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By Capt. Ryan Palmer

ahoo are some of the fastest fish in the ocean. Built for speed with large tails and torpedo shaped bodies, they can accelerate rapidly and turn on a dime. Wahoo can be solitary fish or found in large schools, depending on conditions, time of year and moon phases. Known for their excellent table fare and awesome fighting ability, anglers travel to South Florida and The Bahamas from all over the world to target them. They have razor sharp teeth and their jaws are hinged like scissors, so landing one on mono is always an exhilarating feat. They can be caught year round, but during the winter months they are found in far better numbers and sizes, especially around the new and full moons. There are several ways to catch them, including high-speed trolling, planer fishing, vertical jigging and live bait. High-speed trolling for wahoo could well be the most exciting method to catch them. There’s nothing like hearing the clicker of an 80 wide reel scream while you’re doing 17 knots. In some cases, you will have multiple hook ups with multiple drags going off. Talk about heart racing! I’ll go over my normal high-speed spread, but keep in mind everyone has their favorite way of doing things. I run a three-line spread. I fish two electric reels and a 50W Shimano Talica. My first electric is set at 80 feet from the boat with a 48-ounce cable-rigged cigar lead. To that I have 25 feet of 400-pound mono shock leader, which is then connected to my lure. The next electric is set at 150 feet from the boat with a 32-ounce cigar lead and the same shock leader. Last is my shotgun Talica with a 24-ounce cigar lead and the same shock leader. I have about 25 different lures from different manufacturers in many colors, shapes and sizes. All of my lures are rigged on 480-pound cable with either single or double hook sets. I start my spread with an assortment of colors. If I get more than one bite on a particular color, I will change the others to that or similar colors. High speed trolling is done in both South Florida and the Bahamas. I used to think that it

was pointless in South Florida, but over the last few years I have been more successful catching them, and the fish I’ve been catching are better sized fish than the wahoo I’ve caught while planer fishing. On a trip just after a winter full moon, we caught a double header off Pompano Beach. Each fish was in the 40-pound range. When high speed trolling, the optimum speed is between 15 and 20 knots, and we fish a zigzag pattern between 120 and 300 feet of water. There are a couple reasons for the zigzag. One is to mimic baitfish coming in or going out during tidal changes, and the other is that during your turns your baits will slow down and fall slightly before accelerating again. This is when you get most of your bites. Keeping an eye on your chart plotter is key, because you can generally mark the schools in the upper portion of the water column. High speed trolling is great if you want to specifically target wahoo, as there are only a few species that eat at that kind of speed. Planer fishing is just as fun and doesn’t burn nearly as much fuel. I like to run two planers consisting of a #4 and a #8 planer with either a drone spoon or a bonita strip behind a Sea Witch. Colors, sizes and shapes all vary, but once I find what color they like I switch them over. The drone spoon is a time-tested and proven method. The flash and vibration of the spoon cutting through the water gets their attention. I prefer 3.5-inch blue drone spoon behind a #8 Old Salty planer. I run about 60 to 100 feet of 60-pound mono between my planer and bait. While pulling planers down deep, I also pull a couple surface baits. Anything from a bonita strip behind a chugger-style lure to a rigged ballyhoo on wire behind an Islander will work. If you have outriggers, you can spread two baits wide and run a shotgun with a cigar-weighted rigged ballyhoo. I

planer fish the same areas as I high speed, but my speeds will be much slower at 6 to 11 knots. Lots of wahoo tournaments have been won fishing at slower trolling speeds, so don’t rule out a jumbo just because you’re not highspeeding. Live baiting wahoo is less common because you are either bump trolling or drifting goggle eyes or other live baits. You are not covering as much ground. Live baits rigged on light wire or titanium are my first choice, with fluorocarbon being second, due only to a wahoo’s super sharp teeth. I’ve caught several wahoo on vertical jigs. About 90 percent of those have come way offshore under some type of flotsam. I prefer a simple 2-ounce diamond Jig. All the wahoo I’ve caught on vertical jigs have been less than 10 pounds. Wahoo as table fare is in my top five, maybe even top three. I’ve often said that if you have cooked it, it’s already burnt. Do yourself a favor and try some wahoo sashimi! Capt. Ryan Palmer Family Jewell Fishing Charters 954-882-2631

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Friends&Fishing By Jim Parks

here are a multitude of pleasures and benefits to fishing. The beauty of the environment, the challenge, the relaxation, the simple joy of being outside, the fish caught and the big ones that got away are all among the reasons we fish. Intertwined are the relationships created during outings. Like many others, there are times when I would rather be on the water alone. One particular period of my life, I was working full time while going to night school working on my master’s degree. I had no time. Recognizing this, my wife all but demanded I go fishing. Entering the creek that morning, I was mentally exhausted. I perhaps fished 30 minutes before I wound up lying on a rock with the sun in my face. The sound of the creek and my feet in the cool water washed away a lot of stress. At other times, I’ve found the solitude allows me to commune amidst the creation with its creator. After all, even Jesus knew the merits of hanging out with fishermen. To quote Norman MacLean in A River Runs Through It, “And we were left to assume, as my younger brother Paul and I did… that all firstclass fishermen on the Sea of Galilee were flyfishermen... and that John, the favorite, was a dry fly-fisherman.” Over the decades, I’ve been blessed to meet hundreds of like-minded sportsmen. Some, I’d rather forget! However, looking back over fourplus decades, I cannot help but reminisce over what fishing friendships have meant. If you were fortunate to begin fishing young, you had at least one mentor. If you had a father or grandfather who took you on early fishing trips, hopefully you realize how blessed you were 6 NATIONAL

JANUARY 2022

and will joyfully pass that blessing to the next generation. Having no fishermen in my family tree, I adapted. Like-minded friends of my own age, aka the “Three Amigos,” myself, Keith and Steve, as well as their fathers and grandfathers, helped me along the way. Though my father didn’t fish, he worked in a textile mill alongside more than a few fishermen with whom I came into contact. Among them were the late Don Kirk, author of several books on fly fishing, and the late, great fly tyer Kirk Jenkins. To this day, the memory is burned in my mind of my father’s co-worker Charlie Murrell tying flies with me while camped on Forney Creek in the Smoky Mountains. I was 14 years old. Along the way, they and others taught me wading, casting and reading water, always instilling an interest and knowledge of the history of and respect for the locations where I trod as a young fisherman. Growing older meant adulthood; college, career and marriage entered the scene. Still, at least one of the Three Amigos besides myself has kept fishing, and we still get together when life permits. As we grow older and hopefully better in our pursuit, we’re sometimes blessed to invest in the future of our sport by sharing with the next generation. We instill in them an appreciation for the beauty and opportunity of wading in the crystal clear streams while sharing the history passed down to us. Those opportunities make us better fishermen. In teaching, we are forced to consider the intricate, basic skills of the sport, which over time can become blurred by repetition. As my mentors did with me, I am careful to not “over-coach.” This allows the student to make and learn from their

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mistakes. How awesome to be part of their first catch and to share in that accomplishment. If we’re lucky, at some point we are blessed to come into contact with equally experienced fishermen with whom we just click. The best fishing buddies possess a similar interest in locales and styles, but are different enough that we still learn from one another. The best fishing buddies become those who can finish your sentence, agree on the best places to fish, offer insight we didn’t consider and share learned tidbits, making both that much better. An additional bonus are those friends who are willing to take those crazy adventures such as night trips, remote bushwhacking treks and just downright crazy ideas for which they’ll catch it from their spouse when they eventually return home, well past curfew. I remember as kids how we were competitive. We even had the unofficial “Virgil Ward Award” for whoever landed the largest fish that day. Over time, a point is reached when you get just as much joy in watching a friend ply a hole for that big ol’ brown. Sometimes it’s a tag-team approach, with a spotter directing casts to a trophy fish. We realize as much excitement in our friend’s success as if it were our own, if not more! Lately, I’ve been stepping back… just a little… to give my buddy the first crack at a good run. Watching an artist at work, regardless of the canvas, is a joy. When that person is using all the combined skills of a stealthy approach, with the fly you both agree is best, making that cast in just the right spot and setting that hook, it’s like watching yourself from a distance. In that moment, you are just as elated to share and witness the moment. That moment is when you realize having a fishing buddy is priceless.

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PROPOSAL TO SLASH DOLPHIN LIMITS IN HALF

he Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is looking at slashing the recreational dolphin limit in half, from 60 to 30 fish per vessel and from 10 to 5 fish per person in Florida state waters, citing a decrease in number and size of fish caught in recent years off South Florida and the Florida Keys. At its meeting in December, FWC reviewed a draft proposal that would amend the regulations in state waters. The call for action reportedly came from southeast Florida and Keys charter captains, and it follows pending regulations changes approved by the federal South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (SAFMC) in June. The SAFMC ruling reduced the dolphin recreational limit from 60 to 54 fish per vessel for Atlantic federal waters along the entire east coast of the United States. The ruling is pending approval by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce. FWC strongly advocated for larger reductions in federal waters as a precautionary measure. That push was blocked by North Carolina representatives, who would only support the smaller reduction. Part of FWC’s interest for proactive management is increased international engagement concerning the highly migratory species. Dolphin off the east coast of the U.S. are part of the Atlantic-Caribbean stock, which extends from New England to the

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Caribbean coast of South America. The status of the stock is currently unknown, according to FWC’s draft proposal, and a traditional stock assessment is unlikely due to unknowns within the fishery, which include international harvest and the absence of fishery-independent monitoring. Warming surface temperatures in the Atlantic are also of concern to FWC because of a welldocumented preference of the species for a temperature range between 66 and 84 degrees. Catch-rate data indicates a tight link to water temperature, and those rates peak at 75 degrees. “Because of this temperature preference, warming ocean waters and other environmental changes could contribute to shifts in dolphin distribution and influence migration routes,” reads the proposal. “Reports of more frequent encounters with dolphin in the northeastern U.S. and a growing directed recreational fishery there illustrate the northward distribution shift for this species. “Similarly, fewer encounters with dolphin in SE Florida and the Keys could be linked to warming sea surface temperatures. Anecdotal reports from SE Florida and the Keys also indicate a change in timing of arrival of large dolphin, which may indicate changes in movement patterns as water temperature increases.”

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Dolphin harvest off the east coast of Florida has fallen precipitously since 2015, according to FWC’s data. In that same data, approximately 90 percent of the harvest in the last 10 years came from federal waters. A final public hearing for the proposed rule would be held at FWC’s March 2022 meeting. For more information, see myfwc.com.

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DreamCatching By Zach Harvey

the

FINER POINTS of FISHING AFAR

s we head into winter fishing show season, many start shopping for good charters to fish in the coming season. The following points should save you some headaches.

Know Thyself The best thing to ensure a successful trip is to take a hard look at yourself and your crew—your experience, ages, skill levels and general disposition. Rough out your group’s hopes for the trip: Is the gear type of utmost import? Are you five old college friends for whom the trip’s fish tally comes after talking and laughing? Are you hoping to take home a load of fillets? There’s a possibility a port’s highliner—the guy who mohawks the fish every trip— could be the worst guy in town given your group’s criteria for success.

Know Your Quarry, Ask Questions Understand the logistical realities, timing issues, and if there’s a viable

fishery underway. One of the biggest problems fishermen encounter in destination fishing is pride prevents us from asking what we view as “googan” questions. We end up trying to convince our would-be hosts that we know what we’re doing and forget to ask the questions that might make that so. Ask the stupid question. If you’ve been hoping to land X species of X size your entire life, flush out as much detail as possible about the fishery: Are there certain windows of timing for the best fishing? Is tide stage a major factor? Every species and every region is full of caveats and idiosyncrasies. Full-time chartermen must fish as many days as they can book. You can’t expect to get straight answers to all your timing questions. You can, however, zero in on an area’s better tackle shops to fill in blanks. The quest for reliable intel is something you’ll have to patchwork together.

Policies and Parting Advice As you zero in on a decision, there are other considerations. Do not base boat choice on price first and foremost. Charter fishing is not cheap, but a well-executed trip with a top captain can make your dream trip a reality. Be sure, however, to get a clear breakdown on the boat’s weather cancellation, deposit, rescheduling and trip-downgrade policies to be sure all in your crew have clear expectations. Ask detailed questions about the boat’s policies on fishing gear and whether you may target more than one species during a trip. Wherever you fish, whoever takes you and whatever you target, consider: Any seasoned crew will know, inside five minutes, the real extent of your experience. Everything works better if you check your ego at the dock.

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JANUARY 2022

FLORIDA 7

IGFA APPROVES NEW WORLD RECORDS T Carmody’s Southern Bluefin Tuna

he International Game Fish Association (IGFA), headquartered in Dania Beach, Fla., is the worldwide authority on record fish. The organization maintains a massive database of catches for almost any species you can think of and in numerous different categories. Every few months, IGFA releases a handful of recently approved new records. Here are some of the most impressive fish approved by IGFA this fall:

On July 1, 2021, Carl Carmody was fishing out of Hick’s Bay, New Zealand, when he landed the fish of a lifetime. This 355-pound, 6-ounce southern bluefin tuna is the second largest ever caught, weighing just 14 pounds shy of the current IGFA All-Tackle World Record. Carl was fishing aboard the Doctors Orders captained by Blake Sheridan when this fish struck a trolled lure. The impressive tuna earned Carl the IGFA Men’s 130-lb. Line Class World Record for the species.

Triana’s Sockeye Salmon Dennis Triana returned from an August trip to Alaska with a handful of records, including this 66-centimeter sockeye salmon that he landed on Aug. 14, 2021 to set the IGFA All-Tackle Length Record for the species. Dennis was fishing unguided on the Russian River in Alaska when the salmon struck a jig.

Sherbovich’s Arctic Char

Williams’ Chinook Salmon Bailey Williams was fishing with her husband on the Salmon River in Pulaski, New York on Sept. 12, 2021, when she landed this 12-pound, 12-ounce Chinook salmon. With this fish Bailey set the IGFA Women’s 2-kg (4-lb) Tippet Class World Record for the species. This beautiful salmon took an egg pattern on an 8-weight and was landed after a brief fight.

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On July 28, 2021, Ilya Sherbovich landed this beautiful 25-pound, 11-ounce Arctic char to set the IGFA Men’s 20-lb. Tippet Class World Record. Ilya was fishing the remote Taymyr Peninsula in northern Russia when he landed this amazing fish. The Taymyr Peninsula is located north of the Arctic circle, and is only accessible via helicopter. Ilya netted this colorful char after a seven-minute fight and released the fish after recording the proper documentation.

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It’s Snook Time

By: Eric Henson

irst and foremost, Happy New Year! I hope everyone has made their New Year's resolutions and that catching snook is at the top of your list. And if it isn't, it should be because this time of year can be quite productive and an absolute blast! Not only can you catch lots of them but you can also catch some absolute giants aka " Snookzillas". You just have to hone in on the right locations and understand the reasons they are hanging there, this time of year. PS I’m not sure why some of the words came out in a different font…lol! Snook are one of my favorite species of fish to target in Florida. There are actually about four different types of Snook: Snook Snook, Fat Snook, Swordspine Snook, and Tarpon Snook. Snook are mostly silver, have a distinct black lateral line, long face and have a huge bucket mouth with protruding lower jaw. In Florida they are predominantly found in Central and South Florida. They can be found way back in creeks and rivers all the way out to offshore reefs and wrecks. One of the things that is cool about them is that they’ve been known to subside in freshwater ponds and lakes. The main problem for Snook comes when water temps drop below 55-60 degrees. The weaker ones will begin to turn belly up! When Snook reach 18-22 inches, most of them will turn into

females. They like to spawn in the summer months where they will group up into huge schools in passes and inlets. It is an incredible site to see! This time of year, my favorite place to target them is in the backwaters like creeks and rivers. Look for these fish where you see any change in direction of the water. They will be facing into whatever direction the tide is coming from, waiting for their next meal. Also strong tides play a big role when Snook are feeding more heavily. Snook are not very picky when it comes to the size of the bait most times of year. I’ve caught them on large mullet and lady fish where the bait was literally over half the size of their body. With their huge bucket mouths, no bait is safe! But, this time of year I like to use smaller size baits. Some of my favorite artificial baits to use this time of year are the top-water baits like the Yo- Zuri Pencil and the Monster 3X X-SWIM. For live bait it would have to be a nice handpicked shrimp or even a little chunk of mullet during these colder months. The only thing I ask is to please release these fish with care and love; these incredible fish. Respect your fellow anglers. Tight lines and Tight Knots to everyone!

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FACEBOOK.COM/COASTALANGLERMAGAZINESARASOTA/ | JANUARY 2022 | SARASOTA / BRADENTON 1

Winter Season By: Capt. Armando Alejo

ith our winter season now in full swing and the holidays behind us, it is always our pleasure to have groups of friends, families and small parties come fish with us. Such was the case for a recent group we had aboard, Jorge, Danny and Ricky, two of which had never fished inshore before and both were swordfish fishermen! A short distance from the boat ramp I decided to stop at a fishing location where I thought some redfish may be, as they happen to be there just a few trips ago. It was literally Jorge's second cast when he hooked and fought an Southwest Florida redfish. Jorge was quick to share how exciting it was to fight such a hard fighting fish on our light tackle gear. That morning I challenged the team about reaching our boat limit of four redfish, within the first hour of the charter, and that we did! By 8:30 a.m. my crew had four redfish to the hand. Shortly thereafter, I took the crew North and West seeking black drum, deep into the backcountry. We made a stop, set our Power Poles and went to work on some drum. About an hour and a half in, the action heated up and my crew brought seventeen drum to the boat on some of the best drum action of the season. Additionally, we mixed our bag with some sheepshead, and a few over slot redfish and we closed the day with a good bag of drum! Fish with us this winter season! You can now book us directly through our new website; www.a2charters.com See you on the water.

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2 SARASOTA / BRADENTON | JANUARY 2022 | COASTALANGLERMAG.COM/SARASOTA/

This Winter’s Midlife By: Capt. Mike Manis

he conditions or elements we face won’t differ all that much from last month. That being wind and low tides. However, we can take advantage of these tides by getting set up when they’re low and then working the incoming. More specifically, the beginning of the incoming. In fact, this time of year between the improved visibility at this point and the aggressive nature of a hungry fish the sight fishing possibilities are unique. For the most part, because they’re tolerant to cold conditions I’ll concentrate on redfish. In many cases, there’s a good chance they’ll be on the small side, rat sized redfish. This is due in part because I’ll most likely find myself as far back in creek systems as I can get looking for dead end coves covered with sand bottom. That being said, I’ve seen more big redfish back in these systems lately than in years past. I’m hoping that’s a result of the closed seasons and a sign of things to come. After a couple cool months, this is a natural transition area for many of our game fish as they’ll move up into these areas to warm up as the sun heats the shallow sandy bottom. This includes sheepshead, spotted sea trout, and snook. Multiple months of cool weather is also why I also like the early incoming tide. Bait has been scarce for long enough that redfish will begin looking with some urgency. They feel the tide instantly and begin working up the creek or flat rushing to get

a shot at what was unobtainable on low water. The low tide has left the bottom terrain dry. Crabs and other crustaceans come out of hiding to feed. The fish know their chances are best early before the prey has a chance to vanish. Moreover, they’re confident and more vulnerable competing for food as they move in with the incoming. Out on the grass flats, spotted sea trout will be abundant. In two to four feet off the intracoastal from Lemon Bay to Pine Island Sound should fish well. They’ll eat a fly as well as any soft plastic and of course, live shrimp rigged with a popping cork. In the harbor, pompano can be found on the hard bottom just off Cape Haze Point. Also, keep an eye on your boat wake as you’re running outside the bar along the west wall. A ¼ ounce Nylure Bomber pompano jig is all you need. Sheepshead are everywhere and can be fished from land as well as the boat. The Placida trestle can be fished from both land and boat and the Boca Grande trestle is a popular spot by boat. Every dock, pier, underwater structure, and artificial reef will hold sheepshead. A fiddler crab or piece of shrimp is your best bet. Until next month, good tides.

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FACEBOOK.COM/COASTALANGLERMAGAZINESARASOTA/ | JANUARY 2022 | SARASOTA / BRADENTON 3

This Winter’s Midlife By: Capt. Bart Marx

ello fellow anglers, looking back at the fishing we had to rebound from the red tide and its aftereffects. Fish and Wildlife (FWC) changed some rules and reversed others. The state adjusted the length and bag limit in our area for speckled sea trout in SW Florida with a length / slot now being 15" to 19" and the bag limit is 3 per person or 6 per boat total. They still will let us have what I call a trophy one per person over the 19" length. You have a nice 24" fish and 2 between 15" and 19" that is your limit of 3 fish per person. And this month is a great time to target trout. There are several ways that you can target trout. They like to hang around grass flats and the edges of a sandbar and I like to drift over the grass along the areas that have patchy grass and sand holes. Trout like to lay along the edges of the grass as they blend in very well, this is where they like to ambush unsuspecting baits. You can use suspending lures like the Mirro Lure, mirrodine or catch 2000 both work well. Then there is the good old popping cork. You can find wooden ones, foam ones with wire or beads in them. I use a simple cigar bobber, buy the ones with the slot in it . This way you just keep a couple of them in your boat when you need it, pull the pins and slide it onto your line and adjust the depth you want your bait from the bobber put the pins back you are in business. No cutting and retying add a live shrimp on or even a Gulp shrimp. Drifting over the area you have scoped out, cast and pop the cigar bobber on the surface. So my theory

is if you pop the cork it sounds like a fish feeding on the surface, this gets the attention of the trout and all they see is a shrimp drifting down, or a gulp. This is food for them they will grab it and it is game on. Trout have a tender mouth if you pull them in too fast they will break off. Just use a little finesse, hold your rod tip up and reel enough to keep some bend in the pole and tension in the line. If you handle them, always wet your hands to hold them. Do not use a rag. It takes most of the slime off the fish and there is a good chance it will get bacteria and not survive. I use the danco de-hooker made for baits on a Sabiki rig as it fits in your pocket and used properly there is minimal impact to the fish. When you bring the fish up to the boat, have the line in one hand with the fish on it and using your other hand with the de-hooker, the curved part of the tool slides down the line to the curved part of the hook. This is when you hold the fish between your hands hanging, pull the line tight so it makes a straight line and tight. Flip the fish over into the water as the tool is still kept tight and straight. If it is of size use a tool to hold the fish to measure it and be as gentle as you can with these as they are our future stock. After you catch a few you will be able to tell if they are of size or not. Trout are good eating fish. To me they are great fried in butter with salt and pepper, maybe a little garlic too.

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4 SARASOTA / BRADENTON | JANUARY 2022 | COASTALANGLERMAG.COM/SARASOTA/

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Trout Tough

By: Joe Sheaffer

inter in SWFL is known for beautiful weather conditions. Sure, it is a bit cooler and dry but compared to the rest of the country it can be ridiculously awesome. Beautiful conditions during this time of year can be amazing but fishing can be a challenge. High skies, cooler water temperatures, clearer water and lower tides can make for tough fishing conditions. The cold fronts seem to pass through on a regular basis causing many of our inshore species to shut down normal feeding behavior. Tough conditions call for a different mindset, thinking outside the box and figuring out different strategies. During these challenging conditions, Spotted Sea Trout can save a day on the water. I’m sure they aren’t crazy about the conditions but they can be agreeable when other species are having a hard time adjusting or we can’t get to backwater areas because of the lower tide conditions. Searching deeper edges

along grass flats, channels or passes usually will yield those speckled gems. Usually figuring out the depth is the challenge, sometimes they are feeding towards the surface but many times they are hanging around deeper potholes. Another positive, Trout usually are willing to bite quite a few presentations. I usually have a couple, fishing rods rigged with different sizes jigs and paddle tails. An ⅛ oz jig, a 3/16 oz jig and depending on the current or tide a ¼ oz jig. Natural colored paddle tails work great, whites, watermelon, root beer to name a few. Just the other day, I was fishing with a good friend. We fished different areas, mangroves, points and funnel areas without a bite. We moved out to a deeper flat and focused on deeper holes. We caught plenty of Trout and had a great day. When conditions are tough, Trout tough days can make for a great day on the water. Good luck and keep casting.

FACEBOOK.COM/COASTALANGLERMAGAZINESARASOTA/ | JANUARY 2022 | SARASOTA / BRADENTON 5

Welcome Back! By: Capt. Dave Stephens

appy New Year to all the fine folk's that have come back to South West Florida. I hope you had an outstanding summer fishing your home waters. So far, we have had some fronts that have pushed down on us. We normally don't experience water temps that drop below 70 degrees until January and this year we have had some cooler than normal weather. I myself do not find this to be a bad thing. It just means that us as anglers need to adjust our technique. We need to adjust the species that we target, and how we fish for them. If our waters drop below 70, and stay on that decline. That means that our snook fishery is done until things begin to warm up. However, a fishery that thrives during our cooler weather is sea trout. When mother nature decides to throw us a curve ball, we move to deeper waters. Fortunately for us we have probably more man-made canals, other than Miami than any other place in Florida. We also are fortunate to have rivers all around us. These areas are estuaries that our fish move to during cooler weather. What is another big species of fish that benefits from South West Florida having a colder than normal winter? If you guessed sheep head, well you got it correct. These striped bait thieves are often confused with a freshwater drum that is caught up north. Well the sheep heads

that we target during the winter months are actually in the porgy family. They are a family of fish that feed heavily on crustaceans and hang around areas with heavy structure. Areas like old docks, seawalls with old rock riff raff are prime areas to locate these guys. During the winter months is the spawning season for these guys, so finding large schools can be easy, if you know where to look. The biggest advice I can give is don't be afraid to move. If you’re not getting bites move on to the next location. Baits such as shrimp, and fiddler crabs work the best. I also recommend using a small hook on light line, with just enough weight to keep contact with the bottom. These guys didn't get painted with black and white stripes for nothing, make sure you bring plenty bait. Winter time can be a great time to fish, you just need to adjust your approach. You also may need to slow down a bit. As our water cools down, our fish tend to slow down also. If you would like to enjoy some of South West Florida's finest fishing? Give us a call or send an email. All of our charters are private and customized to fit your and your party's needs.

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Just Kickin Back Charters By: Capt. Philip Watson

anuary is here and things start to slow down a little. Typically, this time of year you want to leave a little bit later than you're used to, so the water has a chance to warm up a bit. Some fish will fire up when it's cold like Gag grouper and hogfish but for the most part a fish's metabolism will slow down and they won't have to eat as much to keep going. One sure bet this time of year is our Grunt and Porgy bite. These fish are often overlooked not because they don't taste good but because they are just so darn common. Both of these fish have flaky white fillets, and I guarantee if you cook a grunt next to a mangrove snapper you will never know the difference. For a good grunt bite, I like to find a big rock on a piece for hard bottom, a ledge will work too. These fish will react to other fish eating. Usually once you get a couple to bite they almost form an assembly line waiting to come up. Porgy's typically like a flat hard bottom. Target large pieces

of bottom, these fish like to cruise around but are rarely alone. Baits in the winter will mainly be squid but if you're targeting other species shrimp will also work great too. This month's highlighted trip was with the Wayson crew. We had no real target, just an agenda to fill the cooler and have fun doing it. The weather was completely flat, so we pointed west and stopped on some ledges 25 miles west of Anna Maria Island. Once I was anchored and rigged we started firing shrimp down in hopes of the ever illusive Hogfish, but we could shake the mangrove snapper (what a good problem). In between our insane mangrove bite, we were able to manage a few nice gag groupers and some catch and release amberjacks. The Waysons were a great crew who can really but fish in the boat.

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FACEBOOK.COM/COASTALANGLERMAGAZINESARASOTA/ | JANUARY 2022 | SARASOTA / BRADENTON 7

Nice trout caught on a recent trip!

Spearfishing with No Strings Attached!

By: Capt. Chad Carney

ost divers shoot spearguns with tethered shafts, but some have been shooting Hawaiian Slings, with bare spears, for decades. In 1948, Art Pinder stoned a 7 ft & 56 # Atlantic Sailfish, with his sling and the press printed the photo nationwide. A few years later the slinging Pinder brothers won team and individual US Nationals Championships and made the cover of Sports Illustrated, a feat never repeated. I started spearfishing in 1972, with marginal success with line shafting. After seeing Jim Zumwalt, another US National Champion, freeshafting his Seahornet speargun. I too shed my line, and by the way Jim and Gary Zumwalt are the only father and son spearos to both win the Athlete of the Year Award. I found that like slings, freeshaft spearguns greatly increase accuracy and can double a gun’s range and a faster shot with a single strong band. Freeshafting is very simple and because of that my well-aged Seahornet speargun can compete with today’s newer guns. Reloading can be as fast as 5 seconds and allow a killshot on wounded fish. Line guns take 10 or 20 times more, to reload. I designed shaft holders to

carry up to 3 shafts on my gun and a thin bright light. A freeshaft can be pulled through a fish instantly after stringing it. Entangled shooting lines can be very dangerous, but not freeshafts. Changing a bent lineshaft and tether is a tedious boat task. Lineshafts typically use 2 to 3 bands or more, expensive double barb tips, with some detachable. A freeshaft is a sharpened spear with a single lockout barb. My largest fish and my buddies have all fallen to freeshafts, mostly bottom dwellers like grouper, snappers and hogfish which rock up when shot. But many pelagic fish like AJs and cobia have been freeshafted near bottom. Most all my Bahamas fish fell to freeshaft slings. Some new slings now have lines and reels but they do slow your shot. Lineshafts have their place when it’s bottomless and for Bluewater fish like tuna, wahoo, african pompano etc. I recommend practice freeshaft shooting on flattened aluminum cans. You’re going to love it!

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Fishing the Glades By: Capt. Travis Freeman

appy New Year and here’s some local knowledge about fishing in this beautiful area known as the Everglades National Park, located in SW Florida about 30 miles east of Naples and 20 miles east of Marco island. I’ve been catching and how I’ve been catching redfish, snook, sea trout, mangrove snapper, pompano and many more species. For starters it is January and the water temperature is down in the mid 60’s which is cold for the Gulf of Mexico. Sea trout are all over the grassy areas along the near shores of the gulf and I like using an 1/8oz jig head with a 3 or 4 inch short plastic paddle tail bait. Colors don’t seem to matter when targeting these sea trout, and they are always a blast to catch and super satisfying for the kids. Redfish like to hangout around structures and oyster bars especially this time of the year. I pretty much always use live shrimp with a popping cork. Use 30 to 40-pound mono leader with a #4 J hook and make sure you make the leader about 3ft. You don’t want it any longer cause your bait will drag the bottom and which defeats the purpose of using a popping cork. You can always cast jigs or soft plastics all along the mangroves or different structures and you will have success. As for snook this time of year, I like to fish in the backcountry of the Everglades throwing mirror lures and jigs all around and under the mangroves. I always have successful

days throughout the winter while using this technique. I usually have live pilchards or finger mullet 3 to 4 inches in length hooked on a #4 J hook with a 1/4oz sinker just above the hook, tide to 40lb monofilament leader again about 3ft of leader. I will also use a popping cork at times for big snook if I am fishing in 3 to 5ft of water. When fishing around the oyster bars it seems I am always in 5ft of water or less. Let’s not forget about sheepshead and mangrove snapper because they are all over right now. Any type of rocks, channel markers, oyster bars and so forth will have plenty of sheeps head and snapper to catch. The trick to catching them is using very light monofilament leader(20lb) also it is very important to use a small hook. I like the (#2 J hook) with a small 1/4oz egg weight just above the hook and for bait use live or dead shrimp. Take a smaller shrimp or just a piece of the tail and put it on the hook and you will get a nibble before you know it! Let’s not forget about the environment and the beautiful surroundings we get to see while cruising and fishing though the 10,000 islands, beaches, sawgrass and so much more that the Everglades has to offer.

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FACEBOOK.COM/COASTALANGLERMAGAZINESARASOTA/ | JANUARY 2022 | SARASOTA / BRADENTON 9

Slow Pitch Jigging Rods By: Diogo Yamada

here are many different qualities between the different brands of rods available on the market. Some qualities you will only find in super-premium brand rods. However, the prices of these rods follow the quality and the material used. As a first rod for the beginners of Slow Pitch Jigging it will not need such a high investment. We can divide slow pitch jigging rods into three categories, for different needs: 1) Beginner: Because they are more sensitive, they are also more fragile. Slow pitch jigging rods break more easily when not used at the correct angulation or with inappropriate fighting techniques. For this first reason, until the angler adapts to these differences in the use of the rod, I always recommend entry level and less expensive rods with the basic characteristics, that is: a good resilience on the blank, a comfortable handle and good quality guides that support the high abrasion of multifilament lines. An excellent suggestion for this category is the Kanabo Stick XL stick from Oni Works, with a suggested value of $199. This rod has all the necessary qualities including FUJI Reel Seat and FUJI SIC guides for you to start in Slow Pitch Jigging. 1) Intermediary: Intermediate rods are manufactured in series but already have all the characteristics of high-end rods, such as high modulus carbon blanks, with a high resilience that provide greater control in deeper waters and stronger marine currents and better guides. As an example of rods for the intermediate category, I can indicate the Temple Reef Gravitate and the Maxel Risk Player 60. 2) Advanced: With experience comes the challenge of fishing in deeper

waters and catching fish that in a normal situation would be practically impossible to catch with such light material. For this category it is already necessary to use a very specific and very sensitive stick. High end rods are craftsmanship, with material of excellent resilience, sensitivity and finesse. Always using the best blanks, guides and components available on the market. Another characteristic of the high-end rods is the adaptability in different sea conditions. They adapt perfectly to any difficult situation, such as strong currents, cross currents and deep waters and also adapt to the angler, being able to be applied from fast, punchy, long, slow and soft movements. Among the high-end rods, we can mention the desired Deep Liner Logical 60 and the Garage Nagi Cross Border. There are also other models of slow pitch jigging rods for different uses and conditions, requiring several pages of text for a more detailed explanation. If you want to learn more about Slow Pitch Jigging and other Japanese Fishing Techniques, come to visit Diogo Yamada at The Fisherman`s Hut, in Bradenton, Florida.

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10 SARASOTA / BRADENTON | JANUARY 2022 | COASTALANGLERMAG.COM/SARASOTA/

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Cortez, FL - Jan 2022

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