Water LIFE May 2015

Wa t e r

LIFE

Charlotte Harbor, Lemon Bay & the Gulf

Kids Summer Programs Spring Series Photos

The Don Ball School of Fishing

May 2015

Now It始s ON!

Tarpon in the Harbor

Great Flats Fishing Too! page 16

Melony Ennis Walker始s snook Fishing Report

page 22-23

Huge Cubera page 5

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Tune in to Radio Fishinʼ anytime!

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Charlotte County Rust In the Drinking Water

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Michael & Ellen Heller Publishers

I had to change a tub seal in my washing machine. It wore out prematurely, probably due to all the rust in the Charlotte County drinking water system.

Pictured to the right is the bottom of my washer tub, not the stainless liner you see looking into it but the actual watertight tub. The bottom was filled with rusty sediment. The line is where I dragged my finger through it.

If you are a lawyer, call me. Iʼm ready to take action!

M. Heller – publisher

STATEMENT To Water LIFE I Steven King of arcadia caught this guitar fish off Boca grande pier on a Tuesday night, last month.

AINʼT BIG SUGGAR Dear Editor The politicians want this as they do not want you to dig into how the areas of St.Petersburg and Daytona and Orlando and Disney World eventually drain through many miles of canals into and out of Lake Okeechobee. So easy for the politicians to conveniently move you away from the real problem. Go online & read the Arthur Marshall collection on the Kissimmee Okeechobee Basin when Reuben Askew was Governor in

(941) 766-8180

217 Bangsberg Rd. Port Charlotte, FL 33952

Independant - Not affiliated with any other publication Vol XIV No 5 © 2015

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

Contributing Editors:

1972 and it will enlighten you. All agriculture is a problem when you are talking about agriculture runoff in drinking water supply but please read the article online and you will see it 'AINT' all BIG SUGAR. Richard Ibsen

Editor replies* I donʼt disagree, Big Sugar is not the cause of the problem. But I think they may have an answer.

Give us your opinion: waterlife@comcast.net

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 Estero: Capt. Joe Angius Kayaking: WRITER WANTED Sea Grant: Betty Staugler Offshore: Capt. Dan Cambern Fly Fishing: Capt. Scott Sichling Beach Fishing: Mallory Herzog Circulation: Robert Cohn Office Dog Molly Brown: in memorium

COVER: First tarpon to the boat this spring. Mark Lee had this tarpon to the boat by 9:30am.

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MAY 2015

Something to Chew On: Big Fish or Big Money?

By Michael Heller Water Life editor April 2015: “FWC Investigator Cooke was assigned to the tarpon detail in Boca Grande Pass. For the months of April, May and June, Boca Grande Pass is a highly regulated tarpon fishing area. Investigator Cooke observed a fishing vessel which appeared to be live-baitfishing for tarpon. Investigator Cooke initiated a stop and upon inspection observed both fishing poles were rigged with breakaway fishing gear (the lead sinkers). It was also determined they were on a charter with seven people on the boat and the Captain only had a 4 pack (State) fishing license. The Captain was cited for both the fishing license ticket and the breakaway gear.”

Welcome to tarpon season - one of the coolest fisheries we have which is stalked by some of the most ruthless and arrogant fishermen I know of. To me it’s arrogant when you break the law intentionally.

Now before you get all your lines in a knot, I am not talking about all tarpon anglers. I’m just talking about a small group of arrogant asses.

Way back when, like 20 years ago, I thought the live bait drift fishermen were a dying breed, a cultural way of life that should be historically placqued and eternally preserved as living-legends and human artifacts.

What did I know? I had come from Santa Fe New Mexico where old ways were usually better.

Here I saw quiet, orderly drift fishermen in cool old ‘pass boats’ fishing an unbelievable fishery. A fellow named .Jack Harper ran the marina at Boca Grande and his Catch the King tarpon tournament catered to jig fishermen and it changed history.

The old time guides fished all the corporate big wigs from their traditional drift boats, but the upstart kids in

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A big toothy, cubera snapper caught last month with Capt.

Ed Johnson of Fish Factor Charters out of Venice. The fish weighed in at 48.7 pounds, full photo on this monthʼs cover

their flats boats had figured out how to bring up way more tarpon than the old time guides. That made the old timers look bad. So the fight was on and it would be 16 years before the jig-fishing technique using breakaway gear was classified as snagging and officially banned.

But as you can see, people are still doing it. Still keeping the weight below the hook which enables them to pull up hard and snag a fish instead of catching it.

Today, the law requires the weight be above the hook and the gear not break apart intentionally. I know a lot of you locals know this already, but there are a lot of people reading this online who might need a little background.

Back then, in addition to the Catch the King, there was a live bait tournament called the Worlds Richest Tarpon Tournament. It was run by the Boca Grande Chamber of Commerce. It was the one big event, comprised of all live baiters with no jigging allowed. Their weigh in was from a floating barge anchored in the pass. Remember, I still

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thought the world of the live baiters back then.

I was at that weigh in barge one day when one of the top live baiters brought in a 200 pound fish. - clearly a winner. I watched and then I noticed. There was no tarpon tag on the fish - which by law had to be affixed before the fish could be moved to the weigh in dock.

‘Where is the Tag’ I shouted out - where is the tag? Over and over I said it until finally the captain said ‘I have it here in the boat.... it fell off, but it was a zip tie that had never been zipped! They only bought one tag for the year! And still, the fish was allowed to weigh in and win.

Right then I knew; the live baiters and the jig fishermen were both cheating - cheating the law and cheating each other. Not all of them, but some of them, and some of the others fishing with them knew and did nothing.

Neither side ever wanted me close enough to get pictures - allegedly because ‘it was too dangerous,’ which was baloney. Really it was because I might photograph what they were doing in too much detail.

One year I watched as jigging team, Yamaha, the tournament’s top sponsor, caught and brought a winning fish boatside. I had a perfect view as they took their lip gaff and yanked it through the side of the fish’s head. It was an accident with a thrashing fish, but those guys were supposed to be professionals and it was grounds for disqualification by the tournament’s own rules. But like the fish with the missing tag, that fish was allowed to win.

There are no real winners in this scenario. Tarpon are here as a spawning fishery - They are fished hard every day and tournament fished harder every weekend for the next two months. These fish need room to settle, feed and spawn or this fishery is going to go somewhere else.

Most of us are fishing and catching tarpon in the Harbor’s deep holes, at Two Pine and in the passes to the south. Most recreational anglers I know and most of the guides as well, avoid Boca Grande on the weekends at this time of year. These are intelligent anglers.

Tarpon

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it’s what’s for excitement!

By Capt. Chuck Eichner Water LIFE Inshore Catching the great silver king is the ultimate in sport fishing so anglers from around the world come to southwest Florida to experience tarpon fishing.

Lucky is not the word for us locals, as we have world class tarpon fishing in our backyard. Most associate tarpon fishing with Boca Grande Pass however I do not.

Charlotte Harbor, Pine Island Sound, the Peace River and the Gulf have thousands of tarpon swimming their waters on any given day, all in a peaceful serene environment. This may seem hard to believe but it is true, but these fish are on the move and they are usually very finicky, presenting the ultimate challenge.

Tarpon are extremely intelligent and travel in packs about the harbor and waterways in search of food. The tarpon is very selective in what they like to eat. In May they prefer large threadfin herring and crabs. Later in the year they will like ladyfish, however, on any given day, there could be another food source they prefer more, such as glass minnows – tarpon can be observed gulping down thousands at a time. Throw a cast net in the harbor and your net will have a dozen different

species and sometimes that is a big menu!

The first step in tarpon fishing is like any other fishing; finding the fish. Tarpon roam around the harbor going into the rivers and out into the Gulf constantly.

In essence I think of tarpon fishing as both a hunting and fishing trip. The first part of the trip is the hunt, essentially riding in the boat until you see them. They sometimes roll, or you may just see the tip of a fin come out. Wind and wave action can make it hard to pick them out. Once you locate fish you must be very cautious with boat noise. Set your boat upwind of the fish and drift in their direction with your motor off.

Big tarpon like these need to be left in the water for measuring or photographing.

The one to the left might have its tail still in the water. The one above, caught last month by Tommy Ali (right) with Capt. Edward Giorioso of Wicked Hooks Fishing - 941-258-8289

For rigging, 5-to 7 feet of 50-to 80 pound test leader is preferred with a 6/0 to 10/0 hook on the business end. The hook size depends on your bait size. Ladyfish fished whole require the big hook. Your running line is normally 50-to 65 pound test braid however monofilament is less visible which can be an advantage. Tarpon have huge eyes and they see and feel like no other fish. Other variables in presentation include using a float and/or adding weight to your line to get your bait deeper.

Patience is the keyword for the great silver king. Just seeing the fish does not mean you will catch them. Persistence and dedication will lead to a rod jolting strike

with 200 yards of line burning off your reel before you know it. Silver Kings jump wildly and frequently with splashdowns that sometimes spray water into the boat! Our average tarpon is over 100 pounds so angler-stamina is a must. A jumping tarpon requires you to drop your rod giving them slack as they fall - a tight line often results in a broken line.

Dropping the rod on a jump is known as bowing to the tarpon. As one might bow to a king or queen, the tarpon will inspire the same respect!

Capt. Chuck Eichner operates Action Flats Backcountry Charters and can be reached at 941-628-8040

MAY 2015

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Switch Species

By Capt. David Stephens Water LIFE Harbor The diversity that Charlotte Harbor has to offer is endless. If you follow my articles it is no big surprise that I live to catch snook. I have built my clientele around targeting and catching big snook. The biggest problem with that is the snook

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then maybe

don’t always cooperate. I have found myself on charters where I have been on big schools of fish and they just didn’t want to feed.

On many occasions the tide was not in my favor or we had a big blue sky and not a breeze could be found to break up the surface unless I leaned over the boat and blew on the water. Snook can be tough to get to bite at times like that – and when I say ‘bite’ I mean putting my clients on 30 to 40 fish on a half day trip.

Luckily, on the days that the bite is tough, we have many options. We have endless miles of lush grass flats that have some of the best trout fishing the state has to offer.

Also during the Summer months the mangrove snapper move into the Harbor.

These little guys are great fish to target.

Not only can you catch a lot of them, they also put up a good fight.

Switch Back

As summer moves into South West Florida, mangrove snapper invade the shallow flats. Mangroves can be located in many different areas; anywhere from docks to the shallow potholes on the flats.

These guys are also, in my opinion, some of the tastiest fish in the water.

Then, after bending rods on some of the harbor’s other fish, maybe you go back to what you intended to target.

On many charters I have changed up my game plan and later went back to it because on some days things just might not be working right then. Let the tide change, or maybe the wind might start blowing a little bit. Sometimes just little changes will turn fish on.

If what you are doing is not working, don’t be afraid to do something different for a little while. Switch species and then switch back. It just might be the difference

MAY 2015

between a good day of fishing and a great day of catching.

If you would like to experience some of Charlotte Harbors best fishing give me a call or send me an email. All of our charters are private and customized to fit you and your parties needs. Capt. Dave Stephens www.backbayxtremes.com 941-916-5769

MAY 2015

On The Line

By Capt. Ron Blago Water LIFE Senior Staff

Today’s question is: Where can you anchor your boat?

The answer is simple; you tie it up at the dock at your house or at the very least, you leave it at a well maintained marina.

But not everyone has a house on the water or can afford the price of a stay at a marina, even if they can find an open slip.

What do you do if you are just passing through and need to get some rest; or heaven forbid, your boat is your home.

What are you supposed to do ?

I wonder, does the average boater know: What is the difference between a mooring field and a Safe Harbor Area?

Not too hard? OK, try another one.

What is the difference between a Transient, an Abandoned and a Derelict vessel?

Now try my personal favorite.

What is the difference between an Unattended Stored Vessel, an Attended Stored Vessel and a Occasionally Attended Stored Vessel?

If you're confused, don't feel bad so is everyone else.

This is just a small example of the terms used in the over 300 separate laws put on the books by City, County and State officials. The trouble with laws is that they tell you what you can't do; but

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The Trouble With The Law they don't tell you what you can or should do.

I was watching the Florida Channel the other day and came across a house committee meeting where they were voting on future bills to be sent to the senate for

watching his laundry dry on the mast.

The homeowner took offense to this and called his city officials demanding that they make the boat move. He was told that because the water was controlled by the State there was nothing they could do.

Some serious boaters settle into their boats more than others

review. One of the measures caught my attention. It seems that the owner of a MiniMansion on the water woke up one morning and looked out his window and saw a less than pristine boat anchored about 51 feet from his seawall. On the boat was a guy sitting on a lawn-chair drinking a beer

He then called his county officials and was told that the county has a mooring field near by: but couldn’t force anyone to use it.

He wouldn't give up, so he called the Florida DEP to complain and was told that if he saw someone peeing off the boat, to

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call them back and they would send someone to test the water for pollution.

He then tried the FWC and was told they saw no problem as long as the boat was not anchored with in 100 ft of a navigable channel and they used their safety lights at night.

In desperation he contacted his state legislator and convinced him to introduce a bill that would change the local buffer zone (where you are not allowed to anchor next to shore) from 50 to 150 feet. Fortunately a local cruising boat club pointed out that this would conflict with the 100 ft navigable channel rule and would make it illegal to anchor anywhere in the local waters. The committee took that under advisement and tabled the bill.

This is an example of how screwed up and confusing the boating laws have become in Florida waters. The State recognized this problem back in 2006 and the legislature passed a bill that requires that all local government regulations regarding boating restricted areas, must first be approved by the FWC. That law didn't seem to solve the problems so the State is taking another shot at trying to simplify the regulations. If you want more information click the online link below or go to the FWC website and click on boating, then click on anchoring and mooring and you will find the latest information. http://myfwc.com/boating/anchoring-mooring

CANVAS & UPHOLSTERY

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Fish Enjoying Spring PAGE

By Mallory Herzog Water LIFE Fishing Wow is this year flying by - it’s May already! May is the month when spring fades and summer arrives, and along with that the blazing Florida heat I've come to love arrives too. It’s a warmth and humidity that wrap you up like a warm damp blanket as you leave for work in the morning. Most people complain about this, but I grew up in Cleveland. I will never take our beautiful weather for granted.

The fish seem to be enjoying spring time as much as I am. Bait has arrived on time, if not early this year. White bait and thread-fins have been plentiful. The big fish are here too and I have seen some of the craziest things in the last few weeks while on the water with Captain Andrew.

Just last week we were fishing for shark, waiting on the tide to change and the bite to really pick up. Finally as the tide started to slack we got a bite.

Realizing pretty quickly it was a smaller shark, while Andrew is reeling this fish in on the front deck, he screams to me that ‘something ate it.’

Well duh dear, your reeling it in. No he screams "Something bigger ate it!" As he says this, a 6-foot spinner shark jets out of the water like I have never seen. It was spinning like a football thrown by a professional quarterback and it was headed directly at me with a baby

shark in its mouth. It comes inches from hitting me and landing in the boat. Bigger shark never got hooked! We stood there in awe for a moment. It’s WILD out here!

Our near shore reefs have been wild as well, with barracuda as far as you can see.

These are one of the most fun fish to hook. We use a ‘cuda tube, which is just a bright colored piece of surgical tubing with a wire leader and treble hook on the end. They can’t resist it. I try to throw past the school and reel it in fast. I love seeing them hit it on top, right next to the boat. I caught a 47- inch ‘cuda on a 4000 reel. The tubes also work if you troll behind the boat.

We came across a surprising sight near shore last week – permit - hundreds of permit, ranging from 5-to 30 pounds. They were tailing for what looked like miles, mixed in with the barracuda. Just off the reef, Andrew's client got to hook a nice one, later that week, during a guided trip. These fish aren't great to eat, but they are an intense fight. Permit favor small crab and shrimp. They also respond well to a fly.

The last few weekends in April we were filming with Gus Congemi (shown at left) for his TV show Live the Wild Life, featured on the Pursuit Channel in the America and the WILD channel in Canada.

I can’t wait to see him our SWFL waters, bow fishing for sting rays to use for bait and then targeting some tag and release sharks.

I am excited to see what happened out there, what kind of footage we captured with

MAY 2015

the camera always rolling. The Gulf is an amazing place because you just never know what you will catch next and the abundance of fish in our area right now is very impressive. Tarpon, sharks, snook and redfish. If you put a line in the water you’re sure to come out with a nice catch.

You can contact Big Bully Outdoors Charters for a trip with mallory’s husband Captain Andrew. Call 661-9880 or go to BigBullyOutdoors.com

MAY 2015

Catching in

By Captain Joe Angius Water LIFE Estero Bay Spring weather is in full swing which means warmer water temperatures and even hotter afternoons. Needless to say, the fishing has been fantastic in Estero Bay with the occasional juvenile tarpon, large snook and slot sized redfish being caught. As temperatures continue to increase, there will be an expected increase in rainfall. Freshwater plays an integral

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Estero Bay

role in the activity and lethargy of the inshore game fish we all want to catch. The keys to success with finding and catching these fish will include quality bait, the right location and tide, and precise tackle and gear.

Bait has been scarce throughout Estero Bay, but I’ve had great success on shallow grass flats and at the local bridges. Now the bait is much larger so the only net I’ll throw will be an 8-foot 3/8-inch mesh net.

This will filter out all of the tiny glass minnows and retain the quality bait that is needed to catch large fish.

The top three baits I use include mud minnows, crabs, and threadfins. Mud minnows and crabs can be found on shallow mud and sand flats, whereas the threadfins can be caught under the bridges. If bait is too difficult to find there are countless artificial baits that will get the job done. The two artificial lures that I have my clients use are the Flats HQ Flats Walker, a topwater in bone color and the Flats HQ Flats Swimmer in white or rootbeer gold. Using the flats walker around oyster bars early in the morning has produced a great snook and redfish bite, while the flats swimmer on a 1/8 oz jighead is my go-to lure for sight casting to redfish.

Location and tide are extremely important, especially now that boaters must abide by the “Slow Speed (Apr 1 – Nov 15) 25 MPH Remainder of

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Year,” Lee County Manatee Protection Zones. This means it may take 20 or 30 minutes to reach a fishing spot that may not produce.

My advice is to choose a fishing destination wisely by understanding the tide movement and water quality.

Find an area that has clean and clear water. If you are fishing brackish water, remember that the outgoing tide pushes freshwater into the bay and the incoming brings in water with a high salinJenni Orcutt with a keeper speckled sea trout caught on Gulp! shrimp. ity. Low salinity in brackish water will action rod with a 3000 size reel should be make the fish lethargic; though they might sufficient for landing the fish in the backbe there, they may not want to eat. Oyster waters. My favorite braided line to use is bars are always a great go-to fishing area 15-pound Spiderwire Invisibraid with a and many of them can be found close to long 30-pound Seagar fluorocarbon the channel. Mangrove edges have been leader. When the water is gin clear and the productive as well, but to save time I alfish aren’t reacting to the baits being ways chum the mangrove area to make thrown, it is safe to drop down to 25sure there are active fish. pound or even 20-pound fluorocarbon Tackle should always be kept clean and leader to get the bite. A 2/0 and 3/0 Owner simple. A 7-foot or 7-foot 6-inch medium hook will keep the baits swimming naturally while allowing the hook to sit perfect in the corner of a large fish mouth.

Fishing is supposed to be fun and enjoyable, so don’t forget to experience everything that Estero Bay has to offer.

From the beautiful waterways, biodiversity of species and habitats, to the historical and ecological sites, Estero Bay is one of a kind and should be appreciated with care and respect.

Captain Joe Angius (727) 234-3171 Speakeasyfishing.com FlatsHQ.com Speakeasyfishing@gmail.com

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Mastering Nature

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By Capt. Betty Staugler Water LIFE Sea Grant

Black drum, spotted seatrout and mangrove snapper partition the resource. What in the world does that mean? Well, resource partitioning describes how different plants and animals use an environmental resource but use it differently.

Resource partitioning is one of the ways the natural environment maximizes the number of organisms that can occupy a given space.

Resource partitioning is also why we almost always see red mangroves closest to shore with black and white mangroves further back.

By having slightly different salinity and depth tolerances the mangroves partition themselves in a fashion that allows all three to exist in the landscape.

Even barnacles partition the resource. We have a few different species of barnacles that occur locally. The different species line themselves up on pilings and seawalls based on their tolerances to air

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AQUATICA exposure. However, offshore, where tides are less of a factor, resource partitioning gives way to survival of the fittest.

If you ask a Florida Master Naturalist about resource partitioning they will likely tell you all about it since resource partitioning is one of many key concepts they learn in the Florida Master Naturalist Program course. Florida Master Naturalist students learn a lot of other cool stuff too, like how major currents and tides transport nutrients, eggs and larvae. They also learn about fish form and function, and some of the cool reproductive strategies different fish species use. For instance, did you know that Gulf killifish lay their eggs in the sediment at the water始s edge on a spring tide? After the water recedes, the eggs incubate in the mud until the next spring tide at which time they hatch. This is not only pretty cool stuff but it始s also a great survival strategy.

The Florida Master Naturalist Programs covers a lot of stuff. In the Coastal Systems Master Naturalist course we cover general ecology, marine and estuarine environments, coastal upland habitats, fishes, invertebrates, reptiles and amphibians, mammals, birds, interpretation and ethics.

So who can take these cool courses?

Well, pretty much anyone 18 or older. A lot of students are new to the area and want to know

Under the Mangroves - on one of last yaer始s Master Naturalist field trips

more about their new environment.

Some students just recently retired and take the course because they enjoy nature and just want to know more. We also see a host of working professionals. Teachers take the course to bring new ideas back to their classrooms. They can also receive continuing education units for completing each course. Charter captains and guides take the course to add an element of ecotourism to their charter businesses. And we regularly have ecotour operators in our classes. In fact two Englewood paddleboard businesses regularly put their guides through the Florida Master Naturalist Program.

The Florida Master Naturalist Program is not just classroom lectures.

We get out in the field too. Each 40 hour course has at least three field trips designed to reinforce concepts learned in the classroom. And of course field trips are fun too. The Florida Master Naturalist Program offers courses in Coastal Systems,

Freshwater Wetlands, and Upland Habitats. Participants can complete one course or all three. At the end of each course, students receive a certificate from the University of Florida which allows them to call themselves a Master Naturalist in the subject area completed. Additionally, four additional short courses are also offered in some locations.

If you think you might be interested in becoming a Florida Master Naturalist, our next Coastal Systems class is being offered on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at Laishley Marina and half a day Saturdays for field trips beginning June 2nd and running through June 23th. For more information or to register visit:http://conference.ifas.ufl.edu/fm np/coastal.htm Capt. Betty Staugler Florida Sea Grant Agent UF/IFAS Extension Charlotte County (941) 764-4346 http://charlotte.ifas.ufl.edu www.flseagrant.org

MAY 2015

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Red Grouper: The old 4 is now 2

By Capt. Dan Cambern Water LIFE Offshore I hope your April fishing adventures were as fast and furious as ours were. No doubt about it, between the exceptional weather and fantastic bite, we were truly blessed to be living in this beautiful part of the world and to be fishing. It's no wonder the water temps are as warm as they are right now between the longer, hotter days and the hot fishing action and I think it's fairly safe to say that May should be just as good, if not better.

Here are some possibilities you have to get hooked up with this month.

The grouper bite has been on for a couple of months now and should continue to stay that way.

The red grouper limit is going to be reduced from 4 fish per person to 2 starting May 7th. I can understand why some people are not happy with this announcement, but I think that it is probably a good move so that the season can remain open year round without any more unnecessary closures. I've talked to just about all of my customers in sort of an informal survey and they agree that 2 red grouper along with all of the other species of fish we have available on our trips is acceptable. Also, once gag grouper season re opens with a limit of 2 per person we will be back to a 4 grouper per person limit. Black grouper and scamp are a couple of other species that are included in the 4 fish limit.

Now, I have also heard that once the gag season opens up we might get a longer season than in the past and maybe even have a year round open season

on gags again. So I think keeping reds and gags at 2 fish per person for a total 4 grouper aggregate, with no season closure, would give us a best case scenario.

Along with the grouper we have been catching mangrove, lane, yellow tail, and vermilion snapper, porgies, grunts and quite a few nice sea bass.

The kingfish bite is still good and there have been quite a few nice black fin tuna caught lately. I had a couple of nice mahi-mahi behind the boat the other day, but they weren始t interested in anything I had to offer them.

Cobia and amber jack are still being caught off of the local wrecks and reefs also. So go get 'em!

Capt Dan Cambern runs Hammerhead Charters LLC out of the Fishery boat docks in Placida, Fl. Call 941-380-6226 or 941-6256226 to book your next trip of a lifetime. Also look at our daily posts on Facebook @ Hammerhead Charters LLC. Like us and leave a comment. We'd love to hear from you!

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Happens All the Time

Glen Ballinger wrote:

This time of year Gold Finches stop in for a breather. We were 30 miles offshore when this guy stopped by. It stayed on and around the boat for about 30 minutes.

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Diving with Adam Wilson

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Visibility is good offshore now. I'm sure we will be doing more diving now that (hopefully) the winds will be laying down.

Bottom temps are still in the upper 60s to 70 degrees out in 100 feet. We still have to wear neoprene. I will be focusing on photography this summer. I don't really shoot fish much anymore (I can't believe I'm

saying that!) so I will be showing you whatever photos I get.

At the Mohawk, I was shell collecting and taking photos, Eric and Anthony both popped amberjack. They came and found me in the engine room to tell me things were getting out of control and they were bailing on the dive. We had about 6

MAY 2015

medium sized bull sharks harass us all the way back to the ladder. My real close up photos were very blurry with lots of bubbles! I was poking sharks away with my pole spear that I carry just for the heck of it. It is only 4 feet long. Here's to hoping this isn't an indication of how the summer diving is going to be.

MYAKKA Here's a shot of a spotted eagle ray that followed us around for a bit today on the south side of the Myakka, southeast of El Jobean. I thought it was pretty cool!

MAY 2015

By Fishin’ Frank Water LIFE Baitshop Ahh the cool days of Spring time. What? Wait a minute! Here, we went from a beautiful warm winter right into Summer. One day I walk out of the house at 5 am and it was chilly and the next day it was hot and humid. Wow what a change. The water temperatures are what they should be in June, the Gulf is in the mid 80s and parts of the Harbor are reaching 90 degrees. So what's all this mean? Well good news!

Shark and tarpon, even cobia, are all here and biting in full-out eat-something mode. But the flats is a different story. As the water warms up you will need to start slowing down. Much the same as when the water gets below 70 degrees in the winter, the main difference is the lack of oxygen. Hot water will not hold oxygen so the fish slow down just as you do when it is hot. A neat trick I use in the winter and summer months is to use a very small reel, instead of using a 4000 or 40 size reel. I switch to a 1000 or 2000 size. Even though when you turn the handle it spins at the same speed, like a 50 to 1 ratio, the spool size is much smaller so you bring in less line per turn of the handle when retrieving a lure, allowing the fish time to see it, hear it and make up its mind.

Now the middle of the Harbor is deeper, and deeper water takes longer to heat up, so the fishing there continues to be good. The tarpon who may breath ei-

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Sharks are Here Big Time

Big Sharks Everywhere!

ther under water or breathe air from above don’t care what the oxygen in the water is. They are hanging out in the deep holes of the Harbor where fish like whiting, cat fish or thread fins are hiding from the heat. While seeing rolling tarpon is always better I would say whether you see tarpon rolling or not, stop over the deep hole - either the middle hole or the 20 foot hole - and on one rod put out a live thread fin free lined, and on the other rod a cut bait under a float. The cut bait should be about 5-to 6-feet below your bobber or float and the size of your fist.

Now, this is not written in stone. You may place the live thread fin under the float and let the cut bait free line, but if

from Glen Ballinger

PAGE 15

photo by Adam Wilson. More on facing page

you do this I would take off the fluorocarbon leader and replace it with the AFW knot-able steel leader. With this new leader from AFW, you do not need crimp tools or a lighter to melt it. You just tie it the same way you would tie on your fluorocarbon leader including a line to line knot. Then just tie on your hook.

Any knot will hold, but a uniknot works best. Keep in mind, when tying a uni-touni from your braid line to the leader, pull slowly and when tying on your hooks pull the knot down to the hook, not the leader through the eye of the hook, or the leader can get curly on you. This new steel leader, we have tested it on tarpon, sharks, snook, red fish, will get a few more hits than while using fluorocarbon leader, but if you are dragging a cut bait free lined while tarpon fishing, you will lose a lot of leader to the sharks. So if you switch to the AFW tie-able steel you will hook up and land not only the tarpon but the sharks as well, and that is cool!

The one thing is, if the water is very clear, as it is along the beach, the tarpon will see that steel more so than in the darker waters of the Harbor. There is not the shark problem along the beaches, so along the beaches I would stay with the 60-pound fluorocarbon leader – but in the Harbor I would switch it when you are free lining. After all, a hook up with a shark or a hook up with a tarpon are both Frank@fishinfranks.com 625-3888 fun.

This is Gary H. from Rochester NY, after fishing with me offshore for Amberjacks, with Capt. Joe Miller, offshore galore, Venice

Gary Myers with a blackfin tuna off Venice

Alex Timmons with a fat grouper

16

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iʼd rather be lucky AND good!

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By Capt. Billy Barton Water LIFE Inshore April and May are two of the fishiest and most productive months on the water here in Southwest Florida. Not only can you put your focus on the grass flats targeting snook and redfish, but the open water is loaded with fish to target as well.

The tarpon are here in full swing.

Large packs of hungry bull sharks, blacktips, and hammerheads have already made their presence known. Big cobia are on the move. The list goes on and on. It's pretty cool when you set out for a day of fishing and nail over a dozen species!

During the last month I saw my customers boat several memorable fish. Including a snook that went over 46 inches, bull sharks over 300 pounds, and hammerheads up to 10 feet in length. However one day of fishing sticks out in my mind, my day out with a great friend and loyal customer, Mark Lee. Last year I fished Mark during the

month of April. We had set out at day break, just him on the boat with me. He was lucky enough on that trip to go one for one and land his first tarpon over 150 pounds by 9 am. After he landed that fish, we hit three other fishing holes in search of his back country grand slam. (We needed a good sized snook, redfish, and trout.) I had to work hard for them, but he completed his slam that day and I wrote a story about it last May. What was so cool about that day, was him landing his tarpon so early in the trip and going out on a new mission and completing that mission as well. Mark actually sent the records of his catches that day to the state of Florida FWC and he received a pretty awesome plaque for doing so. I didn't even know you could do that!

So now it's all recorded with the state, which is pretty cool, if you ask me!

This year Mark hired me again to take him out. I could tell when I had him on the phone that he had the grass flats on his

mind, but I wanted to go tarpon fishing again and I made that known!

With a small amount of persuasion, Mark was a go and we set out early. We caught bait for the flats and I had some perfect tarpon crabs waiting in the live well. By 8 am we were on a school of happily rolling tarpon and I had that fishy feeling so I let Mark know. He just looked at me with a grin and chuckled!

After 30 minutes or so of waiting for the tide to change, Mark hooked up! It was a great fish! He played it perfectly as it leaped over and over through the air going absolutely ballistic! This fish put up one heck of a battle! However, 30 minutes later, and almost one year to the date, Mark did it again. He went 1 for 1 on a silver king, and this fish also went well over a hundred pounds! (it’s the cover photo this month). The shear joy and excitement of boating these fish is unspeakable and almost breath taking. You just have to experience it to understand.

MAY 2015

To go one for one, two years in a row that's lucky! And it gives him the right to brag as well! After he landed his fish this year, I asked him if he wanted to go at them again. "Nah Billy let’s go to the flats," he said as the beads of sweat rolled off his forehead. Now I chuckled as I fired up the boat. "The flats it is!"

We set out in search of another slam, but were side tracked by a massive school of snook that kept us busy for the next 3 hours and I don't think there was a 10 minute period of that time that the tarpon didn't come up in conversation. That fish made his day, and it made mine. I have had folks hook up a dozen tarpon before they actually got one all the way to the boat. Going two for two, two years in a row is a true statement of how lucky Mark Lee just might be! I'd rather be lucky and good! That's all I can say!!

Capt. Billy Barton owns and operates Scales-n-Tails Fishing Charters. http://www.puntagordafishingcharter.com Call him at: 941- 979-6140

MAY 2015

Pure Fishing on Charlotte Harbor

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A note from the publisher This month, while editing Capt.

Billy’s fish pictures, I saw two men with nice fish, holding them in a ‘special way’ for the camera. One man had a fish grip that I’ve never seen in any of Capt.

Billy’s pictures before. In another image there was a new net and in a third, the guy is holding his Penn rod with his pinkie, so it’s perfectly aligned under his fish, that picture caught my eye real quick - what’s up here, I remember thinking.

Then later Capt. Billy told me these men were Scott Marshall and Paul Paruda, senior directors of sales at Pure Fishing. Of course! The gear they are holding are all Pure Fishing products.

I know the Pure Fishing name because I buy the Shakespeare rods and reels and the Berkley floating plyers for our Don Ball School of Fishing kids from Pure Fishing. “Do they know you teach a Don Ball School class,” I asked Capt. Billy. “Do they know we buy their stuff ?”

“I don’t remember if I told them,” Capt. Billy said and in my brain I frowned. It seemed like we might have missed an opportunity. So now they will know, someone will show this to them.... and then maybe they will wind up helping our kids just a little more. Just maybe.

– Michael Heller

$2 off any haircut!

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Manatee Deaths Near Burnt Store Could This Be Used To Bring Speed Zones? .... or are we smart enough to fix this ourselves?

Ashley Demarais, CHEC

The following is from our research field staff: “Over the course of 9 days in March 2015 (March 19th-March 27th) there were five watercraft mortalities near the Burnt Store Marina. Two were reported near each other on the same day, less than three miles north of the marina. One was less than two miles south of the marina. And there was a watercraft-related rescue and a mortality reported within the marina on the same day. All of the watercraft mortalities have been acute and the rescue that died will be considered chronic since it died several days after rescue but the wounds sustained near the time of rescue were very fresh and strongly suggest it had been struck recently. “ There are no waterway speed zones in the area.

We could use some help with suggestions and education in the community. Obviously, these are very scary numbers. Bonnie and I have since spoken regarding the incident and what CHEC could do to help. I explained that ideally we would like to include information during our boat tours, offer a manatee outreach (kinda like we've been doing with the reptile program and a bit like the manatee program we've done in the past), and that I'd also try to incorporate manatees into our wading trip curriculum. I stressed that I would like to develop interactive programs with tons of visuals and manipulative for the children and to hand out information to all interested adults during other programs.

Editor notes* The FWC website only shows 3 watercraft deaths for Charlotte County all year. Lee County has 10.

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18

Family Stuff: Two at 22

By Capt Bart Marx Water LIFE Inshore One Friday last month I had a couple that contacted me to go fishing from Port Charlotte Beach. They were here to research waterfront property to purchase for vacation now and later to retire. They are from Pennsylvania and have a dairy up there.

We met at the ramp at 10 am to start our adventure. It was a very nice day; a little overcast with a nice breeze- partly cloudy, you might say. We left the beach complex watching the marine contractors with some heavy equipment replacing the fishing pier there. We headed for the Myakka Cutoff where we anchored up and tossed some of those fine Fishin’ Franks live shrimp up close to the mangroves.

The couple, I will call them the Adam family - a nice couple, lost a few shrimp to the bait thiefs, the little snapper and pinfish, but we were patient and finally there was a different bite and suddenly Mrs. Adam had something trying to rip the pole out of her hands.

They are experienced fisher-people, she had a firm grip and was gaining line and then the fish bolted away from the

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been very productive for me inshore boat. It was a good on snook, reds, and battle - she would snapper. Also, this reel and get some is what we use offline back and then shore for snapper, New decking on the pier at the Beach Complex the fish would strip just with a heavier some more line off the egg-weight. reel and she would get it back. After a few Getting back to the fishing, we traveled of these runs and take backs the fish was through the cutoff behind Hog Island and getting tired. She got it up close enough to went down the Cape Haze shoreline and see it was a nice red fish. I got the net and drifted the grass flats and caught some coached her to net the fish. It was a nice trout and lady-fish to close out our fishing 22 inches and in the slot to harvest. adventure. Then we returned to the dock The tackle we were using was a Quanand cleaned the red and the trout. That tum 50 Boca reel with 20-pound Suffix was plenty for a fresh fish dinner for two. performance braid with 20-pound leader Then I went home to see how my wife 5- feet long, with a quarter-ounce egg was doing with our grand children - two weight and a 1/0 VMC circle hook on a boys and a baby girl that she was watchRedbone 20- to 30-poundl 7-foot rod. This ing. They were fine. I was wanting to test is what is called a knocker rig and it has

MAY 2015

a prop so I asked the boys if they wanted to go with me, one said yes. So we left, but there were still some shrimp alive.

I had put two rods in the boat, one for him and one for his brother - small Penn reels with 10-pound line. So we tested the prop - it worked just fine - so we tried fishing just a few spots with no takers.

Then the phone yelped, you guessed it, it was grandma: ‘What time are you coming home?’ While I was on the phone, reeling in the lines to go home, I got bit.

I handed it to my grandson for him to reel it in. He was ready to go, but there was a fish pulling the line off the reel. The fish went up to the mangroves and came back out and went around the boat and back and forth behind the boat. My grandson said ‘help me!’ But I told him he was doing a great job and to just hold onto that pole! I got the net and landed a 22 and a half inch redfish. My grandson was very excited. ‘Can we eat it?’ he asked. Yes, I said and your mom will be very happy!

Capt. Bart Marx call 941-979-6517 or e-mail; captbatr@alphaomegacharters.com Singing drags and tight lines make me smile.

MAY 2015

The Olʼ Fishin Hole

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Capt. Jim OʼBrien

Hey ya - all I hope you have been getting out and doing some fishing lately. The weather has been super, the water temperature has been about 83 degrees. It got warm quick, so everything is out there right now.

Last week I got with a buddy of mine, Mark Aberham, to go fish'n for 4 or 5 hours and see what we could catch. Mark went out about 11 to 14 miles targeting king mackerel and snapper. In our photos for this month is a friend of Mark’s, Jim Moorman, who came down from Marquette Michigan. He ended up saving the day by catching a big king mackerel that put a big smile on his face.

All together, we caught over 100 red grouper and snapper, but out of all them no keeper groupers and only a few snappers was kept.

Mark said let’s head on in, and all of a sudden Jim hooked this nice king mackerel that gave him a good battle on a snapper rig. The king was caught on 15-pound mono with a No. 2 circle hook. Everyone was waiting for the king to just bite through the mono, figuring that would be that, but Jim had luck on his side.

I talked with a few fisherman that went out 28 to 34 miles and they had done real good. They was fishing around Pegasus and Charlie (reefs). They got a nice 30

pound amberjack and 6 nice red grouper and had almost their limit on lane and mango snapper.

I was fishing with another friend of mine and we went out to some way-points I had, but before we got there we marked about 12 deep holes in the Gulf’s floor.

Some was 10 to 12 foot deep. We took the numbers and we kept going to our 48 mile spot to see what was there.

So I havn't had a chance to get back out there to work those holes over, but we are going back this month.

I talked with some other fishermen and they was still getting triple tail out on the crab trap markers and they said the day before they caught 2 nice size cobia off the shipping channel markers in Boca Grande. That's all I have, now it’s time to get out of here so if you want to book an offshore charter with us give me a call at (941) 473 - 2150 AND REMEMBER, GET OUT AND SNORT SOME OF THAT CLEAN SALT AIR, C U Z IT’S GOOD FER YA ! ! !

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SCUTTLEBUTT

Sometimes

Officers worked a boating accident in Bay County which involved a Navy hovercraft that ran over a kayaker. The kayaker was fishing in the St. Andrews Pass when the hovercraft, which was returning from offshore, struck the kayak in the fog. The impact resulted in head and leg injuries to the kayaker.

Unsubstanciated,

Officers partnered with Florida Wildlife Research Institute biologists and Lee Countyʼs Department of Natural Resources Waterway Management staff to attempt to rescue a juvenile male manatee that was found suffering from injuries related to a boat strike. The team found this particular young manatee to be quick and full of energy, despite its need for medical attention. The young manatee evaded capture several times, seemingly toying with the team. Eventually, the team worked together to capture the manatee, which was transported to the Lowry Park Zoo.

But

Often

The operator did not have a fishing license or snook stamp.Heʼs screwed!.

Officers observed a truck and two individuals selling shrimp at a busy intersection in Lehigh. Officers approached the individuals to conduct a retail license inspection. When asked for a retail license, inspection revealed that they only had an application for a permit from the

NOAA has recognized four collaborative landscape partnerships across the country where Federal agencies will focus efforts with partners to conserve and restore important lands and waters and make them more resilient to a changing climate. SW Florida is one of the targeted areas.

While on water patrol in the Boca Grande Pass area, Officers Morrison and Cohl perform a safety check on a vessel that was tied up to the Phosphate Docks. During the inspection a spear gun was noticed on the deck. In the cooler were two snook that had puncture holes.

True

which appeared to contain fish. Officers observed the people return to shore and load up some fish in the back of a van.

As the people began to drive away, Officers then stopped the van to conduct a marine fisheries inspection. When asked about the fish, the driver said they had some snapper and sheepshead. The man showed Officer McColgin the fish and inside the cooler were several undersized sheepshead and snapper. When asked for his identification, the man said he did not have a valid driverʼs license.

The appropriate misdemeanor citations were issued.

Officers investigated a destruction of Gopher Tortoise Burrows incident on Palm Island. It appears that the suspect used the lot with the Gopher Tortoise Burrows in order to access the lot he was trying to clear. The suspect was given a notice to appear in court.

How many tournaments can we sustain? Evidently not all of them. We just saw that the Action Craft Owners Tournament was cancelled.

FWC officers worked a single vessel boating accident around 11:30 PM on the Peace River. The operator was using a GPS unit to navigate and ran into the shoreline of mangroves. The operator was cited for improper lookout.

Work continues on the new bridges and the widening of the Placida road.

Department Of Agriculture.

Officers observed three people fishing along a mangrove shoreline in Estero Bay. They were carrying a cooler

Officers were in Bull Bay when they noticed a small vessel traveling along the mangrove line in shallow water. Upon contact, the operator made mention of only having a trout, however once it was apparent the Officers were going to do an inspection of the vessel the operator admitted to also having a snook. When the snook was measured it was found to be undersized by three inches. Appropriate paperwork was issued.

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MAY 2015

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MAY 2015

Youth Sailing for summer

By Peter Welch Water LIFE Sailing Remember how your confidence and view of your “neighborhood” and freedom expanded when you learned to ride a bicycle? You learned to respect boundaries and how to care for the bike. For most, this facilitated plans of further accomplishments. Learning to sail does the same thing, but it adds analytical elements – the use of wind power and route planning where there are no roads. Confidence and “can do” attitude jumps to a higher leve, and sailing is a recreation that can be enjoyed at low cost into your 80th year.

Charlotte Harbor is blessed with great sailing waters and three nonprofit organizations that teach youth sailing (one also teaches adults). The curriculum and standards for adult and youth sail training is maintained by US Sailing, and the instructor should have US Sailing certification.

Other competent sailors may as-

sist, but the assessment of student skill level should come from a certified instructor.

Students must be able to remain calm in deep water while wearing a PFD (life jacket). This helps instructors return a student to a boat in the rare case of capsize.

Younger students learn in Optimist prams that are very capsize resistant. Students are trained to rig the boats for sailing, learn the most useful knots and sailing terms that the instructor will use in coaching.

Training takes place in groups, so students must be able to listen and participate for periods of 30 minutes. Student size and strength is usually not an issue. Students usually sail solo with instructor supervision. One teaching provider makes sailing accessible to all physical abilities. Parents are not excluded from observation of training, but not required to be there after beginning orientation.

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In going through some files from my sailing days with the Wet Hens women's sailing group in Hawaii, with whom I taught sailing, I found this poem I wrote in my early days, when I was still prone to seasickness. (Thank goodness THAT gets better over the years!) It reminded me of that awful malady new sailors so often suffer (along with fear of water, or fish, or of falling overboard). I thought maybe this might be something amusing.

A Would-Be Sailor's Lament

The Optimist sailing program for young sailors is a great start for kids.

Learning the sailing basics is the beginning. Two of the teaching providers have the equipment and skills to support a progression of skills that could get the student on a collegiate sailing team. Girls and boys have equal opportunity. There are roles for parents and grandparents (if desired) in this progression. So get started, interview the providers, audit some of their current activity and give a child a chance to have a fun and maturing opportunity.

The training providers listed are all in close proximity to the bridge over the Peace River.

Contact them to set a time to see their instructors and boats.

Charlotte Harbor Community Sailing Center www.thesailingcenter.org 941-456-8542 Charlotte Youth Sailing www.chysailing.com 941-204-0885 Learn to Sail at Bayfront www.learntosailswf.com 941-999-1102

I just adore the sport of yachting, It has everything I admire; I'll tell you what, just the thought of a yacht Just sets my heart on fire.

I love the jazzy yachting clothes -The reds, the whites, the blues, The blazers, the caps, the crisp white slacks, The nautical shirts and shoes.

I love the dockside parties, With those fancy wines and cheeses, And watching the evening sun go down Cooled off by tropical breezes.

I love the sunset cruises When we go out under motor And tool around in the Harbor Pretending we're rich boaters.

I love talking boats and throwing around Those clever nautical phrases, I love big boats and small boats and not-quite-so-tall boats, And even those darn tippy Lasers.

In the Adult Sailing world, here is some Spring Sailing Series action from last month.

Water LIFE Sailing photos by Fran Burstein

I love Opening Days and champagne brunches, And cocktail parties and yachtsmen's lunches.

I love dinghies and class boats And in-hock-to-your-ass boats; I love ketches and schooners, And yachts with ballooners; I love Optimists and Flippers And even their skippers;

I love sloops and yawls And fund-raising balls; I love after-race cocktails and trophy dinners And hanging around with the happy winners; Lots of great sailing magazines Adorn my coffee table, I even read the boating news As often as I'm able.

The sport of yachting's really great It's Number One on my scale, If only one could take part in it...[sigh]...

Without actually having to SAIL! Jo Mogle, Punta Gorda

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MAY 2015

May – Predictions and Suggestions

Charlotte Harbor

Frank at Fishin’ Franks 941- 625-3888

We got a bunch of fish and the thing a lot of people are doing for entertainment is fishing for small sharks, south, in the Harbor. The warm harbor temperatures are keeping fish close to the Gulf. Fish the middle hole, the Pirate Harbor hole and at the reef. The sharks are blacktips, black nose, sharp nose, and now the hammerheads have moved in - smaller hammers in the 3-to 5 foot range and some lemons too – it’s pretty cool.

Tarpon are moving into the pass and are starting to congregate there along with

big hammers and bull sharks in the 10foot-plus range. If you don’t see the tarpon, try the passes to the south: Captiva and Redfish Passes – some days you still have to go south to find them. Maybe there is more bait going through down there. The fish have been coming back up and then they swing back south. As this month progresses, the pass will get more consistent. Maybe the current is different because the sand is moving around. The tarpon are looking for certain water flows, so that can be interrupting whats going on.

Grouper fishermen have reported seeing tarpon coming in across the Gulf, 20to 30 miles out. Once you spot the tarpon and see which way they are going, you can set your compass to Boca Grande.

When tarpon travel across the deep water it’s like you would picture dolphin; they literally porpoise across the surface as they travel. It’s an amazing sight.

If you are not pass fishing, in front of Jug Creek and over to Two Pine has had some of the better tarpon fishing. The 20foot hole is good too. Put baits out and drift. Our sabiki sales are through the roof because people look for the big

Big dolphin in the Keys. This one at Bud nʼ Maryʼs

threadfins for tarpon. Put the threadies on steel leader because there are so many sharks out there.

Ladyfish schools are cruising Harbor from Ponce to Alligator Creek. Troll a 14 Bomber, a Storm Twitch or a bucktail jig at 2.5 mph for ladyfish. Catfish are also working as bait, chunked up, for tarpon.

Matt, Izzy Rogner, Riley and Jesse, back from a 30 mile overnight trip. They limited out on yellow and mangrove snapper and they will eat them all!

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MAY 2015

The BIG-4

Rachel Nicole

TARPON Coming up from the south

The flats are doing pretty good. There has been enough rain to push snook to the barrier islands. May and June is the spawn time for snook so this is the time for a snook of a lifetime along the beaches. Use ladyfish for bait and a 7-0 hook in 3-feet of water right off the beach. It’s a sit-and-wait game. Leader is important here. The fish are aggressive when they are spawning so they do a heavy head-shake because they can’t jump. That’s why you need heavy leader, just like you would use if you were tarpon fishing. We still have under-slot to slot snook on the West side to Bull and Turtle Bay. Whitebait is the best day bait for them right now, but as it gets dark a shrimp under a float works better.

There are redfish in the Pine Island Sound, at Bull and Turtle and on the tailing flats in

WE ONLY SERVE FRESH FISH HERE

Jared Mason sent us this nice 28 in red grouper he caught off Englewood last month. We asked Jared, like we ask everyone else submitting photos, Please do not send a picture to us that you send to any other publication. So Thanks Jared and thanks everyone, for keeping our fish pictures the FRESHEST around.

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Fish to expect in

SNOOK Closed to Harvest May 1, catch and release only

REDFISH Big fish on both sides of the harbor

Gasparilla Sound. I am hearing cut bait reports for success as the water continues to warm.

Mullet, white bait and ladyfish all work on them as long as it’s the right size.

In the Gulf on the near-shore reefs, you have snapper, grunts, and lots of beautiful triggerfish this year, but they are closed for harvest the rest of the year. Grouper are still a 60-foot-ofwater-thing. There is a good amberjack population on the reefs, and beautiful schools of permit on both the reefs and wrecks. Plus a few kings and some Spanish are out there, but it’s slowing up as the water continues to warm, so now they are moving north.

Cobia are still pretty good around the Harbor, but the warm is slowing them down a bit.

The -41-Bridge and Bayshore Pier have had some cobia caught on cut pieces of whiting tossed out with a sinker but don’t be surprised when shark or tarpon pick that bait up. And for weirdness, there are still some tripletail around.

Up on the Peace and Myakka Rivers we have some catfish and there is quite a bit of sea trout around Hog Island.

Lemon Bay

Jim at Fishermen’s Edge 697-7595

Fishing has been reasonably good. Tarpon seem to be taking a lot of people’s attention away from the back country. They are in the Harbor and the passes but catching tarpon on the beach is tough because of the dirty water along the bach. Squirrel fish, threadfins, shrimp at night or crabs those are the primary baits they use this time of year.

Lots of guys offshore are having success with red grouper, scamp up to 17-inches, yellowtail and mangrove snapper plus a lot of AJs - up to 50 pounds. With a pinfish or blue runner it’s pretty much game on. Guys are also catching blackfin tuna and a number of guys caught African pompano and cobia - you name it, a lot of fish are migrating to the area now.

Snook have been really good. I can’t tell you

Ray Leach and friend Joe Bigus enjoying a fishing day last month, even though Ray did most of the catching.

Ray's snook was 36 1/2 inches long and 10 3/4 pounds. The fish was released immediately after the photo.

May

PERMIT Showing up in good numbers and feeding

how many in the over slot, 38-to 40 inch range have been caught. Guys are catching snook in Lemon Bay and redfish too. Trout are just ok, the tides are high and with the push of that SW wind they are in deeper water. And finally, there are still some Spanish and kings around close in, and permit are showing up in big numbers too. Good fishing everywhere!

PAGE 23

Gulf Temps are low 80s The Harbor is 3- or 4-degrees warmer

WARNING

Very HOT - Very EARLY 95˚ 90˚ 85˚ 80˚ 72˚ 70˚ 68˚

A fun day of fishing produced this nice 9.8-pound sheepshead caught of the trestel in Lemon Bay. Typically Jerry Gerrior enjoys sheephead as table fare, but he decided to release this egg filled beauty.

Capt. Joe Angius with a beautiful redfish caught on a live threadfin in Estero Bay. Andrew Stansell with a tarpon estimated around 175 pounds, guided by Captain Joe Angius.

50˚ 45˚

FISHING RIGHT NOW:

Excellent!

PAGE

24

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