OUTDOORS

20 THE SUN OUTDOORS FEBRUARY 9, 2022

The bridges of Manatee County

Reel Time

RUSTY CHINNIS

Bridges provide anglers who don’t have a boat or don’t want to bother with one some excellent fishing opportunities.

Their structure provides the perfect habitat for fish. Besides the plethora of small baitfish, crabs and other crustaceans that call these places home, bridges provide gamefish a refuge and an ambush point for feeding. The bridges that span the local passes are also natural pathways for fish like pompano, Spanish mackerel, ladyfish and bluefish. These fish migrate from the Gulf to the local bays and feed around the bridge pilings and fenders. Winter and early spring are particularly good times to find action around the local bridges. If you happen to have a boat, you’ll find them a great place to fish too.

This winter has been, thankfully, a bit cooler than past years, and fishing for sheepshead, a perennial winter favorite, has been strong around local bridges. If you wonder when the best time to fish bridges might be, I’d refer to the old saying that the best time to go fishing is any time you can. Having said that, if you have the luxury of picking your time and tide, a morning incoming tide is hard to beat. The second-best time would be a late outgoing tide. Timing your trip to coincide with the beginning or end of the tide cycle will make it easier to deal with the often-strong currents that course through the passes. That doesn’t mean you’re restricted to those times and there are ways to rig that will allow you to deal with any tide stage.

A medium-weight spinning outfit is perfect for fishing the bridges. I prefer a 10- to 12-pound outfit since you’ll have to hoist your catch from the water to the bridge. There are special nets available that can be lowered to help with this operation, but it is one more piece of equipment you’ll have to transport. With most catches, a careful hand-overhand retrieve will work just fine and your mobility will not be restricted. Gloves are recommended. Depending on what is running, a few lure choices will suffice. One of the most effective lures for fishing the passes is the jig. When the current isn’t particularly strong, a jig tied directly to a 30-pound section of leader will work perfectly. If the tide is strong, a weight will help get the offering down in the water column where most of the action often occurs. To keep the weight from interfering with the jig, tie a section of 40-pound leader with a sliding egg sinker between two small swivels. Then add your leader and jig below. This rig can be used with lures or live bait. Another advantage of this rig is that as it is being worked across the bottom, it sends up a small puff of sand that attracts predators like pompano. One of the advantages to fishing from a bridge is the ability to easily move from one spot to another. This allows the angler to try near the pilings, on the edges of the channel and areas where striking fish might be found. If the action is slow or you’re exploring a bridge and pass for the first time, work both sides of the bridge. Vary your retrieve, working the lure fast and slow, exploring the water column.

Spanish mackerel and bluefish, two common species that frequent local bridges, have sharp teeth and can cut through monofilament leader. There are two options to protect your lure. One is to use a short strand of wire leader or heavy monofilament line. The other is to use long-shanked hooks. Wire leaders can make fish leader-shy if the water is clear. I most often just take my chances. You’ll lose a few lures but, in the end, I’d rather get hits and risk a cutoff than get no hits at all. All things considered, I think you’ll catch more fish without wire. If you do use wire, check out the brands that can be tied like fishing line and use a smaller test (30-pound) leader. The exception to this rule is if you’re fishing turbid water or early and late in the day when the sun is low.

Whatever your fishing style, don’t pass up a trip to the local bridges. The action can be spectacular and the effort required is far less than an outing in a boat.

RUSTY CHINNIS | SUN Dave Sparks caught this nice Spanish mackerel on the Longboat Key bridge.

Cold snap means sheepshead!

CAPTAIN DAVE WHITE

It’s definitely been weather for the wintertime critters lately! We here at Anna Maria Charters have stopped catching pilchards for our inshore trips and have switched to shrimp until things warm up a bit.

Sheepshead, black drum, pompano, permit and whiting make up most of our cold-weather species. We do occasionally get redfish and snook in the mix, but nowhere near what we catch in the spring and summer.

We focus on the wrecks and reefs inshore and also hit local structures, docks, and certain beaches.

When the weather is accommodating, we’ll get the nearshore ledges up to 9 miles out. There, we target hogfish, grunts, porgy, snapper and sheepshead as well. A size 1 hook and a 3/4 egg sinker does the trick.

It appears as though the forecast is going to keep dealing us cold and windy weather for the foreseeable future, so I assume things will remain the same for a spell.

CAPTAIN RICK GRASSETT

Anglers fishing with me, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had some action recently, catching and releasing reds, snook and trout on DOA Lures in Charlotte Harbor and Sarasota Bay and snook at night on flies in the ICW.

Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, Ill, fished Sarasota Bay with me and caught and released a couple of nice reds and trout on CAL jigs with shad tails. He also fished backcountry areas of Gasparilla Sound on another trip with Stephen Liska, from Naples, and they had some action catching and releasing several reds and snook.

Martin Marlowe, from N.Y., had a great trip catching and releasing numerous snook on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly while fishing the ICW at night with me. Fly anglers Gary Mintz and Taylor Owen, from Colo., fished Sarasota Bay with me on another trip and Taylor caught and released a nice Spanish mackerel on a Clouser fly

Look for reds, snook and larger trout in shallow water. Fishing for snook at night around bridges and dock lights is also a good option depending on conditions. Our natural resources are under constant pressure from red tides fueled by industrial, agricultural and residential runoff, toxic spills and discharges, freezes, increasing fishing pressure and habitat loss and degradation, please limit your kill, don’t kill your limit!

CAPTAIN DAVE WHITE | SUBMITTED Our good friend Karen Spinella, of upstate New York, shows off a big sheepshead caught with Captain David White of Anna Maria Charters.

CAPTAIN RICK GRASSETT | SUBMITTED Taylor Owen, from Colorado, with a Spanish mackerel caught and released on a Clouser fly while fishing Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.

Parts & Services Available

KRISTIN SWAIN | SUN

WMFR welcomes new staff members

The West Manatee Fire Rescue District officially welcomed new staff member Kaitlyn Wright as the district’s new administrative assistant and Jalex Scott Gynecia as financial clerk during a Jan. FREE BASIC INSTALL 18 board of commissioners meeting. $ $S PRICED 99 to 299 .99299 & UP County seeks input on Coquina boat ramp TO STORE FOR DETAILS. PRIOR SALES RS. DAN'S FAN CITY, LLC LIC#EC13004528 Manatee County Parks and Natural Resources is seeking public input on a plan to renovate and expand the Coquina Key boat ramp on Gulf Drive South in Bradenton Beach. Proposed improvements can be reviewed in a video on the county’s Speak Up Manatee platform located on the website at www.mymanatee. org. Those who view the video can take part in a survey to gauge opinions on the development design. With groundbreaking for the project scheduled for March, participants are encouraged to submit their survey responses over the next month. Results from the survey will provide the county with valuable insight to identify areas of improvement and engagement.

AMI Chamber warns of rental scam

ALSO AVAILABLE! The Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce has issued a warning about a rental scam occurring on Facebook Messenger. According to the press release, photos of various Anna Maria Island vacation rentals are being posted on local Facebook groups expressing availability of these venues and offering to accept reservations and payment directly through Facebook Messenger. The Chamber warns visitors not to make any payment for a rental directly through Facebook, as it could be a scam. For more information, contact the Chamber at 941-778-1541.

AMI Chamber has open position

The Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce has a position open at the Manatee Beach Kiosk one or two days per week. The candidate chosen for this position will experience a great opportunity to assist visitors and answer questions about everything AMI. If interested, please contact the AMI Chamber at info@amichamber.org.

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FEBRUARY 9, 2022 FOOD & WINE THE SUN 23

Feast of St. Valentine

Brian Mathae

HURRICANE HANKS

Valentine’s Day has morphed into a commercial celebration of romance and love, but it originated as a Christian feast day to honor a martyr. St. Valentine was executed for marrying young couples in secret during a Roman ban on marriage in the third century. The ban was decreed by Emperor Claudius II, who thought that single men made more courageous soldiers than those with wives and families. February 14 was established as St. Valentine’s feast day in the fifth century.

I grew up in a house where Valentine’s Day was celebrated, but it was celebrated with the entire family. My mother loved giving greeting cards, so when Valentine’s Day rolled around, we could count on a card and a nice box of chocolates. Mom did this for decades! It didn’t matter how old we got, or how our families had grown, she would still give my brother and I (and our families) cards and

Coq au Vin

(serves 4)

Ingredients

3 pounds of chicken legs and thighs, bone in 3 cups red Burgundy wine 1 cup diced pancetta (or bacon) 2 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper 1 bay leaf 1 tsp fresh chopped thyme, plus extra sprigs for garnish 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 1 large onion, peeled and diced 1 large carrot, peeled and diced 4 cups sliced brown mushrooms 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp tomato paste 1 tbsp flour 2 tbsp brandy 3 tbsp butter 8 ounces pearl onion Pinch sugar

small gifts.

When my brother and I cleaned out my parents’ house this past September, we came across boxes of old greeting cards that my parents had received over the years. Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries, Valentine’s Day and everything in between - mom kept them all. While we didn’t take an official tally, mom had far more cards from me than my brother. We joked that maybe mom just liked me more, but the reality was I followed more of the family traditions and therefore sent more greeting cards.

Today’s recipe is well suited to both that romantic dinner for two or a family celebration. It encompasses red wine, which is a signature requirement of Valentine’s Day! It’s easily scalable for however many people you want to feed. It does, however, take some planning and time if you follow any of the traditional versions of the recipe that call for the chicken to marinate for up to eight hours. Marinating meats before cooking is a common step in many recipes. However, studies have shown that the marinades only penetrate the meat by about one tenth of an inch. This is far less than what would be required to successfully soften or flavor the meat. On the other hand, research suggests you can improve the flavor of food by cooking and cooling it. This is why leftovers taste better the next day! After cooking, chemical reactions continue to take place and this can produce new or more flavor molecules in many ingredients. When meats cool down, the gelatinous materials begin to gel around the chunks of meat and add flavor. Our recommendation is that you cook the dish a day ahead, let it cool properly and then reheat it the next day. You may want to add a few fresh herbs to liven up it up a bit, just avoid the microwave. Microwaves heat up food by bombarding the water molecules. As the water becomes steam, moisture can be re-moved from the food causing it to become tough or rubbery. That’s why there are no microwave ovens at Hurricane Hanks. Instead, cover the dish well and reheat gently in a 250 degree oven.

Happy Valentine’s Day from all of us at Hurricane Hanks, Hurricane Liquors, LBK Liquors, and Chubby’s Lounge.

Directions:

• Season the chicken with 2 1/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. In a large bowl, combined the seasoned chicken, bay leaf and chopped thyme. Cover and refrigerate between two hours and overnight if you want to follow the traditional method. • In a large pot with lid, cook the diced pancetta over medium heat until the fat has rendered out. Using a slot-ted spoon transfer the cooked pancetta to a plate and leave the fat in the pot. • Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Set the marinade aside. Add the chicken to the fat in the pot, a few pieces at a time, and brown both sides for about 3 to 5 minutes each. Once browned, transfer chicken to a plate. • Add onion, carrot, 2 cups mushrooms, and remaining 1/4 tsp salt to pot. Cook until vegetables are lightly browned. Scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pan into the vegetables. • Stir in garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the flour and cook for another minute. Add the brandy and cook for another minute. Be aware the brandy can ignite at high heat so use caution. Add the marinade, bring to a gentle boil until volume reduces by about one half. • Add the chicken and any accumulated juices and half the cooked pancetta to the pot. Cover and simmer over low heat for about 1 hour. Uncover and simmer another 15 minutes until stock thickens. • While chicken simmers, melt 1 tbsp butter and 2 tbsp oil in a large skillet and add the pearl onions, a pinch of sugar and salt to taste. Cover and cook over low heat for about 15 minutes, shaking the skillet often to keep the onions from sticking. Uncover, increase heat to medium high and add the remaining mushrooms and cook until browned, about 7 minutes. • Add the contents of the skillet and remaining pancetta to the pot. Let cool completely uncovered and then cover and place in refrigerator. Gently heat the next day and sprinkle fresh sprigs of thyme on top before serving.

Now with two locations to serve you better Anna Maria Island & Longboat Key

Whether you are looking for that perfect wine to compliment your meal or a fun new cocktail recipe, our knowledgeable staff are pleased to help.

GRUB: Now open

FROM PAGE 15 drinks, beer and wine. The wine offerings include “Frosé,” a frozen drink made with rosé wine and strawberry puree.

“It’s really good. All the girls love it. My wife, Danielle, told me I had to have it,” Sato said.

Mason Martin Builders built the building and Adrian Griffin assisted with the design.

The restaurant has about 40 inside seats, including the bar area, with some additional outdoor seating on the front deck.

The new building includes the second-story residential space where Sato and his wife, Danielle, who works at Sato Real Estate, now live.

“We just moved in a couple of days ago,” he said.

In addition to the limited number of parking spaces in front of the restaurant, including one handicapped space, and the public parking spaces located along Pine Avenue, Sato has an agreement with the nearby Roser Community Memorial Church that provides additional parking for his restaurant.

Sato said he’s already fully staffed and his staff includes some cousins who are moving down from Minnesota. He said a grand opening ceremony will take place after the initial kinks are worked out.

OPENING DAY DINERS

Part-time Anna Maria resident Glyn Pashley was among the first to dine at gRub on opening day. Accompanied by his wife, Evelyne, Pashley had the Coquina Chick sandwich made with Peri-Peri chicken salad, pineapple and tomato and served on multi-grain bread ($15), with the cucumber salad as his side dish.

“We know Ben. The food is absolutely amazing. The sandwich is spicy and flavorful and the cucumber salad is fresh and light. We’ll be coming back,” Glyn said.

Sgt. Brett Getman and Deputy Patrick Manning from the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office Anna Maria Unit were also among gRub’s first customers.

“I’m having the QBen with mac & cheese. It’s very tasty. The bread is very fresh, the pork has a unique flavor to and they all come together very well,” Getman said.

“I had the same thing and I have to agree. It’s a great combination,” Manning added.

Stephanie Morris, Emily Toth and David McGough enjoyed their lunch while seated at the picnic table.

Morris had the Bimini Bay Bahn Mi pork brisket sandwich.

“It’s delicious. The meat’s tender, the bread is perfect and the slaw has the right amount of spice,” she said.

Toth had the QBen.

“The meat is delicious and the bread is crispy but soft on the inside. The potato salad is well-seasoned. Everything about it is good and the sweet and spicy sauces are both awesome. I will definitely be back,” she said.

McGough had the Fir Flatbread ($14) made with roasted vegetables, pesto and queso fresco cheese.

“It’s got cheese, broccoli, tomatoes and olive oil and it's spiced very well. It’s absolutely delicious and reasonably priced. I’m a vegetarian and I was able to have a really great lunch. They have more on the menu for vegetarians – a lot of salads and some really good macaroni and cheese. This is really good and I’ll be coming back,” McGough said.

Regarding the décor and the overall dining experience, McGough said, “I love it. I think it’s perfect for Anna Maria and I think it will do great business. The location on Pine Avenue and the open doors are wonderful. They just opened an hour ago and they’re doing well already.”

Hours are Monday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and closed on Sundays. The eatery offers walk-up to-go service but is not currently taking to-go orders over the phone or online, although online ordering will be available later.

Visit gRub online at www. gRubami.com, and on Instagram @grub_ami.

gRub’s interior décor was designed by Ben Sato.

JOE HENDRICKS | SUN

Honey Spare Ribs are a signature item on the gRub menu.

JOE HENDRICKS | SUN

The QBen is Ben Sato’s take on the Cuban sandwich.

JOE HENDRICKS | SUN

FUNDING: Decision still pending

FROM PAGE 1

The money sought would come from the roughly $850,000 in American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds the city of Anna Maria will receive from the federal government. The city’s 2021-22 fiscal year budget earmarked $55,000 in ARP funds to address red tide/ environmental issues.

The funding decision is also being delayed pending an appearance before the commission by 35-year Manatee County resident and retired marine ecologist Dr. Randy Edwards, who opposes the plan. Edwards will address the commission during the Thursday, Feb. 10 meeting that begins at 2 p.m.

On Jan. 13, Chiles told the commission a group of unnamed private donors would match, dollar for dollar, up to $50,000 in additional funds donated by the community at large. Chiles said this could turn a $50,000 effort into a $150,000 effort.

The group’s original proposal called for 20,000 southern hard and sunray venus clams to be placed in the Tampa Bay waters offshore of Anna Maria and in local canals. The proposal also calls for a seagrass restoration project in Bimini Bay – an interior body of water located in both Anna Maria and Holmes Beach.

Citing lingering concerns as to whether clams help remove red tide cells from the water, Commissioner Jon Crane requested the commission delay its funding decision until first hearing from Kevin Claridge regarding Mote Marine Laboratory’s red tide research and mitigation efforts. Claridge is vice president of Mote Marine’s sponsored research and coastal policy programs.

“I am told that clams and oysters do generally clean water, but there is no evidence that clams or oysters remediate red tide,” Crane said on Jan. 13.

He also questioned whether the red tide cells removed from the water by clams are redeposited into the water via the clams’ excrement.

On Wednesday, Jan. 26, Mayor Dan Murphy received a revised proposal from Diatom Initiative founder and clam hatchery operator Curt Hemmel. The proposal increases the number of clams from 20,000 southern hard and sunray venus clams to 1-2 million southern hard clams, with no sunray venus clams, which are often harvested for dining purposes.

Hemmel’s revised proposal was accompanied by a letter of support from Gulf Shellfish Institute Executive Director Stephen Hesterberg.

“It is empirically well supported that filterfeeding, bivalve shellfish improve water quality, support adjacent marine habitats and eliminate the organism that causes red tide. Although it is true that some nutrients delivered to the sediments are resuspended, a substantial amount of nitrogen can also be rendered inert by bacteria or utilized by beneficial submerged aquatic vegetation such as seagrass. Numerous peer-reviewed studies demonstrate that bivalves can facilitate seagrass production through improved water clarity and nutrient transfer,” Hesterberg stated in his letter.

“The exciting technologies being developed at Mote Marine Laboratory, such as clay application and ozonation/cavitation/ oxidation, should absolutely be included in our arsenal of means to mitigate red tide. However, it is important to clarify these methods are reactive to when red tide blooms arise and do not prevent or address the root causes of harmful algal blooms. In other words, such tools fight a wildfire once it is raging, but do not lower the risk of one starting,” Hesterberg stated in his letter.

MOTE PRESENTATION

When appearing before the city commission on Thursday, Jan. 27, Claridge provided an overview of the red tide research being conducted by Mote Marine and its research partners.

He said the potential red tide mitigation methods being researched include natural algaecides, ozonation, clay disbursement, UV light rays and more. Claridge said tiered testing of these potential mitigation strategies is taking place in inland test tanks before being introduced to the natural waters.

Claridge noted this research pertains to red tide mitigation rather than habitat and marine life restoration. He also noted Mote Marine is not directly involved in studying the effectiveness of clams and other bi-valves regarding their ability to filter out red tide cells. ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Crane addressed a point raised in a letter he received from Edwards, who listed his past associations with Mote Marine, the U.S. Geological Survey and the University of South Florida. Crane asked if the 20,000 clams originally proposed would equate to a “drop in the bucket” in terms of addressing water quality issues.

In his letter, Edwards stated, “20,000 clams would filter an infinitesimally small volume of the bays. Their filtration effect would be so small, compared to the volume of water in the bays, to be totally insignificant and would have no meaningful positive impact. The question is what better could be done with the $50,000 by the city; it would be far better to invest it in reducing stormwater nitrogen runoff to the bay.”

Commission Chair Carol Carter noted Mote Marine is not seeking any project funding from the city and that Claridge appeared at the city’s request.

Carter noted both projects propose restoration efforts in and offshore of Anna Maria and Holmes Beach. She suggested the group either seek some of the funding from the city of Holmes Beach or limit the scope of the restoration projects to Anna Maria. Carter also noted the city has not yet received a formal written proposal regarding a funding request and she recommended one be submitted. Murphy also recommended a more formal written proposal be submitted.

JOE HENDRICKS | SUN Left to right, Commissioner Jon Crane questions how effective clams are at removing red tide cells from natural waters. Diatom Initiative founder Curt Hemmel has provided the city with a revised clam restoration proposal. Mote Marine’s Kevin Claridge addressed the city commission on Jan. 27.

JOE HENDRICKS | SUN Left to right, Gulf Shellfish Institute Executive Director Stephen Hesterberg believes the proposed restoration programs would provide additional research opportunities. Local restaurateur and businessman Ed Chiles, standing, is enthusiastic about using clams to improve water quality.

GEAR UP: For Fishing Festival

FROM PAGE 1 by volunteers with the Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage (FISH), who are thrilled to see the return of this much-anticipated event and have been gearing up, themselves, with monthly planning meetings to make sure every detail, large or small, is addressed.

If the best food in Florida, cold drinks, original artwork and live music aren’t reason enough to attend the 2022 Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival, just grab a raffle ticket and you could go home with one of the beautiful, refurbished custom boats restored by the FISH Boatworks. Admission is only $5 for adults, while kids under 12 are free. The entrance to the festival is at the Florida Maritime Museum, 4415 119th St. W., with plenty of parking for a small donation of $5 to the local Boy Scouts.