Water LI FE The Don Ball School of Fishing
February 2017
Txt Us Ur Fish Pix! see page 14 Jesse Craddock with a huge AJ
Jack Pender, age 6, from Port Charlotte with his first jack crevalle, caught off Boca Grande
Nice three pound bass caught in Fort Myers by Tami B
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Tracey with a keeper snook from Charlotte Harbor
From: Charlotte Harbor, Lemon Bay, Venice, Estero, 10,000 Islands and the Gulf
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2011 SeaDoo 230 Challenger Wake 510hp 53hrs!!! $34,477
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Independant - Not affiliated with any other publication! Vol XVI No 2 © 2017
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NO PART of this publication (printed or electronic) may be copied, reproduced or reused without specific written permission from the publishers (and thatʼs never happened!).
Contributing Editors:
Jill Yarnell pictured with Kyle Slifka caught this drum on 1/18 in a PGI canal
What? a Crock?
I would like to report a sighting of a 14-foot crocodile just south of the beach road draw bridge. We were fishing and thought it was debri until we got closer and saw the tail going back and forth. It submerged when we got too close. All in 2 to 4 ft of water. Is this normal? Signed: fivestring
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Photography: ASA1000.com Senior Editor: Capt. Ron Blago Baitshop Commentary: Fishinʼ Frank Peace River: Capt. David Stephens Punta Gorda: Capt. Chuck Eichner Venice: Glen Ballinger Estero: Capt. Joe Angius Everglades City: Capt. Charlie Phillips Kayaking: Bob Fraser Sea Grant: Capt. Betty Staugler Beach Fishing: Mallory Herzog Pier Fishing: Bobby Vitalis Sailing: Peter Welch
Kelly, with a spadefish (left) and a sheepshead (right)
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This is mine (left) Tanner West. Myself and Jerry Dart caught both of our drums the same day off of the Alligator creek reef along with some really nice sheepshead. Mine is a little smaller than his at around 40 lbs, not bad for Sunday on the Harbor. I Love this place!
Editor responds: There are some crocks at tippecanoe Bay and at Ding Darling. Dont know about the ICW.
On the Cover:
Txt Us Ur Fish: Jesse Craddock with a huge AJ aboard the Miss Kim out of Stump Pass Marina in Englewood
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Cast Net License Coming? By Michael Heller Water LIFE editor Last month there was some quiet talk going on among the guides at Burnt Store, talk about promoting new fishing regulations. A reader wrote telling me: “I heard it through the grapevine. There has been nothing in print on this. Definitely what I heard was to help protect the bait and the fisheries, which is basically what we need. Guides probably should be the ones to push this since their livelihood requires it and that motivates them, but of course all will benefit. The whole fishing community should want to endorse more conservation and I think they would. Everyone I know agrees something needs to change.”
So I sent a facebook message to Capt. Rhett Morris, who is one of the prominent guides out of Burnt Store Marina.
MH: SUP? What's this I am hearing about Burnt Store guides wanting a cast net license, a boat quota for reds and a closed season for them as well? thx, call me if you want to talk. RM: Yes... It's way past time to start proactive fishery management here! Main thing is, and I hope your agree, we must come together as a fishing community and put big pressure on the FWC to adopt a much more proactive management plan for the future. Example, closed season on reds, new slot sizes on snook and reds.
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Stamps should be mandatory for reds and trout as well as snook. We also think the state should impose mandatory fines for violators. We need big fees for weigh in events and much lower fees for photo release events. Basically we want to totally reshape our local management to promote the finest inshore fishery on the west coast or possibley the state.
I got that response after this edition went to press, luckily I could take this page back and re-write it! I do agree. Live weigh in tournaments and the pre-fishing that goes on with them, are a big factor that is stressing our fishery, but until the crowds stop showing up to see the weigh in, until the sponsors stop funding these live weigh in events anglers will fish them. Why the FWC hasn’t been monitoring them is beyond me. The guides I know fishing out of Burnt Store, are very good fishermen who, I believe, have the best interest of the Harbor at heart. These Captains, two of them have been instructors in our Don Ball School of Fishing program; they are passionate, they know the fishery and are well educated. When we had the big freeze some years back, these Captains were the ones out at daybreak that morning rescuing big snook. They have adamantly advocated better tarpon handling and water quality. I’ll gladly listen to what they have to say. I didn’t hear anything in the response about the cast net license idea. We’ll have
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Brady Michael Alexander Big snook off Boca Grande Beach with dad Frank Alexander
to see what happens with that. A lot of Captains I talk to have been complaining about how far they have had to run to find bait. It’s been going on for a while. Is it a ‘cyclic’ thing? Or are we in fact taking too many bait fish? It’s time for answers. Some anglers, and some boat’s livewells, are better at keeping bait alive then others. Some anglers take way too much bait, some way too often. If there is in fact a baitfish problem, rather than a cast net license, I’d like to see a closed season (of sorts) on baitfish. Not a whole closed season, but maybe one or two days a week, closed to cast netting entirely.
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Caught my first snook. Tracy Gilray
23 inch trout, Pine Island January John Greenfeld
Lionfish Comes Up on Traditional Gear PAGE
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By Mallory Herzog Water LIFE Fishing
We were lucky to have a warm January with some pretty great fishing conditions. Our clients hooked into some great catches as well as a few odd ones. One in particular stands out.
While fishing my favorite grouper hard bottom, using a small weighted jig, we hooked into some nice mangrove snapper, then all of a sudden we had an intruder. Lionfish are an invasive species that began showing up in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, but it wasn't until last month that I saw one on the end of a line. The angler said it didn't put up much of a fight. He described it as like "pulling seaweed off the bottom." Invasive species like the lionfish have been taking over reefs and wiping out native populations of fish and crustaceans.
Usually, lionfish are very difficult to catch using traditional hook and line fishing methods. Most are speared by divers. If you do hook one, DO NOT GRAB IT! They have venomous dorsal, pelvic, and anal fin spines that are very sharp. Their venom packs a punch and although they are not deadly, the sting will leave the inflicted in pain for hours.
FEBRUARY 2017
Mike from Minnesota had a blast fishing for sharks. He was visiting with his family on vacation, new to the area and hoping to hook up to some fish that would really pull drag. Mike hooked up to multiple spinner sharks, they get their name from skyrocketing out of the water when hooked, putting on a great aerial show for all involved.
Luckily they are edible and tasty, so the new demand for them on the dinner table is helping to control their population. Our guests took their catch home and carefully made fish tacos. Filet instructions are to cut off all fins and spikes before cleaning. The lionfish actually have quite a large amount of meat on them.
Winter months are a great time to hook into a few sharks too. Sharks have been hanging in and around our passes. Common winter species include blacktip, black nose, spinner, sandbar and bull shark. These can have a size range of 4- to 7-feet. Tackle for them is 80-to 100pound monofilament mainline, with a 200-pound leader and a 9/0 circle hook.
He tagged and released the largest spinner shark of the day as part of our Gray Fish Tag Research project. Hopefully one day his shark is recaptured and we can get a report of how far it has traveled and how much it grew!
February looks like it could start with a slight cool down. Our waters could use this, being a bit warmer than normal. Fishing in the Gulf of Mexico is always weather dependent this time of year. Most anglers are now using a variety of live baits and lures/ jigs. Amberjack have been the most active species offshore, showing off chasing topwater plugs in packs and aggressively hitting them at the surface. These fish put up a tough fight and are a near shore favorite. Our bottom fishing guests have been bringing up various snapper and a keeper cobia or two! If we continue with a warm trend thought the next few months, tarpon could be rolling along the beaches before you know it!
You can contact Big Bully Outdoors for a charter trip with Mallory’s husband, Capt. Andrew. Call 941-661-9880 or visit BigBullyOutdoors.com
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More Sportsmen Headed Our Way PAGE
The Southern Sector
10,000 Islands / Everglades City
By Capt. Charlie Phillips Water LIFE / Everglades City 2017 is off to a running start for us down here in the Glades. Just like last year, we started the year off with warm waters, calm days and plenty of action. I was still connecting with a few tarpon the first week of the year, but that slowed down dramatically when we had the big cold fronts push thru and help us get into the normal winter pattern, fishing as hard as you can about 3 days after a cold front thru the arrival of the next, then a small break while we let everything settle back down and let the fish get hungry again. Inshore, I have been finding some great catches of big hungry mangrove snapper in the deep channels with rip rap bottoms, along with gag grouper, small red grouper and a few sheepshead on live shrimp and shrimp tipped bucktail jigs. In this type fishing, the size of the bait determines the fish…. to a degree, the grouper will usually hit the bigger offerings, but I have found the biggest mangrove snapper and sheepshead usually hit the smallest shrimp. The old saying of “elephants eat peanuts” is often true!! The speckled trout action has been
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strong this past month, with great catches coming all thru my region. The grass areas down around Pavilion, as well as the points and bars on the high tides, and the bars in the back bays more towards the wilderness waterway are all producing quality fish on both live baits and artificals. In addition to our personal guide business, I also hold the role of President of the Florida Guides Association. January and February are always a very busy time for me with lots of meetings, renewals and shows. Several of us recently attended a show up in the Edison NJ area, just outside New York City to work the FGA booth at a four day outdoor expo. This was a first for our
Association as we typically only work shows in Florida, but as an experiment we decided to go to a large market and actively direct people and potential clients to our guide members. The results of this trip were pretty staggering to me. Over the four days, I personally talked to hundreds of people and I
would guess that 75-percent of those folks had just returned from, or were heading to, Florida in the next three weeks. And of those 75-percent, 30-percent planned to retire to the sunshine state within the next 24 months. Areas of interest varied, but a great many were looking towards visiting and moving to the Cape Coral and Punta Gorda area. As we continue to grow, these are the next crop of clients on our boats, and they will be our friends and neighbors in our communities. It was great to spend some time learning about their fisheries, their issues being faced as sportsman and what they want for their future. No matter what the geographic location, all sportsman tend to hold dear the same things: a love of the game or fish being pursued, the passion for the outdoors and the want to instill that drive and love into the next generation. Make sure to do what you can, every opportunity you have, to be a good steward and teacher to anyone who will listen. If you would like more information on the Florida Guides Association, please get in touch with me and if you are down in the Glades fishing give me a wave as we pass by. Y’all take care!
FEBRUARY 2017
January fishing with Capt. Charlie Phillips
Capt. Charlie Phillips: 863-517-1829 e-mail: hopefishing@hotmail.com Web: hopefishing.com
FEBRUARY 2017
Estero Bay
By Captain Joe Angius Water LIFE Estero During the winter, as Southwest Florida experiences periodical cold fronts and weather changes, the water temperatures fluctuate frequently. Along with the water temperatures dropping and rising, anglers can find that water quality has been compromised as well. In Estero Bay I found that it is important to locate the perfect balance of water quality and the right water temperature for the most optimal fishing. When those two factors are correctly aligned while fishing, backwater anglers can find themselves catching redfish, sheepshead, triple tail, black drum, speckled sea trout, snook, and tarpon. Yes, I said tarpon. The primary fish species that I target when water temperatures are low are redfish and sheepshead. Now there will be periods of time during the week where the sun dominates the sky and provides our backwater creeks with warm-muddy brackish water, but it is at this time, when water temperatures are from 71- to 75-degrees Fahrenheit, that the juvenile tarpon roam the backwater flats. Though it is rare for these conditions to be present during January and February, it’s definitely possible and I have proven this by recently jumping several backwater tarpon. As of now, my go-to bait of choice is live shrimp. Shrimp is easy to find, doesn’t make a mess on the boat, and allows anglers to catch a variety of inshore fish species. When the weather cooperates, giving me the chance to find and net pilchards and pinfish, I’ll always be sure to take advantage of this opportunity. It is always worth the extra effort, in my opinion, to search and net bait. Having the live-well full of live pilchards or pinfish is the difference between an extremely tough day out on the water and a phenomenal fishing experience. Be a step above other fisherman and have the advantage of a variety of baits. One of my favorite aspects about fishing in February is that I get to experience the best of both worlds, in regards to weather.
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Seeing the Water in Black & White
Some days the weather is very cold and windy, in which this allows me to meet my clients at a later time during the day, load the live-well with plenty of live shrimp, and tear up the sheepshead and redfish. Then the weather will transition, so that early in the morning it’s warm enough to throw the cast net for pilchards. By the late morning and afternoon water temperatures begin to rise, giving me and my clients countless opportunities to catch snook, redfish, sheepshead, trout, and tripletail. I would advise anglers to plan their February fishing trips around the weather and, more importantly, the tide. A solid moving tide, either incoming or outgoing, will usually trump poor weather conditions. Estero Bay was Florida’s first aquatic preserve, paving the way for all the other aquatic preserves around Florida today. Following the rules and regulations put in place for fishing and boating manages our fisheries, allowing them to thrive for generations to come. I believe the best way to experience the Estero Bay Aquatic Pre-
January fishing with Capt. Joe Angius
serve is through fishing, sightseeing, ecotours, and sunset tours. Find a guide or tour group that respects our Preserve and enjoy what Southwest Florida has to offer.
Captain Joe Angius (727)-234-3171 Speak Easy Fishing Charters www.speakeasyfishing.com
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Stonies PAGE
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By Capt. Betty Staugler Water Life / Sea Grant
Have you ever written a story based on your dinner? Well here goes…. let’s talk stone crab! Two commercial species of stone crab coexist in the state of Florida, the Florida stone crab (Menippe mercenaria) and the Gulf stone crab (Menippe adina). These two crabs are managed as a single fishery in the state. The Florida stone crab (our crab) occurs in the eastern portion of the Gulf of Mexico and extends from North Carolina throughout peninsular Florida and the Caribbean. The Gulf stone crab occurs principally in the northern and western Gulf of Mexico.
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male crabs go their separate ways. Mating typically occurs in the fall (September through November), which corresponds to peak molting times in females. Males usually molt during winter months.
Females store sperm they received during mating in special sacs and use it to fertilize their egg mass known as a sponge. They can hold the sperm for up to a year or until the next time they molt. A single female may produce four to six sponges during a single mating season. The size of the
lows a crab to “drop” a claw or leg that has been grasped by a predator or wounded in a fight. It takes about 24 months for a regenerated claw to reach harvestable size.
In Florida, stone crab season runs from October 15th to May 15th. The minimum size of claws must be 2 ¾ inches, and the bag limit is 1 gallon of claws per person or 2 gallons per vessel, whichever is less. For additional information on stone crab regulation, readers should visit: myfwc.com.
When harvesting claws, it is important to break the claw right. A stone crab can re-grow either of its claws only if the joint that linked the claw to the body is left intact. A bad break will result in cracking of the crab shell, causing loss of blood and an increased probability of death. One claw or two? The only declawing study that has been published reported 47 percent of the crabs declawed by The Florida stone crab inhabits double amputation died from mixed seagrass-hard bottom habithe trauma while 28 percent of tat. Adult crabs dig burrows under crabs with a single amputation the seagrasses or excavate holes in A stone crabber prepares a trap, off the coast of Englewood died. And, a recent study emerged rocks on the seafloor. The showed that wounding associated Gulf stone crab also occupies those egg mass is proportional to the size of the with improper declawing increased mortalhabitats, but prefers muddier bottoms and female, so each sponge may contain anyity of crabs by 73-to 85-percent. oyster reefs. Both species feed primarily on where from 160,000 to 1,000,000 eggs. mollusks, including scallops, clams, conchs, Stone crab spawning occurs May through The harvesting of egg-bearing females is and oysters, which they crush with their illegal for both the recreational and comSeptember and is influenced by temperature powerful claws. Predators that feed on stone and light intensity. Because of warmer aver- mercial sectors in Florida. All crabs should crabs include octopus and humans. age temperatures and longer periods of day- be checked for the presence of a sponge prior to declawing. If a sponge is detected, Age estimates suggest male stone crabs light in the southern portion of its range, the crab must be placed back in the water can live up to seven or eight years and fesome females can spawn year round in the immediately and unharmed. Extended perimales can live up to eight or nine years. In a Florida Keys and south Florida. ods of time out of the water can damage the fished population, however, it is unlikely Hatching occurs two weeks after being delicate eggs and cause a female to drop the they will reach their maximum age. Males deposited under the female’s abdomen. sponge. Once dropped from stress or damtypically grow larger than females and their Eggs hatch as larvae that are planktonic age, the sponge and eggs contained in that growth rate is more variable. (free floating) and go through six stages spawn are lost. Stone crabs become sexually mature while suspended in open water. After about Stone crabs are usually right handed; the around two years of age and females, on av- a month, they settle to the sea floor as juvelarge crusher claw can exert over 14,000 erage, reach maturity at a smaller size than nile crabs. pounds of force per square inch! males. Mating occurs after the female molts The stone crab fishery is unique in that Capt. Betty Staugler, and her exoskeleton is soft. The male crab only the claws are harvested and the crab is Florida Sea Grant Agent. takes the female into his burrow and stays returned to the water where, during the next UF/IFAS Extension, with her until she molts; after which time he molt, a new claw will be regenerated. Remates with her. After mating, male and feCharlotte County generation is a defense mechanism that al(941) 764-4346
FEBRUARY 2017
My Road to Boston
Charlotte Countyʼs Sea Grant agent, Capt. Betty Staugler, is a runner .... a pretty serious runner. This summer, in Eugene Oregon, Betty qualified as a competitor for the 2017 Boston Marathon. Weʼve asked Betty to share her preparations leading up to the race in April. This is the third of her monthly reports.
January was a fun and trying month. I started the month with a half marathon race in Alva. If you recall that really cold Sunday last month… well that was the day. It was brutal cold!! The race was on BMX trails, so lots of hills. I placed first in my age group…Yay me! Right after the race I flew to New Orleans for a Gulf Council meeting. I had two runs on tap and only managed one…sigh! Also in January I registered for the Boston 5K (3 miles) which takes place two days prior to the marathon. Definitely the most expensive 5K I’ve ever registered for, but I may only get to Boston once, so I plan to do it all. I’m ending January with another half; this time a local race (Hands Across the Harbor) from Bayshore Park to Ponce and back. February my weekly mileage will all be 50 or above. I’ll also hit the halfway point in my training.
FEBRUARY 2017
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Touristʼs Fishing: just do what yaʼ do By Fishin’ Frank Water LIFE Baitshop As a tourist once, I worked selling fishing tackle all through Europe. At first I found it hard to learn new waters, new fish, new lures, new styles.... overwhelming is an understatement, so I started just doing what I knew how to do. I would get to a place, put a jig on my rod and cast it out letting it go to the bottom, watching to see how fast the line stopped moving to give me an idea of how deep the water would be. If the water was 10-feet or more I would use a jig or rat-Ltrap so I could get deeper, maybe even bounce the bottom for some fish. If that did not work I would then change to a crank bait, a floater diver style lure with a lip on it. I would cast the middle column of the water looking for different kinds of fish. If there was a slanting sun, like either morning or evening time, a top water lure was always something I’d try. And for saltwater, I would start with a jitter bug; OK, it was very Old School, but it was very effective. Whereever you fish there will always be factors that affect the fishing but a lot of factors are the same. Structure fishing is looking for fish which might live there, or at least hang out there. Open Water fishing is hoping that you and fish are passing that one spot at the same time. If there was structure like a bridge or a dam, I would cast along the edges of it, or around each piling, trying to find fish that would be living there with the protection
of the structure as a house. Fish in open water are always moving, so you can watch for birds diving on them or splashing on the surface to find them. I like looking at a chart and trying to find bottom contours which look like they would be used as a pathway for fish – something like a deeper trough – which would bring fish to that spot. This thinking pretty much works no matter where in the world you are. It’s like between two reefs; many fish will feed on one reef then go to the next reef to feed there... so maybe you can find a place between the feeding spots where they would pass by. With lures, the color of the lure is about the color of the water, dark colors for darker waters, pink or chartreuse for slightly stained water and brighter colors like silvers for clear waters. Why do I choose colors this way? Well, the water, if dark, it will usually dye the color of the bait to its same darker colors, such as shades of brown or gold. In clear water the exact same bait fish, or other fish for that matter, will be a much lighter shade of colors – redfish near the Gulf for example may be copper with a bright white belly instead of gold/brown as they are in the darker Harbor waters. As a tourist I would go to a place and do what I thought would work to catch fish, with my lures and my techniques. If I did not catch anything then I would check out what the locals were doing, but I often did better than them. It might have been that I was using
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Last month the Lemon Bay Conservancyʼs science research volunteers successfully sampled juvenile tarpon on Tidal Lemon Creek at the Conservancyʼs Wild Flower Preserve. There were 18 juvenile tarpon captured, documented and released at this pond. The Conservancy is in the process of expanding their tidal and freshwater ponds and habitat.
lures which were not popular in the place or country I was in – think about that. Sometimes a new lure or style of lure the fish have not seen, is the best thing. Sometimes a new color line or a new style of lure will come out the fish have not seen and bam, bam, bam the fish just strike the heck out of it and then, after a few months, it slows down to just a good lure, but not the phenomenon lure it was the first few months. Think outside the box. I can take a
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worm on a hook here and a bass or blue gill will eat it... and a little secret: so will flounder and sheepshead! There are NO worms here in south Florida, so these fish grow up never seeing a worm, but they still eat one. Try different things, do what you know how to do, not what you think you should do just because you are in salt water now. Frank@fishinfranks.com 941- 625-3888 239-634-1043
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FISH PIX!
f r o m Wa t e r L I F E m a g a z i n e
This 37" snook was caught and released by Tom Krooswyk off a dock in Lemon Bay
Jack Judy from Cynthiana KY caught this nice snook at Boca Grande
Readerʼs Photos
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FEBRUARY 2017
Don Hampshire 29'' Tom Adams pier 12/30/16
Kelly Oliver, North po caught in boc
Nicholas Stewart, North Port, 5 1/2ft spinner shark
Name: AJ, Fish: Ladyfish Bill Olson Fort Myers Beach- 33" Snook
Cody Daniel
Kelly Oliver, North Port 5-pound bass
Jeanne, February 2017, Charlotte Harbor trout
33" African Pompano caught by Joe Udwari on the Scorcher with Capt. Jeremy (right) & Capt. Jeff (left). Caught 1-26-17
My first tarpon, El Jobean bridge on a live lady fish for bait
We live in New England an west Florida occasionally That photo was taken of Grande, and Chip Bailey on local waters ther
Us Ur Fish Pix! see page 14 FEBRUARY 2017
ort, 29 inch Snook , ca grande
l, Snook
nd only get to south(next trip late March). ff the coast of Boca nly started fishing the re this year.
Roger Barton - 43-inch Snook
Frank with a Goliath grouper while fishing at Boca Grande
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PAGE 13
FISH PIX!
f r o m Wa t e r L I F E m a g a z i n e
Ben Gordon 12, Punta Gorda, 25 pound Jack Crevalle
Steve with a nice redfish caught at Lemon Bay
Nicholas Stewart, North Port, 34 inch snook Tailing Redfish caught by West Wall Outfitters Promotional Staff Member in Pineland
Nate, out on the water with Daddy
Kurt Effinger 15 lb snook
Matt Effinger, redfish
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Readerʼs photos Txt Us Ur Fish Pix!
FEBRUARY 2017
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f r o m Wa t e r L I F E m a g a z i n e
John Faulkner jr. caught this 26-inch red grouper near the Bayronto wreck
33-inch redfish (first red) caught)by Kevin Murphy
Mike Effinger, 11 1/2 lb snook
40 1/2-inch snook (first snook) caught by Kevin Murphy
Bob Manning and snook caught off Sanibel.
Cody Hollen, black drum
38 Pound Black Drum Caught By Austin Carter In PGI Canal.
Darren with a nice smoker
Patrick Mooney 46-inch King. Fort Myers Beach
Leroy King with a nice king fish
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33" snook caught by Charles Murphy in late December on a canal off the Caloosahatchee River
Bob Manning and Large Mouth Bass at Lake Wales.
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Tyler Degraff with some Goliath grouper
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Tyler Degraff with a Goliath grouper
Tyler and James with some monster mangs
A nice AJ, reeled on a charter with Capt Lou Silva.
Huge largemouth bass caught in Naples by Dale Werner 1-22-2017
Sequoyah Stonecipher, public canal.
Rick Johnson a day after work and fishing in Port Charlotte
Amberjack (AJ), caught by J.J.
Joe Hallo 29-inch red grouper caught off shore, outside Gasparilla Pass and an 80 pound goliath grouper 11 miles out. This fish grabbed the lane snapper I was reeling in that I caught on a shrimp!
Large Mayan Cichlid caught by Dale Werner in Fort Myers
Tracey with a Jack, Charlotte Harbor
Above: William Dale Merchant Jr an Robert Six, Left: William Dale Merchant Jr and Michael Cook Sr, both with Goliath Grouper
Sequoyah Stonecipher, snook, Bob Hodge Marine Group. Great mag!
Robby Mabley, Monster Snook! Cape Coral canal
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FEBRUARY 2017
Fishin’s been good Weather’s been challenging
By Capt. David Stephens Water LIFE Charlotte Harbor If we have learned anything from the fishing this winter, it is that winter weather is not very consistent –in fact it has been a roller coaster ride the last few weeks. One week we have days that are in the mid 80s, next thing you know we have lows in the 40s. With weather like that the fishing will get a little challenging. Last month I fished Paul, one of my regular clients, and his mom. Our first day out went well. We had a cold front pass a few days before and the trout were bunched up really good. I’m not sure on the exact number of fish we got to the boat that day, but it was over 50. We also had some sheepshead and rat reds. I was busy all the time. The second day we talked about trying for something a little bigger. We made a run up the Peace River and hit some really good snook holes but they were not in the feeding mood – we managed to land a few snook, but nothing big. But the river is easy on the eyes, so we went up past the mangrove line too do a little sight seeing. Paul’s mom had never seen a tarpon roll, but she had heard enough about them to notice one and for a minute I thought Lady Luck was going to shine down on us, but it
was not to be. On another recent charter we pulled up to a spot that was very productive with trout. When you are fishing with shrimp during the cooler months one thing that can be certain is you never know which spot will produce what kind of fish. I generally have an idea what’s going to bite, but I often get a surprise. The tide started coming in and the trout just seemed to keep biting. I didn’t keep count, but it was a lot. After an hour or so it slowed down so we moved on to a different area. That location was nearly as active, but there we had variety. We sat there for close to a hour and caught over
KAYAKING: Feeding Ladyfish to the Tarpon By Bob Fraser Water LIFE Paddlesports
Saltwater fishing is always an adventure. You never know what you are going to catch or see. When kayak fishing I usually target trout, redfish and snook, but often I catch other fish. I have caught grouper, sharks, pompano, sheepshead, snapper, catfish, ladyfish, etc. Many times while kayaking we see dolphins playing and feeding. The last few times out, when we came across a
school of ladyfish, we also saw dolphins. This week my son and I saw something we have never seen before. My son, Sebastian, noticed when we threw the ladyfish back in the water the dolphins went after it. The next ladyfish he caught he held onto it until he saw a dolphin come close to his kayak, then he threw it up in the air, and a dolphin came out of the water and caught it before it hit the water. I wish I had my
10 really nice trout, got a flounder, some sheepshead and also brought a few reds boatside. As the bite was winding down one of my lady anglers hooked a really nice fish and it wasn’t fighting like any of the others – kind of like a red that was mixed with a snook. She struggled with it for a couple minutes, coming close to being broken off in the mangroves a few times. I think what saved her was a bunch of grass that covered the fish’s face. It turned out to be a gag grouper, and a very nice one at that. It measured out at 23-inches! Like I said, you never know! If you would like to experience some of Southwest Florida’s finest fishing give us a call, or send us an email. All of our charters are private and customized to fit you and your party’s needs. Capt. Dave Stephens, 941-916-5769 www.backbayxtremes.com
GoPro camera with me that day; I’d like to see that happen again.
Other times in the past when we have caught ladyfish we have seen schools of tarpon hanging around. Some fishermen call ladyfish “redfish candy” because they are an excellent bait for redfish. Cut them up into 1-to 2-inch chunks and fish them on the bottom near oyster bars. I caught my largest trout on a piece of ladyfish in 2 feet of water. Besides the ladyfish, we caught trout and pompano. We kept one trout and the only pompano we caught for dinner that night.
For those of you new to Florida, the ladyfish are not good to eat, but they are fun to catch and are a good bait for a variety of fish. Ladyfish are sometimes called the
“poor man’s tarpon” because they fight hard and are acrobatic. After they are hooked most of the time, they will jump in the air, and often throw the hook. They are caught with shrimp and almost any type of artificial lure. The faster you retrieve the lure, the more they like it. If you have a fish hit your lure several times while retrieving it back to the boat, it’s most likely a ladyfish. They will repeatedly go after your lure. Bob Fraser 941-916-8303 www.bobmfraser.com Speaker & Author, Business & Marketing Consultant
The Legend of Sparkyʼs Island FEBRUARY 2017
By Capt. Chuck Eichner Water LIFE Inshore Fifteen years ago my best friend Capt. Tim Reichenburg helped me move into an old fixer-upper waterfront house. My focus was getting the house squared away and his focus was going fishing. I was not ready to let Tim run my new flats boat out into unknown territory, so Capt. Tim, known by most as “Sparky,” took my leaky old 10-foot jon boat and trolling motor and left the dock an hour before dark one day. I didn’t think it was such a smart idea, but he insisted and away he went with cooler full of beer and a cell phone. I woke up the next day and there was no Sparky in the house, not a good sign, and no answer on his phone... but before long, a water-logged Sparky and jon boated limped to the dock, beer bottles floating along with his cell phone in the soup. Enthusiastic would be an understatement as Sparky chirped like a bird about the 50 redfish he caught that night. It happened on a full moon and he said everywhere he went there were redfish, but one island in particular, was amazingly productive.
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For the better part of 15 years my friend Sparky frequently came over from his east coast home in Palm Beach to fish Charlotte Harbor. Every visit, I have to hear about Sparky’s Island and his night
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of fame and why don’t we fish at night on the full moon. Let’s see, 12 full moons per year times 15
years is 180 times I have heard this story, perhaps more, and I just shrugged it off as that was your Lucky Day and just forget about it, please! Last month Sparky was in town on the full moon and after unsuccessfully catching much during the day, I finally conceded to fishing Sparky’s Island just before dark. You will not find Sparky’s Island marked on any nautical chart and it is not a particu-
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larly interesting mangrove island with no special features or water depths. The water was only 2 feet deep when we started fishing on an outgoing tide. My brother Bob, Sparky and myself pitched live shrimp out as the sun was dropping below the horizon and wham! Two drags are screaming at once and Sparky and I battle two very impressive redfish. You can only imagine the beating I took (and will endure for my lifetime!) for waiting 15 years to come back! It was not long before all of us were hooked up and releasing redfish most in the 5-to 8-pound range. And, of course, plenty of catfish showed up as well. When the fishing slowed, hours later, Sparky boasted the most fish by far; 12 redfish and 1 black drum which was the last fish of the night. Our lines were fished within a 10 yard stretch of each other yet his line got 13 of the 17 red/black drums. It was clearly Sparky’s night. It was also a beautiful night as we watched the full moon rise to the east and the higher the moon got the slower the bite, but the full moon sure made for an easy ride back to the dock. Capt. Chuck Eichner operates Action Flats Backcountry Charters He can be reached at 941-628-8040
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AT LOW TIDE We asked Charlotte Sea Grant Agent Betty Staugler what she saw in the man made oyster beds, constructed off the Harbor Walk in Punta Gorda. “I see what appears to be live oysters,” she said, adding “I would hesitate to say growth since I don't have anything to compare to.”
Changes Now for Imperiled Species Management Plan
Water LIFE, Staff Report The Imperiled Species Management Plan rule changes went into effect last month. They include changes in listing status for many species. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission approved this groundbreaking plan in an effort to achieve conservation success with dozens of imperiled species throughout the state. The plan outlines the steps to conserve 57 species along with the broader vision of restoring habitats essential to the long-term survival of multiple fish and wildlife species. Under the rule change that updates species’ listing status, the following changes apply:
Fifteen species will no longer be listed as imperiled species because conservation successes improved their status: eastern chipmunk, Florida mouse, brown pelican, limpkin, snowy egret, white ibis, peninsula ribbon snake (lower Keys population), red rat snake (lower Keys population), striped mud turtle (lower Keys population), Suwannee cooter, gopher frog, Pine Barrens tree frog, Lake Eustis pupfish, mangrove rivulus and Florida tree snail. These species still are included in the plan for guidance in monitoring and conserving them.
Twenty-three species are newly listed as state Threatened species, a change from their former status as Species of Special Concern: Sherman’s short-tailed shrew, Sanibel rice rat, little blue heron, tricolored heron, reddish egret, roseate spoonbill, American oystercatcher, black skimmer, Florida burrowing owl, Marian’s marsh wren, Worthington’s marsh wren, Scott’s seaside sparrow, Wakulla seaside sparrow, Barbour’s map turtle, Florida Keys mole skink, Florida pine snake, Georgia blind salamander, Florida bog frog, bluenose shiner, saltmarsh top minnow, southern tessellated darter, Santa Fe crayfish and Black Creek crayfish. Threatened species have populations that are declining, have a very limited range or are very small. Fourteen species keep their state Threatened status: Everglades mink, Big Cypress fox squirrel, Florida sandhill crane, snowy plover, least tern, white-crowned pigeon, southeastern American kestrel, Florida brown snake (lower Keys population), Key ringneck snake, short-tailed snake, rim rock crowned snake, Key silverside, blackmouth shiner and crystal darter.
Five species remain Species of Special Concern: Homosassa shrew, Sherman’s fox squirrel, osprey (Monroe County population), alligator snapping turtle and harlequin darter. These species have significant data gaps, and the FWC plans to make a determination on their appropriate listing status in the near future.
An Unnecessary Concession FEBRUARY 2017
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As I write this article, I am preparing to go in front of the Charlotte County Board of County Commissioners to argue that they should not sign on to a State Manatee Protection Plan program. I know that I will probably lose this battle, but sometimes you have to keep fighting even if the odds are against you - Remember the Alamo! I will have three minutes to summarize 20 years of research and try to convince the board that this plan is not in the best interest of the people in Charlotte County. The first thing I want the Commissioners to understand is that Charlotte County is under no law, regulation or administrative order that forces us to join the State's Manatee Protection program. In 1989 the Governor directed that 13 counties have a State approved MPP. Charlotte County was not on that list. It has taken the State close to 20 years to accomplish that goal. Manatee and Sarasota Counties to the north and Lee and Collier Counties to the south were part of the original list. Manatee managers have always looked at Charlotte County as the missing piece of the puzzle that would connect all of Southwest Florida into one giant manatee regulated area under the control of State regulators. It has taken these people 30 years to get to this point and it would be a career highlight for State regulators to get the ball over the goal line before April. Why the rush to get this plan passed now? The County manatee group has been reviewing the plan for six years and boaters aren’t running over manatees in Charlotte County, we have a very low manatee mortality rate. The clock is running out because the Federal Fish and Wildlife Service has recommended the manatee be taken off the endangered species list. The Fed's say the manatee no longer meets the definition of endangered. They will make their final decision this April, so the manatee people want to get this passed before then. I would encourage the Board of County Commissioners to postpone their vote until the FWS makes their decision because when the manatee is taken off the endangered list it will be a whole new ball game for manatee management. The manatee regulators realize this, and that is why they inserted a line in their plan that says
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manatee was the Save the Manatee Trust Fund. They brought in $3.8 million but spent $4.4 million. The money coming in to the fund is drying up and expenses are increasing. Why not pass the cost of manatee protection on to the local counties? If you read the plan you will see requirements for more on the water law enforcement and also a requirement for bi-monthly aerial surveys. Who is going to pay for that; I'm sure it will be the local counties. The Manatee Protection Plan comes before the County Commissioners on February 7. I'll be there to have my 3 minutes. Remember, we still have free speech and this will be a great time to use it. Captronb@juno.com
Editor notes – Here’s my 2-cents worth on manatees:
Edgewater Drive, looking across Lakeview towards Midway, from the Spring Lake Boat Ramp turnout
The official opening of the Edgewater Drive improvement is set for May 17, but the section from Midway to Lakeview is now passable since the road there is already complete and residences along that stretch need access. Access to the Spring Lake Boat Ramp extends the driveable section further. The road is also driveable, but closed, from there to West Tarpon. Given the very high traffic volume on US41 this season, we encourage the County to have the contractor open Edgewater from Midway to West Tarpon now, This would immediately help reduce traffic on US41.
the provisions of this plan will still be in force even if the manatee is no longer endangered. That line alone is reason enough to kill this plan. I have read all 141 pages of this proposal and I find it to be tremendously one sided in favor of the State’s regulators. Commissioners should realize that if they sign on to this plan they cannot withdraw from it without the States permission. That is like giving the right to cancel an insurance policy to your insurance agent; it’s never going to happen. What is really going on here ? Like most things it is about money. Last year the funding source for all things
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Twenty five years ago manatee biologists were telling us there were only 800 manatees left, that there were two different species of manatees (West Indian and Florida manatees) and that the two species did not interbreed. Today the manatee biologists admit manatees routinely swim between Florida and Cuba and that the West Indian and Florida manatees are interbreeding. Today biologists say the one single bone at the front of the manatee’s skull that differentiates the two manatee groups is not enough to call them separate species. And today the manatee experts admit that there are more than 7000 manatees in Florida and another (at least) 10,000 in Cuba, Belize and the greater Caribbean. We all love manatees, but they are not endangered and I don’t believe they ever were endangered. The whole manatee myth was dreamed up by the United Nations as a way to help control pollution. Charlotte commissioners are being tempted by the FWC which is agreeing to take on the expense of ‘site selection verification’ for new Marina development if Charlotte County approves the FWC’s manatee plan. I believe if Charlotte County doesn’t sign on, then the Army Corps of Engineers will hold up dock permitting and other approvals to ‘teach us a lesson.’ We could be screwed either way. They don’t call them sea cows for no reason. Manatees often travel in herds and they will eat their pasture land clean. This becomes a problem when there are too many manatees for the habitat to support. The whole manatee issue isn’t about saving manatees, it is all about the manatee people perpetuateing their own income, manipulating the politicians and the populace of Florida in the process. – MH
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Golden Conch Regatta
By Peter Welch Water LIFE Sailing This is the 34th year of this event, conducted by Platinum Point Yacht Club at Burnt Store. The Golden Conch was cancelled last year due to extreme El Niño winds. Winds this year were moderate but challenging in their fluctuations with directional changes up to 90 degrees. The challenge extended to the Race Committee who were forced to make significant course marker changes during races. Sail boats must tack back and forth about 90-degrees either side of the destination to get there when going into the wind. Getting too far from the center line to the destination became a losing prospect this year. Local winds defied weather forecasts so many sailors were caught out on the wrong side of the course. Sail clubs on Charlotte Harbor and CMCS, the Caloosahatchee Marching and Chowder Society of Cape Coral, support each other’s races and present end of season awards. For this regatta, almost half of the big boats participating
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came from the “Cape.” New this year was the inclusion of a start for Harbor-20 boats only. The sail plan, maximum two crew, requirement to sit down inside the boat and prohibition of modifications make this class ideal for those who want to test their skills but not their strength or spending. Only three H20s entered for this regatta, but there are more poised to compete here soon. Two boats had skippers new to the class and they were learning on the fly. First place H20 skipper Christie Van Heek had competed in that boat in the Hospice Cup Regatta and got a one point lead over Fred Horwitz on the south course. Spinnaker boats also raced on the south course. Skipper Paul Robbins and crew had a 7 point lead over Bob Knowles and his crew. In the end, Paul judged the wind shifts better and did not get as far away from the center of the course. A contributing factor was his S-2 7.9 boat’s ability to maintain speed while pointing closer into the wind than the other boats.
FEBRUARY 2017
Americaʼs Cup
photos by Fran Nasher Burstein
Three divisions raced on the north course. The Non Spinnaker class competed under time correction ratings, similar to spinnaker. First place went to Fancy Free and skipper Jerry Poquette, they have decades of experience and a crew that fine tunes every one of the many sail shaping settings. Bonney Lass from CMCS was four points down in second. The True Cruising class makes rating adjustments for things like ice makers, gen sets extra and anchors and even dingy's carried on davits. You need not strip the boat to race in this class of races. Cruisers should come play more with the racers and have fun while honing their skills. In Cruiser A , Diva Gorda placed ahead of Serendipity. In Cruiser B Windy City from CMCS finished one point better than Euphoria from Punta Gorda Sail Club. Footnote: this writer and his crew finished last in spinnaker class and still had a great time. Get out there and Sail!
Catamarans introduced in the 2013 Americaʼs Cup were faster than the wind, thanks to the introduction of hydrofoils and of solid two-element wingsails, which share similarities with high-lift aircraft wings. The AC-72 class catamarans were unlike any other previous catamarans, reaching twice the wind speed and hydrofoiling on water. The 35th Americaʼs Cup will be held in June 2017 on the Great Sound of Bermuda and it will be raced with a new AC50 class boat, a wing sail powered, fast-foiling catamaran smaller and potentially faster than the AC 72, The AC-72, manned by a six member crew, reached a top speeds of around 47 knots (54 mph) in last Cup races. Compared to conventional “soft” sails, a wingsail is much more complex, providing lift with variable camber, controlled by a flexible or jointed structure. The wingsails offer greater aerodynamic efficiency compared to the soft sails and better performance. The challenges lie - as always - in handling the wingsails and managing their aerodynamic behavior in the wind.
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Sometimes Unsubstanciated, But Often True fines. He must also take a substance abuse course and complete 45 hours of community service.
FOOD FOR THE PHALANX Lockheed Martin and Raytheon are working together in a research effort for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and as a result the Navy could soon have a new guided munition. The Smart Bullet, a munition intended to defend warships from swarms of small attack craft. Each round would be able to alter its flight path in real time to target, track and engage multiple fast-moving targets.
GATOR IN THE YETTI Officers on off-road patrol in Mallory Swamp Wildlife Management Area observed a Ford F-150 exiting the stillhunt area. They stopped to talk with the hunters to see if they had any luck while hunting. During the conversation, the driver stated he had beer in one of the coolers, which is prohibited in the WMA. While inspecting the coolers, Officer Davenport located the beer and observed a small amount of blood in the water underneath the beer. After pulling back the beer cans, Officer Davenport located a 37 ½ inch alligator tail and four alligator legs hidden under the cans. The subject was cited. 3 BUSY DAYS A group of FWC officers de-
HARDCORE SAILOR French yachtsman Armel Le Cléac'h crossed the finish line at Les Sables d'Olonne last month, completing a round the world course in 74 days, 3 hours and 35 minutes, beating the previous speed record by almost four days. The Vendée Globe is a single-handed (solo) yacht race, sailed non-stop and without assistance.
LETS NUKE THE AQUIFER South Florida sits atop two gigantic underground stores of water: the Biscayne and Floridan Aquifers. Miamians get most of their drinking water from the upper Biscayne Aquifer, while the government has used the lower portion of the Floridian aquifer to dump waste and untreated sewage — despite the fact that multiple studies have warned such waste could one day seep into the drinking water. Environmentalists are now concerned that Florida Power & Light wants to dump radioactive waste into the part of the aquiferʼs lower water table called the Boulder Zone. Miami activists, tried to stop FPL's plan, but their legal petition was rejected last month. HOW WAS YOUR CHRISTMAS? FWC officers testified in a jury trial in reference to a subject arrested in December 2015 during the Punta Gorda Lighted Boat Parade in Charlotte Harbor. The subject was arrested on numerous charges and violations including BUI, possession of a controlled substance, resisting arrest, and dumping of raw human waste. The subject was found guilty by a jury of his peers, and was convicted of resisting arrest without violence and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was sentenced to 60 days in jail, 24 months of probation, paying multiple monitory
DONT MESS WITH THIS GUY! An invasive python as big as his skiff was brought back to this Everglades dock, dead, by a Big Cypress Sportsmen's Alliance Guide who reported he killed the monster snake in the water with just a pushpole and a knife!
parted out of St. Petersburg on the OP Vessel Gulf Sentry for a three day patrol. Violations cited and warned over the 3-day period included possession of undersized red grouper, possession of red snapper during the closed season, possession of greater amberjack during the closed season, undersized stone crab claws, no restricted species endorsement, interfering with an FWC officer, using reef fish as bait, not having the Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) on, non-compliant turtle mitigation gear, harvest of live rock, longlining within 20 fathoms, longlining without a longline endorsement and failure to keep fish intact. The FWC also seized approximately 2,300 yards of longline, 247 hooks and gangions, 137 pieces of
red grouper being used as bait on the longline, 650 pounds of red grouper and they terminated a commercial fishing vesselʼs trip. NOAA met that fishing vessel at the fish house and seized 650 pounds of grouper. APP FOR THAT The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) plans to crowd source data on nonnative freshwater fish species in Florida by partnering with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) and Fishbrain – the worldʼs largest app and social network for anglers. The FWC has provided a list of nonnative species of interest in the Sunshine State, which will equip Fishbrainʼs users with the necessary information to log sightings of these species when they come across them.
SMZ IS NOT A TV STATION NOAA Fisheries is requesting comments on an amendment that considers implementation of spawning special management zones (SMZ) in federal waters of the South Atlantic region off North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida. Inside of the spawning SMZs, fishing for, retention, and possession of fish species in the snappergrouper complex would be prohibited yearround by all fishers. Anchoring inside most of the spawning SMZs would not be allowed; however, transit with snapper-grouper species onboard would be allowed if gear is properly stowed in most spawning SMZs. The Florida closure will be for an area known as the Warsaw Hole, a 3.6 sq mile recognized fish breeding spot off the lower Florida Keys. Editor Notes: I predict we will be hearing about more Spawning Special Management Zones in the future.– MH
SAFE SPACE FOR MANNY A Lee County FWC officer responded to a report of a manatee entangled in a crab trap line in Ceitus Lake in Cape Coral. After searching for several minutes with help from the local homeowners, the officer was able to locate the manatee. Manatee program biologists were also enroute to begin a rescue operation. A short time later, with the biologists on board, they proceeded to locate and attach a radio tracking device to the manatee to prevent losing contact with the animal. It was during this segment of the operation that the biologists realized that they were actually dealing with a female manatee traveling with her calf. The team attempted to slowly and methodically guide the manatee out of the deeper basin waters of the lake and into shallower water within the adjacent canal system, thereby making it much easier to approach. Once in the canal system the team was able
to briefly capture the manatee by hand and safely remove the entangled trap line from its flipper. The healthy looking female and her calf were immediately released unharmed. The trap will be returned to its rightful owner.
ALLIGATOR CREEK DREDGING Scheduled to be finished by the end of January, the Alligator Creek dredging project is less than 50percent complete. Navigation is hazardous.
DIZZY? Some of the artificial wood on the Bayshore Pier is getting a little ʻwoooey.ʼ
WILEY COYOTE RETIRES IN PUNTA GORDA According to FWC biologist Angella Scotten, coyotes in Punta Gorda are here to stay. Residents concerned about the presence of Coyotes in Punta Gorda gathered late January to hear a presentation by Scotten, who said removing coyotes is ineffective. She says they compensate by increasing litter size and other coyotes move in from surrounding areas. Residents have noted that rabbits and squirrels are disappearing. We suggest you now keep a careful eye on your small dogs.
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February – Predictions and Suggestions
BackBay Xtremes Capt Dave Stephens www.backbayxtremes.com
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James Reed US Army Ret. Long nose gar, Cape Coral Yacht Club Pier
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Frank at Fishin’ Franks 941-625-3888
Red tide came and went and now it’s back again, offshore. The concentrations here are background to low level, it’s worse to the north and better to the south. Mother Nature has proven to be resilient. We lost a lot of stuff in the red tide, but then we had fish come in to feed on that. There has been just enough cold to keep tripletail, mackerel and a tremendous array of pelagics moving around. We’re starting to see snook moving too. Snook are between the upper Harbor and the Gulf. There have been Caught close to shoreline trout schools, nice bunches off Gasparilla island by Paula of redfish and schools of Krooswyk pompano outside, in the Gulf, avoiding the red tide. Bluefish are now in the area too and a lot of lady fish are coming in. We’ve had great signs of many fish except I’ve not heard a lot about Spanish mackDominick with his snook from Charlotte erel. Bass bite the best this time of year and of course, snook too! Chrissy Mosely
Harbor
We haven’t had much rain. The rivers are low. Going to the spots that were productive last February may not work this year. This is a different year, we are seeing jack crevalle schools in the Peace River and at Shell Creek there are jacks and reds. This year we’re not getting the hard cold spells so we’re seeing an overlap between winter and summer fishing. The end of January was cold, but if we don’t get more very cold spells we should start seeing shark coming in. Cobia are in the Gulf and up in the Harbor. Because of the overlap we have cobia, shark and tarpon – fish that traditionally come after the snowbirds leave. In the Pass, if you drop a big pinfish to the bottom there are tarpon around still. They come and go, but they are still coming in. This could be the month snowbirds get to see stuff they don’t usually see. There are reds on the east side at the Myakka and south in front of Turtle Bay. Along the east side of the Harbor the milder temperatures brought the snook out onto the flats and they are in the potholes. Out in the Gulf, grouper
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The BIG-4 TROUT Lemon Bay and the southern Pine Island Sound
February
WWW.WATERLIFEMAGAZINE.COM
Fish you can expect in
REDFISH East side of the Harbor and Pine Island Sound
BASS Moving to their beds soon. Good at Lake O
SNOOK East side Harbor Islands and Turtle Bay
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Nearshore Temps cooling from the high 60s warmer as you go further offshore
95˚ 90˚ 85˚
FISH PIX!
Sue Flanagan's first red fish! Submitted by Michael Mulvihill
are at 60 feet and deeper. Grunts, snapper and smaller stuff are 5- to 10 miles out. Freshwater is in the crazy stage, I’ve had reports from Lake O, Punta Gorda and Cape Coral. In some areas the bass are in pre-spawn mode hitting crank baits and small minnows. At Lake O they are already on the beds and guys are fishing them that way. Crappie are amazing, talapia, cichlids....the good news is they are all good to eat! Worms are working best as bait. from Water LIFE magazine
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from Water LIFE magazine
Todd Albright with a healthy 28inch redfish caught out of Matlacha on cut bait with Capt Chris K
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from Water LIFE magazine
Mike Jaskiewicz, 50-inch mackerel, Pine Island
75˚
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Lemon Bay - Placida Jim at the Fishermen’s Edge 941-697-7595
Larry at Eldred’s Marina told us Jim at The Fishermen’s Edge had hand surgery and he was out for a few days... but Jim should be back at work by the time you read this. Larry also said there were snook and redfish up in the backwater creeks like Whidden and Catfish. Sheepshead are great at the Piers. The Boca Pier is a good one for sheepshead, Larry said. He also said there were no recent offshore reports because the weather has kept boats in, but grouper had been good at 20 miles before the blow. There are small trout on the flats, bigger ones in the Pine Island Sound, he added. Capt Evan Merritt at Gasparilla Marina also told us sheepshead were HOT! I’ve seen some sheepshead in the 20- to 24-inch range, he said. Trout have been on the flats and there have been a few redfish and some snook, but they’re all small, he said, adding that baitfish have been hard to find and shrimp is still the best bait.
80˚
from Water LIFE magazine
72˚ 70˚ 68˚
Bryan with a flounder just outside Burnt Store Marina
50˚ 45˚
FISH PIX!
from Water LIFE magazine
Nicky Kammerer with a Spanish mackerel
FISHING RIGHT NOW: FISH PIX!
from Water LIFE magazine
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from Water LIFE magazine
Kelly, with a crappie, in January, at Shell Creek
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from Water LIFE magazine
Gio Aviles with a couple of Bluefish
Good
Stoney, releasing a Charlotte Harbor snook
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