You’ll find anglers on bridges and beaches, bait shops open long before dawn, big tackle stores that carry enough gear to outfit a fleet of sport-fishers, and a line-up of fishing tournaments year-round. Numbers tell the story, too.

Jacksonville has the highest rate, per capita, of fishing license holders of the four biggest Florida metropolitan areas. That beats Tampa-St. Pete, Orlando, and Miami-Fort Lauderdale. Jacksonville takes the crown for the hardest-fishing big city in Florida.

The region’s rivers, maze-like marshes, bays, the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW), jetties, beaches, and offshore grounds form a network of waters unlike any other in Florida. Two spring scenarios to target are shallow-water redfish and trout, and offshore, schools of migrating dolphin swarming at the Ledge.

Catch Seatrout and Redfish in Jacksonville

Big tides breathe life into Jacksonville’s extensive marsh-and-creek system.

“We have a 5-foot tidal swing, on average, every 6 hours, so the locations to fish are constantly changing,” says Capt. Buzz Brannon, who’s guided anglers in Jacksonville for more than two decades.  He runs an 18-foot Beavertail Vengeance in the shallows, stalking reds, trout, flounder, and other species on spin and fly. One of his favorite bites is for “hillbilly bonefish,” what some folks call redfish when they get them in the grass on big tides, he says.

For seatrout, Brannon likes dusk and dawn, low-light times. In the spring, when the finger mullet show up, both trout and redfish take topwater lures. “Anything with a hard edge along the St. Johns will be holding mullet,” he says.

Fishing the city’s infrastructure — bridges, docks, seawalls, and industrial installations along the water (where legally accessible) — produces a variety of species. Both natural and manmade habitats hold good fish in Jacksonville, one of the city’s many surprises for visiting anglers.

It’s been the best year of redfishing Brannon has seen for quite some time. In 2012, an increase in the redfish bag limit to 2 fish per person took a toll on the redfish. In September 2022, the bag limit was lowered back to one redfish per person, and since then, the fishing has been steadily improving, Brannon says.

The nourishment of those rich waters flowing in the St. Johns generates and draws abundant life to the nearshore and offshore waters, including a pelagic fishery that’s been a standout hotspot in recent years— the Ledge.

Big Dolphin off Jacksonville

About 55 to 65 miles off Jacksonville, depending on the marina’s location, the continental shelf slopes down from 120-foot depths and then drops off to 175 feet deep — the Ledge. The Gulf Stream runs nearby, and when its warm waters or any of its warm eddies circulate over the Ledge’s structure, prey, and predators get drawn into those dynamic flows. In winter, these waters hold good numbers of big wahoo, ranging up to 70 and 100 pounds, often caught high-speed trolling and more recently, Capt. Tim Altman of Hoodoo Charters says, by live-baiting.

“Guys are having incredible days for wahoo at the Ledge slow-trolling live baits like blue runners and bonito,” says Altman, a multiple-time wahoo tournament winner and a fanatic for those fish.

Capt. Altman runs 11-hour charter trips to the Ledge for pelagics including wahoo and dolphin aboard his Saltwater Challenge, a 36-foot Contender with triple Mercurys. In April, the game switches to catching big dolphin.

“We’ve crushed it the last few years for big dolphin at the Ledge, lots of them,” he says. “We’ll start going out for them between April 12 and 15, and the biggest fish are early in the year. We get a good month and a half of solid dolphin fishing.”

His good news about dolphin fishing may surprise people who’ve heard about a lack of fish in recent years around South Florida and the Keys.

“I’m aware that South Florida has seen a real decline in their dolphin fishing, especially around Key West, Marathon, and Miami. I can’t explain the difference in Northeast and South Florida fishing,” Altman says. “The old-school guys say the migratory pattern for yellowfin tuna has changed, so maybe that’s the case with dolphin, too, or maybe the currents have changed.”

Dolphin at the Ledge

Altman and his crew leave his Amelia Island marina at 5 a.m. and head out to the Ledge for an 11-hour trip. He’ll check RipCharts on his phone and screenshot the image of the temperature breaks at the Ledge. On his Simrad he also has SirrusXM weather for sea surface temperature readings offshore. He’s looking for temperature breaks with ocean water temps 76 degrees and warmer, weed lines, and edges.

“During dolphin season, as we get near the Ledge, I’ll put out small Nomads or a horse ballyhoo skirted with an Ilander on a planer with wire to target wahoo. Beyond the Ledge, we’ll run everything on the surface.

“Some days skirted stuff works, but I don’t believe there’s anything more effective for dolphin than a properly rigged, chin-weighted, split-bill ballyhoo,” he says. “When you see that big dolphin coming, or if you get a hit, you free spool it for 15 to 25 seconds, and I’m telling you that works.”

The dolphin come through in packs, and between times Altman and crew can also bottom fish for triggers, snapper, grouper, or whatever’s in season. They’ll likely have sardines in the livewell and they’ll chum dolphin by their boat with cuttlefish or squid, keeping a lookout, ready to throw a live bait to any big fish coming to the boat.

“You’ve got to be ready for those big fish. You’ll have a bunch of schoolies, the boat’s kicked out of gear and you’re live-baiting. The fish get all around you. Then you’ll see the dolphin scatter and that’s indicative of a shark or a big dolphin coming in to tear them up. I’ll tell you it’s incredible when you see that big dolphin coming through the water to you. Man, that’s fun.”

Jacksonville Florida Fishing Captains

• Capt. Tim Altman, Hoodoo Charters, (904) 859-6314, www.hoodoocharters.com
• Capt. Buzz Brannon, Northeast Florida Angling, (904) 570-7878, www.northeastfloridaangling.com

Bait Stores

•             B & M Bait & Tackle, Jacksonville, (904) 249-3933
•             Brown’s Creek Bait & Tackle, Jacksonville, (904) 757-1600
•             FishBites Trading Post, St. Augustine, (904) 217-8012

Note: Special thanks to the FWC and its licensing department for the analysis of its data on fishing license holders by municipality across the entire state of Florida.

The post The Hardest-Fishing City in Florida appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Still sipping Starbucks, we ease out of the New York Skyport Marina, the primary seaplane base for Manhattan, tucked in next to FDR Drive at East 23rd Street. It’s a gorgeous summer morning, just one day before the July Fourth holiday — the sort of morning when one wouldn’t mind a long run, but that’s just not necessary. In fact, in little more than five minutes, Capt. Tony DiLernia is anchoring up his boat in the East River.

Although we’re there to fish, we out-of-towners can’t stop gaping at the magnificent skyline view of the Big Apple against the clear blue sky. Meanwhile, DiLernia has idled down in the gentle current in one of his favorite go-to spots, just off the United Nations building. As he ties off the anchor and the boat swings tight, he points to the top of one of the skyscrapers. “That’s where the big fight scene in Spider‑Man was filmed,” he says.

But immediately, he turns his attention to the task at hand, chunking up fresh bunker (menhaden) and threading them onto circle hooks. The fact that DiLernia’s been doing this for not years but decades is evident: Within an hour or so, we have missed a strike and had two good fish on, one coming off midway through the fight and the other right at the boat. Fortunately, our fourth time was the charm, giving us the chance to admire in the net a striped bass just south of 30 pounds.

Pogy Pointers

DiLernia’s Rocket Charters offers anglers a unique experience both by virtue of its prime location (the dock is accessible to anglers via a short taxi ride from most of Manhattan; then, the fishing grounds are but a very short ride away) and by its skipper. No one knows the busy, current-swept waters around New York — after so many years of navigating and fishing them by day and night — better than DiLernia.

DiLernia is not only a consummate skipper, but a savvy master of striped bass fishing as well. On that basis, I thought I’d see if I could pick up a few pointers on how DiLernia connects with some very hefty bass (he’s caught them better than 50 pounds).

Bait accounts for roughly 80 percent of the stripers taken on Rocket Charters. When we fished with DiLernia in early July, the options were menhaden, menhaden or menhaden. The oily baitfish remains his offering of choice until eel fishing starts in the fall. And it was very fresh. That, says DiLernia, is key.

“Frozen bunker’s okay for blues, but not so great for bass,” he says. You can, however, use your fresh bait a second or even third day by putting them in a brine with kosher salt.

Breakaway Baits

The skipper prefers chunks to whole fish and, at that, always likes the head best. His hook of choice: an Eagle Claw 10/0 circle sea hook. What DiLernia especially appreciates about circles is that they allow him to fish with reels in gear. Often currents get strong enough that the coefficient of friction of a reel in free spool with clicker on isn’t enough to keep lines from running out. With circle hooks, that’s not a problem, nor is hooking fish, as a rule. DiLernia runs the circle hook through the top of the head where it was sliced from the body.

“Lots of guys will put the hook through the lips,” DiLernia says. But when a fish grabs the bait, he explains, it’s likely to stay on the hook. DiLernia hooks it to come off and get out of the way. “It ought to tear out easily so the hook comes out of the bait’s head when the striper is swimming away with it. Then the hook should slide into the fish’s jaw hinge,” he explains. “And that’s just what usually happens.”

When no head is available, he’ll go to a body chunk — but his pièce de résistance is adding the pogy’s heart onto the hook. “I’m convinced the blood in the heart attracts stripers,” he says simply.

Timing the Tides

According to DiLernia, spring through midsummer is prime time for bunker fishing. Tides are always a prime factor for him, and in this case, he wants to be anchored up and fishing about a half-hour after the high slack tide: The next couple of hours, with boat and baits sitting still in the moderate current, will produce the hottest bite.

Then, well into the ebb, the current will be running too fast to hold bottom without ungodly amounts of weight. “That’s when we drift and bounce lead-heads on the bottom until late in the ebb when the current slows. Then we’ll go back to fishing bait at anchor.”

Once the tide nears slack, and the boat starts swinging on the anchor “so the baits slide all over the bottom,” it’s time to troll deep divers. DiLernia’s choice of lures: big Mann’s Stretch or Stretch Plus and Yo-Zuri Hydro Magnum Deep Divers. Usually, he’ll do this just until shortly after the tide turns: Then the cycle begins again with a couple of hours fishing bait.

DiLernia notes that tides vary tremendously around New York. For example, depending on the tidal pattern, he might fish the East River for the first hour and a half of the ebb, and then run quickly down to the Hudson River to fish off the Statue of Liberty, catching the early ebb there. By the time the current’s starting to get too strong there, the East River is just ­beginning to slow down again.

DiLernia proudly holds up the big, complex-looking watch on his wrist. “It’s a Reactor Graviton,” and he says it’s been a huge factor in maximizing his efficiency fishing the area per tidal flow. It’s programmed to tell him just what the tide is doing at any day, any moment, in the East River, the Hudson, Sandy Hook and West Sound.

Fall for Eels

Though early July is a great time to fish the Big Apple for bass, DiLernia’s season continues through early November (after which it’s too cold and “time to go hunting,” he says). As summer wanes, DiLernia drifts mostly eels. “They’re migrating then, so it’s a good time to match the hatch.” This is a drifting show and somewhat less tide-critical. And not anchoring allows DiLernia to fish productive areas that include shipping channels.

DiLernia offers eel fishermen a tip regarding the inevitable struggle to get a hook through a writhing eel: “Snap its tail on the rail. For whatever reason, this disables it momentarily but doesn’t kill it.” Some anglers give that love tap to the eel’s head; that will disable it, but sometimes for good.

“This area around New York is highly productive because it’s at the nexus of some stripers’ ­migration routes, and it’s ecologically productive in its own right,” says John Waldman, professor of biology at Queens College (and author of Heartbeats in the Muck: The History, Sea Life and Environment of New York Harbor). “Also, adult spawners of the Hudson stock, which winter in the open ocean, come into the Hudson to spawn, and so are available in New York Harbor.” Bass from Chesapeake and Delaware Bay stocks migrate north in spring and also enter the mix, Waldman says.

The post NYC Striper Hunt appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Costa Rica is a must-visit destination for saltwater anglers, offering a variety of inshore and offshore species all year long. Interested in breaking a line-class or all-tackle world record? The International Game Fish Association (IGFA) documents anglers fishing in Costa Rica have set close to 200 world records, including bottom fish and pelagic species such as Pacific cubera snapper and sailfish.

One Pacific hotspot is the fishy coast off Nosara. Given its remote location and limited infrastructure, the fishing pressure is low compared to more popular fishing communities like Los Suenos, Quepos or Crocodile Bay. And unlike other Costa Rican fishing spots, the fishing grounds off Nosara are just six miles from the beach. Fishing along this northwest region is truly for diehard anglers. You won’t find mega-million-dollar fishing machines or fancy night clubs, but it is a place where world-class fish roam.

Costa Rica Inshore Targets

I stepped onto the small wooden skiff that transports clients from Playa Guiones to our 27-foot super panga called the FV Explorer. We were fishing with Fishing Nosara, a top sport-fishing operation that also offers a great vacation stay. Morning excitement was building, even if expectations weren’t too high. We were visiting in August, the end of peak season. After navigating the surf zone — including three sets of head-to-overhead waves — we made it to the mooring area.

Captain Antonio and mate Raffa greeted us. Antonio quickly asked me, What species do you want to target today? Familiar with the area, I answered, “Let’s spend the morning inshore, targeting roosterfish or cubera snapper and the afternoon targeting offshore species.”

A few minutes later, we were trolling small metal lures and catching foot-long skipjack tuna and bonito for baitfish. Once the tuna tubes were filled, we hit the local fishing hotspots, spending a hot, hazy morning in search mode, tossing surface plugs for roosterfish and bottom fishing for cubera snapper. But the fishing was slow and we didn’t hook a fish. Our spirits were low until the VHF radio started chirping loudly and a Spanish voice shouted, “Fishing Vessel Explorer, can you read me?”

A Spotlight on Dorado

When Antonio got off the radio, he eagerly asked us if we wanted to chase dorado. He told us his colleague had spotted a homemade fish aggregating device (FAD) about 10 miles south of our location. It was swarming with dorado. FADs are manmade structures that are commonly deployed or anchored throughout the Pacific Ocean to concentrate marine life. Fish are attracted to these manmade objects just like natural floating debris, such as seaweed, logs and coconuts.

“Sure,” I answered to Antonio, but with less enthusiasm than he would have liked. I hadn’t flown to Costa Rica to catch school-size dorado.

My mahi-mahi fishing experience dates back to my days as a federal fishery observer aboard commercial pelagic longline vessels in the northwest Atlantic Ocean. As a fish biologist in the late-90s, I measured numerous mahi-mahi that were caught incidentally on longline gear. Plus, I landed plenty myself on hook-and-line along the weedlines where we often set commercial fishing gear. During my time on the high seas, I learned mahi-mahi are pretty easy to catch in large numbers. Despite being an acrobatic flyer, I had never battled a large one. The biggest mahi-mahi I landed weighed 15 pounds, and the largest I recorded was maybe 30 pounds.

In my opinion, dorado are the most colorful fish in the ocean — bright yellow, blue, green, or other electric tints on their sides. They change color dramatically as soon as they hit the deck. I’ve seen schoolies change from bright yellow to blue to grey in less than a minute. Although both sexes have similar vibrant displays, their body morphology is much different. Females (called cows) have a sloping forehead; males (bulls) have a blunt, vertical forehead. Unusual for the fishing kingdom, males grow much larger than females.  

Hot Costa Rica Dorado Action

“How big are these dorado?” I asked Antonio, as we reached the homemade FAD. Raffa was rigging 50-pound-class boat rods with large live baits. Terminal tackle included an 8/0 Eagle Claw circle hook tied to seven feet of 50-pound-test fluorocarbon leader. “Grande!” he said. Apparently, the light-wire circle hooks were the key to hookups in the clear Costa Rica waters.

First tossing frisky large baits into the blue abyss and reaching a slow trolling speed, we approached the FAD from the south. The captain yelled “Listo!?” Almost immediately after passing the small FAD, our two stout rods doubled over. The reels started to scream.

My wife and I quickly grabbed the rods and held on. Handling the rod with a tight grip, I was confused by the sheer power of the fish. These fish couldn’t be dorado. They were both digging down like a yellowfin tuna or billfish. Glancing over at my wife, she too had a look of excitement and shock. I could feel the power of every head shake. When the fish hesitated, we pumped and retrieved as much line as possible.

About 10 minutes later, both fish launched toward the surface at full speed, going airborne like missiles fired from a sub. Twisting and turning out of the water, it became apparent our fish were not majestic sailfish, but iridescent bull dorado. With each crank of the reel, our fish came closer to the gunwale. My wife’s flamboyant green-blue beast was first to the gaff. The fish was so big that Antionio had to help Raffa heave it over the gunwale. About a minute later, my dolphin met the same fate. Thrashing on the deck, the colorful fish began to change colors like LEDs synchronized to music. With our hearts pounding and sweat dripping off our faces, the adrenaline rush left us wanting more.

Big Dorado Want Big Baits

I was shocked the dorado attacked such large baits given their relatively small mouths.

“This is the only way to catch big dorado,” Antonio told me. “The bigger, the better. If you want to slay schooling dorado you can sight-fish with small jigs, plugs or natural baits. But if you’re after large bulls, you need to troll large marlin-type plugs or live tuna at least 12 inches long.

“The bigger dorado are often found below the smaller ones, so you have to troll slowly to allow the baits to swim deep. Obviously, small dorado are found year-round in our area, but if you want to catch the big bulls, then you need to fish during June through August.”

How deep do the baits swim? I asked.

“Our baits are probably 30 to 40 feet down,” explained Antonio. “Also, if you noticed, we started trolling about 100 yards before the FAD. If we throw the baits out next to the FAD, they will just get attacked by the smaller dorado first.”

With the hot sun beating down and calm seas, we continued hooking, fighting, and landing dorado until the bait was gone. The cooler was full enough to feed a village, so we called it a day and headed back to the mooring area. Later, we brought our fresh catch to La Luna, our favorite local restaurant, where they cooked us a feast while we sipped margaritas and watched the sunset.  

The post Costa Rica’s Mega-Sized Dorado appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Packing for a fishing trip to any destination — especially a remote one — can be an exercise in strategy and patience. Airline luggage limits were not designed with anglers in mind, and whittling down our home fishing kits to the basics of what we need when in a new location is not a simple undertaking. I’ve been traveling the globe for 15 years, fishing on six continents as a photographer, writer, and lodge manager, and I’m still changing and adapting my packing lists to each new job and destination.

If you’re traveling with an outfitter or a lodge, they should provide you with a basic packing list suited to the fishery. These lists tend to do a pretty good job of covering the basics: tackle, clothing, and other assorted equipment. I find they don’t cover everything however, including medical supplies and personal care to keep yourself healthy and hydrated during long fishing and travel days.

For every single trip — from the jungles of the Amazon to the Russian tundra — I always pack along a good medical kit including a tourniquet, suture kit, and clean, sterile syringes. Beyond field care, even if I end up in a hospital getting an IV or stitches, I want to know the needles are clean and haven’t been used on someone else. (It’s more common than you might think, especially in certain regions of the world.) I also pack along electrolytes to prevent dehydration, bug protection, and sunscreen for body, face, and lips to protect what’s not covered by clothing. Even in cold climates, long hours in the sun can add up surprisingly quickly.

My packing lists are comprehensive for each trip and job, but I wanted to provide a run-down of a few key categories you should consider when booking your next destination trip. While this is by no means all-inclusive, here are key items you should consider bringing along on your next destination fishing trip, especially if it’s to a remote locale.

A Water-Resistant Duffel

Soft-sided duffel bags are often vastly preferable to hard-sided luggage for remote locations. Small bush planes, helicopters, and even small transfer boats will often not load oversize hard-sided luggage. Duffels can more easily mold to limited space. Yes, there are many models available with wheels if you’re not keen on carrying it over your shoulder. Ideally, look for a duffel made of a water-resistant or even waterproof material from makers such as Simms. You never know when it’s going to get stuck sitting on the tarmac in the rain while waiting to be loaded up.

It’s also worthwhile investing in small “cube”-style packing organizers. Travel enough, and eventually you’ll be emptying your luggage in front of some customs official in a busy airport. Ensuring everything is organized internally will help you stay organized throughout the course of your trip while also limiting theft opportunities when all your necessities are spread out over the conveyer belt.

A Dry Bag or Backpack

By its very nature, fishing is a wet pursuit. We’re either working on or around water, or caught out in the elements when a nasty storm pops up. Do yourself a favor and invest in a waterproof pack, such as those from YETI, so when that squall approaches, you’re not panicking about how to keep your kit dry. There are plenty of options on the marketplace — from backpacks to hip packs to boat bags — so find one that suits your individual needs and preferences, then take the time to set it up how you like. Adjust the straps. Add carabiners and other accessories as needed.

If you already have a bag you love that isn’t waterproof, throw a small, compressible drybag in one of the pockets. You can throw items that really can’t afford to get wet — such as your phone, camera, wallet, and passport — in the waterproof receptacle when the time comes.

A Rod Case

As discussed plenty, organization is key. Especially if you’re in a remote location where you’ll be living out of your duffel and changing camps every night, there’s no time to unpack each day and “set up” home base. Keeping your personal items and your fishing gear organized is key, so consider traveling with a rod case that allows you to pack multiple rods in socks, along with reels and a small selection of flies or lures. Many airlines will allow you to carry a four-piece rod case on the airplane, as long as it fits the set dimensions for carry-on items, which alleviates the stress of checking expensive gear.

If you’re traveling with one- or two-piece rods, you’ll likely have to invest in a hard-sided plastic rod carrier from makes such as Flambeau Outdoors. Most of the iterations of these carriers are well-padded (though don’t be afraid to glue more foam in there) and can be locked with TSA-approved locks. Be aware you’ll likely have to pay an oversize item fee. Plus, check international airline regulations on “sporting goods” and “oversize items” because sometimes the baggage fees can be upward of $500, depending on your airline and route.

Travel Tackle-Storage System

It’s the age-old fisherman’s question: How do I keep all this stuff organized? And if you think that’s a challenging task at home, be prepared for the challenges to multiply when you’re traveling. Each angler has their own system for keeping terminal tackle and lures organized on the road. Some prefer to invest in boxes and organizational systems, understanding that it’s going to eat away at their packing space. Others condense down, preferring gallon-size plastic baggies to group items together. I fall somewhere in the middle. I utilize my fair share of baggies and dry bags, but I also have a box or two readily accessible and organized.

Find a program that works for you, and familiarize yourself with your own system. Jet lag and overall travel exhaustion makes everything seem harder, and the last thing you want when you’re on location is to not be able to find that one key piece of equipment you know is hiding somewhere in the depths of your bag.

Sunglasses

Eye protection is a core piece of gear that’s vital for every angler in every location. I always pack two pairs of sunglasses: one as a daily driver and one as a spare. Things do happen, and sunglasses do break. Whether you’re stalking bonefish on the flats of Belize or chasing grayling in Swedish Lapland, keeping your eyes relaxed and happy is key to success on the water. Especially when fishing with anglers whose skillset of which I’m uncertain, I prefer frames with full wraparound protection to help prevent any hooks landing where they shouldn’t.

Consider your location, the water, and the conditions as you choose which lenses to pack. Quality polarization is key regardless of lens color, helping to cut the glare and see farther into the water column. I prefer green lenses for inshore and flats use, and blue for bluewater and offshore. Every angler will have their preferences; most sunglasses companies offer helpful guides on their website about which lens color is best-suited to specific uses.

Headwear

On and off the water, we all have our personal preferences for things we put on our heads. I tend to favor the good old-fashioned baseball cap when on the water, relying on the brim to help cut glare and protect from spray, flies, and rain. On chilly days, it’s easy to toss a warm beanie over the cap too. Fishermen will often sport full-brim hats on the water as well, opting for the ear and neck protection. Bottom line: Go with what’s comfortable.

I’m also a big fan of face masks. Sometimes they’re called a buff or neck gaiter. I’ll pull a buff up over the back of my cap to protect neck, ears, and face from extreme sun, and always keep a spare or two in my fishing bag for equipment dust protection, wiping hands, and other uses.

Good Fishing Pliers

You’d be surprised at the uses for a solid set of pliers. Most saltwater anglers will keep a set handy to help unhook fish and cut leader, but pliers can also be a handy bottle opener in a pinch, a tool to help solve engine issues, and so much more. I prefer a pair with built-in cutters (saving me from having to carry separate nippers) and a solid belt sheath that I can either wear or clip to my backpack. Just like all your other gear, be sure to wash pliers well with fresh water at the end of every day in the salt.

Solid Footwear

Footwear is going to be dictated by your location, the conditions, and the trip itself, but this is one area you should not skimp on. A good pair of shoes can make or break your day, especially when you’re exhausted and sore from long travel. For cold-weather trips where I’ll be in waders and hiking a lot, I prefer a supportive wading boot with plenty of ankle support. I always bring along a pair of flats wading shoes on saltwater trips; it took just one trip with cheap wading boots and the resulting infected coral cuts to remind me of the importance of good footwear.

If you’ll be in boats, ensure that your footwear is nonmarking—one of the fastest ways to get on a captain’s naughty list is to mark up his deck.

And be sure you pack along a comfy pair of flip-flops, sneakers, or whatever lounge footwear you favor for hanging at the camp or lodge after the fishing day is done. There are few feelings as good as setting aside sweaty, damp fishing gear and slipping into something dry and comfy at the end of the day.

A Fishing Sun Shirt

Anyone who has spent time in tropical climates needs no reminding of the importance of a solid sun shirt. I always look for tops made with lightweight, quick-drying fabric that will help wick moisture while also providing mechanical sun coverage.

Key sun shirt features on my list? A good, deep hood that will fully cover my ears and can be caped out over the brim of my ballcap, ideally with some sort of cinch so that I can snug it down when we’re making runs in the boat. I also look for sleeves that are long enough to provide good coverage on the back of my hand, and thumb holes that are practical.

Rain Gear

As we discussed above when talking about waterproof bags in the boat, it’s a universally acknowledged truth that, somewhere along the way on almost every fishing trip, you’re going to get wet. Whether it’s an afternoon shower in the Caribbean or a daylong deluge, when the time comes, you’re going to be glad you spent the money for the better-quality rainwear.

I run a few different rain jackets depending on the job (thicker for cold weather, lighter for the tropics), but they all have snug cuffs to help limit water running up my warms, a well-fitting hood, and are long enough to help drain water down over my hips, not just into a pool at the small of my back. Pit zips are also a solid feature for warm climates. Just like everything else on this list, rain gear is a personal-preference call, but know that it is worth investing in gear that will keep you dry through the nastiest weather.

Travel Rod

 Some destinations—especially remote locations—might not have the quality of fishing gear that you’re used to at home. Consider bringing along a travel stick, particularly a light-tackle rod that’s easy to carry and doesn’t take up much space during travel.

One good option is from Shimano, although most rod-makers these days have travel options. Shimano designed its Convergence series of casting and spinning rods to cater to the diverse needs of multispecies anglers. These rods boast quality components and versatile actions, making them suitable for various travel fishing scenarios. The redesigned series features lightweight carbon blanks for sensitivity and power, matched with Fuji reel seats for comfort and improved bite detection.

Two- and four-piece rods are available. The four-piece travel rods come with a travel tube, providing additional protection. Too many anglers have been blindsided when hopping on an unfamiliar charter boat and realizing that the tackle might not be up to snuff. It never hurts to bring a travel rod as insurance.

Satellite Communicator

Although it’s hard to believe in this digital age, some locations around the world are still fairly removed from cell service and Wi-Fi connectivity. Heading into remote destinations, it’s a good idea to be able to reach the outside world should the worst happen. If medical evac is needed or a security situation changes, being able work logistics is critical.

And very little can be accomplished without some communications tether to the outside world. Satellite communicators have become more common and certainly affordable in the past decade. Models such as the Garmin InReach allow users to reach friends and family using two-way messaging. They can be used to help set up an evacuation if necessary. Or use them for something as simple as staying in touch with those at home.  

This list should give you a starting point as you consider your next destination fishing trip. I often recommend people keep a packing list and physically check off items as they are packed into your bag. I have two packing lists open on my computer as I write this for two upcoming jobs in very different fisheries: Iceland and Bolivia. And while the two lists have some overlap there are considerable differences. Having the lists and checking off items as they go into my duffels gives me peace of mind that I’m not forgetting something small but crucial, such as foreign plug adapters.

Whatever you choose to bring along on your trip, make sure it suits your individual needs and preferences. Your list might look very different from mine, and that’s okay—bring what you need, pack for eventualities (within reason), and then go forth knowing you’re prepared. Fishing travel is supposed to be fun.

The post The Essentials of Fishing Travel appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Chub Cay differs from most Bahamas fishing destinations in several notable respects. For one, the extent and accessibility of its bonefish flats is hard to beat. For those who fly in, “When you land at the runway and clear customs, walk back behind the customs house for about 50 feet and you’ll be at the edge of 25 miles of bonefish flats,” says Capt. Rick Murphy.

Murphy, a Florida fishing guide, professional tournament angler and host of the popular Sportsman’s Adventures TV show, has a special and uniquely personal familiarity with Chub Cay fishing. He’s been spending time and fishing there every year since he was a youngster, in the 1960s, when his grandfather built a home on the east side of the island. The Murphy family still owns a renovated house there and keeps several boats on hand to fish flats, reefs and blue water.

Chub Cay, one of the Berry Island group northeast of Andros Island and northwest of Nassau, is also different from many popular Bahamas destinations since it remains private — the island is owned by wealthy Texan George Bishop — and in no way crowded with tourists. While there is a runway that serves several Florida- and Bahamas-based air charters, there are no regularly scheduled commercial flights. Other than via chartered or private aircraft, private boats are the only way to the island.

For sport fishermen, the most significant distinction Chub offers is location, location, location. Immediately around most of the island are flats inhabited by extraordinary schools of bonefish — and not all little guys, either. Just to the south of the island, a mere stone’s toss from the Chub Cay Marina, the bottom drops away in deep azure ocean waters.

“A lot of guys will pull out of the marina, and 500 yards off the beach will put out their lines,” Murphy says. The list of game fish includes pretty much everything the warm Atlantic has to offer, including yellowfin tuna, wahoo, mahi, white marlin, blue marlin and sailfish. From Chub, one can troll the 15 or so miles west to The Pocket, the magical spot where the abyssal Tongue of the Ocean abuts the coral shallows of Bahama Bank.

Baitfish naturally collect here along the wall that rises abruptly from hundreds of feet to a few fathoms, and predators naturally follow, making it one of the most productive trolling alleys in the Bahamas and Caribbean.

When to Go

While anglers can find some bluewater pelagics here most of the year, the very best time to on hand is February, March and into April, particularly when a southeast breeze pushes bait right against the bank, Murphy says. He recalls that his grandfather, who built here, “loved Chub so much because no matter what the direction of the wind, some place will always be fishable.”

For bonefish, Murphy says the best time starts in early October as temperatures cool and goes through mid-June. It’s not unusual for bonefish hotspots in the Caribbean to boast great numbers of small fish, but at Chub, flats anglers can have the best of worlds.

“That’s the thing that’s so cool here,” says Murphy. “Our average bonefish probably runs 5 pounds. I’ve caught ‘em to 13 on the fly.” He attributes the large size of Chub bones to so much fertile deeper water around the island.

Murphy also cites the reef action he calls “spectacular” here. “Any area where there are drop-offs, you can catch snapper — muttons, yellowtail, cubera, lanes and others — and several types of groupers, plus African pompano, almacos, amberjack and more.” And barracudas, he adds, love to clobber topwater lures. Murphy says drift-jigging is a great way to catch everything. He favors leadheads of ½ to 1½ ounces tipped with Fishbites soft tails.

Planning a Trip

Where to Go and How to Get There: Private boaters make the 150 or so miles to Chub from Miami or Ft. Lauderdale (or a little under 170 from West Palm Beach), but Murphy points out that only about 50 miles is open-water crossing (including the Gulf Stream). Otherwise, most of the run is over the relatively shallow water of the Great Bahama Bank. The full-service marina’s floating docks can accommodate boats from center consoles to 175-foot yachts.

Private aircraft and chartered flights find arrival at Chub’s 5,000-foot airstrip easy, thanks to a small, regular customs office open daily from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Several charter operations provide service to Chub, including Tropic Air Charters, Makers Air and Island Air Charters (all based in Ft. Lauderdale), plus Bahamas Air Tours.

However one arrives at Chub, he or she will find a variety of accommodations offered by Chub Cay Resort. The clubhouse serves as a boutique hotel with 11 rooms. The cabanas feature eight, single, stand-alone units on Sunset Beach. Villas range from two to five bedrooms with varying layouts and views. In addition, some privately owned homes are available to rent.

What to Expect: While fishing-charter services are limited, three well-known longtime bonefish guides — Razor, David and Joe — can put anglers into countless shots at bones. Bonefish are abundant enough that some anglers rent a golf cart to take them along the shore to points from which they can wade out into good action.

In addition to world-class fishing, Chub offers diving of the same caliber. Murphy cites the amazing wall diving in the clear waters, teeming with fish. But he points out that those who would take advantage of it can only get to it on a private boat with their own gear (rental gear is not available). Murphy says anyone wanting more information on fishing Chub is welcome to contact him via murphyslawsportfishing.com.

The post Chub Cay Bahamas: The Big Bonefish Factory appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Forty knot southeast winds drove torrential rains into our faces, soaking us to the bone at 2 a.m. in the dark of night. Crazy Alberto Knie and I were working one of Florida’s inlet jetties, punching 1-ounce bucktails through the spitting snot, fully realizing nobody with any sense would be out on the jetty rocks targeting snook during the ungodly hour and conditions.

The casts barely made it past the rod tip, plunking only 20 feet from the rocks into white-capped froth. Once the slack line was reeled up, my bucktail only sat 10 feet from the jetty rocks. A quick twitch, a little lift of the rod, and the magic happened — every time. In a three-hour span, Crazy Alberto and I landed 17 snook, all between 8 to 36 pounds, one cast after another. 

Was this just a lucky night? Or are there serious snook secrets to be learned about Florida’s inlet jetty rocks?

 Florida East Coast Jetty Fishing

Captain Ed Zyak’s snook playground is the St. Lucie Inlet jetty rocks.

“The prime run of big snook at St. Lucie Inlet is during the spawn, mainly from June through August, but really stretching from May to September, though you can find fish as early as February,” said Zyak. “They are moving through the inlet during the spawn, and that’s when you can really play catch and release with the spawning fish in the 20- to 40-pound class.”

St. Lucie Inlet’s north jetty rocks are jumbled puzzle pieces, many of which have crumbled down into the inlet channel and along the oceanside waters to provide new underwater structure.

“I tend to fish the incoming tides on the outside of the jetties on the oceanside,” he says, “but on outgoing tides, as the water turns and dumps out, they lay more on the inside notches inside the corners of the jetty rocks.” 

Zyak will cast artificial baits off the rocks such as 3-inch soft plastics, fixed on a ½-ounce jighead which he says resembles a sand perch or croaker.

“When there is a lot of boat traffic at the mouth of the inlet rocks, that’s when I go to artificials, as those snook are hunkered down deeper. Cast toward the rock, drift with the tide and give it quick snaps, such as 1-foot hops off the bottom,” says Zyak. “Pressured fish will tend to go for smaller baits like a 4-inch shrimp too. You want to be bombing the bottom with the baits. Sling the bait up-tide, and give it an aggressive hop with slow, sharp twitches.” 

Fishing Jetty Rocks for Snook

Captain Glyn Austin, of Going Coastal Charters, works Florida’s Sebastian Inlet rocks for his snook success.

“I’ll work the outer jetties via boat July through October, casting bucktails, Rapala X Raps or subsurface baits toward the tip of the north jetty on the outgoing tide,” says Austin. “During the summer months, snook will spread out along the beach as they hang around the pier north tip feeding on glass minnows as they spill out with the tide.”

Austin notes the average size of summer snook run in the 28- to 35-inch range, with larger model fish pushing the 40-inch plus mark. Snook will feed aggressively when water temps are anywhere from the low 70s to high 80s. It can be a year-round bite.

“If winter waters never get below 70, we can have snook along the jetty rocks all winter long.” Austin will also opt to go on the troll when the conditions are right. “I’ll drag lipped Rapalas around the tip of the north jetty and along the oceanfront to find snook lying close to the rocks.” 

Livebait fishing for Snook at Jetties

“Live bait really works best when there is minimal boat traffic and less pressure,” says Zyak. “When drifting the inlet with live bait, I like to get up high on the boat to get a visual of the snook — you can see their shadows lying on the bottom behind rocks and off the jetty.”

Don’t be afraid to check the dock or bridge pilings right inside inlet areas, not far from the rocks. When fishing around docks, or when the water is dirty in the inlet, try using side scan imaging to locate snook.

For live baiting, Zyak usually goes with threadfin herring, pilchards or live croakers, but notes croakers are best as they seem to be genetically programmed to swim straight to the bottom. Zyak’s drift rig consists of 30-pound braid main line to a 48-inch section of 50-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon, then a loop knot to size 4/0 or 6/0 Eagle Claw Trokar hooks. Zyak hooks the bait right under the bridge of the nose or underneath the belly just in front of the tail. He freelines the bait without any weight.

“Usually we are fishing 6 to 12 feet of water, and the bait swims straight down.” Average size snook are 10 to 25 pounds at St. Lucie Inlet, with Zyak recommending you concentrate your efforts around the approaching new moon for best results.

“I will also look for structure around inlet areas,” adds Zyak. “Those fish will come off the inlet rocks and explore the immediate area. When I find a nice piece of structure like a fallen tree or submerged rocks, I spot-lock the boat with my trolling motor and pitch baits back to it.”

Drift Fishing Inlets for Snook

Captain Austin also likes to drift live baits inside the inlet waters when the conditions are right.

“Snook stacked up along the bridge fenders and outgoing tides are best to fish with live bait,” says Austin. Live pinfish or pigfish are his preferred baits, with the rig consisting of 30-pound-braid running line, a surgeon knot tied to a 24- to 36-inch section of 40- to 50-pound fluorocarbon leader, and then a size 5/0 to 6/0 VMC circle hook to finish it off.  He will pinch a ½- to 1-ounce split shot about a foot above the bait to get it down into the zone.

“Sebastian has about 12- to 15-foot depths in the middle of the channel, so I will motor up about 2/3 of the way back into the inlet, up to the bridge, then make the drift,” he says. “The bottom structure is very sticky inside the inlet with plenty of rock hang ups, but the key is to drift into the holes between rock boulders.”

Find the right balance between bouncing over the rocks while still letting the bait near the bottom without snagging. Though morning and afternoon hours are prime times, Austin suggests not to overlook drifting live baits during the night hours.

“Those nighttime shifts are also real solid for guys fishing around the south jetty, with both live baits and bucktails,” he says. “You’d be surprised how hot that action can get in the middle of the night.”

My magical night casting bucktails on the rocks opened up a whole new world of snook fishing for me. Mangroves, fallen trees and docks are notorious snook haunts, but next time you’re milling around any inlet jetties that line Florida’s East and Gulf coasts, start thinking about rockin’ some snook.

The post Conquering Florida’s Jetty Snook appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

On August 23, 2023, a young Florida angler with an adventurous spirit and a fondness for catching big fish on the smallest of vessels has achieved a personal milestone off the Gulf coast: he caught, fought, and boated a 100-pound swordfish from a personal watercraft.

Emmanuel Williams, 23, of Miami, drove 14 hours to Venice, Louisiana, to get on the water at sun-up on August 20. He then motored 20 miles to open water and another 20 to the fishing grounds on his 12-foot Sea-Doo FishPro Trophy, a craft built for fishing. He was on a quest to make good on a plan he had announced four years earlier: to be the first person to catch a sword from a PWC.

A Swordfishing Group Effort

Williams was accompanied by his friend Capt. Sebastian Noel on the trip. In Venice, they connected with Capt. Blake Rigby, who provided the local know-how and accompanied Williams and Noel from his boat. Tyler Fischer was the fourth member of the party, shooting content as the adventure unfolded.

“Capt. Blake got us rigged up, and Sebastian hopped on the ‘ski with me,” he recalled. “We sent our bait down to about 1,400 feet of water.” They were using a 12/0 J-hook tipped with a squid, 60-pound braid with a 150-foot, 250-pound leader, a Shimano Talica 50 and a Check’n Bottom custom rod. The wait began, and the anglers’ patience was tested.

“I was pretty anxious and really wanted to get this fish,” Williams said. “After a couple hours of waiting morale got a little low, but we ground it out, and then we got that bite and cranked down on that fish. I was super excited to be locked in battle with this fish.”

The lead came to the rod and was removed. “Now we were directly connected with that fish. I told Sebastian, get ready with that gaff, this is our time, this is our moment. We saw that white glow of the fish coming up. I’m screaming at Sebastian, ‘Stick him, stick him, stick him!’ I couldn’t fathom that fish getting away.”

The Swordfish End Game

It did not get away. “Sebastian put the first gaff in him. I followed up with the second gaff, and then the fish realized what was happening and went absolutely ballistic — thrashing its bill, swinging its tail non-stop, and literally pulling the Sea-Doo in circles.

“And then that was it,” he said. “We definitely rejoiced. We were all very happy. As far as I know this was the first swordfish ever landed on a PWC, and it was documented.” They transferred the fish to Rigby’s cooler and began the long run back to their houseboat in Venice. The sea was flat while they fished, but by 10 a.m., “it was rolling 3 to fives the whole way,” he said. “But it wasn’t a bad ride home, knowing we completed the mission.” They cleaned and filleted the fish.

Williams is a content creator who works with Sea-Doo, Salt Life, and XTRATUF, and his YouTube channel is not to be missed. Fishing from a PWC is a personal choice that feels closer to the sea and the fish, he said.

The Allure of PWC Fishing

“I could definitely get a boat if I wanted to,” he said. “The first time I ever fished offshore was on a PWC. I just fell in love with the process and the challenge. It’s another kind of connection with the water, and it’s more intimate. There’s definitely more of a challenge to it. Just the weather — PWCs can handle super rough weather, but it’s a lot when you’re mixing weather with fishing.

“Space is a thing — you can’t bring a whole arsenal of rods. But in other ways, you kind of have an advantage, because if I happen to see, say, a school of tuna, I can roll up on them more quietly than a boat could.”

Twenty-three is young to have achieved a major goal, but Williams has further aspirations, all from the seat of the Sea-Doo.

“I have a lot of big plans when it comes to fishing,” he said. “I just want to travel and catch unique fish. I definitely want to do big tuna, both yellowfin and bluefin, and black and blue marlin. Those are the next fish I’m going after.”

You can see Williams’ catch the first-ever swordfish on a personal watercraft in this video on iBelongOutdoors.

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Bob Misak tread precariously along the slippery, moss-laden boulders of Barnegat Inlet’s south jetty. He had a rod in hand and bucket of Asian crabs tied along his waist. Though Misak is a good friend, I didn’t worry about him slipping into the drink. I was more focused on the spot where he stopped.

“This is it,” he said. “The rock where they hang.”

In New Jersey, you’d think he was stalking stripers or blackfish. But he was referring to sheepshead, the unicorn, structure-loving beast of Garden State waters. Misak dropped his rig down, gave the rod a light tickle, then a booming strike buckled his rod. With rod in one hand and net in the other, Misak reached down and nabbed a 12-pound sheepshead. Misak shot me a glance as he released the “jail breaker.”

New Jersey’s Sheepshead History

I can hear anglers in the south saying: “Sheepshead, what’s the big deal?” I’ll tell you. Sheepshead aren’t a normal species in Jersey. Let me back up, they haven’t been normal in Jersey for at least 40 years. Historically, their convict-striped presence was once common in New York and New Jersey. Sheepshead Bay off of Long Island, New York, got its name for a reason.

Also, any sheeps caught in Jersey rarely fall below the 5-pound mark, with average catches weighing between 8 and 14 pounds. The state record caught in 2014 stands at 19 pounds, 3 ounces. Whether due to warming climate, an invasion of Asian shore crabs in the 1980s, or something else entirely, a trophy sheepshead fishery has been available in New Jersey for the past 15 years. Anglers are becoming hip to the secret.

Jockeying for Sheepshead on Jetties

Misak’s land-based sheepshead exploits have made him a shore legend in the Garden State — his top sheepshead catch of 15.4 pounds would’ve broken the state record. But he didn’t know at the time and put it in the frying pan.

“I know some divers that key me in on where they stack up in schools of 4 to 6 fish of the same size,” said Misak. “They tend to stay on the same rocks, year after year in the same area.” On one outing, Misak and his friend bested six fish that all weighed between 14 and 15 pounds.

“You won’t find sheepshead on wrecks off the shore, but in back bays or at inlet jetties where waters are as deep as 25 to 30 feet,” he said. “There needs to be clean water, structure, and lots of tidal flow. Ideal water temperatures bounce between 70 and 78 degrees. You want to fish the outgoing tide along the jetty rocks.”

Misak’s jetty rig consists of a 7-foot, 6-inch medium-heavy rod, 3500 Shimano Stradic, 50-pound braid, and 40-pound, 24-inch dropper loop rig. Three inches separate size 3/0 Gamakatsu Octopus hooks on the bottom rig. A 1.5- to 3-ounce bank sinker keeps the rig on the bottom. He hooks small quarter-size crabs through the bottom pad.

“They hit hard on the run, moving like a big blackfish running along the bottom,” explained Misak. “Once their body is sideways, then the fight is on. Let the drag do the work and steer away from the rocks until they tire out. I’m finding that it’s possible we may be seeing a new migratory pattern — their sizes are going down to 10 pounds and lower with people beginning to target them more often.”

How to Fish Bridge Structure for Sheepshead

Anyone in the tristate area knows the name Capt. Dan Schafer, of Insomniac Guide Service, is synonymous with Jersey sheepshead. He has always been a forerunner, targeting south Jersey sheepshead.

“I found them while tautog fishing on the south Jersey bridges in 2005, where I put an underwater camera down and saw a school of sheepshead,” said Schafer. “After that, I dedicated myself to fishing for them where I landed my first, an 8-pounder, on a regular one-hook dropper rig. I noticed that even though sheepshead stay around structure like blackfish, they don’t react or stage like blackfish do.”

Schafer then learned their yearly habits.

“Usually, the season for Jersey sheepshead in the back bays is late May to October,” he explained. “Sheepshead show up when waters hit 57 degrees, and up to 75 degrees, staying throughout the summer and into the fall. Big sheepshead hang on the front side of bridge pilings and icebreakers as they will be the first to grab crabs funneling by, while the other smaller fish hang on the leeward side of the structure to get the rest of the crabs.”

Schafer fishes the lightest tackle jig possible to give a natural presentation in the current, with speed dictating what exact ounce. Generally, bottom-sweeper jigs from ¼- to 5/8-ounce suffice. When waters are dirty, bright colors like chartreuse or pink work better. When waters are clear, white or unpainted heads work best.  

Proper bait choice is a major factor in success rates.

“Asian crabs are spring and fall baits, while fiddler crabs are summer baits (from mid June to August),” Schafer. “Sheepshead are hanging shallower in the water column off structure, like 1 to 6 feet down. Crab hatches are flowing with the tides, up in the water column. On the full and new moons, the fish feed accordingly.”

Water clarity also plays a large part on strategy, according to Schafer.

“The more stained the water, the shallower or more vertical in the water column they are,” he said. “Cleaner water they stage deeper. In the faster the current, the higher in the water column they feed. While during the more slack tides, the lower in column they’ll hang. Sheeps are aggressive feeders, not like tautog, hanging on the bottom but will come up and roam.”

Schafer’s technique is kind of odd, but it’s directed. “I’ll work the bridges, spot-locking right and tight on a piece.”

Many times, Schafer is literally holding the icebreaker or bridge piling with his hands. “I’ll dip a jig baited with crab starting two feet down, then if there isn’t a bite, drop it two more feet, and repeat that process until I hit bottom down to 30 feet. If I don’t get a hit after three tries on that spot, I’ll move to another piece. It could be 20 feet away, but it makes all the difference.”

Slack tide doesn’t mean the fish won’t feed. “When the tide starts slacking, they will come off structure, even 30 feet off a bridge to roam around,” said Schafer. “Toss around a jig at slack and work it back; I’ve landed fish to 10 pounds on the slack, fan-casting off the structure. Best baits are calico sand crabs, as they are the more natural baits away from the structure.”

Sod Banks for Sheepshead

Hard structure is one facet, but soft structure along the sod banks can be just as productive.

“Sodbank fishing with light jigs and light tackle is critical to not getting hung up,” said Schafer. “Sod banks erode on one side with steep relief; the sweet spot is 10 to 16 feet dropping to 22 feet along the ledges and steps of the submerged sod. They will stay around the submerged root system to forage. Drop to the bottom and walk a jig back over the sod, finding those deep holes. Crawl it back and inch it little by little, not jigging, but inching it back getting into the holes and ledges of the submerged sod.”

When battling trophy sheepshead from the boat, they earn the name “jail breaker” as they will shake hooks like mad to escape.

“Sheepshead aren’t vertical fighters, but horizontal,” said Schafer. “They’ll use their flattish porgy body design in the tide to plane with the water for leverage, not like blackfish that dog down. When hooked up, I back up the boat to pull them away from the structure with a light smooth drag. Then you can fight them as they plane up to the surface.”

Jersey sheepshead are quickly becoming a new species on the hit list, not simply because they are a relative anomaly in the waters, but for their great fighting power and dependable size. Is the new world-record sheepshead going to be taken from Jersey’s relatively untapped waters? I wouldn’t bet against it.

Sheepshead Fishing Tackle

• Rod: 7 to 7.5-foot medium to heavy stout spinning rod
• Reel: 3000 to 5000 spinning reel
• Line: 14- to 30-pound braid running line; 30- to 40-pound fluorocarbon leader
• Lures: ¼- to 1-ounce bottom sweeper jig in chartreuse, pink or white
• Bait: Asian crabs, sand fleas, fiddler crabs, Jonah crabs and calico crabs

The post New Jersey Sheepshead Fishing Shines appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Weakfish are more than a contemporary enigma, they are a flat-out mystery. I’m not talking about how to catch them — we’re pretty good at that when they’re around. Nobody can seem to figure out their year-to-year patterns, frustrating scientists, biologists, tackle shops and anglers alike.

Weakfishing Used to be Dependable

For years, especially in the 1980s to early 2000s, weakfishing was legit. New Jersey- and New York-area anglers caught up to 50 fish on a tide. Most fish were from 1 to 4 pounds, but true “tiderunners” of 10-pounds plus could be found before sunup in the Northeast bay systems.

Delaware Bay was once considered the “Weakfish Capital of the World,” as that slogan is still written on salt-weathered wood plaques along the docks in Cape May, New Jersey. Historically April and early May brought tiderunners into the bay systems after the breeders spawned out. Then around 2006, they went ghost. Literally gone. Disappeared. Nobody was catching anything, save for a few unicorns. 

Strangely, during wintertime each December, seabass party boats reported catching 5- to 10-pound weakfish 80 miles offshore on the canyon flats in 300 feet of water. What gives? Who knows. Nowadays, spikes of weakfish seem to show up every 5 years or so for a week or two and everybody gets excited. Then, they’re not to be found again.

Anglers are Hoping for a Weakfish Rebound

But this year could be the start of something interesting.

Jacob Krause, a research biologist for the United States Geological Survey (USGS), is one of the few scientists who’s researched weakfish via tagging studies (although his last assessment was from 2017). He surmises their population has a direct correlation with natural predation.

“Bottlenose dolphin are a main predator of small weakfish from 0 to 3 years old,” he said. “There was a die-off of the bottlenose dolphin in the 1980s and again in 2013 to 2015 due to a virus. We calculate [the virus] contributed to a near 50% die-off of the species.”

If anyone remembers the 80s and early 90s, weakfish were abundant in New Jersey waters. Could that have been related to the dolphin mortality?

Linda Barry, a research scientist with New Jersey Fish and Wildlife, concurs with the idea of natural mortality.

“It seems weakfish in the New Jersey area have been depleted since 2003, and with bag and size limits under severe restriction, their absence can most likely be attributed to natural predation from striped bass, bottlenose dolphin, bluefish and spiny dogfish — rather than overfishing practices,” said Barry.

Krause’s research has shown that juvenile weakfish don’t survive in great numbers to adulthood because of predation. “There’s a recruitment bottleneck somewhere,” he explained. “Weakfish can spawn as early as year 1 and 2. If those fish don’t make it to adulthood, stocks cannot be replenished quickly enough.”

So if bottlenose dolphin are a main factor in the survival rate of the weakfish stocks, will that die-off of dolphin from 2013 to 2015 equal a weakfish rebound this year and in the coming years?

Hot Start to New Jersey Weakfish Season

This past year in late May, I cast a black Bomber plug in the New Jersey surf, landing 30-pound striped bass after bass. Every once in awhile, I’d feel a few taps — tail slaps from bass, I thought. So I slowed my presentation down.

I got a bump again soon, and then I took it really slow during the fight. I ended up landing a giant tiderunner of 34 inches. It was the first serious weakfish I’d seen in the surf in 15 years. I proceeded to land six weakfish from 32 to 36 inches, all 10 to 14 pounds that night. The following nighttime outings were just as successful. My knees were knocking. This was something — unusual. I predicted they would be here this spring once again, and all signs point to yes.

Already in April and May, the New Jersey and New York areas have seen sporadic photos of catches of large fish, 6- to 12-pounders. It’s not hot and heavy, but every few days, some big weakfish are being reported in their old school haunts. This is all new and unfolding as this is being written.

• Raritan Bay’s Flynn’s Knoll is giving up tiderunners on old-school sand-worming tactics.
• Barnegat Bay anglers are hooking 10-pounders on ½-ounce bucktails, paired with bubblegum Lunker City Fin-S baits.
• Cape May jetty anglers are floating bloodworms to hook up.

Matt Broderick, of The Fisherman magazine, told me Peconic Bay in Long Island Sound has immense numbers of 1- to 4-pound-class fish. It begs the questions: Is this the start of a really good weakfish season? Will we see a consistent summertime fishery with spikes of 5-pounders this year in the bay systems?

Keep a keen eye out this year in the Northeast. My prediction is there will be a mild resurgence of the fishery through the summer. Will it last or are we destined to get our hopes up again? The good news is that most of the fish hooked this year are large breeding-population fish. In the past decade, we were welcomed with smaller fish mostly. But the presence of tiderunners around area waters could signal a shift in the fishery for the next few years. Stay tuned.

The post Are the Weakfish Back? 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.

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