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April 2015 Sport Fishing Girls

Pro photographer Hunter Ledbetter presents April’s Sport Fishing Girls.

By Sport Fishing Editors

March 30, 2015

Alysha landed her wahoo off the Florida Keys, a stronghold for the tasty speedsters. In November 2014, Alex "Fishmon" Dupre, of Dana Point, California caught the new state record wahoo that weighed 84.3 pounds. California's a state that historically has been far north of the wahoo's range, making it unknown from state waters until this year. WIN $200 IN CLOTHING! Sport Fishing Girls galleries are created from photos sent to us by hardcore lady anglers. We know you're out there, and we want to put your photo in our next informative girls-only galleries. You could be the winner, picked at random, of $100 worth of clothing from Salt Life. Remember, you have a 1-in-20 or 30 (depending upon size of gallery) chance of being the winner — pretty good odds! Send your photos to sfgirls@sportfishingmag.com.Hunter Ledbetter

Hannah went flats fishing for bonefish; instead this juvenile barracuda grabbed her shrimp. Her catch pales in comparison to the 102-pounder caught by Thomas Gibson in mid-February off Angola. The monster Guinean barracuda measured almost 7 feet long.Hunter Ledbetter

Alysha fished a wreck off Marathon Key, Florida, and pulled up this hefty mutton snapper. According to the IGFA, muttons can reach as far as north as Massachusetts at times.Hunter Ledbetter

Quin got her first blacktip shark on the flats near Big Pine Key, Florida Keys. In deeper water, blacktips are known to jump out of the water, often spinning on their axis in complete circles, similar to spinner sharks. Many shark species offer impressive battles when hooked.Hunter Ledbetter

Alysha battled this big amberjack near an offshore wreck. According to the IGFA, the greater amberjack is the largest of the jack family and the most sought after by anglers because of its bullish fight.Hunter Ledbetter

Chelsey landed this fun-size schoolie mahi off Jupiter, Florida. Mahi eat insatiably and grow at an astounding rate, up to 18 inches in a year!Hunter Ledbetter

Brandie shows some love to the first redfish she's ever caught in the Florida Keys. Some speculate that the blue-colored tail comes from a diet of shrimp and crabs that contain iodine.undefined

Still having no luck with bonefish, Hannah landed this mangrove snapper while fishing with shrimp on a Florida Keys flat. Adult mangrove snapper migrate and live offshore at wrecks, reefs and coral structures to forage. Anglers in the upper Gulf of Mexico often call 'em gray snapper. WIN $200 IN CLOTHING! Sport Fishing Girls galleries are created from photos sent to us by hardcore lady anglers. We know you're out there, and we want to put your photo in our next informative girls-only galleries. You could be the winner, picked at random, of $100 worth of clothing from Salt Life. Remember, you have a 1-in-20 or 30 (depending upon size of gallery) chance of being the winner — pretty good odds! Send your photos to sfgirls@sportfishingmag.com.Hunter Ledbetter

Hannah fished out of Big Pine Key to land this full-size kingfish. One of the larger mackerels, the king (widely, just "kingfish") is an everyman's coastal game fish, found both in large schools and as solitary individuals, from inlets and just off beaches to open nearshore watersHunter Ledbetter

Quin landed this quality hogfish using a live shrimp and leadhead jig combo off Sarasota, Florida. Usually the targets of spear fishermen, hogfish are tasty tropical fish that are difficult to catch on hook and line.Hunter Ledbetter

Darcie shows off her blackfin tuna out of Big Pine Key. Wherever there are shrimp boats in the Gulf or Atlantic, dumping bycatch and providing cover, expect concentrations of the tuna schools.Hunter Ledbetter

Back at the dock, Alysha eats some fresh wahoo sashimi. Virginia's record wahoo weighed 122-pound, 1-ounce, caught by Susan Nelson while trolling for tuna.Hunter Ledbetter

Alysha wanted to see what her dorado had been feeding on. Squid, all types of fish, and crustaceans are commonly pulled from the stomach of a full-size mahi. Odd items pulled from fish include bottle caps, juvenile sailfish, baby dolphin and sea turtles.Hunter Ledbetter

Quin pulled this light-colored redfish from a Big Pine Key flat. Check out these tips to rig soft-plastic lures, perfect for species such as redfish.Hunter Ledbetter

Brandie with a nice blackfin, her first one in the Keys. When blackfin tuna are on the menu, pull a spreader bar from each of the flatlines. Not only do the bars get bites, but they attract fish to the back of the boat. WIN $200 IN CLOTHING! Sport Fishing Girls galleries are created from photos sent to us by hardcore lady anglers. We know you're out there, and we want to put your photo in our next informative girls-only galleries. You could be the winner, picked at random, of $100 worth of clothing from Salt Life. Remember, you have a 1-in-20 or 30 (depending upon size of gallery) chance of being the winner — pretty good odds! Send your photos to sfgirls@sportfishingmag.com.Hunter Ledbetter

Brandie went all the way to Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico to land this schoolie dolphin. In that region, also expect to catch blue and striped marlin, as well as yellowfin tuna and wahoo — the offshore fishery can be spectacular.Hunter Ledbetter

Alysha handled and released this hammerhead shark with particular care while fishing out of Marathon, Florida Keys. Not only for her health, but because studies have shown the hammerhead sharks are particularly vulnerable to fighting on a fishing line. The University of Miami study revealed that even with minimal degrees of fighting on a fishing line, hammerheads exhibited the highest levels of lactic acid build of all species studied, followed by blacktip, bull, lemon and tiger sharks. Tagging results also suggested that, after release, hammerheads were also prone to delayed mortality.Hunter Ledbetter

Alysha and Emily deploy a goggle-eye baitfish off a kite rig near Jupiter, Florida. Think of kite fishing as simply using a very long outrigger, swapping kite line for rigger pole. The technique isn't all that complicated, yet highly effective.Hunter Ledbetter

Alysha ties a fly at the Maverick boats booth during the Miami Boat Show. Sport Fishing magazine always has extensive coverage from the Miami Boat Show, with galleries covering new boats, kayaks, engines, electronics and accessories.Hunter Ledbetter

At the end of the day, Alysha cleans her catch on the boat. Check out these tips that pro guides and captains offered up to better fillet your fish. WIN $200 IN CLOTHING! Sport Fishing Girls galleries are created from photos sent to us by hardcore lady anglers. We know you're out there, and we want to put your photo in our next informative girls-only galleries. You could be the winner, picked at random, of $100 worth of clothing from Salt Life. Remember, you have a 1-in-20 or 30 (depending upon size of gallery) chance of being the winner — pretty good odds! Send your photos to sfgirls@sportfishingmag.com.Hunter Ledbetter

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