WaterLIFESept09

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C Ch ha ar rllo ot tt te e H Ha ar rb bo or r a an nd d L Le em mo on n B Ba ay y K ee pi ng B oa te r s & Fis he r m en Info rm e d S inc e 1 9 97

P r o d u c e r s o f t h e K I D S C U P To u r n a m e n t

September 2009

XTreme Redfish Tournament Page 22

The Reel History of Fishing Line Page 14

St Pete Open Spearfishing Champ Aaron Sutcliffe with his 90-pound 驶sea beast始 grouper

w w w. W a t e r L i f e M a g a z i n e . c o m

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This is Phosphate Mining...

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September

MAGAZINE

2009

This algae growth in a run off canal next to one of the phosphate stacks near Bartow made an interesting aerial photograph. We are not sure what caused it.

Water LIFE Magazine inc.

Michael & Ellen Heller Publishers

(941) 766-8180

e-mail (preferred) Waterlife@comcast.net Mail: 217 Bangsberg Rd. Port Charlotte, FL 33952

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Not affiliated with any other publication Vol IIX No9 © 2009 Water LIFE

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

Photograph by Water LIFE Magazine

Contributing Editors:

Photography” ASA1000.com Senior Editor: Capt. Ron Blago Charlotte Harbor Tarpon: Capt. Mark Bennett Port Charlotte: Capt. Andy Medina Gasparilla: Capt. Chuck Eichner Offshore: Capt. Steve Skevington Commercial Fishing: Kelly Beal Sea Grant: Betty Staugler Real Estate: Dave Hofer Inshore: Fishinʼ Frank Diving: Adam Wilson Kayaks: David Allen Sailing: Bill Dixon Office Dog: Molly

on the COVER THIS MONTH:

Charter Captain and sometimes Water LIFE contributor Aaron Sutcliffe with the 89+ -pound grouper that won him the 2009 St. Pete Open Spearfishing tournament championship last month.

on our WEBSITE:

WWW.waterlifemagazine.com

Fishing Resource Guide: Everything you ever wanted to know

Don Ball School: Class Report

Artificial Reefs: Projects and progress lat/long for local reefs

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

September

2009

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September

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2009

Letter to D.C. Recently we had a customer come into Fishin Franks and buy a rod and reel, and vareious tackle, Thankfully this is not an unusal thing, However the circumstances leading to this sale are somewhat note worthy. This man lived in Punta gorda for a few years. Working for a local Hospital and never found time to go fishing, then getting a better job in Washington D.C. moved. Years went by and now he was moving back to the area. before moving back he mentioned to his friends in D.C. where he was moving to and he was thinking with more time off now he would start fishing. His friends in D.C. said if you are going to Port charlotte you have to go to "Franks" for your tackle and gave us great praise for being helpful and haveing really good prices on fishing stuff. So he moved to Northy Port and Came to Fishing Franks bought his trackle.

Told us this story, and said it was good advice. needless to say we were taken by surprise, So To the poeple of D.C. and the rest of you, Thank you so much for thing of us it really means a lot. Customers are one thing but Friends willing to recomend us, is somthing specail.

Frank, Robert, Jeff, and everyone from Fishin Franks

L e t t e r s t o : Wa t e r L I F E @ c o m c a s t . n e t

Reply to Capt. Ronʼs Manatee Article

Good afternoon Captain Ron! I hope this finds you well.

I read your article The Incredibly Durable Manatee with great bemusement. Some of my former colleagues at Mote were insulted by some of your comments about me, but I actually found the story quite amusing, and a tad flattering -- I donʼt think itʼs a bad thing at all to be well liked and well respected by parties on various sides of an issue. Forgive me for saying so, but I think YOU may have missed the point. The reason that I am “well liked” as you put it, is because I AM pleasant to work with – in other words, I try to be open-minded, reasonable, and balanced. Yes, my priority is protecting marine wildlife (including manatees), but I am in favor of protections that wonʼt put unreasonable restrictions on other users. I firmly believe that no reasonable boater wants to harm manatees, and likewise, no reasonable “environmentalist” supports unnecessary regulations.

As far as the articles on the Ocean Conservancy website and quantifying future danger to manatees: I wish I could take credit for that elaborate scientific modeling but alas – those were not my data; I was merely reporting the findings of a 5-year Status Review Report prepared by the USFWS. With regards to the Sarasota Local Rule Review Committee and the Harrington bill, the intent of the LRRCʼs were for local stakeholders to have input and provide guidance to the FWC when putting new manatee speed zones in an area. I do not believe there was any language which stated they must be Current Residents of that area. When I applied to the Sarasota Board of County Commissioners to be appointed to the LRRC, they reviewed my background: 9 years studying manatees in Sarasota County while at Mote + performed

Masters Thesis research on manatees in Sarasota Bay (“Seasonal ecology and occurrence of manatees in Sarasota Bay”) +, have published in scientific journals on manatees in Sarasota Bay (“Reproduction in female manatees observed in Sarasota Bay, Florida”) + my 12 years as a resident of Sarasota County. Even though I am currently a resident of Pinellas County (about 45 miles to the north), they deemed I was fully qualified.

The Sarasota BOCC Resolution creating the LRRC does not indicate residency is a requirement of being a member of LRRC. At the first meeting of the LRRC, some of the other members likewise questioned whether it was appropriate for me to serve on the committee. However, after reviewing my background with them, they agreed that I was well qualified. In fact, they had so much confidence in me, the elected me as “Recording Secretary”, which basically means that I was the one who wrote the report with recommendations from the LRRC (which all of the other members had to approve).

At the end of the LRRC process, Iʼd like to think that even those individuals most staunchly opposed to additional manatee protections would probably agree that not only am I “likeable”, but that Iʼm also reasonable and look for balance when possible.

Once the FWC reviews the Sarasota LRRC report and posts it on their website, I hope you note that the LRRC did not recommend an additional 20 miles of Slow Speed; perhaps youʼll be quasi-relieved!

Feel free to give me a call and chat. Or if you do make it to any of the public meetings on Sarasota County manatee speed zones, please say hello – just no gushing.

Cheers, Jessica Jessica Koelsch Manager, Marine Wildlife, Ocean Conservancy

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Editor Notes** Everybody should have a right to be heard, but a paid employee of any environmental organization should not be a voting member of a public board.

That was one of the reasons for Lindsay Harringtonʼs legislative bill.

Any manatee rule review must ask how are the manatees doing since the new laws were enacted? If they are worse off, then look at more regulations, but if they are better off the regulations should be relaxed.

– Michael Heller

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Trash Talking

September

2009

By Mi chael Hel l er Water LIFE Editor The days are getting shorter already.

I went out Wednesday morning to put the garbage down by the street at 7 a.m. and it was barely light. The humidity was 97-percent. The air was still but clouds had already formed both over the Everglades and out at the coast.

Down the street, on the cul-de-sac at the tip end of our block, a large orange construction crane was idling, sending its puffy black footprint into the air.

I dragged the wheeled, green plastic, trash container to the swale and swung it around so the automated arm of a mechanized garbage truck could pick it up, move it around, and empty it all without human contact. Unfortunately that truck hasn’t made it onto our route yet. The trash truck on our route still has the platform where a guy on the back jumps off, grabs the trash and throws it into the back of the truck. Then he hops back on the truck and the driver pulls ahead to the next stop.

I could hear the truck a block away, so I hurried to get the recyclables and the lawn stuff out and placed properly.

Garbage placed improperly, sized, or con-

Water LIFE

tainerized improperly receives a stick-onrejection ticket – a warning that your trash has been refused by the refuse man.

I have received a number of such rejections over the years... but I digress.

I watched the truck appear and disappear slowly behind the houses across the canal, stopping and starting over and over again.

There was one particular house across the canal that we almost bought 12 years ago. It was owned by a woman named Loraine. We called it Loraine's House...until hurricane Charley took it.

Then it just became Loraine's Lot. In this last month there has been some action on Loraine’s Lot. First surveyors, then a scraper and now Loraine’s Lot has a concrete foundation and the beginnings of some block walls. Loraine's Lot is three houses up from the ‘tip’ of her dead end street. You can see the ‘big water’ from there. It’s a great spot.

I went back to get the last green container of yard trash from out by the pool.

I looked back at Loraine's Lot again from there. A few guys were now walking around. There was some action. Then a small tarpon rolled in the canal and it took my attention away.

I dragged not one, but two more containers of palm fronds and lawn rakings out to the street. Down at the end of our block, a pick up truck pulling a concrete pump had pulled up. The crew on the crane was swinging a section of new seawall into place.

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XTReme Redfish Tournament winners Rick Jordan and Christiain Schilling werenʼt talking trash when they brought 13.56 pounds of redfish to the scale to win the August XTreme Redfish event at Laishley Park Marina. The 2009 XTreme Championship is 26-27 Sept., in Tampa.

I have to admit I was doozling, thinking about the tarpon, when I heard the rumble of the garbage truck coming down my block.

On our block, with the snowbirds gone for the summer and 9 lots still vacant from Charley, it doesn't take long for the garbage truck to make it down the street.

So on that hot morning with the big green truck idling at the curb, and the crane down the block swinging the last sections of the new seawall into place; with the guys across the canal banging

hammers and stripping forms off fresh concrete... on that morning, while I waited for the garbage man to dump my last container into the back of his smelly truck, I realized this could be a new beginning.

I’d like to think we're seeing some action on properties with open water views, and on deep sailboat canal lots – I’d like to think that the locations that have traditionally been most desirable will be where we start seeing activity first.

And I’d like to think we could be starting to see that now.

Capt Ron Page 6

By Capt Ron Bl ago Water LIFE Senior Staff Say goodbye to the last free lunch Florida residents got to enjoy- the right to saltwater-fish from shore without the need to get permission from our government.

As of August 1, 2009 everyone now needs to have a saltwater fishing license even if they are only fishing from shore.

The last great deal in Florida is now gone forever.

It was back in 1989 when Florida introduced its first saltwater fishing license which actually was a “fishing from a boat” license because of the shoreline exemption which said those fishing from shore or a structure connected to shore (pier) did not need a license. This set up a two-tier system that didn’t seem quite fair.

I remember fishing a mangrove shoreline from my boat early one morning and having a wader walk up to me and ask if I could spare a few extra hooks. I needed a license and he didn’t. I didn’t think that was fair, but he was quite satisfied with the situation.

This two tiered system probably would have remained in Florida forever had it not been for the Federal Government who decided in 2007 that they wanted to be able to count all recreational saltwater fishermen; and what better way to accom-

Water LIFE

Itʼs all about

plish that than to count fishing licenses.

This is where that shoreline exemption (free lunch) became a problem.

The Feds said that if Florida didn’t require everyone who fishes to get a license then they would start a Federal saltwater fishing license and they would keep all the money they collected.

Florida, with 2,276 miles of tidal coastline and over 700 world fishing records to their credit, knew that there were a lot of people fishing from shore without a license and that was a revenue source begging to be tapped.

The State reasoned if they didn’t get the money the Fed’s surely would.

Nobody was going to leave the fishermen unmolested. The State is estimating they could sell up to 500,000 new shoreline licenses at $9.00 each.

Like all new laws this one has a few strange provisions – Remember: when one loophole closes a new one opens up.

First off, this is a residents only license; non-residents always were required to have a license to fish from shore or anywhere else and there is no special deal for them. The cheapest license they can get is a 3-day license for $17. They also can get a 7-day for $30 or a year long for $47.

If you are a Florida resident under 16 or over 65 you still don’t need a license.

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Fishing from Shore

Ita Desouza caught this tarpon from shore on July 31st. (the last day before the shore license went into effect) on the beach right in front of the Island House at Englewood with the head of a freshly caught Spanish mackerel. He said he fought the tarpon for 20 minutes and then released it unharmed.

If you have the regul ar resi dent annual $17 sal twater l i cense you do not need the S horel i ne Li cense.

And if you buy the shoreline license but then decide you want to fish from a boat, you can not upgrade that license; you have to go get the regular license for $17- no credit for the $9 you already spent.

Here is a strange rule: You do not need a shoreline license if you are on Medicaid or are receiving food stamps.

And my favorite loophole is: Any resident fishing for recreational purposes only, within her or his county of residence with live or natural bait, using poles or lines not equipped with a fishing line retrieval mechanism (fishing reel) will not have to purchase a license. This means that you can use a cane-pole or a Cuban fishing yo-yo and not have to buy a license.

How people react to this new $9 license is the great unknown. So far sales have been pretty slow.

The benefit is that we get matching funds based on the number of licenses issued. More licenses bought = more money for Florida from the Federal government.

In the end, how that money is spent will determine if this is a good thing or just another scam on fishermen. I do have a nagging doubt as to the motives of the Feds. They say they want a national registry to improve recreational fishing data on catch and effort. I hope they don’t use this new data to implement even more restrictions on recreational fishing. I guess I’m just getting paranoid in my old age; after all they’re from the government, they’re here to help us.

Capt. Ron can be reached for comments or information at captronb@juno.com

White House Ready to Unveil National Ocean Policy From NA C O t he Nat i onal A ssoci at i on of C hart erboat Operat ors The Obama administration is working to craft a new overarching national ocean policy that could change how federal agencies address new projects at sea -- from offshore energy development to aquaculture to marine conservation.

Top administration officials last month kicked off

what will be a cross-country tour of public listening sessions on the plan, the first public events for a group that has worked throughout the summer in overdrive, but under the radar, to craft new policy.

Once completed, the group's work could significantly alter marine planning and set the stage for a new system of ocean "zoning" that would allocate

marine resources among interests such as fishing, boating, oil and gas development, shipping, renewable energy and wildlife.

The White Houseappointed group plans to release the recommendations for a first-of-its-kind national ocean policy next month and it plans to have a framework for marine planning by the end of the year.

Perspective of the Month: We're going to pass a $Trillion-dollar health care plan writ-

ten by a committee whose head says he doesn't understand it, passed by a Congress that hasn't read it but exempts themselves from it, signed by a president that also hasn't read it (and who smokes) with funding administered by a treasury chief who didn't pay his taxes, overseen by a surgeon general who is obese, and financed by a country that's nearly broke. What could possibly go wrong?

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Offshore with Capt. Steve

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September

2009

Capt S teve S kevington Water LIFE offshore Let’s start off talking about the awesome grouper bite that's been going on all month.

These fish are hitting every bait we drop, there super easy to find, any hard bottom spot deeper than 50 feet is loaded up with big fire truck sized red grouper right now.

We were only 45 minutes from the dock yesterday and these fish were all flopping around in the cooler. My morning cup of coffee was still piping hot, and we were pulling up fish left and right!

With all that action first thing in the morning, when we decided to take a break, we tried some snapper fishing just a few mile's further out on a wreck.

We had managed to load a castnet full of small whitebait that we put out on 25-pound leaders and 2/0 circle hooks.

These almost immediately were gobbled up by nice 3- to 4-pound mangrove snapper. After about two hours of flat-lining these fish, we had our limit.

The permit are still on the chew, the deeper wrecks have the bigger fish on them, while the Power Poles and some other "close to shore wrecks" have a lot of smaller permit still holding on them.

Once you find them, get your crabs in the water. These guys are hungry.

Kingfish are still around with limits of them being caught out around 50-feet of water.

Trolling has been the best on these fish.

Offshore, the blackfin tuna and nice sized dolphin are still blasting live baits fished on top.

And the deeper wrecks are still holding some respectable amberjack and ‘cudas. Go Get ‘Em! Capt. Stev e operates out of Pineland Marina. He can be reached at: 941-575-3528 for fishing information or to book a charter trip – he is running a $125 pp full-day grouper/snapper special this month.

Wading Species of the Peace River

September brings an end to summer, but not to the end of the heat.

Up the Peace River, if the weather is good, things are usually busy on Labor Day Weekend.

Also especially busy right now are the various rookeries along the river where eggs have been hatching and small birds are learning to fly. Seen to the left, an egret hatchling not long out of his shell last month. Below, Wading birds of another species inhabit the sandbar at the Horse Creek Cutoff.

River photo courtesy of Jimmy at All Fiberglass Repair

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2009

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No Free Rides

Page 9

Boat Sinks at St. Pete Open Tournament

Right: Checking it out two days later

Wat er LIFE Di v i ng, A dam Wi l son I didn't take these pictures, but this is the team in the St. Pete Open Spearfishing Tournament that sank on the Saturday morning of the event. The boat was under power when one of the passengers thought something didn't sound right.

The exhaust from the outboards was low in the water and sounded unusual.

They were well offshore, past 20 miles.

He alerted the driver/owner of the 30 foot Century, Craig Cavanaugh. Upon inspection they discovered the bilge full of water to the deck. The name of the sunk boat is No Free Rides. A general consensus after the fact is a thru-hull fitting went bad.

The guys were smart enough to quickly call Coast Guard and pop their epirb before loosing battery power, and they tied all their gear to the boat for recovery. The guys that picked them up were Chuck and

John aboard the Chucky 1. After delivering the saved participants they returned offshore to shoot the tournament! At the prize ceremony they were applauded.

A couple of days later the crew returned to where a salvage company deserted the boat due to rough seas on Sunday. Two 2,000 pound lift bags were already in place on the sunken vessel and several expensive items of gear (that couldn't have possibly have just disappeared) were missing, i.e. regulators taken off of tanks, but tanks still there! The salvage company apparently took some of the more expensive gear and was en route to remove the rest when the crew appeared. Lesson learned, salvagers are still PIRATES even today.

The crew recovered their remaining gear and the salvager’s lift bags and are holding them until someone coughs up their missing gear!

Page 10

Don Ball School Update

7th Grade Classes start in October

The Charlotte Harbor FWC Field Laboratory presentation included a shark jaw

S t aff R eport We’ve just finished unloading a pick-up truck full of new Shakespeare Affinity rods and reels.

Students in our 8-week course receive rods and reels, a full tackle bag and a copy of our Fishing Resource Guide for a $12 course fee.

This will be the 7th year of the Don Ball School. To date, over 700 children have graduated from the program. The Don Ball fishing classes are taught by accomplished local fishing guides.

Capt. Danny Latham is teaching the class at Punta Gorda Middle school. Capt. Bart Marx is teaching the class at Port Charlotte. Capt. Andy Medina is teaching the class at Murdock Middle School, Capt. Rod Walinchus is teaching at L.A. Ainger and Capt. Mike Mannis is teaching at Heron Creek Middle School in Northport. We thank them all for doing this.

Students in the program are exposed to eight evening classes, one night a week starting in October. During the course of the classes students learn about tides, locations to fish, equipment and terminal tackle, chart reading, inshore and offshore fishing, cast nets, knot tieing, shrimp and live bait. All the instruction is specifically geared to the Charlotte Harbor area environment.

Additionally there are audio visual presentations by the FWC, Sea Grant and Mote Marine during various class nights and our own Aerial Tour of Charlotte Harbor will also be shown.

Classes are limited to 25 students at each school. Starting the second week of September we will distribute application forms to the 7th grade office at each school. Students pick up a copy, bring it home for parents to fill out and then return the form to the school office. The $12 class fee is due the first night of class.

Water LIFE

Itʼs Not the Same Old Line

September

MAGAZINE

By Fi shi n Frank Water LIFE Charlotte Harbor First there was braided grass, or maybe braided hair – there is some debate which came first. Either way, it was thousands of years ago. Where there is water people will fish and to fish you need line. This is a brief history of fishing line as I understand it.

In the beginning horse hair was used because the strands were so long it was easier to braid and actually quite strong for it's size. It could be woven with many strands at the rod end then using fewer strands made to taper down small at the hook end. Then silk became the high-end line of choice for those who could afford it. By the 1700s hemp was the primary string or rope. The only problem it was not as strong as silk or even horse hair in small diameters.

Other lines were made from anything at hand such as wool, cotton or linen; all have been used for line. If you want to fish you use what ya got.

The year 1938 brought about the biggest leaps in fishing line. DuPont came up with the synthetic materials: Nylon and Dacron. Mono-filament, Dacron line (because of its strength and flexibility) quickly became the favorite line of choice, and still is available today. Where-as early mono was stiff, wiry, and would not cast, braided nylon lines became popular in fresh water and lasted until the mid 1990s as a favorite of pan-fishermen. In salt-water, however, braided nylon rotted quickly and lost strength in weeks.

Because of the floating aspects of Dacron line, stainless steel monel line made its way into the off-shore deep waters. I was harder to work with and more difficult to use than Dacron, but it would sink without lead weights and that made it great for trolling deep waters.

As steel line became more popular, Penn introduced a reel just for steel line; a tall, narrow spool Penn # 49 Super Mariner just for steel line. The down side: steel line does not cast.

Another company, seeing the market potential of sinking line made a lead core fishing line. It hade an inner core of lead with Dacron woven over the lead and a plastic coating over that. With lead core line you did not need a special reel, it would work well with any conventional reel.

The down fall was it did not work well with spinning tackle or cast much better than the steel line.

1959 was the year that really changed fishing into what we know today. DuPont introduced "Stren" the first flexible thin mono filament line, easy to cast with good knot strength... everything you could ask for. From 2 pound test to 200 pound test it worked great.

This was also the year the ZEro-hour-Bomb-COmpany introduced the spin-cast reel, later to be known as the

2009

16BitTst

Top: The old stainless steel monel line on a # 49 Penn Bottom: Lead core Dacron. Stop in Franks store to see this

Tst8Bit

Zebco - push button. If Stren had not come out, spin-cast reels would have failed miserably. The only other line that works well on them is today’s modern mono. Spinning reels with a bail could now cast mono and became the reelof-choice.

DuPont had kept working on mono line because of its knot strength. It was since the beginning the best material for breaking strength at the knot and still is to-day.

Enter the 90s and Spectra or Dyneema lines were introduced to fishermen, Super-Braids have arrived, thinner, stronger and 30 pound test is the size of 6 – WOW! However the first lines out were very rough just sliding them across your fingers would lead to cuts. Early superbraids would actually cut through the guides of the fishing rods. Better manufacturing processes and heat-fusing made the lines smoother, better for casting and not as apt to cut you. The down-side of super-braid it is very visible to fish.

You get less strikes and knot strength is very poor.

Mono is still the best selling line. It is inexpensive, has great knot strength and is almost invisible to fish, which brings me to the last up-grade to fishing line: fluorocarbon. It is made of more dense material and does not absorb water the way mono does, so it bends light rays almost identically to water. This makes it the most invisible fishing line ever made. Fluorocarbon has one major drawback: it casts like steel wire! So at this point in time fluorocarbon makes great leader and lousy line.

What the future will bring? Maybe a fluorocarbon super braid? Who knows?

Contact: frank@fishinfranks.com

www.bayshoremarinefl.com Bayshoremarinefl@yahoo.com

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Aluminum trlr. Retail@$50K Yours for $35,900

1994 Mako 181 Flats, 2001 Yamaha 150hp HPDI, hydraulic steering, trolling mtr, livewell, READY TO FISH! $9,900

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September

2009

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Big Fun In Smaller Packages

By Capt. Mark Bennett Water LIFE Tarpon While most anglers and guides alike are fishing for other species, Jenni and I are still doing the tarpon thing. Sure, I enjoy the thrill of catching snook and redfish on light tackle, but September is still tarpon season for us. There will be plenty of time to fish for the little guys later.

This month I thought I would answer a couple questions I have been asked hundreds of times over the years.

How bi g does a tarpon have to be to be consi dered a trophy?

I really consider any tarpon, regardless of size, a true trophy. Although we catch tarpon over the 200 pound mark every season, my favorites are always the smallest. In our area the tarpon average very big, 80 to 120 pounds. A fish 20 to 40 pounds are quite uncommon, for me anyway. I just admire the fight these smaller ones bring to the table. They pull almost as hard as the larger ones, but it takes just a couple minutes to bring these little balls of fire boat side. Sure catching a fish approaching the 8 foot mark is quite a feat, but I just love the smaller ones.

As far as trophy status on a larger fish, I really think that is up to the individual.

Some people come down every year to fish for tarpon and have caught many large fish. For some who visit our area to fish for tarpon it is a life long dream to catch one. There is not a fish in the world, in my opinion, that possesses the beauty, sheer power and the will to survive that our tarpon do. I really feel it is the pinnacle of an anglers fishing career to bring one boat side.

The other question is: How do I go about getti ng a tarpon mounted for the wal l ?

A quick length and girth measurement is all you need. Do not pull the fish in the boat to do this. Bring them along the side of your boat and have one person hold on to the fish by the lower jaw, put the boat in gear and idle ahead to revive the fish. Then have someone either with a tape measure or a piece of leader line, measure the fish. I have estimated fish lengths on the side of my boat and then measured the marks later.

All this needs to be done very quickly so the fish can swim away unharmed.

A photo can also help to get the coloration and distinct markings of your

particular fish perfect for a replica mount. Most beach tarpon have the distinct green back and silver sides.

While most from the backwater have brown backs and a golden appearance.

There is no need to kill a tarpon for a mount. I don’t even know any taxidermist that still does skin mounts of saltwater fish. I have used Gray Taxidermy with great results for years.

They usually have the mount done in about three months, a very short wait compared to some others and I have never had a complaint from a client on the quality of their work.

For anyone that wants absolutely the best job available, I highly recommend C.E. Reed taxidermy. Their business is located in Bushnell, FL. C.E. Reed Taxidermy does the most beautiful work on any fish or other game I have ever seen. They are quite expensive and you will wait a long time to get your mount back, but I feel they are the best, bar none. C.E. Reed’s museum quality showroom says it all. One final thought on getting a tarpon mounted; make sure ahead of time you have a wall large enough!

Keep the line tight and bow when they jump...like in the picture to the right!

Capt. Mark Bennett can be reached to book a trip or for comments or questions at: www.tarponsnook.com or at (941) 474-8900 Photos by Jeni Bennett

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MAGAZINE

2009

with Adam Wilson

By Adam Wi l son Water LIFE Diving The world’s largest spear fishing tournament, the 44th annual St. Pete Open, wrapped up in August with close to 300 shooters despite the miserable weather forecast of high winds and seas. The $50,000 prize table probably helped turnout. Once again the tournament was injury free, even after a 30 foot boat sank in the early morning hours (see page 9).

Luckily another boat in the tournament overheard the distress call on the VHF and responded in minutes.

The Open is a big-fish tournament, not an aggregate style. The categories are grouper, snapper, amberjack, hogfish, barracuda/cobia, lobster and sheepshead. All the First-place category winners have first shot at the prize table, whether it’s a 100 pound grouper or a sheepshead like this year’s winner a 5.25 pounder.

Most of the big grouper this year came from between Fort Myers and Venice out past the 140 foot depths. Englewood’s own Aaron Sutcliffe, a first year participant, took first place with an 89.6 pound black grouper (see cover photo) while diving with Travis Ormond who took 7th place grouper with a 33.1 pound black grouper.

We started our trip out in 165 feet off Venice looking for big amberjacks and grouper. Jumping off the boat early Saturday morning to wake up and cool off I was amazed at a school of rainbow runners that came right up to me under the boat. They were huge, close to three feet long and 15 pounds, and even though they weren’t a tournament fish I thought of grabbing my gun until I saw the huge bull shark that was closely following the school. After gearing up to hit the bottom and rolling in we noticed our big friend was still there to follow us all the way to the bottom. He shadowed us for the whole dive, but never invaded our

space enough to make us nervous.

Hoping to find some monster grouper hiding under the 10 foot ledge we only found some mediocre sized mangs and 50 pound jacks. After surfacing we had to make the call to back dive and try to find some bigger jacks or move. With the seas steadily increasing and a report of some cobia from our junior diver Paul, who had gone down to get his amberjack, we decided to give it a second try.

On our second drop we saw the bull shark had found us very interesting and invited some of his buddies to join the party. Back on the bottom again I just didn’t see a jack worthy of a glass trophy and I hesitated to pull the trigger. Carl decided to start his own action and drilled a 45 pounder. Missing the sweet spot by an inch, his Nantucket sleigh ride began.

The commotion was just enough to bring in some bigger jacks and I lined up my shot on a quality fish. I let the 60 inches of steel fly and got a perfect 45 degree angle hit in the jack’s head. Unfortunately it was two inches high and my ride began as quickly as Carl’s. Instead of pulling

Spotted Eagle Rays glide over the bow of a wreck Closing in on a grouper

the line connecting me to the jack to finish him hand to fin with a knife, I reloaded with another shaft from the side of my gun and let it fly. I was lower this time, but now I had a shaft through his gills. One more shaft to go. I was getting tired of being dragged around the bottom of the sea. A quick pull of the trigger and three shafts later green blood began pouring out of the jack’s now pincushion head. Finally a decent shot and the amberjack began to slow down and crashed nose first into the gulf floor. With a gutted weight over 70 pounds I thought I might have a chance at placing.

Seventeen long, rough miles later and we arrived at our second spot, a patch of hard bottom in 165 feet of water off Englewood. Stephen and Jerry were up and the bottom machine looked very promising. Not 10 minutes later their lift bag pops the surface with a 55 pound black grouper attached. Stephen was close behind with a tale of bigger and more grouper still down below. Needless to say

Carl and I were on the drop.

There were some big grouper, but they were stirred up like an angry hornets’ nest. Realizing I wasn’t going to get a good shot on a trophy fish I shot two scamps, one 15 pounds, the biggest I have ever seen and I was headed topside.

With a 60 mile run home and a max speed of 20 miles per hours against the 20 knot east wind our diving was done and it was time to make it to the weigh in. After six years of struggling for one of the glass trophies, my amberjack took 3rd place. Showing how tough the competition is, Stephen’s big grouper, that would make most peoples’ year, took 5th place. Our junior shooter Paul Wagenseil from Englewood took 2nd place in the juniors division again this year with an aggregate weight of 29.2 pounds and Carl took 6th place amberjack.

We owe a huge thanks to Laura at Constructi on S uppl y of S outhwest Fl ori da i nc. for once again sponsoring team WreckReation III.

September

2009

Port Manatee Gearing Up for Panama Canal Traffic

By Betty S taugl er Water LIFE / Sea Grant Last month I attended a session of the Florida Natural Resources Leadership Institute (NRLI) which focused on the expansion of Port Manatee. NRLI teaches natural resource professionals to take a leadership role when dealing with conflict in the natural environment. Much of the focus of this session surrounded balanc-

Concrete at Port Manatee

ing environmental resource protection with the economic growth expected as a result of the expansion of Port Manatee. Although the conflict resolution discussion was good, I found the whole global market concept to be most interesting.

As the closest deep water port to the Panama Canal, Port Manatee may be a logical choice for pacific market trade destined for the United States east coast markets. The Panama Canal project, which officially started in 2007, will double the size of the canal’s capacity and allow for more traffic once completed. The canal project, targeted for completion in 2014, will construct two lock complexes – one on the Atlantic side and another on the Pacific side, create new access channels to the new locks, and widen and deepen existing navigational channels. The expanded canal will raise Panama’s importance as a transit hub for Asian container freight destined for the eastern United States. Currently, 70% of that cargo is offloaded in California or other western ports and then transported by truck or rail to the eastern markets.

With the expansion of the Panama Canal, the 95 year old canal will be able to accommodate the very largest Asian vessels. Currently the canal locks allow for passage of ships carrying up to 4,800 20-foot-long containers. Once complete, the new widened locks will allow passage of ships carrying 12,600 20-foot-long containers.

Given that Port Manatee is located in close proximity to the Panama Canal, is close to the highway (on U.S-41 and I275 nearby) and has rail access on site, it is in a good position to benefit once the

Water LIFE

canal is complete. But, economic gains will only come if sufficient environmental protection is ensured.

There are a number of environmental concerns that the Port must address including stormwater runoff, dredge material disposal and loss of wetland habitats.

As part of the Port’s expansion, dredging within the basin is occurring in order to accommodate deeper vessels. Dredge material must go somewhere and the spoil material dredged to date is not suitable for most activities. Currently the spoil is sitting on a mountain onsite. It contains a lot of clay and is too wet for road or other construction projects. The Port is exploring its options for disposing of the material including mixing it with topsoil to use as a landfill cover (landfills are required to cover their piles daily). As mitigation, the Port has established seagrass beds and created a bird rookery. The rookery was built in partnership with the Audubon who monitors it regularly and reports successful nesting of over ten shore bird and wading bird species.

Seagrass mitigation at Port Manatee

As a side note, but equally interesting, during the NRLI session described above, we took a tour of the Port Manatee facility to see the expansion plans and some of the environmental mitigation projects.

While on the tour, I observed a couple of small recreational fishing vessels with anglers’ onboard fishing very close to the docks in the shallow water seagrass habitat which was created adjacent to the Port entrance. I thought it was peculiar since most ports will not let recreational craft that close. We were advised that the facility, at the request of citizens, and in partnership with the Coast Guard, will allow access to watercraft if the captain has completed a special course related to the port and its environmental resources.

The boats must fly a burgee and the captains must carry a cell phone and agree to report any suspicious activities.

For more information about the Port Manatee expansion, visit www.portmanatee.com.

For more information about the Panama Canal expansion, visit www.pancanal.com.

Betty Staugler is the Florida Sea Grant Agent for Charlotte County. She can be reached at 941.764.4346.

Sea Grant is a Univ ersity of Florida IFAS program.

MAGAZINE

Page 13

Practice What You Teach

Page 14

Water LIFE

Screaming Reels

By Capt. Andrew Medi na Water LIFE Charlotte Harbor Last month the ladyfish were just piled up on the east side. While most anglers consider this fish a trash fish, to me they are gold for a number of reasons, so while they are in and feeding in herds we like to load up our freezers with as many as we can stuff in and still get the door shut.

The day started out as normal. We got green backs, then while running to the area we were going to fish we noticed the ladyfish. Stopping, grabbing lines and lures, we began to fill the cooler up with ladies. Now if you ever caught ladyfish you know they jump around and put on a bit of a show in the water. And if they make it to the boat they continue to carry on. Well, catching them, unhooking them, and putting them in the cooler, sometimes is more difficult than it seems.

I grabbed hold of one to get the plug out of his mouth, and somehow ended up with the trebles buried deep in the top of my hand. Now, this in itself is something I would not wish on anyone, but when you tack on the element of a fish flopping around while attached to the hooks it sort of gives a whole new meaning to the word ouch.

After we got the fish off of my Sebile, then came the task of removing the hooks. I tried pulling them straight out, but that was impossible. Then from teaching the Don Ball classes I remembered a trick, where you use a small piece of fishing line to pull the hook out while keeping pressure on the shank of the hook. To my surprise the hooks came out. Now, I always try to “keep it real” and I won’t tell you it did not hurt, because it did, but it felt a lot better than having a Sebile stick-shad buried deep in your hand, with a flopping fish on the other end. Now I know firsthand this technique works very well. I will continue to teach this.

The fishing in Charlotte Harbor has been nothing short of incredible for the last month and should continue to stay on the same track for the month to come

Let us build one for YOU!

MAGAZINE

Elissa and Moriah Manford from Bonner Springs, KS. with their redfish caught on a trip with Capt. Medina

Tarpon fishing in our harbor is on fire. We have been on a lot of large pods of fish in the center of the harbor.

There have been a few days where there has been no one else on them, or we are sharing them with just one other boat. It’s been pretty nice.

We have been jumping most of the Tarpon on a pinfish under a float, or a ladyfish free-lined. What we do is fish around the deeper holes starting at the up tide edge, and just drifting through. Give your bait a chance to get some distance, away from your boat. This technique I have found works the best.

If anchoring up and soaking bait on bottom is your thing, catfish tails have also been working well either weighted or on a drift, which gives more fish a shot at the bait.

September

The inshore fishing has been equally hot. Redfish, snook, and mangrove snapper, have all been on fire. In both bays Bull, and Turtle, and down the east wall to a little past Burnt Store, the redfish action has just turned on.

There have been great numbers of fish, perfect slot fish are not uncommon and they are willing to eat. We have caught them on artificials, greenbacks and cut bait. It just did not seem to matter, once they turned on and decided to eat that is what they did. For a while I was worried. After spending so much time on tarpon I forgot how to catch a redfish, But it’s like riding a bike, you may get rusty, and a few bruises, but it all comes back to you.

Snook fishing will open up on the first of the month with the legal slot size being 28– to 33–inches. A lot of anglers tend to miss out on the slot window; after all, it is only 5-inches. If you’re fishing in an area that has been producing a lot of undersize fish, my suggestion to you is leave. All though you are catching fish and it’s hard to leave fish, to find fish, the chances of you catching a keeper out of that group is slim. Snook are what I refer to as “comparison fish.” I have found that small fish will tend to stay with other small fish, while the larger fish, will stay with larger fish. Snook in themselves are an ambush feeder, that’s why you find so many around docks and bridges. The structure gives them a great advantage point.

This is where you will primarily find your larger fish.

Instead of throwing 3” green backs, give them something the small fish will have to think about twice before eating.

Try throwing an 8- or even a 10-inch finger mullet. This way the shorts will leave it alone long enough for a larger fish to get a chance at it.

If you are fishing artificials: same theory – larger plugs.

I like throwing the Bomber Long A, model number 16AXS104, in red and white. This has been my go to lure for years, when it comes to fishing structure. It has produced countless numbers of keeper and over slot fish. You will need to purchase a snook stamp for $2.50, if you intend to keep a snook for dinner. The fines are steep for short fish and for oversized fish and fishing without a stamp can also cost you.

You probably will see more officers out checking the hot spots this year; rumor has it an additional three officers have been assigned to Charlotte harbor.

Till next time, be safe on the water, and treat a child to a day of bent rods and stretched lines.

Capt. Andrew Medina can be reached at (941)456-1540 or on the web at www.fishfloridatarpon.com, to book a trip or fishing info.

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September

2009

Water LIFE

What Eats What?

By Capt. Chuck Ei chner Water LIFE Inshore In the southern waters of Florida the abundance of fish is created by the abundance of the food that they have to eat.

Each fish has its preference on what it likes to eat at any given time and it varies by season with different migrations of crustaceans, migratory baitfish and sea creatures that enter the Harbor. With such a variety of forage in the Harbor for the fish to eat you never know from day to day what their preference will be. In the past two weeks I have fished for Tarpon and on one day they will just crush pinfish and the following day they will have nothing to do with them. So the savvy angler will have a variety of baits on board.

Redfish, snook and other species are no different. They have their preferences and it varies from day to day. Often you just can’t tell what the best bait will be other than to experiment. For instance with the abundance of pinfish in the grass beds you would think that all fish would want to eat pinfish at any time because they are so easy to get. Redfish love to eat pinfish but they are not up for a chase with the warm summer waters approaching 90 degrees. Often a piece of cut dead bait laying on the bottom will be more successful or even a piece of pinfish will out fish a lively one under a float.

If you throw the cast net multiple times in any grass bed in Charlotte Harbor you will find many sea creatures including scaled sardines, threadfin shad, multiple species of shrimp, pipefish, ballyhoo, pinfish, grunts, snails, seahorses and a variety of crabs. What a smorgasbord the fish have this time of year and part of your luck or success will depend on not only the bait that you choose but in how you present it. Here are some general suggestions on what baits to use and how to fish them this time of year for a variety of different species: Snook – Snook will be found near the beaches and many have already migrated back into mangrove shallows.

MAGAZINE

Page 15

Their preference seems to be scaled sardines and thread fin herring. You may wish to experiment with your presentation as sometimes bait under a cork will out fish a free swimming bait.

Redfish – Redfish will eat just about anything this time of year but they don’t really want to chase it. Preferred baits are pinfish, cut ladyfish, live crab or pieces of crab. There are a huge number of ballyhoo and small jacks in the harbor. These might make terrific cut bait - still some experimentation left on my part!

Many anglers wish to use free swimming or white bait and will find that their catches will go way Even this crusty crab looks tasty to something out there in Charlotte Harbor down this time of year because that is not the preferred bait of the weighted baits on the bottom.

Some of the best fishing of the year is redfish even thought they are seen nearly winding up right now as we transition Sharks – These are the easy ones. A everywhere in the same habitat. variety of sharks including blacktips, into the fall months. It’s hard to notice a Speckled Trout – Located primarily whitenose bonnetheads and long nose big temperature change on land but the in the deeper grass beds on the outside of sharks will be found in 3 – 7 feet of fish detect the reduced sunlight hours and the sandbars in the southern regions of water on the outsides of sandbars this a few degree temperature drop is a signal Charlotte Harbor and Pine Island Sound. time of year. The good new is that these for them to feed. On your fishing trips Trout love any type of small white bait fish are hungry and will eat just about you should always be on the lookout for fished under a cork with a little bit of anything as long as it’s fished on the bot- any kind of bird life. Birds dipping on the weight or a jig head tipped with a tom. Chumming with cut fish will defisurface usually mean some form of bait shrimp. Experimenting with odd-ball nitely attract the sharks to your boat. fish beneath the surface. If you are near plastic baits on jigheads will result in Strong outgoing tides will produce the the bait the fish that you are looking to trout fillets. Trout are munching and best results. catch are not far. One of the great things crunching things we can’t even think of. about fishing this time of the year is that Offshore Species – Bonito, barracu Spanish Mackeral – Spanish mackda, snapper, grouper and kingfish will bait is easy to catch. Fill your livewell, eral are off the beaches and trolling with start to appear in bigger numbers this put a few fish on ice for cut bait and head small spoons and white bucktail’s will be month. Their focus is on one thing and out. If you just enjoy catching fish then a very effective way to catch these fish. that is the large bait pods of the white change pursuits if your target species Primarily the Mackeral are feeding on bodied finned fish we call whitebait. doesn’t cooperate- they might just be eathordes of small bait fish and anything Cast-netting threadfins and scaled sardines ing an influx of grass shrimp or perhaps that imitates them will make you sucor trolling silver spoons jigs and swimtheir on a pipefish diet that will be hard cessful. ming plugs will produce explosive strikes to compete with. It may sound absurd Tarpon – Tarpon will be found trav- from these hard fighting fish. The majori- but your cast net will reveal many small eling in many different areas of Charlotte ty of these fish can be found within 15 aquatic creatures that must look like fish Harbor and on the beaches for the month miles of shore and any type of structure, food to a fish. of September. Every day is an experiment reefs, weed lines or current breaks will in what the fish would like to eat. Be reveal congregated bait pods and the Capt. Chuck Eichner is a local charter prepared to have large threadfin herring, pelagic species will not be far behind. captain. For information or to book a ladyfish, crabs, grunts and pinfish on Grouper will be found on live patches on guided fishing trip call 941-505-0003 board and vary your techniques from fish- the bottom and also on public reefs and or go to his website: ing on the surface to free lining to pinfish are their preferred bait. www.backcountry-charters.com

Water LIFE

Page 16

From the Journals of

The Constant Waterman

We all know about electrolysis.

Electric current found in the sea – probably produced during the mating season of electric eels – is responsible for the ionization and re-deposition of what we term precious metals – bronze or stainless steel – onto the scales of passing fish. What, then, of the electrolysis that occurs when waves, or even salt air, pass over a boat when someone is at the helm?

There can be no dissent about which is more precious, the boat or merely the helmsman. Consider the cheapness of human life versus the exorbitant amounts we pay to own and maintain our boats. There can be no doubt that ocean spray ionizes our sailboats and deposits them, atom by atom, upon us sailors.

People say we grow to assume the attributes of our pets. I say we grow to assume the attributes of our boats.

Portions of our boats replace those of our bodies. I knew a man who spent the greater part of his life at the wheel of his Tartan 34, sailing down east to Maine every summer with the wind abaft his beam. This fellow has grown a huge billowing thatch of white hair that has woven itself into the prettiest spinnaker, and the spinnaker sheets are led through the hoops in his ears.

A Lady I know spends nearly all her time in a Whitehall pulling boat. Not only do her fingernails and toenails gleam with eight or ten coats of spar varnish, but her arms and legs have grown to resemble lovely teak rails and the varnish work continues until it disappears into her sleeves and up her trousers. Iʼm told by someone who claims to know that her seat is also well varnished. Itʼs said that her shear has so greatly improved that all the dinghies in the harbor turn to watch her every time she rows by, and they say sheʼs grown a small bronze mooring ring in the end of her nose.

Another Lady I know spends nearly all of her time on the foredeck. The name “Wung-out” is painted on her transom.

When she spreads her arms before the wind, the mainsail flies from one side, a number two genoa jib flies from the other. If only her sheets werenʼt so inclined to snag on the foredeck cleat,

weʼd invite her aboard more often. Last time we were out, it was blowing twelve knots, but gusting more, and she let the wind get behind her main for a moment.

We jibed so hard she nearly popped her gooseneck out of her socket.

You can tell an old salt not only by his mannerisms but by the way he resembles the boat he sails. When he lifts the cover of his starboard oilskin pocket and takes out some mooring lines and a couple of fenders, you know heʼs been aboard his boat for a while. Just watch him as he stows his winch handle down inside his port boot. When heʼs ready to anchor he makes a hawse pipe of his thumb and first finger; the rode snakes out of his sleeve. I knew a skipper whoʼd fifty fathoms of three-eighths galvanized chain in his trouser pocket.

But by then he drew nearly six feet and had an over abundance of lead in his pants.

Thereʼs an old man I met whoʼs spent the better portion of his seventy years at sea. His nose always points directly into the wind. Itʼs said that his sloop had a fearsome weather helm. His ears are both triangular and grown so huge that he had two sets of reef point sewn into each. When he takes three turns of double braid round his midriff and cranks his arms, he can take up on a jib sheet like nobodyʼs business. He gets along most famously whenever he wets his rail and can make nine knots if his bottomʼs been recently scraped. They used to race him, when he was younger, from Newport to Bermuda. Now heʼs used mostly for coasting by a couple north of Boston. They tell me he spends most of his time in a slip now, and has a nasty habit of spewing his oakum. But he still shows indications of wanderlust, and they need to keep extra spring lines on him, especially when the breeze blows south, southwest.

Constant Waterman has published a collection of Mathew Goldmanʼs articles in a book “Journals of Constant Waterman” which is for sale nationally. He continues to contribute regularly to local boating magazines. His sketches adorn his book and are also available for sale as cards.

See his website www.constantwaterman.com,

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MAGAZINE

By Bi l l Di xon Water LIFE Sailing The Sarasota Sailing Squadron’s Labor Day regatta will be Sept 4, 5, 6. The regatta will provide racing for PHRF mono, in Spinnaker, Non Spin, True Cruiser, Pocket Cruiser and multihulls. One design fleets include Opti’s, Laser Radial, Laser 4.7, plain Lasers, Sunfish, Flying Scotts, and 420’s. The regatta starts Friday at 6pm with a registration party. More registration will be available Saturday 9am till 10:30. Skippers meeting 11:00, first warning signal 12:30, refreshments and entertainment 5:00, 6pm dinner. Sunday first warning signal 11:00, no race will start after 2:30.

Awards to follow.

A link to SSS’s Notice Of Race can be found on the PGSC web site at pgscweb. com.

The PGSC fall racing series starts Sept 13. Contact Tom Scott soccerfan9@comcast. net

The Caloosahatchee Marching and Chowder Society Summerset Regatta, their 44th will be October 3, 4 off

September

2009

Ft. Myers Beach. Used to be a Labor Day regatta, Last year hurricane warnings pushed it back twice to early October. I guess they liked it there.

Also, the regatta used to be logistically difficult for CH boats with Friday night in Ft Myers Bch, Saturday night at Naples and cars left everywhere to fetch after a looong trip back from Naples with a bad hangover. This year as last, the offshore race will start and end off Ft. Myers Beach. All the cars will be there, the return Monday will be 25+ miles shorter. The partying will still be intense.

A link to the NOR and entry form can be found on the PGSC web site at pgscweb. com

The Summerset has historically been the first of the Charlotte Harbor BOTY regattas, and I expect it still is, but I have been huddled in front of my air conditioner for 2 months and I don’t know that, but BOTY Guru Dave Cleverly sai l r1946@aol . com does know.

William Dixon: dixonwj@comcast.net

2008 JOHNSON OUTDOORS Key Paddlesports Dealer – East Coast

September

2009

Paddle with a TWIST

Water LIFE

Page 17

MAGAZINE

Kayak Poker Run

By Davi d Al l en Water LIFE Kayaking Even with all the beautiful and interesting places to paddle in Charlotte County and beyond, now and then it's fun to try something a little different. But what?

Over the course of a year, we do the mangrove tunnels many times, paddle the Everglades and the ever-present alligators, marvel at the beauty and wildlife in the crystal springs north of Tampa.The Gulf is a regular venue with its always changing, always beautiful sky and water colors, not to mention the playing dolphins and the occasional tarpon or sea turtle. We even do an occasional "moonlight" paddle when the mosquitoes are less pesky than usual.

What's left to do on the water that we haven't done at least once?

I've got it! How about a "Kayak Poker Run"?

You've all played poker, right? You know the rules, how to bet, and all that.

But have you ever played poker from the cockpit of a kayak? I'll bet not. Now you know the "twist" part of our paddle.

It was time for our pre-Labor Day

Picnic at Harbor Heights, so we decided to include a Poker Run in the festivities. A couple of days before the picnic, we sealed 25 playing cards in envelopes, placing five envelopes in each of five water-proof containers. Then we hid these containers in five different locations in the mangroves and beaches around Harbor Heights. Each location was marked as a GPS waypoint.

Five teams, each with a GPS, were given a list of the latitude and longitude coordinates of the five card containers, but with the locations in a different order (so one team couldn't follow another team to the waypoint). The teams were not to open the envelopes until they returned to the beach. The highest poker hand would be the winner.

On picnic day, each player contributed $1 to the kitty, and away we went. The cards were hidden over a couple of square miles of the Peace River, and in the mangroves to boot, so it was a pretty challenging exercise.

Two hours later, everyone returned with their envelopes, some of them pretty soggy but still usable. Interest was high as the envelopes were opened; a pair showed up here, an ace high there, but the ultimate winning hand was two pair.

And the winning team split $18; how about that! Not exactly a Las Vegas sized pot, but it added to the fun.

We finished the day with grilled Angus Burgers and all the trimings...wonderful.

All agreed it was a fun day, that we would repeat soon.

The Port Charlotte Kay ak ers meet each Wednesday ev ening at 5:30 pm at Port Charlotte Beach Park . All are welcome to join us to learn about k ay ak ing.

For additional information, contact Dav e Allen at 941-235-2588 or email to:dlaa@comcast.net

Page 18

R Re ea al l E Es st ta at te e N Ne ew ws s PROVIDED BY: Dave Hofer RE/MAX Harbor Realty (941) 575-3777 dhofer@remax.net www.harborparadise.com Recent area news i tems:

1. New proposed tax assessment letters were sent on 8/20. In the absence of meaningful sales data, the Charlotte County assessor's office made some major efforts to make assessments more uniform among various classes of real estate avoiding the historically wide fluctuations caused by speculators and, more recently, by bottom feeders. For single family homes, tax valuations have been split between the lot value based on standardized values and improvement values generally based on the age and size of the home. Some examples lot valuation changes from last year are:

Standard sailboat canalfront lots -20% Standard powerboat canalfront -22%

Corner sailboat canalfront -28%

Corner powerboat canalfront -37%

Golf course -62 %

Non waterfront or golf course -64 %

Because of this methodology, older, smaller home values were much more heavily influenced by the steep decline in land values. Combined lot and house valuation decreases ranged any where from 1% to 37% depending on the age of the home. Median decreases were about 12%. Overall millage rates were up slightly for the year which will result in only minor changes in tax bills this year.

2. Charlotte County has applied for 11 stimulus grants totaling $17.5 million in windfall funds. Though it is unclear if any will be approved and funded, it's a little distressing to see local

Water LIFE

poloticos go after our Federal pocketbook for projects that can't be justified for our local pocketbook!

Commissioner Starr opposed the application for $1.2 million to provide security for the new Punta Gorda parking garage, while supporting $5.1 mil for a new dock and park at the northeast corner of the Peace River and northbound Rt 41.

September

MAGAZINE

2009

3. Sarasota and the Baltimore Orioles have finalized plans to bring their spring training to our area.

4. To the delight of local merchants, whose employees now have covered parking, The Punta Gorda Parking Garage opened on July 23.

Negotiations are ongoing for leasing of the commercial space. No leases have yet been finalized.

5. County Commissioner, Adam Cummings announced his retirement after 15 years of service to the County.

Mr. Cummings has made it clear that being the only board member with any experience in management during a financial crisis has made him the odd man out on too many board decisions.

Being the loan dissenting vote on some staff cuts has limited his ability to remain an effective member of the board.

Finally! These new bathrooms are being constructed at the Spring Lake boat ramp and park on Edgewater Drive in Port Charlotte. This bathroom allegedly cost just over $100,000 (no kidding!) and has been 5 years in the ʻwaitingʼ. Now if the county could just get itʼs act together to get bathrooms built at Placida, that would be an accomplishment.

prices fell more than 20% from a year ago! And on August 19 headlines read "Home construction STAYS up... July numbers rise for fifth straight month."

What they didn't mention was that they are bouncing along at a rate that is still 38% below last year's depressed level.

An interesting case study of how misleading median prices can be: take a

look at the chart below: The year over year change of Port Charlotte/NorthPort condo sales prices were up 46% to $80,000 from last year's $56,000. What these stats don't

show is that this year's median $80,000 condo was built and sold for $240,000 in 2006!

In other news:

The huge new Laishley Crab House made it's grand opening on the Hurricane Charley anniversary. The Smuggler's Group added another waterfront tourist destination to their inventory. If you like Harpoon Harry's and The Captain's Table and have a few extra bucks to spend, you'll enjoy The Crab House.

Our ever supportive local daily media is doing its best to create a reversal in our downward pricing spiral. On July 24 the Charlotte Sun headlines read "Light at the end of the home sales tunnel...

Charlotte County is the only MSA in the state to show a rise in both sales of homes and median prices for June compared to last year." Too bad it's not true. Charlotte County median home

Charlotte Countyʼs Complete Swimming Pool Supplys Pool Repair and Maintenance Store

Specializing in Heaters and Pool Pumps

575-2525

Located in the Punta Gorda Crossing Shopping Center Next to Publix

Mon-Fri 9AM-5:30PM Sat 9AM-3PM

“Green Pool” Clean Up & Maintenance

September

2009

Water LIFE

SCUTTLEBUTT

Sometimes

Delay Tactic The FWC has postponed their initial review of the manatee rule for Sarasota until December. Bad Sign!

Redfish Cup According to the countyʼs tourism department the Redfsih Cup produced $320,000 in direct spending for Charlotte County.

To date, the tournament has reportedly generated 3.7 million impressions in print and electronic publications and was broadcast into 650,000 households.

Unsubstanciated,

Scallops in the News Officers Randy McDonald and Clay Huff were conducting fisheries inspections at the mouth of the Steinhatchee River when they found two individuals in possession of 18 gallons of bay scallops in the shell. The scallops were seized.

More Scallops in the News The numbers are in. Scallop Counts are: Sarasota Bay 131 and Tampa Bay 674. It doesnʼt sound like much, but the Tampa count is the highest on record for the 13 years they have done it.

Homeless to the Rescue FWC notified by Charlotte County Sheriff's Office of a fisherman in a canoe robbing blue crab traps. A homeless person had observed the fisherman paddling along a line of blue crab traps, emptying the contents into a canoe. The suspect admitted to robbing the traps and was booked into the County Jail.

Extra Donoughts for These Guys Officers Sam Cohl and Barry Shaw (who was on his third day in the field officer training program)

Page 19

MAGAZINE

were patrolling near the Port Charlotte Beach Complex, when they observed an individual drive through the parking lot, hit a curb, then exit behind some mangroves.

Officer Shaw looked over the seawall and observed the completely submerged vehicle in the water. Officer Cohl swam to the vehicle, pulled the unconscious female driver out and brought her back to shore where Shaw administered CPR and got her breathing before the paramedics arrived.

But

Often

True

HURRICANE WATCH:

ABOVE: A Nova Scotia highway overtaken by Hurricane Billʼs RIGHT: Sea Surface temperatures at the end of August.

Local divers report much colder sub-surface water right now.

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Page 20

Water LIFE

MAGAZINE

September

2009

The Water Water LIFE LIFE Distributor始s Club

Cooks Sportland

4419 So. Tamiami Trail S. Venice 493-0025

is the Water LIFE Magazine Website Internet Provider

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

Alph September

2009

Water LIFE

Page 21

MAGAZINE

The Commercial Perspective

By Kel l y Beal Water LIFE Commercial Fishing

When my husband Jimmy and I opened Peace Riv er Seafood 8 y ears ago we had two crabbers.

Jimmy and Alph (James McPherson). Alph has been with us since the beginning so he will alway s hav e a special place in my heart. Many crabbers and fishermen jump back and forth between buy ers ov er a nick el, but nev er Alph.

I lov e it when Alph comes in from crabbing because he almost alway s has a jok e for me and he's nev er without a smile, ev en on the day s somebody has robbed his traps.

James ʻAlphʼ McPherson

something between a hiss and a growl - I was only six steps away - I figured one jump and he'd be on me so I shot him.

K-When did you come back here?

A- In 1991 I came back and fished and crabbed for David Godwin. The crabs had dropped off a lot then, I saved my catfish so I wouldn't have to buy bait. I was only running 60 traps at that time.

K- Yeah, the crabs are cyclic.

A - It's up and down, but because of the pollution I don't think it'll ever be like it was.

K- Do you love crabbing the most.

A- I like being outside. I just love the outdoors.

I rather be outside looking in..

K- So you think the crabbing will get better?

A- I've seen it come in cycles, I've seen it so bad I had to get a job on the hill just to get by. I'm starting to see some shedder crabs - so maybe we'll have a good season. Think they have crabs figured out - just then they'll do something different. You can make an educated guess, but they’re going to do what they want to do.

Kelly- So Alph, when did you start crabbing?

Alph- When I was 18 years old in 1955, I moved here from Alabama and took up crabbing.

K- Why crabbing?

A- I came down with my brother in law , he was a pastor and he crabbed. His name was Arnold Gibbs.

K- So did you sell to the Hendricksons then?

A- No , we started out selling to Daniels Seafood in Ft Myers.

K- What kind of boat were you working with?

A- I had, or I should say we, my brother and law and I, a 13 foot plywood boat with a 6hp Wizard.

K- That was 1955 - what were you getting paid?

A- Well we were getting five cents a pound. That was good money. To put it in perspective, a good carpenter was only making $70 a week and we were averaging $100.

K- You were using the wooden barrels.

A- Yes and we went everyday but Sat and Sun. We pulled about 100 traps. Each barrel held 200 pounds and we averaged 2 barrels a day K- So did you stay crabbing from then?

A- No. I crabbed for a year and then I went to the military July 30, 1956. Eight Years in the air force. You know everyone thinks if you join the airforce you'll get to fly, but really there’s other stuff you end up doing. I was a radar operator.

K- So when you got out what did you do?

A- In 1964, I went right back to crabbing. At that time I sold to Ed Hendrickson. I fished a little bit - you know we had those stop nets back then.

K- Oh yeah how was that fishing with those nets?

A- You know, when we had those stop nets sometimes a manatee or a dolphin would get in there and you could just go over to the net and Port Charlotte push it down and lead them right out, they were just as docile as could be.

K- What kind of fish did you catch?

A- Oh , trout, redfish, mullet , even barracuda.

Some of those fish you don't hear much about they made fish sticks with.

K- So where did you sell the fish?

Call the Captain! Incredible Wide Waterviews with 150 Feet of Deep A- I sold my fish to Walter Gault. I used that Sailboat Water Frontage! 4/2/4, 2000sf stop net for about a year and half - I think that was Air, "1960", newly updated great room and kitchen, summer kitchen, modern about 1970. pool with waterfalls, a huge deck, large K- So when did you go to Alaska? dock and room for an RV! $299,500 A- I left for Alaska in 1972.

K- What did you do there?

A- I trapped Lynx, wolverine, wolf, fox , coyote, martin, mink, beaver, muskrats K- All kinds of stuff, huh? Did you kill any bears?

A- I killed several bears. One day I was walking up a dry creek bed, when I came around the Call the Captain! Extraordinary Custom Built Home! Remodeled in 2006 bend this bear came at me so fast - I could believe with no expense spared. This home how fast - I got my rifle off my back - he came to a boasts all Brazilian Cherry Wood full Commercial Bar, floors, trim & doors. A stop and looked at me over some brush - slinging 3/2/2, 2518sf Air, two 5’ etched glass porthis head side to side - making this sound like hole windows, custom kitchen & amazing wood deck just to start. $499,000

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Great upper & lower deck, 3/2/2, 2184sf Air, approx. 3800sf total living space, "1986", RV pad, dock, 2 boat lifts & fabulous brick pavers drive. $449,000

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Page 22

September

Fishing Report Charlotte Harbor:

Robert at Fishin' Franks Port Charlotte: 625-3888

S nook season is finally open – five months and five inches is what snook has

August XTreme Redfish Tournament Top 10 Finishers

Water LIFE

become.

Snook stamps are going up to $10 from $2.50. Buy a 5year snook stamp now and save $40.

Placida and anywhere along the beaches and Intracoastal is the best bet for snook right now. As the month progresses snook will get into moving into the harbor, but not until October. Live pinfish and shrimp are the snook bait this time of year. Many soft plastics or jigs will work too. The fish are not super aggressive because the water is still pretty hot.

Night is still, by far, the best time for slot size fish – undersized fish can be caught almost anytime.

1) Rick Jorden and Christen Schilling 6.64, 6.92 total 13.56 $950.00 2) Dusty Hormann and Matt Parra 6.79 , 6.51 total 13.30 $400.00 3) David Lassey and Mike Garcia 5.84 , 7.21 total 13.05 $150.00 and big fish $200.00 4) Neil Hampton and Robbie Fisher 6.59 , 5.77 total 12.36 $100.00 5) Bing Blackburn and Gene Santini 5.97 , 5.84 total 11.81 6) Brett Ezell and Greg Ezell 6.09 , 5.52 total 11.61 7) John Perry and Travis McMillen 6.82 , 2.90 total 9.72 8) Steve Smith and Jeff Boyett 4.57 , 4.72 total 9.29 9) Jeff Watkins Sr. and Jeff Watkins Jr 6.33 , 2.82 total 9.15 Weighmaster Capt. Andy Medina weighs Jeff 10) Clint Webster and Justin Watkins Sr. and Jeff Watkins Jrʼs 6.33 pound Solomon 3.23 , 4.77 total 8.00 redfish. The team finished 9th out of 20 teams

MAGAZINE

Redfi sh are finally starting to show pretty good and starting to school up a little too.

They are scattered down by the Intracoastal. Start concentrating in the 4-to 5-foot of water depths outside the bar from Pirate Harbor down to Pine Island. Look for schools of baitfish wadded up, you won’t see the redfish, but they are underneath the bait and they will eat a cut-bait like a ladyfish or sardines or pinfish ... and also frozen shrimp. Fish it on a jig or a hook with a split shot. The Gulp shrimp has also been producing redfish. Try the New Penny or the Natural color on either a very slow jig or sitting it still on the bottom. Fish Bites shrimp is also another good choice.

Tarpon are still plentiful. They are a little harder to find because they are breaking up a little, but from the El JoBean Trestle down through the middle of the harbor to a few fish in Boca Grande, tarpon should be here through September or until the first cold front in October. Fish from 50to 120-pounds are all mixed in together.

The two baits of choice are ladyfish and catfish tails. People use the tails in the river, but they work pretty darn well in the harbor too! D.O.A. Bait Busters are still the artificials for tarpon.

Mangrove S napper It’s been a banner summer for mangrove snapper. They are everywhere. Any artificial reef, both inshore and offshore, is loaded up with them. A lot of the canals and even the bushes have mangs on them. The key to getting the big ones is lots of chum and a small silver-dollar-sized pinfish. That will almost guarantee a 15 to 18 inch snapper.

It’s been a fantastic summer for decent to large sized mangs pretty much all over

September

2009

the whole state.

Trout are pretty much an incidental catch since there is so much fresh water around, but Pine Island has some.

S harks the big ones are gone, but a lot of smaller blacktips, spinners and bonnet heads in 2-4 foot range are still on the inshore flats. Offshore, on the reefs, there are a lot of the larger spinners and blacktips with the occasional bull and lemon shark mixed in.

Grouper has been tough. The snapper and the yel l ow tai l have been the most common thing. If you are willing to go 30+ miles the fishing turns to dol phi n, sai l fi sh, bl ackfi n tuna and the occasional wahoo.

Continued on facing page

September

2009

Fishing Report .

Lemon Bay: Jim

at Fishermen’s Edge, Englewood: 697-7595

Water LIFE

The The BIG-4 BIG-4

MANGROVE SNAPPER: Showing up all over the place

Mostly all the fishng is good right now. There are a lot of mangrove snapper in the passes and in the potholes and under the docks. We’ve got snapper.

Most guys going south to Pine Island for their trout. The successful guys are using prop baits and topwaters. They are just searching the waters all over. Trout aren’t that hard to find.

Snook are all over now. Fish in the 36 -38 inch are around just teasing anglers before the season opens.

Spoons have been good for snook. I have some guys doing pretty well on the Johnson Sprite spoons right now.

The snook are down in Placida on some of the docks on Little Gasparilla island. Ski Alley has some snook too. There has been quite a bit of grouper around, and some scattered dolphin on floating stuff. Most everybod y is at least 14-15 miles out and some guys are even18- to 20miles looking for grouper.

There has still been some Spanish mackerel on the change of the tide and some guys tell me they are catching some kingfish offshore. I think that’s because the amount of bait that’s still here. Finally, there are scattered smaller tarpon mostly up in the Harbor. All in all, the fishing has been pretty good.

Fishing photos courtesy of Capt. Angel Torres, Vicious Strikes Charters That’s little Angel to the right with a snook

MAGAZINE

Fish to expect expect in in Fish to

TARPON: Plenty of fish are still up the Harbor now

September September

SNOOK: Coming in from offshore, populating the shorelines and docks by the ICW

REDFISH: Are starting to show back up and some are beginning to school

Page 23

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Best Time: Early & Late

September

2009

Water LIFE

MAGAZINE

Page 24