WaterLIFEAug04

Water LIFE

FREE!

Charlotte Harbor and Lemon Bay Florida

Keeping Boaters and Fishermen Informed

August 2004

Expensive Cat Page 6

We 始 r e S t i l l Jumpin始 Ta r p o n Page 11

Rich Novak M e m o r i a l R e eeff Page 5

Onshore and

Offshore

Page 19

www.CHARLOTTEHARBORMAGAZINE.COM

Snuba Diving and Snorkling Page 8

FREE!

Page

2

Water LIFE

MAGAZINE

August

2004

August

Water LIFE

2004

Page

MAGAZINE

Curse of the Green Chair

By Mi chael Hel l er Water LIFE Editor One night last month my wife and I walked our dog down to the dock. While the wife started playing with the dog I grabbed my rod and looked off the dock, into the water. Then I announced ‘I got one already!’

My wife came over and the dog followed to watch as I pulled a large green Adirondack style plastic chair out of the canal. It was in surprisingly good condition. “Nice catch,” she said, laughing. We hosed it off and the next day it took up residence on our dock.

My neighbor Bill has one of those green underwater lights sitting on the canal bottom 10 feet from his dock.

It’s a 12-volt, watertight unit controlled by a photovoltaic cell that turns it on at dusk.

There are some big trees overhanging the canal on Bills property and Bill has a catamaran on a horizontal Elevert lift. The boat and the trees create a nice shadow area where fish sometimes congregate. Dragging a lure or a live bait just outside the light’s aura near the shadow has often been productive for me.

Problem is, fishing from my property, Bill's boat is in the way. I have to either skip a bait 30 or 40 feet under the boat or cast almost 100 feet from the end of my low dock right past the bow of Bill’s boat, landing my bait where I can still retrieve it. It can be frustrating seeing all those fish and not be able to get to them.

I thought those were the only two options I had until one night, sitting in the green chair, I found another way.

The tide was low, just starting to come in. Bills light was on, the sky was pitch black. There was a little breeze.

I was throwing a Zara Spook on 10-pound test when the breeze caught my ballooning line and swept it onto

2004 - 1900 Sailfish Bay

Powered by F-115 Yamaha 4-stroke O/B, Colored Hull, Rear Release, Livewell, Trolling Motor Wiring Package and Much More.

Only $22,995

Bill's lift, sliding it along and ultimately catching it against the bottom of the port side bow. I could reel the line in easily, but I couldn't whip it free.

My plan was to bring the lure in until it came out of the water and then give it one more whip, but as the lure came to the surface there was a big slurping swirl and a healthy snook took off with my Spook, taking drag effortlessly across the carpet on the boat lift. I reeled the fish in until he dangled from the lift then I had to climb into the canal and wade out to release him and get my lure back.

Another night, again I was sitting quietly in the green chair, this time casting a Long A Bomber across the canal towards another dock. Two pilings stood in the canal just off the dock and a line on one of the pilings was dangling into the water.

I hooked a nice fish right in front of the dock and as I fought him back the fish angled over toward the one piling with the rope. Somehow he got the back hook on the Bomber caught on the rope.

I could pull the fish one way and then let up and the fish would swim the other way until the piling-rope reeled him in. That night I had to put my boat in the water and paddle it across the canal to unhook and release a 24-inch snook.

On another occasion a black drum took a live shrimp and began to run with it. As I stood up from my seat in the green chair the adult beverage I had in the arm-rest cup holder must have toppled out and fallen into my shrimp bucket which I had thoughtfully place right alongside. By the time I reeled in the fish and unhooked it all the shrimp in my bucket were dead or dieing. This I swear is true and that it all happened in July.

So here I am, resting on my dock, sitting in that green

2004 - 2100 Sailfish Bay

Powered by F-150hp Yamaha 4-Stroke O/B, Colored Hull, 2nd Livewell, Trolling Motor Wiring Package and Much More.

Only $29,995

Does this chair look familiar? Weʼll gladly give it back.

Just give us a call!

3

plastic Adirondack chair, pen in hand, making these notes and thinking to myself, if snook season wasn’t still closed, maybe I would have been better off keeping all those fish

2004 - 218 Sailfish C/C

Powered by Yamaha F-150hp 4-Stroke Yamaha O/B, Deluxe T-Top, Leaning Post, Colored Hull, Rear Seating and Much More.

Only $34,995

2004 - 218 Sailfish W/A

Powered by F-150hp 4-Stroke Yamaha O/B, Hard Top, Leaming Post, Rear Seating, Colored Hull and Much More.

Only $37,995

Page

Water LIFE

4

MAGAZINE

LETTERS TO WATER LIFE

Dear Si r Maybe you can help me thank someone. On June 13, in preparation of my first shark fishing trip with my wife, I decided to stop by Fishin Franks bait and tackle to buy some supplies. I had an old pole of mine re-spooled with new line and after that the store employees helped me gather the other things that I needed. While checking out and getting ready to pay I discovered my rod-n-reel with new line had grown legs and walked out of the store, with help I’m certain. After looking for some time, Frank the owner came in. After hearing what had happened, instead of offering a refund for the line, he insisted on giving me a new pole and reel with new line. I told him that my pole was old and that a friend found it and gave it to me. He still insisted on replacing it.

After returning home and checking on the internet, I found out the value of the combo. If I would have known at the time the price I never would have taken it. I wanted to thank him and his staff for helping me. Thanks again.

PS: I love your magazine.

Jeff Wri g ht

In Response to Capt. Ron

Dear Water LIFE Captain Marian Schneider of Grande Tours has lived in the Placida area all of her life. Other than her career in the medical field which moved her to Africa for two years, she has lived here wanting nothing but environmental conservation, increased ecological awareness, and a family-oriented business that helped educate others about the dangers that threaten the ecosystem around her.

Several years ago, the state of Florida advertised for a camping concession on Dog Island, a small island in Gasparilla Sound.

Captain Marian was the only person who stepped up to the plate, so she became the state-appointed manager of that island. The state mandated only four campsites at any one time at $15.00 per site. When you take into

account liability insurance and management costs, it’s no wonder no one else bid. It is hardly financially lucrative. Before she began maintaining it, there was trash all over it. Today, however, Dog Island has four beautiful camping locations, thanks to Captain Marian and her efforts put forth to maintain it.

Marian’s business is located along Coral Creek. She rents and sells kayaks, gives boat tours, and offers several eco-tours around the Gasparilla Sound area.

When kayakers rent kayaks from Grande Tours, they have the option of paddling up Coral Creek. This can sometimes be hazardous because boaters speed through the creek so fast, that a kayaker couldn’t get out of their way if he/she tried! Marian wrote a letter to the County Board of Commissioners telling them her concerns of motor boats and kayaks colliding. And obviously, especially after reading Captain Ron Blagos article in last months edition, this ordeal was completely misunderstood.

Captain Marian was simply trying to find ways to reduce the risks of kayakers getting injured.

Captain Blago was misinformed when he wrote his article.

Captain Schneider NEVER asked or intended for a speed zone to be placed in any part of Coral Creek.

As for Captain Ron Blago and his article, I believe that if a person is going to criticize someone else, they could at least spell her name correctly. I personally believe that Ron Blago put forth little research before composing his article, because much of his information and facts were twisted and false. But one fact you can be sure of, is that Captain Marian Schneider has been for the past fifty years and continues to be an advocate for one of Florida's most cherished resources, our marine ecosystems. Thanks to her, the public has an opportunity to educate themselves about Florida's aquatic environments and what steps they can take to help preserve and maintain them.

Vi nce Mo l nar Dear Water LIFE Several years ago while living

in Sarasota I read an article on Coral Creek and the kayak fishing opportunities. I took a weekend and went exploring to find Grande Tours as the only access to the creek and I was able to rent a kayak. I had a blast and have been visiting Coral Creek and Grande Tours ever since. Living in Lake Placid for the past 6 years, I make it a point to pick up your magazine each month while I visit to fish and have saved each one cause there is always at least one article of interest to me. July’s issue I obviously was interested in the kayaks paying their fair share. I owned a flats boat and sold it and now fish from kayaks. The idea of registration and kayaks paying their fare share is ok with me.

What’s fair is the question, as kayaks do not even come close to harming the waterways as do the flats boats being built today.

Kayaks in the intercostal, yeah thats pretty insane, but you should be sitting in a kayak sometime in Coral Creek and have a flats boat come flying, and I mean flying, around one of the mangrove corners. Powering over the flats of the creek is certainly life threatening to the system. Finally the comments about Capt. Marion's business sounds like sour grapes to me on the part of the writer. Perhaps she has made some good business decisions, by no means worse than other business dealings of our materialistic age. Yeah she should have saved some of the mangroves. For a person outside of the area who loves to fish and has had a great time visiting the creek it is not easy to find access, so I would think a positive comes from the opportunity Grande Tours provides, unless, of course, the hope is to keep the creek and other waterways for the private use of residents in the area which is a common thing. Thanks for the opportunity to pick up your magazine each month. It is great reading.

Mi ke Ei s enhart

To Water LIFE In response to Ron Blagos article: Its Time That Kayakers Pay Their Fair Share, your article was riddled both with blatant

truth and your typical New Jersey Brash Opinion! The truth about Dog Island isn’t a well known fact, it seems, but as usual your extreme mix of liberalism and conservatism paints you as the radical that you are. First it’s inbreeding Manatees now I’m endangering the same boating traffic that has destroyed the flats. I don’t need to pay for access, I find plenty of access, miles from any ramp. I don’t need to pay for the markers to channels I never get near to. I think I’d just as soon take the chance at rescuing myself, especially since the local deputies are too busy fixing their boats to actually run them and F.W.C. has no money to gas up for a rescue. Like I shouldn’t group all guides into the same boat as your rough metro northeast persona, you shouldn’t group all ‘yakkers into a group represented by Marion and her personal agenda. Nice to know that while you are recovering your not reformed.

The Schmi dts

To :Water LIFE Water LIFE Magazine’s Ron Blago (August 2004) has a problem with a business that deals with kayaks and must like to blow things out of proportion, because he has turned that into a vendetta against all kayakers. His recommendations for permits & fees to be imposed on kayakers would be as ridiculous as requiring bicycles to have the same license and registration as motor vehicles. Kayakers do not need navigational markers, channels (kayaks like shallow water and don’t destroy the sea grass like boats) or boat ramps. Kayakers launch from beaches and avoid concrete boat ramps. Kayakers carry their kayaks on the roofs of their cars and only take up one parking space, yet are charged (pay) the same parking fees as a car with a boat trailer. As for emergency rescue services, ask these people how many kayakers they have had to rescue. (When was the last time a kayaker had to be rescued because he ran out of gas or went aground?)

Furthermore, unlike motor boats, not only do kayaks have no negative impact on the environment

August

2004

Water LIFE

Michael and Ellen Heller Publishers

(941) 766-8180 CM RT

TOTALY INDEPENDENT

Water LIFE is not affiliated with any newspaper or other publication © 2004 Vol III No. 8 Water LIFE

No part of this publication may be copied or reproduced without the writ-

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

ten permission of the publishers

Contributing Editors:

Fishing / Environment: Capt. Ron Blago Charlotte Harbor: Capt. Robert Moore Gasparilla: Capt. Chuck Eichner Port Charlotte: Fishinʼ Frank Offshore: Capt. Steve Skevington Technical Advisor: Mike Panetti Sailing Advisor: Bill Dixon Cartoons: Ron Mills Kayaks:Ben Turpin

on the COVER:

Installing the Novak Reef Monument

on our WEBSITE:

WWW.charlotteharbormagazine.com

Tide Graphs: For Punta Gorda, Shell Point, El Jobean, Pine Island, Matlacha, Redfish Pass, and Lemon Bay. Weather: Links to all of our favorite weather and radar web-sites.

Back editions: Previous edition pages.

Artificial Reefs: Lat. and Long. for 24 local artificial reefs off Charlotte, Sarasota and Lee Counties.

Manatee Myths: Read the original plan for sanctuaries and refuges, as laid out by the United Nations in 1984 Links to Realtors: Connect with advertis-

Subscription Information on page 10

2004

AN ACCOUNT OF THE DIVE

The thing I remember most that day was the visibility – maybe four feet, in green water with lots of suspended material - little brown particles, algae, seagrass, marine organisms, the water was a milky lime green, or maybe even a little lighter in color.

It wasn’t a good day for sightseeing, but the sea was calm and the wind was light. It was the right weather for the task at hand.

I was the last one in the water, waiting to

MAGAZINE

26.48.679N 82.19.822W

take pictures of the others. I rolled backwards off the gunnel and then I was under. The keel and propeller on Jeff ’s big dive boat were black at five feet away. I found some rising bubbles and followed them down to the bottom.

On the Gulf floor below, Jim Joseph, Jeff Steele, Bran Knight and Chuck Hopper were already moving the heavy monument using air-filled lift-bags.

Getting it this far had not been easy, but so far it had all gone well.

The monument was built at Stan Swast’s place in Punta Gorda (another Novak friend) with the help of Mike Muscato and Danny Leonard. Then it was trucked to Eldred’s Marina at Placida where Steele, a dive-charter captain, keeps his boat.

An old 12 foot fiberglass airboat hull had been procured from somewhere, and the monument was loaded into it. A rag and a mangrove root were the drain plug.

When I arrived, the boat with the monument aboard, was afloat. It took about 45 minutes or maybe an hour to slowly tow the monument from Eldred’s to the Novak Reef site. Some bailing was involved.

Then the plan was to sink the airboat hull with the monument aboard, and later refloat the hull. Unconventional, but it sounded like

Page

North 1/4 Mile

Rich Novak Memorial Reef

26.48.679N 82.19.576W

Center of Site 26.48.570N 82.19.700W

© Water LIFE 2004

Monument Location 26.48.557N 82.19.699W

5

East 1/4 Mile

S t aff R eport According to Lee County Sea Grant agent Bob Wasno “It’s a done deal. That’s what we are calling it now, the Rich Novak Reef, and in a while the new charts will reflect that change.”

Novak, also a Sea Grant agent, was working on two new artificial reefs for Charlotte County at the time of his death. Friends and colleagues felt that naming one of those reefs for him would be fitting and the right thing to do. The state has now apparently agreed.

Prior to his passing, Novak had submerged 25,000 tons of material on the two sites. Work had started last April, but a significant amount of additional material, mostly old concrete culvert taken years ago from the Punta Gorda airport expansion was still awaiting deployment.

Wasno, members of the Charlotte Harbor Reef Association and the Charlotte Marine Research Team worked with hired contractors on a government funded grant to now get the last of the material into the water.

Of the two sites, the Novak Reef is closest to shore, lying 2.6 miles from Gasparilla Pass while the other site, the Tremblay Reef, is 5.2 miles offshore.

The Novak Reef is designed to be a fishing reef and already holds numerous species of fish. According to survey divers, the highest single concentration of material on the Novak Reef rises 12 feet from the bottom. The reef lies in 27 feet of water. Now. all the remaining culvert has been transported there.

Commemorating Novak’s hard work and his vision, on Sunday July 25 friends placed a bronze plaque cast into a section of concrete culvert underwater at the Novak Reef.

Water LIFE

West 1/4 Mile

Novakʼs Reef August

I-75 Bridge Girders Concrete Culvert

26.48.461N 82.19.822W

South 1/4 Mile

it would work.

First they pulled the plug, then they filled the boat with water by the bucket-full and finally with two divers hanging on the transom, it went down.

To slow the decent an empty 55 gallon steel drum was lashed to the monument. It worked like a charm and the monument arrived softly on the bottom.

Earlier, Steele had described the spot that would be ideal for the monument and now, as we got our bearings on the seafloor, we found ourselves exactly where we wanted to be. The monument came down not ten feet from the reef structure. It would be moved into place using lift bags.

The spot the monument was going to rest was under a large horizontal beam that rose up 12 feet. The monument was to be placed in the notch where the beam met the bottom.

A juvenile goliath grouper came out and ‘postured’ at us, looking aggravated as he swam into our midst. Jim swatted it away like a mosquito and we went on with the task.

With just the right amount of lift-air and a

26.48.461N 82.19.578W

large degree of pushing and pulling the monument moved. When Brian unscrewed the plug from the drum letting the air out the monument settled, escaping air bubbles burbling loudly in the hollow drum. Then the monument was wrestled into the exact spot Steele had described.

Unhooking the lift bags we swam back over to the airboat and re-floated it. Then Steele started the dive boat and pulled the airboat hull around until the water began running out of it. Brian jumped aboard and started bailing and soon the hull was solidly afloat. We tossed the old drum into the airboat and shared a high five. “I can’t believe how smoothly that went,” Steele said and we all agreed. We noted Rich would have been proud of this makeshift, improvised, Rube Goldfarb operation. It worked!

– Mi chael Hel l er It was Rich Novak’s vision to build a prime fishing reef as well as a large diving reef with overhanging structure in the waters off Charlotte County. That dream is now a

Page

6

Water LIFE

MAGAZINE

Charlotte Harbor’s most popular boat and motor from the #1 Action Craft and Yamaha dealer Come by for your piece of the ‘Action’ 3300 Palm Beach Blvd. (Exit 25) Ft. Myers • (239) 334-3424

August

2004

Water LIFE

CATFISH: A Catch To Remember August

2004

S peci al to Water LIFE From Jeff Calkins I released my hold on the cast net, it opened nicely.

The net landed on the right spot. I could feel the pinfish hitting the sides of the net, I pulled it in. Not as many as I had hoped for, but a good two dozen at least.

We had been fishing for about an hour and a half and had just moved from one location to another. We had plenty of shrimp, but needed A few ‘pins’ to entice our fish of choice out of their homes.

Repeating the cast-netting routine a couple of times we had enough bait and were getting ready to go back to our other spot when one of our partners says, “I got something!” And I could tell, even in the dark, from where I was, this was true. One of my friends, we will call him ‘Spike,’ goes to lend a hand while I continued to throw the net one more time before we go.

As I bring the net in I catch a glimpse of a fish on the dock. I turn back to the net and set it down, and when I turn around again there is a commotion on the dock behind me.

I see a catfish fall off the dock and into the drink and Spike is now moving his foot in a funny strange sort of way. He is rattling off a string of profanities intended on killing the now long gone channel cat.

I think to myself “no way,” but the truth revealed itself when Spike pulled his shoe off and the color of red blood was clearly visible under the dock lights.

Profanity rang out again. What should we do? I had heard if you urinated on a catfish injury it would help, but no one was opting for that move. Anyway, it really did not look that bad! Was it still in Spike’s foot?

I cast out one of the pins, after all I might as well try for one more fish while they load the Suburban. Nothing.

Oh well, let’s go. We helped Spike to the truck and started back to town. We decided to stop by one of our houses on our way back, I don’t know, maybe thinking we could get the spike out of Spike’s foot. But after getting to the house, looking at it and touching it there was something definitely in his foot and we weren’t going to

Page

MAGAZINE

be able to get at it.

Arriving at St. Joseph’s E. R. the first thing is to fill out the paper work. Then comes an evaluation by the nurse. Question: Did you have any organs removed?

Answer: Yes, his brain. 2nd Question: Do you have any diseases? Answer: Yes, the Dumb Ass disease. I had to walk away, she was making it too easy.

After about an hour in the waiting room the nurse called us back. Seeing as it was about 3 a.m. now there was no problem with the rest of us following along.

The nurse directed us to a room where after a short wait the doctor arrived with a tek-girl and what looked like a large rolling toolbox. The doc’ looked at Spike’s foot.

No x-ray? I asked. “No, we will have to ‘core it out’ first,” he said. Well that pretty much meant cut everything else out of the way, and see what you can find.

I must say though, thanks to the Lidocaine, Spike couldn’t feel it. The doc’ had the scalpel buried up to the handle and Spike never moved.

After the ‘coring’ the doctor sent Spike to x-ray. The rest of us took the moment and went to get something to drink. When we walked back in, we could see the computer screen x-ray from ten feet away, and clearly visible was a catfish spike, three quarters of an inch long. Back to the room we all went, me with my camera in hand.

I snapped off a few photos while the doctor was cutting and probing. “I got it,” the doctor finally said. I clicked another frame and “pop,” out it was, but I missed the shot, so the doctor offered to put it back in, but that did not go well with Spike. It was now 4:30 a.m.

I hear the nurse coming, one more question she says.

When was the last time you had a tetanus shot? Spike said that the next day the shot hurt worse than his foot.

So I guess my word of advice to you fishermen out there is be careful when dealing with catfish. Many people have no problem handling them. For myself, when I catch one, if I can’t see the hook “plainly”, I cut the line as close to the fish as I can and ... see ya. I would much rather tie on a fresh 9-cent hook than get spiked.

As for costs, the final tally is in. The hospital set

Above: The spike is clearly visible sticking out of the joint Bottom: The doctor goes to work on “Spikeʼs” foot digging down deep with a scalpel.

Spike back $1,400. The doctor got another $600, and then add $70 for a follow up visit. Total cost to Spike for his catfish encounter: right around $2,000. Cost to the fish, a couple of weeks swimming around with an uncomfortable feeling in his mouth, but he’s probably still no worse for the wear. This is why I use fresh water hooks, they rust away in short order. So good luck in the upcoming Sailcat tournament ... and be careful out there.

Punta Gorda Tides

Capt. Rob Mooreʼs

Old Bayside

FISHING REPORT,

The 4-inch Old BaySide Saltwater Shadlyn is your perfect bait to mimic wounded baitfish that Redfish or Snook canʼt resist. The MudMinow and New Penny colors are your best bet. The water is very warm and fish are somewhat lethargic so work your baits slower than usual. Whether rigged weedless or with a jig head, slowly bounce these baits several inches off the bottom and let it rest. Then repeat.

Redfish canʼt resist the wounded action.

For great Snook action along the beaches try Old BaySideʼs 5-inch Saltwater Shadlyn in the Mullet or Pearl Silver colors. When this bait is rigged with a 1/8 ounce jig head and twitched

back and forth, Snook canʼt resist the baitʼs action. Early morning and at dusk will be your prime times for feeding Snook along the beaches.

For Tarpon fishing, try Old BaySideʼs 5-inch Skeleton Shad Spadetail Whether you are sight casting or working rolling fish the Skeleton Shad Spadetail rigged with a dark colored jig head will give life like action of a wounded baitfish. Great colors are Clear/Black Neon and Red/Black Core.

Capt Robert Moore and his partner Capt.

Bob Boudreau were the 2004 Redfish Cup winners at Punta Gorda and are members of the Old BaySide professional fishing team.

7

Snorkling Get Away

Page

8

Water LIFE

This photo montage was created from images taken on a three day trip to Marathon.

Whether itʼs the Home of Your Dreams...

August

MAGAZINE

2004

SEVEN MILES OFFSHORE IN

A

13-FOOT BOAT

By Mi chael Hel l er Water LIFE Editor My neighbor’s 13-foot Boston Whaler had rested on its trailer for two years, calling to me, saying ‘save me, save me.’ The whaler’s owner has been suffering from back problems and boating on the Whaler’s hard wooden seat would be a recipe for disaster for him. So the boat sat.

We needed a break, a long weekend somewhere close would be perfect, some place on the water. Our own 21-foot Paramount lives on davits, we don’t even own a trailer, so if we want to go boating somewhere we either go by boat or make other arrangements. Enter the Whaler and a couple of days in the Keys.

We cut a deal, I’d get the boat running again, replace a tire that had a big lump in it, flush the fuel system, and do whatever else was necessary to make the little Whaler seaworthy and my neighbor would give me the keys. It was a a win-win for everyone, and after a day of draining, re-filling, wrenching, re-grounding the trailer, cleaning and greasing we were ready.

We left Port Charlotte at 6:30 a.m. and headed south. Marathon was our destination. The trip to the Keys was straightforward and simple.

I-75 south to Alligator Alley, then off at SR 29 (the only exit) and south again to Everglades City. Then east, almost to Miami via old 41 and south on Krome Avenue to Homestead, and down US-1 to the Keys. By 10:30 we were in Marathon, looking for the turnoff to Key Colony beach and a place for brunch.

Key Colony is one of the nicer off-the-main-road destinations that lies along the shore, secluded by its own little causeway. It fronts directly on the ocean. My wife had booked a room with a view at the Key Colony Motel for $85 per night. When we arrived we were pleasantly surprised.

The Key Colony motel is nothing special. A long two story row of rooms with an outside walkway. All but the four end units face the parking lot and look out at the condos across the asphalt. The end units, mini suites with small sitting rooms designed to accommodate a second couple, front on the ocean. “We’re in that one, there,” my wife said pointing to the top floor corner facing the water. Good job!

We walked in, dropped our gear on the floor and lay down on one of the two double beds to look out at the Atlantic. This will do, I said, contentedly.

Our plans were to spend a couple of days flopping around in the water, no fishing, no scuba diving, just a little snorkeling, lots of conch to eat and maybe an adult beverage or two ... or three.

The next morning it looked like the weather gods had given our plan their stamp of approval. We awoke to clear skies, a limp windsock and flat seas. The forecast was for more of the same all day long. It was offshore weather for our 13-foot boat.

Years ago I would spend a lot of time in the keys, boating, fishing and especially diving the reefs at Carrysforth, Hens and Chickens and Sombrero. Since then there has been much said about the ‘demise of the reefs’ along the chain. Our plan was to go offshore and see for ourselves.

Sombrero Reef is 5 miles from land, slightly south of Key Colony. From where we were it would be a trip out the cut, a run south for a couple of miles and then out the five miles offshore.

In my Paramount we’d have made it in a leisurely ten minutes. In the Whaler it took a little more.

We splashed the boat at the ramp on the ‘Key’ ($10 in and $10 out is the going rate in the area) and putted our 25 grey horses out the inlet.

Life takes on a whole different perspective when you are sitting at the back of a 13-foot boat and Or the Catch of looking way offshore. The lighthouse, maybe 7 miles ahead in a straight line, was a tiny speck on a Lifetime the horizon. Where? We’re going where? my wife said searching for the light.

The first thing everyone will tell you about any boat on a big ocean is that it gets smaller the further you get offshore. In a very small boat that sensation comes on much quicker.

The owner had fabricated a PVC tiller extension on the outboard, but holding the throttle open required sustained force that took its toll on my neck and shoulders. Still, we pressed on.

Capt. J.B. Bradshaw ¥ Realtor

Coldwell Banker Morris Realty inc.

634-8512

800-

Continued on facing page

August

2004

Continued from facing page

In about 45 minutes the bottom began to come up and the lighthouse came into better view.

The reefs in the Keys are protected areas. The state has strategically placed blue and white mooring buoys at the more popular spots. We found a vacant buoy and tied the heavy one inch braided yellow line to the tiny cleat on the Whaler and set up our beach umbrella in one of the rod holders. Comfortable, we shared a Gatoraide and looked around.

Two thirty-something foot Formulas were tied to starboard, several even bigger commercial pontoon dive boats were tied to port. There was a Hattaras not far to the south and several sailboats in the 10-meter class out beyond them. A man and a woman suited up in wet-suits motored by in an Avon raft launched from the Hattaras. The raft was bigger than our boat! We donned our gear and slipped over the side.

I remember diving the Keys before, how getting into the water was like sliding into a kaleidoscope of reds and yellows and rich tan browns. Today, my initial reaction was one of disappointment.

Clearly the reefs have suffered greatly in the years since I was here last. Septic tanks onshore and a steadily growing human population with rising water temperature, pesticides and fertilizer have all taken their toll on the delicate balance.

Much of the staghorn coral is gone, turned to white death and littering the sandy bottom wherever you go. The once massive and abundant brain corals, some the size of Volkswagens, are now riddled with holes, invaded by some parasite and themselves rotting away from within. The long branch-like trees of brown and yellow, the towering tall coral which once were the great stalagmites of the deep were nowhere to be seen. But the fish were here. More than I ever remembered, and then some.

Water LIFE

Yellowtail, by the hundreds, parrotfish, angels, puffers, nurse sharks, barracudas, snapper, and a hundred more species I don’t know by name all swam by below us.

And while the big colorful coral has been greatly diminished, there are thriving expanses of blue and purple fans that wave in the tide like leaves in the wind.

Looking closely there is some new growth, some young brain coral the size of bowling balls and a few healthy patches of staghorn coral that in their isolation seemed even more beautiful. Fire coral and sponges still thrive.

My wife struck up an immediate friendship with a large school of sergeant majors who were hovering near the surface as she lay motionless face down in the water breathing quietly through her snorkel, the fish schooled up around her, them taking refuge and she taking pleasure in the association.

In spite of the dozen or so other boats tied up at the reef that day we only encountered a few other souls in the water - a pair of divers swam by below us at one point and another snorkeler who had strayed away from her diving boat had tried to ‘school up’ with us by mistake, and then swam off quickly.

We snorkeled a good four hours that morning, exploring the rocks right up to the base of the light and then back out to the point where the water dropped down to 30 feet, past where the mooring buoys were. Then, exhausted it was time to leave.

We motored in to the closest shore and then followed the coast back north, across rich beds of seagrass and stark flats of bright white sand looking at the expensive houses and condos along the shore.

“We could go home right now if we had to,” I said to my wife. “I’m happy, we’ve already got what we came here for.”

Still, we stayed another three days eating, drinking and snorkeling. It was good.

SNUBA Diving: A Good Underwater Introductory in the Keys

SNUBA diving is a combination of snorkeling and scuba where a traditional scuba tank floats on the surface while two divers breathe from a ʻhooga-styleʼ “Y” hose below. A safety diver with a scuba tank goes along so the snuba divers donʼt have to be certified. Cost is $95 per person per dive. Dive depth is limited to about 20 feet. Do you see the nurse shark?

MAGAZINE

Page 9

Water LIFE

Page 10

Half or Full

Light Tackle

Capt. Andrew Medina

A Total Backwater Adventure

Summer Special: 1/2 Day Guided Trip $225

(941) 456-

Charters

20–50 mile trips We help you put charters together • Grouper • Snapper • Kingfish • Shark • Tarpon and more!

Capt Jim OʼBrien

USCG 50 ton license since 1985 Bus: 941-475-5538 Res: 941-473-2150 visit us at www.captjimsbigfish.com

TnT Tailwalkers

August

2004

Englewood Girl Takes Third in Key West IGFA Junior Angler World Championship Event MAGAZINE

S t aff R eport Vanessa Williams, 16, of Englewood took third place in the Junior Girls division of the two-day Mercury Outboards/International Game Fish Association Junior Angler World Championship Tournament that took place July 11-13 on the waters surrounding Key West. She had scored 75 points.

Christopher Sherman of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Jose Jaime Ramon of San Juan, Puerto Rico, bested 35 other boys and girls to win the event.

Sherman, 13, won the overall title in the tournament’s junior division with 468 total points, earned for catching and releasing a total of 61 fish from 18 species — including a 60-pound blacktip shark. Points were awarded for each catch based on species and degree of difficulty.

Fishing with Captain Jim Thomas on the Tightlines, Sherman also was named the junior boys high-point divisional champion on both days of the angling challenge.

Finishing second in the division was Nick Cardella, 14, of Delray Beach, Fla. Guided by Captain Dave Esquinaldo on the Quick Relief, he scored 344 points on 33 fish from 14 species.

Miami resident Reef McWilliams, 14, won the trophy for the most species caught among the junior boys.

Guided by Thomas, he amassed 339 points to finish third in the junior division.

The overall winner in the small fry division was Puerto Rico’s Ramon, 9, who caught and released 35 fish from 10 species to earn 370 points and the title. The young champion fished with Captain Greg Sheretz on the Manetti.

Second-place honors in the division went to Shawn Garrison, 8, of Palm Bay who caught 26 fish from 10 species, earning 316 points. Thomas Fricke, 8, of Big Pine Key was third with 299 points, releasing 24 fish from nine species. Guided by Captain Ken Harris on the Finesse, Fricke was named high-point small fry angler on the second day of fishing after racking up 190 points.

Water LIFE SUBSCRIPTION FORM

Vanessa Williams with her pompano

The boys and girls in each division who caught and released the most species also received awards. Tyler Smith, 6, of Port St. Lucie, captured the boy’s small fry division with 11.

In the girl’s junior division Laura Hood, 13, of Fort Pierce, was the winner with 15 species (33 fish). With 99 and 122 points on the first and second days of fishing, respectively, she also was the high-point girls junior division award winner both days.

Key West resident Samantha Merwitzer, 6, won the girls small fry division with three species.

According to Jeanine Hewlett, the IGFA junior angler program coordinator, 920 fish were caught and released from 18 of the 23 eligible 5- to 25-point species during the tournament.

The young participants came from six states and two foreign countries to compete. The youngsters, ages 5 to 16, each qualified for the championship by winning one of 30 selected fishing tournaments in the United States and several other countries. Next year’s IGFA Junior angler world Championship will feature Kids Cup winner Tommy Davis form Port Charlotte as one of the qualified

Now Just $17 for 12 monthly editions

Out-of-the-area mail sent First Class

Local zip codes sent as Bulk Mail

Back Bay and Flats Fishing

Captain Jerry Tomas 941/815-1495 Toll Free 877/675-1982 USCG licensed

SUBSCRIBE to Water LIFE Have us mail your copy anywhere in the U.S.A. for $17 / Year

Name _______________________________________________

Address _____________________________________________ City _______________________________ State ____________ Zip ____________________

Credit Card _________________________________________

ExpDate_________

Fill out (please print) and Mail to:

8/04

Check one:

o Payment included: make check payable to Water LIFE

or Bill my

o Visa o M/C account

NOTE ** (Credit Cards will be billed as a purchase from Fishinʼ Franks)

Water LIFE 217 Bangsberg Rd, Port Charlotte, FL, 33952

Tarpon are Hot!

August

2004

By Capt. Robert Moore Water LIFE Senior Guide It’s not just the weather that is hot. The late season tarpon action we are seeing this year is hot as well. Many think that Tarpon season ends in July and therefore put their heavy gear away for next year. Well for you pass fisherman this may be a fact of life, but for all others it is farthest from the truth. Great tarpon fishing in Charlotte Harbor begins at the end of July and continues well into September.

Usually by mid July the Myakka and Peace Rivers will start to flow heavily and pour their stained waters into Charlotte

Harbor. When this happens and the winds become calm you will easily find large numbers of scattered tarpon throughout the harbor.

My usual routine is to start at Marker No. 2 and work my way up to Marker No. 1. I look for any signs of rolling or feeding fish. I will also look for schools of bait on top of the water. Many times I will find tarpon close by.

If I have no luck in the mouth of the River I will head over to Marker No. 8 in the mouth of the Myakka River and work my way along the West Wall of Charlotte Harbor in about 12 feet of water. If I see a single tarpon roll as I run along, I stop and watch for 5 or 10 minutes.

Water LIFE

MAGAZINE

Usually if there are any numbers you will see more pop up and start rolling after things settle down. One important piece of advice I would pass along. I find that tarpon will recovery quickly when they are run over at high speed while you are on plane.

Idling in or around tarpon will push them down and away. My theory is that they are used to boats running by at faster speeds, but they get leery when a boat is idling overhead.

As for fishing for tarpon in the harbor, drifting baits is hard to beat. I will drift my live baits about 30 yards behind the boat. I will use a cork to suspend the bait. I will usually have the baits under the cork 3 to 4 feet. I will then use my trolling motor to

maneuver the boat into the direction where I see the tarpon rolling most. If you do not have a trolling motor on board then use the wind or tide and drift over where you are seeing rolling fish.

My live bait of choice is the threadfin herring that can be castnetted throughout the harbor. The bigger I catch, the better. Sugar trout are my next pick and can be cast netted around most markers in the harbor. Pinfish also work very well as will large jumbo live shrimp, both of which can be purchased at area tackle shops.

I prefer to come prepared for the worst and bring the heavy tackle. With 65-pound braided line and heavy action rod I find you can fight the tarpon in a sporting manner without exhausting the fish and harming it.

P a g e 11

One word of caution. Before I wish you luck. In July I had several of my clients get faint and light headed while fighting a large tarpon. Dehydration was no doubt the reason for this. When the winds are calm and the temperature is in the high 90s it can only take a few minutes to get dehydrated. I encourage my clients to start drinking fluids as soon as they get on the boat and to continue doing so throughout the day. Tarpon fishing is as fun as it gets so keep it that way and keep yourself and your party well hydrated.

Best of luck and tight lines!

You can reach Capt. Robert Moore for fishing information or to book a charter fishing trip at (941) 637-5710 or (941) 628-2650. or via e-mail at

Water LIFE

Page 12

4356 Tamiami Trail, Port Charlotte Service DONE RIGHT the FIRST TIME!

Storage

We use only genuine

boat/trailer

InterLux bottom paint

$20/month

Route 771, 1 mile south of 776

941-698-1938

Transducer Troubles MAGAZINE

S t aff R eport For about a month our Lowrance X-65 fishfinder had been intermittent. It would work for a while then lose the bottom and reset itself, recapturing the bottom only to lose it again after a while.

We called Lowrance who said the unit was no longer in production, but they could fix it for $85, so we packed it up with a check and sent it off. The unit came back a week later with the check still attached and a note that said nothing was wrong. Install a new power cord, the note added, and a new power cord was included at no charge.

We took the old unit off its base and resnaked the new cord through the console and rewired it. While we were at it we rechecked all the grounds using a multitester to make sure each circuit was good.

Power up, screen comes alive, off we go on a test ride, but the picture went out in about a minute.

We gave up on it, started thinking about a new unit and put the purchase off

August

2004

until we had money for a combo fishfinder and GPS. Might as well move up, we figured.

Several weeks later we happened by chance to meet Doug O’Hara at the Redfish Cup. Doug, it turned out was the Lowrance Promotional Program Manager and the guy who gave each of our top 5 Kids Cup Competitors one of their new Lowrance i-Finder GPS units.

Doug travels with a Suburban full of Lowrance products and parts. When we described the problem to Doug he walked over to his ‘Burban and dug out a new transducer. “This ought to fix it,” Doug said, explaining that the transducer is simply an oscillating crystal and after enough pounding the crystal could become dislodged. That made sense right off the bat.

Ours is the kind of transducer that shoots through the hull so Doug even gave us some special epoxy to glue the new transducer to the inside of the hull bottom.

Power-up, image on, test ride, problem

Lower Unit Routine Maintenance

Suncoast Propeller, Inc. (941) 624-6855

Quality Repairs with Quick Results

Maximize Your Performance – Props Reconditioned, Pitch Changes Cupping, Rehubs, Etc.

New Propeller Sales at Great Discounts

4240 James St. #6, Port Charlotte, FL

Whidden Industrial Park

34ʼ Sea Ray Sundancer 2000 Price just reduced for quick sale $119,000

LET U S S E L L Y O U R B OAT

C huck Wi l l • Tom S t i vi s on • J o hn Georges • Kurt J i l s on

9 11 Ta y l o r R o a d , P u n t a G o r d a F L 3 3 9 5 0 www. redfi s hyacht . com

941-639-9400

Fax 941-639-9301

LOWER UNIT

Keep the lower unit in good shape by changing the gear lube every season.

Itʼs easy to do, so long as you remember to drain and fill the lube through the bottom plug.

The idea is to pump gear lube in until it comes out the top, then quickly replace the bottom plug. While water in the lube is a problem, this photo shows not water, but two different types of gear-lube mixed in the pan.

August

Water LIFE

2004

Page 13

MAGAZINE

Night Trips on Fridays and on the Full Moons

P LA C I D A D E E P S E A F I S H I N G Hwy 775 & Fishery Rd, Placida, FL

BOATING ACCIDENT STATISTICS THE TRUTH IS IN THE NUMBERS

Full Day Trips on Placida Queen

The Countyʼs new boatramp at South Gulf Cove could be an accident waiting to happen. The ramp doesnʼt extend far enough into the water and where it does end there is an 8-inch curb. “Cantʼ even get a double axle trailer wet,” one boater told us. The ramp will heve to be torn up and extended.

By Capt Ron Bl ago Water LIFE Staff Each year the FWC publishes the Boating Accident Statistical Summary Report, and in 2003 we were number #1 in the nation. Last year Florida had more boating fatalities than any other state with 64 boating fatalities as compared with 52 in 2002. This is not something we should do much bragging about mainly because anti-boating groups tend to use this number to convince people that boaters are a bunch of reckless maniacs when we get behind the wheel of a vessel.

In defense of boaters, it should be pointed out that you are a lot safer in a boat than you are in a car. Last year in Charlotte Co. we had 1 boating fatality, but we had over 30 automobile fatalities during the same period. Also, Florida has a twelve month boating season. I’m sure there are not many boating accidents in Michigan during February.

Boat registration numbers continue to grow in Florida to a record number of 978,225. Michigan still has a greater number (by the way, Michigan is one of the states that requires canoes and kayaks to be registered), but Florida is catching up fast.

Since 1997 Florida registrations have increased about 4% annually. One out of every 13 boats in the country is now registered in Florida. In 2003 Charlotte Co. had 22,252 registered boats. Sarasota Co. had 23,335 and Lee Co. had 47,345. That probably explains why you can’t find a parking place at a public boat ramp on a Sunday afternoon.

Although boaters are a pretty safe bunch, accidents do happen. It’s worth looking at the numbers so you don’t become a statistic.

Last year in Florida, there were 1,005 reportable accidents with 501 injuries and 64 fatalities. Total property damage was $9,531,049.

Monroe was the most dangerous county in Florida last year followed by Broward, Palm Beach, Pinellas, and Miami-Dade.

You have just about as much chance of dying in fresh water as you do in saltwater. The most popular month for an accident is May followed by July. If there is such a thing as a typical boating accident it would occur on the weekend around 5 p.m. The boat most likely will be operated by a male (80%) between 22 and 54, will run into another vessel or a fixed object (like a manatee mark-

er). If you get into one of these accidents you have a 50-50 chance of being injured. If you die, it’s probably because you drowned (70%) and of course 80% of you dead folks won’t be wearing a life persevere and 33% of you will have alcohol or drugs in your body when they do the autopsy.

Alcohol/drugs use was the leading primary cause of fatal boating accidents.

Personal watercraft always draw a lot of attention on the water and the statistics show some interesting trends.

PWCs account for 10.9 of all registered vessels in Florida (97.8% are privately owned, 2.2% are rentals); but they were involved in exactly 24% of all reported boating accidents. In their defense that’s the lowest number for them since 1993. Rental PWC’s were involved in 49% of all PWC accidents in 2003.

To me the most interesting part of the report is what our law enforcement officers have been up to.

Last year, marine officers issued a total of 21,266 violations that’s an increase of 21% from the year before and 7.9% of those tickets were for Negligent Operation of a Vessel. But coming in at No. 1, with

7,714 tickets – that’s 36% of all tickets issues in the state of Florida last yearyou guessed it - Violation of Manatee Protection R u l e s .

All of this information is on the www.myfwc.com web site. Remember we are

only $42 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Catching snapper & grouper daily Bait, tackle & license furnished Full service galley aboard

Now offering sunset cruises!

55ʼ Fleming pilothouse M/Y & 26ʼ Boston Whaler Outrage Available for private charter Full or 1/2 day, offshore or near shore Call for Reservations

941-698-6999

www.placidadeepseafishing.com

Page 14

Water LIFE

MAGAZINE

PEE-WEE SHRIMP ARE THE NORM RIGHT NOW

By Ro bert Lug i ewi cz Water LIFE Contributor From early July through early September the shrimp in bait shops are sm-all, pee wee, small. There are several reasons.

In summer, larger shrimp move out to deeper cooler water and because rains this time of year also lower the salt content in the harbors and near shore waters.

Most people who have lived here for a short time still just forget, it happens every year. It’s not a conspiracy! We would love to have bigger shrimp to sell, but we only get what mother nature provides and we can’t change that.

Fish also know this, but fishing is still great. You just need to change your tactics. A lot of fisherman are under the notion that you have to have live bait to catch fish. Fish, just like us, get sluggish and lazy in this heat. So they don’t want to work as hard for food.

That’s why frozen baits work very well.

For example, redfish use their sense of smell

August

2004

a lot, especially this time of year when the visibility is poor. The fish adapt. The lateral line (present, but not pronounced on a redfish) is used by the fish to feel vibration.

Their sense of smell is also great. Throwing frozen shrimp or cut bait (sardines, mullet, threadfins) attached to a jig head or hook with a split shot under the bushes, letting it sit still for 30-60 seconds and then recasting in the same spot, usually gives the fish time to feel it, smell it and find it. And they will.

There have been many trips at this time of year that I have had some of my best redfish days using dead bait instead of live white bait or live shrimp.

Another good trick is netting and then fishing with pinfish. Pinfish are about big enough in August. Put them on a jig head or split shot to slow them down. The pinfish struggling attracts the fish and pinfish are a natural prey item that most fish here are now starting to focus on.

Just don’t let your day of fishing be ruined because you couldn’t get live or big shrimp.

Water LIFE

Better Dead, for a Red August

2004

By Fi shi n’ Frank Water LIFE Port Charlotte Sometimes it seems like the better prepared you are the more things go wrong and sometimes that works out for the best.

It has been hot, just in case you had not noticed it and fish just like us, would rather kick back and sleep in the shade than do much, but they have to eat and the coolest time of the day to do anything is early in the morning.

With that in mind I took home 50 shrimp. I use a cheap aerator pump, with a 1/2 gal frozen water bottle in the bucket, Hot water dose not hold oxygen. The ice will also put the shrimp to sleep, sort of, I guess ‘slow them down’ would be a better term– any way, they live better and longer with an ice pack in the bucket.

The next morning as dawn was beginning to crack I went out and loaded the boat.

Stopping by a marker to see if I could catch some extra bait, I opened the lid of the bait bucket and the pump was running fine, but it was not pumping air. All the shrimp were dead, except for about half a dozen or so.

If not for the fact that I don’t like to litter that aerator would have been in the drink. Mad as heck, I settled for throwing it in the bilge, then I threw my cast net.

No bait, as I had suspected and not willing to spend the best fishing time looking for bait, me and my dead shrimp headed out fishing.

The sun was just coming up over the trees as I rounded Cape Haze and headed into Bull Bay. Going to the right past the fish houses I shut down in front of the big key.

With a light breeze blowing out of the east it would drift me slowly across the flats that have lots of pot holes and grass.

To start the day, I tied on a top water lure. A red & white Bagleys jumping mullet. This was almost perfect top water conditions – light breeze to move the boat slowly and barley a ripple on the surface of the water.

Standing on the bow of my boat no one in sight, just the noise of the cast and the little splashing of the lure as I walked the dog with it across the surface.

After 15 minutes or so of casting came the first strike. It was not big enough for a redfish, more like a trout, but hey it was a hit. A few more casts and another hit, then the next six casts I hooked lady fish, needle fish and a very small trout. Then nothing.

One last Hail Mary at the end of the island.

Taking a chance I cast over and past the point. Hoping the wind would take the line away from the trees and halalula, “perfect

cast,” the breeze caught the line and my lure landed 30 feet beyond the point of the island. It was one of those casts that when it works it’s almost as good as catching a fish ... well almost. I had a red boil the water at my lure, but with repeated tries no luck.

Starting up the motor I cruised out the back of Bull’s Bay and zigged, zagged, back to the bay in front of Whidden Creek.

Looking around there were boats on several islands so I picked one as far away from the other boats as I could and side anchored off the mangroves.

I took one of the few live shrimp I had left and Texas rigged him in the tail. Then put a No. 7 split shot where the leader meets the line and tossed him under the branches, then waiting and every few minutes checking the bait and recasting.

After a few casts I accidentally threw the shrimp off, replacing him with a dead shrimp. Then tossed it under the bushes,and settled in. As I reached for a coke wham. Fish on, setting the hook I dropped the rod tip into the water to keep the line from tangling in the branches. Big fish!

The fight was engaged back and forth, he pulled, I pulled, Big fish. The fish went around the front of the boat, I let him go by, loosening the drag and after 100 feet of line I put the boots to him again.

Keeping the rod tip high, as he was now in open water, the only way I could lose him was if he wrapped something under

Custom Built in Charlotte

Repowering? Call

Custom

14?

21?

and

29?

Open

Fiberglass Repair & Supplies ¥ Bottom Painting ¥ Detailing &

941.628.2588 Whidden Industrial Your local SW Florida

Licensed

Family Owned and Operated with over 50 Years Experience

100-Ton

Captain

MAGAZINE

Page 15

The product Rejuvenade may be useful in helping to keep redfish alive in the livewell, but rather than pouring it down their throats as shown here, some anglers prefer to rub it on their tounge with a moist finger.

water that I could not see. So tip up. Five full minutes later I was holding by the tail and releasing a 14 pound, 31 inch red fish.

Big fish, on 10 pound test mono, with 25pound-test Team Fish leader, a light action Quantum rod and a 20-size Energy reel.

By the end of the morning I had 19 fish and not one hit on any of my live bait.

I am still not going to use that cheap aerator again, but I am not mad about it anymore.

Weʼll catch a bunch of different fish, that Iʼll promise Page 16

Water LIFE

August

MAGAZINE

2004

Giddy-Up, Woa! Frank demonstrates ʻwaiting,ʼ one of the finer points of shark fishing.

By Mi chael Hel l er Water LIFE editor Where do you find tarpon this time of year? In the harbor. Where are the redfish? Under the bushes, How about snook? Out along the beach, and sharks? Maybe there are still some in the pass. Right? Maybe, but not always necessarily so.

Our day started at 6:30 a.m when my pal Fishin Frank picked Robert and I up at my dock. “We’re going to find a tarpon,” Frank proclaimed, as we turned north not south and headed up into the Spring Lake area.

We threw DOA Bait Busters and fresh water shiners until well after the sun was fully up without any luck.

There were a few fish rolling, but none

were rolling over toward our bait. On the contrary the fish were skitterish, keeping a circle of safety as they swam away from us. “This ain’t working,” Frank proclaimed, stating the obvious as he fired up the big motor and headed out into the harbor.

We went straight for Marker No. 2 and made a few passes, throwing the net right up against the pilings and pulling up a handful of shiners and threadfins on each throw. After four passes we had about 50 pieces of bait.

One more pass, Frank said as he loaded the net in his unique over-the-elbowstyle and heaved it against the mark.

The lead weights clicked hard on the wood and the net settled into the water.

“This will do it,” Frank said feeling the

weight of fish as he pulled the net topside. Or maybe not. What we had was a net full of small spadefish and one tiny trout. “I think we got the whole school,” Frank joked as we tossed them back one-by-one into the water. Now lets go get that tarpon.

This time we motored into another Port Charlotte canal area. Frank rigged up a threadfin and cast it out under a poppin cork. Then his phone rang. It was Steve Gibson of the Sarasota Herald Tribune, on the phone for his weekly fishing report. Frank didn’t get a minute before he had Steve on the

6550 RIVERSIDE DRIVE Over 1.25 acres on the Peace River with fantastic 4 bedroom/3 bath home. Beautiful treed setting, great water views. Parking, ample storage and a workshop along with a heated pool and spa; living area and master suite. Additional bedrooms and a loft/office overlooking 2-story great room. $1,150,000

After the little tarpon ripped through the net, Frank simply passed his rod through the hole and kept fighting.

4430 HARBOR BLVD. Magnificent views of Alligator Bay, the Peace River and Charlotte Harbor, 4 bedroom, 2-story home.

Lots of room, fantastic location, convenient to shopping and amenities; 3-car garage, lots of storage. Fenced pool and lanai overlook private beach, dock, lift and waters beyond. $1,350,000

2847 VI A PA LOMA 3 /2/2 PG I h ome l ocated o n an extra wide canal for ease i n boating with an 18, 000# lift and long double dock. Po nce Inlet, Charl otte Harbor and the Gulf ar e just ar ound the corner from this sailboat waterfr ont home. RED UCED! $698, 000

August

Water LIFE

2004

When the spade fish moved in, it was time for another spot to throw the net.

line in one hand and a small tarpon on the line in the other.

The fish came boatside without too much of a battle, but when we tried to net it the fish ripped through the net and began to swim away from the boat. With his rod sticking through the ripped net Frank tossed the phone to Robert and brought the tarpon back in to release it.

We were all laughing.

Next, we decided to go down to Boca Grande. The forecast was for a west wind against an outgoing tide. Could be big waves, more than we wanted in a Frank’s low freeboard skiff so we decided to stop by my house and switch boats.

The trip to Boca Grande took 20 minutes and in another ten we were drifting the pass with a chunk of bonita on the hook, looking for a shark. There was a low pressure trough building to the north east. When you are looking at a low pressure area the wind will be coming from your left, so true to form the wind was coming down the coast and we hung in relative calm drifting diagonally across the pass, time after time, looking for jaws.

3700 Acline Road - Estate, 5.2 acres with beautiful twostory home on the naturally beautiful Alligator Creek.

Offering open window picturesque views on both floors.

Truly a rare find! Move-in ready, the availability of this home will not last long!!!

MLS# 408028 $885,000

Robert Lugiewicz the third member of our outing is Frank’s store manager. He had rigged his big Penn reel ready for anything, but all we got was a chance to have lunch. When I looked around Frank was spread out across my console seat. “Waiting is the secret of shark fishing,” Frank said, adjusting his hat to keep out the light.

But boredom overtakes me easily and after an hour of sheer nothing I began to get restless. Pass crabs drifted by in the outgoing tide and I picked up the dip net and began crabbing.

Robert and I gabbed and crabbed until we had at least two dozen crabs in the livewell, then we made one last fruitless drift. Just for grins I grabbed the biggest of the threadies we still had swimming in the well, rigged up a 4 ounce egg sinker and sent him down. Bounce ... bounce ...

Bam! Something took the bait. It didn’t take long to reel the fish up and we laughed again at what we saw. A tiny blacktip shark, maybe 18 inches long. It was not the shark we were looking for but it was a shark. “Sometimes the bigger sharks will lay outside the bar on the north side,” Robert said, and we moved the boat.

While Robert put some more mileage

3915 Barnegat Dr - Excellent 2-3 bedroom waterfront home with quick sailboat Harbor access. Almost all new appliances throughout, boat lift & much more!

MLS# 431304 $350,000

378 Monaco Drive - Beautiful sailboat home located in prestigious Burnt Store Isles - Lovely open floor plan large spacious rooms - wood kitchen cabinets - breakfast nook & formal dining room - long canal view - large lanai w/pool & waterfall - 3-car garage and LOTS MORE! MLS# 435373 $575,000

MAGAZINE

on the bonita, Frank and I threw crabs on the outside of the bar.

Frank didn’t say a word, but when I looked over his rod was bent down and Frank was grinning. A white beach-snook splashed near the surface.

Thinking snook might be better then nothing we went snook hunting, the three of us, rigged up with crabs, moving down the bar and closer in to the shore.

I anchored in the swell about twenty yards from shore and while Frank and Robert threw at the rocks from the stern, I cast my crab out to the north in the deeper water off the bow. Bingo!

It didn’t take long. Ziii---iing.

Something was taking my 10-pound test mono at will. I cranked in a little drag and then a little more until I stopped the fish and began to turn him. “That’s a big redfish,” Frank surmised and he was right.

We reeled the rest of the day away catching redfish until we ran out of crabs.

The day wasn’t exactly what we had planned, but with a tarpon, a trout, several redfish, some snook and a shark all brought to the boat and released it worked for us. Sometimes you just never know, and sometimes that’s the best part of fish-

21330 Harborside Blvd - Outstanding executive residence in Grassy Point Estates. Luxury on a grand scale Sailboater’s paradise - seconds to Harbor - home on 2 lots, has 2 deeded docks, 3-car garage, fireplace, steam room.

Upgrades throughout ˆ 2-zone A/C, 2 hot water heaters full attic and MORE! MLS# 415988 $1,400,0000

5006 Useppa Court - Luxury waterfront homeOutstanding executive residence in prestigious PGI. Large greatroom - wood built-ins - formal dining room disappearing sliders in breakfast room - large office w/solid wood built-in desks & shelves - surround sound audio system and MORE! MLS# 429738 $869,000

Page 17

Page 18

On the Line

Water LIFE

Fishing with Capt Ron Blago

By Capt Ron Bl ago Water LIFE Executive Staff The older I get the harder the summers seem to be on me. As a guide, you get used to being broke this time of year. For some reason its hard to convince tourist to visit Charlotte Harbor during August and September. Those folks that shy away from our area just because its hot, wet and the peak of hurricane season are missing out on some great fishing. Weather can be real funny this time of year. Take July for instance; between July 1 and July 14 we had a total of just 1/2 inch of rain.

Between the 15th and the 19th we had 8 inches of rain, two inches more than the monthly average for July. The first few inches of rain that wash into the harbor, after a long dry spell make it some of the most polluted water you are ever going to

find. All the oil and grease from our roadways, and all the pesticides and fertilizers used by the average homeowner will be in the first hours of runoff coming into the bay after a storm. This chemical soup will use up much of the oxygen in the water.

No oxygen - no fish, except for the one fish that can get their oxygen from the air as well as the water - tarpon.

Right now we are in what is called the second season for tarpon fishing and considering what it has been like in Boca Grande pass the last few years, the second season is doing better than the first season. Plenty of tarpon are being caught in the mouths of the Peace and Myakka Rivers. Try drifting with a live whitebait, pinfish or ladyfish around the bridges.

Lemon Bay also has tarpon. Not as many or as big, but they are there in the creeks

August

MAGAZINE

2004

This trout went for a gold flecked Cotee on an 1/8 ounce jig head

that flow into the bay. There are also still tarpon off the beach. You won’t see the large schools of rolling fish, but the fish are there. Try slow drifting just off the shore. I like to free line a large pinfish and float a large greenback about 6 foot under a cork at the same time. If the tarpon aren’t biting I usually get a shark, kingfish or cobia.

Large schools of redfish are starting to show up in the harbor and in Lemon Bay. You can see them working the shallow flats early in the morning. When they are hungry they will bite anything – spoon, top water plug, jig, whitebait or shrimp, doesn’t really matter much. The school will stay in the same area for a few days before they move on. Get them while you can.

Trout fishing is still pretty good in Lemon Bay especially in the deeper pot holes during a falling tide. The one fish that doesn’t get a lot of respect, but can save a slow day of fishing is the mangrove snapper. Normally all you find are those 6 to 8 inch little bait stealers, but this time of year they tend to get a bit bigger and a bit tastier. A 12 to 15 inch snapper is the perfect size for dinner. They are pretty easy to find around any structure, dock or even in the mangroves. The trick is to use small hooks. I prefer a No.1 long shank gold hook. Use small shrimp or piece of dead whitebait. Remember that 5 per person per day is the limit.

Capt. Ron Blago can be reached for fishing information or to book a charter

MARINE ART

FISH X S

4880-H Placida Rd., Englewood (941) 697-

WALL DECOR • SCULPTURES • GLASS ART • PRINTS • GIFTS

Strato Net is our local Water LIFE Internet Service Provider

excellent rates, excellent service, no waiting

(888) 382-8503

across from Whiskey Creek

Offshore Report August

2004

By Capt. S teve S kevington Water LIFE Offshore Contributor August offshore fishing can be some of the best red grouper fishing of the year if your willing to put in the time and effort to find the really big ones.

Just about everyone who’s ever fished the Gulf in the summer knows dropping cut baits down on hard bottom pulls nice reds, but if your aggressive about it, its easy to limit out on these grouper thanks to new regulations, (two red grouper per person per day)

There are three different flavors of snapper this time of year that are real easy to come by in water 75 feet deep & better, and they are... mangrove snapper up to and exceeding 8 lbs, lane snappers, to a pound .....pound and a half, and one of my personal favorites, the vermilion snapper. These fish are stacked up right now in depths of 80 feet and better.

While fishing your favorite deep water spots this month, keep an eye peeled for small to med size mahi mahi swimming around your boat, a

Water LIFE

Page 19

MAGAZINE

promptly placed free line bait of almost any kind (as long as it’s bite size) should more than do the trick.

If you really want to pursue this kind of fishing, its not hard to pull off.

Start by running at least 25-30 miles offshore, anchor-up on your favorite hard bottom spot, and drop over a chum bag. It won’t take long for hard fighting little tunnys to showup as well as mahi mahi, and if your lucky at all, black-fin tuna & big king mackerel will show up in the mix as well.

With fishing this good, try to remember to release as many fish unharmed as possible.

There’s only one thing more

rewarding than catching a big fish and that’s releasing it to fight another day.

Barefoot

Coral

Doug & Judy Kaff

(941) 474-9534

Judy Kaff (941) 830-0502

Captain Steve Skevington Kingfisher Fleet, Fishermen’s Village, Punta Gorda (941) 639-2628 NEW DEVELOPMENT UNDER CONSTRUCTION Due to complete Dec 2004 in time for 20042005 rental season TWO UNITS AVAILABLE 10% holds until close.

BLDG 1, unit 303, direct gulf front 3 bedroom 2 1/2 bath 1685 sq ft $975,000 BLDG 2 unit 501, 1991 3 bedroom 2 1/2 bath 1991 sq. Ft. $775,000 BEAUTIFUL CORAL CREEK Easy access to the intercoastal.

18000 sq ft lot with deeded dock space on Coral Creek in gated and deed restricted community. $220,000

Whether by Land or By Sea, you need a real estate expert in your area.

CALL THE CAPTAIN! For information on current real estate trends and property values.

Gorgeous C ustom B uilder ʼs L akefront H ome

C lose to town! ake a vacation that’s all

2.5 Acre Country Paradise

about being on the water!

T Rent a fully furnished luxury condominium, villa, courtyard home or an estate residence.

Enjoy the comfortable, casual elegance of this resort community within the famous Port Charlotte Bay. Save 10% when you mention Water Life Magazine.

LIKE NEW- LESS THAN 2 YEARS OLD

www.burnstoreresort.com • 877-276-3300 subject to availability; minimum stay may apply

2552 sqft, 3br plus den, custom kitchen, coffered ceilings and features normally seen on $1 million homes for just $469,000 Call the Captain for details.

Water LIFE

Page 20

August

MAGAZINE

2004

ScuttleButt Sometimes Unsubstanciated ... but often true

FWC TOURNEY FOCUS Officer David Garns was checking on a redfish tournament that was being held at a local marina, he saw two fishermen approach the judgeʼs table with two redfish that appeared oversized. Both the tournament official and Officer Garns measured the fish and found them to be oversized. The appropriate citations were issued.

PURR-SEA-VERANCE The catamaran that was supposed to travel from Fort Myers to Key West, but ran aground several times in the Callosahatchee before moving to Miami is still trying to get its program up and running, over a year later. Latest is, the boat now wonʼt be allowed to dock at the new Key West Bight Ferry Terminal because the vessel is not Port Security Certified. The Purseaverance is a “T” boat, certified to carry up to 149 passengers, but with new homeland security rules now in effect only vessels that carry at least

Fishing•Camping•Hunting Marine•Boating•Gifts•Golf Outdoor Clothing•Footwear

160,000 sq. ft. of Outdoor Excitement!

Step inside, and you’re instantly surrounded by natural beauty— rustic lodge-style furnishings, exotic wildlife displays, even a huge aquarium stocked with trophy fish. See South Florida’s largest selection of hunting, fishing, camping and boating gear, or attend one of our many

150 passenger are eligible for certification and by Key West regulation uncertified vessels may not use the city dock.

ongoing special events. Plus a huge selection of clothing from the top names in technical wear, designed to give you advanced solutions for your outdoor adventures. When it comes to all-around family fun, Bass Pro Shops® Outdoor World® is the place!

Restaurant and Market (945) 927-7737 At Bass Pro Shops® Outdoor World®

WHERE THE SUN DONʼT SHINE Coincidentally, right after witnessing the community support for the Water LIFE Kids Cup Tournament, ʻvisionariesʼ at one local daily newspaper are now courting the kids. It would be nice if these guys bought them a new boat and paid for the fuel, but Scutttlebutt says that paper wonʼt put anything in writing and whatever they do there will never be any hard cash behind it.

CHARLOTTE HARBOR ISNʼT THE PROBLEM In July the Associated Press reported that “Scientists at the University of

Learn new skills or hone your existing ones.

South Florida in Tampa suspect algae blooms in the Gulf are related to river discharges that come into Charlotte Harbor and then move offshore.” Scuttlebutt asks: Could phosphate mining on the Peace River have anything to do with this?

KAYAK RACES Wordʼs out on the street that Laishley Marine and the Port Charlotte Kayak Club will be holding kayak races and competition trials as part of the Punta Gorda Business Allianceʼs Harbor Fest on the weekend of Sept 18.

CHARLOTTE S.O. BOAT The sheriffʼs department took delivery of the first of two new 26-foot Boston Whaler Rampageʼs,

powered by twin 225 Mercurys. Funding for the boats came through the county Marine Advisory Committee. Top speed for the beefcake is just under 60 mph. Cost: in the $80,000 range.

CHRISTMAS CRUISE DATES Cruising the Punta Gorda canals has been a Christmas family tradition for more than 30 years since city residents decorate their backyards, seawalls, boats and docks with Christmas lights. King Fisher Cruises in Punta Gorda takes reservations for Christmas Canal Cruises which this year will run December 9 through 31.

CHANGING STATS Michigan, formally the state with the most registered boats is about to be overtaken by California, presently second, while Florida is third.

Michigan requires kayaks to be licensed, California doesnʼt and Florida will soon have to decide what they will do.

Next door to Bass Pro Shops® Dania, FL Experience interactive exhibits.

It’s 63,000 sq. ft. of educational fun!

Visit our other stores in Destin, FL Hwy. 98 & Mid-Bay Bridge, 4301 Legendary Drive, Destin, FL (850) 269-6200 Hours: Mon–Sat 9am–10pm, Sun 10am–7pm

Cape Coral Aug 2 thru 12

Islamorada, FL World Wide Sportsman™ Mile Marker 81.5, 81576 Overseas Highway, Islamorada, FL (305) 664-4615 Hours: Mon–Sun 7am–8:30pm

Orlando, FL 5156 International Drive,

I-95 between Griffin and Stirling Roads 200 Gulf Stream Way, Dania Beach, FL (954) 929–7710 Hours: Mon–Sat 9am–10pm, Sun 10am–7pm

BP310099

Orlando, FL (407) 563-5200 Hours: Mon–Sat 9am–10pm, Sun 10am–7pm

Naples Aug 9 thru 19

Sarasota Aug 23 thru Sept 2

August

Water LIFE

2004

Water FRONT Real Estate COMPARISON: North Port AREA

Page 21

MAGAZINE

Mal to n Street - Built on three private acres this con-

temporary 2 story sits on the Cosmic Waterway. It was

This is NOT an Ad

built in 1998 with almost 2,500 sq ft and 3 bedrooms

with a secluded screened in pool. In 2000 it sold for

$235,000 and just 4 years later for $325,000.

Factual Information compiled from the Charlotte County Association of Realtors.

Real estate value in waterfront property is enhanced by various factors. Sailboat water, areaʼs where waterway depth can accommodate a sailboatʼs keel and where there are no bridges to the open water, are considered prime.

Tri ni ty Av enue - Built in 1989 this 2,384 sq ft home has 4 bedrooms and 2 baths. Though listed as waterfront it is a case of buyer beware. The water looks to be more of a koi pond. However, it sold in 2003 for $68,000 and again just one year later, this past spring for $123,000.

Oti s Ro ad - This older smaller home was built in 1969 with under 1200 sq ft and just 2 bedrooms and 1 bath. But it was built on a canal that has access to the Myakka river and the Gulf of Mexico. It sold three years ago for just $ 65,000 and again this past June for $152,000.

Pi ns tar Terrace - This Northport home was built in 1997, with a swimming pool, 1,564 sq feet and 3 bedrooms, 2 baths. It was built at the end of a long pristine canal called the Blue Ridge Waterway. In 2001 it sold for $165,000 and this last April for $215,000.

Kayak Innovations

By Ben Turpi n Water LIFE Kayak Contributor The fish are biting are you catching any?

The key is silence, and kayaks are king of silence.

Or are they? A buddy of mine told me that his boat has hull slap, that’s not so quite.

A paddle or a bucket banging the deck all-be-it a plastic deck and plastic bucket still makes noise.

We all know that sound travels faster through water than air, right? So what is the key to silence?

High tech and low tech solutions are available.

Most kayakers I know are low tech solution folks and you know what? It gets the

job done.

High tech solutions involve redesign of boats, and special composite materials to absorb sound. Costs big bucks. That’s why I like the other way.

Low tech here we come.

Take a swim noodle – almost as important to a kayaker as a paddle and boat – and slice it open on one side down to the hollow core. Then wrap your gunnels in it if you have a sit in kayak or a canoe.

Paddles dropped on a padded gunnel make very little noise.

If you have a SOT (sit on top) kayak thread a line through a noodle and lay one on either side of the

Dock Tables 6 Ft table $700

boat parallel to your legs.

Attach the line to the bow and stern carry-handles and you too can drop your paddle on a padded surface.

These same noodles can also be used to protect your car or boat (depending on your priorities) in transport.

Another low tech solution for the bait angler is a flow troll. It is quieter than a bubbler and will keep you in great shape with the added drag.

The splash of your paddle stroke and or the dangling of your legs over the side is a natural noise.

These can be tolerated, but caution with all noise in your boat will put more fish on your hook.

Now, about this new letFish & Game Cleaning Outdoor Entertainment Wet Bar

4 Ft table $460 Weatherproof Construction (composite) Marine King StarBoard® Cutting Surface Stainless Steel Hardware Free Local Delivery With Optional Sink add $ 80

Sharp Filet Tables

Port Charlotte Fl (941) 286-5257

Al l i ance Av e - Only three years old this 3 bedroom, 2 bath home was built on two waterfront lots along the Snover Waterway in Gulf Breeze.

Even with out a dock or seawall this Northport home almost doubled in 3 years. In 2001 it sold for $104,900 and again in June 2004 for

Reader Responds to Water LIFE Power Pole Service Bashing

Hello I read with interest the consumer report you gave on the Power-Pole company. Not only was I interested, but a little shocked.

While fishing a redfish tournament about three years ago I first noticed the Power-Pole on quite a few of the competitors boats. I thought it was a good idea that might help me catch more fish.

Well it’s a great product. It’s paid for itself in tournament winnings. I wouldn’t have a boat without one.

I’m spoiled. This is why I’m writing to you.

I’ve also been spoiled by the companies service. I installed the Power-Pole myself. I’m not good at that sort of thing so I had to call the company for help several times. They were very polite and eager to help.

The few times I needed parts I had them the next day.

I’m a full time guide fishing out of Homosassa, Fl. I’ve met many other guides and anglers fishing the Ranger-Yamaha Redfish Tour and the Espn Redfish Cup. Very few don’t have a Power-Pole.

I’ve never heard a bad comment about the product or the service. Those of us who have a Power-Pole wouldn’t fish without one.

Thanks, Capt. Howi e Green

tering scheme for my kayak registration. Sounds like a great idea. Special kayak and canoe launches are awesome, but I have some questions. #1) Would the county be able to downsize the kayak parking lots to handle fewer cars? #2)Would that mean that my boat would need a name, like “Paddled Out”? #3)Would there then be a need for kayak marinas? #4) And perhaps most importantly, would I have to obey the slow speed zones?

I don’t know. If the government can find a good use for my registration money, then I am all for it.

But is that possible?

CH NTY 93 U 19 CO CE N SI

OUTBOARD ENGINES Johnson - Evinrude, Mercury, Suzuki, Yamaha, Nissan

Mobile Marine Repair Service “oil change to overhaul”

Complete Marine Maintenance and Dockside Repair Service

(941) 766-8729

Down Under Dive Services professional dive master

licensed and insured

SI CO CH NC UN E TY 19 93

STERN DRIVES AND INBOARDS OMC, Volvo, Mercruiser, Crusader

Veterans Discounts ʻSemper Fidelisʼ

Water LIFE

Page 22

The Oldest Restaurant and Marina on the Peace River SORRY! Thanks again to Jeff Kincaid at Capt. Teds Tackle in Port Charlotte for helping with the Kids Cup. Were it not for Jeff we wouldnʼt have made contact with the X-Tools people. Sorry we didnʼt mention that earlier.

This is the time of year to be lounging in the pool.

Here, the springer spaniel Molly Brown swims by a Laguna floating pool chair, perfect for lounging and available from 5-Star pools.

24ʼ 10” • Max Beam 110” • 210 gal. Fuel • Max Hp. Rating 400 Lots of standard Equipment: As shown with Optional “T” Top

We are looking for a few good dealers, and some discerning customers.

BOATS FROM 17ʼ to 28ʼ Bay Boats, Center Consoles, Walk Arounds, Sport Fish

DJC SALES, LLC 866-323-2991

2004

Locals Pick Up Where Red Cross Leaves Off

By Bi l l Di xon Water LIFE Senior Sailing Editor Nationally, the Red Cross is getting out of the learn-to-sail business. Locally, the Charlotte and Sarasota chapters have, so far, continued to support this 30 year old program. To date the Red Cross program in Charlotte County has taught almost 3,000 students to sail small boats.

US Sailing knowing about the Red Cross‚ decision to abandon sail training created an abbreviated version of their 5 day Instructor Certification Training Course to allow R/C instructors to upgrade to US Sailing Certification.

Seeing the handwriting on the wall, Charlotte Sailing, the local R/C instructors club, with the support of the NonProfit Community Sailing Center, arranged to upgrade their teaching skills to become US Sailing Certified Instructors.

Last month members of The Charlotte Sailing Association attended a training class. The Charlotte Sailing Upgrade course was first of its kind in the country.

The course required instructors to swim 50 yards, sail, capsize and right small sail boats, handle inflatables and powerboats for safety patrol and rescue. In addition there was extensive required reading ahead of time, lesson planning and ‘teaching’ role playing and peer review of teaching skills. Of course, there were several written tests and an exit interview with constructive feedback both ways. US Sailing also asked for written evaluation of the

course by each student so as to improve future courses.

Jabbo Gordon, regional Instructor Trainer for US Sailing put on the program at facilities provided by Bayshore Marine and Yacht for nine local and two out of town Red Cross instructors. The nine local instructors who took the course are, Dennis Peck, President of the Community Sailing Center, Rick Pantall, Vice President, Gary Trimmer, Daria Taschuk, Lynne Zeigler, Bob Kueny, Walt Glasspol, Jim Stevens, and past president of Charlotte Sailing Bill Curtis. Gordon said that the program would not have been ready this soon without the urging of the Charlotte Sailing Association.

All of the instructors told me that they had benefited from the class. Some, who have been teaching for 20 years picked up new ways of presenting material, others with less experience learned more.

Maintaining certification will require instructors to teach and, as with the Red Cross, maintain current first aid and CPR certification.

Future local learn to sail courses taught by these instructors will include an on going program with the Navy Junior ROTC at Charlotte High, and four public learn to sail classes beginning in October. All of these courses will be taught to the tougher US Sailing standards. As long as the local Red Cross continues to support learn to sail classes, Students will be dual certified.

5 Star Pools

LLLLL

Complete Line of Pool Service Chemicals, Supplies and Equipment

SEASPORT 2400 Center Console OB MSR Base Price Only $ 29,050

August

MAGAZINE

Large Selection of Pool Accessories

Pool heating and cooling our specialty Regularly scheduled pool maintenance and service

Free water analysis

4625 Tamiami Trail (Next to West Marine) Port Charlotte

743-9172

Sliding Sports History August

Water LIFE

2004

St aff Rep o rt Kids have been enamored with sliding since someone discovered water running down a moss covered rock.

In Arizona, outside of Sedona, there is a park called Slide Rock. There, on any hot summer day you can find hundreds of local inhabitants camped out picnic style on the red sandstone while kids and adults alike take turns sliding down the flume-like path eroded in the floor of the canyon. Every so often the flume ends in a pool and the riders simply flounder over to the next drop off and continue on. Head first, feet first, it didn’t matter. The Slide Rock area extends almost a half mile. Native Americans bathed and slid down the rock here hundreds of years ago.

Sliding came to the world of commercial recreation in the early 1970s when some good ole’ boys carved out the side of a hill at Pigeon Forge Tennessee and filled the ditch with hand-troweled concrete. It was the first waterslide.

In the early days of sliding the flumes were hand finished and painted with swimming pool paint. Water was supplied by big pumps and delivered through an 8 inch line, resulting in a substantial flow in which to slide. The riders used rubber mats to slide on. Skinned knees and toes were the norm.

Across the road in North Carolina where anything can be molded and made into fiberglass, an enterprising fabricator constructed a modular pool filtration system housing pumps, filters and valves in one giant fiberglass box. He teamed up with the boys from Pigeon Forge and they took their show on the road to Fort Lauderdale.

The first big waterslide was the WaterBoggan built on US-1 in Fort Lauderdale in 1975. It was a 50 foot high man made mountain of dirt, planted with grass and palm trees.

There were three 300 foot long concrete flumes poured in place and a landing pool with the portable filter attached. The slide was built for approximately $300,000 and operators charged kids $2 for 30 minutes of sliding. The slide paid for itself in three

months.

In the early days, building waterslides was less then an exact science. Although there was a rough plan, each slide was modified to fit the site it went on.

Sometimes it worked well like at the slide in Fort Walton Beach, Built in 1976 and still in operation today. But sometimes there were problems.

One man from Australia thought he could build his own slide. His creation, a slide called Slippery Dip, in Jacksonville, had one sharp turn that just didn’t work.

Riders over 150 pounds found they popped out of the slide and landed on the grass alongside a big palm tree, often still holding tightly to their blue rubber mat. In a move to increase safety, the operator erected a sign saying no one over 150 pounds could ride that flume and then they moved the tree.

Soon, the fiberglass industry in North Carolina began building fiberglass waterslides and the concrete designs were made obsolete. Fiberglass slides erected on woden roller coaster like frameworks began to spring up around the south.

Then, the wood framework was later replaced by tubular steel and computer engineered drops and twists were added to slide designs.

Today, water parks have sprung up

Remote Operated ʻPullerʼ Tows Skier behind

Boaters Welcome

Coral to Spawn This Month S t aff R eport This month elkhorn, staghorn, brain and star corals are expected to mate, then spew millions of luminous eggs and sperm toward the night sea’s surface.

Visiting divers to the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary can watch the event, described by many as an upsidedown snowstorm.

The spawn takes place on Keys patch reefs from 3 to 5 feet deep as well as on reefs that are 50 to 60 feet deep. The ritual coincides with the full moon in August and in September.

“It all happens in a half-hour,” said Alina Szmant, a University of North Carolina-Wilmington biological science professor who has studied corals since 1983.However, the exact dates and times of the spawn are impossible to predict, she said.

“We will be doing an ambitious field experiment to try to track a spawn slick to see how far the larvae travel before they begin to settle,” Szmant said. “We had modest success with our elkhorn coral seeding work last summer, and will be trying to scale that up this time around.”

The coral spawn breeds infant corals that researchers hope ultimately will gener-

ate new reef habitats. Scientists plan to collect spawn from elkhorn coral Aug. 3-6 and from star coral Sept. 3-5.

Szmant works with representatives of National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration’s Southeast Fisheries Center and the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary to gather coral egg and sperm bundles, nurse the resulting offspring and place them with “adoptive” live-rock families to replenish area reefs.

Recreational dive operators throughout the islands offer spectator excursions during coral spawning periods. Boats typically depart between 8 and 9:30 p.m. and return to shore as late as 1 or 2 a.m.

Learn to Dive TODAY!

N 26 38.040 W 082 03.958 Near Marker 55 On the Matlacha Pass Dockage Available

Friday Fish Fry 5 – 9 pm

Live Entertainment

Live entertainment every weekend www.bertsbar.com

New Water Ski Propulsion Device

The SOLO (www.solowatersports.com) is a 70 horsepower jet drive unit the size of a small jetski. The Soloʼs controls are in the tow rope hand grip and it will stop automatically if the skier falls. The manufacturer claims the Solo is powerful enough to pull a skier barefoot.

Slide Rock State Park

Dine on the dock ~ Million $$ View!

Page 23

MAGAZINE

Dock Party every Sunday 3-7

4271 Pine Island Rd.

282-3232

Classes $99 www.fantaseascuba.com Mon-Fri 9-6 Sat 9-3

Service • Sales Nitrox • Air Spear Fishing Trips • Charters Snorkel Gear

3781 Tamiami Trail Port Charlotte, 33952

(941) 627-3888

NAUI PRO PLATINUM CAREER TRAINING CENTER

Water LIFE

Page 24

SAILBOAT WATERFRONT POOL/SPA HOME - Tile roof. Looking for that dream home, then look no further. This home located in Collingswood Pointe homes is on two lots.

Custom built thru-out. 4 BR + 4 Bath, built in 2000, 3585 Sq Ft. Circular drive and 3 plus car garage with plenty of parking space, dock, 9,000 boat lift and down the Manchester waterway to the Harbor. Gorgeous architect and landscaping makes this a true beauty, Italian tile on entrance of large columns and double glass front doors open to view of living room and pool/lanai area. Everything is oversized with large L shape lanai with summer kitchen with dcs cooking/grilling center, U–Line auto ice maker/refrigerator. Pool

Vacant Land

Port Charlotte Viscaya Dr.

Oversized freshwater canal lot close to schools & shopping in quiet neighborhood.

Priced right at $45,900, MLS #434977 Call Ellen

Port Charlotte Saltwater canal home w/new dock, minutes to the Harbor, 2/2 w/ 1208 sq. ft., new carpet throughout, remodeled bathrooms w/tiled floors & new cabinets, large kitchen w/office just around the corner, Florida room w/ new windows and solid wood ceiling, 2 carports & workshop, $254,900, MLS#435493, call Ellen.

August

MAGAZINE

2004

closet and hose bib in pool area with great view of lake. A gourmet kitchen to die for, wooden cabinets, solid surface counters, 48 inch sub zero style ref. Vegetable sink in Island and 2 breakfast bars. Double oven, one is convention also. 2 water heaters and 2 A/C units. 17-inch diagonal tile in all rooms except Berber in bedrooms.

A lovely master suit with his and hers walk-no closets and roman shower, commode closet, 2 vanity sinks, Sec. sys and intercom, niches and plants shelves every where. well and sprinkler sys for yard. Home features gas and electric. The list goes on and on. $1,200,000 MLS # 415288 Call Ellen McCarthy

Saltwater Canal Pool Home

Port Charlotte 3/2/2, 2022 sq. ft. built in 1989 w/ 10x12 dock to fish from, palm trees & many extras, $379,900, MLS#436317, Call Ellen Today!

This home shows pride of ownership, living, family & dining room, kitchen w/breakfast bar & nook, pantry, cathedral ceilings, tile & carpet, 4 walk-in closets, 2 skylights, plant shelves, jetted tub in master bath, new roof in 2004, large lanai & many other extras.

Vacant Land North Port Roanoke Dr.

Great fresh water canal lot in area of newer homes w/easy access to I-75, golf & shopping. $59,850, MLS #430564, call Ellen

August

Water LIFE

2004

STINKS TO BE BAIT Barefoot Fishing

By Mi chael Hel l er Water LIFE Editor Life must often be perilous when you are a sardine. If another bigger fish is not chasing after you from below, then there are likely to be birds dive bombing you from above.

One minute a sardine could be swimming around picking tasty little nutrients out of the current and then the next thing he knows he could be in a fishermen’s net.

It was so for a number of pieces of bait over at Cape Haze last week.

We had motored down the west side of the Harbor, my friend Ralph and I, stopping here and there looking for bait and having no luck what-so-ever.

Finally we arrived in the vicinity of Cape Haze and began to idle around searching for those little silver flashes that tell you more whitebait is below.

We had no chum, so we took to the rodeo approach, a tag team with one man at the helm and the other on the bow – cast net loaded. We were at a slow idle on the combustion motor in about a foot-and-ahalf of water. Stay smooth, keep an eye out and throw the net. Nothing fancy.

We came upon several schools of small ballyhoo, silver blue in color swimming along at the surface, darting left and right in their geometric precision. Then there were some really big glass minnows that we

found, nice sized bait, but not what we were looking for.

We found plenty of pinfish, big ones, little ones and more than enough medium sized ones, but we both preferred sardines.

So our search went on, idling across grass flats and over sand holes in a world of yellow and dark green. Then we saw them.

Halfway down to the bottom, some a little deeper, schools of silver flashes, tightly packed and moving calmly. Whitebait.

The net flew and some were taken, another throw then a few more, and then more.

On a good day the Spanish sardines and the scaled sardines that make the prize local whitebait are so thick one throw can fill a very large baitwell. On other days, days like this one, motoring around like cowboys, it takes a lot longer.

It was probably an hour before we finally had barely enough bait, maybe only 100 pieces, but then we headed off fishing.

Life as a bait has only a few options.

Used to be, either you were eaten by something bigger or you ate something smaller.

Now there are cast nets and guys like us that sardines have to worry about.

Once captured by an enterprising fisherman the life of a sardine can take several turns, not many of which are considered in the world of bait, to be fortuitous.

First chance is is the one the bait thinks

Food for Thought

The 9/11 Report was released in Washington last month. In that hefty volume it took 585 pages to outline world-wide problems and make suggestions for the security of the nation.

The federal governmentʼs SW Florida Environmantal Impact Study, on the other hand, took 500 pages just to label boaters as a threat to manatees and justify a ban on dock building.

MAGAZINE

is best. He simply escapes. Granted, that puts him back in the eat or be eaten chase, but it’s better than the other options, like a hook in the nose, which has to change your outlook.

The best of the worst options would be to be stuffed into a Whiffle ball bat and then flung back out as chum – again it’s live or be eaten, but escape is still a component. Another less than ideal ending would be transitioning to the world of injured chum, where you could be squeezed into physical rupture and then thrown out or batted out as a fibrulating attractant to either flutter and die or be eaten in the midst of your misery. Still worse might be the cut-bait scenario, but sardines, at least live local sardines seldom experience this.

But, there is still one other ending to the baitfish life and death cycle. It is a most horrendous, heinous and unthinkable ending for a baitfish. It’s the one where the pinfish come.

For a sardine there is nothing worse than to have a school of pinfish surround you and begin to peck at you.

That’s what happens you know. It’s the biggest hazard in the sardine’s world and why they like to school up for protection.

You’ve probably seen it yourself. You reel in your bait and it feels a little lazy.

You pick up the line and examine the sardine on the end only to find the eyeballs

Page

25

are gone, pecked away. When the clear daylight shines through from one side to the other, that’s the mark of a pinfish attack.

Life is not good when you are a lone sardine and the pinfish are around.

Page

26

Water LIFE

Pinfish Tactics for Great Summer Fishing

By Capt. Chuck Ei chner Water LIFE Gasparilla Editor The sun-baked waters of Charlotte Harbor are teaming with a terrific baitfishthe pinfish. Pinfish are a favorite menu item for just about everything that swims in the shallows and offshore. The’re a hardy bait, easy to keep alive, wiggle like crazy on the hook and cast well on light tackle. Pinfish have a spiny dorsal fin and pectorals that easily prick you when handling them- thus their namesake. Soft rayed fish like the pilchard or the herring and sardine families are also a favorite and are certainly easier to swallow, but pinfish must just taste irresistible.

The shallow grassbeds just about anywhere in Charlotte Harbor are full of pins right now. Pinfish are distinguished from whitebaits by their oval shape and slightly darker appearance. They basically look like a saltwater bluegill or bream. Pinfish have a tendency to rise off the bottom hovering in place and then drop abruptly as opposed to racing around in vast schools over the grass. At times they look like silver dollars rolling on the bottom as they dart into the grass for safety. Easy enough to catch with a castnet, use any chum including canned catfood or jack mackerel, dry chum fish powder or any fishy mixture will do.

Toss small amounts into the water and they should come within seconds.

Generally, 1-2 feet finds the smaller pinfish up to the size of a silver dollar. Bigger pinfish will be found in the deeper potholes in the 2-4 foot range and run 3-7 inches. I look for white sandholes in the middle of grassbeds and position my boat so that the bow faces the sandhole. This way I can see the fish come to the bait and also helps from catching too much grass with the castnet. A small castnet will do just fine because the waters are chock full right now.

If you don’t own a castnet, you can hookand-line these baits with tiny hooks and

MAGAZINE

August

2004

small pieces of fresh shrimp.

HOW TO HOOK A PINFIS H I use 4 primary methods as follows: 1) Hook through the nostril 2) Hook through the lips from bottom through the top 3) Hook in the back behind the dorsal just above spine 4) Hook in the belly just below organs

Because you will likely have several different size pinfish in your well, you need to match the hook size to the baitsize. For small baits use a smaller hook. Seems obvious, but a larger hook kills the bait and also weighs it down stifling its action.

I like the thin wire hooks because they inflict less damage and are easy to penetrate the tough skin. On small pinfish, hook the fish through the lips as they seem to last longer this way. My preference with larger pinfish is through the nostrils.

Hooking through the back causes them to wiggle frantically and generally dive to the bottom.

TECHNIQUES FOR FLATS FIS HING Fl oat Fi shi ng- Use 30 pound test leader connected directly to your running line. Place a float about 1-2 feet above the hook. I prefer to use a small weighted float because it allows you to cast a small bait long distances. You can hook the pinfish through the back and he will dig for the bottom or through the nose or mouth and he’ll swim wildly in place. The pinfish has a tendency to do circles and a quick snap of the rod will stop him from twisting the leader up.

Freel i ne Fi shi ng- A simple method of fishing with a leader and hook only.

Hook the pin through the nostril or mouth and cast into sweet looking spots. Allow your bait to free swim and hang on!

Ji g heads- Some areas around mangrove islands will allow you to use an open

A ʻscoupʼ full of pinfish out of the livewell

or weedless jighead if the weeds aren’t too heavy. A red 1/8 oz jighead with a pinfish hooked through the mouth is a great search bait for covering lots of water. You can chuck-and-wind just like fishing a lure with the advantage of long pauses allowing your bait to settle when the perfect cast is made way under a bush.

TECHNIQUES FOR OFFS HORE FIS HING S l i der Ri g- Use 30-inches of 40 pound test leader attached to a 60-pound barrel swivel with a 2/0-5/0 hook on the business end. Slide a one ounce slip sinker up your running line (more or less depending on tides and currents) and tie to a barrel swivel. This is a great all around rig for fishing wrecks or drifting ledges and dropoffs. This rig allows the bait to get down deep but allows you to feed line out as the fish takes the bait without the fish feeling the weight.

Freel i ne, Ji gheads and Fl oat Fi shi ng- Basically the same rigging

Pinfish: A Hardy Breed

Pinfish are a tough species. When we got back to the beach complex after a recent fishing trip we took this pinfish out of the live well, wraped it in wet plastic and put it in our pocket. Then we drove home (a mile away) and put the fish on our computerʼs scanner to create the image you see here. Fianlly, we took the pinfish out back to the canal, released him and watched him swim away! ET: 4 minutes!

techniques as for flats fishing above, however you will need to modify your leader and hook size to match the specie. When anchored, hook through the back and drop down. When drifting the mouth or nose hookup will allow the bait to track in the current.

OTHER PINFIS H TACTICS Not only are pinfish a feisty wiggling bait but they have an incredible scent factor.

I think gamefish can sometimes smell a pinfish. To take advantage of this you can add racing stripes to the package. Use a sharp knife and cut 3 superficial slices on each side of the pinfish. This will release a scent trail and most of the time, the pin will still be active. Great for shark, tarpon and redfish.

PINFIS H ALS O MAKE GREAT CUTBAIT. Sometimes bottom feeders in the warm summer waters don’t want to chase a bait but will scarf up a tasty fresh piece of pinfish laying on the bottom. You can use chunks or strips. I often chum with pinfish chunks and drift cut pinfish in the chum line. Just about anything that swims will eat it. Catch a well full of pinfish and you’re gonna have action!

Cap t . Ch uck Ei ch n er o p erat es A ct i o n

Water LIFE

Benefit Tourney Draws 65 Boats August

2004

LOOKING GOOD! Left to right: Jenn Sheridan, Tori Opsaha and Jenn Trainor finished 7th in the 65 team field with these good looking fish.

S t aff R eport This tournament was a benefit for Mindy Lewis and her baby Calib.

Mindy is suffering from cancer and this was our community’s way of helping her out.

Thirty seven boats out of the 65 entered weighed in fish, 26 of them weighed in two fish. The biggest red was 7.61 pounds and there were four fish weighed that were over 7 pounds.

With a weight of 13.66 pounds Capt Wally Thomas and the ScreenPrint Plus team walked away with the first place check for $1,500 . Due to the high mortality of redfish kept for extended periods of time in the summer heat dead fish were allowed to be weighed in with a 1 pound penalty. About $10,000 was raised for the Lewis family.

Things we saw for the first time at the Lewis Memorial Tournament

A welded galvanized poling platform?

Carpet for your flats boat?

WAT E R WAY

A fish that was 1/1,000 of an inch too big?

BOAT LIFT COVERS

PROTECT YOUR BOAT FROM NATUREʼS MOST DAMAGING ELEMENTS

CUSTOM BUILT TO YOUR BOAT LIFT

• Patented Double Rail for Ultimate Strength & Safety • Mold and Mildew Resistant • UV Protected • Fire Resistant • Maintenance Free • Quick Release System for Easy Removal

941 - 505-0237

toll free 877-201-3606

www.waterwayboatliftcovers.com

MAGAZINE

Page

27

Page

Water LIFE

28

MAGAZINE

August

The Water Water LIFE Distributorʼs Club

2004

1595 McCall Rd (cr 776-771)

697-1556

1360 Tamiami Trail, Port Charlotte

625-0200

4265 Tamiami Trail Port Charlotte 941•625•2700

182 deluxe rooms & suites * Boat dock on premises * Banquet & meeting facilities up to 400 * Large Fishing Pier * Waterfront Restaurant & Lounge * Heated outdoor pool with Tiki Bar * Nightly Entertainment

For All Your Fishing and Boating Needs!

300 Retta Esplanade Punta Gorda

941-639-1165 1-800-525-1022

BEST Get t i ng BETTER” Visit “The us at: 4265 Tamiami Trail B & F Smokehouse RestaurantPort Charlotte, FL 33952 1 0 8 Ri o Vi l l a Dr, Punta Go rda • 6 3 7 -7 7 1 9 941•625•2700 Featuring smoked ribs, pork, beef & chicken westmarine.com Contact us for all your catering needs

615 Taylor Road Punta Gorda 941•637•0000

For All Your Fishing and Boating Needs!

Visit us at: 4265 Tamiami Trail Port Charlotte, FL 33952 Punta Gorda Port Charlotte 941•625•2700 Englewood westmarine.com Northport Shell Gas Stations

Water LIFE is NOT affiliated with any newspaper or other publication.

1720 So. McCall Road, Englewood 941•473-2070

For All Y and Boa

Visit us a 4265 Tam Port Char 941•625•2 westmari

August

2004

Fishing Now

By Don Cessna Water Life Englewood As the dog days of summer set in, the fishing in local waters has changed and an adjustment in both targeted fish and tactics should be made.

Very warm water and the incursion of fresh water from the rain and subsequent run off causes a major change in the habits of the fish especially in inshore waters. The water is darker now too, so a good pair of polarized sunglasses can help you see deeper into the darker water. Redfish are still being caught both inshore and out from the beaches.

I suggest the inshore waters might be more dependable this month. Both frozen and live shrimp along with many artificials will work to catch redfish.

There is also an abundance of mangrove snapper which are thick under many of the docks.

Most of these fish are just legal or undersize. Don’t be one of the folks who, when removing the hook, are suddenly chomped on the finger by that feisty little fish with a bad temper. Snapper easily

will draw blood with those sharp fangs. There are also some sheepshead under the docks with those snapper. Snapper and sheepshead both enjoy frozen or live shrimp and some of the other locally found crustaceans such as sand fleas and fiddler crabs. Just keep the bait and hooks small enough for their tiny mouths.

Large snook are also lurking under the docks, but can be really difficult to interest until after dark or before sunrise in the morning.

Many folks are also fishing the beaches early in the morning for snook, but remember, snook are still out of season until September 1 so release snook carefully, please.

There are always some surprises this time of year. My dad had caught a big blue fish in Lemon Bay and some large pompano under the docks there recently.

Don’t be surprised if you catch an occasional grouper in Lemon Bay either, since this is one of there inshore hang outs.

Normally most fishermen begin to downsize artificials and the baitfish they use when the water gets warm. Local fish however are still taking large baits. I still see schools of these larger bait fish everywhere.

Water LIFE

MAGAZINE

The docks seem to be far more productive now than the shorelines. Fishing the docks for fish large enough to burn off some drag would be one occasion to opt for braided line. If you are lucky enough to hook a large fish it will hold up longer into the fight especially when you get dragged into the dock’s pilings.

Many anglers use 25 pound fluorocarbon leader anywhere from 20 inches to several feet long, but around the pilings I’d keep it short.

My friend Dave had a 38-percent snook-take on a Top Dog Jr. the other night. Several fish hit the lure at the edge of the boat’s shadow and struck that T.D. several times before finding a hook.

If you like fishing with a jig, jigs with plastic tails are always an excellent choice. Chartreuse, root beer, white, and what we call salt and pepper are great colors.

One local guide swears that the new gold flecked color is the hot ticket right now, but someone else you ask might have another opinion. The key is to stick with what works for YOU. Right now any lure with the body shape of a shad or a shrimp is fine as is the slug type body.

These are very versatile baits and

can be fished slowly with no weight and twitched or they can be fished on a jig head, either retrieved slow or fast.

Out in the Gulf, some real nice sized yellowtail snapper have been in our area along with plenty of big mangrove snapper. It is almost essential to chum these fish so they will congregate and rise to the boat. Rig lighter for a day of snapper fishing, a 2 ounce egg sinker would be about the largest needed. Snapper are crafty bait stealers so you really need a good feel for what is happening.

Cut bait (fish or squid) is a good choice and, as always, frozen and live shrimp will be dependable snapper bait as well.

Some black grouper are being caught off the wrecks and in the holes 20 miles out, while the bigger grouper are offshore quite a way in 60 feet of water.

Shark fishing continues to be dependable and catfish are bigger than usual.

Go get ‘em!

Don@Ray’s Bait & Tackle 480 W. Dearborn St. Englewood, FL. 34223 (941) 473-1591 Two blocks north of the Indian Mound Boat Ramp

Page

29

12 year old C.J. from Medina Ohio with a 4-pound pompano caught in Lemon Bay last month.

Page

30

Water LIFE

August

MAGAZINE

August Fishing Forecast Charlotte Harbor

Robert at Fi shi n' Franks Port Charl otte: 625-3888

FLATS-BOAT-UTILITY

Charlotte County Sheriffis Officer Kirk Alumbaugh, left, with D.J. Elliott and a sailfish caught last month off Islamorada.

August is always a tricky month, with typical afternoon thunderstorms and even the potential for a hurricane.

Most people plan their trips for morning in August and try to be home by

afternoon. Tarpon will be predominant in the harbor this month. This is a good time to dig out the artificial lures that tarpon will really eat like the DOA Bait Buster and the Calcutta Flash-Foil minnow impersonator.

Most of the tarpon in the harbor this year are a little smaller - in the 40-to 80-pound range, but that could change. The smaller the tarpon the more jumps you get out of them.

2004

Redfi sh will be the number two species in August, way up under the mangroves will be your best bet since the fish will be sitting out of the sun.

There will also be quite a few reds along the beaches and in the passes.

Bait of choice is frozen shrimp, live pinfish and an assortment of frozen and cut baits. Even a small blue crab could get a redfish’s attention.

Continued on facing page

August

2004

Fishing Report Continued from facing page

S nook will be the by-catch of redfishing this month with quite a few fish still out along the beaches. By the end of this month the snook will slowly start trickling back into the harbor. Night fishing will still produce the larger fish when it comes to snook. Jigs, Bombers, MirroLures will all work. Live pinfish or greenbacks work well too, but the little finger-whiting that you can catch with a cast net along the beaches are the best.

S hark and cobi a should have a good presence this month, especially along the piers. El Jobean and the Placida Trestle should both be phenomenal spots for them and most of the sharks will be in the two-to-five foot range.

Another fish to look for this month is tri pl etai l . Fish out around the channel markers and crab traps in the harbor. Use small free lined shrimp, that is absolutely candy for tripletail.

If you are willing to get up early and go offshore when the weather is calm the permi t fishing has been real good right now. Try the Boxcars or the Bayronto sites. The fish will be just slightly below the surface.

Grouper are good, but the local snapper has been phenomenal this year. AJs and boni to will also come in closer to shore this month chasing the big schools of glass minnows that are out there.

Sailing Events Calendar

Aug 6 5:00 pm Summer Sailing Race #6, Dick Potter, 575-8667 Aug 11 7:00 p.m. PGSC Monthly Meeting PGSCWEB.com

Aug 21 10:00 a.m.

Small Boat Racing Dennis Peck, 627-6650

Sept 3-6 Regatta: Sarasota Sailing Squadron, Dick Potter, 575-8667

Sept. 3-6 Naples Summerset Regatta, Bob Anderson, 505-8933

B BIIG G-4 4 TRIPLETAIL are showing up and theyʼre eating

Lemon Bay

Water LIFE

A Au ug gu us st tʼs ʼs B Be es st t B Be et ts s

TARPON are now all over the Harbor

Ji m at Fi shermen’s Edge Engl ewood: 697-7595

Fishing has been pretty good. Out on the beach this morning they were still fighting tarpon. There will definitely be some tarpon in the harbor this month, that’s a definite.

S nook will be really good on the beach. Snook really love those mutton minnows and the small little whiting found along the shore. They are so shiny everything will eat those mutton minnows. In August, there will be snook in the bay, but you have to move around to see where they are staging up.

The prime fish most guys key on this month is redfi sh. They usually school up in big herds in August. We will start finding them at the top of Bull Bay, near Whidden’s creek and at Cayo Pelau, those are the traditional places. A lot of the bait used will be white bait and small pinfish. For artificials I’ve been selling a lot of the Exude baits, like their RT slugs.

Offshore, fishing has been fairly decent. Guys have caught some dol phi n, and grouper is good in the 28 mile range. Mangrove snapper are

SHARKS are still here, but most fish are smaller now

Powered by

Summer Shark Tournament

625-3888

OF

n August 1st: Memorial Service, 10 a.m.

at the Novak Reef, off Gasparilla Pass

n August 4th: Inshore Fishing Seminar, West Marine, Port Charlotte, Capt. Fred

Winters, 5:30 p.m., 625-2700

n August 6: Lobster Season Opens n August 6-7th: Redfish Challenge,

Tournament, Cape Coral Yacht Club, (239) 573-3122

n August 7th: Summer Shark, Sailcat and Stingray Tournament, Fishinʼ

Franks, cash prizes, 625-3888

n August 14th: Redfish Tournament,

Page

REDFISH will be in the back country under the bushes

thick in Boca Grande pass, at Little Gasparilla Pass and in the inshore waters.

Fish in the 15 Fishinʼ Franks inch range have August 7th been common and some guides Shark are reporting 25 Stingray keepers a day.

Sailcat They were Cash Prizes using 1 and 1-0 circle hooks, and telling me how easy it was.

A lot of s harks will still be around.

A lot of big sharks, monster bul l s harks , Check in by 3:30 Saturday, fish all are in the pass night and be back with your catch again now. The before 9 a.m Sunday - A local tradition early morning tarpon fishermen are again crabs, permit crabs. loosing a lot of fish to sharks. A lot For bass fishing the seismic jerk of bl ack ti ps have been caught near baits like a horny toad frog from Devilfish Key lately as well.

Uncle Josh are the really hot baits There is still quite a bit of whi t- right now. Bl uegi l l are really i ng along the beach and we’re get- good as well. Little crickets and ting reports of permi t as well. I’ve grasshoppers are the bait for been selling a lot of the small blue them.

CALENDAR

Benefit for the PopWarner sports program,

Punta Gorda.

MAGAZINE

EVENTS

n August 25th: Offshore Fishing,

Seminar, West Marine, Port Charlotte,

Capt. Dan Cambern, 5:30 p.m., 625-2700 n Sept 3: Olʼ Mossy Classic

Tournament, Punta Gorda, produced by Laishley Marine and San Carlos Marine,

$36,000 payout, $15,000 first place prize

based on 80 boats. (914) 815-0261

n Sept 11: Flatsmasters Red & Snook Tournament, third round of the series Punta Gorda, 629-9948

n Sept 17-18: Ranger/Yamaha Redfish

Pro Tour Tournament and Punta Gorda, Harbor Fest, 639-3868

Please send us your event calendar information See Page 4

Fishing

HOT!

RIGHT NOW:

31