Water LIFE August 2012

Wa t e r LIFE C Ch otttte Ha ar rb bo or r a an nd d L Le em mo on n B Ba ay y ha ar rllo e H Kee pin g B oa ters & F ish ermen In fo rmed Sin ce 1 997

The official publication of the Charlotte Harbor Reef Association

August

Still Tarpon

2012

What Needs Protection?

Fishing Report Page 22

Page 10

Pair of Jacks to open Page 13

Editor gets the Boot

Best of Tides Worst of Tides

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Page 14

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Inshore and Offshore Headquarters

Water LIFE Magazine inc.

Letters to WaterLIFE@comcast.net

Where was the Jig?

E mail to Mike at Water LIFE (Last month) You have a photo of the Markett team in your paper (Editor: repeated here) it shows the tarpon that was caught and weighed in The PTTS it also shows the hook inside the mouth. What it does not show is the non break away jig. I think I see the zip tie in the photo but no jig attached to it. At this link (florida sportsman forum) you will find the statement where the Capt says the jig was still attached. The photo and that statement are in direct conflict Were you duped or did some one remove the jig for the photo, which would seem unlikely.

Please donʼt use my name D.D

designed by Owner, the hook maker.

Water LIFE sent the question to Capt.

Markett, The following is his Response: Mike: When the tarpon gets to our boat, we usually remove the jig at our first opportuni-

Editor Asks: Why not?

Below is the Florida Sportsman Forum Post by Capt. Markett: I participated in the PTTS Tarpon Cup and my daughter in law caught the largest fish entered, a 178 pounder. She hooked her fish on a jig and caught the fish on a heavy Crowder LB70 7' boat rod, FinNor Marquesa reel spooled with the PTTS required 50# line and start drag set at 12# with a circle hook facing backwards toward the tail. PTTS entrants and all anglers fishing Boca Grande Pass for tarpon are required to fish weights or lures not rigged to "break away" in strict accordance with all Florida angling laws. Anyone can clearly see that ours didn't break away. Our lures slide up the leader by design, so they do not break away.

Jen's fish was clearly hooked deep inside the mouth, at the corner of the jaw as

ty so that it is not a weapon should the fish shake wildly. There are times when we don't retrieve our jigs -- but that's rare. The law says we can't rig to break away and we don't. The attachment is intact and I believe we retrieved that jig at the boat.

Capt. Markett

Water LIFE - Mikesʼ Follow Up: Thanks Dave . I was having lunch with a friend today and we were talking about your photo. He's not a fisherman but he's a pretty savvy mechanical guy. He looked at the photo on my phone and said it looked like the cable tie was cut past the zip-end.

How was the jig attached? he wanted to know. I diagramed how a jig is attached with a cable tie. He then asked if the fisherman cut the lead eye of the jig to remove it. I told

We forwarded the answer to DD Below is DDʼs response I appreciate Mr. Markett's candor. Why would he remove the jig to take a photo of a tournament fish with so much controversy about break away gear? Furthermore when did he have time to do so on the way to the scales? Once he reached the scales it is my understanding that the fish is given to the release team and he would no longer have possession. I know you can do nothing, but I just find his facts a little hard to swallow. D.D.

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Contributing Editors:

Photography: ASA1000.com Senior Editor: Capt. Ron Blago Charter Fishing: Capt. Bart Marx Port Charlotte: Capt. Billy Barton Punta Gorda: Capt. Chuck Eichner Commercial Fishing: Kelly Beall Sea Grant: Betty Staugler Real Estate: Dave Hofer Inshore: Fishinʼ Frank Offshore: Capt Jim OʼBrien Kayaks: David Allen Sailing: Bill Dixon (on sailbatical) Office Dog: Molly Brown

on the COVER:

Capt. Billy Barton helps 15-year old Morgan Rakow with a pair of jacks during her first trip out onto Charlotte Harbor. Morgan is from Rhinebeck New York and was here last month, staying with family. See page 13

Editor Notes: You get only one question... until you give the readers your real name.

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Captain Markettʼs Reply: Mike How jigs are legally attached in a manner that meets the state requirement and permits the lure to run absolutely true -- a key secret of success in "jig" fishing for tarpon.

One of the primary differences in the success rates of different guides is how they accomplish that. There are a variety of jig head and eyelet styles and different attachment systems seem to accomplish true action at the depths they are regularly fished. But, your lunchtime friend is perceptive.

The cable tie is run through the eye of our jigs and we break the eye to remove the jig. The cable tie remains attached to the leader and it is removed after the tarpon is unhooked.

Capt. Markett

Water LIFE is also ONLINE free every month

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him I didn't think so. So how was the jig attached? he wanted to know. I couldn't tell him, but I told him I'd get the answer. – Mike

Charlotte Harbor Reef Association

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Olympic Displays in Fishing August

2012

The Gold Medal this month, for olympic attention-getting in the sport of recreational fishing goes to Todd from Englewood for his remora on the face event.

“The fish really stuck the landing,” Todd reportedly said.

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By Mi chael Hel l er Water LIFE editor The Olympic medal for nievetá in fishing reporting goes to the Charlotte Sun’s writer who said his paper can be unbiased in writing about fishing tournaments, even those they have a financial interest in.

To the editor’s credit he raised some good questions about tournament fishing, particularly the PTTS tarpon tournament however when the Charlotte Sun attempted to establish a roundtable discussion between the two factions involved in the tarpon debate, one side balked citing their distrust for the media, noting the Sun collects advertising revenue from the tournament’s owner.

That was exactly the point, not that anyone did anything wrong, just that they could have.

To have credibility the Charlotte Sun needs to develop a traditional newspaper ethics policy and stick to it.

The policy should start with this commonly accepted tenet: In journalism, even the appearance of impropriety is totally unacceptable. A newspaper doesn’t actually have to do anything wrong, it’s just that for a newspaper to be trusted by the community, even if it might just look like they are doing something wrong – a good newspaper doesn’t get involved. The Sun had no business trying to set up a meeting to solve a problem between the parties, the Sun needed to report the news not try to influence it.

Credibility is the name of the game in newspapering and the Charlotte Sun has still not scored in that event.

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Hereʼs a real olympic winner: Heather Harkavy is no stranger to the record books. At age 17 she has accumulated nearly 100 records. This 32 lb permit will add to that total, if it qualifies for the potential IGFA Female Junior record. Heather got the permit to eat a live crab, then with olympic precision, 15-minutes after she boated the fish, she obtained an accurate weight reading for the record application. If approved, Harvkavyʼs fish will beat the existing record by 2-pounds! The fish was released alive.

It was the Best of Tides, It was the Worst of Tides

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FOR SUCCESS: STINK THE DICKENS OUT OF IT

Water LIFE Baitshop When is high tide? That is the most asked question I get. I tell them the time of the high tide here at the top of Charlotte Harbor. Funny though, they never ask the height of the tide. In our area high tide does not mean you always have a lot of water, it only means that’s all you get for now.

Many times ‘highs’ do not have as much or any more water depth then some low tides. Yes, fall and winter high tides are not as high as spring or summer lows.

We have an average of 1 foot more water spring and summer than we do fall or winter. I figure 1.5 or higher is a high tide .9 to 1.5 medium tide, 0.0 to .9 is low and anything below a 0.0 is ...well a good day to hunt for the lure you stuck on the bottom as most of the Harbor is dirt below that anyway.

People assume that they should fish the high tide. Why? I have as many good low tide spots which are actually easier fishing than high tide. When the water is very high the fish scatter or go way back up under the mangroves. On very low tides they are in the holes. It’s like

shooting fish in a barrel, but they have to be there.

Let’s talk about rain right now. We have had rain. Keep in mind it does not matter too much if it rains in Port Charlotte or Punta Gorda it is up-river that makes the big difference. Rains fill the rivers and all that fresh water stained dark with Tannic flows out of the rivers into the Harbor. The Peace, the Myakka and the Caloosahatchee all empty into Charlotte Harbor, which is why this area is called brackish water, which simply means salt water diluted by rain or river runoff, it is still salt water after the rain stops. So when is the best time to fish?

Let’s look at it.

High tide once the water reaches its peak, then it starts to go out, pulling the hot fresh dark water from the rivers.

Consider that salt is heavier than water so the only place out there with any salt is right by the bottom where the sand holds the salt. The water from the rivers is fresh and hot. It is important to remember that hot water does not hold much oxygen. So it is hard for fish to breath. Much like you in the sun you don't want to move, much less eat.

Then low tide comes, and the tide

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2012

starts pushing cooler saltier water from the Gulf of Mexico up into the Harbor. It is like flipping a switch. The bait that had been hiding near the bottom to be in the salt come back to the surface, the fish get active, everything starts to happen.

So if you are planning a trip during August look to get out at low tide, then take advantage of the incoming tide. I usually figure the last half of the incoming and the first third of the outgoing to be the best fishing. I like to be there get set up and then when the salt water hits and every thing starts to happen I am ready – let the fun begin!

It is hard for many people to realize that fish have about the same ability to smell as dogs.

So now that we have talked about the dark hot water, let’s look into the water, all two or three inches that we can see into it. How far do you think the fish can see? That is why I TIDE DIDNʼT MATTER This mullet was caught on a started with the smell thing, yes hook and line in Turtle Bay. That was very unusual fish are hunters / predators. So if since mullet are usually caught with a net. you cannot see you still use ing the most tarpon during the last few your nose and ears to find food. Dead weeks are using mullet cut into large bait such as frozen shrimp has a much chunks so big the cat fish cannot get it more potent aroma to it. That makes it in their mouths and the tarpon can. Yes better bait in very dark or dirty water. that dead stinky bait is going to attract The live bait is moving and has less of cat fish. Just use big chunks like 1/2 of a scent but the movement in the water a mullet at a time. The cat fish start makes vibrations or sounds. If you think of it that way, to attract predators, moving it around and the tarpon will move in and take it from them. Cat fish the hook makes their movements erratare tarpon food as well. It really does ic, wounded and good to eat but easier work! to catch. If you have enough salt in the So incoming tides and dead bait. I water you have lively bait, but with guess I could have said it all in just that low salt content in the water the bait is sentence but where’s the fun in that? lethargic and not a good predator attracGood luck out there. tor.

Frank can be reached at 625-3888 or at So I would put my money into dead Frank@fishinfranks.com stinky baits. The guides who are catch-

Inadvertent Fish Magnets

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2012

By Mi chael Hel l er Water LIFE publisher The city of Punta Gorda spent $15,822 of their own money and state or federal funding accounted for another $180,591 of the $196,413 cost to build the mooring field at the east side of the US 41 bridges in Punta Gorda. The city hasn’t made a dime on the investment, not one boat has moored at the mooring field for the last 11 months. There apparently is no business model for this investment either, no marketing plan, no projections. Talk about wasteful government spending.

The month the field opened in 2011 there were allegedly six boats moored, probably 'set-ups' to make the opening look good, but since then there have been no boats, not a one, even though the first week's stay at the mooring field is free. Instead, boats continue to anchor on the other side of the bridges, where they have been anchoring for yearts.

Now the word is out that the Punta Gorda Civic Association is trying to round up enough boats to fill the field for a potentially misrepresentational photo that could be used to attract unsuspecting boaters here and apparently the city is OK with that.

There is still a bone of contention as to exactly why the mooring field is where it is. Maybe it's part of a master plan – the city had to locate it near the boat ramp, or maybe it's where it is because the group that runs the marina and restaurant for the city wanted it there. One thing is for sure, most boaters who transit the area will tell you, where it is, the mooring field is a menace to navigation. “The biggest problem they have is people running into it” a marina employee said.

But none of that matters, because the city's boondoggle may be the fisherman's reward. In the coming years, maybe two or three years are left before the balls disintegrate, we predict there will be more and more boats at the mooring field. We also predict, none of them will be tieing up.

Forty two 18-inch plastic balls make up the mooring field. Already, one year after their installation, the mooring balls are in a state of decay. The balls are made of what looks like ABS plastic with cheap pvc fittings, many of which have already broken off.

Similar balls are on the internet for under $100. Several balls are dented from collisions and every day the moorings sit lower and lower in the river, gathering critter filled moss and barnacles. Every inch of the heavy mooring ropes that are submerged are covered as well and some growth is now interconnecting in clumps.

Each of the 42 balls is anchored to the bottom of the river with a concrete weight and a heavy line with a plastic eye on the other end for boats to tie up to – and every mooring ball is in fact its own independent ecosystem.

If you are a real fisherman the light should be going on in the fishing part of your brain right about now.

Barnacles, moss, critters, growth.... I’m thinking fishmagnet! Think 42 fish-magnets, out in the middle of the Peace River. Thank you Punta Gorda!

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Blue Crab – Biology, Fishery & Management August

2012

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By Betty S taugl er Water LIFE / Sea Grant

Blue crabs belong to the very large phylum Arthropoda, which includes both land and aquatic invertebrates (without backbone). They are in the order Decapoda, meaning 10 legs, and the family Portunidae. The blue crab genus Callinectes means beautiful swimmer and the species name sapidus means savory, so blue crabs are appropriately beautiful savory swimmers.

Blue crabs are thought to live up to four years. Females spawn from March through November in Florida. Males and females are both sexually mature in their first year, although females at a slightly larger size (5-7 inches) then males (4 inches). Generally male blue crabs are found in the upper estuary and females in the saltier areas. Females only come into the upper estuary to mate. Although males may mate several times, a female only mates once. This happens during her terminal molt, at maturity when growth stops. Although she only mates once, she will store enough sperm to spawn several times over a one year period. Females carry their eggs under their abdomen (or apron) which is folded up under their carapace. After mating the females move out to high salinity waters to spawn. The eggs hatch after two weeks and the tiny larvae called zoea are carried offshore. The zoea undergoes 7 molts after which time it becomes a megalopa (big head). Megalopa vaguely resemble an adult blue crab. It is at this stage that the developing blue crab sinks to the sea floor and begins its journey to the estuary. After 6-20 days the first molt occurs and at this time the blue crab finally resembles a true crab…although a very tiny one.

In Charlotte County, the blue crab fishery is our largest commercial fishery.

Dockside (ex-vessel) value of this fishery in 2010 was over $565 thousand dollars.

Forty Charlotte County commercial fishermen and a small handful of Desoto

County fishermen depend upon a healthy blue crab fishery to make a living.

In recent years, there has been more awareness regarding the impact derelict traps have on marine life, the environment and public safety. To facilitate derelict trap removal, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has implemented policies which allow for Commission approved volunteer based cleanups. During a gear closure, cleanups typically focus on traps left in the water because they have the potential to become derelict during the open season (our next gear closure will be in 2013). During the open season those traps which are visible at low tides, creating visual pollution are targeted.

This leaves those traps which no longer have a buoy and are not visible from the water surface. These traps are generally lost when boats snag the buoys, resulting in navigation hazards and ghost traps that may continue to fish for several years.

In May 2012, I acquired side-scan sonar through a local boating improvement grant in order to identify and remove submerged-unbuoyed traps based on a successful pilot project completed in 2011. Because current rules prohibit removal “tampering” of a legal trap, I reached out to the commercial fishers in Charlotte and Desoto counties requesting authorization (via signed consent) to recover their legal trap when found unbuoyed using the side scan during the open season. To date 35% of the fishermen have responded favorably to my request.

In July, a small crew of volunteers

helped me recover 29 submergedunbuoyed traps. 41% of the traps recovered were in fishable condition. Bycatch included 32 blue crabs. Three traps recovered were legal and of those two have been returned to their owner as a result of the signed consent letter. Derelict traps and trap debris collected were disposed of at the Charlotte County Landfill where the metal trap material is later recycled.

If you are a commercial blue crab fishermen who fishes in Charlotte County and you would like more information about the trap removal authorization program, please give me a call at 941-7644346.

Betty Staugler Florida Sea Grant Agent Univ ersity of Florida IFAS Ex tension Charlotte County (941) 764-4346

Page 9

Where is the LOGIC in Biological Data?

Page 10

By Capt. Ron Bl ago Water LIFE Senior Staff

I just love watching the re-runs of the Fish and Wildlife Commission meetings on the Florida Channel. They have drama, suspense and comedy all rolled into one episode; just like a good soap opera. The latest meeting took place June 27-28 at Palm Beach Gardens. The big headline was that the Florida black bear was taken off the threatened species list. I find this to be really ironic, especially if you compare the Florida black bear to the Florida manatee.

Back in the early 90's the estimated bear population was about 1000 and environmental groups tried to have the black bear put on the State Endangered Species list, but state regulators ruled that a population of 1,000 was too many to qualify for endangered so they put the bear on the threatened list. They also closed the hunting of bears in 1994. The manatee at the same time, had an estimated population of over 2,000 was put on the Endangered Species list because it was thought to be “ on the verge of extinction”. Today the population of black bears in Florida is between 2,500 and 3,000; while the population of manatees is over 5,000. The bear has been taken off the threatened list and the manatee is still on the endangered list. That just doesn't seem logical to me.

What is really confusing to me is that

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according to the state, 90% of all black bear deaths are the result of collisions with automobiles; but as one of the commissioners said when he voted to delist the The lowly Florida black bear is no black bear - ‘I longer protected but the cash value of the manatee still warrants protection for it. know that a lot of bears are Atlantic side killed by cars but as long as the populabut kept it closed on the Gulf side. At tion is increasing, that's not a big probthe recent FWC meeting, staff presented lem.’ Let's compare that with manatees an updated stock assessment report on where 25% of annual manatee deaths are snook that showed that “snook populacaused by watercraft. I guess that's a big tions are improving on the Atlantic and problem because the state keeps trying to are not in biological jeopardy in the get the counties to adopt Manatee Protection Plans that include more regula- Gulf”. tions on boaters. Where is the logic in If the snook in the Gulf are not in biothat thinking? logical jeopardy, then why do they want to close fishing for another year?

The other headline out of the FWC meeting is that they decided to close Here is the logic behind the decision. snook fishing for another year, but only One of the main components for deterin Gulf waters. Since there are not that mining fish population is to review catch many snook north of Tampa you might data. Since there is no commercial fishing as well say snook fishing is closed in for snook all that data must come from Southwest Florida only. After a severe recreational fishermen. On the Atlantic cold snap, the FWC closed snook fishing side they can ask and see what recreational on January 6, 2010. Not too long after fishermen are catching and use that date to that, they re-opened snook fishing on the

August

2012

determine population estimates. But on the Gulf side there is no catch data because snook fishing has been closed for two years so they will only say that the snook population is no worse than it was two years ago. Because of that uncertainty of the growth of the snook population, the FWC has voted to keep snook fishing closed for another year. The earliest the season could be opened on the Gulf side is now September 1, 2013.

Here is a suggestion; Why don't we take all the FWC researchers and staff on the Atlantic side and transfer them to the Gulf side and do the same for the FWC researchers and staff on the Gulf side.

Then let’s see if we get the same population results. That would be an approach I would call Bio-LOGICAL.

Capt.RonB@juno.com

August

2012

w w w. Wa t e r L I FE maga z i n e .c o m

P a g e 11

Parents of 7th Graders sign your kids up!

Fishing Classes

For the 11th year the Don Ball School of Fishing classes are being offered at: Port Charlotte, Murdock, LA Ainger, Punta Gorda and Heron Creek middle schools.

This is an 8 week program held in the school cafeteria from 6:15 to 7:45 p.m. one night a week.

Children receive invaluable fishing instruction from local guides. They will learn how to tie knots, cast and identify fish.

Students receive a quality Shakespeare Rod and Reel, a custom tackle bag, tackle trays, lures, hooks, jigs, sinkers, spoons, plyers, casting plugs and more!

Plus, every student receives the new 2012 edition of the Don Ball School of Fishing workbook and upon graduation they will receive a custom Be-The-Fish graduation t-shirt.

The cost of the whole program is just $12.

Students will have a chance to see the equipment, meet us and ask questions at a school lunch session in early September. Application forms will be available at each school 7th grade office starting Sept. 1.

Early sign up is available from the waterlifemagazine.com website NOW! Call 941-766-8180 for more information.

Sponsored by the Charlotte Harbor Reef Assn. and the Fish Florida Foundation with additional funding from Fishermen’s Village and Water LIFE magazine

Early Sign Up online NOW at www.WaterLIFEmagazine.com Application Forms available in school Sept 1

Itʼs What Guides Do Page 12

By Capt. Bi l l y Barton Water LIFE / Charlotte Harbor Well guys summertime is here and in full effect. Things are just a little on the steamy side out there lemme tell ya! The beach umbrella on my flats boat has been coming in pretty darn handy lately! The first week or so of July was just hot and stagnant. With no cloud cover and no wind blowing I think the fish were hot too and the Harbor was like a sauna!

OK enough with talk about the weather. The first thing I wanna do is clear up a little/BIG boo boo on my end from last month. In my defense I was (Editor notes: bla, bla, bla, no excuses!) and if you read my snapper story last month then you

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probably read you could keep 10 mangrove snapper per person in near shore waters. Well, you can keep 10 mangrove snapper per person, but only in international waters. Inshore you can keep 5 which is part of the 10 snapper inshore aggregate limit. It is confusing and limits inshore fisherman with what they can bring home to the dinner table. In my opinion, as an everyday fisherman, there are plenty of snapper in the legal size range and in abundance. If people could keep a few more maybe there would be a little less pressure on some of the other

species that need a break. Heck I'm just a person with an opinion! Everybody's got one! Well I hope I cleared that up, and I hope nobody got a ticket! I’ll start proofreading better.

Enough on my mistakes guys, the fishing has been pretty darn good considering the weather we have working against us. We've had a ton of rain lately.

Normal for this time of year, however an influx of fresh water and black Harbor water are never what I like to see!!

The more rain, the darker the water is going to be in our Harbor. The darker the water, the more heat it's going to absorb from the sun. To improve your success this time of year, fish slower moving baits, or baits that aren't moving at all.

August

2012

The fish want an easy meal.

Another thing that I will consistently do this time of year is I like to get an earlier start. Fish earlier in the day, or right before dusk. It's cooking out there in the afternoon! We like to eat in comfort and so do the fish!

Also with all the rain and winds consistently out of the south and west, this is the time of year that we will see some extremely high tides. Heck, our low tides lately have still been like a +1.0. That's pretty high for a low! What does this mean to me? I'm fishing up against the bushes, period! Snook, redfish, snapper, jacks, and flounder are all fish that have been coming from up against the bushes for me in the last month.

August

2012

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The snook and red fishing has just been amazing. We've been putting a lot of quality fish in the boat. When the sun is shining, the mangrove bushes provide shade for these fish. Also these bushes are a great place for the fish to hide and seek refuge from dolphins and ospreys and such. On top of the seeking refuge and the shade, there's plenty of food for them to eat there as well. Yeah, if I was a fish I'd be up against the bushes!

I didn't mention it yet but we've actually pulled some pretty large trout off of the bushes lately too.

This is a little out of the norm, typically trout are a fish you'll find out on the open grass flat, but heck, they just must be hot too!

Some advice: If you are targeting trout you want to fish the deep sand holes in the Harbor, there are plenty of them around right now.

Well guys I hope everybody's out there slaying em! I'm gonna re-read this article now and make sure I didn't give you any more bad information, then I'm gonna go get the boat ready for some action tomorrow!

Y'all take care, fish hard, and don't forget to bring a kid with you, it'll be the best thing you ever did!

Capt. Billy Barton operates S cal es N Tai l s C hart ers. He can be reached at 979-6140 or at bartonw24@yahoo.com

Page 13

Weedlines Holding Fish Within Reach

The whale shark, left, was under the weed line. If you look carefully at the bottom right of the photo above, and if the printer didn始t screw up, you can see the whale shark just below the surface

S t aff R eport Captain Bob DeKeulenaere was one of many boaters who were able to take advantage of a string of calm wind days to run 15 miles offshore to the weedlines in the Gulf Pushed up from the southwest by the wind and then left in the calm that followed the offshore weedlines have been teeming with little fish, which of course has attracted bigger fish and fishermen.

Capt Bob said he had been catching smaller mahi-dolphin before this helathy cobia took a shot at a free swimming bait.

Achilles Recuperation: Das Page 14

By Mi chael Hel l er Water LIFE publisher My neighbors across the canal don’t see me outside on crutches, they only see me in the pool so I wonder what they think, watching me religiously take my afternoon swims while my wife loads the truck with magazines to make deliverys.

I ruptured my Achilles tendon on June 1, so by the time you read this it will be two months, halfway if I am lucky, until I can drive a car again – never mind being able to swing my boat off the davits and into the canal. Scuba diving? - That will be next summer. Recovery is all about slowly re-learning to flex my foot.

So far during my recuperation I’ve effectively been under house arrest. The only way I go anywhere is with someone else. I am captive. On the brighter side, the ugly scar you saw on the back of my leg last month has healed nicely, the hard cast is gone, and my right foot is now wearing a high tech German boot.

Through all this my wife Ellen has had to pick up a lot of my slack, both on the job and around the house. I joke with her about being Cathy Bates in the movie Misery who tortured her bed ridden patient, or Nurse Ratchett from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, but in reality I’d have a very hard time without her. All this has brought home to me how difficult an imobilizing condition really is... day after day. It’s been a humbling experience for me too – having to slow down and wait. I’m not good at waiting.

After the real nurse at my doctor’s office took the very real 40 or so stitches

Boot

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out of my leg I asked the doc about swimming. He said I could go in the pool, but I would have to be very careful not to stretch my newly-sewn--together tendon. ‘That’s why I put you in a boot’ he said. But the boot he gave me was heavy and hard with a hot black foam liner. I hated the boot as soon as they put it on me.

I showed the doctor a picture of a different style boot, one I found on the internet. It was made in Germany. The number one boot in Germany the company’s website proclaimed – I’ve always been a sucker for German engineering.

Instead of being a flat soled, metal framed boot, the Germans came up with a techno-plastic soft-soled boot, lined with terry cloth and vacuum moldable support.

My doctor had not seen it before. My insurance wouldn’t cover it, but I bought it anyway and the boot arrived four days later, in time for me to wear it to my next doctor’s visit. The first swim alone was worth the money and I’m hopeing the low impact weightlessness of starting to walk again in the pool will help me start walking again on land a little bit sooner.

I told Ellen that they rehabilitate race

August

2012

A swimmable orthopedic boot has allowed hydrotherapy to be part of my frog-like routine

horses with swimming therapy so why not me? My wife’s response was that it would have been easier just to shoot me, like they do to a lame racehorse, she said.

There was the mean old nurse again!

At home there is only so much Ellen can do, so we have been very fortunate to have friends who pitched in when needed.

When Tropical Storm what-was-hername? blew through I watched from the window as our dock began to come apart.

Part of it is low to the water and built to come apart, but when it comes apart someone has to be there to round up the pieces. And in the midst of the rain, Capt Bart Marx happened to call. ‘How are you guys doing?’ He said in his usually calm and cheerful voice. ‘Do you need any help? ‘ ...and so Bart came over in the rain and wrestled the biggest section of the dock up out of the canal and put it on the

lawn. Then he secured the rest. Thank you again, Bart!

On top of everything else, in three days we had our teenage niece coming to stay for a week. So the day after the storm passed Chuck Hepp, owner of Chuck’s Custom Carpentry in Port Charlotte - (Shameless, but I promised I’d do that) and who is also a fishing friend from Franks’, came over and put our dock back together while I watched ... hanging helplessly on crutches that were loaned to me by Darrel from Franks. Again, Thanks again to you all!

Life, however, is getting easier little by little. I’ve had friends come over and take me out to lunch, I’ve been to Publix – big whoop? I waited in the car and it was still a nice day out – it doesn’t take much! I’ve also now had my first boat ride and I might even go fishing (for a little while), one day soon.

Looking to make a few extra $$$$$ ?

Part Time work selling ads for this publication Commission only, but High % Contact: waterlife@comcast.net Staff Report The NEMO 33 DIVING COMPLEX in Belgium was designed by expert diver John Beernaerts as a multi-purpose diving instruction, recreational and film production space unlike any in the world. It took seven years to build and the 34.5 meter (113 feet deep) pool in Belgium was open for business in the summer of 2004. Solar panels heat the 2.5 million liters (660,430 gallons) of non-chlorinated, highly-filtered spring water to keep it at 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit). Within Nemo 33 there are numerous underwater caverns to help train divers and windows for dry outsiders to get a peek inside.

ʻFindingsʼ for Success

August

2012

By Capt. Chuck Ei chner Water LIFE Punta Gorda Fishing Successful fishing is a combination of experience, preparedness, observation and interpretation of the aquatic environment.

Every day is different and a fine line often divides those that can and cannot utilize modern technology and basic intuition.

FIS H FINDER This time of year our waters are teeming with life. If you throw a cast net anywhere in the Harbor in depths from 1 foot to 20 you will come up with some type of living creature. Jelly fish, sea nettles, sand dollars and other sea creatures I can’t even identify show up with the normal fish and crustaceans you would expect. Often I hear anglers comment on their depth finders showing lots of fish however they don’t get any bites. The first thing I think of when I hear this, is their sensitivity setting is set too high. Most anglers leave their sensitivity in automode which is really not useful in our shallow waterways. In 10-20 feet of water in auto-mode you will see what appears to be tons of fish and blobs as the transducer transmits and receives signals. A proper sensitivity setting will result in a predominantly clear screen with precise definition of the bottom and arch-like shapes for fish. Noise clutter on higher auto-mode settings are reflected off the bottom and onto the screen which makes you think the water column is full of fish. Only experience with manipulating your sensitivity adjustment will tell

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you when it is just right. I never use the fish icon feature that turns suspended objects into a small or large fish symbol.

You can only tell what you have by examining the shape of the signal. Fish often appear as arches or partial arches and bait fish appear as a big cloud.

TIDES The basic elements of our estuary are tide, weather and fish patterns, all of which have seasonal characteristics and vary each day on the water. Inshore species like redfish, snook and tarpon change locations based on the daily tide phase so within a specific tide phase they will stage at certain locations to feed.

Many spots are only good for an hour or two, so knowing what the tide will be really matters. Within Charlotte Harbor the tide is different at different locations.

The Punta Gorda tide station generally shows the tidal stage near the mouth of the Peace River. You can expect the peak of the high tide at Burnt Store Bar or Cape Haze Point to be quite a bit earlier.

Catching the turn of the tide is often important and some fish will leave the flats at the turn- an hour late and you have missed the bite even if you have the spot. You can easily find nearly a 2 hour tide difference within the harbor especially the closer you get to Boca Grande.

Often it is hard to tell if the tide is moving, but an easy way to get a read on tidal movement is to pass near a piling and view the push of water. The tidal velocity will create a wake on the piling with the down-current side being the

Sensitivity adjustment is critical

open part of the V-wake. Simple enough, but the tides don’t always cooperate and an early incoming or outgoing tide might very well change where you fish.

BAIT Most days on my boat start with bait catching. Catching bait is very tricky and can take from 20 minutes to 2 hours. Vision into the water this time of year is difficult at best. When on your bow be sure to look right and left as one direction will remove glare and allow better sub-surface visibility. Cupping your hands on either side of your hat will

Page 15

remove peripheral light intrusion and significantly increase your ability to see into the depths. I generally look for a flash of bait in the dark water. One flash and it might be my imagination, two flashes and I set the anchor.

ANCHOR Important with bait catching is to anchor the bow and the stern because as you chum, the boat will swing and with it the chum. I don’t know about you, but I want to throw the net as few times as possible. Another tip is to drift the grass beds where you think bait will be and listen for the subtle flipping sound. Listening can help you locate bait when you cannot see it.

All too often the anchor line gets caught in the anchor fluke and while untangleing it you drift away from the spot. Most anglers grab the anchor by the shaft when putting it away. When pulling the anchor out, the flukes often catch on the line and hold the anchor. Put the anchor away by grabbing the fluke end putting the shaft in first so there are no flukes to grab the line!

Top anglers use their knowledge and tools to help them locate fish. With the help of modern technology you wouldn’t think the fish stand a chance, but I still find them as challenging as ever, which makes it that much more rewarding when the drag is singing!

Capt. Chuck Eichner operates Action Flats Backcountry Charters and can be reached at 941-628-8040 or at www.backcountry-charters.com

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Real Estate News

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

Recent area news i tems:

1.

I've been working on writing the plot for a new novel - but I think it might be too far fetched. But, it is based on a true story, the names will be changed to protect the guilty: At the peak of a crazy land boom, a speculator puts down $1.8 mil of a $6 million purchase price for 150 plotted

2012

against the county. The bank had already foreclosed and won a $6.3 mil judgment against him. But the bank failed and its trustee, FDIC, didn't pursue the deed. S o the speculator collects $10.1 from local taxpayers and pays $6.3 to FDIC netting $3.8 mil AND keeps the land free and clear- not a bad outcome for a $1.8 mil ill-timed speculation!

Don't know if this would be a tragedy or a comedy...

2. The controversy continues as the Charlotte County CRA approved a $9 million budget for the first phase of the 3. Charlotte County suspended impact fees on new construction through 2013. In an effort to stimulate construction, they will turn away funds from developers for parks, schools, public safety, etc. but will continue to collect for street improvements. Not sure that there is a way to measure this, but logic would tell me that not one new building start would occur because impact fees were being waived... so why do it?

4. Cocoplum Shopping Center on 41 between Sumter and Salford will host chain stores; Ross, TJ Maxx, Bealls and newly relocated Publix. Bealls will close their outlet stores in North Port and Murdock.

5. The Shoppes at Price Crossing (Price and Toledo Blade) sold for $14.2 mil. The 78,000 sf center had carried an appraised value of just $6.3 mil. Looks like Sarasota County's appraiser should join the Charlotte County office for a little brush-up on valuation techniques.

The lots were unbuildable because the DEP would not approve septic permits due to the proxcimity to the Cape Haze and Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserve

lots in a remote area of S outhwest Florida (picture above) thinking that they are serviced by county water and sewer. When he cooks up a deal to sell a lot to a builder, he finds out that they not only do not have water and sewer but the DEP won't permit septic fields there, so they're unbuild able. The county makes no effort to extend the utility services that the appraiser has represented were already available. He sues and wins a $10.1 mil judgment

August

Parkside redevelopment effort. TEAM Port Charlotte and the CRA are still clinging to the hope that $30 million thrown at this blighted neighborhood will be repaid through increased real estate valuations. This phase 1 money will be spent to widen Midway Blvd from Elkam to Kings Highway and to convert 2/3 of Lake Betty Park into more water retention. In light of the devastating court decisions, declining revenues and budget gaps, maybe this project should be deferred.

6.

Charlotte County will be using

reserves to make up the $6.4 mil budget deficit. The Sheriff's office is balking at the idea of making any cuts to his share of the budget. Tax values in the county have fallen 5% this year vs. only 0.3% for Sarasota County which have benefitted from new commercial construction.

7. Despite the yawning deficits, CRA squandering and losing lawsuits, Charlotte County is exploring a $30 mil outlay to widen Gasparilla Road.

8. As a result of losing 3.8% in taxable property valuations and the expectation of decline in other fees, Punta Gorda is proposing to raise its millage rate by 18%.

In other news: June foreclosure filings in Charlotte and Sarasota counties were 570 vs 440 in 2011. Charlotte's bed tax (a bellwether for tourist demand) is up 13% year to date vs. 2011.

Nationally, existing home prices rose 1.3% in April - the first increase in 7 months. Lot and house inventories continued to decline and median prices firmed slightly.

August

2012

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THEY HAD IT MADE IN THE SHADE

By Capt. Bart Marx Water LIFE Fishing August, one of the hottest months of the year. This means you need to have plenty of water in the boat and some shade to keep everyone cool. Our Action Craft flats boat has a bimini top, yes a bimini on a flats boat. This time of year it is nice to open it up and have some place to hide from the sun. Then when it is time to move to the next spot you create a breeze and it comes in handy for those afternoon rain storms too.

Some people have T-tops or what I call a redneck T-top.... a big umbrella in a rod holder – that works too! Just so you can keep cool this time of year. When I have younger anglers on the boat I don't want them to get sun burned or over heated and have a bad experience.

Seems this summer it has been the guys that have been bringing the boys out on the boat to do some fishing. Father and son teams, mostly. I had the pleasure to take my son Jordan and his two sons Tielar and Logan, my grandsons. They use my boat as a jungle gym in the garage when they come over to spend the day with Grandma and Grandpa - so they know the boat very well.

The trip we went on started at Port Charlotte Beach about 10 a.m. on a Monday morning. We traveled down the Harbor and chummed up some white bait and pin fish that we used later to trade up for some bigger fish. We fished near Pirate Harbor for a few minutes and there were no bites so I decided to run across the Harbor to the West Wall and do some fishing over there. We got there and found the spot that we wanted to fish and had some good bites too. We started to use the trolling motor to ease along the mangroves so we could cast our live baits up into the pockets and under the bushes. We had a few reds that were too short and released them in good shape. We had one in the well that Jordan caught and it was time to let the boys reel some in.

They were busy with there Zebco 202's casting pin fish over and over. It was time to put them on a spinning reel that could handle the reds that we were catching.

It was not to long and shazam! We had two reds on - and the boys each had one of the rods. It was there first time with spinning rods and they both had keeper fish on.

Then they got tangled and one line got cut off, in a way that was a good thing, it was much easier to coach one young angler than two at one time.

The fish that made it in the boat was a 20 inch red that Tielar reeled in-nice.

After that Chinese fire drill we got settled down and it was Logan's turn. And it was not long he had a fish to reel in, it was a fun time for the grandsons. This was our limit in reds and we fished a little while longer and then moved toward the dock and cleaned three reds that we have photos of.

On another trip with a father and son duo we ran the boat all the way to Jug Creek to catch greenbacks. After that run we ran back across the Indian Grounds and

fished at Two Pines where we caught several snook, snapper and a red fish that went in the well to return to the dock. When the bite slowed there we moved closer to Burnt Store Marina and caught more snapper and trout. As the day went on we caught some more fish but not for the ride home. Joe caught several fish but those reds just avoided his hook. His son Jo-Jo was catching snook like crazy and by the time we started back to the dock he had caught an In-shore Slam, snook, red, and trout. It was a good trip for father and son team.They had one nice red and a few snapper to take home for a meal or two.

Pictures with dad and son and Jo-Jo with his snook, the trout was too short and we

Wind Knots

Grouper Age Red Grouper 21" = 5 years old 27.5" = 10 years 30.5" = 12 years 31.5" = 15 years 34.5" = 20-30 years old

Gag Grouper Maximum years: about 31 Max weight: 80.5 pounds Normal adult @ 50-inches is about 21-22 years old 14" = 1 year old 31" = 6 years old 40" = 10 years old

This gag came aboard Glen BallingerĘźs boat Outcast last month

Page 17

released it with no picture.

These were some memories that they will all talk about for years. It is what I really enjoy, taking those young guys and getting them started in there angling adventures, teaching them how to cast and how to fight those fish, coaching them in the heat of the battle.

If you or some one you know would like to start some of those young anglers off on a good note give us a call, we are kid friendly and have the patients to handle all the questions that come from those little guys.

If y ou would lik e to set up a trip with Capt.

Bart Marx and Alpha & Omega Charters Call 941-979-6517 and we will get y ou hook ed up. Singing drags and tight lines mak e me smile! cap bart@alphaomegacharters.com

Some reels produce an oscillation and sometimes there is a vibration of the rod, all that can help create wind knots with braided line. The big contributor is the different tensioning of the line as it gets wound onto the spool.

Always closing the baile manually helps smooth things out, but some designs, like the older deep spool reels are just problematic with braided line. As far as we can see, Captain Angel Torres was the first person to pin down the problem.

Captain Angel traced the problem back to the amount of slack in the baile. The test is: When you hold the reel and handle tightly in place with the baile closed, does the baile have any free play to rotate?

If it does, when you wind on line, stop and start again, the line tension going onto the spool will be different, and when you cast it back out the slack and tight winding apparently makes wind knots happen. Anglers throwing artificials see it more because they are always casting

Page 18

KAYAKING SNOOK HAVEN

WaterLIFE@comcast.net

August

2012

By Davi d Al l en Water LIFE Kayaking

Our kayak club paddles in some very interesting locations throughout Southwest Florida, but one of the best is Snook Haven, located west of North Port on River Road, but actually part of Venice.

Snook Haven has gone through many transformations since it was established as a fishing camp in the late 1920's. Then, in 1931, an RKO film crew selected the site for the filming of "Prestige". When the movie was shown in theaters across the country, the scenes of the "Wild and Scenic River" area inspired northerners to purchase the site for various business ventures, some legitimate, some not.

Then in 2006, Sarasota County Commissioners purchased the property as part of a program to ensure the land along Florida's only "Wild and Scenic River" remained free of commercial development. It's been difficult to find a manager for the property who can make a go of the venture. Currently, the restaurant has been closed by the county due to non-payment of rent.

So bring a snack for your paddle.

From the kayakers standpoint, Snook Haven has evolved into a great kayak launch onto a quiet, shady river with abundant wildlife and interesting side trips into Curry Creek and beyond.

On a recent Sunday morning, the Port Charlotte Kayakers made the short trek to Snook Haven for a paddle. The site hadn't changed much since our last visit; same funky alligator signs and references to the "Killer Turtles", same rutted, dirt road leading to the water.

So what else is new?

After launching the kayaks, we paddled north, upstream, but there was only moderate current. North of Snook Haven the Myakka winds gently through some of the most beautiful countryside in the county.

Surprisingly, we didn't see the usual flights of birds overhead or fish jumping along-side the kayaks. On the positive side we didn't see any alligators either, although many alligators are usually seen farther north in Myakka State Park.

About 45 minutes of paddling north of Snook Haven, Curry Creek branches off to the left. Curry Creek is an interesting paddle in its own right, snaking almost straight west to

Venice, just north of the historic train station. The creek is narrow, shady, with almost no current, and usually lots of birds to keep us company. We have done this paddle both ways; from the train station it's about 7 miles to the Myakka, and of course, about 7 miles back.

We paddled back south with the current giving us a little boost and arrived at the launch site well before the afternoon rains. When the river level is down, there is a bank of about 3 feet to haul the kayaks up to the loading area, but there are several shallow points along the bank that help make it easier.

All in all, Snook Haven is always a pleasant, shady paddle for all kayakers.

The Port Charlotte Kay ak ers meet each Wednesday ev ening at 5:00p.m. at Port Charlotte Beach Park . All are welcome to come and learn about k ay ak ing. For more information contact Dav e Allen at 941-235-2588 or Dlaa@comcast.net.

Sailing Fanatic

Rob Crane was born into sailing. He began sailing in the Optimist Class and by 1998 he was the Optimist North American Champion.

Now he is part of the intensely competitive fullrig Laser World Sailing Championship. In 2011, Crane put on a spectacular performance at the ISAF Sailing World Championships, which qualified him for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Sailing Team.

Rob, like a lot of kids, first got involved in sailing through his parents.

Myakka River photo Gene Mathes

Bellyak

The next new ya is Itʼs not a surf board, itʼs not a kayak, but a mix of the two called a “Bellyak.” The new water vessel is the brainchild of Adam Masters, a 32-year-old entrepreneur from North Carolina who crafted the design to supply new adventure for himself.

His invention was born when the space he was trying to pass was too narrow to paddle so he covered his kayakʼs cockpit with a rain skirt and duct tape, then laid down on his stomach, hugged the boat tight and launched forward with his hands.

Using the Bellyak is like swimming and paddling with a kayak under your belly.

“My Dad was a sail maker for many years.

My Mom’s father built Lightnings for a living.

Due to this family history it was almost a given that I would sail. I first started sailing when I was five or six, but did not sail competitively until I was seven or eight,” he said “My Dad has been the most influential person due to his extensive sailing knowledge and participation in my sailing career. It would mean the world to me to win an Olympic medal.. It is hard to quantify exactly what it would mean, but I would be elated. It would be the culmination of years of hard work,” Rob said.

August

2012

OFFSHORE REPORT

The Olʼ Fishʼn Hole

With Capt. Jim O'Brien Water LIFE Englewood

HEY- ALL are you beat'n the heat, man I mean to tell ya it's hot. Thank goodness for the big bimini top I put on my boat, it goes from the back of the ttop to the back of the boat. Phew, I feel cooler already. Ha! THIS MONTH I’M GOING TO GIVE YOU A HEALTHY RECIPE FOR S ALMON BURGERS

YOU WILL NEED - 1lb canned salmon or fresh 2 cups of chopped onions 2 cups of chopped green peppers 3 table spoons of cooking oil 4 cups of mashed potatoes 1 egg beaten 1 teaspoon of dry mustard 2 teaspoons of worcestershire sauce 1/4 teaspoon of pepper 1/2 teaspoon of salt 10 hamburger buns ( split an toast ‘em ) IS YOUR MOUTH WATERING YET ? MINE IS.

Drain and flake the salmon, then put it off to the side for now. Cook the onions an the green peppers in the oil for about 10 min. or until tender, stir in potatoes, salmon, egg an seasoning. Stir these together and refrigerate. After the mixture is cold form the mixture into 10 burgers place burgers on a well oiled grill and cook for 5 min. or until brown on one side. Turn the burger and cook until brown on the other side. Put each salmon burger into each toasted bun and top with a tomato slice onion rings and sliced sweet pickle ( if you like sweet pickles ) makes 10 salmon burgers. Now Ol' Capt. here is a drool'n man you have to try this one it’s yummy for the

tummy.

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LAST MONTH I had some guys I know that ran out in the gulf 65 miles and they got some BIG- UNS. Black grouper called carbo's because when they get to 35-40 lbs. they lose the rectangle markings on there sides and go to black with a creamy belly. Well a friend of mine got one over 80lbs.and had some others that weighed 20-30 lbs. Leo told a friend of mine he had one on that pulled his 30 foot boat sideways and then broke the line. That my friends is using a stout rod and a 6/0 Penn reel.

Leo said he got some nice size American red snapper. Nice going Leo. There was another group went out about 60 miles and they got some big black grouper in the 20-40 lbs. range. And then I talked with a gal that has a 34 ft. Yellow Fin with triple 275's, she went about 80 miles out and she got into some BIGUNS. RIGHT NOW Ol' Capt. here has got himself a crew together to run out 60 to 70 miles. I'll let you know in the Sept. article what we caught.

LET’S GET INTO WHAT AN WHERE THE FIS H ARE NOW

SHARKS -black tip an spinners are on some of the inshore reefs and also cruising off the beaches. Mako sharks are being caught out 50 to 60 miles, nice fresh bonito is a good bait.

MANGROVE SNAPPER - some are being caught around the rocks in the middle of Boca Grande Pass and the inshore reefs, the BIG- UNS are still in 70 to 100 ft. of water. The big females are really full of eggs right now and they should be coming in closer in a few weeks to spawn. Right now hang brown jigs with shrimp or squid is a good bait.

AMERICAN RED SNAPPER - is still closed.

RED AN GAG GROUPER - are chewing on everything right now 25 to 30 miles out. Live pin fish squirrel fish,

Page 19

Venice angler Glen Ballinger is responsible for putting his friend Dave on this nice African pompano last month.

grunts are all good baits, vertical jigging is working too.

BLACK GROUPER AN BIG SCAMP - BIG- UNS are hitting large pin fish, grunts, an whole squid. Gotta go deep for the big boys 60 to 70 miles out.

By the way visit my new web site http:/ / www. predator2charters. com/

BE S UR E TO S NOR T S OME OF THAT S A LT A IR C UZ IT’S GOOD FER YA !

If you have any questions or if you have a good ol' fishin’ story or a recipe for cooking fish that I can share with our readers give me a call. To book an offshore charter with us aboard the Predator IICall (941) 473-2150

Page 20

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Water LIFE Distributor 始s Club

August

2012

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

Cooks

Sportland

4419 So. Tamiami Trail S. Venice 493-0025

Water LIFE Distributor 始s Club

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

August

2012

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SCUTTLEBUTT

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Sometimes Unsubstanciated, But Often True A Team of NOAASupported Scientists is predicting that this year's Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone could range to as much as 6,213 square miles. The hypoxic zone, that forms each spring and summer off the coast of Louisiana and Texas, threatens valuable commercial and recreational Gulf fisheries.

NOAA Predicts Above-Average Season for Commercial Harvest of Brown Shrimp in Western Gulf of Mexico. The harvest of brown shrimp in the western Gulf of Mexico is expected to be 59.2 million pounds, which is above the historical 50year average of 56.5 million pounds. The prediction covers state and federal waters off Louisiana and federal waters off Texas.

The large Pacific barreleye fish or spook fish – complete with transparent head was first caught on film in 2009 by scientists using remotely operated vehicles. Barreleyes inhabit the depths just below the limit of light penetration and point their tubular eyes upwards to scan the waters above in search of food.

FWC Officers responded to a call for assistance from the Polk County Sheriffʼs Office, regarding a vessel with nine occupants in distress on the Peace River, south of Fort Meade. Officers located the vessel wedged in a section of the river where vegetation and debris had blocked the water flow. The vessel and its 9 occupants had been immobile in the dense vegetation for approximately four hours.

Ed -...when did the beer run out?

NOAA Seeks Comment: Greater amberjack is overfished (population abundance is too low) and undergoing overfishing (rate of removal too high). The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council has submitted Amendment 35 to NOAA Fisheries for review, approval, and implementation.

Comments are due September 4, 2012.

Ban on Bait then Total Fishery Closure According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (DFG), the Kenai River in south central Alaska has not seen nearly enough salmon returning to spawning

sites to allow sportfishing.

The DFG closed the fishery when the run of king salmon fell below 17,800 fish, the minimum projected numbers needed for a healthy supply of the next generation of salmon.

The Kenai River, which many consider to be Alaskaʼs premier salmon river, counted king salmon by in-river sonar.

To avoid complete closure, the Department first tried a number of measures including a neverbefore ban on bait was Artificial jellyfish in a laboratory tank issued and catch-andrelease fishing was house foundations, roads and other parts required, but officials said that was not of the underwater city are now close to enough so a total ban on fishing went the surface. Some unmarked graves into effect July 19. have been discovered often by anglers Scientists believe changing ocean fishing along the shore who discovered currents, have contributed to low salmon the bones. runs in the Pacific Northwest although other salmon species in Alaska are OK. Artificial Jellyfish Scientists have made an artificial jellyfish out of rat heart musFishinʼ For Bones For nearly 50 cles and rubbery silicon. When given an years four cities have been at the bottom electric shock, it swims just like the real of a reservoir near Huntington County, Indiana. But during the 2012 thing. Future versions should be able to feed by themselves which will allow scidrought, one of those four entists to extend their lifetime. The cities has been exposed breakthrough is a big step toward the and people have been finding items from half a century development of an artificial human heart ago, left before the area with living cells. It also opens a window was flooded. Foundations of to a future where humans could loosen houses, roads and the the constraints of evolution. building blocks of an old “The design of the heart that we have school today is by no means the best physically house are possible design,” Dabiri said. “It is the now one that evolution stumbled onto over exposed. the course of millions of years.” Itʼs posItʼs not a good place sible an artificial heart, for example, could be engineered to steer clear of for boaters since heart disease, the leading cause of many old death in the U.S.

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A A u u g g u u s s t t

Charlotte Harbor:

C C a a l l m m

Frank at Fishin' Franks Port Charlotte: 625-3888

a a n n d d

Redfi sh: Hog Island, the mouth of the Myakka, Tippecanoe Bay, Trout Creek, the whole northern end of the harbor is loaded with redfish. When you look for reds now, you need to use cut bait, fresh is better than frozen cut bait but frozen shrimp is working better than live right now too.

The reason is simple: the water is dark

H H o o t t

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F F i i s s h h i i n n g g w w i i t t h h

a a

c c h h a a n n c c e e

and hot, the fish are lethargic - they are lazy and they don’t have to work as hard for dead bait. The other part is cut bait is more stinky, in the dark water the reds are hunting by smell.

A couple of guys have been chopping and dicing small pieces of cut bait for chum and leaving a big chunk in the middle with the hook in it. All that stinky chum will call the kitty’s (catfish) but doing it up close against the trees it can be worth the risk. Just be sure you have a catfish gripper handy anyway.

The redfish trick with cut bait has been good on the east side, through the island Keys and around the shallow grass.

If you want something fun to do, just inside the sandbar on the east side of the harbor, use a poppin cork and live whitebait or a thread fin in 3-4 feet of water around Cormorant Key. There has been a nice bunch of small tarpon cruising through there, 30 to 40 pound fish, working that side of the bar and the guys fishing them have been coming in and raveing about what fun it is right now. Those fish should be around a week or two.

The big tarpon have been in the middle of the Harbor . You may have to cast 50- or 60 times to get one, but you will get one. Fish a root beer DOA or a root

o o f f

August

F F o o r r e e c c a a s s t t

H H u u r r r r i i c c a a n n e e

beer colored swimming mullet.

We couldn’t give those swimming mullet lures away for a while. I had them on the wall for 3 years, I did several price reductions, and finally some one went out and caught a tarpon with one and told somebody who told somebody else and now they are the hottest thing. It just goes to show it doesn’t mater if a lure looks good or bad until someone tries it.

Out through the Pass there are S pani sh mackerel along the beaches and an odd school of pompano here and there. Red and gag grouper are on the near shore reefs, and mahi -dol phi n are kicking butt in the Gulf. We have had some unblievable weed lines. Look in the weeds along the beach and see all the species of little fish in them, those weeds are teeming with life and that’s why the fish are hanging by them. We had a ti ger shark report 12 miles out, tons of cuda, and ki ng mackerel are still doing well.

We’ve had lots of reports on freshwater bass along Hillsboro all the way into town.

Continued on facing page

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2012

W W i i n n d d

Fishing continues to be good, early and late in the day, but the anglers here, mid-day, were doing well too, with one black and two red drums

August

2012

w w w. Wa t e r L I FEma ga z i n e .c o m

BOWFIN

An underrated fresh water fish They fight good, pull hard and are crazy looking. Bowfin are doing real good in most of the ponds around Lake Betty and other area ponds. More and more guys are targeting them using the same lures they would use for bass.

The The BIG-4 BIG-4

TARPON Along the beach and up in the Harbor

Fish Fish to to expect expect in in

REDFISH Concentrated at the top of the Harbor

August August

MACKEREL Spanish around the passes, kings offshore

GAG GROUPER on the nearshore reefs

Page 23

Gulf Temps in the high 80s ...

Slow your fishing down

leader. Any color line seems to be OK, some guys like red, some guys like white. Power Pro had blue line for a while.

It’s all marketing.

There are still sharks around mostly offshore, you don’t hear about that many in the Pass. Sharks are scattered up in the Harbor, guys tangling with medium to bigger sharks all over. There were reports of 6 to 8 footers at the Boxcars, just swimming around the boat.

Bowfin. Amia calva. Beaverfish. Blackfish. Choupic.

For back country light tackChoupique. Cottonfish. Cypress trout. Dogfish. Grindle. le there are still a lot of redGrinnel. Grinner. Lawyer. Mudfish. Poisson-castor. Scaled ling.

Shoepick. Shoepik. Shoepike. Shupik. Speckled Cat. fi sh around, you just have to The bowfin has been around more than 150,000,000 years, a find them on the stage of the survivor from the Jurassic period of the Mesozoic Era. tide you are fishing. The water There has been some talk about high mercury content in bowfin but the Bowfin anglerʼs club claims bowfin can make a is really hot, around 86fine meal. As a general rule, bowfin (like most fish) is best Kevin wanser and his 10 year old son Dylan went fishdegrees. The back country is when very fresh, hot from the pan and eaten in moderation. ing and the boy showed ʻem how to catch the big ones. even hotter. Guys are doing Dylan caught an 18'' trout and a 24'' black drum. Both were caught on a 4000 Penn Slammer reel and matching Penn continued from facing page well with small pinfish for bait right now rod, They were using live shrimp for bait. it was Friday the because useable greenbacks are so small.

13th, but there was nothing bad abput Dylanʼs luck.

Some guys are still taking shrimp out with them when they go for reds. Live Jim at Fishermens Edge, when they dropped squirrel fish down. shrimp are fine size, I still get plenty of handEnglewood: The only other thing is, there have been picks.

Fishing some dol phi n offshore, most of them smaller 697-7595 There are a lot of snook around, big ones at Right Now: ones. We have been seeing dolphin around the It’s quiet around here, seems like a lot of the ICW docks and the phosphate dock on the Best Early a.m. weedline 17-18 miles out, quite a few guys Englewood went to the Keys to party and go outgoing tide, many of those fish are way & Late p.m. lobstering. above the slot. There are snook by all the pass- have been going out there, a lot of smaller boats could get to them.

There are still some There is still a little bit of tarpon around. es, in Ski Alley and along the beach. The shore Most of them are in the Harbor, the fish are not line on the south side of Boca Pass seems to be bigger ki ng mackerel in the deeper areas, staying in the Pass very long. There are tarpon good. On the southern side of any of the passes two from yesterday at the Boxcars. It’s not just a fluke, I am still hearing about kings a lot. out on the beach, but you may jump one and Longest Bass there is usually an eddy where everything gets wait four hours for the next one. Most guides I swept out and that’s where the fish have been Lure maker Patrick Sebile was fishing with talk to are saying tarpon are scattered. Up in the holding. local guide Jeff Brooks Harbor they are using Bait Busters but it’s Offshore, most guys are targeting gags, red when he pulled a largesquirrel fish in Pass and live threadies on beach. grouper and snapper. Anywhere from 7, 8 or mouth bass from Lake Okeechobee on one of his There are also a variety of Storm swim baits, 10 miles out is better. There are also some nice lures. The catch measured the D.O.A. swimming mullet, in colors the out to 61 cm and was fish in the Pass, but you have to drift a live released alive, qualifying same as the Bait Buster colors: black/silver, bait in there and you always run into trouble him for the potential new greenback, and pearl. The ones that look the getting tangled up. The tarpon fishermen said IGFA All-Tackle Length most real are what the guys are asking for.

Record. The existing they were being overrun by the gags in the pass record stands at 59 cm.

Most guys cast a high viz line with clear

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2012

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