June 2021, Key Largo, Florida: May through late September, Mahi, Mahi, and more gorgeous (blue-green-yellow) Mahi are here. Chromatophores are three-dimensional skin cells that contain pigment and reflect light. When excited, fish can glow these different colors. Only God could imagine such a creation that reflects his glory. Our charter (Justin Hopper, Fantastic II) saw us navigating the gulf stream waters twelve to fifteen miles offshore. At depths of 400-800 feet, trolling wasn’t bad once we got through rough currents. Four stops produced nearly two dozen landings despite us releasing half the fish. Younger Dorado schools often hit fast and furious; the stern rigs can be overwhelmed with action. My favorite Mahi preparation is grilled and blackened with potatoes, and some hollandaise, dill, or remoulade cream sauce drizzled over it.
April 2021, Colorado: If you enjoy flyfishing, several “Gold Medal Rivers” exist in and around the Aspen area. The water must produce twelve quality trout per acre over fourteen inches to qualify for that status. The section must produce sixty pounds of standing stock, those living organisms like plant life, microinvertebrates, and fish. There must also be ample public access. No wonder Glenwood Springs is known as the “#1 Flyfishing Town in America.” The kaleidoscope of color transformation, from underwater blur to surface realization, is mesmerizing. If you need an excellent guide, track down Peter Golden and tell the “Doc” I sent you.
March 22, 2021, Hawaii: Spearfish are the smallest and rarest of the marlin family. Author Scott Cummings caught this trophy, a 79” shortbill spearfish (T. angustirostris), off the Kailua-Kona coast of the Big Island, Hawaii. The 37’ Merrit vessel known as the “Benchmark” was guided by Captain Chris Donato of Grander Marlin Sportfishing. The deckhand seen in the photo is Chip Van Mols. Both men are legendary skippers in the Pacific Ocean. The article “LANDING THE RARE SPEARFISH” was written by Cummings for Adventure Sports Outdoors Magazine, July 2021 edition. Professional media organization Hoosier Outdoor Writers awarded his work the 2021 Fishing Article of the Year.
July 2017, Homer, Alaska: After striking out in the Talkeetna River, I couldn't leave Alaska without catching fresh fish. Targeting 'Kings' is tough when at least five salmon species are present in that part of the ocean. The captain was shocked I landed several Sockeyes (albeit luck) since they usually don't hit live bait. But they are considered this family's best eating, and a few orange Rockfish were added to our mix. A local restaurant on the Spit cooked our dinner just hours later, and I have not tasted any better salmon since.
July 2011, Lake Placid and Lake Letta, Florida: While many nuisance alligator trappers shoot their prehistoric relics with rifles and harpoon guns, professional Chris Lusby and I took our gators live; much more dangerous, much more humane. Over the day, we filled three tags in increasing lengths of five, six, and this eight-footer in Lake Letta. I ended the day hooking a twelve-footer on Lusby’s property and let him go. My daughter, Tayler, had just graduated high school and helped film our adventures. Facts: Most folks don’t realize that gators have ears, but that lump behind the eye lifts like a flap. And their claws aren’t sharp or handling them would be even tougher. One wrong move, and your arm comes off!
July 2011, Islamorada, Florida: We were in search of the Bull Shark, the only apex predatory shark that thrives in salt and fresh waters. Anchored thirty miles off the Key’s coast, several blacktips had jumped our lines. With time running out, one final cast proved to be the game-changer, and a formidable challenger, estimated by my guide at eight feet and three hundred pounds, hit the chum line seventy yards out and sank like a car. I was surprised my battle lasted but twenty minutes, yet my forearms were so painfully swollen from reeling that my skin felt like it was about to rip. The hundred-pound test leader stretched through the rod’s bent shaft as this brute surfaced and rolled long enough for the captain to click a photo. And then the rod snapped in half.