Water LIFE Sept 2019

Water LI FE

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

The Charlotte Harbor Reef Association

Happening Now!

Kids $1Bill Challenge

September 2019

Christopher Perry with a winning 22-inch bass pages 6-9

Barb Fickes tarpon in the rain, off the dock in a P.G.I. canal

$25 WINNER from Water LIFE magazine

Weather:

Sticking with it

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Txt Us Ur FishPix! weʼll use ʻem! see page 4

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Joseph Daniel Caught and released this bull from Boca

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10/1/19

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Include anglerʼs name and what kind of fish.

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This Monthʼs Gold Star $25 Winners

Jeff Verost released this nurse shark off Placida pier page 17

Logan Wernersbach Caught a large catfish page 25

Caught July 20 in Charlotte Harbor. Jason Price, redfish page 27

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Letter about Sunseeker, posted to our facebook page I have been reading your paper for years and have enjoyed it for the most part. But your article concerning Sunseekers Resort is like reading the National Enquirer. They are over a third of the way done with the pilings. I haven't heard one loud bang yet.

Your sources are not very good. Think you need to stick to fishing info and leave Sunseeker to someone who knows the project.

Steve Warren Editor notes* please see below

SEPTEMBER 2019

Txt fish Pix ONLY to 941-457-1316

Spear Gun Back to Owner

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

SUNSEEKER RESORT PROGRESS REPORT

No one likes being called out for being wrong. Twice, last month, I was told that Sunseekers was driving pilings and was 1/3 of the way finished and twice I said it would be hard to imagine not seeing 700 pilings being delivered and driven into the ground.

Something didnʼt add up, so I called the Building Department to see if there had been a permit issued. I was told the Sunseeker zoning plan had been rejected by the County ʻfor a number of reasons,ʼ and that there was still no building plan approved.... But, big BUT, the County did approve a separate Sunseeker foundation plan, even though the County hadnʼt seen any building plans for what goes on top of the foundation. When I asked how they could do that, Ben Bailey, head of the Building Department, told me. “If there is a problem, it simply falls back on the general contractor.” He also said he didnʼt think any pilings would be driven.

According to Mr Bailey, Sunseeker is drilling over 2300 holes, 70- to 90- feet deep, and then filling those holes with concrete. Those filled concrete holes will be the foundations.

But.... an even bigger BUT... when I asked to come down and see the plans they did have, Mr Bailey told me the Sunseeker Project is now “exempt from public viewing,” under Statute 119.071 of the Florida Sunshine Law “which protects hotels over 350 units.”

He sent me the ordinance and the County Attorney told me that is in fact, the law.

So where did I get the idea Sunseeker was going to be driving pilings? Sunseeker told me they were “Driving Pilings.” See the press release above. Apparently the Sunseeker PR folks donʼt understand the nuances of the construction lingo.

I was wrong about one thing last month. I theorized the large white tent set up at the site entrance on US-41 might be for a ground breaking. I was wrong about the tent. The tent is where the workers get out of the sun to eat their lunch! – MH

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Vol XVIII No 9 © 2019

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A month ago Adam Wilson, our diving columnist, told us he found a spear gun in the Gulf. Adam said it was a custom made gun that wasnʼt in the water for very long.

Adam asked if we could run a notice to help find the owner. Our notice in July didnʼt help so Adam put an ad on CraigʼsList.

Last month Adam wrote:

Ves Swift is his name. Yes that is spelled correctly! He is out of Cape Coral. He was diving the Palm Island Ferry and had shot a barracuda and the gun just slipped out of his hand – happens to everyone. He made the gun and needless to say he was very happy to get it back.

Iʼm glad I hadnʼt sold it before he found it.

Worked out great!

Oh yeah, I got a case of beer for a reward!

Adam

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

Pier Fishing: Bobby Vitalis Diving: Adam Wilson

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SEPTEMBER 2019

Kidʼs Fishing Classes

By Michael Heller Water LIFE Editor Today’s kids are hard into their phones, but I might have found a back door to reach them. Look at Christopher Perry on the cover. He’s been fishing this summer... and apparently he’s having fun. The $1 Bill is on Christopher’s glasses because he is participating in our $1 Bill Challenge online Summer Tournament. You can see all the other winners this month, starting on the next page.

This is the second year of the Tournament, we have almost 40 kids this year. It’s getting bigger and easier. My goal is to share local fishing, Ethical Angling techniques and a responsible relationship with the environment with 100 kids a year. I am doing a lot of it via text.

In the Tournament, anglers submit two fish pictures via text every month, they do this for four months. The longest fish in 30 designated species every month, wins.

The first ‘fishing period was May 16 to June 15. We are now in the last fishing period -August 16 to September 15. The Grand Champion will be named next month.

Anglers collect rods, lures and t-shirts for their winning fish. We also award points for each win. The angler with the most points at the end of the summer wins a Tracker 1032 boat. There is also a short 5-question fishquiz every month, worth additional points toward the boat. They submit their quiz-answers via text.

This month the 5-question quiz is based on a 15minute video I recorded with Fishin’ Frank. Frank talked about lures, I edited the video, picked out some important points that Frank made and tied it to a quiz. Kids watch

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the video and text in their answers.

Teaching through texting seems to be working. I am getting 3/4 of the anglers to take the monthly quiz and we’re in the 85-percentile with answers. Next year the tournament fish-quizzes will be required for winning any prizes.

We have another kids venue, and quiz-texting is coming to that as well. Last year I recorded all six of our evening Be the Fish classes at Punta Gorda Middle School. Now I am in the process of editing those classes into a series of short video quizzes. The students who take our 6th grade online class this fall will get to see

Our kidʼs Fish Quiz is a video this month

those quizzes. You can register your 6th grade student for this online program at; www.waterlifemagazine.com Of course we will still be teaching our live class at Punta Gorda Middle School this fall as well. This will be our 19th year. Capt Cayle will be the instructor once again. The live classes start the week of October 14. If you are interested in this program for your child sign

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them up now – space fills up. The live class is held at Punta Gorda, but any 6th grade students from any Charlotte County school can attend the live class.

For the live class, parents need to bring their children to Punta Gorda one night a week for six weeks. Classes are from 6:15 to 7:45, parents are welcome to stay, but they must sit in the back of the cafeteria. Live class sign up instructions are on the Water LIFE website as well.

There is one problems we run into, routinely, but I am sure this problem repeats itself in other areas for these parents. Some parents routinely show up late to drop off or pick up their kids. We don’t go home until the last child is picked up, but it’s not only that is it rude and inconvenient to us, these parents should know they are embarrassing their child.

On the brighter side, the kids that once were disruptive and not paying attention in class .... they are not a problem at all, any more. Last year was the first year I posted a live facebook video of the class each night. It was, I thought, for our online students to follow, but it turned out the viewing audience was also made up of parents of students in class, watching from home.

At the beginning of last year’s session I said to Capt.

Cayle: “We are lucky to have such a well behaved class this year!” .... then I figured it out! The kids were well behaved because they knew their parents were watching!

We’re going to do that agin this year, for sure!

If you want to sign your child up, please don’t wait!

Registration is open online. Students in either program receive rods and reels and tackle boxes with tackle. They are also eligible to participate in our wading, inshore and offshore Saturday outings. All the information is on our website. We are looking forward to having another great year so send your kids along – this should be fun!

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EMAIL:

FISH QUIZ # 4

Dollar Bill Challenge - Online Tournament

Earn 3 points for each correct answer Points go toward winning the 2019 Tracker Boat! (see rules for full info)

Answers are due before noon September 15.

Text answers to the phone number you received when you signed up.

Watch this 15 minute video and select the correct answer (the link is also on our website)

https://youtu.be/KpoMPdKeqAI

Question #1 a. b. c. d.

Flat Pointed Concave Round

a. b. c. d.

a. b. c. d.

When it is very sunny When it is Raining When it is dark out Never

a. b.

True False

a. b. c.

The jig The loop The spinner

Question #2

Twice as big as the bottom Half as big as the bottom The same as the bottom One-third as big as the bottom

Question #3 Question #4

Question #5.

#6 EXTRA CREDIT! a. b. c. d.

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LONGEST FISH SO FAR

BY SPECIES:

redfish-27, snook- 29.5, trout-18.5, black drum-42, cobia, red grouper, gag grouper, amberjack, bluefish, jack crevalle-31, triggerfish, hogfish, Key West grunt-9, spadefish, sail catfish-18, ladyfish-16, pompano, mangrove snapper-14, lane snapper, Spanish mackerel-19, tripletail, pinfish, barracuda-7.25, bass-23, crappie, tilapia-17.25, sunfish-10.25, catfish-29.5, gar-37, Mayan cichlid-12

Top 10 Points Standings

after three fishing periods This does NOT include the current fishing period or the end of tournament 25 point bonus for longest fish of each species overall angler # 222 203 226 204 206 211 212 201 228 209

name Gartner Shaffer Florea Shaffer Dubbaneh DʼOrazio DʼOrazio Medina Larson Acosta

points 86 82 79 70 65 59 57 52 49 40

rod credits 4 4 4 2 4 0 2 2 2 2

T ila pia

Photo was omitted in error last month First Place Tilapia 12.75 inches Dylan Shaffer Longest tilapia so far, 17.25-inches #226!

Winners: After September 4th, bring your dollar bill with your angler number

on it to Fishinʼ Franks (4425-D Tamiami Trail, Port Charlotte, FL 33980) Frank will have your rod or lure or t-shirt. You must collect your winnings before Sept 30

Just for baitcaster rods With a lip For Lever Action rods One that floats

Text your answers like this

Third Fishing Period Quiz

Answers: 1A-2A-3C-4D-5A

SEPTEMBER 2019

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Dollar Bill Challenge 3rd Period WINNERS!

Period #3: July 16 to August 15

Snook

First Place Snook: 21-inches Daniel Acosta #209 2nd: Leonardo D始Orazio #212, 19-inches 3rd: Luke D始Orazio #211, 18-inches Longest snook so far: 29.5-inches, #206

Period #4 now fishing: August 16 - September 15

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R e d fi s h

Gar

First Place Gar: 25-inches Jacob Florea #226 The longest gar, so far is 37-inches #206

First Place Redfish 27-inches Julius Acosta # 210 2nd:Matthew Gartner #222, 20-inches 3rd: Luke D始Orazio #211 20-inches Matthew始s fish came in first This is the longest Redfish so far

Gr unt

First Place Grunt: 11-inches Ryan Larson #228 This is the longest grunt, so far!

Ma ckerel First Place Mackerel: 18-inches Christopher Perry #205 Longest mackerel, so far #222 19-inches

Thank You to all our Sponsors!

Lane Snapper

First Place Lane Snapper: 8-inches Emma Koebel #225 This is the longest lane snapper so far!

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Dollar Bill Challenge 3rd Period WINNERS!

Black Dr um

Mangrove Snapper

SEPTEMBER 2019

C a t fi s h

First Place Black Drum: 42-inches Nathan Richardson #232 2nd place Charlie Dubbaneh #206 40-inches 3rd Place: Sarah Richardson # 233 37.5-inches longest drum so far 42-inches # 207 First Place Mangrove Snapper: 13 inches Dylan Shaffer #203 2nd: Emma Koebel #225 10-inches Longest mangrove snapper so far: 14-inches #222

Jack

First Place Jack Crevalle: 12-inches Sarah Richardson #233 Longest jack so far 31-inches #216 941-625-3888

First Place Catfish: 29.5-inches Justin Medina #201 2nd Place: Nathan Richardson # 232 19-inches This is the longest catfish so far!

L a d y fi s h

Trout

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First Place Trout: 14.5-inches Matthew Gartner #222 Longest trout so far 18.5-inches #206

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First Place Ladyfish: 16-inches Alyx Shaffer #204 This is the longest ladyfish so far!

SEPTEMBER 2019

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Dollar Bill Challenge 3rd Period WINNERS!

Sailcat

Period #3: July 16 to August 15

PAGE 9

Period #4 now fishing: August 16 - September 15

Bass First Place Sailcat 16.25-inches Dylan Shaffer #203 2nd place: Charlie Dubbaneh #206 15-inches The longest sailcat so far is 18-inches

First Place Bass: 22-inches Christopher Perry #205 2nd: Ryan Larson #228, 13-inches Longest bass so far: #222, 23-inches

Myan Cichlid First Place Myan Cichlid: 12.5-inches Jacob Florea #226 This is the longest cichlid so far!

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Beetle Spins PAGE

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By Fishin’ Frank

Water LIFE Baitshop If you are talking about freshwater fishing there is one thing you have to talk about and that is beetle spins. OK what is a beetle spin? It is a small lure for crappie or pan fish which really works great on almost any fish up to mid size bass.

A beetle spin consists of a small plastic grub on a jig head connected to a sideways “V” shaped wire by a clip and at the top of this bent wire there is a spoon or blade, I guess blade would be the correct phrase. Beetle spins are easy to use – they work best with a slow, steady, retrieve.

But that is exactly why many people can not figure out how to catch fish with one. It takes a very specific retrieve.

First thing is the rod should not be floppy at the tip. Not heavy, but a tight action is better. Next thing is, when you cast out, hold your rod tip 90-degrees to the side. The trick with a beetle spin is to feel the slight bump, bump, bump, of the spinner blade, that is why the blade on a beetle spin is mostly round in shape.

These blades or spinners are normally a Colorado blade or maybe an Indiana

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blade. The Colorado blade is rounder slightly oval in shape and produces the most thumping when pulled through the water while the Indiana blade is much more oval in shape and while great in its own right, it makes a milder bumping, thumping when pulled. So it is all about the feel when using a Beetle spin.

The wire is bent in a V shape with a ring centered between the blade on the top and the grub on the bottom. This is where you tie your line on. And most beetle spins do not come “rigged” as in you have to put on the grub.

The Jig head has an eye you must put onto the wire: just release the clip and slid it on. The hook must be on the top.

If the hook ends up underneath the grub... do it again!

When it is a brighter sunny day I like to slow roll, “which means slow retrieve or reeling” the beetle spin just under the surface of the water letting the blade catch a bit of sun light, I believe that flash of light from the blade will bring

SEPTEMBER 2019

on strikes. But quite often the fish are down farther and the noise from the blade spinning will call them to dinner.

Now I understand Beetle spins are for freshwater, but no one ever told the A bit of History: This is the only known photo of Chuck Wood, the fish that I have inventor of the Beetle Spin lure, which would sell (including knock caught many types offs) in the hundreds of millions. Chuck died in a V.A. hospital...a collection had to be taken to help bury him. So much for getting of flats fish on beerich, inventing one of the best fishing lures of all time!!! tle spins including sea trout and spade fish. Sand bream sizes I would start with an 1/8 once yelseem to like them as well, but you have low or black with yellow and go from to reel very slowly just barely making there. the blade spin.

Good luck, have fun.

All in all I find beetle spins to be a frank@fishinfranks 941-625-3888 must-have for my tackle box and considering they come in many weights and

Redfish SEPTEMBER 2019

Cameron Parson Water LIFE Charlotte Harbor Redfish rodeo is just around the corner. This can be some of the most exciting fishing of the year with multiple opportunities to sight cast these fish and watch it all unfold as that copper colored head comes out of the water to take down a topwater plug, often competing with several other fish for the prize. You'll have quite a few chances at catching some of the biggest redfish of the year and in good numbers. However, do be mindful that they are closed to harvest.

Handle them with care, keep your hands wet, and release them in the water if possible.

Look for water being pushed, just on the inside and outside of the bars on either side of the Harbor. Some of the flats along the intercoastal in Pine Island Sound will also have a few schools move through. It will be a distinct push, nothing like that of schooling mullet...the wake will be bigger and you'll notice a copper color as you move closer.

Some of my favorite lures for chasing schooling reds are the 1/4oz golden spoon, Rapala Skitterwalk, and golden bream Slayer paddletail on a 1/4oz jighead. I personally tend

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The Rodeo is Just Around the corner

to keep my rods rigged with one of each for a quick change if they will not cooperate on one bait or the other.

ProCure scents can be used to entice a bite on artificials, but these fish will most likely take whatever you're offering.

Being a topwater junkie, I usually start with the Skitterwalk. But it's more than that. I start with it for the reason I can cast it further than the

you can see your lure being chased, but not eaten just yet.

Chunks of ladyfish, mullet, threadfins, and whitebait are great to use if they won't touch artificials.

Even chumming them with live bait can get the bite going and may hold them in the area for a few extra minutes. Keep one extra rod rigged and ready with a 1/0 or 2/0 circle hook. A jighead will work for added weight

other baits, maintaining a good distance from the school so they won't spook with a proper cast ahead of the school. The visual strikes are an added bonus but they'll quickly let you know if they want the plug or not. The usual walk-the-dog presentation should entice a strike, but you may have to speed up or even slightly slow the retrieve to get a fish to commit to the bite.

If those fish won't completely cooperate with tossing a topwater, switch to the spoon or the paddletail.

They'll have a little more ambition to eat due to putting in less effort to chase a bait up top. Sometimes deadsticking, or letting a lure with scent lay on the bottom, will be enough for a quick pick up. Try this method if

and distance.

There will be quite a few charter guides and recreational anglers out there attempting to catch these fish.

Be sure to show proper boating etiquette if coming up to a school of redfish. Use your push pole or trolling motor, avoid using the outboard. Let them wave you in on the school and pay attention to the direction they're pointing as they may try to have both parties sort of box in the fish. Give the guides a chance to let their clients catch a few first and leave in the same manner you came in. All too many times there are chances blown for everyone due to just a touch of carelessness and inconsiderate boating.

Catch some fish!

Stick with it ...

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in Spite of the Wet

The beginning of August, with the barometric pressure being high from humidity and dew point, and with drastic pond water level changes, it all came together to shut my bite down hard.

For a while, I was getting skunked on all my pond sessions and I was getting very discouraged and frustrated with my knowledge and skill-set...lol!

But finally, yesterday, for the sunset bite, it was raining hard with some thunder, but after a few casts I got the surprise: an explosive hit on the frog.

I set the hook hard and reeled the pond monster onto the bank and did the happy-trophylunker-bassdance, complete with the hooting and hollering!

This bass made up for three weeks of nada and frustration.

Hopefully we can get some cool fronts in soon to get the bite going steady again.

That is, if we donĘźt have more rain and storms!

Have a great day and get out and hook one!

Nicholas J.

Endangered Species Act Revised PAGE

12

On the Line

By Capt. Ron Blago Water LIFE Senior Staff Recently, the Department of the Interior has instituted a few changes to the Environmental Species Act (ESA) that they contend will improve efficiency of oversight while continuing to protect rare species. You would think that there would be widespread support for bringing the 45 year old law up to date... but you would be wrong. As one news source reported “Environmental groups were unified in their opposition to ESA changes.”

The ESA became law in 1972 under Republican president Richard Nixon with the express purpose of providing protection for plants and animals that were deemed to be in danger of extinction.

So how well has the ESA been doing it's job? You can decide for yourself.

As of 2016 there were only 34 of the 1,596 listed species removed from the protected list. That's a success rate of only 2.1-percent for a 45 year old, expensive and bloated bureaucracy.

It's about time that someone tried to fix this broken law. Let's look at the changes that seem to have the environmental community in a panic.

First off, the new changes only apply to new species that are trying to be added to the threatened or endangered list.

There will be no changes for species (like our beloved manatee) that are already listed

CHANGES

1- For the first time, the Feds will have to attach a dollar cost for protecting a species. This cost-to- benefit analysis will be a big help in deciding where to spend scarce resources.

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2- The Feds will now disregard the possible impact of climate change in their evaluation process for new additions to the threatened or endangered list.

They will also shorten their time frame for potential threats to a species to the 20 to 40 year range; no more 100 year predictions of the future.

3- The Feds will attempt to ease the regulatory burden on the American public without sacrificing a species' protection or recovery goals. Since 75-percent of all endangered species are on private land, this will help protect the rights of property owners. I remember that the Winchester Blvd extension in Englewood, a road that is a major evacuation route for Placida and Boca Grande, was delayed for three years because of regulations regarding the endangered Florida scrub jay.

4- When it comes to critical habitat issues, the Feds will focus on where a species is today, not where it used to be in the past or where it may be in the future. I hope this will limit those who try to use the ESA as a growth management tool and instead; actually put their effort toward helping a species recover.

5- The Feds will make a clearer distinction between a threatened and an endangered species. Currently there is what is called the “Blanket Rule.” This is where they provide the same protection levels and regulations to a threatened as a endangered species. There is a reason why they are two separate categories and the Feds have to do a better job at defining those differences.

These changes to the ESA are minor in nature but should improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the law without lowering the protection for any species.

I would like to see two additions to this list.

This old, (now colorized) 1856 map of Florida was made by the surveyor-general and is probably one of the most detailed and accurate depictions of the “original” Florida.

A large section of it shows the natural configuration of South Floridaʼs water system, where the water once flowed freely from the Kissimmee River Basin, into Lake Okeechobee, southward through the Everglades, then exiting into Florida Bay and the Gulf.

By comparing the 1856 situation to today, itʼs easy to see why Floridaʼs water is in such a mess. A once-integrated, natural water flow has now been dammed, diverted, and piece-

First, the best scientific estimate of the current population should be clearly stated, along with a population number goal that will allow the species to be removed from the list.

Second, the Feds should cap the legal fees that are paid to legal firms that

SEPTEMBER 2019

mealed by a series of man-made “improvements,” and it barely resembles the cohesive system it once was.

With all the “progress,” nothing works like it should, and the dysfunctional result has evolved into a steady supply of dirty water that is creating misery for people, businesses, and wildlife from coast to coast.

Itʼs clear that Florida has some choices to make. Is it acceptable to continue to divert polluted water far and wide and just learn to live with it?

Or should we look to what Florida once was and work to restore it to what made it so special in the first place?

bring law suits against the government on behalf of non-profit environmental groups. As it stands now, taxpayers are stuck with paying the legal bills of both sides of these lawsuits. That money would be better spent on actual efforts to protect the species. Captronb@juno.com

SEPTEMBER 2019

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SHARKS ItĘźs Hammer Time!

By Capt. John Brossard Water LIFE Shark Fishing This is a great month to be a shark fishing guide. The water is warm and there are sharks around every corner of the rivers and canals.

The bigger ones are close to the passes and just off shore in 3- to 15-feet of water.

There have been more hammerheads caught all over the area than in the last few years, as I recall.

I was out with Scott Butherus, the main advertising guy for Power-Pole, based in Tampa. He is a hammerhead shark enthusiast and has been on Shark Week on two occasions.

I told him I could not promise a certain type of shark, but figured we would try a place where I get a couple every year.

Wouldn't you know it? We ended up with two that day! One that we could handle with the gear I use and one that we decided to break off so not to wear him out on the tackle we were using.

The 4-footer in these pictures we tagged and released and the other was an 8- 1/2 foot long animal on 50-pound tackle. We fought him for about 30 minutes and he was just not co-operating so we decided to put full pressure on him and

he finally snapped the line.

The reason we did this was not to over fight him as they will fight till they basically die on the end of the rod.

The 8 and 1/2 footer just happened to hit the smallest bait we had out - 1/2 of a fairly small lady-fish.

The other smaller hammerhead bit a whole mackerel that was probably 18 inches long. So you never know what they will bite on.

On my boat this month, we have caught 9 hammerheads from 3-feet to 8 1/2-feet.

Don’t forget about the cousins, the bonnet-head sharks. They are tasty and legal to eat and there are plenty around.

All you need is to fish some dead shrimp close to a pass on the beach, or even a few miles offshore close to some structure. Leave it on the bottom till one picks it up.

I usually use 40-pound fluorocarbon leader for the bonnetheads with a long shank hook and a 1/2-ounce sliding sinker above the leader.

There have been some big hammerhead sighted eating hooked tarpon all over this Southwest coast lately. This is because the big sharks follow the tarpon on

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cushions canvas covers their migration from north to south and back.

Lemon Bay has had some big lemon sharks caught right off docks around dusk lately.

September Advice:

Use big bait to catch big fish/shark.

When someone wants to get a monster fish, normally I go to a good place where people filet offshore fish like permit, grouper, cobia or big snapper and ask to keep the carcasses. Then I freeze them asap to keep them fresh.

Normally you have to wait longer for a big shark to bite, but it is worth it when you hook a 7- to 10-foot lemon, tiger or hammer-head shark. You also want to gear up accordingly so not to over fight any big fish to exhaustion. It is not always the case, but if you hook a big fish on a heavier duty rod, you have better chance to get it in faster and are able to tag and release it in a healthy state. If you hook it on smaller gear it is better to break it off close to the leader as soon as possible; the hook will rust away fast and the shark will have better chances of survival.

Until next month: Go get them... But be careful and stay safe.

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

Here is a YouTube video of the bigger fish we caught off Marco Island https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsJ4G1 95ujM&t=19s.

Here is a video of one I happened to catch while on vacation on Manasota Key, between Boca Grand and Venice. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3KYPY Rr83k.

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

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from Water LIFE magazine

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Putting the wood to ʻem Slim Jim and Ray Ray in beast mode red grouper style

Look at these guys at the fillet table. Team Living Da Dream in full effect!

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Keith Scholle with 27-pound red snapper caught in Panama City, Florida

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Sean Morgan was the Dolphin Slayer for the week in Marathon.. 1 of dozens!

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Danny Godwin 2-pound bass and a 15-pound snook

Anthony Fiorentino, heʼs 6-years old, caught these fish. Anthony, Dad and sister are from NJ, visiting grandparents in Venice.

Anthony had a 5-pound bass, top left and a 7 pounder, above.

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7 year-old Kellen Bloom caught this 27-inch snook!

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Joe Sheaffer with a juvie tarpon on Placida Pier 8/2/19

SEPTEMBER 2019

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First week of snapper fishing!

60 + miles out Scott Mellow and Arron Williams

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Fred OʼDell - trout, Charlotte Harbor

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Alex. Big red grouper out of Stump Pass.

Sandy Cates' second time red grouper fishing, 45 miles out, this one was a beauty!!! two weeks ago

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Joseph Daniels Caught and released the snook from Shell Creek, the Cuda and Bull from Boca

Sandy Kate's first red grouper fishing trip!!

25- and 26inches

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D Sizzle "The West Coast Sizzle”, after a great day out with the Slim Jim. Way to go girl!

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Ben Koebel, redfish, 21 inches, cut lady fish Pine Island Sound,

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Michael Davey. 30-inch plus red in PGI on a pin fish

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Tim DeMay fish caught Sanibel/Captiva

35-inch snook on the fly Max Riesbeck

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Curtis Sawyer. Red drum

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32-pound snowie grouper, Ian Wichmann

Capt. Eric showing the kids a good time.

Benji Hentges pulled in this 36-inch cobia.

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Brittany Cortes snook and redfish

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Richard Dutson from Cape Coral caught and released this snook in Bull Bay

Rick Abrams of NYC caught & released this snook off the dock at Ponce deLeon Park.

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3 above: 9 year old Adriana Piatkowski from Cape Coral

SEPTEMBER 2019

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ESTERO BAY Showing Signs of Life Capt. Joe Angius Water LIFE Estero Southwest Florida is twothirds of the way through its wet season, making September a phenomenal month for fishing. The area’s rain and weather conditions have been aiding in sustaining life in and around Estero Bay. There is an abundance of bait along beach shorelines, shallow grass flats, sand bars, and bridge pilings. With the amount of bait that are teeming our waters, it’s safe to say that our fisheries are healthy and productive.

Some of the challenges I face when finding active fish has to do with water movement, salinity, dissolved oxygen levels, bait, and bait presentation.

Loading up the live-well is always top priority in the morning before every charter. Having a good variety of bait will also increase your chances of a successful day out on the water. Anchoring on a grass flat to chum up bait is the most effective method for netting several types of baits without wasting time. Once the wells are full of pilchards, pinfish, grunts, and/or mullet, start to shift your attention to what the tides are going to do.

The tides will have everything to do with moving water and salinity and dis-

solved oxygen levels.

Remember that on outgoing tides, the freshwater from the rain in creeks, rivers, and residential canals will flush out. This will decrease salinity and dissolved oxygen levels which can make the fish lethargic and inactive.

The exact opposite is true for incoming tides where cleaner and saltier water from the Gulf of Mexico flood the mangroves and oyster beds. Since Estero is an estuary, there will be very large areas that will become brackish. Brackish water is a mix of fresh and salt water. These are the details that can help find where the big fish are. I’ve had days where we can catch tarpon in the passes and go far up a river to catch bass and alligator gar; all influenced by the tide.

Bait presentation is another way to get a reaction from the fish in the area to feed.

There are several ways to present your bait to fish, but I’ll only discuss the two most common setups I tend to use. For me, nothing beats a free-lined bait hooked in the nose or belly making for a natural bait presentation. Unfortunately, there will be scenarios where I’m free-lining baits and live chumming an area, but the fish will only feed on my chum. This is when I’ll fish a knocker rig, my second favorite setup.

A knocker rig is setup to have a weight, usually a 1/4oz or 1/2oz egg sinker, to sit on the bottom and allow you to control your bait through the slack going through the weight. Essentially you’re fishing the water column from the bottom up, instead

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of from the top down. These bait presentation setups are ways to fish the strike zones in areas where fish are present, but stubborn to feed.

Fishing in September is great for catching schooling redfish, tarpon, and snook along the beaches. At times fishing can be difficult. My hope is that the techniques I write about can help anglers catch more fish and have enjoyable experiences.

Southwest Florida has so many productive and scenic waterways that we take for granted. Taking advantage of these opportunities is our responsibility, for we are not promised tomorrow.

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

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FROM

10,000 ISLANDS

By Capt.

Charlie Phillips Water LIFE / Everglades City Come August down in the Everglades, the weather is hot, the bugs are plentiful, but the customers are few.

This time of year, I spend way more time on the hill and in the AC than on the water. Come next month things will start picking back up again and towards the end of the month for the rest of the year life will be back to a steady pace. So now, with the downtime, we try to get our work on the boats done and travelling and vacations out of the way.

With that in mind, I am writing this month’s article while on a trip down in the rainforest of beautiful Costa Rica.

If you have never visited, Costa Rica is a wonderful Country that is a short 3hour plane ride from Ft Lauderdale. The weather is very Florida like, though the

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sun has a bit more kick than at home.

The people here are friendly and welcome the tourist into their communities as equals. The village we are staying in is called Playa Nosara. A small little place, dirt roads with pot holes so big they swallow the golf carts we travel on.

People come here for three things, yoga, surfing or fishing.

The first two options don’t do much for me, but the latter is

what I am here for.

Spent 4 days on boats offshore this trip. Down here the adventure starts at the beach, as they have no docks or slips.

The boats are moored offshore and it’s a panga ride thru the surf then a transfer from the skiff to the fishing boat to start the day. We then would usually catch a few small bonita on downriggers and spoons to use for roosterfish and big cubera bait and fish for those for an hour or so. My friend from Michigan got one of the biggest roosters yesterday I have seen. A great catch and fish of lifetime. Yellowfin tuna, snapper and grouper of various kinds, sailfish and dolphin also came aboard this trip. We didn’t get a shot at a marlin this time but other boats around caught several.

When you are not on the boat, you drive your golf cart to pretty much anywhere you want to go. Down jungle roads in search of wild monkeys, to the river mouths where you can fish for snook and other species. The world record for snook is held down here, bythe-way, and is around 60-pounds!! Other excursions like horse back riding in the jungles or zip lining are also available.

And don’t even get me started on the food. That’s an article in itself.

Heading back to my slice of heaven tomorrow and will get the dust cleaned off the Laura Ann and get back to work.

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Community On the water! Gorgeous 3/2/1 with high end appointments. includes deepwater slip. $329,900

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As it cools down up north of us, the migration will get started and I try not to miss a day of the action.

Yall be safe out there and come down and see us this season. And keep an eye on the weather!

Capt. Charlie Phillips, President, Florida Guides Assn.

Owner/Captain, Hope Fishing Adventures Everglades City, Florida hopefishing.com 863-517-1829

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SEPTEMBER 2019

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Designer Home Amazing Water Views! High end appointments, 4 bedroom, 3 car garage is 2 minutes to open water! $958,000

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

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My grandaughter Sailey Fry with a nice”bug” caught off Marathon opening week

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Elizabeth Funk with a fresh water snook and a tarpon

Dave Harwood, gag grouper off of Cape Haze

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Lou OʼQuinn, redfish, Turtle Bay, Sunday, August 11

Irene Valentino with her first redfish ever, caught in Estero Bay with Capt. Barry Cuda Nichols

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Ginneen Davis from Woodbridge, VA caught and released this sea trout in Bull Bay

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from Water LIFE magazine

editor notes* Ginneen, Ginneen, Ginneen...

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The Canyon Kid with a lunker permit Livinʼ da Dream!

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Tom aka MacGyver sportinʼ himself a nice lane snapper, atta boy!

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Big-headed bass.

Rotonda. Kacie Flack

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Brad and my 5.86 lbs large mouth bass

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Rotonda tarpon. Tim Flack.

Rainy Mondays

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SEPTEMBER 2019

Double Denizens of the Deep Slim Jim

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Meaghan Elizabeth Romanski caught this mahi mahi when she was vacationing with her Uncle Jim

Two snook Angler Ansel (above) Angler Greyshark (below)

My neighbor boy Fisher Clark.

Took him and his step dad Jason out to Boca. Catfish kept getting bigger and bigger as we fished. Told him all the activity might bring in other fish. 15 minutes after this catfish, he hooked into the biggest redfish Iʼve seen around this area. He did great with super light gear for about 3 minutes. We saw it roll several times. Eventually found the bushes and broke free. Weʼll be going back!

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Chloe holding her bass by the lip first time ever!

12-inches 1-pound large mouth

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SEPTEMBER 2019

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REFLECTING: When Clients Become Your Friends

By Capt. David Stephens Water LIFE Charlotte Harbor I have always considered myself very lucky. Over the past 20-plus-years I have been able to do what I love to do. I have also been blessed with the opportunity of meeting some amazing people and going to some really cool places. I have a client Gary Ennis from New York who fishes with me very often. For the most part, it’s for tarpon and snook.

Several years ago I flew to New York and we drove upstate for some salmon fishing.

Although the fishing was not very good, the time I spent meeting people and seeing upstate New York in the fall is a time I will never forget.

I have also been fortunate enough to have had the chance to visit England.

Some of the bonds that happen go much further than clients. I have met many people that I consider very close friends.

But there is sad side. Many people I meet have retired and are older in age.

Some of these fisherman began fishing with me 15 or more years ago.

The last few years I lost a couple clients that I grew attached to, one of those was Gene Skoog.

I knew our fishing trips were soon coming to a end. He had informed that due to health reasons he and his wife were selling their house here. He said it was time to be closer to the family, so you know the day is coming, but you try not to think too much about it.

On our last trip, in late spring, when we got back to the marina it was a little tough. We gave each other a hug and he

gave me a very nice thank you card.

Who knows, maybe Gene can still get back down for one more weekend, they still have very good friends that still fish with me.

Then there are the guys that you see very often. Probably two of the coolest guys I’ve had the pleasure to fish are lifelong friends of 62 years; Tom Brown and Tom Titzer.

These two guys would fish with me

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He sometimes fished with his girlfriend Linda and I had some clients I could pair him with, but it was never the same without the other Tom. I don’t know how many times I laughed my tail off at these two, arguing back and forth about casting over one and another’s lines and who’s fault it was they got tangled up. It wasn’t as bad as Grumpy Old Men, but it was pretty dang close!

Well recently I received a call that Tom Brown had passed. I spent most of that day thinking about times on the boat we had, listening to these two guys bicker back and forth like a married couple. I have been very lucky these years. I have been to some amazing places, and met some amazing people. I look forward to what the future in this industry brings me.

FISH PIX!

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Andy, Justin and Gavin Medina with a big carp from a Port Charlotte canal.

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.

941-916-5769

Capt. Dave Stephens, www.bayxtremes.com

Tom Brown

weekly for 4-or 5-months out of the year. So it’s hard not to bond a friendship with clients like that.

Then a couple years ago Tom Brown’s health was failing and he wasn’t going to be making the trip down to Florida any more. However Tom Titzer still fished with me on a regular basis.

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Rainy days in Rotonda, Tim Flack Looks like a gator had a hold of this guy - two marks

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YOUR AD HERE! call Ellen at Water LIFE

Kayaking - Trout are Back!

By Bob Fraser Water LIFE Kayaking I had a few trips last month, one was with a guy from Canada and the other party was with a grandfather, son-in-law, and grandson. The grandfather, Danny, showed up the younger guys. He caught fish from the first cast until the trip ended.

The trout were hungry the day we went out. Collectively, the three guys caught over 45 trout in about 3 ½ hours. Danny caught over 20 trout himself. Of course, we caught a bunch of ladyfish and catfish. The bait of choice was live shrimp under a Cajun Thunder popping cork. The amount of trout surprised me, but also the size of them. Danny caught about 10 slot size (15-to 20-inch) trout before he caught a small one.

Danny caught on really quick on using the popping cork. Using live shrimp with a popping cork is the easiest way to catch fish for beginners and people with just a little bit of experience.

I teach people that I take out to look for spotty bottom (sandy areas in the grass) and cast over the edge

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Cameron Mowey with Captain George. Snook

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and bring the bait through the sandy area to the other edge of the grass. Although the water was a little cloudy from all the rain, we could find the spotty bottom in the grass flats. Danny caught on real quick locating the sand and grass areas.

Although, there is a knack for popping the cork.

Most first timers hardly move the cork when they pop

Cameron Mowey nice redfish Charlotte Harbor

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it. I have to tell them to make a splash with the cork. I like to pop it twice then let it sit for 10-15 seconds and pop it again.

Some beginners use a steady retrieve dragging the cork through the water and I have to remind them and show them again how to pop the cork.

I wasn’t sure the weather was going to hold up for us because it was an afternoon trip from 1-to 5pm, that’s usually when we get the rain and thunderstorms. We fished in Gasparilla Sound and had a sunny afternoon with a light breeze, perfect weather.

The next day I took out a guy from Canada. The wind had changed directions and velocity from the day before. It was quite rough in the beginning.

Bob Fraser www.kayakfishingwithbob.com bobmfraser@gmail.com

Barb F w/Captain George Charlotte harbor snook

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Cameron Smith, shark, Cape Haze

Good Signs, Bad Signs SEPTEMBER 2019

Capt. Chuck Eichner Water LIFE Charlotte Harbor Recognizing Nature’s clues when on the water will lead you to successful angling. Over the years I have learned many things about signs, both nature given and man-made, when it comes to anything to do with boating and fishing.

A recent fishing trip started with the engine alarm going off on the first start of the morning. I turned off the key and restarted with no problems and away we went. Fifteen minutes later I lost power and the engine shuttered and coughed... but then started working normally.

Many would have continued on their way, but I reflected on bad starts to fishing trips and the many times a trip with a bad start ends up being a very bad day.

In this case we used good judgement and as it turned out we barely made it back to the dock.

At the slip, I pitched my “dry bag” on shore like I normally do.

It’s got a strong latch and is water-proof.

When it hit the dock, the latch popped open, my auto-inflatable PFD pops out, falls into the canal and auto-inflates! So now I know they really work and what they look like inflated. A bad day got worse and I was glad I was back.

With that I lamented about other bad starts. Back when I was a bass guide I had a flat on my trailer on the way to the ramp at 4:30 am on a busy road in Washington D.C. Not fun that was a very bad start!

Since this was pre-cell phone, I couldn’t call them. I changed the tire and met my charter an hour late. But when I arrived they were happy and excited because they caught 3 nice largemouth casting around the boat slip pilings while they waited. Eight hours later we were back to the dock ... totally skunked! That day felt really bad from beginning to end.

My next trip out on Charlotte Harbor starts off beautifully. Flat calm waters, a livewell full of bait and the sun is rising in the east. I head to my first spot for redfish on a flooded mangrove bush, below Alligator Creek.

Lines in the water and nothing doing

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so I decided to idle over to some bushes I never fished and there are tarpon rolling in 3-feet of water, some pushing 40-pounds! Then, a group of birds starts flying over-head and the water is alive with tarpon but none would hit my line!

Live bait or lures.... nada!

I then notice out in the middle of the flat behind the bar is another flock of birds, some sitting, diving and active.

There I find more tarpon! I watched as several boats ran right through the active birds heading to their favorite fishing hole. I watched the water carefully but could not see what they were feeding on. No minnows skipping but there was feeding going on.

My pilchards and threadfins were ignored. Then I hooked a sailcat that belched a belly full of small shrimp.

Now there was a sign! A fly rod with a shrimp imitation would have done the trick, I am sure. Then I saw birds active outside the bar and motored over there, where dozens of lazy pelicans were so full of shrimp they would not get out of the way of the boat!

Normally they don’t let you get close.

I can assure you there was a fish feeding frenzy going on shortly before I arrived.

The moral of the story is pay attention to Nature. It’s really the oldest story in the book when it comes to fishing and hunting. You can’t assume birds in the air means ladyfish or jacks. I will also assure you that a rough start in the morning will often end with a rough finish!

Capt. Chuck Eichner operates Action Flats Backcountry Charters.

He can be reached at 941-628-8040

WWW.WATERLIFEMAGAZINE.COM

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SEPTEMBER 2019

Sometimes Unsubstanciated, But Often True

MOSAIC WORMING THEIR WAY IN The University of Florida and its IFAS Sea Grant program have been in Mosaic phosphate miningʼs sights for a while, but now the University has reciprocated and appointed Mark Kaplan, as its Vice President for Government and Community Relations.

Kaplanʼs is the former senior vice president for public affairs at the Mosaic Company.

Mosaic also funds the National Estuary Program, the group who checks the water quality in Charlotte Harbor.

COWPATHS IN THE SKY Do storms and areas of disturbed weather follow some unseen tracks in the sky, like cows follow a cowpath through a field? Asking for a friend!

ANTICLIMACTIC FWC Lieutenant Pomares heard gun shots while speaking to two bicyclists exiting the Aerojet complex within SFWMD property. The bicyclists said that a helicopter had circled and landed in the complex. Lieutenant Pomares alerted dispatch and responded to the area. He located the helicopter with the engine running and an individual walking back to the helicopter. Lieutenant Pomares ascertained that he was alone. The subject was in possession of a shotgun and a .45 handgun. Lieutenant Pomares secured the weapons and cited the individual for trespass on SFWMD property and unauthorized landing on SFWMD property. He was warned for discharge of firearm.

Report doesnʼt say what happened to the helicopter or if he was allowed to take off!

Geeezzzz!!

Hawaii is raising and releasing one-halfmillion sea urchins to combat a fungus that is covering their coral We hope they have thought this through....!

ACCORDING TO SCIENTISTS... The Earth's magnetic field is thought to be generated by the iron in the planet's core. As it moves around, the iron produces electric currents that extend far into space. This magnetic field acts as a barrier, protecting the Earth from the solar wind - a stream of charged particles from the Sun that could strip away the ozone layer if it were to impact the atmosphere. Scientists recently announced the magnetic north pole had moved unexpectedly. Instead of tracking steadily from the Canadian Arctic towards Siberia, Magnetic North moved so much that researchers had to update the World Magnetic Model (WMM)—a representation of Earth's magnetic field that is used by GPS systems worldwide.

CRACK THE WHIP Officers responded to a boating accident with injuries that occurred on the Suwannee River just north of the Suwannee/Santa Fe confluence. A jet ski was pulling a single tube with two female occupants. As the jet ski approached a turn on the river, the tubers were slung wide and one occupant struck the motor cowling of a beached vessel.

The female sustained a broken/dislocated arm and was transported by a friend to Lake City Medical Center for treatment. The jet ski was undamaged, the scratch on the cowling buffed right out!

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

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Michael Kusmierek, Cape Coral, African pompano

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Manning Ruff is one tough 11-year-old, who was able to hold it together enough to ride his bike home and get his dad to take him to the ER. All while what appears to be a Storm WildEye® Live Crappie dangled from his eyelid!

TOO MUCH YOU NAME IT A team of researchers studying the nitrogen content of Rocky Mountain rainwater were shocked to find that collected water samples from high up on the mountains were teeming with microplastic.… chunks of blue, orange, pink, you name it," lead author Gregory Wetherbee, a research chemist with the U.S. Geological Survey, told CPR News.

DONT LET THAT STOP YOU A Welsh seaside town plans to install public toilets with measures designed to prevent people from having sex inside, including a squealing alarm, the doors shooting open, and a chilly spray of water.

TURTLE TAXI FWC Officer Brodbeck responded to a complaint regarding subjects on Singer Island in possession of hatchling sea turtles. The officer located the subjects and discovered a bucket containing 4 hatchling sea turtles. The subject said they had been instructed by Loggerhead Marine Life Center to place the hatchlings in a bucket and bring them to the facility for veterinary care, but were unsure of the location to take the turtles.

The turtles were taken by the officer to the Loggerhead Marine Life Center.

Venice Jetty, August. No fish were injured TOO MUCH STUFF The US Navy has had enough of touch screens and is going back to physical controls for its destroyers. Starting next summer the Navy will refit its DDG-51 destroyer fleet with a physical throttle and helm control system. The effort is a response to feedback the Navy solicited in the wake of a pair of fatal crashes involving that class of ship during 2017. Although the agency found that the probable cause was "a lack of effective operational oversight of the destroyer by the US Navy," it also criticized the ship's complex throttle and steering touch screen controls, noting: when a sailor was instructed to transfer the throttle control to a different workstation, they also transferred the ship's steering control at the same time. Unfortunately, the Integrated Bridge and Navigation System was being run in a backup mode that did not safeguard against this happening.

We really made the helm control system, specifically on the [DDG] 51 class, just overly complex, with the touch screens under glass .... and all this kind of stuff," said USN Rear Admiral Bill Galinis.

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Black tip in the Myakka Right: Kami Ringer with a red fish

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Jay Goldschmitt Night shift snook at El JoBean

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International Sawfish Day is October 17 Water LIFE Environment

By Tonya Wiley, Havenworth Coastal Conservation Sawfishes are considered one of the world’s most threatened elasmobranchs (sharks, rays, and skates) and yet few people know about these amazingly unique animals. There are five species of sawfish in the world and all are assessed as Critically Endangered or Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.

International Sawfish Day is an annual event held on October 17 to raise awareness for these spectacular rays and to highlight the threats they face in order to safeguard their future. Founded by the European and American Associations of Zoos and Aquariums and the Sawfish Conservation Society, the first International Sawfish Day was celebrated in 2017.

To celebrate International Sawfish Day

search programs and helps strengthen the collaborative relationships between the public aquarium community and research and field conservation organizations.

On October 17, 2019 the third International Sawfish Day will be celebrated online and at events at aquariums, museums, zoos, schools, and other institutions and organizations around the world. The American Association of Zoos and Aquariums will coordinate a fundraiser to contribute to sawfish research. Information about events and the fundraiser can be found at www.InternationalSawfishDay.org.

Want to get involved? Resources are available from the Sawfish Conservation Society to help you celebrate in style or host your own event and increase your knowledge about all five species of sawfish. You can print posters and handouts and discover fun sawfish craft ideas. You can also buy an official International Sawfish Day t-shirt to proudly wear on October 17, and any day, to promote the conservation of sawfishes.

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

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Debʼs first bass ever.

Great job!

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Readerʼs Photos Txt Us Ur Fish - see page 4

Emily Heth 5 lbs 12 oz bass in Lake Placid, Florida Her first fish on a baitcaster

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Information about scheduled events and other International

participating organizations from around the world including public aquaria, conservation agencies, and research facilities hold celebrations and events, share messages and images on social media, and help spread the word about sawfish. Social media posts using the official hashtag #IntlSawfishDay and interactive events at public aquaria and zoos reach hundreds of thousands of people in the days leading up to, including, and following International Sawfish Day. In addition to the awareness generated for sawfish, International Sawfish Day raises funds for sawfish field re-

Sawfish Day resources can be found at www.SawfishConservationSociety.org and the Sawfish Conservation Society Facebook public group at www.facebook.com/groups/91335002341.

Tonya Wiley, President Tonya@havenworth.org 941-201-2685 www.havenworth.org Tax-deductible donations to help us continue our mission to promote the sustainable use and conservation of marine resources through research, outreach, and education can be made at https://www.oceanfdn.org/donate/havenworthcoastal-conservation

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Molly with a nice bass!

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Chase Buen and Josh Gieselman sea trout, near Pine Island

Al, fishing in Englewood. Good morning action!

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SEPTEMBER 2019

September – Predictions and Suggestions Charlotte Harbor Andy 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

"Scuba" Steve Brandes, doing what he does.

Reeling in trophies.

Youʼll learn something and youʼll catch some fish!

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

I caught this cLUNKER just off the boat ramp, at Nav-AGator. Shauna Shows

There is a lot of ‘juvi’ tarpon and black drum at the Punta Gorda bridge. The drum can be had on cut crab or shrimp. Snook are in just about every spillway. Redfish are throughout Turtle Bay and the lower west wall. I don’t think the reds are coming back all the way up into the Harbor. But there are pinfish and so still some scattered redfish on the east side. Last month we caught them down at the south end of the East Wall. They are following the clean water.

Still plenty of tarpon in the Harbor that’s the best fish to catch right now because it’s here! I haven’t seen much on the trout side. The cleaner salt water to the south has kept the trout down there. Last week, we brought pinfish from Pirate Harbor to Colony Point and they all died. Now the salinity will go away even more with the storm’s rain.

For bass fishing, we have been concentrating on the spillways for the big fish. There is plenty of water now, I don’t know where more water is going to go, but it is going to go somewhere

Lemon Bay, Placida, Gasparilla Sound Jim at Fishermen’s Edge 941-697-7595 People are saying there are a lot of glass minnows around or small green backs - maybe it’s the next brood of live bait.

There are reports of people catching snook and redfish.

Some of my customers went out for two days and they said they were catching reds on every cast. They had caught white bait and in Catfish and Whidden Bay they said the reds

started to gang up in every spot – that’s where the reds have been... up in there. Down in the sooth end of Lemon Bay the spots holding fish have given the guys something to catch.

The trout in Gasparilla Sound have been 23- to 24-plus inches and the guys had 3 or 4 of them -nicest trout in a long while!

Some guys are on pompano off the Tom Adams Bridge, and they know what a pompano is.

Another fellow said the same thing: pompano are out by Stump Pass and there is still Spanish in the Big Pass, coming and going and a couple in and around Gasparilla Pass – mostly on the incoming tide.

The other thing is snapper are still being caught around the mangroves, but you have to weed through the small ones.

There has been some tarpon around, coming in and out of the Pass on a good tide and quite a few up the River in Charlotte Harbor. It’s such a big body of water you have to stay on top of them to find them, but most of the guides seem to know. They are catching them on BaitBusters, pinfish, and greenbacks up in the Harbor, some guys get big crabs but you have to get past the big catfish – this year the catfish are the survivors.

Offshore, quite a few guys had good days on the red grouper situation. Guys I know got 6 keepers in 100 or 115 foot depths. And they caught a lot of other fish closer in - reef fish, snapper, almaco jacks. A number of guys said they did well on the grouper with dead bait.

Others were using whole squid.

Freshwater is going on.

Guys catching somewhat nice bass, 4- or 5-pounders. A lot of small little neighborhood ponds and golf course lakes have quality bass in them right now.

Englewood Bait House live shrimp etc.

Head-Boat Trips Offshore Fishing 941- 475-4511

SEPTEMBER 2019

BACK ISSUES @

The BIG-4 BLACK DRUM, Bridges and canals most everywhere

FISH PIX!

September

WWW.WATERLIFEMAGAZINE.COM

Fish you can expect in

TARPON few in the pass, more in the Harbor and River

RED SNAPPER Nice fish from 30- to 50-miles out

SNOOK At the spillways

Text Us Ur Fish Pix! see page 4

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Nearshore water temps are high 80s.

There are nice fish around.

Watch the weather!

95˚ 90˚

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

85˚ 80˚

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Hi my name is Marlin Colson ... caught a jack with shrimp in Punta Gorda

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

68˚ 50˚

from Water LIFE magazine

from Water LIFE magazine

Eric Walker...black drum.

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Karli Klocinski, 12 years old, 36-inch snook

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Steve Thomas, El JoBean snook

Little Man with the Paraflex Kid in the background sporting a sweet permit!!

Way to go kid!

LAST CAST

These are the last pictures we received before going to print this month

FISH PIX!

Kevin Golden 6-ft approximately 70 from Water LIFE magazine

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Danny Godwin with a cobia and a bluegill from Water LIFE magazine

72˚ 70

Caught and released the snook from Shell Creek

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Jim Barker Trout Creek jack.

75˚

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

K.J. Amanis, largemouth bass

pound amberjack and Alicia Golden 61.75 inches approximately 80-pound amber jack

45˚

FISHING RIGHT NOW: STILL GOOD!

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SEPTEMBER 2019