Water LIFE April 2011

W a t e r LIFE

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GREAT FISHING

Mucho Gusty

Sailing: Page 19

Snapper have been Cooperating

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Underwater with

Adam Wilson

Snook have been getting Bigger!

Diving Florida始s Springs

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KINGS GATE BRISTOL II MODEL 2006 – A true 3 bedroom, 2 ba, 2 car with 1,662 sq ft. Formal living & dining room, large10x17 kitchen, beveled counters, volume ceilings thru out, ALL TILE FLOORS ON DIAGONAL huge extended 13x35 Lanai with roll up sun shield blinds, 3M hurricane film on all windows and sliders, 550 watt generator wired to electric panel and just too many upgrades at $184,900 Call Ellen McCarthy 941-235-5648

BURNT STORE VILLAGE POOL HOME Country living with privacy, 3/2/2 with 1,759 sq ft under A/C. Built in 1993. 15x15 kitchen with Island open to family rm. 4 nice walk in closets, pool bath. Master has jetted tub and walk in shower. Tile thru out except for bedrooms. Two large trees in front, Just a little TLC and this could be the home you are looking for. $134,900 Call Ellen McCarthy 941-235-5648

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BANK-OWNED 3/2/2 home sold As Is. Newly painted, this 2,830 sf bargain has a huge family room with fireplace and aquarium, French doors, split bedroom plan and spacious Master bedroom suite with garden tub, walk-in shower and dual sinks. Check this one out today! $169,000 Call Ellen McCarthy 941-235-5648

KINGS GATE BRISTOL II MODEL 2006 – A true 3 bedroom, 2 ba, 2 car with 1,662 sq ft. Formal living & dining room, large10x17 kitchen with wood cabinets, beveled counters, volume ceilings thru out, ALL TILE FLOORS ON DIAGONAL huge extended 13x35 Lanai with roll up sun shield, 3M hurricane film on all windows and sliders, 550 watt generator wired to electric panel and just too many upgrades at $184,900 Call Ellen McCarthy 941-235-5648

RIVER CLUB HEATED POOL HOME. Overlooking lake/lagoon, 3/2/2 built in 2008, this home is like NEW, 1,834 sq ft, tile roof, hurricane shutters, volume ceilings, maple wood cabintry with granite counter top, plantation shutters and FULLY FURNISHED AT THIS PRICE, This home shows quality thru out. Tile floors except for bedrooms, BEAUTIFUL HOME IN GATED COMMUNITY. $199,900 Call Ellen McCarthy 941-235-5648

ROCK CREEK WATERFRONT POOL HOME - 3/2/2, 1,700 sq ft. Minutes to the Harbor, concrete seawall, dock and davits. Auto cleaner for pool. All new roof, windows, sliding doors, hurricane shutters, tile floors, complete kitchen w/ hardwood cabinets, granite, appliances, screen on cage, paint interior and exterior, 17.5 Seer A/C, and on and on.

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CHARMING WATERFRONT POOL HOME 3/2/2 1,749 sq ft. Just a great private home on Como Waterway and a short ride to the Harbor. Fish from your dock and watch a beautiful sunset. This home features many upgrades as new roof, pool cage, all new wood cabinets with corian tops, new white wood cabinets in both baths, 2nd bedroom has dou. doors to nook area, new tile & wood floors. Don't wait!! $239,900 Call Ellen McCarthy 941-235-5648

ROTONDA WEST GOLF COURSE/LAKE POOL HOME. Oversized deck & new heated pool 2008, lake w/dock to fish from, Home built in 1993 with 2,062 sq.ft. and the lot next door is also available for $35,000.

Large living/dining room off kitchen and nook. This home offers Central vac., security sys. and the list goes on. $239,900 Call Ellen McCarthy 941-235-5648

LAKE SUZY BEAUTY ON LAKE PEMBROKE - 3/2/2 heated pool home, 2135 sq ft, built in 1996. This home is a charm, with upgrades galore. Volume ceilings, Italian tile, new tile roof, pool cage, diamond brite & tile, hurricane shutters, inside laundry with lots of storage thru out home and the list goes on, This is a must see, Priced to sell at $299,900 Call Ellen McCarthy 941-235-5648

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Pending!

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ellenmc@portcharlotte-pgi.com

19700 Cochran Blvd • Port Charlotte, FL 33948

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Tarpon & Shark Headquarters Letters to: WaterLIFE@comcast.net

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Thanks to everyone who helped make our annual sale another great event – Fishinʼ Frank

No part of this publication (printed or electronic) may be copied or reproduced without specific written permission from the publisher.

Contributing Editors:

Photography: ASA1000.com Senior Editor: Capt. Ron Blago Port Charlotte: Billy Barton Punta Gorda: Capt. Chuck Eichner Commercial Fishing: Kelly Beall Sea Grant: Betty Staugler Real Estate: Dave Hofer Inshore: Fishin’ Frank Offshore: Capt Jim O’Brien Diving: Adam Wilson Kayaks: David Allen Sailing: Bill Dixon Office Dog: Molly Brown

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Mike & Ellen We have an additional prize for first place...Water LIFE - Pet Passings PawFect Picture Contest. The company we use for our Heirloom Tapestry's is going to do a FREE blanket for the winner!

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Water LIFE i s the o ffi ci al publ i cati o n o f the Charl o t t e Harb o r Reef As s o ci at i o n, the o ri g i nato r o f the Ki ds Cup To urnament and the pro ducer o f the Do n Bal l Scho o l o f Fi s hi ng .

We don’t just count the people we reach, we reach the people that count

Uh Oh! There I go Again April

2 0 11

By Mi chael Hel l er Water LIFE Editor I went to Flatsmasters’ March Redfish Tournament. I had really hoped to see that after Bruce Laishley’s group had taken over the event they would finally have it all straightened out and running smoothly. I am familiar with the FWC tournament regulations and the culling waiver so I would notice if there were issues of non compliance when I went, just as any other tournament director would.

So I showed the picture (right) around, first to my friend Capt. Ralph Allen, who was the Kids Cup Weighmaster for 7 years, he said “looks like a tournament violation.” Then I showed it to Robert Lugiewitz, the Kids Cup fish handler who said ‘That’s not allowed.”

But when I showed it to Fishin’ Frank he said... “what am I supposed to be seeing?”

The average recreational angler may not know the culling waiver rules, but every staff member and tournament angler is supposed to be instructed in this by the tournament staff. Other tournaments do this effortlessly.

There were numerous opportunities that day for tournament staffers to correct the problem before team Nautilus Pools or team Robert Jones Ceramic Tile each brought two fish in one bag up onto the Laishley Crab House stage. The FWC requires one fish per bag to insure that fish stay healthy.

I am a newspaper photographer. That’s what I have done for 40 years. Check out my website: www.ASA1000.com. When I am working I look at things in the perspective of events and pictures that tell a story. I quit covering tournaments for a year and returned

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Page 1 of 2, FWC Tournament Permit # T-11-110 Conditions and Requirements for Tournament Anglers: Item #4) Only one redfish may be transported per catch bag to facilitate measuring, weighing, & release. Picture: Flatsmasters 3/12

last month to Flatsmasters hoping to get pictures of big beautiful redfish and happy tournament anglers for our magazine. Fishing tournaments are supposed be fun.

Maybe next time.

Instead, right off the bat, I got a tournament official in my ear wanting to know if I was there for ‘good pictures or bad pictures.’ I said I was just there for ‘pictures,’ and the good picture/bad pictures part was up to the tournament and what took place.

All right, enough about Flatsmasters. In the scope of the world there are much bigger issues to consider.

This morning I woke up to the TV news with a water quality scientist from Massachusetts saying although there was some Fukushima radiation falling on river water in Massachusetts they don’t drink that water so he was not worried. I looked out the window at the Peace River flowing by. It was raining and I thought Gee, we drink our river water every day. I wonder ....

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A reasonable person might assume there are safeguards and we don’t have to worry about radiation. I am a reasonable person and I don’t assume that at all. We still don’t even have a comprehensive water sampling database for Charlotte County. All we have are numerous separate entities each doing their own testing. God forbid we ever have a problem, we will probably waste valuable time figuring out where to start. How long would it take to know if radiation fell here? Or up river?

Government scares me. And they don’t like the press to talk about it when problems happen. Kind of like Flatsmasters... oh, I said I’d quit. Back to government.

One scary example of how government works hit home for me on a story I worked on for the NY Times in the late 80s and early 90s. It culminated with the United States government paying significant restitution to the families of Navajo Indian miners who worked for the Government in the 1940s.

The government had the miners dig up uranium, and the government knew miner’s contact with the uranium posed extreme health hazards to them, but they didn’t tell the miners because they said (later) it was a matter of national security. The Government needed the uranium to build the first Atomic Bomb. The courts said since the government knew about it they were liable.

The mining landscape was dusty and dry with rutted dirt roads, sagebrush and few trees. The mine was excavated out of a rocky mesa. The Indians used the rubble left over from the mine to build houses.

You can imagine the terrible results. Entire familys developed cancer and died from living in a radioactive house. Eventually the government paid the surviving Indian family members a lot of money, but it was not a happy occasion. In the mining case, the Chief Government Scientists knew better, but he was too focused on the war effort, to pass the word down to the Indians working in the mine. Kind of like the Flatsmaster’s problem... uh oh! There I go again.

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Peace River Pʼtooninʼ

Wi th Fishin’ Frank Water LIFE Up-River Each week for the last month I have had the pleasure of fishing with my Mom and Dad. We have been having a great time.

Mom had some hip problems and it had been years since she was able to get in or out of a boat without pain because of having to step over the gunnels, but now that I have my P’tooner Boat, pontoon to you all, we have had a blast. We get loaded up and put the cooler on board in case we find keeper-size fish. Why risk missing a tasty dinner because we were unprepared? The weather is too warm now not to put the fish on ice.

Leaving the canals we scream away, well not scream, but we do motor away with a double set of Bimini tops, seats and a sturdy front rail to lean on, not to mention a cup holder and rod holders. Hey, if you are going to do it, do it all. We arrive at our chosen spot and set our anchor off the stern so we can fish more comfortably off of the front end.

Where did we go? Well, the Peace River has many places that hold fish. I am going to go over one of the spots with you. Bird Key cut. To get there, if you are coming from the harbor, head up the river from the 41 bridges, then under I-75. Once you are past I-75 go just past the manatee sign and take a left. You will see a channel between

the islands, this is a slow no-wake zone and although rarely enforced, most people, even when breaking the speed laws, will still slow down for people fishing. This cut is the north east side of Bird Key, a relatively deep channel which averages 4 feet of water. And the redfish like to hang out here. You did not think this was for the scenic beauty did you? The place is next to the Interstate – heck no. “Thars fish in dem’ dar’ watters” Redfish seem to hang out along the edges of this waterway. I know everyone has to free line the bait nowadays, like it is some kind of law, but here my Dad has proven the value of a slip sinker rig time and time again. A 1/0 hook with 18 inches of 20 pound fluorocarbon leader, then a swivel and on the line a free sliding ½ oz sinker. For bait we have been using live shrimp, choice size, or about 3 fingers long held across your hand.

Anchor the boat so you can fish downtide, cast (believe it or not) 4 to 6 feet from the trees, except on a tide of 1.7 or higher, then I cast right up under the mangroves with my shrimp.

Then kick back enjoy the day and wait for the bump bump of fish on. The redfish, if they are there, usually will bite within 20 minute of when you get done banging and bumping around in the boat and settle down. If they do not start biting by then,

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it’s probably not going to be your redfish day. I would try another spot and come back when the tide changes. Or you can try fishing out in the middle part of the channel. There are often spotted sea trout or ladyfish, which if there, will hit a shrimp under a poppin cork. Hint* When you rig the cork, try and get the bait as close to 3 feet from the hook as you can. It really seems to work best.

Not every trip are you going to find big fish however bigger redfish can be found not far from here under the docks along the river in front of Harbour Heights. Most

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people do not realize that there is 10 foot deep water just in front of the houses along there and the reds like to move up under those docks to feed. Shrimp hooked on a jig head - red seems to be the best color up there. Cast it under the dock and hang on.

We could find bigger reds, but for us the getting away and relaxing is almost better than bigger fish. Smiles are not hard to find when you’re spending the day fishing on the Peace River. Good luck and enjoy.

Fishin’ Frank or Robert can be reached at Fishin’’ Frank s at 625-3888 or frank@fishinfranks.com

Snook Moratorium Results in More Big Fish

April

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By Capt. Chuck Ei chner Water LIFE Punta Gorda The most exciting fishing of the year is underway right now. It would be nice if April contained 60 days because there are so many fish to pursue and they have voracious appetites making them much easier to catch. Snook is my first love with tarpon a close second……hmmmm, perhaps it’s the other way around. Either way, the snook are turned on and they are big this year and have shown up in good numbers!

My first trip out usually involves taking my wife Joyce as she seems to be the lucky charm for early spring snook.

Leaving the dock we realized that this could be a hit or miss trip with both the catching of live bait and the catching of snook. As I rode south towards my favorite bait hole mother nature had dished out a super negative low tide and my heart sank a bit. Knowing that the snook will bite best on high water, I figured we would be waiting till mid afternoon for the bite to start. The spots I wanted to fish were not even accessible by boat!

My ultimate spot was in the Myakka River, but because I traveled a good 10 miles south of Cape Haze Point for bait I knew I wasn’t going to travel 20 miles north to fish.

Bait catching was tough. Plenty of pilchards were fleeing past my boat, swimming through a cloud of chum with only a few to stop and eat a small morsel.

Many throws of the net and 2 hours later, I picked out a deep pocket to fish figuring that maybe a few snook would have holed up there. The east side sandbars were out of the water and getting to this hole was no easy feat! Flinging fresh pilchards into the water met with an immediate response- snook blasted recklessly on bait 360 degrees around the boat. Joyce made 3 casts, the first 2 snook jumped off after a short battle and a keeper flounder was the third fish.

This turned out to be one of those days that fisherman dream of. For 6 hours we had waves of snook follow the tide in and literally casting any direction around the boat met with a quick strike. These were no average fish either. Most were 25 to 35 inches! We were out gunned with our light tackle outfits many times, but several fish in the 40 inch and up category left us slap-happy. I hooked one monster fish using only 10 pound braid and 25# leader.

This was a fight that lasted over 15 minutes with searing runs into the mangroves leaving this angler doing gyrations that rivaled a ballerina in an effort to stop a freight train from sawing off my microthin line. When I grabbed the snook at boatside my right hand would barely fit around the base of his tail fin as I careful-

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ly hoisted this girl into the boat with left hand on her jaw. My wife was ecstatic to say the least and said she had chills all over! The big piece from all this is that the snook moratorium is allowing fish to grow larger than I have ever seen in 9 years of fishing Charlotte Harbor. On this day we easily boated 50 snook and that number would have been 100 if we didn’t take lunch breaks and a siesta while basking in the sun.

So the true test to measure our fishery was to go fishing again. Two days later my buddy Mark Lenhoff joined me to fish an incoming tide. The only hitch this day was that it took 3 hours to catch bait and we started on our first spot on the top of the outgoing, missing the best part of the bite. This spot was in a completely different area than the place I fished days earlier. Frisky pilchards were cast to a mangrove bush with hooks delicately placed in the nose of two. Mark reared back on his first, second and third casts with an extra large snook pushing the 30 inch mark! I finally completed the rigging of my line and the game was on with my first cast.

We boated many nice fish and eventually caught some small ones that were in the 22-25” range. Once again I was blessed and fought another monster pushing the 40 inch mark. Anyone that has caught a snook that goes over 36 inches will tell you that this fish really should be called another name. They pull with near unstoppable power regardless of tackle, burn drag, jump with a vengeance and have a will to survive that most times will leave you out of breath. When you pause they regenerate super strength and can run another 30 yards of line back into the bushes just when you think you have the fish beat! A better name perhaps for a large snook would be “The Ripper” or “Prayer Maker”, because believe me you will be saying your prayers to land this fish once you hook one!

My third trip out was not as spectacular as we had a very slow incoming tide initially and poor water quality in some areas. Boating 20 snook and losing at least as many was still a good day. No monsters however but still excellent fishing. Consulting with a few expert anglers in the area confirmed that they too are catching many more large snook.

Local fishing guides will tell you they are heavily booked this year and keeping snook has no bearing on their customers.

There are so many other good eating fish out there anyway. I hope this article gets read by our fisheries people that make decisions on whether to re-open the Gulf snook fishery. Keeping this fishery closed for several years would generate a snook population that maintains significant numbers of fish to be caught on any

given day over 30 inches with the real monsters at 40 inch above a reality. The economic boom for local business’ would be hard to measure as word would make it around the U.S. about how great our fishing is. The fishery for the past 10 years has seen a huge drop in size and numbers, as fishing talent and equipment with the sport angler and professional charter captains played a role in diminishing the overall size by removing only the legal larger fish. Of course water quality and boat traffic, which influence changes in the fish movements, feeding locations and general behavior, play a role as well.

I have seen other fisheries rebound by eliminating harvest. The most notable is the Chesapeake Bay where I was a shallow water guide for stripers and tidal largemouth bass. At the beginning of the moratorium, striper fishing was becoming a thing of the past on this vast fishery and charter captains were starving. They closed the fishery for 5 years….a long time! At the end of 5 years, we could expect to catch 200-300 stripers on an average day

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with larger fish much more common.

The fishing was nothing short of incredible. Lake Okeechobee now has the best big bass fishery in the United States. No closure effected this change in a fishery where an 8 pound bass became rare.

Fishing guides recognized that the big fish need to be released and skin mounts became a thing of the past, that helped.

Perhaps of equal weight was a lake draw down for a long time. That kept a lot of anglers from fishing there, vast areas of vegetation were difficult to reach and the harvest of fish was reduced. In the end, you now have a bass fishery that holds more big largemouth bass than has been seen in 30 years. Just imagine our snook fishing if this closure is maintained for just a few more years…..it gives me chills to think about it!

Capt. Chuck Eichner operates Action Flats Back country Guide Serv ice and can be reached at 941-628-8040 or go to his website www.back country -charters.com

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Out On Their Boat

April

2 0 11

By Capt. Bart Marx

Water LIFE Inshore Another month has passed us by and the time left to fish keeps getting shorter.

There are not enough days in a month any more to target all the fish that are out there.

Fish are feeding and no one is out there catching those hungry fish.

I got a chance to go offshore with a group of people on a Friday last month.

We traveled in their boat from their dock in P.G.I. through the canal system, entered the Harbor at Ponce Inlet, travelled down a Harbor to Marker No. 5 where we made the turn to the West and stopped at the Cape Haze reef. I tossed the cast net a few times and it was a successful stop - we caught some spot-tail pin fish, scaled sardines and a few small thread fin herring - about a hundred baits in all.

We continued on our trip to the Gulf. I had my eyes open looking for Spanish mackerel crashing bait in the lower harbor.

There was not much action until we made it through the Boca Grande channel markers. Looking out to the Gulf there were small pods of birds diving on the torn up pieces of bait left behind from a fish feed-

ing frenzy.

We traveled closer and slowed to idle speed as we prepared two spinning rods with medium size silver spoons with about two feet of 30-pound steel leader. Some times you need to put a trolling weight in front of your leader to get the lure down enough for the fish to bite. By this time the other anglers on the boat were also on lookout for the feeding frenzy, so we deployed two rigs about fifteen yards behind the boat and started driving toward the schools of mackerel that were visible at the surface.

There were several small pods of fish and they were moving all over quickly. It took a few minutes to get in position to drag the lures through the hungry fish. One hit and it was game on. We trolled for about a half hour and kept eight of the nice size keepers. Then we decided to head out to deeper waters to do some bottom fishing.

There are several artificial reefs south of Boca. We were fishing in 65 feet of water looking to catch some snapper. We were traveling into the wind to place the anchor so we could drift back over the reef to fish.

We were in a great position, but we kept drifting back and had to make another try at setting the anchor until we successfully ended up on the spot we wanted.

While we were fishing we had a chum bag in the water starting a slick to attract some snapper and it worked good. It also attracted some king mackerel that were rocketing out of the water a few yards in front of the boat. This called for some quick rigging on my part, choosing a spinning rod with plenty of line - quick rigged a wire leader with one of our live baits. I placed a cigar float about four to five feet away from the hook with the biggest white bait we could catch by hand in the live well- they had no net. I tossed it behind the boat where in a short time the rod bent and the line broke. I re-rigged and it happened again! The score was Goliath Grouper 2 Capt. Bart 0.

Eventually the wind changed direction

Mackerel and snapper on the table tonight. Mr. & Mrs. Kanter and Neil Fenton

and we drifted away from our spot but during all this we caught two snapper and hooked two goliath grouper, broke one rod and fractured another. The big decision was do we reset the anchor or rig and start trolling for the kings that we knew were there and feeding.

We rigged two trolling rods with one inch planers and medium size spoons about eight feet behind the planers. I learned from a mate that I work with to put wire in front and behind your planer - the big kings will try and eat the planer, the wire will save you a few planers. Put wire in front of your spoons also with approximately six or eight feet of clear line to get the spoon back away from the planer. We started trolling back and forth across the area where we had anchored and were chumming. This produced about eight or ten kings in thirty minutes or so. The owners of the boat were leaving soon so we only kept three keeper size kings to add to the two snapper and eight Spanish to round off the catch for the day.

If y ou would lik e to fish with Capt. Bart Marx of Alpha Omega Charters call 941-9796517. Singing drags and tight lines mak e him smile!

April

2 0 11

Mercury In Fish Not So Bad After All

On the Line

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Wi th Capt. Ron Bl ago

Water LIFE Senior Staff

When I was a small kid growing up in Boston, the only seafood I would eat was shrimp cocktail that came in a glass jar and tuna fish sandwiches. One day I was told not to eat anymore tuna fish because it would make me stupid. Since I was not that bright to begin with I switched over to grilled cheese, but I always wondered where did all the canned tuna fish go. It turned out that an industrial plant in mina mata, Japan had been dumping elemental mercury in the bay for years; and the fish had absorbed the mercury, and the locals caught and ate the fish and a lot of people got sick. It took about a year or two before somebody said maybe we should check the fish right here in the USA for mercury. They looked and they found it; and that was it for my tuna fish sandwich.

Overnight the commercial fishing industry as well as the fish canning business were wiped out. No one was going to take a chance eating seafood if it could make you sick. Then the smart people ay Harvard University asked the question- Has some mercury always been in fish? It turned out that Harvard had been saving samples of fish going back to 1879, and when they tested them they found that they had just as much mercury if not more than the modern day fish. Everyone gave a big sigh of relief when they realized that fish eaters were going to be just as dumb as they always were; and Chicken of the Sea was back on the menu.

It wasn't until I was alot older that I realized what an economic disaster it was for the fishing and canning industry in New England. They never bounced back from that incident of environmental hysteria. Now, 50 years later, I'm living in Florida and the subject of mercury in fish pops up again. This time high levels of mercury were reported in freshwater fish in the Everglades and swordfish and kingfish in saltwater.

Never mind that mercury is a natural element and is

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always in soil and rocks, this time the focus was on coal fired power plants. Coal has trace amounts of mercury and when burnt that goes into the atmosphere where it falls back to earth in rain. Little fish eat it, big fish eat the little fish, we eat the big fish and we all become stupid again. According to industry figures, between 2000 and 2006, 4.4 million households stopped buying canned tuna.

Leave it to the smart people of Harvard University to come to our rescue again. They have been doing a long term study for over 11 years on the toe nail clipping of over 174,000 health care professionals. It turns out the toe nail clippings are a more accurate measure of mercury in the body than a blood test.

They found no difference in mercury levels between those that regularly eat fish and those that don't. What they did find was that those that eat fish regularly had fewer heart attacks and strokes. As a result of this study they are recommending that we all eat more seafood. I'm going to pop open a can of tuna to celebrate.

Now there still is an advisory to limit the amount of of fish for pregnant women and small children to 12 ounces of fish per week. Additional research has indicated that pregnant women who eat seafood are healthier than those who don't; and children who eat more seafood have higher IQ's. We could have saved a lot of time and money if they had listened to my mother 60 years ago.

She always said, ‘eat more fish, it's brain food; and you need all the help you can get’.

Talking Trash Page 10

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April

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Garbage Gyres and Derelicts

By Betty S taugl er Water LIFE / Sea Grant March tends to be a very busy month for conferences, workshops and summits. I enjoy attending as much as possible because I always walk away with information about new technologies, resources and many great ideas to explore further.

As I write this, I have just returned from the 5th International Marine Debris Conference, a five day conference in Honolulu, Hawaii. This conference is always located in Hawaii because just off Hawaii’s shores lies the Pacific Gyre which is home to the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch”.

According to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA ) a gyre is a very

large circular feature made up of ocean currents that spiral around a center point, clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere. Worldwide, there are five major subtropical oceanic gyres: the North and South Pacific Subtropical Gyres, the North and South Atlantic Subtropical Gyres, and the Indian Ocean Subtropical Gyre. The North Pacific Subtropical Gyre is the one most notable because of its tendency to collect debris.

Most of the debris that accumulates in these gyres is plastic. This is because plastic is used extensively, lasts a very long time and much of it floats. There are MANY types of plastic, and thus many different chemical compositions.

Degradation rates depend on chemical composition, molecular weight, additives, environmental conditions, etc. Based on research to date, most commonly used plastics do not ever fully “go away,” but rather break down into smaller and smaller pieces. Also keep in mind that many of the bio-based and truly biodegradable plastics which do break down in a compost pile or landfill, do not necessarily break down in the ocean.

Removal of plastics in the Ocean is a difficult feat because the pieces become very small and because the top layer of water is where plankton typically occur.

Phytoplankton (microscopic plants) produce 50% of the world’s oxygen, so it would be impossible to scrape the surface for plastic without causing great harm to the microorganisms also living at the surface. 35 Nations were represented at this conference. Some have very strong zero waste policies. Others have implemented bans on single use plastics (bot-

Paddleing a canoe (for a photo op.) through some of the plastic garbage in the Northern Pacific Gyre.

tles, creamer containers, ketchup packs, etc.). An artist from Kenya and several from the US have even created successful and educational artistic exhibits made completely from marine debris. The pieces were truly works of art. For more information about this conference visit http://www.5imdc.org/. The website will continue to be updated with speaker presentations (including mine) as well as conference proceedings and the “Honolulu Commitment” of which you may be a part.

Also in March and still on the marine debris theme, I attended the Southeast Florida Boating and Waterways Workshop in West Palm Beach. This workshop was organized by Florida Sea Grant and modeled after one I hosted in Punta Gorda last September.

There were a lot of great talks, but to recap on one which readers may find interest in: Phil Horning from FWCs Boating and Waterways Section presentenced on the state’s new Vessel at Risk program. This program takes a proactive approach

to identifying vessels at risk of becoming derelict by notifying the owner with a courtesy warning to secure their vessel.

Any law enforcement officer (local and municipal) and authorized County/City employee charged with abandoned vessel compliance programs can utilize the full functions of this program. The public will also be able to use the program’s online website to see where vessels are that have been identified as at risk or derelict and they may also report vessels using this porthole. Though this website is not yet fully functional those interested will find more information about the program at http://myfwc.com/boating/waterway/dereli ct-vessels/.

Betty Staugler is the Florida Sea Grant Agent for Charlotte County. S he can be reached at 941.764.4346 Sea Grant is part of of the University of Florida IFAS Extension

Editor notes** In Charlotte County cases where the proper paperwork of sale has not been filed with the DMV, Charlotte County could use its derelict vessel clean up authority to block all motor vehicle licenses (boat and car) until the last registered owner of a derelict vessel pays the county its costs for the vessel’s cleanup.

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New Captʼs. License April

2 0 11

By Bi l l y Barton Water LIFE Inshore Ahh yes. After years of hoping and dreaming just wondering when the day would come, I did it! I passed the Sea School program and I'm officially a licensed captain! I remember being ten years old and watching Bass Masters on television. I remember just sitting there and wondering what it would be like to be able to spend every possible day and wakeing moment on Charlotte Harbor.

That was all I wanted, I knew it. I just didn't know how I could get it. Now I'm twenty six years old and one day at a time I'm seeing my dreams come true.

If I wanted to I could probably write a book about Sea School. However I'm gonna’ keep this one pretty short and sweet. For those of you who don't know me I work at Fishin’ Franks. I've been going into that shop since I was in diapers. Frank’s is like my second home. I guess you could call Frank my fishin’ father figure. He's the one who put me through Sea School. Thanks Frank!

Anyhow, this past January Mike, Cayle, Greg, and I all went to Sea School.

The four of us going together made it a little easier when it came to car pooling, and studying. Along with us there were six others signed up.

There are several different classes you can take to get your OUPV (Operater of Uninspected Passenger Vessel) license. I don't know how the rest of ‘em are, but the one in Cape Coral was very interesting, at times a bit of a struggle, but very educational. Now that it's all said and done I'd actually say I had fun!

The class was two long weekends in a row. Friday Saturday, and Sunday ten hour days. Yes they were long days!

When you have to learn a three inch thick book full of new knowledge in six days it can get a little tough.

The course consisted of four main sections. Deck General, Navigation General, Chart Plotting, and the toughest of which was the Rules of the Road.

Deck General was the easiest of the

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sections. It involves a lot of safety issues, and pertained to the way different types of vessels would handle on the water. It went from all of your different classes of fires, and how to properly put them out, to all your different life preservers and safety equipment to a whole bunch of different knots, distress signals, distress calls, to just how to handle your vessel in general.

Navi gati on General was the next section. It really wasn't too tough of a section either. It was actually the one I found most interesting. I learned a lot about the weather, and tides, and moons.

The weather, tides and moons have a major effect in the way the fish are gonna’ eat. Now this was stuff I needed to know! Also in this section I learned about all of the different kinds of buoys out there, and what their purposes are.

Along with this it went into Right of Ways – which I must say, a lot of people definitely must not know or do not follow on the water. They tell you to be a defensive driver on the road. Well you really need to be a defensive driver on the water. You don't have a shell of steel protecting you, there aren't any seat belts, and the chance of drowning always exists in boat accidents. The thought of drowning kinda’ scares the heck out of me. I don't ever wanna’ have to experience that, nor do I ever want to put someone in that situation. Always fear the water.

Chart Pl otti ng was the next section and it was pretty cool. Some found it a little difficult. I think I didn't quite comprehend it at first, but it came to me.

They want you to be able to navigate across a body of water without a GPS. It was pretty neat. It got into all of your map symbols, what the different lines you see on a map mean, latitude and longitude, and basically it was just learning how to navigate by the compass rose you see on every map. Man, I just made that sound easy! I can't lie it wasn't.

There was a whole lot more to it. Like I said I could write a book!

Rul es of the Road. Finally last but definitely not least was the dreaded Rules of the Road. This was a tough one. I think I studied this section on my own time for at least ten hours. It got really into detail about your right of ways in channels, and in open water. There are all different types of vessels which all have different fog signals, necessary lights, and right of ways when meeting or overtaking one another. I never knew there were so many different fog signals, and light signals. There was so much memorization and this was the section on the hundred question test that they gave you the most questions on. To top it off you have to score a 93% on it! Phew!

To sum it up. It takes six days of school, one testing day with four sections and a hundred questions, 365 days logged in a three year period (90 of which are off-

P a g e 11

shore), a CPR and First Aid Class, a physical, a drug evaluation, and a TWIC identification card, to get you your captains license.

Cape Coral is the place to go from my eyes. Our instructor Rocky Sullivan was very experienced and he made the class fun and interesting. Just imagine an old sailor teachin’ ya, that's what he reminded me of.

I'm so happy to be here finally. I want to make a life of this, my heart rests on our waters. It's not just fishing it's a passion. Get out there and play, it's the season! And take a kid with you!

Capt. Billy Barton, has started Scales N' Tails Fishing Charters. He can be reached for questions or to book a fishing trip at (941) 979-6140 or bartonw24@yahoo.com Take a kid along (under 15) on a charter with Capt. Billy and take 10% off the cost of the trip!

Midnight Pass back in the News

Page 12

By Jack Gurney - Pel i can Press Florida authorities who twice denied Sarasota County permission to restore the Midnight Pass coastal inlet that previously separated Siesta Key from Casey Key may have thought the fight was over. If so, they can think again. The battle has resumed.

Last month, the Midnight Pass Society and a group of Siesta Key business owners and homeowners jointly sued both the federal and state agencies involved in thwarting restoration efforts.

The suit was filed at the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida in Tampa. The suit seeks to overturn the state's previous denials and order that the state approve a restoration project.

"We've tried to cooperate with federal and state agencies since the mid-1980s," Midnight Pass Society President Jim Herbert said. "After spending a quartercentury trying to work within the system, we concluded it was not a good strategy.

There were no more options available."

Midnight Pass was a popular coastal inlet for boaters until it became unstable in the 1970s. It was closed in 1983 by two Siesta Key beachfront residents when the inlet migrated northward and threatened their homes. They promised to safely re-establish it farther to the south.

Syd Solomon and Pasco Carter Jr., both now deceased, financed several failed attempts to dredge open an inlet, then pleaded financial hardship to the Sarasota

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County Commission and asked for relief.

Sympathetic commissioners let them off the hook.

In 1988, the county submitted a Midnight Pass restoration plan; it was rejected by state authorities in 1991 after a permit evaluation process that went on for almost three years. A subsequent appeal failed. But restoration advocates refused to let the issue die.

In November 2004, coastal engineer Karen Erickson applied for permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Florida Department of Environmental protection that described a dredging project to remove 360,000 cubic yards of sand from the sealed inlet. Erickson was hired as a county consultant after she successfully negotiated on behalf of New Hanover County, N.C., for federal and state permits to relocate and restore Mason Inlet in 2002 without the use of seawalls, rocks or other hardened structures. But after an exhaustive four-year process of questions and responses to state authorities, permits to restore Midnight Pass were again denied. Many thought the effort was finally over.

"Sarasota County spent almost $1 million trying to get permits," Herbert recalled. "Mr. Epstein, a local lawyer who spent two years researching the case, decided it was a worthwhile endeavor to seek relief through the courts. Karen Erickson provided him with her expertise."

History Of Midnight Pass

1921: A hurricane opens Musketeer Pass.

1924: Midnight Pass is named.

1942-48: Midnight Pass migrates north about 1,200 feet.

1945: Congress funds the 100-foot-wide, 9-foot-deep Gulf Intracoastal Waterway.

1955: Midnight Pass is more than 500 feet wide with a maximum depth of 13 feet.

1960: Hurricane Donna causes shallowing of Midnight Pass始 north channel.

1963-64: Dredging of Intracoastal Waterway changes circulation in Little Sarasota Bay.

1972: Hurricane Agnes deposits more sand in northern channel.

1983: Midnight Pass has shrunk to 50 feet in width with a maximum depth of 4 feet.

Erosion causes homeowners to use sandbags to protect their homes. After sandbags fail, homeowners get permission to close the pass in exchange for an agreement to open a new pass to the south and maintain it.

Four efforts to reopen the pass all fail.

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The suit specifically names two state agencies, three federal agencies and a list of government officials. It states that the man-made closure of Midnight Pass was wrong and that both the 1991 and 2008 decisions to deny permits for its restoration were "unreasonable, arbitrary and capricious."

Agencies named are the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. They are variously charged with failure to enforce provisions of the U.S. Clean Water Act, U.S. Endangered Species Act, U.S. Commerce Clause, and Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution. Florida agencies are responsible for enforcing federal laws.

Four of the five counts directly address alleged violations of federal laws, while the fifth specifically deals with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's finding that a Midnight Pass restoration project was not in the public's interest.

"It does so without addressing the hundreds of acres of damaged habitat that reopening [Midnight Pass] would restore and improve upon," the fifth count states, "nor the millions of dollars that would be saved by preventing further erosion of precious beachfront."

No dates for pre-trial motions or hearings have been set.

April

2 0 11

Out of the Ballroom, into the Devilʼs Eye

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One of the openings beneath a ledge We think these are a bluegill (top) and some kind of karp

Page 13

Tubers float overhead

Diving with Adam Wilson

I ran up to Ginnie Springs Saturday to meet with my cousin. We dived the Ballroom at Ginnie and the Devil’s Eye & Ear caverns. Awesome vis! Tons of divers and tubers. Pretty funny watching full technical cave divers with as much training as a NASA astronaut doing decompression stops as a 5 year old girl floats overhead in a pink inner tube with her little mask and fin set on!

The 50 foot deep crevice is known as Devil’s ear.

This spring is right on the edge of the Santa Fe River Here, the tannin river water flows over and mixes with the crystal clear water pumping up from the spring. It looks very cool from underneath The flow coming out of the Devil’s Ear was unbelievable. It feels like free falling, the force of the water hits your regulator hard enough to press the purge button and force out air – as your mask vibrates in the flow. The scariest thing for me was watching from the cave’s entrances as cave divers would swim by and slip right into the cracks, slowly.

Then I’d watch their lights fade as they swam out of sight into the blackness. That’s definitely not for me. I appreciate the natural beauty, but I just have never been bit by the cave exploration bug.

The Devilʼs Eye

Some areas are restricted-access for safety

Into the Devilʼs Ear

The springs are about 30 miles north of Gainesville

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Real Estate News

April

2 0 11

PROVIDED to Water LIFE BY: Dav e Ho fer RE/MAX Harbor Realty (941) 575-3777 dhofer@remax.net www.harborparadise.com

Recent area news i tems: 1. Dazzled by the prospect of attracting some 438 jobs in the field of genetics, Jackson Labs, a privately owned bio medical research company has asked the Florida Legislature for a $100 million grant to locate a new facility in Sarasota County.

Hillsborough and Collier County have both evaluated and rejected Jackson's proposals in the past. Jackson had asked Collier County to sponsor the development of a site 40 miles east of Naples. Although they got as far as having $50Mil earmarked by the state for the project, the remaining $250mil would likely have had to come from Collier County taxpayers. That deal went away on March 1.

Now, an 1800 acre site just east of Toledo Blade Blvd in North Port is being considered by Jackson. The site is owned by Hans-Jurgin Reichardt, CEO of Heron Creek Golf Club.

If the project is to come to fruition anywhere in Florida, it will require the enthusiastic endorsement

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Page 15

of Governor Rick Scott. Because of the questionable financial viability of the project, Collier County's proposal to the state was met with a very tepid response from state officials. So what are Jackson's chances of gaining support in Sarasota County when it didn't work in Collier County? Let's see...

Governor Scott, a former businessman... Governor Scott former resident of Collier County... not good!

2. On a much smaller, but equally disturbing scale, Charlotte County is favoring a taxpayer gift of $500K to lure a startup employer, Australia Yachts to southwest Florida. Former Ft Myers owner of Australia Yachts, Michael Antalec is projecting 120 new jobs within 5 years. Why Punta Gorda? The Australian exchange rate is making it profitable to manufacture in the US and ship to (and get paid in) other countries. It's a new age.

Taxpayers are being asked to give money to new business startups at the expense of charitable giving.

What little new construction there is seems to be centered around 驶big-water-view始 homesites with massive hardened concrete fortifications, built on stilts, Key West style.

3. The land swap of industrial land near the airport (the subject of future county giveaways) for a portion of Murdock Village is essentially a done deal.

In other news: The population of the city of Sarasota declined to just under 52,000 in the 2010 census.

North Port doubled to more than 57,000. Charlotte County grew to 160,000 from 142,000 in 2000. The

city of Punta Gorda rose 15% to 16,000.

S al es S tati sti cs:

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For Each Pair that Dies Hundreds are not Born Page 16

By Fi shi n’ Frank Water LIFE Charlotte Harbor To cast net, or not to cast net, that is the question. People have been using cast nets for fishing since before Jesus walked the earth.

The first cast nets did not have a rope to bring it back and were thrown over fish in shallow water. As fish became more wary, a retrieving rope was added to bring it back from the bottom. The final improvement was brail lines which connect the retrieving rope to the bottom of the net so as you pull the net in the bottom of the net pulls together causing the net to close up and trap more of the fish inside. While this is a way of catching much more fish than ever would be possible with a rod and reel it is much less harmful and very much less effective, than long lines or purse seines. Both of these fishing practices should be outlawed within 200 miles of the coast of the U.S. I am not egotistical enough to push my views on the rest of the world, so back to cast nets.

Cast nets have been a way of catching fish to feed people, and or making money by catching fish, for thousands of years and people who use them now-a-days are thought of as the bad guys; evil commercial fishermen. Recreational anglers tend to look down on their commercial fishing

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counter parts as not good for the sport, thinking they take too much fish with no regard for tomorrow. This may or may not be true, but today there is very little difference between the commercial cast netters and the recreational live bait sport fishing angler. Pretty much both of then do the same thing, just in slightly different ways and often the recreational angler is the more wasteful of the two. Now before you get your panties in a wad, let me explain.

It often puzzles me, if you hurt or kill a child (while we are at it let’s include any young or small mammal) it is very offensive and causes great outrage. Watch if a baby of any species gets hurt, people donate money, have rallies, it is awesome how everyone gathers to take care of the young the weak or the small.

The opposite seems to be true for fish. Only the larger ones are worried about or cause any concern to people when they die or get injured. Recreational anglers kill or maim hundreds of bait fish each time they go fishing with little regard for their value to the food chain.

When we have the devastating freeze the media went crazy about the huge schools of dead snook, lining the shore lines, they went so far as to close the season. Not once did I hear about the millions of pin fish and other bait fish which lined the

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bottom of the flats, unnoticed as they died by the millions. Bait fish are a very important link I the food chain – as in the case of snook who need the oily bait fish to reproduce to full potential.

Here is where I have the problem with all of this. A guy who would raise the roof and call for jail time if someone took an illegal snook, or redfish, this same person would, out of hand, pull his boat up onto the ramp, drain his live wells then toss out the dead bait fish, because they are easier to catch with no water in the well. Many do not even make it as far as the water and lay like litter, dead across the Justin Medina measures up a perfect baitfish sized sardine ramp.

These baits could have been released with just a sense. Phrases like “the bait moved, it is little more effort while still on the water. not here today”, after you and many other Yes it is harder to catch them with water people have been catching hundreds if not in the wells, but for each pair that dies, thousands a day from the same spot. They hundreds are not born. moved all right – into your live well! I A strange double standard exists do not believe we will ever get anglers to between the cold blooded and warm blood- stop taking all they can get and just take ed creatures. In 1968 Zapata foods flew what they need until someone starts sayover the west coast of Florida. The report ing well we killed off this school. showed a continuous school of bait fish I am not against using live bait nor from Naples to Tampa Bay from ½ mile am I against throwing cast nets, what I wide to 1 ½ mile wide continuous along am against is wasting this fishing the coast line with no break. In 1989 resource and food base of our game fish when the threadfins would move into because of apathy, and just not caring Charlotte Harbor at the 41 bridge out to enough, to think about what and how we marker #2 with 300 feet of the shore on are doing this. both sides, it was solid bait. Now a large Take what you need, not what you school is maybe 100 feet across. A very want or what you can get. And go fishdramatic difference in a very short time. ing, I am just as guilty as most of you.

I am not saying we should stop using And I am making an effort to better cast nets, I am saying we have to start myself. using them with a little more common Good luck out there – Frank 625-3888

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Page 17

From the Olʼ Fishʼn Hole

With Capt. Jim O'Brien

Water LIFE Englewood Hey y-all it's just me again reporting on another month’s fish'n. Grouper season opened back up at midnight on March 31st, so my calender is filling up pretty good for this month. Every one must not have any grouper left in their freezer. I only have 2 packs left myself.

I'll tell ya, it's all been great on my end.

Ki ng mackerel - The guy's I talked to said they are spotty yet' let the water temp get up another 5 or 6 degrees and stay there. The kings like water temps at about 70 to 72 degrees.

The S pani sh mackerel are all over Charlotte Harbor. I still like casting a 1 ounce diamond jif, a 1/4 or 1/2 ounce silver Johnson spoon. If you get up wind of these guys just cut your engine off and drift into the school. You should do pretty good. You have to retrieve the baits as fast as you can reel, then you should hook up almost every time. It's what we call burning the bait.

S heepshead are still hitting fiddler crabs and shrimp off of Tom Adams pier also at the Boca tressel.

The cobi a are on Novak Reef and other inshore reefs, they are making a good showing on the east wall in the harbor, but I think there are a lot more cobia on the near shore reefs. Live crabs are a good choice of bait and I always keep a Gulp black and silver eel ready to cast.

A few bi g sharks are starting to show up. On our last charter we were fishing about 60 miles out and all the people on board witnessed small 4 foot sharks on the surface having a feeding frenzy with bait and small fish. This went on for 10 to 15 minutes. One of my guy's said he saw a couple of sharks that were 6 to 7 foot long, feeding with the other sharks. We were fish'n for Aj's and I mean to tell ya’ when the sharks started feeding it was k-os for 10 to 15

minutes. All you could see was fins out of the water. It was pretty neet.

Mangrove snapper are on the near shore wrecks and reefs, but the big ones are at 20 to 30 miles out. The lane snapper and yellow tail are mixed in with the mang's.

On our 60 mile 10 hour charter we had Steve Johnson, Rich O'Brien, Robert Odegard, Robert Norton, Gray Sveater, and Tom Weteosky, we got 5 mice Aj's on the trip. The big one that Steve Johnson caught weighted about 65 pounds and was 48 inches long. The rest of the Aj's were 30 to 32 inches.

Rich O’Brien was having a hay day catching and releasing small Aj's. Some were keeper's and the other's went overboard. Rich caught the 65 pounder (right) and fought it for 10 to 15 minutes before he said to my mate Scott, “would you finish bringing him in for me my arms are cramping up.” Ha! That’s just what a good capt'n likes to hear. “MY ARMS ARE CRAMPING UP” That means we wore some of the guy's out. All these guys that saw the shark frenzy just off the boat said they never saw anything like it. Good trip!

After we got our Aj's we tried to get some American red snapper so the guy's could see what they look like.

You know, we couldn't raise a single one. So we came back in a little ways and caught some mangrove snapper and porgies, and you guessed it, they also caught some grouper, and saw what they look like. I told them if it was April we could have had grouper for lunch. Well once again my jaws just locked up, I talk as I write my articles, whew!

If y ou hav e any questions or if y ou hav e a good ol' fishin’ story or a recipe for cook ing fish that I can share with our readers giv e me a call. To book an offshore charter with us aboard the Predator II call (941) 473-2150

On the WFN website, upload photos, vote for Punta Gorda as the Ultimate Fishing Town

Fresh Florida Jumbo Shrimp Arriving now! $7.50 and up Grouper, Snapper, Mahi Our boats – Direct!

941-623-2100 Gulf Brand Seafood

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Exploring a New Triple Lakes Paddles

By Davi d Al l en Water LIFE Kayaking Sometimes it’s fun to return to an area or stream that you’ve paddled many times in the past, but this time, take a slightly different route, or explore a different section of the waterway. That’s what the Port Charlotte Kayakers did this last weekend when we explored a new route from the Manchester Waterway to the Myakka Cutoff.

Over the years, we’ve developed several different routes of varying length, some more protected from the wind, etc. For example, sometimes we will launch from Port Charlotte Beach Park, paddle across Muddy Bay to the Manchester Waterway.

Then down the Waterway to the entrance to Triple Lakes. Through the Lakes to the Myakka Cutoff, and back to Beach Park along the western shore of the Bay. It’s about a 9 mile paddle with some open

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water included for variety.

But last weekend we took a very different route. We have some real explorers in our club and John Keaveny is one who is always trying to add a new twist to an old, familiar paddle. John had found the new trail off the Triple Lakes some time ago, but a long section of mangrove tunnels was blocked by fallen trees and branches. Last week, a few days before the club paddle, several club members cleaned-up the trail so kayaks could traverse the tunnel section. Bill Mango and Hank Cusic paddled out, their kayaks loaded with saws and clippers, and did the hard job of cutting the branches out of the channel.

So last Sunday 24 club members launched from a club members’ home near the Manchester Waterway to try out the new trail. We usually start our paddles at 9:30 am, but when we launch from Lee’s house, we always arrive at 9 for her wonderful coffee and donuts.

It was a beautiful Florida Day, what

else? And although the mangrove tunnels were very narrow in spots, the cleanup Bill and Hank had done earlier made the trip easy. After the mangrove tunnel section of the paddle, the trail opens-up all the way to the Myakka Cutoff. We took a short break when we reached the Cutoff, then paddled back through the Triple Lake to the launch area.

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A great day and a great paddle, plus donuts. We’ll have to do this again real soon.

The Port Charlotte Kay ak ers meet each Wednesday ev ening at 5:30 PM at Port Charlotte Beach Park . All are welcome to attend. For more information, contact Dav e Allen at 941-235-2588 or dlla@comcast.net.

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Page 19

A Month of GREAT sailboat racing

Above right, the crew of Millenium Dragon celebrates the win as they cross the finish line in the Conquistador Cup. Above left, relaxing on the same boat, during the race.

Sailing Notes

Chi na has announced that it will compete in the historic America’s Cup in San Francisco in 2013. The cup, born out of an American win off the Isle of Wight in 1851, is now held by computer software billionaire Larry Ellison’s Oracle Racing.

Conquistador Cup

By Bill Dixon Water LIFE Sailing The Conquistador was a great success again this year. Sixty plus boats entered. Regatta Chair Bob Knowles paid off the weatherman adequately, and an old cruising cat won the helmet. Next year Roger Strube's 50 foot cat Millennium Dragon will be remembered long after it is sold. That's right, you can buy a winner. Roger is willing to part with the boat. But it is not cheap.

Other winners were Spinnaker: Rick Gress's Mother Ocean first, Travis Yates's Indigo second and, our own Dick Reagan on By A Nose third. Non Spin 1: Jerry Poquette's Fancy Free first, CMCS's Steve Romaine second, and George Buckingham's Learning to fly third.

N/S 2: Tom Scott on Whimsey first, Bill Curtis' Morgan second and David Wilson 's Solitude third. Cruising 1: Lea with Gregg Knighton at the helm first, Rudy Gʼs Diva Gorda second, CMCS's David Naumann -Jolly Mon third.

Cruising 2 Ed Brauer -Euphoria first, WW Ways, Roger Horton second, Gypsy Walter Smith third. Multi hull winners for the weekend were first, Richard Carlson's Lively, second Unleaded -Rick Lapenotiere and third Tim Carney's Flying Circus.

Personally, Mrs. D and I will be cruising north for the month of April. Next month for a change I will be un informed- HAHAHA.

Leukemia Cup Final Day Results Reverse Start

1 Route 66 Russell Hills 01:40:34 2 Air Supply Steve Romaine 01:43:00 3 Jolly Mon David Nauman 01:43:54 4 Bama Slammer Bob Knowles 01:43:55 5 Rooster Tail Dave Flechsig 01:44:26 6 Learninʼ To Fly G Buckingham 01:44:52 7 Soulshine Paul Robbins 01:46:00 8 By-A-Nose Dick Reagan 01:46:42 9 Fancy Free Gerald Poquette 01:46:44 10 Morgan Bill Curtis 01:47:25 11 Happy Days John Walsh 01:47:30 12 Crime Scene Peter New 01:47:53 13 Diva Gorda Rudy Gottschlich 01:48:05 14 Euphoria Ed Brauer 01:50:44 15 Island Time David Mills 01:50:53 16 Playmobil Jay Nadelson 01:51:14 17 Unleaded Rick LaPenotiere 01:52:56 18 Xtabay Skip Mansfield 01:56:49 19 Sea Fever Ed Zysko 01:57:42 20 Celeste Mickey Ami 01:58:59 21 Windy City Diane Fowler 01:59:09 22 Grace Malcolm Kerstein 02:02:45

Key West Race In May Sarasota YC and Naples Sailing and YC are putting on a Key West race called the Bone Island Regatta. The old Key West Rendezvous put on by Clearwater YC is apparently gone, but for less money you can start from Sarasota or Naples and still get drunk in KW this year. Details available on the PGSC web site at pgscweb.com

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Water LIFE Distributor 始s Club

April

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

Cooks

Sportland

4419 So. Tamiami Trail S. Venice 493-0025

Water LIFE Distributor 始s Club

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

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SCUTTLEBUTT

Sometimes Unsubstanciated, But Often True

A sentence hearing was held for a derelict vessel case Officer George Wells had been working for almost two years. The defendant was previously found guilty on December 11, 2009, and was ordered to perform community service hours for FWC. The subject did not complete any of the required hours and was sentenced to 20 days in the county jail and ordered to pay $3,720 in restitution to FWC. See note on page 10. This is a new trend.

This is the first F22 Raptor delivered to Langley AFB last month. It is shown inverted.

The titanium and carbon fiber plane is capable of +22G turns

The Lee County Marine Task Force conducted a two-day multi-agency boating safety detail. Over the course of the detail, 278 vessels were checked.

Twenty-eight boating citations and 77 warnings were issued. Two arrests

were made for boating under the influence.

While working a countywide safe boating detail, officers made contact with a vessel operator in a slow speed zone.

The officer noticed a bottle of vodka, as well as the smell of alcohol coming from the operator. Upon completion of field sobriety tasks, he determined the operator was impaired. After refusing to provide a breath sample, the subject was booked into Lee County Jail.

The 12th National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation, is starting this month.

This survey is sponsored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. It appreciates participation from anglers, hunters, birdwatchers and other citizens throughout the country involved in the industry. The survey results help wildlife and natural resource managers quantify how much Americans value wildlife resources in terms of participation and expenditures.

The last survey revealed that 87.5 million U.S. residents 16 and older, 38 percent of the population, participated in wildlife-related recreation activities.

These recreationists spent over $122 billion pursuing their activities.

Participation is voluntary and all responses are confidential. Data collected is used for statistical purposes only, and no participant can be identified from information contained in the database and follow-up reports.

Adam Wilson knows animals. He contacted the FWC about a Charlotte gator that won’t afraid of humans. I think people have been feeding this gator

Adam told the FWC. But the FWC replied it won’t their job unless someone was hurt. Someone will be hurt, Adam told them. Stay tuned for the potentially bloody outcome.

FWC officers patrolling on the Fincat cited a charter fishing operator for failure to possess a charter fishing license.

The charter had 103 paying customers onboard and the officers determined the business had been operating for the past 12 years without the proper licenses.

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April Fishing Report

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Charlotte Harbor:

Robert at Fishin' Franks Port Charlotte: 625-3888

S nook have been the ‘positive fish’ for the last two to three weeks.

There have been a lot of good reports of catches. I don’t think the population is any better, but because the water is clear people are seeing more snook and becoming more aware of them. It’s like we are seeing fish that have always been there and we never noticed. Sometimes it takes a reality check to be aware of things. This year has been a phenom crab and good shrimp year. The snook are bigger with less pressure on them. They had a chance to eat up. Snook season is still closed but should (theoretically) open September 1.

We got lucky with a mild winter and hardly any wind for March but I don’t know if we will be that lucky for April. In this pattern, the ki ngfi sh are stacked up offshore, and tarpon are starting to show up now.

Because we are three weeks ahead temperature-wise, migratory tarpon are

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moving in around the resident-fish areas like the Myakka and on the beaches, so we will have a mixture of resident fish and tarpon this month.

Quite a few schools of tarpon have been seen and hooked offshore in 50 feet of water on two different reefs by guys who were snapper fishing, so tarpon are in the area. There will be fishable numbers in Boca Grande pass around the second week of this month. The fish will be moving in and out until then, following the bait and looking for their buddies. Just be prepared no matter where you are, tarpon should be moving everywhere.

Start looking for threadfins showing up or have the old standby DOA Bait Buster cleaned up and ready.

S harks are right there with the tarpon. Bigger sharks will be coming in, the smaller ones are already here.

We’ve had scattered reports of bigger bulls and lemons on some of the reefs. Inside the harbor some of the

guys are seeing them on the flats.

Sharks will be hit or miss for a few weeks still, and then they will get real abundant.

Redfi sh are starting to get really happy, the East Wall, West Wall, all around the town. The rat reds have all but disappeared and now the bigger bull reds have been in Lemon Bay and around Pine Island. Try shrimp or white bait – depending on the day and the mood of the fish. The top water redfish bite is in the early morning, The bigger ones like a Zara Spook, Continued on following page

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Above: New Capt. Billy Barton with a beautiful redfish Left: Capt. Chuck Eichnerʼs wife Joan with a fat Charlotte Harbor snook Below: Jason with another nice redfish

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April April

The to expect expect in in Fish to The BIG-4 BIG-4 Fish Any variety of soft plastics will work on redfish.

Ki ngs are definitely out there all over the place offshore. The window might be smaller because the water is warming up. Look for baitREDFISH We have seen lots BIGGER SHARKS More and SPANISH MACKEREL From TARPON are here and of quality 6-7 pound redfish fish around some reefs or slow more with the tarpon Alligator Reef to Boca starting to feed Grande troll a live blue runner along any of the crab trap lines that are there. Use plainers or one is still being dredged so it’s not the best spot. of the Manns’ or the certified-depth Bomber (like the Mann stretch lure) that dives to a specific depth. The Pompano like the Silly Willy jigs, shrimp or sand S pani sh are also mixed in with the kings out there as fleas.

S pani sh mackerel are around the passes too well as being inside the Harbor right now, too. Try April 9 & 16, 2011. About smaller spoons or plugs. As long as it has a hook in it, and some are back up in the Harbor now.

Boati ng S afel y USCG Aux. 2 day There is plenty of cobi a around on the near it’s silver and flashes, it will get a mackerel. program Lemon Bay Park,Englewood, There have been a lot of cobi a on the near shore shore reefs with reports of some further out this 8:30 AM 12:30 PM. Registration fee is $25 941-697-9435 past week, these fish are also spread out. www.coastguardenglewood.com Guys have seen tarpon in Gasparilla and Boca Sn o o k re m ai ns c l o s e d no Program will qualify the participant Grande passes. So far they are mostly night-time t o harv e s t unt i l S e p ptt 2 0 1 1 for a Florida Boater Safety fishing for them in the passes. The fish haven’t setIdentification Card. tled into a routine yet.

S napper are still offshore. So far, the by catch for snapper has been grouper; but let’s see if anyone catches any after April 1.

Continued from facing page

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Water Temps on the Rise

EVENTS

reefs with more and more of them starting to trickle into the harbor. Cobia are mainly on the edges of the bars on the east side and a few on the west wall. The west side will get better as the month progresses. The reef at Alligator Creek should have cobia later this month too.

Grouper is supposed to be open this month, there have been a lot of grouper reports on the more distant offshore reefs since the warmer water is moving them out. Go as far offshore as you can and work your way back in as the sea breeze picks up. You can look for the gags and kings at the same time by trolling a Stretch -30 real close to the bottom.

Lemon Bay:

State Regs Publication en Español

Jim at Fishermens Edge, Englewood: 697-7595

Fishin is good. Still a lot of trout in Gasparilla Sound around the Devilfish and Whidden area. Guys are using prop-bladed baits like the Devil’s Horse or the Heddon tiny torpedo but you have to have high enough water.

Pompano are from here to the Venice Jetty, in the passes and around inside.

They come and go with the tide change.

The fish are moving around. Stump Pass

Roger De Bruler and daughter Ambrosia set up shrimp buckets for a kids fishing event that was part of the Kayak Festival at the Port Charlotte Beach Complex on March 19

Anglers ask: Will the English version be like this next year?

Printed on heavier paper with more detailed explanations and color pictures of the most encountered species.

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