Water LIFE Oct 2012

Water LIFE Charlotte Charlotte Harbor Harbor and and Lemon Lemon Bay Bay Keeping Boaters & Fishermen Informed Since 1997

The publication of the Charlotte Harbor Reef Association

October

2012

Gulf, Beach & Offshore Fishing Report Page 22

Building Boats Again Page 9

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Back Country

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2012

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Not affiliated with any other publication Vol XI No 10 © 2012

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without specific written permission from the publishers.

Contributing Editors:

Photography: ASA1000.com Senior Editor: Capt. Ron Blago Charter Fishing: Capt. Bart Marx Port Charlotte: Capt. Billy Barton Punta Gorda: Capt. Chuck Eichner Commercial Fishing: Kelly Beall Sea Grant: Betty Staugler Real Estate: Dave Hofer Inshore: Fishinʼ Frank Offshore: Capt Jim OʼBrien Kayaks: David Allen Office Dog: Molly Brownon the

COVER:

Capt. Dave Stephens releases a redfish in the early am.

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2012

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October

2012

Inshore and Offshore Headquarters

What I Said Was Wrong

Capt. Jay Withers posted a picture on facebook of a baby tarpon on the grass and I posted: “Where’s the tag?” I was thinking that a fish on the grass was caught and taken out of it’s environment, a two step process. I thought that would constitute possession and therefore require a tarpon tag.

I was totally wrong about possession.

EVERYONE has told me so, FWC, friends, people I don't even know! It doesn't matter if the fish is on the grass away from the water or what, so long as it's timely released, no tag is required. I’d like to thank Capt. Withers for not jumping down my throat and for letting this play out. When I am wrong, I am wrong.

Mi chael Hel l er Water LIFE publ i sher

Letters to WaterLife@comcast.net

To Whom i t may concern, This was my wife’s Patti’s biggest red fish. It was caught on 9/10/11 in Charlotte Harbor.

Thanks S teve Nemazi e

Letter To the County Commi ssi oners There was absolutely no reason to pay our firefighters and EMTs to become more educated and proficient at their jobs. If my house is burning down, or I’m having a heart attack I certainly don’t need someone who is educated saving my life.

What a waste of money.

We could have taken that $800,000 and helped pay for our county commissioner’s legal fees. We could have also purchased a mini IMPAC building or maybe buy some more land and call it Murdock Village II. The possibilities were endless. I would prefer buying a bridge. Let us all remember that you don’t even need a GED to become a Charlotte County Commissioner.

Perhaps this is why we are, where we are, in this county.

Please remember this: Education is stupid.

Chri s Di Marco Port Charlotte TOP 10 NATIONAL PARKS (# VISITORS)

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Mooch, aka Beggar in the ICW, doing what he did best

It i s wi th great sadness we announce the passi ng of Begger - aka Mooch or S mi l ey. It happened on Friday Sept. 21 2012. He was found in the ICW. Begger was Nokomis's best known resident. People came from the world over for a one minute audience with Begger at his home in the ICW. Now, the longest NO WAKE ZONE in Nokomis will never be the same. Patri ck McCarthy Another Reader Notes: *The necropsy on Beggar sounds like the dolphin people really, really wanted to be able to say that his death was caused by his interactions with humans, but they couldn't prove it. There were comments about him being underweight, dehydrated, etc. which might have been a result of his behavior, but maybe he just died of old age.

Gateway National Recreation Area – 2,882,935 Lake Mead National Recreation Area – 2,786,601 Lincoln Memorial – 2,752,041 Cape Cod National Seashore – 2,752,255 Yellowstone – 2,608,697 Gulf Islands National Seashore – 2,524,231

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“Like a good day on the water”

Kids Fishing Classes Start

October

2012

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By Mi chael Hel l er for doing this for the kids! - Monica Water LIFE editor Amaya. Tiffanie conrad will definitely be The 2012 Charlotte and Sarasota in attendance. Macaleb is looking forward Classes of the Don Ball School of to it. We are very excited, thank you!

Fishing are now in session. Listen Up! Griffin Miller 7th grade will be attending!

This is the 12th year of the program Thank You, Ellaina Klinger, Brittany with classes at Punta Gorda, Murdock, Dudley will definitely be there. She is so Port Charlotte, L.A. Ainger and Heron excited! Thank you, Tabatha Dudley Creek middle schools. Over 1300 kids Thank you so much! Cameron will be have graduated this program already. They there he is looking forward to it! Michele all received quality Shakespeare inshore Petro. Thank you so much, we will be rods, tackle bags and tackle (local specific stuff like Mirrodines and W-Wraps, Rex gold spoons and soft plastics, worm hooks (for the soft plastics) circle hooks and j hooks, pliers, splits shots, poppin corks, all the stuff a good local angler would have in his tackle bag, none of it is junk. And they get our custom Fishing Capt Cayle Wils is teaching the class at Heron Creek Resource Manual filled with stories and specially written sections on there. Ethan is very excited and really tides, tackle, lures, places to fish, fishing looking forward to the class. Thank you, regs, Saltwater Fish Identification bookTheresa Rahe, Thank you so much! My let, a Harbor chart and Boater’s Guide. daughter, Brittney will be very excited to The manual is their bible and graduates be attending. Jeannie Smith, Alexis would from years ago tell me they still have love to accept the invitation to join your theirs. fishing class, she will be in class on the We preach Ethical Angling, doing the 26th of September. Caden Hays will be right thing when no one else is watching. there, he is very excited!!! Thank you, Following the laws and working to Melissa Hays My son Dominik Smith is change the laws that need changing. looking forward to the class. Thank you We sign kids up by making presentavery much. Patricia Smith. My son, tions at all the schools during 7th grade Michael Magsby will be there! Thank lunch period, showing them all the tackle you, he is really looking forward to doing they get. That pretty much fills the classthis class, Warm regards Iris Romano. es. I’d say 3/4 of the students fish already I get goose bumps re-reading this, it’s and a few in each class haven’t fished all such good stuff! Excited is the operaever. This is an eight week program and tive word here, the kids are excited, the this year, for the first time, we are going parents are excited, our instructors are to get the kids fishing on our 8th meetexcited and we are excited as well. ing. Soon they’ll all be fishermen.

Betty Staugler the University of The FWC will once again be involved Florida Sea Grant Agent in Charlotte in our program this year. Chrystal Murray County also helps me with this program. and John Hadden will be giving different Betty and I had been doing a slide show presentations and bringing fish to both for for the classes with over 300 images, givthe students to dissect and then examine. ing the kids a look at mangroves, scalWhat fish are currently eating is imporlops, fish tracking, shrimping, aerial photant to know when choosing a bait. FWC tographs, and pictures from the surface, staffers Dave Blewett, Greg Poulakis and pictures below the surface and a presentaJackie DeAngelo will also make presenta- tion on weather and wind. tion. Some of the topics they will cover Last year we asked the kids to rank are 'Diversity of Fishes in Charlotte the whole 8-week course. The thing most Harbor' and 'How Fish Adapt to Their of them liked least was Betty and me! It Environment'. We are lucky to have such hurts to say that but, it’s the truth. We a great FWC field office in our area with overwhelmed and bored them to death, but staffers who are committed to education we learn from our mistakes, so this year and are willing to come out in the Betty is going to give them a simple evening and make presentations to our overall perspective of how the critters and students. plants in the Harbor all work together, The parents are excited about the proand I’m going to show no more than 20 gram as well. We email them all to conpictures. We encourage parents to sit in firm. Here are some of the responses we on any classes with their children. got last month: Thank you very much It’s going to be a great year!

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BIG RED OCTOBER

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By Capt. Bart Marx Water LIFE Fishing October once again, the weather is starting to change slightly and that means that the water temperature is going to be getting cooler. This to me means that the red fish should start to gather into bigger schools.

There are several areas that they tend to show up, from Placida Harbor down through Pine Island Sound and up into Charlotte Harbor. At times you can spot them moving along with the jumping mullet, or you may spot them pushing water making wakes as they move along the bars and shallows.

Areas that you may find these large schools could be close to Catfish Creek, along Gasparilla Sound and along the islands close to the ICW Waterway.

They will be moving a little further south on the back side of Gasparilla Island and Cayo Costa down through Pine Island sound and Captiva Shoal where the grass beds connect with the ICW. All these areas hold bait fish, (pin fish, sardines and herring) and are where they come to feed up before they go offshore to spawn.

Most of these fish are the breeders and you may also catch them out in the Gulf, trolling for kings or Spanish mackerel. This is the time of year you should bring your fly rod and a few flies to catch one of these super sized reds.

Having plenty of live bait to draw them close to your boat will help immensely.

When you find one of these schools you need to be stealthy with your approach. Get yourself positioned properly with an anchor, stick it, power pole or whatever. When you get set, start your live bait chum and get prepared to have a rod bending drag testing experience. Sometimes you may have several boats working together on the same school. When this happens you can be hooked up with several other people at the same time in different boats. This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. You can

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Top:Vanessa and her 26 7/8-inch Red Below, Brandon始s 32-inch red

work with the other boats and catch several fish in the school.

But those big fish can be anyplace right now, along the edges of Bull and Turtle Bays, around the corner to the north - along the Cape Haze shoreline, along the east side of the Harbor, from south near Two Pines going north all the way to Ponce Canal; you could find some of those tackle-testing over-slot reds mixed in with a smaller fish.

Some fishermen like to use light tackle, 10-pound test for these Charlotte Harbor Pitt Bull redfish. As a guide I like to try and catch them on as many different baits and lures as possible before they quit biting. Some of the baits that reds like to eat are shrimp, crabs, pin fish, sardines, lady fish, herring....and there could be some others that haven't been tried yet. Get some of your people and get out there and find the reds and get yourself schooled.

If you would like to go and catch some of these hard pulling species give Capt. Bart a call and schedule your next Florida fishing adventure. 941-979-6517 captbart@alphaomegacharters.com Help keep our sport growing and take a kid fishing. Remember singing drags and tight lines make me smile.

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2012

October

2012

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Fall Feeding Frenzy

By Capt. Davi d S tephens Water LIFE Back Bay Fall here in Charlotte Harbor is a prime time to get out and get the rods bent. Right now, the cooler night temperatures have put our fish into a feeding frenzy.

One of our best game fish is the snook which will be feeding the heaviest as winter approaches.

Snook are a tropical fish and like the locals they prefer things on the warmer side. As the water cools down they will be migrating to feeding areas that have deep water access, such as creeks and river mouths. If some of ya’ll anglers out there want to try your hand with artificials for snook action, this is the time of year.

Remember, the main thing that makes the biggest difference is using a lure that you have confidence in.

Any of your sub-surface hard baits such as MirroLures and Sebiles in a bait fish pattern will work well right now. For really explosive top water action, the Zara Spook is an all time favorite. It does not get any better than top water snook.

I don’t want to leave our other great game fish out of the frenzy. Fall redfish is amazing, if you hang around any tackle shops I’m sure you have heard the term Red October. This time of year the redfish are schooling on the flats and bars.

The mangroves on the higher waters are also holding very good numbers of reds. On recent charters I have been catching very nice snook and reds all at the same spot, one cast a nice snook and the next a redfish. That is the great thing about Charlotte Harbor; you never know what you are going to catch from one cast to the next.

If you cross the Harbor, keep you eyes open for Spanish mackerel, they will be making their fall migration south. Sometimes the water will be boiling with feeding fish, and other times you might just see a single fish jump out of the water chasing bait.

Spoons are great bait for the macks but you might need a few of them for these toothy fish.

If y ou would lik e to get out and get some of the fall frenzy giv e me a call or send me an e-mail. All my charters are customized priv ate charters for y our party ’s needs.

Capt. Dav e Stephens, Back Bay Xtremes Light Tack le Charters, Back bay x tremes.com, 941-916-5769

Page 7

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Every once in a while, I just want to get nasty with a fish

Page 8

Water LIFE Bait Shop OK I should be writing about trout. Sea trout will be soon flooding into the Harbor. With the cooler temps already setting in the weather is getting awfully trouty? For a day of just cast, hook up and land a fish, trout are great, a lot of fun, Put a shrimp under a poppin cork, or tie on a top water lure and start splashing, Those wily two thoothed sea creatures are going to soccer head-bump your lure, But every once in a while, I just want to get nasty with a fish, come on, hey let’s fight, you pull, I'll pull, who-ever pulls the hardest wins. And add in some jumping thrashing, splashing action, OK that's the mood I am in. As a final mood enhancemer I want to feel the bang, the hit, the slam of that fish hitting a lure, and trying to rip the rod out of my grasp.

Yes, I am in the mood for battle.

The only problem is these fish I am looking for BIG snook namely, like to lay up right next to the piling of bridges and it is real tough to cast right along the pilings. And what if they are not on that piling, but are hanging out at the next one, the cooler one, the oysters have a much better bunching on that cool piling. The only hard part is trying to guess which piling the snook think is the coolest place to hang out, So what do you do? Fish them all! And guess what, it is not hard, if you have a boat of course. Sorry I should have mentioned you need a boat to do this. Almost any boat will work, we are going to go trolling. Start with a med-heavy to heavy rod, at least 15 pound test more is better, more gooder. Keep in mind we are going to troll a lure, yes a Bomber 15 or 16 chartreuse or SIG pattern, on 30- or 40pound leader.

Start your boat at a slow speed, about 900 rpm, then cast the lure a short way away from the boat – maybe 10 feet, hold

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it and check to see if the lure is tracking straight, not swimming off to one side or the other. If the lure is trying to go way to the left or right you can bend the nose loop, not the split ring but the loop attached to the front of the lure. If the lure is going to the right bend the nose ring/loop 1/64th of an inch to the left, Yes just a little tiny bit. OK let’s say it is all good the lure is tracking straight. I reel in the lure, then set it out 4 feet from the boat with an open bail, with the boat moving forward I speeded up to about 1100 rpm, then I count to 30 andclose the bail. Now I know my lure is 30 seconds behind me, so when I go around something when the boat passes the obstruction I know the lure will be passing in 30 seconds and I can correct my course again. Now you can do 15 seconds or what-ever works for you, or when working cross-ways, like by the bumpers of a bridge, I know when my lure has cleared the end of the bumper and I know when I can make a turn to start again.

I start moving the boat get my lure in position and start trolling along the length of the bridge. Now it is too hard to maneuver your boat 1 foot off the pilings, So hold the rod out at a 90 degree angle from the boat and that should get your lure 7 feet away from the side of the boat so you want to be about 8 feet away with the boat, letting your lure travel with-in a foot of the pilings. Just idle along until you get hit, then it is on, first thing set the hook, second thing the

October

2012

Lenny, left, and Fishinʼ Frank Senior, in his trademark pith helmet hat are both holding snook from under the I-75 Bridge

driver of the boat, at the same instant, backs the boat away from the pilings, you are at idle speed, so go to reverse and get the back of the boat out and away, This makes it easier so you can pull the fish away from the pilings. If you try to turn away going forward the line crosses the boat and it is too hard to control the fish and you will lose that snook, as it wraps around the pilings. 3-rd thing well forget that, fight the fish. By now that snook has jumped, swam for the bottom

did a couple of loop de loops and you should be getting a handle on it, or it broke you off and is at the surface shaking off your lure trying to throw it back at you. Either way that was too cool.

Now what do you do? Well don't just sit there do it again!

Be safe out there and enjoy yourselves

Frank can be reached at 625-3888 or at Frank@fishinfranks.com

October

2012

Action Again at

Action Craft

S t aff R eport Action Craft Boats, once elevated to almost cult-like status among local anglers, fell on hard times with the rest of the economy around 2008.

“I bought the assets from the previous owner,” said Chad Kovarik, 40, an Ohio native and business turn-around specialist with manufacturing, engineering and business background.. Kovarik says he’s a boater and fisherman for life and he and his fiance’ wanted to move to Florida.

What Kovarik didn’t know about the boat building business he made up for with business smarts. “We hired 10 people, seven of them are past Action Craft employees,” he said.

Currently the plant is operating around the corner from the old Action Craft property off Andelusia in Cape Coral. “We are building hulls and decks five miles away,” Kovarik said, “and then finishing the boats here. I’m looking for the right facility now to bring it all together under one roof.”

So far, in it’s first few months of operation, Action Craft has produced and sold eight boats. “We changed the poling platform and upgraded to LED lights. The hull and deck have not changed,” he said.

The finish on the boats they were working on that day was excellent. Running a hand around the edges of the hatch covers,

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looking at the familar wide and walk-able gunnels, it all looked and felt like the Action Craft quality of old.

Action Craft had a 10-year structural warrantee, Kovarik said. We will work with previous Action Craft owners on a case by case if there are any problems, he said, noteing the company will be producing all 12 models from the 16 foot to the 23-10” and that San Carlos Marine in Fort Myers is the sole dealer .at this time.

Kovarik said that material costs today, to build the same boat, are up 41% from 2008, but the buyer’s cost has gone up by only 14% (or 2%/year). Kovarik hopes to produce 30 boats in their first year.

Top: New owner Chad Kovarik poses with an open hatch on an 18 foot boat boat going out of state.

Bottom: Action Craft finisher Danny Christoffersen still has his old Action Craft shirt. He started with the company in 1989

Page 9

Life Histories Abbreviated Page 10

By Betty S taugl er Water LIFE / Sea Grant

Perhaps the most well-known function of estuaries, such as Charlotte Harbor, is their role as nursery grounds for growing fish, shrimp and shellfish. Very few marine species spawn in estuaries, but estuaries are used extensively as nursery grounds. Most fish and crustaceans (crabs, shrimp, etc.) spawn offshore. The eggs are typically planktonic (free floating). Eggs develop into larvae that

Lionfish a Local Problem Now

Last monthʼs Englewood Spaerfishing Open tournament saw 12 lionfish brought in from local reefs. Two have reportedly been taken at the US 41-bridge.

Lionfish are undeniably a local problem now.

A study recently published in the Bulletin of Marine Science has some disturbing news for Floridians. The population of venomous, invasive lionfish in the Florida Keys has increased as by as many as 200,000 fish in one year.

In 2010 it was estimated that there where as few as 89,000 lionfish calling the keys home, now researchers are saying that number could have exceeded 335,000.

There are two main species of lionfish the study is concerned with, Pteroris voltans and Pterois miles, are both Indo-Pacific lionfish from the scorpionfish family.

Scorpionfish have a venomous sting that, while not fatal to humans, causes intense pain, swelling, and blistering in most cases. Extreme cases could see temporary limb paralysis, delirium, and even loss of consciousness Lionfish have no natural predators in the keys and their spread is expected to continue throughout the Florida coast, Bermuda, and the rest of the region. “Iʼve never seen any fish colonize so quickly over such a vast geographic range,” said Paul Whitfield, NOAA biologist,

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depend upon tides and currents to transport them to suitable habitats to settle out and grow within. Settling young fish and crustaceans utilize a number of different survival strategies, but common to all is a quest to not be eaten.

Redfi sh, sand sea trout, southern kingfish and spot larvae for example, when ready to settle out as juveniles, are

mean less predators and ample food.

S nook in their quest to not be eaten seek out back country areas (at the land margins) that are very shallow (big things can’t get to it), low in salinity and low in dissolved oxygen. Juvenile snook have a very high tolerance for low dissolved oxygen, but they will lose that tolerance as they grow. While they are in the back country juvenile snook feed on what’s available, and what’s available is primarily mosquito fish. When snook reach a size of about 5-6 inches in length they begin to lose their tolerance for low dissolved oxygen and are forced to move out of the back country. At this size they are also in pursuit of food and they require deeper water due to their increased size.

Snook at this size will hang out at the entrances of creeks for a while where they are afforded some protection from predators. They are now eating bigger food items such as pinfish and pink shrimp.

Adult snook have a very diverse diet but at the top of their prey foods are pinfish, pigfish and swimming crabs.

looking for low salinity waters associated with river mouths. Low salinity waters tend to support less predator fish than higher salinity waters. According to Phil Stevens, FWC Charlotte Harbor Field Lab, three times as many piscivores (fish eaters) are found in lower Charlotte Harbor (where the water is deeper and saltier) than are found in the upper harbor, so if your survival strategy is to not be eaten, river mouths associated with the upper harbor are good This baby goliath grouper will grow to the size of a Volkswagen places to be (if you can tolerate low salinities). River mouths Not all juvenile fish utilize low saliniare also areas of high productivity. These ty waters to escape being eaten. Juvenile areas are associated with turbidity maxigag for instance requires stable salinity mums. Turbidity maximums are areas conditions. As such they settle out in the where freshwater meets and mixes with first suitable habitat encountered, generalsaltwater. The mixing causes sediments ly seagrass beds found in the sounds to become trapped in suspension.

(Gasparilla & Pine Island sounds) as well Turbidity maximums also concentrate as in the mangrove prop roots. These phytoplankton algae which in turn attract habitats allow juvenile gag to hide from tiny animals such as copepods and mysids predators. As with the other fish menwho feed on the algae. These animals are tioned, juvenile gag’s priority at this stage eaten by small fish and predatory inverteis to not be eaten. As such they are feedbrates such as comb jellies (the non-sting- ing upon whatever is common in the ing jellies that are not true jellyfish) environment and appropriate for their size which are then fed upon by slightly larger range. Young juveniles feed primarily on fish. For juvenile fish, river mouths and pinfish and shrimp. As they get bigger turbidity maximums associated with them they feed on pinfish, pigfish, scaled sardines (white bait) and silver perch. Other species that settle out in seagrasses as juveniles include gray snapper, grunts and spotted sea trout.

Permi t, like gag, also settle out in areas of higher salinity waters. Juvenile permit establish along estuary beaches where they are easily camouflaged against the sand. Small juveniles feed upon copepods, mysids and shrimp. As they get larger they shift to mole crabs,

October

2012

The mangrove habitat is essential to the Charlotte Harbor Estuary chain.

coquina clams and barnacles. Adults feed upon sea urchins, bivalves and crabs.

As fish increase in size, habitat and diet demands largely determine where it will be found. How and for how long fish utilize the estuary varies by species.

Gag will only spend about a year in the estuary before moving offshore. Redfish stay in the estuary for several years.

Snook go offshore to spawn but then come back to the estuary and spotted sea trout live their entire life in the estuary.

The innate need to reproduce, to ensure survival of the species, also determines

where and when different fish species are found. Tides, day length, the lunar cycle, temperature and salinity all influence the fish spawning patterns.

This is just a very basic look at the life history of some of our common fish species. Of course it is much more complicated in the real world and includes other cool strategies not discussed here.

Estuaries and life cycles are intricate and complicated, which of course is why they are so fascinating.

Betty Staugler Florida Sea Grant Agent Univ ersity of Florida IFAS Ex tension Charlotte County (941) 764-4346

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2012

w w w. Wa t e r L I FE maga z i n e .c o m

B Ba ac ck kC Co ou un nt tr ry y

Michael Heller Water LIFE editor Maybe it’s because I’ve been cooped up protecting a ruptured Achille’s tendon injury for four months, but I’ve been thinking about the ‘backcountry’ a lot.

When I worked as a photographer in New Mexico, I had a photographer friend who would camp for days in a snow cave above the treeline, all to get one great sunrise picture in the mountains. We called that the backcountry too. Backcountry is often a place you have to work hard to get to.

And I’m ready to get back to work.

There are a lot of pictures out there for the taking, in the backcountry and I wanted to collect a few.

My boat still needs to be cleaned from sitting so long, so when I talked to Capt.

David Smith about his monthly column last month and I told him about my backcountry plan - we wound up going fishing early the next morning.

Out of Ponce at 6:45, we found bait down at the ice-house and then started running back north from Pirate Harbor, up, inside the bar, along the islands – the water was very high that morning too.

A mile or so up, we started fishing some of the points, chumming and mov-

P a g e 11

ing until we found a few reds. Then we moved in a little and then a little more.

I wanted to get further in and David obliged.

The sun struggled to come up from behind the overcast. The weather girl had said showers, but so far we were dry.

Two idiots in a tower-boat buzzed the shoreline. Gradually we worked our way back further and further inside until we

were in an area where the outgoing tide was clear and the presence of mullet probably meant other fish.

On the other side of the sprit of mangroves that divided where we were from ‘over there’ a mullet fisherman threw his heavy net with a loud symetrical splash.

David chummed a few bats full of bait and we were fishing again.

“I don’t get to fish much on my char-

ter trips,” David said, reeling in a nice redfish, followed by a very nice snook.

The shoreline trees are predominantly green again and the fishing was as good as ever. It was getting good. Too bad we have to be back by 9:30. It was good fishing. No money, no payout, no charter clients, just fishing with a guide who loves to fish, doing what he loves, on his day off, or any other day he can.

Weʼre Slayinʼ ʻEm Page 12

By Capt. Bi l l y Barton Water LIFE / Charlotte Harbor What a month!! The inshore fishing has been beyond fantastic this past month, and it really should get better come October! I love seeing that air and water temperature come down a few degrees, it really makes a significant difference in the bite. I've still been getting out there early and filling the well with whitebait. This has been the bait of choice - with pin fish working well too.

Within the next month or so, shrimp's gonna start being on the shopping list though. On the grass flats the reds are schooled up hot and heavy. It's nothing this time of year to get on a school of 200 or more redfish, to get them chummed up on live bait and boiling like a Fry-Daddy! When you see these schools raise up you really have to approach them with stealth. I love throwing top-waters on these fish when I'm trying to locate them! There's nothing like a redfish blowing up on a top water bait!

These schools can be great for some catch and release fishing because most of these fish typically are oversize. But, don't get me wrong, the smaller slot-sized redfish are schooled up as well. I just seem to be finding the ones that are too

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big! The month of October has been deemed "Red October" for years. The reason goes without saying.

Also out on the grass flats, the trout fishing has been incredible on the East and West walls. The higher concentrations of fish that I'm finding are from Pirate Harbor south. On the west side you should do good if you get down near Cape Haze. These fish are feeding heavy on whitebait and they are layed up in the potholes. I like to post up on a good size area of marbled bottom and throw out some live chum. If you start seeing some fish come up and thrash, you know you're at the right spot. If not, move down a

little and try chumming a little more.

I'm fishing them in anywhere from 2 to 4 feet of water, and I'm fishing my whitebait on a float about two feet from the hook.

There are a ton of trout out there over 20 inches right now. I like to let those fish go, being as most of them have worms during the summertime. The fish in the 16-20 inch range make the best table fare this time of year.

Once we get into the winter, the larger fish are less likely have worms in em.

The snook fishing has been incredible.

The larger female fish seem to be thriving and the spunky little males are all over the place! It's starting to remind me a little bit of how it used to be. I said a little bit.... There's a bunch of mixed views on keeping the season closed another year.

As for me, I really have no problem with

October

2012

it. I'd rather be out there catching those good quality fish on a regular basis, and sending them back to make more babies.

There are plenty of other species of fish to take home and eat. Yes, snook is one of the best, I'll say that, but heck, continuing to give them a rest is only gonna help the population and make it better in years to come and I'm not going anywhere! I'm young, and I wanna’ see this fishery thrive for my generation and my children’s generation too. I hope to have at least another 50 years of snook fishing in me!!! At least I’m hopeful! This

October

2012

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Lovin始 the Surf Fishin始

Steven Flores loves fishing the beaches of Charlotte County. Look at the light color of the snook and the redfish that are in the surf now, off the coast.

place needs more ethical anglers. It would only make for a better fishery.

One last thing I'm gonna get into this month is the schools of lady fish and Spanish mackerel out in the middle of the Harbor all the way down to Boca Grande pass.

There's a ton of great fun to be had out there. Just look for the seagulls going crazy on the waters surface. That's where the fish will be. A short piece of 38pound piano wire to a small silver spoon is a good artificial bait of choice. A live piece of whitebait is always a great choice too. Make sure you have that short piece of steel or you'll be getting bit off over and over and you'll be retying a lot of spoons! Mixed in with some of these schools, closer to the pass, there's been some great light tackle shark fishing to be done as well.

We've been catching a good amount of

three to four foot black tips which always makes me smile! The sharks are happy eating the whitebait and cut ladyfish. A live pin fish, free lined, is another option.

I've had my share of days offshore this last month too. The king mackerel are moving in close, like within five miles, and the grouper fishing has been phenomenal in just 60 to 80 feet of water. I'm not gonna get started on that though, that's a whole different story! Lets just say the bite is on everywhere!!

I think that's enough for me this month. I hope y'all are having the same kinda luck I am! I wish you the best out there. Here's to blown up rods and smokin drags!!! Be safe, make sure you take a kid with you, and go get em!!

Capt. Billy Barton operates S cal es N Tai l s C hart ers. He can be reached at 979-6140 or at bartonw24@yahoo.com

Capt. Billy with a range of Charlotte Harbor snook

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Visit Manatee World Page 14

By Capt. Ron Bl ago Water LIFE Senior Staff ‘Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored’ - Al dous Huxl ey Tampa Electric Co. has announced a joint partnership with the Florida Aquarium and the FWC to expand their manatee viewing area at Apollo Beach, into Florida Conservation and Technology Park.

The park, which is next to the Big Bend Power Station (a coal fired plant) has been a manatee viewing area during the winter months for over 25 years and has had over 3 million visitors. Plans are to increase the viewing center and museum and add a section for renewable energy projects and put in an animal rescue, research and holding center run by the Florida Aquarium. The cost of some of these improvements will be picked up by a grant from the FWC. During the cold weather, large numbers of manatees will winter in the warm water discharge coming from the power plant. As the population of manatees increase in Florida; these power plant discharges have become over crowded and a potential disaster areas for manatees. As power plants in Florida switch to natural gas and become more efficient, the

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amount of warm water discharge has decreased.

Seven of the 10 largest energy power stations in Florida are now running on natural gas.

The more manatees vs less discharge problem has been temporary solved by requiring these power plants to continue to provide 68 degree discharge water for the manatees, the cost of which is passed on in your electric bills.

The FWC has recognized this problem for some time; they report that “The manatees have forgotten their natural migration paths and have become dependent on the man made warmth”. Katie Tripp-Director of Science and Conservation for the Save The Manatee Club said, “no one had a clue that manatees would become dependent on the warm water but, that is what happened over the years.”

I beg to differ with her statement. I think many people saw this problem and tried to stop it, including some of the

October

Left & Above

Manatees at Apollo Beach power plant

original members of the SMC. Back in the 60s the developers in Florida realized that if we were going to grow we needed more power plants. The State recognized the potential hazard of these plants and like most other states, classified warm water discharge as thermal pollution and required that it be severely limited . The power industry realizing that any government regulation would slow their progress looked for ways to turn pollution from a negative to a positive. Then they came across a small group of environmentalist in south Florida who noticed that a number of manatees would hang out at the existing power plants during the winter.

The power industry, seized the opportunity and offered to help build viewing areas so people could see the very rare manatee. Not all the environmentalist were in favor of this plan. Some thought that this was an unnatural situation and would lead manatees away from their nat-

2012

ural migration routes. Others thought that these areas were a great opportunity to get publicity for the endangered manatee and the viewing areas were a great location to get members for the then new Save the Manatee Club.

The power industry with the help of the SMC were able to change thermal pollution to manatee habitat in the minds of State regulators and the public. Not only did the SMC know about thermal pollution; they encouraged it, they supported it and even profited from it. Now they throw up their hands and say no one had a clue.

They knew the facts; but chose to ignore them. The State should immediately stop funding these artificial warm water discharge areas and should require the power plants to lower their thermal pollution by one degree per year until the temperature of the discharge is equal to the surrounding waterway. Hopefully this will give the manatee time to relearn their natural migration paths. The manatee was doing just fine before the power plants and the SMC got here. Let’s hope the manatees can survive all their help.

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, For EVERY Boat Detailed During October, Kleen All Boats will Donate $25 to Dollars for Mammograms, dedicated to helping women in Charlotte Co.

Call to see how you can help today. 764-7928

Wicked Weather October

2012

By Capt. Chuck Ei chner Water LIFE Punta Gorda Fishing Living on the waters of Charlotte Harbor, most wouldn’t think I would need to take a fishing vacation, but the lure of the Florida Keys keeps me coming back every year.

After a week of preparation for a week of fishing my expectations were high.

The Big Pine Key fishing forecasts were great, but the only problem was the weather man had a bad attitude. My brother Bob joined me and after 3 days of stormy weather with the boat sitting idle at dockside the mood was somber and a bit unfriendly. You can only drink so much beer and the beer was not even tasting good anymore.

On the fourth day there was a pocket of clear weather so we ventured out despite the predictions of continued rainy

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and stormy conditions. Unloading our pinfish traps I peered into the livewell and could count 60-70 pinfish. Chum loaded up, gear aboard and finally we are scanning bottom at 90 feet above the reef ... with hardly any fish on our best numbers. After a few spot changes we fished a coral head in 40 feet of water and began catching small yellowtail snappers, grunts and mangroves. This took the edge off, but a storm squall was building to our south and then the rain was upon us. Reluctantly we headed back to port.

Entering the canal system where the house was located, we saw tarpon rolling.

Siddling up to a seawall Bob cast out a pinfish and got whomped! A 50 pound tarpon came skyward and splashed down with a limp line for the reward. The best was yet to come, as we were in for some of the fastest tarpon fishing of our lives.

The canal was full of 25 to 60 pound tarpon and they were not bashful. Cast to any one and he would eat! Amazing how a trip can be salvaged with just a few hours of incredible fishing.

Tarpon fishing is certainly not a bad back up plan, even though we get our share of good tarpon fishing at home.

The big difference here was that these tarpon bit recklessly, jumped madly and had the neighbors peering from their 2 story decks cheering.

The next day met with more stormy weather and the day was once again salvaged with tarpon fishing. I tried different hook styles, different corks, leader weight and length and verified that some hooks don’t work as well as others for sure. The tarpon preferred only 40 pound test and a traditional backcountry cork.

Finally on the fifth day the afternoon opened up with no rain or storms and away we went. With our best numbers showing no fish last time on the reef I decided to study my electronic chart and

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Bob Eichner with a black grouper (left) and a canal full of tarpon located a sharp drop in 80 feet of water. Arriving at the reef we watched as the depth finder painted a pretty bottom dropoff with fish hugging the bottom and a few arches above them.

Anchor set, chumbox on the bottom, chum bag on the gunnel cleat and the tip to nearly the cork handle I cauchunking pinfish we drifted baits into the tioned him not to break my rod. Five water column. Yellowtail snappers started minutes into the fight with pumping, to come in with some nice keepers hitdrag burning, reef dives to the bottom and ting the ice. Meanwhile, brother Bob a gorgeous black grouper approaching 20 freelined large bluerunners back behind pounds was on the gaff and five days of the boat. Repeatedly, he had fish bite up stormy weather didn’t matter anymore.

4 feet onto a wire leader and take his rig.

I picked late September because it What kind of fish was doing this, we should have been sunny and calm with wondered, but never found out. very few fisherman. We were definitely Dropping small pinfish to the bottom the only ones fishing this week! And resulted in jack crevalles in the 4 pound we’ll be back to do it again next year! range definitely an unexpected reef catch but nice for chunking and bait.

Capt. Chuck Eichner operates Action Fishing light backcountry rods on the Flats Backcountry Charters and can be reef usually meets with encounters of reached at 941-628-8040 or at large fish. When Bob’s light stick bent www.backcountry-charters.com

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October

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Immediate access to Charlotte Harbor. This property has city water and sewer! $119,000

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October

2012

Real Estate News

Provided to Water LIFE BY: Dave Hofer RE/MAX Harbor Realty (941) 575-3777 dhofer@remax.net www.harborparadise.com Sales Statistics:

Published statistics indicate median prices on closed home sales in Charlotte County increased by 18% for August vs. August, 2011. Our stats for properties under contract show a 23% year over year gain. Lot sales continue to flounder as inventory is gradually dissipating. some 5.1% below 2011 levels.

Recent area news items:

1. Public outcry at the idea of purchasing the former IMPAC University facility, led to the tabling of the offer.

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Skidmore will get a $10K advance from the county treasurer to pay a retainer for the defense from employees sexual harassment lawsuits. Taxpayers will be hiring a film consultant to follow up on potential Charlotte County located filming. We will also be represented by a lobbyist who's initial responsibility will be to maximize compensation due from the BP oil spill.

7. It just keeps on going. Charlotte County lost its arbitration decision to pay backpay to the firemen. It will be required to pay out $800,000 in cost of living and education compensation to the firefighters. Commissioner Skidmore uttered what is possibly the most naive request ever when he asked the winners to 驶voluntarily waive their back pay.始

8. The Parkside CRA is still going forward with the $9 million stage one of $35 million effort to convert this blighted neighborhood into a desirable community with a correspondingly higher tax base. Stage one includes changing some 5 foot sidewalks into 10 footers and turning Lake Betty Park into retention ponds. County staff conceded that in their most optimistic scenario, the completed project would raise only $9 million in incremental tax receipts over a 20 year period.

9. Before the County commits to a $28 million reverse osmosis water treatment facility, they are asking for public input. Rather than forcing homeowners to treat their own water, the system is designed to mix treated water with existing sources to provide a better quality of water from the tap.

10.

Punta Gorda raised its millage rate for 2012 by 18% blaming a decrease in valuations of 3.8% and adding some $875,000 to paving budget. Math is a little fuzzy, but tax rates are still well below 2008 levels.

The deal to acquire this 55,000 square foot facility hinges on Charlotte County Commissioners confidence that their "business incubator" concept can generate the $1 million/year rental value of the facility. If not, the sellers will be faced with finding a user with private funds to take advantage of the bargain purchase price.

2. Main Stage is withdrawing its offer to develop a multi stage entertainment venue at Murdock Village. Securing the $200 million of risk capital required for this venture proved to be insurmountable.

3. Charlotte County turned down Calusa Green's zoning application to convert the 554 acre parcel into a landfill to be used, not by Charlotte, but neighbor counties.

4. Michael Antelec and his Australia Yacht Company decided to abandon Charlotte County's $500K enticement to build a manufacturing plant on County property near the airport. Charlotte County paid in $325k of its $500k enticement and another $87k in reimbursements before he gave up. Opining that the county permitting process dragged on excessively, the vacant facility never reached operational status. Antelec now plans to set up shop in the Jacksonville area.

5. Serendipity Spa negotiated a deal to lease 5,000 square feet in the Herald Court Parking Garage. In the process of final negotiations, the prospect was offered a better deal elsewhere.

6. The lawsuit against Charlotte County by vacant lot owner, Cape Cave Corporation and the Andress Family Trust has been resumed. This investor purchased more than 1,000 lots in Rotonda more than 20 years ago. In 1998, the county purchased the dormant water and sewer system, knowing that they were not operable. Because there was no apparent demand for construction in this area, the services were never installed. Emboldened by last month's $10 million ruling in favor of the developer in a similar case, the land speculators will be seeking damages because of the County's inability to provide the utility services promised.

6. In County Commissioner news, Commissioner

In other news: Restaurants are continuing to experience a lot of upheaval this year. Jack's on Marion was sold, as was The Slip Not.

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think the fish are love'n the root beer color or what?

RED AN GAG GROUPER are chewing good if you can get well offshore in 90 to 110ft. of water. Good baits; live pin fish, cut bait mullett, squid, sardines. Fish 2 to 3 feet above the bottom

OFFSHORE REPORT

The Olʼ Fishʼn Hole

With Capt. Jim O'Brien

any event, I will be geting a bigger boat.

I will be selling my 2001 28 ft. Mako so if you know any one looking for an excellent boat give me a call.

Now let see what the fish are doing

Water LIFE Englewood Hey ya all, how ya doin out there?

Hope ya all got out in between blows.

The fish'n is still great, but I still haven't gone on my 70 mile run for big blacks yet, hopefully in the next 2 weeks. I just wanted to spend a minute with ya- all, ol' Capt. here is going to turn 67 Oct. 28 and I have renewed my Masters Capt.

License for another 5 years. I'm still in good health and I love what I do, take'n people fish'n. So to make a long story short with the help of a good friend of mine Capt. Woody Kissell ol' Capt. here is going to be getting a bigger boat with fly bridge and cabin to get in out of the weather.

My friends and I are also getting involved with the Wounded Warriors project and the VA. My friends Woody, Glen and I was talk'n and we decided it was time to help our boys coming back from Afghanistan an Libya so that’s where the bigger boat comes in. We might get 6 people in a wheelchair then again we might get 2 or 3 in wheelchairs and the others might be able to stand or sit. in

REDFIS H - are biting good in Bull Bay, Turtle Bay, Lemon Bay and also the El Jo Bean bridge, big bull reds are movin in with some smaller ones. Best bait is a frisky pin fish or a lively shrimp under a popping cork.

S NOOK - there are some snook being caught on the beachs and in Bull Bay, Turtle Bay, an at the El Jo Bean bridge on an out going tide and the west wall out just past the bar in about 10 ft. of water. Use a D. O. A. root beer colored shrimp they're doing a good job. My friend Capt. Leroy Bennett that does Back Bay Charters has been going to the right of the phosphate pilings toward the homes and the snook have been stacked up there. He said he has been catching them 36 to 44 inchers, now I'm a tell'en ya that's a nice a SNOOK. Best bait D.O.A. root beer colored shrimp or a live shrimp under a cork.

TARPON - again Capt. Leroy Bennett has been doing real good on tarpon, catching 3 to 5 tarpon on a days charter. He has been fishing from Marker 1 in the Harbor to the upper end of the Harbor. Best bait is a D.O.A. swimming mullet in root beer color. Gee do you

S HARKS - there are sharks all over the place inshore reefs and all the offshore wrecks an reefs. There are sharks up in the 20 ft. hole in Charlotte Harbor.

On our last charter out we couldn't get away from the sharks we caught them from 3 ft. to 10ft. I would move to other spots 1/2 mile to over a mile away and we would still have sharks We had a 9 to 10 footer on and it broke one of my good rods plmb in half. Sounded like a 22 mag going off. Well that rod is now going to be one of my new kite rods.

MANGROVE S NAPPER AN YELLOW TAIL S NAPPER - The BIG - UNS are still out in 80 to 110 ft. of water, they are chewing good on all the inshore reefs and over the rocky bottom in Boca Grande Pass. Best bait, shrimp an squid.

Well my story for this month is from one of our last charters out and I apologize to Alex Price an his brother Micheal Price. I told them that I would do an article on them and there friend Bob Flynn could send a copy up north to them. Oh I almost forgot Alex an Michael's mom an dad, George an Darlene Price, also good friends of mine, Glen Keaser owner of Paradise Jewlers in Englewood in the picture left to right is Glen Keaser, to his right Alex Price, behind him is his dad George Price, behind him standing on a bench is Micheal Price to his left is Bob Flynn and to his left is Darlene Price The Prices have never been deep sea fish'n and they caught about everything you could think of. They caught red grouper, mangrove snapper, yellow tail snapper, porgys, jolt head porgys and some Key West grunts.

As you can see the smiles on there faces they had a great time and learned a little about our kind of fish'n. We all had a great day on the Gulf.

October

2012

BE S UR E TO S NOR T S OME OF THAT S A LT A IR C UZ IT’S GOOD FER YA !

If you have any questions or if you have a good ol' fishin’ story or a recipe for cooking fish that I can share with our readers give me a call. To book an offshore charter with us aboard the Predator IICall (941) 473-2150 http://www.predator2charters.com

Englewood Open Spearfishing Tourney First Place: Steven Lee Grouper 81.80 lbs Adam Wilson Amberjack 27.90 lbs Dalton Conrad Snapper 7.30 lbs David Flower Hogfish 5.30 lbs Mike Kimball Barracuda 30.65 lbs Ryan Wandersee Sheepshead 1.30 lbs First Place Womenʼs: Melanie Rogers Aggregated 29.65 lbs 8.6 Red Grouper 21.05 Barracuda

First Place Youth: Steven Reinhardt Aggregated 25.60 lbs 13.8 Grouper 8.25 Barracuda 2 Lionfish Second Place: Paul Wagenseil Grouper 78.05 lbs Jim Kissinski Amberjack 27.55 lbs Dustin Felton Snapper 6.40 lbs Cole Sutcliffe Hogfish 4.40 lbs Brice Flower Barracuda 21.25 lbs

Second Place Womenʼs: Claudia Hoffman Aggregated 27.90 lbs 23.15 Amberjack 4.75 Snapper

Second Place Youth: Charlie Shaffer Aggregated 19.5 lbs 16.20 Grouper 1.75 Snapper 2.55 Hogfish Third Place: Phil Horen Grouper 14.20 lbs Eric Pinkham Amberjack 27.35 lbs Pat Tormey Snapper 3.85 lbs Jeff Barker Hogfish 3.95 lbs

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October

2012

KAYAKING The Last Paddle of Summer

By Davi d Al l en Water LIFE Kayaking October's here. The days are getting longer and the mornings cooler. The Gulf water feels cooler on our hands and arms as we paddle off shore, the waves are a little higher, the wind a little stronger. It's time for our last swim in Gasparilla Inlet, so let's paddle out, make a day of it and include a snack with friends.

We got to Grande Tours about 10 am to find the parking lot unexpectedly full, with no space for my kayak trailer.

Apparently lots of paddlers were trying to get in a paddle before the cooler weather.

As a couple of cars left the lot, we pulled in, unloaded the kayaks and carried them down to the launch ramp.

As we were getting ready to launch, this tall, athletic gentleman approached me and said," Don't I know you ?" It was a friend and former kayak club member, Bob Manz and his partner Mary Grace. We had last kayaked together on a moonlight paddle out of Turtle Beach in Sarasota. The paddle to a Siesta Key Beach, turned into a great party as we dined on roast beef sandwiches and the champagne someone brought to celebrate

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a birthday.

It was great to see Bob and Mary Grace again and we quickly agreed to paddle to the inlet for a swim and snack.

The weather was perfect for the trip, almost no wind and the tide behind us on the outbound. The water was very shallow on the north side of the ICW, so we didn't expect to see the usual dolphins.

But all through the grass flats west of Bird Key the fish were continuously jumping on both sides of the kayak. I have never seen so much fish activity in one area.

As we approached the inlet, we could see that the outgoing tide had undercut the inside beach and created a steep landing area. So we paddled around to the Gulf side to find a more shallow beach and parked our kayaks there.

There were two powerboats anchored along the beach and a couple of families were enjoying the water and the sand.

The water was warmer than we expected, so we stayed in and compared notes on the last two years. The beach was completely deserted except for the two power boat and our group.

By this time it was early afternoon and we were ready to head for home. We'd spent several hours in the water and on the beach and the tide was now running out at a pretty good clip. As I tried to get into my kayak, the current grabbed the bow and swung it 180 degrees to the

west. So we dragged our kayaks around the point to a spot with less current, about 30 yards down the beach and mounted there.

We paddled around Bird Key again to avoid the strong current, passed under the Boca Causeway Bridge, back into Coral Creek and on to Grande Tours. It was a great end-of-season paddle made better by meeting old friends. We agreed to do some longer paddles in the near future, said our goodbye's and headed for home.

Great Day! Great Paddle!

The Port Charlotte Kay ak ers meet each Wednesday ev ening at 5:00 at the pav ilion at Bay shore Park . All are welcome. For more information, contact Dav e Allen at 941-235-2588 or dlaa@comcast.net

Page 19

Left: Paddle up on the sandy Gulf shore Above: bathers and the birds of Bird Island Below: New Construction

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October

2012

You can always get a free copy of Water LIFE at these locations

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4419 So. Tamiami Trail S. Venice 493-0025

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October

2012

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SCUTTLEBUTT

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Sometimes Unsubstanciated, But Often True PUTTIN THE PINCHERS ON When the old Punta Gorda Best Western becomes a Holiday Inn, Pincherʼs Crab Shack will be the restaurant there.

CHARLOTTE NEXT? The FWC Resource Protection Squad members worked a variety of hours targeting numerous hot spots in Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Lee Counties focusing on recreational fisherman.

A total of 22 misdemeanor citations were issued during one week. The violations ranged from illegal method, size and bag limits, seasons and trespassing. The species involved were snook, red drum, black drum, and mangrove snapper.

week and charged a woman who sold them with three misdemeanors. Officers organized an undercover sting when they learned of Kristina M. Dempseyʼs intent to sell the piranhas through a Craigslist post. This was part of an effort to keep foreign, invasive species out of Floridaʼs waterways. Evan DʼAlessandro, visiting assistant professor of marine biology and fisheries at the University of Miamiʼs Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, told the Sun Sentinel, “Itʼs not

REWARD Offered for Information on Dolphin Killed on Elmer's Island, Louisiana - Necropsy revealed the dolphin died from a bullet lodged in its lung. The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society is offering a $1,500 reward for information leading to the identification, arrest, and conviction of the responsible person(s).

ALACHUA FWC Officers were on land patrol at a known alligator processor to conduct an inspection.

When they arrived, they asked to see the alligator harvest reports. They were told by one of the owners that the paperwork was at the co-ownerʼs residence. While waiting on the paperwork, both officers started looking through two walk-in coolers. They found: one six- to seven-foot alligator alive, eight untagged alligator hides, one three-foot untagged alligator, 1300+ pounds of unlabeled alligator meat and a fawn deer. Numerous charges are pending.

PIRANHAS FWC Undercover wildlife officers bought three red-bellied piranhas in West Palm Beach last

because of their danger to humans, itʼs because of their danger to the environment. They are apex predators.

Theyʼre at the top of the food chain. Our network of canals and freshwater retention ponds and the Everglades is very similar to their native habitat, and they could easily get a foothold.”

This predatory fish poses as much of a risk to Florida and the stateʼs native flora and fauna as invasive Burmese pythons, snakeheads and other nonnative species.

TAMPA BAY Officers on water patrol received information regarding a vessel that had struck a manatee on the Little Manatee River and then crashed into some mangroves. The operator was not injured, but his vessel was stuck in the mangroves. After noticing signs of alcohol impairment, officers arrested the operator.

TAMPA BRIDGE FWC responded to a vessel in distress call regarding a sailboat that was crashing against the Howard Franklin Bridge in Tampa. The 25-foot sailboat had six people onboard and had lost power during a storm and could not sail. The United States Coast Guard (USCG) responded by vessel, but due to the shallow water, the USCG vessel was not able to get close to the sailboat but they were able to float a line to the vessel and tow it away from the bridge. The occupants were not injured and the sailboat sustained only minor damage.

ORANGE/SEMINOLE/VOLUSIA FWC Operation “Snake Pit” Investigator inspected passengers leaving the central Florida area after the National Reptile Breeders Expo held in Daytona Beach. One international passenger was travelling from Orlando International Airport to Brazil when the team detected suspicious objects in their luggage. These objects consisted of two boxes of newly purchased stereo speakers that were opened and the screws on the new speakers showed signs of tampering. The speakers were taken apart, revealing a total of 27 snakes packaged individually in panty hose bags. The snakes included a ball python, boa constrictors, and corn snakes, valued at $10,000. The man was interviewed and placed under arrest for the federal charge of smuggling of wildlife. He served two days in the Orange County and was fined $6,000.

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Charlotte Harbor:

Frank at Fishin' Franks

WaterLIFE@comcast.net

The The BIG-4 BIG-4

Fish Fish to to expect expect in in

October October

Port Charlotte:

625-3888

October

2012

Gulf Temps in the mid to lower 80s

SNAPPER They are just The big news is the REDFISH Big reds around MACKEREL Spanish around SNOOK on the beaches and the passes, kings offshore everywhere, in and offshore moving in the Harbor the southern Harbor near- shore Gulf. There are S pani sh, ki ngs, boni ta, AJs, permi t, grunt, snapper; you can troll past pods of fish because pretty much what ever you want is on the Gulf right now.

Within the first mile from shore there are the Spanish, by 3 miles out you’ll get into occasional king, further out the kings seem to increase in size.

At 30 miles guys are starting to get into the mahi mahi and out past 40 miles they are really thick right now.

If you fish from the beach, use a weighted bobber or, fishing with an unweighted float, have lead below it.

Cast as far as you can and angle to the right because the current moves to the south at Englewood. The mackerel will hit a bait under a float. The DOA FLY SPOON When Hobo (right) quit making gold spoons we Poppers have a good lead and I like an switched to a gold Eppinger Rex spoon (left) but we turned the hook around, to let the fat end ʻleadʼ and make it run shallow like the Hobo. oval float and not a cigar because the A fly-tying friend tied up some red feathers on a long shank hook. oval ‘pops’ good. The popping splash noise attracts the l adyfi sh, pompano and macks that are cruising the shorehook’ right now. It’s been snapper thing under 8 inchCaitlyn Raheb works at Fishinʼ Franks line. catching time the last month or two. es. Shrimp, whiteand spends her spare time fishing the In the Harbor, mangrove snapper beach and the Harbor.

It’s good redfish and bunches of bait... it hasnt made Sheʼs got a cobia here. are the big ticket. They are hitting snook, but most people are catching a difference. It has to everywhere. They are just really ‘on the snapper from 8- to 14-inches, lots of get a few degrees 10-, 11-, and 12s but I didnt find anycooler for shrimp to kick in for everything else, but its working now Fishing Right Now: on snapper.

The snook Best Early a.m. are hot too. We & Late p.m. caught 4 trolling a Bomber and 6 with whitebait and one on shrimp. If you are really trying to find snook, know that the whitebait is what they are keyed up to.

Snook have been on the outside of the islands, redfish on the inside and in the deeper cuts. And snapper are everywhere.

Trout are still around too, out in the grass close to the bar. There are still tarpon in the turna-round canal at PGI and still some in the open water workCapt. Steve Skevington and a Sept Tuna

This redfish Capt. Billy Barton put his client on brought out a big smile

Bl a ck T i p B a it & T a c kl e Our b ai t i s g uarant eed t o cat ch fi s h o r di e t ry i ng !

Semper Fi Charters with Capt. James C Hensler

continued on facing page

El Jobean Open Every Day Mon - S at: 6am - 7pm S un: 6 am - 5 pm

October

2012

October Fishing

www.WaterLIFEmagazine.com

continued

Good day for grouper fishing From Capt. Billy Barton

ing through the Harbor, but every day now there are less. Soon it will be only the resident tarpon left. I havent heard of any tarpon along the beaches at all. Pine Island Sound down by Redfish Pass, reportedly, still has some tarpon in it, at least thats what I am hearing. The visiting tarpon are on their last hurrah and the little cooling in the weather might have done it for them, enough to move therm somewhere else: the Keys, Mexico, someplace warm for the winter.

Those fish are real travellers.

Bass fishing is steadly increasing in popularity. People like to just walk up and fish the lakes and canals in Northport, Port Charlotte and out along Hwy 17. I’ve had more and more guys coming in for freshwater stuff. The plastic worms, creature bait, spinners and such have quadrupled in sales in the last 4 years. The bass are cooperating too.

Every week I hear about 6-8-even 10pounders. A lake north of Northport has produced several 8s and 10s lately. The nine mile canal road, Coco Plum, where ever there is a running spillway or a place for fish to look for shade. Try texas rigging with the bait on the bottom. I haven’t heard much from Shell and Prairie creek, but the ponds and small lakes are really doing good. Reds and purples are the colors that are selling right now.

Lemon Bay:

Jim at Fishermens Edge, Englewood: 697-7595

Fishing is fantastic. Some guides tell me they have been dead in the water, but the fishing is great. People are straggling back into town, there is a change in the traffic, people are back around, but it takes a while

to get the house set up before you go fishing.

Fishing is real good, close in.

Everything cudas, ki ngs, and cobi a are around because there is still so much bait moving between Boca and Venice, just hovering along the shore line. Guys are having a field day fly fishing or bottom fishing. or spin casting, it doesn’t matter.

The inside fishing from Lemon Bay to Gasparilla Sound is good on schools of redfi sh. They are a lot of fun for the kayak guys and small boat guys. A topwater is real good right now because there isn’t a lot of floating grass.

The snook guys are having good luck with a lot of bigger fish and there has been quite a bit of fish on the beach. The guys are throwing crank baits or a pinfish in the surf, on the south side of Stump Pass where the water dumps out and makes that little eddy. With a good outgoing tide that’s a good place to play with the snook.

Some guys are telling me a few sheephead are here already and there are nice flounder on sandy bottom along the Palm Island and Novak reefs. Still some tarpon around but not a lot. Try up by Buck Creek for the last stragglers or down in the Pine Island Sound.

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October

2012

www.WaterLIFEmagazine.com

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