Water LIFE Charlotte Charlotte Harbor Harbor and and Lemon Lemon Bay Bay Keeping Boaters & Fishermen Informed Since 1997
January
2012
The official publication of the Charlotte Harbor Reef Association
Fishing Memories
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Canal Fishing Winter Workout Big Month for Sailors
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January
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January
2012
Inshore & Offshore Headquarters Letters to Waterlife@comcast.net
RE: S EX WITH FLIPPER Dear Water LIFE Your story about the man who had sex with a dolphin was straight out of the Woody Allen movie All You Ever Wanted to Know About Sex. Remember the scene where Gene Wilder came to his therapist’s office with a sheep? ‘That’s my Dolly,” he told his doctor. “She had such beautiful eyes....” Mi ke Cl emmer, vi a emai l
Editor notes* Here’s Dolly!
Dear Mi ke You must have thought hard before you ran that story. Sex sells for sure, but with animals (fish) that IS weird. Are you getting much feedback? I lived in SouthBay (community) where FloridaLand was. You know we have a porpoise on the intracoastal that comes right up to our boat (anyone with food or bangs on their boat) in Nokomis. They say it escaped from FloridaLand years ago. I have heard it
called both Beggar and Mooch. We still go over in that area and bang on boat and it shows up. Great for photos. Capt. Gl en Bal l i nger, Veni ce
To the edi tor, Your story on page 4 of the December 2011 issue is a story that did not need to be told. What it is not is funny. What it is, is abominable beyond words to describe. Why you propagated it and gave the perpetrator of this heinous deed a plug for his book I do not know. What I do know is deeds such as these our Maker deems worthy of death, not tales to (be) told for financial gain. But, even this is not outside the reach of God's grace. My plee to you and the subject of your story is be reconciled (by) God. Please read Acts 17:21-30. And, please stick to fishing and boating. Mi chael Crafts
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RE; OCCUPY Mi ke, I don't often go far enough south to pick up your paper but today we went to Cook's Sportland (Christmas shopping) & picked up a copy. Upon opening it up I was surprised to see that you covered our "Occupy Snake Island Protest". Love it! Can't wait to show the gang this afternoon. Keep up the good works and I'll be stopping @ Cook's more often now Pat McCarthy
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still just
In your December WaterLIFE article, in your message to kayakers, you state that Wisconsin requires kayakers to register their craft. I own two power boats and three kayaks. To set the record straight the power boats need to be registered. The kayaks DO NOT. Unless of course you put a motor on the kayak and I've never seen that in WI, FL or any other state. I would have no problem registering my kayaks and paying a water usage fee. However, contrary to your message, WI does not require it as you state. Charl i e, charemann10@yahoo. com
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Hi Charl i e, I checked the Wisconsin Natural Resources site again. There is a non-motorized boat fee of $11.00. What confused me was that it is a Voluntary Registration. I guess you were one of the kayakers who didn't volunteer. Capt. Ron
Re: CHEATING To Water LIFE Children cheating at anything, whether on exams or other activities, is evidence of a deficit in moral values that should have been learned in their early years. Will these students continue cheating throughout their lives – in their jobs, with their families, with their friends? If this is as prevalent as suggested we are not only nearing financial bankruptcy as a country, we are also nearing moral bankruptcy as a nation Edwi n Card, S al em S . C.
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Contributing Editors:
...will appear again next month
on the COVER: Big jacks have been frequenting the PGI and Port Charlotte Canals. This photo from a charter trip with Capt. Billy Barton
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Tides
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This is the Time for Sailing
January
2012
By Mi chael Hel l er This publication has been reporting on Charlotte Harbor and Lemon Bay for 15 years. Boating and fishing, living on the water or near the water, living with hurricanes, it all happens right here. In the spring, summer and fall, Water LIFE is mostly about fishing. Fishing accounts for 75-percent of the water-action here. Sailing makes up a lot of the rest of our content and January, February and March are usually the best months. This month we have the Disabled Sailor’s Regatta at Punta Gorda on Jan.14-15 and the Golden Conch Regatta at Burnt Store on Jan. 21-22. I love taking pictures of sailors, especially those who are sometimes in-overtheir-heads with their sport. And I also like photographing the crews that function together like a well oiled machine. Catching up to sailors, on the water, mid race, usually at the first ‘mark,’ is what I like to do for pictures. With that close proximity to the action comes a second perspective I also enjoy, one most land bound or armchair observers don’t get. I like the sounds of sailboat racing. I am very aware of how noisy my 200 hp 2-stroke Mercury is when it’s running. And I am also very aware of the quiet that surrounds sailing when my outboard is off. The sound of sleek hulls cutting or slapping through the water, the sounds of sails and rigging rustling or gliding over to the other side of the traveller, tension against the boom-vang, rollers, stiff can-
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vas or soft spinnakers billowing, sailors trying to catch every little bit of air, slow winching adjustments, click, click, click; it has a soothing sound in the light air. But there is nothing that compares to the sounds and the intensity of a sailboat race when the wind is blowing hard and everything is happening very fast. Sailor’s skill levels vary, deck hands are often volunteers and there are still no brakes on sailboats. Put all that together and sailing gets interesting. Boats approach the mark at different speeds and from different directions. Fleets of similar designed boats tend to bunch up close to each other, big boats catch up to the smaller ones and suddenly they are all bearing down on the same marker around which they all must turn. That’s when I like to take pictures. If it’s calm I can put an anchor out, but when it’s windy I stay under power and try to leave myself an out. When it’s windy the sails hold the air’s energy better. Sails fill quickly, the wind snaps and reshapes them with sharp pronounced noises. Taught lines and halyards reverberate agains the aluminum masts, there is always the noise of the wind and the sailors trying to control it. When it’s windy there is less room for error and much less time to correct. Sometimes the volunteer crews haven’t all actually done this before. Sometimes, if it’s windy enough, the new crew are simply used for ballast. Heavyweight crewmembers are are prized ballast in heavy winds so they only
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Bigger boats often equate to bigger problems...especially when carrying a lot of sail.
have to move from one side of the boat to the other as the boat changes tack. Sometimes even that is a photo op. As the wind speed goes up so does the anxiety level. Boats rise and crash back down into the waves. Rigging creaks and sometimes fails. Directions from captain to crew and occasionally from boat to boat get louder. As space diminishes there are more frequent reminders of who has the right-of-way and what rules-of-overtaking apply. Profanity which travels very far and very clearly over the water is sometimes, but not often, heard. At times there has even been some NASCAR style trading of paint (gel coat?). The sounds of hulls scraping, the sound of lifelines getting caught up with
each other and then stantions being ripped out of the deck are sounds you won’t hear from shore, not to mention the captain’s conversations that follow. One year, for the January Golden Conch Regatta, the wind was blowing a steady 25 knots out of the north and the harbor was violently white. I called Burnt Store and one of the sailing club officials said “Yes, sure! We are sailors, we’re not afraid of a little wind! Yes, of course we are racing.” So I figured the photos would be worth it and I made my way down to Burnt Store, in my 21-footer - it took an hour – and I was thoroughly wet – and it was very cold – it was January ... only to find they had called off the race! Smart sailors ... dumb me!
Top 10 Stories of 2011
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On the Line
Wi th Capt. Ron Bl ago Water LIFE Senior Staff
Each y ear I lik e to list the news articles I ran across during the y ear that I found were of interest to me. Some of them were of common k nowledge, but some of them sneak ed by without much attention from the main stream media.
10 S tump Pas s fi nal l y was dredged. After a year's delay the project was started and completed with no problems. The channel is now marked with a lighted buoy on the Gulf side. Our permit to keep the pass open expires next year; it should be interesting to see what the State wants in exchange for renewing the permit. They always want something. 9
No hurri canes. It's been 7 years since Hurricane Charlie hit Punta Gorda. Each year the National scientists give us their prediction for the number of tropical storms coming our way. They have been so far off the mark that they have stopped giving us their yearly prediction and are holding off until hurricane season begins in June. I have to admire their admitting that models are not that accurate a year out. It makes me wonder how accurate the models for global warming are that try to predict the weather 50 years from now.
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January
2012
8 No major red ti de outbreaks in 2011. I have to hedge a little on this one. We have heard about a patch of red tide off Sanibel down to Naples for the last few months. The dead fish float around and some of them wind up on the beach. I swear I see the same news video footage every time they talk about red tide; the same dead mullet with the bloated eyes. It's the dead fish that stink not the red tide. Get rid of the dead fish sooner and we won’t scare the tourists.
7 Fi shy FWC I'm starting to think something is fishy with the FWC. I've felt this way ever since they failed to follow through on the delisting of the manatee, but now something else is going on. They seem to have changed some of their facts and figures. For instance; they reported that they sold 1,286,000 resident saltwater fishing licenses and 716,000 non-resident licenses; and recreational fishing brings in $5.7 billion dollars and employes 54,500 people. They also say that commercial fishing brings in $5.7 billion dollars and employs 109,000 people. When
Thousands of cow nosed rays migrated around the Florida panhandle last month
did commercial fishing get so big? We were always told that for every $1 produced in commercial fishing the recreational fishing industry produced $20. That's quite a difference.
6 How about those grouper regul ati ons? For the first time in my life I can honestly say I don't understand the regulations for grouper. You have Federal and you have State regulations. Gag grouper in federal waters was open only two months last year. On Dec 23 in state waters the red grouper bag limit is increased to 4 fish but the gag grouper season is closed until March 31. Fish for grouper at your own peril. I suggest you bring a lawyer with you. What a mess. 5
S nook season i s cl osed in our area until Aug 12, but it's open on the Atlantic side. Trout season is closed in Nov and Dec in our area, but starting next year there will be no closed season in the northern part of the state. The bag limit for redfish in our area is 1 fish. The bag limit in the northern part of the state is now 2 fish. Southwest Florida seems to be on the short end of the stick. By the way the chairperson for the FWC lives in Jacksonville. It's been reported that she was appointed to the FWC after making a $35,000 campaign donation to Former Gov. Charlie Crist. I'm sure that was just a coincidence. On the plus side we have a new governor and he only paid $73 million to get his job.
4
It i s now i l l egal to posses ti ger or hammerhead (or scal l oped head) sharks. I guess that mean no more fishing for world record hammerheads in Boca Grand Pass.
3 Land was
bought to ex pand the
Pl aci da Boat Ramp. Notice the new ice machine near the boat launch area. It's sitting on the exact same spot the county said they were going to install real rest rooms. I guess they figured you wanted the ice more. The new parking area at the Ainger Creek boat ramp is finished. The county is moving along on the Cattle Point boat ramp which is scheduled to be finished in 2013. The project will result in 72 parking spaces at a cost of $3 million dollars or roughly$41,666 per space.
2
The real estate down turn i s i n i ts 5th year; unemployment is still over 10% in our area. Personal income per household in Charlotte County between 2007-2010 has dropped $4,700. Recession, depression call it what ever you want, but it's the worst economic conditions I have seen in my lifetime. Something better change-quick.
1 Once again manatees hi t the top spot. Even with a population of over 5,000 manatees the State feels that Charlotte County still needs more manatee protection. The state is pressuring Charlotte County into signing off on a state controlled Manatee Protection Plan that will take waterway and waterfront development away from local control and put it into the hands of the state. How are manatees doing in Charlotte County? In 2011 there were 9 months that had no manatee mortalities due to watercraft. The other 3 months had 1 each; 3 boat related mortalities for the year. That's 0.06% of the total manatee population. Is the plan about protecting manatees or protecting an expensive bloated state bureaucracy that has out lived it's usefulness? You can Reach Capt Ron Blago at:
Captronb@juno.com
January
2012
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Recreational Shellfish Harvesting in Southwest Florida
By Betty S taugl er
Water LIFE / Sea Grant
In northern coastal states it is common to see people harvest shellfish for personal consumption. Although not as prevalent, recreational shellfish harvesting is legal in Southwest Florida, but there are specific guidelines about where and when harvesting is allowed and how many can be taken.
Shellfish harvesting areas (SHAs) are established, monitored, and managed by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), Division of Aquaculture. Because shellfish such as oysters and clams are filter feeders and can harbor potential contaminants that pose health risks to humans, several water quality standards must be met before FDACS can designate an area for harvesting. Within a SHA, there are several water classifications. The public is only allowed to harvest shellfish from approved or conditionally approved waters.
Heavy rains, red tides, and other events that can potentially introduce elevated levels of contaminants can result in temporary closures. To find the status of a SHA visit www.floridaaquaculture.com, click on "Shellfish Harvesting," and then "Daily Status." Or call (941) 833-2552.
Recreati onal S hel l fi sh Regul ati ons In order to legally harvest shellfish, a valid saltwater fishing license is required. In addition to knowing where legal harvesting of shellfish is allowed, recreational harvesters must also be aware of size and bag limits and seasonal closures. CLAMS
Minimum size limit: 1-inch thick across the hinge.
Bag limit: one 5-gallon bucket per person or two per vessel, whichever is less, per day. There is no set closed season, but all harvest is prohibited when SHAs are temporarily closed. OYS TERS
Minimum size limit: 3 inches
Bag limit: 2 bags per person or vessel, whichever is less, per day (1 bag = 60 lbs., or two 5- gallon buckets, whole in shell).
All oyster harvesting is prohibited during July, August and September with the exception of Dixie, Levy, and Wakulla Counties where harvest is prohibited during June, July and August.
Commercial clamming thrived on the submerged land leases behind Devilfish Key, one year before Hurricane Charley.
All harvest is also prohibited when SHAs are temporarily closed. Commerci al Cl am Leases
Within the Ten Thousand, Pine Island Sound and Gasparilla Sound SHAs Aquaculture lease areas are established for the production of hard clams. Leased from the State of Florida, the corners and perimeters of these areas are marked with PVC pipes and signage. Cultured shellfish are protected by law; harvesting is prohibited except by the leaseholder. Commonl y Harvested S hel l fi sh
While several species of molluscan shellfish are potentially edible, four of the most common types of shellfish recreationally harvested in Southwest Florida include the Eastern oyster, Northern and Southern quahog, and Sunray Venus clam. NOTE: The harvesting of bay scallops south of the Pasco/Hernando County line is Illegal!
A Word about Vi bri o Vul ni fi cus
Proper care should be taken when handling and consuming shellfish. Most shellfish. Sharp edges that can cause serious injury. Of particular concern is Vibrio vulnificus, a bacterium naturally found in warm coastal waters, and in many shellfish species. Vibrio can cause severe illness or death to at-risk people who eat raw shellfish or those who are cut by shellfish harboring the bacteria. Vibrio vulnificus is NOT a result of pollution, and can be found in waters approved for shellfish harvesting.
Betty Staugler is the Florida Sea Grant Agent for Charlotte County. She can be reached at 941.764.4346 Sea Grant is part of the Univ ersity of Florida IFAS Ex tension
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Winter Shark Bite
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By Capt. Chuck Ei chner Water LIFE Punta Gorda Rare are the days I feel comfortable going offshore in the winter, but upon awakening one recent morning the weather man had called it right. Light winds less than 10 knots and with that I called and woke a friend at 6:30 a.m. and asked if he wanted to go fishing. The next hour was a rush to prepare the boat, fuel up, gear up and run to the bait shop. By 8:30 a.m. we had left the dock with 200 shrimp, boxes of chum and hopes of tangling with mangrove snappers, flounder, mackeral and perhaps a kingfish on the high seas. We made way through Boca Grande Pass where the seas were bumpier than expected and continued on a 15 mile ride to the “schoolbus” reef. On the way we watched an occasional blow up with sizable silver fish blasting bait, but could never line up with the fish as they were on the move. My guess was kingfish or perhaps a bonito as they were aggressive blasts on the surface. By the time we landed on the reef it had gotten quite bumpy. We watched the bottom machine for a sizeable object to show and when it did we threw a buoy
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marker on the spot, moved forward from it and drifted back under anchor with a perfect set up to float chum back to the reef. We had the chum box in the water spewing out fish pieces and beautiful shrimp dropped to the bottom however we never got a peck, even after giving the spot a couple of hours. Heading to our next favorite reef we hoped for a better reward. Same scenariocircle the bottom structure while watching the depth finder, dropping the buoy and anchoring to position the stern within casting distance to the reef and dropping the chum box over. This time we had bites on every cast. Blue Runners led the list of fish species, along with grunts and one nice flounder. Still not what we were fishing for, but the action was fast and
fun. Knowing an occasional kingfish might show itself we kept a few blue runners in the well. Rigging one on a short piece of piano wire and 4-feet of 50pound leader I cast a live runner out behind the boat and watched it pull a float erratically in circles as it tried to free the circle hook impaled in its back. I stuck the medium action rod in a rocket launcher over head so as not to interfere with our bottom fishing. As we continued to probe the depths we were successful at feeding small fish lots of nice shrimp and then the blue runner rod buckled with a loud thud and line began stripping off at an alarming rate. Scrambling to get to the rod I was balancing myself on the gunnel and hanging on with one hand while trying to remove the rod from the holder with no success. There was too much pressure on the reel handle until the fish paused, when I got the rod out. Immediately I felt the fish swing its body against the line and it raced off with another 100 yards of line nearly breaking surface the whole way. Monster kingfish was my mantra as we watched all heck break loose on the surface. I was totally under-gunned for this fight as my medium action rod buckled in unnatural ways with rod tip nearly touching the handle! Finally within 70 yards of the boat, a 6 foot fish free-jumped and
January
2012
with glare on the water we saw a brownish red color not silver. It was a shark and my saltwater buggy whip was doing a good job of wearing me down but not the fish. Add to that I had a 4/0 Owner Muthu Light Circle Hook which I figured would break before the line, but it didn’t. At boat side this fish revealed itself to be a blacktip shark over 100 pounds. Mark had visions of steakfish on the grill so out came the gaff and in came the shark. Believe me when I tell you that when a blacktip shark of this size is pulled into the boat it creates excitement and danger. Sharks are a common catch on offshore reefs this time of year and will certainly satisfy your desire to fight big fish.
Capt. Chuck Eichner operates Action Flats Back country Charters and can be reached at 941-628-8040 or www.back country -charters.com -
Fishing has been good out of Placida
January
2012
By Capt. Bart Marx Water LIFE Fishing If you are reading this you survived the holidays. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all my fellow sportsmen. I’ve been looking back at last year being thankful for all the good weather days that turned into good fishing days and all the customers that joined us on our charters. And the opportunity to be able to continue writing for Water LIFE Magazine and being thankful that my Pop's took time to teach me how to fish - and had patients with me. I had the pleasure to take a repeat customer and his son out on our ActionCraft flats boat. We ventured out of Placida and headed over to Bull Bay where we started fishing and hooked into a few sheepshead. This gave the tide a few minutes to rise a little more so that we would be able to travel into some other areas to fish. This was a half day trip so there was a limited time to fish and get some fish for the dinner table. We stopped at another place where we caught some small mangrove snappers. We were using shrimp that I picked up at Fishin’ Franks that morning. This time of year shrimp is the best bait because it is the natural bait in the harbor now, until around March. Bob and Mark used the gear that we have for our customers. We use 7-foot rods made by Red Bone with Quantum Boca 40 reels, 20-pound performance braid by Suffix, 20-pound Fluorocarbon leader, a 5/0 VMC circle hooks and a 1/4ounce egg weight. This is a knocker rig. It is a very nice setup. It casts very well and the braid line is strong and seems not to tangle as much as other braid lines – I like that. We are able to fish for reds, snook, snapper, flounder, and trout with this rig and most other inshore species. This is very important when we have -
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ter got on the board with another nice red. Then, the next thing I know, they both had a fish on for a double hookup. That was awesome. They continued to catch reds for about 30 minutes. After all the action we had two nice keeper reds in the live well. So we traveled around and caught some other small fish. At one point we were surrounded by thousands of mullet. We just sat there and observed them in their eating mode. Those mulletmaffia guys would have had a field day throwing their nets. At the end of our trip there were two reds in the box for a fish fry and two more happy customers.
If y ou would lik e to come fishing with Capt. Bart of Alpha & Omega Charters giv e me a call. Or if y 'all hav e guests coming into town that lik e to fish that forgot their rods and license we would be willing to help. 941-979-6517 Singing drags and tight lines mak e me smile!
to keep moving to find the fish that are biting. Bob and Mark are experienced fishermen and good casters so this helped me to be able to place the boat and tell them where to cast and they can do it. We moved to our next spot to fish and things started to happen; the reds started to feed. Mark caught the first keeper red. It had 11 big spots on one side and we took pictures to prove it. And Mark caught another nice fish and then he let his dad Bob get in the game with another nice redfish with more pictures to prove it. This was a fun trip for me, these guys had a good time and had some nice fillets for a fish fry. I cleaned two redfish and three sheepshead for these guys to take with them. This was a morning trip and on the same day I had an afternoon trip with another family fishing team (father and daughter) who have fished with us too. We went to our first stop and for a few minutes it was a slow bite, but it was not very long before this changed. The reds started to bite and Bill caught the first one to the boat. Then his daugh-
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The Way it Is Right Now ... and other wise observations By Fi shi n’ Frank Water LIFE Sage There is a lot going on right now. Mullet season is in full swing, there are cool new rods and reels on the market and a hot new broken finish/color-pattern to an old favorite lure. There has been unbelievably warm weather, milder winds and temperatures hitting, and it seems like everybody is going fishing. I just have to say, it’s a great end to a mixed message year. Lets start with the weather: Bad weather has been one of the big topics for 2011 but here in Charlotte Harbor weather has been great, the winds have been a little strong but that still leaves us with the canals, rivers, and usually one side of the Harbor (or the other) with calm and fishable water. Cold spells through October and November brought the waters temperatures down which bring the fish up into the upper Harbor and its canal systems. Why? It is simple, really, people. “Snow birds” travel thousands of mile to get here where the beautiful warm days of Florida just make everywhere else seem, how should I say it? BURRRRR Cold !!!!. Fish are very similar to the snow birds
Mirrolureʼs new broken glass pattern note the screw-in hook eyes
in that they look for the best most comfortable water to be in. The clear cool waters and white sand bottoms of the Gulf do not absorb heat from the sun the way the dark water and dark bottoms of the Harbor does, and the canals will be even warmer than the Harbor by a few degrees. So as the temperatures fall the fish come in. Over the last few weeks with warm to hot days and lots of beautiful sunshine some of the fish have started moving out of the canals. When many of the folks got here they were catching fish like crazy right off the dock behind their homes. Then this slowed down quite a bit over the week before Christmas. Now we are going to have a week where the night time temperatures will be in the low 50s to high 40s this will bring them all swimming back. A few fish that prefer the cooler waters are seatrout and Spanish mackerel. A cold spell will load the Harbor with both. As for you guys with a love of big fish, watch for the king mackerel to make another run past us. They like 68 to 72 degree waters and will travel up and down the coast trying to keep with the water temperature. This years hottest lure, award has to go to MirrorLure’s brand Broken Glass colors. Whether you use them in the 17, 19, or the 27 styles, the fish are all about biting that broken glass look. The hot colors are G-gold, S-silver and 808 which
January
2012
WaterLIFE Website Update We have added a modern page viewer to our website. You can now simply flip through the pages of every monthly edition. There are now links to each advertiser’s website directly from their ad on their page. We will now also be able to keep all back editions online as well. We will be putting up all of the 2011 editions during the first week of January. Please give us your feedback, let us know if this way is better or if the old PDF system was more to your liking. If you print out pages please let us know how that is working. There is a link to contact us on the top of every left side page. www.waterlifemagazine.com
is a black/silver/orange. What a year they are having; keep in mind these are twitchbaits and the cool part of that is you give it all the action. If you just cast it out and reel it in they look like a stick dragging back through the water, but a few twitches or sharp jerks to your rod tip and these Mirror lures come alive. They are my 2011 best-bet for trout, redfish, mackerel and snook. It’s been a banner year on the commercial catch of mullet, but since they invented Viagra no one needs the aphrodisiac effects of white mullet row and the price is down to .05 cents or less a pound while red row, the female caviar, is going for 80 cent to $2 dollars a pound. The way to tell which one you have is to squeeze the belly and see if it is white or red comes out. Red stays in the boat and white gets tossed back. And that’s the problem. The beaches and many canals have just been littered with dead mullet. Fishermen just cannot afford to haul around fish with no market value when they could be carrying a load of fish which will bring a good price. More people need to experience how good mullet is, baked, fried, broiled, grilled, even steamed as poor man’s lobster. If people would start eating them as the healthy great tasting fish they are there would be a lot less waste. We hope you have a good new year and from Frank and the pirate crew we wish you a happy new year with lots of big fish on the line and good friends by your side Frank can be reached at 625-3888 or at Frank@fishinfranks.com
January
2012
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C a l l t h e C a p t a i n ! FOUR BEDROOM POOL HOME with a full 3 car garage! 114 ft of seawall with a 90 ft. dock, deep sailboat water, heated pool. Crown molding, gourmet kitchen with 3 stainless steel sinks, wall oven, wine fridge, large center island, paver bricked lanai. $649,000
Burnt S tore Isl es
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
Punta Gorda
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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! $119,000
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WATERFRONT HOME with quick access out! Huge great room with wonderful views of the water, new paver pool deck, large rooms, modern kitchen, lots of counter space, oversized lanai. Complete with seawall. $209,000.
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ROOM, 3 CAR GARAGE pool home located in a golfing community. Extra features include hot tub/spa, hurricane shutters, irrigation system, outdoor kitchen, outdoor shower. $519,000
Call the Captain! TIP LOT HOME! Approx. 179 ft. of waterfront with this custom built 2/2/2 home. The large living room and a gazebo style bonus room have panoramic views of multiple intersecting canals, pefect for studio or den. $239,900.
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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
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Call the Captain! 135 FT CONCRETE SEAWALL, oversized dock, boat lift with access to Charlotte Harbor and the Gulf of Mexico. This spacious home has a formal dining room with arched window and plantation shutters. The master bedroom has picturesque waterviews, 2 walkin closets and private bath with dual sinks. $425,000
Call the Captain! INCREDIBLE OPEN WATER VIEW of Charlotte Harbor! Rare tip lot sold with the lot next to it. Combined waterfrontage of approximatley 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
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Call the Captain! INCREDIBLE NEARLY NEW WATERFRONT HOME! 4 bedroom, 2 bath, 2 car garage, secluded location, open floor plan, wood cabinets, high ceilings. Fabulous condition. $199,000
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Let me advertise your property or your house right here – I get results! Call the Captain Today! 941-833-4234
Page 12
WaterLIFE@comcast.net editor Notes*
More Smiling Faces Congrats are in order! Capt Billy got engaged last month!
January
2012
January
2012
Smiling Faces
By Capt. Bi l l y Barton Water LIFE / Charlotte Harbor Well guys and girls another fishy year has come to pass. Man I'm blessed! Two hundred and fifty plus days spent on the water last year, I just love my life! It is now 2012 and I don't know, it could all be in my head, but 2012 sounds like a fishy number! Maybe I'm just being optimistic, who knows!? The only thing I can do is get out there and do it! I tell you what though, I know it's not just me that feels this way because I've had several discussions on the topic with several different guides and avid inshore fisherman; this time of year can be tough on us fishermen sometimes. You're out there in an 18 to 20-foot flats boat, The wind is blowing 15 to 20 miles an hour almost everyday and you're lucky some days if you can find a puddle on the grass flats deeper than a foot to fish in! Just because we fish two to three hundred days a year doesn't mean we head out there and the fish Gods hand them to us on a silver platter! I wish it was that easy. The fact of the matter is there are quite a few days this time of year when we really have to work for ‘em. The fishing however over the last month has just been outta control. If the tides are where I need
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them to be, we've been putting anywhere from 20 to a 100 quality redfish to the boat per trip which makes me a very happy guy. I've been booking most of my trips around the higher tides just because that's when my redfish seem to be eating the best. The bait of choice is still a choice or select size live shrimp tail hooked on a 1/8 or 1/4ounce jig head. You can work the shrimp slowly off the bottom, but I prefer just letting it land next to the piece of structure I'm fishing, and just being patient. Sometimes however you just don't luck out and have the good high water on your fishing day, especially this time of year. The winter is when we experience our lowest of low tides here on Charlotte Harbor. The main reason for these extremely low tides is our strong northeastern winds all winter long. The harbor runs almost north and south if you look at it on a map. Long story made short is your outgoing tides become stronger and longer with the winds assistance. In the same aspect the water when trying to flow back into the Harbor on an incoming tide is going to have a more difficult time doing so against those strong northern winds. Make sense? I hope so. So what do you do when Charlotte Harbor looks like a beach!? Aww that's an easy one, you go out there and work on your low water holes. Speckled trout season is officially open now as of January 1.
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Trout have to be15-inches to keep and there's a ton of legal fish all over the place right now. Deep canals, potholes and troughs are what I think of when I think low water. Burnt Store bar, Turtle Bay bar, and Ponce Point are all areas where extra large sandbars are accompanied by significant troughs. These can be great places to go try when the water is pushed out way off of the bushes. When I'm out fishing in open water on low tide I like to use a live shrimp on a popping cork. This is a good way to hammer the speckled trout, possibly pick up a red or a flounder and cover a lot of surface area. If that doesn't sound appealing to you and you like to fish structure, then go try fishing some docks. Pirate Harbor, Punta Gorda Isles and the Grassy Point canals can all hold good fish this time of year. Wide varieties of fish actually make their way through these canals all year round and especially in the winter time. I hope you guys are having as much fun as I am! I tell you what, life is too darn short so get out there and fish! Heck take a kid with you, it'll be the best thing you ever did for him. Give a man a fish and you've fed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you've fed him for a lifetime. Here's to screamin reels and gruntin fish!
Capt. Billy Barton runs Scales N Tails Charters. For information, or to book a fishing trip, Capt. Billy can be reached at 979-6140 or at: bartonw24@yahoo.com
Page 14
Mi ke Busher
Water LIFE Sailing
There will be plenty of sailing this month with the Disabled Sailing Regatta on Jan 14-15 and then the Golden Conch, at Burnt Store, on the 21-22. Last month the Punta Gorda Sailing Club held its annual Holiday Regatta. Windy, sunny, warm conditions would be considered perfect for any sailing regatta. Unfortunately, the first regatta day was exceptionally calm. You have to understand sailors. They tend to adapt to the prevailing conditions. During the four hour wait on the water for wind on the first day, the competitors entertained themselves with stories and food. Some of the crew on one of the larger cruising boats played “Outburst” and several were actually seen knitting. Then after leaving the water a number of the crews were in a party mood and visited the local drinking establishments. Who said it was a bad day? On Sunday the sailing conditions were close to perfect with a nice north easterly breeze. Two races were conducted with the first being called a “Pursuit Race”. This is where the boats start one at a time
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with the slowest boat, based on its rated handicapped speed, starting first. In theory, all the boats would finish at the same time. This in fact never happens as the handicap system is far from perfect and the individual sailor’s skills and errors committed, vary to a large extent. It does however; make for a different and fun race. In the pursuit race, Bill McLearn finished first in Frisbee with Bob Knowles second in Bama Slammer followed by Jerry Poquette in Fancy Free. The second race of the day was a more conventional race of only 3.2 miles as compared to the 8 mile Pursuit Race. The starts were split up into three classes, Spinnaker, Non-Spinnaker, and Cruising. In this race, the starts were separated by five minutes, with all boats in a given class starting at once. The overall results in the spinnaker class showed Bob Knowles taking first, Peter New second in Crime Scene, and Tony Milan third in See Ya. Bill McLearn, the big winner for the day, took first overall in the non-spinnaker class, with Bill Wilkinson taking second in Flying Cloud, followed by Jerry
Poquette’s Fancy Free. Now the Cruising Class is another interesting story. It seems as the Punta Gorda Sailing Club has a fun exchange program, if you want to call it that, with the Caloosahatchee Marching and Chowder Society, a Fort Myers Sailing Organization. They sent three boats up for the event and all three placed. Steve Romaine, their Vice Commodore actually tied with Jerry Poquette but lost the tie breaker. The other two boats though, made it tough on the local cruising boats, with first place going to David Naumann in Jolly Man and second to Roger Horton in Wicked Wicked Ways. My own boat, Serendipity, managed a third. Besides enjoying the competition with the Fort Myers Group, it was especially nice that Steve Romain, the group’s Vice Commodore, presented the Charlotte Harbor Sailing Association with a $900
January
2012
check for youth sailing. This is part of the $10,000 this group raised for youth sailing at their October Summer Set Regatta. PGSC had sent 9 boats there to compete. One last item, the Conquistadors were on the water to judge the competition for the Best Dressed Crew, a traditional holiday theme, for the event. The award went to the crew of Makaro, owned by Paul Sacilotto. The Punta Gorda Sailing Club Sponsors a multitude of Performance Handicap Races and Regattas during the year and the races are open to all sailors. Sign on to www.pgscweb.com for more information.
January
2012
PADDLING
Shell Creek from Riverside Park
By Davi d Al l en Water LIFE Kayaking Every three or four months, our kayak club paddles out of Riverside Park, north of Punta Gorda. Here's why we like this spot; it's close in, only 7 miles from Punta Gorda, it's easy to launch from the ramp and beach, and you can paddle three different routes, all of them interesting and fun. Located on, surprise, surprise, Riverside Drive, just a quarter mile off Highway 17, the park has an adequate parking area and a concrete ramp with a small beach on the side, but no restroom facilities. Well, you can't have everything. No charge for parking. That's nice. Below the dam, Shell Creek breaks up into three or four windy, twisty branches; this section is sometimes called the Three River Area. That's the area we launch into. The main branch meanders northeast and after about 2.5 miles of paddling you are at the dam. You can paddle right to the back side of the dam and explore along the edges – not dangerous at all. If you've already seen the back side of the dam, you can break off to the right from the main channel, about 2 miles from the launch, and enter Myrtle Slough. The Slough gets even more twisty and windy for about 2 miles. Beyond that it becomes too narrow and shallow to paddle. There are always birds and an occasional alligator to liven up the paddle – always interesting. A story, true, about the wildlife in Shell Creek. A couple of weeks ago I was paddling along the shallow edge of Shell
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Creek with the group when a very, very large and very impatient manatee decided to surface. Unfortunately my kayak was directly above the manatee so, over I went. At least the water was fairly warm. And the third option is equally enjoyable, but to experience the full benefit, you have to paddle it in late winter/early spring. The Peace River has very special rookery that is home to egrets, ibis etc., but more especially, there are usually several nests of wood storks. The Rookery is just east of Hunter Creek, about 3.5 miles from the launch at Riverside Park. You simply head west after launching, enter the Peace River and turn hard right. A mile plus a little and you will see and hear the birds, often covering the island. Bring a camera, and spend some time. It's worth it. Now, something much more serious and worthwhile. One of our friends and a local park ranger, Rick Storsberg has developed Pulmonary Fibrosis and needs a lung transplant. The Mayo Clinic has Rick on the waiting list, but as you can imagine, this is a very expensive operation. A benefit has been scheduled for January 22, Sunday, at Grande Tours in Placida to help defray the cost of the operation. Marian Schneider, the owner of Grande Tours will donate all kayak rentals, launch fees to the cause and will also provide a picnic lunch for those who attend. All for a donation of $ 25.
The event starts at 8:30 a.m. with guided tours a raffle and much more. Rick has been a very accomplished paddler for years and is a personal friend. He has worked as a Florida State Park Ranger at Oscar Scherer and Don Pedro Island State parks, and spent the last 10 years working for the Sarasota County Park system at the Carlton reserve and at Lemon Bay. He has also given kayak paddling lessons and demonstrations at the Kayak Festivals. Rick wrote for this publication for a number of years. He is extremely knowledgeable about all forms of marine life and has taken our club on several guided tours off Boca Grande. I hope all of you who read this will attend the benefit and help Rick. It's a very good cause for one of our fellow
Page 15
paddlers.
The Port Charlotte Kay ak ers meet each Wednesday ev ening at 5:30 PM at Port Charlotte Beach Park . All are welcome. For more information contact Dav e Allen at 941-235-2588
Sto e Cr a n in Se a b s NOWson !
Building Memories for a Lifetime Page 16
From Adam Wi l son Water LIFE Kids Correspondant I Took Christian and his buddy Dylan over to Okeechobee today to bring home a Christmas ham! The boys did great filling the cooler with a couple of boars up to 170 pounds. They used 12 gauge shotguns with 00 Buckshot. I just pulled a backstrap off the grill, mmm mmm. A few more photos I wanted to share from 2 weeks ago. I had a friend down from MA. We ran Christian
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and Brandon down to Bull Bay and picked oysters for lunch. Later Christian caught this little bonnet head. (left) Then, on the way home I always stop to let the boys fish in the canal off the Myakka where we keep the skiff. Sometimes it’s the hottest spot. On this day Brandon caught this 24 inch redfish on his own! He was very happy, because usually I “hook” the fish and let him reel it in. This time he hooked it and reeled it in all by himself. It was his first keeper redfish!
Support the Don Ball School of Fishing and the Charlotte Harbor Reef Association 7th Grade fishing classes are scheduled to start in February at Caloosa Middle School in Cape Coral, and we need your financial support!
Students receive a full tackle bag, quality rod and reel and our Fishing Resource Workbook. Wonʼt you please consider sponsoring a student? The cost is $125 We are a 501-(c) 3 Non Profit Florida corporation. You can donate at our website: Waterlifemagazine.com
January
Itʼs a wonderful time when kids are young enough to horse around and kiss a fish while at the same time being old enough to hunt and bring home dinner
From Capt. Glenn Ballinger Here is a cute picture of a little girl (Mia Myburgh) who caught and released a redfish off our dock the other night. Her Parents moved here from South Africa 18 years ago. They run a vet clinic in Venice. The parents - Cliff and Maria, both enjoy diving and fishing out of Stump Pass and Venice. The other picture is of her older sister, Anne , with a sheepshead she caught a few minutes before Mia caught her trophy (for a 3 years old) redfish.
2012
OFFSHORE REPORT
January
2012
The Olʼ Fishʼn Hole
With Capt. Jim O'Brien
Water LIFE Englewood Hey ya-all, it’s 2012! A new year. It’s going to be hard not to put 2011 down for the date like on your checks you write, or formal papers. I usually catch myself after a week or so. I hope you guys out there got what you wanted for Christmas. I know I was especially good the last 4 to 6 weeks before the holiday. Ol’ Capt. here, over the years, has collected about 70 rods an’ reels and all kinds of artificial baits, so this year I put on my list for Santa a new 300 mag. rifle (with a scope, of course!) It’s not Christmas yet as I write this, so I'll have to let you know if I got it next month. The plan is to take my lovely wife Deb down to the Bass Pro shop. I then turn her loose while I go into the lounge for a couple of CAPT. MORGAN AN COKE (you know, this Christmas shopping takes alot out of me!) We got there at 5: 00 and she finally come an got me right before the place closed... any longer in there and they would have had to carry me out - HA! Well let’s talk fish'n. Ol' Capt. here hasn't got out since Thanksgiving. I put my back out and I just sat around for a couple of weeks an did nothing. Now I have 3 charters ready to go as soon as the wind lays down. Here’s what I have been hearing: POMPANO has been biting pretty good off the beachs. Try using silly willy jigs – hot pink and lime green seem to be the colors. Have them tipped with a piece of shrimp. whiting has been hitting in the same places. S NOOK CATCH AN RELEASE ONLY are up in the canals. The P G I canals are holding some BIG-UNS S PANIS H MACKEREL have
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been just off the beachs along with a few kings. If you can get out on a non-windy day they have been getting some big kings, Spanish and bonita in 60 to 80-feet of water. MANGROVE S NAPPER bite has still been good on the inshore reefs: M-13, Novak’s Reef, Mary’s Reef ... just be sure to use alot of chum so you can bring those babys right up to the boat. The BIG- UNS are still out in deeper water. RED DRUM are still chewing good in Lemon Bay north of the Tom Adams bridge on the west side. RED GROUPER are still bitting good if you can get out to the deeper wrecks and Swiss-cheese bottom. GREATER AMBERJACK It’s no secret the BIG-UNS are out on the Bayronto. Big pin fish are doing the trick. They are running 20 to 40-pounds and some are in the 60-pound range. The twin barges and carlie are holding some good ones too. I am going to give you a fish stew recipe I think ya-all will like, like I do. This stew can be made with just about any fish you like as long as it’s not too oily of a fish, best one I like to use is Red Drum.
FISH STEW
This stew is usually cooked in a cast iron pot outdoors. The amount of tomatoes and tobasco sauce can be to your taste. Make the potatoes the same size as your fish pieces. This stew also freezes well in vacuum packed bags and is excellent re-heated.
STUFF YOU WILL NEED
1 - 6 to 8 lbs. of red fish 3 lbs. white potatoes 3 lbs. yellow onions 1/4 lb. bacon 4 cups canned tomatoes 12 ounces of tomato paste or puree tabasco sauce salt and pepper 8 eggs
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Above: The trick is not to back the boat up too fast or ...the cockpit could fill with water! ow: Crew exercises on an artic freighter ...they are wearing shorts!
Cut your fish into chunks and cut your potatoes into chunks the same size as your fishh. Peel your onions and cut them in half, brown the bacon in a large pot, add your potatoes and onion pieces, fish, tomatoes, tomato paste, add tobasco and salt and pepper to your taste. Pour enough water to cover everything in the pot. Simmer the stew for an hour until the fish just starts flaking. Now crack the eggs and put them in the simmering stew. The yolks will be firm in about 10 min. Serve this fish stew with hush puppys or (I like) garlic bread. This pot of fish stew will feed 8 to 10 people. I hope you give this a try. It’s not hard to make and I mean to tell ya if you had SMELL -A - VISION ya- all would be drooling right now.
And with that gem, it’s now time to get out of here again.
If y ou hav e any questions or if y ou hav e a good ol' fishin’ story or a recipe for cook ing fish that I can share with our readers giv e me a call. To book an offshore charter with us aboard the Predator II call (941) 473-2150 AND BE SURE TO SNORT SOME OF THAT SALT AIR CUZ IT’S GOOD FER YA!
Page 18
Everglades Pythons
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S t aff R eport We get to see all sorts of photos every month. Big pythons in the news is nothing new, but when we got this python with a full grown deer inside it we had to ask about it - this is the response: Hey Michael, My buddy at Marine Patrol sent this to me, but it's not of him or anyone he knows. I had not seen this photo before, but it sure "looks" real. I know there must be some big pythons out in the glades by now. Ed Notes* The only thing with the picture is, that white tray is just too clean to be near all that blood..... just saying!
January
2012
January
2012
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SCUTTLEBUTT
Sometimes Unsubstanciated, But Often True
Mullet Season
Charlotte County FWC officers were on water patrol when they observed a commercial net vessel without any lights displayed, fishing with a net in attempt to catch mullet. A fisheries inspection revealed the subjects were fishing with seine nets tied together, not properly marked, and fishing four nets from the vessel. Misdemeanor citations were issued for tying the nets together and for fishing more than two nets from a vessel. An infraction citation was issued for operating the vessel without navigation lights.
Charlotte County FWC officers responded to a call from the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office regarding a possible fishing violation in Port Charlotte. When he arrived at the location, The officer located two individuals in possession of a monofilament gill net. Investigator Scott Kirsch arrived and assisted with the investigation and interviews. The subjects were arrested for using a gill net inside state waters and several other charges.
River of Cars: Worldʼs biggest traffic jam, China
Leaving the Scene
Officers issued three misdemeanor citations to a vessel operator involved in a boating accident with injuries. During Labor Day weekend, a powerboat struck a sailboat and left the scene without rendering aid to the several victims onboard the sailing vessel. The powerboat was not located, but several days later a vessel with fiberglass damage was delivered to a local marina for repairs. The damage was consistent with damage that would have occurred in the boating accident. Further investigation included seizing the vessel’s GPS device, retrieving data, and witness interviews. The operator said he had “hit something, but did not know it was a boat”. Violations included leaving the scene of an accident with injuries, violation of a navigational rule resulting in an accident with injuries, and failure to notify law enforcement of a reportable boating accident.
River above river: Water Bridge, Germany
Debris washed out to sea in the Japanese Tsunami
After months of floating across the Pacific Ocean, debris from the devastating tsunami that hit Japan on March 11 has turned up exactly where scientists predicted it would, 3,000 miles from Japan. The earthquake and ensuing tsunami washed millions of tons of debris into the Pacific. Scientists at the International Pacific Research Center at the University of Hawaii at Manoa have been trying to track the trajectory of this debris, which ranges from pieces of fishing vessels to TV sets. For nearly six months, the scientists were relying on a computer model of ocean currents to speculate where the tsunami debris might end up. The new sightings are backing up the model, showing debris in places where the model predicted. In September, a Russian sailing ship, the STS Pallada, found an array of unmistakable tsunami debris on its homeward voyage from Honolulu to Vladivostok. The Sydney Morning Herald reports that it is unlikely for cars, washing machines, and other large items to wash up on the shores of Alaska, but Canada has already seen the first wave of glass bottles and plastics flood its beaches (photo above) The first landfall on Midway Islands is anticipated this winter. What misses Midway will continue toward the main Hawaiian Islands and then on to the West Coast of North America.
Power Boaters are Sailorʼs Bitches Retrieved from the Annals of Sailing History by Scott Endicott, Port Charlotte, via FB “It is not possible for a sailor to commit the offense of assault against anyone in charge of a motor vessel as the common law clearly states that it can never be an offense to hit, abuse, or strike your inferiors. That was clearly shown in the case of Havelock v. Shipley (1932 ) where a skiff sailor boarded a motorised launch on Sydney harbour that had cut too close and
Page 19
This picture came from North Carolina....thatʼs all we know for sure
Banpo Fountain bridge in Seoul, South Korea
caused the skiff to lose a single place. The sailor quite justifiably proceeded to beat the Captain and coxwain to a bloody pulp and still had enough energy afterwards to ravish the more delectable woman on board to both their satisfactions. His Honour ruled very clearly in his judgment that any motorised vessel and all on board her are the clear inferiors of anyone that sails due to their weak and frail physiques, their cowardly and guilty manner and generally immoral nature, and,
as such, they should not expect the normal rights accorded to other citizens. In passing judgment his Honour found in favor of the sailor and had the power boat captain taken into custody to serve a minimum of 2 years to, as he put it, "make a man of him, bad lot though he is." It would seem the common law is very clear on this issue. It should be obvious even to you that power boaters are, to put it in modern parlance, sailorsʼ bitches and should do as they are told or face the consequences. Feel free to share your opinion: waterlife@comcast.net
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Fabrication • Spot Repairs • Major Structural Custom work is our Specialty 1726 Steadley Ave. Punta Gorda
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K AYA K S !
Page 20
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Water LIFE Distributor 始s Club
January
2012
You can always get a free copy of Water LIFE at these locations
Cooks
Sportland
4419 So. Tamiami Trail S. Venice 493-0025
Water LIFE Distributor 始s Club
You can always get a free copy of Water LIFE at these locations
January
Real Estate News
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. The US Census indicated the need for two new US Congressional districts in Florida. The weird combination of east and west coast in District 16 will likely end with Palm Beach, Martin and St. Lucie counties being split away from Charlotte County. Florida Senate District 21 currently includes Cape Coral and Bradenton but not Sarasota, new maps are in preliminary stages. Florida House District 72 will likely take Port Charlotte and Lehigh Acres from Sarasota's district 71. 2. For the first time in decades, Florida lowered its debt by $500Mil
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Page 21
(2%) this year. Cuts in the Florida Forever Land program and new school construction reduced debt levels while still leaving a budget shortfall.
3. The Economic Development Committee has allocated $500K for incentives to two unnamed companies to create 200 jobs here. Hopefully, there will be some payback to taxpayers for this handout.
4. Punta Gorda will spend $960K for a 20' walkway from the west end of Gilchrist Park. A cantilevered walkway around the Best Western Hotel is still in planning. The hotel was originally planning to install a 10' walkway at their expense in return for permission to build more dock space - their foreclosure cancelled that offer. 5. Chinese drywall distributor, Knauf, agreed to repair 4,500 properties in FL, LA, MS & AL at a cost of $800$1,000 mil.
In other news: Air traffic at the Punta Gorda airport increased more than 55% over 2010. Although the new air traffic tower is now completed, additional funds for staff costs have not been forthcoming from the FAA. S al es S tati sti cs: Statewide outmigration has stifled resi-
Fishing continues to be a large draw for Charlotte Harbor
dential sales growth since 2006. It doesn't take a degree in economics to realize that increasing supply and decreasing demand will decrease pricing. Without a reversal in that trend, pricing will remain under pressure. A little publicized census estimate for the year ended June 30 revealed some interesting facts. US population grew by only 0.7%, worse than at the height of the recession in 2008. The boom states experienced widely differing results. Nevada suffered its worst year ever, 0.7% and Arizona grew by only 1.1%, far below the rates that had been in
excess of 3%. On the other hand, Florida grew at boom years' pace of 1.2%. Although most of this growth found its way into existing vacant properties and households, if the trend continues, housing demand should see a revival of some sort.
In Charlotte County, condominium sale prices have stabilized as fewer distressed properties in the sales mix are not as influential to median sales prices. Single family inventories continue to shrink and prices are flat. Lot prices continue to slide toward zero.
January Fishing Forecast
Page 22
WaterLIFE@comcast.net
January
2012
Charlotte Harbor:
Frank at Fishin' Franks Port Charlotte: 625-3888
My prediction for the first of the year is the east side and Alligator Creek will load up with trout by the 5th of January. The mackerel will be back too, and the ki ngs should be ready to run right soon. We should have some great king mackerel stories this month. Tri pl etai l haven’t been out yet. The warm weather has kept them back but that’s going to change now. There are still some fl ounder down along the bars – more so on the west side of the Harbor and even more so out along the Gulf beaches. They are very close in, 5 feet of water, along the beaches and out to 20-feet. The best bait for flounder has been bait-fish if you can get them, but most of the time it’s shrimp on a jig head of some kind. There are nice trout down around Pine Island, The bigger fish have been from either Pine Island or Lemon Bay. There are some smaller trout around the mouth of the Myakka river as well. Shrimp under a poppin cork will work but I like the clacker-style poppers and I like to put about 4-feet of 25pound fluorocarbon leader and a wide gap hook on it. I like corks with a bead and a
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weight. I slam it and wait for the shrimp to settle to the bottom, that is when I get hit. The D.O.A. slider Clacker or the old Bayside Popper, the float on a wire. Cigar Clacker, Deadly Clacker, whatever the name just lengthen the leader. As far as snook the Texas Chicken bomber is the lure in the canals and around the docks. Try the new MR27 in the broken glass style; gold in the canals, silver in Lemon Bay. There are whi ti ng on the bottom, a few spade fi sh, gol i ath and gag grouper at Alligator Reef. If you are sitting still you’re fishing with shrimp, but some of the best
3 JACKS Above: Amberjack caught by Kevin Woods last month at the School Bus Reef outside Boca Grande, bottom fishing live shrimp with a 3.0 circle hook. Below: Jack Crevalle, caught last month in one of the PGI canals, on live shrimpn Top Left: Very unlucky jack
fish come trolling. Try an SR9 or the Stretch 6 at about 900 rpm and stay just off the structure. You want to be trolling parallel to the reef. If you are patient you can just cut across from the end and go back up. But the SR9 won’t work trolling over the top, for that, to get over it, you’ll need an SSR7 but you’ll have better luck with the other one on the outside of it. The big fish seem to wait in a hole and then dart out for a bait. Fishing Report continued on facing page
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January
2012
w w w. Wa t e r L I FEma ga z i n e .c o m
The BIG-4
January January
The BIG-4 Fish to expect in The crappi e are still doing OK. Bass fishing is doing pretty good up along the southern end of the Hillsboro. The bass are hitting a dinger worm rigged 3/4 inch behind the nose. Green POMPANO in the passes SPANISH MACKEREL In the SHEEPSHEAD At the and south in the Harbor passes and in the Harbor canal system bridges and brown are working pretty good as are Pink and white and chartreuse. The beetle spins they are using are pretty much the small the new brand. The smaller sizes are doing better right now. Shoot the bottom of the frog with ones, an 1/8 to 1/16 oz, the 1/16 being better. Bait Mate or Gulp spray so they are slick and Ponds more so than the canals are doing real they will sketch right over the weeds. They have well with frogs right now. In Webb Lake and the Deep Creek ponds, frogs are the bait of choice. to be slick... a dry frog aint’ gonna get it. Try the old S cum Frog or a Live Target which is continued from facing page
The new bass frog from Live Target
“This is last weekend when my cousin from NC was down. We hit 90 feet looking for big AJʼs, and they are here. Hereʼs a nice 65-70 pounder. Later in the day I got super lucky and stumbled across a nice 18 pound black grouper. Vis is good out deeper, past 80 feet. Water temps are around 68 degrees. The snappers are becoming thick on big structure. Of course big gag grouper are absolutely everywhere... Adam Wilson - Water LIFE Diving
Fish to expect in
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Gulf Temps in the 60s
CREVALLE JACKS are in the PGI and Port C. Canals
Lemon Bay:
Jim at Fishermens Edge, Englewood: 697-7595
There has been lots of flats fishing going on. A lot of pompano in the back country and in the surf at the passes. There is still plenty of bait around; glass minnows, green backs, white-bait. A friend of mine jumped two tarpon at Boca Grande fishing from shore last week. We’ve had scattered offshore days, guys going 15 - to 17-miles for keeper red grouper. I know there has been some AJs around the Bayronto - big fish... 50-to 60-pounders. Offshore, some guys are into ki ngfi sh but they are scattered. Guys told me yesterday they got a couple of big pulldowns, but they didn’t know what it was. There is also a lot of assorted reef fish offshore; Key West grunts, cobi a, tri ggerfi sh, the water is still pretty warm. Yesterday a guy said the water went back to the high 60s. The flats may have cooled off a little, but offshore it’s still pretty warm. We still have lot of redfi sh in the back country taking shrimp and Gulps or Mirrolures. Inshore we have Trout, redfi sh, snook, pompano and some scattered fl ounder, sheepshead and scattered . . . pretty much all the fish that swim. There are tri pl e tai l , the biggest one was 15 pounds. They seem to be from Gasparilla north, maybe because there was a tint of red tide, they are going north along the crab pot lines. In freshwater there has been some scattered bass. Some guys asking where to go for crappi e. I’m sure there are some in the ponds and the canal system but I haven’t had any reports back from anyone catching any.
Christmas break saw a lot of young anglers on the water. This redfish and photo came from a trip with Capt. Billy Barton Below: Tommy Davis sent us this remora, photographed up close on a December diving trip to the Gulf reefs off Stump Pass.
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Fishing right now:
Good
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January
2012
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