Sport Fishing July/August 2017

On a perfect March morning, Capt. T. J. Shea’s Southport 33 was en route toward his first set of numbers well offshore of Clearwater, Florida, as eager anglers busied themselves in the cockpit. Then, Shea’s boat was boarded by U.S. Coast Guard officers. No worries, thought Shea: He always had requisite safety gear on board and more. But they wanted only to see all of the boat’s turtle-bycatchmitigation gear. Shea was dumbfounded. He knew nothing about this specialized gear required of all charter boats that fish reef areas in Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic federal waters. But then, he says, “Why would I? In 20 years as a full-time charter skipper in the Gulf, we have never hooked a single turtle.” Be that as it may, the coastie wasn’t…

Bridges bring out the beasts of inshore waters. While high above, causeways provide transportation for millions of commuters; below, the pylons and foundations offer safety and food for marine ambush feeders — an appealing rest stop for full-grown inshore sport fish. One of the trickiest aspects to fishing bridges involves pulling fish away from the concrete, metal, wood and rubble. If you plan on fishing bridges, make sure your tackle is up to the task. Whether in the Atlantic, Gulf or Pacific, bridge-fishing enthusiasts should utilize the unique mix of deep water, current and structure available underneath local bridges and causeways. The targets and locale might differ, but chances are you can utilize the proven tactics highlighted here. TIDE OR NOTHING Recently, I joined Capt. Jarrod Tuttle (gofishponce.com) and his…

(Tetrapturus angustirostris) One of the smallest of billfishes, and certainly sporting the shortest of bills (per its name), this spearfish — one of several species — is native to the Pacific and Indian oceans. While the all-tackle world record of 110 pounds, 3 ounces was taken near Sydney in 2008, shortbills are generally far smaller. Despite their diminutive size, their aggressive behavior means many are caught on trolled lures intended for much larger fish. The waters of Hawaii and New Zealand are best bets for anglers trying for this rarest species in a billfish slam. 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…

Rod guides and rod-guide inserts are vital components of your fishing rods. Major upgrades over the past decade increased performance via better sensitivity, better heat dissipation and lighter materials. Custom-rod builders are up-to-date with the latest trends, staying knowledgeable when buying new components. But for the rest of us, we likely need a refresher. Not because we plan on building a bunch of rods next month, but because we should understand the features, designs and parts of the rods we’re buying. Current rod-building trends lean toward increasing guide-insert hardness to decrease friction for longer casts, and toward saving weight by lightening components, says Chris Adams, marketing and accounts manager with Mud Hole Custom Tackle in Oviedo, Florida. “For an inexpensive rod, a stainless-steel guide frame with an aluminum-oxide insert is…

1. WEARABLE TECH Garmin has added GHC 20 autopilot control and the ability to mark waypoints to its next-generation quatix 5 marine GPS smartwatch. The quatix 5 provides boat connectivity with compatible Garmin chart plotters and other marine electronics for remote display of data via NMEA 2000 and select functionality. The watch also offers multisport options and tracking for activities such as paddleboarding and running. Quatix pairs with smartphone apps to display tide data; it also features an anchor alarm, an anchor-rode calculator and a fish-catch log. Water-rated to 100 meters, quatix 5 costs $599.99. A Wi-Fi-enabled Sapphire version costs $849.99. 2. APEX SHADES A longtime partner of the shark-tagging project Ocearch, Costa has introduced three new frames with shark-inspired colors and a new gray silver-mirror lens. Sales proceeds will…

Trolling a squid offWhangaroa, New Zealand, last March produced this 795-pound, 14-ounce swordfish [A] for Nicky Sinden, of Northland, New Zealand, pending as the 130-pound-class record. She fought the fish for an hour. If approved, the catch will defeat the long-standing record of 759 pounds, taken offIquique, Chile, in 1952. For 10-year-old Fernando X. Mata, of Key Biscayne, Florida, this 64-pound broomtail grouper [B] is now pending as the small-fry-class record. The big grouper struck a trolled lure offSalinas, Ecuador, last April. If approved, it will demolish the existing small-fry record of 28 pounds, taken in 2011, also offEcuador. Dropping deep offHawaii’s Big Island with Capt. Dale Leverone paid offlast March for Martin Arostegui, of Seattle, with a 17-pound, 12-ounce lustrous pomfret [C]. If approved, it will edge out the…