Author: Capt. Scott Bussen

Anchoring 101 I was reading back over my previous article regarding anchoring when it occurred to me that I’ll probably never be one to write a text book or teaching aid. Or, at least, it won’t happen in one take. Apparently, I may suffer from ADD(I left out the H, because I’ve never really been considered hyper-anything)… OMG, look, cookies, yum. But seriously, when I read through the article and had a discussion with Scott Goodwin (BD Outdoors’ editor) both of us agreed there were some unanswered questions. Agreeing that the article was already at max length for our own…

My charter clients always ask me, “What do you do on your days off”? The answer is usually some kind of one word answer like “Fish”, “Drink” or “Sleep”. Although any of these answers could be my typical activities on a day off, the more truthful answer should likely be “Honeydoos” or “Boat and equipment maintenance”. Ironically, both these answers, but more so the latter, would likely require some sort fisherman’s ingenuity, also known as redneck engineering. Which brings me to the ingenious redneck engineering used by Alden Redwine and Christian Payne. These two up and coming dock rats engineered…

As you all are well aware, there are a number of different methods of fishing offshore because different fish require different approaches. As a charter boat captain, it’s important to be skilled in said various techniques, so you can keep your clients entertained. Many a day, when Plan A doesn’t work out, you may have to move on to Plan B, C or D. Because I have spent years bottom fishing both charter and commercially, I was asked to do a ‘how to’ on anchoring. So, here it is. Anchoring can be the key to a number of fishing methods.…

As a charter boat captain, I get tons (and tons) of questions. How long? How many? How big? How often? Do you think? You get the idea… There’s a million ways to end each of them and I’m never surprised when I hear a new one. Just insert your own ending to each. I’m happy to entertain all the questions, as it shows a level of interest I like to see in clients. Generally speaking, the number of questions asked usually has a direct correlation to age. The younger the angler, the more questions I have to field. Also, the…

Before you start thinking this is going to be a Paul Simon, one through fifty, “Hop on the bus, Gus/ Drop off the key, Lee/ make a new plan, Stan” sort of thing, let me stop you right there. What I can tell you is that this story is about fifty pounds of mean, green, badass, pissed-off cobia. Hence, one reason per pound or maybe five reasons per lump on my coconut… or maybe ten reasons for each tail slap to my shins… but really, it’s all about the gaff, so I should probably get to the story. The beginning…

May 1 marked the official opening of recreational grouper season along the Atlantic coast, which means hard-core bottom fishermen from North Carolina to Key West, Florida, will be gearing up and heading offshore to chase these tasty critters. Gag, black, scamp and red groupers make up the majority of what are considered the “inshore” groupers and there’s a closed season for these species, which runs from January through April. Normally, it is at this point that I would go off on a rant about the National Marine Fisheries Service and the South Atlantic Marine Fisheries Council, but I’m going to…