It was a beautiful afternoon to go fishing, the weather couldn't have been any better. The CoE and Georgia Power are pulling on the lake really hard right now to get it back down on track for the drawdown. It came up about 8' since last Sunday. The main lake was pretty clear with 59-61degrees most everywhere Stan and I went this afternoon.
Fishing was a bit harder for most of us, out of 44 anglers (23 paid entries) there were only 31 fish weighed in for a total of 43.61lbs. Not a single largemouth was brought to the scales this afternoon. Here's how it all went down for the money spots:
5th place went to Ken G. and Richard with 3 fish for 3.99lbs and $35
4th place was Goff and Steve with 3 fish for 4.01lbs and $52
3rd place went to Mike C. with 3 fish for 4.13lbs for $69
2nd place was Albert, Darren and Josh with 3 fish for 5.21lbs and $86
And first place went to Rick and Danny with monster sack at 8.88lbs for $103 and the Side Pot at $240. They also had Big Bass with a big old Spot that weighed 4.48lbs for $115!!!

Great job on a tough day!! Hopefully the lake will settle down to the normal draw down by next weekend and fishing will get better!! In the meanwhile enjoy your Thanksgiving!! Be safe and we'll see you next Sunday!!

Fort Lauderdale Fishing with Top Shot Sportfishing Charter Boat and Capt. Zsak


Repeat customers, Luke Beattie, along with Kim once again chartered the Top Shot Sportfishing charter boat team for a private deep sea charter boat sport fishing trip in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

The first thing we did was grab a few Goggle Eyes live baits from the marina - they are excellent kite fishing baits. We started the morning trolling the reef in 120 ft. of water – we had cool weather (75 degrees) with the winds blowing from the north of Fort Lauderdale. The ocean was very calm with a teal green color. We put out 3 Ballyhoos for bait, rigged to swim on the surface, and two lures, along with two long baits and two short baits with one flat line close to the boat also with two deep planner lines with a sea witch strip bait diving 50 feet down.

We trolled from 120 ft. of water out to 300 ft. and found a nice color change in 200 ft. of water. The color change had bait fish hanging around it along with a little bit of current - we concentrated on this area. We slow trolled the Ballyhoo baits along the edge of the color change to the north of Fort Lauderdale and started catching Kingfish. Both Luke and Kim took turns and we caught 4 nice size Kingfish. Our next bite was a big one with screaming drag. Kim was the angler, and with a good battle, caught a large offshore Jack Crevalle.

Next, we put two kites up in the air with 3 live baits and one dead bait. We set up in 130 feet of water just outside of the reef line. With the last hour left on the trip, we were hoping to hook up with a Sailfish or something hungry for the Goggle Eyes. Unfortunately, we did not have any takers, and it was now time to head home.

On our way back to the dock, the anglers retired into the a/c salon and enjoyed the relaxing trip back to Bahia Mar Yachting Center, 801 Seabreeze Blvd. Fort Lauderdale 33316. I look forward to having Luke back again next year.

For a successful and adventurous deep sea fishing charter in Fort Lauderdale FL for Sailfish, Shark, Bonito, Mackerel, Swordfish, Snapper, Wahoo, Tuna, Mahi Mahi and Grouper, contact Captain Zsak. - 954-309-7457 or email us at tzsak@bellsouth.net Website: www.topshotfishing.com.

The next ABA Division 125 Tournament will be November 17, 2018 launching from Galts Ferry Ramp on Lake Allatoona. On-site registration will begin at 5:15 AM. The mandatory safety meeting will be at 6:15 AM. Tournament launch will take place immediately after the safety meeting at safe light. Launch order will be randomly generated this season so no need to arrive to the ramp too early. Weigh-in for this tournament will be at 3:00 PM. Please visit www.ABANGeorgia.com, www.AmericanBassAnglers.com, or call Matt West at (404)641-6345 or Keith Ridenhour at (770)241-5475 for additional information.

Also, below is the TENTATIVE schedule for the second half of the season in 2019. All tournaments will launch from Galts Ferry Ramp on Lake Allatoona. NOTE: This schedule has NOT been approved by the Corp of Engineers and is subject to change.

JANUARY 19, 2019

FEBRUARY 16, 2019

MARCH 16, 2019

APRIL 9, 2019

APRIL 27 & 28, 2019 (Two-day Championship)


I hope to see everyone next week!

Matt West
Director, D125 Georgia North
American Bass Anglers
(404)641-6345
Mwest48@bellsouth.net

Navionics News....
What It Takes to Win Back-to-Back World Walleye Championships



Navionics Pro Team member Tommy Skarlis and his fishing partner, Jeff Lahr, are at the top of their game. Last week, they accomplished a huge feat by winning back-to-back World Walleye Championships. Skarlis, with over thirty years of experience and countless championships under his belt, is thrilled about the Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit 2018 World Walleye Championship win. He’s passionate about sharing his knowledge with others and hopes to use his platform to inspire the next generation of pro anglers. When we recently caught up with the highly decorated walleye pro, he was more than willing to share some of his secrets for success.

To read more at: https://www.navionics.com/usa/blog/...ack-to-back-world-walleye-championships/

Bathy and other updates for 2 Texas lakes



Recent work has been done on Lake Grapevine and Fayette County Reservoir and will certainly be noticed by all the recreational boaters and anglers that frequent them. Improvements can be found in: bathymetry and navaids such as moorings, buoys and names.

The depth information has been updated by integrating highly accurate multibeam survey data. This technology is being adopted more frequently by Navionics as part of a continuous product enhancement plan. Bathymetry is a chart feature appreciated by boaters of all kinds and expertise levels, but anglers are the most interested in it because it helps identify productive fishing spots, where fish are most likely to feed or hide.

Lake Grapevine, located in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, is a very active lake, frequented by kayakers, boaters, sailors, anglers, and paddle boarders. The lake does not present much vegetation, in fact the bed is quite rocky. Likely catches are largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass, white bass, white crappie, channel and blue catfish.



Fayette county reservoir’s waters stay warm most of the year and this contributes to the fact that they are absolutely packed with interesting fishing spots and a rich aquatic life, the most common species are catfish, largemouth bass, and sunfish. See the improvements now



Missed a Navionics webinar you wanted to attend?

If you missed a previous webinar you can now watch passed webinars on the Navionics YouTube page. Just follow this link: https://www.youtube.com/user/Navionics


OEM Bundle Cards with Free Navionics+ Upgrade



A number of original equipment manufacturer (OEM) plotter bundles – Humminbird, Raymarine, Lowrance & Sinrad now have a free upgrade of a Navionics+ with a purchase.

When a customer plugs in a card that is eligible they will be shown a graphic allowing them to update from their preloaded content to Navionics+. Each of these bundles has a region already attached to it, meaning that the user is confined to the region set by the card.

Each of the bundle offers an upgrade path to Navionics+ with Freshest Data updates free for the first year provided the card is registered through the Chart Installer within 2 months of the bundle purchase. With some cards you will be advised that preloaded chart data will be removed during this process and the user will have to select and download the areas of coverage needed.

Bathymetry improvements in Canada



As part of our ongoing product enhancement, we recently added new high definition bathymetric data collected by a 3rd party for Canada.

The survey data has been collected using a multibeam technique allowing for a more precise reading of the seabed which results in higher quality depth contours. These additions enrich the already detailed information present on our SonarChart layer that are integrated with data from the best sources, as well as from Navionics’ own survey and sonar logs contributed by our users.

The result is an incredible level of detail and superior bathymetric charts that will increase your awareness of water depths and will help you locate the best fishing areas. If you’re an angler, take full advantage of these high definition contours by color-customizing the different depth ranges on your Boating app. This feature allows you to easily locate fishing spot at a glance!

Why and How to Update your Navionics Charts

FLW Tour Pro & Navionics Pro Team member Josh Douglas shows you how to update your Navionics charts and explains why it's something you should stay on top of. This video is courtsey of FLW Fishing.
Follow this link: https://youtu.be/cB3PCyBfwTc



Improvements to contours for 3 US southeastern lakes

All three of these lakes are generated by dams. Fontana and Tellico both impound the Little Tennessee River while Tims Ford is situated on the Elk River.

Fontana is the deepest lake in North Carolina and the temperature of its waters is quite low, these conditions make it a very interesting habitat for a variety of fish species such as muskie, walleye and smallmouth bass.

Tellico lake offers the beautiful landscapes of the Great Smoky Mountains and 51 different fish species, among which bass and trout are common catches. Ramps, marinas, docks and other services are available for the boating community.

Tims Ford is considered a highly picturesque lake and it offers many facilities for anglers. It is a bass fishing destination, in fact the Tims Ford Bass Classic is held here every year in spring.







Locate fishing spots at a glance with multiple depth ranges in our Boating app!



A new tool for anglers to quickly and easily locate fishing spots! In our Boating Marine & Lakes app is now possible to customize the chart view with multiple depth ranges simultaneously, for bottom understanding at a glance!

The Fishing Ranges feature allows to customize and display on our SonarChart™ map layer up to 5 depth ranges at the same time! The app interface makes it really intuitive to set: choose a color, select the depth values and name your range: the map will show depth gradients with different color shadings.

Have a clear view of bottom depths and choose your fishing area depending on the fish you want to catch. Then move quickly on the water telling with a glimpse holes, submerged islands, steep ledges and drop-offs.

Go fishing in multicolor!
- If you have our Boating app, go to Menu > Map Options and start customizing your maps! To use the new feature, you need an active Navionics+ subscription.
- To renew your subscription go to Menu > Me.
- If you haven’t our Boating app yet, download it for FREE and have a 2-weeks trial. Then, subscribe to the 1-year Navionics+ subscription to continue using Fishing Ranges and many other features!

Download the Boating app today for a two-week free trial!


Overall update to Lake Candlewood, Connecticut

Lake Candlewood, the largest lake in Connecticut, is a true paradise for the recreational boaters and for anglers, that have a choice of bass, bluegill, catfish and a variety of other species to fish in the many spots, coves and islands. To serve the growing boating and fishing public, Navionics has performed an overall update that includes: bathymetry, buoys, underwater structure, lake shore objects and in general of all the surrounding land area geographical names.

See the improvements now?



Navionics Web Site has improved... www.navionics.com

We are improving our web site monthly by making it easier for everyone to manuever around. Now you can click on the “features” tab and a drop down box will appear and you can select the feature you want to learn more about.


Updates to the bathymetry of Keuka lake in Western New York

As part of this efforts to continue improve our mapping at Navionics, we recently updated the bathymetry of Keuka Lake in Western New York.

Keuka Lake is part of a system of glacial water bodies called the Finger Lakes and has a unique “Y” shape. The improved depth contours will surely be appreciated by anglers of all levels of expertise that frequent the lake fishing for a variety of species. The pristine waters remain quite shallow and are home to: Brown Trout, Smallmouth Bass and Landlocked Salmon, as well as Pike, Pickerel, Lake Trout and Yellow Perch.

See the improvements now?

Soft Plastics Enter the Twenty-First Century
The "Nature of Competition" in soft plastics design drives LIVETARGET to develop industry-first process: Injected Core Technology (ICT)

Let there be no doubt, soft plastic lures are effective fish tempters. Available in profiles ranging from simple to gaudy and colors that vary from muted to other-worldly, soft plastics are well-established staples in the arsenals of bass, walleye, and panfish anglers in fresh water, as well as those chasing a wide range of finned predators in the salt. Yet, the majority of soft lures that we thread on hooks and dress on jigs have changed little since the advent of grubs and worms in the 1950s. Warm polymer stews, steeped with colored dyes and glitter, are injected or poured into metal molds; when the whole operation cools, soft lures emerge.

While the sizes and shapes of soft plastic lures are limited only by the bounds of anglers’ imaginations, they all suffer from precisely the same shortcomings: stated simply, most soft baits don’t look anything like the natural forage that predator fish eat, and few behave like a vulnerable prey item that is about to play its part in Nature’s food web.

But that’s changing, thanks to Injected Core Technology (ICT) from LIVETARGET, the leader in lure design and forage replication.

Injected Core Technology welcomes soft plastic baits into the twenty-first century, uniting artistry with engineering to deliver unprecedented levels of soft plastic form and function. Lures manufactured with Injected Core Technology are effectively a bait-within-a-bait, featuring a vibrant, biomimetic, forage-profile interior that is fully encapsulated and intimately linked to a clear, soft polymer exo-skin. Matching anatomical features are aligned on both the interior core and its protective shell, producing unique three-dimensional, flash-generating textures that are both robust and ultra-realistic.


ICT Skip Shad in Silver Pearl (134)

By carefully controlling the density of both the interior core and the outer shell during the molding process, Injected Core Technology lures are instilled with perfectly-balanced, strike triggering actions – right out of the package.

Nose hook a lure and fish ICT baits unweighted, and witness a soft plastic with a remarkably slow descent, its body on a horizontal plane as it falls, perfectly mimicking the behavior of an injured baitfish descending to its demise. Injected Core Technology lures don’t tumble or spiral, they simply drift tantalizingly downward with a gentle shimmy along their length until they come to rest on the bottom – or are consumed by a predator.


ICT Twitch Minnow in Silver Green (952)

But that simple unweighted rig is just the beginning. Soft lures manufactured using Injected Core Technology are extraordinarily versatile, and can be rigged and presented in every way imaginable. From traditional Texas and Carolina rigs, to drop shots and Neko rigs and everything in-between. For example, while ICT was tested, schooling, shad-based bass slurped up Skip Shads when other classic baits put up zeros. In another case, shallow, inshore ranging trout and redfish pounced on weightless, freefalling ICT baits...and in aquarium clear water!

Unveiled at ICAST 2018 and soon appearing in tackle shops across North America, Injected Core Technology lures from LIVETARGET will be first available in two bio-inspired profiles: the slender Twitch Minnow and the full-bodied Skip Shad. Each of these two lure families stands ready to tempt and trigger your favorite predator fish, whether it feasts on a diet of shiners, smelt, sardines, or shad.

Let the era of realistic soft plastics begin…thanks to LIVETARGET’s Injection Core Technology.

ABOUT: livetargetlures.com

Crappies on the Side
Tips for locating and catching crappies in the waning weeks of autumn

By David A. Brown
Fall is feeding time for predators of every flavor, and crappies are in full-on gorging mode; keenly aware of winter’s lurking. Knowing this, Seaguar and Raymarine pro Troy Peterson knows that finding the food means finding crappies. The fish are mostly suspended this time of year, but dialing in the likely bait-holding areas helps him narrow the search.

“We have a pretty big river system with the Wolf River (Wisconsin) and all the minnows, shiners and other baitfish are up in the rivers, scattered amid the timber, in some of the deep holes and behind dock posts,� Peterson said. “So we’re basically driving up and down the river, looking for giant schools of baitfish. They’re typically in the wood, whether it be brush or dock posts and the crappie are typically right behind them.�

Beyond the river scenario, Peterson says he employs a similar strategy for crappie on lakes where crappie will be pursuing pods of baitfish that are making a seasonal movement out of the weed beds. Expanding in size, these baitfish will be holding over deeper flats.


Raymarine and Seaguar pro Troy Peterson

“It’s more of an afternoon bite,� Peterson says. “We’re just using the Raymarine DownVision to look for weed edges, brushpiles and cribs (artificial habitat features comprising a rectangular log frame dressed with brush and other accents). Crappies like to sit over wooded structure, making it easier to drive across lakes and reservoirs and make a grid to find out which cribs the fish are sitting on.�

As Peterson explains, local fishing clubs build these cribs to provide habitat in otherwise barren areas of the lakes. Typically weighted with cinder blocks, these fish attractors are dropped beyond the zone of natural cover. On many northern waters, a permit is required to introduce habitat, like cribs and brushpiles. Opposingly, on southern lakes and reservoirs, ardent anglers sink their own structure, refreshing productive brushpiles, as they erode over time. (There’s an Arkansas guide who has over 2,000 brushpiles marked on a single reservoir!)


Oftentimes, all you need is a bucket of minnows to clean up on fall crappies. (Photo courtesy of St. Croix Rod)

TECH TACTICS

With Raymarine Axiom Pro 12 and 9 units on his dash and an Axiom Pro 9 on the bow, Peterson lauds the crisp clarity of traditional 2D sonar and DownVision images. From a simple time-management perspective, this amazingly sharp detail allows him to immediately recognize what he’s seeing and respond accordingly.

“Raymarine’s signals are so clear that when you get fish suspending over deep water, you can almost count the minnows in the bait school versus a giant blob or who knows what.� Peterson says.

Also, Raymarine’s interaction with Navionics SonarLogging and SonarChart Live takes scouting to a new level. Particularly critical on previously unmapped waters, the ability to record and store what he graphs proves invaluable for open water pursuits, as well as ice fishing.

“This allows me to grid out a lake and create my own maps,� Peterson says. “I can find the deepest holes or the basin, I can find the sharp breaks, I can use SideVision to find and mark the cribs.�


Peterson runs a Raymarine Axiom Pro 12 on the dash and Axiom Pro 9 on the bow.

Marking weed edges, wood piles and rock structures before first ice provides key perspective that guides his decisions while he’s standing on the lake. Again, it’s time management, born of understanding.

“When we’re ice fishing, we don’t have the ability to scan, we have to just go and drill holes and you have to be right on top of spots,� Peterson said. “That’s the beauty of using the SonarChart Live feature.�

For optimal imaging, Peterson offers these tips:

“I’ve found that on certain types of water, you need to play with the settings a little more,� he says. “If you have murky water or really clear water, settings are a big deal. I’ll play with the contrast a lot to try and identify the types of species that are mixed in with the bait.

“We have walleye, pike and bass mixed in with these bait pods. Once you get good at it, you can determine the actual species of fish by the soundings you’re getting. Darkening up the contrast and increasing the gain a little bit will give you better definition.�



TARGET ACQUIRED

Once Peterson locates the crappie-friendly structure, he takes a simple, yet undeniably effective approach to tempting the fish. Inspired by old-school cane poling, Peterson equips uses a telescoping 14- to 16-foot pole rigged with 8- to 10-pound Seaguar AbrazX fluorocarbon to deploy a minnow on a No. 2 long shank Tru-Turn hook with a 1/4-ounce weight, all under a slip bobber.

“On the river system, crappies tuck behind brushpiles and vertical structure like dock posts and stumps, staying out of the current and just sucking in anything that gets eddied back into where they’re hiding.

“There’s nothing more effective than cane poling and dropping your bait directly on top of them without worrying about casting to them or feeding the line back. You want to get your bait as close to that vertical structure because eddies suck whatever they’re eating to the back side of that structure.�

As Peterson explains, the 1/4-ounce weight serves as an escort for his bait. Precision placement is the key ingredient, so he wants to know exactly where each bait goes.

“I want it to drop perfectly straight down; I don’t want any whip or resistance in that line,� Peterson says. “I want to be able to suck that bait as tight to the structure as I can, especially when I’m fishing really thick brushpiles. When I see a pocket on the screen, it’s really important to drop down in there quickly and get the fish out.�


LIVETARGET's lipless Golden Shiner Rattlebait is deadly on fall crappies.

Now, if Peterson’s fishing more around docks in the river system, he switches to a tube or a craw tube presentation. Skipping or flipping works and he’ll match his jig head size to water flow.

“When the current is strong, you want to get your bait down there, so we may use a 1/16- or a 1/8-ounce head,� Peterson said. “But in average current, a 1/32- to 1/16 is what I use.�

Successful southern reservoir crappie masters will mark a brushpile, throw a marker, quickly back off, and make long casts with light jigs. 1/16th ounce is a standard, shifting up with winds and down with a still surface.

One particularly effective combination is a Z-Man Finesse ShroomZ jighead with a Z-Man ElaZtech Finesse ShadZ or Trick ShotZ. The inherent buoyancy of ElaZtech slows the fall, while the material’s durability stands up to fish after fish.

If you prefer hardbaits, LIVETARGET’s lipless Golden Shiner Rattlebait is a proven crappie slayer. Cast over the brushpile, let the bait sink a couple seconds, and retrieve straight back to the boat. (A new, smaller Golden Shiner Rattlebait will be available soon, too.)

Crappies don’t leave the lakes, rivers and reservoirs in late fall. In fact, if you locate fish, there’ll likely be throngs of them. Look for wood structures on the edges of current and brushpiles positioned on points and breaks, and feed them live minnows, finesse jigs and miniature rattlebaits. You’ll be glad you did…


Photo courtesy of St. Croix Rod

About:raymarine.com/multifunction-displays/axiom-pro/pro12/
About:seaguar.com/shop-direct/shop_seaguar/abrazx.html
About: zmanfishing.com/store/categories/jigsspinners/finesse_shroomz
About:livetargetlures.com/products/golden-shiner-rattlebait

The first one of the 2018/2019 season is in the books and , BOY HOWDY, was it ever windy!! HIgh blue bird skies and a strong SE wind with temps in the lower 60s gave way to overcast and less wind. Water was clear and around 63 degrees back in the Stamps Creek area. We had 19 boats including mine, with 35 anglers slugging it out. There were 42 fish weighed for a total of 58.95lbs (average 1.40lbs). We had 6 largemouth and the rest were spotted bass. Big Bass was a 2.55lb spotted bass. here's how the money paid out:
Nick and Zach Tunney had 1st with 3 fish for 6.05lbs and $108 and $190 Side Pot.
Steven and Caz Smith had 2nd with 5.39lbs for $81
Kris B. and Mike C got the 3rd place money with 3 fish for 5.09lbs and $54
There was a tie for 4th, both teams had 5.02lbs. Derrick and Larry O. flipped a coin with Rick and Danny. Rick and Danny won the $27!
Big Bass went to Lowell with a 2.55lb spot for $90!
Congrats to the money spots and to the guys that braved the wind today. I enjoyed seeing all of you and look forward to the season ahead of us!!

Fort Lauderdale Fishing with Top Shot Sportfishing Charter Boat and Capt. Zsak


One of our good repeat customers, Mike Macosko and Hilda Booze, chartered the Top Shot Sportfishing charter boat team for a private deep sea charter boat sport fishing trip in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

Fifteen to twenty minutes after leaving the dock, lines were in 120 ft. of water at the sea buoy in Fort Lauderdale, 1.8 miles from shore. If you venture off another ¼ of a mile, you would find yourself in 500 ft. of water due to our extreme drop off.

We started the morning trolling the reef system in 100 to 200 feet of water. The reef system stretches to the north and south of Fort Lauderdale along the coastline which averages two miles off the beach. I put out a couple of deep lines with sea witch strip baits and 4 surface lines with Ballyhoo for bait and lure spread. Shortly after starting the trip, we started catching Kingfish. Both Mike and Hilda took turns reeling fish in. I also worked the deeper side of the drop off, and we hooked a few Black Fin Tunas.

I fished over wreck structures and over the drop off which produces the best catch. Fishing over the wrecks, we picked up another few Tunas and Skip Jack's. To finish off the trip, I concentrated on Kingfish, and we picked up another 6 Kingfish, all of which were caught on the deeper lines.

It was time to head back to the dock – our catch on this trip totaled 8 Kingfish, 3 Black Fin Tunas, 1 Bonita and 1 Skip Jack. The anglers retired into the a/c salon and enjoyed the relaxing trip back to the dock at Bahia Bar Yachting Center, 801 Seabreeze Blvd. Fort Lauderdale 33316.

For a successful and adventurous deep sea fishing charter in Fort Lauderdale FL for Sailfish, Shark, Bonito, Mackerel, Swordfish, Snapper, Wahoo, Tuna, Mahi Mahi and Grouper, contact Captain Zsak. - 954-309-7457 or email us at tzsak@bellsouth.net Website: www.topshotfishing.com.

Fort Lauderdale Fishing with Top Shot Sportfishing Charter Boat and Capt. Zsak


Cory, Randall, Jordan, Joe and Henry chartered the Top Shot Sportfishing charter boat team to do some deep sea charter boat sport fishing in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

Fifteen to twenty minutes after leaving the dock, lines were in 120 ft. of water at the sea buoy in Fort Lauderdale, 1.8 miles from shore. If you venture off another ¼ of a mile, you would find yourself in 500 ft. of water due to our extreme drop off. We started the trip catching baitfish, Bonitas, at the sea buoy - they were biting good, and we caught a half a dozen of them. Next, we trolled the reef in 150 ft. of water north of Fort Lauderdale - we were targeting Kingfish. The first fish we caught was a Kingfish on the on the planner rod. We continued trolling the reef and caught another Kingfish. I was fishing over wrecks and structures, which is where these fish feed the best. We headed to the fishing grounds north of Fort Lauderdale, and caught another nice Kingfish.

I decided to use the live bait on a wreck that is in 300 ft. of water. Using a circle hook rig with a 2 pound lead, we rigged up the live bait and sent the bait down. Within a few minutes, we caught a nice Red Mutton Snapper. Trying again, we rigged another live bait and sent it down. This time it took longer, but we caught a nice Black Grouper. With a couple of nice fish in the box, we tried a third time. I dropped the rigged bait, but unfortunately, this time we did not get a bite.

I went back to trolling only in deeper waters trying to catch Black Fin Tunas. I was working an area in 300 ft. of water with a few artificial wrecks, some of which are sunken ships. Making a few passes over these wrecks, we caught a Black Fin Tuna. I next went into shallower waters, and we finished off the trip with a Cero Mackerel in 135 ft. of water.

It was now time to head back to the dock. The anglers retired into the a/c salon and enjoyed the relaxing trip back to the dock at Bahia Bar Yachting Center, 801 Seabreeze Blvd. Fort Lauderdale 33316.

For a successful and adventurous deep sea fishing charter in Fort Lauderdale FL for Sailfish, Shark, Bonito, Mackerel, Swordfish, Snapper, Wahoo, Tuna, Mahi Mahi and Grouper, contact Captain Zsak. - 954-309-7457 or email us at tzsak@bellsouth.net Website: www.topshotfishing.com.

FLIR Systems Announces Big Thermal Savings and Raymarine Superior Savings Sales Events
Consumers win with significant savings on FLIR 232 thermal cameras, Evolution autopilots and multiple radar packages

FLIR Systems, Inc., is announcing some big news that will have boaters, anglers, and mariners of all stripes making exciting upgrades to their marine electronics. Starting now, Raymarine and FLIR are delivering their Big Thermal Savings promotion, which offers consumers significant savings on FLIR M232 thermal cameras. Concurrently, the Raymarine Superior Savings Sales Event provides major savings on Evolution autopilots, as well as HD, Quantum and Quantum 2 Radomes and Magnum series radars.

Big Thermal Savings

If you’ve thought about outfitting your vessel with a thermal camera or new MFD, now is the time. Big Thermal Savings starts with a $250 rebate on FLIR M232 thermal cameras, but the deals don’t end there. Buyers can receive an additional $500 rebate when a nine-inch or larger Axiom, Axiom Pro or Axiom XL multifunction display is purchased with their new FLIR M232.



Raymarine Superior Savings Sales Event

For a limited time, Raymarine is also offering big incentives on some of its most popular radar and autopilot systems. No matter the vessel type or your style of boating, Raymarine Superior Savings means great deals on the technology that’s right for you.

• Earn $200 on your purchase of an EV-100, EV-150 or EV-200 autopilot system.
• Earn $400 on your purchase of an EV-300, EV-400 or EV-DBW system
• Earn $100 on your purchase of HD, Quantum or Quantum 2 Radomes
• Earn $300 on your purchase of Magnum Open Array Radars

But act fast; the Big Thermal Savings Promotion and Raymarine Superior Savings Sales Event only run until December 31, 2018.

To download the Raymarine Big Thermal Savings Promotion rebate form, visit:flir.com/promotions/marine/m232-axiom-fall-rebate/

To download the Raymarine Superior Savings Sales Event rebate form, visit:raymarine.com/superior-savings-fall-2018

Raymarine by FLIR next generation automatic identification systems will enable vessel traffic awareness and encrypted communication between U.S. Coast Guard vessels. Photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Jetta Disco. The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.




FLIR Systems Awarded US Coast Guard Contract with Value of $9.9M to Support Encrypted Automatic Identification Systems


FLIR Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: FLIR) announced today that it has been awarded a contract from the United States (U.S.) Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in support of the U.S. Coast Guard’s (USCG) Second Generation Automatic Identification System (AIS-2) program. The indefinite delivery indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract has a ceiling value of $9.9 million to provide second generation Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponders, associated peripherals, and spare parts for nearly 1,774 boats and 282 cutters in the USCG’s active fleet.

The government anticipates the purchase of vessel class-specific kits and spare parts to equip all USCG vessels with AIS-2 over the next five years.

“We are pleased to provide AIS hardware and software technology to support the US Coast Guard’s mission,” said Jim Cannon, President and CEO at FLIR. “Our technology will provide enhanced levels of secure communication and coordination between Coast Guard boats, cutters, and shore stations. This award further extends our technology partnership with the Coast Guard, providing next-generation communication capabilities to complement their Raymarine SINS-2 navigation systems.”

The contract will be managed and executed by the FLIR Commercial Business Unit in the Nashua, New Hampshire facility.

About FLIR Systems: flir.com
About Raymarine: raymarine.com

Fort Lauderdale Fishing with Top Shot Sportfishing Charter Boat and Capt. Zsak


Tim Hoot along with his friends chartered the Top Shot Sportfishing charter boat team to do some deep sea charter boat sport fishing in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Tim is a repeat customer who is down in South Florida for his kid’s college soccer game.

Fifteen to twenty minutes after leaving the dock, lines were in 120 ft. of water at the sea buoy in Fort Lauderdale, 1.8 miles from shore. We started the morning trolling using two deep lines with bait strips and 3 surface lines with Ballyhoo. We trolled from 100 feet of water out to 300 feet of water heading to the south of Fort Lauderdale and offshore looking for birds and baitfish. There was a lot of seaweed, so we fished up the current edge and back over the reef, avoiding the scattered weeds as best as we could.

We got our first bite in 130 ft. of water – it was a 10 lb Kingfish. I worked around the area and caught another Kingfish. The next fish we caught was a nice Barracuda, and he ate the Ballyhoo bait. We kept on trolling catching another 10 lb Kingfish. The next two fish we caught were Barracudas, which we got on the 3 inch drone spoon. We kept trolling over wrecks and rock piles along the reef line - the best area with the most action was in 150 ft. of water. We got a bite on the surface rigger line, and it was another Kingfish.

I went out to deeper waters at 400 ft. fishing over wrecks. I was searching for a Black Fin Tuna, and we got caught a nice one on the deep planner line weighing 8 to 9 lbs. As I continued working the area, we got another Tuna on the rigger line –a bit smaller – weighing 6 to 7 lbs.

With 7 Kingfish, 3 Barracudas and 2 Black Fin Tunas, it was now time to head back to the dock. The anglers retired into the a/c salon and enjoyed the relaxing trip back to the dock at Bahia Bar Yachting Center, 801 Seabreeze Blvd. Fort Lauderdale 33316.

For a successful and adventurous deep sea fishing charter in Fort Lauderdale FL for Sailfish, Shark, Bonito, Mackerel, Swordfish, Snapper, Wahoo, Tuna, Mahi Mahi and Grouper, contact Captain Zsak. - 954-309-7457 or email us at tzsak@bellsouth.net Website: www.topshotfishing.com.