Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2021 i Salt Water Sportsman

Hank Luepke 11, Montana 11, Montana An avid SWS reader and landlocked trout fisherman, Hank’s dream of tuna fishing came true on his first saltwater expedition—a recent trip to Panama with his father—where he tangled with this tuna as well as a slug of dorado. Alex Parrett 9, Indiana On annual trips to fish with his grandfather in the Florida Keys, Alex has become skilled at yellowtail snapper fishing, as evidenced by this 7-pound, 4-ouncer he caught off Alligator Reef in Islamorada. Harper Uchtmann 7, Missouri Having fished from Cape Cod to Catalina Island since the age of 3, Harper recently battled this Alabama red snapper on her own, from start to finish, while the crew just stood back and watched her get the job done. NOMINATE A KID: SWS recognizes…

Excuse me while I mention a dirty word here: organize. Sorry, I normally don’t use foul language, but whether we like it or not, organizing the gear aboard our boats simply makes us better anglers. Bluewater fishermen, in particular, must prepare for anything. Going kingfishing? Well, in some of the same locations you might also find sailfish, dolphin, wahoo, and even reef fishes. Likewise, most inshore anglers need to consider redfish, trout, flounder, and even snook or stripers. Either way, if you’re not prepared with the right tackle, you might miss an awesome bite. “The key is to have what you need, when you need it,” says off shore-tournament captain George Mitchell of Mexico Beach, Florida, who was kind enough to offer some tips for getting the right kit together…

Few pieces of real estate prove more valuable on a fishing boat than the helm, especially with the growing number of electronic tools available to anglers. Rivaled only by the value of fishing space, the helm (aka dash) serves as a vessel’s nerve center, home to controls, displays, gauges, chargers, switches and more. Yet all of these take up space, and eventually that space runs out. The smaller your helm, the more quickly this occurs. However, with a little creative thinking, upgrades and special rigging, you can squeeze in more electronics and, in some cases, even leave room for expansion. Let’s look at seven ways to add electronics when you might think there is no room for more. Multitask If your boat’s helm is equipped with a combo unit with…

FISHLAB BIO-FLYER The Bio-Flyer winged bait harness from Fishlab, inspired by West Coast bluefin tuna techniques, provides a convenient and economical alternative for anglers pursuing offshore species with flying-fish baits. Designed to fit any 10- to 12-inch bait, such as dead or live mackerel, the through-body-harness pin keeps the mylar wings outspread for lifelike flying-fish appeal. Available in black and clear. $12.99; fishlabtackle.com BERKLEY CHOPPO Balanced to swim straight at a variety of speeds, Berkley’s Choppo Saltwater lure delivers explosive topwater action thanks to a durable cupped propeller tail, formulated to stand up to the heat and produce maximum surface disturbance. Heavy-duty stainless-steel split rings and 3X Fusion19 hooks offer enhanced holding power. Available in 10 colors in either a 3/4-ounce model with No. 2 trebles or a 1-ounce model…

LOCATE Finding Baja roosters requires patrolling the beach by boat or ATV. PRESENT The first cast offers your best chance for success, so practice your casting and stay alert. HOLD ON Once you set the hook on a rooster, expect a tough tug of war. What attracted me to the small fishing community of Los Barriles on the East Cape of Baja was the staggering variety of inshore and offshore gamefish. I’ll gladly take the striped marlin, sailfish, dorado, yellowfin tuna, wahoo, pargo and the rest of the 80 varieties of gamefish here, but it’s the black-and-white-painted faces of roosterfish that make me tremble. Size-and-tackle-wise, roosters are middleweights. Strikingly gorgeous, predatory, selective and powerful, they grow to 5 feet and 110 pounds, and are endowed with bull-like shoulders and a…

NOAA recently confirmed that a large area of oxygen-depleted water is growing off Pacific Northwest shores. Data from local moorings, measurements collected by fishermen using dissolved-oxygen sensors provided by NOAA, and oceanic measurements collected during a NOAA scientific cruise corroborate the presence of hypoxic (oxygen-depleted) waters off the Washington and Oregon coasts. “Low dissolved oxygen levels have become the norm in the Pacific Northwest, but this event started much earlier than we’ve seen in our records,” says Oregon State University professor Francis Chan, director of NOAA cooperative institute CIMERS. Oxygen-depleted bottom waters occur seasonally along Washington and Oregon’s continental shelf when strong winds in spring and summer trigger upwellings that bring deep, cold, nutrient-rich water to the surface. These waters fuel plankton blooms, and when the blooms die off, they…

In the last 10 years or so, fisheries science has been moving toward ecosystem-based management. In the simplest of terms, this means that all those flora and fauna in the ocean, and land as well, have some level of interrelationship. So, just as some movement has been made toward implementing this management philosophy, out comes a study that basically says hold your horses. The study says we don’t think the interrelationship between predator and prey is as strong as it is being portrayed by fisheries managers. Put another way, the study says there is not a strong correlation between the stock status of the prey and the stock status of the predator. This study was not done by any run-of-the-mill marine biologists, but by some of the most well-known scientists…

Guidance System The MSC 10 marine satellite compass from Garmin integrates GNSS and attitude and heading sensors for GPS-derived data void of magnetic interference. It can be used as the primary compass for multiple systems via NMEA 2000 networking and is compatible with a wide range of Garmin chart plotters. It also delivers pitch, roll and heave information to vital instruments, such as the autopilot. $1,099.99; garmin.com Satellite Messenger The ACR Bivy Stick satellite messenger and app offer SMS messaging, tracking and location sharing, chart access, weather and distress calling. The 4-inch device weighs 3 ounces and works with a smartphone anywhere with a view of the sky, using the high-power antenna for reliable connectivity. It contacts rescue services with an SOS button or via the app. $349.95 plus $49.99…

1 G.LOOMIS FLATS FLY ROD The NRX+ T2S rods from G.Loomis provide peak performance under challenging fly-casting conditions. Mega Modulus+ graphite and GL8 resin, in a compound taper, marry crisp action with smooth, rapid recovery. The two-piece, 8-foot-10-inch blanks—86-inch tip section, 22-inch butt—offer portability and one-piece rod performance. The series includes five fly rods, from 8-to-12-weight, all featuring a full Wells cork grip, custom aluminum reel seat, and matte-black finish. $895; g.loomis.com 2 OKUMA SILVER SLAYER RODS Okuma’s Silver Slayer spinning rods, designed for tarpon, use UFR11 tip technology, blending unidirectional fiber over 24-ton carbon to boost power without sacrificing sensitivity. Four models feature Fuji K-Concept guides to reduce line tangles and twist, SeaGuide double-locking Alien reel seats and Fuji gimbals. Available in 7 feet and 7 feet, 9 inches,…

LENGTH: 22' BEAM: 8'6" DRAFT: 15" DEADRISE: 18 degrees FUEL: 80 gal. WEIGHT: 4,135 lb. MAX HP: 250 PRICE: $88,156 BOSTON WHALER: bostonwhaler.com BOSTON WHALER REVAMPS ITS LINEUP CONTINUALLY. FOR 2021, THE MIDSIZE DAUNTLESS MODELS WERE UPDATED WITH CLEANER, MORE ROOMY LAYOUTS, WITH ADDED STANDARD FEATURES AND OPTIONS. THE 220 NOW BOASTS ADDED FISHABILITY AND COMFORT, OFFERING ANGLERS A VERSATILE, WELLEQUIPPED CENTER-CONSOLE THAT’S FAMILY-FRIENDLY, AND EASY TO RUN, TRAILER AND STORE. The redesigned Dauntless sports a sleeker and unsinkable hull that takes on moderate chop with confidence, honoring its builder’s seaworthiness tradition. The 18-degree deadrise and increased freeboard (now 22 inches) make leaving protected bay waters to fish a wreck or troll the reef edge a simple decision. The new 220 is also roomier than its predecessor. The expansive raised…

Michael Roth of Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania, was fly-fishing the flats off Venice, Louisiana, when a school of baitfish moved into range with a gang of large jack crevalle in hot pursuit. He threw a chartreuse-and-white Clouser Minnow that he’d recently tied into the melee, and 25 minutes later, landed this 26-pounder. 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, 480 N. Orlando Ave., Suite 236, Winter Park, FL32789. Unsolicited manuscripts are welcomed but will not be acknowledged or returned unless accompanied by an SASE. We are not…

The latest model from Tidewater Boats, the 272 LXF proves you don’t have to sacrifice fishability for comfort and convenience. This 27-foot center-console is loaded with fishing features, including dual 20-gallon livewells, twin 30-gallon macerated fish boxes, flush-mount rod holders, gunwale rod racks, a raw-water washdown and more. Seating encompasses twin bow benches with 28 gallons of storage beneath and stowaway backrests for lounging, a forward console lounge with armrests and a 35-gallon cooler underneath, a deluxe aluminum leaning post with drop bolster at the helm, and a fixed stern bench with backrests and storage. Other notable standard equipment includes a fiberglass hardtop with spreader lights and integrated glass enclosure with adjustable air vents, a Lewmar windlass, a bow-filler cushion, a JL stereo, a compass, trim tabs with indicators, a…

Nothing quite beats the excitement of a striped bass, seatrout or snook blowing up on the surface after your topwater plug. Even if you miss them, you’re still getting hits that you can see. It’s almost as much fun as catching them. Now imagine the thrill of a giant bluefin tuna inhaling your lure on the surface. That’s excitement on steroids. Even Capt. Rob Radlof, who specializes in throwing topwater lures for stripers and bluefish off the beaches, and occasionally ventures off shore for tuna from his home port in Highlands, New Jersey, was in awe after catching a 104-inch, 587-pound bluefin with a stickbait on spinning tackle. “We were hoping to hook into 300-pound tuna. We weren’t really targeting a 600-pounder,” Radlof says, adding that it took four hours…

LENGTH: 41' BEAM: 12'3" DRAFT: 35" DEADRISE: 23 degrees FUEL: 525 gal. WATER: 45 gal. WEIGHT: 20,000 lb. MAX HP: 1,800 PRICE: $1,104,250 w/triple Yamaha 425 XTOs solaceboats.com AFTER MAKING A BIG SPLASH IN 2019 WITH THE 345, ITS FIRST MODEL, SOLACE HAS INTRODUCED THE 41CS, A LARGER FISHING CENTERCONSOLE THAT CEMENTS THE BUILDER’S MODUS OPERANDI: LET FUNCTIONALITY, COMFORT AND PERFORMANCE DRIVE EVERY MODEL’S DESIGN, AND COME UP WITH INNOVATIVE WAYS TO INCREASE BOTH EFFICIENCY AND CONVENIENCE. it seems it didn’t take long for customers to demand a bigger craft powered by triple outboards, and Solace answered the call by launching a beauty of a 41-footer with a twin-stepped hull—with reversed, dynamic tracking chines, and hydrodynamic release for faster planing—built of carbon fiber and Innegra, with vacuum-infused epoxy for maximum…