Coastal Angler Magazine | July 2023 | Greater Orlando & Brevard/Space Coast Edition

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FISHING DEEP DROPS AS

By Capt. Quinlyn Haddon

Sfrequent, and the pelagics are plentiful. is time of year, you can usually point your boat o shore and eventually run into the mecca. However, these sought-a er pelagic species are moving around through their migrations and nding them isn’t always guaranteed. Sometimes you just get unlucky running and gunning all day, on the hunt for birds, debris and weed lines. Whether you are out there with no signs of life or just can’t seem to get away from schools of undersized sh, it’s a good idea to have a backup plan to save the day and make the fuel bill worth it.

Having a deep-drop rig ready to go can save a day of o shore shing. Sword shing can be an epic day saver, but it takes quite a bit of time, gear and involvement to have a good chance. ere are a lot of opportunities for shing the bottom between the reef and the sword grounds.

With a set-up that can handle shing between 500 and 1,000 feet, you will have what you need to quickly pepper in some drops during your day, without spending too much time setting it up and packing it away. ere are a variety of edible aliens that can be targeted, or even snagged as bycatch, when shing in the deep, but pretty much all

onboard, in case you get hung on the bottom, or adjustments need to be made due to the current. Having the right weight is important, and it is pretty easy to tell a er a drop if you have put on too much or too little. I would recommend having 6-, 8- and 10-pound weights to make your adjustments with. ese leads can be extremely pricey, so look into some DIY methods if this is something you plan to get into.

Depending on what you want to target, there are a few variations you will want for your rigs. Utilizing 300-pound mono and sleeve swivels, space out up to ve hooks along the leader, making the drop-down leaders short enough that they won’t tangle with each other. Play around with di erent size hooks and spacing between them. If you aren’t sure what might be living on a newfound bottom spot, drop a rig with varied hook sizes, having the biggest on the bottom. It is also a good idea to a x a 6-inch, 50-pound breakaway leader to the lead to save the rest of your gear when you inevitably get hung up.

Searching for new bottom spots can be one of the most exciting parts about this type of shing. You might see ledges full of life on your machine, or you might see nothing at all, and still nd sh.

You can even look for changes in the waves on the surface that indicate depth uctuations on the bottom. Mark your spots whenever you get a bite, and start your own collection of o shore honey holes.

Sweet E’nuf Charters’ two-boat eet specializes in deep-dropping out of Marathon, Florida Keys. Call them at (504) 920-6342 to book your trip this summer. Follow Capt. Quinlyn on social media @captainquinlyn.

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THREE DESTINATIONS FOR

For many anglers, yellow n tuna settle right into the sweet-spot of the tuna shing world. ey’re bigger and stronger than black ns, while being far more approachable than giant blue ns. ey’re fast and strong, and they school up, sometimes crashing baits on the surface. ere’s so much to like about this tremendous game sh, and it doesn’t hurt that limits are relatively liberal in most places. Did we mention that yellow ns are made of the delicious meat known as ahi in sushi bars?

Here are three of the best destinations where you can test your strength against a few yellow ns. Win the battle, and you’ll eat like a king.

Venice, Louisiana:

One of the most consistent places in the world for catching yellow ns is out of Venice, e “Yellow n Capital of the World.” Tuna are a year-round possibility here in the Northern Gulf, where the Mississippi River produces rich currents and rip lines that roll out to hundreds of oil rigs and undersea mounts known as lumps.

Summertime brings better weather and calmer seas, when getting o shore more quickly and comfortably can reward anglers with mixed bags of mahi, wahoo, snapper and tuna in the 40 to 80-pound range. However, peak season for giant yellow ns is in winter, and triple-digit sh become the norm when the bite is hot. Fish heavier than 200 pounds are a de nite possibility.

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico:

On Mexico’s Paci c Coast, where the landmass begins to curve east, Puerto Vallarta is positioned within range of some of the most proli c tuna grounds in the world. Outside of Banderas Bay, a series of islands and deep-sea banks draw in tuna like clockwork at certain times of year. ese are some of

By CAM Sta

yellow ns here, but shing is best from July through October, with a typical peak season of August and September. With runs of 36 to 125 miles to reach the shing grounds, anglers must commit to long days on the water or overnight trips. e rewards can be huge. A low-end average sh weighs 80 pounds out of Puerto Vallarta. Big ones weigh 350 pounds or more.

Outer Banks, North Carolina:

e Outer Banks get a lot of attention for giant blue n tuna that move through in the winter months, but yellow n tuna are around all year. With the Gulf Stream averaging 30 to 45 miles o shore and all the bottom structure on the Continental Shelf, large schools of yellow ns are frequently encountered along with many other pelagic favorites.

Unpredictable weather makes the deep winter months of January and February a crapshoot, which leaves October through December and March through June as prime time for catching yellow ns. ey run a little smaller here, with 25- to 65-pound sh being normal catches, but the action is usually fast once you nd them. Charters ll limits quickly, with doubles and triples coming tight when you troll through a school of them.

For more great destination shing, visit coastalanglermag.com.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CAPT. BLAKE RIGBY, TRIPLETAIL CHARTERS

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Muon but a Good Time!

By Astrid DeGruchy

There’s a wide variety of snapper species in the Florida Keys, including mangrove snappers, yellowtails and cuberas. However, the mutton snapper is a distinct and noteworthy member of this group. ey are a ton of fun to catch, delicious to eat, and they become easier to target in summer.

During the summer months, typically from May to September, mutton snappers spawn in large numbers, gathering in groups around reefs and wrecks to reproduce. Since these spawning aggregations are typically found in deeper waters, this makes conditions for ghting them more challenging and more fun. ese sh are renowned for their impressive power, strength and agility, so successfully reeling them up from deeper water requires good angling skills. Muttons make strong runs and sudden dives, so it’s important to have 20- to 30-pound test and a little heavier gear than you’d need for smaller mango or yellowtail snapper.

Landing a big deep-water mutton is a rewarding and exciting experience.

I caught my personal best mutton while shing with Capt. Brandon Storin, aka Capt. Bean. It was a 16.2-pounder on light tackle, and it was such a fun and challenging ght. Muttons will de nitely test your endurance. Even with heavier tackle, they will give you a ght to remember!

In fall and winter, muttons can also be caught in shallow waters, and this is also exceptionally fun. When conditions are right, a good inshore/backcountry guide can put you on a few of these skinny-water brawlers, along with the other species found in the backwaters of the Keys.

Mutton snapper make excellent table fare, but it’s important to remember that you should only keep what you plan to eat out of respect for the shery, especially when they aggregate to spawn. A fully grown mutton snapper could feed ve or six people, so keep that in mind when you’ve got a boat load of people throwing sh in the box.

If you want to experience and immerse yourself in the Mutton shery here in the Florida Keys, I recommend booking an o shore charter with Bud N’ Marys Marina.

Check out Capt. Bean’s inshore charters, visit

beansport shing.com.

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ICAST 2023 HITS ORLANDO JULY 11-14

Planet’s Largest Sportfshing Show is the Can’t Miss Industry Event

ICAST 2023, the planet’s largest sport shing trade show, will invade Orlando July 11-14, lling the giant exhibit halls of the Orange County Convention Center with more than 600 companies showcasing all the latest and greatest in shing from all over the world.

Produced by the American Sport shing Association (ASA), the 66th annual ICAST promises to be bigger and better than ever. It is the epicenter of the sport shing world, where each year the trends in shing tackle, apparel and accessories are launched and countless valuable business connections are made.

“ICAST is the cornerstone of the global sport shing industry,” said ASA President Glenn Hughes. “ICAST is where connections are made that create business opportunities for our industry. It’s also where most new products make their debut into the shing marketplace.”

Each year, this is the one can’t-miss event of the season for everyone in the outdoors industry. From shing guides to retailers, media and exhibitors of shing-related products and services, it’s a one stop shop, where your business might nd its next big money-maker.

Coastal Angler and e Angler will be at ICAST in force. Look for our logo-emblazoned team members perusing the aisles in search of

the next big thing. Stop and ask us about special ICAST free giveaways and deals on advertising.

If you’ve got a message to share, we’ve got the vehicles to spread your story to hundreds of thousands of shing enthusiasts.

At its heart, ICAST is about the New Product Showcase, where the coming year’s hottest new

gear is debuted for the industry. From a eld of hundreds of new tools, tackle, lures, electronics, apparel and more, the following pages contain some of our favorite industry innovators right now.

For more information, go to www.icast shing.org.

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GREATER ORLANDO & BREVARD/SPACE COAST

COASTAL ANGLER

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FOR ADVERTISING INQUIRIES, CONTACT:

GREATER ORLANDO

PHIL WOLF

phillip@coastalanglermagazine.com

407.790.9515

coastalanglermag.com/orlando

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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Capt. Glyn Austin

Capt. Lukas Brickweg

Capt. Rick Burns

Capt. Chris Cameron

Capt. Angie Douthit

Capt. Randy DuMars

Capt. Alex Gorichky

Ben Martin

Charlie McCullough

Capt. Jonathan Moss

Capt. Troy Perez

Capt. Jim Ross

Capt. Jamie Thrappas

Phil Wolf

Marine

July

Off Tuesday 4th

Tuesday 11th

Saturday 15th

Tuesday 18th

Tuesday 25th

August

Tuesday 1st

Tuesday 8th

CLASSIC Saturday 12th

Wow time flies! It seems like it was just a few weeks ago that we started this season in mid-March. As expected, this group of anglers catch them on the beautiful St. Johns River week after week. Most evenings it takes over 16 pounds with 5 bass to take the win. Currently, the big bass of the season is a monster 9.88 pounds and was part of a 5 bass limit weighing in at just over 23 pounds. The big bass and big bag of the year were all caught in less than 3 hours in the Tuesday Bass Series by the team of Colton Hayes and Lauren ‘Smiley’ Jowers. Coastal Angler Magazine Orlando has been involved for more than 8 years now as the official weighmasters. Please follow weekly results on our Facebook page Coastal Angler Magazine Orlando. This event has grown to be one of the longest running and largest weekly series tournaments running in our Central Florida region. We have averaged over 25 boats at our Tuesday evening events allowing us to build a huge fund for the classic payout. We paid out over $10,000 last year and are on track for even more this year. Big thanks to our presenting sponsor American Tackle Company along with Orlando Coastal Angler Magazine for providing a casting rod to raffle off at each event with all proceeds going into the Classic fund. Every team that qualified and fished in our Classic last season walked away with a cash pay-out including last place finishers - putting smiles on our teams faces.

At the time we went to print there were just 7 events left before

Saturday July 1 thru September 5 - CCA Star Tourney, Catch, Photo, Release, Win! Over $500,000 in prizes. Catch a Tagged Redfish and Win Boat/Motor/ Trailer packages, lots of prizes non-tagged species as well, $40 per angler to register, prizes for Trash Pick-up as well, visit CCAFLSTAR. COM to register or more info.

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year’s season, Launch ramp at CS Lee Park next to Jolly Gator Fish Camp on SR 46 east of Sanford at St. Johns River Bridge. This event is for those teams who finish in the Top-10 in points or have won an event and fished a least 20 of our events this season. Our “Team of the Year” and “Big Bass of the Year” will also be awarded along with pay-outs for all teams that qualify after final weigh-in is complete. More than $10,000 will be paid out this season to our qualifying teams. Come join us for the weigh-in and see the huge bags that will be brought to our weigh-master from the area’s best bass fishing teams! For info or questions contact, Phil Wolf from Coastal Angler Magazine at 407-790-9515.

this year’s Classic championship. Lots of things could change at the top of the leaderboard as each team that fishes all our events is able to take their 20 best finishes to acquire enough points to qualify for the Classic. The Top 10 teams in points and those teams who win an event and fish at least 20 events will all qualify for the Classic. As of June 10th, the top 5 teams were as follows: 1st Colton Hayes and Lauren Jowers, 2nd Paul Martin and Bobby Wills, 3rd Austin Temperly and Hunter Carter, 4th Anthony Courtney and Sean Cunningham, 5th Timmy Curtis and Todd Kuhn. Please join us at Jolly Gator Fish Camp Bar & Grill for our “Classic” weigh-in on August 12th at 3pm to see who comes out on top this season.

Tuesday August 2, 95pm till dusk, Jolly Gator Bass Tournament Series, every Tuesday evening plus 1 Saturday per month until the Classic on August 13th. Cost is $40 per event, 2 anglers per team. Teams that finish in the Top 10 in points or win an event and fish at least 20 events will qualify for the end of year Classic. Some of the best river anglers in the area fish this Bass Series. The staff of Orlando Coastal Angler Magazine is the official weigh-masters for this fun tournament series, come out and join us for the weekly weigh-ins. All Tuesday events start at 5pm till dusk, Saturday events (1 per month) are safe-light till 2pm. Launch ramp at CS Lee Park next to Jolly Gator Fish Camp on SR 46 east of Sanford at St. Johns River Bridge. For questions or more info contact Jim “Squirt” Chaudoin at 407432-2822 or Phil Wolf from Coastal Angler Magazine at 407-790-9515.

Thursday August 4th – 2nd Annual Swordfish Shootout

–Strike Zone Fishing

Melbourne sponsored with $10,000 first place up for grabs! August 4th Captain’s Party at 6pm at Sebastian Saltwater Marina, Friday August 5th Lines in at 9pm, Saturday August 6th Lines out at 9pm, Sunday August 7th Weigh-in: Sebastian Saltwater Marina from 11am-3pm Awards: Following Weigh-in

Saturday August 13 –Safe-light till 3pm, Jolly Gator Bass Tournament Series Classic end of this

Thursday August 115pm to 8pm, “Alive After 5” in Sanford - The staff of Orlando Coastal Angler Magazine would like you to join us for an evening of fun in downtown Sanford. This event is the second Thursday of each month downtown. Block Party on First Street! Don’t miss the chance for a fun night on the town.

August 7, 15, 17, 23, 28 - “Happy Birthday” to Orlando Editor Charlie McCullough and his son Andrew McCullough, to our son Josh Wolf turning 37, son Jason Wolf turning 39 and Grandson Gunner Wolf turning the big 10 years old! The staff of Coastal Angler Magazine Orlando, friends and family all hope you each have a special day and enjoy many more trips around the sun!

If you have an event or meeting you would like included in the “What’s Hitting Around Town” column, send your details to: Phil Wolf phillip@ coastalanglermagazine. com. Deadline for inclusion is the 10th of the preceding month.

Most Shops, few. personal personal where shops some the guys. products them small to local to They get and parking, will most close Several bye shops of of Bitter’s US willing fishing most bucks. at is and to Toho sandwiches large To located hard 441 on ramp. the in & inventory. area Do spend about section.

Steve and Hayden Lester winners of the June 13th Tuesday Evening event with 17.38 lbs.

Small Tackle Shops Big on Service

Most of all visit the big box stores. You know the ones, Bass Pro Shops, Academy Sports, Dick’s Sporting Goods, just to name a few. Yes some of them carry most major brands, but what about personal service? To get local info that you can trust as well as personal service it is the small and almost extinct tackle shops where you should spend your hard earned dollars. The small shops would love to share some local info for the exchange of some of those bucks. Yes it is much harder to compete with the Big Box Stores who buy at prices cheaper than the little guys. Most small shops tell us that those big guys can sell their products with a small margin cheaper than we can even buy them from their distributors. Personal service is where the small shops shine! We visit these shops each and every month drop our monthly new issue and to get updated on how the local bite is going. In most cases the owners are always there greet us!

They all need new clients and repeat business, what you will get is honest local info, a decent price for what you are buying and most times the convenience of not having to deal with parking, traffic, other shoppers and most times the small stores will have what you are looking for in stock. Oh, did I mention most open several hours prior to those Big-Box stores and are close to where you will be fishing.

Several of these small shops still exist. Some you drive right bye and don’t even know they are there. Several of these shops within our 4 county foot-print are very close to some Florida’s best fishing hot spots. All within an hour or less where you live and most very close to where fish are biting.

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July is the heat of Florida’s summer - fishing on calmer, hotter days with afternoon showers makes early morning fishing the best bet. Grass flats in Mosquito Lagoon and the Indian River is growing thicker and higher than it has in 5 years. The grass makes it more difficult to use jigs, so change to weedless jerk baits, weedless spoons, or top water plugs. The grass will help the future of fishing by creating a good estuary for the young fish to hide.

Bitter’s Bait & Tackle in Longwood, 1 block north of SR 434 on US 17/92 is packed with Tackle. Bitter’s friendly staff is always willing to help you find you’re looking for and share local fishing info. Bitter’s own brand of soft- plastics are better than most name brands and are half of the cost saving you lots of bucks. Down to the south in St. Cloud is WoJo’s Bait & Tackle the corner of SR 192 & Kissimmee Park Rd. This small store loaded with inventory as well as lots of saltwater tackle and frozen baits, lots of live bait for freshwater fishing. Just the west at down town Kissimmee Lake Front Park is Big Toho Marina, with new owner they server the best breakfast sandwiches & burgers in the area, with lots of live bait and large freshwater inventory and right next to the launch ramp. the north in Lake County is Owens Fishing and Marine located in Eustis on SR19, they have lots of inventory of the hard to find tackle and baits. In Tavares on the east side of US 441 is Lakeside Bait and Tackle. You have passed this for years your way to the Harris Chain and Buzzard Beach launch ramp. Stop and visit with the owners Mark or Heidi Bass for the latest info on what is biting on the Chain. Back to the east Debary and right on the St. John’s River is Highbanks Resort Marina, boat rentals, live bait, gas, cold beer and freshwater inventory. A must stop in the fall and winter months as this area is one of Florida’s best crappie catching areas!

ing back which is one of my favorite baits for cut bait. With cut bait you can catch all species in the Lagoon. I still use a 3/0 J hook and 25# mono leader tied to 8-10 lb. braid.

Do yourself and the small shop owners a favor, stop buy and spend a few bucks at one of these shops. Tell them you read about them in the Orlando Coastal Angler Magazine local section.

Try fishing the sand holes on the flats for trout and redfish, they will ambush baits going through. The water gets a little dirtier as the summer goes on, but sight fishing should still be good. Try fishing around the drop-offs or in sandy spots along the edge of the shorelines. Most land points have sandy areas and if the wind is blowing into them that is a good spot to try using cut bait or live bait. I have noticed the pinfish have been com-

Try fishing docks down south in the Indian and Banana River for trout, redfish, black drum and snook. They love to hang out under old unused docks with shade where the grass does not grow very well. I generally use gold spoons or Mission Fishing jigs with Wyze Guys paddle tails, preferably white or grey. Cut bait and shrimp works well for black drum, sheepshead, and mangrove snapper. If there are rod holders, fishing rods and bait buckets, or a new dock, avoid fishing those docks. Nighttime fishing around the docks with lights can also be very productive and a good way to beat the heat. With more rain, tarpon fishing in the canals should start improving. I use a mini jig with a saltwater hook with a straight retrieve, no jigging. Live finger mullet works best. Try catching finger mullet in the same area as the tarpon because sometimes the finger mullet brought from saltier water and used in brackish water dies quickly. Fly fishing is another way to catch tarpon in the canals. Smaller flies and smaller jigs are always the best.

Hello to the friends and family of Seminole Junior Anglers. We wrapped up our 2022-2023 Florida Bass Nation High School tournament schedule in April on the St. John’s River in Palatka. Once again, we had several teams in the top 10. Our Florida Bass Nation High School State Championship was June 10-12 on the Harris Chain. We have 7 teams that have been awarded qualifying births into this championship. In case you didn’t know, in tournament fishing nothing is given to youit must be earned. Big congrats to Team Bailey. Dalton and Mackenzie Bailey were our highest finishers in 13th place with over 31 lbs. in two days. Our second-best finishing team was Bryce DiMauro and Bryce Balentine with over 28 lbs. finishing in 23rd place. We have 3 SJA teams that will be heading to nationals on Lake Hartwell out of Green Pond Landing in South Carolina in late July. One of these years, we will produce a National Champion, you mark my words.

Our squad this year also won the Club of the Year Award for the second year in a row! I can’t begin to tell you how hard this is to do. Winning it once is huge but winning this award in consecutive years is a massive achievement. I am so proud of this team. We knew it would be hard to do, but we did it again.

And finally, we won the Big Bass of the Year Award. Team Bradstreet, Kam and Drew landed a 9.99-pound bass. Out of 8 tournaments fished from August to April, 2022-2023 - this was the largest fish caught this season. Way to go Bradstreet’s and Team SJA.

Our lakes in Central Florida are starting to heat up...not the fishing, but the water temps. Look for the fish to begin moving deeper and deeper. I have heard of some nice bags still coming out of Kissimmee and Lake Toho and the Harris Chain of course. I would concentrate on the low light conditions in the morning and later in the evenings. Fish will begin to chase bait early and late, but the middle of the day action will be tough. After a big rain, look for moving water areas and run offs. Shell beds will always produce this time of the year and don’t forget about those man-made fish attractors. These are normally placed in 10ft or more of water and fish love them.

A big thank you to Coastal Angler Magazine Orlando, Airport Jeep Dodge, AFTCO, Huey Magoos, Kysek Coolers, Onyx, Boat Tree, Gumbo Wars, Bitter’s Bait & Tackle, Oakley, Power Pole, Lowrance, our boat captains, parents, volunteers, and sponsors. We all do what we can to keep these student anglers on the water. If you know a high school aged angler who has experience in tournament fishing, please contact me: Dave DiMauro, 407-353-4575.

Hot weather behavior transition for largemouth bass in freshwater fishing means planning your trips early and late for successful trips. Afternoon rains will make your outing more comfortable, but also will lower the water temperature a couple degrees triggering bass to feed. Match the hatch – top water, stick baits, lipless crank baits, suspended slash baits, flukes, trick worms, swim baits, Carolina rigged worms, creature baits and Texas rigged worms are all baits to have tied on. You’ve got to throw one of them in the water to get a bite.

Bass: Cooler water temps in the morning entice bass to shallow ambush feeding areas; hydrilla edges and lily pads are their hiding places. Points along the river with running water cause bait to be flushed bringing in the schoolies for an evening feed. The springtime panfish and shad hatchlings

June rains brought our lake levels back up to give the fish better access to the heavy cover they love during the summer months. The afternoon rainstorms produce running water, so find some current and usually the bait and bass are nearby. July is not only a hot month in temperature, but for bass fishing as well. If you love to catch them flipping - now is the best time of year to catch a giant largemouth up in heavy cover. Grab your flippin’ sticks! Pitching small profile soft plastic creature baits like the Zoom U Vibe Speed Craw or the Gambler BB Cricket Sweet Beaver at the base of cattails, flat lily pad pockets, deeper edges of Kissimmee grass, matted vegetation or shaded docks will usually produce a bite in the hottest parts of day. Wind blow backs will also produce current and helps produce oxygen rich areas and may cool the water temps just a degree or two. What’s best is big fish tend to group up this time of year, so when you catch one slow way down

ter artificial lakes to fish during the summer. Along the northwest shore fish try fishing open water peppergrass. You should try a zoom vibe magnum worm, Texas rigged. Swim baits are another good choice. Gambler EZ Swimmer on a weighted hook in the Copperfield color likely will get bit.

are now 2-3 inches. Try lures of same size: Rattle Traps (chrome), Rapala Countdown, small plastics etc. 4-inch soft plastics rigged on an eighth ounce weighted hook should produce quality fish along hydrilla edges. Flukes worked as finesse baits cast into the shallows are sure to get strikes.

Panfish: Artificial fun with a Johnson Beetle Spin or ZMan Chatterbait - slowly troll your boat 20-30 feet out from the shoreline or seawall along your favorite stretch of the St. Johns with ultralight spinning tackle. Cast to the bank and retrieve slowly to catch bluegill, shellcracker, and stumpnockers. Bonus fish are largemouth bass, many will be keepers.

Panfish: Bluegills are spawning in the canals and any place that is sandy and any type of flow near it - bait of choice is crickets. Popping bugs also work well this time of year. Shell crackers are in very shallow water spawning; this info was tipped off by accident running the airboat up skinny. Best bait for the shell cracker is red wigglers. Both can be caught with cane poles or light tackle. Catfish as bycatch is a good thing, try using 8 pound test – it will hold a pretty good sized cat and still be thin enough that the panfish don’t see it. Watch for the afternoon storms and be safe!

Catfish: Cooler temps at night make the cats hungry, especially following the afternoon rains. Circle hooks are great for catfish - the fish hook themselves and most times the hook ends up in the corner of the mouth making hook removal easier when handling these spiny fish. Tip: use just enough weight to hold the bottom and tie the weight 10 inches from the hook.

fish, the water may be stained on the outside/middle areas so try the middle to inside areas where you’ll find the break in the color line, that is a good starting point then work some inside key areas then on out in some key areas like Lilly pads mixed with Kissimmee grass or reeds. When looking for bream they like a sandier type of bottom and shell crackers prefer a harder bottom area such as shell rock.

and work the area thoroughly.

Early morning gray skies or late evening have been producing better than average bites. Try fishing in dense cover using a frog type bait or a swim jig with a boot type trailer. Keep a lookout for schooling fish and have a topwater bait or rattle trap tied on to throw at these aggressive eaters. Cast to the middle of the school and retrieve very fast, usually they will compete to chew on it. Later in the day deep water grass edges and the old river channels in both Lake Harris and Little Lake Harris are good. Check the brush piles and man-made fish attractors. Find the eel grass or offshore hydrilla near hard bottom in Lake Dora or Lake Beauclair. Try throwing large deep running crank baits, soft plastic swim baits or the old standby Carolina rig to produce bites from bigger fish. Find the bait and you will find the bass.

The Kissimmee River is producing both bass and bream bites and crappies are still being caught around the bridge pilings and on out towards the mouth of the river. I hope this information helps you to have a better, more productive day on the water. To book your next fun-filled productive day fishing the big O call me at 863-228-7263. I have a new Caymas bass boat that is fully rigged, top of the line rods/reels, and all artificial lures we’ll need for your next fun day on the water. Check out my website www.southfloridabassfishing.com. Captain Angie’s sponsors: Toho Marine (St. Cloud Florida); Mercury Marine; G-Loomis; Bullet Weights; Gene Larew; Real Magic; Lews; Maui Jim; Rapala; Gill; Tru-Turn hooks; Trilene; BnM Poles; Mid-South Tackle and Navionics.

Bluegill, shellcracker and red ears are on the last of their spawning cycle and are still very productive. Target them with grass shrimp, red wigglers, or crickets under docks or near a flat close to the lily pads in shallow. Watch out for the afternoon storms.

Since the year 1925 Thomas Lumber Company has been in its same location at 231 W. Gore Street in down town Orlando. To our knowledge this is one of the last true lumber yards that survived since the start-up of the big box stores, you know the ones and the only one in Orlando area!. If it is top quality building materials, specialty trim, custom doors, speciality hardware, custom millwork or just advice then Thomas Lumber is the place to find all you will need.

July is the heat of Florida’s summer - fishing on calmer, hotter days with afternoon showers makes early morning fishing the best bet. Grass flats in Mosquito Lagoon and the Indian River is growing thicker and higher than it has in 5 years. The grass makes it more difficult to use jigs, so change to weedless jerk baits, weedless spoons, or top water plugs. The grass will help the future of fishing by creating a good estuary for the young fish to hide.

At Thomas Lumber, they offer a full range of material supply options, backed by a combined experience of more than150 years. As a customer of Thomas Lumber you will benefit from their years of experience and excellent partnership with dedicated vendors/ suppliers. You get an efficient supply chain management that provides you with lumber and building materials at reasonable prices. We inventory a large selection of hard woods, doors, hardware, and those hard to find items associated with all construction projects.

Then there is service. This place is not like the big box stores. When you pull into the parking lot you know you will have a different experience at Thomas Lumber. You will be greeted by a knowledgeable lumber tech that will pull your order with you, help pick the best suitable goods available and they load them for you into your vehicle for you and help strap them in, all with a big smile. If your order needs to be delivered to your residence or construction site they will deliver it for FREE!! No need to rent a truck or pay a delivery fee, it is all part of the service they supply. Stop by and visit them or check them out at www.thomaslumber. com or call 407-841-1250 and tell them you read about them in Coastal Angler Magazine.

Try fishing the sand holes on the flats for trout and redfish, they will ambush baits going through. The water gets a little dirtier as the summer goes on, but sight fishing should still be good. Try fishing around the drop-offs or in sandy spots along the edge of the shorelines. Most land points have sandy areas and if the wind is blowing into them that is a good spot to try using cut bait or live bait. I have noticed the pinfish have been com-

Boat Dealers New & Consignment Sales

1 - Astor Marine (352) 759-3655 24535 FL-40, Astor, FL 32102

www.astormarine.com

2 - Nobles Marine (352) 787-5792

437 N Palmetto St, Leesburg, FL 34748 or 1931 N. Hwy 19, Crystal River www.noblesmarine.com

3 - Craig Catamaran

4 - Triangle Marine (352) 343-6146 11415 US-441, Tavares, FL 32778

www.trianglemarinecenter.biz

30 - Aamco East Orlando (407) 277-3311 6304 E. Colonial Dr. Orlando FL 32807 Full Service Mechanics

25 - Central Florida Marine

38 - Orlando Boat Sales (407) 253-7111

3165 N John Young Pkwy, Orlando, FL 32804 www.orlandoboatsales.com

24 - Boat Max USA

46 - Gibson Truck World (407) 321-0660

3455 S. Orlando Dr. Sanford, FL 32773 www.gibsontruckworld.com

14 - Boat Tree Marina (407) 322-1610 4370 Carraway Pl, Sanford, FL 32771 www.boattree.com

60 - Next Level Inc.“Florida Marine Customs” (407) 704-5676 • 87 W. Michigan St. Orlando, FL 32806 info@floridamarinecustoms.com

6 - Sea Tow of Central Florida Lakes (877) 800-1492

12307 Wedgefield Drive , Grand Island, FL 32735

9 - Instant Insurance Agency

Bait & Tackle Shops / Outfitters / Apparel

15 - American Tackle Co. (800) 516-1750

2133 Component Loop, Suite 1031, Oveido, 32765 www.americantackle.us

5 - Lakeside Bait & Tackle

7 - Owens Fishing & Marine

11 - Highbanks Marina & Camp Resort (386) 668-4491

488 W Highbanks Rd, DeBary, FL 32713 www.campresort.com

14 - Boat Tree Marina (407) 322-1610 4370 Carraway Pl, Sanford, FL 32771 www.boattree.com

21 - Bitters Bait & Tackle (407) 699-6619 65 N US Hwy 17 92, Longwood, FL 32750 www.bittersbaitandtackle.com

43 - Academy Sports + Outdoors East Colonial 11955 E. Colonial Dr Orlando, FL Lee Vista Millenia Lake Mary

45 - Wojo’s Bait & Tackle (407) 891-1003

Oak Park Center, 4245 13th St, St Cloud, FL 34769

48 - Mud Hole Custom Tackle, Inc. (407) 447-7637

2133 Componet Loop Suite 1001, Oveido, FL 32765 www.mudhole.com

56 - Orlando Outfitters (407) 896-8220

36 - All American Marine (407) 855-9988 7024 S Orange Ave, Orlando FL 32809 www.allamericanmarineorlando.com

35 - All Star Marine (407) 423-9953 28 W Jersey St, Orlando, FL 32806 www.manta.com

29 - Lake Fairview Marina

2814 Corrine Dr., Orlando, FL 32803 www.orlandooutfitters.com

Home Improvement Contractors & Service Providers

26 - DWR Plumbing LLC.

27 - Orlando Painting Service (407) 896-0839

65 Harold Ave, suite B, Winter Park, FL 32789 www.orlandopaintingservice.com

32 - Portside Marine

23 - Talon Marine Services

20 - Team Marine Services

19 - Ahoy Marine (407) 323-8373

511 E 25th St, Sanford, FL 32771

www.superpages.com

28 - Millennium Electric (407) 420-2001

4340 Edgewater Dr, Orlando, FL 32804 www.millennium-electric.com

41 - Water Works Pressure Cleaning & Sealing (407) 376-9526

490 Buck Lake Lane, Geneva, FL 32732 www.jmwaterworksinc.com

31 - Pyramid Cabinets (407) 947-8499 451 Fairvilla Road, Orlando, FL 32808

31 - Pyramid Cabinets (407) 947-8499

451 Fairvilla Road, Orlando, FL 32808

www.codepyramid.com

www.codepyramid.com

34 - Thomas Lumber Company (407) 841-1250 231 W Gore St, Orlando, FL 32806, www.thomaslumber.com

34 - Thomas Lumber Company (407) 841-1250 231 W Gore St, Orlando, FL 32806, www.thomaslumber.com

49 - Martin Tree Service, Inc.

49 - Martin Tree Service, Inc.

50 - Campbell Renovations Inc.

50 - Campbell Renovations Inc.

51 - Vapor and Company (407) 878-7397

51 - Vapor and Company (407) 878-7397

3621 S. Orlando Dr., Sanford, FL 32773

3621 S. Orlando Dr., Sanford, FL 32773

SR 436 Altamonte Springs

SR 436 Altamonte Springs

East SR 50 Orlando

East SR 50 Orlando

www.vaporandco.com

www.vaporandco.com

Areas Best Picks for Restaurants

47 - Jolly Gator Fish Camp Bar & Grill (407) 349-5554

47 - Jolly Gator Fish Camp Bar & Grill (407) 349-5554

4650 E State Rd 46, Geneva, FL 32732

4650 E State Rd 46, Geneva, FL 32732

www.thejollygator.com

www.thejollygator.com

39 - Fish on Fire

39 - Fish on Fire

40 - High Tide Harry’s (407) 273-4422 4645 S Semoran Blvd, Orlando, FL 32822 www.hightideharrys.com

40 - High Tide Harry’s (407) 273-4422 4645 S Semoran Blvd, Orlando, FL 32822

www.hightideharrys.com

33 - Boston’s Fish House

33 - Boston’s Fish House (407) 678-2107 Aloma Square Shopping Center, 6860 Aloma Ave, Winter Park, FL 32792 www.bostonsfishhouse.com

17 - St. Johns River Steak & Seafood (407) 878-0980

550 N Palmetto Ave, Sanford, FL 32771

17 - St. Johns River Steak & Seafood (407) 878-0980 550 N Palmetto Ave, Sanford, FL 32771

37 - The Steer

37 - The Steer (407) 286-6802 8015 S. Orange Ave., Orlando FL

22 - Huey Magoo’s (407) 706-6004

22 - Huey Magoo’s

www.hueymagoos.com

10 Locations – See our ad on Restaurant Page

13 - Camp House Restaurant (407) 915-5401 100 S White Cedar Rd, Sanford, FL 32771 www.camphousebarandgrill.com

13 - Camp House Restaurant (407) 915-5401 100 S White Cedar Rd, Sanford, FL 32771 www.camphousebarandgrill.com

52 - The Deli (407) 332-8800 4360 Carraway Pl, Sanford, FL 32771

53 - T J’s Seafood Shack

54 - Oasis On The River

56 - Celery City Craft (407) 915-5541 114 S. Palmetto Ave., Sanford FL 32771 celerycitycraft.com

52 - The Deli 53 - T J’s Seafood Shack 54 - Oasis On The River (407) 636-6300 4380 Carraway Place, Sanford, FL 32771 56 - Celery City Craft 55 -West End Trading Co.

55 -West End Trading Co. (407) 322-7475 202 Sanford Ave, Sanford, FL 32771

www.drinkatwestend.com

Saturday July 1 thru September 5 - CCA Star Tourney, Catch, Photo, Release, Win! Over $500,000 in prizes. Catch a Tagged Redfish and Win Boat/Motor/ Trailer packages, lots of prizes non-tagged species as well, $40 per angler to register, prizes for Trash Pick-up as well, visit CCAFLSTAR. COM to register or more info.

Tuesday August 2, 95pm till dusk, Jolly Gator Bass Tournament Series, every Tuesday evening plus 1 Saturday per month until the Classic on August 13th. Cost is $40 per event, 2 anglers per team. Teams that finish in the Top 10 in points or win an event and fish at least 20 events will qualify for the end of year Classic. Some of the best river anglers in the area fish this Bass Series. The staff of Orlando Coastal Angler Magazine is the official weigh-masters for this fun tournament series, come out and join us for the weekly weigh-ins. All Tuesday events start at 5pm

year’s season, Launch ramp at CS Lee Park next to Jolly Gator Fish Camp on SR 46 east of Sanford at St. Johns River Bridge. This event is for those teams who finish in the Top-10 in points or have won an event and fished a least 20 of our events this season. Our “Team of the Year” and “Big Bass of the Year” will also be awarded along with pay-outs for all teams that qualify after final weigh-in is complete. More than $10,000 will be paid out this season to our qualifying teams. Come join us for the weigh-in and see the huge bags that will be brought to our weigh-master from the area’s best bass fishing teams! For info or questions contact, Phil Wolf from Coastal Angler Magazine at 407-790-9515.

Thursday August 115pm to 8pm, “Alive After 5” in Sanford - The staff of Orlando Coastal Angler Magazine would like you to join us for an evening of fun in downtown Sanford. This event is the second Thursday of each month

Small Tackle Shops Big on Service

Most of all visit the big box stores. You know the ones, Bass Pro Shops, Academy Sports, Dick’s Sporting Goods, just to name a few. Yes some of them carry most major brands, but what about personal service? To get local info that you can trust as well as personal service it is the small and almost extinct tackle shops where you should spend your hard earned dollars. The small shops would love to share some local info for the exchange of some of those bucks. Yes it is much harder to compete with the Big Box Stores who buy at prices cheaper than the little guys. Most small shops tell us that those big guys can sell their products with a small margin cheaper than we can even buy them from their distributors. Personal service is where the small shops shine! We visit these shops each and every month to drop our monthly new issue and to get updated on how the local bite is going. In most cases the owners are always there to greet us!

They all need new clients and repeat business, what you will get is honest local info, a decent price for what you are buying and most times the convenience of not having to deal with parking, traffic, other shoppers and most times the small stores will have what you are looking for in stock. Oh, did I mention most open several hours prior to those Big-Box stores and are close to where you will be fishing.

Orlando Painting Service

Several of these small shops still exist. Some you drive right bye and don’t even know they are there. Several of these shops within our 4 county foot-print are very close to some of Florida’s best fishing hot spots. All within an hour or less of where you live and most very close to where fish are biting. Bitter’s Bait & Tackle in Longwood, 1 block north of SR 434 on US 17/92 is packed with Tackle. Bitter’s friendly staff is always

401 Commerce Way, Unit 101, Longwood FL 32750

www.respitecmedical.com • 407-834-2266 and 1-800-945-6685

Specializing in meeting rhe needs of the home respiratory and sleep therapy patients.

East CoastTide Charts

Kayak fishing certainly lends itself to trimming down the evergrowing tackle load we anglers like to insist is necessary for a day on the water. Sometimes it pays to complicate things when looking to hook some quality fish from your kayak. The words live bait can send a shudder down the spine of many kayak anglers, but they shouldn’t! In fact, live bait can be a session saver and account for some great action. Yes, a few extra steps need to be taken and you will need to expand your angling skills a bit to become proficient in not only procuring bait but also keeping it healthy/happy until the moment of truth.

Tide Charts brought to you by these businesses August 2022

Miami, Government Cut (Approximate Times)

The first stage in getting your bait game on point in the kayak is having a capable live well that your baits can get enough room and oxygen to stay frisky. For most baits you want to keep a simple 5-gallon bucket with a lid and small batteryoperated bubbler that will do the job well. Only large baits with heavy water flow needs like pogies that we typically use off the beaches need a step up in live well. Those baits will need constant clean ocean water pumped in and then overflowed out. There are many DIY and ready to purchase options out there if that is the route you want to go.

Like I said it is unnecessary to have upgraded live wells for most kayak fishing situations around East Central Florida. Shrimp, mullet, mud minnows, pinfish, and croakers are all great examples of baits that fare well in the simple bucket and bubbler. White baits like pichards, greenies, and threadfins can also be kept in the simpler well, but you must be conscious of overcrowding and keep the water clean. One of the best, bad problems to have - is too much bait. What one would typically think is a great start to your trip with a fantastic cast net shot can quickly turn to sadness if you put too much bait in your well for its size. If you’re lucky they will just be low quality with scales falling off and a red nose. Worst case scenario they will all die from the overcrowding. There is no consistent perfect amount of bait for any given baitwell setup. Factors such as water temp, size of bait, and type of bait all play in. Unfortunately, trial and error are the only real way to dial it in. Water quality changes in your bucket are another obstacle to keeping your bait happy. By simply swapping all the water you can eliminate the fish waste that turns the water sour and keep that bait happy. There are many times when stubborn fish just can’t help but be a sucker for a nice frisky bait.

phase, the bluegill will crush the

Fishing Lake Okeechobee in August can be challenging but fun! Challenging due to hot temperatures, possible afternoon thunderstorms and lower water levels. Now is a good time to brush up on your deeper water angling skills whether

bass trips which are typical for this time of year. The month of September is when to start thinking of booking your bass fishing trip, as the females start to feed up while they make their way into the shallows for the early spawn time. It’s also the time to book your fall crappie trip too. Good fishing areas: parts of the shoal; Dupree Bar; Dyess ditch and Horse Island and Indian Prairie. Tin house has been solid throughout the season for crappie, bass and bream, work your way up towards 3rd and 2nd point where you’ll find some bass feeding on the bedding bream. A few areas on Kings Bar have been good and

To book you’re next fun-filled, productive and educational fishing trip call me at 863-228-7263 or log onto my website to check out the customers and their catches; hotel recommendations; guide rates and etc. Capt Angie’s sponsors are: Caymas boats and Toho Marine; South Tackle; Maui Jim; Gill; Bullet Weights; Road Runner; Real Magic; Tru Turn hooks; Mega Strike; Gene Larew; Pradco Brands and BUFF

Scallop Season is Here! West Coast Gold

By Capt. Rick Burns

With the month of July here, scallop season is in full swing and runs through midSeptember. Its good fun, a nice way to cool off, beat the summer heat and something the whole family can enjoy. And oh yes, the best part, preparing and eating them. But just in case you weren’t aware, there are only 3 major good areas left in the whole state of Florida for harvesting these bivalve mollusks. Port St. Joe area up in the panhandle, Steinhatchee, Keaton area in the Big Bend, and Citrus County Scallop grounds, Crystal River, Homosassa area. There was a time when most of Florida enjoyed Scallop harvesting. One of the main reasons there are only limited populations is because of coastal growth, urban development and human population growth in the state which unfortunately brings with it less habitat and lesser water quality. Scallops must have clean water quality and vast grass beds to populate grow and thrive. These few areas mentioned still have the features vital to sustaining healthy stocks. Our many spring fed rivers help in maintaining this quality.

Here are some guidelines to insure a happy trip out for the “white gold of the gulf”.

First off, it can be quite busy at the ramp, on the river, and out at the picking’ grounds. The very best thing to do is to hire a guide. But if you must adventure yourself, please remember to be respectful, and cautious when navigating in and around these waters.

Preliminary reports are very good. So it should make for adequate collections this season. For a successful harvest, here’s a tip you’ll only read and see here. Don’t go the first week the season opens, you’ll spend most of your vacation time trying to find ‘em. Wait till reports come in, and where people are going to get ‘em, then when you’re ready to go out wait till around 10:00 a.m. then look for the boat armada. The year before last, most all scallops where taken in a totally different place than last year.

LEGAL REQUIREMENTS - If you’re between 16 and 65, you must have a current saltwater fishing license unless you are fishing (scalloping) with a for-hire vessel that has a valid vessel license. Check with the marina, but most marinas don’t allow their rental vessels to go as far out to where the scallop grounds are. Recreational harvesters are limited to 2 gallons of whole bay scallops in the shell, or 1 pint of scallop meat per person, per day. In addition, no more than 10 gallons of whole scallops or ½ gallon of meats may be possessed aboard any vessel at any time.

EQUIPMENT NEEDED - A “diver’s down” flag (20”x24”) must be displayed from your boat when divers are in the water. A mask, snorkel, (fins optional) and a small diver’s mesh bag are all that’s needed. Fins optional because most of the time you’ll be in water shallow enough (4’ to 6’) you do not need them. Plus, the fin wakes from the propulsion can churn the dust off the grass blades and mud bottom

making it difficult to see the scallops.

Immediately upon returning to the boat with your catch it is good to have a cooler waiting with plenty of ice to put the scallops in. Measure them on the way into the cooler using an empty gallon milk jug with the top cut off, or something similar to keep your count. They are fragile and will die very quickly; however the ice helps in relaxing the muscle and opening the shell for cleaning. Any help in that department is appreciated when you’re back at the dock all tired and have to shuck them. Keep what you’re willing to clean that afternoon or evening. So many people get caught up in the collecting, and then don’t want to clean them when the fun is over. What a waste!

When collecting the scallops, search for areas with healthy sea grass beds, or just look for the fleet of boats. Really, it is easy – find the boats and find scallops! The scallops are often in borderline areas where sand/mud bottom meets the edge of grasses. Most bait and tackle stores will carry all the supplies you need.

Book a scallop trip today, and enjoy one of Nature Coast’s exclusive opportunities this summer. Be safe and good scalloping. Don’t delay, book your trip today with Capt. Rick!

Tuesday July 4Independence Day - The staff of Coastal Angler Magazine Orlando wishes you and your family a safe and Happy Day! Celebrate our great country with family and friends. Cookout, watch the fireworks and stay safe!

Thursday July 13 - Alive

After 5 - 5pm to 8pm check out Central Florida’s largest recurring monthly street party in Historic Downtown Sanford. Festival goers come to celebrate the community and local artistry, and to partake in an evening of music, food, craft beers, and shopping. Enjoy great local restaurants, art galleries, gift shops, antique stores, nightlife and a variety of other unique businesses. Free admission!

Tuesday July 11, 18, 25 - 5pm till dusk, Jolly Gator Bass Tournament Series, every Tuesday evening plus 1 Saturday per month until the Classic in August. Cost is $40 per event, 2 anglers per team. Teams that finish in the Top 10 in points or win an event and fish at least 21 events will qualify for the end of year Classic. Some of the best river anglers in the area fish this Bass Series. The staff of Coastal Angler Magazine Orlando is the official weighmasters for this fun tournament series, come out and join us for the weekly weigh-ins. All Tuesday events start at 5pm till dusk, Saturday events (1 per month) are safe-light till 2pm. Launch ramp at CS Lee Park next to Jolly Gator Fish Camp on SR 46 east of Sanford at St. Johns River Bridge. For questions or more info contact Jim “Squirt” Chaudoin at 407432-2822 or Phil Wolf with Coastal Angler Magazine 407-790-9515.

Tuesday thru Friday July 11,12,13,14 - ICAST at the Orlando Convention Center - This is an industry only event for wholesale and retails buyers and event exhibitors marketing new products for the 2024 sales year. Not open to the public. “Best in Show” product will be awarded to this year’s winners at “New Product Showcase”. Look for this years’ winner to be listed in our August print issue of Coastal Angler Magazine and our digital issue The Angler Video Magazine as well as any cool, new different products for the fishing and outdoor markets.

Saturday July 15 - Safe light until 2pm. Jolly Gator Bass Tournament Saturday Series, Cost to register team $40 per event, 2 anglers per team. There will be a $20 side-pot for a big bag. Saturday events are safe light till 2pm. Launch ramp at CS Lee Park next to Jolly Gator Fish Camp on SR 46 east of Sanford at St. Johns River Bridge. For questions or more info contact Jim “Squirt” Chaudoin at 407432-2822 or Phil Wolf with Coastal Angler Magazine Orlando 407-790-9515.

If you have an event or meeting you would like included in the “What’s Hitting Around Town” column, send your details to: Phil Wolf phillip@ coastalanglermagazine. com. Deadline for inclusion is the 10th of the preceding month.

Summer is definitely here, and the fish know it. The Kissimmee chain is at low pool and the lakes are slowly filling up due to the summer showers. The Bass bite has been good early morning and late evening. Goblets cove has been really good. Try and beat the heat, the bass like shade too. Most bass are being caught out in open water vegetation along hydrilla ledges. On West Lake Toho most anglers are using plastics, I have been throwing a June bug or pink trick worm, no weight, working it over vegetation and waiting for that explosive hit. Also try using a Carolina rig with a 1 oz. weight to get thru the vegetation. Folks are having good success trolling live wild shiners up and down the hydrilla patches. East Lake Toho is still one of the bet-

ter artificial lakes to fish during the summer. Along the northwest shore fish try fishing open water peppergrass. You should try a zoom vibe magnum worm, Texas rigged. Swim baits are another good choice. Gambler EZ Swimmer on a weighted hook in the Copperfield color likely will get bit.

Panfish: Bluegills are spawning in the canals and any place that is sandy and any type of flow near it - bait of choice is crickets. Popping bugs also work well this time of year. Shell crackers are in very shallow water spawning; this info was tipped off by accident running the airboat up skinny. Best bait for the shell cracker is red wigglers. Both can be caught with cane poles or light tackle. Catfish as bycatch is a good thing, try using 8 pound test – it will hold a pretty good sized cat and still be thin enough that the panfish don’t see it. Watch for the afternoon storms and be safe!

The lake has been fishing well for both bass and bream. Early morning timeframe is best to beat the heat and afternoon rains and thunderstorms. Live bait and artificial lures have been catching some nice quality bass. For the lure bite, popping frogs, swim baits, slowly working top water lures, worms, senkos and swim jigs in colors white; Junebug; red shad; watermelon red; tilapia and black. Fishing with live shiners on a free line tipped with just a pegged bobber has been producing some great fast action around the bluegill beds.

For bluegill fishing, both live red worms and crickets have been producing limits, but I prefer fishing with crickets vs. worms only because I seem to catch less catfish and gar. If you’re targeting shellcrackers, use both crickets and worms. The key to getting them to bite quicker is to hook the worm so that both ends wiggle and catching them when the moon phase is just right. Areas on the west and north side has been the areas to

fish, the water may be stained on the outside/middle areas so try the middle to inside areas where you’ll find the break in the color line, that is a good starting point then work some inside key areas then on out in some key areas like Lilly pads mixed with Kissimmee grass or reeds. When looking for bream they like a sandier type of bottom and shell crackers prefer a harder bottom area such as shell rock.

The Kissimmee River is producing both bass and bream bites and crappies are still being caught around the bridge pilings and on out towards the mouth of the river. I hope this information helps you to have a better, more productive day on the water. To book your next fun-filled productive day fishing the big O call me at 863-228-7263. I have a new Caymas bass boat that is fully rigged, top of the line rods/reels, and all artificial lures we’ll need for your next fun day on the water. Check out my website www.southfloridabassfishing.com. Captain Angie’s sponsors: Toho Marine (St. Cloud Florida); Mercury Marine; G-Loomis; Bullet Weights; Gene Larew; Real Magic; Lews; Maui Jim; Rapala; Gill; Tru-Turn hooks; Trilene; BnM Poles; Mid-South Tackle and Navionics.

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CENTRAL EAST COAST

Miami Beach, Government Cut

11TU 3:51 AM 2.27 H

10:01 AM -0.17 L

4:43 PM 2.33 H

10:33 PM 0.3 L

12W 4:49 AM 2.19 H

10:57 AM -0.15 L

5:45 PM 2.31 H

11:30 PM 0.35 L

13TH 5:47 AM 2.14 H

11:51 AM -0.14 L

6:42 PM 2.31 H

14F 12:23 AM 0.37 L

6:42 AM 2.13 H

12:42 PM -0.13 L

7:34 PM 2.32 H

15SA 1:13 AM 0.36 L

7:33 AM 2.15 H

1:29 PM -0.12 L

8:20 PM 2.34 H

16SU 1:59 AM 0.34 L

8:19 AM 2.17 H

2:14 PM -0.12 L

9:03 PM 2.36 H

17M 2:43 AM 0.33 L

9:03 AM 2.19 H

2:56 PM -0.1 L

9:42 PM 2.37 H

18TU 3:24 AM 0.31 L

9:43 AM 2.2 H

3:36 PM -0.06 L

10:19 PM 2.37 H

19W 4:04 AM 0.29 L

10:23 AM 2.2 H

4:15 PM 0 L

22SA 12:06 AM 2.28 H

5:56 AM 0.27 L

12:23 PM 2.13 H

6:07 PM 0.28 L

23SU 12:42 AM 2.22 H

6:34 AM 0.27 L

1:06 PM 2.11 H

6:47 PM 0.38 L

24M 1:19 AM 2.15 H

7:15 AM 0.26 L 1:52 PM 2.1 H 7:33 PM 0.47 L

Fishing has been fantastic and hopefully it continues in July. Bait has been easy and plentiful with just a few throws of your net; those bunker are thick. Use the right net folks. Still amazes me seeing that blue 6-footer being tossed. Go to the Fish and Dive Center in Cocoa Beach and tell Nick you need a Canaveral bunker net. They are custom made and worth every dime.

Offshore has been “Fired Up!” Kings are chewing hard and every reef has them going off. The early bite seems to be the best still. Mixed in those kings are cobia, mahi, cudas and bonitas.

8:32 PM 0.08 L

10M 2:55 AM 2.38 H

9:03 AM -0.19 L

3:41 PM 2.37 H

9:33 PM 0.21 L

10:55 PM 2.36 H

20TH 4:42 AM 0.28 L

11:03 AM 2.19 H

4:52 PM 0.08 L

11:31 PM 2.33 H

21F 5:20 AM 0.28 L

11:43 AM 2.16 H

5:29 PM 0.17 L

3:40 PM 2.12 H

As many of you may have noticed, we had some beautiful clean water all the way to the beach that has brought flying fish to the buoy line—and a few mahi as well. Cool stuff. Along with the clean water we also have the cold-water thermocline. This happens every year and usually shuts the bottom fishing down, but will also push a lot of fish up. Amberjack and red snapper have been awesome. You can almost pick out what fish you want. Sure, you have to throw the reds back, but still fun sight fishing for red snapper. Joke! The thermocline usually only lasts a few weeks or so and the chicken rigging will get back to normal, as will grouper.

Speaking of snapper, they gave us a few days: 2. LOL!

Nearshore shark fishing has been great. We are running shark trips every single day and averaging some great numbers. Big blacktips, hammerheads and sharpies. The jewfish (aka golaith grouper) have also been consistant and providing the fish of a lifetime for many. Some trips we are averaging 2 or 3 fish to 300-plus pounds!

Brody with a nice amberjack. It was tough fishing with the ocean conditions, so this guy was gladly welcomed!

PORT CANAVERAL NEARSHORE & BANANA RIVER LAGOON

PORT CANAVERAL NEARSHORE: A mixed bag of species is available to anglers fishing the waters outside of the Port hits month. Barracuda, shark, jack, tarpon and king mackerel are just a few that come to mind. Many of these fish will be concentrated around bait pods in the 15- to 40-foot depths. Collecting a bait well full of lively sardines, pilchards or pogies will be your first task of the morning. Once you have baitfish secured the day can continue.

I like to use a wire leader on some of my rods to keep the barracudas and kingfish from cutting me off. I use a double treble hook stinger rig to keep them honest. Slow trolling with the live baits near the Port Canaveral shipping channel, or around the #4 or #2 buoys on the southern edge of the southeast shoal will generally result in quite a few hookups throughout the day. Tarpon normally don’t strike the wire leader rigs, so I will also have a couple of rods rigged with fluorocarbon leaders in the 60- to 80-pound range attached to a 6/0 to 8/0 sized VMC 7385 circle hook ready to deploy in the areas where I see tarpon. You will lose a few of these rigs to kingfish and sharks, but they typically stay embedded in the tarpons’ jaws without any problems. Most of the tarpon you find out here will be in the 15- to 50-pound range, but a few of the tarpon will run well over the 100-pound mark.

BANANA RIVER LAGOON: If the waters in this lagoon stay relatively clear through July we should continue to find redfish and trout feeding on the flats and near mangrove covered shorelines throughout this portion of the lagoon system. Slot sized trout should remain a solid possibility on

On most days, redfish can be fooled with a little twitch-n-pause motion of your rod tip, and the right colored soft plastic jerk bait.

most days for those who are fishing around the Thousand Island area of Cocoa Beach or the Grand Canal area near Satellite Beach. Live fingerling mullet are good baits for these fish. Subsurface lures like the X-Rap Twitchin’ Mullet can be effective early and late in the day, especially in areas where puffer fish are concentrated. If these blow fish are not causing problems, try a 4- to 5-inch Saltwater Assassin sea shad or one of the straight tailed shad models in clear with gold flake, Cajun Croaker, Opening Night, or Albino colors. Live hand-picked shrimp are also great live bait choices on most days. Until next time...Catch a memory!

www.FinelineFishingCharters.com

(321) 636-3728

CAPT. JIM ROSS Fineline Fishing Charters

Capt. Jim Ross releasing a nice Canaveral tarpon.

Nicholas Wannick got this 29-inch gator trout on fly poling in the Indian River Lagoon. He said,”I saw this guy cross over a pothole, threw my fly out in front of him and he turned and hit it like a ton of bricks and immediately started some of the gnarliest head shakes I’ve seen!”

BRAG

Stacey Johnson checked catching this 35 lb. tuna off her bucket list! Said she had a BLAST...and fillets for days!

Check out 6 yr. old Cooper Ledesma with his first dolphin he caught during the CFOA Offshore Tournament.

Reef Jaffe brought this 36-inch black drum into the boat under Mathers Bridge using live shrimp.

Lauren Jowers with a St Johns River “Toad” she hooked fishing the Jolly Gator Bass Series.

BOARD

Little Mo wrestled herself in a monster 40-lb. jack crevalle in Sebastian Inlet on a 7’6” Uglystik

Inshore Select with a Penn Spinfisher 3500 and 20lb Beyond Braid drifting live bait in Sebastian Inlet.

Briana hooked this 35 lb. gag grouper off Cape Canaveral.

Mikey and his beautiful daughter caught these while fishing a Tuesday evening Jolly Gator Bass Series event.

Sebastian Inlet Capt. Shane Trottier of Whatever Turns U On Fishing Charters got to do a little “me time” fishing and pulled in this big 41-inch bull redfish at Sebastian Inlet.

FLORIDA’S RIGHT TO CLEAN WATER PETITION

BY BEN MARTIN, Editor in Chief Coastal Angler andThe Angler Magazine

If you’re like many of the readers and groups that I’ve spoken with regarding the water quality in the Indian River Lagoon, you’re probably frustrated with the actual progress that’s being made on cleaning up our once wonderful estuary. Scientists, politicians and government agencies will all tell you that “good progress” is

being made and that all we need is more money allocated and more scientific studies conducted. “We’re working on it, Boss” seems to sum up most inquiry responses.

As citizens we lack the power to DEMAND that something gets done. It’s just that simple. We’re powerless. But we can change that. The Florida Right To Clean Water Petition aims to mandate that our legislators, government agencies and associated funding and regulatory agencies place clean water at the very top of their agendas and take immediate action to provide

Floridians with the inalienable right to clean water.

The Florida Right to Clean Water Petition needs 900,000 signatures before November of this year to get on the ballot for 2024. Most experts agree that once placed on the ballot that this measure would be supported by a bipartisan effort and would easily pass into law.

Now that’s power, and that’s what’s needed. Please sign this petition. Please help spread the word about this petition. Please get involved.

THERE’S NO TIME TO WASTE!

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT INITIATIVE PETITION FORM – VOLUNTEER

Amendment Information

Ballot Title:

Ballot Summary:

Right to Clean and Healthy Waters

This amendment creates a fundamental right to clean and healthy waters. The amendment may be used to sue State executive agencies for harm or threatened harm to Florida’s waters, which include aquatic ecosystems. This amendment defines terms, identifies affected constitutional provisions in Article IV governing the executive branch, provides for civil action enforcement, allows attorney’s and expert witness fees to prevailing plaintiffs, and provides equitable remedies including restoration of waters.

See separate document for the full text of the proposed constitutional amendment.

04/22/2022

2202 Date Approved Serial Number

Sponsor's Information (Return all completed petition forms to the address below.)

Name:

Address:

FloridaRighttoCleanWater.org

13300 South Cleveland Avenue Suite 56 Fort Myers, FL 33907

Voter's Information

I am a registered voter of Florida and hereby petition the Secretary of State to place the above proposed amendment to the Florida Constitution on the ballot in the general election.

Address Zip County Update my voter registration record to this address. (check box)

Petition Circulator's Information

This Petition form is only to be collected by a volunteer or directly by the voter him or herself.

A paid petition circulator must use the DS-DE 155B version of the form. Forms for paid petition circulators can be obtained from the Division's Paid Petition Circulator website. Visit https://dos.elections.myflorida.com/InitiativePetitions/ for more information.

or Attention

• This form becomes a public record once filed with the Supervisor of Elections.

• It is a first degree misdemeanor to knowingly sign the same petition more than once. [§104.185, F.S.]

• An improperly completed form will not be validated.

DS-DE 155A (10-2021)

R1S-2.009, Fla. Admin. Code

LEARN TO SURF FISH!

Learn the techniques that will set you apart and bring you big fishing success from the beach. Join us on the beach the first Saturday of each month for a 4-hour, hands-on, comprehensive seminar on how to effectively surf fish. Topics include:

SURF FISHING EQUIPMENT • RIGGING TACTICS • HOW TO READ THE WATER

BAIT • SURF CASTING LESSONS & MORE!

$150/Angler • All Fishing Gear & Bait Provided

Giants In July! Space Coast surf fishing in the heat of the summer isn’t for everyone. But for those that do embrace the summer sunshine, July holds the reputation for giants on the beach. Big fish in the way of snook, tarpon and sharks will be on hand for surf fishing throughout July.

But that’s not all that will be available these next few weeks. Look for residential pompano to be found when conditions present themselves as the seaweed settles and the water clarity improves; that will kickstart the pompano fishing in the areas with clean water, runouts and troughs. Use Chartreuse and orange float pompano rigs with Fishbites and fresh tipped bait for success.

Not to mention the croakers, which will be in full force as the typical summer ensues. Atlantic croakers make good table fare for those who like to pan sear fish. In addition making a good meal, croakers can be repurposed as live bait for predatory species. Big snook love croakers fished in the first and second trough. Furthermore, tarpon are a willing candidate for these snack-sized love baits. A simple split shot or free lining croakers can result in trophy fish during the summertime.

Knowing the weather heats up quickly means you should prepare accordingly. Get out early and home early. First light and last light along with tide changes are the best windows of time to fish.

Remember, you can always throw lures with great results as well. Head out to the beach for an hour or two with nothing more than a casting rod and a few lures. Light and mobile is the name of the game! Make sure to cover territory until

you find the pockets of life you’re searching for. Diving birds, crashing fish and pogies will be the top clues depicting these areas. Keep moving and casting without hesitation until you position yourself in these lively pockets.

Baitfish means predatory fish, which equals high shark activity as well. Be prepared to have some of your catches grabbed up by the taxman in the gray suit. Heavy drag and proper leaders will ensure you’re not wasting time and increasing the likelihood of losing your catch. Knowing this if you’re in the game of targeting sharks June and July makes a good opportunity. Croakers, mullet and cut bait are the recommended choices for shark fishing anglers.

In summary, we’ll continue to fish through the seaweed-plagued beaches, but will be dreaming of better conditions on the horizon with the confidence and understanding that the fish will be there. A few weeks of calm waters should get the water cleaned up and ready for the top month of big snook beach fishing. Until then there are opportunities available, but it’s been challenging conditions to say the least.

Good luck and enjoy the world class surf fishing on the Space Coast!

THURSDAY AUGUST 10TH

Captain's Party at 6pm at Sebastian Saltwater Marina

FRIDAY AUGUST 11TH

Lines in at 9pm

SATURDAY AUGUST 12TH

Lines out at 9pm

SUNDAY AUGUST 13TH

Weigh-in: Sebastian Saltwater Marina from 11am-3pm

Awards: Following Weigh-in

Weigh In with Puppies: H.A.L.O will be at Saltwater Marina with their adoptable pets

REGISTER AT SWORDFISHSHOOTOUT.NET AND STRIKE ZONE OF MELBOURNE

INLET TO EAU GALLIE CAUSEWAY

July is one of my favorite months of the year to fish the beaches from Melbourne down to Sebastian Inlet, however June brought us North winds and rougher than normal seas early in the month of June which made it tough to fish for tarpon, kingfish, sharks and big jacks like we normally do this time of year. Hopefully the winds are going to subside and let us get out and find the bait and fish we like to target.

July is typically a great month to fish snook from the beaches with live bait, artificials and on fly. Anglers can fish from the beach with live baits as well as their favorite hard baits and soft bait with good action on snook, tarpon, false albacore, jack crevalle, sharks and king mackerel. Look for schools of baits such as glass minnows, greenies, or menhaden and fish bait pods close to the beach for consistent action.

The islands or mangrove shorelines in the Indian River Lagoon from Palm Bay to Sebastian, should be good early morning as long as we can get more bait in the lagoon. The rains we had in June pushed a lot of out of the creeks and into the lagoon around the spoil islands and mangrove shorelines to keep the predators happy. Using topwater baits such as Rapala’s Skitter V as the sun comes up and as it sets should be a

sure bet for trout, snook or redfish. If the fish wont hit topwaters, go subsurface with the Rapala Twitchin’ Mullet or D.O.A. Paddletail or jerk baits. Look for bait pods in the areas you are fishing and work the bait pods, cast under the mangroves and along the deeper parts of the spoil islands.

The creeks from Sebastian to Melbourne will hold snook and tarpon this month and, as the rains push water out, fish the mouths of the creeks or way back in the creeks for big tarpon on live mullet, greenies or pilchards, or go with topwaters early and late in the day. Fish the docks back in the creeks for snook as well as big trout, redfish and some jack crevalle.

Whether fishing the beaches or the lagoon, be aware of the clouds forming and make sure to get off the water before you get caught in a lightining storm or hail storm as they come up quick and can be very dangerous.

Big day for Bill and Mary with a 44” snook (above), along with some big jacks (top, left) and a nice speckled trout!

PONCE INLET & BACKWATERS FORECAST

July is a hot month all around for fishing and the weather! On the inshore bite, getting out early is going to be the key; as the day goes on the bite will certainly slack off. Morning bites in the backcountry are some of the most aggressive and awesome ways of catching a fish. I like using MirrOlure Top Dog surface walkers; they swim incredibly with a lot of movement and if you pass one by a snook or a redfish at first light it’s almost a certain hook up. Once the first light has passed, I will switch over to live or cut bait or use a paddle tail. On charters, a lot of times I will use a soft plastic to identify where fish are laying or staging up to feed and then I switch to bait to get more hookups for novice clients. However, using soft plastics in the mid-to-late morning as your main lure will produce a lot of fish. We recently started carrying the NLBN (No Live Bait Needed) brand of soft plastics at our shop, Yellow Dawg Bait in Tackle in Ormond, and they have been a great edition and work great. They have a twist lock jig head system that keeps your paddle tail in place after a strike or hookup. I highly recommend you try them out!

I also love targeting mangrove snapper in the river each July as it is an easy fish to catch. Almost any dock, bridge, or really any type of structure will hold them. While “keeper” fish will be all up and down the ICW, I do tend to catch my largest fish closer to the inlets. Medium to small size shrimp tend to work best. I have caught

fish as big as 18” in the river, and I even will get a couple of cubera snapper each summer targeting mangroves. They are amazing table fare!

Offshore we will target kingfish close to the beach in the morning, and then follow shrimp boats for tarpon as the morning goes on. Close reefs will hold a bunch of nice flounder in July. If you can get mud minnows or small pinfish, that will be the best bait; if not, live shrimp will also get the job done. Lastly offshore we will continue to troll for mahi on days we can get out to the Gulf Stream and focus on weedlines, rips, floating debris and temperature breaks. On days we can’t get all the way out, we will be bottom fishing for mangroves, triggerfish and

amberjack. We will also be partaking in this year’s two-day red snapper season; if you are fishing it, please get prepared early as bait will become hard to find.

July is a great month to fish, so get out there! As always, if you see us on the water, say, “Hello!”

PR TIPS

Tide Charts brought to you by these businesses

Hello there and welcome to this edition of Pro Tips with Capt. Jonathan Moss.

January 2020

It was one of those mornings on the Mosquito Lagoon that we all dream about. The water was glassed out, dead calm and in every direction, redfish tails are in the air, waving back and forth. I quietly poled my skiff towards the closest school, putting my guest in position to make the perfect cast and presentation.

Miami, Government Cut (Approximate Times)

Twitch, twitch, and POW!

FISH ON! We get the fish in the boat, celebrate, high fives all around and then the release. It was at this point that the fish demonstrated his ill spirit, as it thrashed into the water. It was as if the fish said, “Here’s a splash to the face for hooking me!”

We’ve all been there— glasses soaked in saltwater. Whether it was from a fish splash, a little mist as you’re coming off plane, or a 25-mile-an-hour crosswind hitting you with some spray, dirty sunglasses affect how you see. When you can’t see clearly, you can’t see fish! I’ve seen too many anglers wipe their wet sunglasses with a towel without cleaning them properly. The problem with this is the saltwater can—and will—scratch your lenses, and scratched lenses are worse than dirty lenses. We have all made an investment in quality eyewear, so let’s take care of our tools! This month, I want to share with you a simple, cheap and effective way to clean your sunglasses without damaging them. Let’s get started.

First, you will need a few supplies. I can almost guarantee that you have most, if not all of these items at home already. If not, a quick trip to the local dollar store will get you set up. So here’s the list:

Supplies: Spray bottle, rubbing alcohol, dish soap, microfiber towel and water.

Directions: Fill the spray bottle about ¾ full with rubbing alcohol. Next, add two drops of dish soap. (I try not to add more than that because the more soap you add, the more bubbles you can create.) Lastly, fill the remainder of the bottle with tap water. Once complete, give the bottle a gentle shake to mix up all the ingredients and you are all set. I keep this homemade sunglass cleaner stored in my skiff and available for my guests.

How To Use: To clean your dirty sunglasses, simply spray liberally to both sides of your lenses and wipe clean with a microfiber towel.

This solution is small, portable and a cheap remedy to keep your expensive sunglasses clean and scratch free.

Until next time, tight lines and screaming drags,

Confessions of a Fishaholic, by Thatch Maguire, is a hilarious and irreverent look at one man’s quest to catch fish in spite of life’s annoying interferences. You’ll travel with this awkward adventurer as he risks home and health to pursue his passion for fishing...regardless of the consequences. Anglers of all expertise levels will immediately identify with why his addiction is incurable. This book defines the blurred line between passion and obsession.

Maguire’s first work is a compelling, fast read. His style is like a mix of Hemingway with a sardonic blend of Hunter S. Thompson. I couldn’t put it down...

“ ”

JONATHAN MOSS

GET UNDER THE SARGASSUM TO THE FISH

Tim Barefoot

We are seeing a heavy line of sargassum right now. Here’s how to make the best of it.

Along with grass comes sh. We’re having a great dolphin year, with some nice yellow ns and wahoo in the mix. e grass is a wonderful thing if you know how to take advantage of it.

It’s a well-known fact that the surface trolling bite slows as the sun rises to the 10 to 11 a.m. position. is is the reason to get baits down where the sh are, rather than continuing to troll surface baits while the one “meat stick”—the deep planer rod—gets all the bites. Tuna and wahoo don’t wear Maui Jims. When the sun penetrates deeper into the water, they simply go lower in the water column.

And… who says you have to be moving at 6-8 knots to get bites? Why not slow down and put several lines down where the sh are? It can result in steady, sometimes multiple hook ups. ere are several ways to accomplish this. You can use downriggers with release clips, use heavier trolling lures that fall when you occasionally take the boat out of gear, or use planer lures coupled with a slower speed to get baits down.

For example, a beautiful swimming (frozen) squid or ballyhoo on the downrigger is a ringer for the wahoo and tuna bite. An arti cial squid with an attached natural bait on a planer jig head or a deepdiving plug will also get bites. In addition these choices, a spread of slow-trolled live baits down deep is the ultimate o ering. We have several videos detailing the options listed above on our website.

With all the sargassum grass this year, this may be an especially attractive alternative to the standard 7 knots. When you’re constantly “shaggin’ grass,” you’re not as e ective, and it’s not good for moral when

deck hands ght more grass than sh. If you slow troll down a nice weed line with beautiful baits down deep in the strike zone, chances of getting bites are much better than shaggin’ grass at normal speed. Find structure and bait near a weed line and you’ll have the scenario for success. With or without structure or marking bait, the weed line is home to all types of life. We’ve cleaned yellow n tuna with a double handful of le sh in their stomachs the size of a quarter and smaller, along with small bit of grass.

If the weeds are not too scattered, troll as normal to nd the sh. When the sun gets up, slow down and concentrate on the areas you had bites earlier. Remember that the weeds are moving, along with everything that lives and feeds around the mats. Keep an eye out for other items oating in the grass mats to help keep up with your relative location.

For more from Tim Barefoot, go to barefootcatsandtackle.com.

CATCHING PEANUTS In ye Wxds

By Emily Hanzlik

As I write this, the largest mass of sargassum ever recorded is making its way to the Florida coast. For months, forecasters have been bemoaning the mess this 5,000-mile-long weed patch will make on our beaches, but I’m looking forward to what it brings.

Prey species live in the seaweed, and predators congregate around these weed lines. ere are going to be many di erent species of sh moving in closer than we usually get. Many anglers will enjoy chasing the larger predators; however, it’s fun to catch what we call peanuts, which are the small er dolphin sh that school up around the weeds.

e most distinguishing feature of dolphin sh is the bright neon green, yellow and blue coloration throughout their entire body. Dolphin have a long slender body, and the peanuts are typically 2 to 3 feet, with weights from 5 to 15 pounds. Dolphin get much larger than this, but the big ones don’t exhibit the same schooling behavior.

An amazing feature about dolphin sh is their dorsal n, which starts at the skull and continues all the way to the tail. To determine gender, male dolphin will have a more pronounced forehead, which almost becomes vertical with a 90-degree angle. Unlike most species of sh, the males tend to be larger than the females and are known as “bulls.”

Dolphin inhabit subtropical and tropical waters throughout the entire world. ey live o shore in the 70- to 300-foot depths. eir spawning season runs from April until August, as long as the water is warm enough. Dolphin broadcast spawn in current to ensure a higher rate of fertilization. Once the young hatch, they take shelter in sargassum patches or oating debris, which also provides a source of food since other juvenile sh will be hiding there also.

Fish in the big schools hanging around sargassum patches will usually be on the smaller side. So, you’ll want to use smaller baits like pilchards or thread ns and free swim them around the weeds. You might see a school of dolphin swarming your bait and ghting over it. eir bright colors and darting movements make them easy to spot.

Another option is to use small bucktail jigs or even 3-inch swimbaits. You can grab their attention by working lures like injured bait sh, and this is a great way to lure them out from under the debris.

While shing these patches, a great way to target larger sh is to sink a larger bait below the school. Larger dolphin and wahoo o en feed on peanut dolphin. It is illegal to use peanut dolphin as bait, but you could use ballyhoo, blue runner or even large thread ns.

e IGFA all-tackle world record dolphin weighed 87 pounds. It was caught by Manuel Salazar in the Papagayo Gulf in 1976.

Emily Rose Hanzlik holds 62 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.

Re-Discover Old Florida Waterfront Charm

RED GROUPER TO CLOSE IN GULF FEDERAL WATERS

NOAA Fisheries has announced that a closure to recreational harvest of red grouper in federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico will begin on July 21 and continue through the rest of 2023.

The

Perfect Vacation Getaway for Fishing, Boating & Outdoor Enthusiasts

e closure was spurred by landings information, which indicates the 2023 recreational annual catch target of 1,840,000 pounds gutted weight is projected to be met on July 20.

During the recreational closure, the bag and possession limit are zero for red grouper in or from federal waters of the Gulf. e prohibition on possession of Gulf red grouper also applies in Gulf state waters for a vessel issued a valid federal charter vessel/ headboat permit for Gulf reef sh.

If red grouper recreational landings exceed the annual catch limit (ACL) in a given year, the length of that following year’s recreational shing season will be reduced to ensure the recreational ACT is not exceeded in that following year.

For more information, visit www. sheries.noaa.gov.

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PAVER SIDEWALKS THROUGHOUT!

CHIPOLA STOCKED WITH NATIVE SHOAL BASS

In 2018, when Hurricane Michael bowled over the Florida Panhandle, it decimated the shoal bass population in the Chipola River. e Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission estimates the population was depleted by 90 percent.

FWC is raising and stocking shoal bass to replenish stocks of this rare and native black bass. In May, 7,800 hatchery-raised shoal bass ngerlings were released into the river. is is the second consecutive year shoal bass were raised at the Blackwater Fisheries Research and Development Center near Holt, Fla. and then released into the Chipola River to enhance the wild population.

Shoal bass are one of four of Florida’s native black bass species, and this e ort marks the second time genetically pure shoal bass have been successfully raised at an FWC sh hatchery. Shoal bass are also a Florida Species of Greatest Conservation Need, which refers to native animals whose populations are of concern and are at risk or declining. e goal of raising and releasing these sh is to enhance the wild population to help maintain genetic purity and aid in the long-term conservation of this unique species of Florida black bass.

e Chipola River originates just north of Marianna, owing south for 95 miles through Jackson, Calhoun and Gulf counties where it joins the Apalachicola River. Currently, a catch-and-release-only regulation is in e ect for shoal bass on the Chipola River and its tributaries. Any shoal bass that are caught must be released alive immediately and possession is prohibited.

For more information, visit MyFWC/Freshwater.

25K LIONFISH REMOVED

During the 2023 Emerald Coast Open, 144 competing divers removed 24,699 invasive lion sh from the Gulf of Mexico. With support from Yamaha Rightwaters as well as many local, national and international conservation-minded organizations, the annual event set records for largest lion sh ( ve times) as well as the number of lion sh caught in both the pre-tournament and main tournament.

e mitigation of aquatic invasive species is one of the four pillars of the Yamaha Rightwaters mission,” said Martin Peters, Director, External A airs, Yamaha U.S. Marine Business Unit. “ e Emerald Coast Open helps foster healthy marine environments in the Gulf while educating the public about the damage a large lion sh population can cause. Yamaha Rightwaters will continue to support this tournament and applauds the e ort to help the Gulf of Mexico thrive as a strong shery.” sh prey on more than 167 di erent native sh species and can reduce some reef sh populations by up to 90 percent. ey are capable of eating sh two-thirds their size, and one lion sh can consume roughly 20 sh in a half hour.

“Since its inception in 2019, the Emerald Coast Open helped remove more than 72,000 total lion sh from Gulf waters,” said Alex Fogg, Coastal Resource Manager, Destin – Fort Walton Beach and Emerald Coast Open Organizer. “ e tournament not only yields immediate results and improvement within our sheries, it also demonstrates that catching lion sh is fun – and they are tasty! We’re glad to have the support of Yamaha Rightwaters and look forward to developing our relationship as we begin to plan for the 2024 tournament.”

To learn more about the Emerald Coast Open, visit emeraldcoastopen.com.

MAKE THE MOST OF

ATLANTIC SNAPPER DATES

By CAM Sta

On the Gulf side, Florida anglers are looking at a pretty solid red snapper season this year, with summer dates from June 16 through July 31 and additional fall dates to pursue one of the South’s favorite game sh.

It’s a di erent story over on the East Coast. With the way the federal government has regulated snapper shing in the Atlantic over the years, anglers have come to count themselves lucky if there’s any Atlantic snapper season at all. is year’s allowance of two days—July 14-15— for recreational snapper harvest in the South Atlantic has anglers looking for ways to make the most of it.

From all reports, there are scads of red snapper out there. Catching the per-person limit of one sh should not be a problem. e key to a productive day that’s worth the gas is planning. Here are a few tips to help you make the most of the red snapper rally.

Load the Boat: With a limit of one sh per person, it’s time to load the boat with as many people as it will comfortably and safely hold so that you can ll the sh box with as many snapper as you are allowed. is is your two-day opportunity to ll the freezer with delicious sh. So, the more people you bring, the more sh you get to bring home. is is a great time to take kids. Kids love to sh, and they also take up less room in the boat.

Go With a Plan and a Backup Plan: For two days, it’ll seem like everyone with a boat is parked over every wreck and reef in the Atlantic. Get to the ramp early, and plan to be patient, because there will be a bunch of anglers with the same idea. Know where you hope to start the morning, but have several back-ups in case your honey hole doesn’t pan out. When you get there, if your graph doesn’t light up with life, don’t waste your time. Keep moving until you nd bait and sh.

Fish Big: With a one- sh limit, and no size limit, it pays to target the biggest sh down there. Fish live baits that are big enough to get past the smaller snapper down to 20-pounders. It wouldn’t hurt anyone’s feelings if a big grouper took the bait, either. is also limits the number of small sh you’ll give a case of barotrauma, which is a good thing.

Remember, use of a dehooking tool is required. ere is also a requirement for the use of non-stainless steel hooks. In waters North of 28-degrees N. latitude, the use of non-o set, non-stainless steel circle hooks is required when shing for snapper grouper species. A descending device is also required on board all vessels and must be readily available for use (attached to at least 16 ounces of weight and at least 60 feet of line).

For more tips, go to coastalanglermag.com.

CONNECT LINE TO LINE WITH THE DOUBLE UNI KNOT

With excellent strength for line-to-line connections, the double uni is a go-to knot for connecting main lines to leaders. It is a quick and easy knot to tie, unlike some of the other line-to-line knots, so it’s a great option for on-thewater applications. Furthermore, it is very good for connecting di erent line types and diameters securely, which makes it the best knot for mono-to-mono or mono-to- uoro connections.

It’s also a good option to secure braid to uoro, and while it might not have the strength of the FG knot for this application, the double uni is much easier to tie and will save you some headache in real-world situations.

A disadvantage to the double uni knot is it’s a little bulky. Although it is an inline knot that keeps everything running in the right direction, the bump it creates at the connection and the two tag ends pointing in either direction can interfere with casting performance. e knot can cause some friction going through the guides. e double uni, however, is perfect for rigs where your leader will remain outside your rod tip. It’s also the right choice when casting distance and accuracy are not primary concerns. In most real-world scenarios, it will not inhibit casting ability enough that you’ll even notice.

For more tips, tricks and knots, visit usangler.com.

FISHING CLUB WINS MUD HOLE CUSTOM ROD CLASS

By completing conservation projects, the Chambers High School shing team recently earned a private, in-person custom rod building class with Mud Hole Custom Tackle. ey were the winning team in FWC’s School Fishing Club Conservation Project Competition and completed six projects including cleaning up and building mono lament recycling bins for their local waterbodies to win the grand prize.

All student anglers participating in the FWC’s 2022-23 School Fishing Club Program were required to complete at least one conservation project to qualify for funding associated with the program. Prizes were o ered by Mud Hole, Toad sh and Pure Fishing to encourage teams to complete multiple conservation initiatives. e competition awarded points per club participation in a variety of conservation-minded activities aimed at reducing the impacts of plastic pollution.

“Congratulations to these young anglers for their dedication to conservation,” said Tom Graef, FWC’s Freshwater Fisheries director. “ ey are making a di erence by leading the way for the next generation of anglers with these creative conservation projects.”

Punta Gorda Middle School won the second-place prize, and A. Crawford Mosley High School won the third-place prize.

“Supporting youth education is so important to our mission at Mud Hole Custom Tackle,” said Anthony Youmans, Mud Hole’s Education Program Director. “We’re honored to contribute the grand prize in this year’s competition and are always supportive of FWC’s e orts to lead conservation projects here in Florida, our home state.”

Mud Hole Custom Tackle, based in Oviedo, is the world’s largest supplier of rod building and tackle cra ing goods and instruction. From rod building

and repairing, to y tying and lure building, Mud Hole is the leading e-retailer and mail order supplier to hobbyists, small manufacturers and large OEMs, worldwide. O ering a superior shopping experience at mudhole.com, rapid ful llment, stellar customer service, and world class online content and instruction, Mud Hole Custom Tackle is the trusted source for the rod building and tackle cra ing community.

FWC’s School Fishing Club Program welcomed 38 new and 14 returning student angling clubs in Florida to the program last year, supported by the Division of Marine Fisheries Management, the Division of Freshwater Fisheries Management, and the Florida Youth Conservation Centers Network. e clubs committed to complete the provided FWC curriculum and at least one conservation project. Club mentors provided support and hands-on training in knot tying and shing gear assembly, as well as assistance with the clubs’ local events to increase student anglers’ con dence in the sport of shing. Information about the 2023-24 School Fishing Club Program will be announced later this summer.

For more information, visit MyFWC.com/SFC.

CCA FLORIDA STAR:

THERE’S STILL TIME TO REGISTER AND WIN!

The 2023 CCA Florida STAR competition presented by Yamaha kicked o Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. Four STAR tagged red sh have already been recaptured, but what you won’t believe is that none of the anglers were CCA members and registered in the competition. ose four anglers missed out on their chance at some awesome boats and packages, and that means all the boats and packages are still available.

Registration for the summer-long competition is open until Sept. 4 and invites CCA members, non-members, anglers and non-anglers to take a shot at winning their share of prizes valued at more than $500,000 including boats, motors, electronics, tackle, scholarships and more. is event is about the shery winning, too. Participants become citizen biologists and citizen garbologists by submitting photos of their catch or garbage collected during the competition in the STAR app. In order to win, participants must take their entry photo on the 2023 CCA Florida STAR o cial measuring device, which can be picked up for free in any West Marine store or one of the many other STAR distribution locations throughout Florida. Find them listed on the STAR website.

“Every year we have lots of tagged red sh recaptured by unregistered anglers who are not members. We hope that this year, with more prizes, we will see more winners,” said CCA Florida STAR Director, Leiza Fitzgerald. “ e youth participation has been heartwarming, and to date STAR has awarded $800,000 in youth scholarships, plus in 2021 two youth anglers won a boat motor and trailer package that consisted of a 16-foot ski , 25hp Yamaha, Minn Kota Trolling motor and trailer. Every year there are over 100 winners In the STAR competition. Get registered and you could be one of them.”

e CCA Florida STAR competition presented by Yamaha has a division for everyone, from the non-angler to the experienced angler. It is comprised of 15 divisions targeting 12 inshore and o shore species, plus the Kick Plastic Trash Division presented by Papa’s Pilar which encourages cleanup of trash from Florida’s coastal waters. STAR’s signature Tagged Red sh Division o ers seven winners, ve adults and two youth, the choice of a Contender Boats 22 Sport, Path nder Boats 2200 TRS and a Carolina Ski 162 JLS. STAR has additional new Tagged Red sh sponsors with Dek Kat Boats o ering a 27 Flatz Kat and Sea Doo and Can-am o ering a fun package of a Trophy Fishing Sea Doo and the Can-am Defender. Each boat will be powered by a Yamaha, the competitions presenting sponsor. Be the rst winning tagged red sh angler for your choice of all these packages as your prize.

Once again in 2023, we have the ALTA SUPER STAR tagged red sh swimming in Florida waters. If it is recaptured, the winner will receive $50,000 cash! For the rst two youth anglers who win in this division, prizes include a tiller boat powered with Yamaha outboard, trailer, Minn Kota trolling motor and Humminbird electronics.

Each of Florida’s coastal counties have on average four tagged red sh for a total of over 160 prize-winning sh. e best opportunity to catch one of this year’s tagged red sh will be in Citrus and Charlotte Counties, STAR’s 2023 Destination Counties, which each have eight tagged red sh in their coastal waters.

For the o shore anglers, the Tigress Outriggers and Gear Tagged Dolphin Division o ers one winner a $10,000 cash prize. e rst STAR registrant and CCA Florida member who catches a tagged dolphin will win. Twenty tagged dolphin (Mahi Mahi) were released for STAR in the lower Florida Keys.

STAR is a family-friendly competition, and CCA Florida youth members (ages 6 to 17) can participate for free. Kids are encouraged to submit entries in the Youth Scholarship Division presented by Realtree Fishing for an opportunity to win one of 12 scholarships totaling $100,000. Other divisions include the Power Pole Conservation Division, Bona de Kayak Division and Ladies Division as well as the Yamaha Guides which allows guides to participate when they are not on a charter for hire. Since most division winners are determined by a random drawing, it is not about catching the biggest sh, any size sh can win. Remember, it is very simple really, every sh you catch between now and Monday, Labor Day o ers the CCA member who is registered in STAR the opportunity to win their share of $500,000 in prizes and scholarships. You can’t win If you are not registered.

STAR is also a tool to gather catch data, it creates awareness for conservation, our sponsors and CCA Florida. Launched in 2015, the competition has set the bar for other shing tournaments to follow by implementing conservation-friendly alternatives such a catch-photorelease format and a trash division. Florida STAR focuses on conservation with its technology-based, CPR format and dedicated smartphone app which promotes the proper handling of species and allows participants who are members of CCA and registered in the competition to upload photos of their catch or trash buckets in the STAR competition and be rewarded for their e orts. CCA Florida also provides access to the data collected to other conservation organizations and universities to help educate the public and for use in their studies on conservation, habitat and stock assessments.

You can still register for STAR 2023. You have all summer and all the boats and packages are still available. To receive additional information on divisions, prizes and more, visit cca star.com or Facebook.

YET ANOTHER... ORANGE LAKE GIANT!

Put Orange Lake on your bass- shing itinerary for next spring. is 12,550-acre lake in Alachua County southeast of Gainesville is a springtime conveyor belt of big bass.

From February through April this year, 19 Orange Lake largemouths heavier than 10 pounds were reported to TrophyCatch, FWC’s big-bass recognition program.

Bass heavier than 13-pounds are given “Hall of Fame” status by TrophyCatch. Five 13-pluspounders have been caught statewide this year. Four of them came from Orange Lake, and three of those were caught in February.

e most recent one we’ve heard of was a sh caught back on Feb. 7 that just popped up on the TrophyCatch Facebook

Kelly

a giant 13-pound, 3-ounce monster swimming a

Man… that sounds like a lot of fun.

For more information, visit www.trophycatch orida.com.

page.

Taunton scored

Senko through the pads.

Score From the Shore in Calm Conditions

By Capt. Michael Okruhlik

The surf can be bountiful and as easy as shing can be when the seas are calm. On a recent trip to the Gulf of Mexico’s calm shores, I was certain I was going to catch them at will. To the naked eye, conditions were as good as it gets, but many fellow anglers fell short of their dreams on this beautiful day. Here are some modi cations I made on the y that allowed me to come out ahead of most others.

is day provided us with glass-calm seas, clear water and bait everywhere, but one key ingredient was missing, substantial tide. What most of us focused on, including myself, were the calm conditions. is is always the draw for trout shing on the beachfront in Texas, and it is seldom the norm.

I did research the tide, and it was an early high

heading out, which, once again, seems perfect. However, the slope on the graph was a slow outgoing tide, not one that was going to trigger many bites on its own. Once I realized this and watched others leave empty handed, I decided to search for places that would encourage the slow outgoing current to increase in velocity. I sought out guts in the bars perpendicular to the shore. ese same guts have the potential to cause dangerous riptides, and they can also be the best place to sh. You typically see these guts by studying the waves, but with no waves I had to use my polarized glasses. ankfully, the water clarity made this an easy task. I drove along the beach looking for these, and once I spotted them, I stood on the back of my truck to increase my elevation to identify the best ones.

I’d found my pattern. Now the catching could begin! Keep in mind, as slow as the tide was moving, it did not create a dangerous situation

(always be cautious of rip tides on the beach), but it did speed up the current enough to trigger a good bite. I thoroughly worked all edges of these guts, nding most bites on the back side where the tide pulled bait from the shallow gut to the deeper second gut.

When the tide is slow, I like to try and get a reaction strike by throwing something a little di erent or working my lure erratically. On this day, I was throwing a rattling so -plastic paddletail. I also picked one with a bright green tail to stand out from the millions of bait sh traveling the rst and second guts. All of these tactics combined allowed me to salvage a day when most le with empty stringers.

e beachfront can be a great place to sh, and it’s fun for the kids. My boys enjoy wading beside me, and when the shing is over it’s time to play at the beach!

PHOTO COURTESY OF KNOCKIN TAIL LURES®

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

By Capt. Lukas Brickweg

Alaska shing season started o with a bang for anglers visiting Ketchikan, Alaska. Halibut shing charters produced great catches of halibut, paci c cod, lingcod and rock sh. Salmon shing trips resulted in big king salmon while we awaited the arrival of silver salmon and pink salmon.

Early season typically is more inconsistent than the deep summer months of July, August and September. With that being said, our guests enjoyed better than average shing to start o the 2023 Alaska shing summer.

Fishing tours for cruise ship guests and y-in anglers spent the majority of May bottom shing. ese sheries consist of shing near and o shore waters for halibut, cod and rock sh. Deep-water jigging for halibut had guests reeling in keeper-sized halibut as well as oversized halibut ranging from 10 pounds to 120 pounds. ere’s nothing quite like the thrill of hooking into these deep sea dwellers, and the delicious white meat holds up well when frozen and shipped back home to the lower 48.

Halibut weren’t the only species caught during our halibut shing charters. Paci c cod were a staple while bottom shing for halibut. Cod were concentrated in large numbers on the sandy ats eating a variety of bottom rigs. Traditional halibut shing rigs with glow-in-the-dark squid and cut herring caught the majority of Paci c cod. We also found great success jigging for cod with metal jigs and so plastic swimbaits.

Following up halibut shing with rock sh and lingcod jigging made for a combination catch that had everyone smiling. We do this in shallower water with light tackle. While catching pelagic rock sh such as yellowtails and duskies, we also caught big lingcod. With such a phenomenal bottom shing area, you’re never quite sure what will grab the end of the line. Giant lingcod make a trophy catch for anyone visiting Alaskan waters.

King salmon shing opened June 1. Everyone rejoiced at the opportunity to pursue this iconic sh. Big king salmon catches came in throughout the entire southeast Alaska region. Ketchikan is known as the salmon capital of the world, and it didn’t disappoint. Herring Cove and Mountain Point were the rst areas to open up. is resulted in large numbers of anglers trolling for prized king salmon. As we look forward for the entirety of the region to open, these were the rst areas where big catches came in.

Over the next couple months, the shing will continue to heat up! Halibut will continue to show up in larger numbers as the water temperatures increase. In addition, the salmon shing will see a big burst of silver salmon and pink salmon to combine with the larger king salmon. It’s all happening now!

For more information, visit www.ketchikan shingtrips.com or call (907) 617-4717.

Most of the time the saying is true, bigger baits equal bigger sh! Although elephants eat peanuts, a big bait pro le is something big sh sometimes can’t resist whether you’re shing the open ocean or the Great Lakes. I’ve spent a lot of time in the last couple years experimenting with lures that are larger than what my previous comfort zone was for bass. It is pretty special to see what gets curious to come look at or bite these big baits.

ere are many di erent types of swimbaits on the market, but I’ll break them down into two styles to keep it simple. ere are hard, gliding-style swimbaits with treble hooks and there are so -body swimbaits. Each has a time and a place, and both attract some very big sh.

Depending on where you are in the country and the size of the forage in your lake, a normal meal for a bass is usually much bigger than you would think. Bass have huge mouths to accommodate large prey items. A two- or three-pounder has no problem at all swallowing a 6- to 8-inch bluegill whole. I’ve seen 10-plus-pounders eat gizzard shad up to 14 inches long! Trying to exactly duplicate the larger bait sh in your lake with a natural presentation is the key to drawing attention to your arti cial lure.

With hard swimbaits, my rst choice is a shad imitation. Most of the places I sh are full

of shad, and shad seem to be a favorite food source for bass.

THROW BIG BAITS FOR BIG BASS TIPS FROM A PRO

Crappie are another forage species people sometimes forget about. Lately, when throwing big baits

over deeper water, I’ve caught some big sh with crappie down in their throats.

With so swimbaits, I usually go to a bluegill imitation. I like so baits because they are more weedless, and you can creep them through the grass or along the bottom in places where bluegills live.

Big swimbaits can get mighty expensive. If you are just getting started with them, I would suggest sticking with the more a ordable baits that get good reviews until you get your con dence up. en you can dive into some of the larger, more customized lures.

Learning to sh big baits is best done by getting on the water and doing it. Just get out there and experiment with retrieves until you nd out what works. Of course, throwing giant lures requires special equipment. I like 13 Fishing’s a ordable Defy for a rod. It’s an 8-foot swimbait rod that handles most big lures with ease. I pair this with a 300 sized reel, like the 13 Fishing Concept A3 and some 20- to 25-pound Seaguar Abrazx.

I hope this article sparks someone’s interest to get out there and throw a big bait. Once I stepped out of my comfort zone, I discovered it to be one of the coolest and most fun ways to target big bass all year long. Don’t hesitate to reach out to me on social media if you have questions about these tactics or any others.

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

TYLER WOOLCOTT

RECORD WELS

really realized that I hooked a monster. Adrenaline started pumping hard and the fear of losing it almost sent me into a panic. I was alone, facing the biggest cat sh I ever seen in 23 years.

Italy’s River Po has done it again.

Last week, MADCAT pro sta er Alessandro Biancardi caught a 9-foot-long wels cat sh that will likely replace the IGFA world length record for the species. e monster wels measured 285 centimeters (9 feet, 4.2 inches) in length and stands to beat out the existing record by just 4 centimeters, or about an inch and a half.

Biancardi is a veteran cat sh angler who has targeted wels for more than two decades. He landed his potential new record a er a more than 40-minute battle while shing solo in an aluminum

jonboat.

e giant sh ate a so -plastic paddletail shed on a jighead.

“In silence, I approached the rst spot and a er few casts a powerful bite arrived. e sh stood still some seconds before starting a very complicated ght, between strong currents and a lot of submerged obstacles,” Biancardi wrote in a blog post. “I calmly managed to ght what I felt to be a prehistoric sh. I followed it for 40 endless minutes. When it surfaced for the rst time, I

“I tried gloving its mouth two or three times, but it was still too strong,” he wrote. “I decided to go in shallow water trying to land it from shore, and a er few tries, I managed to land it! I tied the sh to let him recover from the long ght then I suddenly realized that the boat was not anchored, and it was going away in the current. I was forced to have a swim to recover it with all my stu .”

Biancardi then called some friends from a nearby sh camp to come help him get a good measurement on the beast. A er taking measurements, the sh was released. Without a weight, it will not be considered for the all-tackle world record, which stands at 297 pounds, 9 ounces for a sh caught from the Po back in 2010.

For more, go to https://madcat- shing.com.

ENTER TO WIN!

SEA EAGLE FISHSKIFF 16 WITH A SUZUKI DF4 OUTBOARD

Coastal Angler and The Angler Magazine, Suzuki Marine and Sea Eagle have come together to offer readers a shot at this Sea Eagle FishSkiff 16 paired with a Suzuki DF4 outboard that’ll take you wherever the fish are. The FishSkiff 16 is an inflatable fishing boat that is lightweight, sturdy, stable and extremely packable. It rolls up small enough to fit in the trunk of a car and quickly inflates into a fishing machine. Powered by Suzuki’s four-stroke DF4A, you’ll have to hold on to your hat as you scream over the flats. Designed for efficiency and performance and portability, the DF4A provides all the speed and acceleration you can handle. It’s lightweight and can be attached or removed with ease.

Ifyou’re anything like my dad, you give your family everything. Your name, your time, your values — the people in your life know they can depend on you for practically anything. In exchange for imparting all of this energy and experience, you expect nothing in return.

e point? You deserve to treat yourself once in a while. You do so much for the people you care about. Now it’s time to focus on you for just a few minutes. at’s where the Men’s Due Volta Watch comes in. is astonishing innovation provides a digital readout that’s powered by a precise quartz engine, combining both analog and digital timekeeping.

Out tted with a stopwatch, alarm, a.m./p.m. settings, and day, date and month complications, this timepiece stands out from the crowd. With its large face and handsome, masculine design, this watch is perfect for the back nine and the happy hour afterwards. Water-resistant up to 3 ATM, this timepiece won’t wimp out if you have a run-in with a water hazard.

Other hybrid watches can sell for thousands of dollars, but because we’ve built more than 1 million watches, we know how to create real value. at’s why we can o er this timepiece for just $59! If you’re not completely satis ed with this watch, return it for a full refund.

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IN SEARCH OF HAVASU’S WORLD RECORD REDEAR

By Gary Turner

The sun was just cresting the mountains and the moon was low in the west as Capt. Ron Ratlief, of Ron’s Fishing Guide Service, and I began shing for redear sun sh on Arizona’s Lake Havasu. is trip has been on my bucket list for years. I just never made the time, which is ridiculous considering Havasu is pretty much the Holy Land for bream shing.

Havasu is a large Colorado River reservoir on the Arizona/Colorado border. In recent years, the lake has produced a series of world-record redear sun sh, with the current mark standing at 6-pounds, 4-ounces. Havasu’s freakishly large redears are due to a plentiful food source of invasive mussels that have in ltrated the system. e lake also holds some enormous bluegills, which I came to nd out over two days shing with Ron and a third day with my buddy Zac Mickle.

You could feel it was going to be a hot one—over 100 degrees— as the cool morning air evaporated with the sun. A er all, Havasu is an oasis in the middle of a desert. We started the morning sight shing coves. Havasu’s water is as clear as the Keys, and I half expected to see bone sh swimming by. We searched several coves and saw lots of sh, including bluegills, carp, cat sh, giant gizzard shad, tilapia, green sun sh and small stripers, just

to name a few. We also found some redear sun our target species, but they were small, a pound or less, and we were looking for big ones!

We moved to plan B and headed to deeper water. Havasu has the most man-made attractors and brushpiles I’ve ever seen. might be a bunch in South Carolina’s Santee, but you would never see them. e crystal-clear water makes everything visible, and as the sun got higher, we could see even more. We saw structure clearly in 18 feet of water with large redears on it. I dropped a night crawler on a jig head down, and BAM! I had a good bite! We landed a nice redear heavier than two pounds and continued hitting deeper brush, where we saw some big ones and caught a thick 14-incher that was pushing 3 pounds. A er several other sh in the 1 to 1 ½-pound range, Ron suggested we move back to a cove for a few last casts before heading in.

In the cove, I got hammered by a good one, which upon landing was about the same size as the 2-pounder from earlier, but it looked more like a bluegill. I was thinking it might be a hybrid between the two species, which was later con rmed.

If you like bream, you need to check out Havasu. It is a beautiful lake in the desert with some giant redears and bluegills. I might not have

caught a world record this year, but I’ve already booked next year’s trip.

Check out Gary Turner’s shing adventures on his YouTube channel at youtube.com/ @FishingWithGary.

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ELEVATE YOUR CHUM!

By Capt. Judy Helmey

BLOTCHY BASS SYNDROME IS A VIRUS

Check out the crazy markings on this Pennsylvania bass!

Recently the American Fisheries Society Black Bass Conservation Committee (BBCC) posted photos of this striking, black-splotched largemouth bass on its Facebook page.

During the old days of chumming, lots of shermen used glitter in their chum, but we sure didn’t talk about it. Why? It was a serious sh-catching secret, and it works as well now as it ever did.

Of course, back then we hadn’t heard of microplastics. We didn’t equate those tiny ashy akes with pollution. Traditional glitter is made with aluminum and plastic, which is a really bad thing to be throwing in the water. ankfully, today there is biodegradable glitter made of plant cellulose. is more environmentally friendly product enables us to keep using our old tricks without doing harm to the ocean.

When you add biodegradable glitter to your chum, the oils coat

every single small piece of glitter. When it hits the water, each piece of glitter becomes sh attractant. As it slowly spreads through the water column, it catches sunlight and re ects it. e oil onboard each small piece of glitter leaves a trail that only a hungry smart sh would care to follow.

You might ask how do I know that glittering chum works? Well, when you start getting hits and landing sh, open the sh box and take a look. You know how glitter is. It gets everywhere and sticks to everything. Well, your sh box and the sh in it will be coated in glitter. Trust me.

Capt. Judy Helmey runs Miss Judy Charters o the Georgia coast. Check them out at missjudycharters.com.

e photos, by professional bass sherman Grae Buck, show his wife Jessica Buck holding a sh with melanosis. e post goes on to explain that this condition is when something a ects the pigment expression in the skin, turning it black. Termed blotchy bass syndrome, it has been found in black bass species in waterbodies across the United States with increasing frequency.

“While a truly melanistic sh would be all black, we more commonly see parts of the sh black, irregular blotches, spots, or ns,” the post reads. ese crazy colored sh show up from time to time, and previously it has been explained as a genetic mutation. In its explanation of this sh, however, BBCC pointed to research being conducted at the U.S.G.S. Eastern Ecological Science Center in West Virginia.

e research found that this blotchy skin condition is actually caused by a viral infection, an emerging novel adomavirus. Researchers have not pinned down a cause yet, but a U.S.G.S. report suggests higher incidences of blotchy bass syndrome in disturbed-water systems, with a potential link to chemicals. ere is currently broad ongoing research to try and determine the causes and e ects of this infection.

TheReturn of a

Follow the BBCC at www.facebook.com/AFS.Black.Bass.

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