Our Salty Girl of the Week is Barbara Reeve Maddox from the Florida Keys. Barbara started fishing in the late '70s when she met her favorite fishing guide and fishing guru, Rob. Barbara likes to fish on her own Maverick flats boat in West Palm Beach with Rob. While in Marathon she fishes at the reef, bridge or bayside on one of Captain Pip's rental boats (she prefers the 20-ft. Cape Horn). She likes to fish offshore only if the weather is right. Give her 5-10 knots of wind and Barbara is a happy angler.
Barbara has many fond memories of fishing though one of her favorite memories was fishing off Harbour Island in the Bahamas with their guide, Bonefish Joe Cleare. Her and Rob walked the flats stalking bonefish in a light drizzle. Every few minutes Joe would say in a thick Bahamian accent, "Cast over there ma'am." And Barbara would. Then he'd say, "Expect a hit any minute, ma'am, expect a hit any minute." And darn if he wasn't right, Barbara caught many bonefish that day.
Barbara’s most unusual catch is a moray eel. As the eel curled itself around her line, Barbara said, "Okay, now what do we do now?” The Eel must have heard her because he very nicely unhooked himself. Barbara loves to fish for Grouper and Snapper because they are great to catch and to eat. Barbara likes to relax with a cocktail at Porky's Bayside while having her fresh catch prepared for her after a long, hot day of fishing.
Barbara caught her fish tarpon in May on a fun fishing trip with friends Capt. Chris and Christy Johnson, owners of SeaSquared Charters. Capt. Chris said the fish weighed about 70 pounds and the fight lasted about 20 minutes, but Barbara said it must have been three days. It was a fish that she was proud to land and even prouder to let swim away. Tarpon is a truly a majestic and beautiful creature.
The Florida Keys is all about shade. Barbara can't leave the dock without a big hat, polarized sunglasses and sun screen. Her motto is, if you want to catch a really big fish, leave the camera and gaff on the dock! Barbara’s favorite snack on the boat is fruit and sandwiches. There's nothing better than a slice of fresh pineapple or watermelon to wake up your taste buds while you're on the water fishing with Barbara. Also, if the bite is slow, she likes to break out the sandwiches. That will get the reels going.
Barbara is a remarkable lady. I want to give you a sense of who Barbara really is – a true free spirit upon the water. This is a direct quote from Barbara. “It's not about how many fish I catch or how big they are, it's about being on the water, in the present that makes fishing so alluring to me.”
You can visit Barbara at Captain Pip's Marina & Hideaway and Porky’s Bayside BBQ in Marathon, Florida Keys (Mile Marker 47.5). Capt. Pip’s is known for its spotless accommodations and friendly island atmosphere. Located on Florida Bay a half mile from the Seven Mile Bridge, there's easy open water access to the bay and the ocean. They offer quality Florida boat rentals, beautiful Florida Keys accommodations in tropical vacation suites, as well as world-class sport fishing with their Florida Keys fishing charters and guides. The bayside harbor includes Porky's Bayside Restaurant, where you'll enjoy all-American Bar-B-Q and fresh catch seafood with live music in a casual, tropical, on-the-water setting. Their unique location has hosted famous Keys visitors since the 1950's - including such notables as Ernest Hemingway and Jimmy Hoffa. Visit Barbara’s small resort and make Captain Pip's your Florida Keys accommodation and fishing vacation hideaway. Tell her Saltwater Style sent ya!
This week’s Salty Girl is Jan Abbott from New Mexico. Jan grew up fishing for trout in South Dakota with her dad. Jan’s favorite memory now is when she got the opportunity to take her dad and mom out last year in San Diego harbor and show him how to fish there. He had never fished in saltwater before and it was extremely rewarding to Jan to be able to teach her dad something new about fishing. That day, her mom caught more fish then anyone! Fishing must be in the genes!
Jan’s most unusual catch would have to be her husband, Floyd! They fished on the same 5 day summer tuna charter for years and years. As the years went by, they became friends and one thing led to another and now they have been happily married for 5 years. Matter of fact, to honor this year’s anniversary, they took a short 2 day trip on the Royal Star to celebrate.
In San Diego harbor Jan and her husband spend some of their most relaxing times on their own 17 foot Sea Pro, the “mSea²“, catching and releasing whatever will bite including bass, halibut and sea bass. They’ve also been active the last 3 years taking the boat out in the harbor and hoop netting for lobster! It’s exciting because they never know what will pull up in their net (including sharks, sting rays, crabs, sculpin, halibut, and huge snails). They’ve also had several tug-of-wars with the local sea lions over who gets to keep the trap and its bootie - Jan hasn‘t lost one of those battles yet!
Jan and her husband has fished for halibut and salmon out of Seward, Alaska, fished for tuna from San Diego to Panama, and fished for blue marlin out of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico and Kona, Hawaii. Jan’s most scenic fishing would have to be either Hawaii or Alaska, but the tiebreaker would go to Hawaii because she doesn‘t like being cold. If she were forced to choose her favorite place, it would be off Mexico’s Baja coast. The ocean there is teaming with life, and she never gets tired of watching dolphins by the hundreds bow surf and play, or watching the whales breach. When the giant Yellowfin Tuna decide to bite on top of that, the scene is utter perfection. Imagine landing tuna after tuna over 100 pounds til you can’t lift your arms anymore, that is complete contentment for Jan! Guadalupe Island, off Baja and its Great White sharks makes it one of the top spots for Jan too. She loves trying to race the tuna to the boat before Whitey can get a mouthful!
Jan’s favorite thing to have on any boat is their son AJ. He lives, works and will be a sophomore in college in South Dakota, so getting him out on a boat for an extended amount of time is a challenge. He has gone on their 5 day albacore summer trip for 7 years now, and is eagerly awaiting his first long range trip of 12 days which begins the day after Christmas. They love sharing their passion for the ocean and fishing with each other! He plans to be a marine biologist.
Jan loves to fish on the Royal Star out of Sand Diego. She is a 92 foot sportfisher that can hold 24 fishermen, and Jan and her husband spend at least 30 days a year at sea fishing on her. All 3 captains on the Royal Star are fantastic, but Captain Randy Toussaint is a fish-finding fiend in a class by himself when it comes to finding and boating tuna. They have fished with him for close to 20 years. Captain Brian Simms is the most hands-on captain on the deck. He always seems to know what each angler might need in any given situation and he always keeps everyone laughing.
Jan’s favorite charter boat in Kona, Hawaii is the Humdinger captained by Jeff Faye and crewed by Captain Butch Chee. Even if they get skunked in their quest for tag-and-release blue marlin, who can have a bad day cruising right off the coast of Hawaii? It’s beautiful.
Jan fishes almost exclusively with Avet Reels (all saltwater styling in purple). She uses the tiny models in the harbor for bass to her “horses”, a pair of Avet Pro EX 50/2s that are loaded with 100 and 130 pound mono with spectra backing (and beefed up by Cal Sheets of SoCal). Those 2 reels have caught most of her tuna over 200 pounds and have never missed a step. Jan’s favorite reel, however, is the Avet HXW 50/2. It is a comparatively small reel, but can handle incredible drag. These little reels are like having a winch against whatever is on the other end and she loves them. Jan loves all of her rods (mostly Calstars) because her husband designed and wrapped her first ones himself - in purple, orange and turquoise. They are so beautiful and special, each and every one to Jan.
Jan’s favorite jackpot win has to be the one when Jan and her husband both caught 251 pound Yellowfins to tie for first place. Floyd boated his in about 45 minutes, and it took Jan about an hour to get the fish to gaff. Jan also had a streak several years back where she won 3 jackpots in a row on the Royal Star (who says women can‘t fish?). One of those was her biggest Yellowfins to date, 270 pounds. Jan is still looking for that 300 pound Yellowfin still out there with her name on it!
Jan’s favorite snack on the boat is croutons! They are the best cure for seasickness and make a great snack. She also never gets on a boat without ginger tablets, just in case she gets queasy.
Her favorite fish to catch and eat is Bluefin Tuna - raw! Being a native South Dakota girl, and then moving to SE New Mexico, she thought anyone who ate sashimi was a little off. But, once she got up the guts to try freshly caught Bluefin sashimi on the boat, she was hooked! Now she cannot get enough. Wahoo would rank 2nd to Jan and they are an awesome fish to catch too. Jan loves when the bait goes from zero to 50mph on a Wahoo strike and the pandemonium that ensues, especially when several anglers get hooked up at the same time and rooster tails erupt from the lines cutting through the water! Of course, Albacore Tuna, Dorado and Halibut aren’t half bad either, which all three Jan loves!
Jan’s favorite release fish is marlin. She loves the adrenalin rush when a fin is spotted cruising through the spread of jigs, and then the heart stopping moment when they hit the bait and run, stripping off line as they go! Jan loves seeing a huge marlin jumping and tailing out of the water, showing all its power and grace, knowing full well that you are attached to the other end of the line and supposedly in control of the situation. Her biggest tagged and released blue marlin was a 600 pounder hooked ¼ mile offshore from the Big Island of Hawaii on the Humdinger. By the time Jan got the Marlin to the boat they had been dragged 5 miles offshore!
Jan’s Tips for Anglers:
A. Never be afraid to ask questions and learn!
B. Look around and observe what the successful anglers of the moment are doing or not doing.
C. If nothing is biting, change is your friend. Change your bait/jig, your depth, your line weight, even your shirt or hat!
D. Landing big fish isn’t as much about the raw strength of the angler as much as it is about understanding the physics behind what you are doing, and being in it for the long haul. Slow and steady wins the battle.
E. Find the most joy from being on the water, not from catching fish.
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