Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2019 i Salt Water Sportsman

Caylee Cutshall 5, Texas At 3, Caylee already showed promise as an angler. Now she baits hooks, casts, and unhooks fish—like this juvenile red—by herself. She has a passion for all outdoor sports, especially saltwater fishing in Galveston, Texas. Jake Bodkin 11, Florida Disappointed one day when it was too rough to go out on the ocean off Marathon, Florida, Jake chose to fish by the Seven Mile Bridge instead. As the tide turned, he landed this 18-pound mutton snapper. Aria Vanderzee 6, Pennsylvania Quite the avid fisher girl since the ripe old age of 2, Aria will fish anywhere, anytime. She recently caught and released this Spanish mackerel from the Venice Jetty during a trip south to Venice, Florida. NOMINATE A KID: SWS recognizes kids who represent sportsmanship, passion and…

Valhalla V-37 Viking Yacht Company, legendary builder of convertible sport-fishing yachts, recently introduced Valhalla Boatworks, a new company dedicated to building high-performance center-consoles with the same quality, craftsmanship and expertise. Valhalla soon rolled out its new V Series, consisting of three outboard-powered, deep-V monohulls from 33 to 41 feet. Like its two siblings, the V-37 boasts a two-step hull with patented Stepped-V Ventilated Tunnel running surface that reduces drag while increasing speed, stability and efficiency. A proud bow, a gently sloping, S-shaped sheer, double forward chines, helm pod, raised toe rails, mezzanine seating, and other Viking design traits abound from stem to stern. Viking’s engineering and mechanical proficiency are also evident, with refined mechanical, plumbing and electrical systems, as well as a customized Seakeeper installation that doesn’t sacrifice storage or…

ONCE PURSUED MOSTLY AT NIGHT, SWORDFISH ARE NOW ROUTINELY CAUGHT DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS. Daytime swordfishing is jokingly called catfishing because when broadbills strike down deep, they make the rod tip bounce just like the whiskered freshwater scavengers do when nibbling on a bait. I’ve experienced that firsthand now that daytime swordfishing consistently pays off in mid-Atlantic waters. I got my first taste off the Outer Banks in North Carolina with Capt. Fin Gaddy on Qualifier. It was late November, and we were blessed with a couple of calm days. I arrived at the boat before dawn to meet Gaddy, and found local charter skipper Capt. Jeff Ross and South Florida swordfish whisperer Capt. Brent Feder readying the gear and trading stories. As the sun broke, Gaddy ran to a series…

Soft-plastic lures have proven their effectiveness on a variety of gamefish and—because they’re available in a multitude of shapes, colors and sizes, and can be rigged a number of ways—present anglers with a range of options to target most species in many circumstances. If you know which ones to use and the appropriate rigging, soft plastics are the ticket to increasing your catches exponentially. THE WIDE VARIETY OF SOFT PLASTICS AVAILABLE LETS YOU TAILOR THE LURE TO THE SPECIES AND FISHING SITUATION. Shrimp Imitations Numerous soft plastics mimic shrimp, either the full body or just the tail. Some are realistic, others more impressionistic. Some are weighted and rigged with a single or treble hook, but others are meant for rigging with a jig head. On a fast retrieve, this soft-plastic-and-jig…

After voting unanimously in favor of Reef Fish Amendment 50, which transfers management of recreational red snapper fishing in state and federal waters out to 200 miles into the Gulf to the five Gulf states, the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Gulf Council) will transmit the changes to Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross for final approval and implementation prior to the 2020 private recreational red snapper season. In 2019, the Gulf states will continue to operate under the two-year exempted fishing permit (EFP) issued by NOAA Fisheries that has allowed each to set its own season for red snapper during 2018 and 2019. The success of the 2018 seasons, during which local regulators proved to have better data-collection methods than the feds to account for private angler catches, resulting…

Seaguar Smackdown Boasting an eight-strand weave with a round profile, Seaguar Smackdown braid promises enhanced sensitivity to strikes, long, quiet casts, and extremely low visibility thanks to its Stealth Gray finish. Available in 150-yard spools of 10-, 15-, 20-, 30-, 40-, 50- and 65-pound-test. $29.99; seaguar.com Calcutta Shades Polycarbonate polarized lenses in the Discover Series sunglasses from Calcutta Outdoors provide 100 percent protection against UV rays. Five-layer coatings—both oleophobic and hydrophobic—repel oils, as well as rain and perspiration. Available in eight frame styles and multiple lens colors. $79.99 to $89.99; calcuttaoutdoors.com GoFish Video Cam Improve your presentation or just witness the bite with GoFish Cam, a wireless underwater HD video camera that attaches easily to any fishing line. Simply reel in to review your footage on your cellphone between casts,…

While trolling for tuna 30 miles off shore, all crewmembers scanned the water, ready to sing out at the first sign of feeding fish or bird activity at the surface. Meanwhile, a virtual crewmember was looking downward: our fish finder, pinging away, ready to sing out when the time came for action. I had set an alarm in the machine’s menu to alert us of any echo returns from as deep as 300 feet. This eliminated the need for a human to constantly look at the display for signs of fish. Instead, we just needed to listen. Sure enough, halfway through the morning, the alarm sounded, grabbing my attention. A quick glance at the screen indicated a school fish about 150 feet below the boat. I pulled back the throttle…

The tiny Central American nation of Belize offers some of the finest saltwater fishing opportunities on Earth, from the bonefish-rich waters around Ambergris Caye in the north, to the pristine Turneffe Atoll off - shore, and all the way south to the legendary permit flats of Placencia, Hopkins and Punta Gorda. The entire coastline is home to a broad range of species that includes snook, snapper, jacks, barracuda, sharks and the occasional pelagic, as well as the coveted bonefish, permit and tarpon. Angling opportunities include sight-fishing over white-sand flats, shallow-water mangroves in sheltered lagoons, and some of the largest classic tarpon flats found anywhere. This diversity sets Belize apart from all other fishing in the Caribbean. Almost 50 percent of the country has been protected as parkland or nature preserve,…

LENGTH: 33'2" BEAM: 10'6" DRAFT: 23" DEADRISE: 23 degrees FUEL: 315 gal. WATER: 50 gal. WEIGHT: 10,500 lb. (plus power) MAX HP: 900 PRICE: Starting at $318,118 BLACKFIN BOATS: blackfinboats.com TEST CONDITIONS WEATHER Sunny LOCATION Key Biscayne, Florida WIND NNW 8 knots SEA STATE 1-foot chop TEST LOAD Four adults, 170 gallons of fuel, 40 gallons of water BLACKFIN’S NEW 33-FOOT CENTER-CONSOLE, THE FIFTH AND LARGEST MODEL LAUNCHED SINCE THE BRAND’S REBIRTH A FEW YEARS AGO, COMES LOADED WITH FISHING FEATURES, YACHT-QUALITY AMENITIES, AND CLEVER IMPROVEMENTS THAT MAKE TIME ON THE WATER EASIER, AND MORE FUN AND PRODUCTIVE. But durability and seaworthiness aren’t the only traits the 332 shares with classic Blackfins. Versatility and a comfortable ride are as much a part of this center-console as the ingenious design elements,…

Out for a sunset expedition on the Intracoastal Waterway, Erica Jones from Boynton Beach, Florida, anchored over a ledge and dropped a hooked mullet head overboard. This 15-pound jack crevalle picked it up and gave Erica quite a workout, circling the boat three times during a 20-minute fight that required quick moves to keep the fish out of the anchor line. YOUR CATCH To send in your catch photo, email us at catches@saltwatersportsman.com. 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, FL 32789. Unsolicited manuscripts are welcomed but…

From time to time, we talk about the value of the recreational fishing industry to the U.S. economy. This is going to be one of those times. Everyone seems to know about the old adage “Money talks and BS walks.” But what does that have to do with fisheries conservation? Well, I’m going to show you the money, and you can judge for yourself what the correlation is. The American Sportfishing Association, which is committed to supporting the interests of the industry and the general recreational fishing community, periodically compiles and distributes reports on the economic contributions of sport fishing. It has recently released a new report that gives the economics broken down by congressional districts: asafishing.org/sportfishing-industry-releases-updated-economic-contributions-of-recreational-fishing-by-u-s-congressional-districts. Every time it puts out this information, it tries to do it in…

Keep It Simple Simrad’s Cruise combines essential GPS chart plotting with sonar capability, delivering safe, reliable navigation at an affordable price. It features an easy-to-use interface, sunlight-viewable display, preloaded U.S. coastal charts, mounting bracket and sonar transducer. The Cruise transducer provides chirp sonar with automatic depth tracking. Available in 5-, 7- and 9-inch display sizes. Starting at $399; simrad-yachting.com Bump the Tunes Designed to withstand intense UV and saltwater exposure, JL Audio’s M6 premium series of marine speakers includes a broad line of subwoofers and coaxial and tower speakers built to reproduce powerful, low-distortion bass, and evenly disperse smooth sound in an open-air environment. Transflective LED illumination—with no cone-surface hotspots or reflections—is an option on most models. Starting at $429.99/pair; jlaudio.com Safety at Sea ACR’s next-generation ResQLink personal locator beacons—the…

You’ve fished your home waters often, and now you are ready for the adventure that your fishing soul says you deserve: a destination remote and wild, spectacularly rugged and fish-rich, where you challenge big fish on light tackle in small boats. I’ve found such a place in Haida Gwaii, a cluster of islands 40 miles off the coast of British Columbia, Canada. Haida Gwaii comprises 100 off shore wilderness islands on the edge of the continental shelf, square in the path of migrating Pacific salmon feeding on baitfish that also attract slab halibut, nasty lingcod and prolific rockfish. The runs of migrating salmon that encounter this off shore oasis pause to feast on a windfall of food. Salmon are here from May until the first storms of fall in late…

LENGTH: 22'8" BEAM: 8'6" DRAFT: 15" DEADRISE: 23 degrees FUEL: 106 gal. WEIGHT: 4,623 lb. MAX HP: 300 PRICE: $127,600 w/ Yamaha F250 EDGEWATER BOATS: ewboats.com TEST CONDITIONS WEATHER Cloudy LOCATION Edgewater, Florida WIND Southwest 6 knots SEA STATE Smooth TEST LOAD Three adults, 44 gallons of fuel AS MORE FAMILIES ENTER THE BOAT MARKET AND SHOP FOR A VERSATILE AND WELL-APPOINTED BOAT THAT’S EASY TO TRAILER AND STORE, AND FITS THEIR BUDGET, EDGEWATER HAS ANSWERED THE CALL, LAUNCHING A CROSSOVER MODEL THAT CHECKS ALL THE BOXES AND HAS PLENTY TO OFFER ANGLERS OF ALL AGES. The 230CX feels more spacious than glancing at the boat’s specs would indicate. Its length is listed at 22 feet, 8 inches, but the integrated swim platform—with boarding ladder, anchor storage, and starboard transom…