Innholdsfortegnelse for August/September 2020 i Salt Water Sportsman

It Takes More Than Just Luck Longtime SWS subscriber Mike Abdul claims it was luck that made possible this great catch, a 40-plus-pound redfish he landed at Sebastian Inlet, Florida, in April. He battled the fish, which measured 54 inches in length and 26 in girth, on 15-pound monofilament for over 45 minutes, and released it right after a quick photo. 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, 480 N. Orlando Ave., Suite 236, Winter Park, FL32789. Unsolicited manuscripts are welcomed but will…

sometimes, you just want to tear your hair out, which isn’t easy for some of us. How is it possible that something that makes so much sense is so hard to accomplish? We are talking facts, not fake news or alternative facts. Don’t we all want a win for the environment, a win for fisheries, a win for business and a win for the state? Sure, off shore oil drilling has been on a lot of folks’ hate lists, but here is a chance to get some real benefits. We have discussed this before, and frankly, I felt it would be a done deal, not an ordeal. Rigs-to-reefs programs have been successfully implemented in the Gulf of Mexico, and we thought the oil rigs off the coast of California would…

Calcutta 480 Express Calcutta Boats now offers a catamaran option for offshore anglers looking for a plush battlewagon to fish, island hop and overnight in comfort. The lines of the 480 Express are sure to turn heads. Step aboard and you’ll find a spacious, ergonomically designed layout laden with comforts and conveniences. There’s ample seating—the bridge deck alone seats 10—and massive in-floor storage in the cockpit, two well-appointed staterooms that sleep six, and an equal number of head compartments complete with freshwater showers, plus a galley and tackle center located either in the cockpit or on the bridge deck to port (depending on owner’s preference). Ten rod holders come standard, with plenty of room for more. And there are various livewell options, ranging from 70 to 150 gallons, as well…

JUVIES One-year-olds (14 to 16 inches long) frequent shorelines. SUB-ADULTS These 20-plus-inchers offer consistent sight-fishing.ADULTS Fall is prime for big pre-spawners in river mouths, rips and the surf When the rod arched violently in the holder and line screamed from the reel, I was the only one who moved. It seems catching 15 big redfish in as many minutes left my fellow anglers exhausted. Shamed by a few choice words, one took the rod. A few minutes later, the 45-inch fish came boatside, where it was quickly released. As a marine fisheries biologist, I’ve enjoyed a 30-plus-year professional relationship with redfish from my home base on Georgia’s central coast. But it’s the days I’ve spent with a rod in hand, pursuing them for the thrill of the catch that I…

What seems like a good plan on the way in sometimes proves otherwise on the way out. In March, during spring break, my son and I drove to Corpus Christi in search of speckled trout and reds. We found both, including a 29-inch seatrout for my son on the boat of longtime friend and guide Cliff Webb. It was Webb, with good intentions, who planted a seed that turned sour. “If you want, this afternoon, you might try Packery Channel,” Webb suggested as we stepped off his boat. “Drum and some sheepshead. Might be fun.” The pitch sounded harmless enough, and my son couldn’t wait. He’d fish in an empty bucket. And minutes later, I made my first buy of fresh-dead shrimp in decades. Half a pound. The purchase was…

US Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.) in a Fort Myers News-Press op-ed, and numerous environmental groups via letters to the state’s congressional delegation, criticized the latest scheme by U.S. Sugar and Florida Crystals to turn Lake Okeechobee into their private reservoir. Under the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) of 2000, the Army Corps of Engineers manages Lake Okeechobee based on five priorities: flood control, water supply, environmental preservation, navigation and recreation. Congress must decide this year how the Corps will manage the lake starting in 2022, and the sugar industry wants language included in the 2020 Water Resources Development Act that would keep the lake level high to ensure water for irrigation. High water levels in the past forced the Corps to repeatedly discharge water polluted from farm and suburban runoff…

Scott Lesak 5, Texas Scott has fished nearly every weekend since he was 3. He caught this flounder in Port O’Connor, Texas, on an April fishing trip with his dad. Though an experienced freshwater angler as well, he prefers fishing in salt water. Jacob Boskus 13, Massachusetts Already a 10-year veteran angler who fishes 300 days a year, Jacob has mastered tackle rigging, catch-and-release, and even cooking his catch. He caught this black sea bass fishing off Monomoy Shoals, Massachusetts. Quincy McGowen 8, North Carolina Quincy maintains a list of fish he’d like to catch, but he hadn’t been able to scratch offred drum until he caught this one on a live croaker while fishing with his grandpa and sister in Bath Creek, North Carolina. NOMINATE A KID: SWS recognizes kids…

With a bait set 1,565 feet deep for swordfish, Capt. Jack Carlson of Two Conchs charters was just 30 minutes into his first morning drift in the Atlantic waters off Marathon, Florida, when he noticed a bright red, elongated mark on the screen of his Furuno TZtouch3 multifunction display. To his trained eyes, his high-power chirp depth sounder had picked up the unmistakable mark of a swordfish. Seconds later, the rod tip twitched and then sprang upward, indicating the sword had eaten the bait and was rocketing upward with the heavy sinker in tow. Carlson and his crew were hooked up. Forty minutes later, the swordfish they had spotted on the screen—a 120-pounder—came aboard amid hoots and high-fives. Pierce the Abyss Even veteran anglers like Carlson marvel at the strange…

TEST CONDITIONS WEATHER Sunny LOCATION Stuart, Florida WIND Southeast, 12 knots SEA STATE 3- to 5-foot chop TEST LOAD Four adults, 200 gallons of fuel, 500 pounds of gear WE DON’T ALWAYS GET TO FISH THE BOATS WE TEST, BUT OUR CONQUEST LEFT PORT ON TEST DAY WITH THE 19-GALLON LIVEWELL FULL OF BLUE RUNNERS, AND WE CARRIED TWO KITES AND A QUIVER OF BIG-GAME STICKS. WE ALSO HAD COLD DRINKS AND LUNCH IN THE REFRIGERATOR, AND A FIRST-RATE MATE, SKIPPER AND FISHING BUDDIES ALONG. the luxury touch to the 405’s fishability begins with the expanded pilothouse, a wraparound glass enclosure that gives the captain a superior view of the waters ahead and obstacles approaching from abeam while enabling him to keep an easy eye on the fishing action in…

1 Costa Tailwalker The Tailwalker from Costa features cool styling and adjustable, lockinglever temple tips for a perfect customized fit. Three frame colors are available—all with Costa 580 polarized lenses—in five colors in glass, and four in plastic. $269; costadelmar.com 2 GoPro Mini Zeus With four levels of brightness up to 200 lumens, this waterproof clip light provides handsfree LED illumination as a headlamp or fixed light, with a flexible 360-degree swivel that fits any GoPro mount. The included diffuser provides 5,000K color temperature lighting, tuned for GoPro filming. $69.99; gopro.com 3 Raximus RodRail Keep rigged rods tidy and organized with the RodRail Rod Rack from Raximus. Available in two colors, it mounts to walls, ceilings and even inside garage doors, horizontally, vertically or overhead. The free-standing GoRack offers the…

THINGS WERE LOOKING UP FROM THE START. I’D LOADED THE LIVEWELL WITH PORK-CHOP MENHADEN ON THE FIRST THROW OF THE CAST NET, AND SHORTLY AFTER I REACHED THE WRECK—15 MILES OFF VIRGINIA BEACH—AND PUT OUT THE FIRST LIVEY, A SMOKER POUNDED IT AND WAS OFF TO THE RACES BEFORE I COULD GET A SECOND BAIT IN THE WATER. I remember hearing that first outrigger clip pop and the line zing off the reel. The rest is sort of a blur. But two hours later, after cranking in and releasing a dozen big kings, I was out of breath, drenched in sweat and nursing sore arms. Local Knowledge Off Virginia Beach, my home port, king mackerel fishing is more of a niche pursuit practiced by a cult of dedicated inshore anglers.…

TEST CONDITIONS WEATHER Cloudy LOCATION Tampa, Florida WIND Southeast 15 to 20 knots SEA STATE 2- to 3-foot waves TEST LOAD Three adults, 300 gallons of fuel SALTWATER ANGLERS GRAVITATE TOWARD CENTERCONSOLES MAINLY DUE TO THEIR 360 DEGREES OF CASTING AND FISH-FIGHTING ACCESS. YET A GROWING NUMBER ARE TURNING TO DUAL-CONSOLES, WHICH INCLUDE MORE SEATING ON THE BRIDGE DECK, WIDER HARDTOPS FOR MORE SHADE, AND ROOMIER AFT DECKS FOR FISHING THAN COMPARABLE CENTER-CONSOLES. The new Pursuit DC 326 exemplifies the many advantages of a dual-console layout, and it combines them with abundant offshore fishing features. The twin-outboard-powered 34-footer has everything anyone would want in an all-purpose platform, including overnight amenities ideal for spending a few days fishing away from home. When it comes to fishing features, the Pursuit offers 15…