Water LIFE July 2018

Water LI FE

Charlotte Harbor, Lemon Bay, Venice, Estero, 10,000 Islands and the Gulf

The Charlotte Harbor Reef Association

July 2018

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Hannah and Adeline Hughes with a black drum from the PGI canals.

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Game On!

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the Kidʼs

Dollar Bill Challenge

Matthew Pringle 20-inch bass

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from Water LIFE magazine

Billy Reilly 37-inch snook, caught on Sanibel Island June 9 Bill didnʼt say what happened to his eye!

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8/1/18

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WE WANT YOUR FISH! Txt Us Ur Fish Pix

eMail letters and photos to:

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Re: Grouper Teeth

but please....

1) No pictures you have sent to other local publications 2) No Old Fish

3) No Blatant Ads 4) No Voice Calls txt to:

941- 457- 1316

Include anglerʼs name and what kind of fish

You were talking about grouper have teeth in your last issue...check out the vampire mouth on this little rock hind! Glad these guys don't grow to 20-feet! Adam Wilson

SUNSEEKER

To Water LIFE RE: Marine #1

JULY 2018

Txt fish Pix to 941-457-1316

I enjoy your work and have never written in to anything before. However, I respectfully disagree with your opinion of the Charlotte Marine Unit, and your point of the dive team. I challenge you to call CCSO and ask them their response time for a dive team, their team is typically dedicated to body retrieval whereas the fire department is funding the on duty crews to train on rapid intervention similar to the incident that occurred in Venice where the van was driven off into the jetty, so yes a fast response from two fire engines providing rapid diving to cars in canals, lakes, ponds, and stump pass sandbar/boca Sandbar (which will be patrolled during holidays) does seem like a reasonable investment.... Dive gear is not very expensive and training is done with staff already employed and on duty. As for the boat, which is an upgrade from the 28-foot Boston Whaler, (the new boat allows) shallower draft due to jet drives, as well as more maneuverability in all situations. Not to mention a fire pump adequate to actually provide fire suppression to our barrier islands (bulk of the expense). (the new boat also has) FLIR (forward looking infra red) for searching for people in the water. Again I challenge you to call around the local fire departments and ask their ability to Little Gasparilla Island, Palm Island, Captiva, Boca Grand I think you'll find Charlotte to have the most capability around... Feel free to call the USCG in Fort Myers or Cortez. And I will also believe, as a water , you will see the value of having a boat of this magnitude locally available vs waiting for their response. The boat was funded by grants as well and not tax payer funding as you alluded to in the article.

I appreciate your periodicals, just wanted you to have another perspective. I agree funding needs to be watched, but all sides should be consulted before an opinion is made.

June has come and gone and there is still no sign of permitting or work on the Allegiant site in Port Charlotte.

Maybe Allegiant was side tracked last month when they sold a Anonymous please. number of in-service aircraft and then didnʼt get their replacements in time. Numerous Alle- ** editor notes: Thank you. We dont usually run anonymous letters, but weʼll make an exception this time. giant flights were cancelled last month.

Water LIFE inc. waterlife@comcast.net www.WaterlifeMagazine.com Ellen Heller Publisher

(941) 766-8180

FishPix, text only number 941-457-1316

217 Bangsberg Rd. Port Charlotte, FL 33952

Independant - Not affiliated with any other publication!

Vol XVII No 7 © 2018

NO PART of this publication (printed or electronic) may be copied, reproduced or re-used without specific written permission from the publishers.

Contributing Editors:

Photography: ASA1000.com Senior Editor: Capt. Ron Blago Baitshop: Fishinʼ Frank Peace River: Capt. David Stephens Punta Gorda: Capt. Chuck Eichner Venice: Glen Ballinger Estero: Capt. Joe Angius Everglades City: Capt. Charlie Phillips Kayaking: Bob Fraser Sea Grant: Capt. Betty Staugler Pier Fishing: Bobby Vitalis Diving: Adam Wilson Office Dog: position still open

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We Donʼt Know What We Donʼt Know JULY 2018

By Michael Heller By the end of last month we had red tide around Charlotte Harbor and Boca Grande. The Caloosahatchee, emptying Lake Okeechobee into the Gulf, was green with algae so the FWC was spraying herbicide from the air onto the lake, and Mosaic had applied to dig a new phosphate mine between the Peace River and Horse Creek. Any of those things could affect our water quality. So who’s doing the testing, and for what?

I talked to Rae Ann Wessel, the Natural Resource Policy Director a the Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation.

She steered me to the National Estuary Program’s Water Atlas and her own foundation’s Re-Con site for test data.

Both sites show testing for chlorophyl, dissolved O2, fecal bacteria, nitrogen, phosphorous and ph. The Re-con site adds a component showing if there is any alteration of sunlight, which would affect sea grass. But that’s all they test for. Is that enough?

Rae Ann also told me biologists are worried about pharmaceuticals, weed killers, household chemicals and personal care products in the water. The personal skin care products are especially troublesome since they contain

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micro abrasives, which are the scrubbers in them - they are plastic. Much of this is now showing up in small creatures. Basic testing does not pick it up.

I contacted Daniel Friedman, a scientist who runs a water quality website called Inspectamedia and described my concern. He wrote back: “It certainly sounds as if your water question is worth pursuing. Unfortunately there is no comprehensive water test for every possible contaminant. Trying to do so is prohibitively expensive. Additionally, many tests include testing for living organisms that need to be performed within typically 24 to 48 hours.”

Rae Ann Wessel had said the same thing - ‘It is very expensive.’

Wouldn’t we want to test the water full spectrum? After all, we don’t know what we don’t know.

I have seen the DEP sampling water on the Peace River but there were no results I could find online for up-river or for back along Horse Creek, where Mosaic is getting set to dig. When I asked our Sea Grant Agent Betty Staugler to help me draw a map to show where testing was being done she said it would take a lot of ‘investigative reporting.’

That’s what I was afraid of. The problem is, the people testing the water are all working on their own special programs and there is no one coordinated place online where all the data appears together. Essentially, we just have

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PAGE 5

Near Bull Bay last month a vulture began his work on a dead manatee.

Red Tide was believed to be the cause. The official number of dead is not out yet.

Photo By Chris OʼNeill

to take their word for it.

I’ve been watching the Lake O releases.

Caloosahatchee emptying into the Gulf The water going into the Gulf is the same color as the bottom of the Caloosahatchee. Think about that.

If the Lake water is killing the coasts I think the bottoms may be a part of it.

Florida’s lake and the river bottoms hold hundreds of years of vegetation, livestock manure, municipal sewage, chemicals and other waste from our human society. There is a level of sediment flux

that reforms over and over again. Is anyone routinely sampling the bottom material? Rae Ann said there were two universities from up north that tested the river bottom years ago, but she never saw the results published.

Worse yet, actually the worst, is when the Army Corps of Engineers opens the flood gates from the Lake and/or the locks downstream, all the gates open from the bottom up, so the rushing water brings the bottom sediment with it. And it looks like no one knows what that sediment is made up of, or what it can do when mixed with whatever is in the Lake water and then ‘salted’ with a little red tide.

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JULY 2018

Fish Might Be Less Spooky Now PAGE

By Capt. David Stephens Water LIFE Charlotte Harbor Last month we went from the clear waters of spring, to the stained waters of summer. This has to be one of the biggest transitions I can remember.

There can be both a positive and negative effect from this. So let’s start with the bad first.

If you depend on sight fishing, this is not going to be your favorite time of the year. As the freshwater pushes down the rivers and creeks, all the foliage that has been laying on the bottom during our dry season gets stirred up. The north end of the Harbor has two rivers that feed into it. The Myakka River that flows from the north from Manatee county and the Peace River, the biggest of the two, that starts in Polk County. The Peace River also flows through the heart of the phosphate industry. Polk and Hardee Counties have been mined since the early 1900s. When it rains there is a lot of ‘stuff’ in the water coming downstream to us.

The positive side of the summer rainy season in my opinion out ways the negative. For the last several months our fish have seen tremendous pressure. The stained waters takes away our ability to see them, but it also makes it very difficult for them to see you. So this time of year fish seem to be less spooky. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be as stealthy. If anything, I become more stealthy - just for the simple fact that fish might not be exactly where you expect them to be.

Charlotte Harbor has been dealing with the summer rains since it was formed. The fish that call it home have been also. Some species can tolerate higher levels of freshwater, while some prefer higher salt levels.

Snook are probably one of the most versatile fish that we have. These guys can live in a complete salt free envi-

ronment. Actually, the state has used snook in lakes to help control the brim populations.

However they do require saltwater to reproduce. Trout on the other hand prefer higher salt levels. So during the rainy season these guys will move to areas with a higher salt content. So if you’ve noticed some of your favorite trout holes haven’t been producing for you, it may be due to the rain.

Charlotte Harbor is an estuary that thrives and needs a certain amount of freshwater. The biggest problem has become the human effect. Over the years more people have moved to the coast, and altered the natural flow of our freshwater. We have damned natural flowing water ways, built dykes, eliminated the oxbows with altered rivers and changed natural water flow. Mother Nature is a

very resilient gal, but she can only handle so much. Last year we experienced large amounts of rain in a short period of time. We had a week of heavy rain fall, followed by hurricane Irma. This took a toll on a lot of sea grass in the north end of the Harbor. Most of these areas have not recovered from this. With a little luck and no back to back major storms this year, hopefully, we won’t lose anymore of our already declining grass flats.

If you would like to experience some of Charlotte Harbor’s finest fishing, give us a call or send an email. All of our charters are private and customized to fit your party’s needs. Capt. Dave Stephens, 941-916-5769 capt.dstephens@comcast.net. www.backbayxtremes.com

FISH PIX! f r o m Wa t e r L I F E

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Spencer Gant.

Atlantic sharp nose shark, mutton snapper and a 33-inch permit.

Estero Bay: A Time for Everybait JULY 2018

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By Capt. Joe Angius Water LIFE Estero The hottest topic in mainstream local media right now, related to Southwest Florida’s tourism, is that of Lake Okeechobee’s freshwater discharges. As many of us know, these dramatic freshwater releases are unnatural and more often than likely, hazardous to several aspects of our ecosystem.

In the weeks after the recent large discharges, we experienced strong wind from severe storms and impressionable tide fluctuations. These environmental influences naturally moved the poor quality water, water that would normally induce toxic algae blooms, further north toward Sarasota. Our area is still deeply affected by this discharge, but this time it has been lessened by nature taking its course.

Fishing remains strong in Estero Bay’s backwater tributaries and on local reefs in the Gulf of Mexico. Early in the morning, right before dark and during good-moving afternoon tides, juvenile tarpon can be caught.

At times it may be tough having clients fish with artificial lures, but in my opinion they can give anglers an opportunity to hook, jump and land these weary fish.

Lures allow you to cast as hard as you want, which optimizes distance between you and the targeted temperamental tarpon, but as the morning shifts to the hot summer afternoon, I think that it’s extremely important to fish with live bait.

Though lures can still get it done, there’s nothing more promising and inviting than throwing a live pilchard into the mix of a chum-busting feeding frenzy.

Live bait will also be the ultimate way togo when fishing down on a reef or submerged structure.

A lot of reports of large snook, grouper, permit, cobia, sharks, and tarpon have been shared amongst local captains. Most

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all of these species being caught five to nine miles offshore. The water quality in the Gulf of Mexico near Bonita Beach has been extremely clear, especially when the wind dies down toward the late morning. Low wind, clear water, and a ton of bait fish is a great recipe for a fantastic fishing adventure offshore.

I’ve learned that with Florida’s humidity, lack of wind during the summer, and slow inshore fishing action, patience is often tested. By venturing out into the Gulf, this frustrating aspect of fishing can be eliminated by producing more bites and bringing higher quality fish to the boat.

If you do decide to keep any game fish, please remember to stay current with our local rules and often-changing regulations.

July can be a challenging, but rewarding month for fishing. Don’t let some media outlets discourage you from venturing to new waters and fishing in areas that are holding plenty of fish. My hope is that proper research leads political figures to implement healthy, wise, and constructive solutions to South Florida’s poor freshwater infrastructure.

Even with these damaging environmental factors, there will always be an area that fish will be feeding in.

Do your part as a responsible angler and be mindful that the choices you make will have an impact on our fisheries.

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FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Butch Thomas - Barracuda caught June 23, 24 miles offshore 38-inches 15-pounds

Enjoy the Southwest Florida environment whether it be on land or sea and support our parks and recreational services.

Captain Joe Angius (727)-234-3171 Speak Easy Fishing Charters www.speakeasyfishing.com

CANVAS & UPHOLSTERY

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Dollar Bill Challenge Online Tournament - SIGN UP NOW !

0! ugh Sept. 2 o r th g in h is F

FISH QUIZ # 2 Please Donʼt Guess!!

If you donʼt know the answer, just select ʻI donʼt know.ʼ

Complete each Fish Quiz and earn extra credit toward winning the 2018 Tracker Boat! (see rules for additional information)

Answers are due before noon, July 20.

Text answers to the phone number you received when you signed up.

sign up at: www.waterlifemagazine.com

Message from the Tournament Director Website Our website was down for a day. If you tried to sign up and could not, please try again!!

Last month our web host went out of business and shut down their servers, but it has been fixed.

Message to the Anglers: You guys are doing great! Keep it up. On the quiz there were a few who didnʼt know under what water condition fish were likely to be more scattered. The answer was High Water. Think about it... with more water in their world, fish have more places to hide.

Scoring: Currently there are three anglers tied for first place in the race to win the Tracker boat.

There are three remaining fishing periods. This period ends July 20. Still plenty of time to fish!

Winners: Bring your dollar bill with your angler number on it to Fishin

Franks (4425-D Tamiami Trail, Port Charlotte, FL 33980) Show him your picture in the magazine (they have magazines there) and pick up your ʻlootʼ.

1.

A ______________ hook, tends to hook a fish in the corner of the mouth, as opposed to the gut, resulting in higher survival rates. a.

“J” b.

Circle c.

Kahle d.

Aberdeen e.

I donʼt know 2.

Non-stainless hooks degrade faster than stainless hooks. a.

True b.

False c.

I donʼt know 3.

The best way to hold a fish is: a.

Vertically by the jaw b.

Horizontally, supporting the belly with your hand c.

With dry hands d.

By the gill openings e.

I donʼt know

4.

estuary a. b. c. d. e.

5.

this? a. b. c. d. e.

The most abundant baitfish in an Anchovy Menhaden Bigeye Scad Thread herring I donʼt know Which Knot is Cinch knot Square knot Loop knot Back knot I donʼt know

Prizes: Rods, lures and t-shirts

1) Read the Rules and Sign Up online at www.waterlifemagazine.com 2) Fish any time you want from Cape Sable to Venice, from eastern Okeechobee to 50 miles out in the Gulf.

3) Every month, text us your longest two fish out of 30 tournament species, freshwater or salt. Make sure the dollar bill with your angler number on it is in each picture.

4) The longest fish in each species wins a Shakespeare rod and reel Second place receives MirrOlure MR17 or MirrOlure Top Pup lures Third place receives a Don Ball or Water LIFE t-shirt.

Each month there is an extra credit 5-question Fish Quiz. Text us your answers for a better chance at winning the 2018 Tracker 1032 Boat.

Read the Rules online for complete details. www.waterlifemagazine.com This tournament is a 100% fundraiser for the non-profit Charlotte Harbor Reef Association

Your text answers should be like this

Sponsors make our programs possible! the Charlotte Harbor Reef Assn is a 501 (c) 3 non profit corporation since 1998

First Fishing Period Quiz, Answers: 1a-2c-3c-4d-5b

To Become A Sponsor call us at 941-766-8180

or download the sponsor form at

www.waterlifemagazine.com Thank You for your support!

all donations are tax deductable

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PAGE 9

Dollar Bill Challenge 1st Period WINNERS! Period #1: May 21 to June 20

Period #2 now open: June 21 - July 20

FIRST PLACE SPANISH MACKEREL Emma Koebel 16.5 inches

FIRST PLACE GAR Ben Koebel 21.75 inches

FIRST PLACE BARRACUDA Spencer Grant 33 inches

FIRST PLACE TILAPIA Kingston Boyd 17 inches

Wilson Pools 941-766-1661

ENTER FISH FROM ANY OF THESE 30 SPECIES:

redfish, snook, trout, black drum, cobia, red grouper, gag grouper, amberjack, bluefish, jack crevalle, triggerfish, hogfish, Key West grunt, spadefish, sail catfish, ladyfish, pompano, barracuda, mangrove snapper, lane snapper, Spanish mackerel, tripletail, pinfish, bass, crappie, tilapia, sunfish, catfish, gar, Mayan cichlid

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Dollar Bill Challenge 1st Period WINNERS!

JULY 2018

Period #1: May 21 to June 20

Period #2 now open: June 21 - July 20

FIRST PLACE MANGROVE SNAPPER Mathew Pringle 14 inches

SECOND PLACE MANGROVE SNAPPER Jaekwon Pringle 14 inches

THIRD PLACE MANGROVE SNAPPER Kingston Boyd 16 inches

HONORABLE MENTION MANGROVE SNAPPER Dylan Shaefer 6 inches

FIRST PLACE BASS Matthew Pringle 20 inches

SECOND PLACE BASS Justin Medina 19.75 inches

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941-621-6621

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Dollar Bill Challenge 1st Period WINNERS!

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Period #1: May 21 to June 20

Period #2 now open: June 21 - July 20

FIRST PLACE MYAN CICHLID Kevin Jackson 7 inches

FIRST PLACE AMBERJACK Spencer Grant 38 inches

FIRST PLACE JACK CREVALLE Emma Koebel 8.24 inches

FIRST PLACE SHEEPSHEAD Jaekwon Pringle 15 inches

941-625-1535

941-625-1535

941-584-4575

Englewood Bait House & offshore head boat 941-475-4511

941- 639-2628

239-935-8575

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Fishing Into the Night

By Capt. Chuck Eichner Water LIFE Offshore With the thermometer reading 94 degrees at 3:00 pm we left the dock in pursuit of tarpon. If this seems crazy to you it seemed crazy to us too, but we have tarpon fever. My brother Bob and I have been afflicted with this disease for 25 years and have sat in lightning storms when the tarpon were biting so with air so humid you could . That this was no deterrent.

Without a breeze on the water and no other boats in sight our confidence soared when we came across a school of big threadfins and in short order we had our bait. Riding the Harbor we could not find any fish and then the west wind whipped up the eastern half of the Harbor leaving only a small leeward area on the west side to spot rolling fish.

At 8:00pm we spotted tarpon rolling and splashing! Lines in the water with perfect drifts and fish all around... but Nada! No interest and at darkness we called it quits and went home.

The next day we formulated a gameplan to take catfish tails and ladyfish as our offerings to the great silver kings.

First order was to catch catfish off my

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dock which are there 365 days a year. I chummed with old tuna fish and they boiled on top so we knew this would be easy. One catfish in the bucket and 20 minutes later we moved on to bait plan B. Believe it or not, catfish can get spooked, or so it seems, when you really want to

so glad we didn’t!

The storms were gone but leftover northeast winds totally wrecked our spot from the day before. At that point it was 8:00 pm and I was headed for home totally dejected. Everything had gone wrong! But persistence overcame resistance when a tarpon blasted something right in front of us on the ride home!

catch them.

Entering the Harbor a storm blew up so we anchored on the east side and waited an hour as the squal moved westward. Ladyfish was next and after 30 minutes we had one lady, and one sugar trout so we headed to the honey-hole from the day before. We had enough bad luck to go home and almost did but I’m

With that we dropped the Danforth overboard and started throwing lures.

Nada, nothing ... but as nightfall approached more and more tarpon began to blast on top.

Frustrated would be an understatement as we tried swimbaits, DOA shrimp, swimming plugs, eel imitations, etc. We then shined a spotlight into the water and

Perry Martin caught the Jack Crevalle near Fishermans Village

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Roy Williams caught this Jack Crevalle in Burnt Store Isles.

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

saw shrimp passing by the boat! They were mostly small shrimp and tarpon that averaged 20-40 pounds were blasting them. Bob finally came up with the recipe. A heavy jighead with a very small body swimbait. Make a long cast, hold the rod high, twitch wildly and hang on because the tarpon would crash the bait!

For the next 2 hours we cast and reeled until our hands and arms hurt. When a tarpon blasts a fast moving bait you better have the right rod and tight drag. We used St. Croix Tidemaster 8-foot medium heavy sticks and Shimano reels, 40 pound leader, 30pound running line. And with drags burning we still lost a lot of fish to break offs or jump offs.

Some tarpon jumped 10 times and every fish jumped wildly!

At 11:00 pm the bite stopped and the count was 15 hook-ups and 6 landed with the biggest pushing 40 pounds! A most incredible night that we certainly wanted to duplicate so we went out the next night. Beautiful identical conditions, light winds, same spot.... and no fish!

Capt. Chuck Eichner operates Action Flats Backcountry Charters He can be reached at 941-628-8040

Suzy Brickel with Connie Lumbra caught this Jack Crevalle on Cape Haze Reef.

Summertime Blues JULY 2018

By Capt. Ron Blago Water LIFE Senior Staff Looks like it's going to be a really hot summer, already the Gulf water temperature off of Sarasota has hit 92 degrees.

Added to that problem is a persistent patch of Red Tide that has hit our area and dead fish have been washing up on shore at Englewood Beach. On Friday 6/22 a number of snook and large goliath grouper were dead on the beach. Let's hope it passes us by quickly.

Last week. I volunteered to help with a kids fishing camp at the CHEC facility at Cedar Point Park in Englewood. The week long camp had 12 kids, age 8- to 12. They went wade fishing for 3 hours each day. Most of the kids have little or no fishing experience.

We try to get them off to a good start by teaching basic fishing techniques and what it means to be an ethical angler. The rods and reels were on loan to us from the FWC who also runs their own fish camp. My favorite story is about an 8 year old girl who was the smallest kid at camp and she had never got a fish before.

On the first day she caught nothing.

On the second day she caught her first fish, a fat pinfish. She was a pretty happy kid and acted like that pinfish was a world record pinfish. The next day she caught 5 fish; pinfish, grunts and snapper.

She got a prize for catching the most fish that day. We literally had to chase that girl out of the water at the end of the day.

She was hooked on fishing!

The Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center (CHEC) is a non-profit organization that tries to educate the public about the Charlotte Harbor watershed. One of their programs is to take every 4th grader in Charlotte County out on the water to learn about seagrass, water habitats and wildlife. They have run this program for a number of years and the kids really enjoy the day on the water. Recently the Coast Guard has informed CHEC that their pontoon boat used in the program can no longer be used to take the kids out. CHEC has started a fundraising effort to collect $80,000 to purchase a larger new boat that will comply with the

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new Coast Guard requirements. They really need the public's help to keep this program going. If you want to help please call CHEC at 941 (575-5435) they can take credit card donations by phone.

The FWC held one of their five annual meetings June 19-20 in Sarasota. It looked to me like some of the new commissioners have a lot of homework to do to understand the many issues the FWC must deal with. I noticed some frustration from some of the staff members who were constantly being called upon to repeatedly explain basic information to the new commissioners. One funny exchange occurred when a motion was made concerning commercial lobster traps. One of the commissioners stated what he felt the motion meant and what it would mean in the future, then he asked one of the staff members if he had gotten his facts right.

The staff member looked at him and replied, “No it's exactly the opposite.�

There were a few other things of note at the meeting. The representative of the Origanized Fishermen of Florida a commercial fishing lobbying group asked for a size limit and bag limit on blue crabs for recreational fishermen. I wonder what that would mean for tarpon fishermen?

The FWC is also in the final stages of requiring a special license for recreational crab traps. Looks like no more tying a blue crab trap off your dock without a license.

The Marine Advisory Committee (MAC) is on summer vacation until September. One off the last items brought up at the MAC was the progress on the repairs on the Placida and Bayshore fishing piers. When pressed for a date on when the piers would again be open to the public. We got the same old response about delays in permits, engineering reports and bidding problems. Let's remember that this is Charlotte County requesting permits from Charlotte County to repair Charlotte County facilities. I think we all can see where the problem is. If the piers are not open by the MAC meeting in September, there will be hell to pay.

captRonb@juno.com

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PAGE 13

Dead snook, tarpon, goliaths and other species littered the beaches around Boca Grande on 6/22. Conditions are constantly changing

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This is Phosphate Mining

JULY 2018

Mosaic has to move all that ore, so there is usually a long train. This one at a phosphate mine in Polk County, to the north.

Peace River white from a 70s phosphate spill

This Could Change Our Way Of Life

This is my opinion: We are screwed. The DeSoto County Commissioners are voting this month to allow MOSAIC, the phosphate mining giant, to mine a little further south. The area they are going to mine is Hole from an acid spill. Note the trucks roughly between SR70 and SR 72, just east of the Myakka State Park and west of the Peace River. It is upstream from the Charlotte County water plant and storage lake.

I shot these aerials in Polk and Hardee County eight or nine years ago, but the process hasnʼt changed and the reclamation projects after they are done still look like moonscapes with African grass.

Phosphate is used to make fertilizer to grow the worldʼs food. There are other places to mine phosphate than Florida.

All the green in these photos is algae. There is a relationship between phosphate and algae.

In the phosphate mining process, once the ore is strip mined out of the ground and then piled in ʻgypsum stacksʼ which are then covered with a lake of sulphuric acid (photo below). The acid helps leach the phosphate out the ore. The acid is very hot.

How does the EPA allow this in out the open? I havent found that answer.

After phosphate processing the remaining material is low level radioactive. It is piled up in mountains and stored. In the 1970s there was a phosphate dam, much further up the Peace River than the one they are proposing, that dam broke. The river was turned white. Many creatures died. In the 80s, and again a few years ago, an acid containment system failed and millions of gallons of sulphuric acid went into the under ground. They will tell us this canʼt happen again, but it will, and when it does they will say “We never expected that to happen.”

Do you want this? Please turn out (see location at right) and make your opinion known. The fate of Charlotte Harbor may depend on it.

– Michael Heller

Steaming sulphuric acid on top of a stack

A phosphate gypsum stack. For a size reference, note the car at lower left

Phosphate algea. Too close to the Peace River for com

mfort.

JULY 2018

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PAGE 15

These are MosaicĘźs maps, presented with their zoning change application.

In the map at the left the blue boundaries contain areas they will be able to mine. The green indicates the flood plain.

In the map below, the red boundaries are the areas they are requesting a zoning change for.

Mosaic already owns much of this land.

This Is The New Proposed Mining Area These two photos were made along SR 70, east of Myakka State Park, on Sunday June 2, 2018

DECISION THIS MONTH

The DeSoto County Commission could vote on the new mine this month.

The Commissioners are set to hear public comment on Tuesday July 24 at 3 pm and 6 pm and then again on Wednesday July 25 at 1 pm. The issue could be voted on or continued at the Wednesday meeting.

Questions: How will phosphate mining affect the Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserve?

Why has the National Estuary Program been so silent on this proposed expansion?

Who is liable when something goes wrong? Who does the testing?

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16

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JULY 2018

Christian Sommer with a 50-pound blacktip shark caught in Naples, tagged and released.

Steve Klosterman with a 7 foot lemon shark.

Tagged, pictured and released.

Davis Hoskyn from Atlanta,Georgia.17 years old. Captain Collman's grandkids, fishing on Foxfire golf course in Naples

Rick Abrams caught this good tasting Spanish mackerel on Charlotte Harbor.

Felix Goettel from Germany caught this in Marco Island and released.

4 1/2 foot blacktip shark

Wendy Brickel caught this nice snook on Alligator Creek.

Artist Dale Werner with a nice fat bass that he caught while urban fishing!

Rick Eaton Englewood

Bob Jahnke from Chicago. Nice looking Cobia!

Max Castellanos Port Charlotte Beach Complex 6-1-18 29 inch black tip

Riley Bacon, snook and tarpon

JULY 2018

ReaderĘźs Photos

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John Estill Jr with a beautiful mullet caught with the center console of the boat while running Hog Island shoal.

Katie Goodwin with a redfish

Katelyn showing up her Dad Rich Doyle with the tricks he taught her up in Long Island Sound

Rachel Deraas spinner shark, Captiva

PAGE 17

FISH PIX!

W Wa at te er r

L LI IF FE E

Paul Deraas 33 inch snook Sanibel

Caught and released, Peace River snook, May 25, Cory

m ma ag ga az zi in ne e

Malakai age 3 first mangrove snapper Laishley Park, Punta Gorda

Caiden Smith

Joshua Kelley and father Michael Kelley with huge largemouth bass caught in secret ponds.

Sandra Weber snook Peppertree Pointe, Ft. Myers

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18

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ReaderĘźs Photos

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JULY 2018

Al DiMartino catch and release 7-pound largemouth Venice ICW

Justin and Cori Kemp his and hers bull sharks Debbie Sanford (my gf ) with her very first gag grouper

Jordan Windle with a spinner shark caught off Marco Island

On Monday 6-12-2018 Hendrix Pruett (7 years old) from Indianapolis, Indiana went fishing with his Papaw White (of Rotonda West) and caught this nice AMBERJACK on the "PELAGIC" with Captain Travis Ormand & First Mate Jessie.

Hendrix is my eldest Grandson of 3 (6 grandchildren total), and this is the 2nd summer that he has spent with me here.

Mary Carol Costigan, Englewood

Carlton Hughes caught this 23 lb red snapper in the Gulf.

Jared Nunes, snook Gail Roebuck first permit

JULY 2018

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100 lb. yellow fin tuna caught while fishing in Panama at lodge Hooked on Panama

PAGE 19

FISH PIX! f fr ro om m

W Wa at te er r

L LI IF FE E

Frank Garafalo caught this pompano while fishing in Panama at Hooked on Panama

400lb. Catch and release black marlin caught while Valenti Group fishing in Panama at Hooked on Panama

Marty Stewart from the Villages caught this 6 1/2 foot lemon shark in the Everglades with his buddy Capt John Brossard.

Ryan Windle with a nice sea snook caught off Marco Island on a Jig.

Garrett Fons with a black fin Tuna caught 70 miles out on a flat line pilchard. Caught Sunday

Got a good one here. Logan Forfar first catch and release little mangrove snapper

Rick Eaton Boca Grande John Quick, black drum in a PGI canal on 6/10

Niki Riedel with a nice triple tail

Kyle & Erica Zumstein. Pablo Creek, Jax. Redfish

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Fishing the South Jetty

By Bobby Vitalas Water LIFE Pier Fishing One of the most common fish to catch inshore is the snook. This snook was caught on the south side of the Venice Jetty. However snook fishing is out of season, so you have to put them back into the water. But, they are fun to catch. This snook was caught in the early morning hours from low to high tide. I have caught a lot of nice size snook there (at the jetty) in the past. The bigger snook are in the deep pot holes, in between the rocks. When the water is clear, sometimes you will see the smaller snook swimming in the water. Another good spot at this time of year to catch snook is on the beach. So, try fishing there too.

When fishing, I like using artificial lures most of the time. This lure I was using at the Jetty is made by D.O.A lures. It is called the D.O.A C.A.L jerk bait model number 314 color silver glitter. It comes in quantity 12 pack or 50 pack. When using this jerk bait, I was using a jig head. The jig head I was using is also made by D.O.A lures. It is the D.O.A C.A.L short shank 3/8 ounce weight color white.

The way to use this lure is to bounce it along the bottom. For those people who do not use artificial lures, and just use bait, a good choice of bait to use to catch snook

So Long Mallory ... New writer needed!

We are losing a great writer and fisherman this month. Our friend Mallory Herzog has been writing a regular monthly column for Water LIFE since 2014.

We’ve watched as Mallory, her husband Capt. Andrew and their son Aiden moved here, grew and explored Charlotte Harbor... and caught and tagged a lot of fish in the process. Happily, life goes on.

Mallory now has a real estate license and real estate has taken over for fishing in Mallory’s life - or at least taken over for writing about fishing!

We are sure Mallory will still be out there tagging and reeling in the big sharks. We wish her all the best in her future with Keller Williams and we wish the whole family good luck with their new puppy Gunner.

Thank you Mallory!

JULY 2018

is live shrimp, live pinfish, live threadfins, or, live pilchards. Live mullet is also a good bait to use to catch snook, but, I have not yet seen them in the water to catch to use for bait there.

When putting the Shrimp on the hook, try using hook size 2/0 to 3/0 circle hooks. And, use the smallest weight as you can when using the shrimp.

When putting good size pinfish, threadfins or pilchards on the hook, try hook size 4/0 circle hooks. If you are able to catch mullet to use for bait, the hook size depends on the size of the mullet. If it is a finger mullet, which is small, try hook size 2/0 to 3/0 circle hooks. If it is a full size mullet, try hook size 7/0 circle hooks. With these bait fish, you can try using a weight, or try free lining, which means no bobber or weight. When using artificial lures at the Jetty, for my main line, I use no less than 30-pound test Sufix advance super line braided color green. For my leader line, I use no less than 3feet of Seaquare 30-pound test 100 percent fluorocarbon leader line. Being that the rainy season is here, try to get out there when you can before it rains, especially in the early morning hours, which I had the best of luck with. And have a great time fishing!

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Nice snook, caught by Joe Sheaffer at Cayo Costa

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Angler Greyshark with a bass caught in Nokomis

JULY 2018

New Old School on Trout

By Fishin’ Frank Water LIFE Baitshop Sometimes going back to the basics is the key to catching fish, but often new tackle or gear makes it hard.

I like the old school poppin corks, but they don't work with braided line very well at all. The single peg which is pushed into the cork to hold the line against the foam body just is not made for the very thin braided line. The cork will not stay in place like it did when I was using mono line, which is thicker and compresses so the line is pushed into the foam and held good, not like the braid. So I have switched from the 25WR3 basic cork to the 27W3 which has a swivel on the top and bottom to tie your line to.

Side note here: this cork comes with a snap on the bottom... get rid of it, if you get more than an 18 inch redfish that snap will straighten right out and your fish, leader and hook will be gone.

It is kind of easy to take off. I hold the cork and put my thumb nail against the brass part of the snap and push forward and it will fall right off. I told you it was no good. OK it is good if you are fishing for blue gills, but I would not trust it on a bass, much less a decent redfish.

Another thing I like is that the 25WR3 has ½ ounce of lead weight in it, so you can cast it far enough to catch fish. But the best part of this poppin cork is the price. $1.29 each.

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My name is Victor. I was fishing in Matlacha with my wife Lillian and caught some nice keeper trout.

The D.O.A. Clackers are another one which has a ½ ounce of lead, is easy to cast and you tie your line to the top and leader to the bottom, and there is no dumb little snap thing on it. The difference is two fold the Clacker is set on a wire with a bead at the bottom to give it some

PAGE 21

extra noise, which can be good, and it is definitely different than the standard poppin cork. The price $5.60 for a 2 pack, or $2.80 a piece. The D.O.A. Clacker come in 3 different shapes for even more types of noise - a standard poppin cork, an oval and cigar shapes. When I go out I take the 25WR3 Comal brand float and the D.O.A. oval floats. The less money one and the oval are my favorite sounding cork, but the last time I was out they were hitting the old standard cylinder shaped with the concave end. So while I still like the oval I learned better to switch corks and catch fish or use the one I like and not catch fish. Here's a thought: Why do I or should I care what I like? When it comes down to it, it is all about what the fish like.

After that long explanation I should also mention that it was a shrimp about 30 inches below the poppin cork that the trout were hitting, And over the shallow water of the sand bars, it was a Torpedo top water lure that got the hits. The darn trout would not look at my curl tail grubs, not even the tandem rig, which was real strange. All bets are off and you won't catch much if you are a one trick pony, so change it up.

Pompano is a by-catch while trout fishing, the same rigged poppin cork with a shrimp seems to be working well on the east side of the Harbor and near shore on the Gulf. Of course the Crazy jigs slow reeled and jigged just a little bit is hooking a lot of pompano as well, but the shrimp ‘popped’ is what quite a few of the pompano are hitting and you do not have to know how to work a jig. I like that part, it’s easy. Just back off on how much you pop the cork; about half of normal from what you would pop for trout will get the pompano hitting.

Fishin’ Franks Bait & Tackle Port Charlotte: 941- 625-3888 Fort Myers: 239-634-1043

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SCUTTLEBUTT

JULY 2018

Sometimes Unsubstanciated, But Often True

THE FWC WANTS TO HEAR Now is the time to sign on to myfwc.gov and offer your specific comments about the current condition of the Charlotte Harbor fishery.

BAD TIMING FOR SNOOK Officers working water patrol near Boca Grande Pass saw two individuals on land, walking back to the Gasparilla Island State Park parking lot carrying a heavy cooler and spear fishing gear. The inspection revealed a speared, oversized, 40inch, out of season snook. A total of six individuals were found spear fishing illegally within the state park and one did not have a fishing license. Multiple criminal citations were issued.

UNDERWATER GREAT WALL China has developed autonomous undersea gliders that can dive six kilometers to undertake sonar countermeasures, track surface and subsurface targets, or create a surveillance network

that may enable over-the-horizon torpedo launches. In addition, itʼs rumored to be building an ʻunderwater Great Wallʼ of seabed sensors that feed into fiber-optic cable stations on man made reefs housing missile launchers.

DO NOTS FWC responded to a call con-

cerning an out-of-control vessel cutting circles on plane in Julington Creek. The vessel traveled four miles through three counties before striking the shore, ramping 20 feet into the air and landing in the backyard of a residence.

The operator had been doing “donuts” in the creek when he was ejected from the 25-foot twin engine boat. Alcohol may have been involved..... ya think?

NETTED Officer Price watched from his boat as three men waded and threw a cast net in New Pass. Then he heard yelling and saw people running off the bridge and down to the seawall and a man clinging to an area covered with barnacles. He also saw two other men clinging to barnacle-covered pilings on the New Pass Bridge. The three men in distress were the same three men he had seen cast netting earlier. The family pulled one man to safety onto the top of the seawall. Officer Price pulled up to each piling and instructed the men to grab hold of the bow of his patrol vessel.

Then he backed the boat away from the bridge, but before he got to the seawall, his motor quit. The cast net the men were throwing earlier and had abandoned when they were swept out with the tide, had become entangled in his patrol vesselʼs propeller. Using a makeshift push pole, Officer Price maneuvered his boat with the two men aboard to the seawall.

LUCKY 9 Officer Vazquez responded to a boating accident on Cherry Lake in which a boat with nine people aboard ran into a dock.

The vessel was a complete loss, however all nine occupants escaped with no injuries.

FISH PIX! FISH PIX!

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Ryan Larson and his bass

from Water LIFE magazine

EARLY WEATHER LOGS Recent inspection of the English East India Companyʼs archives in the British Library revealed 900 log-books from ships containing daily instrumental measurements of temperature and pressure, and subjective estimates of wind speed and direction on routine voyages across the Atlantic and Indian Oceans between 1789 and 1834. Those records have been extracted

and digitized, providing 273, 000 new weather observations, offering an unprecedentedly detailed view of the climate during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The effect this information will have on the climate change debate is, as of yet, unclear.

THREE IN A ROW Ian Macdonald was attempting to row the 3,400 mile distance between Virginia and Scotland in his purpose-built boat, the Alba. It was his third attempt at the challenging voyage: His first ended when he broke his back in rough seas, and his second had to be canceled due to rough conditions at the start. For this attempt, Macdonald had relocated his starting position

Evan Larson and his bass

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Mikey Kirsch 20-inch catch and release snook

from New York to Norfolk, Virginia in order to seek fair weather. But during a storm 1000 miles offshore Macdonald opened the shelter's hatch to examine storm damage on deck. A

wave washed over the boat, pouring through the open hatchway and swamping the interior.

"I have nothing but gratitude and admiration for the crew of the boat that rescued me and for their actions on the night of my rescue. I'm still amazed that they managed to get me onto the ship from the life raft at all, given the conditions at the time," Macdonald said, not saying whether he was considering a 4th attempt.

CHANGES EFFECTIVE JULY 1

Tripletail: Minimum size will increase to 18 inches. FWC recreational and commercial regulations will extend into Federal waters.

Sheepshead: The recreational bag limit will be lowered to eight fish per person, per day.

FWC recreational and commercial regulations will extend into Federal waters.

FISH PIX!

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Riley Shadduck 25-inch catch and release snook

KAYAKING: The Summer Sleigh Ride JULY 2018

By Bob Fraser Water LIFE Kayaking I took out my oldest client to date, he was 81 years old, but he sure didn’t look it or act like it. He handled the kayak with no problem, like an old pro. He has been fishing all his life and wets a line whenever he can.

Because of the Red Tide in Gasparilla Sound, my favorite place to fish, I decided to try Lemon Bay on this trip.

We put in at Ainger’s boat launch. I don’t like using boat ramps, but there weren’t any kayak launch areas nearby except for Oyster Creek, which was too far away from where I wanted to fish. It takes longer to launch a kayak then it does a boat because of all the gear I bring along, and I don’t like holding up boaters waiting to launch. Also, the ramps are usually very slick when you walk on them it’s very easy to slip and fall.

We had fun fishing together and caught some fish. He caught an 18-inch redfish, along with some nice size mangrove snappers. It doesn’t take a very big fish to pull you around in a kayak.

Louie’s redfish pulled his kayak around in circles before he landed it.

After I saw the size hook he was using I was surprised he landed the fish.

It was a small lead head hook that he

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uses in upstate New York to catch crappies. I gave him a DOA lead head hook to use with the live shrimp we were using, but he swapped it out for his favorite crappie hook. His theory was the smaller the hook, the better because the fish don’t feel it when they take your bait.

My adventure took place about three

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PAGE 23

hours after we started fishing... before then I only caught a few small fish.

I was free lining a shrimp about 15 feet from the mangroves when I felt a tug and saw the snook jump twice before he decided to take me into the trees. He managed to get my line wrapped around some branches, so I was holding the rod in one hand keeping the tension on the fish while I was trying to untangle my line. My client said he saw me go into the trees then I disappeared from his the manta shrimp was pretty big! sight. Once I untangled my line, I was able to Call me for a fun day of kayak fishing in push my way out of the trees and finally our beautiful backwaters of Charlotte Harbor. landed the 27-inch snook. It was a good way to end our kayak trip; we left a few All skill levels are welcome. Check out my YouTube page for safety and fishing tips when minutes later. fishing from a kayak. For more information I fished on June 18th and caught a about kayak fishing charters with me, call mantis shrimp, the first one I have ever 941-916-8303 or visit my website: www.kayakseen in my 40 years of fishing the Gulf fishingwithbob.com coast.

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24

Heading out of Boca Pass on Charlie Vrabel's new Pursuit. It was sunset offshore when we were making way out 100 miles, and of course we had a rainbow in the Harbor as we were heading home, looking over a broken rod from a big fish, ahh....good times!

This is Paul Wagenseil from Englewood.

I have been diving with this young man since he was 13. He is 25 now. We got out on June 1 for gags. He got this beautiful 35 inch, 18 pounder in 90 foot.

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Offshore Log with Adam Wilson

JULY 2018

Yours truly with a Blackfin tuna (left) They were smashing flying fish over the wreck in 240 feet, in all directions as far as you could see. Just throw out a live bait on a flat line, count to 5 and hang on. Above rainbow runners (my absolute favorite sashimi!) an African pompano coming up (right)

This is Claudia Tiseo, beautiful and deadly!

Here is her 30 pound gag from 100 foot on opening gag weekend (right) and a very quality hogfish (above) from much shallower.

The big red snapper is being held by my good friend Charlie Vrabel. If it ain't 20 pounds, it's damn close! Larry Benz, another good friend, is holding the African Pompano, 26 pounds. Both fish were from the same wreck trip. One in 230 foot, one in 240 foot, both about 100 nautical miles from Boca Grande Pass.

Rich Diesel (above) with an Alamco Jack.

NOT an amberjack. Deeper body, longer dorsal fin, darker stripe across the eye. And this is a pretty big one. No season on these fish and excellent groceries

JULY 2018

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Daytime Tactics in the Heat FISHING

AT

10,000 ISLANDS

By Capt. Charlie Phillips my big aluminum boat tower.

Water LIFE / Everglades City Inshore this month you will find me Overnight it seems we have gotten leaving early, and starting out with topinto the summertime swing. Storms water plugs during the glass calm conevery day now with lots of rain – lightning and thunder coupled with that African Savannah heat ... and then even worse heat after the rain. It’s not for everyone, but me personally, I call it Paradise!!

Fishing is steady, especially if you change tactics a bit to effectively fish the summertime patterns.

More days than not the mornings will be glass still with little wind and cool temperatures. Taking advantage of this and getting out early, being on your spot as the sun rises and being back in by lunch, to beat the storms, is what you will find me doing.

Often I take a siesta Tripletail minimum length goes up to 18 inches this month then get back out for the evening bite when the weather calms ditions. I love that explosion of a big back down and then I fish till dark. It’s snook as it crushes a bait on those quiet a comfortable way to fish and avoids mornings. That’s also a good time to the real hazards of being on the water try the fly rod as well. If a snook or red when lots of electricity is streaking past doesn’t pick it up, a ladyfish, jack or

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even Spanish mackerel might.

As the day progresses I will usually switch to either live bait or soft plastics on weedless hooks or jigheads. In our area, good color choices are root beer, dark purples and my personal favorite pearl, with a bone or a white hue. Long casts with very slow hops back the boat will again find you something to tug on the line. Just remember the water is hot and it makes the fish sluggish in the heat of the day, so take your time.

When the afternoon storm goes by, all that rain will often cool the water a few degrees so it’s a great chance to get back out and fish with that topwater offering again. This is often how, on a personal trip, I will finish my day, coming in when it’s too dark or the swamp angels (mosquitos) make me suffer from blood loss.

Inshore snook, redfish, trout snapper and lots of sharks and tarpon will be all thru the area. Also look for tripletail free swimming while you are running around. Just because the trap lines are gone, doesn’t mean they left, just gotta work harder to find them.

Offshore there are permit on the wrecks with good structure, a few cobia wandering around and lots of good snapper, grunts and red and gag grouper on the rock piles and live bot-

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tom areas. Pinfish of various sizes will catch everything I just mentioned, except the permit, who would prefer a nice live peeled shrimp or crab.

Y’all have a great month out there and have a wonderful July 4th holiday.

We are blessed to live in Nation that affords us such opportunities to enjoy nature’s bounty. Be safe and see you next month.

Capt. Charlie Phillips 863-517-1829 e-mail: hopefishing@hotmail.com Web: hopefishing.com

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July – Predictions and Suggestions

BackBay Xtremes Capt Dave Stephens www.backbayxtremes.com

941-916-5769

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Tim and Jessica Sheppard of Naples caught this blacktip shark off Marco Island using mullet for bait.

Charlotte Harbor Frank at Fishin’ Franks 941-625-3888

Fish with a Guide

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Barb from Cape Coral with a nice trigger fish. First offshore trip.

Youʼll learn something and youʼll catch more fish!

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Fisherman Ben Morganson From Nokomis FL ARS broke rod in half

Basically you have to be north of Cape Haze or out in the Gulf. The fish are lethargic and fishing is all about using dead bait right now. Live shrimp are OK, but don’t put the Harbor water in your livewell. Jacks, snook, mangs, Spanish they will all eat shrimp.

There’s all kinds of stuff in the Harbor. Fishing’s not bad but not where it should be.

The near shore reefs are all doing good. The nice part is you can find days when the winds are calm so even in a small boat there are tons of nice mackerel and snapper to be caught within sight of land.

Tarpon fishing is .... well, your best bet is from the deep holes in the Harbor over to the east side.

The tarpon are not showing much, they are staying deep in the middle of the Harbor. Best bet is to pick a likely area and start drifting. Fish baits 4- to 6feet below a bobber, something like a Storm Swim Shad or DOA and have another one ready to cast. There’s no telling.

You can do well with cut bait on tarpon, but you will be dealing with catfish and sharks when you put the cut bait out. Better to put some scent on a swim bait, set it out leave the bail open and let it work its way away from

you.

There were some tarpon along the beaches where there wasn’t any red tide spoilage, but the vast majority are out 3 miles and as the red tides dissipates they come in closer. You’ll see them while you are grouper or snapper fishing.

Bass fishing is pretty good, we’re selling twice the number of shiners we normally do. A lot of people are going back to freshwater. Maybe they are a little disappointed in the saltwater stuff right now. Four to 7-pound bass are not uncommon.

With dark water, try a chatterbait with a creature bait on the back. June bug brown is a good color for bass right now.

Lemon Bay, Placida, Gasparilla Sound Jack at the

Englewood Bait House

941-475-4511

I know guys are doing good offshore. They are getting some nice grouper and snapper at about 18-miles out.

Inshore, people have been moving north because of the red tide. A couple of people have said they were getting trout by Royal Palm and the next bridge.

Still some snook around the bridge pilings and they have been catching snapper off the Tom Adams Pier. The air outside is not too bad right now. It will clear up soon.

JULY 2018

The BIG-4

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TARPON moving in and out with the Red Tides

July

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Fish you can expect in

BASS Quality fish in local lakes and ponds

YELLOWTAIL SNAPPER Good on the offshore reefs

PAGE 27

SHARKS Fewer very big ones, but even more blacktips now

Nearshore water temperatures are almost 90!

Fish are lazy 95˚ 90˚

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

85˚

Rhys Brossard with a 3-foot Blacktip that was caught and released off Naples. He was with his Dad on Father's Day, Capt John Brossard of Shark Chaser Charters.

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

80˚

Cameron smith off Stump Pass with Goliath Grouper.

75˚ 72˚ 70˚ 68˚

Mike Moore, 36-pound redfish

50˚ 45˚

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Jocelyn Hechtl Spinner Shark, Captiva

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FISH PIX!

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JD Weber Blacktip Shark Sanibel

LAST CAST

Below is the last picture we received before going to print:

Jim Koder caught this black drum on his Birthday

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Bob Windle with a 37 inch Snook caught off Marco Island on a live shrimp.

Angler Greyshark. Bass caught in Nokomis

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Niki Riedel Bass Back water canal Myakka

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

FISHING RIGHT NOW:

depends where

Jay Bird McCard with a Gulf red grouper.

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JULY 2018