Water
LI FE
Charlotte Harbor, Lemon Bay, Venice, Estero, 10,000 Islands and the Gulf
The Don Ball School of Fishing
August 2016
txt us ur fish pix!
Michael Monge 90.2 lb Black Grouper caught off of Naples
see page 4
FISH PIX! Itʼs what we do!
from Water LIFE magazine
Lyz Roberts under the El Jobean Bridge with a Black Drum
Keeping ʻem Happy Page 19
Your Last FWC Safety Stop!
Searching for Scallops page 15
Page 21
Page 6
Friendly Success
www.WaterlifeMagazine.com
FREE!
PAGE
2
EMAIL:
WATERLIFE@COMCAST.NET
AUGUST 2016
AUGUST 2016
ONLINE EVERY MONTH @
WWW.WATERLIFEMAGAZINE.COM
PAGE 3
PAGE
4
EMAIL:
WATERLIFE@COMCAST.NET
AUGUST 2016
Tune in to Radio Fishinʼ anytime! Talk shows with Fishinʼ Frank @ FishinFranks.com
eMail letters and photos to: WaterLIFE@comcast.net
Txt Us Ur Fish Pix What You Need To Know : txt to: 941 457 1316 store this number in your phone!
We like Fresh Fish so please donʼt send old photos.
a real catch it may not make it to print.
;-(
We like the First Catch so donʼt send us fish if you are also sending the same fish to another publication, like for instance ... the Charlotte Sun Know the Bag Limit One or two photos is all weʼll probably have room for.
Bigger is Better, higher resolution is best. Please donʼt adjust, crop or sharpen your pictures, let us do that, if necessary. No Towels! Hold ʻem with wet hands and please hold big fish horizontally.
No Fishy Fish If we canʼt tell that it's
Send Where? Txt them to
941-457-1316
Be sure to include (at least) your name and type of fish (txt only, voice calls cannot be answered) You may also eMail pictures to: waterlife@comcast.net
Best Picture Wins You donʼt really win anything, but if itʼs a better picture of a bigger fish or something very cool or unusual, it has an excellent chance of getting into the magazine or maybe even onto the cover! All Rights FREE Except for publishing pictures when you send them, we claim no rights or liabilities for your pictures what so ever.
Fishing Captain Wanted
To Water LIFE My wife and I reside at One Colony Point Dr. We have been informed that the Vivante association along with the developer Vent LLC & Stock Development who has plans to build a project on the same track called Trevi 1, have filed an exception application file # 04-16 into the local (Punta Gorda) zoning and compliance board to open a sea wall access, cut down mangroves and dredge a channel into the Peace River along with 296-300 boat slips and building a fuel station on the property. This proposal is for the north end of their property along Colony Point Dr. We would like to inform everyone that a large area of the Charlotte Harbor estuary will be destroyed. The notice of public hearing has not yet been posted. It would be tragedy to allow this type of environmental damage. There will be runoff that will enter the estuary. This project must not be allowed to go forward. Dave Dalton
Dear Charlotte Harbor Reef Assn. Thank you for giving CHEC a fishing pole and tackle box to raffle off. I attended fishing camp this year and had a great time. I was lucky enough to win the fishing pole and tackle box. I can assure you that I will enjoy using and catching Jackson with program director many fish with it. Nan Fetzer and instructor, Capt. Sincerely, Ron Blago. Jackson Benedict
Are you a full time captain? Have you been at it for more than 5 years? Do you like teaching kids about Fishing? The Water LIFE magazine Don Ball School of Fishing has an opening for a teacher this fall. This is a paid position. For more information please eMail waterlife@comcast.net
Water LIFE inc. 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 XV No 8 © 2016
NO PART of this publication (printed or electronic) may be copied, reproduced or reused without specific written permission from the publishers (and thatʼs never happened!).
Contributing Editors:
Photography: ASA1000.com Senior Editor: Capt. Ron Blago Baitshop Commentary: Fishinʼ Frank Peace River: Capt. David Stephens Punta Gorda: Capt. Chuck Eichner Venice: Glen Ballinger Estero: Capt. Joe Angius Everglades City: Capt. Charlie Phillips Diving: Adam Wilson Kayaking: Bob Fraser Sea Grant: Capt. Betty Staugler Beach Fishing: Mallory Herzog Pier Fishing: Bobby Vitalis Delicious Seafood: Nicloe Coudal
On the Cover:
Txt us ur fish: Michael Monge texted us his 90 pound black grouper, and a second photo of him with an armfull of big lobsters. See page 6
“I GOT CALLS FROM ALL OVER THE PLACE FROM MY AD LAST SUMMER” ADVERTISE HERE!
$99 per month!
Water LIFEʼs 1/8 page ad (this size)
still just
call 941-766-8180
LEONARD AT TOP NOTCH CANVAS
“... A LOT MORE CALLS FROM YOUR PUBLICATION THAN FROM ... THAT OTHER WATER PUBLICATION”
The effective & economical month-long advertising solution
4- C O L O R is always FREE WE areTHE WAY to reach people who love the WATER!
www.waterlifemagazine.com in print - online - and always FREE
TOM AT THE BOAT HOUSE “ADVERTISING WITH YOU IS A NO BRAINER! IT WORKS FOR US”
Free on your Device too!
C h ec k A r o u n d - s e e w h er e l o ca l a d v e r t i s e r s a r e p u t t i n g t h e i r h a r d e a r n e d d o l l a r s
AUGUST 2016
ONLINE EVERY MONTH @
THE NOT-SO-SWEET SIDE EFFECTES OF SUGAR Commentary, by Michael Heller Water LIFE editor A reader wrote, saying ‘I hope Water LIFE (the emphasis was on Water) will report on what’s happening with Lake Okeechobee.’ So here, to the best of my knowledge, is what I know and think. After the hurricane of 1924 a new dyke was built along the south shore of Lake Okeechobee. It created new farming opportunities that did not exist before. In 1959 Alfonso Fanjul, heir to the sugar empire in Cuba, fled the incoming Castro regime for Florida. Fanjul ended up in business at Lake Okeechobee, growing sugar cane, which, thanks to government subsidies, became more expensive in the U.S. than elsewhere. Along with the new sugar cane industry came new mechanized farming techniques with heavy applications of pesticides and fertilizer. That mix eventually seeped into the ground water. The Army Corps of Engineers, charged with keeping the Lake’s water table level, sent lake water east toward the Atlantic and west to the Gulf. Ground water pollution combined with septic tank runoff along the rivers, brought more and more algae, bacteria and phosphates to both coasts. The public argued for years that the only solution to the Lake Okeechobee crisis was to buy the land to the south, create surface-water retention areas, develop a rigorous water quality regime and a
method of conveyance adequate to deal with the toxic mess. Dealing with septic runoff (expensive) was not a popular idea. Voters went to the polls in the 1990s and agreed that ‘Big Sugar’ must be primarily responsible for cleaning up its own pollution. The Fanjuls were donating to both Democrats and Republicans. Coincidently, nothing happened after the vote. In 2008 the Fanjuls were outraged when then Governor Crist offered to buy US Sugar land — more than 125,000 acres, at a projected cost to the state of about $1.2 billion — this, without consulting them. According to Alan Fargo, reporting in the Huffington Post, Multiple, six-figure campaign contributions were shunted to Marco Rubio by Fanjul’s son Pepe while son Alfonso Jr. donated to Debbie Wasserman Rubio and Pepe Fanjul Schultz’cause. US Sugar, the other branch of the Big Sugar cartel, also anteed up. The Fanjuls must have seen the writing on the wall – at some point they would have to sell. The Fanjuls countered plans to use sugar land for cleansing toxic lake water and applied for county and state zoning changes to allow them to develop “Inland Ports” in the Everglades Agricultural Area. New zoning and new plans for
WWW.WATERLIFEMAGAZINE.COM
Name: Ashley Casey Fish: Snook
PAGE 5
TEXT US UR FISH PIX!
development would theoretically justify an increase in the value of their land. When asked to answer for his support of Big Sugar, Marco Rubio defaulted to his standard response: “Sugar subsidies are a matter of national security.” Voters went to the polls again in 2014 to pass a constitutional amendment — approved by more than 75 percent of Floridians — to buy environmentally important lands like those owned by US Sugar and the Fanjuls. More political favors must have been done. Again nothing happened. Now, Florida political leaders, led by Gov. Rick Scott and Agriculture Secretary Adam Putnam, have come up with yet another scheme. They won’t buy the land to the south, they’ll just run the untreated water south, probably from Lake Harbor,
see page 6
and hope it filteres itself clean, naturally, as it runs through the Everglades, toward Florida Bay and the Keys. Is that just another ploy to affect land values? I don’t see how the Federal DEP would allow such a dangerous, uncontrolled experiment. But I didn’t see how the voters could have been ignored either. Land for treating the polluted water must be part of any future plan. Why Eminent Domain (the public need) isn’t used to acquire land is beyond me. The area they want to drain into is thick saw grass and wide open patches with shallow sheet flow and spectacular wildlife. There are canals and cypress islands. In wet season it’s green as far as the eye can see. The Seminoles live there. How sweet do you suppose they think this new idea is?
PAGE
6
EMAIL:
Best Part of Summer By Capt. David Stephens Water LIFE Charlotte Harbor One of the best parts of being a guide is the opportunity to spend time with friends and family on the water and summer being the slower time of the year for me, I get to spend it with people that I care about. The first two weeks last month, a really good buddy came down too visit from Tennessee. We have a lot of history together, we have been friends since my late teens. After talking on the phone a few times we decided on a plan. The plan was to take my boat off shore to fish for permit and snapper. The past week the Harbor and Gulf had been like glass, not a ripple anywhere. We met at the Placida boat ramp at 7am to catch live bait for the snapper. We used small crabs for the permit. As we pulled out of the channel bait was flipping all over the surface. After a couple tosses of the net the live well was full. So I pulled a number up on my GPS and we headed out of the pass. On the way out I noticed it wasn’t one of
WATERLIFE@COMCAST.NET
those glass calm mornings, but we continued on any way. My boat does really well in a chop, especially with a following sea. We got to our first destination about 5-to 6-miles off the pass and from the beginning we realized this might not work out. I think it was the waves coming over the bow that helped us make our decision! We figured when we got back to the pass we would put together plan B. We decided to fish Little Gasparilla Pass for snapper. If you have ever fished this pass then you know how the tide rips through it. Anchoring was out of the question, so I used my trolling motor and put us on anchor lock. The biggest problem was you couldn’t hardly get a bait to the bottom. Then a stroke of brilliance hit us. Why don’t we just drift with the current? After that, the was game on. I can’t remember the total number of fish we caught, but it was a lot. Not only did we catch snapper we caught a good number of grouper and a lit-
AUGUST 2016
Spencer Lapsʼ gag grouper on Day Breaker Charters
tle nurse shark. My friend grew up in southwest Florida so he knew what to expect, however his wife and two kids are from Tennessee and have limited knowledge of our local fishing. I have always enjoyed spending the day fishing with kids. The excitement on their faces when they see and experience things for the first time is priceless. If you would like to experience some of South West Florida’s finest fishing give us a call, or send us an email. All of our charters are private and customized to fit you and your party’s needs. Capt. Dave Stephens www.backbayxtremes.com 941-916-5769
Hannah wasnʼt afraid to get a little blood on the decks, fishing just outside Boca Grande Pass with Sanibel Offshore Fishing Charters.
CANVAS & UPHOLSTERY
AUGUST 2016
ONLINE EVERY MONTH @
WWW.WATERLIFEMAGAZINE.COM
PAGE 7
PAGE
8
EMAIL:
10,000 Islands / Everglades City
WATERLIFE@COMCAST.NET
AUGUST 2016
Inshore Has Actually Gotten Better By Capt. Charlie Phillips Water LIFE / Everglades City
Boy if you don’t like cold weather, Florida has certainly given you your money’s worth this year. July was HOT HOT HOT, but even in spite of the high water temps and blazing heat the fishing has been pretty strong all month long.
Offshore the month started out strong with tripletail on the crab traps and lots of permit, cobia, snapper and grouper on the wrecks and structures of the area. I have seen this slowing down as the
month has gone along though. That water is hot out there and the fish are moving a little deeper in search of more comfortable conditions for the moment, but that’s not to Mr. Joe Timm from Labelle and crew with a solid say don’t bother going wreck permit caught on a live crab for a look. Early in the the month has gone along. mornings and after the daily thunderstorms are great times to stop by and see Fishing early mornings, along with that same after the thunwho’s home. derstorm window has been Inshore has actually gotten better as pretty productive for my angler and myself lately. Solid catches of slot redfish and snook have been coming out of the bays one bay back from the open gulf, as well as up front on the open water beaches, points and likely ambush spots. If you’re still trying to find those likely ambush spots, here’s a tip. If you have good water flow, coupled with an eddy or break in the current and your seeing mullet, glass minnows, or other baitfish, push thru….you have found the ambush spot!!
Steve and Don with inshore reds, trout and flounder
Speckled trout are still coming from the grass on the high tide stages, as well as jacks, and ladyfish. Lots of snapper on the mangrove edges as well as a surprising amount of pretty solid sized sheepshead always easy to see as you’re cruising along.
Y’all have a great month, keep cool and keep an eye to the sky. The Glades don’t offer much protection from the lightning storms that have been pushing thru, so your best bet is to hit it early, then get back in for the afternoon siesta in the AC till they are gone. Have fun out there – talk to you next month. Capt. Charlie Phillips: 863-517-1829 e-mail: hopefishing@hotmail.com Web: hopefishing.com
Sawfish in a deep backcountry creek
Black drum caught 8 miles offshore
AUGUST 2016
ONLINE EVERY MONTH @
Great Bay and Sound Scallop Search
Scallop searchers lay a line on the bottom, between floats (top) and then search the width of a pvc pipe (above) on both sides of the line, looking for the fluted-shelled scallop.
By Capt. Betty Staugler Water Life / Sea Grant Another year of the Great Bay Scallop Search is in the books, and once again, we were not skunked. My goal every year is one live scallop. One tells me conditions are good enough for bay scallops to grow here. A higher count is a bonus. This year our count was 16. Sixteen might not seem like a lot, but the bay scallop population in southwest Florida is collapsed. It has been since the 1960s. There's no escaping that. In the late 1990s it was extremely rare to find a bay scallop. Now I get fairly regular reports of bay scallop sightings. Search volunteers survey by snorkeling four straight lines (we call them transects) approximately 150 foot in length and counting scallops within a 3 foot swath of their survey line. This year, I had 21 teams participate. Each team surveyed in different locations. Bay scallops were found in Lemon Bay and Gasparilla Sound. More scallops were found than the 16 counted (we don't count scallops found outside the search area); and a lot of snorkelers found scallop
A scallop shell above and a live scallop, below. Scallop shells decompose quickly, so a scallop was alive in that spot recently.
shells, a good indication that live bay scallops recently occurred there. The icing on the cake for me is that my bad-weather-spell was broken! We had great weather for the event; even a nice breeze. For those who don't know, my event has fallen on days with torrential downpours, rough seas, stirred up water, and pretty much any other bad kind of inclement weather that could possibly occur. The Great Bay Scallop Search has gone on every year since 2009. Counts have ranged from a high of 163 in 2010 to a low of 1 in 2013.
Capt. Betty Staugler, Florida Sea Grant Agent. UF/IFAS Extension Charlotte Co. (941) 764-4346
WWW.WATERLIFEMAGAZINE.COM
PAGE 9
PAGE
10
EMAIL:
ReaderĘźs photos
FISH PIX!
f r o m Wa t e r L I F E m a g a z i n e
David Kloor. North Port Fl, 35-inch red grouper, 32 miles offshore, out of Boca Grade pass.
WATERLIFE@COMCAST.NET
AUGUST 2016
Txt Us Ur Fish Pix! see page 4
Capt Brandon Hancock with 45" full moon snook. She was released and unharmed
Right: Capt Brandon Hancock and son Gunner Hancock with a nice permit.
Dan Cronin hoists a 52lb Cobia, shot in 60' of water off Clearwater. He required 2 shafts and still fought like crazy on the ascent.
Redfish on top water in Bokeelia this morning, caught by Wounded Warrior Anglers Kayak Pro Staff Member/American Tackle Company pro Michael Lahn. Thank you your consideration!
Michael Monge with some really healthy lobsters
Five-year-old Erin Hayes caught this snook off (Venice) south jetty's on 6-pound test and a piece of dead squid
Kathy Stacy caught this nice snook at Ponce Park
Austin Celli with a 17-inch sheepshead, first week of July
Brianna Henyecz with the largest fish of the day a 28 inch red grouper caught in the Gulf while fishing with family
Michael Hernandez caught this Black Drum off the dock while fishing at Nana's house in Punta Gorda Isles! Name: Grace, Fish: snook
AUGUST 2016
Estero Bay: By Captain Joe Angius Water LIFE Estero Bay
ONLINE EVERY MONTH @
A Healthy Estuary
Recently growing concerns for water quality across the state of Florida have been amplified through local media sources and social media platforms. This publicity is great, in the fact that the public is more aware of the ecological issues that Florida is facing and how these issues impact economic growth. As a fishing captain it is impossible not to bear the weight of both the ecological and economic disasters at hand. It has become my responsibility to encourage clients and tourists that want to fish that there are a lot of areas that have not been -greatly effected or effected at all from the Okeechobee-to-the-Caloosahatchee freshwater releases; Estero Bay being one of those spots.
Anglers that fish Estero Bay must remember that Estero is the Latin word for estuary: a body of water characterized by shallow and brackish water. This means that our body of water undergoes constant salinity fluctuations throughout the year, dependent on rainfall. During the summer months it is not uncommon to see high levels of freshwater with algae growth in some areas of Estero Bay. It seems as if this year in Estero Bay is no different than
WWW.WATERLIFEMAGAZINE.COM
the others with the exception of the El Niño bringing more rainfall and severe thunderstorms throughout Southwest Florida.
With that being said, the inshore fishing in Estero Bay has been consistent. Bait schools are showing up on the flats, only to grow larger with time, and perfect sized pinfish have been found on those same flats as well. Redfish have been congregating on shallow grass flats on low tide, but will hug tight along mangrove shorelines as they await the incoming tide. If it is low enough, these fish can be sight fished as they cruise the shorelines or tailing out in the grass flat. My bait of choice for sight casting these fish are shrimp, cut pinfish, or a jerkbait on a 3/0 bass hook. Smaller snook can be found mixed with the redfish, but most of the larger female fish are on the beaches ready to spawn. The large female fish are along the beach shorelines, deep mangrove drop-offs, and rock jetties feeding heavy on small pilchards, large threadfin, and mullet.
The majority of the time when the tide is too high, sitting and waiting for a bite to happen can be unbearable. My favorite thing to do when the tide is high and the redfish have moved way back into the
mangroves is to hunt for backwater tarpon. As long as I find an area with moving water with a rock and oyster bottom I will almost always find a school of tarpon. The larger 80-to 100-pound tarpon can be found on the flat, but it’s best to find and catch these fish early in the morning or right before dark. Our smaller 5-to 15pound tarpon conquer the backwaters and it is best to use a white jerkbait or a live pinfish to catch them. While my clients and I are hunting for these tarpon we usually stumble across pup bullsharks, goliath grouper and the occasional redfish. The fishing will continue to get better, hopefully along with the water quality in certain areas of Lee County. If you are unsure of where to fish or what is deemed clean water, it’s best to hire a local fishing guide who is on the water almost every single day. Fishing guides need your support and understanding of the issues we are facing today. With the right guide, they will do anything and everything they can to put you on quality fish and to make your experience on the water an enjoyable one. Avoid those areas with poor water quality and don’t get turned off from fishing the waters of Southwest Florida. Be safe and mindful while you spend your days on the water. Respect the wildlife and other boaters while following all of the rules and regulations put in place to protect what we love to enjoy. Captain Joe Angius Speakeasyfishing.com (727) 234-3171
PAGE 11
PAGE
12
EMAIL:
WATERLIFE@COMCAST.NET
AUGUST 2016
Nick Peirano , 37-inch snook, backcountry Englewood Todd Earhart and Chris Corwin redfish double hookup 10,000 Islands artificial shrimp
Biggest tiger shark of the year? Well over 12-feet, caught just outside Boca Grande Pass aboard Sanibel Offshore Fishing Charters
Justin Mian
My name is Jessica Lee and I'm from Fort Myers. My boy friend Sam Flores landed this beautiful 38inch snook, and the snapper were chewinʼ all day long too. P.S. Sam loves reading your magazine and now, cause of him, I'm hooked as well. Lol keep up the good job!
Courtney Martin with a nice bonita caught 16 miles out of Stump Pass. Below: Kyle Martin with another nice bonita, caught on his lucky Rockport Rattler jig.
Tammy McDermitt caught this bonita beauty 30 miles offshore from Boca Grande on July 1
FISH PIX!
f r o m Wa t e r L I F E m a g a z i n e
Cason Go
Readerʼs photos
My name is Lisa Duke, Iʼm from Bradford, Pa. Right: This is a walleye I caught at the Kinzua Reservoir. I was the first place winner in the Kinzua Outdoors Woman's Fishing Tournament with 3 walleye, 3 perch and 2 bass. Above: This is a Mahi Mahi I caught in Islamorada!
Txt Us Ur Fish Pix! see page 4
AUGUST 2016
ONLINE EVERY MONTH @
ReaderĘźs photos
WWW.WATERLIFEMAGAZINE.COM
Txt Us Ur Fish Pix! see page 4
PAGE 13
FISH PIX!
f r o m Wa t e r L I F E m a g a z i n e
ough caught this 42" snook
Matthew Jones age 11, with a 4 -pound bass from a Port Charlotte canal, after a storm
Abby Molnar and Jacob Molnar fishing off boat dock on Charlottet Harbor caught 1 sawfish and several small sting rays.
Mike Burkhart, 35-inch redfish from PGI
nte, Siesta Key, surf fishing snook.
Rebecca Vork, jack crevalle from Novak Reef
Nick Peirano, Out of Stump Pass, with African pompano, 24-pounds
Jimmy Young, Bruce Bridenbaker, out of Stump Pass. Caught 12 total over 22-pounds, African pompano
Sarah Azzam, Nichelle Gabbard and Larry Otto 29-inch cobia
Jeff Stumbo and I caught a 17-inch lane snapper
Once Again, No Manatee Plan PAGE
14
On The Line
With Capt. Ron Blago Water LIFE Senior Staff
The Charlotte County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) has been asked to approve a state run manatee protection plan (MPP), which is a “county specific management plan developed, approved and used by Federal, State and local governments to ensure the long term protection of manatees and their habitat within the confines of the county boundaries.” I personally think this is a very, very bad idea and here are 10 reasons why: 1. The manatee population has skyrocketed with the known population at a record high of 6,250. That is a 400% increase since 1991. No problem here, nothing new to see; time for everyone to move on. 2. The biggest causes of manatee deaths are nonhuman related. Red tide and cold stress are the main culprits. Already two new strains of algae blooms have been linked to over 167 manatee deaths in the Indian River Lagoon near Melbourne. Watercraft mortalities as a percent of the total manatee population have been steadily dropping. A MPP will do nothing to actually help manatees.
EMAIL:
WATERLIFE@COMCAST.NET
3. I am 99-percent sure that the manatee will be taken off the Federal Endangered Species List. Don't take my word for it, listen to the words of Kate Trip, Director of Science and Conservation for the Save the Manatee club “It seem the de-listing is inevitable”. If the manatee has recovered without a MPP; why have one now? 4. A MPP plan lives forever. As clearly stated in this plan “ State or Federal de-listing of the Florida manatee will in no way affect the enforcement of this plan.” Approval of this plan will tie the hands of any future BCC that want to improve or cancel the MPP. 5. The latest and best science was not used in this plan. The manatee mortality data stops at 2010. It doesn't factor in the high level of red tide and cold stress manatee deaths. This gives a misleading and biased picture of the manatee’s current condition. 6. Charlotte County has no warm water discharges; unlike the power plants in Lee County or the natural springs in Citrus County; manatees in our area are just passing through. We have no resident manatee population. Most of the year there are few manatees in Charlotte County. How does a MPP help manatees when they are not here? 7. Don't we have enough rules and regulations in place already to protect the manatees and their environment? We have State Aquatic Preserves, State Buffer Preserves, State Outstanding Waterways and of course the State DEP and FWC. We also have Charlotte NEP and the Federal FWS all taking control of how we use out local waterways. It seems that the only people who benefit from these agencies are the people who work for them. Do we really need a MPP? 8. You can't trust that these people are telling you the whole truth. Take the City of Punta Gorda for example. Several years ago the city worked with the state to form their own MPP. It was approved by the FWC and listed on their approved MPP list. The FWC now says that the Punta Gorda plan does not meet current needs and is no longer valid. What happened to the public review process that was required before any changes were made? I wonder if this will alter the plans Punta Gorda is reviewing to
AUGUST 2016
build a large new marina in the city. 9. Who should control our waterways; a group of state bureaucrats that no one ever voted for; or our elected local commissioners? If the state continues to take control of our local waters by establishing more and more agencies to micro-manage our county, what is left for our local officials to manage? And what do we do when they want a small tooth sawfish protection plan or a red knot shore bird protection plan, each with their own rules, regulations and restrictions? When will it stop and who will be able to stop it? 10. Who will pay? Naturally, the proposed MPP plan calls for increased spending for administration, more research and education as well as more law enforcement. Well, it won't be the state that pays, that’s for sure. The plan calls for the funding to come from local property owners and registered boat owners. To me that's like being forced to pay for the rope they are going to hang you with. I'm certain that the people on the manatee protection committee have nothing but good intentions; after all, they have spent over six years of their lives coming up with this 120-plus page plan, but we don't measure a plan's success by it's good intentions, we measure it by the goals it has achieved. The MPP program has been a failure throughout Florida. It doesn’t protect manatees, all it does is protect the jobs of a few out of touch state managers. Let's call the MPP what it really is; a Bureaucrat Protection Plan. Captronb@juno.com
AUGUST 2016
ONLINE EVERY MONTH @
Readerʼs photos
WWW.WATERLIFEMAGAZINE.COM
Txt Us Ur Fish Pix! see page 4
Jason Sullivan, black drum
Chris Szapor, jack, Punta Gorda
Tim with a nice 40-inch snook caught at Boca Grande
FISH PIX!
f r o m Wa t e r L I F E m a g a z i n e
Tj Armata with the sunshine bass he caught on Caloosahatchee River in Alva!
Kingfish (Cuda) caught Boca Pass by Ian Roberts from Fort Myers, July, 2016
28-inch gag caught inside Boca Grande Pass by Eddy
Monster redfish, 43 and half inches, useing cut mullet off sanibel. Chad Shannon
PAGE 15
Hello Water LIFE, this is nice tarpon pond fishing, a reel good day. Nicky is my name, I live near Rotonda. Thk u.. Oh yea, Water LIFE is a great mag!
Aubrey Shiflett: Biggest snook I have ever caught! Right: Her first jack!
Snook at Gasparilla while wade fishing to beat the heat Barry Shiflet.
Cousins fishing together: Aiden and Riley Williamson from Osprey went offshore with their cousins Eric and Elliot Dominguez on their uncle's boat and slayed the Red Grouper, 25 miles out of Venice.
16
Pups in the Harbor PAGE
By Fishin’ Frank Water LIFE Baitshop Summer time and the living is down right NOT easy ... it’s hot, like Africa hot. And if you’ve tried to go swimming the water is hot too. The darn Gulf of Mexico feels like a Jacuzzi spa. There is no refreshing coolness to the Gulf... but the weird part is there are a lot of fish. And there are a lot of different fish, like different species. Redfish have come way up in numbers on the east and west side of the Harbor. Dead shrimp, cut ladyfish or (best bet for catching them) cut up blue crabs. Just get a larger size blue crab, cut it in half or quarters, and toss it out. One thing, don’t check your bait – the act of reeling it in through the water will often wash out any of the meat and other stuff the fish would want, so a cut blue crab is a cast it and leave it type bait. Another fish that’s here, and a lot are being caught, is the smaller or pup bull sharks. Please keep in mind these bulls are catch-and-release size, a bull shark has to be 54-inches to keep. Head up around the I-75 bridge or out by the holes in the Harbor, catching bull sharks is not rocket science, a chum bag, a piece of cut fish and you should be catching a bull shark.
EMAIL:
WATERLIFE@COMCAST.NET
Little bit of Sunday-Funday catches.. Shark fishinʼ small bull sharks Chrissy Moesley and Andy Thompson
Some of these fish were birthed this year and they are fun on lighter tackle, say a 10-to 20- spinning rod with a 40-size reel and 20-pound braid line with 40-pound test steel leader and a 5/0 hook. I think they get the name bull shark as they dig heavy pressure and just keep pulling, it is common to have people go up to a 5000 size reel and 50 pound test just to shorten the fight. Another good fish, right now, is snook.
They are in the canals and out on the flats. I start early (and I mean dawn's crack) and work the area just inside the sandbars on the east side. As the sun comes up, I follow the snook back under the mangroves. On the east side at mid-day, green means go - leafy green branches mean shade for the fish, and if you are out in an open boat the shade of that mangrove branch can look mighty inviting to you too. Warning! Look but do NOT touch the branches of a mangrove tree in the summer. You touching the branch to get a lure out of the tree, or whatever you are doing, lets the No-see-ums know you are there, and then 20-million of them will come over to get you, just as if you rang the dinner bell. If I am snook fishing right now I am going to work a lure real slow. Maybe I’ll fish the new single hook Rapala twitch bait - it looks like, and I mean looks just like, a whitebait, If I am going to use bait I would try and catch live white bait and or thread fins and free line them. While it is very hard to keep them alive when moving place to place, I am not too worried if they die – I cut them in half and they are just as good, maybe better if you are in dark water and if you are in the Harbor, you are in dark water. I find it hard to think of them all, there
AUGUST 2016
are so many kinds of fish here, including mackerel, sand bream and snappers, even grouper like gags and Goliath are up in the Harbor right now. There are 6- to 10types of sharks and the big silver fish in the room (tarpon) are still here too. It is looking good if you’re up to the heat. Frank@fishinFranks.com 941-625-3888
Karen caught this 75pound wahoo all by herself. Below: Michael Strand and Izzie from the Barber Shop (Rogner). The bull dolphin came into the spread and ate two baits so we literally both caught the fish and gaffed him in somewhat of a green state. When he hit the deck, all heck broke lose! Fish was caught off Stewart.
AUGUST 2016
ONLINE EVERY MONTH @
Bucket-Fish Mission
By Mallory Herzog Water LIFE Fishing Temperatures are well over 90 degrees in our back bays and out into the Gulf. This can make the bite tough and leave the fish running for deeper water. Anglers know fishing the Gulf of Mexico can get them to cooler water and better fish. What most of them don’t know is you dont have to go WAY out find quality catches. The clients here were fishing near shore from Fort Myers to Englewood on hard bottom or sunken structures right off the beach. LeeGov.com and FishinFranks.com have published reef locations to explore. It’s a BIG ocean, see whats out there. Cameron brought his dad out for some fun on the water and of course to knock some first's off his bucket list. The guys were after barracuda, casting a cuda tube (A lure made of colored rubber tubing, wire and treble hooks ) They were successful in landing two with one blowing up on the lure boat-side. Cudas are a strong fighting fish with explosive runs and acrobatic jumps. Next fish on the list was goliath Grouper, these fish range from 50-to 500-pounds. Even using 600-pound monofilament you get the occasional giant that you just cant stop. Recently we had an 50-130 rod explode on an unstoppable fish. After a few bites they finally hooked into a few that stuck and got their catch boatside for a photo before release. It was a first for Cameron's dad! Near the end of the trip, Cameron hooked into a BIG king mackerel on mono leader. This fish ate a free-lined whitebait off the back of the boat. While you’re out in the Gulf keep an eye out for bonito and jack crevalle schools. These two have been traveling
together and you cant miss the commotion they make feeding on the surface. Clients were using small weighted Tsunami jigs, throwing past the school and reeling though them. The snapper bite has been great too with plenty of BIG mangrove, lane and yellow tail snapper hanging out on the bottom. We've had lucking using cut pieces of sardines and squid and drifting the bait back into a chum slick. While reeling your catch to the surface pay close attention. I recently spotted something chasing my catch. Typically this is usually a barracuda
looking for an easy meal. As it got closer to the surface and they came into focus I realized it was cobia! Having the Capt reel in a flat lined pinfish and dropping it in front of the cobia’s nose I was able to get this fired-up fish to eat boat side and then it went right into the cooler.
WWW.WATERLIFEMAGAZINE.COM
You can contact Big Bully Outdoors Charters for a trip with Mallory’s husband, Capt. Andrew Herzog. Call 941-661-9880 or visit BigBullyOutdoors.com
PAGE 17
Pier Pompano
PAGE
18
EMAIL:
WATERLIFE@COMCAST.NET
By Bobby Vitalis Water LIFE Pier Fishing Pompano are a strong fighting fish due to their flat body. This pompano was caught at the Venice South Jetty in the early morning hours; from low to high tide. If you find one, you are going to find another. The food value is ok. Their average weight is from 1 to 2 pounds, which is most common. When fishing for pompano, most of the time I use artificial lures. The jig I used is called the Eupro by Sure Baits Power Jigs. The weight I suggest you use is from 3/8 ounce to a 1/2 ounce weight. And the color of the jig is yellow and white with a pink fly Model # SBP370-3/8-WYEP or Model # SBP370-1/2-WYEP. There are other pompano jigs you can try; not just this one. They come in many different colors, and weights. If you want to increase your strikes, try using PRO CURE bait scents or use a very small piece of shrimp on the jig. The scent to use is called the INSHORE SALTWATER scent. It comes in a 2 ounce and 8 ounce squeeze bottle. This scent could be used to catch different species of fish. When casting with lures, I use 30-pound test SUFIX ADVANCE SUPER LINE (BRAIDED), color (green) as my main line. For my leader line, I use no less than 3 feet of 25-pound test SUFIX invisline 100 percent fluorocarbon leader line. When using these jigs, as you’re reeling it in, give it sharp jerks every so often. So, have a great time fishing!
THANK YOU!
Don Ball School of Fishing
to our 2016 Sponsors
There is still time for YOU to become a sponsor WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT!
941-766-8180
941-637-3800
941-625-1535
941-255-1555
941-743-5299
941-979-9010
941-637-8383
941-815-1758
941-769-3222
941-743-7435
941-639-8721
To become a sponsor and see your name here next month, visit www.waterlifemagazine.com 100% of the money goes to the kids!
AUGUST 2016
Catfish Tales: The Good, the Bad, and the Very Ugly
By Bob Fraser Water LIFE Kayaking This is for those of you that aren’t familiar with our saltwater catfish. If the gamefish like trout, redfish and snook aren’t biting, you can usually count on the saltwater catfish to give you some action. After several days of hard rain and stormy weather, about the only fish that bite in the shallow flats are catfish. The trout usually turn off for a few days, for sure. In a kayak, you are limited to where you can go. If you have a boat, your chances of catching something other than a catfish are better. I went out by myself the week of July 11 after several days of stormy weather and all I caught were catfish. The Good: When nothing else is biting the catfish can keep your rod tip bent and they often put up a good fight. You can usually tell when you have a catfish because they like to dig straight down to the bottom. Trout and redfish will swim side to side and sometimes the trout will come to the surface like a bass. There are two types of saltwater catfish, the sail cat and the hardhead. Besides putting up a pretty good fight, the sail cat is good eating. I have deep fried sail cat fillets many times and they are delicious. The hardhead cats don't taste very good. Some people use catfish for tarpon bait – they usually cut off the head and use the rest of it for bait. The Bad: If the top dorsal fin or one of the pectoral fins punctures your skin it will HURT. Some people will swell up very bad at the spot where the
catfish sticks them. Hot water is the best cure. Be careful how you handle them, especially in a kayak. I use pliers to shake them off the hook. If you want to hold them in your hand be very careful how you hold them. Go to this site for a video on how to hold a catfish without getting hurt and pictures of the sail cat and the hardhead catfish. http://www.saltstrong.com/articles/saltwater-catfish-bait. Several years ago we took some friends of ours that were visiting from Poland on their first kayak fishing trip. They have never fished or been in a kayak before. The man hooked into his first fish and I thought for sure it was a trout. I told him to swing it in the kayak – wrong thing to say! It was a catfish and one of the fins stuck him in the leg. He was in pain all day. He shouted, “it bit me.” I told him no, they don’t bite, it stuck you with a fin. I felt bad for telling him to bring it in the kayak before I knew what it was. Lesson learned, know what you have hooked before bringing it in the kayak. If you are in a boat, it’s a different story. The Ugly: They are an ugly fish. The unusually ugly one pictured here was brought in during the old Fishin’ Franks sail cat tournament. I have had clients in the past who said they had fun catching the catfish, at least they had some action and that’s mostly what they wanted – my clients like to catch and release anyway. The next time you catch a 2-to 3-pound sail cat, take it home and fry it up, you might be surprised how good it tastes.
Bob Fraser guides kayaking trips. He can be reached at 941-916-8303
AUGUST 2016
ONLINE EVERY MONTH @
Shark Boy & the Lucky Net By Capt. Chuck Eichner Water LIFE Inshore Plucking two fat blue claw crabs from my crab traps was the best bait I could come up with on short notice. Grandsons Jonah and Gavin Adler arrived just two hours prior and Jonah (age 5) told me he wanted to go shark fishing... today! Late afternoon and a low tide, we dropped anchor and chopped the crab in half and pitched out lines. With true patience both young anglers held their rods and waited for a nibble. I expected pinfish to be the first visitors but Jonah yelped “I got one” and suddenly his rod buckled and his drag was screaming. Over top of the screaming drag was a screaming Jonah, laughing his heart out as he reeled and I wondered what the heck was on his line. When a shark appeared we all yelled in unison “Shark”! Father Brian, me and the boys were ecstatic with a nice size bonnet head shark! Later I was told that Jonah told his kindergarten teachers he was going shark fishing
with his grandfather (they didn’t really believe him), but now with no time wasted, the dream of a young boy had been met and, right then and there, Jonah’s new nickname became Shark Boy! The following day was a group fishing outing with all three grandsons, parents
$2 off any haircut!
WWW.WATERLIFEMAGAZINE.COM
and grandparents. With 7 of us aboard, our mission was sharks and specifically big sharks. The night before I stayed up late preparing shark rigs with steel leaders and in the morning I loaded the coolers with chum blocks, Spanish sardines and a variety of fresh fish scraps. By days end we had fished about 8 spots. It was a good time, but apparently preparation and a lot of effort was not the recipe for success – just the opposite of the day before. The following day was also a fishing day. This one started very early with me waking Gavin (age 8) at 5 am. Pretty early for a kid, but his little feet hit the ground as his eyes were opening and next thing you know we were headed across the Harbor. This was to be a day of catching fish and lots of them! We started with cast netting baitfish and proceeded to my
PAGE 19
best spots, spots that always produced fish, trout spots, snook and redfish holes, open water places for mackerel and jacks ... but not a single bite. How can this happen? Our mantra for the day was patience. Gavin became very good at navigation with starboard and port becoming normal words for the day. Gavin suggested it was time for a pool party and I agreed. About half way home, we saw a nice sized landing net floating on the water and we picked it up. But bad luck for another angler turned out to be good luck for us! With only a 5 minute boat ride left to home, I asked Gavin if we should try one last spot, and with him in agreement we fished an oyster bar on the top of the outgoing tide. Gavin made the first cast and a big snook blasted his bait as soon as it hit the water! With his drag screeching and the fish jumping and finally coming to boatside, it seemed only appropriate to carefully land the fish with the net we just found. His next cast was a redfish, then another snook and the bite was on, each fish landed with the new net. Back at the pool it then occurred to both of us that we must have found a special Lucky Net! Wait till Gavin tells this story to his classmates! Capt. Chuck Eichner operates Action Flats Backcountry Charters and can be reached at 941-628-8040
PAGE
20
EMAIL:
Flounder with Brown Butter, Garlic & Lemon
WATERLIFE@COMCAST.NET
By Nicole Coudal Water LIFE Delicious!
I sent my husband off recently to go tarpon fishing, then got busy on blog work and the 100 or so other things I seem to do every morning. When he got back he was excited to tell me about his trip, so I assumed he had caught a tarpon or two. “Oh, no” he said. “I got something even better!” Then he showed me a pic of him holding a big flounder. We don’t catch flounder very often, so you can imagine how excited I was. It’s not the prettiest fish around, but it’s one of the most delicious, light, flaky fish out there and it’s one of my absolute favorites. With fresh flounder in the house, I tossed aside plans for roast chicken and got busy thinking about how to prepare it for dinner.
This fish doesn’t need a lot of extras because its own delicate flavor and texture should shine through. That said, I wanted to make something tasty. I decided to pan-sear the fillets and top them with a garlic-infused brown butter, lemon rind and parsley (things I just happened to have in my fridge). It was SO tasty. . .But as my last bite approached, I became sad — I guess that’s when you know you’ve made something really good!
If you’ve never made brown butter, this is your chance to try something very easy and very delicious. When butter heats up slowly, the milk solids break down and start to cook while the water evaporates. The result is a rich and nutty flavor that has so many possibilities when you replace regular butter with this wonderful concoction. It also smells delightful in the kitchen when you’re making it, so that should be motivation enough to give it a try. The key to success is keeping a watchful eye on it as it cooks – otherwise, you’ll have to start all over. Brown butter would be tasty on any light, white fish, and I think it would even be yummy
AUGUST 2016
on chicken or pork. And if you’re not a fan of garlic, simply eliminate it and you’ll still have something delicious.
INGREDIENTS 4 Tb. unsalted butter, cut into small pieces 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed 2 fresh Flounder fillets Dash kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1/4 tsp. Cajun or blackening seasoning (optional) 1 tsp. olive oil 1 tsp. lemon rind, thinly sliced or minced Handful fresh parsley, minced Lemon wedges PREPARATION
Place butter in a stainless steel pan (so you can see the changing color of the butter); bring to medium heat.
Stir constantly and after 30 seconds, add the garlic (optional). The milk solids start to come to the surface and youʼll notice itʼs taking on a golden-brown hue. Once it's the color of caramel, immediately remove from heat and pour into a heat-proof dish. Some solids might get mixed into the butter, but theyʼll sink to the bottom. Skim off foam or floating garlic with a spoon. Wipe out the butter residue in the pan with a paper towel; add 1 tsp. olive oil to the pan and heat to medium/high. Sprinkle fillets with salt and pepper (and other seasoning, if using) on both sides. Place in hot pan. Allow to cook at least 1 minute then check to see if thereʼs a brown crust forming. Use a very thin spatula to get under the fillets and flip each carefully. Cook the other side 1-2 minutes then transfer to serving plate. Top with a little brown butter, parsley, and lemon rind. Sprinkle lemon juice, if desired, along with kosher salt, if needed. Store remaining brown butter in the fridge for up to 2 weeks!
Nicole Coudal is an avid fishing gal who hails from New England but has lived in SW Florida for 25 years. Her blog: MyDeliciousBlog.com showcases her "coastal inspired" cuisine using fresh, seasonal ingredients, from sea to land.
AUGUST 2016
SCUTTLEBUTT ONLINE EVERY MONTH @
WWW.WATERLIFEMAGAZINE.COM
PAGE 21
Sometimes Unsubstanciated, But Often True we donʼt know? We were unable to reach Charles Cheek, the property owner in Tulsa
NO MORE STOPS FOR SAFETY EQUIPMENT CHECKS Florida's new vessel inspection law went into effect July 1. House Bill CS 703 prohibits local and state law enforcement from "stopping a vessel for the sole purpose of inspecting it for compliance with the safety equipment carriage and use requirements" But everyone gets one more stop. To get the new safety inspection, issued by law enforcement, they have to check your boat out. You can stop them or they can stop you... one more time. The new decal (above) must be placed on the forward half of the port side of the vessel above the waterline. Only this decal, issued by a law enforcement officer, will be valid to trigger the changes found in Florida statutes. Stickers issued by the Coast Guard or Coast Guard Auxiliary are NOT acceptable. The law also changes the careless operation section of the statute (327.33(2)): Riding on the bow of a boat will now be legal according to Florida state law unless it rises to a reckless level; however, federal law still prohibits bow-riding, so you take your chances.
ARE THEY SERIOUS? Vent LLC, a company in Naples, filed for a special exception with the City of Punta Gorda, seeking to construct a private marina, with +/-300 slips, a fuel dock, a new navigable channel extending from the marina to the Peace River, new seawalls, 12 channel markers and a riprap jetty. This all at Colony Point. Do these guys know something
the resulting explosion was caused by sparks from the vacuum motor. One of the subjects was transported to the hospital for treatment.
HOME IN A HURRY During a panther zone enforcement, an FWC officer performed 7 vehicle stops, issued 4 traffic citations and 3 written warnings. A female driving had two small children in the back seat when she was stopped for 102 mph in a 45. When asked why she was driving so fast, the woman said she just wanted to get home. Her honesty didnʼt help, a mandatory court date was set. Ok. for comment. It is, to us, unimaginable that the Army Corps of Engineers would approve such a project with the associated dredging right at the point. In fact, we think the Army Corps is laughing at the whole idea. Cutting mangroves, putting in a Jetty? HA!
TUBERS PLUNDERED Officers in the Jackson County Sheriffʼs Department helped apprehend three suspects who were robbing tubers at gunpoint along the Chipola River and Spring Creek. The suspects were in a vessel and robbed five different victims. The three suspects were charged with aggravated assault, grand theft and several other charges.
DUMB & MUCH DUMBER FWC investigator responded by land to a call for assistance regarding a vessel explosion resulting in serious injury. Witness statements indicated that gas was pumped into the fresh water holding tank instead of the gas tank. The subjects were advised not to operate the vessel. The vessel was then towed back to the ownerʼs residence where the subjects used a wet/dry shop vacuum in an attempt to siphon the gas out of the fresh water holding tank. It is suspected that
the alleged ʻcaptainʼ was found to not have a captainʼs license or insurance. Additionally there were safety violations on the boat. DEPT. OF I TOLD YOU SO A study published earlier this year by the International Transport Workersʼ Federation claimed the dimensions of the new locks at the expanded Panama Canal were, in some circumstances, too small to be safe. The Panama Canal Authority dis-
DIGITIZED FISH BONES A University of Washington professor wants to scan and digitize all 25,000 species currently found in the Earthʼs oceans. That means each species will
soon have a high-resolution, 3-D visual replica online, available and downloadable for free.
ONE HONEST GUY Marine officers patrolling St. Andrews Bay stopped a vessel to conduct a resource inspection. When the officers asked the boat captain if they had caught any fish, he replied, “No.” There were five other people on the vessel and one of the other five subjects held up his fingers indicating that they had caught two fish. It all went down hill from there. Upon inspection of the vesselʼs fish box, the officers found two short king mackerels and
missed the report. Last month, a month after the canal opened, China Cosco Shipping became the first company to have a vessel allide with the canal. The container ship Xin Fei Zhou hit a side wall while transiting the locks at Agua Clara on the Atlantic side. The shipʼs hull was damaged, but traffic was not affected. Good thing it wasnʼt an oil tanker!
SIDE STEPING THE CONSTITUTION As the Obama administration enters its final months, federal officials are now considering the use of the Antiquities Act to designate new areas as Marine Monuments – The Act provides a streamlined process permitting a president to create permanent, protected zones without congressional review procedures required for other legal designations. Large No Fishing, No Access areas, could then be established anywhere scientists claim there are environmental causes in need of protection.
JUST LISTED!
Punta Gorda
UNDER CONTRACT!
Punta Gorda Isles
Call the Captain! Deep Water Sailboat
Big Seawall! Fantastic building lot with oversize seawall at end of cul-de-sac. Access to Ponce Inlet and Alligator Creek. List $179,900
JUST LISTED!
Call the Captain! Executive Style Home On 1/2 Acre Near Marina! Huge Pool/Deck, 2 Masters, Cathedral Ceilings, 2400sfAir, 3 Car Garage, Chef Kitchen, Located in secluded spot close to town! $339,000
Call the Captain! FAST HARBOR SAILBOAT ACCESSHuge Lot- Beautiful Neighborhood! Exceptional sailboat waterfront lot with 100 feet of seawall, deep water and near immediate access to Alligator Creek ! $249,000
HUGE BASIN VIEW
FAST HARBOR ACCESS
Burnt Store Isles
Pirate Harbor
Call the Captain! 105 Feet of Seawall and Large Basin View! This oversize lot will accommodate a large home with a big garage! Beautiful homes and close to town! $254,900
Burnt Store Isles
Call the Captain! Five Minutes To Open Harbor- No Bridges! Perfect lot priced right in an island style neighborhood. Fisherman, nature lovers and kayakers don't want to miss this opportunity! $127,500
SOLD!
Deep Creek
Call the Captain!
Gorgeous Florida Style Home on Large Double Lot! Beautiful 4/2/2 pool home, built in 1987, 2200sfAir perfect for the growing family in quiet neighborhood! Sold $239,900
PAGE
22
EMAIL:
WATERLIFE@COMCAST.NET
AUGUST 2016
August – Predictions and Suggestions
BackBay Xtremes Capt Dave Stephens www.backbayxtremes.com
941-916-5769
Fish With A Guide!
Youʼll catch more fish and youʼll learn something new, too!
Charlotte Harbor
Frank at Fishin’ Franks 941-625-3888
Snook fishing is probably good if you want to traditional flats fish. Snook are on the bars in the a.m. when the tide is lower, but when the water comes up they will be under the trees. At low light they are scattered, with the sun high they are looking for shade. Try twitching lures or baits like whitebait, dead white bait, pieces of sardines and shrimp – pinfish are one of the top ones. The east side loaded up with snook, the west side is dotted with them from Trout Creek and Muddy Bay, around the corner to Turtle Bay – Gasparilla and Bokeelia all have good numbers. Redfish are in the same areas as snook but a little more broken up. No big schools, a few here and there up and down the east side of the Harbor. The reds are sporadic on the west side. Some by the Myakka and off Ponce, but not many. Bull Bay and Gasparilla Sound have had decent reports of reds back around the islands. Shark fishing by I-75 is pretty good. I’ve heard a lot of great bull shark stories up to Harbor Heights. Going out to the Harbor it’s more sharks between 41 and 75 and then they skip to the deeper holes in the Harbor. I’m not hearing much about sharpnosed sharks till you get out to the Gulf. The Cape Haze Reef has some black tips and sharpnose – the small quick fish that are so much fun to catch. August will be one of the months the lemons are in full force from 2-to 3-feet to 8-to 9-feet long. Lemons can lay on the bottom, they don’t have to keep swimming like a normal shark does. They can be
anywhere a bull shark would be. Big lemons 6-to 8-feet can be in 2-to 3-feet of water. Speaking of pelagics, blackfin tuna have been out to 25 miles and king mackerels, big ones, the big spawning ones are around too. Blackfin tuna, Erik Noack's 40 inch snook mahi and an occasional sailfish, are all within 25 miles (out to around 60 feet of water). Past 60 feet add wahoo and more and bigger species. In the near Gulf the snapper seem to be in some kind of spawn mode, mangroves, lane, yellowtail all in and around Boca Pass and Snook on Caloosahatchee using pinfish Captiva. (anglerʼs name not provided) If you are looking for tarpon now, get out to 130 feet of water (50 miles or so) there are acres upon miles of tarpon out there right now. Those fish are likely to come back into the Harbor. And that explains where they have been so I think we will have them till September and October, which are my favorite months for them. Black drum still doing pretty good around I-75 and PGI is still loaded with them. They are white, yellow and grey. I don’t know why the colors change. Go out early First tarpon for the Montali sisters! 80 pounder, off Little Gasparilla and head home early. Start in the dark and get home before Txt us ur fish Pix see page 4 the sun gets too intense.
FISH PIX! f r o m Wa t e r L I F E m a g a z i n e
Speak Easy Fishing Charters Captain Joe Angius USCG licensed & Insured Phone: (727)
234-3171
speakeasyfishing.com
speakeasyfishing@gmail.com
Brendan Cronin, age 9, with his first black drum near Cayo Costa on live shrimp. Right: Jack Cronin, age 11, with an 18 pound red grouper off Boca Grande.
Jeff Blevins and his Tarpon on a beach in Englewood. 7-23-16
AUGUST 2016
Lemon Bay - Placida Jim at Fishermen’s Edge 941-697-7595
ONLINE EVERY MONTH @
The BIG-4 TARPON On the beach and in the deep holes in the Harbor
There’s not anything special going on right now. A couple of guys are going out but it’s been so hot. But the guys who are going are catching fish. I went out with some friends last weekend and we caught blackfin tuna, bonita and barracuda. Most of the day we spent trolling, we ended with one red grouper. A lot of the guys have been fishing for mangrove snapper in Boca Grande and around the trestle or the inshore reefs. They are getting a lot of keepers that are pretty good size. We are still seeing the occasional cobia. A kid caught a sailfish only 8 miles out – a good sized one – one of the biggest I’ve seen over here. He caught that on a live sardine. There are still tarpon to be had – catch one, maybe jump another, some caught on fly, the rest on bait. There have been tarpon out in front and along the beach, or up in the Harbor. The guys are casting Storm lures and the D.O.A. Bait Busters for them in the Harbor. There has also been a lot of big snook around the neighborhood. We’ve seen many above the 40-inch mark. The tarpon are done spawning and the water is so clean here - the
Fish you can expect in
REDFISH More on the East Side, less on the West Side
August
WWW.WATERLIFEMAGAZINE.COM
SNOOK Around the Harbor On the beaches
PAGE 23
SHARK Up the Peace River Down the Harbor
Gulf Temps are high 80s Fishing is HOT. Go Early Stay Hydrated
95˚ 90˚
permit.
Capt Brandon Hancock with a nice
snook are taking big mullet or big white bait. Redfish is the weak link in the equation now. There are guys catching some, but you have to work hard to get them and it has to be very stealthy fishing. Still some permit on the offshore wrecks and some guys are catching pompano on the beach, but they are all tiny. The sand fleas are out there, the guys are scooping them up, maybe that’s why the pompano are there. We still have plenty of sharks, I almost forgot about them. A lot of guys are enjoying that. There are lots of big sand sharks, mostly in the
85˚ 80˚
Danny King, tarpon, Boca Grande Pass, July 5
Pass and on the beach. You have to chum them up but then you can get them. A lot of guys go fishing at night in Boca Grande for sharks. The Goliath grouper fishery is still good too, but most goliath fishing is in the daytime, the charter guys do it, even in the heat. Finally, there are still some sporadic kingfish offshore and some AJ’s on the wrecks. I’ve seen some pictures of them both last week. It will be hot from now to November ... you can count on that.
75˚ 72˚ 70˚ 68˚ 50˚ 45˚
A nice 14 ft, 750lbs saw fish taken in the hole off Burnt Store June 6. Capt Bruce Winfield.
FISHING RIGHT NOW:
HOT!
Aaron Hays fishing off of Snake Island
Kayla Shannon caught her first hammerhead off of Sanibel useing cut mullet
20lb mahi mahi caught in Islamorada Florida under a Frigate bird on a frozen ballyhoo Mason Tochtenhagen
Kara with a couple of triple tails caught in the middle of the Harbor. The larger one , her fish, 23-inches, 10-pounds. Sent by her husband Rich Shepherd.
FISH PIX! f r o m Wa t e r L I F E m a g a z i n e
Txt us ur fish pix see page 4
PAGE
24
EMAIL:
WATERLIFE@COMCAST.NET
AUGUST 2016