Water LIFE June 2018

Water LI FE

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

Kids Online Summer Fishing Tournament see page 6

The Charlotte Harbor Reef Association

June 2018

Txt Us Ur FishPix! weʼll use ʻem!

Alex, fishing with Capt, Matt of Kingfisher Fleet out of Fishermenʼs Village

See page 4

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Elijah Russell large mouth bass Rotonda canals

FISH PIX!

Wyatt Wilhite snook

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Allegiantʼs Sunseeker

By Michael Heller Water LIFE editor In August of 2017 Allegiant went on record saying ʻby the end of 2019ʼ they would have their project built. The project, Sunseeker Resort, is suppose to be built in the part of Charlotte County that is legally Punta Gorda, but is really O.T.B., in Port Charlotte – OTB is a snobby Punta Gorda slur for going ʻover the bridgeʼ into Port Charlotte.

The latest release from Sunseeker now claims its ʻ1000 foot swimming poolʼ will be a ʻ2 acreʼ pool, and that it is doing away with the idea of a white sand beach on the Peace Riverʼs shore. Also gone will be the marina on the west side of the bridge. The forecast completion date remains unchanged, but it may only be one building they have built by then.

Last month Bayshore Road was closed and the site was being fenced off with chain link as a requirement of their demolition permit. As of May 22, the demolition permit is the only permit Charlotte County has issued for the project.

A demolition permit is necessary to do away with the miniature golf course and scrape up the paving and the foundation from the old second day bread building where, back in the day, we used to get bread to mix with Kozy Kitty cat food and make chum.

In my knowledge of site development, the company I worked for developed the land and built almost 800 houses in Palm Beach County, there would first be a permit for a seawall, the seawall will be necessary to hold back the fill they are going to have to bring in to meet the FEMA established elevation. And before that happens all the underground and above ground utilities will have to be removed.

Approval and sign offs from FEMA for elevation, the Army Corps of Engineers for Waterfront, the County for Building and Mechanical plans and a sign off from Punta Gorda, will all have to happen before brick-one is laid. And now, since Charlotte County just approved its own Manatee Protection Plan, and

JUNE 2018

Txt fish Pix to 941-457-1316

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

(941) 766-8180

FishPix, text only number 941-457-1316

217 Bangsberg Rd. Port Charlotte, FL 33952

Independant - Not affiliated with any other publication! since this site is on the Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserve, the Florida FWC will have to sign off on the plans as well. None of this will be a quick ʻwalkthrough,ʼ of that I am sure.

The construction and development world is on fire at the moment. New projects are going up everywhere. The companies that do the site engineering and the drainage calculations are, according to a friend who does a lot of work for the county, “a year out, at least,” in taking on new projects.

Allegiant is staying upbeat. According to their website they will begin taking refundable $5000 ʻdepositsʼ soon. The deposits are not deposits on condos they will build, the deposits are to reserve your place in line so when they do start taking real deposits you will be at the front of the line. To me, that sounds like a way to test the waters on one condo, not a way to start building a big project.

I really hope this project happens, but I seriously doubt it will. I think they will clean the site up and then I think they wonʼt be able to get the financing and they will flip it.

Vol XVII No 6 © 2018

NO PART of this publication (printed or electronic) may be copied, reproduced or re-used without specific written permission from the publishers. (and thatʼs never happened!)

Contributing Editors:

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

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JUNE 2018

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contestants...yet.

By Michael Heller There are a lot of monthly prizes, but Water LIFE publisher the sooner you kids start fishing the betHave you signed your kids up in our ter their chances are Dollar Bill Chalof winning the 2018 lenge yet? You Tracker 1032 Boat. can fish with There are also them. It’s an on four 5-question, line, do-it-yourmultiple choice, self, text-us-yourFish Quizzes that fish, fishing are part of the tournament. Once event. The quizzes signed up, we are optional, but antext an angler glers who elect to number, then the take the quizzes get kids have to text ‘extra credit’ toward us a selfie with a winning the boat. dollar bill showThe rules and ing their number entry form are onon the back. line where sign up That’s their I.D. is a $15 donation to You can sign our non profit Charup any time and lotte Harbor Reef fish when you Association. want, to win Emma Koebel is signed up in the Dollar Bill On my end of the great prizes like Challenge, Are you and your kids? tournament, I’m the Shakespeare rods one who logs them in and receives all and reels, MirrOlure MR-17 lures and the pictures and Fish Quizzes. It’s been Don Ball or Water LIFE T-shirts. There keeping me smiling but we need more are prizes for the top three fish in 30 kids signed up. If yours are interested, species in each of the four fishing perigo to waterlifemagazine.com, read the ods this summer. The tournament runs rules and sign them up. The money through September. We have hundreds helps support our kids programs. of prizes to give away and not enough

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Last month there was another kids event, the 4th Annual Kids Pier Fishing Tournament, put on by Downtown Bait and Tackle at the Laishley Park Pier. This is always a fun morning so I went there on Saturday to see what was going on.

At the pier the younger kids were already fishing when I arrived. I wandered around, saying good morning to a few families I knew. At the far end of the pier a father and son were reeling in fish.

Poppa was an accomplished fisherman and his three year old son, Kimontae, was learning from him. The snappers were swarming under the pier and poppa baited hook after hook with a shrimp and a split shot 16 inches or so up on the line, and pitched it to the right spot... and fish after fish came up.

Kimontae was cranking the rod, as serious as could be, reeling and watching and then, when the fish appeared, a warm shy little smile would come over his face... and then he was back to fishing.

His older brother had a pencil and paper and was keeping score. I could see the score, it was at 14 - two marked off fives and a four.

I took out my own notebook and asked the boys mother her son’s name and age,,, and what’s your last name, I

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Three year old Kimontae Pringle gets help unhooking a snapper from his dad

added. “Pringle,” she said.

The name Pringle was fresh in my mind.

“We have a Mathew Pringle in our Dollar Bill Challenge fishing tournament,” I said, introducing myself.

“Are you related to Mathew Pringle?”

She smiled and said “That’s my son,” and the boy with the paper keeping score looked up and said I’m Mathew!

Small world, the fishing community is, around here.

Peace River Clean Up June 2

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Grouper Have Teeth!

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By Capt. Chuck Eichner Water LIFE Offshore

Grouper fishing in June is not for the faint of heart. Gag grouper opens June 1 and along with red, black and a few other sub-species you may need an extra cooler if all goes well. One or two big groupers can fill the largest of coolers, but the trouble is trying to reel them in! Along with these tasty fish comes very hot weather tempered with storms offshore, so watching over your shoulder is a good policy throughout the day.

Deeper water for gags, to me, means over 100 feet and expect to find more and bigger fish closer to 150 feet... but that is a long boat ride.

Whole grunts, big blue runners, squirrelfish and the like dropped down on a bottom rig is all you need to do. Identifying the bottom contours that hold these larger grouper is the hard part, but generally hard Swiss cheese bottoms and more importantly small ledges on this bottom, is what I target. A steep ledge of 3- to 5-

When you head west, the further you go the bigger the fish, the deeper the water and a lot more space between you and dry ground.

On every boat I have ever been on, there is plenty of enthusiasm when the boat leaves the dock for the open Gulf waters. To do it right, you need to plan well in advance and have your bait, tackle and fishing destinations all lined up and hope for decent winds. We like to work as a team.

We have sabiki-rigged rods ready for deployment, squid cut to bait the rig and when the captain says drop em,’ two men get busy dehooking as the other two are swinging in the string of bait fish. We count the baitfish as they hit the livewell and 60-70 baits makes us feel comfortable enough that we will not run out.

Gag grouper go deeper as the water warms and red grouper come in shallower, so a good game plan is to go deep earlier and fish towards land as the day progresses.

JUNE 2018

many times. When this happens I use twisted cable and use crimps to attach a hook at one end and a swivel at the other. I haven’t seen a grouper bite through steel yet, but of course, this may get you less bites as grouper have very good vision.

When a grouper takes the bait it is pretty much man against beast! Sometimes I put the rod in the gunnel rod holder and pull a “wicked tuna” where I pull the line by hand and turn the reel handle with the other. It actually works to move line faster than just turning the handle against the rod and fish.

feet will create the right ambush point for a large gag or black grouper. I fish a 6-to 8-ounce slip sinker with 6-feet of 60pound leader and match my hook size to the size of the large live bait I am dropping down.

For rod/reel combination, a heavy action 7-foot boat rod with a high-speed conventional wind reel, spooled with 65pound braid, will usually get the job done, but not always, if the fish is 50pounds or more, or when a smaller fish dives in a hole! The faster you move the fish off the bottom the better your chances are of seeing it on the dinner table, thus the high-speed reel.

If you find that your fish are breaking

you off after you get them off the bottom then they might just be biting the line.

Huge grouper have quite a set of abrasive teeth in the roof of their mouths that will surprise you! We have had big grouper bite off 80-pound fluorocarbon

Beware of the monster grouper that shows up boat-side.

If you see brown down in the water column it may be a goliath grouper that must be returned unharmed. Of course, brown could also be a shark or better yet a cobia. If this all sounds pretty exciting it is! The bounty of the Gulf and its mysteries are what keep us coming back, time after time.

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

JUNE 2018

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Hill Tide Tarpon Rodeo

By Mallory Herzog Water LIFE Fishing We had a lot of rain at the end of May, but I’ve found a dry place inside to share a few fishing adventures from this past month. It really went from one extreme to the other, both in weather and fishing.

We started out last month with drought-like conditions and as I write this we are ending it with the first named storm of the season. What will this mean for our fish and the upcoming hill tide?

The hill tides are some of the strongest tides of the year, occurring in spring. While they aren't the only time to catch a tarpon, they are some of the most productive tides for a bite.

During this time, the strong current flushes crabs out from the Peace River and Charlotte Harbor to thousands of hungry migratory tarpon waiting in the Pass. Essentially it is a tarpon buffet,

you throw your crab in and HOLD ON! A tropical storm during a hill tide.. talk about tarpon rodeo!

Our guest this month have seen great action to begin tarpon season.

The fish have shown up in massive numbers and are ready to feast on our abundant food sources. It’s been an exciting time with anglers visiting from all over the world to fish the spring migration though Boca Grande, the furthest away being from Australia!

Many have never experienced this type of fishing let alone boats fishing in such tight quarters, but the worry quickly fades once they hook a few fish.

Stuck without a boat? Yeah.. I’ve been there. You can also hook these fish off the beach as they start spilling out from the passes. From Boca Grande to Venice these fish will be on the prowl this month. Best times to target them from land are at just before

sunrise and sunset/ dusk. In the early morning hours they tend to be closer to the shore line, then as the sun comes up they move further out.

To book a trip call Capt Andrew Herzog at 941-661-0304 http://bigbullyoutdoors.com

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JUNE 2018

Dollar Bill Challenge Online Tournament - SIGN UP NOW !

Fishing Period #1 open until June 20

We Need MORE KIDS Signed Up!

Now through September 20 30 species to chose from

Text us your Fish Win Great Prizes!

Get your picture in the magazine!

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

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

Answers are due before noon, June 20.

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

1.

During periods of _________________, fish tend to be more scattered and are present in areas where the water depths offer them safety. a.

High water b.

Low water c.

I donʼt know What influences the tides most?

The weather The earthʼs magnetic field The Sun and Moon Mercury and Mars I donʼt know

3.

Which fish is more likely to be caught when fishing on the grass flats? a.

Snook b.

Redfish c.

Trout d.

Mangrove Snapper e.

I donʼt know

4.

What is an Ethical Angler? a.

An angler who always has the right tackle b.

An angler who only fishes from shore c.

An angler who only fishes from a boat d.

An angler who does the right thing when no one else is looking e. f. An angler who does the right thing when someone else is watching f.

I donʼt know 5. The water is usually deeper on which side of a bend in the river? a.

Inside b.

Outside c.

I donʼt know

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Fish with your kids this summer

FISH QUIZ # 1 Please Donʼt Guess!!

2. a. b. c. d. e.

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Sign Up Your Kids! - in our online Kidsʼ Summer Fishing Tournament 1) Read the Rules and Sign Up online at www.waterlifemagazine.com 2) Fish any time you want from Cape Sable to Venice, from eastern Okeechobee to 50 miles out in the Gulf.

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

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

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

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

Your text answers should be like this

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

Tournament Questions? 941-766-8180

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

or download the sponsor form at

www.waterlifemagazine.com Thank You for your support!

all donations are tax deductable

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Dollar Bill Challenge: 30 Species

PAGE 9

Sign Up Any Time This Summer!

Age 7 to 16, Rules and Sign Up online at: www.waterlifemagazine.com

Justin Medina

Ben Koebel

Jaekwon Pringle

Kingston Boyd

Kevin Jackson

Mathew Pringle

When our anglers sign up we have them text us a selfie with their angler number on the back of a dollar bill.

A bill with that angler number must appear in each fish picture they submit.

We will begin publishing winning pictures of the junior anglers with their fish, starting next month.

Please support our sponsors, they make our programs possible.

the Englewood Bait House

Wilson Pools

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Estero Bay: No Place Like Home PAGE

By Capt. Joe Angius Water LIFE Estero Ever since I moved down to Southwest Florida for school, my go-to fishery has always been Estero Bay. For me personally there was no better place to fish.

From redfish and snook prowling along in shallow mud creeks to schools of black drum cruising our beaches, it is these signs of a healthy habitat that made fishing here so addictive. It wasn’t until this past fishing season where I realized how stubborn I was in not taking advantage of the endless fishing opportunities that surrounded me. Last month I began fishing from Wiggins Pass all the way down south to Keewaydin island and intend to do so throughout this month. Of course, I will continue to fish in Estero, because of the amazing juvenile tarpon fishing we have, but more importantly I believe that venturing out into new and unknown waters will challenge me to become a better angler.

The great fishing that I have discovered in so many different areas has revived aspects of the sport for me that I almost forgot were there. With that being said, Naples Bay and Cape Coral has provided anglers with great night fishing opportuni-

ties. I’ve been focusing my efforts on nighttime tarpon and snook fishing, but can’t discredit the speckled trout, lady fish, jacks, and sharks that want to play at night as well. For large tarpon and snook I found that ladyfish, mullet, and very big pinfish spark the best bite at night. I will use an 8-foot heavy-action rod with a 6000-sized reel to fight these targeted species. If I’m fishing under dock lights I

will switch to my normal inshore medium-heavy to heavy action rods equipped with 4000-sized reels.

Fishing at night during the summer months is a great way to beat the Florida heat. It also provides anglers with a new perspective of angling and can really test one’s skills. The most difficult parts of night fishing are sleep deprivation, mosquito bites, and unexpected thunder-

JUNE 2018

storms, but the payoff of a large tarpon or goliath grouper makes it all worth it.

If the nightlife is not so much your thing, I would highly recommend taking your chances and fishing in the late afternoon. Once the afternoon showers pass, it leaves anglers an opportunity to fish in cooler and calmer conditions.

Also, most people would rather be off the water by this time so there’s a significant difference in boat traffic and fishing pressure. In my experience I have found this is the optimal time to fish for juvenile tarpon.

Taking full advantage of presented opportunities such as night-fishing, exploring new areas, and fishing within those small windows of good weather is what keeps me going back out on the water.

Estero Bay will always be my “home” waters and I can’t stress enough the endless opportunities that this fishery holds.

Yes, it can be difficult at times to find or catch fish here, but you will find that struggle anywhere. If you feel that you are comfortable with where you are fishing, I challenge you to travel to new waters and experience an adventure.

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

CANVAS & UPHOLSTERY

Go Where You Think They Ainʼt JUNE 2018

By Fishin’ Frank Water LIFE Baitshop The other day my Dad says, “Hey can I use your boat?” What? Huh? Excuse me.

OK, it is my Dad and all, but my boat? So I said ‘Hey Dad, you want to go fishing?’

So he decided on Sunday at 7a.m.

Sunday morning came and it was raining, I called Dad and told him it was raining – “Not at my house,” OK, but Dad, the boat is here where it is raining. How about 8 o'clock? OK. So the rain stopped and we headed out.

Let's go trout fishing with lures Dad said, OK, so as we were going under the 41

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bridge – “Do you have a cast net on the boat?” he asked.

Sure. Let's stop and get bait.

OK, so much for fishing with lures. On to Plan B. We stopped at Marker No. 2 and I threw on the down current side of the Marker and got about 3-dozen threadfins. You can tell them from the greenbacks as they have a brighter color green back with black spots and of course the thread extended on the dorsal... and you will know them because they do not live in a live well very On Memorial Day Phillip Laugois was flycasting in the surf on the flat in front of Ponce de Leon Park.

It was windy and rough. “I come out here a lot,” Phillip told us. “Itʼs a little too much today,” he added later. good. I made another cast next to the Marker and This was how I caught the other three; landed maybe 5-dozen hard scale sardines Canoe Bay. We drifted across - nothing, we cast a Johnson Sprite and a shrimp toss four or five baits as chum - no or greenbacks. under a float.

Nothing, so we headed over squeezing - and a snook would blow - up OK Dad where do we go? You’re the to a point on the South side with Dad fishand I cast and fish on!

Captain, you choose. OK. ing the right side and me on the left. Bam! After the snook quit we decided to The Myakka Cut Off was close so we I had a redfish and Bam! Dad had a head back as a big storm was coming up headed into there, stopped just inside on from the south and it was getting choppy. the left and Bam hard-head catfish... we’re snook. We doubled up. OK, now this is better, both fish were caught free lining a So back through the cut-off, which is as moving on. white bait.

We fished for another 20 minpretty a ride as you will make all through We stopped in the middle, just past the utes but nada, so I picked a point between the Keys and Islands. narrows, and nothing. So I ran all the way two islands and we found four more snook We came out the south end and the to the north end: Bow, Bam! boink-boink they all hit and were caught within 20 wind stopped. The water had that flat went the rod. Sail kitty in the boat, Grrrr. minutes and then the bite stopped. lumpy look, you know what I mean if you OK, let’s try for some trout in Tippy Now I have a rule. No chumming with have been on the water just minutes belive bait fish until I have a bait in the fore a good storm. I pushed the throttle water or the snook will only hit the chum- right to the fiberglass, raised the bow and mers - they will not touch a bait with a hauled butt back up the Peace to get home leash on it. and we just made it. As we put the rods I caught the first snook right off and under the house, the skies opened up. when the next one did not hit right away, The moral of this story, would be, fish by that I mean within 5 minutes, I put a spot see what’s there and if it's not good about 5 thread fins in my chum bat and move. I had not fished that point in Tippy tossed them where I had caught the first Canoe in over 15 years, as I had been one. doing well in the cut off, when the fish are Dads line was in the water, I was holdnot where you think they should be, go ing my cast to see if one would blow up where you think they ain’t. chasing a freebie bait... and pow! A snook Good luck!

Fishin’ Franks Bait & Tackle hit one of my chummers and I toss my Port Charlotte: 941- 625-3888 bait right on the blow up spot and pow, as Fort Myers: 239-634-1043 soon as it hit the water: snook on!

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Brandon Gasiorowski , Black tip, middle beach Manasota Key

JUNE 2018

Brittani Azzolini with a 20-inch snook

Melvin Mishey 40-inch snook caught off dock at night 3/2/2018

Brayden Opsahl and Harley Weitzel. Black drum

Vinny Branchetti Cape Coral Fisherman & Brother Anthony from P.A. Trip to the Keys, Angry Barracuda!. Also plenty of yellowtail KJ Johnson also from Pine Island

Ryland Rogner has been fishing with his Dad, Izzy (3 photos)

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

Name: Yosemite Sam; MATLACHA Fish: Bonnet Head Shark, caught from Kayak

Readerʼs Photos

text us

JUNE 2018

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FISH PIX! f r o m Wa t e r L I F E m a g a z i n e

David Owens caught this snook in one the PGI canals

s ur fish pix - see page 4

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Readerʼs Photos

text us ur fish pix - see page 4

Was recently on a fishing excursion with Capt. MATT (Kingfisherfleet) and we had a great experience. It was my son Alex, my Cousin Mike and myself.

Myla Dipaolo (7yrs old) schoolmaster snapper.

Off of Key Largo

Ann Godwin, blue crab

PAGE 13

Michael Nichols, snook

Artist Dale Warner with a monster black drum that he caught May 2nd 2018 on Captain Billy Sims boat... Fish On!

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FISH PIX! f r o m Wa t e r L I F E m a g a z i n e

Angler Greyshark 7.8 pound bass, Nokomis... awesome catch!!!!

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Greyson Tanner. 5.5 pound bass caught at private lake in Nokomis

Aiden Jahnke.

Large mouth bass.

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Ezekiel Russell large mouth bass Englewood canals

Dave Joe, wahoo from Marathon, FL

The Missing Link

By Michael Heller Water LIFE editor Twenty years ago, when we first moved to Port Charlotte, weʼd walk under the 41-bridges to get to the Oyster Bar restaurant that used to be on the east side. Sometimes weʼd wade fish the sandy bottom in the shallows looking for meandering snook. Twenty years ago I wrote that Charlotte County should build a walkway under the bridges. Now it is happening. It will be well worth the wait.

Four months ago I talked to one of the construction guys who were bringing the first pieces of equipment to the site. “Damndest thing,” one guy told my wife and I. “Weʼre going to build a walkway that will be under water three months out of the year!”

I knew what he meant. It was a brutally honest and valid assessment, and thatʼs what will make this walkway great! Hats off and kudos to Charlotte County for building this! This is the missing link for walkers and bikers. This walkway will mean you can walk from Fishermenʼs Village, up the Harborwalk, and walk across the bridge along the southbound side and after you cross you will be able to either walk on to Bayshore Park or go under the bridges on the new walkway and walk (or bike) back across the river on the other side. Then you can go through Laishley Park and up to the Hospital. On Google Earth thatʼs about 4 miles one way, 6-miles if you add in the loop through Bayshore Park ... and itʼs all along the waterfront.

JUNE 2018

6.5 pound bass. Greyson Hazeltine.

Northport lake.

Nuby to Cape Coral, Cassandra with 3.2-pound canal bass

There will be several set locations to fish from

This walkway is the second phase of a development plan for the area at the foot of the US41 bridge.

Whether it was started early to help the proposed Sunseeker resort or whether it was started because of the damage Hurricane Irma caused to the new park is unclear. The main thing is that it is happening now. There will be fishing areas designated along the new walkway.

This will be cool!

Above: The pile driver was inbetween the bridges setting the last pilings for section one at the end of May. There will also be another walk, up river, to a water taxi dock.

Right: the walkway will go under 41-northbound at (what we are calling) Power Pole Park.

JUNE 2018

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FISH PIX! f

rom

Wa t e r L I F E

Cobia caught May 10, 2018, Myakka River.

Miranda Smith, it was 37 inches

Bob Wayne. Large mouth bass.

Amanda Atwood from Michigan Snook

Frank Garafalo from Naples with a catch and release amberjack

Fishing the beaches of Boca Grande, Barbara Brock with a nice catch of sea trout and pompano

Walk to Wadefish the Burnt Store Bar

Judy Jones, first bass

By Michael Heller Water LIFE editor My wife Ellen finds cool stuff on the internet. Last month she told me about a parking lot for wade fishermen. “Itʼs down off Old Burnt Store Road,” she said. So one day after the rain stopped (is it still raining?) we took a ride.

You turn right off Burnt Store Road on Durden Parkway - itʼs just south of the Burnt Store main entrance. Take Durden to the end, thatʼs Old Burnt Store Road, then turn left and make the next right on NW 40th Lane. That takes you to the environmental park. Follow the trail to the Harbor from there.

On the day we went there was a truck from Lee County Mosquito Control in the parking lot.

We sprayed on some Off and Above: The path ends at the Harbor. Right: a woman from Lee County Moshiked down the trail. Itʼs about a half quito Control samples the collected water - there were a lot of horse flies. mile to the Harbor, an easy walk.

The area was lush and green with plants waking up happy in the wet morning air.

The path ends through a cluster of trees and the shallow Harbor spreads out in front of you there. It is probably about 150 yards out to the deeper pot holes. Redfish and snook are frequent travelers through this area.

This is a nice out of the way place to wade around and fish and you probably wonʼt have much company, except for the boats running inside the bar.

Let me know how you make out.

Gail Roebuck 29-inch snook on closing night

Left: Thatʼs Burnt Store on the point sticking out. The low line is the Burnt Store channel . Above: After a rain, everything was in bloom.

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All The Makings of Heaven FISHING

AT

10,000 ISLANDS

By Capt. Charlie Phillips be around 100 pounds max with maybe Water LIFE / Everglades City an occasional nurse shark being larger What a great month May has been every now and again. The offshore side down in my slice of Paradise. The though is a different story, as while priweather has been great (except for Almarily bull sharks, they are all big berto!) and we have had a steady mean and ugly. stream of clients to take out to fish that My client likes to use spinning reels we’re eager to please. All the makings and rods so my tackle is simple, inof Heaven for a charter captain. I have shore I use 300-pound flouro crimped fished both inshore and offshore this with a large high quality barrel swivel past month as the winds died down and on one end and a 9/0 to 16/0 non staingave me some flexibility to stretch my less circle hook on the other end. legs a bit.

Leader length is about 5-feet or so.

Every May I have a repeat client who comes down to the Everglades to target, catch and release sharks. When I first started my business years ago, having dreams of a romantic life of a charter captain, I vowed to only Weʼve been catching buckets-full of small redfish lately. take clients in search of redfish, snook, tarpon and Offshore I switch the floruo out to wire permit. Fast forward a decade and if in the 130-pound class and use the you want sharks, well I know just same hardware on either end. For bait, where to go!! it just needs to be fresh, alive is not On the inshore side we catch blacknecessary. I often use catfish tails and tips, nurse, small bulls, lemons and have had great success, but ladyfish are bonnetheads. The largest of these will my preferred offering.

Putting your baits out and covering the water column from the top, using a balloon, to bottom with a weight, and in between you will find you success.

Add a chum bag to the mix and it’s almost a guarantee in my waters.

Two safety notes, big sharks should be left in the water and for me, big is anything over 2-feet. They are dangerous and don’t play well with others.

The second is that you should have a good long reach dehooker on board for retrieving hooks. I am about 70-percent successful on getting my hook back (which I give to the angler to remember their catch) and the ones I can’t get out easily I have a line cutter like the billfish guys use to quickly cut the line right at the hook. Say what you will about using a circle vs J and getting the hook out of the fish, but I have yet in all my years gut hooked a shark using this method.

Talking about toothy predators so much, I neglected to tell you about all the 8-inch redfish I have seen this past month as well as the 20-plus-inch Spanish mackerel that are a drag screaming blast. Ahh well, I expect it

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JUNE 2018

BACK ISSUES @

Stick With It to Win!

By Capt. David Stephens Water LIFE Charlotte Harbor It looks like the rainy season has made its way to South West Florida. Maybe that’s what we needed – a good cleansing.

For our estuary to thrive a certain level of freshwater, in the form of natural rain run off, is needed.

Now it will be normal for the water to become darker around the rivers and creek mouths. This natural tanning is due to the dead vegetation. The problem is that it’s a natural balance and with all the man made run off paths it can dump too much at one time. On a positive note, this should give our fishery a needed spark. The stained water will make the fish less spooky. Fishing in clear waters can be tough at times.

The past four years I haven’t done any serious tournament fishing. Normally the tournaments start in the spring, and I am just too busy. However I do make a couple exceptions.

My better half likes to fish a couple local fun tournaments. One of which is the Sweetheart Tourney. We missed a couple due to illnesses, but we try our luck every year we can.

The objective is to bring in a live redfish and a live trout for a combined weight. Over the years we have been real close to winning. The first year we fished we got second place. The second year we finished third. Then we had one year that was just horrible and we didn’t even

weigh in.

I have wanted to win this one so bad for my wife Rach (Rachel). The past few years she has been through a lot. She battled with breast cancer that resulted in several surgery’s. She’s had two different rounds of chemotherapy and weeks of radiation.

So the day before I went and caught our bait for the next day. Then at 7: 30 on May 19 we left from the Laishley Park boat ramp.

The tides that morning were not ideal for fishing, the water wasn’t going to start moving untill around 10:30. The problem was we had to be back in at 2:30.

We fished my first area for probably 2or 3-hours and caught one snook. In a normal situation I would never stay in an area without any bites for that long, however Rach was in my ear to be patient, the tide wasn’t moving, and we had beverages.

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So around 11am we decided to go to our trout spot. We got set up, made a cast and fish on! It was only 14-inches. Then probably the worse thing that could happen did.... here comes Mr. Dolphin.

After hanging around for what seemed like forever he went on his way. Then we got lucky and caught

a barely legal trout.

By this time the water was moving so we decided to go try for a red. We pulled up on a shoreline and on Rach’s first cast she hooks up. We land the fish and measured it. Her red was just under the top of the slot, and it was a fat one also. Now fi-

PAGE 17

nally with things going our way so we decided to get a better trout.

We were limited on time so we decided to try a dock that we have done well on before. The third or forth cast Rach hooks up on a better trout. So we had a really good red and an ok trout and we decided to roll the dice and go weigh in.

Our trout hit the scales at 1.99 I was a little disappointed. The red hit the scales at 7.31 that was a better feeling.

Now the waiting game till all the boats have weighed in, but when it was all said and done our combined weight of 9.30 held on for the win. I was so happy for her. After all she’s been through she deserved this. Hopefully next year we have the same results.

If you would like to experience some of Charlotte Harbor’s finest fishing, give us a call or send an email. All of our charters are private and customized to fit your party’s needs.

Capt. Dave Stephens, 941-916-5769 capt.dstephens@comcast.net. www.backbayxtremes.com

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SCUTTLEBUTT

JUNE 2018

Sometimes Unsubstanciated, But Often True

DEPT. OF WE KNOW WHATʼS BEST FOR YOU Charlotte County officials voted 5-0 to pass a hurricane shutter ordinance. All non-permitted hurricane shutters will now need to be taken down from November to April. “A lot of it is the aesthetics," Charlotte County's Planning and Zoning Official, Shaun Cullinan said.

SHOT DOWN DICKS Mossberg & Sons, Inc., a leading American firearms manufacturer, announced its decision to discontinue selling products to Dickʼs Sporting Goods, and its subsidiary, Field & Stream, in response to their hiring of gun control lobbyists.

WHERE DID THE ROCK COME FROM? FWC officers conducted a multi-day shrimp boat detail off Collier and Lee Counties. The officers inspected a total of seven shrimp boats in state and federal waters. Additionally, the officers inspected 28 turtle excluder devices (TEDs). A TED inspection includes measuring the angle, bar spacing, grid length and width, leading edge, forward cut, stretched flap opening, length of flap below grid, and the length of the flap sewn down the side.

As the officers were boarding one of the vessels, a crewmember ran into the cabin of the vessel and threw a glass mason jar with canabis and a rock in it overThe new kayak Launch at Englewoodʼs Bay Heights board. The jar floated and the Park was closed, apparently due to excessive bird crew member was cited for indroppings. Hopefully recent rains have cleaned it up. terference and possession.

LIMITING DOCKS Fort Myers Beach is proposing to treat artificial waterways the same as natural water ways and limit slips to 2, finger piers to 3ʼ, docks and platforms to 160 sq ft.

They want to limit docks to 200ʼ regardless of proximity to sea grass, channels, etc.

They donʼt want to allow for any repairs to boathouses that are existing and over 500 sq ft. This sets a bad precedent.

PRIVATE ANGLER RED SNAPPER SEASON: NOAA Fisheries has issued exempted fishing permits which allow each of the five Gulf States to set their own season for red snapper in state and federal waters during 2018 and 2019. When fishing for red snapper in federal waters, private anglers will need a permit or license for the state in which they wish to land and that stateʼs season in federal waters must be open. Anglers can fish anywhere in federal waters, including in federal waters off a state with a closed season, if the state where they intend to land is open.

DIGITAL DOLLAR$ Google and Facebook each has a market value exceeding the combined value of the six largest advertising and marketing agencies. Together, they claim six out of every ten dollars spent on digital advertising, and nine out of ten new digital ad dollars. They have become more dominant in what is estimated to be an up to two-trillion-dollar annual global advertising and marketing business. Facebook alone generates more ad dollars than all of Americaʼs newspapers, and Google has twice the ad revenues of Facebook.

INDIAN UPRISING An association of traditional fishermen from Kutch, Gujarat (off India) is suing the World Bank in American courts over a new coal-fired power plant that is allegedly hurting their livelihoods. Last month the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear their case. The fishermen contend the 4,000 megawatt Tata Mundra coal-fired power plant in Kutch has led to saltwater infiltration of the groundwater table, displacement of existing local communities, contamination from airborne coal ash and damage to marine fisheries.

CYA in the MYAKKA CWA The FWC is installing in-water markers around Critical Wildlife Areas in southwest Florida.

Each CWA supports significant numbers of nesting birds, such as brown pelicans, great blue herons and great egrets, as well as state-threatened roseate spoonbills, reddish egrets and tricolored herons, and federally-listed wood storks. The location

This is where Horse Creek passes under SR 72 it was photographed on May 24. The water was already rising. DeSoto county crews have been installing new culverts in the area to help alleviate flooding like that of last summer. The device shown is an electronic ʻgauging stationʼ that records and transmits the water depth.

O D D I T I E S

PIER PRESSURE:

STILL WAITING FOR A FIX Top: the Placida Fishing Pier remains closed due to a fire, allegedly unintentionally set by fishermen, last winter.

Above: The Bayshore Pier has been closed since Irma.

of the Myakka River CWA is a mangrove island along the Wild and Scenic portion of the Myakka River in North Port. Markers will be installed soon. The Myakka River CWA will be closed to humans and their boats seasonally, from Jan. 1 to Aug. 31.

OH COME ON! FWC investigator Mattson was on water patrol around Islamorada when he saw a young boy (Age 8) operating a wave runner with the father on the back. The boy was operating the throttle and steering as the father had his hands down by his sides. The father was cited for allowing operation of PWC by someone under 14 years of age.

The shy but invasive West African Rainbow Lizard has been here for 10 years and they are breeding. They feed on anoles, the local brown lizards and can grow to over a foot in length. We saw this one last month at the 41-bridges in Port Charlotte.

FACEBOOK POST: Tarpon Tuesday with a one in a million catch by 16 year old Will Chapman. With a golden back and nearly white body, some call it albino and some call it a golden tarpon. Itʼs extremely rare and we call it very cool. Is this real?

JUNE 2018

BACK ISSUES @

Governor Re-Does FWC Board

By Capt. Ron Blago Water LIFE Senior Staff The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) was established in 1999 by combining the old Marine Fisheries Commission with the Florida Natural Resources Dept. One of the main reasons for the merger was to remove politics from wildlife decisions and replace it with sound scientific based management. Now it looks like that isn’t happening The FWC is run by seven commissioners, appointed by the governor and approved by the Florida Senate. The commissioners serve 5 year terms. Recently the governor dismissed 5 of the 7 and appointed 5 new commissioners in their place.

These new commissioners all have two things in common, 1) none of them have any wildlife management experience and 2) they have all made sizable donations to Gov. Scott and the Florida Republican Party. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, that's just the way things are done in Florida, and it raises suspicions.

Hot Button Issues There are two hot button issues that are bound to come before the FWC in the next few years. One is the issue of a limited black bear hunt. They already had one very successful hunt and, on the recommendation of their scientific

staff, they scheduled another one. But the outcry of the environmental groups caused them to back down and cancel the hunt. The other issue is will the state FWC follow the lead of the Federal Fish and Wildlife Service and remove the manatee from the Florida endangered species list?

Here are the FWC commissioners and the qualifications they bring: Chairman Bo Rivard, a holdover from the former commission, a lawyer from Panama City.

Vice Chair Robert Spottswood the other holdover, a lawyer and real estate developer from Key West.

Joshua Kellam President of the Florida Division of ESG Enterprises a real estate company, he lives in Palm Beach Gardens.

Gary Lester VP of the Villages, the largest gated retirement community in the world. He is also an ex ordained minister.

Gary Nicklaus Ex pro golfer. Son of golfing great Jack Nicklaus, runs family empire.

WWW.WATERLIFEMAGAZINE.COM

Sonya Rood Wife of John Rood former chair of the FWC and former Chief Financial Officer of the Florida Republican Party Michael W. Sole Former Secretary of Florida DEP. VP of Next Era Energy, a subsidiary of FPL.

PAGE 19

Charlotteʼs New Toy

The FWC’s new Executive Director, Eric Sutton, former Assistant Director, will now be in charge of the 2,115 employees of the FWC. He will be responsible for carrying out the orders of the commissioners. His annual salary was bumped up to $147,367.06.

No one knows what's in store for the FWC, but it looks like it's going back to using more politics and less science.

captronb@juno.com

There was a dedication last month at the Port Charlotte Beach Complex to christen Charlotte County Fire Departmentʼs Marine 1 into service. There was champagne and hors dʼoeuvres. Firemen were in their dress outfits. The new boat was not impressive. For $450,000 the fenders are puny and the system of attaching them is amatureish. That wonʼt last long in serious service. Is this stuff even fireproof? Why is there no rub rail? This vessel looks like a display boat for the Holiday Lights Boat Parade or the 4th of July Peace River Swim. Letʼs watch and see if they show off their water canon next month.

Now that the Fire Department has this boat they say they will be doing more practicing and they have expressed an interest in obtaining funding from the MAC to set up their own Fire Rescue Dive Team. Apparently the Sherrifʼs Dive Team is not good enough.

When does the unnecessary spending end?

20

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Three Restoration Projects PAGE

By Capt. Betty Staugler Water Life / Sea Grant Living shorelines is a term used to define a number of erosion control measures that uses natural barriers, such as oysters, plants, sand or rock to protect fragile shorelines while maintaining valuable habitat. In addition to shoreline protection, living shorelines have economic, ecological, and aesthetic value. Installation of a living shoreline is more cost effective than maintaining or rebuilding seawalls. Living shorelines create, connect, and enhance fish and wildlife habitats, and they improve water quality by filtering pollutants. We have some great local examples of living shorelines in southwest Florida.

Trabue Oyster Restoration, Punta Gorda: This pilot project was initiated two years ago by the Nature Conservancy, in partnership with the Charlotte Harbor NEP, the City of Punta Gorda, and several other organizations. It used three different restoration techniques, with a goal of identifying which method(s) would perform

best under our local conditions.

One of the great things about this project is that it was and still is volunteer dependent. Enthusiastic volunteers made oyster mats, stuffed oyster bags, and helped deploy the reefs onsite. Volunteers also conduct the majority of the ongoing monitoring. This is good since grants generally only provide for one year of followup funding.

Annually, volunteers measure the reef

area, reef height, and live oyster density and size. Volunteers also conduct regular water quality monitoring at the site. They do bird utilization surveys, and they monitor for crown conch – a predator of oysters. So how are the reefs doing? Pretty good. There was some expected mortality after Hurricane Irma when the waters got very fresh, but enough oysters survived to allow the reefs to become reestablished. More information about this project can be found: http://chnep.wateratlas.usf.edu/oysterhabitat-restoration.

Don Pedro Island State Park Landbase Saltmarsh Restoration, Placida: This is another cool project. Back in the 1950s or 60s, Spyglass Canal was dug adjacent to what is now the southern end of the park property. The spoil was piled up on the park side of the canal in what was a saltwater marsh.

The spoil berm reduced the habitat func-

tion and isolated a high marsh nearby.

The current restoration is a joint project of the Florida Park Service and the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). In June/July of last year, the berm was removed and in August the first of two plantings of smooth cordgrass (a saltmarsh species) were undertaken. The first planting is dense and creates a buffer along Spyglass Canal. The second planting is sparser and also includes saltwort (another salt tolerant plant).

Of course restoration projects never go exactly as planned and in this case Hurricane Irma resulted in some unexpected sedimentation. On a good note however, she also created some cool little tributaries. As far as plantings go, the project is seeing between 70-to 90-percent survival. Saltmarsh grasses grow quickly and stabilize sediments. This facilitates the establishment of other native vegetation such as mangroves.

Already many have taken root. The site is also now seeing fiddler crabs, small fish and a host of bird species.

Mote Aquaculture Park, Aquaponics, Sarasota: This last example is fascinating and looks at living shorelines from a different angle! We all know Mote does a lot of research on marine species. They also work on aquaculture for food supply. Generally

JUNE 2018

marine aquaculture ventures are located in close proximity to the coast so that there is access to high quality saltwater. Mote is working on the development of saltwater aquaculture in inland areas using recirculating systems that filter and reuse water.

The opportunity to develop and expand marine fish farming to inland locations using recirculating technology addresses both land and regulatory constraints facing Florida's aquaculture producers, as well as skyrocketing coastal property costs that limit aquaculture expansion opportunities.

Mote is using a marine aquaponics system to farm edible marine plants and fish together to demonstrate opportunities for local, community-based food production.

For this project they are producing redfish and the edible sea vegetables sea purslane and saltwort. These products are then sold locally with proceeds going back to support Mote’s ongoing operation.

Solid fish waste from the aquaponics system fertilizes wetlandrestoration plants (mang r o v e s , smooth cordgrass and black needle rush) grown

by Aquatic Plants of Florida. When I visited, red mangroves were being grown for a restoration project planned in the Panhandle.

Capt. Betty Staugler, Fl. Sea Grant Agent. UF/IFAS Extension, Charlotte County (941) 764-4346

KAYAKING: Trout Fishing Lemon Bay JUNE 2018

BACK ISSUES @

WWW.WATERLIFEMAGAZINE.COM

Ethan Mix, sheepshead caught in Pine Island Sound, last month

PAGE 21

FISH PIX!

Sheepshead Moving On from Water LIFE magazine

By Bob Fraser Water LIFE Kayaking When you’re not familiar with an area, it’s always nice to get some tips from someone who knows the place.

My family physician told me about a grass flat that usually produces trout when he goes kayak fishing. He knows the area well because he lives close to Lemon Bay. He uses an artificial I’m not familiar with, so I used my favorite baits.

This day was a solo trip, no charter today. I like to fish an area a few times before I take out any clients to unfamiliar territory.

I used a pearl color 5-inch paddle tail Zman and a mirrOrlure suspending twitch bait. The first place I tried the wind was blowing much harder than the weather channel predicted. I was drifting with the wind, but going against the tide. These conditions made it hard for me to work the mirrOrlure properly, so I primarily used the Zman soft plastic.

I caught a few trout on some nice grass flats just off the channel that runs through Lemon Bay. When fishing places like Lemon Bay where there’s a boat channel running through the middle of the bay, look for grass flats just

off the channel. I start my drift close to the channel and drift towards the grass flat. Be careful of boat traffic in the channel, especially on the weekends.

Always be on the lookout for boats when you are close to a boat channel.

A boat’s wakes could cause you some problems, especially if they hit your kayak broadside.

Always bring an anchor with you when you go kayak fishing, I forgot mine this day. I used a different milk crate for my tackle box and supplies and forgot to grab an anchor. I had to do more paddling then I care to do because I wanted to drift over the same grass flat several times. If I had my anchor, I would have used it where I caught the trout.

I finished the day on the other side of the channel, and the wind didn’t bother me as much. I used my mirrOrlure to catch a couple more trout before I called it a day.

Call me for a fun day of kayak fishing in our beautiful backwaters of Charlotte Harbor.

All skill levels are welcome. Check out my YouTube page for safety and fishing tips when fishing from a kayak. For more information about kayak fishing charters with me, call 941-916-8303 or visit my website: www.kayakfishingwithbob.com

The bigger sheepshead are moving offshore. Juvenile sheepshead can still be found growing bigger in the backwaters of the Alligator Creek fork and other less travelled areas around Charlotte Harbor. There are five or six dark vertical crossbars along each side of a sheepshead which are most distinct in young individuals. The caudal and pectoral fins are greenish while the dorsal, anal, and ventral fins are dusky or black.

Harbor Sailing

Sailboats wait at the Port Charlotte Beach Complex before last monthʼs sub-tropical Alberto. This summer there are several youth sailing programs that start this month and run through August. Check Charlotte Harbor Youth Sailing or the Sailing Center for their youth sailing activities and camps.

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JUNE 2018

June – Predictions and Suggestions Charlotte Harbor Frank at Fishin’ Franks 941-625-3888

BackBay Xtremes Capt Dave Stephens www.backbayxtremes.com

941-916-5769

Fish with a Guide

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Capt. Dave Patton with a 33-inch snook in season. Won 1st Place in the OBV Snook Tournament!

Youʼll learn something and youʼll catch more fish!

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Mikaela Martin got stuck with two remoras while fishing offshore with her family!

The river kicked way up and brought bait into the upper Harbor. All the bug larvae and baby fish get flushed down the River and that brings the bait up to Mkr No. 2.

There are threadfins and sardines at Alligator Reef. The Spanish mackerel are moving higher up into the Harbor from the Pirate Harbor Hole. They go up to Mkr No. 2, some to the 41-Bridge, then back south. But we haven’t heard of any up the Myakka. Usually the top of the Harbor has the Spanish now.

There are snook and a few redfish in Tippecanoe Bay but the Myakka is dead. The West Wall, on the other hand, has a ton of snook and at least some redfish. There are reports of a lot of snook on the east side and also scattered trout. There are a ton of little snook there.

On the bar, on the east side of the Harbor, and just outside the bar, there are small groups of tarpon and cobia... and jacks, cruising over there.

In the Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda canals, lots of little snook and lots of jacks. The big snook have moved out to spawn and the little buck-snook to 26 inches - the ones that are not quite big enough to spawn are still here. The ICW that’s where the big snook are, there and kind of more outside of Bull and Turtle Bay than inside. And in front of Bokeelia, that area loads up with snook, it seems to be where they hang out in years when we have dry conditions. So if the rain continues look for them to push out to the beach.

A lot of grouper at 80feet, and nearshore the lane snapper are mixed with the grunts. We’ve also seen a couple of gags

at Alligator Creek Reef and a couple at Danger Reef in the Harbor... actually a few keepers. In freshwater it’s bluegill, tilapias and cichlids, great freshwater fishing now!

Lemon Bay, Placida, Gasparilla Sound Jim at the Fishermen’s Edge 941-697-7595

Most of the action has been connected with the tarpon fishery which has been going gangbusters down in the Pass. The daily reports I’ve been getting are from traditional guys who go evening into the dark and early before the daybreak.

They have been wacking them. I hear the daytime guys have been hooking a lot of fish, but not landing as many.

Some guys are still snagging the hell out of the tarpon and the FWC is not busting anyone. Guys tell me they have called the FWC and the FWC is neutral about doing any thing about it. There is some new jig the FWC said they sent to Tallahassee to be examined. When you jig that jig the weight moves, underwater, so it’s below the hook and you can’t see it. No one needs a 10/0 hook to do tarpon fishing, and the hook they want has to be a lighter wire, so they can bend the barb to one side. They’re not fooling anyone.

We’ve had some nice cobia close to the Trembly and Novak Reefs, 50pound fish. When we have an east wind, you can venture out. And there are still kings and Spanish around offshore. A friend hooked a blackfin tuna while trying to get snapper. Snapper have been good offshore, a lot of nice yellowtails this last week.

Inshore, snook has re-

continued

JUNE 2018

BACK ISSUES @

The BIG-4 TARPON Still loitering in the passes and holes

ally been good around the passes and docks, numerous over-40- inch snook caught on whole live mullet. The redfish seem to only be in certain spots.

Some guys are catching keeper reds and some guys can’t find any. Pompano are still around the Tom Adams Bridge and trout are still O.K. If you want to catch a shark, there are plenty of those around – we’ve had a lot of blacktips this year.

June

WWW.WATERLIFEMAGAZINE.COM

Fish you can expect in

BASS Quality fish in local lakes and ponds

YELLOWTAIL SNAPPER Good on the offshore reefs

SHARKS Still big ones, lots of blacktips now

PAGE 23

Nearshore water temps are almost 80 Fish are feeding

95˚ 90˚ 85˚ 80˚

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Niki Riedel, black tip, middle beach, Manasota Key

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Jim Hembree from Michigan, tarpon

75˚ 72˚ 70˚ 68˚ 50˚ 45˚

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Justin Eagles cubera Snapper 71 and 1/2 pounds, fishing with Captain Matt Miller

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Capt. Fred Gowdy, Bonita Springs, peacock bass

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Keaghan, first Monster Bass!

LAST CAST FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

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

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Jimmy McGillivray caught little tunny off Boca Grande Pass. Catch and release

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Ron Erhart with a nice black fin tuna caught on the Pelagic with Captain Travis Ormond Am I ever destined for the cover?

King of the Piers Ron does it again!

4-foot bullshark caught in the Peace River

FISHING RIGHT NOW:

Itʼs GOOD!

PAGE

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JUNE 2018