Water LIFE Sept 2007

W a t e r LIFE

FREE!

Charlotte Harbor and Lemon Bay

Keeping Boaters and Fishermen Informed

September 2007

Producers of the KIDS CUP

C a p t . R o n 始s Kids Fishing Camp P age 14

Big Things Offshore Page 12

LIKE SHOOTING FISH IN A BARREL the St. Pete Open Page 10-11

KIDS CUP FISH SURVIVAL

PA G E 5

OUTBOARD Overhaul

Still Plenty of Reds Fishing Report

Page 26

Page 20

w w w. C H A R L O T T E H A R B O R M A G A Z I N E . C O M

ALWAYS

FREE!

Page 2

Water LIFE

MAGAZINE

September 2007

September 2007

Water LIFE

MAGAZINE

Page

3

Water LIFE

Page 4

LETTERS

TO

MAGAZINE

WAT E R L I F E

Hi Michael, I just read a copy of the August Water LIFE magazine. The crab in the photo is known as a sponge crab.

The sponge is carried on its back by the hind legs which appear over the sides of the back. This one ABOVE: The unusual crab brought into Fishin Franks was missing its sponge.

BELOW: The sponge crab is usually seen with a small sponge on its back. has lost its sponge. I don't know the species, but I believe it belongs in the Family 0antillensis.pdf>http://www.gsmfc.org/seamap/picture_guide/Crab Dromiidae. This family and a few others are among the most s/cryptodromiopsis%20antillensis.pdf primitive crab living today. Their fossils can be found as far back Sandra Farrington as the Jurassic Period.

Invertebrate Collection Manager Good photo.

Fish and Wildlife Research Institute Thomas H. Fraser, St. Petersburg PhD Adjunct Scientist Mote Marine MORE CRABS – Crab Island – From the FWCʼs Police Notes: Laboratory On August 19, Lieutenant Jeff Hahr was contacted by a father who was worried about his missing 20-year-old son. The man To Water LIFE said that he last saw his son mingling in the crowd at Crab Island Tom Dix and I have and confirmed that he knew the son had been drinking. He had given a tentative identigotten a telephone message from his son that evening that said fication of the crab as the dad should come get him right away. He called back over an Cryptodromiopsis antillensis (Stimpson, 1858) common name hour later. He spoke to the telephone's owner several times and "Hairy Sponge Crab". This species was originally called Dromidia came away very worried because the man told him that his son antillensis. The specimen in the pictures are of an ovigerous had last been seen diving overboard from the man's vessel to female (carrying eggs). We can not be 100% positive of the idenrecover a beer bong. The man had looked for several hours and tification without the specimen. If we can obtain a specimen we feared that his son had drowned. Lieutenant Jeff Hahr and five can give a positive identification. To find out more about this crab other FWC officers began a water search of Crab Island, which go to: turned up nothing. The son was eventually located alive by the www.gsmfc.org/seamap/picture_guide/Crabs/cryptodromiopsis%2

GET IT ONCE A MONTH . . .

SUBSCRIPTION FORM

Now Just $20 for 12 monthly editions

SUBSCRIBE to Water LIFE Have us mail your copy anywhere in the U.S.A. for $20 / Year

Name _______________________________________________

Address _____________________________________________

City _______________________________ State ____________

Zip ____________________

Out-of-state mail is sent First Class

Florida zip codes are sent as Bulk Mail

Please watch your mailing label for expiration date

Credit Card _________________________________________ ExpDate_________

You can print out this form online at: www.Charlotteharbormagazine.com

9/07

Check one:

o Payment included: make check payable to Water LIFE

or Bill my

o Visa o M/C account

Fill out (please print) and Mail to:

Water LIFE 217 Bangsberg Rd, Port Charlotte, FL, 33952

September 2007

Water LIFE Charlotte Harbor Magazine

Michael and Ellen Heller Publishers

(941) 766-8180

TOTALLY INDEPENDENT Water LIFE is not affiliated with any other publication

© 2007 Vol VI No. 9 Water LIFE

WRITE US! e-mail (preferred) Waterlife@comcast.net Regular MAIL: 217 Bangsberg Rd. Port Charlotte, FL 33952

No part of this publication may be copied or reproduced without the written permission of both publishers

Contributing Editors:

Fishing / Environment: Capt. Ron Blago Charlotte Harbor: Capt. Robert Moore Gasparilla: Capt. Chuck Eichner Port Charlotte: Capt Andy Medina Offshore: Capt. Steve Skevington Real Estate: Dave Hofer Sailing Advisor: Bill Dixon Kayaks: David Allen Sea Grant: Betty Staugler Diving: Adam Wilson

on the COVER:

Capt. Steve Skevington brought us this August offshore picture of a big toothy kingfish and a happy angler.

on our WEBSITE:

WWW.charlotteharbormagazine.com

Realtors: Links to advertisers

Tide Graphs: For local waters

Weather: Links to all of our favorite sites.

Back editions: Pages of previous editions

Artificial Reefs: Lat. and Long local reefs

Manatee Myths: Read the original plan to create sanctuaries and refuges, as spelled out by the United Nations in 1984 Kids Cup Updates, Fish Tracking and Tournament Information.

Some of our Subjects are Missing

September 2007

By Mi chael Hel l er Water LIFE Editor If you catch a lot of fish around here you know when a fish has been hooked before. Ripped lips are common in Charlotte County. But are tournament fish surviving?

In a word, yes.

To date we now have five reports of fish we tagged during our Water LIFE Kids Cup Tournament that have been re-caught. One of those fish, originally caught by Zack Shaver, was re-caught twice after Zack released it – first, over by the Punta Gorda Boat Club east of Fishermen's Village about a month after being released, then the same fish was caught a second time on the north shore of the Peace River near Grassy Point a few weeks ago. Zack originally caught that fish near Hog Island, so it may have been swimming back there. That would be cool to find out.

But what about the fish that we implanted with sonic tags at the Kids Cup? Why haven’t we seen any of them re-caught? Those fish were also externally tagged, so an angler wouldn’t miss them. We tracked the Kids Cup implanted fish for almost a month after we released them, but then they all disappeared. We have heard nothing from the implanted transmitters since June. Maybe those fish all swam out to the middle of the harbor where they couldn’t be picked up by the listening devices... they’d have to come within 300 feet of a listening device to be ‘heard’. Next year we’ll have more listening devices and stronger transmitters, but what could have happened to this years sonic-tag-implanted fish?

Maybe the transmitters all quit after a month; a man-

Water LIFE

MAGAZINE

ufacturing defect, we can't rule that out, but it’s not likely.

Since 20 out of the total 60 fish caught were implanted, then one in three of the re-caught fish should have had an implant. But we haven’t seen even one.

Before the Kids Cup, scientists monitored the survival of tag-implanted fish after surgery. “We held juvenile red drum with acoustic transmitters in the hatchery to test tag performance and survival for seven months and had 100 percent survival.” Carole Neidig of Mote Marine wrote me last week. “We also implanted 98 red drum from sub-adult to adults and heard many of them even after being in Biscayne Bay over a year. In Tampa Bay we also had a high success rate of locating our implanted red drum over two years,” Carole added.

But those weren’t tournament fish. Maybe we need to study what happens to fish that were first caught on a hook, then transported in a boat for a good distance – through varying salinity and temperatures – and then were subjected to surgery. Maybe the compounded stress factors, all in a row, affected the fish more than we know. Maybe it would have been better if we held the fish in a pond and let them settle down for a couple of days before we did the surgery. And maybe then they needed more recuperation time as well.

These are all things we are going to look at in the 2008 Kids Cup. Mote Marine and our University of Florida Sea Grant office in Charlotte County are both going to be involved with the Water LIFE Kids Cup tagging program again in 2008. Learn by doing that’s the lesson we are trying to teach our kids.

The fish we released this year survived for at least a

Page

5

Tournament fish are exposed to stress at least three times: Once on the hook, then in the livewell, and finally in the bag and on the scale at the weigh-in. The question is: Does adding surgery to that combination make it fatal?

month so the dolphins didn’t get them, at least not right away. But what if the sonic transmitters actually sent out a signal the dolphins could 'hear' ..... dolphins are very smart animals, they could have heard the tags and zoned right in on our sonic tagged fish like a dinner-bell. Then, when the tag passed through the dolphin’s digestive system, it would have fallen to the harbor floor – never to be heard from again.

Page 6

PORT CHARLOTTE - 3/2/2 with 2,060 sq ft ready for new owner. Pool, living and family rms. Large 13x14 kitchen a cook will love. 4 walk in closets, skylights, bay windows, all sliders pocket, 10x14 shed, fenced area for pet, hardwood and tile flooring. This home has so much to offer at $218,000 Call Rieka Gaudet at 456-8866

This brand new 2 story home in Culde-sac. 2,934 sq ft with 4 bedrms, 2 ∏ bas, 2 car garage in BURNT STORE LAKES. Beautiful wood cabinets with granite counters in spacious kitchen with convection oven. Sec. sys., volume ceilings, loft/bonus rm and more.

Priced at $259,900 call Donna Brooks at 4570452

SHORT SALE!! This home has to be sold. 3/1 carport with new above ground pool, shed, A/C with UV, windows in front of home. Nice wood flooring in living, dining, office and hall. Large Family/Florida room and lanai with inside laundry.

Fully fenced. A must see, priced at $99,900 Call Ellen today at 628-6954

If you miss THIS GREAT CONDO DEAL, you have missed a good one.

Reduced $50,000 to sell fast, below market. All remodeled with new ceramic tile and carpet, light fixtures, wood cabinets, counters, paint, washer/dryer. 1,056 sq ft with large living rm, 2 bedrms, 2 bas, $70,000 call to view today, Ellen at 628-6954

Water LIFE

MAGAZINE

Beautiful prestigious PEPPERTREE ESTATE, one street coded gate at entrance. New Barrel tile roof, sprinkler sys, paint in and out. Home features great rm. Rolsafe shutters, new tile floors except new carpet in bedrms, appliances, light fixtures, large lanai, caged patio w/hottub, Priced at $269,900 call Ellen 628-6954

A MILLION $ SAILBOAT HOME just off the Harbor.

Located in the PCH Beach Complex area. 2 story, 3,734 sq ft, 5 bedrms, 4 ∏ bas, 2 car gar.,heated pool, 3 A/C, Circular stairs, travatine marble and wood floors, white cabinets, counters stone, crown molding, many other upgrades. Priced right! $849,900 call Ellen 628-6954

What a deal!!

Brand new 1,306 sq ft villa in HERITAGE LAKES. Over $10,000 in upgrades, all bisque colors, wood cabinets. You must see to appreciate, screened entry and lanai and inside laundry, den/office could be 3rd bedroom. Master bedrm with 2 walk in closets. Great low price of $195,000 call Ellen 628-6954 2 STORY LAKE heated pool home with country living at its best. Seller leaving rowboat for fishing. Lawn /tractor with cart also left for new owner. This 3 bedrm, 2 ∏ bath 2 car gar. Wood balcony off 2nd floor and loft, new tile floors, roof, A/C, well pump, and the list goes on. Priced at $249,900 call Ellen 628-6954

September 2007

Beautiful COURTY A R D heated pool home with water fall on 2 corner lots. You don‚t want to miss this 2,896 sq ft under 3 A/C‚s with 4 bedrooms and 2 ∏ baths, 2 plus car garage.

Sunken living room, fireplace, 2 water heaters, great landscaping, and the list goes on. Priced below market at $399,900 Call Ellen at 628-6954

Nice home on corner lot with new burber carpet, oversized 2 car garage and carport. Great investment or seasonal home. Newer A/C, water heater and all flooring, wood, tile and carpet. MURDOCK area. One year HOME WARRANTY to buyer. Priced to sell at $139,900 Call Gerry Gilbert at 268-4249

GREAT STARTER HOME, retirement, seasonal, investment and it‚s prices right. Ready for you. Fenced yard with new 8X15 shed, oversized 1 car garage. Updated kitchen and baths with new white cabinets, 17 in. tile, plantation shutter, microwave, dishwasher and lots more.

Priced at $124,900 Call Ellen at 628-6954

SANDHILL PINES CONDO, END UNIT, 2nd floor with great view of lake to fish in, pool, tennis court, shuffleboard, clubhouse with exercise equipment, bar-b-que grills and so much more. Best price in complex $96,950 Call Ellen 628-6954

Nighttime Snapper Fishing

Water LIFE

September 2007

By Capt. Robert Moore Water LIFE staff I was eating breakfast at a local restaurant with good friends and fellow guides Mike Mahan and Bob Boudreau. Talk turned to Mike’s fishing trip down to the Florida Keys, last month. Mike told us enthusiastically about several successful night time snapper trips. The conversation went on to the fact that Bob and I had never done a night snapper fishing trip, here on our coast.

Mike showed us that ‘grin’, the one he gives when he knows about something you don’t. So I said to him ‘don’t tell us, just show us!’ And a date and time was set for two days later.

All three of us met at the dock in Placida at 7p.m., ready to go night snapper fishing. Our target species was the grey snapper, also know as mangrove snapper. During the summer months these very tasty fish congregate along the gulf coast on near and offshore reefs in preparation for their spawning cycle. Spawning begins as early as April and will last well into late October, influenced by the lunar cycle. The mangrove snapper will spawn in aggregations during the times surrounding the full moon. July and August seems to be the best months for Southwest Florida.

We headed to a reef about three miles out in the gulf and anchored up to get bait.

Mike began chumming with his top secret homemade chum. Within ten minutes it looked like it was raining behind the boat with fish dimpling everywhere. After several throws of the net we had several hundred 3– to 5–inch pilchards in the livewell.

We took a few minutes to admire the sunset, lifted anchor and began the 30 minute drive out to the reef which is in about 50 feet of water. The almost full moon made the ride effortless.

On arrival we anchored over some structure and began chumming with the pilchards we had caught. The routine was to cut up about 10 pilchards and throw them overboard. The bite was slow at first until we developed a good chum slick, which took about an hour or so. Mike’s method was pretty easy. Chum heavy at first then keep a stream of cut up fresh bait going overboard every 8-10 minutes. Meanwhile, he had us all trying different rigs to see what worked best.

Amazingly, the best rig was pretty simple as well.

A 20–pound shock leader about 36–to 40–inches long with a 1/2 ounce jig head on the end. If your bait was alive and kicking, the bite

MAGAZINE

Page 7

came much faster.

Our best method for getting strikes was hooking the bait through the middle and dropping it all the way to the bottom. Then slowly jig your bait about 10 inches off the bottom. Almost every hit came when the bait was falling. Once the bite began, it was pretty much non-stop action.

All of us were using light tackle, the same rods we use on the flats for redfish or snook. This made it very challenging when something other than a

snapper came by and took your bait.

Between the three of us, I think we had about a half dozen ‘fish that got away’ stories. That’s not counting the hits that ended about the same time they started.

Bob seemed to have the luck with the grouper.

Several were caught, but all below the legal limit.

In no time we had our limit of fish and began the

ride home. Many thanks to Capt. Mike for once again sharing his wealth of knowledge with me. I always know when I see that ‘grin’ I am in for another great time.

One last thing, if you happen to run across Mike Mahan or Bob Boudreau, please what ever you do, do not ask them who caught the most snapper that night.

Capt. Robert Moore can be reached for questions or to

TOP: Capt. Bob Boudreau with a nice snapper.

LEFT: How to rig a jig for the bottom.

RIGHT: Plenty of pilchards for bait.

Water LIFE

Structure

Page 8

Screaming Reels

By Capt. Andrew Medi na Water LIFE Staff As our waterfront community continues to grow, we are seeing a lot more large docks being built. In reality, this also means a lot more vessels on the harbor. A lot of people might say this has a negative impact on our fishing, but here’s the truth about this situation, or at least my opinion: Big docks? boats that hardly ever move? – Bring ‘em on! I look at all the new docks and stationary boats as structure and I’d much rather fish ‘structure oriented fish’ than those spooky fish on a flat.

You will hear people say it takes years for fish to start collecting at a new dock.

Wrong! It just takes a little while for the heavy chemicals to wash off the wood surface, then the first fish will soon show themselves. The first fish will be the bait fish like minnows and finger mullet. This will start the ‘wheel’ spinning out of control. Fish like snook, redfish, sheepshead and snapper will start seeing the area as a productive food source within days. The more baitfish that collect at the new dock, the more productive it will be. The structure fish will all find their ‘hang outs’ or ‘ambush points’ and will feel safe just like the bait fish.

Fish that live around structure are less spooky for several reasons. First, there is

September 2007

MAGAZINE

NEW DOCK EAST OF THE 41 BRIDGE: Not since the old Phosphate Dock at Boca Grande have so many pilings stood together in one place.

more water above them and they will not be aware of your presence as easily as those same fish feeding on a grass flat – fish that are always getting run over and having every lure known to man thrown at them.

Second, deeper water around a dock is cooler than water on a grass flat...cooler by far. This helps settle their nerves.

But the most important thing is that the pilings provide little hiding places and all that structure can be a blessing to an angler.

But having fish that will eat practically right under the boat can also be a curse. I am a firm believer that we don’t give fish enough credit in the smarts department.

Fish know where they are and they also know how to get out of a tight situation. I have fished many docks and bridges and

have also caught a lot of snook and reds from under docks. I have watched as the ones I did not catch made a fool out of me.

Here’s how it goes down. You throw your bait under the structure, a nice fish eats it and automatically starts doing laps around a piling and goes out the other side. Then you just sit there as you are retying your rig, wondering what you did wrong? There is a simple answer for that question:You went there with ‘flats tackle’ instead of ‘structure tackle.’

Bigger rods and reels, heavier line, stronger leader and no drag on the reel.

Period. That’s how you land these kind of fish in structure. You man-handle them.

Bait choice is pretty much simple. Bait fish such as finger mullet and thread fins

will just about always get eaten. A free lined shrimp is also a good bet. Artificial choices get a little tougher. I prefer to throw larger plugs and heavier jigs. Yozuri and bombers in the 5–to 7–inch range seems to work well. Color choice is always trial and error.

I throw a lot of red and whites and blue and silvers. The way I select a plug or a jig, is look what kind of bait is around the structure you intend to fish. Match the hatch.

For the jig angler, try Riptide/Culprits new Curtailer in green back. This bait has been hot when fished on a 3/8 jig head. The casting part of it is easy once you get the hang of it. Skip the baits under the dock and retrieve them out. Try not to bang into moored boats and always go get your line and tackle if it becomes hung up.

36' Mainship Open, 1990. Newer 2000 twin 330HP Mercury motors. Salt Shaker tower with controls, new generator. $42,900

30' Alura Classic,1989, 310 HP Marine Vortec, 26' Boca Grande Cuddy Cabin, 1986. 350 HP Crusader inboard, very nice condition, fully low hours. Ready to cruise and priced to equipped. REDUCED to $24,900 sell. Asking $36,900

20' 6" Sea Pro 206 Center Console 2004.

Single 150HP Yamaha Four Stroke. Trailer included. Low Hours. $25,900

22' Crown Line 225CR 1997. Single 260 HP Mercruiser 5.7L. Very clean ready for cruising or skiing. $14,900

38' Egg Harbor Sport Fisher 1974. Twin 335HP Marine Power. New engines, new generator, Full Factory Warranty to new purchaser. Asking $69,500

22' Pro-Line, 2000 Walkaround Cuddy, 200hp 26' Shamrock Express, 1996. Single 250HP 2004/2005 HPDI Yami. Exceptionally clean, Inmar IB. Asking $29,900 & excellent throughout, with trailer $22,900

33' Maxum 3300 SCR 2000. Twin water cooled 300 HP Mercruisers. This is a great boat and a wonderful opportunity. $72,900

28' Grady White Marlin, 1992. Newer Twin 250HP Yamaha, 2000 models.

Asking $49,500

23' Sea Fox 230 Walk Around Cuddy, 2002 200HP Mercury Salt Water series.

Asking $19,900

24' Grady White Offshore. Twin 140HP motors. Fish rigged with tuna tower, outriggers, down riggers, etc. $12,500

18' Cobia Center Console 1999. Single 115HP Yamaha V-4. Great for fishing or cruising. $10,900

30' Young & Grant Sportfish, 1983. Single 350HP Caterpillar 3116 Turbo, 2000.

Asking $39,900 Owner Moving Must Sell

23' Cobia 235 Center Console 2005. 225 HP Yamaha 4 stroke with ONLY 52 hours. Lift stored, like new condition. $53,500

Intentionally Blank

Water LIFE

Page 16

Whatʼs Up, Up River?

By Mi chael Hel l er Water LIFE Editor We still need more rain if fire and drought isn’t going to be a real problem in the dry season this winter. The runoff on the Peace River in Charlotte County wasn’t moving much at all until late August, but in DeSoto County the river was slightly better.

We wanted to have a look at the water level for ourselves, so we drove out to the end of King’s Highway, turned right on 72 and left on 70 to get to the Peace River Canoe Outpost, located outside Arcadia. From their base camp, they run

shuttle busses up river where you launch a canoe or a kayak and paddle back to the outpost. It took us 3 hours and 35 minutes to cover the 10 mile stretch. They also have a 16 mile run. Paddlers can drift slowly, stop on a riverbank and screen for fossils, or fish or have lunch. You’re on your own and as long as you’re back before they close, they don’t care. It costs $40 to rent a canoe, kayaks are the same.

The first part of the paddle was past green riverbanks dotted with docks and houses. Judging from the docks and their height above water, it seems like the river is at least three feet below where it would

MAGAZINE

normally be. Tall, thick, multi-bladed river brush has sprung up on the sandy shorelines along the river, presenting an almost endless green curtain for most of our route. With the river this low, ledges of exposed limestone jut out into the water or rise up like walls of Swiss cheese alongside.

The day before, there were three largegroup out on the water for the mid day trip, but on the Sunday morning we paddled, we were alone, paddling (not always in perfect synchronism) but paddling never the less, and enjoying the quiet.

Except for the few residential stretches

September 2007

where voices and music drifted down from the hillsides above the river our trip was pleasantly still. We were far enough from the road not to hear the traffic and what sounds we did hear were birds or croaking gators trying to stay cool.

About halfway down the 10 mile stretch we began to see blue Canoe Outpost signs on the upper banks. Signs denote camping and rest spots, but more importantly they denote ‘about half way.’

Along the banks and in some of the shallow water on the inside of some of the river bends, fossil hunters scooped and sifted through the river bottom looking for jet black or rich brown sharks teeth or other paleo-tific finds.

In all, we encountered two motorized boats, one a small river outboard which idled by us politely and the other a fishing skiff that was working the shoreline on it’s trolling motor, throwing topwaters to the bass along the weeds.

It wasn’t the white water thrill ride that the Peace River can be with enough rain upstream, but it was still the river.

I prefer the breeze of a fast powerboat – but this slow day on the water was still a great break from an otherwise landlocked and hot summer routine.

Water LIFE

September 2007

By Betty S taugl er Sea Grant / Water LIFE Last month I mentioned that a community based mangrove restoration grant had been recommended for funding. I obtained the contract for that project from Fish America Foundation (FAF) on August 23rd. The contract has been signed and without any unforeseen hurdles we should be able to begin this month

The goal of the project i s to restore the cri ti cal red mangrove shorel i ne sport fi sh habi tat destroyed by Hurri cane Charl ey i n 2004, particularly along corridors important for seasonal fish movements (east and west walls of Charlotte Harbor). This project aims to use propagule planting and enhancement to increase the number of recruiting mangroves in the two locations where there was almost 100% mortality of the fringing red mangrove forest. The proposed locations, three years after the hurricane, show red mangrove propagule are several kilometers away from healthy mangrove forests, limiting the number of propagates naturally moving onto the damaged shorelines.

A propagule is a long, pencilshaped structure that resembles a seed pod. A propagule however is not a seed, but rather an embryo that when released from the tree becomes a new young mangrove tree. Mangroves form the basis of the food chain and provide important fish habitat.

Field studies in northern Charlotte Harbor in 2005 and 2006 have estimated shoreline mangrove losses of more than 80-percent mortality over 600 ha of mangrove forests. The total wind damaged area extends several hundred meters inland along both shores of the northern Harbor and almost doubles the affected area to 1100 ha.

When mangroves die on a large scale, the decomposition of the root systems can lead to dramatic losses of elevation.

As elevation is lost the ability for red mangrove propagates to successfully take root is diminished. In the damaged areas of Charlotte Harbor, propagule production is virtually non-existent, and the nearest healthy stand of propagule producing trees may be several kilometers away.

Therefore, in areas where natural rooting is not occurring, restoration may be vital to sustaining the mangrove forests and maintaining quality fish habitat.

Because the area affected is so great it is important to focus efforts on those areas that are most susceptible to elevation loss, where recruitment is most lacking, and where fish habitat is most criti-

Page

MAGAZINE

17

Mangrove Restoration Approved ABOVE: In April, 50 mangroves were planted from propagules that were sprouted in a greenhouse. The planting location was a worst case location, an island that was entirely covered in packed shells and that was submerged in the high tide.

Today 4 of the 50 seedlings are still alive and thriving.

INSETS: Alligator Creek before and after Charley.

cal.

In order to conduct our restoration project, a permit application had to be submitted and approved by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Preserve State Park. We have obtained that approval. The permit covers all aspects of our project from propagule collection to restoration and follow-up monitoring activities. However, the permit covers only the work described in the Fish America Foundation project and covers only those individuals working on our project who are working in the presence of a permit holder. At this point, if we add to or change the project in any way, we will have to re-submit our permit for modifications, which may or may not be a lengthy process.

We are now setting up our propagule collection and restoration sites. If you see flagging along the mangrove shoreline, think of it as a sign of progress. Roger and I have begun talking to the groups who have committed to the project. As soon as the sites are set up, we will have a training session for our volunteers.

Soon thereafter, we will have a planting event in which students from Florida Gulf Coast University will help us plant the propagules into the sediments, by climbing in amongst the dead woody debris and planting at an elevation that will allow for optimal success. This project will

C Ch he ec ck k t th he e K KID ID S S C CU UP P o n t h e In t e rn e t o n t h e In t e rn e t

F F ii s sh h

http://charlotte.ifas.ufl.edu/seagrant/kidscup.htm

provide a lot of benefit to our coastal community. In addition to the environmental benefits as described above, the project will allow for collaboration amongst scientists, resource managers, boaters, anglers, and students. It will also form the basis for my graduate thesis at FGCU. I can't

think of a more worthy project to do a thesis on.

Betty Staugler is the Sea Grant Agent for Charlotte County. She can be reached for questions or information at 764-4346.

Charlotte CountyĘźs Complete Swimming Pool Supplys Pool Repair and Maintenance Store

Specializing in Heaters and Pumps

“Green Pool� Clean Up & Maintenance

575-2525

Dancing a Jig

Page 18

By Capt. Chuck Ei chner Water LIFE Charlotte Harbor Jig fishing is nearly as old as fishing itself. From cold waters to warm waters, fresh to salt, the jig would clearly be my number one choice if I only had one lure to choose. The term jig encompasses a variety of styles and shapes designed for various water depths, fish species and fishing techniques to make fish strike.

The simple jig is a lead headed hook.

You’ll see them hanging in every tackle shop in the United States. When you attach a plastic tail to this plain jig it can imitate anything from a fish to a crustacean. Many jigs come with a feathered or hackle tail made of bucktail, synthetic materials or a combination of both. Jigs have countless nicknames like the Pompano Jig, Bucktail, Striper Swiper, Dart, Smiley Face, Maribou Jig and countless others. Modern jigs already have the plastic body of a baitfish, shrimp or crab molded around it.

These are fishy looking baits with high detail that look very realistic and are a bit expensive. They look so real you wouldn’t think the fish would stand a chance. Generally I don’t find they catch more fish than more basic jig/plastic trailer combinations. But there are times when they are a great match to what the fish are feeding on and if your confidence is higher your gonna catch more fish.

I have narrowed down a variety of select jigs to catch just about everything that swims in Charlotte Harbor. You can also fish live and cut bait on a jig in addition to plastic lures. Here is a run down of my favorites.

Basi c Ji gheads- Generally I use a 1/8 to 1/4 ounce ballhead, cone or flat headed jig for most fishing applications.

Water LIFE

Different jig head shapes produce slightly different actions. I find these actions are more critical when a slow retrieve is required. The warmer waters of our area drive me to fish faster generally speaking. Good jig head colors are red, white, chartreuse, pink and sometimes a plain unpainted leadhead is best. Experiment with colors because it can be very critical. I have even seen ladyfish be highly selective over jighead color. A simple productive fishing technique is to slide on a plastic tail and fish fast with short pauses. Just about everything that swims will eat this.

Plastic shrimp, flat & curly tailed grubs and plastic stick baits like the Zoom Super Fluke and Mister Twister Exude are a few of my favorites. When live bait fishing I will hang a half of live shrimp, pinfish, whitebait or a strip of cut bait on the bare hook. This is a goto bait for me year around. The weight of the jig allows you to pitch a light piece of bait around the bushes or to a pothole in a flat. You can cast and retrieve it covering lots of water. In open water situations you can blind cast in every direction using the boat to drift with the tide and wind. This is a great open water tactic for cruising schools of jacks and macks and tarpon definitely show a fondness for jigs as well. In deeper water situations, I will use heavier jigs tipped with bait and bottom bounce. This is a great canal and offshore tactic for snappers and grouper.

Pompano Ji gs- This is a compact heavy weight jig with stiff hackle. It

MAGAZINE

casts like a bullet and when reeled in fast it imitates a fleeing baitfish. This is a reaction bait displaying little action other than what you impart. It will catch snook, jacks, bluefish, ladyfish and spanish mackerel. Believe or not it actually works on pompano but I use a slower up and down retrieve making repeated contact with the bottom.

Bucktai l - This is a weighted jig that has bucktail material tied to the hook. It is typically real tail hair from a deer that is often dyed in various colors. As long as you are fishing white or a combination of white/green, white/blue or white/purple then you are imitating something fish eat daily.

Chartreuse, yellow, brown and pink can also be good. These are great lures around a strong current flow such as passes and rivers. Offshore I often whip out a bucktail and fan cast an area before baitfishing. Cobia love these things as does bonito, barracudas, mackerel and kingfish. The bucktail holds up well to the toothy fish which is an added bonus.

You may sometimes want to hang a plastic twister tail on the back for more action. The bucktail material is stiff but has a subtle action that fish really like. This is perhaps the original jig of them all and has stood the test of time.

Dart & Mari bou Ji g- The dart has a flat head with a small lead profile and small hackle. As it name implies it is best fished with a darting action usually imitating a small baitfish which is perfect this time of year. The harbor is full of fry from the early season spawns. Our gamefish are tuned into feeding on the very small baits and very few other lures are small enough to match the hatch. The marabou jig is a brightly colored leadhead with a fiber body and marabou feathered tail.

September 2007

Generally thought to be a freshwater lure, the action of the marabou cannot be duplicated by any other man made material that I am aware of. These are absolutely murder on speckled trout.

Fish a 1/8 oz. marabou jig under a float using a pull-pull-pop and stop cadence and you will have a ball. These are inexpensive baits and have a fine wire hook. This works for trout but a redfish or snook will straighten out the hook in a hurry. Ladyfish slurp it up like candy. This is the perfect rig to take a kid fishing with. I guarantee you will have plenty of action fishing a dart or marabou jig 1-3 feet under a float!

The big kids might enjoy the fast action as well!

Pre-ri gged Custom Ji gs- These are those fantastic looking plastic baits selling for over a buck a piece that look like the real thing. Shrimp imitations, baitfish of countless varieties and even crab imitations come pre-rigged with the lead head jig/hook combo buried inside.

I have a selection of these that would make a tackle shop envious. I can’t resist paying $5-$7 a pack because they look so real. Interestingly, they don’t catch any more fish for me than the less pricey jigs. They do have a tendency to give you more confidence which will ultimately make you fish it more diligently and likely catch more fish.

Hang on a jig for any fish in any situation. They are simple, have the weight built in, quick & easy to tie on and are relatively inexpensive. Most importantly, the fish love em’.

Capt. Chuck Eichner operates Action Flats Backcountry Charters and can be reached at 941-505-0003 or online at www.backcountry-charters.com.

September 2007

KAYAKING:

Water LIFE

A Sunday Paddle at Lettuce Lake

By Davi d Al l en Water LIFE Kayaking Lettuce Lake is one of the more interesting areas that the Port Charlotte Kayakers paddle during the year. Located just off State Highway 761, about 10 miles north of Port Charlotte, Lettuce Lake is situated just east of the Peace River, and there are several open channels that lead directly to the larger river.

The area surrounding Lettuce Lake has a diversity of channels and mangrove tunnels; some so narrow and closed in that a kayak can barely navigate through the tangled branches and fallen trees. There are also broad areas of open water with spectacular views of huge trees, many vine covered, with birds of all description filling the air. There is an abandoned phosphate dock located about 4 miles south of Lettuce Lake at Liverpool. You can still see the large limestone blocks that once made up the seawall and support for the loading dock. There is also a boat ramp at Liverpool. A rookery island, just west of Liverpool, in the middle of the Peace River, is home to huge flocks of wood storks, herons, and many other species of birds. During the mating season, the island is almost completely covered with nesting birds, each nurturing their young offspring.

A few miles south and west of Lettuce Lake is a public ramp adjacent to the Nav-A-Gator Grill. This ramp is located off Kings Highway on Peace River Street. This ramp also provides access to kayaking in this section of the Peace River, and you can get a good sandwich and a beer after the paddle.

Several Sundays ago, the Port Charlotte Kayakers decided to launch from Lettuce Lake and paddle through the narrow mangroves to the area just west of Sunny Breeze Golf Course. This is basically a one-way paddle as there is no open channel either through or around the golf course.

Sixteen kayaks launched from the beach at Lettuce Lake early to avoid the heat later in the morning, and headed south toward the Peace River. It was a perfect morning for a paddle; relatively cool, with little wind or current to hamper the paddlers. About 1 mile down-stream, before we reached the Peace River, we turned left into the beginning of the mangrove channels.

Immediately, we were in the shade of the surrounding trees, and found the channel increasingly narrow and twisted.

There were many small trees and branches blocking our kayaks, and many fallen trees. With some of the trees just under the surface of the water, we had to ‘schooch’ and paddle to get over the watersoaked logs.

As we paddled further south and east,

Page

MAGAZINE

19

the trail became still more difficult. There was one area with several fallen trees, and a very narrow channel, with thick vines hanging in exactly the area we needed to paddle through. We went through one kayak at a time, ‘schooching’ over the logs, paddling hard to pull the kayaks over, pulling the vines aside, and finally breaking through into more open water.

A very tough spot to get through.

We finally reached the western edge of the golf course and we could see a bridge and the trees surrounding the course. We took a brief rest, ate an energy bar, took a

Pirate Harbor Grand Key West Home

NEW PGI LUXURY CONDOWide Open Water Views, sailboat 3/2 plus den with dock, 1800sf under air $599,000

150' Waterfront- Quick Gulf Access, Luxurious Custom Home With Elevator, Over 3800sf under air, boat ramp, dock. $999,000

JUST LISTED!

Huge Waterfront Lot $299,000 Appx. 135ʼx 239ʼx 94ʼx166ʼ Quick harbor access!

Incredible,Updated Only $399,900 3/2 Completely updated, 100 feet of seawall, oversize lot, new boat lift.

Incredible Open Water Views!

145ʼ waterfront, gorgeous Key West style home, 2568sf under air, pool. $799,000

Huge Lot- Gulf Access Suitable for a large homestead, 94' water frontage $299,000

drink of Gatorade, and headed back through the tangle of vines and branches.

By the time we were back in the main channel, the temperature was soaring, and the wind, out of the north and directly in our faces, had picked up. Three hours after we had launched, we were back at the Lettuce Lake beach. It was a very interesting paddle, and we decided to take the north route through the mangroves on the next outing.

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

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

Pirate Harbor Boulevard

Supreme location on deepwater canal, seawall, dock and lift. $389,900.

SOLD!!

Tropical Paradise Key West Style Home

Blackbeard Blvd.-

Saltwater Lot, 100ʼ Concrete Seawall, Large Wooden Dock, Deep Water, Great Location, Sailboat $299,000

Wide Open Waterviews, Custom Features, Designer Pool, Sailboat Waterfront, Granite, Oak Cabinets, Stunning! $799,900

Blackbeard Blvd

100-foot saltwater frontage, short boat ride to Boca Grande, $255,000

$299,500 SAILBOAT HOME 120 feet of WATERWATERincrediFRONT!Just FRONT! ble- 4/2/2, updated home, seawall, immediate open water access.

Over 2000 sf.

Under Contract

PIRATE HARBOR Modern pool home, 1661sf under air, deep water sailboat, 25 minutes to gulf, dock, lift, boat cover, updated and simply beautiful! $429,000!!

Motor Overhaul & Boat Refurbish

Water LIFE

Page 20

By Mi chael Hel l er Water LIFE Editor It was one of those mornings when you walk outside at 6 a.m. and it’s already hot. Muggy, sticky, heavy, humid hot. ‘Africa Hot’ my friend Capt. Rob calls it. It’s August in Florida.

I poured yesterday’s coffee over a glass of ice and went back upstairs to dig out a long sleeved shirt. I found one from Kevin’s Bait and Tackle, from back when Kevin ran the bait shack in the parking lot at the Ainger Creek boat ramp in Englewood. I had been saving that shirt for some important occasion, it was a collector’s item, but it was also the lightest weight long sleeved shirt I could find.

So on it went.

I put on an old pair of long jeans, socks and sneakers and headed down to Scott Steffe’s All Fiberglass Repair’s shop in Punta Gorda to do some boat work. Scott had agreed to help fix my boat if I did the nasty work and this was one of those days for grinding and sanding.

It was already hot in the all metal building. Scott opened the bay doors around us while I took some masking tape and taped my sleeves tight around my wrists. Hat on, mask in place I slung the air hose into the boat and lay down on in the boat to reach the grinder as far forward as possible in the port side locker, grinding away the gel coat so new fiberglass would stick. We were putting in a couple of stiffeners.

“Usually I hire the kid down the block to do that kind of work,” Scott teased as I got down to business.

There is nothing fun about grinding fiberglass. When you’re done, no matter how you scrub and wash, the dusty, scratchy, itchy work stays with you for several days, gnawing at your skin from inside your pores. Scott said an old pair of lady’s panty hose soaped up real good are the best for washing off fiberglass dust. Myself, I like hot water, a good stiff

• Upholstery

brush and a cold beer.

In an hour and a half I was done. “The kid would have taken all day,” Scott said.

Then we made a cardboard template and cut a tapered rib out of 3/4 inch marine plywood.

Scott mixed up some resin and laid out a mat of glass. Then he brushed it with the resin and laid it in place. The new ribs (one on each side) stiffen the area of the bottom ahead of the midship bulkhead where the hull goes from foam filled solid to hollow.

Scott lay the rib on the mat of wet glass and then laid a heavy length of wet ‘fat mat’ atop it and glassed that down.

Then we went around the stern and drilled some holes for the motor well scuppers and one for the overflow out of the aft livewell. We gooped the inside of the new holes with 5200 sealer, cut brass tubes to length, slid them into place and flared the ends.

That pretty much took care of the glass work at the shop so that afternoon I towed the boat home and put it in front of my garage. It was time to start putting the guts and hoses back into the hull.

New oil and fuel lines went in, I cleaned and repainted the fuel filter housing, installed a new filter and reattached the sending unit for the FlowScan fuel flow and totalizer. I replumbed the aft livewell with new hose. Then both livewell pumps came out for a check.

Then it all went back together.

Earlier I had noticed the motor mounts were getting sloppy so I ordered up some new parts and when they came in I towed the boat down to John Flowers at JC DryDock Marine in Punta Gorda to have the mounts put in. John’s shop has become ‘repair central’ for the serious local fishing guys and now I know why.

By that afternoon I had my boat back.

Across town, in the motor shop, the

• Covers

• Convertible Tops • Camper Backs

• Mooring

• Complete Tops

• Cockpit Covers • Sun Dodgers

Serving all of Charlotte County

MAGAZINE

941-661-4070

September 2007

BOAT The motor well on the transom during reconstruction and after it was done. It looks ʻfactoryʼ but is three times as strong. Masking tape still has to be removed.

Above: Inside the aft port side locker showing the stringer extended up to the top of the transom. The electrical device is the measuring unit for the FlowScan fuel totalizer, a must-have device.

block had been pulled apart, bored and honed. The new parts were gathered and checked. Heads were cleaned, the thermostat housing surfaces were refaced, a new oil pump gear was installed, the carbs were rebuilt and by the time you read this the motor should be all back together.

The theory on what went wrong is still developing. The bottom piston got hot. An air leak in the bottom carb could have been a contributing factor but my vote is for some oil pressure issue. Stay

MOTOR TOP: The block has been bored, honed and is now assembled. Notice how clean the water jackets are – we routinely flush the motor with Salt-Away.

ABOVE: the red arrow points to a spot where a carb gasket might have been leaking air. This could have led to a lean mixture in the corresponding cylinder and caused the piston to run hot leading to failure.

LEFT: With the powerhead off, it was easy to replace the motor mounts. Easy until the parts bill came. Each of the rubber filled aluminum sleeves in this photo cost $80. In this photo the splined shaft at the center is the driveshaft. The splines slip into the crankshaft in the powerhead to transmit power to the propeller.

SCUTTLEBUTT

September 2007

Sometimes Unsubstanciated, But Often True

6-Pack S cruti ny Coast Guard officers from Fort Myers were poking around the docks at Fishermen’s Village asking questions about captains who run more then 6 people on their 6-pack licensed boats. “We’ve had a lot of complaints so we are looking into this,” one of the Coasties said.

Hammerhead at Hog Isl and We were told that a 5foot hammerhead was caught off Hog Island in mid August. The influx of salt water and the lack of rain have kept fish that would normally be way offshore by now inshore and feeding. Spanish mackerel have been in the Harbor all summer for the same reason.

Fl o ri da Leads Nati on i n Boati ng Fatal i ti es - That was the headline in a local daily paper last month.

The paper could have put that in a better perspective by mentioning that we have more registered boats than any other state in the nation and that we have more ‘boating days’ than any other state in the nation.

There is no excuse for poor seamanship and more exposure means more problems since in boating, like in flying, pilot error is the overwhelming cause of accidents. Unfortunately, when problems are presented out of perspective, they are often used by those who would curtail our boating and fishing freedom.

Charlotte Harbor FISHING GUIDES Water LIFE

This Month Only!

6 hrs Night time TARPON fishing $400 www.viciousstrikes.com

Charters

20–50 mile trips We help you put charters together • Grouper • Snapper • Kingfish • Shark • Tarpon and more!

Capt Jim OʼBrien

USCG 50 ton license since 1985 Bus: 941-475-5538 Res: 941-473-2150 visit us at www.captjimsbigfish.com

Capt. Bart Marx, USCG Licensed & Insured Light Tackle Fishing Charlotte Harbor & SW Florida

(941) 255-3551

www.alphaomegacharters.com email:captbart@alphaomegacharters.com Half Day & Full Day trips.

Di ver Down Officer David Dipre investigated a boating accident near Friend Key after a thirty-nine foot motor operated sailing vessel struck a diver.

The operator heard and felt an object strike the hull of his vessel and was shocked to see a diver surface behind his vessel. Though the diver suffered injuries from striking the prop, he was treated and released. The diver received a written warning for the violation after witnesses stated they saw the diver over 250 yards from his dive flag.

Red Ti de there haven't been any sightings of red tide here on the west coast in quite a while. Due to the drought conditions on Lake O they haven’t been sending any water out of the Caloosahatchee for some time now. Is there a correlation? And as for the ‘dead zone’ in the Gulf, off the coast of Texas; isn’t that where all the Texas rain drains back into the Gulf?

Ci rcl e Thi s One new proposed federal regulation seeks to make circle hooks the only acceptable hook for fishing in federal waters.

Ti p Em’ Guides work on tips. If they do good, it is

Page 21

MAGAZINE

Backcountry Special!

2 anglers, 6

Page 22

By Bi l l Di xon Water LIFE Sailing It’s been a long time since I wrote about the Community Sailing Center.

Recently George Guttschalk, Vice Chair of the new Punta Gorda City Waterfront Development Advisory Committee asked to have a presentation by Dennis Peck, President of the Community Sailing Center. I enjoyed hearing the update from Dennis, as I have been busy elsewhere and was not current on the activities.

Sailing classes are being run almost continuously for the public, Boy Scout Organizations, the YMCA summer camp program, churches and other interested groups. Seventy eight students have been taught to sail so far this year in eight classes. Two things are holding back the growth of the program. One is volunteer US Sailing Certified instructors, the other is location.

Dennis teaches as often as he can, and Gary Trimmer and a couple of others help when they can, but there are other instructors and safety boat operators out there. I

Water LIFE

September 2007

MAGAZINE

Community Sailing Center

The Dog Days of Summer didnʼt keep this Community Sailing Center class from getting out on the water.

know this because I hosted a US Sailing training class graduation banquet a couple of years ago. Contact Dennis at: bdselah1@globalcrossing.net or 627-6650 to volunteer.

On the exposed south shore of the Peace River at the Bayfront Center, many training days are lost to north or strong west winds, other days are lost to low tides. Even Sunfish need a couple of feet of water for the rudder to steer. Use of the Martin 16 disabled boats is severely restricted as they must be launched at Laishley Park and Towed down river to the Sailing Center, and then moored off shore. Much more novice sailing could

happen if the Community Sailing Center had access to a basin or was in an area protected by a breakwater.

Dennis’s organization, The Community Sailing Center, in partnership with the Punta Gorda Sailing Club are putting on a small boat regatta this fall as a fund raiser for the Charlotte County YMCA. The small boat regatta will be held at Charlotte Beach Park at the foot of Harbor Blvd. Sunfish from across the state and some from the north are expected. Martin 16’s from out of the county are also expected, as are Lasers, maybe Optimist Prams and other boats.

The regatta opens with registration Friday night October 12 at 7 p.m. at the

Photo: Dennis Peck

Charlotte Beach Complex. Racing will be in the harbor off Alligator Bay on both Saturday and Sunday. Notices of Race and entry forms are available on the Punta Gorda Sailing Club Web site at www.pgscweb.com. There will also be a big boat PHRF regatta November 3,4.

That notice of race and entry will be up on the PGSC web site shortly.

Both regattas are being run as fund raisers for local Y programs. 100-percent of all donations will go to the Y. If there is a loss in either regatta, PGSC will make it up. To donate cash, goods, or services contact Wendy Filler at: wendyfiller@swfla.rr.com or by phone at: 904-613-2802.

WAT E R WAY

BOAT LIFT COVERS

PROTECT YOUR BOAT FROM NATUREʼS MOST DAMAGING ELEMENTS

CUSTOM BUILT TO YOUR BOAT LIFT

• Patented Double Rail for Ultimate Strength & Safety • Mold and Mildew Resistant • UV Protected • Fire Resistant • Maintenance Free • Quick Release System for Easy Removal

941 - 505-0237

toll free 877-201-3606

www.waterwayboatliftcovers.com

On The Line September 2007

Fishing with Capt Ron

Capt Ron. getting wet with some of his kids at the Kids Fishing Camp.

By Capt Ron Bl ago Water LIFE Senior Staff

Water LIFE

More on page 14

It’s unbearably hot right now. Temperatures are in the high 90’s by noon. So hot you can do yourself some serious damage if you are not careful. The other day I went fishing with my friend Dick Zrudskey ‘The Rod Guy.’ We are both old guides – Dick, in the Keys and me on the West Coast, so we should know our way around a Johnny Kartheiser moved to Charlotte County from Chicago Florida summer. We went out two months ago. This is his first snook. Nice! to get a few redfish that I had located the day before. It was and sunglasses and drink a lot of water. about 9 in the morning and already it was Save the alcohol for when you’re back at too hot; but the fish were biting just the dock. enough to keep us interested.

It’s time to catch redfish. They tend to We had caught a few nice bay sized start eating right now just before they snappers and had released a few small spawn. The fish are at their most aggresreds, when Dick hooked the big one. sive stage right now. They hit hard and Fortunately the fish ran out from under a they fight harder. They will hit anything dock into the open water, so it was just a – jigs, spoons, plugs, whitebait, small matter of holding on until the fish gave pinfish and particularly shrimp – dead or up. I netted the fish and he measured 26 alive. The fish will be schooling up and inches, a perfectly sized red. I looked at starting to move towards the passes.

Dick and he had turned pure white and I Early mornings you will see these fish in wasn’t feeling so good myself, so back to large schools chasing bait on the edges of my dock we went. Total time on the the grass flats. This is when they are the water, less than 3 hours. I know we are easiest to catch. As the sun gets higher both getting old, but that heat and sun hit the schools scatter and fishing gets harder. us both really hard. I started to thinkThis is when I head for a nice shady dock. both Dick and I are taking heart medicine Remember you are only allowed one red a for high blood pressure and sure enough day so don’t try to hook a lot of fish in the instruction sheets on our medicine one location. Get the one you want and warns about high temperatures and expomove on to other types of fish. That way sure to sunlight. So check with your doc- those reds will stay in the same general tor about any medications you are taking location for a few days. to see if there is a problem with being Capt. Ron can be reached at: capout on the really hot days. For you norfor fishing information tronb@juno.com mal people- cover up as much of your or to book a guided fishing trip. body as you can, wear a wide bream hat

MAGAZINE

Page 23

Page 24

Water LIFE

MAGAZINE

September 2007

The Water Water LIFE LIFE Distributor始s Club

Cooks Sportland

4419 So. Tamiami Trail S. Venice 493-0025

Pick up a copy of Water LIFE at any of these and 120+ other locations. Water LIFE is not affiliated with any newspaper or other publication and is distributed at select locations around the state. These free ads to our loyal distributors rotate on a monthly basis.

If you would like this publication for distribution at your business please call us at 941-766-8180

Water LIFE

Fishinʼ Close to the Boat Ramp

September 2007

By Bucky Ketter Special to Water LIFE After a decent day of fishing, my wife Jasmine and I headed back to the boat ramp. When we got there, we quickly discovered that we weren’t the only ones ready to escape the water and head home. After realizing that we were going to be waiting around a while, we decided to drop anchor across from the ramp and wait till the crowd of boats had thinned out. My wife is a very anxious angler. If she has an opportunity to throw a line, she will and she did. It was only a matter of minutes then, WHAM! Her line was stretched tight and as it cut through the water we could see the fish was heading to an island of mangroves. She pulled her rod in the opposite direction trying to forcefully change his mind. After gaining some

line back and some top water thrashing, he took off again.

Only this time he was peeling line from her reel and he was pulling hard. Her eyes got big, real big. I could see that she was worried, but not ready to give up. By this time I had glanced to my left toward the boat ramp and small fishing pier. She had a crowd of spectators watching anxiously on the edge of their seats. I heard more thrashing and by the time I had looked back to the commotion, he was high tailing it desperately back to the bush. The

MAGAZINE

fish knew this was his last chance and he wasn’t going to give up without a fight. I looked at Jasmine and thought to my self ‘If she can hold him here, the battle will be

won.’ At this time I could see that she was palming her line and was going to give him all she had. A couple of minutes later after some head shaking and thrashing she was gently holding up a fat redfish. The crowd was cheering and just as I had expected the words left her mouth, “Silly boys fishing is for girls!” It made a great ending to a good day.

On our next venture out I quickly threw a lure in the area Jasmine had stumped her redfish. On my second retrieve my plug was engulfed and the fight was on. I leaped out of the boat and began to wade quickly in the opposite direction of the bushes he was heading for. I quickly realized that it was a snook, a big snook. He was jumping frantically and he was striping line from my drag. After a good fifteen minute fight the battle was over and I was having my picture taken with a 35 inch snook.

The moral of these stories is to take a few minutes out of your day to explore the area around the ramp you launch from. You’re there anyway, and the payoff could be great.

Besides, what better way to start or end a fishing trip.Stay cool and fish hard.

Gulf Council Still Wants More

Page 25

S t aff R eport On Wednesday September 19 at the Clarion Hotel, 12635 S. Cleveland Ave., Ft. Myers at 6 p.m. The Gulf Council will be looking for public input on Amendment 30A, a plan containing management measures for greater amberjack that could reduce limits to 1 fish per 2 people. How do you catch half a fish?

Amberjack and triggerfish, not that important to you? When does it become important? When the Council eliminates recreational harvest of grouper?

The meeting for amendment 29 is coming soon.

Amendment 29 could close all grouper harvest from Feb.15th to May 15th and reduce gag and black grouper bag limits from 5/person to 1, just like red grouper, when in season.

The Gulf Council is doing the job handed down to them from NMFS (National Marine Fisheries Service) to reduce over-fishing in a timely manner. There are organizations like the Ocean Conservancy that help fund scientific research for the Council that would love to make the entire Gulf of Mexico a MPZ (Marine Protection Zone). We need to let the council know that reducing or eliminating recreational limits is not acceptable. Huge turnouts at the meetings make a difference in the council’s decisions.

If you can't make the meeting and still want to voice an opinion you can email the Council at: amendment30a@gulfcouncil.org. Form letters and more information on what's happening with the Gulf Council and other hot topics for rec fisherman can be found at thefra.org. The FRA (Fishing Rights Alliance) is one of the hardest working organizations out there fighting for the little guy. They seem to be the only group to have representatives at every meeting.

September

Page 26

Fishing Report

Charlotte Harbor:

Robert at Fishin' Franks Port Charlotte: 625-3888

S nook season opened on the first of this month and the important thing to remember is the change in size limit. The new snook slot is 28 to 33 inches. The places to go for snook are definitely along the beaches at Englewood and Boca Grande. The Placida Trestle is also always a good hot-spot for the fall snook season.

If you’re fishing from a boat, focus your efforts closer to the Intracoastal. Pinfish are by far the very first choice as far as snook bait goes, since right now snook are trying to build up their fat deposits for the coming winter. Artificials will work as well, but you’ll need a slower presentation in the daytime. Soft plastic jigs on a 1/4 oz jig head will work on snook too.

Tarpon are finally around in the Harbor and September is traditionally the month when they will start feeding heavily on ladyfish. Catch a ladyfish and put it on your bigger pole, then throw it back out there. The bigger the bait the better, because the catfish will just eat you alive right now if you’re fishing in the middle of the harbor. For tarpon, artificials like the DOA bait buster are still king for the silver king.

September is the month when redfi sh start moving around a lot and the schools start to build up. They start showing around the Intracoastal and the Whidden Creek area, but good fishing depends on how hot the water is. Pinfish are the first choice for redfish bait –

Water LIFE

MAGAZINE

cut bait (shrimp, ladyfish or sardines) are the second choice. Reds won’t get aggressive on artificials until the end of the month. Then they will hit just about any bait.

There are still plenty of small sharks around and they will stay around until the first cold snap around the end of October.

Cobi a and tri pl e tai l should start moving around this month too. Towards the end of this month we could start seeing S pani sh mackerel moving back into the passes and onto the inshore reefs.

Out along the beaches, whi ti ng and pompano are still in the surf.

Other than that, it’s going to be pretty ‘iffy’ on everything. Then towards the end of the month it should really kick off.

That’s my prediction.

Lemon Bay

Jim at Fishermen’s Edge Englewood: 697-7595

September 2007

Capt Dwayne French provided this August picture of one of his anglers with a sizeable redfish. “We were on these fish all morning...big ones!”

Fishing is really good, maybe because there is no boating traffic. In the bay, guys are catching a lot of redfi sh and some snook that are really tackle busters.

Quite a few guys have told me they are starting to see some sea trout come around above the bridge by Deerborn and at Godfrey Creek. There are bigger reds, fish in the 12 to 13 pound range at the top part of Whidden Creek, and at Cape Haze point ... I’ve had reports of big fish ganging up there.

Generally, things are looking up. There has been quite a bit of pompano around. The guys are catching them on Doc’s jigs (like a heavy banana-shaped spoon)

or on shrimp – that or a fly-trailer with a jig in the front – seem to be popular for pompano.

The snapper fishery has really been doing well lately. Guys are catching lots of keeper sized mangrove snapper, up to 18 inches, in Gasparilla Pass ... not just one fish, but there have been a bunch of big snapper caught in Gasparilla and at Boca Grande.

There are also some cobi a around and the tarpon fishery is still going well with no pressure and a lot of fish in the pass. Reports from tarpon anglers are of five or six fish in an hour, fish in the 100–pound range. A friend from up the road took some out-of-towners out continued on facing page

September 2007

Continued from facing page

BIG-4 BIG-4

in the pass and they caught five tarpon on five drifts. Now those guys want to move down here!

I like to blind cast for tarpon in the harbor near El Jobean, SNOOK are on the beaches below the bridge. I like throwing moving in. bait busters and we’ve caught quite a few fish like that.

And there are still a lot of sharks around;

Capt. Angel Torres with a boatload of ʻcudas and cobia and some happy anglers.

n September 4th, 6th, 11th, 13th & 18th.

USCG Flotilla 98, Punta Gorda, ABC S afe Boati ng Program,Punta Gorda Civic Association, 2001 Shreve St., Punta Gorda 7 PM , $30.00/ person or $40.00 / couple, contact Fred Counter at 941-505-1290 n September 7-9 Tampa Bay Boat S how,

Water LIFE

MAGAZINE

Septemberʼs Septemberʼs Target Target Species Species

REDFISH could start schooling up soon

TARPON are now up in Charlotte Harbor

Calendar

convention center n October 1 USCG Flotilla 87, Englewood, Boati ng S ki l l s and S eamanshi p Monday and Thursday evenings from 7 to 9 PM at Lemon Bay Park in Englewood. $40 /individual and $50 / couple 697-9435 or 475-0127 n October 6: Ri ches t Redfi s h Chal l eng e,

THE ALL NEW 2008 F-450 KING RANCH SUPER DUTY

of

SHARKS small sharks are still all over

Events

Punta Gorda. A benefit for the Good Shepherd School, sign up at Laishley Marine, 639-3868

n October 13 & 14: Fl ats mas ters Champi o ns hi p, Punta Go rda

n December 8th, Li ghted Boat Parade, pre-

sented by the Punta Gorda Chamber of Commerce 941 639-3720

Page 27

October 6,

Fishing

RIGHT NOW:

Early Morning and Late Afternoon – Very GOOD!

September 2007

Water LIFE

MAGAZINE

Page 28

September 2007

S t aff R e p o rt My God it’s hot! That was the consensus during this 96 degree day, August 11, event. There was also something to be said for the healthy redfish population.

This tournament that had 18 boats entered saw the majority of fish weighed-in in the 5. 5 to 6-pound range. “All those little rat reds we had a few years ago are now coming into their own, ” tournament director Andy Medina observed.

Water LIFE

MAGAZINE

Page 9

XTREME Redfish Tournament

1 s t p l ac e . . . . . Paul Lamb e rt an d Do n al d Lamb e rt t o t al wt . 1 2 . 1 1 p ri z e $ 9 1 5

2 n d p l ac e . . . . Curt Harre l l an d Mark Pe dro t o t al wt . 1 1 . 9 9 p ri z e $ 3 8 0

3 rd p l ac e . . . . Mi k e Mah an an d B o b B o udre au t o t al wt . 1 1 . 6 8 $ 1 4 5 p l us t h e y g o t b i g f i s h . . . . wt . 6 . 6 3 $ 1 8 0 t o t al wi n n i n g s . . . . f o r t h e m. . . . $ 3 2 5 . 0 0

Th e re we re 1 8 t e ams i n t h i s l e g o f t h e t o urn ame n t , t h e re we re a t o t al o f 2 5 f i s h we i g h e d i n . . . . ( 2 de ad) . . . .

The next Xtreme tournament is Sept 15, at the

All the fish weighed in were released alive, except for one, which went home for dinner in the cooler box of a grey and red upholstered bass boat.

Water LIFE

Page 10

St. Pete Open

Underwater Report

By Adam Wi l son Water LIfe Diving The ‘World's Largest Spearfishing Tournament,’ the 42nd annual St. Pete Open, was held on August 18th. It is the ‘can't miss’ tournament of the year put on by the St. Pete Underwater Club. It attracts hundreds of ‘shooters’. There are entry categories for almost all fish including lobsters and special divisions for women, juniors, and freedivers. The prize table total is in the tens of thousands of dollars, giving every shooter that enters a fish a chance to pick something from the table. The Open is known throughout the southeast to be a ‘big fish’ tournament with record breaking fish hitting the weigh-in scales almost every year.

Contestants are allowed to shoot anywhere they want, so long as they are in the weigh-in line by 7:30 p.m.

With grouper being deep this time of year we opted for a more relaxed, easy day of shallow diving, hunting for barracuda, snapper, hogfish and lobsters right out of Stump Pass. Judging by the endless line of tournament flats boats behind us at 5:45 am that day at Indian Mounds, it was a good thing we decided to leave early.

Team WreckReation's first stop: Bayronto. Just a quick splash and dash for Carl and I to lay some steel down on some cudas' and maybe luck into a cobia.

Right now, the water from the surface down to the top of the wreck is just

September 2007

MAGAZINE

There is nothing like a spearfishing tournament to show the surface angler whatʼs lurking below. Big amberjack, grouper, dolphin and hogfish

amazingly clear. From the wreck down to the sand, visibility drops to about 20 feet.

We were immediately greeted by a huge school of rainbow runners and underwater they really live up to their name – brilliantly colored long stripes, shaped like little missiles, and incredibly fast. These fish are more commonly associated with much deeper water, but for some reason lately there have been some unusual sightings, like early in August we saw schools of wahoo out in the 100 foot depths.

Dropping to the top of the wreck we each locked on to our targets' and quickly put our first entries on the board, a couple of 3 foot cudas'.

Our next three dives were spent on hard bottom or ledges hunting for snappers, lobsters and whatever else swam in front of us.

Throughout the day, one common theme seemed to follow us on every dive: jellyfish. They are everywhere in the gulf right now. From just outside the passes to 150 feet, these are the huge moon jellies, some the size of a basketball. They are easy to avoid on the descent, but a little trickier on your way up. We have found if you stick with a good slow 30 ft./minute ascent, your bubbles tend to blow the jellies up and out of your way.

With three more dives now under our belts we had a couple of nice lobsters, one about 3 pounds, some medium sized snappers up to 4 pounds, and a couple of small hogfish. Definitely no trophies, but a great day on the water easily achieving

Water Toys, Water Skis, & Floats in stock w w w. a l l f i b e r g l a s s r e p a i r s . c o m Scott Steffe Owner

our original goal of just having fun!

That's really what the St. Pete Open is all about. Having fun, meeting new people, making friends and enjoying the company of people who love the water and fishing as much as you do.

Our team did just fine, with our best placing coming from our 3 pound lobster taking 12th and various placings with cuda, snapper and lobster back to 34th.

Our prize haul was great including fins, a flashlight, gear bags, charts, spear shafts, pliers and a deluxe marine bean bag chair!

One of the most notable moments from the award ceremony came when a young woman from Gulfport FL, Julie Gallus, won a speargun being raffled for the benefit of the Jeff Steele memorial reef. The gun had already drawn in $1000

when Julie won the raffle. She went to collect her prize and there were a few moments of discussion between her and the event emcee. It turned out, she had only bought a ticket to help support the reef fund. She returned the gun to the club to be auctioned off on the spot! It raised almost another $400 for the reef.

I have to give a very big ‘Thank You’ to Construction Supply of Southwest Florida inc. as they were kind enough to sponsor us in this year’s tournament.

Next years Open is guaranteed to be even bigger and better and should be on every divers calendar.

Adam Wilson can be reached for comments or div ing information at (941) 7661661 or v ia e-mail at: wilsonpools@comcast.net

Gel Coat ¥ Spot Repairs Major Structural Repairs Professional Quality Awl Grip Finishes Complete Detailing and Brightwork Free Estimates ¥ Mobile Service Complete

Shop 941- 5758914 Home

1726 Steadly Ave

Custom Work is Our

Water LIFE

September 2007

all made it to the weigh-in scale. In the lobster category there were numerous entries over 4 pounds.

Don Ball Teacher Takes Top Students Fishing

S t aff R eport When Capt.

Dwayne French stood up during the first night of the Don Ball School of Fishing last school year, one of the first things he told his class was that the top two students would get to go out on a fishing trip with him. Last month, after a lot of schedule shifting and planning, Capt Dwayne took Lindsay Kelly and Blake Hines out to make good on his promise. “We fished in the Bull Bay and Turtle Bay area,” Capt. Dwayne told us. “It was a half day trip and one of each of the kids parents got to go along, but the parents didn’t get to fish, this was the kids day,” Capt. Dwayne said. “It was the same as in the Kids Cup tournament.” Adults got to tie lines and help land the fish, the kids did everything else.

“They must have caught 30 fish that morning,” Capt. Dwayne said, noting that everyone, including the parents, had

Photos provided by the St. Pete Underwater Club and photographer Dean Palmer

Dine on the dock ~ Million $$ View!

Boaters Welcome

N 26 38.040 W 082 03.958 Near Marker 55 On the Matlacha Pass Dockage Available

Friday Fish Fry 5 – 9 pm

Live Entertainment

Live entertainment every weekend www.bertsbar.com

Dock Party every Sunday 3-7

4271 Pine Island Rd. 282-3232

a good time. The program that Capt.

Dwayne taught was part of the Don Ball School of fishing, a program for 7th graders in six area middle schools.

Lindsay and Blake are both 11 year old 7th graders at Northport Middle School.

The program is funded by the Water LIFE Kids Cup Tournament.

The Don Ball program is available on a first come first served basis for 25 students in each of the following schools: Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda, Englewood, Murdock and Northport. Contact the school’s administration office for registration details.

Spectacular 3rd floor bayfront 3 br. 2 1/2 ba. condo on Manasota Key across from the beach. 10' ceilings, 2 car garage, granite tops, gated with boat docks, pool and spa.

Other units available.

8210 Manasota Key Road Island Paradise for sale. Gulf to Bay property w/ large beach house. Swimming pool overlooks the Gulf. Large screened porch, huge galley kitchen and more. $2,100,000

Englewood Beach Place Beautifully furnished 2/2 condo on Gulf side with elevator, pool and gulf and bay views. $595,000

P a g e 11

MAGAZINE

9260 Griggs. Sailboat water. No bridges, 5 minutes to Gulf. Gorgeous custom home. Spectacular Bay and Canal views from throughout $1,099,000

Anglers Resort. Updated turnkey furnished 2 bedroom condo w/great view of pool, lovely patio and deeded boat slip. Great rental property.

From $299,900

Gulf Sands. Customized 3 bedroom 2 bath end unit condo w/open floor plan.

Partial Gulf & Bay views.

Heated pool & deeded boat dock. $599,900

Page 12

Water LIFE

Affordable Boat Canvas Repair & Design

FALL BOAT CANVAS MAINTENANCE SPECIAL is offering a

• Affordable Boat Canvas will come to your boat and Clean all CANVAS with 303 Fabric Cleaner

Offshore Report MAGAZINE

September 2007

• Spot clean any stubborn stains • Waterproof & Protect CANVAS from UV damage with 303 Fabric Guard • Clean and lubricate ZIPPERS • Clean & polish ISINGLASS

Call Affordable Boat Canvas now to make that old canvas enclosure look great for the winter boating season. CALL 941-764-7079 to schedule a free estimate! www.affordableboatcanvas.com

Coming October 6

$25,000 First Place! a benefit for the

Good Shepherd Day School

Sign up in Punta Gorda at

The Good Shepherd Day School 941-575-2139, Laishley Marine 941-639-3868 or at Laishley Park Marina 941-575-0930.

Big guy with a big cobia

By Capt. Stev e Skev i ng to n Water LIFE Offshore This last month has been a lot of fun fishing. In August we put almost every species of fish you can name on the other end of a line.

There's been nighttime snapper trips that have seen limits of four and five pound mangrove snapper and yellowtail.

Half day shark trips that have released over fifty blacktips, some of them going eighty pounds or better.

Cobia and permit chewing the bottom of the boat out, on area wrecks and reefs.

With the action almost as hot as the weather, I don't see it slowing down at all for September.

As most everyone knows, snook season opens up Sept 1. What does this do for offshore fishing? It gives a bit more elbow room for those guys trying to fish the nearshore wrecks and reefs.

Those spots should start to be covered with the first Spanish mackerel schools of the fall season soon. Those fish are the early birds and they’re going to be hungry.

Look for them to be busting the bait right on the surface, first thing in the morning and again right before sunset.

Tossing almost anything they can fit in there mouth will get a strike, but I like the heavier jigs and plugs as they throw a lot farther.

A bit further offshore, we can expect to see more cobia and fewer permit on the wrecks that are about 60 feet deep.

A big variety of tackle will put cobia in your boat this month, but nothing will catch as many as circle hooks and simply being patient. This is something that's hard to do for most offshore guys, but in the case of cobia, it can really pay off big.

Red grouper have been dependable all summer long, but the next two months

should be the best of the year.

Fishing the hard bottom spots 80 feet deep or more should bring a lot of big reds boat side.

Look for lane snapper and vermillion to be all over those same spots. These snapper have no problem biting all day long and can fill up a fish box in a hurry.

Frozen shrimp and strips of squid work really well on a 1/0 hook.

The small mahi-mahi that we see every summer are still out there so don't forget your light tackle. And a little piece of something on the surface out behind the boat while fishing those grouper holes almost always gets hit.

Good Luck!

Capt. Stev e can be reached to book a trip or for offshore information at 575-FLAT or at 276-0565

September 2007

Real Estate News PROVIDED BY: Dave & Marlene Hofer RE/MAX Harbor Realty (941) 575-3777 dhofer@remax.net Recent area news i tems:

Recent area news items: 1.

A new retail center has started construction next to the Home Depot on Cochran Blvd in Port Charlotte. The center will be anchored with a 96,000 SF Kohl's Department Store and a 20,000 SF Petsmart. An additional 33,000 SF will be available for retail shops.

2. Punta Gorda City council came to terms with the Marina Park Partners to build a seafood restaurant on the grounds of Laishley Park. Lease terms are 99 years starting at $72K per year with annual cost of living increases.

3. County and City tax agencies have been proudly implying tax decreases of about 1–percent this year. Actually, expenditures will rise from $383 Million to $395 million and will be funded by raising taxable valuations for homesteaders in spite of declining property values.

While the unfairness gap will narrow between homesteaded and non homesteaded property, it will not close as quickly as it should. The assessor will raise valuations by only 2.5–percent rather than the 3–percent maximum that is indicated by the SOH amendment.

4. North Port will build its 5th elementary school at Huntsville & Atwater on city owned lots. The school will house 970 students in 2009. A middle

Water LIFE

school is planned for Panacea and the Snover Waterway.

5. Sarasota Hospital has purchased 32 acres for $7.2Mil at the corner of Sumter and I-75 for a future hospital.

6. Charlotte County School District will implement impact fees of $3,200 for new school funding.

7. Charlotte County is leaning towards spending $12.2 million for a new library in West County. They will likely close one in Port Charlotte, cut down on hours available and cut 100 jobs to help pay for this ponderous decision.

Did we really have 100 people on the payroll that we could do without?

8. Although, redeveloping their existing site on Henry Street or trading it for another site by the airport appear to be reasonable, the City of Punta Gorda is shopping for a better deal than either of its two alternatives to rebuild its public works facilities.

9. Dean's South of the Border Restaurant finished their restoration and expansion on Tamiami. Earthwork has begun on the construction of the new event center. Foundations are being installed for the Weyvern Hotel next to Dean's. The City Hall parking lot expansion was started this month, as well.

10. In an effort to stimulate commercial development downtown, the City of Punta Gorda is pressing ahead with its plans to build a parking garage to house 300 cars. In fact, they are evaluating the

purchase of the Olympia/41 corner to enlarge this project. To compete with The Sunloft which will open next year, the City Marketplace which will not, and any other retailers that have not yet been able to justify new construction, the new garage will likely include retail shops along US41. Rather than waiting until the need materializes, the City is proactively betting more than $7 million of tax collections to make things happen!

Sales Statistics:

Lot sales suffered another 7–percent drop during the month. Volume fell to a trickle. House prices edged up modestly reflecting a little better demand for higher

$675,000 $599,000

Just Listed $349,000 Two Lots on Corner of Fleming & David Doug & Judy Kaff

60ʼ ON THE WATER with seawall in and dock being installed. Lots cleared with water and sewer available.

Gulf Cove Lot CHILCOTE TERRACE Cleared, filled, with seawall and dock. 3rd from Myakka in area of upscale homes. 98'X125' $499,000

Great New Bayside Complex. Gated with private

elevators and coded entry .

Turnkey furnished 2bed 2bath. nice views – unit has private garages, community dock, workout room, pool with spa. $799,000

Page 13

MAGAZINE

SURF CLUB - MANASOTA KEY CONDO Gulf View 3 BR, Nice beach and pool, beautifully decorated, sold furnished.

Ready to enjoy or offer for rental

priced homes. The shakeout of investor driven activity has subsided only to be replaced by hesitation of would-be buyers unable to sell other properties because of the so called "sub prime" lending fiasco.

These statistics are intended to assist in analy zing trends in supply and demand and not to indicate specific mark et v alues.

Ending inv entory is not alway s beginning inv entory plus listings minus sales since many pending listings are held ov er from month to month, some listings ex pire and are withdrawn and, therefore, do not appear as sales and new listings includes price changes.Please v isit us at www.harborparadise.com to v iew any av ailable properties from Venice to Burnt Store

$399,900

DUPLEX, On Manasota Key, short walk to beaches Convenient parking in front, each unit with its own lanai Live in one side and rent the other !

Unit 1: 2 bedrooms, one bath Unit 2: 1 bedroom, one bath

New Const. Direct Gulf Front New Condos: 3 bedroom 2 1/2 bath. Two Pools, elevators, under building parking ON THE BEACH! a. $999,000 "The Palms " full gulf views PENDING! $769,000 "Barefoot Beach" Bldg 1 Turnkey furnished, b.PENDING! generated over $31,000 in rental income last year...full gulf views c. $599,000 "Barefoot Beach" ...Bldg 2 entire floor no common walls d. $1,199,000 "Boulder Pointe" direct gulf front, 2 pools and tennis court

Judy Kaff

(941) 830-0502

(941) 474-9534

Judykaff@earthlink.net

Page 14

By Capt. Ron Bl ago Water LIFE Senior Staff The Englewood Sports Complex has a certain routine it follows when it opens for the morning. Usually there is a group of old timers trying to be the first ones in the fitness room to get on the treadmills or start walking around the large, air conditioned gym. But this day was different - today was the first day of fish camp, and mixed in with the regulars were a bunch of little kids dragging large tackle boxes and carrying fishing rods twice as big as they were. I got all the kids and their parents corralled in a section of the hall and gave them the same "Welcome to Camp " speech that I give every year. This gives the parents an opportunity to assure themselves that they are not putting their precious darlings in the hands of a mad man. Each parent want to tell me something special about their kid. This one is shy, this one is nervous, this one need to eat his snack at 10 am sharp - I’ve heard it all before. One parent was even concerned about flesh eating bacteria. I told her to stop reading the paper and that driving her kids to camp is probably the most dangerous thing her kids will experience all week.

After the parents left, I marched the kids outside to our picnic shelter were I tell them what we are going to do for the next week and what is expected of them. They are there to have fun, be safe and catch fish. No fighting, no cursing and no being mean - basic rules a kid can relate to. We are fortunate that the Englewood Sports Complex has several ponds, each with a good number of fish in them. I gathered up my crew and headed to the furthest pond and turned them loose. Ten minutes later the first fish was caught; a whopping 3 inch tilapia caught by 10 year old Cody Pappas, a repeat customer from last year.

Cody had learned his lessons well - the first fish of fish camp made him an instant expert. His secret was a small hook baited with a little piece of hot dog. A few more tilapia and a couple of bluegills and the three hours were up.

The next day we got down to serious saltwater fishing with a wading trip to Indian Mounds Park. I picked up the bait at Fisherman’s Edge on Placida Road in Englewood. Jim, the owner, always makes sure that the kids have live shrimp to use as bait. By 8 a.m. we were in the water catching fish. I guess if you have 15 hooks in the water someone has to catch something, and it wasn’t long before the fish started to bite. First it was pinfish then a few redfish and finally a couple of snook.

Throw in a few ladyfish, catfish, jacks and snappers and you had a bunch of happy kids. The weather was looking pretty bad when it started to rain. I told the kid’s that we

Kids Fishing Camp 2007 Water LIFE

MAGAZINE

fish in the rain but we stop if there is lightening , and when the first bolt hit across the bay we all got out of the water and up to the picnic shelter. The kids looked like a box of wet kittens; but they were all in good spirits. When the rain slowed down we took a vote and the majority rules, so back in the water we went. By the time their parents picked them up they were waterlogged but happy.

The next day we meet at Englewood Beach for some surf fishing. The bad news was that the wind was pretty strong from the west which gave us 2 to 3 foot waves crashing the shore. The good news was we had the whole place to ourselves. Everyone’s first cast brought in about five pounds of seaweed so fishing was out of the question. Everyone put down their rods and hit the water. I spent the rest of the time playing lifeguard making sure everyone was safe. What we all learned was that some days you can’t catch fish no matter how good you are; and there is no such thing as a bad day at the beach.

The Tom Adams fishing pier has always been an ace in the hole for me. You always catch fish there; and this year was no different. For economy and safety reasons I bait all hooks and take all fish off the hook for the kids so I was pretty busy. I never saw people go through so

September 2007

many shrimp in my life. Fortunately I had all the shrimp we didn’t use at the beach. That turned out to be a life saver because by the end of the day I was breaking the shrimp into thirds- these kids were catching too many fish; they just wore me out.

The last day was the big fishing trip on Lemon Bay. It’s also the day I’m the most nervous about because I have to count on the kindness of strangers. This year it seemed like everyone I knew was out of town, had another commitment or their boat just broke. Capt. Jerry Gillespie of Punta Gorda and Englewood’s own Capt.

Van Hubbard volunteered their services for the day. I was expecting two more boats to show up, but it turned out one had a family emergency and the other had their boat vandalized. At the dock, I was pretty much a basket case, but both Capt. Van and Capt. Jerry said we could get the job done so we divided the kids and went fishing. Say

September 2007

what you want about fishing guides, but when it comes to helping out the community they are always the first ones to volunteer.

I’m sure everyone who went fishing that day has a story to tell but I can only tell you mine. There was one kid that hadn’t caught a fish all week and that was 10 year old Alyssa Bruno, so I asked her to come on my boat; she agreed as long as she could bring along her fishing buddy 10 year, Jamie McCollum. I loaded up two of the boys, Chris and Gary and headed to some local docks. Within 90 minutes everyone had caught at least one fish- So mission accomplished.

We got to see manatees, dolphins, birds crashing bait; all the neat stuff we see on the water everyday but are all-new to these young eyes. To kill time I drifted the edge of a grass flat near the boat ramp and we started to catch more fish. Trout, ladyfish and catfish- everyone was having fun. Then Alyssa’s drag started to sing and she was holding on for dear life. I had no idea what she hooked but I was guessing it was a stingray. Alysaa, who is all of 65-pounds, dripping wet, was giving the fish a fight when it came to the surface and we all saw it was a shark. I figured the shark would bite through the leader and get off, but Alyssa kept fighting. She had a small portable camera, so I grabbed it and started to take pic-

Water LIFE

Page 15

MAGAZINE

tures because I was sure the shark was going to win this battle.

Alyssa was fading fast so I decided to help her out by lifting the rod as she reeled.

As the fish came closer to the boat I realized we had a chance to get this bad boy. I told one of the other kids to get my landing net in the front hatch - big mistake. While I was helping Alyssa and taking pictures the other kids were taking all my life preservers out of the hatch and spreading them on my deck; looking for a net that was right in front of there noses. There I was trying to work my way through four screaming kids and a deck full of life preservers; but we got our shark.

Editor’s Comment

So when you see the picture, what you are looking at is one worn out old captain - one tired little girl and one aggravated shark.

Cap. Ron can be reached for comments , information or to book a guided fishing trip at 941-474-3474

We just receiv ed word that Capt. Ron’s annual Kids Fishing Camp and his Adult Fishing College seminar series hav e both been cancelled by the Sarasota County Recreation Department. The reason giv en was ‘budget cuts’.

This is a real shame. Capt Ron has work ed at the Sports Complex for the last 7 y ears. He has graduated ov er 500 adults from his Fishing College and 200 k ids in the 7 y ears of the Kids Fishing Camp.

His programs were the only ones at the complex to mak e money for the county ($30 a head), but now Capt. Ron has been laid off and the programs hav e been scrapped.

We encourage Sarasota County to reev aluate their decision. Look at the k ids on these pages. This is what county priorities should be focused on.

Budget cuts need to trim the fat by eliminating donothing employ ees, not the ones who contribute to the public good.

LEARN TO FISH S.W. FLORIDA! Fishing seminar series taught by Capt. Steve Skevington of Paradise Fishing Charters

Tues., September 18th (6-8 pm)

INSHORE‚ FISHING TECHNIQUES

Tues., November 27th (6-8 pm)

OFFSHORE‚ FISHING TECHNIQUES

Suncoast Auditorium – Located behind Englewood Community Hospital – 700 Medical Blvd, Englewood Cost $35pp per seminar Kids under 14 are $10 (Tax deductible/ Seating is limited) Register Online at www.englewoodrotary.org or call J.J. at

941-697-8277

No Page