Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2016 i Sport Fishing

ONE OF THE tiniest pieces of fishing tackle can make all the difference between landing and losing a fish. The gear is so small it doesn’t register on a bathroom scale. “We were casting in an area that held some really big tuna,” says Capt. Josh Zacharias, of Cape Cod’s Outermost Angling Charters. “My client launched a cast, and an estimated 800-pound bluefin crashed his topwater lure. The explosion was as fierce as you might imagine.” After the fish made two or three blistering runs with the boat in pursuit, Zacharias’ angler locked down the drag and started to regain line on his Shimano Stella’s spool. That’s when the lure came unbuttoned. “We noticed the forward treble hook was missing from the lure,” Zacharias recalls. “Though the split ring was…

ON MOST MORNINGS, DAWN OVER NEWPORT HARBOR IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA IS A DRAB AND GRAY AFFAIR, BUT THIS MORNING IN THE FALL OF 2015 WAS DIFFERENT. THE USUAL MARINE LAYER HAD BEEN REPLACED BY SCATTERED CLOUDS AND ENOUGH MOISTURE IN THE AIR TO TURN THE BAY INTO A TROPICAL PARADISE. DESPITE A BIT OF MORNING CHILL, THE WEATHER JUST DIDN’T FEEL RIGHT FOR EARLY OCTOBER. BUT THEN AGAIN, WHY SHOULD IT? NOTHING ABOUT SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA’S WEATHER OR ITS FISHING HAD BEEN NORMAL IN QUITE SOME TIME. As we made our way toward the harbor mouth aboard Capt. Jimmy Decker’s Everglades 243 (fishingwithdecker.com), I couldn’t help but think how this trip was like many I’d made this year — a last-minute, seat-of-the-pants outing in pursuit of fish that had shown up…

CAPT. BILLY HARBAUGH BRIDLED A PORKFISH WITH A 5/0 CIRCLE HOOK AND BEGAN PAYING OUT A 50-FOOT LEADER AND MAIN LINE WEIGHTED BY A 16-OUNCE SINKER. “WE’RE ONLY FISHING ONE LINE HERE,” HARBAUGH EXPLAINED TO CO-CAPTAIN BILL GILBERT AND ME AS HE SLOWLY DROPPED THE BAIT. “THIS IS A LIVE-BOTTOM AREA IN 150 FEET OF WATER, AND THERE ARE LOTS OF MUTTON SNAPPER HERE, BUT IF YOU DON’T FISH IT CORRECTLY, YOU WON’T CATCH A THING.” Within a few minutes, it was clear that Harbaugh was fishing it correctly. As the bait drifted over the bottom, the rod suddenly doubled over and line spilled off the reel. Gilbert wound solidly into the fish. As he battled to raise his quarry, the fish pinned him to the rail. Then I glimpsed…

The spindly shacks of Stiltsville loomed ahead as Kevin Barker, president of Barker Boatworks, piloted the new 26 Open across the glassy waters of Florida’s Biscayne Bay toward the Atlantic. The game plan on this early-November day was twofold. First we would run out to look for dolphin under the weed lines of the Gulf Stream, and then we would head back to target snook and tarpon along the jetties of Miami’s Government Cut. “The 26 Open is designed for exactly the kind of fishing we’re doing today,” Barker said. “It’s for the angler who wants to fish for tarpon, snook and redfish in the bays, but who also wants to feel comfortable fishing for bluewater species such as dolphin and sails.” The new Barker is based on a patented…

NORTH RIP CONSULTED Rhode Island tournament fisherman Capt. Jack Sprengel, of East Coast Charters and Team Shimano Sportfishing, to design the layout and equipment for its new 30-foot center-console — from the perfectly spaced rod holders to the spacious fish lockers and livewells. The North Rip 30 comes with a walk-through tuna door in the transom; 48 cubic feet of macerated, insulated fish boxes; lockable rod storage; a 42-gallon livewell plus the option for two additional wells; and saltwater washdowns fore and aft. This New England builder employs resin-infused technology (vacuum bagging) to create a precise resin-tofiber ratio in the hull and deck. The 30 also features a one-piece carbon-fiberreinforced structural grid. Standard equipment includes fulllength coaming bolsters, a custom T-top with port and starboard big-game hoisting points, tackle storage…

1. ADDED BENEFITS With successful Helix 5 and 7 launches under its belt, Humminbird has expanded this multifunction-display family to include 9- and 10-inch models plus a 12-inch CHIRP version. All come with side-imaging, down-imaging and 360-imaging compatibility and are Ethernet-capable, allowing multiple units aboard to share data and enabling a Minn Kota i-Pilot Link connection. The Helix 12 CHIRP allows anglers to select multiple bandwidth settings between the 28 and 540 kHz frequency ranges. Available in multiple configurations, these non-touch-screen Helix units cost $699.99 to $2,299.99. 2. LIVE LARGE Okuma has added three new sizes — 50W, 80W and 130 — to its Makaira Special Edition (SEa) conventional reel lineup. The key differences between the SEa models and the gold Makaira lineup appear in the spool bearings, handle sizes…

Driving south down U.S. 1 in Florida, it’s easy to become hypnotized by the green and blue waters surrounding top fishing destinations such as Key Largo, Islamorada, Marathon and Key West. There are plenty of stretches along the main drive that allow car travelers to watch boaters catch tarpon or snapper. How distracting! The Florida Keys is a coral archipelago stretching far into the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean, providing numerous launch points to some of the most diverse and productive salt waters in North America. The coral shores lead to pristine flats and coral reefs, with the reef edges acting as the final step out to deep bluewater. Anglers in flats skiffs and bay boats explore the extensive grass-and-sand flats, deep channels and bridge structures. Light-tackle boats make…

WHILE SIDE-ENTRY, or dive, doors on center- and dual-consoles began appearing about a decade ago, just recently boat makers released a flurry of models offering this feature as an option, and in some cases as standard equipment. Side-entry doors allow anglers to boat or release large fish — a nice feature particularly on vessels with high freeboard. These doors also permit quick access for swimmers, divers or even paddleboarders and kayakers, and can ease loading and offloading at floating docks where deck and dock heights match. A few builders, such as Boston Whaler and Scout, have built swim or beach platforms into the port side of select models. These are essentially doors that open down, but they’re less about fishing and more about family fun. To understand more about side…

Before I drive a long distance, I usually open a map application on my smartphone and plot my course. The app estimates the time my drive should take, and it shows me any construction or reported accidents along the way. That kind of real-time routing information can seriously affect the tone of my trip. Marine navigation might be less advanced right now, but it’s headed in that direction. Automatic Identification System, or AIS, units currently display real-time vessel traffic. In the future, they’re expected to improve the dependability of key aids to navigation — such as buoys and markers — and deliver important safety messages in real time. For anglers in particular, one principal AIS advantage lies in using the electronics to locate stationary vessels that might hold bait or…

U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS AS OUR 35-FOOT CENTER-CONSOLE RODE THE BIG CARIBBEAN SWELLS, I COULDNÕT BELIEVE I HAD ACTUALLY PULLED OFF MY ESCAPE FROM THE SNOWIEST WINTER EVER RECORDED IN NEW ENGLAND. JUST TWO DAYS EARLIER, ON FEBRUARY 15, I HAD BEEN GAZING AT THE BARREN, WIND-BLASTED TUNDRA PURPORTED TO BE BOSTONÕS LOGAN AIRPORT, WHERE THE TEMPERATURE WAS SO COLD IT HAD CAUSED THE TOW BAR OF OUR PLANEÕS PUSHBACK TRACTOR TO SNAP LIKE A STRAND OF UNCOOKED SPAGHETTI. AS THE CREW WAITED FOR A REPLACEMENT TRACTOR TO ARRIVE, AN ENTIRE JETLOAD OF DEJECTED PASSENGERS WAS THINKING THE SAME THING: WE SHALL NEVER LEAVE THIS CURSED LAND! Yet here I was, with friend Jonathan Craig, heading toward bluewater adventure off St. Thomas and St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The…

When Scout’s Alan Lang motored the new 231 XS to a floating dock at Sands Boat Landing in Port Royal, South Carolina, I was struck by how big the 23-footer appeared. I had seen the boat two weeks before, during a Charleston downpour, but this time — on a bright, sunlit October afternoon — the black-hulled bay boat with the proud bow seemed to have grown. “Is this the same boat I saw before?” I asked Lang, Scout’s national sales manager, and James Pate, regional sales rep. Pate confirmed that it was as I handed down my cameras and backpack. SIZE AND SPACE I boarded and stowed my gear beneath the console, which is accessed by lifting the forward face of the helm unit using a leash handle at its…

I recently re-powered my 21½-foot center-console with a 200 hp outboard and assisted in the installation so I might better understand the nuances of setting up the motor. Of course, most boating anglers don’t install their own outboards. On many new boats, power comes pre-installed. That means outboards are rigged and fine-tuned to optimize performance right out of the gate. Other boats, however, are delivered without power, and the dealer does the outboard installation. A dealer usually handles re-powers as well. Customers are wise to rely heavily on the advice of their marine engine dealer. Yet it’s good to know the basics of outboard setup so you understand, for example, why the dealer might recommend changing the height of the new outboard. Based on what I learned in the process…

THIS CENTRAL FLORIDA builder says it designed the new 26 Bay as a fanatical-fishing and family-friendly vessel. It features 16 degrees of deadrise with Carolina flare at the bow for a dry, smooth ride, and a wide flip-up transom seat. Fishing amenities include storage for 10 7½-foot rods in the lockable foredeck hatches and racks for four 8-foot rods under the gunwales, as well as three livewells, including two 28-gallon aft release wells with aeration and a 12-gallon well forward. Two standard removable 72-quart coolers provide separate locations for the day’s catch and the food and drinks. Eight cup holders ensure ample locations to stow an open beverage. Built-in lockers for required safety gear keep the console and other dry-storage areas clear for the seemingly endless accessories families carry aboard.…