WILMINGTON/MOREHEAD EDITION
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PHOTO COURTESY OF TUCKER HARRIS @MACH1TUCK VOLUME 23 • ISSUE 275
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RADAR
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2018 242CC
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THE NEXT GREAT GREAT THE NEXT
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EDITOR IN CHIEF : Ben Martin • camads@coastalanglermagazine.com VICE PRESIDENT : Tracy Patterson • tracy@coastalanglermagazine.com ART DIRECTOR : Rebecca Snowden • graphics@coastalanglermagazine.com EDITORIAL COORDINATOR : Nick Carter • editorial@coastalanglermagazine.com WEBMASTER : Dmitriy Pislyagin • webmaster@coastalanglermagazine.com ADVERTISING INQUIRIES: Corporate Headquarters info@coastalanglermagazine.com • 888-800-9794
Anglers Wanted Dear Reader,
FLORIDA
BIG BEND : Mike McNamara • (850) 510-7919 • captmike@coastalanglermagazine.com BREVARD : David String • (321) 684-5888 • dstring@coastalanglermagazine.com DAYTONA/NEW SMYRNA BEACH : Don Meadows • (321) 436-5895 • donm@coastalanglermagazine.com EMERALD COAST/DESTIN/PENSACOLA : Scott Risher • (850) 428-0996 • srisher@coastalanglermagazine.com FLORIDA KEYS : Cliff Lumpkin • (305) 849-9093 • cliff@coastalanglermagazine.com FORT LAUDERDALE : Gene Dyer • (954) 680-3900 • gene@coastalanglermagazine.com FORT MYERS : Nadeen Welch • (239) 595-8265 • nwelch@coastalanglermagazine.com GREATER MIAMI : Scott Deal • (561) 945-6999 • scott@coastalanglermagazine.com Monica Isaza-Deal • (561) 945-8899 • monica@coastalanglermagazine.com GREATER ORLANDO : Phillip & Giselle Wolf • (407) 790-9515 • phillip@coastalanglermagazine.com LAKELAND & SUMTER : Mary Brasher • (352) 598-4219 • maryf@coastalanglermagazine.com NAPLES : Nadeen Welch • (239) 595-8265 • nwelch@coastalanglermagazine.com NC FLORIDA/NATURE COAST : Cary & Lynn Crutchfield • (352) 372-4237 • crutch@coastalanglermagazine.com NE FLORIDA : Danny Patrick • (904) 742-4696 • danny@coastalanglermagazine.com PANAMA CITY/FORGOTTEN COAST : Randy Cnota • (229) 834-7880 • randyc@coastalanglermagazine.com PALM BEACH COUNTY : Barbara Ryan • (561) 373-8040 • barbara@coastalanglermagazine.com SARASOTA : Phil Prevoir • (239) 257-4684 • pprevoir@coastalanglermagazine.com TAMPA BAY : Chuck Atkins • (239) 464-5153 • chuck@coastalanglermagazine.com TREASURE COAST : Misti & Gary Guertin • (772) 285-6850 • treasurecoast@coastalanglermagazine.com flahama@coastalanglermagazine.com
SOUTHEAST
ATLANTA : Bob & Brenda Rice • (706) 614-8231 • bobr@theanglermagazine.com CHARLESTON : Jane A. Redden • (205) 725-9616 • jane@coastalanglermagazine.com Sam Buckareff • (843) 607-8629 • sam@coastalanglermagazine.com CHARLOTTE/PIEDMONT : Mark & Haley Alberghini • (704) 651-1934 • mark@theanglermagazine.com COLUMBIA/MIDLANDS : John Lux • (803) 807-6885 • jlux@theanglermagazine.com MYRTLE BEACH : Mike Masiero • (732) 674-3019 • mmasiero@coastalanglermagazine.com SW GEORGIA : Bob & Brenda Rice • (706) 614-8231 • bobr@theanglermagazine.com TIDEWATER/OUTER BANKS : John Tiger • (757) 707-9654 • john.tiger@coastalanglermagazine.com Laura Seitz • (757) 707-9655 • laura@coastalanglermagazine.com UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA : Gregg Thompson • (864) 542-3112 • gregg@theanglermagazine.com WESTERN NC : Debra & Joe Woody • (828) 775-9663 • woody@theanglermagazine.com WILMINGTON/MOREHEAD : Kenny Ritter • (910) 550-9094 • kenny@coastalanglermagazine.com
NORTHEAST BOSTON : George Regan • (617) 488-2842 • boston@coastalanglermagazine.com LONG ISLAND : Lisa & Michael Danforth • (203) 321-7635 • lisad@coastalanglermagazine.com CONNECTICUT/RHODE ISLAND : Lisa & Michael Danforth • (203) 321-7635 lisad@coastalanglermagazine.com
GULF COAST
GALVESTON/MATAGORDA/UPPER COAST : Chanci & David Mowry • (713) 446-7395 • chancim@coastalanglermagazine.com • davidm@coastalanglermagazine.com MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST : Adam Nelson • (228) 627-5903 • anelson@coastalanglermagazine.com Toby Nelson • (228) 623-1761 • tnelson@coastalanglermagazine.com NEW ORLEANS : Dr. Dave Dunaway • (225) 400-8156 • nola@coastalanglermagazine.com
GREAT LAKES WEST MICHIGAN : Phil Belsito • (616) 957-1714 • phil@theanglermagazine.com
INTERNATIONAL PUERTO RICO/VIRGIN ISLANDS : Ace Bassue • (407) 285-9453 • ace@coastalanglermagazine.com COSTA RICA : Mike Erickson • (561) 262-2242 • mike@coastalanglermagazine.com © 2017-2018. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. Disclaimer: Coastal Angler Magazine / The Angler Magazine will not be held liable for injuries incurred while partaking in activities described herein, or for claims made against products or services provided by advertisers.
Coastal Angler Magazine and its freshwater component The Angler Magazine are both part of a unique franchise publishing model developed 10 years ago by duplicating the working elements of the local Coastal Angler Magazine that had been publishing since 1996 in Melbourne, Fla. Today, there are more than 30 franchise locations throughout the Continental U.S., Costa Rica and the U.S. Virgin Islands. We are now one of the largest, most widely read outdoor publications in the country. Guess what? We’re not done yet. Our goal is to have more than 100 franchise editions throughout the U.S. and abroad. We’ve tweaked and refined our systems over the last 10 years, and now we are ready to continue our expansion.
Let’s Grow Again! If you (or someone you know) loves the outdoors and would be comfortable running your own business, please contact us for more information about joining our franchise team. Best regards,
Ben Martin Editor in Chief info@coastalanglermagazine.com
1-888-800-9794
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www.factorydirectmarine.com *payments calculated at 180 months for well qualified buyers with 20% down. Please note: Prices do not include freight, dealer make ready, and rigging. Pictures may not reflect actual unit and/or available inventory. Price and payment do not include sales tax or fees. Not responsible for typographical errors.
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WE BUILD FUN INTO 26 FEET OF PURE EVERY NAUTICSTAR! FISHING JOY SPORT THE ALL NEW 265XTS DECKS
Step up to NauticStar’s biggest bay boat, the all new 265XTS – Xtreme Tournament Series. The carefully designed hull and deck is optimized for performance, functionality and fishability that will give you capabilities never before seen in a bay boat. Inshore or offshore, the STAR Performance hull is designed to minimize draft for skinny fishing and provide a forgiving ride through tight open chops and coastal swells. Check out all the incredible standard and innovative features of the 265XTS on our website.
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Researchers Embark On $10 Million Gulf Red Snapper Study By CAM Staff
W
ith the ongoing debate over red snapper population estimates in the Gulf of Mexico, researchers from the University of Florida have received a $10 million grant to hopefully settle the dispute and determine what the snapper population actually is. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service and Sea Grant are funding the study, which will be conducted over two years by UF associate professors Robert Ahrens and Will Patterson along with researchers from other institutions from around the Southeast. Currently under a federal recovery plan, the Gulf red snapper fishery has been considered overfished since the 1980s by the federal government. Under the recovery plan, coastal communities and businesses, such as charter boat operations and all the others that benefit from money spent by anglers, have been hurt by extremely limited opportunities to harvest this important recreational and commercial species. All the while, recreational anglers and biologists with Gulf state wildlife agencies have been pointing to flaws in the formal stock assessments. And the structure of the allowed catch has created a rift between recreational and commercial fishermen. Over the vast Gulf of Mexico, it will be one of the largest and most ambitious fish studies ever conducted, and even with $10 million in funding, there are those who doubt the study will achieve its goal of a population estimate with a coefficient variation of 30 percent, according to a UF release. Meeting the requirement would require numerous supplementary samples until the numbers contract into the accept-
Jeff and Payton Oney caught their limit of beautiful Gulf red snapper as well as red and gag grouper and other reef fish while fishing off Anna Maria Island with Capt. Larry McGuire and Show Me The Fish Charters. able range of variance between locations. Researchers will use methods beyond catch data in their study. Remote operated vehicles, camera sleds, acoustics and divers will play a role in producing the estimate. Researchers will also be capturing some fish and taking fin clips to develop genetic tags to be used in future estimates. Along with the snapper study, there is excitement over additional information that can be gathered in a study of this size. The distribution and size of other reef fish, as well as the invasive lionfish are of particular interest.
COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM
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GEAR GUIDE Beach Marine Products Bay Buddy Bait pens by Beach Marine Products are not your average bait cages. Built by engineers and hard-core anglers, every care was taken to design bait pens that are rugged, durable, convenient for the angler, and stress-free for the bait. They feature a sloped-bottom design and industry-changing false bottom, making recapturing your bait easy. Heavy duty aluminum construction with zinc anode assures a durable product. All hardware is stainless steel and doubled up. The pens are powder coated with no sharp edges to injure or red nose baits. Large oversize doors allow access for cast nets and large dip nets. Beach Bait Pens come in many different shapes and sizes. Their smallest pen is the Bay Buddy, which is ideal for holding shrimp, crabs and multiple species of live baitfish. The Bay Buddy is 20 inches wide by 18 inches deep.
beachmarineproducts.com
Kaku Kayak Wahoo 10.5 With the release of their new Wahoo 10.5, Kaku Kayak is building on its reputation of excellent stability and performance with a more compact boat that retains all the features and performance of the larger Wahoo 12.5. The Wahoo 10.5 tracks extremely well for a shorter kayak, is easy to stand in and responds to tight turns easily. It has all the features of its older brother, the Wahoo 12.5, with plenty of gear tracks, a raised aluminum seat and integrated mounting for the Power Pole Micro. It is also rudder ready and comes standard with a great looking deck pad. It is an extremely versatile fishing kayak that offers a stable, roomy platform for standing to cast or sight fish. There is also plenty of storage in the bow hatch, rear tankwell and a rear day hatch.
kakukayak.com
Wilderness Systems Kayak Krate Wilderness Systems has built a reputation for producing some of the finest fishing kayaks available. The fishability of their boats is improved with a unique and useful line of accessories designed to help anglers fish harder and more efficiently. The Wilderness Kayak Krate is the ultimate tankwell storage option. The Kayak Krate sophisticates tankwell storage with superior function and a sleek look that make storing and accessing gear hassle-free. An open main compartment accommodates larger gear and tackle boxes and features removable dividers. Smaller items can be stowed in the secondary lid storage. Functional and durable inside and out, the Kayak Krate is blow-molded, water resistant, is easily lashed down and comes with four rod holders.
wildernesssystems.com
Tsunami Forged 12 Lever Drag Reel Tsunami recently introduced its new FORGED 12 lever drag reel. It’s a larger and more powerful version of the popular FORGED 10, and it’s perfect for jigging, bottom fishing and live baiting. The Tsunami FORGED 12 is built to catch the strongest saltwater game fish. Its powder-forged frame is lightweight and precision machined for braided line tolerances and strength. The hardened high-precision stainless steel 4.3:1 ratio drive and pinion gears are strong, tough, and operate smoothly. The completely disengaged “floating” spool rides freely on two shielded stainless steel ball bearings mounted to a spool shaft, giving the FORGED extreme free-spool and maximum castability. The instant anti-reverse bearing, along with two failsafe backup dogs, ensure strong, sure hooksets with no line loss. That is when the smooth, powerful carbon fiber drag comes into play, giving you all the fighting control you need. Look for Tsunami’s FORGED 12 online and at your favorite sporting goods retailer.
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COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM
12/14/17 1:01 PM
GEAR GUIDE Vexilar FishPhone Vexilar has launched a game changer in the underwater camera market. The FishPhone takes Vexilar’s proven Fish Scout camera technology and uses an innovative new WiFi transmitting system to send high quality video directly to your smartphone or tablet. FishPhone turns your smart phone or tablet into a fully functional underwater camera monitor by creating its own 100-foot WiFi hotspot that can be shared with friends or kept secure. The FishPhone works anywhere in the world, and you don’t need cell phone coverage to use it. The free software app works with both Android and IOS systems. The FishPhone comes with a unique holder and battery pack system that makes it easy to carry and manage 50 feet of cable. The camera used in the FishPhone system is a Sony Color/ B&W camera that automatically shifts from color to black and white when light conditions are limited.
vexilar.com
Native Eyewear Eddyline Native’s Eddyline model features a wood Trilaminate construction with silver polarized Reflex lenses. These shades are ideal for inshore adventures since they weigh less than an ounce, and their eight-base curvature fits your face perfectly while blocking side light with thicker temple arms. All Native Eyewear lenses are polarized, impact and scratch resistant, include Cushional non-slip nose and temple pads and come with a limited lifetime warranty. Whether you’re hitting the backcountry or going to the inlet, you need a pair of Natives!
Nativeyewear.com
Dexter SOFGRIP Knives Dexter has been famous for their SOFGRIP white-handle knives for years. It’s a handle other companies try to duplicate but can’t match. The handle is soft to the grip, ergonomically perfect in your hand, and the patented textured pattern makes it slip free. The blades are made of DEXSTEEL, a high-carbon, high-alloy stain free steel that is ultra-sharp out of the package, holds its edge and can be easily re-sharpened. Dexter has been manufacturing knives in the U.S.A. for nearly 200 years. They offer proven quality, proven designs and proven reliability. That’s why Dexter is the No. 1 choice for fishermen. The SOFGRIP comes in a large selection of designs and sizes.
dexteroutdoors.com
Phenix Rods RTS Inshore Whether you’re fishing the flats for trout and snook or pulling big reds from the mangroves, Phenix Rods’ new RTS inshore line has the power to deliver. Super light weight and sturdy, RTS rods feature a T-40 carbon fiber blank with Phenix’s own Nanolite resins that produce excellent sensitivity, while retaining the backbone to fight big hard-pulling reds and snook. The RTS series utilizes the new Phenix Essex T-Ring premium carbide guides with Ring Lock to FrameLok technology and premium high density EVA and cork blend grips, with a carbon reel seat. The RTS series, meaning “reds, trout and snook,” promises to be the lightest, most sensitive inshore rod on the market. It offers 5 casting and 5 spinning models to fit your needs.
phenixrods.com COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM
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8 CIGARS
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YOUR PERSONAL LIFEGUARD...
ALWAYS ON - NEVER INTRUSIVE
FREEDOM WITH SAFETY The MOB+™ is a life-saving device for your boat. It provides greater freedom of movement than a traditional kill switch, and stops the engine should you fall overboard. Connect up to 4 people at the same time.
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12/14/17 1:01 PM
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT FELL MARINE MOB+ WIRELESS MAN OVERBOARD SYSTEM
Fell Marine has developed a man overboard system that promises to replace the traditional kill-switch lanyard. The MOB+ Wireless Man OverBoard system is an innovative, ABYC compliant, life-saving safety device for your boat. It provides greater freedom of movement than a traditional kill-switch lanyard, and stops the engine should you fall overboard. But its capabilities extend way beyond that. Up to four xFOB’s can be connected to the xHUB at the same time, with one unit acting as the captain’s stop unit, and the additional three as alarm units for passengers. The system consists of an easy to install xHUB (mounted on or near the boat console) and a wearable xFOB. The two communicate wirelessly with each other and stop the engine when the xFOB is submerged in water or is beyond range of the xHUB. The xFOB can be worn on your wrist, around your neck, or clipped to your PFD using xBAND or xTAG accessories. The waterproof xFOB has more than 300 hours of battery life and is powered by an easy to change standard coin cell battery. The xHUB connects to your boat power (12V-24V) and to your engine-stopping system. The system is intuitive and easy to use, and it is compatible with all major outboard and most sterndrive engines.
WWW.FELLMARINE.COM
COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM
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Center sp By Matt Jorn
“I
’ve heard people say ‘A bad day of fishing is better than a good day at work,’” said Master Capt. William Mendoza with his trademark wry smile, “I’m not really sure I know the difference.” Capt. Mendoza is a Costa Rica-based charter captain with 30 years of experience. Since 2009 he has run over 250 trips a year on the Wanderer for the FishingNosara team from his home port on the north Pacific coast, making him the busiest charter captain in all of Central America. This area has become a hot spot for anglers because of the nearby bluewater and virtually non-existent commercial pressure; in fact the Costa Rican government has mandated that all commercial fishing must be done at minimum 60 miles from shore. The main fear of men like Captain Mendoza is: will this fishery last? Many have heard stories of Cabo Blanco, Peru and its famous “Marlin Boulevard”. In the 1950s this area produced the most granders in the world, including a 1,560-lb. black marlin catch that is still the world record. Now Cabo Blanco is a ghost town, due to human conceit and greed.
The argument still rages as to why. Some say it was overfishing of the apex predators like marlin and swordfish by sport-fishermen, while others maintain the government opened up the feeder fish, mostly sardines, for overharvesting. Let’s look at the problem from both ends of the food chain. The Costa Rican government enforces their 60-mile line vigorously and is very strong against unlicensed commercial operations. These efforts maintain a healthy number of feeder fish. At the apex level, the preservation of billfish has been spearheaded by groups like the International Billfish Foundation and the IGFA. Costa Rica has also taken the lead in this effort by prohibiting sportsmen from removing billfish from the water (no hero shots allowed) and by banning the sale of meat from marlin and sailfish. “The advantage of catch-and-release billfishing is mainly economical,” noted Capt. Mendoza. “Essentially, we want to create a market where these apex predators are more valuable swimming in the ocean than they are on the scale at a fish market.” On average, a full day of marlin fishing costs $900 and provides renewable income for the captains and mates. Conversely, the value of the same fish at an unlicensed fish market can be as low as pennies per pound. Charter fishing lies somewhere in between the bottom-line driven world of commercial fishing and the fun-loving experience of recreational fishing. “A good charter trip should be fun, productive and educational, especially for novice anglers,” said Capt. Mendoza. “These trips can bring together multiple generations, as fishing tactics are handed down from grandfather to father, father to son.” Capt. Mendoza knows all about that. This season, his 22-year-old son joined him in the mate position on the Wanderer to continue the family legacy. By operating under common-sense regulations, the fishing in Nosara should stay strong for generations to come “The ocean provides me with a livelihood, and I want to protect her the way she’s protected me. My idea of a perfect day is catch billfish, get a nice photo, set it free, and get the lines back out there again. Clearly that’s not a bad day at work.” concluded Capt. Mendoza.
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SOUTHEAST
By Randy Cnota
W
inter along Florida’s Forgotten Coast has a much different meaning for anglers than it does for anglers up north. For Virginia anglers, to “winterize a boat” describes a storage process they perform; for us, it means to fill the bait box with live shrimp. Sure, we get our fair share of cold snaps, but that just helps us plan our most productive fishing days. Simply put, winters here are mild and the fishing never stops! Don’t let the strict Florida harvest regulations fool you; if
you’re looking for great tasting fish to eat, you’re in luck! Red grouper have been making a great showing lately and are often very close to shore. Black sea bass are extremely plentiful and very easy to catch. Sheepshead, speckled trout and many others provide inshore anglers lots of action, and all these species mentioned here (and this is just a few) make fantastic table fare. For those looking for a big fight, redfish will be running the surf chasing bait in huge schools. Find the birds, and you’ll find fish that are willing to bite just about anything you throw at them. When throwing lures or live bait to these schools, it’s not uncommon for everyone on board the boat to hook up at the same time. Typically, these are not small fish, but rather big bull reds that will test your tackle. For catching reds within the slot limits, our bays and creeks still offer excellent opportunities to harvest these tasty fish. For freshwater fun, the Apalachicola River will be loaded with hybrids and stripers chasing abundant shad. The lower end of the river will have a mix of largemouth bass hanging around with the speckled and white trout that find their way into the warmer fresh waters. Deep bends in the lower stretches of the river load up with a variety of species that are easy pickings with artificial baits, but live shrimp is always your best option. There’s no need to suffer from cabin fever this winter. Get away from the cold and come chase fish here in Franklin County, Fla. The many fishing options available here will ensure you have a great time regardless of the weather… just be sure to pack your sunblock, short pants and sunglasses. For a complete list of rentals, charters, supplies and more visit www.floridasforgottencoast.com.
Your fish is waiting. Florida’s Forgotten Coast
Boaters and mariners will find something to love in Franklin County. Carrabelle features deep water access to the Gulf of Mexico and freshwater rivers. Plan a kayak or day sailing eco-adventure from Apalachicola or St. George Island. Eastpoint and Alligator Point offer direct access to the best inshore fishing on the Gulf Coast. Bring your own boat or rent one here; there’s no better place to enjoy Florida’s Forgotten Coast.
Visit Floridasforgottencoast.com/ca for complete launch, marina, guide and tackle information.
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Georgia’s Record Blue Catfish
A Surprising Winter is the Best Planting Time
I am often asked when is the best time to plant fruiting plants. My answer is usually the same; the best time is 20 years ago or today. The second best time to plant is during the winter months. Plants are dormant, and can be easily shipped and planted with no stress on the plant because there is not a lot of maintenance once the plant or tree has been planted. Simply dig a good hole, water thoroughly
at planting, and take the rest of the winter off. Even though there are no signs of growth above ground, the root systems will have time to get adjusted to their new location and begin to initiate new root growth. There are plenty of advantages of growing your own edibles. First of all, you know what has been done over the course of the growing season from a chemical stand point. Second, the fruit just taste
better coming out of your home orchard versus buying fruit from the grocers that have little to no flavors. Thirdly, it is good for your soul and you will feel more connected to the environment and nature. Whether it is an apple tree, muscadine vine or a blueberry bush; now is the time to plant. Let’s Grow Together. Greg Ison, Ison’s Nursery and Vineyards, 800733-0324, www.isons.com
new state record blue catfish was recently confirmed by Georgia WRD. The 93-lb. monster was hauled from the Altamaha River in October and smashed the previous record of 80-lb., 4 oz., which stood since 2010. Richard Barrett, of Axson, Ga., caught the big cat using a live channel catfish he had caught earlier as bait. It was the only state record fish caught in Georgia in 2017, and Tim Bonvechio, with Georgia WRD, aged the fish at 14 years old. Barrett’s fish was enormous, but blue cats can get much bigger. Back in 2011, a 143-pound IGFA All-Tackle World Record blue catfish was caught on Kerr Lake in Virginia.
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12/14/17 9:32 AM
NORTH CAROLINA
By Capt. Michael Okruhlik Photo courtesy of Controlled Descent Lures.
H
ere are some tips on catching flounder that some might not have tried. The technique I am about to share has some benefits over the more mainstream methods. It is also so simple and easy to use that I rig my young son’s rod this way. When the topic of flounder fishing is mentioned, the main issues I hear are when to set the hook and difficulty in getting a good hook set. I know there are different theories such as, count to three, count to 10, or set the hook immediately. With this method, I set the hook immediately, still get a solid hook set and injure fewer fish, which is important if you’re releasing them.
The method I want to share is a tandem Carolina rig. Here is the quick easy way I tie it. Cut 30 inches of 30-lb. mono. Fold your line together and tie an overhand knot leaving two uneven lengths of leader, one about 20 inches, the other 10 inches. Leave a loop in the overhand knot when it’s cinched. Add a barrel weight to your main line and attach it to the loop. Next, tie un-weighted screwlock swimbait hooks to each end, and rig your lures weedless. I have found that lures that can float with the hook in them outperform a lure that sinks to the bottom and sits there motionless. With a floating lure, the waves and current keep the lure moving even when you pause. This results in more action and therefore more strikes. The main advantage to the tandem Carolina rig is the lures are not weighted, and they are free moving due to a slip weight. When the flounder inhales the lure, there is less resistance from the weight, and the lure goes deeper into the fish’s mouth. No tail grabs and short strikes to worry about. That is why I set the hook immediately. This is also what makes it easy enough for even kids to get a solid hook set. While targeting flounder, I also like to work my rod to the side with a low twitching motion to keep the lure or weight dragging on the bottom rather than bouncing it, as I would when targeting trout. Kicking up a steady trail of dust can attract the fish, and when you pause and the lure starts to rise, it is a livelier presentation. The length of the leader, distance between hooks, and the weight is a personnel preference. Some may also add a glass bead or two between the swivel or leader knot and the egg weight to give a little click. To keep it simple and quick, I don’t always use a swivel. I might just tie a large loop knot in my leader, and the egg weight will rest against the knot. Adding scent to your lures is also a great addition when targeting flounder. Head out to your favorite flounder hole, and give the tandem Carolina rig a try. I think you will be impressed with the results. Capt. Michael Okruhlik is the inventor of Controlled Descent Lures and the owner of www.MyCoastOutdoors.com.
Be Your Own Boss
T
he N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is offering anglers in the eastern part of the state an opportunity to catch trout in winter clinics being held at the John E. Pechmann Fishing Education Center in Fayetteville. The annual winter fly fishing clinics for novice and intermediate anglers start Jan. 6. Additionally, two fly fishing merit badge workshops for Boy Scouts will be held in March and April. The commission will stock more than 1,000 catchable-sized brook, brown and rainbow trout into the center’s ponds on Dec. 13. Loaner rods, reels and tackle will be provided for all participants. Basic Fly Fishing Clinics are designed for anglers with limited or no knowledge of fly fishing. They will be offered Jan. 6, Jan. 20 and Feb. 3, from
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9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Intermediate Fly Fishing Clinic is for anglers who have already completed a Basic Fly Fishing Clinic or Discovery Course. It will be held Feb. 17, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. These clinics are suitable for participants 13 years and older; however, participants 15 years and younger must be accompanied by an adult. Scoutmasters interested in merit badge workshops should contact Tom Carpenter at 910-868-5003 to register their scouts. Pre-registration is required for all clinics. To register, visit the calendar view on the John E. Pechmann Fishing Education Center’s webpage and select the clinic you’re interested in to begin the registration process.
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12/14/17 12:52 PM
Wilmington/Morehead City edition
Wrightsville Beach January is the kind of month that I watch the weather forecast very closely. Weather changes much quicker during the winter around our area and can be a big influence on the fishing. I look for warmer, lighter wind and mostly sunny days, even better if we get a few of these kinds of days in a row. January is definitely “a pick your fishing day” kind of month for the best possible bite chances. I’ll promise you can have epic fishing days during January; they are just harder to come by because of weather. During January you can find some of the big speckled trout...you’re not going to find big numbers, but the big ones will bite when it gets cold! Work your lures slower and know that you’ll fish for hours, but the payoff can be great! Try to have patience when winter fishing! One lure that always comes to mind for winter speckled trout is the MirrOlure in the 52M and 52MR, using lighter colors due to the very clear water we sometimes get during the winters here. Working MirrOlures slowly in deeper water breaks and drop offs can produce some very nice trout. If the water gets a bit dirty due to winds or rain/ ice/snow, give a three-inch Berkley Gulp Shrimp, Firetail Shrimp or five-inch Jerkshad a try. Another winter lure is a Saltwater Assassin Sea Shad on lighter jig heads; here you work them just a bit slower due to the colder water temps. Don’t rule out a nice gray trout mixed in during the winter while speckled trout fishing. Look for the bigger trout to be sitting close to the current...just off and out of it. Remember these fish are not going to burn calories they don’t have to by swimming against the current. Large winter redfish schools are one of my favorite fish to look for during winter months. On calm, light wind days you can find these reds on dark mud flats and oyster rocks. You can also find large schools around inlets and sand bars just off the local beaches. When
you find these schools, approach very slowly and quietly, for they spook very easily; also a high quality pair of polarized sunglasses will help big-time for seeing the schools of reds. I prefer Salt Life Sport Optics with Zeiss lens as my choice of sunglasses. Most of the time, the winter school reds will bite pretty easily, but one thing that will help is scented baits like Berkley Gulp! I prefer Berkley Gulp Ripple Mullet in Glow/Chart Tail, Chart Pepper and Root Beer Gold/Chart Tail; also the three-inch Berkley Gulp shrimp in Sugar Spice Glow. Sometimes you may need to work the bait a little slower during colder months, so try using a light jig head; this will allow you to work the bait slower. You can also use as fresh as you can get cut shrimp or mullet on a light Carolina rig if you prefer to use bait. Not too far from Wrightsville Beach in historic downtown Wilmington runs the Cape Fear and North East Cape Fear Rivers. During the winter months, usually starting in December, the local population of striped bass start to bite in the rivers. These fish are not the easiest to catch, but they fight very well, even in cold water. Working drop-offs on the edge of the river, docks and creek mouths is where you can find the stripers. I prefer using swimbait lures like five-inch Berkley Havoc Grass Pigs and Berkley Gulp Jerkshad rigged on a swimbait weighted hook. Colors that I prefer are Pearl White, Swamp Gas (Grass Pig) and Chart Pepper Neon. Mid-water diving crankbaits work too; I use Rapala X-raps. Be careful around pilings to not get hang-ups and lose your lures...it’s very easy to do in the Cape Fear with all the timber on the bottom. You can catch these stripers on any tide, as long as it’s moving. Don’t forget that the Cape Fear River striped bass fishery is closed...catch and release only! Tackle run down: PENN Battle II & Slammer III spinning reels in sizes 2000, 2500, 3000 for the redfish, speckled trout and striped bass. Rods: PENN Battalion in 6’6” & 7’ med/light and medium action; line Spiderwire Ultra-cast in eight-, ten- and 15-pound test. Berkley Pro Spec Fluorocarbon leader material...20-pound test for trout fishing, 30-pound test for redfish and striped bass. Thanks for reading! Happy New Year and good winter fishing to you! Forecast by: Capt. Jot Owens Penn Tackle Elight Staff •Ranger Boats Pro Staff www.captainjot.com • 910-233-4139
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MANY IN-STORE SPECIALS!
January 2018
wilmington/Morehead city 1
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Swansboro/emerald Isle
above: Wendy Shambley from Greensboro caught this four-pound speckled trout on a Berkley Gulp Pogy while fishing the backwaters with Capt. Jeff Cronk this December..
January can be a tough month for fishermen due to the weather, but it typically offers some mild days that make for a great time on the water! We have a few species that remain here along the Crystal Coast regardless of how cold it gets and they must eat! Due to the cold temperatures, fish will definitely be schooled up and anglers will want to focus their efforts in the right areas during the right conditions. Many of our larger speckled trout will move into upriver situations during the winter months. They will migrate through the main channels up our rivers, into the deeper protected creeks off our rivers and into smaller creeks or canals along the mainland sounds and ICW. There will still be many smaller trout with some keeper-sized fish mixed in along the deep channels and creeks near our inlets as well as the surf zone. There are certain baits that work well in areas with current and certain baits work better in areas with little to no current. A general rule of thumb while trout fishing is to go light. Trout seem to respond more aggressively to baits that have long suspension times. I like to use MirrOlure’s sinking twitch baits or 1/4-ounce to 3/16-ounce jig heads with my Gulp baits above: Rusty Hawkins from Greensboro caught or soft plastics while this pretty southern flounder on a four-inch Gulp fishing the channels Shrimp this December in the Swansboro area and creeks closer to with Capt. Jeff Cronk. 2 wilmington/Morehead city January 2018
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our inlets that have currents. These heavier baits sink quickly while the current sweeps them along the bottom. When I move into upper creeks or canals, I often scale down to 1/16-ounce jig heads. Some of my favorite soft baits to put on my jig heads include: three-inch Berkley Gulp and four-inch Pearl White Shrimp, four-inch Smelt Minnow, five-inch Jerkshad in pink or white and Berkley Powerbait’s three-inch Pro Grub or Pro Twitch Bait Minnow in Chartreuse Ice or Pink Ice. My favorite pre-weighted soft bait is Bett’s Perfect Sinker Shrimp. These baits have a slow descent and I’ll usually allow a one second pause between twitches for every two feet of depth I’m fishing. All of these baits will produce vicious strikes from speckled trout. When looking for redfish this January, anglers should focus on the surf above: Ray Brannon from Greenville zone when we have sunny caught this six-pound striper after it days with north, NW or exploded on a topwater bait while fishing west breezes. The surf will some structure along the Neuse River in late November with Capt. Jeff Cronk. lay down flat, allowing anglers to approach the surf zone by boat, while sunny skies will allow anglers to see through the water and spot schools of redfish moving along the surf. Once located, these fish will usually strike any soft bait cast into the school. I like a 1/2-ounce jig head tipped with a four-inch Berkley Gulp Shrimp or a four-inch Minnow. When we have multiple warm days, some of these schools of redfish will move through the inlets and scour the shallow flats and bays behind our beaches in search of food. So, anglers can also spend time on the trolling motor quietly moving through these shallow bays looking for reds. Once located, it’s usually no problem to hook up with plenty of reds ranging from 16 to 28 inches. It’s important to use little to no weight with your baits because most of the shallow flats will have a thick, green algae covering the bottom during winter months. I like to rig a four-inch Pearl Gulp Shrimp on a 1/16-ounce jig head or a five-inch Smelt Gulp Jerkshad on a weightless hook (weedless). Whether you’re looking for trout or reds this January, one thing is true. The weather may slow many anglers down but, these fish must eat! If you put the time in you can have a successful fishing trip this January! FORECAST BY: Capt. Jeff Cronk Fish’n4life Charters Carolina Fishing TV www.nccharterfishing.com Ranger/Yamaha/PENN/Berkley Pro-Staff Cell 336-558-5697 Home 910-325-8194 jcronk@ec.rr.com
COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM
12/13/17 3:50 PM
A Letter to the Editor for Coastal Angler Readers
Resolve Southern Flounder Issues with a “FLOUNDER STAMP” I’m going to be as brief as possible with this limited space opinion letter to the editor, but there is a ten-page article that could be written to completely explain the “state of the union” for southern flounder, as of January 2018. See related article on page 13. Southern flounder are where they are today for many reasons, but I will lay this out as simply as I can, as I see it. First and foremost, southern flounder fry and fingerlings can’t get back to, or through the inlets to reach the traditional “grow out grounds” inside the creeks of the intracoastal waterway and sound(s). Most, if not all of southern flounder are born offshore and have to make a VERY dangerous journey from miles offshore, to make it to the inlets where they will meet a second stage of brutal predators called pinfish, lizardfish, croakers, bluefish, bar jacks, puffers, other flounder, humans, etc, etc, etc… This alone is the largest bottleneck for southern flounder of all, and there is a cure to the issue, but let’s look at some other factors. Second, flounder have become the new “inshore grouper” with a price worth more than I could have ever imagined years ago. The most I ever sold a “jumbo” flounder for was $3.00 per pound, and mediums were worth $2.50 per pound. Now, they are worth up to $6.00 per pound and more earlier this year. With that being said, the game changed dramatically, and many rec anglers and commercial operations changed tactics. With the reduced numbers of fish that would bite a “hook and line,” everyone and his brother (recreational anglers) bought a generator with all the new high intensity LED lights and became a flounder gigger. No one can blame them, because it is legal, but this, along with commercial gigging (after their nets were set at sunset), divers “cleaning up” nearshore wrecks by sticking all they see, and recreational anglers catching these fish on the wrecks now that the “cat is out of the sack” from reading magazine articles and internet postings, etc…all of these human interactions have had a definite effect on southern flounder stocks. Period. With all that being said, we can all agree that there is more pressure on southern flounder now than ever in the coastal history. We have to stop and take a look at what we CAN do, rather than the statos quo of reducing creel limits of recreational and commercial anglers. Due to the overwhelming evidence of lack of recruitment of fry/fingerlings into the creeks, I will suggest this…A SOUTHERN FLOUNDER STAMP… much like the “Snook Stamp” that was put in place in Florida after a series of historic freezes. Recreational anglers here in NC raise a tremendous amount of continuous money thru the annual Coastal Recreational Fishing License…why can’t we use this money to solve this current crisis of southern flounder much like we solved the crisis of other fish like striped bass and white (American) shad here in NC with the use of multible hatcheries in Watha and Weldon, NC… The answer is using OUR money to build and operate a southern flounder hatchery. If you have doubts that this could have an impact on the numbers of flounder within a few years of releasing up to 90mm fingerlings, just consider the Cape Fear, Tar and Roanoke River striped bass fisheries. 100% of all striped bass in the Cape Fear are hatchery raised fish with ZERO natural reproduction occurring. There will be two groups against this proposal…first is a popular recreational fishing group stating that the efforts and money will be to the advantage of commercial fishing operations harvesting seven out of every ten fish that survive to a harvestable size, and second are the large fish house dealers that want to retain the current low supply, high demand price of flounder. This is my suggestion of a COMMON SENSE answer that was
developed right here in NC and taught to the rest of the country and other parts of the world on how to correct their problems, but yet we don’t practice this here in our own home state! Why do we raise the fry/fingerlings by the tens of thousands for “research”, but pour them down the drain (literally) to destroy them, and not be allowed to release them into the creeks to start the healing process? That’s a great question…. Someone, please explain the OBVIOUS answer to the public. Let’s spend OUR money for a common sense solution to this problem. This money used for a hatchery will not only be the CRFL money, as EVERYONE in this has “skin in the game.” For example…. $2.00 stamp for recreational anglers $50.00 stamp for recreational giggers and divers $100.00 - $300.00 stamp for commercial giggers and/or netters $500.00 - ??? for commercial draggers and/or pound netters This math would raise millions of dollars that would employ very talented research associates from UNCW and NCSU to build and operate the hatchery(s), spawn and release millions of fingerlings into the creeks for maturation and eventual return to the ocean for spawning. Constantly rotating brood stock for the hatchery(s) can be secured from pound netters, draggers, and/or recreational fishing tournaments like the Fisherman’s Post and the Flat Bottom Girls Flounder Tournaments. Both of these tournaments are “live weighin”. We should all be willing to contribute to such a worthwhile effort But, I can hear all the “naysayers” now…“this will do very little to nothing for all the money we would spend,” or, “there is little evidence of the success of hatchery released fish into the wild.” Why should our agencies (NCDMF/NCMFC) continue down the road of “reactive efforts” with reduced bag limits for everyone, as opposed to the path “proactive efforts” of a hatchery system… employing {results-driven} research associates, replentishing our creeks with southern flounder fingerlings that Mother Nature will grow to replace their parents in the spawning cycle… in numbers. I would like to ask you…would you “be offended” with a $2 “Flounder Stamp” added to your CRFL? Or, would you be like almost 100% of all anglers surveyed, who are looking for a practical answer to our current southern flounder situation, and for whom a couple of bucks a year would be a no brainer? All I have to say to our lawmakers, fisheries officials, naysayers and political groups is this...you need look no further than the California white sea bass hatchery program to justify the real solution of a southern flounder hatchery system here in NC, paid for by a SOUHTERN FLOUNDER STAMP. Go online, check out the California white sea bass stock enhancement program thru the use of hatchery raised fingerlings, and demand common sense answers from your NC legislative rep. Why should we develop the programs here in Wilmington and Raleigh, train the rest of the country on how to build their own hatcheries, grow and release fingerlings in their waters, but yet not be able to use our own wonderful university system(s) of UNCW and NCSU to solve our own problems with OUR money, which WE pay to DMF with OUR CRFL license? Standing by,
Let us know your thoughts. Email to wes@coastalanglermagazine.com.
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Capt. Tim Barefoot, Barefoot Fishing www.circlehookjig.com • www.barefootfishing.net
January 2018
wilmington/Morehead city 3
12/13/17 3:50 PM
It’s January...let’s get ready for the New Year! January should be the month to start getting your fishing gear and your boat and trailer prepared for the upcoming fishing season. You don’t want to be behind the power curve when the spring fishing starts. So get off the couch and get on your boat and start preparing for a great season. January can be a great time to completely empty out your boat and inventory what you need and don’t need. By the end of my tournament season I have found that I have loaded my boat up more than I really need to. If you empty out your boat and line everything up in your garage, you too will be amazed at what you have stored in your boat. I go through all my Lew’s rods and reels and clean them. This is the time to check your rods and ensure that the eyes are not broken or bent. I use Lew’s rod socks to protect my Lew’s rods while in storage. If you do this you will find that it is a lot easier for retrieving and storing your rods. The rod socks will allow you to pull them out without hanging up on each other and also preventing your rod eyes from being bent when putting them back into your rod boxes. I use this time to change all my reels with new Sufix line. I use a sharpie pen to mark every rod with a bass minder sticker or cut a small piece of paper and write the date of the change and the Sufix line size under clear tape. I tape this right above the reel on the rod. This has always helped me when I pick up a rod to see the line size and when it was changed out. Try this tip and I promise you this will help you out on your next fishing trip. I pull out my fishing suit, gloves, Flying Fisherman Sun Bandits, and toboggans and let them air out or give them all a good washing. Another tip you might try is once you put your gear back into your storage areas, try putting scented dryer sheets in each storage compartment. This will help to keep out any musty odors and your gear will have a pleasant smell to them when you first pull them out to use.
Throughout the year you will have to replace them as the dryer sheet loses its scent. Another tip is to put moisture absorber containers in your storage areas. I put one in each rod box. It is amazing how much moisture it collects out of each box. I stick each one in the corner and have no problem of it not tipping over. You can order them online or go to a dollar store and purchase a bunch at one time so that you will always have them on hand when it’s time to install a fresh one. You will know when it is full as all the white beads will be gone and the container will be full of water! The tackle trays are always the hardest for me because I normally go through each lure and check out each hook for sharpness or if they are broken or bent. I will replace them with Daiichi or X-Point Hooks. This will take more time, but when it’s tournament time I know I will be ready. This is when I also change out certain trays and put in my baits that will be good for cold water action such as my Lucky Craft Jerk baits which I will load up in all sizes. Before putting my gear back in the boat I will vacuum all my compartments, wipe out all the areas and make sure to lube all my compartment lids, locks and lid handles. Working on your gear now will save you a lot of valuable time when you could be fishing! Have a safe and Happy New Year, Hal Abshire Tournament Angler
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January 2018
wilmington/Morehead city 5
12/13/17 3:50 PM
Freedive Spearfishing Season Wrap-up Once again, the year is over. Only the hard core freedivers get out there from here on out until the spring, but for those persistent, and ardent beginners with the bug, there are lots of surprises in store this time of year. Everyone else is deer hunting, leaving the waters untamed. During October and November the water cools off suddenly by 10-15 degrees or more, depending on the area. Bluewater fish move out, inshore fish move in! In October and November, we witnessed some monster catches of wahoo speared while freediving. It was impressive…a week later another diver from Wilmington, Brandon West, went out and speared another one at the break in 200’ that was 67 pounds. Now, coming back down to planet Earth for realistic spearfishing opportunities this fall and winter for the other 99% of the spearfishing enthusiasts: Some of the biggest sheepshead of the year move inshore when the water temperature drops. Adam Knierim speared one of the biggest I’ve seen in years at 14 pounds. Other local divers, Pat Mulligan and Bryan Rich, managed some sheepshead and tautogs in the three- to six-pound range, diving in the sound and inside three miles. Those are typical nice fish you can expect to see in the fall and winter in between storms. Also, small school black drum run now: they’re legal to shoot and good to eat. Offshore on live bottom and ledges in 50-100 feet there were a lot of nice African pompano, gag grouper, and hefty hogfish this fall. Water temps in the low 70’s are really conducive to finding these fish before they move offshore for winter. Alex Wazlak was diving off Hatteras when he speared a nice red snapper in blue water during the two-weekend short season. Now, good news here on out. You don’t have to have iron lungs or be an Olympic swimmer to enjoy some of this inshore underwater hunting. If you can snorkel and clear your snorkel without drowning, you got this! In fact, this is the best time of year for the clearest water. When the water cools off, it clears up as the algae blooms die and oysters are thriving and cleaning it up for us. Cold water from the north gales push that river water back and down to the south. The only thing you really can’t get around is a good wetsuit. A surfing wetsuit will not work, even a 5/4. A SCUBA wetsuit wouldn’t work; it’s intended purpose is for short dives less than a half hour with surface intervals in between. If its between November and April and you try it with either of those, you’ll have shivered timbers and wish you were in a deer stand sipping eggnog instead. You need a 5mm 6 wilmington/Morehead city January 2018
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freediving wetsuit with open cell neoprene, two-piece, with attached hood. With that you’ll be buttery warm for 2-5 hours smiling, shooting, and reloading. Now the other chief concern, aside from the cold, is…sharks! Not to worry, unless you plan on diving underneath feeding whales and under the shrimp boats...that should be a nonissue (don’t dive under the whales or the shrimpers because the sharks are there feeding). The water is too cold for your typical pesky NC shark this time of year, so since the water is clear inshore, you can see better, and the big sharks that can hurt a person are far offshore. I’ve been diving here 25 years and I’ve never seen a shark along the beach or in the sound in the winter other than a few pesky spiny dogfish. Of course, stranger things have happened, but you don’t ever hear about anyone getting messed with by sharks in December inshore. A big sheepshead, tautog, stud winter flounder or black drum opportunity and some clear water is totally fun. Add one 60-75 cm speargun of your choice. Add water. Enjoy! article BY: Mark Laboccetta | Partner mark@maverick-america.com MAVERICK AMERICA LLC www.maverick-america.com 1316 S. 5th Street Wilmington, NC 28401 Office 910.679.4513
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Wildlife Commission Proposes Changes in Deer Hunt Regulations for 2018-2019
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is proposing changes to the statewide deer hunting regulations for 2018-2019, the culmination of years of extensive biological research coupled with hunter engagement and feedback. The biological evaluation of the statewide deer herd suggested that the deer herd can be improved by reducing young buck harvest, shifting the timing of harvest later in the year and adjusting doe harvest rates. Of the 33,750 hunters responding to the 2016 Deer Hunting and Management Survey, 81 percent of respondents were willing to accept changes in deer hunting seasons to improve buck age structure and the quantity of the herd. Since the last survey conducted in 2006, hunter satisfaction has declined and more hunters indicated that deer numbers had deceased in the last three years, 36 percent compared to 15 percent in 2006. In addition, 88 percent of deer hunters are hunting on properties less than 1,000 acres and 68 percent think there are too few mature bucks in North Carolina’s herd. Analysis of the 2016 survey responses indicated that the length of the gun season is the most important attribute to hunters, with the lengths and timing of the other seasons being less important. With these preferences in mind, staff identified the highest hunter preference for season attributes and the most biologically important attributes for each zone. Comparing these two sets of attributes, staff proposed season options balancing hunter preference and biological data to optimize the hunting seasons around the peak of the rut and provide earlier-season opportunities for doe harvest in some areas. In addition, staff proposed changes to both the antlered and antlerless deer bag limits to address appropriate harvest levels and hunter desires. The results of this analysis and potential season changes that could improve the condition of the deer herd and positively impact the deer hunter’s experience, were presented at 9 public forums in 2017. The majority (eighty percent) of forum attendees indicated that they either supported or would accept options that would improve quality of the deer herd. The proposed changes were developed to improve the deer herd by reducing young buck harvest, shifting the timing of harvest relative to peak conception dates, and adjusting doe harvest rates. Proposed season zones in the map and table below represent these balanced options.
Proposed Deer Regulations Changes:
Modify statewide deer hunting seasons by establishing five deer season zones.
The public is encouraged to submit comments, opinions and suggestions by Feb. 1, 2018. Nine public hearings will be held across the state in January to discuss these and other proposed regulations changes. Comments can also be submitted by e-mail, (please include your name and address) online or by mail (Rule-making Coordinator, 1701 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1701).
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January 2018
wilmington/Morehead city 7
12/13/17 3:50 PM
Surf city/ Topsail Island Happy New Year and thank you for your continued support of my forecasts in Coastal Angler Magazine. This is the time of year most people are staying inside and working on their fishing equipment for the upcoming season. It is certainly a good time of year to get caught up on maintenance, but don’t overlook some of the great opportunities that are present this time of year. Wintertime offers some of the best sight fishing of the year for redfish and speckled trout. The water clarity can be better than ten feet, making the fish easy to spot. It’s a double-edged sword because the fish can spot you more easily, but moving slowly and putting the sun to your back can get you in great position. I like to fish extra long leaders (eight feet or more) and cast well beyond the fish. Most of the time, if the fish see your bait falling through the water column they won’t bite it. Z-Man offers a variety of finesse baits in two- to three-inch sizes and pairing them with 1/16- and 1/32ounce jigheads will get the fish to strike. Pro-Cure bait scents work extremely well, especially during the winter months. Boat basins, canals, docks, mainland creeks, and the surf zone are great places to look for trout and redfish this time of year. Areas that have darker mud bottoms typically hold enough forage to sustain the fish throughout the winter. These areas hold more heat and warm much faster during the day. Keep an eye on the birds as they will often lead you straight to the fish. Redfish will take a variety of soft plastics that are crawled along the bottom. Scented baits “dead-sticked” in front of the fish will often elicit a strike. The freshest shrimp that you can find fished on light Carolina rigs with 2/0 light wire circle hooks is super effective in getting hookups. Black drum will also hold in the same areas and happily take a piece of shrimp. There is no need to get up early this time of year to fish. Fish during
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the middle part of the day in order to let the sun warm the water up a few degrees...it can make all the difference. The fish are spooky during the winter and if you happen to spook a school, just leave the area and return later. They will likely not feed and the same is true after hooking a couple fish, so return later in the day once they settle down. Nearshore bottom fishing can be very productive for sea bass and tautogs this time of year. AR’s, live bottom, and ledges can hold large schools of keeper sea bass. Squid baits and metal jigs are my favorite way to catch these tasty fish. The occasional grey trout can be hooked in the same areas. Be sure and support your local tackle shops and charter captains, for they are your ticket to great winter fishing. Give us a call at South End Anglers for advice on inshore and nearshore fishing or to book a charter. Follow South End Anglers on Facebook at www.facebook. com/southendangersnc/ and Instagram at southendanglersnc. FORECAST BY: Capt. Chadwick Crawford South End Anglers • 540.460.3432 capt.chadwickcrawford@gmail.com • www.southendanglers.com
2017 Fishing 4 Plastic Event a Success Every October, Dee Smith, Carteret County Big Sweep coordinator, organizes the Fall Big Sweep bringing community members from grade school to the elderly out to clean up the environment. When she learned about the Blockade Runner Fishing 4 Plastic Tournament held in Beaufort last spring, she reached out to the organizer of the event, Bonnie Monteleone, Executive Director of Plastic Ocean Project, to add another component into her cleanups – ocean cleanups. The team winner from the spring tournament, Crystal Coast Waterkeeper’s, Larry Baldwin, found the tournament concept to be a powerful and fun activity, agreed to help organize more local involvement. Soon, Duke Environmental Law and Policy Clinic’s Michelle Nowlin, PhD. and Talia Sechley brought in volunteers and funding to help support the fall Fishing 4 Plastic Tournament. Singer/ song writer Jack Johnson’s financial support to Plastic Ocean Project contributed enough money to hire four charter boats to take four teams of people offshore to compete to see who could bring in the most debris in a half a day of fishing. The teams traveled out toward the Gulf Stream where they found small to large debris fields, much of it appeared to be driven up the coast from the hurricane activity down south. The youngest team, CMAST SeaWolf, collected the most, working nonstop for hours collecting 302 pieces of debris! Collectively, the teams removed over 600 pieces of trash in all. 8 wilmington/Morehead city January 2018
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The items ranging from a few centimeters to several meters long! Most of it was single use food packaging. NC Maritime Museum housed the ceremony where teams were awarded prizes for recovering “Most Items by Weight,” “Most Items by Count,” and “Most Unusual Item.” It was our way of making the best use of the funding by helping clean up the ocean compounded by the terrible storms, while at the same time making a game out of collecting trash and sponsoring charter fishermen to work with us on this issue.” Monteleone said. “It’s important,” Monteleone added, “currently, we have funding through the NOAA Marine Debris Program to study plastics ingested by black sea bass. We work with commercial fishers who provide the digestive tracts of black sea bass they catch and, sadly, we do find plastics in their stomachs.” Plastics cannot be digested and can cause digestive tract blockages and punctures, adding another stressor on fish stocks. Death by plastic is a terrible way to die. The more we bring awareness to the quantities of debris and the negative impacts of plastics, the more we can develop these relationships to work together to reduce the amount of plastic debris in the ocean. left: Members of the winning Sea Wolf team show some of the plastic trash they collected from the ocean.
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January 2018
wilmington/Morehead city 9
12/13/17 3:50 PM
Atlantic Beach - Inshore & Nearshore As far as fishing, we’re now into what I like to call our slow season, Lookout Shoals. The water is crystal clear...in the winter it’s the clearest but there are still some fish to be caught if you put the time in. One of the you’ll see it all year, so spotting redfish in the shallows can be pretty easy biggest keys this time of the year is picking and watching for those good to catch if they are around. Also, this time of the year when you find them they’re usually in a pretty large school because of the cooler winter waters. These fish can be tricky to catch with the clear water and the fish just not wanting to feed well, but I have seen when they are fired up and you can catch all you want. Cut mullet, live mud minnows, Berkley Gulp baits and Z-Man plastics is really all you need to target these wintertime redfish. Black drum can be found around the high rise bridges and Port Wall most of the winter; bait shrimp on the bottom is the best way to target these fish. I remember above: Mike and Keith found some good action in the backwaters with last winter anglers were catching good speckled trout and black drum, all caught on live bait. numbers of them... weather days; the days that might be a bit warmer to the fish, making them again it’s going to more active and want to feed. be slow fishing What we’ve been seeing over the last few weeks and what to look for but they are here over the next month will be pretty simple. Speckled trout, redfish and black to catch all winter drum will be the most active fish to catch in our local area. Good places long. above: David Banks with a live release on a sixto try will be in the back of creeks where the water might be a bit deeper If you can catch pound speckled trout caught on a Betts Perfect where the fish can winter over. Some of the creeks like this can be found the weather right, Sinker Shrimp. on up Core Creek toward the Neuse River area; they will be good places to you can find good look for the speckled trout. I have to say the MirrOlure 17MR is probably bottom fishing just off our beaches at places like AR330, AR285 and the the most commonly fished lure in the winter; you have to fish super slow Atlas Tanker. You can find nice sea bass action in the winter too; this is to catch fish and a MirrOlure can be fished very well like that. Also, live the time of the year when you will find the larger fish. Also, we’ll see a few mud minnows work well this time of the year. You can fish them on light flounder this time of the year at the nearshore reefs...nothing like summerCarolina rigs, again, slowly. You just pretty much let the minnow sit until time but we do see them. Fishing just squid on the bottom along with live the trout decide to bite. Not many anglers do it anymore, but if you can mud minnows will be the best choice of bait. brave the cold nights some of the largest trout ever caught in our area come We have already had one shot at the bluefin tuna season and a new seafrom Cape Lookout Rock Jetty in the wintertime. Working MirrOlures in son starts January 1. From what we saw in the short two week season we dark colors has always been the best choice of lures for these huge fish; it had in December the fishing was decent. Hard to say where the best areas just takes some serious commitment to fish for them in the dark and cold will be to fish, as it’s been a month since the season closed. But it’s not that weather. From what we’ve seen over the years in the past, the best bite is hard, just like all fish look for the pods of bait and life in the water and that’s usually a good sign of feeding tunas nearby. usually in the worst possible conditions. On warm days, redfish will move up onto the flats around the Haystacks So, there are some fish still around to catch. If you see a nice day, get out and Core Creek area to sun and look for some food. They will also do the on the water and don’t let “cabin fever” set in on you. The shop is open all same thing along the beach and around the Shark Island area at the Cape winter and we have live minnows and all the frozen bait you need to get on some wintertime action.
FORECAST BY: Capt. Matt Lamb Chasin’ Tails Bait & Tackle Chasin’ Tails Charters Atlantic Beach, N.C. 252-240-FISH www.chasintailsoutdoors.com
Capt. Matt Lamb
above: John Morrow, with a speckled trout that weighed in over seven pounds, caught while fishing a creek near Morehead City on a live bait. 10 wilmington/Morehead city January 2018
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List and Sell for as LOW as 3.9%!
January 2018
wilmington/Morehead city 11
12/13/17 3:50 PM
Flying Around With Captain Lee
Wow, time flies, seems like it was yesterday when I did the January report for 2017 and now it is 2018 already. November and December showed us a lots of little trout, but on the overcast days, out came the numbers and the larger trout and drum. Halo Shrimp have been key in the still waters this year...bright colors on dark day have been the best for me. As the air and water temperatures get colder the fishing should stay good. The trout will be heading to the deeper holes and the dark mud bottoms as well as up creeks with deeper holes. Fish slower for these guys and downsize your baits some. If you can get them, live shrimp or mud minnows are always a great bet fishing under a cork. A slide-rigged cork is the easiest to cast and to fish different areas; it is easily adjustable to keep you bait off the bottom a few inches. When fishing hard baits or plastics, a good sent will help get the bite and remember to downsize your bait to mud minnow size. 38M and 4M and 14MR MirrOlures will work well this time of year. If small menhaden are around, use the #17 MirrOlure.. Red Drum will be in the shallows in larger schools, when you find them, back off and make long casts to the school with weightless hooks. Gulp, or other soft plastic will work well here as well as Deep Creek grubs, Drum love garlic and other stinky baits. I prefer a crab scent over a shrimp scent but that is just me. A topwater thrown past the school and worked slowly back over the school will also get them going in the heat of the day (guess I should say middle of the day) when it is warmest. Live bait on a khale or wide gap shiner hook will work also. Here I like the lightest weight I can get away with and I like split shot. On the low tides you will find them in the creeks around the oyster rocks and the feeder creeks...if you get one, there are more, so work that area. Stripers can be found in the rivers and I like the falling tides to fish, but that is just me. Deep-diving crankbaits trolled will work well for covering water. For casting, I like the big four-inch Rattle Traps and soft plastics on lead heads (use just enough weight to get it down.) In cover, a swimbait is great. I like the smaller swim baits for that and I prefer the more natural colors. As always, be safe on the water in this cold weather, fish with a friend and be prepared for the worst.,
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About the author: Captain Lee Parsons 910-540-2464 • www.gottaflyguideservice.com Located In Wrightsville Beach at the Bridge TenderMarina
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David Suggs 252-269-1784 Erminio Lenins 252-240-1900 erminio@leninsinsurance.com + Individual health plans + Health savings accounts (HSA) + Medicare supplement insurance + Dental plans for individuals, seniors and groups ® Marks of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. BCBSNC is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. U2082l, 8/15 12 wilmington/Morehead city January 2018
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above: Lisa Walton from Tampa Florida with a nice redfish caught while fishing with Capt. Lee Parsons.
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12/13/17 3:50 PM
kayak Fishing Right Gear for the Time of Year!
and for me I am going to talk about Immersion Research because that is what I know the best. You can do a whole dry suit...they are great. I love mine. If you end up in the water, no question, you will be dry. Also, it is the most expensive option at almost $1000. However, there are other options that won’t set you back so much. One that I wear quite a bit is a Zephyr splash top and Devil’s Club Pants with latex booties built in. Walk right into the water and you will be dry getting in and out of the kayak. At this point with the Devil’s Club pants you have the bottom half of a dry suit for a fraction of the price–around $250– with the same protection. One of my recommendations when people ask me about this type of winter paddling gear is to buy it one size bigger than you need. This gives you the ability to layer underneath depending on how cold it is that day. The other thing to think of is that you still are going to wear this when the air temperature starts to warm in the spring. Remember, the water is still pretty cold then. It will be a little baggy on you but you are still protected. I know you have gotten to the end of this kayak fishing article and are asking yourself, where is the fishing tip? Well, I don’t have one this month, but using the proper gear on the water will keep you out there fishing year ‘round and safe. Hope you all had a great holiday season.You will see me on the water this winter paddling off some of the pounds I put on again this year!
Well we have made it through another holiday season. I’m little fatter from all the good food...yeah, I’ll admit I ate way too much again this year. Now we are into the stretch of cold weather for the next three months. I hope none of you reading this month’s article thinking it is too cold to get on the water for some kayak fishing. It is not, and yes, there is some good fishing to be had this time of year. The reds are schooled up thick and there is always a chance to catch some nice trout also. But I would not recommend you heading out on the water just article BY: Chris Tryon wearing raingeHook Line and Paddle Canoe and Kayak Outfitters, ar and waders to Wilmington, NC above: Spencer Cooke of Effort, Inc., who market keep you dry in Phone 910-330-6999 • email: hooklineandpaddle@yahoo.com the cold weather gear in this article. Spencer shows cold conditions. us a closeup view of a nice winter red. I always plan to fall out of my kayak while fishing. Now, does that happen? No, it does not but what if it did? There is a ton of great gear on the market to keep you safe, dry and warm on a cold winter’s day while fishing from your kayak. Now, I guess I am going to get a little biased from here on out. I am sponsored by Immersion Research, based out of Pennsylvania, a manufacturer of dry gear for kayaking. Having the right gear on in the wintertime while fishing is as important as having the right lure to catch fish. I have heard all the arguments...”I just wear my waders; they do the same thing. My Goretex rain coat keeps me dry. This may be true, but now put all that stuff on and jump in the water. How dry are you now? Waders are full of water now...raincoat is wet and heavy...oh yeah, and you’re treading water while all this is happening. Don’t want to sound above: Last February, Chris took a fishing trip to Fontana Lake for some all preachy but being safe is cool. winter kayak fishing. Note the Zephyr top and Arch Rival pants that kept Now, there are some great options out there on the market for this him comfortable and dry.
Peer Review Workshop for Regional Southern Flounder Stock Assessment Held
While this issue of Coastal Angler was at press, staff with the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries held a three-day, in-person workshop Dec. 12-14 with scientists who are peer reviewing a draft assessment of the southeast regional southern flounder stock. The discussions were open to the public these two days. The open sessions allow the public to observe the peer review process, but do not include a public comment period. The final closed session was to allow the peer reviewers to deliberate and complete a draft version of their peer review report, and for the stock assessment workgroup to address any outstanding tasks. A stock assessment is a scientific analysis that uses information gathered from commercial and recreational fishermen and data from onthe-water scientific sampling and observations to determine the health of a fish population and predict how that population may respond to different management measures. A peer review is an evaluation of scientific work by independent and unbiased experts. A peer review of a fisheries stock assessment evaluates the validity of the data used, the appropriateness of the assessment model used and the rationale of any assumptions used to determine if the science conducted is adequate for use in fisheries management. Peer review scientists have not been involved in or had input into the development of the stock assessment and have no stake in its outcome. In the past, the division has not held in-person, public peer review workshops. This new peer review process is meant to improve the communication between the peer reviewers and division stock assessment scientists and to improve public understanding of fisheries stock assessments. Coastal Angler Magazine will publish results from this meeting when they are made public. COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM
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January 2018
wilmington/Morehead city 13
12/13/17 3:50 PM
southport-ocean isle Winter is fully upon us here in southeastern NC and its effects can be felt in the fishing community; however, if you apply the proper wintertime angling techniques that are proven fish attractors, you too will be a successful winter fish catcher! The first thing to remember about fishing in the winter months is to SLOW DOWN! This is twofold advice: when backwater fishing, slow down your retrieve and how you present your baits; in the offshore arena, slow down in your decision-making processes and be sure to double-check, then triple-check the weather and wind predictions…then at 4 am and 7 am on the morning you are going offshore, check it again.
Some of the best offshore fishing can be found this time of year if you can get far enough offshore. The king mackerel bite will be on fire once you find a school of bait that has “parked” itself on top of a piece of structure in a warm water eddy from the Gulf Stream. Have a couple boxes of dead cigar minnows with a set of Pirate Plugs from South Chatham Tackle to deploy over these ledges and rocks, and in short order you will be announcing “Fish ON!” with multiple reels screaming with kingfish on the other end of the line! On these same rocks the bottomfish should be stacked up and some of the largest vermillion and gray snappers you will catch all year are waiting to bite! Triggerfish and grouper are in this mix as well, and you should be able to find some schools of “knothead” black sea bass; a beefed up two-hook bottom rig should do the trick with the same dead cigar minnows and/ or cut squid. Closer in to the shore in the 65-foot depth range anglers will be able to find large schools of these large black bass on the well-known area rocks; unfortunately, there probably will not be much other action to be had there due to the water temps. Fishing offshore in January is superb, but you have to be able to get a good distance offshore to find it. Be sure to pay close attention to the weather systems and the potential for heavy seas due to the winds this time of year; also keep up-to-date on seasons and species-specific closures issued during these winter months. Bluefin tuna make their way into our waters as well this time of year and with several sightings and some quality bluefin already making it to the docks in December, one can only hope that 2018 will open with a successful bluefin fishery! Once again we are returning to the waters that are in the 50-75 foot depth range off our coastline and are targeting large schools of baitfish. Watch for gannet birds “working” the water where the bluefin are feeding and churning up the schools of large menhaden that have migrated from the beaches to the rocks and hard-bottom areas around Frying Pan Shoals. Trolling a setup rigged with Bluewater Candy Jag-3 lures alongside the heavier versions of the Pirate Plugs rigged with horse ballyhoo will usually entice a bite from one of these behemoths of the sea. Be sure to stop by Dutchman Creek Bait & Tackle in Southport to ensure once you get a hook-up you are rigged to handle the fight and battle your prize to boat side! Many times, during the winter months the winds blow and unfortunately the weather simply isn’t favorable for us fishermen to make it to the offshore fishing grounds but with the onset of “cabin fever” we still find ourselves at the ready to go fishing! In the backwaters and creeks off the Intracoastal Waterway there are plenty of speckled trout and even a few scattered red drum that are just waiting for that temptation of a slowly retrieved artificial lure to pass by their strike zone! We like to use lighter weighted lures this time of year due to the fact that slow14 wilmington/Morehead city January 2018
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ing WAY down is often the trick to get that bite you’re awaiting. A Betts Halo Shrimp rigged on a piece of fluorocarbon and tipped with Pro-Cure gel scents is a combination that is very difficult to beat in these conditions. Simply tie the bait on when fishing the drop-offs and any transitions you can see on the bank (transitions from grass to oyster rocks for in- above: Larry Link of Lexington caught this stance) and cast to speckled trout while fishing a warm winter day the bank or off the with Yeah Right Charters. points with a drop-off and slowly twitch the bait back to the boat. In the warmer months anglers often cast a few times and then move on if you don’t have a hit from a fish; however, in the winter months you will find that you need to fish spots that you know to hold fish for a longer timeframe because the fish are more lethargic due to the colder water and will not actively strike a bait most times. Put the time in and fish strategically and you too will soon be putting some wintertime trout in the cooler! Winter time fishing can be some of the most ‘challenging’ fishing of the year in our area but if you diligently fish areas you know hold fish while considering the weather conditions and the fact that the fish are not actively moving as they do most of the rest of the year anglers have the ability to break the melancholy “cabin fever” and put some quality filets on the table! FORECAST BY: Capt. Chris Foster Yeah Right Charters www.yeahrightcharters.com boat: 336-239-5429 office: 910-845-2004
above: Capt. Butch Foster of Yeah Right Charters holds up a nice whiting or Virginia mullet that can be caught during the winter months.
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12/13/17 3:50 PM
the horizon again during the ride out. Well, it will get here sooner than you expect and usually before most are really ready for it, but don’t give up on the offshore fishing yet, as there is still some action to be had on the Crystal Coast. 2018! Wow, I just can’t believe that it’s January already!! I will readily Most folks are just putting their stuff away from deer season and many admit this has been a CRAZY year for me and it has absolutely flown by. are still in the middle of duck season, so an offshore trip is not necessarily There have been a lot of changes and there appear to be many more ahead the first thing on your mind for planning the next few weekends. In case for 2018. The holiday season has come and gone, its cold outside and it you didn’t know, the fish have never learned to read a calendar and they are often seems like it will be forever before we get to see the sun rising over not aware that they can’t be here and bite in January! We generally will have some decent offshore action for wahoo and blackfin tuna and the occasional sailfish as well, and it can often last right on into February. Honestly, you never know what may be waiting out there to take your bait when you head offshore; that is part of the beauty of it. As I always say, there really isn’t any super secret stuff – run a good spread on wire rigs this time of year and you will have an excellent chance to put some winter fish in the freezer. Watch the satellite temps and look for a good weather window, find good water in the right areas and then find the bait – BAM, it’s that simple. We do not get many charters this time of year so the majority of the fleet will be a little closer to shore chasing the giant bluefin tuna. We all commercial fish for them but you can usually find one of us to take you out for a chance to do battle with one of these monsters. We were lucky enough to land a very nice fish in December during the short open season and we hope to do a lot more of that in January. There is just nothing out there that will put a bend in a rod and pull line off a reel like an angry tuna! If you really want to see what you are made of as an angler then I highly encourage you to come give this a try, but be warned that these fish will humble you like no other. Heavy tackle is a must if you want to target these fish ethically. We use all 130 class tackle and I personally would never use anything above: Capt. Troy Pate and Brett Lancaster of Cape Carteret with a 102-inch, 700-pound bluefin tuna caught aboard the Savanna Leigh. less than 80 class. We spent the majority of our 1.5 hour fight in December with 45-pounds or more of drag on the reel to catch our 700 +/pound fish and Brett and I were both pretty well worn out. www.ecoviewwindows.com | 910-795-7518 Otherwise, now is the time to begin the process of getting your “mess” together for the upcoming season - boat projects, servicing reels and rods, gathering leaders and hooks and bait and all the other things that sneak up on you just prior to your first trip. One other note, we all spend time with family and loved ones over the holidays – I would advise that we all work harder in staying in touch much more often than we do when we get “too busy”. It only takes a minute to make a phone call, it only takes a small part of a day off to go grab a quick lunch – never miss a chance to spend time with loved ones! SolarFlect™ Low-E Multiple Pane Vinyl Frames Goodbye 2017, look out 2018 – here we come! Insulating Glass Glass Plan ahead, be prepared and have fun!
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January 2018
Aboard the Savanna Leigh
at the Capt. Stacy Fishing Center Atlantic Beach wilmington/Morehead city 15
12/13/17 3:50 PM
Morehead City Tides
Wrightsville Beach Tides Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina 34.2133° N, 77.7867° W JaNuary 2018
Morehead City, North Carolina
Mon 01 Tue 02 Wed 03 Fri 05 Sat 06 Sun 07 Mon 08 Tue 09 Wed 10 Thu 11 Fri 12 Sat 13 Sun 14 Mon 15 Tue 16 Wed 17 Thu 18 Fri 19 Sat 20 Sun 21 Mon 22 Tue 23 Wed 24 Thu 25 Fri 26 Sat 27 Sun 28 Mon 29 Tue 30 Wed 31
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High
6:14 AM
Low
12:49 PM 12:46 AM 1:39 AM 3:22 AM 4:16 AM 5:18 AM 12:07 AM 6:26 AM 1:00 AM 7:33 AM 1:55 AM 8:33 AM 2:55 AM 9:26 AM 3:53 AM 10:15 AM 4:44 AM 11:00 AM 5:28 AM 11:45 AM 6:09 AM 12:27 PM 12:24 AM 1:05 AM 1:43 AM 2:19 AM 2:55 AM 3:32 AM 4:15 AM 5:10 AM 12:00 AM 6:21 AM 12:52 AM 7:33 AM 1:52 AM 8:39 AM 3:01 AM 9:40 AM 4:08 AM 10:39 AM 5:06 AM 11:36 AM 5:59 AM 12:31 PM 12:32 AM
High
Low
High
Sunrise Sunset
6:37 PM 7:17 AM 5:12 PM 7:06 AM 1:41 PM 7:30 PM 7:17 AM 5:13 PM 7:58 AM 2:31 PM 8:24 PM 7:17 AM PM 9:46 AM 4:11 PM 10:18 PM 7:17 AM 5:15 PM 10:40 AM 5:06 PM 11:13 PM 7:17 AM 5:16 PM 11:32 AM 6:04 PM 7:17 AM 5:17 PM 12:23 PM 7:03 PM 7:17 AM 5:18 PM 1:14 PM 7:57 PM 7:17 AM 5:19 PM 2:09 PM 8:45 PM 7:17 AM 5:20 PM 3:10 PM 9:31 PM 7:17 AM 5:20 PM 4:08 PM 10:14 PM 7:17 AM 5:21 PM 4:58 PM 10:58 PM 7:17 AM 5:22 PM 5:41 PM 11:41 PM 7:17 AM 5:23 PM 6:22 PM 7:16 AM 5:24 PM 6:48 AM 1:08 PM 7:01 PM 7:16 AM 5:25 PM 7:27 AM 1:45 PM 7:40 PM 7:16 AM 5:26 PM 8:05 AM 2:21 PM 8:20 PM 7:16 AM 5:27 PM 8:44 AM 2:56 PM 9:00 PM 7:15 AM 5:28 PM 9:23 AM 3:31 PM 9:43 PM 7:15 AM 5:29 PM 10:04 AM 4:10 PM 10:27 PM 7:14 AM 5:30 PM 10:46 AM 4:53 PM 11:12 PM 7:14 AM 5:31 PM 11:30 AM 5:45 PM 7:13 AM 5:32 PM 12:18 PM 6:44 PM 7:13 AM 5:33 PM 1:11 PM 7:44 PM 7:12 AM 5:34 PM 2:15 PM 8:43 PM 7:12 AM 5:35 PM 3:27 PM 9:41 PM 7:11 AM 5:36 PM 4:32 PM 10:38 PM 7:11 AM 5:37 PM 5:29 PM 11:35 PM 7:10 AM 5:38 PM 6:22 PM 7:09 AM 5:39 PM 6:50 AM 1:23 PM 7:13 PM 7:08 AM 5:40 PM Tide Tables provided by SaltwaterCentral.Com
34.7200° N, 76.7283° W
Day
High
Low
12:02 AM 12:57 AM 1:51 AM 2:46 AM 3:42 AM 4:40 AM 5:42 AM 12:39 AM 6:48 AM 1:42 AM 7:56 AM 2:44 AM 9:04 AM 3:41 AM 10:06 AM 4:32 AM 11:01 AM 5:18 AM 11:48 AM 6:00 AM 12:30 PM 12:07 AM 12:45 AM 1:23 AM 2:01 AM 2:38 AM 3:17 AM 3:58 AM 4:43 AM 5:35 AM 12:21 AM 6:34 AM 1:20 AM 7:40 AM 2:23 AM 8:50 AM 3:27 AM 9:58 AM 4:29 AM 11:01 AM 5:28 AM 11:59 AM 6:23 AM 12:52 PM 12:45 AM
High
Low
jaNuary 2018
High
Sunrise Sunset
6:38 AM 1:08 PM 6:57 PM 7:14 AM 5:06 PM 7:30 AM 2:00 PM 7:51 PM 7:14 AM 5:07 PM 8:23 AM 2:52 PM 8:46 PM 7:14 AM 5:08 PM 9:15 AM 3:44 PM 9:41 PM 7:14 AM 5:09 PM 10:08 AM 4:36 PM 10:38 PM 7:14 AM 5:10 PM 11:02 AM 5:29 PM 11:37 PM 7:14 AM 5:10 PM 11:58 AM 6:23 PM 7:14 AM 5:11 PM 12:55 PM 7:17 PM 7:14 AM 5:12 PM 1:56 PM 8:12 PM 7:14 AM 5:13 PM 2:56 PM 9:05 PM 7:14 AM 5:14 PM 3:53 PM 9:56 PM 7:14 AM 5:15 PM 4:45 PM 10:43 PM 7:14 AM 5:16 PM 5:32 PM 11:26 PM 7:14 AM 5:17 PM 6:14 PM 7:13 AM 5:18 PM 6:39 AM 1:09 PM 6:53 PM 7:13 AM 5:19 PM 7:17 AM 1:45 PM 7:31 PM 7:13 AM 5:20 PM 7:53 AM 2:21 PM 8:08 PM 7:13 AM 5:21 PM 8:28 AM 2:55 PM 8:44 PM 7:12 AM 5:22 PM 9:03 AM 3:29 PM 9:21 PM 7:12 AM 5:23 PM 9:39 AM 4:03 PM 10:00 PM 7:12 AM 5:23 PM 10:16 AM 4:39 PM 10:42 PM 7:11 AM 5:24 PM 10:57 AM 5:18 PM 11:29 PM 7:11 AM 5:25 PM 11:42 AM 6:01 PM 7:10 AM 5:26 PM 12:35 PM 6:51 PM 7:10 AM 5:27 PM 1:34 PM 7:47 PM 7:09 AM 5:29 PM 2:38 PM 8:47 PM 7:09 AM 5:30 PM 3:44 PM 9:49 PM 7:08 AM 5:31 PM 4:48 PM 10:50 PM 7:07 AM 5:32 PM 5:47 PM 11:49 PM 7:07 AM 5:33 PM 6:43 PM 7:06 AM 5:34 PM 7:17 AM 1:43 PM 7:37 PM 7:05 AM 5:35 PM Tide Tables provided by SaltwaterCentral.Com
HUGE Online Store Available locally at Front Line Freediving (205)478-7897 frontlinefreediving.com AM 11/8/16 9:55
(910)679-4513 • 1316 S. 5th Street, Wilmington, NC, 28480
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(An abbreviated excerpt from “Flyfisher’s Guide to North Carolina & Georgia”)
By Nick Carter
B
ecause it looks and fishes a lot like a high-mountain wild trout stream, the North Mills is a personal favorite delayed harvest fishery. The bonus is, North Carolina keeps it chock full of rainbows, brookies and browns that are larger than the little wild rainbows you’ll catch on most wild streams of its size. Between Asheville and Brevard, N.C., the North Mills is one of the smallest delayed harvest streams in the system. From October into June it is managed under catch-and-release, artificial only regulations. One would think the kill-and-grill crowd would clean the fish out of a creek this size as soon as DH regulations ended and harvest was allowed. That’s probably true on the lower end of the North Mills. Not so much on the upper end. I’ve had banner days up there
deep into the summer. It is small water. Skinny pocket water and plunge pools require anglers to use their small rod and a good roll cast. A friend once brought his 5-weight into the top end of the North Mills because it was already rigged and he was too lazy to string up his small rod at the truck. It was a mistake. I repeatedly gave him first crack at the best holes because he hadn’t caught much. Just about every time, he would hang up in the rhododendron allowing me to move in and catch the fish while he played monkey in the trees. If you can, convince your buddy to bring his big rod. It’ll equate to more fish for you. The North Mills Recreation Area is a pay-to-park area on North Mills Road. The camping area there is popular during the summer, and there will likely be swimmers and tubers in the water on this lower end of the publicly accessible water when the weather is nice. The river upstream and downstream of the recreation area is larger than it is higher up toward the reservoir, so it can be a good place to fish when recreational traffic is down. During the delayed harvest season, this stretch gets the most fish from the hatchery as well as much of the fishing pressure. On the upper end, the North Mills is really a medium sized creek. It does not receive as much fishing pressure because access is difficult to find and requires a short but relatively steep hike. There is a trail that runs almost the entire length of the river from one of the lower parking areas to the reservoir. This trail can be accessed less than a mile downstream of the Hendersonville Reservoir Dam via a walk of less than a mile from a gravel parking area at the end of Wash Creek Road (FR 5000). This is the Trace Ridge trailhead parking area. For GPS coordinates to access points and detailed maps of all North Carolina’s and Georgia’s best trout water, check out “Flyfishers Guide to North Carolina & Georgia.” It is available at fly shops, on Amazon, and signed copies are available from the author by emailing nsc8957@gmail.com.
By Ben Rayner
T
aking an inadvertent swim is nothing to laugh at during the winter months. Hypothermia, although it can be dangerous, rarely leads to death. The greatest water hazard this time of year is cold-water shock. Survival time is often measured in seconds, as symptoms are instantaneous and can rapidly lead to drowning. The most critical stage of cold-water immersion is called the cold-water gasp reflex. When thrust into cold water, humans involuntarily gasp uncontrollably. This can lead to aspiration of water and rapid drowning. The next stage, the mammalian dive reflex, occurs as the body cools. Capillaries are constricted as blood is drawn from extremities and shunted to body’s core. Fine dexterity falters and simple tasks like grasping a lifeline become impossible. These symptoms lead to swimming failure and drowning.
What to Do
To combat the gasp reflex, hold your breath and try to keep from gasping for as long an interval as you can. This is difficult. However, if you hold of your breath for short durations, the effects of the gasp reflex will slowly ebb. Do perform any other actions until your breathing is under control.
The HELP Position
Always wear a life vest while on the water, and understand how it works before emergency strikes. The technique that works best for hypothermia mitigation is the Heat Escape Lessening Posture/Position (HELP). This position cannot be accomplished without a life vest or flotation aid, and is useful when immediate rescue or self-rescue are not options. Grab the front or back of your knees and ball up. Don’t squeeze too tightly; that wastes energy. A moderate grip is sufficient. Then simply lean your head back and go with the flow.
The HELP position minimizes water flow across the body and keeps the survivor in the warmest part of the water column. This lessens heat loss and extends survival time. You cannot effectively move in the HELP position, but saving energy is the point in some situations. To further lessen heat loss, a 3 mil or thicker contractor’s grade bag can be kept in or on your life vest. Get completely into the bag, including the lobes of your vest and in the HELP position
Carpet Formation
A group of survivors can mitigate hypothermia using the carpet formation. Whether it’s two survivors or 20, it is the best way to stay alive longer in cold water. Survivors link arms to those on either side and interlock their legs with the person across from them to share as much body heat as possible. Grab the feet of the person in front of you, and put their feet on your chest. This formation keeps survivors at the surface, where water is usually warmer, it shares body heat and conserves energy, it provides comfort and keeps the group together. Additionally, it makes a larger target for rescuers to find, provides 360-degree skyward visibility for spotting rescuers and creates a platform for an injured survivor or someone without a life vest. Ben Rayner is executive director of Water Emergency Training, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to drowning prevention. He is a former survival instructor and an award winning investigative journalist. For more information, see www.wateremergencytraining.org/.
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inter is a very important time for the southern California saltwater fly fisherman. This time of year means transition, and with this transition comes the seasonal migration of Pacific bonito to the nearshore waters off southern California. Although SoCal has a yearround population of bonito, many of the fish who take up residence here from early fall and through winter are the larger pelagic bonito that trek to our coast from southern waters. These fish can range in size between 5 to 15 pounds and are probably the hardest fighting fish readily available to fly fishermen off the southern
can be put in the path of the moving fish. The fly tackle best suited for bonito fishing includes 9-foot, 6- to 10-weight rods matched with a good directdrive saltwater fly reel with a minimum of 120 yards of 20to 30-lb. Dacron backing. In terms of fly lines, a shooting head with a built-in running line in weights of 175 to 350 grains will work best. Tippets should be 8 to 12 pounds, and abrasion-resistant fluorocarbon works wonders on leader-shy fish. As for flies, Clousers, Deceivers, Crazy Charlies and any anchovy pattern in sizes
California coast. These fish are found both inshore and offshore, however, most of the offshore bonito are in 30 fathoms (150 feet) or less. When fishing for openwater bonito, the angler’s best approach is to look for birds and schools working along current or temperature breaks. Once these areas are found, look for bonito chasing anchovies or sardines near the surface. Bonito can be very shy, so cutting the engine and sidling up on the fish is very important. Once the boat is in position, a 40- to 80-foot cast placed to the outside edge of the schooling fish is best. The angler should make sure the fish are moving either toward the skiff or in a crossing direction so the cast
8 through 2 will do the trick. Color is an important factor, so match the fly color to the color of the bait being taken. Green/ white and blue/white are great choices, however, chartreuse/ white is always a great attractor color. Fighting a bonito once it is hooked is an exciting and sometimes exhausting experience for the fly angler. Because the bonito is built like a mini rocket, it will make some amazing runs and will usually take line well into the angler’s backing. It’s worth a trip to southern California where fly anglers can take part in the famous bonito run.
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n their profession, surgeons require the most accurate and precise cutting tools. Professional taxidermists figured out long ago that a scalpel is the best tool for carefully cutting through all kinds of fish and animal hides. Now sportsmen can enjoy the same level of precision in knives designed to be taken into the field or out on the water. Havalon has revolutionized the market for sportsmen’s knives with surgical-edge technology redesigned for use by hunters and anglers. And they know their business. Havalon’s parent company, Havel, provided surgical cutlery to doctors and hospitals long before they brought them to the outdoors market. What Havalon dreamed up was a line of high quality folding and now fixed-blade knives that feature replaceable surgical-quality cutting edges. Whether gutting and skinning game or filleting fish, sportsmen can now enjoy the advantages of a scalpel edge in the field. And the easily replaceable blades not only ensure the knife will be scalpel sharp and ready for use without any sharpening, it opens up the opportunity for one knife to serve many purposes by switching out the style of the blade. Need a fine-bladed fillet knife that doubles as a limb saw and game-skinner, Havalon has you covered with products like the Havalon Hydra Kit, which includes 17 blades in seven different styles to fill all your needs with one tool. The latest innovation from Havalon, which every angler should have in the arsenal is the Havalon Talon. Set to hit the market this spring, the Talon is the first high-quality, surgically sharp, longest lasting replaceable fixed blade knife system. The Talon provides a firm, safe grip on heavier, stronger, larger sized
versions of the company’s already proven fillet blades, as well as a few new ones. It is the most versatile and sharpest “in-the-wild” quick-change cutlery set there is. A military-grade polymer handle has many functional features, from a Easy-Clean opening chamber to a super easy, strong and safe Quik-Change II Thumb Release Blade System. Within a water resistant roll-up pack, the Talon Fishing Pack includes the Talon handle, a serrated blade, two 5-inch fillet blades and a 7-inch fillet blade. A separately sold 9-inch fillet blade is also available. Professional captains, guides and outfitters have already discovered the benefits of using surgical-grade cutlery in the field and on the water, making Havalon a staple in the market for serious outdoorsmen. Which leaves the question: Why wouldn’t you want the most precise, accurate and versatile cutting tools in your pack or on the deck? Check out all the innovative tools Havalon has to offer at www.havalon.com.
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UNDER THE SEA 18
King of Sling – Art Pinder
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n the spearfishing community, there is one man everyone agrees deserves the title of “legend.” That is Art Pinder. Art was born in Miami in 1929, the fourth of five children. He looked up to his father and older brothers and wanted to follow in their footsteps. His father was an outdoorsman and worked his way up to captain of the Miami Beach lifeguards. Naturally, the children grew up around the water, and they learned to hunt at a very young age with homemade equipment. Their slings were different from modern spearguns, and consisted of a free-flying shaft inserted into a cylindrical wooden “shooter.” Similar to a slingshot, the shaft was powered by pulling a band back and letting go. This primitive form is making a comeback, and is the only allowable method of spearfishing in the Bahamas. The Pinder brothers dove and speared at a time when the ocean was considered mysterious and dangerous. The brothers dominated and won every tournament. Meanwhile, Art worked as a lifeguard and crewed for big-game fishermen such as Walter Clay, Bob Stewart and Tommy Gifford. He later served in the U.S. Coast Guard, stationed at the Carysfort Reef Lighthouse. In the water, Art accomplished feats that might never be duplicated. He slinged a 7-foot sailfish, a 135-pound cubera snapper and a 584-pound Goliath grouper. Outside of spearfishing, he was credited with saving many lives, including a challenging rescue of 23 people whose boat had capsized in rough waters. As Art became known for his spearfishing achievements, opportunities arose. He appeared in magazine and TV ads for liquor companies even though he didn’t drink. He graced the cover of Sports Illustrated in 1955 and was featured in a three-part series. His most uncomfortable assignment was modeling Jantzen bathing suits. They paid more in one day than he got in a whole month of lifeguarding, so he put up with the embarrassment. He did
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several shoots with Frank Gifford (NFL MVP), Bob Cousy (NBA MVP) and Ken Venturi (golfer). Art wondered why they picked him alongside these sports giants, though he did believe spearfishing combined the best of many sports. It required strength and coordination, involved body contact with 300-pound fish, had danger and excitement—all set against a backdrop of unimaginable beauty. In later life, Art became a pilot, a professional captain and a business owner, and he never stopped Above: Even later in spearfishing. I had life, Art Pinder could the honor of diving capture fish like a with him in his 20-year-old. Photo by sunset years, when Chad Carney. he could still capture Left: Art Pinder fish like a 20-yearappeared on the cover old. Art passed away of Sports Illustrated in 2014 at the age of in 1955. 84 and is survived by his loving wife, Alice. Rest in peace, Art. Sheri is a world-record holder, host of Speargun Hunter, and producer of “The Blue Wild Ocean Adventure Expo” in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Follow “Sheri Daye” and “The Blue Wild” on Facebook and Instagram.
For more Sheri Daye, go to
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Tips For Winter Fishing BRANDON LESTER
S
ome people don’t go fishing when it’s cold. That’s a huge mistake. Some of my most memorable days on the water have come this time of the year. If you outfit yourself properly, it will increase your winter fishing success astronomically. The Proper Gear First, dress properly. Layers are important, but don’t bulk up so much that it affects your mobility. I start with thermals, both the shirt and pants. My next layer is jeans and a thick hooded sweatshirt. I sometimes add a fleece jacket and then put on an outer-layer suit. You want a suit that blocks the wind and is waterproof. There are a lot of good Gore-Tex suits on the market. Headgear is also important. A fleece beanie and a neck gaiter make all the difference. A good pair of thick socks, boots and a pair of gloves, and you will be good to go. Last winter, a friend and I went fishing when it was 12 degrees. We caught 19 smallmouth. It was
cold, but we were dressed properly and had the lake to ourselves. Use Proper Equipment Fishing tackle needs to be finetuned for winter. First, I use Winn grips on all the rods I build. Most gloves have a sticky grip material on the palms. When that material meets the Winn material, it gives you unbelievable grip on your rod; it does the same for bare hands. Winn also has a new product called Winn Reel Sleeves. They are made of the same great grip material and slide over the handles of your reel. When it comes to finicky fish in the winter, you can’t afford for your hand to slip off the reel for a split second. I will have Reel Sleeves on every reel I own for the 2018 season. Check out all the Winn products and custom rod building materials at www.mudhole.com. Winter is a great time to learn how to build your own rods for 2018.
Get more tips from Lester at
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FISH & FISHING 22
Words Of Wisdom MARK SOSIN
D
id you ever wonder how leading charter captains produce consistent catches on a daily basis in heavily fished waters. I asked a long-time friend of mine who chartered for years out of a center console, and I think you’ll find his answer of interest. By the way, his methods can be adapted to any segment of coastline and a wide variety of species. Success centers on three primary approaches. You must constantly cover the maximum amount of water with your baits. They must be fished in a totally natural manner. And, baits must be kept in the productive zone or proper depth as long as possible. One way of doing this is to fish two or three baits from a kite or two kites. By using small weights in a corner of each kite, you can keep them spread so that they do not tangle in the air. For the starboard kite, the weight goes in the upper right hand corner and just the opposite for the port kite. Assuming the seas are moderate, start by positioning upwind from the spot you want to fish. By working the engines between neutral and reverse, you can back into the wind when necessary to keep the boat at a predetermined depth. This allows the baits to hang directly below the kites and look natural. Currents will push the boat over new areas. While the kites are flying, this skipper streams a couple of flat lines 50 to 125 feet from the boat. Finally, he works two more lines, one at a depth of 50 feet and the second at a depth of 75 or 80 feet. Rougher seas dictate the use of sea anchors and they also make sense when maintaining a specific depth is not paramount. A single sea anchor tied off midships will keep the boat broadside to the wind or current. One off the bow and a second off the stern is an even better setup. At times, this captain will drag a frozen block of chum in a mesh bag in front of one or two of the baits. All this is a lot of work, but you are covering close to 100 yards of water from
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a depth of 100 feet to the surface, and this approach can produce strikes when many anglers go fishless. Weekenders often wonder why professional skippers succeed day after day, even with boats all around them. Some observers simply suggest that regulars know the spots. That’s partially true, but there is much more to the total package. It takes continuous effort to tend all those rods, monitor conditions, and handle the boat all at the same time. You can certainly get by with less, but in the tradeoff, you can expect fewer fish. Whether you decide to follow this method, modify this skipper’s approaches to your needs, or you decide you really don’t want to work that hard, you can’t overlook the obvious. Aggressive anglers catch more fish consistently, even when Lady Luck isn’t sitting on their shoulders.
For more about artifical lures with Mark Sosin, visit
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