roped its tail and used the T-top as a pulley to bring it onboard. It measured 104 inches fork length and had a 53-inch girth.
Carney’s swordfish crushed the previous state record by more than 60 pounds. The old record of 441 pounds had stood since 1979. The thing is, if they had hauled it in with the electric reel, it would not have qualified for the record.The
“He’s one of those old-school guys,” Brandon Carney said of his father for an article in the Raleigh News & Observer. “His arm might be hanging off, but he won’t let you know it. After about 30 minutes, it rose to about 20 feet below the surface and we could see how big it was.”
8-ounce swordfish caught 55 miles off Morehead City, North Carolina was recently certified as a new state record.
IGFA all-tackle world record swordfish weighed 1,182 pounds. It was caught off the coast of Chile in 1953 by Louis Marron.
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