Coastal Angler Magazine | August 2023 | Volusia County Edition

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By Capt. Quinlyn Haddon

Athe cooler waters of great depths, deep-water grouper are some of the better tasting sh in the ocean. of deep-water grouper we target o coast of the Florida Keys are snowy grouper and yellowedge grouper. ey are found in depths of 400 to 1,000 feet.

Yellowedge are open year-round, and they can be a little di cult to nd. ey congregate in localized areas in depths between 600 and 800 feet. You might nd snowies and tile sh where you nd yellowedges, but this is not true the other way around. When you nd an area with yellowedge grouper, mark it, save it, and do not over sh it. Keep your harvest light, and this honey-hole will produce for you again in the future.

When making a deep-dropping rig, use larger hooks on the top and bottom of a ve-hook rig. Mustad 11/0 circle hooks provide excellent hookup ratios for this kind of shing. A x larger baits on these hooks, with the bottom intended for yellowedge, and the top intended for snowy grouper. Pepper in smaller ones in the middle for tile sh.

e nice part about dropping ve hooks is you can play with a variety and see what works. e best

to do what it is made to do.

Bait selection can vary greatly, so use anything and everything. I use chunks of fresh sh, with skin that will stay on the hook longer, for my top and bottom hooks, and squid in the middle. At least one hook should have some greasy, oily, stinky squid for deep dropping.

When it comes to catching deep-water species such as grouper, tile sh, barrel sh and rosies, you don’t need to break the bank to get a reliable electric set-up. e lower priced reels can handle these and can be paired with a rod and stacked with line on a budget of $1,000 to $2,000. I don’t recommend buying these used, as everything electronic on the water has a shelf life, and you never know how they were cared for previously.

With mahi-mahi still prevalent in o shore waters, and with snowy grouper still in season, the timing is perfect to hunt yellowedge grouper. If you aren’t interested in the trial and error of searching the depths of the vast ocean by yourself, Sweet

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E’nuf Charters’ two-boat eet is available to help put you on the grouper.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SWEET E’ NUF CHARTERS.

BILL DANCE SIGNATURE LAKES to Solidify Tennessee as the Heart of Fishing in the Southeast

Bill Dance Signature Lakes will connect the world’s most-loved angler with some of Tennessee’s most excellent natural resources – its lakes. is program is intended to make Tennessee a best-in-class destination for anglers worldwide.

With the new initiative’s goal to improve and enhance Tennessee lakes, increase visitation and honor Dance’s legacy, Tennessee will invest $15 million in improvements above and below the water at 18 lakes that bear shing legend Dance’s stamp of approval. Tennesseans will bene t from increased stocking, habitat and sheries management and improved access for shing and boating. e collaborative e ort between Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, Tennessee State Parks and Tennessee Department of Tourist Development seeks to solidify Tennessee as the heart of shing in the southeast and drive economic activity across the state.

“I’m unbelievably humbled and excited to be involved in such a helpful project that will bene t so many people and our natural resources in my great home state of Tennessee,” said Bill Dance. “You can bet your favorite lure this project will have a ripple e ect for a mighty long time, not only giving the weekend sherman but tournament anglers a wonderful shery as well, thanks to the great state of Tennessee and my friends at TWRA.”

Bill Dance Signature Lakes touches 39 counties, including 22 at-risk or economically distressed counties, and is an essential step in helping those communities create new revenue streams through increased visitation. Fishing generates $1.2 billion in economic impact annually and supports 7,480 jobs across the state.

Bill Dance Signature Lakes includes nine large reservoirs with a proven track record for quality shing for a variety of sh. In partnership with the Tennessee Valley Authority, reservoirs will receive new or upgraded best-inclass ramps to improve public access for both recreational and tournament anglers. Each of the 18 lakes will see such above-water upgrades as courtesy docks, ample parking, additional access points, shing piers and signage, to name a few. Several smaller lakes, many which are located within Tennessee State Parks, will be managed intensively by TWRA for Bill Dance approved family shing with regular stocking to ensure the best chance for success.

Projects are slated to begin in 2022 and near completion by the fall of 2024. For more information, see www.tnvacation.com.

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GETS THE FISH

When the low for the month is 82 degrees and the highs average 100, we have to make some modi cations to our lifestyles… and so do the sh. Let’s cover a few opportunities to take advantage of as we try to entice a bite this summer.

In the past I have written about some night shing techniques, but I realize that is not for everyone. However, optimizing your time on the water when the temperatures are at their coolest is imperative.

Water and air temps should be at their coolest just before dawn, and that is prime time to be chunking and winding. I like to be casting at least 30 minutes before the rising sun. I recommend locating an area that will have ample tidal ow. is obviously encourages the sh to feed, and it also helps keep the temperature lower. Pair the moving tide with some structure like shells or deeper water adjacent to a shallow at, and you should be in business. e area obviously needs to be holding bait, also.

Topwater lures are always fun and a popular

choice before and at sunrise in August. Once that bite slows, it’s time to bounce the bottom with some plastics. I try to not specify jighead weight if I am not covering a speci c location because it depends on tide, depth and a score of other variables. I would position myself to cast toward the shallows and bring my lure down the drop o . is is a good method to locate sh and cover di erent depths. Fish could be shallow early and fall o the edge as the sun rises. I also like to vary my retrieve speed, and don’t be afraid to work your lure very slowly ticking the bottom structure. Fish in warm water can become lethargic just as they do in cold water. Another time to hit the water is a er a summer rain. Take advantage of these showers, which cool

the water temps. ese periods can be short-lived depending on the extent and duration of the rain event. Heavy lighting tends to slow the bite a er the storm moves on, so I am not a big fan of shing a er a lightning storm.

I hope these tips can help you catch a few more sh this summer and stay out of the heat. Another bene t of shing early and heading home is you have the rest of the day to do other things. Wear your sun block, stay hydrated, and have a fun summer on the water!

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

PHOTO COURTESY OF KNOCKIN TAIL LURES®

FIND THE BAIT, FIND THE FISH

Tim Barefoot

August is a pre-transition month, when we’re at the end of summer, and just before the true transition months of September and October. e shing can be hot as a recracker if you pay attention to the bait. is is a pre-staging month for the bait and the bottom sh, as well. Huge schools of cigar minnows and sardines will start their annual migration toward inshore waters for spawning, waiting for the fall and winter.

When o shore bottom shing, I’m looking for large stacks of beeliners as well as cigs and sardines. is is where you nd the sh. Period. Many years ago when I was commercial shing, we would stay for days at a time looking for grouper and snapper. We concentrated on the bait as much as the structure. If you found these two together (bait on a ledge), so much the better, but we o en found sh on slick, at, sand bottom on stacks of bait. We’d anchor on these big stacks of bait and go to work. If the bait school moved, so did the sh… and so did we! We’d y the anchor and move around until we found them again. It was just like magic, with instant bites on the bottom. is is the reason I keep saying, nd the bait, nd the sh. It doesn’t matter where these big stacks of bait go, the sh will follow.

With late summer water temperatures, pelagics like the tunas, wahoo and dolphin are scattered all over the nearshore waters due to the hot water. e water temperatures on the beach will be close to the water temps in the Gulf Stream by now, and the sh will follow bait wherever it goes. In August and September, some unsuspecting king mackerel sherman always catches a stud wahoo trolling live bait on some nearshore stack of bait. I remember wrestling a yellow n for more than an hour on lightweight king mackerel tackle just 10 miles o the

beach. We were bottom shing and had a live cigar minnow out on the light line. Eventually, I lost the ght due to a swivel that couldn’t take it anymore. Ha! Neither could I.

Keep a good eye on the recorder and any surface activity around structure. You know the areas that hold the big schools of cigs and sardines. Keep going back to these places now and into September. is is where you’ll nd what you’re looking for.

I’ve always been a bait freak. Now that I’ve seen more than just a few cycles of what happens through the seasons, I’m better able to see the big picture. Bait moves around for speci c reasons during di erent seasons. Whatever you are shing for requires food to keep them in a place. So… nd the bait, nd the sh.

For more from Capt. Tim Barefoot, check out Barefootcatsandtackle.com.

A nice scamp caught o a big stack of beeliners.

CATCH LATE SUMMER TRIPLETAIL SOAKING IN THE SUN

By Emily Hanzlik

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

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

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

Sometime during the summer months, tripletail will oat o shore to breed. Like most,

they broadcast spawn, with females producing anywhere from 4 to 8 million eggs. ey can spawn every three to ve days.

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

ere are many di erent ways to target tripletail. Since they aren’t big swimmers, you’ll normally nd them oating around with seaweed or next to buoys. You can pitch baits, like live shrimp, to target them. Usually, you’ll want to use a small live bait hook without a weight to get a natural dri in front of them. If live bait isn’t your style, you can also use small jigs or swimbaits to grab their attention. Another great way is y shing. Here, you’ll want a y that mimics a small shrimp or bait sh. When targeting them, make sure to nd which end is their face. en try to dri your o ering in front of their nose.

e current IGFA all-tackle world record is

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

Emily Rose Hanzlik holds 62 IGFA world records in various categories. She hails from West Palm Beach, where she has a part time Bow n Guide Service as well as shing classes for Jr. Anglers. Find her on social media @emilyhanzlikoutdoors.

PHOTO COURTESY OF AMY LOCKHART

Let’s grow with Florida together.

COASTAL ANGLER VOLUSIA COUNTY

frAnChiSE OwnErS

Jamie & Deidra Thrappas

Contributing Writers :

Marco Pompano Freak on the Beach 386-212-4838

Capt. Jamie Thrappas Ponce Inlet and Backwaters

www.YellowDawgFishing.com

Capt. Michael Savedow 386-689-3781

www.EdgewaterRiverGuide.com

Cap. Evan Sanders www.SolFishing.com

Capt. Barry www.FishingGuideDaytonaBeach.com

Capt. Bryn Adams 1-800-525-3477

www.highlandparkfishcamp.com

Capt. Matt Graves www.LimitlessFishing.com

Kyndal Lynn @kyndal_lynn

Blake Abbey @blake_jay_abbey

Skye Burkhardt @BrassyAngler87

for advertising inquiries, Call Jamie at 386.366.3424 or email volusia@CoastalAnglerMagazine.com

Fishing Captain Directory

rEEL hArMOny

fiShinG ChArTErS

Capt Marty Goldys

Call for a 5 star Fishing Experience

Inshore • Snook • Redfish

Tarpon • Flounder

386-679-0317

www.reelharmonyfishing.com reelharmonyfishingcharters@gmail.com

nEw LEGACy fiShinG

ChArTErS

Capt Marshal Wallot

Nearshore and Inshore Fishing

Trophy Redfish & Black Drum

Tarpon • Snook & More

386-214-9595

www.newlegacyfishing.com marshalwallot007@gmail.com

nO PrESSurE ChArTErS

Capt austin pons

Offshore/Inshore Fishing Year round

Mahi • Sailfish • Grouper

386-566-0659

www.nopressurefishingcharters.com nopressurecharters@gmail.com

STriPPin LiPS fiShinG

ChArTErS

Capt dave Caruthers

Offshore and Nearshore

Fishing Trips Year Round

Wahoo • Snapper • Grouper

Tuna • Snook • Redfish

386-383-9881

www.strippinlipscharters.com dcaruthers50@gmail.com

COASTLinE ChArTErS

Capt kevin Gill

Ponce Inlet

Snook • Redfish

Flounder • Triple Tail

386-222-2805

www.fishponce.com

Instagram @fishponce

Facebook @Coastline Charters

POLE DAnCEr

fiShin’ ChArTErS

Capt Jeff patterson

Inshore & Nearshore Fishing

Daytona Beach

Redfish • Snook • Triple Tail • Trout

386-451-4992

www.smallboatbigfish.com

captainpatterson@yahoo.com

KnOT rACinG ChArTErS

Capt MiChael ChapMan

Offshore & Near Shore Charters

Grouper • Snapper • Triggerfish

Flounder • Redfish

386-576-6889

www.knotracing.com

Knotracingcharters@gmail.com

CAuGhT uP fiShinG ChArTErS

Capt Bruno iMBrunone

Inshore and Offshore Fishing New Smyrna Beach

Snook • Redfish • Tarpon • Cobia

Snapper • Flounder

386-689-7409

www.caughtupfishingcharters.com caughtupfishingcharters@yahoo.com

rEEf wrECKE

Capt John “JJ”

Offshore and Near Shore Fishing

Charters “ Year Round”

Snapper • Grouper • Shark Trips

Redfish • Snook • Cobia

386-402-3957

www.reefwrecker.com

johnjellis1996@gmail.com

DrifTwOOD

Capt Jarrod

Inshore/Nearshore/Offshore

Seasonal Wahoo, Swordfish, Tuna, Deepdrop trips

386-295-7908

Capttutt@gmail.com

www.Gofishponce.com

Dr.Wagner

CaptainKiDS

Captain & The Kids found themselves in the river and back waters of new Smyrna Beach this past month with two best friends looking to catch their first ever saltwater fish. Best friends Brooklynn and Jaedynn had one thing on their mind, and it was to catch their first ever saltwater fish! After the girls loaded up the boat, Capt. Evan had his 22ft bay boat pointed to his favorite inshore spot that normally has flounder, redfish, snook, mangrove snapper and much more! Once arrived to the first spot of the day, Capt. Evan taught both Brooklynn and Jaedynn how to cast and then it was go time! Brooklynn casted out her first bait and within a few minutes she was hooked up! After a quick fight, Brooklynn reeled in a nice flounder to break the ice. Right after that, Jaedynn hooked up on her first fish of the day which was a nice mangrove snapper. Both girls took turns catching a variety of fish and enjoying every second of it. After lots of fun fishing, these two best friends wanted to cruise and head to the sandbar to finish off their Youth Angler trip. Both had a blast spotting dolphins and manatees while on the way to the sandbar!

The Youth Angler Program is made possible by all our retailers who stock Sol Fishing’s gear such as our Hats, T-Shirts, Decals, and many more products. Stop by Outriggers, new Smyrna Beach Outfitters, Yellow Dawg Bait & Tackle, Donald’s Bait & Tackle, 38 Live Bait & Tackle, E & J Bait & Tackle, , Shades of new Smyrna Beach, Boaters Exchange, and many other locations to get your Sol Fishing gear to help support the Youth Angler Program! Sol Fishing’s amazing sponsors such as Sportsman Boats, Fitzgerald Rods, Seadek Marine, Daiichii Hooks, and Castaway Customs also play a huge roll in the program!

TOMOKA FORECAST

Early is definitely the word. You want to be on the water by 5:30am looking for bait fish and when you find a school stay with them because the tarpon, snook, reds and trout will make their presence known.

I have had good results with Yozuri 3DB pencil 4 inch, with super acrion.

Croakers and finger mullet I float over and around the shell beds for trout.

The flounder action is good and should last for a couple weeks. Mud minnows and finger mullet are good bait for those flat fish.

Another fish to target is the mangrove snapper which due to the time of the year many will be keepers.Tight lines!

capt. Barry Engl

Fish With Captain Barry fishwithcaptainbarry.com

(386) 871-8500

EDGEWATER BACKCOUNTRY FORECAST

Mangrove Snapper have been growing larger all year in our inshore waters, with more of keeper size in the Intracoastal Waterway, Edgewater Backcountry, Mosquito Lagoon and Ponce de Leon Inlet. They are a schooling, structure-oriented fish, hanging around docks, jetties, underwater rocks, and drop offs in the backwaters. Shrimp is always a good bait for river Mangroves, but to target larger fish, go with any type of small live bait fish or cut bait. Minimum size is 10” overall length with a pinched tail and bag limit is 5 per person. In late summer Bull Redfish are preparing for the fall spawn at the Inlet, they can be found in the channels from the inlet, south into the ICW at new Smyrna, the bridges, in Edgewater, and Haulover Canal. You can drift the channels, or anchor to drift and ride the tide. Slow trolling blue crabs also live pinfish, pigfish, croakers, spots, or mullet on an outgoing tide can be best with the natural movement of drift crabs a main draw for the fish to be in any particular location. Best to use heavier tackle outfits to shorten the battle on these big fish which are 20 to 35 plus lbs. In summer with warm water, lower dissolved oxygen levels, and lactic acid buildup can be damaging to the fish during a long fight. Also never hold a big fish destined for release vertically by the jaw with a gripper tool for photos, always hold it horizontal for its best chance of healthy survival and make baby Redfish for our future fishery. Lagoon and backcountry

fishing is best with live pigfish, croakers, and shrimp which continues to be good in August. Free line near any drop offs, docks, oyster bars, points, flats edges, and island shorelines where you will catch Seatrout, Redfish, Snook, Snapper, and Jack Crevalle. Twitch your rod often, keeping the pig active and off the bottom can be the best technique. On open water with rolling Tarpon try live baitfish on the surface or with a small weight down deeper. Shallow water Redfish are a yearround target in the backcountry and lagoon. In summer starting your hunt with top water lures both walk the dog types and soft plastics in early morning. After the sun is up an hour or so go subsurface with weedless soft plastics, spoons, or

bait such as tail hooked shrimp, live finger mullet, mud minnows, or cut bait. near skinny water mullet schools, look for waking or tailing Reds or Trout. You may see them in small schools or single fish. night time dock and bridge light fishing continues to be a good choice for late summer. Docks and bridges all along the ICW from Ponce Inlet to Ormond Beach on the Halifax River and on the Indian River from new Smyrna to Oak Hill to Bethune Beach have lights on at night which attract schools of baitfish, shrimp, Trout, Snook, and more. Late in the evening through early morning hours can be best with less boat traffic and human activity. Best bait for the most bites is a free lined live shrimp, no weight or swivels, just a floro leader tied to your line and a hook. I would also recommend to try small size lures. The lights are also great for fly fishing. By the end of the month the early signs of the mullet run will arrive with the very first schools of “scout” migrating mullet coming in from the north, starting the baitfish and inshore game fish migration. First sign of these mullet is around Ponce Inlet as they travel the surf line with some entering inside the inlet area.

capt. MichaEl SaVEdow

Captain Jamie Thrappas grew up on the waters of the Chesapeake Bay. His father, brother, cousins, and a lot of other extended family were all commercial crabber men, duck hunting guides, and charter fishermen. Moving to Florida when he turned 18 to attend college his passion for fishing grew with all the new species to target.

After nearly a decade in corporate sales and charter fishing part time, Captain Jamie started Yellow Dawg Fishing Charters 10 years ago and hasn’t looked back!

The business rightfully named after his beloved yellow lab “Bay”.

Captain Jamie and his wife Deidra also recently opened a Tackle Shop, Yellow Dawg Bait & Tackle in Ormond Beach at High Bridge Park right on the intercoastal waterway at the boat ramp.

Yellow Dawg Fishing charters offers a variety of charters that are for families, novice fishermen, and even avid anglers. With a fleet of center console fishing vessels ranging from 17ft, 23ft, & 30 ft they offer backcountry flats trips, inshore trips, nearshore trips, and offshore/deep sea trips. With inshore the target species range from redfish, snook, tarpon , flounder, and sea trout year round. With the offshore trips they target mahi, wahoo, tuna, sailfish, grouper, snapper, trigger fish, amber jack, and many other species depending on the season.

Call today to set up your trip with the family or your best fishing buddies! Most of their boats are at Boondocks restaurant and marina in Wilbur by the sea and we love their “Hook & Cook “ option to have your catch cooked at the restaurant after your trip!

August is a hot month for sure! That means getting out early! The flounder and mangrove bite will be good inshore and nearshore and that’s what I’ll focus on for my customers looking to eat lunch. These fish will be around structures both in the intercoastal, the inlet, and on the close public reefs. Mud minnows are the ticket for flounder and I even catch a lot of stud mangroves on them. Live shrimp will also do the trick. If you are going to focus on docks, I like the shorter docks which means the water is deeper around them. Put some time in and find where they are hanging and you will have a heck of a nice dinner. I also like to run the beach this time of year and catch a wide variety of species like king fish, big jacks, Bonita, and tarpon! When customers say they want to catch something big, I will almost certainly look for the shrimp boats. This type of fishing is super fun. While a lot of the time it’s hard to keep away from the sharks out there, there is certainly a good chance of hooking into a 40 lb jack or a 100 + tarpon. I like to use bycatch from the shrimp boats, they will throw over croakers, spot, ribbon fish etc that they accidently catch when emptying out the shrimp nets, scoop some of this up and free line it while drifting back in the prop wash. Hold on tight you never know what’s going to eat it! Lastly during first light at the inlet I will always stop and try

to hook up with a nice red or snook. Croakers seem to work best in summer but I also get them on pig fish, large shrimp, and pinfish. Remember snook season is closed and most of the reds we get are upper or over slot this time of the year. We almost exclusively have gone to catch and release only on redfish however you are allowed to keep slot fish at the inlet. Please refer to FWC’s fishing regulations so you know the rules!  Have fun out there, wear sunblock, and drink lots of water. As always if you see us on the water say hello!

NSB Outfitters specializes in offshore bait and tackle, as well as inshore, flats, and fly fishing gear, with extensive options in apparel and accessories. New Smyrna Outfitters has the knowledge and experience to guide through whatever type of fishing you’re looking to do.

KAYAKING FORECAST

Today I launched at the Memorial Bridge in Daytona Beach at 126 Orange Ave Daytona Beach, FL 32114. There’s a small boat launch right by Jackie Robinson Stadium that is very Kayak-friendly. I put in around 6pm and caught the end of the outgoing tide around 7:20pm. I like throwing rattle traps and paddle tails around the main fenders. I also like sweeping a bucktail parallel to the main pillars supporting the bridge in search of giant snook this time of year. On this trip, the bite really turned on the last hour of outgoing. I landed a small snook around 22 inches on my rattle trap which got me excited to see there were fish around. This was my first time fishing the bridge in quite awhile. Shortly after I stuck a baby Goliath Grouper on a 3 inch nLBn paddle tail. That was kind of a cool surprise. After working the pillars for around 20 more minutes, the snook started chewing. I landed a dozen or more snook in the next hour and it was epic. I also hooked a doormat flounder that I lost before I could get it in the kayak which was kinda cool but also disappointing. Since snook season is closed, I was looking forward to keeping that flounder but unfortunately that just didn’t happen. I absolutely love kayak fishing in the Halifax River and I love fishing under bridges. There are lots of bridges south of the Memorial Bridge that hold fish year-round. The Main Street Bridge has lots of shallow oyster beds and often gets a lot of people fishing from overhead, but it’s a great bridge to target Red drum, Black drum, Tarpon, and Snook. Seabreeze has a couple sets of fenders that hold snook

With A Menu seafood ,

and sheepshead year-round as well. If you’re on a kayak, you can really position yourself very close to the structure and cast parallel down it to maximize your cast to bite ratio. I feel like kayak fishing bridges you have an advantage because you can bump up against the structure and not ruin your vessel. I like to constantly move around and cover lots of water until I find fish. I will often catch 2-4 fish in the same location once my first bite locates them. I like to fish with a 20-30lb fluorocarbon leader, but you can go up to 50-60lb if you want to have less break-offs. I personally enjoy fishing light tackle, but it’s a preference thing. I highly recommend checking out the Memorial Bridge if you are on a kayak and want to fish at night. This is such a well-lit bridge you will not need a head lamp. I can navigate all night long and feel safe. Make sure to always have a PFD with you and a dry bag because this time of year it rains frequently without warning. Hope you have an awesome trip if you make it out there. Tight Lines!

BlakE aBBEy

Follow his social media: @blake_jay_abbey

August is no doubt one of the hottest months of the year, but that shouldn’t stop you from fishing. Change up your pattern to accommodate you and the fish. Start out early before daylight and be at your location by the time the sun comes up. Those first 3 to 4 hours are going to be your best fishing time, once it starts getting hot the bass usually retreat to deeper cooler water. Dark colored plastic worms, top water lures and wild river shiners are your best bet to landing a nice size large mouth bass.

Lake Woodruff is a great place to start, only 2,200 acres, it is a very easy lake to fish; there is very little depth variation so target cover. White or chartreuse spinner baits and dark colored plastic worms will account for most of your catch. In the midday heat, try the main St. Johns River fishing drop offs where the bass retreat for cooler water temperatures. Crank baits like a fire tiger are a great method to use. With July bringing high water levels, that produces more tannic acid in our water, making conditions not ideal. Try fishing near springs to get fresh water and better water quality.

Last month we started to see some Speckled Perch coming in from Lake Woodruff. It is unusual to see Specks during the summer months, but fishermen have been productive in Lake Woodruff using the vertical jigging method.

Bluegill will continue to go strong through out August. Pitching crickets along the edge of cover and tree tops early in the morning and late afternoon will be most productive. The norris Dead River is a great 3 mile stretch with not a lot of boat traffic; perfect for bluegill fishing. Come into Highland Park Fish Camp and we will mark an up-to-date free fishing map.

capt. Bryn adaMS Highland Park Fish Camp 1-800-525-3477

www.highlandparkfishcamp.com

with Sky adventures

Abad day on the water is better than a good day in the office. That old saying may not feel so true with this mid-Summer heat. High temps are sending us running back inside to enjoy the air conditioning and sip on a sweet iced tea.

Even though it’s uncomfortably hot, running for shade isn’t an option for this lady angler. With the summer heat it may feel a little more challenging on the water to hook up, however there’s still plenty of good inshore action.

When to fish

This time of the year you will find the bite is going off early in the morning at dawn, first light and right before the sun goes down.

I specialize in sight fishing Redfish from the grassy flats of Mosquito Lagoon and Snook fishing in the Tomoka Basin.  The great thing about these specific species is you can find them year around, both Redfish in the estuary as well as Snook in the basin. Fishing the tide as well as dawn or dusk is key this time of the year!

Baits to Use

I am all for artificial baits!

My go to for Sighting Reds, Snook, Tarpon, and/or Trout is a basic 3” no Live Bait needed paddle tail which is my top choice. Depending on if I’m in a shallow flat, the Lagoon, a deep creek, or canal in the basin I use a weedless or weighted jig head. Obviously the weedless in the grassy flats and weighted in the deeper waters.

DOA, Egret shrimp (especially for Tarpon) Bomber lurers such as a bodank a donk, popping cork, mir-o-lures and super spools are a few of my personal go-to’s.

Where to find the fish

In this Summer time heat., you will find fish scattered. For instance, Redfish will be along mangrove lines, Tarpon under bridges, and Snook next to pilings. I look for vegetation and structure and when targeting tarpon and Snook I typically prefer fishing at night. Tarpon are typically nocturnal feeders and the night in the Summer is fire aka extremely active.  At night under brides and docks these species like structure so that’s where you will find the most activity. I use artificial baits but you can free line a live bait for a guaranteed hit.

Don’t be that angler, folks. How many of you are excited to get in the water and thought for certain you had everything you needed. You tried everything in your tackle bag but nothing hit your baits? I’ve been there and it’s surely a bummer, especially in the summer heat. It can make things a little more challenging to bring fish to the boat. I recommend bringing live and artificial baits to be prepared for whatever the case may be.  One day you could be plucking every catch on artificials, and find the next day they won’t chew. Then toss out a live bait and get smashed then listen to your drag scream! It’s always best to be prepared and have choices so you are guaranteed a successful fishing trip.

SkyE Burkhardt Follow her social media: @Brassyangler87

OffShORE FORECAST

The dog days of summer are in full effect and the ocean is giving us plenty of calm days to get out offshore. But you don’t have to go to far as the king fish bite has been extremely good. With big Menhaden bait pods up and down the beach, we have the best bait we can ask for. A heavy 10 - 12ft cast net is crucial to have during this time of year. With one cast you can have as much bait as you want to last the entire day.

During the summer don’t be too quick to run to far offshore. A lot of these big kings can be found right off the beach in 4060 ft of water, just off the edge of the bait pods. Also don’t be afraid to target the shrimp boats just off the beaches as kings and many other fish like to follow these commercial shrimp boats. A very effective way to catch these kings is simply bump trolling these Menhaden on a #4 or #5 stinger rig. Most local tackle shops carry these rigs or you can very easily make them yourself. Good luck out there!

SEBASTIAN INLET TO EAU GALLIE CAUSWAY FORECAST

We usually start getting tropical storms in August and it can be a great time to fish the IRL as well as the beaches from Melbourne down to Sebastian Inlet as long as the ocean is calm and the tropical storms aren’t wreaking havoc on us. If I can’t fish the beaches, I like to focus on the flats, spoil islands or mangrove shorelines that should be loaded with bait in the Indian River Lagoon from Palm Bay to Sebastian. Try to get out early and use Topwater baits such as Rapala’s Skitterwalk for trout, snook, and redfish. The bite will stay solid if you switch to live bait as the sun comes up and the water warms. If the fish won’t hit topwater early, go subsurface with the Rapala Twitchin Mullet and Twitchin Minnow or DOA Shrimp or Paddletail Baits if soft baits are your preference.

The snook and redfish should be very active in the inlet with nighttime a great time to fish with Rapala XRap 14 or bucktails. You could rig a DOA Jerk bait or paddletail on a heavy jighead and fish it like a bucktail with great success as well. If you have live bait, fish the trough along the beaches for Snook and redfish as well as the occasional tarpon looking ofr a meal. I like to target the bait pods along the beaches from Melbourne down to Sebastian for tarpon, cobia, snook, kingfish, bonito, and sharks. Live bait is my preferred method rigged on VMC Circle hooks.

The Creeks from Melbourne down to Sebastian for will hold plenty of snook, tarpon, sharks, and big jacks. After the heavy rains, fish the spillways with live baits or fish the Storm or DOA paddle tail baits or use Terror Eyz in the deeper waters. For a hard bait, use the Rapala Twitchin mullet and minnow for good success on snook and juvenile tarpon. Anglers can also target the shorelines, docks and oyster bars for snook and may even find a few flounder too.

COASTAL ANGLER BRAG BOARD

Blake

Cindy Hutchings with a

John Kiel Jr. with

FLORIDA’S WATERS NEED YOUR HELP!

Anglers, your help is needed: Florida’s waters are in serious trouble.

Even a partial list of facts demonstrates the broad failure of Florida’s environmental regulatory system to protect our waters.

• Red tides have increased dramatically in frequency, duration and intensity.

• South Florida is bracing for yet another summer of massive blue-green algae blooms.

• Nearly a million acres of estuaries and 9,000 miles of rivers and streams are contaminated with fecal bacteria.

• Seagrass beds are on the brink of a death spiral.

• Eighty percent of our 1,000 springs are polluted.

• No state has lost more acres of wetlands.

• No state has more acres of polluted lake water. When it comes to our polluted waters, the buck stops with the state. Florida waters su er because our state government permits pollution and environmental degradation through its actions and inactions.

e primary problem is special interests, such as big agriculture, big development and big mining, which wield undue in uence over legislators and thus environmental policy. It’s pro t over public interest.

In 2020, looking to clean up their polluted waterways themselves, an astounding 89 percent of Orange County voters approved a Right to Clean Water/Rights of Nature charter amendment.

e state legislature swi ly took that right away by preempting the authority of local governments statewide from passing such laws. If you want proof that a rights-based approach to protecting our waters would be e ective, it’s right there.

at preemption le Floridians with only one viable course of action: amend our state constitution to give all Floridians a fundamental right to clean and healthy waters, a right beyond the reach of legislators. e amendment is indefeasible and self-executing; it can’t be annulled or compromised by the legislature.

is fundamental right would be on par with other fundamental rights such as the right to free speech and the right to bear arms.

Given how critical clean water is to Floridians, we merit this right. We need this right. With it enshrined in our constitution, we can hold state government accountable when it permits pollution and degradation of our waters and aquatic ecosystems.

To get on the 2024 ballot, 891,589 signed and approved petitions are needed by Nov. 30, 2023.

Go to FloridaRightToCleanWater.org to read the full text of the amendment. Browse the FAQs. Note the growing list of over 150 organizations and businesses supporting this amendment.

CONSTITUTIONAL

Learn that this right doesn’t mean your neighbor can sue you for fertilizing your lawn, or that there will be a proliferation of lawsuits. It means our government must provide real remedies for polluted waterways. en, if you are a registered Florida voter, print out, sign, and mail the petition. Get family and friends to do the same.

Florida waters depend upon it, and we all depend upon clean water.

Visit FloridaRightToCleanWater.org for more ways you can help make a di erence.

Ballot Title:

Ballot Summary:

Amendment Information

Right to Clean and Healthy Waters

This amendment creates a fundamental right to clean and healthy waters. The amendment may be used to sue State executive agencies for harm or threatened harm to Florida’s waters, which include aquatic ecosystems. This amendment defines terms, identifies affected constitutional provisions in Article IV governing the executive branch, provides for civil action enforcement, allows attorney’s and expert witness fees to prevailing plaintiffs, and provides equitable remedies including restoration of waters.

See separate document for the full text of the proposed constitutional amendment.

04/22/2022 2202 Date Approved Serial Number

Sponsor's Information (Return all completed petition forms to the address below.) Name: Address:

FloridaRighttoCleanWater.org

13300 South Cleveland Avenue Suite 56 Fort Myers, FL 33907

Voter's Information

I am a registered voter of Florida and hereby petition the Secretary of State to place the above proposed amendment to the Florida Constitution on the ballot in the general election.

Address

Update my voter registration record to this address. (check box)

Petition Circulator's Information

This Petition form is only to be collected by a volunteer or directly by the voter him or herself.

A paid petition circulator must use the DS-DE 155B version of the form. Forms for paid petition circulators can be obtained from the Division's Paid Petition Circulator website. Visit https://dos.elections.myflorida.com/InitiativePetitions/ for more information.

Attention

• This form becomes a public record once filed with the Supervisor of Elections.

• It is a first degree misdemeanor to knowingly sign the same petition more than once. [§104.185, F.S.]

• An improperly completed form will not be validated.

DS-DE 155A (10-2021) R1S-2.009, Fla. Admin. Code

THROW A WACKY RIG TO GET BIT!

TYLER WOOLCOTT

Have you ever heard the saying, “going catching, not shing?”

Well, there’s a technique that will help you do just that. More than any other bait I can think of, a wacky rig gets bit at any time, under any conditions. If you haven’t heard of a wacky rig, it’s simply a Senko-style bait with a hook through the very center of the worm.

ere are a few reasons this bait outperforms many others when it comes to getting bites. First o , it is versatile when it comes to areas where you can throw it. I wacky rig with a weedless hook, which allows me to pretty much put this bait anywhere. Hayabusa makes an awesome hook called the Wacky Fluoro Guard that is completely weedless and helps you sh through cover. What kind of cover? e options are endless. Docks, grass, wood and rocks are some of the places I’ll throw a wacky rig.

I use a spinning rod with a wacky rig, which allows easier casts, especially when skipping the bait under cover most people can’t reach. A wacky rig skips extremely well, and this lets you reach sh that might never have seen a bait before. e natural falling shimmy action of the Senko drives sh absolutely crazy. It will catch bass when nothing else seems to be working.

For colors, I like green pumpkin or some type of brown when the water is clear. If there’s some stain to the water, I use a darker color like junebug or redbug to help it stand out. In muddy water, the silhouette of a darker bait is what the bass pick up on.

Typically, the slower you sh a wacky rig, the better. I throw it or skip it under and around cover and then let it sink for a few seconds. A lot of times, bass will eat it on the initial fall. If not, I give it a few small twitches or a pull of the rod to cover some area. Repeat this process a few times until your bait leaves the strike zone. If there is a sh around, it will bite.

Wacky Rig Gear

A spinning rod is ideal for this technique. I like a shorter rod for more accurate casts and skips. e 13 Fishing Defy 7’1” medium is an awesome rod for a wacky rig, and it’s super a ordable. Pair it with your favorite 2000 or 3000 size reel, and spool up with 10-pound Seaguar Smackdown braid. I use a uorocarbon leader to help keep the line visibility down. A 10- to 15-pound leader works, depending on the type of cover I am targeting. Seaguar Abrazx is an awesome uorocarbon line that I use for most of my spinning rod leaders.

Tyler Woolcott is a professional tournament angler and guide. Check out his website at www.tylerwoolcott shing.com.

Surf Expo, the premier watersports and coastal lifestyle tradeshow, enhances the buying experience for both watersports and out tter retailers with the debut of its new Shoreline o ering during the Sept. 7-9, 2023 edition.

Shoreline at Surf Expo will feature products dedicated to technical apparel, equipment and gear any enthusiast needs to transition from a day on the water to stretching out on land.

“From the trails to the lakes and beyond, Shoreline at Surf Expo supports the natural evolution of the waterman’s lifestyle with gear, apparel and accessories that will take consumers from coastal shoreline activities into camping, hiking, climbing and other recreational activities found along rivers and lakes,” said Roy Turner, Emerald SVP and Surf Expo Show Director.

Shoreline is positioned to become the hub for industry-leading retailers and brands focusing on shing, boating, wakeboarding, technical apparel, outerwear, camping, watersports hardgoods as well as essential gear and accessories.

e newest oor category complements Surf Expo’s extensive product o erings—Surf, Skate, Paddle and Bluewater—by targeting the business associated with outdoor amenities and recreation found in lake towns across the country.

Eric Marvin, founder of Elakai Outdoor, is exhibiting outdoor games within the new Shoreline category. Some games include cornhole, bocce ball, croquet and more. While this is Marvin’s rst year participating at Surf Expo, he knows it will be the right t for his business.

“Our products can be used on the beach, by the lake or near the ocean. Exhibiting at Surf Expo is a natural t for who we are as a business and what the Shoreline category is all about,” said Marvin.

Shoreline will also create a seamless connection with Surf Expo’s Bluewater category, which showcases notable inshore and o shore apparel and accessory products ranging from lifestyle and technical apparel to footwear, outerwear, sportswear, T-shirts, sunglasses and much more.

“Blending the inshore and o shore worlds under Surf Expo’s one roof exposes buyers and sellers to this growing crossover market within the coastal lifestyle industry,” added Turner.

SHORELINE & BLUEWATER EXHIBITING BRANDS INCLUDE:

Ronix Wake/ Radar Skis, Columbia OCS, MANG, Hest, Bimini Bay Out tters, Burnside Sierra Paci c Apparel, Elakai, Fahlo, HEST, Kracken Adventure Bikes, Intracoastal Waterway, Kanga Coolers, Lowtides Ocean Product, Line + Cleat, Pirani, Preston 1947 by Ebinger Brothers, Promo & More, Sunski, Sunburn Drink, e Grateful Diver, XTRATUF, Welly Bottle, and ZEP-PRO.

Summer-Long Fishing Competition Engages Youth Anglers

CCA Florida’s summer-long STAR shing competition o ers anglers a shot at more than $500,000 in prizes, with $100,000 in youth scholarships and invites anglers of all ages and skill levels to walk away with prizes from new boats to scholarships and more.

“Since we launched STAR in Florida, we’ve seen anglers catch more, release more, support the recovery of our state’s marine resources and walk away with new boats, scholarships and amazing new gear at the same time,” said STAR Director Leiza Fitzgerald. “Since the start of the competition, we’ve awarded anglers with over $2 million in prizes, including $800,000 in scholarships and two new ski s to youth anglers across the state.”

e 2023 STAR competition ends Sept. 4 and includes 15 divisions targeting 12 species both inshore and o shore. Awesome boat, motor, trailer packages and cash prizes and more will be awarded for di erent divisions.

STAR and its scholarship partners also provide tremendous incentives to engage youth in shing and conservation. For only a $10 New Tide Membership, youth ages 6 to 17 can enjoy free registration in STAR and participate to win boats, scholarships, other great prizes and earn community service hours.

At the conclusion of the competition, scholarship winners will be determined by a random drawing of all eligible photo entries.

Registered youth anglers may submit one photo a day of their sh on the 2023 STAR O cial STAR measuring device of the following species: lady sh, jack crevalle, sheepshead, snapper, snook, spotted seatrout, red sh, tarpon, grouper, dolphin or king sh.

e STAR Youth Scholarship Division presented by Realtree Fishing, o ers $100,000 in scholarships: two $25,000 scholarships presented by Realtree Fishing and e Slade Kerr Family and 10

$5,000 scholarships. is year Academy Sports + Outdoors, Florida Cracker Tournaments, e Plantation Inn Red sh Classic, Sodium Fishing Gear and Millers Boating Center join Coastal Conservation Association Florida, Southeast Environmental Solutions, Florida Sports Coast, Florida Sport shing Association, Phillips & Jordan and Tailin Toads Apparel as partners in presenting the $5,000 scholarships for 2023.

e Tagged Red sh Division Youth Prizes include two ski s, complete with Minn Kota trolling motors and Humminbird electronics and powered with Yamaha Outboards sitting on a trailer. e Tagged Dolphin Division o ers a $10,000 scholarship if the rst tagged dolphin is caught by a New Tide member.

Youth anglers also have another wonderful opportunity in the Costa Kick Plastic Trash Division presented by Papa’s Pilar. Youth participants can pick up garbage from the water or a shoreline during the competition and get rewarded. ey must submit a photo of the 5-gallon buckets full of trash for a shot at a $1,500 prize package, Kahuna Wagon, sunglasses certi cate and other great prizes. For every 5-gallon bucket of garbage a STAR Youth participant submits, they will also be provided with 30 minutes of community service hours.

For a full list of divisions, visit cca star.com.

For more information on STAR, or to register, visit the Facebook page or cca star.com.

By TAM Sta

CRAPPIE TIPS for Deep Summer

Spring is long gone and so are the quick limits of shallow-water crappie. at doesn’t mean you can’t go load the cooler with some slabs for a sh fry; it just means you’ll have to work a little harder. Here are a few tips to help you catch crappie when the weather and water are hot.

Trust the Electronics: Sonar is your best friend when crappie move deep. You might know where good brush and structure are on your lake, but you won’t know where the schools of crappie are until you spot them on the graph. Use side-scan to look under docks and around points, ledges, ditches and creek and river channels. Don’t even bother wetting a line until you’ve located sh with your electronics.

Find the Shade: Crappie don’t like the sun, and deepwater docks or piers can be the mother lode on bright days. Even underwater structure like ledges, humps and creek channels provide shade. Pay attention to the location of the sun, and then start searching the side of a given piece of structure that will provide some shade.

Go Early: ere’s no sense baking in the sun for a few sh when you can load the boat in just a few hours before and a er daybreak. Boat tra c and water temps are both lower in the morning, which means crappie and the small bait sh they feed on will be most active. In the morning, crappie move shallower up on the humps and ledges to chase bait. ey are more likely to bite when they are actively feeding.

Troll the Humps: O shore humps that top out at 15 feet or deeper will hold crappie this time of year. ey’re even better when there’s brush on them. Early and late, or if there is some dam-generated current, the sh will move

up to feed on these humps. ey suspend o the sides when the sun is high or the water is still. Slowly pull a spread of jigs or small, deep-diving crankbaits or spoons over and around humps where you’ve located sh. Pay close attention to how deep your lures are getting and add weight if you need to get them deeper.

Shoot Docks: Main-lake docks with 15 or more feet of water under them are comfortable places for crappie to hang out when the water is warm. Shoot lightweight jigs as far under these docks as you can, and let them sink slowly to the bottom before beginning a steady retrieve. If there are sh under a dock, they usually won’t let that jig hit the bottom.

Drown a Minnow: A school of crappie suspended o structure at 15 or 25 feet over a 40-foot bottom can be a frustrating scenario. You see them on your electronics, but they are slow to bite. Try dropping a live minnow down there where you’re marking sh. en just let it sit. e bites will be light, so pay attention.

PHOTOS BY NICK CARTER

Re-Discover Old Florida Waterfront Charm

The Perfect Vacation Getaway for Fishing, Boating & Outdoor Enthusiasts

n a dark, muggy morning, we eased into Campo’s Marina in Shell Beach, Louisiana.

By Gary Turner

We picked up 150 live shrimp for our rst day, and every morning began the same way for the rest of the week.

5 a.m., and it would be getting light at 5:30.For some of us— Dewayne and Blake Pro t, Darrel and I—this was the rst time we had been to Shell Beach in search of giant red sh,

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massive sheepshead and gator trout. Touted as the “Best Inshore Fishing in the World,” Shell Beach did not disappoint! e red sh shing was incredible! We hooked some giants, some we never even saw!

We shed spinning gear and 17- to 20-pound line with 2/0 circle hooks baited with either live shrimp or chunks of fresh blue crab. We also used two di erent techniques. Some of us popped a Cajun under cork. I used a Carolina rig, with the weight on my line, then a barrel swivel and an 18-inch leader terminating in my 2/0 BKK circle hook with a live shrimp.

Now… back to the sh we never saw! We shed some ats right where the tall marsh grass met the canals. e water was usually less than a foot deep. We would cast right next to the grass and wait for sh that were cruising this edge in search of food. en it was on! Your line would cut a wake as the sh ran for deep water and peeled drag. ese sh used any structure or rocks they could nd to break o . Even when they ran to deep water, they just kept going. We broke several lines before deciding to pull up anchor and chase the next big one.

at worked well, so we started chasing down lots of big red sh. Blake hooked one with the popping cork that broke him o . Later, we spotted the cork in the shallows and eased up to try to net it. Just as we got to it, the sh took o and was never seen again.

e days were hot, in the low to mid 90s with pop-up thunderstorms every day. One day we even spotted two waterspouts. We did our best to dodge all that, but we did get wet a few times. e last 30 minutes of daylight were always the most productive. We shed rock walls and hooked up several big red sh each evening. Mixed in with the red sh were some giant sheepshead that fell for the same tactics as the reds. Blue crabs are everywhere. You can catch them with a long-handle dip net or rod and reel.

Shell Beach is in St. Bernard Parish on the Gulf Outlet Canal near Lake Borgne, just 30 minutes from New Orleans. We plan on going back next year.

Check out Gary Turner’s YouTube channel @FishingMagicWithGary.

O

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Tennessee Angler Breaks His Own State Record

Aer a grueling 15-minute battle while shing solo, angler Micka Burkhart successfully netted and boated a 122-pound blue cat sh from Tennessee’s Cumberland River on June 28. e sh is a pending state record that should top the 118.7-pound record mark, which Burkhart set himself at Barkley Reservoir last September.

e whole ght can be viewed on a video posted to Burkhart’s YouTube channel, with the action climaxing as Burkhardt breathlessly pleads with the sh and promises to release it if he can just get it in the net.

Burkhart’s monster blue o cially weighed 122.3 pounds and measured 57.5 inches long, with a 42.25-inch girth. It ate a white bass head shed on 40-pound-test line. A er transporting the sh in a large livewell on his trailered boat to get o cial measurements, Burkhart returned to the Cumberland River and successfully released it back to the Stewart County stretch in northwest Tennessee near the Kentucky and Missouri borders. In a Facebook post, Burkhart reported that he also caught 69- and 72-pound blue cats on the same day. at’s a mighty ne day of shing.

e IGFA all-tackle world record blue cat sh weighed 143 pounds, even. It was caught from Kerr Lake, Virginia by Richard Nicholas Anderson in June of 2011.

The Return of a

To watch Burkhart catching the new state record, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ni4BPAaEng&t=1s

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“An excellent walking stick. Solid and elegant. Perfect for a night out. Well crafted.”

– J. from Pacific Grove, CA

Your Insider Offer Code: WSC286-01 You must use the insider offer code to get our special price.

14101 Southcross Drive W., Ste 155, Dept. WSC286-01 Burnsville, Minnesota 55337 www.stauer.com

*Discount is only for customers who use the offer code versus the listed original Stauer.com price.

Stauer… Afford the Extraordinary . ®

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A Time of Porpoise

Amemorable 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 day, you can take solace knowing you’ve witnessed one of nature’s most playful and human-like creatures in their natural habitat.

Why not re-create that special moment with our Balinese Dolphin Pendant? We’ve captured two dolphins mid-jump in sterling silver crafted in the Balinese style. Tucked between these beloved sea mammals is a full carat of shimmering blue topaz. Made by some of Indonesia’s finest artisans, this pendant is an absolute steal at JUST $29! That’s what we call our Stauer IMPOSSIBLE PRICE!

Nothing captures the shimmering color of the ocean in the midday sun like blue topaz. With its sparkling, clear blue color and high reflective index, blue topaz is one of the world’s top-selling gemstones. The Gemological Institute of America lauds topaz for its hardness, noting that blue topaz is known for its intense color that’s better than aquamarine. With this special price, you can score quite the catch. Satisfaction guaranteed or your money back. Enjoy the Balinese Dolphin Pendant for 30 days. If it doesn’t pass the test swimmingly, send it back for a full refund of the item price.

Limited reserves. This pendant is already one of our best sellers this year. A full carat of genuine blue topaz set in .925 sterling silver for this price is as rare as a dolphin sighting. We cannot guarantee availability for long. Call today! This offer is limited to the first 1,900 responders to this ad!

Jewelry Specifications:

• Made in Indonesia

• Blue topaz and .925 sterling silver

Balinese Dolphin Pendant (1 carat)

$299 $29* Save $270

*Special price only for customers using the offer code.

1-800-333-2045

Your Insider Offer Code: DNP141-01

Impossible PriceONLY

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What Stauer Clients Are Saying About Our Topaz

“Just lovely! Would recommend it as a purchase. Thank you STAUER.” — Mary L.

One carat of shimmering blue topaz set in sterling silver for  $29