| God Bless The Troops |
| We sleep safely in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm. - George Orwell |
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| Jason Wallis Photography |
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| Did you know that |
About 60% of US Anglers practice catch and release.
Women make up about 33% of fresh water anglers and
about 85% of fresh water anglers begin fishing at 12 years old. |
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Jun 18, 2005; 10:51AM
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Category: Looking for
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Name for Contacts: Wendy Gibson
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Phone: 903-234-2287
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E-mail: wengee404@yahoo.com
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City: Longview
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State: Texas
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Country: USA
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| Description: |
6ft. pistol grip-med. heavy action-Speedmaster worm rod
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Feb 2003 Best Photo
$50 worth of fishing equipment for the photo with the most votes by February 28th, 2003
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Capt. Charle... Up to 22lbs. Red Snapper |
Click the image for full story |
| Capt. Charles Foster Jr., 43 |
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| During the month of September we had had either a tropical storm or... |
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147 vote(s)
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May 19, 2003; 09:01AM - Circle Hooks for Billfish
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Category: Trolling techniques
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Author Name: Carlos Morales
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Author E-mail: carlos@greatsailfishing.com
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Tip&Trick Description 1:
What are “circle hooks”? To a fisherman seeing one for the first time you kind of wonder why anyone would use them or took time to invent them. They are similar in size to the more common “J” shaped hook but the opening is smaller and the barb points toward the body of the hook forming a circular shape, hence their name. At first glance it would appear fish would seldom be caught with circle hooks because the barb points the wrong way and the smaller than usual opening would difficult hooking anything.
Surprise, surprise, first impressions are wrong. Depending which study an angler consults, circle hooks have been shown to be as effective or more effective than “J” hooks for catching all types of fish including billfish. Some studies say fishermen catch 60% more fish, others 100% more fish with circle hooks than with “J” hooks. Catching more fish is a bonus but the real advantage of circle hooks is that they are designed to hook a fish in the lip or corner of the mouth and this happens about 95% of the time, preventing “deep hooking” and “foul hooking”. Removing a circle hook is fast and easy, take a pair of pliers and rotate the hook out of the mouth.
A “J” hook works by attaching itself wherever soft tissue is available. Normally, as soon as a fish bites, the first thing an angler does is “set the hook” by swiftly pulling the rod up and reeling in some line. This violent maneuver guarantees (anglers wish) that the barb of the hook will penetrate some soft tissue inside the mouth thus hooking the fish. Some fish, like billfish, have bony mouths so when the “J” hook tries to find purchase it just slides along and it either pops out of the mouth with the bait or attaches to the the upper palate, throat, pharynx, oesophagus or in the stomach. Anglers who practice catch and release know deep hook injuries, caused by any type of hook, are often mortal due to bleeding and that the hook sometimes is left inside the fish since its so deep there is no way to remove it without killing the fish. This is not a problem for the angler fishing for tasty, sought after fish like Dorado (dolphin), flounder, mangrove snapper, redfish, grouper, etc., since the whole point of going fishing is catching fish to eat.
Here is where circle hooks come in. They have been around for years and were adopted in the late 1970’s for use by longline commercial fishing boats because not only did fish hook themselves but also studies showed they were 85% more effective than “J” hooks and the hooked fish were alive when the longline was retrieved. It is ironic that recreational anglers, to preserve fish, have recently adopted commercial fishing hooks known and used for their ability to catch large numbers of fish.
We did say fish hooked themselves and we are not joking. When fishing using circle hooks and a fish takes the bait, do not set the hook! Wait. Count out one Mississippi, two Mississippi, etc., meditate about why there are no pregnant ladybugs, speculate on the price of bananas on Mars, just don’t set the hook! As the fish swims away the line becomes taut allowing the hook to rotate inside the fish’s mouth and lodge itself in the corner of the mouth. When the rod is flexed and the line taut that means the fish is hooked. Patience is very important because if the angler tries to set a circle hook the same way as a “J” hook, more often than not it will just be pulled out of the mouth of the fish. After a bite a mate on our boats grabs the rod but doesn’t do anything until the billfish swims away pulling the line taut and bending the rod, then he counts to five and “tests” whether the hook has been set by reeling in some line. This technique usually works very well.
If a “self-hooking hook” was not good enough, circle hooks have other advantages. Once hooked, billfish tend to leap and violently shake their head side to side to try and loose the hook. It looks spectacular and anglers love it but “J” hooks are sometimes dislodged this way. The circle hooks round shape and the direction of the barb helps to prevent dislodgement so fish don’t de-hook as much when doing their aerial stunts. Another great advantage is that humans hook themselves less in the hand, ear and/or other body parts and clothes with circle hooks because the barb points toward the body of the hook.
Not all circle hooks are created equal though. Besides “normal circle hooks” there are “offset circle hooks” whose barb does not point to the body of the hook but opens up, similar to a “J” hook’s. Depending on the degree that the barb is offset, 4 to 15 degrees, they become about as effective as “J” hooks at deep hooking as in their ability to catch fish. Like “J” hooks, “offset circle hooks” also cause more foul hooking of fish. Foul hooking means hooking a fish by the eye, gills, etc. Billfish depend on their eyesight to hunt and catch their prey so an eye wound seriously diminishes a billfish’s ability to feed and damaging the gills hampers the billfish’s survivability. Some circle hooks are made out of stainless steel and will not degrade with time so if a fish is lost with a stainless steel hook in it, that hook will be in the fish forever.
In Guatemala “catch and release” for all billfish is the law. Since it’s beginning our company has adopted a circle hook only policy for bill fishing and releasing the fish unharmed is a very important goal. Guatemala has the best sailfishing in the world and we do our best to keep it that way.
Happy fishing and tight lines!!
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Dec 11, 2007; 12:23AM - Exact Fit Custom Covers
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Category: Boats
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Price: Varies
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Name for Contacts: www.EliteOutdoors.us
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Phone:
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City:
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State: Midwest
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Country: USA
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E-mail: eoutdoorssales@gmail.com
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Description 1:
When only the best will do! A perfect fit: measured, tucked, darted and approved by Hurricane's own pattern and design craftsman. Vulnerable wear and stress points are double reinforced with an extra tough material sewn to the underside of the cover. An unbreakable 1/4' poly draw rope sewn with the perimeter hem enables the cover to be cinched tight to the hull. 1' poly loops are sewn around the perimeter of the cover to accept a Hurricane strap/buckle tie down kit, bungee cords, or rope ties for positive securing to the boat. Built tough to take the exposure and abuse that boat covers are exposed to when trailering, storing, or mooring.
Westland has over 16,000 Exact Fit Custom Cover patterns for over 200 different boat manufacturers. You will have your choice of 3 fabrics and over 30 colors.
To check to see if we have a custom cover pattern for your boat please Email Us your year - make - model - any accessories like towers, swim platforms, bow rails, radar archs, etc.
Covers are made when ordered and require around 10-12 business days to cut. |
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Sep 12, 2004; 08:41AM - Dorado, Tuna and Grumpy Seas
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Category: Saltwater Fly Fishing Reports
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Author Name: Gary Graham
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Author E-mail: bajafly@bajafly.com
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Report Description:
REPORT FROM GARY GRAHAM'S BAJA ON THE FLY:
PROVIDING QUALITY SALTWATER FLY-FISHING 365 DAYS A YEAR SOUTH OF THE BORDER.
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: bajafly@bajafly.com
USA toll-free (800) 919-2252; Mexico 011-52-624-14-10373
Sat., Sept. 11, 2004. Report covers the period Sat.-Fri. (9/4-9/10)
EAST CAPE, MAGDALENA BAY, ZIHUATANEJO, MEXICO; AND SAN JOSE, GUATEMALA CONDITIONS
Before you read this fishing report, pause a moment to remember the victims and families of the cowardly 9/11/01 terrorist attack.
EAST CAPE
IN GENERAL: The Sept. hurricane parade continued far to the south with “Isis” marching out to the west causing some grumpy seas on the outside. Plenty of big tuna were found under the porpoise and if you found the right bunch, it was wide open. However, some of the schools seemed to have a serious case of lockjaw. On the billfish front, sailfish dominated the action again this week with a handful of shots a day being the norm. Dorado in close to shore provided the post-dawn action for early risers. Also, there are a few fat skipjack in the same neighborhood extending from Rancho Leonero to Punta Arena (Lighthouse).
AIR & SEA -
Water temperature 80-89
Air temperature 74-98
Humidity about 47%
Wind: 13 mph from the SE
Conditions: rain in the foothills every afternoon
Visibility 8 miles
Sunrise 7:03 a.m. MDT
Sunset 7:26 p.m. MDT
Sep. 14, New; Sept. 21, First Quarter; Sep 28, Full; Oct. 6, Last Quarter.
+ OFFSHORE: Sails and tuna were the “Blue Plate Special” this week.
+ INSHORE: Dorado close and plenty for the first few hours of the day.
+ BEACH: Still tough with plenty of off-color water caused by afternoon wind waves. Best bet early morning. For the persistent, there are some decent sight-casting opportunities mid-day from Rooster Alley to the Arroyo.
BILLFISH – Mostly sails with an occasional blue or stripe showing up in the pattern.
YELLOWFIN TUNA – Look for the porpoise and hope you find the hungry ones.
DORADO – You shouldn’t have to go far; inside of three miles is far enough.
ROOSTERFISH\\JACK CREVALLE – Lighthouse for bubba or Rooster Alley for a mixed bag including jacks, roosters and ladyfish.
BARRILETE OR MEXICAN SKIPJACK – Still can be found in the same zone as the dorado.
PARGO AND CABRILLA – Rocky outcropping are the best right now.
SIERRA – Bait receivers at Punta Colorada or La Ribera seemed to have a few lurking about, don’t forget the wire or bring lots of flies.
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