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Three Days For Atlantic Snapper PHOTO BY CAPT. BLAKE RIGBY COURTESY OF TRIPLETAIL CHARTERS WWW.TRIPLETAILCHARTERS.COM VOLUME 26 • ISSUE 316

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JULY 2021

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very once in a while a timepiece comes along that’s so incredibly good looking, masterfully equipped and jaw-droppingly priced, that it stops us stone cold. A watch that can take you seamlessly from the 18th hole to the board room. A watch that blurs the line betweens sports watch and dress watch. We’re talking the Blue Stone Chronograph, and it sits at the top of the discerning gentleman’s watch list. Striking in appearance and fully equipped with features, this is a watch of substance. The Blue Stone merges the durability of steel with the precision of crystal movement that’s accurate to 0.2 seconds a day. Both an analog and digital watch, the Blue Stone keeps time with pinpoint accuracy in two time zones. The watch’s handsome steel blue dial seamlessly blends an analog watch face with a stylish digital display. It’s a stopwatch, calendar, and alarm. Plus, the Blue Stone resists water up to 30 meters, making it up for water adventures. A watch with these features would easily cost you thousands if you shopped big names. But overcharging to justify an inflated brand name makes us blue in the face. Which is why we make superior looking and performing timepieces priced to please. Decades of experience in engineering enables Stauer to put quality on your wrist and keep your money in your pocket.

Your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed. Experience the Blue Stone Chronograph for 30 days. If you’re not convinced you got excellence for less, send it back for a refund of the item price. Time is running out. Originally priced at $395, the Blue Stone Chronograph was already generating buzz among watch connoisseurs, but with the price slashed to $69, we can’t guarantee this limited-edition timepiece will last. So, call today!

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n the era of the coronavirus, outdoor recreation has become an important survival tool. Last year, the boating industry saw a record number of new boat owners. Both new boaters and seasoned boaters changed their habits to social distance while making the most of their love for the recreational outlet. According to a survey of 3,500 boaters by Sea Tow Services International, this trend is expected to continue into the 2021 summer season. Pandemic-influenced boating behavior: • 52 percent of boaters surveyed anticipate their boating activity to increase this summer compared to last. • 20 percent cite the pandemic as the reason for extending their boating season again in 2021. • 24 percent plan to vacation on/by boat (versus other forms of travel) because of the pandemic. • 35 percent plan to use their boat primarily for cruising near their home. • 16 percent upgraded to a larger boat in 2020 or plan to do so in 2021. • 52 percent plan to use their boat primarily for fishing (65 percent inshore/30 percent offshore/5 percent freshwater). • 30 percent have found it more difficult to find dockage and/or marina space. “Our member survey has typically been a very strong indicator for seasonal recreational boating trends,” said Kristen Frohnhoefer, President of Sea Tow. “Last year, Sea Tow saw a 34 percent increase in requests for on-water assistance in the summer of 2020, and our nationwide network of captains are anticipating another busy season for 2021.” With the sale of a record number of new boats in over a decade and an influx of new boaters, Sea Tow noted that in 2020 owners of new boats were 142 percent more likely to need ungrounding services, 108 percent more likely to need fuel delivered to them and 11.2 percent more likely to need a battery jump. Alternately, new boat owners are 22 percent less likely to need a tow. “These numbers are very interesting,” Frohnhoefer said, “They reflect the fact that new boaters are not yet familiar with things like shifting sandbars and hard to navigate channels, or how to manage their fuel, like their more seasoned counterparts–which is getting them into trouble and causing them to call us for assistance. But likewise, these stats demonstrate what we’ve been saying all along—that when it comes to new boats, on-water assistance typically is needed due to user error, not mechanical failure, as newer boats and engines are more reliable than ever before.” With the number of new boaters recreating on the water, the need for boating education has never been more important. Sixty-nine percent of boaters surveyed are looking for more advice on local navigational assistance, mishap prevention and general boating basics. “2021 is sure to be another banner year for boating,” said Frohnhoefer, “We’ll find out real soon if these trends for recreational boating activity are in fact here to stay.” For more on Sea Tow, visit www.seatow.com.

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JULY 2021

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TIPS TO DIAL IN RIVER-RUN BASS S

By Nick Carter

triped bass don’t stay in the same place long. Huge spring runs up the Atlantic Coast and into freshwater rivers to spawn is natural behavior for stripers. Even fish trapped by dams in inland reservoir systems retain a strong urge to move. Across the east, wherever reservoir striped bass exist, the movement begins as a spring spawning run. Fish push out of the lakes and as far up creeks and rivers as they can go. This spring run is followed by a larger summer migration, when stripers pile into the rivers seeking more comfortable water conditions. Here are a few tips from the pros for dialing in river-run stripers. • Make Shots Count: “Fish good water, and fish it well,” said Bill Stranahan. Stranahan guides with Southeastern Anglers, and the striper run on Tennessee’s Hiwassee River is a summertime staple. Fishing the Hiwassee run is like deer hunting. You’re fishing hard for a few bites from monster fish that get up into the 40-pound range. “Look for good structure, whether its wood, shoals or rock faces,” Stranahan said. “When you’re on that good structure, don’t rush it. You can spook ’em with a bad throw, so take your time and make good shots.” Whether you’re throwing streamers with a fly rod or swimbaits with conventional gear, Stranahan warned against locking into the big bait, big fish theory. “We all know stripers will chase down big 6-, 7-, 8-, 9-inch skipjack and gizzard shad, but don’t forget your smaller baits,” he said. “A lot of their forage base is 4 inches or less. There’s a time and a place for fishing small stuff.” • Fish it All: Rob “Mustache” Smith, of The Fish Hawk in Atlanta, has guided the Chattahoochee River striper run for two decades or more. He knows all the hotspots where there are always fish. He also knows those spots

PHOTO COURTESY OF GARNER REID

get a ton of pressure. Smith said to slow down and fish all the likely structure instead of rushing to areas where you’ve caught fish before. “If you’re on the river, fish everything,” he said. “Those fish are constantly moving, and you’d be surprised at the fish you’re passing when you’re rushing to get to that one little area. Fish it all, and fish it like you expect a fish on every cast.” • Move Some Water: “When they’re in the river, those fish are laid up in ambush,” said Garner Reid, who made his name guiding fly fishers to big Georgia stripers on the Etowah River. “You’re drawing reaction strikes, and what triggers them is a fly that looks like it’s wounded or fleeing.” Reid said it’s easy to get sloppy with the retrieve when you’re blind casting all day. He reminds anglers that it takes an aggressive presentation to move some water, cause a little commotion and trigger a striped bass’s predatory instinct. “Use the current and the swing to enhance your strip,” he said. “Make that fly hunt for you.” Visit Southeastern Anglers at www.southeasternanglers.com. See The Fish Hawk website at thefishhawk.com. Call Garner Reid at (770) 866-0301.

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JULY 2021

NATIONAL 7

THREE CLUES TO

Mahi Mahi By Capt. Quinlyn Haddon

ahi fishing can be tricky in some places and times of year. They congregate under floating material adrift in the current, leaving them with no fixed address within an area of greatly variable depths. If you are fortunate enough to be able to target dolphinfish along the Gulf Stream this summer, you are in the right place at the right time. You shouldn’t have much trouble filling your cooler and even maxing out on the generous daily bag limit of this species. Head out to target mahi with a full tank of fuel. Assume you will have to run far and wide to find them, but hope to get lucky along the way. Recruit everyone on board to remain on the look out for the three telltale mahi hangouts: weeds, birds and floaters. Weeds can be productive whether they are formed tightly in a line, or even a tight patch. Birds can be a great sign of actively feeding fish at the surface, but they can also just be birds being birds. Learn to read them properly to avoid wasting time. A group of circling birds or diving birds is what you want to look for, and the more the better. Sometimes, a bird that’s on fish will flicker in the sun, reflecting the sunlight in a sporadic pattern as it moves its body to stay on top of something it has spotted under the surface. Circling frigate birds are always a good sign. If you see one even attempt a dive, start trolling immediately. Floaters can be anything floating in the water, from debris to sea turtles. When you find floaters in open water, it doesn’t take long to feel out if it is productive or not. If you happen to see all three of these goldmines come together, with birds diving around debris sucked to a weedline, troll the ever loving shi…mano out of it. When trolling for mahi, you won’t need to run more than four lines. Troll two small lures long, ideally on the outriggers, to draw in smaller dolphin. Troll one medium lure or ballyhoo at mid-length, and one large lure close. Dolphinfish have the mentality of a toddler. When you reel one to the boat, leave the fish in the water, put your rod in the rod holder, and cast out behind the hooked fish. The school should have followed your mahi to the boat, and with their mahi-see, mahi-do mentality, they’ll all want to partake in snack time. Continue hooking mahi and leave them in the water until you run out of available rods to cast. Start by putting one fish in the boat, but don’t take the second out of the water until the first rod has gone back out and hooked another fish. Try switching from live bait to chunk bait to keep them eating. If they don’t slam a bait as soon as it hits the water, try twitching the bait. Even a completely healthy and well-presented live bait sometimes isn’t as enticing as one that’s getting yanked away from them. Mahi will eat nearly anything, especially if you know how to taunt them properly. One of the biggest challenges in catching them is trolling through weeds. Weeds that cling to your lures is a pain to manage on the deck, while constantly clearing lines, and you also miss a lot of opportunities to catch fish. All lures catch weeds, the determining factor is whether they shed those weeds. Deep diving lures that never breach the surface are not your friend in this situation. Lightweight, squid-skirted lures do an excellent job of popping out of the water when bogged down with weeds. Most times, they clear themselves of weeds. Blue Magic Charters makes their own 3D-printed lures designed to troll in weeds. Visit them in Marathon, Fla., and ask us about their DR. BUBBLES lures. Capt. Quinlyn Haddon fishes with Blue Magic Charters in Marathon, Fla. Contact her at (504) 920-6342 and visit CaptainQuinlyn.com.

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RHODAN: TOTAL GAME CHANGER FOR GROUPER

Tim Barefoot

here was a time—not too long ago— when only a select few would consistently come home with grouper, and not just “bottom fish.” There were several reasons for this. First and foremost, not everyone wanted to learn and spend the energy it took to learn to anchor. Anchoring accurately is an art form not mastered by all, but when mastered, it is the gateway to consistently catching grouper. Rhodan trolling motors, with their GPS Anchor systems, have made it so anyone can have a shot at catching grouper and not just all the other species down on the bottom. It’s one thing to have a trolling motor with “Spot Lock” that will hold position in a small bay boat, but Rhodan made the tool for serious offshore

boats to sit on the same place without using the anchor. Partner this Rhodan with a couple 36 volt lithium deep-cycle batteries, like Dakota, Ionic or Lithium Pros on a battery switch, and you have the tools it takes to score. Rhodan is just one aspect of what it takes to go grouper fishing, and not just “bottom fishing.” The way I set the dinner table for a grouper on every ledge is to have everyone on the boat sending down whole squid on the first five or six drops. I don’t care what they’re catching during this “chumming exercise,” because chumming is exactly what we’re doing. We’re getting one spot on the bottom chummed up with little pieces of squid swirling around. The smell and sound of an ongoing feeding

frenzy draws in the top of the food chain in no time at all. This is the point when we start to grouper fish. Yes, I’ve caught a lot of grouper on the whole squid, also, but this part of the routine is strictly to get the party started. Once it’s going, we drop live baits that none of the grunts, pinkies or sea bass can fit in their mouths. The smaller fish just hang out looking at these bigger baits and hoping for scraps. This is when grouper see four or five live baits on the bottom attached to Squid or Crab Decoy Jigs. To them, it’s a no-brainer. The sight of a grass grunt, pinfish or sailor’s choice struggling against the weight of the jig is more than a grouper can understand. They are hardwired to eat these fish that eat their eggs. The live bait and Decoy Jig combo gets the bite because a struggling bait is a “gimme.” Also, while you’ve got those grouper lines on the bottom, don’t forget to send a light out near the surface. Bait it with a live or frozen bait to catch pelagics like kingfish, dolphin, wahoo or tuna that happen to be swimming past. What does this all have to do with the Rhodan? Well, Rhodan’s powerful and precise GPS anchoring eliminates drift without all the aggravation and hard work of anchoring. Let Rhodan change your game by allowing you to concentrate on the fish while it keeps the boat in place! See more from Capt. Tim Barefoot, of Barefoot Cats and Tackle, at barefootcatsandtackle.com.

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LIFE IS A BEACH S By Richard L. Matteson

The

Weeds G3 Sportsman 1810

argassum is a brown seaweed with berry-like bladders that at times covers the beaches and is washed into the lagoon around the inlets. Recent fishing at the beach has proven difficult because of the large mats of sargassum. Piles of sargassum are dumped on the beach at high tide and those same piles are pulled back into the ocean with the next high tide. The good thing is baitfish like to hang around sargassum—it protects them from predator fish. Sometimes the fishing is better with sargassum in the water. Conventional crocodile silver spoons with treble hooks do not work at all; they get hung up and you drag seaweed in on every cast. All your conventional crankbaits with treble hooks won’t work either. What to do? You simply have to fish lures with single hooks and use weedless spoons. The Johnson 3-inch weedless spoon is a regular bass and redfish lure. If you want to spice it up, use a pork rind or plastic trailer. This is a deadly lure for any saltwater fish. I like gold, but silver works too. Yo-Zuri makes crankbaits with a single hook, and you can also take off the front hook and put a weedless hook on the back of any crankbait. This might affect the action and takes some tinkering, but it keeps you from catching so many weeds. My favorite lure is a DOA 3/16-ounce jig with a 4-inch shad tail. Surprisingly, unless you fish it deep or hit a large mat of seaweeds, the jigs do not get hung up much. I just caught a nice snook in the weeds this week by popping the jig off the bottom. Sure, you’ll get hung up sometimes, but the jigs can be fished near the surface and usually come up clean. Try a topwater. Now is the time for great topwater action. Most of the time you can maneuver your topwater lures around the weed masses. If it’s bad, just take off the front treble hook and replace the back hook with a single hook. You can use a weedless hook, but it’s usually not necessary. You won’t have many weed problems with topwater, anyway. I like Skitter Walks in trout color and gold Zara Spooks. Lots of Sargassum on the beach? No problem. Switch to weedless or single hooks and catch the big ones feeding on the bait in the weeds. Richard L. Matteson Jr., of the Stuart Rod and Reel Club, is a regular contrinutor to Coastal Angler Magazine. Call him at (336) 414-3440.

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First Winner Named in State’s Largest Fishing Competition

n just the second week of this year’s STAR competition, CCA Florida has named the first verified winner in the CCA Florida STAR West Marine Tagged Redfish Division. After catching his tagged redfish, Ken Clarke, of Fort Pierce, selected a prize package from Contender Boats and Yamaha Outboards valued at more than $80,000. It will be awarded to him during the STAR Awards ceremony on Oct. 9 in Crystal River. A CCA Florida STAR registrant and CCA Florida member, Clarke caught the 20-inch redfish while fishing from a dock with live shrimp near St. Lucie Village on June 10. Clarke immediately notified the organization to begin the verification process. “I read the rules and knew I needed to follow them. Only after I submitted my catch through the STAR app, did the real excitement begin to set in,” Clarke said. “I’m still in shock and incredibly fortunate to be the first registered angler to win. I can’t wait to take out my new Contender 2200 Sport with 200HP Yamaha motor on the water.” This year, 160 West Marine Tagged Redfish were released across Florida’s coastal waters on average four per coastal county with Brevard, Charlotte and Citrus counties being Destination Counties with eight tagged fish each. Remaining prizes in the division include a Pathfinder 2200 TRS with Minn Kota trolling motor, Humminbird

electronics and a Spyder FX19 Vapor all powered by Yamaha. Additionally, STAR’s other tagged division, the Tigress Outriggers & Gear Tagged Dolphin Division, will award $10,000 to the first registrant to catch a tagged dolphin. Unlike traditional fishing competitions, CCA Florida STAR presented by Yamaha focuses on conservation and offers $500,000 in prizes and scholarships during the 101-day event. As a “catchphoto-release” competition, STAR’s smart phone app eliminates the requirement for anglers to harvest or capture and transport fish. “Our state’s fisheries are here for everyone’s enjoyment, and CCA Florida understands that smart fishing can help restore, preserve and improve marine habitats and water quality for today and tomorrow,” said CCA Florida STAR Director Leiza Fitzgerald. “Implementing a catchphoto-release competition is just one way to continue fulfilling our organization’s mission and protect our coastal waterways.” STAR is also focused on youth participation, with its Youth Scholarship Division presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors offering more than $100,000 in scholarships. Youth anglers (ages 6-17) can register for free with a current CCA Florida youth membership. Prizes for the first two youth anglers in the West Marine Tagged Redfish Division include a Salt Marsh Skiff 1656 powered

with a Yamaha 40 HP motor and trailer, and the first registered youth angler who catches one of 20 tagged dolphin (mahi mahi) is eligible to win a $10,000 scholarship in the Tigress Outrigger & Gear Tagged Dolphin Division. The STAR competition includes 17 divisions and 12 species, and most winners are determined by random drawing, giving anglers of all ages and skill levels the opportunity to win. Registration is $40 for current CCA Florida members or $75 for non-members.

Because every ﬁsh could be a winner!

CATCH. PHOTO. RELEASE. WIN. MAY 29 TO SEPTEMBER 6 inner First W home to take ER! TEND CON NEW

CCA Florida STAR is the largest family-friendly saltwater ﬁshing competition in Florida, and it’s unlike traditional ﬁshing tournaments.

• $500,000 in Prizes & Scholarships

• West Marine Tagged Redﬁsh Prizes Include Boat, Motor & Trailer Packages • 1st Tagged Tigress Dolphin/Mahi Mahi Wins $10,000 cash • 101 days of ﬁshing $40 entry for current CCA members. All others add $35 for one year membership.

• Prizes for Additional Non-Tagged Non Species Snook, Trout, Redfish, Grouper, Kingfish, Dolphin, Tarpon & Lionfish

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JULY 2021

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TAMPA BAY FISHING REPORT BY: CAPT. WOODY GORE

e’re seeing plenty of singles and doubles of redfish around the usual haunts. If you come across a large school of mullet, you’ll usually find a redfish nosing around inside the school. Either live or dead bait works, but I’m finding dead bait and a rod holder is working very well. You can expect some great action on incoming tides for those who like pitching soft plastics and topwater lures around the mangroves.

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For spotted sea trout, you might try suspending a shrimp under a popping cork with a medium split-shot about 8 inches ahead of a 1/0 circle hook. Work the cork by popping it, letting it set a moment, then popping it again. If that’s not working, remove the cork and freeline a greenback or shrimp over some deep grass. Topwater popping plugs or soft plastic jerk baits over any broken bottom grass flat can offer artificial anglers some excellent action. I can’t say enough about the big mackerel showing up all over the Bay. They’re feeding on anchovies, threadfins and greenbacks. Hang a chum block over the side and throw some cut chunks of threadfins or greenbacks up-current and get ready. There are reports of a few cobia being spotted and caught around the Bay. Most are cruising markers or following big rays or manatees around the flats. If you net your bait, keep a few smaller pinfish and use them for the cobia. There are plenty of tarpon at the Skyway and on the beaches. Large greenbacks, threadfins, or a crab should do the trick. If you’re casting to them, use a rod and reel combo that allows for a long-distance cast. Snook season is closed until September in Tampa Bay. So, you might want to think about giving them a rest during the closed season and try one of the other species throughout Tampa Bay. Give me a call and let’s go fishing . Capt. Woody Gore operates Tampa Bay’s #1 Outdoor Fishing Guide Service, guiding and fishing Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater areas for over fifty years. He offers first-class customer service, family-oriented charters and a lifetime of memories. Visit his website www.captainwoodygore.com, Email: fishing@captainwoodygore.com or call 813-477-3814

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JULY 2021

TAMPA 1

ST. PETE REPORT BY: CAPT. ANTHONY CORCELLA

AMERICAN RED SNAPPER SEASON IS HERE

irst, you need to know where to find the red snapper. Here on the west coast, you need to be in at least 150 feet of water to get into decent size keepers. For the truly big scaley dogs, you need to push out to 200 feet or more. Almost any hard bottom at those depths will hold snapper. Also, the pipe line is a good place to start looking, once you hit 150 feet of water. A bonus you can add to the mix of red snapper is big gags, scamp and red grouper. Gags opened up June 1st. All of the above will hit pinfish, frozen sardines, cut bait and a variety of jigs. We like Hookup bait jigs. For tackle, you need to gear up for the size of fish you’re targeting. The minimum would be a 5000-size spinner with 20-pound braid on a 7-foot rod with a slow tip. For bigger fish, a 4/0 with 50-pound braid will work. And, for the monsters out past 200 feet, a 6/0 loaded with 80-pound braid is needed to land the beast at those depths. If you’re at the right depth but not getting any action, look around with your bottom machine until you see the cloud of snapper. They are out there. Good luck and tight lines. What makes our charter service unique is that we cater to disabled veterans and wheel chair bound clients! Our boat is able to accommodate wheelchairs and is ADA compliant. IF YOU’RE A DISABLED VETERAN, YOUR TRIP IS FREE! This is our way of giving back to our veterans. Capt. Anthony Corcella, Pocket Change Inshore Fishing Charter - 727-432-6446 www.pocketchangefishingcharters.com | Check us out on Facebook

2 TAMPA

JULY 2021

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TALES FROM THE TUPPERWARE NAVY BY: BRUCE BUTLER

elcome back Yak fan. This month’s story (as promised) is a continuation of last month’s “Finding the Right Kayak” and looks into the current evolution and kayak design. Pedal, power or paddle, choose what’s right for you and the type of fishing you do--by that I mean the type of water you normally fish. As a disclaimer, my opinions are based on my personal prejudices due to where I primarily fish, Florida’s pristine Nature Coast, which means lots of super skinny water fishing. So, onto pedal power. When it comes to pedal kayaks, for me, the first name on the list is Hobie, though several other manufacturers are producing them. What do they offer? First is hands-free fishing. This is a huge benefit, but it comes at a cost. Second is speed and the ability to cover long distances. Third is the ability to stand up (which I have to admit I’m jealous of), but with my equilibrium I’m probably screwed anyway. Another plus is ample storage, including rod holders and equipment racks. Now the downside. First is price. You can sink several thousand dollars into one of these in a New York minute! Second is weight. A loaded up Hobie, as well as others, can weigh well in excess of a hundred pounds. Throwing them up on a roof rack isn’t for the faint-hearted. I know I wouldn’t want to do it, and I’ve got a load assist device from Malone Racks. I strongly suggest using a trailer or a pickup truck for the heavier kayaks-if for no other reason than to save your back. My biggest drawback is both the blessing and the curse of the drive system. I’ve fished ultra skinny many times, and I literally put my foot over the side as an anchor--and the drive system won’t easily go that shallow. Also, oyster bars (which are everywhere on my coast) will take out a drive system in a heartbeat--and that gets expensive! I know the drive system lifts out, but then most pedal drives paddle like a log wagon. Having said that, on the other coast, I found them to be an excellent platform. Deeper bays, rivers and lakes are where this type of boat really shines.

Next is powered kayaks. These serve their purpose very well in the same applications as a pedal drive. With several hours of range and good speeds, these can make cruising a pleasure. The drawback is that every time I’ve fished with someone with a motor, they want to fish like a flats boat--always cruising. In my way of thinking, that’s not kayak fishing--it’s not wrong, it’s just different. The weight and price of these can vary widely, depending on whether it’s an integrated system (in other words built in) or an add-on. One thing to note once you put a motor on, you will be required to register it and put numbers on it. Just so you know! And next is paddle kayaks. This segment of kayaks brings many models and manufacturers to the table and has evolved rapidly over the last decade or so, to say the least. When I first started kayak fishing, around 1980, you basically had three choices--fiberglass, wood or inflatable. True, there was the original, but I didn’t know any Eskimos. The angler model kayaks are available to fit almost any budget and can be set up with all the usual equipment and mods. Again, there are models that you can stand up in and, with the new seating, that’s now available. They are a lot more comfortable than in the past. Portability is excellent, as we’ve all seen out on the road--sometimes we wonder how it stays up there. One important point. Be sure to match the yak with the task. In this case, size matters. I recommend a 12 to 14-foot. Even a 14-foot yak is easy to throw in at your favorite spot along the road. Well, that’s it for this month. Happy Fourth of July y’all. Till next time, Bruce. Indian Bay Outfitters is Hernando County’s premier fishing guide with full and half-day charters available. Kayaks, tackle and gear are provided. Just bring your lucky hat and a good attitude, and be ready to see some pristine shoreline and great fishing. | Bruce Butler “The Stumbling Gypsy” (352) 4285347 Bruce@IndianBayOutfitters.com | Web: www.IndianBayOutfitters.com

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JULY 2021

TAMPA 3

SOUTH SHORE TAMPA BAY REPORT BY: CAPT. CHRISTOPHER TAYLOR

he heat is on and so is the bite. July is the month for half day trips in the morning and long siestas in the afternoon. Many anglers find new friends in cloud cover and light breezes. Knowing the feeding patterns of fish in relation to the time of day and tidal movement is key. Sometimes, during mid-day, when the heat is at its worst, can be the best time to catch fish. Many fish will be found on the flats during incoming tides and high water. When the tide starts to flow out, focus on deeper cuts and ledges. The snook and redfish fishing has been excellent the past month and is expected to sustain this trend. On a fast, incoming tide, double and triple hookups are not uncommon. Most of the snook caught have been smaller at 24 to 28 inches; however, many snook 32 to 38 inches are being caught on trips. Just a few weeks ago a client brought in a 40-inch fish. Scaled sardines and small pinfish are choice baits to use for snook this month. The Spanish mackerel action has also been very good. The bite is hot when the water is moving. The preferred setting would be a low to incoming tide. Popular places for finding Spanish mackerel are around bridges, rock piles and heavy structure surrounded by open water. The average size of Spanish mackerel being caught are fish in the 12 to 16 inch range. This is a good factor for hungry anglers. When fishing these areas mentioned, I recommend free-lining live or cut scaled sardines within the target area or “strike-zone” using 30-pound fluorocarbon leader and a size 1 long shank beak style hook. The addition of a split-shot may be necessary to keep baits in the specific location during stronger tides. The phrase “match the hatch” is a tried-and-true method used to select the proper bait for fishing any given area. The Tampa Bay waterways right now are filled with pinfish and scaled sardines. These palm size bait-fish are great for catching snook, especially when there are many swimming about. Scaled sardines and pinfish can be caught by throwing a cast net or can be bought at most bait shops. There’s no time like the present to get out on the water and go fishing. Remember to wear sunscreen as the UV rays are in full force. Be sure to stay hydrated—it’s hot outside. If you’re fishing the Southshore side of the Bay, I recommend stopping at Hooked Up Bait and Tackle off of US 41 and Beach Ave. Augustine always has everything you need for a good day of fishing. Captain Christopher Taylor | Florida Reels Fishing Charters www.floridareelsfishingcharters.com | (813) 220-6135 4 TAMPA

JULY 2021

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TAMPA 5

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