At the
Gulf Shore YOUR SOURCE FOR LOCAL ART, ENTERTAINMENT & FUN
SNORKELING
in the Gulf’s Backyard
Thumpin’ SNOOK
Hoaxes or Hauntings
What Really is it? Down the Trail
FALL 2023
TARPON SPRING’S
Aquarium Family
It’s a Splash. Sierra Hill
Florida’s Gulf Coast offers an abundance of locations to explore the underwater sea world of snorkeling.
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At the Gulf Shore
Growing up and living in Florida
One of the first written accounts
has given me access to a
of snorkels being used came
multitude of wildlife and water
around 350 B.C. from the Greek
activities. One of my favorites
philosopher Aristotle, who
and one of the easiest activities
noticed an elephant swimming
is snorkeling. If you are seeking
underwater with its trunk
fun in the sun, a way to keep cool
breaching the surface for air.
and want a bit of adventure in the
Another common early mention
aqua gulf waters, then snorkeling
of snorkeling was the use of
is the answer. Whether you
pipes made from reeds. This
are looking for seashells,
method was used by soldiers to
scalloping, or just want to swim
escape and hide from enemies.
around taking in the underwater
Information found in texts dating
wildlife, snorkeling is something
back to the 15th century A.D.
everyone can join in on.
describes the use of helmets with
While snorkeling history may
attached snorkels for underwater
not be complex it is certainly
fishing parties.
interesting to learn about how
The snorkel you are likely more
the equipment has evolved into
familiar with originated in the
what we recognize today as
later half of the 18th century with
the mask and snorkel. The most
the original use being for divers
basic design of the snorkel has
in the pier industry. Recreational
been used for so long that there
use really started to gain traction
is no exact date for when the
in the 19th century, designed
first snorkel was invented or who
from metal and leather; a more
invented it!
manoeuvrable design compared
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Looking for the
Signature Snook Thump
Snook have such powerful jaws that you can hear them hit a bait in shallow water from quite a distance away and it is an unmistakable sound. On the other hand, when fishing in deeper water, you will feel the thump of a large snook and know exactly what hit you once you have experienced the heavy thump of a large snook. This thump is what all the snook junkies live for. It is that few seconds of feeling the hit and knowing already from the severity of the thump that when you set the hook you are in for a fight. September 1st marks the start of snook season in our Tampa Bay area. On normal years where there are no special circumstances, the acronym MASON is what I like to teach at my fishing seminars to help anglers remember when the open season is. The beginning of the year March and April are the first M&A of the year, then at the end of the year September, October and November.
12 At the Gulf Shore
Their life cycle is similar to the tarpon’s life cycle especially in the early stages. During the spawning season, May through September females go to passes and mouths of bays to lay their eggs which they can do every 2 days, releasing 1.25-1.5 million eggs at a time. The higher salinity water areas are better for making the eggs and newly hatched larvae more buoyant, which gives them a better chance to float to a nearby estuary habitat suitable for their survival. In the early stages, under 1 year old small snook will seek out low salinity areas and even fresh/ brackish water even low oxygen areas that their young bodies can adapt to, that the predator fish can’t. Around 1 year old (10-12 inches) they will start to need higher oxygen and salinity levels which will make them move to the lower estuary with their grown counterparts. They must be careful, because snook will eat their own if they are hungry enough. One of the notable things about snook is that most males, not all with age will turn into females.
this and the water temperature can help keep you on the snook bite as they migrate. Right now, they are out and about since the water is so hot. So up inside Tampa Bay you will have a similar pattern to the beach one described earlier but the river and creek mouths are the passes. If you want to catch snook, well there are many different tactics. Nighttime fishing vs daytime fishing vs live bait vs artificial, all has its place and preference. Much of this is up to each individual and the style of fishing that they prefer. Early morning before all the beach goers get out there look for snook in the swash channels near each side of the passes leading into the gulf. Cast parallel to the beach with lures that imitate bait fish like a white bucktail or a Mirrodine using a slight twitch. Use a twitch retrieve motion till you figure out the speed that gets you the hit. At night or early morning, you can work the pass bridges with a flairhawk jig or
Large snook can be found in a variety of habitats. From the backwaters to the swash channels at the beaches and everything in between, especially bridges and piers for some big ones. The typical fall migration would be to move from the beaches to the inshore waters, continuing to rivers or deeper canals as the water cools. Snook are cold blooded, so they are only as warm as the water they are in. Knowing
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A R T I S T
S H O W C A S E
Artist
Virginia Bright Abstract, with a touch of Realism, using bright and vibrant colors.
Mixed Medium Artist Acrylic Painting Repurposing/Recycling Materials
Virginia Bright grew up on a farm in Indiana with the surroundings of nature. With a background of nature as her palette, she looked at the world as an artist. Her family hugely supported her artistic abilities and, of course, are still a huge supporter. It has been about a year and a half since Virginia took the step as a full-time artist and her works are vibrant and unique. She has always been passionate about colors and patterns, as seeing the word in this way only comes through an artist’s eye. Virginia has been in awe of things that others don’t take the time to really “see”. She says, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. That sentence right there gave art such a definition to me, that I fell in love.”
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A R T I S T
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