Coastal Angler Magazine | January 2019 | Northeast Florida by Coastal Angler Magazine

NORTHEAST FLORIDA EDITION

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Deep-Drop

Grouper Destination:

Los Suenos,

Costa Rica PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHAEL L. GRANT VOLUME 23 â&#x20AC;¢ ISSUE 287

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

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By Team Three Buoys

Photos by Michael Grant

hile mystic grouper can be caught year-round in the Bahamas, the winter months are our favorite time of year. Whenever a weather window presents itself, we point our bow east across the Florida Straights in search of these deep-water bottom dwellers. Mystics are one of the lesser-known grouper species, simply because anglers don’t fish deep enough to target them. Like all grouper, they are excellent to eat and usually weigh from 15 to 50 pounds, although they can grow much larger. It takes special gear to fish the 800- to 1,200-foot depths where we find mystics. Armed with Shimano Tiagra 80 WAs and Shimano Tiagra 50 WAs equipped with Hooker Electric Autostop drives, we string up 65- to 100-pound Power Pro braid on Crafty One Custom’s Deep Drop Rods. We begin by paying close attention to our Humminbird Solix sonar with CHIRP HD digital technology to locate bottom structure. We look for cones, holes, drop-offs, ledges and deep-water ridges. Once viable structure is located, we position the boat above it with engines out of gear to judge how wind and current will manipulate our drift. Then the

boat is repositioned up-current from the structure and the deep-drop rigs are readied. When targeting mystics, we use our www.ThreeBuoysFishing.com grouper deep-drop rigs made with three 8/0 VMC 3x Circle Hooks on 100-pound branch lines off of 12 feet of 150-pound main line. For bait, we prefer fresh-cut 8-inch strips of dolphin, tuna, wahoo or barracuda. Many deep-drop anglers claim, “no light, no bite,” but our experience has proven that, especially with mystics, we catch more and bigger fish without lights. We deploy two rods on opposite sides of the boat. Lead weights in the 10-pound range are the rule of thumb, but weight can be adjusted to the current. After the weights hit bottom, the reels are left in freespool to lay the rigs straight down on the bottom. The engines should be used to decrease the boat’s drift to a standstill, if possible. If the boat drifts, let out line to keep the rigs on bottom. When the rod tip bumps and shakes, resist the urge to lock up the drag and retrieve line. Wait a minute or two for additional fish to sense the commotion. They’ll often eat the remaining baits. When it’s time to strike, lift the reel’s drag to strike (pre-set to 20 pounds of drag) and slowly start your retrieve. Big mystic grouper put up quite a fight at first, and you might even think you’ve hung bottom. Be patient and slowly gain as must line as possible. When fish are about halfway up, their air bladders expand and create lift. They will begin to float your rig up to the surface. For more tips and tactics on deep-dropping and the tackle and rigs to get tight, see www.threebuoysfishing.com. Also, keep up with all of the offshore action @ Team Three Buoys on Facebook and Instagram.

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Finding bait becomes more important than at any other time of year. Goebel likes to get out well before dawn in search of shad or herring flickering near the surface, especially when a big moon keeps baitfish active all night. Diving birds are also a dead giveaway. They are likely feeding on baitfish pushed by stripers from below. “A lot of times if there’s bait there, I won’t even worry about marking fish on the graph,” Goebel said. “I’ll just put out my lines and start fishing where the bait is.”

By Nick Carter

here aren’t many anglers willing to endure the frigid early morning temperatures of winter on a large reservoir. But for those who can handle a little discomfort, right now is the best time of year to hook up with the striper of a lifetime. Around the Southeast, in reservoirs where striped bass were introduced, falling water temperatures spur changes in behavior that make the largest fish in the lake susceptible to anglers. Those 30- to 50-pounders are feeding up right now. They’re storing up reserves that will take them through the spring spawn. “It’s trophy striper season,” said Shane Goebel, of Big Ol’ Fish Guiding Service. “The bigger fish are participating a little better. This time of year, we start going after those big ol’ hogs that are chasing the big baits.” The large summer schools broke up months ago. Stripers are spread out and on the move, following baitfish into the creek mouths and up into the backs of the creeks. Big fish move shallow when water temps hit the mid to low 50s on the lakes Goebel guides in the mountains of north Georgia and western North Carolina. It might take some searching to find them, but the rewards can be huge.

Because the stripers are continually moving with the bait, covering water is crucial. Goebel said to troll as many baits in as wide a spread as you can handle. Herring are great on lakes where they are present, but this time of year you should also work some big gizzard shad or trout into the spread. Sometimes it takes a big mouthful to convince big fish to eat. Goebel runs baits 30 to 40 feet behind planer boards. He’ll drop freelines 100 to 150 feet behind the boat. If the area where he finds bait isn’t too shallow, he’ll put a little bit of weight ahead of the baits on the inside boards to cover more water vertically. He slow trolls at about half a mile per hour. This is a pattern Goebel fishes all the way into May, when stripers have moved into a pre-spawn phase. It might not produce the numbers of fish that downlining into summer mega-schools will, but the fish are generally a lot bigger than those 5- to 10-pound summer schoolies. If catching an enormous striper sounds like fun, zip up your parka and get out on the lake. It’s trophy striper season. Check out Big Ol’ Fish Guiding Service at bigolfish.com.

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By Tom Schlichter

Capt. Carlos Arguedas (left) shows off a huge cubera snapper caught aboard the Los Suenos charter vessel, Wingman, with Lindor Jimenez. Photo courtesy of Wingman Charters, Los Suenos, Costa Rica.

Los Suenos roosterfish come big aboard Capt. Carlos Arguedas’ charter vessel, Wingman. Photo courtesy of Wingman Charters, Los Suenos, Costa Rica.

f Costa Rica isn’t already on your bucket list, it should be. Famous for both inshore and offshore fishing, it’s also a country with incredible biodiversity and exciting eco-tourism opportunities. In short, there’s something for every sportsman and adventure seeker here. From a fishing perspective, the west coast of this Central American country is most favored with several significant cities and ports including Jaco, Quepos and, of course, Golfito. It’s Los Suenos, however, where

my wife, Felicia and I found outstanding action on a trip last April. We worked the inshore grounds, catching huge roosterfish, rainbow runners, grouper, jacks and even mahi. We also decked a big cubera snapper. Of course, we did have an edge. Coastal Angler’s very own Costa Rica inshore reporter Capt. Carlos Arguedas and his first-mate son, Christopher, were our charter crew. “This really is a terrific place to fish,” said Arguedas, “We have access to a lot of different spots ranging from very close to the marina to 50 miles away. The roosterfish action is unbelievable here but we also catch big cubera snapper, amberjack, groupers and huge red snappers, too.” Arguedas loves to take clients for roosterfish because they fight so hard, are found close to port, and grow big. He’s had a 90-pounder grace his deck. For these, he’ll slow troll live baits like blue runners, herring, sardines or bonita. All of these baits, impaled on size 8 circle hooks, also attract other large predators; so you never know what to expect when the rod doubles over. “Roosterfish are very impressive when you first see them,” said Arguedas. “They are exotic-looking with big dorsal rays, a huge mouth and striped flanks. They are stunning to see for the first time. They are also exceptionally strong. Fight a 20-pounder and you’ll think you have a 40-pounder at the end of the line. They jump, too, and shake their head, so remember to lower your rod tip when that fish comes up or you’ll tear the hook free.” Among the other big fish that hit the deck for Arguedas’ crew on a regular basis are goliath grouper that can top 400 pounds. These are targeted around local reefs. If you want to run offshore, sailfish, tuna and marlin abound within 10 miles of port. Dorado, sometimes topping 30 pounds, can be tempted within sight of the coast. Costa Rica’s tropical climate makes it a year-round destination. Most travelers prefer to visit during the dry season, which runs from December through April, but you’ll find lighter crowds and lower travel prices during the “green” or rainy season from May to November. Whenever you visit, it really helps to work with a travel pro that deals frequently with Costa Rica to customize a trip here. Blue Water Sportfishing Charters (http://bluewatersportfishingcharters.com) specializes in setting up trips to Los Suenos. They can put you in the right place at the right time for the fish you want to catch, sights you want to see or adventures you want to experience. They’ll also book you with Capt. Carlos—or you can contact him yourself at www.wingmancr.com.

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Center sp Sheri Daye

he first time I saw someone spearfishing, I was intrigued and wondered out loud how hard it would be to load a speargun. A friend heard me and said, “I’m sure you can do it. It’s probably more about technique than brute strength.” He was right. It’s not uncommon to struggle to load your first speargun, and you might suspect they made the bands too short. If you give it some time and use the right technique, it will become easy. First, some safety tips: 1) Never load a speargun out of the water. 2) Keep the safety on until you intend to shoot a fish. 3) Even with the safety on, treat it like a loaded weapon, never let the tip point at anyone. 4) Use tip protectors when not in use, so you don’t scratch anything. Some spearguns are loaded by resting the butt of the gun on your hip and pulling the bands toward the shaft notches. Others are loaded by resting the butt high on the middle of the chest and pulling the bands toward your sternum. Hip-loading spearguns are commonly used by scuba divers, as chest loading can be difficult when wearing a buoyancy compensator vest. Freedivers are less constricted by gear, so they normally use chest-loading spearguns. These have longer range because the shaft tabs sit closer to the butt of the gun. Now, some loading tips: 1) Wear gloves and wetsuit to prevent slips, scrapes or bruising. Some wetsuits have a loading pad built into the chest. 2) Don’t look down and hunch over when loading the bands. Push forward with your chest and pull the band swiftly with your arms, so the shaft tabs are pushed forward to meet the incoming

band. 3) Use a loading tab (if using a wood gun). This simple device makes things much easier by allowing you to first hip load the band to the loading tab and then raise the butt to your chest for the final pull. Although it’s a two-step process, it can be done quickly and will feel much easier. 4) If your bands are still too hard to load, use three longer bands. 5) Work out, lift weights, work on core and upper body. Try bench presses, seated rows, bent over rows, pushups and pull-ups. Bands and dumbbells can be incorporated into your workout routine, whether at the gym or home. If you want to see a band loading video, check out Coastal Angler online. And remember—you can accomplish anything you set your mind to! Sheri is a world-record holder, host of “Speargun Hunter,” and producer of The Blue Wild Ocean Adventure Expo in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Follow “Sheri Daye” and “The Blue Wild” on Facebook and Instagram.

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ome February, Miami becomes the hot spot for hundreds of thousands looking to escape the winter blues, and the place to be for a host of high-profile events, including the Progressive Insurance Miami International Boat Show. As one of the most attended and influential boating events in the world with an economic impact of $854 million, the iconic Miami Boat Show draws more than 100,000 people to the Magic City annually and provides an island oasis to enjoy the boating lifestyle. The 2019 Miami Boat Show, cruising into Miami Marine Stadium Park and Basin Feb. 14-18, promises an experience for buyers and dreamers alike, showcasing thousands of the newest boats and sail-

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he action in northwest Costa Rica has once again been off the charts as FishingNosara celebrates its 10th season of charter fishing. All five boats are in the water and scoring big for their clients, with 51 trips logged in November. Big dorados are the staple catch this time of year, but it was a welcome surprise to see swarms of billfish in the mix. The team nabbed 12 marlin releases, 24 sailfish releases, 217 dorados, and five roosterfish releases. One of these roosters was a nearworld-record at 72 pounds. On Nov. 19, Capt. Alex on the Harvester posted the best trip of the month with Terry and Julie Edwards’ group. They loaded up the trophy case with excellent releases. A 300-plus-pound blue marlin was the headliner of the trip for these Texas anglers, and shortly after that battle, the 32-foot mega panga nabbed a wonderful sailfish release. Team Edwards came inshore to finish the day, and saved the best for last… that massive 72-pound roosterfish.

The IGFA All-Tackle Record for roosterfish is 114 pounds, and the second-place fish is 85 pounds. This fish caught by the Harvester wasn’t far off the second place catch. Most impressively, the above-mentioned IGFA record catches were posted in 1960 and 1954 respectively. This size of roosterfish has not been seen in more than five decades. On the same day, other members of Julie Edwards’ family had a big time on the 32-foot Discoverer with a blue marlin release of their own. Capt. Carlos estimated this fish at 250 pounds upon release. Also in November, FishingNosara Hall of Famer Bill Harris took to the 28-foot bar-room brawler Explorer and opened up her season with a billfish grand slam! A big blue marlin was the highlight of the morning, and it was followed by a late-day striped marlin. Bill nabbed the first marlin, and Mark Scott scored the second. A nice Pacific sailfish caught by Diane Turner completed the grand slam for these Tampa, Fla.based anglers. They didn’t go home empty handed, either, thanks to five big tasty dorado catches spread throughout the day. On the Discoverer, the team of Eli Bedran, Andrew Lipps, Kelsey Harry and Laurie Harry report a fantastic blue marlin release, the first of the year for the big battleship, plus six lovely dorados. John Purdy, John Van Diver, Mike Pickelsimer and Dale McElroy fished in early November and reported 11 sweet dorados on ice. The Harvester has been itching for action, and found what she was looking for as these monsters topped out at 60 pounds. The action was so hot that Capt. Alex chose to release the biggest cows so as not to hurt the stocks. Naturally, we have full reports of all these catches and more archived at Blog.FishingNosara.com, including videos. January and February will be super-busy and the spring months are already filling up fast. Get your plans together so we can secure your fishing adventure with FishingNosara, some of the best sportfishing in Costa Rica.

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oel’s Distributing in south Florida has reached a milestone—40 years in business. Not many operations can make that claim, and so a look down memory lane seems appropriate. Tom Noel, aka Paddleboat Tom, moved to Florida from Michigan in 1979. He closed his grocery store, loaded a pickup truck with three paddleboats, his wife Joy, two sons, a daughter and the family dog and headed south. Tom set up shop in his garage in their Lake Clarke Shores home. After a few years, Joy put her foot down and insisted that he find a warehouse. Tom rented a space next to their current location, just off Forest Hill Blvd in West Palm Beach. A couple of years later he bought the 3,000 square-foot warehouse. Tom’s sons Rob and Tom are also involved with the business. Noel’s Distributing sells safety equipment, fire extinguishers, flares, rope, anchors and a warehouse full of other boating supplies to their clients, predominately in the Keys, along the east coast and in central Florida. They will ship anywhere. Many of their clients search them out for their custom rope splicing and then discover the realm of equipment they carry. If you are looking for anything marine related, it’s worth a phone call. They are generally a better value than the larger chain stores. Tom and his sons are very thankful for their longtime clients. Check out Noel’s Distributing at noeldistributing.com or give them a call at (561) 585-2387.

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FLORIDA

12/13/18 7/12/18 10:49 12:25AM PM

Team Who’s Your Daddy took first at Wahoo Smackdown X with 16 fish that weighed a total of 231.5 pounds.

FLORIDA

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ahoo Smackdown X, hosted by the historic Bimini Big Game Club Resort and Marina on Nov. 8-12, saw 23 boats competing for more than $25,000 in cash and prizes. Out of the 23 competing boats, 22 teams landed fish, bringing 152 wahoo to the scales in the process. Team Who’s Your Daddy took top team honors with 16 fish weighing a total of 231.5 pounds and took home $15,000 in cash winnings. Second place was Team Blitzsea, which earned $7,500 in cash for their 21 fish and a total catch weight of 206.4 pounds. Team Murderize, out of Freeport, Grand Bahama, finished third, taking home $2,500 in cash winnings for a catch of 11 fish with a total catch weight of 193.6 pounds. Team Little Giant caught the largest wahoo of the tournament at 50.7 pounds. Tournament festivities included live local entertainment nightly, a cocktail reception poolside for the captains’ meeting, a cookout on day one of the tournament, and a closing awards party on the great lawn, featuring a buffet, live entertainment and a full open bar. Sponsors for this year’s tournament include American Beverage Marketers (www.masterofmixes.com) as the Title Sponsor, Bahamian Brewery and Beverage (Sands), artist David Dunleavy, Tropic Ocean Airways, Caza Offshore, Live Wire Tackle, Flanigan’s, CS Custom Lures and Bimini Big Game Club. With more than 50-record-setting catches in the waters around the island, Bimini has often been referred to as the Sport Fishing Capital of the World. The Big Game Club opened for business in 1947. Owner Neville Stewart saw the promise and allure of fishing and personally developed and encouraged tournaments. He sold his interest to Bacardi, which over 30 years grew the tradition with many memorable tournaments. The current owners, the Southern California-based Hankey Group, put the iconic fishing resort back in play in 2010 and are completing a multi-million-dollar renovation, that includes numerous capital improvements to the rooms, restaurant and lounge, landscaping, new pool and a renovated 75 slip marina, including docks and seawall.

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By CAM Staff

n 2007, when Andy Kent opened shop at Beach Blvd Motorsports in Jacksonville, he had no idea how immersed in the fishing world he would become. Beach Blvd began as a pure powersports dealer, selling and servicing ATVs, motorcycles and dirt bikes. With a company-wide ethic of doing right by the customer, it grew into the area’s leading motorsports purveyor. But things really took off in 2012, when Beach Blvd took on fishing boats. “Everyone seems to have something in common when it comes to talking fishing, it doesn’t matter if it’s inshore, offshore or freshwater,” Kent said over the phone while drowning a shiner in the St. Johns River. “Good people fish, and most people who fish are good. It’s just a good kind of customer to have. Fishermen are enjoyable to be around.” Today Beach Blvd sells about 45 Tidewater and Ranger boats a year.

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They service Mercury and Yamaha outboards and provide the kind of ongoing support that earns loyalty from their customers. The dealership got involved in the fishing community, sponsoring inshore tournaments, and this ethos allowed them to expand. In 2018, Kent and his partner Greg Lingris purchased St. Johns Powersports a few miles off the St. Johns River in Palatka. They took a struggling powersports dealer and turned it around. Now Kent is looking forward to providing freshwater anglers with the same customer experience that grew the mostly saltwater customer base in Jacksonville. With a 15-year-old son, Carson, who fishes the Bassmaster High School tournament series, bass fishing is built into family life for the Kents. They understand the wants and needs of freshwater anglers, whether it’s for serious bass tournaments or weekend outings to load a cooler with speckled perch. Obviously, Ranger Boats are a good way to begin filling those needs. Kent envisions a separate building dedicated to fishing boats and accessories, with the most fishable aluminum boats on the market as well as the high-performance fiberglass bass boats every angler covets. “We’re bringing Ranger to Palatka,” Kent said. “We’re looking forward to getting involved by bringing Ranger pros down for open houses and the Ranger Cup Program, which pays tournament anglers for winning if they’re fishing from Ranger boats.” Beneath it all is the desire to earn the trust and friendships critical to a community dealership, and especially in the fishing industry. Kent tipped his hat to his staff for their success. “I owe it all to our staff,” he said. “Customer service is No. 1, and everyone on staff knows it. Each one of them operates as if they owned the place. “It’s not always about price,” he continued. “We always want to give everyone the best deal on the best boat for them. And part of that deal is the support. We want to provide the kind of service that makes customers want come back when it’s time to upgrade.” Check out Beach Blvd Motorsports at beachblvdmotorsports.com. The website for St. Johns Powersports is stjohnspowersports.com.

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Fishing Report & Forecast Mayport By Capt. Kirk Waltz

he holidays have passed and our winter has set in. The water temps should remain somewhat stable and it typically means high 50’s to low 60’s. I really like this time of the year as it really thins the ranks of those true and blue die hard fisherman. The redfish will school up in the shallow creeks to seek food on the mud flats from the JTB Bridge up into Sisters Creek north to the Nassau River. Look for oyster bars, run outs, deep bends in the creeks and holes for most of your action. I like a nice warm weather window, light winds and clear skies for my best days. A high outgoing tide is best and I will throw a jig and shrimp combo for most of my trip to score. If the tide is moving let it carry the jig/shrimp down current. If it isn’t try pitching it by an oyster bar and giving it a slow drag by lightly lifting the rod every 30-40 seconds. Trout will also hit small gulp baits in new penny or white with a small twitch every few seconds. I prefer the swimming minnow/mullet in 3in best. Try to look for clean clear water for best results. The big rocks at Mayport will give up some excellent fishing this month for trout speckled/yellow mouth, sheepshead, reds, ringtails, black margates, and black drum. The trout bite better on high outgoing tides when the water is clear. I will fish both the inside and outside of the rocks with both live and artificial baits. A float rig works great and live shrimp and jigs are a close second. Again clear water is better for trout .This is one of the few times of the year to catch big trout on the rocks and lots of them. For reds, sheepshead, margates, drum and ringtails shrimp/fiddler crabs jig combos are my go to rig and are highly effective. Remember to be patient and work slow. The cool water makes ‘em a little slow and they will bite softly at times. A small nibble does not mean it’s a small fish! Sheepshead are big bait stealers and will nibble very slowly! Ringtail porgies should be around this month at the tip of the rocks in fairly large numbers. Though not huge fish they are a scream on light 4 NE FLORIDA

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tackle. With a really small mouth it’s important to use small hooks and small pieces of bait. A 1/8th oz jig works well or a small #1 hook and a split shot can be deadly. I like to break small live shrimp in two and cover as much of the hook as possible. Allow the rig to slowly sink with steady tension on the tip of the rod. When you feel the tell tale bump.. bump set the hook. Prize fighters for their small sized they also make excellent table fair. The big black drum will be around the rocks and we fish for them in deep water along the channel edges. A quarter piece of blue crab is effective as well as a nice piece of shrimp. The last of the incoming and outgoing tides are best. Try anchoring at the tips of either the north or south rocks along the edges of the rock wall drops as they fall into the channel. A stiff rod with and egg sinker rig or the 3-way swivel rigs work well. Remember they have a mealy mouth kinda bite so don’t set the hook as soon as they start the nibble process. Use only enough lead to pin the bait to the bottom. I find current is a must to get them to bite well. The offshore scene will slow way down but can still be fun. Pick the right window days and you can catch a mess of black bass and snapper though the snaps gotta go back in. The season is still closed for them. Check the regs to ensure you are legal. Capt. Kirk Waltz can be reached at 904.241.7560 or 904.626.1128 for info on charters for 4 or 40ppl. Listen to him every Saturday with Capt. Kevin Faver and Jeff Lageman giving out weather, tides, and fishing forecasts for the coming week. Go to www.Enterprisefishingcharters. com for more info

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SURF FISHING SEMINAR - JANUARY 23, 2019

About the Guest Speaker… Noel loves all types of fishing, but surf fishing is his passion. One of his quotes is, “It doesn’t matter if it’s Bluegill, Bluefish, or Blue Marlin, fishing is a blast when you’ve got the tackle matched with the fish you’re targeting.” Noel has enjoyed surf fishing for the last 40 years. He is a founding member of the Florida Surfcasters Club, a past President, and is currently on the Board of Directors. He has enjoyed the success of winning club tournaments, as well as annual tournaments open to the public. However, he gets the most pleasure from teaching people how to fish! He has been the guest speaker at several fishing clubs where he has sparked a passion in many new surf anglers. Additionally, he runs a guide service specializing in surf fishing from Fernandina, south to Daytona. He takes great pride in putting his clients in position to slide fish onto the sand and simultaneously teaching conservation, sportsmanship, and stewardship of the beach environment.

FREE Surf Fishing Seminar is being offered at Watson Realty’s Orange Park Office on Blanding Blvd for anglers of every age and skill level! The seminar is limited to the first 50 registrants, and includes a barbeque dinner, a gift bag, and a one-hour instructional talk from Mr. Noel Kuhn. Noel is a Jacksonville native, local surf-fishing expert, and a writer for Coastal Angler Magazine. Tickets are free, and may be reserved via Event Brite, or by contacting Mark Feagle at 904-6071139.

Event to be held at the following time, date, and location: Wednesday, January 23, 2019 from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM (EST) Watson Realty Corp. Orange Park 153-1 Blanding Blvd Orange Park, FL 32073

Schedule of Events: 6:00pm – Check-in, Dinner Served 6:30-7:30pm – Welcome and Introduction of Guest Speaker, Noel Kuhn

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Hosted by: Mark Feagle, Watson Realty Corp. and Mark Meacham, Watson Mortgage Corp. Other Sponsorships: Coastal Angler Magazine

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he member’s Triple Challenge tournament was held November 3rd. Redfish, speckled trout and flounder were the quarry. Chris Nichol’s took top honors catching one of each, earning ten points toward the coveted Captain of the Year award. Tom Darga and Dustine Girard took second and third respectively. The club holds ten members only tournaments throughout the year. These tournaments cover inshore and offshore, and the complete water column. If you didn’t join us on November 15th for our Thanksgiving pot luck supper you really missed out. Great food and fellowship was had by all. Captain Jesiah “Boaz” Hall of the Majesty and Mayport Princess was our guest speaker and cobia was his topic. He shared his years of lemon fish experience with us. I am certainly ready to try my hand as soon as the waters cool down (which will happen any day now). Club members have been

offshore weather permitting catching wahoo, grouper, trigger fish and beeliners. Upcoming: December 6: Monthly meeting. It’s time for our annual Clam Chowder Cookoff. Bring your best chowder; Manhattan or New England. Come earn the title of Chowder Captain. In addition, Spencer Brogden, local pier and surf fisherman extraordinary will be our guest speaker. He has the local shore fishing dialed in. December 20: Monthly meeting. It’s our Christmas party and we will have a lure tree. Bring a lure, hang it on the tree and receive a raffle ticket. Each lure you hang nets you a ticket. At the night’s end a single ticket will be selected and the winner will take home all of the lures on the tree. We open the doors around 6:00 dinner is at 7:00, and we generally try to get started with the meeting about 7:30, and we will have a great raffle. All of our meetings are open to the public. COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM

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

t’s sight fishing time… It’s sight fishing time… It’s sight fishing time! Can you tell I’m a little excited? The next few months give anglers in Northeast Florida the best chance to get out there and sight fish a redfish in the shallows. As air temps drop, the water will clear up. The colder it gets, the clearer the water will be (The colder water will kill off the algae that makes our waters so murky much of the year). This also marks the time of year when our inshore fish really get schooled up both on the flats and in the creeks. Clear water, schooled up redfish, and not many boats on the water, does it get any better? Slot-sized redfish will be schooled up this time of year. Locating the larger schools of fish can be tough, but if you know what to look for it may be easier than you think. I like to scout for schools of fish on the lower tide stage, as it gets them more bunched up. Look for the areas on a flat that will hold just enough water for the fish at dead low tide. You can bet that if a large flat just about dries up at low tide, all the fish that live there will be in the spots holding just enough water for them to swim in. Those shallow areas will warm up on sunny days creating an ideal place for the redfish to hang out and warm up a bit. If the flat goes completely dry, check the edges or troughs. When you find the fish there, wait for the tide to come

back in and follow the fish back up onto the flat to see where they like to go. You can be a real flats fishing “ninja” once you pattern wintertime schooled-up reds. My go-to lure for wintertime sight fishing is the Saltwater Assassin Lil Boss paddle tail. I like to pair it up with either a 1/8oz Saltwater Assassin jighead or weedless hook, depending on bottom conditions. It’s important to stay lightweight if at all possible because sometimes with clearer water comes spookier fish. Using a light setup will allow you to make less splash when the lure enters the water, thus allowing you to cast closer to the fish without spooking him. If you are casting to a school of fish, lead them by as much as you can. If your bait or lure lands too close to just one fish you may spook the whole school. A couple other species we’ll be targeting this time of year will be trout, black drum, and sheepshead. If you find a nice warm spot up on the flats this time of year you may just run into some really big, laidup trout. The smaller schooling trout will be thick in the deeper creek holes. The drum and sheepshead can be found in the same creek holes, especially on the lower tide stages. If you’re targeting the trout, use a rig that allows you to fish in the middle of the water column. If you’re looking to get the drum and sheepies, go to the bottom with fiddler crabs or shrimp. Stay safe out there and have a Happy New Year!!! Capt. Tommy Derringer 904-377-3734 www.InshoreAdventures.net

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Fishing Report & Forecast Nassau Sound By Capt. Tony Bozzella

anuary can be a cold month, and with that comes fishing smart. Redfish is my targeted choice. I like to try and plan my trips around the mid mourning and through the afternoon hours when the sun is high and a falling tide.This allows the dark mud bottoms of North Florida to “heat up.” The mud flats gather heat from the sun and the Redfish take advantage of that. Also Redfish school up in larger numbers in winter. When you catch one, there are most likely more. The other reason would be because when water temperatures drop below 65 degrees David Dotsie / Dotsie Homebuilders for any length of time, the micro organisms die off, and with less precipitation and boat traffic, the water can get very clear. With the sun high overhead

you can truly sight fish in North Fla. If artificial lure is your choice, I like a black TBS Buck tail 1/8 - 1/4 oz jig. Very effective. Work the lure with short low hops around the depressions adjacent to oyster bars and weed lines, or a hole in the backcountry areas and marshes. Remember, the mullet and shrimp are scarce this time of year, many varieties of crabs become the foraging diet. lf you see a fish ,lead him 3-4 feet and as the fish approaches it.....just barley slide the jig. Shallow water requires subtle movements, and with the buck tail jig the hair breaths and undulates while looking “very alive” with minimal movement. Look for Redfish to be holding and schooled up in any areas where water drains out on the falling tide off a flat. At the low end of the tide they should be close in what I call a “staging area.” They will bunch up and wait for the tide to come back so they can ride it in and get back to there normal feeding areas back on the flat. If you are a bait fisherman, and find a spot like this you can really wear the reds out! Cut mullet, crab, shrimp, and mud minnows are all great choices. Sheepshead are a great winter fish, and will be taken around these areas as well. Shrimp or crab soaked on a TBS jig is usually the ticket. The jetties will be given up a fair number of these tasty fish. Also, this style of fishing can produce some nice Black drum and flounder. I like a jig and shrimp combo and fish the falling tide, with moving water close to oyster / shell bars.

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Florida’s Winter Duck Hunting

On-your-own waterfowling is still good in the people-booming Sunshine State. By Bob McNally

o one, least of all me, should believe that the places for Florida waterfowlers to tag a few ducks on public wetlands today is as wide open to access as it was 20 years ago. I’ve lived in Florida for over 40 years, and in that time have shot ducks about everywhere you can float a decoy. And while there still is a staggering availability of options for public duck hunting in the state, the truth is millions more people live in Florida today compared to a few decades ago. And that swelling population makes locating and enjoying stellar Florida duck hunting a challenge -- at least to do it consistently. But December and January are prime for Florid ducks, because northern waters are frozen, and waterfowl food is sparse, so birds head South, like so many other snow birds.

habitat to wood ducks and black belly tree ducks (which are becoming an increasingly abundant and important duck to Florida shotgunners). In the bigger rivers, like the St. Johns, there are wide areas that form oversize lakes like George, Crescent, Woodruff, Monroe, Rodman Reservoir and many more. The wide lakes (and to some extent the broader regions of the rivers themselves) have lots of vegetation that often stretch far from shore. Eel grass is common, but so is hydrilla and floating duck weed. Duck weed is prime waterfowl food for puddlers, and biologists say hydrilla is a vitally important duck food in Florida, too. This vegetation attracts teal, ringed-neck ducks, shovellers, mottled ducks, and at times widgeon and gone-wild mallards (rare are state mallards true migrants, but rather generations of domestic mallards that do not leave Florida -and they are legal game). The best way to scout the big rivers like the St. Johns, Kissimmee, Apalachicola, Withlacoochee and big lake chains like the Harris and Tsala Apopka, is to simply dedicate a day or an afternoon to boat running shoreline areas and looking for ducks. It takes time and effort, but that’s what’s needed in today’s Florida public duck hunting arena. Sometimes the best hunting in the biggest rivers and lakes (especially in areas having abundant shoreline homes) is to hunt vacant small islands in the waterways. Boat blinds also make sense in big water. Gunners in a properly camouflaged boat covered with bulrushes, palmettos, or using an Avery type boat cover blind, have a big advantage over their shore-bound brethren in consistently taking pressured Florida ducks from public water. Getting out away from shoreline homes also avoids resident confrontations, and often ducks are more easily decoyed to open water areas far from land. For years buddies and I would hunt Florida ducks early in the morning, then break up in teams in our johnboats and go fishing. While boat riding we’d look for ducks resting in backwaters and potholes around river areas and in wide “lakes”. This broke up the monotony of dedicating a whole afternoon of “looking” for ducks, and we caught fish, too. This kind of fishing “research” also works in more coastal areas where the bulk of the state’s migrating waterfowl, especially puddle ducks, can be taken. Hard work and portable boat blinds make for consistently good duck huntThis helped us learn the broad, marshy upper St. Johns River ing during winter in Florida. area west of Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. We’d hunt the refuge in the morning, break for lunch, then fish or hunt afternoons in the vast and wild upper St. Johns marsh. Even today great shotgunning still can be found on public water We similarly hunted Merritt Island in mornings, spending within the shadows of some of the biggest metropolitan areas of the afternoons learning prime public spots along the Indian and Banana state, at least for hunters willing to work at it. Moreover, not everyone Rivers outside the refuge while fishing. within earshot of duck hunters necessarily is against gunners having Often the surrounding areas of popular public duck spots like their way with birds. Moreover, wintering ducks in Florida often can be Merritt, Guana River WMA, and the PotashCorp WMA can have found in huntable numbers almost in the back yards of state residents. superb shooting because birds are pressured out of public areas. Best Florida duck hunters can use this knowledge to their advantage hunting in such periphery zones often is had on the busiest public if they do their homework and learn where migrating waterfowl are hunting days because birds are looking to escape gunners, and can loafing during their fall-winter vacation in the Sunshine State. If such be lured into secondary spots within a mile or two of traditional hot places are near cities, towns and private property, learn if it’s okay to public duck areas. hunt the place by contacting the area game warden. Tidewater marshes along the Intracoastal Waterway on both coasts Superb duck hunting can be found in huge regions where the state’s offer surprisingly good duck hunting. Many of the state’s top inshore many rivers wind through marsh and woodland terrain that attracts anglers who target redfish and snook know the small potholes in their large numbers of waterfowl. In the northern half of the state many of fishing areas that hold migrating waterfowl. Not all give up such duck hunting information easily, but it’s worth asking such guides if you the big rivers have heavily-wooded shorelines, which provide great 10 NE FLORIDA

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know them or charter them. When running the bigger lakes we’d almost always locate backwater sloughs and pockets that were full of teal, mottled ducks, ringed-necks, and sometimes widgeon, shovellers, and even a few pintails. The big lakes of the state can be daunting to run in small duck boats long before daybreak on a hunt. A couple teams of duck hunters in two or three boats working together is a good safety rule. Know where you’re going and how to get back via compass, portable GPS, and good old fashion maps. Cell phones always are wise to have with you, but they can fail in the boondocks, so don’t rely on them completely. Like most things in life, what you get out of public duck hunting in Florida is largely dependent on the amount of time and effort put into it. If you’re satisfied with tossing out a dozen decoys in a hardpressured public area a couple mornings every autumn or winter and take home a few teal or shovellers, great, have a good time. If, however, you expect to see clouds of bluewings, clusters of widgeon, and tight groups of ringed-necks buzzing your dekes from shooting light to the last bird of a limit, than you’ve got to work hard to find it, and then make it happen. But it’s time and work well spent, and it can be done by anyone with the desire to bring it to fruition. Never forget that during some winters up to 25 percent of the Atlantic Flyway duck population has migrated into Florida. All hunters have to do is find them, and the places to publicly gun them. Pintails are among the most prized of Florida ducks, and late season is a good time to target them as the bulk of the birds winter in the state as northern lakes and feeding areas freeze and cover with snow.

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

TIDE CHART - January

Mayport Degaussing Structure 30.3967° N, 81.3950° W Date

Day Time

Hgt

Time

Hgt

Time

Hgt

Time

Bings Landing: H: +2:57 L: +2:44

Hgt

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

Major Feeding Periods

01 Tue 04:35 AM 4.98 H

10:44 AM 0.18 L 04:56 PM 4.32 H 10:51 PM -0.08 L

8:50 AM-10:50 AM • 9:20 PM-11:20 PM

02 Wed 05:30 AM 5.06 H

11:40 AM 0.07 L 05:50 PM 4.29 H 11:43 PM -0.17 L

9:40 AM-11:40 AM • 10:10 PM-11:59 PM

03 Thu 06:20 AM 5.12 H

12:31 PM -0.06 L 06:39 PM 4.29 H

10:30 AM-12:30 PM • 11:00 PM-11:59 PM

04 Fri 12:32 AM -0.27 L

07:06 AM 5.14 H 01:16 PM -0.18 L 07:24 PM 4.30 H

11:20 AM-1:20 PM • 11:45 PM-11:59 PM

05 Sat 01:17 AM -0.34 L

07:48 AM 5.13 H 01:58 PM -0.25 L 08:05 PM 4.29 H

12:10 PM-2:10 PM

06 Sun 01:59 AM -0.35 L

08:28 AM 5.08 H 02:37 PM -0.24 L 08:45 PM 4.26 H

12:35 AM-2:35 AM • 1:00 PM-3:00 PM

07 Mon 02:38 AM -0.28 L 09:07 AM 5.00 H 03:16 PM -0.16 L 09:23 PM 4.22 H

1:25 AM-3:25 AM • 1:50 PM-3:50 PM

08 Tue 03:17 AM -0.13 L

09:45 AM 4.90 H 03:54 PM -0.02 L 10:01 PM 4.17 H

2:15 AM-4:15 AM • 2:40 PM-4:40 PM

09 Wed 03:55 AM 0.09 L

10:23 AM 4.79 H 04:33 PM 0.16 L 10:39 PM 4.13 H

3:00 AM-5:00 AM • 3:25 PM-5:25 PM

10 Thu 04:34 AM 0.32 L

11:01 AM 4.64 H 05:12 PM 0.34 L 11:17 PM 4.12 H

3:40 AM-5:40 AM • 4:10 PM-6:10 PM

11 Fri 05:15 AM 0.55 L

11:40 AM 4.49 H 05:53 PM 0.48 L 11:58 PM 4.15 H

4:25 AM-6:25 AM • 4:50 PM-6:50 PM

12 Sat 06:01 AM 0.73 L

12:21 PM 4.32 H 06:35 PM 0.56 L

5:05 AM-7:05 AM • 5:35 PM-7:35 PM

13 Sun 12:42 AM 4.21 H

06:52 AM 0.84 L 01:06 PM 4.16 H 07:20 PM 0.57 L

5:50 AM-7:50 AM • 6:15 PM-8:15 PM

14 Mon 01:32 AM 4.30 H

07:49 AM 0.85 L 01:58 PM 4.02 H 08:10 PM 0.48 L

6:30 AM-8:30 AM • 7:00 PM-9:00 PM

15 Tue 02:28 AM 4.43 H

08:49 AM 0.74 L 02:57 PM 3.94 H 09:04 PM 0.30 L

7:15 AM-9:15 AM • 7:45 PM-9:45 PM

16 Wed 03:29 AM 4.62 H

09:50 AM 0.52 L 03:59 PM 3.97 H 10:01 PM 0.01 L

8:05 AM-10:05 AM • 8:40 PM-10:40 PM

17 Thu 04:30 AM 4.87 H

10:49 AM 0.18 L 04:59 PM 4.12 H 10:58 PM -0.37 L

9:00 AM-11:00 AM • 9:30 PM-11:30 PM

18 Fri 05:28 AM 5.17 H

11:46 AM -0.23 L 05:55 PM 4.34 H 11:54 PM -0.79 L

10:00 AM-12:00 PM • 10:30 PM-11:59 PM

19 Sat 06:23 AM 5.47 H

12:38 PM -0.65 L 06:48 PM 4.58 H

11:00 AM-1:00 PM • 11:30 PM-11:59 PM

20 Sun 12:47 AM -1.19 L

07:16 AM 5.72 H 01:29 PM -1.00 L 07:40 PM 4.80 H

12:05 PM-2:05 PM

21 Mon 01:39 AM -1.48 L 08:07 AM 5.87 H 02:18 PM -1.23 L 08:31 PM 4.97 H

12:35 AM-2:35 AM • 1:10 PM-3:10 PM

22 Tue 02:30 AM -1.60 L

08:58 AM 5.90 H 03:07 PM -1.32 L 09:22 PM 5.07 H

1:35 AM-3:35 AM • 2:10 PM-4:10 PM

23 Wed 03:22 AM -1.54 L 09:49 AM 5.80 H 03:57 PM -1.26 L 10:14 PM 5.10 H

2:35 AM-4:35 AM • 3:10 PM-5:10 PM

24 Thu 04:16 AM -1.31 L

10:40 AM 5.57 H 04:48 PM -1.08 L 11:07 PM 5.06 H

3:30 AM-5:30 AM • 4:05 PM-6:05 PM

25 Fri 05:13 AM -0.97 L

11:32 AM 5.25 H 05:41 PM -0.84 L

4:20 AM-6:20 AM • 4:55 PM-6:55 PM

26 Sat 12:01 AM 4.97 H

06:13 AM -0.60 L 12:25 PM 4.87 H 06:36 PM -0.57 L

5:10 AM-7:10 AM • 5:45 PM-7:45 PM

27 Sun 12:58 AM 4.84 H

07:15 AM -0.24 L 01:22 PM 4.49 H 07:33 PM -0.31 L

6:00 AM-8:00 AM • 6:30 PM-8:30 PM

28 Mon 01:59 AM 4.71 H

08:17 AM 0.03 L 02:23 PM 4.17 H 08:30 PM -0.10 L

29 Tue 03:04 AM 4.62 H

09:19 AM 0.20 L 03:28 PM 3.96 H 09:29 PM 0.03 L

6:50 AM-8:50 AM • 7:20 PM-9:20 PM

30 Wed 04:08 AM 4.58 H

10:19 AM 0.26 L 04:31 PM 3.89 H 10:27 PM 0.06 L

31 Thu 05:07 AM 4.60 H

11:16 AM 0.21 L 05:29 PM 3.92 H 11:22 PM -0.01 L

7:40 AM-9:40 AM • 8:05 PM-10:05 PM 8:25 AM-10:25 AM • 8:55 PM-10:55 PM 9:15 AM-11:15 AM • 9:45 PM-11:45 PM

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Fishing Report & Forecast Flagler Inshore By Captain Chris Herrera

rab those new polarized glasses you received for Christmas and hit the shallows for sight fishing opportunities.Â Go ahead and sleep in as the fishing is best from 10am to 2pm when the sun is at its highest peak. Redfish are the primary target in the shallows and targeted with soft plastics or on fly. Mudflats on a sunny January afternoon on outgoing tide can be very good for Redfish because the shallow water over the mudflats warms up faster than the surrounding deep water. Redfish love to stage to warm up.. Black drum can also be sight fished but they are best targeted in deeper water with live shrimp or quartered crab. Best tides are at the change when going slack. Spotted sea trout are coming off of a hot bite and will still hang around the drop offs of the ICW. Blue fish will frequent the same waters so make sure you bring plenty of bait and soft plastics...

Capt. Chris Herrera Serving Flagler Beach, Palm Coast, St. Augustine www.palmcoastfishing.com 386-503-6338

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5000-60 U.S. Highway 17, Fleming Island

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7099 Collins Road, Jacksonville

463779 S.R. 200, Yulee

686 Blanding Blvd., Orange Park

3150 Emerson St., Jacksonville

10980 U.S. Highway 1 N., Jacksonville

4123 Town Center Parkway, Jacksonville

4511 San Juan Ave., Jacksonville

11350 Baymeadows Road, Jacksonville

450 Park Street, Jacksonville

60 Airport Center Drive, Jacksonville

10970 U.S. Highway 1 N., Ponte Vedra Beach

10044 Atlantic Blvd., Jacksonville

2350 State Road 16, St. Augustine

220 A1A N., Ponte Vedra Beach

1900 Mizell Road, (SR312), St. Augustine

1001 Monument Road, Jacksonville

1605 Race Track Road, Jacksonville

11040 McCormick Road, Jacksonville

3011 International Golf Parkway, St. Augustine

26699 State Road 56, Wesley Chapel

12705 Durbin Lake Drive, Jacksonville

2940 County Road 136, White Springs

2520 S. 3rd Street, Jacksonville Beach

2545 Palm Valley Road, Ponte Vedra

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Fishing Report Pier and Surf By: Noel Kuhn

hat a December to remember! Last month was the best one that I’ve ever seen. There were so many Pompano and big Whiting. The picture is of a two pounder caught last month. This bite will continue through this month IF the water temperature stays above sixty degrees. The correct water temperature is imperative for your success especially in January and February! If the surf temp, not the data buoy temp miles offshore, goes below sixty you have two choices. Either stay home and get things done or drive as far south as needed to catch up to warmer waters. When I plan a winter surf fishing trip I use four internet tools to ensure my success. For the water temps I google “sst charts 16 NE FLORIDA

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rutgers”. I find the color chart so easy to use. The satellite imagery is updated seven times a day! Next is wind speed. Intellicast.com nails it right every time. The third thing I check is wave conditions. For that I use magicseaweed.com. Finally you can’t beat a local surf camera to look for water clarity. The best time to view a surf cam is from 1PM to 4PM. This is when the sun lights up the waves and you can see what the clarity is. You do not need perfectly crystal clear water, but you cannot catch fish in chocolate milk. So if you are going south for the day plan for success. How far south do you need to go? During January and February I target from New Smyrna south to Fort Pierce. The key is to look at the “sst charts Rutgers” first before deciding where to go. Just because migration history repeats itself, I already have my room booked for Vero Beach in February. We will find that perfect temperature range somewhere between Cocoa and Stuart. If you choose to stay close to Jacksonville I would downsize my hooks to a #1 circle and only use a bait the size of a nickel or smaller. My go to in the winter is fresh shrimp or clam. Here is your perfect stay near day of fishing. Sunny skies, calm winds, clean water above sixty degrees, and a cooler of big whiting with a black drum bonus. Just finish up the day with a pot of warm fish chowder! Noel Kuhn Surf fishing guide and long distance casting coach. 904-945-0660 www.TheSurfAngler.com

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he Nassau Sport Fishing Association is non-profit organization dedicated to develop and promote saltwater fishing in the Nassau County area while adhering to state, federal and local regulations, to encourage compliance with rules of water safety by club members and the general public, and to promote youth related community activities. The Angler of the Year has been decided. It was a close race this year and Ed Fry has prevailed, followed closely by Harley ESS in second place. Dave Smith finished in thrid place. Lady Angler of the Year was awarded to Trisha Gless, Flowed by Pat Smith in second and Pat Ess in third. Our

Youth Angler of the year is Mike McCollum. Check out our website and WWW.NSFAFISH.NET for all the fish weighed in our year long tournament. We can also be found on Facebook at “Facebook. com/NSFAFISH”. The NSFA is currently planning a wide slate of events and

tournaments for 2019 that are open to the public. See you on the water!

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

ishing further up in both the St. Mary’s and Nassau river systems during stable weather conditions offers a grab bag of angling opportunities. Here winter fishermen will hook into a variety of both fresh and saltwater game fish. Striped bass fishing is excellent during the first hour of the falling tide while fishing on the bottom with cut mullet or working a white spinner or minnow type plug at the mouths of feeder creeks. Largemouth bass will be fattening up for the late winter and early spring spawn while feeding in the shallow sloughs where feeder creeks are key. Drifting a wild shiner shiner under a small brightly colored float close to shoreline cover is the number one fishing tactic for taking trophy river bass. Schooling bass will readily take a #11 gold floating Rapala or floating frog worked close to shoreline cover.

nth

A favorite sweet water creeks includes Lofton Creek where one stretch of this brackish creek, just below the power lines, fishermen are apt to catch sea trout, largemouth bass, redfish, or even striped bass. Black drum fishing is excellent in the deep waters of both Cumberland and Nassau Sounds when a warm winter in-coming tide arrives during mid-day. Seasoned black drum fishermen prefer fishing with fairly heavy fishing gear including 30-50 pound tackle while fishing dead on the bottom with ultra-fresh shrimp or a quarter blue crab. Deep water wahoo fishing can be red hot at Northeast Florida’s “Continental Shelf ” during the winter fishing season as well. A favorite setup for wahoo begins with 50-pound class trolling rods set at the transom and fished with weighted lines. A 24-ounce trolling weight is rigged to a 15-foot section of 200-pound mono shock leader is attached to the trolling weight for high speed trolling to up to 15-knots. At the business end, a blue and white rubber skirted “Jet Head” is attached. Specially designed and rigged trolling lures are luring the speedy wahoo which are capable of chasing down a high-speed lure at speeds up to 60-miles per hour. Here trolling speeds are bumped up from 1218 knots. Heading the list of high-speed lures includes C & H “Mr. Big”, “Wahoo Whacker XL” and the “American Express”. January bottom fishing is also excellent at FA, FB, FC and HH fish havens during the month of January. Winter offshore fishermen can also expect to catch black sea bass, triggerfish, gag grouper, flounder, sheepshead and red snapper. Black sea bass fishing at KBY reef where broken concrete strewn along a rough bottom is excellent during the cold of winter.. Best baits include fresh squid, or cut baits. A sporting fishing technique includes employing twenty-pound spinning tackle with the spinner filled with twenty-pound braided fishing line. A four-foot length of fifty pound fluorocarbon shock leader is attached to the tag end of the main line using back to back “Uni” knots. Finally a four-ounce buck tail jig is tied to the jig using a “Loop” knot. Drop the buck tail jig down to the bottom, engage your spin reel and begin to jig the lure slowly making sure that the jig makes contact with the rough bottom. Keep in mind that most winter bottom feeders will prefer to feed along the bottom where they can easily trap their meal against the structure. Be sure to check the latest FWC fishing regulations by visiting www. myfwc.com. Inshore fishermen will be targeting hard hitting redfish during flood and low tides. Sight fishing for redfish is becoming more and more popular where many inshore fishermen have sold their jetty and offshore fishing boats and are now chasing redfish with a shallow water boat. Prime areas to sight fish for January redfish include the marsh bays located just south of the “Shave Bridge”. Look for the last of the falling tide to uncover large schools of redfish that art huddled up in a shallow pool feeding on crabs and shrimp. Best lures include the Berkley Gulp shrimp in the “New Penny” color pattern and a ½ ounce gold spoon. Sea trout will be holding along the deep waters of the Intra Coastal Waterway where fishermen will be drifting live shrimp deep under a trout float. A key area includes the rough and rocky shore line located just south of the mouth of Egan’s Creek. Be sure to check the latest FWC fishing regulations by visiting www. myfwc.com.! For more Amelia Island fishing information please call (904) 2612870, or visit www.ameliaangler.com

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080

The Northeast Florida Marlin Association

ell January is here and Wahoo fishing should be wide open. The NEFMA annual Don Combs Wahoo Roundup is underway and will wrap on January 27. The Jacksonville BlueWater Club had a December Wahoo tournament and the leading fish weighed was an 82lb. Weighed by Captain John Sheffield on the The Other Side. Final results were not available at press time. You can visit the Jacksonville BlueWater web site for final results and you can also visit NEFMA.com for current standing for our tournament. So why has everyone gone Wahoo Crazy ? Paul Dozier who runs the Northeast Florida Wahoo Shootout has help create the frenzy. On any given good weather day in the winter you will see boats from 20 ft to 60 ft trolling the waters off NE Florida. Some are going 7 or knots pulling ballyhoo and some are going 15 - 18 knots pulling large weights

and big lures. It is still hard to watch a big sporty with bow high and huge wake fast trolling as the outriggers bend under those conditions. So to high speed or slow down ?? I have heard the stories from years ago and read the articles in Florida Sportsman about Don Combs and John Powers having double digit days on Wahoo pulling ballyhoo. When did this high speed trolling start here. It has been popular in the Bahamas for years and became popular here around 2010. Now it is the craze. It has proved to be highly effective. Whatever method you choose one thing for sure Wahoo is great for dinner. Please mark your calendar for the 47th Annual BlueWater Tournament April 28 this year.. Tight Lines... Scott Stanley Tournament Director NEFMA For more information please go to NEFMA.COM

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ACGFA - December News By Will Niemann

e hope everyone had Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year. ACGFA is excited about the upcoming events of 2019. We will be kicking it all off on January 15 with a chili cook off. There will be cash prizes for the best pot. Erin Cook Johnson will be the guest speaker, discussing the upcoming year’s budget. Social hour begins at 5, dinner at 6, and the meeting at 7, followed by great raffles. Meetings are held monthly at the St Augustine Shriner Club on Moultrie Creek.

During the entire month of January, we will be having an in club wahoo tournament. You must be a club member to fish this tournament. There will be a $300 cash payout, winner take all. Our next in club tournament will be a slam tournament in February. If you want to join in all the fun and festivities, come to the January meeting and join the club. We look forward to seeing you there.

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FLAGLER SPORTFISHING CLUB By Chris Christian

he Flagler Sportfishing Club is kicking off the New Year with A Club Meeting set for January 8, 2019. Our topic this month will be Boat and Trailer Maintenance presented by Big Boys Play Toys and Quick Tips will be “Flood Tide Fishing” by Captain Jim Britton. If you are new to the area and want to learn how to fish, then drop by; as our meetings are open to the public.

7:00pm; Meeting at 7:30pm at the VFW on Old Kings Rd. in Palm Coast. January 26, 2019: Club Sheepshead Tournament Join the Flagler Sportfishing Club after January 1 and receive a free 3 months of Membership. https:// flaglersportfishing.com/clubmembership/ Contact: Chris Christian @ chris@ flaglersportfishing.com Check out www.flaglersportfishing. com or on Facebook: www. facebook.com/flaglerflorida/

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irst up of course will be speckled perch. These tasty beauties are in the creeks and area lakes just waiting for you to try and catch them. Methods used are dippin pads, slow trolling or drifting. Baits are minnows, beetle spins, road runners and hollow body tubes. A couple handfuls of those and a bucket of minnows and you'd have a fun outing searching and hopefully finding these incredibly tasty beauties. Try the canals off the river around julington creek and welaka area and as we get into the later days of January try drifting the deeper waters around structure like brush piles. Largemouth bass are next. They'll be schooling in the main body of the river and on points and bars. All you'll need are crankbaits, both lipless and regular. Perhaps some nice topwater like Rapala's or Devils Horse in the low light. And don't forget to work the grass lines and docks. You can use plastic in these areas and don't forget sometimes these big ladies love creeks to get warm and snack on a nice shiner. So perhaps take a couple of dozen shiners and anchor near the creek mouths and cover just might do it. Wild shiners if you can get them will produce some heavyweight Bass 26 NE FLORIDA

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JANUARY 2019

this time of year. Try slow trolling wild shiners outside the grass line in 5 to 10 ft of water around points and creek mouths. Well, you'll not know unless you go, so maybe. Redfish are still working grass lines and eating everything they want. Unless it gets super cold, they hang because of the sheer amount of bait. Crabs, strips of croaker, shrimp, and spinner baits, plastic worms and swim baits should all work. So enjoy. Flounder in this part of the river are becoming more and more common. People who are fishing on the bottom for other species are doing okay. Baits, shiners, shrimp, plastic swim baits and even nightcrawlers have worked in this area. So maybe. Catfish and bream are around, but have seemed to slow down with the onset of the cooler temps. So you still know how to catch them. Just go.. We appreciate the opportunity to serve our customers and are thankful for your business. Happy New Year! Til next time, keep your line wet and your lure movin'.--Richard

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

Time to Troll It’s that time. Grouper are closed. Hunting and Football are winding down. It’s a great time for blue water fishing. Wahoo, Sailfish and Black fin Tuna are available to anglers who make the 50 mile journey to the Gulf Stream. Find Water temperature in the mid-70s and schools of bait and you will be in business. Start looking in 145 ft. inshore of the shelf edge. I have caught allot of wahoo by pulling up short inshore. I prefer an Islander Hawaiian eye ballyhoo combo pulled on a planner down deep but many Wahoo will be caught on surface baits. Something with a jet head works well and number 10 wire is a must. Black fin Tuna will usually be found closer to the shelf edge if not on top of it. Bait choice for the Tuna is Ballyhoo rigged on monofilament with a small skirt or no skirt at all (naked). Leader should be 100 # and I like at least 10 ft. Cedar Plugs work well also and Blue and White and Red and White are my colors of choice. Tunas can be finicky so the

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*69110663 * 69110663

MODEL: 20210003

20% OFF

ANY SINGLE ITEM*

COMPARE TO

1,999 *69115220 * 69115220 Customer Rating

ANY PURCHASE

SUPER COUPON

18" x 12" MOVER'S DOLLY

Customer Rating

• 1000 lb. capacity

10-5/8" W 6-1/8" H

3999

SAVE $ 69

ITEM 63927

Case contents and locks not included.

COMPARE TO

BUFFALO TOOLS $ 65

MODEL: HDFDOLLY

SAVE 54%

NOW

$799

ITEM 63098/60497/61899/63095/63096/63097/93888 shown

*69141056 * 69141056

*69145419 * 69145419

*69147335 * 69147335

*69147340 * 69147340

LIMIT 3 - Coupon valid through 5/3/19*

LIMIT 6 - Coupon valid through 5/3/19*

LIMIT 5 - Coupon valid through 5/3/19*

LIMIT 8 - Coupon valid through 5/3/19*

At Harbor Freight Tools, the “Compare to” price means that the specified comparison, which is an item with the same or similar function, was NATIONAL I JANUARY 2019 I COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM advertised for sale at or above the “Compare to” price by another national retailer in the U.S. within the past 90 days. Prices advertised by others *Original coupon only. No use on prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase or without original receipt. Valid through 5/3/19. may vary by location. No other meaning of “Compare to” should be implied. For more information, go to HarborFreight.com or see store associate.

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QUIK-CHANGE II ™ Our Innovative, Interchangeable Fixed Blade Cutlery System 9” FILLET 7” FILLET 5” FILLET 3” SERRATED

KN IVES easy blade release

COMMON CVRS_0119.indd 3

opens for easy cleaning

rugged canvas roll pack

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L E A S S E R V E E T NT IN W With Special Offers For the 2019 Boat Show Season Your Suzuki Marine Dealer has exceptional deals in store for you when you purchase a new Suzuki outboard from 25 to 350 horsepower during the winter Boat Show Season. Get Suzuki’s 3-Year Limited Warranty plus 3 years of Extended Protection at no extra charge.There are Instant Savings on select models, and Low-Rate Financing is also available. See your participating Suzuki Marine dealer for all the details.

INST

SELEC ANT SA VING T SUZ S UKI O UTBO ON ARDS

REPOWER FINANCE

SIX YEARS OF PROTECTION

INSTANT SAVINGS

REPOWER FINANCE

Six Years of Protection at no extra charge on all new outboards 25 to 350 HP.

Instant Savings on select models when you buy at the boat show. See your dealer for details.

Rates as low as 5.99% on new Suzuki outboards on approved credit.* [60 Months]

3 Years Limited Warranty + 3 Years Extended Protection

Gimme Six Extended Protection promo is applicable to new Suzuki Outboard Motors from 25 to 350 HP in inventory which are sold and delivered to buyer between 01/01/19 and 03/31/19 in accordance with the promotion by a Participating Authorized Suzuki Marine dealer in the continental US and Alaska to a purchasing customer who resides in the continental US or Alaska. Customer should expect to receive an acknowledgement letter and full copy of contract including terms, conditions and wallet card from Suzuki Extended Protection within 90 days of purchase. If an acknowledgement letter is not received in time period stated, contact Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. – Marine Marketing via email: marinepromo@suz.com. The Gimme Six Promotion is available for pleasure use only, and is not redeemable for cash. Instant Savings apply to qualifying purchases of select Suzuki Outboard Motors made between 01/01/19 and 03/31/19. For list of designated models, see participating Dealer or visit www.suzukimarine.com. Instant Savings must be applied against the agreed-upon selling price of the outboard motor and reflected in the bill of sale. (Suzuki will, in turn, credit Dealer’s parts account.) There are no model substitutions, benefit substitutions, rain checks, or extensions. Suzuki reserves the right to change or cancel these promotions at any time without notice or obligation. * Financing offers available through Synchrony Retail Finance. As low as 5.99% APR financing for 60 months on new and unregistered Suzuki Outboard Motors. Subject to credit approval. Not all buyers will qualify. Approval, and any rates and terms provided, are based on credit worthiness. $19.99/month per $1,000 financed for 60 months is based on 5.99% APR. Hypothetical figures used in calculation; your actual monthly payment may differ based on financing terms, credit tier qualification, accessories or other factors such as down payment and fees. Offer effective on new, unregistered Suzuki Outboard Motors purchased from a participating authorized Suzuki dealer between 01/01/19 and 03/31/19. “Gimme Six”, the Suzuki “S” and model names are Suzuki trademarks or ®. Don’t drink and drive. Always wear a USCG-approved life jacket and read your owner’s manual. © 2019 Suzuki Motor of America, Inc.

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