Admittedly, Capt. Brandon Storin first considered it an annoyance, but he soon realized that he had dialed in a cool Florida Keys fishery that goes largely unnoticed.

“During the time when we catch bridge tarpon in spring, sometimes we’d run into some bycatch of cubera snapper,” Storin said. “I think they’re chummed up because of all the people tarpon fishing; there’s a lot of scent in the water. It’s mostly just the scent of the baits. Some people chum for tarpon (with cut bait), but I don’t because it brings too many unwanted species like nurse sharks.”

Considered the most brutal of the snapper clan, the hard-fighting cubera is a straight-up string stretcher. As Storin notes, these aren’t the giant spawners that anglers catch at night over deep-water reefs with legal-size lobster as bait, but the 15- to 20-pounders common at Keys bridges will still give you all the fight you want.

How to Target Cubera Snapper in the Florida Keys

If you’re game to actually target these cuberas near the bridges, Storin offers a few tips.

When: April-May is prime time, but the small to midsize cuberas hang around the bridges throughout much of the year. Colder weather will slow the bite when big winds muddy the water; during these conditions don’t waste your time.

Storin said he’s caught cuberas on incoming and outgoing water, but the fish seem most aggressive at the change of the tide. The fish can feed much easier during slower water compared to when the tide is screaming — ideal conditions are when that heavy bridge current slacks up and starts moving again.

“They’re definitely more nocturnal, so the night action is great, but also, the first and last hour of the day can be good,” Storin said. “If you’re fishing for them during the day, I’d bet that you wouldn’t run into many of them during the full moon.”

Where: Storin does most of his tarpon guiding around Islamorada’s Channel 2 and Channel 5 bridges, and the Long Key area. Most of Florida Keys’ major bridges will attract cuberas.

How: Based on his tarpon fishing thefts, Storin can attest that cubera snapper like a big deboned mullet on a fish-finder rig or pinfish drifted near pilings. If he’s targeting cubera specifically, Storin would fish a smaller deboned mullet or a live pinfish on the bottom.

“I’d definitely fish the baits close to the pilings and close to the bottom,” Storin said. “You’ll want to make an upcurrent presentation so the scent will come down to where the cuberas are.”

Tackle: A 7-foot medium-heavy spinning rod with a 6500 series reel carrying 65-pound braid will handle most bridge cuberas, along with the abundant mutton snapper. Storin uses 60-pound fluorocarbon leader for tarpon, but he’ll drop to 40 for the wary snapper.

Cubers Snapper Fishing Tips

Land-Based: For anglers perched on Keys fishing platforms like the popular pedestrian-friendly Channel 2 and Channel 5 structures, a chum bag and a jumbo live shrimp can make big things happen.

What to Expect: Storin says bait size will determine how long an angler should wait to set the hook. A hefty meal might require a little chomping, but these fish are super aggressive, so they’ll snatch up a smaller offering and try to yank the rod out of your hand.

“If you feel them picking it up and turning the bait in their mouth, give them a few seconds,” Storin said, “but once they get a good bite, they’ll run hard. If you feel them batting at it, open the bail open to let them get it. I use the Owner Mutu circle hooks, so once they get the bait, I just let them come tight. Then you just have to (tighten) the drag and handle that run.”

The post Florida Keys Bridge Monsters appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

As founder of the popular community of trophy speckled-trout enthusiasts known as Speckled Truth, Chris Bush yawns at fish that cause most anglers to fight an irrepressible urge to wet their waders. The Holy Grail for trophy-trout diehards is a 30-inch fish, a true log of a lifetime, a fish that many anglers strive for, fully knowing they’ll likely never achieve. In his fishing career, Bush has landed six of them, and he’s got the pictures to prove it. So it took me less than two seconds to reply affirmatively when the San Antonio resident asked if I wanted to come to his home state and tag along with him in a quest to add another notch to his wading belt. 

A regular at the Texas coast, Bush said the absolute best place to do it would be Port Mansfield in the winter. So eight months in advance, we put some December dates on the calendar, and Bush lined up area guide Capt. Joe Prado to ferry us.

I’ve got four decades of speckled trout fishing experience, and two decades ago wrote a book on the topic, but nearly all of my pursuits have occurred in the marshes of south Louisiana, an area that produces numbers of fish that beggar belief but doesn’t offer a realistic shot at a 30-incher.

In fairness to my home state, I did catch my PB (personal best) there — an 8-pound, 8-ouncer — but that was during a five-year run of absolutely ideal conditions in the late 1990s and early 2000s. That fish, a remarkably rotund 28-incher, fell for a Norton Mud Minnow on Calcasieu Lake. I’ve caught some 24- and 25-inch fish since, but nothing approaching 30 inches.

Bush and I had agreed to fish two days in Port Mansfield, and when the dates for our trip arrived, we couldn’t believe our good fortune. A hard cold front blew through two days prior, leaving in its wake partly to mostly cloudy skies with absolutely no wind. Prado had scouted in preparation, and picked out an extensive grass flat with maybe a foot of water between the surface and the tips of the seagrass. We donned waders and fanned out across the flat.

It wouldn’t take long for the hopes and dreams I’d spent eight months conjuring in my head to be dashed. To my left and right, Bush and Prado were catching plenty fish, and a significant percentage of those were over 5 pounds with a handful over seven. I was catching as many fish as they were, but my trout were significantly smaller, and I seemed to be a magnet for redfish, nothing but a time-waster when you’re targeting big trout.

Only a foolish guest thinks he knows more than his hosts, so I studied Bush and Prado, whose cadences were markedly different but seemed to be equally productive. At various times, I tried to mimic each, but my results stayed consistent — lots of reds and small trout. My biggest of the day were a couple of 4-pounders — certainly not slouches, but not what I had driven 10 hours for, particularly when 28-plus-inchers were clearly in the area.

That night, I racked my brain trying to figure out what I was doing differently than the two much more experienced Texas wade fishermen who put on an absolute clinic. I vowed to keep trying different cadences on our second and final trip to the flat, but unfortunately, I got more of the same — except in addition to the reds and small trout, I caught two black drum and a sheepshead.

At a certain point, I wanted to snap my rod in two because Prado and I had wandered off shoulder to shoulder, casting to the same water, and within a 45-minute stretch, he subdued five fish over 7 pounds. I caught nothing anywhere close.

Then Prado gave me a lesson that would completely change my fortune. The hot bait of the trip was a MirrOlure Soft-Dine, a lure with which I’d had very little experience, and Prado offered that I was fishing it too slowly. Indeed, on maybe 10 percent of my casts, I’d come back fouled with grass, while Prado never did. He told me to twitch the lure almost as fast as possible and intersperse random short pauses — but so short that the lure would never fall more than four inches below the surface.

It felt quite unnatural to me, but I took the guide’s advice, and I’ll be forever grateful I did. Almost instantly, the size of the trout I was catching grew noticeably, and finally, with only 30 minutes remaining on our final day, I felt a hard thump, set the hook and knew instantly I hadn’t hooked a redfish.

Large trout sometimes fully breach the surface, but often, they’re so big, they can’t. The best they can do is emerge halfway, shaking their massive maws in what every angler hopes is a futile attempt to throw the lure. The ever gracious Bush, who had been pulling for me to catch a big one like I was a Make-A-Wish kid, saw the bite and the initial eruption, and rushed over, ready to stick a Boga in the fish’s mouth.

His first attempt was a swing and a miss, but the exhausted fish had little left in the tank. It circled back, and Bush clamped the prongs of the tool around the fish’s bottom jaw. It pulled the Boga to more than 7 pounds. Although it wasn’t a 30-incher, and wasn’t even my biggest trout ever, it was the biggest I’d caught in almost two decades, and made the trip more than worth it.

Bush said he regularly stresses to his followers the importance of fishing Soft-Dines almost impossibly fast when wading shallow flats, and the difference it makes was reiterated to him with my experience. That may be elementary to Texas wade-fishing veterans, but those traveling to the state in hopes of catching a big one should definitely keep it in mind.

The post After a Texas Trophy appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Louisiana’s robust marshes around the mighty Mississippi River might be the most-recognized backwaters in the country. The same can be said for Florida’s Everglades and its maze of mangrove-lined creeks and bays. But these two states don’t have a monopoly on backwater fisheries. Quite the contrary. Any of the states lining the Gulf of Mexico or Atlantic Ocean have backwaters worth exploring, so check out the areas below. Some of these spots may be completely new to you.

1) Thousands of Miles of Maine

Clouds of baitfish dart by my feet, glittering mesmerizingly like the facets of a diamond in the marigold yellow of false dawn. A violent splash out in the channel yanks my attention from the minnows.

Was that a striper? Perhaps a shad? A native brookie venturing into the brine? An elusive Atlantic salmon?

Maine is a cold-water paradise, with expansive mazes of pristine shallows that are home to a variety of fish. Thousands of miles of tidal shoreline—more even than California—give anglers virtually unlimited room to roam alongside the bald eagles, black bears and moose that call it home. The opportunity to find an unfished secret spot, devoid of other anglers, is easier than anywhere else on the East Coast. —Jerry Audet

2) Massachusetts Backwaters

While open-sand beaches and boulder fields get a lot of attention, Massachusetts’ tidal estuaries are an untapped labyrinth of shallow-water-fishing and sight-fishing opportunities. They are quiet and serene, but don’t let that fool you. Estuaries draw in fish of all sizes, including trophy-class striped bass. With thousands of miles to unlock in places such as Cape Cod and the North Shore, Massachusetts backwaters are ripe for exploration from shore, kayak, or skiff. —Jerry Audet

3) Long Island’s Salt-Marsh Complex

Though the nearby island of Manhattan is home to 8 million people, Long Island’s salt marsh is decidedly less populated. The soft, waterlogged soils that comprise this habitat slowed the pace of progress, leaving it mostly devoid of buildings, save for the occasional bay house. Instead of concrete and rebar, you’ll find invertebrate life holding the fertile meadows together. And instead of subways or yellow cabs, the inhabitants here move around with the aid of fins or feathers. —Joe Albanese

4) Crabs in the Delmarva Peninsula

Springtime along the mid-Atlantic, blue crabs emerge from the mud, as hungry redfish, speckled trout, flounder, tautog, striped bass and sheepshead line up at the seafood buffet. Blue claws are the heart of the Delmarva Peninsula, and provide meals for man and fish alike at every stage of their life cycle.

First, as they grow, crabs peel out of their old shell, offering a soft and defenseless snack. While mating, the immobilized crab couples make for two meals in one. Then, to release their eggs, female blue crabs swim along the surface, unable to hide from their enemies.

Anglers use whole blue crabs for big red drum and striped bass, a quartered crab for sheepshead and tog. Peeler crabs are a favorite for speckled trout and redfish. The best thing about fishing with blue crabs: When the trip is over, you can eat the leftover bait. In a large steamer, add equal parts vinegar and water. When the liquid boils, drop the live crabs into the basket and cover with Old Bay seasoning. The crabs are ready when their shells turn bright red. —Ric Burnley

5) An Ode to South Carolina’s Lowcountry

When the smell of puff mud at low tide hits my nose, I know I’m home. Palmettos and old oaks draped with Spanish moss give way to miles of wide-open marsh. Early fall brings a chill to the air and chases away the bugs. As the bait migrate out of the backwater, redfish become more aggressive.

I launch my kayak in water too shallow for any motorboat to reach and ride the last of the incoming current far into creeks and oyster flats. Then, as the tide changes and the marsh exhales, I wait for redfish to leave the flooded grass. Nothing gets my blood pumping like paddling around a marsh corner and seeing a half-dozen bronze backs slowly cutting a V-wake. A long cast with a light lure barely makes a splash.

Through the tannin-stained water, I see the school respond, attack, and my line comes tight. Redfish are called bulls for a reason: They fight headfirst and with their heart. Run, charge, cut and head shake—just when I think the fish is finished, a red will always find a second wind for another round. Then, when the gleaming bronze, gold and orange redfish is lying on my lap, I admire the iridescent blue-green tail with the trademark black dot before releasing the red to fight another day. —Ric Burnley

The post Five Great Backwater Fishing Destinations appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

The traditional arrangement of hull and outboard requires a foot or two of water to operate. Fortunately, humans are an enterprising bunch and have come up with a variety of ways to get to the fish in the skinniest of skinny water.

Mud Motors

As the name implies, these vessels provide propulsion by using a surface-piercing prop to churn up the soil-and-water mixture around the boat. There are two different configurations: long-tail and surface drive. Long-tail motors have a long drive shaft mounted directly to the motor, but this arrangement limits steering. Surface drives look more like a traditional outboard, but the prop stays right on the surface. Both use an air-cooled engine, so you don’t have worry about clogged intakes and overheating motors.

Texas Sleds

This unique watercraft is designed to rip over mere inches of water. Looking like supersize surfboards wearing outlandishly large outboards, these vessels rely on horsepower and jack plates to get skinny. At wide open throttle, which is the way these boats were intended to be driven, they are flying by on the prop and a small section of hull. An intake mounted at the bottom of the skeg keeps cooling water flowing to the motor.

Airboats

Taking skinny to new level, airboats can be piloted where there is no water at all. They use a giant fan, often powered by a small-block automotive engine, to push them across and over just about any slick surface. The low-profile hulls don’t handle rough water well, and they can be prone to tipping. And forget about talking to the person next to you over the drone of the motor and propeller. But they can get you where nothing else can.

Pirogue

This term can refer to a variety of canoes from around the world, but we are talking about the paddle craft that originated in Louisiana’s Cajun country and is immortalized in the Hank Williams classic “Jambalaya.” Originally made from hollowed-out cypress trees, modern versions are crafted from plywood, fiberglass, or rotomolded plastics. These typically have flat bottoms and are paddled, letting them get real skinny.

The post Backwater Boats: Alternative Solutions to Get Skinny appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Capt. Sonny Schindler, Mississippi Gulf Coast

Two hundred fifty days a year, you’ll find Capt. Sonny Schindler fishing the Mississippi backwaters and barrier islands, catching dozens of trout, redfish and flounder during a typical six-hour trip.

H&H Ford Floating Flipper

“Using a dehooker keeps me a safe distance from a stingray or hardhead catfish. Just hook the dehooker to the fishhook, pull the line against the dehooker, and the fish flops back into the water. I keep three Flippers on the boat.”

Boat Monkey Popping Cork

“Locally made in Hattiesburg, the Boat Monkey popping cork casts far and is loud as hell. The rig uses a short wire tough enough to survive an attack from a jack or redfish.”

Cuda 3-Inch Micro Shears and Boone Fisherman’s Pliers

“Micro shears are the perfect size for snipping tag ends close to the line. The blades work great on braided line. I like the long-nose Boone Fisherman’s pliers for freeing deep-hooked fish and handling feisty blue crabs.”

Okuma Ceymar HD 3000A Spinning Reel and Ceymar Inshore 7-Foot Medium-Heavy Rod

“The 7-foot rod provides clearance to launch a popping cork with a long leader. I like a rod with a solid backbone to work a larger fish without prolonging the fight and jeopardizing the fish’s health.”

Spike Anchor

“A 6-foot-long, solid stainless-steel spike anchor stops my boat faster than my Power-Pole.”

Capt. John McMurray, New York City

Within sight of the New York City skyline, giant striped bass swim the skinny marshes and back bays. After decades of experience, Capt. John McMurray of One More Cast Light Tackle Charters knows what it takes to catch them.

Daiwa Proteus PIN70XHS

“The perfect rod with enough balls to throw a big topwater and light enough for all-day fishing.”

Daiwa Saltist MQ

“Super-stiff frame with precision gears and instant drag pressure for solid hook-sets.”

9-inch Musky Mania Doc

“This walk-the-dog topwater plug with internal rattles creates a commotion that turns on striped bass.”

9-inch Lunker City Slug-Go

“When the bass get finicky, switch to a 9-inch Slug-Go soft plastic on an unweighted weedless hook. Use a twitch-twitch-pause to allow the lure to sink to the bottom and then dart through the water.”

MinnKota Riptide Ulterra

“I couldn’t fish the flats without my MinnKota Riptide Ulterra. The handheld remote controls speed and direction, and even deploys and retracts the motor. After a productive pass, I program the motor to repeat the track and stay on the fish.”

The post Inshore Captains Reveal Top Fishing Gear appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Flat-bottom boats like Carolina Skiff’s 19 SWS deliver a legacy of inshore stability with an ultrashallow draft and plenty of deck space to fish multiple anglers. The simplicity of these skiffs and their affordability make them great family boats or even sensible sidekicks to an offshore ride.

Measuring 19 feet, 3 inches long, the 19 SWS features broad fore and aft casting platforms that would fish at least four. And because it draws only 4 inches of water, it can fish flats on a rapidly falling tide with little concern.

A standard jack plate helps you ease out of mere puddles, and pops you back on plane efficiently.

If you prefer live-baiting to casting plugs or flies, the 25-gallon aft livewell and the smaller well beneath the forward console seat hold plenty of shrimp or finfish and allow you to separate more delicate baits. Removable plush fishing seats fore and aft create all-day comfort.

On those days when you need gear for multiple fishing options, the 19 SWS delivers molded bow storage with overboard drains, a molded-in anchor locker and battery storage area, six flush-mount stainless rod holders, a cargo storage bag and a 70-quart removable marine cooler.

At the helm, the 19 SWS features a tilt steering wheel, switches and analog gauges. Mount a small electronics multifunction display in the helm face or atop the console. Stand or sit at the stainless-frame helm seat with an adjustable back.

Additional standard features for the SWS include a quick-disconnect windshield, a 12V trolling-motor plug, a fuel-water separator, a bilge pump, an aerator pump, a lockable access door, and a pop-out service hatch.

Structurally, this skiff is rock solid. The hull is built with a fiberglass grid system and a high-density fiber-core foam transom. Nestled onto that, the molded-fiberglass deck liner adds a finished look. The gravity-fed drain and non-skid deck and floor surfaces keep you dry and steady.

The 19 SWS weighs 2,192 pounds and features a 7-foot-5-inch beam with 19-inch-high gunwales—an average height for most bay boat-style models. It is rated for eight passengers, provides 25 gallons of fuel capacity and can carry up to a 140 hp engine; Carolina Skiff offers you your choice of outboard brands.

Standard controls include a binnacle control shifter, a Teleflex shifter control cable, a stainless-steel tilt helm and a Teleflex no-feedback premium steering cable, or you can option up to SeaStar hydraulic steering with a tilt helm.

Further personalize your skiff with options such as a 12V/24V trolling-motor panel with trim/tilt, a maxi air recirculation system, a raw-water washdown system, and a selection of hull colors, including bisque, black, electric blue and seafoam green. Shade options include a Bimini top, a canvas T-top or a fiberglass T-top in a variety of colors.

Carolina Skiff completes the package with National Marine Manufacturers Association certification and a 10-year hull warranty. Building a quality boat at a great price has always been the company’s goal. So it’s easy to see why Carolina Skiff remains the No. 1 outboard-powered fiberglass-boat brand in North America.

The post Focused on Fishing Shallow and Flat appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

There’s no shortage of coastal spots to wade fish for Texas seatrout. Places you can drive to in a truck and hop out. Areas you can only reach with a custom Texas sled. Just get past the initial hurdles of access and spot-finding, and fishing in waist-deep waters is a blast.

“The intimacy wade fishing brings is why it’s my preferred method,” says Capt. Travis Power, of Lone Star Guide in Matagorda, Texas. “When you’re wade fishing, you can literally feel the bottom type, depth changes and structure. It’s easy to miss stuff or not fully understand it when in the boat. Also, you can’t be any closer to the action than actually being in the water.”

Wade fishing allows anglers to catch fish that boaters can’t. Point-blank. Time and time again, it pays to get out of the boat. Experienced waders love spots inaccessible by boats — an area getting blown out by an over-enthusiastic boater is a pain in the ass.

“What makes Texas trout fishing so different from Louisiana or Florida is the bottom type and depth,” says Power. “Use a boat, like my Shallow Sport, and it’s great to go farther and cover more ground to reach your best wade fishing spots.”

Power has fished extensively in the upper and middle coasts, from Galveston to Port Aransas There are two types of waters he fishes often. “I like introducing people to wade fishing and that’s when I’ll fish hard sand near a drop-off or cut, or a sandy grass flat,” he says. “It’s a lot easier for people to get a grip on wade fishing when it feels like walking on the beach.”

Hard bottom is definitely preferred, although Power tries to hit as many varied habitat types as possible if he’s fishing on his own, including shell bar reefs and workable mud flats.

“My preferred setup is a casting rod and reel, pocket full of lures, and a 5- to 8-foot stringer clipped to my board shorts,” he says. “Less is more. I don’t even like wearing shoes unless the shell is thick.” Power even produced his own stringers, with 5-footers for kayakers all the way up to 20-footers for anglers scared of sharks.

The best time to go wade fishing is whenever you have a free day — different spots produce each month of the year.

“My favorite time for wade fishing is fall and winter,” says Power. “I take the spring off because I think everyone needs an off-season. Summer time is the most popular.”

The post Texas Wade Fishing for Speckled Trout appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Despite the Atlantic tarpon’s 120-million-year existence, it has a relatively short angling history. Not a revered food fish and sometimes freakish in size, it took time to develop strong tackle to tame such beasts. New York architect William Halsey Wood couldn’t have imagined that his trip to southwest Florida in spring 1885 would birth an entire industry. But it did, and the rest is quite literally history.

1885

The first tarpon caught on rod and reel was documented by angler William Halsey Wood in 1885 on a bamboo rod, a conventional reel and a live mullet. It weighed 93 pounds. Fittingly, the site was Tarpon Bay near Sanibel Island, Florida.

1894

Southwest Florida ­tarpon fishing catches fire, and the fish fueled the region’s ­economy. For many, tarpon were essentially the first fish of a big-game ­fishing addiction. Local newspapers reported weekly lists of ­tarpon catches, with 438 caught in 1894.

1902

The techniques and tackle evolved at a fast clip. The silver king started a revolution. The star drag reel, invented by reel-maker Edward vom Hofe in 1902, replaced the “knuckle-busters” that made fighting big tarpon a painful endeavor.

1911

Outdoor writer A.W. Dimmock’s The Book of the Tarpon is published, bringing tarpon fishing to the general public. Dimmock came up with a weight formula for the fish (girth squared times length divided by 800), allowing anglers to release their catch alive.

1982

Billy Pate set a fly-fishing record on 16-pound tippet with a 188-pound tarpon caught off Homosassa in 1982. That catch started the frantic world-record chase on fly by the best fly-fishers in the business. Pate’s 16-pound tippet record was broken on May 13, 2003, with a 190-pound, 9-ounce tarpon caught by Tom Evans Jr.

1994

The biggest tarpon specimen landed by a woman stands at 249 pounds, caught by Frederique Jarland, fishing out of Sherbro Island, Sierra Leone. The fish was fought on 30-pound line. Sierra Leone holds nine ­tarpon world records.

2001

Capt. Steve Kirkpatrick guided angler Jim Holland Jr. to the first tarpon over 200 pounds ever taken on fly tackle. On May 11, Holland landed a ­202-pound, 8-ounce tarpon on 20-pound tippet fishing off Florida’s ­central west coast near Homosassa.

2003

The all-tackle world-­record fish was certified as the 80-pound line-class record at 286 pounds, 9 ounces. It was caught by Max Domecq in Rubane, Guinea-Bissau, Africa, on March 20, 2003. Lure designer Patrick Sebile was the guide.

2021

On May 8, 2021, a giant tarpon was caught off Bahia Solano, Colombia, in South America. The angler was American Josh Jorgensen, who runs the BlacktipH YouTube channel. He and his companions took turns fighting the fish to competition. It measured 87 inches long with a 54-inch girth. Modern tarpon calculators estimate that the fish weighed 312 pounds.

The post The Evolution of Tarpon Fishing appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

“The fishing was so good, I could only fish two rods and I was getting worn out,” reported Capt. Kenny Louderback after a recent trip where he landed 23 giant redfish between 44 and 48 inches. “The day before we caught redfish up to 53 inches!”

Capt. Kenny Louderback was fishing shallow shoals at the mouth of Chesapeake Bay and along Fisherman Island on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. 

The day of the epic bite, he marked fish on his fishfinder in 30 feet of water and deployed the anchor. The deep hole was close to shore making a natural funnel for the redfish to travel into the surf zone. 

With two anglers steadily cranking in giant redfish, Louderback was busy baiting hooks, landing drum and reviving the released fish. “Before I release a redfish, I use a fish gripper to hold it in the water,” he explained. (Don’t hold a fish vertically with a lip gripper.) Once the fish swims on its own, he unclips the gripper and lets the red swim free. The captain laughed, “As soon as the bait hit the bottom, I’d have two more fish to release.”

How to Catch Chesapeake Bay’s Red Drum

Fishing with a whole or half hard crab on a 9/0 hook and 50-pound leader, Louderback uses a fish-finder rig with 8 to 10 ounces of lead. To fish the heavy rig and big bait, he utilizes a 6-foot boat rod and PENN Squall 20 spooled with 30-pound braided line. He threads a fish-finder slide over the mainline and ties the line to a swivel. The swivel is connected to one to three feet of 50-pound monofilament and the 9/0 circle hook. 

Up until recently, red drum fishing has been slow. Louderback reports cold water and bad weather are putting a damper on the red drum bite. “A hard northeast wind has caused the water temperature to fluctuate.” He sees 68 degrees one day and 64 degrees the next day. Since the water temperature started to stabilize, Louderback has had consistent action on big red drum. With the slow start, he hopes for a longer season as the water warms into the lower- to mid-70s.

In a couple weeks, Louderback will turn his attention to sight fishing for cobia and red drum. He searches the mouth of Chesapeake Bay looking for the schools of redfish and cobia swimming on the surface. When he spots fish, he casts a two-ounce bucktail or live eel with a medium-heavy spinning rod and reel. He looks for sight fishing to continue through summer and into early fall. 

Outer Banks Redfish Fishing Techniques

Farther south, North Carolina’s Outer Banks have been covered up with trophy red drum since February. “Red drum fishing is awesome,” said Capt. Tim Hagerich, from the Black Pearl Charters out of Hatteras Inlet. When I texted Hagerich for a fishing report, he replied, “I’m on a school of drum right now!”

Hagerich finds drum two ways. When the weather is clear and the seas calm, he heads into the ocean toward Diamond Shoals. Searching the shoals, he finds schools of drum in the clear water. “Sometimes the school has 2,000 fish,” he marveled.

Once he spots a school, Hagerich casts a 2-ounce bucktail toward the fish. “Jig the bucktail anywhere near the school and the fish will pile on,” he explained. 

Hagerich stopped using the ubiquitous rubber curly tail jig on his bucktail. “It takes too much time to fix the tail after catching a fish,” he complained. Hagerich said it’s more important to cast again while the school is nearby. “Bucktail color doesn’t matter, either,” he added.

Big Red and Black Drum Mixed Together

On a recent trip, Hagerich found big redfish mixed in with a school of large black drum. The water on Diamond Shoals was crystal clear and Hagerich spotted a school of black drum in 20 feet of water.

“Black drum won’t bite so I drove around the school four times and didn’t make a cast,” he recalled. Another captain took a chance and pulled a redfish out of the black school. Hagerich chuckles and said, “The moral of the story is don’t believe your eyes.”

Wind, What Wind? When the wind blows, Hagerich fishes behind the islands. “The harder the wind blows, the fishing gets better,” he said.

Focusing his efforts on Hatteras Inlet, Hagerich finds breaking waves on a shallow shoal and anchors his boat. He casts a chunk of mullet on a fish-finder rig into the breakers and along the deeper slough. Fishing in the wind is no problem: “We fished three days in 30-knot winds last week,” he said.

Hagerich expects drum fishing to remain good through the summer and into fall. As the water warms, he turns his attention to slot and over-slot redfish on the grass beds and shallow flats.

The post The Best Place to Catch Trophy Redfish appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

“I don’t get no respect!” said the jack crevalle. Maybe it was Rodney Dangerfield. The particulars don’t matter. The point is that jacks fight as hard as Rocky Balboa and grow larger than a mini fridge. That’s the ultimate gamefish, right? And yet some anglers still don’t respect them.

Maybe it’s because they don’t jump. Or they’re not food fish. But they’ll demolish your tackle in a heartbeat if you’re not prepared, leaving you tired and awestruck. Plus, they’re willing eaters, attacking live baits and lures with aggression. More recent nicknames like “Canal Tuna” and “Poor Man’s GT” feel a bit more appropriate for the blue-collar bruiser.

The GT name is particularly apt, as giant trevally (Caranx ignobilis) and jack crevalle (Caranx hippos) are both from the same genus, Caranx, which also includes other hard-fighting jacks and trevallies with distinctive rigid, forked tails.

“Jack crevalle are essentially yellow trevallies,” says Capt. Mike Holliday, of Florida’s Treasure Coast. “They don’t get as big as the GTs, but we sure catch a lot of 30- to 40-pound fish on a regular basis. Fly fishermen and anglers looking for big explosive bites and hard fights are all over them.” 

Where to Find Jacks

Jack crevalle are nearshore kings of the western Atlantic, found from Nova Scotia to Uruguay if the waters are warm enough. The Gulf of Mexico is full of them. Most anglers consider them a southern species, with high populations in states such as Florida, Louisiana and South Carolina. On the eastern side of the Atlantic, jack crevalle roam from Portugal to Angola. The largest jack crevalle ever submitted to the IGFA weighed 66 pounds, 2 ounces, caught in Barra Do Dande, Angola.

Coastal Canals and Rivers

Coastal development hasn’t stopped jacks from prowling inshore waters. In fact, when other species dwindled because of habitat loss of oysters, grasses or mangroves, jacks persist. Some might say they thrive even. Fishing along concrete seawalls? Yeah, jacks will be there. Fishing out in the current of a channel? Yep, that’s a jack highway. Posting up near the bridges? Won’t be long until the jacks race through. Tucked away in a residential canal loaded with docks? That’s a jack factory.

“Jacks are visual feeders, so they are most active during the day,” says Florida-based angler Aaron Benzrihem. If you watch any of his videos on YouTube (@AbenzFishing), you’ll quickly recognize his love for big jacks.

“My favorite way to target the big ones is to look for surface feeds,” he says. “If you’re familiar with the chaos a 30-pound jack will make, it’s easy to spot and you can see it from a mile away. I keep extremely large tuna plugs rigged, and when I see the feeds, I run-and-gun to them.”

Benzrihem specializes in this urban style of fishing, targeting manmade structure, open waters near structure, and seawalls at the water’s edge. A big mullet tossed next to a seawall is a perfect bait for a giant jack.

“If I’m unable to find active feeds, I’ll use larger spooks — typically 8 to 12 inches is best,” says Benzrihem. “Live mullet is another excellent way. The bigger the mullet, the better.” 

Nearshore Beach Fishing

Another prime location to find giant jack crevalle is outside the surf zone. You’ll likely need a boat with a tower or platform to have the most success. Many anglers run across schools of jumbo jacks while sight fishing for tarpon or cobia.

“The schools swim in big circles — which I believe is protective behavior — but the sight of 50 to 1,000 jumbo jacks swimming clockwise with their fins out of the water makes for an impressive and exciting fish to target,” says Holliday. “And if you lose a hooked fish, you just have to turn around and throw at the school again.” 

The schools are different sizes too — some have 50 fish, some have 1,000. Holliday knows by the size of the school how big the fish will be.

“As a rule, the smaller schools have the larger fish, and the big schools have fish of all sizes from 15 to 40 pounds,” says Holliday. “The fish themselves are super aggressive, so anything you throw on top will draw explosive strikes.”

Holliday has built up specific fly clients who love to target big jacks off the beach. The fishing is addicting, up close and visual. Plus, the strength of a big jack will test your tackle, knots and stamina.

“These fish climb over each other’s backs to try to catch the lure or fly,” Holliday says. “And when you hook one, you know it’s going to be a while before you land it. Until you land it, you’re never really sure if you will get it in.”

Nearshore Gulf Rigs

The biggest jack crevalle I’ve ever seen in-person was caught fishing next to a nearshore platform in the Gulf of Mexico. It was a scorching summer day, and Louisiana’s marsh waters were too hot. We dipped out on the backwater fishing and headed to the rigs in 10 to 25 feet of water. The water was much cooler and the speckled trout were hungry.

Using trout tackle, an angler on our bay boat hooked into a jack that fought forever. We didn’t know what it was at first, but eventually the long runs and pumps of the tail made it pretty evident. When that fish was finally landed and released, I’ve never seen an angler so happy to take a break from fishing. Fishing too light of tackle when targeting big jacks is a mistake most anglers make only once. Although, sometimes, you can’t help it, especially when targeting other species. Dropping down a live bait or soft-bait imitator is truly a gamble.

But if you’re at the nearshore rigs, have a “jack” rod ready. It might also be your cobia rod. There are so many fish that call these rigs home — snappers, redfish, tripletail, mackerel, black drum, trout, cobia, and others — that you really should have a mix of tackle rigged and ready to cast.

And when the waters cool just a bit, the outer islands scattered in the Gulf bays see an influx of big jacks. If you’re casting with popping corks for bull reds near the open Gulf, don’t be surprised if a jack crevalle takes you for a ride. They’re way better than the saltwater catfish that make up another common bycatch.

What Tackle to Use for Jacks

Benzrihem says his biggest tip is to not be under-gunned. Be prepared.

“You need heavy gear for fish over 20 pounds,” he says. “That’s the only way to stop them. If you’re fishing structure, you need to adjust even more. Gear is everything. I’ve had one too many giants break my reels’ drag systems.” 

He uses 6000- to 8000-size reels with 40- to 60-pound braid and 60-pound leader. Holliday goes as light as 30-pound gear.  

“Anything lighter, and it’s hard to move the fish once they turn on their sides,” says Holliday. “If you go lighter, you’re not doing the fish or the angler any favors. Topwater plugs are the way to go, but poppers are fun too. They need to have good hooks that won’t straighten out when you put the heat on a fish.” 

Holliday carries 8-, 10- and 12-weight fly tackle in his boat. If the fish are small, under 20 pounds, he throws an 8-weight at them. Anything else, and he picks up the larger rods.

“I’ll go with the 10-weights if throwing baitfish flies or Dragon Tails, but bump up to 12-weights to throw the big poppers,” says Holliday. “I’ll go up to the 12-weight if the school we’re fishing has a lot of jumbos in it, usually a small school of 50 or so fish.”

It’s time to give respect to the jack crevalle as a sportfish. Many anglers are coming around. Jack crevalle are so much more than shark bait — they fight harder than inshore favorites such as snook, redfish, striped bass or seatrout.

“I always joke that I’m single handedly on a mission to make jacks great, but I think social media has helped them develop respect,” says Benzrihem. “Not many people were familiar with just how big they got and just how explosive they are.” 

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