Sport Fishing - February 2017 PDF

FEB
2017
VOL 32
ISSUE 2
68
FEATURES
24
THE POWERS THAT BE 60
Outboard Engine Evolution from Portable to Digital By Chris Woodward
DIGGING DEEP INTO GULF YELLOWFIN 68

How a Unique Partnership Between a State Agency and Universities Has
Uncovered New Facts About Yellowfin Tuna in the Gulf of Mexico
By Brett Falterman
Try Sight-Casting Lures Inshore and Around Shallow Reefs Flat-Out
Fun for an Awesome Array of Game Fish By Julien Lajournade
COST-EFFECTIVE FISHING VACATIONS 84

Nine Examples of Fishing Resorts/Charters That Extend
Offseason Bargain Rates By Doug Olander
ON THE COVER
A magnificent yellowfin with
classic trailing allison dorsal
and anal fins, photographed
by Daniel Goez in the waters of
Ascension Island
DEPARTMENTS
8
10
18
24
30
34
EDITORIAL
GAME PLAN
FISH FACTS
GEAR GUIDE
NEW PRODUCTS
IGFA PENDING RECORDS
38
42
50
54
56
SF BOATS
FISHING MACHINES
FISH TRIALS
ELECTRONICS
NEW BOATS
BETTER BOATING
98 LAST CAST
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FEBRUARY 2017
ADRIAN E. GRAY (TOP)
PLUGGING CARIBBEAN ISLANDS 76
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EDITORIAL
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FEBRUARY 2017 / VOL 32 ISSUE 2
EDITORIAL
BEDLAM IN
BATON ROUGE
BY DOUG OLANDER
THE NASTY
MESS SERVES
AS A VIVID
REMINDER OF
THE DANGERS
OF APPOINTING
POLITICAL
CRONIES TO RUN
SPECIALIZED
AGENCIES LIKE
THE LDWF.
y the time these words

see the light of day in this
issue of Sport Fishing,
Charlie Melancon might
have been fired. If so, many
thousands of folks across
Louisiana will be rejoicing.
During his one-year
tenure, in 2016, as Louisiana Department of
Wildlife and Fisheries secretary, Melancon has
with remarkable efficiency trashed his department, walked back the progress of his highly
regarded predecessor, Robert Barham (who
approved the impressive LDWF tuna-research
program featured on page 68), and destroyed the
strong relationships Barham had developed with
anglers and the sport-fishing industry.
The Great Melancon Mess merits national
attention of a state issue for a couple of reasons.
For one, Louisianas world-class saltwater sport
fisheries are of keen interest to anglers all over the
country, many of whom come to fish (and spend
their money). Second, the whole nasty mess serves
as a vivid reminder of the dangers of appointing
political cronies rather than qualified, experienced
leaders to run specialized agencies like the LDWF.
Shortly after assuming the states governorship in January 2016, John Bel Edwards appointed
Melancon to oversee the states fisheries
despite Melancons lack of qualifications. He has
served as a Louisiana state representative and
as president of the American Sugar Cane League.
Experience with fish and wildlife? Zero.
So how has Melancon, in one year, become
reviled by pretty much the entire sport-fishing
community in Louisiana? A few low points:
1. Melancon suddenly withdrew state support
for a federal bill co-sponsored by Louisianas Rep.
Garret Graves working its way through Congress
that would have turned over federal management
of red snapper to the five Gulf of Mexico states.
The legislation, widely supported by anglers as
well as all other Gulf-state governors, offered a
red snapper season lasting more than 10 days.
But Melancon insisted it would cost the state too
much money, a claim Graves denied (prompting
Melancon to call the congressman a Pinocchio
and a liar). Melancon praised the Gulf of Mexico
Fishery Management Council for its management
FEBRUARY 2017
of the species. This puts him squarely and

inexplicably at odds with his boss, Gov. Edwards,
who favors state snapper management.
2. Melancon brought in Toby Gascon as a defacto
chief of staff. Gascon, previously a spokesman for
the commercial menhaden industry, has ruined
relationships with outdoor media around the state
and has been widely accused of a transparently
anti-recreational bias. The same man has warned
of fanatical big-game angler organizations.
3. Melancon has been killing off popular
recreational-fishing programs, citing cost. After
several successful years, the states Saltwater Series
(redfish tournament) was discontinued. And he
ended an ongoing cooperative telemetry study that
collected data on speckled trout from fish collected
by anglers and implanted with acoustic tags by
LDWF scientists in Lake Pontchartrain.
4. Melancon abruptly ended the very popular
TAG Louisiana program, claiming the data to be
of no value. David Cresson, Louisiana Coastal
Conservation Association director, was bewildered
by the decision, pointing to 100,000 fish tagged in
five years, thousands of recaptures, and an army
of volunteer taggers ready and willing to do more.
Most state fisheries agencies would be thrilled to
have such data to work with, Cresson points out.
Given the great importance of recreational
fishing to this states economy, and how many
Louisiana voters fish, Melancons actions can only
hurt Edwards chances for staying in office.
Perhaps the damage Melancon has done in one
year can be reversed in the next three if Edwards
replaces him quickly not with a political hack but
rather with an experienced, dedicated fish-andwildlife administrator who actually cares about his
or her constituencies.
Or maybe by the time youre reading this, thats
happened. Lets hope so.
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GAME PLAN
FISH FACTS
GEAR GUIDE
NEW PRODUCTS
UP TO THE TASK:
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THE RIGHT LEADER

FOR THE JOB
DIVERSE OFFSHORE-FISHING STYLES ignited angler resourcefulness throughout the decades to produce
innovative leader setups. See a need, ll a need. The ingenuity among experienced shermen is ongoing, with
captains quick to recognize and change tactics whenever better leader options are created. At many shing
destinations I visit, I often learn a fresh twist or new leader system from a local captain.
Many techniques are versatile, allowing offshore anglers across the globe to utilize the leader setups.
Leaders from the past still have value today; new leader systems stretch the capabilities of todays tackle.
Youll nd both in this column. Below, three respected veteran captains describe tried-and-true leaders. At
least one of these leaders will almost certainly work for your preferred style of offshore hunting.
10
FEBRUARY 2017
JESSICA HAYDAHL RICHARDSON
THREE PROVEN OFFSHORE LEADER RIGS FOR

BOTTOMFISHING, CASTING AND TROLLING
THERES
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+ GEAR GUIDE
TROLLING
FOR MARLIN
Capt. Rom Whitaker of Release
Sportshing in Hatteras, North
Carolina, targets dolphin, wahoo, marlin and tuna off the Tar Heel coast.
I wanted to know his leader rig for
catching blue marlin.
The leader combinations we use
have been tested and improved many
times over the years, says Whitaker,
but one certainty about shing is
theres always something new and better coming along, and you had better be
ready for change.
Whitaker sets out specic trolling
spreads for tunas, white marlin and
blue marlin, but here we highlight
his tournament-winning blue marlin
spread composed solely of lures.
Penn International 80s, packed with
130-pound braid and mono, are set
out on Whitakers long outrigger lines.
300- to 500-pound
extra-hard mono
leader measures
28 feet
Mold Craft Wide Range
Chafe gear to
connect leader
to swivel
Heat shrink stiffens

connections;
electrical tape
works too
650-pound cable
with larger lures;
400-pound for
smaller baits
8/0 to 11/0
J-hook
Specically, for tournament shing, he

uses a 300-pound snapless ball-bearing
swivel, and crimp connections for the
main line and leader.
I would recommend to those who
use crimps to experiment with different
crimps, crimpers and monolament to

nd a combination that works for you,
he says. There is an obvious difference
when you start switching crimps and
crimpers. If you put your leaders to the
test, you want everything right.
NEVER COMPROMISE.
Fast.
Comfortable.
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1 2 21 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 7
ZACH STOVALL (LEFT), JASON ARNOLD / JASONARNOLDPHOTO.COM (OPPOSITE)
CAPT. ROM WHITAKERS

LEADER RIG
ALL-PURPOSE
BOTTOMFISHING
Fishing in Key West this past October,
I noticed the bottomshing rig that Capt.
R.T. Trosset, of Spindrift Fishing, used to
catch all types of groupers and snappers.
I was lucky enough to join Fin-Nors Bob
Bagby and Chris Littau on Trossets boat
one day, testing the new Fin-Nor Primal
lever drags (available summer 2017) and
Mega Lite spinning reels.
The modest leader setup is a
beefed-up version of a freshwater dropshot rig. Ive shed sliding sinker rigs
plenty, but this might be the simplest
rig ever Ive used to keep cut baits and
live baits near, but not on, the bottom.
My main setup is 30-pound
Cortland Master Braid main line
connected to 40-pound Ande uorocarbon leader, says Trosset. I tie a
spider hitch in the braid and then a
double uni-knot to the uorocarbon.

My leader length varies depending on
the type of sh Im targeting.
For casting baits, Trosset might
shorten his leader to the length of
the rod. But bottomfishing doesnt
require casting, and extra leader
length provides protection against
structure, so hell measure off 15 feet

of leader material.
My basic bottom leader rig in up to
60 feet of water is 10 to 15 feet of uoro,
with a double overhand loop 3 feet up
from the sinker, says Trosset. The
egg sinker is attached with an improved
clinch knot.
PRECISIONCONTROL
Ease left
Twist left
Vessel turns
360 left
Ease right
Twist right
Vessel turns
360 right
Extra power
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VOLGLQJVLQNHURUGURSSHUORRSOHDGHUULJ
OPTIMUS360
JOYSTICK
DOCKING
Whitakers leaders start with 300-to

550-pound Momoi Extra Hard,
depending on the size of the lure. He
keeps leader lengths at a standard
28 feet for tournament conformity. A
single-hook cable rig with an 8/0 to 11/0
Owner Jobu or Gamakatsu Blade Point
Tuna Hook connected to 650-pound
stainless-steel cable nishes the rig.
He uses the same leader setup on short
and at lines but swaps out 80s for 130s.
Favorite baits include a Black Bart 1656
on the long rigger, a Mold Craft Wide
Range on the short rigger, and a Bonz
Agitator on the at line.
I like the bend of the hook to hang
out of the skirt a half to three-quarter
inches, Whitaker says. Depending on
the size of lure, I try not to overwhelm
the action by rigging too big.
Boat Show and

take a demo
ride.
Feb 16-20, 2017
Slip: 311, 313,
315, 317
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SPORTFISHINGMAG.COM
13
GAME PLAN
+ F I S H FA C T S
+ GEAR GUIDE + NEW PRODUCTS
Trosset uses a 1/0 to 4/0 short-shank

hook (such as a 9175 Mustad) in the
Atlantic and a 1/0 to 4/0 circle hook in
the Gulf of Mexico. To attach a hook, he
pulls the loop through the hook eye, then
the hook through the loop. The rig itself
is similar to the dropper-loop rig used
both offshore or even surf-shing. If not
familiar with a dropper-loop knot, check
out our knot video online to see how the
overhand and dropper loop knots are
tied. Trosset was able to tie his rigs in a
matter of seconds if a sh broke off.
On our trip, we landed red and black
groupers, plus snappers. In some
spots, Trosset also landed red snapper regularly on the rig. Minimal tying
and minimal effort make this leader
setup a cheap but effective option for
natural-bait bottom-bouncers.
CASTING
FOR TUNAS
Capt. Jack Sprengel, who runs East
Coast Charters out of various ports in
New England, has been jigging, casting
and popping for tunas since 2005.

We knew braided line would be
the answer to strength and capacity,
says Sprengel, but in the early days, I
had issues attaching a leader because
most knots simply exploded when
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GAME PLAN
+ F I S H FA C T S
the tension caused braided line to cut

through the uorocarbon leader.
The number of hookups he could
expect in the earlier days was staggering, but the number of sh landed was
laughable. During that time, Sprengel
used 50- to 80-pound braid, connected
to the leader via an Albright, Bristol
SHIPP
W
O
N
or uni-to-uni-knot. Most times the

knots would fail under the extreme
pressures. He tried a Bimini twist to
a swivel, with the leader crimped to the
swivel but the swivel made it hard to
cast a long leader.
Next, spliced leaders with hollowcore braid made it possible for us to
ING
PEDAL-POWERED
WATERCRAFT.
1 6 61 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 7
jig with condence, says Sprengel.

While these systems were fantastic for vertical jigging, the large loops
and the transition of soft loop-to-loop
connections to rigid splice points created terrible wind knots when trying to
cast through the guides on casts.
Finally, Sprengel settled on two
knots that seamlessly connect heavy
braid to uoro leader: the PR Bobbin
and FG knots.
These knots were something out
of the future, and initially they were
a little intimidating, but they totally
revamped the condence I had in
using a knot to connect my main line
to leader, he says. Over the past few
seasons, I have adapted to the quicker
method of tying the FG knot, by leaning the rod away for tension and
weaving the uoro around the braid.
At the end of this leader system,
Sprengel ties a Palomar knot to a
heavy-duty split ring (with more than
100-pound-test, he uses a crimp). The
lure or jig is then added to the split ring.
For targeting all species of tuna in
the Northeast, our most consistent
approach is a weighted-head-and-softtail combination that allows you to sh
actively, says Sprengel. For a long
time, jigging and casting offshore was
considered less effective than trolling
or baiting, but I believe now, when positioned near a biomass of sh, jigging
and casting is just as effective.
JACK SPRENGEL
&DSW-DFN6SUHQJHOVWRSOLQHWROHDGHU
FRQQHFWLRQVIURPWRSWRERWWRPLQOLQHVSOLFH
VHUYHG35%REELQNQRW)*NQRW*7NQRWDQG
LPSURYHG%ULVWRONQRW
Go With Condence
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GAME PLAN
FISH FACTS
GEAR GUIDE
NEW PRODUCTS
FISH FACTS
BY DOUG OLANDER / FEBRUARY 2017 / VOL 32 ISSUE 2
FISH FACTS ARCHIVES
CERO MACKEREL
(Scomberomorus regalis)
Though sometimes cero mackerel are mistaken for their smaller cousin, the Spanish mackerel,
only the cero has a solid gold line running from just behind the gill cover nearly to the tail. This
fabulous light-tackle gamester is limited to clear tropical waters, feeding near the surface around
coral reefs throughout the Caribbean and the Florida Keys. The world record of 18 pounds came from
Bimini, Bahamas, in June 2013, though the greatest number of cero records is from the Keys.
18
ATLANTIC SHARPNOSE SHARK
MARBLED GROUPER
COASTAL TREVALLY
20
20
22
FEBRUARY 2017
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Atlantic
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CHALLENGE
OUR EXPERTS
(And Win Up to
10,800 Yards of Line!)
SEND IN YOUR QUESTION
and any relevant photos of your

mysterious catch or observation for our experts ID and
feedback. If we publish your
question and you have a shipping address within the United
States or Canada, youll win a
3-pound spool of Berkley Pro
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Send questions and images
via email to fishfacts@sport
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hometown) or via post to Sport
Fishing Fish Facts, 460 N.
Orlando Ave., Suite 200, Winter
Park, FL 32789.
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LOOKING SHARP
I caught this small shark (about 3 feet long)
off Fort Pierce, Florida. I dont think Ive seen
one like it before. Ive seen white spots only on
spiny dogfish. This sharks teeth looked jagged
and large. Can you help with an ID?
of grouper but have no idea which. No one we

asked down there could identify it, so it must be
pretty rare.
Ray Douglas
Pompano Beach, Florida
Capt. Tim Simos

Fort Pierce, Florida
NORTHEAST
Mike Fahay, Sandy

Hook Marine Lab, New
Jersey
SOUTHEAST
Ray Waldner, Ph.D.,

Palm Beach Atlantic
University, Florida
GULF OF MEXICO
Bob Shipp, Ph.D.,

University of South
Alabama, bobshipp.com
WEST COAST
Milton Love, Ph.D.,

UCSB,
lovelab.id.ucsb.edu
FAR PACIFIC
Ben Diggles, Ph.D.,

Queensland, Australia,
GLJVVKFRP
BLUEWATER PELAGICS
Eric Prince, Ph.D.,

courtesy of NOAA
Fisheries Lab, Miami
MYSTERY MARBLE
We caught this fish while deep-jigging near
Key West in about 250 feet. I think its a species
20
FEBRUARY 2017
Marbled grouper
Ray, you caught a marbled grouper,

Dermatolepis inermis (which some ichthyologists place in the genus Epinephelus). This
species ranges from North Carolina to Brazil,
including the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean
Sea, at depths from 10 to more than 1,000 feet.
However, it is not common and is considered
Near Threatened. The marbled grouper tops
out at approximately 3 feet. The IGFA world
record is 30 pounds, 6 ounces, from the Flower
Garden Banks off Texas. Its excellent table fare
but doesnt often appear in markets due to its
rarity. Ray Waldner
GOING COASTAL
While fishing reefs in 150 feet of water in the
Seychelles, I caught this trevally. Which is this?
Frank Yerich
Houston
CAPT. TIM SIMOS / BLUEWATERIMAGES.NET (TOP)
SF
FISH FACTS
EXPERTS
Your sharks long, pointed snout, white

spots, and the area where you caught it give
away its identification, Tim. Its an Atlantic
sharpnose shark, Rhizoprionodon terraenovae.
This relatively small species grows to a maximum length of not quite 4 feet and is one of
the more common coastal sharks, although it
also occurs in offshore waters to depths of
several hundred feet. Its range extends from
Canada through Honduras, including the
Gulf of Mexico, but its rare north of North
Carolina. There is some question whether the
Caribbean sharpnose shark, R. porosus which
is found in the Bahamas and Caribbean region
and from Honduras to Uruguay is a distinct
species or merely a subspecies of the Atlantic
sharpnose. The Atlantic sharpnose is sometimes consumed and is reported to be very good
eating. However, as with most sharks, its best to
soak fillets or steaks in chilled brine or Italian
dressing prior to cooking in order to leach out
the urea that sharks store in their muscles for
osmoregulatory purposes. Ray Waldner
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GAME PLAN
What you have there, Frank, is a

quality specimen of coastal trevally,
Carangoides coeruleopinnatus. Also
known as onion trevally, Japanese
trevally or bluefin kingfish, this species occurs throughout the tropical
Indo-Pacific from eastern Africa, as far
north as Japan, and south to Australia.
Like other jacks from the family
Carangidae, this species has a line of
scutes along the caudal peduncle (narrow area just ahead of the tail). Besides
the fact that they grow to around 16
to 18 inches long, relatively little else
is known about the life history of this
species. Despite the name, coastal
trevally are rarely encountered close
to shore as adults, instead tending to
inhabit offshore reefs to depths of
around 150 feet. Juveniles, however,
are occasionally encountered in estuaries and shallow bays, where they
feed mainly on planktonic organisms
including shrimp, small fish and squid.
22
FEBRUARY 2017
+ F I S H FA C T S
Coastal
trevally
Immature coastal trevally have a long

filament trailing from the second dorsal fin and several dark vertical bands,
which fade as the fish mature. Coastal
trevally have a shorter body compared
with most other similar-size trevallies,
and their mouth is relatively soft, as
shown by the hook damage in your
photo. The softer mouth of this

species is thought to be one of the
reasons they tend to feed on smaller
prey compared with other trevallies.
(My thanks to Jeff Johnson from
Australias Queensland Museum for
helping to confirm the identity of this
fish.) Ben Diggles
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AUTOMATIC STOW
AND DEPLOY
POWER TRIM
CARRIER COUNTS: The
strand count of your

braided main line affects
diameter, castability,
durability and even
tangible feel.
UPGRADE
TO EIGHT
HAVE YOU COUNTED the bers in your braided line recently? Yeah, me neither. But even if the naked eye cant
identify different carriers woven together to create polyethylene (PE) shing line, thread count still matters. Just
like mens suits and bedsheets, right?
Consider how braided shing line is constructed. Polyethylene microlaments are gel spun (spun together while
in partial-liquid form, producing a stronger interchain connection) to create carriers or strands often under
trade names Dyneema or Spectra. The term carrier is sometimes replaced with end or yarn in braided-line
parlance. Whats misleading about the braid moniker is that carriers are actually woven together (a small but specic
difference some manufacturers pointed out to me) to create braided line, forming whats known as pics at points
where they intersect. For example, Sux 832 line stands for 8 strands and a pic count of 32 per inch.
24
FEBRUARY 2017
ZACH STOVALL
WHY CARRIER COUNT MATTERS WHEN PICKING BRAIDED LINE
LET YOUR
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Spurred on by interest for eightcarrier braids, producers continue to

make smaller polyethylene yarns, says
Dave Burch, president of FINS shing.
Anglers want thinner and thinner
lines for better reel capacity and
castability, but the cost is higher for the
manufacturer.
The polyethylene used in braided
shing line is almost all chemically
identical the only difference is in the
bundles of microlaments that make up
the yarn. Manufacturers PE microlaments might measure differently, say
50 or 100 denier. Denier is a measurement unit for the neness of yarn, equal
to about one single strand of silk.
Lets say a particular braid requires
800 Dyneema microbers to reach a
certain strength, says Clay Norris,
senior product manager at Berkley
Fishing. It can be created by a
four-carrier braid with 200-denier
microlaments or an eight-carrier with
100-denier microlaments. Both are
the same strength, but the eight-carrier
is smoother and rounder since the
individual ber bundles are smaller.
EIGHT-CARRIER
ADVANTAGE
Four-carrier is like an off-road tire, able
to cut through weeds with rigid strength
and brute force, says Ted Thibault,
TUF-Lines global sales manager.
Eight-carrier is like a highway tire,
with less noise and less friction when
used. The four-carrier works well for
bottomshing,
while
eight-carrier
castsbetter.
Eight-carrier fully occupied braids
are also known as diamond braids
because of their two-over, two-under
construction. The higher carrier braid
is smoother and more supple than fourcarrier half-occupied construction,
commonly referred to as basket braid.
Basket construction is a one-over, oneunder weave, recognized by nubs on
Eight-carrier braid truly shines during the cast.
The smoother, quieter line gives anglers increased
casting distance plus enhanced sensitivity.
2 6 62 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 7
+ F I S H FA C T S
Each different carrier on this machine is used to

create eight-strand line, hence eight-carriers
nickname fully occupied braid.
the lines surface, producing a familiar

singing noise when cast through the
rod guides. Hold four-carrier and eightcarrier braids in your hand, and you can
identify each type by feel alone.
Basket-braid construction typically
has more ber integration, so yarns
are held rmly in the line structure
for better abrasion resistance, says
Konrad Krauland, founder and president of PowerPro. The eight-end
diamond braids are smoother due to
their twill construction, plus quieter
through the guides, and more sensitive
during the retrieve.
Four- and eight-carrier braids can
actually be made on the same machine.
Basket braids are made by taking
out half the carriers, hence the term

half-occupied. Diamond braids are
typically fully occupied machines,
meaning that each position on the
braider has a carrier.
That is not to say that eightend braids will always be diamond
braid, says Krauland. It is possible
to [construct] eight-end basket braid
by removing half the carriers from a
16-carrier braiding machine.
The shortcoming with diamond braid
is that it is more likely to bury. Typically,
basket braid with a better, solid cross
section is more cylindrical and resistant to burying into itself in the spool.
The eight-carrier constructions are also
more expensive than four-end offerings
because of the higher cost of the smaller
denier yarns.
FISHING EIGHT
Eight-strand braid creates a smoother,
quieter and rounder surface that casts
farther, says Dan Quinn, eld promotions manager at Suxs parent company,
Rapala, plus it still retains abrasion
resistance, knot strength and tensile
strength. I believe that one main reason
COURTESY PURE FISHING (TOP), HENRY GILBEY (BOTTOM)
GAME PLAN
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GAME PLAN
+ F I S H FA C T S
EIGHT CARRIERS
MODEL
DIAMETER (INCHES)
PE TYPE
POUND-TEST OFFERED
LENGTHS AVAILABLE (YARDS)
PRICE (50-POUND-TEST)
Ande Braid
0.0075 to 0.023
N/A
20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 50, 60, 80, 100, 150
325; 650; 1,300; 3,250
$35 for 325 yards
Berkley ProSpec
0.009 to 0.028
Dyneema
30, 40, 50, 65, 80, 100, 200
500; 2,500
$59.99 for 500 yards
Cortland Master Braid
0.021
Spectra
80
250
Daiwa J-Braid
0.005 to 0.016
Dyneema
8, 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, 50, 65
165; 330; 550; 1,650
FINS XS
0.009 to 0.017
Spectra
10, 15, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 80, 90
150; 300; 500; 1,500; 2,000
Mustad Wish
0.007 to 0.018
Spectra
15, 20, 30, 40, 65, 80
300; 600
$42.99 for 300 yards*
Power Pro Super 8 Slick
0.006 to 0.017
Spectra
10, 15, 20, 30, 40, 50, 65, 80
150; 300; 1,500
Seaguar Smackdown
0.005 to 0.016
Dyneema
10, 15, 20, 30, 40, 50, 65
150
6X[$GYDQFHG
Superline
0.006 to 0.018
Dyneema,
Gore
6, 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, 50, 65, 80
150; 300; 600; 1,200; 3,500
Toro Tamer Super Braid
0.011 to 0.020
N/A
40, 50, 60, 80, 100
330; 1,094; 2,734
TUF-LINE Domin8
0.006 to 0.018
Spectra
10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 65, 80
150; 300; 2,500
four-carrier is still around is because of

the cheaper price difference.
There are situations where a lessexpensive four-strand line still might
have advantages.
Here on the West Coast, some of our
calico bass fanatics like to run 60- to
80-pound four-strand as a kelp-cutter
rig, says Mark Smith of Toro Tamer.
With the four-strand line and a short
top shot of leader, shermen can cut
their way out of kelp and sh heavier
cover, targeting larger bass.
Surf-casting, tossing surface irons
or shing live bait might require a
smoother-casting line such as the eightstrand braids.
Different
shing
applications
demand different lines, says Smith.
Not all braided lines are produced
the same, and better suppliers target
their offerings to match specic
applications.
For inshore applications, such as
throwing jerkbaits or topwater or softplastic shing with uorocarbon leader,
Seaguars assistant marketing manager
Brian Evans recommends eightstrand. I feel like four-strand shines
An up-close look at the two braided lines shows
their differences. Four-carrier braid, right, is a
basket weave that produces nubs, or slight peaks.
Left, eight-carriers diamond weave is smoother.
28
FEBRUARY 2017
anywhere you have to sh in heavy

grass, cover or mats, and need a line that
cuts through the vegetation, he says.
NEXT GEN?
The jump from four to eight carriers has
obvious benets, so can anglers soon
expect 12- or 16-carrier braid thats not
hollow-core?
Sixteen-strand would be incredibly
round and castable, but with so many
bers, the line would have a tendency
to cut itself, atten out, and have far less
abrasion resistance, says Quinn, as
well as cost roughly three times more
than an eight-carrier to produce.
Indeed, 16-carrier might be cost
prohibitive in uses besides specialized

hollow-core braid applications, points
out Thibault. Most current hollow-core
braids are 12- or 16-strand construction,
but their use remains with anglers who
need splicing and nger-trap style
connections. Instead, manufacturers
might research and utilize materials with ner denier to replicate the
castability characteristics.
Burch believes he might have the next
evolution in braid with FINS latest
nine-carrier 40G product. The center
of the line is Spectra High Tenacity ber
with eight ends of PE wrapped around
it, he says. Spectra HT is 25 percent
stronger and 30 percent smaller than
traditional deniers of Spectra ber. It is
the smallest diameter-to-strength ratio
we have ever offered.
Dont be surprised to see more
combinations of different bers blended
with polyethylene in the future.
Suxs 832 brand utilizes a piece of
hydrophobic Gore ber, along with seven
PE bers, to provide high strength and
water repellency. Mixing and matching
bers works. Burch utilizes Spectras
HT ber to decrease the 40Gs diameter
even further than traditional braids;
his 5-pound-test has the diameter of
1-pound mono and an average breaking
strength closer to 20pounds.
ZACH STOVALL
* (65-pound)
S TA R T Y O U R B O AT I N G
LEGACY WITH OURS...
B U I L D I N G L E G E N D A R Y B O AT S S I N C E 1 9 8 4
Contender Boats, Inc | 1820 SE 38th Ave | Homestead, FL 33035 | 1.800.645.2906 | ContenderBoats.com
GAME PLAN
FISH FACTS
GEAR GUIDE
NEW PRODUCTS
NEW PRODUCTS
BY CHRIS WOODWARD / FEBRUARY 2017 / VOL 32 ISSUE 2
1. HANDS ON
Deep Apparels Leadering Gloves are compatible with all touchscreens, and include
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WRSVWUHWFKHVHDVLO\DQGWKH9HOFURZULVWVWUDSDQGJULSSHGSDOPNHHSWKHJORYHVIURP
VOLSSLQJ7KHJORYHVFRPHLQPHGLXPODUJHDQGH[WUDODUJHDQGDUHJUD\DQGEODFNZLWK
EOXHDFFHQWV7KH\FRVW
2. FISHY FAVORITES
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sun protection, Heybo OutdoorsORQJ
VOHHYHGgraphic performance tees come in
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PDUOLQZDKRRGROSKLQDQGVDLOVK6L]LQJUXQV
IURPVPDOOWR;;;/7KHVKLUWVFRVW
3. TAKE CHARGE
Accurate Fishing Products has introduced two new models to its popular Boss Valiant series: the BV-400 Single-SpeedDQG
BV2-400 Two-SpeedIHDWXULQJDLUFUDIWJUDGHDOXPLQXPIUDPHV%RWKZHLJKRXQFHVIHDWXUHSRXQGVRIGUDJDQGKROG
\DUGVRISRXQGEUDLG$FFXUDWHXVHVSUHFLVLRQFXWVWDLQOHVVVWHHOJHDUVVHYHQ&ODVV$%(&EHDULQJVDQGWZR$5%EHDULQJVVHDOHG
DJDLQVWFRUURVLRQ7KH%9SURYLGHVDWRJHDUUDWLRWRUHWULHYHLQFKHVRIOLQHSHUFUDQNWKH%9RIIHUVWRDQGWRUDWLRV
30
FEBRUARY 2017
WHERE ADVENTURE
MEETS PERFORMANCE.
THE ALL-NEW JUPITER 25 BAY
Theres never been a Bay Boat quite like Jupiters new 25 Bay. Combining the features of a traditional bay
with those of a larger offshore center console, we created a versatile hybrid. A 14 draft provides superb
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functionality of larger offshore boats. With a stable ride, outstanding range and top speed of over 50 mph
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DFFHVVRU\DQG\RXKDYHDZDWHUSURRIFXEE\IRUVWDVKLQJDVPDUWSKRQHNH\VRURWKHUYDOXDEOHV%RWKSLHFHVRDWLIWKH\UHGURSSHG
RYHUERDUG6WHUHR$FWLYHVORQJOLIHEDWWHU\DOORZVXSWRKRXUVRIRSHUDWLRQDW\SH$86%SRUWDOORZVSKRQHFKDUJLQJ$YDLODEOHLQEOXHUHG
DQGZKLWH6WHUHR$FWLYHFRVWV
5. CALL FOR HELP

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$,6UHFHLYHUVDQGRUSORWWHUVZLWKLQ
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,PDJLQJIRUVLGHDQGGRZQORRNLQJVRQDUZKLFKHPSOR\VDIUHTXHQF\QHDUO\WKUHHWLPHVDV
KLJKDVWKHWUDGLWLRQDON+]IRULPSURYHGVKDUSQHVV7KH%OXHWRRWKFRQQHFWLRQDOORZVDQJOHUV
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WRRIIHUVFKLUSFDSDELOLW\DQGFRPHVHTXLSSHGZLWK$XWR&KDUW/LYH
7
7. LIT UP
MORE NEW
PRODUCTS
Visit our Gear section at

VSRUWVKLQJPDJFRPQHZSURGV.
32
FEBRUARY 2017
Rapalas popular X-Rap MagnumGHHSGLYLQJOXUHVQRZFRPHLQYHUV color patterns Hot

3LQN89/LPH/LJKW895HG+HDG896DLOVK89DQG:DKRR89WKDWUHHFWOLJKWDQGPLPLF
IDYRUHGEDLWVK7KLVEDLWVODUJHGLYLQJOLSDQGLQWHUQDOUDWWOHFKDPEHUFUHDWHDQDJJUHVVLYHVZLP
PLQJPRWLRQWRGUDZPRUHVWULNHV;5DS0DJQXPVFDQWUROODVIDVWDVNQRWVDQGUHDFKGHSWKV
RIWRIHHW2WKHUIHDWXUHVLQFOXGH90&;3HUPD6WHHOKRRNVDQG'KRORJUDSKLFH\HV7KH
OXUHVFRVWWR
IGFA PENDING WORLD RECORDS

A
7KHZDWHUVDURXQG*XDGDOXSH,VODQGRII%DMDVQRUWKHUQ3DFLFFRDVWSDLG
RIIIRU\URGDQJOHU3DXO&KXNDU7XWXQMLDQRI,UYLQH&DOLIRUQLDWKLVSDVW
6HSWHPEHUZKHQKHFDXJKWD39-pound, 8-ounce California yellowtail
[A]RQSRXQGWLSSHW$RQHKRXUEDWWOHHQVXHG7KHFXUUHQWSRXQG
WLSSHWUHFRUGLVSRXQGVRXQFHVIURP&HUUDOYR,VODQG%DMD
7HQ\HDUROG'DQLHO/D]DUHYVNLRI0HOERXUQH$XVWUDOLDEDWWOHGD
256-pound, 10-ounce southern bluefin tuna [B] for two and a half
KRXUVRII3RUWODQG$XVWUDOLDWKLVSDVW6HSWHPEHUEHIRUHWKHVKFRXOGEH
ERDWHG,IDSSURYHGWKHFDWFKZLOOEORZDZD\WKHFXUUHQWVPDOOIU\UHFRUG
RISRXQGVRXQFHVFDXJKWLQ
$31-pound, 2-ounce Pacific barrelfish [C]LVSHQGLQJDVWKHDOOWDFNOHUHFRUG

IRUWKHVSHFLHV&DXJKWRII$PLQR-DSDQE\7DNDQRUL1DJDVDZDRI2VDNDWKLV
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SRXQGVRXQFHVWDNHQQHDU0LNXUD,VODQG-DSDQLQ
3HQGLQJDVDQHZUHFRUGLQWKHSRXQGOLQHFODVVLVD406-pound bluefin tuna
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&DQDGDZKLOHVKLQJ%DOODQW\QH&RYHLQKHUKRPHZDWHUV1RGHWDLOVRIJKW
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INTERNATIONAL GAME FISH ASSOCIATION

300 Gulf Stream Way, Dania Beach, FL 33004
954-927-2628; fax: 954-924-4299; igfa.org
Were coming...
The AV-26 is a true low prole bay boat with an overall length of 262 and a beam of 86, built with the serious sherman in mind. The Avenger
Bay Boats incredibly stable shing platform is complimented with standard equipment like 2 live release and one bait well, dual lockable rod storage
boxes, and anchor locker built to accommodate both bow and stern anchors. The Avenger is rated for a single engine of up to 400HP and features
an 89 gallon capacity fuel load, making your favorite shing spot easily and quickly accessible.
24 and 22 versions coming soon!

For more information, go to www.avengerbayboats.com or call 843 538-6604
or like us on Facebook at Avenger Boats for the latest available information.
34
FEBRUARY 2017
COURTESY IGFA / IGFA.ORG
SF BOATS SPOTLIGHT
CONTENDER
32 ST
Founded in 1984 by avid angler Joe Neber, Contender

now builds sport-, bay- and sharound-series vessels, as
well as its classic tournament boats like the 32 ST, which
is the latest generation of the companys original 31.
INSIDE:
Fish Trial
Scout 215 XSF
42
36
FEBRUARY 2017
Electronics
Go Live
50
Better Boating
Stable and Able
56
TAKE IT OUTDOORS.
WEEKEND
MORNINGS
STARTING AT 5A ET
2016 Discovery Communications
FISHING MACHINES + FISH TRIALS + ELECTRONICS + NEW BOATS + BETTER BOATING
BY CHRIS WOODWARD
FOUR GIANT
DUAL CONSOLES
New Breed of 30-Plus-Foot DCs Truly Marries Fishing and Families
LIKE MANY OF YOU, most likely, I can admit to a history of dismissiveness when it comes to the topic of dual consoles as
fishing boats. Im a Floridian by birth, and so my admiration focuses on center consoles. But during the past four years, Ive been
amazed, and actually smitten, by the giant duals now on the market.
I doubt many of you could step foot aboard the Grady-White Freedom 375 and not be impressed by its overall design and
comfort, particularly if youre of a certain age. Its an express boat without the superstructure.
For instance, the 375 and the three other vessels over 30 feet listed here that Ive looked at offer tremendous beam and
cockpit space. With their ample LOAs and reasonable deadrise, they perform well offshore.
Yes, they come with a design that limits fishing mobility fore and aft, so theyre not going to displace CCs for hardcore anglers.
But unless youre into competition or chasing records, why not enjoy the luxury aspects of these family-friendly designs?
To share more details about these boats, I asked all four manufacturers to help explain the best features of their DC giants.
The boats are listed by LOA.
WORLD CAT 320DC
SPECS:
LOA: 32 ft. 2 in. Beam: 10 ft. 6 in. Transom Deadrise: N/A (catamaran) Draft: 1 ft. 4 in.
Dry Weight: 12,500 lb. (w/ engines) Max Power: 600 hp MSRP: $346,391 (w/ twin Yamaha F300s)
Introduced in 2015, this 32-foot

catamaran dual console the largest
in a line of four gave World Cat
a chance to leverage the inherent
38
FEBRUARY 2017
advantages of its multihulls (space,

storage and stability) in a do-it-all
boat, says Dave Tuchler, vice president
of marketing.
The 32-foot length and broad

10-foot-6-inch beam, combined with
a catamarans rectangular deck footprint, make for a huge amount of space,
which allows room for a generous
entertainment center and lends itself
extremely well to hosting a decent-size
crowd without any feeling of crowding,
he says.
For fishing, the 320DC comes with
a 35-gallon livewell, cutting board
and knife-and-pliers holder; in-deck
63-gallon fish box; gunwale flush-mount
rod holders; side and transom doors; and
storage for additional rods above the
double berth in the portside console.
Other notable standard equipment
includes: hot and cold shower; two
flat-screen TVs; cushioned seating
throughout the vessel, including a sixway portside lounger that transforms
into a dining area with a gunwale-inset
table or an aft-facing bench to watch
lines; an anchor windlass; fiberglass
hardtop; Fusion stereo; power-assist
steering; air conditioning and heat for
The helm area can accommodate two

12-inch electronics displays and features an
adjustable bench seat.
the portside berth, starboard-side head

and thecockpit.
Yamaha performance testing
showed the 320DC with twin F300s and
four people aboard reached 30 mph in
an impressive 6.69 seconds and topped
out at 44.8 mph turning 6,100 rpm. At
cruise 3,500 rpm and 24.2mph the

320 achieved 1.49 mpg.
We dont see a limit to the size of
DCs other than what will fit out the
door of our factory, Tuchler said when
asked about the potential for larger
models. We hear consistently that
boaters increasingly are looking for
versatile boats that can fish one day and
cruise the next, and the DC format is a
great platform for versatility.
BOSTON WHALER 320 VANTAGE

The 320 Vantage followed on the heels
of Whalers successful 2012 introduction of 230 and 270 dual consoles. When
the 32 was officially presented at the
2015 Miami International Boat Show,
it took home the industrys Innovation
Award in the deck-boats category.
What we have witnessed, coming
out of the great recession, is a change
in boating style. Weve seen a migration
to what we call day boating; every inch
of a dual console can be utilized during the day, says Jeff Vaughn, Whalers
vice president of sales. People want
better weather protection, and its more
of a comfort boat for people who are
not necessarily using it for fishing as a
primary purpose.
An express boat with similar
amenities is dominated by a cabin thats
often used only sporadically, he says.
Dual consoles feature a cozy berth generally beneath the portside console,
and a well-appointed head and shower
beneath the starboard console. In fact,
says Vaughn, many customers buying the 320 Vantage are indeed coming
SPECS:
LOA: 33 ft. 6 in. Beam: 10 ft. 4 in. Transom Deadrise: 21 deg. Draft: 1 ft. 10 in.
Dry Weight: 9,800 lb. (w/o engines) Max Power: 700 hp MSRP: $285,000*
* (w/ twin Mercury 250 Verados)
from bigger boats or trading from a

similar-size vessel.
The 320 comes with a standard
18-gallon livewell and rod holders in
the standard hardtop as well as rod
storage in the portside console. Option
up for the deluxe prep center, and it
comes with a 40-gallon well, a convertible forward-seat backrest, and
a portside fishing-prep station. An
optional fishing package also includes
additional rod holders in the transom,
raw-water washdown, and toe rails
with undergunwale storage.
Dual consoles like Whalers 320 Vantage
offer options for spending a day on the
water doing just about anything you wish.
Other notable standard features

include an anchor windlass, starboard
dive door, transom door and multiple
convertible seating arrangements from
bow to stern.
Mercury performance testing shows
the 320 with twin 350 XL Verados
reached 30 mph in 9.7 seconds and hit
a top speed of 51 mph at 6,350 rpm.
The boat achieved its best cruising fuel
economy 1.22 mpg at 4,500 rpm
and 33.7 mph.
Asked if 32 feet might be the
maximum-size limit for Vantage,
Vaughn said Whaler is not looking at a
bigger boat of this style. Once you get
past this size, the marketplace will be
limited, he says.
SPORTFISHINGMAG.COM
39
PURSUIT DC 325
SPECS:
Dry Weight: 11,775 lb. (w/ engines) Max Power: 600 hp MSRP: $272,250 (w/ twin Yamaha F300s)
Talk about popularity. The DC 325

has been the most successful retail
introduction for Pursuit in the past
few years, Pursuit marketing manager
David Glenn says. The demand for a
larger dual console from our first DC
265 owners and the shift in product
usage in the market are both driving
factors for the larger dual console
introduction.
Glenn says the 325 features a
wide-open cockpit that allows anything
from offshore trolling to nearshore
redfishing, and includes a 24-gallon

recirculating livewell and insulated
fish boxes. When you want to entertain,
that space quickly converts by opening
the undergunwale seating on the port
side and at the transom, and adding the
cockpit table.
The 325 comes with a few vertical
rod holders but does also feature undergunwale storage and rod hangers in
the portside console. Option up to the
Sportfish group for extra holders on the
fiberglass hardtop, Rupp outriggers and
a center transom rod holder.

As with all of these DCs, the Pursuit
offers numerous seating options
throughout the layout. Among its
many other comfort and convenience
features, this model also comes with
a handy 3-horsepower bow thruster,
windlass, stereo, head, hot/cold shower
and countless cup holders.
Equipped with twin Yamaha F300s,
the 325 reached 30 mph in 9.62 seconds
and set a top speed of 51 mph at 5,800
rpm. At 4,000 rpm and 33.8 mph, the
325 achieved 1.38 mpg.
Pursuit expects to expand this
model into larger platforms in the near
future, Glenn says. The stronger overnight features in the offshore/express
style boats will allow them to settle into
and grow in their respective markets.
Far left: the portside berth with rod storage.
Left: When not fishing, clear the decks and
set up a comfortable dining space to grill
out, cook up your catch, or opt to pull out the
tackle and build some new rigs.
40
FEBRUARY 2017
GRADY-WHITE FREEDOM 375

The largest and actually the first of
these 30-plus-foot DCs to appear on the
market, the Freedom 375 demonstrates
all of the possibilities of this format.
In fact, Grady introduced this 36-plusfooter at the Miami boat show in 2013, a
year after it debuted a 33-footer. Grady
also builds eight other dual console
models, including a 30-footer.
The Freedom 335 had been very
successful, and we had customers and
dealers telling us they were ready for
an even bigger dual console, taking the
terrific features of the 335 and building on them, says Shelley Tubaugh,
Grady vice president of marketing. In
fact, Grady-White has called the 375 the
ultimate transformer.
A few of the top features include
an optional large refrigerator/freezer
box on the transom, which appeals to
anglers and pleasure boaters; a cockpit
galley and wet bar; lush bow seating

with its own zonal stereo speakers;
and an aft-facing seat in the cockpit to
watch the lines.
The vessel offers 32 cubic feet of
storage for all kinds of tackle, gear
and water toys in the floor below the
companion-area seating. Its AV2 hardtop enclosure comes with a sunroof,
and the boat is offered standard with a
Sureshade retractable cover for those
summer days in the cockpit.
Grady found space at the transom
for a 30-gallon livewell and placed a
52-gallon fish box in the deck. The
boat also features six flush-mount rod
holders, as well as storage for eight rods

beneath the hardtop and more beneath
the gunwales.
A set of three Yamaha F350s pushes
this boat to 52.9 mph; at a cruising
speed of 32 (3,800 rpm), it achieves
0.92 mpg.
Certainly we will keep listening to
our customers and how they want to use
their boats before deciding on whether
to go to the next size in a dual console
style, Tubaugh says. Honestly, since
the boat has been out only three years,
we havent seen customers moving out
of them yet. They tell us the ride and
the performance are unsurpassed.
Far right: Rod storage beneath the hardtop

helps keep the cockpit tidy. Right: The helm
area is expansive; the bench seat, with flipup bolsters, accommodates two and can be
electromechanically adjusted.
SPECS:
Dry Weight: 16,250 lb. (w/o engines) Max Power: 1,050 hp MSRP: $666,945 (w/ triple Yamaha F300s)
SPORTFISHINGMAG.COM
41
BOATS
FISHING MACHINES + FISH TRIALS + ELECTRONICS + BETTER BOATING
BY CHRIS WOODWARD
SCOUT 215 XSF
One thing about a yacht: Its not hard to make one look luxurious. Not so with a piece of fiberglass less
than 22 feet in length. But when I stepped aboard Scouts 215XSF for the first time this past October,
I saw comforts and conveniences that belied the compact design.
Scouts director of sales and marketing Alan Lang and Capt. James Lavanway (reelfishfinder.com)
had met me at a coastal launch ramp just north of the historic city of Charleston, South Carolina.
Only two weeks had passed since Hurricane Matthew lashed the Low Country, and Lavanway had just
started patterning the bait and the bull redfish.
But even if we couldnt find the fish, we still faced a fine day on the water in a well-appointed
pleasure craft with a forward sun lounge/coffin

box and a Fusion Bluetooth stereo: a welcome
haven after a destructive storm.
The compact Scout 215

XSF offers cushioned
seating for all, plus all
the essentials for a fun
day of fishing, whether
inshore or offshore.
4 2 24 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 7
MAKING WAY
Lavanway nudged the 215 up to speed, and
we headed southeast toward the mouth of
Charleston Harbor. At a comfortable 3,900 rpm,
we cruised at almost 30 mph and achieved

3.8 mpg. Lang did let me know, before I started
jotting down performance numbers, that theyd
had to temporarily install a larger-than-desired
propeller on the Yamaha F200 (due to a national
shortage on the correct prop).
That became immediately obvious once I
timed our acceleration to 30 mph (12.6 seconds)
and after we topped out at just 5,400 rpm and
CHRIS WOODWARD (TOP), COURTESY SCOUT (OPPOSITE, 3)
Great Comforts Can Still Come in Small Packages
PERFORMANCE
POWER ..............................................Yamaha F200
LOAD ..........Three adults, 45 gal. fuel, full livewell
TOP SPEED ....................... 46.1 mph @ 5,400 rpm*
TIME TO 30 MPH ....................................12.6 sec.*
BEST MPG .......... 3.8 mpg @ 29.5 mph (3,900 rpm)
(* Note: Correct prop unavailable. See article.)
HULL
LOA ......................................................... 21 ft. 6 in.
BEAM .........................................................8 ft. 6 in.
DEADRISE ................................................... 20 deg.
DRY WEIGHT .......................2,776 lb. (w/o engine)
DRAFT .................................................. 1 ft. 3.75 in.
FUEL ..............................................................82 gal.
MAX POWER ............................................... 250 hp
MSRP .......................... $65,464 (w/ Yamaha F200)
SCOUT BOATS
Summerville, SC
843-821-0068
scoutboats.com
46.1 mph. The same vessel, powered

by a smaller F150, reached 30 mph in
6.9 seconds, and at 6,000 rpm, tapped
45 mph according to Yamaha testing.
Id certainly expect even snappier
performance and a top speed of 48 to
50 mph with the right prop and the
larger F200 outboard engine.
Once we reached the harbor jetties,
Lavanway idled, and we prepared to
anchor off the south side of the channel.
I noted that the anchor locker comes
with a recessed hanger for a Danforthstyle hook and swiveling Starboard
blocks that secure the stock.
Without a sonar unit aboard (the
black-acrylic console face can accommodate a 12-inch flush-mount display),
he felt more cautious about snuggling up next to the rocks, particularly
on a falling tide. But birds crashed the
surface nearby and pelicans circled,
studying bait schools, so the place
looked fishy.
Lavanway had already loaded the
21-gallon livewell in the port aft corner
with menhaden. He tossed the anchor
and set out live and cut pogies under
about 8 ounces of weight. He clearly
expected some heavy tidal flow.
north jetty. He weighed anchor, idled

north, and dropped just outside and
well ahead of another vessel. He
pulled out a cutting board and a frozen
American shad for chum.
I walked to the bow as Lavanway set
out four rods in vertical holders along
the transom a nice touch for such a
small vessel. Placing four rod holders
along the aft bulkhead keeps the tackle
out of the boats living space. (This
21-footer even comes with a transom
door to the starboard swim platform.)
The forward seating aboard the
215XSF seems surprisingly large, given
the space. An almost semicircular padded lounge and coaming rim the bow. To
port and starboard, Scout offers removable backrests so passengers can really
relax on the ride to a favorite fishing
spot or sandbar.
A low-profile bowrail adds security;
drink holders and a catch-all ledge
lie just aft of the backrests. Add an
optional, removable teak bow table for a
full picnic setup.
Ahead of the console, a cushioned
sun pad with armrests fans toward the
foredeck. Beneath it lies cavernous
Above: The black-acrylic console face can
fit a 12-inch electronics display; the leaning
post features flip-up bolsters. Below: The
forward seating includes a sun pad and a
bow full of lounges with backrests.
insulated dry storage, where we had

stowed my cameras, all the safety gear,
tackle and lunch.
FISHY FISHY
Just as I was considering where to plop
down to enjoy a cold drink, I saw the
portside rod tip arc like a rainbow. Bull
reds dont smash-strike a bait; they pick
it up and power away like a tractor.
I set up in the port corner, thighs
against the coaming pads, and worked
LOUNGE LIVING
Almost immediately antsy, Lavanway
made a few calls to friends and decided
to relocate to a spot just inside the
SPORTFISHINGMAG.COM
43
BOATS
FISHING MACHINES + FISH TRIALS + ELECTRONICS + BETTER BOATING
to keep the fish on my side of the

outboard and away from the port swim
platform. In this aft section, the top of
the gunwale measures 22 inches above
the deck higher than todays popular
nearshore hybrids but lower than many
offshore battlewagons.
Indeed, the 215s 20-degree transom
deadrise also gives it a deeper V than
a hybrid, though its shallower than a
go-fast, and still floats in less than
16 inches of water.
I fought the red boat-side, where
it lolled as Lavanway gently righted it
and removed the hook for a release.
Lang picked up the rod for the
second fish, while Lavanway and I
easily maneuvered around him to take

photos, shoot video and clear lines.
Even the space between the leaning
post and optional foldaway transom
bench seemed ample for our crew.
In the cockpit sole, an expansive
hatch opens for easy access to the bilge
to change pumps or route wiring.
EASY RIDER
After our second redfish release, we
hauled anchor and headed back to
the harbor so I could experience the
boats handling. We had zero seas, so
I created some chop with sharp turns to
port and starboard.
A transom bench
folds out to create
comfortable crew
seating but tucks
way for fishing. This
compact craft also
comes with a transom
door. In the port aft
corner, Scout placed a
21-gallon livewell.
For the 215XSF, Scout employed its

NuV3 hull design, which features variable degrees of deadrise from the chines
to the keel. The resulting ride feels
secure; turns feel balanced, with no
sliding or catching.
The optional trim tabs helped even
the load as crew members moved
about, and they aided in creating a
quicker hole shot, but otherwise the
tabs were not needed. Trimming the
outboard up slightly provided a perfect
running attitude.
The helm seemed comfortable for
both Lavanway and me, though were of
vastly different heights. The cushioned
leaning post features lift-up bolsters for
standing or sitting while piloting. The
nearly vertical console face comes with
a single footrest and a tilt-and-lock
steering wheel.
Lang says Scout built this 21-footer
for family fishermen. That describes
most boaters today, and its a perfect fit
for a company that knows how to create
style and comfort, while remembering
to maintain fishability.
FOR MORE INFORMATION

about boats, electronics and accessories,
visit VSRUWVKLQJPDJFRPQHZERDWV.
4 4 44 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 7
COURTESY SCOUT (BOTTOM), CHRIS WOODWARD (2)
Left: Scouts Alan Lang wrestles a

bull red to the side of the boat. The
22-inch padded gunwale in the aft
corner hits him just above the knees.
Below: At the mouth of Charleston
Harbor, Capt. James Lavanway hoists
a redfish for photos before release.
GEICO and TowBoatU.S.

have teamed up
to help you on the water.
As a GEICO policyholder, youll receive outstanding coverage for your
boat at an outstanding price. Plus, when you add towing to your policy,
\RXOOKDYHWKHEHQHWVRIVHUYLFHVSURYLGHGE\7RZ%RDW86
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geico.com/boat
800-865-4846
for your boat
Service provided by
Some discounts, coverages, payment plans and features are not available in all states or all GEICO companies. Boat and PWC coverages are underwritten by GEICO Marine Insurance Company.
GEICO is a registered service mark of Government Employees Insurance Company, Washington, D.C. 20076; a Berkshire Hathaway Inc. subsidiary. 2015 GEICO
BOATS
BY JIM HENDRIC K S
SEAVEE 390Z
The interiors of big, new center console boats increasingly sport cushy amenities such as loungers,
dining tables and posh center cabins. These add curb appeal for families but obviously dont
contribute to fishing success.
In my Fish Trial of the SeaVee 390Z this past fall, I found few such elements. Save for the supportive
helm seats, a perch in front of the console and a pair of beefy fold-out benches bracketing the bow, this
boat was custom built for a singular mission: serious saltwater fishing.
Greeting me at the dock in Lighthouse Point, Florida, were SeaVee fishing pro Capt. Art Sapp and
The SeaVee 390Z

features a fast and
efficient stepped hull, a
spacious layout, and an
11-foot beam for great
stability in choppy seas.
4 6 64 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 7
David Collier Jr., a member of the Sailsmen

Fishing Team that competes aboard Advanced
Roofing on the South Florida tournament circuit.
You ready to catch some fish? Sapp asked
as he transferred wriggling goggle-eyes from a
pair of holding pens to the pressurized 65-gallon
central-transom livewell.
Yes sir, I answered. It looks like we have
the right boat to get it done. While the 390Z

isnt brand new, this would be my first time
fishing on it.
While we utilized only one well, we also
could have filled the boats optional 140-gallon
well under the aft deck or the 80-gallon well
under the foredeck, all fed by a sea chest with
six pumps.
DAVID COLLIER (TOP), JIM HENDRICKS (2, OPPOSITE)
A Serious Machine Dedicated to Offshore Angling Success
The tuna tower included additional rod

holders, as well as a second helm station for
spotting birds, breaking fish and weed lines.
The down-sea run in 2-foot seas

proved smooth, owing to the superbly
engineered running surface. A
polycarbonate enclosure wrapping
around the top of the console shields the
helm from wind blast. There was a solid,
quiet feel as we traversed the waves,
the result of the robust construction
common to all SeaVee models.
PERFORMANCE
POWER ........ Four Mercury 350 Verado outboards
LOAD ............................... 120 gal. fuel, three crew
TOP SPEED 74.8 mph @ 6,500 rpm (outer motors),
6,200 rpm (inner motors)
TIME TO 30 MPH ....................................... 6.5 sec.
BEST MPG .................. 1.3 @ 37.9 mph (3,500 rpm)
HULL
LOA ..................................................................39 ft.
BEAM ...............................................................11 ft.
DEADRISE ................................................ 22.5 deg.
DRY WEIGHT ..................... 9,670 lb. (w/o engines)
DRAFT ........................................................2 ft. 2 in.
FUEL ............................................................563 gal.
MAX POWER ............................................ 1,600 hp
MSRP....$355,500 (w/ quad Mercury 350 Verados)
LINES IN
LETS DANCE
As Sapp pulled the big center console
away from the dock, I marveled at the
amount of deck space in the aft cockpit. Its like a dance floor back here,
I said to Collier. Surrounded by padded coaming bolsters, this interior
gives crew members plenty of room to
do-si-do while manning lines.
Thanks to 18 stereo speakers and
four subwoofers positioned throughout the interior, the Fusion sound
system provides plenty of dance music.
(Even serious tournament anglers like
theirtunes.)
As we cleared Hillsboro Inlet, Sapp
advanced the throttles, and the quad
350s vaulted the 390Z to plane in about
five seconds.
The Z is SeaVees designation for
its stepped hulls, introduced about
four years ago after a lengthy process of proprietary computer design,
fluid-dynamics modeling and on-water
evaluations. The result is a hull that creates remarkable lift with very little bow
rise as it accelerates. Two steps usher a
cushion of aerated water under the hull
to boost efficiency.
Our speed rose to about 45 mph as
Sapp turned hard to the south at the
outer marker. The 390Z responded
with comforting predictability.
Sapp pulled the throttles back a couple

of miles below the inlet along a distinct
edge of blue water. The sonar on one of
the two Simrad NSS16 evo2 displays at
the helm read bottom at 110 feet. A 10 to
15 mph north breeze was nearly perfect
to kite-fish for sails and mahimahi.
Collier extracted the kites from a
cleverly designed compartment above
the helm where you might normally
find an overhead electronics box. He
placed a pair of electric reels in rod
holders abaft the helm seating to fly the
kites, then began bridling and sending
out goggle-eyes.
A rigging center within the seating
module offers a large cabinet to secure
tackle boxes. A compartment above features a foldout table thats perfect for
keeping small tackle items handy while
youre rigging lines.
SEAVEE BOATS
Miami, Florida
305-759-6419
seaveeboats.com
The craftsmanship and beefy

construction of the anodized-aluminum
tuna tower and second station (which
featured a networked Simrad NSS12
evo2 display) impressed me. In a special
touch, the bottom rungs of the towers ladders also serve as brackets for
five-gallon buckets.
Rod holders on each stern quarter
allowed Collier to place the rods where
he could easily access them without the
need for tridents. There are eight rod
holders total across the transom, with
25 punctuating each gunwale.
As we waited for a bite, I poked
around and found a fish locker in the
The 390Zs rigging station offers tackle

stowage, rod holders, drink holders and a
foldout table. A pullout cooler resides in a
recess below the cabinets.
SPORTFISHINGMAG.COM
47
BOATS
Following a sailfish as it circled the boat was

easy, thanks to the 390Zs level deck, grippy
nonskid sole and snag-free rail caps.
It slides open to port at the press of a

button. Inside is access to immaculate
helm rigging. The console proved a convenient dry stowage area for my camera
gear and jacket. On the outside, eight
rod holders lined each side of the console, with slots in the hardtop for the
rods tips.
bow so massive that I could sleep inside,

though I might shiver a bit, because it
was equipped with a chiller plate that
minimizes the need for ice. The cover
consists of two smaller hatches, making
it easy to slide in a 20-pound mahimahi
without lifting the entire hatch. This

390Z also features an outward-opening
door on the port side of the aft cockpit
in case you want to haul aboard a big
tuna or swordfish. Advance Roofing features SeaVees front-opening console.
My inspection was cut short when

Sapp spied a sailfish attacking the bait
on the left-middle line. I raced astern
along level deck and wide walkways
aside the console. Sapp handed me the
rod. Almost instantly line began peeling
off the reel, so I pushed the drag lever
forward and began winding. The line
grew tight, but the circle hook failed to
Fishing Season:
February to May.
Peak of the season:
March & April.
MCDCFishing
MarinaCDCFishingClub
4 8 84 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 7
JIM HENDRICKS (2)
SAIL ATTACK
the inner outboards revving at 6,200.

The engines burned 118.2 gph, resulting
in 0.6 mpg.
The most economical cruising speed
came at 3,500 rpm and 37.9 mph, where
the four engines burned 29.2 gph for
1.3 mpg. That equates to more than
700miles of cruising range based on the
boats ample 563-gallon fuel capacity.

Fact is, you can custom-order a SeaVee
390Z with just about whatever you
want, including a wide range of luxury
appointments. Yet Advanced Roofing
offers few comfy compromises, rendering this SeaVee 390Z, by design, a swift
and capable war wagon.
INSPIRED BY PRECISION
WHEN BIG MONEY IS ON THE LINE, YOUR LINE SHOULD BE ON AN
ANDROS SPECIAL EDITION REEL AND SCT OFFSHORE ROD.
Relatively low, padded gunwales in the aft

cockpit facilitated the safe release of this
sailfish by Capt. Art Sapp.
find a home, and the sail spit the bait.

An inspection of the crushed goggleeye revealed that the hook had turned,
preventing it from doing its job.
After 30 minutes with no other
bites, Sapp decided to move about
2 miles to the north. The captain
stopped the boat in 380 feet of water,
and it proved to be a wise choice.
Almost instantly, a sail attacked the
bait on the left long line, and this one
stuck. I battled the acrobatic sail up
the starboard side, back down the
port side and across the stern before
bringing it boat-side for release
While we all wanted to stay and
catch more fish, the time had come to
gather performance data on the 390Z.
With 120 gallons of fuel on board, the
quad 350 Verados vaulted the SeaVee
to plane in 5.2 seconds and reached
30 mph in 6.5 seconds. Top speed was
an eye-watering 74.8 mph, with the
outside engines turning 6,500 rpm and
ANDROS SPECIAL EDITION REELS

The precision carbon ber drag system is
designed to be shed at 3- to 5-pounds
of drag. Hyper-fast 6.4:1 gear ratio
stays with the fastest sh. A 3-year
factory warranty delivers an inspired
ownership experience.
NEW SCT RODS
Begin with agile, 24-Ton carbon blanks. Reinforce the tips with UFR,
Unidirectional Fiber Reinforcement for 3X the lifting power. Armor the
whole blank with a double helix wrap of pure carbon thread. Welcome
to SCT rods, inspired offshore shing.
FOR MORE INFORMATION

about boats, electronics and accessories,
visit VSRUWVKLQJPDJFRPQHZERDWV.
okumafishingusa.com
SPORTFISHINGMAG.COM
49
BOATS
FISHING MACHINES + FISH TRIALS + ELECTRONICS + NEW BOATS
+ BETTER BOATING
BY CHRIS WOODWARD
GO LIVE
INSTANT SONAR-CHARTING OPTIONS
CREATE VIVID, ACCURATE FISHING MAPS
When fishing inshore, I
usually keep a watchful eye
on my sounder as well as my
plotters charts. The structure I look for can be a subtle
dip or channel in otherwise
featureless sand.
For many years, I couldnt
depend on electronic charts
to reveal much; shallow
areas are only occasionally
surveyed. Those charts were
more like guidelines.
Then sonar-charting
programs debuted in 2012
so anglers could log depth
recordings from their
regions and upload them
to render customized
and current charts. Now,
at least four electronics
companies or partnerships
50
FEBRUARY 2017
Raymarine/Navionics,
Garmin, Humminbird and
recently Simrad/Navionics
offer instant, live, 1-foot
high-definition bathymetry,
which essentially marries
the sounder to the plotter.
For inshore and offshore
fishing, that means an
instant depth picture of
contours and structure
onthe fly one that stayson
your plotter as an adjustable
transparent overlay.
Say a storm comes
through and moves the
sand around, creating all
new bars and drop-offs?
No problem. And what if an
offshore wreck proves difficult to interpret on sonar?
No problem. The detailed
depth changes and sonar

picture can appear side by
side on the display.
NAVIONICS
OPTIONS
Live charting originated
in summer 2014 with
Navionics SonarChart Live
in mobile app form and with
Humminbirds AutoChart
Live, initially for ONIX
multifunction displays.
AutoChart Live currently
works as a free feature with
ONIX and Helix 9, 10 and
12 series units.
Part of Navionics
popular Boating app, the
SonarChart Live function originally operated
via Wi-Fi with a Vexilar
SonarPhone T-Box sounder,
and later with Raymarine
Dragonfly Pro and Wi-Fish
units. As of May 2016,
SonarChart Live became
available for all Raymarine
multifunction displays,
from Dragonfly (via the
app) through gS Series.
In
recent
we e k s,
SonarChart Live began
pairing with Simrad GO,
GO xse and NSS evo2 units
as well as Lowrance HDS
Gen3 MFDs via a free software update, which also
includes Navionics Plotter
Sync. (Navionics requires a
$99 annual subscription to
its Freshest Data club and at
least one chart update every
12 months to establish eligibility to use SonarChart Live
on Raymarine, Simrad and
Lowrance units.)
Originally, the sonar
logging was always kind
of in the background. You
couldnt do anything but
contribute it to Navionics
for a chart update, says
Raymarine
marketing
manager Jim McGowan.
From that anonymous
collection to seeing the chart
COURTESY RAYMARINE AND NAVIONICS (TOP)
Above: a nearshore region off South

Florida before using Navionics
SonarChart Live on a Raymarine
display. Left: Minutes later, using the
live feature, the same region lights up
with contours.
BOATS
FISHING MACHINES + FISH TRIALS + ELECTRONICS + NEW BOATS
Humminbird AutoChart Live on an ONIX display

shows how depth shading can affect the overall
look of the contoured region.
there in front of you with your own eyes

is a whole other thing entirely.
In shallow water, users can add
depth shading so danger zones
show up in red. Otherwise the background appears whitish, and its
transparency can be adjusted to
show the original chart information
beneath. Navionics charts come with
two chart-view choices: navigation
and bathymetric. The logs that users
generate apply to the bathymetric view.
For Raymarine, SonarChart Live
files are stored on the Navionics map
card so you can take your data to other
compatible MFDs, McGowan says. The
system actively manages the size of
the files, updating them with the latest
recorded data and overwriting older
recordings. Its extremely unlikely
that anyone would ever completely fill
up the card with recordings, he says.
If a Raymarine user wants to upload
the sonar log and allow Navionics to
combine it with other logs from the
community, he can take his memory
card home and plug it into his
computer. Within about 72 hours, hell
receive the updated SonarChart layer.
PROPRIETARY
SYSTEMS
Garmin creates its own BlueChart
software for use in its multifunction
displays and chart plotters.
Consequently, it introduced its own live
charting via QuickDraw Contours in
February 2016.
Garmin customers can use
QuickDraw on echoMAP, echoMAP
CHIRP and many GPSMAP units
Simrad recently partnered with Navionics to offer
SonarChart Live on many of its current MFDs, and
on its sister companys Lowrance HDS Gen3 units.
52
FEBRUARY 2017
combined with any transducer.

However, the company suggests using
Panoptix all-seeing technology. The
better the transducer quality, the more
detailed the map content can be, says
Carly Hysell, Garmin media-relations
manager. With Panoptix, you can store
about 75 hours of sonar logs on a 2 GB
card. If you record at an average speed
of 10 mph, thats about 9,000 acres.
Anglers can create the instant logs
right on their displays and keep them.
They can also store them on any SD or
microSD card or on a BlueChart g2
or g2 Vision card.
If they want to share sonar logs
with others, they can upload the data
using the QuickDraw Community
(announced in July 2016) and then
download an updated chart of the
logged region. That combined usergenerated data can be viewed on a
Garmin plotter at the same time as the
original personal log.
Humminbirds AutoChart Live
works with the companys own
LakeMaster charts, available for
mostly freshwater locations, and with
Navionics+ maps. The live charting
is also compatible with i-Pilot Link,
which pairs a Minn Kota trolling motor
with a Humminbird display. With
+ BETTER BOATING
AutoChart Live on, the i-Pilot Link can

tell the motor to troll the contour lines
youve created.
Anglers have access to eight hours of
recording time built into their MFDs,
but they can purchase a Zero Lines SD
card ($99.99) to export the sonar logs
to the AutoChart PC program, and
then manipulate, store or share their
fishingcharts.
ALWAYS FORWARD
Furuno does not offer a free or low-cost
live-charting option yet. However, if
you purchase a Timezero Personal
Bathymetric Generator ($500) and
Timezero charting software ($1,250),
you can build your own contour charts
on the fly.
With the ever-changing nature of
the sea, live charting makes perfect
sense for saltwater anglers. Youve got
to look at what NOAAs reasons are for
doing soundings: commercial shipping
and boating. Those dont necessarily
overlap with good fishing grounds,
McGowan says, particularly for guys
fishing inshore. NOAA doesnt have a
reason to go in there. This is a way to
get a lot of those places mapped for the
first time ever.
In other words: Live charting is yet
another step toward finally seeing
whats down there, making fishing as
close to predictable as it will ever be.
Destination Honda
For destinations found on a map, or ones that are simply a state of mind, trust a reliable
Honda outboard to get you there. And back. Find out more at marine.honda.com.
2016 American Honda Motor Co., Inc. Always wear a personal flotation device while boating and read your owners manual. All Honda outboards meet EPA and CARB emission levels.
BOATS
HELLS BAY ESTERO 24 BAY

HELLS BAY BOATWORKS
has built
ultrafine flats skiffs for the past decade
under the helmsmanship of company
president Chris Peterson. So it was
with some fanfare late last year that
Hells Bay unveiled to the public its first
bay boat the Estero 24 Bay.

After a lot of years of soul
searching, we decided that Hells Bay
will build a bay boat, but its going to be
built the Hells Bay way, Peterson says.
Our skiffs are built to our standards
BY CHRIS WOODW ARD
and really no one elses.... The boats are

a work of art, and the bay boat will fit
the same DNA.
The Esteros silent-hull design
includes walkable gunwales, higher
freeboard (than most bay boats) and
lockable rod storage in compartments
deep enough to hold a bucket. The
Estero comes with a rigging station,
105-quart cooler on a slide and a
53-gallon livewell with a sea chest.
Peterson says the boat tops out in
the upper 50 mph range and can accommodate a single 400 hp outboard. The
Estero carries 80 gallons of fuel.
SPECIFICATIONS
LOA ...........................................................24 ft. 10 in.
Beam .............................................................8 ft. 6 in.
Dry Weight ............................... 3,100 lb. (w/ engine)
Draft ..............................................................1 ft. 1 in.
Transom Deadrise ......................................... 15 deg.
MSRP ......................................... $110,000 (base boat
w/ 300 hp outboard and trailer)
WORLD CAT 280CC-X

WORLD CATS FIRST
X-design
catamaran, the 280CC-X, features
aggressive new styling that includes
a graceful sheer line terminating in
a soft tumblehome aft, a swept-back
glass dashboard at the console, and a
surfboard-edge hardtop.
The 280 represents a completely
new computer-assisted design from the
waterline up, says World Cat president
Andrew Brown. The 280CC-X also
offers advanced technology, including
a fully customizable digital dash
(including CZone digital switching),
and a host of functional, comfort and
convenience features.
The cockpit offers twin, lockable
89-gallon fish boxes with diaphragm
SPECIFICATIONS
LOA .............................................................27 ft. 6 in.
Beam .............................................................9 ft. 2 in.
Dry Weight ..............................7,500 lb. (w/ engines)
Draft ..............................................................1 ft. 2 in.
Transom Deadrise ....................................... N/A (cat)
MSRP .................... $233,566 (w/ twin Yamaha F300s)
54
FEBRUARY 2017
pumps and rod storage, twin in-floor

mechanical rooms with easy bilge
access, aft fold-down transom seating
and a tuna door.
A fiberglass leaning post/tackle
center comes standard on the 280
and includes a 30-gallon livewell. The
boats standard hardtop features a
BY CHRIS WOODW ARD
powder-coated frame with a built-in

glass windshield, radio box, spreader
lights and color-changing LEDs.
Available with up to 600 hp (twin
300s), the 280CC-X carries 220
gallons of fuel. World Cats preliminary
testing showed a top speed of 59 mph,
achieving 1.1 mpg.
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BY JIM HENDRICKS
would prevent the boat from

meeting waves in a seakindly
manner; eliminating yaw
would interfere with the
ability to safely steer the boat.
STABLE AND ABLE

BURGEONING GYRO TECHNOLOGY
RESULTS IN GREATER ONBOARD STABILITY
My late friend Dick Uranga

used to liken a day of
offshore fishing to spending
eight hours on an exercise machine. Indeed, after
returning from many a trip in
rough seas, my legs and back
ached the next morning,
the lingering effects of
constantly working muscles
to maintain balance. I have
a name for the pain: angleover. Yet if Seakeeper has its
way, angle-over and even the
misery of seasickness will
be rare occurrences in the
future. This Maryland-based
company has staked its claim
on gyroscopic stabilization
technology to eliminate
rolling (side-to-side) motion.
There are other brands
56
FEBRUARY 2017
in this field, including Boat

Stabilizer Anti Rolling Gyro
and Veem Gyro, but none
have been as aggressive as
Seakeeper in developing
newsystems.
Seakeeper offers a wide
range of models for recreational and commercial
boats, including its biggest,
the Seakeeper 35 for yachts
of 85 feet or more in length.
Yet, it is the most compact
and affordable gyro stabilizer
yet the new Seakeeper 3
(seen above) that holds the
greatest potential for boating anglers. Its optimized for
boats as small as 30 feet in
length a category that represents a big percentage of
the saltwater market.
HOW IT
WORKS
To understand how a gyro
stabilizer works, think of a
bicycle. When not moving,
the bike easily flops from
side to side. Yet when youre
riding it, the spinning
wheels result in a gyroscopic
stabilizing effect to keep it
upright and stable, at least
for the most part.
The same principle is at
work with a product such as a
the SK3. The motorized gyroscope keeps the boat from
rolling, whether at rest or
underway. By design, it has
no effect on pitch (fore and aft
motion) or yaw (lateral movement). Eliminating pitch
I recently had the chance to

test the capabilities of the
SK3 in the Atlantic Ocean
waters off Fort Lauderdale,
Florida, aboard a Contender
35 ST. This was my second
experience with Seakeeper.
A year earlier I had tested
the predecessor model, the
SK3DC, aboard the same
boat and in the same waters.
I found the new model to
offer an improvement in
response time, effectiveness
and overall feel.
While the older 3DC was
powered by 12 volts DC, it
used an inverter to convert the battery juice to AC
power. The SK3, on the other
hand, operates entirely on
12 volts DC, with no need for
AC input, such as from an
onboard generator.
Though the SK3 can operate from the power supplied
solely by outboard-engine
alternators, the system on
the Contender 35 ST test
boat was backed up by a bank
of three 31-series batteries
connected in parallel.
If the engines are not
running, the Seakeeper 3 can
run four to six hours on the
three batteries, depending
on sea conditions, and it will
shut itself off automatically if
JIM HENDRICKS
TRIAL
COMPARISON
ALL-NEW 262 FISHERMAN

CENTER CONSOLE
221 FISHERMAN
222 FISHERMAN
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CENTER CONSOLE
252 COASTAL
302 FISHERMAN
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WELLCRAFT.COM
BOATS
EASIER TO INSTALL
Tipping the scales at 550 pounds with
lube and coolant, the SK3 weighs
30percent less than the previous iteration. It also features a more versatile
mounting system. While the 3DC
was mounted to the stringers, the new
system bolts to the deck. A pocket cutout
in the sole is still required because a
portion of the new model protrudes
below deck.
Seakeeper offers an optional leaning
post that serves as a housing for the gyro
stabilizer aboard center console boats.
The SK3 measures 26.8 inches long by
27 inches wide by 22.5 inches tall.
The SK3 requires approximately
36 minutes to spin up to operational
speed and 50 minutes to its maximumrated 8,450 rpm. Once up to speed, it
proved more responsive than the previous system when flipped from off to
on, requiring only about two seconds
to stabilize the roll. The older model
needed about four to five seconds.
Seakeepers new model also proved
more effective in reducing roll in
Seakeeper offers an optional seating/
leaning-post module to house the Seakeeper
3 stabilizer. The gyro unit bolts to the deck,
simplifying installation versus older models.
5 8 85 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 7
A small display controls and monitors the

new Seakeeper 3 stabilizer. The controls
will also integrate with current Raymarine
and Simrad multifunction displays.
2- to 3-foot beam seas while at rest,

stabilizing the 10- to 15-degree sideto-side movement to between zero and
2 degrees, according to my tests with
an inclinometer. The previous system
reduced roll to between 2 and 5 degrees
in the same kind of sea conditions.
The stabilizing effect makes it
safer, easier and less tiring for crew
to function, keeping everyone sharp
throughout an entire day of fishing.
Eliminating roll also enhances the ride,
preventing the boat from heeling over
due to an unbalanced load or propeller
torque. Maintaining an even keel also
prevents the potential for the dreaded
hard landing on a chine after launching
off the crest of a wave.
LESS UNNATURAL
Not all of my measurements were
empirical. One was subjective. I wanted
to see how it felt to stand on a stabilized
deck on an otherwise rolling sea. As
boating anglers, many of us have certain
muscle memory resulting in the ability
to balance ourselves by anticipating
wave action and shifting our weight to
compensate for the motion of the deck.
Those who have acquired such a second
nature are said to possess sea legs.
Trouble is, that instinct remains, even
when the rolling motion is virtually nil.
You spy the approaching waves, and
your conditioned response is to sway

with the deck. Yet the deck does not
roll; it only pitches. Its a very unnatural
sensation for those with sea legs.
Yet it was more comfortable with
the SK3. With the previous system,
I could feel the gyro constantly working, tugging the boat from side to side to
correct for the wave action. Not so with
the SK3. After Elliott turned on the gyro
and locked the boat level, the corrective
action seemed virtually seamless. Aside
from a slight hum, operational noise
was nonexistent.
The system comes with a control
display; it will also integrate with
touchscreen displays from Raymarine
and Simrad once the SK3 is available in
April 2017.
STABILIZING COSTS
At $26,900 retail, the SK3 represents
the most affordable gyro-stabilization
system ever. Its tough to pinpoint
installation cost too many variables from boat to boat. To give you an
idea, however, installation aboard the
Contender 35 ST demo boat required
16 hours of labor, though much of the
requisite wiring and hoses were already
in place from the previous unit.
The way I see it, this system and
those that follow will become common
options, like marine generators and air
conditioning, on new center console
boats. Why not? It will make days offshore far more enjoyable and safe
for those without sea legs and less
painful for those with them.
COURTESY SEAKEEPER (LEFT), JIM HENDRICKS (TOP)
voltage runs too low, says Capt. Parker

Elliott, who assisted with thetrial.
Maximum draw is 85 amps during
spool up, but during operation, the
draw decreases to 35 to 75 amps,
depending on the sea state.
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OUTBOARD
TIMELINE
From this 1909

hand-cranked, singlecylinder Evinrude
outboard eventually
evolved todays
computer-controlled
high-horsepower
engines, such as the
2016 Yamaha F350c
(right). Top right:
Bathing beauties
promoted the Mercury
Lightning in 1947.
Farthest right: A late1990s Suzuki powers a
fishing boat in the Keys.
1909
Ole Evinrude builds the
first commercial model
of a Detachable Row
Boat Motor.
COURTESY EVINRUDE (OPPOSITE, THIS PAGE TOP), COURTESY YAMAHA (LEFT), COURTESY SUZUKI (LOWER RIGHT)
THE
from Portable to Digital
BY CHR IS WOODWA R D
1947
1956
1967
Mercury Marine, founded in 1939,

introduces the Lightning 10 hp outboard,
which offers the most horsepower per
pound and per dollar in the industry.
Mercurys Mark 75 outboard

the Tower of Power is the
industrys first six-cylinder
engine, delivering 60 hp.
Honda introduces
its GB25 and
GB40 outboards
to the U.S. market.
SPORTFISHINGMAG.COM
61
Sren Kierkegaard
urns out that life is similar to an outboard engine. Only

when we look all the way back to this past centurys turn
can we really understand how far weve come with todays
digital integration, computer-controlled internal-combustion
technology and superior power-to-weight ratios.
You dont have to be an engineer to

grasp the basics. Of course it helps if you
have a little curiosity and fascination.
Thats likely what skilled Wisconsin
machinist Ole Evinrude had when he
created the first commercially viable
Detachable Row Boat Motor in 1909.
That 1.5 horsepower, single-cylinder
motor worked off dry-cell batteries. Ole
cranked it by hand to start, rotating a
knobbed flywheel.
In the 108 years since, many
outboard-engine companies have
come and gone. In 1947, for instance,
14 other outboard makers competed
with Evinrude in the United States, the
company says. But Evinrude and four
other major manufacturers Mercury
(1939), Honda (1964), Suzuki (1977) and
Yamaha (1983) eventually emerged
in this country, pushing each other to

innovate and dominate the American
marine market.
1909: OLES WORLD

While all early outboard engines could
be classified as two-strokes, all current
Evinrude E-TECs are also two-strokes.
The company has chosen to redefine
two-stroke technology rather than
switch to four-stroke design.
Two-strokes traditionally offered
lightweight power, but the older
models also lacked fuel efficiency and
discharged environmentally damaging
smoke and oil. The basic difference
between two- and four-stroke engines:
A two-stroke completes its cycle
with only two movements (one up,
one down) of the piston during one
1975
1979
1980
Mercury (175 hp)

and OMC (200
Mercury introduces the first 300 hp

(V-6) outboard, though it proved to be
ahead of its time. Most boats couldnt
handle such power and weight.
Suzuki, which came to the States in 1977,

is the first to market with automatic oil
injection, which negated the need to premix oil and gas in two-stroke outboards.
V-6 outboards.
62
FEBRUARY 2017
COURTESY HONDA (OPPOSITE)
Life can only be understood

backwards; but it must be lived forwards.
crankshaft revolution; a four-stroke

requires four piston movements during
two crankshaft revolutions to complete
a power cycle.
With the current E-TEC G2 twostroke technology, however, Evinrude
vastly improved on the original concept.
But that didnt happen overnight.
Through the mid-1950s, Evinrude and
others struggled to develop outboards
that topped 100 hp. In 1956, Mercurys
Mark 75 the first six-cylinder engine
managed only 60 hp. Even so, in 1960,
Evinrudes four-cylinder Starflite II
set a speed record of 114.65 mph. The
company followed that innovation with
push-button electric shift.
In 1975, the first V-6 outboard
engines Evinrudes 200 and
Mercurys 175 finally scaled the
100 hp barrier. There were certainly
big sterndrives and inboard engines
before then, says Jason Eckman,
Evinrude global product manager. But
if you wanted an outboard, you were
stuck at a lowerhorsepower.
Greater horsepower paved the way
for larger outboard-powered vessels,
jump-starting the era of recreational
boating and fishing for a more diverse
cross section of Americans.
Leaps and bounds occurred during
the 1980s and 90s, first with the
advent of electronic fuel injection,
and in 1996 with direct fuel injection
from Evinrudes Ficht technology and
Mercurys Orbital DFI. At the same
time, the Environmental Protection
Agency released its emissions standards for outboards and designated a
phase-in regulatory approach.
But in 2000, Evinrudes parent,
Outboard Marine Corporation,
filed for bankruptcy. Bombardier, a
Canadian transportation and aerospace company, bought the assets and
rolled out Bombardier Recreational
Products outboards in 2001.
Honda debuted
its BF250 the
companys
largest outboard
in 2011.
Hondas current
technologies
include
Three-Way
Cooling and
Variable Valve
Timing and
Lift Electronic
Control (VTEC).
Mostly, carbureted two-strokes

had to be replaced, Eckman says.
Some companies chose to go to fourstrokes rather than innovate with
two-strokes, but we already had expertise in two-strokes with snowmobiles.
Our customer prefers the two-strokes
power-to-weight ratio and added
midrange torque. It made sense to
continue to invest in that technology,
to meet and eventually exceed the EPA
requirements without taking away that
torque and fueleconomy.
In 2003, Evinrude launched E-TEC,
the next generation of two-stroke,
direct-fuel-injection technology with
the same block as previous two-strokes
but with a new cylinder head designed
to accept the fuel injector. With direct

injection, we can change the timing of
the fuel injection. During idle, you dont
need the cylinder to be completely full
of fuel and air; you need only a little. By
injecting fuel directly into the cylinder,
we can be moreprecise.
Evinrude continued to enhance its
technology and drive larger E-TEC
outboards to market. The company
even won an EPA award in 2005 for its
emissions control.
In 2014, the company launched
its second generation of E-TEC
outboards, the G2s the first time
BRP has designed an engine block from
scratch to be optimized around direct
injection, Eckman says.
The main thing was to perfect the

combustion by optimizing the air flow.
The way the air and fuel mix inside
the cylinder to get a perfect ratio,
and then the timing of the exhaust
so no fuel escapes: Its almost like a
musicalinstrument.
The G2 stands out in multiple ways.
BRP integrated power steering into
the engine to offer a better piloting
experience, and (though the concept
had been done before) the company
mounted the oil reservoir inside the
cowling to save space. BRP also added
iTrim, a system that automatically
trims the outboard based on load and
rpm, and customizable color panels to
match the engine with the hull.
1983
1984
Yamaha introduces its engines to the U.S.

market, bringing with it Precision Blend Oil
Injection, which varied the rate of oil mixing
with gas depending upon load and speed.
Evinrude delivers the first V-8

outboard the 3.6L XP, producing
275 hp. This engine too proved to
be a bit ahead of its time.
SPORTFISHINGMAG.COM
63
1939: MERCURY MOMENTS

Although Mercury Marine introduced
its first outboards in 1939, it wasnt long
before the company also dominated the
sterndrive market. That side-by-side
development gave Mercury expanded
capabilities.
After its first six-cylinder outboard
debuted in 1956 (an in-line-six known
fondly as the Tower of Power), Mercury
followed in 1975 with one of the first
V-6 outboards: the 2L 175 hp Black Max
Merc 1750, which company founder
Carl Kiekhaefer called the meanest,
toughest, most beautiful machine weve
everbuilt.
The Black Max used power porting,
a piston design that provided an
additional source of fuel and air
that increased horsepower without
additional new parts.
Mercury delivered the first
recreational electronic fuel injection
in 1987 in its V-6 220 XRi. EFI also
ushered in the first electronic-control
modules essentially a computer brain

to outboards.
In 1996, Mercury continued its
two-stroke evolution with the directinjection OptiMax. The DFI technology
helped Mercury meet the new EPA emissions requirements. OptiMax featured
a unique air-assist injection system
that employed an air compressor and
a lower-pressure fuel injector rather
than a high-pressure liquid pump,
says David Foulkes, Mercurys head of
product development and engineering.
Optis mixed compressed air with fuel,
blasting it into the combustion chamber.
The fine fuel atomization achieved with
that system allows OptiMax engines
to burn diesel and jet fuel as well as
gasoline, Foulkes says.
As
conventional
two-strokes
began to raise emissions red flags
at the EPA in the 1990s, companies
such as Honda and Yamaha rolled out
100-plus-horsepower four-strokes
(1998). Mercury introduced its Verado
platform in 2004 with a complete line of

higher-horsepower, supercharged fourstroke outboards designed to target
the two-stroke market with equivalent
power and torque features.
The engine acts like a pump,
pulling in air, Foulkes says. When
you boost an engine, you can boost
it by super- or turbocharging. With
supercharging, you mechanically force
air into the combustion chamber using
a belt from the crankshaft. Getting
more air into the system means more
fuel and more power.
Supercharging allows Mercury
to reduce the displacement (2.6L for
Verado 200 to 400 hp) and therefore
the weight of the outboard. In the past
decade, Mercury has completed its full
four-stroke product line all the way up
to the Racing 400Verado.
In addition, Foulkes notes that
larger Verados, which use in-line-six
powerheads, are narrow engines that fit
on 26-inch centers. That allows largecenter-console builders to pile as many
1987
1996
1998
The first recreational version of Electronic Fuel Injection

arrives in Mercurys 220 hp V-6 two-stroke XRi. The
system used computer-controlled technology to compare
data from sensors and optimize the air/fuel ratio.
Mercury (Orbital DFI) and OMC

(Ficht) bring direct fuel injection to
Honda (130 hp) and

Yamaha (100 hp)
breach the 100 hp
mark for four-strokes.
64
FEBRUARY 2017
injects fuel directly into the cylinder.
COURTESY MERCURY (TOP, 2), COURTESY HONDA (OPPOSITE)
In 2013, Mercury Marine

introduced its Joystick
Piloting for outboards.
New digital technologies
help drive these kinds of
specialty customizations,
with an eye toward making
boat ownership as simple
as possible.
as five outboards on a transom.

Along the way, Mercury has also
developed several new materials such
as its proprietary anticorrosive alloys as
well as some unique systems like
Advance Midsection (AMS) on Verados.
AMS reduces the transmission of
engine vibration to the boat by cradling
the engine around its midsection.
Mercury has also instituted Joystick
Piloting, Active Trim, Vessel View (now
with digital gauge display as well as sonar
and chart plotting) and a new steering
helm using Magneto Realogic Fluid,
which contains suspended particles that
provide greater resistance with electrical current. Boaters can effectively
set their own resistance and suspension,
like stiffening the shocks on a car.
A cutaway view of Hondas flagship fourstroke BF250. Multiple sensors send data to
the engines electronic-control module.
1967: HONDA, ALL FOURS

Contrary to Evinrude and its focus on
two-strokes, Honda Marine has always
concentrated on four-stroke technology
for outboards. Four-strokes, of course,
are the dominant power for automobiles,
a primary interest for the overall Honda
Motor Co. But the belief in four-strokes
goes deeper than just an understanding
and expertise with the design.
Mr. Honda saw two-strokes
spouting smoke and oil into the atmosphere and water. He started pioneering
on the four-stroke side to keep the
planet cleaner, says Dennis Ashley,
senior OEM sales manager.
Honda introduced its four-stroke
outboards to the United States in 1967,
with the GB25 and GB40. But higherhorsepower four-strokes took a while
to develop; not until 1998 did Honda
surpass the 100 hp mark with its 130.
That engine also featured electronic
fuel injection and Hondas first ECM.
That same year, four-stroke Hondas
became the first outboards to meet the
EPAs more-stringent 2006 emissions
standards, Ashley says.
As boaters began accepting fourstrokes, Honda took the spotlight in

2001 with its BF225. (Yamaha introduced a similar 225 the same year.) Key
to that larger four-stroke was Hondas
industry-first Variable Valve Timing
and Lift Electronic Control, a trickledown technology from the car industry,
Ashley says.
VTEC changes the lift and duration
of the valves opening and closing. The
lift is how high the valve opens to let
in extra air and fuel, and the duration
is the amount of time it stays open, he
says. Everyone can change where the
air and fuel comes in, but no one else
can change the lift and duration while

the engines running.
Other outboard-engine builders
employ variable valve timing but use a
cam phaser to make the adjustments,
Ashley explains. The process improves
drivability at low rpm, but will not
maximize the ability of the engine when
high rpm isnecessary.
VTEC is kind of like having two cam
shafts in your car, one for low-speed
operation and one for high rpm power,
he adds.
During the past 16 years, Honda has
expanded its range to the BF250 (2011),
and introduced a series of technologies
made possible with an ever-evolving
electronic-control module. Hondas
current ECM measures about 3-by-5
inches and is about an inch and a half
thick. It features data ports for input
and output. Sensors placed throughout
the engine deliver measurements and
data to the module.
Hondas BLAST technology
which generates low-end acceleration
for pushing the boat over on plane
depends on the ECM to sense the
engines load. When the helmsman
buries the throttle, BLAST adjusts the
timing, creating the most horsepower
for that demand.
Also during this past decade,
intelligent shift and throttle also
called digital throttle and shift or flyby-wire removed the cables that
revved the engine and replaced them
with electrical servos, Ashley says. A
lot of people might cringe about that,
but it has been the standard in the automobile industry, he says. Once upon a
time, the gas pedal had a metal rod that
attached to the top of the engine. The
gas pedal today is a potentiometer, an
2000/2001
2001
2003
OMC/Evinrude
files for bankruptcy,
Bombardier
purchases Evinrude.
Honda and Yamaha introduce the first V-6

four-stroke outboards, both 225s, ushering
in the era of big four-strokes. Honda debuts
Variable Valve Timing and Lift Control.
Evinrude
launches E-TEC
two-stroke
technology.
SPORTFISHINGMAG.COM
65
1977: SUZUKI SYSTEMS

Suzuki outboards debuted on the U.S.
market in 1977, and the company was
first to introduce automatic oil injection in 1980 in a three-cylinder 85 hp
DT85 engine. Prior to that time, boaters
had to pre-mix oil with gasoline.
Suzuki also transitioned to producing
four-stroke outboards in the late 1990s as
EPA emissions rules evolved and boaters

began to embrace the technology. But it
wasnt until the early 2000s that the
companys larger four-strokes emerged,
with the DF140 in 2002.
In 2004, Suzuki and Yamaha both
debuted 250 hp V-6 four-strokes.
(Mercurys 250 Verado featured an
in-line-six design.)
One of the things we do on all our
motors, we offset the drive shaft, says
Dean Corbisier, Suzuki event manager.
That moves the powerhead forward
on the downhousing so more weight is
moving the boat. It gives us a really low
gear ratio at the lowerunit.
Suzuki also pioneered Selective
Rotation in outboards in 2011. A
controller under the cowling allows
a dealer to change the direction the
propeller spins. Previously, dealers
had to stock different motors with
different lower units some would
spin the prop clockwise, while the
others spun it counterclockwise. On
Suzuki debuted its first general-production

white engines in 2013, customizing 150 to
300 hp outboards.
multiple-outboard installations, one or

more props must spin clockwise while
the others move counterclockwise to
offset directional torque.
1983: YAMAHA FOCUS

While Yamaha outboards came to the
U.S. market in 1983, the company began
operating in 1948 in Japan, initially
building motorcycles and other motorized gear. Today, Yamaha can claim two
of every three outboard engines in the
saltwater market.
Why? Yamaha believes the company
sets itself apart by staying high-tech.
Yamaha also pursued partnerships
with boatbuilders, elevating its visibility. And finally, customer confidence
comes down to proven dependability,
power, performance and reputation,
the company says.
2004
2007
2011
Mercurys first supercharged

FourStroke Verado lineup with
Digital Throttle and Shift: 200,
225, 250 and 275 hp models.
four-stroke 350
hp outboard is
introduced.
Seven Marine introduces supercharged V-8

557 hp outboards. Suzuki introduces selective
rotation, which allows its outboards to rotate
the prop clockwise or counterclockwise.
66
FEBRUARY 2017
COURTESY SUZUKI (TOP), COURTESY YAMAHA (OPPOSITE)
electrical signal travels through a wire

and opens and closes the valve.
Digital throttling enables troll modes
and intelligent rpm synchronization. It
also ushered in automatic trim controls
and other enhancements at the helm.
Honda also employs Lean Burn
Control, which senses the boats load at
any given time (using an oxygen sensor
in the exhaust) and makes the fuel/air
mixture leaner or richer, depending on
need. Three-Way Cooling allows water
to stay in the block longer by using
three separate thermostats to route
water where its needed.
Out of the box, Yamahas first U.S.

outboards (two-strokes) featured
Precision Blend Oil Injection, which
worked off the engine load and speed,
says David Meeler, Yamaha product
planning and information manager.
Under lighter loads, the system added
less oil than during times of higher
rpm and loads.
Soon afterward, Yamaha began
introducing small four-strokes, and
eventually broke the 100 hp barrier in
1998 with its 100. On the two-stroke
side, Yamaha HPDI (high pressure
direct injection) emission-certified
outboards debuted in 1997, gaining
quick success, particularly among
bass-boat owners.
However, Yamaha saw the fourstroke writing on the wall, and just
three years later the company led again
(along with Honda) in producing V-6
four-stroke 200s and 225s. Nobody
believed the four-stroke would ever give
up 200 hp, much less 225, Meeler says.
One way, we were able to with in-bank
exhaust. We reversed the exhaust so it
comes out in the center of the bank and
the intake comes in from the outside. It
increased the power of the engine with
a more direct flow of air.
We used some different ways of
looking at the same thing. We realized that an engine is just a giant air
pump. We made it easy for the engine
to breathe by using a more direct
intake and exhaust path and four valves
percylinder.
The V-6 F250 followed in 2004,
bringing with it VCT, or variable
camshaft timing.
VCT allows the engine to take that
deep breath sooner, Meeler says. If
the operator asks for a burst in performance and the engine is turning slowly,
the engine-control module will use
engine oil to hydraulically move the
intake camshaft, so the lobes will come
Yamahas super-high-output outboards

combined the acceleration of two-strokes
with a four-strokes smooth efficiency.
around sooner and allow those valves to

open quicker.
Yamahas V-8 5.3L F350 created
industry buzz in 2007. The 350, which
Yamaha says was developed with 10
key boatbuilders, also came with flyby-wire controls. The F350 allowed
manufacturers to build even larger
center consoles; they could also create
luxury express boats and give them
outboardpower.
In 2010, VMAX SHO (super-high
output) 200, 225 and 250 hp outboards
debuted, combining the attributes of
two-strokes with the smooth, quiet
operation of four-strokes. Meeler says
VCT is a big part of what gives the SHO
its kick.
At the same time, Yamaha used
plasma-fusion technology to melt
pounds off the original F250. The
process uses a metallic powder made
from several alloys and takes a plasma
arc to it at 13,000 degrees. The material instantly melts and fuses to the
cylinder walls, creating a thin, slick
surface that greatly outperforms steel
cylinder sleeves.
Were continually tinkering with the
efficiencies of the four different cycles
of a four-stroke, along with weight, size
and a host of other factors. Those four
cycles are intake, compression, power
and exhaust, Meeler says. Our goal
is always to increase power, make the
engine lighter, and give it better fuel
economy.
FUTURE FOR OUTBOARDS

As weve seen in the past five or six years,
outboard customization has outpaced
technological changes within the
engines themselves. Joystick steering,
2012
2014
Yamaha debuts Helm

Master system; Mercury
soon follows with
Joystick Piloting.
Evinrude unveils the

second generation
of E-TEC technology,
the G2.
ships systems and marine electronics,

Bluetooth and Wi-Fi controllers,
multicolor cowlings, purpose-built
propellers, auto-trim systems all
have delivered fingertip control and
immediate feedback to boaters.
Outboard companies told me they
expect customization to continue, and
theyll also push for improved fuel
economy. Alternative fuels are still a
big question mark, and ethanol issues
persist. Research is underway to find
better protection for outboards and fuel
systems from higher levels of ethanol,
but no one would share any plans.
In the end, all marine companies
strive to make boating as easy and fun
as humanly possible. Outboard builders
SPORTFISHINGMAG.COM
67
ADRIAN E. GRAY
DIGGING
DEEP INTO
GULF
YELLOWFIN
68
FEBRUARY 2017
How a Unique Partnership Between a State Agency and

Universities Has Uncovered New Facts About Yellowfin Tuna
in the Gulf of Mexico
B y
B R E T T
F A L T E R M A N
SPORTFISHINGMAG.COM
69
The total catch of yellowfin tuna

in the western Atlantic is a daunting figure, with more than 101,305 tons reported in 2014.
Fifty countries participating in a member treaty group called the International Commission
for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) contribute to the total catch each year. Spain
and France are some of the largest contributors, whereas the U.S. landed just 2.63 percent of
the Atlantic-wide estimated total catch in 2014.
So, for a single state agency to try to affect international
management might seem like folly. However, regionally in
the northern Gulf of Mexico, with respect to yellowfin tuna
catch, Louisiana is huge. More yellowfin tuna are landed both
recreationally and commercially from ports in Louisiana than
from any other Gulf Coast state. When fisheries managers in
Louisiana looked at how the Atlantic-wide yellowfin tuna
fishery was managed and what data was being collected from
the local fishery, they realized they could make a difference.
STARTING AT THE
SINGLE-STOCK HYPOTHESIS
ICCAT and thereby NOAAs National Marine Fisheries
Service, since the U.S. is a contracting party manages
yellowfin tuna in the Atlantic Ocean as a single stock.
Furthermore, the management plan rests on the premise
that production of yellowfin tuna is centered in waters off the
Gulf of Guinea, a known tuna nursery in the eastern Atlantic
adjacent to west-central Africa. The region supports a large
purse-seine fishery that targets small tunas associated with
fish-attracting devices (FADs).
The retention of undersize tuna by these purse seiners
has long been a matter of contention among ICCAT nations,
and the U.S. has lobbied for decades to force compliance with
ICCAT minimum-size limits of 27 inches, fork length. TransAtlantic movements of yellowfin tuna have been documented
by previous conventional-tag-recapture studies. Similarly,
one-year-old bluefin tuna were documented crossing the
Pacific Ocean in just a matter of months.
Still, is the health and future of the fishery in the Gulf of
Mexico really dependent on what comes across the Atlantic?
The answer might be in the tuna-rich Gulf waters off Louisiana.
see on a Pacific long-range tuna trip off Mexico.

But one thing that really stands out is the lengthy season:
You can catch yellowfin tuna off southeast Louisiana all year.
Whether anglers are live-bait fishing near rigs, chumming
by shrimp boats or natural bottom features, or throwing
topwater lures near surface-feeding whale sharks, theres
always action available.
Clues about the yellowfin tunas life history are present
as well: adults in spawning condition, day-old larvae caught
during surveys, juvenile tunas just months old, and multiyear
tag returns from adults recaptured in almost the exact
same area they were released. The data suggests that some
yellowfin tuna might spend a whole lifetime in the Gulf of
Mexico. Perhaps not the picture youd expect for a highly
migratory species?
In response to the disparity between the importance
of Gulf of Mexico yellowfin tuna to Louisiana-based user
groups and the lack of biological information, the Louisiana
Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) began a
comprehensive yellowfin-research program.
The success of the program ultimately hinged on access.
What is unique about Louisianas yellowfin fishery? Id say

almost everything, from environment to tuna behavior.
North Americas largest river flows out against Gulf Stream
eddies (the Loop Current), and these currents meet above
deep nearshore canyons along a shelf margin that is littered
with FADs (oil rigs). Yellowfin tuna recreational catches out
of Louisiana on a day trip can, at times, resemble what youd
70
FEBRUARY 2017
ADRIAN E. GRAY (2)
THE UNIQUE LOUISIANA FISHERY
More yellowfin
tuna are landed by
recreational anglers
from Louisiana
ports than any
other Gulf Coast
state. Researchers
set out to learn
more about the
tunas spawning
sites, biology and
life history.
LDWF dock samplers were able to provide biological samples

from more than 1,600 yellowfin in less than three years.
In excess of 200 yellowfin tuna were fitted with electronic
tags. And about 400 young-of-the-year tuna were collected
throughout the Atlantic.
ELECTRONIC TAGGING
Conventional dart or spaghetti tags have been used for
decades and are great tools for studying the movement
patterns of fish. Fish have to be both recaptured and then

reported for these projects to work. But pelagic fish such
as tuna typically have very low recapture rates. In fact,
according to the NMFS Cooperative Tagging Center, the
all-time recapture rate for yellowfin tagged in the northern
Gulf of Mexico is a tick above 2 percent.
Pop-off satellite tags (PSATs) provide a way to track fish
without relying on their recapture. But attaching PSATs to
yellowfin tuna has been problematic for many researchers,
BIOLOGICAL RESEARCH CONDUCTED ON

YELLOWFIN TUNA IN THE NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO
Yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) caught in the northern Gulf of Mexico recreational fishery were sampled as part of a life-history study funded by
the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Fisheries scientists Jim Franks, Nancy Brown-Peterson and Dyan Gibson, with the University of
Southern Mississippi-Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, examined the feeding habits and reproductive biology of yellowfin tuna.
Examination of stomach contents from 1,286 yellowfin tuna (11 to 77 inches curved fork length, 12 to 221 pounds total weight) revealed a diverse
diet comprised of 86 prey species, most of which were fishes and to a lesser extent invertebrates such as squid and offshore swimming crabs. More than
16,000 prey items were found in the stomachs. Some of the most common fish prey were menhaden, jacks, flying fish, mackerel, small tuna (including
blackfins) and mullet, along with other prey including filefish, triggerfish, dolphin, snake mackerels, pufferfish, butterfish and spadefish.
Seasonal shifts in yellowfin diet roughly correlated with the availability of certain prey species. For example, the fall and winter diet consisted of prey
commonly associated with bottom habitats, including flatfish, sea robins, croaker and shrimp, which supports local knowledge that yellowfins feed on
bycatch from shrimp trawlers working in the northern Gulf at that time.
An exhaustive examination of the reproductive biology of yellowfin tuna from the Gulf revealed that females spawn from mid-April through August.
Individual females produce multiple batches of eggs and spawn as frequently as every 1.3 to 3 days, with younger fish spawning less frequently than
older, larger females. Individual females can produce as many as 1,180,978 eggs per fish, and an average-size female of about 70 pounds can produce
25,586,823 eggs during a single reproductive season. The size at 50 percent sexual maturity, which is a term commonly used by fisheries managers to
describe the size at which half the females in a population are mature, is 38 inches CFL, well above the current 27-inch minimum-size limit.
SPORTFISHINGMAG.COM
71
possibly because of both their

behavior and somewhat delicate
bodies. Tuna must keep moving.
As anyone who has fished for
or caught a yellowfin tuna can
tell you, theyre extremely active
in the water column, cumulatively traveling literally tens
of thousands of vertical feet a
day (as documented with depth
records from PSATs). Average retention of satellite tags on
yellowfin tuna in previous studies has been about a month.
Since the goal of the LDWF project was to look at long-term
movements, it made sense to do two things differently from
the start. The first was to figure out a better way to attach
PSATs to yellowfin tuna. The second was to take a chance
on a different electronic-tag type that had never been used on
yellowfin tuna in the Atlantic.
Improving tag attachment involved abandoning the use
of darts to hold the buoyant satellite tags in the fastswimming tunas. Instead, a hollow needle was used to
target one of the heaviest areas of bone mass in a tunas
body, which is the base of

the second dorsal, known as the
allison fin. Researchers passed
heavy monofilament through
the bony base of the second
dorsal fin twice in a figure-eight
configuration and crimped
directly to the PSAT.
Like PSATs, internal archival
(IA) tags are electronic tags that
measure light level, depth and temperature. Both electronictag types can be employed for high-resolution studies of
habitat use, as well as to re-create daily positions based on
light-level measurements. Light-based geo-location works
because sunrise and sunset times vary east to west, and day
length varies north to south.
But unlike PSATs, IA tags use all their battery power to log
data. Since they dont use any of it for the pop-off mechanism
or to upload the data through an antenna to a satellite system,
they have a much longer lifetime. Some IA tags can log data
for more than 10 years. Also, the internal tags have to be
surgically implanted. Yellowfin tuna that are to be tagged are
72
FEBRUARY 2017
BRETT FALTERMAN (4)
Whats unique
about Louisianas
fishery? Id say
almost everything.
Yellowfin tuna ear

bones are small
enough to fit on
your pointer finger,
but their chemical
makeup determines
whether fish are
Gulf residents or
travelers from distant
spawn locations.
caught quickly so theyre in good condition, netted and placed

upside down in a padded cradle. A small incision is made in
the belly, and the internal tag is inserted into the body cavity.
Two quick sutures hold the incision closed.
The light stalk of the tag protruding from the tunas
abdomen and a green-and-white conventional tag near the
dorsal fin are the only indications that the tuna is swimming around the Gulf with a computer in its belly. But the
catch, literally, is that these fish have to be recaught and
reported for the data to be recovered from the tag. And while
a 2 percent recapture rate might not justify a large investment in an internal-tagging project, LDWF biologists knew
that the local recapture rate was closer to 10 percent based
on conventional tags deployed on yellowfin as part of the
Louisiana Cooperative Fish Tagging Program. So based on
the hope of a slightly higher recapture rate in the region and
that a $200 gift-card reward would incentivize participation,
LDWF began tagging yellowfin in 2013 with internal and
pop-off satellite tags in the north-central Gulf.
To date, 162 of these internal tags have been surgically
implanted and 26 satellite tags attached to yellowfin tuna
ranging in size from 27 inches to more than 160 pounds off
southeast Louisiana by LDWF. Recapture rates have exceeded
expectations, with 30 internally tagged fish recaptured to
date. Some tuna were at large for up to 1,017 days, with the
average returned IA tag having been in a fish for 238 days.
And satellite-tag retention has more than doubled, with some
satellite tags attached for more than 300 days.
THE RESULTS
Whats the preliminary result? Almost 9,000 days of data
across all tracked yellowfin tuna show that none have left the
Gulf of Mexico.
Were also seeing a high level of connectivity between
fishing methods and locations, which hasnt been previously
NATURAL TAGS HELP RESOLVE

YELLOWFIN ORIGINS
Doctorate student Larissa Kitchens from Dr. Jay Rookers Fisheries
Ecology Lab at Texas A&M University is currently using chemical tags
in ear bones (otoliths) to look at the stock structure and migration of
yellowfin tuna in the Atlantic Ocean. The main goal of this project is to
determine whether yellowfin tuna in the Gulf of Mexico are part of a
resident population that spawns locally or if yellowfin migrate into the
Gulf of Mexico from distant spawning areas.
Chemical concentrations in otoliths reflect the chemistry of the
seawater the fish inhabit, so otoliths act as a natural tag that can be used
as a chronological record of habitat use and movement. In this project,
chemicals in the otoliths of juvenile yellowfin from all of the major nursery
areas in the Atlantic Ocean will be used to create chemical signatures
for each nursery. Then, otoliths from adult yellowfin caught in the Gulf of
Mexico will be analyzed, and the chemistry of the otolith core which
corresponds to nursery period will be matched back to the nursery
signatures to determine where these fish were spawned.
Results of this research will help to develop a better understanding
of how valuable each of these nursery areas are to the Gulf of Mexico
population. Preliminary results indicate that yellowfin tuna sampled
from the Louisiana recreational fishery come from both distant and local
nurseries. Ultimately, this information will improve the ability to effectively
manage this important U.S. fishery and ensure that yellowfin tuna
populations are sustainable.
documented. Were looking to determine whether a fishs

tagging location has anything to do with its recapture location. Its known that yellowfin tuna have a high level of
association with structure, especially when theyre small, so
its reasonable to wonder if that association might affect what
other parts of the fishery youll see these same fish.
But so far a clear pattern has not emerged, with yellowfin
tuna tagged at rigs being recaptured at the same rigs (where
they were tagged) and other rigs, as well as shrimp boats and
open-water schools and vice versa. And while we havent had
any yellowfin tuna travel out of the Gulf, we have seen them
recaptured by anglers off all Gulf states. Most recaptures have
come from the Venice, Louisiana, charter fleet, but some have
also come from Texas charter boats, Alabama private and
charter boats, Florida private boats, and Gulf commercial
pelagic longline vessels.
Another point to make here is that while tuna being
captured at the same rig where they were tagged might not
seem that interesting, remember that many of the offshore
Left: A hollow needle

passes monofilament
through bone
mass underneath
the second dorsal,
called the allison fin,
to better attach a
pop-off satellite tag
(far left) for tracking
tuna movement.
SPORTFISHINGMAG.COM
73
fishery, which is composed of adults from both local and

distant nurseries (see Natural Tags sidebar). And these
tagging results suggest that no matter where the fish are
spawned, once they end up in the Gulf, theyll most likely stay
around for a while.
When the previous Atlantic yellowfin tuna stock
assessment was conducted in 2011, the Atlantic stock was
found to be marginally overfished and possibly undergoing
overfishing. The most recent stock assessment, which was
just conducted in summer 2016, concluded that the fishery
was overfished but that overfishing was not occurring.
Data from several of the LDWF-coordinated projects were
considered. And while the ICCAT continues to recommend a
reduction in the mortality of small yellowfin, particularly in
the FAD-associated fisheries in the eastern Atlantic, it is good
to know that the regional fishery in the Gulf is not entirely
dependent on foreign tuna-nursery grounds and their
associated regulatory-compliance issues.
LDWF does not manage tuna, but the agency has certainly
done its part to make sure the best science is made available to the federal and international managers of this
fishery, which is in the best interest of all recreational and
commercial fishermen.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Examining the stomach contents of almost 1,300 yellowfin revealed

86 different prey species, most of which were fish, squid and crabs. Odd
eats included triggerfish, pufferfish and spadefish. Match the hatch?
74
FEBRUARY 2017
Brett Falterman is currently a program manager with the

LDWF and oversees the states offshore fisheries independent
monitoring surveys and research projects. With a graduate
degree in marine science and more than 10 years of charterfishing experience in the northern Gulf of Mexico, Falterman
brings a unique perspective to addressing some of todays
challenges in fisheries management.
DANIEL GOEZ (TOP), BRETT FALTERMAN (BOTTOM)
oil-field structures in the Gulf are mobile, like the drillship

Ocean Black Rhino. So when some of the tuna tagged at one
drillship were recaught on the same drillship after it had
moved more than 50 nautical miles, we were left to wonder if
its really the fish doing all the moving or if their association
with mobile structures might explain some of the dispersal
patterns weve seen.
After three years of intensive study, a much more complete
picture of the biology and life history of yellowfin tuna in the
Gulf of Mexico has been uncovered. Not only do yellowfin
tuna spawn off the Louisiana coast (see Biological Research
sidebar), but that spawning activity helps to fuel the local
PLUGGING
CARIBBEAN
ISLANDS
TEXT AND PHOTOS BY JULIEN LAJOURNADE
A moment of
well-earned
jubilation for the
author, with a black
grouper of bragging
size on any gear,
but more so after it
attacked a popper
on the surface.
76
FEBRUARY 2017
Try Sight-Casting
Lures Inshore and
Around Shallow
Reefs Flat-Out
Fun for an Awesome
Array of Game Fish
SPORTFISHINGMAG.COM
77
lobe-trotting anglers who love to throw lures and sight-fish for a great variety of
saltwater game fish associate that fishery mostly with Indo-Pacific reefs. Thats
where they can expect to hook up with bad boys of the reefs such as giant trevally,
red bass (the aggressive snapper Lutjanus bohar), dogtooth tuna, coral trout,
potato grouper, barracuda you name it. Those who dont venture so far from
the United States can head to the eastern Pacific off Central America to cast for
nearshore hooligans such as cubera snapper and roosterfish.
Using top-shelf spinning gear, anglers
fishing these Pacific destinations cast expensive lures in the hopes of provoking toothy
critters, looking in particular for unforgettable,
explosive surface action.
Ive been there (to many Pacific and Indian
oceans locations) and done that, but Ive been
elsewhere and done it also notably around the
islands and reefs of the eastern tropical Atlantic.
True, the primary draw for many sport fishermen
visiting the Caribbean from the United States is
fishing blue water and flats. But large areas of deep
flats, channels, and reefs of rock or coral reefs,
found between shore and deeper drop-offs arent
fished as much by visiting anglers, especially

those who cast and retrieve lures.
This fishery is simply not on the radar of
many local guides, who often have no clue about
the effective and exciting technique of fishing
lures around reefs and shallows. When predators including snapper, grouper, jacks, tarpon,
barracuda and others are hunting nearshore
waters, all can be suckers for a well-presented
lure throughout the Caribbean including the
Bahamas, Cuba, Trinidad, Mexicos Yucatan,
and the cays of Belize and Honduras, as well as
many other islands.
A Lesson in the BVI

In Caribbean waters, inshore guides often are
primarily fly-fishing specialists. They may have
little knowledge of lures such as poppers and
stickbaits. The lip is broken off your lure! is a
comment Ive heard more than once from guides
seeing my stickbait who are not familiar with
plugs other than diving Rapalas with plastic lips.
I heard a similar comment most recently
during a visit to the British Virgin Islands,
a lovely paradise at the top of the Leeward
Island chain. It was September, the weather was
superb, and I had the islands largely to myself.
The first morning, my guide stopped his 35-foot
center console in a small cove to catch live bait.
I had already tied a 4-inch stickbait to my
30-pound spinning outfit. I threw it out near
some pelicans, twitched it twice, and a 30-pound
78
FEBRUARY 2017
COURTESY BAHAMAS TOURISM (LEFT)
As this aerial photo

shows, theres no
need to travel to the
far Pacific to find
great flats, beaches,
shallow reefs,
channels and passes
that offer productive
and varied habitat
for sight-casting.
T H E CAR IB B E A N ISL A N D S
Bahamas
Turks &
Caicos Islands
Cuba
Dominican Republic
Virgin
Islands (GB)
St.Martin
Cayman Islands
Haiti
Anguilla
Saint Barthlemy
Virgin
Puerto
Rico Islands (US) St. Kitts
& Nevis
Jamaica
Montserrat
Antigua and Barbuda

Guadeloupe
Dominica
Martinique
St. Lucia
Barbados
St. Vincent &

the Grenadines
Aruba Curaao Bonaire
Grenada
Trinidad & Tobago
tarpon jumped several times before throwing

the lure. A few more casts resulted in another
missed tarpon and two monster bar jacks.
We moved on to fish stretches of beautiful
coral reef. The water was so clear, it reminded
me of atolls of the Indian Ocean. Hard-fighting
horse-eye and bar jacks, as well as barracuda,
large yellowtail snapper and more grabbed my
lures. I also lost some unidentified creatures
that made off with two of my favorite stickbaits.
In light of the fact that we were just a

half-mile from the marina, such hectic action
was a nice surprise. The guide admitted he had
never caught so many fish so quickly without live
baits (which he seemed to forget all about that
morning). Thus began three days of exciting
fishing around reefs that, surprisingly, probably
had never been seriously plugged before.
This experience offered further proof that
light-tackle enthusiasts, prepared with the right
gear to explore islands in the Antilles and elsewhere in the Caribbean, can find memorable
action on hard lures.
Cuba, the Caribbeans

Jurassic Park of Plugging
Big barracuda in skinny
water around western
Atlantic islands are
volatile and acrobatic,
particularly when
hooked with a fastmoving stickbait on
medium spinning gear.
In the early 2000s, Cuba was the first eastern

Atlantic destination to which anglers (particularly from Europe) brought serious popping
gear with the clear intention of catching big
fish like cubera snapper. Huge marine areas
around Cuba had been isolated for decades
with minimal access or fishing pressure; many
Cubans dont own boats, and there are no
modern tackle shops around.
SPORTFISHINGMAG.COM
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Above: Lemon sharks

will go after an erratically
worked stickbait such as
this Sebile Stick Shadd.
Below, right: Even queen
triggers succumb to the
temptation of hard lures.
Opposite, top: a prized
mutton snapper taken by
sight-casting a stickbait
in shallow water.
80
FEBRUARY 2017
As a result, many fish live long and grow big

in these famous protected zones dedicated to
divers and fishermen from abroad. Most of the
fishing boats available are flat skiffs and cant
easily venture onto deeper reefs, though they
offer fishing of world-class dimensions in terms
of the variety and size of fish.
With small surface and subsurface plugs on
the deep flats, channels and shallow reefs (to
20 feet), you can find jacks, cudas, baby tarpon,
mutton snapper, young goliath grouper and
cubera. These game fish offer great sport on
30-pound tackle (fishing any lighter than that
gets too risky).
But if I were casting larger lures over deeper
reefs (say, 30 feet or more), Id think twice
before casting with a light rod. Monster cubera
and big black and gag grouper patrol those
waters. If you dont have strong, giant trevallyclass tackle, and lack much experience battling
big fish street-fight style, youll likely lose your
lures and could harm trophy fish. When fishing
big lures along these reef edges, you have no idea
what will come up to grab them. It could be a
15-pound jack that ends up being swallowed by
a giant cubera seconds after you hook it.
Since 1999, Ive enjoyed many memorable
experiences while fishing lures in Cuba, such
as attacks on poppers by packs of amberjack in
places so shallow that we could easily see the
bottom. That occurred in Gardens of the Kings

a chain of keys on the north coast while we
fished a sandy flat, looking for large barracuda.
Near Cabo San Antonio, at the western tip of
Cuba, we were trying for snapper along a reef
drop-off when a school of 15 or 20 AJs showed
up and charged all our lures at the same time.
Things quickly become chaotic, but at least we
were using strong GT rods. Even so, hooking a
50-pound amberjack 5 feet from the rod tip is
something brutal.
Gear to Give You

a Fighting Chance
At best, an angler still makes an awful lot of
casts, on average, to hook a prize like a cubera.
Its a shame, then, to lose the fish before getting
TACKLE TIPS
LUR ES
a good look at it, and if the fish breaks off, youve

also lost an expensive lure (and, especially if
the barbs are still on the hooks, you might have
doomed the fish as well).
Guides dont always have the time or
experience to move a boat quickly enough to
help the angler keep a big fish away from rocks,
caves or coral heads. You need to lock down the
drag (at 30pounds or more) and stop such fish
in their tracks. A GT rod with a large, high-end
spinning reel, using 100-pound braid, will give
you a fighting chance. (When I throw lures
around Cubas deeper reefs, I generally use
120-pound PowerPro.) Lures designed for giant
trevally, with the strongest split rings and treble
hooks or in-line singles, should hold up. Ive
seen too many anglers relying on 50-pound-test
lose nearly every big fish they hook.
Bahamas for Inshore Variety

As most anglers are aware, the Bahamas
archipelago is a true paradise for fly-fishermen
looking for bonefish. But when it comes to
fishing plugs, the potential of these waters is
overlooked. Lightweight bucktail jigs, used to
lures Ive seen in most guides boxes, whether at
the Acklins.
Yet the opportunity the Bahamas offers for
light-tackle fishing is immense. Anglers can
by the variety of fish I caught while blindcasting lures around shallow reefs (and even in
I havent had the chance to try popping with

heavy gear on reef drop-offs in the Bahamas,
though I am pretty sure it would be worth
twitchbaits) will provide good action.
Around shallower reefs, for just about any predator that swims, no lure beats a
sinking stickbait. These plugs cast long distances and swim with an underwater
walk-the-dog motion, typically just a bit below the surface. For lighter duty, 4to 5-inch sinking Sebile Stick Shadds, Shimano Orcas and the like will turn on
everything from yellowtail snapper to big tarpon. Floating stickbaits might be
less effective overall but are more fun. Besides the classic red-and-white Zara
Super Spook, there are many other options, including floating models of the Stick
Shadd and Orca, as well as the Rapala X-Rap Walk.
For heavier duty, such as for cubera, bigger grouper and AJs, you need big
lures of the sort designed with giant trevally in mind up to 10 inches or more,
weighing 150 to 250 grams (8-plus ounces). These lobster-eaters dont come to
the surface for a little appetizer they want a big meal!
Work big lures slowly. Thats one key for success with cubera and big grouper:
Using sinking stickbaits, employ a slow retrieve with many pauses lasting a couple
of seconds. Similarly, with big poppers, retrieve with strong jerks and stop every
10 yards or so. Be on guard, because vicious attacks often happen when the lure
sits motionless. With sinking stickbaits, orange or purple are preferable, as are a
white belly and flanks and a blue or pink back. Ive found that with poppers, color
has little importance, but with floating stickbaits, nothing beats white.
SHO CK L EA D ER
Forget wire leaders; 2 feet of fluorocarbon or hard mono is better. You might
lose a few lures to the teeth of barracuda or king mackerel if youre unlucky, but
youll have plenty of bites, and it will be easier to control fish boat-side. Connect
braid to the leader with an FG knot. When fishing 30-pound line, I use 50-pound
fluoro and check it after every fish or strike. With heavy tackle, using 100-pound
braid, for cuberas, dont go under 150- or even 200-pound-test for leader. A loop
knot is the best option to attach a lure, but you can also tie the leader to a swivel,
then use a split ring to make the connection. Crimped sleeves offer an alternative
with such heavy mono, though not a lot of anglers use them. (But in any case, I
like to carry a big Hi-Seas crimping plier because it will cut through a large hook,
and it adds a measure of safety when fishing remote areas.)
HO O KS
With most smaller plugs out of the package, the standard treble hooks will last
about two seconds if you hook even a 10-pound snapper on 30-pound line. Plan to
replace the hooks (and split rings) from the get-go with strong hardware. Similarly,
THE SNAPPER GANG

Pound for pound, mutton snapper (Lutjanus analis) are some of the strongest fish found in
Caribbean shallows not just in reefs and channels, but even up on bonefish flats. Once hooked,
muttons rush to find shelter in a cave, under a rock or a coral head, or even in a hole in the sand.
Using 30-pound braid is a minimum if you are targeting muttons of 10 pounds or more. Unlike
its cousin the cubera, which prefers a slow retrieve and frequent pauses, the mutton is prone to
going after sinking stickbaits worked with dynamic twitches (pauses too long give these sharpDog snapper
eyed fish time to rethink the wounded baitfish). It also responds well to lipped diving minnows
the size of big sardines; where muttons remain abundant, they will take surface lures.
For cubera (L. cyanopterus) and dog snapper (L. jocu), deeper reefs facing open seas are favored territory. These trophy snapper are never
plentiful but are found from the Bahamas to Trinidad, and at times will strike big surface lures. Few guides can confirm their presence around their
islands, simply because they dont fish for them. Dog snapper can weigh 50 pounds, and cubera twice that size. They hunt mostly during dark
hours but will feed during the day as well.
While 30-pound braid

can handle many
fish hooked around
Caribbean Islands, 50to 80-pound on heavy
gear like that below
will give an angler a
fighting chance with
larger grouper, snapper
and amberjack.
As one example of the islands potential,

this past February I was invited to spend four
days exploring Long Islands great bonefishing.
Sustained north winds, however, had cooled the
flats. The bones were hanging off the flats in
deeper waters; we caught a few to 8 pounds, but
fishing was tough.
Thanks to my 30-pound Shimano travel rod
and a box full of lures, I changed up the plan for
a couple of days and had a blast catching big,
mean horse-eye jacks, muttons to 12 pounds,
and 4-foot-long barracuda a fairly short run
away from the dock. My guide hadnt expected
we would see such action, and particularly not
from mutton snapper, known to be wary targets.
On the last morning, before I had to hop on
the plane to Nassau, I picked up my spinning rod
and box of lures and went for a walk along the
rocky beach on the islands eastern shore, below

Stella Maris Resort. Here deep water is close to
the rocks. The weather had become superb, the
ocean totally and unseasonably flat, and I had
this part of Long Island to myself.
I started heaving out a Cordell pencil popper
and was rewarded with immediate action from
hungry cudas. I tried a Williamson Speed Pro
Deep, an excellent plug for casting, and immediately caught a beautiful Nassau grouper. Right
after I released the grouper, I spotted a big
triggerfish cruising near the surface and tossed
a floating stickbait in front of it. I let the lure
sit motionless, and the trigger pounced on it,
sucking in the rear hook. It was game-on.
Afterward, my fourth fish raised was yet
another species. Throwing a Williamson popper,
I watched a reef shark in triple digits charge
and miss it, leaving my hands shaking.
The last fish I hooked in the short time I had
that morning came in behind that same popper,
perhaps 20 yards from shore and in water not
much more than 10feet deep. In a huge swirl of
water, it attacked the lure. That wasnt unlike
strikes Ive experienced fishing GTs in the
Seychelles. I saw it well enough to recognize an
amberjack of possibly 50 pounds. Had I been
in a boat and using heavier gear, I might have
had a chance, but this brute charged out on
a hundred-yard run before the line passed over a
rock, and that was all she wrote.
After that taste, I hope to get back someday
and, in a boat with a guide, cast big plugs along
the wild side of Long Island.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Julien Lajournade started fishing in 1990 as

a guide in Africa first in Sierra Leone, then
Guinea Bissau and Madagascar. He has been
the editor-in-chief for the French angling-enthusiast magazine Voyages de Pche since 2003.
Lajournade loves all fishing, fresh and salt, but
nothing as much as casting surface plugs to
badass fish in the tropics around theworld.
82
FEBRUARY 2017
2
6
Nine Examples
of Fishing
Resorts/Charters
That Extend
Offseason
Bargain Rates
BY DOUG OLA NDER
1
9
84
FEBRUARY 2017
ADRIAN E. GRAY (BOTTOM RIGHT), DOUG OLANDER (2)
1. Casa Vieja Lodge; Iztapa, Guatemala

2. Crackerjack Charters; Seward, Alaska
3. Crocodile Bay Resort; Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica
4. Hawks Cay Resort; Duck Key, Florida
5. Keen M International; Isla Mujeres, Mexico
6. Kingfisher Charters and Lodge; Sitka, Alaska
7. No Boundaries Oman; Salalah, Oman
8. Tropic Star Lodge; Pias Bay, Panama
9. The Zancudo Lodge; Playa Zancudo, Costa Rica
SPORTFISHINGMAG.COM
85
Some fishing operations

(resorts and/or charters) offer
discounted rates part of the year,
most often during what could be
termed their offseason.
Considering that, I located
nine such operations, in prime
fishing grounds in the United
States and abroad, that offer
bargains part of the year. In some
cases, the discount is modest; in
others, its substantial (e.g., $700
per day for boat and crew versus
$1,200 during peak season).
As you might figure, there are
reasons for reduced rates, often
less-certain weather conditions
or the scarcity of some prime
game-fish species. But in most
cases, there also advantages to
visiting in the offseason, some
that might surprise trip planners.
I found that many fishing
operations offer no discounted
rates, and some feel strongly
against that practice. But at the
same time, there are a great many
more resorts/charters than listed
that offer offseason bargains. For
our nine examples, here (listed
alphabetically) is the rundown.
casaviejalodge.com
Iztapa, Guatemala
THE OPERATION: Casa Vieja is
a premier lodge with nine boats
taking anglers out to experience the famed Pacific sailfish
86
FEBRUARY 2017
Guatemala
Big Pacific
sailfish, thanks
to their sheer
numbers, are the
primary draw
bringing anglers
to Guatemala.
fishery here. The nine lodge

boats (40-foot sport-fishers
and 35-foot Contenders) have
recorded days with a year-round
average of 15 shots at 80- to
120-pound sails. Blue, black and
striped marlin all show up on
the grounds as well. Casa Vieja
boasts of five-star service and
gourmet dining.
THE DEAL: May 15 percent

off fishing packages. That would
mean, for example, $3,017 per
angler for a three-day/four-night
package (all-inclusive with VIP
transfers at airport, food, alcohol
and laundry) based on two
anglers versus the normal rate
of $3,550.
THE UPSIDES: Flat seas are
typical at this time. Marlin can
be excellent and mahi numerous
now. The resort is less busy.
THE DOWNSIDES: None, really.
Discount is to offset many resort
patrons who spend their summer
months fishing back home on their
own boats. Despite what many
assume, the rainy season here
doesnt begin until September, so
weather is not an issue.
NOTE: The resort is closed June
through October.
COURTESY CASA VIEJA LODGE (TOP), PAT FORD (BOTTOM), COURTESY CINDY CLOCK / SEWARD.COM (OPPOSITE, TOP),
COURTESY CRACKERJACK CHARTERS (OPPOSITE, BOTTOM LEFT), COURTESY CROCODILE BAY RESORT (OPPOSITE, BOTTOM RIGHT)
nytime is a good time to plan a fishing vacation, but now in the dead of
winter many anglers are likely to find additional motivation.
Anytime is a good time to go on a fishing vacation, but some times are
better than others, with various factors in play in the timing decision. For a
lot of us, among those factors are costs costs within our budget to embark
on a big adventure for the year, or perhaps costs that allow us to squeeze in
a second trip somewhere.
crackerjackcharters.com
Seward, Alaska
THE
OPERATION: Crackerjack
Charters has been a mainstay of
Seward sport fishing for many
years, with a 31-foot Farallon (for
up to six anglers) and a 43-foot
aluminum boat, custom-built for
these waters (for up to 14 anglers).
Trips range from half-day salmon
fishing in Resurrection Bay
to multiday outings in remote
waters of the Gulf of Alaska. The
silver (coho) salmon, for which
Seward is particularly known,
are popular targets in July and
August. But big halibut, lingcod
and rockfish can be caught most
of the time.
THE DEAL: May, early June and
September discounted day
rate of $250 per person (available by calling and booking with
Crackerjack directly), which is
$100 off the peak-season day rate
of $350.
THE UPSIDES: Unlike during peak
season, space on short notice is
often available. Halibut enthusiasts often find some of the years
best fishing during this offseason.
The run to the fishing grounds is
often shorter now than during
peak season. Finally, Seward
is far less crowded than midJune through August, making
it much easier to find reservations for accommodations
and restaurants.
Seward, Alaska
THE DOWNSIDES:
The weather is
certainly more unpredictable in
May and, particularly, September.
Along with beautiful days are
likely to be windy, rough days.
Fishing for silver salmon (which
arent much around in June) and
lingcod (closed through June)
isnt available until July.
NOTE: Crackerjack Charters
closes from October through midApril. May is a good month to
take advantage of a Crackerjack
Charters fishing/hotel combo;
during June, you can take part in
the annual Seward Halibut Derby.
crocodilebay.com
Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica
THE
OPERATION: A fishing
operation and a whole lot more,
Crocodile Bay bills itself as a
premier sport-fishing and ecotour resort. Located near the
bottom of the Osa Peninsula in
the southern part of the country,
its particularly known for roosterfish, sailfish and blue marlin,
plus yellowfin tuna, among other
species. The lodge is located on
44 acres of manicured rainforest
jungle. For fishing nearshore and
offshore, Crocodile Bay offers
a fleet of 33- and 35-foot tower
express boats and 24- and 25-foot
center console Boston Whalers.
THE
DEAL: April 16 through

December 14 13.5 percent less
than peak season, so a three-day
standard fishing package with
transfers will be $4,796 for two
anglers versus $5,540 during
peak season.
THE UPSIDES: Summer months
are actually the best time, as a
rule, for blue marlin and dorado,
and roosterfishing nearshore
remains reliable. September is
the best month to experience the
sensational migration through
the Golfo Dulce here of migrating
humpback whales, a memorable addition to any fishing
day. Temperatures are generally
cooler, and more precipitation at
this time means the rainforest is
at its lush best.
THE
DOWNSIDES:
Sailfish
numbers are down. Also, a
Left: Behemoth
halibut, like this
2016 Seward
Halibut Derby
winner, caught
by Crackerjack
Charters Capt.
Francisca Barnett,
are prime
offseason
targets.
Crocodile Bay Resort
SPORTFISHINGMAG.COM
87
fishing trips; a quieter time,

with more couples than families
booking late summer and fall;
fall is generally an outstanding
time to fish these waters, which
also tend to be at their clearest in
summer and early fall.
THE DOWNSIDES: Late summer
can be oppressively humid
(unless you happen to be spending
time in the water) and beyond
commonplace thunderstorms,
there is, into October, a definite
risk of tropical-weathersystems.
NOTE: Hawks Cay is open all year.
flipside of cooler weather now

is more rainfall. However, this is
not typically all-day rainfall, but
late-afternoon/evening showers
(by which time anglers are often
back at the dock). At times, winds
can make offshore a bit sporty
but still fishable, plus inside the
Golfo Dulce calm-water fishing is
always available.
NOTE: Crocodile Bay is open all
year. The main driver behind
the discounted rate is the fact
that many Croc Bay regulars
spend time from late spring into
fall fishing north in Alaska or
Canada and in general around
home. Also, this time of reduced
rates is particularly popular with
families looking to mix eco-tour
activities with fishing.
Above right:
OK, it is pretty
steamy in the
Keys during
late-summer
days, but by
going after dark,
anglers find
the conditions
perfect and big
tarpon at their
most active.
THE
OPERATION:
Situated
roughly halfway down the
Florida Keys, this large, luxury
resort is a gateway to fishing reefs
and blue water on the Atlantic
or, to the west, vast Florida Bays
skinny waters. But it offers much
more in terms of water-related
and other activities. Guests can
choose from a variety of rooms,
suites and villas.

THE DEAL: Late August through
December 17 resort rates are
substantially less than during
peak season. For example, a
Sunset Villa would run $249 (per
night) at this time versus $674 in
peak season. Also those with their
own boat will enjoy special dock
rates at this time and, depending
on boat size, might even qualify
for complimentary dockage.
THE UPSIDES: Less competition
for everything in the Keys,
including
guided/chartered
Hawks Cay Resort
88
FEBRUARY 2017
THE OPERATION:
One of the
best-known charter operations
that fishes the fabulous Isla
Mujeres sailfishery, Keen M
boasts a fleet of three boats
a 41-foot convertible flybridge
and a 36- and 34-foot express.
Capt. Anthony Mendillo is widely
recognized as an authority on
this fishery, and specializes in
bluewater fly-fishing.
THE DEAL: March 16 through
August 15 up to $250 off the
peak-season rate on Keen M.
So during spring and summer,
a full day of sailfishing for up
to four anglers is $1,200 total;
thats versus $1,300 to $1,450,
depending on exact timing, the
rest of the year. Also, only in
June, July and August, Keen M
offers a five-hour trip for $750.
THE UPSIDES: Summer offers
some of the years nicest weather
and seas to be offshore. Things
are less crowded around Cancun,
and hotel rates are lower.
THE DOWNSIDES: Mainly that
while sailfishing can still be quite
productive, its definitely slower
than in the winter. On the other
hand, this is a perfect time for
some great reef-fishing action
and variety.
NOTE: Summer is also the time
to book a trip to snorkel with
the whale sharks (or do a full
day, with half-fishing and halfsnorkeling). Thats when these
waters are home to one of the
greatest concentrations of whale
ADRIAN E. GRAY (TOP), COURTESY HAWKS CAY RESORT (BOTTOM), COURTESY BEACH-ON-MAP.COM (OPPOSITE, TOP LEFT),
LEON WERDINGER / ALAMY (OPPOSITE, TOP RIGHT), COURTESY NO BOUNDARIES OMAN (OPPOSITE, BOTTOM)
hawkscay.com
Duck Key (near Islamorada), Florida
keen-m.com
Isla Mujeres, Mexico
Isla Mujeres, Mexico
sharks and manta rays in the

world. Keen M offers fishing yearround, though its three-boat fleet
is reduced to one boat during fall.
NLQJVKHUFKDUWHUVFR
Sitka, Alaska
THE OPERATION:
This luxury
fishing lodge sits atop a hill in
Sitka, with balconies offering
sweeping views of Sitka Sound.
Guest rooms are generous and
include full kitchens, though the
lodge prides itself on its gourmet
meals. Anglers fish from 26- to
30-foot Alaska-style cruisers,
with enclosed, heated cabins.
THE DEAL: The middle two weeks
of May and approximately the
first half of September $300
off per person on three-day,
four-night trips. So during
these months, an angler would
pay $2,295 versus $2,595, June
through August.
THE UPSIDES: May is typically
peak time for king salmon, and
regulations often allow for moregenerous daily limits at this time
versus later on. September is
prime time for big silver salmon.
Both months are great for halibut,
lingcod and rockfish and both
months allow skippers to fish for
halibut anywhere (Sitka Sound
is closed to halibut fishing June
through August).
THE DOWNSIDES: One of the
few drawbacks is simply that you
wont get the variety of salmon
during these months because
Even if huge
giant trevally,
like that below,
are fewer in
number off
Oman during the
winter months,
theyre still
around along
with a host of
other game
fish not always
available.
Sitka, Alaska
May is king (chinook) time, but

silvers arent yet around; by
September silvers are thick, but
kings are relatively scarce.
NOTE: Bookings are lighter early
and late in the season more
because of perception than
reality. That is, not all of Alaska
is colder and stormier then; in
fact, May is historically relatively sunny and dry in southeast
Alaska, and September weather
is pretty much a repeat of August.
Kingfisher closes each year from
Sept. 15 through May 15.
noboundariesoman.com
Salalah, Oman
THE
OPERATION:
Offering
what he calls the total Omani
fishing experience, Ed Nicholas
puts guests in modern lodges

and takes them to prime Indian
Ocean fishing spots in one of
three 33-foot center consoles
with twin 200 or 150 Yamahas.
The Hallaniyat Islands, 30 miles
offshore, remains barely fished
and offers some of the biggest
giant trevally in the world.
THE DEAL: The last half of
November and all of February
up to four anglers can have
the operations boat and crew
for $700 per day. Thats versus
$1,200 per day during peak season
(October, early November, and
March through April).
THE UPSIDES: Perfect weather
and flat seas are prevalent. A
great time for light-tackle variety
fishing with plenty of action.
THE DOWNSIDES: The premier
target here ginormous giant
trevally are available but not in
SPORTFISHINGMAG.COM
89
tropicstar.com
Pias Bay, Panama
THE OPERATION:
One of the
worlds pre-eminent fishing
resorts, legendary Tropic Star, on
the southernmost Panama coast,
can be reached only by boat or
plane. Located at the edge of the
Darien jungle, the lodge offers
19 deluxe rooms. It boasts a fleet
of 13 classic 31 Bertram sportfishers equipped with top-notch
tackle. While the coast off Pias
Bay is home to all the eastern
Pacifics game fishes, these waters
are particularly known for their
variety of billfishes. Besides large
Pacific sailfish, three species of
marlin are commonly caught:
stripes, blues and blacks, often
over famed Zane Grey Reef. More
than 300 IGFA world records
have come from Tropic Star/
Pias Bay.
THE DEAL: April, May and June
take approximately 20 percent
off standard brochure rates.
So, for example, based on two
people, a three-day, four-night
trip during this time would run
$3,060 per person versus $3,800
Tropic Star Lodge
90
FEBRUARY 2017
during the peak season.

UPSIDES: During these
months, nearshore fishing peaks
for coastal trophies such as big
roosterfish and cubera.
THE DOWNSIDES: There are
better months for marlin.
Sailfishing can be plenty productive. Blue marlin are caught but
not as often as during winter
and late summer, and blacks are
unlikely during this period.
NOTE: The resort says the
increase in targeting the nearshore coastal game fish has really
increased in recent years. Tropic
Star closes each year during
October and November.
THE
zancudolodge.com
Playa Zancudo, Costa Rica
THE OPERATION: Billing itself
as a boutique fishing lodge, the
Zancudo Lodge relies on fast,
nimble center consoles, including
two state-of-the-art Contender
32s for fishing both nearshore
and offshore. The lodge, located
just above the Panama border,
sits at the edge of a black-sand
beach near a remote jungle
village. Besides fishing, visitors
can surf, paddleboard, hike or
zip-line the jungle, and more.
Zancudo boasts of being rated
among the top 25 hotels in Costa
Rica by TripAdvisor.
THE DEAL: June through August
a four-day trip is charged at
the rate for a three-day trip,
which amounts to a break of
about 13 percent. So a four-day
trip for two will cost $3,495 per
person versus the peak-season
rate for the same trip of $3,995
per person.
THE UPSIDES: This can be
prime time for big schools of
yellowfin, and not just footballs,
but triple-digit fish. Blue marlin
move in, and some days offshore
during this time have produced
double-digit marlin raised or
released. Pressure is down now
in nearshore fishing areas also.
THE DOWNSIDES: Yes, it is rainier
during this period. However, that
rain tends to take the form of lateafternoon scattered showers,
often back at the resort after a
day of fishing.
NOTE: The Zancudo Lodge is
closed September and October,
when rain throughout the day
is most likely (though fishing
remains outstanding).
ADRIAN E. GRAY (TOP), COURTESY ZANCUDO LODGE (CENTER), COURTESY TROPIC STAR LODGE (BOTTOM)
Trophy
roosterfish
(right) are a
coveted prize
for Zancudoarea nearshore
anglers, who
find less
competition
for the game
fish during the
uncrowded
spring months.
anything like the numbers during

peak season.
NOTE: No Boundaries Oman
closes May through most of
September because that is
monsoon season very wet
and very rough and again in
December and January, when
currents are too light and winds
from offshore (filled with sand)
too strong.
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$5.00 per word 20 word minimum. Make checks payable to: Bonnier Corporation
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9 4 49 F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 7
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2017 Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. All rights reserved.

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FEB

THE POWERS THAT BE 60

Outboard Engine Evolution from Portable to Digital By Chris Woodward

DIGGING DEEP INTO GULF YELLOWFIN 68

COST-EFFECTIVE FISHING VACATIONS 84

ADRIAN E. GRAY (TOP)

PLUGGING CARIBBEAN ISLANDS 76

THATS ALL IT TAKES TO

EXPERIENCE THE DIFFERENCE

INVINCIBLE HAS SET A NEW INDUSTRY STANDARD FOR QUALITY,

JIM HENDRICKS PACIFIC COAST EDITOR

ANDREW W. TOWNES III

CHAIRMAN TOMAS FRANZN

CONTRIBUTIONS: Editorial comments, articles, photography or artwork should

ADVERTISERS: UPS and overnight delivery to

FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SUBSCRIPTION QUESTIONS

OUR BIGGEST SMALLEST THING YET

FEBRUARY 2017 / VOL 32 ISSUE 2

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