Water LIFE May 2019

Water LI FE

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

The Charlotte Harbor Reef Association

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

David Boggs, barracuda Marco Island

May 2019

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Nicholas J with a mid day bank cruising largemouth Ft. Myers

Txt Us Ur Fish Pix! weʼll use ʻem!

See page 4

FISH PIX!

Chuck Folk, 33-inch cobia, fishing with Capt. Paul Fec, out of Stump Pass

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

www.waterlifemagazine.com from Water LIFE magazine

Jim Hubert 44-inch kingfish, caught near Boca Grande

FREE!

PAGE

2

EMAIL:

WATERLIFE@COMCAST.NET

MAY 2019

MAY 2019

BACK ISSUES @

WWW.WATERLIFEMAGAZINE.COM

PAGE 3

6/1/19

PAGE

4

EMAIL:

eMail letters and photos to:

WE WANT YOUR FISH! Txt Us Ur Fish Pix 1) PLEASE no pictures

941- 457- 1316

sent to other publications

txt to:

2) No Old Fish 3) No Blatant Ads

Include anglerʼs name and what kind of fish.

Weʼre giving our favorite FISH PIX $25 vouchers good at Fishinʼ Franks

This Monthʼs Gold Star $25 Winners

A tip came from a block mason friend who was watching the cement block wall going up along the northern part of the Sunseeker site. “The guys are in FPC trucks,” he told me. FPC is Florida Premiere Construction.

According to Sun Biz the company is owned by local businessmen Bruce Laishley, Rick Treworgy and Rob Humpel.

Rick Treworgy verified the story. “We are going to be the general contractor for the whole project,” he told me. “We want to hire local companies,” he added.

I went by the Building Department to look at the new site plan. It is designated Phase One. Most of the new drawings were dated February 20, 2019. The county received them in early March.

There was also a 10 page book of

from Water LIFE magazine

Madison Peters.... page 5

Divers Jason Thompson and Mike Abott ... page 10

WaterLIFE@comcast.net

SUNSEEKER RESORT PROGRESS REPORT

FISH PIX!

WATERLIFE@COMCAST.NET

color renderings for the new buildings and all the new elevation drawings.

A lot of work went into those exhibits.... I figure several monthʼs, and

they had to have had a concept for the artist before that, so I would guess that by last August Allegiant knew they werenʼt building the 1000 foot long pool and nine, 9-story buildings.

Maybe they knew that all along, I can only guess at that too.

Also In August County traffic engi-

MAY 2019

Txt fish Pix ONLY to 941-457-1316

neer Venkat Vattakuti told me that ʻany changes at allʼ would set Allegiant ʻback to square one in the whole approval process.ʼ But In March the County rubberstamped the new site plan as soon as they received it.

There are now four buildings on the plan instead of nine, all close to the Bridge and US-41.

I think two are hotel buildings, one is a garage, and there is one big footprint on the site plan which I figure will be a convention hall with a pool on the roof and restaurants along the Harbor Walk overlooking the water. I wonder if Harpoon Harrys and the Captainʼs Table restaurant will move there from Punta Gorda.

I was told actual building plans are now actually being drawn up, but it will be August before they are done and a permit is issued. What will be built on the other 2/3 of the site is unclear. – Michael Heller

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Michael, in your article on the police boat, you said the Chief says the boat was uninsured. The Sun (Charlotte Sun newspaper, 4-3-19) said it was insured. The City Council anticipates the new purchase cost to be paid for by our insurance carrier. Who do I believe on this? I know, when I moved down here, I went over to volunteer for the marine division and was told if I was not involved in the Coast Guard Auxiliary they did not want you. I told them I had worked with a Police Marine Division up north (which I will not state --what State), but I had more experience on the water then most of your Auxiliary people, and law enforcement training. This did not mean anything---the person that had the boat out that night did not have the training or did not know what he was doing? Bill Thomson, PGI

Editor Replies: Believe Us! Trust your instinct!s. The Sun story actually said: “City Staff has worked with the insurance broker to obtain recovery for the hull” I spoke to Chief Davis today. She told me, when she spoke to the MAC, the County had just switched insurance carriers and although the boat was technically covered, the new company said there was no rider for collision. So she told the MAC it was uninsured. But since then, she told me, the City Manager talked to the new insurance company and after that meaningful conversation they agreed to back-cover the incident. Apparently when the new insurance company got the account, the coverage was to be the same as the previous insurer had provided, so they fixed that..... or some other never-to-be-known deal was struck! What Capt. Ron and I said was true and it wouldnʼt surprise me if the Sun newspaper conveniently held back their story from January until April to give Punta Gorda a chance to come up with an explanation that would sound plausible. I am waiting for the full FWC accident and a copy of the insurance.

ADVERTISE HERE! Water LIFEʼs 1/8 page ad (this size)

still only $105 per month!

call 941-766-8180

4- C O L O R is always FREE

The effective & economical month-long advertising solution!

WE areTHE WAY to reach people who love the WATER!

Water LIFE inc. waterlife@comcast.net www.WaterlifeMagazine.com Ellen Heller Publisher

(941) 766-8180

FishPix, text only number 941-457-1316

217 Bangsberg Rd. Port Charlotte, FL 33952

Independant - Not affiliated with any other publication!

Vol XVIII No 5 © 2019

NO PART of this publication (printed or electronic) may be copied, reproduced or re-used without specific written permission from the Publisher

Contributing Editors:

Photography: ASA1000.com

Senior Editor: Capt. Ron Blago Baitshop: Fishinʼ Frank

Upper Harbor: Cameron Parson

Peace River: Capt. Dave Stephens Punta Gorda: Capt. Chuck Eichner Venice: Glen Ballinger

Estero: Capt. Joe Angius

Everglades City: Capt. Charlie Phillips Kayaking: Bob Fraser Sawfish: Tonya Wiley

Pier Fishing: Bobby Vitalis Diving: Adam Wilson

OLD PIC or ??

In the Pic of ARS on page 12 (April edition, shown left) did they change the season? If he caught them out of season is that how you hold them to put 2 back at once?

Or are these pics from last year???

Jim Hoffman

Editor* The man said he and a buddy caught them and he was posing for the picture before releasing them.

AD STRATEGY: 1. ADVERTISE BY THE MONTH - NOT BY THE WEEK 2. LOOK AT WHO OUR READERS ARE 3. THINK COST EFFECTIVE CALL ELLEN AT WATER LIFE 941-766-8180 RENEW AGAIN!

TOM AT THE BOAT HOUSE “ADVERTISING WITH YOU IS A NO BRAINER! IT WORKS FOR US”

RENEW AGAIN!!

DOCK SAVERS: "WE ARE VERY HAPPY WITH THE RESPONSE TO OUR AD IN WATER LIFE"

Sign Up Your Kids!

MAY 2019

BACK ISSUES @

WWW.WATERLIFEMAGAZINE.COM

the $1Bill Challenge is on!

By Michael Heller Water LIFE Commentary Kids are signing up for this summer’s $1Bill Challenge.

It’s a fun event. The Challenge lasts all summer. You can fish when ever you want. You measure your fish and text your entries in. We call it the $1Bill Challenge because you hold a $1Bill with your angler number on on it next to the fish in each picture. The Grand Champion will win a boat!

This is the second year of our $1Bill Challenge, it’s for ages 6 up to, but not yet 16.

The Challenge is divided into four Fishing Periods: (P1) May 16 to June 15; (P2) June 16 to July 15; (P3) July 16 to August 15; and (P4) Aug 16 to Sept 15. We have the dates in the middle of the month so we have time to judge the tournament and put the winners in the Magazine.

Kids can sign up anytime between now and September, but if they want a chance at winning the boat it makes sense to sign up early and get fishing! The Grand Prize this year is either a 1032 Tracker boat or a Perception fishing kayak.

Last year Spencer Gant, went home with the boat.

We have fun seeing and sorting out all the fish pictures.

The kids text two fish pictures a month to our special tournament phone. There are good monthly prizes and we put the top 3, in each species, in the magazine every month.

There is a five question quiz associated with each Fishing Period. We run this tournament so kids and parents can have fun fishing and at the same time maybe learn more about fishing and the current environment. Last summer kids received points towards winning the boat by simply completing the quiz. We didn’t grade the quizzes, if they

PAGE 5

sent in answers they got 15 points.

We developed a good dialogue, explaining the answers and answering questions. This summer only correct answers will count.

Correct answers will be worth 3 points each. It shouldn’t matter, last summer most of the answers came in correct anyway.

Since this is an online tournament we use overall length instead of weight to judge the fish. Anglers are on the honor system. In the case of ties the earliest entry wins. There is strategy involved. $25 FISH PIX WINNER!! Madison Peters age 11 caught this black Last summer we gave away a drum off the dock in BSI last month. This would have been a winFISH PIX! ner in the $1 Bill Challenge tournament too. Good catch Madison!

Shakespeare Rod and Reel combo for the longest fish in each species, a half day offshore trip and an inshore fishing trip, we are every month. There are 30 species eligible, so we gave trying to show them all the fishing opportunities here. away a lot of rods and reels... so many in fact that some We are able to offer these programs thanks to a grant kids received multiple rods and reels. So this year we are from Charlotte County. The grant pays for roughly half the still giving away a Shakespeare Rod and Reel, or we will expenses, then we rely on community support for the rest. award a rod credit for each first place win, then, at the end We are lucky to have community support. Thank you! of the tournament, rod credits can be added up for a better Going forward, I want to work on making our online rod from Fishin’ Franks. Second place will again be lures classes more appealing to kids. To that end, I have some from MirrOlure. Third place will again be t-shirts. video equipment and I’m learning to edit video by cutting sign up at: www.waterlifemagazine.com and editing some of our class footage into short ‘snippets.’

This tournament is the first leg of our yearly Be the Fish My goal is to have a video quiz that you can view on your program which includes live and online fishing classes for phone as one of the $1Bill Challenge fishing quizzes this middle school kids in the fall, a seine net pull/wading trip, summer. Wish me luck! If you want to help, let me know! from Water LIFE magazine

PAGE

6

EMAIL:

WATERLIFE@COMCAST.NET

Estero Bay:

Many Options

Capt. Joe Angius Water LIFE Estero The Southwest Florida heat and humidity are right where they need to be this time of the year and the fishing is following in its tracks. It’s important for me, as a guide, to pay close attention to details such as water temperature, water quality, and rain events.

It will be these small changes in the environment that make the biggest difference out on the water. As we near toward the summer months, afternoon storms will increase and become a key factor in the temperament of our fisheries.

One of the biggest decisions I have to make this time of the year is what time I should fish. At first light, early in the morning I have ample opportunity to seek any and all inshore fish species before the afternoon heat kicks in. Or I can risk my chances and try to fish in the evening when we’re prone to unexpected thunderstorms and I’m running out of light. The other great option that most anglers don’t take advantage of is fish-

MAY 2019

ing late at night when the temperature is bearable and big fish are on the prowl.

No matter what time of the day or night you decide to fish, this time of year there’s only one type of fish on the forefront of my mind: tarpon.

Fishing for tarpon is an indescribable experience of extreme highs and even lower lows. To fish for a species that pulls harder, jumps higher, and fights longer than almost any other fish out in the Gulf is addicting to say the least. Tarpon fishing takes a lot of patience, some skill, and mostly luck.

Being prepared to fish for tarpon is essential to hooking up and landing them. My standard go-to tarpon tackle is an extra heavy 8-foot spinning rod equipped with a 6000 to 8000 sized reel spooled with 40 pound braided line. Attached to that braided line will be a 60 or 70 pound fluorocarbon leader and a 4/0 Owner hook. I’ll adjust my hook size based off of my bait size.

Typical live baits an angler should have on board are crabs, threadfin, pilchards, pinfish, and/or mullet. One of these baits will produce the best chance at getting a hook up.

Take advantage of the last string of good weather that will be coming through our area and target tarpon as they migrate to northern waters. Be sure to know how to catch and release these fish properly to ensure the safety and health of the tarpon fishery we are known for. Practice good fishing etiquette by being mindful of other boaters in the area.

Experience the inshore waters of Southwest Florida firsthand, through fishing.

Capt. Joe Angius (727)-234-3171 www.speakeasyfishing.com speakeasyfishing@gmail.com

Flats Habitats MAY 2019

Capt. David Stephens Water LIFE Charlotte Harbor May is by far one of my favorite months to fish Charlotte Harbor because the options of fish to target are endless.

This month the cold fronts from the north don’t have enough strength to cool our waters off. This means that our fish are out feeding without a care in the world.

The flats are starting to bounce back from the shorter days too. Just think about it like your lawn. The longer days help fill in the grass that was dormant for the past few months.

Grass, seagrass, is one of the most overlooked elements when it comes to a healthy fishery. Our local grass flats are the heartbeat of our inshore fish. Many species depend on the grass for survival. I know most anglers don’t think about, or

BACK ISSUES @

just don’t understand, the importance of the seagrass habitat until they take a look at the circle of life that happens in these areas.

For the most part, this is where it all begins. Without lush grass flats the fishery in our Harbor would not exist. Almost every fish that we target, either start their lives or depend daily on the flats for survival.

At some point in every predatory fish’s life they feed on small crustaceans, such as shrimp and small crabs. Then, as these predatory fish mature into more aggressive hunters, they seek out larger prey such as pinfish and sardines.

In order for us to have a strong healthy fishery, it’s important for us to have a strong ecosystem on our local grass flats where these little creatures can grow.

When I’m out on my charters, the one thing I look for is thriving flats, areas with lots of life such as pinfish and small crustaceans. The old saying still holds strong to this day, find the food that fish feed on and you will find the fish.

So lets talk about some of these fish! Over the past couple weeks the snook

WWW.WATERLIFEMAGAZINE.COM

fishing has been very consistent and we are still getting some shots at big fish on a daily basis.

As we roll further along into May, I expect the bigger females to start moving out into their spawning pattern. In order for snook to have a successful spawn a high salt content is needed. So the mature seasoned females will be on the move toward the Gulf.

This year seems like the year of the thread fin herring! Our Harbor is absolutely full of these guys, which for one I’m very happy to see. Herring are another part of our ecosystem that our fishery heavily depends on.

Threadfin herring are normally found in the deeper water in the Harbor, our open water fish depend on them as a major food source. Migratory fish such as mackerel and cobia will not stray far from an easy meal. So, like I said before, find the forage, find the fish.

Things are really looking good in the Harbor, let’s hope it remains that way.

If you would like to experience some of Charlotte Harbor’s finest fishing, call or send me an email. All of our charters are private and customized to fit your needs.

Capt. Dave Stephens, 941-916-5769 www.backbayxtremes.com

PAGE 7

PAGE

SHARKS Back with a Vengeance!

8

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

EMAIL:

Ed Starcher, lemon shark

My first ever shark is this black tip. Angler name is Logan

WATERLIFE@COMCAST.NET

By Capt. John Brossard Water LIFE Sharking The water is finally plenty warm enough for all types of shark to be around.

Whether you’re in the backwaters or offshore, fishing has been very good ... but also a little slow at times. The water temperatures these days are close to 80, making it very warm for the fish.

When the water is this warm, the sharks tend to fight a little more than during the winter months.

Last month I tagged over 20 sharks in the northern Everglades and I have yet to re-capture any of those. Goes to show you, there are a lot of shark out there at times.

I have been fishing some shallow flats and hooking very large fish in 4to 5-foot of water. By-catch have been

tarpon, sawfish and some large stingrays.

It seems that the bigger sharks are in the backwaters and the smaller sharks are just offshore from 2- to 7- miles out.

Off a reef 5 miles out, we have been getting small bonnetheads, Atlantic sharpnose and blacktips. Meanwhile In

SHARK FISHING TIP

11ft hammerhead 15 minute fight on Avet 80w- Max Riesbeck I like what you guys do for the fishing community, it really helps people get out there and be known for their passion.

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

MAY 2019

the backwaters there are huge female bull shark, lots of big lemons and some adult blacktips.

Capt John Brossard 239-777-9279 sharkchaserfl@gmail.com sharkchasercharters.com

When you’re shark fishing near areas that have a lot of catfish, use catfish for bait. That way you will not get so many bites from catfish!

I normally break their three hard spines off to make them easier to swallow. Then cut the catfish in half using the tail on one hook and the head on another. The fresher the better.

I like to change them out every couple hours.

On the head part, make sure you pop the bladder or the body will float the whole time.

Normally there are plenty of catfish around to use for bait.

Kids Fishing Pier Tournament Sat May 4

Tarpon Season MAY 2019

Cameron Parson Water LIFE Charlotte Harbor That special time of year is upon us.

It’s tarpon season, and it's about to be in full swing. Tarpon (megalops atlanticus) are probably the most sought after game fish in the spring, here in SW Florida. They offer everything you could ever want in a battle: blistering runs, leaps, bounds, and back flips... and they give it to you tooth and nail until the bitter end.

Tarpon can actually be fairly easy to target if you take the time to figure out their patterns.

Tarpon can be found anywhere from the Nav-A-Gator on the Peace River all the way to Boca Grande Pass and everywhere in between. They'll usually stage themselves in certain areas depending on the tide and move about when the tide changes.

Incoming tides will usually push them into the 20-foot holes and up to

the 41- and El Jobean bridges. Some can even be found roaming the outsides of the bars, making for great sight fishing opportunities.

A good portion of anglers tend to fish them in Boca Pass, particularly when the tide is rushing out...and flushing pass crabs and other baits right into

BACK ISSUES @

the feeding frenzy.

From there, they will either move up the beach sides or split and enter the Harbor areas.

The key is putting a pattern together. They maybe in 10-feet of water one day, and moved out to 30-feet the next day.

The gear used should be pretty stout as you don't really know what size fish you'll put a hook in. Typically, 5000 to 8000 sized reels are used and spooled with anywhere from 40- to 80-pound braided line. Fluorocarbon leader from 50- to 80-pound is sufficient and up your leader to 6- or 7feet for better handling of fish at the boat. Circle hooks ranging from 5/0 to 8/0 (depending on bait size) should be utilized. I prefer an 8foot heavy or extra heavy rod for casting and pulling power.

I generally fish the Harbor areas for tarpon, usually around the 41 bridges or the 20-foot holes. Silver mullet and ladyfish are my baits of choice, always on an 8/0 circle hook due to bait size. I'll look for signs of life...birds diving on bait, bait scattering on top and rolling fish.

Drifting or slow trolling your baits with your trolling motor is very effective.

Always have another rod with a DOA Baitbuster ready to throw if a fish

WWW.WATERLIFEMAGAZINE.COM

PAGE 9

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

should roll just in front of, or to the side of, the boat. Often times, cobia will be swimming with these tarpon so expect a good by-catch.

Make use of the those rod holders on your boat. Circle hooks are the only hooks I use since they will hook fish in the corner of the mouth or lip when used properly. Set your drag accordingly. This will allow a solid hook up while insuring the rod won't be yanked out of the holder. Plus, you won't get over anxious and attempt to set the hook and miss the chance. The hook will set itself.

Juvenile tarpon will also be on the move in the canal systems and out on the grass flats and bars. The good thing about them is that they tend not to spook quite as easily and they respond extremely well to live chumming.

There are a ton of sight casting opportunities for small tarpon on light gear.

No more then a 3000 sized flats setup is required.

And a small reminder. There are dozens of guides on the water everyday that are targeting these fish for their customers. Be sure to give them the same courtesy you would expect for yourself. Let them wave you in. Use your trolling motor and not the big engine. If you feel there are too many people in the area already, there probably are. Move on and find another pod of fish. There's plenty to go around for everyone at this time of year.

Catch some fish!

941- 639-7166

Kari Green

FISH PIX!

Bobbie Leahey

FISH PIX!

Jamie Bracy

FISH PIX!

Capt. Justin Snauffer & Aubree

from Water LIFE magazine

from Water LIFE magazine

Cameron Parson works at

Rio Villa Bait & Tackle in Punta Gorda

Devon Weatherhead

from Water LIFE magazine

PAGE

10

EMAIL:

WATERLIFE@COMCAST.NET

ReaderĘźs Photos

MAY 2019

text us ur fish pix - see page 4

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

Skyler Bushey, catch and release snook, Port Charlotte

Bob Trexler caught this big sheepshead on a reef outside of Fort Myers Beach fishing with Captain Barry Cuda

Captain Keith with Crooked Rod Charters on some early season tarpon action!

Capt. John Baines finding some early black fin offshore of Boca Grande during the middle of March.

Christian and Ava Von Rosen Jack Crevelle on a top water lure

We had to look to the internet for this one. Scott Mix with a smooth puffer off the Sanibel causeway.

Joe Scena caught this nice cobia fishing off of a Charlotte Harbor Pier on 3/30/19.

Tommy with a 17inch 4lbs peacock bass

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Nicholas J with another sunset frog-crushing 23-inch lunker largemouth pond monster in Ft. Myers

Greyshark caught in a North Port lake

Divers Jason Thompson and Mike Abott with a 60 pound cubera from this past weekend, out looking for lobster on the last weekend of season. It took multiple dives to get him out of the hole. A dream fish for sure! $25 FISH PIX Winner!

A Couple of Nice Fish

MAY 2019

Capt. Chuck Eichner Water LIFE Charlotte Harbor Southern Florida waters hold fascination and a fishery that defies description.

As an angler every day is different. Regardless of time of year there are 10- to 15 different species you can think about catching and many you must focus on.

For instance, May is tarpon month and a tarpon trip usually means you won’t stumble onto redfish, snook or trout. On the other hand, on many days I let nature guide me; keeping a watchful eye out can often result in surprise catches.

Spending lots of hours riding around you will see signs of fish that must be investigated; things like breaking fish, birds on the water or minnows spraying.

One thing to watch for in May is anything floating. Not too long ago I saw something floating off in the distance and rode up to it. It was a coconut. Innocent enough, but upon closer inspection it had a tripletail fish under it.

One cast and the fish ate, and that night he was dinner. Recently, we discovered a dead pelican floating. Not too pleasant to see, but guess what? There was a tripletail

BACK ISSUES @

WWW.WATERLIFEMAGAZINE.COM

under the pelican. Not your everyday signs of fish, but tripletail are often found hanging out under ‘stuff’.

With a live bait on your line you never know what will show itself! Fishing with a couple of buddies, inshore behind Boca Grande, we chummed some live pilchards against a shoreline and waited for signs of snook. Normally this spot will produce 20 some small snook up to

25 inches.

After 10 minutes and no action I set my rod in the holder and turned the radio on only to hear my drag screeching! Ol’ Rodney did his thing and the rod bent double.

My lightest rod, 20-pound leader and 15-pound running line. A monster snook tried to jump up on the beach but instead ran to open water dumping my spool. I thought I was doomed as we pondered breaking anchor and chasing this mighty fish!

An amazing fight and lots of luck produced one of my biggest lifetime snook!

Go figure, on a spot that normally produces numbers we catch one giant fish.

A friend of mine and his boys recently went to the Florida Keys for a little mahi dolphin and tuna fishing. Father Duncan and his sons Will (14), Duncan (11) and Matty (7) were trolling the Marathon Hump hoping for action from small blackfin tuna with a bullet shaped smoker head at high speeds, just what these tuna like.

With Will at the helm a large fish jammed the lightest rod carrying 30pound test leader. When an enormous bull dolphin flew skyward the odds of this fish being boated on that rod were slim.

Young Duncan worked the fish while Will backed down in reverse so as not to

PAGE 11

lose all the line. Even with 3 lines out and the boat jammed in reverse, Will somehow kept the props free.

Mate Matty gaffed the a 42 pound bull dolphin, a fish of a lifetime and a tribute to the skills of a fishing family!

With your eyes on the horizon and a line in the water you never know what is going to happen. The unexpected adventures of Florida fishing make this a world class fishery, accessible to any angler.

Capt. Chuck Eichner operates Action Flats Backcountry Charters.

He can be reached at 941-628-8040

PAGE

12

EMAIL:

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Boat Ramp

On the Line

WATERLIFE@COMCAST.NET

Two bass and a snook, Brittany Cortes and friend

Parking

Commentary by Capt. Ron Blago Water LIFE Senior Staff Last month I laid out and interpreted a report from Charlotte County on how much money the County received by charging boaters to park at the public boat ramps. The main facts I was trying to point out were; Englewood Beach is by far the largest generator of parking fees (greater than all others combined) and the boat ramps (with the exception of Placida) brought in about $25,000, that's about 5-percent of total revenue. I think there is a case to be made that the County is actually losing money by charging boaters to park at these smaller boat ramps.

This does bring up the question of why does Charlotte County charge to park at our pubic boat ramps while our neighbor to the north, Sarasota County still has free parking. Since I have been around a long time, and actually participated in some of those decision making meetings, I can give you my interpretation of how this came about.

Back in the late 80s Charlotte County was required by the State to revise their County Comprehensive Plan; a Comp Plan is an inventory of all the assets of the county and a prediction of what these assets would be like 20 years in the future. It is a tool to help control growth in the county and plan for the future. There

MAY 2019

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Grouper Slam! Ethan, Kristian Dalton and Colby.

Double hook up Ethan and Kristian.

the county still dragged their feet on building new boat ramps.

Then a funny thing happened down at was a boater section in the Comp Plan Placida.

Tom Knight, the manager of the that was produced by USF economics old Mercarbo Mercury test center and a professor Dr. Frederick Bell; at the time member of the MAC executive commitof his report there were about 12,000 regtee, arranged for Mercury Marine to doistered boats in Charlotte County. Dr. nate a small piece of Bell predicted land across the road that by 2010 that from their facility for number would use as a public boat skyrocket to ramp. Why Mercury 43,000 and that did this is a story for the county needed another day, but the to provide public property was next to access to the Eldrid's Marina, a water for these private business new boats. where people paid to At that time, launch their boats. the Marine AdviThe County was sory Committee hesitant at first, but was pushing the after looking the free County to at least horse in the mouth, buy waterfront they decided to acproperty to be cept the gift. They used for future later shelled the land boat ramps. The County's response Saturday at the new shrimp dock at Eldreds for parking and fixed the launch area and was always the voila, instant boat ramp!

Quickly, peosame; not enough money to do that. To ple began using the new boat ramp and solve that problem, the MAC helped by that's when the law of unintended consesupporting a new fee on boats registered quences kicked in.

First off the boat ramp in Charlotte County called the Local was not big enough for all the people Boater Improvement Fund. The money who wanted to use it, especially on weekgenerated from this new fee was to be use for acquiring and maintaining county ends. When the ramp was full, people would park their vehicles and trailers on boat ramps. the Placida Road right of way, sometimes Even with the funds provided and the new mandate of the Comprehensive Plan, blocking resident's driveways. Commer-

part II

cial fishing boats would anchor their boats and clean their nets at the channel next to the ramp. Kayakers used the ramp and parked their vehicles in the precious spaces meant for registered boats.

The best unintended use was that people who worked on Boca Grand figured out that if they parked their cars at the boat ramp and then all piled in to one car, they didn't have to pay the $5 bridge toll to get to their jobs on the Island every day.

All of these problems reached a head at the 2001 Charlotte Assembly which was a group of citizens and County officials who meet to identify and solve County problems. I was selected to represent recreational boating interest. I was told that there was a proposal to start charging fees to park at our boat ramps. I was not in favor of this plan and I prepared what I thought was a brilliant defense. First off boaters had already paid to buy and build the boat ramps. Secondly, the boaters, through the MAC had put some major skin in the game by starting the Local Boaters Improvement Fund. Lastly and most importantly, additional fees would not result in any additional parking spots for boaters. It seemed unfair to me to make boaters pay another fee to use their boat. My plea for fairness for boaters was drowned out by the chant of other interests that said let those who use the facilities pay for the facilities. Shortly after that the parking meters were installed at our public boat ramps.

Capttronb@juno.com

MAY 2019

FISH PIX! f r o m Wa t e r L I F E m a g a z i n e

BACK ISSUES @

WWW.WATERLIFEMAGAZINE.COM

PAGE 13

Readerʼs Photos text Us Ur Fish Pix - see page 4 oop s! w th is p som ictu re ewh ere see else FIS HP IX : pag e4 We sa

Amberjack catch & release hat trick. Caught while fishing on the Tommy V 2 Tommy V from NYC

we want ypur pictures but not if you send them to another publication

Two fat smalls with the Wizard of Wilson Lake AL Alex Carvell Capt Fred Gowdy

We maxʼed out on the red grouper in the Gulf.

Fred OʼDell, Ken Mercer, Chris Fink, Ryun Snyder.

Tight Lines!

Jason Bihari. We finished out lobster season strong with a few nice spinyʼs on the last weekend. The big one was 7 1/4 pounds out in the Gulf about 90 feet of water.

Caleigh Balsinger, caught 55 miles off Venice Beach. Red snapper was released.

Myla Dipaolo (8yrs old) caught a Jack near Stum Pass while fishing with Mom and Pop-Pop.

Caught and released this nice Ladyfish on shrimp at the Venice Jetty... then I caught this catfish in a Port Charlotte canal on chicken blood bait.

James Guimond

Zayd catching his first fish ever, Charlotte Harbor, with Fred OʼDell

25-inch bluecat from Lake Wilson Al Capt. Fred Gowdy

PAGE

14

EMAIL:

FISH PIX! f r o m Wa t e r L I F E m a g a -

Carrie Whiteman, catfish (First time fishing, and first catch everIʼm officially hooked!

Readerʼs Photos

MAY 2019

text us ur fish pix - see page 4

Garrett Arnold, Dad and 27-inch snook

Anthony, bluefish

Jason Thompson angler species is hogfish approx 7lbs

Denizen of the deep- Slim Jim at it once again!!!!!!!

Editor notes: The beard got trimmed!

Rick Pahlke grouper

Snook caught by Fred OʼDell, Jug Creek .

Safely released.

WATERLIFE@COMCAST.NET

Slim Jim Fish Tales Pro Staffer continues his tirade of throwing lunkers in peoples faces here in sw Florida - red grouper action baby! Offshore we have had some little visitors as well

Mike Sawatsky. 4.3lb largemouth caught in Nokomis

Terrie Pahlke grouper

A

MAY 2019

BACK ISSUES @

WWW.WATERLIFEMAGAZINE.COM

Mason Haywood 29in red fish (Placida) catch & release

Joe & Ben Owens with a 7ʼ hammerhead fishing with captain Paul Fec

Kaydence Hunter caught this Jack Crevalle in Burnt Store Isles.

Logan Trembley's first catch, while visiting Punta Gorda Isles.

Barry Lung caught this speckled sea trout on the Peace River.

Mallory Rojo. Jack. Capt. Mattʼs charter Kingfisher Fleet, Fishermanʼs Village.

Caught right in the middle of a banana break!

Chuck Folk with a 42” cuda fishing with Captain Paul Fec out of Stump Pass

Angler Brian Brandenburg caught this snook while visiting my Uncle JK9303 in PGI.

PAGE 15

Bill Wohland of Estero caught two large red grouper aboard the vessel TeeSea.

Matthew Kennedy. Permit.

Mitchell Haywood 26i-inch redfish Placida, catch & release

Todd Ruff from Colorado with a 100-pound amberjack offshore Venice.

XXZPAGE

16

EMAIL:

WATERLIFE@COMCAST.NETX

Your Ad here! only 2 left! call Ellen at Water LIFE

I

MAY 2019

941-766-8180

FISH PIX! f r o m Wa t e r L I F E m a g a z i n e

Greyshark caught in a North Port lake

Charlie loves his snook

Bryan Owen caught this nice sheepshead on Slayer SST Purple Haze out of Goodland.

Joshua Peters age 9 caught this sail cat off the dock in BSI Wednesday

My son, Christopher Marsh, caught these snook in the backcountry near Placida!

Luke Nicklas, Mozambique tilapia, 2-pounds 12-inches

Dan Novak, snook, North Port

Jean Guy with nice red snapper, caught and released with Expert Guide Todd Balsinger.

oop We s! saw t his som pict ewh ure e re e see lse info : pa ge 4

South Gulf Cove, John W

Mike Bowers with a nice permit caught and released in Charlotte Harbor

Nice red snapper, caught and released

by Mike & Todd aboard his Mako off Venice Inlet

Mike Bowers with his first red grouper, thanks to Captain Todd Balsinger.

MAY 2019

BACK ISSUES @

FISH PIX! f r o m Wa t e r L I F E m a g a z i n e

Sarah Marie and Kayden (10) with a nice blacktip shark.

Sarah Marie with an 7.6 lemon shark.

Sarah Marie and Kayden with a 6ft Lemon that Kayden pulled in alone.

WWW.WATERLIFEMAGAZINE.COM

TOPWATER LURES, Not just for breakfast anymore!

By Fishin’ Frank Water LIFE Baitshop For years when growing up and learning to fish, I was told to use lures that stay on the surface only during the two hours before dark until 2 hours after dark. The only exception would be cloudy days.

I thought about it and came to the conclusion that yes, it’s because fish do not have eye lids. Why is that important? Because they can not squint into the sun light. Looking up at the surface from underneath, a topwater lure on a bright sunshiney day would be almost impossible for a fish to see, much less strike.

So why then can I use top water lures any time of the day on the flats and catch fish?

I believe it is a line-of-sight issue. And that the cut-off depth is about 6 feet of water.

When a fish is in deep water, or close to the bottom, it has to look almost straight up to see a top water lure. Now that same fish on the flats in 2 or 3 feet of water would be looking in front of itself to see the lure and not looking ‘up’ much at all.

Top water lures are sold with a white belly and blue back, or white belly and green back. If the belly of the lure is all that is in the water, why change the color on the top, which is not in the water at all?

Because of the water it is laying on. Water has many weird properties and not the least is water can act like a mirror. When a lure lays on the surface and you look at it from underneath you see the belly

white in this case and on both sides of the belly you see a reflection of the sides and back or the lure, so you would see black white black. The belly is only seen in the center. It’s not natural appearing.

Now I really enjoy using top water lures, it sort of completes the whole fishing thing, You see the fish strike the lure, then feel the hit and finally fight the fish.

Tarpon, jacks, cobia, even sharks can be caught while using topwater lures and right now there are a bunch of sharks and tarpon around.

I am using the same size topwater I would for amberjacks: a 5- to 8-inch lure.

To catch the sharks on top water, watch for schools of bait fish on the surface. Pick a lure with color, I choose really bright colors to stand out from the other bait fish. Cast past the school and work the lure violently through the school.

Sharks and several other major predators tend to hang out below the schools of bait fish, and if you work that lure through the school it can start a feeding frenzy.

I can tell you, nothing prepares you for a black tip hitting a top water lure and doing a back flip and a half-gainer across the water - now that is fun! If you want to start smaller, there are jacks on the bar near Burnt Store and there is crazy fun to be had with top waters.

Head out and enjoy Charlotte Harbor, it has a bunch of fish right now.

PAGE 17

FISH PIX! f r o m Wa t e r L I F E m a g a z i n e

frank@fishinfranks 941-625-3888

Just read your article on sawfish! We hooked this little one but untangled it from other novice fisherman discarding line in the water.

Happy to say we removed all the line and hooks and released it healthy and happy!

Ian Roberts, CPT Patton and Kevin OʼBRIEN. Please remind “fishermen” to never discard their line, nets, etc. in the water!

Or stop fishing!!

PAGE

18

EMAIL:

WATERLIFE@COMCAST.NET

MAY 2019

Tasty Perch: They Even Exist in the Gulf!

Pleasant surprise for anglers from Wisconsin

By Chris Rehlinger Special to Water LIFE Our half day fishing charter trip took my father Vern, my youngest son Lucas, and myself out 18-to 20- miles on an almost two hour one way trip onto the Gulf of Mexico to fish the reefs of Lee County aboard a 90foot vessel with triple turbo-diesel engines providing a fast smooth ride for us along with many other anglers.

We were not fishing my usual six foot spinning tackle with light line using sensitivity to feel precious bites. The entire group was fishing deep water rigs with heavy action rods equipped with large trolling type reels with 40pound test line, 4ounce weights, and stacked No.2 circle hooks straight down.

Why such heavy tackle? First, the required amount of weight is to efficiently fish the bottom and maintain a vertical presentation with so many anglers aboard one boat. The other reason is the potential size of fish that a person might catch so best be prepared.

With fresh cut-bait on our hooks all anglers in unison descended their rigs to the bottom. We anchored at our first stop but few anglers caught any fish or had any bites. So the anchor was pulled and we traversed to a different reef in search of active fish.

Once anchored and 20minutes into the new spot, a surprise soon put a smile on my face. My son Lucas pulled in a particular species of fish. “Dad I think I caught a perch!”

The fish was kind of the same shape as our northern yellow perch with distinguished vertical bars but pale similar to the Great Lakes strains. So I asked one of the first mates onboard the boat what this species of fish he caught was. “That is a sand perch and they are delicious! Catch some more!”

Sand perch are common on both the Gulf and Atlantic coasts of Florida and averages around 8-inches in length, but Lucas’s easily exceeded the average.

Lucas proceeded to catch two more

sand perch to add to our stringer of lane snapper and tomtate for our evening’s dinner. These perch are found from bays and shorelines to well offshore over a variety of bottoms. They seem to prefer vast open bottoms with patches of grass or scattered rocks.

The natural patches of exposed limestone that attracts grouper and snapper is the best location for a sand perch bite. They can be found on most offshore hard bottoms from 80 feet all the way down to 115 feet deep, but they are most abundant in 80 feet or less or about an hour’s ride from the shore.

This small fish is tasty but seems to mostly be a forage species of the much bigger inshore tarpon or deep reef grouper.

These particular bottom dwellers rival any other species for table fare and can be caught by any angler regardless of skill level. It seems a lot of people ignore these fish, but they are great eating and a lot of fun to catch. The great thing about fishing for sand perch is they eat just about anything.

All you need is a bunch of freshly cut squid and bigger circle hooks and they will practically catch themselves.

Our trip ended in the middle of the afternoon with many happy anglers with buckets of fish. To some this may not be an adventure, but I feel it is a type of fishing that is a totally different style providing steady action and an opportunity to catch and see a variety of fish species that people from Wisconsin only see in magazines.

Wisconsinite Chris Rehlinger is a native of Neosho but has called Lake Wisconsin home since 1998 with his wife, Lori, and sons Maxwell and Lucas. He works in the engineering/construction management field but always has something regarding fishing or hunting on his mind.

Email: rehllysfishcamp@charter.net

MAY 2019

Your Ad here! only 2 left!

BACK ISSUES @

WWW.WATERLIFEMAGAZINE.COM

call Ellen at Water LIFE

FISH PIX! f r o m Wa t e r L I F E m a g a z i n e

Doris Young catches a few nice snook with Capt. Rick Kelley before heading back to Newfoundland.

Readerʼs Photos

I

PAGE 19

941-766-8180

text us ur fish pix - see page 4

Jason Stephens on one of many sheephead

Luke and his brother Easton caught three tilapia yesterday, each one bigger than the last. This one was a little over 3 -pounds

Nicholas J with my first gar hooked on a topwater frog, Ft. Myers

Birthday Slam for Ian Roberts with 31” snook, 21” trout and a 28” redfish!!

All artificial All the Time!!

Thx Capt. Dave!!

David Boggs , sheepshead

Judy Jones Does anyone know what this is? Caught 4/6/19. 17 miles out of Boca Grande

Dan O'Neale. 4.5-pound largemouth caught in Nokomis

Fishing with boyfriend Ben Maurice, tripletail and spearfishing: hogfish

PAGE

20

EMAIL:

WATERLIFE@COMCAST.NET

MAY 2019

FISH PIX! f r o m Wa t e r L I F E m a g a z i n e

Nick Kus talapia North Port

Mason Forfar ..slingn a bunch of fish this morning

Caleb caught this speckled trout off Nokomis beach 4-17-2019 while here on spring break.

Kathi Pierce and Captain Mike Pizzi Nice Spanish mackeral Caleb Boggs red grouper Chris Goodwin cleaned up on snook on Captain GeorgeĘźs Charter

Ben Boggs, triple tail

Down from Lebanon, Maine , Doug Stickney

31 1/4-inches, 15-pounds. Unfortunately they lose their color. Doug Stickney

JK9303 gets his own while fishing nephew Brian Brandenburg.

Fishing starts May 15 Sign up online now!

10,000 ISLANDS MAY 2019

By Capt. Charlie Phillips Water LIFE / Everglades City As we come into May, I believe it would be my favorite month of the year.

Predictable weather, thinning herds as our snowbird friends head home and solid fishing make it a great time to get out and enjoy some time on the water. April was a good month fishing wise, but the wind was again angry as we saw several late season cold fronts push through.

That has kept me inshore for the most part of this month but all in all I was happy with the catches and the customers left happy so what more can you ask for?

Speckled trout have been steady this month and I have seen some big fish come from the backountry in the past

BACK ISSUES @

WWW.WATERLIFEMAGAZINE.COM

Snowbirds Leaving, Numerous Fish Arriving

week. Talked to a guide friend of mine that has been fishing bays almost back to the sawgrass and he said they wore out the trout several days in a row and had trouble weeding thru the over 20-inch fish to find some to bring home for supper. Always take things with a grain of salt, especially from a guide, but I can attest to seeing an increase in the

and an offering of either a soft plastic or a live or freshly dead shrimp. These will do just fine especially in large flat settings.

If you want to target larger specks, look to hard-baits imitating finned fish baits, like a MirrOdine or Live Target. I read somewhere years back that up

speckled trout numbers and size on my trips as well. Such an interesting dynamic as the FWC looks to reduce limits and implement changes to speckled trout at the commission meeting May 1.

All you need for success in catching speckled trout is really a popping cork, jighead, some leader to connect the two

to a certain age, maybe a year or so, a speckled trout eats 75 percent shrimp and 25 percent baitfish, after that age mark is hit the numbers reverse, so keep that in mind.

Some good snook fishing is being reported this month as well, with slot fish coming from both the inside and outside

...up to a certain age, maybe a year or so, a speckled trout eats 75% shrimp and 25% baitfish, after that age mark is reached the numbers reverse

all thru the area. Live bait is killer if you can find some pilchards but many like myself prefer to do it with artis. The one thing I have not seen much of lately is the redfish. Been talking to others and catching a few small ones here and there but pretty scattered so let’s see what the fall has to show. I believe all those small ones I have watched grow the past 15 months are going to be here in slot abundance about October.

An interesting note this month is I have caught more summer flounder that I can remember. We usually catch them here and there, but I look at them as a by catch more than anything. Lately I have found them in all the places they should be, edge of bars and channel bottoms in some decent sizes.

Y’all be safe!

Capt. Charlie Phillips 863-517-1829 e-mail: hopefishing@hotmail.com Web: hopefishing.com

Only $199,000!

Wide Open Water

Punta Gorda

Punta Gorda

Deep Sailboat Waterfront

Punta Gorda Isles

Call the Captain! Stunningly Beautiful

Quick Access Sailboat Home! Big water views, room for a Catamaran! 3/2/2 Pool Home, built in 1999, 2200sf Air remodeled kitchen. $499,900

Call the Captain! Unheard Of Price For a waterfront pool home in Punta Gorda! Beautiful home with dock and direct access to Charlotte Harbor. Close to town and ready to move in! $199,000

New Listing

Punta Gorda

Call the Captain! Amazing opportunity for fast Harbor access, deep sailboat and located in a secluded location, close to town! New seawall, $20K of fill, city water, ready to build! $94,900

PAGE 21

Call the Captain! Waterfront Pool Home! Fantastic curb appeal, tile roof, 2/2/1 with many updates. Bring your bay boat and lets go fishing! $199,000!

Amazing Deal

Burnt Store Isles

Call the Captain! Deep Water Sailboat Waterfront with 105 Feet of Seawall! South facing, wide canal and short boatride out!

Only $189,000!

Sailboat Waterfront

Punta Gorda

Call the Captain! 1/2+ Acre, Sailboat Water 160ʼ Seawalled lot possible with adjacent lot!

Secluded location, 2 minutes to open water yet close to town, This lot only, $84,900

PAGE

22

EMAIL:

WATERLIFE@COMCAST.NET

ReaderĘźs Photos text us ur fish pix see page 4

MAY 2019

FISH PIX! f r o m Wa t e r L I F E

Olivia, Blake and Alex from Owosso, Michigan looking over their catch while on spring break. Sheepshead and one whiting caught Nokomis area around the intercoastal area.

Bill Forfar catch and release Charlotte Harbor

Jim Pierce , Spanish mackeral

Joe Sheaffer caught this nice redfish in Turtle Bay 4/11 My name is Mike Kelley and I caught this nice snook and bass together on a rattle trap in a fresh water lake in Englewood yesterday!

37 inch snook today. Awesome Fight!

Love your Magazine!

John ( the Snook King ) Slattery (left)

Oleg Porteno and Mary Roe with Capt. Scotty Roe

Oleg Porteno and Mary Roe fishing with Capt. Scotty Roe

30- to 35-inches of snook and a tripletail. Cody Roe with some big jacks and Oleg, trout for dinner !

MAY 2019

BACK ISSUES @

WWW.WATERLIFEMAGAZINE.COM

SCUTTLEBUTT

PAGE 23

Sometimes Unsubstanciated, But Often True

TREES JUMPED OUT FWC Officers responded to a single vessel airboat accident along the Peace River. The vessel operator was traveling at a speed where he lost control in a turn while rounding a bend in the river and collided with several large tree limbs. All occupants were ejected following the collision. Two subjects were transported to the Nocatee boat ramp where the officers and the injured people were met by EMS who took over life-saving measures. Two subjects were taken to a local hospital for their injuries.

GROUND JUMPED UP FWC Officers and Investigators responded to a single vessel boating accident that occurred along Hendry Creek in Fort Myers. The vessel ran aground and collided with several mangrove trees. The operator was ejected following the collision. The operator was recovered and was administered CPR. The operator was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead because of his injuries.

KINKAJOU KILLAVOLTED State Captive Wildlife Investigators completed an investigation into a report of an escaped kinkajou. The kinkajou was found dead by a neighbor and

was apparently electrocuted by power lines.

A criminal citation was issued to the owner for allowing the animal to escape.

SNEAKY SNAPPER Officer Nall was conducting a marine fishery inspection on the Dania Fishing Pier when he saw a subject in possession of a tackle box that was leaking water.

When he tried to slide it to the side to inspect the subjects cooler, the tackle box sloshed.

Upon opening the tackle box, an undersized mutton snapper was found in water in the bottom compartment of the tackle box. You know what happened after that!

Water Woes

O.S.V = OFFSHORE SUPPORT VESSEL The U.S. offshore vessel segment has experienced multiple bankruptcies and mergers since the oil sector downturn began in 2014. Large operators have since sought to offset the challenging market conditions, leading to a wave of consolidation. Tidewater and Gulfmark both went

through Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2017, then merged when Tidewater bought Gulfmark for $340 million in 2018. Competitor Harvey Gulf also emerged from bankruptcy last year.

The data service VesselsValue assesses that an OSV is in layup when it has not broadcast AIS activity in eight weeks. Based on this evaluation method, 390 OSVs, 76 offshore construction vessels and 13 MODUs are laid up in the Gulf of Mexico, the largest number in the world - a reflection of the continued low level of offshore drilling activity in the region. The OSV layups constitute 38 percent of the total supply.

DRONES AT WORK Inspecting ship tanks and storage spaces underwater is a challenging task for humans. A start-up company that originated at NTNU is manufacturing autonomous drones that can take over the job – and do it more cheaply DUMB PEOPLE DOING SOMETHING Officers responded to a report from the Okeechobee County Sheriffʼs Office of two subjects being lost near Kissimmee Prairie State Park.

A sheriffʼs deputy who initially responded detained two subjects camped on the Kissimmee River Public Use Area. The subjects stated they got lost on the way to Lake Placid and cut

Water LIFE Report The Miccosukee Tribe is opposing the Senate approved Everglades Agricultural Area reservoir.

The move could delay federal permitting. The proposed reservoir would cover more than 10,000 acres and be surrounded by a dike that rises 37 feet into the air. The tribe fears the reservoir, if operated as planned, will increase water flow to tribal lands south of the project which are already flooded much of the year.

The Tribe wants the State to route more water under Alligator Alley before they resort to a reservoir.

The Tribeʼs objections to the EAA Reservoir were voiced at last monthʼs meeting of the South Florida Water Management District Governing Board.

The Tribe objects to water storage located in the Agricultural Area. Water storage north of the Lake, they say, makes more sense.

The requirement for southern storage, they say, was an attempt to force the purchase of sugar in-

the chain on two gates. They said their truck ran out of gas and they had been walking in the middle of the night when they called for help. After questioning the two subjects and following the vehicle tracks it was found that the two men had cut the chain to a gate to get into the Kissimmee River PUA, then cut the chain on another gate to get into the adjacent private property. They entered the property then cut the fence of the property boundary with the PUA. The truck was found in the private The pusher tug VO MARIA pushing a barge loaded with bulk property. One of the subjects cargo, collided with a bridge on Moju river in Para State, had numerous credit cards in Brazil, on Apr 6. A section of the bridge, with two passing other peoplesʼ name and an en- cars on it, collapsed and fell into water. dorsed cashierʼs check. There were numerous other items in held at the jail and he admitted to wading out the vehicle believed to have been obtained into the St. Johnʼs River and killing two alligafrom a theft. Both men were booked into the tors with a bow and arrow and a knife. All the County Jail. alligator parts were seized.

WO-BOT A division of state-owned China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation has delivered the world's first unmanned, armed amphibious combat vessel, dubbed the "Marine Lizard," capable of autonomous navigation.

FLIPPING GATORS FWC Officers received a call from dispatch about a reported alligator bite. On officer contacted the victim to investigate the incident. The subject said he had tried to remove a five-foot alligator from the middle of SR-70 and place it over a nearby cattle fence. In doing so, the alligator bit the victim in the left thumb causing a small laceration. The victim of the bite was told that he was very lucky and not to try and move alligators in the future.

PARTING OUT GATORS The FWC received a call from the Putnam County Sheriffʼs Office (SO) about possible unlawful taking of alligators. The SO had found numerous alligator parts at a home in Georgetown. Officers interviewed the subject who was already being

dustry land, something pushed by environmentalists, but the farmers objected and the end result was language prohibiting the use of eminent domain.

The Miccosukee Tribe also expressed concern that water discharges will not meet the Tribal Water Quality Standards of 10 parts per billion total phosphorus or less. Miccosukee Tribe recommends construction of Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP), the opening of the S-12 gates (water control structures that control flow under the Tamiami Trail), and the maintenance of culverts on the L-67 and L-29 levees to take priority over construction of the reservoir. Currently, the Corps and SFWMD can discharge water about six times faster into the WCA-3A ditch than they can release it into Everglades National Park system. This is not ʻshared adversity!ʼ the tribe wrote in a letter to the Board.

The ultimate insult to the tribe came in the days leading up to Hurricane Irma making landfall. Anticipating further flooding, the tribe asked for flood control pumps and were denied. The tribe was told to seek flood relief from FEMA after the flooding of their homes had occurred.

BEE BIG An international team of scientists and conservationists has announced the finding of what many consider to be the ʻholy grailʼ of bee discoveries – Wallaceʼs giant bee.

The bee (Megachile pluto) is the worldʼs largest, with a wingspan more than 2.5 inches. The bee was thought to be extinct since 1981.

Embroiled in a lessee/lessor court battle, last month a supporter of the party of the first part may have been involved in the multi-day docking of this huge craft blocking the view in front of the party of the second partʼs waterfront restaurant, at Fishermenʼs Village, in Punta Gorda.

Phosphate Makes Water Worse

The DeSoto County Commissioners decided to simply kick the can down the road, agreeing with Mosaic to schedule workshops that will try and brainwash people into thinking phosphate mining is anything but a process that makes clean water dirty. The workshops run until 2023, when another vote on rezoning will take place.

PAGE

24

EMAIL:

WATERLIFE@COMCAST.NET

KAYAKING Trout Are Back!

By Bob Fraser Water LIFE Paddlesports My favorite kayak fishing spot, Gasparilla Sound is back to normal. The water is clean and the trout are back, at least the keeper size are back.

People catching trout in the sound are telling me most of the trout they are catching are 16- to 20inches, no undersized trout. I’m not sure if this was due to the red tide or not.

I know the snook and redfish bite had been okay in the back country during the red tide siege, places like Turtle Bay and Bull Bay. But those places are too far for kayakers, we are limited to the flats of Gasparilla Sound.

I took two kayak clients out, one woman was visiting from the Northeast and the other woman is a snowbird. The lady that hired me wanted to kayak fish for her 68th birthday.

My client, Gail, has fished all her life in lakes and rivers, but this was her first time fishing the saltwater

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Brittani Azzolini caught this nice sea trout in Charlotte Harbor

flats. She also went on an offshore charter the same week she hired me. She had kayaked before, but never fished from a kayak. Many of my clients have fished or

Brittani and Chris celebrate their anniversary on Capt.Georgeʼs Charter and clean up on over 30 snook

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Brittani Azzolini with a nice Jack cravelle in Charlotte Harbor

MAY 2019

kayaked but have never combined the two. It’s always fun to show them how to fish from a kayak.

There are several things to be aware of when fishing from a kayak. First of all, when you reel in your line to re-bait the hook, leave enough line out so you don’t have to reach for the hook. A good rule of thumb is to have your hook even with the end of the butt end of the rod, then just swing the hook to you. Another thing most inexperienced kayakers do is put the reel in the water when attempting to reach for the hook.

Gail managed to catch a couple of seatrout using a live shrimp under a Cajun Thunder popping cork.

She liked the perspective of being close to the water when fishing from a kayak which is much different than fishing from a boat.

We had a beautiful day on the water, sunshine and light winds. Check out my website for more information about my kayak fishing trips. www.kayakfishingwithbob.com

Stan Gorka of Punta Gorda caught and released his first snook on the Peace River on April 12.

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

MAY 2019

BACK ISSUES @

Smalltooth Sawfish What Does the Critical Habitat Designation Mean?

By Tonya Wiley Water LIFE Environment Following a listing as “Endangered” under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) for the U.S. population of smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata) in 2003, NOAA Fisheries designated critical habitat for juveniles in 2009.

Two specific areas (units) located along the southwest coast of peninsular Florida were included in the critical habitat designation for juvenile smalltooth sawfish: the northern Charlotte Harbor Estuary Unit and the southern Ten Thousand Islands/Everglades Unit. Efforts are still underway to learn more about largejuvenile and adult habitat use to determine if there are habitats critical for these larger size classes.

The primary reason for the decline of the smalltooth sawfish population in the United States was mortality following capture in various commercial and recreational fisheries. The secondary reason for the decline was habitat loss largely associated with coastal development and degradation. Therefore, the preservation of habitat is an important consideration for conserving the species, especially coastal estuarine areas that serve as nursery habitat for juveniles.

For the purpose of the ESA, critical habitat is defined as the specific areas within the geographical area occupied by the species at the time of listing, that contain physical or biological features (1) essential to conservation, and (2) which may require special management considerations or protection. The definition also includes a provision for specific areas outside the geographical area occupied by the species at the time of listing if the agency determines that the area itself is essential for conservation.

A critical habitat designation protects certain features, particular attributes, of an area that are necessary to ensure the species does not go extinct and can recover to the point that protections of the ESA are no longer necessary. When con-

sidering the critical habitat designation for smalltooth sawfish there was very limited information about large juvenile and adult habitat use so the focus was solely on those habitats used by juveniles.

Red mangroves and shallow, euryhaline habitats characterized by water depths between the Mean High Water line and 3 feet measured at Mean Lower Low Water were determined to be the features essential for the conservation of juvenile sawfish. Euryhaline means the area can have a wide range of salt content, or salinity, due to tidal fluctuations and freshwater input as occurs in estuaries, bays, and lower reaches of rivers. These features were determined to be essential because they are the basis of nursery habitat for small, young sawfish providing both shelter from predators and an abundant source of prey.

The designation of critical habitat provides a significant regulatory protection – the requirement that Federal agencies ensure, in consultation with NOAA Fisheries under section 7 of the ESA, that their actions are not likely to destroy or adversely modify critical habitat. The Federal Government, through its role in water management, flood control, regulation of resource extraction and other industries, Federal land management, and the funding, authorization, and implementation of a myriad other activities, may propose actions that are likely to affect critical habitat. The designation ensures that the Federal Government considers the effects of its actions on critical habitat and avoids or modifies those actions that are likely to destroy or adversely modify critical habitat.

Critical habitat can contribute to the conservation of endangered species in

WWW.WATERLIFEMAGAZINE.COM

several ways. Designation under the ESA triggers a federal agency’s obligation to use their authorities to further the purposes of the Act which includes proactive conservation efforts. Designation also helps focus the conservation efforts of other partners, such as State and local governments, nongovernmental organizations, and individuals.

The critical habitat designation for smalltooth sawfish does not necessarily prevent a homeowner from building

PAGE 25

The northern part of Charlotte Harbor and the 100,000 Islands area are designated as critical sawfish habitat but sawfish exist in most of the shaded areas shown

a dock or repairing a seawall, result in new slow motor zones, close an area to fishing, or limit access to areas.

What the designation does do is add levels of review to ensure that any project which could alter those essential features is carefully considered before federal permits are authorized or funds are allocated. In the case of smalltooth sawfish, critical habitat was designated in 2009 and has not resulted in any closed areas or lost recreational opportunities. But it has led to the protection ofshallow, mangrove-lined habitats which are important to the recovery of the smalltooth sawfish population.

For more information about the designation of critical habitat for smalltooth sawfish visit:http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.10 80/19425120.2012.676606 For more information about sawfish visit: http://myfwc.com/research/saltwater/fish/sa wfish/ or https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/smalltooth-sawfish or call 1-844-4SAWFISH Tonya@havenworth.org 941-201-2685 www.havenworth.org

PAGE

26

EMAIL:

WATERLIFE@COMCAST.NET

May – Predictions and Suggestions Charlotte Harbor Frank at Fishin’ Franks 941-625-3888

BackBay Xtremes Capt Dave Stephens www.backbayxtremes.com

941-916-5769

Explore!

Fish with one of our Guides

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Umberto with a 65-pound cobia

Youʼll learn something and youʼll catch more fish!

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Capt Lou putting Jeff and his brother on the meat!!!

Tarpon are the thing. There have been stories of fish in Boca Pass, the ICW to Punta Rassa, Knapps Point at Sanibel, but the best place early is up through the Harbor. They are all the way from the mouth of the Myakka to Two Pine. Where they are exactly... depends on the time.

I had four guys come in raving about the tarpon fishing, but they said the most exciting thing was the hammerheads they ran into in the lower part of the Harbor, some 6- to 10-foot hammerheads. There is something primeval about a hammerhead.

It must be our instincts left over from the cave man days.

At El Jobean the baits are shad lures, Storm swim-baits, or if you get out with a chunk of dead bait and you can get where the water flow will pick the bait up and let it drop again... you’ll catch tarpon. Live threadfins, pinfish, cut ladyfish... guys are buying blue crabs, guys are sabiking squirrelfish in the Gulf, whatever is out there, you can probably find a tarpon wanting to eat it. To me, the best are blue crabs and threadfins. If you have live ladyfish in the morning, like before about 11 am, that’s the bait for tarpon.

One of the guys came in last month and told me about thousands of tarpon stacked up along the west side of the Harbor.

Once that ‘meeting’ happens, then they start scattering throughout the Harbor. That’s what fills up the deep hole. Tarpon is officially on. Ten years ago, tarpon didn’t kick off until May but this year it started in April.

Right now they will move to the Pass, then to the beaches and then back up into the Harbor for the rest of the summer. We have months of tarpon ahead of us.

Snook is some of the best we’ve ever seen with from 20inch up to 40-some-inch snook.

They are scattered, but the rains

MAY 2019

will move more of them down as they follow the salinity. In front of Bull and Turtle Bay is some of the best snook fishing.

Bokeelia, Pine Island Sound, the Gasparilla Sound...and they are just starting out on the beaches.

If you are swimming at the beach you’ll see them in 2-3-feet of water.

There’s been a scattering of trout and redfish around. With todays rules over 15- and less that 20-, it’s hard to find a keeper slot fish. Best trout are around St. James City, the P.I. Sound and up to the Myakka.

Redfish are still growing, so a lot of shorts scattered around.

Still some Spanish around and some jacks. Fishing is pretty good and not at all bad.

Lemon Bay, Placida, Gasparilla Sound Jim at Fishermen’s Edge 941-697-7595

Fishing overall is good in spite of the crappy weather. Offshore there are red grouper, gags and dolphin out there.

Some kings and big permit too.

A lot of guys getting them now.

Those permit are bigger than the ones mixed in with the pompano. This is the time of year they start migrating.

We had a big crab flush the end of last month with the moon. The tarpon went up on the hill and guys got quite a few.

Some guys boated 5 fish, thats a nice day of fishing. Shrmp, crabs and squirrel fish are the bigger baits in Boca.

Back country has been good with a lot of snook and some redfish. Topwater baits are doing well. The tides are high and suspending baits are good.

Quite a bit of trout around Three Sisters, Cayo Pelau and the Sand Fly area. El Jobean has been good on tarpon around the bridge. They’re catching fish over 100 pounds there, but sheepshead are on the decline there.

The only other thing is pompano, they are close to the Pass at Gasparilla. Fishing is good!

Englewood Bait House live shrimp etc.

Head-Boat Trips Offshore Fishing 941- 475-4511

MAY 2019

BACK ISSUES @

The BIG-4 SHARK Numerous species and sizes. More every day

May

WWW.WATERLIFEMAGAZINE.COM

Fish you can expect in

TARPON Here now. In the Passes, Bay and Harbor

RED GROUPER The deeper you go, the bigger they get

PAGE 27

SNOOK Moving toward the salt. Season now closed

Text Us Ur Fish Pix! see page 4

Nearshore water temps are high 70s many fish and baitfish are around

95˚ 90˚ 85˚ 80˚

Marcin Grucella, largemouth bass. Caught 3/8/2019 in Satsuma, FL.

75˚

Scott Herndon, Port Charlotte. Black drum.

Released safely.

72˚ 70˚ 68˚

Cooper W., snapper Her first time fishing & first catch.

50˚ 45˚

Nice Jack today. Took me around the boat several times! Love your Magazine! The Snook King

Owen Shaw... Tax man got em!

FISHING RIGHT NOW: GREAT! Randy Sancartier, 40” cobia Matlacha

LAST CAST

Hugh and Holly Kesler's catch and release barracuda while celebrating their 15th anniversary Anthony Tallarico. 27” snook off my dock on a shrimp

Caleb Salkeld, cobia caught off Matlacha

This is the last picture we received before going to print for this month

PAGE

28

EMAIL:

WATERLIFE@COMCAST.NET

MAY 2019