Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2020 i Salt Water Sportsman

As the pandemic slogs on, it has morphed from what we once thought would be a brief interruption to almost a way of life. And since it’s beyond any of our powers to make it go away, we mask up and carry on. The fact is, there’s a lot of fishing getting done right now, and if you look at that and squint just right, any inconvenience is hard to detect. Boats of all variety, from canoes to the class that rivals your mortgage, are selling like crazy, as is tackle. The recent ICAST show, in virtual format, rolled out plenty of new gear, which we’re going to need. There are simply more people than ever on the water and fishing. Almost on demand, it seems, the Great American Outdoors…

It is impossible to believe how dumb I have been for all these years. Well, dumb or naive, or maybe both. I have believed all those fisheries scientists. I have believed the results of tens of thousands of years of evolution. Apparently, that is all wrong, or maybe just fake science. Who would have thought that human interaction with fish stocks would improve the spawning-stock potential? Well, some commercial fishermen in Alaska think that is precisely the case. They believe the more you take, the better it gets. The question is, for whom? We (humans) have not had a great deal of success in trying to outwit Mother Nature. This whole discussion centers around an effort by the United Cook Inlet Drift Association to have management of salmon taken away…

SeaVee 450Z SeaVee Boats is getting ready to launch the 450Z, its center-console flagship built with a state-of-the-art manufacturing process, resulting in a lighter yet practically indestructible hull. The innovative twin-stepped hull enhances efficiency, handling and speed, incorporating multiple planing strakes and speed rails to achieve maximum lift with minimum resistance—without bow rise or dipping—and superb directional stability. Amenities include a generator, Seakeeper 6, air conditioning, safety-glass windshield with integral composite frame, oversize dash with room for three 22-inch MFDs, electrically actuated side door, and cabin with convertible settee with a high-low table, galley with microwave, fridge, food-prep area, counter and sink, and a private head with porcelain toilet, vanity, sink and shower. The 450Z offers a variety of options in the tower configuration and seating, abundant rod and tackle…

1 POWERPRO DEPTH-HUNTER PowerPro Depth-Hunter Offshore braid changes color every 100 feet, with tick marks every 10 feet, for precise deep-dropping, targeting deep swordfish or setting a repeatable trolling spread with ease. The Enhanced Body Technology offers an improved strength-to-diameter ratio. Available in 1,000-, 1,500- and 3,000-yard spools of 65-, 80- and 130-pound-test. $129.99 to $489.99; powerpro.com 2 ST. CROIX MOJO INSHORE RODS The redesigned Mojo Inshore rods from St. Croix offer 27 models: 19 spinners, from 61⁄2 feet to 7 feet, 11 inches, light to extra-heavy; and eight casting rods, from 7 feet to 7 feet, 11 inches, light to extra-heavy. Lightweight SCIII carbon and Integrated Poly Curve technology eliminate transition points for smooth action from butt to tip. $160 to $230; stcroixrods.com 3 PENN BATTLE III The Battle…

TARGETS: Fly anglers can expect to catch calico bass, Pacific barracuda, bonito and California yellowtail near Catalina Island. BRING: Fly patterns that resemble anchovies and small sardines produce the most fish. Brent Brauner had dreamed for years of fly fishing the island of Santa Catalina, off the coast of Southern California. On this day in early October, he got his chance, having joined me aboard my 21½-foot center-console for the 24-mile crossing from the mainland. I anchored near a reef, a few hundred yards off the mountainous front side of the island, where a current ran to the east, bending fronds of kelp below the surface. Brauner’s first cast put the fly about 75 feet astern. He let his sinking line descend for a few seconds, and then began to…

Following a refreshingly bipartisan moment, in which the US Senate voted 73 to 25 to pass the Great American Outdoors Act, the single largest investment in America’s public lands and waters in decades was signed into law, capping off years of advocacy from the outdoor recreation industry, and the angling and boating community. The landmark conservation legislation will address two long-standing priorities. First, it creates the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund, which will make a $9.5 billion down payment over a five-year period on the $19 billion maintenance backlog in our national parks, forests, wildlife refuges, recreation areas and American Indian schools, thereby allowing the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and US Forest Service to improve trails, campgrounds, roads and…

Joey Owens fishes the bays and harbors, kelp beds and reefs of the Southern California coast from his 16-foot aluminum skiff. His entire electronics arsenal consists of a single Garmin Striker 4, featuring a chirp fish finder and GPS/chart plotter. It serves him well, leading him to phenomenal scores of calico bass, sand bass, spotted bass, California halibut, and even thresher sharks. “It does everything I want for finding structure, bait and fish,” Owens says. “I really don’t need anything more for the kind of inshore fishing I do.” In an age when big-screen multifunction displays are all the rage, so-called combo units don’t receive as much attention from saltwater anglers. However, these machines are among the bestselling models from major brands such as Furuno, Humminbird, Lowrance, Simrad, Garmin and…

SCORING MONSTER STRIPED BASS IS A SHARED DREAM FOR THOUSANDS OF COASTAL ANGLERS, BUT FEW HAVE HIT ON A TACTIC THAT CONSISTENTLY PRODUCES FISH OVER THE COVETED 50-POUND MARK. Last December, I fished with someone who has: Chuck Many, aboard Tyman, his 28-foot True World berthed in Cape Charles, Virginia. He’s been fishing for trophy stripers here the past six winters, towing his boat from Highlands, New Jersey. We left the slip before first light, guiding the boat north, deeper into Chesapeake Bay, where he caught bass over 50 pounds on his last few outings. We’d use his proven technique, which works for monster bass wintering in the bay, as well as everywhere else he has tried it along the striper’s migratory path, in both spring and fall. Eels and…

PERFECTION IN BOATS DOESN’T COME EASY. ONE PACKED WITH FISHABILITY FEATURES OFTEN LACKS THE COMFORTS MOST APPRECIATED BY MORE-CASUAL ANGLERS. THAT’S NOT THE CASE WITH ROBALO’S 246 CAYMAN SD, A BROAD-SHOULDERED BAY BOAT OFFERING AMPLE SPACE, AND A GREAT BLEND OF FISHING AMENITIES AND COMFORT APPOINTMENTS. Everyone wants a comfortable, dry ride. The 246 Cayman SD—with its 16 degrees of transom deadrise—achieves that, riding tall in the water, which provides a marked feeling of security, and enables it to deflect bow spray when it isn’t just plain outrunning it. We experienced the Robalo soft ride during our test drive on a windy day near Daytona, Florida, where we ran over a constant 1-foot chop and frequent sizable wakes on the Intracoastal Waterway. The stable deck underfoot, minimal vibration, and lack…

Apalpable, years-old cloud of embarrassment still hangs over Froggy’s Bait Dock in Port O’Connor, Texas, where the unthinkable nearly happened to the owner of one big, beautiful boat. Kevin shared the story and asked that I rename the participants, if I retold it. Fair enough. So, we’ll go with Abel, Baker and Charlie. The four men are old friends and family by marriage. They have fished together since high school, and had just had a good day off shore—limits of snapper, a nice cobia and other notable bites. Abel owns 24 feet of gorgeous, sleek hull, wrapped with head-turning graphics. The boat is an eye-grabber coming, going or sitting still. That Saturday afternoon, the colorful hull grabbed plenty of attention as it nosed through two dozen other boats idling around…

THE US SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE AND TRANSPORTATION APPROVED LEGISLATION reauthorizing the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund, which supports about $650 million annually in fishery restoration, fish stocking, boating access and infrastructure, making it a top priority for the recreational angling and boating community. Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), former governor of the Sunshine State who had a less-than-stellar record on environmental issues during his tenure, and Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) were the only committee members to oppose reauthorizing the popular program. In addition to reauthorization of the Trust Fund, the bill includes provisions requiring studies on nonmotorized-vessel waterway access, as well as the impacts of abandoned vessels. The US House of Representatives previously approved a large infrastructure measure that included the Sport Fish Restoration and Recreational Boating…

Jack Morgan 7, Florida A back-bay veteran, Jack took handily to the challenge of open water when his dad took him to the mouth of the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Florida, where he landed this 5½-pound sheepshead on a fiddler crab. Hayden Kinney 6, Florida Hayden enjoys all her time on the water, from freshwater fishing to scalloping with her family and, of course, saltwater fishing. She caught this grouper, her first ever, fishing the waters off Anna Maria Island, Florida. Landen Jones 7, Delaware With more than three years of angling experience under his belt, Landen is an old hand at catching a number of species in his home waters of Chesapeake Bay and the Delaware River. Weakfish, like this hefty pair, are his favorite. NOMINATE A KID: SWS…

Although the kingfish tournament trail sagged during the last decade, many anglers still swear by downriggers, as controlled-depth fishing has proven to elicit bites on days when traditional methods fail. “If you’re not fishing with a downrigger, you’re fishing just 1 percent of the water column,” says Ron Mitchell, a Cannon-sponsored tournament captain. “I fish them for kingfish and also for wahoo. Right now, guys are installing downriggers to use in Florida and Louisiana, and getting monster red snapper. That’s how they’re catching grouper off the bottom off the west coast of Florida.” Cannon and Troll-Master, which makes manual riggers exclusively, primarily supply the East and Gulf coasts markets. In the Pacific Northwest, anglers frequently use Scotty downriggers to catch salmon. Prices range from $250 for a manual unit to…

Plus Side Raymarine’s new Axiom+ multifunction displays are available in 7-, 9- and 12-inch display models, and offer quad-core processors, four built-in sonar channels, and HydroTough nano-coated screens that enable touch control in all conditions. Complementary new LightHouse charts are derived from official hydrographic sources. Starting at $749 for Axiom+ models, $79 for LightHouse charts; raymarine.com Get the Signal AirWave Marine’s Combo SiriusXM and AM/FM radio antenna is available in 4- and 8-foot lengths. It’s simple to install and connect with AirWave’s ProConnect Cable System. The fiberglass tube is built to withstand impact and continual motion. A stainless-steel ferrule threads onto a standard marine mount. Inside the antennas, purecopper elements optimize audio-signal reception. Available in white or black. Starting at $199; airwavemarine.com Sound Investment Fusion’s Apollo WB670 hideaway system and…

When a 250-pound blue marlin engulfed a dink bait on the flat line and line peeled off the impossibly small reel, the angler looked worried, but Capt. Randy Butler didn’t break a sweat. He knew the reel was up to the task because, despite their reduced size, the new super reels pack the same power and line capacity as their larger, heavier offshore counterparts, and this allows him to target a wider range of fish with lighter tackle, and make the fight more fun. Big Game The latest generation of lightweight, high-power reels was born on the water. When white marlin anglers turned to fishing small ballyhoo on circle hooks, they needed a lighter, more nimble rod and reel to feed the fish and set the hook. The combo also…

A SEASONED RACER, AND ACCOMPLISHED AND EXPERIENCED BUILDER BRINGS CAYMAS, AN ALL-NEW SERIES OF FISHING BOATS, TO AMERICAN ANGLERS. THE 341 CC, THE LATEST AND LARGEST, HAS THE PERFORMANCE AND DECK PLAN TO SUIT THE MOST DEMANDING FISHERMEN. Champion boat racer Earl Bentz, founder of Stratos, Javelin and Triton, reunited his Triton team to develop an all-new line of fishing boats. Caymas burst on the scene with the launch of two hybrid bay boats in 2019, and recently added the 341 CC, the company’s new flagship, to its saltwater lineup. All three models draw on Michael Peters’ marine design of the SVVT step-bottom hull, which helps any outboards on its transom achieve outstanding performance. The SVVT hull also features a transom step that runs forward 7 feet, creating a sharpedged…