Water LIFE Aug 2014

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nv S ir ke The on p ti P a g me ca e n l 10 ta lis t

Wa t e r LIFE Charlotte Harbor, Lemon Bay & the Gulf

The Don Ball School of Fishing

August 2014

Gags Bring Smiles From Offshore Page 19

History at Big Mound Key

Page 12-13

Lovin始 those Beach Snook Page 7

Same ol始, same ol始 Page 5

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AUGUST 2014

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FRESHWATER TOO! Thirteen year old Lauren Arringtonʼs original experiment sought to determine how low of a salinity level lionfish could stand. As a native Floridian who grew up fishing, swimming, and snorkeling, she witnessed the growth of the lionfish population in Florida waters firsthand. Laurenʼs father encouraged her to work on a science project involving the fish, and the two captured specimens from the Indian River Lagoon for testing. One party of lionfish was kept in saltwater as a control group while another was kept in a separate tank where Arrington slowly introduced freshwater. Her father, who holds a degree in fish ecology, estimated that the lionfish would tolerate no less than a salinity of 13 parts per 1,000. For comparison, ocean water has a salinity of 35 parts per 1,000.

Researchers went further and found that lionfish could survive a minimum salinity of five parts per 1,000. The fish used in the study could even tolerate pulses of freshwater. Experts say this adds a new, concerning wrinkle to the problem of lionfish management, as the species can access estuaries and even parts of rivers.

To Water LIFE - FYI: The Florida FWC announced changes that were made by the Florida Legislature and approved by the governor to divers-down flag requirements. Effective July 1, when in the water, divers may display a buoy with a series of divers-down symbols as an alternative to the traditional divers-down flag.

The buoy can be three or four-sided and must have a divers-down symbol of at least 12-by-12-inches displayed on each of the flat sides.

Divers-down symbols displayed onboard a boat must still be a flag at least 20-by-24-inches and displayed at a high point where it is visible from any direction. FWC

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Michael & Ellen Heller Publishers

(941) 766-8180

217 Bangsberg Rd. Port Charlotte, FL 33952

Independant - Not affiliated with any other publication Vol XIII No 8 © 2014

No part of this publication (printed or electronic) may be copied or reproduced without specific written permission from the publishers.

Contributing Editors:

Dear Water LIFE We are having problems here with poachers and people stealing the crabs out of the crab traps , also killing Gators out of season and just taking the tails. Thought you may know someone to get in contact with and also some material for a story... thanks Allen Grant We forwarded Allen Grantʼs email along to Detective Hardgrove at CCSO

Mr. Heller, I was able to make contact with Mr. Grant who stated that he and his friendsʼ recreational crab traps have been emptied and tampered with by a local commercial trapper, but Mr. Grant didnʼt know his name and Mr. Grantsʼ friend (refused name) knew the individual but was very apprehensive about relaying any information to law enforcement. The only thing Iʼm really able to do at this point is provide extra patrols in the area of the Interceptor Lagoon in South Gulf Cove in reference to the gator and trap issues. If any further information comes out on your end please contact me. DFC Rob Hardgrove 221, CCSO Marine Unit, 941-628-8115

Photography: ASA1000.com Senior Editor: Capt. Ron Blago River and Shore: Fishinʼ Frank Charlotte Harbor: Capt. Billy Barton Family Fishing: Capt. Bart Marx Punta Gorda: Capt. Chuck Eichner Venice: Glen Ballinger Kayaking: David Allen Sea Grant: Betty Staugler Offshore: Capt. Jim OʼBrien Gulf Fishing: Capt. Steve Skevington Gasparilla: Capt. Orion Wholean Beach Fishing: Mallory Herzog Circulation: Robert Cohn Office Dog: Molly Brown

on the COVER: Everyone is happy gag grouper are coming home for dinner again.

This pair came from Capt. Joe Millerʼs Offshore Galore out of Venice. More: page 19

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The Search for Jawʼs Jaws

By Michael Heller Water LIFE Editor This is the third installment of what has spontaneously turned out to be a three part series. It started when I ran a picture of Alan Ogle with what I said were the jaws of his IGFA all tackle record hammerhead shark. The following month I got a letter from a reader who said the jaws were from a tiger shark. I then asked if anyone was in contact with Alan Ogle to please ask him to call me.

No sooner than last month’s edition hit the streets Fishin’ Frank told me that yes, in fact the jaws in my picture were the jaws of a tiger shark and that he (Frank) had the jaws of the record hammerhead that Alan caught.

“When he closed up his shop in Punta Gorda Alan gave me the tiger shark jaws and the hammerhead jaws,” Frank said. Why Frank didi not tell me that a month earlier I did not ask.

I went to Colorado for a week to visit with my daughter and when I got home there was a message on my answering machine “Hi Mike, It’s Alan Ogle!” I called him immediately.

“When that article came out I heard from a lot of people I haven’t heard from in a while,” Alan told me. And then he explained what hap-

pened.

“The tiger shark jaws were from a mid 80’s tournament I fished in Tampa. There were three classes; heavy, medium and light. My tiger shark took second place in the heavy category,” Alan said.

The all tackle record hammer Alan caught was 991 pounds the tiger weighed 420.

“Tigers have really big mouths,” Alan explained. “I think I might have been showing you how big the tiger shark’s jaws were compered to the hammerhead.”

“What happened to the hammerhead jaws,” I asked Alan.

“We mounted them on a wood pannel and they were preserved,” Billy Pierson had them,” he said and some time after that Frank evidently secured them.

Frank told me the jaws were too valuable to keep at the bait shop so he took them home. Can I come by and get a picture ? I asked. Of course Frank said yes.

There on the wall in the downstairs bathroom in Fishin Frank’s Harbour Heights home hung the jaws of the world record fish.

At first glance it may not appear to be a fitting tribute for such a majestic animal that was once granted IGFA Recordbook status, but Frank will tell you different. The all-concrete downstairs bathroom is his safe room. “It’s the safest place I have in the house,” Frank told me.

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Flatsmasters: A Continuing Disregard for the Fish

Commentary

By Michael Heller On Monday morning July 28 I got an email from my friend Capt. Ralph Allen. “By any chance did you attend the Flatsmaster Tournament weigh-in Saturday? (Another Captainʼs name withheld because he doesnʼt yet have enough guts to speak up) said that it was ʻsad to see so many dead redfish floating around in the marina basin that afternoon.ʼ Capt. Ralph noted: “Must be tough on the fish right now, catching them in Pine Island Sound or wherever, then releasing them here with very hot, low salinity water.” Of course Ralph was exactly right. Shock kills them.

This is nothing new and certainly not news to Bruce Laishleyʼs Flatsmasterʼs Tournament staff. Mr. Laishley and his Flatsmasterʼs Tournament Director Capt. Jerry Cleffi are both native sons, they know what happens to tournament fish brought up here for a show. They have killed fish in their tournaments this same way before. There is no excuse for this happening yet again. We live on an Aquatic Preserve.

Capt. Cayle Wills posted photos on facebook: “Really getting tired of seeing Laishley Marina full of dead redfish the day after a tournament.

This was only a few of the dozen dead redfish that were there. Hope itʼs worth the money.” Kudos to Capt. Cayle for speaking up. If this is going to be stopped, more Captains need to speak up. You need to speak up!

The FWC knows about this. The culling waiver the FWC issues for redfish tournaments requires fish be released alive. By ignoring Flatsmasterʼs continuous and flagrant disrespect for the estuary, the creatures in it and the intent of the law, the FWC is ignoring its own job. This must change too or the FWC will be challenged.

Flatsmasters is a For Profit Kill Tournament by choice. Itʼs angler payouts are small, the eventʼs main function is to boost its own restaurant and bar sales. Now the Flatsmasters Tournament needs to stop promoting itself as a catch and release event. Let anglers take their fish home and eat them. Donʼt waste them. You own a restaurant.... get creative. Tournament anglers know better and those of you who attend or sponsor this event and then look the other way know better too. We had calls about dead Flatsmasters trout this spring. It keeps happening. I reported on this and I was accused of being too negative and I was barred from future events.

But now, like the dead redfish floating in the Laishley Marina basin last week, the problem has resurfaced again. Will THIS be the last time?

NIGHT LIFE Charlotte County Style PAGE

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By Capt. David Stephens Water LIFE Charlotte Harbor Welcome to sunny South West Florida and yes it’s sunny. I’m sure everyone has noticed we are in the middle of the Dog Days of Summer here on Charlotte Harbor. During this time of year we have just a little time before lunch that you can just about stand to get out and do some serious fishing. Then after lunch it gets so hot you are just about melting. And as soon as you think it might begin to cool down, those black clouds with lightening and heavy rains begin to roll in, messing up what you hoped was going to be a great day of

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bending rods and screaming drags.

Well fellow anglers my grandma once told me there is more than one way to skin a cat. Just please don’t tell my kitty!

During the summer months generally after mother nature gets done pouring down our much needed rain, things are nice and cool. Evening fishing trips during the hottest months of the year can be some of the best fishing Charlotte Harbor has to offer. Some of my favorite times to fish are around 5-to 6 p.m., after the evening thunder storms have moved inland, the winds calmed and the water has been cooled off by the rains.

When the sun begins to set out over the Gulf of Mexico some of the predators that I love to chase the most are beginning to get ready for their late night snack. I like to put a hook in the snack I'm serving.

On these late

evening trips normally snook and tarpon are the main attraction. They are known for their twilight feeding habits which makes them the number one target. But don’t count out some of Charlotte Harbors other game fish either. On night charters I have caught just about any fish that you would catch during the day.

I often hear people ask when I talk about night fishing. So your fishing the underwater lights in Punta Gorda Isles?

Well no, not on my boat. How ever yes I do fish a lot of structure. I stick mostly to shadow lines and I do often fish docks.

When you get ready to set out for a night of fishing don’t make the same mistake I made when I first decided to do some night fishing. BRING PLENTY OF FLASH LIGHTS! I also recommend the LED lights that snap on your hat brim.

Yes I know you can tie a knot, bBut get into a dark area and give it a try. Also bring a variety of rods. I have found myself in situations when something a little

AUGUST 2014

bigger was necessary although normally your flats gear will get the job done.

Beating the heat and having a great day of fishing can be done, it’s just sometimes you have to look outside the box. If you want to try to do some night fishing and just are not comfortable I recommend getting a guide or having a GPS that is up to date and will show you the markers, but no, they will not show you the crab traps!

If you would like to get out and experience some of South West Florida’s finest fishing day or night give me a call or send me an email.

Capt. Dave Stephens 941-916-5769 www.capt.dstephens@comcast.net All charters private and customized for your party’s needs

Offshore Madness AUGUST 2014

By Capt. Orion Wholean Water LIFE Gasparilla Recently, offshore conditions have been amazing, low winds and minimal waves have made the run to the 30-plus mile mark a breeze. Getting out in under an hour has been typical throughout the months of June and July. Bait has been every where, before heading out check the beaches and grab a cast net or two full of white bait. Then bring your Sabiki so you are ready when you hit about 30 or 40 feet in clear water and you see pods of thread fins, butterfish and cigar minnows which are the best for those 20-pound jacks.

After you get to about 15 miles out you will see ‘breaking water’ every where and the schools of bonita. Run and gun to these schools with a small jig head, cast into the schools and hold on. If you can catch a few large bonita they are great for your chum slick or bait.

Once you get to your fishing spot just

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send down a reef marker so you can properly anchor up. Usually the second I get set up I put my chum in the water.

If your in a good spot within a half hour or so the snapper and other good reef fish should show Capt Orion helping a Goliath grouper back onto its ʻfeetʼ “Recently I've been using a handline a lot,” he said up. Send down a Heading in throw a few king rigs out tions when running that far out. whitebait on a 2 or 3/0 hook and the secIf you want to catch the fish of a life time and troll.

Around 4 to 6 miles an hour will ond you get that bite reel quickly to get up call me up and book a charter with Gasparilla ensure big ‘cuda, bonita, and kings.

Good past the monster Goliaths and schools of luck, be safe and take your proper precauBig Game!

239-249-0177 amberjack below you.

After catching your edibles, if you want to mix it up, send down a fresh bonita or jack - in half or whole - with the proper tackle attached. You can hook up to one of those Goliaths, a shark or maybe even a monster barracuda.

Recently I've been using a handline to a leader and a 24\0 circle hook. Send that down and seriously hold on! Wear gloves and get ready for the tug of war of your life. I can average three 400-pound fish in an hour using my hand line set up! Again, wear gloves because the rope can get dangerous for you, but it is safest this way for the fish. You can pull one of these monsters up in three minutes if you are good and that allows for a healthy release.

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The Skeptical Environmentalist

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On The Line

By Capt. Ron Blago Water LIFE Senior Staff I've come a long way since I first thought of myself as an environmentalist back in the late 60's. As a young engineer working at a chemical and plastics plant in upstate New York, it was pretty obvious that environmental pollution was not considered a major problem. I remember one of my bosses telling me that the solution to pollution is dilution. You put a drop of waste in a glass you have a problem; you empty the glass in the Hudson River the problem goes away.

I also remember when I became an environmental skeptic. It was back in the early 80's when I was a new resident of Florida. I was an active member of the Sierra Club when Midnight Pass was closed. I remember giving a passionate speech on why the Pass should be opened. I even arranged for the members to go to the Pass and see for themselves what the closing of the Pass was doing to the inland waters.

I was pretty proud of myself when the membership voted to recommend the re-opening of the pass. But a funny thing happened right after that vote, the then Mayor of the City of Sarasota was appointed to the Board of Directors of the local chapter of the Sierra Club and at their first meeting they voted to reverse their stand on the Pass issue and recommended that the Pass remain closed. They said their decision was to protect the

environment. Ever since then, I have been fascinated by the interaction of science, politics, environmentalist and the media.

It appears that I am not the only one who has gone through the process of re-examining their environmental beliefs. Take Tom Lyons, the renowned columnist for the Sarasota Herald Tribune for example. In his article in the Sunday July 20 edition titled “Manatees are faring fairly well, actually.” (a must read for anyone who is interested in manatees) he comes to the conclusion that “ I repeat; Manatees are not fading into extinction. They are hanging in there. They are doing surprisingly well.”

Of course his recollection of history is some what fuzzy when he recalls the manatee hysteria of 20 years ago and he writes. “So the worry was justified. And, because the alarm was sounded back then, we saved a lot manatees. We did it mainly with boat speed regulations that advocates pushed Florida lawmakers to adopt.”

I applaud Tom Lyons for having the courage to admit that the manatee is not on the verge of extinction but is really doing ok. I'm sure he's getting a few comments from the Save the Manatee Club members.

There will always be those who do not accept the fact that extinction is a natural process. I recently read that 90-percent of all the species that ever lived on earth are now extinct. Extinction is natures was of replacing the obsolete with the new and improved species and there is nothing we can do about it.

Fish Friendships Help Locate Food Staff Report A new study from England, suggests fish form friendships and guide each other to food, Scientists found stickleback recognize other fish they have previously been housed with and spend more time with them than unfamiliar ones.

Researchers from the University of St Andrews monitored 80 stickleback as they were split into different groups over six weeks.

Dr Mike Webster said: "You see little cliques develop between the fish."

The study, conducted with Anglia Ruskin University and McMaster

stickleback

University in Canada, found fish were more likely to spot hidden food if a familiar fish had recently found it.

Dr Webster said: "We think the fish prefer to shoal with familiar individuals and interact more with them.

"They tend to follow each other so if one fish finds food it's more

likely that the one following it is going to be familiar and will find the food."

It is also thought fish may prefer to interact with those that have a similar smell to them.

Experts believe the findings could reveal how new behaviors spread through animal populations, allowing them to respond and adapt to changes in the environment.

Dr Webster said: " "It could also allow us to track or predict the spread of diseases, and to change the way that we manage populations of livestock or wild animals."

Scallop Search Results: AUGUST 2014

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5 is Good.... considering

By Capt. Betty Staugler Water LIFE Environment GREAT BAY SCALLOP SEARCH The sixth annual Great Bay Scallop Search took place on July 26 from Gasparilla Marina. Approximately 140 volunteers participated this year.

Our search got off to a stormy start with a storm cell moving onshore just as we were finishing up our orientation. There was a 20 minutes to an hour delay (depending on where they were headed).

At the end of the day 4 scallops were found. Actually at least one other scallop was recorded but we only count what is found within our narrowly defined search footprint so that every site and every year is uniform in how data is collected allowing for year to year and site to site comparisons.

The results this year although low were not surprising. Late 2012 and early 2013 red tide hit us particularly hard and it will take time, good water quality and some years to recover from that event. What about seeding the bay? Well I’m doing some of that too. During late 2013 and early 2014 about 11 million bay scallop larvae were released into Charlotte County waters along with about 30,000 juvenile scallops. It sounds like a lot, but a single scallop can produce millions of eggs, only one of which will survive to adulthood.

The restoration scallops used in Charlotte County were the result of two spawns of approximately 20 adult individuals that were collected from Crystal River. In late May I did a 6-month survey of the restoration sites and did find some percent of the sites surveyed.

It’s important to note that when I did

Dave Hansen snorkels the entrance to Bull Bay looking for scallops. He found none. Some places the water was clear others it was turbid. Left: A transect line lies in rich manatee grass. Below: Heading out ahead of the weather

my restoration survey we surveyed directly at the release sites. Scallop search volunteers conduct random surveys; many were assigned to grids where restoration occurred but they did not get “x marks the spot” coordinates. This is important as we want to know what is in the bay at large and not just what may be at the restoration sites.

Hopefully if a few restoration scallops survive and spawn their offspring will expand in range, but we will have to wait until next year’s scallop search to see.

CAPTAIN’S FISHING WORKSHOP This next item is for all the fishing guides and charter captains out there. On September 9 Florida Sea Grant is offering the For-Hire Workshop geared specifically for your industry. This workshop is modeled off the hugely popular Ohio Charter Fishing Conference which is organized by Ohio Sea Grant which will host its 33rd

annual one day conference in 2014. Virginia, Delaware and Maryland Sea Grant programs also organize one day programs.

Organizing anything in Florida is a bit trickier than in many other states. We have far too much coastline resulting in far too many differences in issues or needs experienced by the for-hire industry to do just one big conference to cover everything, so we are hoping regional workshops with more specific localized topics will be of greater interest.

The workshop topics being offered are a combination of business management and fisheries updates. We will cover those topics that were identified as of high interest through a local telephone needs assess-

ment conducted with SWFL captains in December 2013. The For-Hire workshop on September 9 is the first regional workshop offered in Florida. A second workshop is in the works for the Miami-Dade region. We hope this workshop will provide well-timed educational information to captains and also provide a venue for networking and direct feedback to speakers. If you are a fishing captain, please join us and help us develop this worthwhile program for your industry.

For more information about the workshop please see the facing page or call:

Capt. Betty Staugler Florida Sea Grant Agent

UF/IFAS Extension (941) 764-4346

OUR COUNT WAS 300 PAGE

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By Capt. Chuck Eichner Water LIFE Florida Keys Sometimes the stars line up just right for that incredible fishing trip. Generally, it comes when you least expect it - after a very challenging spring I was certainly over due. The dynamics of the Charlotte Harbor fishery change constantly and this spring a curve ball was thrown to everyone with the absence of easy to catch baitfish. But that has all changed now as a blind man can throw a cast net and catch pilchards just about anywhere in the Harbor.

A visit from my life-long friend Capt.

Tim Reichenburg came in mid July normally when the fishing is tapering off. He just finished two months of Bahama’s billfishing on a 61’ Viking and Charlotte Harbor was his respite from work.

Leaving the dock at day break we stopped on a spot on the east side to catch ladyfish. Just a couple days earlier they were hard to find but today we made about 18 casts and put 8 ladyfish in the well….a pretty good catch-rate.

With that we ran to a place I had seen tarpon a week earlier and with the sun rising we studied the mirror calm waters

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with no sign of fish, but decided to fish anyway.

With the engine running we each deployed a lip hooked ladyfish and fed line behind the boat getting the fish away from the stern. This little trick prevents you from hurting the bait during casting and gets the bait a long way out.

Next, the trolling motor was deployed and we tooled along looking for signs while covering some ground.

Fifteen minutes later the morning silence was broken with a hot singing drag and Capt. T was bowed up!

Spectacular leaps and fine work with the rod and he boated a 100plus- pound fish in 20 minutes.

With a clear case of tarpon fever setting in, we dropped lively ladyfish in the drink and proceeded to steam ahead with the trolling motor toward rolling fish about 200 yards away.

Moments later a 100 pound tarpon shot across the water in pursuit of my ladyfish but missed it only to have another tarpon pounce on it, miss it and yet another tarpon mashed it coming skyward!

AUGUST 2014

Capt. Tim Reichenburg with a nice Charlotte Harbor snook and a flock of birds in the backround.

Exciting is not the word for this kind of fishing and I leaned hard on this silver king! Every tarpon has a little different personality and mine was a leaper with 6or 7 nice jumps. Bringing the fish boatside we marveled at our luck and it was only 10:00 a.m. Most other boats were just coming out.

We both agreed that going 2-for-2 is pretty darn lucky so we shifted gears and headed to some diving pelicans where we found a bunch of nice bait.

With two live wells full we headed down below Burnt Store and began running the trolling motor looking for fish.

We covered a lot of water before picking out a few fish silhouettes in the sand, then we anchored and live chummed. The next 3 hours could only be described as epic as we literally could have caught 100 snook! We easily boated 50-to 60 without trying and eventually I was hand feeding them as they surrounded the boat “drunk” and carefree on the buffet we were serving.

Then to top it off a school of redfish swam by and yanked our lines! If you can imagine, we tired of the easy sport and so we ran northward stopping near Pirate Harbor on an island that was boiling with baitfish.

My first thought was to move as any fish here had way to much food to eat, but instead we cast our lines out and caught snook 360 degrees around the boat! They were everywhere, but you would have never known it until you put your line in the water! The easy to catch pilchards on a hook were picked out amongst thousands swimming by. Clearly a lesson to be learned here!

Our count this remarkable day was 300. That is, two 100 pound tarpon and 100 snook all in the same day. That is world class fishing and it’s right out your back door!

Capt. Chuck Eichner operates Action Flats Backcountry Charters and can be reached at 941-628-8040 or go to www.backcountry-charters.com

Snook from the Beach AUGUST 2014

By Mallory Herzog Water LIFE Beach Fishing August means the end of summer for a lot of people. Kids head back to school and the temperatures start to fall, but not for us here in Florida. We feel the heat well into the fall and winter months. This can be good and bad for fishing depending on our water temps!

This year the fishing is only heating up along our Gulf beaches in our hottest summer months. Bait, especially green backs, are plentiful making predatory fish very excited!

We have been spending a lot of time on our local beaches mainly in the Englewood area at Manasota Key. It’s great to bring your whole family along to enjoy a day in the sun.

I like to arrive in the early morning hours, right after sunrise. Beaches aren't too crowded, temps are cool and the fish are just waking up for breakfast!

You can catch a variety of great fish right along our coast line. If you aren't familiar with the area: flounder, snook, snapper, mackerel, jacks and even the occasional tarpon are all swimming with in casting distance of the shore.

Top waters are always a blast to fish as the sun is rising. Recently we have been

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targeting snook and they have been loving the live bait.

We bring a cast net to get some greenbacks for bait. Shrimp is also a great live bait along the beaches but can be difficult to get past the whiting waiting along the bottom for a quick snack.

Recently, I've been trying to get my son Aiden and his friends more evolved in their fishing. I knew these fun juvenile snook along the beach would be just the ticket to get him hooked!

Right away he got a bite and reeled in his first one. Then he had a fish on that could pull drag and you could see his eyes light up as it was a challenge to reel in. It’s always a great day at the beach when you can get the entire family involved.

These snook traveling along our beaches right now range from juvenile to adult size. They usually swim in the shallows right in the very first drop off from the shoreline so that’s exactly where you want yo throw your bait!

We’re using light tackle and free lining the bait live. We use a 3/0 - 4/0 sized hook depending on the bait size, the right size seems to keep the bait swimming the longest. Were also using 30-pound fluoro-

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carbon leader to 15-pound braided mainline.

The fish, big and small put on such an amazing show once hooked, pulling lots of drag and leaping out of the water, with lots of splashing action. The largest Gulf snook I have seen this year, measuring about 34 inches, while fishing off the beach, jumped out of the water and resembled a tarpon with her impressive size.

This fish cleared the beach, kindly people left the water and moved out of the way so Chris (right) could chase this impressive fish! All our snook caught are quickly released after a photo op!

Nothing puts a smile on your face like a great catch!

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Big Mound & John Quiet

History Where We Fish

By Michael Heller Water LIFE editor Even with todayʼs intense fishing pressure, the Bullʼs Bay / Turtle Bay area is still a productive fishing spot, but can you imagine what it was like 2,000 years ago?

Our friend Adam Wilson wrote: “I went out to Big Mound Key. It is extremely cool. You have to go out there and walk around. It is mind blowing that it is a 30 foot tall island made of shells piled up by humans.” Adam got me started reading.

Big Mound Key was at the heart of the Indian fishing area, a year round settlement and fish camp.

Located at the end of the Cape Haze mainland, between Catfish Creek and Bullʼs Bay, it looks like you could hike to Big Mound Key from the end of the undeveloped Rotunda Trace subdivision but you canʼt, the underbrush is unpenetrable. However, on the right tide, in the right boat, you might get there by water like the Indians did.

According to the Illustrated Encyclopedia of Native American Mounds & Earthworks, the archaeological site on Big Mound Key covers 13.5 acres and includes four tall mounds arranged in a rectangle with linear ridges and evidence of interior canals.

The mounds and ridges consist primarily of conch shells. Radio-carbon dating to 2000 years has been obtained from near the base of one mound, although most radio-carbon dates and ceramics in the area trace to the more recent Weeden Island Indian culture period of about 400 to 900 AD. People have been fishing around Big Mound Key for a long time. The mound was the site of a village, which some archaeologists indicate may have been the seat of a local ʻchiefdomʼ and served as an intermediate trade point between the Manasota

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AUGUST 2014

peoples of the Tampa Bay area to the north and the Calusa peoples to the south.

Archaeologists theorize there were huts constructed on the low finger like fan foundations that appear on both sides of the main mound .

They think the Part of a 1980s boardwalk still exists at Big Mound Key today chief may have photos by Adam Wilson lived at the top of one of the mounds. base of the largest mound here. Perhaps this is The Big Mound Key area was purchased as an where shells were brought in? Several smaller archeological site by the State of Florida in 1978 mounds with flattened tops near by were probably but little was done to protect it until 1981 when lootthe locations of other structures. Unlike Big Mound ers used a bulldozer to open up one mound in there were some human burials at John Quiet. search of Spanish gold. No gold was found but a Floridaʼs Indians had a long history of manufacturing period of intense scientific research began at the and trading shell beads. Archaeologists theorize the site and scientists later used the illegal excavation John Quiet Mounds and Big Mound Key were both to obtain material for carbon dating. likely sources for such trade. If canals existed within Halfway up Turtle Bay, on the land backing up to the sites they would have allowed trading canoes to Charlotte Harbor, lies another mound complex, the pull in very close to the huts. beetle shaped site known as John Quiet; one large Indians speared and netted their fish. Near Fort mound approxiMyers, the Horrʼs Island Mounds site, established mately nine feet tall between 3000 – 2800 B.C. was one of the first vilwith steep sides lages to be occupied permanently year round. and a flattened top Thousands of tiny fish bones (including hardhead - perhaps 20 feet catfish, pinfish and threadfin herring) and shells of by 60 feet. Like Big all kinds were unearthed and examined from that Mound Key it also site to determine what season they were collected has a series of low in. The seasonality of the bones and shells indisemicircular ridges cated that people lived on Horrʼs Island year-round, and it is probable gathering scallops in the summer, quahogs in the that structures winter or spring, and catching catfish, pinfish and were constructed threadfin herring mainly in the fall. atop these ridges as well. A hand-dug canal ran from Turtle Bay to the

AUGUST 2014

AQUATICA

(Above and Right) The view from the top and and the shells in the earth and under foot at Big Mound Key

(Right) Big Mound Key at Cape Haze It is possible that this site was a sort of half-way point between the territory of the Calusa people to the south and the Manasota people to the north.

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Indians travelled from Big Mound to John Quiet Mound through the same cuts of Whidden Creek, Bullʼs and Turtle Bay that we still run and fish in today.

Of Similar Construction

(Below) Infrared satellite image showing shell construction at Big Mound Key

Scientists tell us rounded thatched huts were built on the ʻfinger likeʼ foundations.

Notice the similarity of the two different mounds shown here.

Both are situated on a defined ʻnotch,ʼ in the landmass, perhaps a protected anchorage, a fish weir or maybe even an early boat ramp.

( Above) Mound Key This is a different mound, in the bay just south of Fort Myers Beach Prehistoric Native Americans created this island's complex of mounds out of seashells, fish bones, and pottery. This Mound Key is believed to have been the ceremonial center of the Calusa Indians at the time the Spaniards first attempted to take over Southwest Florida. As a symbol of defiance to the Indians, in 1566 the Spanish governor of Florida established a settlement on the island, and built a fort and the first Jesuit mission in the Spanish New World there. The settlement was abandoned three years later after relentless violent clashes with the Indians. The only access to the island today is by boat; there are no facilities.

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Comfort Zone

AUGUST 2014

What Makes Fish Happy

By Capt Billy Barton Water LIFE INSHORE Break out the sunscreen folks they don't call this the Sunshine State for nothin’! Summer is making its presence known this year there is no doubt about that! The heat and the daily rain can have some positive and negative impacts on the fishing here and on Charlotte Harbor as a whole so it's imperative to understand what these fish are feeling and adapt with a few changes if you want continued success with your fishing out there.

There are two major factors that impact our fishing in the summer.

First off and the most obvious is the heat. Charlotte Harbor is dark in color and relatively shallow with the deepest hole being 23-feet. The Harbor retains a good amount of the heat from the sun and typically is several degrees warmer than waters closer to our Gulf.

On top of the heat we have an influx of fresh water pumping into Charlotte Harbor from all over. And when I say all over I mean all over!

The Peace and Myakka Rivers feed into the north end of the Harbor and both flow from up into the state of Florida. With a good amount of rain happening this brings the water level in the rivers up and all of that river water has to come out through our Harbor. We also have fresh water coming from the Caloosahatchee River on a daily basis as well. These rivers bring our salinity in Charlotte Harbor down drastically this time of year.

What salt water does come in from the Gulf on our incoming tides is really no comparison to what is coming out of the rivers on a daily basis, all the time.

The fish are going to do the same

exact thing we're trying to do here folks - adapt! Some will have the means and energy to move a bit closer to the Gulf in search of cooler, saltier water. Some of our fish that don't want or need to leave will just find areas that they are comfortable in.

They could be under a mangrove bush or a dock, or they might just find themselves a cool white sand hole to relax in. A lot of your larger redfish and snook will go deep as this offers them cooler water with a little higher salinity.

You adapting is simple. Slow down

your technique and offer them an easy meal that they can't refuse! Fishing deeper, or shadier areas should also improve your success out there.

Fish early, fish late, fish at night, fish when there's good water movement, fish closer to the Gulf, fish on the middle to later part of the incoming tides. These are all valid points.

Hopefully I was able to positively impact someones next fishing venture.

Now dress cool, drink lots of fluids, and go make that drag sing!!

Capt. Billy Barton, Scales & Tails Fishing Charters 941- 979-6140

AUGUST 2014

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Whether you are looking to list your home, buy a new home, or bring friends and family to join you in Florida, call me to help you find what you are looking for!

Lennore Shubel – Realtor Cell: 631-741-4589 Email: lennore@liveswflorida.com

Pictures on these pages are from some July charter trips with Capt. Billy Barton. Redfish and snook, tarpon and jacks, shark, flounder and gag grouper are all still abundant in our inshore and near shore waters. Changing salinity keeps many species moving around.

THE YANKEE GRIP

You gotta know how to hold ‘em A small redfish is an unwilling victim of the three-fingered Yankee Grip

Yes I have done this before.

No, I donʼt need any help.

Foot Long Bugs PAGE

16

By Capt Bart Marx Water LIFE Keys What happens in August in Florida? Lobster season opens and boat loads of people head to the Keys and South Florida for spiney lobster.

There are several places to go harvest these live little rose bushes, you need gloves and a few other pieces of equipment.

Some like a tickle stick and a dip net, some a special tool with a loop that slides over the tail and grabs them. Some go out under the cover of darkness using a special net called a bully net. They cruise around with bright lights shining down in the water and you spot their eyes glowing. You put the net over them and they get tangled up in the net .... and in the boat they come. This is only in shallow waters and you don't get in the water, it is at night and you can’t see much past your light.

Lobsters can be found swimming from the beach in Ft. Lauderdale, to the south there are reefs only a few yards off the beach that hold lobster. Some people snorkel, SCUBA , use floating air compressor or just a mask to go after these spiney critters.

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The commercial and recreational lobster season starts Aug. 6 and runs through March 31.

These guys have to have a body at least three inches long measuring them in the water with a measuring device and they must be kept in whole condition till you are on land. You are allowed 6/person/day.

I like going to the Homestead area when hunting for lobster. North edge of Pennekamp to Miami you can pull people looking down on tow lines over many areas of lobster habitat. Some of us are brave enough to bring a speargun along and sling some steel at those tasty hog fish that are there too. The regulations are 12 inches and 5 per person. Now you have the main ingredients: fresh hog fish and lobster pasta. Good stuff, fresh seafood for dinner.

If you would like to learn more give Capt. Bart Marx a call at 941-979-6517 or e-mail him at captbart@alphaomegacharters.com

FIS H BO X

AUGUST 2014

By Capt Steve Skevington Water LIFE Placida Fleet Well itʼs August again and everyone has gone home. For the most part all of the snowbirds are back up north, kids are back in school or heading that way, and everything here in southwest Florida is quieting down. The only ones that didnʼt get the memo about quieting down are the fish! They are still very much in the ʻgo modeʼ!

This is exactly the right time of year for a staycation. Take a day or two off and enjoy all the great fishing thatʼs going on around us right now.

Red grouper is a local favorite, and these fish are closer to shore this summer than I have seen in years.

Just find a piece of hard bottom and drop down some cut baits. If they are there you will know it fast.

Then just try and keep him from finding his hole.

Lane snapper are out there in force, look for them schooled up

over hard bottom in 65-70 feet of water.

Mahi Mahi are out there now too, they arenʼt too big unless you go way out, but man are they good eating!

Barracuda are on all the wrecks and artificial reefs. Trolling with cuda tubes is a fun way to catch ʻem. Big jumps and fast runs are what cuda fishing is all about.

Permit are still chewing, but you have to hunt em down, theyʼre not as easy as they were last month.

Kingfish are hit and miss, with just a few still around. But when we get ʻem they are big, not the little schoolies youʼd see during a big run but BIG smokers.

Sharks are of course still are all over the place, just pick a spot and put bloody bait in the water, youʼll see ʻem soon enough.

Lots of great fishing out there right now, Good Luck!

Captain Steve. Paradise Offshore Charters (941) 575-3528

AUGUST 2014

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Pier Fishing: SNOOK

By Bobby Vitalis Water LIFE Pier Fishing Snook are a lot of fun to catch because they give an awesome fight. This snook was caught at the Venice Jetty to the south side. The time I caught these snook was in the early morning hours, till about noon.

The snook has a most distinctive body shape, with large fins and have a prominent black strip running the full length of the lateral line. Unless it changes, snook fishing is out of season in August so you have to put them back into the water.

I have caught 5 snook there in a three week period. To find the bigger snook, fish in between the rocks in deep pot holes.

Most of the time I love using artificial lures. Most of the time I cast. I have been trying this lure for a while and it does allow me to catch fish. The lure I am using is the Berkley Gulp saltwater 3-inch shrimp. The color is pearl white, it comes in a six pack.

The good thing about Berkley Gulp is that it comes with its own strong scent.

When not in use, keep it closed in its bag so it does not dry out. The jig head I am using for the artificial shrimp is the D.O.A C.A.L short shank 3/8 ounce weight, color is white. Sometimes, if the water gets really rough, then I would go to a 1/2 ounce

weight, but most of the time, when the water is calm, I use the 3/8 ounce weight.

For those people who use bait, you can use shrimp or you can catch bait there at the Jetty. People are using small mesh casting nets. Note: just watch for rocks in the water, you don’t want your net to get hung up on them. Sometimes you will see the bait fish swimming in the water, and sometimes you will not.

When using shrimp, the hook size to use to catch snook is from 2/0, no more than 3/0 Owner or Gamakatsu octopus circle hooks. When spin casting, I use 30 pound test SUFIX ADVANCE SUPER line (BRAIDED), as my main line. For my leader line, I use no less than 3 feet of 25 pound test SEAQUAR 100 percent FLUOROCARBON LEADER line, which is invisible in the water.

Due to using light tackle, and when I am fishing at the Jetty on the rocks, and I have a big fish on my line, I reel the fish in as fast as I can without breaking the line off; otherwise the fish will go down into the rocks which will also cause the line to break. When tying your leader line to your jig head, I suggest you use the RAPALA knot because it will create more action out of the jig. So, if you want to have fun catching snook, try this method!

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Frankly Iʼm Glad PAGE

18

By Fishin’ Frank Water LIFE Baitshop This year, classes here at Summer Camp Port Charlotte include court room law. Last month I was in court about the guys who robbed us.

The good news is they were both convicted and are off to prison for several years.

For me, remembering that day, getting woken up by a call from the cops at 4:30 a.m., them saying the store had been robbed, me getting to the store and seeing all the empty shelves, and then thinking about all of it again in the court room and hearing them say “Well it is not like we broke into a home” ...

Horse Hockey! The baitshop; it is as much a home to us as our houses are. I spend more time here at the store (I’m writing this at the store it’s 6:45 a.m.) than I do at my house.

The $64K in merchandise they took could have about put us under. It was one of those perfect storm screw ups. The alarm company called me the night before since the system had just quit and they asked could they come Friday instead of Wednesday night. I said sure, what’s the difference, but as it turned out it was a big difference!

But how to know?

The building was 90 years old, when a building turns 90 the insurance company cancels your theft/ break-in, hurricane, and what ever other coverage's until you get reapproved with up-to-date alarms and other

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inspections. So I had no insurance and then this s.o.b. picks the night when all of those things created a gap. Son-of-an-old-dog, you have to be kidding me! Murphy struck at me big time.

The good news is we were assigned CCSO officer Baras, who chased down all of the leads. And there were other people involved other Charlotte County officers and Punta Gorda police, but the guy I was dealing with, while he had his own leads, he was also following all of the other leads I was getting from facebook and other internet sources as well. The phone rang all day and I texted Baras each and every lead.

The way we got lucky was with a video of the guy in the store and video of him outside the store. Getting the picture of his face and being able to see him before and during the break in was key. It is hard to chase a ghost without the video. And having a few thousand friends on the internet and in their cars looking helped a lot too. But while I had the perfect storm of bad luck I also had the perfect timing of good luck.

The CCSO was on a roll. They had solved every case they investigated for the previous two weeks and that record stayed intact through our break in. After 17 hours straight that Detective Baras worked both guys were in custody. Then with the help of some friends most of the stuff was retrieved the next day. Thank you to all the people who helped us.

I no longer take security lightly. Now if you scratch your back side in my store I will see it. But I promise only I will see it and I promise I will only snicker a little.

Fank@fishinfranks.com 625-3888

AUGUST 2014

A wolfpack of small marrauding jack crevalle corners a school of glass minnows against a Port Charlotte canal seawall. If you look closely you can see several fish feeding with their heads out of the water at the lower right. Should you try and throw a lure into this frenzy the fish will all go down and disappear. A fly might work.

AUGUST 2014

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Deeper Means Bigger

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This large bull dolphin was caught out about 60 miles from Venice using light tackle with 20pound fluorocarbon leader. He tossed his line out with a small weight and immediately this dolphin grabbed the cut bait, jumped out of the water numerous times and then went deep.

Holding the Dolphin is Joe Miller with Bud Carte to his right.

Special From Glen Ballinger In July Capt. Joe Miller of Fish Offshore Galore out of Venice finally got out deep for gag grouper in 150- to 200-feet of water. Joe says he likes overnight trips this time of year since anglers get the PM and AM bite and miss all of the heat and sun during the middle of the day.

When fishing for gags, Joe likes plenty of live bait such as pin fish and sardines. Then he searches for ledges . “If you have never caught a large gag grouper give it a try, but be ready for a serious fight. For these large gags you have to be prepared and immediately fight them off the bottom before they get "rocked up," Joe says.

Robert from Osprey with a nice red snapper

John from Plant City with an AJ

The OL’ FISH’N HOLE PAGE

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By Capt. Jim O'Brien Water LIFE Offshore Hey ya - all it’s another month gone by for fish'n since gag grouper opened. I hope ya - all have been munching down on some gag and red grouper. It’s really on fire 35 to 45 miles out, as far as the red grouper goes, they’re anything from 10 to 20 pounders.

Well the story and pictures this month I have for you is from Matt Aberham and his son Matt works for Mack Freight Serv. Here in Port Charlotte Matt and son was fish’n with some friends out 42 to 45 miles a week ago and caught big mangs and huge red grouper, some was in the 38inch range. They limited out on grouper and towards the end of the day Matt’s son hooked into a big bonita. It took him all over the boat Matt said his sons eyes were the size of silver dollars.

All the guys I have talked to have been catching smaller grouper inside the 20 mile range but they said if you want the BIG –UNS, and have the boat to get out there, you need to get at least 35 miles out and farther and hang on.

Gag grouper has been doing real good around structure, also at 35 to 45 miles and I might add the yellow tail and mangrove snapper are biting real good too. I have a charter coming up - they just want to catch BIG-UNS like Goliath grouper, big AJ's, barracudas, and sharks. AJs re opened Aug. 1. We have had a good showing of black fin tuna out at 35 to 50 miles, also in a little closer we have had some mixed in with the bonitas. Lots of bonita out there Phew! And we have had some small peanut dolphin showing up out at 35 to 50 miles.

Now let’s see what other anglers are catching TARPON – are still up in the Harbor and out off the beaches. Best bait: live crabs early in the morning and late in the evening SHARKS – are all over the place, still, in the Harbor, out off the beaches, around the inshore reefs. Black tips and bull sharks are out on most of the offshore wrecks, a fish’n buddy of mine was fish’n out 42 to 45 miles and catching big red grouper and big mangs but he said the sharks was taking their share of the fish. My friend Matt said they lost a bunch of fish to the sharks.

COBIA – are in the deep holes in the Harbor and the sand bars just outside the front door to Bull Bay. Up and down the west wall is producing some GOOD -UNS BARRACUDA – there are some monsters on

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the offshore wrecks. I’m talking 4 to 5 footers. The guys are using the good ol ‘cuda-tubes in lime green and hot pink. Also when I was down at Bass Pro Shop I picked up some hogys in pink, black and root beer color, they work very well. Also I like using the longer ones with 2 hooks in them like a stinger rig, the black ones work good on the cobias. I get some with the lead head and some without. I use the lead heads out in deeper water it lets the bait get down better in the water column.

AJs – Open season again and all I can say is the offshore wrecks are loaded with these big guys MANGROVE SNAPPER YELLOW TAIL and LANES – all chewing real good on the offshore reefs and wrecks from 30 miles on out most are running 18 to 28 inches. Best bait live shrimp, cut bait and real small pinfish, if the pins are too big cut them in thirds. Use pieces of the pinfish the scent is what you want. Just a ton of lane snapper this past month and should be this month too!

RED GROUPER – the red grouper are being caught in 12 to 20 miles but your big hogs are out at 35 to 60 miles, 10 to 20 plus pounders. Best bait live squirrelfish, herring and oh yes ol’ Captain’s mullet chunks tipped with squid heads with the tentacles GAG GROUPER – look for rocky areas with ledges or look around your offshore wrecks. These guys are interested in live baits, big pinfish, croakers, and squirrelfish.

Please don't forget our organization FISH’N FOR HEROES WOUNDED WARRIORS INC. We are looking for more donations to get more wounded veterans for a free all day offshore fishing experience. If you would like to see some of the wounded vets with smiles on their faces after a great day fish’n go to FISHN FOR HEROES. ORG Without donations we couldn't do this. If you would like to make a donation or sponsor a trip or want to know about Fish'n for Heroes Wounded Warriors Inc. call me.

Well gang now I think it’s time for me to get out of here so if you have a good ol fish’n story or a recipe for cooking fish that we can share with our readers or if you want to book an offshore charter with us aboard the Predator II a 39-foot Egg Harbor with ice cold a/c give us a call at (941) 473 - 2150 AND REMEMBER GET OUT AND SNORT SOME OF THAT CLEAN SALT AIR C U Z ITS GOOD FER YA! ! !

AUGUST 2014

AUGUST 2014

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SCUTTLEBUTT

Sometimes Unsubstanciated, But Often True

HAD 2 HAPPEN Citrus County officers responded to a vessel crash where a vessel operator was distracted by his cell phone during which time he struck the port stern of the vessel in front of him. The vessel at fault sank in the Crystal River near Shell Island.

DID NOT PASS GO Investigators were working the area of Waltz Key Basin in Key West when they received information that two men

should be finished later this year and will allow work to begin by December. The plan is to finish the canal in 2019 and begin operations in 2020. The proposed channel would be more than three times longer than the 48-mile (77km) Panama Canal, which took the United States a decade to build and was at the narrowest part of the Central American isthmus.

QUIET PLEASE An autonomous unmanned vessel designed to track quiet diesel-electric submarines spanning miles of ocean depths for months at a time with minimal human input is now under construction and is expected to set sail for testing in 2015.

10 years this month

were spear fishing lobster in the area. One of the men began to throw wrung lobster tails overboard as the skiff made several attempts to lose the officers. It was not long after that until the skiff came to a stop and the officers were able to come along side. A subsequent fisheries inspection revealed that the two men were in possession of 88 wrung lobster tails, a mutton snapper, and an undersized gray snapper. The men were arrested and transported.

NEW CANAL TO PUNTO GORDA A Nicaraguan committee approved a proposed route last month for a $40 billion shipping channel across the Central American country that would compete with the Panama Canal.

The committee of government officials, businessmen and academics approved a 172 mile (278 km) route from the mouth of the Brito river on the Pacific side to the Punto Gorda river on the Caribbean that was proposed by executives from the HK Nicaragua Canal Development Investment Company.

The proposed canal would pass through Lake Nicaragua, Central America's largest lake and will be between 230 meters and 520 meters (755 feet to 1,706 feet) wide and 27.6 meters

(90 feet) deep. The proposed route still faces environmental and social impact studies that could recommend some changes to the plan, but those studies (and the requisite bribes– ed)

PIRATES • In the past decade, 45 seafarers have been killed and 459 seafarers have been held hostage • There is at least one attack per week on a ship operating in the region, but up to two thirds of attacks are believed to go unre-

ported • In 2013, 60 percent of attacks took place in Nigerian territorial waters and there is a trend

for increasing violence within attacks • Around 12 percent of the UKʼs crude oil is imported from Nigeria, and by 2050 the region will hold 25 percent of the worldʼs oil production • Around 5000 vessels, of all nationalities, call at Nigerian ports every year • Nigerian statistics shows that 300,000 barrels of oil are stolen every single day NOAA SCIENTISTS are testing two types of

unmanned (drone) aircraft this summer to survey a variety of rare and endangered species, monitor remote marine areas, locate marine debris for removal and study fragile ecological features in the vast Papahānaumokuākea Ma-

The Charlotte County Fire/EMS boat was a big hit at the Fishermenʼs Village Pirate Fest Invasion last month. The boat sprayed lots of water and everyobe had a blast rine National Monument in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

DRINK UP A study by researchers at the Loyola University Health System found that eating fish, specifically fish high in omega-3 fatty acids, may prevent damage from alcohol-related dementia. The study was recently published in the journal PLOS ONE, and detailed how the compound found in fish oil called omega-3 docsahexaenoic acid (DHA) can protect against alcohol-induced inflammation and the death of neuronal cells.

BAD JU JU Researchers have begun exploring the wreckage of the Mars, a Swedish warship that sank during a naval battle in 1564.

The wreck site is located 12 nautical miles southeast of the island of Oland in the Baltic Sea. Mars, also known as Makalös, was built between 1563 and 1564. It was the leading ship of King Eric XIV of Sweden's fleet, and at 48 meters and equipped with 107 guns it was one of the largest warships of the time, the ship caught fire and exploded during the first battle of Öland. Mars was rumored to have been cursed because many of its 130 cannons were made from melted church bells.

ENERGY SURVEY COMING The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) issued a Record of Decision (ROD) establishing the highest practicable level of mitigation measures and safeguards to reduce or eliminate impacts to marine life while setting a path forward for appropriate geological and geophysical (G&G) survey activities off the Mid- and South Atlantic coast to update 40-year old data on the regionʼs offshore resources.

YAK WREK While patrolling Charlotte Harbor, an FWC officer heard someone yelling for help.

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He quickly located an overturned kayak. He was able to bring both occupants, all their gear, and the kayak on board his vessel and take them safely to shore. The only thing lost was their truck keys, but they were able to call for someone to bring a spare set of keys.

KNUCKLEHEAD Officers responded to the beach area just south of the Dania Beach Pier in reference to a complaint of a person in possession of a tarpon. The officers conducted surveillance for a short period when they observed one individual come on to the beach on his paddleboard. On the paddleboard was a large tarpon. The officers made contact with the subject. He possessed a 72 inch tarpon that he had speared and did not have a tarpon tag for. With this information Officer Strader issued the individual a criminal notice to appear for possession of a tarpon without a tag and illegal method of take of a tarpon. The dead tarpon was seized as evidence.

FUNNY Lieutenant Arkin was on his way home heading south on SR-13 when he came across a vehicle parked and running in the middle of the road on SR-13. Lieutenant Arkin initially thought the vehicle was disabled. There was a subject sitting in the passenger seat who was extremely intoxicated. The subject admitted to drinking alcoholic beverages and smoking cannabis. In plain view in the vehicle, Lieutenant Arkin observed a clear plastic baggy in the cup-holder that contained cannabis. The passenger at first stated that he was not the driver, but later admitted that he was too drunk to drive so he just stopped where he was and jumped into the passenger seat. The subject was issued a notice to appear for possession of cannabis under 20 grams and turned over to the care of his father.

BLUEFIN BAN? the National Marine Fisheries Service announced that it will consider a ban on commercial and recreational fishing for bluefin tuna. The announcement came after Mexico declared bluefin tuna off-limits to both commercial and sport fishermen. The news— which came at the height of the fishing seasoncaught many American anglers by surprise.

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Frank, at Fishin’ Franks 941- 625-3888

Sharks and tarpon are still the big story this month. They are hanging in more so than I thought. On August 13, 2004, the morning of Charlie, I was on a tarpon trip in front of Alligator Creek. I remember getting a call from my wife Terri. “What are you doing, there is a hurricane in the gulf,” she said. We had good tarpon and shark fishing late that year too.

I guess it’s the common pattern: early morning daybreak they are at the 41 bridges, then the fish move over to Fishville. Then in the middle of the day they are between Alligator Creek and the reef there – that area holds a lot of bait and that attracts the tarpon to it.

The sharks are a little further down Harbor. Get your light tackle snook or redfish rod and head to the middle hole. I strongly urge having a chum bag out.

Frozen sardines or live threadfins for bait will work well. Use a 4/0 or a 5/0 hook.

There are three to four foot sharks. My

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August

favorite leader is the bleeding leader from AFW. It’s a 45 pound leader-cable, premade rig. There are tons of sharks in the middle of the harbor. Pinch the barbs down use a bobber on top and one 3 feet deeper.

Down at Marker No. 6 there are much larger sharks, 6 to 12 footers, I mean they

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Shark, Tarpon, Grouper, Snapper, Kingfish, and MORE!

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Capt. Jim OʼBrien USCG 50 ton license since 1985

941-473-2150

Forecast

Left: RD Bailey holding a 22-pound 4oz Fire Truck red grouper. Above: a rare snowy grouper

are big fish. Whole mullet with the tail wacked off is the bait for them. I fish on the bottom for them using 100 to 250 pound cable leaders of 6 foot with a 12/0 hook. Upgrade your gear to 6500 Bait Runners or better. These are big fish with lots of pull so you want bigger guns.

SEASONAL CONFUSION The recreational harvest of greater amberjack and gray triggerfish in Gulf of Mexico State Waters (shore to 9 nautical miles) reopens Aug. 1.

In Gulf Federal Waters, greater amberjack will also open Aug. 1, but gray triggerfish will remain closed through Dec. 31.

AUGUST 2014

Photos this page Capt. Joe Miller, Venice.

There are grouper on Alligator Reef as well. Try the Mag-15 lure, let it down to the bottom, bump it and then give it a crank up. Troll for 100 yards or so before the reef to get your depth right. If the rod bounces bring the lure up 1 or 2 cranks.

Goliath, black drum, gags, there are lots of fish there now.

AUGUST 2014

BACK ISSUES @

The BIG-4 TARPON Up the Harbor, down towards Two Pine

WWW.WATERLIFEMAGAZINE.COM

Big Fish to expect in August

DOLPHIN (MAHI) In 85 to 90 feet, trolling off our shore

GROUPER Lots and lots of gags on the big reefs

SNOOK Still holding good.

Some in PC canals at night

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Gulf Temps are 87

The Harbor is hotter! Salinity is changing with the rain.

95˚ 90˚

This lucky guy caught two groupers on one hook!

Out along the beaches there are still plenty of snook, a little pompano and a little Spanish, but snook is still the big story along the beach.

Out in the Gulf there are Tasty yellowtail home for dinner big schools of bonita and really keying in on the great lane snapper on all the reefs whitebait right now. right now. From Boxcars to Novak it’s big-time-on for lane snapper.

Most of the dolphin are a long Jim, at Fisherride out 30 - 35 miles – a long ride men’s Edge, Englewith the storms this time of year. wood: 697-7595 Keep a cut sardine on a spinning Offshore fishing is rod, sopradically they will come in pretty hot. I had some closer, but then they are chicken friends fishing in 85 feet dolphin, big enough for a meal but and tell me they were not big enough to brag about. catching lots of yellowAround the mangroves or worktail, red and gag grouper. Then ing the flats, fishing is better early they moved out to 90 feet and had in the day and better with 50 keeper yellowtail - all on shrimp whitebait. If you fish whitebait, and cut bait. don’t wet the chum when you first There are scattered pods of dolstart out. Sprinkle a few dry pinches phin in the Gulf. A significant weed to see if there is any bait on the flat line is starting to develop and quite before you start wet-chumming. a few guys are telling me about dolJug creek has better schools of phin action. There is also lots of bait and there is also some by Devilbonita, unbelievable bonita! One fish Key. The redfish and snook are guy brought 7 in to me. They use

85˚ 80˚

Lemon Bay:

Fishing Guide Card Space Available $40/mo call 766-8180

72˚ 70˚ 68˚

Above; Dennis Roughton 26 inch red grouper 1 of 3. Left: Kristen Roughton her first time dolphin fish-

them to catch goliaths in the tagging program.

A lot of porgys and all the other reef fish and the biggest lane snapper I have ever seen. I also saw some pictures of permit from the near shore reefs like Helen’s, Mary’s and Trembly.

The tarpon activity along the beach is still pretty good, there is a lot up in the Harbor and some in the Pass but it has got to be on right tide

BackBay Xtremes Capt Dave Stephens www.backbayxtremes.com

941-916-5769

for the Pass.

Still lots of big snook. For snook fish whole mullet and big threadfins around the docks. Try flipping big baits at Little Gasparilla on the end and or at Boca Grande on the south end. Big snook there.

Some redfish are starting to come back into the back country through Gasparilla Pass, these are all fish that are over the slot. I had some guys catching jacks last week too, the only thing I haven’t heard is trout - they must fall into some pretty deep holes. And finally there are a a lot of mangrove snapper inshore, but go to Boca for the keepers, they will make your day.

50˚ 45˚

Hot Offshore!

FISHING RIGHT NOW:

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AUGUST 2014

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