Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2023 i Salt Water Sportsman

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 seems if you want to catch a world-record tautog, you need to be on Fish Bound IV with Capt. Kane Bounds, out of Ocean City, Maryland. In 2015, Kenneth Westerfeld caught the world-record blackfish, a 28-pound, 13-ounce specimen, aboard the vessel. In January, another ’tog that’s likely bound for the International Game Fish Association record book came over the gunwale of the same boat. This time, the angler was Jennifer Zuppe, and her ’tog weighed 23 pounds, 4 ounces. “I’m just super psyched,” the West Haven, Connecticut, resident told Salt Water Sportsman. Jennifer Zuppe was fishing in 110 feet of water when she caught the jumbo ’tog. She used a Jigging World Night Ranger conventional rod with an Accurate Valiant 400 reel, 30-pound braid, a 40-pound leader, and a…

The advent of the remote-controlled trolling motor might be one of the greatest fishing innovations ever. It allows anglers to do previously impossible things. But while some might have thought it would make the push pole another victim of automation, poles still have a vital role in the hunt for skittish fish in skinny water. Knowing when to go from one to the other is key. DON’T CUT THE GRASS Seagrasses act as nurseries for aquatic animals. Turtle grass, in particular, is a hot topic because it’s been disappearing at an alarming rate, which has led to the collapse of fishing in certain areas. It’s increasingly important to reverse this trend. So, if a trolling motor is leaving chopped salad in its wake, go to the pole. SHALLOW-WATER STEALTH In…

Today, saltwater anglers ply ever-increasing depths to catch fish. California rockfish anglers work structure lying 600 feet below the surface. Alaska fishermen target halibut in 750 feet. Deep-drop enthusiasts seek tilefish at depths of 1,500 feet or more. Daytime swordfish anglers drop baits to 2,500 feet or deeper. Whether fishing the equivalent of two football fields or a half-mile below the ocean surface, each of these fisheries requires highly specialized tackle and sonar transducers with frequencies to penetrate the abyss. Yet there is no one frequency that fits all deepwater fishing scenarios, says Craig Cushman, director of marketing for Airmar Technology Corp., the leading third-party supplier of marine transducers for brands such as Furuno, Garmin, Humminbird, Lowrance, Simrad and Raymarine. “When an angler asks about transducers for deep water, the…

It looked like they were bass fishing: bow-mounted trolling motor, under handed pitch casts tight to the shoreline, active retrieves. You could have been excused for guessing these dudes were bouncing tube jigs for ditch pickles were it not for our mutual location deep in the San Juan Islands of Washington’s Puget Sound. This was two decades ago, but I remember my dad and Uncle Keith practically scoffing as we drifted by. That’s not how you catch lingcod. You need to be way out in the deep channel, probing the rock piles—like us. And not catching fish—like us. Then I saw a lingcod hit the “bass boat’s” net. Twenty minutes later, another one. Limited out, these know-nothings who had just fished us under the table departed for the ramp. Equal…

“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…

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…

Angler Nick Petrou caught this unusual striped bass fishing a topwater popper in 20 feet of water off The Rockaways in New York this past fall. The fish likely suffers from a condition called “pugnose,” which you can see in the striper’s unusual curved head shape. Some fisheries scientists attribute the oddity to low oxygen conditions when the larvae are developing. Most fish with this affliction don’t grow to this size because it affects their ability to feed. In more extreme cases, pugnose can even hinder the passage of water over the fish’s gills, limiting the amount of oxygen the fish gets. 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…

We hand-cranked swords for a number of years, but the ability to use an electric reel has been instrumental in expanding the fishery,” says Capt. Nick Stanczyk. In case you aren’t familiar, the Stanczyk family are the proprietors of Bud N’ Mary’s Marina in Islamorada, Florida. Nick, his brother Scott, father Richard and Vic Gaspeny are the pioneers of the daytime swordfish fishery, deep-dropping baits and weights sometimes in excess of 10 pounds to depths of 2,500 feet or more. Over the years, they have perfected their craft. “I’ve caught about 2,000 swordfish. Half of those fish were hand-cranked, and the rest came on electric reels,” says Stanczyk, who added electric reels to his repertoire around 2014. His 42-foot Freeman, Broad Minded, was outfitted with deep-dropping in mind. This includes…

Making its debut at the 2023 Miami International Boat Show, the long-awaited SeaVee 420z features an innovative cross-ventilated step-hull design to enhance efficiency and handling. This center-console fishing boat is built with high-tech cored unibody construction and vacuum-assisted resin transfer infusion. The 420z is available with a captain’s edition hardtop, aluminum pipework and a clear polycarbonate enclosure. You can also choose a hardtop with a built-in kite box and molded fiberglass windshield frame with laminated safety glass. The console has a forward lounge. A sliding aft door leads to an immense console interior with a berth, mini galley and enclosed head. The spacious aft cockpit sports a 40-gallon pressurized livewell in each corner of the transom and twin 100-gallon insulated in-sole fish boxes. In the bow is a 161-gallon fish…

The beauty of Pathfinder’s new 2400 Open is that it’s great for inshore fishing, but also big and secure enough to head offshore even when the waves kick up. More than a hybrid, it features a deep, open aft cockpit that does away with the rear casting deck, making it more like a center-console layout from amidships to the stern. The 2400 Open has gunwale heights that measure between 22 and 25 inches, high enough for me to lock my knees under the full-cockpit combing pads. For stability, the 2400 Open sports a 9-foot beam. Its 15-degree transom deadrise also enhances lateral stability. The model floats in 14 inches of water, so traversing shallow areas is not an issue. Our test boat had the optional 36-volt Rhodan trolling bow motor,…

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…

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…

The 36th annual Salt Water Sportsman National Seminar Series returns to broadcast television beginning this April and airs through June. Presented by Bass Pro Shops and Mako Boats, the 13 half-hour episodes can be seen on World Fishing Network (WFN), Outdoor America and YouTube (at George Poveromo TV). Filmed on location at the IGFA and hosted by renowned angler George Poveromo, the televised edition of the National Seminar Series features teams of noted saltwater pros. Broken into groups of four faculty members per session, the respective teams will divulge their top methods for catching their specialty gamefish. Inshore, nearshore and off shore gamefish will be covered. “It’s fast-paced, informative and entertaining.”—George Poveromo “Th is is the third year for the televised edition of our Salt Water Sportsman National Seminar Series,”…

Scout’s 281 XSS hybrid bay boat reflects a combination of bluewater angling chops and inshore fishing prowess. It features advanced epoxy-infused carbon-fiber and E-glass construction that minimizes weight, ensures durability and maximizes performance. Powered by a Mercury Racing 450R outboard, this sleek model with a double-step hull rockets to a top speed of nearly 63 mph. An 18-gallon livewell is integrated into the leaning post, as is a slide-out 65-quart cooler, four rod holders, and lockers for fishing tackle. Under the aft casting deck is a pair of voluminous fish boxes that can be optionally plumbed as livewells. There’s also dedicated fender stowage and a foldout bench seat. A pair of helm chairs cradle the captain and co-pilot, and the helm features a pair of Garmin 10-inch multifunction displays. There’s…

As fast as our popping-cork combos hit the water, Capt. Abie Raymond and I hooked a spotted seatrout. These weren’t small ones either, but rather plump specimens bird-dogging a tightly bunched school of finger mullet. We released eight seatrout in short order and left them biting. Our objective for the day: Catch a variety of species available to us in Miami’s Biscayne Bay. Raymond and I contained our fishing to the bay’s northern reaches, the exact waters we grew up fishing. In fact, most of our effort was north of the 79th Street Bridge. The environment here is far different from the heralded finger channels and bonefish flats within the bay’s expansive southern portion, south of Rickenbacker Causeway. It’s much narrower up north, with the Intracoastal Waterway, bridges, canals and…

As the sizes of new saltwater fishing boats grow at prodigious rates, the new World Cat 260CC-X represents a welcome departure. At 25½ feet in length and with a 9-foot beam, the 260CC-X is easy to trailer, easy to handle and easy on fuel. Yet this center-console cat serves as a capable offshore fishing machine, thanks to the proven multihull that slices through rough seas and provides great stability. At the same time, the twin-outboard 260CC-X drafts just 14 inches, in case you plan to fish bay waters. “We knew there was a market need within our own model offering for this new 260CC-X,” says Chad Armstrong, vice president of sales and marketing for World Cat. During my test in the waters off Fort Lauderdale, Florida, I not only reveled…