By Captain Kevin Deerman
I’m certain the glaring reason that many of us chose this profession was for the opportunity to fish and travel to new and different locations. Though we must always be ready to deal with unexpected obstacles, fishing and traveling should be the easiest and most welcomed qualities of the job.
Fin Gaddy with his twin sons on the Qualifier. Photo courtesy Fin Gaddy
Photos and Story by Scott Kerrigan
For those passionate about fishing, ensuring that your kids enjoy time on the water is a very important—some might say life-altering—consideration. For those who make a living as charter or private boat captains, creating a kid-friendly fishing environment is that much more important. The difference between creating a lifelong angler and a kid that will never fish again can be something as simple as making sure that the tackle and the target species are age-appropriate.
Photo courtesy Jim Smith Tournament Boats
With work beginning in early 2018, the recent completion of the 100′ Jim Smith Tournament Boats Ovation was of course not final without an impressive move from the boat builder’s location at Commerce Avenue in Stuart, Florida, to its spot on the water at Hinckley Marine, a roughly two-mile trek.
Describing fishing as long periods of boredom followed by frantic seconds of action was probably first written by a blue marlin fisherman. Who in their right mind enjoys riding around the deep blue ocean for hours on end, happy with just one encounter of the ocean’s apex predator—the blue marlin? Imagine yourself in the cockpit of a sportfisher looking aft at a boat wake and prop wash; lures and teasers bubbling for hours with no encounters. It’s boring!
Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, Nov. 30, 2020—The recreational harvest season for snook closes Dec. 1 in Gulf state and federal waters, including Monroe County and Everglades National Park, and will remain closed through Feb. 28, 2021, reopening to harvest March 1, 2021. Anglers may continue to catch and release snook during the closed season.
As the year comes to a close and the season of gift-giving is right around the corner, we’ve compiled what we believe to be the ultimate package of gifts for people who enjoy boating and fishing. We’ve included some really useful and highly practical gifts that will come in hand on the boat, from some of the latest and greatest in onboard electronics and weather-ready clothing to trusty tools that help with the daily grind.
Photo courtesy Viking
Click here to buy one year and get the second year free—a savings of $15. Gift a friend (or yourself) with all the exclusive advice from the top experts on techniques in fishing and boating, news on fishing tournaments and regulations, inspiration for future trips and plenty of travel tips. Simply add a two-year print subscription to your cart, enter the code VIKING and you’ll automatically get the second year free at check out. Happy shopping!
On a slightly windy day we headed out on the water with Capt. Sean Gill, Yamaha Pro Staff, and Ry Landry, Yamaha Product Education Manager, to see the Yamaha Helm Master EX in action. The customizable boat control system builds upon Yamaha’s original Helm Master while expanding its usage to single through quad outboard applications.
Boating autopilot functions, such as course and heading hold, can be adjusted with the joystick, which was also designed to easily make changes to SetPoint features without leaving the current mode.
It was a smooth ride.
Photo courtesy Vilano Boatworks
Capt. Emory Dillon with a young Chip Shafer and a blue marlin caught off the Early Bird in Hatteras.
By Jim Blount
In 2013 the offshore fishing community lost a true pioneer of the industry when Captain Emory D. Dillon passed away in Frisco, North Carolina at the age of 87. Captain Emory fished the offshore waters of North Carolina and Florida for over four decades on his boat, the Early Bird, until his retirement in the 1990s. His reputation as a successful charter captain stood out among all his fellow captains, anglers and mates. Emory’s dry sense of humor and likable personality combined with a natural instinct to perform as a charter boat captain earned him tremendous respect for those who spent time around him, especially his mates.
