Water LIFE August 2021

Water

LI FE

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

KIDSʼ FISHING

Period 2 Results pages 10-13

$1Bill Challenge

The Charlotte Harbor Reef Association

August 2021

Txt Us Ur FishPix! weʼll use ʻem!

see page 4

FISH PIX! Water LIFE magazine

Paisleyʼs first largemouth bass 2021

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Albert Sklarski, Estero Bay Jeremy Gassman Kevin Gassman Bruce Bouchard

www.waterlifemagazine.com

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

FREE!

PAGE

2

EMAIL:

WATERLIFE@COMCAST.NET

AUGUST 2021

AUGUST 2021

FREE ONLINE

@

WWW.W ATERLIFE M AGAZINE . COM

This and That and Then Some

By Michael Heller brought back dumpster loads of trash.

Water LIFE editor Boaters and kayakers spent the better part A study from FGCU has concluded that of a Saturday picking up trash, much of half of the toxicity in Lake Okeechobee is which came from the campsites along the in the bottom mud and that the elements river. “If people don’t pick up their trash, in the mud feed the algae. It’s not a theory there won’t be any more camping allowed it is fact, (see p 4). on the river,” Jesse Shows observed and I I have no doubt the same level of toxic- agreed. This is a critical time to show we ity exists in the Peace River bottom and in respect the Peace River. the Upper Charlotte Harbor mud. For over a century, phosphate mining upstream has diluted their tailings it has to settle out somewhere!

Last month, after all the rain, Horse Creek flooded. If MOSAIC was mining phosphate when the Creek flooded and if they were settling their toxic clay at Horse Creek as they plan to do, their operation would have gone into the Peace River. When heavy rains come the management plan is DUMP. Just look at what is happening around Tampa Bay since the Horse Creek was flooded again last month.

This is exactly where MOSAIC wants to mine more phosphate Piney Point phosphate stacks breached and were dumped into the Bay. The excuse was: Since the pandemic there have been a there was no other place to put it. And lot of new boaters. Last month I stumbled yet, the State still allows them to mine and (pun!) into a boating group called the create more. And they will dump when Stump Pass Day Drinkers. Now before they have to and more big red tides will you go off on me for advocating boating come; we now know this! under the influence, these people appear Meanwhile, up the Peace River, the to be a friendly and responsible bunch, out Shows family, who own the Nav A Gator having fun on the water. bar and restaurant, hosted the annual I talked to Candida Whitmore who River Clean up last month. The event along with Neil Shower are the facebook

Thank You to the Nav A Gator crew and the boaters and kayakers who spent a Saturday last month cleaning up the shorelines of the Peace River

group’s organizers. They have gone so far as to make shirts and stickers for their member’s boats. They hang out on the sandbars on either side of Stump Pass and in Ski Alley. They appear to welcome anyone.

Candida told me: “I started group like 4 months ago! We have almost 4,000 members now and I have given away tons of stickers, and flags and people have bought hundreds of shirts! We met lots of these people thru the years and some we have never meet!

We love living in Paradise and work hard during the week to play harder on the weekends!”

Day Drinkers at Stump Pass

I thought that was a great perspective!

This social group reminded me of the 1990s when there were routine raft ups in the Peace River out in front of Fishermen’s Village. People were floating from boat to boat on pool rafts with libations in hand. There was never any fighting, there was never any trash, accidents or BWIs, just people out on the water having a good time. Same for the Snake Island crowd in

PAGE 3

Venice and a bunch of others I don’t even know about. Boaters out having fun on the water is what living here is all about.

Also on the water, five years after his passing, Charlotte Harbor Reef Association founder Jerry Jensen’s bronze monument was ready to be put in place on the Gulf bottom, at the Trembly Reef. I had tried numerous times to get the heavy concrete, stainless and bronze monument into place, but there was always a problem.

First one engine on the work boat quit.

Then after both engines were replaced, the crane broke. We had scheduling conflicts, Then came Irma, and the Gulf was churned up. Then I had a bad bout with sciatica, then came COVID then another storm... then.... then, then, but last month we were ready again.

Charlotte County Artificial Reef coordinator Roger DeBruler, John Sturm from Marine Works and I planned to depart the Indian Mounds boat ramp early. I had my gear by the door when Roger called. “I got the flu,” he said, so we are on hold again.

At Sunseeker, I noticed the American Flag was gone from the highest spot on the Sunseeker site and I thought it was a bad sign. But as we went to press, Allegiant Airlines, the parent of the Sunseeker project, announced they had secured $350 million for construction and will be restarting soon.

There has been a lot of misinformation associated with the Sunseeker project in the past, but I just have to believe, this time the information is true.

Meanwhile, on the other side of US-41, down in the hollow, across from SunSeeker, the old Charlotte Harbor RV and trailer park is sporting a new name on its freshly repainted sign. FunSeeker RV Resort is open!

When I took the picture below, passing motorists were honking their horns and hollering and I had to laugh too!

The old Charlotte Harbor RV Park is now Fun Seeker!

PAGE

4

Water LIFE inc. waterlife@comcast.net www.WaterlifeMagazine.com Vol XX No. 8 © 2021

Ellen Heller Publisher Michael Heller Editor

(941) 766-8180 Contributors:

Photography: ASA1000.com Senior Editor: Capt. Ron Blago Baitshop: Fishinʼ Frank Upper Harbor: Cameron Parson Peace River: Capt. Dave Stephens Punta Gorda: Alan Williams Estero: Capt. Joe Angius Everglades: Capt. Charlie Phillips Sailing: Fran Burstein Pier Fishing: Bobby Vitalis Diving: Adam Wilson Office Dog: Augustus

FISH PIX! f fr ro om m W Wa at te er r L L II F FE E

WE WANT YOUR FISH!

Txt Us Ur

941- 457-1316

EMAIL:

Everglades and 10,000 Islands:

By Capt. Charlie Phillips Water LIFE 10,000 Islands I think as you get older the summers feel hotter. July has been a scorcher, but aren’t they all (if I am being honest!) and we all know that August into September will be worse.

My charter season has wound down now with clients set to return around October, which is routine for our operation. This time of year is when we do our boat work, take our vacations and mostly just try to enjoy a little fishing ourselves. That’s right, just because the customers slow down doesn’t mean that the fish aren’t feeding, not at all just gotta change the strategy a bit for success.

Inshore, I have taken a few days to go catch speckled trout for dinner for Laura and I, using Don’s potbelly jigs in the glass minnow option in the deep water around the rockpiles. Tipping these jigs with a piece of fresh shrimp, letting them sink to the bottom and a

Fish Pix txt to:

1) No Pictures Sent to Other Mags.

2) No Old Fish

3) No Blatant Ads

Include anglerʼs name and what kind of fish

FACT!

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

munity pond.

First fishing experience for Isaiah Pesola, age 8, Bonita Springs. Itʼs a large mouth bass caught in a com-

WATERLIFE@COMCAST.NET

AUGUST 2021

August Is the Month for a Break

slow hop and retrieve back to the boat helps me locate then capitalize on a school of clean large offshore specks this time of year. They, along with other species, will sit offshore in 10-feet of water around the piles as the water heats up in our area. The fish are usually some of the prettiest you will

see as they are clean and very vibrant, being in the clearish water we have out there.

Plenty of snapper out there as well, mangrove and some big lanes too.

Live shrimp or a piece of fresh cut-bait like ladyfish or a strip of mullet or grunt will work fine. Put it on a 2/0 circle hook with enough lead to get bottom and you are in business. Often, the trick right now is to be able to get thru the numerous jacks and blue runners quickly before you lose your bait.

When you do, most times you will be rewarded with something large enough to take home for supper.

Keep an eye out for the goliaths to

station under your boat trying to make it easier for themselves to grab what they want to eat as you reel it in for them. You can often make them out down below, especially on the incoming, when the tide is clean. On my boat we keep a big heavy rod and when I see them station up under us, and if I have a willing angler, we will drop an unlucky bait down and tussle with the Volkswagens. Some are so big we can’t move them and many times the water is just to shallow, they can get down before we can stop them and cut us off in the metal of the wreck, but other times we can get them up to get a quick on the surface picture, get our hook and any others out of the fish and send them on their way. Lots of fun and makes for tired anglers... and captains!

Yall be safe and stay hydrated.

Capt. Charlie Phillips, President, Florida Guides Assn.

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

Phosphate in Bottom Mud Feeds Algae Blooms

Water LIFE Special Report From Michael Heller As we have long suspected, the bottom mud is toxic. Scientists from FGCU have determined three types of mud exist in Lake Okeechobee and these muds contain an estimated 4.6 × 106 kg of total phosphorus and commensurate high amounts of labile nitrogen and that all feeds algae.

The three kinds of mud are an immobile dark-colored, consolidated mud, a brownish-colored mud, which is poorly consolidated and mobile, and a dark-colored thixotropic, highly mobile mud that is a mixture of organic matter and clay-sized minerals. The thixotropic mud covers most of the lakebed and contains the right suitable nutrient ratios to trigger algal blooms. A bioassay analysis of the thixotropic mud compared to the consolidated mud showed that it produced up to 50% more nutrient mass compared to the consolidated mud. The thixotropic mud does not consolidate, thus remains mobile. This is exactly what a Sanibel water scientist told me three years ago: ʻThere is a toxic circulation going on in the mud.ʼ According to the FGCU study, the mobility of the mud is maintained by the dynamics of the algal blooms and ʻbacterial decay of extracellular secretionsʼ (transparent exopolymer particles) that bind sediment, transfer it to the bottom, and undergo bacterial digestion causing gas emissions, which rise, thus maintaining the organic/sediment matrix in suspension. It is a cycle that goes on and on.

The report concluded: Despite major efforts to control external nutrient loading into the lake, the high frequency of algal blooms will continue until the muds bearing legacy nutrients are removed from the lake.

So I wrote the author: Thomas M. Missimer, Ph.D., P. G. ETI Director and Eminent Scholar, at FGCU. “Mr Missimer, I was looking at your Lake O phosphate study and wondered if you think there are legacy phosphorous sediments in the Peace River, where MOSAIC has been permitted to dump diluted phosphate mining waste for years. I suspect this is also the case in upper Charlotte Harbor as well. Your thoughts would be appreciated.” ....and he wrote back: “I suspect that during flood conditions these sediments would be transported downstream. They could be deposited in the upper part of Charlotte Harbor. It would be interesting to collect some shallow cores in the quite water areas (intertidal) to observe if storm event muds occur that are rich in phosphate. The Lake Okeechobee muds of greatest concern are fluid in nature, so they are easily suspended.”

The River and Harbor mud is also fluid in nature. I will collect samples this month.

AUGUST 2021

FREE ONLINE

@

No More Excuses for Polluted Water

By Capt. David Stephens Water LIFE Charlotte Harbor The great toilet flush! This is something that happens every year on Charlotte Harbor. The reason why I call it by this name is very simple. Every spring as our water temps rise, we see the most disgusting water around the islands on the east side of the Harbor. We see water that is milky lime green that smells like a sewage plant. We see dead algae that is flowing in and out with the tide. We see areas of stagnate dead water that only fish that breath air can inhabit. On my charter today I felt frustration that I hope the generations that follow in my path will NEVER FEEL! Today I had my clients throwing live bait at 50-to 75 tarpon blowing up schools of small baitfish. Sounds great, should’ve been a charter that you tell your grandkids about. However, our bait would not live more than seconds in the water. I’m not making a mistake with minutes, I’m saying seconds!

Blood in the cockpit after a fish jumped into the boat, thrashed around and then flopped overboard

WWW.W ATERLIFE M AGAZINE . COM

These tarpon were held up in an area waiting for weak and dying bait to be flushed to them.

You want to know why it was only tarpon? and maybe 10-or 15 cormorants? The answer is very simple, Tarpon can breath AIR. When you see tarpon rolling they are gulping small amounts of air.

We see what is happening not very far north of us around Tampa Bay. This is the same thing that we experienced several years ago here. Red tide on a level that will take years to recover from.

The fish kills start at the level most fishermen don’t ever even think about. Kills start with the small crustaceans, that then leads to the schools of bait fish.

The next thing is: Someone says ‘oh we only seen some

dead mullet and catfish,’ then everything dies.

Sound familiar?

Same thing with the excuse: ‘it was just a small spill from our gypsum stack. It won’t be an issue. We know exactly how to deal

PAGE 5

with this problem.”

Their solution to the mining waste is dilution. This kind of mining is so bad that the state this company is based out of will not allow them to mine for phosphate.

Please people, do some research and let’s protect what we love about this area. We need to stop the polluters.

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

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

PAGE

6

EMAIL:

FISH PIX! f fr ro om m

W Wa at te er r

L L II F FE E

READERʼS PHOTOS Send us ur FISH PIX! Weʼll use ʻem!! see page 4

Cole Hancock, Contestant #407, caught this pinfish near one of the islands in Gasparilla Sound.

Keep fishing Cole!

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Dave Adams with a 26” red caught near snake island in Venice.

WATERLIFE@COMCAST.NET

Estero Bay: The August Rush

By Capt. Joe Angius Water LIFE Estero Another month hotter than the last.

August is a month where afternoon thunderstorms are the norm and getting off the water before noon is a must.

Aside from the dangerously hot temperatures, the fishing is extremely productive and diverse.

The summer months are notorious for little to no wind, so when it comes to fishing now my mind goes to the open Gulf of Mexico. At times the water in the Bay can get so hot the fishing really turns off. When this happens I adjust my fishing plans to head nearshore. It’s a great way to cool off by making a decent run out to the reefs and also increases the chance of catching bigger fish for dinner.

Typically in late August anglers will start to see large schools of redfish. Even in the warm water conditions, the redfish will be schooling up and feeding heavy. Being successful in finding and catching these fish comes down to patience and understanding the tide.

A strong moving tide is key because it flushes the bait out through the grass flats where the redfish will want to be. Patience comes into play because at first, finding the school takes either a lot of time or a lot of luck.

Once the school is located, it’s either going to be slow moving to where you can fish it for a few hours or it’s moving so fast you’ll only have time to catch a couple. I wanted to discuss schooling redfish in August because it’s something that gets overlooked until October.

As I mentioned earlier, the inshore fishing can be hit or miss in the Bay because of rising water temperatures. A great way to find a consistent bite will be to head nearshore and fish structure off of the Gulf bottom.

AUGUST 2021

Catching grouper, snapper, jacks, kingfish, Spanish mackerel, and sharks is all possible out in the Gulf. My one tip to anglers when they fish reefs is to prepare a chum bug or two. Hanging a chum bag off of the back of the boat gets the fish fired up so much faster and keeps them around longer. It truly makes a significant difference.

Southwest Florida is blessed to not be experiencing the red tide event that Tampa Bay is going through. Hopefully our area can stave off any environmental disasters that may be looming, so our tourism industry can come back to normal. Captains have endured a lot in the past couple of years and it’s es-

sential that all anglers go above and beyond the expectations of the FWC rules and regulations.

Just because they say we can keep speckled sea trout, really take the time to consider the importance of our fishery and if it’s worth the five minutes on a plate.

Enjoy what Southwest Florida has to offer through fishing responsibly and ethically.

Captain Joe Angius 727-234-3171 speakeasyfishing@gmail.com speakeasyfishing.com

AUGUST 2021

FREE ONLINE

@

WWW.W ATERLIFE M AGAZINE . COM

PAGE 7

Flowing water is the equivalent of air conditioning to fish

By Cameron Parson Water LIFE Spillways and Ponds Our rainy season started off slowly. It's definitely had way more bark than bite at first, but there was rain to be had. Most of our retention ponds and spillways were all but dry, with some considered to be nothing but a puddle, but Hurricane Elsa helped change a good portion of that with her consistent rains along with the almost daily thunderstorms that followed.

Now summertime means early morning and late evening fishing in the spillways and retention ponds.

Our freshwater spillways dump over into the saltwater side, creating a feeding frenzy for the saltwater species.

Retention ponds will take on water with consistent rain, but help to stay filled with the help of retention ditches that flow through pipes into that body of water. The flow from these pipes flush baitfish and also attract fish with their water flow.

There are spillways all over our County.

Most are often looked over, and they often hold fish during the thunderstorm season.

I've said it before - flowing water to fish is the equivalent of air conditioning to us!

With flowing water they're more apt to eat during the heat of the day, even in the

slower bite periods, and they can stay much cooler without having to move very far to grab a quick snack.

In both cases, flowing water is the key.

The harder it's flowing, the better the bite will be. The best bite comes immediately after it rains.

Most spillways will often have a small bridge of some sort nearby. The combination of shade and flowing water along with flushing bait is ideal for most any fish.

Snook, tarpon, bass, and occasional redfish are the usual suspects. Small swimabits such as the 3-inch Storm swimshad or Ra-

pala X-Rap 08 work extremely well. They match the hatch to the bait washing through. Small white, brown, and black flies are ideal for fly anglers.

Retention ponds and lakes have a similar set up. They will often have a pipe that connects to a ditch, allowing for water flow.

You'll be able to see the current this flow creates, and the flow will create a bite itself with attracting and flushing bait through to the pond or lake.

Likely fish in these spots will be bass, bigger bream, and tilapia.

Bass will take most anything you toss at

them. Plastic worms (weighted or not) always seem to catch fish. But don't be afraid to throw a 4-inch or better swimbait across the mouth of that pipe. You won't obtain as many bites, but the bites you get will be better!

Topwater frogs and walking baits make for a fun time. For these occasions my favorite is the Live Target frog and the Rapala Skitterwalk. Popping flies will take both bass and bream. Catch some fish!

FISH PIX! f fr ro om m

W Wa at te er r

L LI IF FE E

JULY SHARKS

Capt. John Brossard and Shark Chaser Charters reports shark action continues to be good inshore and out in the Gulf. Smaller sharks are perfect for kids this month.

READERʼS PHOTOS Send us ur FISH PIX! Weʼll use ʻem!! see page 4

PAGE

8

EMAIL:

FISH PIX!

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

READERʼS PHOTOS Send us ur FISH PIX! Weʼll use ʻem!! see page 4

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Bethanie Sheaffer with a nice Gasparilla Snook

Cameron from Pa with a nice heavy snook caught with Capt. George

WATERLIFE@COMCAST.NET

coincidence a red tide outbreak FWC Data vs Reality sheer happens in the area. This is not new by On the Line

By Capt. Ron Blago Water LIFE Senior Staff I’ve really lost faith in the FWC and their publishing of current data on the red tide and manatee mortalities in Southwest Florida. Back in January there were reports of patchy levels of red tide in Collier County up to Lee County. The local media had a field day with that information and ran stories of dead fish and coughing people with watering eyes: some local health departments posted health warnings and advised people not to go to the local beaches.

The red tide moved on but the damage was already done; last week someone posted “ Don’t plan your vacation in Southwest Florida anytime soon … the water is dead and toxic from Cape Coral all the way past Clearwater.” Most people know that is just not true, but as of 7/21/21 over 175,000 people have shared the post on facebook. This has become a nightmare for the Chamber of Commerce and all businesses that rely on tourism for their survival.

On the FWC website they publish a “Red Tide Daily Sample Map '' updated at 5 PM. This is not that accurate; if you click on “sample details” you find out sample results can be up to 8 days old. I guess accurate data is in the eyes of the beholder.

The current red tide hot spot is centered on Tampa Bay around the Piney Point phosphate water discharge ponds.

It seems that during the rainy season one or more of these discharge ponds often overflows and spills into Tampa Bay. By

any stretch of the imagination. About 10 years ago there was an even more massive spill in the same area which also resulted in a red tide bloom. At that time

Piney Point

they decided to fill barges with the waste water and dumped it offshore which resulted in another red tide outbreak in the area.

At a recent press conference Governor DeSantis was besieged by environmental groups that demanded the Governor declare a State of Emergency because of the red tide outbreak. The Governor did not go along with their request. He pointed out that there is $4.8 billion in the current State budget for red tide research and that $100 million in the Federal Stimulus money has been directed to the Piney Point clean-up. He said declaring a State of Emergency at this time would not change a thing.

It looks like 2021 will have the record for the most dead manatees in a single year. The 5 year average of manatee deaths in Florida is 375 deaths a year, this year we already have 866 and the total is rising.

The question is what is killing these

AUGUST 2021

manatees. On the FWC website they publish a list of all manatee deaths so far this year, by cause. On the bottom of this list in big red letters is a notice to the public; “ Important note from the FWC, July 2021 - The recurrence of watercraftrelated mortality is the leading cause of deaths in manatees on both the atlantic region and Gulf Coast.”

This statement is not only inaccurate but out right false.

Let’s look at the FWC’s own numbers. The 5 year average of watercraft related mortalities is 66 per year. So far this year there have been 66 deaths. The largest category is listed as not necropsied/ undetermined for a total of 551, that’s 64% of all manatee deaths this year.

To me that means the FWC doesn't really have a clue how these manatees died; and if that's the case it makes all the other categories of manatee deaths questionable.

While looking through the manatee red tide data, I stumbled upon another curiosity. On 21 February, in Lee County on the Imperial River near Bonita Springs a dead manatee was found; the death was attributed to human related watercraft. This caught my attention because I had just found that same manatee listed in the red tide data. On 21 Feb in Lee County on the Imperial River near Bonita Springs, a dead manatee was found but this ones death was attributed to red tide. Did he die from red tide or was it from a watercraft strike or was this manatee double counted ? All I know is that for $4.8 billion spent on red tide research we should expect more timely -and accurate data.

Captronb@juno.com

AUGUST 2021

FREE ONLINE

@

WWW.W ATERLIFE M AGAZINE . COM

PAGE 9

Those Dog Gone Dawg Days of Summer

By Capt. Alan Williams Water LIFE Charlotte Harbor This time of year can pretty well be summed up with one word....Phew! Summer is in full swing with everything that comes with it. High heat, high humidity and rainy season storms. Tropical Storm Elsa got the rainy season off to a wet start. Punta Gorda received over 10 inches of rain in a couple of soggy days.

With this amount of rain the rivers rose rapidly and turned the waters dark brown, the yearly sure-sign that the rainy season is in full swing.

The influx of fresh water changes the dynamics of the upper Harbor and rivers almost overnight. The previous large schools of bait in the Harbor are harder to find as they migrate to saltier territory.

The fish have also shifted and relocated based on the salinity of the water. Luckily for us, our main game fish are tolerant to changes in salinity. Snook, red fish, tarpon, black drum, mangrove snapper as well as sharks are still abundant.

With the summertime heat comes summer time patterns.

Fish the early morning or late afternoon light. Any times other than these can be challenging, especially with a slow or flat tide.

Night time is one of the best times to fish this time of year.

Night offers a number of benefits. #1 is avoiding the heat and humidity. #2 is the lack of boat traffic and pressure. Dock lights, bridges and U.W. lights are a magnet to bait fish and predators such as snook and tarpon. If fishing docks and lights, just try to be extra respectful of the homeowners property such as boats, lifts and UW wiring for the lights.

Fishing during the day can still be very productive by just adjusting to the fish movements. Finding and fishing moving water in creek mouths or deeper holes adjacent to shallow grassflats can be very productive. Deep water canals in residential areas still have plenty of fish, especially schools of black drum and juvenile tarpon.

Get out early and avoid the afternoon storms. Don't forget to hydrate with plenty of fluids. Dress accordingly with sun protection and sunscreen.. The fish are a lot like us - they don't like the heat either.

Nature will tell you a lot about what's going on. Watch the birds and signs of life. Be flexible and adaptive.

Trout have been a little hit or miss which is normal this time of year. On a good note, Ive been seeing a lot of juvenile redfish and nursery size snook. I think the closures have definitely helped to

increase the stock of these fish.

The tarpon have spread out since their spawn. Sharks and tarpon have been showing up in the deep holes. Early mornings have had them chasing baits along the east and west walls. Natural baits as well as artificial baits such as a voo doo shrimp or bait buster will do the trick.

Spillways are getting productive as well. The rainy season does have its benefits. Get out and see for yourself. Take a kid fishing and pass it on.

Don't forget to watch those afternoon storms.

See you on the water.

Capt. Alan Williams 954 -347-5275 awilli9412@aol.com

PAGE

10

EMAIL:

SPONSORS

WATERLIFE@COMCAST.NET

$1 Bill Challenge

A Note from the Tournament Director

TACKLE BAGS! I found some of our old Don Ball School of Fishing Tackle bags, stashed away in our storage locker. Iʼm leaving them at Fishinʼ Franks. If you want one, Just ask when you pick up your ʻstuff.ʼ First come first served, until they are gone!

Your T-Shirts & WINNINGS:

Where to Collect Your Stuff!

Go to Fishinʼ Franks, (4200 Tamiami Trail, Port Charlotte - closed tues & weds) tell them your name and angler number.

There is a big box in the back filled with manila envelopes that are labeled with each anglerʼs Name and Angler Number.

They will give you your ʻstuffʼ - Your t-shirt is also in your envelope. Please leave the envelope for next month!

Monthly First Place Wnners: We keep a total of your wins. Each fisrt place receives one credit at Fishin Franks.

Gift Cards will be awarded at the end of the tournament. You must answer all the fish quizzes to collect your Rod Credits!

Each month, 2nd and 3rd place prizes (lures and spoons) will be left in your envelope at Fishinʼ Franks.

AUGUST 2021

FISH QUIZ #2 - ANSWERS

1) C 2) B 3) C 4) C 5) A Extra Credit) C

Quiz # 1 Scoring NOTE The Extra Credit question was: which is the most popular line size? In the video Frank said the most popular line was 15 or 20 pound braided line. But the answer options were: B) 10-15 pound braided line, or answer D, which was 20 pound braided line. So either B or D will be scored as correct in the first quiz. My bad!

$1 Bill Challenge

AUGUST 2021

FREE ONLINE

@

WWW.W ATERLIFE M AGAZINE . COM

June 16 - July 15

period 2 Winners

PAGE 11

ANGLERS

John Bunkley

Ladyfish

#442. Reef Inman 23-inches

Spanish Mackerel

#413. Justin Medina. 20-inches 453. Luciano Nicklas 15-inches 445. Daniel Acosta 14.5-inches

Gag Grouper

#405. Dylan Schaefer. 16.5-inches

Maya Haag

Lucas Bixby

Mangrove Snapper Bass

#432. Chase Hathaway. 24.25-inches 448. Kendall Mann 24-inches 402. Ryan Larson 23-inches

#401. Lacy Hamsher. 13-inches 445. Daniel Acosta 11-inches 446. Julius Acosta 10-inches

Spadefish

Anthony Rice

#406. Alyx Schaefer 12.25-inches

Hunter Cotte

Jack

#442 Reef Inman. 25-inches 401. Lacy Hamsher. 24-inches 426. Gabriel Setser 16.5-inches

Cobia

#405. Dylan Schaefer 28.75-inches

Tilapia

#411 Emma Koebel 14-inches 427. Trey Setser 13.5-inches 412. Ben Koebel 13-inches Jacob Florea

PAGE

12

ANGLERS

EMAIL:

WATERLIFE@COMCAST.NET

$1 Bill Challenge Winners - period 2

AUGUST 2021

June 16 - July 15 Ben Koebel

Juliana Florea

Emma Koebel

Camryn Nummerdor Justin Medina

Blaine Wilson

Jaxson Varney

Morgan Davis

Addison Baker

Grunt

#403. Christopher Perry 13-inches

#427. Trey Setser 23-inches

Ty Baker Taylor Baker

Jaydon Davis

Sunfish

#409. Juliana Florea 9-inches 411 Emma Koebel 5.5-inches

Myan Cichlid

#432. Chase Hathaway 12.5-inches 412. Ben Koebel 8.5-inches

Luke DʼOrazio

CGabriel Setser

Reef Iman

Leonardo DʼOrazio

Pinfish Annabelle Campbell

Snook

#425 Annabelle Campbell 10-inches 408. Jacob Florea. 8.75-inches 402. Ryan Larson 6.75-inches

Red Grouper

#454. Blake Moyer 25-inches 404. Christopher Perry 23.75-inches 454. Blake Moyer 20-inches

Trey Setser

AUGUST 2021

FREE ONLINE

@

WWW.W ATERLIFE M AGAZINE . COM

$1 Bill Challenge

Winners - period 2

Jake DʼOrazio

Molly Vermeulen

Mitchell Vermeulen

Pompano

Sawyer Bowser

Lacy Hamsher

ANGLERS

June 16 - July 15

Matthew Dixon

Zander Larson

PAGE 13

#425. Annabelle Campbell 17.5-inches 408. Jacob Florea. 15-inches 406. Alyx Schaefer 13.5-inches

Gar

#413. Justin Medina. 23.5-inches 409 Juliana Florea 19-inches Chase Hathaway

Jack Buczynski

Ryan Larson

Daniel Acosta

Christopher Perry

Julius Acosta

Dyln Schaefer

Cole Hancock

Alyx Schaefer

Gabe Rogers

Laken Pendelton

Zachery Morgani

Drew Buczynski

Always Room For 1 More!

Isaac Garcia

Nickalus Luciano

Kendall Mann

Jack Stacey

Isabella Garcia

Theodore Winter

Fishing and prizes through Sept 15 You!

PAGE

14

EMAIL:

FISH PIX! f fr ro om m

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

W Wa at te er r

L LI IF FE E

m ma ag ga az zi in ne e

WATERLIFE@COMCAST.NET

AUGUST 2021

READERʼS PHOTOS Send us ur FISH PIX! Weʼll use ʻem!! see page 4

Johnathon Carden catching nice redfish in Estero Bay with Capt. Dan Camp

Cameron M with 35-inch snook caught fishing with Southwest Fishing Charters

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Mike Mangham with Capt Alan Williams.

Black drum on artificial.

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Elizabeth Wysoczanski, 5 years old with her first snook, in Cape Coral.

Capt. Jeff Samsonenko with Brandon Smith and a nice mid-sized Everglades Tarpon.

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Everett Grube, sheepshead

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Victor Hancock caught this Shark in Boca Pass

Kenny Legendary from Pa with beautiful red on Charlotte Harbor

Pawel Wysoczanski of Cape Coral. Snook, catch and release.

AUGUST 2021

FREE ONLINE

@

WWW.W ATERLIFE M AGAZINE . COM

PAGE 15

READERʼS PHOTOS Send us ur FISH PIX! Weʼll use ʻem!! see page 4

FISH PIX! f fr ro om m

W Wa at te er r

L LI IF FE E

m ma ag ga az zi in ne e

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Neil S. with Black Drum. Sid, August, and Dad visiting PGI from Mn

Kristin Haglund, visiting from Wisconsin, caught this 22" Goliath grouper in Marco, which was promptly released. She was fishing with her husband Tim and brother-in- law, Dan Haglund from Naples.

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Lifelong best friends Doug and Dean with monster bass!

FISH PIX!

Scott Bowchamp and G. Gasparilla sound redfish

from Water LIFE magazine

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Sidney S. caught mango snapper In PGI

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Zane Lenart with a trout

PAGE

16

EMAIL:

WATERLIFE@COMCAST.NET

SCUTTLEBUTT

AUGUST 2021

Sometimes Unsubstanciated, But Often True

WILD RUMOR Two older middle eastern men had at least 10 serious looking security guards stationed around Fishville last month and they were being escorting around the mall. Were they checking out the Village in consideration of purchasing? No, they were Charlotte County Sheriffʼs officers practicing VIP security. The middle eastern guys were CCSO staff!

CLAM BAKED Last month's extreme heat wave in British Columbia created a massive clam bake in the intertidal zone, killing about one billion mussels, snails, sea stars and clams.

Oceanography to design and build a new coastal research vessel with a first-of-its-kind hydrogen-hybrid propulsion system.

COOKIE CUTTER SHARK, also called the cigar shark, is found in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

The name comes from the way it cuts out

SOLAR WATER Singapore now has one of the worldʼs largest inland floating solar photovoltaic systems, which is being used to convert the city- Stateʼs water system to renewable power.

FISH PIX! f fr ro om m

Barb F with heavy redfish and a nice tarpon caught with Southwest Fishing Charterʼs Capt. George from Water LIFE magazine

CLOSED The FWC has made snook, redfish and spotted seatrout catch-and-release only in Tampa Bay due to recent impacts from red tide.

STEEL PRICES A surge in the price of steel is beginning to have an impact across the shipping industry. Shipbuilders are expected to experience the strongest pressures, but the rise in the component price is also expected to cause an increase in the price of newbuilds and is even impacting the ship recycling sector.

CIRCULAR ECONOMY In China, Xi Jinping is promoting a "circular economy," which is a shift away from international trade and towards domestic consumption and production.

OLD SCHOOL The U.S. Navy's Ticonderoga-

CRAZY CALI The state of California has set aside $35 million for the Scripps Institution of

FISH PIX!

hunks of flesh from its prey. It does this by attaching itself to something by sucking with its mouth like a remora. Then it swivels its body so its teeth cut out a circular bite.

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

W Wa at te er r

L L II F FE E

class cruisers, built in the 80s, are having trouble seeing modern missile threats using nearobsolete radar systems.

AfCFTA Trading under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement started on 1 January 2021, and is a significant milestone for Africaʼs political and economic aspirations. The deal created an enormous single market, uniting 1.2 billion people across 54 states with a combined GDP of $3.4-trillion.

Urban populations are rising in Africa, especially in coastal megacities such as Lagos and Dar es Salaam. As a result, demand for goods typically shipped in containers by large carriers is expected to soar. Africa would have to seek the help of foreign-owned vessels in implementing AfCFTA until such time that Africanbuilt, crewed and -owned vessels finally carry African-made products all over the continent and the world.

READERʼS PHOTOS Send us ur FISH PIX! Weʼll use ʻem!! see page 4

m ma ag ga az z ii n ne e

Rotonda bluegill and bass - Aidan Flack

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Nicholas J. On 7/13 with an Outstanding True Trophy Pond Monster Bass hooked on a Swimbait Ft. Myers

AUGUST 2021

FREE ONLINE

@

WWW.W ATERLIFE M AGAZINE . COM

READERʼS PHOTOS Send us ur FISH PIX! Weʼll use ʻem!! see page 4

(left side pix)Grandkids from Maryland visit with Grandpa Dave and Grandma Sue. Fishing in Charlotte Harbor. Lilly Fagan reeled in a nice Spanish mackerel. Claire Fagan caught a small mangrove snapper. Brooks Bugg reeled in a catch and release 24” snook. A great day on the water!

14 year old Paige, visiting from Wisconsin, caught this 26" snook in Marco, fishing with her dad Tim and Uncle Dan Haglund from Naples.

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Steve Mizell Right and Eddie Parrett left. On the Big Naasty 6/27/21

My son Sawyer caught this in Cape Coral. I was told to send it here to be included in the magazine.

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Tarpon caught in Boca Grande Pass by Nauti Knots Charters

PAGE 17

FISH PIX!

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

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Mary White, Large Mouth Bass

Kerrieʼs first snook in a PGI canal

PAGE

18

EMAIL:

WATERLIFE@COMCAST.NET

AUGUST 2021

closed Tues & Weds.... for now

FISH PIX! f fr ro om m W Wa at te er r L LI IF FE E m az zi in ne e ma ag ga

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Tarpon caught in Boca Grande Pass at Nauti Knots Charters

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

READERʼS PHOTOS Send us ur FISH PIX! Weʼll use ʻem!! see page 4

Duane Needham tripletail Fatherʼs Day 2021 at the Punta Gorda Bridge, caught on white bait

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Mely limited out at Burnt Store Marina

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Lily Santo Domingo with her first largemouth

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Heavy Red catch and release Charlotte Harbor. Mike from Pa w Jamie an Capt George

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Zack got the prize on Independence Day evening.

Nice snapper buddy great job!!

John w nice snook in the Harbor with Capt George

AUGUST 2021

Explore!

Fish with one of our Guides

FREE ONLINE

The BIG-4 TARPON In the Harbor holes and the rivers

BackBay Xtremes Capt Dave Stephens www.backbayxtremes.com

941-916-5769

@

WWW.W ATERLIFE M AGAZINE . COM

Fish you can expect in

SNOOK Working their way back from the Gulf

August

REDFISH P.I. Sound and Bull and Turtle. Still shorts

Charlotte Harbor, Lemon Bay, Placida, Gasparilla Sound

PAGE 19

BLACK DRUM Still littering the Punta Gorda area canals

see what’s there.

For now, the east side of the Harbor is better then the west side for fishing.

Frank @ Fishin’ Franks If you have an incoming tide with cool 4200 Tamiami Trail 941-625-3888 and salty water, it’s surprising how closed tues & weds ... for now many fish follow that in. Two hours I went to the I-Cast fishing industry after the low at Boca is when fish start show in Orlando last month. It was moving in. pretty small. It took one day to walk People are hit and miss on the redthrough where in the past it took two. fish.

Bull and Turtle (Bays) are pretty Berkley came up with what looks good, but in the Pine Island Sound redlike a flounder bait, but with a different fish are still scattered, but they will tail and it has two little tabs that will start to bunch up in schools this month. make it swim. It’s very cool. It is an acThe adults will tual new be up here in soft plastic October. where in the There are a past 99% of lot of weed the ‘new’ lines out in the stuff was Gulf.

Bonita, just sometuna and mahi thing old, are out in 90slightly feet of water. changed.

These fish are Freedom not targetable Lures has a so you have to very cool be ready for top water anything. The lure. It’s a grouper and walk-thesnapper have dog with a moved out to spinner the deeper blade below water. A small the hard but heavy pombody, so on Amanda with her first 20-inch FISH PIX! pano jig is the trout in Charlotte Harbor ! a slow reticket. These trieve the fish are keyed blade is turning as it comes across the in on smaller anchovies.

They need surface. They said they will also soon that smaller bait.

For tuna the 3D Finhave a crank bait with a lip on it. gerlings, a Rapala X-Rap 08 or a small There was another lure with a proCrystal Minow are good choices.

You peller on the nose of a soft plastic. It are looking for a bait that resembles an had a little watch battery and motor so anchovy.

A great idea is to use a Rattlewhen you put it below a bobber it trap as a teaser bait. It will increase the swims and looks like a baitfish! hits on you other lures, As far as fishing goes; the snook is Snapper fishing slowed down and still pretty good. We’re seeing a lot of we are seeing big trout in 4-to 5-feet of big snook and getting to the point water in the back of Turtle Bay along where we will see them in the Upper with some odd smaller tarpon. Same Harbor soon. Snook can spawn several in Pine Island Sound, just look for the times in a season. By the beginning of deeper areas. this month the fish will start leaving the We found a lure that kicks ass on the beaches, coming back to look for their little tarpon back on the flats. It’s a wintertime spots. Snook live here, they sub-surface walk -the-dog lure, the go out to spawn and come back to their SXRT10 Twitching Minnow, from Rasame area. Then, when they get to 42 pala.

You walk-the-dog underwater. It or 44 inches... it’s like they buy a RV doesn’t work in the canals, but it really and set out to see the world! We’ve does a great job on the flats.

I’d love to heard of big snook in the Panhandle. I say it works everywhere, but it doesn’t. guess like a manatee, they just want to

There has been rain.

The water nearshore is in the high 80s Storms are Coming!

95˚ 90˚ 85˚ 80˚

75˚ 72˚ 70˚ 68˚ 50˚

from Water LIFE magazine

45˚

FISHING RIGHT NOW:

STILL GOOD!

PAGE

20

EMAIL:

WATERLIFE@COMCAST.NET

AUGUST 2021