Innholdsfortegnelse for November - December 2015 i Sport Fishing

SOMETIMES I try to analyze why I love new fishing gear so much. But then I realize the futility: Why ask why? Let’s accept this as a force of nature that afflicts all anglers. At this time of year, the force is strong. Tackle manufacturers debuted new and upgraded products for 2016 at their annual trade show, the International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades (ICAST), in July, and as we approach January, more and more of that gear has trickled into the retail chain. Sport Fishing editors attended this year’s ICAST. Here are 27 of the new products we saw, including some of the award winners as well as other new gear we coveted. EDDYLINE C-135 YAKATTACK EDITION Eddyline’s C-135 YakAttack Edition won ICAST’s Best Boat category and the prestigious…

What is a jerkbait? That’s not a term you’ll find at dictionary.com. In fact, I’m not sure there is any standard definition. But here’s my take: Any lure that an angler retrieves with repeated jerks and pauses is a de facto jerkbait (aka twitchbait). Some lures work better for this purpose than others. Which those might be, as well as the fine points of wickedly effective twitch-and pause retrieves and what makes such retrieves so productive, is all part of the focus of this feature. For the sake of full disclosure, I’ll say up front that I love this kind of fishing. It keeps me on edge: With every stop or start of a lure, I’m watching for that smashing strike, and I genuinely believe that not much gets a…

The August morning dawned pink and quiet, a surprising change from the violent tempest I’d witnessed the night before. Ryan Balderson and Jeff McNiven loaded a pile of fishing tackle, snacks and safety gear aboard the Sea Fox 288 Commander as it bobbed dockside at Bristol Marina in Charleston, South Carolina. Balderson, Sea Fox vice president of product development and a tournament fisherman, and McNiven, a Sea Fox dealer from Australia, checked the fish boxes and bilge for any standing water the nighttime deluge might have left. I boarded through the 288’s new port side-entry door and walked to the bow to stow my camera gear inside the coffin box beneath the forward lounger. We tossed the lines and motored into a glass-calm Ashley River. FORE AND AFT At the…

Whether you captain the average 25-footer or a plush 40-foot center-console machine, a quality audio system can really enhance your time on the water. Yes, some anglers prefer silence or the subtle whistle of a cooling trade wind, but many enjoy mood-elevating music or the chance to follow a favorite team with a satellite-service feed. Of course, marine audio is not your brother’s bass-thumping car stereo. Not only must marine systems be completely marinized and protected against corrosion, but they must project over the roar of outboard engines and the ambient sounds of nature. To help you design an adequate system for your center-console boat, I asked audio companies to suggest sound packages for a typical 25-foot open boat as well as a 40-plus-footer with a center-console cabin. Three companies…

PLANO MARINE TRUNKS Plano’s new marine trunks are made from high-impact plastic with reinforced lids and heavy-duty latches. The 56-quart box measures 24 by 15 by 13 inches; the 68-quart box measures 30 by 14¼ by 12¾ inches; and the 108-quart box measures 37¾ by 14 by 18¼ inches. All sizes feature an O-ring seal and are treated with a UV-protective coating. The marine-gray-and-blue boxes are stackable and come with molded ports so they can be secured with tie-downs and padlocks. The trunks cost $49.99, $59.99 and $79.99. BLUEFIN LED COLOR-CHANGING LIGHTS Bluefin LED has launched a range of color-changing underwater lights that provide anglers with multiple ways to illuminate the ocean beneath their hulls. Available in surface-mount and through-hull models, the RGBW LEDs boast 2,500 to 10,000 fixture lumens…

1. STREAMLINED SAFETY Mustang has introduced two new personal flotation devices for 2016 — one for offshore and one for paddling. The Elite 38 (above), for offshore fishing and boating, blends light weight and durability with the highest buoyancy rating for commercial PFDs (38 pounds). The outer shell is reinforced with thermoplastic polyurethane abrasion patches. The Elite 28K comes with a MOLLE attachment system, commonly used in military applications. The 38 costs $327.63, and the 28K costs $301.42. 2. CUTTING CLOSE Tauten describes its new LineCutter as a highperformance tool that’s purpose-built to reliably cut high-strength braided line up to 250-pound-test. The cutter comes in two versions — the stainless-steel Limited Edition and the nylon Pro Elite. Both are equipped with a carbide cutting blade and a surgical-grade stainless-steel enclosure.…

THE ALMOST UNBEARABLE ANTICIPATION THAT ALWAYS PLAGUES ME BEFORE A LONG-AWAITED TRIP TO AN EXOTIC ANGLING DESTINATION WAS OVER. NOW WE WATCHED IN AWE AS SCORES OF PORPOISES LEAPED HIGH ABOVE THE INDIGO WATER, AND PERHAPS THOUSANDS OF SEABIRDS RAUCOUSLY DIVE-BOMBED AN IMMENSE PATCH OF SEA LIFE. THE BIRDS WERE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF TENS OF THOUSANDS OF BAITFISH WILLINGLY EMBRACING THE PERILS ABOVE TO ESCAPE THE TOO EVIDENT PERILS BELOW. My friend Dave Kilhefner, of Portland, Oregon, and I knew that the baitfish’s terror had to be caused by a big school of apex predators — likely yellowfin tuna, wahoo or giant trevally (GT). We had no way of knowing at that point and really didn’t care which of those magnificent game fishes caused the panic; any of them would…

WHEN ASKED TO NAME one or two of their top jerkbait hard lures, manufacturers suggested what you see here. They vary considerably in size, but all should produce an effective darting action with a J&P retrieve. Some are sold with thin freshwater hooks; they’ll produce well in salt water, but of course changing out hooks would be important. Prices listed were derived as noted (TD = tackledirect.com). ALMOST ALIVE MINNOW HARD BAIT LENGTH: 3. inches WEIGHT: 0.3 ounce COLORS: Four BUOYANCY: Suspending SWIMMING DEPTH: 4 inches COST: $4.99 (manufacturer) BOMBER HEAVY-DUTY LONG A LENGTH: 6 inches WEIGHT: 7∕8 ounce COLORS: 26 BUOYANCY: Floating SWIMMING DEPTH: 2 to 3 feet COST: $8.99 (TD) BOMBER BADONK-A-DONK SS LENGTH: 3. inches WEIGHT: . ounce COLORS: 18 BUOYANCY: Slow-sinking SWIMMING DEPTH: Varies per retrieve…

As I approached the docks in the pre-dawn darkness, the soft glow of blue courtesy LEDs signaled the presence of the new Regulator 41 at Pirate’s Cove Marina in Manteo, North Carolina. Local fishing guide Brendan Strum welcomed me aboard the vessel, the largest model ever from Edenton, North Carolina-based Regulator Marine. As we awaited the rest of our crew, Strum outlined the game plan for our day of fishing. “We’re going to run out about 50 miles and troll rigged ballyhoo for white marlin from outriggers,” he said. “But you never know what we might hook out there.” His words would echo in my brain later in the day. I stowed my gear inside the step-down center console, accessible from the port side and abundantly lit with LED lights,…

WHEN GRADY’S 251 Coastal Explorer debuted last year, it redefined the bay boat. With the 191 CE, the company has packed most of the same details into a smaller package. Both Coastal Explorers also sport the company’s trademark SeaV2 hull. The 191’s forward casting deck doubles as a sun pad with the addition of optional cushions. Beneath the platform, Grady divided the storage space to accommodate an anchor and a 37-gallon insulated fish box. Forward of the console, a molded seat lifts for access to either a 17-gallon insulated cooler or an optional livewell. The aft bench seating folds to enlarge the casting deck, which covers a 12-gallon insulated box that can be outfitted as a livewell. Vertical rod holders are located beside the forward console seat and in the…

From the shifting Outer Banks of North Carolina to the tempestuous coast of the Pacific Northwest, boating anglers regularly face potentially hazardous inlets. Entrances such as those at Florida’s Boynton and St. Lucie inlets, Oregon’s Columbia River bar, California’s Golden Gate, and North Carolina’s Oregon Inlet host some of the world’s most challenging sea conditions. A combination of factors can turn inlets nasty in a hurry, says Bill Cordes, director of sales and marketing for Opa Locka, Florida-based Invincible Boats. Cordes has run inlets all of his adult life, and witnessed breakers so tall you couldn’t see over the top. “A powerful outgoing tide streaming through a narrow channel and a strong onshore wind tend to pile up steep seas,” Cordes explains. “Combine these two factors with shoaling, and you…

(Tetrapturus angustirostris) CHALLENGE OUR EXPERTS (And Win Up to 10,800 Yards of Line!) SEND IN YOUR QUESTION and any relevant photos of your mysterious catch or observation for our experts’ ID and feedback. If we publish your question, and you have a shipping address within the United States or Canada, you’ll win a 3-pound spool of Berkley Pro Spec ocean-blue or fluorescentyellow monofilament (1,000 to 10,800 yards, depending on line strength) or a 1,500-yard spool of Spiderwire Stealth braid up to 100-pound-test! Send questions and images via email to fish facts@ sport fishingmag.com (include your hometown) or via post to Sport Fishing Fish Facts, 460 N. Orlando Ave., Suite 200, Winter Park, FL32789. SPONSORED BY SF FISH FACTS EXPERTS NORTHEAST Mike Fahay, Sandy Hook Marine Lab, New Jersey SOUTHEAST Ray…

Brian Evans was straining to finish his up-and-down battle with a 45-pound yellowfin tuna when the blue marlin appeared. Earlier that morning, we had hauled ass in Capt. Kevin Beach’s 37-foot Freeman, Pale Horse, to the Sevan Louisiana drilling rig, almost 75 miles from the mouth of the Mississippi River. Brown, cloudy river water pushed out into the Gulf of Mexico, driving clean blue-green water and pelagics far offshore. The tuna picked up the first blue runner, dropped back about 20 yards from Sevan Louisiana. Evans grabbed the rod and bumped the Shimano Talica 25 lever drag to strike, diverting his speeding tuna’s path toward the 2,200-foot depths. It was game on at the floaters. LIVE-BAITING BILLFISH “Marlin! Marlin at the boat!” yelled Beach, as he watched Evans’ tuna tiring…

LIKE THE DIZZYING GRAND CANYON or the soaring Sears Tower, the HydraSports Custom 5300 Sueños defines “immense,” at least in the world of center-consoles. On the factory floor, the 53-foot hull dwarfs three engineers who clamber over the stout stringer system, inspecting miles and miles of cable and wire. On the water, it makes other CCs look like tenders. Its list of features and capacities — 1,000 gallons of fuel, 400 gallons of fish boxes, 100 square feet of cockpit — reads like the brochure for an offshore battlewagon. In fact, this enormous yet graceful vessel carries a Structural Composites MIL-TOUGH rating; its pedigree began with a Navy design. To appreciate just how big and how spacious a 53-foot center-console can be, we spent time in the factory and on…

RAIL-MOUNT OPTIONS SOMETIMES ITÕS CHALLENGING to find a way to mount antennas, small displays, point-of-view cameras, rod holders and even an EPIRB on a small fishing boat. Rail-mounting ranks as one of the best solutions for these situations. Companies such as Edson, Scotty, RAM and West Marine offer a host of rail-mounting options. Lacking space at my helm, I chose to rail-mount my wired stereo remote control and VHF mic clip on an interior T-top crossmember. In the past, I have also rail-mounted GPS antennas and small displays. One of my favorites is the Edson stainless-steel rail mount (about $90), a robust rail-mounting system that lets you attach just about any antenna base or bracket to its optional high-density polyethylene base. — Jim Hendricks SECURE A TRAY I LIKE TO…

BUILT WITH STYLE, FUN, ride and fishing in mind, World Cat’s new 320DC dual-console comes with 125 gallons of insulated fish boxes, a 35-gallon livewell astern and 250 gallons of fuel capacity. The dual air-conditioned cabins include such features as a double berth and a full stand-up head. World Cat added a standard windlass with helm and bow controls and a fresh-water washdown in the anchor locker. The 320DC’s bow area offers double-wide port and starboard lounges with dry, insulated storage beneath, and an MP3 outlet. Amidships, the wraparound windshield rises all the way to the standard hardtop, creating an enclosed bridge feel. The hardtop comes with overhead lighting and a standard flipdown flat-screen TV. The portside seat module configures in six different ways to offer lounging for guests or…