Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2015 i Salt Water Sportsman

How many times have you tried to plug in a gadget at the house but couldn’t find a convenient electrical outlet? If you are like me, plenty. That same dilemma applies to our boats, especially with the growing number of fishing accessories that require 12-volt power. The simple solution? Add some more. Mark Pohyba, a service technician at Caribee Boat Sales in Islamorada, Florida, adds plugs to customer boats on a regular basis. “I do at least two boats a month, including the last three boats I’ve worked on,” says Pohyba, who has been employed at the dealership for 16 years. Caribee carries Grady-White, Pursuit, Jupiter, Pathfinder and Sportsman. “I’m working on a customer’s 34 Jupiter now. It’s a big thing here in the Keys, with kite reels, deep-drop rigs…

It was a sunny, flat-calm morning, and we set out trolling lines 15 miles off Port St. Lucie, Florida. Yet, like many days in this part of the world, the forecast called for scattered thunderstorms and lightning — not exactly a boating angler’s best friend. Our idea was to fish around the storms. But how? We were beyond cell range, so we couldn’t monitor weather via smartphone apps. We could eyeball the fast-moving thunderheads, lightning and rain, but by the time we sensed trouble, it might be too late to outmaneuver the weather. The solution came in the form of a popular satellite marine-weather service, SiriusXM Marine, which displays a host of weather features on the multifunction display (MFD) at the helm. We used this to steer well clear of…

A JAMPACKED ICAST Tackle Show in July featured an unprecedented amount of new tackle for the coming year, illustrating steady refinement, improved design and better engineering in everything from rods and reels to lures, hooks and lines. Here’s a look at the promising lineup for next season. DAIWA SALTIGA Daiwa’s new Saltiga series star-drag conventional reels boast a 6.4-to-1 gear ratio and are rated for 12- to 20-pound braid. They feature a compact body design, machined aluminum one-piece frame and right side plate, Magsealed ball-bearing housing and innovative nanofluid magnetic-oil technology. And Daiwa’s Ultimate Tournament Drag affords 17.6 pounds of stopping power. $399.95; daiwa.com POWERPRO MAXCUATRO PowerPro took top honors at ICAST in the fishing-line category with its new Maxcuatro braid woven from new Spectra HT (hightenacity) fiber. Considerably thinner…

FAST FACTS FOR SUCCESS FORECAST FIRST: Monitor weather fronts and sea conditions before going offshore to ensure a safe outing. DOWNSIZE: With most of the fish under 100 pounds, scaling down lures and tackle generates more strikes. SLOW DOWN: Smaller lures work better at lower speeds, so slow down to 7 knots or less for best results. 7 KNOTS OR LESS SWS PLANNER: BILLFISH WHAT: Light-tackle action for blue and white marlin, sailfish, tuna, dolphin and wahoo WHEN: Mid-September through mid-December, depending on weather fronts WHERE: Florida Panhandle and Alabama WHO: Anglers aboard seaworthy outboardpowered boats under 35 feet equipped with electronics. The following charter captains have the experience and the boats rigged for this type of fishing: Capt. Mickey O’reilly Pensacola, Florida angrybirdfishing charters.com 850-723-1274 Capt. Adam Peeples and…

Warning: If you do something worthy of this space twice, already having appeared once does not let you off the hook. Remember Joe Doggett, the outdoor writer with whom I shared newspaper space in Houston for 23 of his 32 years on the beat? Last year, he stepped on a hardhead — and still swears it was a stingray. This past June, he had a less painful but more unsettling experience in the Texas surf. Long retired, Joe does pretty much what Joe wants to do. When the waves are right, he wants to surf. And on a waist-high weekday morning — a week before local schools dismissed for summer and filled the lineup with teenagers — he found himself all alone in green water. Suddenly ... PshoooO! A bottlenose…

The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) adopted new regulations for the recreational harvest of black sea bass to meet the 33 percent reduction required by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission to ensure New York’s fishery is consistent with the coastwide fisheriesmanagement plan for summer flounder, scup and black sea bass. The changes include a 1-inch increase in minimum size — from 13 to 14 inches — during the entire open season, July 15 through Dec. 31, and an increase in the possession limit — from eight to 10 fish — during November and December. The current eight-fish possession limit will be retained from July 15 through Oct. 31. LETTERS TUNA CONCERNS We recently returned from a trip to the Florida Keys and stopped at a marina to see what…

I have to admit that I am feeling a little guilty. I’d like to think that this was caused by an error of omission, but it is a lot closer to an error of commission. Most of this is due to the fact that time has not been on my side and making guesstimates usually leads to some incorrect conclusions. Such is the case with some of my recent columns. While I hope not to do it in the future, it is likely that I will. The latest House of Representatives hearings and actions on the reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA), the law that manages our federal fisheries resources, have supported the bill submitted by Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, H.R. 1335. I have discussed this legislation in the past,…

Built on the tried-and-true platform of its popular 2310 TE, Action Craft introduces the 24 Coastal Bay ACE Premium Elite, a versatile center console with skinny-water and off shore capabilities. Featuring Action Craft’s patented Qui-Dry design for an exceptionally soft, quiet and dry ride, the hull of the new 24 Coastal Bay ACE also incorporates a pocket drive to run the shallows and a modified V to handle open water beyond the flats and bays. Anglers will appreciate the list of standard features, including a powder-coated Key West-style T-top, hydraulic jack plate, Power-Pole shallow-water anchoring system, 37- and 22-gallon livewells, lockable storage compartments fore and aft with room for 10 rods, and ample insulated fish-box space. actioncraft.com…

TROPHIES AWAIT ON THE ST. JOHNS RIVER IN JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA FAST FACTS FOR SUCCESS SCHOOL SCANNING: Reds gather in schools for spawning. Locate them on the bottom with a fish finder. WIDE SCENT TRAIL: Five or six lines at varying distances from the boat create a wide scent t KEEP A LOOKOUT: Boat traffic and large ships traveling in and out require that anglers stay alert to avoid risks. SWS PLANNER: FLORIDA REDFISH WHAT: Bull redfish WHERE: Mayport Inlet and lower St. Johns River, northeast Florida WHEN: Late summer and early fall WHO: DIY anglers on boats with a fish finder and a heavy anchor with a quick-release setup. These guides know the prime spots and tides to target the fish: Capt. don dingman 904-509-0026 captdon@hookthe future.com Capt. ron schurr…

TEST CONDITIONS WEATHER: CLOUDY AND RAINY LOCATION: BRADENTON, FLORIDA WIND: NORTHWEST AT 19 KNOTS SEA STATE: MODERATE CHOP TEST LOAD: TWO ADULTS, 60 GALLONS OF FUEL Unlike most fads, which are popular for a while and then fizzle, bay boats have proven their staying power. But somewhere along the way, the design lines blurred, and boats initially intended to fish bay waters morphed into hybrids that allow anglers to fish not only inshore, but also nearshore and even off shore on occasion. Yellowfin Yachts, however, believes a bay boat should primarily do what the name implies: negotiate bay waters — open and deep or protected and shallow — better than any other type of craft. With that in mind, the boatbuilder improved on its 24 Bay, coming up with a…

Lexi Overaker of Kingwood, Texas, caught this giant red snapper on a summer fishing trip with her dad, Mark. The pair fished off shore with Capt. Troy Frady on Distraction Charters out of Orange Beach, Alabama. They released the fish after pictures and measurements, which came to 38 inches long and a whopping 31 pounds. YOUR CATCH To send in your catch photo, email us at catches@saltwatersportsman.com. DROP US A LINE Got a piece of good news to share? Want to gripe? Like to see your thoughts on the pages of Salt Water Sportsman? Send your letters, manuscripts and any relevant comments to editor@salt water sports man.com or via U.S. mail: SWS Editor, 460 N. Orlando Ave., Suite 200, Winter Park, FL32789. Unsolicited manuscripts are welcomed but will not be…

THE PROS AND CONS OF SPINNING AND BAIT-CASTING GEAR TO HELP YOU PICK TACTICS + TACKLE REEL CHOICE: Spinning tackle vs. bait-casting gear ON THE FLY EEL-DISPOSED: Eel flies are the ticket to trophy stripers SPORTS MAN’S WORKBENCH DIY IDEAS: Scented jigs, instant handles and pin-it baits If you rule out fly-fishing, all light-tackle saltwater anglers fall into one of two distinct camps: You’re either a spinningreel fan or a bait-caster fan. I suppose some crossover exists, but I’ll bet it’s a small number. For the most part, we are one or the other. The two designs work in profoundly different ways. Bait-casting reels utilize a revolving spool that turns among multiplying gears. Line flows straight on and off the spool through a levelwind mechanism. Baitcasters have been around since…

With the new R160, Robalo offers a well-built boat at a very appealing price point. Its extended V-plane hull, with the bottom extending beyond the transom, adds planing surface for improved performance, reduces pitching and increases buoyancy aft at rest. The large front casting p latform houses a self-draining insulated compartment. The console includes a forward seat with a 16-gallon built-in cooler and removable bolster providing access to storage and a fuse panel. A 36-gallon cooler doubles as the helm seat with a reversible backrest. At the stern, jump seats that fold flat hide added storage below. Optional packages turn the console cooler into a livewell and add six vertical rod holders on the console and recessed racks for four additional rods under the gunwales. robalo.com…

I use our Trophy 2401 to fish inshore, nearshore and also off shore, when conditions allow. It’s powered by a Mercury Verado 225, and it came with a T-top with overhead storage, pedestal seats, a leaning post, trim tabs and a 10-gallon freshwater-washdown system. I customized the boat to suit our fishing in Galveston Bay and off the Texas Gulf Coast, adding a hydraulic jack plate and a SeaDek helm station pad, plus a Minn Kota Talon shallowwater anchor, a Minn Kota Riptide ST 36-volt i-Pilot trolling motor, a Lowrance HDS 7 chart plotter/fish finder, VHF radio and stereo. I also upgraded all the lighting to LED and added underwater transom lights, as well as a removable spray cover and more spreader lights to the T-top. The Trophy has three…

FAST FACTS FOR SUCCESS 1. SETTLED IN: Tautog stay put, so when you find a hangout, it often yields multiple fish. 2. SUPERSIZE: If you’re catching shorts, just keep searching until you find a spot with keeper fish. 3. GEARING UP: Adjust tactics and terminal tackle to pull fish from rocks and challenging lies. BEFORE WINTER DRIVES THEM TO DEEPER WATER, TAUTOG GATHER INSHORE SWS PLANNER: TROPHY TAUTOG WHEN: Early October through mid-November WHERE: Southern New England WHO: DIY anglers prepared for frosty conditions and possible stiff northwest breezes. These charter captains are experts at targeting tautog: Capt. Kerry Douton jbtackle.com Capt. TJ Karbowski rockandrollcharters.com Capt. Andrew Fox magictouchcharters.com One day last October, tautog expert Rich Haigh and I were bridle-anchored alongside a massive breakwall outside Connecticut’s New Haven Harbor.…

I always thought of Regulator boats as “overbuilt,” a term I use to describe boats made to excel even in the worst of conditions. But after testing the new 41 center console, I’m compelled to add the words “bold” and “beautiful” to my definition of this terrific merger of fishability, elegance and comfort. The boat was designed for folks looking to move up to gain horsepower and range, as well as those downsizing from a larger convertible — requiring a crew — to a single-operator scenario without giving up amenities. TEST CONDITIONS WEATHER: CLOUDY, 90 DEGREES LOCATION: MANTEO, NORTH CAROLINA WIND: SOUTHWEST 12 TO 15 KNOTS SEA STATE: CHOPPY TEST LOAD: FOUR ADULTS, 520 GALLONS OF FUEL AND 50 GALLONS OF WATER The only power package available is four Yamaha…