Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2022 i Salt Water Sportsman

March is a pivotal month. The cycle of cold fronts abates in southern climes, and boats start going back in the water on the northern coasts. Fish start moving with purpose, and we’ll be right behind them. That’s a welcome thought as we go to press with this Spring Migration issue. On the northern coasts, we’re still beset by something called wintry mix, which is someone’s idea of making sleet sound cozy, as if it were a boutique blend instead of just miserable weather. Pair that with the risk involved in traveling over the past couple of years, and a lot of us are ready for a break—if not a return to normal, the opportunity to define a new one. There’s no joy in becoming an expert at canceling plans…

Once every 10 years, give or take, the government revisits the legislation that has controlled our marine fisheries since 1976, when the 200-mile-limit was enacted. Since its inception, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA) has put in place a management system that relies on folks with fisheries backgrounds to craft regulations in the legislation’s prescribed manner. It is a system not found anywhere else in the world. Those of us who have been part of it understand that, while not perfect, it’s envied by managers around the globe. In its current iteration, it has restored a number of fish stocks important to recreational anglers. Periodically, the act goes through a reauthorization. In the past, it has been the usual sausage-making process that grinds out legislation. But this current…

Building on the success of its previous two dual-console models, Sailfish Boats is launching a larger one offering a lot more room and a wealth of amenities. The new 316 DC balances fishing and family time, with all the angling essentials for a successful day on the water, plus a full-height and full-beam windshield with opening center panel and an integrated hardtop. Ample seating includes an electrically adjusted helm chair with bolster, swiveling companion captain’s chair, wraparound bow seating with insulated storage, three aft recessed bench seats, and rear-facing seats behind the helm seating. The cockpit is spacious and set up well for fishing, with features like a 35-gallon baitwell with clear lid, a pair of large in-floor fish boxes, toe rails, gunwale storage for six rods, eight transom rod…

Booster Boxes Apollo Series amplifiers from Fusion Entertainment use digital signal processing to enhance audio clarity. They are available in one-, two-, four-, six- and eight-channel models. With 150 watts of RMS power per channel, the compact amps are easy to install and set up with a wireless Fusion-Link connection. With the Fusion-Link app, you can tune the amplifiers from a mobile device. $179.99 to $949.99; fusionentertainment.com Auto Tunes The Glomex Automatic Gain Control DVB-T2 TV amplifier automatically selects the best signal and adjusts gain to provide optimal onboard TV viewing, whether connected to a dockside cable or using over-the-air reception. It runs on 12/24V DC with a maximum draw of 100 mA, and features dock and vessel antenna inputs, and TV/TV and TV/FM radio output coax ports. It comes…

The times they are a-changin’—again. Back in the 1920s, New Jersey was not known as a striped bass haven, but rather the channel bass (red drum or redfish) capital of the East Coast. Apparently, redfish were more commonplace in the Garden State than stripers a century ago. And for the past 10 years, the Northeast has again seen an increase in reds in local waters, only now they’re bringing along a host of warm-water friends. That’s right, reports indicate sheepshead, speckled trout, cobia, and both Spanish and king mackerel are also migrating farther north, reaching Northeast waters en masse. Here’s a look at their cyclical patterns, and when and how to target them successfully. Comeback Cobia While cobia have not exactly been a dependable catch off New Jersey shores, there…

While much of the conversation around climate change focuses on greenhouse gas emissions and their effects on Earth’s warming, sea-level rise and ocean acidification, atmospheric scientists believe oceanic oxygen levels are the next big casualty—to the detriment of marine life and the 3 billion people who depend on coastal fisheries for survival. The signs are becoming progressively evident. In Oregon, there have been dramatic episodes of Dungeness crabs washing ashore, unable to escape from coastal waters seasonally depleted of oxygen over the past two decades. Massive fish kills are happening along Florida’s Gulf coast, New York’s Hudson River and other areas, and starting to become commonplace. It’s a dangerous, vicious circle. As the amount of carbon dioxide (CO?) in the atmosphere increases, it warms both the air and the water.…

Blackfin’s latest addition to its dual-console series, the 232DC, is a crossover design with the versatility to meet the needs of family boaters and anglers alike. Onboard comforts begin with U-shaped bow seating with removable cushions, swiveling helm seats with armrests and flip-up bolsters, and a transom bench-style seat. They also include generous storage throughout, a 45-quart Yeti cooler, tempered-glass windshield with walk-through door, Fusion stereo, eight drink holders, integrated swim platform, telescoping ladder, LED courtesy lighting, three dual 12-volt/USB outlets, and faucet with raw-water washdown. The Blackfin boasts an impressive command center featuring a starboard-side helm with digital engine monitoring, lighted weatherproof switches, power-assist steering, and compass enhanced easily with the optional Garmin GPS/chart-plotter package. Fishing amenities include an 18-gallon insulated baitwell, seven rod holders (four on the gunwales…

The science tells us striper stocks are in trouble, but you’d be hard-pressed to believe it if you spend your time fishing the estuaries surrounding New York Bight. They say that Chesapeake Bay contributes the most recruits to the coastwide population, but I think the Hudson River provides a more consistent spawning environment, which equals more consistent spawning success from year to year, something the Chesapeake lacks. The result is anglers reap the benefits of what many believe is the best striper fishing anywhere on the planet. Striper pros agree, including Chuck “Tyman” Manny, who has probably caught and released more bass over 50 pounds than anyone alive. “I still take my boat south for big stripers in the winter,” Manny says. “I spend the rest of the year fishing…

Beginning in April, the Salt Water Sportsman National Seminar Series, the nation’s most popular and longest-running seminar series of its kind, will celebrate it’s 35th anniversary on two national television networks: Outdoor America and the World Fishing Network. There will be 13 weekly how-to episodes—all filmed on location at the IGFA—on catching the most sought-after saltwater gamefish. Hosted by George Poveromo and featuring teams of top regional pros, the televised series mirrors the ground tour, which ran for 33 years prior to evolving into television. “The team-teaching concept has always been the backbone of the Series,” Poveromo says. “On TV, a team of four faculty members dissects the how-to and where-to of catching specific gamefish, or perhaps a specific technique that warrants a full session. “Our teams hail from different…

LENGTH: 37'4" BEAM: 11'4" DRAFT: 29" DEADRISE: 22 degrees FUEL: 343 gal. WEIGHT: 16,600 lb. MAX HP: 850 PRICE: $528,760 w/twin Yamaha 425 XTOs PURSUIT BOATS: pursuitboats.com TEST CONDITIONS WEATHER Sunny, 88 degrees LOCATION Fort Pierce, Florida WIND SE 13 mph SEA STATE 1- to 2-foot chop TEST LOAD Seven adults, 257 gallons of fuel PURSUIT SEEMS TO HAVE A KNACK FOR BUILDING BOATS THAT OFFER HIGH PERFORMANCE, TERRIFIC LOOKS, AND A LAYOUT THAT MANAGES TO INCLUDE A WEALTH OF COMFORTS AND ANGLING AMENITIES WHILE LEAVING PLENTY OF ROOM TO MOVE ABOUT, MINGLE AND FISH. PURSUIT’S LATEST MODEL, THE S 358, IS YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE. We recently hopped aboard one in Fort Pierce, Florida, and it didn’t take long to confirm that this family-friendly Sport series model has plenty of…

TO PROTECT SPAWNING GROUPER, RECREATIONAL AND COMMERCIAL closures for gag, black, scamp, red hind, rock hind, yellowmouth, yellowfin, graysby, Coney and red groupers are in place from January 1 to April 30 in South Atlantic waters. (Red grouper off the Carolinas is closed until June 1.) The number of grouper releases during said period is expected to increase, and the South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council urges anglers to provide the size and condition of fish released, and other information critical to a better understanding of the fishery. A recent expansion to the SAFMC Release Project allows fishermen to report releases of all shallow-water grouper species using the mobile app SciFish developed by the SAFMC’s Citizen Science Program. To sign up or get more details, visit safmc.net/cit-sci/safmcrelease.…

GO FOR TWO If the outboard you want isn’t readily available, consider smaller twins to achieve the desired power. LOWER THE HORSEPOWER Settling for a motor less than your boat’s maximum horsepower rating can be a viable option. PRE-OWNED If you can’t wait for the latest to be available, consider a used outboard newer than your current one. “Expect delays if you plan to repower now, but there are ways to shorten the wait.” By Chris Woodward Getting a new motor now might call for some compromising. Before 2020, replacing an outboard usually took a week or two, but now you might have to wait as long as six months. That is if the dealer can even get the motor you want and the accompanying digital controls, a tough task…

Radar systems such as Raymarine’s Cyclone offer greater safety in foggy conditions that limit the captain’s ability to see. It’s hard to imagine running to and from the fishing grounds at night or in a fog without radar, especially as waterways become increasingly crowded with boats and ships, as well as obstacles such as off shore wind farms, aquaculture operations and more. Radar is so important nowadays that I wouldn’t go fishing without it, no matter what the visibility. And the latest crop of solid-state marine radars reinforces that conviction. Not only do the newest systems offer higher definition and more information when it comes to target returns, they are easier to use and interpret. On top of that, radar scanners are more compact and streamlined, making them suitable for…

SCOUT When conditions are right, search the Keys backcountry for signs of tarpon. FOCUS Concentrate on secluded areas where you see fish or plenty of forage. SCORE With little or no pressure, early tarpon are easier to feed. Every year, tarpon trickle into the Florida Keys backcountry with the first warming trends. Sometimes the fish show up as early as the end of January, well before the weather starts to settle in March, and a number of anglers head down to the Keys to tangle with those winter and earlyspring silver kings, knowing a cold front could immediately shut down the bite. In addition to warming waters, Capt. Rick Stanczyk of Islamorada says the a nnual run of silver mullet draws in the tarpon. “When mullet get going, so do the tarpon,”…

LENGTH: 23' BEAM: 8'6" DRAFT: 15" DEADRISE: 17 degrees FUEL: 79 gal. WEIGHT: 4,624 lb. MAX HP: 250 PRICE: $82,486 PARKER BOATS: parkerboats.com TEST CONDITIONS WEATHER Sunny, 70 degrees LOCATION Pompano Beach, Florida WIND North 17 mph SEA STATE 3- to 4-foot chop TEST LOAD Two adults, 79 gallons of fuel PARKER HAS BEEN BUILDING BOATS SINCE THE 1960S. BASED IN COASTAL NORTH CAROLINA, THE COMPANY KNOWS A THING OR TWO ABOUT BIG WATER AND WHAT IT TAKES TO BUILD RUGGED, SMOOTH-RIDING BOATS THAT HANDLE WHATEVER THE WIND AND SEAS HAVE IN STORE. A PEEK AT THE 2200 CC, THE LATEST MODEL, REVEALS ITS DISTINCT CAROLINA ROOTS. Once you take it for a spin, you know strength, simplicity and seaworthiness are ingrained in this Parker’s DNA. The clean layout affords…