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.
The best story I ever wrote was one of my first, about a motorcycle trip through Baja from San Diego to the East Cape, way back in 2007. The opening photo was a shot of a sheet-metal statue of the Grim Reaper we found propped up on a cliff overlooking the Sea of Cortez. A shrine to a dead traveler, it couldn’t have been more appropriate. We rode dual-sports on that trip, Kawasaki KLR 650s, and we took the rough roads down. A thousand miles of dirt, sand and dust over the mountains and through the desert, and then along the western coast. We fished on kayaks, got buzzed by sharks, and were nearly choked out by supertrucks pre-running the Baja 500. At face value, this was all kind of…
“Florida’s $13.9 billion annual recreational fisheries business is at risk if nothing is done.”ÑJim McDuffie, President, Bonefish & Tarpon Trust HOW TO MAKE FISHING MORE AFFORDABLE SAVE GAS The best way to spend less on gas is to turn the ignition key to the 12 o’clock position. Simple, right? Well, not only does shutting off the engine save money, but it can lead to stealthier, more effcient ways of fishing. A technique I like to use when fishing a new area is to find a fishy-looking creek that has good tidal flow, anchor at the up-current mouth, and toss out a chum bag followed by a piece of cut bait on a jig heavy enough to keep it on the bottom. Then I grab a sandwich and wait for the…
South Carolina Firetruck Jeff Pazona fished 60 miles out of Little River Inlet, South Carolina, to land this new state-record red grouper. “We set up the trolling motor and quickly started hooking large sea bass,” Pazona says. Steve Quickery was at the helm of Pazona’s 24-foot Twin Vee. He spotted some hard bottom and motored the boat east. “As soon as I dropped down using cut bait, I got hit hard,” Pazona says. “I thought it was an amberjack, but then the fish started to get to the bottom. My Talica 16 two-speed held him off. The fish fought hard initially; after 15 minutes, I got him up from 110 feet.” Pazona submitted his catch to the state and received certification for his record-setting 33-pound, 13-ounce stud. Big red grouper…
Commercial fisheries are required to report their catches more often and more accurately than recreational fisheries. This makes it diffcult to collect enough scientific and statistically sound data on recreational catches to ensure sustainable recreational practices. When you add in-season adjustmentsto this mix, you’re left with a whole lot of room for error. So, what’s to be done? Going back a few years, recreational interests got the Modernizing Recreational Fisheries Management Act of 2018 passed. Part of this required the National Academy of Sciences to issue a report on how well the Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP) meets in-season management needs for fisheries with an annual catch limit (ACL). Could survey methods or management strategies be modified to meet those needs? Well, the NAS has now issued its report, and…
Anglers fish in so many different conditions: prime ocean with features for specific pelagics; bottom structure where currents influence where fish will stage; inshore docks and bridges. Is it any surprise that we must tweak our techniques based on the conditions we encounter? All this variability means you have to treat rigging live baits for inshore, coastal and offshore gamefish like a science. If you can isolate the behavior your target wants to strike, you can use hook placement to make your bait behave in that fashion. We’ve used dead baits here to illustrate five ways to rig them live so that they’ll swim the way you want when you’re on the water. Give these hook placements a try and see if your catches soar. DORSAL For baits intended for…
In the beginning, fishing shirts were stodgy, stuffy affairs. Sports took to the water in clothes that were more befitting a Sunday service than a day of fishing. Fortunately, a slew of companies developed fishing-specific clothing that offers better performance out on the water. SUN PROTECTION There are myriad sun-related maladies that can plague anglers, ranging from sunburn to life-threatening illnesses. Traditionally, anglers relied on sunscreen for protection. But sunscreens have major downsides, including damage to fishing lines, tropical corals and even boats. Now high-tech apparel provides defense without the need to slather yourself in chemicals every few hours. “Columbia PFG has always focused on keeping anglers on the water,” says Connor Allison, brand manager of Columbia Performance Fishing Gear. PFG has long been known for its iconic fishing shirts…
