Water LIFE April 2009

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April 2009

KIDS CUP

April 25 Still Time to Sign Up Page 12-13

BIGGEST RED we始ve ever seen in Charlotte Harbor!

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The Kings are here Page 22

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Water LIFE

MAGAZINE

April

2009

April

2009

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Water LIFE

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LETTERS to

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Wa t e r L I F E @ c o m c a s t . n e t

recommends how the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund RE: Take Me Fishing Grant (formerly the Aquatic Resources Trust Fund) monies are distributed to I read with keen interest, in the March issue of Water LIFE magazine, organizations such as the RBFF. If you or your organization would like to about the Kids Cup Tournament that Water LIFE (and others) are hosting comment on this situation before I go to the Boating Summit, it could next month. What a neat event! Then I learn that the entry fee is $100. serve you -- and the kids we'd all like to see learn how to fish -- in good One has to wonder how many youngsters are unable to participate stead. because of the expense -- especially given the current economic free fall.

Jo Mogle, Punta Gorda, FL Then on page five of the same magazine, I read about Charlotte County Parks & Rec and the $10,000 RBFF/Take Me Fishing grant fiasco and was appalled. It would seem to me that money Charlotte Countyʼs could have been very well spent to help Parks and Recreation Department underwrite the entry fee for those youngsters has now had a month to cover their who can't afford it. I subsequently went onto asses. Weʼre still waiting for Jeanette your website and learned about the other Knowlton, the County Attorney to Learn-to-Fish programs in our community return our call on the legality of counserving youngsters wanting to learn to fish ty employees accepting finderʼs fees. that could also have benefited from the grant In an email from Joanne Larson at money.

Parks and Rec, she said the county But I am particularly concerned about the has spent some of the grant money stewardship that both the RBFF/Take Me on ʻkayaking field tripsʼ for kids at Fishing and Charlotte County Parks and Rec Myakka Park and the Canoe Outpost are showing when the grant funding is admin(both in Desoto County). She will neiistered in such a manner that the action taken ther confirm nor deny that a finderʼs was to return the money to RBFF. (As you fee was paid to anyone with the know, the National Recreation and Park Zack Shaver with a 32" Snook caught on a long a bomber grant money, although the alleged Association had received the grant from the same day as the Flatsmaster tournament, I bet there finders fee and the field trip expensRBFF, to "work with local agency leaders to were more than a few teams looking for that fish. He was es are remarkably similar amounts. engage youth in recreational boating and fishing with his dad up the river. From: Capt.Mike Miller Furthermore, the County has fishing.") suddenly and miraculously come up As it happens, I represent a national boatwith a new idea for the rest of the $10,000 grant, one which will take ing organization at meetings of the National Association for Boating Law place outside the specific timeframe set forth in the grant. The new idea Administrators and the National Safe Boating Council. Representatives of is to teach kids in the county schools about fishing, an idea we suggestthe RBFF attend these meetings also, and I have met a number of them ed to the county in the first place. Except now itʼs their idea. Also curious over the past few years. My guess is that the majority of the members of is the fact that someone at the grant office has allegedly agreed to the RBFF are unaware their funds were administered in the manner in extend the grant time frame, but neither the grant office nor the County is which our county has handled them, and when I see their (RBFF's) reps apparently willing to talk about that either. The worst part is the more we at the International Boating & Water Safety Summit coming up next see of this the more it appears to be standard operating procedure for month in Panama City Beach, I plan to seek them out and discuss it with Charlotte County: Donʼt ask, Donʼt tell and Look the Other Way when you them. have to. But thatʼs not going to cut it. Our readers and our kids have a I am seeking more information about this situation so I can be better right to know what is going on in Charlotte County. The County will have informed when I see the RBFF people -- as well as the representatives of to answer for their actions eventually. So just stay tuned. – MH the USCG's Boating Safety Advisory Council, which is the group which

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April

2009

Water LIFE Magazine inc.

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TOTALLY INDEPENDENT Water LIFE is not affiliated with any other publication Vol IIX No4 © 2009 Water LIFE

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WRITE US! e-mail (preferred) Waterlife@comcast.net Regular Mail: 217 Bangsberg Rd. Port Charlotte, FL 33952

Contributing Editors:

Senior Editor: Capt. Ron Blago Charlotte Harbor: Capt. Robert Moore Port Charlotte: Capt. Andy Medina Gasparilla: Capt. Chuck Eichner Offshore: Capt. Steve Skevington Commercial Fishing: Kelly Beal Sea Grant: Betty Staugler Real Estate: Dave Hofer Inshore: Fishinʼ Frank Diving: Adam Wilson Kayaks: David Allen Sailing: Bill Dixon Office Dog: Molly

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A spool of 20-pound Cajun Red line with 25-pound flourocarbon leader, a 1-0 Owner hook and a scaled sardine brought Capt Angel Torresʼc client ʻMikeʼ this 50-inch, 40-plus- pound redfish from the East Side of Charlotte Harbor. This fish was released alive. The state record is 52 lbs.

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April

2009

Water LIFE

Unintended Consequences

By Mi chael Hel l er Water LIFE Publisher I look down from the dock into the release boat tank. There are many white bellies shining up from the bottom. The guys on the release boat are busy receiving more bags of fish from other tournament anglers and dumping them in. There is idle conversation, most people are watching the weigh in. The clearly dead trout are placed in another well at the aft end of the boat. In the forward tank snook, redfish and trout are struggleing to hang on. I hate seeing things like this.

Killing fish is OK if you are going to eat them that day, or use them, but killing fish inadvertently and doing so in a live release tournament is just unacceptable.

The fish should have been in better oxygenated water and kept in the weigh bags for less time.

I ask one of the release boat crew.

“Would it be fair to say that half the fish you guys are releasing today are already dead?” “Most of them are dead,” the boat driver tells me. “We’re just taking them around the corner and dumping them off.”

This is a big tournament, a threespecies grand-slam, but the weigh-in has been changed to a location further away from the water.

I watch a big snook, struggleing to right itself. That does it. I sling my cam-

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era around my back, so it won’t get wet, and hop down onto the release boat. I take hold of the snook by the tail and start to work her, moving her forward to get some water circulating over the gills. I hold the fish in the bubbles of the aerator for a while. She wiggles a little - a good sign. I let go and she rolls onto her side.

I take her by the tail again and work her counterclockwise around the tank. The release boat crew is still busy doing other things. After a few minutes I reach around to her mouth and pop her lower lip down – a healthy snook will take hold of your thumb and hang on. The snook closes on my finger. I can feel her boney jaw. A healthy fish would be squeezing harder, but this fish is tired; exhausted from the fight, locked in a livewell, bounced around the harbor and then held much too long in an un-oxygenated weigh bag. I’m still working her. She gives me another wiggle or two and is holding a little harder. Minutes go by. “You guys should be doing this,” I say to one of the release boat crew and he takes over for me. “They are going to die anyway,” he says casually. “These big snook are breeders,” someone on the dock chimes in. “You need to work harder at keeping them alive,” the by-stander says and when the release boat heads out the snook is swimming on her own. She’ll make it now, I think.

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Above: Diver Don Hamm swims out to examine the bloated carcase of a dead whale spotted 20 miles off Boca Grande in mid March. This was one of two dead wales spotted off the SW Florida coast last month. The FWC attempted to find the carcases but could not. A school of Killer Whales was also spotted in the Gulf last month. Below: Dead tournament trout.

For the tournaments, what would be better? How about a tank on the stage?

What could be better showmanship than measuring a fish, weighing it in and then putting the fish in a 50 gallon tank right on stage for the audience to see it swim.

Are we willing to do that? Are we really treating our fish in such a manner that we can be sure that they will swim? Or are we afraid that a fish in the tank on the stage will roll over and spoil the show?

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Fat Albertʼs Back in Town

By Capt Bo b DeKeul enaere Water LIFE Fishing False Albacore, Little Tunny, Hardtail, Alby, Fat Albert; not only does this member of the mackerel family have many common names, but many Gulf Coast fishermen mistakenly refer to them as Bonito. The Atlantic Bonito differs from False Albacore in several ways.

Bonito are usually one half to two thirds the size of their larger cousins and sport straight horizontal markings on their sides as opposed to the dark wavy markings we see on Fat Albert. Bonita are also excellent table fare whereas even a half starved cat would turn their nose up at False Albacore. While these little rockets with fins may not be a delicacy they are an absolute blast to catch on fly tackle.

Many anglers are simply not prepared for the strength and speed of these fish.

Hitting speeds up to 40 mph makes Fat Albert “the fastest inshore game fish”. To put this in perspective, the much touted bonefish only reaches speeds of 25 mph.

So what makes False Albacore so fast and powerful? Well for starters they have that tuna swim thing going on. Most fish bend and wiggle their way through the water. Members of the tuna family (which are mackerel by the way) sport a unique skeleton that keeps their bodies rigid and

Water LIFE

allows them to drive their streamlined bodies through the water like a missile.

They also have lots of tiny little finlets along the top and bottom of their caudal peduncle which are deigned to lower the turbulence created by their rapidly vibrating tail. And, as if that’s not enough, False Albacore are smoother than most tunas and are almost totally free of scales.

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They are also capable of folding their dorsal and pectoral fins completely flat to reduce drag. Add the fact that members of the mackerel family are some of the most muscle packed fish around and you can understand how Fat Albert is capable of easily burning off 300 feet of fly line and backing off your reel in a matter of seconds. All that muscle is backed up by a heart that is huge in proportion to their body size so be ready for multiple sizzling runs.

Catching these piscatorial athletes requires taking a look at how these fish operate on a day to day basis. False Albacore and other tuna species have what scientists refer to as “hot bodies”. While most cold-blooded fish must depend on ambient water temperature to regulate their internal body temperature False Albacore have been found to have body temps twenty degrees higher than the surrounding water. This allows them to chase bait far into Northern regions and also gives tham the ability to change depths rapidly without being effected by those deeper and colder thermoclines.

What this means for us in Southwest Florida is that we tend to see them migrate along our coasts during the spring and fall when our water temperatures are more moderate. Being a diurnal predator they typically feed heavy during daylight hours with the best action usually coinciding with a running tide in the early morning or afternoon. Albies, unlike their tuna brethren are not deep ocean dwellers and prefer to roam the green water we find inshore from our beaches to several miles offshore. On many occasions they can be found murdering bait pods right off the beach. They are also schooling predators that have two speeds; cruising speed searching for pods of bait to eat and full tilt with their afterburners lit as they crash through those same pods making bait scramble for their lives. They also must move constantly as they have no swim bladders to allow them to suspend in the water column.

These two attributes can make even seasoned Albie anglers crazy at times. Their constant roaming provides for great action one day and then they’re nowhere to be found the next.

April

2009

Fat Albert on the Fly

To connect, fly rodders need to come prepared. Nine or ten weight rods with sinking lines and at least 250 yards of backing fit the bill nicely. Albies are usually not leader-shy and are not equipped with teeth, so 12 to 15 pound tippets will do the job. Flashy flies three to four inches in length on smaller size 1 or 1/0 hooks are all that is needed as Albies are aggressive feeders and tend to slam flies hard. Occasionally they can be fussy, especially when they are feeding on small glass minnows. At these times try scaling down the fly size, matching the prevalent bait and use smaller tippet diameters to entice those strikes. An angler’s casting speed can often be the key to a successful hookup.

Other fish such as Spanish Mackerel tend to stay up on the surface for a while allowing anglers to correct poor casts and make several false casts to present their offering. Not Albies; one second they’re right in front of you and then in a split second they’re gone. For successful presentations the angler needs to make a speedy delivery. Keep enough of the fly line head outside of the rod tip and have enough line coiled on the deck to be able to make one false cast and shoot the line; your reel will scream more often.

When you're having difficulty buying a strike allow the fly to sink without imparting any action. Even though False Albacore have incredible vision they can’t see your fly if it’s surrounded by a ball of baitfish. Allowing the fly to sink well below the baitfish school will often elicit a vicious strike as it looks like an injured baitfish. This is often referred to as “dead sticking” the fly.

You’ll notice boaters trying to “run and gun” schools of False Albacore. Not only does this spook the school causing them to sound but more often than not another pod will start feeding at the same location the boat just vacated. A better approach is to watch these fish and observe their feeding patterns. They tend to predictably herd bait and return to the same locations over and over again to charge through the balled up bait pods.

Better reel fast and bring plenty of band aids for your knuckles.

Capt. Bob DeKeulenaere can be reached at 941-876-4586 for l i g ht t ack l e chart ers and fl y cas t i ng i ns t ruct i o n http://www.coastlinefishing.net

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2009

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Tournament Trail

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S t aff R eport The big news this year is that more teams are making the 322 mile round trip run to Tampa, burning 240 gallons of gas to fish for two hours. But the fish coming from Tampa have been big, all well over 7 pounds.

In the 138 boat IFA Ranger Redfish Tour held in March a new rule was introduced stating that if your fish measured too big on either side it would be disqualified. This is contrary to most other tournaments that state if the fish fits within the line as measured on either side it will be allowed. At least seven teams lost fish due to the new rule at the IFA event. But even before that, the first team to weigh in at the IFA, Geoff Paige and Rick Murphy, were almost disqualified when the official at the measuring board said the tail on one fish looked like it had been clipped. Later that decision was reversed and Murphy and Paige went on to take second place with a 14.78 behind Capt. Ronnie Hueston’s winning team who weighed in at 15.54.

The other big event so far this year was the Flatsmasters’ Grand Slam Plug, an artificial only, snook, red, trout tournament which was moved from its usual venue at Harpoon Harry’s in Fishermen’s Village to Laishley Park in order to better coincide with the annual Seafood Festival. Taking the ultimate win at the Fatsmasters was team Majkowsky. “We caught all three fish in Bull Bay, the snook on a gold Sebille, our red on a 19MR and the trout with a FishBite jerk bait on a jig,” Tony Pabon said, holding the money.

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April

2009

We saw a few boats with ladders as the 138 boat field at the IFA got ready to start

Geoff Paige and Rick Murphy with the tail that one tournament official said looked ʻclippedʼ

Frankʼs Doodle Rig No snook on Sunday: Flatsmasters Grand Slam Winners with their Saturday slam.

By Fi shi n’ Frank Water LIFE Sage Yes a Doodle rig. This is a way of rigging a soft bait to a spoon. I invented it right after I stole the idea from Mepps. OK it’s Mepps idea. The Timber Doodle spoon is a great lure, it works on trout, redfish, snook, pike, bass, and almost any other fish you can think of. It requires warmer water so the fish are sight-activated to bite or strike.

But what we are concerned with is what redfish will eat when the water temperature is below 70-degrees and they are too lethargic to chase a spoon, or a lure.

Take a 3/4 oz weed-less spoon and a FishBites jerk bait, or any other soft plastic with an attractant smell. Bend the weed-less wire up and push the lure onto the end of the wire so it stands tail-up. This allows the lure and the bait to swim or flutter while you slow-reel it above the grass. Just before it gets to the edge of a sand hole stop and let the Doodle drop to the bottom. Slowly pull it into the open and let it sit for few seconds then give it a hard pull up so it gets up in the water and can flutter down, once again let it sit. Then give a small pull forward. Stop, wait for the fish to get interested, then slowly drag it across the sand for a foot or so and stop again. When you get to the grass again give it a lift and let it settle into the grass. Remember stopping the bait and letting it sit still is key to catching the reds in cooler water. Let the scented bait do its job, the spoon is there to make the bait stand off the bottom. It gets the fish’s attention when it moves… the flash of a spoon is to a redfish like diamonds are to a girl, they can't resist.

I have tried both Bites and the Gulp. With the bigger shrimp-style bait I find it works better when you place the body on the hook of the spoon and not the wire.

This hearty trout had a bite taken out of it before it was caught. It survived to swim away.

With a heavier shrimp body on the wire, the lure will not swim correctly. Put the shrimp body on the hook by going into the body a half inch before the end and bringing the point of the hook out the head end. Make sure the shrimp tail is pointing up (like a flag) as much as possible for best results.

So far, every time, the 3/4 ounce spoon has stood the soft bait up, keeping it from laying on the bottom. Oh sure, you could use the Mepps Timber Doole spoon for any fish but I don’t think it is heavy enough to stand up a heavier bait like Gulp or FishBites. The Timber Doodle is a great sight activated strike lure, but with its unscented plastic it works better in warmer water. Now, I guess you could spray one with anise oil based scent like Baitmates Game Fish or try WD-40 (yes WD-40 is a great fish attractor ) to fish it in cooler water, but ..... that’s up to you.

I have not tried the smaller 1/2 or 1/ oz spoons because I am looking for the spoon to stand up the soft bait. With a little experimentation and balancing I am sure a smaller spoon could also work – maybe cutting the soft bait into a smaller size might be what is needed to make the lighter spoon work. Just experiment.

Let me know how you like the Doodle rig, and what you are catching, either stop by the bait shop or e-mail me at frank@fishinfranks.com.

Frank can sometimes be reached at 941-625-3888

April Fools

April

2009

By Capt Robert Moore Wat er LIFE S t aff It wouldn’t be foolish to look at April as the best month of the year. It’s my favorite time for fishing. What I like about April is I have many choices for the type of fishing I want to do. The flats fishing for snook, reds and trout will be on fire this month. There is an opportunity to hook into the almighty Silver King on the newly arriving schools starting to show up during their April spring migration. Along with the tarpon you will also see a huge migration of a variety of different sharks.

Then if the winds will permit, I can look forward to some great action in open water for mackerel in and near the passes. It’s easy to be a fishin’ fool on Charlotte Harbor in April.

With the water temperature rising everyday the shallow flats of Charlotte Harbor will come alive with life. Snook begin their year migration towards the beaches.

The greatest part about that is they will feed along the way. The redfish and trout have already been very productive throughout and will only improve as the month goes on. The size trout I have been seeing this year is one of the best I have seen in years. Live bait such as pilchards and shrimp has been producing some of the best action.

Tarpon began showing up early this

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year with catches being reported as early has the first week of March. I have seen many small pods of 100+ pound tarpon throughout Charlotte Harbor and Pine Island Sound. As the month goes on the numbers will only increase. Your best bet on fishing these tarpon is in the deeper holes in Charlotte Harbor, along the beaches south of Boca Grande and in Pine Island Sound just inside Captiva and Redfish Pass. Live bait for tarpon will do well but

so will a variety of artificial baits. Lures like Bomber Long A’s and Rapala Magnums along with my favorite the Tsunami Swim Shads will entice most tarpon into a strike.

Not far behind the tarpon will be the shark. From 2 feet to 10 feet, Mr. Shark will be cruising the same areas as the tarpon in search of his next meal. Your smaller sharks like the Blacktip’s and Spinner’s can be caught on the same baits you’d use

on the flats. My best days of catching these species of sharks always came while catching Spanish Mackerel. I assure you if you find a school of feeding Mackerel, sharks of all sizes will not be far behind. For targeting the larger sharks such as Bull’s and Lemon’s nothing beats a fresh stingray wing as bait. Although catching this type of bait may prove to be challenging at times, it’s well work the effort.

Speaking of mackerel, they too will be here in large numbers. Spanish mackerel can be found throughout Charlotte Harbor feeding on anything that moves. Silver spoons are hard to beat when retrieved fast along the surface. In the passes and in the gulf, your king mackerel will be found as they begin their spring migration to the north. Pilchards always work well and for the chance at a larger King it’s hard to beat a live ladyfish. The greatest part about fishing for either Spanish or King mackerel is there always seems to be a chance that a cobia will come by your vessel to inspect the commotion.

Obviously you can tell I am very excited about the month of April. It’s a great month for our fishery here in Southwest Florida. The only draw back to April is it is also the windiest month of the year. So pick your days carefully and be ready to take advantage of the days the winds are down. Good luck and tight lines!

Capt. Robert Moore can be reached to book a trip or for fishing information at: 624-5710 or at www.captrobertmoore.com

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Water LIFE

Tarpon Anglers Needed Page 10

S t aff R eport Mote Marine is asking tarpon anglers to again help with their tarpon DNA study.

Stop in at one of the bait shops listed on their website (motemarine.org) and pick up a free tarpon DNA kit. The kit contains three small vials of liquid, three Scotch-Brite pieces of abrasive material a pencil, instructions and a form to fill out. The kit notes tarpon do not have to be tagged with the state’s $50 tarpon tag to do this sampling.

Simply: When the angler brings a tarpon to the boat, take a piece of the green scotch-brite material and scrub it along the outside of the tarpon’s jaw. Then put the material in one of the liquid filled vials and fill out the information about where and when you landed the fish. The Scotch Brite material picks up enough DNA from the tarpon’s jaw that scientists at Mote can identify the fish genetically.

The samples can be stored at room temperature until returned to any collection location listed. The Mote website notes: It is critical to know how many tarpon survive catch and release events so the fishery can be maintained.

Kids Book from CHNEP

Carol Mahlerʼs book Adventures in the Charlotte Harbor Watershed, Illustrated by Rachel Rebekah Renne and edited by Maran Brainard Hilgendorf of the Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program (NEP) in Fort Myers is going to be distributed to third graders in the seven counties which the NEP oversees. Charlotte, and Lee are among them. The book follows the lives of a blue heron named Nick an aligator named Missy an Otter named Lu and Muggy the mullet as they travel through the watershed. Although we are not keen on stories that humanize wild animals with human names, the book is filled with interesting local specific information, ecology and folklore which we are sure kids will want to read. Shell Creek, Alligator Bay, the Clooosahatchee, the Peace, Lemon Bay, Pine Island Sound, and on and on, all the local names are in this book and the reader gets to go along with the animals as they travel through them.

The writing is sweet, take-you-there stuff: “The male greets the female bird. As part of mating they bow, raise the feathers of their necks, and call softly to each other.”

“An egret pearches on a cypress knee. It dips into the water and catches a mosquito fish and eats it, the fish, as small as a guppy, eats the larvae of mosquitos.”

“A stork is watching. It flaps its wings and sounds the alarm.”

All in all the book will fill a need for additional local-specific education about our unique watershed environment. With current cuts in school budgets we are sure this free book for third graders will be a welcome teaching tool and a fun approach to learning about the environment for kids. The book is available online as a free pdf download at www.CHNEP.org or is available softcover for $8.95 from the NEP in Fort Myers (call) 866-835-5785

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April

Screaming Reels

A nice Charlotte harbor snook caught with Capt. Andrew Medina last month

By Capt. Andrew Medi na Water LIFE Charlotte Harbor April 1st is fools day, but for anglers this month will be no laughing matter. As water temps continue to rise, and hopefully rains come, you will start seeing more and more fish throughout the harbor. Snook will start to go in search for that perfect mate. The good thing about this is they leave the canals and rivers and swim towards the beaches. Swimming burns up energy and eating replaces energy, so the fish have to eat and eat they will. Also good is the return of white bait. I say return, because most anglers have just started netting it again, although we have had it all year. A lot of the more seasoned angler’s (did not want to offend anyone by saying old timers) say that the large female snook have to eat thread fin hearing, to help with the spawning process.

Personally, I believe the oils from those fish is what they need The large female snook are already on the feed. We have caught a few this month over 15-pounds and a whole bunch of slot size fish, 28- to 33-inches. Now anglers have all month to try their luck on a keeper snook: snook season closes May 1 on our coast. Redfish are going to be on the feed as the water warms. We have been doing real well with white bait and cut mullet. You will notice the redfish start getting more and more aggressive on their eating habits.

The big news of the month will be the

2009

tarpon. This is the time of the year I love the best. Migrating as well as resident fish make their way to the harbor and passes.

The migratory fish come from the south, first showing themselves in areas like Naples, and Pine Island. Then they move into our harbor and passes in large pods.

Resident fish are the fish that come from the canals and river systems and are here all year round. I’m not sure if it’s size or maturity level that triggers the resident fish to swim out and join their migrating brothers and sisters, but I do know I’m happy to see them, and so are my customers. The harbor fish can be fished many different ways, with baits ranging from crabs to catfish and can usually be found hanging outside the sandbar’s along the harbor edge or in the 20ft holes later in the season. By far the best have to be the tarpon that enter into Boca Grande Pass. I will agree it’s not for everyone. Some anglers might not like the fast paced fishing in the pass, but those fish are there for one reason to eat and that’s exactly what I want them to do.

Fishing is done totally different in the pass and new laws as well as etiquette, play a major role. The pass fishing won’t kick off till maybe the end of the month or May. Remember the Kids Cup is just around the corner, if you get the chance, take your child out so they can get in some practice before the big event.

Capt. Andrew can be reached for charter info at 456-1540 or on the web at www.fishfloridatarpon.com

Stump Pass To Be Dredged Again S Turn Alignment

April

2009

By Capt. Ron Bl ago Water LIFE Senior Staff

I want to apologize to all my boating friends for not keeping them up to date on the latest information about Stump Pass.

Ever since the geo-tubes were removed by State order a few months back, I’ve been deluged with calls from people concerned that the pass was going to fill in. Let me put your minds to rest; Charlotte County has the situation covered. The plan is to begin maintenance dredging of Stump Pass in Nov. of 2009 with a completion date hopefully in the first quarter of 2010.

A lot has happened since 1999 when a rag-tag group of boaters, business people and politicians met in the conference room of Key Agency in Englewood and formed a group called Save Lemon Bay. The sole purpose of the group was to have a safe, clearly marked, deep-water channel from Lemon Bay to the Gulf of Mexico that would provide the clean water to keep the bay alive. For years as Stump Pass had migrated to the south and became narrower, the health of the bay had deteriorated to the point where it was the only waterway between Tampa and Ft. Myers that showed a total decrease in the total amount of seagrass beds. The water was dark, polluted and covered with algae.

Save Lemon Bay was able to keep the Stump Pass issue on the front burner until all the necessary engineering studies, environmental report and government permits were obtained. In 2003, Stump Pass was opened again in basically the same location it was in 1978. Charlotte County pretty much had to pay for the dredging themselves. Thereº was help from Sarasota County and the West Coast Inland Navigation District (WCIND), but the majority of the money for the project was borrowed. As a matter of fact, Charlotte taxpayers are still making payments this year on that loan to the tune of $550,000 for interest and principle.

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P a g e 11

Charlotte Co. realized that they would never have enough money on their own to continue to dredge Stump Pass when it became un-passable. A better plan was to periodically do maintenance dredging to keep the pass from filling in; just like you have to maintain your roads, you have to do the same with your waterways.

The big question is: how do you pay for it?

Charlotte county decided to start saving money to maintain the pass. The first thing they did was establishing a Stump Pass Renourishment Fund, which is part of your property taxes. I pay a total of $9.40 each year to keep the pass open.

Then the Marine Advisory Committee allocates $200,000 annually from Boater Improvement Funds (boat registration fees) to Stump Pass maintenance. The big money comes from Federal and State sources. The last dredging was in 2005/2006 for a total cost of $3.5 million. $2 million was from FEMA and $0.7 million from State sources. Locally generated funds were $0.7 million. Please note that the people who actually do the dredging only get about 50% of that money, the rest goes to pay for all those engineering and environmental studies that are required to get the permits.

The 2009/2010 dredging is estimated to cost around $4.7million with FEMA paying $2.5 million, State sources $0.8 million and local funds about $1.34 million. Of course these are only tentative estimates. In 2006 the project came in under budget because the dredging company that did the work already had their equipment in the area finishing another project. Let’s hope we get that lucky again. In the mean time don’t lose any sleep over Stump Pass, Charlotte County has it covered.

Reach Capt. Ron at: CaptRonB@juno.net

Alligator Creek S-Curve Project Charlotte County and the Alligator Creek Advisory Board have been notified by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), South District that their application is complete.The final approval and permit has now been issued for the project to dredge for the creation of a new straight entrance into Alligator Creek. The redirection of the S curve in Alligator Creek entrance has been a long time in the works.

Give Charlotte County your Input

Fill out the survey on what areas of the county budget need to be cut or expanded go to: http://www.charlottecountyfl.com Under Popular Links select County Budget Take the survey.

This is important to boaters & fishermen!

Page 12

Water LIFE

KIDS CUP THIS MONTH

By Betty S taugl er Wat er LIFE / S ea Grant Another year of Kids Cup is upon us and the Redfish Tracking team is busy preparing for our third year of tagging and tracking. For those new to our project, the Redfish Tracking effort is a research and education component that was added to the Kids Cup Tournament in 2007.

As we have done in the past, every redfish that is weighed in during the tournament will receive an anchored dart tag.

The dart tag is visibly located near the dorsal fin. It is our hope that anglers who recapture a dart tagged fish will call the telephone number listed on the tag and report the date of recapture, recapture location and length of the fish. With this information we are able to learn a lot about post tournament release dispersal patterns and redfish growth rates. To date, Charlotte Harbor anglers have reported dart

MAGAZINE

April

2009

Redfish Tracking and Tagging Project to continue

tag recaptures from 20% (of 64 tagged in 2007) and 10% (of 68 tagged in 2008).

Because the potential to receive recapture data from the dart tagging effort is so great, this year we are expanding this component to include other tournaments in the Charlotte Harbor area as well. Thanks to funding support from Florida Sea Grant, we have purchased an additional 500 dart tags. Mote Marine Laboratory will man the hotline for these recaptures.

In the last two years, our dart tagged redfish have been recaptured as far away aa Ft. Myers Beach (in 2007), Pine Island Sound and Cape Haze. Most however are recaptured within five miles of the release site.

The second aspect of our tagging project involves acoustic tags. Just as we did in 2007 and 2008, we will be implanting acoustic tags in 20 tournament redfish.

The redfish are selected based on a variety of factors including apparent health of the fish and fish size. The acoustic tags are battery operated and transmit a tag specific signal to recording instruments. We use a combination of recording instruments that are permanently deployed and instruments that are towed from a boat. The acoustic tags that we are using have a two year battery life and can be heard within a 400 meter distance of our equipment.

The deployed recorders that we use are initially downloaded around two weeks to a month after the tournament. After that we download every two to three months. It takes us three to four full field days each time we download and redeploy our equip-

ment.

The benefit of the acoustic method is that as long as we have equipment placed where the redfish travel, we can learn specific travel patterns without having to recapture the fish. In 2007, 18 of 20 acoustic-tagged redfish were heard postrelease, and 20 of 20 were heard in our 2008 study. Detailed tracking of the acoustic-tagged fish are showing some movement patterns specific to catch locations (some Bull Bay caught reds recorded at the Cape Haze receiver, some Pine Island Sound caught reds recorded or recaptured in or near Pine Island Sound, and some upper Harbor caught reds remaining in the upper Harbor) There has been a surprisingly high use of the PGI canal system by our released fish.

In the 2007 and 2008, we also conducted a 48 hour mortality study on 15 of the tournament fish. These fish were held in five large blue tanks located inside the marina basin. Five of the 15 contained dummy acoustic tags, five contained dart tags and five had no tags. After the 48 hours, all surviving redfish were fitted with dart tags (if not already tagged) and released. We lost one redfish each year of the study. In 2007, a necropsy (animal version of autopsy) performed determined that the fish’s internal organs had shut down several days prior to the tournament, cause unknown. The 2008 fish was too far decomposed to determine a cause of death. This year we will once again be conducting this sub-study.

Also the last two years, we have col-

lected fin clips to evaluate whether a redfish is from wild stock or hatchery reared.

For the last two years, all of our redfish have been from wild stock. We will not be doing fin clips this year.

As we have in the past, we will make every effort to keep you informed throughout the year both in Water LIFE Magazine and on the redfish tracking website: http://charlotte.ifas.ufl.edu/seagrant/kidscup The Redfish Tracking team is made up of scientists and professional staff from Florida Sea Grant, Mote Marine Laboratory, Progress Energy, Charlotte County Government, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the University of Florida, working in partnership with the organizers of Kids Cup, Kids Cup anglers and the angling community at large. This unique project has received continuous support from the Water LIFE Kids Cup Foundation and the Charlotte Harbor Reef Association.

Josh Smith and family getting ready for the Kids Cup

April

2009

Tournament Update

From Mi chael Hel l er Kids Cup Tournament Director We are on track for another great Kids Cup and there is still time to sign up.

Community support for this event has been outstanding, especially in lieu of the current economic sinkhole. The Pal m Auto Mal l is back on board as Kids Cup sponsors again this year. This makes the sixth straight year Palm has been a Kids Cup supporter. Nav-A-Gator Gri l l is back again as a major sponsor and the Vi l l age Oyster Bar at Fishermen’s Village is back as a Kids Cup Friend of the 7th grade sponsor, and joining them this year are El ana’s Restaurant, Fanta S ea S cuba, Brenda’s S mokehouse, and West Coast Trai l er. It’s all about the kids!

The printed Kids Cup program goes to press on April 10 so there is still time to

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MAGAZINE

get in as a Kids Cup Sponsor and have your card or your name in the program but you have to hurry. Call 941-766-8180.

X-Tool s not only gave us enough pliers for each Kids Cup angler this year but they gave us pliers for the next three years of the Don Ball School as well. A case of 500 X-tools was a great surprise. And YoZuri is on board as a Kids Cup sponsor as well. That means we will have Extreme Fi shbi te shrimp in new penny color, Eppi nger gold spoons, Gul p baits, Ri pti de baits, Yozuri baits, Mustad, Eagl e Cl aw and True Turn hooks, splitshot and jigs in each captain’s bag and a DOA shrimp... everything you need to catch a winning redfish. And kudos to the manufacturers who went beyond industry competition in favor of doing the right thing for the kids. Last week I had one rod rep say ‘if you give away my competition’s rods you can’t give away

mine.’ That was entirely the wrong example to set for the kids.

We have spoken with the IFA Ranger Boat Redfi sh Cup and the IFA will be giving a free entry to the winning Kids Cup team at the June IFA Stump Pass tournament event. That means even the IFA and the Redfi sh Cup are doing the right thing for the kids.

Also cool this year will be our friend Noah Parry of Noah’s Mari ne in Englewood who will be running the official camera boat. Noah is an accomplished backwater fisherman and he assures me he will not screw up your fishing. Noah will have a professional sports photographer with him. We’ve asked him to get lots of candid shots of Kids Cup anglers out on the water fishing and having fun.

The Wyvern Hotel has given us a weekend stay to auction off and our old friends at Mercury Mari ne are back on

board as a sponsor again this year.

Mercury is giving each Kids Cup angler a hat and I’d like to get a group picture of all of you in your Mercury hats at the Captain’s Dinner.

Artist Tom Krausse has dropped off the framed redfish prints that will be the awards for the Age group winners. There is an award for the heaviest redfish for 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 year olds.

Tom also gave us the framed print for the Rich Novak S portsmanship Award.

Sportsmanship on tournament day will be a hard thing for us to track down, so we will look to you as the anglers and captains to tell us about sportsmanship in the Kids Cup before the awards ceremony.

The Kids Cup will be held on April 25, 2009 at Harpoon Harry s in Fishermen’s Village, Punta Gorda. The mandatory captain’s meeting dinner is 5:30 p.m. Friday April 24 at Benedet t o ’s restaurant at the Best Western hotel. See You there!

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Water LIFE

Page 14

Diving Fantastico

By Adam Wi l son Water LIFE Diving March gave us plenty of chances to get offshore and fill the cooler, even without any grouper. The snapper bite around the full moon was fantastic and should be just as productive around April's full moon on the 9th. Night snapper fishing this time of year is the best. The temperature at night is ideal and there's no worry about sunburn. The Gulf is still a little cool for the barracudas so most of the fish we hooked made it all the way to the boat. On our last trip we landed our limit of 60 snappers and only had one casualty.

Mangrove snappers can travel up to a mile or more from their daytime haunts looking for an evening

meal, so chumming works great.

We had several boats pull up within a few hundred yards that night, circle and then leave.

When fishing a big wreck there is always room for more than one boat. Had those guys hailed us on the vhf we could have relayed the crucial info like current, our heading at anchor and exactly where the wreck lied for optimum setup to utilize our chum line as well. We never turn down company 50 miles offshore at night, so get on those radios.

Being anchored over a good snapper reef all night makes slipping on a tank too easy when the sun comes up, and after chumming all night there is usually plenty of action below too. Dropping down to the wreck of the Fantastico last trip it was covered like a blanket with lane snappers.

We caught several the night before. These tasty little guys only need to be 8 inches long and with a bag limit of ten, they don't count against your aggregate snapper limit. They are definitely worth targeting and are usually caught on the bottom. A

The Local Catch

A Commercial Perspective

By Kel l y Beal , Water LIFE Bl ue Crabs The Blue Crabbers of Charlotte County have gotten together to spearhead a derelict trap removal event that takes place April 6th. This event will be used as an example for the rest of the state to follow.

Bottom Fi sh Most of the fishermen are focusing in on sand brim this month. They are also catching a lot of jacks. The medium jacks bring higher dollar then the large. The opposite rings true with the mullet. The guys aren't chasing the mullet so much due to the demand being so

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April

2009

multiple hook rig would be ideal for these little pan fish.

It looks like this is going to be another banner year for cobia too. They have been on almost every dive we have made lately. If they are swimming away from you, just follow as fast as you can. These fish are just plain dumb, and Juvenile snapper gather like weeds on the Fantastico if you can keep up long knife in for the kill is almost impossible. enough, at some point they will turn and Hanging onto the gills works, eventually, come straight at you. but can take several minutes. And lastly Be warned, cobia can do immense damthe small finlets in front of the dorsal fin age if gaffed too soon and flung into the are razor sharp and can cut through gloves back of a boat, and it's not much better and rubber easily. These fish have the underwater when you stick a shaft in one.

I always hope and pray for the kill shot on potential to kill a diver so really be prepared for battle before pulling the trigger. even a medium sized cobia. They are an Make sure you have plenty of gas, adeincredibly fast & maneuverable fish with quate bottom time and hopefully a buddy giant-like strength and never ending stamiwith a loaded gun right behind you. na. Their heads are all bone so getting a

low until the size increases.

There has been a handful of cobia caught but still not as many as last year. Usually Adam Wilson and 11 year old friend as the water Christian Van Der Veer and Jack gets warmer we will see more cobia. According to some of the fine fishermen around here they say you catch them on the sunny days. I've been hitting them up for some so I'm hearing all kinds of reasons why they haven't brought me any. It

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looks pretty sunny to me out there!

S tone Crab The stone crab season ends on May 15th. The beginning of the season was strong but with such clear water and little weather our last few trips have been less profitable if any profit at all! We are all praying for rain.

S hri mp Bay shrimp has been hard to come by. With the salinity so high you would think they would be thick but my sources are saying no. The local shrimpers are catching less than 100-pounds with many nights less then 50.

It hasn't been the year for bay shrimp. Hopefully they will get in some good catches before the rains come.

Thank you for giving the local commercial fisherman your support! Stay healthy - eat fish - live long!

April

2009

By Fi shi n’ Frank Water LIFE Senior Staff If you live in the far reaches of the north, 60 degree water is kind-a warm. If you live in a semi arid desert climate "yes even though we are in swamp land it is technically desert" like Port Charlotte, 60 degrees is down right COLD. A snook will start getting lethargic at 60 degrees and many will start their way to the Pearly Gates at 50 degrees. (I did not want to say die, but that is what happens. This is the reason you will not find snook much north of Tampa, it is too cold for them to survive.

The 70 degree water temperature is what I would call the break point. Between 70 and 60 is cool, under 60 is real cold, under 50 stay home ... nothing is going to bite and who wants to see all the dead snook floating around.

On the other hand, 68 to 72 is when the King’s mackerel make their pilgrimage past us. The slower the temperature change the longer they are here. They are the snow birds of the sea: they summer in the Panhandle, winter in the Keys.

Shark and tarpon start to show up around 70 and are in full swing at 75 degree water temp and above. Now, not all sharks leave – we have bulls, lemons, bonnets all year, but as the water temperatures get right we get way more. I almost forgot, we keep some tarpon year round also, however nothing like the number of those fish we have in the spring.

When it is cold here, like under 70 degrees. you would look for fish in the upper harbor, back bays, creeks, and canals. The brown tanic water found in these places along with the black muddy bottom heats up way faster. The dark colors are solar collectors, the canal surface temperatures will be several degrees warmer by the end of a sunny day than the Gulf. That said, it is impossible to raise the tempeature of the Gulf, Harbor, or canals with out weeks of hot weather. Hot sunny weather effects only the surface temperatures or the top 6 inches of water, which can change by the day or even by the hour. A total water temperature change happens much slower.

The worst thing for us is when the wind from a cold front blows hard out of the north taking the water out, then the tempeature drops into the 20s. Unlike freshwater which can not get below 32 degrees, salt-water can get much colder, and very shallow water on the flats where fish get trapped can get below freezing. Once frozen, fish are not going to revive.

The hot weather has an opposite effect .

The water in the canals gets so hot it will not hold oxygen. By July the canal temperatures can be 100 degrees plus on the surface, here. How that equates to you: Let’s say you walk into a closed room at

Water LIFE

MAGAZINE

Desert Sunset at Port Charlotte

Page 15

Temperature Change and Fishing

100 degrees – you would be gasping for air – not wanting to move more than you absolutely had to, so by mid summer most fish have left the canals for the cooler water of the Harbor or Gulf. The best months for canal fishing would be November to June worst months July to October.

The Gulf is a little different. The cold or cooler water of the winter months bring the grouper and snapper in close to shore and into the passes, but when the water gets to 70 and above they retreat to the cooler water of the deep.

What i s the best ti me of day to fi sh? In the winter, water temps in the 60s mid to late day. By then the fish have warmed up a little and are ready to eat. At the other end when the water is in the 80s or more before daylight to mid morning you are pretty much done by 10 o'clock the fish are laying up taking a sesita after that.

The best fishing Tempeature for south Florida fishing is from 67 to 85 degrees.

Fish will bite morning, noon or night.

At 67 to 85 degrees it is a happy time for all.

Make allowances for temperature and remember the fish do not know the names of the months, only how warm or cold

they are and each year is different. So watch the weather not the calendar to know where and when to fish.

If y ou hav e a question about fishing Email frank @fishinfrank s.com Frank can be reached at 625-3888

Page 16

Water LIFE

Redfish Feeding Facts

By Capt. Chuck Ei chner Water LIFE Charlotte Harbor Florida’s most sought after fish often seems to be the most mysterious. The subject of countless tournaments where the difficulty of the pursuit makes it the perfect gamefish. To say the least, the Charlotte Harbor redfish is temperamental, spooky when boats approach, constantly relocating upon the changes of tides and moves often unpredictably with the weather. The redfish is a member of the drum family of species that is primarily considered a bottom feeder. A redfish’s mouth is positioned below its head nearly parallel with the bottom of the water it lives in, with jaws that open in a manner best designed to feed off the bottom. It has a stout blunt point nose directly above the mouth opening that is perfect for poking and uprooting bottom creatures that get inhaled for a meal.

The olfactory gear on the redfish is better than its eyesight which helps the patient angler that bottom fishes to catch lots of reds.

So why all the fuss about lure fishing for reds when nature designed them to be bottom feeders that rely heavily on their sense of smell to feed? Quite simply they have voracious appetites and will eat nearly anything that lives in the aquatic world and a lure or fly that is properly presented will be attacked! Any local angler will tell you that it is a lot harder to catch redfish on lures than bait.

The tough part about lure fishing is picking the right lure for what the fish is feeding on at any given day or location. The redfish near the Myakka River might be focused on glass minnows and the fish in Pine Island could be rooting out crabs.

To best understand the redfish you might want to consider what forage species are available to them. A partial list follows:

Fi nned S peci es- Pilchards, threadfin herring, Spanish sardines, glass minnows, mud minnows, eels, pinfish, mullet, ladyfish, countless fry & fingerling young of year gamefish and a multitude of true minnow species. Redfish will also eat other baby redfish.

Crab S peci es- The crab variety in Charlotte Harbor is extensive. A few common ones include blue claw, stone, pass, hermit, mole, fiddler, calico, spider and mangrove. There are many subspecies as well not to mention a variety of lobsters that inhabit our waters.

S hel l fi sh- A variety of species of clams, oysters, mollusks and barnacles.

S hri mp- A huge variety including pink, grass, snapping and others.

Other Creatures- Our sub-tropical waters are a nursery for nearly everything that swims in the gulf. One throw of the castnet will verify this with little worms, pipefish, starfish, sand dollars, trumpet fish and a host of “bug-like” creatures found mixed in the grassbeds.

That’s quite a menu for the redfish.

On the rare occasion that I eat a redfish, upon cleaning I almost always find small undigested crabs or crab parts in their bellies. Without a doubt this is one of their favorites or is it just that it takes longer to digest crabs? The bottom line to this is that the bottom hugging redfish will root, cruise or chase just about anything to feed its appetite.

You can find them around oyster bars, sand flats, weedy flats, potholes, on the beach, offshore, in canal systems and up the rivers. They will follow the mud trail of a stingray or manatee scooping up aquatic creatures left in the wake.

Most anglers don’t give much thought to what reds really eat. Pitching white bait quickly swimming under a cork or free-swimming will catch a few reds here and there, but reds are more comfortable wallowing around exerting a minimum of effort to catch dinner. Did you ever wonder why redfish love to hang around

MAGAZINE

April

2009

This redfish drawing was done by Englewood marine artist Kasey Scott. Scott grew up in Michigan but took spring breaks in the Florida Keys where he says his every waking hour was spent fishing and diving. Scott, once a professional tour golfer, has won numerous art awards and says he is now persuing his ʻother passionʼ ... art, and the environs of the lakes and oceans. You can see more of Kasey Scottʼs work at: www.kscottunderwater.com

oyster bars? First, oysters attract a variety of small aquatic creatures and minnows that are there for the taking but I am willing to bet that the real attraction is the delectable oyster themselves. An oysters or clam for that matter is a gourmet snack and trust me if you shuck an oyster and put it on the hook you are going to get bit! This is not as crazy as it sounds. To our north in the Carolina’s, the redfish, known there as red drum are exclusively fished for with clams.

For the most consistent redfish action take bait with you. The easy to get shrimp and blue claw crab are good to have aboard. While on the water collect a few pinfish, some ladyfish or whatever is nearby. Fish them on the bottom with a basic rig and wait. The hard part is the waiting. You can speed things up by dicing up some of your bait and broadcasting it in the area you are fishing. Remember the scent will attract them from far away.

The purist on the other hand will

scoff at bottom fishing. A keen flats boat being cautiously poled in position to present a fly or lure is truly exciting.

Sight fishing regardless of method is always exhilarating. I know of no other fish that can be pursued in so many ways and has so many different names.

Locally we call them a redfish and when their big we call them a bull red. When their small we call them rats. Our northern neighbors call them channel bass, red bass or red drum. Call them what you want. The redfish is one bad fish that hits like a freight train and pulls like a bucking horse! Be kind when you de-hook your fish to let them swim another day and leave the hook inside if its deep. The fish you just caught may have been released weeks earlier by another conservation minded angler - how great is that!

Capt. Chuck Eichner is a local charter captain. For information or to book a guided fishing trip call 941-505-0003 or go to his website: www.back country -charters.com

April

2009

R Re ea all E Es st ta at te e N Ne ew ws s

PROVIDED BY: Dave & Marlene Hofer RE/MAX Harbor Realty (941) 575-3777 dhofer@remax.net www.harborparadise.com

Recent area news i tems 1. Like mischievous children, Charlotte Development's Ron Oskey closed off his City Marketplace parking lot to the public. This, he claimed was in retribution for the "run around" that the City gave him when he attempted to begin charging for his previously offered free parking.

The lot is now open again.

2. Punta Gorda will not be swapping its Henry Street property to the Laishley led group for 20 acres by the airport. The City had intended to rebuild its Public Works campus on the distant property to free up more centrally located property for residential and commercial development.

Instead, it will be purchasing an existing building in the Cooper Street Commerce Park at Rt 41. As most would-be buyers have discovered, its cheaper to buy existing than to build new.

3. Allegiant Airlines started occasional direct service to Greenville, SC. Hopefully, the merits of the obscure routes selected by Allegiant and Direct Air will become more apparent in the future.

4. Sarasota County is searching for a 30+

Water LIFE

acre site to build a new $44 million jail.

Charlotte County had pared more than $1 million from its current budget by delaying the construction of Section J addition to the existing jail facility. Among other things, Section J provided for 4 new classrooms and a library. Fearing the demise of his "no criminal left behind" program, Sheriff Cameron persuaded the Commissioners to reinstate this expenditure.

5. HUD's Neighborhood Stabilization Program has announced its plans to help our local area. Charlotte County will receive $6.8 mil in Federal funds in June to acquire abandoned spec homes at 85% of appraised value. Sarasota County will receive $7 million to buy approximately 50 homes. With more than 350 bank owned homes, mostly in North Port, it's unclear how putting County governments into business to rehab and remarket a small fraction of the problem properties will provide any significant help.

6. Charlotte County's population declined 1.6% in 2008, the worst of Florida's 67 counties. Our older population and reliance on construction jobs combined to provide these dismal results. On average, Florida counties gained 0.7% last year.

7. Florida's state insurance program, Citizens, is facing an $18 billion gap in risk next year. Warren Buffet's Berkshire Hathaway collected $224 Million in insurance premiums from Citizens to reinsure $4 billion last year. Although final actu-

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Fishing shoulder to shoulder on a fine afternoon at the Tom Adams Pier in Englewood.

arial computations aren't yet complete, a minimum 12% increase is expected.

8. The Southwest Florida Water Management District (Swiftmud) is trying to find a way to come up with $109 million per year to buy 180,000 acres from US Sugar Corp. It is proposing to cut 25% from its annual budget to make this acquisition. That brings two questions to mind: 1. Is buying an enormous tract of open space the best use of taxpayer funds when the goal of better water management can be accomplished through regulation rather than cash? and 2. If the SWFMD budget is so bloated that it can afford a 25% haircut, why wasn't that addressed before now?

9. Nationally, Florida ranked worst in mortgage delinquency at 20%. Of those, 320,000 homes (9%) are in foreclosure.

In an effort to deter lenders from instituting foreclosure rather than mediation, Congress passed a bill to allow judges to forcibly renegotiate home mortgages as part of personal bankruptcy restructuring.

In other news: Rick Treworgy's Muscle Car Museum opened in the former WalMart on US 41 in Burnt Store Isles.

Attendance has been brisk to see his 225 personally owned cars. Admission is $10.

S al es S tati sti cs: Inventories continued to decline last month as the low end of the market continued to provide ever more affordable bargains. Vacant lot pricing is now fully back to 2002's levels before the spec construction binge began.

Please visit us at www.harborparadise.com to view any available properties from Venice to Burnt S tore Marina

Page 18

Staff Report

Water LIFE

April

MAGAZINE

Two big races last month, The Conquistador Cup with over 80 boats and the Lukemia Cup with 36. Both had better than average wind and correspondingly low tides.

Sometimes watching sailing can be as slow as watching the grass grow: hot, boring and uneventful. And then there was last month. A bunch of boats all headed the same way, in a good stiff breeze with no brakes and no motor!

“This is going to be good,” I told my wife as we idled just upwind of Marker No. 4 near the US 41 bridge. Somehow, in spite of the reverse-order staggered-handicapped start (based on the finishing order from the day before) it seemed like all the boats got to the first mark at the same time. The boats mostly were beating offwind as they approached the mark and then they had to turn around the windward side of the Marker and come about, When Sailing becomes a pointing downwind.

There is something quaint about how sailors sometimes do their best to refrain from hostilities. It goes with those nice boring, calm, days. Not this weekend. Shouting, yelling and the unnerving flapping of canvas let go in a desperate attempt to give back momentum are what prevailed. A few times it got tense, but most of the time it was just good competitive fun. Around the first mark, then down the harbor past Marker No. 2 and out to Marker No. 1 where the fleet would again come about and head back to the Start/Finish line.

At Marker No.1 I cut the engine. The wind was still a good 15 but now the tide was ripping in hard, pushing against the marker The first few boats ripped around the mark like they were on rails. Then the first clusters of boats came. Inevitaby, boats on the inside of the turn had their wind blocked by boats on the outside. It meant trouble in no time. The boat Jammin was in that never-never land of shrouded wind and hard tide when Lea came around the corner. It was a bending tearing Hung up on Marker 4. Right: The result sound that said something was being forceful- Jolly Mon (near) for the win ly reshaped. Thatʼs racing, things happen, no one was hurt.

The end was as good as the middle. Two longshots battling it out bow to bow for the last mile. A 9 mile race and when they crossed the line it was Jolly Mon out of Fort Myers by less than 3 feet.

The Leukemia Cup was just about as good.

Sailors were still recovering from the Conquistador Cup two weeks before so they were a little more conservative but it was still a good windy day and boats were in tight against each other around a lot of the marks.

In the end, Dave Flechsigʼs S-2 Rooster Tail took the spinnaker Fleet and Greg Knightonʼs Tarton Weather Girl took the non Spinnaker class and Tony Milanʼs Ericson, Anam Cara took the cruising honors.

Lea (black hull) wipeing off Jamminʼs britework at Marker No. 1 in the Conquistador Cup Regatta

2009

Contact Sport

Top Left: Action at Marker No 4 (you can see the mark through the sail) Top Right: The multihull Rt 66 bears down on a green fleet boat.

Above: Hang On!

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April

2009

Water LIFE

Page 19

MAGAZINE

Historic Liverpool

By Davi d Al l en Water LIFE Kayaking Kayaking is a sport that has an almost endless variety of experiences in Charlotte County. Dolphins and tarpon can often be found just outside the surf line off Gasparilla Island. Manatees, turtles, alligators and birds populate many of the protected inland rivers and bays. Wildlife abounds but there is another aspect to explore from the cockpit of a kayak.

Southwest Florida, and in particular, the streams and waterways of this area, often have an interesting historical story to tell.

On group paddles we simply enjoy being on the water, spotting an occasional eagle or osprey, talking and enjoying each others company, often unaware of the historical significance of the landmarks we are passing.

We launched our kayaks at Liverpool ramp, about 15 miles north of Punta Gorda. Liverpool is now a quiet residential area, with modern single family homes well spaced out in a rural setting. Hunter Creek is a narrow channel leading east off the Peace River to the boat ramp, but more importantly, it flows past what was the town of Liverpool.

Around 1870, pebble phosphate deposits were discovered in the Fort Meade area and later exploration opened new areas as far south as Desoto County. All along the Peace River many small companies

were exploiting the valuable fertilizer component. These companies needed a way to transport the raw phosphate to the refining facilities in Tampa and beyond. A large dock was built at Liverpool, a portion of Hunter Creek was dredged to a depth of 2530 feet to accommadate the barges, and a shipping center for raw phosphate was established there.

The population of Liverpool reached a peak of 60-100 permanent residents by the late 1890s. Boca Grande quickly became the major terminal for ships bound for Tampa and around the world. A rail line was constructed that ran from the Peace River Mines directly to Boca Grande. But by the early 1900s the pebble phosphate deposits ran out and the industry moved north to mine the "hard phosphate" deposits. Liverpool was no longer a viable shipping point and the the docks, cranes, cisterns and building were abandoned.

As we paddled through the deep water of Hunter Creek we could still see some of the old limestone blocks that made up the dock, now covered with moss and almost completely surrounded by vegetation.

Little else was visible. We paddled west toward the Peace River and the numerous channels and leads that make this area so

Thanks to Skip Rasmussen for this photo of kayakers passing Liverpool

interesting. It was a great paddle on a perfect day.

After the paddle, I returned to Liverpool.

There is part of a crane base, some elevated supports for water tanks, but little else to see. I tried to take a photo of the old stone/brick crane base, but it was deep in the shadows and completely surrounded by trees and vines. I learned that sometime in

the 1930's scenes for a Tarzan movie were shot in the area.

The Port Charlotte Kay ak ers meet each Wednesday ev ening at Port Charlotte Beach Park at 5:30 PM. All are welcome. For more information, contact me at 941-235-2588 or email to: dlaa@comcast.net. You can check out our upcoming paddles and ev ents at: pck ay ak ers.org Then come join us!

Water LIFE

Page 20

Tarpon Tackle Tips

MAGAZINE

Punta Gorda Isles

April

2009

Call the Captain! Beautiful Waterfront Home Wide Basin View! 3/2/2, 1910sf Air. Incredible condition!!!! Modern design, Parquay floors, kitchen is like new, new counters, newly remodeled bath rooms. A remarkable price in PGI. $329,000.

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Call the Captain! Fabulous Call the Captain! Fantastic Call the Captain! Rare Find Oversized Deep Water Sailboat Waterfront Updated Waterfront Home! A 3/3/2, in Pirate Harbor! Incredible cus1637sf Air, enclosed Florida room tom waterfront home! A 3/2/2, Home! A 4/3/2 with a pool, an oversized and a modern updated kitchen. Pool with a pool, 2076sf Air, 1998, garage, lots of storage space, “1988”, 2 fire- added in 1997 with a new cage, oversized lot, dock, brick paver hurplaces, dock & boat lift and only 10 minutes updated pool bath with shower and drive, barrel tile 50 year proof metal roof and to the Ponce De Leon Channel. $469,000 dock. Immaculate home with gor- ricane much, much more! $395,500

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Call the Captain! Waterfront Incredible views of open basin, perfectly located sailboat pool home- 5 minutes out! Open floorplan with master BR that has a 180 degree view water! $399,900.

geous view of the water.

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Capt. Mark with a summer 2008 tarpon. Photo: Jenni Bennett www.tarponsnook.com

By Capt. Mark Bennett Wat er LIFE Inshore The tackle used along the beaches and in the harbor for tarpon fishing has changed considerably over the last 20 years. Nine foot stout rods, conventional 40-pound floating line and cracker casting has given way to graphite rods, spinning reels and super-braid line. A lot of people I see fishing for tarpon along the beaches and harbor these days are using tackle that is what I consider a little too light. I have seen people fight fish for hours on end. This greatly decreases the tarpon’s chance for survival.

Most fish, not all, should take no more than 15 to 20 minutes to land if you are using the right tackle. For the last 15 years I have used St. Croix Rods. My favorite rod for live baiting tarpon is the Premiere Saltwater Series SWS76MHF. These rods are 7’6” medium heavy, with a real fast tip.

They are fairly light weight in your hand and will cast very small baits well, plus they have a lot of backbone to bring a giant fish boat side quickly. For reels I like the Penn 750ss spooled with at least 350 yards of 50-pound Hi-Vis yellow Power Pro line.

I have three of these reels I bought 17 years ago that are still on my boat and still working like new with just yearly service.

For casting artificial lures at tarpon I like a slightly lighter weight setup. I use the St. Croix Tidemaster TIS80HF. These rods are lighter in your hands so you won’t get worn out casting them all day, plus they are a little longer and have a fast tip for longer casts. For reels I like the Shimano Spheros 8000 spooled with at least 350 yards of 35-pound Power Pro. Power Pro line has the smallest diameter of any “superline” and that makes a big difference in casting distance. It is tough stuff.

One morning last season our first fish of the day was hooked up in the dark. It ran out fast and jumped. Then it shot straight at us and got around the lower unit of my motor. I grabbed the rod from my customer and cleared the wrapped line around the

motor and we still landed the 120-pound fish. Unbelievable, monofilament line wouldn’t have had a chance doing that.

For hooks I use Owner 6/0 and 7/0 “AKI Saltwater Special” hooks. They are super sharp and strong enough to hold any tarpon, no matter how big, plus the wire is not too thick to use with smaller crabs. For leader I use 100 pound test. I know a lot of people use 80 pound, but I have lost too many fish that chewed through the 80 too quickly.

The reason we all fish for tarpon is to get one boat side. In my opinion, the more time you take to get him boat side, the more time he has to get away. By using the right tackle for the job you will decrease fight time and increase your chances of a successful release. Keep the line tight and bow when they jump.

April

2009

SCUTTLEBUTT

Water LIFE

Sometimes Unsubstanciated, But Often True

Now a fishing team in the IFA tournament is even wearing the Mosaic name.

An FWC pilot discovered approximately three thousand feet of gill net filled with live fish in the keys. The abandoned gear will be seized and destroyed.

A concerned citizen reported a pontoon boat anchored and sitting low in the water, possibly sinking, at the Three Mile Bridge in Pensacola. Officers responded and saw four adults fishing with water washing over the pontoons at the stern of the vessel.

When questioned about the condition, the operator said he had

MAGAZINE

previously drilled holes below the waterline to drain water from the pontoons. The screws he used to plug the holes were apparently not water tight.

Gator Bits Officer Rick Sloan was crossing the Myakka River bridge on State Road 72 when he saw a person wearing a camouflage shirt throw a rope into the water with something attached to it. Officer Sloan parked his truck and as he approached he heard several small caliber shots being fired.

Officer Sloan confronted three individuals, one holding a rifle and another holding a long rope with a leader and a large baited hook. All three individuals admitted to trying to catch a gator.

Page 21

Warming is a natural phenomenom, scientists are now saying ʻClimate Changeʼ should be called ʻWeather Adaptation.ʼ

The Sarasota based Ski A Rees waterski team entertained the crowd at the Seafood Festival in Puna Gorda. As usual, some people were asking how do they get to do that inside a posted manatee zone? And as usual no one has been able to answer that question.

The Deadly Dozen : Charlotte Harbor FISHING GUIDES

Phosphate Have you noticed the TV publicity push from Mosaic, the phosphate miners?

Recognizing that Global

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Page 22

April Fishing Report Charlotte Harbor:

Robert at Fishin' Franks Port Charlotte: 625-3888

April is a great month for fishing and it’s the last month to fish for s no o k. These fish are already in a migratory pattern, there are a few fish out along the beach already and more near the passes. Bull and Turtle Bay, anywhere closer to the ICW will be the best chance for snook. There are still some at El Jobean and at the 41 bridge, but bigger better fishin down south. This is a transition period; white bait is showing, pinfish and shrimp are still good. The pinfish offshore are good size, the ones inside are still the little 50-centers. Artificials are working well on snook, the Bomber 14 series and the Sebille Stick Shad are the top snook lures right now.

Redfi s h We’re starting to get bigger fish now. The few juveniles we had this winter are moving out and the bigger ones are moving in. There are still bull redfish offshore and a lot of upper-end slot fish moving in the ICW, Pine Island Sound and Lemon Bay. Look for deeper sand holes in 3 to 5 feet of water or mangrove shorelines where you have good moving water. Live shrimp still seem to be the best bait for reds, but they are taking some cut bait or a Gulp on a jighead.

Try the new Trigger- X scented soft plastic by Rapalla which has a different enzyme in it, the one a fish gives off when it’s being attacked. It’s kind of neat.

The Jacarandas are ready to bloom, the golden rain trees are in flower and that merans tarpo n are here. There are a bunch of fish scattered all over from Pine Island to the Harbor bridges. They show for 4 or 5 days then disappear for three

Water LIFE

April

MAGAZINE

2009

days and then show back up again.

These are all silver colored fish that came in from offshore. Tarpon have been hooked consistently out at the boxcars lately which means they are getting ready to move inside.

Estero and the 10,000 Islands both have a lot of tarpon right now so we are next in line.

Ki ng mackerel and Spani s h mackerel are here now and will be here through the end of the month. The bigger fish are starting to show up.

Offshore and in the passes, look for schools of bait and birds diving. Slow troll a biggger Bomber, Rapalla, a live Garland Price and his daughter Ruth residing at PGRV. The snook blue runner, or even a rigged-up ballywas 31 1/2 inches long, weiged 13 lbs. and Ruth caught it in the PGI canals hoo for the Kings. For the Spanish, anything silver that flashes will work.

Cheap spoons, lures or the GotCha baits are all good. Again, schools of bait and diving birds will be key. The Spanish are averaging 2 to 5 pounds right now.

Sharks are just showing up. There are lots of smaller ones now and the bigger ones should be here by the end of the month. There is always the possibility of a big shark anytime you are out there fishing. Lots of blacktips closer to the Intracoastal. Cape Haze, Bokeelia and the Pine Island Sound at Captiva Pass are all good shark spots now. Bonnetheads Capt Marc Miller sent us this albino Ray are just about anywhere in the Harbor right now as well.

Continued on facing page

photo. Is that a redfish or a mullet passing above it?t

Offshore with Capt. Steve

Capt S teve S kevington Water LIFE offshore One of my personal favorite fish to catch is the kingfish.

Trolling for these guys is probably the most effective way to fill up a box and one thing we know we are going to need for kings of any size, is a super smooth drag and a lot of line on your reel. Slow trolling live sardines or blue runners over hard bottom and clear water is just about all but a guarantee for big kings this month. Some of the smoker kings will be found on wrecks anywere from 1050 miles out and some will be right up on the beach, you'll just have to put the time in to find the ones your looking for.

The very first big permit schools of the season have started showing up on area wrecks. These first fish of the season are as spooky as you will ever find. Try live jumbo shrimp on very light leaders, if that doesn’t work just wait till the water warms another 5 degrees and they will be chewing the bottom of your boat out from under you to get that shrimp.

Cobia have started their migration up to our area of the coast, just look for mudding rays off the beach, or try your favorite wreck and a lot of chum.

A lot of very big sharks will be hooked-up this month.

The trick to finding these guys is simple, chum, chum and more chum, then hold on tight. Fishing for sharks is something I really enjoy and there’s no long boat ride involved. And talk about simple, just bust out with the chum and they come to you! It's real hard to top boating a six- or seven-foot black tip early in the morning.

Amberjack are very much still out there, and what a

fish! These guys have been so aggressive the last few weeks. We pull up on a wreck and thy’re following the boat around waiting for a bait before we can even shut down the engines.

This month the gag grouper season opens up and the bite is on in water about 60-90 feet deep. Drifting with a live bait until you hook-up with a quality fish is a great way to find gag's, then once you find them anchor-up and test your strength. April is also a great snapper month with yellow-tail stacking up on the deeper spots and mangrove piling up on those same wrecks with the amberjack.

Capt. Stev e can be reached at: 575-3528 for fishing information or to book a charter trip.

April

Water LIFE

2009

F i s h i n g The The BIG-4 BIG-4 Report .

Continued from facing Page

This is the last hurrah for sheepshead, now to the middle of the month, offshore on the close in reefs is where the

SNOOK: Still at the El Jobean trestle at night. Now under the bushes on hight tides too.

Page 23

MAGAZINE

Fish Fish to to expect expect in in April April

REDFISH: Bigger fish moving in, smaller reds moving out

TROUT: Moving around the Harbor, hanging on the grass flats when itʼs warm.

KINGFISH: Moving up along the coast.

2009 KIds Cup April 25.

Applications Available

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Kids-Cup-style fish: Capt. Angel Torres put this kid on a nice redfish last month.

sheepies will be before they migrate north.

It is still hot at the Placida trestle for sheepshead.

Lemon Bay:

Jim at Fishermen’s Edge, Englewood: 697-7595

Fishin been good , you just have to fight the wind. The sheepshead are still biting, there are a lot of pompano around, really good trout, and assorted redfi sh being caught on whitebait and pinfish. A lot of the guys are going into Placida and down to the Pine Island Sound. Some are fishing in Charlotte Harbor, the Gasparilla Sound, Turtle Bay, Whidden Creek... all usual haunts. Some guys just make a milk run to the same spots every day.

There has been some snook out on the beach and in around the docks at the trestle area, these are fish coming out of the harbor. A friend of mine swears by the Wind Cheater lure now made by Bomber (it used to be a Rebel lure, with a stripe on it).

Quite a few guys are hooking tarpon now. One kid landed one at the Englewood pier. A little of this and a little that: spani sh, ki ngs mostly 5 or 6 miles out. The head boat Angler’s Dream has been doing well. Guys up in Venive have been doing well too. The wrecks offshore are holding permi t and everyone is looking for little blue crabs right now for permi t bait.

Cobi a on the near reefs like Trembly and Novak, even the 4-mile reef had the cobia on it this week. There has been a big variety of fish around.

April 18-19; DarkS i de 18 Hour Ni ght S nook Tournament Harpoon Harry's.

April 18 & 25; USCG Aux Flotilla 87 2 day Boati ng S afety Cl ass at Lemon Bay Park. Completion of this program will qualify the student to receive the Florida Boater Card. $25 for an individual and $20 for accompanying family member. 941-697-9435 www.coastguardenglewood.com

April 25: Water LIFE Ki ds Cup To urnament, Fishermen’s Village, Punta Gorda 766-8180 April 30: Redfi s h Cup, Net Gains Kids fishing program and seminar, Laishley Park.

May 1-3: Redfi s h Cup, Punta Gorda

May 9-10; Fl atsmasters Redfi sh Cl assi c Tournament

Fishing RIGHT NOW:

Excellent!

May 17: Fi rst PTTS Tarpon Tournament Boca Grande There after every weekend until June 14, usually 7 am. Spectators welcome!

May 23: S weetHeart Coupl es Tournament Captain's Table/Harpoon Harry's.

May 24: Redfi s h Chal l eng e, Cape Coral, 239-699-7426

April

2009

Water LIFE

MAGAZINE

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