Coastal Angler Magazine | October 2022 | Treasure Coast Edition

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RECORD SWORDFISH & GROUPER

MULLET-EATING

REDS

BOUNTIFUL BOTTOM FISHING

OCTOBER 26-30 • FLIBS.COM PHOTO COURTESY OF SKYE BURKHARDT IG: @BRASSYANGLER87 VOLUME 27 • ISSUE 331

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TARGETING REDFISH During the Mullet Migration

T

he Atlantic Coast of Florida experiences one of the planet’s great migrations each fall. When millions of mullet push south in giant schools toward spawning grounds off the southern end of the state, it presents an exciting prospect for fishing. It’s an event anglers anticipate all year long.

The mullet run doesn’t have an official start or end date. Large schools of mullet—some the size of three football fields—move south as temperatures cool. Tarpon, sharks, kingfish and redfish are just some of the gamefish that move with these pods. Most years the fishing is on fire in October and November.

Here are some tips for anglers to take advantage of the mullet run.

• BAIT: Obviously, mullet is the bait to use

this time of the year. Full-grown mullet are great for shark and tarpon fishing. I prefer freelining finger-sized mullet, because pretty much everything eats them.

Free-lining sounds simple, but where you choose to fish and what you’re targeting will play a role in the set-up and rig you should use.

• TACKLE: I mainly fish inshore, so light tackle is the way for me. However, it’s important to be prepared to switch up depending on the size and species of game fish present.

In the backcountry, I like a light- to mediumaction 2000 size spinning set-up to fish 10-pound leaders and 3/0 circle hooks. I prefer Mustad hooks and tie them on with a simple loop knot. I use an FG knot to connect my leader to a braided main line. This creates a true free-line, without the added weight of a swivel.

The rigging is pretty much the same if I need to beef up for larger catches. With a 2500-size setup, I’ll fish 15- to 20-pound leader. I’ll bump that up to 25- to 30-pound test on 3000-size gear for bigger fish.

By Skye Burkhardt To fish with the mullet, I just follow the pods, cast to the outside of the school and open the bail to let the bait swim. When you hit it right, you can hook-up on nearly every cast, with the species changing from one cast to the next. Big gamefish tend to seek out isolated or injured mullet, which is exactly what your bait is.

• ARTIFICIALS: This backcountry lady angler

enjoys sight fishing and scouting Mosquito Lagoon and the marshes of the Tomoka Basin along Florida’s central Atlantic Coast. I’ll target bull reds in the inlets, but I spend most days targeting snook, tarpon and slot reds in the backcountry. This style of fishing is perfect for throwing artificials on light tackle.

This time of year, any artificial that resembles a mullet will do the trick. I like Vudu Mullet Swimbaits, Rapala X-raps, Bomber Lures Mullets, Savage Gear Pulse Tail Mullets, Livetarget SlowRoll Mullets, Mirr-O-lure Suspending Twitch Mullets and DOA Bait Busters. A good, old-fashioned spoon is also in my top-three lures, as well as a basic paddletail on a ¼- or 3/8-ounce jig head.

• RESPECT THE FISH: Please remember that during the mullet run our big breeder redfish are much more susceptible to being caught from beaches, boats, bridges, docks and piers.

Handling them with care and releasing them safely is important to the future of our fisheries.

The statewide slot limit from 18 and 27 inches is intended to protect the large fish, which are part of the spawning stock.

Landing a bull red this time of the year is easy. With the mullet running, simply free-line a mullet or drop one on a weighted rig to land a trophy! Before you experience the drag-pulling run, you should know how to properly handle and release your fish.

It’s heartbreaking to see breeder fish floating due to carelessness or lack of knowledge. Hauling a big redfish up vertically onto a bridge or pier, dragging it over the rocks on a jetty or tossing it back from up high severely limits its chance of survival. Get a pier net to fish from a bridge or pier, and do everything in your power to ensure the healthy release of your fish.

• REDFISH REGULATIONS: Florida recently adopted new management plan for redfish. There are now varied regulations across nine different zones. Anglers need to understand those regulations because they’re intended to protect one of our iconic species in the face of habitat loss.

Most of the state now has a one-fishper-person daily limit in the 18- to 27inch slot. Some regions have a two-fishper-vessel possession limit and others have a four-fish-per-vessel possession limit. The Indian River Lagoon region is strictly catch-and-release only for redfish.

For complete Florida redfish regulations, go to myfwc.com.

Keep up with Skye Burkhardt on Facebook Inshore Adventures with Skye and on Instagram @brassyangler87.

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BIG BOTTOM FISH ARE THE BOUNTY OF FALL

the possibilities of spawning. The same places will hold large seabass, as well. I love to eat grouper, but the way I grouper fish also produces large seabass, which I think are even better than grouper in texture and flavor.

Scamps and snappers hold a special place in my heart. Starting right now, they should be going off! It’s time consuming to stop on Tim Barefoot the way out a jig up bait. However, a 15- or 20-minute bait stop could make the difference between a good day and a great day. love spring and summer When you find bait in numbers, it doesn’t take long to fishing, but let me say this rack up. I like to keep a Sabiki angler on each side of loud and clear: I live for fall the boat handing me baits to dehook into a bucket in and winter fisheries! the center of the boat. Once I get 20 or so baits in the This is the time of year that can bucket, I pour them into the livewell and repeat until make even me look good. The large there’s enough. male gags have started staging up I also like to take pinfish from the marina as a “bird on nearshore structures, wrecks in hand” for bottom and traditional bait-holding fishing. The beauty of bottom. The scamps and large putting a live sardine snappers have started a transitional on a jig and sending move to their deeper wintering it to the bottom is grounds. Water temps will soon that EVERYTHING draw a line in the water that clearly down there eats shows you where to fish. them. The beauty of Ahhhh, yeah! This is the time of plenty. Now is the time of sending a pinfish, year to have a community-sized fish stew to clear out all the grass grunt or sailors vacuum-sealed stuff in the freezer. You’ve got to make some room choice to the bottom for freezer-stuffing grouper, snapper and seabass. is that everything Starting this month, the larger gags will be so close in that down there would it’ll shock you. Don’t run too far, or you’ll run over some of love to eat them, but the biggest fish of the year. Go wherever you jig up your cigar can’t. They can’t get minnows and sardines, and the gags will be right there. When their mouths around you get a few baits in the well, it’s a good idea to have at least one the bigger baits, but the ones that can are the fish you want to catch. person put a bait right back down.

Go enjoy the bounty of the season!

After all, that is why the gags are there. They are eating the same baits that you’re catching. They come inshore to a place that holds bait, For more information, go to Barefootcatsandtackle.com. so all the smaller females have plenty to eat while they are discussing

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E G A U G N LA ERS OF ANGL

By Nick Carter

A

nglers have their own languages. We make up words or phrases to describe situations we frequently encounter on the water. Some of these phrases are quite amusing, and some are too colorful to be used in print. Like regional dialects, they vary from location to location and even from boat to boat.

Without further ado, here are some of our favorite angler idioms.

• Bucket Sitter: Sometimes derogatory term for someone who fishes bait from the shore. “Look at those bucket sitters over there sitting on their buckets and drowning worms.”

• Bait Chucker: Always derogatory term used by fly fishers to describe any other type of angler. “I think that bait chucker was jealous of my tweed cap.”

• Mud Dart: A billfish that dies when released and sinks nose down,

presumably to stick in the mud on the bottom of the ocean. “Keep hauling sailfish in the boat for photos, and you’re going to keep throwing back mud darts. ” • Damn Carp: A fish caught by an angler that is any species other than the intended target. “I thought it was a big largemouth, but it’s just a damn carp.”

Reef Donkey: Derogatory term for greater amberjack. “We were drifting baits for kings, but all we caught were reef donkeys.”

Dink: Synonymous with peckerhead, a dink is a very small fish. “Look at this dink. It’s smaller than the plug it ate.”

Yahoo: Refers to anyone on the water other than the anglers in the group using the term. “We went to our honeyhole, but there were a bunch of yahoos already in it.”

Pellet Pig: Derogatory term for fish that reach large size because of a feeding program. “That yahoo thought he caught a trophy, but those pellet pigs are trained to eat hooks.”

Dreaded Frustrations: The downward spiral of being so flustered by your poor angling performance that you seemingly can’t do anything correctly. “I was slaying them until I hung my lure on the bottom. Then I broke my rod tip trying to get it loose and the dreaded frustrations set in. I couldn’t do anything right the rest of the day.”

Easy Release: A fish that shakes the hook right at the boat. Counts as half a fish in informal fishing competition. “Oh, well. Easy release. It was a little peckerhead, anyway.”

Leroy Jenkins: Derived from an Internet video game meme, this exclamation is used in kayak fishing when you race ahead of your fishing buddies to be the first one on the water. “Y’all can keep mucking around on the boat ramp. I’m going fishing! Leeeroooy Jenkiiins!”

Bank of Despair: The opposite of honeyhole, this is an area known for not producing fish. “Man, I wasted three hours over there pounding away on the bank of despair.”

Share your favorite angler idioms with us on our Facebook page: Coastal Angler & The Angler Magazine.

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FOR BANANA RIVER REDS

O

ver a lifetime, redfish might feed along shallow estuarine waters, brackish creeks, grass flats, mangroves, oyster beds, bridges, inlet jetties and beaches from Texas to the Chesapeake Bay. They know no boundaries and are not particular about water depth or clarity if forage is present. Yet, red drum in Florida’s Banana River don’t ever leave.

The 31-mile-long Banana River is an isolated lagoon. Here, marsh and mangrove ecosystems flourish in a complex landscape where there is uniquely no tidal flow. There are no freshwater tributaries, no saltwater inlets, and the only outlet to the Atlantic Ocean is through a lock at Port Canaveral.

A Cocoa Beach local who has been guiding

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Throw Topwater

the Indian River Lagoon for years, G. Loomis ambassador Capt. Willy Le can’t help but reminisce of the days when the Banana River was brimming with seagrass.

“This flat right here was so lush, the grass was thick as could be. But with water quality issues fueling massive seagrass die-offs, miles of underwater vegetation have been reduced to barren sand flats. There are still giant redfish, though they’ve changed behavior and where they would once tail and search out the seafloor, they now just cruise around looking for baitfish,” reflected Le. With a blunt snout and downturned mouth, redfish are designed for rooting. They aren’t wellequipped for attacking prey on the surface, but they certainly display thrilling surface strikes as they

track a topwater lure and overtake the offering after several failed attempts.

Anglers imparting the appropriate snap of the rod tip can mimic distressed baitfish on the surface, but it’s important to choose a lure with proper action for the conditions. When the Banana River becomes moderately choppy, loud topwater lures draw in predators. On calm days, it is better to fish a quieter walking lure.

“We can sight during all hours of the day and in all weather conditions, but since redfish are focused on feeding early and late in the day this is when you will encounter the most cooperative topwater bite.

With overcast conditions the topwater fishing can stay strong throughout the day,” said Le. Shimano’s Current Sniper topwater baits offer anglers a lure for every scenario. The Current Sniper Walk 110F Silent is a walking bait that lacks internal rattles and excels in calm conditions. The Current Sniper Walk Hi-Pitch emits a high-pitch rattle for rougher water.

Le fishes topwaters with a size 4000 Stradic CI4+ with a 7’6” G. Loomis GCX Inshore spinning rod with medium power and extra fast action. This set-up casts heavy topwater lures well and offers excellent control for walking the dog.

Since these reds aren’t tailing, spotting them means you’re looking for wakes. Mature redfish push wider wakes at a steady pace in a straight line.

Mullet make those darting V-shaped wakes.

Once a redfish is spotted, it’s important to be patient and accurate. Nothing will spook a redfish faster than an improperly placed bait falling from the sky.

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LONG-CASTING LURES IN THE WIND

O

PATRICK SEBILE

ver the past few months, we’ve discussed almost everything concerning long-distance lures. We’ve touched on elements an angler can control such as lure choice and the proper rod, reel and line configuration. Now I want to discuss the uncontrollable elements of weather and water conditions. They play a big role in how far you are able to cast and how effectively you can fish a lure.

If the wind is full force into your face, this adds drag on the lure and line during a cast. A high-density lure cuts through wind more efficiently than a floating lure. Everyone loves fishing topwaters, but in windy conditions they are not the best choice. A denser lure always casts farther than a floating lure.

Typically, a long-distance model weighs 30 to 100 percent more than a floating one of similar dimensions. If a floating lure weighs 2 ounces, a similar sized distance-dedicated lure will weigh 3 to 4 ounces. That’s really a big deal, especially in wind.

When you’re casting into the wind, you should also adjust the way you cast. In long-casting lingo, I use the term “banner” to refer to the section of line between the rod tip and the lure. You should limit the banner when you’re fishing in wind. Instead of using an overhand cast, try a sidearm cast, which limits the lure’s exposure to the wind.

On a beach, with the lure on the sand, allow a banner of 50 to 70 percent of the rod’s length. This shorter banner limits the size of the belly in the line when you cast. The larger the line belly is, the more casting energy is taken from the lure’s flight, resulting in reduced distance.

A long banner also reduces your control of the lure once it hits the water. A line belly in the water pulls your lure sideways on retrieve.

You also won’t be in direct contact with the lure. This affects the lure’s action, and you might also miss bites.

Water conditions are another factor worth consideration. Big waves, whitewater and strong currents limit your control. These conditions are also often the best conditions for fish to bite. When you cast, engage the reel before the lure hits the water and reel up slack. This gives you a straighter line for better control of the lure, better swimming action and more direct contact with the lure. When you can feel the lure, you can feel the bite and ultimately increase your hook-setting ratio.

Again, we all love to fish topwater, but distance-dedicated lures are in many cases the better option. In windy conditions with breaking waves and ripping currents, I definitely prefer a 3-ounce plug or a 4-ounce darter over a topwater, which weighs half as much.

Give it an honest try. I’m sure you’ll be convinced that distance lures are superior to lighter models of similar dimensions in many situations.

Legendary angler Patrick Sebile is a world record holder and an award-winning designer of innovative lures and fishing gear.

Check out his creations at abandofanglers.com.

8 FLORIDA

OCTOBER 2022

COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM

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WEST PALM BEACH 651 Okeechobee Blvd.

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FORT LAUDERDALE 2525 N. Federal Hwy Fort Lauderdale, FL 33305 954-565-2338

JACKSONVILLE 1201 Riverplace Blvd.

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WINTER PARK 480 N. Orlando Ave. Suite 100B Winter Park, FL 32789 407-622-2444

ST. PETERSBURG 131 2nd Ave. N. St. Petersburg, FL 33701 727-821-4139

BOCA RATON 225 NE Mizner Blvd., Suite 100 Boca Raton, FL 33432 561-392-6746

AVENTURA 2980 NE 207th St. Aventura, FL 33180 305-912-1266

SARASOTA 6700 S. Tamiami Trail Sarasota, FL 34231 941-924-9442

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CATCHING BLACKTIPS e h t m o fr

h c a e B By Emily Rose Hanzlik

Photo courtesy of Jeff Tomaloff

D

uring the mullet run on Florida’s east coast, plenty of blacktip sharks cruise past our beaches with huge schools of bait. Even if you plan to fish for blacktips outside of mullet-run season, you are still in luck. Finding a blacktip shark definitely isn’t an issue due to a large and growing population of these big sharks.

Blacktip sharks can be found year-round in the Atlantic from Virginia through Florida. They have been known to migrate up to Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Though they do prefer more tropical temperatures, a little cold won’t deter them from their mission. Blacktips are definitely not picky when it comes to hunting grounds.

They can be found in bays, estuaries, coral reefs and mouths of rivers.

Before blacktips begin migrating for the mating season, they will actually be in gendersegregated schools that come together only for mating. Blacktips tend to be separated due to the male’s highly aggressive drive towards the females, which could result in serious injury.

Normally, blacktips leave Florida in the

spring to travel up the coast to Georgia and the Carolinas to mate in summer. Blacktips participate in internal fertilization, meaning that each female is separately impregnated, which will then result in 4 to 11 pups every two years.

These sharks are viviparous, meaning the pups develop inside the female’s body, unlike other sharks that lay egg sacks. Most pups will be left in shallow nurseries due to the high amount of prey and few predators, which increases their chances of survival.

Fishing for blacktip sharks is fairly easy; however, there are days when they can be finicky.

Paying attention to specifics can increase your number of bites. On clear-water days, sharks tend to stay just on the backside of the last sandbar. On milky water days, they can literally be at your feet as they patrol up and down the first drop.

They definitely will eat dead bait, but will hit live and fresh-dead bait without hesitation.

The most productive way to catch blacktips is to use a 6- to 8-inch chunk of whatever fresh fish you have. Toss it out without a weight. If you are

fishing in strong current, simply walk down the beach as the bait drifts. On days when they are hanging out too far for casting, swim a live bait out. Blue runners, jack crevalle and palometa work well for this.

On slow days when the bite is dead and you’re catching nothing but catfish, swim one out or cut into chunks. If there are any blacktips around, they will eat it. A lot of anglers use huge hooks and long wire leaders, which will require you to get a shore-based shark fishing permit to legally fish for sharks in Florida.

I personally use a 5/0 extra strong circle hook with 2 feet of wire leader attached to 5 feet of 80-lb. test. The largest IGFA recorded blacktip shark weighed in at 270 pounds, 9 ounces. It was caught out of Malindi Bay, Kenya in 1984.

Emily Rose Hanzlik holds 51 IGFA world records in various categories. She hails from West Palm Beach, where she has a part time Bowfin Guide Service as well as fishing classes for Jr. Anglers. Find her on Social Media @emilyhanzlikoutdoors.

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OCTOBER 2022

FLORIDA 11

Exotic Species in Your Backyard:

Tilapia… blue tilapia, to be exact, are one of more than a hundred species of cichlid native to the Middle East and Africa that are all called tilapia. This is similar to the way U.S. anglers refer to multiple species of sunfish as bream.

The blue tilapia (Oreochromis aureus) is the most popular of the tilapia and the species most commonly found here in Florida. It is also a very important species in the fish-farming world due to its fast growth, salinity tolerance and the fact that it can be stocked densely. Tilapia have a long history. Farming

By Rex Hannon of Nile tilapia goes back to ancient Egypt, and its importance is noted by the ancients using the fish as a symbol of rebirth.

The Blue Tilapia is considered invasive to the United States. It was introduced to Florida in the 1960s by stocking and experimental studies by both private and state entities. Tilapia are here to stay and can be found in a wide variety of locations, from lakes and ponds scattered around the state to many freshwater and brackish rivers and streams. For anglers, canals found in almost every neighborhood can be fishing paradise.

This species is very fast growing for the first few months, and then they settle in and grow to the 5-pound class by three to five years of age. The Florida state record was caught by Pamela Henry, of Stuart, from of a dock on the St. Lucie River in 2011. The 9-pound, 6-ounce beast is also recognized by the IGFA as the all-tackle world record.

Tilapia can be finicky eaters, which poses a puzzle for anglers. Their diet consists mainly of green algae, diatoms and small invertebrates. I have witnessed other anglers catching this species on corn, dog food, hot dogs and bread balls. I have caught good numbers and some very large examples with a fly rod. I caught most of these fish on Clouser Minnows and other similar small baitfish patterns.

I’m sure everyone reading this can target blue tilapia within a short distance of home. They are great fighters that stand toe-to-toe with any species rom Ernest Hemingway’s exploits in the of similar size. waters off Key West to the many famous bass fishermen that made Lake There is no minimum size or bag limit for tilapia. The FWC encourages Okeechobee a destination for anglers from around the world, Florida has a anglers to catch and eat them like any other invasive species. The white flakey rich angling history and amazing fishing for everyone. meat is mild, and wild-caught tilapia are superior to the farm-raised tilapia Perhaps a lesser-known draw to the Sunshine State are the exotic species sold in grocery stores. that have taken hold here. These are the non-native, sometimes invasive Rex Hannon is a regular contributor to Coastal Angler Magazine. species that would otherwise require expensive travel for anglers to target.

See more from Rex at coastalanglermag.com.

They are here, so we might as well fish for them.

Blue Tilapia

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OCTOBER 2022

COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM

COASTAL ANGLER TREASURE COAST EDITION Serving outdoors enthusiasts in Indian River, St. Lucie and Martin counties.

Nearly 20-Pound Fish Wins Annual Bonito Blast

By Ed Killer for CAM

F

or 10 years, the Treasure Coast Bonito Blast has one goal - to raise tens of thousands of dollars to help veterans and this year was no different.

The mid-August tournament, which has become a highlight of the Treasure Coast fishing tournament calendar, benefits the Wounded Veterans Relief Fund, an non-profit established in Martin and Palm Beach counties in 2009. In this year’s

affair, 86 boats entered carrying nearly 300 anglers - including many veterans - out to the nearshore waters of Martin and Palm Beach counties for a fish usually thought of as a waste of an anglers’ time and bait.

Hundreds of bonito were caught but at day’s end it was Mark Sullivan’s 19.8-pound false albacore that topped the scales at Pirates Cove Resort and Marina in Port Salerno. Sullivan collected $2,000 while $1,000 and $500 were paid to second and third places,

The crew aboard the Palmer’s No Closing Costs of Sailfish Point all enjoyed catching bonito.

respectively.

Sullivan was fishing with live sardines in about 30 feet of water.

He was able to get his bite in an area where a school of bonitos were harassing bait fish not far from St. Lucie Inlet’s sea buoy.

Wounded Veteran Relief Fund’s Mike Durkee said the raised $96,000 before tournament expenses. In a decade the event has riased over

SEE BONITO BLAST.................... PAGE 15

Mike Sullivan won $2,000 with the Bonito Blast’s heaviest fish at 19.8 pounds.

PHOTOS PROVIDED by Mike Durkee.

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OCTOBER 2022

TREASURE COAST 1

Florida Fish and Wildlife

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he Monofilament Recovery and Recycling Program (MRRP) is an innovative statewide project dedicated to reducing the environmental damage caused by discarded fishing line. MRRP aims to educate the public on the problems caused by monofilament line left in the environment, encourage recycling through a network of line recycling bins and drop-off locations, and help citizens host volunteer monofilament line cleanup events.

Learn more about the program online: https://mrrp.myfwc.com/ You can make a difference by disposing of your used monofilament fishing line in a designated bin. You can also cut all your fishing line into small 6-12 inch sections and dispose of in a lidded trash receptacle to keep it from entangling wildlife.

COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM

Ethical Angling Knowing the limits and executing the appropriate way to catch and release a targeted fish is called ethical angling. Ethical angling means knowing when to keep and when to release your catch while always handling fish with care. This enables sustainable fisheries for generations to come.

Before you go, it’s important to familiarize yourself with the current regulations, best practices for handling fish and important marine habitats and freshwater habitats.

In addition to the recreational fishing regulations, you should familiarize yourself with the marine life regulations.

• The best general rule is to handle the fish quickly and as little as possible.

• Leaving fish in the water during release is the safest option. Large fish and species prohibited from harvest should be kept in the water at all times to better support their body weight and give them a higher chance of survival when released • If you must remove the fish from the water, wet your hands first to minimize damage to their protective slime.

• When photographing your catch, keep the fish held horizontally and support its full weight.

• A landing tool like a lip grip helps control the head of the fish and avoids damage to the gills and eyes common to careless handling.

• If the fish appears lethargic upon release, resuscitation may be needed. The goal is to force water gently through the mouth and over the gills. This can be done by using the current, taking the boat in and out of gear while holding the fish in the water, or moving the fish forward in a figure-8 motion.

Fishing Regulation Terminology

• Season - Times of year that are open or closed to fishing for a certain species. This tool is used to protect fish from harvest during sensitive times of the year such as spawning periods or times of heavy fishing.

TREASURE COAST

COASTAL ANGLER PUBLISHER EMERITUS GARY GUERTIN

Learn more about saltwater and freshwater fishing regulations at myfwc.com/fishing. Regulations can vary based on your location within the State of Florida, so make sure to check for any local rules and regulations.

PUBLISHER & EDITOR MISTI GUERTIN GRAPHIC DESIGN LAURA KELLY CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Capt. Gus Brugger Capt. Rocky Carbia Capt. Jonathan Earhart Capt. Scott Fawcett Capt. Scotty Gold Ed Killer Capt. Michael Mauri Jim Moir Brian Nelli Jim Oppenborn Capt. Bo Samuel Capt. Nate Shellen Capt. Adam White Capt. Terry Wildey Steve Wood

UNHOOKING A BIRD

Hooked a Bird?

Don’t Cut the Line! Reel. Remove. Release. Watch how to safely handle and unhook a bird: https://youtu. be/bbRWalIs7bc.

If a bird has swallowed a fishing hook or is severely injured, use the Seabird Rehabilitators and Transporters app (https://ocean.floridamarine.org/ SeabirdRehabilitators) to find the nearest seabird rehabilitator to care for the bird and/or transporter to take the bird to a rehabilitator. Please stay with the bird until help arrives. You can also report an injured bird to the FWC using the FWC Reporter app for Apple or Android smartphones or tablets. You can download the free app from the App Store or Google Play.

What can you do to keep the seabirds away from your fish and reduce entanglement?

• Don’t feed the birds, which teaches them to approach where they are more likely to interfere with fishing.

• Bag limit - How many fish a person can harvest during a given time. This is often measured per person, per day and occasionally also includes a daily vessel limit.

• Minimum size limit - Rules that state a fish must be larger than a certain size for them to be harvested. These rules allow fish to reach a size that enables spawning before being harvested.

• Slot limit - Similar to the minimum size limit, slot limits have both an upper and lower size limit, and only fish that are within that slot may be harvested. This tool allows young fish to mature, while also protecting larger SEE UNHOOKING...........................................................PAGE 22 spawning fish.

For advertising or other inquiries, call

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OCTOBER 2022

TREASURE COAST 3

FISHING FORECASTS

MARTIN COUNTY OFFSHORE

Capt. Scott Fawcett Off the Chain Fishing Charters (772) 285-1055 fishscottyf@bellsouth.net offthechainfishing.com

I

would usually start this month’s report off by saying “this is the month we’ve been waiting for” but I don’t know how the fishing could get any better than how it’s been.

Coming off an incredible summer of sailfishing, I’m expecting our transition months of October and November to stay consistent.

Expect between four and a dozen sail bites on your average day with more dolphin showing up as it cools down. Wahoo will still be brought in on occasion and blackfin tuna will become a more regular site as the water temperature cools back down also.

As always focus around edges, color changes, and structure. This time of year I find myself staging

over the 8 Mile Reef often. While every now and then, venturing way offshore will prove fruitful, the safer bet is to stay inshore focusing from 75 to 250 feet of water.

Humminbird’s side imaging sonar still proves to be very beneficial, especially in those depths. From catching bait, to recognizing contour, the reef and the way the bottom flows. Even marking bait schools and individual predators off to the side as far as a hundred yards while we are trolling, when I’m on a boat without it, I feel like I’m at a serious disadvantage.

My rods are all still all Off The Chain, Blackfin Circle hook rods.

They’re six foot, two inches and a lot lighter than what most people are using. This enables me to cast baits further when I need to and also prevents hooks from pulling when I apply more drag. It also allows me to use lighter line and lighter leaders without the risk of breaking it. The most important part of your entire spread would still have to be your teaser. A Canon 10TS downrigger pulling a Fish Razr strip teaser is an excellent way to bring fish in from far off, triggering bites from fish you would not otherwise have.

Learning to dredge fish 30 years ago and always pulling natural baits,

Capt. Patrick joined us for an amazing Sunday during his one-year memorial aboard the Two Daze Off. He was definitely with us, catching 9 out of 10 sails, some king mackerel, some snapper and even had a cobia follow our stripteaser for almost a half hour. We miss you, Amigo.

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I was a hard sell on the strip teaser, I can 100% attest that they do work.

I think the first time I put one in the water it wasn’t out there for 10 seconds before I saw the first sailfish to it. They also work for everything else, especially mahi and cobia.

Whatever you decide to target

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OCTOBER 2022

COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM

this month I hope your next outing is safe and Off The Chain. Please give me a call to get out on the water. We are taking delivery of a second boat, a new 39 Contender with tower and Seakeeper at the end of this year so we have plenty of availabilities. See you out there!

F

all sw be sur ready action aroun seatro even fl 60 po leader with a need. live ba We differe throug eyes, o swim d side ju ensure with l variati water Top pheno

MARTIN COUNTY DEEP SEA

Capt. Rocky Carbia Safari I Deep Sea Fishing Pirates Cove Resort and Marina 4307 SE Bayview St. Port Salerno Reservations: (772) 334-4411 Safari-1.com

O

ctober will be a many layered sandwich of seasonal dynamics that will energize the near coastal ecosystem. The forces of nature will combine this month in the form of substantial masses of bait fish that shall heed the call to migrate to and through our nearshore waters.

Pelagic and resident fish species will tow behind the influx of these huge masses of bait and track them to our offshore doorstep. Provided that an offshore weather window is user friendly, the anglers of Martin County will be able to intersect a wide variety of saltwater species throughout the water column.

King and Spanish mackerel along with other top water species can be found in better numbers

this month as they circle up schools of live bait along current edges, temperature contours, and over top of reef structures. Solid populations of snapper will populate the deeper footprint of these reef areas as several species will continue spawning sessions this month. Mutton snapper have congregated at increased numbers over the last couple of weeks along reef lines from 50 to 90 feet of water and hopefully this trend will continue through this month.

Mutton snapper must be 18-inches in overall length to be a “keeper”.

(Check state and federal regulations by downloading the FishRules App at https://fishrulesapp.com/ for your mobile device).

Other members of the snapper family will be found along side of their mutton cousins. Lane, vermilion, and mangrove snapper will inhabit similar reef zones and help to color the fish boxes of October.

Cobia sightings will not be uncommon this month and will be seen swimming along with turtles, manta rays, and sharks. Be jig ready for spontaneous interactions with hungry cobes. Large gag and red

Snapper and grouper will be some of the many prized catches of October, like this bountiful haul from aboard the Safari 1.

PHOTO CREDIT: Safari 1.

grouper will also avail themselves during these days as they sit on their bottom dwelling thrones and challenge athletically inclined anglers to extract them from their underwater kingdoms. Also, the potential for tropical weather systems will be a wild card game changer

MARTIN COUNTY INSHORE NEARSHORE

Capt. Jonathan Earhart Chaos Fishing Charters (772) 341 – 2274 www.chaosfishigcharters.com jon@chaosfishigncharters.com

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all fishing patterns are now in full swing. Mullet run is at its peak so be sure to have a cast net on board ready to load the livewell for steady action. Typically, we free line mullet around structure for snook, redfish, seatrout, jack crevalles, snapper, and even flounder this month. A 40-to60 pound Tsunami fluorocarbon leader, generally about 4 foot long with a 4/0-8/0 circle hook is all you need. Hook size will vary based on live bait size.

We can hook live mullets several different ways. Classic style would be through both lips just in front of the eyes, or throat hooked to help the bait swim down with line tension, and top side just forward of the tail hooked to ensure the bait swims on the surface with line tension. Try any of these variations for added success on the water this month.

Topwater fishing can be absolutely phenomenal right at first light if you

Jeff English with a nice upper slot snook caught on a live finger mullet with a 40-pound Tsunami fluorocarbon leader and a 4/0 BKK circle hook.

have a good ambush point where schools of mullet are passing by. As the day progresses you will want to send artificials further into the water column for continuous bites from predators. Diving plugs, swimbaits, D.O.A. swimming mullets will work well if properly presented around passing bait schools where predators are waiting for their next meal.

Tarpon fishing will be very good near local inlets and passes, especially so at first light and around sunset.

Fishing a large mullet on a 2x BKK 8/0 circle hook will certainly get the job done if you can keep the tarpon hooked. Generally you want to fish on anchor and wait for passing schools of

PHOTO CREDIT: Capt. Jonathan Earhart.

for overall fishing this month, as these low pressure systems interact with our offshore playing field. An already overactive hurricane season will have all eyes on the tropics this month. With this in mind, keep your fingers crossed, knots tied tight, and pray for red skies at night.

tarpon to intercept your mullet down current behind your boat.

Beach fishing will also be a very viable option if you don’t have a boat or the seas are too big to get outside the inlet. Walking the beach and casting artificials around outside edges of bait schools will yield lots of action. Binoculars from beach piers will enable you to look further down the beach both north and south to help locate bait schools which will most likely have larger predatory fish close by. Again early morning and late afternoon will be best, but sometimes even mid-day can produce plenty of action when fishing the right areas around the right bait schools.

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OCTOBER 2022

TREASURE COAST 5

FISHING FORECASTS

ST. LUCIE COUNTY DEEP SEA

Capt. Scotty Gold Miss Fort Pierce Fishing (772) 766-0191 fortpiercefishing.com

A

s we get into the fall, we have some of the year’s best bottom fishing, but we also get into seasonal windy times. As fishermen we must be flexible with choosing a good fishing day in between the wind. We see the bottom water temperature slide down a couple of degrees as we see cool fronts move into central coastal Florida. This makes for good fishing and other variety of fish school up.

Mutton and mangrove fishing traditionally peaks in the 70-to100-foot depths, grouper get active in 50-to 200-foot-plus depths and we see more lane snapper and jumbo triggerfish schooling up on 70-to 90-foot depths.

We try and continue to sail daily, but this time of the year people travel and our winter time guests

are moving back and there are not a lot of people fishing, so be flexible on your days and we will get you out fishing. Our crew utilizes this time of the year to sand and paint the boat and continue to make improvements.

Check out our website—www. fortpiercefishing.com--for any schedule changes as we will be in the boat yard at the end of October for two weeks.

See you on board!

4903 SE Dixie Hwy. Stuart, FL 34997 (772) 220-3287 (EATS) www.prawnbroker.com

PHOTOS CREDIT: Miss Fort Pierce Fishing.

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ST. LUCIE COUNTY OFFSHORE

Capt. Bo Samuel Pullin Drag Charters (772) 971-6661 catainbofishing@gmail.com facebook.com/Pullin-Drag-Charters

H

i, everyone, I’m Capt. Bo Samuel of Pullin Drag Charters based out of Little Jim Bait and Tackle in Fort Pierce. I fish out of the Fort Pierce Inlet, one of the best inlets on the east coast of the United States because it’s wide and deep and one of the very safest to navigate. Being a native of Fort Pierce, I’ve had the unique opportunity to fish these local waters since I was old enough to hold a fishing pole. I’m excited to write for Coastal Angler and hope to give you info, tips, and strategies for enjoying our fishing paradise, along with some fun fishing stories.

Now that October is here, the water is starting to cool down and the mullet run begins. Captains and anglers of all ages catch the excitement of the mullet run and for good reason. Big schools of mullet are migrating south along the coast and this means great bait for fishing. The

combination of cooler weather from the north and the mullet run means aggressive fish will be arriving for the warmer waters of south Florida.

With a livewell full of mullet, there is no better time to target highly prized trophy fish like tarpon, snook, redfish, and kingfish.

Offshore, we are expecting the fall migration of mahi. Look for them in 70-to-150 feet along rips, floating debris, temperature changes, and weed-lines. Slow trolling live mullet is usually a proven method to produce and if you don’t have mullet, naked or skirted ballyhoo are the preferred choice. Mahi are schooling fish so if you see one, watch for others and enjoy the fast-paced action. Targeting mahi-mahi is a win-win—amazing fight and amazing dinner.

The snapper bite continues to be good on the offshore reefs in 50-to100 feet and we expect it to improve.

I like to use a chum bag and throw some cut bait behind the boat to stir up these energetic feeders. It’s key to use enough weight to keep your bait on the bottom and provide your best chance at bringing home some tasty snapper fillets. Plus, going for the big muttons and mangroves might just get you up close and personal with a granddaddy grouper or two. When bottom fishing, it’s a good idea to

Terri Newkirk with a personal best mutton snapper aboard Pullin Drag.

PHOTO CREDIT: Capt. Bo Samuel.

keep a live bait out on a long line for a possible mahi as they can also be caught in open water. Keep a pitch rod handy as well for that chance at a cruisin’ cobia.

hitting a few lights, you should be able read the fish. If I don’t have bite after 10-to-15 casts I keep moving until I find some fish that want to commit.

Look for some sheepshead, black drum and snapper to be moving in around the bridges, docks and channel edges. The surf will be alive with jacks, snook, bluefish and other predators, which will all be chasing the bait schools along the beach. Croakers and whiting will also be hanging along the beaches.

It’s another great month to fish along the Treasure Coast!

ST. LUCIE COUNTY INSHORE

Capt. Adam White St. Lucie Flats Fishing Charters (609) 820-6257 www.stlucieflatsfishing.com

F

all has arrived on the Treasure Coast. October provides great weather and hungry fish. By the now the mullet should have invaded our area providing some explosive action. As we transition this month, the water will begin slowly cooling down for winter. It has been a hot summer, so don’t expect a huge temperature difference until we have some cool fronts.

The snook and tarpon should be feeding heavily on the mullet as they move through the area. Live finger mullet, croakers and pinfish will be the best live baits to use. D.O.A. TerrorEyz and Bait Busters will be good artificial lures to use for snook during the mullet run. Try around the docks, jetties, turning basin and bridges docks around the river.

Dock lights can be very productive this time of year as well.

Typically, they’ll be loaded with snook or trout. On occasion, you

It’s been fun talking fishing but the deep blue sea is calling! Come see me at Little Jim Bait & Tackle and we can talk some more but if I’m not there, you’ll know I’m Pullin Drag!

can find some surprise redfish in the lights as well. Smaller profile lures like D.O.A. shrimp and smallest Yo-Zuri crystal minnow are great dock light lures. Positioning and accurate casts are everything. A single bad cast can turn the fish off.

Put yourself where you can make long casts in the shadows up current of the dock and bring your lure back through the edges of the light. After

ABOVE: Bob and Connie with a nice snook that ate a mullet around the North Jetty.

RIGHT: Evan with a nice sheepshead caught with live shrimp under a dock.

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PHOTOS CREDIT: Capt. Adam White.

OCTOBER 2022

TREASURE COAST 7

FISHING FORECASTS

SEBASTIAN INSHORE

Capt. Gus Brugger Pattern Setter Charters (772) 360-6787 www.WelcomeToSebastian.com

F

CALM-SEAS STAY CHARGED UP

®

®

®

50 years!

Thank you for

Marine Batteries

or the first time in a long time my local sources for fishing reports all had good things to say about the fishing in the Sebastian area.

The Indian River Lagoon is yielding snook and trout regularly but finding a redfish to round out an inshore slam has been challenging. The inlet has been crowded, but anglers fishing pigfish and croakers are limiting out on snook and releasing some oversized redfish. Big snook and tarpon are following the schools of mullet within fly casting distance of the beach, but the bait pods have been small and scattered making the fishing hit or miss. While these reports may not make the fishing sound red hot, they are a long way from these same angler’s talking about moving to the west coast or taking up golf as was the case five years ago. October should improve the inshore fishing while the inlet and ocean options should remain strong, weather permitting.

SEBASTIAN RIVER – The Sebastian River will surge back to life when schools of finger mullet make their way into the estuary. Casting live finger mullet in front of rolling tarpon is a surefire way to get tarpon hook ups in the Fall. If you prefer artificials, suspending plugs like the MirrOdine and Catch 2000 Jr will do the trick. Fly rodders should also throw finger mullet imitations on floating and intermediate lines.

INDIAN RIVER LAGOON – The flats

and backwaters of the central lagoon should be at their best in October.

Find the bait and find the fish is a general rule that is especially true in October. Fishing topwater plugs can be a productive and exciting option all day if you find bait schools on the flats. Super Spook Jr. and Top Dog Jr. plugs in mullet or bone colors are great choices to throw around mullet schools milling on the shallow flats.

Jack crevalle, ladyfish and bluefish will keep anglers busy between trout and redfish bites. The occasional snook will surprise anglers on the open flats around baitfish schools, but most of the inshore snook will be setting up ambushes along mangrove shorelines and around docks. D.O.A. Shrimp and Jerkbaits fished tight to cover will draw strikes from snook of all sizes.

SEBASTIAN INLET – Sebastian Inlet snook fishing will be at its best in October. Redfish will also take advantage of the food funneling effect of Sebastian Inlet’s swift current.

Croakers, pigfish, shrimp, pinfish and mullet will all draw strikes from both species at the right time and tide. Nighttime will find live baiters floating the channel under A1A with live bait, while plug and jig anglers will be on their favorite rocks east and west of A1A. NEAR SHORE ATLANTIC – The fishing along the beaches can be explosive in October if the weather allows. Find tarpon and Spanish mackerel schools by running along the beaches either by boat or by car, keeping your eyes peeled for diving birds and breaking fish. Live baits of just about any kind will get work for tarpon, while Gotcha plugs, jigs and flies are all you need to fill the cooler with Spanish in the 1-to-5-pound range.

Tight lines!

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Capt. Eric Metcalf shows off an oversized snook caught on live bait in the shadow of Sebastian Inlet’s north jetty before release.

SLBT.com .com COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM SLBT 6/6/2022 7:38:42 AM

PHOTO SUPPLIED by Capt. Gus Brugger.

WW

SEBASTIAN AREA OFFSHORE

Capt. Terry Wildey Big Easy Fishing Charters (772) 538 - 1072 captwildey@bellsouth.net www.bigeasyfishingcharters.com

F

or as long as I can remember, we’ve called October Sharktober because of the September- October storms that tend to stir the ocean up, also bring with it copious amounts of the Atlantic sharp nose sharks.

They often will be so abundant that you can’t keep a line in the water.

Surprisingly though, they are almost like eating a pork chop if taken care of properly. My son loves them and calls them shark McNuggets. You’re allowed two per boat no minimum size limit. The secret is to cut the tail off as soon as you catch one to bleed it out. I fillet and cut them into small nuggets and batter fry them.

There’s still some great fishing in October, it’s just a matter of finding clean water to fish. Mostly you’re going to be fishing the 85-to-90-foot depths. This will be your best chance to find clean shark free water. Last year we had some good catches of cobia, some mangrove snapper, lane and vermilion snapper.

For those fishing close to shore 30-to-50-foot, we should start seeing some early season Spanish mackerel and bluefish migrating south down the beach. There’s always fun action when they show up and they’re easy to catch trolling small spoons, jigs, or medium running lures like YoZuri minnows. I recommend a light wire like a #3 to keep from getting bit off. Forty-pound fluorocarbon leader will produce more bites, but you can expect to lose a few of those pricey little lures to the toothy fish.

So, look for cobia on the bigger 10 foot to 15-foot ledges in 85-to-95 feet of water. And look for the birds

772-569-2723 North Location: 1803 90TH AVE VERO BEACH, FL 32966

Frank Evans, Larry Wells, Angela Wells, Kevan Davis, Chris Venn, and Yenny Spainhower catchin’ ‘em up!

PHOTO CREDIT: Capt. Terry Wildey.

diving on bait from the beach out to 50 feet to attract Spanish mackerel and blue fish.

Expect Atlantic sharp nose sharks to be plentiful everywhere. I find it’s a good time to use some of those hooks that got a little rusty sitting in the box. You won’t mind loosing 40 or 50 of them like you will a box of good Ultra Points, lol.

If you’ve never eaten shark, try one, it might surprise you.

As always be courteous to your fellow boater. You never know when you might need a tow.

And, as always, support your local tackle shops.

Fish on, gotta go!

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OCTOBER 2022

TREASURE COAST 9

Chris with a good snook.

KAYAK FISHING FORECAST

Brian Nelli Pushin’ Water Kayak Charters (772) 201-5899 Brian@tckayakfishing.com www.tckayakfishing.com

INSHORE: October brings cooler weather and the long-awaited mullet run. Snook, tarpon, redfish and trout will all be cooperating this month.

Matching the hatch is the way to go this time of year. Super Spooks, D.O.A. Bait Busters and Jerk Baits will be the go to baits. When there is so much bait available to predators, it is sometimes hard to get a bite on your presentation. Try going with a less natural color that stands out in the pack. Focus your cast on the edges of the mullet schools and you will do well.

OFFSHORE: The fall dolphin run should be in full effect this month.

Look for them to start to move into shallower water compared to their

Wayne with a nice sailfish.

Jason with a nice mahi.

summer patterns. The bottom bite has been particularly good to us during the fall months. Look to target mutton snapper and yellowtail snapper in 80-to-100-foot of water. I like using mullet this time of year for both bottom fishing and trolling. It is readily available and a great hardy bait to keep alive on your kayak.

Check us out at Pushin’ Water Kayak Charters on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube for all the latest adventures my clients and I get into.

See you on the water!

PHOTOS CREDIT: Brian Nelli.

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261 A-1-A Alt 4271 SE Federal Hwy. 1106 U.S. Hwy. 1 3006 Cardinal Dr. Jupiter, FL 33477 Stuart, FL 34997 Ft. Pierce, FL 34950 Vero Beach, FL 32963 (561) 316-4088 (772) 266-4010 (772) 461-6909 (772) 492-6203

OCTOBER 2022

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OCTOBER DAY

TIME

1SA 12:43 AM 6:38 AM 1:36 PM 7:15 PM 2/SU 1:40 AM 7:42 AM 2:39 PM 8:23 PM 2:47 AM 3M 8:53 AM 3:48 PM 9:36 PM 4TU 4:01 AM 10:06 AM 4:56 PM 10:45 PM 5W 5:13 AM 11:13 AM 5:58 PM 11:46 PM 6TH 6:19 AM 12:12 PM 6:53 PM 12:41 AM 7F 7:16 AM 1:06 PM 7:43 PM 8SA 1:30 AM 8:08 AM 1:55 PM 8:28 PM 9SU 2:15 AM 8:55 AM 2:41 PM 9:10 PM 10M 2:59 AM 9:40 AM 3:25 PM 9:51 PM

HEIGHT 2.75 0.35 2.88 0.88 2.68 0.45 2.8 0.95 2.64 0.51 2.77 0.93 2.67 0.51 2.83 0.82 2.78 0.45 2.93 0.64 2.94 0.38 3.04 0.45 3.1 0.32 3.14 0.27 3.24 0.3 3.19 0.15 3.31 0.32 3.19 0.1 3.32 0.38 3.13

H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H

11TU 3:41 AM 10:22 AM 4:07 PM 10:30 PM 12W 4:22 AM 11:04 AM 4:49 PM 11:09 PM 13TH 5:03 AM 11:45 AM 5:32 PM 11:48 PM 14F 5:46 AM 12:27 PM 6:16 PM 15SA 12:30 AM 6:32 AM 1:12 PM 7:05 PM 16SU 1:15 AM 7:24 AM 2:02 PM 8:02 PM 17M 2:07 AM 8:23 AM 2:59 PM 9:05 PM 18 TU 3:08 AM 9:27 AM 3:58 PM 10:08 PM 19W 4:13 AM 10:27 AM 4:56 PM 11:03 PM 20TH 5:15 AM 11:20 AM 5:48 PM 11:49 PM 21F 6:10 AM 12:07 PM 6:35 PM

0.13 3.27 0.49 3.03 0.21 3.15 0.63 2.9 0.35 3 0.79 2.76 0.51 2.84 0.95 2.62 0.68 2.68 1.09 2.49 0.83 2.55 1.19 2.4 0.94 2.47 1.23 2.35 0.98 2.46 1.18 2.37 0.96 2.51 1.07 2.46 0.89 2.61 0.91 2.61 0.79 2.72

L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H

22SA 12:31 AM 7:00 AM 12:51 PM 7:18 PM 23SU 1:10 AM 7:45 AM 1:32 PM 7:59 PM 24M 1:48 AM 8:29 AM 2:12 PM 8:40 PM 25TU 2:27 AM 9:13 AM 2:54 PM 9:21 PM 26W 3:07 AM 9:58 AM 3:36 PM 10:03 PM 27TH 3:50 AM 10:44 AM 4:21 PM 10:48 PM 28F 4:37 AM 11:33 AM 5:09 PM 11:37 PM 29SA 5:28 AM 12:26 PM 6:03 PM 30SU 12:32 AM 6:26 AM 1:23 PM 7:05 PM 31M 1:33 AM 7:32 AM 2:26 PM 8:15 PM

0.72 2.78 0.69 2.82 0.53 2.95 0.6 2.91 0.35 3.1 0.53 2.97 0.2 3.21 0.49 3 0.1 3.25 0.5 2.99 0.06 3.24 0.55 2.96 0.08 3.17 0.63 2.89 0.17 3.07 0.72 2.81 0.29 2.95 0.81 2.73 0.42 2.86 0.83

SEBASTIAN (INLET)

VERO (OCEAN)

FORT PIERCE

TIME OFFSET High Tide -48 min Low Tide -24 min HEIGHT OFFSET High Tide .93 feet Low Tide 1.0 foot

TIME OFFSET High Tide -55 min Low Tide -35 min HEIGHT OFFSET High Tide 1.45 feet Low Tide 1.36 feet

TIME OFFSET High Tide -31 min Low Tide -18 min HEIGHT OFFSET High Tide 1.14 feet Low Tide 1.50 feet

JENSEN BEACH (INDIAN RIVER)

ST. LUCIE INLET

JUPITER INLET

TIME OFFSET High Tide +55 Low Tide +1 hr; 42 min HEIGHT OFFSET High Tide 1 foot Low Tide .50 feet

TIME OFFSET High Tide -10 min Low Tide -9 min HEIGHT OFFSET High Tide 1.08 feet Low Tide 1.42 feet

TIME OFFSET High Tide +2 hrs; 17 min Low Tide +3 hrs; 4 min HEIGHT OFFSET High Tide .48 feet Low Tide .92 feet

L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L H L

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www.coastalanglermag.com/treasure-coast OCTOBER 2022

TREASURE COAST 11

FISHING FORECASTS

LAKE OKEECHOBEE

Capt. Nate Shellen Shellen Guide Service Okeechobee Bass Fishing Guides/Charters (863) 357-0892 sjmike7@aol.com OkeechobeeBassFishing.com FellsmereResevoirBassFishing.com

T

he great fishing continues on Lake Okeechobee. The big lake has been on an upward swing for a couple of years now and just keeps getting better. The lake level has not had highs above 14 feet for a couple of years now and each winter we have seen low levels around 11-to-12 feet. The somewhat stable low water periods have led to numerous great spawns that have exploded the fish populations of every species in the lake.

In the past, we have experienced many great years of pan fishing. this year has provided some of the best summertime catches of shellcracker

Bob Voelker, his father, and son Nolan caught a ton of nice fish on their first trip ever out with OkeechobeeBassFishing.com!

PHOTO CREDIT: Capt. Nate Shellen.

I can ever remember. Of course, the big blue gill are caught in the same areas as the shellcracker, but anyone that has eaten freshly caught and fried shellcracker filets know exactly what I am alluding to. The tremendous run of shellcracker started on the full moon in April and has continued on each moon phase up through August.

How long it can and will continue remains to be seen. With the water level in the 11- to 12-foot range, the pan fish stayed mostly to the outside edges of the vegetation, some even fanning spawning beds well out into

the lake, where the water is still only 2 to 3 feet. The primary baits have been grass shrimp, red worms, and crickets. Many anglers target and catch large numbers of bluegill on a fly rod and popping bugs when they are in such shallow water.

Bass fishing tournament anglers have found that it takes 5 bass that weigh 25 to 30 pounds to win a tournament on the lake. The numbers of quality-sized bass in the 5- to 10-pound range in the lake right now are staggering, and these bass are growing each season getting bigger and fatter.

During the summer months, we try to get onto the water before sunup, if possible, to take advantage of schooling action that takes place along the outside grass lines. Bass can be seen and heard blasting bait fish, such as shad and shiners, in the cover and sometimes well out into the lake.

When they are schooling on bait, a spinner tossed well back into the grass and worked toward the outside edge can present heart-stopping action. Some mornings we catch 8 to 12 bass, and the action ends quickly, other days we may witness 35 to 40 in the first couple of hours.

The catching can end in a second and the rhyme or reason eludes me but

the sun rising higher into the sky is certainly one reason. Once they quit eating the spinner bait, we switch to soft plastics, flukes, speed worms, and Senkos being a crucial part of our arsenal. Those anglers who want to target only large bass often opt to flip and pitch matted vegetation or thick clumps of bulrush with creature-style bait. There are many styles, configurations, and colors of creature-style baits, some use a jig with a trailer others use a punch skirt and creature baits.

There really aren’t any secrets. The best anglers in the world are those who spend their time on the water constructively, dissecting depth and cover changes like a surgeon, taking advantage of every possible angle to get the most out of each area that may hold bass. Many amateurs, however, will stay in an area that is not producing for them, especially if they have caught bass there before; know when to move and be decisive about your game plan, all keys to success. If you find something that is working for you in an area don’t assume that will work somewhere else, sometimes the fish in an area can be keyed in on a certain bait and keyed in on a different bait in a different area.

Now get out there and go fishing!

Birds on Safari

1290 N.W. Federal Highway, Stuart (772) 692-0294 www.birdsonsafari.com 12 TREASURE COAST

OCTOBER 2022

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DIVING FORECAST

Steve Wood Deep Six Watersports - Stuart (772) 288-3999 Stuart (772) 562-2883 Vero Steve.wood@deepsix.com www.deepsixintl.com

A

s the year winds down and fall approaches, divers on the Treasure Coast can expect great diving provided the weather cooperates. Autumn brings with it cold fronts and shorter weather windows, so divers are wise to stay prepared to take advantage of calm seas when the opportunity arises.

After a period of choppy weather, a little scouting will help determine conditions beneath the surface and make for a more enjoyable day.

Summertime has passed but visibility and water temperatures are still nice on the Treasure Coast due to the proximity of local waters to the warm Gulf Stream current coming up from the Caribbean.

Passing cold fronts with strong winds can make area inlets

Martin County artificial reef, Cement Barge.

PHOTO CREDIT: Mike Knepper.

challenging or even treacherous and vis poor near shore, but just a few miles out visibility quickly returns as divers near the Gulf Stream waters.

The generally north-bound current does a great job of flushing away turbid water and replacing it with clear conditions rather quickly.

Weather windows this time of year maybe short and calm seas may only last for a day or two. Divers should stay prepared by having tanks filled in advance, dive sites selected, and gear packed so when conditions

cooperate on short notice, they can take advantage.

During October, vis reports could be scarce and divers may have to do some reconnaissance when planning the next trip. The Titan Tug out of Stuart is a great dive site to test visibility, temperature and current since it is directly east of the St. Lucie Inlet and just a few dozen feet from the Six Mile Reef.

A quick bounce dive to determine conditions could prove beneficial.

If vis is bad head south towards

the Loran Tower ledge or reefs off Hobe Sound. If vis is good, dive sites closer to shore may be better including the Donaldson Reef area, Guardian Reef, Pipe Barge or the Cement (concrete) Barge.

This time of year, brings changes to local reefs in the form of more frequent strong winds and cold fronts. When conditions allow though, divers can make great dives if they remain prepared and poised to take advantage of narrow weather windows when they arise.

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OCTOBER 2022

TREASURE COAST 13

Fly Fishing Corner

By Capt. Michael Mauri

Adjust Your Leader for Clear Water H

BONITO Guide’s day off with Capt. James Cronk.

PHOTO CREDIT: Capt. Michael Mauri.

ow beautiful is our water right now! The color and visibility blows my mind every single day! I love experiencing Florida’s nature and wildlife and, in my opinion, it just can’t be beat!

I understand that this is a sensitive subject and things can change in a heartbeat, but I hope for the best and that this article continues to move you into the right direction.

Fly fishing wise, it’s prime sight fishing most days (always depending on my customers) but it also comes with a lot more things to do right before hooking up. Dialing in how we fish and present our fly is one thing but today I want to talk about adjusting our leaders.

For snook sight fishing I change to a longer leader, anywhere from 10-to-12-feet. Make sure you have

a nice long tapered part (around two-third long) which will help your cast with a nice turn over. Another type of leader I personally use a lot is a straight 8 foot, 30-pound monofilament with a 4 foot, 25-to30-pound fluorocarbon tippet. If you want to use lighter leaders than the ones above that’s fine but don’t forget to use a little bite guard (shock tippet).

Of course, it always depends on how much structure you have around and the size of snook you’re chasing. You might have to adjust your leader especially in the mullet run. ;-) Capt. Michael Mauri www.mauriflyfishing.com michael@mauriflyfishing.com (772) 485-3321

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OCTOBER 2022

GUIDED TRIPS CASTING LESSONS

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pends have you’re adjust mullet

m om

BONITO BLAST...................FROM PAGE 1 $300,000. The money will go to a good cause.

“Our fundriasing efforts go to support our disabled veterans in Florida,” Durkee explained. “Veterans get emergency financial assistance, what we call homelessness prevention.

We provide help with rent payments, utility payments, car repairs; We fill in the financial gaps when veterans are faced with hard times.”

Durkee said some of the money raised by the Bonito Blast will go towards a new dental coverage program the foundation began.

“A lot of people don’t realize this, but up to 92% of our veterans do not have full dental coverage and for veterans who are already struggling, who have mental health issues or physical disabilities, how will they afford dental costs on top of their living expenses without some help,” Durkee said.

The Palmers of Sailfish Point took several veterans fishing aboard their sportfishing boat No Closing Costs, including Vietnam veteran Jim Champion. Weather that midAugust day was calm, steamy and hot, but no one seemed to mind when the fish started biting. Champion and the rest of the anglers were able to

Vietnam vet Jim Champion enjoyed fishing with No Closing Costs in the Bonito Blast.

PHOTO PROVIDED by Mike Durkee.

reel in a bonito which is, pound for pound, one of the toughest fighting fish in the sea.

The next Bonito Blast is slated for August 2024.

To learn more about the tournament and the Wounded Veterans Relief Fund go to treasurecoastbonitoblast.com.

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OCTOBER 2022

TREASURE COAST 15

OCTOBER UPDATE

By Jim Moir, Executive Director

The Things We Do For Love

M

ost of us fall in love at various times in our lives.

Falling in love with our partners, children, even our pets is normal and expected. People often fall in love with an image, lifestyle, pastime, or place. I’m interested in the subtle difference between loving living in the place we live; and loving the place we live.

It’s only been about 100 years that Florida has been known as a place where people love to live.

There were several technological agricultural and transportation innovations that made this possible.

It really is remarkable how short a

16 TREASURE COAST

time Florida has been an attraction as a destination for tourism and retirement as opposed to resource cultivation and extraction. Perhaps housing is the final crop that entrepreneurs intend to harvest from Florida’s tropic soil.

I suspect that many residents of the Sunshine State enjoy living here and love many aspects attributes and amenities but never actually fall in love with the place. I am fortunate to be a native. Although I was born and raised about a hundred miles south-southeast of where I live now.

The place I was raised was great and I loved it, admittedly I don’t love

OCTOBER 2022

This North Atlantic right whale sculpture crafted by a friend of Jim Moir’s, resides in Jim’s backyard.

PHOTO CREDIT: Jim Moir.

what it has become. The place I live now, on the shore of the St. Lucie Estuary at the southern part of the Indian River Lagoon is a place I’ve fallen in love with. And I love living here. I don’t feel these sentiments are mutually exclusive nor do I feel that I need be entirely satisfied.

I’m not sure I fell in love at first sight, although I admittedly was

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smitten with the ambiance and view, it took years of experiencing and intentionally immersing myself (literally and figuratively) in actively learning about my new home to actually be able to utter the phraseI love you to this place. It took 11 years of living on my property to

SEE RIVERKEEPER......................PAGE 22

e and encing myself ctively me to hraseook 11 rty to

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OCTOBER 2022

TREASURE COAST 17

OCTOBER FISHING CONDITIONS October 1

POOR

Evening

October 21

FAIR

Morning

October 2

FAIR

Morning

October 22

POOR

Morning

October 3

FAIR

Morning

October 23

POOR

Morning

October 4

GOOD

Morning

October 24

POOR

Morning

October 5

GOOD

Morning

October 25

FAIR

Evening

October 6

BEST

Morning

October 26

FAIR

Evening

October 7

BEST

Morning

October 27

POOR

Evening

October 8

FAIR

Morning

October 28

POOR

Evening

October 9

FAIR

Evening

October 29

FAIR

Evening

October 10

GOOD

Evening

October 30

FAIR

Evening

October 11

GOOD

Evening

October 31

GOOD

Evening

October 12

GOOD

Evening

October 13

POOR

Evening

October 14

POOR

Evening

October 15

BEST

Evening

October 16

BEST

Evening

October 17

BEST

Morning

October 18

POOR

Morning

October 19

POOR

Morning

October 20

FAIR

Morning

What do the ratings mean?

POOR day basically means the fish will either steal all your bait or will not even touch your line.

FAIR day means that you catch one or two fish but you will have to work hard to do so.

GOOD day means that you will catch enough fish to feel gratified.

BEST day means that you will catch something almost every time you cast your line in the water.

TOURNAMENT CALENDAR

M

Sept. 30 – Oct. 1, 2022 Stuart Sailfish Club Saltwater Sisters 37th Annual Ladies Fishing Tournament to benefit Friends in Pink. www.stuartsailfishclub.com Dec. 1-4, 2022

35th Pirate’s Cove Sailfish Classic.

Registration now open. www.piratescovesailfishclassic.com

Dec 8-10, 2022

Stuart Sailfish Club 68th Light Tackle Sailfish Championship, Stuart. www.stuartsailfishclub.com

Dec. 15-17, 2022

Fish Heads of Stuart 10th Annual Quickie Sailfish Tournament. Captains Meeting Dec. 15; Fish Days Dec 16-17. www.fishheadsofstuart.com

Jan. 9-14, 2023

Pelican Yacht Club Invitational. www.pelicanyachtclub.com

Submit Your Tournament Information to: treasurecoast@ coastalanglermagazine.com.

BOATS TAKEN SERIOUSLY. SOURCE: The Old Farmers’ 2022 Almanac

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St. Lucie County Artificial Reef Program:

T

M/V TIME’S SECOND LIFE BEGINS

O

n September 8, the M/V Time began its journey from Willis Custom Yachts in Stuart to the Causeway Cove Marina in Fort Pierce for final preparation prior to its deployment offshore St. Lucie County. Unable to get a buyer for the vessel, the Time has been languishing at Willis since at least 2016.

Designed by Tom Fexas and built

by Palmer Johnson Yachts in 1977, the 126-foot Time was well ahead of its time when it was built. Although a buyer for the vessel could not be found, this beautiful yacht will make outstanding fish habitat once it is deployed.

This project is the result of cooperation between the MCAC Artificial Reef Fund and Marine Cleanup Initiative, Inc. (MCII).

David Powell, vice president of

MCAC, and Willis Custom Yachts found donors to pay for cleanup and deployment of the vessel. MCII, a 501(c)3 nonprofit contracted with McCulley Marine Services, St. Lucie County’s artificial reef contractor, to clean and sink the Time.

Prior to being delivered to the Causeway Cove Marina, McCulley Marine Services patched the Time.

This patch, along with large glass windows and doors, will be removed prior to sinking to allow water to circulate through the vessel, providing increased fish habitat on the reef. Openness is critical to the success of vessel artificial reefs.

The Time will be deployed in as shallow water as possible to accommodate both fishers and divers.

As with other vessels deployed offshore St. Lucie County, the Time will be stable at depths of

greater than 150 feet. To make her more stable and deploy her shallower than 150 feet, concrete will have to be added to the vessel. The St. Lucie County Artificial Reef Program will conduct a stability analysis to determine how much concrete must be added and the depth that she must be deployed. If possible, concrete will be added to make the Time stable at shallower depths.

Fish species inhabiting the new reef will be both demersal and pelagic.

Bottom fish like gag (Mycteroperca microlepis) and Warsaw grouper (Epinephelus nigritus) as well as pelagic species such as kingfish (Scomberomorus cavalla) and sailfish (Istiophorus albicans) have been caught on St. Lucie County vessel reefs like the U.S.S. Muliphen and the Blake Charron Foundation reefs. The high-profile vessels hold bait, which

in turn attracts predator species.

Some people question whether the M/V Time will be a recreational reef or a conservation reef. The St. Lucie County Artificial Reef Program has made both. From 1,500ton secondary concrete reefs (fishing and diving) to an unadvertised 420foot hopper barge and relatively small reef modules, both aspects of artificial reefs are important. The real question is, “Why can’t it be both?”

Outdoorsmen realize the importance of conservation in maintaining their respective pastimes and watermen are known to be some of the greatest conservationists. Both anglers and divers have given the Artificial Reef Program excellent data it needs for its management decisions (like making more reefs). Photos of fish that

SEE REEF..................................... PAGE 21

Y.

m

™

Kelly Hogan with a sailfish caught on the Muliphen.

Bryce Babcock with a Warsaw grouper caught on the Muliphen.

PHOTOS PROVIDED by St. Lucie County.

COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM

OCTOBER 2022

TREASURE COAST 19

COOK YOUR CATCH!

Lemon and Herb Baked Florida Mullet INGREDIENTS • • • • • • • • • • •

4 (6 ounce) Florida Mullet fillets ½ cup Florida bell pepper, diced small ½ cup Florida dry white wine 1 lemon, thinly sliced 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped fine ½ teaspoon fresh basil, chopped fine 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped fine 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped fine ½ onion, thinly sliced Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

PREPARATION: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Chop all of the fresh herbs and combine into a small bowl (reserve one tablespoon for garnish).

Season both sides of the fillets with salt and pepper. Place the fillets in a single layer into a buttered or greased baking dish, and drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice.

Add the fresh herbs, thinly sliced onion, diced

red pepper, and lemon slices on top of each fillet.

Drizzle with the white wine, and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Sprinkle with the reserved fresh herbs and serve warm.

See more Fresh From Florida recipes at www.followfreshfromflorida.com.

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Artificial reefs are good for all kinds of fish species, including pelagics.

PHOTO PROVIDED by St. Lucie County.

REEF................................. FROM PAGE 19 Raulerson Cattle Company. In mid-

October, MCII will hold a fundraiser have been caught on artificial reefs, to help remember this pioneering including fish that have to be released family, and to deploy this, and other (size, out-of-season), unexpected fish vessels. (i.e. schooling permit [Trachinotus falcatus]), and fish where capture is For more information on the too difficult (i.e. schooling lemon fundraiser or deployment of the sharks [Negaprion brevirostris]) have M/V Time, contact Susan Howells, all been reported to the St. Lucie MCII Director of Operations.

County Artificial Reef Program.

For more information on the Subject to St. Lucie County BOCC St. Lucie County Artificial Reef approval, the Time will become Program, contact Jim Oppenborn, the AA Hendry Reef after the 19th St. Lucie County Coastal Resources century Treasure Coast settler who Coordinator, at oppenbornj@ co-founded what would become the stlucieco.org or (772) 462-1713.

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OCTOBER 2022

TREASURE COAST 21

PHOTO CREDIT: George Veazey.

UNHOOKING.....................FROM PAGE 3

Do you live in Florida?

Do you have family or friends who live in Florida?

Did you know you can help our oceans and estuaries?

By purchasing one of these Specialty License Plates you can directly support critical scientific research, outreach and education!

BUY YOUR PLATE TODAY AT YOUR LOCAL TAX COLLECTOR’S OFFICE OR ONLINE AT

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22 TREASURE COAST

OCTOBER 2022

f

• Dispose of filleted bones where birds can’t get them — in a trash can with lid or at home.

• Cover bait buckets and take unused bait home.

• Dispose of fishing line in a monofilament recycling bin or cut into small pieces and place in the trash.

• Don’t leave your line unattended.

• Cast carefully to avoid being snared on trees, bridge piles, power lines or obstacles.

• Help others learn what to do when they accidentally hook a bird.

It’s pretty easy, once you know how.

RIVERKEEPER..................FROM PAGE 16 an ecosystem and a community in decide how to build the home I’ve lived in with my family for the last nearly 20 years.

I have volunteered with environmental restoration projects.

I have engaged with civic advocacy and activism. I’ve spent a great deal of time recreating in and exploring my local natural places. I’ve taken the time to study the ecology, natural history, history and archaeology of this place, I’ve attempted to be aware of the cultural and spatial anthropology or ethnography of the area. I feel more strongly than ever that with knowledge and passion we can preserve and protect the people places and things we adore. I believe we need to feel that we are a part of

COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM

order to effectively defend the place we love.

I know that my experience is not average and I don’t think everyone needs to take the same route to come to a similar place but I can assure you that being in love is a most fulfilling emotion.

If you are a business owner and would like to learn more about the benefits of supporting Indian Riverkeeper, email Exec.

Director Jim Moir at keeper@ theindianriverkeeper.org or call (772) 341-4953. Contact us if you are interested in volunteering at future events, which we will announce on our Facebook page, “Indian Riverkeeper.”

d being , power

t to do a bird. w how.

2022 LIONFISH CHALLENGE BREAKS RECORDS

Issac Jones (left) was crowned “Lionfish King” for collecting 1,018 lionfish. Paul DeCuir (right) was named champion of the commercial division for collecting 1,092 pounds of lionfish.

T

he seventh-annual Lionfish Challenge came to a close on Sept. 6, and the competition was stiff until the very end. Participants in this year’s tournament broke several records in their quest to earn the title of Lionfish King or Queen and Commercial Champion.

• Second place Recreational Division: The event is intended to draw attention to the Baye Beauford – 863 lionfish threat of lionfish on Florida reefs and to promote removal of this nasty invasive species statewide.

• Third place Recreational Division: This year’s tournament boasted a total of 707 Helen Rodney – 800 lionfish registered participants, the most in the program’s • Commercial Champion (First place history. A total of 196 divers conducted 676 trips Commercial Division): Paul DeCuir – throughout the state during the three-month 1,092 pounds of lionfish tournament. They brought in a whopping 25,299 • Second place Commercial Division: lionfish. This is the highest tournament total Alex Fogg – 1,090 pounds of lionfish since 2018. In the end, though, two participants • Third place Commercial Division: prevailed.

Isidoro Bedoya – 1,008 pounds of lionfish Here are the winners of the 2022 Lionfish The 2022 Lionfish Challenge was sponsored by Challenge: FloGrown, a Florida-based fishing and outdoor • Lionfish King (First place Recreational apparel company. FloGrown designed, printed Division): Isaac Jones – 1,018 lionfish

PHOTO PROVIDED by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

and donated custom tournament T-shirts that were awarded to all participants who reached the first prize tier of the tournament.

The Lionfish Challenge is a summer-long tournament that rewards divers for their lionfish harvests. The tournament is open to everyone, is completely free to enter and participants can compete from anywhere in the state. Divers receive prizes based on the amount of lionfish they harvest and compete for the title of the Lionfish King/Queen or Commercial Champion.

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OCTOBER 2022

TREASURE COAST 23

Share Yooutor Brag Phere!

H

Email your information ality and high-qu rger) (500KB or la @ easurecoast photos to tr e.com. lerMagazin CoastalAng

“Slot City” snook by Mike Dean.

April Parker hooked this 42-inch jack, her personal best, late afternoon at Jensen Beach.

PHOTO COURTESY of Mike Dean.

This 29.8 king mackerel caught

by CAM Treasure Coast publisher’s daughter Heather Oblaczynski, gave Heather the fourth-place spot in the 9th annual Chase N’ Tailz KDW.

PHOTO CREDIT: Lorenzo Diaz.

PHOTO CREDIT: Leonard Bryant Photography.

Shyanne Benavidez (@oceanicbarbie) landed this snook two days before open season, “Two days later, she would have been dinner.”

PHOTO COURTESY of Shy.

Chris Giuffrida hooked this gag creeping off the rock, “Almost thought we were stuck on the bottom in open water, LOL!” PHOTO COURTESY of Chris Giuffrida/ Southern Fortune Fishing Crew.

Jim Love III with a hogfish caught off Jupiter.

PHOTO COURTESY of Ben Martin.

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TWO WORLD RECORD GROUPER Caught on the Same Trip!

C

oastal Angler Magazine contributor Ryan Izquierdo was on a really hot bite on April 28 while fishing out of San Carlos in Sonora, Mexico. The boat he was on landed not one, but two IGFA all-tackle world records for star-studded grouper. With just a fraction of a kilogram separating the weights of the two fish, IGFA recently named them both a tie for the all-tackle world record.

Star-studded grouper are a species that inhabits the eastern Pacific Ocean from Southern California down to Peru. The previous all-tackle world record was a 31-pounder caught by Chris Wheaton out of Loreto, Mexico.

Izquierdo’s fish weighed 15.38 kilograms, which is 33 pounds, 14.5 ounces and some change. On the same trip, Robert Navarro boated another star-studded grouper that weighed 15.51 kilograms, or 34 pounds, 3 ounces and some change. Both fish will be recorded as all-tackle world records in the books.

Both fish were caught slow-pitch jigging with JYG Pro jigs.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON RECORD FISH, VISIT IGFA.ORG.

O

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Ladies, Let’s Go Fishing!®

Fishing Fever Tournament October FL Islamorada, FL October 15-17 7-9 • •Islamorada,

Ladies, fish Friday & Sunday, inshore or offshore, on charter boats or your own boat! Win prizes!

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Register in advance to hold your fishing spot at www.LadiesLetsGoFishing.com

FIN-NOR SUNGLASSES

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ne of the most iconic brands in the fishing industry, Fin-Nor has announced that its premium angler-focused sunglasses are now available at premier retail locations throughout Florida.

Fin-Nor sunglasses are sold in 25 Florida-based retailers, spanning 22 different cities. Retailers include: • Aqua East Surf Shop in Neptune Beach • Strike Zone Fishing in Jacksonville and Melbourne • Deep Six Dive Shop in Vero Beach and Stuart • Salty Dog Surf Shop in Ormond Beach • Captain Harry’s and Crook & Crook in Miami • Lake and Trail in Okeechobee • Outcast Bait and Tackle in Pensacola • Sunglass World in Tallahassee, Destin, Pensacola, Panama City, Panama City Beach, Lutz and Daytona Beach Earlier this year, Fin-Nor debuted 20 styles which are purpose-built for anglers and life on the water. Fin-Nor sunglasses are equipped with cuttingedge Lateral Line lens technology, which allows for maximum protection from the sun while giving anglers the best visibility into the depths. The lenses feature premium polarization and coatings on both sides that prevent smudges and scratches and provide optimal clarity. The frames are made from lightweight and durable materials.

Styles come in both glass and plastic lenses and feature two lens colors: gray and copper, and three mirror options: WWW.FINNOR.COM blue mirror, green mirror and silver mirror.

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edfish have black spots. Some of them have several black spots. This redfish caught on the Texas Gulf Coast had so many black spots that it doesn’t even look like a redfish.

The angler, Ryan Hernandez, caught his “leopard” redfish while fishing with Capt. Danny Alvarez in the Upper Laguna Madre near Corpus Christi, Texas on Aug. 27. Hernandez said the fish had more than 300 spots per side.

Leopard redfish are rare, but they do show up from time to time.

Fisheries biologists believe this rare color pattern is caused by both parents having a recessive pigmentation trait. The wild coloration leaves the offspring particularly susceptible to predation early in its life. Not only is it rare for a leopard redfish to be hatched, it’s rare for them to reach catchable size.

According to SaltWater Sportsman, Hernandez kept his leopard redfish to have it mounted. It’ll make a heck of a conversation piece.

•A

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For more weird catches, go to coastalanglermag.com.

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W CATCH BIG

SNOOK

By Capt. Michael Okruhlik

hen it comes to snook fishing with lures, I typically see the same color patterns and lure styles displayed in the jaws of caught fish as the angler proudly presents their catch to the camera. I’d like to share some new colors and lures that I have found to be very effective when targeting solid-lined trophies.

Let’s start with what you might already know. Feather jigs are popular among those who pursue line-siders. Some may tip their jig with a grub of some sort, while others take the simple approach of feathers, lead and a sharp hook. More often than not, when I see these jigs pinned in the jaws of magnificent fish, the colors are typically white, red, chartreuse or a combination of all three.

I don’t typically throw a feather jig, but when I do I prefer to tip it with a paddletail to give it extra vibration. Find one with a rattling tail, and you just increased your odds of hooking up!

Now for methods you may not have tried while targeting snook. Let’s visit our friends in the freshwater aisle and pull out an old favorite: the Rat-L-Trap! Pick up a few of these in chrome and blue, buy some stout saltwater-grade treble hooks, stainless steel split rings, and you’re set. These noisy, rattling hard baits drive big snook crazy. I fish these on a fast and steady retrieve.

The simplicity, in itself, is enticing. Among the advantages are the castability of these lures, their bullet-proof construction, and best of all there is not much skill required in this tactic. Simply cast and reel at a fast pace and hold on tight. When a hungry, or mad snook nails a Trap as you burn it through salty water, they will try their best to take the lure and the rod from your hands. There is nothing like a 40-inch snook hammering a fast-moving Rat-L-Trap!

My other tip involves a color I haven’t seen pictured with many, if any, snook other than those anglers in my circle. The color is in the orange family with gold glitter and a chartreuse tail. This little gem has produced numerous snook over the years. I fish this color in a 5-inch paddletail lure, typically on a heavier jighead. I like a heavy head because I burn these swimbaits through the water.

Here’s my disclaimer: I invented Knockin Tail Lures. The paddletail I use for snook is the Knockin Tail Lure in the Halloween color. This lure, like the Rat-L-Trap, has a built-in rattle. Trust me, it works on snook.

I hope this new look at snook fishing helps you catch your next personnel best. The theme here is sound attracts fish. So, tie on some noisy lures and get hooked up!

Capt. Michael Okruhlik is the inventor of Knockin’ Tail Lures, Controlled Descent Lures and the owner of www.MyCoastOutdoors.com.

Photo courtesy of Knockin Tail Lures

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STONE CRAB HARVEST OPENS OCTOBER 15

R

ecreational stone crab season opens Oct. 15 and runs through May 1. The minimum claw size is 2 7/8 inches, and recreational harvesters may take a daily bag limit of 1 gallon of claws per person or 2 gallons of claws per vessel, whichever is less.

Trapping is the most efficient method of collecting the legal limit. Each harvester is allowed five traps. They may be baited and placed in the water as early as Oct. 5, but traps may not be pulled and claws may not be harvested until the Oct. 15 season opener.

Recreational harvesters age 16 and older who plan to use traps are required to complete an annual no-cost trap registration at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com. Through this process, they will obtain trap registration numbers that must be included on each trap along with the owners name and address.

Diving and snorkeling for stone crabs is also popular. Look for crushed shells in front of holes in the rocks or reef where a stone crab has been feeding. Use a tickle stick with angle of less than 90 degrees to pull them out of the hole and grab them by the claws with gloved hands.

Whether diving or trapping, it is illegal to harvest claws from eggbearing females. It is permitted to take both claws if they are of legal length, but most people choose to take just one so the crab is left with something to feed and defend itself with.

For more information, go to myfwc.com.

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ongratulations to Sam Winton of Thomasville, Ga. for winning a Suzuki DF2.5 Portable Outboard Motor from Coastal Angler Magazine and Suzuki Marine. Winton picked up his prize on Labor Day Weekend from Southeastern Marine and Repair in Douglas, Ga. When Winton arrived at the dealership, Kevin Stone presented Winton with a huge winning check and his outboard.

When Sam returned home he used his new outboard right away and was pleasantly surprised by how well it worked with his boat.

Thank you to over 10,000 people who entered the contest. We've got some more great prizes every month on CoastalAnglerMag.com, so please keep checking back for more!

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Catch Amazing Action on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula A

By Gary Turner

laska’s Kenai Peninsula is a world-renowned fishery, known for all of its salmon runs, of which the Kenai River king salmon run is the most famous. The saltwater fishing out of Homer, Deep Creek and Seward are also amazing. I’ve been to Alaska fishing several times, and this year I fished the fresh and the salt with five friends who were all on their first trip. Here’s a quick look at what we did in freshwater. I’ll write about our saltwater adventures in the future.

Second only to the Kenai’s fishing is the scenery. There is a majestic feel to this area. The views are beautiful, there is amazing wildlife and tons of stuff to see. We saw it all as we drove all over the place chasing fish.

Our lodging was in Soldotna, near the mouth of the Kenai River on Cook Inlet. That’s where we fished the Kenai River for red (sockeye) salmon. The famous king salmon season closed before we arrived this year, or we would have been fishing for them. We “flossed” for reds, which is a technique used in rivers to catch salmon that are more interested in their spawning run than they are in feeding. Basically, you use a weighted leader. As pods of fish swim upstream, the line threads an open mouth and you snag the fish when the hook pulls tight. This was combat-style fishing. We stood a rod’s length from other anglers, and it was mayhem when someone hooked up.

We also fished from a boat on the Kenai River, where anchored to deploy small Kwikfish. These lures settle into the current near the bottom and vibrate.

Fish swimming upstream see them and attack. Unlike the red salmon, which aren’t interested in eating, the pink (humpback) and silver (coho) salmon jumped all over this setup.

Twice, we traveled northeast by van to Hope, Alaska, where we fished for pinks in Resurrection Creek. They were so thick that we stayed busy catching and releasing them after we all caught our limits. On our second trip to Resurrection, we went in search of silvers but they had not arrived yet, so we caught pinks

all day again. It was so fun!

We also ventured south from Soldotna to the Kasilof River and caught salmon and trout. We crossed the peninsula to Seward and fished the Resurrection River for silvers, pinks and dog (chum) salmon. The river was full of fish, so we fished until it was too dark to see the bears and called it a day at midnight.

Last, but not least, we fished Skilak Lake, which feeds the Kenai River from the center of the peninsula. This was my favorite place to fish. It is as beautiful as it is full of fish. We stayed 18 days in Alaska and spent our 17th on Skilak, where we slayed the fish. We landed and released more than 100 reds, silvers and trout that day! It was a great note to end our trip.

If you ever get the chance to fish the Kenai Peninsula, you will love it. Get a group of friends, do some research and go. Fish with a guide or on your own. There are so many options and so many fish that it’s hard not to have an amazing adventure.

Gary Turner is a long-time contributor to The Angler Magazine.

Contact him at gary@purgeright.com.

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Aggressive Tactics

By Nick Carter

FOR AGGRESSIVE FALL BROWN TROUT

L

ust and jealousy make males of many species do stupid things they wouldn’t normally do. This is true for humans and whitetail deer, and it’s also true for brown trout, which grow aggressive this time of year as they gear up for the spawn.

Across the East, brown trout spawn in a window that runs from midSeptember into December. Males and females of the species leave their summer lies to strike out upstream in search of spawning habitat. They are on the move and more visible to anglers than at any other time of year.

While the females become preoccupied with cutting nests, called redds, on shallow gravel bars in moving water, the males put on bright colors to

advertise their suitability as mates. The big boys spar with each other for the opportunity to fertilize eggs. They become ornery, and are cocked to lash out at anything that catches their eye.

The timing is different on every piece of water, but October is thought to be the peak of pre-spawn behavior for most streams and rivers. Since big browns are more aggressive than they are at any other time of year, anglers who target them should fish aggressively.

Alex McCrickard has a go-big or go-home attitude when it comes to fall browns. He’s a former fly fishing guide and the current aquatic education coordinator for the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. As the days grow shorter, McCrickard breaks out his heavy 6- and 7-weight rods to sling big streamers.

On smaller streams, he’ll fish floating line with a 9-foot leader that tapers down to no lighter than 2x tippet. The long leader allows a weighted streamer to get down in the water column, and 2x has a breaking strength of about 10 pounds. It’s more than enough to handle the 14- to 20-inchers you might encounter in a creek or stream.

On a big tailwater, McCrickard gears up with 250-grain sinking line and runs a short 3-foot leader of 0x tippet. If the water is dingy, he’ll fish 3 feet of straight 20-pound monofilament.

“If I have that fish that’s two feet or larger, I’m feeling really confident having that fish on 20-pound as opposed to having it on 2x,” he said.

On large or small water, pre-spawn browns will hit bigger flies than you’d think they would. This could be a 2- to 3-inch-long Woolly Bugger on a mountain stream or a 6-inch-long articulated pattern on a big river. Either way, it’s a game of covering water persistently and presenting the fly to as many fish as possible.

“A productive day is relative. When you’re throwing a 10-foot 7-weight and a 250-grain full sinking line with 3 feet of 20-lb. monofilament, you’re not really going for numbers anymore,” said McCrickard. “You’re looking for one, maybe two fish. You kind of have to go out there with the mentality of, ‘I might get skunked today, but I might catch my best fish of the year… or the best fish I’ve caught in the last five years.’”

Nick Carter is author of “Flyfisher’s Guide to North Carolina & Georgia.” It is available on Amazon or by contacting the author at nsc8957@gmail.com.

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ANGLER HAND-CRANKS 504 POUND RECORD SWORDFISH

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504-pound, 8-ounce swordfish caught 55 miles off Morehead City, North Carolina was recently certified as a new state record.

The angler, 59-year-old Cary Carney, was fishing aboard the 32-foot Willow B, which was captained by his son Brandon Carney. They were fishing in about 1,300 feet of water on Aug. 21, when the big broadbill ate a strip of albacore belly. They had the fish on an electric Diawa MP3000 reel, but a blown fuse rendered it inoperable.

Carney buckled down and cranked the fish in by hand on 65-pound test line.

“He’s one of those old-school guys,” Brandon Carney said of his father for an article in the Raleigh News & Observer. “His arm might be hanging off, but he won’t let you know it. After about 30 minutes, it rose to about 20 feet below the surface and we could see how big it was.”

Two hours later, the big fish was boatside. They roped its tail and used the T-top as a pulley to bring it onboard. It measured 104 inches fork length and had a 53-inch girth.

Carney’s swordfish crushed the previous state record by more than 60 pounds. The old record of 441 pounds had stood since 1979. The thing is, if they had hauled it in with the electric reel, it would not have qualified for the record.

The IGFA all-tackle world record swordfish weighed 1,182 pounds. It was caught off the coast of Chile in 1953 by Louis Marron.

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Berkeley County is a wonderland for outdoor enthusiasts, sports buffs, adventure seekers, and water lovers.

From exemplary fishing for striped bass, or a trophy largemouth bass, to our hiking trails and water activities, along with scenic outdoors where you can catch a glimpse of white tail deer and gators, Berkeley County has activities to fit all visitors and families.

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