Von Zipper VPG Review

Hook and Line Hogfish

Fishing techniques for Florida hogfish

While hogfish are caught accidentally more often than not, it is possible to target them with great success using the right tactics.

Similar to fishing for snapper on the reef in the Florida, light tackle is the way to go for hogfish. The most productive strategy employs 12-pound gear with 12-pound test as the main line. Depending on the size of the target and the fishing depth, fluorocarbon leaders testing anywhere from 15 to 30 pounds are most effective.

When fishing for hogfish around the shallower grass beds, patch reefs and wrecks, jig heads weighing ¼ to 5/8 ounce get the job done nicely. Trade up to knocker rigs when fishing the deeper edge of the reef or around the deeper wrecks and rock piles where upwards of four ounces of lead is required to get the bait to the bottom. Hook sizes on the knocker rigs can be anything from a #2 to a 2/0 live bait hook, a circle hook or a jig, if preferred.
Chumming to attract hogfish

By far, the best chum to attract hogfish is any form of discarded crustacean parts, and it’s fairly easy to make.

Wholesale fish houses offer a product called fish trash. Pick out the fish and use only the crustacean pieces, such as crabs, shrimp heads, lobster legs and small shellfish. Grind the crustaceans and pour the mixture into a container to freeze. If a grinder is not available, use a five-gallon bucket and a dowel, ala mortar and pestle, to crush and grind the crustaceans.

Unlike chumming the surface for snapper, hogfish chum must be positioned on the bottom near the target structure. Anchor in the sand around the edge of the structure and use a weighted basket to deploy the chum. A standard mesh chum bag with a four-pound dive weight will also send the chum directly to the bottom.

Regardless of basket or bag, have sufficient line attached to allow shaking of the container to disperse the scent of the crustacean mixture across the bottom to attract the hogfish.

Place the container at the bow of the boat so that baits fished off the back will be directly in line with the chum slick. The up-and-down motion of the boat will disperse the chum continuously.
Borrow a trick from spear divers

Here’s a trick borrowed from Florida spearfishermen targeting hogfish.

If there’s no access to fish trash or sufficient quantities of crustacean parts to make chum, tie a flat, heavy object, such as a dive weight or a small barbell weight, to a line attached to the bow. Again, the rocking of the boat will bounce the weight off the bottom, which will create sand puffs that attract the curiosity of the hogfish.

Kicking up sand is a diver’s trick to attract hogfish for a shot. This simple procedure with a weight will create the same effect.
The best bait to catch Florida hogfish

Unsurpassed as bait and the most readily available at nearly all Florida Keys tackle shops is live or fresh dead shrimp. Frozen shrimp will work in a pinch, but they’re typically too malleable to stay on the hook very long. Cut pieces of blue crab will also work nicely and a simple pair of scissors makes quick work of them.

Since hogfish are accustomed to searching in the sand for their food, it is of paramount importance to keep the bait as close to the bottom as possible. The hogfish bite is very subtle. Just the slightest extra bit of weight on the end of the rod is the cue to set the hook or, in the case of a circle hook, begin reeling.

The fight is typically over quickly, although the larger hogfish can pull rather aggressively before succumbing to steady rod pressure.

This method will also produce a fair share of snapper and the occasional grouper. Additionally, anglers have caught Florida pompano, sheepshead, porgies and permit using this same technique.

Live Every week like its SHARK WEEK!

Tribute to Shark Week

This week is one of my favorite weeks of the year – Shark Week. The Discovery Channel dedicates an entire week to these magnificent creatures of the sea. They explore their habits and offer some extraordinary tales of different individual’s interactions with sharks.

I thought I would dedicate a blog to some of my own shark interactions that I was lucky enough to capture in photos or video.

This first image is of a big eye thresher shark. I was off the coast of Fort Lauderdale and we saw something in the water. I jumped in to explore the commotion in the water. To my surprise, there were two thresher sharks. One was 14 feet long and the second shark was about 16 feet long. It’s pretty uncommon to get this close to these sharks because they typically live in waters to deep to explore. One of the sharks was also curious about me, so it came towards me. Luckily, he must have just eaten. I pressed down on his head to guide him away and I got back in the boat. I captured some amazing pictures though.




This second picture is of a lemon shark down in the Florida Keys. He was swimming in shallow waters off the coast of Islamorada. I jumped in the water and she stayed around long enough so I could get a couple pictures.


This next video took place in one of my favorite places in the world, Sumner Point Marina in Rum Cay, Bahamas. There were some sharks near the docks, so I decided to try to film them. This bull shark got a little too curious about the camera and rushed up to give it a head butt!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGHb5rvpeEg

This last video was a lot of fun. This excursion also took place at Sumner Point Marina in Rum Cay, Bahamas. I was on a paddle board fishing and ended up hooking a lemon shark. He dragged me out to the ocean. My friends were fishing nearby in a boat, so they followed and got the whole thing on film. At the 1:27 mark on the video, you can actually see the shark biting the paddle board. I was able to free the 6-foot lemon shark and he swam away.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEMqvmEoZJo

nice day for a boat ride

…..not the most exciting assignment in the world but it was a nice day to spend an hour on Ryan’s 31 foot Jupiter and nail down a quick assignment for Sport Fishing Magazine. here is a sample of the shoot.

whats new .......

Yeah its been a super busy year so far. but here are a few pics for your viewing pleasure!

Green Sea turtles of Rum Cay

The tiny island of Rum Cay, located in the Bahamas, is one of my favorite places in the world. The diversity of fish, sharks and other marine life makes the journey to the south end of the Bahamas a must-see for any sport fishing enthusiast. Bobby Little, the go-to guy of Rum Cay, took me to visit the salt ponds. This area of the island was once a thriving salt mine, but has since become the nursery of Rum Cay. We saw a variety of babies, such as groupers, sharks, lobsters and many more. It’s not often that I get to see these creatures in their infant state. I was in awe!



Green sea turtles are abundant in the salt ponds, which provided me with the unique opportunity to get close-up shots of these majestic creatures. Sea turtles breathe air, so they were easy to spot when they popped their heads out of water to take a breath. Although turtles are not known for speed, I had to take the photos quickly. As soon as I saw the turtles, they seemed to disappear. They can swim up to 35 mph. Even in tip-top shape, they would beat me in any race.



Researchers estimate that there are fewer than 200,000 nesting female green sea turtles. Sea turtles are hunted for a variety of uses, such as food and their shells, which are used to make jewelry and other ornaments. In the U.S., hunting turtles is illegal, but laws have not yet been put into place in the Bahamas. There are groups who are urging the Bahamian government to act to save the world’s green sea turtle population.

Now Taking Orders for my new Shows by Keds

My Girlfriend is Rad

Fun times with Sharks in Rum Cay

Riding sharks Rum Cay style

Lebron James.....

new things to come stay tuned!

>

HDR VIDEO

HDR Video Demonstration Using Two Canon 5D mark II's from Soviet Montage on Vimeo.

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i have a feeling we are goin to see alot of this next year.

Canon 7D a quick review

Canon's X0D series was, for many years, essentially the default choice for keen enthusiasts, professionals and aspiring-professionals who wanted top-level image quality and functionality without the bulk (or price) of a pro-level camera such as the 1D series. The 10D, 20D and 30D were hugely successful an popular cameras and you didn't have to spend long shooting with them to understand why. However, like every other sector of the DSLR market, there are some very competitive rivals, in terms of both price and features. Cameras such as Sony's A700 and Nikon's D200 and 300 have meant the most recent X0D EOSs have been held to higher standards and have found it a little harder to stand-out.

Which brings us to the 7D, a camera that seems determined to wrestle back the king of APS-C crown. At first glance it looks a lot like the EOS 50D - it's unmistakably a member of the EOS family - but a closer look shows that this is far from being the gentle refresh that we're used to seeing in this range. And indeed, this is intended as big brother to the 50D, rather than as a replacement for it.

For a start, the camera is built around a new 18MP sensor, but the thing you're likely to notice before you even fire a shot is the impressive new viewfinder. 1.0X magnification and 100% coverage offers a noticeable improvement over the 0.95X, 95% finder in the EOS 50D and puts the camera on the same footing as the D300S (Its 0.94X finder ends is essentially the same size, once the focal length multiplier effect of its fractionally larger sensor is taken into account).

However, the 7D isn't a 50D with a new sensor, viewfinder and revised body - other headline changes include a new AF system with a dedicated processor, dual Digic 4 processors and new shutter mechanism to allow 8fps continuous shooting and the ability to control groups of external flashguns using its built-in flash. However, the updates extend beyond these big-feature changes to include a variety of tweaks, refinements and additions. Make no mistake, Canon wants to be the default choice again. Ill Be posting some 7D footage soon to stay tuned!

Sony Vaio Laptop 3 Month Review

I think this is an AMAZING laptop! I have owned many laptops over the years - Compaq, DELL, HP, etc. with Window's 98, Millenium Edition, XP, Vista and Windows 7. I compared the SONY VAIO vgn-nw350f with Macbook Pro, DELL and ASUS computers prior to choosing it Here are a few of the specs that make this laptop far superior to its competitors: Sony VGN-NW350F/S Notebook PC features Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T6600 2.20GHz; 15.5" LCD display; 320GB Hard Drive; 4GB Memory; Blu-ray Drive - BD ROM; Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit). With the power of an Intel Pentium CPU, loads of RAM, and multimedia capabilities, it is the perfect laptop PC for multitasking, in my opinion.SONY has created a masterpiece with the VAIO vgn-nw-350f. I adore the textured silver no fingerprint finish, the textured Touchpad and the roomy Chicklet keyboard, which is excellent for people who type in excess of 100 wpm, such as myself. The sound quality, bright LCD display, Blu-Ray DVD, Power Off feature which allows the user to turn off the 15.5 inch LCD display without putting the laptop computer in sleep mode, 1 button WEB access and ease of setup make this laptop nothing short of BRILLIANT! I especially like that it can perform multiple tasks rapidly. The SONY VAIO vgn-nw350f is very quiet, it has good battery life and it does not overheat, even after many hours of use, as did my previous DELL, HP and Compaq laptopsWindows 7 is not just a revamped Windows Vista, but a completely new and wonderful product. The SNAP, PEEK and SHAKE features and other user-friendly features make it superior to VISTA and its predecessors. I find it to be a complete joy to useThis laptop computer far surpasses the quality and value of its competitors, including the more expensive Macbook Pro. I cannot recommend it enough to anyone shopping for a new laptop computer. So far ive taken this laptop on 2 out of the country photo trips and it has worked flawlessly. I rate it a 9.9.

From the Pages of Florida Sportsman

Just a nice tear from one of my favorite Dolphin (mahi mahi) photos from the Magazine Florida Sportsman.

Nikon d300s Review

The D300S features the same 12.9 megapixel (12.3 million effective pixels) APS-C sensor and Nikon's latest generation EXPEED processor found in the D90. But there aren't many more similarities between Nikon's newest king of the DX format and the older, cheaper D90. The D300S is packed with the same 51-point AF system with color and distance tracking as well as optional viewfinder gridlines from the original D300. In fact, there is little that changed between the popular D300 and the D300S other than the ability to record video, a faster 7 fps continuous shooting speed (8 fps with MB-D10 battery grip), and the inclusion of an SDHC card slot in addition to the CompactFlash card slot.

The D300S marks Nikon's third DSLR camera to be equipped with a 12 megapixel image sensor capable of HD video recording. The mid-tier D90 and the entry-level D5000 offer amateur and enthusiast photographers a still camera that can capture video, but the D300S is Nikon's first pro-level body that doubles as a video camera.
The D300S shares the same 200 to 3200 nominal ISO range (with ISO 100 and 6400 options available), and the ability to use "Active D-Lighting" (Nikon's proprietary feature that boosts shadow details and helps prevent overexposed highlights so you don't have to spend as much time editing your photos after you take them).

The improved EXPEED image processor (inherited from the D90) allows you to capture video at 1280x720 pixel resolution and 24 frames per second (theatrical film speed). The built-in microphone works as well as the built-in microphones on the D90 and D5000, but the D300S includes a mini-jack stereo input that lets you attach an external microphone for better audio recording. There's also a menu option that allows you to control the volume levels for the video recording.

Of course, the EXPEED processing also improves speed for still shooters as well. The continuous shooting speed received a nice boost to 7 frames per second when using the standard EN-EL3e battery compared to 6 fps with the original D300. If you want even more speed, you can connect the optional MB-D10 battery grip ($299 MSRP) for a full 8 fps. When you consider that Canon's 50D is limited to 6.3 fps, the D300S makes a compelling solution for sports photographers.

As previously mentioned, the D300S adds a second memory card slot for SD/SDHC memory media along with the standard CF slot seen in the D300. The SDHC card slot allows photojournalists to quickly transfer images using the built-in SDHC card reader in most laptops. Another convenient benefit to the SDHC slot is that you can use an Eye-Fi card to wirelessly upload images to a computer or the internet whenever you're within range of a Wi-Fi network.

Ergonomics and Controls
The design of the D300S looks virtually identical to the D300, and it requires a keen eye to spot the external differences to these cameras. The D300S will be largely familiar to current D300 and D200 shooters, and Nikon D90 shooters will quickly feel at home with the camera as well.

Chase Jarvis Nikon D7000 test

Dallas pano shot and a not so square Grouper

Florida Sport Fishing Magazin

Florida Sport Fishing Magazine featured my mahi image on the cover of their 2010 media kit.

Sport Fishing in Rum Cay, Bahamas at Sumner Point

Sport Fishing in Rum Cay, Bahamas at Sumner Point
Posted on August 30, 2010 by jarnoldcollection

Bobby Little in Rum Cay, Bahamas (Sumner Point)

The other week I was lucky enough to take a trip to Sumner Point Resort and Marina in Rum Cay, Bahamas. Bobby Little, who runs Sumner Point, spent the week with me showing me all the great fishing spots around Rum Cay.

I got some great footage of shark, lobsters, sea turtles and other marine life. Sumner Point is the ultimate playground for anybody who likes sport fishing, surfing or paddle boarding. I will be posting some images soon, but in the meantime, check out the video from my Rum Cay getaway.

AL-B and a day at the beach

Got to Shoot AVP VOLLEYBALL SUPER STAR Al-B below are the results

this WEEKEND

COEM SEE ME AND ALLL MY CRAP AT BASS PRO SHOP!

2 rad new blogs

www.frenchfriefairy.com
and
www.bubblegumfairy.com

new stuff

ive been so busy ive just not had time to update this beautiful blog of mine. well here is a quick photo update

Mark Clayton

Signed my 300mm hood

iPhone fun

So I have some really cool apps on my iPhone , one of which is called best camera and was developed by photographer chase Jarvis. so now I'll be posting fun pics of artsy crap here from time to time.

Social media

Ok so I have the following
Facebook
Myspace
Twitter
Flickr
Picasa
Blogger
Wordpress
You tube
Vimeo
Tumblr
Best camera network
Base camp
And I'm sure a few more......

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Ekolu Kalama shoot

Got the chance to photograph 2x world paddle board champ Ekolu Kalama. It was a very quick shoot but i think i got what i wanted out of him.

Running and Trees

www.getinthevan.com

www.getinthevan.com
This is a site that my friend and photographer Nick and his buddies put together. it showcases the images and film clips that are left on the editing floor. its pretty neato sooooo check it out.

SHARK ISLAND!!!!!

bitter twitter

This is my first blog that ive listed my title at RRA Media as "EDITOR-IN- CHARGE OF THE AMERICAS" a position ive held since August 1, 2009..... one of my duties is to management photographers out in the field covering news, sports, and entertainment events around the world. Today an issue came up between one of my young motor sports photographers and the Homestead motor speedway. The story goes... my photog didnt feel like he was being "treated" right by the credential office. (i must say the people there have done every possible thing to bend over backwards for our agency credentialwise) So this photog decided to voice his rage by twittering.......well its amazing how in this world of twitter....blogging....myspace....facebook...stuff gets out and it can all come back to hurt you. So what did this completely unprofessional outburst cost him? well.....hes been band from the ever shooting again at that race track, his crendital for the up coming nascar championship race has been rejected, and i still havent figured out what im goin to do w/ him........

cats get a beat down

The Buffalo Sabres needed only about 5 minutes to beat the struggling Florida Panthers on Wednesday night.
Mike Grier, Jason Pominville and Matt Ellis each scored early in the opening period to lift the Sabres to a 5-2 win over Florida.

Tyler Myers and Thomas Vanek also scored in the first for the Sabres (5-1-1), who opened a three-game road trip. Sabres goalie Ryan Miller, who hasn't lost in regulation this season, stopped 41 shots. Miller had the night off Saturday when Buffalo lost 4-2 to Atlanta.

"I was very impressed with the start," Miller said. "I think that everyone in the room recongized that our last home start wasn't what we wanted. We wanted to definitely come back and prove that we could bring our game together and not lose two in a row. That's going to be important over the course of a season."

Steve Reinprecht and Rostislav Olesz had goals for the Panthers (2-5-0).

Scott Clemmensen, who helped Florida snap a four-game skid with a win over Philadelphia last Friday, made his second straight start in goal for Florida, but didn't last long this time. He was replaced by Tomas Vokoun after giving up two goals on three shots in less than 2 minutes. Vokoun finished with 30 saves.

"That's the fastest I've ever been pulled," Clemmensen said. "It is what it is. I'm not going to let it bother me. I know when I let in good goals, bad goals, when my angle is off, those sorts of things. I'm old enough, I think I've got the right philosophy. There's not much you can do about it."

As it turns out, it was the fastest any Florida goalie has ever been pulled from a start in franchise history. Clemmensen's early departure at 1:56 in the first period beat a mark set by former Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo, who left a 2001 game after just 3:47 in the first because of an injury, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

"We needed a spark," Panthers coach Pete DeBoer said of the decision to pull Clemmensen. "It wasn't because of the play of the goaltender. We weren't ready to play. I tried to shock them into getting themselves back in the game. Sometimes those things work, sometimes they don't and obviously it didn't tonight."

Grier beat Clemmensen 1:11 into the first for his second goal of the season. Then, with Kamil Kreps in the penalty box for hooking, Pominville got a power-play goal just 45 seconds later to put the Sabres up 2-0 and chase Clemmensen.

"They were good goals," Clemmensen said. "On the first the guy is in all alone. On the scoreboard I saw three shots against. I didn't see the other two. The one save I made I didn't see it. On the second goal, I didn't even know where the puck was, let alone who shot it or what happened. I can't stop what I don't see. I don't think I let in two bad goals, they were two good goals."

Buffalo went up 3-0 at 4:37 in the first on Ellis' goal and Myers scored on a shot from the blue line at 10:20 in the opening period to give the Sabres a commanding four-goal lead.

With 5:49 left in the first, Reinprecht recorded Florida's lone goal of the period. An apparent goal by Reinprecht in the third period was disallowed because it was determined that the puck was knocked in with his hand.

"Whatever goals they score, we've got to bounce back," Florida left wing David Booth said. "We had chance to get back in the game, even down 3-0 and 4-1. We've got to do that if we expect to get back into games."

Buffalo scored again with 3:12 left in the opening period, when Vokoun landed on his back and slid into the net during a scuffle in front of the Panthers' goal. Vanek, who missed Buffalo's last two games with an upper-body injury, knocked the puck into the net to make it 5-1.

"There was no question on the work ethic in the game. I think we worked throughout the game," Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff said. "We didn't make a lot of good decisions at times, but I thought our work ethic was really good."

Olesz scored a power-play goal with 2:13 left in the third to make it 5-2.

NOTES: Buffalo went 3-1-0 against Florida last season. ... The Sabres face the Panthers three more times this season. The two teams next meet Nov. 18 in Buffalo. ... Buffalo LW Clarke MacArthur suffered from flulike symptoms earlier in the week and wore a surgical mask on the team's flight to South Florida, but was in Buffalo's starting lineup Wednesday.

wow! the future is coming NOW

crossing the stream

Bimini is a magical place, completely wild, from the blue gin clear water to the number and size of fish. Shallow reef that goes on and on forever. The complete solituded for everything was amazing. I felt like i was on some sort of expedition to an uncharted island. highlights from the trip were eating conch, yellowtail, and lobsters that mygood friend ryan fried up dock side everynight, exploring the reef around great issacs, yellowtail fishing , hooking up w/ multple 150 + tarpon, exploring the island of ocean cay and shooting a few dozen lobsters, seeing pods of sperm whales in the middle of the gulf stream on the crossing, killing a few dozen lion fish, and just relaxing and enjoying the fact that my cell phone was off for a few days!