Water L I F E
Charlotte Harbor, Lemon Bay, Venice, Estero, 10,000 Islands and the Gulf
The Don Ball School of Fishing
May 2016
Game On!
txt us ur fish! See page 4
Wreck Diving Page 9
Helping Kids Fishing Report Page 22-23
Estero Fishing Looking Good Page 7
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MAY 2016
MAY 2016
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Are We About To Get Screwed?
By Michael Heller Water LIFE Editor The Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserve Management Plan is up for review. It has not changed since it was written and adopted in 1983. A re-write is now public. It’s 252 pages long, I haven’t digested it all yet, but it’s online at:
(http://www.dep.state.fl.us/coastal/sites/charlotte/plan.htm). The revised plan has all the questionable facets of the old plan with some new ‘gems’ added in. Barge parties and raft ups won’t be happening any more. Ditto for Geocaching on
nesting bird islands. Overnight camping is now defined as a harmful use so say good bye to that. What else will change? At the meeting they discussed issuing access permits for boats. You heard me right, maybe you’ll have to have (buy) a special sticker to display on your boat to be allowed into what we now call Charlotte Harbor. Maybe there will be a raffle. They discussed regulating boating access and said the number of boats in the Aquatic Preserve might well have to be limited. Not right away, but sometime. It was said that too many boats stress the carrying ability of the resource. That sound bad? Look at some of the goals already in place in the existing management plan. If any of it sounds familiar it’s because the Feds played these same cards in the manatee restriction game of the mid 90s. Prevent and mitigate shoreline alterations. Facilitate low-impact public access. Reduce boating impacts. Review permits for projects that have the potential to affect the aquatic preserves. Identify and address potentially harmful public use. Promote low-impact recreational opportunities.
Do you know what low impact recreational activities are? I’ll tell you one thing, they don’t involve flats boats.
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It sounds to me like the new revised plan fails to recognize that boaters are the primary user group in the Aquatic Preserve and as such are the people who deserve the greatest say. A lot of this will have to do with restoration projects. In my experience, restoration projects can be used as a sneaky way to control access. It works like this: When staff picks an area to work on, that area becomes a restricted acess area while it is under restoration and while it is being studied afterward. The process can take years and boats might not be allowed access during the entire time. Coincidental with the Aquatic Preserve Issue is what I will call the Cayo Costa Situation. The DEP recently passed a regulation C.J. Majkowski, 4, in the Panhandle giving a state park there the right to control the area 50 feet out from shore into the water. The folks up there are concerned that such a regulation could be used to limit boating access to Shell Island, a popular recreational spot there. How’d you like your boating access to Cayo Costa cut off in the same way? How’d you like to have to buy a Cayo Costa permit? It could happen. I don’t know that any of this will happen right away, but I have to figure, if they were talking about all this at the meeting last month, it’s on someone’s to-do list. In closing, here’s one last uncomfortable revelation from the new management plan: Long-term monitoring of water quality, seagrass beds, and nesting birds will provide the data necessary for staff to evaluate the status and trends in the system.
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see page 4
caught this beautiful redfish in Pine Island Sound, last month.
Macin Hager texted us this big mouth bass, last week. Weʼve been seeing a lot of nice bass from local ponds lately.
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MAY 2016
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eMail letters and photos to: WaterLIFE@comcast.net
MANATEE UPDATE Special to Water LIFE Magazine By Capt. Doug Metko Manatee conservation is back in the news again, this time in Southwest Florida. In Collier County, where boat-related manatee deaths have declined over a 15 year period, and significantly over the past 6 years, a Local Rule Review Committee (LRRC) has been established, and they are into their 4th meeting reviewing waterway speed zones throughout the area. Collier County encompasses large portions of undeveloped coastline from Naples and Marco Island down to Chokoloskee including portions of the 10,000 islands, there are vast waterways, rivers, passes, inlets, and bays that are completely wild and this poses special challenges for LRRC members and boaters in the region. Travel corridors, or marked channels where boats can operate at 30 mph, are being heavily scrutinized. There are also areas where 30/20 zones are in place – allowing boats to operate on plane where no marked channel exists. This allows boats to get on plane to cross shallow areas where no manatees can go, and travel across expansive bays where channel marking is difficult if not impossible. Without allowing for travel corridors or the 30/20 zones, boating in that area will change dramatically. Removing these would, in effect,
close down much of the region to campers, boaters, and fishermen. Also being discussed are the exemption permits given to guides and commercial fishermen in the region. These allow guides to operate at speeds not to exceed 20 mph when paying passengers are aboard, or when a commercial fisherman is engaged in fishing operations in areas where there are no channels. The LRRC was given the directive in the first meeting to “consider” these permits as they look at manatee protection as a whole throughout the County. The Chairman of the Committee is Capt. Jim Kalvin, (Leader of Standing Watch, the boaterʼs coalition) an avid boating advocate. Kalvin is only too familiar with the manatee issue personally and professionally. As the usual pictures and “research” continue to be introduced to the participants, itʼs easy to see that a full court press is on to garner support for removing travel corridors and 30/20 zones.
Capt. Jimʼs customary and wellknown blunt approach to the politicization of our resource regulation hasnʼt played well with some of the participants and observers. With a region that has a declining vessel-related mortality, even as boat registrations have soared, it makes one wonder why more regulation is necessary at all. Manatee advocates withheld any talk of “population growth” as they pointed to the scientific term, “10 year trend analysis”. In short, they would not acknowledge a growth in population until it continued for 10 years. But the growth did continue for 10 years, and now they still wonʼt acknowledge the trend! And in Collier County, there is a 15 year “trend” that shows a declining boat / manatee mortality due to their existing MPP, but manatee advocates will still not recognize that!
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Independant - Not affiliated with any other publication! Vol XV No 5 © 2016
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:
Jason Thompson on April 24, diving out of Englewood with a nice cobia he brought back and texted to us. See txt Info below
About Sending & Txting us Pictures: Yes! Please Do! resolution is best. Please
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Best Picture Wins There is no guarantee your fish will appear in print, but if itʼs a better picture of a
bigger fish or something cool or unusual, it has a
very good chance of getting into the magazine. Thanks!
Photography: ASA1000.com Senior Editor: Capt. Ron Blago Charlotte Harbor: Capt. Billy Barton Baitshop Commentary: Fishinʼ Frank Peace River: Capt. David Stephens Diving: Adam Wilson 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
On the Cover:
Capt. Andrew Herzog gets the ʻFirstserious-tarpon-of-the-year-in-print Award for 2016 with this fish caugh in the Pass at Boca Grande, late April. More in Malloryʼs story on page 17
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C h e ck A r o u n d - s e e w h er e l o ca l a d v e r t i s e r s a r e p u t t i n g t h e i r h a r d e a r n e d d o l l a r s
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Fred Fasolo
As a guide I have the opportunity to meet and get to know some very great people. I have never fished with a person as great or unique as Fred Fasolo. When I got my normal phone call from some clients that have been with me from the very beginning, I was informed about Fredʼs passing. I can still hear you asking where the Trout are, even though we were catching over size snook. Iʼm going to miss fishing with you. I hope you are hooked up with the big one buddy. You were one of the few that could give it back to me, better than I could give it to you. Capt. Dave
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Flats Bite in Full Swing
By Capt. David Stephens Water LIFE Charlotte Harbor After one of the wettest winters that we have ever experienced here in Southwest Florida, the water is starting to become the color we are accustomed to seeing during this time of year. Our water temperature has been steadily rising over the last few weeks and the warmer waters have got the flats bite in full swing. Snook, trout and redfish have been keeping anglers busy. On some of our recent charters we have been able to catch 30- to 40-snook in a half day. The majority of these fish have been running in the 20-to 25-inch range, but we have been putting some really nice ones in the boat for pictures. Remember, snook season closed on May 1 for anglers that want to enjoy a snook dinner. That does not mean that you can’t enjoy going out for a day of catch and release. Trout has been very good on our local flats with the warmer waters. I have been putting my clients on some really nice trout the past few days, with some fish being over 20-inches, which is a great fish. The clearer water has got the redfish a little uptight. Staying back as far as you
can from your target area will help a great deal with spooky fish. I have noticed on some days when I get the snook really fired up, the reds will come in to investigate... and we all know what happens to nosey fish. They get a lip pierced, a picture taken and a view of the outside. Over all, the fishing is really heating up. Keep your eyes open for the Silver King, warming waters have the tarpon ready to move into the Harbor now. I haven’t seen fish in the Harbor myself, but you know fishing, things can change over night. What was there yesterday might not be there tomorrow, so keep your eyes open folks things really do change over night. We still have some of our migratory fish hanging out in the Harbor. In my opinion the most over looked is the Spanish mackerel. These guys are a great fighting fish and great for the table. When caught fresh and put on the grill, in my opinion they are very hard to beat. Remember to keep a spool of single strand wire and plenty of hooks when targeting these toothy guys. I recommend keeping a heavy rod ready to go when targeting Macks because you never know when a cobia might come see what is going on.
MAY 2016
With summer arriving, the evening thunder storms will be close behind, remember guys to keep an eye on the sky.
If you would like to experience some of South West Florida’s finest fishing give us a call, or send us a email. All of our charters are private and customized to fit you and your party’s needs. Capt. Dave Stephens www.backbayxtremes.com 941-916-5769
MAY 2016
Estero Bay:
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The Fish are on the Rise
By Captain Joe Angius Water LIFE Estero Bay The moment that every angler has been waiting for is finally here: the tarpon migration is happening. Last month there were early signs of the migration, such as warmer water temperatures, large bait pods of threadfin herring off of the beaches and several tarpon seen rolling either deep in the backwaters or in our passes. Now that water temperatures and weather conditions have been consistent, the tarpon migration that starts south and moves north, along our west coast, has reached southwest Florida. Anglers have the opportunity now to hook-up into juvenile backwater tarpon ranging from five pounds to twenty pounds or the tarpon found off of the beaches, which can exceed weights of 150 pounds. Though the “silver king” has made its presence known in our waters of Estero, that doesn’t mean the redfish and snook action has slowed down. Water temperature is on the rise in Estero Bay and this is an important factor to consider when it comes to fishing for redfish and snook. There has been plenty of redfish and snook caught in our backwaters, but I’ve noticed that now the fish are starting to transition from those areas onto our flats. The large female snook are still staging around creek and river mouths feeding heavy on large mullet, pilchards, and pinfish. They will soon make their way from these river mouths and head toward the beaches. This is also true for the redfish, except they are more inter-
ested in schooling up on our grass flats first. Small schools of redfish have been found along oyster beds and mangrove shorelines. These schools will continue to grow as bait becomes more prevalent and water temperatures exceed 75 degrees. Bait in Estero Bay has been tough, but manageable. Around the bridges there are plenty of ladyfish to be netted and along the beaches large schools of mullet can be found. When it comes to using these baits I like to fish a live ladyfish or mullet, ranging from 6- to 8-inches, along mangrove shorelines for snook. With larger baits I will cut them into chunks and soak them on the bottom. Waiting can be time consuming, using such a large piece of bait, but the payout is definitely worth the wait. If the ladyfish and mullet become too difficult to find, there are opportunities to net threadfin and white bait near shore. On calm days I’m able to run to
near shore reefs where I’ll see birds diving on large bait pods of threadfin. Once I spot an area that seems to have bait, I will use my sonar scanner to scan the water column for bait. Large spikes on the scanner indicate that there’s enough bait for me to throw the net and I will do so off of
the back of the boat. The area I have scanned on the sonar is now behind the boat and throwing off of the back gives me the best chance of netting threadfins. Every day on the water is always a great day and should not be taken for granted. Even on those days where you forget to put the plug in the boat or a fish snaps your rod in half, we should enjoy our time in the great outdoors. Captain Joe Angius Speakeasyfishing.com (727) 234-3171
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10,000 Islands / Everglades City By Capt. Charlie Phillips Water LIFE / Everglades City If I had to pick a month, I would say that May is probably my favorite month out of the whole calendar. Not only is it my birth month (turn a ripe old 39 on the 1st this year), but May is usually when I can really start predicting weather, fish and patterns much more reliably. Now let’s all keep our fingers crossed that May of 2016 continues that trend... as so far it has been one of the funniest weather and fishing years I have seen. May is usually going to find me offshore on the shallow-water wrecks, rock piles and towers that dot our coast. This is a great time of year to target some of our bigger players as they migrate north and pass thru the area. Let’s start with cobia, these hard fighting fish, great eating fish can be targeted around those structures in a few different ways. My preferred method is to sight-fish and our boat, the LauraAnn, was built just for that purpose. As I get close to the structure I am fishing, the elevated station, my tower allows me to see much further than from the boat deck. This advantage often lets me pick out cobia to target before the fish know
As you play the game for cobia, be looking for schools of my personal favorite, the permit. Or, if you’re like me, while your permit fishing, be looking for cobia!! Permit will be pushing thru the area with some trophy quality fish in the mix. Live crabs will do the trick, but don’t forget a big live shrimp works too. A 2/0 circle hook is my typical choice. Just like for cobia, when sight fishing, cast ahead of the direction of travel the school is moving in, then maintain contact as the permit will rush up, possibly circle a time or so and then crunch, crunch, crunch, your crab down the old gullet.
we are around. Standard baits are big artificial jigs with plastic curly-tail trailers. These are handy to have rigged up and can be thrown quickly to targets of opportunity that you may encounter during the day. A hard toss well ahead of the direction the fish are travelling, then erratic jigs back toward the boat, many times will do it. Even better though, is to have a live crab, pinfish or a small blue runner ready as a pitch-bait to toss well ahead of the direction the fish are travelling in. Joe Cass of joesnook.com charters with an April tarpon Once they see it, it should be game on. I It’s important to try and maintain would use a larger hook so you get a feel, if possible, as many times the crab good bite; for me it’s a 6/0- to 7/0 will get crunched, the shell breaks and Owner, usually a circle style, tied to 65the hook just falls out. So try to feel the or so-pound flouro leader, tied to your bite, and reel tight when you are getting main line. bit.
MAY 2016
On the wrecks there should be some decent snapper, and a few pomps around as well, great table fare and fun for the kids. Live shrimp on a knocker rig will do the job. Inshore, the talk of the town will be tarpon. Lots of fish are in the area now. Target the silver kings in the rivers and deep holes that are in our area, especially first thing in the morning when the water is flat and you’re at your spot as the sun pops the horizon – fish in the area will usually give themselves away with a roll. Live baits, artificial and fly all will get the job done. Snook is now closed, but can still be caught all month in our area. The points and creek mouths, downed timber and rocky edges are great places to look. Just like tarpon, live and artificials will get the job done. If you can get out early, try using a walk-the-dog type top water lure when the water is flat, the winds calm. The explosion of a snook bite will make your heart flutter. It still tears my nerves up each and every time! May is a great time to fish our area. Have fun, be safe and we will see you out there. Capt. Charlie Phillips: 863-517-1829 e-mail: hopefishing@hotmail.com Web: hopefishing.com
KIDS - Free! REEL IN THE FUN Pier Fishing Tournament May 7th 9:30am Ages 3-12 Must be registered by Friday May 6th
MAY 2016
60 Miles off Naples By Adam Wilson Water LIFE Diving The Ultimate Getaway shuttles scuba divers mostly to the Caribbean-like waters of the Dry Tortugas but this trip our plan was to dive the wreck of the cargo ship Baja California, 60-plus miles off Naples. The 100 foot long aluminum vessel Ultimate Getaway was built to support the Gulf of Mexico oil rigs. Now run by Fantasea Scuba in Port Charlotte, the boat has been fitted with an air compressor, dive benches and overnight ammenities. We boarded Friday night where she is docked at Fort Myers Beach and by 10 p.m. we were heading south-southwest, watching the fadeing lights surrounding San Carlos Bay. The bunks are roomy and comfortable, even for those over 6 feet, but trying to get some rest was futile. The excitement kept me sleepless. Shortly before sunrise, the clanking of the anchor and chain dropping 115 feet to the bottom let me know we were finally over our target and it wouldn’t be long now. The Baja California was a victim of WWII. In July of 1942 the 265 foot ship left New Orleans with a general cargo en route to Key West, and eventually Guatemala. On July 18 she was spotted by the crew of the German submarine U-84 and under the cover of darkness they placed 2 torpedoes in her port side. The survivors, split between a lifeboat and 2 rafts, were rescued on the morning of the 20th by a Cuban fishing schooner. The crew of the U-84 wasn’t as lucky. She was sunk by a homing torpedo dropped by a B24 Liberator in the North Atlantic the following summer, all hands were lost. Our inch and a half mooring line was tied into the stern hawser bitt on the wreck, still as strong and useful as it was 74 years ago. Nearby, the massive 4 inch gun on the aft deck eerily points skyward due to the severe list to port. It was common for ocean going vessels of the day to have added-on armaments. Most of us were here to sift through the cargo holds, looking for the remains
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still packed in their crates, buried in sand and silt. This ship sank before the universal container began being utilized for ease of loading. Dock workers would have loaded this cargo by winch and by hand, with the more fragile items placed last, on top. Most of what we find today is glassware, sundae dishes, shot glasses, pharmacy bottles, cosmetics, brightly colored fiesta dinnerware, Depression glass of all varieties and medical supplies including
tiny glass morphine vials with the amber liquid still inside. Jim Joseph has quite the inventory in a display case at Fantasea Scuba. I highly recommend stopping by to see his time capsule collection. As an avid shell collector, I was looking forward to chiseling off some of the thorny oysters that have prolifically cemented themselves to the exposed surfaces, or even each other. Leaving the safety of our umbilical to the surface, I kicked off the stern; glancing at my dive computer I acknowledged
the big number in the middle of the screen. 15 minutes of no-decompression time on the bottom, with the 32% nitrox I was breathing, plenty enough to
explore a large portion of the wreck. Swimming through whirling fish tornados of huge mangrove snapper, amberjacks, runners, yellowtail snapper, with hogfish, red and black grouper on the bottom, it made me wish I had at least brought my pole spear. As the water warms, Goliath grouper will swarm this wreck for their summer spawn. But on this trip, with temps near 70˚, there were only a few hanging around. Tropical fish like angels, wrasses, hamlets, and of course lionfish are easily spotted weaving in and out of the twisted steel. The 4 inch anti-aircraft shells in the sand surrounding the stern are best left alone! There are no highways leading to these old shipwrecks. No State Park pay stations, no crowds, no lines, no one telling you what not to touch, and very few visitors. I can only imagine that much hasn’t changed this far from shore, especially compared to the wrecks closer to the mainland. It is definitely one part of
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old Florida that still exists. Maybe that’s why heading deep into the Gulf to explore old shipwrecks and reefs will never get old for me. If you love leaving your favorite pass and watching land slowly shrink away, than you get it too. The Ultimate Getaway is a great way to comfortably and safely dive the distant Tortugas and deeper Gulf shipwrecks. The crew is eager to go out of their way to accommodate needs. Check them out at: ultimategetaway.net
A thorny oyster on the wreck (above) and one cleaned up back on shore, below.
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The Courteous thing to do PAGE
By Capt. Billy Barton Water LIFE Inshore May is known as one of the fishiest times of year, here in Southwest Florida. Whatever fish it is that you desire to catch, chances are you can catch one in the month of May, so long as you're persistent on the water and you play your cards right. The word is out. Folks know that May is the time to fish here. So in turn and along with all of this great fishing that we are having, we also have numerous local recreational anglers and working guides
out here on the hunt. With all of these fishermen out on the water, you are bound to encounter other boaters. Try not to have tunnel vision when running your vessel, especially in the back country, in the holes in the center of the Harbor and out on the coast along the beaches. If you pay attention you will see anglers on trolling motors working hard and fishing in stealth. The courteous thing to do is to give these folks plenty of room to fish. Over 100 yards is a good ballpark figure of how distant you should be from
them if you are running your boat on plane. If you must enter in, do it by trolling motor. If you don't have a trolling motor do it at an idle. With the tarpon-run going on along our coast this is an important way to act if you are trying to get along with everyone on the water. From my experience, if you find and have a school of tarpon to yourself this is the best way to get them to cooperate. However, if you see boats working a pod of tarpon on the beach or in the bay and you decide to enter in, do it as quietly as you can. This way you don't screw up those fish for everyone. In Boca Pass it has become the norm to fish 10-to 20-feet apart when vertical fishing for tarpon. This is the ONLY scenario when you should be fishing "on top" of another boat. In most other scenarios on the water fishing this close to another boater is major frowned upon. There is plenty of water and plenty of fish out there for everyone... if we spread out a bit. I work on the water just about every day, it would be an understatement for me to say that I have been run over by another boater only once last month while fishing. This is an aggravating scenario when it happens but all I can do is shrug it off, lead by example and do the right thing on my boat. Hopefully this little write up will rub off on other boaters that don't know. Nobody wants to be some angry fisherman's Facebook post for the day!
MAY 2016
Best of luck out there guys and gals. The time is now! Catch a BIG one!! Capt. Billy Barton, 941-979-6140 Scales ‘N Tails Fishing Charters http://www.puntagordafishingcharter.com
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Tripletail (top left) jack crevalle (right) a trout, below left and three nice redfish were all caught last month, as were the snook on the facing page. The water is warming up, fish are feeding and many are getting ready to spawn. Tarpon and sharks are here as well. May is shaping up to be another great month for fishing in Charlotte Harbor and the near by waters.
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Pier Fishing: Blacktip Sharks
By Bobby Vitalas Water LIFE Pier Fishing This black tip shark was caught at Tom Adam’s bridge pier, from low to high tide in the afternoon hours. The most productive place to catch shark on the pier was in the middle of the pier. You can catch different types of shark there. It does not matter if it’s calm or windy, the sharks are biting in both conditions. The bait I am using to catch shark is cut ladyfish. If you want to catch ladyfish for bait, there are ways of catching them at the pier. Try using GOT-CHA lures in size 7/8 ounce to one ounce with color (chartreuse head). Sometimes the ladyfish are there, and sometimes they are not. Before you place the ladyfish on the
hook, cut it up into three inch chunks. When casting with cut ladyfish, I use 30- to 50-pound test Sufix Advance super line (braid), as my main line, with a two ounce sinker. For my wire line, I use 16-to 20-inches of AFW 7x7 40pound test Surflon Micro Supreme knottable nylon coated stainless steel leader color (camo), model # DM49-40A. There are many different wire lines you can try, not just this one. Pick out the wire line that is best for you. I do not suggest you use anything less than 40-pound test wire line for shark. When attaching the hook to the wire line, I suggest you use anywhere from 3/0 to 5/0 Owner or Gamakatsu circle hooks. So, if you want to have fun catching shark, try using cut ladyfish for bait!
CANVAS & UPHOLSTERY
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AQUATICA
MAY 2016
R e a de r 始s t x t us ur f i s h!
Clayton Scheeler. Caught this last night in lemon bay off shrimp around 10 PM
Jason Trexler, nice snook , pier fishing
Becki Porter under the Manasota Key Bridge. Towels are OK ONLY if you are going to kill the fish anyway. Towels wipe off slime, that often kills them too!
Tammy Hodges, Lemon Bay, Englewood, Florida. Best photo bomb fishing pic! Trout
James Wetherington - huge snook kayaking in Boca Grande
Here s the latest red fish I caught in Rookery Bay via canoe. Brittany Smith, Naples Fl
34-inch snook,while bass fishing 30 miles from the Gulf in a creek, using a rubber worm, Barry Grady,a,k,a Big Bear
Harper Martin caught her very first fish with her daddy in Boca Grande Flounder Friday for Chrissy Marie Mosley
MAY 2016
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PAGE 13
s e e p a ge 4
Shark landed by Ben Morganson of Nokomis at the Venice Jetty
My name is Brandon. Here is a photo of a tarpon I caught yesterday afternoon on a DOA
Izzy Rogner and son Ryland with a Port Charlotte snook. Capt. Bill was driving the boat
40-inch snook Kyle Montalbano . --Caught with Capt. Mike Wise with Wise Guy fishing charters
Cody Schlueter, Boca Grande kayak snook
Jordan Hodges, Lemon Bay, Englewood, with a sheepshead
Matt Akins with a snook
Capt Don Ri莽i模liano, left, with Tony Rezabek from Ohio holding big red grouper at Stump Pass. Tony Rezabek (R) and Ohio holding big red grouper landed Wednesday april 13 out of Stump Pass
Matt Akins, Bull Bay redfish
Kevin Morhouse catching a snook today at Venice beach. Kevin figured it's about 36 inches and weighed anywhere from 17 - 20 pounds. Took him about 5-7 minutes to land it.
Bruce Saulnier, Punta Gorda, Charlotte Harbor snook. A little windy out, but well worth the effort
I Thought I saw a Sawfish PAGE
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By Betty Staugler Water LIFE / Sea Grant At one time sawfish were abundant; however, they have experienced significant declines due to decades of unintentional overfishing, mostly the result of entanglements in fishing gear. Sawfish saws (scientifically called rostrums) have also been popular trophy items, but when they’re removed, they don’t grow back and sawfish are unable to feed normally or defend themselves. Today, all sawfish species (five) are endangered, including the smalltooth sawfish which occurs in our area. The smalltooth sawfish historically ranged from around North Carolina to central Brazil, and along the western coast of Africa. Now, smalltooth sawfish are only found in south and southwest Florida, and the Bahamas. With few remaining, it is important to learn about their life history, biology, and ecology so that conservation efforts will be successful. In Southwest Florida, smalltooth sawfish research began in the early 2000s with most research efforts focused in the Caloosahatchee and Peace Rivers; research data and angler observations indicate these areas still support juvenile
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sawfish. Last month I accompanied FWCFish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI) researchers on a directed sawfish trip in the Caloosahatchee River. FWRI’s sawfish research includes both random and directed sampling using a variety of net gear. We sampled in areas where anglers and shore observers had reported sawfish sightings (hence directed sampling). Sampling involved deploying a net and letting it soak for one hour. We had to check the net whenever anyone saw movement or after a half hour, whichever came first. Our first set resulted in nothing! We then cruised the shoreline looking for PIT tag sawfish before setting a second net. We thought we were skunked a second time but finally at the end of our set, we got a sawfish. When FWRI catches a sawfish they do a quick health assessment before the animal is tagged and released. Tagged and released sawfish have been between about two feet (newborn) and seven feet long, including the saw. FWRI researchers use three primary types of tags on each captured sawfish. The first is a PIT tag. This
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is similar to the tags that are put in dogs and cats. It’s injected under the skin and is about the size of a grain of rice. The tag is picked up by researchers during recapture using a scanning device. These tags are the most permanent of the three. The second tag is a roto tag. This tag is brightly colored with identification numbers and contact information on it. These tags, located on the 1st dorsal fin, are used for angler reports. Reporting information is at the end of this article. The last tag is an acoustic tag. These small tags are located on the 2nd dorsal fin. Acoustic tags transmit at a specific frequency to a series of moored hydrophones that record activity 24 hours a day. The information obtained using this method provides a general picture of sawfish movement patterns. The sawfish we caught on my trip was a baby male estimated to be between two weeks and a month in age. He is now sporting all three of the tags mentioned. Hopefully he will provide many years of valuable infor-
MAY 2016
mation to scientists. Although scientists still have much to learn about smalltooth sawfish, they do know that adult females generally reproduce every other year and that they return to the same nurseries to give birth. Babies are born in the spring and grow very fast, doubling their length in one year. Juvenile sawfish stay in the estuary for 2-3 years before heading offshore; and at this age they are about seven feet long. In southwest Florida, scientists have identified sawfish hotspots within the Peace and Caloosahatchee rivers and core use areas within these hotspots. Understanding Acoustic tag where these areas are and knowing how and why sawfish use them is essential for the long term survival of this species. Other important research findings to date include quantifying movement patterns based on salinity and flow, particularly in the Caloosahatchee, understanding temperature and dissolved oxygen thresholds, prey preferences, and patterns of habitat use particularly as it relates to early juvenile growth. Smalltooth sawfish are listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act, which makes it illegal to harm, harass, or handle them. If you happen to catch a sawfish while fishing for other species, keep it in the water at all times. If you can do so safely, untangle any line that is wrapped around the saw and remove as much line as possible. Cut the line as close to the hook as possible then immediately release the sawfish. If you do see or catch a sawfish, you can help conservation efforts greatly by reporting your encounter to: sawfish@myfwc.com, (941) 255-7403. Capt. Betty Staugler, Florida Sea Grant Agent. UF/IFAS Extension Charlotte County (941) 764-4346
Slammin’ MAY 2016
By Capt. Chuck Eichner Water LIFE Inshore I would speculate that there are few places in the world that have as big a variety of saltwater gamefish within a short boat ride as Charlotte Harbor. As an angler here, I always feel I am in the middle of a learning curve on our local waters with no end to the discoveries in nature and in ways to catch fish. As this angling journey continues I wonder why there are not more fishing accolades for amazing catches. We have the Backcountry Slam (redfish, snook and trout in the same day) and the Backcountry Grand Slam which adds a tarpon to those three fish. That is one big feat to accomplish in a day of fishing! How about the saltwater Master Slam? May would be the month to go for it. The beauty of this is that you can create your own challenge. For instance, how about a grouper, a snook and tarpon in the same day. For this challenge you could use the same tackle for each species which makes having a dozen rods on board unnecessary. Add a cobia and it becomes a Super Master Slam! There could be many other variations
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of the “Slam” depending on your boat and your interests. You could go for the Peace River Slam as I call it which includes a tarpon, snook and largemouth bass and a simple Jon boat is all you need up river. The fishing at the end of April was epic! Just in the Harbor alone I caught cobia, tarpon, sharks and tripletail. Sometimes all in one day! Offshore was red hot
with gags, red grouper, kingfish and a variety of snapper. With so many fish available at one time why not make the day just a bit more challenging by focusing on only certain species or perhaps choose only one type of lure to pursue those fish with. How about the Tripletail Challenge using only DOA artificial shrimp! This is one I am planning for myself. The plan is to go outside along the beaches and run the crab pot lines sight fishing tripletail in the clear blue water and casting artificial shrimp to them. Tripletail hang around any floating object and use it as an ambush point. If you see floating trash don’t just drive by it, pull up to it and watch it, you just might see a tripletail using it for cover... and after catching the fish do Mother Nature a favor and pick up the trash! Capt. Chuck Eichner operates Action Flats Backcountry Charters and can be reached at 941-628-8040.
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Manatees of Belize America, flowing over 180 miles south On The Line from the Guatemalan border and ending at PAGE
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By Capt. Ron Blago Water LIFE Senior Staff
I just got back from my first ocean cruise and had a great time. The second stop on the trip was Belize City which turned out to be the best shore excursion of the whole voyage. Belize, formerly British Honduras, is a relatively new country only becoming independent in 1981. Instead of the usual beach-and-booze tour we decided to take a boat trip up the Belize River which we were told is the longest river in Central
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the Caribbean Sea at Belize City. We boarded a flat bottom skiff that held about 15 tourists, a captain and mate, as well as the tour guide. So off we went speeding through the bay with brightly colored homes on the port-side and the Caribbean on the starboard. As we reached the mouth of the river we slowed down and the tour guide told us we were going through a manatee zone and she proceeded to tell us about the manatees of Belize. Who would of thought I would leave Florida and travel
Hair in the breeze and white water alongside the boat, this Belize manatee tour wastes no time getting to the manatee area. They have a few manatee zones in Belize, but there is no enforcement.
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almost a thousand miles to a foreign country to hear another manatee lecture.... but I listened respectfully as she told us that Belize had the second highest number of West Indian manatees, right behind Florida, and that the manatee was highly endangered and in danger of becoming extinct.... mostly because of watercraft strikes. To me it sounded like that information came straight from the Save the Manatee Club's handbook. When she finished I had to ask her a question “How many manatees do you have in Belize” and she told me “approximately 700”. I told her that we had over 6,000 manatees and if Belize wanted more I'm sure we could spare a 1,000 or so. The captain, who I was sitting in back of, started to laugh and then turned around and said “Manatees big pain, mon.” We continued up river past giant red mangroves with roots 3 times higher then we have in Charlotte Harbor, past their local brewery, Belkin Beer, and stopped to look at huge iguanas hanging out in trees and howler monkeys. After a few hours we stopped for lunch at what they called a shore-side restaurant for their national dish; chicken with beans and rice. After lunch I had a one on one talk with the tour guide. I asked her where she got her information on manatees from and she told me that the cruise lines require that the guides all be certified and in order to qualify one of the steps is to go to a manatee rehab facility which is run by a non- profit called Wild Tracks. Wild Tracks receives funding from the Save the Manatee Club. That explained the propaganda. I told her that the manatee had a good chance of being dropped from the endan-
gered species list in the US. She was very surprised to hear that and I could see it troubled her. Manatees are big business in Belize; you can see the manatees, you can dive with the manatees or swim with the manatees. Belize is a poor country that lives off of tourism and manatees make up a big part of what they have to offer tourists. When I got home I did some research on Belize manatees. They have been protected in Belize since 1933. They have a few manatee zones, but there is no enforcement in place. It is illegal to eat manatee but people still do. I was told that in the fishing villages around Ambergris Caye, you can still buy manatee meat on the black market. The published mortality shows that 10-percent of the deaths were caused by hunting. Most of your major manatee environmental groups have a presence in Belize; including the Save the Manatee Club, Wild Tracks, Sirenian Project International, Antillean Manatee Research Group and the Oceanic Society, to name a few. All those groups pretty much look out for themselves and do their own thing, which is why it is so hard to get solid raw data on population and mortality. I have also been told that some researchers are doing experiments on manatees in Belize that would be illegal in the US. That might explain why there are so many manatee experts in such a small country. Belize was the best stop on my cruise and I recommend it. If you want to go there, you should go soon, before the experts shut it down or decide to pave it over. Captronb@juno.com
MAY 2016
Shark Tagging
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By Mallory Herzog Water LIFE Fishing The tarpon are slowly trickling in. If your new to tarpon fishing, they travel up the coast and offshore to spawn yearly. We are lucky enough to be in their path. Tarpon FILL Boca Grande pass yearly. Some scientists belive they are resting here, before making their journey offshore to spawn. Anglers from all around travel here for an opportunity to hook up on one of these legendary fish. They pack a massive punch, hard fighters and put on an aerial show like you've never seen. Aver-
age fight time is 20 minutes to one hour! Once you hook into your first you will be back for more. We have resident tarpon that swim around all year but during the spring is when the largest numbers are here and hungry. Bait of choice is a small blue crab commonly known at the bait shop as a "tarpon crab". Threadfins are also a great bait choice. My tarpon set up is a Penn Spinfisher 6500, 50-to 65-pound mainline, 60-pound fluorocarbon leader to 6/0 circle hook.
What follows tarpon? SHARKS! The big gals are in town too. On a recent trip Barry tagged and released 7 sharks over 6 feet by noon. Since I’ve known Barry, he has had this lucky 9/0 Penn Reel. He brought it along for this trip and it worked its magic again. He hooked up to multiple species. Blacktip, spinner, sandbar and bull. The largest being a female bullshark, 94-inches long. We recorded data such as measurement, sex, location, and overall condition before releasing the sharks. A surprising catch of the day was an XL sandbar shark. These are not common over 7 feet, but Barry hooked into one that measured 7-feet 4-inches. NOAA's longest tag recapture was from a shark just like this one. The time between tag and recapture was 28 years! I wonder where they will travel from here? Last month Jimmy and Andrew joined us for a day of inshore fishing for snook. A saltwater species they had yet to catch. After battling windy conditions we found
a quiet place to set up and by the afternoon everyone was hooking up on snook. It was great to see their excitement every
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time a line got picked up. Plenty of fish have been hiding under the mangroves on a higher tide. Placing your bait or lure as close to the edge as you can in the "ambush zone" will lure a hungry fish out. The guys used Penn Battle reels size 2500 with 15-pound line to 30-pound leader. Circle hook 3/0 with a live white bait. It’s a combination a hungry snook can’t resist. They had a few great opportunities to tag their catches for Grey Fishtag Research. These tags are lightweight and designed for inshore species. It will be interesting to see how these fish grow and where these fish end up. Be on the look out for them if you fish Boca Grande/ Charlotte Harbor/ Englewood area! You can contact Big Bully Outdoors Charters for a trip with Mallory’s husband, Capt. Andrew Herzog. Call 941-661-9880 or visit BigBullyOutdoors.com
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MAY 2016
Greek-Style, Whole Roasted Yellowtail Snapper
By Nicole Coudal Water LIFE Delicious!
I love Greek food for its simplicity and deliciousness, and using fresh ingredients, including traditional flavors of lemon, garlic, oregano and olive oil, makes all the difference. Recently I was craving a Greek salad, so I bought everything to make it for dinner. Personally, I would have been satisfied with just a big salad, but my hubby asked “Well, what else are we having?” Let’s just say he subscribes to the philosophy that salad is not really a meal (nor is soup, according to Jay Leno). Anyway, I had to think fast and fortify my plan. Fortunately, I remembered I had two whole Yellowtail Snapper in the freezer, courtesy of our friends who caught a bunch in the Bahamas recently. What a great opportunity to put these little guys into action by roasting them with traditional Greek flavors!
Roasting whole fish is really quite easy. It’s even easier when you get your fishmonger (or a close friend) to do the work of cleaning, scaling and gutting. But, you can do it yourself — it’s just a little messy. Fortunately, these fish were pristine, so I simply rinsed them, patted them dry, and added some deliciousness. I generously coated them with olive oil and kosher salt (inside and out), then stuffed each cavity with lemons, fresh thyme and oregano, salt and pepper — all good stuff to infuse the fish. And to help them cook evenly, I scored the outside of each fish a few times with a sharp knife. When the grill was hot (400-500 degrees), we placed the fish on there and let them cook for 5-6 minutes, each side. These were small, so larger, thicker fish will require more time, but you can tell it’s cooked if it’s somewhat firm to the touch and juices run clear. When off the grill, I sprinkled them with olive oil and lemon juice and served them alongside a Greek "Salsa" – calamata olives, tomatoes, red onion, olive
oil, lemon juice and fresh oregano. The aromas were wonderful, and eating them was even better! Oh, I almost forgot, we had Greek salad, too.
INGREDIENTS Fish: 2 small-medium snapper (or whatever you like), scales removed and gutted Olive oil Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper Lemon slices Fresh oregano & thyme Greek "Salsa" ½ c. grape (or cherry) tomatoes, roughly chopped ½ c. calamata olives, chopped 1-2 Tb. red onion, chopped ½ lemon, juiced Pinch fresh oregano, chopped 3-4 Tb. olive oil ½ tsp. kosher salt ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
For the Fish:
Heat a grill to very high (about 450-500 degrees). OR, heat the oven to 450 degrees and place the fish in a deep roasting pan or on a rack in a roasting pan. Rinse/pat dry each fish; spread olive oil on both sides/inside cavities; sprinkle inside & out with kosher salt; stuff cavities with lemons and sprigs of oregano & thyme. With a sharp knife, score the sides of each of the fish (about 2”). Place fish onto the grill and cook each side for about 5-6 minutes (I like to cover the grill to help the fish roast a bit more). If in the oven, cook about 12-15 minutes. While the fish cooks, make the Greek "Salsa".
After chopping all the ingredients, mix all in a small bowl. Allow to sit at room temperature until ready to serve with the fish. Nicole Coudal is an avid fishing gal who hails from New England but has lived in SW Florida for 25 years. MyDeliciousBlog.com showcases her "coastal inspired" cuisine using fresh, seasonal ingredients, from sea to land.
MAY 2016
Trout off the Beach By Bob Fraser Water LIFE kayaking I spent three days at a beach house on Little Gasparilla Island with my wife and some friends the second week of April. The house is in a cool location on the Gulf and only about 50 feet from the beach and water. We took Emmitt’s Water Taxi from Eldred’s Marina over to the island. As I always do when I go to a place I’m not familiar with, I “picked the brain” of a local guy to get a fishing report. This time it was the water taxi driver. He told us that some people were catching big trout by surf fishing. He said the big female trout were coming in close to the surf to spawn. The next morning my friend and I hit the beach about 6am. We had 6 trout by 6:30am and lost several fish as well. We almost had our limit within 30 minutes and it wasn’t even light outside yet. These were big, fat trout, 16- to 20-inches. I caught my 20-inch trout within a few feet of the shore. I have caught a wide variety
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of species of fish from the beach but never a trout. We literally chased the trout down the beach. After we caught our first 6 trout they stopped biting. My friend suggested
that maybe the trout moved down the beach. So he went in one direction and I went the opposite way. As soon as one of us got a bite we called out “They’re over here”. We did this for the next 30 minutes; we just kept walking the beach when we found out which direction the trout were heading. This was something I have never done before. It was so much fun and a new experience for both of us. By 7:30 am, we had our limit and were throwing back 16-to 17-inch trout. My wife was still back at the house so I called her to come join us in the fishing so we could get more fish. We ended up with 11 trout after throwing back 3 keepers. We also caught 3 flounder, one being 17inches. All the fish were caught on a ZMan white soft plastic. The third week of April I had a kayak fishing charter with a father and son from Minnesota. We went out to my favorite
place, Gasparilla Sound. I knew it was going to be windy but they wanted to go anyway. The water was rough when we launched the kayaks. My clients said they were used to rough water in Minnesota where they manage a resort on a big lake so this was not an issue for them. When we got to the launch site, the father said, “it’s not too bad, there’s no white caps”. We started the day fishing shrimp under a popping cork. We caught a few small trout. I like to fish alongside my clients so I can try to find the fish. I tried fishing on the bottom with a shrimp and immediately had some action. I gave the two of them a fishing pole without a cork so they could fish on the bottom as well. They both caught a few more fish but no keepers. The last hour of fishing, I had them try a Z-Man soft plastic. There are
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several methods of fishing with this lure, but I’ve found that the best method for me is using a twitching motion when retrieving it. The Z-man soft plastic was a white paddletail, my favorite. We ended up the day catching about 10 trout, all undersized. A few of them were 14-inches, just an inch short of being dinner. Bob Fraser guides kayaking trips. He can be reached at 941-916-8303
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Section! Fantastic home only minutes out. Beautifully updated 3/2/2 pool home, built 1977 with huge dock. Sold $425,000
Call the Captain! Fabulous Deep Water Sailboat Home! Large 3BR plus Den, 2600sfAir, Pool Home. Luxury features throughout with quick access to Ponce Inlet. Sold $580,000
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Call the Captain! Huge Open Waterview On Tip Lot! Stunning sailboat waterfront home, granite counters/wood cabinets and high-end appointments. Sold $519,900
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Country Dream Home! Perfect family home located on 2 acres. 3/2/2, large pole barn, fenced with huge privacy. Sold $240,000
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Blunt the Barb PAGE
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By Fishin’ Frank Water LIFE Baitshop Sharks are the story and there is a bunch of them. Sharks are really important as far as the balance of power in the water goes and Southwest Florida is home to many type and or species of shark. We have black tip, Atlantic sharp nose, bonnet-head/shovel nose, bull, great hammerhead, lemon, nurse, tiger, spinner, sand bar, black nose, scalloped hammerhead .... and there have been mako and great white sharks here too. Funny thing is, I know I am forgetting a couple others too. One of my passions in fishing is catching sharks. I used to head out with light tackle and take people to catch small sharks 2-to 4-feet long (back then) on 10 pound mono. When it got dusk I would set up the boat to catch a couple of 8-foot plus sharks just to let my guys get beat up a little by a fish that would not stop, or turn, or anything, until it was ready. The light fading and the people would be thinking sharks .... I know the theme from Jaws would be going through their heads and so I would very quietly hum the Da-Dum, Da-Dum thing while we were waiting. Then a reel would start to click slowly click, click, then as the sound turned into a steady buzz of metal on metal I would say ‘Set the hook,’ and it was on. I am not sure how to tell you exactly when to set the hook. Sharks tend to hit and keep going. There is a slight change in the speed when the shark has the bait in its jaw and feels comfortable to start to swallow. Picking hooks can be daunting when it come to shark fishing. A standard “J” hook can easily get caught down in the throat of a shark, while a circle hook which goes to
SAILING
By Fran Nasher Burstein Water LIFE Sailing Gusty, 12-to 18-knot winds and two foot seas made for spirited sailboat racing on April 17 in Charlotte Harbor. Race Captain, Steve Jones designed a 6.16mile Olympic style course for the last race of the Punta Gorda Sailing Clubʼs Spring season. Non-Spinnaker Class boats were led by Adagio, the first place winner in the class with skipper, Dave Atkinson. Playmobil, and Adagio created some excitement sailing in close position during the race. Playmobil, with Jay Nadelson at the helm, took second in the Non-Spinnaker class. Most of the Spinnaker Class boats opted for
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the corner of the mouth is almost impossible to get out of a shark. Bolt cutters are often carried by shark hunters to remove circle hooks. So I like a modified J-hook. The J-hook is easy to get out except for the barb. Once I had four customers on my boat and they were all hooked up at the same time. It was fast, and steady, as I got one shark to the boat, grabbed it by the back of the head – it was about 3 foot long – grabbing a small shark by the back of the head is the only safe way to control the shark and keep the shark and you safe. The hook had lodged in the heavy cartilage and the only way to get it out was to push it through and then flatten the barb so I could pull it back out, which I did. Being so busy with all of the people catching sharks I just stuck a bait back on that same hook, half of a Spanish sardine, and threw it
MAY 2016
back out so the angler could continue fishing. After taking off several more sharks from that hook it dawned on me: No difference! So I started bending down the barbs on all of the hooks. I had always felt a little bad about the barbs on the hooks with sharks, not too bad as they eat live sting rays, and quite often I have pulled sting ray barbs out of a sharks mouth for it, but now with the barbs bent down there was almost no blood. The hooks slid out easy. That was in the mid 1990s and I have not used a sharp barb when fishing for sharks ever since. As time went by I refined how I bent the barb down. I learned that if I took an extra couple of seconds, to just bend the tip of the barb and not flatten the whole barb, the bait stayed on better. Barbless hooks suck, they are useless. The bait wont stay on and often the fish get off. With the barb bent over in as much of a bump as possible, the bait and the fish stays on and the hook still slides out easy. With other fish I don’t think a barb is as bad an idea, they eat live blue crabs, sting rays and other fish with spines. The mouth of these fish is made to get a hole in it and repair itself quickly. But a shark has a mouth more like ours, muscle and cartilage, not a membrane type tissue. So a barb does more damage. The other thing about bending the barb is that a barbless hook, without pressure on it, is likely to fall out of the shark’s mouth, nothing is really holding it in place while a bent over barb stays in. Frank@fishinFranks.com 941-625-3888
wing on wing sailing during downwind racing due to the gusting wind conditions. Jim Nuzzo, Captain of Us2, skillfully flew a spinnaker and placed third in his class. The crew of Stella cheered their strong finish in the Spinnaker Class. Thirteen boats raced. Bob Knowles on Still Crazy had a strong lead throughout the Fran Nasher Burstein race and finishing 5 minutes and 10 seconds before the Boats in the Cruising Class get off to a good start. On the second place boat Stella. far left is Diva Gorda, a Jeanneu 36 that took first in class. Stella took the second away Sail # 899, Serendipity, a Hunter 42, wins the second place from Us2 on corrected time. and Euphoria the boat in front of Serendipity is a Hunter 30 and the third place winner.
RESULTS
Spinnaker Class Still Crazy J-95 Stella C&C Mk5 Us2 S2 7.9 Non Spinnaker Adagio Catalina 27 Playmobil C&C 36 CHCSC AMF 21 Cruising Diva Gorda Jeanneau 36 Serendipity Hunter 42 Euphoria Hunter 30
Bob Knowles George Benisek Jim Nuzzo
Dave Atkinson Jay Nadelson Robert Hill
Rudy Gottschlich Mike Busher Ed Brauer
MAY 2016
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Sometimes Unsubstanciated, But Often True
OFTEN TRUE BUT NOT ALWAYS The scuttlebutt last month, about an old Nazi sub found in the Great Lakes turned out to be bogus. We should have known better.
INKY DINKY DO Three months ago, Inky the octopus didnʼt even try to cover his tracks. Once the staff at New Zealandʼs National Aquarium noticed that he was missing, telltale suction cup prints were easy to find. Inky had slipped through a gap left by maintenance workers at the top of his enclosure and, as evidenced by the tracks, made his way across the room to a six-inch-wide floor drain. He then somehow managed to squeeze his football sized body through the grate and into the drain pipe which lead straight to the ocean. Kerry Hewitt, the aquariumʼs curator of exhibits, said “Inky was just getting used to being at the aquarium.”
STUPID CAN BE EXPENSIVE Officers of the Offshore Patrol Vessel Osprey, were conducting water patrol approximately 15 miles east of Ponce Inlet off the Coast of Volusia County when they boarded a recreational fishing vessel. The vessel captain told the officer, during the boarding, he was not going to like what he found in the cooler. Upon inspection of the cooler, four red snapper, five undersized vermillion snapper, three undersized gray trigger fish and five undersized black sea bass were found. The owner/captain was issued a $925 summary settlement for the federal violations.
ANCHORS AWEIGH! The Zumwalt, the Navy's newest and most expensive destroyer, departed the Bath Iron Works shipyard on Wednesday morning to conduct acceptance trials with the Navy's Board of Inspection and Survey. Key systems including navigation, propulsion, auxiliary systems, habitability, fire protection and damage control capabilities will be tested to make sure that they meet the Navy's
to why the gator ventured so far from its more native habitat of freshwater and associated wetlands. The officers captured the gator unharmed and transported it back to the Everglades for release.
requirements. Weapons tests are not on the agenda for acceptance trials, as the shipʼs mission systems have not yet been activated. That work will commence after the Navy has taken delivery and the vessel has been relocated to San Diego. GOOD TASTE TASTES GOOD According to the Fisher Island Community foundation, an FWC officer and an investigator responded to a call of a crocodile on shore at Fisher Island, a high end upscale urban/residential community surrounded by saltwater off Miami Beach. The waters around the island are heavily traveled by vessels ranging from cruise ships to PWCs. Upon arrival, the officers located what turned out to be a seven-foot alligator. It was a mystery as
WHY CANʼT WE ALL JUST GET ALONG? The resource of Charlotte Harbor can support many uses if wise management and consideration for others is employed. Crab traps have often been placed in the marked main channel of Charlotte Harbor between the #2 marker at the head of the Harbor and the #1 buoy. Last April there were hundreds of traps in this marked channel. Are we on the way to that same condition this year? Local shrimpers complain about this because they drag and pull their nets in the channel area to stay away from the sea grass beds. FWC officer Cohl notes: Crab traps should not be placed commercially or recreationally, inside any marked channels. They however can be placed anywhere else in the Harbor or canals as long as vessels are able to navigate around them. If you feel traps are placed in marked navigable channels send Officer Cohl an email and he will be happy to investigate Samuel.Cohl@MyFWC.com PAINFUL REVIVAL TECHNIQUE A 911 call was received reporting a shark-bite victim near Content Keys. A US Fish and Wildlife Service officer responded to the scene. The victim told the officer that he caught a “Jack” and was trying to revive it by holding it over the side of his vessel in the water, moving it back and forth before he released it. The victim said that was when a 6-to 7-foot shark swooped in and bit his left hand causing a severe injury. Editor notes: When reviving a fish you want to move it forward, like the normal flow over its gills, not back and forth.
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BackBay Xtremes Capt Dave Stephens www.backbayxtremes.com
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Fish With A Guide!
Youʼll catch more fish and youʼll learn something new, too!
Speak Easy Fishing Charters Captain Joe Angius USCG licensed & Insured Phone: (727)
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speakeasyfishing.com
speakeasyfishing@gmail.com
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May – Predictions and Suggestions
MAY 2016
Charlotte Harbor
Frank at Fishin’ Franks 941-625-3888
Let’s start with the slower ones. The redfish are still not up to what they were. There have been some good times, but it’s a relatively slow year on Bob Brett texted us his 23 inch trout and Elaineʼs 22-inch trout caught on Charlotte Harbor. redfish up in the Harbor. The nice 2 or No.1 splitshot to get it down in a spectacle of itself. schools seem to be further south tothe water, or with a blue crab, a litSnook, on the other hand, are wards Two Pine. If you find them tle less weight. You have to cast the having probably the best year ever. the redfish are definitely eating blue crabs way out into the current and Snook are on the east and west side crabs, baitfish and cut bait. You let them sink. If you cast them bemoving towards the beaches. They have to find a school and then what hind the boat they will float up. are leaving rivers and canals going they will eat. Catching 10 redfish Sharks from 18 inches to 14-feet to the Gulf. The freshwater is pushnow is tough. There have been some ing them out to the proper spawning are here now – a lot of smaller ones smaller schools in the back of Bull and quite a few 6 to 8 footers. The grounds. and Turtle Bay, but getting them bulls are bigger and hammerheads There have been quite a bit of worked up to feed is also tough. Try are up to 14-feet. threadfins and a little bit of greendicing a baitfish up into small Tripletail are in the Gulf and in backs moving into the Harbor, so pieces, maybe chum a combo of the Harbor and in numbers and sizes the snook are finding enough fish shrimp and baitfish to get them in I haven’t seen since the mid 90s. and oils to keep them happy for the mood. Let them smell the food. They are one of the dumbest fish on spawning, the baitfish are really imPeople are going back to hooking the planet. Catching them is like portant for the snook. the bait through the middle and putplaying peek-a-boo with a toddler. But baitfish are so light it’s hard ting it on a jig head. Shrimp or baitSmall lures, small shrimp, plastic to throw them if you’re snook fishfish... same with both. That way, crabs, anything small, 3 inches or ing. I like a casting bubble for that. when a fish comes by the bait makes less. Fish 6-pound mono with 15With the threadfins compound flouro leader and a No. 2 to ing in that has brought No. 4 hook. Light line, little hook. everything else. All the One will blast out to the water one fish are going nuts right will run hard you just never know now. It’s really quite what tripletail will do. spectacular. Sea trout are larger in size right Tarpon are out along now, most are 17- to 20-inches. the beaches now in fair They will be right along either side numbers. Boca Pass is of the bars. Shrimp on a poppin cork doing really well too. It’s or a MR17 would be the best bet for starting to get very consistent on tarpon. The one the trout. All the threadfins coming in are thing is you pretty much bringing in the mackerel. The want drifting the holes is I live in Ohio and was on vacation in Florida last week. I caught this 30 inch snook near the Cape in mackerel are after the threadies and a ladyfish for bait. Out in last Tuesday while on a fishing charter. I thought the Pass, some of the most the sharks are after the mackerel. A you might want to put the picture in your newspaconsistent hook ups are on poppin cork with jig or, better yet per. Pat Kirk Editor notes: You betcha! Thanks fish with a Clark spoon under it. The live threadfins with a No.
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0-0 or 0 Clark spoon under the DOA cork seems to be the ticket for mackerel right now. Out in the Gulf the twitch and gold bomber, Mann’s sardine Stretch 15 are all good on King mackerel and the larger Spanish mackerel that are mixed in with them. Amberjacks, there are quite a few out there to play with. Permit are around the wrecks – not as much around the reefs, but there has been quite a bit of permit around this spring. If you’re looking for red grouper look for 100 feet of water. Gags have been in the Boca and Captiva passes, but I’m thinking Alligator Reef or the deep hole in the Harbor are also holding gag grouper now.
Lemon Bay - Placida Jim at Fishermen’s Edge 941-697-7595
It’s quiet around here. It seems like all the fishermen went back up north and now they are fishing yellow perch and walleye. Fishing here has been good
TARPON a few on the beach and some in the Harbor
Fish you can expect in
MACKEREL in the Harbor and passes, kings still near shore
on the Englewood side of the Bay. There is a lot of stuff happening. Bait has been sketchy guys are going across the Harbor to Jug Creek. Devilfish and Sandfly bait has dried up - you can thow 10 or 15 time and not many pieces. Some guys are buying shrimp and doing ok. Trout fishing has been really good too. A lot of guys are getting really nice redfish, a number of them every time they go out, slot fish. One friend said he saw 60 redfish on one shoreline dropping in and out with high water now that we have warm weather the circumstances are different than the wintertime. There have been some threadfins, but they are not as good as white bait. There are tarpon in the Har-
May
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SNOOK On the move and eating their way to the Gulf
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SHARK Big ones moving in, others... everywhere!
Gulf Temps are upper 70s GAME ON! Fishing is exploding!
95˚ 90˚ bor and guys are telling me they are starting to see some out on the beach. Not big numbers in Boca Pass, but they will be around. One guy said he landed 7 a day for the last couple of weeks another guy said they jumped 7 caught 5... I don’t know. There has been a lot of catches on shrimp. I think the feeding on shrimp coincides with the shrimp run going on now. Offshore, out at 90 feet, they’re getting vermillion, lane, and mangrove snapper, porgys, triggers, and a couple of red grouper. Fishing is great!
85˚ 80˚
75˚ 72˚ 70˚ 68˚
Capt. Charlie Phillips writes: Mr Don Braddock with his last slot snook of the season before he went back to Orange Lake. He throws a soft plastic on a 7/0 double forged hook 1000 times a day (cause he says my hooks are for bluegill....not Snuke!!) The fish went back to Orange Lake for dinner with Mr. Braddock!
We are pleased to announce Ingman Marine is now with us as a 2016 Master Angler sponsor of the Water LIFE Magazine, Don Ball School of Fishing program. Gary Ingman and Ingman Marine have been significant supporters of youth fishing and youth athletics in our community for many years. We are thrilled Ingman Marine supports our program for teaching young anglers in the countyʼs middle schools about local fishing and the concept of Ethical Angling in and around Charlotte Harbor. On behalf of all the students and staff: Thank you again, Gary Ingman and Ingman Marine! Michael Heller / Donna Ball
50˚
Don Ball School
45˚
FISHING RIGHT NOW:
OMGxl!
Red snapper season will open Saturdays and Sundays in May starting May 7. On May 28, the season will open continuously through July 10.
ALL ABOUT THE KIDS Captain Billy Barton provided these pictures from one of his kids charters, last month. Captain Billy is one of the instructors at the Don Ball School of Fishing. He teaches the class at Punta Gorda Middle School.
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MAY 2016