WaterLIFEJUne04

Water LIFE

FREE!

Charlotte Harbor and Lemon Bay Florida

Keeping Boaters and Fishermen Informed

June 2004

Preparing for a Tournament Page 26

This month it始s

Redfish for the Kids

for the and for the and

Kids Pros

Tarpon or Sharks

For the rest of us!

Fishing Report Page 30

Page 14

IGFA Record Still Standing

www.CHARLOTTEHARBORMAGAZINE.COM

Site Map Page 16-17

FREE!

Page

2

Water LIFE

MAGAZINE

June

2004

June

2004

Water LIFE

Great Things Going On in Charlotte Harbor This Month

Commentary By Mi chael Hel l er Water LIFE Editor I wouldn’t want to be a hungry redfish in Charlotte Harbor in June. Fishing pressure here will be greater than normal this month. The Oh Boy! Oberto Redfish Cup is obviously the big focus, but our local Kids Cup Redfish Tournament also has the locals buzzing.

On June 11, Oberto brings with them lots of their tasty beef jerky samples and an upscale 125 boat inshore tournament. Their set up is at the downtown auditorium on the Peace River in Punta Gorda. The place will be packed all weekend.

The Kids Cup will help get junior anglers out on the water on June 5, and give them a chance to experience a fishing tournament with fun as the focus. This will all be good for our kids and good for the local economy. The research we gather in a tournament like this will be good for the harbor in the long run. We could have over 100 kids fishing. Fishing is the focus for June.

Down at Boca Grande tarpon fishing appears to be good as well. Big fish in the 160-plus pound range have already been caught and released and tensions between jiggers and live bait fishermen have eased now that they both have something else to concentrate on.

Around the Harbor, shark fishing has been good, if not great. Of late we have had

several first-hand reports of big sharks and big sting rays caught off Cape Haze.

Fishing for black tips and bonnet heads could provide entertainment for light tackle anglers for weeks to come.

Fishin' Franks, the local bait and tackle shop in Port Charlotte holds their annual spring Saturday night Shark Tournament on June 12. If you like shark fishing you’re gonna' love this one!

The same night the Redfish Cup muckymucks are partying it up in downtown Punta Gorda, 200 or so local blue-collar shark, stingray and sailcat fishermen will be heading out on the water with big hooks and heavy cable for their night of fun. For them it usually rains, but that only helps to wash off the bloody boats.

The shark weigh-in is at 8 a.m. Sunday morning. Sharks will be laid out along US 41 in front of the bait shop for measuring.

The fishermen will all be tired, but for others the new day will just be beginning.

On Sunday, around first light, right about the time the shark anglers are cleaning up, the top five teams from the $75,000 Redfish Cup will head back out on the water for their final day of fishing, but they won’t be the only boats launched from the Redfish Cup dock that Sunday morning.

The Kids Cup Redfish Tournament awarded its top five anglers a day fishing with the Redfish Cup ‘Pros,’ so right after

MAGAZINE

Page

3

the top 5 pro teams head out, five other redfish cup pro teams take the Kids Cup ‘top five’ fishing. The Kids Cup has attracted anglers from Texas, Louisiana, Georgia, Kentucky and Florida, all fishing for the Kids Cup prize and a chance to weigh in on the big ESPN2 Redfish Cup stage.

The Redfish Cup heads home on Sunday evening, but on Monday morning many of the 180 anglers in the June 19, Burnt Store Couples tournament will take to the water to start prefishing. There are also two tarpon tournaments, the popular Calusa Catch and Release tournament and several smaller fishing events all in June around Charlotte Harbor. June is usually a good month for fishing here.

Top: Kids being kids, having a good time jumping off the bridge on Manasota Key. Above: On May 24 Dan Kaplan and Keith Benner of the Charlotte Marine Research Team were doing good work planting seagrass by hand in the northwest corner of Turtle Bay.

Page

Water LIFE

4

June

MAGAZINE

2004

Shark Tournament June 12-13

LETTERS TO WATER LIFE

Kids Records

Dear Water LIFE I thought you might like this picture with the kids. (picture shown at right) On January 1, 2004 it was one day, one captain, three kids, and five IGFA World Records.

The lures used were Donʼs Jigs, Cape Lookout Lures, and Clark spoons. All fish were caught using Penn reels.

The records are in the Male -10 years and under (M-Smallfry) class.

Phosphate Strip Mining Permit

Dear Water LIFE Last month in Tampa, Charlotte, Lee and Sarasota counties, the Peace River Manasota Water Supply Authority, and other environmental and economic interests in southwest Florida head to court to challenge the Florida Department of Environmental Protectionʼs plan to issue a new strip mining permit.

Charlotte County and the otherscollectively, the County-maintain that without a comprehensive understanding of the Peace River watershed and absent an industry-wide mining plan, continued strip mining threatens the regionʼs economic vitality, which is based largely on environmental resources.

Just as important, Charlotte County and the Authority maintain that strip mining will reduce water flows and impact the availability and quality of drinking water supplies, leaving customers with the bill to replace them.

Charlotte County has spent millions

Walker Hardy, age 8 (M-Smallfry) Spanish Mackerel 1lb 8oz Walker Hardy (M-Smallfry) Ladyfish 3 lb

CM RT

Gary Hardy (M-Smallfry) Ladyfish 2lb 4oz

Fred Adams age 10, (M-Smallfry) Spanish Mackerel 1lb 4oz

In photo, left to the right is Gary Hardy, Fred Adams, Walker Hardy and myself, in the rear.

Captain Steve L Hardy, Naples

Honey Rand Port Charlotte

TOTAL INDEPENDENT

Water LIFE is not affiliated with any newspaper or other publication © 2004 Vol III No6 WaterLIFE

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

WRITE US! e-mail (preferred) Waterlife@comcast.net

Above: Ron Bates sent us this cartoon which speaks for itself.

Right: The Florida FWC has just started circulating their new pamphlet on tarpon regulations banning break away tackle at Boca Grande. Most tackle shops have copies to inspect. The regulations go into effect in July.

HEADED NORTH? ... Take Us Along!

SUBSCRIPTION FORM

SUBSCRIBE to Water LIFE Have us mail your copy anywhere in the U.S.A. for $17 / Year

Name _______________________________________________

Address _____________________________________________ City _______________________________ State ____________

Zip ____________________

Michael and Ellen Heller Publishers

(941) 766-8180

Gary Hardy age 9. (M-Smallfry) Spanish Mackerel 1 lb

of dollars in this fight to protect the Peace River, Charlotte Harbor, and drinking water. The Authority, Sarasota, and Lee Counties have joined them, making their own investment.

“We put a $5 billion public asset, the Peace River watershed, at risk for a private industry that generates onehalf billion dollars,” said Charlotte County Commissioner Adam Cummings. “We risk the employment of 100,000 people in tourism, development, recreational equipment, boats, and related industries, while we fret over 3,000 jobs in strip mining. Worse, we risk our future and that of our children for a marginal income today.”

The hearing could conclude this month. A decision could may take three to six months. This is the third strip mining permit challenge. The first, over the Mason Jenkins Tract, was lost by the County and strip mining was allowed to proceed. The second challenge, for the Altman Tract, was won, but IMC-Cargill is appealing that case.

Water LIFE

Out-of-the-area mail sent First Class

Local zip codes sent as Bulk Mail

Credit Card _________________________________________ ExpDate_________

6/04

Now Just $17 for 12 monthly editions Check one:

o Payment included: make check payable to Water LIFE

or Bill my

o Visa o M/C account

Fill out (please print) and Mail to: Water LIFE 217 Bangsberg Rd, Port Charlotte, FL, 33952

SNAIL MAIL: 217 Bangsberg Rd. Port Charlotte, FL 33952

Contributing Editors:

Fishing / Environment: Capt. Ron Blago Charlotte Harbor: Capt. Robert Moore Gasparilla: Capt. Chuck Eichner Port Charlotte: Fishinʼ Frank Offshore: Capt. Steve Skevington Technical Advisor: Mike Panetti Sailing Advisor: Bill Dixon Cartoons: Ron Mills Kayaks:Ben Turpin

on the COVER:

Kids Cup junior angler Tyler Breton, prefishing, with a nich redfish. See Page 3

on our WEBSITE:

WWW.charlotteharbormagazine.com

Tide Graphs: For Punta Gorda, Shell Point, El Jobean, Pine Island, Matlacha, Redfish Pass, and Lemon Bay.

Weather: Links to all of our favorite weather and radar web-sites.

Back editions: Previous edition pages.

Artificial Reefs: Lat. and Long. for 24 local artificial reefs off Charlotte, Sarasota and Lee Counties.

Manatee Myths: Read the original plan for sanctuaries and refuges, as laid out by the United Nations in 1984

Links to Realtors: Connect with advertisers

June

2004

MANATEES:

Hanging over our heads like a big dark cloud

By Capt Ron Bl ago Water LIFE S taff After many years of observing manatee protection in Florida, I’ve come to the sad conclusion that the law is broken.

You name it: Federal, State or Local, it’s just not working right.

Water LIFE

Take the Federal Endangered Species Act for example. Since it was signed into law in 1973, 1304 different species have been added to the list while a grand total of 12 species have been taken off the list.

After three decades and billions of tax dollars spent, this .01 percent rate of success is not a record to be very proud of.

It seems a species checks in, but never checks out. Remember that Florida has the third highest number of endangered species with over 100 on the list and that number is growing.

If the manatee is any indication, the State regulations are in an even bigger mess. The FWC which controls state manatee regulations has so far refused to follow the recommendations of their own staff members and outside scientific experts, who say that the manatee could now safely be removed from the endangered species list. Instead they are paralyzed by a group of environmental zealots who refuse to accept the fact that the population of manatees in Florida has been steadily increasing for the last 30 years with or without manatee zones.

So far this year there has only been one dead manatee recovered in Charlotte County and that one was recovered near the county line just inside Turtle Bay.

MAGAZINE

Why is that important? Because there has never been a documented case of a manatee killed by a boat in Turtle Bay. Wouldn’t you know it, the FWC immediately listed that manatee on their web site as being a watercraft related death. That didn’t seem right to me, so I talked to the member of the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Marine Patrol who recovered the carcass and towed it in. He assured me that there was not a mark on the animal that he recovered, and as a matter of fact even the size of the manatee doesn’t match up with the one on the web site. Was there a mistake made? Was there a mix up at the pathology lab or is there a possibility that the FWC staff slanted their data in such a way as to justify additional boating regulations in Turtle Bay? Frankly I don’t know.

If you think that this is only a boater problem consider this: There are now over 150 pilings planted in our local waterways announcing new manatee regulations. That equates to right-about 3 pilings for each manatee you would find in Charlotte County on an average day through out the year.

As tax payers you have paid a few hundred thousand dollars for those signs and your going to pay a lot more to fix

Page

them since many of them are starting to fall over.

The tax bill for manatee regulation just keeps growing in little ways.

Recently the sheriff’s department requested funding to equip all their boats with radar. It seems that since all these new pilings are not lighted, they feel it’s unsafe for their men to be out there at night without radar. And the’re right.

We can’t go on like this, wasting good money on ineffective manatee plans and funding research that never comes to a conclusion. The real problem is that no one in federal or state government has the guts to come out and say what the population of manatees should be in Florida.

These people have for 30 years told us they don’t have enough data to make that decision. Well I think they do, but they are just afraid to do it.

I propose that we go to some federal judge and ask him to suspend all manatee speed zone regulations in Florida until the federal and state officials agree to the exact number of manatees it would take to remove the manatee from the endangered species list. I bet you they would come up with that number in 90 days.

Would they do it ? Probably not, it’s just too simple.

CATCH & RELEASE FISHING: An Increasing Focus on Holding Fish Horizontally Water LIFE Staff Report Fish are horizontal creatures. This is not a scientific breakthrough. Fish spend their lives swimming around horizontally and, more importantly, they they do it in zero buoyancy condition.

Zero buoyancy like zero gravity is when things neither rise nor fall. In the late 1950s scuba diving was more difficult because the buoyancy compensator vest had not yet been invented. Scuba tanks were heavy steel. Today, divers shuttle air in and out of their buoyancy compensators to maintain zero buoyancy. A diver starts out ‘heavy’ with lead weights in his pockets to counterbalance today’s lightweight aluminum scuba tanks and uses the air in his ‘BC’ to arrive at zero buoyancy. You don’t feel heavy with the extra lead weight in the water because you have extra buoyancy in your BC to keep you in balance. When the diver want to descend he lets air out, when he wants to ascend he puts air in. It’s like riding an elevator.

Buoyancy is critical stuff under the water.

Unfortunately, when the diver climbs back onto the boat he is now climbing aboard with 10 or 15 pounds of lead in his pockets.

Out of the water in positive gravity that’s weight he can feel.

Today, we are being asked to think about fish in this same perspective – as a creature of perfect zero buoyancy able to regulate their own steady state to rise or fall in the water column.

The difference between a fish and a scuba diver with a BC vest is that fish live their entire life in zero buoyancy and scuba divers achieve zero buoyancy only for short periods of time. Divers are accustomed to positive gravity on land, fish are used to zero gravity in the water.

When you take a fish out of the water, suddenly there are different forces acting upon it. Fish biologists are now saying those forces, mainly gravity, can actually harm a fish’s internal organs, or if it struggles on a Boga Grip the force can break its jaw.

A recent video on the subject from Australia showed the

5

snook’s cousin, the barramundi, to be particularly susceptible to this problem.

The video stressed that a fish’s organs are not ‘designed to be stretched apart (lengthwise) which is what fish biologists say happens if the fish is hung vertically for very long. Like the diver who comes out of the water with a pocket full of lead, the fish’s internals are stressed by positive gravity in a way that is unnatural. With bigger fish the internal organs can tear.

Biologists suggest, if you hang a fish vertically, like on a Boga Grip, weigh it quickly and return the fish to the water. Time is important. There is a school of thought that says even though these fish are released, they may still die from these injuries afterwards. It needs more research. Ideally, a fish should be un-hooked while still in the water.

The question may no longer be: ‘Are the fish being handled in such a way as to promote their chances of living?’ the question could now be: ‘Are we doing anything that might unintentionally

Page

Water LIFE

6

1860 C/C

1860 C/C - Powered by Yamaha 150 hp O/B, Hydraulic Steering, GPS/Fish Finder, Bow Cushion, Console Cover, Bimini Top, Single Axle Aluminum Trailer & more.

Only $19,900

17 C/C

17 C/C - Powered by Yamaha 70hp, GPS/Fish Finder, Bimini Top and Single Axle Galvanized Trailer.

Only $12,995

June

MAGAZINE

17 BAY

17 Bay - Powered by Yamaha 70hp, GPS/Fish Finder, Bimini Top and Single Axle Galvanized Trailer.

Only $12,995

2004

16 C/C

16 C/C- Powered by Yamaha 50hp, GPS/Fish Finder, Bimini Top and Single Axle Galvanized Trailer.

Only $9,995

See our complete line of boats on the internet at: www.boatsunlimited.com

819 W. Henry St. - Fantastic new design for corner lot/huge master suite. Kitchen & master bath you'll fall in love with. Media room/wonderful ceiling treatments. This house has it all - a must see.$749,000 MLS # 423187

17319 Ohara Dr. - Collingswood Pointe Beauty TREMENDOUS WATERVIEW! Great sunsets.

Surrounded by gorgeous homes. Close to beaches and shopping. Laminated wood floors. Fireplace. $710,000.

MLS # 429053

2002 Bal Harbor - Clipper Cove ground floor unit Sailboat water with canal view - 3 BR/2 BA plus den & single car garage - pool - spa - tennis courts in a gated community. NO DOCK ! $259,000 MLS# 425349

2732 Magdelena Terrace - Desirable ground floor, end unit at Magdalina Terrace - 2 BR/2 BA - pool DEEDED DOCK - 15 mins. to Charlotte Harbor via Bass Inlet - new appliances & Pergo floors - completely remodeled - new paint inside & out & new tile on lanai - Your Search Has Ended! $235,000 MLS#427962

19155 Waterbury - Sailboat waterfront home.

Southern exposure with pool. 2 bedroom, 2 bath with Florida room. Access through Ackerman waterway.

Freshly painted and landscaped. Priced to sell. $325,000 MLS# 428346

June

2004

Water LIFE

MAGAZINE

Redfish Cup Report: Kemah, Indian for

By Capt. Robert Moore Water LIFE Staff Fishing the first half of the 2004 Oh Boy! Oberto Redfish Cup in Texas was a tremendous learning experience for me. I have to be somewhat honest about what I naively hoped for when fishing the entire 2004 Redfish Cup: Sunny skies, calm winds, clear water and hopefully lots of redfish just waiting to be caught. I knew going into new and unfamiliar locations would be time consuming and require lots of hard work, but there were several things that I didn’t realize until after we got there.

When we passed the Texas state line my learning experiences began. We stopped for dinner in Beaumont, Texas, and as I exited the truck I got to experience a steady 35 knot wind. ‘So much for calm winds,’ I said to myself. After dinner as we were walking back to the truck there were two gentlemen looking at our boat. One asked with a southern drawl: ‘What kind of boat is this?’

I replied ‘a flats boat.’ The other gentleman quickly snapped back ‘What in the hell are you going to fish for with that kind of boat?’ I explained to him in what I considered a professional and educational manner that we were fishing in a rRedfish tournament in Galveston Bay and that we use these flats boats to stalk redfish in shallow water and sight-fish for them. With a deep belly laugh he said ‘Son, the only way you are going to see a Redfish in the water around here is if it’s in an aquarium or on the end of your line as you pull him out of the water.’ As the two walked away pointing and laughing at me, I mumbled to myself ‘So much for clear water.’

We arrived in Kemah, (in the Indian tongue, Kemah is said to mean wind in your face) Texas around 10 p.m. and got settled in. The next morning we awoke early and drove to a boat ramp. Within five minutes we experienced what the locals refer to as a ‘typical’ thunderstorm. For me a better choice of words was a ‘typical’ tropical storm. Now we were sitting under a bridge and I was mumbling to myself ‘So much for sunny skies.’

The next five days my partner Bob Boudreau and I pre-fished (in good and bad weather) every stretch of water we thought would be productive with very little success. We asked locals, fishing guides, heck we even asked the waitress at the IHOP where we ate breakfast every morning, ‘Where are the redfish?’ The standard answer we got from just about everybody was ‘We caught some the other day while trout fishing.’ Lesson learned.

Nobody in the Galveston Bay area ever fishes for redfish – only trout. Boy do they ever love their trout. They view redfish like we in southwest Florida view catfish – as a nuisance. One man at a local restaurant in Kemah even admitted he cuts his line when he hooks a redfish. At this point in the trip I am in need of electric shock therapy.

Fellow Action Craft anglers Mike Mahan and Rick Francois confided in us that they had found some nice redfish close by and there was enough room in the area for another team.

Bob and I anxiously accepted their offer.

On day one of the tour- Rick Francois and Mike Mahan nament we both arrived within 20 of minutes each other and our fished hearts out. I have never seen two anglers with as much drive and determination as I did that day fishing next to Mike and Rick.

They worked diligently together. There hearts and souls were definitely into catching redfish. They represented their sponsors very well. Day two was cancelled due to very high winds and thunderstorms.

Our next stop was Port Capt Rob. Moore Aransas, Texas. There seemed to be a little more interest in this area for redfish but trout seemed to still take the top pick once again. The water here was also very clear compared to Kemah. We again teamed up with Mike and Rick and located some nice redfish on a grass flat seven miles away.

On day one of the tournament in Port Aransas the weather was fair. Our redfish were about average among the rest of the teams. On day two just after we arrived to our spot again the weather turned for the worse. Now I don't mean just a little rain here and there. It was pretty much a down pour for the entire 81/2 hours we fished. At times it actually rained horizontally from the high winds that accompanied the squalls. The only thing that kept me going towards the end of the day was looking over at Mike and Rick and watching them not stop. Again, their hearts and souls were totally into it. After the tournament the streets in ‘Port A’ were underwater and the locals seemed to accept it as ‘normal.’

Even though my experience fishing in Texas was completely different than hoped for, the folks there were as personable and down to earth as they come and that made the long trip worth it. They reminded me a lot of the folks back home. The only difference is the folks back home truly love their redfish. I think Texas anglers and their families will see that this month when the Redfish Cup stops in Punta Gorda June 1113. It’s going to be a great show.

Page

7

Page

8

Water LIFE

SAILBOAT WATERFRONT POOL/SPA HOME - Tile roof. Looking for that dream home, then look no further. This home located in Collingswood Pointe homes is on two lots.

Custom built thru-out. 4 BR + 4 Bath, built in 2000, 3585 Sq Ft. Circular drive and 3 plus car garage with plenty of parking space, dock, 9,000 boat lift and down the Manchester waterway to the Harbor. Gorgeous architect and landscaping makes this a true beauty, Italian tile on entrance of large columns and double glass front doors open to view of living room and pool/lanai area. Everything is oversized with large L shape lanai with summer kitchen with dcs cooking/grilling center, U–Line auto ice maker/refrigerator. Pool

PuntaGordaIsles

Port Charlotte

PORT CHARLOTTE POWERBOAT SEAWALLED POOL HOME Just minutes to the harbor, by way of Elkcam waterway. Looking for space, this one has 4/BR 2/BA, liv. and din. rm, plus family room and a bonus room for office or what ever you need. Many new upgrades, including aluminum roof in 2002, diamond brite pool and 19x50 pool cage in 96, new dock 2001, both baths upgraded with high counters, new circular driveway for extra parking and easy access. $294,900, MLS # 422340 Need room??

Then call Ellen today!

Sailboat Corner lot

kitchen and breakfast nook. You'll love the decor with colors and wallpaper in several rooms.

Wooden cabinets in kitchen with side by side ref. glass top stove with microwave. Wood cabinets in baths, with jetted tub, dual sinks, vanity and shower, his n hers closets in master bath. 3rd bedroom also has walk-n closet. All windows and

2004

closet and hose bib in pool area with great view of lake. A gourmet kitchen to die for, wooden cabinets, solid surface counters, 48 inch sub zero style ref. Vegetable sink in Island and 2 breakfast bars. Double oven, one is convention also. 2 water heaters and 2 A/C units. 17-inch diagonal tile in all rooms except Berber in bedrooms. A lovely master suit with his and hers walk-no closets and roman shower, commode closet, 2 vanity sinks, Sec. sys and intercom, niches and plants shelves every where. well and sprinkler sys for yard. Home features gas and electric. The list goes on and on. $1,200,000 MLS # 415288 Call Ellen McCarthy

SALTWATER CANAL CONDO AT BRIDGEPOINT. Convenient 1st floor with a great view of the canal.

Completely furnished including pots and pans. Just bring your clothes and move in. Just a couple of min. around the corner past Fisherman's Village and you're in the Harbor for a day of fun in the sun. The condo shows like a model. Features include 2BR, 2BA, carport, assigned dock, dome lighting, 3 ceiling fans, carpet & tile, storm shutters on lanai w/storage & much, much more, $284,900 (price includes $15,000 worth of furnishings) MLS #428176. Call Ellen COLLINGSWOOD POINTE 3/2/2 HOME ON SAILBOAT WATER on oversized corner lot. Tradewind expansion model featuring oversize garage. Beautifully landscaped with shell and stepping stone path along the left side of home to lanai and wood walkway to huge 38 ft dock and 6,000 lb boat lift. Owners have added a caged patio 18x28, great for entertaining and beautiful plants. If you love plants, you will love the Arbor for all your hanging baskets on the right side of home. Great fishing in area and just a short ride to the Harbor.

Volume ceilings and lots of plants shelves add to the beauty of this great room home, open and spacious, split bedrooms and a great view to the water from master bedroom, great room,

June

MAGAZINE

doors have 3M hurricane protection film. Well and irrigation for yard. Sec. system, inside laundry, 2 pantries. Lanai is wired for spa/hot tub.

18x28 patio could be removed for pool or pool/spa. The list goes on and on. Don't miss this one. $459,900 MLS#418956 Call Ellen McCarthy

Pric eR edu ced

At Collingswood Pointe, with 275 ft on the water. Area of million dollar plus homes ..........

Overlooking 70 acre lake just 20 minutes to Harbor. Great fishing area. No survey, so size is approx. Tax record show 20,117 sq ft of property. Nice quiet area to enjoy our beautiful sunsets. Area is all natural with no concrete seawall. Price firm. MLS # 415786 $345,000 Call Ellen McCarthy

June

2004

Different Stuff

Water LIFE

Page 9

MAGAZINE

at Flatsmasters Event

S t aff R eport From the beginning it was weird. “I could see the flashing blue lights at Colony Point, but the rest of the field just angled out and went around them. They can only stop one boat at a time,” weighmaster Jerry Cleffi said, describing how a Punta Gorda police marine officer nabbed the first boat out (team Lambert) for running above idle speed in the less than 6foot depths of the city’s regulated water.

More weirdness to come: numerous teams reported too many big oversized reds around and not enough slot sized fish.

“To win this tournament series you don’t take chances,” one angler said, explaining away his less than stellar sized fish at the weigh in. “Two fish are what’s important here,” was the consensus.

Still, many anglers did take chances.

“We saw an unusual number of fish disqualified for being too big,” Cleffi said.

There were eight fish disqualified including one reputable team that had both fish disqualified for being oversize. “That was a first for this event in three years,” Cleffi said.

This was a live bait event, mostly

The Calcutta was for the redfish with the most spots. Derrick Jacobsen (left) and Andy Neusbaum stunned the crowd with this leopard like red sporting an even 40 spots.

anglers fished white bait, (sardines or threadfins) on braided line. Green was the favorite color and many rods were rigged with ‘poppin corks.’

In all, 63 teams in the 85 team field weighed in at least one fish and 51 teams weighed in two fish.

The lightest legal fish tipped the scale

at 2.25 pounds - the heaviest at 8.10.

Thirty seven teams weighed in more than 10 pounds of fish each and Brad Hinson’s top team weighed in two-fish at 8.10 and a 7.35 for a 15.45 pound total. The tournament was held at Harpoon Harry’s in Fishermen’s Village, the site of this month’s June 5, Kids Cup.

4430 HARBOR BLVD. - Magnificent views of Alligator Bay, the Peace River and Charlotte Harbor, 4 bedroom, 2-story home. Lots of room, fantastic location, convenient to shopping and amenities; 3car garage, lots of storage. Fenced pool and lanai overlook private beach, dock, lift and the waters beyond. $1,350,000

6550 RIVERSIDE DRIVE - Over 1.25 acres on the Peace River with fantastic 4 bedroom/3 bath home. Beautiful treed setting . great water views. Parking, ample storage and a workshop along with a heated pool and spa; living area and master suite.

Additional bedrooms and a loft/office overlooking 2-story great room. $1,150,000

RIVERSIDE DRIVE ACREAGE - Approximately 1 acre on prestigious Riverside Drive, with 97 feet on the water.

Beautiful setting for your new home! $499,000

28443 COCO PALM ˆ Large 3/3 waterfront home in Palm Shores on 2 lots looking for that special owner! The Victorian design makes it unique to the area with marble entry and oak staircase. The second floor master suite has its own sitting area with a window seat and faux fireplace. Additional land could accommodate another garage or parking for a motor home. $339,000

4187 ROCK CREEK DRIVE - Beautiful 3/2 custom home with southern exposure on the Countryman Waterway. Light and neutral colors with 10ʼ ceilings throughout. Oversized, airconditioned garage, large 40x8 dock with 9000# boat lift and davit. Enjoy your Florida SHOWPLACE in the solar heated pool! $397,000

Page 10

Water LIFE

June

MAGAZINE

2004

Redfish - Those Tricky Little Bottom Grubbers

When you recusitate a redfish itʼs the forward motion that moves water across its gills that is important. Back-and-forth motion may do more harm than good.

By Fi shi n Frank Port Charlotte Staff Redfish, those tricky little bottom grubbing, shrimp eating sons-of-a-gun.

Red fish seem to be getting more and more difficult to catch. One of the reasons is that this time of year the tides change.

Now the tides get higher and we have more water, on the average, than just a month ago.

When the tides are low, redfish like to hide in the deeper pockets of grass out on the flats. When the tides are up high enough they move up under the trees.

The best way to fish them under the trees is to tail hook the shrimp – put the hook into the shrimp just in front of the flipper part of the tail, going from the underside out the top. This will keep the shrimp from tumbling in the air when you cast it and the shrimp will skip under the bushes better.

To fish under the bushes, ya’ skip the bait like you do with a flat rock on a lake. By holding the rod tip close to the water and making a fast short cast without lifting the tip of the rod, if all goes well,

which it does occasionally, the shrimp will disappear under the mangroves.

Often it is necessary to skip four, five or even six feet back up under the trees to get where the fish are. Then, don’t be in a hurry to retrieve the shrimp. It usually takes a minute or two to get a hit.

When you get the strike, do not lift your rod up to fight the fish. This will take the line into the branches of the mangroves, and usually you will lose the fish.

Instead, keep the rod tip low and keep it clear of the overhanging branches, even if it means putting the rod tip under the water, which often is the only way to keep clear. Since you can’t lift your rod, often you’ll have to move quickly to the back of the boat to drag the fish out from under the trees.

Once the fish is clear of the branches lift your rod tip to the 11 o’clock fighting position and reel him in.

Whenever I fish reds in creeks, I move in looking for deeper places. Most bends are deeper on the outside of the turn and the current is stronger there as well. That current washes bait around the bend, kind of disoriented in the current, making them easier prey. Bigger fish wait for such opportunities.

Throw the shrimp to the high side of the current letting it slowly drift through the bend. Unlike fishing under the trees, here you want to hook the shrimp in the head – in one side and out the other.

If you get hit in one spot put on a small sinker and throw to that spot. The sinker will keep the bait in the strike zone.

Rocky Creek, or Trout Creek are two creeks that produce good size reds along their bends. The Myakka Cut Off has also held some nice reds in its bends lately.

Good Luck Fishin’ Frank can be reached for charters

Anglerʼs Dream see page 13

L E T U S S E L L Y O U R B O AT !

27ʼ Cobia 270WA 2001 Excellent fishing machine, Twin outboards $54,995

C huck Wi l l • To m S t i vi s on • J ohn Georg es • Kurt J i l s on

9 11 Ta y l o r R o a d , P u n t a G o r d a F L 3 3 9 5 0 www. redfi s hyacht . com

941-639-9400

Fax 941-639-9301

June

2004

Water LIFE

FIS H MOUNTS – MARINE

“A Place to Sea”

• Wall Mounts • Sculptures • Stained Glass • Tile Art • Glass Art • Prints & Gifts • Tropical Art • Painted Carvings

FISH X S

4 8 8 0 -H P l aci da Ro ad, Eng l ewo o d Tarpon Center

(941) 697-4696

Wk day s 1 -5 pm, Sat 1 0 -2 pm, cl o s ed Wed & Sun

Indoor Outdoor All Weatherproof Hand Sculpted & painted

Numerous Designs on our website www.stonefoamart.com

STONEFOAMART

(941) 625-8184

MAGAZINE

P a g e 11

The Big One that DIDNʼT Get Away Water LIFE

Page 12

Night Trips on Fridays and on the Full Moons

P L AC I D A D E E P S E A F I S H I N G Hwy 775 & Fishery Rd, Placida, FL

Full Day Trips on Placida Queen only $42 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Catching snapper & grouper daily Bait, tackle & license furnished Full service galley aboard

Now offering sunset cruises!

55ʼ Fleming pilothouse M/Y & 26ʼ Boston Whaler Outrage Available for private charter Full or 1/2 day, offshore or near shore Call for Reservations

941-698-6999

www.placidadeepseafishing.com

MAGAZINE

By Capt Ron Blago Water LIFE Staff It’s funny how things change over time. You go about your business enjoying your life, then one day you wake up and most of the things you like to do are suddenly illegal or at least politically incorrect. Shark fishing is like that. Back in the late 70’s and early 80’s catching big sharks was a thriving sport in Southwest Florida.

Here is a bit of Florida trivia for you: In the original Jaws movie, the big shark that was shown in the first part of the movie being weighed for the drunken anglers, was caught off Sarasota and shipped to the movie site in New York for filming. It was right about that time I burst upon the fishing scene in Florida and stumbled into Sarasota.

I liked what I saw and took a job at Hart’s Landing, a well known bait shop on Sarasota Bay. I was having the time of my life meeting new people and living new experiences. No more sales meetings, marketing plans or early morning plane rides for me. For the first time I felt truly happy and in total control of my own life.

One of the first things I did was join the old Sarasota Shark and Sportfishing Club, a group of fifty or so fishermen

that met each month at Walt’s Fish Market to drink beer and talk fishing.

The Jaws movie had put the national focus on killer sharks and we were at ground zero in the shark catching capital of Florida. I loved it.

One of clubs early projects was to promote shark fishing as a sport. When the Jaw’s 3-D movie came out we were asked to put up a display in the lobby of a local movie theater. We set up tables with dried shark jaws, pictures of giant sharks and all the fishing equipment. Penn 12/0 reels , loaded with miles of Dacron line, 16/0 hooks with braided-steel tripled-crimped leaders – bang sticks and flying gaffs – it was all there to experience. As the people walked around the display and touched the sharp teeth of the jaws you could see the respect and admiration in their eyes.

We were their white knights, keeping the local waters safe for women and children; safe from the evil shark monsters, and we were having a great time doing it.

Every Friday and Saturday night the boys would leave Hart’s Landing, go a few miles offshore and set up for an all night trip. The most important thing was to have good bait and there was no more highly prized bait than a fresh

June

2004

killed tarpon.

Back then, tarpon was considered a trash fish but a fresh one would fetch as much as $50 back at the dock. Bonita was also in demand and I could sell all I could catch for $1 a pound.

After the bait, the chum was the next order of business. Everyone had their favorite recipe. It usually involved chunks of dead fish with plenty of blood. Fish blood, cow blood and pork blood it didn’t matter. I would run out to a small private butcher shop in Manatee county and buy all they had for $2 a gallon.

Now that nearly 25 years have passed, I guess I can finally tell you that I had a friend who had a contact at the local blood bank. They would give us the expired human blood that was not fit for any useful purpose; they used to flush it down the toilet before we came along and found another use for it. One pint of human blood per 5 gals of chum seemed to be the right mix. If you want to catch a man eater why not give him some man? Remember, we drank a lot of beer back then and it seemed like a good idea at the time.

Many a mighty shark felt the sting of the hook from the Sportfishing club members and when morning came, they towed their catches to Hart’s

June

2004

Water LIFE

Billy Pearson (left) and Allan Ogle in the only existing photo of the weigh in

Landing to be weighed on the only certified scale in the area that would go up to 2,000 pounds.

One day a flyer was circulated at the club meeting about a shark tournament for Southwest Florida that was being sponsored by O’Neal’s at the Skyway near Tampa. A few calls were made and O’Neal’s was convinced to make Hart’s Landing an official weight station for the southern territory. A few thousand in cash prizes was offered and teams started signing up all over town. Be a hero, catch big fish, drink beer and win money. What was there not to love?

The tournament was held over Memorial Day weekend in 1982, starting on Friday night, going till midnight Sunday with the award ceremony on Monday at O’Neal’s.

The flotilla left Friday night to do battle and most were expected to return Saturday morning. At first light, some of the boats had already returned, most with smaller sharks under 200 pounds. The

tournament had been heavily advertised in the papers and on TV, so a crowd of people had assembled, and by noon we had to rope off the dock to keep the spectators away from the scale. If you catch a small shark you can pretty much heave him in the boat and come back in at full throttle, but when you catch a really big one you have to tail-rope him and idle back in, so we knew the big ones were still coming.

Several 500 pound bull sharks, then a 600 pound tiger shark made the front page of the local paper the first day. By 2 in the afternoon, O’Neal’s called and said that one of their guys had weighed in a 700 pound tiger shark. No one had seen so many large sharks at any one time.

As fate would have it, the weather man predicted bad weather for Saturday night and Sunday. Only the hard core guys with the biggest boats went out Saturday night and by first light Sunday most of them were tied up at the Hart’s dock, forced in early because of high winds and nasty seas.

Only a few small sharks were brought in.

MAGAZINE

The waves were breaking over the deck by then so we refused to weigh any fish that wasn’t at least 400 pounds.

When sundown came, there was a driving rain. Normally we would have closed the shop, but we had volunteered to be an official weight station and were duty-bound to stay open. Frank Hart, one of the owners, his girl friend and myself were the only people in the bait shop, so we just hung around drinking beer.

About 8 p.m. there was a pounding at the front window. I opened it and there before me was a half drowned, skinny young guy. He asked if this was where they weigh in the sharks. I told him that all the sharks were gone. He immediately corrected me and said “No,” he wanted to weigh in a shark.

I didn’t see any boat tied up at the dock, so I asked where the fish was and he told me it was in the back of his truck. I said we didn’t weigh fish that weren’t at least 400 pound and without hesitation he told me his fish was every bit of that.

I told Frank I was going to take a look, put on my rain gear and walked out to the parking lot where there was a pick up towing one of those super long trailers that the lawn care guys use.

I climbed onto the bumper of the trailer and looked into bed. There, staring back at me, was the biggest pair of hammerhead eyes I had ever seen. I ran back to the shop and told Frank what we had. At first he didn’t believe me so I made him come see for himself. Frank was just as stunned as I was.

Now the first problem presented itself.

We told the guy it was his responsibility to get the fish out of the trailer and up to the scale at the end of the dock to be weighed. Then Frank and I went back in the shop to see how they were going to do it.

The skinny guy had a partner with him and they backed the trailer down the boat ramp; tied a rope around the shark and the other end around a dock piling. His partner gunned the truck and that fish went flying into the water. Pretty clever I thought.

Then they struggled for about a half

Page 13

hour dragging the shark to the scale.

Frank and I hooked up the electric winch and began to lift the fish up to the scale.

The scale was at the top of a 22 foot piling and the winch strained. The telephonepole-sized piling began to bend and although the scale could measure 2000 pounds, we weren’t sure the pole would hold that much.

After much sweat we got the monster up to the scale. Not all the fish was out of the water but we each climbed the ladder and looked at the scale and agreed that 991 pounds was the weight we would certify.

We lowered the hammerhead onto the dock and I went looking for a camera. The only one I could find was a Kodak pocket instamatic 110 owned by Frank’s girlfriend. I asked the two strangers to try to lift the sharks head and thank goodness the flash worked.

Now I had to tell these guys the bad news. It was their job to get the shark out of there. Since everyone else had come by boat, it was an easy task to tow their sharks out Big Pass and cut them loose, but these guys had to get their hammerhead back into the trailer.

As hard as they tried they couldn’t do it. Frank had a brilliant idea and called an automobile tow truck which easily lifted the fish back into the trailer and the two strangers drove off into the night.

The next day the two men collected the first place prize money at O’Neal’s, beating second place by a few hundred pounds.

I really didn’t pay much attention until a few months latter when I received a letter from the IGFA asking if Frank would certify the weight and If I would sign as a witness. They also wanted a picture. I had taken two pictures that night, one I sent to the IGFA the other I put in the window at Hart’s Landing were it stayed for 10 years until I took it down.

I’ve held onto that photo for 22 years and now I think it’s time I give it back to that skinny young guy who on May 30, 1982 caught the world’s record Hammerhead shark. A record that still stands today. Who was that guy? None other than Allen Ogle of Punta Gorda. I’m

Water LIFE

Page 14

The Mechanical Connection June

MAGAZINE

2004

Whatʼs Inside that Fuel Filter?

You may be surprised at what we found in Ours

WAT E R WAY

BOAT LIFT COVERS

PROTECT YOUR BOAT FROM NATUREʼS MOST DAMAGING ELEMENTS

CUSTOM BUILT TO YOUR BOAT LIFT

• Patented Double Rail for Ultimate Strength & Safety • Mold and Mildew Resistant • UV Protected • Fire Resistant • Maintenance Free • Quick Release System for Easy Removal

941 - 505-0237

toll free 877-201-3606

www.waterwayboatliftcovers.com

By Mi chael Hel l er Water LIFE Editor Maintenance requirements on a heavily used boat are different from those on a casual recreational vessel. According to the pundits in the boating industry, the average boat only receives about 50 hours of use every year, but we routinely put over 250 hours on our work boat in that same time.

There is a good side and a bad side to heavy regular use. On the plus side the corrosion problem, especially corrosion inside the motor, seems to be reduced on a motor that runs a lot, compared to one that gets run a little and then sits a lot. Sitting gives corrosion a place to take hold.

Routinely, we change spark plugs every 100 hours and we drain and refill the lower unit gearlube as part of our spring and fall maintenence. At the same time, we check the thermostats which are easily plugged with harbor mud – if you run shallow a lot. We also unscrew and check the water separator / fuel filter Though the canister was every other month or so just to make epoxy coated inside, rust sure we haven’t gotten a load of bad gas. was apparent everyMore than once lately, I have found where else inside this water in my gas (about 4 ounces in 50 fuel filter gallons) from big name, high volume area automotive stations in Port Charlotte.

The fuel filter on our boat is located between the fuel tank and our carborated outboard. The higher end EFI and 4-stroke motors have integral fuel filters as part of the motor package since the more complicated motors can’t tolerate any water in the gas, where as the older carborated two-strokes just suck it right through the combustion cycle. Even though many outboards now have water sensors in their fuel system, you should still keep an eye on the filters. After our last filter showed signs of rust, we looked carefully at the next one when it had been in service for about 40 hours. What we saw was not good.

Continued of Facing page

Barefoot

Coral

Doug & Judy Kaff

(941) 474-9534

Judy Kaff (941) 830-0502

NEW DEVELOPMENT UNDER CONSTRUCTION Due to complete Dec 2004 in time for 20042005 rental season TWO UNITS AVAILABLE 10% holds until close.

BLDG 1, unit 303, direct gulf front 3 bedroom 2 1/2 bath 1685 sq ft $975,000 BLDG 2 unit 501, 1991 3 bedroom 2 1/2 bath 1991 sq. Ft. $775,000 BEAUTIFUL CORAL CREEK Easy access to the intercoastal.

18000 sq ft lot with deeded dock space on Coral Creek in gated and deed restricted community. $220,000

June

2004

FILTER from facing page

Rust was evident on the top flange. We drained the gas, let the filter sit overnight and the next morning got out the saw and cut it apart. There is often nothing more informative than getting inside something and seeing all of it. In this case, it was an enlightenment.

Not only was the top plate rusted, but the metal used to hold the paper filter element together was rusting as well and rust was forming around every hole and perforation where the metal was bare. The spring that keeps the paper element in place was itself badly rusted and most of the debris held in the paper filter was rust that had been created by the filter itself. Not good.

We cut into the filter element and found more rust inside, in the path the fuel takes to the motor.

This was not some aftermarket cheap knock off, this was a genuine Mercury Quicksilver filter. We snapped some photos and sent them off to our friends at Mercury in Fon du Lac Wisconsin who in turn had us Fed-X the pieces to them for their product engineering department to look at.

Next Month: What the guys in the lab had to say.

Sailing

Water LIFE

By Bi l l Di xon Water LIFE Sailing Editor At the recent Sunfish Regional Championships, more than 30 racers and families came from out of town and stayed at the Harbor Inn for two days of racing. I worked on the mark boat at the upwind or ‘weather’ end. The reason I am a fan of one-design racing was obvious on the course.

The upwind legs sailed during this regatta were at least 1/2 mile each. Most times the leaders rounded the mark in a pack of 10 to 15 boats, the competition was fierce. Top local racer Rick Pantall finished 13th and Rose Rowland was 27th (4th woman).

Longtime big-boat racer Mike Busher in his first Sunfish regatta finished ... not last.

All of these people regularly beat me, so I know that the sailing was at a level not often seen here. Talk about even boat speed, Sunfish have it, they are all the same. In some races even the last boats were not far behind.

Racers had the opportunity to sail on the north side of the course, near the Port Charlotte shoreline, on the south side of the course, out in the middle of the river, or on course making more tacks and staying in the middle. In most races, some went each

Page 15

MAGAZINE

Rounding the downwind mark seemed like controled chaos.

way, hoping to outsmart the ones who guessed wrong. The racers picking the near shore side sometimes benefited from wind shifts caused by the shoreline, and beat the middle of the river racers who rode the incoming tide.

Over the 7 races, it appeared that the shoreline tactic was favored in some races, but you had to guess which ones. In one race, nine boats held on to the shore line too long and lost out when they over stood the layline and had to reach down to get to the mark. These racers came to the mark on a port tack, behind the lead pack, and by the rules had to yield to the stragglers from the southern side of the course that were on starboard tack. There was a lot of shouting, a few collisions and a large number of penalty 360s near the weather mark.

The photo above is on the other end of the course, the downwind mark rounding.

Almost everybody sailed downwind near the middle of the course, but they sailed on both port and starboard jibes. That was proof Dennis Peck and the race committee did an excellent job keeping up with wind shifts to ensure true upwind – downwind legs of the course. All the racers had to round the leeward mark on port tack, and that made it exciting.

The racers were not allowed to sail through the start-finish line. This is known as a closed gate. The racers were so fast, we didn’t have time to shorten the long start line (for 36 boats) to the short finish line (for 2 or 3 boats). Some racers went way, way, north toward the shore to go around the starting mark, but they lost out to the

Suncoast Propeller, Inc. (941) 624-6855

Quality Repairs with Quick Results

Maximize Your Performance – Props Reconditioned, Pitch Changes Cupping, Rehubs, Etc.

New Propeller Sales at Great Discounts

4240 James St. #6, Port Charlotte, FL

Whidden Industrial Park

Storage

We use only genuine

boat/trailer

InterLux bottom paint

$20/month

Route 771, 1 mile south of 776

941-698-1938

Page 16

1

Water LIFE

2

20

MAGAZINE

4

3

Host Sponsor

June

2004

Tournament ʻTʼ Dock

Charlotte Harbor & The Gulf I s l a n d s Vi s i t o r ' s B u r e a u

Diamond Sponsor Laishley Marine

7

Platinum Sponsor

Peace River Distributing

Platinum Media Sponsor C h a r l o t t e H e r a l d - Tr i b u n e Charlotte Sun

Gold Sponsors

19

Charlotte County Chamber of Commerce Comcast Don Gasgarth's Charlotte County Ford Fawcett Memorial Hospital Hooters Marine Contracting Group Jeff Masters Electric Southwest Florida Marine Industries Association

3

Silver Sponsors

AAA Schwartz Roofing Florida Sports Foundation

Bronze Sponsors Peninsula Bank The Forelands at Charlotte Harbor

Water

18

LIFE

19

5

All days Admission FREE!

MAGAZINE ©2004

IRISH PUB

17

16

15

June

2004

6

5

Water LIFE

MAGAZINE

Page 17

7

FINE JEWELRY

8

1 18

20

Cigars

9

10

St per Coo

12

13 4 6 2

9

驶T始 Dock Boat Landing

Bounce House & Cardboard Boat Race

19

8 11 16 15 14

F O O D

Spectator SHADE Tents

B O O T H S

17 14

Redfish Cup Tournament Headquarters

Vendors 13

10

Weigh In Stage Jumbotron TV Screen

BIG AIR DOG Jumping Oh Boy! Oberto Tent

IronFish Cookoff

FINE DINING

11

All Around Sportsman

12

Manta Rays Water LIFE

Page 18

across from Whiskey Creek

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

Half or Full

Light Tackle

Capt. Andrew Medina

A Total Backwater

(941) 456-

TnT Tailwalkers

Back Bay and Flats Fishing

Captain Jerry Tomas 941/815-1495 Toll Free 877/675-1982 USCG licensed

June

MAGAZINE

By El l en Hel l er Water Life Publisher Giant man killing squids, mermaids, sharks the size of school buses and enormous manta rays that attack boats. These are just a few of many myths, legends and tall tales of the sea.

One particular legend tells of a manta ray wrapping its cephalic lobes around anchor lines and dragging small boats out to sea. One such account was actually published in a 1919 issue of National Geographic where the R ogest research team in its report concluded: “We know this story cannot be true because the cephalic lobes are not strong enough to grasp anything, let alone to grip a chain and drag a ship behind it.”

But consider this account, from Eugenie Clark, the reputable founder of Sarasota’s Mote Marine. Maybe it wasn’t the cephalic lobes at all.

“It was November of 1961. We were less than 300 ft off Long Boat Key when John speared the manta.

We were now much further out. It pulled us steadily and smoothly as if attached to a submarine. After over an hour of only slightly altering its course a few times, it finally surfaced and we again saw its great body. We dropped anchor, but the manta’s pulling force seemed unaffected.

Dr. Douglas Williamson pulled his 33ft boat alongside and he and his crew were amazed at the speed the manta was towing us with our anchor down. Doug threw us a line but we didn’t notice any decrease in the 3 to 4 knot speed even with the additional drag of Doug’s larger boat.

He turned off his motor and threw over his anchor and still we headed straight out to the Gulf at a fast clip.

Then sunset came. The manta seemed irritated, judging from the

2004

A manta ray with itʼs appendage-like cephalic lobes

erratic way it now pulled the boats.

Then came a sudden stillness; the boats stopped moving. ‘We’ve lost him,’ John said as he pulled up the limp harpoon line and the twisted metal spear. Everything came to a dead halt, and we looked at each other with great disappointment.

Then, before any of us spoke, something unbelievable happened.

We were moving. Once again our boats were moving in tandem, out to sea, faster than ever before. ‘He’s got the anchor line!’ John gasped and sure enough we could see the taut anchor line from our bow. The manta was pulling us with the anchor in its mouth.

But soon it was over. The manta, turning abruptly, gave us a short good run for that twisted spear until on one turn the anchor fell out of his mouth and he left us for good.”

Excerpt from the book Lady and the Shark, Mote Marine, Non Fiction.

So how do we know fact from myth? Mantas, Spanish for blanket, have long been the focus of legends, perhaps due to their unusual flat appearance and their stealthy way of sliding lazily through the sea. They are sometimes referred to as flat sharks because thay have no skeleton, only cartilage. Maybe some manta myths come from their odd

5 Star Pools LLLLL

Springer Spaniel Molly Brown takes a leap off the side of the pool, like a Big Air Dog in the Redfish Cup Outdoor pool temperature are now in the low 80s without any suplemental heat.

Chlorine use could go up to a full jug every week now.

shape and somewhat menacing ‘Devil horns’. In reality, these horns act as a snout that can be pointed forward in the shape of a bull’s horn or unrolled into flattened scoops under their huge mouth.

Manta rays have been recorded with wingspans up to 30 ft, though rare, and have been known to leap over 7 ft into the air, sometimes doing somersaults. Small boats near them during these aerobatics might easily feel threatened and carry home tales of being attacked by killer rays.

Manta rays, like the whale shark, eat plankton and very small fish.

They sift water through a colander like mouth and catch what plankton is edible, draining excess water thru ventral gill slits. They never eat red meat. The manta ray’s aquatic acrobatics are probably an attempt to smack off parasites or attract attention during mating season.

Rays have the ability to suction themselves to the floor of the ocean.

By sucking in their center gill and belly region they create a vacuum to hold their body tight against the sandy bottom. When on the bottom, they breath through holes in the top of their head.

They are completely self reliant from the moment of birth.

Complete Line of Pool Service Chemicals, Supplies and Equipment

Large Selection of Pool Accessories Free water analysis

Pool heating and cooling our specialty Regularly scheduled pool maintenance and service

4625 Tamiami Trail (Next to West Marine) Port Charlotte

743-9172

June

Water LIFE

2004

Page 19

MAGAZINE

More about Redfish

S t aff R eport One of the unique characteristics of the red drum is its “tailing” behavior. Tailing is a feeding mode which can be observed in shallow water when the fish roots along the bottom for crustaceans and shrimp and its tail protrudes above the surface.

Redfish are a migratory species. When young, these fish like brackish water and tolerate fresh water, so it is common to find them far up the Myakka and Peace Rivers and within Shell Creek. As the fish approach maturity, about 34 inches in length, they begin to school and ultimately move to the Gulf, returning when they are mature to spawn near the passes in the late summer and fall.

A broad variety of artificial lures work with this fish, including soft plastics, surface lures, jigs and flies. Gold and silver spoons are also very popular. Weedless

spoons in the grass beds can make fishing easier. Soft plastic lures such as Sluggo, and DOA in red and white, chartreuse or silver are often good.

Surface lures like the Bomber Rip Shad in black and chrome or red and white or the Devil’s Horse, a lure that resembles a needle fish, will attract reds. Artificials or soft plastics fished under a float in shallow water can be affective.

Fly patterns that resemble shrimp, small crabs or greenbacks and swim with the hook in an up position are also good choices.

When fishing the flats, 8- to 12-pound test line is adequate, but fishermen should be sure their drag is not set too tight.

In shallow water, reds make long runs when hooked. In deeper water they tend to dive to the bottom.

During low tides they move toward sandbars, points and potholes.

Dock Tables 6 Ft table $700

Sharp Filet Tables

Port Charlotte Fl (941) 286-5257

condominium, villa, courtyard home or an estate residence.

Enjoy the comfortable, casual elegance of this resort community within the famous Port Charlotte Bay. Save 10% when you mention Water Life Magazine.

www.burnstoreresort.com • 877-276-3300 subject to availability; minimum stay may apply

Fish & Game Cleaning Outdoor Entertainment Wet Bar

4 Ft table $460 Weatherproof Construction (composite) Marine King StarBoard® Cutting Surface Stainless Steel Hardware With Optional Sink add $ 80 Free Local Delivery

ake a vacation that’s all

about being on the water!

T Rent a fully furnished luxury

We believe every family is unique, therefore, every service should be also. Our mission is to help families remember the life that was lived and that impact on their own lives.

Most people would like the option to choose a service that meets their needs without having to worry about price. Our commitment is to provide a service that will help the family celebrate, honor and cherish the life that was lived.

Come see why so many of your neighbors and friends are making the switch to Larry Taylor Funeral Services.

1515 Tamiami Trail - Punta Gorda, FL

(941) 833-0600 Visit us online at

www.ltaylorfuneral.com

Page 20

Water LIFE

June

MAGAZINE

2004

ScuttleButt Sometimes Unsubstanciated ... but often true

JUMPIN' AWAY The Redfish Are Jumpin' ʼ auction was originally scheduled as part of the Redfish Cup festivities for Sunday June 13, but has been moved off-site to the visual arts center in Punta Gorda. The concept has sculpted wooden redfish, decorated in wild motifs, placed in shops around town.

The sculptures all portray redfish standing on their tails in a most unnatural pose. When the event was first announced, local fishermen snickered: “Donʼt they know, redfish donʼt jump?”

THERE WILL BE A CREDIT (HA!) Recently, the Marine Advisory Committee voted to recommend the County should pay for dredging in the Ponce De Leon inlet. Originally proposed as dredging ʻout past the boat rampʼ the project was supposed to benefit all boaters, but in reality the project involves dredging the “S” curve that leads into Punta Gorda Isles. “More affluent boaters have bought bigger boats so the channel needs to be deeper,” one dissident pointed out. The problem arises since the city of Punta Gorda had imposed a $14 a year ʻtaxʼ on residents to pay for just such dredging, but the commissioners voted to pay for the $80,000 dredging project from the State boaterʼs fund and with money from the West Coast Inland Navigation District. Next year, the city of Punta Gorda reportedly said, there will be a credit of $14 on the tax bills. “Put on your pajamas, ʻcause youʼre dreaming if you think there is a refund coming from the city of Punta Gorda,” an anonymous tipster said.

KNICKERS IN A KNOT

This month our pals at Parks and ʻWreckʼ are doing double duty cleaning up several messes they created. Seems like the idea to close the Tom Adams Boat Ramp has not been met with support, especially on the part of the County Fire and Sheriffʼs Departments who both use the ramp regularly. Seems like the Parks Department has been telling the county commissioners everyone is in favor of closing the ramp, but now there is some on-the-record opposition. And as if that werenʼt enough, the new boat ramp the same agency recently opened in Gulf Cove apparently drops off into only two feet of water. Boats in the 19 foot and over range canʼt be launched at this site unless the tow vehicle itself is back into the water. “I donʼt know why they didnʼt just talk to some of the local people,” one bystander observed.

LOCAL CELEBRITY Next monthʼs Issue of Reptile Magazine has a special section devoted to reptile tattoos on human anatomy. Look carefully at the inset on the cover of that edition and then look at the article inside. Robert Lugiewicz, from Fishinʼ Franks is featured in the article with a beautiful lizard he has inked on his leg.

THE BEST IS NONE TO GOOD FOR US City of Punta Gorda has ordered a Boston Whaler for a fire boat and is also in the process of replacing its 4 year old 16 foot Rogue with another new Whaler.

FIRST FELONY The state may impose its first new third degree felony penalty to some lucky Charlotte County netter after an illegal net discovery and confiscation in the Alligator Creek area. The nets were taken from a boat on a tributary just one day after the Governor signed the new law raising penalties from misdemeanor to felony level for certain netting offenses.

TOP TEN Charlotte Harbor has just been named as one of the USAʼs top 10 sites for sailing in the June edition of Sail Magazine.

Real Estate COMPARISON:

June

Water LIFE

2004

This is NOT an Ad

Factual Information compiled from the Punta Gorda/Port Charlotte Association of Realtors.

Real estate value in waterfront property is enhanced by various factors. Sailboat water, areaʼs where waterway depth can accommodate a sailboatʼs keel and where there are no bridges out to the open water, are considered prime.

Jamai ca Way - One of the few Punta Gorda Isles addresses truly on the Harbor. This home has 2,630 sq ft, 3bd/3bth, and was built in 1990. Outside it has a heated pool/spa, large dock and boat lift, and extraordinary sunrise and sunset views. In 2000 it sold for $779,000 and just over 3 years later for

Co l o ny Po i nt Dr - Harbor view from the front, intersecting canal views from the rear.

This protected deep draft sailboat location, with existing 10,000 pound boat lift, is 2 minutes from the Harbor. built in 1984 with 1900 sq ft. It sold on Feb of 2003 for $375,00 and again in April 2004 for $600,000.

Ri v ers i de Dr - Although considered Punta Gorda this home is in Cleveland, up the Peace river from the Harbor. It was built in 1975 on 1.3 acres of lush tropical land. The house is comparatively small at 1645sq ft and 2bd/2bths. In 2002 it sold for $465,000 and again last month, May 2004 for $599,000.

Co v e Is l and Co urt - This mobile home has some of the best views any river has to offer.

Sailboat access, dock, davits and 60' of concrete seawall comes with this little 960 sq ft home with big views. Arriving in 1974 it sold 1996 for $46,000 and more recently in April 2004 for almost 3x that amount for

Treas ure Is l and - Located down the east side of the Harbor near Pirate Harbor, amongst the mangroves. The home was built in 1992 with 3bd/3bth and 1,932 sq ft. It has direct access to the Harbor, but privacy and seclusion.

Vacant, this property sold for $42,000 in 1987 and with a home, in April 2004 for

Retta Es pl enade - Although not actually on the Harbor this historic home has an excellent view of the water across Gilchrist park. Built in 1925 wth 2bd/ 2bth and 1,975 sq ft on the Retta in the historic district of Punta Gorda. In 1987 it sold for $28,000 and 17 yrs later, in 2004, for nearly 15 times that amount,

Dine on the dock ~ Million $$ View!

Boaters Welcome

Keeping Bait Alive in the Heat

By R obert Lugi ew i cz Here are some helpful tricks to help keep your shrimp or pinfish alive while you take them from point A to point B. Naturally, pinfish have to stay in the water but one of the best ways of transporting shrimp only is a technique called “dry packing.” It is an easy process. It involves a cooler, freezer packs, and a small towel or large dish cloth. Newspaper will also work well.

Put a few freezer packs on the bottom of the cooler, dampen the towel with salt water and put shrimp on top of towel. No water! Then cover the shrimp with another damp cloth keeping them in between. I once took 200 shrimp in a 48 quart cooler to the Dry Tortugas and kept the shrimp alive for 2 days like this. They only suffered about 20% death loss.

If you’re going to go ‘wet’, a cooler also makes a very good bait bucket and a simple ice bottle in the bucket or the cooler

On The Line

will help keep the bait alive since cool water holds more oxygen. Another thing to know is more water in a bucket does not keep the bait alive longer. A little less water in the bucket lets it slosh around more and that takes in oxygen which is beneficial for shrimp.

For baitfish, whether it is pinfish, mullet or creek chubs, a battery powered aerator is a must. And now that it is summer, those fortunate enough to live on the water and who are used to leaving shrimp in a bucket off their dock find things are changing. In the winter, in some cases, I have had shrimp last as long as 8 days. In the summer the shrimp will rarely make it overnight. It’s too hot (the canal water) and the canals also have lower salt content due to the rain. The best thing to do is put a rock in the bucket to make it sink. The deeper water is cooler and the salt content is higher down there. Good Luck!

with Capt Ron Blago

So far this year I have stayed close to home fishing Lemon Bay. White bait still seems to be a problem for me in this area.

I can’t seem to find a consistent supply of white bait and if I do get a good supply one day they seem to disappear the next day. Fortunately shrimp and artificials have been working fine. There are plenty of fat trout in Lemon Bay particularly between markers 19 and 21 on the west side. The water is super clear there and the pot holes stick out like neon signs. You have your choice of anchoring up next to a pot hole or slowly drifting over the area.

Last week I was drifting the area using a green Cotee jig and getting nice 18 inch trout. Close by were two gentlemen doing the same thing with flyrods and frankly they were out-fishing me two to one.

Redfish by far have been the species I’ve had the most success with lately. We have been catching them under docks, on the flats and in the mangroves. Live shrimp has been the most successful bait for catching these reds. They seem to have

turned up their noses at anything else, including white bait.

Snook have been a real challenge. My normal spring hot spots have been bone dry and my fishing friends seem to be finding the same thing. One guy did get a large snook in Rag Alley (next to Ski Alley) by freelining a large live shrimp.

When he got the fish in the boat it coughed up about a half dozen quarter size crabs. I guess these fish will eat anything if they are hungry enough. There has been talk about a lot of big snook being caught near the Manasota Key Bridge. So far tarpon has been off to a slow start but offshore fishing has been pretty decent.

Kingfish seem to have passed us by again this spring, but there are still a few lone wolfs out there. Grouper fishing has been really good for this time of year and there are plenty of cobia close to shore and in Charlotte Harbor. By the end of this month the summer rains will be here, tourists for the most part will be gone and everything will get back to normal.

N 26 38.040 W 082 03.958 Near Marker 55 On the Matlacha Pass Dockage Available

Friday Fish Fry 5 – 9 pm

Live Entertainment

Live entertainment every weekend www.bertsbar.com

Page 21

MAGAZINE

Dock Party every Sunday 3-7

4271 Pine Island Rd.

282-3232

Cape Coral June 7 thru 17

Naples June 14 thru 24

Port Charlotte July 26 thru Aug 5

Water LIFE

Page 22

June

MAGAZINE

PADDLING AT DAWN

KAYAK TIPS:

Trails,Tails, and Tales The new Caster kayak looks promising

Anglers in the May DOA Kayak Tournament work the bushes at dawn outside of Pirate Harbor.

Winners were: Biggest Slam (total length of one redfish, one snook and one trout) 65 3/8 inches Paul Lambert Biggest Snook 25 1/4 inches Pat Guillery. Biggest Redfish 30 1/2 inches Rod McDowell. Biggest Trout 20 inches Adam Jess

By Capt. Ben Turpi n Water LIFE Kayak Fishing Editor PRODUCT REVIEW

This year’s 2nd S unbird Kayak Festival was awesome.

Lots of events and seminars, with vendors introducing new products and talking about others that are just around the corner. P addle manufacturer

2004

S ev en2 sent its new Airidium paddle to the show. It was a big hit with its lexan blades injected with air and ergonomic grips, a S ev en2, trademark.

The lexan is super tough, the air in the blades, (AIRiridum) makes them spring out of the water on the following stroke, and a graphite shaft gives them a crisp feel. These guys are going to revolutionize the

paddle industry, with grips on a kayak paddle.

The summer’s promising new boat could be the new Caster from Perception. It has only been seen in spy photos before this, but now there are a couple of real live boats floating around. This is the ultimate fishing boat. It was designed for fishermen

with input from fishermen. It comes in two flavors: 11.5 and 12.5 and it should be in your local kayak shop very soon. It is lighter than its nearest competitor, sleeker, and therefore should prove to be faster. The latest reports from those who have paddled the actual boat, not prototypes, are that indeed it is the ultimate boat for the angler.

The boat has a scupper built in to allow the use of a through-the-hull pole anchor along the lines of the ones flats boat fishermen use.

Stick it straight down when you want to stop, pull it straight up when you’re ready to go.

There are two extra contact points on the bow and the

stern that allow for the kayak fisherman to outfit the boat with a pulley anchor system without compromising the lift handles, or adding eyes to the boat. The edges are rounded to allow the angler to easily turn in the seat and sit with legs off one side or the other. Plenty of clear deck space makes it perfect for flycasters too. Built in rod or paddle holders on both sides of the boat and more make the boat worth a hard look.

That is if you’re looking for a fishing kayak.

Ben Turpin paddles Charlotte Harbor and fishes from a k ay ak . To tak e a k ay ak -fishing trip, a guided Eco-tour or get more information about upcoming paddles, please call Ben at 941-374-6973 or v isit his website: www.bigkidkayaks.com

Whether by Land or By Sea, you need a real estate expert in your area.

CALL THE CAPTAIN! For information on current real estate trends and property values.

SO

LD

GORGEOUS CUSTOM BUILT LAKE FRONT HOME

SEASPORT 2400 Center Console OB

24ʼ 10” • Max Beam 110” • 210 gal. Fuel • Max Hp. Rating 400 Hp. Lots of standard Equipment: As shown with Optional “T” Top

MSR Basr Price Only $ 29,050

We are looking for a few good dealers, and some descerning customers.

BOATS FROM 17ʼ to 28ʼ Bay Boats, Center Consoles, Walk Arounds, Sport Fish

DJC SALES, LLC 866-323-2991

Burnt Store Lakes 3 BR plus Den with 3640sf- A True Showpiece with vaulted ceilings, custom kitchen- granite countertops and sills, Designer Pool with Spa, Tile Roof, Brick Paver Driveway & Pool, 20in Tile, Custom Stone BR Counters, Coffered Ceilings, Recessed Rope Lighting, Huge 3 car garage. One of the finest of all homes in Punta Gorda with a breathtaking lake view with boating and marina only 1 minute away!

ding n e P Sale

Punta Gorda Isles Waterfront Home

80ʼ On The Water With Short Boat Ride Out! Completely renovated with new Pool, Deck, Tile, Paint, etc. Absolutely Beautiful- Come Live The Dream! $415,000

June

Water LIFE

2004

5 Redfish Lures ...That

By Capt. Robert Moore Water LIFE Staff

water plug is not only very productive, but lots of fun to use. The steel ball rattle inside in the Top Dog versus other top water bait, seems to draw more strikes for me than any other I have used. Patience is a must when using any top water plug. The phrase ʻwalk the dogʼ means retrieving the plug back and forth along the surface. This bait is also one that must be worked with the rod and not by retrieving your line alone. A medium retrieve seems to draw more strikes. The biggest tip I can pass on when using any top water plug is, when you get a strike wait until you feel the weight of the fish before setting the hook. If the fish misses the bait do not stop your retrieve, continue to work the bait the same speed as before. More times than not the fish will follow up with another strike. Top colors are Red Head/White Body, Orange Belly/Gold and Black back.

I have become confident in a small number of artificial baits. Confidence is the key to productive fishing and confidence comes with catching fish. The more fish you catch on certain lures the more confident you will become. Here is the top five list of my favorite artificial baits for redfish, in no particular order.

1. Exude RT Slug or D.A.R.T – I can honestly say since I was introduced to this bait several years ago I have caught more redfish on these two types of artificial baits than any other. When rigged weedless they are very productive in the 1-4 ft. range. I prefer a 3/0 extra wide offset shank hook.

My success with these scent-releasing baits comes when I work them side-to-side. With my rod pointing down towards the water I will twitch the bait using my rod tip and only reeling enough to take in the slack line. I basically let the rod tip do all the work.

These baits imitate an injured shiner. A slow to medium retrieve works well when worked along grassy bottoms or underneath mangrove shorelines. Top colors for the RT Slug are Baby Bass, Golden Bream and Watermelon Seed. For the D.A.R.T, Natural Shrimp and Clear/Gold Flake.

3. Yo-Zuri 3D Fingerling – This suspending bait is a little pricey, but well worth it in the right conditions. Best results are when used in 3-to 5 feet of water with a medium jerk/twitch retrieve. Any shallower and the plug will grab the bottom and grass. The 3D Fingerling is the artificial bait I have found that most closely resembles a live shiner.

With dual treble hooks the water must be free of floating grass. The hooks that come packaged with this plug are its only draw back. They will straighten out on just about any fish you catch therefore requiring you to replace them with 3x strong hooks or better

2. Mirrolure Top Dog – My absolute favorite way to fish for redfish or any other fish for that matter. This ʻwalk the dogʼ top CH NTY 93 U 19 CO CE N I S

OUTBOARD ENGINES Johnson - Evinrude, Mercury, Suzuki, Yamaha, Nissan

MAGAZINE

Work for me 98% of the Time

before you even use it. Top colors are Ghost and Gold/Black.

4. Gold Spoon (a.k.a ʻold reliableʼ) – This artificial bait has been around long before me and will be around long after I am gone as well. I have to mention it because in my lifetime I have caught more redfish on a gold spoon than any other artificial bait.

They mainly come in two styles, with a treble hook and weedless. Weedless 1/4 – 1/2 ounce is my preference. I fish 1/4 ounce in water less than two feet and 1/2 ounce in water deeper than two feet. There are numerous manufacturers such as Hobo, Johnson, Gator and Rapala. No particular brand has me convinced one is better than the other. A good swivel is a must when using a spoon or your line will twist beyond repair. With a medium to fast retrieve this is a great bait to cover lots of water in less time.

5. Soft Body Shrimp on a Jig Head – Exude, Berkley, OH Son make some great soft bodied shrimp for working light grass and sandy bottoms or under mangrove shorelines. I prefer to rig with a 1/4 ounce red-head jig and work in less than 5 feet of water. I like to work the bait very slowly bouncing on the bottom. To high of a bounce off the bottom will result in less strikes. Small slow bounces will imitate a shrimp on the bottom while a medium popping retrieve will resemble an escaping shrimp. – Tight Lines!!!

SI CO CH NC UN E TY 19 93

Mobile Marine Repair Service “oil change to overhaul”

STERN DRIVES AND INBOARDS OMC, Volvo, Mercruiser, Crusader

Complete Marine Maintenance and Dockside Repair Service

(941) 766-8729 licensed and insured

Veterans Discounts ʻSemper Fidelisʼ

Down Under Dive Services professional dive master

Custom Built in Charlotte

Repowering? Call

Custom

14?

21?

and

29?

Open

Fiberglass Repair & Supplies ¥ Bottom Painting ¥ Detailing &

941.628.2588 Whidden Industrial Your local SW Florida

Licensed

Family Owned and Operated with over 50 Years Experience

100-Ton

Page 23

Captain

Top to Bottom: Top Dog, Soft Bodied Shrimp, Gold Spoon, 3D Fingerling, RT Slug

Shark How To Page 24

By Fi shi n’ Frank Water LIFE Staff Surprisingly, fishing for the small black tip or bull sharks that inhabit the upper harbor with light spinning tackle, 10 pound test line - is very popular. These fish put the angler’s skills to the test. From start to finish it’s usually 15 minutes of hard fighting.

Black tips do not jump, but are one of the fastest running fish I have ever seen.

Atlantic sharp nose and spinners, often mistaken for black tips, are the ones to give you an aerial display, while bull sharks do what there name implies, they pull hard and long.

If you’re going shark fishing with your boat you’ll need some frozen chum, a bag of Eagle Claw 4/0, 420nw, nyla-wire steel snelled hooks, and some frozen sardines. If you don’t already have them, get a couple of bobbers.

Sharks are very shy creatures, so during the day look in deeper water for them. There is a 20 foot hole 1 and 1/2 miles south south-west of Marker No. 1 that holds sharks. Lately, the tarpon guys have been fishing there so I fish the 14 foot hole at the mouth of the Myakka River or the waters just south of the Alligator Creek Reef.

Another good spot is the new reef just off Cape Haze.

In any event, find a spot you like and drop the anchor, a good rule is to not tie the anchor line hard to the boat, instead put an oversize crab float on the line then tie a loop and place the loop over a cleat. That way, when you get a fish too big too stop, you simply throw the anchor line over, and chase that som-bit down. If you wait to bring in the anchor, by that time, the fish, your line and your chance at the really big one will all be gone.

Whether itʼs the Home of Your Dreams...

Water LIFE

June

MAGAZINE

New Yorker Robert Linville had his first taste of shark fishing off Cape Haze last month and he loved it. Fishing ten pound test with flourcarbon leader under a poppin cork the black tips and bonnetheads came a-callng when we put out the chum. This black tip took a frozen sardine and ran with it, much to Mr. Linvilleʼs pleasure.

After you have the anchor down, put in the chum bag. you want to tie it off the back of the boat just so the top of the bag is out of the water, that will allow it to dispense properly and it won’t tangle in your line when bringing in a shark.

The first line out should be one with a bobber. That will tell you which way the chum is going and where to set the next line. After letting out a lot of line for the bobber I toss the next out free-line, with just a sardine and no weight or bobber. Last, I throw a line off the side of the boat. To keep it from drifting into the others, I use a sinker, the weight of the sinker is determined by the current. More current more lead.

Now relax and enjoy the calm before the storm. A watched pot never boils, an old saying goes, but it’s often true. Just when you are getting a drink or even worse, getting rid of one: FISH ON !

Team work is important now. If the fish

is to big to control, the other person starts to reel in the other lines. If the fish is too big too stop at all, and you are about to be spooled, throw the anchor line. The boat will start to drift and this will give you precious seconds to get the other lines in and start the boat to begin the chase. The person with the fish should go to the bow, keep the rod tip up and the line tight. That way the person running the boat knows which way to turn. Communication is key.

If you are running the boat, be careful with the throttle. Go slow and easy with a shark on the line, you don’t want to power down and toss your buddy out of the boat.

It is better to meet the shark while you are still in the boat. Get the gaff ready if you are going for dinner.

If you are going to catch and release sharks, the biggest problem you have to overcome is your own fear. O.K. that’s reasonable, but fear makes handling sharks more dangerous than it already is. Your

Or the Catch of a Lifetime

Capt. J.B. Bradshaw ¥ Realtor

Coldwell Banker Morris Realty inc.

634-8512

2004

movements when grabbing a shark need to be quick, sure and firm. When you get the shark next to the boat, grab the leader and lift the shark out of the water, if you can lift him with one hand, then proceed to the next steps, if not and the shark is too heavy it may be best to cut the leader close as you can and let him go.

If you can handle it, grab the shark behind the head. With your thumb on one side of the gill and your middle finger on the other. By holding him by the gills it is unlikely that the shark can slip out of your grip. Use a pair of long needle nose pliers to remove the hook, then place him back in the water. If the shark has been out for a while do not toss it back. Hold the shark up right in the water easing the grip on his gills let it get orientated then let go. I do not recommend holding it by the tail when releasing it unless you have too many fingers and need to lose one or two extras.

For most of us a two or three foot shark is the best size for eating. Larger sharks just have too much meat and it will go bad before it is eaten.

OK, now you have a two foot shark on the gaff which you gaffed through the gills – trying to belly gaff a shark will end you up with a bent gaff. Once he is on the gaff and settles down, celebrate a few mandatory high fives. Wise cracks and maybe an adult beverage are now appropriate.

It is important to gut the shark immediately. This will stop the transfer of fluid from the liver into the meat. That is what gives some sharks that nasty taste instead of the mild tasty treat they really are. Once the shark is gutted, put it in the ice chest, or pack it with ice.

Back at the dock, to clean the shark start by cutting off the fins. Start from the back and cut to the front. Then cut off the tail where it joins the body. Now you have two choices: Either cut the shark into steaks about 3/4 of an inch thick or fillet it.

Remember there are no bones in a shark just the back bone which is really heavy cartilage.

To fillet the shark, start the first cut right after the nose and continue along the middle of the back bone down to the tail end.

Then work the meat off the back bone and fillet the meat off the skin, same as any other fish. Cut it into pieces and cook on a well greased grill. Shark meat is very mild in flavor so do not over spice it.

Shark fishing is dangerous and should not be done alone. It is against the law to shoot a shark – that make it harder too kill the larger ones, but not as dangerous as it was when bullets where skipping across the water while some drunk was trying to kill a shark 50 feet out from his boat.

It’s hard to believe, I know, but I remember one night when three guys got an 8 foot shark in their boat and one of them decided to shoot it in the head before it thrashed the boat or bit one of them. He shot it in the head and the bullet went through the head, through the deck through the stringer and through the hull.

I Hope you get some shark stories of

800-

June

2004

Water LIFE

MAGAZINE

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

Page

25

Page

Water LIFE

26

Preparing for a Tournament

Tournament Pre-Fishing and Strategies

By Capt. Chuck Ei chner Water LIFE Gasparilla Editor

Each angler has his own approach for tournament preparation and tournament strategies. Here are a few tactics that this captain has used over the past 22 years of successful competitive fishing.

Tournament Pre-fishing

Basically, your trying to figure out where to fish on tournament day. Since this article is about redfishing in Charlotte Harbor, the most important thing next to weather is tides. Step 1 would be to know the tides on tournament day and try and locate active fish on tides that are close to that day. You may have to do your homework a week or two in advance to understand how fish are relating to flats, potholes, grassbeds and bars on low, medium, high tides similar to tournament day.

Incoming and outgoing water will change where the fish will be.

My philosophy is to have as many low and high tide spots as possible. The reason is that if you have a stiff breeze on tournament day blowing on your one hotspot, the fish might get turned off.

Dirty water, loose grass or just a bad attitude can occur. So then you run to a calmer spot to hopefully find active fish.

Many tournament anglers will fish their spots a day or two before the tournament just to be sure the fish are there. This can be good and bad. If you make a few casts and hook a couple of fish, they might not be in an eating mood the next day. If the fishing is hot, you don’t want to get carried away and burn up your spot. Some

savvy competitors will fish their baits with the barbs turned down so as not to hook the fish on the take.

Redfish can be moody and change their preference on different days. The tried and true gold spoon is no secret and is great for covering lots of water and locating active fish. You will have to figure out the type and retrieve if this is your approach. Soft plastics are good producers and you have to experiment with colors, smells, styles not to mention retrieves on a given day. Fishing a lure with confidence may play more of a role then your selection.

Tournament Strategies Run & Gun- Some anglers like to fish a lot of spots. They will fish a pre-determined spot giving it 20 minutes to produce and if doesn’t happen then on to the next one. Some guys will fish 15 or more spots in a day. Sometimes this is a good strategy, but it’s not really my style.

Your lure spends a lot of time out of the water on the way to the next fishing hole.

The Milk Run- Select your top 4-6 spots, picking them out strategically for a given tide and time of day and fish them slowly and methodically. Give each spot and hour or so and depending on the fish activity, move to the next at a pre-determined time. Obviously, if your on fish you will probably fish them until you think it’s time to move or they quit biting, so the ‘milk-run’ will vary on a given day. You may be on redfish that are too big hoping to finally get that right one that meets the limit and fish many hours in the process. Sometimes the right fish

MAGAZINE

Fish Hook Removal

22ʼ Play Time Deck Boat with 125 hp Mercury. Wholesale prices

$13,900 19ʼ Play Time Center Console with 90 hp Mercury

2004

No one wants to think about it, but if you fish long enough this could very well happen to you. Hereʼs how to get a hook out from under your skin: 1: Make a loop from fishing line and wrap it around your wrist. 2: Put the loop over the shank end of the imbedded hook and push down on the shank. Hold pressure down on the shank, which will free the barb, and use the loop to pull the hook free.

never comes along and it’s time to re-think where to fish.

Stake & Wait- This is really the confidence method. You fished or ‘tested’ this spot a couple of days before the tournament and you know the fish are there.

This approach is about fishing a known good area and waiting them out. You can live and die with this type of fishing. If the fish show up, you’re doing high fives, but if you have sat for 2-3 hours with no action it is tough to keep up the confidence. You will be keeping your line in the water pretty much for the whole tournament and there is a lot to be said for that. This technique has produced a lot of winning stringers in the bass fishing circuit.

Tournament Preparation The best tournament fisherman I have ever known were meticulous about detail.

In fact, with any type of fishing 10% of the fisherman catch 90% of the fish and I strongly believe it is the attention to detail that makes the difference.

Your rods, reels and tackle should be in perfect condition with fresh line. Your lures, leaders, etc. should be carefully selected, hooks sharpened and quick lure changes are made easy so no time is wasted fumbling or looking for that right lure while in the tournament. Pick your top 5 favorite baits and place them at the ready

we ARE the Manufacturer

$19,500

June

$9,995 18ʼ Play Time Pontoon with 40 hp Mercury

for a quick switch and be sure to have back-ups. Tie your lures on the night before when your wide awake and your adrenaline isn’t fired up. A bad knot tied in the early morning darkness of a tournament will bring Murphy’s Law out of the woodwork when that nice redfish eats your lure.

The boat should be gassed up and completely ready to go the day before. The last thing you need is a dead battery or find you forgot your outboard oil the morning of the tournament.

The final, but absolutely the most important thing, for tournament success is confidence. Your attitude will make or break you. If you haven’t boated a fish in the first 5 hours you have to keep your mental edge and confidence high that your next cast will produce a winning fish.

Some anglers believe in the ‘Zen’ method of mentally visualizing your success prior to the tournament and the ‘karma’ from this will carry from the spiritual world to the real world. Hey, whatever works for you. Make lots of casts, fish each cast as if the winning fish was going to strike and never break stride – we’ll see you in the winners circle!

Capt. Chuck Eichner operates Action Flats Backcountry Charters and can be found online at: www.backcountry-charters.com or for a guided fishing trip call 941-505-0003.

June

2004

Water LIFE

MAGAZINE

SCARY MIX: Tarpon, Sharks and Kayaks

E mai l From Di ck Pfaff Economy Tackle I was off on a 3 day paddling trip with Joe, Ed, Muffin, and Roger. Most of their paddling is done in the Placida, Cayo Costa, and Captiva area. We got on the water about 10:30 am Monday with North Captive Island as our destination, approximately 20 miles away. About 1.5 hrs into the trip there was a torrential downpour with about 2 inches of rain and more than enough lightning. We couldn’t exactly just get off the water as there were too many mangroves, so we stayed close to shore. The rain subsided and the skies stayed gray and ominous, but it was still great to be out in the foul weather. Due to high winds we took to the inside of Cayo Costa and with a couple of breaks made our way down to Captiva Pass. On our way through, Joe sighted a large ray jumping through the air which I unfortunately missed seeing. Then all of a sudden the ray jumped again!

We paddled on out to the gulf and headed for the southwest part of the island to set up camp. Home at last, at least for the next two nights, this is what kayaking with paddling friends is all about.

The night was breezy and a light rain came along and cooled the remainder of the darkness away. Next morning it was blue skies and breaking waves on the beach, it was the best, it doesn’t get any better than this! Joe had planned for the day to paddle through South Seas Plantation where a condo rents for $3500 a week and then on around North Captiva Island.

We left South Seas and headed for Barnacle Phil’s

restaurant on North Captiva for a hearty lunch while six wild otters entertained us. From there we paddled back to camp and did some island exploring. Each night we had a nice fire, beautiful sunsets, and calming nature to lull us to sleep. We broke camp Wednesday and headed another 20 miles up towards Placida for a total of 52 miles.

As we were paddling abreast of one another headed for Captiva Pass there was some turbulence in the water at the ten o’clock position to my bow. I spotted two large tarpon headed for us, or actually between Ed and Roger. The first tarpon came out of the water higher than our heads and the second one ran into Ed’s kayak.

A charter captain about sixty feet away yelled to us there was a ten-foot hammerhead shark chasing behind the tarpons (and here I thought it was something serious!). For some reason, the shark got interested in Rogers yellow kayak and swam up to where its dorsal fin was 3 inches from his stern.

Being the kind person Roger is, he stopped paddling so he would not hit (and possibly injure?) the shark.

Roger had no idea how close he might have come to disaster.

The shark finally left our group and we talked about the excitement and how Roger saved the tarpon by being along on the trip. That experience goes in my log as one of the three most exciting experiences in eight years of paddling. Heading back to Placida with no further excitement rounded out a great trip. It will always be a great experience paddling with the fearsome-foursome down Placida way.

Thanks for the invitation!!

Page

Made For TV Tarpon Tournament

27

Could Get Lucky Yet

Above: This looked like the first fish caught of the year and the cameras were ready.

Left: After about 30 minutes Capt Terry Winters finally pulled a big bull shark to the surface The Professional Tarpon Tournament Series relies on heavy video coverage. Several boats with cameramen follow the action and when things heat up they jump boat-to-boat to get there while an angler is reeling in a fish. By late May the tarpon finally came into the pass and the scheduled tournament event on June 6 at 7 a.m. has the potential of providing some great action.

The Oldest Restaurant and Marina on the Peace River

Page

Water LIFE

28

June

MAGAZINE

The Water Water LIFE LIFE Distributorʼs Club 1595 McCall Rd (cr 776-771)

697-1556

1360 Tamiami Trail, Port Charlotte

625-0200

4265 Tamiami Trail Port Charlotte 941•625•2700

B & F Smokehouse Restaurant

Strato Net is our local Water LIFE Internet Service Provider

excellent rates, excellent service, no waiting

Open 7-Days a Week

Daily Specials

Full Cocktail Service Happy Hour 3-5:30 p.m. every day Free appetizers in Bar on Thursdays 3-6 p.m.

We also do catering

(941) 475-7647 2440 McCall Rd Englewood

182 deluxe rooms & suites * Boat dock on premises * Banquet & meeting facilities up to 400 * Large Fishing Pier * Waterfront Restaurant & Lounge * Heated outdoor pool with Tiki Bar * Nightly Entertainment

300 Retta Esplanade Punta Gorda

941-639-1165 1-800-525-1022 “The BEST Get t i ng BETTER”

1 0 8 Ri o Vi l l a Dr, Punta Go rda • 6 3 7 -7 7 1 9

Featuring smoked ribs, pork, beef & chicken Contact us for

all your catering needs

615 Taylor Road Punta Gorda 941•637•0000

1720 So. McCall Road, Englewood 941•473-2070

Water LIFE is NOT affiliated with any newspaper or other publication.

2004

June

Water LIFE

2004

“Redfishing is not the same as fishing for Seatrout – just about anyone with a fishing rod can catch a bunch of sea trout”

One of a few tailing redfish strikes at a soft plastic bait.

By Don Cessna Water LIFE Englewood Redfish like any game fish have habits that help insure their survival. They are a voracious predator and an adept forager.

They feed on both live foods and carrion.

They are a schooling fish and yet finding a single fish here and there is just as likely. It is a challenge to find them and a challenge to catch them. Redfish are very spooky types, often one mistake will send them off in a swirl.

Fishing redfish is a practice of knowing where to look for them and figuring out when they should be there. We all know about looking for tailing fish and may have seen this activity. They look much like a bird dog working an area hunting food, not very subtle, but it can be difficult to approach close enough to them to make a cast. Even when one is stealthy enough to get close it is not unusual for a low flying

pelican to spook them and ruin your stalk.

Though there are spots that hold redfish fairly consistently, most of the time these fish frequent certain spots at certain times, in certain conditions. It is likely they can be found on a flat in the early morning then cruising a shoreline or oyster bar for a few hours, then loafing under a dock or mangroves tree line later in the day.

Redfishing is not the same as fishing for seatrout – just about anyone with a fishing rod can catch a bunch of sea trout in short order. Redfish are a very challenging gamefish and are a test of skill, especially in a tournament forum.

Those who enjoy fishing for reds each have their own preferences of what constitutes the best conditions to locate some fish. The enduring wisdom is that fishing the oyster bars and flats on a high tide is the best time and place to catch these fish. The logic is that the higher water level floods

MAGAZINE

areas where oysters, crabs and other crustacions live and makes them easier for the redfish to access, however I have always done better on a low tide, sometimes an extremely low tide. Fishing quiet shorelines out of the wind and any creeks and canals where there is a run of deeper water close by works for me. Mornings seem to be far better, the fishing slows as it gets later in the day.

Another location which will likely hold redfish is the docks. Docks can hold active fish later through the day. I can not remember ever catching a red after dark, though certainly others do. The docks have been really hot lately. The problem however when fishing docks is if you do hook a fish then what? How do you figure on getting the fish out of there, especially, a fish as strong as a redfish?

Mangrove shorelines are always one of the favorite spots to fish. The best mangroves are overhanging which means you need to cast way back underneath where the fish are. Bring plenty of extra bait and tackle as the magnetic mangroves will catch a bunch of tackle in the process.

Most anglers will fish for redfish with live shrimp since they are easy to obtain, very versatile and can be used in most tactical situations. Shrimp can be bounced under docks and mangroves or tossed up on an oyster bar.

With artificial baits the old standby has always been gold spoons. Jigs with either buck tails or plastic tails are also a good choice. Jigs can also be tipped with shrimp, but my personal favorite is a top

Page

29

water plug.

Maybe I have a mean streak, but I just really get a kick out of teasing redfish. Reds have a mouth oriented downward for bottom feeding so it is more difficult for them to get a hold of that Top Dog and often it takes several strikes before they get stuck.

Sometimes they attack the plug three or four times during a single retrieve. I always say that if the fish won’t hit my top water plug I didn’t want them anyway. Poppers and walk the dog type top water plugs work very well and also get struck viciously.

Twitch baits and bait fish imitations offer a more quiet and stealthy approach. There are also manufactured combinations of plug and live bait rigs that have been around for years. Ah, maybe the best of both worlds.

Chumming works well for Redfish.

Chumming can bring fish out from under the bushes, closer often than one is able to stalk. Here however arises a questionable tactic. Some anglers have taken to seeding an area, dumping bait where they will return to fish later. This is not fishing. This month, with the Kids Cup especially, adults should set an example with the spirit of s p o r t s m a n s h i p .

Winning is never as important as just being there to compete. It will surely be exciting. GOOD LUCK TO ALL THE PARTICIPANTS and above all BE SAFE. Don @ Ray’s Bait & Tackle 480 W. Dearborn St. Englewood, (941) 473-1591

Page

30

Water LIFE

June Fishing Forecast Charlotte Harbor

Butch Tarman with one of three 40-inch-plus cobias caught last month. “We like to put a live whiting - hooked through the upper lip - out for bait and then just wait,” he said. They were fishing near the US 41 bridge and the Bayshore Pier at Port Charlotte.

MAGAZINE

Robert at Fi shi n' Franks Port Charl otte: 625-3888 Welcome to summertime. Tarpon will be number one on everyone’s list this month, everyone not fishing for redfish that is. Tarpon will be all over in the harbor, the 20 foot hole, the Pirate Harbor hole – just everywhere. Also the tarpon should be out along the beaches, schooling up and daisy-chaining. There are now

even fish in the famous Boca Grande Pass.

Baits of choice will be threadfins and crabs, but cut bait like sardines and mullet also work very well on tarpon.

June is a good month for redfi sh.

They tend to be broken up now, not in as concentrated schools, but the early morning bite should be great on the flats and in the potholes and troughs, but when the sun moves up in the sky they will be moving under the bushes. Turtle Bay and Bull Bay around the islands and in Boca Bayou

June

2004

ʻCuda bites on a Mackʼ

June

2004

Fishing Report Continued from facing page

are all good spots. You can also look for redfish down in the Pine Island Sound where there are a lot of real deep ‘buckets’ and potholes that measure in the acres. Reds like to hang out around the edges of those kinds of places.

Artificials work well on them, but in the deeper water slow down your presentation because the fish tend to be more lethargic as it warms up. In the deeper spots, personally I like shrimp – the frozen shrimp is best because of the smell – just fish it up under the bushes and sit and wait for them to find it.

S nook are always fun this time of year, you’ll catch them out in the harbor, but this is the month for big, big fish. They have already moved out the passes and you’ll find them right in the surf within 15 to 20 feet of the surf breaking. Night snook fishing is the best because they seem to let their guard down at night. The bait of choice is big threadfins, greenbacks or some of the big shrimp we have been seeing.

If you want a big snook throw a large lure like a 16-series Bomber or the 8-series Yozuri.

In the Harbor they have been doing well on cobi a. They are catching a lot at Bayshore Pier, the 41 Bridge and at Laishley Park Pier: all those are good spots to fish from shore without having a boat. Most cobia are being caught on frozen sardines or live whiting. The by-catch for this kind of cobia fishing is that you will be catching small bl ack-

Water LIFE

B BIIG G-4 4 TARPON are back in the Pass and all around the harbor

J Ju un ne eʼs ʼs b be es st t b be et ts s

SHARKS have been here in big numbers

REDFISH will be a popular target this month

ti ps and bul l sharks, you’d think you’d be catching catfi sh too, but catfish have been tough this season so far, and I don’t know why.

S napper fishing has still been phenomenal, guys looking for reds and snook under the docks have been catching the hell out of the snapper there. In the freshwater arena the bl uegi l l fishing has been unbelievable, double-hand sized fish are not unusual now.

Shark Tournament

Ji m at Fi shermen’s Edge Engl ewood: 679-7595 Who knows what we will have in June? The biggest thing will be the tarpon fishing on the beach, in the pass and up in the harbor. The pass has really heated up in the past week. Guys have tol d me the fi sh are i n the Pass now and are as thi ck as they have ever seen them. That’s live baiters and jiggers talking. The volume of boats is still down so whatever bait you drop down you’re getting bit.

Back country fishing will still be good. There are a lot of snook around on the beach and in the passes. The trestle and the phosphate dock areas are both holding a lot of

Sign out Saturday afternoon @ 3 p.m.

Fish all night, be back by 8 a.m. on Sunday

Lemon Bay

n June 5: Calusa Catch and Release Tournament Captiva Island.

n June 6: Professional Tarpon Tournament, Boca Grande, 7 a.m. 255-1555

n June 7: Nav A Gator Fishing Club, meeting, 6 p.m. 623-3474

n June 9 - Meet the PROʼs Oberto Redfish Cup Anglers one-on-one at

31

SNOOK this could be the month for really big snook

Shark, Stingray, Sailcat June 12-13 Fishinʼ Franks

625-3888

Cash Prizes

Theyʼre Baaack!

snook right now.

Redfi shi ng has been good, as well. A lot of guys are having really good luck with reds over in the Pine Island area; that seems to be the hot spot for reds right now. The Useppa area around the top of the Island has been very good.

Quite a few guys are talking about cobi a, up in the Harbor. It seems like the cobia have been getting mixed in with the pods of tarpon there, and believe it or not there are still some assorted pompano

Powered by

CALENDAR n June 5: Kids Cup Redfish Tournament, age 10-15, Punta Gorda Weigh in at Harpoon Harrys at 2:30 p.m. The public is welcome! (941) 766-8180

Page

MAGAZINE

OF

on the beach and ki ng mackerel are still around too. This is more like the norm for this part of Florida. The El Niño years brought early fishing, but this is the way it used to be. S pani sh, boni ta, AJs and snapper fishing has all really been good. Everyone is catching a variety of snappers; mangroves, lanes, and yellowtail. By late June the snapper fishing will peak.

Around the islands the sheepshead and whi ti ng are still around on the beach side in

EVENTS

Gilchrist Park, Punta Gorda from 6 until 8 p.m.

Seminars, kids clinic and more. Free and open to all

auditorium. Over $75,000 in cash prizes will be awarded. Big Air Dog Jumping.

Full schedule and map in this monthʼs centerfold

n June 10 - Fishing Seminar, with author Aaron Adams, Mullen Center NorthPort 6:30 p.m.

426-8331

n June 19: Burnt Store Couples Tournament, Sold out with a waiting list 637-0083

n June 9 - Boat Maintanence Seminar, covering teak and fiberglass upkeep at West Marine, Pt. Carlotte 5:30-7:00 p.m.

n June 11-13 Oh Boy! Oberto Redfish Cup on ESPN2 Tournament, Punta Gorda at the downtown

n June 12-13 Fishinʼ Franks Shark Stingray and Sailcat Tournament, Port Charlotte 625-3888

n Sept 11: Flatsmasters Red & Snook Tournament, 629-9948 Send us your calendar info. See Page 4

Fishing

Excellent RIGHT NOW:

COME ON DOWN!

Stop by Harpoon Harrys on Saturday June 5 to watch the

Kids Cup Weigh In Last boat must be in by 2:30 p.m. so plan on arriving about an hour early (1:30 -1:45) to see all the action