Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2018 i Salt Water Sportsman

LENGTH: 33'4" BEAM: 10'6" DRAFT: 30" WEIGHT: 10,500 lb. FUEL: 315 gal. MAX HP: 800 PRICE: Not available BLACKFIN BOATS: blackfinboats.com Blackfin has a new flagship, the 332CC, a 33-footer — the fourth in its lineup of center-consoles — built on a high-performance, stepped hull designed by Michael Peters, and endowed with a wealth of fishing-specific features for the serious angler: a deluxe bait-rigging station complete with sink, large built-in livewell, tackle-storage drawers and dedicated tool slots, undergunwale rod racks, dual aft livewells, and more. Blackfin’s latest also includes innovations like the patented pantographic door to access the in-console head compartment without hindering walk-around traffic, and numerous comforts like a large sun pad with storage underneath for dive tanks and bulky gear, removable coaming pads that turn into backrests, two…

Sunlight sparkled off the spiked dorsal fin poking out of the clear, flat water, shimmering like wet diamonds. One wave of the rod and the fly landed silently in front of the oncoming V wake. A few quick short strips, the fin made its move and — hook-set! Sounds like a perfect day on the Bahamas flats, but this isn’t some tropical island. It’s New Jersey. Twenty years ago, I was introduced to the world of flats fishing for striped bass in Jersey’s shallow bays, where light tackle and stealth proved the perfect combination to score with stripers in ultra-skinny waters. A secret society of finesse fishermen, armed with scaled-down gear, continues to stalk stripers on the flats with great success. STEALTH MODE Forget about rumbling diesel vessels, “grind ’em…

The future of recreational fishing depends, in part, on the ability of one generation to teach it to the next. A few things I’ve heard, directly and indirectly, have me wondering whether prospective anglers are getting proper introductions. I’ve never forgotten the story, from years ago, of when a father and son shared deck space on a guide friend’s boat. “See that mullet jumping by the shore, son?” the dad asked. The boy nodded. “He’s jumping because he’s happy.” “Actually …” my friend started, and then stopped. Better, he figured, to leave the son confident in his father’s wisdom — even if the father wasn’t so smart. More recently, in a local sporting-goods store, I overheard a guy teaching his young daughter and son about fishing tackle. He did well…

From the moment I learned about small, remotely operated drones, I imagined how these unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) might help me catch more fish. Today’s drones can do far more than aerial scouting. I dreamed about aerial scouting for weed lines, rips, and flocks of feeding seabirds. I envisioned spotting fish such as cobia, mahi, redfish and tuna. I even thought about dropping baits from above to fish that were well beyond casting distance. I’m not alone. The same thoughts have struck many anglers. Now pioneering fishermen are converting their drone-fishing dreams into reality. In many respects, the technology had to catch up with the vision. When the flying pieces of electronics first appeared about eight years ago, they proved difficult to operate, and many were quickly crashed by novice…

After three hours of trolling without a tuna bite, Capt. Jason Snead ordered the mate to put out the spoon. A few minutes later, we were tight to a bucking yellowfin. When Capt. Gene Quigley can’t convince striped bass to take a topwater plug, he deploys huge bunker spoons and slow-trolls for lunkers. Redfish won’t bite? Capt. Ryan Lambert resorts to tiny lures and line as light as sewing thread. If the bait shop sells out of crabs, tarpon guru Capt. Bouncer Smith doesn’t worry. He catches live pinfish for bait instead. Sometimes even sharks don’t want to play. So, San Diego guide Capt. Conway Bowman turns his attention to inshore species. When Plan A doesn’t work out, pro guides always have a backup plan. Be it changing lures, switching…

LENGTH: 30' BEAM: 9'8" DRAFT: 24" DEADRISE: 24 degrees FUEL: 25 gal. WATER: 26 gal. WEIGHT: 8,220 lb. plus power MAX HP: 600 PRICE: $230,400 w/ twin Yamaha F300s PURSUIT BOATS: pursuitboats.com TEST CONDITIONS WEATHER: Partly Cloudy LOCATION: Fort Pierce, Florida WIND: East 8 knots SEA STATE: 2- to 3-foot chop TEST LOAD: Two adults, 160 gallons of fuel At a time when boatbuilders launch increasingly larger models, Pursuit recently splashed one heck of a middleweight contender, the S288, with the aesthetics and all the tools to quickly become a favorite of discerning anglers. A 30-footer, thanks to its twin integrated platform extensions astern, the new boat is the fourth model in Pursuit’s popular Sport series of luxury center-consoles, and while it offers the amenities, design elements and accents that…

The generous transoms on large sport-fishing boats are ideal for elaborate, teaser-rich trolling spreads. But what about smaller boats, particularly center-consoles propelled by twin, triple and quad outboards? Can they tease as effectively as the big battlewagons? Sure, they can! George Poveromo Add a teaser setup to your center-console. SET THE STAGE Numerous manufacturers offer teaser reels for small and midsize boats. However, for many trollers, there’s the intimidation factor to overcome. Limited crews (often just a friend or two) aboard small and midsize boats must work extra hard at maintaining a five- or six-line trolling spread. Add a pair of teaser reels and that effort increases substantially, particularly for the person clearing the spread after every fish hooked. Next, questions arise over mounting, rigging and fishing them. Yet despite…

LENGTH: 41'3" DRAFT: 29" BEAM: 12'6" WEIGHT: 21,100 lb. FUEL: 600 gal. MAX HP: Not available PRICE: From $864,995 REGULATOR MARINE: regulatormarine.com A revised version of the popular Regulator 41 begins the rollout of enhancements to the builder’s fleet for 2019. The 41-footer now boasts redesigned tower access and a number of updated features, including an integrated wraparound windshield for added protection from the elements at the helm, a more accessible console switchboard under the electronics screens, and additional aft seating with a SureShade overhead, plus a bait-prep and tackle center. Belowdecks, the expanded cabin incorporates a galley, double berth, and a spacious head compartment with shower. Notable options include cavernous fish boxes and livewell, 20-foot telescoping, carbon-fiber outriggers with Taco Grand Slam 380 bases, and Seakeeper 6 stabilizer. In…

THE FISH DUG TOWARD THE BOTTOM 65 FEET BELOW. There was no mistaking the solid bite followed by the rhythmic bouncing. The hooked black sea bass took drag several times, digging hard to get back to the bottom. Then a second strike bent the slow-pitch rod over hard, the tip touching the water as another fish tried to make off with what it thought was an easy meal. After some spirited give and take, the pair of humpbacks came over the rail and onto ice. A bunch more would fall to our light-tackle efforts that morning. The techniques we employed — bucktails on ultralight spinning tackle and center-weighted jigs on slow-pitch jigging outfits — are not like the black sea bass tackle of old: heavy conventional outfits loaded with thick…

LENGTH: 17'4" BEAM: 7'3" DRAFT: 12" DEADRISE: 16 degrees FUEL: 25 gal. MAX HP: 115 WEIGHT: 1,700 lb. PRICE: From $32,064 w/ Mercury 90 hp FourStroke BOSTON WHALER: bostonwhaler.com TEST CONDITIONS WEATHER: Partly sunny LOCATION: Sarasota, Florida WIND: Northeast 9 knots SEA STATE: 1-foot chop TEST LOAD: Two adults, 18 gallons of fuel Few 17-footers have been as coveted as Boston Whaler’s, first launched in 1976 as the classic 17 Montauk, a tough, no-nonsense center-console that quickly gained acclaim as a versatile and unsinkable boat and, thanks to timely updates and enhancements, has retained its popularity through the years. In 2002, the original 17 got a major redesign and became the 170 Montauk. Then, after subsequent minor revisions over the years Whaler announced an array of updates and upgrades to…