By Astrid DeGruchy
icked Tuna is a show my ancé, Capt. Brandon Storin, and I like to watch. As an avid angler betrothed to a charter captain, I think it’s pretty cool to watch these guys reel in giants, but it’s even cooler to do it Brandon and I wanted this experience, so we went on a charter with the legendary crew of the “Hard Merchandise.” Docked in Gloucester, Mass., the boat is very spacious with a heated cabin, full head and all the latest electronics. Capt. Joe Marciano and his Mate, Jay, are exactly as they are from the show, and their skillsets for catching
During our time with them, conditions were a bit rough. It called for us leaving the docks earlier than anyone else, and while riding out, you could really see how meticulous they are in each part of the rigging and set up. During the boat ride, conversation was great, with plenty of laughs to go around. Before we knew it, we were at the tuna grounds.
In the midst of catching and soaking baits and waiting for the bite, the crew made us fresh breakfast and it was amazing. We had bacon and scrambled eggs with lobster.
e experience is very much like what you would expect from watching the show. ere’s lots of refreshing baits and waiting for a bite. When they mark sh on the sonar, the enthusiasm from the crew is amazing, just like on television. Capt. Joe and Jay jump up, yelling “WE’RE MARKING!” Adrenaline starts pumping with anticipation as you hope everything is lined up perfect enough to get a bite.
Fortunately, we did get tight, and I have never seen a sh take such a wild and ferocious run… several times. I was up to battle this sh with coaching from Capt. Joe and Jay. ere is nesse needed to ght a giant like this, and a cra in staying tight and knowing when to let him run. Every second spent reeling elevated the hope that we might land this big tuna. Yet there was also anxiety. If you’ve watched the show, you know that losing one of these monsters is a very real possibility.
We battled the sh for a while. Gaining where I could, adrenaline kept me pumping while the crew maneuvered the boat. e communication is constant as everyone works together.
Finally, I saw this huge beast start surfacing. Capt. Joe moved in with the harpoon, ready to take the shot. Everything happened so quickly! e beast surfaced, and Capt. Joe drilled it with a perfect gill shot. It wasn’t over yet, but it was just a matter of time. A er the sh made one last run, taking a bunch of rope, we hauled it back in and roped its tail. At that point, I knew I had landed my top bucket-list sh.
It was an amazing experience, and it felt like we were literally in an episode of Wicked Tuna. What you see from the show is what you get in person. ere is no script; nothing is fake. ere is only grit, talent and hope, and these guys have all that.
e Hard Merchandise team recently launched Angelica Seafoods, where one can order fresh blue n, lobster, scallops, oysters and more to be delivered to your door. If you plan a trip to Boston and want to catch a sh of a lifetime, book a charter with the Hard Merchandise.
For more information on the Hard Merchandise, visit www.angelica sheries.com/fv-hardmerchandise.
IG: @catching_astrid @bnmbean @hardmerchjoe @melodyredwing @hardmerchandisejay.
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That’s quite a headline for a 17-year-old high school student from Clewiston, Fla. who loves bass shing.
I spoke with Hilary while she was in Palatka, Fla. preparing to sh the Florida Bass Nation tournaments on the St. Johns River, and her enthusiasm and passion for the sport of bass shing were impressive.
Last year, at 16, she nished h at the State Championship of the Florida Bass Nation with a total weight heavier than 19 pounds. She’s hoping to do even better this year.
I asked her if she could remember when she rst started shing, and she laughed as she guessed that she was “probably only 2 years old.” A er all, she does come from a pretty well-known family of professional bass shermen.
Her grandfather, the legendary Roland Martin, is one of the greatest bass shermen of all time. Her father, Scott, won the 2011 Forest Wood Cup Championship, and also has 45 top-ten nishes and eight tour victories in the FLW and hosts the Scott Martin Challenge.
But things are di erent today than they were
By Don Norton
Iin the past. Today, social media is the key to reaching your audience, and Hilary has done an incredible job on both YouTube, with over 100,000 subscribers, and Instagram with 103,000 followers.
Most of her videos are bass shing, although she’s had some very interesting saltwater shing videos, as well.
Hilary said she started taking bass shing seriously when she was 15 years old, and at 16, joined the Florida Bass Nation Series.
She has her own bass boat, a 20’ Skeeter FXR, with a 250hp Yamaha, but she also shes out of her dad’s boat from time to time, because, “it’s got all the goodies,” she laughed.
Her biggest bass, a whopping 9.1-pounder was caught ipping a black/blue Sweet Beaver along the edges of cattails on Lake Okeechobee when she was only 14 years old. She hopes to break that personal best soon.
Her shing arsenal includes a Favorite Phantom Series shing rod, a Shimano Curado reel and braided or uorocarbon line, along with her favorite bait, a Zoom Speed Worm.
“I was shing out of a kayak and I saw this
far away, so I threw my Speed Worm just past the mark,” she recounted. “I started a fast retrieve when a big bass came up and just exploded on it. at sh drug me around for what seemed like forever before I nally landed it. It weighed just over ve pounds. e cover picture of me holding a bass was taken the day a er.”
Listening to her tell that story, her excitement, enthusiasm and passion for bass shing became even more obvious.
If you haven’t seen one of her videos on YouTube ( eReelHilarySue), I’d strongly recommend you check them out. ey’re fun to watch, and you might just learn something. She’s a natural.
What an incredible future this beautiful, talented young lady has in store. I think she’ll be one of the biggest names in professional bass shing in the years to come.
Don Norton is co-publisher of the Okeechobee edition of e Angler Magazine.
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PHOTO COURTESY OF LARRY MCGUIRE/SHOW ME THE FISH CHARTERS
shing the Gulf of Mexico out of Florida have two weekends remaining in November to harvest red snapper. is special fall season announced by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) opened a total of ve weekends for snapper harvest in October and November. e remaining dates are Nov. 11-13 and Nov. 25-27.
e fall red snapper season is open for recreational anglers and for-hire operations in the Gulf of Mexico. During this season, private recreational anglers may harvest red snapper in Gulf state and federal waters. However, state for-hire operations are limited to shing for red snapper in Gulf state waters only. Gulf state waters extend to 9 miles o shore, where federal waters begin.
e bag limit during the fall season is the same as the regular summerseason bag limit. Anglers may keep two red snapper per person, within the 10-per-person daily aggregate snapper bag limit. e minimum size limit is 16 inches tail length. Charter captains and guides may not keep a limit on top of those retained by their anglers. A descending device or venting tool is required to be rigged and ready for use while shing for reef sh in Gulf federal waters. FWC will continue to monitor harvest relative to Florida’s available quota.
ese additional days were made possible by the State Reef Fish Survey, which was developed to provide better data for management of red snapper and other reef sh. It has allowed FWC the unprecedented opportunity to manage Gulf red snapper in state and federal waters.
All anglers shing from private recreational vessels are required to sign up as a State Reef Fish Angler if they target red snapper or other reef sh in state and federal waters, even if they are exempt from shing license requirements. Sign up for no cost at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com or by visiting any location where you can purchase a Florida shing license.
State Reef Fish Anglers may receive a questionnaire in the mail regarding their reef sh trips as part of Florida’s State Reef Fish Survey. If you receive a survey, please respond whether you shed this season or not or whether you’ve submitted data via other methods.
For more information, see the Florida red snapper regulations at MyFWC.com.
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Brought to you by Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla., the 12th Annual Jimmy Johnson’s “Quest for the Ring” Championship Fishing Week will take over South Florida March 7-11, 2023, additionally hosted by Visit Lauderdale, with tournament headquarters based at Seminole Hard Rock in Broward.
e annual four-day tournament includes the 2-day Quest for the Ring Catch & Release Championship and the National Sport sh Championship Weighted Tournament, which takes place as a separate tournament during the event week. Hosted by Contender Boats, powered by Yamaha and fueled by Papa’s Pilar Rum, the 2-Day Catch & Release Championship features the World’s RICHEST guaranteed purse of $1 million, in partnership with Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla, making it the longest-running guaranteed purse in history.
Jimmy Johnson’s “Quest for the Ring” Championship Fishing Week is “all about the ring!” according to Coach Johnson. Each year teams vie for their champion rings and entrance into the highly coveted Ring of Honor, an elite group of champions who have taken home the top prize at this exciting competition in the Catch & Release Championship. Each year, overall champions receive Jimmy’s famed National Championship Ring. Renowned for the best parties, which are
Palm Beach’s TEAM LUNATICO won the 2022 Championship, taking home $321,500 and entrance into Coach’s coveted RING OF HONOR on a 42’ Invincible owned by Lance Converse.
back at Hard Rock, the highest guaranteed purse and the ultimate week of shing, tournament highlights include celebrity charity days and highly competitive tournament showdowns. Registration will end with the captain’s meeting on Tuesday, March 7, if spots are still available.
“ e best wasn’t the Super Bowl, the best was not University of Miami, the best is right now!” said Coach Johnson. “ ese teams are part of THE BEST. We continue to grow each year, and I am thrilled to have our partners at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood join us as we
showcase the thrilling challenge of sport shing and to move our hosting of our event to such a beautiful destination in Broward County. We look forward to seeing everyone in March!”
Contender Boats is the o cial center console boat sponsor and a presenting sponsor of the tournament along with the o cial outboard sponsor, Yamaha, and o cial spirits partner, Papa’s Pilar. Additional Hosting sponsors include Oakley Prizm, Michelob Ultra, GED Lawyers, Visit Lauderdale, Garmin, Celebrity Cruises, Hines Securities, Titos Vodka, Atlantic Radio Telephone, and Cadillac. Miami Retail Partner is Crook and Crook and Broward Retail Partner is Big Dog Tackle. e o cial tournament artist and apparel provider is Connected by Water. Additional event sponsors can be found on the event website. e tournament is produced by Fish Hard Events.
Boat Entry information and the full schedule of events can be found at www.jj shweek.com. Registration starts at $5,000 for the Quest for the Ring Bill sh Tournament and $2,500 for the Sport sh Weighted Championship. Register on the tournament website or by contact the tournament o ce at info@jj shweek.com or (305) 255-3500 for more information.
Follow @JJFishWeek on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for up to date tournament information.
By Rex Hannon
There’s an eruption during your retrieve that’s immediately followed by one of the most vicious strikes you’ve ever encountered. e unknown assailant pulls drag, digging deeper only to reverse course and perform one of the most acrobatic aerial shows you’ve ever witnessed. Your rst thought is a monster largemouth, but that idea vanishes when you see the color scheme and the large bump on the sh’s forehead. A er a trying and equipment-testing battle, before you lies an unmistakable dream about or watch on television shows recorded in exotic locations. It’s a butter y peacock bass.
Peacock bass are native to South America, where they are most commonly found in the Amazon and Orinoco river basins. Because of their appearance and name, there’s a common misconception that they are members of the bass family. Actually, they are cichlids.
Peacock bass were introduced to South Florida by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) in 1984. ey are nonnative, but they are considered noninvasive. ree stocks of sh were imported from Brazil, Guyana and Peru. A er spawning at the FWC Non Native Research Lab and being tested for disease and parasites by both the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Auburn University, they were released to combat exotic invasive snakeheads, clown knife sh and oscars.
Peacock Bass have a body similar to largemouth bass, but the color scheme is noticeably di younger examples are generally golden/green with three black bars that fade as the sh matures. is also usually a prominent black spot with a yellow/ gold halo on the tail. Peacock bass are fast growing, pushing an inch a month from one year to 18 months. A 19-inch sh can weigh 5 pounds. While the Florida state record butter
undocumented catches of 12 pounds and e IGFA all-tackle world record is 12.6 pounds and was caught in Venezuela. y peacock bass are intolerant of cold water and high salinity. ere have been reports of sh north of Palm Beach County, but they cannot survive temperatures below 60 degrees or salinity above 18 parts per million. is species is commonly found in canals, lakes and ponds, and prefers to feed and spawn in shallow water with vegetation.
Live bait is the easiest way to catch these amazing sh, and they will also strike arti cial lures and ies. Butter y peacock bass prefer feeding during daylight hours, when they use their great speed to pursue
y peacock bass are edible, but the FWC recommends catch and release due to the valuable service they provide in keeping invasive species in e pursuit of this species is also an economic boon to the state. It is estimated that anglers spend more than $8 million a year chasing peacock bass in y peacock bass are another example of shing opportunities.
Guy Harvey has dedicated his life to creating beautiful art and apparel to protect the sport and the oceans he loves. From using recycled materials in his apparel to ensuring a portion of his proceeds help protect the ocean through the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation (GHOF), wearing Guy Harvey means you’re part of the movement to protect our sport and our oceans. Shop now and turn the tides at GuyHarvey.com
In this series on long-distance lures, we’ve covered just about everything about the cast and equipment. Now that you’ve made that super-long cast—beating other anglers’ distance by 50 feet, or maybe 50 yards—you are presenting your lure to sh that others can’t reach.
What’s next the next step? is is where we enter the heart of the action, where things get fun and exciting. First thing rst, start working your lure.
e long distance between your rod tip and the lure means more line is on the water. You will have less control of the lure’s action, and the delay between when the sh strikes and when you feel it will be longer. e hook set is also a ected. Waves, wind and current all amplify this lag.
e type of lure will determine how you should alter your retrieve to achieve the proper action. Darters, heavy spoons, billed minnows, bottleneck swimplugs and jointed swimbaits are all designed to provide their own action, and they will start swimming when you begin your retrieve.
Lures that require more angler interaction
will require you to adapt your retrieve to compensate for the extra distance and diminished control. A popper
hand what I am trying to impart. You’ll need practice to adjust the way you work a lure at distance, and by paying attention to the way di erent lures react, you will learn to sh them more e ectively.
might require harder pulls to pop. A stick bait or pencil might need a slower cadence and sharper rod twitches to achieve the desired action.
ese details might seem insigni cant as you read this, but go give it a try on the water, preferably in calm conditions. At the end of a super-long cast, you’ll experience rst-
Now, with the current ripping and wave action pulling the line and lure side to side, there’s no way to avoid losing some control over the quality of a lure’s action. e good thing is, sh in such conditions are usually less picky and more aggressive. Still, the better the action you provide to your lure, the better your results will be. en suddenly, the bite happens! A long belly of line in uenced by current and waves increases the delay between your hook set and the moment it translates to the lure. Also, some energy will be lost. Use a wide, sweeping rod movement to set the hook when the lure is far away. is generates a long pull that provides the most energy possible to drive the hook into a sh’s mouth. Also, sh a tight drag when you’re casting for distance. I’ve seen many anglers miss sh when the drag gives line on the hook set. Be ready to adjust the drag lighter based on the power of the sh once you have it hooked.
Legendary angler Patrick Sebile is a world record holder and an award-winning designer of innovative lures and shing gear. Check out his creations at abandofanglers.com.
the November, 2022 issue of the Angler Magazine, Lake Istokpoga/Lake Okeechobee Edition.
We’re pleased to feature Hilary Martin, of Clewiston, Florida on our front cover. She’s a remarkable young lady who is making quite a name for herself in the fishing world. See the article inside.
Ever wonder when we started using the plastic worm? The history of how it all happened starts on page two.
Check out our Angler Profile for November, featuring “A Guy Who Really Loves to Fish” Jim Sipes.
And once again, our favorite biologist, Sara Menendez continues to educate us as she answers the question about baitfish in Lake Istokpoga.
If you like the magazine, let us know and pass along a copy to a friend, a neighbor or a fishing buddy. And please, let our advertisers know that you saw them in the Angler Magazine.
Don't forget the Friends of Istokpoga Fall Meeting on November 17th
Intoday’s world, plastic worms are part of every anglers tackle box. Most wouldn’t consider heading to their favorite lake or stream without an ample supply of plastic baits, in every color combination and shape you can imagine.
But it wasn’t always that way. In fact, plastic worms and creature baits have only been around for about 65 years, thanks to an Akron, Ohio machinist, named Nick Crème who invented the game-changing lure. (I was born in Akron, but I never met him).
As the story goes, Nick was tired of digging for earthworms every time he wanted to go fishing. He had no chemistry background and he was anything but a scientist, but he lived in the hub of America’s tire industry, the Rubber Capital of the World.
He was also a pretty smart guy. He researched and learned chemistry through library books and began experimenting with different materials with which to make a fake worm look and feel like a real worm – at least close enough to fool a fish.
After much trial-and-error attempting to use rubber, Crème decided that a new material called plastic might be a better choice. A lab technician from DuPont gave him an assortment of chemicals and Crème began experimenting with them in his kitchen.
Many years later, his wife and his most Continued on page 20.
Hurricane Ian hit the city of Okeechobee
hard in some areas and other areas many of us were lucky to keep electric throughout the entire storm with very minimal, to no damage at all.
Once the weather/ winds calmed down, I loaded up my dog Max, and we went looking to see what damage, vegetation wise and water clarity was like on the lake. Despite the heavy winds and heavy rain, the lake faired the storm very well. The most obvious change was in Cody’s Cove, where the whole outer vegetation line is completely gone and has really opened up the cove like it once looked like many years ago…..
The water clarity is very tannic-colored in some parts, not all, but it is clear-looking. In talking with some of the regulars that fish the lake, a lot of them don’t like fishing in those types of water conditions and that’s personal preference but I fish/go where the fish are despite what I think the water should be…they are there for a reason….
Since the storm, I’ve had guide trips for bass with artificial lures, with the most success of getting bites were with a worm rigged with a light bullet weight sinker; popping frog; swim bait; chatter bait and some top water using a spook or devils horse worked very slow.
The bite will only get better as the water temperatures cool down and bass and crappie start moving in for the beginning of the spawn season. I’m receiving calls for booked trips and the people I talk to are excited about seeing/fishing the lake and having a great time.
Looking for another fun/stellar year so now is the time to book your bass and crappie trips! I want to take this time to thank my sponsors; repeat clientele and newbie’s that book my guide services. For additional guide trip information, check out my newly revamped website, phone number to book your trip, hotel information, up-to-date fishing reports and etc. If you’re booking a trip to learn the layout of the lake, gather fishing tips; bringing the kids/grandkids for a fun day or just to relax and take in all the beauty, now is the time to book your fun-filled and productive day fishing the big O.
Lures for bass are mentioned above, for areas to fish can be: J&S area around the lock; parts of Hendry Creek area (middle section); areas out in front of the Okeechobee Pier; East side of Grassy; some parts of Kings Bar (back in); Buckhead Pole on down to 3rd point (middle to back section); Tin House (outer-middle areas); some parts of Indian Prairie/Horse Island; North side of Dupree Bar and definitely Dyess Ditch area in 3 ft deep throwing some top water lures) and some parts of the Shoal. That pretty much covers a LOT of the lake.
To book your next trip call 863-228-7263. I do answer the phone and
return all calls very timely!
I’m not sure there’s a better way to describe Jim Sipes.
After 70+ years of chasing bluegills, trout and bass, he’s definitely earned that title.
Jim’s earliest recollections go back to when he was six or maybe even ten years old in Effingham, Illinois, where he grew up, fishing alongside his friends in 4 different lakes and ponds within easy distance from his home. His friends dad was a river fisherman, and Jim enjoyed tagging along with them on different trips to the river.
His dad was a mailman who enjoyed occasionally fishing for bluegills. He would play golf every Thursday, and he’d bring Jim along so he could fish the country club ponds.
His early equipment was pretty antiquated by todays standards, but
when he turned 12, he got his first taste of fishing with a baitcasting reel. In all fairness, he’s not even sure the reel was a baitcaster, since it looked more like a fly reel, but it was mounted on a steel baitcasting rod with Dacron line, so he did his best to learn to cast with it.
By the time he turned 15, an older friend taught him how to flyfish and his dad would often skull him around one of the local waters while Jim fished for bass.
After graduating from Effingham High School, Jim went on to Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. It was about that time that he got his first real baitcasting rod and reel, an Ambassedeur 5000. It was also at this time that he got his first gold Rapala. At the time, he considered it the deadliest lure in his tacklebox.
Eventually, he transferred to the University of Illinois where he graduated with a Civil Engineering degree.
After graduation he got a call from Exxon to come down to Louisiana for a job interview. He was so excited; he took along his fishing tackle with every intention of staying a couple of extra days just to fish the False River and the Old River.
He was offered the job, moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana where he met
He is still an avid flyfisherman, spending many days at the campgrounds in the Ozarks, where he keeps an old trailer while fishing for rainbow and brown trout.
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when he got back into bass fishing again.
In December of 1999, he retired and eventually built a home on Lake Sara, not too far from where he grew up in Effingham, Illinois.
Jim started coming to Florida in 2009, for golf and fishing, initially for a month, then for a couple of months and eventually, for the winter. In 2016, Jim and Sheila bought a home at Sun-N-Lakes in Sebring, Florida and last year became full-time Florida residents.
Jim has two Ranger Bass boats. An older model, a 1997, 461with a 150hp used in the Red Man Classic years ago that he leaves in his summer home in Illinois, and a fairly new 2020 Ranger Z520C which he keeps in Sebring, Florida.
He is still an avid fly-fisherman, spending many days at the campgrounds in the Ozarks, where he keeps an old trailer while fishing for rainbow and brown trout.
BY JAMES REED
Ian was a direct hit on Lake Istokpoga on September 29, but it hasn’t yet stopped creating changes on the lake. It’s long-term impact is likely to be similar to that of Hurricane Irma five years ago.
Both Ian and Irma were late summer hurricanes that passed over or near Lake Istokpoga. Both storms:
Dropped heavy amounts of rainfall into the Istokpoga watershed, which took weeks to drain away. Flushed detritus from storm drains and ditches, carrying remnants of homeowner herbicides, insecticides, and fertilizers into the lake
Combined high wind speeds with driving rain that created a storm surge on the lake. The wind and rain, but in most cases not the lake level, caused extensive damage to surrounding properties.
Hurricane Irma passed slightly west of the lake, which put the lake on the dirty side of the storm for an extended period.
As a result, Irma’s winds were mainly from south to north and created a significant storm surge on the north wide of the lake
Hurricane Ian’s eye passed directly overhead, which meant the lake received the maximum wind velocities (reportedly well over 100 mph) until the eye of the storm reached the lake
Ian’s winds were steady from east to west, with a storm surge of somewhat lower intensity and primarily on the west and north side of the lake.
There’s still a lot of water to drain through the lake. As this is being written all the gates are open at the S-68 structure, and the water is flowing at a daily rate of 1940 cubic feet per second. This has a couple of impacts – with the gates open to help flush away the excess water there’s pretty good fishing in the outflow from the lake, and good catches of panfish are coming from the area. A second consequence is a measurable current from north to south, unusual for this lake. It’s this unusual water flow that has a significant impact and is something that anglers often fail to account for while fishing.
Another consideration is that the storm reminded us that the lake is subject to a storm surge created by the high winds, and the results from Ian help validate the existing water regulation schedule.
For Hurricane Irma, the post-storm water flow put as much water through the lake in six weeks as usually occurs in a full year. The heavy rainfall and amount of standing water weeks after Hurricane Ian indicate the post-storm water flow for Ian will be similar. For Irma, the impact of the storm surge north and then the water flow south was to uproot and remove a lot of native plants, particularly eelgrass (Vallisneria) and pondweed. For Ian, at first blush it looks like the eelgrass has stayed behind, although it still could be uprooted by post-storm water flow.
Perhaps more importantly, Irma’s impact was to change the topography of the lake bottom, creating a deeper center channel combined with wide areas of very shallow water. In one example, it was necessary to get out about 200 yards from the Windy Point boat ramp before reaching 3’ of water. Another problem involving homeowners was sandy lake bottom which was washed up under boathouses, making it more difficult to get boatlifts
lowered far enough to get boats in the water. Often, this lake bottom change wasn’t obvious to the homeowner and provided a lot of frustration to folks who wanted to go boating or fishing.
For the angler, the changing topography meant that favorable habitat was moving and changing. During Irma a lot of the best vegetation was swept away, either by the storm or ensuing high water flow. There was also the possibility of running aground along new sand banks, especially near Arbuckle and Josephine Creeks. These topographic changes, along with the loss of a lot of aquatic vegetation, made fishing a greater challenge. It rewarded the skilled angler who understood the environment and could skillfully find new and unfamiliar solutions, while it frustrated the less experienced anglers who just wanted to go out and drop a line next to a patch of hydrilla.
What does this mean for post-Ian Lake Istokpoga? There are enough similarities to merit reviewing the lessons learned from Irma. Immediately after Ian, stands of eelgrass remained in place, but it’s not clear they’ll be able to withstand the flow as the watershed drains through the lake. There are already indications that the lake bottom is being recontoured. For one example, at a west-side boathouse the lake is about a foot higher, but there is about 8” less water. The lake didn’t go down, the lake bottom was built up. Apparently, the east-west wind has again blown sand up under the dock. Another consideration is that the storm reminded us that the lake is subject to a storm surge created by the high winds, and the results from Ian help validate the existing water regulation schedule.
Following Irma, anglers who adapted to the new circumstances employed different techniques to catch fish. A few – primarily winter residents – were successful fishing along the edges of the current as it approached the S-68 structure. Some found that trolling along the edge of the current was a productive technique for large bass. What seems certain is that not everyone will be up to the demands of the changing lake. Those who are successful can feel a sense of satisfaction in being able to understand and adapt to the revised lake environment.
Sunday, November 20, 2022
Lake Clay Drive East Side 2:30 PM
LEE COUNTY BASS ANGLERS weigh-in 60 Anglers
Saturday, November 5, 2022 Istokpoga Park 3:00 PM
Florida Bass Club weigh-in 40 Anglers
Saturday, November 12, 2022
Hendersons Fish Camp 3:30 PM
FCCBC weigh-in 24 Anglers
Trails End Fish Camp
3:15 PM, Indian River Bass Anglers weigh-in, with 40 Anglers
Sunday, November 13, 2022
Hendersons Fish Camp 2:00 PM
FCCBC weigh-in 24 Anglers
Trails End Fish Camp 3:15 PM
Indian River Bass Anglers weigh-in 40 Anglers
Saturday, November 19, 2022 Istokpoga Park 2:00 PM
The Big Show Bass Tournaments weigh-in 160 Anglers
Thursday, November 3, 2022
Okee-TantieCampground & Marina 12:00 PM
Old Farts Tournament weigh-in 20 Anglers
Friday, November 4, 2022
Scott Driver Park 3:00 PM
Xtreme Bass Series weigh-in 300 Anglers
Saturday, November 5, 2022
Roland & Mary Ann Martin's Marina 3:00 PM
BASS BUSTERS weigh-in 200 Anglers
Scott Driver Park 3:00 PM
Xtreme Bass Series weigh-in 300 Anglers
Sunday, November 6, 2022
Roland & Mary Ann Martin's Marina 3:00 PM
BASS BUSTERS weigh-in 200 Anglers
Thursday, November 10, 2022
Okee-Tantie Campground & Marina 12:00 PM
Old Farts Tournament weigh-in 20 Anglers
Saturday, November 12, 2022
Roland & Mary Ann Martin's Marina 3:00 PM
Bay area Bassmasters weigh-in 90 Anglers
Roland & Mary Ann Martin's Marina 3:00 PM
MacDill Bassbusters weigh-in 48 Anglers
Sunday, November 13, 2022
Roland & Mary Ann Martin's Marina 1:00 PM
MacDill Bassbusters weigh-in 48 Anglers
Saturday, November 19, 2022
Roland & Mary Ann Martin's Marina 3:00 PM
American Bass Club weigh-in 400 Anglers
Roland & Mary Ann Martin's Marina 3:00 PM
Roland Martin Marine Center Series weigh-in 450 Anglers
Sunday, November 20, 2022
Roland & Mary Ann Martin's Marina 3:00 PM
American Bass Club weigh-in 400 Anglers
Saturday, November 5, 2022
Public Ramp / Placid View Drive
3:00 PM
South Florida Bass Club weigh-in 20 Anglers
Tournament directors have until the day before their tournament to schedule or make changes to their tournament exemption. This exemption allows the tournament participants to have an exemption from fish length limits, but not bag limits, while participating in the tournament. All fish are required to be handled as stipulated in the permit, while doing everything possible to ensure a live release. Any dead fish are normally provided to a charity, such as a homeless shelter.
More information about black (largemouth) bass fishing tournament exemptions can be found here:
https://myfwc.com/license/freshwater/bass-tournament/. Many of the bass tournaments are coordinated through local fishing clubs, reach out to the group specified for additional information. Weigh-ins are typically open to the public.
Prepared Saturday, October 8, 2022
I’mgetting calls every day about the condition of the Big O after the storm. I really think that hurricanes are Mother Nature’s way of cleaning up the environment. We as humans just get in the way.
Rick Clunn, one of the best tournament anglers ever, said that humans are the worst invasive species on the planet. Mother nature has a way of dealing with the planet in ways that we really don’t understand. The only thing I can say is that after witnessing many major storms over the years is that the Big O seems to come back better after the lake has a little time to settle.
After Irma the lake came back better than ever and I really think that maybe the winds of Ian just might have cleaned up the bottom of the north end of Okeechobee where we have been scratching our heads wondering why the submerged grasses have been going downhill for the last few years. Only
time will tell, but in my opinion, I think we really needed this big flush that Ian gave us.
A lot of anglers don’t like change but I thrive on the challenge that we have here after a big storm changes the whole complexion of the lake. I would get so bored if I had to guide on a lake where you have the same structure every day. You won’t get that here on the Big O.
Lake Okeechobee is always changing and that is why it is one of the best challenges in bass fishing. To most professional bass anglers you really love the Big O or you hate it, but most professional anglers love this place not just for our great weather, or the opportunity to catch a bass of a life-time, but it’s the challenge they get when they see a new lake after a big storm.
That's the sound of my alarm clock for 4:30AM, signaling the official club tournament season had begun on Lake Jackson, one of our favorites! A quick caffeine stop and a draw of number 21. The National Anthem and a prayer are always the start to each Highlands County Angler Fishing tournament. Once we were announced and we got up on a plane and we headed east to start fishing.
In our first spot we worked flukes for about an hour without much luck. Running to Little Lake Jackson which has been a sweet spot for us in the past we worked top water in swim baits in hopes of hitting the jackpot. But, once again, no luck!
It was 11:45 at this point which meant we had less than two hours to load the boat. Running back to the big lake we worked roughly 4 miles worth of docks and still not even a bite. We headed back for weigh-in with nothing in our bag, it wasn't a bad day for fishing for others, heck, my brother Lowry Dean and his partner, Dalton McIlwain took 3rd place in the Juniors’ Division. Congratulations, boys! This just happened to be one of those days when Paige and I were reminded it's called fishing not catching. While this is a great lesson, at the time, it definitely hurt our pride a bit.
A huge Thank You to our Captain, Joe Gruny with Marine Tackle Warehouse. We appreciate all the time and energy he invests in our fishing addiction. Stay tuned next month when we talk about our adventures on the Harris Chain, which is our next BASS Nation Tournament.
WhenGary Yamamoto designed the Senko in the early 90’s, he had no idea he was changing the future of fishing. Now it seems that every company has a similar "do nothing" copy of GYCB's creation, but none have figured out how to make one quite as effective as the original. Over the ensuing period of time, the original Senko, available in three-, four-, five-, six- and seven-inch sizes, has been bolstered with two-
The 4" 9S Yamamoto Senko is not magic, but it's close. It's one of the most productive bass lures in the world. Bass can hardly resist the Senko's unique horizontal fall when fished weightless or wacky style. Not only does the Senko have incredible fish-catching action, but it casts like a bullet and gets into the strike zone quickly. Yamamoto Senko...say no more! - 10 pack
The 5" 9-series Senko is one of the most productive bass lures ever invented, and the top producer in Yamamoto's Senko product line. It's not magic, but it's close. Not only does the Senko have incredible fish-catching action, but it casts like a bullet and gets into the strike zone quickly. Bass
tone and laminate models and joined by the Slim Senko, the "Thin" Senko, the Pro Senko and the Swimming Senko. There's a Senko in the lineup for every possible application and for every angler, from the first-timer to the tour-level pro. Whether you fish it weightless, wacky-style, Texas-rigged, on a Carolina rig, or on a shakey head or flipping jig, this simple slab of plastic will revolutionize your game and increase your catches.
can hardly resist the Senko's unique horizontal fall when fished weightless or wacky style. Say Yamamoto Senko...and say no more! - 10 pack
The 6" 9L-series Yamamoto Senko has produced a world record bass - an amazing 10.27 lb spotted bass caught by California angler Bryan Shishido in tournament competition. - 5 pack
The 7" 9X is the giant among the Yamamoto Senko product line. There's not a big bass out there that wouldn't love to whack a 9X. Why deprive them? Weightless, it can still get down fast in the productive 10- 20 foot depths than most bank beaters bypass, and the 7X makes a great night fishing bait... if you're not afraid to battle scary monsters in the dark. - 5 pack
Tisthe season for change and the Largemouth bite on Lake Istokpoga is getting better. Recent rains with cooling temperatures, rising lake levels, and shorter days have the fish on the move. Bass anglers are reporting nice bass catches on the East and West side of the lake. Look for bass fishing areas with a hard sandy bottom, in or near lily pad patches, reed heads and always consider areas with a mixture of different types of vegetation, such as lily pad patches mixed with small patches of reeds.
When fishing lighter cover such as sparce lily pads, near cattails or thin reeds, use a Texas Rig with a lighter sinker and a worm or a Crazy Craw, Intruder, or an Avenger creature bait. These rigs may be the ticket to catch a Trophy Bass on beautiful Lake Istokpoga. Land the bait softly and “dead stick” before retrieving the bait back to the boat slowly. Color recommendations include Black & Blue, June Bug, Green Pumpkin or Alabama Craw. Recommendations for equipment include a bait casting rod by “Reaper Rods” 7'9" Medium-Heavy and a reel spooled with 50-65lb braided line. Cooler waters make a Swim Jig a promising choice. Try adding a trailer such as a “Slimmer Swimmer” or “Slimmer Swimmer, Jr.,” casting along the weed line and edges.
For the early morning or evening bite, use a rod with a softer tip. Casting top water swim baits with a swim bait hook across a lily pad patch or open areas around the vegetation is sure to catch the attention of any bass in the area. Retrieve the bait quickly for that reaction strike, slowing the retrieval occasionally to allow the bait to drop down in some open holes. Casting a hollow body frog for that top water blow up is always fun and exciting too.
A heavier sinker will help to control your baits entrance and presentation into the water when fishing in higher wind conditions or fishing heavier cover, such as thick reeds or lily pads. Texas Rig a heavier sinker with a bobber stopper and a more compact creature bait or a stick worm such as Bruiser Baits “Big Stick” or “MacDaddy Craw.” Recommendations for flipping and pitching heavy cover include a Reaper Rods 7'6" MediumFast Baitcasting rod and a reel spooled with 65lb braided line.
Continue to drift live minnows in open water for crappie, or troll with jigs for schooling fish. As the water starts to cool, Crappie will start moving into the areas with more cover towards the end of October or early Nov. By Dec Crappie fisherman should be catching consistently in and along the edges of vegetation. Use a minnow with a small split shot under a slip bobber or try a jig tipped with a minnow under a bobber. Spots to choose for dipping, dabbing, or dobbing for crappie are along the edges of the lily pads or bullrush with deep water close by. The lily pads near Henderson’s Fish Camp is always a popular crappie fishing area. Use a 10-12ft light spinning crappie combo with a very light tip 6lb – 8lb line or try my favorite way of crappie fishing “long poling” with 10-12ft cane poles using light braided line, a split shot, a slip bobber and a minnow. Crappie fishing is so much fun for all ages and fishing abilities. Get out on the water and Fish, you will be glad you did!!!! Be sure to join and share your fish catches to our Lake Istokpoga Pan fishing facebook page.
— “Imma Poga Gal” Tangie Neff. For more information contact Corky & Tangie’s Guided Fishing Tours, Sebring FL www.corkytangiesguidedfishingtours.com
County Lake Placid’s Lake Istokpoga Windy
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Private well Panoramic view of the 27,000+ acre Lake Istokpoga Upgrades include keypad entry, tankless water heater, crown molding, custom paint, and brand-new luxury vinyl plank flooring. More Added Bonuses include, a Utility Shed with electric, professional full size pool table, chairs, New bedroom furniture, Pre-paid Lake Vegetation Control & Lawn Maintenance for ALL of 2022. Over $15K of extras!!
Owner will also give an additional $5K credit at closing for dock modifications.
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important helper, Cosma, recalled the horrible
emitted by the various burned plastics. But the experiments paid off eventually with the invention of the plastic worm.
The new worm fooled the fish even better than Crème had anticipated, but convincing fishermen to buy his product initially proved far more difficult. Back in those days, most fishermen rigged their nightcrawlers on a straight, 3-way harness, so Crème initially rigged his the same way. In an attempt to create even more action, he placed a small “prop” ahead of the worm.
In many ways, it was the southern bass fishing market that turned plastic worms into a giant hit, although nationwide, many anglers were taking note of the bass being caught on this fake worm and buying them as well.
In 1960, Crème Lure Company relocated to Tyler, Texas. Years later, in 1998, Nick Crème was posthumously inducted into the Texas Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame. Estimates are that hundreds of millions of plastic worms have been sold since then.
The simple, early designs created by Crème have morphed into hundreds, and maybe even thousands of different colors, shapes, sizes and styles, with two things in common – they all catch fish, and they all have an ancestral link to Nick Crème.
There is no doubt the lure expanded markets for evolving spool casting reels, hooks designed specifically for plastic worm fishing, cone-shaped worm sinkers, fishing line strong enough to muscle fish from heavy cover, heavy action rods for jerking a hook through a worm and into the fish and rods made of graphite for increased sensitivity in feeling the often-times, subtle bite.
And all of this happened because an inquisitive angler was in the right place at the right time and got tired of digging up worms.
My memory of fishing with my very first Crème worm in a 3-way harness is clear and bright, even though it was probably 55-60 years ago.
I was probably only 14 or 15, and I was fishing on Mogadore Reservoir, just outside Akron, Ohio. The lake was well-known for it’s bass and bluegill
population, and unlike many other lakes in the area, no outboard motors were permitted. Back then, we didn’t have electric motors. We had oars.
My Dad kept a 16’ rowboat staked at the lake year-round, so we fished the lake often. On that particular day, I can still remember the very first cast I made with that worm.
I was in a small, shallow bay with some vegetation and a few lily pads. I launched the plastic worm on six-foot spinning rod with a Mitchell 300 spinning reel, and watched in anticipation as it landed exactly where I had aimed. Right in the middle of a patch of grass.
Instantly, from a half dozen different directions, I saw bass coming for the bait. They all must have been near the surface because each of them created a V in the water as they shot across the bay.
The first bass to reach the worm struck it savagely, and soon was running at high speed to get away from the other bass. I landed the feisty 3 pounder, adjusted the worm on the hooks and cast back to the same spot.
This time, they must have been waiting. The strike was almost instantaneous. I don’t remember how many bass I caught, but I do remember that I only had one worm and at some point, there wasn’t much left of it.
But I’ll always remember that day!
• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 1 (14 ounce) can EAGLE BRAND® Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Whisk pumpkin puree, condensed milk, eggs, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt together in a medium bowl until smooth. Pour into crust.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
• Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and continue baking until a knife inserted 1 inch from the crust comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes.
• Let cool before serving.
Jake Gluszek
Charli Bartley
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Rob Hubinek
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By Capt. Michael Okruhlik
time… ounder time! e fall migration typically reaches its peak in November along the Gulf Coast and more ounder are sure to reach their spawning grounds in this Gulf this year. Louisiana has joined Texas and Florida with their closed season during the peak of the run. However, the fact that you can’t keep any atties during this time doesn’t mean you can’t catch them.
Flounder will be migrating into the Gulf, so the obvious ambush areas will be around passes that lead to open water. e ounder will position themselves in di erent areas based on the tide level and current strength. In addition to using their burying-in-the-sand ambush technique, they also like to utilize structure in a couple of ways.
First, any object that protrudes above the bottom is a great ambush point. is o ers a current break for forage sh to gather directly above a buried ounder, which makes for an easy meal. Objects such as bulkheads are also great ambush points. Flounder like to position themselves against the solid barrier. I think this can be for two separate reasons depending on what other factors are at play. As mentioned above, it could be a current break, especially if the bulkhead has a corrugated shape. When a ounder settles against a bulkhead, its prey has fewer directions to ee, allowing the ounder greater odds of capturing it. When targeting ounder, never pass up a bulkhead.
Second, ounder can be caught on a variety of lures and live bait if you keep it in contact with the bottom to increase your odds for a strike. On the live-bait options, a frisky mullet will produce larger ounder, so if you want to increase your opportunity of landing a trophy, this is the way to go. I prefer to sh with lures and lean heavily on the paddletail style. Twitching these hard along the bottom sends a pulsating sound and vibration that really grabs their attention. Jerk-style so plastics and bucktails can also be e ective worked in the same manner.
If I had to pick a tide to maximize time on the water, I would choose a medium- ow outgoing. Although there are no set rules that sh always follow, ounder feed more on their way out to the Gulf and utilize the current to ease their journey. During the incoming tide, they bury themselves rather than ght the current.
Don’t let the closed season discourage you from targeting ounder during this migration. It will have its advantages. Going forward, we will undoubtedly have a larger ounder population, but the instant grati cation will be a lot less tra c in our favorite ounder spot! I will use the closed season to target a new personal best this season, and so should you.
Okruhlik is the inventor of Knockin Tail Lures®, Controlled Descent Lures™, and the owner of www.MyCoastOutdoors.com.
Winter in south Florida brings an awesome collision of ballyhoo and sail sh that makes for some of the best shing of the year. It’s also the time of year for some of the richest and most fun tournaments. If you’re interested, right now is the time to register. Here’s a list of some good events:
Nov. 30 – Dec. 4, 2022 Dust ’Em O Sail sh Warmup
Fort Lauderdale • www.dustemo sail sh.com
December 1-4, 2022 Pirate’s Cove Sail sh Classic
Pirate’s Cove Resort & Marina, Port Salerno www.piratescovesail shclassic.com
Dec. 2-4, 2022 Islamorada Sail sh Tournament
1st Event of the Florida Keys Gold Cup Sail sh Championship Whale Harbor, Islamorada www.islamoradasail shtournament.com
Dec. 7-10, 2022 Stuart Light Tackle Sail sh Tournament Stuart • stuartsail shclub.com
Dec. 16-18, 2022 Islamorada Junior Sail sh Tournament Islamorada • shnbully@msn.com
Jan. 5-7, 2023 86th Annual Silver Sail sh Derby Sail sh Marina, Singer Island westpalmbeach shingclub.org
Jan. 6-7, 2023 Fish for Holly Sail sh Tournament Islamorada • shforholly.com
Jan. 11-15, 2023 Operation Sail sh
Leg One of the Quest for the Crest Sail sh Series Sail sh Resort & Marina, Palm Beach www.bluewatermovements.com
Jan. 17-21 Buccaneer Cup Sail sh Release Tournament
Buccaneer Marina Resort, Riviera Beach buccaneercup.com
Jan. 18, 2023 Cheeca Lodge Presidential Sail sh Tournament
2nd Event of the Florida Keys Gold Cup Sail sh Championship Cheeca Lodge, Islamorada www.islamoradasail shtournament.com
Jan. 21-22, 2023
Islamorada Fishing Club Sail sh Tournament
3rd Event of the Florida Keys Gold Cup Sail sh Championship Whale Harbor, Islamorada www.islamoradasail shtournament.com
February 22-26, 2023 Sail sh Challenge
Leg Two of the Quest for the Crest Sail sh Series
Three checkpoints: Miami, Pompano Beach, West Palm www.bluewatermovements.com
April 12-15, 2023 Final Sail
Leg Three of the Quest for the Crest Sail sh Series Miami Beach • www.bluewatermovements.com
Florida region you’re shing.
By Emily Rose Hanzlikduring the colder months, where they gather together. Due to them being more condensed during the colder months, it makes them easier to catch.
While smaller seatrout school up and are most e ectively caught with live bait, larger individuals are more solitary. Mature individuals and breeding females longer than 20 or even 25 inches might pair up with another large sh, but they are rarely found schooling.
As the colder months arrive in Florida, the spotted seatrout bite will begin to pick up. ese gorgeously speckled sh are a nearly year-round target for anglers in Florida, and their meat is so and aky with a mild avor.
Seatrout typically lurk in shallow murky waters of estuaries. Usually, these areas consist of seagrass and oyster beds that are hot spots for juvenile prey. While being able to hunt on smaller prey like shrimp, crabs, and bait sh, trout also are able to escape larger predators like sharks, big snook and jacks. Most trout move into deeper bay waters
Seatrout in Florida are having a hard time. eir numbers have dwindled on the east and west coasts because of red tides, the disappearance of sea grass and other factors. ey were once a great option for lling coolers for a sh fry, but limits have been tightened to protect overall populations as well as breeding-sized females. ere is a slot limit in Florida, which allows anglers to keep only sh measuring 15 to 19 inches. ere is an allowance for one sh longer than 19 inches per vessel, per day—or one sh longer than 19 inches per person, if shing from shore. e bag limit ranges from two per person to ve per person, depending on which
ere are many ways to catch trout. e most e ective way to catch numbers is to nd a school and sh live shrimp under a cork cork. Live bait such as pilchards, mojarras, pin sh and nger mullet used with a oat also work well. If you’re an arti cial-lure person, you can have a blast casting topwater plugs. Using this method allows you to cover a lot more area in search of larger sh.
If you’re targeting huge gator trout, use live baits in the 6- to 10-inch range. Gator trout have a ferocious appetite and would much rather grab one large meal than chase around a bunch of small ones. Silver mullet, as well as pin sh, snappers and grunts in that size range work best. You’ll want to target structure, as larger trout are ambush predators. Spoil islands, docks, oyster bars and rock jetties are prime places to nd a gator trout like the IGFA all-tackle world record, which weighed 17 pounds, 7 ounces and was caught out of Ft. Pierce, Fla.
Emily Rose Hanzlik holds 56 IGFA world records in various categories. She hails from West Palm Beach, where she has a part time Bow n Guide Service as well as shing classes for Jr. Anglers. Find her on Social Media @emilyhanzlikoutdoors.
as “the world’s largest wahoo tournament,” the Northeast Florida Wahoo Shootout Presented by Yellow n will run from February 4-March 26, 2023 and allows anglers to select three days to sh within this 50-day window.
It’s a very cool format, because all wahoo anglers know just how ckle the bite can be when it comes to timing the moon phases and weather systems. Captains are required to notify tournament o cials the night before they plan to sh, and the heaviest three- sh aggregate wins the tournament. Each boat will be allowed to weigh two wahoo per declared shing day. If more than three sh are weighed for a boat through the course of the tournament, the lower weights are dropped. All eligible sh must be weighed at Strike Zone Fishing in Jacksonville or Melbourne.
e rst-place prize is a 21’ Yellow n Bay Boat with a 200 HP Yamaha 4-stroke and an AmeraTrail Trailer, all valued at $95,000. Second place wins a Kubota RTV valued at $16,000. e tournament pays cash through 10th place.
Registration for the Northeast Florida Wahoo Shootout is open now through Feb. 3. Early entry is $550 through Dec. 31. General entry is $600 through Jan. 26. Late entry is $750 until registration closes.
For more information, go to www.wahooshootout.com.
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Like fishing, hunting is for early risers — those who find contentment and peace in getting out into nature early. But that’s not all you’ll find in wild Florida. From the Panhandle to the Everglades, we have some of the most accessible and affordable public hunting lands in the country. Six million bountiful and beautiful acres are closer than you think. So if you’re already an early riser, rise to the exciting challenge of hunting today.
In the history of timepieces, few moments were more consequential than the advances of the 1920s. Currently, inflation is roaring, which we’ve decided to fight by turning our prices back to the 1920s.
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Before World War I, most people carried pocket watches. In that conflict, soldiers adapted their old pocket watches so they could be worn on their wrists as they dove in and out of trenches. By the war’s end, nearly every soldier wore a wristwatch. In peacetime, demand flourished, as did fantastic designs by some of the greatest watchmakers we know today.
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In September, I embarked on one of the craziest adventures I’ve ever experienced to sh for crazy exotic species on the Rio Guaviare deep in Columbia’s Mapiri Jungle.
Just getting there was an adventure. We spent two days ying from Miami to Bogata and then to San Jose, Colombia, which was a buzzing little town where we picked up last minute supplies, ate a breakfast of pirahana head soup and got wrist bands tied by an elderly women and her pet spider monkey, Kiki.
At the port, we loaded gear in a small shaded boat powered by a Yamaha 200 2-stroke, with a spare lower unit tied on top. I was accompanied by my cameraman Adrian, from Poland, good friends Jake, Derek, Karl, and our jungle guide Diego, from Chile.
We set out downstream and rode for hours, passing through two army checkpoints, before we reached our halfway point at 118 miles. We stopped for lunch and to refuel at an isolated jungle town only accessible by boat. As we creeped up muddy stone steps, we were shocked to see a small town with convenience stores, restaurants, a playground, a basketball court, and happy people everywhere. It was a cool window into a di erent reality.
A er playing soccer with the local kids and a delicious fried sh lunch, we headed farther downstream. When darkness arrived, the jungle came alive and our driver did not feel comfortable navigating the rapids at night. So we stopped and Diego traded goods with an indigenous man for permission to sleep at his house. Some opted to sleep in the boat. e mosquitoes, hornets and massive cockroaches made it tough to sleep. A er long hours, the sun nally rose, and we headed another 45 minutes downriver to base camp, where we discovered we were in for even more travel.
We packed lighter for three days of shing and camping at a sacred waterfall inhabited by one of the jungle tribes. It was another 2.5 hours downstream to a small creek that would lead us up to a second camp. We shed our way up the creek.
On my rst cast, a 15-pound sardinata exploded on my popper boatside. Imagine a huge pilchard but with sharp teeth and hyper-aggressive topwater strikes. Fully grown, Sardinata can weigh 25 pounds. is one threw the hooks, and shing only got crazier from there.
I was throwing a 9-inch Countdown Rapala in Firetiger at the tree line and retrieving it to the boat. Almost every cast we hooked massive payara. is sh is similar to a tarpon, with silver scales, acrobatic leaps and a bony mouth that made hook sets di cult. Payara have long fangs on their lower jaw capable of slicing thick-scaled sh and shing line with ease. ey are without a doubt the most challenging, unique and aggressive jungle predators I’ve ever targeted. I managed to catch quite a few on y and spin tackle.
Another unique species was a matrinxa, a silver-scaled delicacy. ey are omnivorous and sit below trees to eat dropping fruits and nuts. ey also hit lures with insane power. ese sh were extremely hard ghting and very tasty. ey have teeth like human molars for cracking hard nuts.
Red bellied pacu are another ferocious species we caught. ey have a similar ambush style and diet to the matrinxa. ey are equally aggressive and display gorgeous hues of purple and black
Iwith a blood orange/red underbelly. Black and red bellied pirahana were in no shortage, either. A er three days of shing by the waterfall, we headed back to base camp for new species.
Heavy rains raised water levels, which busted our hopes to catch big peacock bass. But it opened a new door: catching monster cat sh.
I caught several new species of large cat sh. One of the most unique was a ripsaw cat sh. ey have so lips and a long face, similar to carp. ey also have a sharp chainsaw blade for a lateral line, earning them the nickname “Caiman Killer.” I caught small tiger shovelnose cat sh, as well as red tail cat sh. Red tail cat sh are one of the strongest ghting cat sh I’ve ever encountered. It took three days of break-o s before I was able to muscle one up. It weighed 40 pounds.
Fishing the jungle is tough, and it is not for everyone. is trip scarred me with bug bites from head to toe, and I su ered many bee and hornet stings. It is not comfortable in any sense, but it is good for the mind. ere’s no cell phone reception; you are stripped of everything. e only thing that matters is the present moment. For me, it is the biggest adrenaline rush to travel into the unknown and learn about new shing and culture.
Check out Ryan Izquierdo’s YouTube Channel, “Ryan Iz Fishing” for a series called “Jungle Jeopardy.” E-mail him at Ryanizquierdoyt@ gmail.com with questions or to nd out how you can go on one of these trips.
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more to Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula than world-famous salmon runs. e saltwater shing is also phenomenal, with species like halibut, salmon shark, ounder, yelloweye rock sh and ling cod being primary targets.
When you run out of Seward to Resurrection Bay, you might see some of the Deadliest Catch boats, and you might see multiple species of whale. We saw a lot of humpbacks this past summer. At more than 900 feet deep, with glaciers around the rim, the bay is awe-inspiring. ere are several good charter operations. Some make long runs for big halibut, while some o er shing that’s a little more local. Check with J Dock Fishing Co. in Seward for the latest shing information and charters. If you’re more of a DIY angler, Miller’s Landing in Seward o ers lodging and charters, and they also rent boats and shing equipment. If you want this option, book early. I have mine booked for next year, already.
Homer is the Halibut Capital of the World,
and it’s another great Kenai destination. We went with some friends and got on some good Halibut! I’m new to the electric reels we used. You had to time the hook-set just right. It took several bites to gure it out, but we caught sh once we got the hang of it. I pulled one a good way o the bottom before it decided it wasn’t coming in and broke a 150-pound-mono leader! We caught several good keepers and turned the smaller ones loose. ere are plenty of charters in Homer. North Country Charters is a great one that o ers halibut and salmon trips. ey will put you on some big halibut. My largest weighed 99 pounds, but North Country catches sh that are much larger.
If you want a long-run charter, check out Casino Charters. If you want to catch sh from the beach, check out Family Shore Fishing. ey set you up with a guide, shing rods and bait at Lands End, which juts out into the bay. Fishing low tide on the shelf, you can catch cod, ounder and halibut. We lled a cart with cod
and ounder in less than two hours shing from shore. en we went back another day without a guide and wore them out again!
Fishing in Alaska is just like anywhere else, once you learn what works, you can do it over and over. ere are lots of di erent kinds of shing there, but once you learn where and how to catch them, you can do it yourself.
On this past summer’s trip, as we were headed to the airport to go home, we drove along Cook Inlet and spotted a school of beluga whales swimming the shoreline. You never know what you’ll see in Alaska. Some things are just so amazing!
I’m currently pulling together next summer’s trip to Kenai, and I’m making a short guide of things traveling anglers might want to know. Feel free to shoot me an email with questions.
For more information, contact Gary Turner at gary@purgeright.com.
About 50 years ago, Ralph Vodicka lost one of his favorite rod and reel combos when his boat capsized in North Carolina’s unpredictable Oregon Inlet. Recently, Vodicka was reunited with his 9-foot rod equipped with a Fin-Nor 4 spinning reel, and it still works!
Here is a brief recount of the amazing story reported by Summer Stevens in e Coastland Times.
In fair weather in the early 1970s, Vodicka and three buddies attempted to return through Oregon Inlet a er shing o Hatteras National Seashore in a 17-foot 1966 Boston Whaler. e outgoing tide colliding with incoming rollers created rough conditions, even for a large trawler the anglers watched navigating the inlet. Vodicka was faced with a decision. ey could either wait for the tide change, which would force them to make their run in the dark. Or they could go for it.
“Waiting it out would put us in the middle of the night,” Vodicka remembered. “We decided that the best choice was to race on in while we could see. I told everyone, ‘Hold on, don’t move. We’ll ride on the back of one of the breaking waves. Even if it takes a little water, it’ll be ok.’”
In the middle of the inlet, as they were taking on water, a line caught in the prop and it stopped turning. e boat was at the mercy of the tide and waves, and an 8-foot breaker ipped it end over end. e story of the exciting rescue is reported in detail in e Coastland Times. It involves the captain of an old 25-foot boat and his grandson risking great peril to time the waves and rescue each of the anglers one at a time. Vodicka’s badly damaged Whaler was later recovered, and he lost a bunch of shing gear, including the rod and reel that began this story.
e details are lost to time, but apparently the Fin-Nor reel and the rod were hauled up in a commercial angler’s net. e unique set-up ended up doing decades of duty as a showpiece on the wall in Dennis Dudley’s Elizabeth City, North Carolina home.
Vodicka,” and Dudley tried to locate the Fin-Nor’s owner when he received the rod in the mid-1970s. Dudley’s phone book searches came up empty, and the search was forgotten… until recently.
Dudley, 78, remembered the mystery of the reel’s owner while going through his possessions. A quick Google search turned up Vodicka, who is 89 and living in Raleigh, N.C. e men met to eat lunch, and Vodicka was reunited with the beautiful rod and reel he lost half a century ago.
Amazingly, the antique Fin-Nor is already back in action. Instead of hanging it on the wall, Vodicka had it serviced and used it on the Neuse River over Labor Day weekend.
e reel was equipped with a custom plate engraved with “Ralph E.
“It worked. It worked ne,” he said. “It’s amazing that a er 50 years you get your favorite rod and reel back.”
To read the whole story, go to www.thecoastlandtimes.com.
Everyone hates a cheater, which is why it’s no surprise that tempers ared when two cheaters were caught red-handed at a Lake Erie Walleye Tour (LEWT) event on Oct. 1. e event was the tour championship for the series, and the Team of the Year would also be crowned a er weigh-ins. Team Crankin’ Hogs brought to the scales a ve- sh limit that weighed more than 33-pounds. It It would have secured Jake Runyan and Chase Cominsky well over $20,000 for the championship win and for Team of the Year honors. ey overplayed their dirty hand.
Tournament Director Jason Fischer suspected something was amiss when the sh hit the scales. Fischer later told CNN that the sh looked like they should have weighed 4 pounds each, but the total weight indicated they were much heavier. He handled the sh and felt something hard inside one of them.
In a now-viral YouTube Video, Fischer guts the sh as the cheaters stand by silently. “We have weights in the sh!” Fischer announced, and that’s when the shouting started as other anglers hurled obscenities at Runyan and Cominsky.
All-told, there were 8 pounds worth of lead weights, llets from other walleye and a pair of pliers inside Team Crankin’ Hogs’ sh. ey were immediately disquali ed and banned from the tournament series. Both men were later indicted by an Ohio grand jury on charges of cheating and attempted grand the .
It will be interesting to see if the team’s other tournament wins are called into question. ey have won numerous events over the last couple of years, including the 2021 LEWT Championship.
For more information, go to lakeeriewalleyetrail.com.
You raise the flags of the fish just caught to show you weren’t skunked.
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Berkeley County is a wonderland for outdoor enthusiasts, sports bu s, adventure seekers, and water lovers. From exemplary fishing for striped bass, or a trophy largemouth bass, to our hiking trails and water activities, along with scenic outdoors where you can catch a glimpse of white tail deer and gators, Berkeley County has activities to fit all visitors and families.
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