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The Don Ball School of Fishing
September 2016
Arianna Howarth with redfish and Grandma
Lovinʼ Those Redfish page 17 Paintʻem all Orange page 11
Tarpon Curse
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Don Ball School of Fishing They will bring the flyer home from school
My wife and I moved from Springfield Mo and built a house on the canal in PGI. We just caught our two best fish so far off the canal edge in our back yard. These fish were caught within 30 minutes of each other. My wife Kim caught a nice tarpon. You should have seen her face when it rocked out of the water a couple times. We were so excited we forgot to weigh and measure it! I caught the black drum. It was a hard fight. It measured 25-inches and close to 9 pounds. Here are the pictures if you want to put them in Water Life. Great magazine by the way! Thanks, Mike and Kim Garton
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Michael & Ellen Heller Publishers
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Independant - Not affiliated with any other publication! Vol XV No 9 © 2016
NO PART of this publication (printed or electronic) may be copied, reproduced or reused without specific written permission from the publishers (and thatʼs never happened!).
Contributing Editors:
Photography: ASA1000.com Senior Editor: Capt. Ron Blago Baitshop Commentary: Fishinʼ Frank Peace River: Capt. David Stephens Punta Gorda: Capt. Chuck Eichner Venice: Glen Ballinger Estero: Capt. Joe Angius Everglades City: Capt. Charlie Phillips Diving: Adam Wilson Kayaking: Bob Fraser Sea Grant: Capt. Betty Staugler Beach Fishing: Mallory Herzog Pier Fishing: Bobby Vitalis Delicious Seafood: Nicloe Coudal
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C h ec k A r o u n d - s e e w h er e l o ca l a d v e r t i s e r s a r e p u t t i n g t h e i r h a r d e a r n e d d o l l a r s
WHO POLICES THE POLICE? SEPTEMBER 2016
Commentary By Michael Heller Water LIFE Publisher Who polices the Police? As a journalist I can tell you, we all must. Last month Mary Knowlton, a 73 year old wife, mother, grandmother and local librarian, was shot and killed during a live-fire training exercise, held out back of the Punta Gorda Police Department. The gun that was supposed to be loaded with blanks had a live round in it. On social media, people in Punta Gorda expressed sympathy for the victim and her family and for the officer involved. Many of the people in Punta Gorda want to believe it was a tragic accident. It was tragic, but the real question is, was it avoidable? When Mary Knowlton volunteered to be part of a role-playing scenario she put her trust in the city to assure her safety. How could the officer himself not have properly checked to see if the gun he was about to point and fire at another human being was loaded? Did the city have adequate policy in place to follow? The Punta Gorda Police Department has some officers, not a lot, but some, who abuse their authority. They have a certain vibe about them, but no one within the department wants to address that. Was this officer one of them; you tell me. I get that you need tough cops to have an effective police force, but tough cops are different than head-strong cops who take advantage of their position, in little ways, every day. Here’s an example. A local man I know witnessed a traffic stop by the Punta Gorda Police. According to him, a police officer pulled over a car for a tail light infraction. To me that already smelled fishy, but then, after finding that the driver’s license and registration were in order, the Punta Gorda Police officer asked the driver if he could search his car – maybe he wanted to look for the short in the tail light wire! Maybe he was just fishing. The driver refused, so the officer called in a canine unit to assist him.
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THE FALLING GUN Police make mistakes, it happens, but a pattern of bad judgement is cause for concern. I made this photograph in 1984, in New Mexico. The deputy was chasing a drunk driver when his holster came unsnapped.
The witness I know watched the whole thing unfold. The canine officer arrived on scene and had his dog circle the car, sniffing as it went. The dog didn't react to anything. Then the canine officer had his dog come up and put its paws on the driver's door and sniff into the open window. The dog sniffed the driver and the inside of the car... still nothing. The canine officer then returned the dog to his car and told the other officer that the dog did respond, so it would be OK to search the man’s car. That’s the way it works, when you are less than good cops you adjust the circumstance to fit your own pre-conceived outcome – again, think: broken tail light. The man watching is a life long woodsman. “That dog didn't respond to any-thing,” he told me, adamantly. After the Punta Gorda Police searched the driver’s car and found nothing, they simply sent him on his way. People around here put up with that kind of law-bending from the police because they know, as I know from my own experience in Punta Gorda, reporting it to the Punta Gorda police would simply be a waste of time.
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This is where an Independent Civilian Police Review Board comes into play. A good Review Board takes police accountability away from the city and puts it in the hands of the citizens, where it belongs. If asked, the Punta Gorda City Manager probably won’t want any kind of review board. I believe Punta Gorda operates on the municipal approach to government, where the City Manager calls the shots. A city-law website explains that, saying: “The leader of each city department reports to the City Manager. The oversight of these department heads by the City Manager allows for continuity of standards and policies across all city departments. Departments include parks and recreation, fire, police, water and transportation. In many cases, city managers appoint the head of each department. Internally, the City Manager is responsible for implementing and overseeing policies to ensure all procedural requirements are followed.” But with all that control comes accountability. Last month, Howard Kunik, the Punta Gorda City Manager, said he will oversee an internal investigation into the shooting. How can this be? If Kunik is the person who oversees the police department and implements their policy, how can he be impartial? Didn’t Kunik oversee hiring the officer who already had several black marks in his file jacket before coming here? Then, when that same officer released his dog on a bicyclist (stopped for not having a bike light – same old light-trick), who approved that officer remaining on duty? And does the City Manager know the officer is also the same officer who was called in with his dog to the traffic stop ... that he is the same officer who alleged his dog reacted to something... when there was apparently nothing... and who allegedly instituted what now appears to have been an illegal search? All these questions and correlations require more than an internal review by the City Manager. They require an impartial outside investigation into the police department and, depending on the outcome, they may require the City Manager to resign.
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Rigging and Raining ʻtis the season
For redfish, cut a medium sized crab in half. Cut off itʼs front legs, hook a brown jig through the elastic skin in one of the leg holes and back out through the shell. Pop off the shell on the other side for some additional scent. Thanks to Capt. Karl Budigan for the demonstration.
By Fishin’ Frank To fish or not to fish that is the question. Whether ‘tis nobler to wait for cooler weather or to brave the hot slings and arrows of summer... that’s a good question, .... it has been a hot summer. Good news is that we have had a couple of mornings that were not excessively hot. Bad news is we’ve been following the weather a lot. September is the month we hope brings a bit of cooler morning and milder night temperatures, but how do they come? As I write this there is a disturbance in the Gulf and by the time you read this the weather man says, something may or not be happening. But tropical weather is the fall signal which helps bring a balance to the tempearatures by mixing up the atmosphere and getting rid of the stored-up heat in the ground and water. In my mind, in years when we have had a fall with tropical storms the fishing has gotten way better, much sooner than in years without. A weather disturbance can also help flush out the Harbor of many summer time algae growths and bring new health and balance to the estuary.
By all indicators the fishing now should be horrible but it is not. It is really pretty good, not great mind you, but good. September is going to be much better. The river has fallen a foot a day for the last week and even though a storm could bring water levels back up, it would be for an additional big flush out. September has some good over night out-going tides which will also help clean out everything. The Gulf temperatures have been running about 4 degrees above normal, but a tropical system would help drop that too. Sharks are thick in front of Cape Haze over to Bull Bay. The pompano are in Boca and Captiva passes, trout are just inside the bar on the east side, and the cobia are back. Redfish are making a splash on both sides of the Harbor and bonita chunks are currently the bait of choice, OK yes, I just said bonita chunks. That is a line I have never said – but 2016 continues to be the year of the weird. Think about it: Bonita chunks are stinky, bloody, nasty ... everything a redfish would love. So there ya go. Frank@fishinFranks.com 941-625-3888
SEPTEMBER 2016
Estero Bay:
Changing Seasons
By Captain Joe Angius Water LIFE Estero Bay Southwest Florida is beginning to transition from summer to fall fishing patterns. Water temperatures will remain fairly high, except for early in the morning and late in the afternoon. This has proven to be some of the most active hours of fishing, especially for redfish. Later in the morning and afternoons it is important to begin targeting fish under mangrove shorelines and docks. Once you
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locate the fish it is key that you have the right bait to catch them. Bait has been abundant all over Estero Bay. On my charters I found it very successful to have every type of bait in the livewell. Perfect sized pinfish are out on the grass flats, 2- to 3-inch pilchards are along the beach shorelines, mullet can be found in the backwaters or off of sandbars, and it’s always important to have live shrimp on board. Some mornings the redfish will want live shrimp or pieces of
shrimp on a popping cork. Other mornings all they want to eat is live or cut pinfish. Snook are the same way, but the majority of my fish have been caught on live pilchards. Under docks snook, snapper, sheepshead, and jack crevalle have been found and having a mixed bag of bait will ensure more hook ups. Redfish will be the forefront of species that I’ll be targeting this fall because of the large schools that prowl our grass flats. There are some early signs of schooling fish, but it’s not in full swing yet. Pine Island Sound has active schools right now and I found it best to fish the beginning of an incoming tide with cut pinfish. Estero Bay has been experiencing cool mornings, where water temperatures are low making the redfish bite very productive early in the morning. Along with redfish, this month there will be a lot of great opportunities for large snook, trout, and backwater tarpon. Backwater tarpon are littered in the creeks and shallow mud flats lined with oyster bars. The larger fish are feeding on crabs and pilchards, but will take an array of artificial baits. Early in the morning or a few hours before dark has proven to be the best time to fish for the tarpon. Tarpon can be caught during the afternoon, but the rising air temperatures make it difficult to get a consistent bite. The tackle that I use for these fish is a long piece of
40-pound fluorocarbon leader, a 4/0 Owner circle hook, and live mullet or pilchards. When it comes to artificial lures, nothing beats a FlatsHQ white jerkbait or a GULP! shrimp on a 1/8oz Owner worm hook. Other effective lures include olive green W-raps, Mirr-o-Dine, Yo-Zuri crystal minnow, and Mirr-o-Lures “Catch 2000”. The constant changes that Estero Bay undergoes can make it difficult to stay on a consistent bite. If you really want to learn these unique waterways, I highly recommend hiring a guide and obtaining as much information as possible. The second best thing to do is to get out on the water as much as you can and log your fishing experiences. Keeping a log can help you catch more fish season-after-season and will make you a more consistent angler. Remember, every day on the water is an adventure and experience that should not be taken for granted. Respect the waterways, wildlife, and rules and regulations that are put in place for the area to truly enjoy our fisheries. Have fun embracing the art of fishing, whether it’s good or bad. Today is the only day that we are promised and we should make the most of it. Captain Joe Angius Speakeasyfishing.com (727) 234-3171
Wild Creatures Adapt to their Changing Environment PAGE
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By Capt. Chuck Eichner Water LIFE Inshore To understand Charlotte Harbor you have to look closely at the food chain. Most of us understand that migratory baitfish and shrimp are a big part of the fish’s diet, but if you look closer it is far more complicated. One way that I continue to learn about the ecosystem is through crabbing. Fifteen years ago I left Maryland and the Chesapeake Bay to live and fish here. Crabbing was a lifestyle there and it is here as well. Our fish love to eat crabs especially in the summer and fall months. Redfish eat crabs year round and there are many vari-
eties of crabs they dine on. Small blue crabs are a favorite of tarpon. Snook will eat them as well! Recently while castnetting pilchards in shallow grassbeds, I observed lots of blue claw crabs. The next day I placed crab traps where I had seen them the day before. Nine traps in total, packed with ladyfish for bait. Two days later I pulled them. One small female crab. Go figure! But the traps were full of all types of living sea creatures! Small flounder, spadefish, porcupine puffers, boxfish, catfish, sheepshead and sailcats. I made another interesting observation that might have factored in. Two days ear-
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lier there were crabs galore and big schools of baitfish. Now there were no crabs and no baitfish. Trying to tie this in with fishing is not really straight forward, but I figure if there are plenty of crabs around in the shallows, then I expect redfish would be more plentiful and they were. On a high tide on the east side, reds to 23-inches were active and happy, but two days later, no reds…maybe just a coincidence? With all of these different species of fish in the traps maybe the gamefish feed on their young. The fish most common in my traps were sheepshead and lots of them! They are considered a winter species, but there are lots of them on the flats right now, of all sizes. On three different fishing trips within ten days I had no problem finding lots of snook! The first trip I was tipped off to a big school of snook a friend told me about. On the top of the high outgoing tide I chummed a dozen free swimmers and maybe 8 snook blasted! Wow! My wife
Joyce and I each cast and hooked up immediately. We released the fish and watched for the next 1 ½ hours as the snook recklessly hit any bait without a hook in it! Even though we used light leaders, with 10-pound braid of different colors and very small hooks... we had no takers. The next fishing trip was in a different location, same tide phase and same results. Fish blasting baits with a couple caught right away and then no more takers. Something about the bait with a hook in it was easily detectable in the dark waters and the fish chose to ignore them. Even more stunning to me was that fishing off my dock, with some leftover bait, I had snook blasting in every direction. Three fish caught and quickly re-
SEPTEMBER 2016
leased and the word was out. Plenty of fish blasting free swimming bait, but again avoiding the hook. Charlotte Harbor is a complicated fishery. It is a super highway of sub-surface activity with baitfish and tropical fishes migrating in and out. Following them are the gamefish we all hope to catch. The fishing hole you had yesterday might be a dud today. Even more remarkable is that fish can communicate with each other and detect the slightest variation in their bait sources. With all the modern technology out there you would think the fish would not have a chance. Think again, as evolution proves that wild creatures continually adapt to their changing environment. Capt. Chuck Eichner operates Action Flats Backcountry Charters and can be reached at 941-628-8040
SEPTEMBER 2016
The Curse
By Capt. David Stephens Water LIFE Charlotte Harbor I’m not sure exactly how many years ago it was when I first fished Ryan Woythaler, I fished Ryan and his dad Lenny many times in the spring and we always did very well catching snook, reds and trout. Then we started discussing him coming down to catch a big tarpon. I informed Ryan that should not be a problem that I would contact him in the summer when they showed up in the Harbor. That summer I called him to inform him the tarpon had showed up and were feeding very well. It would be a few days before we would be able to get out. Making travel arrangements from Iowa takes a day or so. Little did I know I was about to start a journey that would bring many days of frustration to the point of almost tears. Along with many days of you just had to laugh to keep from crying. I’m going to skip forward to last year because I’m not trying to write a book. Well anyway I told Ryan to come down in August, in fact I pretty much promised him he could not miss. The fish will be feeding on large schools of ladyfish, all we had to do was locate them. The days leading up to his arrival I spent hours on the water watching the tarpon to see where we needed to be at what tides and times of day, I thought I had it down guaranteed! If you spent anytime chasing tarpon, you know nothing is guaranteed. So I made plans with Ryan to meet me at the boat ramp at 7am. The plan was to go toss some jigs for ladyfish for bait, then hit a couple of the deep holes early. I knew as soon as we started to catch bait today was
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going to be different. After what seemed like two hours we finally had bait. We headed out to where the fish were, early in the morning, put out a couple baits. It was just minutes before we had the first fish in the air. Drag screaming a 125-to 150-pound Tarpon jumping six feet in the air, then suddenly slack. Ryan informed me he was off. I was quick to let him know it’s not a problem that it was early. That day we jumped over six fish, and had another six or so blow our baits up. We returned to the ramp that afternoon with not a single fish to the boat. Ryan kept telling me the whole time that he’s cursed. I’ve always been the type that believes you make your own luck, I was beginning to believe he was cursed. So here we are it’s day two, Ryan is starting to convince me he is cursed. Catching bait this morning was even harder than the day before. It seemed like overnight things just changed. We managed to get some bait, so I told Ryan let’s run across the harbor to try for bait at a different area. It was glass calm out, you could see a fish roll for a couple hundred yards. We were about halfway when we started to see tarpon, so we decided to put a bait out. Like the day before just minutes afterwards we were hooked up. The fish threw the hook on the first jump. Hook went one direction and a disoriented ladyfish went the other. We put out our last bait, again fish in the air with the same results. At that point we’re just laughing in disbelief. Later that day we got on a school of tarpon feeding on ladyfish I honestly lost count of how many hook ups we had. We estimated over a two day period we jumped over 12 fish, and had over 25 blow up on our baits. So now I am fully convinced of the curse. This year Ryan was getting married on Siesta Key, and he wanted to go tarpon fishing. We decided to change things up a little thing. The juvenile tarpon fishing has been excellent over the last couple weeks. So we decided to put the training wheels on and start over. That morning started out with going from seeing pods of small fish to seeing just a couple. The positive part was every fish we presented a bait to bit. The first two threw the hook, we just laughed. At this point that’s all you can do. The third bite would be the charm. Could it be possible? YES and I have never been so excited to put my hands on a 10
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pound tarpon in my life! The journey is kind of complete. Next year we are going to take the training wheels back off and go for bigger.
If you would like to experience some of South West Florida’s finest fishing give us a call, or send us an email. All of our charters are private and customized to fit you and your party’s needs. Capt. Dave Stephens www.backbayxtremes.com 941916-5769
Sunday: Conceled Carry Training Classes
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Readerʼs photos
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Tyler with one of his 1st bass Capt Kyle Nifong, 187-pound swordfish caught in 1600-feet
Johnny Redmann, redfish, caught during LBHS fishing tournament
Mason, Trevor, Zach, Brendan and Jack off Fort Myers. Editor notes: we see the lobster on your head!
Ben Surak with a 5ʼ4” black tip
Jason Sullivan, snook
Above and right: Fran Lucore off Cape Haze
Roger with a Goliath and (below) Roger with a tarpon
Tory Burbage with a Charlotte Harbor 36-inch snook
Sam and Ben, double header permit. Both netted at same time in the same net! Off Redfish Pass
SEPTEMBER 2016
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Most Recent Manatee Madness On The Line With Capt. Ron Blago Water LIFE Senior Staff
Give Them Space is the new slogan on the Save-the-Manatee decal available now at your local tax collectors office ($5.00 plus $2.50 S&H). This year’s decal is aimed directly at paddle craft users. It seems the FWC has NOW figured out a way to get money out of these non-registered boat owners. In the annual Save the Manatee Trust Report for 2014-2015 this issue was addressed. “FWC's main outreach focus this year was on paddle-sports activities, such as canoes, kayaks and paddle boards. Staff researched various programs at safety related sites and queried wildlife conservation staff to establish a list of guidelines related to paddle sports and manatees. The guidelines were developed as a result of a noticed increase in these recreational activities along with the need to address manatee interactions related to these activities.” The result of all this hard work by the FWC staff was the production of yet another pamphlet and a request that paddlesport-people purchase the Give Them Space decal. Reading the annual Trust Fund report, I found the State of Florida’s Manatee Management Plan has a clearly defined goal, “To remove the manatee from the State imperiled species list and effectively manage the population in perpetuity throughout Florida by securing habitat and minimizing threats.” The Save the Manatee Trust Fund basically outlines how the state is trying to achieve that goal. But let’s follow the money. During 2014-2015 period the Manatee Trust Fund took in $3,825,986, unfortunately they spent $4,386,958. The biggest source of
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Red Snapper Reasoning as explained by NOAA
Editor Notes* Currently, red snapper is in season in state waters Fri, Sat, Sun in September and October and on Labor Day, but out of season in Federal waters until the June 1-11 season. The recreational bag limit is: two fish per person @16-inches TL
You have to see manatees to Give Them Space, so how about painting them all orange?
funds comes from boat registration fees ($2,487,263 or 65-percent of the total funds received.) The Save The Manatee license plates are 32-percent of the total. Voluntary donations and decals are just $61,163 or 1.5% of the total. The expenditure side of the ledger is very interesting too. The State takes $306,454 right off the top and puts it right in its general fund. The FWC also takes $289,979 for administrative charges. Also Mote Marine gets $325,000 annually from the Trust Fund. These three items alone take 20-percent of the funds right off the top. Manatee programs make up the remaining 80-percent of the money. What kind of programs you ask? Well, they spent $519,969 for planning and permits ; another $255,934 on manatee zone management and $153,599 for public outreach. Now let’s look at what they spend for habitat protection; remember habitat protection is a major goal of the Manatee
Management Plan. They spent a whopping $143,619 or just 3.2-percent of the total expenditures on habitat. That's pretty sad. More money goes to the general fund, administrative costs or to Mote Marine than goes to protecting manatee habitat. To be fair, the state does spend $1,274,606 on what they call mortality and rescue. That is 68-percent of the total spent on manatee research. The state is very proud of the fact that they recover over 90-percent of all the reported dead manatees and that they put 50 rescued manatees back in the wild last year, but unfortunately 14 of them died and had to be collected again. One of the little known bits of information I picked up last week is when the Feds delist the manatee, the requirement to recover and determine the cause of death will no longer be required by law; so if they continue picking up dead manatees and carving them up to see why they died, they will be doing it just for the fun of it. Captronb@juno.com
“In May 2015, a final rule was established to increase the commercial and recreational quotas for red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico from 2015 to 2017. Unless the GMFMC changes this rule in the future, the values for 2017 will remain in effect for 2018 and beyond. The total allowable catch increased from 11 million pounds whole weight to 14.3 million pounds. The commercial and recreational quotas are based on the current allocation, which provides 51 percent of the allowable catch to the commercial sector and 49 percent to the recreational sector. Because the commercial sector is managed under the Red Snapper IFQ Program, the increased quota was allocated as pounds of red snapper among participating shareholders. In addition, to ensure that the recreational sector does not exceed the red snapper quota, the GMFMC established a recreational catch target that is less than the recreational quota. NOAA Fisheries based the recreational fishing season on this catch target. The recreational sector was also divided into two components: the forhire component and the private angling component. Each component has its own annual catch targets (2.371 million pounds for the for-hire component and 3.234 million pounds for the private angling component). In addition, each component has its own fishing season (44 days for the for-hire component and 10 days for the private angling component). Both components are managed under the same bag and size limits.”
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Julius (7 years old): Biggest fish he ever caught! 36-inch, 32-pound, Black Drum
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Zach Williamson and Mick Ferrucci (with Captain Randy) shot black grouper free diving in 75 feet off water out of Marathon
Brandon Morffi, Cape Coral canal bass
Tyra caught this red grouper about 27 miles off Placida
Gulf of Mexico 7/28/2016 mahi (above) and tuna (below) One hell of a day! Mark Nelson, Englewood
Justin Tribble from Tampa out with Capt Cayle and Badfish Charters. Below: David Coffee as happy as can be with a giant snook with Capt. Cayle.
Ashley - 30-pound dolphin!
Chandler Smith with a 46-inch Snook. Being a big guy does thisfish no justice!
Chris Isardi with two nice tile fish from 665-feet of water, deep dropping!
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Roman caught this bass at Miramar Lakes in Estero.
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Pat Holmes, 26-inch redfish caught out of St. James city
Love Water Life! Jocelyn Lopez, front, Desiree Hopkins and Michael Lamb. Mahi, caught in the Florida Keys, returning from the Bahamas
Keira sullivan , snook on Sanibel
Joey, Ryan and Norman 56 lobsters for mini season in Miami
Top Shelf. Boca Grande Took Bruce Kuechman offshore last week. He lives in Harbour Heights and works for the Kingfisher. Red Grouper was 31-inches. Lester Kuhn.
Barbara McMahan and Serenity with their first Black Drum. 9.5 pounds. Caught at Placida.
Nine year old Jaiden with her first snook with Scotty
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Above: Rick with a salmon and (right) Glen Ballinger with a halibut. These guys are from Venice on vacation in Alaska last month.
Nice gap snook caught in Iona, FL in August 2016 by IAN ROBERTS from Fort Myers. Fish On!
Ben Aural with a fun size nurse shark
Austin Celli fishing in Burnt Store Isles canals caught a 14-inch Mayan cichlid.
I caught a couple snook last nite in Boca Grande and I thought I'd share! Beautiful sunset also! Chrissy Mosley
This little shark was caught in little Gaparilla by Sean.
Big toothy 'cuda on August 3rd. Kurt Weber with Uncle Rich Weber off Boca Grande.
Andrew Heilbroun, first time fishing in the ocean, off of Naples. Bonito Tuna. Mike Daughtreyʼs very nice bass
Was caught in little Gasparilla. It's a nice little snook
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Taylor Roberts with her first bullshark caught in Cape Coral, August 2016! She held it for the pic and released it unharmed, all on her own at the age of 16! Fish on!!
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Ben surak and Jessey Grimes tackling a 6 foot bull Bryan, 37-inch snook, Bokeelia pier, 8-4-16
James Jones with a whopper largemouth bass Austin Celli in Punta Gorda FL check out the size of this pinfish!
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Capt Roger Newton with a nice 40-inch snook. Above: Roger with a huge kingfish
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10,000 Islands / Everglades City
SEPTEMBER 2016
The Marlin and the Roosterfish are from Costa Rica
By Capt. Charlie Phillips Water LIFE / Everglades City August has got me feeling like Bill Murray from the movie Groundhog Day…more of the same. Hot Hot weather, monsoon rain showers every afternoon and lots of lightning to dodge as I hurry to the dock to hide. This year has been a wet one down in my neck of the woods, but personally I have always figured it better to be moist than dry, so I am happy with it. The good news though, is if you got your timing right, there have been some great catches reported from captains all through the area. Offshore on our wrecks there have been some big permit being caught. A live crab is my go-to, but in their absence, I just use a little green and white bucktail tipped with shrimp and have a pretty high
success rate. I have noticed, not surprisingly, that the schooled fish will not hesitate near as long as the solo fish on the bite. Competition is often a good thing when it’s the fish that are competing for the meal!!. Still a cobia or two around, lots of red grouper being caught on the live bottom areas, along with big lane and mangrove snapper. Inshore, there have be some slob snook caught on live bait this past month. Saw one of the captains of the area posting
The roosterfish (above) and the Marlin (top) were from a visit to Costa Rica last month. The redfish and trout are Everglades local.
catches of some beast he pulled off points down in the park, fishing live white baits on the falling tides. The key is to find the ambush spots the predators lay in, and put the prey where they are going to intersect at a point in time. Snook season opens up again Sept 1, but remember to have some restraint and harvest what’s going to be used and let the rest go for another day. Redfish are schooling up in better numbers lately, something that will continue until October in past years. A live shrimp on a popping cork, a chunk of mullet or ladyfish on a 2/0 circle hook or a scented soft plastic on a jighead will all do the trick. Oyster bars and bays one back from open water is where I like to do my looking on the higher tide stages especially as they start to fall. Average fish should be 22 to 25 inches or so. Speckled trout fishing in the grass areas has continued to be strong all month
and should continue. I would bet the Spanish macs, jacks and occasional pompano bite will as well. Popping corks and live shrimp or artificals do a great job, especially for kids. Small jigs and buck tails also work well. Still some tripletail floating around the area so keep a sharp eye out as you transit from spot to spot. Many times it will look like a trash bag in the water, or if you see the belly it might look like a white spot. I always slow down, give a wide berth and try to (as quietly as I can) check to see what it is. These tasty guys are wonderful on the table and extremely aggressive hard fighters. September is our gateway month, so make sure to take some time and hit the water this month. If I can ever help with a question or out on the water, don’t hesitate to give me a shout. Hope to see you out there! Capt. Charlie Phillips: 863-517-1829 e-mail: hopefishing@hotmail.com Web: hopefishing.com
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Redfish Ease Back In By Mallory Herzog Water LIFE Fishing As the month begins many anglers are looking forward to fall fishing especially inshore. Redfish (red drum) ease back into their patterns and schools signaled by their spawning season from August to December. In Charlotte Harbor, tucked back in a maze of mangroves, we have our own resident redfish already joining up in small numbers and eating well. Locating a great spot for redfish often takes some exploring. Start at the creek mouths and areas which see great tidal flow. The red drum uses its senses and its downturned mouth, to forage though the grassy flats in search of food – kind of like a carp. Their closest relative is the black drum. Using a bait that carries a scent work best, such as cut pinfish, mullet or ladyfish. You can also use dead baits on a circle hook or jig head, depending on current flow. Although most of our redfish are an inshore bite, these fish travel along our beaches yearly. David pictured with a 29 inch redfish he caught while on vacation was fishing with a pinfish along Englewood beach.
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Artificial baits are great for casting at fish you can see. A school of redfish look a lot like mullet from a distance, up close you can see when they move it’s more of a "pushing" motion. In clear water you can see color. They stick close together, not as scattered and disorganized as mullet. A top water popper or soft plastic with a paddle tail works to grab the attention of a fish. It only takes one to eat and the whole group gets fired up! Let’s talk about size, the bigger the better is only the case if you don’t want to take your redfish home for dinner. Slot size is 18-27 inches total length. They reach maturity at 3-to 5years old when males will be approximately 27 inches, females 33 inches. Males produce a drumming sound by vibrating their swim bladder to attract females during spawning season. Isn’t that sweet? A little love song. Over-slot fish may not be satisfying to an angler looking for a meal, but big strong redfish are one of the best fighting fish out there.
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Capt. Andrew and recent clients, Becky and her Husband Jack, caught and tagged a few fish during a recent inshore charter. They just purchased their first Florida home and wanted to learn about the fish they could catch in and around our surrounding waters. Welcome to Florida, I’d say they are hooked! You can contact Big Bully Outdoors for a charter trip with Mallory’s husband, Capt. Andrew Herzo Call 941-661-9880 or visit BigBullyOutdoors.com
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Kayak Fishing Trout in Sarasota Bay PAGE
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By Bob Fraser Water LIFE Kayaking I had a kayak charter this week with a man and his two sons. They were experienced fishermen, so they didn’t need a lot
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of instruction. Most of my clients are newbies at kayak fishing. We fished between Longboat Key Bridge and the Mote Aquarium. I was told there were nice grass flats in that area. It was my first time fishing there. We put in at Bird Key Park, but I will launch by the Mote Aquarium next time. Where we launched the kayaks was very slippery. They have bricks in the water there and they were covered with green slime. On the way to the launch site I stopped to buy some live shrimp, but the bait shop was sold out. So I had to settle for a few dozen frozen shrimp, which was a waste of money. Frozen shrimp don’t work nearly as well as live shrimp, the fish take them off the hook too easy. After catching some pinfish I decided to put the
frozen shrimp away and show my clients how to fish with a soft plastic bait. We used my favorite soft plastic, a white Zman. I have caught an assortment of fish with this bait in the past, so I was pretty confident that these guys could catch some trout using the Zman. The two boys used a plain unweighted hook while the dad used a jighead hook. There are several ways to work soft plastic. One method is with a steady retrieve, working it at different speeds. The way I like to use it is with a twitching motion while I’m retrieving it. Some people like to raise the rod tip and let it settle a few feet and repeat this pattern. This is a popular method for bass fishing as well. We ended the day catching about a dozen seatrout, several pinfish and a few catfish. Two of the trout were 18-inches and one was 22-inches long. The rest of
SEPTEMBER 2016
them were 12-to 14-inches. We fished the incoming tide in 4-to 6-feet of water. All the trout were caught on the white Zman.
Bob Fraser 941-916-8303 www.bobmfraser.com Speaker & Author, Business & Marketing Consultant
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Frequently Asked Questions about Vibrio in Florida
By Capt. Betty Staugler Water Life / Sea Grant
electron microscope image of Vibro bacteria
Most healthy individuals are not at risk for V. vulnificus infection, however, two recent deaths in Florida have raised concern about the saltwater-dwelling bacterium. So here are the basics:
What are Vibrio? The name Vibrio refers to a large and diverse group of marine bacteria. Most members are harmless, however, some strains produce harmful toxins and are capable of causing a disease known as “vibriosis.”
When and where are Vibrio found? Because of Florida’s warm climate, Vibrio are present in brackish waters year-round. They are most abundant from April to November when the water is the warmest. How can people become infected? For infection to occur, pathogenic Vibrio strains must enter the body of a susceptible individual who either eats raw and contaminated seafood or exposes an open wound for a prolonged period in water containing these bacteria. Who is at risk for infection? Most people are not. A healthy immune system will combat infection. However, people with weakened immune systems can develop life-threatening infections.
Are Vibrio really “flesh-eating” bacteria? NO! Vibrio cannot break down healthy, intact skin on contact, even if the skin is exposed for long periods of time. For infection to occur, the bacteria must actually enter the body through prolonged exposure of an open, unhealed wound or be consumed in raw seafood. What are the symptoms of a wound infection from Vibrio? Symptoms of vibriosis may arise within 1–3 days, but
usually occur a few hours after exposure. Infections typically begin with swelling and redness of skin, followed by severe pain, blistering, and discharge at the site of the wound. As the infection progresses, tissue necrosis, fever, chills, low blood pressure, shock, and death may occur, especially if the infection spreads to the bloodstream. SPECIFIC SAFETY TIPS FOR ANGLERS Because fish carry Vibrio on their bodies, avoid or minimize handling whenever possible. Decide ahead of time what you intend to keep, and release unwanted fish right away. The proper use of landing gear and release tools can help to minimize handling. If you cannot avoid handling the fish, use a wet towel or gloves to protect yourself. Be aware of areas that can cause injury like spines, barbs, and teeth.
Always wash your hands thoroughly after fishing, especially before handling food. Be sure to clean your gear after each use, taking special care with sharp objects like hooks and knives.
Live bait can also carry Vibrio. Use caution when hooking or handling, paying attention to areas that can inflict injuries like spines, shells, and claws. Bait buckets can be reservoirs for Vibrio because they accumulate bacteria from bait produced waste. Do not overstock the container and be sure to change its water frequently. Use a handnet to retrieve bait and never submerge wounds.
Capt. Betty Staugler, Florida Sea Grant Agent. UF/IFAS Extension Charlotte County (941) 764-4346
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SEPTEMBER 2016
Sometimes Unsubstanciated, But Often True
OLDEST JAWS The Greenland shark, a big and slow-moving deep-ocean predator that prowls the frigid waters of the Arctic and North Atlantic, can now claim the distinction of being
or improve existing Critical Wildlife Areas. CWAs are established by the FWC under a Florida Administrative Code rule to protect important wildlife concentrations from human disturbance. You canʼt fish there either! PROUD MARY The warship Mary Rose, flagship of Henry VIII's fleet, has reemerged into the public view, nearly five centuries after she went down in the Solent. The vessel was ordered built by Henry VIII, one of two ships intended to be the foundation of a standing navy. She saw service in multiple wars against the French in her 34 years in service, and
the planet's longest-living vertebrate, with a lifespan perhaps reaching about 400 years. Research published last month calculated the Greenland shark's lifespan for the first time. YOUʼRE GOING DOWN Indonesia has announced plans to celebrate its independence day by sinking over 70 seized fishing boats. Vessels from Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam captured and seized for alleged illegal fishing. THEYʼRE COMING UP South Korea is emplacing a series of artificial reefs along its northwestern maritime boundary which are designed to foul the nets of trespassing Chinese fishing boats. The emplacements are large rectangular steel structures with a conical tower on top. The South Korean government suggests that they weigh as much as 30 tons each.
RESTRICTED AREAS COMING The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has now completed 14 workshops throughout the state to discuss proposals to establish new
went down in action in the Battle of the Solent in 1545; the great majority of her crew went down with her. WARSHIPS FOR QATAR Fincantieri has signed a deal worth almost 4 billion euros ($4.47 billion) to build seven ships for Qatar, four corvette warships, two support vessels and an amphibious landing platform dock.
DONT DRINK THE WATER Only about half of the prescription drugs and other newly emerging contaminants in sewage are removed by treatment plants. U.S. Dept of Health.
HAND, FED Investigators responded to an alligator bite incident. The victim attempted to retrieve an empty soda can that had rolled off
the dock and into the water. When she reached down into the water, a 6.5-foot alligator that was under the dock bit her on the right hand. Two witnesses reacted and grabbed the victim by her legs and kept her from being pulled in. The victim sustained tearing and puncture wounds to the right hand. She was taken into surgery immediately upon arrival at the hospital.
The First Tunnel Hulls
STRONG TREADER A Chinese tourist fell off the deck of a cruise ship off Shanghai last month; she survived the seven-story plunge and treaded water until she was rescued by a fishing boat – 38 hours after she went over the side. The woman later said she was an experienced swimmer and stayed afloat by treading water; she stayed afloat through Thursday night and was rescued by a fishing boat on Friday morning. Against all odds, she had no serious injuries.
JOINT OPERATIONS An officer was patrolling near Lake Godwin when he observed three subjects as they were recreating on the fishing dock. The officer walked out onto the dock to speak with them and observed a subject lighting and smoking a small cigarette-like object and detected the odor of burning cannabis. When he announced his presence, the subject immediately flicked the cigarette into the lake. The officer looked over the dock railing and discovered that the cigarette had not fallen into the water, but had landed on top of a lily pad. It all went downhill for the subject from there.
In 1926, fisherman Andrew Jackson Higgins designed the Eureka, a shallow draft skiff for use in the inches-deep waters of the Mississippi Delta. The key element of his design was the hollow tunnel that protected the propeller from sandbars and sunken obstructions. By 1942 Higgins had modified his boat with a bow loading ramp for the US Navy. His shallow draft craft, designed to carry and deposit troops and small vehicles onto hostile shores, was used for the D-Day invasion. The Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel (LCVP) – was known to the troops as the Higgins Boat.
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Ahi Tacos with Cucumber/Mango Salsa & Wasabi/Cilantro Sauce
By Nicole Coudal Water LIFE Delicious!
Remember the movie “Mystic Pizza” with Julia Roberts? It came out in the late 1980s and took place in Mystic, Connecticut. It’s the story of three young women who work in a pizza place in a fishing town where the main industry is lobstering. I love the scene in which Julia Roberts’ character opens her refrigerator (chock full of fresh lobster) and angrily says to her mother something like “All we ever have is lobster! Isn’t there anything else to eat around here?” Oh, to have such problems.
Truth be told, I found myself saying the same thing recently while looking in my freezer to find something for dinner. I actually said out loud “Gee, all we have in here is Yellowfin tuna!” What a sacrilege to say that about this delicacy! I blame my indiscretion on the fact that I was fighting a head cold, and really wasn’t in my right mind. . . So, to put some of this fantastic fish into action, I decided on fish tacos. I love seared tuna and I had some prepared wasabi in the fridge, along with a bunch of cilantro and sour cream, so I thought it would be tasty to mix them together. To add a little coolness, I topped it with a fresh, crunchy salsa of cucumber, red cabbage and mango and tossed it in sesame oil, rice wine vinegar and ginger. Such big flavors together in one hand-held package! By the way, all that wasabi and ginger is a great remedy for anyone fighting a head cold, but if you prefer a little less ‘heat,’ feel free to adjust the amount of wasabi in the sauce.
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Salsa: 1/2 c. cucumber, small dice 1/2 c. mango, small dice 1/4 c. thinly sliced red cabbage 1/4 - 1/2 tsp. freshly grated ginger 2 tsp. rice vinegar 1/4 tsp. sesame oil Sauce: 1/2 c. sour cream 1/4 c. mayonnaise 1 Tb. prepared wasabi Handful chopped cilantro
Fish/Tortillas: 1 lb. fresh tuna steaks (about 2-3 pieces) Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper Olive oil Corn or flour tortillas Fresh cilantro sprigs Combine salsa ingredients; refrigerate 10-15 minutes. Mix sauce ingredients; refrigerate 10-15 minutes. Heat a non-stick or cast iron pan to high. Using a paper towel, pat the fish dry and generously sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Add 1 Tb. olive oil to pan. Place tuna in pan and sear about 1-2 minutes each side (to desired doneness). Transfer fish to cutting board and slice with a very sharp knife. Wipe pan with a paper towel, then sprinkle some olive oil in the pan to heat up the tortilla on each side. If you have a gas stovetop, heat a burner to medium/low and place the tortilla directly on the grill for a ‘charred’ effect. Assemble tortillas with tuna, salsa and sauce and sprinkle with cilantro sprigs.
Nicole Coudal is an avid fishing gal who hails from New England but has lived in SW Florida for 25 years. Her blog: MyDeliciousBlog.com showcases her "coastal inspired" cuisine using fresh, seasonal ingredients, from sea to land.
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September – Predictions and Suggestions
BackBay Xtremes Capt Dave Stephens www.backbayxtremes.com
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Charlotte Harbor
Frank at Fishin’ Franks 941-625-3888
Things are only going to get better. Right now we have Spanish mackerel in good fishable numbers in front of Bull and Turtle Bay and good numbers in the near Gulf from the beach out 3 to 4 miles. The weird thing is they are still catching pompano too. I had four captains say they skipped pompano on the east side, at Alligator Creek where they dredged and there are pompano down to Two Pine, plus we’ve been seeing pompano in Boca and Stump Pass. The other summer fish is sharks. There are lemon and bull sharks along with some monster nurse sharks and we are hearing they are all in the 10-foot range. And you can throw sawfish in there too, they are also being caught at 10 feet. Catching an 8-foot shark now is more common than it has been the whole rest of the year. I got a call from a guy up north who wanted to come down and troll for grouper. I told him that’s not going to happen near shore. I told him he’d catch Spanish, bonita, black fin, cuda’s, so many fish to catch trolling now... but not grouper right now. I told him he’d be wasting his time, but the only fish he wanted and the only fish you can’t catch now is grouper. Redfish have come back into the Harbor – east and west side and big schools of reds are starting to show up. The traditional fall big schools are moving around Two Pine and around Burnt Store. These are big fish, in the 26- to over 30-inch range. They are feeding on blue crabs, and chunks of other fish like bonita. Could be they always loved it and no one ever used it, or it could be because it’s different. Snook fishing is going to be amazing this month. With a little cooling effect, which it seems like we are getting, there is no reason
you can’t find a keeper snook right now. The hardest thing is fishing the man made canals and waterways where it’s hard to find one small enough to be in the slot. In the man made canals the bait fish are there. Out on the flats it’s the other way..... The notable exception is along the ICW. Gasparilla, Placida anywhere along the ICW seems to have the biggest numbers of slot size snook. From Punta Rassa Ron Robinson. Snook caught off to Venice the passes have Bombs beach on a monster pinfish a lot of slot sized fish in them too. Inside the pass to just outside slot sized fish are around. For sheer numbers of snook use a little smaller lure like the MR17, Rapalla 08 X-rap, Storm Twitch or a 4inch DOA cal shad. If you are looking for out and out excitement, the thrill of the big fish, the Bomber AXS-16 is the lure. Or the Yozuri 3-D Troy McDermott (19) and Thomas Festa (6) caught this Snook minnow in the 100-size . Those are off of Fort Myers Beach in 3 feet of the big fish baits that I’d look for. water on Sunday August 21 The spillways at Forest Nelson, the Cobia are coming back in. ArtiMidway bridges, the 41 bridge, ficial wise it’s the Savage trout and these are all good places for finding the Rapalla sub walk. For live bait the bigger fish. What you are lookit’s a pinfish under a bobber, you ing for is heavy cover. The Placida need the swimming action of the Trestle the Tom Adams Bridge, El pinfish, but you have to put it at Jobean; getting that bigger lure least 4-feet down. It’s almost imdown there is what is going to make possible to cast that rig, so drop it the difference. It will be 30 or 40 and drift or let it drift away. Pieces more casts but when you hook up, of crab under a float are amazing Oh my gosh! This is a real fish!! bait for cobia right now. It seems the cobia are on a crab hunt now so be sure to break up the shell for the
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Nokomis Beach, the Jetties
Keith Johnson, redfish
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The BIG-4 TARPON Still around, feeding early in the morning
smell. Tarpon fishing is just now getting to where I thought it would be a month ago. The tarpon are in and in good numbers. There are catchable fish, but it’s first thing in the morning at the 41Bridge. Once it’s 7 a.m., the fish move to Fishville and Colony Point and by 10 a.m. they are going to leave. Eventually they will be in that big eddy at Alligator Creek Reef, by that corner pocket where all the water that comes in gets pushed around and you get that swirl. They like catfish tails and threadfins, it doesnt matter... so long as they are feeding. More jigging gets LESS fish. Use a steady retrieve with a slow to medium pace on these fish. Fishing
Nice sea trout, caught in Stump Pass by D.J. Thompson of Englewood. First time out with his grandpa Bob Thompson. D.J. is a sophomore at Lemon Bay and when not practicing football he is on the water.
Fish you can expect in
REDFISH A few big schools in the Harbor already
those tarpon is really cheap admission to a really great show. Seatrout are still around too, not a whole bunch, but all of a sudden you’ll be in a school of nice sized trout. Who ever thought you could target trout in September?
September
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SNOOK Biggest in the canal systems. Slots at the ICW
SHARK 8-footers seems to be the average size!
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Gulf Temps are high 80s
A lot of rain could change that and the salinity too
95˚
Lemon Bay - Placida Jim at Fishermen’s Edge 941-697-7595
Most of the action has been catch and release snook. There are a lot of fish on the beach and in and around the passes. Guys are hopeing they will still be here when season opens the first of this month. My names Tyra. Caught this beautiful red yesterThere have been some scattered day in the Harbor, 26-inches. redfish around in Lemon Bay. The Editor notes** This picture is from the new Power Pole Park, biggest thing is there are not many an- along the east side of the US 41 Bridge at Port Charlotte. glers to glean reports from. Some This has always been a good fishing spot and apparently all the construction over the last year hasnʼt changed that. guys are throwing hard-bodied baits and topwaters for redfish, other guys fishing around. We’ve seen schools of fish at are concentrating on shrimp and white bait. Boca and on the beach and up in the Harbor. I’ve had some (a couple of) different reports They are the small spinning-tackle-size fish in of fish on the beach. There are small pompano the Harbor. You have to go look for them and and flounder from Lemon Bay to Sarasota and see where they are at. I guess they are moving there has been quite a bit of Spanish mackerel around with the bait pods. on the beach, mostly close in, because of some I had some guys catch some bonita on their good pods of bait there. way to the Bayronto wreck, but you have to Offshore, there has been some red snapper keep your eyes out for them. There has been caught in the big pass and, out into the deeper mahi dolphin and blackfin tuna catches offwater, some yellowtail. Red grouper has been shore but you never know what else you may the biggest thing, quite a bit of red grouper, it run into as well. I tell guys to just put a cedar could be the bait. What one fish will bite the plug out and troll that. other doesn’t. The guys aren’t having much The only other thing is some freshwater success with the gags, I think because they stuff. The guys are catching bass in some of aren’t going out far enough. the ponds at Rotonda and South Gulf Cove. There has still been quite a bit of tarpon
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90˚ 85˚ 80˚
75˚ 72˚ 70˚ 68˚ 50˚ 45˚
FISHING RIGHT NOW:
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Amberjack , Brady
Brandon Coughlin redfish
Tom Steiner, Frank McCalister, Andrew Cronin aboard the Tripletale off Fort Myers during the St. Pete Open Spearfishing Tournament.
Goliath grouper, Darien Gillard
HOT!
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SEPTEMBER 2016