Water LI FE
Charlotte Harbor, Lemon Bay, Venice, Estero, 10,000 Islands and the Gulf
The Charlotte Harbor Reef Association
March 2018
FISH PIX! from Water LIFE magazine
This amberjack messed with the wrong Marine! Dan Foley
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Just got this 20-pound black on Friday Jason Bihari
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the upper Harbor, being pounded by tarpon. Any grass flat with a can of cat food, would produce I am just a simple man. I started fishing with my several schools of white bait, for the taking. grandfather in Florida, with a cane pole, 10 feet of YOUR HARBOR had large schools of jacks, ladacron line, and, a small hook. A jar of little silver dyfish, trout, and it was not uncommon to get large bait fish, was the bait, used from the local tackle nurse sharks, sea bass, or large grouper around store. rock piles in YOUR HARBOR. Eagle rays, horseI would catch shoe crabs and jacks, ladyfish, or cow rays were even a big catfish. everywhere. These were the No longer in days before spinning YOUR HARBOR, reels, braid line, fludo I see these orocarbon leader, things. What is the fish finders, GPS's, cause of the dePower Poles, 26cline of the fishery foot bay boats, 300 in YOUR HARhp engines, just to BOR? I am a simmention a few. ple man. It could I said that one be me, but I am day, I would return pretty much a to Florida and fish catch and release like my grandparfisherman, I do not ents did. After gradMartha and Rose got married this am take more bait uation from high FISH PIX! and then went fishing with Capt Lou. then needed and I school, 4.5 years in This was my wedding present to them. release bait not the U.S. Coast used on a near by grass flat. I do not have an anGuard, graduation from USF (University of San swer to the problem, for I am a simple man. I have Francisco) and 30 plus years in the Fire Service, I attended meetings over the past several years and got the chance to retire, and move to Florida. have been told that YOUR HARBOR has a great Being a simple man, I purchased a small condo fishery, but still, in Burnt Store Marina and a 2020 Action Flat skiff. YOUR HARBOR continues to decline. YOUR HARBOR had large schools of redfish in Hopefully, the users of YOUR HARBOR will get the fall, pushing water up and down the bars on their act together and start taking a hard look at both side of the Harbor. Hook, and release of what is happening to YOUR HARBOR and start snook was no big deal. In the summer time, large addressing the problems. Capt. Fred schools of threadfins, and menhaden would be in from Water LIFE magazine
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Photography: ASA1000.com Senior Editor: Capt. Ron Blago Baitshop: Fishinʼ Frank Peace River: Capt. David Stephens Punta Gorda: Capt. Chuck Eichner Venice: Glen Ballinger Estero: Capt. Joe Angius Everglades City: Capt. Charlie Phillips Kayaking: Bob Fraser Sea Grant: Capt. Betty Staugler Beach Fishing: Mallory Herzog Pier Fishing: Bobby Vitalis Diving: Adam Wilson Office Dog: position open
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Is Allegiantʼs Sunseeker Going to be a Flip? MARCH 2018
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condo’s $600,000 to $1million sale price before the particular unit is completed. As units are finished and For a while I thought they weren’t going to do anyBy Michael Heller sold, Allegiant said it hoped to use that income to fiWater LIFE editor thing, but now, if they really are going to build a resort, nance further construction. That’s a lot of ‘hopes.’ By the time you read this we’ll be back from cleaning up would be the first step for that. The man When I was building, we called that operating on Sayulita Mexico, where our daughter Alison was just driving the track-hoe said he was clearing ‘everything,’ OPM, or Other People’s Money. “Our cash investment married. Sayulita is an old fishing village, up Mexico’s motioning broadly across the whole area with his arms will never be more than something around the cost of west coast, north of Puerto Vallarta. In recent years, extended. That got my attention, since Sunseeker had one airplane,” Redmond has said. Sayulita has reinvented itself as an off the beaten track said they were keeping the old Portofino’s Restaurant Three years ago Allegiant’s 30-percent profit martourism destination. There are still fishing skiffs along and even showed it incorporated into their renderings. gins were among the best in the the beach and sleepy loindustry worldwide, however in cals, but the town, its 2016, spooked by the big airlovely hotels and Plaza lines and their efforts to combat are welcoming touristas. ultra-low-cost carriers, investors We have a similar sitcut 29-percent off Allegiant’s uation developing in our share price. So Allegiant has an area here. Across the escape plan. river from Punta Gorda, Redmond told Bloomberg but retaining a Punta “The absolute worst downside Gorda address, Allegiant for the project would be to sell Airlines has bought up a the property,” Redmond is a fornumber of parcels conmer executive at MGM Resorts tiguous to the riverfront International and Caesars World The old homeless camp off Pinion Street has been exposed and cleaned out (left). The building that was Portofinos and has said they will Restaurant (right) is being demolished, but is all this just to make the new parcel more presentable for sale? Inc. who joined Las Vegas-based build a high rise condo Allegiant in September 2016. complex with nine buildings, a marina, restaurants and Now apparently things have changed. This property Redmond knows how to put a deal together. “The land a 1000 foot long swimming pool. Last month they exwill take a lot of dollars to bring it up to FEMA’s flood is worth a hell of a lot more aggregated up as a 22panded their initial rendering to show their project now specs, so I’m thinking ‘flip’ not a condo development, acre parcel, and flipping it to some other developer, also on the other side of US-41. The renderings they but I could be wrong. Here’s why I say ‘flip.’ than it was as 20 separate parcels not on the market.” have presented are truly spectacular. In an August 2017 Bloomberg News article in ForThat’s what Redmond said. Sunseeker is a lot like Sayulita, in that they are both tune magazine, Allegiant President John Redmond said So I think this is going to be a flip. If I’m wrong I’ll betting on tourism. And like Sayulita, which is workAllegiant spent $35 million to acquire 20 parcels from be the first one to say so, and I hope I’m wrong, but ing hard at maintaining its charm and cleaning up its 15 owners to “stitch together its development site.” I’ll have to see some plans and some concrete rising environment, Sunseeker is now working to demolish Redmond said they will fund the project “with pre-sale out of the ground, before I change my mind. some of its newly aquired properties and clean up. deposits,” hopeing to collect roughly 30-percent of a
We’re Talking Spring PAGE
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By Capt. David Stephens Water LIFE Charlotte Harbor We had one of the coldest January’s in a long time and the first week of February was cold as well. I’m not exactly sure how the ground hog thing goes, but in Florida, it went in the right direction! The past couple weeks have catapulted Southwest Florida into spring. The life I have seen in the Harbor the past few days has been great. The water temperatures have been steadily increasing, making the fish much more active. Schools of glass minnows have been all over the Harbor. This has rung the dinner bell for large schools of lady fish and jacks. If this is a sign of what is to come, we should have a great spring. With such a great buffet, other migratory fish should start making their way into the Harbor now – fish such as Spanish mackerel. These guys are often over looked as game fish, however in my opinion, they are a great fighting fish and great table fare. During the spring, birds are the best way to locate mackerel feeding. As they make their way south, any school of bait will be on the menu.
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Terns and seagulls will surely be around, picking up the pieces of any feeding frenzy taking place. Most of our fish that migrated to the deeper water to stay warm are now finding their way back to the flats. On my recent charters we have been catching some nice sea trout on the flats. I try to focus on broken bottom, areas that have a mix of grass and sand. If the wind is down, drifting can be very effective, but if those spring winds are blowing, you might have to work a little harder to locate fish. On the lower tides, the outside of the sand bars will normally hold plenty of fish. It’s pretty hard not to talk about snook, during the spring. By far one of our most sought after game fish, snook, will be waking up from their winter slumber this month. For the past couple months these guys have been laying low, waiting for the warmer weather. They should be hungry now. Out of all the game fish that call Charlotte Harbor home, snook are the most vulnerable to cold weather, so it’s still a safe bet to look for feeding snook close to deeper water where it’s warmer. Flats that are close to creek mouths will also be holding good numbers of fish soon. The endless miles of residential canals are another
great place to look, this time of year. As spring continues to make its way to southwest Florida, our snook will continue to make their way to the flats. If you would like to experience some of Charlotte Harbor’s finest fishing, give us a call or send an email. All of our charters are private and customized to fit your party’s needs. Capt. Dave Stephens, 941-916-5769 capt.dstephens@comcast.net. www.backbayxtremes.com
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County Set to Spend $160,000 on Questionable ʻImprovementsʼ Ainger Creek Boat Ramp
By Capt. Ron Blago Water LIFE Senior Staff A friend and I were reminiscing recently about old Englewood, and it brought back memories about great places of long ago. I remember great hamburgers at Barnacle Bills when it was at the beach; or the Sunday breakfast buffet at the Cajun Club. I'm big on food. Remember the King of Bait tackle shop on Ainger Creek off of Placida Road ? That became Kevin's Place Bait and Tackle which is now the site of the county's Ainger Creek boat ramp. I will confess that I was one of the people that persuaded the county into buying the property and several adjacent parcels that now make up the Ainger Creek Park. I had suggested that they just put shell on the lot and let people park where they want. To me a boat ramp is just a parking lot, but to the county it's a Park and it had to look like a park. So they paved it, put in water retention areas (which took away space for much needed parking), replaced a seawall, landscaped the park and put in a pay-to-park station. By the time they finished, I had estimated that they had
spent about $68,000 per parking spot, and that was just the construction cost. The lot contains about 20 spaces. Recently, the Charlotte County Parks and Natural Resources Department submitted a request for $160,000 to repair and upgrade existing boat docks at Ainger Creek. For those unfamiliar with the park, there are four small docks, each about 15 ft long and about three foot wide. Just about two years ago the county replaced the wood decking on these docks with the more long-lasting
plastic decking; and all the pilings still look good. The fact is, these docks are seldom used; they were left over from the old Kevin's Place days, when they were rented out to people who wanted to leave their boats in the water. If these docks were removed, I don't think anyone would notice. The request for funds indicates they want to spend $100,000 for construction costs and $60,000 for materials. That seems to be way out of line to me, especially for something that's pretty much useless. I just rebuilt my own dock for about $900 but I used my own money and did the work myself. I guess it's a lot easier to spend tax payer’s money than your own. If the County is hell bent on spending that money, here are a few suggestions that would really improve boating access. How about putting in a real restroom? We were promised one in the original plans. The old Kevin's Place had a restroom as well as the three other houses on the property. The county bulldozed them all down and built over them. They left the boaters with a portajohn with a broken door. And how about putting in a fish cleaning table? There used to be one
MARCH 2018
there; but the county removed it. If the county wanted to be ambitious they could even widen the existing ramp; maybe even put in another ramp next to the present ramp that would really speed thing up on the weekend.
And they could also fix the entrance to the park, so that people's trailers wouldn't bottom out on the concrete as they try to get on Placida Road. If they really wanted to help the taxpayers, they could get rid of the parking fees and not spend our money on foolish things. captronb@juno.com
MARCH 2018
Kung-Fu Fishing
OFFSHORE STYLE
By Capt. Chuck Eichner Water LIFE Offshore Every day on the water is a different adventure. This was definitely the case on a recent offshore trip that was the “maiden voyage” for my friend’s new 34-foot Yellowfin. Coolers were packed with frozen bait to target red grouper and anticipation was high as we motored out of the canal. In the dark, the water churned around
us and fish were running into the boat. Mickey threw a heavy cast net and we had trapped 30 mullet between 10-15 inches! A great start and offshore we went to sabiki some more bait. By 8:00 am we were in 100 feet and things could not be better. Perfect baits, lots of fish-arches on the meter and three
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hours later ... no grouper in the box. Plan B was to go to a snapper spot and sure enough we marked a school, dropped a buoy marker and went and set the anchor. By the time the anchor grabbed we were 50-yards away from the marker and
no one was raising a hand to pull the anchor back in. Normally, if you are not right on the fish, then you don’t catch fish, offshore! Today was different. Two chum blocks in the water and we are dicing and slicing frozen bait and in 15 minutes a school of amberjack take residence under the boat. Literally, these fish from 20- to 40-pounds camped out waiting for us to reel up a snapper. The most logical thing to do next was to have a little fun catch and release fishing with these back breaker fish. We dropped their favorite food into the water, bluerunners... and nothing! Pinfish... nothing! Then, the Fish Gods shined on
us as a lively mullet dropped over had 10 amberjack at a time chasing it. Instantly, Mickey, Mike and Manny had rods doubled over, drags a burning and I watched the skunk come off the new boat! Quick photos and perfect live releases followed as they begged for the ol’ captain to hook up. I dropped a mullet in the water and hooked and lost two 30 pounders, finally landing one and that was enough for me. We were all out of breath and complaining of aching muscles. The next challenge was snapper. We
all dropped small jigs with meat and Manny was quick to put a 14-inch yellowtail in the boat. Then we all began hooking yellowtails, which apparently the amberjack loved, because we could not reel them in fast enough without getting eaten. Frustrating for sure, until the BIG yellowtails showed up. They were too big for the AJ-s to eat and Manny had the hot stick. When that first 7-pound yellowtail came over the gunnel there were lots of
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high-fives! We all agreed it was the biggest yellowtail we had ever seen. The next two hours fishing was amazing. We all hooked monster yellowtails but they would straighten hooks or break our lines. Imagine that!
But Manny had the hot stick and just the right amount of backbone to horse them in. He got the big bites and filled the cooler with behemoth Flags as they call them when they get that big. Add to that a 5 pound mangrove snapper also blessed Manny’s line! With a cooler full of yellowtail, we went back to hunting grouper but with no success. On the last drop Mickey connected with an odd fighting fish and when he swung it overboard an octopus hit the deck! What a maiden voyage for a new boat! It doesn’t usually turn out this way.
Capt. Chuck Eichner operates Action Flats Backcountry Charters He can be reached at 941-628-8040
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MARCH 2018
Estero Bay: March Madness MARCH 2018
By Capt. Joe Angius Water LIFE Estero Season is in full swing and they’re here just in time for the amazing Southwest Florida weather. Last month our area experienced very consistent weather patterns with only a handful of real windy days. For anglers, this means that the average water temperature has increased and there is clear water filling Estero Bay coming in from the Gulf of Mexico. These conditions are known for bringing a lot of large bait toward the beaches and shallow grass flats, which ultimately attracts big gamefish to these same bodies of water. Redfish, trout, and snook are three common inshore species targeted this month, but tripletail, cobia, and tarpon are on the forefront of my mind. Aggressive gamefish such as these are in complete ‘feedmode’ and are opportunistic hunters. But being in the right place at the right time is only part of the equation, whereas having the proper bait for these fish defines the line of a successful or skunked day on the water. During peak season, especially on the weekends, it is so important to be out on
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the water early enough to beat the crowds and net bait. On a typical morning I’ll set aside enough time, two hours or so, to cast-net bait in at least three spots. I’ll target either a bridge, grass flat, or nearshore wreck when searching for bait. This month I’ll be wanting pilchards, threadfin herring, and pinfish/grunts. If you’re searching for bait on the grass flats, I recommend anchoring up in a location with activity (i.e. birds diving, mullet jumping, stingrays swimming,
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etc.) and patiently chumming. Allow the bait to come to you without putting any pressure on them. Once you net these baits, fishing them live will be the most productive method. As the fish become lethargic, later in the day, and are slowly prowling mangrove or oyster shorelines I find it best to use cut-bait. Do not be afraid to use cut-bait in the backwaters. Many of my clients will say “cut-bait or dead bait will only catch me catfish.” Though this statement does speak some truth, I will comment back with, “the cut or dead bait you are using is not big enough!” When I’m pitching cut bait under mangroves or on oysters, I’ll start by tying a 3/0 or 4/0 Owner circle hook to a three-foot 40pound fluorocarbon leader. I will then cut the tail off of any of the baits I mentioned, leaving the head and body of a 4- or 5inch piece of cut-bait. The tactic here is to attract smaller baitfish and catfish. What tends to happen is the small fish and catfish begin to try and pick-up the bait, but fail because the bait is too large. They will continue to try and eat it constantly creating a disturbance in the water that attracts gamefish to investigate the situation.
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Once these large gamefish find the cut-bait and see the other fish are unable to eat it, they take advantage of this opportunity. I have watched this happen again and again. Hopefully this small tip will help lead you to a successful day of backwater fishing. Estero Bay is a unique fishery and has rules and regulations implemented for the safety of water enthusiasts and the surrounding wildlife. Please use caution while navigating the waters, especially since the volume of boat traffic will increase this month with spring breakers and sold out boat rentals. New to our area are several Critical Wildlife Area in-water markers, with three of them pertaining to Estero Bay waterways. They are located at Matanzas Pass Island, Big Carlos Pass, and Coconut Point East. These are year-round closures. Vessels and fishing are prohibited within the posted areas. Be mindful of these new markers, which are there to protect bird rookeries, specifically. Respecting these undisturbed areas will allow the birds to flourish and make Estero Bay and Fort Myers Beach even more desirable.
Captain Joe Angius (727)-234-3171 Speak Easy Fishing Charters www.speakeasyfishing.com
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Readerʼs Photos
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MARCH 2018
f r o m Wa t e r L I F E m a g a z i n e
Christian Fec, Alex Fec and Paul Fec with a 48-inch barracuda, out of Stump Pass
Greyson Hazeltine, tilapia
Fish Shoot Out Winner!
I donʼt get a chance to go out much with him, but had an amazing day of fishing yesterday with my husband, Captain Matthew Lee. My name is Tina, from Cape Coral, Pictured; Gator trout, snook and a redfish.
Rylee Taber age 12, Gateway Charter School H.A.W.G.S. Largest Fish Caught, largemouth bass, 3.1l-pounds, 19 inches
Is it March yet? Bud Crihfield
Danny with his Daddy's blue crab catch
Great offshore fishing day February 2, Pat Burrows and Jim Macdonald. Fishing with friends, caught three nice grouper one was 30 inches in length.
Bill Audette, Vietnam Vet. with a catch and release Amberjack
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f r o m Wa t e r L I F E m a g a z i n e
Joey (left) and his first fish caught by himself, a mangrove snapper. Below: Joey with a cow fish
Calvin Price black drum Boca Grande Bay from a Kayak
Joey after a day on the water. Mangrove snapper and lobster. Cameron Smith, sheepshead
Diane Opeil, black drum
Capt Lou with a nice red caught while filming an episode for Adventuras De Pesca with Capt. Sergio
Paul Valenti with a strong fighting amberjack, caught and released to fight another day
8 lb permit. Caught by Dan Brazo out of Stump Pass Andy Watkins 21 inch Red Drum Boca Grande Bay, from a kayak
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MARCH 2018
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30-inch snook caught by Tony DiNuzzo at the Venice Jetty on February 12
Alan Langolf from Marysville, MI My first Snook! 28-inches Got it by Sanibel Island
Bill Friedrichs. Big Snook.
Jim Costello from Buffalo NY caught this Trout with his cast net in St. James City!
Amy Lueck from Minnesota with a triple tail
Cameron Parson, East Wall redfish and snook on cut ladyfish
Fishing the canals of Punta Gorda in February Jack Crevalle, Scott Hill, out of a kayak
Will Davidson,11, catches a 14 inch large mouth with the 1st cast with his new pole! It's the middle of February and I'm beating the mosquitos off of me, fishing in the back country. Water temp was 84 today, fry bait was thick and the micro snook were inhaling the fly. Always makes me feel good to know our snook fishery in Charlotte Harbor is constantly improving. Scott Sichling
Nice slot limit redfish, caught by Matthew Pringle at the Bird Sanctuary
Tanner Symons caught this 59-inch cobia 30-miles off Sanibel
John E Greenfield got this nice cravelle jack at Sterile Bay, over 12 pounds
Robin Sprague, 34-inch red grouper caught 20 miles west of Stump Pass aboard Capt. Bert Albano's SeaLady
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Manny caught this octopus while snapper fishing with Capt. Chuck
Here's a couple of red grouper we caught last Thursday some 50 miles out in the Gulf off of Placida. My friend Cliff Yates (below) had a 29 inch Red and mine was 31. Lester Kuhn (above)
Ron & Rachel Smits From Green Bay Wi . Caught red grouper in 105 fow west of captiva pass .
Triple tail Daniel
An 82 yr. old celebrating another year. Steve Harris Stump Pass
Suzzi Tremblay 7 miles out Stump Pass
Isabella Hogeback from Punta Gorda, baby bass out at the web
Isabella Hogeback 3 yrs old from Punta Gorda, first snook
Elizabeth Wong with monster 28-inch tripletail caught yesterday 2/10/18
Martha with Capt. Lou, barracuda
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Fish Warming Up PAGE
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By Mallory Herzog Water LIFE Fishing Full SPRING ahead, it sure feels that way with these warm temperatures heating up our local waters and getting the fish warmed up as well. After one of the coldest winters in many years, the fish are finally starting to get re-adjusted and bait is returning to our grass flats and Gulf beaches, making it easy to chum them up and fill the well for a fun day of fishing. Yeah, shrimp are ok, but there’s nothing like a greenback wiggling around on a hook. Our inshore species just can’t resist. Inshore, the reds have started to chew again. Reds are bottom feeders, like a carp. I prefer to use cut bait for this fish, which is boring yes. It’s a throw your bait in a sand hole or towards the shore, sit and wait kind of fishing. No bites? Keep moving down the shore-
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line. I like to cast another rod around with an artificial, in the other direction and see what else is in the area while my bait is soaking! Snook are eating freelined white bait and are plentiful along our beaches and on the flats. They are mostly juvenile
Buddy Newton with a nice February red
MARCH 2018 from Water LIFE magazine
with the occasional BIG momma cruising by. If you are fishing from the beach, watch the drop off right at the edge of the water. You know, the area you usually stand in. Snook cruise there looking for food. Wearing polarized sunglasses helps to see them better, their black lateral line and yellow tail are noticeable in clear water. They are fun to sight cast to in the morning, along our Gulf beaches. You just walk ahead of them, cast in their path and watch them ambush your bait!
Bring your cast net down to the beach in the morning and you will be set for bait all day. Nearshore, the mangrove snapper have been HUGE! This has made for some happy clients looking for a dinner along with a day of fun in the sun. They have also been hooking into lane snapper and tripletail. Nearshore, the bait of choice has been shrimp and squid. Occasionally we’ve gotten the mangrove snapper so fired up they were chasing pinfish to the surface.
To book a trip call Capt Andrew Herzog at 941-661-0304 http://bigbullyoutdoors.com
FISH PIX!
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Judy Jones first ever red fish
John Wolowietz, catch and release amberjack
Current Environmental Events MARCH 2018
By Capt. Betty Staugler Water Life / Sea Grant In recent weeks I’ve seen a noticeable uptick in macroalgae (the big stuff), in both red and green varieties in Gasparilla Sound and Coral Creek and another green variety from Punta Gorda. There are thousands of green and red algae’s, and often you have to look at them carefully under a microscope to identify them, but most algae don’t have common names, and you probably aren’t interested in genus and species names. Generally, however, you can look at an algae and get it to a family. For instance, I suspect the algae from Punta Gorda was a tubular Ulva (Enteromorpha) of some type. Enteromorpha means “intestineshape,” and this algae resembles hollow tubes much like intestines. It grows in clumps or tufts at or near the low-tide line and is often found on rocks, mangrove roots, or other woody debris. This species of algae has a wide salinity range and can be found in almost any shallow-water brackish or marine environment. The other green algae that I saw is likely one of the Cladophorales. Anglers know this one well. It’s super thin and slimy; starts out green, dies and becomes brownish black and sticks all over your lures and leader when fishing. I didn’t see a lot, but it was there. You might ask, why are these algae present now? I don’t have the answer, but
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it’s likely some combination of the right nutrients, light levels, and temperature. Algae, like all plants, photosynthesize sunlight energy and nutrients into plant material that in turn is transferred to other organisms as the plant is consumed. Marine algae and seaI don't think these clam grass provide food, oxyshells, found near Bayshore gen, and protective cover Park, are casualties of last year's storm or water. The for most fish and invershells are still connected, tebrate inhabitants. In which would indicate very the winter, when other recent mortality. They break apart fast after they die. plants such as seagrasses If I had to guess, I would say are dormant and not being exposed for an extended period due to the strong readily photosynthesizwinds we recently experienced is more likely. But then, ing or growing, the ecosince they originated from shallow water, a freshwater pulse also could have been the cause. Those are saltwater clams. logical role of algae is amplified, but too much of a good thing, is not al- Algea on the shore, near Fishermenʼs Village ways a good thing. or by phosphorus in the same estuary. where coastal pollution is a concern, and A key difference between macroalgae Ulva in particular is fairly well studied in particular where seagrass and macroaland other coastal plants such as seagrasses in Florida and elsewhere because it is gae are competing for the same space. is in their ability to take advantage of low hardy, stationary, and will accumulate polStudies indicate that nitrogen is generlight and high nutrient conditions. All lutants such as metals, hydrocarbons, and ally the nutrient that seems to control plants require light, water, and nutrients to pesticides. Consequently, analysis of macroalgae growth rates throughout the grow. Studies have shown that seagrasses Ulva tissues provides a means of assessyear. However phosphorus alone, or at generally dominate in waters with low nuing pollutant loads in coastal waters. certain times of the year, both nitrogen trients and high light availability. In conand phosphorus together, may be imporCapt. Betty Staugler, Fl. Sea Grant Agent. trast, macroalgae tend to dominate where tant. To complicate this, different species UF/IFAS Extension, Charlotte County there is less light and more nutrients. This (941) 764-4346 of macroalgae can be limited by nitrogen can make macroalgae problematic in areas
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Make the Most of Your Tackle Box PAGE
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By Fishin’ Frank Water LIFE Baitshop OK let’s face it, most of us are transplants here in southwest Florida or are thinking/planning to move to wonderful Florida and we came from states where we fished fresh water. Now what do we do with all of those fresh water lures in our tackle box? Simple answer is, use them! Almost all of them work here. Yes, I don't think any one ever told the fish they were a fresh water or salt water fish, they are just fish which eat other fish and creatures. Don't believe me? Let’s look at the bass spinner-bait for starters. The spinners represent a bait fish swimming through the water giving the flash of scales and the spinning action is the sound of bait fish in distress. But the skirt on the hook of a spinner bait looks much more like a squid than anything I can think of in fresh water. And a tube bait looks just like a squid too, but only bass fishermen use tube baits, that is one I cannot figure out. Here are some of the lures I had when I fished in the midwest that really work here in southwest Florida: Rat-L-traps, they are awesome in fresh water and maybe even better in salt water. The most unusual way I ever heard of using a RatL-trap is to put it under a poppin cork. When the water gets all muddy and dark, a Rat-L-trap under a poppin cork is sure to
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the flats with a jigging motion to the rod make them irresistible to sea trout. The claws are just a bit larger than the curl tail jigs we normally use in salt water so on the days where you have a bit of wind and light choppy waves, they bring more attention to themselves, getting you more hits. The Strike King Rage Tail crawdad is
get the attention of any fish, but I will say that in clear water, it could spook the fish away. Now A Hula Popper is a top water lure famous amongst old guys like me as one of the best top water popping lures ever. They have a very wide concave mouth which makes it easy to get that pop sound like a soft plastic fish feeding at the surface and a rubber skirt for a bit more attraction. Strike Flukes or KIng soft plastic tube -bait jerk baits over a Jig were invented Ratt L Trap and Popper for bass fishing, not even Hula Popper considered for salt water and now are a staple of flats fisherman's tackle becoming a redfish jig but I am finding that Texas rigging it is even better than boxes. The Zoom flukes have given way using a jig head. To rig this for redfish, to the D.O.A. jerk baits and catch a crazy amount of fish. So why not the soft plastic take an egg sinker or bullet weight and place it on your leader, tie on a worm crawdad? The crayfish lures have two big hook, a 3/ or 4/ size, and when weedless plastic claws which are very much like a rigging it, run the hook all the way curl tail lure, maybe better as the claws through the plastic bait getting the point of make two curl tails. Using the crawdad the hook to lay flat on top of the bait. with a jig head and swimming it across Then pull the plastic forward just a little bit and snag a tiny bit of the plastic with the point of the hook making it weedless. Now with the weight sliding free in front of the bait, when you lift your rod tip up sharply, this will separate the weight from the plastic body and the weight falls quickly to the bottom allowing the plastic body to fall slowly down and when it hits it will rock back and forth making it look like a crab settling down with it's claws up in a defensive posture. Perfect for eating if you are a redfish. Now after waiting just a few seconds, if you do not get a hit, lightly lift the rod tip a couple times this will make it “walk back to the weight. Once you feel the weight again sharply lift your rod tip, jigging it well off the bottom
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MARCH 2018
separating it again from the weight and start over. Continuing along, crappie jigs and or beetle-spins are excellent salt water lures. I use them for spadefish, sand bream, sea trout, mangrove snappers and sheepshead. My favorite thing is, when I am fishing the reefs in the Harbor, I tip them with a very small piece of shrimp meat. I do catch fish without the shrimp meat, but far less. So I lay a shrimp down and with my knife cut a piece a little less than ¼ inch and place it on the point of the hook. Do not run the shrimp meat around to the bend, this will a allow the fish to steal the meat from behind the hook. The whole idea is to hook that fish. Out at the Alligator Creek Reef, I go to one end or the other and using a light spinning rod with a 15-pound-test leader, that is about as thick a leader as I can get through the eye of the little jig head, and I cast it out, letting it fall for maybe 5-seconds, then lightly jig the lure back, slowly reeling. Let it fall to the bottom for sheepshead and snappers. The best bet is the white or chartreuse marabou hair jigs. Vacationing in the Keys I tried this and caught barracuda and every other fish you could think of from the dock. Now for sand bream in the canals I use the jig under a small float or bobber and with that little bit of shrimp, for the sand bream the shrimp meat must be peeled, in fact it really works better for all of the fish if the shell is removed. I guess the big question is will bass worms work in salt water? The last woman who asked that question, I told: Hey try it, why not? Well, on a 7-inch ribbon tail worm she caught a 110-pound tarpon. You never know what will be the latest and greatest lure for the flats or Gulf! The Storm Twitch Stik is a bass lure made for Canadian bass and it has caught almost every fish in the Harbor. It is my best selling saltwater lure. So if you have it, try it. It may be the best lure ever for Charlotte Harbor.... or not, but you won’t know until you try. Good Luck!
Fishin’ Franks Bait & Tackle Port Charlotte: 941- 625-3888 Ft Myers: 239-634-1043
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Hungry Fish MARCH 2018
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FISHING AT 10,000 ISLANDS
By Capt. Charlie Phillips Water LIFE / Everglades City This is what winter in the Everglades is supposed to be like, warm days, cool evening, calm seas and hungry fish. The past month has been a welcome change from the weather we had to end 2017 and to start the New Year. Both inshore and offshore have been strong, with anglers finding success almost any place they looked Inshore, I have seen some great catches of oversize snook, a few redfish and lots of speckled trout. The snook are taking advantage of the warm weather and water and heading out from the back creeks and bays and are moving closer to the front and outer islands. As long as we don’t have any crazy cold fronts come through, I would expect this to continue in March. Nearshore and offshore keep looking
Jimmy from Michigan with a tripletail
Rodger from Wisconsin with a sheepshead
Be careful as they will try to wrap back up on the crab lines, and be courteous to our commercial crabber friends. If you hook their ropes, get it out so a mate doesn’t get it in his hand while pulling their traps. Be on the lookout for cobia and permit as well, around the nearshore structures. We are in prime time now till early summer, and with the warm weather, I am looking for a great season. Live crabs for the permit are my choice and a big soft bait that resembles an eel my go-to for the cobia. Whatever you choose, be ready before you leave the dock. On another note, I just got back from Birch Run, Michigan this past week where we were for a big outdoor show. The Florida Guides Association has started attending a few shows in other areas that are big markets for our Florida Captains in an effort to make sure visitors to our state are booking trips with licensed and insured captains. Had a great time, but froze to death, 0-degrees and 2- foot of snow while we were there!! I was ready to get back home, I promise that. Y’all have a great month ahead, we expect the tarpon fishing to fire off soon - I have that and another expo to attend in the NYC area, so gonna’ be busy. Y’all take some time to enjoy it, summer is just around the corner. We will see you out there.
behind every mailbox… a.k.a. crab float, for those tripletail. It has been a great year and some monsters have been caught in the past few weeks. I personally just look for fish I can see, though I do know some folks that fish each float top to bottom. My technique is more of a run and gun, using my tower to stay as far away as I can, but still see fish as I run. When we spot one, a simple spin around and using the wind at my back, have my anD Tower off Marco Island. glers cast a live One of the old Air Force shrimp, artificial bait relay towers that dot the Gulf or fly where the tripletail will see the offering and once spotted, come a calling.
Capt. Charlie Phillips 863-517-1829 e-mail: hopefishing@hotmail.com Web: hopefishing.com
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SCUTTLEBUTT
Sometimes Unsubstanciated, But Often True
Letʼs Talk Latrines
Ever go into the public rest rooms at Laishley Park? When I was a kid, the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus came to Madison Square Garden in New York every year. They kept the elephants on a straw covered floor, in the basement. The menʼs room at Laishley Park smells just like that! Iʼve never liked the cheap metal fixtures they used there, but I passed it off as Punta Gorda Style. What were they thinking? When will this be updated? The floor is perpetually wet... from wet people playing in and around the fountain directly outside... and from who know what else. Thinking about barefoot children in bathing suits walking into this facility is sickening. OK, ʻnother subject: How about the Tiki Bar? I love that place, great spot, right on the water between the bridges. Nice staff and good drinks. Good food too. The bar has been there, I think, 10 years, since after Hurricane Charley. The place is so popular they just had a second giant new Tiki Hut built (photo at right). They do weddings and events here. There is a televised Volleyball tournament. People walking on the Harborwalk stop to use their convenient latrine. My question is: how does a restaurant get to have portable toilets... for 10 years?
The toilet-trailers are disguised cleverly behind fences,(left) but you go up some steps and into a toilet on wheels. The floors are stained and the interior is shabby. Do these meet building codes and health regulations? Do you think you or I could get a movable public rest room approved for our business? HA! And speaking of restaurants, there are two downtown restaurants, Leroys Southern Cooking and Isabell & Anabell Mexican Restaurant. This is also not about their food. Both are great, but they account for a combined, by my count, 160 people, and they share a one person bathroom each for men and women in the hallway between them. Iʼm pretty sure you need more than that and I bet someone working for the City of Punta Gorda knows this too, but when I tried to find out what the occupancy was, the Punta Gorda Fire Marshal, Jennifer Molnar, told me to go .... file a Freedom of Information Request. Nice. And lastly there are the latrines that are M.I.A., the ones that used to be at the Gilchrist Park Gazebo and the tiny little white, phone-booth-sized, one-holer that was its own monument to urgency, a little further down the Harborwalk. Theyʼre both gone. Supposedly, there is a new rest room coming later this year, one which will be built near the pickle ball courts. Youʼll just have to hold it until then! – Michael Heller
Sailing
MARCH 2018
BY Peter Welch Water LIFESailing
Last monthʼs Charlotte Harbor Regatta had a new generation of boats taking center stage. The Harbor 20ʼs specifications are regulated to promote close competition. There is one manufacturer and sail dimensions are controlled. It is normally crewed by just a helms person Above and Below: Charlotte Harbor Regatta and sail trimmer. The F18 Catamaran is allowed limited dimensional freedom in some areas. These boats are the fastest non-hydrofoil sailboats in this size. There are two crew that hang out off the boat on trapeze while one hull is in the air. This is a boat for the young of mind and body. The Nacra 15 is a new one design catamaran. The shorter length becomes a problem sooner in negotiating waves. The Hobie 16 catamaran is over 50 BELOW: Another regatta, the 2.4 Meter years in production. This regatta had Western Hemisphere Championship, hull number 17 to number 114886 and brought world class sailboat racing to the old number 17 boat beat the new Charlotte Harbor, February 21-23. number 114485 (second place) by 11 points. The Weta Trimaran was developed in New Zealand in 2001. This boat has a 5.6 foot beam for trailering and 11 feet for sailing. The normal racing crew is 2 adults. It is rigged with a small spinnaker deployed from a roller, a small jib and a main sail. Best performance requires moving Water LIFE Sailing photos by Fran Burstein outboard in winds above 15 knots. Results: www.charlotteharborregatta.com
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KAYAKING: Catching Blacktip Shark MARCH 2018
By Bob Fraser Water LIFE Kayaking I took out a client from Massachusetts on February 13 for some kayak fishing. The trip was a Christmas present from his wife. She booked the trip on www.fishingbooker.com. He was excited to go saltwater fishing from a kayak. My client, Scott, plans on moving to Venice in the near future and wanted to gain some knowledge of saltwater fishing in our area. We launched behind Uncle Henry’s Marina in Gasparilla Sound. Our target for the day was spotted sea trout. Scott fished a Cajun Thunder popping cork with live shrimp. Within a few minutes, he caught his first trout. He caught 6- to 8-trout that morning, releasing all of them. Scott also caught his first shark, which was a blacktip shark about two feet long. It put up a good fight on my light spinning gear. I helped him get it off the hook and release it. When catching fish from a kayak, you have to be more careful when taking fish off the hook, especially a shark. A two-foot long shark isn’t too bad to handle, but I have caught 3-to 4foot sharks before, and when you get a hand gripper in their mouth they can shake violently and hurt your arm. I caught several trout on artificial lures, using a suspending Mirrorlure and a top water plug. It was a beautiful day on the water, clear blue sky with a few clouds. Scott enjoyed the day and took away some knowledge about what to look for on the grass flats. I told him to look for spotty bottom or grass with sandy potholes. Kayakers, have you wished for a way to fish the West Wall of Charlotte Harbor or fish Turtle or Bull Bay? These places have been out of reach for kayakers until now. I met a local
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charter captain that is doing kayak shuttles to these areas or other places you would like to fish that are too far away for paddling. I will be using his service to help my clients fish areas that are too hard to reach by paddling. I’m looking forward to fishing these areas myself. I will write my next article about his service and my fishing trip with him. Bob Fraser 941-916-8303 www.kayakfishingwithbob.com
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March – Predictions and Suggestions Charlotte Harbor Frank at Fishin’ Franks 941-625-3888
BackBay Xtremes Capt Dave Stephens www.backbayxtremes.com
941-916-5769
FISH PIX!
from Water LIFE magazine
Fish with a Guide
Youʼll learn something and youʼll catch more fish!
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from Water LIFE magazine
FISH PIX!
from Water LIFE magazine
Shot this Cubera snapper last month in Costa Rica. Robert Stchur MD.
I got this beautiful drum fishing with Capt. Joe Angius
Herman Redman with some Redfish Pass Sheepshead.
There are lots of up-and -coming fish now, I’m looking at shark fishing going crazy here this month. There are already big shark populations on the ICW inside Captiva and Cayo Costa, there are Atlantic sharp nose, black tips and bonnet sharks. Look for a big rise in sharks. Tarpon are in Sanibel and by Boca Grande Pass, these aren’t the resident fish, these are the big travelling adults. This month the deep holes might even start to see some tarpon. Spanish mackerel are working their way into the Harbor chasing big schools of anchovies and there will be more bluefish and ladyfish now too. Trout will be a little more moderate. Lemon Bay, Bull Bay and the east side of the Harbor should keep decent trout populations through March. Monster snook are being sighted all over the place now, it’s really surprising we are seeing so many big snook again. A diver friend said the offshore reefs are loaded with them. There are a lot of underslot snook on the east side. I think it’s the glass minnows. Snook are on the beaches up to Venice too. Cape Coral and the mouth of the Caloosahatchee are holding snook with the bigger ones by the I-75 and the RR trestle. The Placida trestle has bigger
snook, now, too. This month should end sheepshead fishing. There are massive schools on the Gulf now, heading out to the reefs after their spawn. Last shot for them, now. Watch for blackfin tuna showing up. I’ve had scattered reports of them mixed in with bonita. All indicators are here for a surprise blackfin tuna population. You have to know the difference between bonita and black fins. It might not be a bonita this month, if it’s funny looking.
Lemon Bay, Placida, Gasparilla Sound Jim at Fishermen’s Edge 941-697-7595
Been a lot of action in the Bay and in Charlotte Harbor. Lemon Bay has had nice trout and really nice snook. The baitfishes have flooded in, greenbacks whitebait - is everywhere. The snook are taking the whitebait like candy. A friend got 6 big snook, up to 38-inches, 32 was the smallest, all in a couple of hours, fishing whitebait a friend gave him. I’ve also seen pictures of a number or nice redfish this week. Pompano are around in the back country and we’re seeing Spanish mackerel guys that come in here got some trolling last week, and there are some big tarpon starting to show up. Those fish are just laying around in the sun inside the Pass. Some guys are catching cobia offshore by Trembly
Guide Card Space available $40/mo call 941-766-8180
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MARCH 2018
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The BIG-4 SHEEPSHEAD On trestles, docks and other structure
and Novak (reefs), generally two to four miles out has been good. There’s been a lot of snapper, yellow and mangrove, and some really big ones, all caught on cut bait, mostly little pieces of cigar minnows. There are a lot of other fish too, banded rudderfish, African pompano and Hogfish have all been caught. The Horn of Plenty is overloaded with fish at the moment.
March
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Fish you can expect in
GROUPER Good on the reefs Deeper water has bigger fish
TRIPLETAIL Still offshore on the crab traps
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Nearshore water temps are low 70s Fish are waking up and hungry
SPOTTED SEA TROUT On the grass flats around the area.
95˚ 90˚ 85˚
FISH PIX!
from WaterIFE
Ian Roberts with a goliath grouper from the Sanibel Bridges caught fishing with Capt. Patton
FISH PIX!
from Water LIFE magazine
from Water LIFE magazine
from Water LIFE magazine
75˚
from Water LIFE magazine
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FISH PIX!
80˚
These are photos of a sawfish we rescued in Charlotte Harbor a few weeks ago. Figured you guys would like it. My name is Jason Bihari and my friend that filmed it is W.T Patterson.
FISH PIX!
Samantha Hamlin, sheepshead 8-pounds at Punta Gorda, 16 Feb, on a live crab. Below: a jack crevalle
FISH PIX!
from Water LIFE magazine
Angela Close with her first ever sheepshead.
Editor notes they caught the fish, saw it was tangled up, and called the FWC who came and cut the piece of net and line off it. There is a video of the release on the Water LIFE facebook page. Jason is also the diver on this monthʼs cover!
Kyl Balls Zion Illinois
Larry watkins from Decatur il. First red grouper. Itʼs a keeper
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from Water LIFE magazine
72˚ 70˚ 68˚ 50˚
FWC boat
45˚
Terry Huffman African Pompano with Capt. Bob of the Serenity off Venice
FISHING RIGHT NOW:
Itʼs ON!
LAST CAST This is the last picture we received before going to print.
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from Water LIFE magazine
Terry Corley Decatur I'm 29 in red grouper
Bit Off Cobia, caught near the S Tower (we launched from St Marks) in the Gulf. I still got 6 pounds of meat off the head! Chad Rowland
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MARCH 2018