Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2023 i Florida Sportsman

Writer Steve Wayne makes a great case for the e-bike in this issue. I’ve been seeing them around my woods and waters in the last few years. And obviously all around town. As I suspected, and as Steve verifies, quality varies. Like a lot of things, you get what you pay for. In the world of outdoor sports vehicles, that expression describes not just the product but also the advice and service you’ll get (or not get). Me? I’m not yet sure the e-bike is for me. I’m still enjoying the heck out of a 7-speed conventional pedal bike I bought last February. Forces me to get some exercise. Also, basically zero maintenance. When your “daily driver” is a 20-year-old trailer boat parked a mile from salt water, you already…

When he’s not globetrotting to fish with the top billfishing crews or promoting his Fire-Tailz artificial dredge teaser baits, Mike Calabrese can be found exploring the local waters of Jupiter, Florida aboard his 1969 Bertram, C-Breeze. Calabrese took the lead in overseeing a full refit in 2017; paint, power, pipework and more. Recently, he modernized the outdated outrigger base mounts that had been simply bolted onto the hardtop. The benefits of this upgrade are many. In addition to providing smoother operation, new base mounts can handle heavier teasers and baits/lures pulled at higher speeds—they also allow fishermen to easily deploy outriggers from within the cockpit, eliminating the need to climb the gunnel. Calabrese opted for Tigress XD top mounts, which offer an impressive 24 locking positions in 15 degree increments…

DON’T SET TOO SOON ON TOPWATER BASS BITES FACTS OF FISHING, SEASON 16, EPISODE 6, “THE CHOPPO” Host Dave Mercer: “When possible, I try to fish a topwater bait with my rodtip up, because when that fish eats, all of a sudden I have to reel down to set that hook. When I get close to the boat, I’ll drop the rodtip just to keep the bait working right, But whenever possible, especially a day like today with not a ton of wind, keep that rodtip high…it’ll slow down that moment between the hit and when you set the hook. If you set the hook too soon—you could end up with a lure flying at your forehead. We’ve all done it!” HIGH-SPEED TROLLING OFF NORTHEAST FLORIDA UNFATHOMED, SEASON 5, EPISODE…

Tired of lugging all your gear to the woods and water? Tired of traveling long distances on foot or by bicycle to go fishing or hunting? Want to access areas that others can’t get to? Try using an electric bicycle (e-bike). E-bikes are considered bicycles with pedals and equipped with an electric motor that can assist the rider. They can fall into three different classifications in Florida. Class 1 is equipped with a motor which only activates when you begin to pedal. The motor will provide electric assistance up to 20 miles per hour. Class 2 is also equipped with a motor and pedals plus it can be solely operated by a throttled-powered mode (instead of pedal assisted). Class 3 is equipped with a motor and pedals with electric assistance…

November is always a welcomed month in the Florida Keys. Cooler air and water temperatures, and the official end to hurricane season make us want to head down to Duval St. and celebrate a bit. The fish are also happy! The inshore rockpiles in Hawk Channel that produce incredible amounts of fish throughout the winter and spring seasons are beginning to show signs of what’s to come. Offshore, the bite has been great with blackfin tuna, sails and mahi on nearly every trip. It’s amazing how the best mahi bite is now in the late summer and fall. I believe that’s due in part to the commercial fleet in the Carolinas meeting their quota. As soon as that happens, the mahi bite picks up down here. Most of the action…

November is a big month of migration in our region, both on the water and in the woods. Cold weather is starting to consume the U.S. and not only are people heading south to find warmth, so are the animals! Cold fronts mean wind and wind means rough seas. Getting offshore can be difficult when these fronts do blow through, especially in a small boat. Be mindful of the wind, tides and forecast, because no fish is worth putting yourself in danger. Daylight savings time ends on November 5, so be ready to turn those clocks back and plan on being to the boat ramps that much earlier. Spanish mackerel blitz their way into the region this month, as they get ready for their annual spawn. Hard fighting on light…

‘‘Keep a half dozen rods ready to cast, rigged with wire leader, jigs, and spoons. If you break off there’s no time to re-rig. Hurricane Idalia sucker-punched the entire Big Bend coastline, causing damage to older homes and marinas within reach of the water. Fortunately, abundant marshes and forests acted as natural buffers, absorbing a significant portion of the impact, and many of the modern homes constructed on pilings seemed to have remained unscathed. However, floating docks at boat ramps, restaurants and marinas were swept away. I’m not sure how or when they will be salvaged, reassembled with new dock pilings, but it doesn’t sound like a weekend project. I know the two boat ramps at Cedar Key were left without docks, except for a fixed metal one. It’s no…

Anglers who have a penchant for bottom fishing should make certain their weekends are clear, as the month of November offers prime opportunities for red snapper fishing on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Based on catch data, there are adequate numbers in the red snapper population in Northwest Florida to support this season. Red snapper have long held a prestigious status as one of the Gulf's most coveted catches. In Florida's early history, snapper fishing stood as a primary draw for tourists, and while other fish have gained popularity over time, red snapper remains are still at the top of the list. Captain Chester Reece operates his charter business out of Carrabelle and primarily navigates the waters between Alligator Point and Rattle Snake Cove on St. George Island. He’s an offshore…

The system for determining recreational angler effort (number of days fishing) and estimated fish caught could be overestimating by as much as 30 to 40 percent, according to recent findings by NOAA Fisheries. A pilot study revealed that simply altering the order of survey questions resulted in significant overestimations. This has big implications for fisheries management; seasons for cherished fish such as red snapper might be lengthened with more accurate counts. The Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP) has been the methodology used for decades to gather catch data and regulate recreational anglers. Now, the very surveys themselves are going under the microscope. Some may argue that it’s long overdue. Stay tuned as NOAA will be rolling out a larger, more expansive test survey called MRIP FES (Fishing Effort Survey) in…

For wood duck hunting, all you really need are breathable waders, a good comfortable hunting pack, your shotgun and last but most important (in my view, anyway!) a well-trained Labrador Retriever. I’ve hunted the same Eglin Air Force Base wood duck hole since 2008 when we first moved to Destin, in the Florida Panhandle. The swamp probably covers 500 acres or more. It is wonderfully spring-fed, and heavily populated with beavers, otters and yes the occasionally gator. The Panhandle native wood duck population is in pretty good shape. I see breeding pairs daily during the spring turkey season when I hunt anywhere near the water. Early wood duck season in September is also another good indicator of how many local birds the swamps are holding. When we have good cold…

‘‘These naturally occurring channels cut through a giant shallow flat made up of turtlegrass and hard coral bottoms. October brought nice and comfortable weather conditions to South Florida that resulted in some outstanding fall fishing. Migrating baitfish and hungry predators greeted inshore and offshore fishermen almost every day in October. As we shift to November, expect an extension of the fishing that occurred in October from Deerfield Beach to Ocean Reef and also in Flamingo, albeit with a bit more blustery weather. The South Florida fisherman has plenty to be excited about this month. For over a month, schools of pilchards, Spanish sardines, threadfin herring, ballyhoo, goggle eye, finger mullet, bigger black and silver mullet, flying fish, and ballyhoo have been migrating south for the winter. Large predators are right…

‘‘As long as we experience continued warmth, juvenile tarpon will also continue to inhabit our sounds and back bays. We’ve successfully navigated another summer, and now look forward to months of cooler weather ahead. From the north, cold fronts will gradually sweep into Southwest Florida, ushering in refreshing changes. These fronts will arrive intermittently, bringing with them short bursts of cool and crisp days. If it’s a strong system, then it could take a few days before things warm up, including the bite. Inshore fishing is significantly impacted by the cooler weather, a stark contrast to the scorching 90-degree water temperatures we endured just a few months ago. Currently, we’re enjoying water temperatures in the mid-70s. However, these fluctuations in water temperature influence the bite considerably. Moving forward, your best…

‘‘Pompano will almost always go for that top, buoyant hook. The floats come in all colors, but nothing beats white. The question is not if pompano will make an appearance along Space Coast beaches in November, but when. Cold fronts starting this month typically steer a big biomass southward, but their particular position at any given time is contingent on nearshore water temperatures. Emerging from estuaries as far north as the Carolinas, pompano are always one step ahead of winter’s grip. It’s usually right when the second major cold front reaches Central Florida that surfcasters start encountering good numbers of pompano. The first run of fish occurs in November, and then there’s a second showing sometime in January. As north winds chill the air and water, look for temperatures to…

‘‘Like clockwork, you can expect menhaden to exit the bayous in a sluggish, cold state, only to collide with massive schools of hungry bull redfish." Temperatures are dropping, leaves are changing and winter is imminent. As we soak in the last bit of fall on the Panhandle it is a great time to target our inshore species on the move like flounder and trout. The nearshore bite can offer some great king mackerel fishing with a side of blackfin tuna and sailfish. A lot of people will stow away their fishing gear this month and make the full switch to hunting but for me I will be picking off all those “happy to have cooler water” fish that are left to roam free! The redfish pattern remains consistent this month,…

This moment arrives for every deer hunter. The animal bolted, leaving a faint trail, if any. The shot felt OK, but maybe the arrow or bullet clipped a twig. Or perhaps the deer twitched at the last moment, you ponder. The pacing begins. You know the deer might require time to expire, but intrusive thoughts and the call of the void begin overwhelming patience. Your next decision could mean the difference between a lost animal or venison. James “PJ” Piney is a close friend who-has enlisted in the ranks of Florida hunters offering the services of their blood trailing dogs to recover lost deer. Each season, PJ and his chocolate Lab, Ziggy, load up at all hours of the day to assist fellow sportsmen in need. “It is a selfless…

WOOD DUCKS HAVE a nesting period of 57-70 days. In the spring, they will incubate the eggs anywhere from 28-37 days with clutch size 6-16 chicks. The babies are born alert and full of beans, jumping out of their nest within a day of breaking out of the shell. If you ever see it, the parents have all they can do to get everyone under control. During turkey season I’ll see a pair fly into dead trees and like woodpeckers disappear into a hole. I’ve seen them go into large openings as well as tiny splits you wouldn’t think they would fit into, and I’ve also seen them use a nesting hole 400 yards away from the water, how they hike the babies to water I’ve got no idea. Our…

November is a time to give thanks for cooler temps, lower humidity and an influx of exciting, seasonal species. The advent of cooler air and water temperatures to our north push down large concentrations of herring and pilchard, commonly referred to as whitebait, along with a variety of predator species that move south to overwinter in our warmer waters. One of my favorite target species is the king mackerel. Kingfish are aggressive predators that can be enticed to feed on a wide variety of both natural and artificial baits. They are incredibly fast and are known for their amazingly hard strikes, followed by line melting off the spool. It is not uncommon for kings to skyrocket out of the water during the initial strike. The fish that move into our…

‘‘The traps, floats, and the lines that join both can hold small baitfish and crustaceans that attract tripletail. This has been a tough year in the weather department. Between the relentless heat and hurricanes, this month might bring a breath of fresh and cooler air. As cold fronts train south with increasing consistency, they will undoubtedly bring some pelagic action to West Central waters and a transition period for other species in the area. In my region, spring and fall are the two best times of the year to target Spanish and king mackerel migrating south from the Panhandle and Big Bend waters. These fish stop only to feed on bait schools that are moving out of the bays, creeks, and rivers. Some great action can be had around the…

"Out in the 21-fathom area—including the Elton Bottom to the north—vermilions and triggerfish should be wide open when weather allows." I have always believed there’s a good reason we celebrate Thanksgiving in November. For Florida outdoorsmen, it’s a time of great harvest. Whether you’re a speck fisherman on Crescent Lake, or a bottom fisherman 50 miles offshore, bait is moving everywhere. And hopefully your work in the woods has been done, and you’re prepped for that trophy buck in DMU C4 for general gun season November 4-5. Surf fishermen are particularly thankful for November, as whiting and pompano are spread throughout area beaches and inlets. Among these dedicated anglers, there’s a keen eye for monitoring the water’s color like no other. If it’s muddy, it means all stingrays and catfish.…