Generally cooperative weather during a recent fishing-media event in Stuart, Florida, gave me a couple of days to sample the fishing offshore and inshore. These photos offer a look at some of the action. (Sponsoring the event were Boca Bearings, Cuda Tools, Maui Jim, Mustad, Navionics, Okuma, Raymarine, and Yo-Zuri.)
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First Amberjack
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Bait Stop
Hot spot — our skipper, Paul Michele, with Navionics, points out a cloud of … something … sitting just off the bottom, not far offshore. (Note the very clear arch of a large fish down about 30 feet over that mass.)
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Paul Michele squares off vs. a large amberjack as he demonstrates his fighting technique to Alex Mei, of tackletour.com, who is more experienced with largemouth bass.
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Mei went on to finish the fight and land a new bucket-lister for him with this amberjack.
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Congrats to La Pera with his first AJ (seen in the first image in this gallery) in hand, as Michele prepares to lift the fish from the water.
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Hookup: I test the mettle of Okuma’s new Ricky Red series of rods. When matched up with a small Okuma Andros reel and 20-pound braid, it proved a super light-jigging outfit.
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Speed demon: Mei, of California, exults in his first king mackerel. Caught on light gear, the fish sprinted around the boat before Michele could gaff it.
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As I catch the scene on a GoPro, La Pera demonstrates a Canadian war cry in triumph over a fat amberjack.
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On the inshore day, Capt. George Gozdz, who guides in the Stuart area, prepares to release a jack crevalle caught by Dena Vick with Raymarine.
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Vick strikes again, to Gozdz’s surprise, this time with a snook that couldn’t resist a small live pogy (menhaden).
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The prize: Small but fun (and acrobatic), a snook ready for release.
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A braggin’-size trout is last catch of the day for Noel Vick, with Raymarine, who scored casting a lure.
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Read About Another Central Florida Coastal Hotspot: Catching Kingfish Off Cape Canaveral, Florida
I’m a die-hard fan of jack crevalle, which resemble and fight like their high-status cousin, the giant trevally. This Indian River bruiser really tested the little Okuma Epixor XT spinning reel with light braid.
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Change of pace. If you’re thinking, “Hey, that’s not the Intracoastal Waterway!” then a gold star to you for being right on top of it. You caught me: I fished a little canal south and west of Stuart in the ‘Glades, led by guide Corey Nowalski, for snakehead (caught two small ones) and this fair-sized spotted gar.
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