Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2020 i Salt Water Sportsman

Weather can be dicey this time of year, usually windy. But rapidly, the balance shifts. When March comes in like a lionfish, it goes out like a lamprey. With the turn into spring come longer days. The vernal equinox, when the sun slips above the equator on March 19 this year, does not coincide with a new or full moon, so extreme tides are not likely to be as intense. Still, as the soothsayer said, it pays to beware the tides of March. As winter rolls over, March represents a tipping point in fishing opportunities. King mackerel head north in the Gulf of Mexico, and up the Atlantic Coast. Farther south, the tarpon migration gets under-way. Then it only gets better into April toward the peak in May and June.…

Jake Stanley 9, Ohio On a family trip to visit his grandparents in Bonita Beach, Florida, Jake and his dad netted their own bait, then Jake free-lined a live pinfish from the beach and tied into this snook, the hardest-fighting fish he’s ever caught. Olivia Stowe 4, Connecticut Olivia’s first day of fishing was a memorable one, fishing off a friend’s dock at Venetian Harbor, in Groton Long Point, Connecticut. She landed her first fish ever, this snapper bluefish, then followed it up with a few more. Deacon Guice 11, Louisiana Deacon has fished all along the northern Gulf of Mexico, and caught a number of species, including speckled trout, flounder, tripletail, snapper and redfish, like this one. His favorites are big sharks, black drum and bull reds. NOMINATE A…

Glare from the late-autumn sun hampered visibility on Chesapeake Bay as Capt. Greg Shute searched for flocks of gannets and gulls feeding on schools of bunker pushed to the surface by rampaging striped bass. He switched his Furuno radar to bird mode, and within minutes on the screen of his TZtouch2 display, he spotted a dense flock 2 miles out. He immediately throttled up and slid into nonstop action—a striper on every cast. For years, anglers have used fairly large open-array radar systems to find flocks of birds. But Shute was using a Furuno DRS4D-NXT featuring a compact 24-inch-diameter dome that fits on virtually any fishing boat. Amazingly, this is not even the smallest dome radar equipped with bird mode today. Other models featuring bird modes include the new Halo20+…

PERSIST: Shallow water warms throughout the day. Be ready to follow fish as they move. HUNT: Investigate both bottom and shoreline structure. STAY NIMBLE: Come prepared for a variety of species. “OK, WE’RE GONNA CROSS SOME REALLY SKINNY STUFF NOW,” CAPT. LUIS FLANDES SHOUTED OVER THE NOISE OF HIS JACKED-UP OUTBOARD. Glancing beyond the boat’s low gunwales, blades of sea grass and every fleeing minnow were magnified in the translucent shallows. “Are you kidding me? This entire lagoon is anorexic,” I laughed in response. Flandes and I were wrapping up a successful day on the lower Laguna Madre and were en route back across to South Padre Island, Texas. After the arctic blast experienced earlier that morning, the second-most mind-numbing aspect of the day was the number of redfish caught…

The bigger they come, the harder they fall. I’ve had the pleasure of wading with some of saltwater fishing’s biggest names—and some of its biggest people. Even a couple of basketball players, years ago, from the Houston Rockets. Those two had a tremendous vertical advantage over the rest of us. Where they fished comfortably, belly-deep, we were on tiptoes and up to our armpits. But the MacGyver in every fishing group eventually will hatch a plan to fish taller than his friends. Entry-level height advantage is as close as an aluminum step ladder. They’re relatively stable on hard sand, especially after you learn to add broad stabilization to each of the legs. Ladders can boost your EWH (effective wade-fishing height) an honest foot or more. I’ve actually tried them a…

Recently published results of an 18-year study on Atlantic tarpon revealed they embark on seasonal migrations, covering thousands of miles beyond US borders. The new findings, which also identify significant dangers the fish encounter along their lengthy journeys, could help protect the species, listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Using electronic satellite tags, researchers tracked nearly 300 specimens of Atlantic tarpon in coastal waters of the western-central Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea, including as far away as Mexico, Belize and Nicaragua. The results showed that mature tarpon make extensive seasonal migrations along a warm, seasonally moving ocean-water feature known as the 26oC isotherm, where temperatures remain constant. They also found the fish use freshwater and estuarine habitats throughout their life, and…

There is a new storm brewing in the fisheries management world. It is happening in a very unlikely area. Not long ago, this was the place in the coastal US where fish were plentiful and well-managed, a destination for many who wanted to experience this bounty and have a chance at monster fish that could pull hard and taste great. But not even Alaska and its fabled halibut fishery can escape trouble not substantially different than problems in the lower 48. This did not happen overnight. Back in 2013, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC) crafted a catch-share plan that would give the charter industry its own quota. The problem was this plan seemed to have been put in place to restrict the charter-fleet catch, dropping it from a…

There are several requirements for successful fish spotting. Quality polarized sunglasses are crucial, bright sunlight plays a huge role, and calm seas certainly are a big help. An elevated vantage point also yields big benefits. It changes one’s angle of vision and reduces glare reflecting off the water, making it easier to detect movement and shapes below the surface, which is why spotting towers, and poling and casting platforms are considered must have tools by those who bank on their eyes to locate their quarry. Capt. Rob Aldridge of Southeastern Angling uses all three accessories on his Dorado 25 center-console and Hell’s Bay Waterman 16 skiff when guiding clients in coastal Georgia, north Florida and the Florida Keys. “A good deal of my fishing is in open water, with a…

ABUNDANT Gulf menhaden, aka pogies, are easily obtained inshore. VERSATILE Pogies lend themselves to a range of presentations, inshore and off. APPEALING Everything that swims eats pogies. You can choose to believe or to doubt that whole elephants-eating-peanuts cliche, but here’s one you can take to the bank: Many Gulf of Mexico predators will eagerly gobble a tasty little treat known as the peanut pogy. “POGIES ARE HARDY BAITS, EASY TO KEEP ALIVE, AND THEY SWIM ACTIVELY. THEIR SCENT INSTANTLY ATTRACTS FISH, WHILE THEIR SIGNATURE SILVER FLASH IS VISIBLE FROM A DISTANCE.”—CAPT. ANTHONY RANDAZZO, PARADISE PLUS LODGE, VENICE, LOUISIANA Found from Florida to Texas, with particular concentrations in the northern Gulf of Mexico, peanuts are the juvenile stage of the Gulf menhaden (aka pogy), which is well-known for its kingfish,…

TEST CONDITIONS WEATHER Sunny LOCATION Miami WIND West 10 to 15 mph SEA STATE 2- to 3-foot chop TEST LOAD Six adults, 350 gallons of fuel, 100 gallons of water CONTENDER HAS TAKEN FULL ADVANTAGE OF THE 43-FOOT-10-INCH OVERALL LENGTH AND 12-FOOT BEAM ON ITS LATEST MODEL. “FA” STANDS FOR FISH AROUND, AND THE BOAT OFFERS 360-DEGREE RAIL ACCESS FOR SERIOUS OFFSHORE FISHING, PLUS COMFORTABLE OVERNIGHTING ACCOMMODATIONS AND OPTIONAL SECOND-ROW SEATING. Powered by triple (or even quad) Yamaha 425 outboards and equipped with a 575-gallon fuel capacity, the new 44-footer is perfect for lengthy runs, island hopping, and spending long weekends at your favorite fishing destination. Hardcore anglers will be glad to know the 44FA offers a 300-gallon forward fish box, plus a pair of 100-gallon fish lockers under the…

On his first redfishing trip to Louisiana, Tom Kallam of Huntsville, Alabama, limited out early on his one-day charter. So he and his captain turned their attention to tripletail. This 35-pounder, his first ever, may well be on its way to the state record book as the third-largest tripletail ever caught in Louisiana. 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@saltwatersportsman.com or via U.S. mail: SWS Editor, 460 N. Orlando Ave., Suite 200, Winter Park, FL 32789. Unsolicited manuscripts are welcomed but will not be acknowledged or returned unless accompanied by an SASE.…

Intrepid 407 Nomad Intrepid recently added a 40-footer with two console configurations to its Nomad series: the 407 Nomad FE with front entry to the head, and the 407 Nomad SE with side entry. The FE features Intrepid’s aluminum T-top with FRP hard-top, allowing for extra aft cockpit space, plus an Ocean Elite helm seat with fiberglass base, forward seating with storage and electric backrests, and a forward lounge, also with electric back-rests, deck storage, a sun pad and fish box. The SE model offers a sleeker look, with a composite T-top with full-height wraparound glass wind-shield for additional protection, and forward deck storage with a sun pad and fish box. Standard features on both models include an integrated bracket for twin or triple engines, high-low actuated table/filler for forward…

IT WAS SATURDAY, APRIL 6, 2019, AND MY 28 PARKER SPORT CABIN HAD BEEN IN THE WATER FOR SIX DAYS, READY TO TARGET THE ANTICIPATED SPRING RUN OF BIG STRIPED BASS. That was the opening of New Jersey’s trout season, however. And honoring a family tradition, my son and first mate, Tommy, and I were there for opening day. After the first hour of fishing, we had nothing to show. Then my son got a phone call from a buddy who mates on one of the local party boats. “Get out here now,” he said. “Big bass are everywhere.” Without hesitation, we sped to the dock, and 20 minutes later, we were smack in the middle of a major blitz of huge stripers. The migration of big bass in our…

Pogies rarely respond to sabiki rigs, so cast-netting is your best option. Just know that these fleet-footed baitfish can be nervous and easily spooked, especially in shallow water. It’s often a cat-and-mouse kinda deal, so stay alert and ready to act. Start in deeper areas and work inward, with the net man on the bow, and everyone scanning and listening. Go with the wind as much as possible because this minimizes bait-spooking hull slap. Also, throwing into the wind can stall a small net—Louisiana limits recreational anglers to 8-foot cast nets—and allow the pogies to scoot out of the drop zone. Notwithstanding their durable nature, dropping pogies onto a boat deck shortens their shelf life and knocks away some of that smelly slime. To avoid bruising your baits, drop them…

TEST CONDITIONS WEATHER Partly cloudy LOCATION Albemarle Sound, North Carolina WIND East 5 to 10 knots SEA STATE Calm TEST LOAD Two adults, 180 gallons of fuel FIRST LOOKS CAN BE DECEIVING. OUR FIRST GLIMPSE OF THE NEW ALBEMARLE 31 DC SITTING ON A CRADLE AT THE END OF THE PRODUCTION LINE IN EDENTON, NORTH CAROLINA, WAS JUST THAT. THE BOAT LOOKED LIKE A SLICK EXPRESS FISHERMAN WITH THE CURVED LINES OF THE WINDSHIELD FLOWING INTO ITS GRACEFUL SHEER. Festooned with rod holders, the hard top legs appeared ready for a marlin tower. But, surprisingly, a change of perspective revealed a bow seating area forward of the walk-through windshield. The popularity of bowrider boats has been tracking steadily upward with the growth of fishing as a more family-oriented sport. Recognizing…