Water LIFE April 2012

Wa t e r LIFE Charlotte Charlotte Harbor Harbor and and Lemon Lemon Bay Bay Keeping Boaters & Fishermen Informed Since 1997

The official publication of the Charlotte Harbor Reef Association

April

2012

Caught this Redfish from a Kayak Kayaks page 16

Snook Moratorium a Good Thing Page 9

“As a guide, if youʼre not catching snook now, you need a new profession!”

Fishinʼ Frank

page 22

The Protrusible Hogfish Page 11

Been Here Yet?

Page 12

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April

Open Water Vi ews

Burnt S tore Mari na

Call the Captain! LAKEFRONT POOL HOME!

Custom built, 4 bedrooms, 4 baths, den, with over 3400 sq.ft. Beautiful kitchen with gorgeous designer granite, rich wood cabinetry, island and SS appliances. In the prestigious boating and golfing community of Burnt Store Marina. Nearly 1/2 acre of property. $549,999

Pi rate Harbor

Cal l t h e Cap t ai n ! OPEN HARBOR WATER VIEWS ovesized seawalled waterfront lot. Approximatley 157 ft. complete with dock. Beautiful westward views of artfull sunsets. Nearly 1/2 acre, ready to build on, secluded yet easy to reach downtown activities. $399,000

SOLD!

Call the Captain! PREMIUM PIRATE HARBOR WATERFRONT LOT! Fantastic location near Key West syle homes. Quick boat ride to the Harbor and 25 minutes to the Gulf. Situated in a tropical paradise. Just a short ride to Punta Gorda and 20 min. to Ft. Myers. $69,000

PENDING!

Punta Gorda

Cal l t h e Cap t ai n ! INTERSECTING CANAL VIEWS Only $249,000 for this 3/2/2 pool home with intersecting canal views, quick harbor access. Move in condition with many updates!

Gul f Cove

Call the Captain! BEAUTIFUL HOME with many upgrades including new diagonal tile throughout, new carpeting, new stainless steel appliances, new granite counters with under mount stainless sink. $139,900

Call the Captain! 3400 SQ FT GARAGE with this

beautiful 3 bdrm 2 bath waterfront home built to commercial standards. Huge 900 sf porch over looks water, 65 ft. concrete dock & lifts. Garage has 14' ceilings & 2 double doors. $399,000

Call the Captain! INCREDIBLE OPEN WATER VIEWS of Charlotte Harbor! Rare tip lot sold with the lot next to it. Combined waterfrontage of approximately 262 ft. Located in a protected open water estuary. Immediate access to Charlotte Harbor for world class fishing and boating pleasure. Seawall already constructed. $750,000

Incredible waterfront lot, southern exposure, minutes to harbor situated amongst beautiful homes and walking distance to Fisherman's Village. Incredible price $159,000!!

Call the Captain! CUSTOM BUILT WATERFRONT INCREDIBLE WIDE OPEN WATER VIEW! Recently remodeled with high end appointments. Over sized lot, 5 min. to open water. Dock, boat lift, elevator, huge RV parking under cover. $499,900

S outh Gul f Cove

Call the Captain! FOUR BEDROOM POOL HOME full 3 car garage! 114 ft of seawall with a 90 ft. dock, deep sailboat water, heated pool. Crown molding, gourmet kitchen, 3 stainless steel sinks, wall oven, wine fridge, large center island, brick paver lanai. $589,000

Call the Captain! CUSTOM BUILT WATER-

Call the Captain! LAKE FRONT HOME! Stunningly beautiful, ‘2007’, 4/4/3 with over 3,400 sq. ft. of living space. Prestigious Burnt Store Marina, rich wood cabinetry, island kitchen, stainless steel appliances. $549,999

Call the Captain!

Call the Captain! GULF ACCESS LOT in Burnt Store Isles. Deed restricted community of fine waterfront homes. 80 feet of waterfront with seawall already in place. No bridges to the open water of Charlotte Harbor for excellant fishing and boating. $125,000

Call the Captain! CUSTOM BUILT LAKEFRONT POOL HOME! Deep Creek, 3/2, 2,000+ sq. ft.

Numerous upgrades, cultured marble vanity, dual sinks and garden tub in master, Too much more to list here!

White hurricane storm panels, bevel cut glass entry.

Wired for surround sound. Built in 2007. $249,900

FRONT POOL HOME Immaculate condition! Very deep water immediate access.Updated kitchen, painted inside and out. Paver driveway, dock has water and electric. $339,000

PENDING!

Call the Captain! OVERSIZED LOT IN casual

waterfront community of Pirate Harbor with approx.

120 ft. of waterfront. Enjoy grand saltwater fishing in your back yard when you build your dream home on this lot. $99,000

Punta Gorda

SOLD

SOLD!

Call the Captain! OVER 1 ACRE with additional 30'x40' 4 car garage! 3/2/2 pool home is perfect to store your boat and launch in minutes at the community boat ramp. Over 500 ft. of vinyl fenced property and has a large concrete pad area, stamped concrete driveway and pool deck. RV Parking, Close to beach $265,000

Call the Captain! WATERFRONT LOT WITH HD BOAT LIFT! No bridges to the Harbor or Gulf. Beautiful homes, sailboats and sport-fishing boats.

Immediate access to Charlotte Harbor. This property has city water and sewer! $99,700

Punta Gorda Isl es

2012

Punta Gorda Isl es

Punta Gorda

PENDING!

Pi rate Harbor

Punta Gorda

Call the Captain! IMMACULATE GOLF

COURSE HOME! This 3/2.5/2 pool home with over 2,000sfAir is located on the fifth hole of the Twin Isles Golf Club. Immaculate $244,900

April

2012

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April

2012

Inshore and Offshore Headquarters

Letters to WaterLIFE@comcast.net Dear Water LIFE Followed my friend Ralph Bellon around today in my kayak while he was kite boarding. I tried to get a few shots but it was a little harder than I thought as I bobbed around in the chop. I will probably go with him again soon. Not sure if I will try to do it myself. The power generated by the 15 meter kite (which is basically an airplane wing) is absolutely frightening!

Below: Christian VanDerVeer caught this huge mangrove snapper at Boca Grande today. It was 22 inches long and 5 pounds, 3 ounces.

Thatʼs a quality fish for 30 miles offshore, let alone in the mangroves on the backside of Boca! It was a crazy fight, the fish got up in the bushes on the opposite side, I had to swim across and free the line from the mangroves without breaking the line.

It was the only fish we put in the cooler all day, but was well worth the trip Adam Wilson

(941) 766-8180

Mail: 217 Bangsberg Rd. Port Charlotte, FL 33952

TOTALLY INDEPENDENT

Not affiliated with any other publication Vol XI No 4 © 2012

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TOURNAMENT RELATED UPDATE

In last monthʼs edition I wrote that we were going to continue to report on the Flatsmasters Redfish Tournament events and that ʻwhatever happened nextʼ was up to the tournament organizers.

For the last two seasons this publication had been refused entry to Laishley Crab House and parts of Laishley Park where the tournament is held because we didnʼt have enough ʻpositive things to sayʼ about them. As a journalist I have a big problem with that approach.

Then, last October, after I wrote about a Flatsmasters tournament angler, one of our distribution boxes disappeared from Fishermenʼs Village. It was the second time someone stole one

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of our boxes after I spoke out publicly about goings-on in the local fishing tournament. But I couldnʼt prove who stole our box.

Then, last month one of the two missing boxes miraculously reappeared in the middle of the Best Western parking lot, a halfmile from where it was taken.

Photo above as we found it.

Was this a sign? Was this the ʻnext thingʼ in the “whatever happens next” scenario? Was this a positive sign? Was our first missing box going to reappear too?

Or was the timing just a coincidence? Was this an olive branch or another middle finger?

Donʼt get me wrong, I am happy to get our property back, it clearly shows there are ethical forces involved. Now Iʼd like to know who to thank.

Michael Heller – Publisher

No part of this publication (printed or electronic) may be copied or reproduced without specific written permission from the publisher.

Contributing Editors:

Photography: ASA1000.com Senior Editor: Capt. Ron Blago Charter Fishing: Capt. Bart Marx Port Charlotte: Capt. Billy Barton Punta Gorda: Capt. Chuck Eichner Commercial Fishing: Kelly Beall Sea Grant: Betty Staugler Real Estate: Dave Hofer Inshore: Fishinʼ Frank Offshore: Capt Jim OʼBrien Diving: Tommy Davis Kayaks: David Allen Sailing: Bill Dixon Office Dog: Molly Brown

on the COVER:

Bill Schlaich fishing with Capt. Jim

OʼBrien aboard Predator II shows a hogfish with its PROTRUSIBLE

mouth wide open - See page 17

Charlotte Harbor Reef Association

www.waterlifemagazine.com TURN THE PAGES EVERY MONTH: Back Issues Kids Charters Fishing Classes Tides Weather Sailing Kayaking Diving

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"Grass-Roots-Up" vs "Washington-Down"

April

2012

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Battling the Federal Takeover at Crystal River

By Mi chael Hel l er Water LIFE editor The natives are restless at Crystal River, and for good reason. There is about to be another Federal land grab (or in this case a Federal water grab) at Kings Bay and what happens at Kings Bay could effect us all.

According to the Save Crystal River Coalition, on March 16 the Federal Government announced their final rule to seize and control King's Bay. “We now know what the opponent proposes,” the Crystal River Coalition wrote.

“We have a national law firm with offices in South Florida which has been monitoring the situation for several weeks to ascertain our court-action options. A court action is probably imminent,” the coalition said.

The coalition is drafting a legal "Petition for Rule Making" aimed at the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission which they say is mandated with, legal authority, to regulate the water activities on King's Bay. The Coalition hopes the FWC can block the takeover.

The Crystal River Coalition might have an interesting position. Just like the Save the Manatee Club did when they sued the FWC for not doing enough to protect the manatee and then settled out of court because a settlement would precluded any appeal, Crystal River sueing

to enforce the mandate and then settleing out of court with the FWC might effectively block a Federal action.

By Florida Statute, the FWC must protect the "rights of fishers, boaters, and water skiers" as provided in sections3 79.2431(2)(k) and FAC 68C-22.002 (14) of the state code. The coalition maintains rule making must start locally, with local stakeholders collaborating from concept to first draft. They point to Flagler County as supporting evidence.

Their "Petition for Rulemaking" to the FWC will recommend revisions to the Florida-Wide Agreement between FWC and US Fish and Wildlife Service.

“Boating, fishing and other water recreation is just too important to have it ignored by the new Federal standard of seizing control of Florida waters solely to prevent the take of one or more manatees.

This gives the Feds unfettered, blankcheck power. Your community may be next,” the Coalition warned.

We should learn from what happens at Crystal River. Manatees go to Crystal River for the warm freshwater springs there.

In Charlotte County we already have a ‘manatee resting area’ in Turtle Bay, what if that was expanded to include Bull Bay, Catfish Creek and Whidden Bay? According to the Endangered Species Act, the Florida FWC must sign off on proposed changes called for by USFWS.

Page 5

John K Gonsalves III came down for a visit with his dad last month and caught one of the biggest Black Drum he had ever seen. It was caught in South Pirate Harbor outside the bar in 8 feet of water, they were schooled up fish on an outgoing tide.

Unlike "Washington-Down" rulemaking, the FWC is actually required by Florida Statute to consider "rights of fishers, boaters, and water skiers" in their decision to support any Federal rule. It is what is known as a “Grass-Roots-Up” process.

Fifteen years ago Florida supposedly only had 800 manatees left and we had to do something to save them right away.

Today we have 4000 manatees, probably more, and we still have to do something right away.

Confusing the issue and possibly weakening the FWC’s chance to gain credibility is its arbitrary appearing appli-

cation of manatee related regulations in different areas.

Manatees are big business at Crystal River, people go there to swim with the manatees and to touch and pet them, but if you are caught touching or petting a manatee in Charlotte County you could go to jail. “We target boaters because they are the easiest part of the equation to enforce,” Chip Frohlich with the FWC has said.

Maybe Crystal River can slow the process, but I am afraid they won’t be able to stop it. It may happen one creek at a time, but it will happen. It’s the Feds and they don’t ever back up.

Oleʼ Mr. Linesides

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April

2012

By Capt. Davi d S tephens WaterLIFE Inshore

As a full time guide I am often asked by my new clients what is my favorite fish to catch. With out even hesitating my answer would be snook. My love for Ol’ Linesides runs as deep as my Florida roots. With spring in full swing and the rising water temperatures the snook have left their winter haunts and strapped on the feed bags. The mild winter we are having here in South West Florida has helped with some of the best snook fishing we have had in several years. My bait of choice would be 3-5 inch scaled sardines and a lot of them. When I set up on a spot that looks fishy, I will live chum the area with several dozen baits. The distinct sound of pops made by the big snook taking baitfish from ..., and believe me sometimes the fish are not where you thought they would be. Big snook don’t just bust your tackle they will break your heart.

Being prepared with the proper tackle is key to landing the big girls. I prefer braided line over mono because there is no stretch, when that fish of a lifetime is making a run for structure the difference between a few inches of line stretch can be critical. Also, a bite leader is very necessary. I pre-

fer fluorocarbon to mono because of its abrasion resistance and being harder for the fish to see. Big snook’s gums are like 220 grit sand paper so when targeting the bigger fish I highly recommend 40pound leader and check the first couple inches after each fish. Due to the cold winter we had two years ago the season on snook is closed, so treat them carefully and when holding a snook for pictures please try to support the middle weight and avoid holding them by the bottom lip like a bass.

Capt. David can be reached at backbayxtremes.com

April

2012

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Fish Sampling Lemon Bay

By Betty S taugl er Water LIFE / Sea Grant Most people who spend time on Charlotte Harbor have seen the research vessels of the FWC-Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI). They are out most week days with crews pulling nets to assess fishery stocks and have been since 1989. They regularly sample in Upper Charlotte Harbor, including the lower Peace and Myakka rivers, Gasparilla Sound, upper Matlacha Pass, Pine Island Sound and at times the Caloosahatchee River and Estero Bay. Where they haven’t been, at least until recently, is Lemon Bay. In 2009, the FWRI received funding to conduct bi-monthly sampling in Lemon Bay in order to document the distribution, abundance, and habitat use of fishes and select invertebrates within the Lemon Bay estuary. From June 2009 to April 2010, FWRI sampled using three nets types, designed to capture different size classes and water depths. A total of 96,662 fishes (95 species) and selected invertebrates (7 species) were collected from 180 samples.

The species found in Lemon Bay are consistent with those found in adjacent Charlotte Harbor.

In Lemon Bay proper, pinfish, bay anchovy, spot and mojarras comprised 81percent of the small bodies fish found in shallow water by using a small seine net.

Pinfish, silver perch and scaled sardine, comprised 79-percent of the large bodied fish found in shallow water when sampled with a large seine. Spot and pinfish were the dominant species found in deep water using a trawl and comprised 73-percent of the catch. No exotic species were found during the study.

Several small tributaries contribute fresh water to Lemon Bay and serve as important nursery areas. Juvenile spot, bay anchovy, striped mullet, redfish, and common snook were at least twice as plentiful in the tributaries as they were in Lemon Bay proper. Differences in depth, salt content and habitat within the tributaries were distinguishing factors in species composition in these areas. For instance, Alligator Creek at the northern end of Lemon Bay had the lowest salinity and supported more striped mullet. Forked

Creek, which is developed with a large percentage of seawalls, supported more bay anchovy; and the central tributaries (Gottfried, Ainger and Oyster creeks), located closer to Stump Pass supported more spot.

The shallowest tributary Buck Creek, which also contains the greatest amount of seagrass, supported more rainwater killifish and pinfish.

How does Lemon Bay compare to other estuaries? FWRI compared Lemon Bay data to data collected in Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay and Charlotte Harbor. For Tampa Bay and Charlotte Harbor they only included the portions closest to the Gulf in order to capture similar salinities and water temperature. They found Lemon Bay was more closely related to Sarasota Bay (both small, narrow bay systems); whereas Tampa Bay was more closely related to Charlotte Harbor (both large, open bay systems).

The two smaller bay systems had higher abundances (number of individuals) of small-bodied fish and invertebrates. They also had higher abundances of fish and invertebrates in the deeper areas but the differences were not statistically significant.

In deeper water trawls almost half of the top twelve species distinguished were of recreational or commercial importance (stone crabs, spot, blue crab, lane snapper and pink shrimp). Seven of the top twelve were more abundant in the small estuaries than in the large estuaries (pinfish, silver jenny, stone crab, mojarras, spot, blue crab, and pink shrimp). Similarly, the majority of large-bodied species distinguished in the large seine had higher abundance in small estuaries (silver jenny, silver perch, pigfish, sheepshead, common snook, hardhead catfish, mangrove snapper, and ladyfish).

The reasons for these differences may be attributed to differences in water depths, more stable salinity in the small estuaries, differences in the ratio of land to water, sediment type, quantity and type of seagrasss, or circulation patterns.

Betty Staugler Florida Sea Grant Agent University of Florida IFAS Extension Charlotte County (941) 764-4346

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Too Much Water Flowing Into Matlacha

Small Tooth Sawfish

WaterLIFE@comcast.net

2012

Army Corps wants to Protect Another Species with Dock Permits On the Line

By Capt. Ron Bl ago Water LIFE Senior Staff

S taff R eport The Cape Coral Rim Canal, where it backs up to Matlacha and Pine Island, used to have an elevator style boat lift to carry vessels out of the freshwater Rim Canal and lower them into the salty waters of Matlacha. Then 3 years ago, after years of erosion, the DEP removed the lift and opened the bank. Shown here, a boat transits the area where the lift used to be.

Problem is, now all the water above this spot rips out through this narrow opening on every tide. It wiped out all the sea grass on the ease side of Matlacha Pass and the area is silting in.

“The DEP was supposed to replace the lift,” Jim Brock at 7-Seas Bait and Tackle in Matlacha said. “They have to either replace the lift or open up a couple more spots around the canal to lessen the flow through here,” Brock added. The rim canal is connected to the canals on the other side of Burnt Store Road so there is a lot of water coming through.

April

Did you ever notice that the bigger our government gets the broker we all become? It seems that the goal of government is to protect everyone from everything; and what better way to achieve that goal than to have more regulations and of course more administrators to enforce the regulations. Let me give you a real life example.

Ten years ago an insignificant fish, the small tooth sawfish was put on the endangered species list. I call it insignificant because at the time we were worried about the “on the verge of extinction Florida manatee.” I'll admit I didn't know much about the small-tooth back then. I had never caught one or seen one, other than on the wall of a local bar, and I certainly didn't know how many there were or where they lived.

Our government on the other hand went right to work by forming a smalltooth-sawfish-recovery-team and they determined that the small tooth was in big trouble and the cause of this trouble was (just like the manatee) waterfront development and people who spend time on the water.

Two years ago a meeting with small tooth researchers, the Army Corp of Engineers and the National Marine Fisheries Service determined that the heart of Critical Sawtooth Habitat centered on Cape Coral, just south of us.

For the last 10 years the City of Cape Coral has had a blanket permit from the

SNOWBIRDS

Army Corp of Engineers to issue permits for docks, sea walls and rip rap. The city could issue a permit in 48 hours or less.

Come October, this permit runs out and the Army Corps of Engineers has not expressed any interest in renewing it.

Instead, they would like individual property owners to apply directly to the Army Corps for a permit so they can determine if the property will interfere with the sawfish's habitat. This process; unfortunately will take between 9 months and two years.

This should sound familiar to you folks in Charlotte County because seven years ago the Army Corp of Engineers put in place a two year moratorium on dock and sea wall permits in our area for manatee protection. The plan in Cape Corals looks like the same plan with just a different species. Of course the Cape Coral Council leaders are trying to work a deal with Federal Regulators to come up with a checklist the city could use to make sure the sawfish is protected before a local permit is issued, they call it an Effect Determination Key. But if they can't work something out by October most of the waterfront projects and development in Cape Coral will come to a halt.

Why should we be concerned about this? Well regulators have determined that there are 800,000 acres of sawfish habitat in southwest Florida with Charlotte Harbor being the key piece.

Move over manatees, the sawfish is coming to town.

You can Reach Capt Ron Blago at:

Captronb@juno.com

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Snook Moratorium is a Good Thing

April

2012

By Capt.

Chuck Ei chner Water LIFE Punta Gorda Fishing In the world of aquatic resources dramatic actions often follow unforeseen events as was the case with the snook moratorium. In January of 2010 Charlotte Harbor and neighboring waters lost a large percentage of their snook population. I saw it first-hand as did other anglers. The reaction of the fisheries people was to close the snook fishery which made perfect sense. My guess was we lost over 50-percent of our snook and the following year’s catches supported this assumption.

Our snook population was already in trouble when this happened. Any fishing guide on Pine Island Sound, Boca Grande, Lemon Bay and Charlotte Harbor would tell you they were already catching a lot less fish even before the deep freeze.

From 2002 to 2009 there were several red tide events where thousands of dead snook were observed. Other factors such as pollution, loss of habitat due to civilization, recreational fishing and perhaps by-catch of commercial fisherman played a role.

The fantastic news is that in just two years the snook population has rebounded in a remarkable way! Not enough as to open the season however. In 2008 snook regulations changed to allow one fish between 28”-32” to be kept. For the years that followed it became increasingly difficult to catch a fish in the slot, only one here and there.

It was easy to see that recreational anglers and fishing guides were legally selectively harvesting this fish, at a rate the fishery could not maintain. Now, with only 2 years of no legal possession of this hard fighting, good eating fish you can reasonably expect to hook a snook of this size or much larger and to catch plenty of snook in the 22”-27” length! ONLY 2 YEARS and this fishery has started its recovery.

The key words here are “started the recovery”. My own addictive fishing over the past several weeks had multiple trips with over 50 snook being caught and many snook too big to handle that ran us into the bushes and broke us off. I have checked with other fishing guides and they are reporting the same success!

Imagine the fishing if the season were closed for another 3 years for a total of 5 years? I can tell you exactly what to expect- WORLD CLASS SNOOK FISH-

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ING! 100 fish days would be common and big fish like the old days weighing 20 to 40 pounds would once again be swimming in our waters like they were 25 years ago.

So why would the fisheries professionals even consider opening the season?

Charter captains that pursue backcountry shallow water fish continue to run charters and I can’t see any complaining of lost business because their clients could not bring one snook home. We have lots of good eating fish to fill that void.

From my vantage point, fishermen are still going to go fishing even if one fishery is protected. Southwest Florida attracts anglers from around the world to pursue tarpon. Fishing for tarpon fishermen spend big money to stay here for a week, hire guides and pursue their passion. A robust snook fishery would attract fishermen from around the world.

I don’t necessarily want more boats on the water, but a continued closure of this fishery will make news.

Lake Okeechobee is experiencing an incredible boom due to the fact the largemouth bass fishery has exploded. The fishing is great over there and the word is out. Drive through the boat ramp areas and the out of state license tags tell you that good fishing is good for the economy.

My hope i s t hat at l east one fi sheri es person i nv ol v ed i n t he deci si on m aki ng reads t hi s. There is absolutely no incentive to open this fishery as it has certainly proven fragile.

The snook is the perfect gamefish and exhibits many traits that the most sought after gamefish inherit. They pull extremely hard, jump wildly and burn drag.

Marlin, kingfish, redfish and tarpon are the saltwater species that tournaments are

built around and the reasons people buy waterfront houses and move to Florida.

The snook can easily be in this category.

Capt. Chuck Eichner operates Action Flats Back country Charters and can be reached at 941-628-8040 or go to www.back country -charters.com

Page 9

Zombie Baits

Page 10

By Fi shi n’ Frank Water LIFE Baitshop You have it, I want it. That is kind of like all of us. What brought this to mind was that this morning I was talking with a customer and he was telling me about a bird that always begs bait from him. He said that little heron will take bait right out of his live well, but if the Seagulls come, the heron backs off as they will peck the heck out of him and try to steal what ever food is in his mouth, even though there is plenty more food laying all around them.

They must think if he is eating it is better than the other stuff laying around.

Not only birds do this. This seems to be a fairly common thing amongst all creatures, even (maybe especially) humans. Watch a group of kids; there is a pile of toys on the floor, none of the kids pay any attention to them until one kid picks one up, then they all start screaming and have to have that same toy or they will just die, or at least it would so sometimes seem.

So what does this have to do with fishing? It is about poppin corks. Yes the poppin cork is based on the You have it, so I want it syndrome most creatures, including fish, exhibit.

When you pop the cork you "splash it." It make the sound of a fish hitting a bait. When snook or trout hit a bait we say they popped a bait. That phrase has to do with the sound the fish make as they grab the bait near the surface of the water. That is where, sort of, kind of, the name of this style of float or bobber came from. Poppin cork.

So you pop the cork and you get the

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splash and the sound of a fish hitting the bait – what you do not see is that your bait jumps when you jerk the line.

This appears to the fish as if your bait has darted away from another predator and has had a narrow escape. And if that fish wanted it, well, I want it too.

So the Poppin cork gives you the sound the splash and the motion of the escaping bait all in one quick jerk of your rod.

How far should your bait be under the poppin cork? Good question.

If you are in 24 inches of water your bait should be about 18 inches under the float.

Three to six inches off the bottom is good, but there is a limit to how much line you can cast. I would think the most you could cast would be three to four feet of line hanging out from the tip of your rod, Which works well enough for almost any depth of water. In general you really want to stay within 3 feet of the surface as that is where you are poppin the cork and trying to tell the fish; Hey food here! If your bait is too deep you lose the attraction benefit of the poppin.

Any bait can be used under a poppin cork, shrimp, bait fish, even cut bait or dead bait. Fish are not that bright and if it moves it is alive to them.

So as you jerk the line to pop the cork it gives your dead bait the swimming darting appearance of live bait.

Kind of like a zombie, looks alive walking at you, you do not know it really wants to eat your brains, it just seems like another person until it grabs you and starts eating you. Then you find out it is really a dead person walking.

Same thing with dead bait under a poppin cork. The fish don’t know it is

really a cleaver device which tricks them into believing it is just a tasty little live bait which has just escaped fate. And wham, now you get to eat them. Think of it as revenge for the whole Zombie attack.

So don't be afraid to try zombie bait next time you are looking for trout, or Spanish mackerel. Fish can’t tell the difference and are doomed to become zombies themselves once you start poppin the cork.

Good luck out there and have fun.

April

2012

SHARK ATTACK DATA 243 104

Frank can be reached at 625-3888 or at Frank@fishinfranks.com

NAVIGATION

As reported by an ABC news affiliate in South Bend, Indiana, a woman named Bonnie Miller fell into a river connected to Lake Michigan while she was attempting to walk along a pier and send a text message at the same time.

Miller was strolling along the pier with her family when she fell in.

RELATED: i Phone iSailor is a free GPS app that plots your position over a $4 local chart on your iPhone. Don’t let the ‘sailor’ part throw you off course, fishermen can use this GPS functional app too.

It has course, track, plotting and alarm functionality.

2

2012

Exploring Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park April

2012

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Ro to nd a

sand at the entrance road to grassy covered plains (the grasses should be beautiful after some rain) and then to encroaching mangroves as you get closer to the hole... and where the bears were.

On the dry and unseasonably warm day we visited there last month there were numerous clawed and hooven animal tracks near the hole. Where the ground was muddier, fiddler crabs swarmed.

This is a wonderful place to explore.

Motor vehicles are prohibited so walking seems to be the only plan.

There were no maps, brochures or handouts at the trail head we used.

I checked the GPS on my phone and it was 1.8 miles (red line on the photo) from where we parked to Bogges Hole.

Tr ac e

Bogges Hole

Whidden Creek Turtle Bay

By Mi chael Hel l er Water LIFE Magazine “Hair,” my wife whispered, “hair!”

I had wandered off from her and was just on the other side of a tuft of mangroves 50 feet away. I was looking at my iPhone map trying to find a direction that would take us around the thick underbrush ahead and over to Bogges Hole on Cape Haze.

My wife’s voice rose dramatically.

“BEAR! she shouted. There is a BEAR over here,” I heard her quite clearly that time.

My first reaction was to move backwards on the path I came in on, my next was to begin making noise. “Bear, Oh Really? Hello Bear, Where is that bear?”

I talked loud continually as I walked over towards my wife.

Years ago, hiking the trail to the Granite Park Chalet in Glacier National Park Montana, I was told to wear a jingling bell on my pack to alert the bears

to my presence. Two girls had died in a bear attack the night before I arrived.

Everyone gave me bear advice.

I walked back around the bushes and looked from my wife’s perspective. ‘Are you sure it was a bear?’ I asked her and she gave me one of those impatient looks while describing the animal down to his scruffy ears and black nose. Not a pig? I said and she told me again it was a bear, a bear cub, in fact, she said.

By now the little guy had scurried off into the thick low mangrove tangle that surrounds Bogges Hole. He went in right where I had been looking at as a way for us. Apparently we were on the same track to the water. But where there are cubs there are momma bears, so we scuttled our plan to get to the shores of Bogges Hole and headed off in the other direction where we had seen several eagles nests.

This was our first time in the Charlotte Harbor Preserve state park.

P a g e 11

The area is pristine, untouched Florida, made up from the land between Catfish Creek and Whidden Creek (from Gasparilla Sound) down around Turtle Bay to Cape Haze. This spot appears to have wisely been preserved to manage and filter pollution and runoff from the developed upland area of Rotonda.

Charlotte Harbor Preserve is in that way a great asset for Charlotte Harbor fishing since it is protecting the fish nurseries in a very critical area.

There are as yet no trail markers in the park, just signs at the tailheads.

There are various foot paths and animal trails throughout the area which changes from pine woods with sugar

1 Dozen Shrimp FREE per customer - during April only!

Must Mention Water LIFE

ACCESS to the Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park is from various trails along the Gasparilla Road -SR771- or from the trail entrance we used off the Rotonda Trace Road (just before the little airport). Follow Rotonda Trace to within a couple of hundred yards of where the road makes a big left. There is plenty of room to park, the entire area is an open undeveloped subdivision.

One last thought, this area is very close to the water level. If it rained the day before I might not go too far in. If it’s been raining a lot recently sections of this park could be submerged, but if it’s dry, like it has been, Charlotte Harbor preserve will make a nice walk and as far as I saw there are no restrictions on animals, either the ones you bring or the ones you may encounter when you get there.

More Info?: (941)575-5861

Page 12

Best Day...

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of the Best Month...

Ever!

By Capt. Bi l l y Barton Water LIFE / Charlotte Harbor Well my friends, what a month! The water temperature has now officially reached the mid 70s which is making for some unbelievable trips and some crazy, exciting fishing! We've reached the point in the year when getting shrimp is no longer on the list of things to do.

Don't get me wrong, shrimp is always a well rounded piece of bait; everything eats shrimp, however there's just nothing like filling up that well with 500 spunky greenies and going out there to get the job done! Oh, and I mean get the job done!

I ran a bunch of exciting trips this last month, but one in particular comes to mind as I'm looking back. Michelle Whitt, her husband Mike, and Kathy the good-luck fishing mom! Great people! These folks had booked with me for a full day at the end of March, over two months in advance. They were old customers of my friend the late Captain Angel Torres, and they sent me photos of a 46-inch, 40 pound redfish that Angel put them on two years back. In her email, Michelle let me know I had my work cut out for me.

I respectfully let her know that she (in my opinion) had fished with one of the best, and she was spoiled! I'm no Angel, but lucky for me and lucky for them, Angel taught me a lot of what I know about inshore fishing! This was one trip I knew I had to pull off.

The four of us set out at the crack of dawn from Ponce Park with a live-well full of greenies for our first stop on the east side of the Harbor down near Burnt Store. Snook, redfish and trout were the plan – they almost always are.

C ont i nued on next page

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2012

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2012

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It wasn't a half hour into our day and we were putting snook after snook and legal snapper after legal snapper in the boat. I liked the way it was starting, but I knew it had to get better. Luckily it did and we only fished four spots in eight hours! It was like the never ending bite!

I could write a book about this day of fishing, but I'm gonna make this one short and sweet. By

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the end of our day let’s just say I had to stretch my fish-cleaning muscles out because we had one heck of a box full of fish! Our grand total was three red fish, eleven trout, nine snappers, and two flounders. We caught all of these fish on whitebait. And on top of all these quality keeper fish we boated an estimated 50 plus snook, and a handful of nice size jacks. Old Capt. Angel was up there with the Fish Gods that day and he had pulled some strings for us. There was just no doubt about it.

That's what it's all about! Fishing days like that make memories that are gonna last a lifetime, not only for my customers, but for me too. What a beautiful place we live in. Every day is, without a doubt, a gift, like Angel would say, “ a dream come true.”

I'm know I'm grateful. Always will be.

Capt. Billy Barton runs S cal es N Tai l s C hart ers, He can be reached at 979-6140 or at: bartonw24@yahoo.com

The Conquistadorʼs Wind

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2012

By Mi chael Hel l er Water LIFE Sailing After the Conquistador Cup’s final day was cancelled due to wind, Punta Gorda Sailing Club’s Peter Welch wrote in the club’s newsletter asking the member’s thoughts on raising the threshold for wind from 20 knots to 30 knots in races. “Even small boats can be reefed to be safe at 30 knots,” Welsch wrote, noting: That does not make it right for us, but that an increase in the wind threshold might make it possible to then Above: Teing off the helm was this skipperʼs solution to fighting the never ending heavy alter the racecourse to the river” to stay wind. On Sunday the wind only got worse and the race was cancelled. out of the biggest winds in open water.

But there is another consideration.

Conquistador Cup Results Non spin 2: Tom Homer, Bentley On the Sunday the Conquistador Cup race Smaller boats, in bigger winds might Multi Hull: Ed Dixon,Tri Power was cancelled Tom Scott and his sailing Cruising: Mike Buscher, Serendipity Spinnaker: George Buckingham, have to reef their sails down to stay under crew on Whimsey went out anyway.

Cruising 2: Arnie Pfatz, Laura Li Learning to Fly control, while bigger boats in the same wind will be able to run under full sail. rule that will always work.

When the little boats come out from behind the big The bigger boats have an advantage under those condiEach instance has to be evaluated individually. boat’s wind-shadow and take a hard blow, equipment tions. Could there be a reefed handicap?

Cancelling the final day this year was a good one, breaks, or worse. Putting the big and small boats togethOver all, I think Peter is on the right track. I’m out because although the boats might handle the wind the er in one race rounding the same mark, where everyone there a lot with the sailors. My thoughts on raising the sailors might not. Mixing the big boats with the little is trying to be as quick as possible, and in gusty air, wind threshold are simple: There is no one hard and fast boats can be a significant problem with big air. might be asking for more than some sailors can handle.

25 Boats Sail in Reverse Start Leukemia Cup S taff Report Wind, but not unmanageable wind, was on tap for this year’s Leukemia Cup Regatta, last month. Saturday’s two races established the starting order for Sunday’s big Leukemia Cup race.

The start was near Green Marker No. 3 in the river. The course went around Marker No. 2 and then down and around Marker No. 1. Then back up around No. 2 again, past the starting line and up, (almost to the US 41 bridge) around No. 4 and then back across the start-finish line. The wind was 15 to 20 all day long.

Based on their handicaps the smaller boats started first. Most of them headed northeast from the

start towards Hog Island. Fancy Free, a bigger boat, started later and immediately fell off towards Colony Point. It was a strategic move, heading off the other way across the wind. Low tide was at 11:30 and Fancy Free was running out with the last of it.

At Marker No. 1 Frisbee was the first to round. She was one of the early small boat starts, but next around the mark was Weather Girl, a big boat with acres of sail that loved all that wind, followed

by Island Girl. Fancy Free was still pretty far back.

By the time the fleet had recrossed the starting line things were changing. Weather Girl put a move on Frisbee and was in the

lead at Marker No 4, Island Girl was close and Fancy Free had closed considerably.

Rounding the Mark Weather Girl and Frisbee pointed southeast, but Weather Girl wrapped here Jib around the furling and lost some time. Again, Fancy Free headed the other way, And that’s all she wrote. Fancy Free’s course choice put her first over the line, with Weather Girl and Island Girl closing hard but late.

The reverse start had worked exactly as hoped with numerous boats converging on the finish line at the same time.

Leukemia Cup winner Fancy Free puts some distance on Frisbee

Fancy Free beats Weather Girl to the line in a close and exciting Leukemia Cup finish

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2012

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SHRIMP & ARTIFICIALS: Pier Angler

By Bobby Vi tal i s Jr Special to Water LIFE Flounder are fun to catch and they are great for eating as well, but we catch and release. I have caught a lot of flounder in the past, especially at Tom Adams Bridge in Englewood, or Middle Beach in Englewood. I can catch them basically any time of the day. The legal length in this area is 12-inches or over. You can either bait cast for them, or do spin casting. I prefer spin casting so that’s all I do most of the time. If you are going to bait cast for them, the best bait to use is live or frozen shrimp. NOTE: There are many other fish there that you can catch using shrimp. With shrimp, you can use a bobber to fish on top of the water, or use a sinker to fish on the bottom. Both are very productive. Make sure you have a bait bucket with you to keep the bait alive. There are many ways to put the hook on the shrimp. #1 Put the hook through the center of the body. #2 Put the hook through the center of the body through the fork of the tail. #3 Put the hook through the fork of the tail. I suggest you use Owner circle hooks, size 2/0. Because it is a circle hook, you do not need to set the hook, just reel it in.

You can use a leader line for bait fishing or spin casting (SEAGUAR 100% FLUOROCARBON LEADER line), between

25lb to 30lb test. Some people use different line which is fine. NOW, for spin casting there are two different lures. #1 TSUNAMI PRO HOLOGRAPHIC SWIM BAIT #TM-23, color pumpkin seed/wht/chartruse tail, 5-inch Trout Mauler. (which has true to life colors and action). #2 D.O.A. C.A.L. jerk bait 4inch model # 443 color is (PEPPERCHARTREUSE). I use a short shank jig head which is a D.O.A. C.A.L. 3/8oz. (color is chartreuse). If I am going shallow, I use a 1/4oz. jig head. If I’m going deep, I use a 3/8oz. jig head. NOTE: With the TSUNAMI SWIM BAIT I have also caught redfish on it as well. With D.O.A. jerk bait, I have caught snook and spotted trout too, so if you want to catch redfish, snook and trout as well, try these lures.

Lemon Bay Pier Fishing : Bobby Vitalis with a nice flounder

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KAYAKING

The Kayak as a Camera Platform

By Dav i d Al l en Water LIFE Kay ak ing The beauty of the water and the access to wildlife in its natural environment are two of the primary pleasures of kayaking. Kayaks have a unique ability to glide silently through the water and access places that are difficult or impossible to reach on foot. A photographer can observe and capture images of animals or birds on shore or in the water without placing themselves in danger or disrupting the natural habitat. You can paddle in very shallow water that is not accessible to other boats.

Kayaks are an amazingly effective approach to wildlife photography. You are sitting low to the water giving an almost straight-on view of your subject.

You can move in almost any direction; nothing artificial can block your view.

However, photography on the water has some special considerations if you want to have an enjoyable experience and produce satisfactory results.

Some amateur and professional photographers take expensive digital-single-lens-reflex(DSLR) cameras and zoom telephoto lenses onto the water and produce some amazing photographs. However, here, we will show that very acceptable results can be obtained with much more modest equip-

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ment and costs. And I'll show you several examples of wildlife photographs taken with a Canon D-10, 12 MP, water-resistant camera.

Over the last three or four years camera manufactures have begun to design and sell waterresistant cameras at fairly low prices.

These are not the type of camera that you enclose inside a water-tight, transparent housing. They are self-contained and can easily slip into a pocket or you PFD, much like any point-and-shoot.

These cameras do not have the flexibility of a DSLR nor can they be used with long range zoom lenses. Still they have excellent capabilities for the average kayaker who wants to bring home

that special photo of an alligator, eagle or dolphin.

What is a water-resistant camera?

Typically it's a digital camera that will have resolution of 10-16 megapixels, and optical zoom range of about 5X, be water- resistant to about 30 ft., be shock-proof, and have the capability to

take at least several minutes of 1080p video. The price of such a camera should be in the $200-400 range. All of the major camera manufacturers have an offering in this market, with Canon, Panasonic and Olympus having the most experience in building a watertight housing and other features that

water-bourne photographers require.

Nikon has recently brought a new water-resistant camera to market that has excellent specifications and some new wrinkles. The Nikon AW-100 sports a whopping 16 MP, full HD 1080p video and a 5X optical zoom.

The AW-100 has a built-in GPS with a map function to locate where the photo was taken, and an e-compass function to further identify your location. The high pixel count of 16MP allows for lowlight shooting and very fast operation.

The camera is guaranteed to 33 ft below the surface. A recent price on Amazon was $297.

The other cameras listed above have similar specs and price, but Nikon leads with 16 MP. Check out Amazon,

Zequanox used to eradicate Zebra Muscles

S t aff R eport Last Month the US EPAapproved a new weapon in the fight against invasive species: Zequanox.

Zequanox, manufactured by Marrone Bio Innovations, is a biological product which the company claims can be used to fight off invasive mussels in enclosed systems and infrastructures. According to a statement made by the company, “Zequanox is the first biopesticide available for controlling zebra and quagga mussels, which are crippling industrial and commercial operations by restricting water flow in heat exchangers, condensers, fire suppression systems, and service and cooling water

systems, as well as by damaging other infrastructure and equipment.”

Zequanox is produced from a naturally occurring microbe (Pseudomas fluorescens) and has been shown to be highly lethal to zebra and quagga mussels, without harming humans, infrastructures, or native species.

Mussels recognize the Zequanox as a food source and once it is ingested it quickly destroys the mussel’s digestive system.

The bacteria used in Zequanox is allegedly safe for native species because it exists naturally everywhere.

The manufacturer claims a 90% mortality rate in target-

April

2012

Adarama, B&H, or any of the other online camera stores for details and pricing on the other camera models.

Every day we are on the water is an adventure with exciting oppertunities to explore and record our world.

Perseverance, patience and seeing the wonders that surrounds us, will give you the images you are looking for.

The Port Charlotte Kayakers meet each Wednesday evening at 5:30 PM at Port Charlotte Beach Park. All are welcome.

For more information contact Dave Allen at 941-235-2588

ed colonies. Treatments can be completed within hours and it can be used as a control agent for mussel in all life stages and there is no detoxification required after use This summer the product is slated for testing in several locations across the country. Minnesota’s Lakes Association will begin testing this summer. Additional tests will also begin at power plants in Michigan this summer.

We contacted Florida Power and Light and asked if FPL would be testing this new product to control zebra mussels in it’s powerplants. They will not.

OFFSHORE REPORT April

2012

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Page 17

The Olʼ Fishʼn Hole

With Capt. Jim O'Brien

Water LIFE Englewood Hey ya- all, man hasn't the last few weeks been great? Last week the wind laid down and we got all our charters out. We didn't have to call any customers up to cancel on account of the wind. I don't know how ya-all has been doing, but the fish'n has been great. I just can't wait till we can bring in the grouper we have been throwing back for the last 2 months. By the time you read this we will be able to bring back red grouper, black grouper andscamp. GAG grouper won't open till JULY 1st.

We have been doing good on BIG FAT RED GROUPER and some nice scamp.

Last Thursday and Friday we caught a couple of nice hog snapper. We caught a BIGUN on Thursday and another one on Friday. I haven’t caught one of these guys since about 16 yeas ago. I have talked with other captains that said they have never caught one yet. Friday’s hog snapper was caught 1.4 miles from the one that was caught on Thursday.

Well lets get into fish'n report and see whats being caught in our area.

SPANISH MACKEREL AND BONITA are making a good showing just off the beachs and between Boca Grande and GASPARILLA PASS TRIPPLE TAIL a few are being caught around crab trap buoys, between Little Gasparilla Pass and Boca Grande Pass.

COBIA are still being seen on the offshore wrecks but the guys I’m talking to said they haven’t caught any this month so far. They have seen them in the chum line.

REDFISH are being caught on the east and west walls of Charlotte Harbor, also Bull Bay using 1/4 to 1/2 oz. gold spoons and top water lures.

SHARKS THE BIG - UNS are starting to show up, a couple of big hammer-

heads has been seen in Boca Grande Pass and good size bull sharks are now in Boca Grande Pass too.

MANGROVE SNAPPER, PORGIES, TRIGGER FISH are on the inshore and offshore reefs and ledges. We have been doing real good on JOLT HEAD PORGIES, MANGS, and TRIGGER FISH. The mangs are running from 15 to 18inches. We haven’t got any of the 20 to 27 inchers in the last couple of weeks.

AJ'S GREATER AMBERJACK are on all the offshore wrecks and running 30 to 70 pounds.

This month’s first story is of a couple of charters I had out last week. One of the charters was with KEN LATHROPE that fishes with me a lot. He caught a nice big AJ. I was right next to him while he was trying to bring it to the boat. Every time it got close to the boat the reel would start screaming on another run. I looked at Ken and told him you’re not close to whippin him yet! The AJ made 4 or 5 pass's at the boat before I could gaff it. Ken couldn't believe how strong these fish are. When we got him in I showed all the guys how to bleed them; I throat-cut them then belly-cut them. I pull their inerds out then put them in a lot of ice with salt water - I make a real cold slurry. When you get back to dock I showed them after cutting the top shank and the bottom shank of meat out, how and why you have to cut every bit of red off the meat... that, my friends, is what taints the meat.

Ken and his wife cooked some of the fish up along with some of the AJ and they said they loved it. They said they just need more of it. Now I tell ya, thats a satisfied customer.

The next story is on Thursday: We were fish'n 30 miles offshore and Bill Schlaich caught a big HOG SNAPPER. Bill's the one with the baseball cap on in the pictures holding the fish. The cover photo of

this month’s Water LIFE is of Bill with that same fish with the fish’s mouth wide open. Just look at how the HOG SNAPPER can open it's mouth almost 180 degrees. The teeth on that fish were one inch long. Look at them things!

The other picture on this page is of Bob Hefflefinger’s son who caught this other hog snapper on Friday. Two nice hog snapper in one week, thats awesome!

Oh, and one more thing, last month the ol’ Captain got it wrong. American red snapper don’t open back up until June 1.

C A PT JIM S AY S : BE S UR E TO S NOR T S OME OF THAT S A LT A IR C UZ IT’S GOOD FER YA !

If you have any questions or if you have a good ol' fishin’ story or a recipe for cooking fish that I can share with our readers give me a call. To book an offshore charter with us aboard the Predator II call (941) 473-2150

Hog Fish or Hog-Snapper?

It doesnʼt really look like itʼs in the snapper family, but many people still call them hog snapper. Books like the Lore of Sportfishing note either name is often used. According to marine biologists hogfish is not a snapper but actually a wrasse, in the family, Labridae, of marine fish. Many Labridae are brightly colored.

A Hog Fish uses its elongated pig-like snout and large protrusible mouth to root around the bottom.

PROTRUSIBLE MOUTH (protractile mouth) In fish, a structural arrangement of the jaws that enables the animal to protrude (extend) or withdraw the mouth at will. When fully protruded, the cavity of the mouth is enlarged to form a funnel-like space facilitating the uptake of food. See this monthʼs cover photo.

FISHING: Half of a Half-Day

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By Capt. Bart Marx Water LIFE Fishing There have been several reports of nice trout on the grass flats on both sides of the Harbor. I have personally seen some trout that were in the 30-inch range! They followed my lure to the boat, but just would not grab hold of that piece of plastic.

They were very excited and were curious as to what that noisy thing was and were considering eating it but did not. It was a top water lure with plenty of noise making rattles in it. It actually was a lure that I found floating in the PGI canals a few months ago, I am not sure, but I think it is a Mirro-Lure.

If you have done much trout fishing you know about a popping cork and shrimp that produces some nice limits of trout. Back in the day, I was introduced to a useing a wooden popping cork and artificial baits under it. Today I use the scented baits that are very productive in pursuit of some trout for a meal.

I have spent lots of time trout fishing in the Harbor and have used several different concoctions to catch these toothy critters. It is one of the types of fishing that I enjoy. It

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keeps you busy casting as you drift over the grass and sand holes.

I have found that drifting is very productive. You cover lots of habitat where the trout tend to hide in the edges of the grass and sand. I tell anglers on my boat to cast to an area where you can cover many light and dark spots as you retrieve the lure. That way you cover the areas much quicker and if you find a nice one, I anchor up for a few minutes and we’ll see if there are others willing to come to dinner with us.

There are several different methods of controlling your drift. I like to turn my outboard motor so the boat drifts sideways. Depending on the wind direction you just run the boat into the wind and estimate the area that you will cover as the wind pushes you along.

As you drift you can use suspending lures, crank baits that run shallow, top water and what ever you have in your tackle box on that day.

Sometimes as you fish like this you pick up permit, pompano, redfish or a poor man’s tarpon (lady fish).

Recently my sister came to town for a weekend visit and brought a guest that I had the pleasure to take

out on the boat. The guest was a young man and his name is Tanner.

It was Tanner’s first time fishing salt water and he was a good student. Tanner is 12 and I have fished and taught students in the past. I really enjoy teaching as we fish.

My sister Gwen was on the trip with us too, but she didn't try to catch much, I think she just wanted some tanning time.

Tanner and I had about three hours of actual fishing time. He caught a nice redfish that measured out at 24 inches and weighed about 4 pounds and we also caught some nice trout. And I, Capt. Bart was fishing! This was a recreational trip for me and I caught a 25.5 inch trout that was around four pounds.

For that three hour trip with two anglers I cleaned five trout and one red that made the trip home with them.

If y ou or someone y ou k now would lik e to learn some different way s to fish in Charlotte Harbor call me. We can go out in y our boat or mine Capt Bart Marx 941-979-6517 or at Alpha & Omega Charters on the internet.

Singing drags and tight lines mak e me smile.

April

2012

Plenty of Big Trout This Year

Dear Water LIFE Here's a phone image of the big Sea Trout I caught off Pineland Sound, fishing with buddy Kent Skare of Grayling, Michigan The big 25.5 inch trout gulped down a topwater lure in about three feet of water and made several drag pulling runs toward the mangroves. After several jumps trying the throw the lure the trout was worked back toward the boat and netted by Kent.

The way the big trout struck the lure and speed of his run made both of us think it was a big snook. We both were in disbelief at the length and girth of this big Gator, the largest we had seen in five years of fishing the Pine Island area.

Hope you can share this catch with all your readers and fishermen! We pickup copys of Water LIFE at the Fort Myers Bass Pro Shop and share them around our resort each month.

Keep up the great fishing reports and coverage!

Harry C. Risher, Greensburg, Indiana

Real Estate News

April

2012

PROVIDED to Water LIFE BY: Dav e Ho fer RE/MAX Harbor Realty (941) 575-3777 dhofer@remax.net www.harborparadise.com

Recent area news i tems:

1. Charlotte County Commissioners have developed a bizzare approach to gripping with their fiscal problems. Facing the possibility of losing a $60 mil lawsuit over promised sewer improvements in Rotunda, state cutbacks in medicaid and other budget reimbursements, they voted to invest $9 mil to create the Parkside redevelopment in the medical district in Port Charlotte. The first phase, a $2.3 mil development of an events square is, naively, expected to be repaid from real estate taxes generated from increased valuations in the immediate area.

2. Charlotte County Clerk will see a forced budget reduction of about 7% this year. Staff level is now 54 after cutting 14 jobs in 2009.

3. The Charlotte Harbor Events Center in Punta Gorda reports 4% more bookings in 2011 vs. 2010. More importantly, revenues have climbed 36% during the same period.

4. The former Best Western Hotel on Rt 41 in Punta Gorda is under renovation again. Currently known as PG Waterfront Hotel, the owners expect to take a new flag sometime in the future...

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probably Holiday Inn or Comfort Inn.

Page 19

5. Colonial Mining took over management of the dormant sand and shell mine on Gasparilla Rd. With the help of County taxpayer funds, the manufacturer of precast concrete panels will be expanding its current plant facilities adding 65 employees when it becomes operational.

The county will spend $230K for road improvements and waive increased real estate taxes for several years as an inducement to keep Colonial in Charlotte County.

6. The City of North Port and Sarasota County jointly purchased the Warm Mineral Springs resort out of bankruptcy for $5.5 Mil in December, 2010. The prior owners couldn't save the property after decades of decline in popularity of therapeutic spas. At the time it was apparent that the two new owners had no idea how to make a financial success from this investment, but they were convinced that the public needed to own this property. Now that 14 months and hundreds of thousands of dollars of lost income have passed, they are no closer to a viable strategy. North Port council members are encouraging developers to come forward to build a conference center and hotels at the site (no doubt with taxpayer subsidies). What a nostalgic concept... last time that business plan worked, ladies came to spa hotels dressed in bloomers and bathing caps!

In other news: Air traffic at the Punta Gorda airport rose 30% vs. last year. Unfortunately, on March 17, PGD's largest carrier, Direct Air, filed for bankruptcy. The Airport Authority had already begun its expansion plans that included moving operational staff into a newly created office building, freeing up much needed terminal space. The Authority is confident that the demand demonstrated

by Direct Air and Allegiant will lure another carrier to our airport. Given the history of investment capital that enigmatically flows into startup airlines with

Students from Marist College in New York were in Punta Gorda last month working on a Habitat for Humanity project house. Water LIFE publisher Ellen Heller is a Marist graduate.

little or no possibility of financial success, they are probably right.

Segway2U started offering segway rentals from their store at 207 Cross St. The owners chose Punta Gorda over much larger markets because of the city's focus on developing biking and walking trails in our downtown area.

The Celtic Ray, appropriately reopened its two story addition to the authentic pub on St. Patrick's Day. Ownership financial turmoil had the adjacent building closed for the 8 years since Charley.

S al es S tati sti cs: Home buying confidence has continued to build as distressed sales opportunities continue to shrink. Charlotte County foreclosure filings fell to 165 from 170 in January.

Median sales prices have increased modestly over year ago levels for homes and condos. Speculators continue to avoid the vacant lot market. Asking prices are often 90% lower than their 2006 peak.

Foreclosures have not yet materialized.

Foreclosure auctions scheduled for March have declined to pre housing-bust levels.

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Water LIFE Distributor 始s Club

April

2012

You can always get a free copy of Water LIFE at these locations

Cooks

Sportland

4419 So. Tamiami Trail S. Venice 493-0025

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You can always get a free copy of Water LIFE at these locations

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2012

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Page 21

SCUTTLEBUTT

Sometimes Unsubstanciated, But Often True

Consignment Boats Wanted

Mako

Center Console - 19' with 115hp Opti Max. 2 live wells, bimini, Like New-

for aggravated assault and battery related to the incident.

INCIDENT REPORTS

A set of residential bi-fold closet doors help keep the cabin cozy on this old Cape Coral based Wellcraft.

LONG DISTANCE SWIMMERS IGFA Great Marlin Race The last satellite tag to pop up from the first IGMR event in San Juan, Puerto Rico in September of 2011 surfaced 4,776 nautical miles from where it had first been attached to a blue marlin. This may be one of the longest, if not the longest, marlin tracks ever recorded on an electronic tag.

To have a marlin swim from the Caribbean all the way across the Atlantic and across the Equator to Africa reminds us how much we still have to learn from them.

Gray Whales Tagging Southwest Fisheries Science Center scientists and Mexican collaborators completed their mission of March 7-9 to deploy small satellite dart tags on adult gray whales (19 total whales were tagged) in order to monitor the whales' fine scale migration routes through the coastal waters off Baja California, Mexico, and southern California.

The public can track these whales (http://swfsc.noaa.gov/PRD-GrayWhaletracking/) as they travel along the annual migratory route from the winter breeding grounds in the lagoons of Baja California to summer feeding grounds in the Arctic. In Everglades City, Officers arrested a charter boat captain for reckless operation of a vessel resulting in a boating accident. The accident involved a collision between two tour airboats that began with a disagreement between both captains.

Subsequently, one of the captains intentionally drove his airboat into the second airboat. After the collision, both captains got into a fist fight and ended up in the water.

Both airboats had a combined total of nine passengers, two were children. One passenger captured the incident on video. A week later one of the captains was arrested

A Park Service officer was dispatched to the location of a man onboard a stolen vessel in Safe Harbor. The Key West resident had been living on the vessel and told the officer he knew who the rightful owner was, but had made no attempt to contact the owner. Officers assisted and arrested the subject on felony grand theft charges and for possession of a stolen vessel.

Officer Nick Price received a call from a Bay County Sheriffʼs Deputy concerning a subject who killed a seagull on the beach and buried it. Officer Dennis Palmer responded with Officer Price and located a witness and the suspect. The suspect used food to draw the seagull close, struck it with a shovel, and buried it in the sand. The subject showed the officers where the bird was buried. When they dug it up, the bird was still alive. A statement was taken from the subject and a witness who observed the incident. The subject was cited for attempting to take a protected species and the seagull was transported to a rehab center.

KONY HYPE For those interested in the real story behind Joseph Kony and the Lord's Resistance Army (the topic of the Kony 2012 viral video) read our friend Peter Eichstaedtʼs book: First Kill Your Family:

Child Soldiers of Uganda and the LRA. inof South Sudan waiting for Kony's soldiers to show up for peace talks. Peter has been a hell of a lot closer to the real story than the video makers have gotten, despite the millions of dollars the group has raised.

MORE ABOUT KIDS Keith Miller from Waco, Texas set out on

2007

$21,990

2003 Max um 2 5 0 SE -

220hp MPI Mercruiser, A.C., sleeps 4, dual bimini, one owner. $29,999

In this photo released by the Italian Navy, scuba divers inspect the interior of the Costa Concordia cruise ship.

a mission to catch one fish every day for a year straight on April 1st, 2011. On March 31st, 2012, he will successfully complete his goal for the second time.

“He did it once for fun in 2009, just for fun, for really no good reason other than to see if he could do it,” said Larry Hodge, Information Specialist for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD). The department supports Millerʼs effort and will be onsite on the day of the event.

Miller said he caught a fish every calendar day in 2009 on a joke. For the 2011/2012 challenge, he said he is doing it for a cause; to help promote awareness of opportunities for kids to get outside and enjoy fishing.

2 0 11 Key Larg o CC -

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See all our boats at

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KIDS FISHING 941-627-5777

23269 Bayshore Rd Charlotte Harbor

JUNK GE PARTS This ice dispenser solenoid out of our expensive top of the line GE Monogram refrigerator rusted solid in a couple of years. “GE knows about this problem,” the repairman said.

“Youʼd think a part in such a moist environment as the ice maker would be designed better and waterproof,” he noted.

Our high end GE products have been a big let down to us.

April 21 is National FISH EARTH DAY at Fishermen's Village! From 10 am-12 noon Anglers for Conservation will present their Hook Kids on Fishing Program.

First 100 kids to register (ages 6-16) receive free rod, reel and tackle box.

Clinics on fishing, conservation, fishing safety, knot tying. Pre-registration required. To register, call King Fisher Fleet at 941 639-0969

In-house Upholstery Shop

Fabrication • Spot Repairs • Major Structural Custom work is our Specialty 1726 Steadley Ave. Punta Gorda

Professional Quality Awl Grip Finishes Gel Coat • Free Estimates Mobile Service

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K AYA K S !

Page 22

WaterLIFE@comcast.net

April

April Fishing Forecast

2012

Charlotte Harbor:

Frank at Fishin' Franks Port Charlotte: 625-3888

Funky things are happening in the Harbor. The current from the Gulf comes in the Harbor and it flushes the east side out so the water is getting real clear around the east side keys and the redfi sh are getting real spookey there. When the current comes in the Harbor it moves north along the east side all the way to Alligator Creek.

The dirty water is pushed to the west side. Lately, winds from the north and east have helped muddy the west side even more. The way scientists know this is because tarpon eggs get flushed in at the same time and more are being found on the east side than the west side. That’s what I read.

The redfish on the west side have been smaller than slot and down rather than on the east side where the redfish have been slot size and up. It has been easier to get bit on the northern half of the west side. From half-way to Cattledock Point there have been good redfish.

The Peace River is also holding good reds way up the river. With the lack of rain there is salt water all the way up past SR761 and a lot of fish. Redfi sh, jacks and l adyfi sh have been up by Nav-a-Gator and beyond.

Right now it’s a wild ride on snook. The most readily caught fish right now is snook. From Placida to Arcadia snook are in pre-spawn mode and they are eating.

As a guide, if you’re not catching snook now you need a new profession!

This month the S pani sh mackerel are closer to shore. For Ki ngs, troll along the crab traps with a

Incredible game fish Capt. Billy Barton put this client on a beautiful Charlotte Harbor snook

Stretch 25 Rapalla in green and silver or a Mann’s black and silver, troll the trap line to get the bigger kings, out further you are going to get the smaller fish. It may take a little longer, but the big kings are in closer now.

S harks are confused. They come, they go, they don’t know what to do. There are S harpnose sharks in the Harbor, bonnetheads, bl ackti ps and we are starting to see some of the bi g bul l s. One day we caught 7 but

Charters

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This lucky snook was caught by Ashley Burr.

it took some waiting. You have to be very paitent to catch sharks now. I don’t know why, but what should take 30-45 minutes takes an hour and a half and the bonnets are eating cut fish. It makes no sense at all.

Sharks lead to Tarpon. From Captiva Pass down to the rocks there have been fishable numbers of tarpon.

Fishing Report continued on facing page

Last space available Guides Only $40/month 766-8180

April

2012

www.WaterLIFEmagazine.com

continued from facing page

The deep holes in the Harbor have been inconsistent; better to be lucky than good fishing tarpon in the daytime, but from the Cape Coral bridges to Placida, at ElJobean and 41 we are seeing nighttime and early morning tarpon now.

In freshwater, the best bass fishing is in South Gulf Cove. Soft plastic creaturebaits are working and I’m hearing good stories after the weed eradication a couple of months ago.

The The BIG-4 BIG-4

TARPON Are moving up from the south.

Fish Fish to to expect expect in in

SNOOK Have been good on the East Side Keys

Page 23

April April

CREVALLE JACKS are all around the Harbor

Gulf Temps in the mid 70s SHARKS are around, but you have to be paitent.

Lemon Bay:

Jim at Fishermens Edge, Englewood: 697-7595

We’ve had quite a bit of redfi sh down south. We are in the Summer pattern of live bait in the daytime and topwater plugs morning and evenings. Sometimes, if Capt. David Stephens gave us these two young ladies it’s a cloudy enough day, and your with snook in hand, from a March charter. are willing to cast enough, topwaters are good all day.

A friend of mine caught 5 hogfish in Guys on the beach, closer to the passes, are one day a couple of weeks ago. doing o.k. for pompano, whi ti ng, S pani sh, Tarpon are showing up in the pass bl ack drum, and fl ounder. Boca is better and I hear some are up in the Harbor than Gasparilla and Stump Pass because Boca making their presence felt. I haven’t has the tide ripping out. heard any tarpon on the beach yet.

There are snook down the beach and some big redfi sh around the point. A lot of bigger sharks are showing up on the beach too, where April 28-29 the water is warmer.

BARGE PARTY V Inside, there has been a lot of trout fishing.

MUSIC AT TWO PINE Trout have been better gong down in the Pine Annual Raft-Up Island sound. The smaller ones are up in Lemon Bay. Benefit for Little League $20 Offshore I haven’t heard much except for sandbarproduction.com porgys, snapper and grunts – a lot of gruts and a lot of hogfi sh reports this past month.

Captainʼs Corner

FISHING REGULATION Based on Intent

If you are up the river fishing and you have nightcrawlers or shiners for bait you must have a freshwater license, but if you have greenbacks or shrimp in your bait bucket you need to have a saltwater license.

For lure fishermen it’s more complicated because the law is based on your intent and not on any physical boundary-line on the river.

If you are in an area where you catch two bass you must have a freshwater license. If you catch two snook you need a saltwater license. It doesn’t matter if you release them. So if you catch one bass on a lure and you only have a saltwater license then you must move to another spot before you catch another bass or you will be breaking the law when you catch the second bass. Same with snook and a freshwater license. Once you catch two of the same species FWC says that’s your intent and so you need the appropriate license.

Got a Story? send us your pictures: waterlife@comcast.net

Yes it can be done – Hog Fish on a hook and line!

Pete Lee recently went right off shore from Venice Inlet. Since grouper were out of season he had to find some other tasty fish to bring home. He gathered up some small crabs and shrimp and off he went. In addition to this nice male hogfish (which I think you can keep 10 per person) he caught a huge Sheepshead.

So don't stop fishing when grouper are out of season, find other fish to catch like hogfish and sheepshead. Also, I just heard a report of cobia again... I don't think they ever left last Fall due to the warn water temperatures. If you have not caught a cobia right off shore (within 13 miles) give it a try at one of the artificial reefs.

Gag grouper will not open till July 1st and then for 4 months. American red snapper will, most likely, open up June 1st for about 40-50 days in Federal Waters (out 9 miles from shore).

Capt. Glen Ballinger, The Outcast, Venice (941) 323-5251

There are 4 hogfish photos in the magazine this month (2 more on p 17) and all were taken on hook and line. Jim at Fishermenʼs Edge in Englewood said a friend caught 5 in one day last month.

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April

2012

www.WaterLIFEmagazine.com

Page 24

JUST SOLD! Need Your Boat!!