MIAMI PIER PATROL

Both the East and West coasts of Florida have some solid piers to fish from, mainly around inlet areas, all of which provide fantastic spots to launch a line not only for dinky species, but for some big time battles as well. Last week, I hit South Beach Miami, and having had enough with multiple […]

Both the East and West coasts of Florida have some solid piers to fish from, mainly around inlet areas, all of which provide fantastic spots to launch a line not only for dinky species, but for some big time battles as well.Last week, I hit South Beach Miami, and having had enough with multiple happy hours, I walked down Ocean Drive to the South Pointe Pier to toss a line. Knowing I wanted to start off with some simple tugs on the line, I set up with a basic egg slider rig with a 2-ounce sinker on the braided running line, a 75-pound Spro barrel swivel, then 24-inch length of 30-pound Seaguar Fluorocarbon to which a small size #4 Owner Octopus hook was tied via improved clinch knot.For bait, I lanced on some slices of blue runner as well as squid tentacles. I cast into Government Cut and was immediately whacked by a bunch of parrotfish, scorpionfish, pufferfish, grunts and mangrove snappers, which were fun enough to get the groove flowing. My friend Austin Perilli joined me and tied on a ½-ounce Kalin’s leadhead tipped with a chartreuse Berkley Gulp! Jerk Shad, dropping it right down next to the bridge piling. After a few jigs, he got hit big time and was buckled down with a good 10 minute fight which took him out with the tide and back again, but ultimately snapped the 30-pound braided line on what was most likely a 25-pound class permit according to the locals who have seen it all.On that pier, a bullet cast with a Williamson Gomoku jig swiftly reeled back could get you into Spanish mackerel, jack crevalles and barracuda. Pier sharpies will take small grunts and set them out on a liveline rig back into the Cut in order to tempt a hit from a tarpon, grouper or wandering snook. Night time anglers from the pier will drift live shrimp baits out on floats to intercept rolling schools of 30 to 100-pound class tarpon, which are barely ever landed, but fun enough to see jumping out of the water.The main idea is that whenever you are traveling, search out the closest pier or causeway bridge as most times they will be fish magnets that not only will get your quick fix of rat-a-tat hits from smaller species, but hold the possibility of scoring with a trophy fish on your vacation as well.[vc_row][vc_column][vc_media_grid element_width='6' grid_id='vc_gid:1516389642845-3fdcd2d390472f8718bfa3be2081b30b-4' include='5179,5182'][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][block_title style='column_title' inner_style='inline_border' title='Suggested Gear'][/block_title][vc_row_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width='1/4'][vc_column_text]
Berkley
Gulp! Jerk Shad
The Gulp! Saltwater Jerk Shad looks and swims like it is alive. This Gulp! product is 100% biodegradable and made of all natural ingredients. Berkley has developed this new lab-tested and field-proven saltwater formula for the inshore angler.View[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width='1/4'][vc_column_text]
Spro
Power Swivels
These amazing swivels are made of high-grade stainless steel with a gunmetal black finish. They offer super smooth rotation and unbelievable strength and durability. SPRO Power Swivels are 1.5 times stronger than standard barrel swivels.View[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width='1/4'][vc_column_text]
TackleDirect
Egg Sinkers
Egg Sinkers are typically football shaped weights that can be used for an array of applications, from Carolina rigging for largemouth bass to rigging ballyhoo for white marlin, sailfish, tuna, and more. Available from TackleDirect ranging from 1/4oz to 12oz.View[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width='1/4'][vc_column_text]
Kalin's
Ultimate Jigheads
Made with the highest quality Mustad hooks with black nickel finish. This allows this lure to be resistant to corrosion. The Uncle Josh Kalin Ultimate Jigheads are equipped with perfect balance which makes for the ultimate horizontal fall.View[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] [instagram-feed id='3945030428'][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row full_width='stretch_row_content_no_spaces' type='full_width_content'][/vc_row][vc_column css='.vc_custom_1459892926495{padding-bottom: 10px !important;}'][/vc_column][vc_text_separator title='']" target="_blank">

FORT LAUDERDALE REEFIN’

In the spirit of my past two columns on travel related fishing, I cruised down to the Miami Boat show this week and had a quick half day to blow off so of course, I went fishing. I’m not too familiar with the bottom fishing in Ft. Lauderdale, but I hopped on the 85 foot […]

In the spirit of my past two columns on travel related fishing, I cruised down to the Miami Boat show this week and had a quick half day to blow off so of course, I went fishing.I’m not too familiar with the bottom fishing in Ft. Lauderdale, but I hopped on the 85 foot party boat Catch My Drift at the Fishing Headquarters Marina www.fishheadquarters.com Capt. Stu ran out about a half mile off the beaches and dropped anchor on a reefy area in 50 feet of water. A chum bag was deployed off the stern and Bermuda chubs along with some triggerfish immediately swooped into the slick.The key to success on the Ft. Lauderdale reef was a standard hi-lo rig equipped with a 30-inch section of 30-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon, 75-pound Spro barrel swivel up top, two dropper loops tied about 8 inches then another 8 inches, then an overhand knot on the end for a 3-ounce bank sinker. Size #4 Owner Octopus hooks were looped on the droppers. First mate Waylan was kind enough to give me some strips of blue runner and squid tentacles to use as baits. As soon as the baits hit bottom, the action came fast and furious.The cool deal about reef fishing is the variety you can tangle with. I must’ve landed 50 fish with species including triggerfish, filefish, parrotfish, red toro, red grouper, yellowtail snapper, margate, grunt, mutton snapper, moray eels and sharpnosed sharks.All fish were able to be subdued with my Shimano Stradic 5000 reel latched onto a three-piece St. Croix travel rod TIS70MHF, which is clutch in a pinch when you need to have a rod that can handle decent fish up to 20 pounds. On those reef trips, yellowtail snapper will most times be in the middle of the water column following the chum up to the bag, but those in the know will be bouncing right on the bottom with the “chicken rig” to pull on the bigger grouper, snapper and such.If you have a little patience, tie on a 2-ounce Spro bucktail, tip it with a nice 4 to 5-inch strip bait and bounce it around down there. Large red grouper and mutton snapper will eagerly pounce on the larger offering. Check beforehand if the boat allows braided line on deck and use it if allowed as you can feel the immediate pecks and strikes from reef fish to set the hook proper. The fast and furious action on the Ft. Lauderdale reef put enough juice back into my system to get me through the rest of the Jersey winter.[vc_row][vc_column][vc_media_grid element_width='6' grid_id='vc_gid:1516389642845-3fdcd2d390472f8718bfa3be2081b30b-4' include='5163,5164'][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][block_title style='column_title' inner_style='inline_border' title='Suggested Gear'][/block_title][vc_row_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width='1/4'][vc_column_text]
Seaguar
Blue Label Fluorocarbon
Incredible impact and abrasion resistance. Fast sinking. Superior tensile and knot strength. The original FC Seaguar 100% fluorocarbon leader material allows you to use a smaller test leader than comparable leader materials.View[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width='1/4'][vc_column_text]
Spro
Power Swivels
These amazing swivels are made of high-grade stainless steel with a gunmetal black finish. They offer super smooth rotation and unbelievable strength and durability. SPRO Power Swivels are 1.5 times stronger than standard barrel swivels.View[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width='1/4'][vc_column_text]
TackleDirect
Bank Sinkers
Bank Sinkers are typically preferred for bottom fishing applications, where its tapered hexagonal shape will help to prevent it from becoming snagged in wrecks, reefs, hard bottom, and other structure. Available from TackleDirect ranging from 1/2oz up to 24 oz.View[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width='1/4'][vc_column_text]
Spro
Chrome Bucktails
SPRO Chrome Bucktail Jigs are unlike any other jigs on the market. Their unique head shape and eyelet placement help bring these lures to life. With blazing color, a holographic finish, and bulging eyes, they put fish at your mercy.View[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] [instagram-feed id='3945030428'][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row full_width='stretch_row_content_no_spaces' type='full_width_content'][/vc_row][vc_column css='.vc_custom_1459892926495{padding-bottom: 10px !important;}'][/vc_column][vc_text_separator title='']" target="_blank">

THE TRAVELING ANGLER’S LURE ARSENAL

Last week, we talked about the overall gear you want to pack when traveling to a destination, now it’s time for the nuts and bolts of what lures to put in your arsenal. Anywhere I go fishing, there are always staples in the bag – metals, poppers, plugs, bucktails and soft baits. That spread about […]

Last week, we talked about the overall gear you want to pack when traveling to a destination, now it’s time for the nuts and bolts of what lures to put in your arsenal.Anywhere I go fishing, there are always staples in the bag – metals, poppers, plugs, bucktails and soft baits. That spread about covers the whole gamut from top to bottom of the water column and addresses most every situation you can come upon.Starting from the top, it seems all tropical oriented fish like jacks, cuda and roosterfish have a certain aggression about them, and a splashing popper brings out their anger strike. Carry small to large poppers from a Stillwater Smack it 4-inch to a 6-inch Yo-Zuri Bull Popper to rip across the water’s surface.Flashy metal lures can trick up most any speedy fish like Spanish mackerel, tuna or barracuda. Small offerings like an Ava 007 or Williamson Gomoku jig can cast like a bullet while larger 1 to 2-ounce Crippled Herring and Shimano Butterfly jigs will target the big fish down deeper and work best when jigging from the deck of a boat.Plugging is always effective. Carry small plugs to match the profiles of bay anchovies to larger ones for mullet mimics. Pack a Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnow, Rapala Subwalk and Bomber A-Salt in a variety of color patterns with yellow, silver and green solid bets.Bucktails are the number one lure to pack in the bag as they can be used as both a top and bottom water column bait. Bring an array of ¼ to 3-ounce Spro, Andrus or Magictail bucks with different shapes including bullet, roundhead and teardrop. White, chartreuse and pink are absolute top colors. One more to go – soft baits. Without a doubt, these are the most interchangeable and have the most variety of choices. Firstly, either tip them on a bucktail or lance on straight Kalin leadheads of ¼ to 1-1/2 ounces.Here’s a laundry list of my usual soft bait suspects – 4 to 5-3/4 inch Fin-S fish in Bubble Gum, Arkansas Shiner and Albino White, 3 to 4-inch Storm or Tsunami shads, Bass Assassins, DOA 3 to 4-inch shrimp in glo-white, gray/white and gold/white, and DOA. C.A.L rubber baits. And the kicker which I can’t stress enough – always, always bring Berkeley Gulp! 3 to 4-inch Swimmin Minnows as they’ll get you into every single species on the planet.Everything eats Gulp! One to two Plano 3670 boxes can house almost all these lures at once so you can go from spot to spot with all your ammunition and never be left empty handed when needing the right lure for the right situation.[vc_row][vc_column][vc_media_grid element_width='6' grid_id='vc_gid:1516389642845-3fdcd2d390472f8718bfa3be2081b30b-4' include='5143,5141'][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][block_title style='column_title' inner_style='inline_border' title='Suggested Gear'][/block_title][vc_row_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width='1/4'][vc_column_text]
Yo-Zuri
Bull Pop
The Yo-Zuri Bull Pop Lures are versatile popper lures that cover a variety of inshore and offshore fishing applications. These lures are ideal for surf casting for striped bass, Jack Crevall, or Roosterfish.View[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width='1/4'][vc_column_text]
Luhr Jensen
Crippled Herring
A Crippled Herring will arouse fish and provoke strikes when conventional lures or natural bait will not, like, for instance, on a dead calm, bright sunny day. It is a sight-sound lure, which can be cast vertically jigged through ice or open water, mooched or trolled.View[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width='1/4'][vc_column_text]
Rapala
X-Rap SubWalk
Cast the X-Rap SubWalk, let it sink and get ready to see the X-Rap attitude of this rebel of the water come to life. Begin twitching your rod tip and watch the X-Rap Subwalk dive into sub-surface hunting mode but don't relax, because you're in for one exciting day.View[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width='1/4'][vc_column_text]
DOA
Shrimp
DOA Shrimp have a live shrimp look and swimming action. With their downward facing, vibration legs and consistent level drop rate DOA Shrimp Lures have successfully fooled almost every species of fish that feed on live shrimp.View[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] [instagram-feed id='3945030428'][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row full_width='stretch_row_content_no_spaces' type='full_width_content'][/vc_row][vc_column css='.vc_custom_1459892926495{padding-bottom: 10px !important;}'][/vc_column][vc_text_separator title='']" target="_blank">

THE TRAVELING ANGLER

As I’m packing my bags to hit the Miami Boat Show, of course as a traveling angler, the first thing on my mind is what type of fishing gear I’m bringing. Though lures can range the whole gamut depending on where you’ll be fishing and what you’ll primarily be fishing for, other gear is standard […]

As I’m packing my bags to hit the Miami Boat Show, of course as a traveling angler, the first thing on my mind is what type of fishing gear I’m bringing.Though lures can range the whole gamut depending on where you’ll be fishing and what you’ll primarily be fishing for, other gear is standard across the boards for a traveling angler. First, you need a rod and reel set up that can handle most back bay and lighter ocean fishing situations.Anytime I travel to warm climes, whether is sunny Florida or St. Lucia in the Caribbean, I always pack my three-piece St. Croix TIS70MHF3 travel rod that comes in a small, handy carrying case. Its rated for 10 to 20-pound at 7 foot and has handled everything from 1-pound speckled trout to 20-pound roosterfish. I match it with a Shimano Stradic 5000 which I unscrew the handle to pack it streamlined into my luggage.The reel is spooled up with 30-pound Power Pro braid and I always bring an extra spool with me in case some beast takes all my line as has happened on many a night shift shark fishing. For leader material, always bring a few skeins of 20 to 50-pound TripleFish monofilament or Seaguar fluorocarbon.Now to the nitty gritty. Fill a small Plano box with a wide array of hooks including Gamakatsu Baitholder from size #6 to size 6/0 as well as Octopus hooks from size #2 to 10/0, then add a mess of Spro 50 to 100-pound barrel swivels, size #4 three-way swivels, fishfinder slides, 40-pound Duolock snaps, 75-pound TA clips, and sinker weights of the egg, pyramid and bank variety from ½ ounce to 4 ounces to round out the terminal tackle box.To house all the boxes and tackle, set up with a backpack that can hold up to three Plano 3700 container boxes so you can be sure to always have all your tackle on hand. Even if you are just out fishing for sheepshead, you never know when a huge snook may appear and you’ll need to quickly change up rigs, lures, etc.Next week I’ll get into what lures should be staples in a traveling tackle box.[vc_row][vc_column][vc_media_grid element_width='6' grid_id='vc_gid:1516389642845-3fdcd2d390472f8718bfa3be2081b30b-4' include='5128,5129'][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][block_title style='column_title' inner_style='inline_border' title='Suggested Gear'][/block_title][vc_row_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width='1/4'][vc_column_text]
St. Croix
Tidemaster Inshore Travel Rods
The Tidemaster Inshore Spinning Travel series rods are made with premium SCII graphite and Batson Forecaste hard aluminum-oxide guides that feature new 316 stainless steel frames for dramatically improved corrosion resistance.View[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width='1/4'][vc_column_text]
Triple Fish
Fluorocarbon Leader
Triple Fish Fluorocarbon Leaders are completely 100% polyvinylidene fluoride. This type of leader is virtually invisible under the water and matches the light refractivity of the water. This fluorocarbon leader has a faster sink rate than monofilament, as it is heavier.View[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width='1/4'][vc_column_text]
Tactical Anglers
Power Clips
Tactical Anglers Power / Fast Clips are strong fishing clips that allow for fast and easy changing of lures. Made from a single thick stainless steel wire to provide maximum strength and durability, TA Power Clips have a slip-proof design.View[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width='1/4'][vc_column_text]
Plano
3700 Waterproof StowAway Box
For infinate storage possibilities, look no further than Plano. The 3740-10 Waterproof StowAway, popular with freshwater and saltwater fishermen, promises a water proof seal with its O-Ring construction and innovative 'up-latching' system. Create 4-23 compartments.View[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] [instagram-feed id='3945030428'][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row full_width='stretch_row_content_no_spaces' type='full_width_content'][/vc_row][vc_column css='.vc_custom_1459892926495{padding-bottom: 10px !important;}'][/vc_column][vc_text_separator title='']" target="_blank">

MIAMI PIER PATROL

Berkley

Gulp! Jerk Shad

Spro

Power Swivels

TackleDirect

Egg Sinkers

Kalin's

Ultimate Jigheads

FORT LAUDERDALE REEFIN’

Seaguar

Blue Label Fluorocarbon

Spro

Power Swivels

TackleDirect

Bank Sinkers

Spro

Chrome Bucktails

THE TRAVELING ANGLER’S LURE ARSENAL

Yo-Zuri

Bull Pop

Luhr Jensen

Crippled Herring

Rapala

X-Rap SubWalk

DOA

Shrimp

THE TRAVELING ANGLER

St. Croix

Tidemaster Inshore Travel Rods

Triple Fish

Fluorocarbon Leader

Tactical Anglers

Power Clips

Plano

3700 Waterproof StowAway Box