Salt Water Sportsman covers the world of saltwater fishing. The magazine offers loads of how-to information, advice for those who travel within the greater U.S. and surrounding waters, and reviews of new boats, tackle and electronics.
We couldn’t do a Depth Issue without talking about barotrauma. When you reel up fish from deep water, the rapid pressure change causes a number of physical symptoms, including distended stomachs, bloated abdomens, and even bulging eyes. Any angler who bottomfishes in about 50 feet of water or deeper has seen barotrauma firsthand. Even if a fish looks healthy at first glance, the effects of barotrauma can be fatal, causing the fish to float at the surface helplessly. Anglers need to recognize the signs of barotrauma and take steps to minimize the damage caused by rapid decompression. Releasing bottomfish like snapper and grouper is not as simple as unhooking them and tossing them overboard. Venting devices have long been the go-to solution, but research shows that descending devices are more…
“It’s not about biodiversity. It’s all about MPAs. Proponents of 30x30 want to see as little fishing as possible. They think that sport-fishermen are the problem.”—Bill Shedd, Chair, CCA California State Board of Directors A conservation movement aimed to mitigate climate change, enhance biodiversity and ensure equitable access to outdoor spaces sounds like a program that anglers might get behind. These are goals of the so-called 30x30 initiative, promoted by environmental groups to protect 30 percent of the ocean and land by the year 2030. Yet the sport-fishing community in California has grown skeptical of the forces behind the movement. Those include well-financed environmental groups such as the Audubon Society, Azul, Defenders of Wildlife, and the National Resources Defense Council. In California, implementation is moving ahead with greater speed than…
Three young-of-the-year striper surveys on the upper Chesapeake, lower Chesapeake and Hudson River mostly showed business as usual. The Maryland DNR conducted its survey on the upper reaches of the bay. The results were presented as an index, with the figure representing the average number of recently hatched stripers captured in each sample. For 2022, this number was 3.6, significantly below the 11.3 average for the life of the survey. But it was higher than the previous year’s index of 3.2. There were no surprises from the study conducted by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science in the lower bay. This survey presents the findings as the mean number of juveniles collected per each haul of the net, called the recruitment index. The 2022 value of 7.95 is slightly above…
I’m not OK with the very real possibility of right whales going extinct if we don’t figure something out. But I’m also not OK with my charter company going out of business. Unlike other whale species, there’s been a seemingly irreversible decline in right whales since 2000. Today, it’s estimated that there are less than 350 individuals left. So, what can be done? Right whales are filter-feeders and eat the small stuff (such as krill) instead of the prolific menhaden and sand eels that humpbacks and fin whales consume. Climate change and resulting shifts in that sort of forage are likely part of the equation, but there’s certainly mortality coming from entanglement in fishing gear and ship strikes. Boats, particularly the long-range types, do hit whales. It doesn’t happen regularly,…
In shopping for a boat, it’s easy to miss warning signs of shoddy construction and outfitting, especially when your head is filled with visions of calm seas and biting fish. This is when a dose of cold reality comes in handy—closely examine any boat you’re considering. Most new boats today feature top-quality construction and equipment, but there are a few clunkers out there. Position yourself by the transom and, looking toward the bow, gaze along the sides of the hull. At this angle, you might pick up imperfections or slight indications of the fiberglass roving showing through the gelcoat. These are signs of cost-cutting during the layup of the hull. Thump on the side of the boat. Does it sound solid? That’s a good sign. Stand on the deck and…
Five years old. That’s the age of the record-setting seatrout caught in North Carolina, covered in our February issue. Angler Cathy Jones’ spotted seatrout weighed 11 pounds, 3 ounces and measured almost 34 inches. State fisheries biologists were able to age the seatrout by removing its otolith (ear bone) and counting the annuli on it, which show as dark-brown rings. “A five-year-old 33.5-inch seatrout doesn’t seem out of line for North Carolina,” says Lucas Pensinger, a biologist with the NC Division of Marine Fisheries. “Our most recent stock assessment predicted a maximum seatrout length of about 33 inches. That means we expect the population as a whole to max out around 33 inches.” Spotted seatrout grow fast early on, especially in the first year, but they slow way down around…
