Innholdsfortegnelse for June/July 2020 i Salt Water Sportsman

ANGLERS MAY SOON BE SUBJECT TO NEW PERMITTING AND REPORTING requirements to target golden or blueline tilefish north of the Virginia-North Carolina border. Under proposed regulations published by NOAA Fisheries, private recreational vessels (including for-hire operators using their boats for noncharter, recreational trips) would be required to obtain a federal vessel permit to fish for tilefish. They would also be required to submit vessel trip reports (VTRs) electronically within 24 hours of returning to port for trips where tilefish were targeted or retained. For complete details, visit mafmc.org. NEW REGS: Mid-Atlantic tilefish fans may face more than season closures and bag limits.…

The prospect of traveling to fish different waters can be intoxicating, but don’t get so caught up in the excitement that you forget to come up with backup plans to deal with eventualities like bad weather, rough seas or boat issues. Exploring new angling destinations is supposed to be fun, so your readiness to make the best of a potentially bad situation will keep you safer and reduce stress. Detailed weather forecasts of your destination and various locations along the way should be among the key factors to consider when planning a trip. “Always consider the possibility of things changing, and build in a little leeway to stay safe and comfortable. There is no excuse for beating up the boat or passengers,” says Capt. John Blumenthal of Palm Beach Gardens,…

Nearly all boats today feature safety-stop lanyards to shut down the engine(s) if the helmsman is tossed overboard. This helps ensure safety when traveling at high speed, boating solo, or fishing with guests who are unfamiliar with operating a boat. Lanyards, however, stretch to only about 5 feet, so they limit the skipper’s mobility considerably. But wireless kill switches now give the skipper the ability to leave the helm with the assurance the motor will stop if he falls overboard. All of these systems rely on small devices worn on the person and connected wirelessly with an onboard module. Here are the systems currently available. ACR Guardian The new Guardian, part of ACR’s OLAS (Overboard Location Alert System) series, stops boat engines within two seconds of a person going overboard.…

THE BEST BILLFISHERS KNOW THAT EVERY SEASON BRINGS NEW CHALLENGES, DEMANDING FLEXIBILITY AND FINE-TUNING OF STRATEGIES AND TECHNIQUES. In the summer of 2017, mid-Atlantic anglers fishing live bait hit big on white marlin. The following year, it seemed the whites got selective, turning their bills up at anything that wasn’t a dead tinker mackerel. Then, last summer, white marlin were scattered, and catches were few and far between. But at the same time, anglers saw a surge in both blue marlin and sailfish catches. It’s anyone’s guess what the next season will bring, but anglers willing to experiment stand the best chance of breaking the code on any given year. Bump It Up “Last year, white marlin fishing was tough,” says Capt. Jeremy Blunt of Ocean City, Maryland. “So, this…

FULLY VACUUM-BAGGED WITH 100 PERCENT VINYLESTER RESIN AND CORECELL SIDES, THE HAND-LAID FIBERGLASS STEPPED HULL OF THE 41TE, THE LATEST BLACKWATER CENTER-CONSOLE, IS DESIGNED FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE, SEAKEEPING ABILITY, AND A SOFT, DRY RIDE. The molded stringer and bulkhead grid ensures greater strength and rigidity. And all fish and storage boxes are glassed into the grid, and foamed in for insulation. Stainless plates further reinforce the transom to handle the largest outboards. Fit and finish are top-notch, with every hatch guttered, gasket-sealed, and fully finished inside for easy cleanup. Backing plates for all screws supporting the hardtop, leaning post, and hatch and door hinges are glassed into the hull or deck. Taking advantage of nearly 12 feet of beam, the boat layout affords more interior space than most center-consoles in…

Most golf courses have water features. And most golf-course water features, no matter what anyone tells you, hold catchable fish. My friend Sean Croft recalled a trip that he, his teenage son Kyle, and two other father-son pairs made to the Bahamas a while back. “We were staying at a nice resort,” Sean said, “and some of the guys wanted to play golf.” He and Kyle aren’t golfers, but they are fishermen. And they’d packed emergency supplies. The Croft’s luggage included two-piece baitcasting rods, and a tackle box with all-purpose favorites. As tee time neared, the golfers warmed up while Sean and Kyle rummaged through that tackle box. They’d never been on the golf course and had no idea what might swim in lakes they’d only seen in online photos.…

For much of the marine wildlife in the Gulf of Mexico, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill is not over. A recent report from the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) describes the ongoing restoration efforts and shows a number of species affected by the largest marine oil spill in history—10 in particular—continue to struggle a decade after the catastrophic event, which resulted in the discharge of nearly 5 million barrels of oil into Gulf waters, as estimated by the US government. The species most affected, according to the report, include the endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtle, coastal bottlenose dolphins, corals and Bryde’s whales. Kemp’s ridley sea turtles had shown promising recovery until 2010, the year of the oil spill. Before 2009, their nests had been increasing at a rate of 19 percent…

Every now and then, I see something that catches my attention. Sometimes I think, Aha, that’s a great idea, and sometimes I think, That’s just not right. Whether I agree or not, the writer has peaked my interest. A recent article in Charleston, South Carolina’s Post and Courier had that effect. The article was titled “High-tech advances in fishing gear threaten fish stocks off South Carolina and worldwide.” One might think of trawlers sweeping the ocean clean, but the gist of the article is that modern electronics allow recreational anglers to target deepwater snapper and grouper with such efficiency that they are negatively impacting the sustainability of these fish. The article inferred this was happening all over the world, but the specific information was local. “Rapidly advancing technology is raking…

The latest addition to the Cobia Dual Console lineup, the 330 DC, presents a seamless blend of comfort, versatility and luxury, featuring ample space, a wealth of amenities, and plush seating for 10. Anglers appreciate the roomy, uncluttered cockpit, bait-prep station with cooler and freshwater sink, 28-gallon livewell with clear lid, and in-floor, insulated fish boxes (115-gallon capacity) with optional macerators. There’s a side door to take a dip or slide a big catch on board with ease. And the new Cobia also comes with a summer kitchen with Corian countertop, sink, fridge, wine chilling cubby and optional 12-volt shore-power grill, plus a table that rises from the floor at the touch of a button for sharing a picnic lunch or cool beverages, or fill the gap between the forward…

Go Deep Furuno’s Deep Impact DI-FFAMP amplifier networks with the builtin, dual-channel TruEcho CHIRP fish finder in NavNet TZtouch3 multifunction displays. It boosts power of the standard 1 kW fish finder by 300 percent to view fish and bottom structure more clearly and at greater depths. It can also be configured as a high-power traditional continuous wave (CW) fish finder to work with high-power CW transducers. It powers 5 kW and 10 kW transducers to reach depths of 10,000 feet. $1,795; furunousa.com Cobra Strikes The MR HH600 floating IPX8 water-proof-rated handheld VHF radio from Cobra Marine has built-in GPS and DSC (digital selective calling), including a DSC distress button and flashlight that blinks an SOS. The 6-watt radio includes Bluetooth connectivity with a smartphone that allows you to make and…

There were 112 miles of ocean stretching between us and our destination. It was around 5 a.m. when we cleared Florida’s St. Lucie Inlet and set a due-east course to Grand Cay, part of the Abaco Islands in The Bahamas. After spending three days in nearby Fort Pierce, waiting for a break in the weather, finally the winds subsided and, with the boat full of fuel, ice and provisions, we were underway. With me aboard Entropy, the Insetta 45 chosen for our passage, were its owner, Mark Gray, and Jeffrey Spangler and Joel Shine, both with Insetta Boatworks based in St. Marys, Georgia. The boat’s twin hulls sliced gently through the seas at 25 mph. And as the lights of Florida’s Treasure Coast grew distant and the cloudless night sky…

Sterling Slovick 6, Florida A day after his sixth birthday, on a family trip to the Seychelles, Sterling landed his first bonefish on fly. He caught it all by himself while the guide was far away, helping his brother catch another one. Brody Rosenthal 10, Florida An avid angler, Brody fishes nearly every day off the family dock on the Intracoastal Waterway in Palm Valley, Florida. His catches, so far, include flounder, sharks, redfish, sheepshead, trout, ladyfish and black drum. James Tiganella 3, Connecticut James caught and released this small fluke off Niantic, Connecticut. He has also caught larger fluke, sea bass and squid. He has his own tackle at home, and he plays with it and practices his casting every day. NOMINATE A KID: SWS recognizes kids who represent sportsmanship,…

Cutwater’s latest, modestly called the C24, stretches the limits of what might be considered a 24-foot boat. On the water it measures nearly 30 feet overall. Designed for multiple functions, this walkaround offers the flexibility to spend the day fishing, cruising, diving, skiing or entertaining, combining efficient performance with a distinctive layout and amenities to please anglers and their families. The large, open cockpit incorporates toe rails, tackle and catch storage, a bait-rigging station, flush-mount rod holders, rod locker, and rocket-launcher-style rod rack on the optional hardtop. A Garmin GPSMap 942xs multifunction display is standard, with radar and a screen upgrade available as options. Other design elements and equipment include a private head with marine toilet and 6 feet, 2 inches of headroom, a pop-up ski tow, retractable stainless cleats,…

Until we hit the double hookup on surface-crashing silver salmon while an iceberg floated past, this trip had all the earmarks of too good to be true. We’ll meet on his 42-foot Nordic tug, Legend, at Harris Harbor in Juneau, Dave Carnes says, then head south on a fishing adventure unlike any other into Alaska’s remote, fish-rich and spectacularly scenic Southeast Panhandle. The plan is to fish for salmon, halibut and other saltwater game fish, dig clams, set pots for crab and shrimp dinners, and cruise and anchor in whatever protected cove whimsy takes us. When we get fished out, he adds, we’ll put our feet on the railing while crab water boils and halibut rods nod, eat prawns the size of Honduran cigars, and glass for drifting icebergs, whales,…

Walker’s Cay resort and marina, about 6 miles northwest of Grand Cay, lived in angling lore for 50 years before hurricanes Florence and Jeanne mauled the 69-acre key in 2004. Closed since 2005, Walker’s Cay is scheduled to rise again thanks to the efforts of new owner Carl A. Allen, founder and CEO of Texas-based Allen Exploration. Hurricane Dorian, in early September 2019, created a 60-day setback in the planned redevelopment of the island. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic halted the construction progress of Walker’s Cay. As of press time, both The Bahamas and United States had restricted all nonessential commerce in the face of the crisis. Nevertheless, work on the island was scheduled to resume once the restrictions had been lifted.…

REGULATOR MARINE MIGHT HAVE BEEN STYLISHLY LATE TO THE BAY-BOAT PARTY, BUT ITS TWO CROSSOVER VESSELS—INCLUDING THE NEW 24XO—HIT A STRATEGIC NICHE. THEY OFFER A SHALLOW DRAFT WITH A TRUE BIG-BOAT RIDE. SO TRUE, IN FACT, THAT OFFSHORE FISHING IN REASONABLE CONDITIONS IS AN EXPECTED PART OF THE OWNER’S GAME PLAN. In fact, plan A on our mid-February test day included highspeed trolling for wahoo offshore. But the sloppy 3- to 5-foot seas we encountered could hardly be considered reasonable conditions. So instead, our captain—Jon Hamilton, from Black Creek Marina and Bait Shop near Jacksonville, Florida—opted for inshore fishing near the mouth of the St. Johns River. Hamilton and Brad Knight, from Yamaha Marine Center of Jacksonville, launched the 24XO just after dawn, and we started a chilly ride east.…