Water LIFE JULY 2007

W a t e r LIFE

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Charlotte Harbor and Lemon Bay

Keeping Boaters and Fishermen Informed

Shutter Install Page 14

Middle Grounds Diving Page 18

July 2007

B a h a m a s

Page 22

Shark Tournament Page 16-17

I F A E v e n t

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BLUSTERY C.H.S. TOURNEY

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w w w. C H A R L O T T E H A R B O R M A G A Z I N E . C O M

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Water LIFE

MAGAZINE

July 2007

July 2007

Water LIFE

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Water LIFE

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LETTERS

Mackerel for Shark Bait?

Dear Edi tor The article written by Capt. Moore, re: ultimate predator in the June 2007 Water LIFE magazine is very misinformed information for all readers. Using Spanish

TO

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WAT E R L I F E

mackerel filet for shark bait, or any other fish that has a minimum size limit, can not be used. All must remain in whole condition until landed ashore, with heads and tails intact. You see this done on TV by many many captains on the Florida fishing shows. Rest a sure, they don't get

tickets from the florida fish and wildlife conservation officers. But I did. So do your home work, read all the regulations.

If you have a question, call the FWC office near you and carry a copy of the Florida fishing regulations in your tackle box. Marty Ranzer, Port Charlotte

July 2007

Water LIFE

Michael and Ellen Heller Publishers

(941) 766-8180

TOTALLY INDEPENDENT

Water LIFE is not affiliated with any newspaper or other publication © 2007 Vol VI No. 7 Water LIFE

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

Special: – From the Vatican:

The 10 Commandments for Fishing.

1) Give more room to others who are fishing

Our neighbor Ron Snee in Port Charlotte sent us these pictures.

2) Donʼt Chum near anglers fishing with artificials 3) Donʼt waste live bait

The launching mishap occurred in the middle east at Jebel Ali, near Dubai.

In the first photo there are apparently lose slings. Look closely at the middle photo. One guy is on the aft deck ....going down with the ship! Weʼre not sure where the other fellow was.

In the last photo you can see the two men safe in the water

4) Donʼt run the shoreline

5) Donʼt make the same mistakes twice 6) Watch out for sea grass 7) Say hello to manatees

8) Donʼt feed the birds or other wildlife

9) Learn better fish handling techniques 10) Almost always tell the truth

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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 Real Estate: Dave Hofer Sailing Advisor: Bill Dixon Kayaks: David Allen Sea Grant: Betty Staugler Diving: Adam Wilson

on the COVER:

Charlotte High Tournament

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 Tracking

ASA1000 Photography and Hot Rod Cars

Water LIFE

July 2007

Nothing Good to Report

By Mi chael Hel l er Water LIFE Editor Six months ago this publication lauded the County Commissioners for hiring a fishery biologist for their staff. Roger DeBruler left a good paying job at Mote Marine to come to work for Charlotte County as a program assistant to Betty Staugler, our Charlotte County Sea Grant agent. Roger was to have administered our artificial reef program and help Betty in various other areas. Roger was the guy we needed. Hands on, knowledgeable, friendly. I liked him from the day I met him, but now Roger’s position appears to be another fatality in the big budget-cut-kill-off of June 2007.

It’s ludicrous that Charlotte County uses its tourism department to promote our ‘aquatic resources’ as the County’s main attraction while at the same time the County does away with the only on-water staffer we have. Look at Sarasota County look at Roger DeBruler at work Lee County they have a full staff of people to take care of their water resource.

There are numerous, long-term flunkies on the county’s payroll, numerous subcontractors doing work that county staffers should be doing – a cut in any one of those areas could enable us to fund Roger’s position.

The county is $12 million in the hole and paying $14,300 a day in interest on the boondoggle that is Murdock Village. Let the county default on that loser project, give it back to the lenders and then start collect-

!

REDUCED LL!!

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ing the rightful taxes on the property. The County has showed numerous times already that it is unable to function in the private sector, one more failure won’t be so bad.

How about medical response? Tell me again why we need a sheriff’s car, a fire truck and an EMT truck to respond to every medical emergency. If we’re going to make cuts lets cut away the fat not the good red meat.

Next S ubject: I’ve received a little more information from John Aspiolea, park manager of the Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park, concerning the stakes in the mud outside of Turtle Bay. John says he has been told the stakes are part of a ‘mitigation project’ for a multifamily dock on a barrier island somewhere. Mitigation is a buzz-word for ‘environmental rule-bending.’ Through mitigation banks and mitigation funds, developers get to build on environmentally sensitive sites so long as they ‘mitigate’ their impact by doing something environmental friendly, someplace else. According to Aspiolea, the mitigation involves putting dirt filled cotton sock-like tubes in the prop scars. The tubes are supposed to help bring the prop scar back up to grade. Reseeding or replanting the grass is unnecessary, just putting the tube in the prop scar depression and leaving it there for six months is supposedly enough to mitigate a condo dock.

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Whoever wrote the mitigation rules also decided to put the stakes in the ground so cormorants could land on them and drop their excrement in the water to make the grass grow. I’m not kidding, that’s the official plan.

The Fi nal S traw: Permits to plant red mangrove trees in the preserve were approved, but money for trees is also certainly not part of the county’s budget reform. I have heard that local citizens have been experimenting with transplanting red mangrove trees from one part of the preserve to another. The first trees they planted are now sporting new growth, but transplanting protected red mandrove trees is not covered by the permit and therefore it is illegal. It’s all so screwed up.

153 Tobias - Charming 3 bedroom, 2 bath and seperate 2 car garage with office – Southern Florida living at its finest on a quiet street in a desirable section of Port Charlotte. This home is a must see with a gormet kitchen. Call me today! MLS#673390 $229,000

The new Airport Commerce Park in Punta Gorda is the premier industrial center in the county. This 2.08+/- acre lot in the SOLD OUT frontside of the park is located at the corner of the main entry road and the road that will cut through to S.R. 74/Bermont Rd. This is one of the only parcels in the county that has the scarce IL zoning code. IL zoning makes this lot perfect for flex-space, warehouse space, or storage space.

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Whatʼs Up for July?

Page 6

Water LIFE

MAGAZINE

July 2007

Screaming Reels

By Capt. Andrew Medi na Water LIFE Staff July is now here and fishing in the backwaters will slow down a little this month, but that’s not by any means due to a lack of fish. Due to increasing water temperatures the water on the flats will heat up to a level that’s not comfortable for fish. Relax, it has nothing to do with global warming, it is just summer in sunny Florida. How I deal with this is to fish the flats before the sun gets to the hottest part of the day. I’m usually on the flats by sunrise and off the flats by 10 in the morning.

Shallow water fish such as snook and redfish will still push up on a flat in the cooler part of the morning to feed and when you find them in the morning they are pretty eager to eat. After 10 o’clock or so I will start looking in the bushes or under docks where the water is significantly cooler. It makes sense, the same baits are just fished differently and when you find the right dock or deeper shore lines chances are good you will find fish that are willing to eat. Another good point to remember is that bait fish such as threadfins or greenbacks will not do well in warm water either. If you spend all morning netting baits the last thing you want is a well full of potato chips (‘potato chips’ is a ‘technical term’ used by anglers to describe the stiff curled up bait on the bottom of your live well. There is a very simple solution to this

problem. Lock your well down. This is simple, the water where you caught your bait or water from the middle of the harbor is ideal for your bait. If your well is set up for recirculating, use it, instead of sucking up warmer water.

If your well is not set up this way, another good way is to provide your bait with as much air as possible. I always use an oxygen infusion system this time of the year. The oxygen infuser is made by a company called Keep Alive. It’s a floating system available at your local tackle store that replenishes oxygen lost in the warm water. A recirculating system can also heat water up, so zip lock bag with some ice in it or a frozen litre bottle of water will usually take care of this, just don’t get it too

cold and shock the fish. Sounds like a lot of work and I guess, in a way, it is, but it beats going home for the day empty handed.

There are still plenty of alternatives around for getting a rod bent when you don’t want to chase snook or redfish. Tarpon in the upper harbor are feeding and without the hustle and bustle of the pass or hill tides they will be happy to see your bait. These fish are what are referred to as ‘resident’ fish. They are smaller, 10 to 80 pounds, than the big pass tarpon and they will eat a variety of baits.

Mackerel are in the Harbor pretty thick now. Watch for bait pods and fish shooting out of the water after bait.

Please see Whatʼs Up? on Page 8

July 2007

Water LIFE

Page 7

MAGAZINE

The Charlotte Asembly and the Price of Tax Cuts

By Capt. Ron Bl ago Water LIFE Senior Staff I just finished participating in the Charlotte Assembly which is a group of 130 influential citizens that meet at the request of the Board of County Commissioners to kick around the problems of the day and set the direction for the county in the future. Don’t ask me why I get invited to these things, but they must feel the need to invite one weirdo to the group and I guess that’s me.

Now, before you start to panic, remember that the Charlotte Assembly has absolutely no power and only makes suggestions to the BCC. During the three days of meetings we were divided into six different groups and given a series of topics to discuss; everything from Environmental Protection, Growth Management, Economic Development, Health and Human Services, Education and County Government operations. At the end, a final report is issued to the public which should be out in about a month.

Fortunately I have the first draft of that report so I can give you my personal impressions on the issues that were discussed.

I was absolutely amazed at change in public opinion since the last Assembly in 2001. Back then, it was all about environmental issues and human service issues; but this year it was all about growth, economic development and taxes.

I guess a hurricane, the real estate boom and thenbust; and skyrocketing taxes can really reorient a community’s priorities.

At the beginning of the Assembly, each of us was given a survey about funding levels for various programs. You could either increase, keep as is, or decrease the amount of money to each program. The most popular programs that people wanted to increase funding for were #1 Water supply development and distribution issues and #2 Highway and road systems. The most popular programs that people wanted to cut funding for were #1 Parks and Recreation and #2

Environmental protection.

Without having the final report in hand I can only tell you that I detected a very strong pro-growth and economic development faction in the Assembly. Those participants were really pushing to increase the height and density limits for commercial and residential development in the county. They also wanted to lower impact fees to encourage more development. The economic development crowd wanted the county to waive fees and lower taxes and provide more incentives to encourage industry to locate in Charlotte County. I found it interesting that the average annual wage in Charlotte County is $30,766.

One of the unofficial topics at the assembly were the upcoming county budget cut backs as a result of the recent State legislation on property taxes. The county is looking at a 7-percent budget decrease for the upcoming year. The county’s plan is to lay off about 40 employees. A lot of the building inspectors, zoning and planning people have already been let go. With the recent decline of the building industry, everyone expected those cuts. What I didn’t expect were the cutbacks that will have a major impact for us fishermen.

The new position of Sea Grant Program Assistant (held by Roger DeBruler) has been eliminated. That job was to resurrect the Artificial Reef Program in Charlotte County. Without oversight the program is dead for at least 3 years. Besides the personal tragedy of a great guy losing his job of less than 6 months; we will also lose $73,000 in state grants to help jump start the reef program. Another project to get axed is the mangrove-replanting project to restore the areas in Charlotte Harbor that were damaged in Hurricane Charley. Another projects that is up for cuts is the tagging of redfish at the Kid’s Cup Tournament.

Without a Sea Grant Assistant agent to run the program we may not be able to muster the resources necessary to monitor the tagged redfish .

The Charlotte Assembly always teaches me how much I don’t know. This year I realized I don’t know enough about growth management. With conversations about Platted Lands, Planning Development Zoning, Transfer Density Units, and Urban Service Area Overlay District, I was pretty much like a fish out of water. On the last day, the entire Assembly met in one room to vote on the wording of the draft report. It’s a pretty ugly process much like the final legislative session in Tallahassee, with a lot of people voting on things they really don’t understand. In the Wildlife and Wildlife

With the Parks and Recreation Department a focus of budget cuts, area boat ramps will likely not see any improvements.

The ramp photo is from Venice, last month.

Below: Boaters enjoy the sandbar in late June at the confluence of Horse Creek and the Peace River where the new phosphate mine could threaten us most. Unfortunately, phosphate mining on Horse Creek may be approved.

Habitat section one of the groups had slipped in the sentence “The County should implement ‘No Motorboat Zones’ in Charlotte Harbor and Lemon Bay.” With the skill of the highest priced lawyer in the room, I jumped up and objected to that phrase and wanted to know how that got in there and what was the intention. I explained that there are no

such things as ‘no motorboat zones’ in Florida. Nobody admitted to including the phrase but I suspect it was the kayak cartel. I was able to change the wording to “The County should consider ‘no motor zones’ in the Aquatic Preserves where sound science indicates a need to preserve sea grass and fish habitat. We’ll see what happens.

Capt Ron can be reached for comments at

Water LIFE

Page 8

JULY 21 Fishin’ Franks

Shark Tournament July 21 Summer Heat

(941) 625-3888

Shark/Stingray/Catfish

MAGAZINE

Whatʼs Up? from Page 6 Try throwing a spoon at them. Colors are not important at all, but steel leader is.

Mackerel will bite through the best of the fluorocarbon leader materials. Sharks are everywhere the mackerel are. Bulls, blacktips and even hammerheads will eat cut bait. And for you thrill seekers, the ultimate is the goliath grouper. You will find them under bridges and docks.

Last month Capt. Derrick Jacobsen, owner of Florida Light Tackle charters, needed a mate for a Goliath trip and he called me. You all know me, if it swims and eats I’m in. We picked up the customers in Boca Grande and headed to his top secret location. Before you knew it, the angler was hooked up. But this kind of fish

July 2007

makes you wonder who’s catching who?

The angler is strapped to the rod and reel.

The rod and reel are not fastened to the boat. The angler may be in a fighting chair but the only thing that stops him from going in the water is the bear hug the Capt. has him in. At the end of the 450pound test line is a fish the size of a small VW Bug. Sounds like fun? I must say it’s a blast! Just remember, the laws are very strict and possession of this fish is rewarded with a hefty fine or jail time. So if your an adrenaline junkie this might be right up your alley. Give Capt. Derrick a call at (941) 627-9929. Not all Charter services offer this kind of angling experience and it’s for a good reason! What ever you decide, remember to have fun and be safe.

Capt. Andrew Medina can be reached

XTREME Redfish Tournament

The Xtreme is GROWING. There were 27 boats in the June tournament and 18 more new members.

1st. / 13.68 lbs, Brad Opsahl and Bill Shaffer $1235 They also had biggest fish at 7.95 lbs for an additional $270 2nd / 13.32 lbs, Joshua Reager and Tony Kules $ 560 3rd / 13.25 lbs , Mark Frisbie and Jordan Frisbie $235 4th / 12.81 lbs, Steve and Tyler Zylstra $130 The next tournament i s Jul y 14th, at the Best Western i n Punta Gorda.

S i gn up the morni ng of the event or cal l Capt Medi na at 941-456-1540

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38' Egg Harbor Sport Fisher 1974. Twin 335HP 28' Bertram Fly Bridge Cruiser, 1971. Twin 275HP Indmar 1991. Many Upgrades $19,900 Marine Power. New engines, new generator, Full

30' Pro Line 30 Walk 2004. Twin Mercury Opti-max.Great off shore boat! $89,900

26' Shamrock Express, 1996. Single 250HP Inmar IB. Asking $29,900

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24' Grady White Offshore. Twin 140HP motors. Fish rigged with tuna tower, outriggers, down riggers, etc. $12,500

30' Young & Grant Sportfish, 1983. Single 350HP Caterpillar 3116 Turbo, 2000.

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18' Cobia Center Console 1999. Single 115HP Yamaha V-4. Great for fishing or cruising. $12,900

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28' Grady White Marlin, 1992. Newer Twin 250HP Yamaha, 2000 models.

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Same old Line Water LIFE

July 2007

By Fi shi n Frank Water LIFE Fish Wizard Fishing line, today there are so many choices: monofilament, dacron, nylon super braid, fluorocarbon, all with choices of colors: clear, green, grey, multi-color, red, choices of hard, soft, stretch or no stretch... with so many choices how do you pick one? And when should you replace the line on your reel? And why do you get broke off more in saltwater than in fresh water? Good questions.

I have climbed the mountain and talked to the line gods who live there for the answers. Here’s what I know.

You should only replace your fishing line when it goes bad. That said, with mono it could be 6 months or five years.

Mono, it gets shredded when fishing in salt water by oysters and barnacles, even the sea weed and grass has barnacles growing on it, so when your fish is making a run across the flats your line is being scraped against barnacles. Scraped line looks fuzzy like it is growing hair.

The easiest way to check for nicks on your line is to put the line between your fingers. When you reel in and feel a nick cut the line at that point and re-tie, that nick might be almost all the way through and is the weakest link, so your line will now only hold a couple of pounds of pressure.

Super-braid lines like Power Pro or Calcutta are made from something like Kevlar, which is similar to fiberglass, so it should last almost as long as your boat. Would you toss out a fiberglass boat because it was a year old? I think not, but many people want their superbraid changed just because it is a year old.

Hey, I sell line for a living, but I do not like cheating people. Super-braid line is great for fishing around tress and pilings but it is very visible. Even with a leader super-braid can reduce the number of bites you get. But because it is much harder to

cut through, you will boat more fish than with mono. A lot of people ask ‘will the line cut my guides?’ No, not any more.

The first years the line was so rough textured it would cut anything, now the only things I worry about it cutting is the bail arm on my reel if it comes off the reel's line roller, or someone's finger if they hold the line with their index digit while snook fishing. Braided line will cut right into that finger if a fast moving fish hits the bait.

Back in 1986 I was still new in the fishing business when a line company rep came in the store. I proudly showed him all our spools of bulk mono line from 4 pound test to 125 pound test. He asked me how old the line was, I told him a few days to a few months, with some slower moving line sizes selling in almost a year. He told me I should not have any spools for more than 6 months and what I had should be thrown away and replaced. When I received the new spools inside the box was a flyer promoting a tournament held two years before! My new line from the factory was two years old!

Kept in the box, line can last many years with no ill effects, but sunlight and salt water rubbing against barnacles can make mono line go bad in a few months, so replace it when it is bad not when the calendar changes.

Dacron line is usually good for 15 to 20 years and very seldom will it go bad in less than 10 years. So while expensive, dacron is a great dollar value.

What is the best color? For a while everyone was talking about red line and how it is invisible under water. Not true, at all, red is the first color to fade out under water and at 30 feet it becomes grey. If red became invisible underwater would not the navy paint all their submarines red? Me personally, I like having different colors so I can tell which line is

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Page 9

MAGAZINE

This monofilament line was frayed by a barnacle or some other sharp obstruction. In the close up photo you can see how the fibers of the line are popping off, weakening it significantly. You could almost not see this with the naked eye.

which, and I can see the bright green line.

If I am on fish and the bite slows down sometimes it seems like I can get the fish biting again by changing line color.

Sometimes.

Fluorocarbon line just sucks most of the time. It is great for leader as it bends light the same way water does and that makes it invisible under water, how cool is that, but it is stiff and hard and casts like throwing steel wire. There is a new fluorocarbon line I am looking into that may cast better. I will let you know, so for now it’s great leader, but crummy line.

There is a dentist in Punta Gorda, who has a different idea of what good fishing line is. Dan Moenning uses his own method of extraction. First he gets 40 feet of 1/2 inch rope then ties 6 feet of 120 pound test steel leader to the end of the rope, and attaches a 10/0 hook to the end.

Then he ties one end to the bow cleat, so if he can’t hold the rope he will not go over. Dan makes sure any slack in the rope is not tangled in his feet or he will become bait. A chunk of mullet is placed

on the hook, making sure the point of the hook is exposed. Now with Dentist Dan on the bow holding the rig at ready, Captain Morris Campbell brings the nose of the boat right up to the pilling. Dan starts swinging the big chunk of mullet and then tosses the bait in between the pilings letting it sink all the way to the bottom. Dan holds the rope, Captain Morris is ready on the controls. Dan feels the rope start to move and yells ‘back up!’ Moris puts the boat full speed in reverse and Dan is pulling on the rope for all he's worth and underwater a goliathfish is trying to get back into the pilings.

With the boat pulling back Dan is playing tug of war with the fish. This day the leader broke. The technique is all about you and the fish, all 300 or 400 pounds of fish. Hand lining a monster is a great experience. Just remember watch what you are doing, never wrap the rope around your hands, or as the say; you could be sleeping with the fish. Dan is a great fisherman and knows what he is doing, I really enjoyed my trip with him. I will tell you more about that day in another

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Water LIFE

A Fine Morning For Fishing

Page 10

MAGAZINE

July 2007

Waves break on the Peace River on the morning that the Charlotte High Tournament anglers went out fishing.

S t aff R eport On the morning of the tournament tropical storm Barry was moving through. There was a tropical storm warning in effect. Small craft were advised to stay in port. A tornado watch had been issued.

The wind was blowing a steady 25 with gusts to 35. Seas in the Harbor were probably 5 feet.

“We’ve given this a lot of thought,” Mike James, the tournament director said. “We put it to a vote yesterday at the captains meeting. If any anglers wanted to bail out we’d give them their money back.”

Only one boat opted for the refund, 85 decided to fish.

With the wind from the northern quadrants it was fiesable to set out from Harpoon Harrys, hug the shore around Colony Point and then run down the east side in the lee of the islands. It sounded good, except for the part about going out around Colony Point.

The boats were all clean when they came back.

Rick Shore, walked up to the scale with his fish. We drove over here from the boat ramp, he said, noting that a previous crack in his hull had worsened considerably and they were sinking fast when they elected to go straight to the

ramp. “That’s not allowed,” tournament weighmaster Jerry Cleffi told him. “You have to come to the weigh in by boat,” but in spite of the car ride from the ramp the fish was alive and was a live release.

Maybe it was the rough water that day, some were talking about the ‘cover’ the rough water offered anglers when they stalked their fish. Either way, there were 93 fish weighed in.

A few anglers braved it all the way to the Caloosahatchee.

“We caught over 100 fish at Redfish Pass,” Mike McCarty told us. “It was nasty and wet,” Dave Hoke said ...as he weighed in a 7.02 and a 7.15 red. Nasty and wet and good!

‘We got soaked,’ one angler

Above the tide was high and the dock was awash, but by afternoon the weather subsided. Above: Roger Lowe and weighmaster Cleffi with a fish with 27 spots.

complained. “It was a tropical storm, you had to figure it would be windy and wet,” the weighmaster noted.

RESULTS: 1st: Five Star Realty (Sifrit, Civitella, Reed) 14.60 2nd: Team Orthopedist Specialists

(Hoke, Hoke, Hoke) 14.17 3rd: D.M. Construction (Davis, Waldrop, Mut) 13.53 4th: Reel Thing (Barnhill, Barnhill, Glass) 13.39 5th: FJ Nugent & Assoc. (Truett, Legg, Nugent) 13.34 6th: (Tanksley,Tanksley,Garcia) 13.34 7th: J & E Contractors (Stover, Stover, Bartholomew) 12.95

8th: Team Gunta (Savasuk, Flowers,Flowers)12.92 9th: John Opsahl, Inc (Opsahl, Opsahl,Opsahl)12.84 10th: Cabinets Plus of SW Fl(Fry,Blackburn,Blackburn)12.65 Top CHS Alumni- Hunter Reed Top CHS Coach - Bill Hoke Top Female Angler - Bobbie Daughtry

July 2007

WAT E R WAY

Water LIFE

MAGAZINE

BOAT LIFT COVERS

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P a g e 11

Water LIFE

Canal Tuna, Grouper, Tarpon, Snapper and More Page 12

By Capt. Chuck Ei chner Water LIFE Charlotte Harbor Southwest Florida is the most diverse fishery I have ever experienced.

Charlotte Harbor and the Gulf Island areas are a microcosom of nearly the entire west coast. Just about every species of fish that swims in the Gulf will end up making a pass through our area. To this point you may be surprised to realize that our man-made canal systems are a part time summer refuge. Canals are generally to be thought of as a winter fishing location.

Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda canals generally have good water and many have deep water. There are lakes, oxbows, intersections, mangrove shorelines, rip-rapped banks, docks, large boats, oyster beds and plenty of current flow. Whenever you combine good water depth and good current flow in a shallow water estuary you have defined a recipe for good fishing. Canals offer plenty of shade for the fish and with some water depths in the 20 foot range, they rival most of the deepest waters in all of Charlotte Harbor.

Now to the fun part. There are lots of baits in the harbor. Huge threadfins

in roving schools, grassbeds full of pilchards and pinfish, glass minnows and other migratory baitfish are wandering just about everywhere. How perfect for the canal fishery. A smorgasboard flows in and out with the tides. By the way, there is also a solid flow of blue channel crabs into the canals this time of year. All of our fish love crabs and there is at the very least small shrimp that line the canal walls and structures.

There are monster jacks (canal tuna),

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July 2007

Inshore and offshore fishing has been good, cudas and sharks have been plentiful this year.

goliath groupers, snappers, redfish, snook, mackerel, trout, black drum and of course, gafftop sail cats. The goliaths have really piled into the canals by July and the jacks are a year around friend with the biggest and baddest patrolling the mazes of waterways daily. This is a daytime fishery regardless of the height of the sun or tide.

How to catch them is the easy part.

Yes, I said easy. Take any of the baitfish or crabs previously mentioned and rig them on a stout leader, sharp strong hooks and 40# braid. Sometimes this may not be enough however. There are monster goliaths that will ‘downtown’ you and say ‘see you later’ before you can budge them! Depending on the current, tide and water depth you may need to add weight to the rig. You can drift and pitch the baits to banks, docks, seawalls and any other structure. You may also slow troll, troll and pitch or anchor on a fishy looking spot and wait for the fish to come to you.

For the smaller species like snapper I suggest you downsize your rig, use monofilament and utilize small hooks and baits. Snapper can be line shy and this will help. It also puts the fight into perspective having a light rig and nothing beats a rod doubled up! There are some whopper snapper milling around and what a meal they make.

For me, a snapper doesn’t go into my fish box until it’s at least 12-13 inches.

For lures, my selection is basic. I use fast swimming, shallow diving, short lipped plugs like a Bomber model A. Fast casting parallel to the seawalls and structure will insight some absolutely explosive strikes! You will certainly catch snook and some big boys too. Jacks will whomp a plug

and don’t be surprised to see a tarpon sky into the air. There are tons of tarpon in the canals right now. From 5 to 30 pounds are most common.

For our deeper friends like the grouper and redfish, use deeper diving plugs that run 4-12 feet. Experiment with colors and use a moderate retrieve with occasional pauses.

One all around good lure is a bucktail jig with trailer. Basically this is a fairly heavy lead head jig weighing 1-3 ounces with some type of hair or hackle on it. I like to tip it off with a twister tail. The glory of this lure is you can cover a lot of water fast and by varying retrieve speeds you can fish it fast across the top, yo-yo the water column or pitch it out allowing it to drop and then swim it back to the boat. You only have a single hook to deal with when de-hooking fish for an added bonus. Soft plastic jerkbaits rigged on a heavy jig head work well too, just remember to fish it fast because the fish have plenty to eat and a fast retrieve makes them react without time to inspect and reject.

If you like catching strong sea-going fish but don’t want to ride into the gulf, swing into a local canal. Be very respective of the property owners and you may be surprised in them pointing you to little sweet spots that they have already discovered. I have found that certain seawalls, corners and just general areas seem to hold fish over others.

You can only figure this out by putting your time in or with a little help from a friend. Take your camera with you because some big fish are at short reach right now.

Capt. Chuck Eichner operates Action Flats Back country Charters and can be reached at 941-505-0003 or v isit his web-

Offshore Report July 2007

By Capt Stev e Skev i ng to n Water LIFE Offs ho re This last couple weeks fishing has been more than just good to us who live here in paradise. With very light winds every day, and clear skys most of the time it’s real hard to stay indoors now.

The permit have been biting non stop and grouper have been on the chew as well as some bigger-than-normal mangrove snapper.

But the real deal this last couple weeks has been the sharks. We’re running a four hour trip in the morning and hooking up a dozen or so nice black tips, as well as some spinner sharks.

The action on these fish has been non stop, morning noon and night, there biting like crazy.

Just off the beach has seen the strongest bite, with most of the sharks being around three feet long.

But just a bit further offshore they are 6 to 8 feet long and one heck of a fight on 50-pound tackle.

The permit have been so very good to us the last few trips. They’re hitting both live crab's and small yellow buck tail jigs.

Most of these fish are in the twenty pound class, but they fight like they are in

Water LIFE

MAGAZINE

the 100-pound class.

We’re still seeing a few kingfish around, one this week went 47-pounds, so there's still a few smokers out there to be had.

The barracuda are just everywhere right now too, thanks to the clear water we are enjoying.

The bara's will hit almost anything you can throw at em, so be ready for that big

top water strike and the ‘cuda’s lightning fast run and jump routine.

The amberjack are stacked up offshore in about 100 feet of water, now these are the "summer-time size" amberjack, 15-20pounds on the average. That's just the right eating size.

Capt. Stev e can be reached to book a trip or for offshore information at 575-FLAT or at 276-0565

Big permit, sharks and an occasional kingfish accounted for a lot of smiles

Page 13

This New House Page 14

By Mi chael Hel l er Water LIFE editor The good news is that we haven’t had our hot water heater switched on for a month now. When we installed our air conditioners, Mike Hawkins, our AC guy, told us to install a heat recovery system.

“It will only cost a couple of hundred bucks,” he said. The unit we got is an EnCon (energy-conservation) brand, a sim-

The grey EnCon heat recovery unit.

ple device that takes the heat your AC compressor produces and heats your water.

Two small pipes run from the unit to the hot water heater. The box at the compressor has a small pump and a controller.

When the AC runs, the pump pushes water from your plumbing system through the pipes, through a heat exchanger and then to the hot water heater. I can honestly say we now have hotter water (based on where the shower handle is when I shower) and we have so much of it that I haven’t

GE Service for the 9th time

Water LIFE

Part 17

been able to run it out. If you are building a house get one of these units.

Another good thing was our decision to put heavily tinted windows on the west side of our house. That move, combined with thicker laminated PGT glass, good interior insulation and smaller overall footprint of glass on the west side has kept those super sunny summer afternoons outside while the inside west wall of our house stays cool and comfortable. In the old house you couldn’t stand near the west windows in the afternoon.

Another good thing was the discovery of Pro-Powder, in the 1776 Industrial Park off Hwy 17, in Punta Gorda. These guys are powdercoating specialists and after we had Chuck and his men at Mac’s Metals in Charlotte Harbor weld up our exterior stair rails, Pro Powder gave them a beautiful white finish. No hassle, no problem, good job. We took the rails home, waxed them and put them up on the wall.

A lot of these little things, like the rail design, take thought and time. We’re still not through with all the details, but that’s just the price we pay for being in the eye of the hurricane that day.

Now the bad news: Our GE dishwasher has been serviced three times and I have a feeling there is a fourth service call coming soon. It wouldn’t be quite as disappointing had we not sprung for the GE

Need Painting?

July 2007

MAGAZINE

Monogram top-of-the-line series of kitchen appliances.

In the laundry room we went with the GE Profile line, a step down. The problem with the washer is the design of the drive mechanism, more specifically the transmission. It’s a cheap design that utilizes a rubberized ‘brake’ to control the agitation process. Problem is, the design is inherently noisy and the washer squeaks like a stuck pig when it’s running. The noise is high frequency, shrill and unacceptable.

“Oh, they’re all like that” the service man told me on the first service call. “Not mine,” I said.

On the second service call, another guy replaced the whole transmission. It was better for a brief time and then it started squeaking again. On the third service call the guy came and just replaced the ‘brake’ rubber. It was better for a few days and then; squeak, squeal, screech.

Yesterday another service guy came to look at the problem. He said he would order a new transmission, a new brake and a new metal bracket assembly that the transmission seats on. He went to the truck to punch the numbers into the computer to see about parts availability. “I know that part number (the transmission) by heart,” he said. He’ll be back next week.

In Florida the lemon law protects the

consumer. If you have three service calls for the same problem you (supposedly) get a new product. I was advised that to begin the lemon law process I would need proof

that we have had three service calls.

But GE doesn’t give you a service ticket. You have to call GE to get copies of your work orders, I was told, so I called and after an hour on the phone the last lady I talked to said she would have the copies in the mail to me in three days.

The paperwork never came. I called again and it never came again. Now it looks like it will take an attorney, not a serviceman, to make this problem go away. Stay

Hurricane Shutter Basics

Like any project the key to success is in having the right tools.

Most hurricane anchors are 1/4 20 thread. Threaded lead anchors are a snap to install, if you have a hammer drill to drill into concrete, a stepped concrete bit for the drill and a ‘drift tool’ and big hammer to set the anchors.

1.) Drill deep enough into the wall to give the anchor a bite in solid concrete, not just the stucco exterior. When the hole is done use compressed air to blow out the debris. This is important.

2) Slip an anchor into the hole, use the drift tool and hammer to bottom the anchor out.

What you want is the lead shield to mushroom as the steel center is driven in. Look carefully at the anchor picture and you will see.

3) When the anchor is in place, blow out the hole again. (this is important now to clear the threads) 4) You will need a threaded stud or a bolt to attach the shutters. Hang the first shutter, position the second one and drill away. Depending on whether the shutters fit flat against the wall or have to be held off to clear a brickmoulding or other raised detail around your door or window, you may have to install a piece of additional trim.

July 2007

Water LIFE

Check the KIDS CUP Fish on the Internet http://charlotte.ifas.ufl.edu/seagrant/kidscup.htm

Redfish Tracking Notes from the Field

First Dart Tag Reported to Redfish Hotline

By Betty S taugl er Sea Grant / Water LIFE Well it’s been a pretty slow month for the redfish tracking with only one of our fish being observed this month. That observation came from one of our local fishermen who caught fish number 10 and reported the capture to the Redfish Hotline. This fish was captured on June 24th near the Punta Gorda Boat Club. Thanks Jason for your phone call, and for releasing number 10 alive, again, with its tag intact! Fish number 10 was originally caught in grid C6 which surrounds Hog Island.

Only two other observations were made since my last report. On our May 30th VR2 downloads (underwater units), data from two fish were recorded. Fish number 17 was recorded at Fishermen’s Village about 300 feet off the rocks at the marina on May 17th and fish number 28 was recorded at Fishermen’s Village at the corner of Harpoon Harry’s on May 18th and 27th. Both of these fish were initially caught in Pine Island Sound grids, so their continued presence in the upper harbor would suggest that a tournament redfish caught in Pine Island Sound and released in the upper harbor may not go back to Pine Island Sound – at least not right away.

In other mobile tracking news, we have solved the

MAGAZINE

Bluetooth problem that Tournament Director Michael Heller reported last month. A new snook tracking project started last month in Pine Island Sound by Mote researchers from the Pine Island field station. These researchers have the Bluetooth technology that we need for the two units located at the US 41 bridge and Colony Point canal. During July we plan to swap our two southern most VR2s with the Bluetooth units to streamline coordination with Mote for data downloads. The beauty of this snook tracking program is that there will now be additional VR2s in the water, which means our fish have a greater chance of being recorded.

Over the next few months we will continue to monitor the 15 VR2s located around the harbor, but we are scaled back to one download a month which is a typical and much more manageable schedule for us. We are very excited about being able to keep these underwater units (remember they are all borrowed and initially we were only getting to use them for one month). We will also continue to do mobile track using FWC’s hand held VR100 as it is available.

If you haven’t been to the Redfish Tracking website lately, it is finally fully operational! All of the recorded observations from the first data collection are now posted. GIS just finished the second series of maps through mid May and they are now working on the most recent set of data which will finally have us caught up!!...at least until we find more fish. The second data updates should be on the web by the time you read this.

Mote has finished working up the fin clips that were taken at the tournament. The clips are now on their way

Page 15

Bruce and son Brian Laishley with fish number 4393 at the Kids Cup Tournament.

to FWC for genetics processing. The fin clips will tell us whether a particular redfish was hatchery reared or whether it came from a wildstock population.

Many thanks to the volunteers who have helped with the field collection including Fishin’ Frank, Terry & Frank Sr., Dwayne Shackelford, Rod Walinchus, Keith Benner, Elisa Allen, Joe Gilpin, Samantha Binion, Dave Wilson, Thomas King, Diane Labhart, Jimmy Feid, Jimmy Hixon, Dolli Winans, Sondra Fox, Carole Neidig and my honey James Staugler.

Betty Staugler is the Sea Grant Agent for Charlotte County.

She can be reached at 764-4346.

Pirate Harbor

TRACKING

Mote Marine has expressed an interest in expanding our tournament redfish tracking program.

If you are interested in becoming a tagging sponsor for the October 6 Richest Redfish Challenge at Punta Gorda, please contact Betty Staugler in the Charlotte County Sea Grant office at 764-4346

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Page 16

Fishinʼ Franks Draws 580 Entries Water LIFE

Bring emʼ back, dump ʻem on the pavement and fill ʻem with ice.

Thatʼs the procedure when you have a shark in this tournament.

The ice keeps the meat fresh so it doesnʼt go to waste.

Ainʼt never seen one of those

FWC research scientist Gregg Poulakas cleared the air of questions when he identified this shark as a silky. He pointed out the streamlined shaped inter-dorsal ridge which he said helps give the animal it’s speed offshore. He also pointed out the small teeth this species has.

Gregg and his partner Jason donate their time to Frank’s Shark Tournament, taking tissue and skin samples from the sharks and rays. The data they collect is being gathered for research study on shark ageing.

July 2007

MAGAZINE

Ollie Tipton brought in the only hammer, a small specimen that was out of the money. Ollie did however win the raffle of a Quantun Aruba on a Star rod worth over $600.

The 3 Big Winners

McLean Bermont, winning ray, 41 7/8 inches, $1700

Brinn Winslow, winning shark, 76 3/4 inches, $2400 Mike Murray, winning cat, 4.56 pounds (gutted), $2400

Innovation Above: skin sampling a ray Right: Scotty Allen’s innovative catfish carrier Far Right: Catfish weighmaster Darrel Green

at 22nd annual Shark Stingray & Catfish Tourney

July 2007

Water LIFE

Page 17

MAGAZINE

Angler Andy Nuesbaum unloads his second place, 75 inch, shark worth $1600.

The best part of the show is the unloading. As contestants come to the curb the crowd gathers to watch them unload.

S taff Report Most local anglers know the drill. Go out Saturday afternoon at 3 and be back by 9 a.m. Sunday morning. The catch, all dead, is laid out on the cement in front of the store. Frank and Robert from Fishin’ Franks mark the sharks and stingrays on the pavement and then measure the marks. The catfish are gutted and weighed, but there is a fair amount of final ‘trimming’ that goes on at the catfish scale. In terms of blood and guts this event is a chansaw masacre. And they love it! Five hundred and eighty entrants this year, an all time record. For a $30 entry fee the winner took home $2400 for a 4-and a half pound catfish. Ditto $30 entry for a $2400 shark. The lowly winning stingray paid $1700. The prize money is paid back to 4th place in all divisions.

Described as Charlotte County’s ‘Blue Collar Tournament,’ Fishin Franks tournament draws the working man. Auto mechanics, correctional workers, small business tradesmen, laborers... they all fish the ‘shark tournament.’ And there are some professional men thrown in the mix as well. Not many fancy embroiderd team fishing shirts or shiny wrapped boats in this event.

This year it seemed like they came in late. Straggling in right up to the 9 a.m deadline. The winning catfish weighede 4.56 pounds, gutted. Someone in the crowd did a little quick math. Hey, that’s almost $600 a pound...for a catfish.

Hereʼs the big guy, a 76 3/4 inch bull shark worth $2400 to Brian Winslow and his team. Shown here with the animal are Scott Connoly and Mike Mack. The bait was a big ladyfish.

A big crowd filled the parking lot outside Fishinʼ Franks on US 41 in Port Charlotte.

Another Shark Event, this month! : July 21

Seek and ye shall find...

FISH

Page 18

Water LIFE

By Adam Wi l son Water LIfe Diving If you've ever wanted to make a long run offshore to explore some new terrain, this is going to be a great month to get out there. A The drop off was impressive both above and below string of calm days can be relatively easy to predict this time of year.

With depths between 80 and 140 feet, the Florida Middle Grounds may be just the change of scenery you need.

Thousands of years ago sea level was much lower than today. The area of the Middle Grounds, over 150 miles to our northwest, made up the rocky limestone shore of Florida's west coast back then.

Artifacts common to everyday Indian life are still found at this ancient submerged shoreline, but mention the Grounds to any avid fisherman or diver and it's trophy fish that swim into their thoughts.

Rolling off the boat the average visibility is 60 feet. Swimming through rain Finding interesting dive spots is eroded, crevice filled hills and over 30, very easy. Any large drop off will be 40 or even 50 foot high sheer cliff faces home to myriads of marine life. The riddled with Swiss cheese holes and caves gives the illusion of flying. At the deeper steeper the drop the better for finding larger fish to shoot. Grabbing just one GPS depths, running below the mountainous number from a waterproof chart should be peaks, sand channels act as fish super all you need to get started. You can easily highways, steering smaller fish and bait fill a GPS with dozens of good drop-offs around and through the ranges.

Species not commonly associated with after just one trip out by keeping an eye on the bottom machine. the eastern Gulf of Mexico, like colorful On a recent trip we ran across a sharp hard and soft corals, red hinds, large hogfish, true black and yellowfin grouper and peak rising up from the depths that lit up the bottom finder like the Griswold famispotted eels give the area a more tropical ly Christmas tree. It was a fish show feel.

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MAGAZINE

Ryan with his take from grouper mountain

unlike any other we had ever seen. We dropped on the low side of the ledge down at 125 feet and ran hundreds of fish up the ridge. Gag grouper, scamps, mangrove snapper and hogfish were all fleeing for their lives, holding up under any structure they could find. Larger groupers were chasing smaller ones out from their hiding spots, forcing them to hide elsewhere.

Once to the top of the "grouper moun-

July 2007

tain" we were at a comfortable 80 feet with almost 30 minutes of bottom time left. They ensuing onslaught was enough to make a stadium full of PETA members cringe. Through the commotion I lost track of my dive buddy, but I knew he was close by the constant click of his speargun followed quickly by the distinctive clank of his shafts pinning fish to the brittle limestone. We had stumbled

Water LIFE

July 2007

across what few people ever see, an innumerable congregation of fish. Sometimes things happen that make you say "Wow, I may never see something like this again", and this was one of those times.

Some tips I can pass on from experience. Keep a list of each fish put in the boat, separated by fisherman/species to keep track of your bag limits. FWC does patrol out there and appreciates a well kept fish log, it may even save you from having to empty 200 pounds of fish from a cooler. Keep 5 gallon buckets for each person to throw fish in. You don't want to stop in the middle of a hot snapper bite to run fish to the cooler. That can be done when the fishing slows.

Gutting your fish can keep the bite going and allows for a lot more fish to fit in a cooler, saving room and precious ice. Always leave a float plan with loved ones letting them know exactly where you will be and when they should expect you home.

Even the closest spots in the Grounds are going to be about 85 miles west of Clearwater pass. With such a long run, several days of careful preparation are

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crucial for a successful trip. Fuel capacity and boat range, ice storage, fresh water supply, food, first aid kits, foul weather gear, EPIRB's and even satellite phones are all things that need to be considered when heading this far from shore.

We launch from the Seminole St. public ramp in Clearwater. It can accommodate the largest of trailered boats, has overnight parking and the ramp itself is open 24/7. Parking passes must be purchased from the bait house on site that is open from 6 a.m. to sunset. The phone number is 727-443-3207.

Adam Wilson can be reached for comments or div ing information at (941) 766-1661 or v ia e-mail at: wilsonpools@comcast.net

Us with stringers loaded after the attack on grouper mountain

The display on the fishfinder was impressive

Me and Carl Gill with some respectable hogfish 11 and 13 pounds

Page

19

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Water LIFE

No Doubt! Charlotte Waters are Best!

By Davi d Al l en Water LIFE Kayaking Charlotte County and the area around Port Charlotte, has some of the best kayaking in the United States, not just Florida. No white water, that’s right, but for flat water kayaking, you just can’t beat it.

There are more rivers and creeks in this area than you can count on the fingers of both hands and both feet. Some wide and slow moving, like the Peace and Myakka rivers. Others, like Prairie Creek, Joshua Creek, and Shell Creek, just to name a few, are narrow and twisty with the branches of the trees coming down to meet your paddle on each stroke. And the

most beautiful paddle of all, Fisheating Creek, near Palmdale, simply can’t be topped. Fisheating Creek has tall, old cypress trees along the Creek, hanging moss and vines, loads of wildlife of all kinds and even a couple of old, slow alligators. And a couple of young, quick ones too. During the dry season, from October to May, most creeks are shallow but passable, but when the rains come in June and on through the summer, the flow increases to give you a real workout going against the current and keeps you on your toes coming downstream with all the twists and narrow turns.

The mangrove tunnels are a whole different kind of paddle. Quiet, still water,

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dark brown, with hardly room to swing a paddle for the next stroke, makes each passage a challenge. Like drifting through a green and brown tunnel, with lots of birds and ‘critters’, but no alligators, usually. And we have lots of mangrove tunnels in the area around Port Charlotte Beach, out of Ponce DeLeon Park, along Coral Creek, and off Gasparilla Sound. All unique and different: all beautiful and always an interesting paddle.

And lets not forget the Gulf, with its surf and waves and dolphins, and the Intracoastal Waterway. Throughout the entire area from Boca Grande to Stump Pass and Englewood, the beaches and waterways offer some of the best paddling and some of the most beautiful beaches in Florida. The large and small islands in Gasparilla Sound, from Dog Island in the north, to Sandfly Key and Devilfish Key in the south, gives paddlers a spot to beach their kayaks and take a break for a snack and drink. In warm weather, you can often spot manatees in the Sound grazing on the bottom grasses; brown stingrays raise a cloud of sand as they scurry away. And dolphins are usually

July 2007

somewhere in the Sound or, paddling through Gasparilla Pass, in the Gulf.

From time to time, if you are very lucky, you may even see a few tarpon out along the coast.

We have the very best here in Charlotte County. We’re lucky to have such a beautiful, natural wildlife area to enjoy from the seat of a kayak. Kayaks are uniquely suited to this area as paddlers can explore miles and miles of creeks and shorelines, even the shallowest waters and work their way through narrow, most crooked mangroves channels. And kayaks, quiet and environmentally benign, leave the flora and fauna undisturbed by their passage.

Port Charlotte is home to the Port Charlotte Kay ak ers, the largest and most activ e paddling group in this area. The ‘Kay ak ers’ usually tak e two or three paddles a week in the riv ers and/or the Gulf, so beginners and adv anced intermediate paddlers hav e an equal opportunity to enjoy the sport. The group meets each Wednesday, at Port Charlotte Beach Park at 5:30 PM. Join us if y ou’d lik e to ex perience the joy of paddling in this beautiful area. Dav e Allen can be reached at (941) 235-2588 or at: dlaa@comcast.net

Water LIFE

July 2007

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MAGAZINE

Boats of the Year

By Bi l l Di xon Water LIFE Sailing Charlotte Harbor Boat of the Year 2006-07 wrapped up with the Key West Rendezvous.

Notably local sailor Mike Busher corrected to first over all on the race back to Naples.

(See Sandy, as I told you in an earlier column, he really does not need that new jib). On the race to Key West, Bill Berges’ Wimpie took 1st in Spinnaker, Jerry Poquett’s Fancy Free took first in Non Spin and Mike Busher’s Serendipity took first in Cruising.

Boat of the year award i n S pi nnaker goes to Dan Kendrick from Marco Island in Tippecanoe.

Among other top finishes, Dan won the Conquistador Cup. A photo of his boat will appear on next year’s Conquistador Cup T shirt. Second in Spinnaker was Bob Knowles’ Bamma Slammer. Third place was Peter New’s Crime Scene.

Non S pi nnaker Boat of the year goes to Jerry Poquett’s Fancy Free. Second was Kay and Jerry Haller’s Jammin.

Third place went to Ft Myers sailor Steve Romaine’s Air Supply. In True Cruising, Roger Rommel’s Desert Fox II took first, Ron Scalzo’ s La Boheme second and Crash Taylor’s Ironic Breeze took third. Your humble scribe was 4th here. Tom Bragaw won Multihull BOTY and Ed Brauer won Pocket Cruiser BOTY

For next BOTY year, the first event will be CMCS’ Summerset Regatta over Labor Day Weekend. PGSC is planning a November charity regatta to fill out the schedule, and make the BOTY a year round event. January 08 will be the Platinum Point Yacht Club’s Golden Conch.

March 08 will be the 15th annual Conquistador Cup; in May will be the Key West Rendezvous, and next June the WFPHRF BOTY awards ceremony.

Bill Dixon. 941-637-2694, dixonwj@comcast.net

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21

Water LIFE

Page 22

July 2007

MAGAZINE

Fishing The Out Islands or: Capt. Rob goes on break

By Capt. Robert Moore Water LIFE staff It had been several years since my wife Lori and I had had the opportunity to get away. Several years ago when I met Carter Andrews who owns and operates the Crooked Island Lodge on Crooked Island in the lower Bahamas, he enthusiastically told me about how the fishing opportunities (inshore and offshore) were endless there. Not only was the fishing unbelievable, Crooked Island was pretty secluded, allowing one to vacation without large crowds and enjoy lots of peace and quiet. I booked a 5 day trip.

Now getting to Crooked Island takes a little preparedness. You can book a private charter that will fly you directly to Crooked Island, but that can be very expensive. We arranged our flight through Bahamas Air. The logistical part is that they only fly into Crooked Island from Nassau twice a week, Saturday and Wednesday mornings. In order to catch the early morning fight to Colonel Hill Airport on Crooked Island, you are going to have to fly into Nassau the day before.

My wife and I made the most of it and flew from Miami to Nassau on a Friday and stayed at one of the casinos in Nassau and then flew into Crooked Island on Saturday morning. Crooked Island Lodge does have their own 2000 foot landing strip for smaller private planes, but all commercial flights must go into Colonel Hill Airport. Transportation from Colonel

Hill to the resort is provided by Crooked Island Lodge. When you leave to return home there is no problem finding a later connecting flight back from Nassau to Miami, so another overnight stay in Nassau is not necessary.

We met Carter Andrews at the airport and he drove us to the lodge. After we checked in and got changed into something comfortable we decided to walk the 100 feet to the gorgeous sandy beach out our front door. My wife was commenting about how beautiful the view was, all the while I was keeping an eye on the barracuda and jacks that were lazily swimming right in front of us. It didn’t take me long to hunt down a rod and reel and

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make a few casts. On my second cast with a top water plug I watched a 10-15 pound barracuda swim 50 feet and explode on my lure. I was there all of ten minutes and was fighting a nice fish. So far so good!

Carter and I had made arrangements to go offshore fishing in the afternoon after lunch. I was looking forward to it, but the wind was blowing at least 20-25 mph. I asked if the conditions were too rough for offshore and Carter simply replied “This is Crooked Island fishing, it’s never too windy”. He pointed out that the prominent wind at Crooked Island was out of the Northeast. We were at the northwest tip of the island so everything on the west side of the island was basically protected. My reply was “That’s fine but after you get 10 miles or more offshore I am sure it gets pretty bad.” Carter pointed out the color change about a 1/2 mile offshore. “You see where the water changes from green to dark blue? That’s the drop off from 40-50 feet to over 1000 feet.”

We idled out to the drop off and Carter prepared 5 lines for trolling high speed lures. Before he could get all five out one of the lines started to sing. After a 10 minute battle my wife brought her first ever Wahoo to the boat. The fish was in the 15-pound range. Carter made comment that was one of the smallest Wahoo he had ever seen caught, that most caught there are in the 50-plus pound range. Over the next several hours we trolled within a mile of shore and had two hook ups on

very large blue marlin. The second one we hooked was in the 450-pound range and jumped well over 10 times. I thought watching a Charlotte Harbor 100 pound Tarpon jump got my adrenaline flowing, this was a new rush I had not ever experienced. Both marlins that we hooked managed to throw the hook, but just seeing the aerial show was an awesome experience and worth the trip.

The next thing I was looking forward to was the flats fishing. I have never caught a bonefish. Crooked Island is known world wide for some of the best bonefishing around. I knew this would be my opportunity. Our guide, Capt Kenny, who is a local guide and well known as one of Crooked Island’s best bonefishermen took my wife and I on a 15 minute ride down the beach to Acklins Bight.

Acklins Bight is a very large open bay with miles and miles of shallow flats, perfect for bonefish, permit, barracuda, snapper, shark and so on. Capt. Kenny poled us up on to a flat and started announcing to me what direction to cast into. It took only several casts before I was hooked up with my first bonefish, a little guy in the 2 to 3-pound range. I have to be honest about one thing. I was casting a 1/8 oz brown bucktail jig on a light spinning outfit. I never saw the fish or felt it hit. I was just slowly bouncing the jig along the bottom when something started peeling line off my reel. Lori tried

Continued on facing page

July 2007

Water LIFE

US 41 Bridge Lights are Back

MAGAZINE

Almost three years after hurricane Charley wiped the old ones away, new lights are up and working on the Peace River U.S. 41 bridge. The new lights mean that a shadow line is once again cast on the water, which in turn means the fishing at night could be back in style.

The new lights also cast a line of bright spots on the water which could also be good.

Crooked Island continued

to catch her first bonefish too, but a band of scattered thunderstorms came through bringing 20 mph winds with it. We dodged storms the rest of the day and decided to target some other species. Between the mutton and mangrove snapper, barracuda and sharks our rods were bent all day.

Bonefish were still an option, but Lori and I told Capt Kenny we just wanted to catch fish and lots of them.

My next outing was another offshore trolling trip with Carter and a few other guys from the lodge. My wife decided to stay back and relax and enjoy a new book.

We trolled most of the day and hooked up one white marlin and lots of mahi mahi in the 25-to 35-pound range. Watching Carter troll 5 different lines was a great experience. He constantly explained how and what he was doing. His expertise showed as he always seemed to know which rod was going to get hit and by what kind fish.

On the days I didn’t fish with a guide I relaxed on the beach with my wife. When I would get restless I simply picked up a rod and walked down the beach and started catching fish. I caught over 10 species of

fish within 100 yards of our room.

Barracuda, horse-eyed jacks, all kinds of different snapper, grouper and sharks were all easily caught on artificial plugs.

Now the fishing was everything I was told it would be. The atmosphere was beyond relaxing. Then there was the phenomenal food. I honestly have never eaten so well. Fresh fish has never tasted so good. We feasted like royalty. One of the best parts of ending each day was finishing dinner and retiring to the local pub on site at the lodge. I really enjoyed meeting and getting to know some of the locals that come in, including most of the fishing guides. Their stories about guided trips seemed to be no different than mine, just different scenery and names.

All in all our Crooked Island Lodge experience was a great one. My wife and I are already planning next year’s trip with some friends and family. Crooked Island was paradise. Many thanks to Carter, his wife Heidi and the wonderful staff at Crooked Island Lodge for spoiling us.

For more information visit these links. www.crookedislandfishing.com www.pittstownpoint.com Capt Rob can be reached for fishing infor-

Page 23

Charlotte Harbor FISHING GUIDES Water LIFE

Page 24

MAGAZINE

www.viciousstrikes.com

Charters

20–50 mile trips We help you put charters together • Grouper • Snapper • Kingfish • Shark • Tarpon and more!

Capt Jim OʼBrien

USCG 50 ton license since 1985 Bus: 941-475-5538 Res: 941-473-2150 visit us at www.captjimsbigfish.com

Capt. Bart Marx, USCG Licensed & Insured Light Tackle Fishing Charlotte Harbor & SW Florida

(941) 255-3551

www.alphaomegacharters.com email:captbart@alphaomegacharters.com Half Day & Full Day trips.

SCUTTLEBUTT

July 2007

Sometimes Unsubstanciated, But Often True

Al i en Encounter A group of non-Americans bounced one very large check at one local marine store and got run out of a second business trying to do the same.

Hurri canes In casual conversations, the ‘H’ word keeps popping up and now we’ve already had our first named storm, Barry. The water temperature is 85

Sea Surface temperatures June 18,2007

degrees but the sea surface conditions are not yet overly threatening. Then again it’s only July.

Overheard at the IFA redfi sh tournament l ast month Two anglers talking. One was saying how a third angler had hired a local Charlotte Harbor guide to fish with him for four days before the event and when they got on a good school of fish they stayed on them straight through, 24/7, until tournament day.

Jeff from Fi shi n' Franks told us about a guy who came in with a Gatorade bottle with an aerator hung on it. Simple, almost elegant solution to the age old question of how to gey your shrimp to the water while on

your bicycle. Granted others have discovered the bait bucket, but apparently this fellow had an aerator and didn’t have a bucket.

S muggl i ng Connecti on? One of the guys on the fuel dock at Fishermen’s Village commented about a sportfishing boat seen locally that topped off and then took the fuel hose down into the cabin to add another 100 gallons to some ‘plastic cans in the salon.’ That was the day before the last round of illegals were rounded up on Sanibel. Then two days later that same boat was back in the harbor. Hummmmmmm.

Backcountry Special!

2 anglers, 6

Tarpon and the Whi te Butterfl i es Tarpon in the Harbor have been few and far between, like the white butterflies, which have also been conspicuously absent from the local scene this year.

Real Estate The previously most common word in local real estate ads, “reduced” has now been replaced by the a word “ motovated”

R Re ea al l E Es st ta at te e N Ne ew ws s

Water LIFE

July 2007

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

1. The Florida legislature hastily passed a bill to win more votes from homesteaded property owners. The bill will permit homeowners to bet on the better method to save themselves more real estate tax dollars. As if the current Save Our Homes disparity wasn't unfair enough, a resident homeowner with a $200,000 home will, if millage rates were to remain steady, pay about $600 in real estate tax instead of the current $2,800. The difference will no doubt be made up by increasing millage rates, increasing sales taxes, slashing government budgets and further burdening commercial and vacation property owners.

2. Marina Park Partners had garnered the support of Punta Gorda City Council and public opinion to build a seafood restaurant and shopping center at the newly reopened Laishley Park Marina.

Pressing for more concessions from the City Council, over and above 25 years of free land rent, the Council balked.

Terms of the deal will have to be reworked to get a little closer to realistic lease rates. Sometimes it does "hurt to ask"!

3. Charlotte County School Board will be seeking voter approval to add another 1/2 percent to local sales taxes to pay for redoing Lemon Bay High School and various other school improvements.

4. Common sense appears to have stepped in to overturn the County's attempt to spend more than five million tax dollars to acquire a few waterfront lots and nearly 90 off water lots on the Myakka River. Fears that developers paving these lots finally gave way to reality when council members realized that grant money (someone else's pocket) wouldn't be forthcoming to subsidize the purchase.

Publix closed on 5. the site for their new distribution center next to the airport. Common access improvements to the site should spur more much needed industrial development in the area.

MAGAZINE

In Port Charlotte the old Breakers restaurant, now Portofino始s, is in the process of adding an elevated Tiki bar deck. The deck will attach to a long dock leading out across the shallows to the navigable part of the Peace River.

6. The shell of the new mixed use Sunloft Center is under way at the West Marion Avenue site. Tenants have not yet been signed up for the 1st floor commercial space.

Sales Statistics: Sales volume slipped to 65 lots down 96% from the peak in March 2005.

Home volume remained a slow 200 for the month and median prices are now down 12% vs. last year. Nationally, sales of new homes jumped 16% in April as builders shed inventory. New home inventories are down 6.5% from the peak reached in July of 2006. This represents 6.5 months' supply better than the 8 months supply posted in March but still 50% above normal levels. Sales of existing homes nationally fell in April by 2.6% as fewer buyers in the market place apparently found better values in new homes. Expect that existing home sales volume will continue to be slow until NEW home inventories dip below the 5 month supply level. That may happen soon as builders are less likely to hold out for high prices!

These statistics are intended to assist in

analy zing trends in supply and demand and

not to indicate specific mark et v alues.

Ending inv entory is not alway s beginning inv entory plus listings minus sales since

many pending listings are held ov er from

month to month, some listings ex pire and

are withdrawn and, therefore, do not appear as sales and new listings includes price changes.

Please v isit us at

www.harborparadise.com to v iew any av ailable properties from Venice to Burnt Store Marina

Page 25

Water LIFE

Page 26

MAGAZINE

July 2007

Parks and Rec starts on Bayshore Live Oak Park

Street flooding in the area may be reduced by park improvments

S t aff R eport It’s a grand plan but it doesn’t look like it will be completed any time soon. It’s a safe bet budget cuts will be to blame. Located at the top of Charlotte Harbor on the north shore of the Peace River, the Bayshore Road area has been known for its low lying, shallow, unprotected shoreline which during a significantly high tide allows water to flood the entire area all the way back to

US 41.

Now with numerous new sections of concrete seawall being installed, the street flooding issue may be improved, although a County spokesman was quick to point out that flooding is still to be

expected in the area. “The new seawalls are anywhere from the same to 2.2' higher than previously seawalls,” he said.

Of interest is the County’s approach which side steps a lengthy dock permit process by simply replacing old abandoned pilings, in the water for years.

With county finances becoming more constricted, the project will progress in stages. According to David Milligan of the Parks Department: “Master plan ele-

Dine on the dock ~ Million $$ View!

ments slated for future construction include the 2 boardwalks on either side of the existing mangroves at Parmely St, the fountain at the Parmely St. pedestrian access, observation deck and shelter east of Oakley St, the westernmost long pier and over-water shelter, and possibly the playground.”

Dogs will not be permitted in the park, but cars will still be allowed to drive across the sidewalk and park on the

Boaters Welcome

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July 2007

On The Line

By Capt Ron Bl ago Water LIFE Senior Staff

Water LIFE

MAGAZINE

Fishing with Capt Ron

The rains are late this year and because of that everything seems to be out of sync. So far this year we are almost 14 inches below average.

To put it another way; so far this year we have had 70-percent less rain than in past years. That’s a lot of missing water and the shortage is really being felt not only on dry land but also in record low flows of our rivers and streams. The Peace and Myakka Rivers and all the creeks that flow into Lemon Bay are This manatee was too curious about Capt. Ronʼs sea anchor. now experiencing some of the lowest flow rates grass flats although my friends using live in recent history. Anyone who has gone shrimp and white-bait tell me they are to their favorite freshwater fishing pond doing pretty good. I’ll take that for what’s has found for the most part a dried up it’s worth considering that I haven’t been stinking mud hole. Remember that when invited for a fish dinner yet. What is out water evaporates from a pond the level there are tons of small ladyfish and giant not only shrinks; but also you have consailcats. My arms hurt from catching centrated all the mud and gunk into a those things. smaller volume of water. That’s not very My Kid’s Fishing Camp is filled up good for the fish. with a long waiting list of kids wanting Saltwater fish need a certain salinity to to learn how to fish. The number of kids spawn and without the right mixture of I can accept depends on the number of fresh and saltwater the fish get thrown off people who volunteer their boat and time schedule. I have great faith in Mother to take a kid fishing on Friday Aug. 3rd Nature that we will get that missing from 8 to 11am at Indian Mounds Boat water back since we are entering the Ramp in Englewood. Here is your chance wettest time of the year- July through to be a hero. It doesn’t have to be a fancy September. The question is, do we get all boat and you don’t have to be a good that missing water at one time or will it fisherman- the kids provide there own be spread out over time. Too much water equipment. All you have to do is call me at one time is just as bad as not enough at my home (although I’ve always got the water. When we get a really good downanswering machine on) 474-3474 or leave pour, say 3 inches in 24 hours, that first a message for me at the Englewood bit of runoff contains all the oil, grease, Sports Complex- 941-861-1982- you can gas, fertilizer and pesticides that wash even e-mail me at captronb@juno.com. off the land-down the roads-through the Capt. Ron can be reached at: capstorm water system and right into the tronb@juno.com for fishing information or saltwater. This stew of pollution is the to book a guided fishing trip. reason the State closes the harvesting of shellfish for as long as a week after a major rain to give time for the pollution to dilute.

Fishing has been slow for me lately; not because the fish aren’t biting but mostly because I’ve been lazy about catching them. I’ve had a hard time jigging for trout on the

Page 27

Page 28

Water LIFE

MAGAZINE

July 2007

Tourna ment Watch for these silk screened type, ultra cool fabric, tournament shirts done up in custom sponsor livery to make an appearance on the local fishing scene soon.

Here始s the 驶drain, measure and bag始 table the IFA invented.

Dump the fish on the table and the water runs out a drain. They measure the fish on one side of the table and then slide it over to the other side where there is a cut out in the end wall. The angler holds his weigh bag below the cutout and the fish is slid through. The fish in an empty bag is brought to the scale to be weighed and is then fin clipped and released.

This Maverick Ghost ultra tech super skinny, super light back-country boat had all the hi-tech cool stuff. Check out the sun-radiant insulated live well with a clean permantly installed oxygen bottle and regulator mounted behind it. And...check out that bus-driver始s seat!

July 2007

Water LIFE

Page 29

MAGAZINE

IFA Redfish

Staff Report Good weather, an 86 boat field and intense fishing pressure made this event a success. Troy and Christine Perez weighed in at 6.14 and 7.67 for a first place combined weight of 13.81 pounds. Second went to Bryan Watts and John Ochs with a 13.43. In third was Geoff Paige and Terry Brantly with a 12.94. Fourth went to Alex Suescun and Fabian Guerrero at 12.81.

Entry Fee was $400/team, the winner got a $5,000 check and a new boat.

Winners Troy and Christine Perez

Local heros Bob Boudreau and Fred Hammond placed 16th

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Mike Mannis had two fish in his fish bags.

This was one of only three 7 plus pound fish weighed in.

Page 30

July

Fishing Report

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

Strange things so far. Not many tarpon along the beaches and few if any in the harbor ... except for a couple of oddballs and stragglers. The weird thing is no one knows why. The tarpon in the Intracoastal are staying down and even along the edges of the main passes there hasn’t been a lot of tarpon action. The sharks are here, but many days they aren’t eating anything. It’s been unpredictable and it’s got everybody confused.

Down south, around Naples, it was just an average tarpon year. They showed early, but didn’t stay as long. There was no huge tarpon run at Chokoloskee and the bigger fish seemed to just move around the juveniles when the schools headed north. Kind of strange.

There is an abundance of small juvenile sharks in the Harbor right now. No more than normal big sharks, but a ton

Water LIFE

of juvenile and baby sharks this year.

Many more than in years past. Lots of sharks less than 2 feet long. If you want to have fun downsize your redfish tackle, put a little steel leader on and go have fun with the little sharks. You’ll have a lot of bites. Anywhere in the middle of the Harbor is the place to shark-fish right now. Bigger bait for bigger fish, small pieces for the small ones. You’ll go through a lot of bait, but you’ll catch sharks...after they nibble for a while.

Near shore reefs are good for slightly bigger sharks, say those in the 3-to 10foot range. That should be the way it is through July and even into August.

There are a lot of cobi a around right now. The west wall, on the outside edge of the bar, the upper part of the Myakka and all around El Jobean, both on the harbor side and the river side, all have a lot of nice cobia right now and it might stay that way for the rest of the summer.

Live whi ti ng and sugar trout are some of the better cobia bait choices now. Start with frozen sardines to get going until you catch your other baits.

D.O.A. bait busters and any larger lure like a Bomber will be good artificials for cobia.

MAGAZINE

July 2007

Capt. Angel Tores was on the sharks.... before his brand new motor broke. Now heʼs just on the phone!

New snook regulations will be 28 to 33 inches, with a season open from Sept 1 to Dec 1 and then not again until February through April - The snook season will still be closed in May until September. Personally I think they should just close snook off for a while.

They seem to be playing games with the regs. and that just breeds more poachers.

Definitely, this is the time of year to start dead-baiting for redfi sh. Frozen shrimp, cut sardines, cut ladyfish, deadbait will produce fish this time of year

because the water is hotter, there is less oxygen and therefore the fish are less aggressive. Be patient. The early-early morning bite is still good on artificials, but only about the first hour of the day, then it slows way down. Anyplace where there is some shade, deeper drop offs and deeper sand holes are the redfish haunts this time of year.

Lately, tri pl etai l have been showing up in the harbor. We are hearing a lot about tripletail in shallow water off the Bayshore pier. continued

Water LIFE

July 2007

Offshore, if you stay within 10 miles, S pani sh mackerel , boni ta and permi t are on the man made reefs and should be there for the next two months.

If you are willing to go 40 miles or more, in the cleaner water there are a lot of small dol phi ns and still some ki ngs mixed in. There is also a chance you will hook into a sai l fi sh, bigger snapper are also out further, right now.

There is an over abundance of gol i ath grouper in this area.

They are eating everything on our reefs, but over on the east coast of Florida there are almost none. I think they need to re-evaluate the goliath situation on the west coast and perhaps issue tags for goliaths just like they do for tarpon. That way they could control the fishing better. Since goliaths are protected, you can’t technically target them, but if you had a small snapper or a giant stingray on the hook, they will take it. Basically, if it has fins and will fit in its mouth the goliaths will eat it. 200 pound PowerPro on a 6-0 to a 9-0 reel

BIG-4 BIG-4 TARPON are here, in the Pass and in the Harbor

Page 31

MAGAZINE

Julyʼs Julyʼs Target Target Species Species

REDFISH continue to be consistent

will handle the goliath pressure. A 4-0 reel might work for a while, but you’ll wind up blowing the reel up!

GOLIATH GROUPER are abundant if you are up to it

SHARKS are still all over, until the rains come

October 6, see P-2

Lemon Bay Jim at Fishermen’s Edge Englewood: 697-7595

The biggest thing here is tarpon fishing, there are still quite a few in the pass, they are starting to head out along the beaches, some already heading up toward Venice.

Everything has been a couple of weeks off, so I think we are going to have a later season in the Harbor.

It will get going when it’s hotter.

A few guys are playing with snook on the beaches, in Stump Pass and around Cayo Costa, along the Gulf shoreline and inside at the

n July 1: Bruce Mathews Memo ri al To urnament, $350 entry, Laishley Park Marina, 639-8705

n July 7: Pi rate Redfi s h To urnament, $400 entry, Punta Gorda at Harpoon Harry’s, 941637-5953, a Port Charlotte H.S. Benefit

GoliathFish, a.k.a. goliath grouper, a.k.a. jewfish, with Robsʼ Lugiewitz and Moore

boat docks in the bay. Snook and redfi sh on the docks seems to be the thing. Redfish is pretty good now too, mostly in the Gasparilla sound, Whidden Creek and Bull Bay. Medium sized shrimp are the ticket, not the overly big ones, just the size you can cast.

Offshore is still active.

C a l e n d a r

n July 14: Ex treme Redfi s h To urnament, Best Western, Punta Gorda, sign up at the dock or call 813-363-5266

n July 21: Cal o o s a Catch & Rel eas e Back Country Classic, Naples

nJuly 28 & 29: Fl ats mas ters RedPl ug Chal l eng e 2 redfish- combined weight

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Ki ngfi sh are still offshore, and in the past week we have heard of fish in the 30 pound range. Boni ta, bl ack ti p sharks, snapper, and dol phi n in the 80 foot depths have been good. Really big jolt-head porgys are there too, and American red snapper as well. I’ve had a bunch of fresh fish given to me of

E v e n t s

Artificials lures Only

n Aug 18: Northport Bobcats Benefi t Redfi s h To urnament, Punta Gorda, Location TBA

n Octoberr 6: Ri ches t Redfi s h Chal l eng e, Punta Godrda. A benefit for the Good Shepherd School, sign up at Laishley Marine, 639-3868

Fishing

RIGHT NOW:

Excellent!