Gusts to 25 knots out of the ­southwest stacked 2-foot waves atop 3-footers. What should have been a beautiful late fall day was quickly becoming a misery trip as torrents of salt water blew over the bow with the frequency of a punk-rock drumbeat.

My wife released her white-knuckle death grip on the console rail just long enough to punch me in the shoulder. She started to yell what surely would’ve been an expletive when she was cut short by a curtain of Chesapeake Bay brine.

“Trust me,” I shouted over the wind blast. “Three more minutes of this and we’ll be in the clear.”

By “in the clear” I meant that we’d round Point Lookout into the lee, and the wave height would drop by two-thirds. I certainly didn’t mean to imply I’d be clear of her wrath — it was obviously too late for that. But the second shoulder punch told me that she didn’t quite realize what I meant: Being in the lee of a point of land versus being on the windward side can make the difference between utter misery and fishing in relative comfort.

Finding Refuge from Windy Weather on the Water

Experienced anglers certainly know how very important the combination of wind speed and geography can be. It’s a lesson learned early.

As a child, I remember rushing to the window the moment I awoke on Saturday mornings to look at the treetops. No movement in those higher branches meant calm seas; a few rustling leaves was OK, but swaying treetops meant that rousting Dad out of bed would be a wasted effort.

Most open-water outings depend on decent weather conditions, which deteriorate more frequently in winter due to repeated cold fronts. During those months, the Jet Stream tends to push south. Nor’easters develop along the East Coast, and polar air flows south until it collides with warm air from the Gulf of Mexico.

While wind speeds along most of the northern Gulf Coast average 5 to 6 mph during the summer, they build to an average of 9 to 10 mph in winter, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The Atlantic coast averages 6 to 7 mph during summer and 9 to 10 mph during winter. And in Florida, average winds build from summer’s 7 to 8 mph to winter’s 10 to 12 mph.

Wind patterns can be somewhat predictable, and we can plan fishing around that. Any East Coast angler, for example, knows that a few calm days in a row often follow the violence of a cold front. But weather patterns have been changing in recent years; when it comes to wind speeds, they appear to be growing stronger over time. According to research performed at Australia’s Swinburne University of Technology and published in the journal Science, wind speeds have increased globally by 5 percent over the past 20 years.

However, a few places in the country offer a perfect combination of geography and prevailing winds. That is, they remain fishable in most or all conditions short of a gale — regardless of the season.

We chose six weather havens that deserve national ranking for both top-notch fishing, inshore and nearshore, and protection from wind and approaching storms.

San Diego Bay is Sheltered from the Wind

San Diego Bay benefits from a north-south orientation in an area that sees prevailing westerly winds virtually all year long. At just 1 to 3 miles wide, the bay never presents a very long draw over which westbound waves can build.

During winter, though, the bay can be hit by Santa Ana winds. These gusty, dry desert blows, which emanate out of the east, can compress while moving through canyons, and eventually peak at more than 100 mph inland. They’re commonly closer to 20 to 30 mph along the coast, but that’s plenty strong enough to hit anglers where it hurts. All that considered, San Diego Bay still gains a leg up when it comes to finding a lee, thanks to the intervention of man.

“San Diego Bay is 14 miles long and surrounded by land for most of that distance,” says Capt. James Nelson, a San Diego guide dubbed “the fish icon.” “Most of that land is incorporated, and downtown San Diego (on the northeast corner of the bay) has buildings to 497 feet high. This helps protect the bay from wind on most of the days that we would be on the water.”

Just what does Nelson target in San Diego Bay? A surprisingly wide range of species, including spotted bay, sand and calico bass; corvina; croaker; halibut; sharks; and even the vaunted West Coast bonefish.

“This makes San Diego Bay not only one of the best fisheries around, but also a comfortable place to be on a boat,” he says.

Louisiana’s Protection from the Wind

When it comes to twisting, turning waterways with lee shores aplenty, regardless of wind direction, a salt-marsh fishery can be tough to beat. And when it comes to salt-marsh fishing for species such as spotted seatrout, flounder, black drum and especially red drum, the Louisiana coast ranks high on the list.

While the Mississippi River delta offers a plethora of wind-sheltered ­locations, anglers must consider the way the wind affects fishing in the marshes. “Our area is strongly affected by winds [which pick up in the winter months but commonly peak during the spring], but what wind does is affect the waterways we can access,” says Capt. David Bourgeois, of Big Dog Fishing Charters, in Lafitte, Louisiana, just south of New Orleans. “When winds are strong from the north and west, water is pushed out of the Barataria Basin and into the Gulf of Mexico. During these times, there are plenty of oil-and-gas-field access canals that are productive for fishing, and where we can hide from the wind.

“However, we have to deal with very shallow water and have to be careful not only fishing, but when running to our spots to make sure we don’t hit any usually submerged items or run aground.”

South winds create the opposite effect, pushing water up into the marsh and bayous. “South winds that raise our water levels allow us to fish areas we couldn’t otherwise access, such as ponds, flats and shallow bayous,” he says.

Fishing Key West When Windy

Anglers in Key West — and throughout much of the Keys — benefit from the ability to fish either the Atlantic Ocean or the Gulf of Mexico, depending on conditions. Even when all the surrounding waters roil, captains can tuck behind small islands that block the wind.

“We’re pretty lucky,” says Capt. Rush Maltz, of Odyssea Key West Sportfishing. “In the summer, we have prevailing winds out of the southeast, and in the winter, lots of east and northeast. We also get a lot of cold fronts moving through in the winter, and winds blow at 20 knots or more. But we can almost always find a place to fish.”

When it’s blowing out of the east, and seas in the Atlantic stack up to 6 or 7 feet, Gulf waves might only measure 1 to 3 feet, he explains. “On days the Gulf is unfishable, we might still be able to run offshore in the Atlantic and catch sailfish.

“Sometimes we can stay right in the harbor, where it’s almost always sheltered, and catch tarpon, or maybe permit or cobia, and snapper are always around. You don’t always have to go very far around here to catch fish. As a guide, this is great. While most of the coast might be stuck, we have options.”

This does, of course, affect which fisheries may be targeted on any given day. While sailfish and mahi might be plentiful on the Atlantic side, fishing the Gulf might mean going for grouper or snapper instead. On days with too much bluster for either option, backcountry and flats areas offer species such as tarpon, permit and bonefish. In other words, taking advantage of this weather flexibility means remaining open-minded about target choice.

“Instead of just saying we’re blown out, we change it up,” Maltz says. “We can still have a great day of fishing. And nine out of 10 anglers have no problem with that at all.”

Hide in the Outer Banks from the Wind

Take one glance at a map of the North Carolina Outer Banks and you can see that whichever way a strong wind blows, anglers can find sheltered waters somewhere in the sounds, bays or along the beach. On an east or west wind, for example, the slot between Roanoke Island and the mainland in Croatan Sound, and between Roanoke and the barrier islands in Roanoke Sound, should be quite protected. If the winds hump out of the north, the waters south of Wanchese should enjoy a lee. And if a southerly riles things up, the waters of Kitty Hawk Bay should remain relatively placid. That shelter can extend, at times, out into the ocean on the northeast or southwest side of Cape Hatteras and the east or west side of Cape Lookout.

Capt. Joey VanDyke, who has mated on offshore boats out of Oregon Inlet and Hatteras and today runs inshore, offshore and bay charters on the 27-foot custom Carolina-style Fingeance, has seen every aspect of how, where and when to alter fishing tactics to keep casting right through a blow.

“We’re very diverse here in the Outer Banks,” he says. “We’re mentally and physically able to change it up at the drop of a hat. From one day to the next, we might go from sight-casting for cobia in the ocean to targeting drum up on the grass flats in the sound. When the wind starts blowing, we have a plan A and a plan B — and a plan C and even a plan D.”

While most anglers happily adapt, some ­tourists don’t always get it. “We try to explain it to clients; we try to break it down for them and help them understand why the wind can make one area or another, and even a particular type of fishing, less productive,” VanDyke explains. “Take sight-casting for cobia, for example. There are times when the water’s too churned up for that to work from a blow the day before, even though now it’s calm enough to fish for them. But chumming might still be an option.

“Or, we might need to focus on a different species entirely. Sometimes it takes a little while, and sometimes we take them out and let them have a look. But as long as people are willing, we have a very unique opportunity here to find good fishing in most wind ­conditions, almost year-round.”

Chesapeake Comfort from the Winds

Having fished the Chesapeake Bay my entire life, I’ve taken advantage countless times of its rather erratic shorelines and plentiful tributaries to find a lee regardless of wind direction. But the bay’s combination of shoals and channels means that wind doesn’t need a long reach to create a tight, nearly vertical chop.

A 1-foot chop can be uncomfortable in a small boat. Two-footers can pound out your fillings while running, and roll your boat from side to side like a carnival ride while adrift. If you’re not careful, you might soak your wife in salt spray and earn yourself a punch or two. But no matter the direction the winds blow — even during the winter, when wind direction is unpredictable and you’re quite likely to have a 15-knot breeze — fishable waters can almost always be found in the middle bay at or around the Chesapeake Bay bridges.

Spanning just over 4 miles from the western to eastern shores, the twin spans of the bay bridges feature literally hundreds of pilings, some as long and wide as an 18-wheeler, as well as two artificial islands known as “the rock piles.” The islands not only break the wind but also the waves.

If the wind is blowing out of the east or west, one side of the bay or the other is bound to be relatively calm. And if it’s blowing out of the north or south, one side of the bridge or the other is significantly calmer. When the conditions are fishable but still uncomfortable, you can always take a break in the lee of one of the islands.

Added bonus: The bridges offer some of the best structure in the entire Chesapeake Bay, and quite often, the striped bass fishing here excels. Throughout the year, anglers can pluck school-size stripers to 30 inches from around the pilings by casting jigs on light tackle, live-baiting, or trolling tandem and umbrella rigs up and down the lane between the two bridges.

In early spring and late fall, trophy-size fish migrate in and out of the area. In fact, the largest striper I ever hooked in the Chesapeake struck beneath the east span of the north bridge. We fought it for a solid 20 minutes before it broke 40-pound test with a rod-pumping head-shake, ensuring I’ll always dream of hooking a fish like that again in the shadows of the Chesapeake Bay bridges.

Martha’s Vineyard Variety

Martha’s Vineyard benefits from a ­combination of tall wind-breaking bluffs near areas with strong current, numerous nearby islands and a fairly consistent westerly prevailing wind pattern. This adds up to options — lots of options — when the wind blows.

“You can always find a lee, and you can always find a place where there’s wind in your face too,” says Julian Pepper, a senior staff member and 20-year veteran at Larry’s Tackle Shop, the oldest such establishment on the island. “If you’re a fly-fisherman and you need protection from the wind, you can always go somewhere like Chappaquiddick and fish near the bluffs, where there’s also good current and good fishing. Between the sound, the islands and the ocean, there’s almost always a good place to fish.”

While the Vineyard is best known for its striped bass fishery, which starts in May and usually hits full swing in June, in the fall, false albacore can be found close to leeward shores. Even in winter, fish like tautog can be found in waters close enough to the lee to remain protected.

“It’s at its best when you get a blow for a couple of days. That pushes bait in,” Pepper says. “And then the wind turns. You can be in the lee, have clean water and some of the best fishing around.”

Battling the Breeze

Even in protected waters, strong winds make fishing tough. Casting becomes an issue, trolling lines might be pushed into one another and the wind can blow big bends in your line, reducing the ability to feel a bite. Use these simple tips and tactics to catch more fish in the maelstrom.

• When throwing lures or bait, remember to position your boat to allow casting with the wind. If that’s not possible, cast side-armed and low to the water.

• When trolling, try to head directly into or directly with the wind. When the breeze hits the boat on its beam, lines are much more likely to blow into one another. If that’s not possible, place your heaviest lures with the most drag on the upwind side of the spread and your lighter lures on the downwind side to keep the light lines from being blown atop the heavier ones.

• When fishing topwater in a strong wind, walk the dog with a stickbait rather than choosing a chugger or popper. The more abrupt jerk needed for popping some lures can lead to lots of cartwheeling (and the associated tangles).

The post Fishing Success in Windy Weather appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Because braided line has such a thin diameter, the importance of knots used to connect braid to a length of mono or fluorocarbon leader takes on greater significance. Most anglers choose to use a leader with braid, but based on the results of this challenge, it would seem that many are losing 30, 40 and even more than 50 percent of the braid’s breaking strength at that knot. On the other hand, some knots retain 90 to 100 percent of the braid’s strength. The fundamental purpose of this knot challenge is to share with Sport Fishing enthusiasts which knots are the strongest and how they are tied.

How We Tested 53 Fishing Knots

Before we look more closely at the winning knots, here’s how the challenge worked. Those who answered our call for participants could enter in either the light-braid category (15-pound braid to 30-pound fluorocarbon leader) or the heavy-braid category (50-pound braid to 80-pound fluorocarbon), or both. All were sent the same braid and leader so everyone would be working with the same materials.

Specifically, entrants used Spiderwire Stealth Blue Camo Braid in 15-pound-test and Spiderwire Stealth Glow-Vis Braid in 50-pound-test as their main line, tying to Berkley ProSpec fluorocarbon leader in 30-pound and 80-pound, respectively. The 15-pound Spiderwire braid actually broke at 34.4 pounds, on average; the 50-pound Spiderwire broke at 62.8 pounds. That means knots would have had to break at 34.4 and 62.8 pounds to achieve 100 percent strength.

Keep in mind the bottom-line goal of this challenge: Determine the strongest possible knots to connect braid to leader. Given that objective, there were few restrictions. Some tied a double line in the braid, some did not. A few applied glue to their knots. Whatever worked was fair game, as we can all benefit from that knowledge. Those who elected to tie a double line (most often with a Bimini twist) then had two knots to test; they were submitting a “knot system,” if you will.

It was essential to determine which of the two knots tested weaker; that registered as the “weak link” in their system, and that knot was the one that would determine the strength of their method of connecting braid to leader. (In some cases, the weaker knot was the Bimini twist; in other cases, the knot connecting the doubled braid to the leader proved weaker.)

Each entrant submitted three samples of the same knot, so the strength measured represents the mean of the three break tests.

The Best Knots for 15-Pound Braided Fishing Line

As the charts you’ll see a bit farther down show, the strength of these knots was pretty much all over the place, from 100 percent to as little as about 17 percent. For lighter braid (15-pound tied to 30-pound fluoro), here are the three strongest knots, in order.

PR Bobbin Knot — 84.3 Percent Break Strength

Tied by Capt. Bryan Dietz of Merritt Island, Florida

Improved FG Knot — 80.9 Percent Break Strength

Tied by Capt. Tim Simos of Fort Pierce, Florida

FG knot — 73.4 Percent Break Strength

Tied by Ralph Green of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

The Best Knots for 50-Pound Braided Fishing Line

For heavier braid (50-pound tied to 80-pound fluoro), here are the four strongest knots, in order.

GT Knot — 100 Percent Break Strength

Tied by Chad Nisely of Painesville, Ohio

PR Bobbin Knot — 99.5 Percent Break Strength

Tied by Bryan Dietz of Merritt Island, Florida

Improved Bristol Knot — 92.1 Percent Break Strength

Tied by Doug Olander of Winter Park, Florida

Improved FG Knot — 82.1 Percent Break Strength

Tied by Capt. Tim Simos of Fort Pierce, Florida

Two Charts Showing the Strongest Fishing Knots

What to Consider When Tying Fishing Knots

Knot-tiers are becoming more sophisticated, at least based on comparison to a similar Sport Fishing knot challenge years ago. Most of the winning knots here aren’t simple or quickly tied (many best tied the evening before a fishing trip rather than on the water in a hurry in rough seas), but the results speak for themselves.

Another change from the previous knot challenge is the prevalence of single-line knots among better entries. That is, years ago, most of the strongest knots tested were formed from a double line made with a Bimini twist, such as a Bristol (aka Yucatan or no-name knot). This year, only one such knot scored among the best. All other top knots tie the single-strand main line directly to the leader. The FG knot has become quite popular, for example. Also, it should be noted that the time some anglers took to tie elaborate knots connecting doubled braid to leader wasn’t effectively spent since their Bimini twists broke first.

It seems that tying knots approaching 100-percent strength might be inherently more difficult with lighter braided line. The percentages of the two best results with 15-pound braid were in the lower 80s, while three entries with 50-pound braid tested between 92 and 100 percent. (Two knots finished among the top three in both light- and heavy-braid categories, but tested weaker with the lighter braid).

It’s not just the knot; how it’s tied is strategic. That is, in some cases, very similar or even the same knots tied by different entrants tested far differently, suggesting slight variations in how they were tied could make a considerable difference.

Albrights and double-uni knots are very popular — but are they the best knots? One result consistent in this challenge was that Albright and uni knots to connect braid to leader scored pretty low. Lots of anglers — and pros — swear by them, and certainly, a knot you can tie efficiently, with lots of confidence, is important. But the Instron tester suggests anglers can do better.

How to Tie the PR Bobbin Knot

How to Tie the Improved FG Knot

How to Tie the GT Knot

How to Tie the Improved Bristol Knot

Top Fishing Captains Favorite Knots

I asked these charter captains and guides how they choose to connect a braid main line to a fluoro or mono leader. Here’s what they said:

The post Strongest Fishing Knots Connecting Braid to Leader appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Tunas are part of the family Scombridae, which also includes mackerels, large and small. But there are tunas, and then there are, well, “true tunas.” Two groups (sometimes known as “tribes”) dominate the tuna species. One is Thunnini, which is the group considered true tunas, characterized by two separate dorsal fins and a relatively thick body. The 15 species of Thunnini are albacore, bigeye, black skipjack, blackfin, bluefin (three species: Atlantic, Pacific, southern), bullet, frigate, kawakawa, little tunny, longtail, skipjack, slender and yellowfin. The other tribe is Sardini; these tunas — the dogtooth tuna and several species of smaller true bonitos — are somewhat more mackerel-like (notably with a more elongated body and a row of sharp, conical teeth). Below you will find complete breakdowns of the various types of tuna in the world.

ALBACORE (Thunnus alalunga)

Easily identified, having by far the longest pectoral fins of any tuna, albacore are also noted for the lightest, whitest flesh among tunas. Circumglobal, albacore prefer temperate (versus tropical) seas and rarely venture near shore. They’ve long been a popular target for California anglers, particularly off the central part of the state, but their availability in the summer varies greatly from year to year. Later in summer and fall, albacore move up into waters off Oregon, Washington and British Columbia but are often too far offshore for most sport-fishing boats.

BIGEYE (Thunnus obesus)

Bigeye may be confused with yellowfin, but their yellow finlets are edged in black and their eyes may indeed be a bit larger. The bigeye may also be more robust in its body shape. But the single sure way to distinguish the two species is underneath the skin: The bigeye’s liver is striated (striped or streaked); the yellowfin’s is not. Found worldwide, this prized game fish is also an important target for commercial longliners.

BLACKFIN (Thunnus atlanticus)

The most common tuna of the Florida Keys and South Florida, blackfin tuna are found in tropical and warm temperate waters of the western Atlantic Ocean. Anglers target them from Brazil to North Carolina, including the Gulf of Mexico, but most of the world records hail from Florida.

A blakfin’s pec fins reach somewhere between the twelfth dorsal spine and the origin of the second dorsal fin, but they never extend beyond the second dorsal fin as in the albacore, explains the IGFA. A blackfin’s finlets are uniformly dark, without a touch of the bright yellow often present in other tunas.

The blackfin is a schooling fish that feeds near the surface, mostly caught while trolling ballyhoo or jigging with artificials. Overshadowed by yellowfins where the two species overlap, blackfins are still a fine-tasting tuna that draws praise when served properly.

BLACK SKIPJACK (Euthynnus lineatus)

This species is one of the few tunas limited to the eastern Pacific, found in waters off California to Peru. The black skippy can be identified by the four or five broad, straight stripes that extend horizontally along its back. A hard-hitting, fast-moving predator, smaller skipjack are popular among anglers for use as live bait for billfish and large yellowfin. The strong dark-red flesh is not appealing to most fishermen.

BLUEFIN (Thunnus thynnus)

The king of tunas, giant bluefin are for many anglers the ultimate prize among all game fishes. Ditto for sushi eaters, who at market may bid hundreds of thousands of dollars for a single giant. There’s some irony in the fact that before the latter part of the 20th century, sport fishermen had no use for giant bluefin, which at best were used for pet food, being considered unpalatable. Go figure.

Bluefin mature at about six years of age, around 300 pounds. Atlantic bluefin spawn in the Mediterranean and Gulf of Mexico. Researchers discovered and confirmed a third spawning area in the western Atlantic called the Slope Sea. They’re not terribly picky eaters, devouring even very small baitfish, and invertebrates, including starfish, have shown up in stomach analyses.

Bluefin range from far offshore to near-coastal waters. The three species of bluefin (Atlantic, Pacific and southern) tolerate a great range of temperatures and migrate great distances, across both oceans. Satellite tags have revealed transatlantic crossings in less than 60 days. Decades ago, giants made a reliable migration each May off Bimini and down the Florida Strait, but that suddenly came to an end after the 1960s. In recent years, Southern California anglers have been catching bluefin of sizes exceptional for those waters.

BONITOS (Sarda spp)

In addition to the Atlantic bonito, there are three other species of Sarda (Pacific, striped and Australian). These four true bonitos are related to dogtooth tuna and share that species’ shape — more elongated than other “true” tunas — and somewhat non-tuna-like sharp-toothed dentition. All are small coastal pelagics; all make outstanding light-tackle game fish and (even if not universally appreciated) fine table fare as sashimi or cooked. (Not to be confused with little tunny/false albacore, often called “bonito.”)

DOGTOOTH (Gymnosarda unicolor)

That the Indo-Pacific dogtooth (along with true bonitos — basically smaller versions) belong in a different group from bluefin, yellowfin and relatives isn’t hard to imagine. Unlike those true tunas, dogtooth are longer, leaner and maybe even meaner. Per its name, check out its dentures, most impressive of any tuna. Also, dogtooth are far more solitary, and unlike most tunas are not a schooling species. Finally, they prefer to haunt steep reef slopes; anglers needn’t travel far offshore to tangle with doggies. A fine eating fish, dogtooth are known for their brutal power when hooked.

KAWAKAWA (Euthynnus affinis)

Known as mackerel tuna in Australia, the kawakawa — native to the Indo- and western Pacific — is similar to the little tunny of Atlantic waters. It is also a dark-meat species, though popular among many anglers for food, as in Hawaii. Kawakawa are, typically, tremendous fighters for their size. Kawakawa mostly inhabit coastal reefs and may even move into estuaries.

LITTLE TUNNY (Euthynnus alletteratus)

A fish of many names, little tunny are known as false albacore off the U.S. Northeast and mid-Atlantic states, where they’re a very popular game fish among light-tackle and fly anglers. In the Southeast and Gulf, they’re mislabeled bonito, and generally avoided. Yet they are tremendous fighters for their size, battling in classic tuna fashion. Little tunny are readily identified by the wavy lines along their upper back, behind the dorsal, and the spots between pectoral and ventral fins. Small tunny are also popular as baitfish, drifted live or trolled dead. They form and feed in tight schools, often churning the surface as they gorge on baitfish. The dark-red, bloody meat of little tunny keeps them out of fish boxes.

LONGTAIL (Thunnus tonggol)

The longtail inhabits the Indo-Pacific, quite near shore, even prowling estuaries and river mouths, where it often roams in large shoals. A popular game fish among Australians, the species is there labeled northern bluefin, though it is not a species of bluefin.

SKIPJACK (Katsuwonus pelamis)

With distinct horizontal stripes limited to its lower half (and no stripes dorsally), the skipjack is readily distinguished from other small tunas. One of the most widely dispersed of small tunas, the skipjack is found in all temperate and tropical seas, where it often forms huge schools. Not all anglers realize that its light meat should make it a preferred species for the fish box. The skipjack is of huge importance globally as a commercial species, with great tonnage ending up canned.

YELLOWFIN (Thunnus albacares)

Named for its bright-yellow finlets, the yellowfin is fantastically popular among anglers who fish tropical seas around the world. Their habit of schooling and feeding at the surface makes yellowfin particularly exciting targets for run-‘n’-gunners. Yellowfin are decidedly bluewater pelagics but may move into coastal waters at times. The fast-growing tuna can reach 200 pounds in seven years. Anglers in eastern Pacific waters take advantage of the yellowfin symbiotically feeding with dolphin (porpoise). From years spent as an observer for the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission, California photographer, writer and angler Bill Boyce says tuna definitely follow dolphin (not vice versa). The tuna seem to understand that dolphin will find the baitfish; the tuna then help corral the bait, pushing it to the surface.

OTHER TUNAS

The post An Illustrated Guide to Types of Tuna appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

When it comes to sharks, anglers just can’t seem to get enough of ’em. Somewhere between 400 and 500 different species of shark swim in our oceans, in depths from mere inches, over shallow flats, to thousands of feet; from the hottest equatorial seas to freezing waters over the poles. Some never grow to a foot in length, while some man-eaters exceed 20 feet.

This gallery offers a look at 15 shark species important to sport fishermen — most of them likely to be encountered and/or targeted. Some are wild on the hook — offering a performance as exciting as any species of game fish in the world. Many are unspectacular but dogged fighters. But no matter how they fight, bringing a big one boatside offers one of fishing’s more dramatic moments.

I’ve included the all-tackle world record for each species. Some species are part of the International Game Fish Association’s line-class-record system.

BLACKTIP AND SPINNER SHARKS

• Blacktip (Carcharhinus limbatus) world record: 270 pounds, 9 ounces, 8 feet long (Kenya, 1984)
• Spinner (Carcharhinus brevipinna) world record: 208 pounds, 9 ounces (Texas, 2009)

Blacktip sharks and the closely related, very similar spinner shark, are among the most widespread and cosmopolitan of “sporting” sharks, found in all the world’s temperate and tropical waters and ranging from flats they share with bonefish to deeper offshore waters. These active and agile predators are popular with anglers who at times catch them casting topwater lures and flies and enjoy their spirited fight and, often, their repeated leaps. These species are responsible for most of the annual shark bites reported by Florida beach-goers when they follow mullet runs into the murky waters near shore, and the flash of an arm or foot may attract their attention.

BLUE SHARK

• Blue (Prionace glauca) world record: 528 pounds — 10 feet long (New York, 2001)

The long, slender and aptly named blue shark is nowhere a stranger, being circum-global in tropical and temperate waters. The wide-ranging sharks of offshore waters can be a nuisance. Their fight is less than spectacular, though bringing a big one to the boat can get exciting. Arguably one of the least-desirable sharks for eating. While attacks on humans are rare, blues are in the “potentially dangerous” category.

BONNETHEAD SHARK

• Bonnethead (Sphyrna tiburo) world record: 32 pounds — 3½ feet long (Florida, 2013)

In essence a small, inshore hammerhead, the bonnethead prefers estuaries, flats and bays in tropical and temperate waters of the New World, along both western Atlantic and eastern Pacific coasts of North and South America. Flats anglers can sight-cast to them as they search the sand with zigzag turns looking for anything edible. Agile little bonnetheads will hit lures and flies, and offer great light-tackle sport.

BULL SHARK

• Bull (Carcharhinus leucas) world record: 697 pounds, 12 ounces — 8½ feet long (Kenya, 2001)

Unquestionably one of the most dangerous of the world’s sharks, the bull is also one of the most ubiquitous: Anywhere in the world there’s a tropical or temperate coastline, there are bull sharks. Bulls move freely far up rivers and into lakes. The thick-bodied, powerful sharks when hooked offer a reasonably stubborn but unspectacular fight (though the release might be lively).

GREENLAND SHARK

• Greenland (Somniosus microcephalus) world record: 1,708 pounds, 9 ounces — 13-plus feet long (Norway, 1987)

Unlike other sharks on this list, the Greenland shark is restricted to the far-north reaches of both sides of the Atlantic and up into the most northern Arctic waters. These sharks have been aged up to 392 years; sexual maturity occurs at around 150 years. Very limited sport fisheries in fjords, sometimes through the ice, have offered a handful of anglers the unique chance to land one of these monsters, which they do more for the novelty than any sort of real fight. Given this species’ habitat, humans are safe from Greenland sharks.

GREAT HAMMERHEAD SHARK

• Great hammerhead (Sphyrna mokarran) world record: 1,280 pounds — 11 ½ feet long (Florida, 2006)

Anglers may catch any of several hammerhead species besides the great hammerhead including the smooth and scalloped varieties, but S. mokarran is the largest. It roams the world’s oceans, ranging from shallow nearshore waters to offshore. Attacks on people are exceedingly rare. A fair opponent when hooked, though studies have shown that hammerheads are particularly prone to mortality when released, even if they appear healthy. Note that all three of these hammerhead species are widely illegal to harvest, with the scalloped hammerhead added in 2014 to the federal Endangered Species List.

LEMON SHARK

• Lemon (Negaprion brevirostris) world record: 405 pounds — nearly 8 feet long (North Carolina, 1988)

Widely distributed, lemons prefer shallower coastal waters, and they’re definitely the big dog of the flats. Lemon sharks can be chummed near a skiff in a couple of feet of water on the right tides, and sight-casting to them and hooking up in such clear water is explosive action. Although Lemon attacks on humans are rare, they’re not unheard of. By law, lemons must be released in the waters of most coastal states where they occur.

MAKO SHARK

• Shortfin mako (Isurus paucus ) world record: 1,221 pounds — 11 feet long (Massachusetts, 2001)

Found in most of the world’s temperate and tropical seas, the mako shark is truly one of the ocean’s great game fishes. This fastest of all sharks often goes ballistic when hooked, repeatedly making memorable sky-high somersaulting leaps. They’ve been known to jump into boats, and frequently chomp on outboards’ lower units. Makos will devour live baits but also track down marlin lures trolled at high speeds. Makos are also considered excellent eating. The species certainly has the potential to present a danger to people. The longfin mako, I. paucus, is less common and stays farther offshore.

OCEANIC WHITETIP SHARK

• Oceanic whitetip (Carcharhinus longimanus) world record: 369 pounds — 7 feet (Bahamas, 1998)

Common in tropical, temperate and cool-temperate seas worldwide, the whitetip is one of the requiem sharks; its close relatives include the bull, bronze whaler, dusky, silky and tiger. These open-ocean hunters are fast and aggressive, and many’s the offshore angler who has lost a prize to them. At the same time, when hooked, they’re quick, tough opponents. Whitetips definitely present a danger to humans.

PORBEAGLE SHARK

• Porbeagle (Lamna nasus) world record: 507 pounds — 8 feet long (Scotland, 1993)

Sometimes call “fat makos,” the porbeagle is indeed closely related to and more robust than the mako. They also inhabit cooler waters, in the entire North Atlantic and southern hemisphere. Like the mako, the porbeagle is an outstanding game fish, though far less common, and is also fine eating. A limited targeted sport fishery off the U.K. has resulted in some fine catches in recent years. It is also valued as a food fish. The cool waters that porbeagles inhabit preclude much contact with humans, hence they’re not a likely threat.

SALMON SHARK

• Salmon (Lamna ditropis) world record: 461 pounds, 9 ounces — 7 ½ feet long (Alaska, 2009)

Basically the north Pacific’s version of the north Atlantic porbeagle, the very similar salmon shark is a cold-water version of the mako. Like many large-shark species, the salmon shark is warm-blooded, heating its blood well above ambient water temps. Targeted fisheries are limited, mostly to areas where the sharks follow runs of salmon in close to the coasts of Alaska. Salmon sharks offer exciting, sometimes aerial, action for northern anglers.

THRESHER SHARK

• Thresher (Alopias vulpinis) world record: 767 pounds, 3 ounces — 9 feet long (to fork of tail) (New Zealand, 1983)

The common thresher shark is found in nearly all seas tropical, temperate and cool-temperate around the world. It ranges from bluewater to nearshore shallows in some areas, such as Southern California beaches, seasonally. The long tail is used to herd and stun small fish. Threshers are excellent eating and tough opponents when hooked; they often leap wildly. The less common bigeye thresher (A. superciliosus) may get slightly larger: The world record is 802 pounds from New Zealand in 1981. Threshers are not considered aggressive to humans.

TIGER SHARK

• Tiger (Galeocerdo cuvier) world record: 1,780 pounds, 14 feet (South Carolina, 1964) AND 1,785 pounds, 11 ounces (Australia, 2004)

One of the largest active shark species, tigers sharks inhabit nearshore and even inshore coastal waters worldwide. They’re not a true pelagic, open-ocean species. Tigers of well over 6,000 pounds have been reported. While impressive for their size, tigers are not terribly unpredictable or flashy fighters when hooked. They’re known to ingest just about anything edible and many things not, and they’re widely implicated in many attack on humans.

TOPE SHARK

• Tope (Galeorhinus galeus) world record: 72 pounds, 12 ounces — 5 feet (New Zealand, 1986)

Tope range from shore to deeper ocean waters in all oceans, particularly in temperate and cold waters. As sport fish, these sharks are particularly valued in areas where cool waters preclude a great variety of game fish species, notably the British Isles as well as South Africa and southern Australia. Anglers in these areas target tope for their quite-respectable fighting qualities.

The post Shark Fishing: A Guide to Popular Species appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Recipes are great for both cooking and fishing — follow this set of instructions, and you’ll get that desired result. Professional chefs, however, understand which flavors combine well to create their own delectable dishes. Charter captains, who fish many days consecutively, through varied weather, temperature and tides, similarly understand how a lure’s specific characteristics — its flavor, if you will — mix with given water conditions to convince fish to take a bite.

With that in mind, I asked 11 striped bass experts to pick their favorite striper lure and explain when and how they fish it. I also asked each why he believed that particular lure to be so mouthwatering to striped bass in those circumstances. Sure, pro anglers typically name as their go-to striped bass lure one made by a manufacturer who sponsors them. But knowing it has proved consistently effective for them, then understanding why — both their “recipe” (what to fish, when and how — as well as their reasoning) — will help all striper enthusiasts increase their success. Here are the best striped bass lures you can buy today.

Quicklook: Best Fishing Lures for Striped Bass

• Hard Baits
  • Gibbs Danny Surface Swimmer
  • Rapala Skitter Walk
  • Sebile Magic Swimmer
  • Rebel Jumping Minnow
  • Shimano ColtSniper Jerkbait
  • Strategic Angler Cruiser
  • Tsunami Talkin’ Popper
  • Yo-Zuri Mag Darter
• Soft Baits
  • RonZ Original Series
  • Lunker City Slug-Go
  • Storm WildEye Swim Shad
  • Berkley Gulp! Shads and PowerBaits (for East and West Coast Fishing)

Hard Baits

Gibbs Danny Surface Swimmer

Where, When and Who Along Long Island on New York’s southwestern coast, from Jones Inlet to Fire Island, Capt. Al Lorenzetti targets striped bass on current edges along inshore sandbars from late May through mid-July, and then again in October and November.

Lure Choice and Conditions “When I’m anchored ahead of a rip, the blunt tip of the Danny, plus that metal lip, gives it a wobble that stripers want to pounce on, even with minimal forward motion through the water. Just the current makes the plug work.”

Read Next: Striped Bass Fishing in New England

How and Why “One angler on one side of the boat just holds the lure right in front of the edge of the rip. Another angler on the other side casts behind the rip and reels right up to it. The most experienced angler in a group of three then throws between the two and reels the plug right along the rip line, just fast enough to make it wobble. It lays over side to side and looks like the slow-moving bunker or shad that frequent those rips.”

Size and Color 3½-ounce in yellow (which is intended to resemble bunker)

Unique Rig Bend the metal lip down, not quite to 90 degrees, to keep the lure on top, where it’s easier to keep an eye on it as well as see spectacular striper surface bites.

When to Switch “Casting into the wind, the line tends to foul the Danny’s front hook, and if I can’t get close, like at a breaking inlet bar, it doesn’t cast far enough.” At such times, Lorenzetti goes with Gibbs’ Polaris Popper. “It doesn’t foul, and I can throw it a country mile.”

-Lorenzetti is a pro staffer for Gibbs.

Rapala Skitter Walk

Where, When and Who North Carolina sounds — really, one huge, shallow inland sea — provide stripers year-round, with “dynamite action from late April through November,” says Capt. Gary Dubiel.

Lure Choice and Conditions If he knows where to cast, and stripers are either in shallow water or actively feeding on top, Dubiel says the distinct, loud rattle of the Skitter Walk attracts bigger fish than most other lures will.

How and Why “Use a lot of rod tip and reel slowly” — the classic walk-the-dog, Dubiel says. “Rock the bait aggressively side to side to move that big rattle inside, and keep it moving toward you with slow momentum. The rhythmic noise and motion seem to trigger fish.”

Size and Colors 4 3/8-inch with a white or chartreuse belly, or — in particularly dark, tannic water — a model in orange hues

When to Switch In choppy water that muffles noise, or when fish are deeper or more scattered, Dubiel prefers the louder sound and heartier surface action of Storm’s Rattlin’ Chug Bug, a cup-faced popper, which he says is also easier for many anglers to fish properly.

-Dubiel is a pro staffer for Rapala.

Rebel Jumping Minnow

Where, When and Who Beginning in May, striped bass show up on bars and along marsh edges on the Merrimack River, just south of the Massachusetts/New Hampshire border, says Capt. Chris Valakatgis.

Lure Choice and Conditions “On a calm day, you see the Jumping Minnow on top, even if it stops, and you hear the rattle. That helps get you into a rhythm and adjust your retrieve until you find the cadence that entices bites.”

How and Why “Start with a slow walk-the-dog motion, then use slow twitches of the rod tip to make the bait swing out wider to the side. If stripers are breaking on the surface, try speeding up the cadence and tightening the zigzag.”

Size and Color 4½-inch in bone

Unique Rig Replace original hooks with larger No. 1 or No. 2 trebles to handle 40-inch fish, but crush barbs to aid releasing smaller schoolies.

When to Switch “The Jumping Minnow is so light, it’s hard to cast in any wind, and if it’s choppy, you need a lure with more surface commotion to stand out,” Valakatgis says, so in those conditions, he switches to the rear-weighted Cordell Pencil Popper for better casting and heartier action.

Sebile Magic Swimmer

Where, When and Who After spawning in the Hudson and Delaware rivers, stripers return to the coast beginning late in March and hang there through June, says Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey, Capt. John Luchka.

Lure Choice and Conditions “When adult bunker are around, the fast-sinking Magic Swimmer targets fish on the surface, midwater and all the way to the bottom,” Luchka says. Stripers are drawn to the vibration the jointed body creates and, the guide says, it looks like an injured fish once the fish get close.

How and Why “They’re not super ­aggressive until they’ve had a few meals. Cast the lure outside the edge of the bait school so it looks like a wounded bait separated from the school. Let it sink, then bring it in slowly a couple of cranks and pause, a couple more cranks, and pause. They crush it on that pause.” A faster retrieve entices those same fish after they’ve eaten and become more aggressive.

Size and Colors 7½-inch, 3-ounce fast-sinking in bunker, or the brighter American shad color in murky water

When to Switch When smaller prey are prevalent, Luchka prefers “Sebile’s Stick Shadd, which is a bit rounder, and better matches the body shape of peanut bunker.”

-Luchka was a pro staffer for Sebile, back when the company was producing lures.

Shimano ColtSniper Jerkbait

Where, When and Who Chris Fox’s flexible schedule gets him on the lower Chesapeake Bay as regularly as many pro captains where, from October through early December, he parlays that expertise into frequent striper, trout and redfish slams, all from one lure.

Lure Choice and Conditions Near the mouth of the York and James rivers, green shrimp — which are actually white — show up thick in shallow water near man-made structure such as old pier pilings. “The ColtSniper‘s lip drives the lure underwater a foot or two, where the long, skinny body and white color match the shrimp.”

How and Why From deeper water, “cast it up on a flat and just reel it in slowly. It flashes white as it wobbles and rolls side to side. The fish usually hammer it right at that drop-off,” he says. As the water temperature falls below 50 degrees, “I slow the retrieve drastically, almost to the point of boredom,” he says — until a 40-inch striped bass piles on.

Size and Colors 140 mm (5.5 inches) in bone color with pink highlights underneath

When to Switch When the fish hang deeper than the ColtSniper will reach, “I switch to a sinking version of Hayward Tackle’s Genesis and twitch it for a walk‑the‑dog action.”

Strategic Angler Cruiser

Where, When and Who Along Cape Cod’s eastern shore and north past Cape Ann, Massachusetts, from mid-May through mid-July, tremendous currents from 12-foot tides over bottom with minimal structure to hide behind force striped bass into huge, roaming packs. They’re “more like open-water pelagics” — not their normal ambush hunting style, says Capt. Dom Petrarca.

Lure Choice and Conditions For about an hour on either side of slack tide, Petrarca says, “the stripers push the mackerel to the surface and attack from underneath. The long, wide Cruiser makes a lot of surface noise and offers the mackerel profile that bass are keyed in to.”

How and Why “Every couple of cranks, give a light twitch to the left [for spinners with the handle on the left side]. The wide body is weighted so the narrow nose digs in and it kicks out to the side, then comes back in an S pattern,” Petrarca says, which mimics the quick lateral movements of ­mackerel fleeing predators.

Size and Color 10-inch in a blue- or green-mackerel pattern

Unique Rig Owner Stinger 3/0 treble hook plus a Gamakatsu 8/0 live-bait hook at the tail

When to Switch During ripping currents between high and low tides, striped bass change hunting tactics. “They stack up, looking like a long wave on the fish finder in the middle of the water column.” That huge wall of striper mouths swimming with the current sucks up any unfortunate prey it rolls across. “Get in front of the school, and drop a 3- or 4-ounce jig.”

-Petrarca is a pro staffer for Strategic Angler.

Tsunami Talkin’ Popper

Where, When and Who Capt. Scott Leonard starts his season in May on Long Island, New York’s central south shore, and he moves to Montauk and beyond as the fish migrate east from July through September.

Lure Choice and Conditions “The Talkin’ Popper fishes really well when it’s flat or fairly calm — 12 knots of wind or less. It casts well too when stripers are up tight to the beach and hard to get to.”

How and Why “Cast along the outer edges of the bunker school, where big bass tend to be. Pop it, let it settle, then pop it again, while reeling nice and slow. The slower the better for bigger fish,” he says. “The way it splashes, it looks like a wounded bunker separated from the school, and stripers climb right onto it.”

Size and Colors 3½-ounce in yellow, to mimic ­prevalent bunker

When to Switch “When conditions are rougher, with a lot of surface commotion already, I’ll go with a surface swimmer like the Gibbs Danny.”

-Leonard is a pro staffer for Tsunami.

Yo-Zuri Mag Darter

Where, When and Who Capt. Carter Andrews fishes far and wide for The Obsession of Carter Andrews television show, but he often returns to New England during peak early‑summer striper fishing.

Lure Choice and Conditions The Mag Darter fishes really well in strong New England currents. “It doesn’t roll to the side like a true lipped lure,” he says. “With the magnetic weight-transfer system, super-long casts maximize my opportunities farther from the boat.”

How and Why “With just a slow, steady, straight wind, it darts really well side to side,” which he says entices striped bass in most conditions. To spice it up, though, “on every second or third crank, I give it just a little twitch.”

Size and Colors 6½-inch in bronze or bone, or, at times, holographic pink

When to Switch “When I’m up the rivers, in calmer conditions with less current, I can throw the 5-inch Mag Minnow like a dart,” he says, to more accurately target specific points and pockets of marsh grass where striped bass might lie.

-Andrews is a pro staffer for Yo-Zuri.

Soft Baits

Hard baits require specific angler actions to convince stripers they’re a natural food source. “Soft baits already look and feel real,” says Rhode Island charter captain Jack Sprengel, who offers several hot tickets.

RonZ Original Series

Early in July, as fish move into deeper water off Block Island, Sprengel says, “they’re often using current breaks behind structure to carry feeding opportunities to them. The original RonZ series lure’s tapered body swims just from water moving across its body.” Simply drop a 6- to 8-inch lure from a drifting boat, choosing the weighted head based on drift speed. Alternately, “cast into the direction of the drift and let it sink to the bottom, then slowly jig it all the way back to the surface.”

-Sprengel is a pro staffer for RonZ.

Lunker City Slug-Go

Beginning in May in Narragansett Bay, “when they’re in shallow water and easily spooked, it’s tough to beat a soft-landing, slow-moving bait like the original Slug-Go, presented at or just below the surface,” Sprengel says. A 6- to 10-inch bait should be rigged with a single-hook head. “Less is more. Don’t botch the presentation by adding too much input. If the strike doesn’t come right after it lands, retrieve any slack, give it two sharp twitches, pause, and repeat.”

Storm WildEye Swim Shad

Regarding another favorite of Sprengel’s, he says: “Near a jetty or pier, a weighted paddle-tail shad with tight but erratic action, such as Storm’s swim shad, sinks quickly down into the strike zone along and between structure contours.” Start small, 4 to 6 inches, or as large as 9 inches to target large stripers. “Reel slowly and let the paddle tail do its job.” Sprengel favors these swim shad in bright colors on bright days and darker colors on dark, overcast days. “Hold the lure over your head,” he suggests, “and see how it contrasts with the sky — as fish will see it.”

Berkeley Gulp! Shads and PowerBaits (East and West Coast)

With a West Coast spin on striper fishing, widely known Northern California fishing journalist Steve Carson says: “On major rivers, the 8-inch black PowerBait Maxscent Kingtail rigged on a ½- to ¾-ounce jig head replicates local eels. In the California Delta, Berkley’s 4-inch Havoc Sick Fish and 4- or 5-inch PowerBait Ripple Shad are good for blind-casting at known holding areas, or cast the Gulp! 5-inch or 6-inch Saltwater Jerk Shads into visible boils. Carson adds, “Shad- or trout-replicating colors are usually best, though chartreuse can be very effective in dirty water.”

-Carson is a pro staffer for Berkley.

Back on the East Coast, pro tournament fisherman Capt. Seth Funt (@teamthreebuoys) says, “The fish in Long Island Sound in March and April are tuned in to worms and small sand eels,” so he opts for a ½- or ¾-ounce Spro Prime Bucktail Jig in pearl, tipped with a 4- or 6-inch Gulp! Power Worm in pumpkin color. “It gives them a big, fat sand eel to get excited about. Just twitch, twitch, pull, and then let it fall a little. Worms and juvenile eels don’t swim along like baitfish; they just move with the current, so present it the same way.”

Try Them Out for Yourself

No matter your preferred striper lure, the key is to match it to the seasonal patterns and feeding behaviors of the striped bass you’re targeting. With the right lures and some well-timed casts, you’ll be hooking into plenty of these hard-fighting fish in no time. So get rigged up with some proven striped bass lures and get out on the water — the next trophy is waiting for you.

The post Best Striped Bass Lures appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Catching fish on topwater lures represents the most exciting form of fishing, hands down. No arguments. Period.

Nothing—absolutely nothing—triggers that wide-eyed rush of adrenaline as when a super-size snook, bull redfish or marauding striped bass blows up on a topwater lure. It’s a savage attack that can startle both newcomers and veterans alike. Once you come tight after that wild, explosive surface strike, you quickly become a believer in topwater fishing. It’s an addiction that lasts a lifetime.

Fishing with the best saltwater lures for topwater—be it a popper, surface walker, sub-surface walker or prop-bait—can also serve as one of the most effective inshore techniques, often producing fish when other methods draw blanks.

Here are 12 of today’s best topwater lures for saltwater anglers.

Berkley Choppo Saltwater

Berkley’s new Choppo Saltwater topwater lure features a uniquely engineered and durable cupped propeller-like single-blade tail to create maximum surface disturbance, generating sound and spray that attracts fish, even in murky water and from a distance. Corrosion-resistant heavy-duty split-rings and Fusion19 3X treble hooks resist bending, straightening or breaking under pressure.

This prop bait is available in two sizes: 105 and 120 mm, weighing 3/4 and 1 ounce. Both are designed to swim straight at any retrieve speed. The Choppo Saltwater comes in 10 colors, including black chrome, blue bullet, bone, red head, mullet, pilchard, pinfish, and pinky.

Specifications

• Length: 105 and 120 mm
• Weight: ¾ and 1 ounce
• Colors: 10 options
• Hooks: No. 2 and No. 1 treble hooks
• Action: Straight-swimming prop bait

Bomber Wake Minnow

The Bomber Jointed Wake Minnow is a lipped, jointed floating hard bait designed to be easily retrieved. The swimming movement, just below the surface, creates an enticing V-wake. A 3D body and HD decoration give the lure an appealing finish.

Specifications

• Length: 4 1/2 or 5 3/8 inches
• Weight: 3/4 or 1/2 ounces
• Colors: 10 options
• Hooks: No. 2 or 4 treble hooks
• Action: Subsurface swimming

Egret Zombie Ghost Walker

A legendary Texas-coast topwater bait was brought back to life by Egret baits. The Ghost, originally built by Producers Bait Company 25 years ago, is now manufactured as the Zombie Ghost Walker. Egret updated the strength of the hardware and cosmetics, but no changes were made to the dual sound chambers.

Specifications

• Length: 4 1/4 inches
• Weight: 1/2 ounces
• Color: 12 options
• Hook: VMC treble hooks
• Action: Walk the dog (walking)

Halco Slidog 125

The Halco Slidog 125 joins is a stickbait with compact body profile used in shallow and midwater situations. This far-casting lure can be twitched around bait schools to draw strikes.

Specifications

• Length: 125 mm (or 4.92 inches)
• Weight: 1.83 ounces
• Colors: 11 options
• Hook: Number 1/0 Mustad treble hooks
• Action: Twitchbait

Heddon Super Spook Jr.

Heddon’s Saltwater Super Spook, Jr. is the smaller version of Heddon’s classic Super Spook, built with a saltwater twist. Heavy-duty components and saltwater-grade hooks allow this plug to stand up to gamefish like striped bass, gator seatrout, and bull redfish.

Specifications

• Length: 3 1/2 inches
• Weight: 1/2 ounces
• Color: 21 options
• Hook: No. 4 Saltwater treble hooks
• Action: Walk the dog (walking)

MirrOlure MirrOmullet (CS16MR)

The MirrOlure MirrOmullet (CS16MR) now incorporates MirrOlure’s unique mullet skin design. This bait really looks like a mullet, with its lifelike finish on the lure. The lure also includes oversize eyes, low frequency rattle, and premium black-nickel hooks. With a twitch retrieve, the surface walker darts from side to side to attract strikes.

Specifications

• Length: 3 inches
• Weight: 3/8 ounces
• Hook: Black nickel treble hooks
• Action: Surface walker

Ocean Born Flying Popper

The Ocean Born Flying Popper is a narrow-neck popper built for casting and surface action. The plug can pop, spit, walk the dog or create a bubble trail. Ocean Born Flying Poppers come in 4 types, including Floating (FL), Sinking (SK), Super Long Distance (SLD) and Tuna Rocket. Patrick Sebile’s favorite model is the Super Long Distance because it casts in nasty weather, works in turbulent surface conditions, and can even be jigged to reach fish at various depths.

Specifications

• Length: 5 1/2 inches
• Weight: 4 ounces
• Color: 8 options
• Hook: 6X Treble Hooks
• Action: Pop, spit or walking

Rapala Skitter Walk Saltwater

The saltwater version of the most popular topwater bait of all time—the Rapala Skitter Walk—is available in four new color patterns. Three of the colors mimic saltwater baitfish, including the mullet, pilchard and pinfish patterns. Holographic bone is the fourth new color.

Each Skitter Walk Saltwater surface-walker features 3D holographic eyes and weighted tails to keep the lure in a natural position, even when resting or stopped in mid-retrieve. A large internal rattle helps create a rhythmic side-to-side motion and a sound that imitates wounded or panicked baitfish. Skitter Walks are designed to swim perfectly out of the box, and are well suited to walk-the-dog retrieves that trigger explosive surface strikes.

The size 8 Skitter Walk is armed with VMC black-nickel treble hooks; the size 11 comes with PermaSteel hooks.

Specifications

• Length: 3 1/8 inches (size 8); 4 3/8 inches (size 11)
• Weight: 7/16 ounce and 5/8 ounce
• Colors: 22 and 17, respectively
• Hooks: No. 3 and No. 2 treble hooks
• Action: Surface walker

River2Sea Rover

The River2Sea Rover walking bait has a cupped face that produces a choppy, side–to–side slashing action instead of traditional smooth-walking motion. The lure company says its action is unique to topwaters and is sure to draw strikes from hungry predators.

Specifications

• Length: 3 7/8 or 5 inches
• Weight: 3/8 or 11/16 ounces
• Color: 5 options
• Hook: Daiichi No. 4 or 6 treble hooks
• Action: Walk the dog (walking)

Shimano Pop Orca Slim

The Pop Orca Slim is the newest popper lure addition to the ORCA series, with its unique bubble chamber designed to maximize commotion, coupled with diving and erratic swimming action. The bait also features Shimano’s propulsion weight transfer system technology to help anglers make longer casts.

Specifications

• Length: 6 3/8 inches
• Weight: 2 6/8 ounces
• Color: 6 options
• Action: Surface and subsurface

Read Next: Topwater-Lure Tricks of the Inshore Experts

Storm Rattlin’ Saltwater Chug Bug

Specifications

• Length: 3 1/4 or 4 3/8 inches
• Weight: 3/8 or 15/16 ounces
• Color: 10 options
• Hook: VMC Perma steel treble hooks
• Action: Popper (popping)

Yo-Zuri 3D Inshore Popper

The new 3D Inshore Popper from Yo-Zuri attracts strikes with a patented three-dimensional exterior prism finish and internal painted pattern that reflects in all directions to attract fish from a distance. The tough and durable ABS resin finish will not chip or wear off, according to Yo-Zuri.

The wide, red-painted mouth of this popper pushes an extra amount of water to generate commotion and noise, even in choppy water, and results in a sharp, darting action. The 3D Inshore Popper comes in two sizes, each featuring a pair of saltwater-grade 3X-strength treble hooks and split rings. The sizes are designed for nearshore and offshore game fish such as striped bass, trevally and tuna.

This popper is available in 14 color patterns, including green mackerel, sardine, ghost shad, mullet, peanut bunker, and real pilchard.

Specifications

• Length: 3 ½ inches (R1411); 4 ¾ inches (R1412)
• Weight: 7/8 ounce and 1 5/8 ounces
• Colors: 14 options
• Hooks: No. 2 and No. 1 treble hooks
• Action: Popping

The post Best Topwater Lures for Saltwater Fishing appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Accurate Tern

Alutecnos Gorilla 20W

Daiwa Certate LT

Okuma Cavalla

Okuma Cedros

Omoto Vantage 20

Penn Fierce III

Penn Torque 15XN and 60

Quantum Reliance

Shimano Stradic

Tsunami SaltX

The post New Fishing Reels at ICAST, the World’s Largest Tackle Show appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

During its earliest days, ­saltwater fishing seemed as exotic as big-game hunting: expensive, wildly adventurous, maybe even dangerous. But with global development, ­abundant air-travel options, and advances in marine technology, anglers of all shapes, sizes, genders, ages and skill levels can access—and enjoy—once-remote destinations and challenging, sought-after species.

Fishing has become more family-friendly, and just in time to encourage a revival of the sport.

The Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2018, leads the drive to recruit women and children to fishing. While focusing primarily on the abundant freshwater resources and opportunities in the United States, RBFF also addresses prospects for coastal saltwater fishing.

In May 2018, the ­organization released its Top Mom-Approved Places to Fish and Boat in the U.S., which included two coastal locations: Grand Isle State Park in Louisiana and Pōka‘ī Bay in Oahu, Hawaii.

To enhance that list, I compiled recommendations from Sport Fishing staffers: Some ­destination ideas emanated from personal experience, others from reputation. All offer not only excellent fishing opportunities, but also options for day trips, kids’ activities, adventurous dining and comfortable accommodations. (The destinations, which include specific lodges as well as general regions, are listed alphabetically. Pricing is included where feasible.)

1. Bahamas—Abacos (Elbow Cay)

Family Attraction
Favorites include island hopping, boating, sailing, fishing, shelling, water­sports—such as snorkeling and scuba diving—and beach options. Elbow Cay, which lies just off the main island of Great Abaco at the northern end of the Bahamas, is known as the “Hollywood of the Abacos,” home to Tahiti Beach and the last candy-striped lighthouse in the world. Accessible and ­navigable by private boat or easy to fly to from South Florida cities, the Abacos offer a variety of lodges, upscale resorts and rental homes.

Fishing Information
On the flats—including the famed Marls west of Marsh Harbor—anglers can catch trophy bonefish and permit on fly. Offshore, troll for wahoo, marlin and mahi; on the reefs, anglers bottomfish for groupers and snappers. Best offshore months include April, May and June, though wahoo migrate through in winter and spring. On the flats, target May through October.

Other Activities
Brendal’s Dive Center on Green Turtle Cay, north of Elbow Cay, offers an adventure that includes snorkeling on the reef followed by hand-feeding stingrays and turtles. Afterward, enjoy a picnic on the beach prepared over an open fire, with taste treats including lobster, grouper, chicken, conch salad and coconut bread. Also on Green Turtle, stroll the pastel-colored village of New Plymouth. One island south, Nipper’s Beach Bar and Grill on Great Guana Cay sets the quintessential Caribbean scene on a white-sand beach. Secluded Tahiti Beach, at the southern tip of Elbow Cay, is accessible only on foot, bike or by boat, and optimal for shelling. Ferries and chartered boats transport visitors throughout the island chain. Visit theabaconian​.com/ferry-schedules.

Family-Friendly Resorts and Hotels
On Elbow Cay, try Firefly Sunset Resort or Hopetown Inn & Marina. Around the Abacos, investigate Abaco Beach Resort; Treasure Cay Beach, Marina and Golf Resort; and Bluff House Beach Resort and Marina.

Booking/Contacts
Book at least three months in advance for the best options. A typical five-night stay with two days of fishing and airfare varies, but Bahamas sources estimate $3,500 to $4,500 per person.

2. Costa Rica—Crocodile Bay Resort

Family Attraction
Crocodile Bay lies at the southern tip of the Osa Peninsula, touted as one of the most biologically diverse places on the planet. While providing first-class inshore and offshore fishing, Crocodile Bay also offers more than 30 rainforest expeditions and ocean safaris. All rooms come with air conditioning and surround a tropical garden with a pool, hot tub and swim-up bar. An on-site spa delivers a wide variety of services. Flights from multiple U.S. locations deliver anglers to San Jose—Costa Rica’s capital—in two to three hours. From there, small planes ferry them to Puerto Jimenez (a 45-minute flight). Lodge trucks pick up arriving fisher­men for the remaining five-minute ride.

Fishing Information
Aboard the lodge’s fleet of Strike sport-fishers and center-console Boston Whalers, anglers can fish inshore for roosterfish, pargo (snappers, including seven different species), groupers and jacks. Offshore, target blue, striped and black marlin, Pacific sailfish, wahoo, dorado (mahi) and yellowfin tuna. Try winter months for blue marlin, and summer for striped or black marlin. Tuna, mahi and sailfish can be found throughout the year.

Other Activities
The Osa Peninsula features a quarter of a million species of animals; in the waters of Golfo Dulce swim massive pods of dolphins and humpback whales. Off-site tours include canopy zip-lining, horseback riding, surfing, waterfall ­rappelling, visiting a chocolate farm, panning for gold, cross-country biking, paddleboarding and more.

Booking/Contacts
An all-inclusive five-night package (excluding international flights) with two days of fishing ranges from $3,185 to $5,285 per person, based on double ­occupancy. High (dry) season falls December 16 through April 14. The resort advises anglers to book six months out or more during the high season. Contact Lynn Alban at lynn@lynchcreektravel​.com or visit crocodilebay.com.

3. Florida Keys—Hawk’s Cay Resort

Family Attraction
Hawk’s Cay Resort, on Duck Key between Islamorada and Marathon in the Florida Keys, encompasses 60 acres and features a hotel as well as 250 fully equipped two- and three-bedroom villas for families and groups (some villas offer dockage). On-site, guests will find six restaurants, five pools (including a pirate-ship pool), a spa, and a full-service marina providing scuba, fishing, snorkeling, parasailing, kayaking and kiteboarding charters. Anglers fly to Miami (a two-hour drive) or Key West (an hour-and-20-minute drive) and rent a vehicle.

Fishing Information
Anglers can target backcountry species such as tarpon, redfish and snook; nearshore species such as groupers, snappers and king mackerel; and offshore gamefish such as sailfish, tunas and dolphin. Near the resort, kayak anglers can fish bridges and rock piles. While some species, such as tarpon, migrate and become more accessible during peak seasons, others can be found year-round. The marina accommodates vessels up to 110 feet, so anglers can bring their own boats or charter a Hawk’s inshore or offshore guide.

Other Activities
Besides the various outdoor activities already listed, the resort features an on-site educational dolphin experience and a kids camp with hands-on environmental-education programming. Adults and kids of all ages can enjoy any of eight lighted tennis courts, or enroll in tennis clinics or camps. Families also have access to a basketball court, soccer field, putting course and volleyball.

Booking/Contacts
Room rates start at $249 in the low season, September through November ($399 for a villa). Room rates during high season—from Presidents Day through Easter and on all major holidays—start at $349 and $499. A daily resort fee for internet, parking and access to a variety of amenities costs $42. Fishing charters start at $500 for a half-day inshore trip. Call 877-484-9342 or visit hawkscay.com for packages and specials.

4. Maryland—Ocean City

Family Attraction
While temperatures in the South mostly remain warm throughout winter, average highs for Ocean City, Maryland, can dip into the 40s. But from spring through fall, visiting anglers and families find enormous diversity at this mid-Atlantic hotspot, from outstanding white marlin and bigeye tuna fishing each summer to beach-and-boardwalk outings, as well as visits to nearby Assateague Island and its famed wild ponies. Most visitors fly to Baltimore or Philadelphia and drive two to three hours south, along the Delmarva Peninsula to Ocean City, however US Airways serves the proximate Salisbury/Ocean City regional airport.

Fishing Information
Each August, Ocean City hosts the White Marlin Open, when boats of all sizes run to the offshore canyons to troll primarily for whites and bigeye tuna. Other popular catches include mahi, blue marlin and sharks. Anglers can also fish from the surf or from smaller inshore charter vessels on the Assawoman and Sinepuxent bays, targeting striped bass and flounder.

Other Activities
Iconic shops, including Dolle’s Candyland with its saltwater taffy, line the city’s 3-mile-long boardwalk, which dates back to 1902. The town also offers putt-putt golf, 18-hole golf courses, Ocean Downs Casino, go-cart racing, waterslides, ghost tours, watersports, bicycle rentals, and the ­country’s oldest continuously ­operating merry-go-round. Other local summer specialties include Maryland’s renowned steamed blue crabs.

Family-Friendly Resorts and Hotels
Three Ocean City hotels offer extra amenities for families. Francis Scott Key Family Resort features on-site putt-putt golf and an indoor swimming pool. Castle in the Sand, on the ocean, provides free kids’ activities, a beach volleyball court, and a game room. The Carousel Hotel boasts an indoor ice rink, movies on the beach, indoor and outdoor pools, and family photo night.

Booking/Contacts
For peak-season summer visits, book six months to a year out; during shoulder seasons, a week to a month should suffice. Lodging costs vary widely, but during summer, expect to pay $350 to $500 per night for ocean-access hotels. Offshore fishing charters range from $1,500 to $2,500 per day and up to $5,000 for overnight trips. Two-hour bay charters range from $15 to $18 for kids and $25 to $30 for adults. Visit the following websites for more information: ococean​.com, visitmaryland.org and fishandhuntmaryland.org.

5. Mexico—Los Cabos

Family Attraction
Los Cabos technically includes both Cabo San Lucas, at the tip of the Baja California ­peninsula—gateway to the Pacific Ocean—and the East Cape region on the Sea of Cortez, one of the most biologically rich bodies of water on the planet. Fishing options range from roosterfish and snappers to blue and striped marlin, tunas and mahi (dorado). Other activities include golf, scuba diving, surfing, ATV rides, whale-watching and turtle-release programs. One airport serves both regions: The Los Cabos International Airport is a short, affordable flight from many U.S. hubs.

Fishing Information
Cruise the East Cape beaches on ATVs or run the coast in small pangas for roosterfish, snappers and dorado. Just offshore, the summer in the Sea of Cortez means good numbers of blue and striped marlin, sailfish, tunas and dorado. The Puerto Los Cabos Marina in San Jose del Cabo provides quick access to the famed Gordo Banks, which produces huge yellowfin tuna, blue and black marlin, as well as wahoo. Cabo San Lucas hosts one of the largest fleets of sport-fishing boats in the world. Striped marlin are king in Cabo, with blue and black marlin frequenting the area, along with large tuna and dorado. (World-class tournaments, including the Los Cabos Billfish Tournament and Charter Boat Classic fall in October and November.)

Other Activities
Los Cabos hosts a rising culinary scene, and many resorts and restaurants offer cooking classes. Arts, sports and cultural events run year-round. Outdoor adventures include those mentioned above as well as hiking, biking, bungee jumping, ultralight hang gliding, sailing, paddleboarding, kayaking and even camel rides on the beach. Many families opt for whale-watching: Every year, female humpbacks migrate to the Sea of Cortez to conceive and nurse newborn calves.

Family-Friendly Resorts and Hotels
Many of the region’s top resorts—including but not limited to Solaz, Grand Velas Los Cabos, Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos, and the Westin Los Cabos Resort Villas and Spa—offer family amenities such as kids and teens clubs, spas and golf courses. Travelers should book at least a month or two in advance. High season runs from December through April.

Booking/Contacts
A wide range of pricing is available at the many resorts, condos and hotels (visitloscabos.travel). For charter information, visit piscessportfishing.com, picantesportfishing.com and redrumcabo.com.

Tour operators can be reached through ­cabo-adventures​.com/en, caboexpeditions​.com.mx and wildcanyon​.com​.mx.

6. North Carolina—Crystal Coast

Family Attraction
The Crystal Coast of North Carolina comprises 85 miles of shoreline and sounds along the southern end of the Outer Banks. From Emerald Isle to Harker’s Island and the Down East area, this region includes 11 separate communities. Each has its own vibe and experiences, including inshore and offshore fishing, of course, as well as paddle sports, culinary tours, shelling, wild horse and dolphin viewing, beach yoga, eco‑tours, and sightseeing cruises. Visitors usually fly to New Bern, about a 40-minute drive north of the Crystal Coast.

Fishing Information
As in many coastal marshlands, inshore fishing on the Crystal Coast excels with redfish and trout the prime players, joined by flounder, black drum, bluefish, cobia, Spanish mackerel, tarpon and even striped bass. The prime season for redfish and trout stretches from May through November. (Action slows from January through April, with marginal expectations for stripers and bluefish.) Offshore, anglers target blue and white marlin, sailfish, wahoo, kingfish, and bluefin, blackfin and yellowfin tuna. Giant bluefin tuna migrate through this region in December and January, chasing baitfish fairly close to shore. Peak season for king mackerel is September through December, and summer is time for dolphin and marlin species. Charters of all sizes and shapes, including party boats, work out of the region’s ports.

Read Next: Shark Fishing With Kids

Other Activities
Some of the top family opportunities along this coast include visits to Fort Macon, a restored Civil War-era fort with a coastal education center in Atlantic Beach; outings to the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores; boat rides to see the wild horses on the Shackleford Banks; and forays to the Cape Lookout “Diamond Lady” lighthouse.

Family-Friendly Resorts and Hotels
Options range from campgrounds and bed-and-breakfast properties to resorts to condo or home rentals. The Peppertree Atlantic Beach Resort features condo-style units with full kitchens and porches. It offers mini golf, tennis, volleyball and other activities. The Fisherman’s Inn, on the Atlantic Beach causeway, offers lodging with dock slips.

Booking/Contacts
Visit crystalcoastnc.org.

The post Top Family Fishing Destinations appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

When an angler casts a lure or fly, or puts out a live bait, he’s counting on a predatory fish seeing his offering.

True, a predator might use its lateral line to sense pressure changes from a fleeing baitfish’s irregular movements, or hear a lure’s rattles, or smell a scent-infused soft plastic. But fundamentally, we count on our targets seeing our lure or live bait.

To confirm this, look at lure manufacturers’ ads or walk into a well-stocked tackle shop. The varied shapes and remarkable diversity of colors and color patterns suggest that, depending on the species and conditions, you must have the right shape and color lure to be successful. This, of course, raises the old saw that lures are made more to catch fishermen than fish.

Still, an angler who understands how and what fish see is likely to have an edge over those without a clue. Plus, it’s simply fascinating information for those who spend much of their free time trying to outsmart their quarry.

The answers to a dozen questions about fish vision should shed some light on our quest to understand how and what fish see.

1. How do a fish’s eyes work?
A fish’s eyes function similarly to those of terrestrial ­vertebrates: Reflected light enters the eye through a cornea, passes through a pupil to be focused on the retina, where cone cells and/or rod cells convert the light into electrical impulses, which the optic nerve provides to the brain to produce an image. But beyond that, the differences are many, both in terms of how fish eyes are constructed and how they process visual cues.

2. How much do types of fish differ in their vision?
While humans’ eyes and how we process visual cues are pretty much the same wherever on the planet we live, that’s far from the case for fish because they live in habitats that vary so greatly. The waters around them might be crystal-clear or virtually opaque. They might dwell in inky depths or at the brilliantly lit surface. Fish might spend their lives over bright, monochromatic sand, or living in the rainbow hues of coral reefs. And, it turns out, their vision—what they see and how they see it—varies according to their habitat and many other factors.

How Lure Colors Change With Depth

3. Do fish see colors?
The short answer: You bet.

In that, fish are like humans. Fish eyes work like those of most animals, processing visual information through cone cells or rod cells. Cone cells are those that distinguish colors. Some species have few or no cone cells, while many have an abundance (and even double-cone cells), particularly fish that live in shallow water or near the surface where all colors are visible. Most fish are, like us, trichromatic, but some also see a fourth color (see question 5). When targeting fish in such conditions, you can pretty readily bet they’ll see your colors (though picking one they prefer is another matter).

In low light or at night, colors matter less, because fish then rely more on the rod cells in their eyes, which detect contrast and movement but not color. White, offering the greatest contrast, might well be the color of choice in such situations.

4. Do we know which species of fish prefer which colors?
Not definitively. Not many studies exist that identify species’ color preferences, though some research suggests that one freshwater gamefish (largemouth bass) is more likely to strike red than other colors. Draw what inferences you will from “Best Lure Colors” on page 66, which reveals what experts, based on long experience, think about best lure colors.

(Left) How Colors Appear in Turbid Water; (Right) Why Color Doesn’t Matter in Surface Lures

5. Can fish see ultraviolet finishes on lures?
Many though not all fishes can indeed see ultraviolet light, with cones able to absorb that specific wavelength. Manufacturers claim that, at least for those predators capable of seeing UV, holding these lures under a black light will show you what a fish sees (since, of course, our eyes can’t discern UV). If true, it’s impressive, because these lures definitely “pop.” In any case, fishing UV lures much more than 50 or so feet deep might be futile because short-wavelength ultraviolet disappears quickly as water depth increases.

6. Why are black and blue the only colors fish on deeper wrecks and reefs will see?
Other colors with short wavelengths—red and orange ­particularly—are absorbed and scattered fairly quickly in water. By 100 feet down, anything in these shades, and in yellow as well, will appear simply dark, as a grayish shade. Blue, with higher photon energy, retains its color to well over 150 feet. (The fact that the long wavelength of blue penetrates so effectively explains why the ocean appears as such a deep-blue color.) In other words, if you’re choosing colors for jigs you’re dropping to fish in 100 feet of water or more, the fact is that while blue will appear blue, most other colors will simply go dark. I suspect a bright chrome finish might add reflection since some light does penetrate into the depths.

7. How do deepwater fish see color?
By and large, they don’t. In fact, many fish that inhabit darker depths have eyes with few cone cells (and the few they do have are likely to be predominantly blue-sensitive) in favor of rods. (Many sharks, even those living shallower, also lack cone cells.) Since colors don’t show at depth, rod cells are more useful. They offer maximum sensitivity to minimal light from the surface, as well as to bioluminescent sources, and help with contrast. Species that dwell at great depths tend to have eyes that always look up to spot even the slightest contrast between moving prey and the faint light from the surface.

8. What does fish vision have to do with the success of slow-pitch jigging?
As established just above, color won’t attract the attention of deepwater fish—but movement will. Unlike speed jigging, the recently popular slow-pitch form produces a ­repetitive short-range flutter and fall. That should be a perfect action for fish relying on rod cells to detect movement but not high-speed motion. While cone cells offer a rapid flicker fusion frequency (FFF)—a quantifiable measure of visual processing—rod cells take in more, visually, but can’t process it quickly. (On the flip side, gamefish in clear water, having eyes loaded with cone cells, have no trouble tracking fast‑moving lures.)

9. Why do the eyes of some nocturnal or deepwater fishes seem to glow in the light?
This is because in the back of their eyes, they have a special retroreflective layer known as the tapetum lucidum, which shines incoming light back through the retina in low-light conditions, increasing the light available to photoreceptors and improving night vision. This adaptation is hardly limited to fish. For the same reason, night-prowling terrestrial birds (think: owls) and many mammals have this retinal layer—as anyone knows who has seen the glowing orbs of animals light up in their car’s headlights.

10. Can fish see far away?
Fish can spot prey at a considerable distance, though they do so differently than people. To focus on objects at varying distances, the muscles in our eyes change retina shape. Lacking this ability, fish move their (more spherical) lenses forward or back to focus. Typically, predators swim with their lenses pushed back for visual acuity far ahead. When looking at prey more closely, the lenses are moved forward, a process known as accommodation.

Read Next: Über-Fish: The Amazing Tunas

11. Can fish appreciate ­ultra-lifelike lures’ detail?
The science suggests that fish generally can see such detail, but that this can vary widely. Perhaps the best indicator of that ability is eye size, particularly for fish inhabiting generally clear waters. If you favor very lifelike lures and light fluorocarbon leader, odds are good you’re targeting fish with large eyes, such as tunas, equipped to look closely at their prey. They’re among many predators with great visual acuity—higher than ours. But exquisitely lifelike detail on lures might be wasted in murky inshore waters. Also, whatever fish do see must be processed and interpreted by the brain. The nuances our eyes take in can be noted and remembered, allowing us to discriminate, for example, the differences in thousands of faces we see over a lifetime. But fish, without our significant CPUs, lack as fine a cognitive ability to interpret what they see. Of course, using very lifelike lures might benefit an angler by giving him confidence, reminding us that lures are designed to catch fishermen.

12. Why does a swordfish heat its eyes?
Just to glance at a swordfish suggests it’s very much a visual hunter, given the size of its orbs. But less easily seen is an adaptation making it a particularly effective predator in the inky depths at 1,500 to 2,000 feet, where it hunts squid and smaller fish. Most deepwater fishes’ eyes gather light effectively but work more slowly, so they tend to be ambush predators that sit and lunge when prey registers nearby. Broadbills have a great advantage because, by heating their oversize eyes with recirculated blood considerably warmer than the frigid waters where they feed, they enjoy a very fast FFF, allowing them to track down even fast-moving prey.

Best Lure Colors According to the Experts

Does Color Really Matter?
Most professionals swear by colors and, accordingly, have favorites. Does color matter? A majority would say absolutely, and cite instances where color A catches fish after fish, while color B in the same lure fished the same way goes a-begging. A smaller contingent (which includes this writer) are more color-agnostic, figuring maybe and maybe not—but we’ll pay attention to it just in case.

Then there’s internationally known lure-maker Patrick Sebile. We can color him skeptical.

“I believe that 80 percent of the time, what really matters is lure type and action, size, and swimming depth [and not color],” Sebile says. The meticulous catch records that included lure color, which Sebile kept for 12 years, yielded very little consistency about best lure colors, leaving him with few real preferences. He says most predators use their lateral line more than their sight to hunt, though when near prey, sight might take over.

But Sebile points out that his estimate still leaves 20 percent of situations where color can make a difference. Still, there are no easy rules about which colors are likely to work best.

The Winner—By a Landslide
But since most experts have come to rely on specific preferences, I put it to them: What’s the one color or pattern you’d most want to fish in a) clear-water/bright conditions and b) murky/low-light conditions. The chart offers the collective wisdom and experience of 44 lifelong fishing professionals—guides and industry experts. While the colors cited—solid and patterns—cover a great range, some results proved revealing and surprising. (Note that similar colors have been categorized within a more general color, so pearl and bone are included with white, root beer with brown, and chrome with silver.)

In clear water, 14 of 44 experts voted solid white—the best any other color (solid or pattern) could muster was two or three votes, as the list shows. A total of 23 experts (more than half) went pure white or a white pattern (white and another color). Perhaps surprisingly, chartreuse got not a single vote for clear water, though blue/silver and blue/white together were picked by six pros.

In murky water or in low light, again white proved the winner, though by a slimmer margin; still, 15 experts like solid white or white with another color. Solid chartreuse is favored by four, but that increases to 14 experts if chartreuse patterns (chartreuse with another color) are included. So, when not clear and bright, one big message: Go light—white or chartreuse. Solid black fared less well than might have been expected, though it’s the choice of four pros. But, again, when black patterns are added in, that total increases to 10.

Bet You Didn’t Know…

Hors D’oeuvres? Here’s a Real Eye-Popper
No, eye mean it! Fishes’ eyes can do more than see: They can provide a tasty treat.

At least that’s what writer Maxine Wally insisted in her March 27, 2018, article on esquire.com, “If You’re Not Eating the Eyeballs, You’re Missing the Tastiest Part of the Fish.”

Wally points out that in Chinese tradition, only the most honored dinner guests got to eat a fish’s eyeballs. An admitted eyeball-eater for years, she says that while they’re nutritious and claimed to stimulate brain cells, “the best reason to eat fish eyes—they’re delicious.”

Who knows? Fish eyeballs might be the next big thing for shish kebab.

The post How and What Fish See appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

The number of seagulls in the area made it obvious that another influx of pelagic red crabs had swarmed into the lee of Catalina Island during the previous night’s full moon. Over the past few warm-water years, each wave of these crabs had brought with them biting tuna and yellowtail. But this was early March, and the days of warm water were a distant memory. So I bypassed the birds, continuing toward my intended target: the calico bass that live in the island’s rocky shallows.

The bass were biting the swimbaits that I cast toward shore. But I kept an eye on the seagulls outside us, which were doing their familiar hopscotch routine as they fed almost passively on crabs. For just a moment, the pattern of flutter up, land, eat a crab, sit for a minute, then repeat was replaced by a flare of several birds that circled intently before going back to picking away at the crabs. “Did you see that?” I asked my fishing partner, Matt Kotch, who answered in the affirmative.

With hopes high but expectations low—it being March, after all—we stowed our bass tackle and headed to where we had just seen the commotion. As we approached, the birds grew active again, and below them a school of California yellowtail came to the surface to feed on a ball of crabs they had corralled.

Pulling the boat out of gear, I grabbed my jig stick and let fly a Tady 45 Surface Iron just beyond the school and ahead of its direction of travel. Kotch, quicker on the draw, was already cranking his lure across the surface with six or seven big yellows in hot pursuit.

That chase lasted only a second before the lead fish inhaled his jig, then turned and ran for deep water. I had my own reel in gear and handle in motion as soon as my jig hit the water, and got only a couple of turns before coming tight and then watching line melt off the reel’s spool as it spun quickly in the ­opposite direction.

I had lost track of where the remainder of the school had gone by the time we’d boated our fish. In fact, there was no sign they’d ever been there at all. The seagulls, which had returned to unhurriedly feeding on the crabs, formed a line that stretched as far as I could see in both directions. This expanse of forage and the relatively small size of the school we’d seen put the chances of us finding another needle in that day’s haystack low enough that we racked our jig sticks and went back to bass fishing, glad to have had the opportunity we did.

Identifying Opportunity

When it comes to targeting yellowtail in Southern California waters, the first step to success is the ability to identify opportunity when it presents itself. While we were lucky enough on that March day to see the birds acting fishy, yellowtail opportunity doesn’t always present itself that plainly.

To better understand the subtleties of what to look for, I turned to Capt. Duane Mellor (Pinnacle Sportfishing, Mission Bay, San Diego). His track record when it comes to taking advantage of yellowtail opportunities qualifies him as one of the best skippers in the business.

“Yellowtail behavior is very predictable,” Mellor says, explaining how he consistently catches fish on his trips to the Coronado Islands. “If there are fish at the islands, you’re going to find them associating with high spots, ridges or kelp beds, and if they’re feeding, they’re going to be on the up-current edge of whatever structure they’re around. So, if you’re looking for yellows at North Island, for example, you’ll want to start by looking at the part of the island that’s facing into the current.”

The next step once a boat is in the correct general area, according to Mellor, means figuring out just where the fish are feeding. “Once I find an area with good current and clean water, I’ll start looking for signs of yellowtail. In winter and early spring, the fish at the islands usually stay deep, moving up in the column as the water temps rise,” Mellor says. “With the warm water we’ve had the past couple of years, the fish have been biting on or near the surface through most of the year. So instead of driving around looking for deep schools of yellowtail, I’ll watch the birds and bait to tell me where the fish are. Everyone knows what bird schools look like, so that’s a no-brainer, but finding the right kind of bait marks on the meter is a little more involved.”

According to Mellor, “the right kind of bait marks” means bait that’s being preyed upon. “If the bait is suspended in the column, I’ll look for both tight and broken-up baitballs. If you’re driving around and metering loose schools of bait and suddenly run over some tight schools, you can be sure that there’s something chasing that bait around.”

Gearing Up

Once you know what to look for, you need to have the right tackle for the different presentations you’ll be using to target yellowtail. Three techniques will cover all of your yellowtail-fishing bases, and each method needs a dedicated rod-and-reel combo: surface iron (light metal jigs), yo-yo iron (heavy metal jigs), and a combo to fish live bait.

Fishing surface iron for yellowtail is the most popular method of targeting them, and as a result, you can find lots of opinions regarding the “right” rod-and-reel combo to use. Since casting distance matters, most anglers choose a rod from 8 to 10 feet in length. Historically surface-iron rods have always been fiberglass, but more companies are making graphite and graphite-composite rods with the proper action to fish the iron. My current jig stick of choice is the Rainshadow RCJB106H, a 9-foot graphite-composite rod with a glass tip and a graphite butt section making for a heavy-action rod with a tip soft enough to load up when casting the jig.

As with rods, there are lots of favorite reels. Most yellowtail enthusiasts prefer star-drag reels due to the ease of clicking the reel in gear after casting. With more and more anglers fishing Spectra line, narrower reels like the Penn Fathom 25N have become popular. I fish mine brim full of 80-pound Spectra to a short 3-foot, 60-pound fluorocarbon leader. My go-to surface-iron lure is the Tady 45 in mint-and-white. This size and color will get bit any time yellowtail are feeding on the surface, even if they’re keyed in on red crabs.

The next combo you’ll need is one suited to fish the heavier yo-yo iron. There’s no casting involved when fishing the yo-yo, so you’ll want a shorter rod in order to put some of the leverage back in your favor. Most anglers choose an extra-heavy, action 7-foot rod when fishing the yo-yo; with the surface iron, graphite composite rods are popular. My yo-yo combo is a Rainshadow RCJB84XH matched with a Penn Fathom 40N two-speed reel filled with 100-pound Spectra and a short 80-pound fluorocarbon leader.

A fast retrieve is often the key to getting bit when fishing the yo-yo. The 40N’s tall (narrow) spool and a 5.5-to-1 gear ratio mean it retrieves 42 inches of line per crank; that cuts down on fatigue when fishing in deep water. Once hooked up, low gear makes for an easier fight, especially if the fish is coming out of 300 feet of water.

There are lots of great yo-yo jigs on the market, but my standard is the Tady 4/0 heavy in mint-and-white. If you haven’t noticed the trend, mint-and-white is pretty much all I fish because it always seems to work.

The final arrow in your quiver should be a live‑bait rod for slow-trolling. Mine is a Rainshadow RCLB80M, which is an 8-foot, medium-action graphite-composite rod with a light glass tip and a stout graphite butt. I match the rod with another Penn Fathom 25N, this one full of 65-pound Spectra, and I’ll adjust my leader and hook size to match the bait I’m fishing. This combo can fish anything from 25-pound fluorocarbon with a small sardine to 60-pound fluorocarbon when using mackerel as bait.

The Presentations

As Mellor explained, finding yellowtail is easy when they’re feeding on the surface, but finding them when they’re orienting around structure, like the reefs on the up-current end of North Island, takes a little more work. That’s where slow-trolling comes in. Once you locate an area with structure, current, forage, and good water color and temp, you can quickly find out if there are any feeding fish around by dragging a couple of sardines or mackerel through the area.

Trolling distance for yellowtail depends on water depth. If you’re trolling in 50 feet of water, you don’t want your bait much farther than that distance behind the boat because, once hooked, the yellowtail is going to head toward structure. If you’ve got too much line out, you’re going to get rocked before you even get on top of the fish. Regarding speed, I like to run my boat with the motor clicked just into gear—so about 1.5 to 2.5 miles per hour, depending on current.

When yellowtail are feeding on bait schools but not showing on the surface, fishing the yo-yo jig is the most effective way to target them. The presentation is as simple as the name implies: Drop the jig to whatever depth the fish or bait are marking, wind it back to the surface as fast as you’re able to turn the handle, and repeat. If the fish aren’t responding, try a fast stop-and-go retrieve; that sometimes tricks them into striking.

This technique will wear out the uninitiated pretty quickly, so if you’re new to it, you’re going to want to focus your efforts on high-percentage areas. As Mellor suggested, find the bait schools that look like they’re having a bad day, and you’ll likely find biting fish.

When targeting yellowtail feeding on the surface, there is no more valuable tool to use to find them than the common tern. These birds, more than any other, are the ones to watch when fishing for yellowtail. Find terns working a small area with an appearance of purpose, and you can be sure some sort of feeding activity is occurring below.

Invest some time studying tern behavior to get a good understanding of what these birds are telling you. Basically, terns are efficient hunters. If you see a group of them just cruising around and occasionally diving down to pick something off the water, they’re simply biding their time while waiting for something to happen. The higher the terns are flying, the deeper whatever they’re tracking is in the water column. So if those lazily high-flying terns suddenly fly low and more urgently, it’s time to get that jig in the air because the yellows are about to pop.

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Once you’ve located fish, terns also help you keep track of their direction of movement. When yellows feed at the surface, they usually attract seagulls, pelicans and cormorants, as well as terns. But when those fish start moving, the terns stay on the front edge of the assault. Remain off to the side of those birds while running well ahead of them, then shut down and wait for them to come within casting range before firing a jig.

Once you get hooked on running-and-gunning on yellows, you’ll be eyeing every gull or tern you see, even on a cold March morning, just hoping they’ll flare up and let you know some big yellows might lurk below.

The Road Less Traveled

Just because everyone is there doesn’t mean it’s the place to be. Capt. Duane Mellor stresses: “People who aren’t familiar with fishing yellowtail have a tendency to want to fish around the fleet. I understand that it’s tempting to go to an area that’s probably biting, but all you’re going to do is get destroyed by seals and run over by guys who don’t know what they’re doing.”

If you find a parking lot of boats in the area you had planned to fish, you’re better off driving away from that mess and looking for similar but less-crowded conditions in another area. If there are good conditions and biting fish at one spot, chances are you’ll find those conditions and biting fish at another spot nearby; you just need to go and find it.

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