CATCH LATE SUMMER TRIPLETAIL SOAKING IN THE SUN

By Emily Hanzlik

In late summer, the humidity is crazy and the heat wants to take you down. e shing can slow down during this time; however, chilling in the sun is a lifestyle for some sh species.

e tripletail is one of the strangest sh in the ocean. Tripletail are usually dark brown with some lighter shades mixed around, and they can sometimes be yellow, depending on their area. ese sh don’t have a typical body structure. Instead, they have a at almond-shaped body and get their name from the appearance of having three tails, which is an adaptation of enlarged lobes on the posterior ns. ey usually don’t grow any larger than 15 pounds and typically range from 20-30 inches. For their size, they put up a heck of a ght.

Many tagging studies have been done on these sh to track their migrations. However, science has yet to gure it all out. e idea is they move north to south, then back up the coast going no further than Georgia. In the Gulf, they make it as far as Texas. e timing of their movements appears to be random, but it probably depends on currents, since they don’t free swim much.

Sometime during the summer months, tripletail will oat o shore to breed. Like most, they broadcast spawn, with females producing anywhere from 4 to 8 million eggs. ey can spawn every three to ve days. ere are many di erent ways to target tripletail. Since they aren’t big swimmers, you’ll normally nd them oating around with seaweed or next to buoys. You can pitch baits, like live shrimp, to target them. Usually, you’ll want to use a small live bait hook without a weight to get a natural dri in front of them. If live bait isn’t your style, you can also use small jigs or swimbaits to grab their attention. Another great way is y shing. Here, you’ll want a y that mimics a small shrimp or bait sh. When targeting them, make sure to nd which end is their face. en try to dri your o ering in front of their nose. e current IGFA all-tackle world record is

When these sh aren’t o shore spawning, they typically hang near lots of structure. You might spot them oating near crab buoys, mangroves, oating leaves and poles in the water. Tripletail are known for mimicking and blending in with their surroundings. is makes it especially di cult while shing to spot these creatures. However, it gives them amazing bene t, since their prey is also hiding in these places. Tripletail usually prey on shrimp, sh and small crabs.

42 pounds. It was caught in South Africa in 1989.

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.

Let’s grow with Florida together.

Serving

nglers of all ages fished Advocates for the Rights of the Challenged (ARC) of the Treasure Coast’s 9th Annual KDW Offshore Fishing Tournament on Saturday, June 17, 2023, at Pirate’s Cove Resort and Marina in Port Salerno. It was a day of fun in the sun and on the water in support of more than 1000 children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families, from Jupiter to Fort Pierce.

With a fleet of 26 registered boats and a dozen individuals fishing aboard Safari 1, anglers brought in a mixed bag of kingfish, dolphin, grouper and snapper.

First place cash awards went to Rich Rhatigan for his 25.12-pound kingfish, Zach Hayden for his 5.36-pound dolphin, Jimmy Parkes for his 15.01-pound snapper and Noah Scammell for his 21.39-pound grouper. Second place awards went to Michelle Halstead with an 18.7-pound kingfish, Cheyenne

Ellison, Jr. with a 3.75-pound dolphin, and Kaylynn Woods with an 8.15-pound grouper. Third place awards went to Larry Baker in the kingfish category, Camron Sullivan in the dolphin category, Doug Buys in the snapper category and Jeremiah Peloquin and Kevin Beers in the grouper category. Michelle Halstead took top lady angler and Caleb Buys took top junior angler.

Thanks to Capt. Pete Morello on My Last Honey and Capt. Rocky Carbia on Safari 1 Deep Sea Fishing, several ARC individuals were able to participate and enjoy a day of fishing and fresh ocean air. Other ARC individuals manned wheelbarrows to get anglers catches from their boats to the weigh station. Volunteers from Jupiter to Fort Pierce gave their time and attention to all the details, ensuring a fantastically fun day overall.

The fundraising event wrapped up with an awards presentation, a BBQ dinner served by Pirate’s Cove