Water LIFE May 2012

Wa t e r LIFE Charlotte Charlotte Harbor Harbor and and Lemon Lemon Bay Bay Keeping Boaters & Fishermen Informed Since 1997

The official publication of the Charlotte Harbor Reef Association

May

2012

Tarpon in the Pass!

Harbor bait for Harbor fish page 6

Still Quality Redfish Around page 10

e Peopl here e m o c ch t a c o t fish 5 Page

w w w. W a t e r L I F E m a g a z i n e . c o m Online every month!

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Dogs Having a Ball

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May 2012

Open Water Vi ews

Burnt S tore Mari na

Call the Captain! LAKEFRONT POOL HOME!

Custom built, 4 bedrooms, 4 baths, den, with over 3400 sq.ft. Beautiful kitchen with gorgeous designer granite, rich wood cabinetry, island and SS appliances. In the prestigious boating and golfing community of Burnt Store Marina. Nearly 1/2 acre of property. $549,999

Pi rate Harbor

Cal l t h e Cap t ai n ! OPEN HARBOR WATER VIEWS ovesized seawalled waterfront lot. Approximatley 157 ft. complete with dock. Beautiful westward views of artfull sunsets. Nearly 1/2 acre, ready to build on, secluded yet easy to reach downtown activities. $399,000

Punta Gorda Isl es

Call the Captain! INTERSECTING CANAL

VIEWS Only $249,000 for this beautiful 3/2/2 pool home with great canal views, quick harbor access.

This home is in move in condition with many updates!

SOLD!

Gul f Cove

200' Waterfront Lot!

Cal l t h e Cap t ai n ! BEAUTIFUL PUNTA GORDA waterfront community, immediate access to Charlotte Harbor with no bridges! Only 20 minute boat ride to the Gulf, secluded location with gorgeous homes nearby.

Harbor estuary views from dock! $139,000

SOLD

Call the Captain! OVER 1 ACRE with additional 30'x40' 4 car garage! 3/2/2 pool home is perfect to store your boat and launch in minutes at the community boat ramp. Over 500 ft. of vinyl fenced property and has a large concrete pad area, stamped concrete driveway and pool deck. RV Parking, Close to beach $265,000

Call the Captain! ELEGANT PUNTA GORDA

Call the Captain! 3400 SQ FT GARAGE with this

beautiful 3 bdrm 2 bath waterfront home built to commercial standards. Huge 900 sf porch over looks water, 65 ft. concrete dock & lifts. Garage has 14' ceilings & 2 double doors. $399,000

Call the Captain! INCREDIBLE OPEN WATER VIEWS of Charlotte Harbor! Rare tip lot sold with the lot next to it. Combined waterfrontage of approximately 262 ft. Located in a protected open water estuary. Immediate access to Charlotte Harbor for world class fishing and boating pleasure. Seawall already constructed. $750,000

PENDING!

ISLES waterfront townhome with deeded dock. 3/2.5/2 with 2142 square feet under air with beautiful water views. List $274,900

Punta Gorda

Call the Captain! WATERFRONT LOT WITH HD BOAT LIFT! No bridges to the Harbor or Gulf. Beautiful homes, sailboats and sport-fishing boats.

Immediate access to Charlotte Harbor. This property has city water and sewer! $99,700

Call the Captain! FOUR BEDROOM PUNTA GORDA ISLES POOL HOME full 3 car garage! 114 ft of seawall with a 90 ft. dock, deep sailboat water, heated pool gourmet kitchen, 3 sinks, wall oven, wine fridge, large center island, brick paver lanai. $589,000

Call the Captain! CUSTOM BUILT WATER-

Call the Captain! LAKE FRONT HOME! Stunningly beautiful, ‘2007’, 4/4/3 with over 3,400 sq. ft. of living space. Prestigious Burnt Store Marina, rich wood cabinetry, island kitchen, stainless steel appliances. $549,999

Call the Captain!

Incredible waterfront lot, southern exposure, minutes to harbor situated amongst beautiful homes and walking distance to Fisherman's Village. Incredible price $159,000!!

Call the Captain! CUSTOM BUILT WATERFRONT INCREDIBLE WIDE OPEN WATER VIEW! Recently remodeled with high end appointments. Over sized lot, 5 min. to open water. Dock, boat lift, elevator, huge RV parking under cover. $499,900

Call the Captain! GULF ACCESS LOT in Burnt Store Isles. Deed restricted community of fine waterfront homes. 80 feet of waterfront with seawall already in place. No bridges to the open water of Charlotte Harbor for excellant fishing and boating. $125,000

Call the Captain! CUSTOM BUILT LAKEFRONT POOL HOME! Deep Creek, 3/2, 2,000+ sq. ft.

Numerous upgrades, cultured marble vanity, dual sinks and garden tub in master, Too much more to list here!

White hurricane storm panels, bevel cut glass entry.

Wired for surround sound. Built in 2007. $249,900

Call the Captain! IMMACULATE GOLF

Punta Gorda Isl es

FRONT POOL HOME Immaculate condition! Very deep water immediate access.Updated kitchen, painted inside and out. Paver driveway, dock has water and electric. $339,000

PENDING!

Call the Captain! OVERSIZED LOT IN casual

waterfront community of Pirate Harbor with approx.

120 ft. of waterfront. Enjoy grand saltwater fishing in your back yard when you build your dream home on this lot. $99,000

Punta Gorda

SOLD

Punta Gorda Isl es

Punta Gorda

Pi rate Harbor

Punta Gorda

COURSE HOME! This 3/2.5/2 pool home with over 2,000sfAir is located on the fifth hole of the Twin Isles Golf Club. Immaculate $244,900

May 2012

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May 2012

Inshore and Offshore Headquarters

Letters to WaterLIFE@comcast.net The Rest of Charlotte County

(941) 766-8180

Mail: 217 Bangsberg Rd.

Gorda

© Harry Thomas, April 2012

Dear Water LIFE I've never been spear fishing, but I'm fairly sure this isn't how it's done...

Ken OʼLeary, Bonita Beach

Port Charlotte, FL 33952

TOTALLY INDEPENDENT

Not affiliated with any other publication Vol XI No 5 © 2012

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No part of this publication (printed or electronic) may be copied or reproduced without specific written permission from the publisher.

Contributing Editors:

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

on the COVER:

Erin Foley, her dad and grandfather were all out with Capt Tadd VanDermark for tarpon fishing at Boca Grande, last month. See page 5

Water LIFE My buddy, Josh Still, took this picture off Apalachicola, FL. Probably the work of a shark.

I am not sure if you know it, but there are 3-4 FL counties that have Gag open right now - up to 9 miles offshore.

Capt. Glen Ballinger, Venice

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“Like a good day on the water”

May 2012

Message to the Charlotte County Commissioners:

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The Harbor Will Set You Free

By Mi chael Hel l er Water LIFE editor Numerous counties have baseball, but there is only one Charlotte Harbor, the most pristine working estuary in the USA, an asset that could easily be promoted into a money making drawing card for Charlotte County.

Why don’t you commissioners see that?

Every month I get pictures of visiting kids fishing and children with the little Harbor creatures they like to discover and examine. And of course there is the fishing. Fishing is what we are known for.

I myself take a lot of pictures of happy families and happy kids fishing. Often they are multiple generation familys fishing with local captains, like Erin Foley and her dad and grandfather from New York (photo here and P1). They came here to fish. Visiting fishermen are ambassadors of good will for Charlotte County. The county should capitalize on this but so far you haven’t.

It’s almost as if there was an underlying sentiment of we should keep the Harbor for ourselves. Is that it?

I found out last week that your main thrust for tourism in the coming year will be attracting people to Charlotte County from around Florida, and that you will do this with a new website. It just makes sense that our tourism website should highlite the Harbor above all else and should promote our fishing as the main attraction here. Fishing and a strong potential ecotourism related industry is what Charlotte County has to offer into the future and it all revolves around the Harbor.

The first time the home screen of the new Charlotte Tourism website opens on a viewer’s desktop it must look and feel like Charlotte Harbor. We’ve all seen the wonder in the eyes of visiting children when they get out

12 year old Erin Foley came here with her family from New Rochelle NY, to fish with Capt Tadd VanDemark in Boca Grande Pass last month. This was her first tarpon. They will be back.

on the water here – to them we are Disneyland in real life. Jumping mullet, rolling dolphins and manatees, rays and fish...lots of fish swimming by... and sharks and alligators and eagles and turtles.... “Better than Sea World,” a friend’s daughter said when we took her out for the first time and a school of rays swam under the boat.

That’s the feeling your tourism website needs.

I met with our tourism director, Lorah Steiner, last month. “You have to see Bull and Turtle Bay, the East Side Keys and the West Wall. You have to get the feel of what it’s like poling into a little creek at sunrise and watching the fish feed. You need to stand knee deep in the water, and look around.” I offered to show her.

Page 5

You have to know these places to build a better website. I told her. I hope she takes me up on my offer.

The Harbor is the one thing we have that is unique, baseball is not unique. Punta Gorda is not unique –getting nicer yes, unique, I don’t think so.

You have to involve the right people in the website design. I’ve asked several times to see examples of other tourism websites that Charlotte County would like to emulate, but I have not been shown any. Have you?

You are about to build a County image that will be going into the future, at least I hope you are. Talk with your county Sea Grant agent Betty Staugler. She and the University of Florida will give you good advice about the Harbor and capitalizing on environmental tourism.

The careful monitoring of our estuary and the scientific tracking of our inshore fishery that is already taking place could easily be part of the interest that Charlotte Harbor holds for visitors. We’ve seen this already with our own redfish tracking project. Anglers are interested in fishery science and they are anxious to participate.

Fishermen like challenges... you have to think like a fisherman to catch fishermen. Promote what we have.

You are going to get pressure from all sides. A website, equally balanced with sailing and kayaking and jet skis and pontoon boats and whatever else, all equal, is not the plan. Certainly we need all those things, but I can’t stress too much, we are the only County that has anything like Charlotte Harbor. People come here to experience what we have and it is the pristine estuary that they always leave with memories and pictures they can get from nowhere else. We shouldn’t tell people to come here to take advantage of our good nature, we should start telling them come and respect it and be a part of it, enjoy it and learn about it. And we should tell them to bring their kids! Kids love what we have here.

The key is going to be giving visitors something to do, something more than walking around downtown Punta Gorda. Work with your local guides, develop a plan, promote the Harbor – and Floridians will come.

Harbor Baits

Page 6

By Capt. David Stephens Water LIFE Inshore There are many different types of natural baits that are popular among the fisherman in Charlotte Harbor, and many different opinions on what is the best. The choices range from live sardines to cut bait.

Water temperature and times of the year play a huge part in bait selection, what species of fish you are targeting also makes a big difference. By far the most popular are scaled sardines, AKA Pilchards and sometimes white bait, although white bait is more traditionally a Spanish sardine, scaled sardine or threadfin herring. Sardines can be found from spring till fall on most of our local flats. The preferred method of catching these little guys is to anchor up and chum them to the boat and cast net them. It seems these days every-

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dot

Scaled Sardine

one has their own secret chum recipe.

Once you have located some bait on the flats you want to position yourself so the tide takes the chum to the bait school and start chumming. Before long the smell of a free meal will bring them to you. I highly recommend this method even though some people try to run up on the schools and throw their nets. They get a few, but only break up the schools and make it more difficult for themselves and for everyone else.

If you have made any trips across the harbor I’m sure

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Scaled Sardine

no dot

There are two sardines in Charlotte Harbor. The Scaled Sardine (two photos at left) have a small black dot.

The Spanish Sardine, below, is thinner and has no black dot.

Some local guides prefer the Spanish Sardine for live bait fishing, but they are harder to find.

Spanish Sardine

Threadfin Herring

you have noticed the big schools of bait dimpling the surface. These are most likely threadfin herring and look very similar to sardines, however they will not come to chum. Herring are very good bait and most popular for tarpon.

Pinfish is also a very popular bait during the summer months . Like the sardines they can be chummed to you and cast netted.

Cast nets come in many lengths, weights and mesh sizes. On the flats I would recommend an 8-10 foot net with a mesh size of 3/8 or ¼ inch depending on the size of bait. Out in the deeper water in the harbor you will need a fairly heavy net with a slightly larger mesh size that will sink faster. I use Black Pearl cast nets, they are

Pinfish

a high quality net that I can depend on. (editor notes: shameless plug!) Any of the local tackle shops can fit you with the net that will fit your needs, just be sure to explain what you are planning to catch.

During the hottest of months alot of anglers will use cut bait such as ladyfish, mullet and sardines. This type of fishing is commonly called dead sticking and requires a more patient approach.

When winter approaches the one bait that every predator fish swimming in Charlotte Harbor will eat is shrimp. If y ou would lik e to ex perience some of Charlotte Harbor’s Best fishing giv e me a call or send me a e-mail and we will customize a priv ate charter that best fits y ou and y our party ’s needs.

Capt. Dav id can be reached at back bay x tremes.com

May 2012

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The Manatee Money Trail

By Capt. Ron Bl ago Water LIFE S enior Staff Each year the State releases a Save the Manatee Trust Fund report which outlines how much money they brought in to protect manatees and how the money was spent. This is not the same money that the Save the Manatee Club gets from voluntary donations (they pulled in a cool $1.1 million in 2010); nor is it the Federal Fish and Wildlife Service monies that is spent which comes out of a different pocket of the tax payers. I'm talking only about the State of Florida taxpayer funds used to help manatees.

The State has a clearly defined management goal when it comes to manatees.

“To remove the manatee from the State imperiled species list and effectively manage the population in perpetuity throughout Florida by securing habitat and minimizing threats” – Manatee Management Plan-2007.

I thought it would be a good idea to see how well the State is meeting this goal. From July 2010 to June 2011 the State brought $3,946,789 into the trust fund and like all true bureaucrats they spent $4,412,673 or about half a million more than they took in. The major source of this income comes from boat registration fees ($2,478,659 or about .63 cents of every dollar they take in.

Not many boaters realize that when they register their boat they are making an un-voluntary contribution to the trust fund. In some countries they would call that a tax. Talk about having to pay for the rope they hang you with. If they called it a tax then we would talk about taxation without representation; and we know how that story ends. Its hard to tell how much you are paying because nowhere on your boat registration do they tell you this; but since in 2011 there were 941,611 boats registered in Florida; that comes out to $2.63 per boat. I'm still kind of envious of the kayakers who don't have to register their vessels.

Another source of funds is from the Save the Manatee license plate; $1,373,751 or .35 cent for every dollar collected. Since 1990, $38,524,399 has gone into the trust fund from license plate sales. But now with so many choices in license plates the annual income is shrinking to the point where this year it is down 27% below the 20 year average. In case you're interested, voluntary contributions to the trust fund were only $63,593 or less than 2 cents per dollar. It amazes me that the Save the Manatee Club can bring in over a million dollars annually while the State only gets less than $65,000.

Maybe the State should start their own

Adopt a Manatee scam.

Lets look at the other side of the ledger and see how the State spends the trust fund money. That pie is divided into two pieces. The first piece is Conservation and Management expenditures which gets $1,038,220.. The single largest expense is $481,733 for Plan and Permit Reviews. The next largest expense is for Manatee Protection Zones at $279,094. Next is Habitat Protection; remember that securing habitat is one of the primary goals of manatee protection, they spent $141,610 on that. That means that for each dollar they spent, 87 cents went to management and administrative cost while only 13 cents was spent protecting habitat. That's a pretty sorry record in my opinion.

The biggest piece of the expenditure pie goes to Research Expense at $1,807,245. In this category the largest portion is Mortality and Rescue which cost $1,277,946 or 71 cents out of every dollar. The next is Population Assessment at $209,000 which is 12 cents out of every dollar. Maybe it's only me, but it seems there is something wrong with the State spending 71% of their money to study dead manatees, but only12% to know how many live ones we have. I have always been fascinated at the State's fixation with dead manatees. In the year between 2010 – 2011 there were 470 manatees reported dead. Now I'm sure the folks in the necropsy lab in St. Pete didn't cut them all up. Maybe they did half of them say 235. Now the results of about 20% of them came back as undetermined; that means you found the cause of death of 188 manatees. If you divide that number by the money you spent, you come out with spending about $6,800 to find the cause of death of each manatee. Is this really worth the money? Some manatees die each year; some from old age, but more and more of them live each year. Shouldn't we be spending most of the money on the live ones ?

To be fair, they also spend some of their money on manatee rescues.

During this period they recovered 97 manatees of which 54 were later released back in the wild: so it seems that despite all the money we spend, an injured manatee only has a 50/50 chance of making it. And even back in the wild they still have to deal with cold snaps and red tide.

Since we now have over 5000 manatees in Florida; does it make economic sense to spend a lot of money to improve the survivability of just 1% of that population? As a guy once told me in an underground parking garage back in the 60s - Follow the money.

We made our last fishing trip yesterday before heading back to Canada for the summer. We chose to go to Punta Gorda and fish the east side of Charlotte Harbor. The wind seemed favorable and the east side had clear water.

We ran down the flats near Alligator Creek and Burnt Store. The flats were alive with mullet and small bait fish. We saw rays, small sharks, schools of pompano and fish we could not identify. The clear water is great for seeing estuarine life. This was a bit of an off day for the bite. I saw redfish and snook near the bushes (mangroves) and casted to them but they did not take. We did not see a lot of predatory activity on the surface. We casted steady from 10 am to 6 pm. I lost about a 30 inch snook near the bushes around 1 pm. It exploded on my lure and broke the surface to show his monsterous head. During the day we caught some small trout, catfish, a flounder and the bottom. Around about 4 pm things picked up a bit. We caught a few big gator trout. I managed to pick up and release a decent size snook before we headed home. It was a day of hard work for what we got but it was enjoyable to observe the marine life. Charlotte Harbor is hit and miss; one day they are biting the back of the boat and the next day you couldn't get a bite for love nor money. On a sunny light breeze day however it is always enjoyable even though it was a bit too hot already. I don't know how other anglers did, but when we got back to the landing at 6 pm about 3/4 of the vehicles were already gone. Gary Corbet, via email

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All About Sharks

By Fi shi n’ Frank Water LIFE Baitshop For sharks to keep their blood pressure up and keep water going through their gills, they shut down half of their brain at a time. A few sharks shut down their entire brain, but their spinal cord has its own nervous system which adjusts through muscle movement to allow them to swim and keep breathing.

Sharks do not show up on a fish finder either. You could have 10-dozen sharks under your boat and not one would show up. That is because a fish finder looks for air pockets or bubbles in the water. If you want to have fun, glue some fishing line to a few ping pong balls and put a sinker on them. Now drop a bunch of them next to a reef; there will be a bunch of boats all anchored there fishing for what must be a whole school of Moby Dicks, the biggest school of monster fish you have ever seen.

Normal fish have swim bladders, which have air trapped in them. The fish squeezes the bladder a little and they sink.

If they open or expand the bladder, they float a little, much the way a submarine works. That is what shows on the depth finder and the bigger the swim bladder the larger the fish will show up on your screen.

Tarpon Study Update

Staff Report / FWC Seven years into the Tarpon Genetic Recapture Study, biologists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and Mote Marine Laboratory are gaining new insights into tarpon movement and seasonal habitat preferences. With the help of anglers participating in the study, researchers have confirmed that some tarpon move long distances, and others stay close to home.

Biologists have also found evidence of a connection between tarpon habitats in southwest Florida and those of the Florida Keys.

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Shark do not have a swim bladder so they cannot float, so in order to keep alive they must keep moving. It was thought they would sleep for very brief periods of time and glide through the water, then wake up swim and glide-sleep again, but with the finding that dolphins sleep half their brain at a time it is now thought that sharks do the same.

Some sharks will lose over 30,000 teeth in their life time. The teeth are replaced in rows. As one falls out another moves up to fill the space. It is thought that many sharks live 25 years or so, but for some, like the great hammer, no one knows. I guess that is why they get new teeth all the time, what good would an old toothless shark be?

Bull sharks, lemons, or nurse sharks can lay still on the bottom and breathe, they do not need to move around to live, which is why you will find them in the shallow waters of the Harbor, on the flats and in canals. Yes it is possible that an 8 foot bull shark could be living in your canal. Bull sharks have been found on the Mississippi River as far north as Illinois.

They can truly live anywhere.

Most sharks prefer live food, they are predatory creatures. Some people think dead bait is better, but no it is just easier to use. It is much harder to use a live fish than a dead one for bait. But sharks do prefer live. Often a hammer head will push or nudge something to see if it is alive, they are much more discriminate

Anglers sampled two tarpon in Charlotte Harbor during August 2010.

Both fish were caught the following spring in the Florida Keys – more than 150 miles away. These tarpon were initially sampled inshore at the end of a spawning season, in close proximity to offshore areas in the Gulf where spawning is presumed to occur.

Sampling of another tarpon showed the fish can travel a similar distance in a shorter time. That tarpon was caught near Islamorada in July 2011, about one month after an angler reeled it in during peak spawning season near Sarasota.

Researchers can track these tarpon thanks to volunteer anglers who submit

eaters than their bull shark cousins.

If you are going to use a leader for shark fishing how long should it be? An old rule of thumb would be a foot longer than the shark you hope to get. That is because shark skin is rough, really rough, and the tail of the shark as it swims away from you, rubbing the line, can wear through 60 pound mono in a matter of minutes. Hence the expression I got tailed.

tarpon DNA samples to the FWC. When an angler catches and samples a tarpon that was previously sampled, a recapture occurs. Through recaptures, biologists can compare catch times and locations to determine movement.

In the study, the farthest distance recorded between an initial catch and a

May 2012

When you are choosing the bait to use for sharks any type of fish is good, but how big should it be? Try to picture the mouth of the shark you are trying to catch. If the shark’s mouth is 4 inches wide and 3 inches high, and your bait is 6 by 6 inches, well you are going to get lots of runs and no sharks. A bait about the size of your fist should be good for up to a six foot shark.

Now the most important thing: If you are catching and releasing sharks please flatten the barb of your hook against the shank. Sharks have a meaty mouth and it is very hard to get a hook out with the barb, you cause way too much damage.

Barb-less hooks do not work as there is no way to keep the bait on much less the shark, but when you flatten the barb it leaves a bump and that holds the bait and the shark in place.

Circle hooks are difficult to get out too so unless you are one of those anglers who lets the shark run halfway to texas before setting the hook, don’t use a circle hook on sharks. A simple "J" style hook with the barb flattened is easy to remove and you will not lose the shark as long as you keep the line tight. And if I forgot my long hook remover - with a flattened barb "J" hook it should just fall out.

Stop in the store anytime to say Hi! Frank can be reached at 625-3888 or at Frank@fishinfranks.com

recapture is approximately 280 miles.

That tarpon was reeled in near Apalachicola in July 2007 before it was recaptured near Captiva in May 2009.

Anglers have submitted over 13,000 tarpon DNA samples to the FWC, including more than 4,000 in 2011. Among the samples, researchers have documented about 100 recaptured tarpon.

Anglers who would like to assist the study can obtain a free, easy-to-use tarpon DNA sampling kit by emailing TarponGenetics@MyFWC.com or by calling 800-367-4461.

A new video provides a step-by-step look at how an angler takes a tarpon DNA sample for the study.

May 2012

Shark Strategy

By Capt Bart Marx Water LIFE Charlotte Harbor Back in the day, my Pops was called Shark Man, he would most every weekend go out in the boat and drift along, with baits in the water. He would fish on the bottom for cats and use them for chum to put some smell in the water. I did learn from him how to fish and shark fishing is lots of fun and is fairly easy.

You could go to Fishin Franks and buy bait jacks, lady fish, or mullet. These baits work well or if you throw the castnet you could get fresh bait of your own.

Reel Karma

www.WaterLIFEmagazine.com

They sell nets at Franks too. Back then you got one of the old faithful setups with a Penn Reel and some good old fashion dacron line, some wire and a bimini twist and you were in business.

These days there are all kinds of lines to use and fluorocarbon leader and all kinds of new knots to use. I have an old 6/0 Penn on a Kunan 50-80 rod that I bought from Franks when Senior was the owner. I have 60lb mono on it about 350 yards. These days I like to rig a little different compared to back in the day.

I still like my bimini twist with about 15ft. of double line. Attach the double line to 100 lb. fluro leader about 8ft. and at the end, using a swivel, attach about

By Mi cheal Wri ght Special to Water LIFE It was April Fool’s Day 2012, but Ben Morganson’s fateful encounters while fishing that day were not part of some prank. Ben was catching grouper and snapper aboard Captain Glen Ballinger’s fishing boat Outcast when a couple of incredible events made for a particularly memorable day.

Glen and Ben are regulars on the Gulf of Mexico waters and this day they were fishing with Steve Carrol from Sarasota. Steve was enjoying the perfect weather and also catching his share of fish with a rod and reel he had just purchased a few days before this trip. No one aboard could forecast the astonishing occurrences these three fisherman would experience during the next 30 minutes.

Approximately 50 miles west of Venice Captain Glen anchored on one of his favorite spots and Steve decided to drift a piece of cut bait behind the boat on another rod while he continued to fish for snapper with his new rod and reel.

As Steve reached to place the new equipment in a rod holder on the gunnel the rod suddenly slipped from his hand and tumbled into the water. Steve watched in horror as his new outfit was slowly sinking to the sandy bottom 145 feet below the surface. Ben raced over with a long handled net in an attempt to salvage Steve’s new

2ft. of single strand wire with a large strong circle hook. This gives you 2 lines around the reel when you get your catch into close quarters. The flurocarbon leader can take most of the abrasion from the sharks skin and tail whipping, the wire is connected to the business end of the toothy critter. If you like there are lots of big strong spinning reels out there now and they can be used too.

When you get one of these guys close enough to get a tail rope applied tie it off to a cleat. This way you can make sure what type it is and if it is legal length. And you can remove the hook to release the shark or gut it and get it ready for the cooler and ice it down.

tackle.

Because of the extraordinary water clarity in that part of the Gulf, Ben could still see the sinking equipment, but it was elusively just out of reach and continuing its slow downward trajectory.

Thinking quickly, Ben grabbed a rod and reel not in use and tossed the lead weight and bare hook several yards beyond the point where he last witnessed Steve’s tackle disappear toward the bottom. Ben reeled furiously and soon announced “I have something”.

When Ben’s circle hook appeared a strand of braided line hugged the barb. Steve recognized the line as the same type that was on his reel so the two fishing buddies furiously pulled in line, hand over hand, in an attempt to retrieve the equipment.

The only hope for success was if the line had been tied to the spool when originally wound. To everyone’s delight, the recently lost rod and reel gradually emerged from the depths and soon was aboard. Ben’s quick actions had saved the day, but it seemed to all on board

Page 9

There are several ways to clean them, they will dull a good knife as fast as a cheap one. One tip is to cut the skin from the inside out as much as possible to save the edge. Some people fillet them and skin them, some stake them and skin them both ways are good. The most important thing is to gut them as soon as you know if you are going to keep it. When they die they urinate through their skin and this flavor gets into the meat and it makes it undesirable. Be cautious as they will kick and thrash for a half an hour after there are no guts... and the teeth still move.

Capt. Bart 941-979-6517 or on-line at capbart@alphaomegacharters.com

that Ben deserved more than just the heartfelt gratitude of his friends. Everyone hoped something good would soon happen to Ben. Captain Glen moved to a new spot and drifted over an area which looked interesting on his depth finder. Ben was fishing the bottom when the rod tip lurched forward.

He set the hook and instantly knew he was in battle with a big fish. Ben could also tell by the type of fight that this fish was probably not a grouper or snapper.

After several long runs, Ben gained the upper hand and the bright silver flash from a large African Pompano was evident, even when the fish was still more than twenty feet below the surface. Eventually the battle was over and Glen gaffed the muscular 28 pound fish and hauled it aboard.

Within a few minutes of saving Steve’s equipment Ben had caught his first ever African Pompano. There was no doubt Ben had earned some “reel karma” for his good deed.

Page 10

WaterLIFE@comcast.net

FISHING: Older and Wiser

By Capt. Bart Marx Water LIFE Fishing Hello fellow anglers the weather has been awesome. And the fishing has been great, a little windy a few days but tolerable. There have been plenty of snook for catch and release fun using the good scaled sardines and light tackle this has been a good combination. There have been plenty of trout on both sides of the

Harbor drifting the grass flats. Depending on the day they might be eating shrimp, sardines, or artificial soft and hard baits.

The tarpon have been all over the harbor from the State Road 45 bridge / US 41 or Tamiami Trail to Boca Grande Pass eating all kinds of baits and lures. There have been plenty of cobia roaming the harbor looking for food and finding it all over.

There have been large bait pods in the harbor for weeks and they are attracting lots of good eating game fish. There have been sharks lurking the shallows of the harbor in search of food and someone to play tug a war with. If you are not catching any fish you simply are not fishing.

With the very mild winter this past season it has let the waters stay a lot warmer than they were last year. This has kept the bait in the harbor and made this one of the best spring time fishing seasons that comes to memory. For me there have been scattered reds around the harbor.

To big or too small for the slot. I have had several trips with four customers and it is hard to focus on reds when you have four on board, because of the weight you can’t get in to some of the skinny waters – where most of my red fishing takes place, along the mangrove islands and shore line. The reds like to ease under the trees and root around the oysters that hold the small crabs that they eat. So for those of you that like to chunk and wind, this

is where you would enjoy casting into the small pockets between the branches and find those reds that are hanging in the shade. Usually if you catch one there is one or two more under the same bush. If you do not have a trolling motor this is where wade fishing is another method of attack. As I write this I am having a flash back to when a good friend and fishing partner and I were in a tournament wading. We had eight double hookups with reds in a row, that was a blast and several years ago. I now own a thirty six volt one hundred pound trolling motor with three batteries, getting too old for that wade-in stuff.

May 2012

If y ou or someone y ou k now would lik e to go shark fishing or fish for any other species giv e me a call and we will get y ou hook ed up. Call Capt. Bart at 941-979-6517 or look me up on-line capbart@alphaomegacharters.com Singing drags and tight lines mak e me smile.

May 2012

www.WaterLIFEmagazine.com

Via e-mail: Photographer Seth Casteel has definitely taken animal photography to new heights – or depths – with his hilarious photos of dogs chasing balls underwater.

Twelve dogs took part in the shoot, including Labradors, a border collie, a dachshund, a bulldog, a Belgian Tervuren and a King Charles spaniel. As you enjoy the photos, take the plunge and read about how Casteel came up with this original and imaginative idea that has everyone laughing.

Q: How did the idea of photographing dogs underwater come about?

A: One of my clients, Buster the Cavalier King Charles spaniel, absolutely loves the water: swimming, jumping, diving, splashing, you name it! During our on-land photo shoot a couple of years ago, he kept jumping in and diving under the water to retrieve a tennis ball. I thought: “I wonder what he looks like under the water?” So I bought a pointand-shoot underwater camera and found out!

Q: Can you explain how an underwater photo shoot works with a dog?

A: Many dogs LOVE the water and within that group, quite a few will actually go under the water on some level. All of the dogs featured in my photographs voluntarily went into the water and under the water, and they all had fun along the way. It also should be noted that I had fun along the way.

Q: Why are you interested in underwater dog photography?

A: I love dogs because their range of emotions is similar to those of human beings – that is why we relate to them and why they relate to us. Together, we make excellent friends. With water, dogs have the opportunity to showcase some of these emotions at a level we may not normally get to see.

P a g e 11

Photog focuses on waterdogs

Below Photographer Seth Casteel in his Palm Beach swimming pool ready to have some fun with the dogs

White Butterflies Mean Action Page 12

By Capt. Bi l l y Barton Water LIFE / Charlotte Harbor Well guys, we're now right smack-dab in the heart of my favorite time of year! Love bug season!! Ha ha nope! I prefer we call it white butterfly season! For those of you who haven't heard, us local fisherman down here have a rule of thumb about the white butterflies. When you see the white butterflies flapping around all over the place, that means the tarpon are out rolling all over the place too! But in my mind, white butterflies don't just mean tarpon, they mean it's time to go fishing for everything this place has to offer.

One thing that I love about this time of year is the influx of species we can go out to target. As far as inshore fishing's concerned, the grass flats are producing a ton of fish and I'm still running most of my charters in shallow water. The snook fishing has just been phenomenal. I've been fishing with a ton of beautiful whitebait, which can be found all over the harbor and is coming to the chum very well. If they ever open the season back up, I'm gonna be sitting there at midnight, fishing pole in hand, waiting for my keeper snook.

The reds on the east side of the harbor, for the most, part seem to be pretty broken up.

There are a few little wads of fish I've been hearing about, but most of the fish we've been getting into have been like two-to-six fish at a spot. Good fish, but by no means are they everywhere you go. Kinda odd if you ask me. Uusually they are much more plentiful on that side at this time of year.

There have been a ton of tower boats running the shorelines over there daily, which definitely could have something to do with why

WaterLIFE@comcast.net

those fish are so broken up.

I'd say if I was going to target a redfish, I'd get down between the west wall and Boca Grande area. Pine Island sound has also been producing a lot of redfish stories as well.

The trout fishing in the harbor over the last month has been unbelievable. I'm not talking about little dinker trout either, I'm talking about several trout over the 20-inch mark. I had a trip during the month of April where my three customers brought home three limits. In those three limits were a 26, 27, and 28-incher, all in the six to eight pound range. Those were some gators! Not a worm in any one of ‘em either! This makes me a happy guy!

Getting outside into open water can be tough some days in my flats boat with that wind being like it has. Usually after the first full moon in May is when we can expect all these windy springtime days to start to dwindle. Whenever I can take advantage of being out there in the open harbor I will, every time.

The tarpon are all over the harbor and in the passes pretty thick by now. The fish in the harbor have been eating a good size piece of whitebait, or a small lady fish, or good size finger mullet or pin fish. It's nice to

have a spinning rod rigged up with a DOA Bait Buster to throw at the rollers when you are drifting through the schools of fish.

The thread fins are everywhere. Chances are if you are around the schools of thread fins, the tarpon are nearby. We've hooked several fish in the pass on jigs this last

May 2012

month as well. In another month or so the crabs should be flushing out to the gulf which will open up the means to fish these fish my favorite way, with live bait!

April 9 @ Boca Grande

The near shore reefs and reefs in the harbor have been producing a ton of good size Spanish and cero mackerel, cobias, keeper gag grouper, and some nice size mangrove snapper. You want to use as light of a leader as possible, and as little terminal tackle as possible to produce fish in adequate numbers.

The fish on these local reefs get a ton of pressure and can get wise to bulky rigs.

Chumming, with live or frozen bait, will also improve your success on these reefs.

I've been running some shark trips too.

There are big bulls running through the pass right now. I haven't put any to the boat yet, but I've seen several out there while tarpon fishing. The shark trips I've been running have been inside the harbor and in the ICW at Boca Grande. Outside Bull and Turtle Bay, and down near three sisters there have been several small lemons, Atlantic sharp nose, black tips, and black nose sharks. I'm getting most of these sharks on cut sardines or good size live pin fish.

Get out there and tear em up! And take a kid with you, it'll be the best thing you ever did for them. Fish on, brothers!!!

Capt. Billy Barton operates S cal es N Tai l s C hart ers. He can be reached at 979-6140 or : bartonw24@yahoo.com

Right: A Classic snook, trout, redfish Charlotte Harbor Slam

May 2012

www.WaterLIFEmagazine.com

Page 13

No Cure for Tarpon Fever

Page 14

By Capt. Chuck Ei chner Water LIFE Punta Gorda Fishing Tarpon migrations to southwest Florida reach a pinnacle in May that lead to mindful addictions that can last a lifetime. Specifically, Tarpon Fever. The silver king is aptly named because few fish have the fighting power and stamina that a tarpon does. Add to that searing runs with reel drags that can get smoked and acrobatic leaps that will stay with you forever! Luckily for us, Charlotte Harbor and Boca Grande Pass are part of a seasonal migration that brings thousands of fish our way. You can fish them in shallow water with a fly rod, mid depth with live bait or in deep water such as Boca Grande Pass.

Recently a good friend of mine Brian Sabo visited with me for several days of tarpon fishing. Brian has had tarpon fever now for about 3 years. It started first on a visit where the focus was redfish and snook. After a day of fishing we finished up with drifting a whole ladyfish in the harbor and as luck would have it a huge tarpon slurped the offering and jumped skyward with a sunset background. This image was burned in Brian’s head as he headed back to Baltimore and subsequent fishing trips to the area were met with at least one brief encounter but no landed

WaterLIFE@comcast.net

tarpon.

On this adventure, our first afternoon on the water was immediately after a cold front and both tarpon and threadfins were pretty much non-existent. Only days before the harbor was lit up with bait with plenty of tarpon around. On day two, I figured the only sure place tarpon would be passing through would be at Boca Grande Pass. Fishing in 40-60 feet of water is not typically what one thinks of tarpon territory but in late April, May and June there will be plenty of fish around in the Pass.

The day started with bait catching duties which proved difficult. Threadfins were scarce but we managed a handful and bought a dozen small crabs to guarantee success. Arriving at the Pass, tarpon were rolling, dipping and jumping. An incredible sight for a man that has tarpon fever!

I myself have suffered from the affliction for over 20 years and in short order my heart was literally pounding. Tarpon rolling around the boat and lines cast out, it seemed that a hook up was guaranteed.

Four hours later without a hook up proved that hundreds of tarpon around the boat does not guarantee a bite.

With a comfortable 30 boats fishing a ½ mile stretch of the pass and occasional fish was hooked and lost, with a few

smaller 75 pound fish coming to boat side. Persistence, repetitive casting and constant maneuvers of the boat eventually led to a big tarpon inhaling the small blue crab that hung on Brian’s line. The huge fish began ripping line off the reel as we navigated around boats working our way outside the boating traffic. Without the first jump we wondered if this was a monster tarpon or shark but the crab was eaten at the surface so a big tarpon seemed likely. Twenty minutes of battle and the fighting belt was strapped on.

Still not a jump which this fish is so famous for kept the mystery intact. A slight tightening of the drag on my part forced more pressure on the fish and a 150 pound silver king came into the air! The rod was buckling like a cow rustler’s lariat, line singing and boats peeling away to create a path for this monster to run through. With a feeling of exuberance, both of us suddenly felt like this fish could be landed ... until the line went limp. Our hearts sank as the line was reeled in only to find the hook broke in half. An expensive high-tech hook could not hold up to this fish!

Two days of tarpon fishing and still a celebratory scale (a fish scale removed from the fish for a keepsake) was not to be had. Such things will perpetuate tarpon fever perhaps more than catching tar-

May 2012

pon with regularity but the end result will be the same either way.

Fishing Boca Grande Pass on this day was a pleasure. Every fisherman, male and female had a common cause. To hook and land a fish, work together with other fishermen to help make the dream come true for each other and release the king to fight again. Every type of boat, fishing rod, lure and bait was seen.

Shrimp seemed to work for one other captain when no other bait would for anyone else. Enjoying the occasional yell of someone hooked up or the shrill of ” high 5’s” after leadering a fish created a party like atmosphere.

The key to tarpon fishing is remembering you are always on tarpon time.

Tarpon bite when they want to with no rhyme or reason. You can fish for 8 hours and head for home just as they begin to bite and just as easily you can have one on your first cast and then blank the rest of the day. If you do everything right, cast perfectly to the tarpon, set the hook with swiftness and power you may just have a chance – likely about 1 in 5, which is sure to give you tarpon fever.

Capt. Chuck Eichner operates Action Flats Back country Charters and can be reached at 941-628-8040 or go to www.back country -charters.com

OFFSHORE REPORT May 2012

www.WaterLIFEmagazine.com

Page 15

The Olʼ Fishʼn Hole

With Capt. Jim O'Brien

Water LIFE Englewood Hey Y’all I hope you have been out fish'n between blows, man it’s either good or it’s bad, there is no in between it seems it either blows or it’s calm. This month a lot of fish have moved in. The water temperature is on the rise, our last charter out the water temp was 79 degrees. With the water warming up we have hundreds of tarpon in Boca Grande Pass and up in the Harbor, we have permit starting to show up, tons of king mackerel are in. The big sharks are here, hammerheads, bull sharks, black tips, spinners you name it they’re here. There have been a couple of sailfish sightings in as close as 25 miles. We have seen a lot of big king mackerel and I mean a lot out at 26 to 30 miles.

RED FISH - I talked with some back bay guides and they said they’re getting some BIG -UNS on the east and west walls also up in Turtle Bay, and Bull Bay. Best bait is a lively shrimp under a popping cork, I also like to use a 1/4 to 1/2 oz. gold weedless Johnson spoon. If it’s cloudy go to a silver spoon 1/4 to1/2 ounce.

POMPANO - are biting good off the beaches.

SNOOK - The snook fish'n has been good, there have been some caught off the beaches around the mouths’ of the pass's also on the wall and in Bull Bay up under the mangroves.

TROUT - and some BIG-UNS are coming from Pine Island Sound.

SHARKS - black tips, lemons, hammerheads are up in the Harbor and in Boca Grande Pass.

MANGROVE SNAPPER, PORGIES, TRIGGERFISH, an GRUNTS are chewing good from 20 to 30 miles out.

The bigger ones still seem to be in 80 to 100 feet of water.

COBIA - There have been some keeper size cobia caught up in the Harbor near the mile of bridge pilings. When they come in they cruise the outside of the pilings. A good lively pinfish, is a good bait and I like to keep a Berkly black an silver eel on a spinning outfit ready to throw.

AJ'S the greater amberjack a.k.a.

(REEF DONKEY). There are some nice aj's on the box cars. If you don't get a strike in 30 to 45 min. I usually go farther out to the deeper wrecks. The box cars are either hot or cold, they’re either there or

they’re not, if they are they are usually BIG - UNS KING MACKEREL - On our last charter we had king's all around the boat.

We caught one that was 41in. long while we were bottom fish'n. The water was so clear it was like watching an underwater theater at Weekee Wachee. Except we were watching big cudas, big AJ's & kingfish.

My story for this month is from our last charter out. We had Fred Walker and some of his friends and Scott Thompson. He is in the photo holding a 41 inch king mackerel, check the smile out. Do you think he had a ball catching this fish? We went out to a few spots I had at 30 miles out. We caught a few red grouper and some nice gag grouper we had to throw back. We rigged a couple of light action spinning rods with chicken rigs and started catching some nice mangrove snapper, some nice porgys and a few Key West grunts. We hauled anchor and went to another spot, anchored up got the chum slick going good. In about 15 minutes the big rods were bending over double. We lost some big AJ'S but that’s fish'n. Scott Thompson in our picture this month went down with fresh bait on, it just got almost to the bottom and his reel started screaming. I told everyone to get their lines up, so whatever Scott had on wouldn’t wrap everyones line up. Well everyone went to the starboard side of the boat to see what it was. And what we saw was fish chasing bigger fish. The water was so clear we watched Scott's king come up by the boat then more kings come in around the one that was caught. Then we watched this monster 5 ft. cuda come in to try to eat the kings and right behind was a giant AJ chasing the cuda. He was only 3 ft. from the cudas tail. I started scratching my head trying to figure out what would have happened if the AJ had caught the big cuda

would the AJ have GUMMED HIM TO DEATH? Go figure that one out. In my years of fish'n I have seen stranger things.

All I can say if this kind of fish'n don't get your heart pumping nothing will. Well gang I’m writing this article late in the evening an my eyes are tired, my 2 fingers hurt from 2 finger typing that I have perfected and my lips just fell on the floor because I talk while I type, so I think this would be a good time to get out of here.

BE S UR E TO S NOR T S OME OF THAT S A LT A IR C UZ IT’S GOOD FER YA !

If you have any questions or if you have a good ol' fishin’ story or a recipe for cooking fish that I can share with our readers give me a call. To book an offshore charter with us aboard the Predator IICall (941) 473-2150

Real Estate News

Page 16

PROVIDED to Water LIFE BY: Dav e Ho fer RE/MAX Harbor Realty (941) 575-3777 dhofer@remax.net www.harborparadise.com

Recent area news i tems:

1. The Loop property at Jones Loop Road and Cooper St. was sold by Dennis Fullenkamp to Terra Cap Partners' Real Estate Opportunity Fund II for $11.5 Mil. The Wilder Group had purchased the property in 2005 for nearly $15 Mil. Terra Cap's $200 million fund was opened to private investors, mostly from the Washington DC area, last year, after its first fund was over-subscribed.

Terra Cap, based in Cape Coral, was founded by Wall Street's veteran money manager, Robert Gray and Michael Davis. They envision finding developers to create a multi use community similar to Gulf Coast Center in Ft. Myers featuring office, multi family and retail centers.

2. Mai n S tage Devel opment has obtained an 18 month option to explore the possible development of 100 acres of the Murdock Village property. They will be using that time to solicit investors for the $200 million multi venued musical entertainment center.

3. Charl otte County is within a couple of years of a workable scrub jay lot agreement. Hopefully the fee for permitting will drop to around $1,500 frrom

WaterLIFE@comcast.net

May 2012

There始s been a lot of tree trimming and cleaning up at the old Mercabo property in Placida. Could there be something in the works?

the current level of about $10,000.

4. Mote Mari ne is seriously considering building a new aquarium on the former City Marketplace site at the corner of Marion and northbound Rt 41 in Punta Gorda. City council is excited about the possibility that a facility similar to the existing one in Sarasota will draw as many as 400,000 visitors a year spending some $43 million while they are here. Although those projections may seem wildly optimistic, the waiver of real estate taxes for this charitable organization will surely be worthwhile.

A development group headed by Naples based Joe Boff and Punta Gorda's Bruce Laishley acquired the site through the foreclosed mortgage from Fifth Third Bank. The new owners are likely to sell 1.5 acres of the 7.5 acre site if Mote can come up with enough donation pledges to build the facility. If all goes well, Mote hopes to be able to start construction within the next 12 months. Punta Gorda will furnish about $10K towards feasibility studies.

5. Charl otte County gets still another unexpected liability from its "affordable housing". SHIP and other low income loans issued before the housing bust by the Housing Authority are now in default. Very low or no interest loans would have eventually been forgiv-

en if those families stayed in their homes and continued to pay their other homeowner obligations. Now, the county will probably forfeit its receivables to permit short sales to proceed.

6. The owner of the abandoned gas station/boat dealer at the entrance to the Parkside Redevelopment Area (Harbor and Rt 41) in Port Charlotte is requesting a rezone for the possible development of a car dealership. One can only guess why local residents protested the proposal... aesthetics?

7.

Punta Gorda is continuing its ring around the city development with the next leg of the Linear Park extension to Rt 41. Only the phase one portion of the 20' Gilchrist Park walkway will likely be completed. Lack of funds without the upcoming sales tax extension will bring the scope of this project back to reality.

In other news: Thanks to the failure of Direct Air, traffic at the Punta Gorda airport fell 40% vs. last year. Last month, I made a "tongue-in-cheek" comment that another startup airline could replace Direct Air with appropriate government concessions. Low and behold, a new airline with an old name, PeoplExpress, has filed to for a new route between West Palm Beach and Newport News, will Punta Gorda be next? - they're still looking for investors,

so it may be a while.

As part of i ts budget cutti ng, the City of Punta Gorda charged the Block Party Committee $19K for police and fire personnel and discontinued it's annual $5,000 donation.

S al es S tati sti cs: Lot inventory continued to shrink as fewer sellers were inclined to accept 1990's type prices.

Nationally, house short sales overtook foreclosures. Since Florida was one of the first states to crash, low end distressed sales have continued to diminish and median prices have actually risen 25% in North Port and Port Charlotte (that's mostly a reflection of a smaller mix of distressed sales vs. conventional, rather than any true price appreciation).

May 2012

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Page 17

SCUTTLEBUTT

Sometimes Unsubstanciated, But Often True

Consignment Boats Wanted

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On a Bicycle!

Too many laws. Too many warnings, too many lawyers, too many politicians.

Hunters Targeted: To check your antlers on a US Airways flight, passengers must pay a $200 fee and the limit is one set of antlers per passenger.

An FWC officer responded to a complaint involving a crocodile that attacked a large, 65pound dog. The dog owner did not see what happened, but explained that the dog was on the dock when it was taken by the crocodile. The dock was over three feet higher than the water level in the canal.

A sheriffʼs deputy contacted the FWC concerning someone bow fishing in the lakes of Rotonda Trace. An officer arrived to find the fisherman had a 22-inch snook in his bucket.

The snook was bleeding from a hole just behind its head, and the fisherman admitted to taking the snook by an illegal method.

The snook was also too small and the season was closed to harvest. The fisherman received three citations.

FWC Officers responded to a complaint involving illegally transporting and placing artificial habitat. The U. S. Coast Guard contacted FWC when they

observed several subjects dumping a bathtub into the waters of John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. The subjects had a second bathtub, covered with a blanket, still onboard their vessel. The bathtub on board the vessel had been painted camouflage with holes had been cut to attract lobster. Charges are pending.

The Charlotte County CCA is looking at doing an oyster restoration project for an island south of Alligator Creek. The DEP will have to sign off on this.

The Inn Marina at Boca Grande is the latest facility to receive the Clean Marina Award. The Cape Haze Marina has now made the pledge to become the next.West Marine sells a weighted milk crate to use as a way to put fish that have been brought up from the depths back down to the bottom.

Itʼs simple, but fish size is limited.

WATCH WHAT YOU FISH FOR! This kayaker drifted the pass at Boca Grande last month, looking for fish.

1 9 9 0 Aqua Spo rt -

Center Console w/ Mercury 150XR, Bimini top, Stainless prop, solid boat. $3,990

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The jury at the international St. Petersburg Pier competition announced "The Lens"design proposal as the winning entry.

Designed by Los Angeles firm Michael Maltzan Architecture in collaboration with landscape architects Tom Leader Studio, the scheme proposes a network of looping walkways and sweeping bridges which will add a landmark to the waterfront of St. Petersburg, Florida. The old pier will be demolished later this year.

With lights and a license plate this golf cart makes its way across the busy US-41 bridge heading to Port Charlotte.

2003 Crest Pontoon -18’ with 50hp Yamaha 4 stroke, bimini tops.

PRICED TO SELL $6,990

See all our boats at

Bayshoremarinefl@yahoo.com

941-627-5777

23269 Bayshore Rd Charlotte Harbor

In the Netherlands, like a dam, the walls of the bridge hold the waters of an ancient moat back, and like Moses, the bridge parts the waters so that visitors to the old Dutch Fort may pass.

In-house Upholstery Shop

Fabrication • Spot Repairs • Major Structural Custom work is our Specialty 1726 Steadley Ave. Punta Gorda

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K AYA K S !

Page 18

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Editor Notes:10:45pm Phone message from kayak columnist David Allen: My computer crashed, I lost everything! I don’t know what I am going to do! I won’t have a column this month.

I am so sorry!” David has been a tireless writer and contributor to this publication never missing a column for the last six years. It’s ok David, stuff happens.

The following story is from November 2007. Nothings changed. FYI: WaterLIFE back editions through 2004 are all online and accessible from our website at: www.waterlifemagazine.com

A Tale of Two Paddles

By Davi d Al l en Water LIFE Kayaking Two of the most pleasant and enjoyable paddling spots in Charlotte County are Shell Creek and the Myakka River in the North Port area. These two paddles are very different in terms of the surroundings, the wildlife one sees, and sometimes, in the difficulty of the paddle.

Let’s get into the details of these two venues and see what makes them so attractive to paddlers.

Shell Creek is located about 10 miles northeast of Punta Gorda and flows mostly west from its origin east of Highway 31, still in Charlotte County. Overall, the Creek is about 8 miles long and empties into the Peace River just north of the I-75 Bridge.

Hathaway Park, located on Washington Loop Road, is probably the best launch site on the Creek, with a concrete ramp, restrooms and picnic facilities. Hathaway has an adequate Park and Pay parking area with space for trailers. Washington Loop Road is about 6.5 miles north of Punta Gorda on Highway 17.

Once you have launched your kayak from Hathaway, you can either go upstream to the east or downstream

toward the dam. Shell Creek has a dam on the lower stretch of the Creek to prevent saltwater intrusion into the fresh water Creek.

If you select the downstream course, you will shortly find the Creek opening up, the foliage less dense, and you will probably see more birds and other wildlife. If you paddle about 3.5 miles downstream, you will come to the large pond formed by the dam. The dam cannot be easily portaged so this is the usual turn around point. The pond however is home to many species of birds and large flocks are usually seen.

If you elect to paddle upstream from the dam, you will find a completely different scenario. The Creek, about 70 feet wide at the ramp, narrows within the first mile and the surrounding trees and shrubs seem to hug the banks. The current picks up noticeably as you progress upstream.

And if there has been rain in the last few days prior to the outing, it can be a very hard paddle, with the current pushing you around the bends in the creek. After about 2 miles of upstream paddling, the water becomes more and more shallow, and the banks, closer and closer, until you finally run out of water. There are a few

Removing Man Made Trash

Paddlers enjoying a day on the Myakka River

sandy banks on the upper stretches where you can beach the kayak for a break.

Paddling back downstream to the ramp is often a sleigh ride with the current pushing all the way.

The usual launch point for the lower Myakka paddle is the North Port Marine Park Ramp located on Chancellor Boulevard, just off Highway 41. There is a good ramp and launch area plus adequate parking.

The Myakka River is about 1.5 miles downstream from the launch point. The channel is clear and fairly wide most of the way with little current. As you approach the River, mangroves appear on both sides of the channel and add to the feeling of separation from the surrounding communities. The Myakka is quite narrow where the channel enters the River – perhaps 400 feet across.

Turning north after entering the Myakka, the River breaks into several channels around islands and some dead-end leads. Roughly 0.5 miles upstream of the entry is a rookery island. Many dif-

May 2012

ferent species of birds make this island their home, particularly in the spring when the hundreds of nests are full of hungry, squawking, hatchlings. It’s quite a sight, even if you’ve seen it before.

Paddling downstream, after entering the Myakka, presents an entirely different picture. The River becomes much wider, the banks are populated with residential areas and you lose the feeling of being out in a natural area. You can paddle to the El Jobean Bridge, 6.3 miles from the entrance and beyond – past Hog Island and into Charlotte Harbor, if you want.

These are just two of the many good paddling spots found in Charlotte County.

The 30 to 40 different paddles that the Port Charlotte Kayakers take each year are each different in their own way. That’s what makes this one of the best paddling areas in Florida.

The Port Charlotte Kay ak ers meet each Wednesday ev ening at 5:30, at Port Charlotte Beach Park . All newcomers are welcome.

Contact Dav e Allen at 941-235-2588 or dlaa@comcast.net for more information.

Roger DeBruler Jr., Marine Resources Program Assistant with the Community Services Departmentʼs Park and Natural Resources Division drags another abandoned vessel up from the muddy grip of Charlotte Harbor and readies it for the dump. The sailboat at right was retrieved next. Since 2007 the program has removed 115 boats, 25 since October of last year and two people have been prosecuted so far.

RELATED: In the Peace River, 200 derelict crab traps have been identified and position marked by Sea Grant as part of the ongoing clean up and 75 of those have been removed.

BECOME A FLORIDA MASTER NATURALIST

Registration is currently being accepted. The University of Florida/IFAS Charlotte County Extension Program will be teaching the Coastal Systems module of the Florida Master Naturalist Program (FMNP) beginning June 5th, 2012 and running Tuesday and Thursday evenings (6pm-9:30pm) and Saturday mornings (8am-1pm) through June 26th, 2012. The Florida Master Naturalist Program (FMNP) is an adult education program developed by the University of Florida (UF) and provided by participating organizations. FMNP training will benefit persons interested in learning more about Floridaʼs environment, seeking educational contact hours, or wishing to increase their knowledge for use in education programs as volunteers, employees, and ecotourism guides. Cost: $225 – includes 40 contact hours, 3 field trips, patch and pin, and certificate of achievement. Class Location –Laishley Park Municipal Marina Courtesy Room – 120 Laishley Court, Punta Gorda, Florida 33950. For more information about the course or to register visit: http://www.masternaturalist.ifas.ufl.edu/. Registration ends May 29th or when full.

Contact: Betty Staugler, Charlotte County UF IFAS Extension/Florida Sea Grant Phone: (941) 764-4346 or cell (941) 979-6328 Fax: (941) 764-4343 Email: Staugler@ufl.edu

May 2012

Donʼt Invest in Florida Aquaculture

By Chuck Adams and Betty Staug l er Water LIFE / Sea Grant

Florida has the nation’s most diverse aquaculture industry. With grower sales totaling approximate $75-100 million every year, the industry boasts an interesting mix of cultured species. A variety of finfish, shellfish, aquatic plants, alligators, live rock, and other species groups are cultured for profit in Florida.

However, the big success stories for Florida’s industry are ornamental fish, aquatic plants and hard clams, the species groups that comprise over 80% of the sales reported annually. Other species, such as sturgeon, tilapia, striped bass, catfish, shrimp, baitfish, sportfish (for stocking purposes), crawfish, and other aquatic species (e.g., snails, frogs, crabs, turtles, etc) comprise the balance of the very diverse mix that are cultured here in Florida.

And the diverse species mix is rivaled by a wide array of culture methods, ranging from enclosed raceways to outdoor ponds … and everything in between.

Although there are a number of successful aquaculture businesses in Florida, there have been many failures as well. And some of those have been very visible, such as the recent failure of a multi-million dollar shrimp farm operation in south Florida.

Unwise investments in Florida aquaculture can be traced to some key misunderstandings. Fi rs t, culturists need to have a detailed understanding of the biology, life history, nutritional requirements, disease issues, reproductive processes, food conversion and other key biological factors associated with growing the candidate aquatic animal. Seco nd, the technical complexity of actually growing aquatic organisms is often not fully appreciated.

The investor often under estimates the technological expertise that is required for designing and operating aquatic culture systems, including that needed for water quality/chemistry mon-

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itoring and maintenance, engineering efficient water handing systems, minimizing energy use, controlling predation, and developing efficient feeding systems.

Page 19

First Kids Fishing Classes of 2012 Graduates at Cape Coral

Thi rd are the financial characteristics associated with aquaculture if not well understood often leads to poor initial business planning, underestimating the capital investment costs, failing to account for potentially high labor and energy requirements, not understanding the often lengthy delays in generating revenues (let alone a positive cash flow), having a poor appreciation of the break-even level of production, and not considering the benefits/costs associated with economies of scale.

Fo urth, the old adage of “if I grow it … I can sell it” is often simply assumed. Failure to understand the basics of local and region markets, and why that adage is often false, can prove to be almost always fatal to the new aquaculture business. The high prices often seen in local markets and restaurants are likely no where near the actual selling prices confronted by the seller.

Contract prices are based on consistency, quality, volume and other factors that need to be understood and included within the initial business plan. The high prices associated with local, niche markets are dictated by small volumes.

The higher volumes dictated by the contractual agreements of larger, regional buyers are associated with commodity prices. The grower needs to understand that difference from the very beginning.

Fi nal l y, the permits and regulations associated with commercial aquaculture can be daunting. Although the Florida Division of Aquaculture has strived to streamline this process, the prospective aquaculture producer needs to know what is required and what constraints such permits and regulations may present .

Investing in commercial aquaculture in Florida can be financially rewarding … but it can also be financially disastrous.

Florida Sea Grant is offering “An Introduction to Aquaculture Workshop” on May 4th from 9:30am-4pm at the Lee County Extension office in Ft. Myers. Please contact Pam Abbott at 239533-7523 or abbottpm@leegov.com Cost is $10.

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

S t aff R eport The first 2012 class of the Don Ball School of Fishing has graduated at Cape Coral. This is the 12th year of the program, administered by the Charlotte Harbor Reef Association. To date almost 1200 children have graduated from the 8 week course. Students receive quality rods and reels, tackle bags and top-of-the line fishing equipment.

The course is dedicated to the motto “Be the Fish” and students are taught that they have to understand how the whole ecosystem works, they have to think like a fish to catch fish.

The Cape Coral class was taught by

Captain Sam O’Briant who lives and fishes in the Cape Coral Pine Island Sound area. At the end of class all the students signed Capt. O’Briant’s shirt with good luck wishes and thanks.

Page 20

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Water LIFE Distributor 始s Club

May 2012

You can always get a free copy of Water LIFE at these locations

Cooks

Sportland

4419 So. Tamiami Trail S. Venice 493-0025

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You can always get a free copy of Water LIFE at these locations

May 2012

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CREVALLE JACKS: The Pier Angler

By Bobby Vi tal i s Jr Special to Water LIFE Crevalle Jack are awesome to catch – they give a good fight, due to their flat body and the way they twist and turn in the water.

I can catch these Jack mostly any part of the day. I have caught two Jack in one day, however, the food taste is not so good, so I would not recommend eating this fish.

The best places I have been to catch these Jack is at Tom Adams’ bridge in Englewood or at Sharky’s pier in Venice. The bigger Jack you will find in deep pot holes. The smaller Jack you will find on shallow flats.

There are many ways to catch Jack, but the best way is to go spinning for them because you need a faster retrieve to move a lure at a pace that will interest the Jack.

There are many lures you can use. The best lure I find is the GOT-CHA lures. The color is chartruse head with silver body and weight is 7/8oz. to 1oz. The other lure I am using is the D.O.A. C.A.L. 4” jerk bait, model #419 color is (green back). The jig head I am using for the jerk bait is the D.O.A. C.A.L. short shank 3/8oz to 1/2oz weight, color is white. Some other people

are catching Jack with Silly Willy’s or Capt. Joe rigs.

The presentation using these lures is at a fast speed. As you’re reeling it in give it sharp jerks every so often. NOTE: With the GOT-CHA lure I also have caught snook, Spanish mackerel, ladyfish and bluefish in the past. With the D.O.A. jerk bait, I have caught snook, trout, lady fish, and a variety of other fish in the past also.

When using a jerk bait I put PRO-CURE bait scent on it. I use the mullet scent which is most productive. I have used this scent and it does catch me more fish. All you have to do is just put enough on the jerk bait every couple of casts. For my main line, I am using 30lb test SUFIX 832 ADVANCED SUPER line (BRAIDED). For my leader line, I am using 3 feet of 25lb test 100% FLUOROCARBON LEADER line, which is invisible in the water. When tying your leader line to the jerk bait, I suggest you use the RAPALA knot because it will create more action out of the jig.

So if you want to have fun catching these fish try this method.

Still Plenty of Wind

S taff Report Easter has come and gone and so have a number of the local sailors. The Punta Gorda Sailing Club’s Summer Series is down to one race a month with fewer boats now. On the brighter side for sailors the wind has been consistently good.

Locally we like to monitor the wind with the sailing club’s excellent website: http://www.pgscweb.com/live_local_weather. htm All the data is sampled at the club’s base in Punta Gorda.

Page 21

DIVING: Underwater Grand Prix

KEY WEST — The worldʼs second-largest ship ever sunk as an artificial reef, The Vandenberg, is to become an underwater racetrack during the third annual Underwater Grand Prix, for sea scooters and other diver propulsion devices. The event is set for Friday through Sunday, May 1820. The Vandenberg was sunk in 2009 approximately seven miles off Key West. The bottom of its hull rests on sand in 150 feet of water, but the massive shipʼs superstructure extends to about 45 feet below the surface.

Racers meeting at 6:30 p.m. Fri. at the Rum Barrel, 528 Front St.

Page 22

May

Fishing

Charlotte Harbor:

Frank at Fishin' Franks Port Charlotte: 625-3888

Fl ounder is becoming a bigger story again at the 41 bridge in the morning, on the north side, bouncing shrimp on 1/4 to 1/2 ounce jighead. There are also flounder in front of Alligator Creek. They are eating white bait and shrimp. Try a redfish-sundae with the hook through the middle of a threadfin, letting it flop on the hook. At Boca Bayou a piece of bait slowly dragged across the bottom will produce the bigger flounder.

There have been lots of Atl anti c sharpnose, bl ackti ps and bonnethead sharks up in the Harbor taking sardines and cut fish.

Out in the Gulf, S pani sh mackerel and still a few ki ngs but the kings are slowly laying down. The grunts are moving out a little deeper, and there is still some snapper activity on Mary’s, Power Pole and the closer in reefs. We had a report of bl ackfi n tuna at the Palm Island Ferry. A customer caught two and said he saw a bunch.

The Cobi a are doing the mating-dance out there right now. They are spawning every 4 to 12 days during this time of year and are around a lot of the reefs. You will see them circling. It is hard to get them to eat when they are thinking about the girl in front of them... but it is possible. We had a captain report seeing them circling and spawning at Marker No. 2 up in the Harbor. I think

WaterLIFE@comcast.net

May 2012

Forecast

Capt. David Stephen sent us these happy snook anglers.

the drought has a lot of fish spawning inshore. We could see tarpon spawning in the Harbor this year.

Tarpon at the Punta Gorda bridges have been hot and cold at night. One night they are all over, the next it’s slow. Port Charlotte, ElJobean even down at the Cape Coral Bridges, tarpon are eating sugar trout and silver trout up to 10 inches long. And when they won’t hit the trout try a chartreuse Bomber-16 or a chartreuse Maverick. If you throw the Bomber or the Maverick you

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must pinch the barbs down on the treble hook. It’s safer for you and better on the fish too an you shouldn’t grind them off, just flatten them. In the Harbor, the tarpon have been strong in the middle holes in the day. There must have been 100 fish hooked up today. Red headed jigs with tailsof starndard green tiger to root beer. There have been lots of different color tails in the stories I am hearing. On any given day you can see 50 to 300 fish just blast out of the water.

Redfi sh are still on the east side of the harbor in the islands or ‘keys.’ You have to go behind the keys and look for the little deeper cuts. The same is true in Pine Island Sound, the reds seem to be behind the islands. If it’s mostly 2 feet of water they are looking for 3 feet and they are spooky so you have to get way back away to cast to them. This is a great time for a 7.5 or 8-foot rod.

Fishing Report continued on facing page

Last space available Guides Only $40/month 766-8180

May 2012

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The The BIG-4 BIG-4

continued from facing page

As far as snook, a lot of them have started getting ready to spawn. I think it will be an early snook spawn this year. We are seeing them bunch up and we are starting TARPON Are in the Passes to see them move. Snook and in the Harbor have to spawn in saltwater, so we are hoping for a good rain to flush them out into the salt.

We are having a good snook season, but the fish have to move out. If they spawn in the inshore canals and it rains after that it will probably kill most of the little ones.

Fish Fish to to expect expect in in

SNOOK Some on the beaches, others moving

Page 23

May May

FLOUNDER making another showing around the Harbor

Gulf Temps in the mid 70s

SHARKS all over, biggest ones closer to the Gulf

Lemon Bay:

Jim at Fishermens Edge, Englewood: 697-7595

I havent heard much about the offshore game.

The close in stuff has mostly been snapper.

I had some good reports, it was tough with the wind and then it got cooler. The guys couldn’t get offshore some days.

The bait fishing has been good in the backcountry of the Gasparilla Sound.. There have been snook on the beaches and some good sized trout and pompano close to the passes. Lst month was the last foray to the beachess for a lot of guys that had to be out of their places by May to make the mass exodus back up north.

There are a lot of sharks around, and a lot of fl ounder. I see all sorts of pictures and everybody has been coming by and saying this year has been the best winter fishing in 10 years.

A lot of guys are doing the tarpon gig. There were a lot fish that left the passes and now they are back in. The live baiters are catching them in the morning and evening. The jig guys are fishing all day from first light.

One day last month we got four fish in the after-

Captainʼs Corner

For Spring Break, all the shore fishermen on the beach at Boca Grande made it look like the Outer Banks

noon on live shrimp. Put shrimp on a hook and send it down ... 80 to 90 pounders, you can make them any size when you dont have a picture! We had a ki ngfi sh take a squirrelfish bait too.

There are snook along the beach and there are still snook in the back country. A lot of guys are still doing good on flats trips. To get bait they are mostly throwing a cast net now. The topwater bite has been really good on snook and redfi sh, but you have to slow it down for the reds.

Cobi a are around. I had some guys bring back cobia two days in a row, from the Boxcars.

I’ve got this mounted tarpon, it’s a 140 pound fish and it looks really good. Last month my neighbor posed with it in front of this little backyard pond where he lives. He’s going to show the picture to his friends back up north and tell them that’s the kind of fish you catch everywhere in Florida.

$1Million in Winnings

With Randy Howellʼs second straight 14th place finish on the Bassmaster Elite Series and third consecutive top-20 he has now surpassed the $1 million earnings mark with BASS. To date Howell has earned $1,002,327.00 with BASS in 206 events

Got a Story? send us your pictures: waterlife@comcast.net

The guy with the sheepshead is Dominic DaMarco. He lives in Venice, FL and Rochester, NY during the summer. He has the knack/talent to pull the rod at the exact same time the fish bites. One of a kind talent for sure. In our community dock he always hooks up fish and hands the rod to others around (like young kids) that normally don't fish or have never fished before. He is a great ambassador for fishing.

Capt. Glen Ballinger, The Outcast, Venice (941) 323-5251

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May 2012

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