Water LIFE March 2017

Water LI FE

Charlotte Harbor, Lemon Bay, Venice, Estero, 10,000 Islands and the Gulf

From the creators of WaterLine

The Don Ball School of Fishing

March 2017

Txt Us Ur Fish Pix! see page 14

Allan Zuckerman, Sarasota, with a great smile to show off a great AJ

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Robin Sprague with a nice red grouper

Paddling at Hoagen Key page 18

Smoke Signals from Pahokee page 5

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Fishing Estero Bay page 10

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MARCH 2017

Fort Myers store !! Fishinʼ Franks#2

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eMail letters and photos to: WaterLIFE@comcast.net

FAKE NEWS ALERT!

They couldnʼt leave it alone. ʻCelebrating 20 Yearsʼ the Charlotte Sun now proclaims on the cover of their WaterLine section. Problem is, itʼs not 20 years. I told them that when they started claiming their publication was ʻThe original since 1977ʼ - ʻYou didnʼt publish your first edition untill 1998,ʼ I told them. I should know, I was the one who created it!

I sent them a copy of the very first edition of WaterLine. I also showed them their publisherʼs front page column which introduced the first WaterLine edition on Thursday March 19, 1998 ... (not 1997)

but they still perpetuate their bogus claim, trying to be something they are not by feeding fake information to their readers.

One of the things that moved me to quit doing the publication I created for the Charlotte Sun was their edict that I “Dumb My Section Down.” I wouldnʼt do that. If you follow this publication you know we donʼt fake it. We give readers what we have and let them figure out whatʼs important. So now, to make things clear, Iʼve added a new line to our own front cover: Water LIFE, from the creators of WaterLine .

Iʼm sure that will help! – MH

Observation on Red Tide I can't describe how disappointed I am at the lack of exposure and focus on why and how to get a handle on what has become an endless red tide algae bloom along the SW Florida coastline. Since September, it's been wave after wave of this killing phenomenon.

Florida is traditionally slow to react on issues related to ecology, particularly if they have to spend money or it shines a negative light on tourism, but based on the amount of dead fish I've witnessed, the past half year reflects what I predict is going to be a long-term ecological disaster.

Forget about the double digit thousand dollars of business and media events I've cancelled since September (like today) simply because I refuse to subject my clients to red tide and the poor associated angling opportunities and breathing problems it causes. What's more important is the impact it is causing to our estuaries.

The long term decline in oceanic life that occupies our waters is far more bleak than you will ever hear on the news, or see in a typical recreational environment. Other than a group of captains that are leading the way in bringing attention to it, it's rarely mentioned beyond a weekend suntan beach report on the news. I'll bet you when Florida finally gets serious about this is when the tourism beancounter dollars reflect a decline after some bogus 5 year song and dance spreadsheet is reported to someone reasonable enough to look past a big sugar or mineral rights donation (if that's what is causing it).

The reality is that people will come to visit a time or two more and eventually go elsewhere to vacation.

As always, when I cancel a charter, I go out anyway to assess the situation and put my eyes on the current situation.

The first significant thing I found just 200 yards beyond the boat ramp at Placida was a 300-pluspound manatee that had likely just taken its last breath by the time I found it beached in the mangroves (it was fresh).

Furthermore, idling through a bay of dead mullet and other species has also become the norm and is somewhat unremarkable these days. The water clarity should be nearly crystal clear this time of year and I couldn't see beyond one foot below the boat today, all the way out to 15 miles of tea colored conditions.

I honestly hope that people will stand up and tell the truth about this because it's toxic to the ecology and economy of our state. It needs to be addressed and possibly resolved asap. If humans are causing it, they need to be stopped immediately because sooner than later it's going to be too late, especially with the current cyclic warmer climate conditions we are in. Here (and on page 17) are just a few images I've saved in the last six months. Your Capt. Chris ONeill thoughts?

Water LIFE inc. waterlife@comcast.net www.WaterlifeMagazine.com

Michael & Ellen Heller Publishers

(941) 766-8180

217 Bangsberg Rd. Port Charlotte, FL 33952

Independant - Not affiliated with any other publication!

Vol XVI No 3 © 2017

NO PART of this publication (printed or electronic) may be copied, reproduced or reused without specific written permission from the publishers (and thatʼs never happened!).

Contributing Editors:

Photography: ASA1000.com Senior Editor: Capt. Ron Blago Baitshop Commentary: 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 Sailing: Peter Welch

On the Cover:

Txt Us Ur Fish: Robin Sprague with a nice red grouper

FishPix phone number is on page 14

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MARCH 2017

Same Old Problem

By Michael Heller Water LIFE editor I just finished reading A Land Remembered, by Patrick Smith. It’s the story of the MacIvey family who came to Florida, penniless from Georgia at the end of the Civil War. At first they lived off the land by rounding up ‘yellowhammers,’ wild cattle they drove from the center of the state to the cattle dock at Punta Rassa, near what is today the Sanibel Causeway. Later they grew oranges, lots of oranges. The book was a good read with warm insight into what old Florida was like.

One part of the book involved a place on the south shore of the Big Lake that the Seminoles called PayHay-Okee, the Great River of Grass. MacIvey’s son Zech had met a Seminole girl who took him there: “Looming before them was Pay Hay Okee, a land so overwhelming in its vastness it caused Zech to blink his eyes in wonderment. Sawgrass stretched into infinity, broken only by small island hammocks of hardwood trees and cabbage palms. Flights of egrets and herons drifted for miles...”

Last month, as a plan to release excess water from Lake Okeechobee into the Everglades gained momentum, I drove to the town on the lake’s south shore that today they call Pahokee. I hadn’t been there in 45 years.

When I was training as a flight instructor I would practice landings at the airport in Pahokee. The area around the town has always been green from above, but it’s not the green 12-foot-high grasses that Zech saw ‘stretching into infinity.’ The green today is sugar cane.

Outside of Pahokee are three State run flood control pumping stations. When the low lying sugar cane fields flood from rain, the State’s Water Management District uses these pumps to move the water, and whatever pol-

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ought to do something on the north end of Okeechobee, where all the polluted water from the Kissimmee River comes in.” The Kissimmee drains much of the central part of the state into the Lake.

Captains for Clean Water, a SW Florida eco-activist group also want to see a retention pond, but they want it south of Lake ‘O,’ down from Pahokee. Their concern is more than pollution, it’s about too much fresh water released to the coasts through the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie Rivers.

Freshwater adversely affects salinity balances - so algae grows and living creatures die. The Captains claim 43-percent of the excess freshwater comes from rain. Sadly, they have characterized the discharge probSugar cane and drainage, south of Pahokee. It is too bad there isnʼt a picture of what this place looked like when the Seminoles lived here. lem as extending up into the Charlotte Harbor estuary, where it can not go because of lutants from the fields that come along with it, uphill local river flow. “Very disappointing that they resort to and into Lake Okeechobee. It is not a natural flow. fear-mongering to help bolster their position,” a Punta The day I was there, the Pahokee Chamber of ComGorda captain and business-owner friend of mine said. merce was setting up cookies and cake for a motorcycle The Captains for Clean Water’s plan is to send lake run. The sky was clear, except for a yellow-brown haze water south through agricultural areas and into the from the spring burning of the local cane fields; not a Everglades. In 2014 Florida citizens voted to buy land tourism image, but it didn’t seem to bother anyone. for holding and releasing water to the south, but politics The air quality came as a surprise to me, but I was eroded the progress and stalled it. A Glades captain I there to talk about the water. At the cookie table I spoke spoke to observed: “The issue has become an inland vs with Regina Bohlen who is the Pahokee Chamber of coastal war and now people in the Glades agricultural Commerce president. “What do folks here think about communities will not listen to anything said.” releasing Lake ‘O’ water to the south,” I asked her.

The rich farm land south of Lake Okeechobee has She straightened up and looked me in the eye. witnessed this fight before. Zech MacIvey’s son fought “South would take away farmland and 1000 jobs. with his Seminole half-brother when he started a huge That should be the last resort,” she told me. “If they dredging project here to remove sawgrass and reroute want clean water they should build retention ponds the water. Now, 130 years later, we are fighting again right where the water goes into the rivers. They really only this time it’s over routing the water back.

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Fishing Will Heat Up as Temps Climb PAGE

By Mallory Herzog Water LIFE Fishing Anyone living in south Florida will tell you how great our winter has been, mild temps and little rain made it perfect for any outdoor enthusiast! For our guests fishing inshore Boca Grande, Charlotte Harbor and Gasparilla Sound, sunny skies made it a great time to be out on the water.

Last month Captain Andrew's guests caught a variety of species including snook. Juvenile snook have been on the prowl, cruising the bar on the east side of the Harbor. Set up a drift and cast around.

They are a blast when they grab your artificial. These fish are a fun catch and release on light tackle. Small lightweight lures have been working the best. Our guests catch them using Penn Battle II 2500 series reels and 15-pound line.

The biggest snook of the month came as a surprise while fishing for redfish. It ate a pinfish cut in half on a jig head, just sitting along the bottom. Snook often feed this way in the cooler months as they are cruising the flats in search for food along the bottom, much like a redfish would.

Upon landing it we noticed it was hardly hooked. Only some seaweed hanging on the line kept enough tension so the hook did not twist and fall out. Talk about a lucky catch! Measuring at 40-inches, Andrew tagged this fish for marine research and she is back out there swimming

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around. That fish wasn’t alone, it had another snook swimming with it that we spotted on the way out.

Maybe just slightly smaller. It’s always great to see these over-slot breeders swimming around.

Guest Steve, also did some bow fishing this month, cruising the flats searching for shootable species. Most common during winter months are sting rays, mullet and sheepshead. Some anglers get lucky and take aim at a cobia! If it’s legal to spear, you can bow-fish for it! Check the FWC spearing guidelines for more legal fish you can take aim at!

Steve did a great job, learning to aim a bit differently than your traditional hunting way. We took his sting rays home for bait on a shark fishing charter later in the week.

In the month to come the fishing will only heat up with our temperatures. Live bait should become more prevalent on the flats, bringing in some great inshore species. We will still have some lower tides this month. From Charlotte Harbor to Gasparilla Sound the fish have been searching for deeper water.

Fish potholes with live bait on a jig head, I use some jigs that rattle. The commotion will call in a hungry predator fish hiding deep in the grass.

On the grass flats, trout have been eating live shrimp and artificial Gulp soft plastics. The kids on my last trip enjoyed watching them, keeping them busy while the adults caught fish for dinner.

The near shore the snapper bite on artificial has been picking up, shiny small weighted jigs have been pulling up a variety of species: vermillion, lane, yellowtail and mangrove, all a delicious fresh catch

MARCH 2017

to bring home for dinner.

What about the tarpon?! The migratory tarpon that flow through Boca Grande Pass, into our Harbor and out onto the beaches usually arrive mid April and hang around ‘til early July.

You can contact Big Bully Outdoors for a charter trip with Mallory’s husband, Capt.

Andrew. Call 941-661-9880 or visit BigBullyOutdoors.com

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MARCH 2017

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Big Biteʼs Been Sheepshead PAGE

The Southern Sector

10,000 Islands / Everglades City

By Capt. Charlie Phillips Water LIFE / Everglades City February has been a pretty strong month for us down in the Everglades this year. For those that remember last year, we were having a pretty wet and windy time of it. Lots of fronts pushing thru and the strong westerly winds kept the water dirty and rough and actually even gave us a taste of the dreaded Red Tide, something we don’t see much of here in the Everglades.

This year that pattern has not come to pass, thank goodness. Actually, as I am writing this, we have gone the other way and are in a little bit of a drought pattern.

With lots of calm days and warmer than average weather, we have all the makings for some pretty good fishing both inshore and offshore.

The trout bite has been very strong, with plenty of slot fish coming off the grass areas down by Pavilion Key and the hard flats off the front islands, especially on the higher tides. We don’t have lots of big grass flats like the other regions of the state, but we do have a few, and these areas hold fish!! As you ride along in your boat, I would tell you to always be looking around for anything of interest. When you start seeing grass in the water, that’s a

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pretty good indication that you might want to do some investigating with a popping cork and soft plastics!!

The big bite for me lately has been the sheepshead on the barges and rock piles offshore. I enjoy targeting these sneaky fish when the water cools down and they move closer. There are lots of big fish in the mix right now that makes it easy to quickly fill a fish box.

A 1/0 circle hook with 30-pound flouro’ and enough weight to get to the bottom with a live shrimp is all that’s needed.

Well.... that and the ability to maintain contact with your presentation at all times!!

They are delicate feeders, they will nip and tug lightly at your offerings and if you have any slack in the line and can’t feel it at all times, you’re going to do more feeding than catching. Practice makes perfect though, so keep at it and I am sure you will get the touch.

This month, be on the lookout for more snook moving out of the back creeks, tripletail and cobia are on the prowl and the big tarpon push could be anytime.

Yesterday as I was heading in from grouper fishing, I came across several large schools of trophy size permit in the Cape Romano area. Always makes the heart pound a little bit!!

Y’all have fun out there and I hope to see you on the water Capt. Charlie Phillips: 863-517-1829 e-mail: hopefishing@hotmail.com Web: hopefishing.com

MARCH 2017

My brother Jeremy and niece Kylie with her first fish caught while on a recent trip to spend a few days with us in the Everglades.

Fellow FGA Capt. Steve Betz helping me pick up balloons I find floating all over the gulf. This was one of about 10 that day!!

Ed notes* often used for shark fishing

Capt. Steve and wife Karen with one of several big sheepshead caught on a trip last month

Two guest from PA exploring one of the old home sites in the 10,000 Islands

Overlooked Hot Spots MARCH 2017

By Capt. Chuck Eichner Water LIFE Inshore Southwest Florida has a vast array of waterways both fresh and saltwater.

Within a mile of where you are standing there is a fishery large or small. A lake, pond, creek, canal, river, bay or even a ditch will have fish. Streams that are 12feet across and have a couple feet of water will have fish! There are man-made fishing holes such as canals, retention ponds, mosquito ditches and the like. Mother nature created a maze of waterways too.

Take a look at an aerial map covering Charlotte Harbor to Lake Okeechobee and you will find a thousand interesting bodies of water. Check out Fisheating Creek for instance, it runs from Lake Placid to Lake Okeechobee. It’s a beautiful waterway with oxbows and forks and built in ponds.

There are countless similar fresh and tidal waterways up and down the coast.

Why would I be interested in these small waters when I have Charlotte Harbor at my doorstep? The answer: lots of fish, no fishing pressure, remoteness and a true sense of adventure. The catch is that it takes more effort to access these places and generally smaller boats.

My friend Lynn Bevis and I have been exploring a variety of places lately. Fishing from a kayak, canoe or small john boat has its challenges. First finding a

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launch point, then navigation through windy creeks, ponds and waterways with hopes of catching fish along the way.

Fallen trees present challenges that are passable on a high tide but stop you on a low tide. For a tidal stream, you really

have to pay attention to tide height or you can get trapped or stuck. Handy items to bring along are a handsaw, tree trimmer and depending, a chain saw! Wear Crocs or wading shoes as well, because nature presents many challenges when you go into parts unknown and you best be prepared to get in the water to portage your boat over shallow spots. There can be a lot of work involved, but the reward is hungry largemouth bass, bluegill, tilapia, snook, redfish and possibly a tarpon. And all of these fish can be found in tidal waters and fresh water! Seeing mullet jumping in an inland freshwater pond sounds weird, but they are there along with saltwater species. You can also expect to catch gars and mudfish.

For tackle, we use medium weight backcountry rods (a short rod is a benefit in tight quarters) with 15-pound braid and

20-pound mono leader. Lure choices seems to vary by angler and generally your confidence bait will usually work.

I like plastic grubs and tube baits which all fish seem to like. Just like a bass angler, I vary colors depending on how hot the bite is. Plastic worms, swimbaits, jerkbaits and even crankbaits work depending on the water depth and structure.

In a narrow creek you will be making short casts with a short rod. If there is a tide flow your retrieve has to keep up with the tide, but in a freshwater creek you can generally fish slower.

Largemouth bass to 10 pounds will come out of places you would never dream of! Snook, some of legal size, will blast your bait when you least expect it.

Adding to that excitement, alligators can be expected at any time and often in close quarters!

Pull up Google Earth, pick a waterway and let the adventure begin! Mother Nature will have plenty of surprises such as delicious fruit trees growing along a creek making for a wonderful treat. But the best treat of all is the adventure, a savage strike on your lure and catching fish in remote areas.

Capt. Chuck Eichner operates Action Flats Backcountry Charters He can be reached at 941-628-8040

Estero Bay The Tides They Are A-Changing PAGE

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By Captain Joe Angius Water LIFE Estero It is important to understand the difference our climate imposes on our fisheries, especially when it comes to Estero Bay. South Florida has a tropical climate with a well-defined dry season that runs from November through April and a wet season from May through October. As we approach the last days of winter (here in SW Florida spring arrives March 20 @ 6:29 AM) anglers will experience the seasonal transition The lack of rain that our dry season promotes provides the bay with a high salinity level. In turn, anglers will have the opportunity to catch good quality speckled sea trout on the grass flats, large snook, redfish, and many juvenile tarpon in the back bay.

A good variety of bait will be plentiful in and around Estero Bay. We will have a lot of finger mullet, pilchards, threadfin herring, ladyfish, pinfish, but still don’t forget to buy live shrimp. I highly recommend trying to have this variety of bait because each fishing spot might call for a certain type of bait to get the bite going.

It’s always interesting to see how the fish respond to the bait anglers are using based off of the area being fished. This shows that water temperature, salinity level, tide movement, water depth, and substrate all play a critical role in the activity, or lack thereof, in our inshore species.

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Finding, netting, or buying bait is only half the battle in the realm of fishing. Getting the fish to react and bite the bait you are presenting is the other half of the battle. Increasing the bite ratio may seem rudimentary, but it can be solely based on your inshore tackle outfit. My go-to outfit is 20-pound Spiderwire Invisibraid tied to a three foot 30-pound fluorocarbon leader attached to a 1/0 Owner inline hook. At this time of the year, this is the lightest

MARCH 2017

outfit that I like to use and will only adjust it lower if the fish are more inclined to eat my chum than my free-lined bait. If I begin to get larger fish to bite and notice that my tackle is too light, I’m not afraid to bump my leader up to 50-pound fluorocarbon with a 3/0 Owner circle hook. I found that the heavier leader won’t spook larger fish because the bait I’m using is bigger and can move naturally with the heavier outfit.

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During the month of March my primary inshore target is snook. It is at this time when the larger female snook make their way onto our grass flats and mangrove edges, feeding heavily on large baits. They will dominate these areas until they are ready to head toward our beaches where they will begin to spawn.

If a fish is caught and going to be released, which I highly encourage, please do so mindfully and with care. The snook released are going to be the ones responsible for reproduction, creating the future of Estero’s snook fishery. When a snook is released be sure to use a net that won’t remove the fish scales, hold it horizontally when taking pictures, and revive the fish completely, moving it forward and not back and forth, until it swims out of your hands.

The waterways this month will be packed with fishermen, boaters, kayakers, wade fishermen, pontoon boats, and jetski tours. I urge that water enthusiasts take the time to learn about our fisheries and to learn the rules and regulations in place to protect these fisheries, and to abide by them.

Estero Bay is not just my playground and my office; it is my way of life and one that I cherish deeply. Respect the ecosystem and wildlife around you as you explore the beautiful fishery of Estero Bay.

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MARCH 2017

YOU NEVER KNOW:

By Fishin’ Frank Water LIFE Baitshop You don’t know what you don’t know.

We once had a guy come into the bait shop who caught the snook of a lifetime only to find out snook season was open on the east coast of Florida at the time, but not here.

There have been guys who pulled up in their car and asked us to identify a fish in their cooler. What kind of fish is that? Can I eat it? First off it’s a little late at that point.... and secondly, a couple times they were small tarpon.

Once a guy walked in all excited about the monster grouper he and his buddies caught in the canal, only to be told it was an endangered Goliath grouper and he could not keep it. “But it has red, it is a red Grouper,” he said. Color can be one of the worst ways to I.D. a fish.

And for those of you who think Jacks are not good eating, there have been so many times when people show me pictures of the pompano they caught. Often they say they were tough to clean, but they were just great eating! The pictures showed nice size Jack crevalle. Tasty is in the tongue of the eater. Don’t worry about what you don’t know. Lots of other people don’t know it too.

There are ways to get better at fishing.

Fishing clubs are a great place to meet people, but I am not sure they are the best place to learn how to fish. Joining a club is about friendship and being with like

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Stuff that People Bring into the Bait Shop

minded people. Here is the best advice I can give you: Never say to a person in the club, ‘I would like to go fishing with you.’ OK, that part is ok, but here is where you are going to screw your self, Do Not add “... so you can show me where to go and how to catch fish.”

What you just told them is you are too cheap to hire someone to teach you to fish and your value of the person you are talking to is only about what they can do for you. Really not nice.

Going fishing together is about being with someone you enjoy and want to talk to and spend time with. This is the number one complaint from people who are asked to go fishing by someone. They feel you did not want to fish with them, that you only want a cheap charter.

As long as I am ranting, here is another thing; if you go fishing with someone, pay your share of the fuel. And NEVER leave the boat until it is cleaned and everything is put away. NEVER, no matter what, NEVER. Hiring a local guide and hoping they will show you where they catch fish and how they catch fish, is not really fair either. Some people go as far as hiding their g.p.s. in a bag to find out where the guides were taking them for fish. This may work in the Gulf, but on the flats, this could be an invitation to disaster since much of the flats quickly become less than one foot deep. Folks who come down here from someplace else with their boat and think

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FISH IN THE BAIT SHOP An old picture of Greg Medina bringing a fat cobia into Fishinʼ Franks in Port Charlotte and a picture from last month of of Jessie with a nice bass, at Fine Bait & Tackle in North Port.

they can go where a local Charter Captain on his boat goes on the flats... many times that approach will leave them high and dry on a sand bar. Learning flats fishing is knowing the boat and the depth of the water, otherwise you end up waiting for the tide to come in. Hire a Captain to take you out and catch fish and have fun, but not to try and find his spots to fish.

There are instructors available, people who go with you on your boat, show you where to look, what to look for and how

to catch fish. Often they will also show you how to better use your boat. For someone to teach you, the going rates are from $50 to $100 an hour. This is different than hiring a guide to catch fish.

One last thought: On Collecting Lures.

Our annual Tent Event Tackle Sale takes place this month on Saturday March 18. If you collect lures this will be a great time to have the owners, designers and lure manufacturers autograph a lure for you. Many of the industry’s biggest names will be here. This is a once in a mid-lifetime opportunity!

Frank@fishinfranks.com 941- 625-3888 239-634-1043

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Readerʼs Photos

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MARCH 2017

FISH PIX!

f r o m Wa t e r L I F E m a g a z i n e

Bill Olson gag grouper Boca Grande Pass

Robin Sprague - King Mackerel

Katie Holmes tricked this chunky bass to eat a June bug culprit worm. It was released as spunky as it came in.

Alex Bloom with a nice largemouth bass

Della catches a nice trout with Capt Rick

David Issac - Red Grouper

Nikki Coberly from Ohio caught and released this 34 inch snook in Lemon Bay.

Caloosahatchee River Snook

I know u said ʻno towelsʼ but thought u might want to see this John Gentry, Cape Coral

ABOUT NO TOWELS

Tom's 28 inch Red Grouper and a kingfish

Towles are fine on fish you are going to keep for dinner, but if you are releasing a fish please donʼt use towells since towells wipe off valuable fish-slime which keeps the fish healthy.

Txt Us Ur Fish Pix! see page 14 MARCH 2017

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PAGE 13

FISH PIX!

f r o m Wa t e r L I F E m a g a z i n e

Capt Dan Heck

Doug Bailey, Punta Gorda with a 45 lb Reef Donkey fishing with Captain Bob Mercier, Jersey Devil (not for hire)

Bill Kempf from Lafayette, IN. with his first ever AJ. Nice job Bill!

Doug Bailey from Michigan, now in Punta Gorda with a 30-pound AJ.

Capt Devon Collins

Caloosahatchee River Bass

Marshal Herring from Decatur Illinois sheeps head. Caught Cape Coral

Mark Hurtig 22-inch sheepshead off of Alligator Creek Reef and a 25-inch snook

Josh Herring from Decatur Illinois fishing in Cape Coral.

Maya's first fishing trip - a redfish!

Out of fisherman's Village on January 18.

Below Mya's first flounder

PAGE

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Readerʼs photos Txt Us Ur Fish Pix!

FISH PIX!

see below

MARCH 2017

f r o m Wa t e r L I F E m a g a z i n e

Pam Beekman, Off shore of Fort Myers

Bob Miller a permit off Stump Pass

Mary and Nathan Bale red grouper

Gary Reish and Snook at Henderson Creek, Naples

Charlotte Harbor Bull Shark, Chrissy Moesley

Tatiana Merunka. Thank you for placing her picture in Water Life. TOM Jakel

Mudfish or bowfin caught by Dale Werner in Fort Myers weighed over 5 pounds!

My first shark the Gulf of Mexico caught by Dale Werner

Txt Us Ur Fish Pix We like Fresh Fish so please donʼt send old photos.

We like the First Catch so donʼt send us fish if you are also sending the same fish to another publication, like for instance ... the Charlotte Sun

txt to:

One or two photos is all weʼll probably have room for.

Bigger is Better, higher resolution is best. Please donʼt adjust, crop or sharpen pictures.

No Towels on fish you are releasing! Hold ʻem with wet

Some Lane Snappers caught by Dale Werner

941 457 1316

hands and hold big fish you are releasing horizontally.

No Fishy Fish if you are not in the picture too, it may not make it to print.

No blatant Ads ... but if a Guide helped you, please say so.

Lane snapper caught by Captain Barry Nichols

store this number in your phone!

Txt to 941-457-1316 Be sure to include (at least) your name and type of fish (txt only, voice calls cannot be answered) You may also eMail pictures to: waterlife@comcast.net

Fish Pix t-shirt: $9 ... but your fish must make it into print! Weʼre still working on it!

MARCH 2017

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Readerʼs photos Txt Us Ur Fish Pix! see page 14

Dave Harper with a Naples canal bass

Ellis Salas, Redfish, Whidden Creek Placida 26"

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Mike Nowak 42-inch, 36-pound black drum. Caught and released 2-9-17, Port Charlotte Canal

PAGE 15

Sam Flores from Cape Coral Fl. My girlfriend Jessica and I after another great day of sheepshead fishing, at the bokeelia pier

Sonny Jones with a decent catch and release snook in skinny water at Turtle Bay

Rick Mahnke, nice Red Grouper, Thanks Capt Doug, Eldred's Marina

Randy's huge Porgie

John-Victor, Red Grouper

First sheepshead, caught in Tarpon Bay. Allen Hilton

Bill James with his first Florida sheepshead. 22.5 " 6.2 lb

Cody with a nice large mouth bass

RJ with a large mouth bass

$2 off any haircut!

Ryland Rogner with some nice trout

Charlotte Co. Approves Manatee Protection Plan PAGE

16

On The Line With Capt. Ron Blago Water LIFE Senior Staff

There were no crowds of outraged boaters and property owners at the Board of County Commissioner's (BCC) meeting last month; no representatives from the Save the Manatee Club, CCA, Standing Watch, or the Marine Manufactures Association, no one but me... the last man standing.

Things were different back in 2001 when over 800 people showed up to discuss Manatee Protection in Charlotte County. I remember one meeting when the sheriff was called to keep order. Now the chamber was pretty well deserted except for a few county staff members. I guess after 25 yeas of these meetings, the public has had enough of the manatee. I call it MFS - manatee fatigue syndrome. The issue before the Commissioners was whether to join the State's Manatee Protection Plan.

As I sat in the audience tying to summarize 20 years of experience into the 3 minutes I was allowed to speak, I realized that it was a hopeless task; the Commissioner's minds were already made up.

They were told that this plan was a good thing and one lone guy was not going to change their minds. I thought how ironic it was, that on that same day, the state released their latest manatee population survey showing another record year with 6,620 sighted in February – 370 more then they found last year! I couldn't understand why, with a steady increasing number of manatees, there was a need for a Manatee Protection Plan in Charlotte County. After all, there were only two watercraft related manatee deaths in the entire county last year. It seems to me that manatees were already safe in our county.

When it was my turn to speak, I asked the board to postpone their decision for 60 days until the Federal Fish and Wildlife Service approve the removal of the manatee from the endangered species list; after all they had spent six years putting this

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plan together, so what is a few more months. The Commissioners didn't see things that way and voted unanimously to approve the plan. You win some and you lose some.

I may be a little disappointed, but I'm not mad at the Commissioners, they are all good people trying to do the best job they can. These are not the faceless, back stabbing, power and money hungry bureaucrats in Tallahassee, these are local people we elected to look out for our best interest and I'm sure they did their due diligence before they voted on this plan.

I'm sure they talked to their fellow County Commissioners in Collier, Lee and Sarasota Counties who already have State run Manatee Protection Plans and found out the good and bad parts of the plan once it's in effect. I'm sure they all read the States “Handbook for Developing and Revising Manatee Protection Plans in Florida.” In that book it states that these plans are voluntary and in exchange for the signing up for the plan, the county can expect cooperation from Federal and State agency's when it comes to permitting certain waterfront development.

To me it seems that the bureaucrats have a great racket going: If Charlotte County signs on, the bureaucrats will provide protection and no one gets hurt. The State calls it growth management I call it extortion.

I hope the BCC read the chapter on “What is Needed before an existing, approved MPP can be revised” It looks like the County can't change the MPP without the Fed's and State's permission.

I’m sure the BCC read all 141 pages of the County MPP they voted to approve.

There were a lot of questions I never got answers to, but I'm sure the BCC had all their questions answered. For instance, if the MPP does not meet the expectations of Charlotte County can we back out of the deal ? I know the BCC were told that this plan will help with future permitting, so why does it say in the plan that if revisions are needed and take a prolonged amount of time it is possible that the Fed-

eral FWS or the State FWC will notify the county that permit reviews will revert back to a case by case basis until the MPP is revised and approved” that’s sec. 4.4.

What happens to the MPP when the manatee is removed from the endangered species list ? The plan states that the provisions of the plan stays in place even if the species is removed. The county even can't ask for a review unless the manatee is removed from the State endangered species list. Two governments, two sets of rules.

If the county does ask for a review, they are responsible for updating all the data in the plan including bi-monthly aerial population survey for a period of two years. The county must prove that any changes will not hurt any manatees (pg 116-117). To me, that's like having to prove you won't kill your neighbor before they will give you a permit to build a fence. That will be a hard thing to do.

Like most things in government, it comes down to money; who’s got it and who wants it. From the report on pg 118: Charlotte County will attempt to utilize funds from the WCIND, Florida Boating Improvement Program(FBIP) and the Boater Improvement Fund(BIF) . As a proud, long term member of Charlotte County Marine Advisory Committee

MARCH 2017

(MAC) I know that these are the very funds that the MAC manages for the use of improving boating in our county. Project such as Stump Pass, Burnt Store, Harbor Heights, Alligator Creek and South Gulf Cove dredging. The money is already spoken for. The MAC had no part in this MPP. The MAC did not write or review this plan nor were they asked for any suggestions or comments... nor were they asked to vote on the merits of the plan. As a matter of fact, the MAC was totally bypassed and kept in the dark over this plan.

I myself didn't learn about this plan until June of last year. Yet they will come to the MAC for boater’s money to fund it.

Like I said, I'm not mad with the County Commissioners, or the Federal or State regulators; after all I'm old, I have my house on the water, my dock and my boat. I already have to go through both a Federal and State manatee slow zone to reach Lemon Bay which itself is a manatee zone. How much worse can it be ?

I'll leave it to others to carry on the good fight. To the next generation I say you should be able to trust your Federal, State and Local officials, after all they’re from the government and they’re here to help. Now I’m going fishing. Don’t say I didn’t try to warn you. captRonB@juno.com

MARCH 2017

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Harvesting Shellfish during Red Tide

By Capt. Betty Staugler Water Life / Sea Grant

It has been a bad year for red tide throughout southwest Florida. The bloom we’ve been experiencing started last year around September and has persisted since.

Blooms lasting this long are not unheard of and actually scientists have recently made some correlations between severity and duration of red tide blooms and the position of the loop current. That’s interesting stuff, but what I really want to talk about is why you shouldn’t harvest shellfish for consumption during a red tide bloom. Seems like a no brainer I know, but sadly it’s been happening a lot during this particular bloom.

Red tide is an example of a Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB), which results from higher than normal growth of a tiny singlecelled dinoflagellate algae.

Worldwide there are several algal species that can cause red, yellow, brown, and even green tide events. The species typically responsible for red tide blooms off Florida’s Gulf Coast and other parts of the Gulf of Mexico is Karenia brevis. K. brevis naturally occurs in Gulf waters, but when conditions are favorable it can reproduce very quickly through cell division (every 48-120 hrs.) creating what we refer to as a bloom.

Red tide produces a neurotoxin that paralyzes the gills of fish and causes death due to lack of oxygen. Slow moving fish and bottom dwellers are most susceptible, but all fish are vulnerable depending upon the severity and duration of the bloom. Red tide toxins can affect invertebrates such as shrimp and crabs, but the extent is not well defined. Bivalve species such as oysters and clams can accumulate high concentrations of the red tide toxin and then filter the toxins from their systems after three to six

weeks, but they are still vulnerable to mortality as red tide events often result in low dissolved oxygen levels when the red tide cells and other marine organisms die. Marine mammals can be particularly susceptible to red tide events as toxins can be directly inhaled or consumed with aquatic

RECENT EVENTS: A dead manatee at Placida and a Lee County shoreline littered with dead fish.

Photos by:Capt. Chris ONeill

plants.

Finfish are safe to eat when caught during a red tide event as long as they are caught live and filleted. Crabs and shrimp are also okay to eat because the toxins are not absorbed into the edible tissues of these animals. It is not safe to eat bivalves (clams, mussels or oysters) from areas affected by red tide. Shellfish can accumulate high concentration of brevetoxins, and when eaten, may cause Neurotoxic Shellfish Poisoning (NSP) resulting in serious gastrointestinal distress and neurological symptoms which include tingling of ex-

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tremities and sensation reversal (cold feels hot and vice versa).

To legally harvest shellfish in Florida, a few conditions apply. First, you must have a valid Florida fishing license and you must abide by any size, bag, and season requirements. This part of the harvesting equation is managed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). Next, you must harvest from an area that is classified as approved, or conditionally approved for shellfish harvesting. Shellfish harvesting areas (SHAs) are classified by the State of Florida’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACs). Finally, you must ensure that the SHA you are harvesting from is open. Again FDACs is your source. Areas classified conditionally approved are periodically closed to harvesting based on pollution events, such as rainfall or increased river flow.

SHAs are also closed during red tide events when water samples collected and analyzed by a certified laboratory are determined to not meet water quality standards. Even after water quality standards are met, shellfish may not be harvested until an assessment of shellfish meat reach Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and State approval guidelines.

FDACs closes shellfish beds in red tide areas quickly and will not reopen them until the shellfish are safe to eat. To check the status of shellfish beds visit: http://shellfish.floridaaquaculture.com/seas/seas_ statusmap.htm. SHAs can open and close daily.

Most of the SHAs in southwest Florida are closed and have been since last fall. Lower Tampa Bay, a portion of Pine Island Sound, Matlacha Pass, and the Ten Thousand Islands were open when I wrote this (their status may have changed), all other areas were still closed.

Cooking does not destroy the red tide brevetoxin that causes NSP. The controls in place for dealing with red tide have resulted in no documented cases of NSP from Florida farm raised shellfish over the period of record. There have however been documented cases of NSP in persons who have recreationally harvested clams (and other shellfish) during SHA closures.

Capt. Betty Staugler, Florida Sea Grant Agent.

UF/IFAS Extension, Charlotte County (941) 764-4346

PAGE 17

My Road to Boston

Charlotte Countyʼs Sea Grant agent, Capt. Betty Staugler, is a runner .... a pretty serious runner.

This summer, in Eugene Oregon, Betty qualified as a competitor in the 2017 Boston Marathon.

Weʼve asked Betty to share her preparations leading up to the race in April. This is the third of her monthly reports.

Only seven weeks left. Iʼm starting to get pumped up now. Itʼs been a long road. Getting to Boston is hard. Most running races you just register and pay, much like participating in a local fishing tournament. But to run Boston, you have to run a qualifying race, and with a time fast enough based on your age and gender. Then you get to apply. Every application is verified before being accepted (sadly people cheat to get there) and because more people apply than they can take, slower runners get left behind. I never really thought I could run fast enough, but here I am seven weeks from running my first Boston Marathon! This month I will get my corral assignment, yep just like cattle. Boston lets runners out in waves of about 7,000. Each wave is then broken into several corrals.

Fastest runners up front go first, followed by slower runners. The entire process of getting all 30,000 runners on the course will take a couple hours.

MARATHON TRACKING Editor notes* Betty is waiting for her ʻbib numberʼ the number she will wear when running. With that number you can download the Boston Marathon app and track her progress on race day. Weʼll have it for you, next month.

PAGE

18

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MARCH 2017

Trout at Hoagen Key

By Bob Fraser Water LIFE Paddlesports I wasn’t sure how my kayak fishing charter was going to go today because of the red tide. Last Friday I saw two fish floating in the water. The water wasn’t crystal clear like it usually is in Gasparilla Sound.

Two guys from Pittsburg, Pa. booked me for a 4 hour kayak fishing trip today.

We launched the kayaks at the 19th street public parking area on Boca Grande.

When the wind is coming from the east, this is a good place to kayak, because Hoagen Key offers protection from the east wind if you get close enough to the island.

We fished live shrimp under a Cajun Thunder popping cork. We arrived a few hours after low tide. We had to paddle around to find deep enough water to fish.

This area is very low until the tide comes in.

The guys from Pittsburg were experienced fishermen and kayakers, so I didn’t have to give them much instruction. We did talk about fishing “pot holes” or patches of sand, on the grass flats. Most people fish the edges of theses areas by casting over them and bringing the bait across edges and through the sandy area.

We started out catching several small trout that we threw back. Then one of the guys caught a 15-inch trout that we kept.

About an hour later one of the guys landed an 18- and 19-inch trout within 5to 10-minutes of each other, in about 2 1/2 feet of water on the grass flats.

We tried fishing some docks in the area in hopes of redfish or sheepshead... we managed a keeper sheepshead and a few small snapper.

Overall it was a good day, and the guys visiting from the cold NE went home happy.

Bob Fraser 941-916-8303 www.bobmfraser.com Speaker & Author, Business & Marketing Consultant

MARCH 2017

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We Made it Through Winter!

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I said it!

By Capt. David Stephens Water LIFE Charlotte Harbor It was very hard for me to say ‘we made it through winter,’ but I said it. I feel comfortable saying we are now in our seasonal warming trend.

Springtime on Charlotte Harbor is without a doubt one of the greatest times

nature has rung the dinner bell, and the snook will be hungry.

The rivers will be one of the top locations on my list to locate hungry fish.

During the winter, snook sneak out to deeper water for warmth so it only makes sense to fish close to these areas. Deep water will be the key to locating hungry

a little time however.

One of the easiest ways is looking for the diving birds. Pelicans and terns.

of the year. I know we don’t compare to the action of winters up north when it comes to weather. We’ve heard all about the big snow banks, and the fishing through frozen water. All I have to say is it can’t be that great, because they’re all down here telling me about it!

What I do know is that when the Harbor water temperatures get above 70 degrees, some of the best fishing happens right here.

The last couple months, one of our top game fish has been laying low, just waiting for this time of year. Well folks, if you are like me and love fishing for snook, spring time is one of the best times of year.

For the last couple months these guys have been eating just enough to keep them going through the winter, but now Mother

fish.

Also look for good tidal flow, moving water will also be key to finding feeding fish in the depths.

The flats and mangrove islands will now become feeding grounds for schools of hungry fish. On the higher tides look for snook around mangrove shorelines, especially on the points that have moving water. These are great ambush areas for feeding fish.

On the lower tides, pot holes will hold good numbers of fish. When trying to locate snook in these areas, try to locate them close to the mangroves. The least amount of energy they have to exert for the next meal the better for them.

Live bait is moving into the Harbor now and will be the bait of choice this time of year. Locating live bait might take

Feeding birds will generally lead you to bait. Just remember, if you are in the company of other anglers trying to catch bait, be considerate. If we work together it will make for a better experience for everyone.

PAGE 19

If you would like to experience some of Southwest Florida’s finest fishing give us a call, or send us an email. All of our charters are private and customized to fit you and your party’s needs. Capt. Dave Stephens, 941-916-5769 www.backbayxtremes.com

PAGE

20

EDGEWATER DRIVE the NEVER ENDING PROJECT

Our cartoonist Ron Bates is from Michigan.

He called to share an interesting fact. The Mackina Bridge in Michigan, he said, was built during the 1970s when such construction technology was significantly less evolved than it is today. The bridge was built over the course of three years. It was built rain or shine, winter and summer, in heat or ice storms ... and of course it was built over the water so a lot of the work was done from boats and barges. Ron pointed out that at 3 miles the bridge is a mile longer than the Edgewater Drive Expansion Project AND IT TOOK THE SAME LENGTH OF TIME (3 YRS) TO COMPLETE. On the Edgewater Drive project, most of the curbing and center islands are in, between the Sunrise Waterway and Harbor Blvd. The road bed is going down now and paveing should begin soon.

Across from Port Charlotte Blvd, it looks like they are getting the limestone subbase from several borrow pits they have dug on open land south of the road. This should become a park once they have taken what they want.

Edgewater at Harbor, on 2/25 looking towards the Sunrise Waterway bridge. Below: The borrow pit across from Port Charlotte Blvd.

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Charlotte Harbor Regatta

The Hobie 16 winning crew was William Jeffers and Sherry Smith

By Peter Welch Water LIFE Sailing The 8th running of the Charlotte Harbor Regatta took place February 3, 4 and 5. This annual event hosted 47 boats in 7 classes on two race circles. Racers came from as far away as Canada, with New Jersey, South Carolina and Georgia competing with local entries representing Florida’s West coast.

Each race circle had inner and outer courses to expedite starting and scoring of multiple fleets. Unlike last year’s event, the wind was light and fickle and taxed the skills of racers and race management teams alike.

The multi hull boats completed six races over three days on the south course and the mono hull boats completed three races over two days. In some cases, this was accomplished by shortening the course when the wind diminished after a fair wind start.

Sunday started with a dense fog that delayed getting boats positioned for over one hour. Then the remainder of the day had very light wind. The previous year’s event had almost too much wind.

Either condition requires great

skill.

The multi hull boats competed on the longer south course and launched from the beach of the Charlotte Beach Park.

Hobie 16s had 15 entries with the two top performers coming from New Jersey.

The F18 boats had 9 entries, six of them were also here for a performance clinic prior to the races. The two top finishers were local racers as were the F16s.

The north course was close to the launch site for the 2.4 meter boats to minimize wave potential on their low freeboard boats.

Canada’s Bruce Millar and Peter Eagar were first and second. Local 2.4M builder Tony Pocklington was third.

The surprise of the event was the explosion in participation of Harbor 20 class boats. From one boat on the harbor two years ago to 13 in the regatta this year, 3 from South Carolina and 10 locally owned.

Currently these boats are sailed non spinnaker with a small jib.

The class rule mandates sitting inside the cockpit. These rules dictate good strategy and tactics rather than athletics and an exten-

MARCH 2017

photos by Fran Nasher Burstein

The H20 winning crew was Kevin Keogh and Marvin Carlson

The 2.4 winner was Bruce Millar

sive sail inventory and encourages women to be fully competitive.

The self tacking jib also supports safe single handed sailing. The features of Cat rigged work boats of more than 70 years ago still have merit today !

MARCH 2017

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SCUTTLEBUTT

PAGE 21

Sometimes Unsubstanciated, But Often True

ISLANDS IN THE SUN The French Polynesian government has signed an agreement with the nonprofit organization The Seasteading Institute to cooperate

on creating legal framework for the development of a floating island.

The Minister of Housing and the governmentʼs official spokesperson, travelled to San Francisco in January to sign the agreement on behalf of President Edouard Fritch.

KAYAK SUP CANOE LICENSE The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has issued a report on the risks associated with the shared use of Americaʼs waterways by recreational and commercial vessels, saying the U.S. Coast Guard should require recreational boaters on U.S. navigable waterways to complete a safety course. This would include kayaks, paddleboards and canoes. The growth of both commercial and recreational vessel traffic during the last several decades is seen as a significant risk factor. The number of canoers, kayakers and standup paddleboarders increased by nearly 22 percent between 2008 and 2014. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, 4,158 recreational boating accidents were reported in 2015. These accidents resulted in 626 deaths, 2,613 injuries, and approximately $42 million in property damage.

Compared to 2014, the number of accidents increased 2.3 percent, the number of deaths increased 2.6 percent, and the number of injuries decreased 2.4 percent.

RE-CHECK YOUR NAVIGATION PLEASE This fall a high-tech ocean vessel powered by sun, wind and sea will start a six year voyage around the world. The voyage is designed to showcase the efficiency and performance of

FWC staff deploying artificial (plastic) fish attractors into Lake Griffin.

WE DID THIS Crustaceans from the deepest ocean trenches have been found to contain ten times more industrial pollution than the average earthworm. A study has uncovered the first evidence that man-made pollutants have now reached the deepest parts of the ocean.

Sampling amphipods from the Pacific Oceanʼs Mariana and Kermadec trenches - which are over six miles deep and 4,300 miles apart - researchers found extremely high levels of persistent organic pollutants in the organismʼs fatty tissue. These include polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) which are commonly used as electrical insulators and flame retardants. From the 1930s to when PCBs were banned in the 1970s, the total global production of these chemicals was in the region of 1.3million tons.

hydrogen as a fuel in hostile environments, such as at sea. The vessel employs three different types of photovoltaic panels covering a surface of 130 square meters, there are two vertical axis wind turbines, one traction kite and two reversible electric motors for hydrogenation. The boat has the backing of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) The vessel press release said it “is expected to make a symbolic stop on the Hudson at the foot of the United Nations Headquarters.” Editor notes ** this will be an especially noteworthy stop since the United Nations Headquarters is on the East River, on the other side of Manhattan Island!

FARM RAISED BLUEFIN TUNA Since 2002, researchers at Kindai University in Japan have raised Pacific Bluefin tuna completely in captivity, the first group in the world to do so. The process is called full-cycle aquaculture, it is raising fish in captivity to harvest size.

They now produce about 80 tons of Bluefin tuna a year. Roughly 40,000 tons of Bluefin tuna are consumed in Japan alone every year.

BAR RELATED FWC officers and investigators responded to a single-vessel boating accident that occurred on the Peace River. The vessel was traveling on plane when it struck a sand bar, causing the subjects to be ejected.

One subject was struck by the propeller and was transported to a local hospital with serious injuries. This is an ongoing boating accident investigation.

OPERATOR FATAL ERROR FWC officers and investigators responded to a single-vessel, personal watercraft accident that occurred on a lake in Cape Coral. The vessel was traveling on plane, towing a passenger on an inflatable, tube-like device. The passenger fell off of the tube shortly before the vessel and operator collided with a fixed object. The operator was unresponsive and taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. This is an ongoing boating accident investigation.

SHOULD HAVE USED A DRIVER FWC officers and investigators responded to an alligator bite incident at a golf and country club in northern Fort Myers. The subject was golfing near a pond when he was bitten on the right foot by an alligator. The subject was able to hit the alligator with his golf club, which caused it to release his foot and get away. The subject sought medical treatment for his injury. This is an ongoing alligator bite investigation.

MORE BAD BOATING FWC officers and investigators responded to a boating accident which occurred in a small pond. When officers arrived on scene, it was determined that a male subject died from injuries after colliding with a dock. Officers coordinated with local authorities and hospital staff to determine the cause of the accident.

SMURF-BLUE BACKSTRAP Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller has approved the use of pesticides in the state of Texas when targeting wild pigs. Warfarin, the same drug found in rat poison, can now be used as hog bait. Texas claims Warfarin has been studied extensively in animals and is practically non-toxic to birds. Due to the insolubility of Warfarin in water, there should be no impact to aquatic life. Non-target wildlife, livestock and domestic pets would have to ingest extremely large quantities over the course of several days to reach a toxic level of Warfarin in the bloodstream. Hogs that have consumed Warfarin bait will have blue dye present in the fatty tissues as soon as 24 hours after ingestion. The dye builds up in the fatty tissue, so the more bait the hog has consumed, the brighter blue the tissues will be. This is supposed to signal hunters that the hog has ingested the bait. Blue dye is present in the fat directly underneath the skin as well as in the fat deposits surrounding organs and in the liver. All will take on the characteristic blue tint of the dye, which serves as a visual indicator of bait ingestion.

Editor notes** We Donʼt Make This Stuff Up!

The new, narrow, single boat ramp on McCall Rd in Englewood, across from Gulf Coast Hardware.

They really did a nice job with this little park.

PAGE

22

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MARCH 2017

March – Predictions and Suggestions

Charlotte Harbor Frank at Fishin’ Franks

941-625-3888

BackBay Xtremes Capt Dave Stephens www.backbayxtremes.com

941-916-5769

I'm a local angler from Fort Myers Florida, I specialize mostly in shoreline big and small game fish. I hooked into this 19" sheepshead at around 12:00pm on 2/8 using shrimp, a 1/0 hook and 30-pound leader off the pylons. My setup was a 6-foot Penn Squadron II Rod married to a Penn Battle II 5000 with 30-pound Power Pro braided line.

This is my personal record sheepshead I figured I'd share it with anglers around the State and Country! This truly is a remarkable and rare catch at this size.

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Fish With A Guide!

Red tide has been out in the Gulf, but there’s not any in the Harbor yet. All it took was one good wind out of the west to blow it onto the beach and it still hasn’t left. We’ve had a long stretch of red tide this time.

If you’re looking for Spanish mackerel, look for them around Marker No. 2, at the Alligator Creek Reef, the Cape Haze Reef or out in front of Cape Haze.

The best way to find mackerel is to troll with a flashy lure on one side, something like a Storm twitch stick, and a bass spinner bait on the other side. You gotta use a spinner that’s 1/4-ounce in weight or heavier. I like the chartreuse and white, silver and willow bladed one. The

Youʼll catch more fish and youʼll learn something new, every time!

Samuel DeLand of North Star Ohio, with his first ever catch and release bass. Looking on are sister Maggie and brother Charlie. I hope you can use the picture in your publication. I enjoy looking at the pictures you always have. Thanks! Glenn DeLand

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Speak Easy Fishing Charters Captain Joe Angius USCG licensed & Insured Phone: (727)

234-3171

speakeasyfishing.com

speakeasyfishing@gmail.com

thing about the spinnerbait is that it will remain vertical in the water column and not twist your line up so you still get the flashing and vibration of a spoon, but you gotta troll a little slower or it will jump out of the water. Try a 3/8ounce bleeding bait, it has a nice red strip, looks like blood and fish will hit that.

Clark makes a mackerel duster rig, a spoon with a jig, but I still like the bass spinner bait better because I don’t think you’ll lose them as easily. I tie my braided line right to it, I don’t even bother with a leader – if I have 20-pound braid or more. Just tie it right to the spinner bait.

Once you find the mackerel, I’d have a bunch of smaller inexpensive spoons with a small, black, steel leader on them ready to cast.

The Gator spoons at $3 each are a good bet. Use the 1/4or 3/8- ounce ones. What you’re looking for, for mackerel, is the cheapest spoon you can get and an 18- to 24inch black wire leader with a snap. You don’t want silver, the black leaders don’t get chewed on as much as the silver. With silver, the fish start eating at the swivels and then they chew through your line.

Pompano are at the mouth of Bull and Turtle Bay. There are few on the bar on the west side of the Harbor too.

Trout is picking up again.

I am hearing stories of big keeper trout on the east side, at Turtle Bay and off Jug Creek Shoals. At Turtle Bay, that’s where a poppin cork is a necessity for trout, but it’s a 50-50 shot with a MR 17 or a D.O.A. which are just as good everywhere else.

MARCH 2017

Fishing Report continued

ONLINE EVERY MONTH @

The BIG-4 TROUT Lemon Bay and the southern Pine Island Sound

We’re seeing good things with redfish in Gasparilla Sound, at Pine Island Sound and at the Captiva Rocks. The fish are on the flats up toward the islands. Live shrimp or stinky dead shrimp are the bait now.

The old Sebille blood red amber lure has also been kicking redfish-ass. Years ago that lure used to be the hottest lure we had and now they are popular again. On the west side, redfish are more scattered, on the east side they are simply harder to find... with all the islands and mangroves. There have been schools of reds south of Matlacha and some north around Ice House No. 2. It’s a good, but not the greatest year ever, on redfish Snook? You should be able to accomplish that. On the east side they are under the mangroves, look for branches overhanging.

At Turtle Bay they have been on the beach next to Eagle Cut. At Bull Bay, snook were on the western inside shoreline. To the south, snook are at the mouth of Caloosahatchee, the right side is snook heaven down there right now. Up here, first thing in the morning seems to be a great time for snook at the Placida Pier, but you have to let your bait sink to the bottom at Placida. There have been a few reports of snook along the beaches, but not a lot with the red tide.

Sheepshead are on the near shore reefs, it’s been been pretty good there, but sheepshead are sporadic hit-or-miss at the Placida and El Jo trestles. Those fish move inshore to spawn and then move back offshore to live, that’s what going on now.

Bass are good in the Cape Coral, Northport and Port Charlotte canals, in that order.

The guys seem to like to fish spinnerbaits on the clear days and frogs on the cloudy days.

Crappie fishing has slowed down to hit-ormiss but there are still some nice fish.

March

WWW.WATERLIFEMAGAZINE.COM

Fish you can expect in

REDFISH East side of the Harbor and Pine Island Sound

BASS On their beds now.

Good at Lake O

SNOOK moving onto the flats more and more

PAGE 23

Nearshore Temps high 60s to low 70s warmer as you go further offshore

95˚ 90˚

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

85˚

Bill Mercier, from San Diego with a nice AJ..

Lemon Bay - Placida Jim at the Fishermen’s Edge 941-697-7595

Been a lot of sheepshead fishing going on at the trestles and reefs. Out front, Novak Reef is good. The red tide is keeping people off some spots, but the Gulf is still giving up snapper, grouper and some spanish. Guys tell me they have caught cobia offshore and they are doing pretty good on mangs, porgys, lane and vermillion snapper.... all the reef fish are biting well. I’ve seen picFISH tures of Banded rudderfish and some nice African Pompamo; they had some really big ones from 40 miles out, but some guys are catching them closer in.

We’ve also seen AJs 40- to 60-pounds caught using big blue runners for baits. Inshore, Lemon Bay has been skunky with the red tide still moving around. Most of the inshore fishing is in Charlote Harbor. Placida has been pretty good too, with a lot of snook.

The bigger trout are down south and the guys are on to them. There have been big trout over at Pine Island, fish over 20 inches, some over 6-pounds, big fat ones!

80˚

75˚

PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

72˚ 70˚ 68˚

Chrissy Moesley, Northport Bass

50˚ 45˚

FISHING RIGHT NOW:

Good

FISH PIX!

from Water LIFE magazine

Caught this in a back canal of Harbour Heights on a Johnson sprite, my first snook! Shelly

The recreational harvest season for snook, reopened March 1 in Floridaʼs Gulf of Mexico state and adjacent federal waters. The season will be open through April 30.

Anglers may keep one snook per day that is not less than 28 inches or more than 33 inches, measured from the most forward point of the head to the farthest tip of the tail with the tail compressed while the fish is lying on its side. A snook permit is required to keep snook, along with a saltwater fishing license unless exempt.

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MARCH 2017