Water LIFE August 2010

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August 2010

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Rapid Weather Updates from NOAA

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Tarpon off Cayo Costa

Mini Season

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August

2010

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WONDERFUL POOL HOME in Deep Creek. This 1,934 sf 3/2/2 home features new carpet, paint, filter, pump, skylights, roof and gutters. Master Bedroom suite with dual vanity sinks, garden tub and shower. Large kitchen, huge inside laundry room and Lanai with cabinets & sink and space for a kitchen. LOOK NO MORE! $158,900 Call Ellen McCarthy 941-235-5648

SHROEDER CUSTOM-BUILT HOME shows like a model. Only lived in a few months, this 3/2/2 1,614 sf home built in 2007 features 17” tile floors (except in bedrooms), split bedroom plan, open great room, white wood cabinets & Corian countertops $159,900 Call Ellen McCarthy 941-235-5648

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MYAKKA RIVER VIEW – Waterfront living at itʼs best. If you are thinking of a home on the River, this one is for you. 2,770 sq. ft. built 2006 home with all the upgrades youʼll love. 3 bedrooms, 3 ½ baths. 3-car garage. Walkway to dock and boat lift.

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19700 Cochran Blvd • Port Charlotte, FL 33948

August

2010

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August

2010

TARPON FISHING HEADQUARTERS Letters to: WaterLIFE@comcast.net

From the Naples News Two juvenile lionfish were caught by Florida fisheries scientists last week in two separate net tows 99 and 160 miles off the coast, north of the Dry Tortugas and west of Cape Romano, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute reported this

“ Last weekend Boca Grande Pass was full of adventure. Monika Weitzel caught a 45-inch cobia (Rachycentron canadum) using live shrimp. Monika says: ʻmy dreams came true!ʼ

Water LIFE Magazine inc.

Michael & Ellen Heller Publishers

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

TOTALLY INDEPENDENT

Not affiliated with any other publication Vol IX No 8 © 2010

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

Contributing Editors:

afternoon.

The discovery is the first time lionfish have been found in Gulf waters north of the Tortugas and the Yucatan Peninsula.

Scientists say the lionfish are either the product of a spawning population on the West Florida continental shelf or they were carried there by ocean currents from other potential spawning areas.

Either way, it could mean that lionfish are expanding their range in the eastern Gulf, scientists say.

The lionfish, measuring about 2.5 inches long, were found at 183 feet and 240 feet below the surface.

Lionfish are native to the reefs and rocky crevices of the Indo-Pacific, according to the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute.

This is the time to be on the water, Adam Wilson wrote.

Nurse shark caught

by Scott Nielsen of Cape Coral Florida on 7/10/10 in my 13.5 Whaler at Boca Grande Pass. A great day of fishing.

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Cobia, caught on a trip with Capt. Angel Torrez--

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Photography: ASA1000.com Senior Editor: Capt. Ron Blago Charlotte Harbor Tarpon: Capt. Mark Bennett Port Charlotte: Billy Barton Gasparilla: Capt. Chuck Eichner Offshore: Capt. Steve Skevington Commercial Fishing: Kelly Beall Sea Grant: Betty Staugler Real Estate: Dave Hofer Inshore: Fishinʼ Frank Diving: Adam Wilson Kayaks: David Allen Sailing: Bill Dixon Office Dog: Molly Brown

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

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

Fish Happens

August

2010

By Mi chael Hel l er Water LIFE editor I’ve been starting to gear up for the Don Ball School of Fishing that we run in 5 local middle schools in the fall. It is a program for 7th graders only. (If you’ve got one of those, look at the announcement on the following page.)

But one afternoon last month, when the tide was high and the wind lay flat we put aside the paper work and took the dog out for a boat ride. Usually I have at least one rod on the boat, but this day I was still reloading the boat from its annual inspection (see page 14) and the rods were off. I had just changed the trim pump motor and this was going to be a quick test run to make sure everything was working right.

Our dog, Molly Brown, is a 9-year old Springer Spaniel. She loves the boat and the water. She is a great little animal but she has a few little doggy quirks. One is when she goes out on the boat as soon as we come back close to shore, or if we beach the boat up along the river, the first thing she wants to do when she sees dry land is...well you know. She announces this desire by prancing around the foredeck and howling.

On this day, for the test ride, Molly and my wife Ellen came along. I made the mistake of cruising around the corner

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to the Beach Complex, where upon Molly saw the beach and started her dance. No, not here, not now, I told her as I powered back up, swung around out into the open again.

Molly settled right back down and we headed up to the 41 bridges on a big arc that would eventually bring us back to our dock. We went up to the city marina and then back down along the shoreline under the northbound Tucked up on the shore under the south US 41 bridge we rousted a school of snoozing snook bridge and then under the southbound bridge. right next to the new events center. It I looked over and five 20 inch snook When we came out from under the was maybe 20 feet across, but the water were idling in place, cooling-it in the southbound bridge I edged in a little closwas high so I shut off the motor and shadows.

I was five feet away, and they er to have a look at the folks sitting at polled us back under the bridge and up to didn’t mind me at all. Maybe because I the bar at the Best Western. that tiny little crescent of shore. was in the shade too and hard to see, or Usually Molly won’t make any noise I nosed the boat up on the sand and maybe, without a rod, I didn’t pose a or do her dance unless she actually sees Molly hopped off to do her business.

I threat.

Then Molly pranced over to see dry land, a seawall won’t get her going hopped off too and Ellen followed.

It was what the splash was and in an instant unless she can see over it to the grass. hot and the shade under the bridge felt they were gone.

There was no grass at the Best good. The sandy beach ran off into oyster And that’s they way it is, sometimes Western, but while I was looking at the shells and then dropped into three feet of when you least expect it, fish happens. people sitting at the bar Molly started water.

A small school of glass minnows I went back, same tide, next day, with prancing. swam by, and then swoosh, a big splasha rod, but they were gone. Sometimes I looked around and saw a little bit of ing swirl.

Snook! fish doesn’t happen, too. green on a sandy little corner of shoreline

The Don Ball School of Fishing For 7th Graders www.WaterLIFEmagazine.com

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Classes begin in October at: Punta Gorda Port Charlotte Murdock LA Ainger Heron Creek

Middle Middle Middle Middle Middle

Every student receives the Fishing Resource Manual workbook, a superior inshore rod and reel, a tackle bag full of useful local-specific tackle and a Don Ball graduation T-Shirt

August

2010

Students learn about local fishing and the local environment from professional local fishing guides

School School School School School

Classes limited to 25 students Cost of the class is $12 Classes: 6:15 p.m. to 8 p.m. one night a week for 8 weeks

Watch for the flyer your child will receive at school.

More information online at: www.waterlifemagazine.com

(941) 766-8180 to leave a message

Funded entirely by the Charlotte Harbor Reef Association and through a grant from the Fish Florida Foundation

Summertime Thrills

August

2010

By Bi l l y Barton S pecial to Water LIFE We had some pretty impressive days of fishing this month. I didn't manage to get offshore, but there was still plenty of fun to be had. A couple of my more memorable trips were spent out in Boca Grande pass with Capt. Angel Torrez fishing for tarpon during the hill tides. For those who aren't familiar with this I would have to say to you, make yourself familiar! There is just too much fun to be had out there in the pass during the hill tides. With these tides the pass crabs are constantly flushing out to the Gulf, and you are sitting there waiting on them.

And I mean eagerly waiting on them!

Jig fishing is just fine and dandy, don't get me wrong, but when those tarpon get to feeding on those crabs it's a whole different story. We only fished about four to five hours each day but in those two days we hooked up with 21 fish, got 15 of them to jump, and got 9 to the boat. The smallest of the fish was probably about 80 pounds or so with the largest being about 180 pounds. It's no wonder I can't bring myself to go bass fishing!

This month though you will see these fish up into the harbor. You should be able to look for schools of lady fish feeding on the surface. If you see the ladyfish the tarpon are probably going to be in the area. The bait of choice will be (of course) a live lady fish, or a nice size live thread fin and then you should hook up.

If you are out there chumming and catching your own whitebait then you can see it's the time of year that the first of the hatches have arrived. For those of you who have a cast net with a smaller mesh, now is the time to pull that net out.

Otherwise you're gonna’ be spending lots of time picking itty-bitty greenbacks out and that is just a pain. There is still good size whitebait but you just have to find it.

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Early in the morning it'll usually be up shallow on your favorite bar. As the sun comes up though, chances are it's in deeper water. I have trouble finding it some days, but this is the time of year I like to start using cut-bait so either way we are going fishing.

The pinfish and ballyhoo are here in numbers too. They come to the dry chum just as well and they are a great second choice to use, either cut or live. Also crabs are a good choice for bait this time of year too, especially for red-fish.

The flats have been great early in the mornings until about eleven or twelve then it seems to be slacking off a little bit.

The fish are way up under the bushes by then and trying to stay cool, so get it done early.

The reds also get to schooling up this time of year. If you can find one of these schools of fish it can make for a heck of a lot of smiles. I've heard some pretty impressive fish stories coming from the way of Pine Island lately. However the action has been great up this way and I haven't felt the need to run that far for them. I have had a lot of luck lately on the West Wall of the harbor. If you haven't been over that way try it out, it's been on fire.

The inshore mangrove snapper fishing can't be beat right now. These fish are a heck of a lot of fun to target and they are just delicious. Any of the local reefs should produce them in good numbers. If you are going to target these fish you should definitely chum. Chumming will bring ‘em in heavy, and it will make them feed much more aggressively.

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These fish have very large eyes, and great eyesight. When they are schooled up they can be very smart. You'll have the best luck catching them on light tackle.

From my 15 pound braided line I like to use about three feet of 15- to 20-pound fluorocarbon leader tied to a 1/0 hook. Maybe a small split shot if I need to get my bait down there. As far as bait goes, a quarter size pin fish is my absolute favorite snapper bait this time of year, with a small greenback being a

close second favorite, or a live shrimp if you aren't going to throw the net. I guess that's it for me this month guys. I hope the Fish Gods are taking good care of y’all. Stay cool and drink lots of water.

Here's to Big Big Fish!

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R Re ea all E Es st ta at te e N Ne ew ws s PROVIDED BY: Dave Hofer

RE/MAX Harbor Realty

(941) 575-3777 dhofer@remax.net www.harborparadise.com

Recent area news i tems:

1. Local developers Bruce Laishley and Gary Bane have made an interesting land swap proposal to Charlotte County Commissioners. The developers of Enterprise Charlotte Airport Park are offering to give up 60 acres of industrial land for 137 acres of the ill conceived 860 acre mixed use project. Since it was acquired by the County by eminent domain in 2003, Murdock Village has ingloriously suffered the same plight as most other vacant land in Florida. The $100+ million investment is effectively unmarketable for the foreseeable future. By acquiring land suitable for

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industrial development, the County hopes to be able to lure job producing businesses to the County.

2. The City of North Port voted to acquire the resort at Warm Mineral Springs using $6.3 million of taxpayer money to buy the resort and an additional $80K in water and sewer improvements. Last year Sarasota County and North Port considered jointly purchasing the property from the lender who foreclosed on the $7 million mortgage on the property.

The former owner, who apparently couldn't make the resort work financially, will be rewarded with a 30 year leaseback to continue to operate the facility on behalf of the City. In an effort to demonstrate why local governments shouldn't meddle in private enterprise, Commissioner Treubert actually vocalized why he supported this questionable decision, " ... if we let the Springs stay in the hands of ... the owner....he can pretty much do whatever he wants and shut the Springs down to the people who are using it now...". Huh? If your busi-

2010

Captain George with Corey from P-A with a 驶snooker始 caught in Charlotte Harbor.

Fishing and outdoor watersports continue to be the drawing card for Charlotte County.

ness isn't able to pay its bills now, just turn away customers? Now, there's a business plan that you wouldn't hear about in the Harvard MBA program.

3. With what looks to be an unlimited checkbook, North Port also wants to spend $22 million to develop a 15 acre water park.

4. Charlotte County is giddy with the success of the Snowbird Classic, a baseball tournament in March that attracts small colleges from up North to enjoy our pleasant weather. The County would like to spend an additional $1.2 million to expand the facilities and hopefully attract more and larger colleges to join the fun. Yes, it would attract more people to our area to spend money... but.... aren't we pretty much full in March anyway? Too bad they can't move the tournament to August.

4a. As you might expect, North Port is proposing to spend $4.5 Million to build a new facility in an attempt to lure the Classic away from Charlotte County.

5.

Charlotte County tax valua-

First cultured corals spawning in the wild after only two years

S peci al t o Wat er LIFE Divers can work side-by-side with marine scientists to aid in reef restoration during a series of coral restoration dives set for August 11-13, October 19-22 and November 1-3 with Amoray Dive Resort in Key Largo. The events are scheduled to correspond with the annual coral spawn.

Focused on environmental education, the group advocacy trips are to include educational lectures and dive programs to restore endangered staghorn and elkhorn corals.

Hands-on activities are planned for both on land and offshore at Key Largo's Coral Restoration Foundation nursery and surrounding reefs.

Leading the education and dive trips is coral restoration expert Ken Nedimyer, president of CRF, as part of the nonprofit organization's mission. Staghorn and

August

elkhorn are both listed on the endangered species list and Nedimyer's goal is to turn that around.

Class sessions precede dive trips and focus on coral health, corals' function in marine ecosystems, identification of natural and manmade threats to coral and means to protect the resource in the Florida Keys. Program participants receive hands-on experience in coral restoration and propagation, and learn directly about the impacts on Florida's reefs and how individual citizens can help.

"This is something the average person can get their hands on and do," Nedimyer said. "It shows positive results in real time."

Participants go on working dives that consist of a trip to the coral nursery to clean and prepare corals for planting, and an orientation dive at one of the restoration

tions plummeted almost 14% this year. Officials had been expecting an 8-10% decrease. PG City council is planning to slash budgets even more so that most homeowners will see a decrease in their tax bills this year.

Constructi on projects:

Lemon Bay High School started a $40 million 5 year renovation project.

Burnt Store Road will be widened from Rt 41 to Notre Dame over the next 18 months, then to Zemel Road in Phase II. Aqui Esta widening will continue into the fall.

In other news: Rachel Kiesling will replace Don McCormick on the Punta Gorda City Council in November. McCormick will be running for the County Board seat currently held by Adam Cummings.

S al es S tati sti cs: Home prices continue to flatten out. Port Charlotte and North Port sales are brisk just below $100K, water front properties are seeing more activities above $400K. Unimproved lot sales prices are now well below 2004 levels.

Netting helps spawning coral in the Keys

sites.

At the nursery, corals are started from a clipping about the length of a knuckle, and grow to 30 or 40 centimeters.

S ee C oral on faci ng page

August

2010

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Harbor Species Will Eat Just About Anything

By Capt. Chuck Ei chner Water LIFE Inshore Nature dictates fish activity by water temperature and Charlotte Harbor has been seeing water temperatures above 90 degrees in the shallows for a month. As in most cold blooded creatures the colder the weather the more lethargic they become. Hot water however equates to hot appetites. The only catch is that all species are at full-tilt with tons of baitfish, crabs and crustaceans meandering around the harbor for gamefish to feed on.

The outside of the bars are lined with millions of newly hatched pilchards, threadfins and Spanish sardines. Mackerel can be seen marauding through the bait with many other not so visible species feeding below the surface.

On a recent afternoon outing, I was on a mission to locate a school of redfish by casting a Zara spook on the outside of the Burnt Store Bar. Easing quietly down the bar with my trolling motor I made repetitive casts walking the dog with an old baitcasting reel on a pitching stick used for bass fishing. Casting the lure in about a foot of water I perfected the side by side cadence while scattering baby pilchards in the process. Peering down about 50 yards I noticed a dolphin fin disappear as it headed into the shallows. My first thought was that if there were any redfish where I was fishing they would come shooting by the boat. On second thought

Coral conti nued

After a year on the reef, corals grow several inches tall with multiple branches and in five years they are strong, independent structures serving as habitat to a variety of tropical fish.

"Participants in the coral nursery workshops get to see what can happen in a year and five years," Nedimyer said.

In August 2009 the first cultured corals were discovered spawning after only two years -- the first time it had been observed in the wild.

however, I began to question if that was a dolphin or shark fin. Surely, it had to be a dolphin, I thought, gazing onto the flats ahead. With stormy overhead skies my visibility was poor, but skipping mullet clued me in to a big shark that was coming my way. Telling myself to remain calm, I lead the quickly moving animal by 10 feet and landed the plug and started the walk. Straight out of a José Wejébe saltwater fishing show, a big shark came up with teeth out and mashed my plug!

My first thought was, that this really can’t be happening, but as line kept peeling off the baitcaster I was definitely reassured.

An exciting fight went on for nearly 20 minutes and the shark easily was 7 feet with no exaggeration! Of course, no witnesses and no chance to take a picture while managing this fish on freshwater tackle. Bringing a knife to a gun fight did not result in a lost $8 plug, but only a straightened out hook. I felt pretty lucky overall with the whole event adding another chapter in my Charlotte Harbor Chronicles.

The big shark ate a white colored plug and white is definitely the “in” color on the harbor. Whether your fishing white bait or lures the fish are all keyed-in on white. On a recent trip, we were casting white plastic swim tails on red jig heads on the open harbor. Hoping to catch ladyfish a large fish mashed the lure and

"The goal is to get them to reproduce successfully so the corals that have spawned here can settle 10 miles or 50 miles from here," Nedimyer said. "What we're trying to do is put the girls and the boys back together in the same room so that they'll make babies."

To learn more about volunteering for coral restoration efforts, visit www.coralrestoration.org.

Interested divers can book a combination stay-and-dive discount package for the event. For details call 800-426-6729

When a cow-nosed ray will be fooled by a lure the fish have to be eating almost anything

ripped off about 50 yards of line. Off in the distance we could see a brown fish and assumed cobia. Once beside the boat we found we had a cownose ray with the lure square in his mouth! Another first! A stingray eating a lure. On another trip we were casting white swim-baits around the bait pods, hoping for mackerel and jacks, but a small black tip shark attacked the

lure and that made for another interesting catch. Sharks and stingrays eating lures tells me the fish are hungry! Time to go fishing!

Capt. Chuck Eichner operates Action Flats Back country Charters and can be contacted for charters at 941-505-0003 or v isit www.back country -charters.com

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R e s u l t o f l a s t y e a r ʼs S c a l l o p S e a r c h

August

2010

The next-generation version of the Rapid Update Cycle (RUC) of rapidly refreshed weather reporting (currently scheduled for NOAAʼs implementation in late 2010) is already up and running on the internet at: rapidrefresh.noaa.gov The experiment is an updating weather reporting and prediction system covering North America that was developed to serve users needing frequently updated short-range weather forecasts, including those in the U.S. aviation community and U.S. severe weather forecasting. Seen above is one of the new graphics showing relative humidity as TS Bonnie moves ashore. The pink represents the dryest conditions and blue the wettest. Among numerous other new graphics are: pressure, precip, temperature and reflectivity.

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August

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Bay Scallops: Still a Protected Species in SWFL

Looking for scallops at the back of Turtle Bay, in the August 2009 Scallop Search project. The 2010 Scallop Search takes place on August 14

By Betty S taugl er Water LIFE / Sea Grant The Florida bay scallop is a bivalve mollusk that grows and lives in seagrass beds in relatively shallow water, 4 to 10 feet deep. At one time scallops could be found from Palm Beach to Pensacola.

Today, consistently healthy populations can only be found in selected locations along Florida's West Coast - principally St. Joseph Bay, and the area between the Econfina and Weeki Wachee rivers.

In recent years, bays scallops have been seen in greater numbers in southwest Florida waters, in part due to restoration efforts in the area. With greater awareness of their recovery, unfortunately comes many reports of illegal harvesting.

Readers should be aware that recreational harvest of bay scallops is prohibited in all southwest Florida waters.

Legal Requi rements In Florida, commercial harvest of bay scallops is prohibited. Recreational har-

Volunteer opportunities exist for the public to assist in evaluating SWFL bay scallop populations on Aug 14

vest is allowed only in state waters from north of the Pasco-Hernando county line to the west bank of Mexico Beach Canal and only during a limited season, typically July 1 through September 10. For 2010, FWC allowed an early opening date, June 19, to provide economic relief to those counties which rely heavily on the tourism industry associated with scalloping and might be impacted by loss of revenue from perceived impacts of the oil spill. All other rules remained in place, including the boundaries of the approved harvest areas and the harvest limits.

For readers i nt erest ed i n t rav el i ng t o t he Bi g Bend duri ng t he recreat i onal harv est season a few rul es appl y . In general, recreational scallopers between the ages of 16 and 65 must have a current Florida saltwater fishing license to collect scallops. There are some exceptions; these are listed in the FWC "Florida Recreational Saltwater Fishing Regulations," which is available in bait shops, FWC offices, or at the FWC web site. All non-residents over the age of 16 are required to buy a license unless they are fishing (scalloping) from a for-hire vessel (guide, charter, party boat) that has a valid vessel license.

Li fe Hi story Scallops live about one year before either dying off naturally or being eaten by crabs, octopuses, or a variety of shell crushing finfish. Most adult scallops spawn in the fall, and after about two weeks, the swimming larvae attach onto seagrass blades where they continue to grow until late spring to early summer.

P a g e 11

They then fall from the grassblades and become free swimmers, unlike oysters and clams. To swim, the large white muscle most harvesters consume is used to pull their shells together rapidly, forcing expelled water to propel them quite rapidly. Scallops are prolific spawners - a single scallop can produce more than one million eggs per spawn. Because they are so heavily preyed upon, only about one in a million will reach adulthood.

To monitor bay scallop populations in the state and maintain an abundant breeding population, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has reviewed the status of the fishery annually since 1993 by means of a statewide survey and monthly monitoring for settling larvae.

Survey data collected in SWFL over the last several years have demonstrated that although bay scallop populations may be recovering, they are not yet at sustainable levels as large fluctuations in population densities are seen from year to year. Key to the long term success of this species is a stable population over several years and over a large enough area to compensate for localized losses (such as those which would be expected during a redtide or storm event).

Vol unteer opportuni ti es exi st for the public to assist in evaluating bay scallop populations in southwest Florida.

These are no-harvest events organized to monitor and document the health and status of the bay scallop population in the respective areas. Reservations are required to participate. For more information, visit www.flseagrant.org.

Betty Staugler is the Florida Sea Grant Agent for Charlotte County. She can be reached at 941.764.4346. Sea Grant is a Univ ersity of Florida IFAS program.

Lee County Scallop Search Date: August 28 Contact Joy Hazell at 239-533-7518 or: jehazell@leegov.com to volunteer to help with the Lee County search.

FL Cave Diving

Page 12

By Adam Wi l son Water LIFE Diving I never thought I would ever do any freshwater diving, and I never had. Never really saw the point in diving where you don’t even have the option to shoot fish. My cousin Jay’s arrival to town from North Carolina to do some diving changed my philosophy. On the Friday he flew into Ft. Myers the forecast offshore in the Gulf was; south east winds 35 knots, seas 10-12 feet. With only two days to get him in the water our chances were slim to none. With the unbearable thought of having to dive in freshwater, I even went so far as checking forecasts at different locations across the state from the Keys north to West Palm, the northern Gulf and everywhere in between. With tropical storm Bonnie expected, it was a statewide blow out.

I was hoping the girl that answered the phone at the Blue Grotto in Williston would say they were closed due to bad weather when I asked her.

“No sir we are open every day but Christmas! Come on up and see us” was her cheerful reply. We agreed getting wet was better than sitting around so at 5 a.m. we loaded up and started our 3 hour trek north up I-75.

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We were among the first there when they opened at 8 which proved to be very important we later figured out. The $40 fee pays for your whole day at Blue Grotto, whether you do one dive or ten.

I admit my curiosity was peeked as we watched the required instructional video of the crystal clear spring. I also felt that twinge of claustrophobia as the video showed the narrow passage down and behind a large cavern. We were geared-up fast and hiked down the stone steps to the floating dock. We were pleased to find we were the only divers there.

As soon as your mask hits the water you appreciate the 100 feet of vis and I immediately began snapping photos. Jay and I had discussed our dive plan while assembling gear. We were going to hang in the main cavern at 50 feet and then see how we felt about following the guideline down to 100 feet and around the U shaped cave that returns you back to the main cavern. After looking down the yellow plastic guide rope I could tell we were both trying to see around the bend and we were already heading that way. After returning to the main cavern

we decided to make the U-turn swim through again, but slower this time to enjoy the view back out at the small patch of light leading to the cavern exit.

After about 40 minutes we had pretty much seen the whole cavern and we hung out on the training platform at 20 feet for a bit to watch the resident fish.

We got out as several open water students were preparing to make the plunge. Then a bus pulled up with even

August

2010

more students. When I walked back down later to get a photo of the pond making up the Grotto entrance I could see a major reduction in the visibility from all the divers stirring up the bottom silt. Getting there early is a must for the good vis.

Now we were broken in and ready for more. It was actually turning out to be a real adventure and the excitement was building. Next on our list, Paradise Springs near Ocala, a little closer to home. The 18 inch sign on highway 441 is easy to miss at 55 miles per hour, especially since it’s a two track sand trail through a pine forest. After about a mile and just past the train tracks you arrive at a small house with the garage door open. That would be the office.

We were greeted by a lady who informed us we were in the right place if we wanted to dive. After filing out the standard waiver, showing our C-cards and again watching an instructional video right there in the garage we were off to the spring in the back yard.

The spring opening was down at the bottom of a small gully and at about 10 feet by 20 feet is more of a hole than a pond.

Dropping down 20 feet to a silt mound and the surrounding small round cavern, it took a minute for Jay and I to find the opening that went down into the earth. Inspecting the ancient limestone ceiling along the way, fossil rem-

August

2010

nants are clearly visible. Sand dollars and sea biscuits line the way.

The Grim Reaper sign at 100 feet warning those not cave trained to go no further comes quicker than expected.

Peering past the sign you can see the small opening continuing down to 140 feet. The ceiling here is charcoal black, presumably from a time when Florida’s sea level was much lower, allowing natives to live and build fires where we

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Page 13

were now swimming. Paradise Springs appears to be a little less well known.

They do not have a website. They don’t advertise that I know about. Internet searching results in a few directions and descriptions from prior visitors. The overall experience from driving in through old Florida to talking with the owners and seeing the tiny size of the spring makes the trip all worthwhile.

I look forward to returning with others who have never been and who knows, there may even be a cave class in my future.

Blue Grotto’s website is divebluegrotto.com Paradise Spring is closed on Mondays. Bring 2 dive lights with you for both caverns. If you are taking photos I recommend bringing a tripod to set the camera on rocks for perfect stability in the very low light conditions.

Facing Page: The Blue Grotto from above

Freshwater catfish are among the fish here This Page: Sand Dollar on the ceiling

The Grim Reaper at 100 feet in Paradise Springs Cave

Cousin Jay checking out the Blue Grotto

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Page 14

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Hands On Maintenance

By Mi chael Hel l er Water LIFE Editor If you own an airplane maintenance is not an option. You must have an annual inspection, that involves both an airframe and a power plant inspection. It has to be done by a certified mechanic and it has to be written off in the airplane's logbooks.

Additionally, there are component parts that have specific service lives. It doesn't matter if the engine is purring like Felix the cat; when it reaches its ‘service life’ (in hours) the FAA says ‘you will disassemble it’ and replace specified parts. All in all the system does well in keeping planes from falling out of the sky.

Airplanes live a relatively quiet life.

Most small planes run at 2500 RPM or less. They spend most of their lives cruising along smoothly.

Obviously, not the same for boats.

Boats get rattled and slammed, run at 5,000+ RPM in the salt and then shut down hot. Yet boat maintenance is often applied only on an ‘as needed’ basis.

I have carried some of my aviation mechanical past over into my present day boating and every year I do an annual inspection on my boat and perform what I consider to be mandatory routine maintenance: change the fluids and filters, replace the water pump, plugs and T-stats,

and I swap the battery every other year.

A real inspection is in the hands on details. The first thing I do is empty out the hull. Everything goes out on the ground, then I wash the hull inside and out. Later I’ll also wash all the stuff that I removed. This way, by running your hands across every surface as you wash it, you are more likely to find problems.

I am particularly interested in keeping the bilge and aft compartments clean so as to always be able to see if there is any fluid leaking. I like to go over all the exposed wiring with my hands, paying particular attention for corrosion in all areas where there are connections. At the battery, on the motor and at the jack plate pump I disconnect the ‘big’ wires, clean the terminals and connections and reassemble them. I have gotten to like INox, a spray product that leaves a durable coating of protective water displacing lubricant. When the terminals are all back together I mist them with I-Nox. The float switch for the bilge pump is another must check. You should really do this every time you use the boat) It's not good enough to just flip the switch on the console, you have to raise the float by hand.

With ethanol in the gas it is more important than ever to check your hoses

August

2010

The trim pump motor is exposed to lots of splash when operating, but hidden if the motor is trimmed down when the boat is washed.

and the hose ends. Squeeze them, feel for soft spots and check the fuel tank area for signs of seepage. Where you can't see, stick your nose down and smell. You should not smell gas, ever.

Check the vent for your fuel tank is clear, blow in it. Walk around the outside and run your hands over the rub rail where it is attached to the boat. Water coming up under the rub rail can leak inside.

Check the cleats, check the attachments from underneath where ever you can.

Pull, on them.

If you have an electrical problem on a boat chances are it’s a bad ground. Look where the wiring comes up inside the console to the pannel. Check all electrical connections here. I mist the entire pannel from behind with I-Nox. Look behind the instrument pannel at the connections on the gauges. I know it’s a pain to get in there, but once a year; look at it.

On the pedestal, check and lubricate the controls as applicable. Check the steering fluid for level and contamination at the wheel and at the cylinder on the motor. Turn the wheel, watch the motor move. Is there any ‘slop’?

On the outboard there are some things you can do yourself. I don't know about other brands, but on my Mercury it's easy to drop the 'foot' and change a water pump. Back when Mercury was out at Placida I remember them telling me “you always need to change the impeller and the cup it fits in and the drive plate at the same time.” Grooves from sand (see photo) worn in this plate will reduce your water pressure. Never just replace the rubber impeller alone.

If your engine is oily wash it down with Gunk and then re-run it to see where the oil is coming from.

On my motor, to see everything I split apart the lower cowl.

Check all the little oil and vacuum

hoses. Generally these hoses are just push on connections so they have to be tight.

The Hobby Shop in Port Charlotte has tubeing for model planes that is perfect and is impervious to ethanol.

Check the controls, feel for play, lubricate all serviceable moving attachment points. Replace the filters, check the on engine oil reservor for leaks. On Mercs if you screw this cap down too tight it will crack and leak. Change the fuel water separator. Empty it into a clean pan and see what comes out.

I like to run a compression test and install new plugs, but you can sometimes clean and gap the old ones. Record and save the compression test results for future reference. Pull the thermostats. I make my own paper gaskets to seal the thermostat housings and they never leak.

Look at the water pop-off valve on the lower starboard side of the motor. There should be no signs leakage.

Drain and refill the lower unit. Any signs of water or debris in the drain pan will require further investigation. Grease everything as per the manual for your engine. Grease the balls on the end of the trim extension arms and while the engine is trimmed all the way up check the trim pump. On many engines the trim pump is only visible when the motor is trimmed all the way up. As a result, in spite of how careful you are when you wash down your boat, the trim pump often doesn’t get a good rinse. So trim pumps rust out. That's a fact of life. The trim pump is an easy replacement...if you can get to the allen head bolts and if they are not frozen in place. Before I installed my new pump I gave it three coats of Mercury Phantom Black paint. That is far and away the best paint for any marine application... so long as you like black.

Finally how is the prop? Run your hands over it, pull on it. Is it tightly attached? Feel the blades.

Finally, tighten up all the screws and loose hinges around the boat and put everything back together.

Hands on maintenance on land will keep problems from sneaking up on you when you are out on the water.

Unfinished Biz for August

2010

MAC Chairman On the Line

By Capt Ron Bl ago, Water LIFE Senior Staff It’s hard to believe that I have been chairman of the Charlotte County Marine Advisory Committee for the last three years. Who would of thought that 15 years ago, when I walked in on my first MAC meeting, that I would wind up the chairman. The first year as chair I tried to figure out what was going on; and tried not to embarrass myself. The MAC has a lot of moving parts and just like a symphony orchestra, you don’t really understand it unless you’re the conductor. The second year, you try to make a game plan, but something always comes up, and you have to adjust to the crisis of the day. The third year, you realize time is running out, and if you want to leave things better than you found them you have to ask the right questions and hopefully you will get the right answers.

A joint meeting is scheduled in September for the chairmans of the MAC, Parks and Rec, and Beach and Shores Advisory Boards. This is the perfect time to get some answers to questions that will affect boaters in our local waters for years to come. Each chair is being asked to submit topics for the agenda and here are a few of mine.

S tump Pass. Are we still committed to doing what it takes to keep the pass open? Our 10-year permit runs out soon. So do we try to get the permit renewed and continue the endless cycle of maintenance dredging; or do we go for a permanent fix like a jetty. Remember that the cost of dredging is only going to increase in the future.

Boat Ramp Parki ng Fees. When the parking meters were first installed at our public boat ramps in November 2004

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we were told that they would generate about $250,000 per year in income to the county. It’s taken a long time to get an accounting of how much money The 2009 Marine Advisory Committee. Capt. Blago is at the center. actually was received, but it vide to paddlers, where will that money appears that the actual figure is less than come from and who will pay for it? half that amount. For the first half of this Boat Ramps. Charlotte County has year the meters have brought in about made a lot of progress in the boat ramp $50,000. The surprising thing is that the department in the last 10 years, particuPlacida ramp accounts for 65-percent of larly in west county. One glaring excepthat total. The question is: are the parktion is the lack of an access on the East ing fees we collect at our boat ramps Side of the harbor below Punta Gorda. worth the effort? Remember that the The MAC has been told for years that meters themselves are about seven years there is nothing in the area that would old and we know what salt water does to make a suitable site for a public boat anything mechanical. I understand that ramp. I don’t buy it. As the area along they are scheduled to be replaced soon.

Burnt Store road is developed, I bet you Also every Sunday I see a county van will see local developers find ways to with two employees go to the ramp near provide water access to their customers. my home to empty the meters. How Will the county get there first? much do we pay for that?

There has always been a philosophical El Jobean Fi shi ng Pi er. It’s been a number of years since half the pier caught fire. What are we going to do about it? Do we fix it- tear it down- or leave it for the next generation to figure out? In fishing circles, it is a historical landmark.

Kayaks vs. Regi stered Boats. I just read an article on the FWC web site where they estimated the number of canoes and kayaks in Florida to be about a million vessels. We also have about a million registered powerboats in Florida.

What that means to me is that the people that pay to register their boats have to pay for the other half that don’t. Doesn’t seem fair does it? The question is what types of services are we willing to pro-

Page 15

discussion about boat ramps. Are they just parking lots with access to the water or are they parks that have to be visually appealing to the passer by. It’s funny but the two best ramps in my opinion, in Englewood are in the Sarasota County part of town - Indian Mounds and Manasota Beach, both of which have very little paving and landscaping.

The question is, should Charlotte County continue to spend an estimated $40,000 per parking spot or come up with a more minimalist approach? This is going to be an important question with three boat ramp projects - Bay Heights, Ainger Creek Annex and Cattle Dock Point scheduled for the future.

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Page 16 The

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MARINA IS NOT CLOSING

DAMAGE CONTROL: Contrary to

what we reported in our Scuttlebutt section last month, the Boca Grande Marina (formerly Millerʼs Marina) is NOT closing. According to marina manager Garrett Lown the marina is open 7 days a week from 8 a.m until 5 p.m..

“Weʼre not going anywhere,” Lown said. Boca Grande Marina (941) 9642550, sells fuel, bait, ice and tackle plus they have a nice shipʼs store.

Jerry Taylor general manager of the Eagle Grille, upstairs from the marina, noted his restaurant is open as well.

“We may close seasonally for a while later this summer,” Taylor said, noting that “a short summer closing” for his restaurant is “a normal thing.”

We apologize for any inconvenience.

August

2010

SCUTTLEBUTT Sometimes Unsubstanciated, But Often True

THIS IS THE SEASON! For fresh orange juice. We pick up a couple of gallons at Sun Harvest Groves in Fort Myers when ever we are down that way. Recently we found that the same fresh squeezed Sun Harvest juice is available (every other week in the summer) in Port Charlotte at Harbor Seafood on the US 41 service road just north of Gators.

BELOW THE WATERLINE The Charlotte Sunʼs pay-for-view boating and outdoor section has yet another new editor.

(Congratulations to No. 5 from No. 1 – Give me a call when itʼs over!) The parting of the old editor was reported by an insider as “not exactly amicable.” “What a surprise!” commented another.

SNOOK KILL Statewide. A lot of the river fish survived but up to 50-percent of snook statewide could have died in the cold kill.

The official report is out this month.

NO DOCKS IN SAWFISH HABITAT? The Sanibel building code does not allow for docks to be constructed on the bay side of the island from Woodring Point to the western edge of the Lighthouse Park. The ban on docks in this area was instituted in 1993 in order to protect sea grass beds.

The area where docks are banned, it was recently noted, is also in the endangered smalltooth sawfishʼs critical habitat as designated in October 2009 by the National Marine Fisheries Service. Could that ʻsawfish habitatʼ designation alone be used to restrict docks in the future?

NATIONAL OCEAN COUNCIL The

A storm cloud, not from Bonnie, moving across Port Charlotte in July

Obama administration last month announced a new national policy for strengthening the way the U.S. manages its oceans and coasts, and the Great Lakes.

Officials said the framework is needed now more than ever following the massive Gulf oil spill. The policy calls for the creation of a new National Ocean Council that will coordinate Federal agencies involved in conservation and marine planning.

SNOOK FOUNDATION ANGLER ACTION PROGRAM Inshore anglers getting involved with science-based fishery management. The combination of an on-thewater data collection form with an online logbook makes it easy for anglers to accurately record timely catch data in the Angler Action Program, giving inshore anglers the chance to become part of the solution to highly pressured fish stocks. Data collected by anglers will contribute to sound, science-based fishery management decisions.

Editor Notes** Up to now it has been my understanding that scientists have been generally reluctant to accept angler submitted information as ʻgood science,” basically because they donʼt trust fishermen. This program, if successful, could signal the beginning of a welcome change in that perspective – MH SIGNIFICANT ECONOMIC IMPACT The EPA is inviting small businesses and municipalities to nominate representatives to provide input on a proposed stormwater rule. The rule would focus on stormwater discharges from developed sites, such as subdivisions, roadways, industrial facilities, and commercial buildings. The rule could have a significant economic impact on small entities.

FISHING REGS ONLINE The FWCʼs 2010 Saltwater Fishing Regulations publication is now available online at:

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From the Olʼ Fishʼn Hole

August

2010

By Capt. Ji m O'Bri en Water LIFE Englewood Hey guys, this is this the nicest weather we have had so far this summer.

Most of the wind has been in the 5- to 10-kt. range with 2-ft. seas. It's been awesome compared to last summer when we had a lot of 15 to 20 kt. winds, seas 3 to 5 or 4 to 6 foot.

The tarpon fish'n has been pretty good. Some tarpon are around the El Jobean bridge, and the U.S. 41 bridge in Port Charlotte, some are still in the pass, and there are a bunch off the beach.

Sharks are just outside Bull Bay. Some nice blacktip and lemons and a few smaller bull sharks. For sharks, also check the deeper holes up in the Harbor.

There are some spinners and black tips, on the inshore and offshore wrecks.

Spanish mackerel and bonita are hitting silver spoons and diamond jigs at 7 to 18 miles out. There are still some nice big king mackerel on the offshore wrecks we’ve been getting one or two the last couple of times out. It's hard to believe we are still catching big kings this time of the year.

I was talking with some divers and

they told me there was like a thermocline under water in places that was holding 70 to 72 degree water and that’s what the kings like.

For the cobia, look around the channel markers coming out of Boca Grande pass.

We are still seeing a few out on some of the offshore wrecks, along with some nice permit. The best time to catch these fish, has been early in the morning.

The mangrove snapper are everywhere, in Boca Grande pass, Captiva pass, on all the inshore artifical reefs, and the bigger mangs, over 20 inches, are coming in now from the wrecks from 20 to 30 miles out in 80- to 110-feet of water.

For these big mangs I can't say enough about chumming, you have to use a lot of chum to get them up off the bottom. We go through 40- to 50-pounds on an outing.

In the picture this month is Tom Bowerman and his buddy holding a couple of nice red grouper, a gag grouper, and a grunt they also caught some nice yellow tail and mangrove snapper and some big porgies.

The grouper bite has been real good at 25 to 30 miles out.

Remember: Get out and snort some of that good cl ean sal t ai r cuz - i t's good fer ya!

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

Page 17

Contrary to popular belief, wading in the salty ocean to heal cuts and scrapes isn't always the best idea. A little-known, deadly bacteria called Vibrio vulnificus, which naturally occurs in warm coastal waters, can infect the open wounds of beachgoers and incite a life-threatening illness in those with weakened immune systems. The Vibrio vulnificus bacteria proliferates in waters where temperatures are increasing, particularly between the months of April and November. According to the Florida Department of Health. between 2005 and 2009, 138 people were infected with the bacteria in Florida and 31 died,

Island Paddling at Sanibel

Page 18

By Davi d Al l en Water LIFE Kayaking For those of us who live and kayak, in and around Charlotte County throughout the year, a summer vacation trip to kayak may not sound like such a big deal.

But if you choose to paddle the lovely waters around Sanibel, it can be a very big deal indeed. Actually, Sanibel, and more particularly Tarpon Bay, is listed by Canoe and Kayak Magazine as one of the top ten best places to paddle in the nation. And small wonder! About one-third of Sanibel Island, over 6500 acres, is the “Ding” Darling Wildlife Refuge, a protected wilderness refuge administered by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

This back-bay ecosystem is also hailed as one of the top birding spots in the nation, with over 230 species of birds inhabiting the mangroves and the rookery islands.

Egrets, herons, ibis, eagles, wood storks, anhingas, cormorants and pelicans are just some of the types of birds that can be found in Tarpon Bay and its surrounding wetlands.

Just an hours drive from Port Charlotte, at Sanibel you can enjoy over 15 miles of unspoiled beaches with some of the best shelling in the world. Kayaks can be launched from the beaches in many locations along the Gulf or even from the road-side launch area within the “Ding” Darling Refuge. The Tarpon Bay Explorers, operating under license from the Wildlife Service, provide kayak rentals, and guided tours of the rookery islands and the “Ding” Darling Refuge. They also maintain and guide tours through the Commodore Creek water trail, a mile-long mangrove forest where manatees and bot-

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tlenose dolphin can often be found.

We recently spent three days paddling the Wildlife Refuge in and around Tarpon Bay and Commodore Creek, exploring the mangrove trails and the wide open expanse of Pine Island Sound. We were somewhat disappointed that we didn’t see the dolphins the Chamber of Commerce brochure assured us would be found at every turn, but we did see several manatee trails in the water… but again, no manatees. We made up for the lack of dolphins by bicycling the 22 miles of well-maintained bicycle trails on the island. Sanibel is the most bicyclefriendly town in Florida, with bicycles always having the right-of-way, and the motorist sharing the road without question.

Sanibel has a well-deserved reputation as an expensive place to visit, but in the off-season hotel rates are very reasonable and the many fine restaurants are not crowded.

The Sanibel Causeway from Ft. Myers to Sanibel costs $6 for a car and an additional $3 for a trailer. Kayak rentals at Tarpon Bay are $20 for 2 hours; enough time to explore the Commodore Water Trail and the Rookery Islands.

All in all, it was a great three days on the island; the weather was perfect, and the restaurants provided excellent fare. See if you can’t arrange to take a few days to explore this wonderful island, so close and yet so unique.

The Port Charlotte Kayakers meet each Wednesday evening at 5:30 PM at Port Charlotte Beach Park at the end of Harbor Blvd. All are welcome to attend. For additional information contact Dave Allen at 941-2352588 or dlaa@comcast.net

August

2010

The Ding Darling Preserve at Sanibel offers many kayaking possibilities with kayak trail markers along the way. The seagrass is thick and boats under power are restricted in many areas.

August

2010

By Bi l l Di xon Water LIFE Sailing I spent July cursing and moaning. My old desk top computer gave out so I bought a slick new laptop. Flat laptop keyboard, touch-pad, no mouse, new operating system, new e-mail software. Thirty days later, nothing works well, not even me.

Maybe (the Mac guys) aren’t so dumb.

Apples seem to be apples without the “learning curve”.

What little time I've had outside has been late in the day when my patience expires. Late July weather seems great for sailing, low 90s, no afternoon rain and usually a good breeze.

Charlotte Harbor PHRF Boat of The Year awards were handed out at the WFPHRF annual meeting July 10 at Bradenton YC. Winners were: Spinnaker Peter New's Crime Scene, Non spinnaker Jerry Poquette's Fancy Free, Cruising David Newman's Jolly Mon. (He's from CMCS that's why you didn't recognize the name.) Runners up, in non spin were Bob/Mary Anderson's Journey On. In Cruising, Mike Busher's Serendipity took 2nd.

Dennis Peck's Summer Sailing camp at

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Page 19

Two days after TS Bonnie the clouds were spectacular, but the wind wasnʼt nearly as impressive for this Summer Series Sunday race.

the Community Sailing Center was a great success. Lots of fun for the kids, and the view from the bridge drew several complementary e-mails and enticed several families to join the center. Sally Van Dyke donated 2 Optimist prams to the center to allow them to teach younger sailors.

Thank You Sally.

The Summer Sailing Series ends August 8. There is a “specialty race” scheduled for Aug 15, but I have nothing on it at this time (July 21). The Fall series starts August 29. Seems early to me, but after a month of new laptop torture, I'm not sure of anything. CHYC's Wednesday night series continues through the month.

Go out and try it!! It is a lot of low key fun and an excuse to sail. dixonwj@comcast.net Questi on: Wi l l the Ameri ca’s Cup be hel d i n S an Franci sco Bay i n 2014?

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Menhaden, Bluefin and Red Snapper Could be Hit the Hardest

Page 20

S peci al t o Wat er LIFE The Gulf of Mexico isn't dead because of BP's oil spill, but fishermen are fearful that a species may disappear from its waters like the Pacific herring did from Alaska's Prince William Sound after the Exxon Valdez disaster.

While there is great alarm for bluefin, red snapper and other commercially valuable species, menhaden is the one Gulf fish that occupies a niche most similar to herring.

The small, oily menhaden, primarily harvested as bait, is a food source for red drum, sharks, dolphins and pelicans, among others.

Fishery managers had stopped monitoring herring a year after the Exxon Valdez spill because the population appeared healthy, adding to the mystery of its demise. This time, there are plans to watch Gulf menhaden closely over the next several years.

The spill from BP's Macondo well began during spawning season for many fish - most likely killing countless eggs and larvae, scientists said.

"The blue fin tuna spawning ground is right in the bull's eye of this spill," said Greg Stunz, a marine biologist at the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies in Corpus Christi. "The bluefin tuna is already overfished, so if a spill takes out a year of spawning, it could lead to extinction."

Although scientists still debate the reasons for the Pacific herring collapse in the years following the Valdez spill, there's little doubt the crude in the Gulf is threatening species prized as human seafood, as well as those creatures' food sources.

"The biggest fear I have in the Gulf is red snapper, which eats a lot of shrimp and crab," said Buddy Guindon, who owns a seafood market in Galveston and operates three commercial fishing boats in the Gulf. "What will be the replace-

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August

2010

ment food for the snapper? It could cause the collapse of a lot of fisheries."

The fear extends beyond red snapper to other species which use the Gulf as nursery and spawning areas. It may take years for all the damage to show up.

More than two decades after the Exxon Valdez fouled the Prince William Sound, scientists still don't understand what devastated the herring population, which used to be harvested each year by the tens of thousands of tons The silvery-blue fish once ran so thick in some places, it was said, you could push them aside with oars when rowing.

Fishermen harvested the sound's herring every spring as a profitable supplement to their annual catch of halibut and salmon. But herring may be more valuable as a prime source of protein to countless species, including seabirds, salmon and whales, said Jeep Rice, a federal scientist who has spent the past 20 years studying the Exxon Valdez spill.

After the Exxon spill, fishermen enjoyed three years of herring harvests, totaling more than $20 million. Then the little fish vanished.

The herring population is known to fluctuate because of predators, disease and other factors, but its demise and lack of recovery in Prince William Sound is unusual, Rice said.

"No other stock collapsed in Alaska that year, so the location of the collapse is suspicious," said Rice, who is based at the federal Auke Bay Laboratories in Juneau, Alaska. "Worse, the stock has not recovered in the years since."

Pacific herring and pigeon guillemots, a small seabird, are the only species listed as "not recovering" by the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council, formed to oversee restoration of the injured ecosystem.

Gulf Council Recommends Longer Red Snapper Season

From t he Gul f C ounci l The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council reminds recreational anglers that the Gulf of Mexico red snapper recreational season closes 12:01 a.m. local time July 24, 2010. The season will reopen Jun 1, 2011.

However, because of the Deepwater Horizon/BP Oil Spill and the resulting fishing area closure, a reduction in effort may have prevented the recreational quota from being filled. The Gulf Council has requested that, should NOAA Fisheries determine the quota has not been filled, that it conduct rulemaking to reopen recreational red snapper fishing later this year to allow the harvest of the remaining quota.

August

www.WaterLIFEmagazine.com

2010

Fishing Report

Richard Mahaffey caught this 29 inch redfish on 4th of July weekend. He released it alive.

Charlotte Harbor: Robert at Fishin' Franks Port Charlotte: 625-3888

It’s hot! Right now the rivers are flowing at maximum capacity so there is a lot of freshwater in the harbor. The live bait is small, but getting a little bigger. Now is a good time to practice using cut-bait or some of the artificials, but patience is the key either way. Tarpon will be your best

bet this month and they are all over along the harbor and out along the beaches. Look for rolling fish. The bait is scattered and harder to see, but the tarpon will still be around it. Live threadfins, ladyfish and D.O.A. Bait Busters are the best go-to baits. The local guides are all saying this is one of the best tarpon seasons they have seen in years, and is should be good until September and even into October. Just remember it is really warm, so take the time to resuscitate the fish because they will get really worn out. In fact, that should go for all the fish you are catching right now. The next species of my choice this month is redfi sh. They are starting to increase in numbers in the lower part of the Harbor now. Cut ladyfish, cut-sardines and

Charlotte Harbor FISHING GUIDES

Page 21

Left: Beach tarpon at Cayo Costa, Above: offshore grouper, Right: Goliath grouper

frozen shrimp are good bait. And also live small pinfish, the silver dollar size is one of the best baits. Again, the key is to be patient and persistent. Look for shade with decent moving water that is closer to deeper water; a little trough or a channel or even a deep sandhole will be where redfish are trying to stay cool. There are also a few big bul l reds out along the beach at night and in the early mornings. The rocks out around Boca Grande, Stump Pass or Captiva, anywhere near the main channels are where the big guys are. They will eat blue crabs or cut ladyfish right now.

There is also some incredible snook fishing out along the beaches. Night time is the best, but you can coax some smaller ones to eat in the daytime too. But at night ... the 20 pound snook are there!

Live ladyfish or the big lures like the Bomber Long A in the 16 series (that’s a 6.5 or 7 inch Bomber) are the ones.

You will get a lot of grass on your casts but when you get a clean one chances are they will end up hitting it.

Fishing Report Continued on following page

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Page 22

Fishing Report .

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The The BIG-4 BIG-4

Fish Fish to to expect expect in in

August

August August

conti nued from page 21 There are quite a few smal l er snook around the TARPON ARE all littering the REDFISH are showing up in SHARK are everywhere SNAPPER are still thick at ICW, at Whidden Creek, Bull schools to the south Harbor the passes Bay and up towards the Lemon Bay area. They should be around through the full moon of August and then you will see them slowly leave the inshore reefs and beaches and slowly make their way into the Harbor.

We are past the hardest month on 4265 Tamiami Trail, Port Charlotte redfish, snook and trout. Now it should 941 - 625-2700 slowly start getting better. In another month the focus will be entirely on the 700 Tamiami Trail, Punta Gorda inshore species.

941 - 637-0019 Offshore and near shore the mangrove snapper bite has been incredible...if you can get past the gol i ath grouper. Live pinfish in the silver dol- Connie Swartzendruber, a personal trainer on Boca August 20-22. S t. Pete Open, World's largest Grande, wrestled this tarpon to the beach. lar size is again the bait of choice for spear fishing tournament the bigger mangs. A little further out, time of year, but I guess there are still some 30 miles, the l ane and yel l owtai l snapper September 7, 8, 9 , 11 & 18 About Boati ng around. are doing really well. Fish in the 13-16 inch S afel y, USCG Flotilla 87 ,$25, 697-9435 Offshore, Some AJs, grouper and snaprange for lanes with yellowtail up to 20 inches per. The Bayronto and Boxcars are where the have been coming back. The grouper bite has September 24th-26th Caloosa Tournament guys are going. And there are still a few perbeen decent, but not record breaking by any Series, Summer Slam Shootout, Fort Myers mi t on some of the wrecks straight out of Beach, 239-671-9347 stretch of the imagination. By September it Boca Grande. It’s been hot. should start to pick back up. Look for schools Oct. 1-3 Conservancy of Southwest Florida of boni ta with bi g sharks chasing them offRedSnook Charity Tournament, Registration forms shore anywhere from 4 to 12 miles out. online. e-mail: info@conservancy.org Inshore, there is still S pani sh mackerel a few bl uefi sh and a whole lot of smal l Send your calendar events to: sharks. Light tackle on the 2- to 4-foot waterlife@comcast.net blacktips and bonnetheads is the way to go.

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2010

Fishing Do Not Stop!

CALENDAR

Lemon Bay:

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

Fishermenʼs Village

Pirate Invasion

People are fishing, but not that many.

Tarpon are around out in the Harbor. There is whi ti ng on the beach, They are still catching some pompano by Stump Pass, but they are moving. I’ve had guys catching redfi sh to the south in the Gasparilla Sound, slot fish, keepers. Guys are doing OK for snook in Ski Alley at Stump Pass and on the beach at Boca Grande, early in the morning. Some guys are going in the evenings around the docks and lighted areas too. I had a couple of guys catch fl ounder inside the pass. It seemed a little late this

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August

2010

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August

2010

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