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Water LIFE
MAGAZINE
/ KIDS CUP
May 15, 2010
Fishermenʼs Village is a Senior Tournament Sponsor for the 2010 Kids Cup
Punta Gorda
Certified Clean Marina 2007 - 2009 Marina of the Year
Good Luck and Good Fishing to all the Kids Cup Competitors
Fishermenʼs Village and the Fishermenʼs Village Marina are major sponsors of the Kids Cup Tournament for the 4th consecutive year
Thank You to Everyone Who Supported the 2010 Kids Cup and the Don Ball School of Fishing Michael & Ellen Heller Water LIFE Publishers & Program Directors
Producers of the Kids Cup Redfish Tournament 941-766-8180
www.waterlifemagazine.com
May 15, 2010
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Welcome Jr. Anglers
Welcome to the 2010 Water LIFE Magazine Kids Cup Redfish Tournament. This year the Kids Cup is in a different part of Fishermen’s Village. Your boats will be coming to the dock along the west side of the Village – that’s to the right side of where they came in last year. We will have dock hands there to assist you. The weigh-in will take place in Center Court at Fishermen’s Village. This means you will briefly tie up and leave your boat to weigh-in. When you walk into Center Court we will measure and weigh your fish and return the fish to you in the weigh basket. We will then ask you to release the fish into the large fountain in Center Court. The fountain will be filled with harbor water. The fountain will serve as our holding tank until the biologists from Mote Marine pick the fish up for the tagging. Please release your fish properly by submerging the basket and letting it swim out. We want to demonstrate good release techniques. Your fish must swim away to be a live release. As most of you already know, the Kids Cup is a fund raiser for the Don Ball School of Fishing. That’s an eight week course taught by local fishing guides in five local middle schools. I know some of this year’s Kids Cup Competitors are graduates
Water LIFE
Fish Handler Robert Lugiewicz
MAGAZINE
/ KIDS CUP
Weighmaster Capt. Ralph Allen
Co-Director Ellen Heller
Tournament Director Michael Heller
The Jr. Angler field at the 2009 Kids Cup show off their Mercury hats.
of the Don Ball School program. Congratulations to you all! We continue to be fortunate to have great community support for this program. Please make an extra effort this year to thank the sponsors who make all this possible. We’ve worked hard to make the Kids Cup fun. Fun and no pressure are the operative words. On tournament day the idea is to enjoy yourself, get out on the water early and watch the day unfold. We’ve made the Kids Cup an adult style tournament, complete with specific rules and a quick-sequenced start. Please read the rules yourselves and stay safe. Be aware of the movements of the tide, is the water salty? Smell the morning air, look around, get a feeling for the area around you. It will help your fishing and in the future it will help you when it’s your job to
look after Charlotte Harbor. Catch some fish, handle and unhook them carefully, have fun. It doesn’t get any better than that. This year when you go out in the morning the tide will be flat, but then it starts to come in and the redfish could be moving around with it. Be very quiet, don’t make a sound on your boat and keep your eyes open. Shadows or little ripples on the water could be an approaching fish. Look for fish, think like a fish and you just might get a redfish to take your bait. There are a lot of good baits in this year’s captain’s bags. Experiment with them and by all means be positive that you are going to catch that fish. You have to believe! This year we are again going to tag all the tournament fish. Every fish will get a plastic orange streamer tag affixed and 20 of those fish will also
SHRIMP - Shrimp have been available and of adequate size. Fishin’ Franks in Port Charlotte and Rio Villa Bait & Tackle in Punta Gorda should have live and frozen shrimp on tournament day. Call ahead to check store times and specific size availability. This tournament receives help from the area bait and tackle shops. Please thank them! A SPECIAL THANKS to Robert and Frank at Fishin’ Franks Bait and Tackle in Port Charlotte for the effort they put out every year to enlist the support of their tackle suppliers to contribute to the Kids Cup tournament. Our sincere thanks once again goes to Robert and Frank.
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have a sonic tag surgically implanted in them. This will all happen right at the end of the weigh-in dock. Be sure to go over and watch. Knowing our fish survive is important and knowing where they go and what they do is critical for future habitat management. We want every angler who catches a redfish to weigh-in. We will again present a smallest fish award this year. If you weigh-in the lightest-weight legal-size redfish you get a very nice rod and reel combo. We hope learning about tournament fishing in the Kids Cup and seeing the way experienced fishermen handle fish will be a valuable, informative and a fun experience for you. We will go over all the rules at the captain’s meeting dinner on Friday night. We will have the official measuring board and all the awards there for you to inspect. Be careful and take especially good care of your redfish. We look forward to seeing you by 2:30 at the weigh-in dock. Good Luck! Mi chael & El l en Hel l er Kids Cup Tournament Directors
Culling Waiver Pease Note The FWC asked us to tell you specifically:
Collin Moore 2009 Kids Cup Winner
This yearʼs winner will be crowned in Center Court on May 15 at Fishermenʼs Village. WILL YOUR PICTURE BE HERE NEXT YEAR?
1) “Anglers are not allowed to cull dead redfish. The conditions of the culling permit state that dead redfish cannot be culled, and a dead redfish is considered harvested and will count as the daily bag limit for the angler who caught that fish.”
2) FWC mandates the livewell dimensions on the culling waiver must be met in order to take advantage of the waiver. The livewill dimensions must be: 2.4 cu ft. or 18 gallons.
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2009 Top 5 Shootout
Collin Moore WINNER!
5.18 lbs.
2010 Kids Cup Rules Rules: All rules stated below will apply for
Junior Anglers fishing in the Kids Cup. All decisions made by the Kids Cup tournament direc-
tor and or tournament officials will be final in all matters. The tournament director and/or the
tournament officials can make a change when the safety of a contestant is in question.
1. Federal, State and Local Laws All contestants are required to follow all applicable
Federal, State and Local regulations and laws. Any violation of such rules may result in your disqualification from the tournament. Anglers
16 and over must posess a valid Florida saltwater fishing license.
2. Eligibility There is no membership fee required to fish Kids Cup events. Junior
Anglers must be at least 10 years old, but not
yet 17 years old on tournament day to be eligible. This is an open tournament. Angler must fish as an individual, but must at all times be
accompanied by a tournament guardian who is
a parent or other adult over age 18 with written parental consent.
3. Guardians and Anglers Every Junior
Angler is an individual contestant and must be individually entered. No more than two (2)
Junior Anglers may be accompanied by any
one (1) adult guardian. Junior Anglers and their designated guardian must occupy the same boat. If two junior anglers are on the same
boat one additional adult guardian will be per-
mitted to serve as a mate on that boat. No one other than paid contestants, a guardian, a
mate or a tournament official is allowed in a competitor's boat during tournament hours.
The Junior Angler is the only person allowed to cast or catch fish in the competition. The
guardian or mate may help land a fish once
the leader is within reach from within the boat. Guardians and mates will be allowed to tie knots and bait hooks for Junior Anglers.
4. Alternates One alternate angler will be
allowed for anglers entered in the Kids Cup, but the alternate must be designated at the
time of registration and may only be used in the event of dire circumstances created by
sickness or death. The tournament director
and tournament officials will review every alternate situation before the use of an alternate will be authorized.
5. Alcoholic Beverages and Drugs Any com-
petitor or adult guardian consuming or carrying alcoholic beverages or drugs (other than pre-
scription) on board a contestant's boat during
official practice or tournament hours will be dis-
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/ KIDS CUP
At last yearʼs Top-5 Kids Cup weigh-in only three anglers brought a fish to the scale. This year both the Top-5 and the winner will be chosen on Tournament Day, May 15
Frankie Mancini 5.14 lbs. qualified.
6. Sportsmanship All contestants are required
to practice courtesy, safety and follow local and state game laws. Anyone displaying poor
sportsmanship or violating game laws will be disqualified. Fishing at or within 100 yards of
marinas, boat ramps, fuel docks, boat basins,
bait docks or other like locations is prohibited. 7. Permitted Fishing Locations Contestants may fish anywhere on tournament waters
accessible by boat, except areas designated
as "off limits" or "no fishing" by local, state, federal officials or Kids Cup official personnel.
Unless ʻinvited inʼ no competitorʼs boat may be within 50 yards of another competitor's boat
which was anchored first (an anchored boat is a boat held in a stable position by a line
attached to a weight, push pole, power pole,
etc. with the trolling motor in the up position). If
the boat does not have a trolling motor the definition of "anchored" still applies. Fishing is not allowed within 200 yards of the tournament
site. Fishing within 100 yards of a boat that is chumming with live or dead bait, other than shrimp, is NOT allowed.
8. Contestants Must Remain in Boat All
angling must be conducted from the boat. No
wading is allowed. AT NO TIME MAY A CON-
TESTANT OR GUARDIAN LEAVE THE BOAT TO LAND A FISH OR TO MAKE THE BOAT MORE ACCESSIBLE TO FISHING WATER.
Contestants must leave and return to the official checkpoint by boat. No tournament boat
may be loaded on the trailer before the weighin except with the permission of the tourna-
ment director. In the event of equipment failure or emergency, there will be only two permitted
methods of returning to the official check-in: (1) by both partners remaining in their boat and
being towed by water (a commercial licensed
tow company may be utilized, or another team may tow a fellow competitor,) (2) by one or
both anglers entering the boat of another tournament contestant (fishing by all competitors
involved in the rescue must cease at this time). Anglers are responsible for colored tie wrap or
suitable material for marking and distinguishing their catch. Under these two conditions the
contestant's catches may be counted without a penalty (except for late penalties, dead fish
penalties or other penalties pertaining to other tournament rules). Contestants who elect to return to the official check-in by any other
means than cited above will forfeit their day's catch to that point in time of the tournament
day. Any contestant returning to the check-in point will be eligible to restart and resume
competition only under the supervision of the
tournament director or his designated tourna-
ment official. It is the sole responsibility of contestants to locate the tournament director or
MAGAZINE
Kyle Miller 2.08 lbs.
Jesse Smith
no weight
May 15, 2010
Taylor Crosland
no weight
official to request a restart. Failure to render
redfish by contestants. The Tournament
20 Weigh In The weigh in scale will be open
tion. Teams receiving assistance must commu-
"PROPER AND ADEQUATE." For the safety of
pounds and 100ths of a pound of each angler's
assistance when requested in an emergency situation is cause for immediate disqualifica-
nicate to the tournament official, the boat number(s) of the assisting boat and the assisted boat at time commencing aid.
9. Official Checkpoints and Official Clock There will be only one official checkpoint for boat-check in the morning and one official
checkpoint for check-in in the afternoon. All
tournament boats must be inspected by a tournament official before take-off. Any team arriving after take-off has started will have their
boat inspected and then go to the back of the line. Failure to go through boat check and
checkout in the morning will result in disqualification. All fishing must cease upon check-in.
Teams that experience equipment failures may have them repaired and check out late for an event. However, it is the team's responsibility to find and notify the tournament director or
tournament official in order to check out. Boats must be inside the channel at Fishermenʼs
Village by 2:30 p.m. for the Kids Cup weigh in on May 15 The official clock will be displayed at the weigh in scale beginning at 6 a.m. on Kids Cup tournament day.
10. Insurance Current liability insurance is required for each boat in Kids Cup events.
Proof of insurance (copy) should be on board. 11. Mandatory Registration and Competitorʼs Meeting
All contestants must
attend the registration and Competitorʼs
Meeting that will be held at the Charlotte
Events Center in Punta Gorda on Friday, May 14. Registration begins at 5:30 p.m. The
Competitorʼs meeting begins at 6:15 p.m.
Contestants who do not attend the registration will be disqualified unless other arrangements
have been made with the tournament director.
12. Tournament Practice Tournament anglers may share information with each other up to
and during the competition. However, no communication pertaining to fishing is allowed via
cell phone, VHF radio, pager or any electronic device during competition.
13. Tournament Entry Fee Entry fee for The Kids Cup qualifying event is $100 per angler. Full field is limited to 125 paid anglers. The
entry fee must be paid in full. Once accepted into the tournament, all entry fees are nonrefundable and non-transferable.
14. Boats, Motors and Horsepower
Regulations All boats must be a minimum of 16 feet in length. Each boat must have all
required U.S. Coast Guard safety equipment
on board. In addition, it must have a functional
bilge pump and live well space, properly aerated to adequately maintain alive a limit catch of
Director shall have the sole responsibility for
determining whether aeration and capacity is all contestants, ALL BOATS MUST BE
EQUIPPED WITH SOME TYPE OF OPERA-
BLE IGNITION KILL SWITCH. This ignition kill device must be attached to the driver's body anytime the combustion engine is operating. Anytime the combustion engine is operating
and in gear, there must be a driver in the driver's seat in full control of the boat. A small
electric trolling motor may be used for slow
maneuvering. All bladder tanks and any other
type of auxiliary gas tanks that are not installed by the boat manufacturer are prohibited. Fuel may be carried only in factory installed (built-
in) fuel tanks. Any additional fuel used during
the tournament day must be purchased from a retail facility open to the public.
15 Safety Safe boating will be observed at all times. Each contestant and adult guardian is
required to wear a fastened, vest-type or sus-
pender-style U.S. Coast Guard approved, personal flotation device anytime the combustion engine is on.
16. Angler Numbers Angler numbers will be
assigned by the rules committee based on the
day and time of entry and will be posted at the time of registration. Number is to be displayed
on the forward face of the motor cowling at the top.
17. Bait and Tackle Only artificial lures, live or dead shrimp may be used. No whitebait, pin-
fish, crabs, cut bait or other baits are allowed.
No trolling with the main engine. Only one rod at a time may be used per contestant. A cast must be fully retrieved before another rod is
picked up. Fly-fishing and conventional tackle
are allowed. All redfish must be caught alive in a conventional sporting manner. Trolling as a method of fishing is prohibited. Foul hooked
fish shall not be weighed during competition. A foul hooked fish is defined as a fish that does
not have at least one hook in its mouth, and it must be released.
18. Live Release Every effort must be made to keep redfish alive. A one pound penalty will be deducted from the contestants' total weight for
a dead redfish presented for weigh-in. No mutilated or iced fish shall be accepted. No angler may manipulate the weight or length of any redfish.
19. Late Penalty Contestants who are not at
the official check-in area at the appointed time will be penalized at one (1) pound per minute deducted from the total weight including any
weight to be counted toward a big fish award.
Any contestant more than fifteen (15) minutes
late will not receive credit for the day's weight.
beginning at 9 a.m. Tournament standings
shall be determined by the weight measured in catch during the tournament. The legal length
for redfish shall be not less than 18-inches and not more than 27-inches, in accordance with
local and state regulations. Redfish must not
be placed on a stringer at any time during the tournament. Tails will be pinched for measur-
ing. The official measuring board will be on display at the Competitor's Meeting Dinner.
21 Only One Fish Per angler Only redfish/red drum will be weighed, the limit shall be one (1) fish per angler. Contestants will at no time
have in their live well more than the tourna-
ment limit of fish. At no time during the tournament are adult guardians allowed to posess fish.
22. Culling Waiver If the Kids Cup is granted a Culling Waiver by the FWC anglers will be
allowed to cull or upgrade their fish during the tournament hours. At no time is an angler
allowed to posess more than one fish. If your fish dies, you must keep that fish. Dead fish may not be culled. More information and
copies of the culling waiver will be given out at the Competitorʼs Meeting Dinner.
23. Protests All protests must be submitted in writing, along with a potentially refundable
$100 in cash. The decision of the tournament
director and tournament officials will be final. If the protest is upheld, the $100 deposit will be refunded.
24. On the Water Communication A VHF
radio or cell phone is required for all tournament vessels. The VHF may be mounted or
portable. The use of cell phones, radios or any
other electronic communication will be prohibited to tournament anglers during the hours of
competition for the purpose of discussing fishing with anyone.
25. Television & Still Photography Coverage Contestants entered in the Kids Cup, must
make their boat and fishing areas available to
cameramen and camera boats during the tournament. NO EXCEPTIONS. There is no guarantee any team or contestant will appear on television.
26. Tagging: Tournament officials, Mote
Marine staff and Sea Grant staff will be allowed to handle, tag and contain any fish for tagging. Any fish deemed suitable for tagging will be considered to be a live fish. END of RULES
May 15, 2010
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/ KIDS CUP
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Junior Angler’s Name and Age with Adult Boat Captain/Guide Listed in starting order as entered by May 1. Entries will be accepted until the Captain’s Meeting on May 14
#
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35
Jr. Angler Name Brittney Craig Hunter Tylor David Robby Bryce Jeppe Trevor Dacota Matt Cyler Sari Chance Riley Mathew Michael Josh Justin Ricardo Michael Nic Conor Sean Austin Mathew Andres Will Cessna Kaine Kendra Christopher Christian Dacoda Trevor
Smith Smith Rieth Krafjack Isaacs Howard Griffin Bennetson Schlapak Kline Barton McVay McVay Galloway Mizell Henderson Eisner Watkins Watkins Martinez Peet Marshall Peters Petersen Taylor Newberry DeHayes DeHayes Manillili Mackie Jones Savage VanDerVeer Flenard Harris
Age
10 14 13 11 10 13 15 13 15 12 11 12 10 13 12 12 16 10 10 12 14 16 12 13 15 12 12 14 13 12 11 15 12 12 15
Capt / Boat Driver
Kenneth Kenneth Glen Mark Donnie Darren Andy David Andy Brett Billy Sheldon Sheldon Dave Mark David Gerald Jeff Jeff Rick Geurt Greg J.B. Richard Jim Chris Christopher Christopher Michael Brad Bill Michael Bart Bart Randy
Smith Smith Rieth Krafjack Moore Howard Griffin McHugh Griffin Ezell Barton McVay McVay Galloway Mizell Henderson Eisner Watkins Watkins Martinez Peet Mosely Bradshaw Van Acker Taylor Newberry DeHayes DeHayes Gerace Mackie Jones Savage Marx Marx Harris
This List was compiled on May 3 – Additional angler registration is open until the captainʼs meeting at 5:30 p.m. on May 14, at the Charlotte Events Center
Fish Hard Have Fun!
CHARLOTTE
(941) 743-8883
1252 Tamiami Trail
About our Redfish Tracking Project
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By Betty S taugl er Kids Cup / S ea Grant If you catch a redfish in the Pine Island Sound and release it at Punta Gorda, does that fish swim right back to Pine Island, or does it stay in the redfish population at the top of Charlotte Harbor? Charlotte Harbor anglers have reported dart tag recaptures from 20% (of 64 tagged Kids Cup fish in 2007) and 10% (of 68 tagged in 2008). In 2007, 18 of 20 acoustictagged redfish were heard postrelease, and 20 of 20 were heard in our 2008 study. In 2009 we
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Water LIFE
again heard all the tagged fish. Detailed tracking of the acoustic-tagged fish are showing some movement patterns specific to catch locations: some Bull Bay caught reds were recorded at the Cape Haze receiver, some Pine Island Sound caught reds have been recorded or recaptured in or near Pine Island Sound, and some upper Harbor caught reds remained in the upper Harbor. There has been a surprisingly high use of the PGI canal system by our redfish. The Redfish Tracking team is made up of scientists and professional staff from the
MAGAZINE
Sonic transmitter implant
/ KIDS CUP
University of Florida Sea Grant, Mote Marine Laboratory,
May 15, 2010
and FPL’s Progress Energy. We are using an array of sophisticated underwater listening devices around Charlotte Harbor to track these fish. The listening devices can pick up the passage of a fish within 400 meters. Anglers have been able to log onto the internet and track the movements of each implanted fish. This is important because more and more questions about the health of our fishery are arising and anglers need to find out the answers for themselves. This year we will again ask
all our anglers to give us some specific information when they return to the weigh-in, telling us what area of the chart the fish was caught in and how it was transported. There will be a copy of this chart in your captain’s bag. Your responses will be kept confidential. At the weigh-in, all fish caught will have plastic streamer tags affixed near their dorsal fins. We will be asking local anglers to report re-catching these tagged fish in the coming months. Thank you for participating in this study.
Redfish Tracking TITLE SPONSORS:
West Coast Inland Navigational District
We would like to thank the Charlotte County and the
Charlotte County Marine Advisory Committee for help with the Kids Cup Redfish Tracking Project.
ARE THE FISH SWIMMING BACK TOWARDS WHERE THEY CAME FROM? YOU BE THE JUDGE. All Kids Cup redfish have been released at or in the vicinity of Fishermenʼs Village in Punta Gorda. THE LINES on the chart represent some of the distant fish-travels we have recorded by sonic tracking. THE RED NUMBERS show how many fish came from each quadrant on the map during the past three years.
FOLLOW THE TRACKING for the next 12 months from: http://www.waterlifemagazine.com
May 15, 2010
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Water LIFE
MAGAZINE
/ KIDS CUP
Our dock helpers will help when you arrive at the weigh-in dock . Inset: This yearʼs location on the west side
PLEASE SHUT OFF YOUR DEPTH FINDER BEFORE YOU REACH FISHERMEN’S VILLAGE Depthfi nders coul d i nterfere wi th taggi ng el ectroni cs
By Capt. Ral ph Al l en Kids Cup Weighmaster
The weigh station will be set up in Center Court at Fishermen's Village. You will come along the dock on the right (west) side of the Village where our volunteers will be ready to assist you. We'll be working as quickly as possible, but since there will be a number of boats involved it will take some time to accommodate everyone, so please be patient. Since there will not be space to tie up every boat please return to your boat immediately after weighing in so as not to slow down the weigh in procedure. Fol l owi ng are some gui del i nes that wi l l hel p you get through qui ckl y:
There will be an official clock on the weigh-in dock. All boats must be inside the channel markers to Fishermen's Village by 2:30 p.m. as shown on the official clock. Once you're inside Marker. No. 14 you are in a no-wake zone. If you violate the no-wake law your team will be disqualified. We'll take boats in a first-come, firstserved fashion so everyone will need to form a line and wait their turn. There will be room for a number of boats to line up along the dock, everybody else will have to hold position in the harbor. If you're worried about getting through quickly then you might want to get back to the weigh-in early since there will probably be a big rush during the last 30 minutes.
When you're only a couple of boats away from weighing in our volunteers will be available to help handle dock lines. Please follow their directions. When you reach the front of the line give us your registration number and name and we'll hand you a bag into which you need to put your fish. If there is more than one tournament angler on your boat, please put each fish in its own bag. Once your fish is in the bag, hand the bag to the people on the dock and get off your boat. Bring your fish to Center Court.
While your fish is being measured, tagged, and weighed you will give the survey data about your fish to the volunteer at the weigh station who will ask you for this information.
After your fish is measured, tagged and weighed it will be returned to you in a release basket. Take the basket over to the fountain, submerge it and allow your fish to swim away. Your fish must be able to swim in the fountain to be credited with a live release. The fish will then become the responsibility of tournament staff who will either release the fish into the harbor or send it to surgery for a sonic tag implant. Please return to your boat as quickly as posible so as not to slow down the weigh in procedure. Untie the dock lines from your boat and depart (remember you're in a no wake zone when you leave the dock) After you secure your boat, come back and we'll see you at the awards ceremony! Remember, there is a smallest fish award and every angler gets a trophy. Good Luck and Safe Boating!
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May 15, 2010
Sportsmanship Award
The Rich Novak Memorial Sportsmanship Award is presented to the Kids Cup angler who best demonstrates the spirit of fair play, good attitude and a willingness to help others while competing in the tournament.
Rich Novak
This year,
Towles Club K-9 Resort is the Sportsmanship Award sponsor
Rich Novak was a good friend and a good sport. He was an avid angler and a founding member of the Tag-A-Giant bluefin tuna tagging research project. His selfless work as Charlotte County’s Sea Grant Agent, for the preservation and betterment of Charlotte Harbor, should serve as an inspiration to young anglers and water-men everywhere. This year’s trophy was created by Venice artist Tom Krause.
Good Luck To All The Kids Cup Anglers!
May 15, 2010
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/ KIDS CUP
Burnt Store Cafe is the Senior Kids Cup Dinner Sponsor
The Calusa National Bank is the Kids Cup Champion’s Trophy sponsor Shown here is Collin Moore the 2009 Kids Cup Champion, with the trophy
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May 15, 2010
SMALLEST REDFISH AWARD! Help Our Tagging Project
No matter what LEGAL S IZE redfish you catch, please bring it back to the weigh-in dock to be measured and tagged.
of
Capt. Andy Medina
Me di n a Fi s h i n g Ch art e rs has donated a
Diawa Inshore Rod & Exceler Reel
to the Kids Cup angler who weighs in the lightest weight legal redfish.
Mercury Marine has provided a variety of Hats, Embroidered Shirts, and Visors for the 2010 Kids Cup Competitors
Tight Lines & Good Fishing!
Good Lu ck to all th e Kids Cu p Anglers from MERCU RY !
Teaching kids about fishing and the local environment
May 15, 2010
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Water LIFE
Redfish Questions
Q. Why aren’t there many o ther tag g i ng pro g rams to g ather i nfo rmati o n o n redfi s h that are caug ht and rel eas ed duri ng redfi s h to urnaments ?
A. There are several reasons why angler-based tagging programs are not usually the scientific data collection method of choice:
1) Tagging programs are very labor intensive and require a lot of manpower to manage. Not having enough manpower, or money to provide manpower are always issues for research. The Kids Cup is an exception to that. The Kids Cup addresses this problem with the necessary funding raised through community support and with a qualified and experienced fish handling and tagging staff. 2) Anglers (for the most part) do not have enough training to tag fish and can cause more harm than good to the fish during the tagging process. Tagging by the Kids Cup weighmaster, done while the fish is on the measuring board, has been both efficient and harmless. The procedure for surgically implanting the sonic tags has been developed by fishery biologists and surgeons from Progress Energy and Mote Marine. 3) Even though fish may be tagged during a tournament, it is not scientifically possible to directly calculate whether or not a fish died just because of tournamentrelated activities. More controls are needed to be able to collect solid data on mortality (deaths). On average, a tagging program will get 1% - 5% tag return information. The Kids Cup, on the other hand, has had a 15% average return rate of tagged fish data during the past two years. This is not to say that the FWC has ruled out using angler-based tagging programs as a data collection method. The FWC, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI) is considering using angler-based tagging programs in the future but those programs will be subject to very controlled circumstances to preserve the integrity of the data collected. The Kids Cup will most likely be a model for other angler based tagging programs Q. If I hav e the appro pri ate s i ze l i v e wel l o n bo ard my bo at to qual i fy me to us e the cul l i ng permi t, do I hav e to put the redfi s h that I catch duri ng the to urnament i n the qual i fy i ng l i v e wel l ?
A. Yes. FWC rule and the culling permit require a live well minimum size of 18 gallons so that up to 2 redfish could be maintained on board a vessel with the minimum needed space to survive. The permit specifically states the following: “All boats used (for culling) in the tournament must contain recirculating or aerated live wells that are at least 2.4 cubic feet or 18 gallons in capacity. Any fish caught and culled pursuant to this permit must be maintained in the live well that meets these specifications.” Q. Can y o u o v er o x y g enate a l i v e wel l ?
A. It is possible to over oxygenate a live well especially when the live well has a lid that is kept closed. Closing the lid to a live well increases the oxygen level,
MAGAZINE
/ KIDS CUP
w h i c h increases respiration by the fish. This will increase the level of carbon dioxide and other gasses expelled by the fish. It is recommended that you leave the live well cracked or open to allow gasses to escape. Excess oxygen will also excite the fish and cause over activity that may lead to the fish bumping and bruising itself in the live well. We suggest using an adjustable oxygenation system with ceramic air stones. Ceramic air stones produce small bubbles that dissolve quickly. It is important to have a steady, rising stream of bubbles, but the water should not be boiling from the input of oxygen.
The best possible way to avoid over-oxygenating or under-oxygenating a live well is to use a device that measures dissolved oxygen content in the water. It is also possible to tell by observing a fish’s behavior if the oxygen level is appropriate. The fish should appear to be relaxed and be opening and closing its gill covers. If the fish appears overactive, the oxygen level may be too high. If the fish is coming to the surface, they are looking for more oxygen and the oxygen level may be too low. Q. What abo ut Rejuv enade i n the l i v ewel l ?
A. Rejuvenade excites the fish and stimulates their biological systems – stimulation is not desirable for fish that are going to be sedated for tag surgery. If at all possible, avoid using any stimulant or sedative in your livewell. If you do add chemicals to your livewell please be sure to tell the weighmaster when you come to the weigh in. Q. Is i t better to us e medi cal g rade o x y g en fo r the l i v e wel l ?
A. We have not found that the grade of oxygen makes a difference. Our redfish hatchery uses industrial grade oxygen typically used for welding and is much less expensive than medical grade oxygen. Q. Is i t better to us e a Bo g a-g ri p when handl i ng fi s h duri ng the meas uri ng and wei g h-i n pro ces s ?
A. Yes and no. If used correctly, a Boga-grip can be a benefit. If the fish is held horizontally and supported at the belly, the Boga-grip can be helpful by reducing handling and gaining control over the fish to aid transport and measurement. Unfortunately, when using a Bogagrip the tendency is to hold the fish vertically and the fish may struggle too hard and break its jaw. If you choose to use a Boga-grip, we emphasize that you keep the fish horizontal and support its weight at the belly.
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Redfish Catch, Hold and Release Best Management Practices MAGAZINE
Li sa Gregg Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission The following guidelines outline voluntary and mandatory management practices for tournament anglers and organizers to use when catching, holding, and releasing redfish during tournaments. These guidelines increase chances of survival of fish caught by hook and line. Catch and Rel ease Avoid using stainless hooks. These hooks do not rust out in the event that a fish is gut hooked and you have to cut the line. Land your fish quickly. If you are not placing your fish in a live well, leave your fish in the water during release. Use a de-hooking device to remove hooks. Using needle-nose pliers may injure a fish’s mouth. If the fish is gut hooked, cut the line and do not attempt to remove the hook. When releasing a fish that has been held in a live well, release the fish headfirst. Revive fish by moving them in a forward direction (not back and forth) in the water to promote water flow over the gills. Handl i ng Avoid picking up fish by the lip or lower jaw or holding the fish vertically. Avoid holding a fish by its gill plate or touching its gills. Minimize the amount of time that you handle a fish to reduce stress. Release or place your fish in a live well as quickly as possible. Always handle fish with bare wet hands and not
May 15, 2010
gloves, towels, etc. to avoid removing a fish’s slime. The slime coating protects the fish from disease. Li ve Wel l s Non-recirculating live wells should be aerated continuously with air (bubble) stones. Never fill your live wells in areas of poor water quality (e.g. areas with high water temperatures, muddy areas, etc.). Avoid filling your live well near marinas and boat docks. Use large live wells. State regulations require a minimum live well size of 18 gallons. However, a minimum live well size of 25 gallons is recommended. Larger live wells reduce bruising and damage to fins, allow more room for fish to move around, and have more water for the dilution of waste products. The water temperature in the live well should be maintained as close to the temperature of the water body from where the fish was harvested. Chilling live well water or allowing live well water to overheat may cause thermal shock if the live well water temperature varies more than 5 degrees Fahrenheit from the water body that the fish was harvested from. Catch Bags Some tournament formats require the use of catch bags to transport redfish for measuring and weigh-in. Redfish Tournament Exemption Permits require that only one redfish may be transported in a catch bag at a time. It is important when transporting redfish with a catch bag, the bag should be opened to allow aerated water that is maintained at the appropriate temperature to flow through as much as possible.
KIDS CUP TIDE: May 15 at Punta Gorda, FL 26.9283N 82.0650W
B O T T L E D WAT E R F O R A L L T H E K I D S C U P A N G L E R S FROM
CVS PHARMACY P U N TA G O R D A
May 15, 2010
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Kids Cup Sponsor for the 7th Year!
3156 Tamiami Trail (U.S. 41) Port Charlotte, FL (941) 625-6141 Always the Right Price – RightNow!!
k c u L f o t s Be to the 2010 Kids Cup Anglers!!
Don Gasgarthʼs Charlotte County Ford www.charlottecountyford.com
M osaic iS a Senior Level Kids Cup Sponsor Good Fishing to all the Kids from Mosaic!
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Awards
•
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Water LIFE
Captainʼs Bag •
MAGAZINE
/ KIDS CUP
To p - 5 • A w a r d s • C a p t a i n ʼ s B a g •
G OO D Lu c k ! Has provided its new Xtreme Scent Release baits for all the Kids Cup Captainʼs Bags
1704 Lakeside Ave St. Augustine, FL. 877-840-2248
From True Turn: Hooks for every angler Good Fishing!
E FRE nth o 1-m lasses! of C
Shimano has provided 7-foot Sojurn rods and Sienna reels for the 7 age group winners
Good Fishing and Good Luck! Veni ce Arti st
Tom Krause
Has provi ded framed redfi sh pri nts for the
SPORTSMANSHIP & AGE GROUP WINNERS
Angl er Conservati on and Educati on Inc. A S t ai nl ess S t eel
DEHOOKER
In EVERY Captai n’s Bag!
May 15, 2010
To p - 5
May 15, 2010
Awards
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Captainʼs Bag •
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Page 15
To p - 5 • A w a r d s • C a p t a i n ʼ s B a g •
Eppinger Manufacturing Company
QUANTUM HAS DONATED BOCA RODS AND CATALYST REELS FOR THE ʻTOP-5ʼ KIDS
w w w. d a r d e v l e . n e t
Maker of the Dardevle™ lure, has supplied 1/2 oz Rex Spoons for each Junior Anglerʼs Captainʼs Bag
GOOD LUCK TO THE COMPETITORS
Good Luck to the Ki ds!
Big Rock Sports and Susan Cannon
CLASSIC FISHING PRODUCTS
has provided their Rip Tide brand inshore saltwater baits
Tight Lines & Good Luck!
PRADCO and Joe Cox have provided tackle for every Kids Cup angler.
Rip Tide 4-inch Mud Minnow baits for all the Kids Cup Competitors
Classic Fishing Products Clermont, FL P l a q u e s f o r t h e K i d s C u p Tr o p h ie s
have provided terminal tackle and other accessories for the kids
Port Charlotte
X TOOLS PLIERS for all the anglers
743-7744
2 2 0 5 Ta m i a m i Tr a i l , P o r t C h a r l o t t e
FRABILL
has provided mesh guard landing nets for Kids Cup Top-5
Good Luck Anglers! Flying Fisherman
To p - 5
has provided quality sunglasses for the age group winners
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Water LIFE
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May 15, 2010
2 010 Kids C up Se nio r S pon sor
Fishin Franks – Has been a Kids Cup Sponsor Every Year!
F i sh i n ’ F ra nk s 4425 Tamiami Trail, Charlotte Harbor (at Edgewater/HarborView Dr.)
941-625-3888 Good Fishing to all the Kids Cup Junior Anglers!
Capt. Ralph Allen is the Kids Cup Tournament Weighmaster and owner of the Kingfisher Fleet of charter and recreational fishing boats at Fishermenʼs Village, Punta Gorda
639-0969
The
Breeze
Publishing Company
in Cape Coral Florida has provided the printing of the official Kids Cup Program
Tight Lines and Good Luck Kids from The Breeze!