- The only known adult Orca in the world
- IGFA event April 14th and 15th.. Jose Wejebe event
- Fishing TV show Spanish Fly host Jose Wejebe Killed in a plane cash in Everglades City, Florida April 6th 2012
- Only in Florida
- CCA Florida – Tampa Chapter Announces Twenty-Seventh Banquet, April 22, 2012
- Fly like a bird
- Biscayne Bay Estuary deep dredge threat
- A fish named “Ball Cutters”, yes it is exactly what you think!
- Rod Naming contest, Win 1 piece 12 wt Fly rods or Spinning rods, Deadline March 26th 2012
- Ladies Only fishing tournament in Sunny Florida, March 23rd 2012, Chix n Stix
Dec 11th 2009 journal
Dec 11th 2009
Spent most of the day working on the New Saltyshores lay out. I created Users for all the current SS contributors. I also sent them emails explaining how to use the new format and how flexible the system was.
I spent a good chunk of the day also copying over some post from the legacy SS to the new SS. I will try to copy over all the cool stuff like reviews and articles that are I think has value. This is going to take some time so you might see some old post mixed in with the new post on the new SS. All the data will still remain on the old SS I will have links to it on the main page.
While browsing some video sites I came across this cool video. It was shot in Northern Mongolia home of the largest trout in the world. Very cool. (it’s embedded on the new SS just press play).
http://saltyshores.com/wordpress/2009/12/11/destinations/the-river-that-time-forgot/
Trying to work with the stealth black them for Tibor reel shot, I waited til the sun went down and shot this photo with a black cloth background. I’m trying to give it coming out of the shadow effect.
The River that time forgot
The place holds the world’s largest trout. Some where in Mongolia…Cool footage.
The world’s largest Trout
Cotee cracker Shrimp review
“The Cotee Cracker Shrimp is the world’s most advanced artificial shrimp. It has a life-like shape with a great tail action and lots of natural looking legs. Special foil is embedded in the tail that creates a brilliant flash and crackling sound just like a real shrimp. It’s shrimp scented too. Flash, sound and scent, the Cotee Cracker Shrimp is better than live bait.”
Conditions: Outgoing tide, N-NE winds, 10-15, then 15-25. Air Temp mid 80’s, Water Temp mid 70’s
Equipment: Quantum Boca 7’6” BCIS 76IM medium action rod.
Quantum Catalyst PT20 Inshore Reel, 10 lb Power Pro, 25 lb Seagar Florocarbon leader
Lure: Mission Fishin 1/16 oz Chartreuse Weedless Jig Head on a Root Beer color Cracker Shrimp.
If you’re a big fan of using glass rattles in your lures, then you should really love this new lure from Cotee. The Cotee Cracker Shrimp is a unique shrimp imitation lure that has a piece of foil embedded in the tail that emits a snapping or “Cracklin” sound when twitched. I’m a big fan of using shrimp lures when working potholes, sand holes and grass line edges, so I was excited to try them out. This lure is a winner. Rigging this lure is simple, just use your favorite jig head, or you can rig it weedless without ruining the foil. I think this method might work very well for casting under docks. Casting it out into those holes, I just let it fall and gave it a hard twitch off the bottom. I found it easy to cast downwind, into the wind you will lose just a little distance due to all the little legs creating drag. It held up very well after a couple of very hungry redfish tried to eat it for lunch.
The Cotee Cracker Shrimp comes four to a pack, with ten different colors to choose from. Located in Port Richey, Florida check out this local tackle company for all their great products.
My Favorite… mornings
My favorite time of year is here, clear water high winds.
Tomorrow I am going to spend some time out back fishing for Bass and specks with my 7wt.
random picture from Appalachia
Fog Heaven
It was just one of those mornings…..
Maverick 18 HPX-V
Mavericks’ New Mirage 18 HPX-V
Maverick Boats introduced the new 18 HPX-V at the 2009 Miami Boat Show. The skiff is a new design from the ground up, based on the popular 17 HPX-V. Designed with input from several well-known guides including Mark Crocker. It incorporates angler friendly features such as an integrated removable cooler in front of the console. Recessed deck cap lip against aft bulkhead so passenger can use the lip for a handhold when running. Then allows for the seat cushion to fold down completely out of the way giving full access to the rear deck. A 28-gallon livewell located on centerline with recessed drain system, that allows water height adjustment and evacuates water at all levels in the well. Perfect for large finfish baits, enough whitebait for chumming or as a tournament release well.
The 18 HPX-V was developed as a Tournament boat, covering large amounts of water in short time. To accomplish this a larger more stable platform than the 17 HPX V, but not so large as to be considered a Bay Boat was designed. Thus the 18 HPX V was born. Length Over all is 18’4” with a beam of 6’8” and a maximum horsepower rating of 150. The new skiff is a serious backcountry bullet. Rigged and loaded with 3 persons we achieved a top speed of 57.7mph. In tournament dress with skilled hands at the helm, the skiff has pushed 62.5mph.
Amazingly though, with a beefy F150 Yamaha 4 Stroke hung off the back, the skiff does not suffer from overly pronounced squat while at rest. While it draws more than it’s smaller sibling the 17 HPX V, the skiff does not become unusable when propulsion is shifted to push pole. The large front deck offers the angler a wide stable platform to cast from.
Admittedly I was smitten by the pure power and speed of the new HPX V with the F150 Yamaha, but it’s usability once off plane that captured my attention. If the need for speed does not course through one’s veins then the option of a lighter 115 or even 90 hp engines would fit the bill. Top end and hole shot performance would be less than the larger motor, but poling draft would greatly improve.
Rod storage is ample with 13 rod tubes fore and aft facing. Cockpit is spacious and deeper than it’s sibling the 17 HPX V. The removable cooler/seat is comfortable and functional. Fore and aft storage compartments are ample for everything from the weekender to the full out tournament guide.
Most notable is the redesigned center console. Controls are ergonomically designed so the operator rarely needs to remove their eyes from where they are going to activate trim or jack plate controls. Tilt helm improves ergonomics while operating the skiff from a standing position. The center console also features a large flat surface to flush mount today’s most popular mid sized electronics. The console also has a locking removable door that gives access to an interior shelf and battery switch with main breakers.
Hull construction starts with Mavericks’ proprietary VARIS (Vacuum Assisted Resin Infusion System) with a specially blended vinylester resin formulated for the application. The hull is built using a combination of e-glass, Kevlar, Carbon Kevlar and rigid core material varying in thickness and density depending upon location and requisite structural needs. The finished hull weight, including stringers and reinforced transom, is only 275 lbs. Then premium grade wiring harnesses made in-house, custom to each boat, with Duestch connectors are installed. Lastly the skiff is assembled using premium grade hardware, including lockable compression latches, then dunk tank tested at the factory before being delivered to the customer. Final dry weight before engine is 965 lbs.
Is there room for improvement? The recessed lip on the rear cockpit bulkhead was a nice feature but after about 50 mph I prefer a more traditional grab rail mounted on the console or gunnels. Storage was spacious but having tested other skiffs from MBC I liked the non-drop in liners used on the HPX Micro and HPX 15T.
Overall MBC has developed a solid tournament skiff for the angler looking for a larger backcountry boat with speed and range. Yet does not become cumbersome when the fish push skinny.
Cheers
Capt. Jan
MAVERICK BOATS
3207 Industrial 29 Street
Fort Pierce, FL 34946
phone: 772.465.0631
fax: 772.489.2168
web site: www.maverickboats.com
SPECIFICATIONS AS SUPPLIED BY MANUFACTURER
Specs:
LOA – 18′ 04″
Beam – 6′ 08″
Deadrise – 13 deg.
Draft – 9″ w/ F150
Fuel capacity – 26 gal.
Maximum capacities – 4 persons or 600 lbs
Maximum HP – 150 hp
Weight (approx. w/ engine) – 1,400 lbs. w/ F150
Standard Features:
Hydraulic steering
Trim tabs (recessed)
Yamaha multi-function gauges
Aluminum motor-bolt reinforcement plates
Freeboard carpet (redfish & tarpon)
No wood, no rot foam & core w/ premium resin
Premium fade-resistant gelcoat
Recessed hardware for snag-free fishing
Stainless steel thru-hulls w/ seacocks below water line
VARIS – Vacuum Assisted Resin Infusion System
VARIS carbon fiber/Kevlar laminate
Cushion package (1 aft deck)
Non-seat console
Completely flush forward & aft casting decks
Muliple below-deck conduits, both fore & aft
Poling tower
Push pole holder (3 deck-mount, shipped loose)
Rod tubes for tip protection (4 bow port, 5 bow stbd, 3 aft port, 3 aft stbd)
Wide gunnels for walk around fishing
Automatic bilge pump
Livewell/Releasewell (28 gal, aft center)
Foam insulated box (2)
Large guttered, gasketed, lock-down dry storage compartments (3)
Lockable center console
Flush-mount bow cleat (6 in)
Full closed-foam flotation throughout
12-volt accessory jack
Battery switch, 4-position
Console courtesy lights, LED (2)
Livewell light (aft center)
Navigation lights, LED (console)
Nickel-tinned fused wiring harness
Under-gunnel courtesy lights, LED (2)
Winter In South Texas
We are lucky enough to have numerous species of birds added to our area in the winter. This week has kind of been bird week at InshoreNearshore.com. Here are some examples.
Aplomado Falcon
Female Northern Harrier
Harris’ Hawk
Eastern Phoebe
Thanks Everyone and here is to hoping for some good winter fishing.
Beaten and Battered in the Glades
Chilling cold fronts grazed through south Florida last week and changed both the air and water temperatures drastically. We have definitely transitioned to an all out winter fishery. It was to be a decent weekend of bonefishing in the Keys but as the chilling temperatures had most of the big Key’s bonefish crapping ice turds, we decided it was a better weekend spent exploring some of the hidden passageways deep in the heart of Flamingo. Plowing the skiff through the thicket of bushes, small creeks, questionable entry ways, lots of mud, and doing way too much pushing, we made it to some shallows where redfish and snook were both plentiful and willing to chew on a well placed fly.
Who knows what the next week will bring. They are calling for a mild cold front to push into South FL this coming week. As I sit here freezing my ass off, I think it is time to get a 4 month head start on things to come…
Cold Front and Bachelor Parties
Weekend before last I attended a good friends bachelor party in the mid keys to pursue bat man (Sail Fish)! The lack of fronts had not pushed the large number of sails into the shallows so it was slow… 0 for 2!!! We opted to let the guys pull on some AJ’s and then put a few phins in the boat for table fare! All in all it was a good time but I could not wait to have the fly rod in hand sight casting to inshore fish!!! this past weekend was a mistake on my part….Sat called for 5-10 NE…it was 10-20 at least, overcast, and changing direction every 30 minutes…..We started off great with Richard sticking a respectable fish early on a crazy good fly he developed but our move hurt us..the wind seemed to change so we ran to a goto area but as we approached the wind changed once again and made sight fly casting difficult!! We called it early…Sunday I got up with a perfect day outside, my brother was to meet me to fish, but showed up over 2 hrs late….When we finally got out, I got on a nice school, pulled a couple of fish out but then it happened, my motor cut out…first time in 5 years!!! I was able to get her started but limped back to my lift….If you own a boat…it happens!!!! Here are a few from the past 2 weeks. Photo note: I didnt realize until after, but I had the wrong setting “vivid” on all day….
~On The Fly~
Tailers Redfish in Kayak
I started to paddle…well tried to paddle because it was even to shallow to do that! Navigating to my area ended up taking an extra 15 minutes do to not being able to use shortcuts. The birds were standing on dry grass where I usually poll the Lostmen on the “low” tides. Add to that the other great part of waking up super early!
Once I was able to get to my hunting grounds there were no signs of tailers yet. The sun was getting higher and starting to worry me that I wouldn’t see any. And start to smell something that smells like fiberglass burning. Looking around for a couple minutes I see a faint smoke just behind the tree line. It looked like someone was smoking some mullet…but then 2 minutes later…full blown fire
Got to watch that for a couple minutes and rig the rods for some blind casting the mullet schools. And about 100 yards away I see something that may be what I am looking for…
The tailers were all around 5lbs, with a couple getting closer to 10. They were crusing around in singles and a couple doubles. But they were all in an area of about 30ft x 100ft with a total of 30 or so fish working in that area. I wanted to stick one on fly, but every shot I would take they would spook. I started with a Borski Slider. They would spook when that landed within 2ft of them. Next fly was a TK Special. They would let it land, but would spook when I gave it the pop out of the grass. Crabs, Kwans, Toads…all got the same reaction. I ended up switching all the way down to a #4 Seaducer in Light Tan with 12lb mono leader. I would cast it out and let it sit on the surface untill they started moving in the direction of the fly. When the reds were about 10″ from the fly I would give it the 2″ pull to drop in from the surface tension…and GOOSH…gone! Just from it breaking the surface tension! The tide started to really come in and the fish started to school up. There is about 10 fish in this picture with one tailer.
I wanted to take up a new hobbie and do the standing paddle and polling with the Wang. It took some getting used to but once I got the hang of it, it was a breeze. It gave me tons of extra visability.
Polling down the flat I noticed something that looked like a school of mullet, but it was moving twice as fast and the wakes were twice as big. I stuck the Wang Anchor and made the longest cast possible towards the wake, wishing it was a school of Reds. I started working the bronze spoon and saw a pretty 10lb Red sitting just off the bow. I quickly cranked in the spoon to take a shot at the Red. Staring at the Red and reeling as fast as I can to get the shot off I’m wondering where my spoon was and look back at it. It was about 20ft away from the boat with 4 Reds following it HOT! I had thrown it in the school of reds…and apparently pissed them off real good, lol. I quickly slowed my retrive…and the spit spooking the other red on the bow of the yak. I now know to work every cast, lol.
I spun around and paddled out of the area the school was spotted and set up for them to come around again. I re-rigged a DOA paddle tail for a slower presentation. Standing up in the Yak I spotted the school again about 20 minutes later, and made a short cast. Two twiches later it was game on! I reeled the Red all the way to the Yak, and put the rod in the rod holder so I could get down out of the Standing position. I was in about 2ft of water so I though, hey just get out of the Yak and take a pretty picture of the fish. I go to step out of the yak…and find out that really it was about 4ft of water. This clear water is deceiving! The yak slid out from under me…and I went for a swim. Thankfully the Camera was sitting in the cup holder and not around my neck! Snapped a couple pics and did the right thing…
The weather started to change and the wind picked up. Called it and headed back to the ramp, standing paddle the whole way! It’s tons of fun!
-Richard