Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2017 i Sport Fishing

Fish don’t interact. They neither eat other species nor are they eaten by other species. They aren’t affected by polluted waters or loss of habitat or warming ocean temperatures. In fact, the only thing that affects a species of fish is its harvest by fishermen. Sound a little fishy? That’s pretty much the way we have always managed our valuable marine fish stocks — one species at a time, trying to maintain populations at a maximum sustainable yield, allowing us to harvest as many as possible while keeping that harvest sustainable. The trouble with that approach is that — guess what? — fish do interact, and lots of variables in addition to how many we catch affect their numbers. And how many we don’t catch — how many we leave…

TWENTY YEARS AGO Hobie’s MirageDrive delivered a new way to kayak-fish by incorporating pedaling with the feet as a source of movement. The pedal-driven propulsion system was innovative, allowing anglers to put down the paddle in the kayak. Fishermen could now maneuver in the current, troll one or two rods, and move from spot to spot with both hands free. The popularity of pedal drives among anglers soared over the years. Today, most major kayak manufacturers — including Hobie, Jackson Kayak, Old Town, Native Watercraft, Perception and Wilderness Systems — all off er pedal-driven fishing kayaks or are expected to enter the market in 2017. “Having two hands free to fish is the reason why kayak anglers have sought additional methods to paddling,” says David Hadden, brand director for Old…

As we drove toward a vast sunflower field near the Texas/Mexico border, raft after raft of doves lifted from the nearby trees — a black mass of wings. “Whoa,” I murmured; the five of us hunters gaped. We had just spent a sunny September morning casting Sebile plugs to hungry redfish and trout in the salty shallows of the Lower Laguna Madre. We experimented with Penn’s new Slammer III spinning reels as we visually scoured the arid horizon for signs of south Texas’ signature exotic antelope, the nilgai. Clearly we had come to an unusual place. And what we were about to experience on the dove field just might morph into a lasting impression, particularly for me. That’s because I love wing shooting, and I prefer warm weather. So what…

SOMEDAY SOON IÕM CONVINCED surface-iron fishing will spread like wildfire across all oceans to sight- fishermen everywhere. Any off shore angler who regularly sight-fishes with lures should have a surface-iron setup handy. Mackerels, jacks, tunas, mahimahi, trevallies and even striped bass are just some of the species anglers can target using this diamond-shaped lure workhorse. Until the surface-iron technique spreads cross-country, Southern California anglers will continue to catch the heck out of regional species like yellowtail, barracuda, calico bass, dorado, tunas and wahoo. Steal effective techniques from top pros who faithfully fish the iron, and translate their success to your favorite waters and species. HOW TO PICK AN IRON JIG Snatching a random jig from a tackle shop’s pegboard is not a productive way to pick surface iron. In fact,…

CUSTOM BUILT AS a tender for an 86-footer, this first Jim Smith 43-foot outboard-powered walkaround was designed to focus on serious offshore fishing. As is usual with bespoke builds, the customer specifies all the features, which included 10 rod holders in the cockpit and foredeck, Rupp Top Gun Z-30 18-foot outriggers, underwater Lumishore lights, belowdecks fish boxes, a rocket launcher, transom livewell and fish box, plus a bait-prep center and storage cabinet. Jim Smith Tournament Boats configured the vessel with a single stateroom, one head and a galley with a forward settee — just enough for a comfortable weekend trolling the islands. Other highlights included a SidePower 9-inch tunnel bow thruster, a tuna tower, 12-volt outlets for electric reels, and an ice machine. The 43 features a center console and…

Automatic Identification System (AIS) is a technology that more and more recreational anglers are utilizing offshore. AIS has been around in the commercial sector for some time, but in the past few years, electronics manufacturers like Simrad have added AIS to some of their recreational units. In the past, when running offshore looking for a line or large patches of weed, we might have hailed a ship we spotted on the horizon or picked up on radar to ask them if they had passed any weeds, and some were willing to offer up some info. The problem before AIS was that you’d have to get on the radio and hail a boat simply as “the vessel at 28°46’14N and 88°50’55W,” and then wait for a response. More often than not,…

These solitary reef dwellers are widespread through the Caribbean, as well as South Florida and the Gulf of Mexico, but an infrequent prize for anglers. The IGFA all-tackle world-record tiger is a 14½-pounder from Bimini in May 1993. Like all groupers, the tiger is superb eating; however, like many groupers in the Caribbean, it has been implicated in ciguatera poisonings. 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…

Pending as the new all-tackle record is a 38-pound, 8-ounce golden trevally [A], caught this past October off Queensland, Australia, on a Jaz lure. Scott McCauley of Gladstone, Queensland, required 20 minutes to land the tough fish. It would handily beat the current world-record golden of 32 pounds, 8 ounces, taken in 2002 near Point Samson, Western Australia. Fishing out of Quepos, Costa Rica, this past July, Gabriel Fernandez Tefel of Carolina Beach, North Carolina, landed a 51-pound Pacific snook [B], now pending as the 16-pound line-class record. The snook took a live bait. If approved, it will narrowly beat the existing 49-pound, 13-ounce Pacific snook caught in 1990, also in Costa Rica. A whopping 46-pound, 2-ounce law croaker [C], taken near Luanda, Angola, this past July would easily top…

Marine batteries seem a little like wizardry to me: so much capability and design packed into a heavy, rectangular anonymouslooking package. But then chemistry and engineering never did light my candle. Batteries represent the heart and blood of a vessel. Without them and their life-giving current flow, nothing moves, nothing happens. You might as well fish from a dock. Boat dealers generally make it easy on buyers by recommending and installing the proper batteries in a new boat — batteries that meet the requirements of the engines and electronics aboard. But what if you buy a used vessel from an individual? What happens when your new-boat batteries eventually die? And what if you add a trolling motor, a shallow-water anchor or extra electronics? According to West Marine and Optima Batteries,…

Not so long ago, a leaning post, perhaps with a backrest, represented the height of luxury in helm seating on a center console boat, despite minimal padding and no lumbar or lateral support. Thankfully, helm seats are changing for the better. While on Fish Trials aboard a wide range of new center consoles, I’ve been able to enjoy helm seating that comforts, cradles and supports my aging frame. Yes, some boat models still include leaning posts as standard equipment, yet an increasing number feature more-luxurious seating as an option — one that is worth the extra cost. SUFFER NO MORE “Just because you’re on a fishing boat doesn’t mean you have to suffer,” says Alex Leva of HydraSports Custom Boats in Islamorada, Florida. HydraSports builds each of its boats —…