I eyed a spot at the southwestern tip of the Cameron, Louisiana, jetties and made a cast. My lipless crankbait hit the water.

As the lure sank, I began my normal seven-count before making the first pull. I stopped at three. It felt as if the lure had hit a rock and got stuck, so I set the hook — just in case.

The rod immediately doubled over, the drag screamed, and for the next 15 minutes, a super-sized redfish put my muscles and tackle to the test.

Catching redfish is fun. Catching big redfish is really fun. And one of the best ways to do that in early fall is with crankbaits at jetties.

Gearing Up for Fishing Crankbaits

Endless varieties of crankbaits flood the market, especially for bass fishing, but the most effective crankbaits for redfish are lipless.

As the name implies, these lures feature no protruding lip, a characteristic that allows this kind of bait to be fished at specific depths. Lipless versions can be more versatile because the angler essentially controls the fishing depth.

Rat-L-Trap has long led the industry, but my favorite is the Super Pogy by Bomber Saltwater Grade. It comes with a high-pitch rattle that I’ve found effective. Other options include the Nobondo Lipless Crankbait, Nomad Design Madscad and Biospawn Rattle Bot.

Best colors include chrome, white/black, chrome/pink, and bronze. I use a casting reel rigged with a 30-pound green P-line braid tied directly to the lure because I fish in dingy water. In clear water, add a 36-inch fluorocarbon leader if needed.

I like a medium-heavy action, 7 1/2-foot rod but have a particular preference for its composition. I learned about this while fishing over the years with four-time Bassmaster Classic champion and living legend Rick Clunn.

Super-sensitive rods actually work against you when fishing with crankbaits, Clunn told me. A fish actually pushes the lure in pursuit; if you’re fishing a super-sensitive (graphite/composite) rod, you’ll set the hook before the fish actually has the lure.

Clunn collaborated with Wright & McGill a few years back to create the S-Glass Series of rods that incorporate traditional fiberglass technology with a modern flare. I use these rods for crankbaits and have had serious success everywhere from the Mississippi River near Venice, La., to the Cameron jetties.

With glass rods, I have had far more hookups than misses because I can’t feel the bite until the fish takes the lure. You’ll find numerous fiberglass crankbait rods on the market, and they can make a massive difference in the pursuit of redfish.

Location and Technique

Around the jetties, start fishing near the boat cuts [Ed’s note: Texas jetties feature breaks in the rock wall about halfway out that allow small boats through] to take advantage of reds foraging on baitfish moving between the channel and Gulf side of the jetty rocks. “You get shrimp, shad and crabs pushing through, and the reds will move in and feed,” says veteran jetty angler Bill Killian.

Anchor up-current of the cut and work the lure against the flow. “Throw it out toward the cut, let it sink a few seconds, and then reel it in as fast as you can. The pressure of the current will allow the rattles to work really well,” he says.

Also look for jetty reds in the deep holes usually found around the southern tip of the rocks and northward about 50 yards. At these spots, the current wraps around the jetty structure and carves out large holes. Reds congregate around large boulders that have fallen off the main wall into these holes.

Read Next: More Redfish Fishing Tips

Throw out the crankbait, let it sink to the level of the rocks, and rip it. I pull a few feet and then reel a couple of cranks. Repeat that three or four times and recast. The reds usually hit just after the first pull and sometimes on the fall.

While it might sound counterintuitive, if you see dolphins feeding in the area, that’s a fortunate sign.

In my logbook, I’ve noted dolphins feeding in the vicinity every time I’ve caught lots of bull reds. The times we had fewer fish, I saw no dolphins feeding. The presence of dolphins often indicates menhaden, a primary forage species for big reds.

Releasing for the Future

As everything from algae blooms to bycatch in the menhaden fishery puts pressure on redfish populations, catch-and-release becomes increasingly important — particularly for the big, breeding-size reds that inhabit jetty systems.

Scientists say the discard mortality rate for all sizes of redfish averages around 8 percent, though the type of terminal tackle used plays a major role. In general, lures deep-hook fewer fish than J-hooked natural baits.

In fact, one fish Killian caught at a nearshore gas platform off the Sabine Pass, which I tagged for Texas Sea Grant, made a reappearance three weeks later two miles away at the Sabine jetties. As the super fat bull redfish surfaced, Killian netted it. We quickly noticed a tag covered with slime.

I removed the growth, and my heart raced as I realized the tag said Sea Grant.

After examining our data, we realized it was the same fish Killian caught a few weeks before. It taught me firsthand that releasing big fish pays off, and I will carry that and deep respect for these bulls with me for the rest of my life.

The post Fishing Crankbaits for Gulf Jetty Redfish appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

I had just cracked open a drink when the fish came up. I set the brew on the bait tank, buckled in as a tuna slurped the bait, lifted the 80-wide Tiagra out of the holder and went to work. My beer was still ice cold when we gaffed the 192-pound yellowfin.

That short, effective fight depended on the 200-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon leader, 40 pounds of drag and a true winch of a reel. But the gear doesn’t matter if you don’t use it right, and that means using its power to hurt tuna instead of yourself. I’m a big guy and I’ve caught hundreds of tuna over 100 pounds, but size doesn’t matter. I’ve seen little old ladies use the right techniques and catch fish much bigger than I ever have. My friend caught a 300-pound yellowfin on stand-up gear when he was 78.

Use a Harness and Pad to Fight Big Tuna

The key is a good harness and pad, and the ability to use it. One of my favorites is from AFTCO, designed by Greg Stotesbury. Stotesbury’s stand-up experience, like mine, is grounded in the San Diego long-range fleet. No offense, East Coasters, but most of you don’t know how to use a harness. Here’s how it works.

If you learn anything here it should be this: When fighting a fish, you should feel all the force transferred by the harness from the point of your hips down. You want the belt around your butt, not the small of your back.

In preparation, wear the harness before the bite. Wait until the fish is solidly hooked and pulling drag before you put the rod in the belt and clip in. Many fish are lost early when folks fumble with their gear instead of fighting the fish. Once you are fastened to the fish, attitude is everything. Stay calm and relaxed. Don’t let adrenaline and bad form hurt you.

How to Fight Tuna in a Fishing Harness

Proper form means good posture: Put your left hand on the reel to guide the line, with your right hand on the handle. Keep your back straight, and bend your knees enough to distribute the pressure across the tops of your quads and your backside.

Modern composite rods do all the work when kept at right angles to the rail. When the tip comes up, wind it back down. If you can’t turn the handle, switch the reel to low speed. Can’t keep up? Go to high speed. Don’t impart wild pumping motions. Instead, focus on the rod tip. Call out deep color when you see it, and wind the fish up to the gaff.

Safety Tips for Fighting Big Tunas

A couple of safety notes should be added. Every tuna is an individual, and where the hook ends up influences how the fish acts. Yellowfin tuna hooked in the upper jaw by the snout are notoriously squirrelly. You have to be prepared to react to the predictable and unpredictable, and that often means getting out of the harness.

Use S-hooks instead of clips to attach the harness to the reel lugs so you can get out quickly if necessary. And remember to back off the drag ­(gradually, don’t dump it into free-spool) when you need to get the rod out of the gimbal pad for maneuvers such as keeping the line out of the props.

How to Gain Line When Fighting Big Tuna

When you sit back and put on a lot of pressure, a fish will often run out high in the water column. Enjoy the fact that now the fish is on the losing end of the energy equation. This is the only time you can take a breather. When the fish stops, bear down on it. Try to get a turn on the handle, going to low gear if necessary.

Tuna will often respond to the ­pressure by diving in the direction of the boat, which provides you the opportunity to win back a bunch of line with no more effort than turning the handle. Be ready to go into high gear when the fish sounds, and take that easy line.

Once the fish goes into the final stage of the fight — straight up and down — it’s time to really put on the heat. Stay in one spot and keep the rod straight out from the rail. The tuna’s tail beats are reflected in the pumps of the rod tip as the fish circles — the more pressure, the tighter the circle. The tip of the rod will come up as the fish leaves the inside (closest to the boat) of the circle. That’s when you get those precious feet of line with several quick turns of the handle to bring the tip back down and keep the fish moving up. Don’t waste energy by stubbornly trying to turn the handle when you stop gaining line.

Most important, stay relaxed so you reserve the burst of energy and sharpness of mind that is usually called for at the end of the fight. Sometimes, a truly mean fish will say to hell with this and bust a big move. The telltale is an irritated shake of the head. You have to be ready to respond and follow. It’s usually over soon after that — one way or another.

The post Tuna Fishing with Stand Up Gear appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

The water along the upper Texas coast usually stays too murky for sight fishing, but on this particular late fall day, it looked crystal clear in the tiny canal that runs along Highway 87 in Bridge City. I saw flounder everywhere. I could see some as sandy outlines on the bottom; others aggressively blasted toward the surface, feeding on shrimp. Certainly, this would be a flounder fisherman’s dream come true. Not so. I offered multiple baits as I walked along the canal’s edge. The flounder refused all of them.

Use Smaller Lures When Flounder Won’t Bite

Having just returned from a crappie-fishing expedition, I still had a medium-light-action spinning rod rigged with fluorocarbon line and a 2-inch curl-tailed grub in the back of my truck. A curl tail is my favorite flounder lure but this one was half the size of my normal presentation.

Out of desperation, I walked back to the truck and grabbed the rig. Then, I waited for one of the feeding flounder to move. The first cast produced nothing. But the second one scored and so did the third. By the end of the day, I had released 17 flounder.

That unexpected windfall happened in late November, just after the peak of the fall flounder migration into the Gulf of Mexico. On that day I learned a valuable lesson that allowed me to score on quality flounder during the run as well as successfully extend fishing efforts into the winter.

A few years back, a gentleman named Ben Jarrett outfished me on a redfish trip by using a tiny topwater when I was throwing a super-size Super Spook. “Elephants eat peanuts,” he said, echoing the familiar expression. To this day that serves as a reminder that sometimes I need to downsize gear to catch big fish.

While big flounder sometimes eat large mullet, they seem just as satisfied eating 100 tiny menhaden. They ambush prey, so they tend to feed on what the currents bring them. In the late fall and winter, that’s often tiny baitfish and crustaceans.

Light-Tackle Flounder Fishing

My favorite rod for this application is a medium-action Abu Garcia combo spooled with 8-pound-test fluorocarbon line. Fluorocarbon features the same refractive properties as water, and is killer for catching flounder in clear water in particular. It also offers better abrasion resistance than monofilament.

For general flounder fishing, I actually prefer braided line, especially when pursuing big fish. I normally use 50-pound SpiderWire on medium-heavy-action rods. However, when using microplastics, I need a finesse approach. Yes, I lose a few with the light tackle but I get far more bites than on the other rigs, starting about the third week in November through Valentine’s Day.

Soft Plastic Baits for Flounder Fishing

My favorite micro lures include the 2-inch Mr. Twister Teenie (in pink for off-colored water or luminescent for clear water), and the Mr. Twister Sassy Shad in the 2.5-inch size and in clear silver-flake/black-back. Mr. Crappie’s Shadpole Curlytail in the salt-and-pepper color and the Bobby Garland Baby Shad in the eclipse or hologram-ghost patterns also work. All of my small lures for flounder come from the freshwater world, which shows we should not limit ourselves to a particular section of the tackle shop.

If the water looks dingy, fish obnoxious colors like pink but if it’s clear, use natural colors. Flounder are very visual fish and sensitive to tiny changes in water clarity and lure-color presentation.

I rig small plastics on a 1/16-ounce jighead and crawl them slowly across the bottom. If you feel a hard “thump,” count to two and set the hook. If you feel a slight tap on the line, wait about 10 seconds and then set the hook. Sometimes flounder simply grab a lure and hold on. Give them a few moments to move the lure inside their mouths.

How to Find Flounder Late in the Season

To target late-season flounder, look for canals and shorelines that provide the fish with quick access to deep water. When temperatures fall, these holdover flounder move into deeper, warmer water but come back shallow to feed as temperatures rise. Generally speaking, the southern half of a bay system and channels leading to the Gulf produce best.

When you start hearing about anglers catching big trout along the spoils in ship channels and around deep-water drop-offs, go to those same locations and look for flounder. Both species seem to move from deep to shallow water at similar times.

When south winds push slightly warmer water in from the Gulf, fish the rising tide for good action. Slight variations in temperature can make a huge difference to flounder. Any south-facing shoreline can also be good on days with strong wind because baitfish push up against the banks.

As fall segues into winter, fish slow. If you think you’re fishing too slow, you’re probably not fishing slow enough. Start with a super-slow approach, and then if you’re not getting bit, speed up. The fish don’t scatter at this time of year, so locate fish and focus on an area with a high probability of catches. Once you establish a bite, fish slowly and be aware of their delicate strikes.

When to Keep Flounder and When to Release Them

Flounder are super popular all along the Gulf Coast, but some issues have erupted for the stock due to rising Gulf water temperatures, commercial pressure, and other factors. In 2021, Texas instituted a closure to all flounder harvest from Nov. 1 to Dec. 14, making the fishery catch-and-release only during this time. I release all flounder measuring 20 inches or more any time of year and recommend other anglers do the same. The greater number of big, breeding-size fish we put back, the better chance for quality flounder fishing in the future.

Due to the incredible taste of flounder, anglers generally consider them a prize for the table and don’t generally release them as they do snook or speckled trout. But flounder deserve the same respect. Keeping the smaller, legal-size fish to eat and releasing the big ones has worked for other species and can help ensure the future of the southern flounder.

The post How to Catch Flounder With Micro Jigs appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

As we skimmed over the mirror-calm surface of Saint Andrew Bay, en route from Sun Harbor Marina to the DuPont (Highway 98) bridge that separates Saint Andrew from East Bay, I marveled at how large an area of inshore waters sprawled northwest, northeast and southeast of Panama City. I had no idea.

“Our entire system includes four bays,” explained Capt. Matt Smith, our guide for the day: “West Bay, North Bay, Saint Andrew Bay and East Bay.” These total up to nearly 170,000 acres of water, Smith pointed out. And a glance at a map shows an astonishing amount of fishable shoreline.

Given the ideal weather on that ­early-summer morning, I kept looking for other boats with anglers also intent on hooking some bull redfish. But as Smith positioned his 21-foot Cobia bay boat near the bridge channel and dropped anchor, I noted that we had the whole area to ourselves.

Bull Redfish at the Bridges

We intended to fish some of the Storm soft plastics that my fishing partner, Dan Quinn, had brought down with him from Minnesota. Smith had plenty of small, live menhaden — cast-netted that morning — filling his baitwell, and he explained that plastics could be dynamite in shallower areas of the bays, but here in nearly 20 feet of water, they were a much tougher sell.

Nevertheless, the intrepid Quinn did hook a good fish on a Storm 360GT Searchbait soft-plastic, his first bull red drum ever. But bowing to the power of live baits, we put some of Smith’s pogies to good use, landing several more reds to at least 30 pounds, giving our light ­spinning outfits quite a workout.

Then the air show started. It takes a considerable distraction to make die-hard anglers redirect their attention from a live bait in imminent likelihood of being eaten by a rapacious trophy-size redfish, but when F-16s, F-22s and other fighter jets began sneaking up on us — moving so fast that unless watching, we were aware of them only when they thundered by overhead in the blink of an eye — it became hard to concentrate on other things.

There’s nothing to bring out the 8-year-old in a lot of guys like fighter jets, and it turned out we were fishing in their flight path — lots and lots of them — practicing takeoffs and landings at Tyndall Air Force Base, a stone’s throw south of the bridge.

I think Smith was amused at our awe, having long since gotten used to this phenomenon. Gradually, I managed to focus on the reason we were here. It helped that the frequency of overflights slowed. About the same time, the tide slowed as well, as then did the redfish bite.

Light-Tackle Fishing Action in the Bay

Fortunately, we began seeing splashes and swirls as something drove small white bait to the surface. I picked up a little Shimano Stradic 3000 and slid a Rapala Shadow Rap Shad in an albino shiner color (think white pearl) onto my snap, tossed it out, and began erratically working the lure jerkbait-style, in sharp, quick snaps. Almost at once, in a silver flash, I had hooked up. The bushwhacker turned out to be a small bluefish.

Quinn joined me, throwing a small 360 GT Largo Shad on a light lead-head, and both of us stayed busy with slashing strikes of small but always aggressive blues, with ladyfish and Spanish mackerel mixed in. Soon, Smith weighed anchor and we headed farther up into East Bay.

Somewhere in the vicinity of mid-bay, the sounder displayed the bottom abruptly rising from about 8 feet to 3 feet or so — a large sandy shoal. Though usually fishier (and apparently at times troutier) than it proved today, we did hook some jacks, and I landed another, considerably larger, Spanish mackerel while fishing the same Shadow Rap Shad, and missed what might have been a small tarpon.

By this time — midmorning — we had caught sight of maybe two or three other boats with anglers, and appreciated the tranquility of the East Bay. That, however, was about to change.

Flounder in the Free-for-All

Flounder fishing in these waters can be productive this time of year if you fish the right place. On this day, Smith said, the right place would be Saint Andrew Bay Pass, where the Gulf funnels into and out of the extensive bay system surrounding Panama City.

The pass and waters around it proved to be pretty antithetical to our experience back in the bays, with all manner and sizes of boats heading in and out. Despite the traffic, Smith dropped anchor and, bouncing in the washboard of wakes, we dropped live pogies to the bottom, about 30 feet down. Once again, Smith proved true to his word: Shortly after, we boated our first southern flounder and, just after another, a small gag grouper.

Intent on adding to the day’s already notable variety, Smith moved us to the end of the east jetty, a favorite spot to catch mangrove (gray) snapper. Bingo: We caught several gray snapper, on little liveys just off the rocks (keeping our lines away from the personal watercraft dashing around jetty’s end).

By then it was about midday. Smith, like most inshore guides here fishing the long days of summer, generally runs two half-day trips — roughly 7 a.m. to noon and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., or thereabouts. So we headed back to the marina, plenty satisfied after a busy, fishy outing.

June’s a great time to connect with the variety these bays offer, but then, it’s hard to go wrong anytime. “We truly have a year-round inshore fishery here,” Smith says. That includes trout and reds on the flats, spring through fall (the morning we fished, the tide wasn’t right for that fishery).

October and November are Smith’s favorite months to focus on fishing the inlet for bull reds. (Smith customarily releases redfish to help ensure the future of this outstanding fishery.)

March and April find him there targeting sheepshead. Summer baitfish migrations offer the best action for flounder, mangrove snapper and Spanish mackerel, as well as species drawn in by the bait, including jacks, bluefish, blacktip sharks and sometimes tarpon.

Offshore Fishing Panama City Beach

A change-up was in store for our second and third days fishing out of Panama City. Armed with slightly heavier gear, we met up with Capt. Matt Parramore and our third angler, who happened to be Matt’s spouse, Jennifer, in his Cape Horn 27 at Panama City Marina to fish offshore.

The sunny, calm weather of the day before had given way to gray skies and the sound of rolling thunder here and there, so we opted to target nearshore waters with bait and lures — again, with variety in mind. Fishing anywhere from a couple of miles off the beach up to 10 or 12 miles out, we spent a good bit of our time drift-jigging in 60 to 130 feet of water on a variety of spots from Parramore’s little book of numbers.

Typical of the northern Gulf, large structural relief from the generally flat bottom wasn’t required to find fish; even small areas of modest rubble could hold predators. Casting a mix of Williamson Koika metal slow-pitch jigs and Arrow Head lead-head bucktail jigs, we did particularly well with king mackerel of respectable size (and some a good bit larger), as well as — inevitably — red snapper (though we released all of them by law) and other species.

Had red snapper season been open and had we wanted to target them, Parramore could have put us on some larger wrecks typically covered with snapper. Beyond red snapper, a dozen or more species will very possibly be pulled over the gunwales on any given day fishing offshore of Panama City.

With the jigs performing well, we ended up using few of the live cigar minnows that Parramore had bought at a bait receiver after leaving the marina. We added a couple of big kings to the total by trolling Rapala’s deep-diving X-Rap Magnum 40s.

While drifting the northern Gulf, it can pay to try whatever artificials you think could work. I had fun with some smaller kings and tunny while casting and retrieving with hard jerks a 5-inch X-Rap Saltwater crankbait on one of the light (inshore) spinning outfits I’d brought. Although we didn’t break out the kites that day, Parramore is a fan of dangling live runners from kites for big kings and other surface-oriented game fish.

Peak Time for Pelagics off Panama City

While the action can be good anytime of the year, weather permitting, late spring/early summer is Parramore’s favorite period. “The water’s starting to warm up, and baitfish are migrating in close,” attracting coastal pelagics such as cobia and kings, as well as amberjack and snapper. About that time, larger bluewater pelagic game fish turn on as well. While Parramore typically focuses on the variety of coastal pelagics within an hour or so of the beach, the skipper is all about bluewater big game. Given the shallow slope of the Gulf, he points out that a run of 60 to 120 miles is required to fish where blue marlin roam.

On the other hand, offshore game fish (other than blue marlin) can be found at times within a few miles of the coast. “I’ve seen people catch dolphin and sailfish off the pier!” he points out.

Species Availability: Panama City

Whether near or far, dolphin (mahi) rate as a favorite for Parramore. “I love fishing for dolphin. We run-and-gun a lot, looking for weeds and floating debris. Dolphin are usually under whatever we find.”

Parramore is a member of the Dolphinfish Research Tagging Program; he notes that a dolphin he tagged 20 miles off Panama City was recaptured 45 days later off Freeport in the Bahamas.

My take-away from this visit to Panama City is that there’s no shortage of activities and events going on in a destination that is succeeding as a Gulf tourist mecca. But anytime I should happen to be back here, I’ll be focusing on the fishing, since there’s always something going down, inshore or offshore.

About Panama City, Florida

Panama City is part of what is widely termed Florida’s Emerald Coast, after the color of nearshore waters, at times having a distinct clear-green hue. Many of the activities that attract visitors are water oriented, not surprising given the waters of several sprawling bays and, outside, the Gulf beyond the sandy beaches. To get more info on all that Panama City has to offer, visit destinationpanamacity.com.

The post Panama City Fishing Paradise appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

The AWEMUFA Boat Fender features an innovative, patented design with a sleek, streamlined exterior inspired by stylish sports cars. Made from durable, environmentally-friendly EVA material, these boat dock bumpers offer exceptional impact resistance.

Pros

Integrated Locking System: The extra-long straps are not only easy to use but also have an integrated automatic locking system that securely fastens the fender to the dock or deck without the need for complicated knots.

Innovative Design: The curved shape of the fender hugs the side of your boat so that it stays in place and doesn’t roll around like traditional fenders.

Cons

Limited Color Options: The fenders may be available in fewer colors, which might not appeal to those looking for a specific aesthetic for their boat.

The PENN Slammer IV Spinning Reel is the perfect choice for anglers who demand durability, power, and smooth performance, especially in challenging saltwater environments. This reel is built to handle tough conditions and big catches, making it a reliable companion for both serious and recreational fishermen. Here’s why the Slammer IV stands out:

Pros

Powerful Drag System: The Slammer Dura Drag System is known for its smoothness and reliability, providing the power needed to handle big fish without sacrificing control.

Superline Spool: The reel comes equipped with a superline spool that doesn’t require backing, thanks to the rubber gasket that keeps braided lines from slipping.

Fully Sealed Design: The Slammer IV features PENN’s IPX6 sealed system, which keeps water out of the gear box and drag system. This is crucial for maintaining long-term performance and durability in saltwater environments where corrosion is a concern.

Cons

Weight: The Slammer IV is slightly heavier than some other reels in its class due to its solid metal construction.

The Simrad NSX 12 Multifunction Display with Active Imaging 3-in-1 Transducer and HALO 20 Bundle is an outstanding choice for serious boaters seeking advanced navigation and fishing capabilities. This comprehensive system enhances your time on the water with its state-of-the-art technology and user-friendly interface.

Pros

Vibrant 12-Inch Display: The high-resolution touchscreen delivers bright, clear images, making it easy to view charts and sonar data in all lighting conditions.

Advanced 3-in-1 Transducer: The Active Imaging transducer combines CHIRP sonar, SideScan, and DownScan imaging, providing unparalleled clarity and detail.

HALO 20 Radar: The included HALO 20 radar offers exceptional situational awareness, giving you real-time information about nearby vessels and obstacles.

Cons

Learning Curve: With advanced functionalities, new users may take some time to master the system.

The post Sport Fishing’s Deals of the Week appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Bajio Sigs With Rose Mirror

“The rose mirror lens color is the ticket for daily needs; we rarely have cloudless days here. The lens helps see the reds, seatrout and tarpon in contrast to the bottom. On sunny days, the lens cut glare so the surface roll and flash of prime targets or bait can be seen from a distance.” — Capt. Alan Jackson, NearShore Guiding, Beaufort County, South Carolina

Costa Fantail PRO With Copper Silver Mirror

“When it comes to our Lowcountry marsh, you have to be ready for it all. A calm sunny morning can quickly give way to intermittent or heavy cloud cover. Sight fishing is our preferred game, and around here, copper lenses reign supreme. This lens color fits with local water color to make shapes pop. I also wear a frame that prevents peripheral light from creeping into the corners of your eyes that can skew your focus and obscure your vision.” — Capt. Cleve Hancock, Brown Dog Sport Fishing, Charleston, South Carolina

Read Next: Prescription Sunglasses for Fishermen

Pelagic Navigator With Green Mirror

“The new Navigator frames are growing on me due to the light-blocking panels on the side of the frame. For the inshore waters I fish, green mirror/amber lenses or grey mirror/yellow lenses are the way to go. I keep both handy every time I’m out. On a typical sunny day, the green mirror/amber lens is my choice to reflect green light away from the eye.” — Capt. Tyler Kapela, Hit and Run Charters, Tampa Bay, Florida

The post What Is the Best Color Sunglass Lens For Fishing In The Marsh? appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Like any sport, you can spend as much as you want gearing up for your next saltwater battle. However, northeast striper ace Blaine Anderson said the summer months offer plenty of opportunity for anglers with even modest tackle to engage one the region’s premier sport fish.

“It’s easy fishing and there’s a low barrier to entry,” Anderson said of the warm season’s incredible action. “They’re aggressive fish and you can catch them all summer long.”

The striper show abounds throughout this renowned region, with perennial favorites like Block Island (Rhode Island), Fishers Island (New York), Plum Island (Massachusetts) and countless reef systems such as Connecticut’s Bartlett Reef. Where current swirls through rock structure, Anderson expects his prime opportunities.

“Any of the reefs in 15 feet or less will produce, but a boat with a trolling motor will allow you to get in shallow,” Anderson said. “I’ll get in there as shallow as 3 to 4 feet. You have to be careful, because there are a lot of big boulders, but that’s what’s holding the stripers there.”

No doubt, the shallowest of these rocky minefields demand respect, so proceed with caution. Often, the reward more than justifies the effort. Just know that the attraction is all about feeding. Bunker (menhaden) and other forage are no match for the ocean’s might, but stripers are built for this.

“It’s a lot like trout in a river or a stream; the stripers will be in the eddy behind a boulder waiting for something to come by,” Anderson said. “They’re really powerful swimmers, so they don’t mind the current, but the bait is very vulnerable and they’re going to be swept across [the boulder field] and they’re at the mercy of the current at that time.

“Somedays, you may not see the bait, but other days, it may be all over and the stripers will be blowing up. It will change from one day to the next, but they will always be on the reefs and the more bait there is, the more active they are.”

Best Time to Fish for Stripers

Anderson said the fish will feed in practically any summer conditions, but he likes a calm, overcast day — maybe even a little fog. It’s as much a mood thing as it is a fishing thing, but the ambiance is undeniable.

“Everything is so quiet; you can hear fish blow up from a distance,” Anderson said. “With calm water, I think the fish can hear the rattles in your (artificial) baits, so they can home in on it a little easier.

As for time of day, Anderson calls summer striper fishing a 24/7 adrenaline rush.

“Back in the day, when I was guiding, it didn’t matter what the weather was doing or what the tides were — we’d fish from 5 a.m. until 11,” Anderson said. “You can catch them at high noon, with not a cloud in the sky, but I prefer the low light of early morning, because you’re often the first one on your spot.

“A lot of boats can put the fish down, but if you get out there first, you can go really slow and quiet with the trolling motor and catch several before anyone gets out there.”

Lures and Tackle for Striped Bass

For simplicity and undeniable fish appeal, Anderson said it’s hard to beat a big 7- to 9-inch topwater walker. His preference, the Shimano Current Sniper Splash Walk in bone white or bunker.

“The topwater bites are explosive, but even if the fish are not being aggressive, those big topwaters will still call them up,” Anderson said. “After that, you can adjust to subsurface baits. These big topwater baits allow you to cover lot of water, but the nice thing about the Splash Walk is that with sharp rod twitches, you can almost walk it in place. You’re really only turning the handle of the reel to take the slack out of the line.

“Some days they want it a little different. Sometimes you’ll twitch it and let it sit there and they’ll come up and smash it on the pause. But if there are big fish around, you’re going to know it.”

Blaine Anderson’s Tackle Preferences: A 7-foot, 6-inch medium-heavy Shimano Terramar XX Southeast spinning rod with a Shimano Twinpower XD 4000 reel carrying 50-pound PowerPro Super Slick V2 braid and a 30- to 50-pound fluorocarbon leader.

“They’re not really line shy, but I’ll start with 4- to 5-foot leader, because as I change lures throughout the day, that leader gets shorter and shorter,” Anderson said. “For hook set and for pulling them out of boulder fields, this is a good setup.”

When he’s not finding the topwater action, one of Anderson’s go-tos is a jerkbait based on forage size. Top colors are herring, bone white, and white with colored spots. Another option is a large soft plastic twitchbait like a Lunker City Slug-Go or a Zoom Super Fluke. Anderson suggests rigging these baits on 4/0 to 5/0 belly-weighted hooks (or jig heads heavy enough for the water’s depth).

Live Bait Fishing for Striped Bass

Complementing the lures, many Northeast stripers are caught on natural baits. Anderson says live eels are a Block Island favorite — especially after dark. Castnet a bunch of 12- to 14-inch bunker and you can catch stripers just about anywhere.

“The easiest way is to live line them on circle hooks in the same areas as you’d throw the topwaters,” Anderson said. “In deeper current areas, you’ll fish bunker on 3-way rigs with a heavy weight on the bottom. The trick is to keep it down and some days, you’ll need 16-ounce weights.”

Scup (aka porgies) also tempt stripers, but stow the castnet and catch these hardy bottom dwellers on hook and line. A dropper-style rig baited with squid or chunks of sand worm will deliver the goods. Then, rig scup on a bottom 3-way rig.

“If we’re live lining with no weight, I like to get up shallow and let the baits swim around the boulders,” Anderson said. “About 100 feet away is good, so when you hook up, you can change the angle on them to fight the fish out of the boulder field. With the 3-way rigs, the more vertical you can be the better. I like to fish live baits more up and down.”

Blaine Anderson’s Tackle Preferences: For live lining, a 7-foot, 6-inch medium-heavy Shimano Teramar XX Northeast casting rod with a Shimano Trinidad 12 or 14 reel spooled with 50-pound PowerPro Super Slick V2 braid. For 3-way rigging, a 7-foot medium-heavy casting rod with a Shimano Torium reel spooled with 50-pound PowerPro Super Slick V2 braid.

“If you’re going to be 3-way rigging, make sure your rod is stout enough to support the weight of whatever size sinker you’re using and still have enough backbone to fight the fish,” Anderson said. “You don’t want to strap a 16-ounce sinker on and watch the rod fully load before you get your bait in the water.”

However you engage summer stripers, Anderson describes the proper fighting style as a blend of patience and persistence. Summarily: Even pressure.

“I think the most common mistake is when people get excited and they’re pulling back on the rod too quickly so it’s fully loaded,” Anderson said. “When they make a couple of cranks and drop the rod tip, that rod is unloading and that’s when the hook ends up pulling. I like to have the same pressure on the rod whether I’m pulling on the fish or reeling down on the fish. The angle of the rod never changes.”

The post Northeast Summer Striper Tactics appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Tarpon: Fenwick Elite XH, Penn Authority 5500

“The Fenwick Elite 8-foot XH rod matched with the Penn Authority 5500 reel is an awesome tarpon setup. It’s an all-around workhorse that is perfect for throwing your favorite artificials or tossing a live crab. The Elite has some nice features such as lightweight titanium guides with super-hard inserts, a reel seat with double-lock ring system, and a rubber gimbal mount rod butt that works great whether you choose to use a fighting belt or not. I like to match the Authority 5500 with 50-pound SpiderWire UltraCast braid for most of my tarpon fishing applications.” — Capt. Danny Latham, Reel Fishing Charters, Boca Grande, Florida

Redfish: G. Loomis NRX+ Inshore Casting, Shimano Metanium MGL 150

“Big reds can really put some stress on your gear, but the Shimano Metanium MGL 150 baitcaster has the pure power needed to maneuver fish out of heavy cover. Pair it with the G. Loomis NRX+ Inshore casting rod for precision accuracy when backwater fishing with swimbaits, jigs, and topwaters. The rod has the perfect load to make pinpoint casts all day long. Triggering inshore fish can come down to speed, and the Metanium MGL can move a variety of baits very fast. Plus, it’s very easy to adjust on the fly. This setup can handle just about any presentation or inshore species I encounter daily.” — Capt. Jason Catchings, Shimano Pro Staffer

Snook: Daiwa SOL AGS Inshore, Daiwa Certate

“Yeah, it’s remarkably lightweight. That’s the first thing you notice when picking up Daiwa’s SOL AGS Inshore rod. Utilizing HVF graphite blank material, Braiding X carbon weave tech, and AGS guides, Daiwa went all in on quality components and weight reduction. Now, when fishing backwaters for snook or seatrout, sensitivity and fatigue won’t be a problem. Pair the 7-foot rod with Daiwa’s Certate SW spinner. The Certate has a single-piece body and G1 Duralumin drive gear, both stolen from the 20 Saltiga. Together, the setup will break the will of anything you’ll likely encounter in the marsh.” — Sam Hudson

The post The Best Rods and Reels for the Backcountry appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Old Town Sportsman BigWater ePDL+ 132

“Most of my fishing is done in the Piscataqua River, which is one of the fastest navigable rivers in the world. With the ePDL+ I can fish in current I have never been able to with any other kayak. It’s a beast when chasing schools of breaking fish in heavy current or covering new water. This kayak is an excellent platform to stand and sight fish from. When striper fishing, I can use the motor to travel farther and faster than I normally would. Then, I lift the motor and push pole myself around as I fish. Lifting the drive for obstacles or shallow water is simple.” —Guide Tim Moore, Tim Moore Outdoors, New Hampshire

Price: $5,999

Native Watercraft TitanX Propel 12.5

“Several features of the TitanX make it optimal for backwater fishing: Propel Pedal Drive (instant, hands-free reverse for fighting fish), rock solid stability (easily stand up to sight fish), Springblade Rudder system (get in and out of cuts and currents in the marsh with responsive turning), and under-seat tackle drawer storage (super quick access to gear to change out baits). Plus, anglers can easily add dual Power-Pole Micro Anchors to the stern and a bow-mounted saltwater trolling motor. These additions are life savers when you want to hold position on windy days or in strong currents.” —Tyler Brown, Chief Operating Officer, BIG Adventures (parent company of Native Watercraft)

Price: $3,599

Read Next: Why I Love My Kayak

Hobie Mirage Lynx

“Many of today’s kayaks are rigged to the max with batteries, electronics, anchors and trolling motors, so it’s fair to ask what’s the difference between a loaded yak and a one-man skiff? Still, these rigs are wildly popular for a reason. On the opposite end, models are still available for that kayak angler minimalist. Hobie’s Mirage Lynx weighs just 47 pounds, but still uses a MirageDrive 180 with Kick-Up Fins. Almost like a paddleboard, there’s not much built-in storage with this yak, but plenty of ability to add-on accessories if that’s the direction you go. The Lynx’s flat-bottom design provides stability and maneuverability — imagine having to make a lengthy pedal to the fishing grounds, sometimes across extremely shallow bars that most yaks can’t dodge. There’s no better kayak to quickly unload and launch from the side of the road.” —Sam Hudson, Senior Editor, Salt Water Sportsman

Price: $3,299

The post Best Kayaks for the Marsh appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

The razzle-dazzle of a slurping, clacking popping cork might seem off-putting at first, but its effectiveness and dominance as a fish catcher is indisputable. While particularly effective and popular in Gulf Coast states, the technique has followers in the Carolinas and beyond.

My baptism into popping corks occurred on my first-ever trip to the toe of the Boot State. Fishing the turbid open bays close to the Gulf, anglers in our boat caught oversize redfish hand over fist until we begged for mercy. What was the best rig for redfish that day? A flashy cork, about 4 feet of leader and a jig-and-bait combo. A topwater plug or “tight-lined” soft plastic did not attract the same interest from the bull redfish we were targeting.

Ever since, I’ve been hooked on corks in off-colored water, paired either with natural baits or lures. It’s my go to redfish rig, and sometimes the popping-cork rig is the only presentation a redfish or speckled seatrout will hit. The main draw of the popping cork is an attention-getting clacking or clicking sound created by beads hitting a foam cork along a metal through-wire. Second, when a cork is jerked by the rod tip, the lure or bait presentation jumps off the bottom like a fleeing bait. A weight attached to the bottom of the cork adds casting distance and stability; swivels at the top and bottom of the wire serve as line ties for the main line and leader. The sound mimics fleeing shrimp, crabs, baitfish or even other game fish attacking prey. Some models of corks also throw a disturbance splash.

When and Where to Use Popping Corks

Popping corks are prime to use when water conditions are choppy or turbid, with the best depths from 2 to 6 feet. “If you tie a leader much longer than 6 feet, then casting is difficult with 7- to 7½-foot rods,” says Capt. Ray Markham, of St. Petersburg, Florida. Use light leader material, such as 15- to 20-pound fluorocarbon, in clear water, but bump up to heavier leader in specific situations.

“You can use 20- to 50-pound leader, no problem, with a popping cork, especially in dark-colored water,” says Capt. Richard Stoughton, of Charleston, South Carolina. “I’ve even used 80-pound around structure like docks with success. I tie long leaders in spring and shorter leaders in fall, mostly because fish move into deeper waters in the spring.”

Anglers on the boat should cast ­different-colored corks so they can pick out their own float in a crowd. Markham prefers to throw less-noisy corks when fish are skittish.

“Where I fish, there isn’t much boat traffic, but the more traffic, the spookier the fish and the less noise I want from my cork,” he says. “Mostly we catch trout and redfish, but incidental catches include bluefish, snook, Spanish mackerel, snapper, grouper, cobia and others.”

Stoughton prefers to use corks because of the motion of lure imparted by the cork — if done correctly, when a cork is twitched or popped the lure will jump in a vertical motion. When an angler stops popping the cork, the artificial shrimp, jig or live bait will settle back to the bottom. He prefers to impart a double-pop action so the lure jumps twice and then falls.

“Often, I’ll add an egg sinker below the cork on the leader,” says Stoughton. “Pass the leader through the egg sinker twice so a loop wraps around the weight and holds it in place. Don’t let the egg sinker slide too close to the shrimp or jig because it will affect action negatively. Split shot can fall off the leader when a seatrout shakes its head near the boat.”

Some captains will tie their braided main line directly to the top swivel; others add a trace of leader material first. “I use braided lines on my rods, but tying directly to the top swivel of the cork can cause tangling issues,” says Markham. “Instead, tie a short piece of 30-pound fluorocarbon or some other stiff leader that stands away from the cork.”

Popular cork makers include Bomber, Cajun Thunder, Comal Tackle, D.O.A., H&H Lure Co., Red Alert, Four Horsemen and plenty of others. Soft lures to tie below the cork include artificial shrimp from D.O.A., Berkley Powerbait, LiveTarget, Berkley Gulp!, Savage Gear and Z-Man lures. Also, soft plastics pinned to a jig head are popular. But watch out: Sometimes trout or redfish will attack the cork itself. Try casting out a topwater in those situations for exciting surface strikes.

Using Popping Corks With Live Baits

Capt. Jeff Poe, of Lake Charles, Louisiana, ties on a specific type of cork for those customers who want to use live baits, such as shrimp, crabs or fish. “We use spinning tackle with football-shaped weighted corks that have beads on either end,” says Poe. “Their weight makes it easier for our clients to cast farther. Whoever casts farthest wins with the most bites, usually.” The average depth in Calcasieu Lake, where he fishes, is 6 feet, so a cork works anywhere in the lake.

“The deepest water where I’ve ever caught fish with a cork is about 35 feet,” says Poe. “That was around an oil platform in the Gulf. I’ll try a cork anytime I feel I’m around fish but we’re not getting the amount of bites I expect. Corks are a great way to catch fish in dirty water, as the noise attracts and the float suspends your bait in the strike zone.”

Poe strays away from corks in strong current because in those conditions fish hold tight to the bottom. He also won’t tie on a cork near large schools “because as soon as a fish eats your bait and pulls your cork under, other fish will attempt to eat your cork.”

Comparing Different Styles of Popping Corks

Anglers will notice a host of different-style corks available from a number of makers, with the most common styles shaped like an egg, a cigar or an ice-cream cone with the point bitten off. Each foam cork is different in how it’s built, so personal preference goes a long way in deciding how much you’re willing to pay, what style of cork you want, what type of beads you want, and through-wire ­material stiffness and durability. Here’s how some manufacturers describe their corks:

Bomber Paradise Popper

Bomber says: “The Bomber Paradise Popper’s wire is titanium. It springs back to shape. I have seen these corks with the paint and part of the cork gone, and they still produce fish. All of the other components are plastic or brass. The Popper is tested not to break at less than 70 pounds of pressure, and many don’t break until under more than 90 to 100 pounds.”

D.O.A. Popper Clacker

D.O.A. Lures says: “Between the cigar, oval and popper D.O.A. Clacker corks, some make less noise and have a different pitch in the sound they create. The popper style is louder and deeper in tone but also produces a big splash when worked aggressively. Due to the internal weight, the popper is durable and gets less wire bend than do other styles of D.O.A. corks.”

Red Alert Speckanater

Red Alert Lures says: “There are two unique features about my popping corks. One, the beads used are hematite, which creates a very distinct pitch like a shrimp slapping its tail. Steel inserts in the foam cork also contribute to the sound. Two, the through-wire is rated at 250 pounds but not rigid, with 100-pound swivels at the ends for a longer‑lasting cork.”

The post Fishing With Popping Corks appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.