Water LIFE Sept 2014

Wa t e r

LIFE

P E ve inf ar is r y e h P ag w e 10 h er e

Charlotte Harbor, Lemon Bay & the Gulf

Little Tarpon Light Tackle & Fly Page 7

The Don Ball School of Fishing

September 2014

Big Guns and the 驶Hold Up始 Page 17

Snook Season: Game On Page 6

What is This?

Out of the Peace River, Straight to the Museum!

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Very Last Word on Jawʼs Jaws I walked into Capt. Izzy’s Charlotte Harbor Barbershop, last month.

“Guess who I went fishing with,” Izzy asked me. “Billy Pierson” he said, rhetorically.

If you have been following my shark jaws story, Billy was the fellow mentioned by Alan Ogle in the line of custody pertaining to the jaws of the world record hammerhead Alan caught in 1982.

It turns out Billy was fishing WITH Capt. Ogle when he landed the world record animal.

According to Izzy, Billy said Alan gave the jaws to him and then later got them back. That’s how Alan was able to, later, give the jaws to Fishin Frank, who has them today. And now you know the rest of the story. – Michael Heller

waterlife@comcast.net www.WaterlifeMagazine.com

Michael & Ellen Heller Publishers

(941) 766-8180

217 Bangsberg Rd. Port Charlotte, FL 33952

Independant - Not affiliated with any other publication Vol XIII No 9 © 2014

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

Contributing Editors:

Opah not Oprah

Last month a trio of anglers each managed to harvest a rare opah during their fishing trip near San Martin, Mexico. As if that was not impressive enough, one of the anglers is now applying to the International Game Fish Association for a world record.

The three anglers were in Mexican waters aboard Fleckʼs Excel, a long range sport-fishing ship operating out of San Diego. The fishermen started out chasing yellowtail but soon ran into a pod of five opahs. This was especially unusual since the species is not known to school together. The sighting was considered rare in West Coast waters although the animals might have been spawning.

Opah have been drawing more interest among California recreational anglers in recent years but are generally not targeted by saltwater fishermen. Experts think the deepwater fish is plentiful, few commercial fishermen actively fish for opah, instead only finding them occasionally as bycatch.

All three caught last month were behemoth specimens, but Ludlowʼs catch may very well displace the IGFA world record . That honor currently belongs to a 163-pound opah caught near Californiaʼs Port San Luis Obispo in 1998.

Editor notes: The weight of the fish submitted for the IGFA record was not given.

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

on the COVER: A rare big claw river shrimp caught in a Peace River crab trap last month – Story on pages 12-13

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This Water is Unacceptable SEPTEMBER 2014

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By Michael Heller, Water LIFE Editor Clayton, the name tag on his shirt read. Standing in front of my door he held a plastic cup of water in his left hand. “Smell this, I got it from your outside tap,” he said. Clayton works for CCU and I had complained about ‘yellow smelly water.’ He had, no doubt, played out this same act many times before at numerous other houses.

The cup he held appeared to be very well worn.

We live on Bangsberg Road, a dead end street on one of the finger peninsulas that extend out from Edgewater Drive into Charlotte Harbor. Clayton knew the water main on our block needed to be flushed. Clayton and five other CCU field technicians spend a lot of time flushing out water lines. “Flushing is a routine thing,” CCU water plant manager Tom Hill would later tell me.

Back in the 1960s when the water main was installed, dead-end water lines were the norm. “The water main is most likely PVC or AC (asbestos cement) pipe,” Tom said, noteing lines that come off the main to feed the fire hydrants are cast iron. There was never any type of flapper valve installed to prevent rusting water in the cast iron pipe and hydrant from settling back into the main line. Water pressure holds some of it back, but over time gravity wins out and the water main gets the rusty crud.

When there are a lot of users everyone drinks a little rust, but this becomes a bigger problem in a neighborhoods where half the houses are still missing from hurricane Charley and the snowbirds in the other half are gone this time of year. The volume of water used is way down and contaminant levels build in the dead end lines. The water system design itself is flawed.

Clayton gave up on his ‘smell test’ and headed down the block to open the fire hydrant. I ran inside to grab my camera, but Clayton had his wrench out and was opening the hydrant when I got there.

The time stamp on my first picture was 1:29:18. The water was coming out dark brown. It spilled out, ran into the swale and down to the catch basin that connects a cul-

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vert under the road to the canal, a distance of maybe 400 feet.

It didn’t look good. The water was picking up all the fertilizer, TIME 1:32:16 Round Up, road contaminants, small debris, poisoned dead bugs and other unknown pollutants before falling into the canal. “We can't put it directly in the canal,” Clayton told me, “The DEP won't permit it. You need to get a water filter,” he said. It was an easy fix, at the customer’s expense, coming from one of the most outrageously high-priced water companys in the state. ‘No,’ I said to myself, this is TIME 1:29:18 CCU’s problem. CCU needs to install non rusting pipes or at least Charlotte County Utilities must regularly flush their water mains on dead end streets to install a timed purge valve to flush rid them of what is allegedly iron bacteria and sediment, like this. Water ran for more the line regularly, like they have than 3 minutes before it was almost clear. This is unacceptable for drinking water. done off Midway. The water came water directly into the Harbor until it is at .01 mg/l of out brown until my picture at 1:32:16, at which time it chlorine or less and then you need a permit.” It seems was ‘almost’ clear. like everything the DEP regulates needs a permit.

My friend Tom Spencer looked at the picture and told Bruce Bullert, Chief engineer for CCU told me that if me “That's iron bacteria and sediment. Neither are harma water main on a block like ours was installed today, ful, but they can produce a bad odor and taste. I would highly recommend a sediment and a carbon filter for your current regulations would require the system to either have an automatic purge valve or be looped in a connechome. They are inexpensive. I run them at my home and I'm a DEP licensed drinking water plant operator.” Flush- tion under the canal to the water main in the next block over. “Looping is a very expensive solution,” Mr Bullert ing the water into the street is better than dumping ditold me, telling me also that CCU has done it before. rectly into the Harbor. “Trust me,” Tom said, the Clearly, CCU is dealing with an antiquated water syschloramines in the water will kill fish. When it runs tem, but residents are drinking the water from it daily. across the road, the road removes the chloramines.”

A week later I had CCU open the same hydrant again Kills fish, but we drink it, I thought to myself. and the water was mostly clear. But in a month or so it Dr Abdul Ahmadi, PhD, PE is the Program Adminiswill be mostly smelly and brown again. We’ve all been trator for the DEP in Fort Myers. ‘How quickly the chlorine goes away depends on the concentration; from 10- to calling CCU about this problem for 17 years and the problem still exists. Maybe next time we call a lawyer.

15 minutes,’ Dr Ahmadi told me. “You can’t put that

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Snook React to Subtle Changes

By Capt. David Stephens Water LIFE Charlotte Harbor Fall is without a doubt one of the best times to be on Charlotte Harbor. We have a longer summer than our neighbors to the north and our fall might not be as noticeable, but we do have a transition and our fish know it. During the months of September and October our temperatures are still hitting the 90-degree mark and the water in the Harbor is still hot enough to boil an egg, but changes are taking place.

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Snook begin to move back onto the flats from their summer spawning grounds so during the fall months Charlotte Harbor offers some of the best snook fishing in the state.

This is a very important time of year for our local snook population. This is when it is necessary for them to build up fat reserves to make it through the winter ahead. During this time of year it is not unusual to catch 50 snook while out for a day of fishing with some days hitting the 100 fish mark! I know it sounds like a fish story, but that’s fall fishing on Charlotte Harbor. The slight changes that take place are what trigger the fish into their fall feeding patterns.

The summer rains that you can just about set your clock to become fewer and fewer and now the number one thing that changes the fish’s pattern is the Sun and the Moon.

As winter approaches, the days become shorter. Normally we don’t notice this

until we are told it’s time to set our clocks back, but the fish know.

Another sign that fall is arriving are the large schools of glass minnows that move into the Harbor. It almost seems like a gift from Mother Nature. If you have been out on the Harbor lately I’m sure you have seen the large schools of ladyfish feeding on the minnows. When these schools wander onto the flats, life becomes one large buffet for the snook.

SEPTEMBER 2014

If you would like to get out and experience some of Charlotte Harbor’s best fall fishing, please give me a call.

All charters private and customized for your party’s needs. 941-916-5769 www.backbayxtremes.com

SEPTEMBER 2014

Juvie Tarpon on Fly

By Capt. Scott Sichling Water LIFE Fly Fishing There is no better way to start out a day on the water than watching the sun come over the horizon. Waiting patiently as the mangrove shoreline and your favorite flat become visible enough to see little creatures moving around looking for their breakfast.

Great blue herons are wading and catching fry bait, schools of mullet are milling about stirring up the bottom and baby tarpon are rolling along the shoreline. It all paints the picture perfect scene of Florida at its best.

Stripping out and laying the fly line on the deck of my boat and then waiting for the perfect opportunity really gets my adrenaline going!

A few short casts are required to gently drop my fly into the water ahead of the rolling juvenile tarpon. My heart races as I give the fly a few gentle strips and WHAM! The first few jumps are critical to keeping the fly lodged in a tarpon’s mouth.

Remembering to ‘bow,’ giving him a bit of wiggle room, insures the fly stays well planted.

After a short fight and a few more skyward jumps the silver prince is ready for a photo op and then a good revival so he swims away to grow much larger!

Juvenile tarpon can be found all throughout Charlotte Harbor and its estuaries. I

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generally target feeder creeks or residential canals where there is a good amount of bait and moving water.

You will find that first light early in the morning, before the sun really comes up, to be the best time.

Just like the mega-sized poons the little juveniles can be super picky about your offering, making you shake your head wondering why?

A wide variety of flies will work for the occasion. Baitfish pattern EP flies, gurglers and a few other styles in an array of colors will get you bit this month.

The challenge of sealing the deal on fly with a jumped fish is the ultimate back country adventure!

Capt. Scott can be reached for fly or conventional charters at (941) 408-5634

Juvenile snook can be a bycatch when fly fishing the tight backwater spots, looking for for juvenile tarpon

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RED Tidebloom EMAIL:

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On The Line

By Capt. Ron Blago Water LIFE Senior Staff It’s been almost ten years since we have had a major red tide outbreak in our area, but our luck may have run out.

About six weeks ago a large bloom was reported in the north west Gulf, about 50 miles off shore. Since then the patch has grown at a phenomenal rate. As of the last reports(08/23/14) it had grown in size to an area about 90 miles by 60 miles, that's a little smaller than the sate of Connecticut . That would make it one of the largest red tide blooms I have seen in my 30-plus years in Florida. The FWC now has the patch located 20 miles offshore between Dixie County and north Pinellas County and it is slowly moving south.

I've seen a lot of red tide in Sarasota and Charlotte County so I think I can predict how these things will play out.

First the FWC will report that red tide has been spotted in our area with higher than normal red tide concentrations (that has already happened.) Then the local newspapers will pick up the story and run background pieces on red tide calamities in the past. Then the local TV stations will be on the hunt for the first dead fish on the beach. They will interview the first tourist who com-

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conventional wisdom with half truths and down right lies

plains about runny eyes and a tickling sensation in the throat. That first dead fish will become a celebrity as they show that file footage every day until the red tide moves on.

Next, the national media will pick up the story and the rest will be just like knocking Saharan Dust, now thought to trigger Red Tide, as it existed on down a row of dominoes. People Aug 24, was graphicly enhanced by BayTV9 News in Tampa will change their When it comes to those nutrients it may vacation plans; after all who wants to not be what you think. There are always vacation at the beach if there is a chance nutrients in the Gulf; that's why things of red tide. Resorts and hotels will start grow there. The latest theory is that dust to get cancellations and so will fishing blown over from Africa which is high in charter captains. Restaurants and clubs, iron is the triggering mechanism that and any other business that looks to the causes red tide to bloom. tourist trade to pay the bills, will lose The biggest myth of all is that business. People will demand that some- mankind somehow is the cause of red thing be done and politicians will oblige tide. There are some people who feel throwing money at anyone with a halfthat mankind is responsible for all the baked solution to the red tide problem. evils on earth. I call this trait species Of course the red tide will eventually self-loathing; the tendency to blame the move on, but not before we suffer human species for natural disasters. I some severe economic destruction. love reading articles from these people AsS this red tide death spiral begins, that start with, we don't know what I would like to play myth buster before causes red tide but we suspect that it is the usual suspects try to confuse the the result of these human related activiconventional wisdom with half truths ties. This is what we call SWAG (Sciand down right lies. entific Wild Ass Guess) and it is the First off the statement that red tide is same thought process the Witch Doctors back is false because red tide has never had when they kicked the virgins into left - it has always been in the water and the volcano. Red tide is not just a always will be. Red tide is an algae and Florida phenomenon; even though we like most algae, under the right condiidentified and named it right here at tions, it blooms and unfortunately this Mote Marine in Sarasota, it pops up all bloom puts out a toxin that kills fish and over the Gulf and sometimes even in the other creatures.

Atlantic. In Texas they take a more Red tide forms offshore under the pragmatic stand; their Parks and right conditions, those conditions being Wildlife Department flat out states “Red warmer than normal water temperatures, Tide is a natural phenomenon not lack of rain, and the right level of nutricaused by human beings.” Now how’s ents. We certainly have hit the trifecta that for settled science? with our current weather conditions.

Lucky 13

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Age and Species Count

By Capt. Chuck Eichner Water LIFE Inshore Fishing is a bit of a mysterious sport where anglers pursue with blind confidence that on any given chance a fish will bite the line. When looking at the surface of the water you cannot possibly know what lies beneath and this is where the addiction begins. Bretten Baker is a 13 year old teenager from Ohio who has fished with me on many occasions. He is the most talented young angler I have ever met. With casting ability and lightening fast hook-sets, the stage is set for Bretten to become a pro-angler one day if he were to choose that career path.

Bretten’s grandfather Tim Short from Port Charlotte contacted me to fish in mid August and told me that Bretten was very excited for their upcoming trip. In my mind, I was concerned that 90 degree water temperatures might make the fish sluggish so we agreed to start our fishing day at 5:00 a.m., more than an hour before daylight to take advantage of the early morning bite. Negotiating marked channels of Pirate Harbor out to the Harbor in the dark is a harrowing task but with spot light in hand we arrived successfully outside the sandbar on the east side. Turning the motor off we listened for the sounds of feeding fish in the dark. There was music to our ears with fish slurping 360-degrees around the boat! Rods were rigged with soft plastic jerk baits with single hooks so dehooking fish would be easy in the dark.

For the next two hours, rarely did a cast go without a mash! Jack crevalle, ladyfish, bluefish, mackerel and a few swipes from bigger fish that never connected.

With the sun getting high in the sky we decided to run to Bookeelia to catch bait and quickly filled the wells with big pilchards. Running to a mangrove bank only minutes from the bait hole we met with aggressive fish. A deep under-cut mangrove bush next to a feeder creek provided lots of shade as Bretten and Tim yoked on fish after fish. Redfish, snook, pinfish, snapper and of all things a barracuda! With the species count at 9 and the clock reading 1:00 p.m. we made a

move to fishing sandbars in the mid-day sun. Adding three more species; flounder, trout and catfish I asked if they were up for a battle with Goliath Groupers warning that they may be too big to handle. An emphatic yes came from Bretten and off we went. Bretten’s favorite saying is “Go Big Or Go Home”!

Anchoring right off a deep water pocket in the Harbor, Bretten and Tim fished a ½ ladyfish on heavy weight inshore rods. Quickly Tim fought and lost one and then landed a plump grouper quickly releasing it. In minutes a big fish took Bretten’s bait and he battled the brute with all his might! As the fight pursued I helped by grabbing the rod and with two of us putting all the heat that could be put on this fish, the line snapped! This was definitely a monster fish! With the midday sun sending us in, the count was 13 species! Talk of another trip and a couple of days later we were at it again. Another magnificent day was had and we added two other fish species- an enormous Stingray and a small tarpon for a total of 15 species!

A record was set on my boat for the most species caught and I bet it will stand a long time……at least until Bretten comes down from Ohio for another fishing trip!

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

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Pinfish EMAIL:

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SEPTEMBER 2014

It’s What Fish Want for Dinner

By Capt Billy Barton Water LIFE INSHORE I think for all intents and purposes we can spell Summer with a capital "S" this year! With extra high humidity and heat indexes up near 120 on some days, the afternoon fishing is definitely not going to be for the faint of heart! If you can troop it out though, and endure the heat, there's plenty of big hungry fish out there right now to keep everyone going all day long, I promise you that!

Last month I suggested slowing down your presentation during the warmer months of the year for big snook and redfish. In the morning and evenings, when it's a little bit cooler outside, most of our fish, on an average, do have a bit more spunk behind them.

This is when they'd be most likely to chase down an artificial or live bait that was moving past them quickly. This is also when they'd be most likely to come up for a baitfish on the surface. However once that sun comes up and starts cookin' it's a different story! The surface temperature warms up, and the fish look for deeper cooler water to relax and be comfortable in.

One of my favorite live or cut baits to use this time of year is a good half dollar sized pinfish. Everything seems to be focused on pinfish this time of year and they're very easy to chum up and get a hold of in a cast net, even for the novice fisherman. Pinfish are virtually from one side of the Harbor to the other, and basically anywhere you can locate a grass flat. These little guys are hearty on the hook and borderline iresistable to big redfish and snook during the late summer and early fall months.

The most versatile way to fish a pinfish is to hook him through his lower lip and come out of his nose. This is great for fishing

under a cork or can be fished freelined (weightless) as well. Another effective thing to do is just fish stationary with a small No.1 or No.2 split shot sinker about a foot or so from the hook. My personal favorite way to fish these guys is to hook them just below the anal fin on a 2/0 circle hook with a small split shot sinker a foot up my leader. Hooking them this way seems to give the most action under water. I love the way the pinfish will lay at the bottom and constantly flutter, trying to swim away from the sinker. This entices the heck out of big snook and redfish! I've seen it first hand too many times to not fish it with confidence!

Not only are we using pinfish on the flats right now, but we're also using pinfish in the middle of the Harbor for tarpon and up inside the canals for snapper and even offshore for grouper! Everything loves these little guys! And they're everywhere!

Personally I think pinfish are a little under rated. Everyone wants greenbacks. Greenbacks this. Greenbacks that. Greenbacks! Greenbacks! Greenbacks!

The whitebait is out there stealin their glory! It baffles me...

Enough said anyhow... Good luck out there my Florida folk!

Here's to the pinfish!

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

SEPTEMBER 2014

August fish photos from Capt. Billy Barton

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The contrast between beautiful sunsets and ugly algea blooms was evident last month..

There are still plenty of sharks and redfish around and snook are in season and feeding

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

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

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SEPTEMBER 2014

History Where We Fish

By Adam Wilson Water LIFE I found this brown half gallon bottle on the sandbar along the southwestern edge of Hog Island a couple weeks ago. Not that odd to find garbage I know, but I recognized the makerʼs marking on the bottle. It is a capital ʻIʼ inside an oval inside a diamond. I knew it was from the Owens-Illinois glass company. The reason I happen to know that is because a lot of the bottles we find diving on the shipwreck Baja California, off Naples, are bottles with the exact same makerʼs mark. That ship was torpedoed in 1942 by a German sub. So I had researched these bottles before. I know the number to the right of the emblem is the year it was produced.

Being a "0" and having the stippling around the bottom means it was made in 1940.

If it had been made in 1950, it would have a "50". It was in the late 1940's they realized a single digit code would not work for long, and they went to a double digit year code. Had it been manufactured before 1940 it would not have the stippling. The number to the left of the mark, 6, indicates the bottle was made in Charleston WV. The bottles I find from the Baja wreck all have a 4, they were made in Clarksburg WV. Itʼs just kind of neat to find a bottle in the Harbor from 1940, completely unbroken with just some barnacles and oysters. I'm guessing it was a bleach bottle, or some other household cleaner or detergent. It's on my shelf now along with all my junk from different shipwrecks.

I am always a huge nerd when it comes to history, I guess!

PEACE RIVER

Anglers at Horse Creek where it meets the Peace River:

“Ony some little ones” they said.

Far Right the water level in the area is still very BIG. In this photo you are looking up into the Creek from the River.

The prawn in the story below came from up River near Nocatee

Jimmyʼs Prawn

By Capt. Betty Staugler Water LIFE Environment

One of the more interesting parts of being a Sea Grant Agent comes when people send me their ‘Do you know what this is?’ mystery finds. A recent one came from my friend Kelly Beall. Kelly owns Peace River Seafood and her husband Jimmy, a commercial blue crabber, found the creature in his trap up in the Peace River. Now it’s no surprise that strange creatures lurk amongst us, but every so often one pops up that is just absolutely made for movies odd looking, and the photo Kelly sent me was right up there with the strangest in the category.

When I looked at the picture I immediately thought it was some kind of prawn (shrimp) but not being a freshwater guru I really wasn’t certain so I reached out to a few scientist friends. Between them I learned that there are native freshwater

prawns, and I got a couple of papers to help me key Jimmy’s critter out, and found a contact at the Florida Museum of Natural History who would be able to confirm the identification.

Jimmy’s critter turned out to be a Big Claw River Shrimp Macrobrachium carcinus. Big claw river shrimp are the largest of six native freshwater shrimp in Florida and one of the largest found in the United States. This shrimp occurs from Florida to Brazil. I tried to find out where in Florida they are known to occur, but the only scientific distribution papers I found were from the 1940s and 50s. Those papers said Big Claws occurred in St. Augustine, Silver Springs, Miami, and Big Pine Key. Papers that I found from the 1960s and 70s mostly focused on the aquaculture potential of raising freshwater prawns, including this species. In fact, a 1960 paper I found from the West Indies

SEPTEMBER 2014

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AQU

looked at two freshwater shrimp including this one for aquaculture purposes and indicated they had good economic potential, writing: “tails were being sold at $1.45 per pound in Tampa, Florida. One restaurant in the same city now offers six small tails as an entre at a price of $1.50 for the complete meal”. It wasn’t clear to me which of the two shrimp being evaluated they were referring to though.

Some more interesting tidbits about the big claw river shrimp include: • Adult males can reach 12 inches (300mm) from rostrum to telson (tail).

Adult females typically range from 5-8 inches.

• Most species of Macrobrachium have similar life cycles. Adults live primarily in rivers, lakes and canals; whereas larvae require a brackish water mixture of salt and fresh.

• An average sized female carries 120,000 to 140,000-eggs.

• Development of fertilized eggs takes 1628 days during which time the eggs of big claw river shrimp change from bright or-

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ange to dull greenish gray.

• Larvae usually hatch at night. Big claw river shrimp larvae are free swimming (not all freshwater shrimp are). After metamorphous to juveniles Macrobrachium settle to the bottom and begin migrating to freshwater. Young shrimp reach sexual maturity by their seventh month.

• Adults are nocturnal, aggressive and omnivorous (eat plants and animals).

• In 2011, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission identified big claw river shrimp as Taxa of Concern.

Back to Jimmy’s critter… After consulting with the Museum of Natural History they indicated they did not have a specimen in their reference library and would love to give Jimmy’s shrimp a home. So our Peace River big claw river shrimp was pickled, packed and sent to Gainesville for permanent display in the museum.

Capt. Betty Staugler is the Charlotte County Florida Sea Grant Agent, UF/IFAS Extension

You can contact her at (941) 764-4346

Local crabber Jimmy Beall takes the first photo of the Peace River creature he found in a trap. It turned out to be a special type of freshwater shrimp. The name shrimp and prawn are used interchangeably here

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Don Ball School Update

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SEPTEMBER 2014

Is this the kind of captain you want teaching your kids? Yes Indeed!

By Michael Heller Charlotte Harbor Reef Association I am pleased to announce that Capt. Scott Sichling will be teaching the Englewood class of the Don Ball School of Fishing this year. Classes, which are only for 7th graders, begin next month with Capt. Scott teaching at LA. Ainger. Capt. Cayle Wills will be teaching at Murdock, Capt. Bart Marx teaching at Port Charlotte and Capt. Billy Barton teaching at Punta Gorda.

Capt. Scott will be assisted in class by Tyler Bretton. Billy will have Bill Poleceri helping him and Cayle and Bart get me and Donna Ball when necessary - like on Knott Nights!

If you have been following this publication for enough years you’ll remember Tyler Bretton was one of the winners of the Water LIFE Kids Cup Tournament in 2004. This is the cool part of where our program is at today. After 14 years the 12 and 13year olds we had in class are now grown up and a number of This morningʼs office view was incredible! Glass calm conditions made for a great commute to work! Spent a little time chasing them are guiding on their own. uncooperative tarpon and ended up on a small school of redfish I am also very pleased with the way our 7th grade program later on in the morning. TONS of ladyfish, jacks and spanny has developed. The Don Ball School of Fishing is run by The Mack's around busting on glass minnows making a super easy Charlotte Harbor Reef Association, which I serve as the presitarget fishing with kids. Watch out for tarpon and sharks to be mixed in the frenzy as well, watch for diving birds to locate the dent. This year I have Ms. Donna Ball, the late Don Ball’s wife, madness. Tight lines! working with me in the school program. It is my intention to continue on as the president of the Reef Association and have Donna take over the day to day functions of running the school program. That will leave me more time to devote to fundraising and expanding the concept.

So far this year we have secured formal grants from the Fish Florida Foundation and from Charlotte County. That was a great start and we thank them both. We have also had support from local individuals and businesses. Mosaic is again a corporate sponsor as well.

Installing a new teacher is not something I take lightly. We run the name through the appropriate Law enforcement databases, I talk to ref- Tarpon season 2014 off the beach was a truly amazing year! We boated more fish this year erences and I look at the candidate’s than previously and only used live bait ONE Boats going to the marine doctor for a brand new power head Monday morning! After 14 Facebook page. The pictures and time. The BEST part is yet to come and you years of hard work this amazingly reliable still have a chance to score a monster on the posts here are a few of the pictures Yamaha outboard has always been there for 12 wt!

We plan on getting our first over 100lb and postings I found on Capt. Scott’s me through it all! She's tired now and will get tarpon on fly this year and will continue to page. I think you’ll agree Capt Scott push hard for it!! We have some top secret fly another chance to run hard all winter to spring! Undergoing a repower before the offiis exactly the kind of young man patterns that are supposed to be killer and are cial start of tarpon season of 2015! Back on beyond ecstatic to try them out here very you’d want teaching your kids. We the water soon! soon! are very lucky to have him on our editor notes: Sheʼs running again staff! Welcome Capt. Scott!

Your newest instructor of the Don Ball school of fishing. Teaching local 7 graders for 8 weeks all about fishing beautiful Charlotte Harbor. Get the opportunity to teach everything from tying knots to tides and lunar phases to types of fish and information about the estuary. I'm excited to saturate the minds of the next generation of fishermen and potential future guides!

Redfish have began schooling up and will begin to become more consistent around area flats gaining size as we approach mid September and October before their offshore spawn. This is the BEST time to target redfish on artificial or my favorite, ON FLY! A blast!!

SEPTEMBER 2014

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NATURE IS CRAZY Mix people with wild things and the weird is going to happen

By Fishin’ Frank Water LIFE Baitshop One night Larry came in with friends who were going to Fish the Placida trestle, Larry bought a brand new rod and a bait runner type reel, this reel has 2 drags; one which is used for waiting for the fish and the other for fighting the fish. The trick is to remember to set the waiting drag then click it on. Well it was his first time using the reel and his first time fishing in Florida, so like many people he laid the rod down while waiting for his fish, and did nothing about the bait runner. So you know what came next; all of a sudden rattle, clunk, splash the rod and reel was pulled right off the pier and into the water.

Larry spent the next half hour cussing and stomping around on the dock – he had not caught even one fish with his new set up and in the water it went. His friends did not want to leave, they did not lose their rods.

Then one of the guys had a hit and slowly started to reel in. It did not feel quite like a fish and it wasn’t. A large blue crab had his line in one of its claws and it appeared to be tangled up in line, so they netted the crab and found it had that line in its right claw and another line in its left claw. You guessed it! They pulled in the other line t hand over hand and there was Larry’s new rod and reel at the end of it, a little wet, but no worse for the dunking and it had a 5 pound cat fish still on the hook! Lost and

found with a little help from a blue crab which Larry let go back into the water, while his buddies fussed about wanting it for bait. But no way, Larry did not want that bad Karma. After all the crab gave him his tackle back.

Fishing piers can be great for stress relief. Another one of our customers also got a new rod and reel and was casting a lure and wham a nice hit. Fish on! The fish was jumping and going crazy and the rod, he said, preformed excellent - a Shimano C-I4 and a Star Seagis rod, it should be great, that was an expensive set-up, but what a dream to fish with.

He was breaking it in with a 4 pound ladyfish and after a good battle he landed the lady fish, letting the lady fish lay on the pier with the hook still in the fishe’s jaw. He turned to get his pliers from his tackle box and heard a noise behind him. Turning around quickly, he was just in time to see a large osprey with the lady fish in its talons flying off with his fish. Now keep in mind the lady fish still had the hook in it's jaw and he could see his new rod and reel hanging below the bird. The osprey was having a hard time with the weight of the fish and the rod and reel but made it about 30 feet up and 50 feet away from the pier before letting go. Splash went the fish, rod and reel. All the poor guy could do was stand there, mouth open, and watch. He packed up came back into the store for another rod and reel. I have heard a lot of stories about losing rods but that one; just plain weird.

Fishin’ Frank 625-3888

That ladyfish is caught twice!

Restaurant Closed until Oct 15 for Summer vacation Seafood Market is still OPEN

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16

By Capt Bart Marx Water LIFE Keys

Young Life Fishing Team

Hello fellow anglers, it has been a long hot summer so far and the fish know when it is too hot to eat. There have been days that the water in Charlotte Harbor on the flats has reached over 90 degrees. That is when the fish slow down as they get too hot too. When you are out there in this heat you need to hydrate throughout the day.

Water is very important for this process when you have teens on board. Sports drinks and water are key not sodas or pop which help to dehydrate you! Water is best all around to help in this hydrating process.

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Here at Alpha Omega Charters we help out our community by sponsoring youth fishing trips. This summer we sponsored a trip for a group from Young Life. These guys were lots of fun and had lots of questions about fishing. Earlier in the morning they were catching snapper and snook until it got too hot and the bite ceased. We continued to beat the bushes and caught some nice mangrove snapper to send home with our Young Life Fishing Team to have fresh fish dinner. These guys were very thankful for the trip and I think they had some fun and there leader Tom had as much fun as they did, he is a big kid himself. All kid-

ding aside, Tom works very hard for the youth in Charlotte County giving them positive things to do in there spare time. To me, Capt. Bart, teaching fishing is my passion, and my theory is give a man fish he has food for a meal, teach a man to fish he has food for a life time and being part of the community that helps teach youth positive thinking and goal setting is important for their future. So get out there and take a kid fishing and remember singing drags and tight lines make fishermen smile.

If you would like to learn more give Capt.

Bart Marx a call at 941-979-6517 or e-mail me at captbart@alphaomegacharters.com

SEPTEMBER 2014

Home made gasket is a

Problem Solver

Iʼm not a professional boat mechanic so I donʼt know if this is a ʻstandardʼ problem - I donʼt even know if itʼs just a Mercury problem with older engines, or just my problem, but my 2002 Merc weeps water from the thermostat housing on the back of the motor. Mercury uses an o-ring type seal at the thermostat and when it leaks the water erodes the metal and the leak gets worse. I have ground it out and epoxyed it to no avail and short of removing the head and having it welded and then machined flat there is only one other ʻtemporary fix; Make a fiber gasket of your own every couple of years.

I bought some waterproof gasket material at the corner auto parts store and traced the thermostat housing outline onto it. Then using two old socket wrenches for hole punches I hammered out the correct size openings and then cut the outline shape.

Finally I coated the new gaskets (especially the inside edges of the newly punched holes) with a light skin of silicone, let that dry and then assembled the parts back together. This will last until it has to come apart again for a thermostat change. – MH

Bill Noftzʼ Special Fish – Everybody Has Them SEPTEMBER 2014

By Glen Ballinger Special to Water LIFE This story is focused more towards professional charter captains OR the guys that have decided they need to be the one with the boat that takes their friends and family out fishing.

Here’s a little background to get started. Most of us that take fishing seriously have numerous memories of certain trips, wonderful experiences, jokes shared, people and more specifically special fish that we or others have caught.

Sometimes just living the story through others telling it is fun. So fishing goes beyond the day the fish is caught… but at times it is a memory that lives on and on. Sometimes the stories even build on themselves and expand beyond the original memory and grow to include other details that might not have been so accurate or true to the original catch or adventure.

All that being said my point is that through our lives we create a back log of “fishing memories”. These are events that just never seem to leave us and we either recall the adventure with others or just remember ourselves how important and memorable they were.

I recently went on an offshore fishing trip for tile fish and yellowedge grouper with Captain Jordan Ellis. We invited a great guy, Richard Sisneros, that had not been fishing in deep water before and he was excited to just go out and enjoy the deep blue water experience. We had a great time using electric reels and pulled up some tasty tilefish and grouper. Then a very large thunder storm popped up and we had to start making our way back to the mouth of the Mississippi River.

Closer to home, Captain Jordan said let’s try here for some cobia (lemonfish) around his ‘special’ oil rigs, so we drifted around and hooked up a few fish using jig heads.

But no cobia and with all the anticipation focused on cobia, we did not pay much attention to other fish that we caught. But Richard,new to fishing in saltwater, fought a very large Jack crevalle. The Jack crevalle is a powerful, predatory fish and is ranked in the top 50 favorite sportfish to catch in Florida. This fish wore Richard out (in a good way) on his light tackle rod. What a fight he thought! When he finally got it boatside we hauled it over, slapped it on the deck and went on to get another rod set up for

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cobia. Meanwhile the Captain comes over, unhooks the worthless fish and tossed that old Jack crevalle over the rail and just went about his business.

Later I spoke with Richard about the trip and he told me that Jack crevalle was the best fighting fish he had ever caught and how excited he was about that fish HE caught all by himself. This was the example of why we really need to understand and appreciate what others fishing with us feel about each and every fish they catch. He did not understand why we threw it back so quickly and why he did not even get a picture with his prize catch. Lesson learned.

But wait a minute… I recall learning this same lesson about 8 years ago.

I live in Venice, FL and I invited some friends to go fishing for red grouper and snapper.

The weather was great and Chad Tidd and his friend/coworker Bill Noftz were ready to go fishing.

We went out about 20 miles and anchored up a few times. We caught some nice grouper and few mangrove snapper. I even recall Chad catching a goliath he had to throw back. It was a fun day. At the tail-end of the day, we had a flat line out and suddenly the line screamed off the spinning reel and Bill took the rod. He fought it and fought it as it circled the boat many times. Finally it got close and we all realized it was just a bonita. Darn it any way.

No good to eat. Just a fish we might use for bait later. I took it off and threw it in the cooler.

Come to find out later that the Bonita was the highlight of Bill’s trip. He told me that day and a few times afterwards that fish reminded him of a fishing trip he had taken with his father as a young boy and how much fun it was and how this Bonita he caught was his prize and his best fishing memory. So to all you captains out there PLEASE, make sure you understand and ask how important that fish is before you toss it back or even talk bad about it.

A little side note with Bill Noftz is that he came down with cancer a year later and fought it (like he did that bonita) for years and then passed. This fishing memory might have been the best and last one he had before passing. Here is his picture- You can see how proud he was of HIS fish!!

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PAGE 17

The Great Fish Hold-Up

Editor notes: WE already had the headline written when we got this scam email with our friend Glen Ballingerʼs name on it. Glen is in Louisiana fishing!!!

Hello, I am sorry for reaching you late due to the situation of things right now. My family and I had a trip visiting Manila, (Philippines), everything was going on fine until last night when we got attacked by some unknown gunmen. All our money, phones and credit cards was stolen away including some valuable items, It was a terrible experience but the good thing is they didn't hurt anyone or made away with our passports.

We have reported the incident to the local authorities and the consulate but their response was too casual, we were ask to come back in 2weeks time for investigations to be made proper, But the truth is we can't wait till then as we have just got our return flight booked and is leaving in few hours from now but presently having problems sorting out our bills and get back home. All we need is ($2,500.00 USD) or anything you can afford, I promise to refund you in full as soon as I return hopefully tomorrow or next. Write back now to let me know what you can do......Help!

Thanks Glen Ballinger - ETR (941) xxx-xxxx

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18

EMAIL:

The OLʼ FISHʼN HOLE

WATERLIFE@COMCAST.NET

By Capt. Jim O'Brien Water LIFE Offshore Hey ya - all how about these temperatures were having 94- 95 and even 96 degrees whew and the water temp is like bath tub water, 91 degrees. I don't know about ya -all but I’m looking forward to those 80 degree temps. In this month’s story and photos is my good friend Mark Aberham, his son Zack and another friend of Marks and mine Capt.

Leroy Bennet that does back bay charters. I got pictures of both of them with nice red grouper. There was them and 2 others fish'n and they limited out on red grouper by 2 o clock and they had to throw back 10 keepers. They were fish'n about 42 miles out last Sunday and Mark had a big school off mahimahi around the boat. He said he threw the kitchen sink at them and no bites, he said he could see some big boys in the school that was bigger than your chicken dolphin. They also caught a couple of scamp, some nice mangs, lane snapper and porgies. He said that was one of the best days he has had fish'n in a long time. Nice going Mark and Leroy, the key is 40 to 50 miles out.

Now let’s see what else anglers are catching now.

TARPON - - are off the beaches and around the pass's, best bait are crabs.

SHARKS - - black tips and lemon sharks are in Pine Island Sound and off the beaches and in Boca Grande Pass.

Best baits cudda strips, fresh Bonita or live mullet.

BARRACUDA - - there are some biguns out on most of the offshore wrecks Bayronto, Pegasus, Charlie, Bismarck any of these will produce some big boys. Best baits big lively pin fish or cudda tubes in hot pink or lime green. If you chum you can usually see them in your chum and can site cast to them and get ready!

COBIA - - theyʼre in the harbor on the east and west wall and there are some that were caught off the beaches.

MANGROVE, LANE SNAPPERS, POGIES there are some big ones being

SEPTEMBER 2014

caught in 100 feet of water and deeper.

Best bait shrimp and squid.

AJ'S greater amberjack (reef donkeys) are on just about every wreck offshore.

The guys I have talked to, they chum and take some old bait from the freezer and cut them up in pieces and they usually bring them near the surface then take a big lively blue runner an cast it right to them and hang on - WOW! !

RED AND GAG GROUPER - - like I said in our story for this month 38 to 45 miles out the grouper are on fire, 10 to 20 pounders with some even bigger. Mark caught some that broke his hooks and broke 50 pound test line. I wonder what them bad boys looked like? Best baitssquirrel fish, pin fish, grunts and whole squid. There are some smaller grouper being caught at 10 to 20 miles out but the big - uns are in 120 to 140 feet of water.

TRIPPLE TAIL - - are being caught on some of the marker buoys in the shipping channel in Boca Grande. Best baits- small shrimp, small jigs and spoons.

MAHI - MAHI - - most are seen and caught 40 miles and farther out. Watch the birds and watch your chum slick. You can use artificial jigs, popping lures. If you catch one, leave it in the water the rest of them will stay right with the one you caught.

Well gang it’s time to get out of here so if you have a good ol fish'n story or a recipe for cook'n fish that we can share with our readers or if you want to book an offshore charter with us aboard the Predator II call (941 ) 473 - 2150 AND REMEMBER: GET OUT AND SNORT SOME OF THAT CLEAN SALT AIR C U Z IT’S GOOD FER YA! ! !

A Diverse Paddle at Lido Key SEPTEMBER 2014

By David Allen Water LIFE Kayaking How about exploring an interesting new area for a delightful paddle? There are many such locations within 40-50 miles of Port Charlotte and all of them bring something new and different to enjoy.

So, several weeks ago we decided to take a trip to Sarasota and paddle Lido Key with some local friends. We had paddled off the beautiful white sand beach at Lido Key and some other nearby Keys several years ago, and we looked forward to revisiting the area.

Lido Key is easy to get to, just 45 miles from Port Charlotte. Take SR 789 west toward St. Armand’s Key from downtown Sarasota, then south on Ben Franklin Blvd. to the south end of Lido Key and South Lido Park.

South County Lido Park is right at the southern tip of the Key and has a nature center, modern restrooms, a kayak launch area, soft drink machines and more than adequate parking. We checked out the County Park, but decided we’d rather go to the Kayak Sarasota area, about ¾ mile north, as that launch was closer to the Mangrove Trails and other areas of Sarasota Bay. There are also concessions there to rent kayaks and SUP’s (stand up paddleboards).

We had apparently picked one of the busier Sundays for the paddle, as the parking area for Kayak Sarasota was completely filled. As we were deciding what to do, a lady who ran a kayak rental concession came by and we started talking to her about the lack of parking. She said “I can fix that”, and took off. A couple of minutes later she came back with the park manager, Pete Garcia, as friendly and helpful as you could want. I followed Pete with the car and trailer as he moved some barriers along the edge of the parking area to make enough room for my car. What more could you ask of these friendly people.

So we launched the kayaks from the sandy beach on the east side of the key, the side closest to the start of the marked kayak trail through the mangroves. There were also restrooms and picnic benches on the site for paddlers to use.

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It was a typically beautiful Florida day as we launched and turned south to the mangrove area. The start of the mangrove trail is only about ½ mile from the launch and the trails are numbered to identify the different routes. There were several groups of paddlers waiting to enter the tunnels, so we turned north toward St. Armands Key. This is a great area to paddle on its own, particularly if you enjoy the sights along the Sarasota waterfront. Ca’d’zan, the home of John and Mable Ringling, is four miles north and lovely to see from the bay side.

We once again turned south after exploring the north-east section of Lido Key and entered the mangroves. There was very little traffic through the mangroves at this time, so we enjoyed the shade and wildlife.

We exited the mangroves and headed east again to a small, sandy island just off the Key, beached the kayaks, stretched, had a drink, and returned to the launch and parking lot. A nice, seafood dinner at Jack’s topped off a great day of kayaking.

The Port Charlotte Kayakers Meet each Wednesday evening at 5 PM sharp at FranzRoss Park adjacent to the YMCA on Quesada.

All are welcome. Call Dave Allen at 941-2352588 for more information.

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SCUTTLEBUTT

SEPTEMBER 2014

Sometimes Unsubstanciated, But Often True tion, the owner of the boat was arrested for battery.

A BATTLE CONTINUES between the US Army Corps of Engineers and the resident 16,000 cormorant birds that are lunching on endangered salmon in the lower Columbia River. The birds found a home here because the Corps made a spoil island of the sand and mud they dug up to keep the shipping channel open for commercial ships.

BAD THINGS IN THREES The third plane crash on a SW Florida beach this year happened last month.

JOE WOOD of Stafford, Virginia, said he was swimming in the Potomac River near the town of Callao earlier this month when a scratch on his left leg became infected with vibrio vulnificus, an aggressive bacteria that feeds on flesh. That is the same bacteria that was in the Gulf!

IN A CALL FOR ASSISTANCE over the VHF radio, the complainant advised that his sailboat was almost struck by another sailboat and that the people on board appeared to be in a fight. Once on scene, marine officers observed three white males on a 32Tfoot sailboat with the sail flapping in the wind and blood from bow to stern.

Two of the three subjects were bleeding; one from his right hand and the other from his face. One of these two subjects, the operator of the vessel, appeared to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs. It was learned the owner of the boat struck the operator of the boat in the face because he was drunk and passed out at the helm. Lieutenant Berryman requested the operator to perform some standardized field sobriety tasks and he agreed to do so. After failing several tasks, the operator of the vessel was placed under arrest for BUI. In addi-

BUYOFF Massive container ships passing through the Santa Barbara Channel off the coast of Southern California will be paid a bonus of $2,500 per trip to slow down, in an effort to cut off-shore air pollution and reduce collisions with whales. Captains idling through manatee zones need similar dispensation.

THE NEW LIONFISH-REPORTING APP for smartphones is reportedly successful, with over 250 users sporting new lionfish shirts

was attempting to free a snagged fishing line when he was attacked by a rare, but wellknown albino crocodile that local river boat captains nicknamed “Michael Jackson.” The animal had been frequently spotted swimming in the river and was considered a popular attraction for tourists. Shortly after the attack police and wildlife officers tracked the nearly 15-foot albino crocodile by boat, eventually shooting and killing it.

OFFICERS IN CHARLOTTE COUNTY were on offshore patrol targeting commercial fishing vessels. Upon inspection of one particular vessel, the officers found 50 pieces of vermillion snapper being used for bait. Subjects were cited for possession of reef fish not in whole condition.

ON THE INDIAN RIVER a vessel was caught in a summer thunderstorm where it took a large wave over the bow causing it to capsize. Two of the five occupants perished in the accident. All of the passengers were wearing life jackets, but two of the occupants were trapped under the overturned vessel and drowned.

MICHAEL JACKSON WAS AN ALBINO A 57-year-old fishermen identified as Tran Van Lanh was killed after he was ambushed by a crocodile in Australiaʼs Adelaide River. According to the AAP, Lanh

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BOAT is Her Cure for Unsuccessful

By Mallory Herzog Water LIFE Beach Fishing There are so many amazing locations hidden around Charlotte Harbor that produce great fishing. Over the last few weeks I have been exploring some and redfish have been my target but I’ve been coming up unsuccessful! I’ve tried from shore, and in kayaks and couldn't seem to find them! Live bait or lures, it didn’t seem to matter. I figured that I had to be doing something wrong. It was time to enlist a professional guide with a boat!

Captain Cayle Wills is one of the instructors at the Don Ball School of Fishing, that’s the program for 7th graders run

by Water LIFE magazine, Cayle knows about redfishing. I set up a trip with him.

We set out early morning and after gathering some bait we moved out towards a location Capt. Cayle knew. He explained that fishing a certain large mangrove island should be great as the tide moved in later in the morning. Tides could have been part of my issue last week when kayaking and searching for redfish. Most of my kayak trips were taken on low tides and not knowing where the fish are hanging out during the lower tides proved very challenging for me!

This was the first trip I was on the water as the tide came in. Mangroves with their tangled roots underwater is the habitat redfish love to feed in.

We arrived on a lower tide and picked a spot to anchor up and do some fishing as the tide moved up and in. There were some bonnet head sharks swimming around in the flats, eating bait fish that had

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PAGE 21

schooled around us. We sight cast those guys with live shrimp – so much fun to catch and release. I hear they are delicious to eat also.

For bait we were using live shrimp, and various lures – throwing them up and under the trees as far as we could without getting stuck. Easier said than done.

After a few casts I finally got the hang of it. It was pretty slow to start, there

hiding underneath. That was where it got really exciting! After only about a minute we were hooked up on double redfish and I finally caught my very first one. It had 13 spots and was a fun fight! As long as we cast very far up and under that tree line

we would have a fish on in a matter of minutes! We spent the rest of the afternoon catching these guys and were back home before the early afternoon heat with a great fish story to tell.

were some mangrove snapper and other fish that were highly skilled at stealing my shrimp without actually getting hooked.

Snook were popping all around us and it was very hard to resist fishing for them too, but no, I was there for the redfish!

After about 20 minutes of fishing my hubby Andrew was hooked up on the first redfish of the day! Success! They were here and finding them was half the battle.

We pulled anchor and drifted down the mangroves along the island, where more of the treeline was touching the water. We stopped again and threw our baits up under the trees, hoping to find some fish

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Trout in Sept?

Charlotte Harbor

Frank, at Fishin’ Franks 941- 625-3888

I am surprised we have trout showing up already. It seems unusual in August but on the east side at Two Pine and Bokeelia there are fishable numbers of trout. Usually, at this time, there are none around. The east side was a little slow on redfish, but lately it’s picking up. There are redfish to Mangrove Point, it’s not going to be the day of your life, but you’ll catch reds in the slot and get dinner.

Pinfish, whitebait, shrimp.... whatever you got... just get it up under the trees for the redfish now. First thing in the morning they are scatterd on the flats, but later they like the shade and they move to it.

Snook are the big thing now that snook season is open. You can catch them during the day with whitebait at the back of Bull Bay. There are some nice snook on the east side too, but when it comes night itime you can double or triple the number of fish you’ll catch. At night the canals are absolutely loaded with snook right now. At night you use either shrimp or lures in the canals. Toss under a dock toss along the seawall. Try a mixed bag of lures - it’s still the Twitch or the 10-series X-Wrap in 10OG (olive green) color or the Bomber B15APXSIO which is a black back with an orange belly. It seems the contrast helps in the dark water.

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SEPTEMBER 2014

September - Fishing Forecast

If you know the area you know where this hefty redfish came from, or maybe was just photographer at!

By the second week of September, if the rain stays down, the color is going to be pink. Just a few weeks after the rain, when the water has a light tint - not dark, not clear - just has a tint to it, a month on either side of that the pink color rules. I found out by accident years ago when I had a collection of lures. I tried all the nice colors but nothing worked consistently. We caught one or

Snook Reopens

for Sept., Oct. & Nov.

(FWC) encourages anglers to continue to use moderation when determining whether or not to take a snook home. Regulations such as the one-fish-per-person, per-day bag limit will help continue rebuilding snook populations. In the Gulf, they must be not less than 28 inches and not more than 33 inches total length, which is measured from the most forward point of the head with the mouth closed to the farthest tip of the tail with the tail compressed or squeezed while the fish is lying on its side.

Shown here, Malory Herzog and a Gulf snook caught and released last month.

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Capt. Jim OʼBrien USCG 50 ton license since 1985

941-473-2150

Logan Handlon is only 6 years old, but he is already a great little angler thanks to his dad, Jimmy Handlon.

His dad takes Logan out with him to fish every chance he gets and is doing an excellent job of teaching him how to fish, how to handle fish and about courtesy on the water. The redfish pictured was one Logan caught by himself. It measured 26-inches, weighed 6 1/2 pounds.

Logan caught this beautiful redfish in the Two Pines area of Charlotte Harbor.

two snook but that’s all. Then I got down to the bottom. The last lure was pink and I caught 15 snook.

Maybe it’s the more pronounced femenin side of the big snook liked the pink! I just knocked them dead that night, but I tried that pink later - tried it all year and it only worked before the rain season started and after it stopped – it was all about the tint in the water.

Another suprprise is Spanish mackerel right now.

Some are here and I don’t know why. Mangrove snapper are good at Cape Haze and Boca and Gasparilla Pass. From Catfish Creek up to the Placide Boat ramp there have been an unbelievable number of redfish. Most are oversized. There are huge schools – a great numbers of fish and they are pretty much a

SEPTEMBER 2014

The BIG-4

TARPON Big in the Harbor Juvies in Spring Lake

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Big Fish to expect in September

SHARKS in the Harbor holes and cruising the bars

REDFISH Schools from Lemon Bay to Catfish Creek

Snook fishing in the daytime has been good, but youʼll catch more fish at night

white bait thing. They are not taking shrimp or lures, but if you have whitebait you’ll have fish.

Out in the Gulf I haven’t heard much. In 60 feet you’ll have good grouper still. There are snapper on the near shore reefs like Trembly, Helens and Power Pole. Snapper is pretty good right now.

Shark fishing is still as crazy as it can be. All the holes in the Harbor have sharks 2 to 12 feet in length. The nearshore reefs are still loaded with them. Bull sharks have been seen on the inside bars, we still have some bonnets and black nosed sharks and some smaller bulls. In the canals right now I am hearing 4-foot to ‘really big’ bull sharks or lemons swimming close to the surface. That’s crazy! I’ve had half dozen people tell me they have been tring to catch them but the sharks swim right past the bait. They swim to the end of the dead end canals and swim back out. I honestly think this is the fist time I can remember reporting this. I don’t think sharks in the area canals has been in a fishing report before, this is not a fluke! There actually are quite a few sharks in canals right now.

Tarpon fishing is still good, I mean better-thanit -shoud-be good. In the deep holes it’s about throwing a ladyfish and/or a 3/4-ounce Rattle Trap.

On the west side fishing around the sandbars is pretty good for smaller tarpon but up in the shallow water you’ll have to freshen up the baits often because of the fresh water there. A 4-inch paddle tail, the Gulp 4-inch prawn hunk on a weedless hook with no weight, just drifting is one hot tarpon ticket. The other one is the Live Target suspending lure in a scaled sardine pattern. They are pricy little

SNOOK in the PC and PGI canals at night

PAGE 23

Gulf Temps are 89

The Harbor is hotter! Salinity is changing fish are adapting

95˚

bastads, like $16, but they sure do work.

For tarpon in the canals, you will switch down to 3-inch Gulp or the the 14MR mirrodine and the 1/4 oz Rattletrap. Use the bright colored lures for the smaller juvenile fish in the canals. Port Charlotte, Spring Lake and the back of the PGI Rim canal are loaded up with small tarpon.

90˚ 85˚

Lemon Bay

80˚

Capt. Jack, Englewood Bait House 475-4511

The last week of August Capt. Dan went out 5 or 6 miles off the beach and caught a king mackerel!

It’s kind of early, but they are here, just not too many yet and trout have been showing up inshore.

That’s early too.

We caught some nice mangs last week on what I call the Pipe Wreck, south of Trembley – it’s all culverts and there are some nice mangs there.

The snook are all over the place; bridges, docks, and the beach. I have them under my dock every day, but I’m sure, come the start of snook season on Sept 1, they will be gone.

There are big schools of redfish south in the Gasparilla sound, from Whidden Creek up to the north.

Offshore, the red grouper have been pretty good but you have to get out a ways, like in water deeper than 80 feet.

Porgys, grunts, mangs and vermillion snapper have been plentiful on the hard cheese-looking flat bottom. And thats about it.

Above: Chrissy Mosley with some redfish.

Below: a happy client and his a shark with Capt. Billy Barton.

BackBay Xtremes Capt Dave Stephens www.backbayxtremes.com

941-916-5769

Guide Card Space Available $40/mo

72˚ 70˚ 68˚ 50˚ 45˚ FISHING RIGHT NOW:

GREAT!

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24

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SEPTEMBER 2014

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