Water LIFE Mar 2006

W a t e r LIFE

Charlotte Harbor

Keeping Boaters and Fishermen Informed

March 2006

FREE!

Real Estate Waterfront Property for Sale Inside

KIds Cup

Entries Rolling In

Page 3

REEF DONKEYS

and other offshore surprises Page 5

This New House Progress Report Page 9

INSHORE FMQ - First Redfish Tournament Page 9

www.CHARLOTTEHARBORMAGAZINE.COM

FREE!

Page

2

Water LIFE

MAGAZINE

March 2006

March 2006

Water LIFE

Community Fishing Events

By Mi chael Hel l er Water LIFE Editor Contrary to a printed report which appeared in the February 17 edition of the Charlotte Sun Herald newspaper, Oh Boy! Oberto Beef Jerky is in fact still the main tournament sponsor for the Oh Boy! Oberto Redfish Cup. “The Redfish Cup tournament is no longer sponsored by Oh Boy! Oberto,” the newspaper story said.

David Healy, promotional director for the Oberto sponsored Redfish Cup tournament was livid in his response.“Who made that up? That’s rediculous! How can those guys get it so wrong?,” Healey asked me; to which I answered: “It’s thier specialty.”

Oberto has in fact just signed a multi-year multi-million dollar contract with the Redfish Cup people, Healey noted.

When the Redfish Cup – the Oh Boy! Oberto Redfish Cup – returns to Punta Gorda from May 11 through May 13 this publication will once again be directly aligned with the event. Our Kids Cup takes place the week before. We do it for the love of the sport and for the kids in our community. A large number of the local businesses in Charlotte County support the event. Look at the poster in the centerfold, it’s chock full of sponsors and Oberto is one of them. Our Kids Cup tournament will kick off Friday night May

MAGAZINE

5 with our captain’s meeting at Benedetto’s Steakhouse at the Best Western Hotel in Punta Gorda. If things hold true to form we will have a sit down dinner for 300 people. Kids Cup competitors and their adult boat-driving partners will receive their captain’s bags, t-shirts and hats and then after dinner we will go over the rules and answer any questions the competitors may have. Hopefully the local paper will have risen above our differences and cover these events for the kids.

Kids in our tournament have to be at least 10 years old, but not yet 17 on tournament day. Kids must arrainge for their own boat and every kid has to fish with an adult on board. The kids do the casting and the catching and the adults can tie the knots and help land the fish when the leader is within reach. This is a fun tournament designed to teach kids about competitive fishing.

Kids will fish for redfish using live or dead shrimp or artificial bait only. Fish brought in for weighing must be legal size – 18 to 27 inches as measured with the tail pinched together. It is important the fish are released alive. There will be a one pound penalty for any fish that can not swim away. Fish are too valuable to only be caught once so a one pound penalty virtually assures an angler will not win the

37 Triangle - Enjoy Florida living at its best in this 3/2 split plan home. Totally renovated, it features a new metal roof, solid wood cabinets, Cambria countertops, Pergo floors, all new stainless steel appliances- the list goes on and on.

Just Reduced to $249,000 Call Nancy Grube at 941-661-9737 or e-mail - Waterlife@CaptainsChoiceRealty.com

10371 Kingsville - Watch the spectacular Florida sunsets from the comfort of your home. Uninterrupted view down the McAlester Waterway, this sailboat lot in South Gulf Cove is waiting for you.

Reduced to $385,000. Call Nancy Grube at 941-661-9737 for more details or e-mail NancyGrube@CaptainsChoiceRealty.com

15076 Leipzig Circle - This property located on a sailboat canal in South Gulf Cove offers quick access via the Aquarius Waterway. Just minutes to the lock, out to the Myakka River, Charlotte Harbor and you are on your way to the Gulf of Mexico. $480,000.

Call Lowell Grube at 941-661-5161 for more details or e-mail him at: LowellGrube@Captains ChoiceRealty.com.

Page

3

tournament with a dead fish.

The Kids Cup tournament takes place on May 6 at Fishermen’s Village in Punta Gorda from the dock at Harpoon Harrys.

Every competitor will receive a competitor’s trophy, but the top 5 kids - those with the five heaviest fish weighed in – will then go on to be part of the Oh Boy!Oberto Redfish Cup on the following Saturday (May 13). On that day the top 5 kids will fish again and weigh in their fish on stage during the ESPN2 TVbroadcast. The one kid with the heaviest fish on that day will be crowned the Kids Cup Champion and receive 2006 Kids Cup Competitor and Sponsor T-Shirts are ready. the Kids Cup trophy, preEntry forms this year request thet Kids Cup applicants and sented by JM productions adult guides specify the shirt size they want to receive at the captainʼs meeting. All sponsors also receive Kids Cup shirts. and ESPN2.

Entry fee for the tournawho help sponsor the event receive shirts ment is $100. The proceeds go to support and hats and an ad in the Kids Cup prothe Don Ball School of Fishing, a program. Tournament entry forms are now gram in Charlotte, Punta Gorda, Murdock available at local bait and tackle shops or and Englewood middle schools where local can be down-loaded from our website: fishing guides teach seventh graders about www.kidscuptournament.com For inforfishing and the environment. Businesses mation call us at 941-766-8180.

321 Capri Isles - PGI - Florida living doesn't get any better than this. Take a look at this 4 bedroom, 3 bath, 2 car garage pool home. The split floor plan offers a complete new kitchen. The large lanai is just waiting for you to entertain your family and friends.

Powerboat access to Charlotte Harbor and the Gulf of Mexico. $675,000 Call Chuck Sanders for more details. 941-235-1555 or e-mail Chuck Sanders at ChuckSanders@CaptainsChoiceRealty.com

13388 Clarence Lane - Relax on your lanai and enjoy the view of this small lagoon on the Santa Cruz Waterway in South Gulf Cove. Oversized lot with seawall in place allows access to Charlotte Harbor and the Gulf of Mexico via the Santa Cruz or the Zephyr Waterway.

Experience the best the Florida has to offer. Water....you waiting for?? Just Reduced to $314,900 Call Lowell Grube 941-235-1555 or e-mail: LowellGrube@CaptainsChoiceRealty.com

JUST REDUCED!!

18874 Ayrshire Circle - $499,999 Located on the Manchester Waterway, this 3/2/2 pool home with lift, seawall and sailboat access to Charlotte Harbor shows like a new home. New metal roof in March 2005, hurricane rated PGT windows and sliding glass doors, new pool cage, new pool heater - the list goes on and on.

A 15 minute boat ride to the Harbor. Call Nancy Grube at 941-661-9737

Page

Water LIFE

4

Riveara Marina on Alligator Creek continues to stir From: David Phelen, Chairman, Alligator Creek Waterways Advisory Committee

The following response from Elizabeth Gillen of FL-DEP provides an update related to Riviera Marina.

Mr. Phelen, Our District Director, Jon Iglehart has sent a request for assistance to the Division of State Lands, Bureau of Surveying and Mapping (BS&M). He has requested that they conduct a survey delineating the boundary of privately owned land and Sovereignty Submerged Lands.

The manager of the Title and Record Section, Rod Maddox, has contacted the South District and said that he is willing to provide some assistance. To date the Respondent

(facility owner) has not been cooperative in resolving the issue, so the likelihood of this case going to court in greater than otherwise. That being said, Rod wants to coordinate his efforts with his Bureau Chief, Terry Wilkinson, as well as our Office of General Counsel, to be sure that the documentation he creates will be legally sound.

So, we have set up a teleconference to discuss the survey needs and procedure.

Also, we have designed a sediment and water quality sampling plan for the facility. This will allow us to assess the sediments in the basin to see if they are enriched with metals. It will provide us data to compare the water quality of the facility with the ambient water quality of Alligator Creek. We have sent

a memo requesting assistance from our Watershed Management program administrator, Gordon Romeis. Initial conversations with Gordon indicated that he is willing to help us by conducting the sampling.

If you recall the December 8th Marine Advisory Committee (MAC) meeting, Calvin discussed our current situation with the MAC members.

Calvin also asked if anyone could provide the Department with any assistance in obtaining the data and evidence we need to move forward with the case. Has anyone responded?

Please feel free to contact me with any questions regarding this case. Thanks.

Elizabeth Gillen

Water LIFE

Giant ʻGator Gar

Michael and Ellen Heller Publishers

(941) 766-8180

TOTALLY INDEPENDENT

Water LIFE is not affiliated with any newspaper or other publication © 2006 Vol VI No. 3 Water LIFE No part of this publication may be copied or reproduced without the written permission of the publishers

CM RT

Our friend Allen from Pool Sharks Pool supply in Englewood sends us these two photos with a note saying: Mike: I don't know if you have seen these before --they are suppose to be real - one hella of a fish if they are real...Is it safe to go in the water???????????

Editor replies: We donʼt know, Allen, but weʼd suspect they are and that beer somehow played a part in this fishing trip.

Conq Cup Coming

KEEP UP WITH THE NEW YEAR! ... A SUBSCRIPTION! SUBSCRIPTION FORM

SUBSCRIBE to Water LIFE Have us mail your copy anywhere in the U.S.A. for $19 / Year

Name _______________________________________________

Address _____________________________________________ City _______________________________ State ____________

Zip ____________________

March 2006

MAGAZINE

Out-of-state mail sent First Class

Florida zip codes sent as Bulk Mail

Check this box if a Subscription Renewal

r

Credit Card _________________________________________ ExpDate_________

3/06

Now Just $19 for 12 monthly editions Check one:

o Payment included: make check payable to Water LIFE

or Bill my

o Visa o M/C account

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

WRITE US! e-mail (preferred) Waterlife@comcast.net Regular MAIL: 217 Bangsberg Rd. Port Charlotte, FL 33952

Contributing Editors:

Fishing / Environment: Capt. Ron Blago Charlotte Harbor: Capt. Robert Moore Gasparilla: Capt. Chuck Eichner Port Charlotte: Fishinʼ Frank Offshore: Capt. Steve Skevington Technical Advisor: Mike Panetti Sailing Advisor: Bill Dixon Lemon Bay: Don Cessna Kayaks: David Allen Local: Capt. Andrew Medina Tournament Report: Capt Jerry Cleffi Sea Grant: Betty Staugler

on the COVER:

Vinnie is all smiles hanging on to a 60 pound Amberjack. See Aaron Sutcliffeʼs on page 5

on our WEBSITE:

WWW.charlotteharbormagazine.com

Tide Graphs: For local waters

Weather: Links to all of our favorite sites.

Back editions: Pages of previous editions Artificial Reefs: Lat. and Long local reefs

Manatee Myths: Read the original plan to create sanctuaries and refuges, as spelled out by the United Nations in 1984 Links to Realtors: Connect with our real estate advertisers

March 2006

Water LIFE

Early Season Wahoo and Blackfin Tuna

By Aaro n Sutcl i ffe Water LIFE Offshore Staff I hada mission to achieve. I wantedto land my first Blackfin Tuna of the year. I had not caught one since early November of ‘05. The water had been warming up far offshore in the gulf, and conditions seemed right for the first tuna bite of the year. Fate smiled on me as I was invited on a long range gulf trip on my day off. Capt. Mike wanted to do a trip to an area of broken hard bottom and depressions that lie 90 miles out of Stump Pass. His 31 foot Jupiter is fit for the job. We prepped by stocking several dozen live baits and hundreds of pounds of ice. The game plan was to bottom fish the depressions and breaks for slob groupers, and troll for tuna and Wahoo over large structures. The full moon was five days before and I had a feeling the deep water denizens would chew on the backside of the full. I was right ... in a way.

We met at the Jupiter at 5:30 on Friday morning. The boat had already been loaded with ice. The live pinfish, squirrelfish, mullet, grunts, and cigar minnows we had swimming in the bait pen were waiting patiently to be loaded into the live well. Joe and Hank helped Mike get his rods and equipment loaded while Vinny and I transferred live baits and prepped coolers. With the loading done we cast off the dock lines and set out on our voyage.

Capt. Mike navigated the Jupiter through Stump Pass and the crew was greeted by a purple pre-dawn sky, and a mirror smooth Gulf of Mexico! We cruised comfortably and quickly to our destination 90 miles west into the gulf.

Two and a half hours later, I had rigged the trolling rods with Rapala CD18s, a squid daisy chain with chrome jet lure, and a purple and black Islander with a rigged Ballyhoo.

The bottom sticks hadall been set with heavy circle hooks and fluorocarbon leader, with heavy egg sinkers. When we neared the first waypoint a large blackfin skied out of the water off the port side. The trolling rigs were immediately deployed. We pulled the Rapalas and the squid chain for 5 minutes with no takers, so we pulled up the rigs and moved to our first destination.

As we came off plane near the first spot, I had already dropped a purple and black Rapala

MAGAZINE

200 feet of the stern. I had emptied 1/3 of the line on a Tiagra-30 before I slid the drag to strike. Vinny had the other lines out in no time, and the bottom machine lit up with fish all the way through the water column. We passed over a depression with solid blobs of fish over the crest of the roll-off. Two hundred and twenty-two feet of water, and the fish show was from top to bottom!

We made several passes over the crusty piece of bottom. Every pass showed us a new picture of what this depression below us lookedlike. Then Vinny said“I think we have a fish on!” I saw what he meant; one of the Tiagras had been stripped of almost half its line and was still burning off drag. I picked it up and felt the steady pull of what was certainly a Blackfin. I cranked several hundred yards of line in before the fish was at boat side.

Vinny saw it deep below the boat and confirmed that it was a chunky blackfin. I gently pulled it into view, and saw that my plug was solidly hooked into the tuna. I put the heat on him then and as I cranked the tuna into gaff range, Vinny says “I am gonna gaff it in the eyes!” True to his word, Vinny didindeedmanage to due so, thus saving the tuna’s meat from being pierced by the gaff.

We had that scenario under control, so went back to trolling baits around the structure. We made many passes without any action, andthe decision was made to switch to bottom fishing. We set up to do that as Capt.

Mike eased us closer to the hole. Vinny was using old painless, my trusty grouper digger, and I was using a Penn 6/0 on a stout standup rod spooled with 130-pound braided line.

Capt. Mike positioned the Jupiter over the structure and every one on board fired baits to the bottom. Two hundred and twenty two feet of water is a long way down for a pinfish, or a butter flied tinker mackerel to descend. It takes more than a minute. Soon we were all on the bottom and waiting for a bite.

Vinny was the first to hookup, and he soon was cranking up a quality fish. We all whooped and cheered him on as he cranked relentlessly on the handle of the Daiwa 450H. Soon the fish popped up on the surface, and much to our dismay, showed to be a red snapper that easily went 8 pounds. Vinny vented the fish and released it while we all waited to

get a bite.

We waitedfor a bite that never came. Mike, Joe, Hank, and I all waited for our first bite.

Vinny put on a bait and sent it deep. He was soon hooked up again, and landed another out-of-season redsnapper. We simultaneously cursedanddelightedin seeing the fish – it will be a different story when red snapper season opens up. Then we will be all smiles. Soon after that is when I got the bite.

I was reeling in my live pinfish to check it andsenddown a fresh bait. I hadreeledit most of the way to the boat when it got hammered.

I looked at Vinny and the expression on his face showed that he had seen me get hit. I stopped reeling and a second later there was another solid strike, followed by a steady pressure.

I was hooked up solid, and I felt the fish surge and shake violently. The fish had not taken any drag, but was bucking my stout rod briskly. I looked into the water, and 30 or 40 feet down I saw a long and silver fish lighting up and quivering. It was at that moment I backed off on the lockeddrag of the 6/0 Penn, and the fish blazed off on a smoking run that burned 130lb braid through my Star rod’s eyes.

The fish moved so fast that it was going right one second and the next had done a 180 and zipped the opposite direction. The fish charged the boat and I cranked furiously to keep the line tight. After the initial blistering series of runs the fish headed for the bow, and the anchor line. I cleared the fish of the line andledit away from it towardthe stern. Vinny said to me, “This is your Wahoo buddy!” I

Page

5

pumped the fish to the surface and it breached headfirst, while lighting up with brilliant blue tiger stripes. The Wahoo thrashed on the surface, throwing spray everywhere and making it hard to control and pull closer to the boat.

I inched it closer. I could see my Mutu circle hook was in the corner of the Hoo’s mouth and that I had a solid hookup. I pulled it closer to Vinny, who was waiting with the gaff, and I bellowed ‘stick that Hoo son!’ and with that he sunk the gaff deep in the Wahoo’s shoulder and hoisted it aboard!

I had never caught a Wahoo, and this fish was very special to me because I had landed it with a mono leader while using bottom digging gear. It goes to show you that it pays to be ready and monopolize on shots at fish you would otherwise miss. My first Wahoo was in the box, and my day was already a rousing success. I had the first Tuna of the year, and landed a new species!

We went back to bottom fishing, which proved difficult due to the current and light winds. We power drifted over the sweet spot and no one so much as had a bite. The bottom bite was not producing at all so we deployed trollers and moved to another area close by.

We made it to the next spot and on the first couple of drifts had a several bites. Then, almost simultaneously, Mike and I hooked up a double. We fought what we knew were Amberjacks. They pulled hard and gave us a Chinese fire drill before we landed them.

Quality Jacks! We caught some small ones and then Vinny hooked up a moose!

Page

6

Water LIFE

MAGAZINE

March 2006

2006 Flatsmasters Qualifier Event Water LIFE

March 2006

St aff Rep o rt Team Waterproof Charts weighed in the first fish of the 2006 tournament season, a 6.05 pound red that would ultimately help get them take the second place spot for the Flatsmasters quakllifyer tournament at Punta Gorda on Feb 11. Paul Lambert and his Team Bent Rods won the event.

A number of the teams went out bundled up in the calm 40-somethingdegree air of morning’s first light and came back in a blustery but warm afternoon. Many teams made the run down to the Pine Island sound where redfish were plentiful, but by 11:30 a.m. the wind had kicked up to 15 to 20 and the ride home looked long.

Even Capt Todd Johnson driving a 24foot Polar bay boat noted “it’s getting nasty out there” as he pulled up to the weigh in dock.

Smaller skiffs like Tery Brantley’s 16-foot carbon fiber Hewes tailfisher paid the price. “We hit bottom twice coming back inside the bar,” Brantley said.

The tide was low most of the day and the wind didn’t help.

Low water kept some anglers from getting to where the fish were, but there were enough sevenpound-plus fish to make the weigh in respectable, considering this was an artificial-bait-only event.

“The community is ready for fishing,” weighmaster Jerry Cleffi said, noting that only in Punta Gorda can you have a 56 boat tournament in February, go out in ear-

2 0 0 6

Captain Lambert, Paul Meredith, Miles Latham, Dan Reynoso, Jason Brantley, Terry Whitbread, Andy Rebol, Clay Jones, Mark Jekonski, Ron Johnson, Todd Bevis, Colby Stephens, Chris Landry, John Wallin, David Russell, Jimmy Blackburn. Bing Osborne, Owen Mason, Patrick Rowan, Tony Withers, Jay Taylor, Jim Carlson, Derek Vaughn, Tim Henderson, Chad Bevis, Lyn Eggers, Steve Rush, Chris Thayer, Greg Nhume Carr Pinder, Larry Tuman, George Brandal, Robert Rehbein,Randy Tydings, Bryan Morningstar, Dave Lopez, Javier Tanksley, Joe Jordan, Rick Ryck, Mike Latham, Homer Goodwin, Eric Wyman, Dave Ingman, Jordan Fulton Jr, John Diaz, Nelson Liscum, Ron Blake, Chris Jones, Phil Morris, Bruce Spalding, Joshua Griffing, Steve Myers, Mike Long, Floyd Clark, Gary Wedell, Mike Contessa, Nick

F M Q

MAGAZINE

R E S U L T S

Team Name Team Bent Rods Waterproof Charts X JTM Team X Two & a Half Men Banks Engineering Florida Comm. Bank Shallow Balance Pool One Moon Doggie Redneck,Inc Waterproof Charts #2 X X Cabinets Plus EZ-Skankin Team Parcell Express Arctic Air of SWFL Withers/Manis X X Pit Stop Auto Repair Stinky Fingers Re/Max Harbor Realty Vicious Strikes San Carlos Marine B & R Color X North Port Tire X It Aint Easy High & Dry Carter Concrete Team Morningstar Flatsmen Ft. Myers Marine #3 Totally Plastered A&M Elect Heat & Cool X Goodwin Electric Extreme Fishing Team Ingman Marine X X Harpoon Harry's Charl. Custom Cycles Exotic Pools Thomas Ryan & Assoc.

Spalding Fishing Team Red Storm Team Gator Water Back-N-Action Galloway Ford Team Motley Crew X

Fish #1 6.55 6.5 7.7 7.15 6.2 5.9 6.05 5.5 5.9 6.7 4.65 4.25 2.5 4.3 4.6 5.1 5.05 4.75 6.6 6.25 6 6 5.1 5 2.45 4.85 4.4 4.3 4.2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Fish #2 7.55 7.3 5.95 6.1 6.6 6.2 5.55 6 5.3 4.5 6 5.05 6.4 4.3 3.65 2.7 2.35 2.25 0 0 0 0 0 0 2.5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Total 14.1 13.8 13.65 13.25 12.8 12.1 11.6 11.5 11.2 11.2 10.65 9.3 8.9 8.6 8.25 7.8 7.4 7 6.6 6.25 6 6 5.1 5 4.95 4.85 4.4 4.3 4.2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Fifty Six teams competed with 29 teams trying to qualify for 8 remaining spots in The 2006 Maverick Boats Flatsmasters Series. 29 teams weighed in and overall tournament was won by Team Bent Rods (Paul and Don Lambert, and Gene Weidemoyer) Congratulations to the 8 Captains who will be moving on to compete in The 2006 Flatsmasters.

Dan Latham, Terry Brantley, Andy Whitbread, Mark Jones, Ron Jekonski, Todd Johnson, Colby Bevis, John Landry Sr.

Page

7

The new FWC requlations set to take effect in June require the tail to be pinched as opposed to spread when measuring. The same fish is shown here measured both ways. With a pinched tail, a 7.5 pound fish is considered big.

Capt Danny Latham may have quit guideing but he hasnʼt quit fishing. latham finished third and gained a slot for the 2006 tournament season.

Page 8

Water LIFE

MAGAZINE

March 2006

March 2006

Water LIFE

ANDY

MAGAZINE

Page 9

Water LIFE

Page 10

Weedless Applications for Soft Plastics

By Capt. Robert Moore Water LIFE Senior Guide So many soft plastic baits out there are very productive. But what if the fish you find are in thick vegetation and throwing artificial baits with an exposed hook(s) is impossible without snagging a lot of grass. Well hook manufacturers are coming to the rescue. Here are a few different types of weedless rigs I have used and find extremely productive in thick vegetation.

Web site http://www.daiichihooks.com

Power Lock Plus Hooks by Mustad

Copperhead or Butt Dragger by Daiichi

The Power Lock Plus by Mustad is another favorite of mine. The bait gripper is inserted into the nose of any soft bait.

The bait gripper works well and is the easiest to insert into a soft plastic, but I have found you will lose more of your baits while fighting a fish. The small weight that is attached to the hook can be moved up and down of the shank of the hook depending on your desire of action. Set it

The Copperhead or Butt Dragger by Daiichi is one of my favorites. The hitchhiker allows you to screw into the nose of the bait and place the hook into the bait making it very weedless. When a fish strikes, the hook will come threw the top of the bait. The little hitchhiker in the nose of the bait will generally hold the soft plastic bait so you can use it again after the fish is released. The only difference between the Copperhead and Butt Dragger is the pinch on weight that is added to the hook on the Butt Dragger. The Butt Draggerís pinch on weight allows you to fish deeper water where the Copperhead is weightless and is intended for shallow water situations.

close to the eye, and your bait will dive

Dine on the dock ~ Million $$ View!

Boaters Welcome

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

Friday Fish Fry 5 – 9 pm

Live Entertainment

Live entertainment every weekend www.bertsbar.com

Dock Party every Sunday 3-7

4271 Pine Island Rd.

282-3232

MAGAZINE

nose first. Slip it toward the middle and your bait will fall steadily. Versatility is what I like the best. They come in 1/8 and 1/16 ounce.

Web site - HYPERLINK "http://www.mustad.no" http://www.mustad.no

Wedgehead V Lock Jighead System by Stanley Lures

The Wedgehead V Lock Jighead is new to the market. They have a similar screw in to the nose system as the Butt Dragger. I have them found extremely effective in situations where the vegetation is extreme. The weight is in a triangular shape and when the grass is extremely thick, this system will come out weedless 9 times out of 10 where the fore mentioned will not. The only draw back is for now you are limited to the hook size (5/0 & 4/0) and comes in 1/8 ounce only. I fully expect in the near future they will add more hook and weight sizes

March 2006

weights that come on the Butt Dragger made by Daiichi. They have an assortment of colors and two different weight sizes (1/8 & º ounce). The thing I like the most about these pinch on weights is that if you are fishing weedless with no weight and suddenly you want to add a little weight, these can be added & removed rather quickly and used over and over. The lead is also soft enough to cut sections of the weight off with a pair of pliers allowing you to customize the weight you want.

Web site - http://www.doalures.com/

You can reach Capt. Robert Moore for fishing information, help with nav igation and tides or to book a charter fishing trip at (941) 637-5710 or (941) 628-2650 or y ou can contact him v ia e-mail at tarponman@comcast.net

Web site - HYPERLINK "http://www.fishstanley.com/" http://www.fishstanley.com/ Make Your Own with Pinch Weights from DOA DOA Lures came out with pinch on weights several years ago that allows you to add weight to your favorite weedless hooks. These weights are the same

Boat Club

March 2006

Water LIFE

Hammers and Nails This New House Part 10

ter boxes themselves are better.

Today they are lined with anitmicrobial' surface thet protects and insulates.

I loked around the house, what a difference a month makes.

The roof is on, both upstairs and down. Our fishing buddy Josh Smith started one carpentry crew on the downstairs but they 'moved on' before we had the upstairs ready so Josh made a call and hoked us up with Wayne Kerry who goes by the name of Construction Professionals inc for the upstairs Andy Medina lays the block for the door leadimng trusses and the from the master bed room to the upstairs patio. interiro wall framing.

I knew Wayne from

By Mi chael Hel l er the local tournament fishing Water LIFE editor venue and the day he arrived on Things have changed. Now the job our first conversation was when i go home at night and about his entry in the Kids Cup empty my pockets out I have tournament. I can't say enough nails mixed in with my change. good things about Wayne and his Big nails, 16-penny framing crew. Top notch, professionsl, nails. We’re out of the concrete down to business carpenters who phase and into the wood. Mike ?? knocked out the upstairs roof and our AC guy from Tommy's Air, interior walls in a week. Wayne noted things have changed in his had built my friend Bruce business too. Used to be AC Laishley's house out on Cayo ducts were metal, lined with Costa Island, one of the rough fiberboard insulation. onlystructures left standing, Ducting was a breeding place for intact after Charley passed overmiucrobes, bacteria and mold. head, so when Wayne was Now the ducts are smoothe douthrough glueing every piece of ble wall plastic insulated in the plywood onto the upstairs roof midle and wrapped with amylarand nailing it off with ring-shenk reflective covering that helps nails I knew our roof wasn't insulate them from high tempera- going anywhere. But Wayne wastures in the attic. Ducts are hung n't the only guy involved last from plastic straps to keep them month. Before Wayne was done from matting down the ceiling inside, the guys from Superior insulation in the house and where roofing were back to dry in the the ducts attach to the 'register roof, nailing metal flashing into boxes' the 'cans' behind the all the valleys, flashing the roof grilles in the ceiling or wall, they where it attaches to the upstairs are sealed with white mastic wall and putting the metal drip goop. First the duct hose is edge on around the perrimiter. sealed, then tie-wrapped and then Then they loaded the house with the outer hose is sealed and tire shingles, ready to nail down wrapped. This aint never coming when the dry-in inspectiuon was apart, Mike said as he lathered the done. white stuff on the duct for our Inside I had a little 'fixin' top second bedroom. Even the regisdo. There were some truss attach-

MAGAZINE

P a g e 11

Plumbers, Framers and AC

ments that needed additional straps, a few "chases' for the AC that needed ‘opening up’ and a whole lot of picking up and carrying out of wood scraps the carpenters left behind. Right around that time Jack and his guys from H20 plumbing in Englewood were back to’ rough in’ the plumbing. They ran the lines from the upstiars bath and got the water supply pipes into place.

But that wan't all for last month’s progress. We got a call from PGT saying our windows were ready so we made some calls to find a rental truck to go up to Venice and pick them up.

But there wasn't atruck to be found, so we got hold of a friend who graciously cleared his backhoe trailer off and we used that to haul our windows home. Also last month we trimmed off the jagged end of the old garage roof and repaired it so when the roofers shingle the house they could do the existing un-attached garage as well.

In the paperwork arena last month I ran down too 84 lumbrer in Ft Myers and talked to my salesman friend Jamie and got our exterior doors on order then I came back and met with the guys from two different stucco companies andworked out the numbers with them.

So by the time you read this the windows will be in and I'll be doing electric. Hopefully by the end of the month I’ll be ready for our framing/AC/Plumbing and electric inspection. The county likes to doo all that on one pass so there is a lot to get ready.

Then we'll insulate the interior and get ready to hang drywall.

Stay tuned.

From the Top: 1) The upstairs roof trusses are set in place 2) The R-Max wall insulation goes on 3) Framing the interior walls 4) Finishing off the old garage roof – note the small square window in the house in the photo above. Thatʼs the ʻMolly window,ʼ an under-the-kitchen-counter vantage point designed for our dog to look out on the street.

Left: Plumbing for the washing machine in the laundry area.

Water LIFE

Page 12

MAGAZINE

ScuttleButt

March 2006

Sometimes Unsubstanciated ... but often true!

Cape Coral Mar 6 thru Mar 16

Cape Coral (7 day) Mar 20 thru Mar 28

Naples Mar 13 thru Mar 23

Charlotte Countyʼs Complete Swimming Pool Supplys Pool Repair and Maintenance Store

575-2525

Specializing in Heaters and Pumps

Located in the Punta Gorda Crossing Shopping Center Next to Publix

Mon-Fri 9AM-5:30PM

Sat 9AM-3PM

Mike Panetti

“Green Pool” Clean Up & Maintenance

BOAT REPAIR

Sterndrive • Inboard • Outboard Weʼve DOUBLED our service area to give better service to our customers and their boats

Bottom Paint and Detailing

(941) 255-3106 or 769-8064

4256 Tamiami Trail, Port Charlotte

(on the east side of US 41 just north of Harborview)

CCA: Controvercial Conversations Abound First the good news: The CCAʼs annual banquet and auction held Feb 23 at Punta Gorda was a resounding success. Robert Heubert was the man of the year and officer Sam Cohl was selected as Marine Patrol officer of the year. With 436 people in attendance the event easily doubled the best attendance in the past and could set CCA Charlotte as the CCA national chapter of the year.

Auctioned items including a $78,000 Contender boat a $20,000 flats boat, numerous high dollar bird hunting and marlin fishing trips to south America, outboard motors, artwork, jewelery and lots of top of the line fishing gear. In my very unofficial tally the crowd spent over $240,000 that night. Thatʼs good news for the local CCA chapter, an orginization that appeared to be floundering over the last few years and even though the lions share of the proceeds will funnel back to the national CCA office there will be significant local fish enhancement and educational projects which only come with the influx of hard cash. Good job CCA! Now for the ʻotherʼ news.

Among the $1500 per table sponsors was Matrix. Matrix for those of you you havenʼt been keeping up with the buy-out-take-over-bait-andswitch-to-limit-your-liability tactic is the old IMC Agro phosphate Industry, Matrix represents the phosphate mining demon on the Peace River.

How could we say “No?ʼ one CCA memberʼs off the record opinion, in commenting about selling Matrix a table. How could they say ʻyesʼ was a more prevelant question. Tounge in cheek talk in the more knowledgible cocktail circles that evening brought up other potential table sponsors for the CCA to raise even more money next year. PETA, Save the Manatee Club, Greenpeace and the Michael Jackson Boy Man Love Group, were some on the list ...if money is all that matters when it comes to conservation. Maybe the CCA can help foot the $12,00 bill Charlotte County just spent fighting the expansion of phosphate mining, one member suggested. Good thought.

Also at that dinner, a knowledgable old snook guide, whose name I shall not mention out of pitty for his aneabriated state, approached me and thanked me profusely for putting on such a great event even though I had absoloutely nothing to do with it. Then he went off about what a shame it was that with all the local guides on Charlotte Harbor (way too many he lamented) there werenʼt more guides (25 werenʼt enough) who donated their services for the auction. I maneauvered the conversation around to our own event, the Kids

Cup, and asked if we could count on him to give back to the community and help out with the Kids .

“Oh no, Iʼm boooked up all summer, I have two kids of my own to put through college, I canʼt do that.” he said. Talks cheap.

In another corner there was a quiet conversation pondering how the Charlotte County Visitorʼs bureau was going to put together the docks, permits, exemptions carpenters and electricians to stage the Redfish Cup this year. Last time the event came to town some of the cityʼs most influential citizens banded together to make it all happen, but this year those folks seem to have distanced themselves from the CVB. It will be ʻinterestingʼ to see what happens was the consencus of that conversation. Very Interesting.

And so it went. Great food, lots of drinks, a big auction and undercurrents of controvercial conversations that kept the whole evening in motion.Thatʼs the beauty of the CCA. So many different people and so many different perspectives.

Fifth Species of Snook According a recent FWCʼs unofficial report, there could be another species of snook, the Mexican snook, to go along with the acknowledged four species that currently inhabit Florida waters: common snook, fat snook, swordspine snook, and tarpon snook.

Bayshore Drive This is a real rumor, but supposedly the county is considering closing Bayshore Drive at US 41 in Port Charlotte and giving that land over to a condo-developer who would build on both sides of the street as well as on top of the now-public roadway. Bayshore drive is a relief road carrying traffic from US 41 to Edgewater Drive.

Fishin Franks Those of you who remember the ʻold daysʼ remember when Franks was two stores wide, well franks is too stores wide again. watch for more stuff, probabally enough to fill three stores, at least.

CBCA After a history of do-it-yourself management, drunken brawls and being run out of several venues in the area, the CBCA (Charlotte Builders and Contractors Assn) has turned over a new leaf.

Now officially the Charlotte and DeSoto Building Assn the group has deligated itʼs tournament duties to Capt Jerry Cleffi (of Flatsmaster tournament series fame) who will ʻtighten things upʼ and bring the tournament to Harpoon Harryʼs to run as a one day only, inshore only, event on April 15.

This will leave the community ʻripeʼ for a new offshore tournament this year.

Water LIFE

March 2006

STUMP PASS MARINA IS A TOURNAMENT STOP FOR THE FLW REDFISH TOUR MARCH 30-31

AND THE FLW KINGFISH TOUR ON APRIL 1

WE HAVE A HUGE SELECTION OF QUANTUM PT RODS AND REELS IN STOCK AS WELL AS

G LOOMIS, CROWDER AND ST CROIX RODS

Page 13

Page 14

By Capt Tom McGi l l Water Life Contributor Let’s Ask the National Academy of Science for Help. It’s easy to be a critic, particularly when the object of the criticism has demonstrated some ineptness. It’s tough for any of us to admit we were wrong, but there comes a time when resisting the reality and truth of a matter becomes self defeating. There is an old adage: "When you find yourself deep in a hole, the best approach is to stop digging." The Federal Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the State Fish and

Water LIFE

Water LIFE artwork by Mary Stump

Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) continue to put forth their positions on manatee protection that are based on untested assumptions and they refuse to test their assumptions for a very good reason. That’s because if the assumptions prove to be in error they will have to admit that their whole approach to manatee protection over the past two decades has been wrong.

Most scientists continuously test their assumptions until they are validated because that is the way their understanding of the science can be advanced. It is an

MAGAZINE

iterative process when each of the underlying assumptions is tested for validity and adjustments are made for those assumptions that turn out to be in error. However, the FWS and FWC don’t operate that way.

They make assumptions and then avoid testing them, and in that way their positions rarely change. They act more like bureaucrats than true scientists.

An example of a questionable and untested assumption is the agencies conclusion that a primary way to add protection for the manatee is to implement slow speed zones that require vessels to proceed at a slow rate while fully settled in the water. Such zones add considerable transit time for the boater to the point that many are discouraged from recreational boating and fishing. Most of Florida has murky waters which require the manatee to operate on acoustical cues when submerged.

Another example is the idea that increased watercraft-related manatee mortality is closely tied to the increase in the number of vessel registrations. However, the agencies seldom, if ever, address the fact that the increase could be closely related to the increasing manatee population. The required Manatee Protection Plan (MPP) for each of the designated coastal counties impose severe restrictions for the siting of marinas and docks including the requirement for such slow speed zones at those sites. The criteria included in the MPP are structured to limit the number and type of vessels. For example, a common criterion

March 2006

is that there shall be 100 feet of shoreline for each power boat slip. This is known as the 100:1 ratio that severely limits the number of power boats that can be permitted in the marina or dock area. The interesting thing about this ratio is that it has absolutely no basis in science, but it does have a basis in arbitrarily severely restricting boats being harbored in the area. The MPP has a primary purpose to restrict (reduce) the number of power boats on the water in any given area. However, if the causative factors involved in vessel-manatee collisions are not properly understood and the rules based on untested assumptions, then it is very possible that all such criteria are meaningless and perhaps even counterproductive from a manatee protection standpoint. It’s interesting that over the past two decades slow speed zones and MPP’s have been implemented with the intent to reduce watercraft-related manatee mortality, but that hasn’t happened. The fact is the average watercraft-related manatee mortality has been relatively constant as a percentage of total mortality over the past quarter of a century . That would seem to question the validity of slow speed zones as a good method of adding protection for the manatee. The other noted assumption that increased watercraftrelated mortality is due to the ever increasing number of vessels on the water also falls apart upon proper evaluation. At the end of 2004 there was a significant drop (20%) in the number of registered vessels

ON THE LINE

March 2006

with Capt. RonBlago

By Capt Ron Bl ago Water LIFE Senior Staff January is probably the slowest fishing month of the year here and last month was really slow. The water temperature is the coldest of the year and of course you have those killer cold fronts that pass through the area. Add to that the super low tides in the morning and the crystal clear water, and you can see that catching fish is a real challenge. There are always sheepshead around the docks and pilings ; but even sheepshead need a little water to hide in and a little tide flow to bring them food. The members of my Fishing College have been struggling so far to catch fish. Normally this time of year there are large schools of ladyfish and jack crevalle flying through the grass flats. Just the type of fish a beginner needs to build their confidence. They get to practice their casting, feel the fish bite, set the hook and fight the fish. Plus

May 6

Water LIFE

MAGAZINE

they get to catch a lot of fish and just have fun. Not this year. No schools of fish to be found so far. We have been catching fish, just not a lot of them. Besides the ladyfish and jacks, they caught bluefish, flounder, sheepshead, pompano and trout. The trout we did catch were all good size, 16 to 22 inches – no shorts at all – which is unusual. Another strange thing is no pinfish.

Usually if you are using live shrimp you chum up every pinfish in the grass flat, but not so far this year. Every new fisherman in our area wants to catch a snook and the folks in the Fishing College are anxious to try their luck. I have been able to find a nice school of about 20 snook laying next to a dock in a deep water channel. You can run over these fish with your boat and they won't move a muscle, but the minute you throw one bait at them they fly out of there in a hundred different directions. At least it's a great opportunity to show people the benefit of polarized sunglasses. It’s nice to be able to see them even if you can't catch them. I personally have had decent action with my old standby, the 1/8oz plane colored Lunker jig head with a gold metal flake Cottee grub tail. I have to throw it about a hundred times to catch one fish, but at least it works. Fishing will get better. I know that as the water temperature gets closer to 70 degrees the bait will start moving and the fish will start biting. In the mean time fish slow lower your expectations and keep telling yourself that at least you don't have to drill a hole in the ice to go fishing.

Water LIFE Kids Cup Mark your Calendar

the top 5 kids fish in the ESPN REdfish Cup the following week end

Mangroves

Page 15

Last part in the series

By Capt. Betty S taugler Water LIFE / Sea Grant Interestingly, individual species have evolved different solutions to these same problems.

Florida Mangroves Rhizophora mangle, the red mangrove is generally found closest to the water and is probably best known for its ìwalkingî prop roots. Prop roots support the plant in mucky anaerobic (without oxygen) sediments and have pores, called lenticels which allow gas exchange with the buried roots.

The red mangrove separates fresh water from salt water by salt exclusion in a process known as nonmetabolic ultrafiltration (similar to reverse osmosis). Red mangroves produce yellow flowers. After pollination, a small fruit, and a 12 ñ 18 inch propagule is formed. The propagule is an embryo which begins germination and development while still attached to the tree in a process known as vivipary.

Once the propagule breaks away from the tree, it floats freely for up to a year, before being washed ashore, developing roots and becoming a new mangrove plant.

Avicennia germinans, the black mangrove is most easily recognized by its system of shallow aerial roots, called pneumatophores, which extend like fingers perpendicular to the sediments. These pneumatophores provide oxygen to the buried root system. Black mangroves occupy a slightly higher elevation than red mangroves. In these higher soils, salt deposits accumulate; therefore, black mangroves excrete more salt than any other mangrove. Black mangroves excrete salt through the use of salt glands on the leaf surface (if you lick a leaf it’s very salty). The leaves of this mangrove are dull green to gray, and the flowers are a creamy white and form clusters at the branch tips. These flowers produce a fruit resembling a lima bean which functions as its propagule. Like the red mangrove, black mangroves utilize vivipary and propagule dispersal reproductive strategies.

Laguncularia racemosa, the white mangrove usually grows more inland behind the red and

black mangroves. White mangroves are the smallest of the three Florida mangrove species, rarely reaching 50 feet in height. White mangroves have yellowish green leaves that contain two small nodules at the leaf stalk, which serve as sugar glands. White mangroves typically do not exhibit aerial roots, however in deeper or stagnant waters; some may express roots similar in appearance and function to the black mangrove pneumatophores.

White mangroves use the same salt excreting and reproduction strategies as exhibited by their black mangrove counterparts.

Mangrove distribution and the extent of mangrove ecosystem development are limited by five principal factors: climate, salt water, water fluctuation, runoff of terrestrial nutrients, and substrate and wave energy.

Mangrove distribution is limited by temperature to areas with an annual average temperature greater than 19⁄C. Mangroves favor salt water, although not necessary for their survival, because it reduces ecological competition from freshwater plant species. Water fluctuations due to tidal cycles and freshwater inflow help transport propagules, nutrients and clean water, while flushing away hydrogen sulfide (that nasty smell) and accumulated salt from the sediments.

Finally depositional sediments and low wave energy allow propagules to become established, protect the shallow root system, and allow for the accumulation of fine anaerobic sediments, an environment in which few plants are adapted for.

Mangrove soils have a characteristic black color and noseturning smell.† Because mangrove soils are perpetually water logged, there is not much free oxygen available. Aerobic bacteria (oxygen using bacteria) use up any available free oxygen fairly quickly. Anaerobic bacteria (bacteria in soils without oxygen) proceed to liberate nitrogen gas, soluble iron, inorganic phosphates, sulfides, and methane, which help contribute to a mangrove's particularly pungent odor and also make it a hostile environment to most plants.

Betty Staugler, the Charlotte Sea Grant Agent, can be reached

ED!!

REDUC

3335 Trinidad Ct. - Florida living at its very finest. Gorgeous PGI home with newly re-modeled kitchen is perfect for people who love to cook and entertain. With two sinks, a cook top range, dual dishwashers, double oven, and tons of cabinet space, this kitchen has everything you are looking for. Call me today for all the details. $895,000 MLS 609944

21035 Randall Ave - This beautiful well kept Port Charlotte 3/2/2 home is priced to sell quickly. This home is a perfect family starter home.

Located in a safe, quiet neighborhood with tons of room inside, and a fabulous yard. This deal will not last long, call me today for more details. $199.900. MLS#619072

3120 Guadalupe Drive Beautifully maintained 3/2/2 just waiting for the perfect family to move in. In Punta Gorda Isles, this home is a gardner 's dream. Step out your back door into a lush, tropical landscaped arbor with your own trickling pond. This home is priced to sell quickly, call me today for more details on this one of a kind deal. $269,000 MLS#623774

4418 North Shore Dr.- This completely remodeled 2/2 pool home is located directly on Charlotte Harbor. The breathtaking view of Charlotte Harbor is unsurpassable. Enjoy a Florida sunset every evening. A new dock will be installed, at this price. Call me today for more details on this one of a kind deal. $1,250,000 MLS#622782

2719 St Thomas Dr. - Custom-built Towles home on a sailboat canal in prestigious Punta Gorda Isles.

Lushly landscaped and impeccably maintained. Over 2300 sq. ft. under air with 3 spacious bedrooms, 2.5 baths and an oversized 2-car garage. This home offers a vast amount of desirable features, call me today for more details on all the features.$710,000 MLS#623625

2900 Palm Dr. - 1997 Custom Built Home on oversized corner lot in ED!!

REDUC Charlotte Park area.

Some of this 3/2/2 pool homes fabulous features include: a newly redone pebble teck pool with an automatic cleaner, new roof with warranty, new heat pump with warranty, garden tub in the master bath, porcelain tile, and newer carpet. Call me today for more details. $299,500 MLS#616642

Page 18

Water LIFE

MAGAZINE

River Fishing

March 2006

highlites of the day

By Jeff Cal ki ng Water LIFE Contributor This morning starts like many of my fishing adventures. I call them adventures because after so many planned trips have gone, shall we say, into the wind, I began to just call them adventures. You never know what the day is going to bring you and it is impossible to plan for every event, even though you try to.

I begin by moving fishing poles from either the truck, or the house to the boat.

Making sure I have enough gear to make it through whatever I might come across.

Is the bait still lively? Do I have enough leader line? Two stroke oil? and so forth, on down the list I go. Drinks, ice, finally I am ready to hitch things up and head out into the dark.

We head to the ramp. It is always nice to have people with you that know how to drive the truck and trailer, or the boat, so that backing in is made quick and painless. You take this for granted until you find yourself at the ramp alone, or with someone who has no clue.

As we motor out from the ramp I look at my watch. It’s 6:15 am. It will be getting light at about 7, so we might still make it. I like to get to my first spot before daylight, but that only actually happens about one out of every five times. Oh, we’re usually close, but it’s nice when it really happens. And it’s even better if it collides with a Solunar peak feeding time. I have long been a believer in breakfast and dinner. There’s something about being in the water first that drives them from deep within.

Before I get the boat in neutral I see the first line cast. We fish live bait first. I have always been a live bait fisherman, and whenever possible I ll use it. It has only been in the past four or five years that I have been using artificial baits with any regularity. I have always been a ‘meat’ fisherman and have only fished long enough to catch dinner. Then I go home. Catch and release is a new concept.

It is growing on me, but my mind still drifts back to the days when one could go and catch a big snook and take her home for the dinner table! Back in ‘the day’ we could take a big snook without breaking the law, there was no season and most of the guys that took a big fish did not fish every night. They fished enough to eat.

For me it was a snook every other week for dinner, or if someone was coming to town from up north we would go catch one the night before they came in.

Nothing like a fresh slab of Snook fried up in the deep fryer for five minutes or so.

We have had our lines in the water for probably twenty minutes or so when one of the bobbers disappears. One of the team is hooked up and it sounds like a fair fish. Where we are you do not have much

time to turn your fish and fight her to the boat. This fight is ours though, and after a fourteen minute battle the first fish of the day is landed. A nice thirty two inch snook. Well done Jackson.

The morning sun is just beginning to poke through, and you can tell that it is going to be a sunny day, but not that warm. We will go on to catch two more good sized fish on this February day. One thirty inches, and the other thirty five. All on live bait.

We spent the day here and now sunset is not far away. We try a different tactic.

On our way back to the ramp we troll.

This might not be the most glamorous way to fish, but done the right way it’s very effective. We troll for about ten or twenty minutes when one of the rods starts to scream off line. Of course this could not be one of the poles with 25 pound line and a 40 pound leader. No, it’s the 15 pound line on the bass pole. Team member calls out “Bottom.” I look at the depth finder. Twelve feet deep. Nope, not bottom. I put the boat in reverse to take some tension off. Get to the front of the boat. I turn the wheel and start in the direction of the fish. The fish runs from one bank to the other, trying to run between the shore and a large branch. She s big. Now you can feel the adrenaline rushing through yourself, and this fish isn t even on my pole.

The heat is on to manuever the boat so that the fish does not get under it, or get so far away that it can get caught on some unseen object under the water. Team member Jackson-two fights the fish, and after what seems like forever another big snook is in the landing net a inch fish, a little to big to take home, but many pictures later still a nice memory.

By this time darkness is upon us. We make our way back to the ramp, we are still talking about the days adventure.

March 2006

Stroker Merc

Big Bad 300 2-Stroke

Water LIFE Staff Repo rt The new OptiMax 300XS outboard continues the Mercury Racing heritage of delivering more power and performance than competitors with the same horsepower rating.

The heart of the new 300XS “Stroker” is a 3.2 Liter V-6 powerhead featuring a stroked and balanced crankshaft for maximum power and performance. A dampener ensures smooth running throughout the engine operating range. New pistons feature an updated profile and a composite coating for improved wear life.

Piston ring life is doubled, thanks to a composite chrome coating. The exhaust port, combustion chamber and fuel induction designs are direct descendants from the Mewrcury Formula 1 tunnel boat race engine. Airflow through the reed block fuel induction system is enhanced due an enhanced air box design along with thinner reed material and the unique reed shape developed for Formula 1 racing. As with other Mercury Racing OptiMax XS outboards, the 300XS comes with a heavy-duty direct fuel injection

Water LIFE

air compressor featuring robust maxi-coated mounting brackets and hardware for enhanced compressor durability and reliability.

The new Propulsion Control Module (PCM) 07 microprocessor features a fuel calibration unique to the 300XS. The calibration, combined with the combustion chamber design, results in the engine producing peak power for a longer period of time at the upper rpm operating range. The PCM 07 optimizes fuel, spark timing and knock control for each cylinder inde-

Winter time is here and the winds are strong. Lindyʼs assortment of Drift Control drift socks are made to slow your boat down to allow you more time in the strike zone, especially during windy days. A drift sock used on the flats will allow you more time to cast to every spot you desire without worrying about boat control or speed.

MAGAZINE

pendently, enhancing engine running quality and performance. The PCM 07 also operates the electronic multipoint lubrication system. The 300XS full throttle RPM range is 5800-6300 for 20” and 25” models and 5500-5800 for

25” and 30” models.

Unlike other DFI systems, OptiMax uses a two-stage fuel process which keeps the fuel suspended in the cylinder longer, resulting in a more consistent and complete burn. According to

Page 19

Mercury, the 300XS has the ability to surpass the fuel economy of many of today’s large four-stroke engines.

Compared with traditional two-stroke engines, the 300XS uses up to 45 percent less fuel dur-

Gary, Larry, Larry Sr. and Bill Ross with a great catch of snapper, gag, and black grouper up to 30 pounds, last month.

The new Lindy Tackle / Old Bayside Drift Sock

Old Bayside 3.5-inch shrimp in glow and natural and 4-inch shadlyn in opening night color

Area Real Estate Trends

Page 20

Water LIFE

This is NOT an Advertisement!

Provided by Water LIFE Publisher and Realtor,速 Ellen Heller

March 2006

MAGAZINE

ADVICE: Run Deep, Fish Hard

FROM Dave & Marl ene Hofer RE/ MAX Harbor Real ty (941) 575-3777 dhofer@remax. net mhofer@remax. net

EDITOR NOTES:some locals have said the exterior of the Tentatorium resembles a line of white porta-pottys strung together.

Charl otte County Tentori um (above) opened with a $768K grant from FEMA to go towards its $950K cost.

Ci ty Marketpl ace is seeking a height variance. Its proposed hotel is 78' high and condos at 53', both in excess of the City's 50' limitation. The Charlotte County Justice center is 110' and plans are in the works to allow 90' condo buildings on the other side of the river in Port Charlotte. Our community needs fresh new buildings to continue to prosper.

Benderson Company from Buffalo (developers of KingsGate in Port Charlotte) is planning to develop 515 acres in Harborview east of 75. They will be seeking permits to construct 2 shallow water marinas on the property.

Greg Eagl e is seeking a height variance to build to a maximum of 75' in another new project on Burnt Store Road. Pinnacle Oaks will consist of 296 condominium and single family homes s on 95 acres north of Pirate's Harbor.

Real Estate S al es S tati sti cs:

Medi an home pri ces sl i pped in December by 1.25% for the third month in a row, while lots rebounded a little (still up 59% & 32% respectively over the prior year levels). The number of properties placed under contract declined to 2003 levels for lots while house transactions remained on their steady course.

Acti vi ty shoul d pi ck up dramati cal l y in the next few months as motivated buyers become more realistic with asking prices as seasonal buyers flow back into the market.

Capt Dan put some muscle into hefting this healthy AJ up for a photo last month.

By. Capt Dan Cambern Water LIFE Offshore Staff

Have you ever noticed how nature has a funny way of playing jokes on us? I'm talking about how you can catch all the fish you want of a certain species when they are out of season and then the first day the season opens up you can't find a single one. Or else they have mysteriously shrunken in size to one-inch less than the minimum legal length.

Fish are not the only creatures with this unique ability to sense opening season. I have seen this happen during hunting season too. While scouting some land in a hunting lease up in Georgia one year I saw several nice bucks during different times of the day and picked a couple of good spots to set up hunting stands. After that the land was not allowed to be scouted for two weeks before season was to open to keep from spooking the deer and

Boat Buying

let them go about their business naturally.

Sure enough, on opening day, there I sat waiting for a nice buck to show up but all that day no one in the club saw a legal deer to shoot. Most counties or clubs have a minimum point and spread rule to allow the younger bucks to grow and reach maturity to keep a good supply of quality bucks on the land.

Eventually we were able to get a few bucks and several does that season, but the big bucks that we saw before the season opened all but disappeared. In the mean time I saw lots of turkeys while deer hunting including several groups of big gobblers (males) but when spring turkey season opened on the first day all I saw were hens.

Well anyway, it seems that now grouper have acquired this amazing sixth sense of knowing when it is opening day.

Continued on Facing Page

Do Your Homework

Even buying a rowboat can be intimidating to the novice. Make sure you do your homework. Buy a book or two on the subject and talk to friends who own boats. Attend a boat show.

Become familiar with terminology, styles and prices. As you talk to boat owners, you'll also find out what problems people experience with their boats, what features they find most useful and how different types of boats handle. Pretty soon you'll know what you want and recognize a good deal when you see one.

Ken Cook / Boats Unlimited 4809 Tamiami Trail Charlotte Harbor

941-628-8250

March 2006

continued from facing page

of red grouper (last November and December) in federal waters, naturally we were able to catch all we wanted on hard bottom between 90 and 130 feet of water. I had been marking these spots on trips out to deeper ledges and when we got into these big red grouper I would move on after releasing them.

One of my good clients had moved a trip he had booked in December to the beginning of January to take advantage of the opening day of red grouper. I told him about the big fish waiting to be caught and off we went. By now I think you know where I'm going with this, but I'll finish the story anyway. Sure enough, we caught and released all the 18” to 19” red grouper you could stand before moving on to more productive spots for several nice gags and mangos to finish the trip. We just had to laugh as we talked about how many times this has happened to both of us on hunting and fishing trips.

By the end of December when I wrote my last article it looked like things were starting to get back to normal as far as fishing was concerned in the Gulf. We had started catching gags in 60 feet of water and a few kings and large redfish and cobia had been caught. But I don't think that we are going to see really good fishing within 20-25 miles for a while.

The water is still a pea soup green out to about 80’ or so and the gags are just not showing up in their usual winter haunts closer to shore. Last year’s red tide seems to have done a number on the close in reefs and it may take a while to get the number of fish and bait back to normal.

Trolling for grouper has not produced well either yet as the water has been so dirty. That's the bad news, but there is great fishing if you pick your days between fronts and can get out to the deeper water.

The best fishing continues to be in 80 to 110 feet for our full day trips (8-9 hours) and has been nothing short of

ShirtTail

fantastic in 120 to 150 feet on 10 to 12 hour trips.

A lot of my regular grouper customers are finding out that the quality of fish is much better if they are willing to invest the extra time and money it takes to get out 40 to 60 miles. A couple of nice big gags or black grouper in

Water LIFE

Page 21

MAGAZINE

CHARLOTTE HARBOR FISHING GUIDES Light Tackle Fly Fishing

Half or Full Day Charters

Capt. Andrew Medina

A Total Backwater Adventure Snook-Tarpon-Redfish www.bentrods4U.com

(941) 456-1540

Charters

20–50 mile trips We help you put charters together • Grouper • Snapper • Kingfish • Shark • Tarpon and more!

Capt Jim OʼBrien

USCG 50 ton license since 1985 Bus: 941-475-5538 Res: 941-473-2150 visit us at www.captjimsbigfish.com

Grey Ghost

FISHING CHARTERS

Capt. Pete Zambuto GreyGhostCharters.com 941-624-3774 cell: 239-633-7065

TnT Tailwalkers

Back Bay and Flats Fishing

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

www.viciousstrikes.c

2 0 0 6 P O L A R B AY B O AT up to 6 Passengers

F I S H F O R : Ta r p o n , B l a c k t i p S h a r k s , S n o o k , R e d f i s h , S n a p p e r, Tr o u t , G r o u p e r OR:CRUISE TO YOUR CHOICE OF DESTINATIONS INCLUDING: Cayo Costa Cabbage Key Burnt Store Boca Grande Up the Peace River OR Ta k e a S u n s e t C r u i s e T h r o u g h C h a r l o t t e H a r b o r with a nice bottle of wine

With Captain Scott

941 - 661-3987

Page 22

Sunfish Regatta

-

Water LIFE

March 2006

MAGAZINE

Not a day for sailing novices

Water LIFE S taff Report The community Sailing Center sponsored a Sunfish Class Regatta for SW Florida area sailors on February 11, and 12. Bitter Cold and windy days if you recall. This is a photo of the downwind action. note the wave height at the bow of 76685. This was not a sailing day for novices.

The finishes were as follows: 1st Place went to Joe Blouin from the Tampa area, who led most of the races. 2nd Place went to Danny

Escobar from St Pete. 3rd and 4th places were a tie in total points but the tiebreaker went to Paul Strauley from the Orlando Area finishing ahead of local racer Rick Pantall.

In addition to novice learn to sail programs, Joint programs with the Charlotte County YMCA and programs with the Venture group from the Boy Scouts of America, future regattas sponsored by the Community Sailing Center will include an International Masters (Old Sailors of both sexes) Regatta in 2007.

Just Out! All New! 21-foot

Miami Boat Show Perspective

By Bi l l Di xon Water LIFE Sailing I went to the Miami Boat Show on the West Marine sponsored bus. It was a nice ride, but not as much fun as going in your own boat. On the plus side at least Custom order your new boat today we didn’t have to look for a parking place.

If you have not gone to the Miami Boat Custom 14?

21? and 29? Open Show, make yourself a promise to go next year and make your travel/ accommoFiberglass Repair & Supplies ¥ Bottom Painting ¥ Detailing & reservations now. They have dation Family Owned and everything imaginable and some stuff you Operated with over would even not dream of. And it's all for 941.628.2588 50 Years Experience Whidden Industrial sale.

Your local SW Florida Whouda’ thunk that electronics prices Licensed 100-Ton Captain would go through the roof? After years of falling prices and increasing capabilities, here comes Raymarine with a color display screen for $2,900. No computer power, no data sources like depth, or wind speed, just a display!! And it was the small one. The larger size was $3,600!!

I hadn't been to the boat show in a couple of years, and was greatly disturbed to find $6 beer and $3 pretzels, but much has remained the same – when my feet tired out I sat and watched a cookware demo that I had seenin the 70s They still sell cheap plastic fender line adjusters and very expensive hose nozzles that allegedly "compress" the water for more power.

Under the heading of to-good-to-betrue is TRAC Ecological's Barnacle

Fiberglass

17” Offset Bracket, Hydraulic Steering, Accon Hardware - All top Line

Deep Water Docking on Manasota Key

Nicely Furnished

Doug & Judy Kaff

Fisherman's Delight Gulf Cove Lot

CHILCOTE TERRACE Cleared, filled, with seawall and dock. 3rd from Myakka in area of upscale homes. 98'X125' $499,000

Judy Kaff

OAKSHORES - Great View of the Intercoastal Waterway.

Deeded deepwater dock.

Nice pool, upgraded interior.

Bring your boat. $799,000 QUICK OUT TO MYAKKA from large dock with both lift and davits. Beautiful home on oversized canal lot with studio, hot tub, outbuilding. $710,000.

(941) 830-0502

Buster, an environmentally friendly compound that "dissolves barnacle cement, so they wash away" Yah, you betcha it does.

Sail boats are getting bigger.

Remember when Tanya Aebi went around the world in a 26 footer? Steve and JaJa Martin and 2 kids circumnavigated in a Cal 25. A ‘full size coastal cruiser’ AKA dock candy, is now 40 feet or better. Go figure.

Huge numbers of Multihulls had their own Multihull Lagoon – boats from South Africa even.

Twenty years ago, when I was looking, there were British cats, and homebuilt plywood tri's designed in California and that was it. Progress they call it.

Always entertaining was the powerboat stuff. Dozens of booths offered leaning posts for those who don't like to sit in their boats, shock absorbing seats for those who do and cushioned mats for those who like to stand. Of course there were a plethora of rodholders and ‘rocket launchers.’ This is interesting, 'cause all the boats at the show came with rocket launchers and leaning posts. Do you suppose the 2005 models didn't include them?

In a saltwater environment, what is the life expectancy of a shiny aluminum tube anyway?

I also saw numerous ‘Electric’ fishing reels. How lazy can a stink potter be?

Manasota Key Residence

REDUCED

Manasota Key Condo

REDUCED

HOLIDAY DRIVE Nicely renovated 2br home with short walk to fishing and beaching. Experience living on the Key for $499,900.

SURF CLUB 2br condo with great Gulf views.

Great beach and pool, beautifully decorated. $700,000

(941) 474-9534

Judykaff@earthlink.net

March 2006

Kayak Outing

Water LIFE

at Coral Creek & Wolverton Creek

By Davi d Al l en Water LIFE Kayaking Selecting the Right Kayak for You Which one is right for you?

This is a question I encounter more and more regularly, as new members join the Port Charlotte Kayakers, the local kayak club. Kayaking is one of the more rapidly growing sports in the area because the surrounding rivers and creeks, and the Gulf of Mexico provide some of the best kayaking in Florida. What other sport can transport you to another world of natural beauty, far removed from daily urban life, with abundant wildlife to experience and enjoy. And at the same time get some healthful exercise.

The first, and most basic question that a buyer must answer is, ìWhat kind of kayaking do I want to do?î For example, do I want to leisurely paddle the quiet, meandering creeks and rivers, and just enjoy being outdoors and active? Or would I like to be a little more adventuresome and explore the beautiful beaches of the Gulf? Are overnight camping trips on my agenda or am I interested primarily in the exercise provided by a long, fast paddle down the Bay? And of course there are many fishermen who paddle to their favorite spot in the shallows between the mangroves. Most of our club members have a variety of interests and try to find the kayak that is suitable, perhaps with some limitations, for several paddling activities.

So the question is, ì Should you buy a sit-on-top or a sit-in kayak?î While most of our club members have sit-in kayaks, sit-on-tops are gaining popularity among the casual, occasional kayaker who paddles on flatwater creeks and bays. They are also popular with kayakers who may have some difficulty getting into the smaller cockpit of a sit-in kayak. Sit-on-tops have the advantage of simplicity and ease of use, with a minimum of extraneous equipment. The disadvantages, however, are important to note; the paddler is always exposed to the wind and water when kayaking and itís much harder to stay dry during the outing. And most siton-tops are not as comfortable after several hours of paddling. Sit-on-tops usually have limited stowage space for camping gear, so are not suitable for overnight or longer outings.

Sit-in kayaks are general-purpose kayaks, suitable for all types of kayaking.

They are comfortable and dry. The low center or gravity makes them quite stable, although this can vary from design to design. Sit-ins usually have several sealed compartments for dry stowage of gear and to provide buoyancy in case of a capsize.

With the addition of a spray skirt, paddling in open water or playing in the surf are fun options.

After deciding between the two basic kayak designs described above, the next question concerns the length and width of the kayak.

Longer kayaks, 15 to 18 feet in length, are again, general-purpose kayaks, suitable for almost all types of kayaking. They are easier to paddle, faster, have more storage space for gear, and can be safely used either offshore or on the rivers. These kayaks are typically 21 to 24 inches wide and have good stability for all uses. The narrow design facilitates the use of a spray skirt, essential equipment for offshore expeditions. They are easy to paddle in a straight line (tracking) without a lot of tiring, corrective strokes. They usually come equipped with a rudder or skeg.

They are stable, particularly in the 23-24 inch wide models, yet easy to turn and maneuver. Weight will range from 45 lbs. for lightweight models to 55 lbs. for standard kayaks. The weight can be a limiting factor when loading and unloading the kayak from the car top. Most kayaks of this length are either fiberglass or rotomolded polyethylene, although some newer models use Carbon fiber or Kevlar in the laminate. Carbon fiber or Kevlar kayaks are more expensive that fiberglass, but are significantly lighter in weight. All these materials are acceptable, and have successful history of usage.

Kayaks of 13-15 feet in length, as with their longer counterparts, are suitable for most kayaking activities. They are stable, comfortable and easy to paddle. They are typically, 25+ inches wide. A shorter kayak is not as fast as a longer boat, and some models do not track as well. As the kayaks wanders off the course line, tiring strokes are needed to keep the boat headed in the right direction. Shorter kayaks are usually a few pounds lighter, making cartop transport easier. Often these kayaks have limited dry storage for camping gear and other equipment. However, our kayak club has a sizeable number of kayaks in the 13-15 foot range and they are more

MAGAZINE

than satisfactory for most paddling activities.

Price is always a factor when considering which kayak to buy. Itís hard to generalize, but a new kayak, 15-18 feet long, will cost from $ 1,500 to $3,000, the higher price for Kevlar or Carbon fiber kayaks. Polyethylene kayaks will be several hundred dollars less expensive.

Shorter kayaks, less than 15 feet long, almost always polyethylene, can be purchased for under $1,000. Used kayaks are available at local outfitters or on line at http://paddling.net.

Now comes the most important advise to anyone buying a kayak; Try out as many different kayaks as possible before buying. It is absolutely essential that you, the buyer, feels comfortable and safe in the kayak. And you will only find a comfortable kayak if you try out at least several. Spend as much time in each kayak as you need to really evaluate its characteristics and how it feels. Donít rush the process. Before I purchased my Legend (Nigel Foster), I tried out over 20 kayaks and traveled as far as Ocoee, Tennessee and Savannah, Georgia to find models that were not locally available.

Your best opportunity to tryout many different kayaks is at a ìKayak Demoî held at a local outfitter. A Demo is an event where a kayak outfitter brings 15 or more kayaks to a lake or river nearby for you to test paddle. They also, usually provide

Page 23

paddles and PFDís. Take advantage of this opportunity, and then test paddle as many different designs, lengths, etc, as possible.

Leave behind your preconceived ideas on what you think you ought to buy.

Experiment.

Local outfitters include; Laishley Marine in Punta Gorda, Affinity Tackle and Grande Tours in Placida, Economy Tackle, Sarasota and Estero River Outfitters, Estero A number of outfitters have Demos at least several times a month.

Members of The Port Charlotte Kayakers paddle kayaks of almost every size, make and model, and so can give a newcomer good practical advise on kayak selection for this area. Come join us at our weekly meeting each Wednesday at Port Charlotte Beach Park. Meeting time is 5:30 PM. You will get lots of good advice and someone may even loan you a kayak for a test paddle. The Port Charlotte

Kay ak ers meet each Wednesday ev ening at 5:30, at Port Charlotte Beach Park . All newcomers are welcome. Contact Dav e Allen at 941-235-2588 or dlaa@comcast.net for more information.

Water LIFE

Page 24

March 2006

MAGAZINE

Beautiful 2-yr. old North Port 3/2/2 pool home, 1537 sq. ft. split floor plan w/pocket sliders to lanai/pool, living & dining rm., breakfast bar & nook, cathedral ceilings, plant shelves, sec. system, storm shutters, fenced back yard, pantry, laundry rm., chair rail & bullnose bead.

Lovely 3/2/2 on oversized corner lot, 1820 sf built 1988, dining rm., living rm., family rm., breakfast rm. & bar, cathedral ceilings, new 16" tile in all areas (except new carpet in BR's) including screened entry & large lanai, great neighborhood close to shopping & schools, nicely landscaped, pocket sliders, new paint in/out, new roof, pantry, sec. system, elec. storm shutters, REDUCED $229,000, MLS #615776, call Lori Amaral at 941-626-9259.

Master suite features Roman shower & garden tub; easy access to I-75, shopping, schools. Enjoy the peace and quiet in this light, bright home. $279,000, MLS #613763, call Lori Amaral at 941-626-9259.

A BOATERʼS DELIGHT!

Beautiful waterfront property in secluded South Gulf Cove on the Kansas City Waterway. Come build your dream home and watch the sunset. $309,000, MLS #611809, call Stacy Scarrow at 941-9160000.

WAT E R WAY

BOAT LIFT COVERS

PROTECT YOUR BOAT FROM NATUREʼS MOST DAMAGING ELEMENTS

CUSTOM BUILT TO YOUR BOAT LIFT

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

941 - 505-0237

toll free 877-201-3606

www.waterwayboatliftcovers.com

e-mail: patsamuels@englewoodfl.com

or

Phone: 941-474-9534

800-881-9534 Cell: 941-416-1585

9271 PINE COVE: Truly a Boaterʼs Paradise looking out over beautiful Lemon Bay from the back yard, which includes room for all your boats. Completely seawalled including a 10,000+lb horizontal lift. Will accommodate a 32+-foot boat as well as 4 other boats. With no bridges to the Bay and ICW and less than 10 minutes to the Gulf, this updated 3 bedroom 2 bath split plan home is located on a very quiet culde-sac only 4 lots from the Bay. Offered for $849,000.

NEW! Sunrise Pointe Condominiums on Manasota Key. 2 and 3 bedroom units available with garag 10’ ceilings and great views. Still available at Developer Prices from $725,000 to $995,000.

Water LIFE

March 2006

PEACE RIVER PARADISE….Magnificent property features 3 bedrooms 2 bath 2 car garage, 6,000LB boat lift, hurricane shutters, security system, built in vacuum, corian countertops, wood cabinets, “TREX” no maintenance dock that stretches into the peace river, and much much more. MLS #615532 $1,190,000.

Call Gerry 268-4249 or Heather 286-6729.

REDUCED!

JUST REDUCED!!!!!.....

REDUCED! A BOATERS DELIGHT !!

You will fall in love with this saltwater beauty.

This 3/2/2 has 1913 sq ft, built in 2002 and features vaulted ceilings, eat-in kitchen, new seawall with custom two level veranda dock. 6000lb boat lift and more. Call today for showing. MLS # 603783, $ 545,000 Call Gerry at 268-4249

Saltwater Canal Home

3/2/2, 1621 sq. ft. built in 2003. Home shows like brand new. Nothing to do but move in. Living, dining, & fam. rm., storm shutters, storage shed, fenced yard, 20 min. to Harbor 1 bridge, MLS 600193 $399,900, call Ellen at 628-6954

SPACIOUS 4/2/2 POOL HOME, On oversized corner lot. 2335 sq ft built in 1993.

Spectacular home features living and family room, cathedral ceilings, breakfast bar and nook, bay windows, plant shelves, French doors, tile throughout, electric heated pool and more. $369,900, MLS # 618246. Lot next door also available for $49,900. MLS # 618251. Call Ellen today at 628-6954.

REDUCED!!

Looking for a nicely updated 2 bedroom 2 bath 1 car garage home on an oversized corner lot?

Look no further!

This home has been upgraded from the wood cabinets, & tiled countertops, to the custom window treatments. This home is priced to sell at $179,900. MLS # 621781 Call Ellen at 628-6954.

REDUCED!

Nice and Neat Pool home in great area, this 3/3/2 with 1696 sq. ft. built in 1982 is ready for you to move in. New paint inside and out, newer berber carpet, new hurricane code garage door and the list goes on.MLS # 617135 $259,900 Call Ellen at 628-6954 Beautiful 2/2/2 in gated Heritage Oak Park, Surrounded by lovely oaks everywhere. Home features hurricane garage door and windows, upgraded carpet, wood faux blinds, high bath counters, plant shelves and more. Many amenities to enjoy. MLS # 615332 $ 229,900 Call Rieka 456-8866

Page 25

MAGAZINE

Magnificent waterfront home in upscale neighborhood.

This 3/2/2 home has 1220 sq ft, built in 2000, this home features cathedral ceilings, breakfast bar, eat in kitchen, walk-in closets, separate dining room and more. Donʼt miss out on this wonderful home. MLS #613536 $419,900 Call Ellen 628-6954.

REDUCED!

Beautiful 3/2/2 pool home, built in 1996 with 2574 sq ft, in Deep Creek situated on 2 oversized corner lots. This custom built home has so much to offer, volume ceiling, fireplace, workshop, walk- in closets, and the list goes on!! MLS #614199 $ 399,900 Call Ellen 628-6954

Immaculate 3/2/2 built in 1995 with 2025 sq ft on freshwater canal in prestigious section 15. This home features ceramic tile, wood cabinets, walk-in closets, master bath with dual sinks & roman shower, inside laundry, oversized lanai with vinyl sliders for year around pleasure. This is a must see!! MLS#610140. $299,900 Call Rieka Gaudet 456-8866

REDUCED!

Sailboat, seawalled, beach complex area, end lot will million dollar view down canal. Just minutes to the Harbor.

Oversized lot to build a large home and pool. Approx. 110x125, Water and sewer. Take a morning walk to the beach complex and watch the boaters going out to fish. What a great area to live in. MLS 480740 $499,900 Call Ellen at 628-6954

PCH HOME

2/2/1.5 home on oversized corner lot with six ft p r i v a c y f e nce, home has 1176 sq ft, and was built in 1981. Plenty of room for a pool, kitchen has breakfast bar, Large lanai, all rooms are nice sized.

Come check it out for yourself!!! MLS # 606072 Priced to sell at $199,900. Call Ellen at 628-6954.

REDUCED!

WHY WAIT TO BUILD!!!

JUST REDUCED. Two beautiful BRAND NEW 3br, plus den, 2 ba, 2 car garage, 1974 sq ft homes featuring porcelain tile floors throughout, except bedrooms, wood cabinets with sylestone counters in these real quality homes. MLS # 485276 & 485277, $314,900. Call Gerry at 268-4249

COME CHECK OUT THIS SPACIOUS 4/2/2 pool home in Deep Creek. Home has 2296 sq ft and was built in 1994, Huge gourmet kitchen, breakfast bar & nook, liv,din, & family rooms, Bay windows, intercom & security system, Parquet floors in master bedroom and family room, his & hers walk-in closets, new roof and pool cage and much much more!!!. Don‚t let this one pass you by. MLS # 619196 $329,900 Call Ellen at 628-6954.

Beautiful home in PC. 3/2/2 built in 1991 with 2109 sq ft. Completely remodeled, New roof, garage door, drywall, insulation, interior doors, plumbing fixtures, paint, ceiling fans, carpet and more. 4 walk in closets, updated kitchen, updated baths and all new appliances. This is a must see!!! MLS # 607699 $279,900 Call Ellen at 628-6954

REDUCED!

3/2/2 pool home, 1908 sq. ft. built 1994, very quiet street w/few homes for privacy, home features living, dining, & family room, kitchen has breakfast bar & nook, plant shelves throughout, pool bath, sliders from living rm., master BR & breakfast area, screened entry & garage, cathedral ceilings, skylight, oversized laundry room, MLS # 600194 $289,900, Call Ellen at 628-6954

Page 10

Fish XS PDF

Let Us Se l l Yo u r Bo a t Daryl Hall • Tom Stivison Christine Roberts • Dick Davis

w w w.re d f is h yacht.com

2000 34' Boston Whaler Defiance Impeccably maintained, powered by twin 420 Yanmar diesels, Suncoast tower w/upper controls and no-strike lightning protector.

Top notch electronics. Ready to fish and cruise. Owner spared no expense when outfitting her, so don't let this one get away! Make offer today pending your personal inspection $229,900

Water LIFE

320 Cross St (at WaterProof Charts) Punta Gorda

(941) 639-9400

MAGAZINE

Offshore / On Target

By Capt Stev e Skev i ng to n Water LIFE Contributor March is one of the months I look forward to fishing all year, both inshore & offshore its absolute paradise, no other month of the year seems to offer so many angling opportunities.

It will not be hard to take advantage of a really generous 15 per person bag limit on sheepshead, all one needs to do is take a short run offshore to anyone of your favorite artificial reefs or ledges, & drop down frozen shrimp & sharp hooks, if you really want to bag up a bunch of these guys, fish super tight to the structure, and don‚t fish any deeper than 30 feet.

There are Sheepshead on deeper spots but no where near as many.

The annual spring run of King Mackerel will be in full swing, I like the ‘run & gun’ style fishing on the Kings.

This involves trolling hardware at five to seven knots until a fish blast one of your lures, then slow trolling the area with live blue runners to pull out the big boys, those of you who have fished with me know I have the patience of a toddler with a cup of coffee, so I don‚t like too spend to much time on that Blue runner if he don‚t pick a fight with a king within 15 minutes he‚s fired and were back on the run & gun hardware.

March is also known for its spectacular fishing on Mangrove snapper, you can catch these fish year round, but for some reason we get the really big mangs in March every year, my favorite way to fish

March 2006

with Capt. Steve

these guys is to chum them up to the top and ‘flatline’ them, a flatline consist of the line on your reel tied directly to your hook, with no sinker or swivel or anything that will keep it from Falling back in the current at the same speed as your chum, it‚s a great almost never-miss presentation.

There‚s one fish that‚s going to be on my mind a lot this month and it‚s the Spanish mackerel.

These fish should be on there spring run right now, they should be pretty easy to find just watch for the tell tail birds diving, and set up a trolling pattern. I like trolling small spoons & buck-tail jigs at about 3-5 knots, these fish are great on light tackle, and on the grill the night there caught, so please try not to take more than you can eat.

If big fish is your game March is your month, the far offshore wrecks should start to hold huge schools of Barracuda, Amberjack & a few Cobia.

Live bait trolling is nothing short of deadly for all three of these fish, Another sure fire way to get those rods bent is to anchor up and deploy a couple of chum bags, it shouldn‚t take long before fish show up at the back of your boat.

At that point you can get away with almost anything as far as bait goes, cut fish, squid, artificial lures, and you can even bust out with the fly-rod.

I said it last year at this time and Ill say it again, the only thing you can do wrong

Professional Quality Awl Grip Finishes Gel Coat Spot Repairs • Major Structural Repairs Complete Detailing and Brightwork Free Estimates • Mobile Service

lp He ted n Wa

Complete Land & Sea online Shipʼs Store www.allfiberglassrepairs.com Tommy T Now at All Fiberglass Scotte Steffe Owner

1 7 2 6 S t e a d l y Av e Punta Gorda

Shop 941- 575-8914 Home 235-2243

March 2006

Water LIFE

Page 27

MAGAZINE For Fishing or Real Estate: Just Ask The Captain

WATERFRONT HOME BARGAIN!S! 5.2 Acre Country Pool Home with large pond, 3/2 with 4 car garage, 2400sf, immaculate $515,000

96‚ Saltwater, Quick Out, 3/2/2 pool home with over 2200sf in PGI, just beautiful $659,000

Platinum Award Winner 2005

JUST LISTED, TOO NEW FOR PHOTOS!

• 160ʼ Lakefront In Deep

Creek, 3/2/2, over 2200sf, culde-sac, pool, upgrades,

Key West Style Home, wraparound porch, 2 bedrooms, 100‚ seawall, 20 min to Gulf, spectacular $675,000

•

incredible $339,000

WATERFRONT CONDO BARGAIN!S!

Gateway Pt. Condo, deeded dock, immediate harbor access, 2/2, 1100sf, updated, excellent condition $299,900

Oaks III Lake View Condo, complete renovation, 2/2, 961sf, walk to pool, gorgeous $159,900

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

Section15 Intersecting Canal Home, 3/2/2. over 1900sf, high ceilings, better than new $295,000

Lake Rio Lakefront Townhome, Deep Creek, updated, 2/2, 1078sf, pool, remarkable lake view $145990

Water LIFE

Page 28

March 2006

MAGAZINE

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

697-1556

Reopening Soon!

Reopening Soon!

Strato Net 625-0200

4265 Tamiami Trail Port Charlotte 941•625•2700

Next Door to Laishley Marine

4200 Tamiami Trail Port Charlotte 625-5002

1360 Tamiami Trail, Port Charlotte

is our local Water LIFE Internet Service Provider

excellent rates, excellent service, no waiting

Punta Gorda Port Charlotte Englewood Northport

Shell Gas Stations

Cooks Sportland

4419 So. Tamiami Trail S. Venice 493-0025

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

1338 Del PradoBlvd. So Cape Coral (239) 573-6455

Bonita Springs/Naples Englewood

March 2006

Hot Action for

By Capt. Chuck Eichner Water LIFE Inshore Editor Fisherman come with different expectations when they board your boat. Some are happy just to be out there, others want big fish and some just want to catch anything that swims. Some folks ask for a tall order of catching fish, manatee and dolphin sight seeing, birding and other nature experiences all in one day. Charlotte Harbor fishing usually involves experiences with nature that most only read about.

On this day nature and fish were in unison.

A couple from Wyoming were simply wanting to go fishing. No unrealistic expectations but catching a few fish and perhaps seeing some of the natural environment, birds and sea creatures would be a bonus As we motored away from the dock I was boasting about the incredible wildlife and in my excitement told them to expect to see manatees, dolphins and hopefully some good fishing. Admitting to myself that I may have bit off more than I could chew, I was a little worried after the first stop had no fish. This was a deep hole adjacent to a flat that always holds fish on a low incoming morning tide.

Typically, sheepshead, small reds, snappers and drum. Nada!!

Ok, plan B was to scoot across a flat to another deeper trough for small redfish. No reds but we did find a school of small trout that did take off a bit of pressure. Spot #3 was a wide shallow basin that normally had trout and reds and no fish again. With 2 hours into the day I ran to a deeper basin and we cast weighted live shrimp with little action. Knowing that there had to be fish there I switched to a pink jig under a float and it was off to the races with trout. Imagine that, trout that had to have just the right presentation. Small fish but aggressive and lots of fun. With nearly 4 hours of incoming tide and a bright sun, we set up drifts over sandy flats and blind casted shrimp. Just then we heard a loud animal like blowing sound as a large manatee popped up for a big gasp of air. Alrighty then, the captain may know a little about what he speaks or in

Water LIFE

MAGAZINE

my case I just got lucky on the manatee promise.

Shortly thereafter, Larry grunts and leans back on a fish and his drag is screaming. A short battle ensues with nearly a dumped spool and the rod goes limp!

Bummer, I said. Could have been a cobia but maybe a big jack. So back to casting. Casting along with the wind I spot a dark area on the bottom and figured it was grass. This dark patchy bottom begins to move as our boat passes over it. Cobia I yell! Four of emí!! With that a shrimp is pitched in front of the scurrying fish and Larry jams one home again. His reel is singing sweet lucy and 15 minutes later a 36î cobe comes boatside. How sweet it was!! With that it was time for lunch and about that time a west wind picked up pushing an extra foot of water on the flats.

Redfish would be the next pursuit and Marty and Larry were quick to agree with that plan. Using the wind to push the boat past mangrove islands shrimp were blind casted until a fish was hooked. With a fish on, I would drop the power pole to fan cast the area for other fish. This particular day the reds were on nearly every island. Plenty of small reds but many in the 24-27 inch class. I just donít know how it could get much better than this. Marty had one complaint that she really liked to catch big fish. Larry had caught a nice cobe and several 27 inch reds and she wanted something really big.

A late afternoon drift past an oyster bar produced an incredible hit. Perhaps it was luck but Marty was skillful in presenting the shrimp in a lifelike manner. The technique was simple: drag, snap and drop- repeat. A slow cadence of this pattern I explained resembles a nervous shrimp that darts and drifts back to the bottom. Most find this retrieve hard to maintain but a

Page 29

screaming drag at days end proved this to be the ticket. This fish was a freight train in 2 feet of gin clear water. The only problem was that the fish was 100 yards from the boat on 8 pound test. The battle went on for nearly 15 minutes when a large, very large jack crevalle was spotted. About that time, it took a bee-line directly towards a mangrove bush. Pull, pull, walk backwards I yelled! In her excitement Marty only wanted to turn the real handle while the drag was screaming. No, no I exclaimed just point the rod tip into the water and walk the fish back to break his stride. A super close call to being cut off and now the fish was under control at the stern until a searing run towards the bow put the line across the trolling motor and snap!! Yes, there is some truth to the big fish that got away.

So, on this day the recipe for fishing was experimentation, changing spots and techniques. Lady luck was at hand because manatees as well as dolphins were playful also. A splendid day on Charlotte Harbor and only 2 of the big ones got away this day.

Capt. Chuck Eichner is a local charter captain. For information or to book a guided fishing trip call 941-505-0003 or go to his website: www.back country -charters.com

Page 30

Water LIFE

MAGAZINE

March 2006

Marchʼs Fishing Forecast

Charlotte Harbor

Ro bert at Fi s hi n' Franks Po rt Charl o tte: 6 2 5 -3 8 8 8

February is always a fun month because it’s so breezy.

Since this is the beginning of snook season we’ll hammer snook first. For the shore fishermen, generally snook are up the Myakka and the Peace River. El Jobean is a really good place, by far the hottest winter spot, for snook. The evening is usually the best time to fish for them. The fish are generally active from sunset until about 1 a.m. That’s because the water has warmed up a little in the afternoon, but after 1 a.m. they get lethargic. The snook bait of

choice is shrimp, that’s number one, but a second preferred snook bait right now is sugar trout.Use a small ultra light pole with little pieces of shrimp on a gold hook to catch sugar trout. Sugar trout fishing is great fun for the kids and they can catch your sugar trout for bait all day long. Walk either bait slow and as close to the pilings as possible. If they have any size to them, sugar trout are real good eating. Artificials also work well at El Jobean. The big Bombers and the big YoZuri Crystal Minnows are the ones. Baits in the 5 and 6 inch size are just about right.

Laishley pier is another good place for snook fishing at night right now. co nti nued o n

This catfish was caught by Sean Connaghan age 8 in a Rotonda canal. It broke the 17lb test line as it fell into the net. Sean's birthday is March 7, we'd love to see his picture in Water Life!!

March 2006

Fishing Report Continued from facing page

Water LIFE

BIG-4 BIG-4

MAGAZINE

Marchʼs Marchʼs Target Target Species Species

For the guys who go out in a boat, there is no reason to get started too early. The fish will still be lethargic and need a chance to SHEEPSHEAD are on strucTROUT are big and on the GROUPER are offshore COBIA are on the east side ture all over the harbor flats and edges and some in the Harbor of the harbor warm up from the cold night. The canals in PGI and Port Charlotte – around the boat docks – are the there is nothing out there now and we haven’t sive with fishermen out for fun just isn’t right. place for snook. Trolling for snook is starting to had any in months. The guys that are going are Redfi sh with any size to them are hard to find make a comeback. Quite a few guys are finding it this time of year. If you are going to target redfish I doing well are telling me there are a lot of productive with a YoZuri or a Bomber. sheephead around and quite a bit of whiting. definitely suggest using a circle hook. It’s not Since February is generally a low water month unusual to catch 50 to 100 redfish this time of year, On the beach there are a lot of big whi ti ng, the the fishing on alot of the articficial reefs is starting big females are around now and some guys are but most of them are undersize so the circle hook to pick up a little. Alligator Creek Reef, Cape saying they are the biggest whiting they have will make a live release that much more possible.

Haze, the Placida Trestle and the old phosphate dock Shrimp is again the best bait to use, but for a bigseen in a while. are all great this time of year for catching We’ve had pompano and some nice redfi sh ger redfish try using cut mullet or cut ladyfish. sheepshead, mangrove snapper and the possiaround too. They were catching some big trout Some of the bigger reds have been coming from bility of getting into a legal size grouper there is in the Gasparilla Sound on the DOA CALs Whidden Creek and Catfish Creek and from the very good too. (catch anything lure). Those and the Exude RT south, down around Pine Island.

Sitting on those spots the chance of picking up Slugs have been popular and productive.

Trout of the smaller size are real prevalent in a cobi a or a small shark is equally good. Shrimp Offshore, they are catching snapper and the upper harbor around the Myakka River and the is the best bet for sheepshead, peeled is the way to grouper but they have to go 15 to 20 miles.

US 41 bridges. To find bigger trout you have to be go, or try a fiddler crab. Hook the crab through the Usually the fish would be in closer now, but the prepared to move a lot. Trout tend to school in the bottom of the shell and come out through the top. fish seem to be a little farther out right now. same size range so if you’re into the smaller fish There are a lot of really big sheepshead that just pack up and move to find the bigger ones. Drift don’t get fished very hard out at the Novak Reef fish for trout inside Alligator Creek and Turtle Bay. right now. If it’s calm enough, that trip 5 miles off- Try casting top-dog pups by Mirrolure or Johnny shore can be very worthwhile.

Offshore grouper action is consistent 10 -20 Rattler top water lures to find the 16 to 25 inch On the east side of the Harbor on the outside fish. The little fish might pop at the big plugs, but miles out, quality gags on shallow ledges and edge of the sandbar there are a lot of cobia. Drift wrecks, pinfish, those baits are just too big for the smaller trout. fish for them and watch for the single fish or douTripletail offshore as well as cobia on the Shore fishermen looking for trout would do best at bles of cobia. The cobia are hanging on the outside stone crab bouy lines. Further offshore good El Jobean. of the bar because the mullet fishermen are all over amberjacl action wahoo and blackfin tuns. Ther Offshore, the grouper fishing is good, but a lot the inside – wrecking it pretty good for the recrehas been a half dozen mako sharls caught, that I of guys are finding that sharks are numerous now ational anglers. The mullet fishermen are horrible knowe of in t the last month or so. and are chomping off the grouper before it gets to this year, charging around, doing doughnuts around Inshore the trout bite has been on fire. Now the boat. A lot of the sharks that are out there right fishermen and charging right at some boats. It’s that the ware has warmed up they are hitting top now are dusky and sandbar sharks. best to steer clear of them if you see them netting waters. Redfish, upper slot sized fish, are until there is some enforcement action. I have heard Lemon Bay real consistent, hitting gold spons , Gulp the game and fish department doesn’t have any Ji m at Fi shermen’s Edge baits and exudes pitched under the Lemon boats that can get into the skinny water to deter Engl ewood: 697-7595 Bay docks. Also pompano and bluefish them so they are just going a little crazy. I’m all Everyone that comes into my store seems to near the pass and on the grass flats. Snook for making a living, but these guys getting aggresask me ‘are we going to have red tide?’ I tell them are there but until the water wams up they

Page 31

Aaron Stump Pass Marina

CALENDAR

The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary, Flotilla 98, Port Charlotte, Presents; ABC, America's Boating Class (A Condensed version of Boating Skills and Seamanship). Tuesday and Thursdays 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. beginning Feb 7th and ending Feb21st at the new PGI Civic Center, 2001 Shreve St., Punta Gorda, FL. For registration and information contact Fred Counter (941) 505-1290.

The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary, Flotilla 98, Port Charlotte, Presents; GPS Class. Tuesday and Thursday, March 7 and 9, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the new PGI Civic Center, 2001 Shreve St., Punta Gorda, cost $40 for materials.

Learn how to use and set up your GPS, if you have one bring it with you! For registration and information contact Fred Counter, FSO-PE (941) 639-3811 ext. 1.

Powered by

n Febuary 11: Flatsmasters Qualifier FMQ Tournament, Harpoon Harrys in Punta Gorda. 637-5953

n February 23: CCA Auction and Dinner Tent Auditorium at Punta Gorda, 5 p.m.

n March 4-5: Redfish Nation Tournament, Clearwater, Register Online at www.redfishcup.com or call 888-698-2591 n March 25-26: Redfish Nation Tournament, Fort Myers, Register Online at www.redfishcup.com or call 888-698-2591 n May 6: Water LIFE Kids Cup

OF

EVENTS

Tournament at Punta Gorda, in conjunction with the ESPN Oh Boy! Oberto Redfish Cup and a benefit for the Don Ball School of Fishing. Applications online at www.kidscuptournament.com phone 766-8180 for information

n May 11-13: Oh Boy! Oberto Redfish Cup Tournament at Punta Gorda, Big Air Dogs and all the festivities.

n August 12-13: Redfish Nation Tournament, Jacksonville, Florida Register Online at www.redfishcup.com or call 888-698-2591

n October 7: Richest Redfish Challenge, benefit for Good Shepherd Day School, by Laishley Marine, at

Send us your event calendar information via e-mail: Waterlife@comcast.net

Fishing

Good

RIGHT NOW:

Page 32

March 2006

Red Fish Key Villas on Lemon Bay is soon to be Englewoods most sought after address. This intimate community of only 35 luxury residences will offer sweeping views of Lemon Bay and direct boating access to the Gulf Of Mexico. Residence owners will enjoy convenient access to area amenities such as entertainment, golf, shopping, dining and the white sandy beaches of Manasota Key. Experience the lifestyle you’ve been dreaming of and make Red Fish Key Villas your home in the sun, come live the dream!

• Resort style pool overlooking Lemon Bay • Dockage available with no fixed bridges • Walk to the beach * Sweeping bay views

Exclusively offered by...

Amenities And Features

• Floor to ceiling glass architecture • Gourmet kitchen with granite • Sub-zero refrigeration & premium appliances • Custom cabinetry • Glass front balcony’s

• • • • • •

Secured entry 10’ to 12’ ceiling heights Covered parking Elevators Hurricane strength windows and doors 1,500 to 3,000 square feet

Pre-Construction Pricing From The

mid $700?s To Over $1.7 million Visit Our Sales Office : At

1499 South McCall Road ¥ Englewood, FL 34223

(941) 473-0200 www.RedFishKeyVillas.com