OUTDOORS

18 THE SUN OUTDOORS NOVEMBER 3, 2021

The Center: Clean and green

Reel Time

RUSTY CHINNIS

The Center of Anna Maria Island has long been a valuable resource for the citizens and visitors to the Island. In 2019, under the leadership of the Center’s executive director, Chris Culhane, and the director of development, Jim McDaniel, the Center officially added an environmental dimension to its mission in response to the 18-month red tide that devastated the Island’s marine resources and local businesses.

In 2019, after a conversation with Island entrepreneur and Manatee County environmental leader Ed Chiles, the Center began a relationship with Ocean Habitats Inc., the designer and builder of the Mini Reef. To date, almost 200 units have been distributed and are annually filtering more than 2 billion gallons of water and helping provide habitat for the new growth of an estimated 54,000 fish and 36,000 crabs.

The Center branded its annual fund that year as “Go Green” and hosted Philippe Cousteau, son of the legendary marine explorer and environmentalist Jacques Cousteau, as its campaign kick-off speaker. Cousteau develops relationships with the Center and its patrons at Beach Bistro.

In 2020, the Center’s crop of Mini Reefs grew to more than 150 units. Philippe Cousteau came back that year to introduce the Center’s “Go Green 2” campaign keynote speakers from Clearwater Marine Research Institute, Dr. James “Buddy” Powell and Dr. Ann Mari Alvarez. Third-grader Addy Du Toit interviewed Cousteau before his introduction and shares her passion to protect the environment by having students in local schools trade in their plastic toothbrushes for bamboo brushes. Cousteau fell in love with Addy, as has the community. Addy has also put up recycling receptacles in The Center and spoken to children in the Beyond The Classroom afterschool program. That same year Bradenton Beach and Anna Maria participated in Mini Reef installations at the Bradenton Beach Pier and AMI Historical Society docks.

In 2021, the Center continued growing its initiative in a newly designated lab space. Grants are awarded to the Center to support the initiative from the Tampa Bay Estuary Program, Sarasota Bay Estuary Program, Community Foundation of Sarasota County, Manatee Community Foundation, the AMI Chamber of Commerce and private donors. The initiative also partnered with the Blue Waters Coalition, an organization that includes citizenscience groups from the Siesta Key Association and the city of Venice. The Center coordinates visits from these groups and schedules them on data gathering outings and training sessions with the support of Eckerd College’s marine science program, its students and teacher Dr. Jorge Angulo.

Each group has installed Mini Reefs and is developing data gathering with the same data points and methods for future collaboration between sites in a group study to be developed in 2022-23. The Center has events planned between Nov. 21 and Jan. 14 that have members of the community engaged in supporting their environment such as: • Citizen-science participation in Bimini Bay Initiative • Center beach cleanups on the first Saturday of each month at 9 a.m. Volunteers gather at the Center. • A community scavenger hunt • Holiday turtle painting decoration

The Center has an ambitious plan for the future and has programs for all Island residents. Stay tuned for more environmentally focused advocacy, and join the initiative at www.centerami.org.

A Mini Reef is installed under a local Island dock.

RUSTY CHINNIS | SUN

Front heats up the bite

CAPTAIN DAVE WHITE

Fishing last week was great around the Island! The fish knew the front was coming and were fattening up with the coming pressure change.

Inshore, snook, trout, redfish, Spanish mackerel and especially mangrove snapper were participating well. The mangrove snapper in the bay seem to be getting bigger and bigger. But I assume that will start to fizzle out as we push further into winter. These fish will be replaced by sheepshead, black drum, and the occasional pompano.

Offshore, the blackfin tuna were pretty thick out there. Lots of fun on live bait or trolling. Mangrove snapper and yellowtail snapper were also filling the fish boxes. We ran into some larger mahi on one of our trips, which is always a welcome addition. The kingfish should start pushing in here close as long as the water quality stays good. We’re anxious to see what the changes in temperature bring.

CAPTAIN RICK GRASSETT

Anglers may find blues, Spanish mackerel and pompano mixed with trout on deep grass flats this month, as well as larger trout in skinny water along with reds. Snook will stage around bars and on shallow flats as they make their move towards winter areas. Action in the coastal Gulf with false albacore, tripletail, Spanish mackerel, blues and more should explode!

Snook and reds remain closed to harvest south of State Rd 64 in Manatee County on the west coast of Florida, south to the south bank of Gordon Pass in Collier County. Reds and snook are catch and release only in that zone until May 31, 2022. Spotted seatrout fishing has reopened in that zone with a bag limit of three fish per person and a six-fish boat limit. Trout must be from 15”-19” with one allowed per vessel over 19”. Full regulations and details can be viewed at https:// myfwc.com.

Snook should be staging around docks and bridges in the ICW and along sand bars and in potholes on shallow flats. They may be along mangrove shorelines when the tide is high. I like CAL jigs with 3” and 4” shad tails and surface walking topwater lures like the DOA “PT” in shallow water for snook. CAL jigs with shad tails or jerk worms, DOA TerrorEyz, DOA Shrimp and small white flies, like my Grassett Snook Minnow, will work well around dock and bridge fender lights. Fish the strongest tides for the best action.

Reds will spread out on shallow grass flats in November. You should find them along bars, in potholes or around docks. Look for them along mangrove shorelines when the tide is high, but they are just as likely to be roaming with mullet schools in shallow water. CAL jigs with shad tails, grubs or jerk worms and gold spoons should work well for reds in shallow water. Fly anglers may score with lightly weighted flies, such as Clousers, spoon flies or my Grassett Flats Minnow fly.

You may also find big trout along with reds in shallow water this month. The same lures and flies that you use for snook and reds in shallow water will also work for trout. You’ll also find trout on deep grass flats in water from 3’ to 7’ deep. I like to drift and cast quartering ahead of my drift with CAL jigs, DOA Deadly Combos or weighted flies on sink tip fly lines to locate trout. In addition to making a series of drifts to find fish, look for baitfish on the surface or birds to find them.

Blues, Spanish mackerel, flounder or pompano also may be found on deep grass flats this month. The techniques to find them are the same as for trout, although blues and Spanish mackerel may feed on the surface, making them easier to find. Likewise with pompano that may skip on the surface when you run or drift past them. When that happens, circle back upwind and drift back through the area, casting ahead of your drift. I like a 1/16 or 1/8-ounce chartreuse CAL jig head with a gold grub for pompano. You’ll need to add wire or heavy fluorocarbon when toothy fish are around to keep them from biting you off. You may find flounder on a mixture of grass and sand, particularly on the edges of bars or in potholes.

There should be good action in the coastal Gulf with false albacore (little tunny), Spanish and king mackerel, blues, tripletail or cobia. Look for Spanish mackerel, blues or false albacore feeding on the surface to find them. Diving terns or terns hovering just above the surface of the water and moving fast will give their presence away if they aren’t on top. CAL jigs with shad tails and jerk worms and topwater plugs will work well. Fly anglers should score with small white flies, Ultra Hair Clousers, poppers or Crease flies. Look for tripletail around crab trap floats and cast DOA Shrimp, CAL jigs with shad tails or DOA TerrorEyz to them. Cobia may also be found around crab trap floats, swimming on the surface or over structure. They will require medium-heavy spinning tackle or at least a 9-weight fly rod. Larger baits like DOA Baitbusters, CAL jigs with 5½” jerk worms or the DOA SnakeKoil should work well for cobia on spinning tackle. Fly anglers should score with wide profile baitfish patterns.

This a great month for fishing the flats or the coastal Gulf. Since the action in the Gulf is seasonal and will end when it gets cooler, I like to fish there when conditions allow it. However, if that’s not for you or if conditions won’t allow it, there will be plenty of action for a variety of fish on shallow and deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay. Our natural resources are under constant pressure from red tides fueled by agricultural, industrial 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!

CAPTAIN DAVE WHITE | SUBMITTED Mike Owens, of Bradenton, shows off a nice blackfin tuna caught while trolling with Captain David White of Anna Maria Charters.