Water Life March 2013

Water L I F E The Charlotte Harbor Reef Association

March 2013

Charlotte Harbor Oyster Bar Restoration Project

Plenty of Gags...

Still can始t keep 驶em Page 6

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Winter Fishing?

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Inshore and Offshore Headquarters

LETTERS

Date: February 5, 2013 11:32:47 AM EST To: waterlife@comcast.net Subject: Thanks for a Great Resource Just passing on my appreciation for your publication. Like so many part-timers who want to enjoy the fishing opportunities in the area, I find the articles and contact information valuable and entertaining. Our 3rd season in the Port Charlotte area, family nearby and tons of fishing opportunities, can't improve on that. 2 of your contributors have really been important to us. The guys at Fishin' Franks take the time to help out or just chat. Robert and Jeff have both, on several occasions, answered any questions, made suggestions, give directions, etc.

Big help to someone new to the area. Another big

thanks goes out to Capt. Steve Skevington and his Paradise Charters. Read one of his articles, contacted him, and have enjoyed many great days aboard his boat over the past 3 years. He and his mate work hard at putting his customers on fish, I've been on trips where we explored and re-anchored 6-8 times to find quality fish. Lots of variety, big numbers of reef fish and tasty filets to take home, and fun stuff like AJ's, goliaths, sharks, kings.

I'm sure many of the other contacts you provide are valuable as well, will be fun trying to work my way through them. Thanks, Frank Schultz, Punta Gorda and "The U.P." of Michigan From: Frank Schultz

Money-Fish the missing FWC classification Dear FWC: Here are some tournament ideas Iʼd like to share with the FWC: Youʼre on the right track with proposing a catch and release only designation for tarpon, but why stop there? That designation alone isnʼt going to solve the ongoing problem at Boca Grande Pass.

1. Consider a new fish designation, the designation of Money Fish - and not just for tarpon.

The money fish designation should be applied to all inshore and offshore tournament species targeted in for-profit, payout tournaments. For anglers to catch and release money fish they would need a money-fish stamp on their fishing license, just like a snook stamp. You set the price, use the revenue to enforce existing regulations.

2. Keep the tarpon tag - Tarpon tags wont be necessary if tarpon are catch and release only, but keep the tag concept, just make it a 4x5 Photo-ID and require tarpon tournament anglers and staff at Boca Grande Pass to wear it around their neck, like an event pass, while tournament fishing. Set the price of the new tag at at least $200. Use the money for tarpon research. Use the tag to positively ID problem anglers or staff.

3. Create two different tournament classifications, not just for tarpon, but for all tournaments.

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A Mote Marine water sampling station installed near Pirate Harbor last month

Differentiate between Sport-Fishing Tournaments, where no money or valuable prizes are awarded to anglers and Money-Fish Tournaments where cash payouts and valuable prizes awarded. Require Money-Fish tournaments to obtain an FWC issued commercial tournament permit for each event. Allow sportfishing tournaments to pay a small online tournament registration fee. Use all tournament registration fees for youth angler education.

4. And finally, please give more serious thought to fishing access problems.

The unbalanced use of the public resource at Boca Grande should be an indicator to you of what the future holds.

What if someone wanted to hold a tournament in Bull and Turtle Bay? What if 100 boats signed up? How much would be too much?

We are now faced with private for-profit fishing tournaments in Charlotte Harbor almost every week. We look to the FWC to sort this out and to protect the rights of local recreational anglers. Perhaps a Public Hot Spot designation could be created to indicate areas that are simply too busy with recreational anglers for a private tournament to monopolize.

Thank you for your time.

Michael Heller, Water LIFE Magazine, Publisher

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Contributing Editors:

Photography: ASA1000.com Senior Editor: Capt. Ron Blago Charter Fishing: Capt. Bart Marx Port Charlotte: Capt. Billy Barton Punta Gorda: Capt. Chuck Eichner Sea Grant: Betty Staugler Real Estate: Dave Hofer Inshore: Fishinʼ Frank Offshore: Capt Jim OʼBrien Kayaking: David Allen Office Dog: Molly Brown

on the COVER:

Casey Baker and a nice redfish caught last month on a trip with Capt. Billy Barton. If Global Warming means Bikinis in February we say OK!

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MARCH 2013

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Oyster Bar Restoration Project for Charlotte Harbor

By Michael Heller Water LIFE editor Oyster bars, like mangrove roots, attract small creatures that live and feed in the protection of the structure. Little creatures attract bigger creatures and the chain of food grows. Oysters are designated an Essential Fish Habitat for shrimp, stone crabs and red drum, and a Benefit to numerous other species that also grow up in the fish nursery that is Charlotte Harbor.

But the oyster population in Charlotte Harbor has been depleted by almost 90% when compared to aerial photos from the 1950s. It is thought that dredging, coastal development and overfishing are to blame, but I have to think the reduced flow of water from the Peace River must also add to the problem - which is; the appropriate ‘substrates’ necessary for oyster development are no longer present.

Enter the Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program, (CHNEP) which is applying for a grant from NOAA for an oyster restoration project. This will be the first major oyster restoration in the State of Florida. The CHNEP project draws on lessons learned on other smaller oyster restorations, but plans to implement them on a much larger

level.

The plan in Charlotte Harbor calls for an initial year of public input to discuss the concept and determine the appropriate sites to build three test oyster bars totaling 1.5 acres. The locations will be chosen so as not to affect waterway access and will be on the east side between Punta Gorda and Burnt Store. There will be numerous opportunities for the public to participate in the planning, construction and monitoring.

Crews will begin construction on the sites in 2014 and monitoring will continue through 2020.

The overall project is a collaboration of a number of different groups including our own Charlotte Harbor Reef Association, the Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program, the Nature Conservancy, Florida DEP, Sea Grant, Burnt Store Marina, local boating and fishing organizations, Charlotte County, Friends of the Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserve, professional fishing guides and the Southwest Florida Oyster Working Group. Currently the FWC is working with the Army Corps to redirect ‘sheet flow’ runoff in the Buffer Preserve State Park to help stabilize salinity for Harbor oys-

ters.

A big part of the project will be community outreach and education. Our Don Ball School of Fishing has been selected to work with the CHNEP to help educate Charlotte County students about the importance of oyster bars in our local estuary. We will pass along pertinent information about meetings and overall project progress to our readers as it becomes available.

The restoration plan specifies one of the test sites be located along a hardened shoreline (like a seawall) and one along a mangrove shoreline where erosion is present.

New oyster bars will not be constructed in areas where there is already abundant seagrass.

Some habitat will be made of mesh bags of shell, some will use mats with shell attached and some oyster material could be dumped from barges.

The longterm goal is to establish up to 6,000 acres of oyster habitat in the CHNEP estuaries, with a plan of implementing restoration projects within 50% of the CHNEP estuaries by the year 2020. The initial project cost breaks down as follows: $218,685 from NOAA and $250,169 from non Federal matching funds.

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The red box indicates the initial area where the first three restoration sites will be built. Local input will help determine the exact locations.

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OFFSHORE: Gags are biting, but still closed

MARCH 2013

Photos from February by Capt. Steve Skevington, Paradise Fishing Charters 941- 575-3528

The 2013 Federal recreational season for gag grouper in Gulf waters has not been finalized. NOAA Fisheries is seeking public comment on a proposed rule that would establish a 2013 gag recreational fishing season that opens on July 1 and closes when the annual catch target is projected to be caught. The rule would also continue the February 1 through March 31 shallow-water grouper closure, but restrict the closure to depths deeper than 20 fathoms. The comment period ends March 25, 2013.

There is no season for the protected Goliath grouper shown with the man in the water to the left.

Heard around the cleaning table: Is that a Lizard fish?

Capt: Nice! (laugh) No one noticed!

What's that at the end of the table?

Capt: Sheepshead and flounder What is the one to the left... a dogfish?

Capt: Its a toadfish! It was on the table as a joke for my deck hand.

Oh.

MARCH 2013

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Then and Now of Local Fishing

By Capt. Bart Marx Water LIFE Fishing March is Capt. Bart’s birthday month.

The other evening I was talking with my younger brother and we started on a journey back to our childhood. I am doing some remodeling at my house and he is helping with this project so we talk regularly about work. This conversation was different, we went back to the days when we were able to go to Bull Bay to a fish shack/barge called Pitiful Hilton. Basically it was camping on an island with the bugs and raccoons, fiddler crabs and what ever else crawled around out there. It was the type of weekend we were excited to be able to go with the adult males to fish and hunt. Back in those days it was legal to gig snook, reds, mullet and flounder.

The family that owned the camp had built a plywood Jon boat 8-feet wide and 16 feet long. They would leave this boat there and would bring a 25 horse motor that would allow the boat to get around

the islands with three or four guys in it.

On the front of the boat we would mount a light that usually would be hooked to a big battery, but one evening they brought a generator to recharge the battery and learned it had a twelve volt hookup. That was a good find, the light was the brightest ever and with the generator just idling it was much quieter than the 25 horse motor. The drill was that there were two guys standing on the front

platform looking in the water where the light lit up the bottom like daytime. They had gigs in hand and were ready to stab red, snook or whatever. That would be the food for the weekend. When we would pack to go to the camp there was an iron skillet, a jug of oil, a bag of onions, the Coleman stove and a cast net. There was food, tea, water and adult beverages for the grownups. Back in those days a 17 foot Whaler with a 115 HP outboard was the main mode of transportation. That was our mule to haul in all the goods for the weekend. During the day we would fish with poles and lures to catch more reds and snook, trout and whatever for the freezer.

Those were the times that

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started me on my way to becoming a Charlotte Harbor angler.

As I grew older some of my friends parents would invite me to go offshore and bottom fish and troll with them. This was where the offshore fishing started and when I got certified to SCUBA dive and learned to spearfish. This was all new to me. It still is awesome, when I get the chance to go blow bubbles and shoot something. Diving helps to understand the structures below when you are there fishing from a boat. This looking around has helped me to become a good offshore angler too.

Last month, on the coldest morning of the year, I was able to take our former Youth Pastor and his son out in the Gulf where we caught some sheepshead. Todd and Kyler had a great day, it did warm up to 70 too! On another trip in Charlotte Harbor with a repeat customer Jeff and his son Scott, last month, it was windy and we had to hide in the canals. We still harvested two keeper reds and six mangrove snapper and these guys had a blast and took a nice catch home to share with there family. This time of year there is great fishing inshore and offshore both!

Give me a call or send an e mail and let’s get you hooked up. Call 941 979 6517 or email: captbart@alphaomegacharters.com.

Singing drags and tight lines make me smile.

Soft Bait Ban

Water LIFE Report On January 17, a bill was introduced in the state of Maine that would prohibit the use of all “rubber” lures. The legislation seeks to ban “rubber” baits, but does not define the term. The bill would even ban the biodegradable soft baits currently available.

In an interview, KeepAmericaFishing said they were not aware of any study of fish in the wild regarding problems with soft baits. Industry research involving literally thousands of soft baits used to catch many species (particularly bass and trout) has indicated minimal problems for the fish. The research experience showed the fish either regurgitate or pass the baits without problem.

The legislation does nothing to encourage further understanding of this perceived problem or to improve angler education on the use of soft baits. This ban could seriously impact the future of fishing in Maine and itʼs economy.

Ultimately, it could affect anglers across the United States by setting a precedent for other similar bans.

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MARCH 2013

Snook Wake Up Hungry

By Capt David Stephens Water LIFE Inshore For some people March madness has a totally different meaning. For me it means some of the best fishing here on Charlotte Harbor is taking place. There is one species of fish that gets my blood boiling and this is one of my favorite times of the year to target them, snook.

During spring there are many changes taking place on Charlotte Harbor. The lush green turtle grass starts to grow back on the flats. Large schools of threadfin herring and scaled sardines migrate into the harbor. Snook start to move from their winter haunts in the back creeks and rivers out to the flats and barrier mangrove islands. During the winter months, when the water temperatures are at the lowest, snook fall into a hibernation-like stage and do not feed very much. The warmer days of spring bring the water temps up and the snook wake up hungry (VERY HUNGRY). During this time of year on my charters, I have had days that we have caught well over 50 fish in a half day. I promise this is not a fish story.

The key to having a day like that is locating the fish. Most people think snook only live in the mangroves. Yes you will catch good numbers of fish there, but you are also losing out on a very large number of fish that don’t.

This is the time of year that lost fat reserves must be replaced. Summer is coming and that is when snook spawning takes place. The mangroves just do not have enough forage this time of year to help them bulk up. On many of my charters, when I pull up to a flat, my clients that have never fished with me will ask are we trout fishing. I just smile and tell them what direction to cast. The next words out of their mouth are ‘this is no trout.’ The flats are a restaurant for hungry fish, with schools

of glass minnows, shrimp, small crabs and many other edible little morsels moving around. One of the biggest mistakes people make is always going to the bushes. Don’t get me wrong, the mangroves hold very good numbers of fish, just sometimes you should look out side the box.

If you have ever fished for large mouth bass with a top water and love watching them hit - well you should see a 10-plus pound snook hit a top water plug. It is simply amazing! I have seen big snook knock a lure four to six feet in the air and the second it lands inhale it, talk about getting the blood flowing.

If you would like to get out and experience some of Charlotte Harbor’s finest snook fishing, whether it’s the flats or you want to fish the lovely Peace River, give me a call or send me an email and we will customize a private charter that best fits your needs.

Whether its artificial or live bait we can make it happen.

Capt. Dave Stephens 941-916-5769 www.backbayxtremes.com

MARCH 2013

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Save the Rattlesnake, Sue the Feds

do, is sue. I guess you could say the CBD is really a law firm disguised as an environmental organization.

I admire a good con as much as the next guy, and if

By Capt. Ron Blago you can convince over 200,000 Water LIFE Senior Staff people to give you money with I came across a recent news article that the hope that the world will be a an Arizona based environmental group better place, then let the buyer called the Center for Biological Diversity beware. What really bothered (CBD) has filed a petition with the US me was an article I came across Wildlife Service to have the eastern diaFlorida Keyʼs snake-like Mole Skink by Nancy Smith “How Environmondback rattlesnake included in the enmental Lawyers are Fleecing the dangered species list. I found this very Taxpayers and Why Nobody Wins.” curious because I didn't know that rattlesnakes had a lot Back in the President Carter days (1977-1981), Conof supporters out there. I asked myself what kind of orgress passed a law called the Equal Access to Justice ganization would be willing to file a lawsuit to protect a Act. This was supposed to give the little guy a change to rattlesnake. A little Google search and my eyes were sue big government and if the little guy wins, the govopened to a brand new part of the environmental indusernment has to pay his legal bills. Unfortunately, there try I really wasn't aware of The big money part. is a loophole in the law that lets non profits sue and if The CBD is a non-profit organization with over they win, they can recover their own legal cost. This has 220,000 members and an annual income of over $7 milbeen quite a profitable enterprise for the CBD. It's hard lion dollars. By comparison the Save the Manatee Club to say how much money the CBD has made from these has an annual income of about $1 million. The goal of law suits, but just one agency, the U.S. Wildlife Service, the CBD is to get new species added to the endangered is said to have had to pay them over $6 million during a species list; and they seem to be very good at it. One of three year period. their accomplishments as listed on their web site is The CBD has also developed a new legal strategy. In “gained first time protection, through petitions and liti2012 they filed a multi-species petition for 53 species gation, for more than 500 species under the Endangered they say need extended protection. This is the largest Species Act more than all other U.S. Conservation petition ever filed. Why should you care? Well the groups combined.

CBD has opened an office in St. Petersburg and on Feb. It doesn't appear that the CBD spent any of their own 20th they filed a notice of intent to sue the U.S. Fish and money, physically protecting any species. They don't Wildlife Service for failure to protect the MacGillivray's buy habitat or rescue any injured animals. What they Seaside Sparrow and the Florida Key's Mole Skink. The

Litigious Adverserial CBD Opens Office in SW Florida ON THE LINE

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CBD contend that global warming and raising sea levels may endanger these species. They say they” Florida is a global hotspot for reptiles in danger of extinction.”

These law suits will force the government to aquiese to their demands and settle out of court (like they did with the manatee club) or spend millions of dollars to defend against them; money they would normally use to protect the endangered species. Think about it the lawyers get money, the taxpayers pay more money and the animals everyone says need protection, get nothing.

Now that's ironic.

Death from Above for Brown Snake

U.S. researchers are about to go to war against a very unusual enemy: the brown tree snake. Originally native to the islands near northern Australia, this highly invasive species came to the U.S. territory of Guam 50 years ago. In one of the worst ecological disasters of the modern era it is singlehandedly responsible for driving most of Guamʼs bird species extinct, creating an upheaval in the local food chain, widespread damage to numerous species and is the cause of thousands of power outages.

Now researchers are trying a new tactic. Scientists plan on using helicopters to rain down dead mice fortified with acetaminophen, a Guamʼs invasive brown snake painkiller. While harmless to humans, the painkillers are lethal to brown tree snakes.

The extreme measure has been authorized since if the snakes got to Hawaii, damage could run into the billions.

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Florida Clams

By Betty Staugler Water LIFE Sea Grant Did you know?

Hard clams are high in protein and virtually fat free. One dozen clams provide over 100% of the daily advised intake of vitamin B-12 which is necessary for normal function of the nervous system and the production of red blood cells.

Sunray Venus clams are also a lowfat source of protein. In fact, a single serving provides about 9 grams of protein, in addition to providing a good complement of minerals and vitamins.

Many folks are aware that Florida is a major producer of farm raised hard clams.

What they may be less familiar with is that some of those clams are raised right here in southwest Florida (both hard clams and sunray venus clams). We have about 30 aquaculuralists involved in some aspect of clam farming, with open water lease sites where clams are grown in both Gasparilla Sound and Pine Island Sound.

How it all works - Clam production begins at a commercial hatchery where adult clams are spawned under controlled conditions and then raised for 10-14 days.

Clam larvae are fed micro-algae and grown to about 1 millimeter (1 mm) seed size. From the hatchery, the seed go to a land based nursery. The nursery provides small seed with adequate food supply and protection from predators until they reach

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a field-plantable size (4-6 mm). The nurseries are simple in design, operation, and maintenance.

After the nursery, clams are ready for grow-out at open water lease sites.

Vertical clam tanks

Photo: Sea Grant

MARCH 2013

Old boat hulls are used at the nursery, kind of the intermediary, between the hatchery and the lease site Photo: Jennifer Huber/www.CharlotteHarborTravel.com

Seed clam are grown out in soft polyester mesh bags. The bags are planted in rows and secured to the bottom with stakes. Naturally accumulating sediments serve as substrate and the bags, in combination with the substrate, serve as predator protection.

As the clams grow they are transferred from bags with small mesh size to bags with larger mesh size. Once they reach a sellable size (~ 1 inch after 15-18 months) they are removed from the water using harvesting devices (winches and roller rigs). Clams are then washed, graded, sorted, bagged, tagged and shipped.

Are Florida aquacultured clams safe to eat? Absolutely!! All aquaculture activities are highly regulated to ensure public safety. Shellfish can only be harvested from waters classified approved, or conditionally approved. Areas classified conditionally approved are periodically closed to harvesting based on pollution events, such as rainfall or increased river flow.

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Shellfish Environmental Assessment Section is responsible for classifying and monitoring Shellfish Harvesting Areas (SHAs).

What about red tide? SHAs are closed during red tide events when water samples collected and analyzed by a certi-

Scallop Update

fied laboratory are determined to not meet water quality standards. Even after water quality standards are met, product may not be harvested until an assessment of the shellfish meat meets FDA and State approval guidelines.

The controls in place on the industry have resulted in no documented cases (over 20 years) of neurotoxic shellfish poisoning (NSP) from Florida aquacultured clams due to water quality issues.

There have however been cases of NSP in persons who have recreationally harvested clams (and other shellfish) during SHA closures. So a word to the wise: know when and where you may recreationally harvest by visiting www.floridaaquaculture.com or buy farm raised A final thought Shellfish aquaculture is good for the environment. As filterfeeders, a single clam can clear around 50 gallons of water each day. The result is reduced turbidity, improved light penetration, and improved water quality. Also, shellfish sequester climate-changing greenhouse gases in a mineralized form.

In fact, every clam you eat represents about 3 grams of carbon removed from the atmosphere.

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

Well you win some you lose some, and it looks as though the persistent red tide we have been experiencing may be getting the upper hand over our bay scallop restoration efforts. Although we won始t know for certain until this summer when we stick our heads in the water and look for scallops at the restoration sites, recruitment samples collected thus far have not been promising. We始ve seen very little recruitment and only at the Gasparilla Sound restoration site (nothing in Lemon Bay).

On a hopeful note, peak recruitment in southwest Florida tends to occur in March or April (later than the rest of the State) so keep your fingers crossed. Although recruitment monitoring doesn始t exactly correlate well to adult populations (particularly in the Big Bend where healthy populations exist), it is currently the only method available to scientists. The best measure is the adult surveys, so hopefully readers will come out this summer for the Great Bay Scallop Search, we始ll need all the volunteer searchers we can get. In other related bay scallop red tide news - red tide has also side lined the bay scallop cage program where volunteers grow scallops in cages at their docks and monthly record growth and survival information. This year scallops that were intended for Lemon Bay to Pine Island Sound were released in Tampa Bay, out of the potential for red tide harm.

MARCH 2013

Ethanol: The additive that keeps on destroying

WATERLIFEMAGAZINE.COM

PAGE 11

By Michael Heller Water LIFE editor

Background: I run mid grade Shell gas in my boat. I buy it from the Shell station behind Fishin Franks in Port Charlotte.

The motor on my boat is a 2002 Mercury 200 HP. It is a carburetted model. It was the last iteration of the big two stroke, with coil on cylinder electronic ignition. When we rigged this boat 10 years ago I was advised by my friends at Mercury in Placida that this motor would run on crappy gas and suck through water contamination with no problem. They were right.

Fuel System: Aluminum 72 gallon fuel tank with a coal-tar epoxy coating. Black, USCG approved, A-1, 3/8 hose from the tank to the water separator, soft grey (4 year old) 5/16 Mercury hose to the Mercury primer bulb and on past the bulb to the motor. In the cowling, the fuel flows through the motor’s fuel pump and then to a 3inch long in-line filter before entering the carburettors (Brittish spelling).

Case History: The boat is run regularly and, in spite of the ethanol laced gasoline, the water separator filter is always crystal clean. I attribute this to the fact that I keep the tank vent covered when the boat is not being used and also to the fact that the aluminum fuel tank is coated with coal-tar epoxy. I believe the epoxy helps insulate the tank and prevents condensation on the inside.

Problem: About a month ago the motor began demonstrating a repeatable problem. If you started the motor and ran it all day without shutting it off it was fine, but if you shut it off for a few minutes and restarted it, it would run out of gas. There was just enough gas on the restart to get up on plane and go about 100 yards and then it would die. If I nursed it up onto plane and varied the speed I could get a little further but it

would still die.

Then I had to wait a while, try it a few more times and eventually it would come back to normal and run just fine. Remember, the water separator was clear.

Cause: Ethanol in the fuel had eaten away at the interior Photos: The tall picture above shows a piece of fuel line cut laterally to expose the inside plastic liner which has been hardened by ethanol. To the right are the pieces of liner stuffing up the fuel pump. Bottom right is a lineing of the old style grey Mercury sectioned primer bulb, slowly melting into sticky black goo from the ethanol. You can see the fuel line liner here is still clear. The far left photo shows only a few small pieces made it to the final fuel filter. fuel line. I believe the greatest damage was done in the parts of the line that were exposed to the sun.

The Fix: Easy fix for a two-stroke. New ethanol proof (B1-15) fuel line and primer bulb (cost $35). Clean and flush the fuel pump, and replace the 3-inch filter ($6) that I could have reused had I not cut it in half for inspection.

An Alternative Fix: Using 50-cents/gallon more expensive ethanol-free gas.

Am I going to switch gas?: No, I can fix this myself, this is why I love my old 2-stroke!

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Next to Tidal Flow itʼs Temperature

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By Capt. Billy Barton Water LIFE / Charlotte Harbor If you like catching big fish, I mean REALLY BIG fish, then it's almost time to start breaking out the big

gear, and eating your Wheaties! I say it all the time.

March, April, May are my favorite months down here.

I already know what time of year it is and I already know them fish are gettin’ slayed. Man I love this place!

MARCH 2013

February was another exciting month out there on Charlotte Harbor! We have just been wackin’ em!

There's plenty of great light tackle catch-and-release sport fishing to be done on the grass flats right now, as well as a whole bunch of great catch-and-fillet fishing to bring home supper! Red tide hasn’t been a problem inshore, the fishing has really been phenomenal, there's no doubt about it.

Our water temperature this week in Charlotte Harbor was in the high 70s and although we do have a few more cold spells to look forward to before winter passes I think we are well on our way. The odds of a long cold snap coming get worse and worse as the calendar moves closer toward April. Almost 80-degree Harbor water is pretty mild for the month of February. I think the fish are happy about this actually I know they are!

What makes this place so great is the constant fluctuation of species moving in and out of the bay all year long often following the changing temperatures.

When I think of winter time fishing, I think of light tackle. I think of redfish, trout, sheepshead, pompano, and flounder. Inshore wintertime fishing doesn't offer too much action as far as big game is concerned, except for this year when the big snook were turned on and hungry in the warmer temperatures. The big gear tends to collect dust this time of year unless you get to go play offshore!

Although some fish such as redfish, snook, trout, and flounder are here throughout the whole year in abundance, others, such as sharks, tarpon, cobia, Spanish mackerel and mangrove snapper follow their migration inshore as that water temperature rises. It's always so interesting watching the year progress, and watching things change, like the bigger sheepshead that have been coming inshore.

This change is why saltwater fishing takes the cake!

We aren't doing the same old things and fishing the same old techniques all year long. Freshwater fishing to me just doesn't compare you have like five species down here to target, and they're all fairly small. I'm sorry if I offended anybody on that statement. You know,

MARCH 2013

I'll take that back a little bit to each their own. I just like catching the bigger stuff. But, fishing is fishing and truth be told it's mental therapy and good for the soul. As my buddy Robert at Fishin’ Franks says "It's a heck of a lot cheaper than going to the psychiatrist!"

Or is it???. I guess it depends on how crazy you are or how much you fish, but at least fishing is a lot more fun!

All I really wanna make sure you understand is the fact that our water temperature plays a key roll in the fishery here, both in the Harbor and along our coastline. Right now the temperature is constantly rising and dropping and the fish are already moving around a little bit here and there. Temperatures in the Gulf are 74 degrees.

Kingfish will be moving in to enjoy that.

Things will be changing up here in the next Capt. Billy loves fishing and this month or redfish seems to be smiling too! so.

March has a reputation to us local fishermen as "the moving month." Some fish you may have been fishing all winter long may not be here anymore. They may be replaced by another species as our water temperature slowly begins to rise and level off some.

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This is not necessarily a bad thing. You just may have to change up some tactics or some gear, or try different bait. Tarpon, for instance, like shrimp early in the season and then prefer crabs as summer comes. As the temperature draws more whitebait out into the Harbor things will change again. But if you’re not catching fish you can’t blame everything on change, sometimes you just may have to move on to a different fishin hole! Water temperature is a very important part of the equation, in fact, next to tidal flow, it's the most important, but nothing matters if you’re fishing in the wrong spot.

Look for structure and moving water and you’ll find fish. There's nowhere else I'd rather be. I wish everybody the best of luck out there. They're chewin’ like it was their last meal! Now go catch ya some!!

Capt. Billy Barton operates Scales N Tails Charters. Phone 979 6140 or email him at : bartonw24@yahoo.com

PAGE 13

A fog bank that rolled across the Harbor in February

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14

Laser Sailing

The Laser Masters Regatta sailors were by far the largest class at the Charlotte Harbor Regatta last month. All 59 competitors in the 2013 Florida Laser Masters Circuit, a three regatta series held in three different locations over 8 days, thought Charlotte Harbor would be perfect for one stop. Unfortunately the weather Gods didnʼt agree.

The first day they only got in one race before the wind quit. On day two they got 5 races, but only the first one had any good ʻhikingʼ wind. Day 3 was cancelled entirely.

In spite of it all, John MacCausland demon-

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strated his excellent light air Laser skills to take the title, with Peter Shope putting on some serious pressure to take the runner up spot. The race was quiet until the first mark.

Thatʼs where the chiding and challenges began: Hey come on! My right of way, Lets go, Pick it up! Itʼs all downhill from here!

The boats rounded the mark and headed

MARCH 2013

A course marker gets extra air

downwind with the sails filled, back toward the start/finish line, where they gathered up and waited for the stragglers before racing again.

MARCH 2013

Drag Burners

By Capt. Chuck Eichner Water LIFE Punta Gorda Fishing The first day of spring is a hallowed moment around the world which often marks the end of winter. For southern Floridians it often marks the beginning of hot fishing. This year the vernal equinox or first day of spring occurs on March 20th. This is the point where there are approximately an equal number of hours of daylight and darkness.

The weatherman gave us a present this year and by my personal fishing calendar spring started in the first week of February. The oak tree in my front yard blossomed and my first attempt at catching white bait in the harbor was successful last month!

A windy day in early February with only 40 small pilchards made Mark Lehnhoff, a new Florida resident and myself, quite happy. Fishing south towards Matlacha we stopped at a favorite honey hole which had a strong south wind blowing on it. But taking the boat off plane I noticed the water was murky which is not a good thing.

Without enough bait to live chum we each pitched our lines towards a hole off a mangrove point. Patiently telling ourselves that chumming is not necessary was our mantra this afternoon. Then Mark let out a grunt and his reel starting singing. This fish slammed his pilchard and ran for the bushes. Mark pulled overhead and was losing ground on his light-weight tackle but dipping his rod into the water and turning the fish sideways changed the fishes direction! A bit later a scrappy Jack in the 4-5 pound range was tail grabbed and boated. A quick restart, lines back out and Mark again rears back, this time to boat a very fat speckled trout pushing 20 inches.

With no snook showing themselves I speculated that the murky water kept them out. Heading about a mile north we stopped on an outside island and tossed our lines in. The baits were very small and would not cast far enough to get close to the pretty shoreline. For Mark, it didn’t matter, he connected repeatedly with typical early spring snook with only 30 foot casts from the boat.

Snook in the 21” to 23” length are tremendous fighters and make for super action. Eventually we tried a couple other spots which gave up some small snook, more jacks and a few more trout, not bad for the first week of February!

The snook fishing in Charlotte Harbor rebounded last year after the population was decimated 3 years ago in a deep freeze in January. In 2012 you could often catch 35 or more snook in a day with most being 23” to 28” and an occasional 30” plus fish. This is extremely encouraging and shows the fishery can be controlled by closed

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seasons and allowing the species to breed and grow. Fisherman are coming from around the U.S. to experience what Charlotte Harbor has to offer and great fishing means great economics and a healthy fishery if managed intelligently.

Eliminating the limit of one fish a day per angler has a huge impact on the fishery and little impact on what you take home in your cooler.

In March you should have no problem catching good eating Spanish mackerel which are white and flaky and mild flavored. Don’t confuse the flavor of these with the northern atlantic Boston mackerel which is strong and dark and fishy tasting. Look for small white birds dipping in the open harbor and cast small spoons or bucktails. You should be able to fill your fish box with these and some trout found quite easily over grassbeds in 4 feet of water.

The redfish will be much easier to catch then this past winter using any method, but frisky pilchards and threadfin herring will be hard to beat. A pinfish is like candy to a redfish, but I find early season snook are not a fan of the pinfish. If you stay focused on using the pinfish you will catch more redfish, but it may be at the cost of your fishing buddy catching 8-10 snook to your one red.

For live-bait fishing, the rig is simple: Use 3 feet of 20-to 30-pound leader, use size 1 to 3/0 hooks depending on bait size and experiment with freelined baits cast to fishy mangroves on high tide or deep pot holes on low tide .... or position your bait 3 feet under a bobber.

The trout love the live bait under the bobber as it makes it easy to catch. Sometimes the snook like it as well because they can get lazy and lethargic.

March is a great month to fish artificials. One of the rea-

PAGE 15

sons is that the baitfish have just begun to migrate into the shallows, but not yet in great numbers. A flashing gold spoon or a white plastic jerk bait zipping across the nose of a snook will produce jolting strikes! After the baitfish become more prevalent I find artificials less effective.

With the best fishing of the year upon us, this month you have a good chance at the coveted “Backcountry Slam.” Any angler that catches a large snook, redfish and trout in the same day can be proud. Formally the words were “legal” snook, redfish and trout, however snook are protected now, as they still should be.

Capt. Chuck Eichner operates Action Flats Backcountry Charters and can be reached at: 941-628-8040 or go to his website: www.backcountry-charters.com

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16

Easy-to-catch Flounder EMAIL:

By Bobby Vitalis Water LIFE Pier Fishing Flounder are easy to catch. They are also a good eating fish too, but I catch and release. This flounder was caught at the Tom Adam's Bridge pier. I caught three flounder in one day. It was caught from low to high tide in the afternoon. You can catch flounder anywhere from the beginning, to the end of the pier. Flounder have a flat body with two eyes on the same side, with the color body brown. Their average weight most common is from 1 to 2 pounds, and they do stay close to the bottom water. The legal length in this area is from 12 inches or over.

There are two ways to catch flounder. Either go spin casting, or use bait. I like spin casting most of the time.

When spin casting, the artificial lure I am using is the D.O.A C.A.L 4" jerk bait model # 351 color (root beer/chartruse tail). The jig head I use with the jerk bait is a D.O.A C.A.L short shank 3/8oz. weight color (chartruse). Flounder, do like these colors. For those people who use bait, try using live or dead frozen shrimp. Shrimp can be used to catch many different

The Olʼ Fishin Hole

By Captain Jim O’Brien Water LIFE Offshore Hey ya-all! How about this weather, a few cold days but mostly 70 to 80 degrees.

Can't get much better than that. February has been breezy to windy. We had a few good days to get offshore and if you could get out everything was bitting.

I only got to fish one time last month and it was only for about a half day with a friend. We didn’t get much, but we was just off the beach a ways.

Most of the fish'n I will be talk'n about will be information from friends and some Captains. I will have some fish stories and pictures in next months article YOU CAN TAKE THAT TO THE BANK. I was talking to Captain Leroy Bennett and he said he has been catch'n average size trout on the West Wall using a suspending MR 17 Mirrolure in chartreuse color. He is also using a D.O.A. shrimp.

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species of fish.

There are two ways I suggest you put the hook on the shrimp, #1. put the hook through the center of the body. #2. put the hook through the fork of the tail.

The hook type I suggest you use is Owner circle hooks. I am using 30lb. test SUFIX ADVANCED SUPER line (BRAIDED), as my main line. I like using this line because I can cast very far with it.

When fishing with artificial lures, for my leader line, I am using 3 feet of 25lb. test 100% SEAGUAR FLUOROCARBON LEADER line, (which I like using). There are many ways to tie a knot to the jig, I use the clinch knot or the RAPALA knot. So, have a good time fishing.

He also told me he has been catching some big snook at the El Jobean bridge on a incoming or an outgoing tide using shad and a D.O.A. swimming mullet.

I was talking with another friend of mine offshore targeting AJ'S. He said they caught a lot of small keeper size AJ'S and threw them back and kept 2 BIG - UNS that went over 90 pounds each. Now that’s some nice a fish. They were using blue runners and large pin fish for bait.

Another friend I was talk'n to said he was catching some nice big mangrove snapper offshore when he could get out.

He also said he got into some what we call fire-truck-size red grouper and some big gag grouper. He said he put all the grouper back with a couple of tears in his eyes I told him we only have to go until APRIL 1 and we can go back and get all of em except gags, which look like they will open July 1. At least it’s nice to know the grouper are biting good.

I was talking with a back bay Capt.

Todd Gillbert he said he has been getting some big black drum up in the harbor and in some of the holes up in the harbor he has also been catching big jack cravel on medium light tackle and having a blast. He has been getting some trout off the West Wall and Captain Todd has seen some cobia cruising up in the Harbor too.

GAG GROUPER - There are some gag grouper being caught in 25 to 45 feet of water, too bad you have to let these guys go. There are some nice ones being caught offshore 30 miles out.

RED GROUPER - Are hitting real good in 80 to 100 feet of water. Good baits are frozen sardines open the gill plates up and twist off the tails, this lets more scent out. Also try mullet chunks with squid tentacles or octopus tentacles put with it. Live bait pin fish and hand picked big shrimp are also good.

MANGROVE SNAPPER AND PORGIES - are real plentiful inshore the bigger ones are offshore. The best baits are pieces of sardine and squid.

AJ'S (greater amberjack ) a.k.a. reef donkeys are still thick on just about all the offshore wrecks. If you can get out there 30 miles, March should still be good on them.

We just had our web site redone so if you go to PREATOR2CHARTERS.COM you can see the new boat, some fish pictures and a little bit about our Fishin For Heros Wounded Warrior program. If you have a good ol fish'n story or a recipe for cooking fish that we can share with our readers send it in! If you want to book a charter with us aboard the Predator II: call me at 941 - 473 -2150

AND REMEMBER GET OUT THERE AND SNORT SOME OF THAT GOOD CLEAN SALT AIR C U Z IT'S GOOD FER YA ! ! !

MARCH 2013

Red Tide

An interesting thing was recently revealed about red tide. Although the concentration of red tide may be high in parts per million, it may not have a high level effect on fish or humans. Think of red tide like a chili pepper. There is chili in every pepper but some peppers (tides) are much hotter (more toxic) than others at the same level.

This red tide concentration map was as of Feb 26

Dracula Trout are Biting Hard

MARCH 2013

By Fishin’ Frank Water LIFE Baitshop Dracula is back! Yes these fanged trout fish are biting and if you are a shrimp in a canal be afraid, be very afraid. Yes the colder water temps have moved the trout back into the warmer waters of the canals and rivers where the sun cooks the water quicker. By 10 am the trout are hungry and ready to bite.

Poppin corks will locate the schools. Once you find the smaller trout move back into the canal/creek another 200 feet and there hopefully you will find the larger fish. From what I have been hearing, the bigger trout are farther up in the water ways and they are just a little deeper, hugging the bottom closer. A TT Mirrolure is a good bet falling about a foot a second, you can time them to be about a foot off the bottom.

If you want to throw jigs, which are great for trout, try Gulps new jig head, it has a timed fall rate. The fall rate is marked on the package. The 1/4 once falls at a rate of 2 feet per second. Use a curly tail grub (white or light color) this should land you those keeper trout, which brings me to another point about fishin how to hold a fish.

Lots of thoughts about holding fish and people getting upset when they see other people holding fish in a way they think is bad. Like, is the jaw OK as a handle?

First off, let me tell you, hold the fish in a way in which you do not get hurt and do not hurt the fish if possible. Like, you should hold a cat-fish by the belly side, that is the safest way.

One thing each of us should consider is that fish, like a snook, have gills sharper than a Ginsu knife, so I hold them by the jaw.

Then again, there are the snappers with a mouth full of teeth, no way am I putting my hands in there!

Always, how ever you hold a fish, use something wet. Use your hands, a rag, gloves, if what you use to handle the fish is wet they live. Dry hands mean the fish might not make it. Dry handling a fish removes the slime coating and they get sores and infections that can kill them. How you handle a fish is different for each one, except the wet part. Here are my thoughts:

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Gary Corbett caught this 5 pound trout on the East side of Charlotte Harbor last month.

We have had a lot of big trout this year!

Holding a fish: Should you hold it supporting the belly, putting the weight of the fish horizontal? Or should you hold it by the lower jaw and let it hang? Well a lot of thoughts about that. Horizontal holding should be tempered with just a bit of reality.

I have watched 1000’s of bass fisherman holding fish by the jaw, it seems that when a fish is smaller and not huge around the belly while it is not great for them, it is not going to unhinge the jaw, and when a fish is smaller, using your hands on its belly you removed the slime coating of the fish and are making is susceptible to bacteria, sores, and a slow death.

The other side of that is when the fish is heavier and the weight of the fish is much greater. Then it’s a serious problem, the weight of the fish can then unhinge the jaw and the fish will most likely starve to death not good. Another problem of holding big snook vertically is that their insides sag down and internal organ damage can occur.

Use your judgement when handling a fish.

Do not be taken in by Eco rules which make no sense, like no stainless steel hooks.

Every study ever done has found no difference between stainless hooks and other types

of materials. Stainless does not rot or corrode so there is no poison in the blood like when a bronze or cadmium hook rot out, which can lead to blood poisoning. If stainless killed, every kid in the mall would be dead.

Tarpon fishermen break off lines while the fish is in the water and the hook is in the Tarpons Jaw and here we are talking about 50 to 60 pound of jerking to break that line.

No one is complaining about that, Why? Because no Eco nut thought to tell you it was bad.

We all do things which are not great, the truth usually lies between the far ends of the spectrum so let’s just use our best judgement.

Let’s talk to each other and not point fingers because someone did not get the latest Ecomemo about going to hell for ignoring some do-gooder idea. We pull a fish to us by its jaw with a hook really there is no 100-percent good way to do this! So yes, we are working to be better, but we are all still guessing and trying to keep what we love (fishing) alive and keep the fish from as much harm as possible, S.W. Fla. Be safe have fun and be nicer to each other.

Frank cane be reached at: 625 3888 or at:Frank@FishinFranks.com

PAGE 17

Fishing on the Rise

The year 2011 saw an increase in the number of hunters and anglers for the first time in recent history.

The Congressional Sportsmenʼs Foundation (CSF) recently produced their 2013 Sportsmenʼs Economic Impact Report on the number of hunters and anglers in the United Sates and the economic impact they have on our nationʼs economy. The data for the report was compiled from the 2011 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Serviceʼs National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife Associated Recreation.

The report found hunters and anglers contributed $90 billion to the U.S. economy in a period of one of the greatest economic depressions in American history. That equates to around $2,407 spent per hunter and angler more than the global sales of Appleʼs iPhone and iPad. In 2011, 37.4 million Americans over the age of 16 spent time afield hunting or on Americaʼs waters fishing. Angling is on the rise, according to the report, in 2011 33.1 million Americans over the age of 15 fished.

If you add in the younger anglers from the ages of 6 to 15, another 8.5 million, the total grows to 41.6 million people. The over-15 number shows an increase of 11% since the last survey was compiled just five years ago.

Fishing contributed $61.7 billion to the United States economy in 2011.

More notable fishing details were laid out as well, including: In 2011, Americaʼs anglers spent $1.5 billion on bait, $142 million on tackle boxes, $2.37 billion on rods and reels, $593 million on lines and leaders, $628 million on hooks and sinkers, and $1.17 billion on artificial lures.

The 2011 trip-related expenditures of $21.8 billion spent by anglers equates to more than the combined revenues for all major professional sports leagues the MLB, NHL, NBA, and the NFL for the same year.

Americaʼs anglers support 828,133 jobs across the United States, considerably more than 761,000 employed by McDonaldʼs nationally.

Americaʼs fishermen and women also paid $8.2 billion dollars in federal taxes in 2011.

Roughly 13.7 million people over the age of 16 hunted in the United States in 2011, an increase of 9% overall since 2006. Hunters across America spent $38.3 billion in 2011.

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18

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Real Estate News

MARCH 2013

Provided to Water LIFE BY: Dave Hofer RE/MAX Harbor Realty (941) 575-3777 dhofer@remax.net www.harborparadise.com

Recent area news items:

1. Sarasota County offered to buy out North Port's half of the ill fated Warm Mineral Springs partnership. The $2 million offer was sneered at by North Port's City Council. Acceptance of this offer would have signaled a loss of more than $700k by the City. Hello? The prior owners went bankrupt when this "flapper era" spa lost its relevance. Operating losses appear to be buried in the city's budget so no one seems to know how much more tax dollars will be lost before they pull the plug.

One of the alternatives being kicked around is a public/private partnership with a developer to create a "health resort". Mayor Linda Yates was quoted as stating "I am not interested in getting any constituents in the business of business"... oh Ms. Yates, where were you in 2010 when the then council members voted to jump into this mess? If ever there was a reason to hold council members accountable for their "investment" decisions rather than just letting them get voted out of office, this was it.

The grouper sandwich at the new Tortuga始s Seafood Restaurant in Towles Plaza at Punta Gorda was fresh, real grouper, and perfectly prepared. It came with broasted potato slices too!

2. Syd Kitson has restarted his development activities at Babcock Ranch. Now in the engineering phase, groundbreaking could start next year. This huge new residential/commercial development has been awaiting the end of the housing recession. Could this be a clue?

3. Case-Shiller reports that sale prices increased 5.5% over last year in 20 of its major markets.

4. New foreclosure filings in Charlotte County totalled 181 in January vs. 140 in December and 170 in January, 2012.

Sarasota County saw 356 filings vs. 398 last year.

5. Punta Gorda city council is still looking for justification for spending $28 mil for construction of a new reverse osmosis facility.

6. Another portion of Punta Gorda's "ring around the city" was completed with a beautiful lighted walkway between Fisherman's Village and Shreve Street.

The PGI Civic Association's monthly Commentator is now on line.

In Other News: Cheney Brothers is building its access road to its 35 acre 250,000 warehouse facility that should open sometime next year. Tortuga始s Seafood Restaurant just opened in Towles Plaza, Punta Gorda (2705 Tamiami Trail).

Early guests are raving about it!

Sales Statistics: Lot inventories continue to decline at a 20% annual rate while prices have stabilized at 1/3 above last year's distressed levels. Foreclosure and short sales in the Port Charlotte/North Port market continue to decline. Homes in the PGI & BSI markets are starting to attract more realistic price levels.

MARCH 2013

WATERLIFEMAGAZINE.COM

PAGE 19

Fedʼs Stand Tough Against State Fishery Managment

Water LIFE staff Report In Louisiana, Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Secretary Robert Barham issued the following statement (last month) in regard to a failed motion by the Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council’s Reef Fish Committee to move forward with regional management of red snapper in Louisiana.

“Yet again, the Gulf Council refuses to work with Louisiana toward a more flexible management of our recreational fishery. In a final effort to save the 2013 red snapper recreational season with compatible regulations, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife of Fisheries offered a common sense approach to the Gulf Council to modify the 2013 season and allow anglers more opportunities to recreationally fish for red snapper. Our attempts at a favorable outcome failed.

“We have said time and again that there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach that will work for the entire Gulf Coast when it comes to recreational fishing, which is why we proposed state-by-state or regional management.

“The approach of the Gulf Council is outdated and stagnant. Louisiana believes that no one cares more about or can better manage our resources than our department. The unwillingness of the Gulf Council to work with us on these matters has left me, my staff and the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commissioners no

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choice but to move forward with state regulations that will directly contradict those of our federal counterparts. We remain open to further discussion with any and all interested parties.”

In late February, in a major policy shift, the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council approved an emergency rule giving the National Marine Fisheries Service Regional Director greater power to deal with states that chose not to comply with federal regulations in their state water. The emergency measure allows NMFS Regional Director Roy Crabtree to close red snapper season entirely in Federal water off any state water where state marine resources officials have chosen not to follow federal daily bag limits and/or season dates.

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PAGE

20

Dry Paddle

By David Allen Water LIFE Kayaking Some paddles turn out better than others. Regardless of how much planning goes into the operation, the God’s of Kayaking say “Not this time”.

That was the case last week when Joe Wiellette and Terry LaFortune planned a great paddle and party, launching from their home in western Charlotte County.

Joe and Terry have a beautiful property on several wooded acres and, best of all, they have access to the Myakka through about 1 mile of open channel, which includes a quarter mile section of mangrove tunnel

called the “Tunnel of Love.” All in all, a perfect spot for a fun paddle. And as an added treat, Joe added a scavenger hunt to the paddle, with three bottles of champagne hidden somewhere along the water-

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KAYAKS

way. Joe is an inspired and accomplished chef and has, in the past, invited the club to several wonderful parties at his home.

We were hoping for a repeat performance.

Sunday morning dawned bright, a little cool, but overall a great day for a paddle.

The tide chart for the Myakka at El Jobean showed an average amount of water in the channel, certainly enough to paddle through to the Myakka. What we didn’t count on was a very strong west wind blowing all the water out of the channel and actually, out of the upper Myakka too.

The kayak launch area on the edge of the property, normally a grassy put-in, was a mud flat; messy, but firm enough to launch the kayaks reasonably well. Joe and four other paddlers headed out on the flats and into the water. The rest of us wimps stayed back at the house.

Two hours later we heard the report from the returning paddlers. After the first quarter mile, the water became so shallow that the paddlers had to get out of their kayaks and drag them over the muddy sections. And the mangrove section was no better…. still too shallow to paddle.

After about 45 minutes of paddle/drag the group reached the Eisenhower Bridge

and somewhat deeper water. But as they approached the Myakka they saw that the planned route up river was just not possible. Mud flats as far as the eye could see; it was impossible to reach channel.

Always resourceful, the group worked their way through a fairly deep bay to the north, and finally reached the Cheshire Waterway. The Cheshire is a dredged

MARCH 2013

channel with reasonably deep water that runs all the way to Chancellor Ave., so they paddled north in the only deep water they could find.

When they returned to Joe’s place after about two hours, we all heard the “War Stories” about the difficult paddle. Jim Mc Kenzie, one of our stronger paddlers said, “I had to drag the “d…..” kayak for a half mile. Nobody was too happy. And to add to the misery, the low water had prevented Joe from hiding the three bottles of champagne.

But the luncheon made up for all of the trials and tribulations of the paddle. We talked about paddling and other things for an hour or so and then loaded the kayaks for the trip home.

Even a “Dry Paddle” can be rewarding when coupled with good friends and good food.

The Port Charlotte Kayakers meet each Wednesday evening at Franz Ross Park off Quesada Ave. at 5 PM. All are welcome to at tend. For more information call Dave Allen at 941 235 2588 or email to dlaa@comcast.net

MARCH 2013

WATERLIFEMAGAZINE.COM

SCUTTLEBUTT

PAGE 21

Sometimes Unsubstanciated, But Often True BEER WARS Miller supports the PTTS Tarpon Tournament and now Budweiser is throwing in with the Save the Tarpon movement. Alcohol just doesnʼt seem to be whatʼs missing in this debate over how tarpon are to be fished, handled and released at Boca Grande.

RUMORS More phosphate dumping near Tampa is related to the Red Tide.

SMARTBAITS brand hard baits in jerk, crank and vibrating styles, 33 soft baits in a variety of worms, grubs and swimming baits, all in 15 popular color-changing designs and patterns. Also glow-in-the-dark baits that last for eight hours and are reusable again and again. The baits are activated by water temperature, changing color from light to dark when moving from warm shallow water to cold deep water.

URBAN LEGEND According to The Tampa Bay Times, a Florida FWC crew and local sheriffʼs deputies had to rescue an 8-foot adult alligator that was emerg-

ing from a storm drain in Seminole, Florida. The gator had attempted to exit the sewer before getting stuck in the roadside gutter. The sight of its snout snapping at the air attracted the attention of bystanders, who promptly notified the Pinellas County Sheriffʼs Office. A trapper from the FWC assisted deputies and a few brave bystanders in hauling the alligator out of a manhole

OPEN TO ALL Kentuckyʼs Carp Madness Tournament, hosted by Kentuckyʼs Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, will be open for the first time to commercial anglers to spread awareness of the growing population of Asian carp in

the state. It is believed to be the first freshwater tournament for commercial anglers in the country. Commercial methods are seen as the most effective way to try and control Asian carp.

MORE GATOR BITS An officer received a call regarding an alligator with a possible human arm in its mouth. A womanʼs son showed his mother a photograph from his cell phone of an alligator with a human arm in its mouth. The woman contacted the Palm Beach County Sheriffʼs Office. They conducted a thorough search of property and adjacent areas, but were not able to locate an alligator.

SNAP (State Nuisance Alligator Program) was called and a trapper was dispatched to the pond. In the mean time the officer looked on the internet and located the same photo from a 2007 alligator attack in South Carolina. The boyʼs mother was made aware of the situation, the boy wrote a letter of apology to the FWC. We note: His friends are still laughing.

FWC IS RELEASING THREE TAGGED PYTHONS back into the wild to point out snake-gathering areas where there might be breeding females. The thought of let-

ting the largest pythons of the group run amok may concern some, but FWC assured the public that the snakes are being tracked by GPS wherever they go.

What could possibly go wrong?

FWC OFFICER OBSERVED a vehicle stop and then spin out, creating ruts in the clay road. (editor notes: OMG!) He turned around and caught up to the vehi-

cle. He conducted a traffic stop and observed unusual movement in the cab of the vehicle. When the officer approached the vehicle, he observed the man he saw driving just moments earlier now sitting in the back AWESOME AMBUSH: HMS Ambush, the Royal Navy's newest seat and a woman nuclear attack submarine, is one of the most sophisticated and sitting in a puddle powerful vessels of her type ever built. The giant Astute-class of ice and liquid in sub, which was launched last month, is so hi-tech she doesn't the driver seat. even need a periscope. Ambush is believed to be the world's When asked why most powerful nuclear attack submarine. Her huge weapons payload includes 38 super-accurate Tomahawk cruise missiles he was in the and numerous Spearfish torpedoes for fighting other vessels. back seat, the She cost around $1.5 billion to build, has sonar so sensitive it man answered can hear other vessels 3,000 miles away that he had just jumped back a disabled VMS. Officers responded to there. The officer detected obvious indicators of impairment in both subjects. He their area and caught them fishing illegally. They each were cited for possessdetermined that the woman knocked over ing, moving, harvesting, taking, two mixed drinks in the driver seat as she damaging, disturbing, otherwise injuring slid over the console to get behind the any fish or attempting any of these activiwheel. The man admitted to driving deties inside the FKNMS Ecological Respite the fact that he has not had a driver serve. They also were cited for removing license in 20 years.

664 yellowtail snapper. In total, 1,330 misdemeanor counts were charged. Both DUMBASS A Ft. Pierce man allegedly subjects also were cited for anchoring in approached a manatee calf in St. Lucie the reserve and failure to remain in conCounty in January. Investigators received tinuous transit. They were charged with a tip from a citizen regarding pictures that federal fisheries violations involving tamthe man had posted on Facebook. The pering with a VMS and failure to use cirpictures showed him and two young chilcle hooks while harvesting Gulf reef fish. dren petting a manatee calf. They also It took officers over 12 hours to escort the show the man lifting the calf partially out vessel back to port in Key West. of the water. One image even shows a child sitting on top of the manatee. The NOFAST GO FAST A large “go-fast” State Attorney agreed with the charges boat grounded itself 250 feet into the filed by FWC Investigators, and subsemangroves at Pennykamp State Park. quently issued a warrant for the subjectʼs The operator was knocked unconscious arrest. And this guy was from Florida? and spent the night in his vessel. The officer issued the operator several boating 664 MISDEMEANOR VIOLATIONS were citations, and the DEP will complete a biissued to the captain and mate of the ological damage assessment of the site commercial fishing vessel "Candelaria," so they can send him the bill.

Officers observed the vessel on Vessel How long before the first seagrass prop Monitor System stationary inside the scar fine in the Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Preserve?

(FKNMS) North Ecological Reserve with

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Charlotte Harbor:

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F F o o r r e e c c a a s s t t

nice AJs out there now.

Moving along the beaches the pompano It’s surprising how many sheepshead are moving back in as the red tide filters you will find on the reefs right now. Squid out. Fish for pompano using banana jigs or Frank, at Fishin' Franks seems to work good. Cut the silly jigs ... whatever you Port Charlotte: 625-3888 squid wings where you get want to call them. Try using In the land of weird, a 5 or-6 foot tiger the little fatty chunk in a a sinker and getting the shark was caught in the Gulf by one of my pompano to bite closer to customers at the end of last month. Go fig- half-inch chunk. Most everybody use too big a piece of the bottom. That will also ure! bait so they only get the bite give you a chance for whitThe big thing out there right now is lane and not the fish. ing and flounder. There is snapper. You have to go out 15-plus miles.

There are some cobia flounder at a castable disThere are some at the near shore reefs but being reported and we are tance from the beach right the better ones are out further. Same with getting some sharks moving now. You probably want to snapper and grunts, some at Trembly and in and out.

As long as I’ve tip a piece of shrimp on the Novak reefs, but better ones are at the Boxpompano jig. The secret is Cars. Lots of scamp grouper now, closer been at the store I’ve never seen tarpon this early.

Now to cut the shrimp with a Rig a half blue crab for bait in to shore and big sheepshead and goliath and hold on everybody is watching for knife, that way it doesn’t grouper. Gag grouper (closed season) is the big schools figuring they get so mushy.

You want to really doing well ... of course! The amberslide your bait along the bottom; slowly jack are moving back in and there are some will be 3 to 6 miles out. Who knows? pull the tip back, let it sit, hop and jig it, stop and slide, then repeat. You are hoping Some Anglers Are Wired you get their attention and they will chase it as it slides along. Visualize it.

Coming in towards Bull and Turtle Bays, I’ve heard nice redfish stories but not much on flounder inshore. Maybe it’s the red tide. There has been decent trout fishing by the bays and closer to Cape Haze there have been smaller sharks, pompano.

If there are any flounder they have been inside the east side of the Cape Haze Bar, keeping their distance from the inlet and the red tide.

At Jug Creek and Two Pine there are also nice pompano and big snook on the outside of the bars. Watch for big cobia down there too.

Along the West Wall the first one to the Fishing with a Go-pro camera on his head (left) or iPod earphones around his neck (right) mouth of the creek catches a redfish, most doesnʼt seem to be keeping these anglers from catching quality Charlotte Harbor fish. are slot fish and you have to hope no one

MARCH 2013

Trenton Neel, age 2 1/2. He absolutely loves fishing! He also loves reading your magazine as well. Keep up the good work guys!

– Kristie Klawon

has been in there for a while. One and done.

Right now you are going to want shrimp for redfish bait. You are also going to want whitebait, you are going to want cut bait.

This is the time shrimp should rule the world but crushed blue crab is really doing well. There is just no telling, it’s all changing, you have to have it all and experiment.

Up around the 41 bridge there are nice whiting, trout and some good snook.

At ElJo; trout, a couple of sheepshead and still a lot of snook at night.

The East side of the Harbor is a mixed bag too. Pompano, redfish, snook and bonnet sharks all seem to be hanging out just inside or just outside the bar.

continued facing page

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MARCH 2013

WATERLIFEMAGAZINE.COM

The The BIG-4 BIG-4

REDFISH At the creek mouths on an outgoing tide

Fish h to to expect e pect in in

LANE SNAPPER on the outside offshore reefs

The Exude sinking minnow is really pretty heavy because they have salt injected into A lot of jack crevalle are them. A top water Skitter Walk around. We are hearing about Placida, March 16 or Super Spook jr would work, tackle wrecking wolfpacks of but the problem now is, there jacks. Florida is the only pace is a lot of floating grass around. they don’t eat jacks. The smaller ones are There are a lot of snook around. Swimthe ones you want. Prepare it like tuna ming baits - 2 - to 3-inches and suspending fish. From the near Gulf to up the 41 lures are hot on snook now. The Mirrodine, bridges the marauding jacks are attacking Rapalla X-wrap or the 3D Minnow are all anything you throw at them. getting snook. Lots of guys are having Freshwater is on fire too! The back of good luck with the little baits.

South Gulf Cove, the Hillsboro, pick a Small tarpon have been around the canal and throw something green. Bass creeks, and a lot of ladyfish. In freshwater are gulping shiners like they are going out fishing, bass are on the beds or coming off of style. A shiner and a bobber, or a green them. Guys are doing well with a worm or worm and you are catching bass. something green. Bluegill, crappie; a variety of little stuff are biting.

Fishing is good offshore too. There are a Jim, at Fishermen’s Edge lot of grouper around, you have to walk Englewood: 697-7595 away from them there are so many. There Lots of guys are having good luck in the are little tunny and Spanish mackerel back country. Today I saw the biggest trout showing up 5 miles to 10 miles out. There in a while, a 28-inchers in Turtle Bay. Over are big flounder around the Big Pass, pomin Lemon Bay, north of the bridge, there are pano around the Tom Adams Bridge. some big trout too. I think they might have Sheepshead are crazy offshore; 18- to 20been laying in deep water or out in the Gulf. inches is big for a sheephead. The fillets Redfish has been good too. Quite a few from those fish are really nice. I’ve seen guys are catching a lot of redfish, fishing porgys and grunts from offshore too. with shrimp or little Johns. Try the Exude If you can’t catch a fish right now, Darts, any of plugs or stick baits like a Dobowling might be more for you.

Nothing Lure that you can cast a long way.

Lemon Bay:

Guide Card spot available $40/month call 941-766-8180

March March

TROUT On the grass flats and around the potholes

JACK CREVALLE Wolfpacks cruising the shallows

PAGE 23

Gulf Temp Tem in the low 70s 70

Eve Pacia of upstate New York gets the catch of the day, last month, with this big Snook caught Feb 19th with local Capt. Fred Vandenbroeck of Backdraft Charters.

ATTENTION RECREATIONAL & COMMERCIAL OFFSHORE FISHERMAN

NOAA Fisheries and Florida Sea Grant will be conducting workshops to provide information regarding the federal regulations which pertain to offshore recreational and commercial regulations.

The workshops will not be public hearings to discuss proposed new regulations, but will be an informative public program aimed at clarification of existing offshore regulations for individuals who are fishing in state and federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Information will be provided regarding license and permit requirements, seasons, required equipment, and length and bag limits.

Workshops: All Workshops 6:00 to10:00 PM. Locally, the workshop is Thursday March 14, Sea Grant Office (Charlotte Co. Environmental Campus) 25550 Harbor View Rd. Port Charlotte, ( 941 764-4346) Friday March 15, Rookery Bay NERR 300 Tower Rd Naples

www.fishingpuntagorda.com

FISHING S RIGHT NOW:

Good all over

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MARCH 2013