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LETTERS
Beginnerʼs Luck… Itʼs True!
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TO
Itʼs July 1 at 5:00 in the morning. We had just gotten done working on the paving project on I-75. I have noticed that my co-worker is always stressed – at work or out of work. Itʼs always about work for him. I asked him if he likes to fish. He said that he used to fish in Michigan with his father but, had never been fishing down here. As a matter of fact, he had never been saltwater fishing. I asked him what he enjoys doing to relax when he is not working….there So I said “OK, Mark, itʼs time to take you fishinʼ” and off we went. I have lived here for 10 years and have never caught a snook over the 10 pound mark. Now, I have lost a few but, never have never been lucky enough to bring in the big one. See where is this going? Mark Slomski has lived here for about 3 years. He has never used a spinning reel and he is left handed. So, I changed the handle around on the Stradic 4000. I tied on a Bass Assassin soft plastic jig with a red 1/8 ounce Strike King jig head attached to 25 pound fluorocarbon leader which is attached to 15 pound power pro. All sitting on a Diawa Coastal 12-17 pound class rod. A wee bit lite for big snook, you would think. Ok, so Mark is practicing casting now. Kind of funny watching all the “air knots” in the line as he casts. I was standing right next to him casting a Rapala X-Rap XR-10 and the next thing -a 10foot ft sea cow swimming directly under us. Mark was in amazement and the expression on his face was priceless. Then a dolphin started frolicking about 50 feet away. There was bait every where. He said it sounded like rain on the water. “ ...hey Lee, Itʼs raining again!” Ok, now for the good stuff. His first saltwater
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catch was huge, A 100th of an ounce glass minnow…huge! Next was a ¾ pound sugar trout which, tore the soft plastic jig to shreds. I took the jig off and cut about an 1 inch off of it and re-rigged it. So, now he is casting a 2 inch jig with half of a tail. The reel starts peeling off and Mark says very quietly and with not much expression (thatʼs how Mark is), “ I think I have one.” The fish launches out of the water and heads right at us and towards the pilings. I can see Mark getting a wee bit nervous. Now the snook is tired, but resting in some rocks and making me nervous. I didnʼt want to lose it so I climbed down to the rocks and got the Boga Grip on it. Let me recap. 100th of an ounce glass minnow, ¾ ounce trout. Ready? 14 ½ pound 38 inch snook………Beginners luck! Lee Strausse Port Charlotte
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Caption added directly onto photo by letter-writer: Editor Notes* ... &$%#**@ DONʼT DO THIS AGAIN!
because we produce food for all, not just a few. Most of the people I hear about want a dozen shrimp, 8 claws and a 2lb pompano for $3.00 ... but go catch them somewhere else, overseas, and leave us to harvest what we can as so called Sportsmen.
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PIRATE TOURNAMENT Introduces Charlotte vs Port Charlotte High School Fishing Rivalry
Staff Report “This is the first year of what we hope will become an annual rivalry between Charlotte High and Port Charlotte High schools,” Gary Ingman, president of Ingman Marine in Port Charlotte,” said after the event. Ingman’s business is the top sponsor of the Pirate Redfish Tournament which encompasses the ‘event within an event’ rivalry. “We have a trophy which will hang at the Goal Post Restaurant. Every year the new winer will be enscribed on a plaque and added to the trophy,” Ingman explained. The Pirate Redfish Tournament is a benefit for the Port Charlotte High School athletic program. The inter-school competition was won by the team member who caught the largest legal redfish. It went to Matt Hoke, an angler fishing from Charlotte High School who weighed in a 7.34 pound red. “We did-
n’t really care who won,” Ingman said, noting that anglers competed as either a student, alumni, or faculty member. “But it would have been nice if Port Charlotte won,” Ingman added. In the end it was the team of brothers Bill, John and David Hoke (top left photo) with a combined two fish weight of 14.19 pounds that not only won the inter school rivalry but also took home the Hewes Tailfisher boat with a Yamaha motor and trailer, the first place prize, provided by Ingman Marine. A sidelight of the tournament was the competition for the redfish with the most spots. “At least we got something,” Ingman said. Ingman’s son Jordan brought back a redfish with 15 spots to take the prize. A total of 66 fish were weighed in, there were 47 boats entered.
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Itʼs Still all About the Water
Mi chael Hel l er Water LIFE Editor We are just back from a couple of weeks in upstate New York. This is the time of year that people fall in love with New York’s greenery. The rolling fields are all lush, the streams and creeks are running, the canopy of trees along the country roads make it cool and secure. We travelled around the back roads, my wife Ellen and I, reminiscing about where we both grew up. In a few months the leaves would be turning brown and the bare grey open landscape of winter would appear, but for now it was summer. My wife had found a house to rent for a week, a house just down the road from where she grew up. It was a cute little blue farmhouse surrounded by terraced gardens, rock walls and steps and right on the bank of Wappinger’s Creek. In the morning, taking our coffee on the deck along the creek, we watched ducks and geese bathe while turtles sunned themselves on the bank. Every evening, right after the lightening bugs came out, a doe and her fawn came to graze in the tall grasses along the shore. Muskrats spent most of the day working on their burrows, even a heron stopped by to drink one afternoon. It was as if every animal had its own time slot and day after day they all appeared right on cue. We explored the creek bank and found abundant bullfrogs that croaked and groaned and filled the little hollow with
their deep reverberations until long after dark. In the evening, bats in search of flying bugs silhouetted themselves appearing and disappearing from amongst the branches up against the sky. One day we walked the shore of the creek down about 100 yards to where the old mill once stood. A hand riveted relic lay half submerged in the sandy stream bed, a pipe reaching up like a hand from the past. This is Revolutionary War country. The building across the road from the house we rented was built in 1774, the area is criss crossed with revolutionary era stone walls and trails. People and animals have been traversing this place for a long time, and yet it is still clean and pristine. Geographically, the area may best be described as a little dip in the rolling hillsides of the Hudson River Valley – a ‘hollow’ is what they called it back when men carried muzzle loaders and the Indians were still around. The colonists named it – Clinton Hollow after New York’s Governor George Clinton, governor during the Revolutionary War. Sitting on the deck I pulled out my laptop and did a Google-Earth search for Clinton Hollow. It zoomed right in on the creek, we could see the house we were in – Clinton Hollow is that small. A little pond of water, a running stream and a small dam, yet it sustained a myriad of life. While I was on my laptop I checked my email. Among the correspondences
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was a column from a Hardee County Florida newspaper. Things happening in Hardee County catch my eye because Hardee is the Phosphate capital of Florida and I like to keep tabs on what those guys upstream from the harbor are doing. The column noted that the mining company was moving it base of operations to Desoto County. ‘Moving south’ it said. This was not good news – the first subtle little move, a consolidation of mining resources...in the south. Phosphate mining is a dirty business. I’ve seen pictures of the Peace River all milky white after a phosphate dam broke upstream. I’ve see the giant sinkhole that let a lake full of sulphuric acid run straight into the aquifer. I looked around Wappinger’s Creek, it was so peaceful. Progress had come an gone through this part of New York a
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Similar colors: Top NY, unspoiled since 1774. Below: Fla phosphate mining today
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thousand times and yet it is still a place where wild animals live. Colonial settlers hooked a millstone to a water wheel and used it to make flour. Center Road, the main drag, has run along the creek for over 200 years, and yet there is no trash, no soapy frothing foam in the water. Civilization has been gentle to the environment in this part of New York. I hope in another 250 years someone can say the same thing about the Peace River and the place where we now live.
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On The Line
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F i s h i n g w i t h R o n C a p t .
By Capt Ron Bl ago Water LIFE Senior Staff Even with the high heat and all the rain, fishing has been pretty good lately. So far this year there have been no red tide or algae blooms in our area – even the manatees seem happy. Economically speaking, it’s been pretty depressed. With record home foreclosures and 7.5 percent unemployment I guess the only thing a poor boy can do is go fishing. In Lemon Bay there have been good numbers of trout and redfish. What has surprised me has been the large number of big bluefish we have been catching. These 3 to 4 pound fish will take a bite out of anything that comes their way. I had an old-timer years ago, tell me that bluefish are just as good on the table as any other fish as long as you treat them right. Ice them down well, clean them as soon as you can and cut out the dark blood vein from the fillets. One of my standby ways to prepare them is to dry the fillets and salt and pepper them. Cover the bottom of a baking dish with the blues and cover the fillets with mayonnaise. Cover with a can of chopped tomatoes. Top that with seasoned Italian bread crumbs and throw them in a hot oven (425F) until the fillets are white and flaky (12min). Just before serving, top with grated Parmesan cheese. There is no oily taste. Now that tarpon season has slowed down in Boca Grand Pass, this is a good time to fish there. That pass holds alot of fish besides tarpon. Good numbers of legal sized grouper are available for those who are willing to risk losing their tackle on the rocky bottom. At times there are good numbers of mangrove snapper in the ship channel near the bell marker. I like to just slow drift there on an incoming tide using a half oz. weight and a piece of cut sardine. When they are there, you get a lot of them real quick. Saves you the trouble of running offshore. Recently in the Sarasota paper they
Bluefish abound in the Lemon Bay/ Charlotte Harbor area this year. Shown here Capt Ralph Allen with a healthy bluefish caught on live bait last month.
have been running articles about people catching sailfish 70 miles offshore. Not many fishermen realize that when you get way offshore in the Gulf of Mexico you get into some of the best fishing in the world. Sailfish, wahoo, yellowfin and even bluefin tuna are out there in fairly high numbers. The trouble is how do you get out there and more importantly how do you get back alive? It would be nice if you were a millionaire with a 70-ft yacht so you could just run out there and go fishing anytime you wanted. Several years back, when I lived in Sarasota, several of my friends addressed that problem. The first thing they tried was to make friends with a guy who had a 70-ft yacht and talked him into towing three 20-foot open fisherman style boats out 40 miles. The plan work out pretty good going out, except it was pretty slow going. But coming back it was a different story. They ran into rough weather and those three boats were bobbing up and down like popping corks in a hurricane. When they finally got back they all swore they would never do it again. The next attempt involved hiring a fuel barge to go 40 miles offshore the night before. The boys would run out, re-fuel at the bargego fishing then refuel again for the trip home. It worked out pretty well except for the high cost of fuel ... and remember, gas was under a dollar back then.
Everything worked out good until one Saturday morning as they were going out they ran into the barge 20 miles offshore, dead in the water with a dead motor. They spent the rest of the rest of the day taking turns towing the barge back home. What got me thinking about that story was all the talk about offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. Now don’t get me wrong- I’m not in favor of big oil-oil spills or beaches covered in goo, but let’s face it – oil platforms make great fishing structures. The oil platforms in the northern Gulf provide some great fishing for billfish, yellowfin tuna and red snapper. Would a few natural gas wells out about
30 miles offshore- where you couldn’t even see them - be so bad? Just think about it.
Capt Ron can be reached for questions or charters at 941-474-3474
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Offshore Report for August By Capt. Stev e Skev i ng to n Water LIFE Offshore There is a great red grouper bite that's going on just over the horizon this month. If you can get 40-50 miles offshore you will be rewarded with some absolute slob-size red grouper and a few true American red snapper. (Check for closed season before fishing) Drifting with cut bait is a great way to find and catch these fish, and you get to cover a lot of great bottom in the process. As soon as you get a few bites just anchor-up and pull some more. Don't be surprised to run across a few
nice dolphin and black-fin tuna while you are out there – leaving a live sardine flat-lined out behind the boat is a good way to hook up with a few of these guys. Once you hook up with one of these fish you'll forget about bottom fishing real quick. Some friends of mine are talking about the great wahoo and dolphin bite out past 50 miles going on right now. For those of us that can still afford that kind of fuel bill, this month’s going to be some of the best fishing of the year. Let’s talk about night time for a minute – the night time or "sunset shark
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bite " has been nothing short of great all summer long. If your looking at fishing as a recreational sport, and in this day and age you should be, then shark fishing is about as good as it gets around here. You leave the dock around 6pm (so it’s not too hot to breath any more) you set-up on anchor just a couple miles off the beach, and then start chumming. Before the sun has a chance to set you should be hooked up into a nice shark. Sharks of almost every size will showup in your slick. We are getting them from 10-pound brown-nose all the way up to 12-13 foot hammerheads! With light tackle this is true sport fishing at its best. There are two more night time fish I would like to mention, the big mang's and yellow tail snapper that think they can tear your arms off. I am not going to give away too much, just think deep wrecks, chum, and light tackle. That's all there is to it, now all you
Letter to Governor Crist
My name is Tommy Brock and I'm writing on behalf of many home owners and condominium owners on Manasota Key in Englewood Florida. I would like to bring to your attention that the decision to remove the geotextile tubes from Stump Pass was done by the DEP without much local attention. Therefore, most people were unaware of this decision and had no input.
After reading the reports by Dr.Clifford L.Truitt, P.E., of Coastal Tech Corporation and Dr. Bill Edge of Edge and Associates, I have come to the conclusion that they feel the tubes have been a success and could stop erosion on the south end of the key if they were adjusted and more tubes were added. Although none of these reports addressed the coastline north of the tubes, it is obvious to all of the boaters and homeowners in the area that the tubes are helping the coastline and maintaining the pass depth.
There were also hurricanes prior to the
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have to do is exercise some restraint when you are pulling these fish over the gunnels faster than you can drop your next bait. Count your fish, it’s so easy on this kind of trip to slip past your limit in a hurry, so know the law before you go, and again count your fish. Capt Steve can be reached for charter at (941) 575-3528 or at www.paradisefishingcharters.com
tubes being installed that caused erosion on the south end of the key.
The Charlotte County Beaches and Shore Advisory Committee,Charlotte County Marine Advisory Committee, and Charlotte County Board of County Commissioners all disagree with removing the tubes. Also Rep. Michael Grant is sending a letter to the DEP.
According to DEP, the two reasons for the tubesʼ removal are; they were installed incorrectly and they have diminished turtle nesting habitat due to beach front erosion.
The only erosion is south of the tubes, which is a small portion of the total coastal beach area on Manasota Key.
We would like for you to contact Michael Sole at DEP and see if he will reverse the decision to remove the tubes, and give the experiment more time by lowering the tubes and adding more tubes, per Dr Bill Edgeʼs recommendation. Thank You, Tommy Brock
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Geo Tubes Again in the News By Capt. Ron Bl ago Water LIFE Senior Staff The last time Stump Pass was dredged the question came up concerning what could be done to prevent, or slow down sand from filling in the pass again. The traditional method of keeping a pass open involves sucking the sand out of the pass and dumping it on the adjoining beaches, it gets the job done but it sure is expensive and it does change the environmental structure of the shoreline. Anyone who fishes for snook off the beaches will attest to that. Most passes, at least the ones on the East Coast, are protected by rock jetties which use the force of the tides to keep the pass open (the Venice Jetty is an example in our area). This has two effects; the up-stream beach gains sand because the jetty blocks the sand; the down-drift beach loses sand and will erode. This is just one of those scientific facts that comes with passes - one beach wins and one beach loses when it comes to the sand war. Most communities just accept the fact they have to pay the cost of dumping sand to re-nourish their beach. For the Stump Pass project they decided to try something different to slow down the sand migrating and filling the pass. A series of six hydraulically filled geo- textile tubes filled with sand were placed along the north side of Stump Pass in April of 2006. Geo-Tubes have been used around the world for over 30 years and have been successful as wave-breaks for coastal reclamation and erosion protection. Atlantic City, NJ last year just completed one of the largest Geo-Tubes projects in the U.S. The beach in front of the casinos was seriously eroding and there was a real danger of some of the casinos falling into the sea. To stop the erosion, they dug a ditch over a mile long down the middle of the beach and dropped in a geo-tube, which was filled with a slurry of sand and water. As the tubes filled, the water can passes through the textile fabric leaving behind a solid tube of sand. They then cover the tubes with sand, and what you have left is a buried sold tube of sand that look just like a beach should. Since the tubes don’t move there is no more erosion. Locally, Upham Beach in St. Pete also has a geotube project in progress that they say is saving them $3 million every two years in beach re-nourishment cost. The geo-tube experiment in Stump Pass was run by a company called Beach Restoration Inc. and paid for by the State DEP. In less then a year a large amount of sand had accumulated around the geotubes on the north side of the pass. Pictures were circulated showing a pretty substantial growth of beach at the southern end of Stump Pass Beach State Park. Most of us locals figured it was a sign of a successful project. Unfortunately that
seems to be the point in time when everything turned to bad. Almost immediately there appears to be a disagreement between DEP and Beach Restoration Inc as to the geo-tubes doing the job that was expected. You would think that for a $1 million project, that all sides would have agreed beforehand, what would be considered to be success and what would be failure, but I guess they didn’t think about that. Beach Restoration said – you wanted sand on the north side of the pass; you now have sand on that side. The DEP said that may be true, but the beach on the south side is eroding. Anyone who has been around here as long as I have knows that the shoreline of Palm Island always erodes. If I remember correctly there have been four separate beach re-nourishment projects to put the sand back on the beach; one project was even paid for by the property owners themselves. No one has presented any scientific evidence that can link the geo-tubes to erosion on Palm Island or any other place around the pass. Things got so heated that a study by a neutral third party was done to evaluate the project and the DEP’s own consultant said that the project was working as intended and recommended a few minor changes and a continuation of the project. But the DEP didn’t like those results and ordered Charlotte County to immediately remove the geo-tubes. The question for the DEP is why? The DEP has basically said that this is their project, that they paid for it and they have the right to stop the project and pull the tubes anytime they want. Legally, they are correct; but that doesn’t make them right. What is the harm in leaving the geo-tubes right where they are for at least another two years so scientists can get a better understanding of the success or failure of the project? Most projects of this type go on for at least 5 years anyway. At the very least the DEP should go on the record and tell us what effects the removal will have on Stump Pass. Will that sand plug the pass and will 10 years of hard work to keep Stump Pass open have been wasted? What will be the effect on water quality in Lemon Bay? Will it go back to being the turbid polluted water we had before the pass was opened? What about the seagrass, the manatees, the turtles and the shorebirds? Are we going to gamble on them? It seems like the DEP has a lot of questions to answer; but the biggest one is – since the DEP wanted the geo-tubes put in and they are the ones who want them out; will they be held responsible for the costs necessary to put us back in the same condition we were in before the experiment? Those Geo-Tubes should stay right where they are until we get the answer to that question. More Info:Andy.Stevens@charlotte.fl.com Capt Ron can be reached at 474-3474
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Top: Geo Tubes exposed in the low tide as Hurricane Katrina passed in 2005. Bottom: Artistʼs drawing of a geo tube underwater.
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A l l O v e r, U n d e r w a t e r
By Adam Wi l son Water LIFE Diving This month it felt as though we had just about covered the entire eastern Gulf of Mexico! From the wrecked shrimper Long Island off Sarasota to the wreck of the Fantastico off Sanibel and many ledges and reefs in between, we’ve been to them all. This was the first year we have found a nurse shark breeding site. Toward the middle of July the Fantastico was covered with very light colored nurse sharks, almost white. The light or white color can be a sign of breeding in reef fish. Nurse sharks carry their young for six months until they are born alive at about a foot long. It then takes the female 18 months to produce more eggs, so females only breed every two years and it is common for them to congregate around large structures for breeding, usually in July. Out deeper, we explored the wreck of the Long Island. She is an 80 foot shrimp boat that appears to have been intentionally scuttled as most of her expensive equipment had been removed. The wreck is known to harbor large AJ's, grouper and snapper. With a max depth of 160 feet the wreck is far enough from shore to allow average visibility in the 80 foot range. On our trip we discovered a winter like water temperature of 67 degrees from 100 feet down to the sand and visibility of maybe 15 feet. This may explain why the fishing the previous night was lousy! For the past several weeks now we have been encountering this incredibly cold and murky water out past 100 feet. The east coast is notorious for their cold water upwellings in mid summer – with long periods of west winds the warm surface water is blown offshore allowing the cold, deep water of the Atlantic to rise into the shallows. Bottom temperatures in the low 50's aren’t uncommon on the east coast even in the middle of July and August, but I have never experienced it here on the west coast before. Talking to some old timers I learned a theory which seems to make sense. With
the massive flooding this spring in the Midwest, huge amounts of water have been pouring into the Gulf from the center of the U.S. via the Mississippi River. Is it possible enough water has flooded down to push the cold water from the depths of the Gulf onto west Florida's Continental shelf? Diving in August is going to be a fine balance between our own rain stained near shore waters and the cold deep stuff. The good news is we did not have an algae bloom this summer and the shallow reefs have never looked better. We have been seeing more hogfish than ever in 50-70 feet on Swiss cheese bottom. This is the one positive to our years long drought. It would be nice to see how pristine our shallow reefs could really be if the natural flow of lake Okeechobee would be restored through the Everglades (and not out the Caloosahatchee) when we finally do catch up on our rainfall. Out a little deeper, the vis has been good in 100 feet and there have been some quality fish in that area too. Maybe chased in from the murky deep water, a recent dive on the Bayronto turned up 40 foot vis and several keeper amberjacks and snappers amongst huge schools of grunts and bait fish. We have also been seeing a lot of almaco jacks in 60 feet and deeper. Similar to a greater amberjack with the dark band across the eye, these no size limit/bag limit fish have a deeper, more compressed body than an AJ and longer more sickle shaped dorsal and anal fins. If you are confident, you can easily distinguish them from the juveniles of their bigger cousins, they are rated excellent table fare in every book I have seen them in and I always shoot them when I get the chance. Like amberjacks, if you shoot one the school tends to hang close to their fallen buddy, giving you a shot at a few more. The world's largest spearfishing tournament, the St. Pete Open, is also this month from August 15-17. This tourna-
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ment is designed for everyone regardless of experience level and usually hands out prizes to the very last place, with a special prize going to the actual last place contestant! For info visit their website: spearfishingspuc.org. We have a spot we recently discovered off Venice we plan on hitting for the tournament. It is a hole roughly 150 feet across that goes from 160 feet at the edge down to 180 feet in the middle. Dropping down I knew pretty quickly it was going to be our tourney spot. It is no secret hole as evidenced by monofilament line and beer cans, but it did have some submarine sized fish. Expect a full tournament report next month.
All Above: Diving the Fasntastico. Right: Divers setting up for the night over the Long Island.
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Screaming Reels
David Baca with a healthy oversized redfish caught locally in July.
By C apt A ndrew Medi na Water LIFE Charlotte Harbor With the storms that have been coming through in the afternoons, fishing the early morning and getting back before 3 pm has become the norm. This is not a unusual weather pattern, just SW Florida summer time. The bite early has been hot on top water plugs. We have been throwing smaller top waters, like the Sebile and the Spook Jr. But there is another bait that has got my interest lately along with interest from a lot of snook, redfish, and trout. This bait has been around for along time, but I have just never spent any time with it. The bait I’m talking about is the Berkley finger mullet. I always knew finger mullet was a daily diet of most fish – and this lure looks and acts exactly like one – and it is a blast just watching fish knock this old school bait out of the water. Redfish are schooling up across the sound and down around Indian fields. In Placida there are plenty of redfish willing to eat pinfish. We’re using pins now on a jig head, and just clipping the tail. There are also a lot of really big redfish showing up now around passes and at the Venice jetties. Fish up to 30-pounds are roaming around in the deeper water. Snook fishing has also been hot, with a lot of fish under docks and up river. Just about every shore line you go to will have slot or oversized snook on it. There is a pile of snook in Turtle Bay, around the bird sticks. These fish are all over 15-pounds, and a blast to catch. Dead bait, and a slow bite has been productive. It’s funny how such an awesome feeder like the snook will eat a piece of dead bait. Snook season is still closed for harvest, but catch and release is still a lot of fun. Trout fishing has been very hot with some 4-pound fish coming off the flats down in Pine Island Sßound. This is usually a wintertime bite, but may be due to all the fry white bait that stayed
around. Hitting potholes on the flats with a 3-X white jerk bait has been doing the trout trick very well. Tarpon seems to be in the harbor strong and will stay here throughout the month. Check around the bridge and along the sea wall at Laishley Park, early morning will produce the best bite. Top water and D.O.A shrimp have been getting a lot of tarpon hook ups. Also there are plenty of cobia in the harbor. Around the reefs and along the bars are good places to check. Some of these cobia have been ranging in size from 20- to 40-pounds. Dead bait or live silver trout has worked well on cobia. There are a lot of sharks running around in the harbor, the sharks are usually a by catch while fishing for tarpon and cobia. Unless that is what you are after, me personally I don’t target sharks that often. There have been some big sharks caught in the harbor recently, a 7foot hammerhead was caught in late July So there are still plenty of chances to get hooked up with a whole lot of mean. Bonita and jack is probably the best bait when fishing for shark. Just remember that most of your action will come on the morning bite before the sun heats the water. So get out early. Be safe on the water and just have fun.
Capt. Andrew Medina can be reached for charter info at 456-1540 or on the web at www.bentrods4u.com
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MAGAZINE
2008
Sometimes it takes the right combination of bracing and a low summer tide to make a repair on a length of seawall. This job was up the Peace River at Emerald Isles.
PROVIDED BY: Dave & Marlene Hofer RE/MAX Harbor Realty (941) 575-3777 dhofer@remax.net www.harborparadise.com Recent area news i tems
1. The application for the Peace River Botanical & Sculpture garden was sent back to Development Review this month. Neighbors of the benefactor's estate have been protesting for the last few months about the extra traffic that would be created from visitors.
Roger Tetrault and his wife have offered some 27 acres and a future donation of his large estate home on Riverside Drive to
be enjoyed perpetually by the people of Charlotte County. It certainly seems to be a project worthy of finding a creative solution to the development of the entrance to the new park while minimizing the disruption to the existing neighborhood. Supporters are being urged to petition to the Charlotte County Board to get behind the approval of this project.
2. The Charlotte County Board declined Tramell Webb's offer to let them spend an extra $20K/mo to have a professional real estate firm handle the development and marketing of Murdock Village.
3. Height restrictions were raised from 35 to 65' within the 1200' coastal area. Developers will provide more open space and other public amenities as payment for that benefit. 4. Holiday Corporation has announced plans to build a 115 unit independent living facility in North Port near Bobcat
Trail. America's largest operator of congregate resorts for elderly folks who don't need physical or medical assistance will be operated as a rental complex.
County building permits for new 5. single family residential was down 54% from last June. Apparently the "on again, off again" impact fee policy cooked up by Commissioners didn't create the "impact" that was hoped for ... or maybe it would have been even worse without the roll back. 6. Charlotte County assessed valuations plummeted 23% vs. Lee County's 17% decline. Tax bills will rise slightly for homesteaded taxpayers and will drop a bit for commercial, vacant and non homesteaded taxpayers. 7. Charlotte County's plans for a detox center got the go ahead.
8. The Burnt Store Road reverse osmosis facility will increase capacity by about 40% at a cost of $7.3 million. 9. The Charlotte County jobless rate climbed to 7.4% vs. 4.5% last year.
In other news: Punta Gorda Councilman Charles Wallace announced plans to lease 6,500 square feet in the new Sunloft building for a new restaurant. S al es S tati sti cs:
Transaction volume increased this month for homes and condos over June of '07 due to foreclosures being liquidated.
Lot sales were only 28 this month vs. 44 a year ago. Median prices show favoritism towards the lower end as they were down 24% vs. last year.
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ʻPunkedʼ
MAGAZINE
...in Antigua
S t aff R eport Antigua is a small tropical paradise located in the West Indies, approximately 400 miles east of Puerto Rico. Antigua has vast shallow shorelines and beaches that offer some great inshore fishing for tarpon, snook, bonefish and permit. Antigua also has some very productive natural reefs that are less than a mile from shore. We were planning a cruise and I came across Captain Phil on the internet. Then my wife and I met Capt. Phil at the dock when our cruise ship pulled into port. After a quick introduction we jumped in Capt. Phil’s 19 ft. Sea Pro and headed towards the mouth of St. Johns Harbor. Right off the bat we encountered several hundred birds hovering and dipping into the water as fish after fish crashed the surface. Capt. Phil quickly handed me a rod with a silver spoon. On my second cast the all too familiar crash of my lure came and my drag was singing. Capt. Phil yelled out “False Albacore,” and after a several minute fight I brought to the boat what I refer to as a Bonita in the 7-8 pound range. Although it was not the species we were after, Capt. Phil seemed to share the same feelings I have, that you can’t pass by feeding fish with out making a cast to them. After several more catches we headed south to a natural reef in about 20-25 feet of water. Capt. Phil threw out a drift sock and we started a slow drift over the reef. I was handed a heavy spinning outfit rigged with a ¾ ounce jig head with a white six- inch soft plastic tail. His instructions were pretty simple, cast out far from the boat, let your bait fall to the bottom and then start a
slow horizontal jigging retrieval back to the boat. My second cast produced a heart pounding strike. Up to the surface with relative ease came a 3 pound yellowtail snapper. I don’t know about you but I have never caught a yellowtail snapper in gin clear water using 50lb braided line with a 60lb mono leader, not to mention on artificial bait. I revealed this to Capt. Phil and he simply laughed and said “You do in Antigua.” After several more yellowtail I got a softer hit. This fish seemed to have eaten my bait and swam towards the boat in a downward motion. This caught me off guard and when I finally put heavy tension on the fish all hell broke loose. This fish literally brought me to my knees on the front deck. The drag was set very tight and yet I could hear the drag beginning to sing. Determined not to let this fish reach the jagged rocky bottom I began to pull with all I had, gaining a little bit of line back at a
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time. Just as you could see the color of the fish Capt. Phil yelled out “Mutton, Mutton”! The snapper once again sounded and brought me back to my knees, this time making it to the rocky bottom and breaking me off. My ego took a blow right there on the spot. Yes, Capt. Phil offered me those encouraging words that a captain does when a fish hands you your hat. But that didn’t seem to help. I just got my ass handed to me and everyone on the boat knew it. So I collected my composure went back at it. Over the next 3 ½ hours I threw the same rig, sometimes changing the color of my tail. And as fate would have it I had 6 more chances with the mighty Mutton Snapper of Antigua. And I am not pleased to announce that on every opportunity the “ass whooping” only got worse. I had no problem getting the 40 inch barracuda up, nor did I have any problems with the large horse eye jacks or 3-4 pound yellowtail, but every time I hooked a mutton snapper I got what my 13 year old son refers to as “punked.” I asked Capt. Phil how big he estimated the muttons were and he advised most muttons he catches were in the 20 pound range, but did offer a sympathy guess that I was probably hooking 30lb fish or better. Naturally I agreed. Capt. Phil was one of the most professional captains I have ever encountered. Although I only got to experience a little piece of what Antigua has to offer I will gladly once again (hopefully sooner than later) step up to the plate for some more mutton action. For more info on Capt. Phil v isit www.philsecofishing.com. Capt Rob Moore can be reached at: http://www.captrobertmoore.com
30' Catalina 1989, single 25HP Universal Diesel. Comfortable cockpit, sleeps 6, full galley. Full bimini with dodger Rigged for single handling. $34,500
21' Aquasport 215 Explorer Walk Around Cuddy has been lift stored, owner has kept it in top condition. 200HP Johnson O.B.Boat is an excellent value. $17,900
32' Luhrs Tournament 320, 1992. Twin 340HP Marine Power 7.4 liter. Hard top to the flybridge and half top for cockpit area. REDUCED $10,000. Only $69,900
21' Hurricane, 2007 Sundeck w/fish pkge. 2007 Yamaha four stroke 150, less than 35 hours. Loaded for a fishing day or just cruising with family. REDUCED! $32,900
28' Bertram Fly Bridge Cruiser 1979 with 1995 twin 260 HP Mercruiser Bluewater IB's. Huge cockpit for fishing, diving and entertaining. Excellent condition throughout! $25,900
33' Wellcraft Coastal 330 Sportfish, 2003. Twin 350HP Volvo 8.1. One owner boat in turn key condition. REDUCED $119,900
30' SeaRay 300 Weekender, 1989. Always been lift stored out of the water. 260HP Mercruiser Inboards. $24,900
32' Pro Line 3250 Express 1998. With Twin 2004 FWC Marine 330 HP motors . Priced right and ready for summer! Reduced $10,000 and still taking offers. $49,900
27' Sportcraft hard top, 1991. 270hp Mercruiser. Great fishing / cruising. Lift kept, enclosed head, sleeps 2. Make offer. $19,900
30' Grady White 300 Marlin 2001 with Twin 225 HP Evinrude outboards. Very well equipped and very well maintained. True offshore fishing machine. $69,900
23' Wellcraft 238 Coastal 1996 Single 225HP Johnson Ocean Runner. Original owner, very low hours and lift stored. Excellent condition throughout! $15,900
24' Pontoon Starcraft 2005 Single 50HP Yamaha 2007. Engine only has 40 hours since new and she also has a brand new 2007 trailer. $15,900
23' Sea Fox 230 Walk-Around Cuddy 2002. 200HP Merc Saltwater.This Sea Fox is a great all around boat for fishing, cruising and overnighting. REDUCED! $19,900
30' Young & Grant Sportfishing, 1983. Single 350hp Caterpillar 3116 turbo new in 2000. This vessel is charter rigged and a proven tournament winner. REDUCED! $19,900
27' Contender Open Center Console 2006 twin 300HP Yamaha. Perfect condition, fully loaded, and ready for some serious fishing! $98,000
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Water LIFE
MAGAZINE
KIDS CUP
X-Treme Redfish Tournament Heads Into the Heat of Summer
S t aff R eport July’s XTreme saw Fi rst Pl ace go to Josh Rhodes and Robert Close with a total weight of13.26pounds worth $1110 and they got the biggest fish award with a weight of 7.07-pounds worth an additional $ 240 S econd Pl ace went to Paul Lambert and Brandon Varney with a
total weight of 13.20-pounds, worth $480. Thi rd Pl ace went to Rick Jordan and Ray Killian with a total weight of 12.52-pounds worth $200. In Fourth Pl ace was Kyle Potts and Chris Guentner with a total weight of 12.28-pounds worth $130
There were a total of 25 boats in this leg of the XTreme. Thirty two redfish were weighed in and all were released alive. Seventeen out of 25 boats weighed in fish. Way to go guys! Capt. Andrew Medina and Sheri Medina (the tournament staff) want to thank everyone for their support for this tournament. Their thanks
also go to Banana Bay Motel for providing a home for the XTreme and for a great day for the family and friends as well. There are only 2 more XTreme events in the 2008 series: August 23 and September 27. Xtreme entry fee is $120. Sign up the day of the event. 941-4561540 for more information.
August
2008
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KIDS CUP
Who is Sampling Our Water and Where?
By Betty S taugl er Sea Grant / Water LIFE Maintaining good water quality is essential to maintaining the health of our harbor. Water quality refers to the condition of water relative to legal standards, social expectations or ecological health. In order to track water quality conditions in the harbor and identify specific areas of concern, long term water quality monitoring is a must. After doing some poking around, I’ve identified a number of organizations monitoring water quality in Charlotte Harbor and its adjacent tributaries. They include: FDEP – Charl otte Harbor Aquati c Preserves Vol unteers – Conduct monthly sunrise sampling at 40+ fixed locations from Lemon Bay to Estero Bay. Initiated in 1996, trained volunteers sample mostly near shore shallow waters. Sunrise sampling serves to identify Dissolved Oxygen levels (necessary for plant & animal survival) at their lowest levels. Data from Lemon Bay is available online at: http://www.dep.state.fl.us/coastal/sites/ch arlotte/info.htm FDEP – S outh Di stri ct Laboratory – Conducts water quality sampling as part of a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL-more about this at end of article) rotation schedule in the
canals of Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda. They are also sampling benthic invertebrates and water quality in four tidal creeks along the east wall of Charlotte Harbor. This later sampling is being done in collaboration with the fisheries sampling efforts of Mote Marine Laboratory. FDEP is also monitoring water quality along the west wall using a continuous data logger (24 hour water quality data). Finally FDEP will be starting a hypoxia (when dissolved oxygen is low) study in the lower Peace and Myakka rivers and upper Charlotte Harbor where they will be taking ponar grabs
(for benthic invertebrates) and conducting water quality sampling. Fl ori da Fi sh and Wi l dl i fe Conservati on Commi ssi on – FWRI – Samples water quality with all
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July 2007 Total Phosphorous, mg/l 0.2 0.3 0.4
www.checflorida.org
Ponar Grab: A scoup widely used in fresh and salt water for taking samples of hard bottoms .
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of their fisheries sampling. They also conduct water quality sampling for the Charlotte County Stormwater monitoring project that is detailed below. Charl otte County S tormwater – Monitors water quality at 30 randomly selected locations monthly, by dividing the estuary into 5 distinct regions and then randomly selecting 5 points within each region (i.e. 5 in the Lemon Bay region, 5 in the Gasparilla Sound region, ect.). Initiated in 2001, the random design allows more of the harbor to be sampled, which over time produces more statistically valuable information. This project is conducted in collaboration with the Southwest Florida Water Management District, FWRI, FDEP and the Charlotte
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Harbor National Estuary Program. Lee County waters are also sampled using the same monitoring approach. Peace Ri ver Manasota Regi onal Water S uppl y Authori ty – Monitors water quality in the Peace River at fixed stations and moving isohaline (salinity) stations. Initiated in the 1970s, this sampling is designed to ensure water withdrawls do not adversely affect downstream harbor health. Ci ty of Punta Gorda – Monitors water quality in Shell Creek to ensure water withdrawls do not adversely affect downstream water quality. Fl ori da Department of Heal th – Monitors bacteria levels at public bathing beaches. Data is available online at http://esetappsdoh.doh.state.fl.us/irm00be achwater/default.aspx . The Department of Health is also monitoring water quality in El Jobean, some Port Charlotte canals and some Punta Gorda canals.
Information collected by each of these programs is used by State and Federal agencies to determine whether the water quality is meeting its designated use (drinking water, shellfish harvesting, or recreational). If a water body or water body segment does not meet its designated use then it receives a TMDL (total maximum daily load). A TMDL is essentially a plan which outlines actions that will be taken to get water quality back to meeting its intended use. In addition to supporting the TMDL process, water quality data collected by the various agencies and organizations mentioned also supports specific research and resource management objectives. For instance, water quality data collected by FWRI is used to help determine physical and chemical conditions that effect habitat utilization by particular fish species. Some of the water quality information mentioned above is available in really cool map format on the Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center’s website. Just go to www.checflorida.org and then click on the Watershed Resource Center. Betty Staugler is the Sea Grant Agent for Charlotte County. She can be reached at 941-764-4346.
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MAGAZINE
SUMMER SHARK TOURNAMENT
August
Staff Report
Fishinʼ Franks annual ʻsecond of summerʼ shark tournament was held in July. With 412 entries it was the biggest entry ever for a July event. The tournament entry fee still only $30 – this, along with the big payouts and a good dose of raucous fun, is why the event is so popular.
Results were as follows:
Shark:
Michael Clancey 82 1/2, $1700 H.D.Carter 78 1/8, $1000 John Bucanis 75 1/8, $500 Brad Coleman 73 3/4, $300
SailCat
David Iannone 4.69, $1700 Zach Edates 4.57, $1000 Richard Witting 4.46, $500 Richard mann 4.38, $300
Stingray
Clay Evans 40 1/8, $1100 Sean Pack 38 5/8, $750 Woody Wiseman 35 7/8, $375 Brandon Pack 35 1/4, $250 photos by: KULIKPhotography.com
FLATSMASTERS SUMMER RED TOURNAMENT
St aff Rep o rt The first day of this two day event was close. Team Outcast – Bryan Brantley, James Woods, Trey Williams– weighed in with a 6.77 and a 6.34pound fish for a total of 13.11-pounds. That was enough to put them at the top of the leaderboard for the first day, squeaking out a .11 pound edge over the second place Andros Boats team of Wade Waltimyer, Chris Davids, Dusty Horrman who weighed in with13-pounds even. And second place was a meere 0.3-pounds above the third place entry, Team SunTrust Center: Dave Hoke, Bill Hoke, Jon Hoke, whos weight was 12.97-pounds. It was that close. Day Two started out with showers all over the
harbor area so the top 5 teams had to deal with rain, wind, lightning, and even waterspouts through out the day. Conditions were tough ,but luckily, as the 3:30pm shootout deadline approached, the rain subsided and the anglers were left with only a strong west wind. All of the finalists beat their way back across a sloppy Charlotte Harbor and made it back to the dock by the deadline. After the first-fishweigh-in round, team Outcast held onto the top position with a 7.22-pound fish. Round two saw another solid fish by Jeff Totten’s Team and by Brian Harris’ team, but neither were heavy enough to overtake Team Outcast as Bryan Brantley and his team (shown at right) bagged a 6.16lb. second fish for a total of 13.38-pounds and the overall win.
2008
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Water LIFE
2008
The Rain Gauge Is for Good Fishing
By Capt. Chuck Ei chner Water LIFE Charlotte Harbor Summer rains change the aquatic dynamics of Charlotte Harbor fishing. After two years of drought conditions in Charlotte County we have been deluged with rainstorms in the last month. The end result has been phenomenal fishing! The rainstorms flush tannic acid from the mangroves that line the Peace and Myakka Rivers and their tributaries. Our waters went from very clear to dark as Texas tea in a matter of a few weeks and the freshwater influx from these storms has a profound effect on how fish behave. These storms affect the salinity, water clarity, water color, tide heights, current and many other factors less obvious. I find that our gamefish feel way more comfortable in shallow water under the cover of dark water. Recently, I fished on 3 different days for only 4-5 hours each trip. I fished multiple locations on the outside of the bars running parallel to the east and west side. The day before each trip it rained several inches which created elevated high tides and heavier currents. I like to take advantage of an outgoing tide with the run-off that creates an extra strong water flow. The extra water flow stimulates the baitfish and bottom dwellers attracting redfish, snook, trout, tarpon, shark and a variety of other fish. On these trips we used small white bait which can be encountered over every grassbed in Charlotte Harbor. Massive schools of trout have moved in with the summer rain pattern and they position themselves to take advantage of the strong tidal flow which flushes baitfish in their direction. In each of these trips we caught more than our share of our trout in 3-6 feet of water free-lining in the open. They were mostly small trout with some legal ones mixed in. In prior weeks speckled trout were nearly impossible to find but the summer rains have brought
them in. The dark water also seems to entice tarpon and sharks to mill around in shallower water. In waters less than 5 feet I have been hammering the blacktips up to 5 feet, with many tarpon generally under 100 pounds. The method is simple; fish with cut bait on the bottom and hang on. This is patience fishing and some spots will wear you out with catfish. However, a singing drag with a hard pulling jumping fish (many of the blacktips jump in shallow water as well) is certainly worth waiting for. Tarpon have no where to go but up – and having 10 jumps from one fish is not out of the question! The shark variety is terrific this year and it’s possible to sight fish shark on the last stages of an outgoing tide. Again, these sharks appear to enjoy the extra water flow attracting them into the shallows. On a calm day simply scan the shallows for wakes. Often the dorsal fin will be seen breaking the surface in only a foot of water. These sharks are aggressive and will eat just about anything thrown in front of them. As is typical for southwest Florida an afternoon thunderstorm often produces heavy downpours and high winds. I find this often does 2 things: it drives all of the boats off the water and makes the fish bite. The influx of rain water has a tendency to cool off the surface water which in turn increases their appetite. A calm spell that often follows after the rain gives testimony to the effect of the rain. Fish in nearly every direction can be seen moving and boiling on the surface. Approach them slowly and they will attack a surface plug right after a downpour. For redfish purists, the dark water gives you stealth. The fish cannot see you nearly as well and are less spooky. Positioning your boat around a mangrove island or oyster bar can be done with easy casts to your target. The redfish will be
Mercury Inboard / Outboard Service and Repairs WEʼll make it
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1726 Steadly Ave Punta Gorda
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Rainy and overcast days can mean really nice fish.
reckless and will follow their noses to a tasty pinfish, whitebait or shrimp. It seems that the summer rains have brought the big reds into the harbor with 10 to 16 pound fish being very common now. Hooking them is one thing, getting them out from the mangroves is another! The common thread between all species previously mentioned is the fishing method. Simple bottom fishing is hard to beat. Cut bait, live bait, crabs, shrimp, pinfish or sardines- fish them on the bottom with little or no weight. Use a heavy leader because the water is dark and the chance of hooking a monster is
better than ever. Look for more fish to be in shallower water and easier to get close to. The real magic is in believing the fish are there because you can no longer see them. Confidence in where you are fishing will be your biggest ally. Use the rain guage to tell you when to go fishing. The high tides, dark water and mix of fresh and saltwater are an aphrodisiac to the fish in Charlotte Harbor.
Capt. Chuck Eichner is a local charter captain. For information or to book a guided fishing trip call 941-505-0003 or go to his website: www.back country -charters.com
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By Bi l l Di xon Water LIFE Sailing August is going to be a good month for sailors. Saturday August 9 is National Marina Day. Fisherman’s Village is celebrating with free dockage (with reservations) and free lunch for sailors. Just outside the yacht basin, visible from Harpoon Harrys and the Captain’s Table, the Charlotte Harbor Community Sailing Center will conduct America’s Cup style match racing in Martin 16 boats. There will also be fleet racing in Sunfish and maybe Optimist prams and Bic O’pens. The S-2 7.9 fleet will be offering free sailboat rides and maybe crew auditions. Something for everybody. Be there or you will miss out on a great time. There will be PHRF races Aug 17, and 24, small boat racing on Saturday the 23rd. Labor Day week end will offer the Summerset Regatta put on by the Caloosahatchee Marching and Chowder Society. The event starts with a pizza party/skippers meeting Thursday the 28th in Cape Coral, continues with boat delivery to Ft. Myers Beach on Friday, followed by a party at Salty Sam’s in FMB. There will be an offshore race to Naples on Saturday, followed by a party in Naples Saturday night. Buoy races in the Gulf off Naples on Sunday, and yes, another party/awards banquet at Naples Sailing and Yacht Club on Sunday night. Monday (Labor Day) you can sail back if you are able. Bill Dixon can be reached at: Dixonwr@comcast.net
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Water LIFE
MAGAZINE
August
Martin 16ʼs race from the Port Charlotte Beach Complex. Competitive sailors love this $15,000 one-design boat.
Racing: Don Levy of the Punta Gorda Sailing Club offers the following advice in the clubʼs newsletter www.pgscweb.com: Summer is a good time to try and get caught up with boat maintenance. Boats that are off cruising all the time will undergo a shakedown period where things break or malfunction at the beginning of the cruising season. These crews are always tinkering with something. Weekend cruisers are usually confident in their boats but often get a new surprise on each trip. Periodic maintenance checks are required to avoid spending your quality time at West Marine and in the bilge. For the racing skipper, constant surveillance is the key with the focus on the rig and sails as opposed to the engine and the plumbing. First, the standing rigging: when was the last time you had
2008
your rig professionally inspected and tuned? This is especially important to Florida racers as the life and performance of the standing rigging is significantly affected by the sun and salt. A partially seized turnbuckle or furling drum that appears a bit tight may next lead to a rig failure. And speaking of summer, the tuning for most boats will change with the lightening winds. The heavy winds of this past winter put a pretty good stress on all our boats. Racing/Running rigging takes a beating in the sun as well. If you arenʼt getting the last few degrees of upwind angle, check your halyard tensions. Also, sheets and halyards that are too old tend to form knots and attach to things that they shouldnʼt at the worst times.
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2008
Kayaking
By Davi d Al l en Water LIFE Kayaking We had a plan. Our club hadn’t done a moonlight paddle for about a year or so, and Friday night, July 18, was the next full moon. Moonrise was at 8:52 PM, about a half-hour after sunset. Perfect! Our plan was to launch from Grande Tours in Placida at about 7:30 PM, paddle out to Little Dog Island, have a few munchies and beverages, and paddle back under the full moon. Little Dog Island is a tiny speck of an island about 150 yards long, shaped like a crescent, located in the north end of Gasparilla Sound. It has a nice sandy beach and only a few mangroves on the east end of the island to harbor mosquitoes and no-see-ums. Little Dog is only about a 1.5 mile paddle from the Grande Tours launch ramp on Coral Creek, just across the ICW, but the currents at the Highway 771 bridge and the fishing pier can be challenging at times. Low tide at Boca Inlet was 9:07 PM, so the current would be fairly strong at the bridges. Everyone was in a festive mood as we readied our kayaks on the launch ramp. We had a very large group, about 24 kayaks, with several kayakers from other clubs making the trip from Englewood and Sarasota to join us. It was a beautiful evening; the sky was
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clear with no rain clouds in sight. On our paddle out of Grande Tours we hugged the south shoreline to avoid the shalTop: The launch from Grande lows and headed for the open Tours at Placida Right: Ashore on Little Dog Island water. We paddled through the areas of high current under the bridges without ing the ICW and incident, but we could feel our kayaks the Gasparilla being pulled toward the concrete supports Marina to the as we passed. A few fishing boats returnnorth. There was ing to the Gasparilla Marina slowed as we no boat traffic on passed to avoid rocking our kayaks. the water and we Thanks, guys. There are often dolphin felt like we were all alone on this beautifrolicking in the waters around the old railroad bridge, and they did not disappoint ful little island. As the sky darkened and stars became us that evening. Several fins broke the visible, we made our way to our kayaks, surface to the west of us, just in front of packing leftovers and trash into the hatchthe sun as it approached the horizon. es. One by one, we turned on our deck We paddled across the ICW as the sun light and gathered for the return paddle. was sinking lower in the west. The sky What a sight it was; 24 lights on the gradually turning to orange, the clouds decks, rocking gently in the waves, movabove tinted the same color. The cars on ing slowly north to Coral Creek. I the Boca Causeway were starting to turn thought to myself, ”Now comes the good on their headlights and we could see them part.” The calm water seemed even more as they hurried home across the bridges. tranquil than before and the kayak seemed We quickly beached the kayaks and to glide through the water even more retrieved the snacks and drinks from the effortlessly. covered hatches. The sun was almost on The moon was still not high enough the horizon as birds swooped low over the above the horizon to shed much light, but island. We gathered around in small we knew the way home. The current groups for talk and snacking, some waded into the clear water to cool off. From the under the bridges was as strong as when beach we could clearly see the light mark- we left Grande Tours, and I heard some
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bumping and scraping as several kayaks touched the bridge. By the time we reached Grande Tours the tide was very low and the shoals “trapped” several kayaks that missed the deeper channel, but they managed to “scooch” and work themselves free of the bottom. We quickly hauled our kayaks out of the water and loaded them onto our cars and trailers. It was an adventure that was not our usual paddle in the creeks and rivers inland, and it was great!
The Port Charlotte Kay ak ers meet each Wednesday ev ening at Port Charlotte Beach Park at 5:30 PM. All are welcome. For more information, contact me at 941-235-2588 or email to: dlaa@comcast.net. You can check out our upcoming paddles and ev ents at: pck ay ak ers.org Then come join us!
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Banding Together Page 20
The Commercial Perspective
By Kel l y Beal Peace Ri ver S eafood Water LIFE Punta Gorda Times they are a changing – some things for the good. Here within the commercial fishing industry these hard times have brought us together. On a local level, fish companies are joining forces. On Pine Island, Kibbe Company has joined with Jug Creek to keep the Pine Island Fishery strong. In a conversation I had with Roy Kibbe, he stated he has seen sons fishing with their fathers who haven't been fishing together in awhile. Sons who once had a job on the hill and are now returning to their roots, returning to what is real, returning to what they know. When jobs were plentiful fathers would encourage their sons to get careers away from the seafood industry because of fears that the industry was a dying lost cause. This fear stemmed from heavy regulations on gear that made it almost impossible to make a decent living. Also, the availably of imported fish being sold at such low prices that the locally caught fish were unable to compete. The fact that the commercial fisherman seemed to be the target of powerful special interest groups didn't help either. The public is now becoming more and more aware that locally caught fish is definitely higher quality than fish that are ‘imports’ and much more economical then once thought. People are finding out imports are not as strict with their regulations as we are. In times of uncertainity we cling to what we know. We cling to those who we trust. The seafood industry is banding together to encourage everyone to buy locally caught fish and keep our local economy strong.
Water LIFE
August
MAGAZINE
Due to circumstances beyond their control, the wholesale part of Laws Seafood in Punta Gorda has had to relocate. I knew how important Laws was to the local seafood industry and the predicament many fisherman would be in if they closed, so our company (Peace River Seafood) invited them to set up on our property and they will still maintain their local retail store on Rio Villa in Punta Gorda. I encourage you to stop by and buy the locally caught fish they have always offered. We can make a difference. Locally, the seafood industry is NOT a lost cause! Every time you buy locally caught fish you're keeping these fisherman in business. Support the guys who actually live here, not fishermen in some foreign country that already gets enough of our money! If you're unsure how to cook the local fish - just ask! Many northerners who are used to haddock and cod stop in our store and are pleasantly surprised how much they enjoy mullet, cobia, sheephead and sand brim. Most any day you can buy the blue crabs that our guys just brought in or some fresh picked crab meat. And nobody gets better shrimp than the shrimp caught in Florida, especially our bay shrimp. Randy and Dave work hard all night to bring the finest bay shrimp back to the dock and you can get it right off their boat the Mystic, right at Fishermans Village. As local fishermen we know the real competition isn't between each other. We support each other and encourage one another. Just like any family there is some bickering here and there, but we watch each other’s back in our community. The real enemy is still the heavy use of imports and the crazy regulations that don't make sense. The local fishing industry was taken from those who it rightfully belonged to and put in the hands of foreigners and uneducated special interest groups. IT’S TIME TO TAKE IT BACK!!!! Be happy, be healthy, buy locally caught seafood! Stop by our store Peace River Seafood or Laws Seafood or Randys boat. Buy local seafood, you won’t be sorry!
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2008
Eight-year-old Mikey Capozzoli, an Islamorada secondgrade student had it ʻtogetherʼ when he, caught a 46-pound dolphin off the Florida Keys. The fish weighed exactly the same as the young angler. Capozzoli fought the fish for a hour, all the time jockeying for position to keep his line from tangling with others on the boat. The 46-pounder, was caught on spinning tackle with a live cigar minnow as bait. "I was tired, but real happy," said Capozzoli. "It was the biggest dolphin I've ever caught," he added.
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Water LIFE
2008
SCUTTLEBUTT
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MAGAZINE
Sometimes Unsubstanciated, But Often True
Tournament Cheating
Gilchrist Co FL – On June 30, Investigator Larry Ayers and Officer Justin Allen were working information concerning two individuals that were believed to be “pre” fishing a weekly bass tournament on the Suwannee River. It was suspected that these individuals were catching their limit of bass the day before the tournament,
keeping the fish alive in a fish basket and retrieving them after they were entered in the contest. Investigators watched these individuals catch six bass and place them in their live well. One of the fish looked to be over 7-pounds. On July 1, the day of the tournament, Investigators watched the two individuals enter the contest, launch their boat and head north on
the Suwannee River. Investigators followed in an unmarked boat. After a period of time, the two individuals were observed pulling up a wire basket that contained several bass. The fish (6 bass) were placed in the live well on the boat. A while later, investigators stopped the boat and identified themselves as FWC Officers. After interviewing both individuals, they admitted they had caught the fish the day before and were
using them in the tournament that day. They also admitted they had done this in the past and won money on two other tournaments. Investigators filed charges on both individuals for attempting to commit fraud.
So how was your fishing trip? Anything interesting happen? Photo via email from Patrick McCarthy, in Venice. “A Bayliner, no less,” Patrick noted!
FWC officer by pulling up next to people and asking for a registration or boaters ID card. Officer Bell took written statements from the witnesses and tracked down the suspect at a work site in Punta Gorda.
Show Me the Money
In an effort to raise revenue the Countyʼs Parks and Recreation Department will lease park space to private vendors. Kayaks and food are likely concessions, could pay toilets be next?
The Deadly Dozen : Charlotte Harbor FISHING GUIDES DESOTO COUNTY – On July 5, Officer Matt Bell received information pertaining to a subject in a vessel on the Peace River impersonating an
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A u g u s t
Fishing Report
Charlotte Harbor:
Robert at Fishin' Franks Port Charlotte: 625-3888
August brings out the true fishermen. Tarpon will still be here that’s one thing for sure. They will be all over the place; in the upper harbor primarily, around the Peace and Myakka Rivers. There will still be some tarpon along the beaches and in the passes as well. Threadfins are still the preferred feed although they are already starting to feed on ladyfish. As this month goes on they will feed more and more on ladyfish. Use ladyfish whole, live or dead, drift them out the back of the boat.The D.O.A Bait Buster is still a great lure if you want to go artificial. Because there are fewer fish there won’t be as much pressure and the fish could be more cooperative. Speaking of l adyfi sh, there are not a lot of ladyfish around right now. You have to really hunt for them, it’s been a wierd year for the ladyfish, they’re not in the big schools they have been in. It’s kind of like the blue crabs, they all just seemed to disappear this year. Trout are starting to move in. They are still a little scattered. They are not as
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Water LIFE
abundant, but they are definitely quality fish – in the 2-to 3-pound range. Most are being caught drifting at the southern end of the Harbor or down on the ICW. Small whitebait or soft plastics are the trout bait. The early morning bite is good on topwaters as well. You will find some concentrations of trout around Stump Pass Beach. The ones on the beach side seem to be more schooled up so they could be harder to find. If I was fishing trout, I’d be focusing on the Stump Pass area. Redfi sh are always fun and tricky so they can screw you up in August. The heat makes them hard to get interested in feeding, but they start to school up at the end of the summer and the bigger fish will individualize into schools of similar sized reds. Redfish will stay in the higher salinity area so the closer you get to the ICW the better quantity and size get. Frozen bait is the best bait to use on redfish now. With the darker water, reds will focus on smell more at this time of year than sight. Cut bait like sardines or ladyfish will also attract redfish now. S pani sh mackerel are starting to show up in the Harbor and at the pass. There are quite a few fish inshore but they are also showing on the near shore reefs like Novak and Trembly. Troll a spoon or a soft plastic anywhere you see bait and you should be able to hook up with a Spanish mackerel now.
August
MAGAZINE
2008
Capt Angel Torres put his anglers on cobia (above) and redfish (below) last month.
Mangrove snapper have been really good and should stay that way into this month. The next full moon of August will be their last spawn of summer and the fish will be concentrated in fairly heavy schools. Boca Grande, Captiva, any pass with a little rocky bottom will be productive when drift fishing for snapper. Live shrimp is the mang’s best bait, but if you can’t find live shrimp small pinfish will do. In the deeper water, live shrimp is a must. If the shrimp you have are small, downsize (lengthen your leader to 20 or 25 pound with 6 to 8 feet of it) and the mangs will come. Small sharks and cobi a will be abundant this month. There seem to be a lot of little hammerheads being caught
this summer. Smaller bl ackti ps will stay heavy, while the sharpnose and l emons will begin to disperse now. Fish for them anywhere in the southern part of the harbor, try fishing off Cape Haze, drift with a chum bag and you will find sharks. While you are drifting keep and eye out for the cobia they will come in and hide in the shade under your boat on these hot days. Offshore, permi t will be on the wrecks. Their quality this year makes up for quantity, permit in the 30-pound range are not uncommon this month. Way out, 40-50 miles, ki ngs, bl ackfi n tuna and small to medium size dol phi n are being caught by those who can afford the gas.
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WaterLIFEAug08Final:WaterLIFEJUne08AFinal
August
2008
Fishing Report continued
Lemon Bay:
Jim at Fishermen’s Edge, Englewood: 697-7595
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Augustʼs Augustʼs Target Target Species Species
SHARK plenty of blacktips still REDFISH bigger fish are around showing up
COBIA have been good all summer
TARPON are in the harbor now
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Aug 6-9 Sarasota Slam Tournament
but that’s just a rumor. Cobi a? No cobia. I I’ve been hearing of some here, some there. havent heard anything about cobia. For a while The offshore guys are wrestling with Aj’s, there were lots of nice cobia around here but Gol i ath grouper and some sai l fi sh 18 now...nothing. There are scattered whi ti ng on miles out, or so. A guy came in the other day the beach but they move out and then they are he said he limited out on red and gag gone. Maybe the heat, the salinity, who grouper but didn’t find a single black grouper. knows? And there are scattered tarpon still Right now very few people are going offshore around, some are coming and going on the tide so there is less pressure on the fish and less to changes in the pass. The D.O.A Bait Busters report. Anglers are watching the moon and curhave been the good tarpon lure up in the harrents more carefully, trying to get as much bor. Tarpon would like the big shrimp but there bang for the buck as they can when they do go are none to be had. Shrimp are small this year. offshore. Last year I never got a peewee this year they are Inshore there are a few trout here, but they all small. are scattered. There are redfi sh in Lemon Bay There are mackerel up off Manasota Key and up into Charlotte Harbor. I hear the west and in the big pass. Those are the only places John Hill & his son Ryan Hill with a nice hogfish stringer side of the harbor is the place to fish for redfrom 60 feet. There seem to be a lot of the tasty hogfish out I’ve heard about mackerel. No kings no cobia. a fish. There are some oversized redfish on the there this year. Hogfish is as close to lobster as you can few mackerel...It’s been slow. beach and there is also quite a bit of snook get and have it still have fins. action on the beach and in the passes as well. Here again, it’s the smaller fish that are being caught most. August 2: Charl otte Warri ors Limit... 2 divisions 8 ways to win! Sept 27: XTreme Redfi sh There are quite a few spots that are Over $5500 in prizes, Redfish Tournament, Punta Gorda, Tournament, Port Charlotte, holding mangrove snapper right SharkMan@Embarqmail.com 941-637-5953 enter the day of the event, 456-1540 now. Gasparilla Pass and Boca August 15-17: S t. Pete Open August 2: Redfi sh S ummer Oct 18-19: Maverick Boats Grande are two places to look. There Spearfishing Tournament S hootout $200 Tarpon Lodge, Flatsmasters Championship, Punta is a lot of shark fishing going on Bokeelia, 239-839-4999 Gorda, No entry fee 941-637-5953 August 23: XTreme Redfi sh Fishing still. Most guys are catching bl ack Aug 6-9: S arasota S l am, multi Tournament, Port Charlotte 456 Nov 8: North Port High Red RIGHT NOW: ti ps. As an aside, I heard that there species inshore/offshore tournament, 1540 & S nook S hootout 1 redfish Good Marina Jacks (941) 223-0112 may be some new regulations on September 13: Hook Ki ds on & 1 snook on bait of choice and sharks coming next year. There could August 8: Are You Man Fi shi ng, program Fishermen's Nov 15-16: Darkside, Enough S hark Chal l enge, even be closures on sharks next year, HOT! Village 1:00-3:30 p.m. To pre-reg- Flatsmasters Ni ght S nook $400, Ft Myers Beach, 30 boat ister call 941-639-2628 Tournament 941-637-5953
Calendar of Events
THE ALL NEW 2008 F-450 KING RANCH SUPER DUTY
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