Coastal Angler Magazine | March 2021 | Northeast Florida Edition by Coastal Angler Magazine

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SIGHT FISHING

TRIPLETAIL

CAPE COD BLITZES

RECORD BREAKING SWORDFISH VOLUME 26 • ISSUE 312

PHOTO CREDIT: TOMMY LADO COURTESY OF CHEYANNE SINGLETARY

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ripletail are some of the most exciting gamefish that visit inshore waters. Their peculiar tendency to hang near the surface around floating debris makes them perfect for sight fishing, and on top of that they are absolutely delicious. Capt. Jeremy Davidson is an angler devoted to these oddball fish. His charter service, Southern Salinity, is based out of St. George Island, where he specializes in inshore tripletail on Florida’s Forgotten Coast. “They start to migrate to shallower water when that water temperature starts rising,” he said “It’s wind and water temperature dependent, but everything starts to move in March or April—the bait, the pelagics, everything.” Throughout the Gulf of Mexico and up the Atlantic Coast, tripletail move shallower in waves. Davidson said the timing is different by location, but the patterns are similar. First, scads of smaller

fish move in from offshore through the passes to find homes on floating debris. The early spring bite is characterized by plentiful opportunities at smaller fish. By May or June, larger 8- to 12-pounders settle in on trap buoys, floating vegetation and tide lines. Big fish in the 20-pound range arrive in deep summer. They’re there to feed and procreate, said Davidson, which means they are primed to pick up a bait. However, catching tripletail consistently is more difficult than it might appear. THE SETUP: To spot tripletail, you must train your eyes to look beneath the surface. Fish will stay with a piece of floating cover as long as it harbors the small crabs, shrimp and glass minnows tripletail feed on. Cover could be anything, and Davidson recommends checking out everything floating on the surface. You might spot the fish itself, but the first indication is usually the sub-surface flash of a turning fish. When Davidson spots fish, he leaves the boat in gear and noses into the current to point the bow at the fish within casting range. THE CAST: “Do not hit that fish,” Davidson warned. “Pick a spot out past it. I don’t care if it’s the treeline. Just make sure to pitch past that fish.” Casting past the fish with an underhand pitch allows the angler to retrieve the bait slowly through the strike zone. If the tripletail doesn’t take the bait on the initial retrieve, it’s time to flip the bail and allow the tide to carry the bait back past the fish. “It’s a slow dance,” Davidson said. “Retrieve it slow and easy.”

THE TAKE: Don’t set the hook! Tripletail feed delicately. They ease up and pluck their prey from near the surface. Then, to avoid spooking their next meal, they move away before engulfing it. “Let that fish roll down or go the other way,” Davidson said. “Give it 5 or 10 seconds, then lift up and he’s on. Then he turns into a wild man!” THE FIGHT: The harder you pull on a tripletail, the harder and wilder it fights back. This is important because, along with brute strength, these prehistoric fish have a sharp, line-slicing gill plate. Davidson reiterated his slow dance metaphor, saying you can sometimes lead a fish right to the boat by taking it slow and easy. “Square up with him. Keep your rod tip up, and let him run if he wants to dig,” said Davidson “Walk him around the boat. Stay square with him, and pump him in slow and easy.” THE RIG: Tripletail eat shrimp, pogies and artificials, but Davidson prefers to make a fresh-shrimp lure. He pops the heads off large restaurant-quality shrimp and pinches the flappers off their tails. Then he runs a 2/0 or 3/0 3X Strong VMC circle hook up the tail and out the second notch before turning the point back into the bait. This hides the hook and allows the shrimp to swim like a lure. To make pitching the rig easier, he ties an elongated float, like Boat Monkey’s Cigar Slip Float, between braided 30-lb. main line and a 2- to 3-foot leader of 30-lb. fluorocarbon. More advanced anglers might go bobberless for better control while working the bait. To do this, tie the braid directly to the leader with a double uni knot. Capt. Jeremy Davidson owns Southern Salinity, which runs charters on Florida’s Forgotten Coast. See their website at www.southernsalinity.com.

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ver the last few months, I’ve shared some techniques in these pages that people seem to be trying with some success. When you think about it, incorporating squid into your offshore spreads really is a nobrainer when you can find and purchase good whole squid. One of the best ways to rig those squid, and ballyhoo for that matter, is with a Chin Weight coupled with a “stiff-rig” stinger hook assembly. Recently, I’ve received quite a few calls and e-mails from folks all over the country asking for a simpler way to achieve the end result of a stiff-rig stinger hook. I had to go to the barn, have a few cocktails and dig deep, but here it is: The simple way to keep a stinger hook in a rigid “stiff ” position without snelling it or making a cat’s paw connection. If the terminology is throwing you off at this point, stay tuned, this actually is a very simple solution that anyone can achieve with a limited amount of materials and know how. The key to this rig is inexpensive heatshrink tubing over a standard crimped-wire connection. Granted, you might only get a bite or two out of this rig before teeth shred the heatshrink tubing and it’s no longer rigid. However, it’s so easy to make this rig that you can churn

Step two: Make a second crimp at 90 degrees to the first crimp. This is a (small) diameter in the cable to fit over a 7/0 or 11/0 Tim Barefoot Chin Weight (as shown in photo). Step Three: Slide a ¾-inch length section out dozens in different lengths of heat-shrink tubing over the crimped for different sized baits and keep them at the ready. Cut your cable to the connection of the hook and heat with a lighter correct length and make a few crimps… that’s in the vertical position. That’s it! all there is to it. Step One: Make a standard crimped connection using the High Seas 1.0 crimp and the American Fishing Wire 175# (7x7) or 49 strand cable.

Now, if you’re a visual learner like I am, go watch the video I made on the process. See it once, and it will be like a light bulb going off in your head. It really is that easy. For more information and to watch the video, go to barefootcatsandtackle.com. Click on “Heat Shrink Tubing Stiff Rig Stinger Hook.”

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INSHORE STRATEGIES FOR THE

PHOTO COURTESY OF KNOCKIN TAIL LURES.

Most fish are still in transition between the deep mud and the shallow sand or grass flats, which keeps them spread out through the bays. Add high winds, cool fronts and the small size of the forage, and you have a tougher puzzle to put together than the other three seasons. Here are a few tips to help you sort though this maze and hopefully land a few more fish this spring. First and foremost, baitfish are extremely small this time of year, and it is not uncommon to find dozens of small glass minnows in the bellies of trout and redfish in the spring. This makes my first tip obvious, so I won’t waste a lot of space here, but downsize your lure presentation if you can. Obviously, this can impact one’s casting abilities, so rigging small lures in tandem can be By Capt. Michael Okruhlik a plus and assist in casting distance. Something else I like to use in the spring is a clear or transparent lure with some glitter, or maybe one with a light translucent color. I choose these because it’s more difficult for the fish to see the lure’s actual size, which gives the appearance that it’s smaller than it actually is. I’ve found this to be a productive alternative to downsizing. While choosing a typical-size trout and redfish lure for this application, I look for one with subtle movements. I like either a darting-style bait or a paddle lure with a very subtle vibration. Strong, big-vibrating tails have their time, but early spring is not one of them. One thing I notice about schools of small baitfish is their movement. When displaced, they seldom dart deeper, and most of their movement is side-to-side or upward. Due to this characteristic, I also like a lightweight lure with a slow sink rate. I feel this better imitates spring forage movements and increases strikes. I like a lure that twitches side to side that doesn’t sink very fast on the pause. In early spring while the fish are in transition, they will start to congregate on sandy shores with grass. This will be the main cover for the small fry. While employing these techniques and lure choices, concentrate efforts on broken grass flats with potholes and distinct edges. These areas are best when they are close to deeper water. I hope you find these tactics helpful and as the weather warms and you pring is around the corner, and a lot of fishermen who hang up their gear enjoy the outdoors, don’t forget to take a kid fishing! for winter can’t wait for the temps to rise. Although the enthusiasm is high to wet a line, spring can be the most difficult season to successfully Capt. Michael Okruhlik is the inventor of Knockin Tail Lures, Controlled pattern and to consistently catch inshore fish. Descent Lures and the owner of www.MyCoastOutdoors.com.

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By CAM Staff

ith a five-release first day, Michael Jordan’s boat, Catch 23, held on to win the 58th annual Buccaneer Cup Sailfish Tournament Jan. 20-23. This year’s event featured a fleet of 38 boats and a total of 63 sailfish caught. It was a big win for Catch 23. The big, beautiful boat has been making national headlines in tournament circuits the last few years, primarily because of the star power Jordan brings to the deck. But now Catch 23 has a big win to hang its hat on. The Buccaneer Cup is one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious sailfish release tournaments. It was held this year out of Palm Beach and Jupiter, Florida during the traditional heart of the area’s sailfish season. The name Catch 23 pays homage to the jersey number Jordan wore through six NBA championships with Chicago Bulls. The custom 80-foot Viking is wrapped with the elephant print that first adorned Air Jordan 3 sneakers and now also appears on Jordan’s jet. Since 2019, Catch 23 has competed in several high-stakes marlin tournaments in mid-Atlantic. It also saw duty in the last two Stuart Sailfish Club Light Tackle Sailfish tournaments, and placed third in 2019. At this year’s Buccaneer Cup, Capt. Stetson Turney led Catch 23 to five releases on the first day of fishing, Thursday Jan. 21. The action came in spurts. Catch 23 called in its first two releases at 9:11 and 9:31 a.m. Jordan was on the reel for the first one, and angler Jimmy David cranked in the second. The team hung two more release flags just before 2 p.m., when Danny Young fought a sailfish to the boat at 1:47 p.m. and David got his second at 1:53. At 3:28 p.m., Jordan reeled in the fifth release of the day to earn the boat 1,000 points and a solid Day One lead. The tournament awards 200 points for each sailfish release using live bait and 300 points for each release caught on dead bait. Catch 23 did not call in another release until just before noon on the final day of fishing Saturday, Jan. 23. This allowed the eventual secondplace boat, De-Bait-Able, to climb into contention. De-Bait-Able, a 60-foot Viking, captained by KJ Zeher, called in two releases on the morning of Friday’s Day Two. Both fish were handled by angler Cameron Walsh. Saturday saw De-Bait-Able make a big push with four releases between 8:27 a.m. and lines out. Anglers Jay Lanigan, Mike Lanigan, Laura Rassel and Tom Walsh battled in their catches to give De-Bait-Able 1,200 points at the end of Day Three. They were one fish shy of catching Catch 23, which called in releases for anglers Annibal Moya and Danny Young on the final day of fishing. For more information on the Buccaneer Cup, go to www.buccaneercup.com.

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lorida is home to one of the most incredibly diverse fisheries on the planet, and every change in season brings entirely new fishing opportunities to our doorstep. With long summers and short winters, temperature changes in autumn and spring bring the most dramatic shifts to our fisheries. Changes are unpredictable this time of year, and the month of March can be absolutely incredible or a total bust. It only takes a few degrees of water temperature rise to bring on full-on spring fishing. This is a wonderful time of year to be an avid fisherman. The delicate and seemingly minuscule weather changes are extremely impactful to the mysterious behavior of fish. We are on the precipice of the next fishing season, but it is based on many factors, none of which are your calendar. Florida is an annoyingly perfect place to be a boater and angler. It may seem like there are always too many boats out there competing for the bite, but, unlike places like Louisiana, where the fishing spots are marked by giant oil rigs, every venture is an opportunity to find a new honey-hole. One of the super-secret offshore coordinates found by the company I work for has been reliably fascinating throughout the year, or even throughout a week. This fishing spot is a unique little ecosystem. The bottom finder is usually marked up like a child’s crayon drawing, yet the species landed can vary greatly from day to day, or season to season. I was fishing this location recently and we caught 53 lane snapper in a few hours. We returned a few days later, and the bottom finder looked the same. We expected to catch lane snapper again, yet it was all mangroves. Then, all of a sudden the screen showed no fish. It was completely blank. This was just as interesting as any other change that had happened there. The fish would reappear on the screen, and disappear, and the bites and lack thereof, followed instantly. All of this happened back and forth within two to five minute intervals. Everyone on board began watching the screen to know when to expect a bite, and then we saw what we had all surmised. Big marks appeared on the screen zipping along solo. There were predatory fish down there. Luckily, we were able to land these predators visiting our honey-hole, and confirm that they were not just sharks. They were giant bull redfish, one of which came up double hooked. Likely not residents of this area, they had stopped by for a snack on their springtime journey through our area. This time of year is unpredictable, and I would never dare claim to understand all the mysterious behaviors of fish, so I will refrain from giving a fishing report. I will, however, say it is a great time of year to be surprised. Capt. Quinlyn Haddon fishes with Reel Lucky Fishing Charters out of St Petersburg, Fla. Give them a call at (504) 929-6342 and check out Capt. Haddon’s social media @CaptainQuinlyn.

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The Pompano Beach fishing scene was buzzing in mid-January. Fish were really chewing out on the swordfish grounds, and it seemed everyone with a boat was running 15 miles out to the trench to get in on the action. That buzz rose to near hysteria the evening of Jan. 20, when four anglers between the ages of 17 and 21 returned to the docks at Lighthouse Point Marina. In their boat was an enormous 767.8-pound swordfish. It was a new state record. Here’s the story as told by 21-year-old Timmy Maddock, the new record holder:

had just returned from fishing in Costa Rica when I heard the swords were biting. I asked my buddy Hunter Irvine to go swordfishing, and he was ready! That evening, I swung by Big Dog Tackle in Pompano Beach where my girlfriend, Jaime Johanson, is the store manager. I bought fresh baits to rig for the next day’s trip. Hunter and I were up at 5:30 a.m. to load his 31-foot center console. Jaime and our other buddy Jeremy Rafferty met us there. At the sword grounds, we got a good bite on our first drop but were confused when the fish didn’t come back. After making three more drops, we heard on the radio there were bites to the south. We picked up and ran a couple miles south to find five boats stacked up in the area. Out of courtesy, we moved south of the other boats and dropped. The rod went slack the second the lead hit bottom. The four of us kind of looked around at each other, wondering if we had gotten cut off. I engaged the electric reel and started bringing in line to check. After a couple minutes, there was weight on the rod tip. “We got one on!” I yelled. The line was slack because the fish had shot straight to the surface. With the rod loaded and the darts ready for battle, the fish came straight up and jumped out of the water! We were all excited, thinking we might have a 400- or 500-pounder on the line. The lead was off within the first 15 minutes, and that fish raced all over the surface for 30 or 45 minutes before going back to the bottom. While she was up, we couldn’t get a dart in her because she was hauling ass all over the place. After two hours of hard fighting on the bottom, there was a nervous silence. We had begun to speculate how big she really was. She came halfway up and back down four or five times. The last time she dove, she was at 2000 revolutions off the LP electric reel. That’s when we think she died. We tightened the drag to gain line. Every time the boat rocked on a wave, we gained a foot. After an hour and a half of rocking, we finally got the wind-on leader back on the reel. Her head popped out of the water and we all freaked out, knowing she was dead and the fight was over. Jaime grabbed the gaff, holding her phone in the other hand to record this epic moment. Jeremy backed the boat to the fish on the surface, and Hunter put a dart in her to close the deal after more than five hours. When we got her tied off, happiness and adrenalin filled us all as we jumped around and celebrated. We spent 20 minutes trying to get the fish in the boat before radioing for help. Rob Doda was out swordfishing by himself, and he left his spot to come to our aid. He left his boat floating and jumped aboard to explain what needed to be done. After 30 minutes of all five of us pulling, we got her through the tuna door. The boat was taking on a lot of water from the weight on the back corner. We dropped Rob off at his boat and drove as fast as we could to the dock. 12 FLORIDA 1 LOCATION

MARCH 2021 JUNE 2020

• Word got out quickly as soon as we reached communication range. The folks at Big Dog Tackle led the search to find an IGFA certified scale. Shaughn Miller of Offshore Anglers of Pompano Beach agreed to meet us with a scale at the Lighthouse Point Marina fuel docks. There was a small crowd on hand. The girth of the fish’s tail was bigger than most men’s waist. As she was hoisted from the boat, the scale climbed 400… 500… 600! Everyone was cheering. When she was finally vertical, the scale stopped at 767.8 pounds. It was insane, to say the least. The fish yielded more than 400 pounds of meat that was given away to family, friends and Filet for Friends charity. Some of it was eaten during a celebration barbecue for the community, where many got a taste of the official Florida state record swordfish.

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TIPS FOR SPRING COBIA PHOTO COURTESY OF CAPT. TONY SUMMERS

By CAM Staff

f cobia aren’t already on the move, they’re getting ready to be. During the spring migration, cobia move out of the Florida Keys and run north along the beaches on both the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. This sets the stage for an exciting style of fishing in which anglers cruise beyond the breakers, actively sight fishing for pods of fish. Here are a few things to consider before you head out chasing that spring migration.

4) Get A Late Start: Cruising cobia are easier to spot when the sun is high and there’s less glare on the water. This is especially true if you’re fishing from a smaller boat with a short tower or no tower at all. By heading out late in the morning, you’ll be covering water when spotting fish is more likely. Also, especially early in the season, cobia move higher in the water column as the sun warms the surface. Obviously, you should wear a good pair of sunglasses and ball cap to combat the sun’s glare.

1) Seek Cover: When they’re not on the move, cobia post up, sometimes in schools, around some type of structure. Check the channel markers, buoys, FADs and known wrecks. If they’re not on the surface, they might be deeper. A little chum can be the ticket to bringing them up. If you’re running the beaches, be sure to take a long look around any sort of floating debris.

5) Consider a Net: A gaffed green cobia will absolutely wreck your boat and your shins, if you’re not careful. Even after a grueling fight, a big net is a good place to let cobia expend some of their fury. It also makes it easier to release undersized fish. With a gaff or a net, be ready with the cooler lid or fish box open when you bring the fish over the rail. Chunk that bad boy in the box, slam the door and sit on it. You’ll need a moment to catch your 2) Keep It In Gear: As they migrate up the coast, visible cobia are breath, anyway. bombarded by anglers. They’re hungry—and no one ever accused them of being smart—but they can get a little boat shy. When you spot them cruising, 6) On the Fly: Once you’ve caught a few cobia on conventional tackle, approach at a steady speed and cast as soon as you can assure accuracy in a it’s time to bring a 10- or 11-weight fly rod on the boat. All the things that 3- or 4-foot window ahead of the fish. The farther the boat is from a cruiser, make this fish such a great target for sight fishing also make it an awesome the better your chances are of getting bit. And don’t throw the boat into adversary for fly fishers. reverse or take it out of gear. For some reason, the steady growl of a motor Just like with conventional gear, the window of opportunity begins to doesn’t alarm them, but popping it in and out of gear will put them down close as soon as soon as you approach a pod of cruisers. Cobia will cream a in a heartbeat. well-placed eel or baitfish pattern, but time is of the essence. Start stripping off line as soon as fish are spotted. The cast needs to be quick, so there’s no 3) Keep It All On Deck: When you get a shot, you should be ready with time for excessive false casting. Use a water load on the backcast to achieve an arsenal of baits and lures ready and waiting. If the fish is visible near the instant distance and let fly. If you misfire, pick it up and throw it again. surface, it will let you know pretty quickly if its interested in what you throw. It’s a good idea to fish an intermediate sinking line for cobia. This allows There’s a good chance you’ll get a few shots if you don’t spook the fish by you to fish the surface with fast strips or to let it drop a little deeper. A 9-foot, hitting it in the face. Have several rods ready with bucktails and soft-plastics 20-pound leader with a 30-pound shock tippet will stand up to most fish in in locally preferred colors. Or, keep a bucket on deck with live baits rigged open water, but you’ll want at least 200 yards of 30-pound Dacron backing. and ready to pitch. Large shrimp, eels, mullet, pinfish and whole squid are Whether it’s a 5-pounder or a 50-pounder that picks up your fly, you’ll need all good choices. a quality reel with a smooth drag. It’s more than likely any cobia will take you deep into your backing. For more information, go to coastalanglermag.com and search cobia. COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM

MARCH 2021

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Fishing Report & Forecast Mayport By Capt. Kirk Waltz

olks it’s been a very tough few weeks with the barrage of cold fronts that have pushed thru. One after another have pounded the First Coast and have kept many people at bay in the comfort of their homes. With that being said the few windows of warm weather we have had brought some really good fishing opportunities. The reds have pushed into the shallow creeks and flats to warm themselves in the mid day sun. Though at times a little spooky ,it’s been fun chasing them around in the shallows. Look for this pattern to continue. I like to ease along the edges of the creeks slowly casting a light ¼ oz to 3/8 oz jig with a mud minnow or shrimp. It’s best to dead stick the baits and let them lay with a slight ever so gentle twitch to alert the reds of the bait. Too much movement will spook them so think very slight movement at best. The creeks north and south of the ICW to Cabbage, Pablo creeks to the south and Broward, Horseshoe, Hannah Mills, and Clapboard to the north will hold reds and trout. Remember slow, slow, slow presentation is gonna be the most productive. The main channel of the ICW both north and south at low tide has been good for reds and trout. Float 2 NORTHEAST FLORIDA

MARCH 2021

rigs, jigs, and even a light Carolina rig can be effective. Look for that to continue this month. Good sized weakfish(yellow-mouthed trout) and speckled trout can be found from the Dames Point area all the way out to the big rocks at Mayport this month. I like to toss a shrimp/Mud Minnow and jig combo along the deep drops at high tide. The big rocks at Mayport will hold good numbers of reds, sheepshead, trout, ringtails, and black drum this month. Fiddlers, cut crab, mud minnows, shrimp, and clams can be very effective. Work the tides from high to low tide and they can be highly productive. A number of techniques can work well from jigs to float rigs or a bottom rig. Be patient as the water is cold and the fish are somewhat lethargic. The offshore scene will be in slow mode but you can hit the party grounds and catch good numbers of seabass, red snapper, ringtails, triggerfish, and a few flounder. Whether you hit the Jax Wreck or run to the MR reef it can be a blast. Cut cigars, squid,cuttlefish, and even shrimp will catch fish. Be sure to check the regulations for what you can harvest. Good fishing and remember you can’t catch them from the couch. Capt. Kirk Waltz can be reached at 904.626.1128 or 904.241.7560 for charters or for more info go to www.Enterprisefishingcharters. com He also can be heard on The Outdoors Show with Capt. Kevin Faver and Jeff Lageman on 1010am or 92.5fm from 7am to 10am every Saturday giving out fishing reports, tides, and weather. Go to www. outdoorsshow.com

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he El Cheapo Sheepshead Tournament is finally here. As tournament day approaches we wanted to give a special Thank You to Rob Darner for pushing hard and putting in the time and work to put this all together. We have some great sponsors this year and due to Covid we do have some changes in how things will be run. It will still be be a great time and we are excited to keep this tradition going even in these more difficult than usual times. At the club house last month we had a great chili cook off. If you weren’t there we hate that you missed it. Our speakers were enjoyable as always. The club tournament “Sheepshead tuneup” was rescheduled due to the wet and windy weather we have had. Plenty of members have been catching fish though and are even looking for other members to catch a ride out with them and get on some fish. The Club Tournaments are reintroducing the Tournament

Calcutta. To get in on this action make sure your club membership is up to date and you will be able to sign up at a meeting or at tournament check out. You can join or renew at anytime. Upcoming Events: March 4th: Club Meeting- El Cheapo Bucket stuffing at the clubhouse. Our dinner will be provided to the club by Insurance Wagon. March 6th: El Cheapo Sheepshead Tournament. The day we have all been waiting for. March 18th: Club Meetingspeaker TBD March 20th- Club Tournament “Non-live” Back up weather date for this tournament will be March 27th. You have to be a member to participate. Check out our website to keep up with upcoming events, schedules, or any changes. www.JaxFish.com Captain Lee Bowman

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FLAGLER SPORTFISHING CLUB By Chris Christian

he Flagler Sportfishing Club will be having its monthly meeting at the VFW on Tuesday, March 2nd; This is the Annual

so check the website for signup opportunities. Upcoming Events: Monthly Club Meeting – March 2nd, VFW Free Count the Spots Tournament – March 27th – Bings Landing.

WE ARE GROWING 2021 is going to be a new and exciting year. Mark Feagle and Cheryl Knoy have joined forces at Watson Realty Corp., Orange Park, and created The West Bank Group. Our expansion comes with the vision to better service our customers and our community with the legendary quality service you deserve and have come to expect from Watson Realty Corp. Purchase or sell a home with The West Bank Group and we will contribute $400 towards your closing costs or give you a FREE fishing trip with our preferred captains. If you need real estate services in the Orange Park area, give either Cheryl or Mark a call today! Mark Feagle | 904.607.1139 Cheryl Knoy | 812.343.9072 MFeagle.WatsonRealtyCorp.com | CKnoy.WatsonRealtyCorp.com MFeagle@WatsonRealtyCorp.com | CKnoy@WatsonRealtyCorp.com

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Join the Flagler Sportfishing Club www.flaglersportfishing.com Swap and Shop for our members so bring your “Fishing Equipment” that does not catch fish and sell or trade with other members. There will be no Quick Tips due to the Swap and Shop so come early around 7 to set up a table. The Free Club Count the Spots Tournament will be held on March 27th with the weigh-in at Bings Landing. The Club is also starting to participate in Litter Gitter trash pickup trips

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Wahoo Junkies - High Speed Trolling Part III By Captain Tim Altman

his month is Part III and my final article explaining about the method of High-Speed Wahoo trolling. If you’ve missed Part I or II just look back in your January and February Coastal Angler Magazine. In this article we will touch on lures and boating your Wahoo. Knuckle Dragging Wahoo Junkies love to high-speed troll and they LOVE big gaudy & heavy lures. Let’s start by debunking a huge misconception about Wahoo lures: The heavier 32, 48 and 52 ounce lures do not require trolling weights….FALSE! Dynamically speaking without a trolling weight, the shock leader leading to the lure is at an angle upward to the tip of the rod. That angle accompanied by the resistance of the water passing by at nearly to 3ft per second causes the line and the lure to work up towards the surface. The lure angle will be pointed upward thus causing the lure to rise or we call “fly” to the surface. This can be alleviated somewhat by dropping the lure back further to decrease the angle of rise, but the object to get deeper in the water column because of the heavier lure is still nullified. Heavy Triple Neck, Cowbell and Mastermind lures trolled at less than 325ft still require a trolling weight….Why? Simple, the angle from the trolling weight via the shock leader to the lure is decreased and allows the lure to ride deeper in the water column. Tim’s factoid…Back in 2011, I trolled a C&H American Express (AMEX) on my longline at around 400ft without a trolling weight for an entire season with out about bite. After conferring with Steve Grant about my lack of success on everyone’s favorite lure, the last trip of the season I added a 24oz trolling weight to it and it caught 4 fish….I’ve never looked back and the White over Blue AMEX has been a top producer and a staple in my spread for the last 10 years. What colors are effective in Northeast Florida? Everyone has their favorite, new favorite and new-new favorite. The Beeliner, Blackfin, Obama and AMEX colors are the local favorites. I run a variety of made up colors with crazy nicknames. During the NE Florida Wahoo Shootout effective lure color truly becomes a flurry of competitive disinformation. Yes, just like Kingfisherman, Tournament Wahoo fisherman “lie like a rug” to keep a competitive edge. Bottom Line ask your local tackle shop which lures are hot and which ones that will fit your budget and style of fishing. A set up of a trolling weight, shock leader, lure and hookset can sometimes top $200…so make sure you check out my Part II article on rigging in last month’s edition. What do I do after we hook up? Hooking up at 18-21mph presents a myriad of challenges with the biggest being that the hole ripped in the fish’s mouth is huge and a tendency of the trolling weight to act as a dehooker when slack is introduced. How is this? Wahoo tend to charge the boat at some point during the fight. When they charge they can get ahead of the trolling weight and use the backward pressure caused by this to remove the hook through the large hole created by the highspeed hookup..just like a dehooking device. The remedy is speed. Here are my steps in order after a hookup: • Keep the trolling speed on as long as you can stand it, but at least a minimum of 30 seconds. It is harder to do this than you think, your tendency is to pull off the power. The speed on may help you get a Double or even a Triple Hookup • Slowly roll the speed back to 12mph to start clearing lines. Clear lines in the order of closest to longest. • Pull back to 10mph when finishing clearing lines to diagnose the fight. Then come back slowly to where the angler can start getting line on the reel. • When you find that sweet spot for your angler to start fighting the fish, ensure it’s the point where he/she is getting line on the reel slowly and steadily to always keep tension on the fish. You can tell the speed of the retrieve by listening to the clicker. It’s human nature to gather

where the action is so the crew will most likely be crowding around the angler and your vision of the retrieve will most likely become obscured from time to time, so the aural indication of the clicker is a must for the Captain at the helm. If the retrieve starts getting faster, speed up to keep the line tight and the hook set. Most fish are lost here. CLICKERS ALWAYS ON! • If you get the fish on the surface speed up just a little and keep it there. Your angler can hydroplane him to the boat faster while always keeping tension on the hook set. It seems counterintuitive, but it works. Don’t think for a second that because it’s on the surface that it’s a small fish, we hydroplaned an 82lb fish the last 250ft back in 2016. ***Notable Note - 50% of the Wahoo I bring over the rail spit the hook as soon as it hits the deck. Speed is your friend to keeping the hook in the big hole caused in a high-speed hookup! Boating the fish. Most of us knuckle-draggers that high-speed troll have center console boats. So, when the angler gets the fish to the boat here are my steps in order. • My boat is a 36 Contender Open with Triple 300s, so the normal path of taking a fish to the transom isn’t really an option. The last 75ft I start to angle the boat at about 15 degrees into the fish. This allows me to bring the fish to the boat at an angle keeping it clear of the motors. Wahoo love getting into the motors! • The last 20ft before the trolling weight unclip the reel/rod from the rod tether or Leesh-It (leesh-it.com) device and prepare the angler to move forward with the rod. • Be prepared to boat the fish from either side of the boat by clearing rods and excess gear. The fish will tell you in the last 30-50ft which side it’s going to..pay attention and don’t force a square peg in a round hole… work with the fish. • When the trolling weight comes within reach the leader-man should grab the trolling weight and give it to the angler with the rod. This is so that if the fish runs and the leader-man needs to let go, the angler can toss the trolling weight away from the boat to keep it from smacking into the leader-man’s head or body. • The Leader-man should do his/her very best to get the head up on the surface by keeping their hands high and being prepared to sprint forward if need be. Control the head – Control the body. By getting the head on the surface it gives the gaff-man the best shot. • Gaff-man…just stick’em. Get it in the boat and make sure to keep everyone clear of the fish when it hits the deck. Bare Feet and Flip Flops are a no-no on my boat. I want everyone to return home with all of their fingers and toes and no stitches. Where can you purchase all of this specialized Tackle and rigging? The best place I have found is Strike Zone Fishing Jacksonville. Strike Zone owner Dave Workman Jr. has the largest selection of Shimano Reels in Northeast Florida and has a huge selection of High-Speed Trolling specific tackle and rigging. Ask for Archie or Dalton to get expert advice on all your Wahoo specific needs. My name is Tim Altman and I am a full blown Wahoo Junkie…it has been 13 days since I last fed my addiction. I’m hoping for a day off with good weather soon. Please feel free to email me with any questions and/or suggestions. I love to talk Wahoo and I’m always up for learning new tricks! Visit www.wahoojunkies.com for Wahoo Junkies gear!

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Captain Tim Altman HooDoo Sportfishing Charters www.saltwaterchallenge.com tim@saltwaterchallenge.com MARCH 2021

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Fishing Report & Forecast Sisters Creek By Capt. Tony Bozzella

arch the water starts to heat up on a regular basis. I often refer to March as the “transitional” month. Depending on exact temperatures or a freak cold snap, the water starts to heat and brings the migratory bait back. This is the opposite of Oct. / Nov. mullet run when all the bait migrates south. As the bait returns and enters the St. John’s river and tributaries, redfish, trout, and bluefish will be there to get there share. In the past, temperature depended, I have seen Jack Crevalle show up at the end of March. Ladyfish and Spanish Mackerel will be very close behind them as well!! This is a great time to incorporate throwing lures on your trip. Work the tides to your favor. North in the St. Johns river will hold a lot of these species around this time. Tide rips around points and structure will be the ticket. Often, as the water hovers the 65 degree mark and above, I have had some nice success on topwater

and diving plugs for all the species mentioned. Last March, We had some big quality game fish crushing the plugs!! All great memories and awesome fishing!! As you catch your redfish and trout, don’t forget you will have a lot of bluefish strikes as well to keep the action going. I have had days where you can catch them on every cast. Great time to break out the fly rod and have some fun. Use a fluorocarbon leader and a gummy minnow and you will catch a blue! They will eat through the leader, however, you get more strikes on the fluorocarbon than wire. If you use a small wire bite tippit, tie to the wire with an Albright special knot, and use no terminal tackle. It can be a windy month so plan your trips accordingly. Try to put yourself in the lee or use downwind casts. Give yourself the advantage because it is so important to be “in tune” with your bait. Know what that bait is doing at all times. The backcountry waters will still be clear and redfish will be lurking the mud flats. It will most likely be the last month for sight fishing cruising redfish as the water will begin to get muddy and murky, however, blind casting and soaking jig mud minnows / shrimp combo’s in the shallow around oyster bars can still pay big dividends!! Good chance at a sheepshead, or a black drum, as well. A lot going on this month, get out and enjoy some action on the waters of North Florida!!

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Capt. Tony Bozzella / TBS JIGS www.tonybozzella.com 904 651 0182

MARCH 2021

NORTHEAST FLORIDA 9

Fishing Report Pier and Surf By: Noel Kuhn

arch is finally here and here come the Pompano! Our northeast Florida waters have been very chilly ever since Christmas. That is when the Pompano left for destinations far to our south like Pompano Beach! Now it’s our turn to catch these silver nuggets of the surf. When the water temp reaches 64 degrees and above it’s on! The two main ingredients you will need are great baits and sharp hooks. The baits of choice are live sand fleas, fresh clams, and fresh dead shrimp. After that are the frozen versions of those same baits. Fishbites are also an excellent choice. I have been fishing their product for the past ten years and have had great success with it. My favorite flavors are sand

flea and clam. Usually, one of each on a two-hook rig. The rigging is simple and goes by several names such as double dropper, two-hook and Pompano rig. The best part of using the aforementioned baits and rigs is that you will also catch a lot of other species as well. On a typical March day you may land Whiting, Blackdrum, Bluefish, Spot, Croaker and a handful of other suspects. Set your drag light when you put it in the rod holder because there are big Bonnethead sharks and Stingrays that will also crush these baits. The next most important key to your success is knowing where to cast your bait. Longer casts do not equal bigger fish or more fish. Learning where to cast can be had from hiring a guide like me, someone else that is very successful most of the time, or from YouTube! Just search “reading the beach”. On YouTube you will find several videos that include drone footage that really pin points what you seek out in the surf. The things you will be looking for are sandbars, runouts, holes, troughs, sloughs, pumpouts, and riptides. There are several names sometimes for the same things. Just learn to read the surf and fish the most fishy looking spot you can find. I am so looking forward to filling my cooler with my favorite dinner... Grilled Pompano. Next month will even be better as the Pompano run will be in full swing as they return to our waters. Till then tight lines and good fishing. See you on the beach! Noel Kuhn Surf fishing guide and long distance casting coach. 904-945-0660 www.TheSurfAngler.com

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Fishing Report & Forecast Fernandina / Amelia Island By Terry D. Lacoss

ood news for surf fishermen with the warming water temperatures along the pristine beaches of Amelia Island excellent pompano, whiting and sea trout action should pick up during the month of March. When water temperatures reach 68-degrees excellent surf fishing action is sure to produce excellent shore fishing action. Some of the best areas to fish from the beach include American Beach and south to the southern tip of Amelia Island. Some of the best surf fishing action comes when the wind is out of the northeast promoting clean water conditions. Fishing with freshly caught “Sand Fleas” produces the best action for excellent eating and hard fighting pompano. Other popular surf fishing baits include fresh shrimp soaked in diet Pepsi and conch. The Annual Amelia Island Black Drum fishing tournament will begin on March 12th which annually takes an 80-pound or even larger black drum to win. Look for some of the best drum action to come while night fishing and just before and right on a full moon. The full moon in March arrives on March 26th. One of the better areas includes a deep slough located just off from Main Beach that harbors a fish attracting shell bottom. Other excellent black drum fishing waters includes Nassau and the St. Mary’s sounds as well. Some of the larger black drum are typically landed here while fishing dead on the bottom with a half of a blue crab, piece of conch and a large fresh shrimp. Black drum fishermen will also hook up to red drum that will put up an excellent fight and often weigh up to fifty pounds. Red drum measuring over 27-inches will need to be released right away. Robert Haddock will once again hold the annual “Amelia Island Drum Tournament’ beginning with a “Captain’s Meeting” on March 12th beginning at 5;30 pm. The meeting will be held at Dee Dee Bartel boat ramp. Fishing begins after the meeting and ends on April 18th. Entry fee is $100.00 per boat with prizes for overall largest drum, lady angler and junior angler. For more information go to Robert Haddock face book page, or 904-753-3776. Red fishing will also be excellent during the full moon of March which arrives on March 26th. Here the flood tide will completely flood area spartina marshes allowing good numbers of redfish to move into the flooded marshes and feed on fiddler crabs. Fly fishing is extremely popular for flood tide redfish while casting a crab pattern fly with an eight-weight fly rod and eight-weight floating

fly line. Lure fishermen will do well while casting a ½ ounce gold Johnson spoon or plastic D.O.A. shrimp. Sea trout fishing is also excellent in the back waters of Amelia Island while drifting live shrimp under a small float in the deep intra coastal water ways. Look for excellent sea trout action just off from both paper mills located just north of the Fernandina Harbor Marina. Largemouth bass action should be excellent as well during late March in both Lofton and Boggy Creeks. Floating a live wild shiner under a small float where there are shallow sloughs in the creeks is a deadly bass fishing tactic. Wahoo fishing should still be excellent during the month of March while high speed trolling lures in water depths from 100- feet of water to over a 1,000-feet of water. Look for an excellent dolphin and black fin tuna bite as well. Near shore fish havens including KBY, FA, FB, FC, HH and Schultz’s Fish Market should showcase excellent sea bass action with cobia, kingfish and more showing up during late March.. Make sure that you have on hand the proper fishing licenses when fishing from land and your fishing boat by visiting www.myfwc.com. For more fishing information go to www.ameliaangler.com

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West Bank Seminar Series Is Back By Mark Feagle

Fishing… As I write this article, Florida is still open for business and now the seminars are back in business as well. I have missed having all the people together talking fishing and having fun. This month Noel Kuhn a local and amazing surf fishing guide will be teaching how to be more efficient catching fish on the beach. Noel is a well-known surf fishing guide and NE Florida and is the best when it comes to catching fish on the beach. If you have never surf fished you must take a trip with Noel, you will not be disappointed. Noel’s seminar is always a hit and this one won’t disappoint as he is very passionate

in what he does. The event will be held at 57 Heaven in Orange Park starting at 6pm. You can get your ticket on Eventbrite.com and we will try to have a food truck present for dinner. Conservation… As President of the Coastal Conservation Association’s Jacksonville Chapter, I am currently working with our Board to plan our 2021 water way clean-up. The event is scheduled for May, 8, 2021 and at Jim King Boat Ramp. We will be looking for volunteers and sponsors to make this clean-up event special. As we all know our river is littered with debris everywhere. We can do our part as fisherman to make sure our waters are as clean as possible. This event will be a lot of fun and will have a lot of great prizes and giveaways. Real Estate… In addition to hosting the seminar series and volunteering for the CCA, I am also a full-time REALTOR® in Jacksonville. You should know that our local real estate market is on fire right now! We are in desperate need of homes to sell in order to meet the current buyerdemand. If you have thought of upgrading or moving away, I would love to talk to you. Home prices are on the rise, and with mortgage interest rates in the mid 2% range, there is no better time than now. Call me any time: 904-607-1139. I look forward to seeing everyone at the seminars again. Until then – Tight Lines!

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he Northeast Florida Marlin Association completed our 4th annual Don Combs Wahoo Roundup in February with a 101 pound winner and 166 pound total two fish aggregate by the Vamoose team on a 32’ yellowfin. Our next tournament will be the 49th Annual Bluewater Tournament. This year the Bluewater will be the weekend of April 22nd to 24th with the registration and captains meeting on April 21st. Captains can fish any two of three days that weekend. The Bluewater Tournament is our biggest event of the year and it provides an opportunity for both local and traveling boats to win entry into the Offshore World Championship hosted in Costa Rica. The Bluewater provides prizes and trophies in several categories for billfish and gamefish and it’s open to boats 24’ and larger with proper safety equipment. April and May are often the best months for catching Marlin in Northeast Florida and we will still have plenty

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of Wahoo, Dolphin and Tuna at that time of year. Speaking of Dolphin, Mahi or, Dorado depending on where you’re from, NEFMA will be having a Shoot-out type Dolphin tournament in May. The shootout format allows captains to fish on days suited to their schedule and vessel making it more fun and easier to participate. We have also made it easier to log your catches with the new NEFMA App which is available for Android or Apple devises or online. The App from www. reeltimeapps.com also displays a continuous feed that shows who’s fishing and what’s been caught. We started using the App in December for the Wahoo tournament with good results so we’re using it for the entire year to manage membership, Boat of the Year and Tournament Series Championship. To enter visit www.reeltimeapps.com/ live/ tournaments/ 2021-nefma-boat-ofthe-year/ register and create your own account.

MARCH 2021

NORTHEAST FLORIDA 15

Kill, Catch, and Cook and Kacie By Kacie Olsen

Grilled Venison Back Straps with Chimichurri

GRILLED VENISON BACKSTRAP

CILANTRO CHIMICHURRI SAUCE

•Heat outdoor grill on high heat •Using a sharp knife, remove any silver skin (facia) on the backstrap •Cut into 3-inch thick pieces •In a bowl, combine avocado oil, cumin, coriander, oregano, garlic powder, chili powder, and salt. •Rub the blend onto the cuts of meat •Place seasoned venison steaks on the grill for 3-4 minutes •Flip steaks and grill for another 3-4 minutes •Cook until the internal temperature is about 120 degrees F (medium rare) •Remove from heat, loosely cover with foil, and set aside to rest for 10 minutes. •Thinly slice each steak against the grain on an angle •Drizzle cilantro chimichurri sauce on top and serve!

•1 cup cilantro, chopped •2 cloves garlic, minced •1/2 cup avocado oil •1/2 tsp cumin •1 tsp coriander •1/2 teaspoon salt •2 tsp lime juice

Kacie Olsen is a 3rd generation Florida native raised in Stuart, Florida, the sailfish capital of the world. A strong passion for the outdoors lead her to pursue wild game and offshore fishing. Regardless of the season, Kacie enjoys traveling across the US and aiding in conservation while creating lifelong memories with likeminded folks.

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Fishing Report St. Johns River By: Richard Hamilton

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his month will be the beginning of season of seasons. We'll start with the Speckle and Perch. These beauties should be in full swing, with the area lakes being hammered by fishermen, and the baits of choice will be minnows, followed by jigs, like Road Runners and the Abu beetle spins. Colors on the jig normally like red heads with a curl tail grub chartreuse or black chartreuse works well, and of course, the whites yellow or the ever popular black/yellow. So grab some jigs, a bucket with some minnows and some floats and go to it! Next up will be the Large Mouth Bass. These heroes of the river will be in a great pre-spawn mode, followed by a great spawn. Having a nice variety of top waters, followed closely by jigs and the ever poplar crank baits. Fire tiger, chartreuse and shad are a good choice. Lest we forget, Shiners are the best fish locator you can have. Tossing one of these beauties out and just wait for the running up the line to avoid the Large Mouth trying to encase it! So hold on! Next will be War Mouth.

These stocky beasts will be in the pass, waiting on a nice piece of bait shrimp or a wiggler will work just as well. What you want to do is dip the pads by working around a clump of them and then moving to a new clump and repeating the procedures. You also have to work at it, but they're well worth it! Towards the latter part of the month, if the weather to put on hold will be able to start the Bream bites. These beauties will be around docks, usually near the slack side or the piling. All you need to start is red worms or wigglers, some floats, split shot and a number 4, or 2, size hook. Mullet will start showing up by the end of the month. Remember to start checking in the later part of March. Reds will start gaining in activity with the most shallow feed followed by the deeper water activity increasing. Baits of choice will be bait shrimp, crabs, lipless crank bait and shiners. So grab it and get to it. Stripers will be active around the bridges while working around the pilings and between them, a good bet. Remember, they'll be busting the heck out of schools of bait so fish and a nice plump bait shrimp. Cast towards the pilings and let the tide do the majority of the work. So go to it! Well, that's about if for now. So 'til next time, keep your line wet and your lure movin'.--Richard.

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MARCH 2021

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Fishing Report & Forecast St. Augustine Inshore By Capt. Tommy Derringer

e’ve had a fairly cool winter, and the water has been as clear as I’ve seen it in many years. Sight-fishing has been about as good as it gets for redfish. Speaking of redfish there have been some big schools of fish up shallow this winter as well. Hopefully March will stay on the cool side and if it does, the redfish will continue to stay schooled up. Look for reds in shallow areas that have a darker mud or oyster-laden bottom. On clear days the sun will warm the water a few degrees in those areas making a great spot for the reds to hang out and warm up a bit. Bait

with a Saltwater Assassin Sea Shad paddle tail. My favorite colors are the ones with greens, browns, and gold... check out the Mississippi Hippie color... you can thank me later! Jig, jig, then pause... then repeat. The flounder bite has been pretty steady all winter long with a few nice size flatties being caught in the creeks and flats. This month find your favorite creek hole and drag a mud minnow pinned to a 1/4oz jighead as slowly as you can across the bottom and you’re sure to find at least a few hungry flatties hanging around.

(mullet, minnows, shrimp) will also hold in these “hot” spots and its common knowledge that the reds will be in the same areas the bait is. If it warms up quickly this month the water will start to get murky and one way to spot schooled up reds is to look for wakes or “muds” caused by the fish moving. I’ve been locating some big schools this way just about all winter when the sun has been hiding. The latter half of this month marks the start to my favorite time of year to fish for trout. Once the water starts to warm up a bit the trout will be going crazy. There’s nothing like watching that big trout come soaring out of the water after your top-water plug. Creek mouths, rip rap, and just about anywhere you have some moving water are going to be great places to target the specs. Remember to loosen the drag just a little when throwing top-water plugs for trout. They have somewhat delicate mouths, and you don’t want to rip the plug away from the fish before they actually get it. Of course, if top-water isn’t your thing a jig and soft plastic will do the trick for the specs as well. My go-to rig of choice for trout (and reds too!) is a Saltwater Assassin 1/8-ounce jighead

The black drum bite has been pretty good over the last couple of months and should continue this month. Most of my fish have been in the 3-5lb range and were caught in the deeper parts of the creeks off the ICW. The best baits have been live/fresh dead shrimp, or a fiddler crab. An hour on either side of low tide has been producing the best bite, especially around the new and full moons. Be sure to check out our daily fishing reports with pictures at www.InshoreAdventures.net

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Capt. Tommy Derringer 904-377-3734 www.InshoreAdventures.net

MARCH 2021

NORTHEAST FLORIDA 19

Fishing Report & Forecast St. Augustine Offshore By Capt. Robert Johnson

Wahoo Rule

March is by far the best month for jumbo size Wahoo in NE FL. There will be multiple fish days had by the high-speed crowd but plenty of nice fish taken by the traditional methods as well. Wahoo like structure so look around any of the larger ledges that hold bait. I like 74 degrees and warmer and don’t hesitate to start back in 140 ft if the conditions are right. If traditional methods are you style it is hard to

beat a blue and white Islander Hawaiian eye pulled deep. I like to pull around 7 knots. One advantage of fishing baits is the other species that are available. Black Fin Tuna, Sailfish and a few early Mahi will join the mix. We pull the typical spread with a little more wire in the mix. If High speed is your game focus on the areas that hold bait. Some of your favorite bottom spots in 145 to 170 ft will be holding Wahoo this month. One of the advantages of pulling around 14 knots is the amount of area you can cover. Either method should be successful this month. If bottom fishing is your thing there will be plenty of vermillion, Trigger fish and Red Porgy in 23 to 28 fathoms. Your typical double hook rig baited with squid is all that is needed. Closer to shore back in 80 ft Large Black Seabass will still be hungry coming off their winter spawn. Pick a good weather day, fill up your tank

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Nassau Sport Fishing Association

he Nassau Sport Fishing Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to develop and promote saltwater fishing in the Nassau County area to encourage compliance with rules of water safety by club members and the general public, and to promote youth related community activities. Preparations are already underway for our 2 main events in 2021. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, the eight flags shrimp festival will not be held May this year. Our SKA sanctioned and 39th Annual Kingfish Tournament and Fishing Rodeo has been approved by the City of Fernandina Beach as one of only 5 city sponsored events in 2021. The tournament will be held on Sat. 31-July. If you or your company are interested in becoming a sponsor for this event, please contact us at Info@nsfafish. net. Our early bird registration page will be up shortly if you plan to fish this event with us. In addition to these events, NSFA is scheduling a surf fishing

outing on 28-March from noon to 4pm on American Beach at Amelia Island and a Kayak Outing in April. Watch our website for more information on these gatherings. Our Fish of the Season contest is already underway with this Jan/ Feb season targeting Sheepshead, Trout, and Whiting. As of this writing, Sheepshead of 6# and a trout over 3# lead the way with a Whiting just shy of 1#. Watch this space next month, when we award the winter season winners. With waters beginning to warm, our Mar/Apr season targets Black Drum, Pompano, and Whiting. We have added an annual prize for the angler who weighs the most variety of our targetted species this year. Now, they don’t all have to be the largest to qualify for a prize. So weigh them in. NSFA meets 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month at Kraft Athletic Club on Amelia Island. Join us on 24-March for our monthly social gathering. If interested in joining, please visit our website at NSFAFISH.NET

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Captain Eddie Smith Memory to our friend: I met Eddie Smith some 24 odd years ago. He was a Capt with the Jacksonville Fire Dept and ran Charters on his boat the Turtle part time. My impression of him on day one was he had a gentle spirit, kind heart, and a willingness to help anyone who would ask. He never knew a stranger. I don’t think he knew any other way. He became my friend and always was willing to help me when I decided to become a Charter boat Captain . He confided in me ,as he did so many ,and taught us how to be better fisherman, stewards of the sea as well as such much more. He also taught so many through his gentle spirit how to grow a relationship with God. His gentle way could unlock the hardened to open up and pour out their secrets of fishing endearing his own expertise in return. He was one of Jacksonville’s finest fishing ambassadors and our local legend. He could compete with the best running his boat The Turtle plying the waters on NE 22 NORTHEAST FLORIDA

Florida and exemplified the best of all of us. Always the helper he would find bait, locate any species, and without hesitation share it with anyone who would ask. A pro in his field, a great father, an awesome husband , a incredible grandfather and a true gentleman. I will miss his weekly council on so many subjects but, mostly just his love for life. One of the great ones is gone to ply the waters of heaven and makes a place for all that care to follow. I will miss you my brother for you have made us all better for having known you. And as he always ended our conversations..... Kirk ,” you have my permission to catch my fish and yours too”

MARCH 2021

ACGFA - March

CGFA will meet on Tuesday, March 16th from 6-8pm for our monthly club meeting! We will have a guest speaker, awards from our February tournament, raffle and dinner. Guests are always welcome! Meeting location is St. Augustine Shrine Club, 250 Brainard Dr. in St. Augustine. In January, our club members targeted Wahoo in our monthly tournament and the winning boat was Wet Dream, Captained by long time member Deedo Nelson. February was our Slam Tournament - Flounder, Redfish, & Trout. Winners have not been determined yet. This month we target Black Drum. Also this month, we will host our 11th annual Free Kids Fishing Clinic on March 13th from 8 - 11am at St. Augustine Marina located next to the Vilano Pier in St. Augustine. Kids ages 12 and under are encouraged to register on the day of the event. Kids will go through a progressive, four station, interactive clinic and will be awarded a rod and reel combo at the end. There will also be raffle prizes, good bags, and more! Visit

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our FaceBook page, @acgfa for more information. Please mark your calendars for our annual Challenge Tournaments! On July 8 - 11, 2021, adult and junior anglers from up and down the coast will compete to catch the biggest Kingfish and Redfish. The 4-day event will take place at the Northeast Florida Marlin Association Clubhouse, located inside of Camachee Cove Marina. Full details can be found on our website, www.acgfachallenge.com. ACGFA was founded in 1958. We are a family oriented group who enjoy fishing and good fellowship. Our dues are $65 per year per family and we meet monthly at St. Augustine Shrine Club. We have speakers on some aspect of fishing, boating, or water safety every month. Guests and new members are always welcome! go to www.acgfa.com for more information. Erin Johnson Club President Jacksonville Marine Association 904.669.5153 www.boatjax.com

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TIDE CHART - March

Mayport Degaussing Structure 30.3967° N, 81.3950° W Date Day Time 01 Mon 03:22 AM -1.08 L 02 Tue 04:12 AM -0.95 L 03 Wed 05:06 AM -0.72 L 04 Thu 06:04 AM -0.45 L 05 Fri 12:41 AM 5.18 H 06 Sat 01:43 AM 5.00 H 07 Sun 02:53 AM 4.86 H 08 Mon 04:04 AM 4.82 H 09 Tue 05:09 AM 4.87 H 10 Wed 06:06 AM 4.95 H 11 Thu 12:27 AM -0.41 L 12 Fri 01:15 AM -0.56 L 13 Sat 01:59 AM -0.60 L 14 Sun 03:40 AM -0.53 L 15 Mon 04:20 AM -0.35 L 16 Tue 05:00 AM -0.10 L 17 Wed 05:40 AM 0.19 L 18 Thu 12:03 AM 4.71 H 19 Fri 12:43 AM 4.61 H 20 Sat 01:27 AM 4.49 H 21 Sun 02:18 AM 4.40 H 22 Mon 03:18 AM 4.35 H 23 Tue 04:23 AM 4.41 H 24 Wed 05:25 AM 4.58 H 25 Thu 06:20 AM 4.82 H 26 Fri 12:51 AM -0.16 L 27 Sat 01:41 AM -0.58 L 28 Sun 02:29 AM -0.92 L 29 Mon 03:17 AM -1.11 L 30 Tue 04:06 AM -1.14 L 31 Wed 04:57 AM -1.01 L

Hgt 09:43 10:30 11:20 12:13 07:06 08:10 09:15 10:19 11:18 12:11 06:55 07:39 08:20 09:59 10:37 11:15 11:53 06:22 07:08 07:58 08:52 09:49 10:46 11:40 12:30 07:11 07:59 08:46 09:33 10:21 11:11

Time AM 5.29 H AM 5.12 H AM 4.88 H PM 4.61 H AM -0.18 L AM 0.02 L AM 0.12 L AM 0.12 L AM 0.01 L PM -0.17 L AM 5.00 H AM 4.99 H AM 4.91 H AM 4.77 H AM 4.59 H AM 4.39 H AM 4.18 H AM 0.48 L AM 0.75 L AM 0.96 L AM 1.08 L AM 1.07 L AM 0.92 L AM 0.62 L PM 0.21 L AM 5.07 H AM 5.26 H AM 5.37 H AM 5.38 H AM 5.28 H AM 5.11 H

Hgt 03:41 04:27 05:18 06:14 01:11 02:16 03:26 04:34 05:34 06:26 12:57 01:39 02:18 03:54 04:31 05:07 05:44 12:32 01:14 02:00 02:54 03:55 04:57 05:54 06:45 01:17 02:02 02:45 03:29 04:15 05:03

Approximate Correction Times Palm Valley ICW: H: +2:20 L: +2:00 +/- for Other regional Locations JAX Beach: H: -:29 L: -:20 Bings Landing: H: +2:57 L: +2:44

Time Hgt PM -1.00 L PM -0.87 L PM -0.65 L PM -0.37 L PM 4.34 H PM 4.14 H PM 4.06 H PM 4.13 H PM 4.29 H PM 4.48 H PM -0.35 L PM -0.49 L PM -0.53 L PM -0.45 L PM -0.27 L PM -0.00 L PM 0.31 L PM 3.99 H PM 3.83 H PM 3.71 H PM 3.65 H PM 3.69 H PM 3.86 H PM 4.16 H PM 4.54 H PM -0.24 L PM -0.66 L PM -0.96 L PM -1.10 L PM -1.06 L PM -0.86 L

St. Augustine Beach: H: -:07 L: -:15 St. A City Dock: H: -:04 L: +:09

Time Hgt 10:05 PM 5.36 H 10:53 PM 5.39 H 11:45 PM 5.33 H 07:15 08:20 09:27 10:32 11:32

PM PM PM PM PM

-0.13 L 0.03 L 0.06 L -0.03 L -0.22 L

07:12 07:55 08:34 10:12 10:49 11:26

PM PM PM PM PM PM

4.65 4.78 4.86 4.89 4.86 4.80

H H H H H H

06:24 07:09 08:01 08:59 10:00 11:00 11:58

PM PM PM PM PM PM PM

0.61 0.87 1.02 1.05 0.93 0.66 0.28

L L L L L L L

07:34 08:21 09:07 09:55 10:43 11:34

PM PM PM PM PM PM

4.96 5.35 5.67 5.87 5.94 5.87

H H H H H H

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Woody Bozeman caught this 9-lb., 15-oz. largemouth from Orange Lake in January.

Orange Lake Regains Its Legendary Status S

outheast of Gainesville in southern Alachua County, Orange Lake has a storied reputation as one of the best freshwater fisheries in Florida for largemouth bass, crappie and bream when conditions are right. At nearly 13,000 acres, it is large but relatively shallow, with an average depth of 6 feet. Connected to the Floridan Aquifer through numerous sinkholes, water levels can be very dynamic, and habitat conditions on the lake can change dramatically. During periods of extended drought, the lake can drop low enough to eliminate access. Abundant rainfall, such as that which accompanies tropical storms or hurricanes, helps to replenish the lake. These cycles of drought and refill have been recorded on Orange Lake

since the early to mid-1900s, and they have likely been occurring before recorded history. The lake’s fish populations have proven resilient in the face of such dramatic changes in water level, and it is likely they even benefit from these periodic resets in habitat conditions. Since the most recent drought of 2012 and the refilling of the lake in 2013, fishing in Orange Lake has been getting better every year. Recent angler interviews by FWC staff have shown excellent fishing for black crappie and bream. Anglers trolling or drifting jigs and minnows in open water do well for crappie in the fall and winter months. As crappie move shallower in preparation for the spring spawn, anglers do better targeting nearshore vegetation. Good catches of bluegill and redear sunfish can be had from spring through early fall as fish congregate to spawn in nearshore vegetation. Live baits such as grass shrimp, crickets or earthworms fished in open holes in the vegetation account for most of the fish. Although a little slower to rebound than the panfish, largemouth bass fishing is excellent for both numbers and size of fish. Creel surveys, electrofishing surveys, TrophyCatch submissions and bass tournament results have indicated a healthy bass fishery. Orange Lake lays claim to the second-heaviest bass ever submitted to the TrophyCatch program at 15.8 pounds. A remarkable five-bass tournament bag limit of 45.2 pounds was caught in Orange Lake. Bass anglers on Orange typically do well flipping soft plastics in and around emergent pads and floating vegetation mats, especially during the springtime spawn. Anglers should also target submerged vegetation with spinnerbaits, lipless crankbaits, soft plastics, and topwater lures. In addition to healthy populations of fish, Orange Lake’s abundant aquatic habitat supports excellent numbers of other wildlife. Waterfowl hunting, alligator hunting, frogging and bird watching are also popular activities. The lake can be accessed from Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Park near the community of Cross Creek and at Heagy-Burry Park near the town of McIntosh, just off of US 441. The lake can also be accessed from nearby Lochloosa Lake via passage through Cross Creek. A handful of fish camps also provide launch opportunities on the lake for a nominal fee. For more information, go to myfwc.com.

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nglers pursuing reef fish in federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico will now be required to have a descending device or venting tool on board, rigged and ready for use. The new regulation has been in the works since 2019, and Congress signed it into law in January. It applies to recreational anglers, including charter boats, as well as hook-and-line commercial fishermen. Led through Congress by a bipartisan group of lawmakers, the DESCEND Act was also supported by a coalition of fishing and conservation groups, including the International Game Fish Association and the American Sportfishing Association. The primary targets for conservation are economically and recreationally important Gulf red snapper, which are particularly susceptible to barotrauma because of the depth at which they are caught. With strict regulations and short seasons, red snapper and other reef species must often be returned to the water after being caught. Many of these released fish never make it back to the bottom. The rapid change in pressure from being brought to the surface from depth causes a condition called barotrauma. Barotrauma is a buildup of gas pressure in the fish’s body, which makes it difficult or impossible for them to swim back down. Consequently, countless fish returned to the water can die at the surface or fall victim to opportunistic predators. “Considering that a significant percentage of recreational fish are caught and released alive, the use of descending gear will increase the number of fish that survive to be caught again at a larger size or later when in-season,” said Ted Venker, conservation director for Coastal Conservation Association. “This conservation-minded law is an important piece of our overall efforts to reduce all sources of discard and bycatch mortality, and ensure marine resources are healthy now and in the future.” A descending device is a weighted hook, lip clamp or box that will hold the fish while it is lowered to a sufficient depth to recover from the effects of barotrauma and be released. A venting tool is a sharpened, hollow device capable of penetrating the abdomen of a fish to release the excess gas pressure in the body cavity when a fish is retrieved from depth. The Florida Wildlife Resources Commission warns: “Descending devices and venting tools should only be used when fish show one or more signs of barotrauma and cannot swim back down on their own. It is essential to work quickly when using these tools and return the fish to the water as soon as possible. Anglers should choose the device and method they are most comfortable with and that best fits the situation.” For more information go to myfwc.com.com

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ollowing the 2003 listing of smalltooth sawfish under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), a team was assembled to recover the population of this endangered species. But what is recovery and how do we achieve it for smalltooth sawfish? Under the ESA, recovery is restoring a species to the point where they no longer require the safeguards of the Act. To guide managers and researchers, the ESA directs NOAA Fisheries to develop recovery plans that outline a path to secure self-sustaining wild populations. A recovery plan for smalltooth sawfish in the U.S. was published in 2009. Sawfish may be delisted only if data indicate improvement in the status of the species to the point where it is no longer appropriate to be considered endangered. For smalltooth sawfish, that means ensuring long-term viability of the species through substantial increases in abundance and range. Smalltooth sawfish in the U.S. are considered and managed as a single population. All sawfish receive equal and consistent protections, regardless of where they are. Sawfish in Everglades National Park are just as protected and important to the population as those in Tampa Bay, Indian River Lagoon, Texas or Georgia. While we are seeing encouraging signs, we are a long way from recovery. Modest increases in sawfish numbers are likely the result of the 1992 protection from harvest in Florida, the 1995 Florida gillnet ban and the 2003 ESA listing. However, until recovery is truly documented, it is critical that local, state, and federal regulations and protections remain in place.

You Can Help Save Smalltooth Sawfish

CoastalAnglerMag.com

Angler Guidance ▶ Release sawfish immediately ▶ Never lift from the water or drag ashore ▶ Do not use gaffs or ropes to secure ▶ Cut the line as close to the hook as possible

Diver Guidance ▶ Keep your distance ▶ Avoid disturbing sawfish ▶ Do not chase or pursue ▶ Never feed or touch

Help track recovery and steer research by sharing information about your sawfish catches and sightings at www.SawfishRecovery.org.

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NORTH FLORIDA 7

NON-STAINLESS Circle Hooks Now Required

nglers using hook-and-line with natural bait to target reef fish like snapper or grouper from a vessel in Florida’s Atlantic state waters are now required to use non-stainless steel, non-offset circle hooks north of 28 degrees north latitude (near Melbourne) and non-stainless steel hooks south of 28 degrees north latitude. These changes are consistent with requirements in Atlantic federal waters that recently took effect and, along with emphasizing best fishing practices through educational resources and strategic messaging, will help conserve fisheries for the future. Non-stainless steel, non-offset circle hooks are already required when fishing for reef fish in Gulf state waters and have been a successful tool in increasing the number of fish that survive release. Non-stainless steel hooks degrade faster in the marine environment compared to stainless steel or other non-corrodible metals. Use of these hooks may ultimately improve survival if the line is broken or the hook cannot be removed, and increase a fish’s chance to shed the hook over time. Additionally, non-offset circle hooks more often hook fish in the mouth rather than the gut, which reduces internal harm to the fish and decreases de-hooking time for the angler. Allowing the use of other types of non-stainless steel hooks south of 28 degrees north latitude accommodates for regionally important south Florida fisheries, such as yellowtail snapper, in which the use of J hooks allows for greater efficiency and reduces discard mortality. FWC encourages the use of tools such as descending devices and venting tools when barotrauma occurs so long as they do not delay release.

From left to right: J-hook, circle hook, non-offset circle hook, offset circle hook.

To learn more about proper fish handling techniques, visit MyFWC.com/FishHandling.

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’m expecting awesome spring action at the beach. Longer days and warmer weather will start bringing snook from the deeper water around the inlets to feed in the surf early in the morning and late in the evening. Tarpon will start navigating the inlets and going along the beach. Pods of bait will have snook, tarpon, large jacks, mackerel and bluefish feeding on them. Even though the pompano bite and mackerel bite will start to end, the whiting and croaker bite will improve, and they will be hitting live bait, small jigs and spoons where you find bait. Follow the Bait: Fish will be following pods of glass minnows, greenies and other bait as they start heading north. Look for pelicans in the water and gulls and terns that dive at the tops of waves, picking off bait. When you go to the beach, look for birds that have located schooling bait or bait pods. The general rule is: No birds, no bait. Find a beach where you can see birds and/or bait. If you walk down to the water, you will see activity around the trough behind the closest breaking waves. You will see splashing or small fish jumping if there’s going to be fishing action. Birds will usually be concentrated on large schools of bait and big pods. The Early Bite is Best: My experience is 15 minutes before daybreak until early morning is the best time to fish the beach. It’s the best snook bite, and the fish will be around the trough because the bait will be in the wash. Usually the bait will start moving out after daybreak. Reels and Tackle: I use a medium to light spinning reel (400 series) with 10to 20-pound white braid on a 7-foot rod. A long rod gives you longer casts. I use a 30- to 40-pound fluorocarbon leader attached to the braid with a uni knot and attach the lure with a loop knot for better movement. Lures: My favorite search bait is a 3/8- to ½-ounce chartreuse jig with a pearl white paddletail, which gives the lure more movement and even works with a steady retrieve. That steady retrieve is useful in rough, windy weather. I use a variety of retrieves depending on whether the fish are hitting near top or off bottom. Usually, I try and fish near the top by holding my rod tip high, twitching the lure, and using a fast retrieve. For bottom feeders like whiting and croaker, I let the jig sit on the bottom and give it an exaggerated jerk, which brings it to the top. I also like shallow-running crankbaits and spoons in gold or silver. For long casts in wind and bigger fish, try 2-ounce silver crocodile spoon.

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No angling library would be complete without stories of battles won and lost in The Keys. From marlin and tuna to wahoo, grouper and kingfish, our waters are teeming with the most eulogized game fish in the world. Moral of the story? Time to come down and write your own epic tale. fla-keys.com 1.800.fla.keys For the latest protocols on health & safety in The Florida Keys, please visit our website. COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM

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rand your boat over the top of an epic bite with two types of Contender kites from Kluch. The All Purpose Kite, which measures 34” x 34”, is ideal for winds of 10 to 15 mph. The Light Wind Kite, which measures 38” x 38”, is built for winds of 5 to 10 mph. Both kites are well built and fun for your crew. They are made with carbon graphite spars and polyester fabric, and they’re rigged with 200lb. hollow-core braid. There are five Contender designs to choose from, allowing you many opportunities to brand your favorite boat. Bank one left and one right and get ready. The bridle makes for easy adjustments as wind conditions change. You can tie a small or large balloon to the kite as needed. When you’re done, rinse the kite with fresh water, dry it and store in the clear plastic tube it was shipped in. Don’t forget to use the free Contender decal included with purchase to spread the word. Kluch Clothing Company is the premier source for promoting businesses and organizations all over the country. Check out kluch.com for all your boating www.kluch.com and outdoor apparel.

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f you’re looking for a fishing adventure that’s just a short flight away, where the fishery is as good as any on the planet, and you won’t have to mortgage your home to afford it, don’t overlook Mexico and Belize. Flights to Cancun are available from almost every airport, and if you shop around, very inexpensive flights can be found. Once you get there, accommodations are very reasonably priced, and meals are cheaper than here in The States. I have fished the “Mayan Riveria” from Cozumel to Tulum, with results that are pretty awesome. What’s more, I had most of the areas I fished entirely to myself. I am a fly fisherman, and I spent days wading turtle grass flats for species like tarpon, bonefish, snook, a variety of snapper species, pompano and even the elusive Permit. I recently returned from a trip when the weather was marginal, at best, with high winds and rough seas. Still, I was able to produce several different species, along with some world-class triggerfish. These odd-looking warriors can be found hanging out on shallow coral reefs, and they are a ton of fun on the fly. I also spent a day fly fishing with my friend Will Robins, who owns and operates Fly Fish Costa Maya, in Chetumal, Mexico, near the Belize Border. In one morning, we hooked and broke off four trophy-sized triggers and had legitimate shots at three permit in the 10- to 15-pound range. If you know how difficult permit are to catch on the fly, you’ll understand that just having a few opportunities to cast to them is exciting. The highlight of the trip was a triggerfish we landed that would have been a monster anywhere. If Belize has been on your bucket list, the waters of Ambergris Caye are as good as their reputation. I’ve fished the caye several times with personal friend, Hilian Martinez. Most consider this man among the best in the country. Belize is also very easy to travel to, and reasonably priced. With a little homework, the waters of the Yucatan Peninsula and the waters of Belize can also produce good numbers for those who desire DIY fishing, without a guide. These are just a few examples of opportunities that await just a few hours away in a place that’s as beautiful as it is productive. A world-class fishery awaits, and it’s a lot closer and more attainable that you ever thought possible.

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MARCH 2021

NATIONAL 13

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SPRING TROUT IN THE SMOKIES

GIVEAWAY FRIDAY MARCH 12TH

14 NATIONAL

STAY LOW FOR

By TAM Staff

uide Ian Rutter is fired up about spring in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Ample rains and a mild winter bode well for the wild trout that inhabit more than 800 miles of trout streams in the park. This time of year, fish are perking up to feed on an abundance of aquatic insects. But there’s another reason the Smokies are inviting to anglers in spring. The summertime crowds, with their campers and inner tubes, haven’t yet invaded the larger rivers. Ian and his wife, Charity, run R&R Fly Fishing out of Townsend, Tennessee. They have guided anglers in the park for a quarter century and live a stone’s throw from Little River, one of the largest and most popular streams in the Smokies. From high-elevation brook trout rills to roadside rivers, they fish it all, but Ian said it’s wise to stick to the larger flows in lower elevations this time of year. In March, and even into April, it’s likely there will still be snow on the ground up in the hills. Trout thrive in cold water, but their metabolisms slow, and they feed less readily in icy temperatures. Also, the bugs they feed on are mostly dormant at higher altitudes, which can make things slow for fly fishing. Meanwhile, down in the valleys, larger rivers like Little River, Deep Creek and the Oconaluftee will be waking up. In afternoons, even on cold days, fish should be looking to the surface for hatches of mayflies like Quill Gordons, blue-winged olives and blue quills. Throw in a few early brown stoneflies, and you’ll see why the Smokies are known for great dry fly fishing. “Oftentimes you’ll have some combination of those bugs all at the same time,” Ian said. “They’re not too particular. And even the one’s that are particular aren’t as particular as some folks think they are.” Being sneaky is more important than fly selection, Ian said. Trout in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are wild, stream-born and extremely wary of predators. So wading very carefully and making short accurate casts are important to success. Another thing about trout in the Smokies is they grow slowly. Fishing is less about catching big fish and more about the overall experience. “I like to say, ‘your results may vary,’” said Ian when asked about angler expectations. “We do catch some 16-inchers, but the important thing to remember is it’s a wild trout fishery. There aren’t any stocked trout that were put in last week at 14 inches. A 16-incher might be 10 years old. It’s survived every type of predator out there, so it’s super-smart and difficult to catch.” A proficient angler can expect to catch good numbers of brightly colored 8- to 10-inch wild trout. Any angler can expect to wade through some of the most gorgeous mountain trout water in the East. For information on fishing the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, contact R&R Fly Fishing through their website at randrflyfishing.com.

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From proprietary fabrics that breathe to superior functionality and bold graphics and colors, GILLZ is in a class of its own. It starts with revolutionary, chemicalfree GillzTec fabric. It’s engineered to quickly distribute moisture 360 degrees across the garment, so the moisture evaporates much faster, keeping you cooler. The cross-breeze ventilation system channels cooling air under the shirt. In

fact, you’ll find GILLZ shirts breathe like nothing you’ve ever worn. And of course, all of their shirts provide UPF 50+ sun protection, so you can fish from sunup to sundown safely. GILLZ masks feature “gills” that channel air down your neck and mesh mouth openings that prevent your sunglasses from fogging. Plus, their masks can also be worn in a variety of ways to suit your particular needs. Functional hybrid shorts with pockets where you need them also feature four-way stretch fabric, an expandable waistband and a vented, gusseted crotch that lets cool air in. And who couldn’t use some cool air down there? And you’ve got to check out the epic designs and styles. Each color and print is inspired by and pays homage to nature and marine life. You’ll find bold, confident styles for anglers like you. Whatever your destination – the Bahamas, Florida Keys, Outer Banks or the Gulf of Mexico… whether you’re fishing offshore, the flats, lake, or river, only GILLZ Technical Fishing Apparel brings this level of durability, comfort, and performance to the table. That’s why it’s the choice of many pros. Rest assured, GILLZ will continue to push innovation and performance to the limit with elite new products. So, breathe in that moment out on the water when your muscles are working overtime and the sun is beating down. You’ll know that GILLZ apparel breathes with you so you can be at your absolute best. See the latest GILLZ collections by checking out their website: www.gillz-gear.com

COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM

MARCH 2021

NATIONAL 15

LOCAL ANGLER CRUSHES VIRGINIA SWORDFISH RECORD A daytime deep drop expedition yielded spectacular results for a Virginia angler this past September. It took four months for the Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament to officially announce it, but a 597-pound swordfish caught by Nicholas Kontodiakos on Sept. 25, 2020 absolutely crushed the existing state record. Kontodiakos, of Norfolk, Va., was drifting in 1,000 feet of water off Virginia Beach when the massive swordfish hit a bait suspended at 800 feet. Caught along the southern edge of Norfolk Canyon, Kontodiako’s fish topped the existing record by more than 130 pounds. The previous record of 466 pounds was caught in August 2019 by Tony Gower Jr., of Virginia Beach. Kontodiakos and fishing buddy Trey Wallace left Rudee Inlet at 4:30 a.m. aboard the angler’s 2007, 29-foot SeeVee. After arriving at their location, they made several long drifts and had a couple of bites that did not come tight. The lines were set for “one more drift” before they planned to head in for the day. At 3:30 p.m. the deep “buoy rod,” with a rigged dolphin belly on a blue and white skirt, came tight. After wrestling the fish for nearly five hours, it was clear it was a large swordfish, and when the fish was finally secured at the transom, they began to relax. But securing the fish to the transom was

just round one. Round two consisted of couple hours of inching the fish onto the deck. Kontodiakos’ passion for swordfish began a decade ago while living on the east coast of Florida. “I had no idea how to go about catching them,” he admitted. After moving to Virginia Beach and realizing there were swordfish 60-plus miles off the Virginia coast, he decided he needed a bigger boat. Unfortunately, even with a bigger boat, his lack of success in Florida tagged along to Virginia. “No one wanted to fish with me because I never came back with any fish,” he said. Relentlessly perusing information on the Internet and talking to successful anglers eventually began to payoff, and his success improved in recent years. He said he’s caught a swordfish in every month of the year except January. It was nearly midnight when the pair pulled inside Rudee Inlet on Sept. 25. A call had already been made to alert the Virginia Beach Fishing Center of the catch, and the boat’s bow was pointed straight to the Fishing Center’s main dock. Representatives from the Fishing Center were dockside to assist, and a small crowd of onlookers had assembled, despite the late hour. The fish measured 180 inches total length,

M Y

with a lower jaw fork length of 111 inches. It sported a hefty girth of 69 inches. Kontodiakos used a custom Joe Leffler 80-pound class rod, teamed with a Shimano Tiagra 50 reel, spooled with 80-pound PowerPro braid and topped off with a 25-foot, 250-pound Moni mono leader with a Mustad 7691, 11/0 hook, attached to the business end.

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p b sh It’s the fry can Bu catchin vetera tips to 1) crappi hold o times shallow “Th for the the spa mid-5 As Then seek o of cree back o Th targets spawn could have m Sa the 10 discard

pringtime is crappie time. When water temps begin to climb, the crappie schools move shallow to stage on structure before the spawn. It’s the time of year when loading coolers for a fish fry can be quick and easy. But the thing with crappie is you’re either catching them or you’re not. With that in mind, veteran crappie angler Dan Saknini offered some tips to consistently catch slab crappie. 1) Know The Cycles: The comfort zone for crappie is 35 feet and shallower, said Saknini. They hold on deep brush during the coldest and hottest times of year, but in milder weather they move shallower in search of optimal water temperatures. “This time of year, the crappie are fattening up for the spawn,” he said. “Their comfort zone for the spawn is when water temperatures rise into the mid-50s, preferably closer to 60.” As the spawn begins, fish stage up on structure. Then they’ll move extremely shallow in waves to seek out spawning areas on the banks and backs of creeks. The females move in, lay eggs and move back out. The males stay shallow to guard the beds. Through the stages of the spawn, Saknini targets brush in 15 feet or shallower. With the spawning season lasting about a month, these could be pre-spawn fish or post-spawn fish that have moved back out. Saknini shoots jigs in and around docks in the 10- to 15-foot range. Many lake homeowners discard Christmas trees off their docks. These are

the docks you need to find. 2) Locate Structure: Regardless of the season, black crappie school up on some type of structure. They change depths, and move off structure momentarily to feed, so catching them consistently means knowing the locations of brushpiles at all different depths. Saknini said good electronics and prospecting are key to being a good crappie angler. If you fish a lake that allows it, you can build your own honey holes. “I probably sink 50 or 60 brushpiles a year,” Saknini said. “Then I go back and fish them. There might be fish there, or there might not, but I always have another one to go to.” 3) Ditch the Minnows: Fishing a minnow under a bobber is traditional, and it can be effective. However, Saknini said fishing jigs is a far more efficient. “Once you get used to jig fishing, it’s always more productive,” he said. “If you’re fishing a minnow, it’s either under a bobber or on a downline, and it’s stationary. With a jig, you’re moving and covering water.” Crappie are lazy and won’t chase a bait more than a few feet, Saknini said. There could be fish all over a piece of structure, but you wouldn’t know it if your minnow is just a foot out of the strike zone. With a jig, you can cover water vertically and horizontally for a better chance of passing through that zone.

PHOTO BY NICK CARTER

Catch More Crappie

Dan Saknini is a member of Lanier Crappie Anglers Club. Check them out at www.laniercrappieanglers.net.

FREEDIVER SPEARS WORLD RECORD SNAPPER

reediver Stephanie Schuldt broke a world record in late November when she speared a 19.3-pound (8.8 kg) dog snapper in the Bahamas. At a depth of 45 feet, Schuldt stuck the big snapper with 9-foot Headhunter Nomad roller polespear while wreck diving off Nassau. The fish qualified her for the International Underwater Spearfishing Association’s women’s world record for the species in the sling/polespear division. It also outweighed the men’s record of 19.1 pounds, which was caught by JonMichael Degidio off Grand Cay in 2016. “At the end of my breath hold I saw the dog snapper swimming in and out of the wreckage,” wrote Schuldt in a description of the event. “I came back up to the surface and told my boyfriend, Matt, ‘There is a world record dog snapper down there.’ I took some time to get a good breathe-up, dropped back down into the wreck and got a solid holding shot on the fish. It fought for a bit on the way up, but I was able to clear it from the wreck and get it to the surface. Once at the surface, it tried to bite me and tangled up my float line, but I was able to grab it by the gills and swim it back to my boat.” Even on a rod and reel, Schuldt’s fish would have been impressive. The IGFA all-tackle world record weighed 24 pounds. It was caught back in 1994 by Capt. Wayne Barder off Abaco. Check Stephanie Schuldt’s adventures at www.saillaviecharters.com. COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM

MARCH 2021

NATIONAL 19

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STURGEON SEASON LASTS JUST TWO HOURS

here should be a betting pool for just how quickly the Black Lake, Michigan sturgeon season will end each year. In 2020, the season lasted just six hours. This year, the scheduled Feb. 6-10 season was shut down after two hours of fishing when the harvest limit was met. Imagine getting all geared up to go spear fishing through a hole in the ice for these big prehistoric fish. The season opens at 8 a.m. Then, at 10 a.m., your hopes are dashed when Michigan DNR knocks on the door of your ice shanty. Apparently, that’s the way Black Lake sturgeon season goes for a vast majority of anglers. More than 500 anglers registered to jockey for a harvest quota of just six fish this year. It’s a credit to Michigan DNR that they even hold the event at the 10,000-acre lake, which is connected to Lake Huron by the Black and Cheboygan rivers. Rehabilitation of the lake sturgeon population in the watershed is an ongoing effort, and this limited harvest creates excitement around the effort. There are reports of anglers who have fished the season for decades without getting a single sturgeon. The six fish caught ranged from 50 to 63 inches and 25 to 61 pounds. Three of the fish had been tagged before during studies of the spawning run up the Black River. A 61-inch-long female, estimated to be about 20 years old, was tagged during the 2006 spawning run. Male sturgeon have a lifespan of about 55 years. Females can live longer than 100 years. For more information, go to Michigan.gov/Fishing. 20 NATIONAL

MARCH 2021

ooking through Facebook and reminiscing on traveling for boat-show season, one conversation starter I remember most fondly is, “That’s too big for my rope locker.” In spite of American fiberglass OEMs like Sea Chaser and Sea Pro factory-installing the Rebel EZ-4 on specific series, there’s still a popular myth that drum anchor winches are built predominantly for aluminum boats. One too many boaters have told me this when they stopped at our company’s booth during the 2020 season, and while we’re officially homebound due to the pandemic, we’re as busy as ever answering questions and informing customers about our product. We want to help them achieve the best anchoring results for them. From newbies who have recently embraced boating, to longtime hobbyists who have extra time to add new features on their boats, there is usually an anchoring solution, whether it’s a Patriot direct drive unit or a Rebel free-fall unit. “You can click the ‘Products’ tab on the website and select the winch that interests you,” Sara Hitchins, E-Z Anchor Puller’s office and trade show manager said. “Select the unit you’d like to view and the link to the dimensional drawings are on the product page. One way to measure is to make a cardboard cutout at home to measure against your boat.” If you’re one of the new boaters looking for a new fiberglass model or researching that windlass upgrade on your family boat, these center consoles from customers and builders prove that a drum winch looks sexy on center consoles, too! SEA PRO: Sea Pro Boats introduced the world to their 320 Deep V Center Console at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, joining Carolina Skiff to become another American fiberglass OEM to factory-install E-Z Anchor Puller’s Rebel EZ-4 free-fall unit, adapting the innovative technology one year after Georgia-based OEM Carolina Skiff began installing. SEA CHASER: “I liked it so much I installed a Patriot on my own personal boat,” Ed Johnston, engineer at Carolina Skiff told us when we saw him at the Miami International Boat Show. The 35’ Sea Chaser also uses the free-fall Rebel EZ-4 and hides it in the rope locker. PARKER: “I know this is an old post, but I love my EZ on my 2820,” one writer on Classicparker.com posted to a company thread, “I have 600’ of dyneema, 75 of nylon and 50’ of chain. With lots of extra room still.” Live2fish posted several pictures depicting the Rebel EZ-4 unit resting on a bow pulpit. ARIMA: Mark Fitch was an avid poster of his installation process on ArimaOwners.com, documenting his journey with various “beer breaks” in between. Mark’s 1987 Arima Sea Pacer was sized for the Patriot EZ-1, a smaller complete 316 stainless steel unit. He still tags #ezanchorpuller in his fishing posts.

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MARCH 2021

NATIONAL 21

HUGE SWORDFISH SETS NEW FLORIDA RECORD

n Jan. 20, four young anglers from Pompano Beach, Fla. set out early from Hillsboro Inlet to get in on the fast action being reported from the swordfish grounds, some 15 miles off the coast. They returned to the docks that evening with a 767.8-pound swordfish that set a new Florida state record. The official record holder and the man who manned the LP electric reel was 21-yearold Timmy Maddock. The 31-foot center console they fished from belongs to 17-yearold Hunter Irvine, who put the final dart in the enormous fish. Lady angler, Jaime Johanson, 20, videoed the landing and got in with the gaff, while Jeremy Rafferty, 21, manned the helm as they subdued the new record. It took five and a half hours to fight the fish into submission. It took almost another hour and a radio call for help to get the swordfish through the tuna door and safely in the boat. Rob Doda, who was fishing solo nearby left his boat floating and boarded Irvine’s boat to help haul the giant fish onboard. It was an epic catch for the group of young anglers, and the 400 pounds of meat their fish yielded was shared with friends and family, with the charity organization Filet for Friends, and at a celebratory barbecue for the whole Pompano Beach fishing community. To read Timmy Maddock’s account of the catch, see the Florida section of this magazine or online at www.coastalanglermagazine.com. 22 NATIONAL

MARCH 2021

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NEW ENGLAND AWAITS

warm water, and they’re looking for that constant bait source. That’s what the rivers provide.” Action is fast in tidal rivers like the Weweantic on the north side of Buzzards Bay. Murphy walks the dog with topwater baits like a 7-inch Lil’ Doc to draw explosive strikes from good numbers of stripers in the rivers. They’ll also eat By Nick Carter soft-plastic eel or herring imitations like those made by Hogy, and although these river fish aren’t the monsters Murphy pursues later in the season, there aren’t many anglers who’d turn their nose up to consistent topwater activity from fish up to 20 inches. As the season progresses, the bite moves to the mouths of the rivers, where stripers ambush herring moving out. This is where some of the bigger fish come into play, and they also can be taken on topwater. By mid-May, Murphy said he’ll be chasing the classic New England bass blitzes, when schoolie-sized fish ball up bait and crash the surface. At this point, fish will have spread up around Cape Cod or through the Cape Cod Canal into Massachusetts Bay. Action ou can almost feel the excitement building on the coast of can be intense for fish in the 2- to New England. Winter is ebbing, and soon warming water 10-pound range. conditions will spark the migration of striped bass up the “You can go out early in the Atlantic coast. Jack Murphy will be waiting when they arrive. morning any day and find blitzing Murphy and his partner, Jack Loveday, co-founded Lucky Jacks schoolies,” Murphy said. “You can Fishing in Marblehead, Massachusetts. For them, April begins the catch 30 or 40 fish in just a couple busy striper season off Rhode Island and Massachusetts. hours.” As you read this, striped bass are spawning in tributaries of By the first part of June, anglers Chesapeake Bay, Delaware Bay and the Hudson River. When in search of big fish will head 5 to water temperatures rise into the 50s, these fish push north with 10 miles offshore to find big pogy huge schools of menhaden to feed ravenous post-spawn appetites. PHOTOS BY SEAN MAIORANO PHOTOGRAPHY (menhaden) schools. This is a Murphy said the first fish collect on the south side of Cape Cod WWW.SEANMAIORANOPHOTOGRAPHY.COM short-lived first-light bite. in Buzzards Bay. Timing is dependent on weather and water temperatures, so “When you come on one of these schools that’s getting harassed, you’re in Lucky Jacks spends spring studying winds and water temps to try and intercept the first waves of migrating fish. They normally show up in the second or third for a heck of a day.” Murphy said. “We’ve had a few days when our smallest fish were 37 pounds, and 40- to 50-pound fish are very possible.” week of April. “When river herring (alewife) push into the rivers to spawn, the first waves of stripes will be right on their tails,” Murphy said. “They’re looking for that Check out Lucky Jacks Fishing at www.luckyjacksfishing.com.

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