Water LIFE Mar 2007

W a t e r LIFE FREE!

Charlotte Harbor and Lemon Bay

Keeping Boaters and Fishermen Informed

March 2007

Tournament Options Page 28

Offshore Still Good Tourney Warm Up

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10

This is the

Big Month for Sailing Page

24

Powered Kayak at MIA Show

Cups Coming Next Month

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w w w. C H A R L O T T E H A R B O R M A G A Z I N E . C O M

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Water LIFE

MAGAZINE

February 2007

February 2007

FROM MIAMI: Next issues for Boaters –

Water LIFE

Noise, Insurance & Pollution

By Mi chael Hel l er Waster LIFE editor At the Miami Boat Show I went out of my way to ask numerous dealers, manufacturers and sales people what are the three biggest issues facing boating right now. The answer: insurance, noise and pollution.

Pollution is last because we can wait until 2008 or 2010 before the next set of rules comes down. Insurance is first because it’s getting to be a real problem.

Boat insurance has doubled, tripled or quadrupled, depending on who you talk to. Policies are being written for northern boaters that exclude coverage in Florida waters. Absentee owners (who leave their boats here during the summer while they go up north) are almost uninsurable. There are three primary underwriters still writing policies for bigger (40-plus feet) boats and two or three companies writing smaller boats. Progressive, Boat US and State Farm were mentioned. I heard that some carriers are starting to write boat polices without windstorm insurance and some are writing polices with 25-percent deductables. Consequently, there are offshore companies appearing on the scene writing insurance in Florida. An offshore, on the water ‘Citizens,’ but will they pay? That’s the question. Offshore companies are unregulated.

It’s still an issue. Small boats with big engines could become a special risk. The industry has long looked at 50 mph as the dividing line in small boats, today there are flats boats on Charlotte Harbor that will go 80 mph.

So if you have a policy, “renew it now,” was one piece of repeated advice. We are seeing bigger depreciation, calculated with higher deductables on theft and limited amounts of liability, one insurance agent told me.

Insurance is easier to come by on commercial boats

MAGAZINE

because the carriers figure those vessels are better taken care of and are operated by licensed captains.

Along with the insurance issue is the noise issue.

Gaffrig, the gauge manufacturer, is now showing a line of exhaust restrictors for offshore powerboats. Stainless steel exhaust extensions with manually controllable butterfly-baffles. ‘Tips’ like the import tuner-car guys would call them. ‘Cut-outs’ like the hot rod guys say.

The manufacturers are all building bigger motors.

Yamaha introduced a 325 cubic inch 4-valve/cylinder, double overhead cam V-8 ...outboard – it looks like the motor in my Toyota!

Mercury brought its 300Verado, Suzuki had its 300 4stroke and Evinrude also has more HP. Bigger, theoreti-

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cally more reliable, single motors for bigger boats.

In the electronics world, LED technology is coming to your running and trailer lights, and if you want a waterproof TV (you could mount it on the very back of your trailer), there is one available. Redundancy and double redundancy are making their way into boating electronics just like they did in aviation. And just like aviation glass faced ‘multifunctional electronic displays’ are replacing gauges on the higher end yachts and could be coming to smaller boats soon. That would mean one screen with engine monitoring, GPS information, a fishfinder and a moving map. Maybe even a heads-up display for your next flats boat. All it takes is more money.

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MAGAZINE

March 2007

While they Last!

Quantum Kinetic 30 Reg $99.95 NOW $69.95 Catalyst 30 Reg: $109.95 NOW $79.95 Shimano Spirex 2000/4000 Reg: $59.99

LETTERS

TO

WAT E R L I F E

Water LIFE

Michael and Ellen Heller Publishers

(941) 766-8180

TOTALLY INDEPENDENT

Water LIFE is not affiliated with any newspaper or other publication 漏 2007 Vol VI No. 3 Water LIFE

The beach at Boca Grande. Dredging is covering all the near shore shallow-water reefs

Letter to the editors: I set out today (02/13) to spend the morning fishing the beaches around the Boca Grande area. To my surprise (horror, actually), I found the State Park beaches being buried alive by a massive beach "re-nourishment" project. In fact, my favorite summer snook area was being buried right before my eyes. I consider myself well informed regarding the marine environment in and around Charlotte Harbor, but I had not seen or heard anything about this project. I'm wondering who is funding it, and how the State Park Service received permits to allow the destruction of these pristine beach areas. A natural sand beach is a porous, living environment, and home to countless crustaceans and invertebrates. They are

now being suffocated by the offshore muck and sand being pumped onto the beaches.

This same muck and sediment will no doubt be washed offshore, where it will choke off the marine habitat there. I'm curious as to whether there were public referendums prior to the permitting for this project. Well, I guess the fisherman (and other environmentally minded people) have lost another beautiful piece of nature. What a damn shame.

David Kohlman Port Charlotte

(ans: 2 years) Is there anything that can be done by humans to repair that? I think it is a great story, but it sure would be nice to be able to say that the damage, though extensive, can be fixed by doing XYZ. This is the

kind of thing that people will want to do something to fix if they can, in my opinion.

Best regards, Ted Venker Coastal Conservation Association.

Contributing Editors:

Wow - that is awful. How much time has passed between those two photos?

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Fishing / Environment: Capt. Ron Blago Charlotte Harbor: Capt. Robert Moore Gasparilla: Capt. Chuck Eichner Port Charlotte: Fishin始 Frank Offshore: Capt. Steve Skevington Technical Advisor: Mike Panetti Sailing Advisor: Bill Dixon Kayaks: David Allen Sea Grant: Betty Staugler Diving: Adam Wilson

on the COVER:

Anglers ready a redfish for the scale at the Flatsmasters quallifyer last month story on page 10

on our WEBSITE:

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Links to Realtors: Connect with our real estate advertisers Tide Graphs: For local waters

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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 Kids Cup Updates and registration forms

Water LIFE

Fishing and Boating Tips For Better Angling March 2007

By Capt. Chuck Ei chner Water LIFE Charlotte Harbor The evolution of fishing in modern times finds anglers looking for the newest hot lure or bait. Boats become more sophisticated, rods lighter and stronger and tackle boxes no longer look like their namesake but resemble a fancy duffel bag full of plastic boxes. Fishing lines come in co-polymers, braids, single strand monofilament, etc. and now they come in a variety of colors. My personal evolution in fishing has gone the opposite direction than most tackle manufacturers would like.

I rely on a small arsenal of gear and place most of my attention to reading the waters, studying the signs of fish and adapting the most basic things to locate fish and make them bite.

Fi sh are creatures of habi t. The hardest part is usually locating them. After that finding out what it takes to make them bite and how to present it is the next challenge. Of course, the challenge is what turns most of us on and a tasty meal is just a bonus. Here are a few tips that are part of my basic arsenal in my daily fishing. None of these tips are a hot lure or unique fishing method but they are some common sense tactics that will help you catch fish.

BOAT HANDLING

S hal l ow Water Boat Control There is nothing more important in fishing then this. For shallow water pursuits you want to be close enough to the fish to cast to them but let your boat get too close to the mangroves or fish holding cover and you spook them. There is a fine balance with this. Always start further out from your spot and work your way in. Use the trolling motor as little as possible and do let the wind push you in whenever possible. Anchor repeatedly as you work into a spot casting your bait or lure.

MAGAZINE

Deep Water Boat Control - Offshore fishing often requires anchoring over a reef, wreck or fish holding bottom. The trickiest part of anchoring is setting your boat so that your stern is uptide and upwind of the fishing hole. The goal is to float or cast your bait into the area. You have to take an educated guess when you drop the hook as to how the winds and tides will position you. For the most part if you’re 100 feet off the mark than you won’t catch many fish. Once your anchor is set you can compensate and steer the boat by turning your steering wheel right or left. Even at anchor, your boat will respond and steer off of the anchor line. Use this to your advantage to make up for wind variations or when you simply set up a little off your fishing hole.

Anchori ng- In the course of the day the winds on Charlotte Harbor and the gulf vary quite a bit. When offshore fishing, a wind shift may swing you off your spot.

With no visual reference to tell that it’s happened, the lack of fish biting will be your biggest clue. If your depth meter bottom contour differs from when you first started fishing then this is also a clue that you have shifted off your spot. One method is to power anchor where you engage your motor with anchor down to probe a short range of bottom. The goal is to not run over your line but take advantage of whatever range you have (dictated by anchor line length) to study your bottom meter. You may find you are only 50 feet off the spot and by lengthening or shortening your line you may reposition over the fish. In waters less than 50 feet running your motor might not be prudent if you have set up a chum line but if they’re not biting what’s the difference?

Dri ft Fi shi ng- I do this a lot while casting baits and artificials. I often turn my

Capt Chuck with a nice gag.

livewells off temporarily and position my boat upwind to pass by islands or holes with no man-made noise. Shallow water stealth is the single most important thing you can do to increase your fish catching in water less than 5 feet. You can steer your boat by turning your steering wheel right or left as the breezes push you along. There must be some skeg in the water to steer. It is quiet and the boat will respond to steering changes without the motor running.

FISHING PRESENTATION

Line, Leader and Hook- Fish in their natural environment chase and hunt their food. They look for weak, injured or easy to catch prey. Most saltwater fish in southwest Florida have good eyesight and the water clarity is good. A bait with a hook in it, is weighted down by the hook, leader, line and the tension the angler places on the line. The surface tension of the water also plays a role in line behavior. These factors cause the bait to behave differently than a natural forage fish or crustacean.

The easiest way to improve your catches

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are: Use a light running line from your reel. You will catch more fish with 6# test then 8# test then 10# test. Yes, you will lose more fish too. Same goes for the leader. Lighter leader more bites. In general, the lighter your connection to your hook, the less the bait is influenced by the weight and tension and the more bites you will get. Also,use small lightweight hooks. The modern hooks are strong and will hold big fish. Red hooks, silver hooks, chartreuse hooks make it easier for the gamefish to see there is a hook there. I prefer that the hook does not stand out.

However, I am sure there is a time when a colored hook is an attractant- the problem is, I just can’t tell when.

Li ne Col or- Line color matters. Is chartreuse or red a natural color in our waters?

I haven’t seen it but the tackle manufacturers are promoting lines in those colors. In fact, red is the most highly visible color in 6’ of water or less. A chartreuse line runconti nued on page 6

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Water LIFE

MAGAZINE

continued from page 5

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ning through the water is easy to see even with a clear monofilament leader. When you cast out do you know for sure that your running line is not passing over or nearby fish that you want to catch? To me it is very simple. Use a clear or light green monofilament fishing line. Same goes for your leader color. Braided lines do spook fish- some days the fish don’t care and some days they do ..however I cannot tell when this is a factor. Braids are stronger, more sensitive, cast further and are certainly more visible. Braids are always my second choice in line type but I do use them at times. Fish do have some level of reasoning which is more in tune with natural intuition that goes hand in hand with sight, sound, smell and vibration. There are perhaps other sensory factors that fish have that we cannot comprehend.

Leader Length- The significance of your leader length depends on your fishing pursuit. For braided lines, the longer the better for reasons previously stated. As for monofilament running lines, the shorter the leader the better. A longer leader is easier to grab at boatside when landing a fish however. The rules of visibility are simple- larger diameter lines are more highly visible than smaller diameter lines therefore keep your leaders short. For bottom fishing offshore, a long leader may allow your bait to loft or swim 3-8’ above the bottom if you have that length of leader tied on. If grouper are laying amongst limestone ledges and looking up for a meal you would want your bait to flow slightly above their habitat. A short leader would position the bait near the bottom and not be as noticeable. Sometimes a longer leader may trigger more action just because it’s further from the terminal tackle, sinker, etc. Experimentation with

March 2007

leader length offshore may result in a length that presents the bait at the right level putting more fish in the box.

Fluorocarbon is less visible to the fish as its refractive index is close to the refractive index of water. It is an advantage but it comes at a price.

S naps, S wi vel s, Cl i ps- Leave them on the shelf at the fishing store and you will catch more fish. They may be convenient for connecting lines together or quickly changing lures and hooks but they are highly visible and detract from any lure action.

Lure Retri eve- Each lure is designed to perform best at a certain speeds. Wind it too fast and it might twist or spin.

Wind it too slow and it doesn’t have much appeal. In general, any action bait such as spoons, plugs or soft plastic swimbaits should be retrieved as fast as possible.

Snook, redfish, jacks, mackerel, tarpon and most others will follow or ignore slower presentations. They have excellent eyesight and the ability to identify something unnatural about a slow moving meal. With the exception of speckled trout which often like a slow to moderate retrieve, speed it up to the max. An important variation to impart in your retrieve is a momentary pause 1-3x in each cast. This variation triggers an impulse strike from a fast moving fish after a fast moving meal.

Simplicity in fishing goes a long way.

Small changes in your approach to fishing can make big differences in what you catch. Give these tips a try!

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

March 2007

Water LIFE

MAGAZINE

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Beauitful 3/2/2 North Port home built in 2004 with 1,674 sq ft, some of the features include living, family, & dining rooms, wood cabinets, shutters, reinforced garage door, marble counters, upgraded kitchen and more. $205,000 MLS # 661513 Call Glenn Banish at 457-7083 REDUCED FOR QUICK SALE. Pool home on Saltwater canal n e a r Collingswood Pointe, area of million dollar homes. This home is priced right.

3/2/2, 1,937 sq ft, built in 2001.

This home is seeing is believing!! Home has all the Bells and Whistles. You'll fall in love with this one!!. $449,900 MLS # 635104. Call McCarthy at 941-235-5648

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Never lived in 3/2/2 Saltwater canal home with only minutes to open water. Home has 1778 sq ft of living area and features upgraded cabinets, reinforced garage door, ceramic tile floors with carpet in bedrooms, composite dock that never needs work and more. Don't let this get deal pass you by. MLS# 661201 $399,500 Call John Gulick at 941-204-9428

A truly unique home..

MUST SEE PARAD I S E ! !

This contemporary 2/ 2 home is nestled in a tropical forest on two lots designed for nature privacy and beauty. Extensive professional landscaping with fish pond and running brook is the view from the 2 story all glass great room. Extras galore include wood cabinets, stone countertops, slate & marble flooring and the list goes on. $275,000 MLS # 658406 Call Rich Gierulski at 941-8755967 or Maura Riou at 941-276-8752

BEST PRICED CONDO IN HERITAGE OAKS, 2 bedroom 2 bath ground floor unit that comes fully furnished all you need is your toothbrush. 1,168 sq ft, condos were built in 2001, many amenties to enjoy. Call today before its gone!! MLS # 662801 $158,900 Call Ellen McCarthy at 941-628-6954

Water LIFE

MAGAZINE

This 2/2/1 waterfront home was completely remodeled before Charley.

1211 sq ft of living area, just minutes to the Harbor. This home has all new plumbing & electrical, new roof & A/C in 2001, all new furniture, wood cabinets, tile floors, concrete seawall with 2 docks and 6,000lb boat lift. Nothing to do but move in. $289,900 MLS # 648220 Call Ellen McCarthy at 628-6954

JUST REDUCED FOR QUICK SALE !!

Beautiful 3/2/2 Deep Creek home located on a cul-de-sac on an oversized lot.

Large 1,884 sq ft home shows like a model. Home features wood cabinets, tray ceilings, french doors, bay window in breakfast nook, tile thru-out except in bedrooms and more. Nothing to do but move in. Best price in Deep Creek area call today before it's gone. MLS # 664421 $ 189,900 Call Ellen McCarthy at 941-628-6954

Paradise living at its best !! This large 4 bedroom 3 bath saltwater canal home boasts 2016 sq ft of living area and features maintance free landscaping of tropical trees and plants, 3 level extensive decking overlooking canal, new roof, 2 A/C's, 2 water heaters, wood cabinets, tile countertops, plantation shutters, and much more. Call today for a list of all the details. Only minutes to Lemon Bay. MLS # 661818 $599,900 Call Ellen McCarthy at 941-628-6954

One of a kind 3/2 home with 4 car detached 30 X 40 garage situated on 2 corner lots has 1900 sq ft, and was built in 1993. All new Oak cabinets, marble tile countertops and new metal roofs. Home has so much to offer Living, dining, and family rooms. Detached garage can be used as an office, in-law suite or family room Call for a showing today. $329,900 MLS # 660405 Call Ellen McCarthy at 628-6954

Lovely 3/2/2 home situated on an oversized corner lot with plenty of room for a pool.

This large 1,545 sq ft home is perfect for that growing family, close to shopping, dining and schools. Great home at a great price. MLS #657790 $199,990 Call Glenn Banish at 941-457-7083

March 2007

Looking for space? ..Then this is for you, 4 bedroom 2 bath sailboat canal pool home boasts 2291 sq ft of living area and has so much to offer from the new kitchen, and appliances to the new roof. Living, dining & family rooms, 10 X 27 upstairs loft and much more. Only 15 minutes to the Harbor.

Call to view today. $519,900 MLS # 658443 Call Ellen McCarthy at 628-6954

Port Charlotte Golf Community home 2/2 with double carport on Cul-De-Sac street, fully remodeled with new kitchen, appliances, tile counter tops, paint in and out.

Working fireplace, shutters, inside laundry, living and family room. wood floors in din. rm and the list goes on. MLS #665250 $175,000 Call Rieka at 941-235-5648 Beulah condo 2/2 totally remodeled, new roof, flooring, wood cabinets, light fixtures, washer & dryer and more. Great retirement or seasonal home. Just minutes to Beach Complex area where you can enjoy fishing, large pool, horseshoes and more. $104,000 MLS # 652713 Call Ellen McCarthy at 941-628-6954

REDUCED.. Beautiful 3/2/2 pool home ready for new owners. Large home has 2060 sq ft of living area, hardwood floors thru-out, living, dining & family rooms. Don't miss out on viewing this home, you won't be disappointed $249,000 MLS # 655497 Call Rieka Gaudet at 941-235-5648

Fully furnished 2/1/1 pool home on oversized freshwater corner lot.

Home has 1,182 sq ft of living area and is centrally located close to hospitals and shopping. New carpet, pool cage and roof. Seller is offering $5,000 towards buyers closing costs.MLS# 661197 $179,900 Call John Gulick at 204-9428

Water LIFE

March 2007

Kids Cup Coming!

This is an embroidery proof for the Kids Cup Hats this year.

S t aff R eport The Kids Cup happens on April 28 this year. That’s next month! Yikes! Last year we maxed out at 125, so this is the month to get your entry in, especially if you want your name to appear in the official Kids Cup Tournament Program. The Kids Cup is an all for fun, not-for-profit, event. There are no cash prizes, but the Top 5 kids get to weigh in on the ESPN2 TV stage in front of what the Oberto Redfish Cup guys promise will be Punta Gorda’s biggest crowd ever. And the overall Kids Cup winner will get a trip to the Keys to fish.

A few things in the 2007 Kids Cup will be new this year. First off, two months after we notified them about this year’s Kids Cup the IGFA announced that they will no longer hold a Junior Angler World Championship. They will continue with their Junior Angler program but there will be no tournament in Key West for the 2007 Kids Cup winner. We are disappointed in the IGFA and in the timing of this announcement and we apologize to our Kids Cup contestants for any expectations which may not be fully met.

However, we are going to send the 2007 Kids Cup winner to Key West to fish anyway, at our expense!

This year we are going to tag some if not all of the fish we release. Mote Marine will do the tagging and the science they get from this project could answer the question: Does a redfish caught in the Pine Island Sound and released at Fishermen’s Village swim straight back to Pine Island or does it become a part of the redfish population up here?

This year, Ranger Boats will be the Kids Cup boat sponsor. Your Kids Cup T shirt will show a junior angler fishing out of a Ranger Boat. Thanks to San Carlos Marine and Ranger Boats for that.

Also stepping up to the plate to help with the Kids Cup is the Fishermen’s Village Marina and Yacht Basin who will be the Tagging Sponsor for the 2007 Kids Cup. Back on board for their fourth consecutive year of Kids Cup support will be our major tournament sponsors: Palm Chevrolet, Laishley Marine and San

Page 9

MAGAZINE

And the Charlotte Redfish Baseball Team is going to play a part in the Kids Cup as well. They have a Redfish Kids program and we’ll get a bunch of free tickets to ball games at the Charlotte Redfish Stadium. But wait...like they say on TV...there’s more!

At the Miami Boat Show Kevin Carlson, president of Ocean Waves sunglasses offered to donate high end fishing glasses for our top 5 anglers. And we hope more good things will come along for the Kids this month.

This will be the best Kids Cup yet. So sign up NOW, entry forms are at the local bait and tackle shops and online at www.kidscuptournament.com.

Don’t forget, this is all for a good

the weigh in is again at Harpoon Harryʼs in Fishermmenʼs Village Punta Gorda

Cup goes to fund our Don Ball School of Fishing program which has local guides teaching an eight week course about local fishing and the local environment in six area middle schools.

It doesn’t get any better than that.

MIke

2006 Kids Cup winner Chris Larsen with the winning 7.4 lb redfish

Carlos Marine, who provide the hats, shirts and captain’s meeting dinner. The dinner will again be at Bennedetto’s Restaurant at the Best Western in Punta Gorda. Bennedetto’s is helping by keeping their prices down for our kids as well.

Ingman Marine will again donate a Power Pole for the captain of the winning Kid and will donate movie tickets for every kid who weighs in a fish. Don Gasgarth Ford has increased its level of sponsorship this year, allowing us to present a Big Fish, Little Fish Award, so even if you bring back a little redfish you could still take home a big trophy. We want as many fish weighed in as possible.

Mercury Marine will again donate racing jackets for our top five kids, Eppinger Lures will again donate spoons and other tackle for each angler. There is Exude, Eagle Claw, Shimano Henry’s Tackle, and MORE. The captain’s bags the kids receive should once again contain outstandingly useful stuff.

Our pal Frank Ruby from Fish X-S in Englewood will provide the Trophies for each age group - there is a framed-redfishprint trophy for the biggest fish in each age bracket (ages 10-11-12-13-14-15 and 16 ) and thanks to Lori and Barb at Laishley Marine, S.P.I. will provide the top 5 bronze redfish trophies.

cause. The money we raise at the Kids

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Water LIFE

Flatsmasters Qualifier

MAGAZINE

Water LIFE Staff Report Fifty teams, 36 degrees, 7 a.m. The numbers were the focus from early on. It was calm in the cold. A few teams even came out in their technical skiffs – lightweight, 16-foot, carbon fibre shallow water boats – but when the wind came up around 11 and the harbor went straight to fourfeet, the numbers were again the focus and in the end, the numbers told the tale.

Out of the 50 teams, 30 were contending for the remaining 10 open spots in the 2007 Flatsmaster Series. The other 30 teams were just out to hone their fishing skills. Reportedly the bite was slow early on but by 9 a.m. numerous anglers reported good fishing. “I’ll bet we had

March 2007

5,000 fish around us,” one angler reported. His team weighed in a 5.4 and a 4.55 pound fish - out of 5,000.

In all 22 teams weighed in two fish – 10 of those teams weighed in 10 pounds or better. Five teams had only one fish for the scale and 23 teams didn’t weigh in at all. Taking top honors was Paul Lambert’s team with two fish weighing an identical 7.3 pounds.

March 2007

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MAGAZINE

P a g e 11

On The Line Page 12

By Capt Ron Blago Water LIFE Senior Editor The jig is back in style. The other day I was out checking a few spots in Lemon Bay trying to keep up on current fishing conditions. I had to cancel a few trips because of cold and windy weather and experience has taught me that the fishing will change as quickly as the weather this time of year; so it pays to do a little prefishing to locate fish when you have fishing trips coming up. The next day I was scheduled to take three of my Fishing College students on a trip to learn how to jig fish. So I figured I would load the boat with the six rods I was going to use and take them out for a little test drive.

Each one was rigged with a different jig head and a different colored tail.

Being a lazy sort of fisherman I didn’t want to spend a lot of time on the water finding fish; so I went to the nearest grass flat and started to drift. On the third cast I hooked a ladyfish; I took that as a good sign because if the ladies are biting, usually everything else is biting. I grabbed another rod with a different jig combination and continued. First cast, a nice trout. Then I started to wonder how long it would take me to catch a fish on each

Water LIFE

with Capt Ron

rod and jig combination. Right then I realized I just invented a new sport- Speed Fishing a soon to be Olympic Sport. I could see it now, teams in brightly colored jump suits trying to beat the clock and catch the most fish, or maybe relay teams passing the rod from member to member after catching a fish; how about a fast cast contest-fastest cast in the South.

Then I took a deep breath; and realized I had to really cut down on caffeine.

It took me about 30 minutes to catch six fish on six rods with six different jig combinations. For some reason this feat gave me a profound sense of accomplishment. When I have my favorite rod in my hand I feel like Babe Ruth with his favorite bat or Michael Angelo holding on to a paint brush. When I am using the jig I feel I am the equal of any fishermen and if there are any fish around, they better watch out. For me the jig is my ultimate confidence bait; the one lure I would want if I was stuck on a deserted island. (remember this is still the caffeine speaking.)

The jig is about as simple as you can get; a weighted hook with a chunk of plastic on it. What the fish thinks it is , I’m not really sure but they sure want to

March 2007

The Jig is Back in Style MAGAZINE

Pompano (top) or trout, easy picking if you fish a jig right.

bite it. The jig has several things going for it. It’s cheap, portable and effective.

Back in the day, everyone used live shrimp for bait . It’s funny now shrimp is between $2.50 and $3.50 a dozen now, and people back then were complaining that 75 cents a dozen was too high a price to pay. If you were fishing for fillets to put on the table economy was everything.

For a few bucks you could buy the hot jigs of the day; the Bagley Salty Dog, Mann’s Stingray Grubs, 5 tails and 2 jig heads in a package and of course the locally made Trout Touts. No more standing in line waiting in line with your FlowTrol bait bucket, waiting for the bait shop to open. You could just throw a few jigs in your pocket and beat your friends to your favorite fishing spot. Nothing would break your heart more than waiting for first light and finding someone standing in the water next to your hot spotsome things never change.

Successful jigging starts with the right equipment. I prefer a 7 foot, medium action spinning rod with a 2000 series size reel that will hold at least 120 yards of 8 pound in diameter fishing line.

Anything bigger than that just gets you tired that much faster. In a good, all day fishing tournament, it’s not uncommon to throw that jig a thousand times.

Fishing line is critical. I strongly suggest that you use the braided super lines like Power Pro. Because the line does not stretch like monofilament, you get a much higher percentage of hook-ups.

When it comes to jig heads the style is more important than the color or weight.

You can get long or short shank, round head or bullet head , screw on or stick on; anything you can imagine someone is trying to sell. The most important thing is to match the jig head to the tail. Most manufacturers like Cotee and CAL jigs make both heads and tails so it’s a good idea to stick with a matched pair. The best advice I can give as to technique when you are drifting over a grass flat, is to develop a smooth, machine like rhythm. Cast out as far as you can and let the jig hit the bottom, give the rod a quick upward thrust, let the jig settle back down, then reel the handle about two times and repeat. The biggest mistake beginners make is that they jerk and reel at the same time. You have to let the jig go straight down to the bottom before you reel. Most of the time the fish hit the jig when it’s dropping. If you get a hit but miss the fish, give the jig a few more jerks before you reel. There was a reason that fish wanted to eat your bait and just because he missed it doesn’t mean he’s going to give up.

These tips are for using a jig while drifting a grass flat. There are other techniques for using jigs in potholes, deep water, under docks and even top water.

Each have there own tricks and tips that I will tell you about in future articles.

Capt Ron can be reached for comments or to book a fishing trip at (941) 474-3474

Fishing College Concludes Symester Water LIFE

March 2007

By Capt Ron Bl ago Water LIFE Senior Staff Well this year’s Fishing College is in the record book. About 50 students made it through the basic training course for salt water fishing; and of course I have to thank my associate professors - Dick Zrudski- the rod man, Bill Lowe- the fly fishing guru and Capt Bob Szymanski-boating safety and right hand man. Capt Ron is no spring chicken anymore and now I get by with a little help from my friends. Each year I always learn more from my students than they learn from me and this year I learned that Wednesday is the best day of the week to fish. The rest of the week was terrible; as a matter of fact out of 10 trips that were scheduled during the course, 7 were cancelled because of cold temperature or high winds ; but every Wednesday, the day we had our class the weather was beautiful.

The groups that did get to go did very well, especially the folks that used jigs. We caught bluefish, trout, snapper,

Page 13

MAGAZINE

Spanish mackerel, sheepshead and pompano. We caught more pompano than anything else. We caught so many pompano, I was running out of different ways to cook it. My neighbor , Chuck Lange a master smoker , smoked up a few fish for me and with the help of a recipe in an old cookbook, I found the simplest fish spread. Smoked pompano with sour cream. Flake off the meat from the skin- mix with sour creamsalt and pepper to taste and serve on a cracker- that's it. It was to die for. At the cooking portion of the Fishing College that bowl of fish spread disappeared in a heart beat. No one could figure what it was but everyone liked it.

When the weather is good the fishing is great . I've been cruising the local dock between Manasota Key Bridge and Stump Pass and finding a lot of snook, redfish and sheepshead around the pilings. To have any chance at catching these fish you need high water and a moving tide. Its hard to find both conditions this time of year.

The fun part of the college is when the students get to fish with Capt Ron. Here part of the graduating class show off a morningʼs catch.

Offshore is pretty good. The big news is that the kingfish are starting to show up already. People have been telling me that Capt John Knight of the Hooker out of the Englewood Bait Shop has been really hot this season.

Remember that grouper is closed in Federal Waters until March 15th.

Capt. Ron can be reached at 4743474

43' Trojan 13 Meter International, 1985. Many Upgrades. Twin 450 HP Detroit Diesels. ONLY 75 hours s.m.o.h. $139,000

28' Bertram with new Indmar 275 hp engines in 1991 Private stateroom forward with V-berths, lower helm and dinette. Great fishing or cruising boat. $22,500

38' Bayliner 3870, 1985. Twin135 HP Mitsubishi Diesels. $69,500

23' Hurricane 237 Sundeck 2001. Single 200HP Yamaha Saltwater Series. Asking $23,900

35' Trojan 350 Express, 1995. Twin 320 HP Crusaders. Lift stored. Loaded with equipment. $89,500

38' PT Cheer Men Sedan Trawler, 1982. Single 120 HP Lehman. This is a beautifully maintained vessel. $149,500

30' Proline Express 2002 T/225hp Evinrudes Fichts only 78 hrs,. autopilot, depth, VHF, GPS, hydraulic steering $59,900

28' Bertram Sportfish, 1982. Twin 260 HP Mercruisers 5.7 liter, 1990. Asking $29,900

36' Sabreliner 36 Express Cruiser. 1997 twin 300 HP twin diesel Caterpillars Asking $229,000

23' Grady White 2006. Twin 150HP Yamaha four strokes with only 67 hours. Loaded.

JUST REDUVCED to $93,000

30' Sea Ray 300 Weekender, 1987. Twin 260 HP Mercruisers Asking $28,000

30' Luhrs Alura single 350HP gas engine.

Asking $43,995

21' Cobia Center Console, 2004. Single 150 HP Yamaha 4 stroke. Includes trailer! $32,900

23' Pro-line walk around cuddy 2001. Single 200HP Mercury Opti-Max outboard Only $29,900

30' Mainship Pilot Hardtop sedan. Single 230HP Yanmar diesel. Asking $104,900

Water LIFE

Page 14

Two Lots on Corner of Fleming & David

Just Listed

$349,000

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60始 on the water with seawall in and dock being installed. Lots cleared with water and sewer available.

Great Englewood Location

$399,000 $379,000

March 2007

MAGAZINE

GULF ACCESS Canal

front in Englewood close to beaches, shopping, and medical. Two bedroom two bath in move in condition. Dock and lift are included.

(941) 830-0502

$699,000 $599,000

Manasota Key Condo

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New construction, upgraded units 3 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath Barefoot Beach unit 501, $599,000 also: The palms unit #9, $685,000

SURF CLUB Gulf View 3 BR, Nice beach and pool, beautifully decorated and sold turnkey furnished.

Ready to enjoy or offer for rental

(941) 474-9534

Judykaff@earthlink.net

Sea Grant Update

March 2007

Water LIFE

If you have questions, the Sea Grant agent can often answer them. Questions like: what was this grouper eating when it was caught?

Thatʼs NOT the bait in its mouth!

By Betty S taugl er Water LIFE S ea Grant

Boati ng & Waterways : In late January, the Charlotte County Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously to participate in the Regional Waterway Management System (RWMS). The RWMS is a survey that evaluates waterways and water traffic in a similar fashion as that done on the land side. The goals are to achieve a base level of service and a harbor management plan that balances the needs of navigation and public safety with environmental resource protection. The RWMS is a two year survey followed by a permitting phase for those areas determined by the study to not meet the needs of boaters based on an established matrix. The study which will be completed by Florida Sea Grant, was previously done in Manatee & Sarasota counties, and is currently in the permitting phase in Lee County.

Charlotte County’s participation will complete the RWMS for the WCIND. Arti fi ci al Reefs : Two possible artificial reef deployments are currently in the works. One will include the deployment of a barge and culvert material at the Novak Memorial Reef site. The other will involve a considerable amount of demolition material at either the Palm Island Ferry site or the Tremblay Reef site. Roger is currently working on re-opening the Palm Island Ferry Reef permits.

This reef site, established in 1998, contains a ferry, a barge and some culverts. The vessels are beginning to break down, making this site a primary candidate for a renourishment project.

Waterfront Communi ti es : Sea Grant and the University of Florida Conservation Law Clinic are working with the City of Punta Gorda to develop a Waterfronts Florida Partnership Program application.

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MAGAZINE

The Waterfronts Florida Program designates eligible communities every two years and provides designated communities with technical and financial assistance towards planning and implementation of projects that include hazard mitigation, preserving public access, preserving traditional uses & economic base, and preserving environmental resources. The application is due in mid March.

Mangrove Habi tat: We submitted two community based restorations grants, with the help of eleven local community and/or scientific organizations. The grants will allow us to re-establish large sections of the hurricane damaged Charlotte Harbor shoreline.

Fl ori da Mas ter Natural i s t Program (FMNP): One of our goals for Charlotte County this year is to develop a FMNP. The FMNP is an educational program of the University of Florida available to anyone interested in natural systems. The program contains three modules: coastal, wetlands, and uplands. Participants attend classes over a 6-8 week period combining classroom and field experiences. At the end of the program, participants are certified as Florida Master Naturalists, and then it’s their turn to give back to the program by passing the knowledge they obtained on to others. We will be focusing on the coastal component first.

Lee County: Many of you are

aware that Bob Wasno left his position as Lee County Sea Grant Agent. We wish him well as he moves forward in his career goals. Bob’s repl acement has been adverti s ed and i s expected to be fi l l ed wi thi n the next coupl e of months . Bob’s abs ence has l eft many wi th

ques ti ons about s ome of the projects he was worki ng on i ncl udi ng:

REDs tart: REDstart’s first release of about 1,500 redfish in the spring of 2005 left us all feeling great about the prospects of future releases. However, in the spring of 2006 the State hatchery facility that provides the fingerlings discovered a problem within their own facility that forced them to suspend their releases of fingerlings to REDstart.

Currently the REDstart facility is slated to be used by FGCU and SCCF for their oyster and seagrass research until such time that fingerlings may be once again obtained.

We do anticipate and are planning for REDstart to once again raise redfish.

Boca Grande Pas s Cl eanup: This is the month that we typically spend two days braving the elements, cleaning up the pass bottom.

This year I am afraid we will be taking some time off. I anticipate we will see this popular event return, but in the interim, a step back to reevaluate the event and any lingering safety concerns is not such a bad thing.

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Page 16

Water LIFE

MAGAZINE

The new 2400 Bay Ranger – the ultimate Bay Boat for Charlotte Harbor

San Carlos Marine

3300 Palm Beach Blvd. (I-75 Exit 141) Ft. Myers

(239) 334-3424

March 2007

Water LIFE

March 2007

Page 17

MAGAZINE

Please see

Kids Cup on page 9

2432 St Davids Island Ct MLS#653476 - This beautiful 3/2/2 waterfront pool home with gulf access is the deal you ve been waiting for. Spectacular panoramic views of intersecting canals are just steps out your back lanai area. With less than 10 minutes to open water from your oversized dock, you‚ll enjoy stunning Florida sunsets every night of the year. This is the deal that you ve been waiting for, call today for more details before someone else grabs your dream home! $499,000.

Burnt Store Isles Gorgeous cul-de-sac lot in the prestigious area of Burnt Store Isles. With a preserve view from your backyard, you won t want to miss out on this one of a kind deal! Call today!

MLS # 661721 $310,000

18818 Ayrshire - This waterfront home is a must see and will go quickly at this price!

Enjoy a fabulous Florida sunset from your private dock with gazebo. Located on the Manchester Waterway, facing the preserve you will enjoy only 10 minutes to open water. The home sits now as a 2/1 with a separate 1/1 mother in law suite. Which can be easily converted back into the master bedroom. Owner is willing to convert if necessary. Call today for this one of a kind deal.

MLS# 661046. $375,000

5000 Riverside Dr - This SPECTACULAR riverfront estate site is just waiting for your new estate. With 100 ft. dock and breath taking view of the Peace River, this deal will not last long. Call me today for more details on this one of a kind deal.

MLS# 626972. $999,000

1750 Jamaica Way #314 Gorgeous 3 bedroom/2bath harbor front condo with a breathtaking view of Charlotte H a r b o r .

Located in the heart of Punta Gorda Isles, this condo has all the amenities that you could ask for including: community pool, elevator, tennis courts, community clubhouse, and within walking distance to the newly built Isles Yacht Club.

MLS# 662419. $485,000

24284Vincent Ave - Brand new, never lived in custom two-story KB built home.

This 4/2.5/2 home has all the amenities you could ask for plus some! Brand new 20 x 20 Italian tile throughout the first floor including living room, family room, master bedroom kitchen & laundry room. This home is a must see.

Owner will consider all reasonable offers.

MLS # 660941 $334,000

Water LIFE

Page 18

March 2007

MAGAZINE

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Cut Off March 2007

Water LIFE

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MAGAZINE

Te s t i n g o u t t h e n e w (old) boat around Hog Island

By Fi shi n’ Frank Water LIFE Port Charlotte It is mid-day in the Myakka cut-off and Cliff Freda is pulling back on his rod while the line is peeling off. Cliff lowers the tip of the rod and then pulls back hard and steady. The snook thrashes his head throwing water three feet in every direction and the battle continues. In a last ditch attempt to out wit his adversary, the snook makes a run under the boat. Cliff drops his rod tip deep into the water and as the snook clears the starboard side of the boat Cliff lifts his rod tip and the battle is on again and in his favor. The snook jumps trying to throw the hook to no avail. Now he is at the side of the boat and I have the Boga grip locked to his jaw. This is the way to test out a fresh boat.

This was the first day out on my newly refitted charter boat. Cliff, Jeff , and I have been working for the last three weeks refitting my charter boat with a tower, new live wells and all new everything.

I had a little over 6000 hours since the last over haul on the boat. Six thousand hours in a salt water environment will corrode almost everything, so we stripped her out down to the bare hull and started over. And holy-outrageous -pricing, Bat Man, this stuff ain't cheap. B.O.A.T.! (break out another thousand.) The fish gods demand to be paid their tribute, yes the price can be extreme, but as on our first day of testing the new boat systems we ran to the

Myakka River , with the sun setting red against the sky, the trout were biting. This brings understanding as to why you spend the money. Cliff had caught and landed his snook and we had caught a couple of trout then the bite really started. It was feeding time. For some reason fish all get hungry about the same time or maybe the moon aligns with the sun. Some fish will eat a little any time, but every once in a while every fish in the area decides to eat at the same time.

This was it, the bite was on in the Myakka this night. Jeff, started it off by tossing his bait out from the tree toward the open water, and pow a fish strikes – a swing and a miss. Cliff cast out and hits a line-drive up the middle. A 17 inch trout is in the boat and released and the fun continues.

Cliff or Jeff both had keeper size trout on or being released. Then it was over. Only the grins remained.

Another place the trout have been hitting has been along the west wall. For those who are wondering where the west wall is, it is the west side of Charlotte Harbor. The name west wall was started simply because people did not know what to call it.

I found out from Capt. Ralph Allen that the real name was McCoy Flats, named for a town that used to be some where in the Gulf Cove area. By the time I found out it was too late and the name west wall had stuck in my

The Myakka Cutoff offers refuge for fish and salvation for fishermen. Port Charlotte is in the distance

head. McCoy is listed in the registry of ghost towns, how ever I am not sure quite where it is, so the west wall got its name from looking at a chart. It is a long mostly flat shoreline from the Myakka River mouth to Cape Haze point. Not a perfect name for it, but it is the one I use. Hey if your friends call you Fred long enough your name is Fred.

Why is it things go wrong at the weirdest times? I never had a problem with the starter on my Yamaha until we rewired the boat then tried the motor and click, click, nothing. It had to be getting power, it clicked. So we spent hours going over all the wiring and same thing. Finally we took off the starter and went to Quality Starter. Yep, Butch said it was bad. He sold me a new one and no more problems.

We were so sure it had to be something we did. It did not occur to us that it could be the starter. Same thing if you are not catching fish. Some times the simplest explanation is the reason. Maybe you are fishing the

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way you think you should and not what the fish think is good. If you are seeing fish hitting and you cast at them with a sinker on the line why would you not likely catch one? Simple – the fish are at the surface and your bait is at the bottom. Switch the way you present the bait, when you are not catching fish, if you are using a

at Fishin Frank s for fishing information or to book a charter (941)

A friend sent us this and the photos above: Found this gill net while hiking around Cayo Pelau Saturday (the island that makes up the western edge of Bull bay). I sent a satellite photo showing the exact location in case you know anybody that would possibly be interested in retrieving it. Was way to big and heavy to get in my little boat. It is right at the high tide line just a few feet north of a little beach. – ed.

Englewood Beach Villa Detached villa w/large living area, comfortable Florida room and close to the public beach. This active community has a beautiful clubhouse and one of the largest pools on Manasota Key. $329,900

Sunrise Pointe Condos. Great location right across from Englewood Beach. Gorgeous Bay and Gulf views. New upscale units w/10' ceilings & garages from $737,000.

sinker, switch to a bobber, not all methods work all the time.

Changing is key to good fishing.

This cool weather is necessary to good fishing in Charlotte Harbor, but now that the warming trend is coming get ready for some great fishing. See you on Frank can be reached the water.

9260 Griggs. Sailboat water. No bridges, 5 minutes to Gulf. Gorgeous custom home.

Spectacular Bay and Canal views. $1,099,000

Gulf Sands. Customized 3 bedroom 2 bath end unit condo w/open floor plan.

Partial Gulf & Bay views.

Heated pool & deeded boat dock. $599,900

Page 20

Water LIFE

MAGAZINE

March 2007

Kayaking

March 2007

Water LIFE

MAGAZINE

At the Miami Boat Show last month the SURFANGO powered kayak was getting a lot of attention. Powered by their proprietary 9.5 hp, 4-stroke engine with recirculating freshwater cooling, the battery-start boat will run over three hours at 25 mph. Cost is about $3,000

Fro m Cap. t Ro bert Mo o re Water LIFE Kay ak ing To help set the story up, let me fill y ou in on a few details. My wife sold this gentleman (he is un-named) a new k ay ak . He was v ery ex cited about this purchase and researched ex actly what he needed and wanted. February 1st was the opening of snook season and it would be his first trip out. Lik e most hard work ing stiffs, the ev enings was the only time he had. The problem was that a cold front was upon us. I'll let y ou read the rest.

Well, I went out Thursday night. I figure you should enjoy my stupidity. It wasn't the dumbest thing I ever did, but it ranked up there. It was 15-20 MPH winds and 2-3 foot waves. The plan was to put in at the beach north of the pier and hit that small bay between the beach and the canals as there are a few docks there with lights, then around the Point and up a friends canal. I couldn't hit the docks in that bay because the wind was blowing too hard and because it had been doing it all day long there was a ton of grass and seaweed in the water and my anchor would foul so it wouldn't hold. That was a shame because there were a ton of snook under those lights. By the time I got to the Point I was pretty beat so I headed back. I learned a few things out there though.

The most important was to give everything its place, learn where its place is, keep it in its place, and put it back in its place when you're done with it. If you don't you either can't find anything, can't reach anything or it's all piled up between your legs, probably tied up in your anchor rope because you were dumb enough to put that there too. I learned that paddle leashes are worth their weight in gold, however they aren't

worth much if you leave them on your dining room table. The same goes for rod/reel leashes. They are pretty much required and are also worth their weight in gold, but useless if you don't use them. There is no good place on a kayak to keep those damn rolls of leader. Talk about the most useless packaging strategy. Everything you don't need should be stored and everything you do need should be within arms reach or at least tied to a rope within arms reach. Putting your light in your front hatch, paddling through the surf zone into 20 MPH winds isn't the time to realize you left it inside the damn kayak.

Paddling parallel to the waves has a slight pucker factor. You won't be paying attention to your paddles, you'll be subconsciously leaning into the paddle because your tired, and you won't realize your on top of a wave until you go to paddle water and paddle air. The pucker factor comes from just about rolling over because you are expecting resistance in the paddle but you don't receive any. The rudder is either the best thing invented or the most evil contraption on the face of the planet. However, which one it is depends on if you are going with or against the wind and were dumb enough to leave it down and jammed to the right. Forget dry. Period. I'm starting to wonder why scupper stoppers were invented in the first place because you aren't staying dry in a kayak. No matter how much you try, you're going to get wet. I didn't even roll the kayak over, but I might as well have. If you are continuously pulling to the right it's caused by one of the following things: your rudder is jammed to the right, your paddling too far from the boat on the left side. Or you forgot to reel in your bait bucket. Learn useful knots. A twohalf hitch was designed to be used on

tent lines to easily tighten or loosen said tent lines. That's what we used it for in the Boy Scouts. It wasn't designed to hold a bait bucket in a strong current to a kayak. Having to turn around in inclement weather against the wind to get your brand new bait bucket back is NOT the right time to figure out the error of your ways. Rig your poles before you go out. Trying to fight 2 foot waves, a drifting kayak, a knife, fingernail clippers, leader, and a kicking jumbo shrimp while trying to put your line through the rod eyes is NOT the way to do things. Pay attention to the water. Read the water. Be the water. If you're just focusing on where you're going then you miss things like the weird section of the beach that bounces the waves off itself and now you're fighting 3 foot waves coming

Page 21

from one direction and 3 foot waves coming from another direction. You could have simply paddled around it.

The mind is willing but the flesh is weak. I don't care how hard I've been trying to fool myself, I'm not in the peak physical condition I was in when I was in the Marines. Not even close. Not even remotely. Not in the same galaxy.

The good news is that kayaking is quite the work out. My arms aren't tired, but my abs are toast from trying to balance, my legs are shot and my back would like a change of address. But, all in all, it was fun. I learned all the above valuable lessons without killing myself, rolling the kayak or losing any gear so I guess there IS a bright side to every train wreck. I spent most of the night cursing you and your wife but I had to prove something to myself. I had to go out in

Charlotte Harbor FISHING GUIDES SCUTTLEBUTT Water LIFE

Page 22

MAGAZINE

March 2007

Often Unsubstanciated, But Sometimes True

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Charters

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Hey Sanibel, look at this Seaweed covers Miami Beach, regularly, and they clean it up at their own expense. Sanibel, quit complaining.

Shrimp Boat Still there The shrimp boat Lady Louise still lays on a sand bar outside of the channel leading to Edgewater Lake in Port Charlotte. For three months boaters in the area have been asking us how much longer this boat will be allowed to lay here and at what point official intervention will begin to remove it.

Action Craft Missing at Miami Action Craft Boats of Cape Coral was not at the Miami show and is said to have closed its doors.They have not returned our call and one dealer told us they are out of Action.

Mercury Marine will establish a contingency program in 2007 for anglers fishing the Oh Boy! Oberto Redfish Cup tournament series. The potential total prize money from Mercury is more than $350,000. Mercury will award a $15,000 first place contingency prize to the winning team in each division and an additional $15,000 to the winner of each all-star event.

Mercury also will award contingency prizes to anglers who place in the top 20. The total potential prize money for each event could exceed $33,000. In addition, Mercury will provide a contingency award of $25,000 to the overall champion of the Redfish Cup. Mercury will also award contingency prizes to anglers who place in the top 20. The total potential prize money for the championship could exceed $66,000. For the first time, local anglers can sign up for the event in Punta Gorda up to the captainʼs meeting, if slots are still available.

New Radio Show: Word of Mouth, with Tami Patzer, airing Saturdays from noon to 1 and Sunday from 4 to 5 on 1530WENG.com. It's a positive look at what is happening in Southwest Florida.

Bay County FL Officers David Erdman and Neal Goss were working the Sandy Creek area and observed a vehicle working its headlights in an attempt to disclose deer. They watched as the vehicle manipulated its lights down several side roads and gated leases. Upon stopping the vehicle, they discovered two occupants in possession of high-powered rifles. While conducting the necessary inspection, both officers noticed a tow truck arrive. Since neither of them summoned one, they asked who had called. The driver indicated that one of the violators had called. When questioned, the suspects advised that their friend had been caught doing the same thing a week ago and lost his truck and they figured they would save the officers some time.

Look Out Hereʼs what happened when a local Captainʼs truck door took on a triple axle trailer at the Port Charlotte Beach Ramp. Nothing a new door, a fender and a few thousand dollars canʼt fix.

Real Estate News

March 2007

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

Recent area news i tems: 1. Lennar has announced plans to build 135 homes in phase I of its new complex, West Charlotte Harbor Boat and Tennis Club. Their US Homes subsidiary purchased 65 acres in October '05 for $14.25 Mil ($219K/acre). The complex will have a marina located directly on Charlotte Harbor North of South Gulf Cove on Abalone Dr. 2. Burnt Store Land Group is looking to transfer 151 allowable density units from a property that it owns in Cape Haze to a newly proposed complex on the West side of Burnt Store Road. This may become a landmark test of the intent of the County's Transfer of Density ordinance. The ordinance allows developers to give up their rights to develop certain parcels in one location in order to obtain the rights to develop residential units elsewhere in the County, as long as they have similar flood plain characteristics.

The issue in this case is that the flood level has been determined to be 2 feet lower on the Burnt Store Road parcel vs. the Cape Haze location.

3. Venice is informally soliciting private developer proposals to create an airport related business park adjacent to its waterfront location.

4.

Another sign of the housing slowdown, Heron Creek, on Sumter in North Port, will be changing the use of 50 acres of property that had been intended for residential use to shopping and offices.

5. County designations of scrub jay habitats have become even vaguer. If these darling little creatures are even spotted within 150 feet of previously unimpaired property, mitigation may be required. To date no land bank has been established to uniformly deal with this problem. The wheels of government continue to grind slowly.

6. Punta Gorda continues its spending binge by considering the establishment a WI-FI zone for the downtown business district and even the entire incorporated City. Providing the service to all of the residents within the City limits would

Water LIFE

MAGAZINE

cost about $2.0 mil to install and $400$500K to maintain. It remains to be seen whether staff will try to justify providing a service to everyone (whether they want it or not) that is already available at reasonable prices from private vendors.

They've already spent $32K in search of a way to do it!

7. Punta Gorda is narrowing the field of architect/engineers to design a 300 stall parking garage to be located next to the former County Court House, now in renovation. Staff is throwing around numbers of $5-$6mil ($20K/space) for this yet to be justified project. Other cities have recently completed beautiful new facilities for $11.5K per space. Playing the "planning for the future" card, staff is looking to get $10K for each space from the already financially challenged retail and office developers' impact fees. Even as expensive as land is, the City could save money by buying vacant lots to provide necessary parking facilities. A garage could be built some time in the distant future when it is warranted.

8. The CRA is grappling with protecting historic buildings. The owner of a storm damaged home at 41 & Virginia is trying to have it demolished. City staff is trying to determine the size of a money pit that is necessary to salvage an old house with questionable architectural merit.

9. County Commissioner Tom D'Aprile is back at his flat tax proposal again. Rather than let 56 MSBU's struggle with raising fees to install long overdue drainage and street improvements, he feels that all 220,000 platted properties in the County share the burden equally. Our County Assessor opined that a property owner that an owner of a $100,000 home would feel unduly burdened if he had to pay the same fee as an owner of a $1,000,000 home. How do you argue with THAT logic? – sometimes, you just have to shake your head and walk away.

10. Punta Gorda hopes to add to our waterfront park system. The Trust for Public Land paid more than $1.9 Mil for 1.25 acres on East Marion between Booth & Adrian. The trust received $1.7Mil from Federal Hurricane Relief funding to provide the windfall $39/sf to the savvy investors that acquired the site over the past 4 years at an average cost of about

Page 23

Particle board wooden skeletons of a new project on Harborview Road in Port Charlotte.

$13/sf. As an aside, our tax appraiser has valued a similar parcel across the street (the old professional office building site) at just $273K! ($14/sf). How does that work? Taxpayers shell out $39/sf but collect taxes on $14/sf...? Appraisal inconsistencies, hello...??

11. (Gov) Crist's new tax proposals are riling our County Commissioners.

Clearly new to the game, the Governor is trying to force local governments to live within their means. County Commissioner Cummings is outraged that he would follow through on his campaign promises. Commissioners feel that the proposals will cut $46Mil of the $156Mil budget AND impose additional costly requirements on local governments.

Maybe this is not the time to spend millions on wi-fi, a new parking garage,

widening Aqui Esta, buying up demolition deserving houses, hiring hundreds of new employees, etc., etc. and just make do with what we have.

Sales Statistics: Lot prices declined another 1.3% last month and median prices are now down 47% vs. last year. Only 83 lots went under contract vs. 205 in January, 2006.

Houses are down 18%. With pricing becoming more affordable, 22 homes went under contract in PGI-BSI vs. 10 last year. All four waterfront condos at Banyon Point were sold in the low $200s. Coast Bank partially funded the construction of 482 new homes in Rotonda, Port Charlotte & North Port.

The $66 Mil that it advanced to builder, Construction Compliance Corp. will likely be far short of completing the homes

Page 24

By Bill Dixon Water LIFE Sailing

Madness I

Water LIFE

March is The BIGGEST Month

Both of the local historians here are in agreement that Ponce De Leon landed at Sanibel and Cayo Costa and explored Charlotte Harbor, and, not as widely believed, Tampa Bay. Locally, the Royal Order of Ponce De Leon Conquistadors supports this belief with a parade float ‘Galleon’ at all our local parades and a ‘Landing’ every year near a local watering hole. The Conquistadors, led by the late E. David Johnson created and supported a regatta every year; they continue to do so even after Dave Johnson’s untimely passing.

The 14th annual Conquistador Cup will be held on Charlotte Harbor on March 10th and 11th. Historically the largest regatta in Southwest Florida, this event’s organizing authority is now the Punta Gorda Sailing Club. Event co-founder Dave Hansen is no longer able to do by himself all that a regatta this big requires.

The regatta begins with registration and free beer on Friday March 9th at Harpoon Harry’s Restaurant at Fisherman’s Village in Punta Gorda.

Two buoy races are planned for Saturday March 10th.

Divisions include Spinnaker, Non Spinnaker, True Cruising, and Multihull. A buffet and awarding the copious door prizes which this event is famous for will be at Harry’s afterward.

Sunday will be the all boat, reverse handicap start, Conquistadors Cup. This is your only chance to be on the same course with spinnaker flying, hull flying multi hulls. First boat across the finish line wins the coveted Conquistadors plumed steel helmet and gets their boat pictured in this publication and on next year’s official

race T-shirt. Awards are presented at Harpoon Harrys Sunday at 4:00 pm. You can obtain the official Notice of Race and entry forms on the Punta Gorda Sailing Club website: www.pgscweb.com

Madness II

We are expecting up to 75 competitors from around the world for the Sunfish International Masters Regatta.

(Masters are sailors over 40). It is a major regatta in the Sunfish International Class Association. The regatta is sponsored by the Charlotte Harbor Community Sailing Center located at the Bayfront Center on West Retta in Punta Gorda.

The regatta will be run out of the Port Charlotte Beach Park at the west end of Harbor Boulevard in Port Charlotte. A portion of the beach front area and buildings have been rented for the event. You are welcome to go to the park early and watch the racers set up, or go late and watch them return and put their boats away. Racing begins at 1:00 pm Friday, March 16th, 10:00 am both Saturday the 17th, and Sunday the 18th. Racing ends when the wind decides, but on Friday night there is a dinner at 6:30 and on Sunday, no race will be started after 1:00 pm. Be sure to feed the parking meters if you go to Charlotte Beach Park. Parking tickets are very expensive.

Racing will be in the Peace River just south of Alligator Bay, where the beach complex is located. The legs of the race course will be almost a mile long.

Depending on the wind direction this could involve most of the area North and East of Marker No. #2. Sunfish boats will be racing in this area between the 16th and 18th of Mach. Spectator boats are invited, even encouraged, but we ask that all of the boating community recognize the size and scope of this regatta and please

The Sailing Duel

By Denni s Peck Water LIFE / Punta Gorda Sailing Club In most of the racing that takes place on Charlotte Harbor tacking is one aspect of racing that quite often is not of much use when it comes to winning a race.

However there are certain times when knowing when and how to use a ‘tacking duel’ is very helpful.

First let me just state that in fleet racing as we have most often on the harbor you must be one of two boats that are clearly in the lead for the win in a series. In a fleet race if you get into a

MAGAZINE

tacking duel with another boat and you aren’t in the lead with points that can’t be passed with more than one or two boats may just give the win of the series to another boat in the fleet. All too often the temptation with another boat on your hip is just to great to pass up but you must be mindful that it could cost the series as well as give you the win. If you get involved in this mode of racing it may cost precious time to the whole fleet and time is what counts. In fleet racing if it is the end of a series and you feel that you can finish in the top three places and

March 2007

remain clear of the race course area. Contact Dennis Peck at: bdselah1@bdsailing.com 941-627-1727 for more information or visit the Sunfish web site: www.sunfishclass.org/florida/2006/Master%20Champion ship.htm

Madness III

The Leukemia Cup began in 1993 with one race in one city and has grown to 50 regattas annually across the country. Total earnings have exceeded $20 million for Leukemia/Lymphoma research. Our local 2006 Regatta brought over $90,000 to the coffers and this year we hope to earn even more for this important cause. New this year, boats may carry banners advertising local businesses. Banners require a $200 donation in the name of the boat.

The sailing events will be run by the Punta Gorda Sailing Club. Registration is Friday the 23 at the Isles Yacht Club. Races will take place on Saturday and Sunday, March 24 & 25 with regattas for both small and large sailboats. On Saturday, March 24 there are planned two buoy races on each of two courses for the PHRF fleets. Multiple short races are planned for the small boat fleets. After the races there will be a beer and burger bash for racers and friends at the Isles Yacht Club.

Sunday one buoy race for the PHRF fleets is planned and several short races for the Portsmouth small boat fleets.

Awards will be presented at IYC at 4:00 pm on Sunday.

Notices of Race and entry forms for the big boat PHRF fleets; Spinnaker, Non Spinnaker, True Cruising and Multihull classes and for the small boat fleets; Precision 15‚s, Martin 16‚s and Portsmouth can be found at pgscweb.com.

For non-racing fund raising events and for ways to donate merchandise for auction or for tickets to the dinner/auction contact Judith Harris at :judithharris2@comcast.net. I can be reached at: 941-637-2694 or www.dixonwj@comcast.net

you have done the math and found out which boat or boats you must beat to win the series then it just might be the day for a tacking duel with those boats. Now a tacking duel is considered a boat for boat maneuver. This is where the real challenge is, get the two boats in a spot where you can take them both on and be able to stay in contact with them. With the proper planning you can control one of the two boats before the start to push them close to the other boat so that at the start you are all close together. That’s where the fun begins, if you can catch them off guard and get into position at the start the challenge becomes great.

Now before we start talking about dueling with two other boats we must understand a tacking duel with just one boat. The tacking duel is best used in Match racing where you only have two boats and the idea is just to finish first.

Many will say that a tacking duel is staying on the other boats wind. That is just part of the dueling process, it is all about controlling the other boats actions. Ok, so they can tack whenever they want and you really can’t control that, not so fast, you can control when they are able to tack by being in the right place at the right time. If you are out in front in a series then you sort of are in a match race with the next boat but keeping in mind

the others also. If you find yourself too windward of the other boat you want to stay between them and the next mark. To do this you will try to stay on its wind to keep them slower. Be ready because they are always going to be looking for the better wind and tacking to get away from your bad wind. Staying on their wind is called ‘keeping them covered’. There is a term loose cover which means you may not be directly affecting their wind by being close but you have gained some distance and now there is enough space between boats that they can be getting some good air. You must stay on you toes always looking at the wind angle and the cover angle to maintain a loose cover without them getting free. You don’t want to get too far ahead because then they can sift the phase and you won’t be able to cover them or control them. Then they can go for a different breeze than you.

That can turn the tables as you go back to get in contact with them. You may find yourself in the spot that you have to get out of because now they are in the controlling position. In a tacking duel it is not always good to just out run the other boat for the game is controlling another boat that has equal speed. If you are really much faster then forget the tacking duel and just finish the race first.

March 2007

Water LIFE

MAGAZINE

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Water LIFE

MAGAZINE

March 2007

The Water Water LIFE LIFE Distributor始s Club

Cooks Sportland

4419 So. Tamiami Trail S. Venice 493-0025

Pick up a copy of Water LIFE at any of these and 120+ other locations. Water LIFE is not affiliated with any newspaper or other publication and is distributed at select locations around the state. These free ads to our loyal distributors rotate on a monthly basis.

Now also at the new Bass Pro Shops in Fort Myers at I-75 and Alico Road

OFFSHORE: March 2007

By Capt Steve Skevington Water LIFE Offshore March is always one of the months I look forward to fishing all year.

Both inshore and offshore are absolute paradise, and not every month of the year seems to offer so many angling opportunities.

All of those opportunities are good with grouper fishing being closed for the first half of this month. Those grouper really haven’t been missed that much with all the really great snapper fishing that’s been going on, not to mention some monster amberjack and cobia.

It’s been ‘one stop shopping’ drifting over any one of your favorite deep wrecks. Pitching a large live bait out is going to do the trick for both the AJs and cobia.

The annual spring run of king mackerel should be back in full swing this month. I really like fishing the kings. For non stop big fish action they’re hard to beat. This kind of fishing 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. I don’t like to spend too much time on that blue runner if he

Water LIFE

MAGAZINE

Absoloute Paradise

mangs in March every year. My favorite way to fish these guys is to chum them up to the top and ‘flatline’ them. A flatline consists 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.

You can expect Spanish mackerel to show up in your chum slick right along side the mangrove snapper.

The Spanish should start there spring run right now. They should be

doesn't pick a fight with a king within 15 minutes. I get right back on the hardware.

March is known for its spectacular fishing on Mangrove Snapper. You can catch these fish year round, but for some reason we get the really big Directly on the Intracoastal Waterway facing Sanibel's Ding Darling Preserve. CBS 3bedroom, 2 bath pool home on large cul de sac lot. Deep water canal runs along east side of property with dockage, 25,000# lift, jet ski docks and davits. One of a kind. $1,390,000

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New 3/2 home $975,000. Older 2/2 CBS $550,000. Buy one or both !

Beautiful Pine Island Home on Back Bay. Community shares beach front on Charlotte Harbor.

Private dock. 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, wood floors. Furnished. No condo fees. $995,000.

Great Land Base. Duplex on 75'canal. Room for pool. Great boating fishing Bokeelia. $625,000

Page 27

pretty easy to find. Just watch for the tell tail birds diving, and set up a trolling pattern. I like trolling small spoons and buck-tail jigs at about 3-5 knots, these fish are great on light tackle, and on the grill the night they’re caught.

The black tip sharks are feeding behind the shrimp boats early in the morning right now. With some really big brown sharks and a few hammerheads. We had three black tips last week, all of them over 7 feet. With fishing this exciting, all we need is a month full of beautiful South Florida weather.

You can reach Capt. Stev e at 575-FLAT or at 276-0565

TournamentOptions

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Water LIFE

March 2007

MAGAZINE

Punta Gorda, Fl This is another high stakes tournament with big money involved. If you want a chance to fish against the best, then this is your chance. The Redfish Cup now allows anyone to compete in just one event unlike previous years where you had to compete in all or none.

7) S i l ver Ki ng Cl assi c – May 5th, 2007 – Ft. Myers Beach, Fl Finally a catch & release tarpon tournament where you do not have to fish in Boca Grande Pass only. There are boundaries, but with plenty of room for everyone to do their own style of tarpon fishing. The Silver King Classic is the first leg of a three part series, the other two being a grouper and kingfish tournament. The best part about this tournament series is that the proceeds go to a very worth while charity. This should be great fun.

8) Kayak Fi shi ng Cl assi c – May 12th, 2007 – Ft. Myers Beach, FL A benefit tournament for the Southwest Florida Boy Scouts of America. Your primary species will be snook, redfish, trout and snapper. Anglers can launch from any location at first, safe light and lines must be out by 4pm. No matter where you live you have plenty of time to fish this event in your backyard and return to the tournament site to turn in your score card.

9) Charl otte Hi gh S chool Redfi sh Roundup – June 2nd, 2007 – Punta Gorda, Fl Capt Rob e-mailed us this photo and : “Catching a few sharks but Being a Charlotte High School Alumni, this is a biased pick for me. The proceeds will benefit the not seeing the numbers we would like to. Will keep you in touch.”

He and Capt Mike Mahan are fishing in the ESPN Mad Fin shark Charlotte High School Athletics Department and tournament in Key West as we go to press. has a tremendous amount of community support.

This is a winning combination that will make a take home $25,000. I have fished this tournament every first class tournament once again this year. year it has been put on and must admit I had a really 10) Ri chest Redfi sh Tournament – October of great time. This is another tournament with great com2007 – Punta Gorda, Fl munity support with the proceeds to benefit the Good This tournament’s claim to fame is that it is the rich- Shepherd Day School in Punta Gorda, Fl. est one day redfish tournament. Most high dollar tournaRemember, this is only a small list of what is out ments are multiple days. Two of the heaviest redfish will there.

By Capt. Robert Moore Water LIFE Staff Competitive fishing tournaments in Southwest Florida are about as common as a sale at the local new car dealer. If you miss one, don’t worry, there will be another one very soon. If you’re looking to fish in a tournament for $100,000 or maybe just a free rod, Southwest Florida has it. My personal favorite has become kayak tournaments. They are usually inexpensive and wading is almost always allowed.

Last month I searched the internet and made a list of every tournament in the Southwest Florida area. The list was very long. Here is a list of the tournaments I will attempt to compete in. Some are for big money, some are for pure fun, and some are for various charities.

1) Redfi sh S urvi vor - March 10th through April 7th, 2007 in Charlotte Harbor, FL This is a new tournament for 2007 and I really like the different twist on it. With a 64 team maximum, you are fishing for two legal redfish. In the first round, you draw a teams name and that is the only team you are competing against. If you win you proceed to the next round. Lose and you’re done. The 2nd through the 4th round is the same format until they reach the best four teams. Round 5 is against the top four teams. You only have to beat one other team each week to reach the championship, 2) Charl otte Harbor S l am Paddl ers – March 25th, 2007 in Charlotte Harbor, FL This is a fun kayak only tournament put on by the Charlotte County Visitors Bureau during the 2007 Charlotte Harbor Kayak and Wildlife Festival. An artificial lure only tournament, the angler is fishing for the most overall inches of a snook, redfish & trout. There is also a top female and junior angler division.

3) FLW/ Wal -Mart Redfi sh S eri es – April 26th28th, 2007 – Englewood, Fl A high dollar tournament with a high dollar jackpot.

You will be fishing against some of the best tournament anglers from around the country. This is a nation wide tournament Magnificent Pirate Harbor with an Eastern and Western division, with a stop in Southwest Florida. Anyone can sign up and compete. There are incentives if you own certain boats and outboard motor depending on what place you come in.

4) The Water LIFE Ki ds Cup – April 28th, 2007I have fished this event every year with my son and plan to until he is too old to do so. You are fishing for one redfish with artificial lures or shrimp Immaculate 3/2/2 only. My son and I have had a great time on Rock Creek 1838 sq ft under air, Only 15 participating in this event. The top five minutes to open water anglers fish the following weekend and Beautiful water views, high ceilweigh in on the ESPN TV stage with the ings, modern floor plan, skylights, tile floors, updated Redfish Cup. Mark this date on your calkitchen, large designer pool, 30 endar and take your child (children) fishfoot dock with lift and new boat ing. house cover! Priced at $329,900!!

5) The Ul ti mate Fi shi ng Chal l enge – April 17th-18th, 2007 – Goodland, Fl May 5th-6th, 2007 – Placida, Fl Best Priced Pool May 16th-18th, 2007 – Captiva, Fl Home 3/2/2 Pool Home, 1920sf, 2.5 This is also a new tournament with a Car Garage, different twist. Not only are you competUpdated, 100 feet of ing to catch the biggest fish, it also has Seawall, 20 Min to the Gulf $565,900 three challenges that you must compete in. The long cast competition; the accuraTranquil Beach cy cast competition and then a skilled House Gulf waters 20 obstacle course competition. You must minutes away. Deep fish at least two events to try and qualify water, sailboat, magnificent views, boat house, for the championship to win $100,000.

2 lifts, wood floors This should be fun. $599,900 Bring Offer!

6) Oh Boy! Oberto / ES PN Redfi sh Cup – May 3rd -5th, 2007 –

Home

For Fishing or Real Estate: Just Ask The Captain

Stunning ʻLambert Builtʼ Home, 3859sq.ft. under air, 3/3/4, 150-foot Seawall, Ramp, Boat House, Granite Kitchen, Wood Floors. A Builderʼs Dream Home- 5 Minutes To Harbor $999,000

Port Charlotte Waterfront Home Just remodeled 3/2/1, 1700sf under air, on extra wide canal. quiet street, with dock $370,000

Blackbeard Blvd.-

Saltwater Lot, 100ʼ Concrete Seawall, Large Wooden Dock, Deep Water, Great Location, Sailboat $345,000

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100-foot saltwater frontage, short boat ride to Boca Grande, $298,000

Sailboat Waterfront Bargain 120ʼ Seawall, Sailboat Canal with immediate open water access. Large home, 4 Br, 3 Ba. Over 2000 sq. ft. with City Sewer/Water $339,000

Kings Gate Golf Course Bargain 3/2/2, 1721 sf under air, Overlooks pond and 6th fairway, Gorgeous! $239,900

Deep Creek Double Lot Custom Situated amongst large oaks, 3/2/2, over 2100sf, new pool, builders home,Remarkable! $279,900

U N D E R W A T E R LIFE March 2007

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Adam Wilson / Water LIFE Diving

By Adam Wi l son Water LIFE Underwater If you've been on the water after a few days of calm wind this month you have surely noticed the clear water in the harbor and the gulf. If you have ever wanted to dive the harbor, the next couple of months is the only time to do it.

We have been diving from the old 41 bridge rubble out of Alligator Creek to the near-shore artificial reefs. The Alligator Creek reef is a great Charlotte Harbor dive. It's a thriving nursery of baby grouper and snapper with tons of quality sheepsheads in the mix. It's also a great place to find a truck full of anchors.

Heading towards the gulf, the old phosphate posts, oil dock and Placida trestle

I swear this photo isn't retouched. Check out the Mickey Mouse splotch on the redfish始s tail. I took the picture right after letting him go. It aint easy trying to pose a live redfish!

I was using sardine chunks and he was too big to keep. I had a few fish come right in on the sardine chunks just to feed. In the middle photo a sea slug is shown.

are also excellent dives, full of marine life. Two weeks ago I counted 8 legal gags there on a one hour dive. Just be careful of the tides.

Remember, Gasparilla sound, which includes the Placida trestle, is part of the Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserve and it is off limits to spearing. Recently I have seen guys shooting fish there. Have a different opinion? FWC will be more than happy to give you a citation and you can take the debate to the judge.

Offshore the cold snap has slowed the larger inhabitants of Goliaths and turtles to a near frozen coma. With the clear, algae free water, and the reluctance of these big guys to swim, now is the best time to get those close up photos. With water temperatures around 60, just make sure you have plenty of wetsuit.

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March 2007

Hey, ANGEL BABY... Capt Angel Torrez sent us these three photos of sizeable redfish reportedly caught last month. But look at the photos carefully. Is this the same fish in each one?

March Fishing Report Charl otte Harbor: Robert at Fi shi n' Franks Port Charl otte: 625-3888

Anything is possible, due to how warm it’s been. Traditionally, this is still a good month for s heeps head. Fiddler crabs are the best bait, sand fleas and shrimp are good too. El Jobean, Placida and the phosphate dock are all good sheepshead haunts. If it stays on this cooling trend, the sheepshead will move

onto the flats and onto the oyster bars in Whidden Creek and Turtle Bay. Redfi s h have been pretty good. In a normal winter pattern we should be catching a lot of rat-reds right now, but because it’s unseasonably warm there are a lot of legal and oversized redfish still hanging around. On the edges of the bars ... on the east side and the west side... there are quite a few fish. Whidden and Catfish creeks are holding some very nice fish under the bushes and out in the sand holes. Live shrimp has been the best bait, but there is also some decent white bait along the beaches and some right there at

the Intracoastal.

Sno o k are really good at El Jobean at night. They are not in phenomenal numbers or sizes, but they are in decent enough numbers to make targeting them worthwhile. Placida also has quite a few snook there at night. Bull and Turtle Bay and Pine Island Sound have a very good number of fish all over the place.

Bucktails have been working real well on snook along with shrimp and any number of soft plastics. The DOA jerk baits work extremely well on those fish down there in the more clear water.

Shark fishing has been good. The

bo nnet heads and the small bl ack ti ps are pretty much all over the flats at the mouth of Bull and Turtle Bay. Some larger sharks are starting to move into the passes and out along the beach. The dus ky s and s andbar s harks are still here. Live mullet are still the best bait for those larger sharks especially out there along the beach. Even the offshore reefs like the Novak and the Trembly reefs are good spots to be looking for sharks right now.

There also have been some Spani s h mackerel and some very nice bl uefi s h out on the near shore wrecks Continued on facing page

March 2007

Just in case you haven’t noticed how warm it’s been, we still have ki ng mackerel all along offshore – all the way up to Venice. More and more it looks like they may just stay here until spring. They seem to be comfortable in that 7 to 20 mile offshore slot.

In that same area, 20 to 25 miles – we are getting into some nice bl ackfi n tuna and some small s ai l fi s h.

The s napper and g ro uper bite is picking up real nice now too.

Grouper and snapper should stay good for a while.

Tro ut have been sketchy because of the warm weather, but some nicer fish are still coming from the deeper parts of the flats in the three to four foot depth range. The Intracoastal has a lot of really nice trout and they should be in that 4 to 6 foot depth through the middle of this month ... and in good numbers. If it gets a little colder a lot of those fish will start coming up this way towards the 41 bridges, but that’s if it gets colder. Now it may just get warmer.

While you are out looking for

Water LIFE

BIG-4 BIG-4 SHEEPSHEAD are moving in and big ones are out front

Marchʼs Marchʼs Target Target Species Species

Ji m at Fi shermen’s Edge Engl ewood: 697-7595

Sheeps head are still biting at Boca Grande and on the Placida side.

Most guys are using fiddler crabs, shrimp or sand fleas. There has been some po mpano are still around and quite a few keeper g ag g ro uper have been caught on the Boca Grande side. Some guy came in with a laundry cart with a pair of 25 inch gags in it that they caught on pinfish at the trestle. There are redfi s h around at Lemon Bay. Around Pine Island, guys wading are catching

n March 1, 2007 Mr. S heepshead has Fl eas local inventor Dave Hack, will discuss his secrets! Learn how to rig and use his magic formula and special sand fleas. Catch more sheepies and pompanos! Seating is limited, so sign up early at West Marine Venice or call 408-8288. n March 3-4 Fl atsmaster’s Tournament S eri es, Grand Slam Plug at Punta Gorda.

SNOOK still in the harbor, a few on the beaches.

REDFISH are still around, big and small

trout and reds on the flats, co bi a are starting to move in. A lot of them have been swimming with the rays so look for a ray and you might find a nice big cobia.

Lemon Bay

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reds in low water. Quite a few guys have got into big redfish lately, fish that are way over the slot. In general, redfishing has been good all around.

Tro ut has been reasonably good too. Pine Island and up in Turtle Bay there are bigger trout. More so than in Lemon Bay. And there are a lot of bl uefi s h and l ady fi s h still around; probably because there has been so much bait around. Offshore: ki ng s , bo ni ta, y el l o wtai l s napper, mang ro v e s napper, offshore fishing has been pretty good.

I still haven’t heard much about co bi a or tri pl e tai l . I ask every guy that comes in my shop about them and they haven’t seen a one.

In freshwater there is quite a bit of crappi e around, there has been

Calendar

of

n March 8 & 22 Fi shi ng S emi nar, free at Laishley Marine Punta Gorda, 6 p.m. n March 15, 2007 S pri ngti me Fi shi ng wi th Top-water Pl ugs. Captain Geoff Page at West Marine Venice or call 408-8288 n April 28 – Ki ds Cup Tournament, Ages 10 through 16, entry fee $100 Phone (941) 766-8180 or www.Kidscuptournament.com for entry form

COBIA Starting to move onto the flats in numbers

Page 31

KIDS CUP

APRIL 28

Events

n June 17 – 19, Fifth annual Mercury/ IGFA Juni or Angl er Worl d Champi onshi p

Tournament, Key West, Fla., USA -- This

event hosts some 40 girls and boys, ages five to 16, who have advanced to this all-release

championship by winning one of over 30 qualifying fishing tournaments held in the U.S.

and several countries in 2006. This will be the

Fishing

Very Good

RIGHT NOW:

March 2007

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