OUTDOORS

20 THE SUN OUTDOORS JULY 6, 2022

Guiding principals

Reel Time

RUSTY CHINNIS

Ihave always been a great fan of fishing guides. They can provide a terrific initiation to the local waters and are indispensable when angling new destinations. Not only do you get the benefit of their extensive knowledge of where to find fish, but you’ll get a lesson in the natural world as a bonus.

Most guides not only take you to the action, but they will show you some of the area’s most beautiful natural areas. I know many experienced anglers who regularly fish with guides. They know that there is no substitute for the local knowledge gained from being on the water on a regular basis. They also appreciate the convenience of stepping on a boat, being taken to the fish, having the guide fillet fish if they decide to keep any, and not having to clean the boat.

While many people have the mistaken impression that guiding is an easy job, few people really appreciate the rigors of long days on the water. For anglers, an eight-hour day on the water translates into 10 or more hours for the guide. Not only do guides provide experiences that last a lifetime, many work tirelessly to protect the resources that we all too often take for granted.

My first introduction to guiding came in the 1980s when I was new to area waters. A friend invited me to fish with Holmes Beach guide Capt. Scott Moore. That first trip was a revelation to an angler new to the Gulf coast waters. Moore amazed us with his uncanny ability to find fish. He would literally say, “We’ll start over here and catch a trout, then move to that point and find snook and finally fish that mangrove edge for redfish.” And that’s just what we did. He introduced me to snook fishing, taught me lessons that have made me a better angler, and, most importantly, helped me appreciate the need to protect our marine resources.

I learned a lot of what I know fishing with guides, and they have saved me countless hours of frustration with their “tricks of the trade.” I learned how to remove a backlash from a spinning reel, how to find fish by looking for subtle signs, how to remove a hook from my hand, how to throw a cast net and so much more. Guides are not just anglers, but trained specialists that can help you find and catch fish on your own, if you listen and learn.

If you haven’t had the pleasure of a day on the water with one of the many professional guides in our area, I would encourage you to give it a try. When you do the math, it’s one of the wisest investments you can make for your fishing future. It’s also a great way to spend a day with friends and family and introduce kids to “catching.” You’ll find information on local guides in the pages of The Sun every week, and I’ll share my experiences with the guides I still fish with regularly.

Capt. Scott Moore holds one of the snook that Adam Fernandez’s sons, AJ and Henry, landed on a recent trip.

RUSTY CHINNIS | SUN

CLIFF ONDERCIN | SUBMITTED Dennis Ondercin jumps a tarpon and Mason Ondercin, of Sarasota, fights a tarpon to the boat while fishing the coastal Gulf with Capt. Rick Grassett recently.

Tarpon still jumping in Gulf

CAPT. RICK GRASSETT

Anglers fishing with me out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key had good action catching and releasing tarpon in the coastal Gulf recently. A couple of Sarasota Bay trips also produced a few trout and bluefish on Clouser flies.

Fly anglers had good action with tarpon, hooking and jumping several. Clark Keator, of Orlando, fly fished with me, jumping two tarpon and fighting one to the boat. Mike Storey, of Bradenton, also had some tarpon action, jumping one on a fly.

Dennis, Cliff and Mason Ondercin, of Sarasota, also tarpon fished a couple of days with me. They had good action, jumping several tarpon and fighting one to the boat on live crabs with spinning tackle. They also caught and released a bonus cobia that was sight-fished off the back of a spotted eagle ray with a DOA Shrimp - a great job, not bad for bycatch!

Tarpon fishing should be a good option in the coastal Gulf depending on conditions. Look for snook in the surf and reds and larger trout in shallow water. Fishing deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay is a usually a good choice for action with a variety of species including trout, pompano, blues and more.

Our natural resources are under constant pressure from red tides fueled by industrial, agricultural and residential runoff, toxic spills and discharges, freezes, increasing fishing pressure and habitat loss and degradation. Please limit your kill, don’t kill your limit!

RICK GRASSETT | SUBMITTED Bill Morrison, of Anna Maria, with a Sarasota Bay bluefish caught on a Clouser fly while fishing with Capt. Rick Grassett recently.

TURTLE TIPS

During sea turtle season, May 1 – Oct. 31, follow these tips to help turtles: • Turn off lights visible from the beach and close blinds from sundown to sunrise; lights confuse nesting sea turtles and may cause them to go back to sea and drop their eggs in the water, where they won’t hatch. Light can also attract hatchlings away from the water. • Don’t use flashlights, lanterns or camera flashes on the beach at night. • Remove all beach chairs and other objects from the sand from sundown to sunrise; they can deter sea turtles from nesting and disorient hatchlings.

• Fill in the holes you dig in the sand before leaving the beach; they can trap nesting and hatching sea turtles, which cannot live long out of the water. To report large holes or other turtle obstacles: - City of Anna Maria code enforcement — 941-708-6130, ext. 139 or ext. 129. - City of Bradenton Beach code enforcement — 941-778-1005, ext. 280. - City of Holmes Beach code enforcement — 941-778-0331, ext. 260. • Level sandcastles before leaving the beach; they can block hatchlings from the water. • Don’t use balloons, wish lanterns or fireworks; they litter the beach and Gulf, and turtles can ingest the debris. • Do not trim trees and plants that shield the beach from lights.

• Never touch a sea turtle; it’s the law. If you see people disturbing turtles, call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Wildlife Alert hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922).

Source: Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring

NESTING NEWS

Turtle nests laid: 379 (Record: 544 in 2019)

False crawls: 379 (Record: 831 in 2010)

Source: Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring

Support Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring and adopt a sea turtle nest that has been laid on the beaches of Anna Maria Island. For a tax deductible $125 donation, a custom plaque will be placed on each adopted nest. To sign up, visit www.islandturtlewatch.com. For more than 30 years, Turtle Watch has coordinated conservation efforts for 12 miles of Manatee County shoreline, monitoring 7,339 turtle activities, protecting 4,454 nests and 301,694 turtle eggs and recording 271,680 hatchlings departing to become a future generation of sea turtles that will return to the region to lay eggs when they reach maturity.

Where’s Esther?

After being satellite-tagged on Coquina Beach the morning of June 20, the loggerhead sea turtle known as Esther swam south to Siesta Key before heading farther out into the Gulf of Mexico. She has since returned to the waters off Siesta Key as of July 4, traveling a total of 88 miles. Esther is one of 15 turtles competing in the Sea Turtle Conservancy’s 13th Annual Tour de Turtles event, with the title going to the turtle that travels the farthest between their tagging date and Oct. 31, the end of sea turtle nesting season. Esther is competing to raise awareness of light pollution, which can disorient nesting and hatching sea turtles. She is sponsored by Waterline Villas & Marinas and Mainsail Vacation Rentals.

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