Water LI FE
Charlotte Harbor, Lemon Bay, Venice, Estero, 10,000 Islands and the Gulf
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The Don Ball School of Fishing
November 2016
see page 5
Talking about colder Page 11
Inshore/Offshore page 15
Red Grouper page 7
Estero Bay
page 16
Photo & Release page 5
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Water LIFE inc. waterlife@comcast.net www.WaterlifeMagazine.com
Michael & Ellen Heller Publishers
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Independant - Not affiliated with any other publication! Vol XV No 11 © 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:
TV STAR Izzy Rogner, a.k.a. Izzy the Barber (and Izzy the fisherman) was in New York with his family, on vacation last month. A friend spotted them on TV in the crowd at the Today Show, on morning TV and posted a picture on facebook. Later Izzy posted his own picture of them with Today Show host Hoda Kotb. Izzyʼs shop is next to West Marine in Port Charlotte. No autographs, please!
To Water LIFE: You might like these two they are painted on the husk of a Florida palm tree frond by artist Dale Werner. A FEW NICE WORDS Thank you for putting my friends picture in there, Also, thank you for a great publication! sincerely Rusty Rhodes.
CORRECTIONS DEPARTMENT We received the following unsigned email: “Not sure if that's a grouper on your October cover. Many years ago in Marine Biology classes at Charlotte High according to Mote Marine our teacher said that is a species of fish only found in southwest Florida. We captured several of them and kept them successfully in our tanks, unfortunately I can't remember the name. ” The tiny grouper-like fish we had on the cover last month is not a grouper at all. According to Capt. Ralph Allen, at the Kingfisher Fleet in Fishermenʼs Village, itʼs a Belted Sandfish, and they donʼt get much bigger. “I used to see them when diving around Placida,” he told us.
Photography: ASA1000.com Senior Editor: Capt. Ron Blago Baitshop Commentary: Fishinʼ Frank Peace River: Capt. David Stephens Punta Gorda: Capt. Chuck Eichner Venice: Glen Ballinger Estero: Capt. Joe Angius Everglades City: Capt. Charlie Phillips Diving: Adam Wilson Kayaking: Bob Fraser Sea Grant: Capt. Betty Staugler Beach Fishing: Mallory Herzog Pier Fishing: Bobby Vitalis Delicious Seafood: Nicloe Coudal
On the Cover:
Txt us ur fish: A client on a trip with Capt. Dave Stephens, shows off a Charlotte Harbor snook. Snook are in season through the end of this month.
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NOVEMBER 2016
Hold Up Your Fish!
By Michael Heller Water LIFE editor Winter is almost here and the inshore fishing tournaments are all but over. Last month, Flatsmasters, an area catch-and-release event, closed out its season by becoming a kill tournament when their release boat broke down and they continued on with the show anyway. As a result of that, I was told tournament fish were released into the Laishley Park Marina and many floated up dead the next morning. Simply put, the fish were sacrificed. A few dead tournament fish every now and then may be unavoidable, but fish that are killed by greed in a for-profit event that does not give back to the fishery, is simply out of touch with today’s environmental reality. Photo-Release tournaments are a good alternative to live tournaments and they have been gaining in popularity over the last 5 years. Third party photo analysis has made the photo release event fair and impartial. Mike Lott, out of Lutz Florida, has made a business of administering PhotoRelease events. It works because he’s a fisherman himself, he’s independent, he’s from out of town and he’s figured out how to wade through all the B.S that tournament fishermen are capable of . Lott administered the photos at last month’s
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Downtown Showdown, at Downtown Bait and Tackle in Punta Gorda. There were no dead fish. Bobbie Leahey, owner of Downtown Bait and Tackle was the tournament organizer. She did a nice job setting up this event. Jimmy McCurdy brought his BBQ trailer and put out a southern spread. The Punta Gorda Boys and Girls Club did the serving. There was a raffle and event shirts for the competitors. But it is action that is still missing from photo and release tournaments. I like to go to live release events to watch the teams hold up their fish for everyone to see. It’s a natural conclusion for a fishing event. Earlier that day, Capt. Dave Stephens asked me: “Why isn’t anyone doing a photo release tournament where they put the fish up on big screens, like at a sports bar?” It was a good question. “Hold up your fish,” I said to tournament winner Dustin Hormann, after he came out of the polygraph room, and I handed him Lott’s computer monitor for an impromptu picture. Wouldn’t a catch and release weigh-in be cool if the teams were announced and they came up on a stage with their fish in hand, on monitors... or on big iPads? Photo release events like the Downtown Showdown are the natural evolution for local live tournaments, but the technology takes money. “When we have more entries, we can do something like that,” Leahey said. event coverage page 22
We like Fresh Fish so please donʼt send old photos.
We like the First Catch so donʼt send us fish if you are also sending the same fish to another publication, like for instance ... the Charlotte Sun
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Bigger is Better, higher resolution is best. Please donʼt adjust, crop or sharpen your pictures.
No Towels! Hold ʻem with wet
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Dustin Hormann, of Northport, holds up his winning 37.1-inch snook at the Downtown Showdown Tournament, last month. Team LakeMaster (Hormann, Christopher Muglio and Chris Muglio) took home a $2500 first place check.
hands and please hold big fish horizontally.
No Fishy Fish if you are not in the picture too, it may not make it to print. No Blatent Ads but if a guide helped you, please say so.
Txt to 941-457-1316 Be sure to include (at least) your name and type of fish (txt only, voice calls cannot be answered) You may also eMail pictures to: waterlife@comcast.net
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Cool Temps will Trigger Spawning for Crappie and Sheepshead
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By Fishin’ Frank Water LIFE Baitshop Well another month and this time of year we see the Air temperatures fall and think wow the crappie, or if you fish Salt water the sheepshead, should be biting. It take four times longer for water to heat or cool than it does for land and water is many times slower to heat or cool than air. But lets use four times as a basis. So four hours of night time cooling only has a 1-hour of effect on the water and that will only go down a foot or so. The deeper the water the more dense it is and again takes longer to cool. Surface to 2-feet is about the same by the time you get to -6-feet it is twice as long to cool or heat than the surface water... so 8-times longer. What does this mean and why is it important? Well it might not be important, but to affect the fishing it would take 4days of cool weather to affect the water temperature two feet below the surface. So one cool day is OK, but we need four days of cool weather to bring on the sheep head or crappie bite to full effect. So let’s say it does get cool enough to bring on the bite. For sheepshead that will mean finding a pier or bridge to fish, the more piling the better. Docks with a lot of pilings are good too. The pilings are loaded up with barnacles and the sheepshead have teeth that can crush the outside of the barnacle. They don’t eat the shell or hard part, they only want the soft worm inside the barnacle. Yes inside the hard outer crusty very sharp exterior of a barnacle is a worm. But often, even though the sheepshead like to eat them, it is not the barnacles they are after. Picture all of those barnacles one after the other growing on a piling. In-between each of them is a space like an apartment building for tiny fish, crabs and even shrimp, a multitude of tiny creatures live in between the growing barnacles and oysters so fish like sheepshead and many others glide up and down looking for a snack. Other favorite foods for sheepshead include sand fleas, fiddler crabs or any tiny crab for that matter. Barnacle in-sides, clam and oyster meat. Shrimp? Funny with shrimp, they like it better if you peel the shell off like you would if you were going to eat it. You would think with the way they like crabs and such with the hard shell, they would prefer shrimp with the outer shell, but nope, peel the shrimp tail and you will catch more sheepshead. Last bit on sheepshead is that they can be caught on the bottom but they are not a bottom feeder or a surface feeder for that matter ... they like to feed in the middle. So I use (where ever possible) a 3-way rig. The sinker on the bottom with the hook and bait off to the side. If I cast the rig, I place a tiny bobber or float at the top
NOVEMBER 2016
A pair of nice crappie at the Highland Park Fish Camp in central Florida
of the rig to keep it off of the bottom. If I am on a pier I let the rig down until the weight is on the bottom and the hook is a foot or so off the bottom right next to the piling. For you freshwater people, a little known fact about crappie in Florida is they like pepper trees. I am not sure why, but I think it is because the limbs and the roots make a tangle mess under the water where ever a pepper tree is hanging over the edge. It sort of reminds me of an old Christmas tree after the needles have fallen off would look like. And that is what crappie like, heavy or tangled cover to hide and or spawn in. When fishing a pepper tree I use a bobber for the crappie because if I cast a free line minnow into the branches it will tangle up and I will have no way to land the fish. But I can float a minnow right up to the branches under water and when the float goes down set and pull hard to get that fish out of the tangles or you’ll lose what truly is one of the best meals ever. Tasty just plain tasty. And for their size a crappie is a great fighter. Try a #6 hook with a live minnow hooked just in front of the eyes, I use a very skinny or to be exact a quill float. Quill floats get their name from the first ones that were made from porcupine quills. The skinny style is great for crappie as the float is very easy to pull down and shows every movement the bait makes because it ponts at the bait. OK, so that is my bit about the weather. As the cool weather and colder water approaches it will trigger a spawning season for both fresh water crappie and the salt water sheepshead, Good luck on your hunting and wow! ... the cool morning are just heaven. Enjoy the Florida winter to come.
Frank@fishinfranks.com 941 625-3888 239-634-1043
NOVEMBER 2016
Red Grouper
By Mallory Herzog Water LIFE Fishing The key to finding great grouper may not be in depth but be in your bottom machine. I discovered this during a recent outing in the Gulf of Mexico, heading out from Boca Grande and cruising west with my hubby Captain Andrew on the Big Bully Outdoor’s boat. The sun was hardly up, just peeking through the clouds behind us, when we stopped in what seemed to be the middle of nowhere, but really we were only a couple miles out of the pass. It is no secret the great big fish are out in some massive depths, especially in the Gulf, but could they also be closer? The bait splashed and plummeted towards the bottom. We didn’t get a chance to set the pole in the rod holder before a fish was on the line. Our third fishermen, Simon and Capt. Andrew both hooked up on fish at the same time. We drifted over an area of hard bottom, certain spots were more active than others, but after a few drifts we had the hang of it. It wasnt long before had our limit of red grouper. Gulf of Mexico harvest regulation is two per person with a 4 grouper aggrate, meaning no more than four fish for the boat. Red grouper have stricter regulations due to being a slow growing fish. They can live to 25 years. Red grouper are extremely aggressive, competing with other fish for food, always trying to "catch" their food first... which is great for an angler with his bait on the sea floor. Red grouper are a bottom dwelling fish that are known to excavate pits in the seafloor. This action creates crater-like areas in the sand that support an entire ecosystem of marine life. You often find snapper and other hard bottom dwelling fish in these locations too. The key to finding red grouper is finding this bottom. Down imaging sonar has come a long way. No matter what brand you favor, if you know what to look for you will be on the fish. Setting your GPS to traditional sonar
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picks up this patchy bottom the easiest. Look for hard bottom with small contour changes. Set up a drift to cover the entire area. Tackle Cap. Andrew uses Bullbuster 50pound braid tied to 50-pound mono leader, a weight, a swivel, another 5foot section of leader, tied to a 4- to 6/0-circle hook. Creating your leader this way puts the weight on the bottom with your bait slightly above. As you drift along the hard bottom your bait floating by will catch the attention of a hungry fish. We used a combination of live and frozen bait. Pinfish seemed to catch the largest fish. The frozen squid also caught keeper red grouper, but it seemed like you fished though a lot of shorts. Lane snapper however devoured our frozen baits, and we quickly caught a limit of them. Near the end of the trip Simon hooked on a very large pinfish and handed it to me. Laughing, he said " hold on, when this hits the bottom its going to get eaten." I really didn’t belive him since the bite had slowed, but as soon
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as the weight hit the bottom it was inhaled by a big red grouper. These fish have determination and give the angler a great fight. Undersized grouper were tagged and released so another angler can hook up to them when they are a few years older. Tagging information helps scientists collect valuable data on migration patterns and how the species is growing and changing through the years. You can contact Big Bully Outdoors for a charter trip with Mallory’s husband, Capt. Andrew Herzog. Call 941-661-9880 or visit BigBullyOutdoors.com
CANVAS & UPHOLSTERY
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NOVEMBER 2016
NOVEMBER 2016
By Capt. Chuck Eichner Water LIFE Inshore
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Big November Chew
Fishing in November requires some knowledge of the Pacific Ocean temperatures. Sounds crazy, but the weather forecast at present is for a La NiĂąa pattern suggesting a mild dry winter in the south (and cold and wet to our north). Any way you want to look at it, November will have plenty of wind and cold fronts to deal
with, but warmer waters basically mean we have an extended October. This past October we lost nearly half the month to high winds, but the fishing was nothing short of remarkable. Here’s the forecast for my four favorite species if we have a moderately warm November:
Kingfish: Often kingfish will show up in the stretch between Cape Haze Point and Boca Grande Pass. Big ones up to 40-pounds are possible. They will certainly be within sight of the beaches during November which is way more predictable. Trolling or drifting live baits to cover lots of ground is the way to go. Tarpon: Sounds crazy, but tarpon will hang around if the water temperatures are in their comfort range and bait is plentiful. If the weather turns really cold the bait fish will leave with the tarpon right behind them. Finding the right bait to feed them can be tricky. Live ladyfish, fished whole, are a good bet. Sometimes large pinfish are even better. If threadfin herring are lingering it is time to get the sabiki rig out!
Redfish: Schools of large reds will wander around the Harbor and beach areas. Fish to 15-pounds are pretty common. It will be tough to find them as we will enter a lower tidal phases and coupled with northeast winds the flats will be dry and void of fish. More predictable are redfish to 6-pounds, once the tide gets near its peak on an incoming. This is the month where I normally switch to whole live shrimp for redfish, but if pinfish are on the flats then they will peck away at your live shrimp so you will be better off fishing with live or a half pinfish, on the bottom. Snook: The cooler the water gets so goes the snook bite. Cooler temperatures slow their metabolism. Look for warm back water areas that have at least 3-feet of depth. If live sardines (white bait) are available, then they are hard to beat. If the bait leaves the Harbor then snook become reckless on lures, later in the day, after the sun has heated the shallows. Capt. Chuck Eichner operates Action Flats Backcountry Charters He can be reached at 941-628-8040
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STUMP PASS Cookinʼ Again PAGE
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On The Line
With Capt. Ron Blago Water LIFE Senior Staff
The rumor of the demise of the Stump Pass Project has been greatly exaggerated. Last month I reported that the project had hit a stone wall when the bids for the work came in way over budget. This was a major setback; the County had estimated that the entire project would cost around $8.2 million. Unfortunately, the bids from the only two contractors that bid the project came in around $14.0 million. This development could not have come at a worse time; the original plan was to start work at the end of turtle nesting season (Oct 31 ) and finish all the work before the season starts again (March 1) So now it’s time to start work and the county has no contractor. These new developments have caused county officials along with their engineering consultants to come up with a new plan and timeline to fix the problem. The Stump Pass project has always had three components. The first is to dredge the Pass to make it safe and deep enough for boat navigation. The second part is to build a Rock Groin to slow down the sand migration into the newly dredged pass. The third part is the beach renourishment on KnightBocilla-Don Pedro Islands. This is called
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the the South Beach Fill Project. It is this third part of the project that came in so far over estimate; the dredging contractors say that they we need about $4 million in mobilization cost to get their equipment to the offshore sand location and ready to pump sand for the South Beach Fill. Over the last 20 years, every time Stump Pass was dredged the majority of the sand from the pass was put on the South Beach Fill. Years ago the county established a template of how much sand is needed on the shoreline to maintain stability of the beach. Recent surveys shows that the template currently contains 97% of the sand amount that is considered necessary to maintain the shoreline. The county now proposes to rebid the contract; but this time leave out the South Beach Fill portion; hoping that the new bids will be within budget. The county has another plan for the South Beach fill. Manasota Key is in big trouble. Erosion over the years have taken away major portions of the shoreline. Property owners who once had 150 feet of sand out their back door, now watch waves crash in their back yard. Over the years there have been attempts to a begin a project to renourish the shoreline; but squabbles over easements and how much and who should pay have stalled any positive developments. Now things have reached a critical
THE NEVER ENDING PROJECT WE ASKED the County Engineer how many delay days there have been, so far:
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Charlotte County
But the heat is off on the back burner
point where something must be done or millions of dollars in waterfront property and the taxes paid on them will be lost. So the county has begun a Manasota Key Restoration project to rebuild the shoreline. The cost could be over $20 million. It is hoped that the South Beach Fill can be included in the Manasota Key project; that should save tax payers $5.0 million. As it stands today the new timeline for Stump
EDGEWATER DRIVE
Through September 30th the Contractor has requested and been granted 37 days due to rain. The County has added 102 days to the Contract because of weather delays and additional work added. The current Contract Completion date is May 16, 2017. Thank You, Charles F. Koons, P.E.Project Engineer
NOVEMBER 2016
The Elkcam waterway bridge construction still has a long way to go
Pass is; rebid the project on January 17, 2017 – project to be completed by May 2017. Stump Pass is not dead yet. Captronb@juno.com
NOVEMBER 2016
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Where Hungry Fish Are
By Capt. David Stephens Water LIFE Charlotte Harbor I know I often mention water temperatures when I write. The biggest reason for that is, it can make a big difference in the day you have fishing on Charlotte Harbor. We say we don’t experience much of a Fall season here in the sunshine state, however our local fish would not agree. During this time of year fish are on the move; they are looking for food. Locating fish this time of year can be a little tricky. When I get into my late fall pattern the number one thing I look for in an area is food that the fish are feeding on. Areas that have produced fish all summer might not be holding the same numbers of fish right now. On recent charters I have been focusing more on fishing the flats than mangroves. I know it can be hard not to anchor up and make that perfect cast to the shoreline, but now I’m still fishing close to the mangroves, just not in them. The reason for this is the forage is on the flats. I like to think about it this way; you can always move closer, but it’s harder to move away. Once you spook those fish, you might be done on that spot. So I recommend this time of year to fish where you would normally anchor. If the fish are closer in no big deal just move in, they’ll still be there.
Don’t be discouraged if some of the spots that you normally catch fish at are not producing. That can be very typical this time of year. In the last couple weeks I have experienced days of fishing that I looked like I couldn’t have done anything wrong, but it was really because I got lucky and hit the right spot. I have also had days when I had to ex-
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plain to my clients that we might have to try a few spots to locate the fish. It can be hard for anglers to comprehend the subtle changes that we have here, but believe me, it does make a difference. When you walk outside in the morning and feel that slight chill in the air, or notice that the days are beginning to become shorter, that’s Mother Nature telling our slimy friends that winter is coming. Next time you’re out, don’t be afraid to put your back to the mangroves. I’m not telling you to forget about them, just put them behind you. You might just be sur-
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prised at the number of fish that were underneath your boat! If you are truly blessed you will have one of those days that you read about. It can be one of those days where you sat in a spot and caught fish every cast... or you might catch nothing. Anything can happen, so all it takes is a little luck and finding that spot where the hungry fish are. If you would like to experience some of South West Florida’s finest fishing give us a call, or send us an email. All of our charters are private and customized to fit you and your party’s needs. Capt. Dave Stephens www.backbayxtremes.com 941-916-5769
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Readerʼs photos Txt Us Ur Fish Pix!
see page 5
NOVEMBER 2016
Old Greg, one of many Black the El Jobean bridge, 32 pou gaffed to bring up on the pie John Faulkner Jr. caught and released this 39-inch redfish off Boca Grande beach.
Barb Jones with a nice largemouth bass out of Coco Plum canal William Dale Merchant with a 28-, 29and 31-inch snook
85 year old Marilyn Walker caught and released this 26inch snook in Charlotte Harbor.
This might be the smallest in my cast net, off Bonita S
Sherry Strickland, caught in Bullʼs Bay
FISH PIX!
f r o m Wa t e r L I F E m a g a z i n e
Largemouth bass, 6.51 pounds, caught in Bonita Springs by Dale Werner on October 1
Tom Fisher, Fishbone Charters, Redfish
Derek Armiger doin a lil m
NOVEMBER 2016
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PAGE 13
FISH PIX!
f r o m Wa t e r L I F E m a g a z i n e
Erika Thompson , redfish
k Drums caught at unds, that was er.
Here's an 85 pound October tarpon caught in the upper Harbor on a Bait Buster. Rick Sarkisian 31.5-inch redfish caught by Mike L on lure!
flounder ever caught Springs, Dale Werner
Out fishing in the Harbor. What a surprise. A 23-inch triple tail. Marty Ranzer Brian with a nice snook
George Laster with nice cobia caught off Boca Grande 10/23
myakka river night fishing
What a great time we had can't wait to do it again. Love fishing Pirate Cove.
Victoria with her first ever slot snook
Redfish, above, and snook below, both caught at Clams Pass by Justice Sargood
Our Lesser Known Critters PAGE
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By Capt. Betty Staugler Water Life / Sea Grant Charlotte Harbor is home to a lot of cool stuff, much of which we never even blink an eye at. But, let’s face it, everything that lives and breathes in the harbor is connected in one way or another, and therefore important. So let’s take a look at some of our lessor known critters. Starting with peanut worms (aka Sipuncula), these awesome guys have the general shape of shelled peanuts. They are not well studied anywhere and only about 320 species have been formally described, all of which are marine and mostly from shallow waters. While some species of peanut worms burrow into sand and mud, others live in crevices in rocks, or in empty shells, and still others bore into rock. These came up with a muddy anchor
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products between cells. Marine flatworms (polyclads) are both predator and scavenger, in that they eat live or dead animals. They feed using their very muscular and retractable pharynx which can extend out of the mouth opening to about half of their body length. The pharynx pins down the prey while enzymes secreted from the mouth soften the tissue. Planarians are pretty simple; the mouth is their only opening. As a result undigested food also exits the body via the mouth.
They are also cleaners, and may be found removing parasites from larger marine animals. And then, how about the blotched swimming crab? This little beauty came up in a trawl last week when I was out
Peanut worms
Upside Down jelly
with FWC. Also in the trawl was a much more familiar swimming crab, the pass crab and a lot of them. The blotched swimming crab, like the pass crab and
Flat worm
that was holding my monitoring gear in place for two months. The digestive system of peanut worms consists of a mouth, an esophagus, an intestine, and an anus. They feed on detritus (dead organic material) using tentacles that surround their mouth. These same tentacles may also function as gills. Moving onto flatworms. Flatworms comprise a very diverse group of worms, with over 10,000 species described. Unlike many other kinds of worms, flatworms do not have a body cavity containing organs – rather, their body is a solid mass of tissue. There is no circulatory system either. Flatworms rely on diffusion to move nutrients and waste
Peppermint shrimp
Ok, enough of the worms. Let’s move on to some crustaceans like crabs and shrimp. Starting with the Florida peppermint shrimp. This little guy was in the seagrass in Gasparilla Sound. The Florida peppermint shrimp is one of six similar appearing species that make up the Western Atlantic Peppermint Shrimp complex. This particular species has five distinct narrow stripes that run the length of the abdomen. Peppermint shrimp is a scavenger and feeds on a variety of debris.
NOVEMBER 2016
Blotched swimming crab
even more familiar blue crab are all members of the family Portunidae, which stands for swimming crab, and all portunids have modified paddle-like back swimming legs. The blotched swimming crab is common to Florida, and inhabits shallow inshore areas of sand, gravel and rocky rubble. And finally in the cool critter collection, here’s the mangrove upsidedown
jelly (aka cassiopea). Down is up for this jelly. Cassiopea is often found resting on its bell in calm water areas. Cassiopea have branched arms with ribbon-like appendages that when extended as it lays on the bottom, resembles big snowflakes. It rests upside down because symbiotic algae lives inside the jelly’s tissues, and when upside down they are exposed to the sun and can photosynthesize. Upsidedown jelly live off food the algae produce, as well as zooplankton. An upsidedown jelly doesn't have a central mouth—instead, the edges of its eight oral arms contain hundreds of tiny mouth openings. The mouth openings are connected by channels to its stomach. By pulsing its bell, it forces zooplankton into the mouth openings where they make their way to the stomach. These organs are quickly regenerated. Last but not least are the fairly recently discovered Sea Daisies, with 2 known living species, they appear to live exclusively on pieces of wood on the deep sea floor. (I don’t have a photo of my own.) Want to collect echinoderms in Florida? Know the rules! Generally if it’s dead it’s fair game, although not always in State and Federal parks. If it’s alive, echinoderms fall under FWC’s Marine Life regulations. Collection of some species, like the cushion sea star is prohibited. For other species, there is a bag limit. In all cases a valid saltwater fishing license is required. And, in Lee County all harvest of echinoderms is prohibited and in Manatee County only two per person per day may be harvested. Capt. Betty Staugler, Florida Sea Grant Agent. UF/IFAS Extension Charlotte County (941) 764-4346
NOVEMBER 2016
Fishing the Tom Adams Pier
By Bobby Vitalis Water LIFE Pier Fishing This snook was caught at Tom Adamʼs Bridge pier in the early morning hours, from low to high tide. I have caught these snook from the beginning of the pier next to the mangroves or at the end of the pier. You can either cast out to the mangroves, cast out to the pilings, or cast under the bridge. The snook can get pretty big at this pier. I have caught snook here up to 38-inches in length. When catching snook, I like using artificial lures. The lure I am using is the D.O.A C.A.L 4-inch jerk bait Model# 418 color (Melon Back). It comes in a 12 pack. The jig head I am using for the jerk bait is the D.O.A
The Southern Sector
Class Schedule online at:
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C.A.L short shank in size 3/8-ounce, color (white). For those who use bait, I suggest you use live or dead shrimp. When putting shrimp on the hook, I suggest you use size 2/0 to 3/0 Owner or Gamagatsu circle hooks. The weight to use is anywhere from one-and-ahalf ounce to two-ounce egg or pyramid sinker. If you are fishing at the end of the pier, and you want to cast out to the pilings, you do need enough weight to cast out to get close. The snook are right next to the pilings. When fishing with artificial lures, for my main line, I use Power Pro 100 percent spectra 30-pound test color (green). For my leader line, I am using no less than 3feet of 25-pound test Sufix Invisline 100 percent fluorocarbon leader line. I like this leader line because it is nearly invisible in the water, has good shock absorption, and high knot strength. So, have a great time fishing!
10,000 Islands / Everglades City
By Capt. Charlie Phillips Water LIFE / Everglades City What a difference a month can make in our beautiful Florida weather and the fishing. October was starting out with more of the same pattern of summer, high temps, afternoon thunderstorms and warm water fishing patterns, but with the passing of Hurricane Matthew we have finally started to see our fall patterns taking shape as we move into the cooler months. With the cooler patterns we have seen our fishing really take off. Mother Nature is telling the predators that it’s time to get fat for winter, and has seen to it that the forage fish are in place to accommodate this need to feed!! Inshore we have seen some great fishing for redfish and snook all thru the region. With the abundance of live bait, that has been my choice lately, fishing the outside points and bars with live pilchards either free lined or under a popping cork. I have found a lot of snook in the 25-inch range and more than a couple in the over slot size. Always good problems to have. The redfish have been chewing as well, pretty steady all thru the area. Live shrimp under a popping cork works great as well as that same pilchard you were using for snook rigged on a knocker rig. Most of the fish we have been catching have aver-
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aged 22- to -25-inches. Speckled trout fishing is getting better down on the grassy areas in the Everglades National Park. A Bass Assassin cork combo does a good job of letting you cover water and attract fish. The cork makes the noise that brings them a running and the soft plastic does the catching. I like to use colors in pearl, flashy silver, and baits with chartreuse tails. Of course a live shrimp will work as well under the cork, but you will go thru some baits as all the puffers, pinfish and jacks love them along with the speckled trout. Offshore the wrecks and piles in the area should start having some real numbers of big cobia pushing thru. As these fish migrate south with the warmer water, they pass by the structure of the area for some “road candy” as my wife would say. A live blue runner on a 7/0 circle hook ready and available to cast to passing fish will seldom be turned down. Remember to measure these fish to the fork, 33inches from the tip of the nose to the fork, and never let a green cobia get loose in the boat unless you want to bleed and replace/fix gear. A cobia is solid muscle, and what they lack in brain power, they
make up with brawn. When they get to thrashing around, the spines on the upper back flare out and if they make contact, people start leaking!! When you bring a cobia aboard that’s going to be harvested, it should go directly in the box to cool down. Fish that are to be released should be treated with care and respect. Y’all have a great November, Laura and I wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving as well. Remember how blessed we are to live in such a wonderful fishery with so many world class destinations and opportunities all within an easy drive. Take advantage this month and do some fishing. Capt. Charlie Phillips: 863-517-1829 e-mail: hopefishing@hotmail.com Web: hopefishing.com
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Estero Bay:
November Fishing
By Captain Joe Angius Water LIFE Estero Bay Fishing in Southwest Florida is hard to beat when it comes to the month of November. This month anglers will find ample opportunity to target, not only a large variety of inshore and offshore species, but quality sized “trophy” fish. As Florida makes its seasonal transition from ‘wet’ season to ‘dry’ season, a lot of natural factors will begin to change and influence the fishing and waterways. These factors include water and air temperature, wind direction, tidal fluctuations, and Estero Bay’s water salinity. At this time schools of redfish and black drum continue to stay strong, tarpon can still be caught off of the beaches, large female snook have moved toward river and creek mouths, speckled sea trout dominate the grass flats on high tides, but one fish in particular has caught my attention: Tripletail. Last month on October 15 the stone crab season officially opened in both the Gulf State Waters and the Atlantic State Waters. Commercial trappers are allowed to place baited traps in the water ten days prior to the season being open, as long as
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they do not touch their traps. As the stone crab pots sit baited along the coast and on our beaches, they “marinade” in the water and begin to attract the warm-water pelagic triple tail. Tripletail in the Gulf of Mexico are said to spend most of their time in openwater around floating objects, i.e. algae or
buoys. Now that the stone crab season has been open, this means there are countless crab pots with buoys attached to them. Finding and catching tripletail isn’t all that difficult with the correct weather and water conditions. To find them, slowly drive past the stone crab pot buoys and look for dark shadows directly under the buoys or along the rope that it is attached to it. Completing this task is best when water salinity is high and water quality is clear. Once you locate one or multiple tripletail, I would recommend powering down and using a trolling motor to stay near the buoy. An array of baits and lures will trick the aggressive fish into eating, but my favorite baits are free-lined shrimp, shrimp
NOVEMBER 2016
on a popping cork and free-lined threadfin herring and white bait. Tripletail also gives the fly fishing angler the opportunity to sight cast for them with the margin of error to be larger than that of casting toward a shallow water snook. As it may take time for the tripletail to move closer to shore and dominate the stone crab pot buoys, always remember that Estero Bay provides great inshore fishing opportunities. Large redfish schools are still being found around oyster bars and smaller schools of about five to ten fish are located deep in the backwater feeding on mud flats. The backwater tarpon are starting to move out toward the passes and beaches feeding heavy on pilchards and mullet. In those same areas, large snook have been caught as the females work their way back inshore. Small juvenile snook are littered in the backwaters and are aggressive toward shrimp and pilchards. Another great species to target on high water is the speckled sea trout. A shrimp under a popping cork seems to be the most effective, but a 1/8oz jighead with a GULP! shrimp is a great contender to the popping cork. Be sure to follow all of the rules and regulations that are put in place for anglers and boaters ensuring the health of our fisheries and waterways. There are always opportunities to catch fish in Estero Bay, but don’t lose sight of the beautiful scenery, bird watching, and historic sites this location has to offer. Captain Joe Angius (727)-234-3171 Speak Easy Fishing Charters Speakeasyfishing.com Speakeasyfishing@gmail.com
NOVEMBER 2016
Don Ball School Fall Wading Trip
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This year there were a lot of shrimp and crabs collected. Samples were brought back to shore in buckets for further identification.
After a shoreside orientation students with dip nets and buckets waded out into the harbor to collect specimens.
A small seine net allowed students to work together gathering the net into a ĘťpurseĘź and then collecting the creatures they encircled. The FWC research lab in Murdock provided the education as well as the staff and nets for this outing.
Students watch a captured blue crab feed on shrimp, in a tank the FWC brought along.
This is the 7th year for our wading event. Students in Don Ball School of Fishing classes at Punta Gorda, Murdock, Port Charlotte and L.A. Ainger middle schools all participated.
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Paddling Lovers Key
By The Florida Rambler Water LIFE Kayaking The best known destinations in southwest Florida are two popular islands — Sanibel and Captiva. But there are many other wild and natural spots to discover including the very lovable Lovers Key. Lovers Key State Park is worth exploring for two major draws: A 2.5 mile beach lined with natural vegetation that is perfect for beachcombing and bird watching, and mangrove-lined waterways that are major draws for both manatees and kayakers. Lovers Key is on the barrier island immediately south of charming Fort Myers Beach. Like its surroundings, the land that is Lovers Key was destined for development. Canals were dredged and mangroves uprooted, but the state acquired the land in 1983 and today you’d never guess the landscape has been altered. Admission to Lovers Key State Park is
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$8, but if you just want a chance to spot manatees in winter, here’s a good tip. The manatees love to congregate in front of a viewing deck right inside the park entrance — and before you have to pay admission. So you are welcome to pull in and check whether any manatees are hanging out. On our winter visit, we spotted two, but a chatty British couple gazing into the water told how they have come every day of their vacation and on some
days had seen eight manatees in this spot. Lovers Key beach has that hard-packed white powder sand that makes Gulf beaches so different from Atlantic ones. Shells are numerous and the bird life is extensive, including two bald eagle nests. Osprey nest in trees directly next to the beach, and we saw so many osprey we lost count. Lovers Key also has two trails, each just over two miles, that are good for hik-
NOVEMBER 2016
ing or biking (on fat tires.) The trails are nothing special; we preferred the walk on the long, barely populated beach. That beach, by the way, is a most popular place for weddings, including an attractive gazebo. Lovers Key State Park is a stop along the Calusa Blueway and a good place to start your paddle to Mound Key State Archaeology Site, an island reachable only by boat, built by Calusa Indians starting 2,000 years ago. One of the key advantages of Lovers Key State Park is a concessionaire who offers a wide range of rentals– standup paddleboards, kayaks, paddle boats, even bikes. The company, Lovers Key Adventures and Events, also sells bait, ice cream and runs a variety of kayak tours, including to Mound Key. (If you rent one of these items or take a tour, the company gives you a credit for your $8 entry fee.)
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Just A Matter of Time By Michael Heller Water LIFE editor In 2001 I ordered a Paramount boat. Paramount was a ‘cult boat’ in the 80s and 90s, built by two brothers in Dania. They were popular in the Keys. If the brothers turned out two boats a month they were happy. If they didn’t like you, they might not build a boat for you. I wanted to be involved when my boat was built, so I camped out a couple of days a week at my friend Lenny’s house in Hollywood and every morning I’d go to the Paramount warehouse/factory to take pictures and help build my boat. My story ran as an ongoing series of articles which went from the delivery of the first two drums of resin right up to the last two screws being installed in the rub rail cap. It was good publicity for them and, most importantly, I got to make sure every little thing was the way I wanted it. I’m kind of picky that way, especially with machinery. The Paramount is an old style wood reinforced boat, no foam cores, no corrugated fiberglass, just encapsulated wood stringers with a layered plywood transom. Even the underside of the deck is reinforced with a checkerboard of structural laminated wooden squares. After it was done the boat went to the Mercabo facility in Placida, where Mer-
cury hung the motor on the transom, rigged and wired everything. When I took it out for the first time it was perfect. Ten years after the build I replaced the fuel tank, fabricated new tank mounts and built a sub-floor below the new tank so water could drain underneath it. If you are a boating guy, right about now you are probably asking yourself: Why did he have to replace the fuel tank? Eight years after it was built, I was lowering the boat into the canal when one of my davit cables broke. Luckily, the boat was only three feet above the water, and the tide was just deep enough to cushion the splash and not let my lower unit didn’t dig into the shallow bottom. But the angle of the transom, with the bow still attached to the other davit, allowed water to flood the back half of the boat, and although I got a come-along and lifted the boat out immediately and drained it right then, and although I flushed it out over and over with fresh water, blew it out with air, and then let it dry in the sun with fans... some salt damage had been done. Saltwater had gotten between the aluminum fuel tank and the urethane foam that held the tank in place. From that moment on, the electrolysis-clock began ticking. Eventually a tiny bit of salt ate through the aluminum tank and I had fuel
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IN 2008, the stern davit cable broke while lowering the boat into the water and the starboard quarter, where the battery is, went under. Eight years later, we have electrical issues.
in the bilge ... hence the new tank. Once the tank was replaced I was up and running again, or so I thought. Unfortunately I wasn’t done with the salt. It took 8 more years, but this past summer I began to experience electrical problems, things like inconsistent or totally open ground circuits and voltage waffling up and down. It was no surprise. We went down to Gasparilla for the Sea Grant Scallop Survey this summer with a temporary ground wire jumped directly from the battery to the bilge pump, just so I had a workable pump if I needed it, but after that, I pulled the boat out of the water and haven’t used it since. I’ve been waiting for the weather to cool off and now it’s time to rewire the boat. What happened was the saltwater in-
truded into the electrical connections and slowly worked its murderous magic way back up the wires. When you clip and strip a wire that has been salted, you can often see the tell tale black electrolysis, covering the wire’s strands. The factory connections on the wire harness that came from Mercury still appear to be good. Mercury knows salt protection, but all the secondary wires running from the battery to the sub panel under the console, I’m going to replace them all, one by one. It will be new again. When we built this boat I put in a piece of 4-inch pvc for a rigging tube so pulling new wires shouldn’t be too much of a problem, but then again, with a project on a boat, there are always those things you didn’t count on. Work begins next month.
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Sometimes Unsubstanciated, But Often True
NEW HOTEL COMING TO PUNTA GORDA According to a local source, the Punta Gorda business group which currently owns the vacant chunk property in the heart of downtown Punta Gorda, will be entering into a joint venture type of agreement with a major hotel chain to build a ʻsuitesʼ style property on the piece roughly across from the city park boat ramp. According to the source the local partnership will put up the land and the hotel chain will build the hotel. The property has been vacant since 2004 when Hurricane Charley took it.
NAUTICAL PAC MAN In the Baltic Sea harbor of Barhöft, Germany, the Danish offshore wind farm service catamaran Achiever struck a Hallberg Rassy sailing yacht. The sailboat was tied up alongside a dock for refueling. The catamaran struck the yacht, tore it away from the pier and effectively swallowed it between its hulls. The impact tore away the yacht's forestay, dropping the mast onto the pier,
and drove the boat back until it came to rest against another catamaran further down the dock. The yacht was reportedly assessed as a total loss, with damages estimated at $65,000.
GRINDERED Officers were notified that there was an individual who was vandalizing one of the caves located within the Citrus Wildlife Management Area (WMA). The officers made contact with the individual who admitted to using a 4inch grinder to carve his name on the inside wall of the cave. Charges were filed with the local State Attorneyʼs Office. HOW DUMB ARE WE? Late one evening an FWC Lieutenant observed a suspicious vehicle parked in the shad-
ows of the Home Depot parking lot next to the garden center. He pulled in to see a white female pull a palm tree out of the vehicle and place it on the ground. The female claimed she was simply returning the tree because she didnʼt want it. Closer inspection of the area showed clues that the tree had been taken from the garden center. The woman was then also taken from the garden center... by the police.
TROUT RELEASED EARLY A general cargo vessel has hit a Danish fish farm and caused up to 80,000 rainbow trout to escape into the open sea. The trout, weighing about 6 pounds each, had been due to be slaughtered this week and were worth up to 10 million Danish crowns ($1.5 million). The incident could damage the sea habitat since the escapees are likely to disturb the eggs and young of wild sea trout. The rainbow trout, unused to life in the open sea, should only survive a few months. "All sports fishermen should get out there with their gear and start fishing," Soren Knabe, director of fishing association Vandpleje Fyn, told local broadcaster TV2/Fyn. The trout will begin to bite after four to five days as they adjust to life in open waters, said Ulrik Jeppesen, a local angler, recalling similar previous incidents. NUCLEAR ICE BREAKER Russia is designing a super-icebreaker capable of navigating through ice four to five meters thick. The vessel is a nuclear powered Leader-class icebreaker with a 110MW power unit. Local media reports the Russians as saying: “We will be able to use the Northern Sea Route year-round and in any weather conditions, breaking through the ice not only for existing Arctic vessels but also
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He Loved to Fish
A funeral procession pulled into a cemetery. Several carloads of family members followed a black truck towing a boat with a coffin in it. A passer-by remarked, "That guy must have been a very avid fisherman." "Oh, he still is," remarked one of the mourners. As a matter of fact, he's headed off to the lake as soon as we bury his wife."
for the largest gas carriers.” The Arctic will then be used as a testing ground for new materials and fuel designed for use in extremely low temperatures. Could this be about access to an artic tank farm?
YOUR FISHING LICENSE CAN BE REVOKED FOR NOT PAYING CHILD SUPPORT An FWC officer conducted a boating safety/fishery inspection on a subject who was flounder fishing in the Trout River. The subject told the officer that he was a “professional fisherman.” A license check revealed that the subjectʼs fishing license privileges had been revoked for not paying child support. The subject was cited for fishing while privileges were revoked and his suspended driverʼs license was seized.
NY OFFSHORE WIND FARM Areas off the New York coast will be open for offshore wind energy bidders, but some area is reserved because of ecological concerns, the U.S. government said. The U.S. Interior Department, in coordination with its Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, said it would open 79,350 acres off the coast of New York up for a commercial wind energy lease sale. How this could effect fishing access for those areas is not yet clear.
Yummy Smoked Mullet Spread NOVEMBER 2016
By Nicole Coudal Water LIFE Delicious!
Gotta love a mullet. . .the fish, not the hairdo! But if you’ve ever tried to catch one, you know that nabbing one with hook and line is nearly impossible, because they’re vegetarians and generally don’t like what we’re throwing at them. As a matter of fact, in the last ten years, I’ve caught only one and even that was a lucky break because I snagged it out of an enormous school at the surface, so it was pretty much like fishing in a barrel. Which is why commercial fishermen typically use cast nets to capture Mullet. You'll see a lot of this action during the big spawning run in Florida which goes from early November through January, when dozens of small boats along the shoreline jockey for position to cast nets over schools of fish. It’s a fun thing to watch — sort of like bumper boats.
As for eating Mullet, if you ask a native Floridian (and I’ve asked many), you’ll be told that the best way to enjoy it is smoked. My first experience with it was several years ago when my husband brought home a big foil package he had bought from a local fisherman. I had no idea what to do with it, but he knew exactly what he wanted — smoked mullet spread. This was new territory for me, but I dug in and researched recipes to find out how experienced “spread makers” prepared it. I tried many combinations and finally arrived at this recipe. It has just enough zing to not mask the wonderful smoky flavor of the fish, it’s not too mayonnaise-y, and it as a nice thick consistency. A smear tastes great on a classic saltine cracker (which, by the way, is the ONLY acceptable cracker in our house for fish spread, according to my husband) along with a dab of hot sauce. With this tasty combination, it’s not hard to go
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through a sleeve of crackers pretty quickly. Note: if you can’t get your hands on smoked mullet, try some smoked kingfish or Spanish mackerel -also very tasty! INGREDIENTS
1 smoked Mullet (about 1 lb.) 2 oz. cream cheese
1-2 Tb. mayonnaise
1 rib celery, cut into chunks
1 small onion, cut into chunks 1/2 jalapeno (seeds removed) 1 tsp. lime zest
1 Tb. lemon juice
Handful fresh parsley
Pinch kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper Saltine crackers
Your favorite hot sauce PREPARATION
1. Remove fish from skin and remove any bones.
2. Place cream cheese, mayonnaise, celery, onion, jalapeño, lime zest, lemon juice and parsley in food processor. Pulse a couple of times. 3. Add fish and pulse a couple more times, until it looks blended (tip: try not to create mush - it’s nice to have some texture). 4. Add salt, pepper and a bit more lemon juice.
5. Refrigerate at least one hour before serving. Serve with saltine crackers and a dash of hot sauce.
Nicole Coudal is an avid fishing gal who hails from New England but has lived in SW Florida for 25 years. Her blog: MyDeliciousBlog.com showcases her "coastal inspired" cuisine using fresh, seasonal ingredients, from sea to land.
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NOVEMBER 2016
November – Predictions and Suggestions
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, every time!
Charlotte Harbor
Frank at Fishin’ Franks 941-625-3888
November is still snook season so we’ll start with snooks. Right now there are lots of snook on the islands. You want to be fishing crank-baits, or casting up under the mangroves with flukes or soft jerk-baits. If you’re not good at working an island for fish, snook might be easier in Turtle Bay around Eagles Nest Beach, on the left, where there is a nice drop off. Try a Storm Twitch or a Bomber-15 or if you are pretty good... try a twitch bait. You can do just as well or better with an artificial than with live bait. If you are moving, looking for snook, you will do much better casting a lure right now, but if you are drifting, then you want a live bait, free lined. Snook are a structure fish. If you are fishing from shore try the Port Charlotte Beach pier or the Gilchrist pier... pretty much all the piers have good snook populations now. Redfish? ... We are spinning the wheel on redfish. Will it be good or will it slow down? I think with the temperatures cooling off a little it will keep the
No name was attached to this texted fish pix of a golden October redfish
phenomenal fishing going. I’m putting a card to my forehead and calling a Karnak: I say the red fishing is going to be great! The top two baits for redfish are blue crabs and shrimp, with pinfish a close third. The nice part is you don’t have to cast up under the mangroves for redfish, they are hanging 15-feet out. Just get up by an island and cast pretty much anywhere along the shoreline, or cast over the top of the bar back to the other side. From Mangrove Point down the east side, you can cast right across the bar and you can get there pretty much with any boat. I am using a 1-ounce sinker and I’m bottom fishing for the reds. I use the weight for casting distance. You could also use a
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heavier jig head and hook a pinfish across the dorsal, so basically the pinfish is laying on his side on the bottom. Then as he struggles he’ll kick up sand that says ‘Look I’m here, eat me!’ For people who just want numbers of fish there are increasing numbers of trout and the last little bit of Spanish mackerel around. The trout are outside the bar in 3-to 4-feet of water or inside in 2-to 3-feet. Use a small lure like a D.O.A. tandem rig, throw it out and lift up your rod tip as you reel it in. The Spanish are scattered around the Harbor making their way out. Because it’s still relatively warm (75 degrees) we still have small sharks in the area and fishing around the passes or in Bull
Twenty two teams submitted pictures of (a total of) 4 snook, 9 trout, 11 redfish and 8 ladyfish. The biggest snook was 37.1inches, biggest trout 24.25, the biggest redfish, 29.1 and biggest ladyfish 18.08
Tournament Director Bobbie Leahey calls out the raffle.
Speak Easy Fishing Charters Captain Joe Angius USCG licensed & Insured Phone: (727)
234-3171
speakeasyfishing.com
speakeasyfishing@gmail.com
Boys and Girls Club served the McCurdy BBQ
The winning team Captain said they fished with whitebait, ʻmostly free-linedʼ. His teamʼs fish were the biggest caught in every category.
“We popped the snook and the trout in the first hour, in the north part of the Harbor. Then we caught a redfish and we spent the rest of the day trying to upgrade our redfish. The ladyfish (a bonus fish in the event) came as an incidental catch ...and it was the only one we had all day.” – Dustin Hormann winning team Captain
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The BIG-4 TROUT moving into the Harbor now. On the grass flats.
Fish you can expect in
REDFISH More fish are moving into the Harbor now.
SNOOK Bigger fish in the canals. Structure is key.
tripletail are up in the Harbor now. You will be fishing in the dark waters there, casting and hoping for something and then BAM! you’ll be on a triple tail. This month might be your last open water shot at tarpon around Punta Rasa, at night. For the rest of the people tarpon now become a canal situation. Look for wider spots and the deepest water you can find. In the upper Harbor, fish the wide canal basins in Port Charlotte or the Big Spot in the Rim Canal in Punta Gorda. In Port Charlotte freshwater, frogs are the No. 1 top-water plastic and I have been seeing tons of Myan cyclid around, too. In the freshwater down around Fort Myers, the bass fishing is pretty good, the fish are looking for green and brown worms, 41/2- to 6-inches. I’m hearing about some nice ones south of the Caloosahatchee.
This is Terry Thompson, I live in Punta Gorda RV resort. I caught this cobia last month in the Gulf fishing captain Rusty Rodes.
and Turtle Bay, you’ll have a reasonable shot at some pompano. Look north of the Phosphate Dock, at Gasparilla, Placida, or the Alligator Creek flats, there are flounder in all those spots, legal size fish. Recently I had one guy talk about triple tail. I think the little sneaky-secret is that
Lemon Bay - Placida Jim at Fishermen’s Edge 941-697-7595
There are plenty of fish around. I’ve had guys going out, a lot of charter guys, and they told me they got into the snook really good in Lemon Bay on a falling tide, fishing with whietbait. We were catching them 24- 26- 27inches... endlessly. We were catching them on every cast. That was last weekend.
Txt us ur fish pix
see page 5
November
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TRIPLETAIL This is a guess, but itʼs a good guess!
I’ve had some good redfish reports too. We saw a lot of them, big schools in the Gasparilla Sound down by Devilfish Key, like 50 fish, ... just guessing. Whitebait is the bait, but often some guys will use shrimp. I’ve had a number of guys say they are starting to catch some smaller pompano along the beach, and in close to Stump Pass. Not a whole lot of trout reports, some say Lemon Bay, but we didn’t catch one all day on Sunday. A lot of times they are a by-catch of what you are fishing. Not a lot of trout here yet. A couple of guys told me they were into some flounder on the south end of Boca, on the inside, and some up on Manasota Key along the beach, in the surf. Throw something with a jig head and pull it along the bottom for flounder. I’ve had some tarpon reports from up in El Jobean, early in the morning, some nice ones caught, 80- to 90-pounders, and a lot of little tarpon are in the creeks like Godfrey and Buck or way up in Coral Creek right now. Some offshore guys reported 30-plus miles out they got into red grouper, bigger keepers, and big mangrove snappers along with all the other associated bottom fish that are right there. And they were chumming a little, and had some sharks coming in too. I haven’t heard any oddball stuff, only had one guy who caught a triple tail ... and he caught that fish up in the Harbor.
FISH PIX! f r o m Wa t e r L I F E m a g a z i n e
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Gulf Temps are mid 70s they will cool more soon
95˚ 90˚ 85˚ 80˚
75˚ 72˚ 70˚ 68˚ 50˚ 45˚
FISHING RIGHT NOW:
Very Good
CHRISSYʼS CATCH: Christina Mosley, one of our regular contributors, sent us this array of snook, redfish and a grouper she caught last month. The fish came from anywhere between the Myakka River to Boca Grande.
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NOVEMBER 2016