Water LIFE February 2022

Water

LI FE

Charlotte Harbor, Lemon Bay, Venice, Estero, 10,000 Islands and the Gulf

The Charlotte Harbor Reef Association

February 2022 Final Edition see page 3

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Oliviaʼs catch of the day!

Captain John with a Charlotte Harbor cobia

Pricillia with her 1st shark

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Capt. Andrew Medina has been involved in our non-profit Charlotte Harbor Reef Association since the days of the old Don Ball School

By Michael Heller of Fishing. Last year, Andy, his wife Sheri and Water LIFE editor their son Justin (who is a former student of Some things work out, some don’t. If you follow this ours, a class mentor and a winning $1Bill magazine, you know our house went up for sale last Challenge competitor himself) started their month. It sold in three days for full price! That part worked out well. Now we’re moving to Denver to be with own non-profit, the Charlotte Harbor Youth Anglers. They are also focused on educating our daughter and our grandkids. As much as we love local youngsters about Charlotte Harbor, we love our family fishing and the local entoo. I turned 75 last year and before we vironment. all get old and the grand kids grow up, I You’ll be happy to want a few more good years with famknow I am merging our ily. I hope you understand.

Charlotte Harbor Reef In spite of greatly escalating paper Association with the and ink costs and the rising price of Charlotte Harbor Youth gasoline for delivery this last year, I Angler’s program.

I have didn’t want to end the magazine. For a given them all the tackle while I thought we could sell it. We had and gear I had in storage actually gone to contract for a sale, but A truck full of fishing gear for the and they will pick up Charlotte Youth Anglers program the important part, the money, never where I left off. That way materialized. There were two other poWe had great community support and 125 boats at Harpoon Harrys the $1Bill Challenge will go on this summer as during our Kids Cup events in the early 2000s tential buyers, but they didn’t work out either. If you are in the past, with prizes and rod credits at reading this and are thinking ‘if I only knew....” you can time and the community supported it wholeheartedly.

Fishin’ Franks. The Youth Angler’s Group will be getting still call me, but I’m not counting on that outcome.

Those are fishing memories we will not forget. Ellen and the fish texts and tallying the results. Watch the Charlotte I still can’t see myself writing this is the last edition of I say thank you and we hope we always lived up to your Youth Angler’s facebook page for more information.

Water LIFE, but that’s what it is. Don’t look for any last expectations. It has been our pleasure.

There are so many people who have shown us kindgood-bye stories from our writers either. We’re just doing Back before us, the CCA was a driving force in local ness over the last 23 years and helped us along the way. business as usual. It’s less painful that way.

Kids Fishing. Now I hope the Charlotte Youth Anglers Even though we are retiring, I’m sorry. I can’t help but The fact that there are so many says a lot about the comwill be the next champion of Kids Fishing. feel like I am letting people down. I want you to know, as munity we live in. Before we leave I will be catching up They can do it, but they are going to need community in person with as many of you as I can, to say thanks. much as you enjoy looking through this magazine every support spreading the word. Social media will play a big There is a special fraternity of fishermen in this commonth, that’s how much I enjoyed putting it together for part, but now that I’m leaving, maybe the Charlotte Sun munity.

We saw it after Hurricane Charley, when fisheryou. But our time has come. can follow my lead... yet again (BOOM! parting shot! ;-). men bent over backwards to help and we have seen that Over the years, this magazine has been a great avenue Seriously, kids are the next keepers of the environment same support repeated over the years when it came to to promote our kid’s programs, so this brings up the next and danger looms ahead. Kids need to experience being question: What happens to the $1Bill Challenge Kid’s Ed- programs for teaching kids. on the water so they will recognize change when it Back in 2004, when the Redfish Cup was a big fishing ucational Tournament when we leave? comes. We adults must show them the way. event on TV, we started the Kids Cup for 10- to 16- yearThe $1 Bill Challenge will continue. Our plan is to Thank you, everyone and Good Luck to the Charlotte olds - and worked with the ESPN Redfish Cup to get our help a new group put out a mini magazine with pictures Youth Anglers, we wish you success! local Kids Cup contestants on national TV. It was a great of the monthly $1 Bill Challenge winners, just as before.

Michael and Ellen Heller

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Water LIFE inc.

LETTER: An Honest Mistake Hello Fish Pix, I hope all is well. Confession to make as I made an honest mistake. For January magazine released I stated that the fish caught was a 47 but should have been 37 could you change it then attribute the error or fault to me.

My name is Ed, Iʼm Noah's dad, I heard him wrong initially and he just corrected me after reviewing the magazine. Maybe state sorry to all my fisherman brothers that an honest mistake was made.

waterlife@comcast.net www.WaterlifeMagazine.com Vol XXI No. 2 © 2022

Ellen Heller Publisher Michael Heller Editor

office: (941) 766-8180

Contributors:

Photography: ASA1000.com Senior Editor: Capt. Ron Blago Baitshop: Fishinʼ Frank Upper Harbor: Cameron Parson Peace River: Capt. Dave Stephens Punta Gorda: Capt. Alan Williams Estero: Capt. Joe Angius Everglades: Capt. Charlie Phillips Sailing: Fran Burstein Pier Fishing: Bobby Vitalis Diving: Adam Wilson Office Dog: Augustus

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Fish Pix

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A special thank you to everyone who has sent in fish pix. It has been our pleasure to share your catch with the world, but now we are retiring and going to live in Colorado, close to our daughter and grandkids.

Tight Lines!

Thanks, let me know please.

60 Million More Fish Discovered

Special to Water LIFE A breeding colony of 60 million fish has been discovered in Antarctica's ice-covered Weddell Sea — a unique and previously unknown ecosystem that covers almost 100 square miles.

The fascinating find shows how little is known about the ocean depths.

The vast colony, believed to be the world's largest, is home to the remarkable icefish (Neopagetopsis ionah), which has a see-through skull and transparent blood. Icefish are the only vertebrates to have no red blood cells.

Each of the evenly spaced nests was about 15 centimeters (6 inches) deep and 75 centimeters in diameter, contained on average 1,735 eggs. Most were guarded by one adult fish. Some nests only contained eggs, and some were unused.

SAILING CALENDAR

SAILBOAT RACING SCHEDULE February 4-6. The 12th Annual Charlotte Harbor Regatta, For more information http://www.charlotteharborregatta.com H20 Fleet 6 -Isles Yacht Club

February 12- Valentineʼs Day Massacre 10:45 a.m. (in upper Harbor)

February 13 – 1:25 PM PGSC Sunday Spinnaker Winter Series #3

February 19 – 11:00 a.m. IYC Championship Winter Series – IYC Race Management - #3 February 19-20 – Charlotte Harbor Yacht Club 2.4m Racing CanAm Series #3

February 27 – 1:25 pm PGSC Sunday Spinnaker Winter Series Race #4 For more info https://www.pgscweb.com all month: Platinum Point Yacht Club Monday Racing – For more information https://ppycbsm.org -All sailboat racers are welcome.

FISH PIX!

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Mason, snook

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Golden Conch Regatta 2022

By Fran Burstein For Water LIFE

The 39th Golden Conch Regatta, sponsored by the Platinum Point Yacht Club, took place on January 15. There were four classes racing in two different locations. The H20 one design racing took place between markers two and four near the US-41bridge. The PHRF scored boats sailed the North Course outside of the Burnt Store Marina.

The Regatta was originally scheduled for two days but the threatening weather for Sunday changed that plan. Racing conditions were variable with winds settling in at 12kts. Overall, there were 24 boats racing. The H20s completed four races and the PHRF Classes each sailed three races.

Scores: H20

Race 1 Race 2 Race 3 1st Bernie Coyne Jeff Schulz Bernie Coyne 2nd Walter Johnson Bernie Coyne Walter Johnson 3rd Jeff Schulz Bob Knowles Jim Nuzzo PHRF-Non-Spinnaker 1st Alan Hails Jay Nadelson Alan Hails 2nd George Darrell Thomas Horner George Darrell 3rd Thomas Horner George Darrell Scott Milligan PHRF True Cruising A 1st Ron Marker Lawrie Yearsley Lawrie Yearsley 2nd Rudy Gottschlich Ron Marker Rudy Gottschlich 3rd Lawrie Yearsley Rudy Gottschlich Ron Marker PHRF True Cruising B 1st Mike Baldwin David Green David Green 2nd David Green Mike Baldwin Mike Baldwin 3rd Iras Sramek Iras Sramek Iras Baldwin

Race 4 Walter Johnson Bernie Coyne Jeff Schulz

Golden Conch Regatta

phots by Fran Burstein

FEBRUARY 2022

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A Warm Start to Winter... so far

By Capt. David Stephens Water LIFE Charlotte Harbor Looks like winter has finally arrived here in South West Florida.

We were very fortunate during January to have warm enough weather to keep some of our tropical fish feeding. It was actually warm enough that we put the first tarpon of the year to the boat.

It wasn't by any means a big fish, but it was a tarpon. But now it looks like freak catches like that might be done for a little while, anyway.

Now Mother Nature is throwing us weather that is supposed to hit the upper 30s. That could possibly be very bad for our area, unless it’s a brief stint.

Some of our most prized game fish are warm water fish so long periods of cold

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water can be very detrimental to our fishery. We have dealt with poor water quality for several years, now add a fish kill due to cold water and that would be a very serious issue, due to the fact that snook are the fish least tolerant to cooler water temps.

Luckily for us, we have had a few lighter cold fronts that have pushed a majority of those fish from the flats to deeper water.

All this does not mean that our fishery has to shut down until the warmer weather comes calling us. We have fish that will still bite during cold fronts, possibly even thrive on the

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Jim - snook- dock, Englewood (Turtle Bay condos)

colder water temperatures. The most popular fish is sheepshead.

These guys look forward to the cooler weather to spawn. It seems when the temps dip the lowest sheeps bunch up the best.

Another fish in our fishery that seems to not mind the lower mercury is sea trout.

Honestly if you don’t mind putting in some extra work, this time of year can be very productive for trout.

As the water cools trout look for areas of deep water. Areas such as deeper creeks, mangrove points and residential canals.

Normally when you find areas that are holding fish, you will find good numbers.

We have considered winter not a good time to fish, but this is far from the truth. We are for-

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tunate enough to have a fishery that can be good twelve months out of the year, you just have to dress for the weather.

Are certain months better than others? I would say absolutely. The biggest issue is, that you have to get out and go fishing.

If you would like to enjoy some of South West Florida’s finest fishing? Give us a call or send an email. All of our charters are private and customized to fit you and your party’s needs.

Capt. Dave Stephens 941-916-5769 www.backbaytremes.com

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What happened to Winter?

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By Capt. Alan Williams Water LIFE Charlotte Harbor Well here we are in the coldest month of the year - we've had a couple of decent cold fronts, but aside from one before Christmas, nothing to write home about. One day we did hit 39 degrees in Punta Gorda, but it was take-your-jacketoff-warm by the afternoon. The weather gurus predicted a warm winter and so far it's been pretty accurate.

We need some good cold weather to push the fish into their winter haunts such as the rivers, the deep residential canals and bridges. Without a drop in water temps the fish are confused. When it does start dropping they start their move only to put on the brakes and move back out when the water warms up after a couple of days.

They’re as confused as we are, trying to keep up with their movements.

Fish will usually fall back to an area with deeper water access and as the water warms they will move up onto flats in any area with access to deeper water staging areas for this time of year.

One of the things about a warm winter is the migration and availability of species such as sheepshead and trout, but so far this year we don't seem to have the numbers we normally have had, at this time of year.

I attribute this to a couple of possible reasons. #1 the warmer and inconsistent water temps. #2 the fact that the main focus of anyone wanting to put fish on the table creates a bullseye on these species.

There are fish being caught, but the numbers seem to be way down. The trout

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bite is usually strong with consistent back to back fish drifting the grass flats.

The sheepshead aren't thick on Alligator Reef or in the canals yet. Fish are around, but not in the numbers of years past. Fishing pressure or weather related? Maybe both.

I do know that the influx of filamentous green algae has affected the bite in a lot of areas, especially the Peace River. When an

area is inundated with green algae then the fish aren't there as in years past. This algae influx has skyrocketed in the last few years. This algae explosion is the result of phosphate mining up the river, septic tanks and fertilizing waterfront homes. All are killing our waters. If you live on a canal and want to make it summertime green in the winter.

Don't. Fertilizing is a major cause of our water problems. Sorry to sound so pes-

simistic but it's what's happening.

On a positive note.... there are a good amount of cobia in the upper Harbor, still.

Sheepshead are the wintertime favorite and, though not thick, they are being caught on Alligator Reef. The water has been clear enough to spot the fish on the structure. They have also been moving slowly into the residential canals, deeper creeks and onto oyster bars. Smaller shrimp or larger shrimp cut in half are the go-to bait for this time of year; everything eats shrimp.

FEBRUARY 2022

There is a learning curve to catching sheepshead, especially with circle hooks. A small subtle sweep, like strumming a guitar, will get them hooked before they realize what just happened.

Then once you get the process down, your catch rate will go up substantially.

Some trout are showing up in the canals closest to the Harbor. Hopefully their numbers will increase and so will their range into the canals.

Lots of smaller snook and redfish are around which is a good sign for the future. Big reds are still around too - like anything, right place right time.

Enjoy this time of year and realize you don't have to be on the water at the crack of dawn. Afternoons or late mornings are better. Every little uptick in the water temps will help.

We have a lot of traffic on the streets and waters so please practice patience.

The season is about to kick into overdrive. If you do keep fish, please only take what you need for a meal that night. We can remove fish a lot quicker than nature can reproduce them. Take a kid fishing any time you can and pass on the knowledge of protecting our most valuable resource: Our waters.

See you on the water and bundle up on the next cold front. Weather gurus may be wrong.

Capt. Alan Williams 954 -347-5275 awilli9412@aol.com

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Everglades & 10,000 Islands – Red Grouper opens in Gulf of Mexico

By Capt. Charlie Phillips Water LIFE 10,000 Islands

Just like it always does, the new year is off to a fast-moving pace – 2022 has been kinda cool, with several weekends in January of lower ambient temps really working to drop our water temps down. In a typical year, I am generally looking for our first real cold front to hit around the 3rd week of January, so while a little early, it’s not that far off base from what I have seen historically. The only part I don’t like is it dropping us down in the high 30s and low 40s quite so often, but hey, what are you gonna do about it?

Nothing, so smile and adjust.

And adjust we have, as on the calm days between the fronts, we have ventured offshore and enjoyed the reopening of red grouper season in the Gulf of Mexico.

January 1 saw red grouper as well as lane snapper open back up, and I have to say there were some real firetrucks coming to the surface on the trips we have run out to them.

For our area fishing, around 40-feet of water with a fresh-cut grunt is all that has been needed. For something different, give a deep diving plug a troll around the hard bottom areas and don’t be surprised to pick up some monsters using this method. Many people discount it as believing it too deep, but the technology of the plugs today lets you get down to 35 or 45 feet with relative ease, especially when using braid. A heavy rod is a must as well as a heavy leader, I use 100 minimum. It’s something different and is a good way to explore new areas for fish.

The lane snapper are back open too, as I mentioned, and we have caught some good ones on these trips. That same cut grunt or a live shrimp on a smaller hook is all you need for success. There are plenty of mangroves, and sometimes even a yellowtail or two, though they tend to run small.

I haven’t seen as many tripletail lately

000.000000with the cold weather, but they are still around so on a sunny day, keep an eye open. The ones you do see have tended to be large, so ensure you have some gear with backbone, or you will be crying as they wrap you on the structure they are cohabiting with, and leave you

with an empty hook. A live shrimp is my go-to for these guys, with no weight, though if you are a fly angler, this is as great a sight fishing opportunity as you will find.

Inshore, the snook are in the back now, so focus on the creek mouths and back

bays, though they will move out front on warm days, staying in the shallow areas that warm up quickly.

A tip I will share, on a cold day, look for an east facing bank with mud bottom if you want a good linesider.

Y’all be well

Capt. Charlie Phillips, President, Florida Guides Assn.

Owner/Captain at Hope Fishing Adventures Everglades City, Florida 863-517-1829

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Brock and Claire LeBel big tilapia

Craig Anderson catching his first Jack with Capt.

Dan in the Emperial River.

from Water LIFE magazine

Hudson Morehouse Bush, South Portland Maine. Snapper CC

FISH PIX! Craig Callow of Cape Coral caught this Jack in his canal on a gold spoon. from Water LIFE magazine

1st pic Bradley Walter Jack Crevalle.

Jackson Matthewsonfrom Pike County Indiana. Striped majora On Poppa caps ride

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Angler is Mike Griffey with a Scamp Grouper

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Courtney Kreitzer, 23 inch trout in Punta Rassa

Michael Lambert snook Punta Gorda

Narley and Larry 12 miles out

First Mangrove Snapper of the year for Mike Fuller. Caught about 35---- miles out!

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Special Shark Time

By Capt. John Brossard Water LIFE sharking’

Well, the water finally got cold! Water temperatures in the 60s are cold for SW Florida.

In the area where I live, close to the Everglades in Naples, the water rarely gets in the 60s, but when it does, there are only a few types of shark around and the shark fishing is somewhat slower.

This all means you get the opportunity to catch a shark that’s only here in February and March. That shark is the sandbar shark.

In one way, the cold water is actually a good thing. As a shark fisherman, I have time

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Bill Mack under I-75 Charlotte Harbor

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to get the boat ready and re-spool all my fishing poles when the water is too cold.

According to the tide charts and the moon phase, the best time to fish this month is early in the month, right in the center, and at the end of the month. That’s when there is a full moon and a good tide flow. Remember the best time to fish for most fishes, including sharks, is during a moving tide.

Capt John Brossard 239-777-9279

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Mike Maples, canal behind Harpoon Harryʼs

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Latricia Juneau. Jack Crevalle.

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The Last Manatee Rant

On the Line

By Capt. Ron Blago Water LIFE Senior Staff I remember seeing my first manatee back in the late 70s while fishing off the old Siesta Key bridge. I was fishing for snook late at night with a few old timers who were helping me learn the tricks of the trade. Back then there were no fishing licenses or snook stamps required; and if I’m remembering correctly, there was no closed season, or bag limit, but there was a 15-inch size limit... I think.

Fishing was slow that night and as I stared into the water I saw a large black creature swimming under the bridge heading north to Sarasota Bay. This freaked me out, so I went to my friends and told them what I saw; they told me it was most likely a manatee and they were harmless and pretty common.

Around that time a local group called the Save the Manatee Club (SMC) was started with Jimmy Buffet as their spokesman and they began flooding the airways and newspapers with SMC ads to join the club. You didn’t have to live near the water or have a boat; you didn’t even have to live in Florida or even have ever been in Florida, just send the money.

This didn’t sit well with all of the SMC directors. There was a lot of dissension among the members which eventually re-

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Kelly Custer canal

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sulted in the resignation of Ken Stalling, one of the original founders of SMC. For their next leader they hired a manager from the Florida States Dept. of Environmental Protection who ran the manatee program for the State; Pete Rose.

Now 35 years later he is still there as CEO. Talk about someone who has made a living off of manatees! I think it was back in the 60s when the manatee was added to the State endangered species list; I think the manatee was on the Federal Endangered Species List before that.

Everyone wanted to help the manatee back then; until things took a nasty turn.

The SMC didn’t think the FWC was doing enough to protect manatees so they threatened to sue the FWC to force them to do more manatee protection (whatever that was).

Back then, there were a few big environmental groups that had success suing government agencies to get the changes they wanted, to help their cause. The FWC; not wanting to be on the losing side of a lawsuit, reached a back room, closed door deal with the SMC. The SMC agreed to drop the lawsuit in exchange for the FWC following the SMC “suggestions“.

That’s when things really went off the rails. Soon Manatee Zones started showing up throughout the State waterways.

Then came the Slow Speed- Minimum Wake Manatee Zone and the increased law enforcement to see the zones were obeyed. We now had speed traps on the

FEBRUARY 2022

water. The SMC, with the blessing of FWC, had found a convenient scapegoat to blame the manatee problems on, the boaters.

There has been a lack of transparency or verifiable data coming out of the FWC. Years ago at a manatee meeting I asked the question “ how many manatees do we have in Florida and what is the population goal for manatees in Florida?” Thirty five years later there still is no official answer.

I have a Florida DEP magazine article from 1969 that states there are less than 1000 manatees in Florida and that the manatee was on the verge of extinction: This was a well quoted article in the manatee community. Unfortunately there was no real data to back up those statements.

In 1990 the State legislature passed a law that required the FWC to conduct an annual manatee population survey. The first survey in 1991 found 1,267 manatees, since then there have been 33 population surveys conducted by the FWC and each year they found more and more manatees.

So many in fact that the manatee was removed from the Federal Endangered Species List in 2017.

The last manatee count in Florida was done on Feb 2, 2019 and 5,733 manatees were found. That number was revised in 2018 to 8,810. I wonder if the delisting of the manatee and the increasing manatee population has caused the FWC and the SMC to lose hope that they will ever be relevant again in the manatee industry; but

they should not lose hope, another manatee crises is developing on the east coast.

Over the last year, a number of dead manatees were found in the Indian River in Brevard County. It took the scientist at the FWC a few years to realize that these manatees had starved to death. Now the SMC has their own theory of why the manatees are starving to death. They theorize that there is not enough seagrass for the manatee to eat (brilliant). The average manatee will eat 10% of their body weight in seagrass daily, in order to survive. The lack of seagrass is caused by an increase in algae that blocks sunlight to the seagrass.

The algae is caused by high levels of nutrients in the water which is caused by runoff from septic tanks and agriculture, which of course is caused by man.

The FWC may agree with that hypothesis, but they are smart enough to realize if we wait until those problems are resolved all the manatees will have starved to death.

In the meantime the FWC has started an experimental feeding program for manatees to feed them romaine lettuce and cabbage but they don’t seem to want to eat it so now they are talking about feeding them hydrilla.

Somebody should start working on that question again, about the population goal for Florida manatees. It looks like we may have already exceeded that number.

Captronblago@gmail.com

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Mike Trevor, canal

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Rich, sheepshead, night fishing

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Coming this Summer!

$1 Bill Challenge

watch the $1 Bill Challenge facebook page for more info.

No Cobia Fobia

By Cameron Parson Water LIFE Spillways and Ponds Colder weather has finally made its move on us after such a mild start to winter. January and February are generally the coldest months of the year. March and April will often bring some late season fronts before our weather gradually becomes humid again, thus bringing the spring winds. The wintertime bite will continue for a while, but it's the spring weather I'm waiting for.

Specifically for cobia.

Sheepshead are still on the bite and will start to move to offshore structure as the season progresses. There's always a few that stick to the canals pretty much year round, but they'll thin out over time.

Other species like trout, snook and redfish take to deeper water with darker bottom to stay a tad warmer. They can often be seen completely motionless on flats, taking a good bath in the sun. They'll move from place to place according to the tide and wind looking for more depth and warmth. Poling through back bay areas with a stealthy approach can pay off in a big way.

But by the end of February, sometimes earlier, I start to look for cobia.

They made a pretty good showing in the beginning of December with our mild weather. Then they were all but gone, with only a few hanging around here and there.

They'll make their migration into the Harbor and beyond. El Jobean is a popular place to find them along with the 41-

bridges. The outsides of the bars will have manatees and large rays that these fish will seemingly "piggy back" on. Local wrecks and reefs will be holding fish and usually eager to chase a hooked fish to the surface. Some will become curious and swim to the boat, even circling just as a shark tends to do.

We will usually see a few big spotted eagle rays each year with the cow nose ray migration. If you see one leap, scope

out the area. Chances are a few cobia won't be far behind them, or even under them. Some cobia won't even be seen, because they're under this big ray and the only way to find out is to throw ahead of the ray and carefully work the bait across its bottom. There may be one, there may be 4. There also maybe none. The only way to find out is to try.

Berkley Power eels and DOA Bait-

busters are hard to beat as far as artificials go. More times than not, a cobia will eat one of them. While they are notorious for eating most anything thrown at them, they can be extremely picky from time to time.

If you're an angler that likes to throw lures, have 2 or 3 offerings available. Offering a different size, color, and/or shape can make the difference between a follow

and a bent rod.

Live bait can follow the same suit.

Pinfish and greenies are fantastic for cobia, but good sized shrimp (in my experience) seem to work best. They don't

have to spend the energy to chase them.

And, everything around here seems to eat shrimp.

A good friend and I were on the water one day in late January a few years back. We already had an excellent day of trout fishing. Then something caught our attention on the way back.

We spotted what seemed to be the tips of cow nose rays popping up every now and then. But, they stayed in place rather than moving and disappearing. We decided to stop and drop the trolling motor to have a quiet look. We were stunned...it was a school of around 30 cobia! All of which ranged from 30 to 45 inches or so.

The cobia equivalent of "deer fever" kicked in as I grabbed my baitcaster rigged with a topwater and fired in.

Swing, miss, swing, miss! I was definitely too excited and missed a few potential hookups.

One decided to follow the plug to the boat so I dropped the rod tip and started a figure eight. Boom! The drag is burning, then gone, spitting out 2 sets of treble hooks. Bummer.

Buddy threw in a Z-Man jerk shad and hooked up almost immediately. This fish didn't know it was hooked yet, pretty much coming to the boat as Buddy kept reeling. I gave him a fair warning that it's far from over.

No sooner than that warning, 30- to 40yards peeled from his reel. The fish eventually came back to the boat, only to do the circle of death for 10 minutes before we could gain control and snap a quick photo. The 30 minute battle with a healthy 39-inch fish (to the fork) tested his light gear. Catch some fish!

Cameron Parson can sometimes be found at Rio Villa Bait & Tackle in Punta Gorda. 941-639-7166

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FISH PIX! f fr ro om m

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Kaden Gregory with a nice pond hippo

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Kyle ELLIS from Pleasant View TENNESSEE With his Little Dolly at his side! Blind Pass

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FISH PIX!

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Rebekah caught this drum

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from Water LIFE magazine

FEBRUARY 2022

READERʼS PHOTOS Sorry! no more FISH PIX this magazine is ending publication

FISH PIX!

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Carole Thomas of Punta Gorda

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from Water LIFE magazine

shrimp.

Cyndi Cliburn, Gateway, bass

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from Water LIFE magazine

Kyle Ellis from, Pleasant View Tenn, Caught at Gateway

Jacqueline Kirk with her first snook. Caught at El Jobean pier on a live

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Anthony Hughes first bull shark

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READERʼS PHOTOS Sorry! no more FISH PIX this magazine is ending publication

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

FISH PIX!

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Jim Stockman from Grand Island, NY and Englewood caught this Red Grouper out in the Gulf with Bill and Phil.

Nate, cobia

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Name: Mike Primm Location: Gasparilla Sound

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Robert Corrado 28” Catch and Release Snook

Cestmir Colburn of New Hampshire-first time ever fishing- nice snook! Dad had to help taking it off hook! First time to Florida to see both Great Grandparents!

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

FISH PIX!

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Ely & Raelea, Bass

Warren County, Ga

Jensen DesGuin with a nice Jack Crevalle on the new Yozuri 3D Inshore Fingerling 70SP in the Real Glass Minnow color.

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from Water LIFE magazine

FISH PIX!

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Brittany Cortes. redfish, snook and a jack

Brett B, another nice grouper off Venice

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READERʼS PHOTOS Sorry! no more FISH PIX this magazine is ending publication

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

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Mike Perkins caught this 22 inch pompano at the Sanibel B span today

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Mark and Brett have this fishing thing down

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

water

Daniel Smith made a quick stop near a productive dock on the way out to deeper

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Jimmy Thomas Punta Gorda

Richie Esposito and Horecky for a 24” four pound trout on a jerk bait near Pineland and a 26” snook on soft plastic in a Pineland creek

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FISH PIX!

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Faline Ward (Binghamton, NY) 18 inch grouper

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2nd pic Tommy Juneau Jack Crevalle.

Good morning, this snook Konstantine Belgrade caught Jan 17, in the Myakka

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Helen Hughes pb snook 24 inches

27-inch grouper great day with captain Bob on the Ava-Lynn west of Ft. Myers, Rich Knerr

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READERʼS PHOTOS Sorry! no more FISH PIX this magazine is ending publication

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Erik Noack and her Red Fish caught in the Myakka

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Zane H with a good snook fishing w Captain George

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Stephen Wells from Pa Blue fish from canal fishing

FISH PIX! FISH PIX!

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FISH PIX!

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Lucas Bixby, 8, Pufferfish, Bokeelia pier

Steven Fana, Jack Crevalle

from Water LIFE magazine

26-inch snook on a cold day for Earl Horecky on white plastic and a steel leader.

Barb w Captain George w nice snook on calm waters

Jonesy snook

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Bev Rafalski caught this ladyfish near Cape Haze

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from Water LIFE magazine

Barry Shiflett and daughter Ivey with Jack caught 29 Dec in Charlotte Harbor.

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from Water LIFE magazine

Janelle Hughes, first saltwater fish. Baby snapper

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16

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Sometimes

ONE OF THE LARGEST, SINGLE SEIZURES OF WEAPONS EVER came in mid-December when the patrol ships USS Tempest and USS Typhoon encountered the boat in the northern reaches of the Arabian Sea. The stateless vessel was believed to have originated in Iran and transited international waters, likely heading to the Houthis in Yemen. On board, the Navy confiscated 1,400 AK-47 assault rifles and 226,600 rounds of ammunition.

FISH PIX! f fr ro om m W Wa at te er r L L II F FE E m z ii n ne e ma ag ga az

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Unsubstanciated,

AT PORT CHARLOTTE BEACH the vessel operator was attempting to make repairs to the engine while it was in gear. The vessel collided with a channel marker and the occupant on the front of the vessel was thrown into the marker. She was found in the water unconscious. The operator jumped in the water and pulled her to shore where she was flown to Lee Memorial Hospital, but it was determined that she did not have any life threatening or serious injuries.....? Huh??

But

Often

2000 hours, the master went up to the bridge to relieve his chief officer. The ship was on a long, straight run on a steady northeasterly course, and her next turn was in about four hours. After a while, the Master went down to his cabin and poured another glass of wine, returning with it to the bridge. A few hours later, he (allegedly) had to relieve himself. He went below to use the head in his cabin. The report said: "Whilst in his cabin he felt tired and laid down on the bed to rest”. Meanwhile the Beaumaiden carried on at the same course and speed, went past the waypoint and made straight for shore on the island of Bornholm. At 0325 the chief engineer was awakened by violent vibrations. He went aft to the fantail and saw that the lights on shore were stationary, though the prop was still spinning and generating ample wash. He realized that the vessel must be aground, and ran up to the bridge to investigate. Alarms were sounding and loud music was playing.

He throttled back the prop to zero and left to

TO EXTEND THE BENEFITS OF SHORE POWER to sea and support the use of batteries and electric power on ships, Maersk announced plans to build and install offshore vessel charging stations.

AT ABOUT 1700 ON OCTOBER 17, THE MASTER OF THE BEAUMAIDEN returned to his cabin after dinner for a glass of wine and a movie. (Beer and alcohol were permitted on board under company policy.) Just before

FEBRUARY 2022

True

find the chief officer. The chief officer woke the master, and together they went to the bridge and silenced the alarms. After discussing the situation, they decided to try to back down and float off; however the maneuver did not work. Shortly after, Danish authorities told the master that the vessel was being detained. Police boarded the ship and took the master in custody. Since she had run aground on a soft bottom, she suffered relatively little damage. The master was fired and the drinking on duty policy was ended.

READERʼS PHOTOS Sorry! no more FISH PIX this magazine is ending publication

Eddie Davis

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Edward Davis

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Markʼs trout 18”&19”

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Eddie Davis

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Sam OʼConnell

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Edward Davis

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Sam OʼConnell

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Miaʼs first snook with Uncle Mike and Papa Dan .

Caught in South Gulf Cove

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Kami Ringerʼs snook she caught last week on Myakka river

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Jamie landing a large snook w Southwest Florida Fishing Charters

Steve Persinger caught a nice snook off the beach at Boca Grande.

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PAGE 17

Estero Bay: Falling with the Tide

By Capt. Joe Angius Water LIFE Estero Bay Big fish are on the prowl and making their way into the backwaters of Estero.

Countless creek bends, drop offs, oyster bars, and mangrove shorelines are what makes our area so diverse and special.

One of the things I ask myself before heading toward a fishing spot is, “What kind of water will be there?” Since Estero Bay is an estuary, the backwaters are typically filled with brackish and freshwater, whereas the passes and grass flats have a higher salinity. Knowing what kind of water is present at your fishing spot will dictate what fish will be there and what or how they’re going to feed.

Black drum, redfish, sheepshead, and pompano are my heavy hitters this month.

Targeting them is easy and they are honed in on eating crustaceans such as live shrimp, crabs, barnacles, and sand fleas.

When it comes to using pilchards or pinfish I find it best to use them cut into chunks.

Bait is still around in all different sizes,

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but to be honest, sometimes it’s not that fun throwing the net when it’s 50 degrees outside. My alternative is to stay warm and buy a lot of live shrimp. Shrimp can be just as effective, if not more, and give you the versatility of catching a variety of species.

One of my favorite tides to fish is a falling one. A falling tide that gets very low, congregating the fish into potholes or drop offs in the bay. In my experience pompano are found along the beach shorelines or channel drop offs. It’s not uncommon to catch black drum or redfish there too but I can almost guarantee finding pompano in and around these areas.

Black drum, sheepshead, and redfish tend to favor the tannic backwaters where oyster bars reign supreme. The muddyoyster bottom of the bay not only holds bait/food, but the dark bottom retains heat the best.

On cold mornings the fish will want toforage where the water is warmer. Another great aspect of a falling tide is that the mud and oyster bars will become exposed

as the day goes by. The sun will beat down and warm the exposed area faster than if it were underwater.

When the tide turns and starts to come in, the fish will want to go where the bait and warmer water temperatures are. This holds true for exposed dock pilings wrapped with that black pvc and concrete sea walls.

Fishing continues to get better and boat traffic has increased. Be sure to stay safe and act as the responsible boater. Remain current of the fishing rules and regulations as they may change. Enjoy what Southwest Florida has to offer through fishing, support local guides and businesses, and “do” Florida.

Captain Joe Angius 727-234-3171 www.Speakeasyfishing.com Speakeasyfishing@gmail.com

READERʼS PHOTOS Sorry! no more FISH PIX this magazine is ending publication

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Joey Guidice with a nice 34-inch snook caught and released on a 4” Pearl White Z-Man MinnowZ rigged weedless on a 4/0 Owner Twistlok hook while fishing 5 - 6ʼ of water in Charlotte Harbor.

One of my Dickʼs North Port Customers.

FISH PIX!

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Captain John, Charlotte Harbor, cobia

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from Water LIFE magazine

Kevin Gassman

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Closed on Wednesday ... until we find more help

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READERʼS PHOTOS Sorry! no more FISH PIX this magazine is ending publication----

FISH PIX! Evan, from Libertyville Illinois, caught this 30-inch snook under the bridge in Charlotte Harbor

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from Water LIFE magazine

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

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from Water LIFE magazine

Jon Blahnik with a 38-inch Charlotte Harbor, snook

from Water LIFE magazine

Cindi Cliburn, Gateway Backyard Bass

Garrick Stoltman at Fisherman's Village, Angel fish

FISH PIX!

Nicholas J. On 1/20 With a nice largemouth, hooked out deep, on a swimbait in Ft. Myers

FISH PIX!

Amber Jack caught west of Boca Grande Pass

by Capt. Ken Mercer of @nautiknotsfl

from Water LIFE magazine

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FISH PIX!

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Linzie with a snook in Ding Darling

FEBRUARY 2022

Best Bets

SHEEPSHEAD The bite will increases with the cold

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Hi my name is Mike Leslie and I am from Kalamazoo Michigan and Boca Grande Florida. I caught this sheepshead on Boca Grande at the tip.

Thank you!

from Water LIFE magazine

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Fish you can expect in Local Waters in

SNOOK In the creeks and canals

FISH PIX!

@

COBIA On the near shore reefs, Some in the Harbor

REDFISH Still mostly to the south

February TROUT In the deeper holes in the area Sounds

Charlotte Harbor, Lemon Bay, Placida, Gasparilla Sound

noe Bay on the west side; one, two or three redfish in a group. Bigger numbers seem to be towards the back of Bull and Turtle Bay Frank @ Fishin’ Franks - the reds like the deeper areas back there to 4200 Tamiami Trail 941-625-3888 hold up in the cooler weather. Cobia has Only closed Wednesday ... for now been hit or miss. King mackerel are more The most sought after fish right now is trout. Keep it, eat it! There are good reports steady if you have a day without big wind.

Go south of Boca, 3- to 10-miles and work from Pine Island, and the Sound side is the south. You troll a little faster going with the better side. Trout are current, so enjoying the colder maybe 5 mph weather so we are seesouth and 3/4 ing more come in. time to get This is a great time to back. You try your topwater don’t want stuff. Trout love hitgiant plugs, ting top water bait. figure the size Now is a good time to of a king learn to throw top spoon and use water DOA Deadly lures that size Tandem - pink or or smaller. white are the top colNow is a ors. The chasing acgreat time to tion of throw-baits are get back to what excite them. We freshwater have some trout on fishing. With the east side behind cloudy days the sand bar and close the fish are to the secondary bar... very active in in the rough, between all the lakes. them. Out in GasparBass, crappie illa Sound, close to and a ton of the Intracoastal, fish different pan are in the deeper areas Cedar Point. Brandy fish are being - between Devilfish FISH PIX! caught a pompano on caught with and Sandfly there are her paddle board anything from cuts holding nice a worm under bunches of trout. a bobber, plastic worms on the bottom to a For fun, the big snook are moving into topwater frog.

While bass fishing, I stick a the rivers and canals in great numbers, spike in the ground with another rod and hanging out under the docks. Look for get crappie for dinner at the same time! canals with places over 6 feet deep and from Water LIFE magazine

when the sun comes up, fish the sunny side of the canal.

We are finding redfish around Tippyca-

Doug Reese was the leader of the Burnt Store Isles Fishing Club.

Gonna miss you, Doug Reese - Frank

PAGE 19

The water nearshore is in the high 60s.

Fronts have cooled things off Fall fishing prevails

95˚ 90˚ 85˚ 80˚

75˚ 72˚ 70˚ 68˚ 50˚ 45˚

FISHING RIGHT NOW:

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from Water LIFE magazine

James Thomas of Punta Gorda Bass

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from Water LIFE magazine

Carole Thomas Punta Gorda snook

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John Posthumus. One of several on a good day out of Venice Inlet

PRETTY GOOD!

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