Coastal Angler Magazine | October 2022 | Daytona/New Smyrna Beach/Deland Edition by Coastal Angler Magazine

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• 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

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

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.

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

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.

By Skye Burkhardt

TARGETING REDFISH During the Mullet Migration

The

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

• 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.

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.

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,

• 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.

• 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.

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.

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Hanapa Marlin

You raise the flags of the fish just caught to show you weren’t skunked.

Ahhhh, yeah! This is the time of plenty. Now is the time of year to have a community-sized fish stew to clear out all the vacuum-sealed stuff in the freezer. You’ve got to make some room for freezer-stuffing grouper, snapper and seabass.

love spring and summer fishing, but let me say this loud and clear: I live for fall and winter fisheries!

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 andScampsflavor.

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and snappers hold a special place in my heart. Starting right now, they should be going off! It’s time consuming to stop on 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. When you find bait in numbers, it doesn’t take long to rack up. I like to keep a Sabiki angler on each side of the boat handing me baits to dehook into a bucket in the center of the boat. Once I get 20 or so baits in the bucket, I pour them into the livewell and repeat until there’s enough.

Once onshore you can take it a step further showing your fellow anglers your catch of the day wearing “slippahs” from Scott Hawaii.

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Hanapa

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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, so all the smaller females have plenty to eat while they are discussing

Tim Barefoot

I also like to take pinfish from the marina as a “bird in hand” for bottom fishing. The beauty of putting a live sardine on a jig and sending it to the bottom is that EVERYTHING down there eats them. The beauty of sending a pinfish, grass grunt or sailors choice to the bottom is that everything down there would love to eat them, but can’t. They can’t get their mouths around the bigger baits, but the ones that can are the fish you want to catch. Go enjoy the bounty of the season!

This is the time of year that can make even me look good. The large male gags have started staging up on nearshore structures, wrecks and traditional bait-holding bottom. The scamps and large snappers have started a transitional move to their deeper wintering grounds. Water temps will soon draw a line in the water that clearly shows you where to fish.

Starting this month, the larger gags will be so close in that it’ll shock you. Don’t run too far, or you’ll run over some of the biggest fish of the year. Go wherever you jig up your cigar minnows and sardines, and the gags will be right there. When you get a few baits in the well, it’s a good idea to have at least one person put a bait right back down.

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BIG BOTTOM FISH ARE THE BOUNTY OF FALL

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

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

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

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• Damn Carp: A sh 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.”

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.”

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

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

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

Dreaded Frustrations: e downward spiral of being so ustered 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. en 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 sh that shakes the hook right at the boat. Counts as half a sh in informal shing competition. “Oh, well. Easy release. It was a little peckerhead, anyway.”

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

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.

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

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THE LANGUAGE OF ANGLERS

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presumably to stick in the mud on the bottom of the ocean. “Keep hauling sail sh in the boat for photos, and you’re going to keep throwing back mud darts. ”

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With a blunt snout and downturned mouth, red sh are designed for rooting. ey aren’t wellequipped for attacking prey on the surface, but they certainly display thrilling surface strikes as they

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Anglers imparting the appropriate snap of the rod tip can mimic distressed bait sh 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 sh a quieter walking lure.

Throw Topwater BANANA RIVER REDS

track a topwater lure and overtake the o ering a er several failed attempts.

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

Shimano’s Current Sniper topwater baits o er anglers a lure for every scenario. e Current Sniper Walk 110F Silent is a walking bait that lacks internal rattles and excels in calm conditions. e Current Sniper Walk Hi-Pitch emits a high-pitch rattle for rougher water.

e 31-mile-long Banana River is an isolated lagoon. Here, marsh and mangrove ecosystems ourish in a complex landscape where there is uniquely no tidal ow. ere are no freshwater tributaries, no saltwater inlets, and the only outlet to the Atlantic Ocean is through a lock at Port Canaveral.ACocoa Beach local who has been guiding

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Since these reds aren’t tailing, spotting them means you’re looking for wakes. Mature red sh push wider wakes at a steady pace in a straight line. Mullet make those darting V-shaped wakes.

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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.

“ is at right here was so lush, the grass was thick as could be. But with water quality issues fueling massive seagrass die-o s, miles of underwater vegetation have been reduced to barren sand ats. ere are still giant red sh, though they’ve changed behavior and where they would once tail and search out the sea oor, they now just cruise around looking for bait sh,” re ected Le.

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

“We can sight during all hours of the day and in all weather conditions, but since red sh 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 shing can stay strong throughout the day,” said Le.

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 shing in wind. Instead of using an overhand cast, try a sidearm cast, which limits the lure’s exposure to the wind.

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.

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Water conditions are another factor worth consideration. Big waves, whitewater and strong currents limit your control. ese conditions are also o en the best conditions for sh to bite. When you cast, engage the reel before the lure hits the water and reel up slack. is 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.

LURESLONG-CASTINGINTHEWIND

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

Legendary angler Patrick Sebile is a world record holder and an award-winning designer of innovative lures and shing gear. Check out his creations at abandofanglers.com.

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

On a beach, with the lure on the sand, allow a banner of 50 to 70 percent of the rod’s length. is shorter banner limits the size of the belly in the line when you cast. e larger the line belly is, the more casting energy is taken from the lure’s ight, 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. is a ects the lure’s action, and you might also miss bites.

LURES

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 con guration. Now I want to discuss the uncontrollable elements of weather and water conditions. ey play a big role in how far you are able to cast and how e ectively you can sh a lure.

Over

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 e ciently than a oating lure. Everyone loves shing topwaters, but in windy conditions they are not the best choice. A denser lure always casts farther than a oating lure.

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BLACKTIPSCATCHING fromBeachthe

By Emily Rose Hanzlik

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.

Photo courtesy of Je Tomalo

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 sh for blacktips outside of mullet-run season, you are still in luck. Finding a blacktip shark de nitely isn’t an issue due to a large and growing population of these big sharks.

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

Blacktip sharks can be found year-round in the Atlantic from Virginia through Florida. ey have been known to migrate up to Cape Cod, Massachusetts. ough they do prefer more tropical temperatures, a little cold won’t deter them from their mission. Blacktips are de nitely not picky when it comes to hunting grounds. ey can be found in bays, estuaries, coral reefs and mouths of rivers.

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

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

Normally, blacktips leave Florida in the

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.

ese sharks are viviparous, meaning the pups develop inside the female’s body, unlike other sharks that lay egg sacks. Most pups will be le 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 nicky. Paying attention to speci cs 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 rst drop.eyde nitely will eat dead bait, but will hit live and fresh-dead bait without hesitation.

shing in strong current, simply walk down the beach as the bait dri s. 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.

COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM OCTOBER 2022 FLORIDA 11

On slow days when the bite is dead and you’re catching nothing but cat sh, 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 shing permit to legally sh for sharks in Florida.

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

e 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 shing paradise.

It’s 8:17 p.m. Been out on the lake for hours. But there are more fsh in the water. And my LBP batteries are still going strong. Maybe One More Cast . . . the offcial battery of “One More Cast...” Visit lithiumbatterypower.com Or call us at 727-233-9831

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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. is is similar to the way U.S. anglers refer to multiple species of sun sh as bream.

Tilapia can be nicky eaters, which poses a puzzle for anglers. eir 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 y rod. I caught most of these sh on Clouser Minnows and other similar small bait sh patterns.

ere is no minimum size or bag limit for tilapia. e FWC encourages anglers to catch and eat them like any other invasive species. e white akey meat is mild, and wild-caught tilapia are superior to the farm-raised tilapia sold in grocery stores.

Blue Tilapia

waters o Key West to the many famous bass shermen that made Lake Okeechobee a destination for anglers from around the world, Florida has a rich angling history and amazing shing for everyone.

Perhaps a lesser-known draw to the Sunshine State are the exotic species that have taken hold here. ese are the non-native, sometimes invasive species that would otherwise require expensive travel for anglers to target. ey are here, so we might as well sh for them.

By Rex Hannon

e 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 sh-farming world due to its fast growth, salinity tolerance and the fact that it can be stocked densely. Tilapia have a long history. Farming of Nile tilapia goes back to ancient Egypt, and its importance is noted by the ancients using the sh as a symbol of rebirth.

I’m sure everyone reading this can target blue tilapia within a short distance of home. ey are great ghters that stand toe-to-toe with any species of similar size.

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One of best times of year to catch snook in the surf, October holds the combination title with September for the peak of the mullet run along the Space Coast. Throughout the Central East Coast region, mullet and other baitfish will be pouring down the beaches. With that being said, the predatory fish including snook and tarpon will be acrobatically attacking this once-a-year phenomenon.

Depending on the annual waves of migratory mullet, each week will hold alternating peaks of heightened fish activity. The preferred method for targeting snook in the surf will be a gorilla-style surf fishing approach. Armed with a single casting rod in the 7- to 8-foot range and reel sizes of 4,000 to 5,000 series. This light and mobile attack leads to a strategy that gives the angler freedom to move along the shores with ease.

2 BREVARD/VOLUSIA OCTOBER 2022 COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM

can be easily depicted, making a focused attack easier to come by.

Swim baits, jigs, plugs and live bait are the preferred choice when rigging your light tackle casting rods. Often times, I will begin my search for targeted areas by approaching several beaches and looking for crashing birds, exploding baitfish or surging snook crashing the shores. One of the beauties of this specific fishery is the fact that it can be so visual with the sight of aerialist snook and tarpon leaping from the water. This sight

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FORECASTSPACE COAST SURF FISHING

Not only will the snook and tarpon be in full swing, but we also start to see pompano pushing into Brevard County waters. The real pompano activity doesn’t start to heat up until November, but some of the first schools may appear on northern beaches. Pompano rigs with clam and crab flavored Fishbites tipped with fresh shrimp or sandfleas will hold success for most catches. Hopefully the seaweed and slime we’ve been dealing with cleans up enough to aid most surf fishing anglers in their endeavors.

Cocoa Beach Surf Fishing Charters cocoabeachsurffishingcharters.com (321) 205-4672

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Fineline

FORECAST 13 BREVARD JANUARY 2019 COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THE ANGLERMAG. 2Th 1:12 AM 1.9 7:11 AM 0.4 1:30 PM 2.0 7:45 PM 0.3 3F 2:06 AM 1.9 8:05 AM 0.5 2:18 PM 1.9 8:37 PM 0.3 4Sa 3:02 AM 1.9 9:01 AM 0.5 3:10 PM 1.9 9:27 PM 0.2 5Su 4:00 AM 2.0 9:56 AM 0.5 4:04 PM 1.9 10:16 PM 0.1 6M 4:57 AM 2.1 10:46 AM 0.4 4:59 PM 2.0 11:03 PM -0.1 7Tu 5:50 AM 2.2 11:34 AM 0.3 5:51 PM 2.0 11:49 PM -0.2 8W 6:40 AM 2.3 12:21 PM 0.2 6:42 PM 2.1 9Th 12:35 AM -0.4 7:28 AM 2.4 1:06 PM 0.1 7:31 PM 2.2 11Sa 2:07 AM -0.6 9:01 AM 2.6 2:38 PM -0.1 9:08 PM 2.4 12Su 2:55 AM -0.6 9:47 AM 2.6 3:26 PM -0.2 9:58 PM 2.4 13M 3:44 AM -0.6 10:34 AM 2.6 4:16 PM -0.3 10:50 PM 2.4 14Tu 4:36 AM -0.5 11:22 AM 2.6 5:08 PM -0.3 11:44 PM 2.4 15W 5:31 AM -0.3 12:11 PM 2.5 6:04 PM -0.3 16Th 12:42 AM 2.3 6:30 AM -0.2 1:04 PM 2.4 7:04 PM -0.3 17F 1:43 AM 2.3 7:33 AM 0.0 2:00 PM 2.2 8:05 PM -0.3 18Sa 2:48 AM 2.2 8:37 AM 0.1 3:00 PM 2.2 9:07 PM -0.3 20M 4:58 AM 2.3 10:42 AM 0.1 5:05 PM 2.1 11:05 PM -0.4 21Tu 5:57 AM 2.3 11:38 AM 0.1 6:03 PM 2.1 11:58 PM -0.4 22W 6:50 AM 2.3 12:29 PM 0.0 6:55 PM 2.2 23Th 12:48 AM -0.5 7:38 AM 2.4 1:17 PM 0.0 7:42 PM 2.2 24F 1:34 AM -0.5 8:21 AM 2.4 2:02 PM -0.1 8:26 PM 2.2 25Sa 2:17 AM -0.4 9:01 AM 2.4 2:44 PM -0.1 9:07 PM 2.2 26Su 2:59 AM -0.4 9:38 AM 2.3 3:25 PM -0.1 9:47 PM 2.2 27M 3:38 AM -0.3 10:14 AM 2.3 4:04 PM -0.1 10:26 PM 2.1 29W 4:55 AM 0.0 11:25 AM 2.1 5:21 PM 0.0 11:46 PM 2.0 30Th 5:35 AM 0.1 12:02 PM 2.0 6:01 PM 0.0 31F 12:30 AM 1.9 6:17 AM 0.2 12:41 PM 1.9 6:45 PM 0.1 Ponce de Leon Inlet High Tide -11 minutes Low Tide +19 minutes Ft. Pierce Inlet, S. Jetty High Tide -31 minutes Low Tide -18 minutes Ponce Inlet, Halifax River High Tide +5 minutes Low Tide +33 minutes Jensen Beach High Tide +2 hours, 17 minutes Low Tide +3 hours, 4 minutes Port Canaveral (Trident Pier) Daily Predictions Sewell Pt High Tide +1 hours, 13 minutes Low Tide +2 hours, 9 minutes Patrick Air Force Base High Tide -1 hour, 4 minute Low Tide -38 minutes Jupiter Inlet, S.Jetty High Tide -10 minutes Low Tide -9 minutes Sebastian Inlet Bridge High Tide -48 minutes Low Tide -24 minutes Port Everglades - Turning Basin High Tide -31 minutes Low Tide -13 minutes January layout.indd 13 12/13/2019 10:24:07 AMBoathouseDiscountMarine.comDiscountMarineSuppliesBOATHOUSEMELBOURNESERVICECENTER (321) 254-2535 557 N. Harbor City Blvd., Melbourne Schedule an appointment today for all your boating needs! FULL SERVICE Engine Service • Trailer Repairs Bottom Jobs • New Engine Repowers Electronics Installation MASTER YAMAHA & MERCURY TECHNICIANS WARRANTY CENTER Proud to be a Five Star, Certified Service Department HHHHH Tarpon are just one of the many species that will be found along the surf zones this month. The redfish bite in October can be extremely good in this portion of the lagoon system.

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ORT CANAVERAL: October is a great month to fish inside and outside of Port Canaveral. The Fall mullet run is in full swing along the beaches outside of the Port, so anglers can target bluefish, redfish, snook, tarpon, tripletail, jacks, and flounder just to name a few that are available. These species will be following the schools of mullet southward along the beaches as they head for their wintering grounds. Look for baitfish “showering” as they run from these predators when the action heats up in the surf zone. The best areas are usually around the tip of the Cape, and at the jetties at Port Canaveral, but a feeding frenzy can occur anywhere along the Cape to Cocoa Beach area. You may also see some king mackerel and different types of sharks joining in these festivities. Whether you’re standing on the beach or fishing from a boat, you should find plenty of hungry fish once you find the schools of bait. Rapala X-Rap diving plugs, Krocodile spoons, and R&R tackle jigs tipped with a lively fingerling mullet are productive lures and lure/baitfish combos to cast in and around the feeding activity.

BANANA RIVER LAGOON: Island edges and channel drop-offs near the tip of Newfound Harbor, The Satellite Beach canals, and the

4 BREVARD/VOLUSIA OCTOBER 2022 COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM

PORT CANAVERAL NEARSHORE & BANANA RIVER LAGOON

Thousand Islands area of Cocoa Beach are worth investigating this month. Snook, speckled trout and redfish can ambush fingerling mullet that are migrating through this area throughout the day. Saltwater Assassin 4-inch sea shad tails or 5-inch jerk baits rigged on a weedless weighted worm hook will be great mullet imitations to use in these areas if the water is relatively clear. Live fingerling mullet, or cut mullet will work best when the water is dirty or when these fish don’t feel like chasing lures.

COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM OCTOBER 2022 BREVARD/VOLUSIA 5January layout.indd 15 12/13/2019 10:24:28 AM

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One of our great repeats with a nice blackfin tuna.

PORT OFFSHORECANAVERAL FORECAST

CAPE CANAVERAL

Mahi mahi are starting to return to the waters off Port Canaveral.

those of you that have been waiting to catch something different, other than kings and tarpon, (or I should say, take some fish home for dinner because you can’t eat a king…but let’s not even go there), wait no longer as the fall run is upon us.

For

COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM OCTOBER 2022 BREVARD/VOLUSIA 7

Beach fishing is heating up as well. I know many are taking advantage of the nice weather and bait on the beaches right now. Lots of pompano, flounder, snook and whiting are being caught. Sharking from the beach is going off good too. The mullet run is in full swing!

CAPT. CHRIS CAMERON Fired Up Fishing Charters firedupcharters.com | sharkfishingcocoabeach.com (407) 222-3573

OCTOBER 2022

This is a great time of year to target the fish that migrated north in the springtime that now migrate back south (if in fact that’s what’s going on). Mahi, wahoo, blackfins and sails will start to show up. We’ve already started seeing many green fish hit the fish boards, along with many blackfins. Nothing huge, but a few decent ones for sure. King fishing starts to heat up again as well; in my opinion, the best fishing around. Although November is historically the timeframe that the larger schools come in, this is when they start showing up.

The fall run is generally not as great as the spring run, but it’s still usually awesome fishing. It seems like many fish are being caught shallow and on slow-trolled live bunker while king fishing. Now is the time to start rigging your ballyhoo and concentrating on the temperature breaks and weed lines again. Start out in 100 feet or so, then go deeper. Don’t pass fish to find fish. Be sure to put out some naked ballyhoo for the sails. And don’t forget the shotgun rig. Wire rigged and sent way out there, black and purples work well.Continue to use live bunker and mullet working the regular reefs. Don’t pass up the wrecks. Chances are if there’s piles of bait on it then something’s there. I had a slow day last week and decided to go try a wreck. The water was boiling with small sardines. My first pass through I was doubled up with a fat king and bonita. Then it was a bonita fire fight. Was a lot of fun! Excellent fish to make strip baits with and, of course, eating!!! (You eat a tuna, right?)

OCTOBER 2022

Pat from New York with one of a few tarpon he and his friend Jesse caught.

8 BREVARD/VOLUSIA OCTOBER 2022 COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM

The

fishing in September was great and will continue to be so in October. Depending on the cold fronts, we can expect consistent action in the Indian River Lagoon and on the nearshore beaches from Melbourne to Sebastian Inlet.

SEBASTIAN INLET TO EAU CAUSEWAYGALLIEFORECAST

With the bait schools in the lagoon becoming more prevalent, anglers seeking flounder inshore should have plenty of opportunity to catch some 2- to 6-pound fish in the lagoon and near the inlets. I like to fish the mangrove shorelines with D.O.A. C.A.L. jigs or 4” jerkbaits rigged on VMC 1/4-ounce jigheads. Fish them slow along the shorelines and pitching them under the mangrove roots. Docks and spoil islands will also hold some good founder. Rapala’s X-Rap Twitchin’ Minnow is a good hard bait to target the flounder around docks and spoil islands as well. Live bait anglers will have the best success with live finger mullet, however live shrimp will work as well.

CAPT. GLYN AUSTIN Going Coastal Charters www.goingcoastalcharters.com (321) 863-8085

SEBASTIAN INLET

With the mullet run in full swing, as long as the weather holds up and it isn’t too rough, the beaches are the place to be. Consistent action will be had on tarpon, snook, sharks, jack crevalle, and kingfish that are following the schools of bait looking for that easy meal. Fish the snook and jacks by fishing the trough running parallel to the shore along the beach. Fishing for tarpon and sharks, the best bet is to use live bait and fish the outer edges of the bait pods. The Rapala X-Rap Long Cast in size 14 will be an excellent hard bait to use when targeting the bait pods. I also like to use Hogy Eeels and D.O.A. Bait Busters during the mullet run along the beaches.

The mullet in the creeks from Melbourne down to Sebastian will keep the gamefish in there through the month as long as we don’t get too much rain. Fish the docks and oyster bars that are loaded with bait using topwater baits early, switching to subsurface baits later in the day. Snook will be plentiful and tarpon will be in the deeper channels of the creeks. Live finger mullet is a great bait or give the D.O.A. Bait Buster a shot along the shoreline drop-offs.

COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM OCTOBER 2022 BREVARD/VOLUSIA 9

of fish you will catch, you never know because although large bass are loners for the most part of the year, they will school up with bass of all sizes in the fall when they become transient. Remember when selecting your lure, you’re trying to “Match the Hatch” so, whether you are throwing crankbaits or swimbaits, pick something that closely resembles the color and length of the baitfish. In this case bigger is not better; if you go with something a lot larger than the hatch, you could go home without a catch. The big fish are feeding on the same bait as the smaller fish. Get out there and cover some water and find yourself in the middle of a great day of Fall fishing.

has always been one of my favorite times of the year to fish for bass. Fall fishing, at times, can be challenging as well as rewarding. Fall brings on cooler temperatures which, in turn, starts cooling down the water. Bass become transient during this time of year, and the key to finding them is finding the schools of baitfish. In the summer it’s easy to find bass holding in some areas day after day. In the fall you may catch several in one spot today, and tomorrow you won’t catch a single fish from the same spot. If this happens, move on. The key is to cover as much water as possible until you find them. Once you have found the bait schools, the bass will be there also. If you start catching fish, stay with them until you stop catching and then move on. As for the size

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Fall

Fis Fes ish

Fall Bass Patterns

Andrew with a sight fished Mosquito Lagoon redfish caught on a D.O.A. C.A.L. rigged weedless with a 1/16 oz. Owner 3/0 twistlock hook.

PR TIPS

ow, did you see that? What an explosion! Oh, I heard the hit! Let’s find that fish!

Hey there, this is Capt. Jonathan Moss of Go Castaway Fishing Charters with another edition of PRO TIPS! For some, fishing is just casting out some bait and waiting for a bite. There is nothing wrong with that technique, however, that style of fishing tends to create unaware anglers. If an angler focuses their attention on their surroundings while on the water, they’ll begin to pick up on cues that will lead them to fish. Fishing is very much an activity of watching and listening. Let’s discuss.

COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM THE MULLET RUN Is Here!!! 2771 W NEW HAVEN AVE. MELBOURNE, FL (321) 956-3474 CAST NETS!

This week on one of my largemouth bass fishing charters, we witnessed bass schooling, chasing and eating baby shad. These predator fish are so aggressive that they are literally propelling themselves out of the water in a feeding frenzy. It is such a sight to see. This visual cue showed me, the guide, where to position the boat to give my guests the best opportunity to catch fish. Additionally, my anglers now have an obvious target to cast towards. While focusing on the water, I scan back and forth, looking for these schooling fish.

across the surface. Perhaps, I might even spot a push or boil from a redfish or a group reds tailing and feeding. Again, fishing is a visual game and one that sure is a lot of fun to play. Have you ever seen an osprey fly overhead looking for its next meal? Or how about a few seagulls hovering just a few feet over the water? These visual cues are almost a guarantee that fish are nearby.

Fishing is also a game of listening. I truly love escaping to the water and leaving the sounds of the city behind. Once away from the hustle and bustle, the angler can now hear the audible cues the fish are sharing. I often have anglers on the boat who forget to listen. Listening to your surroundings while on the water can focus your attention to an area that has possibly been overlooked. Often, I hear bait scurrying away or the sound of a predator fish slurping some bait on the surface. A good bit of the time, the sounds I hear are coming from an area either ahead of me or behind me. Listening for the cues helps lead you to the fish. There will, for sure, be times where anglers might not see the fish, but by listening for the cues, we are able to then focus our attention and cast to a specific spot. I have lost count of how many times this has played out on my boat. I hear the bite, find the swirl from the fish, make the cast and then, fish on! Listening will lead you to finding more fish.

When anglers are focused and paying attention to their surroundings, they will, without a doubt, pick up on the cues and catch more fish! So, next time you’re on the water, give this a try. You’ll be glad you did!

CAPT. JONATHAN MOSS Go Castaway Fishing Charters www.gocastaway.com | www.thecaptainslogtv.com (407) 760-8593

My eyes are my fish finder. Fishing is very much a visual game. This same technique can be applied while fishing the flats. As I pole my skiff in 1- to 3-feet of water, I focus my eyes 60- to 100-feet out from the boat, scanning for some form ornervousarefish.flashmovement,ofortailingMyeyeslookingforwaterashrimpscurrying

Tight lines,

Email your high-quality photos (at least 1MB) along with all the details — species, size, location, who caught it (and how!) — to: webmaster@coastalanglermagazine.com.

SEND US YOUR CATCH PHOTOS!

Kevin Chase caught a 24-inch, hybrid striper/sunshine bass on the St. John’s River using a yellow and red clouser pattern on the fly.

Alex Krenn caught this impressive62-inch river tarpon in the NorthBanana River with an 8-inch mullet.He was able to avoid multiplehazards in the water and land the fish after an intense battle of will.

Gina Hesch caught and released this nice 40-inch redfish in Port Orange using a live blue crab.

Colton Lester, 11, caught this monster snook surf fishing in Satellite Beach by casting a Tsunami Pro 5-inch Holographic swim bait. Proud dad said the fish was so thick he could barely hold it! She was photographed and gently released back into the ocean.

COASTAL ANGLER BREVARD/VOLUSIA

BRAG BOARD

Jim Love and dad with amassive 31-inch hogfish.

12 BREVARD/VOLUSIA OCTOBER 2022 COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM

Good luck out there this fall and, as always, if you see us on the water say hello!

FORECASTPONCE

OCTOBER 2022

October

is probably my favorite month of the year to fish, by far. We get slightly cooler temperatures for a break from the summer heat and while the temps cool down the fishing really heats up. October is prime time for many species including my favorites, snook and tarpon, not to mention the big bull redfish that will be schooled up near Ponce Inlet. With the mullet run in full effect, plan on spending some time in the beginning of your trip cast netting some bait. I prefer medium mullet about the length of my hand; these baits typically will be hardy enough to handle being casted a few times before being swapped out for a freshie. For the snook and reds, you want to be on or near the bottom, for the most part.

However, I do get a fair share of hook ups in the middle of the water column, so be prepared to mix things up. I like using 30-40 lb. flouro for these fall fish when they are in frenzy mode, however if they are being tight lipped you can always drop down to 20 lb. leader, but I wouldn’t go any lower than that or you will lose more fish than you boat. For snook and reds, I like to find them on my finder and then set up ahead of them. I do tend to do better on outgoing tides, but I still catch fish on incoming so the key really is to locate where the fish are set up. You can also dry drift for snook and reds. You just have to pay attention to bottom depth variations; you want enough weight to keep your bait just off the bottom so you don’t spend all day re-rigging from snags. If you’re not getting any bites on live mullet, also try cut mullet, halved blue crab, or even a croaker.

Double the reds, double the fun!

INLET

CAPT. JAMIE THRAPPAS

Yellow Dawg Fishing www.yellowdawgfishing.com (386) 366-3424

PONCE BACKWATERS&INLET

When it comes to tarpon, I get the most hookups at first light or that last hour before dark. These fish have been getting pressured all summer, so I would suggest a long leader, four to five feet of 40 lb. flourocarbon with a 5/0 or 6/0 hook. The same goes for these fish; you want to locate them on your finder or even by eye. Toss bait at them freelined or with a pinch weight and if you get hooked up don’t try to horse the fish in. It’s a long game of tug-of-war so take your time and gain line when you can. Another technique is to slow troll large mullet for tarpon. This means tapping the boat in and out of gear where you see fish rolling. Your bait will try to swim down, so you want to keep pulling them up by going in gear drawing attention to them.

COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM OCTOBER 2022 BREVARD/VOLUSIA 13

Try for the year’s biggest mangrove snapper which have grown in the backwaters all season long and are getting ready to move to the ocean for the adult stage of their life. The inlet area, jetties, New Smyrna docks and bridges, the ICW and Edgewater backcountry can be best for bigger mangos. Fish

Dock light fishing can be really good in fall. Oak Hill and Edgewater lights can hold mostly trout, but also snook on outgoing tides, but moving water is a must and free line live shrimp for bait. Closer to the inlet, New Smyrna Beach and Ponce Inlet lights can have more blues and jacks. Snook are always a possibility at any light. Ladyfish are big night feeders, mostly outside the lights. All along the ICW channel, shrimp, lures or fly casting makes fun catching on big fall ladies.

bigger baits to attract larger snapper, shrimp, finger mullet and cut bait. Minimum size of 10” with bag limit of five per person on mangroves.

Redfish

Dropping water temperatures and clearing water makes for a good variety of catching in the backwaters. All the residents, like seatrout, snook, redfish, mangrove snapper and black drum, are joined by the migratory fish heading south along with the mullet—schooling bluefish, jack crevalle, oversized ladyfish, spanish mackerel, tarpon and pompano. For live bait try shrimp, mullet, croakers, spots, pinfish and mud minnows. You can free line them or add a small weight to drop them into holes or channels. Lure anglers can throw top waters early morning, then switch to sub surface after the sun is up using twitch baits, spoons and 1/8- or 1/16-oz. swim tail jigs.

Fall weather patterns begin to emerge in October with the first cool fronts of the season pushing south through Central Florida bringing breezes off the ocean after a summer of calm mornings. East winds should raise water levels in the Intracoastal Waterway and Mosquito Lagoon with more ocean water pushed in on the easterlies. The fall mullet run should be in full swing on the beach, inlet and ICW with easy bait catching. Watch for game fish busting mullet schools. Jack crevalle and bluefish can account for most of this surface action. A live mullet or topwater lure can be best for a quick hookup here.

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are “catch and release only” now in the new Indian River Lagoon Region, which includes Edgewater Backcountry and Mosquito Lagoon. The new IRL Region’s northern boundary is the State Road 44 bridge in New Smyrna Beach as well as the adjacent coastline along the beach and out three miles, all the way south to the southern end of the new IRL Region which is the Martin/Palm Beach County line. Previous redfish regulations of one per person in the slot of 18” to 27” remain in effect north of the SR44 bridge in NSB.

Ponce Inlet can be the center of attention for spawning redfish, which are averaging 20 to 40 lbs. and are feeding heavy on drifting blue crabs, mullet and baitfish being pulled through the inlet on the outgoing tide. Boats can drift or anchor in the western inlet entrance, inner channel edges, and the jetty tip area. These big fish are catch and

release only, as most all are over the 27” maximum size. Use heavier tackle to land them quicker for healthy release, always hold them horizontal for your pictures, and never hang by the jaw with fish grippers which can damage the fish. Expect the chance of snook, tarpon and sharks as well around the inlet fishing live bait.

Fish the basin with an outgoing tide drifting crabs, mullet, pinfish, croakers and large shrimp. Free line your bait without weight over oyster bars and along drop-offs of the ICW.

Fly fishing is very productive at high tide in Strickland Creek and the Tomoka River. My choice of fly is an Orvis Crazy Charlie in white.

Tight lines!

is a great month to be fishing. Now is the time to change line and leaders for the larger fish that will be moving inshore such as 20 to 40 pound redfish… and don’t forget the snook, black drum, jacks, bluefish and sharks. I get excited just thinking about the action!

Fish the mouths of the canals on the outgoing tide and look far up the canal to see if any mullet are being chased. If they are, be patient...they are working their way to you. They will be reds, snook or trout. Live bait and lures such as the Yo-Zuri SS Minnow work great.

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14 BREVARD/VOLUSIA OCTOBER 2022 COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM

October

The mullet run should be in full swing, along with the bull reds entering the inlet to lay eggs and filtering up and down the river.

I know that sounds corny, but it says “At the edge of the ocean there’s a place to start over again.” For people like us who fish on the beaches, the edge of the ocean sounds like a good place to be. That’s what I did: I started over again and I fish every day.

...For people like us who fish on the beaches, the edge of the ocean sounds like a good place to be.

elieve me when I tell you the end of the summer was slow, as usual. Very little baitfish came through, meaning no mullets or sand fleas on the beach.

The reggae band “Stick Figure” just came out with a new song and I swear they were writing it to me and my crew.

COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM OCTOBER 2022 BREVARD/VOLUSIA 15

We start catching pompano at the end of August or September, when the water starts to cool to at least 75° or lower. The big scouts will be coming through.

He puts in his time. He helps his neighbors on the beach, sharing his faith—and bait.

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Oh, well! It’s been a long day in the sun. I didn’t catch any keepers today, even though I know you were hoping I would, but it doesn’t matter. I’m still heading to the smoker.

I have a very good friend fishing on the beach. Check out the picture in the article of him posing with his permit. He pulled it onto the beach with all his might and it’s definitely the biggest, grandest fish I’ve seen this year! It’s definitely the biggest permit, and he deserves it.

I’m out here fishing now. I have crab knuckles for bait and I’m getting no bites, so I’m gonna switch up to just live shrimp and salted clams and see if that will arouse any action. Right now I’m waiting for the pompano to come and it couldn’t be soon enough for me.

Ya, mon!

What more could you ask for?

Congratulations, Pastor Paul.

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TWO RECORDWORLDGROUPER

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

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

14 FLORIDA OCTOBER 2022 COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM

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

oastal Angler Magazine contributor Ryan Izquierdo was on a really hot bite on April 28 while shing out of San Carlos in Sonora, Mexico. e 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 sh, IGFA recently named them both a tie for the all-tackle world record.

Izquierdo’s sh 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 sh will be recorded as all-tackle world records in the books.

Caught on the Same Trip!

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ed sh have black spots. Some of them have several black spots. is red sh caught on the Texas Gulf Coast had so many black spots that it doesn’t even look like a red sh.

e angler, Ryan Hernandez, caught his “leopard” red sh while shing with Capt. Danny Alvarez in the Upper Laguna Madre near Corpus Christi, Texas on Aug. 27. Hernandez said the sh had more than 300 spots per Leopardside. red sh 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. e wild coloration leaves the o spring particularly susceptible to predation early in its life. Not only is it rare for a leopard red sh to be hatched, it’s rare for them to reach catchable size.According to SaltWater Sportsman, Hernandez kept his leopard red sh to have it mounted. It’ll make a heck of a conversation piece.

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For more weird catches, go to coastalanglermag.com.

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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. ese noisy, rattling hard baits drive big snook crazy. I sh these on a fast and steady retrieve. e 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. ere 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. e color is in the orange family with gold glitter and a chartreuse tail. is little gem has produced numerous snook over the years. I sh 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. e paddletail I use for snook is the Knockin Tail Lure in the Halloween is lure, like the Rat-L-Trap, has a built-in rattle. Trust me,

CATCH BIG SNOOK

I hope this new look at snook shing helps you catch your next e theme here is sound attracts sh. So, tie on some noisy lures and get hooked up!

By Capt. Michael Okruhlik

Photo courtesy of Knockin Tail Lures

hen it comes to snook shing with lures, I typically see the same color patterns and lure styles displayed in the jaws of caught sh 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 e ective 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 o en than not, when I see these jigs pinned in the jaws of magni cent sh, 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!

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

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OPENS OCTOBER

Trapping is the most e cient method of collecting the legal limit. Each harvester is allowed ve traps. ey 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.

stone crab season opens Oct. 15 and runs through May 1. e 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.

Recreational

20 FLORIDA OCTOBER 2022 COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM STONE CRAB HARVEST

Recreational harvesters age 16 and older who plan to use traps are required to complete an annual no-cost trap registration at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com. rough 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 le with something to feed and defend itself with.

COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM OCTOBER 2022 FLORIDA 21 Donate A Boat or Car Today! Phone Orders Can Be Shipped (561)Custom758-8758Spliced Dock Lines & Anchor Rodes

Congratulations to Sam Winton of omasville, 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. ank 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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Here’s a memorable beach moment: You’re basking in the warm sun, toes in the sand, letting the gentle turn of the foam-capped waves lull you into a state of complete relaxation. As your eyes scan the endless horizon of blue on blue, you’re rewarded with a school of dolphins making their way across the sea. There’s no denying their signature shape as they leap from the water. If you don’t see anything else extraordinary the rest of the day, you can take solace knowing you’ve witnessed one of nature’s most playful and intelligent creatures in their natural habitat.

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.

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.

Catch Amazing Action on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula

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

again. It was so fun!

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.

Gary Turner is a long-time contributor to The Angler Magazine. Contact him at gary@purgeright.com.

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.

By Gary Turner

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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.

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.

By Nick Carter

12 NATIONAL OCTOBER 2022 COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM

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.

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.

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.

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.

“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.

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.

FOR AGGRESSIVE FALL BROWN TROUT

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.

“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.’”

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

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.Onsmaller 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.

AggressiveTactics

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.

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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

For more information, visit deq.nc.gov.

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

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.

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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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.”

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Learn more about Berkeley County at: exploreberkeleycounty.com

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.

Berkeley County, South Carolina & No Other!

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