The Febuary issue of FishMonster Magazine has been delivered through out the Florida Keys and the monster head of a wahoo graces the cover… On this weeks FishMonster Radio listen in to the podcast about that picture as we talk with the angler who caught it. Every fish has a story and this one is right here. Also be sure to check out Facebook.com/FishMonsterMagazine for all of the pictures through out the week.

—Capt Seth Hopp

The NMFS has closed the season on medium, large and giant blue fin tuna effective January 22, 2012, and will reopen again in June 1, 2012.

See entire notice from NMFS.

WAHOOOOO! That has been the battle cry of captains and mates through out Key West as everyone watches line strip off a reel faster than anyone thought possible…Big Wahoo. This week on the A&B dock multiple 30 pound fish were brought to the fillet table and one fish that weighed 53 pounds caught aboard the Triple Time. Also another thing that can’t be ignored is the dolphin bite that simply will not end, not that we’re complaining! As for the backcountry, the Everglades have been giving it up! Redfish eating bare hooks and snook smashing artificials… Find all of the pictures through out the week at www.Facebook.com/FishMonsterMagazine

—Capt Seth Hopp

Blackfin Tuna continues to be on the minds of charter captains and fisherman through out the Florida Keys!  These fish have been coming through in droves and they’re big! 15- 20 pounds in the Upper Keys and 20+ down towards Key West. Sailfish is a wintertime target through out the Keys and one tactic is live baiting off the edge of the reef… This week there have been less sailfish… But the tuna have been coming in and railing the spread! A welcomed by-catch by many… Check out Facebook.com/FishMonsterMagazine for all of the pictures and reports through out the week.                                                               —Capt Seth Hopp

(Photo by Moe’s Custom Charters)

NOAA Fisheries Service is looking for comments on Amendment 20A to the Fishery Management Plan for snapper-Grouper in the South Atlantic by March 12, 2012.

Read entire bulletin and make a comment.

NOAA seeks comments on possible revision of accountability measures for recreational catch of gag and red grouper in the Gulf of Mexico by January 27, 2012.

Read entire bulletin and make a comment.

The Blackfin Tuna capital of the world… The Florida Keys. The January issue of FishMonster Magazine is out and blackfin tuna is the hot topic. Find the story of the front cover here on FishMonster Radio along with more stories about the backcountry winter bite and the post cold front offshore extravaganza…

—Capt Seth Hopp

I’m not sure how it really happened or who was at the head of it but somebody started surfing the keys a long time ago.  Since then a small group of guys has somehow slid past the public’s view surfing the keys every chance they got. During my upbringing I was told tales and saw pictures of these people surfing.  My dad was one of them.

My father grew up in South Florida and joined the United States Coast Guard at eighteen.  While being based in Virginia Beach he learned many things about piloting ships and being a well-rounded mariner.  But, one of my most favorite things he ever brought back to the Keys was something called “stoke.”  If you have some sense of what this is you’ve just heard about it and you really have no idea.  If you don’t have any idea, well, you should try catching a wave.  The first time you drop in and make your bottom turn and take a line down this energy running through the ocean you’ll feel it.  It doesn’t come from paddling out and feeling like your part of the crowd.  It doesn’t come from falling off your board when you try to stand up.  It only comes from making the drop, pulling off your bottom turn and taking that line.  Looking down the wave and enjoying the gift that just emerged out of the deep and threw itself over the bottom creating the most unique ride of your life.

In the 70’s and 80’s the Florida Keys were filled with transplanted watermen from all over the continental United States.  As most Keys people have made their way here, these guys and gals moved to the Keys with one thing in mind: lifestyles and careers that took place on, in, or around the water.  So, it was inevitable that somebody would see the right spot on the right tide with the right swell and they would get the idea.  Well, for me, being a 3rd generation Keys kid there’s much less to pioneer now.  But, I did go to college on the East Coast of Florida where waves are much more prevalent than the keys.  And, I was lucky enough to get in the water to surf quite a bit.  Moving back to the Keys I brought my surfboards home and put them in my shed just in case.

When listening to my dad, Sombrero Reef was always a highlighted story with tales of surfers catching waves and riding them through the lighthouse structure that was built on the big rock shoal at its shallowest point.  It had always been a dream for me to surf there.  I just wanted to follow in my dad’s footsteps and catch a good wave right here at home in the Keys.

On November 29 on my way out to the blue water in search of shooting some pelagic fish I noticed a weird ground swell coming from the South West direction.  As big as they were they were moving through Hawk’s channel where the water was deep and they weren’t making a big impact on our ride in the boat but as I picked my head up and saw what was happening on sombrero reef I was in amazement:  4-5’ swells were coming out of the gulfstream and pushing up on the reef.  They were breaking on the west corner of the main reef and bending all the way around the north side providing the most perfect left hand waves you could ask for.  I looked at Ace, my diving partner, and he knew what was happening.  We put the boat in the corner for the dock and put the motor on the rev limiter.  It was the longest 4 miles back to shore and back out again but when I got there the swell was as strong as it was when we left and I was in for a treat. I caught 20 awesome waves over the crystal clear reef watching the parrotfish swim below me while I went down the face of these gin clear waves.  Enjoy the pictures and catch the STOKE for yourself.

Most saltwater anglers are now familiar with a popular method of fishing with vertical jigs commonly called butterfly jigs.  Discovered by the Japanese and brought over to this country about 5-6 years ago they catch a variety of fish.  Butterflies are heavily weighted, brightly painted jigs that flutter like a butterfly when jigged.  I think Shimano has trademarked the name but there are many sold under the various names of vertical, knife or blade jigs.  They all cost a pretty penny, especially those made by Shimano.  Being the frugal person I am as well as the fact that I just like to make things; I thought that using a simple table knife just might work.  Darn if they didn’t catch fish.

I usually jig for tuna out on the Marathon Hump.  It is a long run and sometimes can be a crap shoot, but we have had some fantastic days out there.  Jigged blackfin tuna are usually much larger than those that you troll up.  While my purchased jigs average 5-7 oz., my tableknife jigs are much less, probably 2-3 oz.  To fish them effectively, I use lighter 20# braid on a conventional bass rod setup.  Drop them forever at about 30-60-90 seconds depending upon the depth of the tuna.  Make long powerful sweeps of the rod.  If you have the newer more powerful jigging rods like the Shimano Tevala you can try the rhythmic “up-down-wind” method.  When the fish hits, you will be pulled to the gunnel.  It is an exciting way to fish, but also very fatiguing.

Ok, lets go make a tableknife jig.  Borrow the heaviest table knife that is in your kitchen drawer (or go to the local Goodwill Store).  Drill a 1/8” hole in the end with a cobalt drill bit or a specialty bit called a “carbide stub drill” available online at specialty tool shops.  Drill with coolant.  Add a heavy duty split ring and solid ring.  Loop on one or two assist hooks.  Add some adhesive mylar tape for dress-up and you are good to go.  You can also make your own assist hooks.  YouTube has several videos on how to do that.