Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2019 i Florida Sportsman

When you bait your hook with your heart the fish always bite. John Burroughs penned that line around 1870 in an essay on trout fishing in the Catskill Mountains. Burroughs was a famous naturalist and friend of Theodore Roosevelt. Fish deliberately, Burroughs tells us. Understand the moods of your quarry. Fish with hope. There’s a spot on my boat for a guy like that any day. Take last Saturday. I’d all but given up on the dolphin bite. I was trying for seabass but fighting off sharpnose sharks. I was also daydreaming. And I was alone. None of which bodes well for when a pair of 20-pound dolphin swims up to investigate yet another shark you’re reeling in. I should’ve had a juicy chunk bait ready to throw. But I…

MERCURY 5-HP PROPANE FOUR STROKE Mercury Marine’s new 5-HP Propane Four Stroke is a 123cc powerhouse weighing just under 60 pounds. Running propane makes sense on a few levels. Propane doesn’t degrade or contain ethanol, so no more concerns over how fresh your fuel is. They’re easier to start than conventional gas outboards and store easier in a garage with no fuel cell attached, eliminating gas spills and odors. A standard 20-pound tank from your gas grill will run the 5-HP motor at full throttle for 10 hours. It features six tilt positions including a “shallow-water drive” setting. MSRP starting at $1,905. www.mercurymarine.com NAUTICSTAR 32XS OFFSHORE New for 2019 from NauticStar is a move into the 30-foot-plus category with the 32XS Offshore. This represents an opportunity to bring features unavailable…

I prefer short rods in a kayak. I fish both an 8- and a 7-foot, 6-inch rod that allows me to more easily control a hooked fish alongside the boat. Choose a so-called “quick cast” line, one that is labeled as a Saltwater Taper, or Bonefish Taper, because it has a short head that loads your rod with less line outside the rodtip. Less line on the deck means less line that can snag something on board. Remember that a kayak, no matter how stable, rocks along with your body motion. It will send out pressure wakes that alert fish. So eliminate excessive false-casting. Use the double haul. Pick up your line, haul and shoot line on the back cast, and haul on the fore-cast to deliver the fly.…

ATLANTIC WATERS GROUPER REGULATIONS GAG Minimum Size: 24 inches total length Bag Limit: Included in the Grouper Aggregate Bag Limit of 3 groupers per person/day BUT no more than 1 gag or black grouper Spawning Season Closure: January 1 - April 30 BLACK Minimum Size: 24 inches total length Bag Limit: Included in Aggregate Grouper Bag Limit of 3 grouper per person/day BUT no more than 1 black or gag grouper (not combined) per person per day Spawning Season Closure: January 1 - April 30 RED Minimum Size: 20 inches total length Bag Limit: Included in the Aggregate Grouper Bag Limit of 3 per person/day Spawning Season Closure: January 1 - April 30 Regulatory Remarks: Included in Aggregate Grouper bag limit of 3 groupers per person/ day. Aggregate species include:…

Tarpon proficiency is born with bait; expertise and artistry are mastered with the fly rod. Somewhere in between are the transitional skills of targeting—and landing—tarpon with artificials. Within the gamut of available lures lies the distinction between using hard-bodied lures and soft-bodied plastics. Accomplished tarpon anglers often conflate hard-bodies and soft-bodies to a single conversation about lures. However, there are distinctions between the two that affect lure presentation and fish response. Many professionals contend that hard-bodied lures like twitchbaits, wakebaits and topwaters—exemplified by Bomber’s Badonk-a-Donk, MirrOlure 77M Twitch Bait, Rapala’s Skitterwalkare more effective for the tarpon’s bony mouth, but more and more tarpon aficionados, enthusiasts, and apprentices are turning to the throng of soft-body plastic lures that can entice a silver king to bite. All tarpon fishing requires patience and…

BEST BET Offshore the sailfish bite can’t get any hotter. The sails have a date down south of the Yucatan Peninsula and they are pushing through the Florida Keys archipelago in large numbers. Look for the color change that can be found just outside the reef. This color change is caused by currents that gather seagrass and floating debris, which baitfish use to hide from the predators. Expect to find migrating cobias, blackfin tunas, mahi, large hammerhead sharks and scattered wahoo in the change as well. Show Time This is it folks, spring time fishing in the Florida Keys is upon us and all of the trophy species are up for grabs. Tarpon have arrived on their annual migration, and you can spot them throughout the Florida Keys. They will…

BEST BET April seems to be our first sneak peek to summertime snook fishing throughout the region. A few fish are already being caught at the inlets, such as Palm Beach and Jupiter. A few are even being sighted along the beaches. But I seem to have the most consistent bite along the docks this month. The Lake Worth Lagoon or Loxahatchee River are prime areas to target, with countless docks to fish. Skipping soft-plastics or working plugs along the shadow lines can produce some really big fish. The big fish tend to hang down low, especially when it’s warm, so let your bait sink past the “cookie cutters” if you’re trophy hunting. April Offerings April is a great month to go visit your favorite ledge or wreck for mutton…

BEST BET Mackerel, king and Spanish, should be on the move north from the warmer waters off Tampa Bay. Look for schools of these fish attacking pods of whitebait over the deep grassflats off Citrus and Levy counties. Expect good action at the Citrus County Reefs and at the Hook, just north of the Steel Tower atop Cedar Key’s Seahorse Reef. Ever Try Pepperfish? I’ve pretty thoroughly searched Google and can’t find any answer to my question, “What’s a pepperfish”? There was one small photo that showed up in my search, but that was for a small aquarium–sized species from the South Pacific. But that didn’t help much regarding the name of the small Gulf-facing islands in Dixie County, where bigger fish abound. So, I’m going out on a limb…

BEST BET April is a good month to catch a trophy speckled trout and St. Joe Bay is one of the best places to find one. This northwest Florida bay is famous for both its ultra-clear water and 8-pound trout. To catch one of these bruisers Kenny Lemieux who runs Doghouse Charters out of Port Saint Joe likes to fish a live pinfish or menhaden under a popping or rattle cork. These are fished along the edges of the channels that meander around the bay. The channels around Black’s Island are especially good. That Magic April is a magic month for fishing in NW Florida and everything is possible. All of the migratory species have returned and the fishing possibilities for both saltwater and freshwater are endless. Pompano is one…

PLANO RUSTRICTOR STOWAWAY Look for those red latches on the new Plano “Rustrictor” Stowaway boxes. These unique tackle storage systems are infused with a proven Vapor Corrosion Inhibitor. Plano says it’ll block rust and stop corrosion 5X longer than a standard tackle box or competitor’s products. The VCI ions attract to metals, creating a wall of protection without any kind of filmy, smelly residue. Available in seven of Plano’s best-selling models from 3500 to 3700 sizes. Learn more at www.planomolding.com…

By now, it’s a reflex. You reach for your grouper outfits and ask yourself, what are those regulations now? These days, you can’t tie up your Carolina rigs or tune up your sidescan without first checking on the latest changes. On April first, red and black grouper open up again beyond the Gulf of Mexico 20-fathom line after a two-month closure in those deeper waters. Gag grouper are still closed in Gulf federal waters, until June 1. However, as of Apr. 1 gag grouper are open to possession in state waters in the 4-county zone of Taylor, Franklin, Wakulla and Jefferson counties. On the Atlantic side, the 4-month spawning season closure for shallow water grouper ends May 1, when the popular target species of black, red and gag grouper will…

The strength and beauty of large dolphin ranks them among the most prized gamefish available in the blue water that flows along both coasts of Florida. Perhaps best known by their Hawaiian name, mahi mahi, big dolphinfish will test an angler’s tackle, strength and patience—and his or her ability to respond quickly to airborne outbursts from a powerful, head-shaking predator. Mahi live their lives in the fast lane. They grow exceptionally fast, reproduce like crazy and die relatively young. University of Miami professor Daniel Benetti says a dolphinfish over 30 pounds is probably less than two years old. The longest a tagged dolphin has been found to roam the ocean before it was recaptured was 557 days, or about 18 months. (The angler who caught that tagged fish and reported…

BAIT AND TACKLE SHOPS Bluewater Outriggers 121 West Hwy 98; 850-229-1100 Tackle and live bait shop. Convenient to grocery. Scallop Cove Bait and Tackle 4306 Cape San Blas Rd.; 850-227-7557 Best source for Cape San Blas area. Presnell’s Marina 2115 Country Road 30a; 850-229-9229 Bait and lures specific to St. Joe Bay. FISH CAMPS - LAUNCH AREAS Highland View Boat Ramp Hwy 98 west of Port St. Joe; under Gulf Cty. Canal bridge. Good access to St. Joe Bay and the Gulf Frank Pate Park Ramp Just off Hwy 98 in Port St. Joe; easy access to the bay; good parking. T.H. Stone State Park - Eagle Harbor 850-227-1327; good access to St. Joe Bay and the storm-created pass to the Gulf. Presnell’s Marina 2115 County Road 30a; 850-229-9229 RV…

Yellowtail, mangroves, mutton and a whole lot more. Now's the time to get thinking about your plans to catch Florida's wide variety of snappers this spring and summer, because fishing for them is only going to get better in coming months. No matter where you live in the state, you have any number of snapper species to target. Everyone from shore anglers fishing from docks and seawalls to deepwater bottom fishermen can enjoy the simple splendor of snapper fishing in the spring.…

BEST BET South Florida normally gets two pushes of migrating sailfish. One in January and the next in April. During these two months when the winds go north or northeast the Gulf Stream’s north current creates large smooth swells that the sailfish like to surf. Where the swells are larger it is not uncommon to see groups or pods of sailfish with up to a dozen fish riding the waves right to your waiting baits. Multiple hookups are common this month and besides that there are so many other large fish around that if the sailfish misses your bait then most likely something else will eat it. High Level Action The offshore boats will be armed with livewells full of pilchards, ballyhoo, goggle-eye jacks and threadfin herring as they head…

BEST BET Life blossoms in the spring on Charlotte Harbor’s grassflats. Grasses grow to fill in areas which had thinned out over the winter and the new grass is quickly occupied by shrimp, crabs, and the year’s first hatches of tiny pinfish and other small fry. Abundant bait attracts Spanish mackerel and others. ALERT To aid recovery after red tide, anglers will not be allowed to possess any spotted seatrout over 20 inches total length when fishing in state or federal waters from the Pasco-Hernando county line south to Gordon Pass in Collier County. This rule change will remain in effect through May 10, 2019. Waking Up April is a good month for snook and redfish in SW Florida as fish move out of the creeks and rivers where they’ve…

BEST BET What better time to launch a kayak or canoe in the surf and be surprised by a cobia. This time of year, those cobia are following the large manta rays. Some kayakers rig their craft with varying forms of stand-up leaning posts enabling them to extend their vision. A buddy system is recommended for helping each other when it comes time to pull aboard a big cobia or kingfish. Chances are you’ll be a mile or two offshore. It’s not the place to get into trouble with no help in sight. Make Your Day Carson Olson of Orlando, has been targeting the Canaveral tripletail for nine years and he is confident they will continue their strong recent run into the spring. “This time they’re here in good numbers…

BEST BET The best bet will be enjoying a nice sunny day on your own piece of sand fishing for pompano and whiting. There is something really special about sitting on the beach with some close friends watching rod tips bounce in the slow rolling seas. Look for most of the action to come from just inside the outer sandbar near the outflow areas (same places rip tides are prevalent). On the rougher days when the waves and wind make it hard to keep baits away from shore, fishing close to the beach can pay off. The same waves making it difficult to keep baits in places are steering sand-fleas up along the shores. Fishing a bait close with a heavier weight may be what fills the cooler. Spring Is…

“This was the last time we saw our gaff. The fish shook it out on that run.” We finally got a break in the weather and with our friend Scott in town wanting to fish, it was an easy decision. As soon as our son was off to school we piled in the truck and towed the boat to Port Canaveral. We were greeted by a 3-foot swell spaced perfectly to be comfortable at rest. However, it kept us from running as fast as we wanted. So, with limited time and nearshore reefs off the table, we settled on fishing the buoy line. At least we could show our friend Scott a good time and maybe luck into something good. As soon as we approached the first buoy my wife…

WHAT: Worm Gruntin' Festival WHERE: Sopchoppy Depot Park WHEN: Every second Saturday in April; April 13, 2019; 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. WHAT ELSE: Sopchoppy Depot Museum: Saturdays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Built in 1891, locals refer to it as the Gopher, Frog and Alligator Depot. MYRON B. HODGE CITY PARK: Located on the Sopchoppy River, the 35 acres provides an elegant setting for camping with 26 RV plus primitive sites, baths, dual boat launch facility and fishing piers. OCHLOCKNEE RIVER STATE PARK: This is where salty Apalachee Bay meets laid-back Mashes Sands beach. Angelo and Son’s seafood restaurant sits over the water, where it was built with lumber salvaged from Camp Gordon Johnson. Holiday Campground is a popular home base for explorers. FOR THE RECORD BOOKS: 2003 “Worm…

RAYMARINE DOCKSENSE Just go ahead and try to ram the dock. We tried. Can’t do it. Not with DockSense engaged. The intelligent object recognition system developed by Raymarine was on display at Mercury Marine’s Lake X testing center. Five small machine vision cameras mounted around the top of a 330 Boston Whaler Outrage measured distance to seawalls, boats and other structures. Working in concert with software on the Raymarine Axiom navigator, and Mercury’s Joystick piloting system, the cameras autonomously maintained a “Virtual Bumper” zone around the vessel. Pretty slick .…

The largest, documented dolphin caught off the coast of Florida arrived courtesy of Lady Luck. Robert Vail of Lantana caught the current Florida record mahi, an 81-pound bull, while fishing a small tournament with friend Bob Tubbs in June 2007. The two friends were fishing on the 45-foot charterboat Crowd Pleaser with Capt. Jed DuBois, dangling live goggle-eyes under fishing kites along a color change in 200 feet off Hillsboro Inlet. They had just reset kite baits around 11 a.m. when the big bull hit. Vail fought the fish 45 minutes on a Shimano TLD 25 spooled with 30-pound mono and 8 feet of 80-pound shock leader. Tubbs said it took all his strength to pull the big bull into the boat after gaffing it.…

We welcome your fishing and hunting photos for publication in the Action Spotter and in our online community galleries at www.floridasportsman.com. Send digital pictures, 600 KB to 1 MB in jpeg format. For smartphone photos, email the Actual Size—highest resolution. Images must not have appeared or submitted elsewhere. Send photos to: photos@floridasportsman.com. Include names of people pictured, hometowns, location of catch and any key details, such as weight of big catches.…

BEST BET Keep in mind that May 15 is the last day of recreational stone crab season, so that means April is your last full month to take advantage of the tripletail that relate to the buoys. At this point in the season, the buoys have substantial growth on them from soaking since October, so the tripletail are usually basking in the sun next to them to stay warm and eat on the small ecosystem around them. Tripletail in April can be skittish as they have seen their fair share of baits, so use some patience and repeated, well presented casts to coax them. Fire it Up While many area anglers are dueling the migratory tarpon in the month of April, one fish that really starts to get going is…

BEST BET Trophy-sized speckled trout fight nothing like the pan-size ones most prefer for the table, yet they both have the paper-thin mouth that makes a gator trout such a challenge. Their availability and challenge make big gator trout this month’s best bet. ALERT To aid in recovery after red tide, anglers will not be allowed to take spotted seatrout over 20 inches total length when fishing in state or federal waters from the Pasco-Hernando county line south to Gordon Pass in Collier County. This rule change will remain in effect through May 10, 2019. No Fooling Warmer inshore waters attract bait schools that will lure the pelagics from offshore wrecks, reefs, and hard bottom to the beaches. Cobia move inside the bays from the Gulf. Tarpon show in increasing…

BEST BET The state of cobia management is in flux, and it’s a pretty certain changes are on the way. Whatever the new limits will be, it’s a safe bet that April will be a good month to fish for them. The first manta rays of the year should be headed up the beach, and the inshore wrecks should start holding fish later in the month. Jigs tipped with squid will entice a bite, whether it’s a 6-ounce to drop deep on the reef, or a 1-ounce thrown at a free swimmer. From Pogies to Porgies I’m so glad I live in a world with April in it. It just seems to me like everything is just a little more alive in April. Fish are on the move from the…

BEST BET Bimini Grab Bag: Snapper are not the only fish you are likely to encounter in Bimini during the month of April. Although we do typically start to see some blue-bird days strung together, seas are often still dicey so heed our advice from last month and build in some back-up days when planning a trip. Selecting a back-up species to target might be more difficult, as the list of “best bet” species is long, if not distinguished. Chasing birds for dolphin has to be the crowd pleasing favorite. Spring Bahamas Bottom Gear Last month, competitive angler and Bahamas regular Mike Minia of Boynton Beach shared some thoughts about how to best prepare for your first-ever Bahamas crossing. This month, Minia gives us some key tips that will bring…