 PRISTINE
PARADISE by Al Rogers
- Fishing deep in the Biloxi Marsh
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- Capt. Brian Gagnon looked out over the pristine wilderness and inhaled
deeply. It was nearly March, a clear afternoon and this was a long awaited
breath of fresh spring air. Seated at the stern of a 14-foot skiff Gagnon
could not have been happier. This was just exactly where the Bay St. Louis,
Miss. native wanted to be. As far from civilization as he could.
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- "It's hard to believe we haven't seen or heard another boat or
motor in three days," he said. "Three days. When was the last
time you could say that?"
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- I silently pondered the question but couldn't respond. I couldn't remember.
This was unlike anything I'd ever seen. This was a paradise, as isolated
and backcountry as anything on earth. Many an adventurous angler has harbored
dreams of finding such an area. But finding such a region in today's world
is a rare thing.
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- Vast schools of fish moved through a twisted maze of wetlands, gorging
on a buffet of shrimp, crab and baitfish. The bayous meandered aimlessly,
with each twist and turn creating ambush points for trout and redfish.
The pristine waterways ran through countless passes and into interior bays
before eventually spilling into even larger nearby bodies of open water.
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- Spring was in the air. The chill I recalled a week earlier was gone...
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 KAYAKER'S
HIGHWAY by Lefty Ray Chapa
- It's kayak heaven between Port A and Aransas
Pass, Texas
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- In the movie Titanic, the character Jack Dawson
climbed up on the bow of the ship and proclaimed himself "King of
the World!" From that vantage point he felt he could conquer all that
came his way. On Highway 361 between Aransas Pass and Port Aransas, Texas,
any kayak fisherman can feel the same way. For almost 10 years, I have
been calling this 12 mile stretch of road the "Kayak Highway"
and just about anywhere that you can pull over and launch, a decent kayak
fisherman can conquer the nearby flats..
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- The Invasion Begins by Capt. Robert
Brodie
- Sand Trout and southern kingfish swarm the bays.
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- For anglers here in south Mississippi we are
blessed with a wide variety of saltwater offshore, near shore, and inshore
species to
 seek
throughout the entire year. That's right, no matter what time of the season,
an angler willing to wet a hook has a good chance of doing battle with
some sort of hard fighting fish. You name it, speckled trout, redfish,
flounder, sheepshead, black drum, cobia, snapper, grouper amberjack, pompano,
Spanish mackerel, king mackerel, jack crevalles, and a variety of sharks
are all popular pursued species.
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- However, usually starting around mid March and
generally running into November there are two species that take the spotlight
without all the hoopla of the other more noted species like speckled trout
and redfish. Now you might not see nearly as many articles or pictures
regarding these two species, but I'll assure you anglers in south Mississippi
will be out in mass with hopes of loading up these tasty fish...
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- BRAIDED LINES - by Kyle Tomek
- Eliminate the stretch for better hookups.
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- Braided line is nothing new to freshwater anglers
who have relied on its stretch free and strong qualities for yanking big
bass from thick vegetation. Like many tactics and lures that
originate on freshwater lakes, braided line has migrated to coastal waters
and top speckled trout and redfish anglers are not turning back.
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- Monofilament line has long been the stand-by
for anglers on the Texas coast. Anglers are discovering, however,
the advantages of using braid over the stretchy rival. The intertwined
strands that compose braided lines pack more strength within a smaller
diameter providing smoother casting, more sensitivity, and resistance to
sharp teeth or underwater structure.
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- "I really have nothing bad to say about
braided line. I threw mono forever until everyone convinced me to
change; now I won't switch back," states tournament dominator, John
Gill. "The only con I see is how easy it is to lose fish when
you begin using it for the first time."
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- Gulf Coast Closeup - by Jan Maizler
- Snook at Sanibel, Florida
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- Early summer had begun to warm the waters of Sanibel and Captiva Islands
off Fort Myers, Florida. It had only begun two weeks ago in early May.
I'd called snook expert Captain Mike Smith (239-573-FISH) of Sanibel to
confirm my hunches.
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- Mike was quick to affirm that the snook (or, alternatively, linesiders)
indeed were on the feed in the area's waters from Punta Rassa up to Boca
Grande. Mike encouraged me to get there A.S.A.P., but he qualified it by
saying, "be sure you make it here on a moon." When I inquired
what that meant, he replied, " A moon means a new or full moon, when
the tidal heights and velocity are bigger and stronger.. That's when the
snook are feeding more aggressively."
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- OUR DEPARTMENTS...
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- Paddling Out - Mothershipping
to the Chandeleurs -
by Jeff Herman
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- Rod & Reel'n Offshore - Swim Baits Offshore
- by Patrick Lemire
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- Equipment Notebook
- Hose
and Cable Protection - by David Ayers
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- The Bay Naturalist
- Questions About Shrimp - by
John Hook
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- The Fly Guy -
Sight Fishing - Refined Techniques - by
Pete Cooper, Jr.
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- Tackle Time
- Bait Buckets - Then and Now - by Colby Sorrells
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- Bait Hook
- Going Green
- by Jim Martin
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- From the Publisher...
- Besides all these great articles and departments, Gulf Coast Fisherman
is the only source for the Wells Daily Fishing Forecast.
Each issue carries three months of the Wells Daily
Fishing Forecast - with Monthly Fishing Calendars. Also, don't forget
about the Advance Planning Calendars in each issue that takes you out three
months past the current issue. This will provide what you need to intelligently
plan your fishing trips - hours, weeks, and up to six months in advance!
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- Top saltwater guides and fishermen use the Wells Daily Fishing Forecast - shouldn't you be using it ,too?...
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- "The fisherman that knows what the currents
are doing has the advantage - over fish and fishermen!"
- And remember - "Fish feed everyday, somewhere
" - Harold Wells
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- Gary Ralston
- Publisher
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