Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2022 i Salt Water Sportsman

Monster Trout Spotted seatrout are a popular target of Southeast and Gulf anglers, but Todd Spangler recently caught one for the record books. On February 9, he was fishing a creek mouth in the Neuse River with a 4-inch Z-Man Jerk ShadZ rigged on a ⅛-ounce jig head when he hooked and landed a 12-pound, 8-ounce trout that became the new North Carolina state record. 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, 555 Winderley Place, Suite 300, Maitland, FL 32751. Unsolicited manuscripts are welcomed but will not…

Boston Whaler 360 Outrage Renowned builder Boston Whaler has added a 36-foot model boasting a wealth of new technology—including the latest in propulsion, connectivity, and a first-of-its-kind boat electrification system—to its popular Outrage series. The smart layout on the new 360 Outrage maximizes use of space. The bow configuration offers greater fishability, more storage, and easier access to the anchor locker and windlass. There’s seating for three at the helm, with bolsters and armrests, and fore and aft adjustment on the middle seat. The cockpit is more customizable than the pre-decessor model, thanks to a new transom prep station that can be optioned as a summer kitchen complete with a grill and Corian countertop. Rear-facing cockpit seating features a flip-down work surface for rigging tackle or fixing snacks. The cabin…

DAVID MCCLEAF Rounding the point in Gaskin Bay, I carefully brought the skiff off plane and headed toward a white-sand beach on the mangrove island ahead. Our Glades camping adventure was just beginning. “There it is: Tiger Key, our home for the next three days. Looks like we have it all to ourselves so far,” I told my fishing partner and close friend, John Dunphy. “Do you want to set up first?” “No, let’s just unload, make some sandwiches for later and go fishing,” Dunphy answered. “We’ll have time to pitch the tent this afternoon. Let’s take advantage of this tide now.” Dunphy and I had driven down from the Florida Panhandle the previous day. After spending the night at the historic Rod and Gun Club in Everglades City and…

SEARCH Motor slowly in a zigzag pattern, scanning the surface. APPROACH When you spot a tripletail, set up to drift right by it. FEED Cast a few feet from the fish’s head and let the wind or current deliver the bait. “Three o’clock, 30 yards!” I shouted from the elevated second helm as we idled through the shallow waters off Jekyll Island, Georgia. “I see it,” said my friend before making a cast toward the tripletail floating on its side under the May sun. Carefully, he pulled the live shrimp beneath his popping cork into the path of the fish. Sensing the presence of the bait, the tripletail submerged. “He’s under the float,” I confirmed. “Free-spool the bait so it stays with the fish as we drift,” I requested. Seconds…

You hear that?” Those words, in that order, are never welcome on a running boat. You’re supposed to only hear a steady purr, a perpetual, single-note symphony. Irregularities of any sort can ruin a day and empty a wallet. With that in mind, Daniel, a sound engineer, decided to drive his car-dealer friend Ray to the brink of madness. They fish together often, each as proud of his boat as the other. And for a year after Daniel repowered his rig, he’d been taking friendly shots at Ray about doing the same. “Your boat still runs OK,” he’d taunt, “but I wish we could get to the cut a little faster—you know, like in my boat.” It wasn’t money that kept Ray from swapping outboards, it was a stubborn refusal…

NOAA Fisheries and its Gulf of Mexico partners recently took an important step toward incorporating state recreational catch estimates into the federal stock-assessment and management processes. At the Gulf State Recreational Catch and Effort Survey Transition Workshop, partners agreed on a two-track transition to the full use of state data. The first will implement state-specific calibration to ensure data from surveys in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida inform regional stock assessments. This ensures state data gets used in a way compatible with historic estimates produced by NOAA Fisheries’ Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP). Incorporating multiple data streams into a comparable time series of recreational catches is expected to improve stock assessments. “Managing marine resources well is of vital importance to anglers in the Gulf of Mexico, and we believe…

1 Yeti Hopper The Hopper M30 from Yeti features an extra-wide mouth that stays open for loading, then seals with ultra-strong magnets to lock in the cold. The built-in Hitchpoint Grid accommodates Yeti accessories. Available in navy, charcoal and Bimini pink. $350; yeti.com 2 Bajío Caballo Crafted from bio-based nylon, the large-frame Caballo sunglasses from Bajío incorporate pliable and grippy contact points on the nose and temples to keep them in place. Bajío’s polarized, color-enhancing, high-definition lenses come in poly or glass with Lapis technology to diminish eye-fatiguing blue light. $199 to $249; bajiosunglasses.com 3 Daiwa Flagship Designed for inshore anglers, Daiwa’s Exist spinning reels feature Zaion air drive rotors, bails, spools and shafts for unmatched smoothness. Advanced Tournament Drag provides 22 pounds of pressure. Available in seven models sized…

I’m a compact packer. When it comes to whittling wants down to necessities, I get competitive. But when you travel by boat, sometimes your ability to pack the kitchen sink makes or breaks a trip. Those who trailer their boats to fun destinations can pack the boat and the truck, but those who runa boat on its own bottom to distant locales should take greater pains to plan wisely. The gear you carry with you also evolves based on trip duration, number of crew, boat size and travel distance. To help you decide what to take, I talked with tournament-traveling captain and charter guide Mark Henderson of Liquid Fire Fishing in North Carolina, as well as experts from West Marine and Star brite. First Aid Of key importance, captains should…

Ben Speciale is a busy man. He’s president of the Yamaha Marine Group Company, which includes one of the world’s largest outboard engine brands, as well as a number of boat factories and marine accessory companies. Yet through the long days of hard work and management decisions, Speciale still finds time to think about his boat. And when he does, he often opens an app that puts him on board (in a virtual sense) any time and from any location. “At least once a day, whether I’m in the offce or on a business trip, I find myself checking the Siren Marine app on my phone to see if everything is OK. It’s very reassuring to know that the batteries are charged, the boat is resting within its geofence, and…

Beyond the five river otters gulping leftover herring baits along the Elfin Cove docks, we watch an Icy Strait evening shading into oranges, golds and blacks. A kicker boat with three never-say-die anglers slides into the harbor, the anglers worn down by brawls with salmon, halibut and rockfish from first daylight until dark. The strait reflects a jagged line of mountaintops that frame 3.3 million spectacular acres in Glacier Bay National Park. WHEN It’s wild Alaska at its best in one of the most underfished salmon, halibut and bottomfish destinations in a state famous for its hot fishing locales. Some silver (coho) salmon, two kings (chinook), a couple of nice halibut, a lingcod, limits of black rockfish and two succulent yelloweyes lie filleted and vacuum-packed in our freezer. And we…

We can’t always say that more is better because with some things, it isn’t. But when it comes to adding functional habitat for fish, it is. Over the years, interested fishing participants, both recreational and commercial, have organized and sunk a whole host of things, from old trolleys to specially constructed concrete spheres to whole ships. This variety of vertical structure on the bottom instantly becomes productive reeflike habitat that remains productive for many species over the years. I have seen evidence of just how quickly these structures attract fish. In one film, just after the ship settled on the bottom and the stirred-up sediment and silt began to clear, fish were swimming in and around the structure. I have also seen firsthand what the legs of oil rigs in…

Simrad NSX Series MFDs The Simrad NSX MFDs feature an Android operating system enabling additional functionality with a wide range of apps. Available in 7-, 9- and 12-inch touchscreen sizes, NSX includes a Setup Wizard that makes it easier to include displays of engine and tank parameters, optimize the autopilot, calibrate the radar and more. A simple drag-and-drop system edits NSX displays. Starting at $1,049; simrad-yachting.com Suzuki and Furuno Fish Hunter Drive Suzuki Marine teamed with Furuno to develop the Fish Hunter Drive autopilot for new Suzuki drive-by-wire outboards from 115 to 350 hp. Based on the Furuno NavPilot 300, it delivers Speed Control, Point Lock, Route Smoothing and Sabiki Lock. The autopilot electronically manages shift and throttle to maintain boat speed, stop at fishing spots, maintain heading while…

The tourism industry calls Block Island the “Gem of the Atlantic” and “Bermuda of the North.” For Northeast light-tackle anglers, the 7-by-3-mile teardrop-shaped island is all that and more. Located halfway between Point Judith, Rhode Island, and Montauk Point, New York, Block Island is a great day trip and affordable vacation spot for the entire family, offering a long fishing season, easy access, and fishable water regardless of wind direction and speed. “Block Island is close to home yet a world away,” says Capt. Chris Willi, a premier charter guide and owner of Block Island Fishworks. “We’re a small island village that retains its historic charm and footprint despite being a popular summer destination.” “Block is most well-known for its pristine beaches, which are consistently voted the best in the…

NOT THAT LONG AGO, IF YOU TOLD ME THAT I COULD RUN TO THE CANYONS ON A 45-FOOT CENTER-CONSOLE WITH FOUR OUTBOARDS TOTALING 1,700 HP, I WOULD HAVE TAKEN AWAY YOUR CAR KEYS. TODAY, HOWEVER, BIG CENTER-CONSOLE MODELS LAUNCH WITH INCREASING REGULARITY. EVEN SO, THE EVERGLADES 455CC STANDS OUT. With its sweet ride, plush layout, and extreme fishability, this 45-footer is one serious sled. Let’s start with the 40 rod holders on board, which let you equip the boat for a variety of fishing situations and always have a rod at the ready nearby. With its high freeboard, single-level deck, and wide passageways on both sides of the console, the Everglades is truly a 360-degree fishing boat, easily traversed from stem to stern while following a hooked fish. Aluminum toe…

LENGTH: 31'6" BEAM: 10' DRAFT: 22" DEADRISE: 24 to 22 degrees FUEL: 285 gal. WATER: 21 gal. MAX HP: 700 DRY WEIGHT: 10,500 lb. (w/power) PRICE: $301,683 w/twin Mercury Verado 300 V-8s SAILFISH BOATS: sailfishboats.com WHILE THERE ARE MANY FISHING CENTER-CONSOLES ON THE MARKET THESE DAYS, NOT ALL ARE DESIGNED AND RIGGED FOR TOP EFFICIENCY AND VERSATILITY LIKE SAIL-FISH BOATS’ 320 CC, WHICH MERGES AN INNOVATIVE WAVE-TAMING HULL DESIGN, STATE-OF-THE-ART CONSTRUCTION, AND A SMART AND FUNCTIONAL OFFSHORE ANGLING LAYOUT. Our test coincided with stiff east winds on the waters off Miami Beach, ideal conditions for testing the mettle and seakeeping qualities of the 320 CC, which rides on the exclusive Sailfish Variable Degree Stepped (VDS) hull, and features three distinct running surfaces, with deadrise changing in three 1-degree increments from…