The Saltwater Magazine for Gulf Coast Fishing!

Preview of Articles in the SUMMER 2004 Issue of

Gulf Coast Fisherman Magazine

SUMMER ISSUE 2004! Subscribe Today! (On sale date 6/15/04)   Besides the really fine articles -All of this is included in each issue...   o WELLS DAILY FISHING FORECAST & TIDES for the period of JUL-SEP 2004.   o ADVANCE PLANNING CALENDARS for OCT-DEC 2004   o ASTRONOMICAL DATA for 2004   o OFFSHORE ROTARY CURRENT Strength Predictions Jul-Sep 2004   o PRODUCT REVIEW   Sample of Fishing Forecast Page in PDF FEATURES   RUNNING SMALL by Robert Sloan Little Boats; big time fun that won't break the bank   The magic of skimming over a gin clear shallow water flat along the Gulf Coast is an experience you have to see and feel to believe, and the reason most anglerS have not experienced such a deal is because they don't have access to a boat that can go that shallow. But if you know where to look there is no shortage of boats that can skim over the top of water that's no more than several inches deep. One such place is the lower Texas coast. That's where anglers over the years have developed flats boats that can just about be launched and run in a mud puddle. I'm talking about boats in the 10 to 15 range, that are owered with small outboads in the 25 to 50 horsepower range. What makes these rigs so popular along the middle and lower Texas coast is that they can be used to reach...   GREEN LIGHT NIGHTS by Chester Moore, Jr. Take a break from the summer heatand go "green"   I love fishing at night.   There is something about traversing the coastal waters after dark that stirs the imagination and awakens the adventurous side of the spirit. The world is a completely different place when the curtain of darkness falls and on many occasions, it is a better time to fish.   The summer heat not only gives angler the blues, but it can turn fish in to vampires of sorts, feeding most heavily after hours. Most anglers know fish are attracted to lights at night, which is why lighted piers on the coast and boat docks on reservoirs as such productive places to fish.   When I was a kid, tiny floating lights encased in Styrofoam were popular. I remember buying one at a garage sale when I was a youngster and taking it down to the neighborhood gully at night. We caught a couple of spotted gar and a perch or two and I thought I was in heaven. If I had only known how much more productive my first experience fishing with green lights would be... PUDDLING THE BAYOUS - by Pete Cooper, Jr. Going where no wader has gone before!   In the last issue of Gulf Coast Fisherman, Robert Sloan's article on fishing from a kayak really brought back some memories. You see, paddling around Texas saltwaters - among others - in a small boat is nothing new. Fact is, I paddled a canoe around much of Copano Bay back in the late 1970's. But Mr. Sloan has already covered the Texas part of that exercise. Allow me to try to convince you that it is also a very viable practice elsewhere. While I have never fished from an actual kayak, I have spent long hours pursuing mostly redfish in much of the remainder of the small-boat genre - a duck-boat, pirogues, and canoes. It all began back in 1971 out of absolute necessity: gaining a very promising section of pipeline canal that was isolated by a pair of wooden bulkheads. That spring I got my first fly-caught Louisiana red from that section of the canal, fishing from a pirogue that I had ferried there in my bass boat. At just under 15 pounds, it remains my largest fly-caught red taken in inside waters. Not so incidentally, a speck - also taken from the pirogue - that was to be my largest for some time came from the same spot. Remote places that are not easy to access have proven to hold fish that are well worth the effort to gain them in a small boat... CHUNKING FOR SNAPPER - by Capt. Alex Crawford Chum the big ones from the depths   On the Gulf coast south of Saint George Island, Florida, red snapper fishing is arguably the best in the entire state and certainly rivals the excellent fisheries of Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas. In early Spring, dedicated red snapper fishermen anxiously await the opening of the recreational season, after a six month closure. The season runs from April 21 to October 31 and anglers are allowed a daily bag limit of four fish, at least 16 inches overall length. As water temperature warms in the Gulf, snappers take up residence on offshore wrecks, many as shallow as 50 feet. Big sow snappers are a primary target species for obsessed wreck anglers. The Florida state record stands at 46 pounds, a real challenge to potential record breakers. GET WRECKED Wrecks offer anglers terrific opportunities to load the fish box with these tasty critters. Out of Apalachicola in the northern Gulf of Mexico, many wreck locations are available in the public domain. A few of the most productive include the Empire Mica, Angela,... Gulf Coast Closeup - "The Chandeleur Isles" - by Chester Moore, Jr.   Located off the coasts of Mississippi and Louisiana, the Chandeleur Islands do not look like much on a map. In fact, the long chain of thin barrier islands barely show up on coastal charts, but do not let that fool you. They offer some of the most amazing fishing anglers can find anywhere and are my favorite distant fishing destination. One of the most exciting things going here in the spring is the enormous amount of redfish along the shorelines, especially around Freemason and Breton Island.   "Those areas can be red hot. I like to throw a topwater or gold spoon to the reds in those areas," said Capt. Mike Morgan, a frequent visitor to the islands. Anglers wading or fishing with carpeted flat bottom boats or skiffs should look for tailing reds or fish cruising along shorelines of the islands... . OUR DEPARTMENTS...   Rod & Reel'n - "Make a King Stinger" - by Patrick Lemire The Bay Naturalist - "Shoreline Salad Bar" - by John Hook Equipment Notebook - "Working with Polymer" - by David Ayers Tackle Time - "Supersized Reels" - by Colby Sorrells Bait Hook - "A Closer Look at "Dream Boats" - by Jim Martin   From the Publisher... Besides all these great articles and departments, Gulf Coast Fisherman is the only source for the Wells Daily Fishing Forecast. Each issue carries three months of the Wells Daily Fishing Forecast - with Monthly Fishing Calendars. This will provide what you need to intelligently plan your fishing trips - hours, weeks, and months in advance!   Top saltwater guides and fishermen use the Wells Daily Fishing Forecast - shouldn't you be using it ,too?...   "The fisherman that knows what the currents are doing has the advantage - over fish and fishermen!" And remember - "Fish feed everyday, somewhere " - Harold Wells   Gary Ralston Publisher   Home