Water LIFE Jan 2007

W a t e r LIFE Charlotte Harbor and Lemon Bay

Keeping Boaters and Fishermen Informed

MANGROVE DAMAGE Aerial Survey

Page 10

SAILING: New Rules for Racers

Page 20

2007 Fishing Calendar Page 28

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January 2007

FISHING REPORT

There were big ones Page 30

SLIPPERY SLOPE

Real Estate News Page 20

Invasive Species: Giant Barnacles Page 5

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Water LIFE

MAGAZINE

January 2007

Keep it in California

January 2007

By Mi chael Hel l er Water LIFE Editor Environmentalists who successfully tapped taxpayer money to buy thousands of acres of California coastline to stop development are now targeting the Pacific Ocean, with a plan to curb human activity by buying boats, fishing permits and possibly even underwater land. The plan has renewed the struggle between wealthy, liberal, environmental groups and California fishermen who fear they will gradually be booted off the ocean. The plan offers no distinction between longliners who take tens-of-thousands of pounds of fish and recreational anglers.

The plan is ‘No Fishing!’ period!

A December newspaper headline in the Arizona Republic read: “California Olans to Steadily Curb Ocean Fishing.”

A map showed the California coastline checkerboarded with marine protected areas.

At the bottom of the map, in very light, very small type, was the name: Ocean Conservancy.

The Ocean Conservancy is a group that openly advocates ‘zero mortality for marine mam-

mals by 2010 and drastically curtailed fishing worldwide.

The Ocean Conservancy says no fishing networks represent a new approach to saving the world’s ‘beleaguered’ oceans and they are now seeking bond money from voters to buy out fishing boats and licenses. They also want public funds for ocean mapping, remote vehicles with video cameras and to pay for their ‘researchtime.’ Worse yet, they say “California’s plan should serve as a model for other states.”

The Ocean Conservancy is a group to watch out for. They are trying to sell their no-fishing idea as a ‘Second New Deal.’

“We’re doing something as historic for the Oceans as what Teddy Roosevelt did 100 years ago when he created the National Parks and Forests,” Warren Cabbot of the Conservancy said, adding that “California, which oversees its coastal waters up to three miles from shore, will add a new level of protection by limiting fishing in it’s richest marine ecosystems – coastal bays, estuaries, lagoons, kelp forests, undersea canyons, rocky

Water LIFE

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What is this Fish?

The coolest thing about fishing is still the stuff you never saw before. Take this fish, for example. Capt Ron Blago sent us this photo late in December with the following message: “What is this fish? I caught it last week in a brackish water canal in Rotunda. There were blue crabs in the canal. The fish was about 12 inches long and was caught on a 4 inch, Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnow. I showed the picture around and haven't had any two people agree on it yet.” So we showed the picture to several other captains and still, no one could agree.

Then we e-mailed the photo to Dr. Tom Fraser who has an M.S. and Ph.D. in Marine Biology and is the author or co-author on 40 peer reviewed scientific papers. Tom was appointed by Governor's Graham and Martinez to serve on the Florida Marine Fisheries Commission from 1986 through 1993. He served as chairman of the commission for 4 years. Tom wrote back: “This fish looks like a gizzard shad, Dorosoma cepedianum. It has a subterminal mouth and an elongated last dorsal ray (like tarpon) -- I can't see the last ray in this photo. If I could see this ray then it is definitely this species. This species rarely bites a hook, can be found in brackish water and is usually 9-14 inches, but reaches 20 inches. It is native and widespread in freshwater. It is in the Peace and Myakka Rivers and can be found in lakes and reservoirs.” Thanks Tom, and Happy New Year!

reefs and seagrass beds.” He added “The protected areas will include marine preserves where all fishing will be banned.”

“Marine protected areas” a term familiar to those of us involved in the big manatee lie a few years ago.

Personally, if I learned one thing from the manatee issue, it was ‘figures don’t lie, but liars can figure,’ and just like in the manatee issue, I want to see the data, – and I don’t mean just the data their own scientists have compiled. I want all the data.

Fishermen need watch the Ocean Conservancy carefully and we need to be vigilant about what happens in Charlotte Harbor. And we need to make sure that what happens in California stays in California.

Water LIFE

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LETTERS

Hi Michael, I just read Fishin' Frank's opinion about the sale of ʻblack saltysʼ in Water Life Magazine for December 2006. Looks like a loop hole of some kind. The freshwater rules 68A-23.008(2) clearly does not allow for the transport of this fish in the State of Florida. It is no surprise that goldfish or varieties of goldfish are not mentioned in the saltwater rules. Just because other actions have been taken regarding grass carp or the sale of goldfish in the aquarium trade has nothing to do with allowing importation as bait for fishing purposes. There are no controls where 'black salties' will be used by fishermen except maybe at Key West. A non-gold variety of goldfish has a clear advantage to becoming established in Florida because predation levels will be much lower than on a gold colored fish. If fishers believe this is the best bait since sliced bread for carp, then black salties will be used in fresh water, tidal fresh and estuarine waters – all locations for escape and potential survival.

Florida has enough trouble with

TO

non-native species. Let's not add another one just because it may only live for a few hours in saltwater and is a new hot bait. This variety is not a salt water fish.

Tom Fraser Mike Not to be picky, but from the (sailing) photo (in the December edition) it appears that ʻOui Ouiʼ was on port tack (wind coming over the left side, boom off center to the right) with ʻFrisbeeʼ on Starboard tack. In that case, ʻFrisbeeʼ had the right of way, ʻOui Ouiʼ correctly and graciously abandoned the tonnage rule (big boats go where they want when they want ) in favor of the Racing Rules of Sailing.

Thanks again Bill Dixon Water LIFE: I enjoyed the December 2006, article on green mussels. Thank you for providing information on state regulations and describing how readers should harvest only from shellfish harvesting areas when those areas are in the ʻopenʼ status. Your readers can easily access this information by

MAGAZINE

WAT E R L I F E

Water LIFE is not affiliated with any newspaper or other publication © 2007 Vol VI No. 1 Water LIFE

No part of this publication may be copied or reproduced without the written permission of both publishers

For those of you wondering what Santa does after Christmas, this may be the answer: Capt Angel Torrez sent us this photo of one of his charters on Charlotte Harbor. ʻSantaʼ it seems favors snook, which he is about to re-gift since snook fishing is closed until the end of this month. And, sorry Santa, we couldnʼt get in touch with your guiding ʻAngelʼ in time to get your earthly ID.

reviewing our website at: www.FloridaAquaculture.com Our website has detailed maps of state shellfish harvest areas, along with the daily open/close status report for each area. If your readers have any additional questions, they can contact the Port Charlotte office of the Division of Aquaculture at 941-

255-7405. In addition to the website, this telephone number has a 24 hour recording detailing which areas are opened or closed (convenient if one does not have access to a computer).

You have a great paper Chris Brooks Environmental Services, Shellfish Assessment Section.

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Contributing Editors:

Fishing / Environment: Capt. Ron Blago Charlotte Harbor: Capt. Robert Moore Gasparilla: Capt. Chuck Eichner Port Charlotte: Fishinʼ Frank Offshore: Capt. Steve Skevington Technical Advisor: Mike Panetti Sailing Advisor: Bill Dixon Kayaks: David Allen Sea Grant: Betty Staugler

on the COVER:

A spotted sea trout, caught on a fly in a 20 knott wind. See Capt. Chuck Eichner Page 16

on our WEBSITE:

WWW.charlotteharbormagazine.com

Links to Realtors: Connect with our real estate advertisers Tide Graphs: For local waters

Weather: Links to all of our favorite sites.

Back editions: Pages of previous editions Artificial Reefs: Lat. and Long local reefs

Manatee Myths: Read the original plan to create sanctuaries and refuges, as spelled out by the United Nations in 1984 Kids Cup Updates and registration forms

ASA1000 Photography and Hot Rod Cars

January 2007

By Capt. Betty S taugl er Water LIFE / Sea Grant Last month, during a talk with the Gulf Cove Fishing Club, one of the members asked about new marine invasive exotics. Wouldn’t you know, the next day I get an email about an exotic barnacle that was identified off St. Augustine. A couple of days later, I heard that an exotic red lionfish was captured in the Gulf off Pinellas County.

So after an extensive search, this is what I found out from the University of Florida News: The barnacle in question is a giant pink acorn barnacle (Magabalanus coccopoma). The barnacle, known to grow at least as large as a woman’s palm, is seen as a potential ‘fouling nuisance.’

Experts aren’t sure what the oversized impact will be, but it was spotted in late October in St. Augustine and last year in Port St. Lucie.

Environmental officials discovered the jumbosized crustacean for the first time in Savannah, Ga., earlier this summer.

How this barnacle ended up in Florida remains a mystery.

It’s native to the Pacific Ocean, from Mexico to Ecuador, but in the last few years has been reported in Brazil, Texas and Louisiana.

Officials say the new barnacle could compete with other sea creatures for food and has the potential to clog commercial intake or drainage pipes. And at the least, they can cause headaches for boaters. By attaching themselves to hulls or propellers, they cause friction as the boat cuts through the water, slowing it and forcing the engine to guzzle fuel.

In 1999, the Asian green mussel was

Marine Invasions Water LIFE

MAGAZINE

Above and left: A giant barnacle feeding and in hand.

Right: the venomous red lionfish

identified in Tampa Bay. It took only three years for it to make its way to northeast Florida, demonstrating the resilience of invasive exotics in marine environments.

In other marine exotic news, researchers at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Fish and Wildlife Research Institute have received the first-known lionfish (Pterois volitans) caught in Florida's Gulf of Mexico coast waters. The lionfish was caught by someone in Treasure Island (Pinellas County) in early November. The fish measured slightly more than a foot long and weighed almost two and a half pounds. Testing indicates the fish was a mature male.

A red tide bloom present in the area where the fish was retrieved and testing indicates the lionfish was exposed to a minimal amount of brevetoxin, the toxin produced by the red-tide organism Karenia brevis. This suggests the lionfish was not in Gulf waters for a long time.

The red lionfish is venomous and can inject venom with the dorsal, anal and pelvic fin spines, which may cause

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severe local pain, numbness, paralysis, respiratory illness and, in rare cases, death. Serious wounds have also resulted from the careless handling of recently dead specimens. Lionfish should be treated with care at all times.

Red lionfish are a food fish in some parts of its native range, but are mainly an ornamental fish of importance in the international aquarium fish trade. Red lionfish occur naturally throughout the western Pacific Ocean from both southern Japan and Korea to the east coast of Australia, Indonesia, Micronesia and French Polynesia, and in the South Pacific Ocean from western Australia to the Marquesas Islands. They have been reported off Bermuda and from Rhode Island to Florida.

The sightings in Florida waters have been off the coasts of Jacksonville, St. Augustine, Palm Beach and Boca Raton.

Several possible vectors for introduction are possible for the lionfish. At least six lionfish were liberated into Biscayne Bay when a beach-side aquarium broke during Hurricane Andrew in August 1992. The most probable explanation for the arrival of the lionfish population in the Atlantic Ocean is via the aquarium trade. It is also possible that lionfish may have been transported through ballast water of ships traveling from the Pacific Ocean (USGS 2006).

Established non-natives can become invasive species, which have the potential to negatively impact native species and natural habitats. If you encounter a marine species that has been identified as an invasive exotic, please don’t release it back into the environment.

For more information on exotic species, visit the USGS Nonindigenous Species website where you can query their database of observations by species type and region http://nas.er.usgs.gov/.

Betty Staugler is the Sea Grant Agent for

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Water LIFE

MAGAZINE

January 2007

Screaming Reels:

Gunshots on the Harbor

Capt. Andy Medi na Water LIFE Charlotte Harbor Late last month there was the smell of salt out on the water of Charlotte Harbor from the lack of rain. Also in the air was the smell of gun powder. That’s right, gun powder. On a recent outing my tourney partner, Trent Cheatham, and I were in the Myakka cutoff and all across the harbor gun shots were ringing out.

I knew they were duck hunting, but I was unaware we had so many people taking advantage of water fowl season here in Charlotte Harbor.

Let me tell you this quick story before I get on with it. I recently purchased a new boat and before it hit the water their were a few things I had to do ... or just wanted to do. Power Pole, jack plate, hydraulic steering ... all the things I just can’t live without.

When all the improvements were done it was time to give her the wet test.

When we got down to the water, a group of bird watching enthusiast were counting and taking pictures of eagles, ospreys and other different water fowl visible from the ramp They were even nice enough to let me look through their telescope. While I was looking through their expensive glass, coming up to the ramp was, yep – you guessed it – a camo-painted jon boat with a man who has been out all morning bird hunting. What a contrast.

Bird lovers and hunters in the same spot.

People who know me know I have a good sense of humor and in the words of some famous poet, “that’s funny and I don’t care who you are.” On this day we were laughing hard.

This actually seemed like something we would love to do. While season is in, take the boat, load up with guns instead of rods and reels, and instead of bait fill the livewell with 12 gauge bird shot.

I did some digging and found out it’s not that simple. First is the hunting license, check got that, but I don’t have a water fowl stamp, which is required by state law if you want to hunt water fowl.

Next comes ammo, check got lots of that. Wrong! It has to be non-toxic loads – so you don’t endanger other species of birds with toxins and lead. And there are a

lot of other rules: shooting hours being a half hour before sunrise to sunset; no firearm larger than a 10 gauge; not to mention bag limits and you can’t have your outboard running when you are shooting.

But wait, here’s the kicker, bird identification!

There are only a handful of ducks you can shoot. I’m a fishing guide. I know my fish but I really don’t claim to have a vast knowledge of bird and duck species.

The season is only from Dec.9th to Jan 28th. And that is subject to change. So my suggestion is: get a good guide for birds and ducks and make sure you hunt the legal water fowl. Treat that bird as if it was on America’s Most Wanted. Take a really good long look at it before you squeeze off a round. Otherwise, if Mr. FWC catches you, it might wind up being the highest price you have ever paid for a meal I have decided I will scrap the idea of hunting ducks this year and stick to hunting for things that either hop on four legs, or things that swim.

As far as the fishing goes, there are plenty of redfish and snook in the upper harbor. Fishing around docks and tied-up boats is still your best bet. And shrimp for bait is the way to go. The ‘hand-picks’ have been unusually large this year and I don’t think there is a snook or redfish out their that will turn them down. With the cold weather here it is also time to troll big diving plugs on the artificial reefs for grouper. The grouper have already started their winter feed on the inshore bays. A Bomber or Yozuri Crystal trolled at the right speed will usually produce good winter grouper.

Don’t worry, spring will be here soon enough and you can get back to normal fishing. Remember, be safe on the water and have a Happy New Year!

Capt. Andrew Medina can be reached at (941) 456-1540 or on the web at

January 2007

Water LIFE

MAGAZINE

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1432 sq ft, built in 1970.

Features new roof, gutters, soffit, pool cage, A/C, water heater, appliances, wood cabinets, interior doors, carpet, tile, jetted tub in master bath, and more.

Electric & water at dock. Great home at a great price. MLS #645852 $299,900 Call 941-235-5648

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REDUCED FOR QUICK SALE. Pool home on Saltwater canal near Collingswood Pointe, area of million dollar homes. This home is priced right. 3/2/2, 1,937 sq ft, built in 2001. This home is seeing is believing!! Home has all the Bells and Whistles. You'll fall in love with this one!!. $499,900 MLS # 635104. Call McCarthy Realty at 941-2355648

Rotonda Elegance.

Built less than 1 year ago, This fresh water canal pool home has 4 bedrooms 3 baths and boasts 2322 sq ft of living area and comes completely furnished. Home features living, dining & family rooms, Gourmet kitchen, walk-in closets, inside laundry, French doors and more. Come take a look you won't be disappointed. $399,500 MLS #657467 Call Gerry Gilbert at 941268-4249

Well maintained 3/2 home on oversized corner lot. 1633 sq ft of living area.

Living, family & Florida rooms that are all nicely sized. Open floor plan offers many flexible usable opportunities. Call before its gone !! Offered at $163,000 MLS # 656927 Call Maura or Rich at 941-235-5648

JUST REDUCED!! Sailboat end lot with million dollar view down the canal in beach complex area. Just minutes to the Harbor, Lot has 110ft of seawall and water & sewer. This canal lot is priced right ! $449,900 MLS # 480740 Call McCarthy Realty at 941-235-5648

Cute 2 bedroom 1 bath home ready for new owners, home features new roof, carpet, vinyl, door in laundry room, paint in and out, range and much more.

Great investment or seasonal home. This home is priced right and will go fast so call today. $129,900 MLS # 655221 Call McCarthy Realty at 941-235-5648

Water LIFE

MAGAZINE

Beautiful 3/2/1 Saltwater canal pool home with only minutes to the Harbor by the Sunrise waterway. Large 1970 sq ft home features new 135 ft of new concrete seawall with concrete dock, new roof, pool cage, tile, carpet and more. All rooms are oversized with plenty of room to entertain. Call today before its gone!! $339,900 MLS # 654265Call McCarthy Realty at 941-235-5648

Beautiful 4/2.5/2 pool home in Rotonda with views of the golf course, lake and cart trail. All open and spacious with 2612 sq ft of living area. Home has many features including Rainsoft softner, tinted windows hurricane shutters, 6 ft pantry, family room has built-in bookcase, pop up cleaning system in solar heated pool, baby barrier, custom curbing and much much more. Offered at $364,900 MLS # 651500 Call McCarthy Realty at 941-235-5648

REDUCED!

JUST REDUCED AGAIN !!.. Sailboat water executive home for the most discriminating. Totally renovated . 3/2/2 pool home features cherry wood cabinetry, Viking kitchen appliances, granite countertops, 2 fireplaces, 3 separate pocket sliding doors overlooking resort style pool, spa and fountain, oversized dock with 16,000 lb boat lift, master bedroom opens to a lanai with sitting area complete with fireplace. This home is a must see!! MLS # 634577 $639,900 Call Meg at 941-716-2305

Beautiful 3/2/2 pool home that shows pride of owners h i p .

This fully furnished home has 1547 sq ft and features new roof, A/C, ductwork, carpet, storm shutters and more.

All you need is your clothes and move right in. Don't wait call today. $219,900 MLS # 654966 Call McCarthy

Enjoy breathtaking panoramic views of the lake from your backyard. This 2/2/1 has 1432 sq ft and has been completely remolded with wood cabinets, 17 inch ceramic tile, new carpet, windows, roof, and A/C. Nothing to do but move in. $ 244,900 MLS # 646886 Call John at 941204-9428

January 2007

BEST SAILBOAT VALUE in Port Charlotte Beach area.

4/3.1/2/2. Over 3700 total sq ft, almost 2800 sq ft under A/C. 100 ft seawall on the water, only 4 minutes to the Charlotte Harbor and only 18 miles to sandy beaches. Custom built Fero pool home with PAGES of special features by a VERY MOTIVATED owner. Offered at $798,000. MLS # 635844, Call McCarthy Realty at 941-235-5648

Beautiful 3/2/3 REDUCED! canal pool home on 2 freshwater lots..

2,400 sq ft, built in 2004. This is your dream home, shows like a model with granite countertops, wood cabinets thru-out, 18 inch tile floors, double stain glass entry doors, double coffered ceilings with lights and much much more. Call for more details. Offered at $424,900.

MLS # 647430 Call McCarthy Realty at 941-235-5648

Maintenance free living at its best!!

This fully furnished 2/2/2 Villa is located in Bobcat Trail on the lake with a spectacular view.

Home has 1470 sq ft of living area, Living & Florida room, tile & carpet. Come enjoy all the amenties, community pool, clubhouse, tennis courts, golf course and much more. This one won't last long so call today. $234,900 MLS # 652695 Call Rich or Maura at 941-235-5648

Looking for country ! This is it. 2 bedroom 2 bath 14 ft single wide on oversized 108 X 106 corner lot with large front yard. Newly painted in and out, new drywall, carpet & 3 ton A/C. Home is in Lettuce Lake area with only 15 minutes to downtown Punta Gorda or Arcadia. Come take a look before its gone!! $ 84,900 MLS # 652712 Call McCarthy Realty at 941-235-5648

Two great building lots in Collingswood Pointe area with 80 ft on the canal lots 55 & 56 are being sold separately for $199,900 each or can be sold together for $399,800.

Only minutes to the Harbor thru the Manchester Waterway. Call Today!! MLS # 619627.

Call McCarthy Realty at 941-235-5648

The Wreck of

Bayronto

January 2007

Water LIFE

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MAGAZINE

Diving with Adam Wilson

By Adam Wi l son Water Life Underwater The wind was screaming the night of September 9th, 1919, on the island of Key West. Wind gusts were over 150 miles per hour. Distress signals poured across the radio waves as ships at sea were caught in the powerful category-four hurricane and began to lose their struggle with the sea.

As Key West was being pummeled, the cargo steam-ship Bayronto, en route to France with a cargo of wheat, was unknowingly sailing straight into the storm. Midday on the 10th the 400 ft. freighter met the hurricane just north of the islands of the Tortugas.

Despite surviving a torpedo attack just one year earlier during WW-I and now battling massive waves for over a day, the storm proved too much for her to sail through.

By the 11th she had been blown nearly 100 miles to the north and was taking on water. She slipped beneath the surface of the gulf, 30 miles off the coast of Boca Grande. When it was over, the storm had taken hundreds of unsuspecting lives throughout the Keys and in the Florida straights, but amazingly the entire 48 person crew of the Bayronto had been rescued.

I have logged close to 50 dives on the wreck of the Bayronto and I still get excited when we are suiting up to drop the 70-plus feet to her aging hull.

Unlike the dozens of pre-scrubbed, stripped and sterile ships intentionally sunk along the east coast for artificial reefs, the Bayronto was sent to her final resting spot courtesy of mother nature.

There is a fascination with most divers about ships that went down due to storms, torpedoes or unknown causes. It’s as if you can imagine the drama that must have unfolded as you swim across the decks of doomed ships.

For being on the bottom over 87 years Bayronto is in surprisingly good condition. Resting perfectly upside down, her keel points skyward and her

cargo hold can still be penetrated from the bow to the boiler room.

Swimming off the wreck in a northerly direction the debris field becomes immediately apparent, with metal junk, bulkheads and un-identifiable scrap extending out several hundred yards. Besides the large amount of game fish to take aim at, one can easily be distracted by the abundance of shells, especially the large spiny oysters that cover the hull inside and out.

Sometimes covering every available square inch of rusty sheet metal, new generations cling to the empty shells of their parents for survival. Treasure hunters are still discovering impressive finds of brass artifacts, china, machinery and personal items.

Visibility this far from shore can be incredible, especially throughout the winter. Maximum depth to the sand is about 100 feet so it is considered an advanced dive. On my first dive here I was overwhelmed by the colossal size of the ship, and although it is easy enough to circumnavigate the entire wreck in one dive, I now find it more interesting to investigate smaller portions of the ship more closely. With the bow compartment being my favorite spot. The eerie sounds of bubbles escaping the bottom of the ship combined with the light seeping through the swiss-cheese hull-plates makes for a very impressive atmosphere and a must-do Florida dive.

On calm weekends you will find multiple boats on the wreck, so get there early and be courteous of others trying to anchor or fish in the same area. GPS coordinates are 26 45.800 N 82 50.840 W

Above: One of the only pictures of Bayronto – Before being sold, her original name was “Tonto” Right: Dennis Jordan, Jim Joseph, Jeff Steele with a porthole recovered and then restored

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Water LIFE

Charlotte Harborʼs Mangrove Crisis

Page 10

THE VIEW FROM HERE

By Mi chael Hel l er Water LIFE Editor My first impression was; It’s not as bad as I expected, but by the time I left I realized it was worse.

Approaching the harbor from the east, I cruised over Punta Gorda at 1,000 feet and pointed the nose of the little Cessna at Ponce deLeon inlet. I had expected to see broken and dead mangrove trees everywhere, but the carpet of mangroves near Ponce Point was lush and green.

There were a number of dead trees, but not the number I expected to see. Out over the water, I dropped down to 600 feet and circled around once at the mouth of the old Barge Canal to make the first few pictures. There were

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Numbers on the photographs shown here correspond with locations on the Charlotte Harbor map below.

January 2007

MAGAZINE

dead trees that circled the little creek there, but the shoreline growth didn’t look too bad. Click.

I flew across Mangrove point where dead trees were mixed in with the forrest. On the north side it didn’t look too bad. Click again. Then I moved on, towards Alligator Creek.

As I approached Alligator Creek the damage appeared worse. At the creek mouth the trees were mostly dead, but there was still a lot of live growth nearby. If the theory about new trees re-prorogating from old growth nearby holds true, then this area might recover by itself...someday. Another click and I rolled the plane level and added a little more power. I was now pointed south where things immediately got much worse.

The area known as Silcox Key, about midway

between Alligator Creek and Pirate Harbor looked like it was stomped on. Which is probably not too far from what actually happened. Here, and on down to Pirate Harbor the mangroves really took a beating. Whole islands were dead or dieing. You could see the twisting pattern of the voracious wind. I looked for fish. At this altitude on a clear day (like this) and in clear water (like we had below), I can usually spot some fish swimming around. On this day I saw none.

I made some more pictures and headed further south.

The storm had stayed away from the east shoreline in the vicinity of Burnt Store and the trees there appeared mostly normal. Further to the south, in the area fishermen call Two-Pine, the storm had come in a little closer and there, the storm’s effect was again visible.

So far, two great places to fish (the islands north of Pirate Harbor and those at Two Pine) had been hit the hardest.

I poked around, the propeller boring holes in the sky, and me looking down. I was still looking for fish and for signs of new tree growth, but I saw neither.

My next destination was the bottom end of Gasparilla Sound, so I pointed the plane north-west, from Two-Pine and crossed the harbor at 500 feet.

I came up to the shore line around Sandfly Key. Bull Bay and the Islands that encircle it also took a hard hit from Charley. There were dead trees along the shoreline and on the inside islands as well. Ditto for Turtle Bay and its south east facing shorelines.

I flew over to Cape Haze, all the while looking down at the details of devastation. Then I crossed over the tip of the Cape and looked up the shoreline to the north.

My heart sank. The most pristine part of our uninhabited shoreline had been obliterated. It was as if some

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January 2007

Water LIFE

P a g e 11

MAGAZINE

The photos shown here were made on December 12, 2006. Black dots on the map on the facing page indicate the path of the center of the eye of hurricane Charley on August 13, 2004.

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great monster had plucked out the first 100 feet of shoreline trees all the way up the harbor, fed them into a giant wood-chipper which in turn spit them all back out at the water’s edge. Chipped, broken, bleached, dead wood. One long brown stripe of splinters. That image is burned in my brain. Pictures do not do justice to the totality of devastation north from Cape Haze.

The stripe runs up the shoreline all the way past the TV towers near Halfway Point. There were a few trees growing here and there, and one thin 500-foot line of growth amidst miles of ruin. Clearly this was the worst.

Past Halfway Point there was a lesser degree of devastation until I got to the mouth of the Myakka where, from there around Hog Island, the damage was minimal.

Around the Port Charlotte Beach Complex to the US 41 Bridges the damage was again intense, but there it took its toll on houses and peoples lives.

But the image that stays with me is that north of Cape Haze. I don’t think I’ll ever forget my first look at that shoreline from the air.

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Top 10 News Items of 2006 Page 12

Water LIFE

MAGAZINE

By Capt Ron Bl ago

Water LIFE Senior Staff

I keep a list of all the news-worthy events that happen during the year.

Events I think have an impact on fishing and boating. At the end of the year I condense the list down to the top 10 I think will have an impact on how we send our time on the water. Some items got a lot of coverage and others barely a mention in the local press. So here’s my list for 2006: The l ocks at S outh Gul f Cove were finally repaired and put back in operation. During the last year I did a little exploring in those canals and I found good numbers of large mouth bass, snook and tarpon with virtually no fishing pressure. Don’t be surprised to hear about another boat ramp going in South Gulf Cove.

The l ock on the Manchester Waterway is going to be removed. All the commissioners had to do was pay off the right guy. In order to get anything done on the water, the cost of the permits and the environmental and engineering studies necessary to get the permits is now greater than 50-percent of the cost. Doing the actual work is the cheapest part of the job.

Taxes I normally don’t complain too much about taxes but this year’s real estate tax bill was a killer. I have no complaints about the $2.75 I give to the West Coast Inland Navigation District .

They do a lot for us boaters. Or the $13.26 I paid to the Stump Pass Beach Renourishment; after all they did dredge Stump Pass last year. I can even justify the $29.05 I gave to the So. West Florida Water Management District.

They are one of the grouts that give out the permits. What I can’t understand is why the taxes on my little, homesteaded fishing shack went up 25%. Between insurance and taxes; my neighbors and I

Not on of Capt Ronʼs top-10 picks, but still a newsworthy item was Klaus Niggle who did a photo layout on the white pelicans of the Gasparilla Sound for National Geographic magazine. He used a giant hollow white pelican as a camera blind to get close to the real birds.

are feeling like we are being forced to move out. By the way does anyone in Englewood know why I’m now paying more to the fire district than I am to the Sheriff’s department.

Once again we find ourselves on the brink of environmental disaster (according to some folks). The earth is getting warmer, CO2 levels in the atmosphere aregetting higher, solar storms on the sun are getting bigger, and the magnetic field of the earth is getting weaker.

When I pass on, I want my tombstone to read ‘Everything was working fine when I left’.

Deaths Florida leads the nation in registered boats with over a million.

Unfortunately, we also lead in boating deaths with 88 in 05 (2006 numbers are not out yet). There were 667 boating accidents with serious bodily injuries.

After reviewing the mortality data, it appears the deadliest scenario is a 14ft jon boat on a freshwater lake, packed with guys not wearing life jackets, who have been drinking. Who would have thought that?

MIke

Li censes The number of people who fish in America; both freshwater and saltwater is declining and has for the last two years. The number of licenses sold in Florida is going down pretty quickly considering the increase in total population. If you don’t want fishing to fall out of favor; you better drag your kids away from the computer or the TV and take them fishing. Don’t blame me if video games and text messaging become Olympic sports.

The FWC says that snook, redfish and grouper populations are not improving as fast as they would like so expect to see changes in the slot limits. The Feds are ready to close grouper fishing in federal waters this winter for recreational as well as commercial fishermen.

That’s going to really hurt the offshore fishing guides. The days of coming back with 20 pounds of grouper fillets are over. Anyone know where I can catch some of those Asian catfish that a few local restaurants were caught passing off as grouper?

The cl ean-up from Hurricane Charley is officially over. Thanks to a lot of folks, especially SWFWMD who spearheaded the operation; tons of debris were removed from our waterways. One of the side benefits was that Charlotte County started a derelict boat program to remove abandoned vessels from our waterways. Thanks to MAC, Sea Grant and particularly Bob Hebert of Charlotte County we can take care of the problem.

Best book I read last year was Freakonomics by Steve Levitt & Stephen Dubner. Sort of an economist spin of real life problems. Best quote from the book “Working together journalists and experts are the architects of much conventional wisdom – conven-

January 2007

tional wisdom must be simple, convenient, comfortable and comforting – though not necessarily true.”

Red Ti de Hysteri a took over southwest Florida in 2006. Reports came in all summer long about outbreak from Naples to Tampa. You couldn’t go two days without seeing a story about how bad the red tide was here in the local waters. That was the conventional wisdom. In reality, 2006 was half as bad as 2005 according to the scientists at Mote and the FWC. Remember the dead zone of 2005? Well it came back to life in 2006. We did have a few bad weeks, but nothing like the summer of 05.

What we did have was significant economic effects of negative red tide publicity. State economist have just finished a report that basically says that if people believe that red tide is present; waterfront business (hotels, restaurants, boat rentals, bait shops and guides) can expect a 30-percent decrease in revenue.

Red tide will always be with us and constant media attention on its presence without putting it in perspective ( after all we still have murder, death and disease here too), we only hurt a lot of people who are just trying to make a living. Let the scientists do their job and find out what we can do about red tide.

The top story of the year has to be the de-listing of the manatee from endangered to threatened by the FWC. Its not exactly a done-deal yet, but a major moral victory for those who said all along that the manatee population has been steadily increasing for 30 years.

There are so many manatees now that they are starting to leave town. This summer they found one in the Hudson River and last month they found one in the Mississippi near Memphis. Reminds me of an argument we had several years ago with some scientist who swore that a manatee couldn’t survive the 90 mile swim to Cuba ... now they find one 1500 miles away in New York City. I guess that proves we still need more research on the manatee.

As far as the Save the Manatee Club is concerned, they have fallen on hard times. For the second year in a row they have spent more money than they have taken in. It’s funny how all those other environmental groups that supported the SMC in their lawsuit have dropped them, now that they can no longer make money. I guess the SMC is going to learn one of the basic laws of nature – only the strong survive.

January 2007

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January 2007

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January 2007

Fishing Slang The Skinny on

By Capt. Chuck Ei chner Water LIFE Inshore Fishing Fisherman are notorious for creating names to describe things found in the fishing world. It could be the name for a secret spot, a technique or just about anything to do with the marine environment while in pursuit of their favorite fish. I have my own vocabulary of fishing words that only my closest and longest standing fishing buds understand. Some words are devised as a result of an observation or fishing method that the normal dictionary has yet to define. Some are the result of an exciting time where someone blurts out something funny and the name sticks or perhaps a fishing spot that has some historical significance and as a result a name is chosen.

From saltwater to freshwater there are many words that crossover and are commonly used. The words below are a brief compilation of terms that readily come to mind. Some will be quite obvious to you but not necessarily to the next fisherman.

They are in no particular order. Here goes Grand S l am- Locally on Charlotte Harbor it means a remarkable catch of a legal Snook, Redfish and Trout all in the same day.

Whi tebai t- This generally describes the silver/white sided baitfish used to catch most inshore and offshore fish. To most it means the pilchard or small scaled sardine.

Oy s ter BedA large rock like outcropping situated on the flats. At a distance it really doesnít look like oysters just a rock mound. A good thing to fish around but a bad thing to run into on high tide.

Nerv o us WaterA subtle ripple pattern on the surface that indicates baitfish or possibly gamefish just beneath the surface.

Pi ns- A popular summertime baitfish known as the pinfish which is terrific both inshore and offshore.

P o t h o l e Typically refers to an opening in shallow water grassbeds identified with a sandy bottom. It could be as big as a basketball or the size of a Mack truck. Fish drop into the potholes on low tide.

Horse- Aggressively reeling in a fish applying lots of pressure. Horsing a fish in often results in a broken line.

Red- The abbreviated word for redfish or red drum.

Dai s y Chai n- An expression to describe feeding tarpon that are following each other in a circular pattern. The site of this will make your heart pound when approaching with a fly or bait – often resulting in a bad cast!

Hawg - A common expression to describe a large fish.

S kunked- If the fish gods are not in favor and you didnít catch any fish, then you got skunked.

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Fl ood- A tidal expression meaning the higher tide phase.

Ebb- A tidal expression which refers to an outgoing tide.

Meat S ti ck- A very heavy duty rod used to horse a fish in or to have extra control. Often used to pull grouper from the wrecks.

Gui des Rel ease- When fighting out a fish and the fish gets off at boatside at the end of the fight, without having to de-hook the fish. The guide doesn’t have to get his hands dirty.

Professi onal Over-run- A nice way of saying that you screwed up your baitcasting reel when casting and the line spools up wildly and tangled.

Bi rds Nest- A cast with a spinning reel where loose line gets piled up in the reel on the retrieve. Another nice way to describe a casting goof up.

Rats- A local word to describe a small redfish generally under 18 inches.

Drag- The tension adjustment on a reel that controls the resistance to a large fish pulling in order to prevent the line from breaking.

Honey-hol e- A hot fishing spot that is holding a lot of fish. Usually you keep this spot to yourself.

Texas Ri g- Nothing to do with oil. A method to rig a bait or plastic lure where the hook is embedded in the body of the bait making it snag free.

Hol e S hot- Describes how fast your boat gets up on plane. A combination of acceleration and the right propeller gives

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you a good hole shot which is important for any shallow water fisherman.

Bow To The Ki ng- A term used in tarpon fishing whereby you drop your rod allowing slack in the line at the moment a tarpon jumps skyward.

Hot S ti ck- The fisherman in the boat who is catching the fish. He has the hot rod or hot stick and may be just lucky or is presenting the bait just right. Either way, everybody else is jealous.

West/ East Wal l - The wall is the line of mangroves on the eastern side of Turtle Bay. The east wall is the mangrove shoreline on the eastern land side of the Charlotte Harbor. At a distance they appear as a wall.

Two Pi nes- A local expression for a mangrove lined area on the east wall south of Burnt Store Marina.

S pool ed- When a huge fish is taking drag and running all of the line off your reel. Your fish is out of control and you can’t stop him.

S moker- A slang name for a king mackerel. If you ever hook one of these incredibly fast and hard fighting fish, you will understand the name. Your reel will be getting spooled so fast your drag may start smoking.

S awed Off- When a fish runs hard into the mangroves, around a dock piling or into something sharp on the bottom. The give and take of line against the object may result in getting sawed off or cut off.

Sometimes fishing words and expressions are influenced by the beverage of the

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, Texas Sawed Off oney Rigged, H t Stick Hole, Mea ee! ....Yeowee

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day. Either way, they can be funny and many expressions eventually become common in the fisherman’s repertoire, but often only the locals know the meaning.

What a great sport where words can be spoken with significant meaning yet areonly understood by another fisherman!

For Fishing or Real Estate: Just Ask The Captain

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1838 sq ft under air, Only 15 minutes to open water Beautiful water views, high ceilings, modern floor plan, skylights, tile floors, updated kitchen, large designer pool, 30 foot dock with lift and new boat house cover! Priced at $349,900!!

Port Charlotte Waterfront Home Just remodeled 3/2/1, 1700sf under air, on extra wide canal. quiet street, with dock $399,000 Best Priced Pool Home 3/2/2 Pool Home, 1920sf, 2.5 Car Garage, Updated, 100 feet of Seawall, 20 Min to the Gulf $579,900

Pirate Harbor Dry Lots!

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Pirate Harbor Blvd., 2004‚ custom home, 3/2/2, 1999 sf under air, primo location, 100 feet of seawall, 3 decks & spa $799,000

Page 16

Water LIFE

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

January 2007

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January 2007

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The Water LIFE Kids Cup Tournament is set to coincide with the Oh Boy! Oberto Redfish Cup that comes to town May 46 (the following weekend). The top-5 Kids Cup anglers will fish on the final day of the Redfish Cup and weigh in on the ESPN2 stage.

We are going to tag some if not all the fish we release this year and we are thinking about an optional ‘boat performance test’ to go along with the fishing part of the day. Kids Cup applications are on line now.

2432 St Davids Island Ct MLS#653476 - This beautiful 3/2/2 waterfront pool home with gulf access is the deal you ve been waiting for. Spectacular panoramic views of intersecting canals are just steps out your back lanai area. With less than 10 minutes to open water from your oversized dock, you‚ll enjoy stunning Florida sunsets every night of the year. This is the deal that you ve been waiting for, call today for more details before someone else grabs your dream home! $529,000.

2916 Palm Dr - MLS# 654873 This appealing 2/2/2 is the perfect starter home.

Located in the quiet neighborhood of Charlotte Park, this home is close to schools & shopping. Call me today for more details on this one of a kind deal! $185,000

26247 Stillwater Circle -MLS#654030 This charming Seminole Lakes home sits on an oversized lot with a gorgeous view of the lake. This 2/2/2 plus den home is located in the gated community of Seminole Lakes with all the amenities you could ask for including: sidewalks, underground utilities, golf course, tennis courts, clubhouse with restaurant, and community swimming pool just to name a few.

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124 Cable Dr.- Come build your dream home on this fantastic lot in the desirable area of Rotonda Lakes.

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2 6 2 0 0 Constantine MLS#654935 This spacious 3/2/2 pool lake front home is just waiting for you to move right in. Located on Barnes Lake in the heart of Deep Creek this charming home offers a breath-taking, tranquil view of the greenbelt & lake right out your back door. Call me today for all the details. $279,000

2250 Cooper St MLS#654817 This charming 2 bedroom 2 bath lake front villa offers all the amenities that you could ask for.

From your kitchen, living room, and lanai you have a SPECTACULAR view of the lake. Some of the fabulous features include: new carpet, updated kitchen, updated baths, fireplace,ceramic tile, chair rails, and freshly painted. Don t hesitate to call me today, at this price it won t last long!$165,000.

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January 2007

MAGAZINE

PAPAYAS

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Port Charlotte Boat Show

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A cluster of papayas hangs from a tree on a vacant lot in Port Charlotte.

It will probably be April or May before these fruits are ready to harvest.

Commercially, papayas are harvested until the tree becomes too tall, and the fruit grows too high, for growers to pick them economically

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January 2007

Water LIFE

Every Once in a While a Change of Scenery is Good

By Fi shi n Frank Water LIFE Port Charlotte Ready to try something a little different? You all know I think Charlotte Harbor is great, but every once in a while a change of scenery is needed. So if your vehicle gets like mine (about ten M.P.G. when you pull your boat) this trip will cost about $38 in gas, not including the gas for the boat. Travel time is 1 hour 30 minutes, each way. We’re going to the power plant, at Apollo Beach.

To get there take I-75 north to exit 246.

Turn left on Big Bend road to U.S. 41.

Now here is a choice: left is a pay-tolaunch ramp, and to the right is a free ramp.

The ramp to the left is almost 2 miles, at Apollo Beach Blvd. The marina is at the end of the road. It will cost $10 to launch the boat and park. The area is fenced in, bait, drinks and snacks are available. It is a little expensive, but you can start fishing as soon as you leave the launch. You can fish here in high winds because you are in the canal. Snook and trout fishing in this canal is great.

Robert caught a half dozen snook in the 2 hours we fished there using a 3-D Fingerling/ghost. In the canals there are lots of docks and overhanging trees to cast at. The most productive places we found were at the corners whereever two of the canals met. The fishing under and along the docks was ok, but not as good as at the junctions.

The trout fishing is good in the canals.

We saw a few boats trolling by and they were catching trout just dragging lures. I asked what they were fishing for and everyone said ‘snook.’ It seemed like a great way to snook-fish for trout.

We smoked ‘em on the snook by spot casting at the docks and canal ends. From the boat ramp you make a left turn to get out. We fished the ends of every canal on the way. It’s easy to find your way out of the canals or back in by simply watching for the smoke stacks at the power plant.

The sea wall along the power plant is also good fishing. You will see the locals holding along the side of the wall casting over it. Make sure you stay out of the ‘no entry zone’ on the south end.

To the left, you can see Tampa Bay. The fishing at the mouth of the barge entrance is good from what we were told.

In the distance, maybe a mile or two, are a group of islands people camp on. It is easier to get to those islands from the other ramp, so let’s try: Back to the decision point at Big Bend road and U.S. 41 (where we turned left for the pay launch). This time let’s turn right and head north on 41 just past a bridge on your left. This is a large boat ramp with lots of parking and great access. Charlotte (reedy-greedy) County could learn alot by going to look at the way other county's spend money on useful parks ... but then they probably couldn’t find their way home again. (Would that be a bad thing?)

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Anyway, launch your boat and start fishing the bridge.

Then start working your way along the river banks, casting for snook. The other thing is trolling along through the slow-speed zones for whatever might be there.

When the river opens up, the shoreline to your left is good fishing. Watch the water depth, it is very shallow at low tides. Ahead you can see islands where fishing and camping is available. These are the same islands you saw from the other ramp. By water, the ramps are about six miles apart.

We did not find one lure better than any others. I trolled a Bomber 15AXSIG and did good on trout. Around the bridge pilings, a Calcutta The fishing here is good but ...The coal-fired power plant in Apollo Beach is one of three such plants along Tampa soft jig in black and silver, Bay that, in 2000, the Environmental Protection Agency seemed to produce the best rated among the top 10 mercury polluters in Florida. Coalsnook results. While each of fired power plants and refineries are major contributors to us threw different lures we mercury in the environment. Mercury deposits drop from the air into water and are consumed by fish. caught fish on several different ones.

This makes a great day trip for the New Year. It has been a pleasure and on those windy weekends the sheltered helping you go fishin! spots are great to explore. Stop by the Frank or Robert can be reached at store and I can give you more details.

Fishin Franks for fishing information or Thanks to everyone for supporting to book a charter (941) 625-3888 Fishin Franks. We wish you all the best

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Water LIFE

Real Estate News MAGAZINE

Recent area news i tems: PROVIDED BY: Dave & Marl ene Hofer RE/ MAX Harbor Real ty (941) 575-3777 dhofer@remax. net

1. Englewood will be moving forward on the construction of a new city pier. Since it replaces a pier that had already existed, Army Corps approval of the project should be expedited. Yes, I actually used the words ‘expedited’ and ‘Army Corps’ in the same sentence!

Now Open in Fort Myers I-75 at Alico Road

2. The City of Sarasota approved plans for a 30 year extension of its lease with the Cincinnati Reds for spring training. Naturally, park improvements will be required - most-

January 2007

ly at city and county taxpayer's expense.

3. Charlotte County met with development professionals to discuss clarification issues in the 1700 page Comprehensive Plan that is expected to be submitted for approval to the state this spring. Transfer of Density requirements and scrub jay requirements dominated the first meeting.

The State wants the County to be more specific as to whether or not allowable residential units from non hazard areas can be transferred to high hazard areas or just within their own wind zone classifications. Fish & Wildlife requirements call for contribution of twice as much area not in potential scrub jay habitat in order to release property for development that

January 2007

has a presence of scrub jay nests. The County ordinance goes even farther than required by the state by requiring that 20-percent of areas not even containing nests be set aside - because they could POTENTIALLY become nesting areas.

4. Fisherman's Village Marina formally opened for business last month.

Overnight dockage as well as long term live aboard facilities are now available for the first time in more than 3 years.

5. The City of Punta Gorda is again

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attempting to annex the unincorporated portion of Charlotte Park. Residents are vocally balking at paying an additional $6,500 per home to convert their septic systems to city sewer facilities.

6. Florida will be deciding whether or not to ante up the required $15 million to provide required improvements to the Charlotte County Stadium to entice the Tampa Bay Devil Rays to move their spring training facilities.

7. Florida won't consider any uni-

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versity expansions until they review the results of an independent study that is now underway. As a result, it may be too late to incorporate a new campus into the Murdoch development plan now being prepared by Kitson Partners.

8. Sarasota Memorial Hospital will be constructing a 3 story 75,000 sf medical facility at Bobcat Trail on Toledo Blade Road in North Port. An ambitious development schedule is looking for an opening late in 2007.

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9. The Wilder Companies closed on the 200 acre parcel that will one day become "The Loop". on either side of Jones Loop Road at I-75 & Cooper.

With an investment of more than $26Million for this site, we can look forward to a fast track development path (hopefully Charlotte County will recognize the urgent need for cooperation in the approval process). Plans call for 500 new residential units, 1.2 Million Sq.Ft of retail and office space. This firm owns some 35 projects around the country. It first developed this concept near its hometown of Methuen, MA. They built a second one in Orlando and now plan to add on to that successful complex. They are also developing a similar complex in Northboro, MA in 2008.

S al es S tati sti cs: KB Home sold its remaining inventory of 82 unbuilt lots in Creekside on Taylor Road in South Punta Gorda to Adams Homes. Sales price for these fully improved and master planned properties was $20,000 per lot. The few individual transactions that took place last month were concentrated in the low 30's. Waterfront lot and home sales were missing in action. Median lot prices dropped about 3/4-percent during the month (now down 37-percent from a year ago). House pricing stabilized on slightly lower volume.

These statistics are intended to assist in analyzing trends in supply and demand and not to indicate specific market values. Ending inventory is not always beginning inventory plus listings minus sales since many pending listings are held over from month to month, some listings expire and are withdrawn and, therefore, do not appear as sales and new listings includes price changes.

Please visit us at www.harborparadise.com to view any available properties from Venice to Burnt Store Marina.

Charlotte Harbor FISHING GUIDES SCUTTLEBUTT Water LIFE

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MAGAZINE

January 2007

Often Unsubstanciated, But Sometimes True

www.viciousstrikes.com

Charters

Tough Guy – The Coast Guard apparently has a new field inspector in this area. The word on the water from several people we have talked to is that he is ‘tough.’

Supposedly, the C-Guard has begun to look more carefully at charter boats, including the 6-pack boats – smaller charter fishing boats that can carry no more than 6 people. This, because of a charter boat mishap on a northern lake where a boat that was modified with a new cabin overturned drowning a number of passengers. The investigation concluded the addition of the new cabin had upset the boat’s balance and the modification was not properly documented. We all pay.

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S cuttl ed. . . but How Long will the shrimp boat Lady Louise lay on the sandbar off Grassy Point? Another month? Or has it been abandoned?

Taxes – Here’s some new math: People we know lost their house in hurricane Charley. They moved across the street to a very similar same-age house and their taxes went from $1700 to $4500 a year. That’s because they bought a different house and lost their old homestead protection. And because the assessor’s office is using a new formula to calculate values. Now that real estate values have plummeted in the last year, and supposedly, the assessor’s office is going to ‘re-evaluate’ the formula.

Insurance – More of the same. We’ve got a $3900 insurance bill. That’s more than double what we were paying before we built our new hurricane-proof house. Some people on our block are talking about only carrying flood insurance and just taking the risk of another windstorm event. A flood is still the biggest danger here and flood insurance is much less expensive.

Charl otte County Commi ssi oners: Pl ease Hel p– The 50 year old concrete seawalls that surround the waterfront of Port Charlotte are past their forecast service life. There is no county plan to maintain these structures. In the county today, seawall maintenance is the responsibility of the homeowner. When 5 miles of seawalls collapsed in Punta Gorda, four years ago, there was financial assistance from the federal government because Punta Gorda had a municipally funded seawall maintenance program. It didn’t matter that they didn’t have enough money, so they qualified for help.

Talk is, if we establish a taxed MBU (Maintenance Benefit Unit) for waterfront in Port Charlotte that area would then be eligible for federal assistance, if necessary. Give us some options, please. Thank you.

Behi nd Bars – If and when new mangrove planting starts around the harbor, new signs could appear along the shoreline; signs saying: “No outboards running between the sandbar and the shore.” A rule could be implemented under the guise of protecting the workers who would be planting mangroves. Talk is: We need to regulate this stuff ourselves, so that the area behind the sandbar is still open as a safe route home when the weather turns bad. Nobody would be out there planting trees, at that time, anyway.

January 2007

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Big AJʼs The Order of the Day

By Capt S teve S kevi ngton Water Life - Fort Myers Beach The pictures may be crummy this month, but the fishing sure has been great! In the last two days we have released over 100 amberjack in the 30 to 50 pound class.

Live bait and a strong back is all we needed on today’s charter. We kept every rod on the boat bent for over four hours, big A.J.s – over 50 of them, kingfish, goliath grouper, gag grouper, scamp and red grouper, mangrove and yellowtail snapper... some of them topping 8 to 10

January 2007

MAGAZINE

pounds!

When conditions are right, it’s really hard to beat a run offshore this time of year, for a day of great fishing.

Gag grouper are closer to shore this month than any other time of year, trolling with some of the deeper diving plugs is a great way to start out looking for these guys.

Live bait fishing on some of the shallow ledges is all but a guaranteed way to bag a bunch of grouper this month.

Offshore a little ways, the amberjack are flat-out hot right now, trolling, live baiting, jigging, ... anything will get slammed while these guys are hitting.

The bigger snapper are out there; frozen sardines have been the trick with the mangrove snapper, a ‘knocker rig’

on bottom or a flat line up top, there hitting just about anything I toss at them right now.

The bigger yellowtail snapper have been taking live shrimp fished right on top in the chum slick.

I have to take a moment and give credit where credit is due, out of all the fish we boated today the guys kept only enough for dinner.

You can reach Capt. Steve at 575-FLAT or at 276-0565

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38' Bayliner 3870, 1985. Twin135 HP Mitsubishi Diesels. $69,500

23' Hurricane 237 Sundeck 2001. Single 200HP Yamaha Saltwater Series. Asking $23,900

35' Trojan 350 Express, 1995. Twin 320 HP Crusaders. Lift stored. Loaded with equipment. $89,500

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27' Grady White Sailfish, 1995. Twin 1996 225 HP Yamahas. Head, shower & A/C. $34,900

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30' Luhrs Alura single 350HP gas engine.

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21' Cobia Center Console, 2004. Single 150 HP Yamaha 4 stroke. Includes trailer! $32,900

25' Proline WA Cuddy 1998 -225hp Mercury EFI. Clean boat, lift stored. Asking $28,500

30' Mainship Pilot Hardtop sedan. Single 230HP Yanmar diesel. Asking $104,900

Water LIFE

January 2007

Change Happens

By Bi l l Di xon Water LIFE Sailing “Change is inevitable, ... except from vending machines,” the Admiral told me. Change came to West Florida PHRF at the last board meeting. Tom Bragaw, skipper of the Farrier 33 Trimaran Bahama Hunter and I, your faithful scribe, were taught the secret handshake and admitted to the Board of Directors.

Importantly, the Board OK’ed an immediate 50-percent increase to the non-spinnaker offset. In racing, this will only amount to a few seconds’ difference between Non Spinnaker class boats. If you used to get 16 seconds, now you get 24. If your rivals used to get 20 seconds, now they get 30. If, however you were a spinnaker boat, now some boats get 30 seconds per mile or more, for all the miles, and you only carry a spinnaker for a third to a half of the miles. Over my heated objections, no data was used, just opinions. I couldn’t help myself. I used to be an engineer.

Locally, our first race using the new adjustments was the Swedish Santa Sail (Think Blondes in Bikinis with Beards). Non Spinnaker boats took 6 of the top 8 spots. Jerry Poquett’s Non Spinnaker Fancy Free won the chocolate Santa, Tom Scott’s new old Morgan 30 non spinnaker taking 4th behind two spinnakers, Skip and Susan Vielhauer’s Frolic, the top spinnaker boat and Bob Knowles Bamma Slammer, the only other Spinnaker boat to crack the top 8.

Maybe we over did the adjustment?

Ordinarily, we do not mix Spinnaker

Boating Tips

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and N/S boats in the same start on the same course, but in a reverse handicap start, everybody gets a unique starting time, so fleet size is not a problem. Now all the boats race the same race course, so the first boat across the finish line is the winner.

I will, if I can, compare results in the Golden Twenty two boats in the fleet of 37 at the The Sweedish Santa Sail race in December.

Conch, coming up Jan 6, 7 at Platinum Point Yacht temporary handicap Club at Burnt Store Marina. The plan for you. Check the is for different courses for different Punta Gorda Sail fleets, however, so Spin to Non Spin Club web site comparisons may not be possible. pgscweb.com for the By the way, The ‘Conch’ is a Notice of Race.

Charlotte Harbor BOTY race, and a great event, so I expect many more Closely following than the 37 boats that graced the startthe Conquistador is ing line for the SSS. the 4th annual Leukemia Cup. The The next reverse start race will be a Leukemia Cup is part of the Conquistador Cup, March March 24, 25.

10, and 11. On the 10th there will be Awfully close in 2 races with starts and race courses split time, but that was by fleet, but on Sunday the 11th, all when PGSC’s partboats will start in reverse handicap ners, The Isles Yacht order, so that the first boat across the Club could accomline wins. You can be assured that lots modate the sailors, of spinnaker racers will be watching. for the fancy dinner The Conquistador is the Oldest and and the auction. biggest regatta on Charlotte Harbor. It This event too is a is well worth entering, since all the BOTY event and is part of the race committee, I am going proceeds go back to the sailors in door worth entering. Proceeds go to the to try to find crew for both. Also, prize or beverage form. This regatta Leukemia/ Lymphoma Society. Check spring series races start Jan 14. too is a part of the Charlotte Harbor the Punta Gorda Sail Club web site Skippers meeting before the PGSC BOYT series. If you do not have a pgscweb.com for the Notice of Race. meeting Jan 10. Happy New Year!

West Florida PHRF, we will create a Personally, if I can get out of being

Boaters Must Not Operate 121.5/243 MHZ Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons

Beginning January 1, 2007, both 121.5 and 243 MHz Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs) are prohibited from use in both commercial and recreational watercraft. Boaters wishing to have an emergency rescue beacon aboard their vessel must have a digital 406 MHz model.

On February 1, 2009, satellite processing of distress signals from all 121.5/243 MHz beacons will terminate.

Following this termination date, only the 406 MHz beacons will be detected by the International CospasSarsat Satellite System which provides distress alert and location data for search and rescue operations around the world.

Ken Cook / Boats Unlimited

4809 Tamiami Trail Charlotte Harbor

941-628-8250

Page 26

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MAGAZINE

January 2007

The Water Water LIFE LIFE Distributor始s Club

Cooks Sportland

4419 So. Tamiami Trail S. Venice 493-0025

Pick up a copy of Water LIFE at any of these and 120+ other locations. Water LIFE is not affiliated with any newspaper or other publication and is distributed at select locations around the state. These free ads to our loyal distributors rotate on a monthly basis.

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On the LINE

Water LIFE

January 2007

FISHING WITH CAPT RON BLAGO

Snook, snook and another little snook. Snook fishing has been good.

By Capt Ron Bl ago Water LIFE Senior Staff Weather has been good so far; only a few cold fronts so far. With little rain the water has been very clear; throw in the really low tides and you have what we call a ‘fishing-challenged’ day.

Remember that pot holes are your best friend this time of year. Those little bald spots in the middle of a grass flats that are just a little deeper than the surrounding area are great. Fish just tend to stack up in those holes waiting for food to swim by or the tide to start running.

The secret to success is to be super quite. There are times that I won’t risk using the trolling motor – I’d rather use a push pole – so I won’t spook the fish.

You’d be surprised at how many fish a 10-foot- diameter hole can hold.

If you are lucky enough to be fishing on a higher tide; head for to docks for sheepshead and black drum. If the water is clear enough you can see the fish nibbling the barnacles and crabs on the pilings. If the tide is moving these fish will just stay there and eat. Small shrimp work best for me. A #1 live bait hook and a medium split shot is all you need.

If you want a little more adventure, try fishing the deep water channels and canals. There still are a lot of snook to be had. My friends fishing Sarasota Bay have been bragging about the large redfish and trout they have been catching wading the flats around the Ringling Museum. Last year Sarasota Bay was harder hit by red tide than Lemon Bay or Charlotte Harbor, and now the fishing is better than ever. In my younger days I did a lot of wade fishing and it is probable the most productive method for catching big fish. That is why they won’t let you leave your boat in most

fishing tournaments.

Offshore fishing is pretty good for AJ’s, cobia and grouper. Keep track of the latest regulations because the Feds look like they are going to close grouper fishing for 60 days soon for recreational fishing in federal waters (9 miles out).

Tripletail fishing is at its peak right now. I’ve been told by more than a few people that the near shore artificial reefs are giving up some good fish but you have to get there early before the crowd and forget about the weekends.

I’ve been spending a lot of time getting ready for the Fishing College which starts in Englewood, Wednesday January17th between 2pm and 4pm.

The basic fishing course meets for 6 weeks each wed., and covers everything you need to know from hooking to cooking. The cost is $30 for the classes and you can register over the phone by calling the Englewood Sports Complex 941-861-1980. I put a lot into the course and although it’s a lot of work I have a really good time teaching it along with the other instructors. I appreciate all the people who have wanted me to take them fishing recently ; but I’m getting old and lazy and don’t want to work as hard as I had in the past. Feel free to try some of the new younger guides that are just starting out. They would really appreciate your business. I’m saving my strength for the Fishing College. To all my regular customers check back with me the end of Feb., and remember to tell me all the hot spots these new guys took you to.

Call Capt Ron with y our fishing ques-

R eg i s tter er f o r C apt R o n’s P o pul ar

Fishing College

Phone the Englewood Sports Complex at: 941-861-1980.

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INSHORE FISHING The Year Ahead

By Capt Ro bert Mo o re Water LIFE Staff Southwest Florida has one consistent trait.

Fishing is good all year long. It may not always be good for a particular species you may want, but due to the warm climate we enjoy the entire year there is always something biting. Then take a look at the vast number of species we have the opportunity to target throughout the year. This is not something you can do everywhere and I honestly feel we are very blessed with what we have.

Below is a partial list of species you can look forward to targeting in 2007. I have broken it down by the month when each species is usually on its best bite. Good luck and tight lines.

January – Sheepshead and Spotted Sea Trout are in great abundance. Shrimp, sand fleas or small fiddler crabs work great around any structure for Sheepshead.

Trout will be on the grass flats during the warmer days and in deeper holes during the cooler days. Off shore bottom fishing is usually still pretty consistent.

February – Spotted Sea Trout fishing is usually still very strong. The smaller fish will be schooled up with larger fish in singles and doubles on the

MAGAZINE

January 2007

grass flats. Small juvenile Redfish (Rat Reds) are usually very abundant in deeper creeks.

Lot’s of fun on ultra light gear.

March – The water temperature begins to rise and so does the appetite of Snook. When the water temperature reaches above 70 degrees and the flats fill up with baitfish, Snook will make up for a long winter. Redfish action will also pick up with larger slot sized fish being caught. March is the time of year I catch my biggest Spotted Sea Trout. There may not be thousands of them around, but I usually see several 4+ pound fish caught every trip.

April – Snook fishing will be at its peak.

The water temperature will stay above 70 and baitfish is abundant to catch. Redfish will still begin to pick up but with the fantastic Snook bite going on its hard to concentrate on them.

Also look for the beginning of the fall mackerel run along the gulf coast. Tarpon will begin to arrive in mid April.

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Snook were everywherein December. Snook are out of season until Jan 31 statewide. Note how the angler is holding the fish: horizontal with itʼs belly supported. This is good!

May – Tarpon along the beaches and in the passes will be in full swing. Thousands of Tarpon will be throughout Southwest Florida. May is also the best time of year to catch larger Sharks in Charlotte Harbor. From 2 ft to 10 ft, they will be here.

Redfish and Snook fishing will also remain dependable.

June – Tarpon will still be the top bite of June, especially in Boca Grande Pass. Snook fishing along the beaches is at its best. Shark will still be in good numbers but will have a few companions as Cobia and Triple Tail are lurking in familiar waters.

July –Tarpon fishing begins to slow down out toward the beaches and passes but will

Water LIFE

January 2007

begin to pick up in the back bays as post spawning fish are looking for something to eat.

Redfish action will begin to pick up, especially after the rain waters begin to flow out of the rivers staining the flats.

August – Redfish are usually grouped up into schools of hundreds. The weather is hot and fishing in the cooler mornings or afternoons produces the best action. Tarpon are still around in good numbers, but usually scattered along the back bays in the fresher water.

September – Redfish action is almost at its peak. Large schools can be found throughout Southwest Florida. Tarpon action is still very consistent in the back bays.

October – a.k.a. Red October. Enjoy some of the best Redfish action of the year. Tarpon action will begin to decline, especially if any early cold fronts

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come

through. Snook action will begin to pick up. The first wave of the fall mackerel run will begin.

November – Snook action begins to really pick up and will remain hot until the water temperature dips below 70 degrees. For Redfish I will look to target on low incoming tides. The next two months will have the hottest tailing Redfish action you will see.

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December – Tailing Redfish on calmer days remains hot. Snook fishing will remain good if the water temperature stays above 70 degrees. Sheepshead start to show up in great numbers along with Spotted Sea Trout.

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Coming Events

January 2007

n January 9 to 23 – ABC, America's Boating Class (The Condensed version of the Boating Skills and Seamanship course). This course includes the Harbor Orientation Tour Program and the American Waterway Watch Program, class Tuesday's and Thursday's 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Punta Gorda Isles Civic Center, 2001 Shreve St., Contact: Fred Counter, FSO-PE (941) 505-1290. USCG Aux. Flotilla 98, Port Charlotte FL

n January 18 GPS MADE EASY Captain Dave Doyle of Bluewater Marine Electronics offers GPS guidance to all boaters from beginners to experts. Tips and advice for everyone will be offered at this seminar. Seating is limited to 50 people. Sign up at Venice West Marine or call 408-8288. n April 28 – Kids Cup Tournament, Ages 10 through 16, entry fee $100 Phone (941) 766-8180 or www.Kidscuptournament.com n May4-6 – Oh Boy! Oberto Redfish Cup, Punta Gorda,

Tripletail are out along the crab trap lines right now and they should be there all the way through April. Sunny days are the best days to fish for them since they are pretty-much caught by sight casting ... most of the time.

Fly-Fishing Charters ???

Call Capt. Chuck Eichner – (941) 505-0003

n June 17 – 19, Fifth annual Mercury/IGFA Junior Angler World Championship Tournament, Key West, Fla., USA -This event hosts some 40 girls and boys, ages five to 16, who have advanced to this all-release championship by winning one of over 30 qualifying fishing tournaments held in the U.S. and several countries in 2006.

January 2007

January Fishing Report Charl otte Harbor: Robert at Fi shi n' Franks Port Charl otte: 625-3888

Lets start off with s heeps head.

They are making a really good presence out there and that will continue for the next couple of months. The Placida Trestle, the Phosphate Docks, and the trestle at El Jobean are all very good spots to catch sheepshead. A lot of people put their faith in Fiddler crabs which are the best bait for sheepshead, but fiddler crabs are hard to get when the weather gets cold so you have to have an alternate bait. There are some tricks to catching them when the crabs aren’t around. Sand fleas both live and frozen work very well. But also you can take a frozen shrimp and peel the shell off and use pieces of that. The key is to use small pieces because their mouths are small. Let the shrimp dry up in the sun, just a little, before you put it on the hook.

That way it gets a little rubbery and becomes harder for them to steal off your hook.

Trout season opens back up on January 1. Trout are one of the best fish to teach people how to catch fish on because they are very easy to catch and they are schooling fish at this time of year. Once you find the school you are into them for a while. Trout are like redfish in that the same size fish tend to congregate together. Usually the larger fish are more

BIG-4 BIG-4 SHEEPSHEAD are moving in and big ones are out front

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MAGAZINE

Januaryʼs Januaryʼs Target Target Species Species

TROUT Handle with care, season closed!

solitary and hang in the smaller schools, but for the 12-to 16-inchers it’s not uncommon to find 100 trout in one school. They will hit artificials easily, so for anyone who wants to practice with a lure, trout are a good fish to learn on. Just about anywhere on the east side of the harbor, from inside of Alligator Creek all the way down to Pine Island, at Bull Bay, or Turtle Bay trout will be around. For the shore fisherman, El Jobean is a wonderful trout spot. A poppin’ cork moving on the tide works great for trout at El Jobean. Hang a live shrimp or an artificial for trout. If you’re lazy, D.O.A. makes a poppin’ cork with

BONITA are very closes to shore right now.

an artificial shrimp and leader already attached. It’s a phenomenal rig for trout and you don’t have to do anything special.

One side note on trout: drifting a shrimp for trout, you may wind up with a bo nnethead s hark or even, possibly, a co bi a at this time of year. They both are a normal bycatch for January and February trout fishing. For guys fishing out along the beaches, Po mpano and whi ti ng are really good right now.

Redfi s h are tough this time of year. There are mostly rat-reds now.

It’s hard to find a legal sized redfish right now. Oversized fish are usually sporadic, but being that it’s been so warm, big redfish are still around in the Intracoastal and in the Passes.

Page 31

TRIPLETAIL Starting to move into the harbor now.

Captiva Pass has had a lot of nice oversized reds recently and most of them have been caught on cut bait or big pinfish.

On the calm days, out along the Gulf, the bo ni ta move in close to shoer along with the Spani s h mackerel . It’s not too often you can catch a bonita in Boca Grande pass.

If you have patience, trolling in the Peace or Myakka Rivers for s no o k could be fun this month.

Crappi e are really starting to school up right now. Any of the Port Charlotte or Northport canals are

Fishing

Just OK RIGHT NOW:

January 2007

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