Water LIFE Feb 2008

W a t e r LIFE

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Charlotte Harbor and Lemon Bay

Keeping Boaters and Fishermen Informed Since 1997

Kids Cup

February 2008

Applications Online

Producers of the

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Diving — Underwat er Life Page 12

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Conch Regatta

KIDS CUP

A Tribute to

Mr. Snook Page 22

Kayak Paddl e Trips Page 3

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

ALWAYS

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LETTERS

To The Editors of Water Life Magazine I have read the article on "Tree Scalping in Charlotte County".

While reading the article I quickly come to realize the opinion you have formed by your neighbor so quickly, and so unsightly selling his tree and replacing the large cluster of trees with a much smaller one without your approval, seeing that everything that goes on, on your street, must need your OK! The fact is the new owner of the house has the right to plant or remove whatever he or she feels compelled to do. People like you who disagree with what someone does are so quick to implement a law, code, permit, regulation; to better suit your wants and not considering the wants or needs of any other person. My opinion is that obviously you have a lot of time on your hands to worry about what everyone else is doing.

Being a neighbor that is so

TO

concerned about the appearance of the neighborhood then maybe moving into a repulsive, dictated deed restricted community would best suit your needs. I am a Native Floridian and have probably seen more changes happen in this great state – some good and for the most part bad – and really not thought through all the way.

I see people move down here and want to implement rules and make life around this state full of red tape. My conclusion to all of this is for all the readers to think about what problems you are making for other people when you want to change things to suite your wants. What kind of burden are you making for everyone else?

Monthly Reader, Darrell Walchle

Dear Water LIFE Iʼm chuckling over the disparity between your stand on the Manatee ( Iʼm totally there with you on that issue), and the

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removal of overgrown ugly Sabal Palms in a manʼs front yard – replaced by what will be a stately Queen Palm. Sounds like he is getting started on an attractive landscape package rather than raping the landscape. Pay the county to remove trees? Next you will need a permit to clear out a pepper bush.

Get the county involved and show them there is money to be made? ENOUGH! I had to plant mandatory trees that were not on my lot in South Gulf Cove – trees that are not found in the area, or ( I had to) pay a fine. I also had to ʻtagʼ the trees so the ʻtree ladyʼ could verify the installation. Geez, gimme a break!

After the first year they ended up on the smoker pit and I added seven other trees.

Yeah, you are leaning towards being a tree hugger. Shame! <grins> Good Magazine.

Bob Johnson Port Charlotte

Kids Cup To Whom it May Concern, My name is Zach Lozano. I am 16 years old and live in Punta Gorda. I caught this 27 inch redfish out of Pirate Harbor on 1/18/08 using an artificial in, and

amongst, the potholes during low tide. This was in preparation for the 2008 Kids Cup. It's going to be my last year fishing this tournament and I want you all to know that I'm coming!

Thanks for your time, Zach Lozano Punta Gorda

Water LIFE Magazine

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February

2008

Water LIFE Charlotte Harbor Magazine

Michael and Ellen Heller Publishers

(941) 766-8180

TOTALLY INDEPENDENT Water LIFE is not affiliated with any other publication

© 2008 Vol VII No. 2 Water LIFE

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

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

Contributing Editors:

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

on the COVER:

Marty Martell took this photo of a whale shark on the ʻskyway rubbleʼ off Boca Grande – see page 12

on our WEBSITE:

WWW.charlotteharbormagazine.com

Realtors: Links to advertisers

Tide Graphs: For local waters

Weather: Links to all of our favorite sites.

Back editions: Pages of previous editions Artificial Reefs: Lat. and Long local reefs

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

Kids Cup Updates, Fish Tracking and Tournament Information.

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B i g H o o k s , C o l d Wa t e r, S p o r t s H i s t o r y and the Fond Memories of Childhood

By Mi chael Hel l er Water LIFE Editor My father was in the wholesale meat business. In the summer I’d work with him. I remember going with him down to the west side market on 11th Street in New York at 5 a.m and walking in the coolers between hanging rows of sides of beef. Dad had a small hammershaped stamp and a pad of special blue ink. When he saw a side of beef he wanted he’s rub the hammer face on the ink pad and then smack the beef on the fatty part where his stamp, a sort of temporary brand, would be visible. A market worker would then pull out the ‘sides’ he had selected and roll them to the loading dock. The beef hung on a big galvanized hook with a roller attached to the top of it. It rolled on a network of rails suspended from the ceiling. There were curves and switches all of which had to be negotiated. Outside, one of my dad’s trucks backed up to the loading dock and extended a section of its own rail to meet the rail the beef was hanging on. Then the beef was rolled into the truck where refrigeration kept the beef cold until we got it got back to the shop. It all rolled, nothing was lifted.

Back at Dad’s shop his meat cutters went to work cutting the sides of beef into steaks and loins and grinding up chop meat for the different restaurants he supplied.

One of my dad’s distant accounts was a sleep-away camp in upstate New York. Once a week in the summer dad and I would load up his big green 1960 GMC panel van and head upstate.

One of the things the camp used a lot of were chickens. Chickens came from a different wholesaler:

‘Eviscerated’ the box said, which I came to find out meant plucked and gutted. The naked chickens were packed in ice and put in slated boxes made of thin wood.

We’d start out before lunch from Manhattan and we’d drive two hours north.

The panel van wasn’t refrigerated. The beef was packed in a special locker and kept cold with dry ice, but the chickens, well, they were packed in ice already.

Problem was it was summer in New York and it was hot, and the floor of the panel van was made of diamond plate steel.

At the front of the cargo area, directly behind the driver’s and passenger’s seats, the floor had a curb, a 4 inch wide lip – also made of diamond plate – that rose straight up about two feet high. During an an abrupt stop, the curb was designed to kept the load from shifting forward and pinning the driver to the wheel.

Evidently that had happened once, before the curb was installed and before I started driving. But the curb served another purpose as well. It was, in a way, a seawall or a shore-break.

Surfers know ‘shore breaks’ - an underwater ridge or reef helps form a wave – a shore break – when the undulating ocean rolls in.

New York was hot in summer, hot enough that we weren’t gone an hour before the ice in the boxes of eviscerated chickens began to melt. Two hours out on an average summer day and icy-cold chicken water was sloshing around the floor in the back of the truck.

The diamond plate floor, combined with GM’s superior rear-door weather striping, created a contained space where the slushy-slurry of ice chips, freezing cold water,

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This cow nosed ray was interested in a local sardine

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and frozen little blobs of chicken fat became trapped.

The last half hour of the trip was the scary part. By the time we left the Parkway and began to negotiate the winding back roads, driving skill and smoothness became of vital importance. One hard turn, or worse yet a sudden stop, would result in that perfect wave of icy chicken-water curling up and over the curb. Once I saw its perfect tube ... before it crashed down on our necks and ran down our backs, inside our shirts.

I believe that day we discovered what pro football coaches everywhere would, only years later, come to know. Truth is, the first Gatorade bath was really a bath of icy chicken soup.

So there you have it: Big hooks, cold water, historic sports stuff and fond memories of childhood. And you thought this was going to be about fishing!

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Jig

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The Sport Of Winter Fishing

By Capt. Chuck Ei chner Water LIFE Charlotte Harbor The inconspicuous jig certainly looks like a boring lure hanging on the racks at your favorite tackle shop. The one I am talking about is a lead head jig with a stout saltwater hook and painted in a variety of colors. They are designed for attaching plastic lures giving them weight to get good casting distance. The flip side to using these jigs is hanging Charlotte Harbors favorite fish food on them- live shrimp.

Without a doubt, I catch more fish and more varieties of fish on this combination then all other shrimp fishing techniques combined. You can figure on catching 7-15 species of fish on a normal day of jig fishing. The rules of this fishing style are simple, once you know the secrets. Here is how to do it step by step: Ji g S tyl e- The key components are jig shape, hook size and overall weight. I prefer jig shapes that are conical or have a narrow profile such that they are more aerodynamic making them less likely to hang in weeds, oysters and bottom cover. I like a compact jig that has a short shank hook (more on this later when rigging the shrimp). For the weight selection only 2 are necessary- 1/8oz. and 1/4 oz.

Ji g Col or- Four colors work most of the time and some days experimentation is in order. You can never go wrong with red however white, pink, orange and chartreuse should be experimented with. Fish do see colors and it does matter. I find that color changes make a big difference as the water temperature drops. Our most frigid temperatures will find me throwing orange jigs. In warmer waters, orange is more of a turn off. Interestingly, sometimes I think an unpainted jighead is better than a colored jighead. Experimentation will make a big difference.

Fi shi ng Outfi t- I prefer a Shimano Stradic 3000 coupled with a St. Croix Tidemaster

TIS 70MM or TIS70MHF. Spool the reel with 10-15# Power Pro, attach a 25# test leader 30 inches long and this outfit will cast a country mile and allow you to wrangle with some pretty large fish.

Bai t- Live shrimp primarily fished in half. My belief is that most of the shrimp that redfish, trout, sheepshead and other bottom dwellers feed on are small. A jig head with a half of shrimp is small.

Another important thing about fishing a half of shrimp is that you have severed the body allowing the juice and smells to ooze out on the retrieve.

Redfish have olfactory

senses like a whitetail deer in the woods and the extra smell emitted by this technique works in many cases better than a whole shrimp. It also prevents a lot of short strikes. A short shank hook keeps the half shrimp close to the jighead and makes the bait appear smaller.

Rigging the shrimp is done by piercing the head portion from the underside out of the top slightly behind the eyes. The tail piece is rigged through the bottom and out of the top of the cut off section. It is important to pierce the shell just behind the cut off section. Your shrimp should retrieve in an exact straight line with the hook shank. This pre-

vents the jig from spinning on retrieve and it tracks better through grass and weeds.

Use a sharp pair of scissors to cut your shrimp in half making for easier rigging. I typically go fishing with no less than 100 shrimp. That makes 200 baits which

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Look how Capt. Chuck takes care of his Shimano / St Croix sponsors: A rod & reel in almost every photo and usually a tackle mention in the story.

We bet that keeps them happy!

mostly will become fish food with not many coming back at the end of the day.

Lure Acti on- The great thing about fishing the jigshrimp combo is that you can fish it like an artificial lure covering lots of water.

In general, I cast out and let the lure settle momentarily.

A lot of times a fish will here the splash and come over to investigate. Next, raise your rod tip on a tight line and drag the lure. Drop your rod taking in the slack and raise your rod again. Occasionally impart a quick, small jerk to hop the lure thus imitating an excited shrimp. An important part of this technique is to allow the lure to settle back to the bottom briefly after the short hop. This is when most of your strikes will occur.

Fi shi ng Locati onsMost of your winter days will

reveal sand bars and oyster bars out of the water for at least part of the day. The fish will be in the deeper holes where ever you can find them inside of the east or west side, Gasparilla, Pine Island and Matlacha. Deeper holes of 2-4 feet are fish magnets. They are scattered around every shore and backcountry area in Charlotte Harbor. The key is knowing when you have enough water for your boat to reach these areas and knowing when to leave so that you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get stranded. Idle through the backcountry on the higher tides to figure out the deeper spots.

Come back when the tide is out because the fish will be in.

Canal systems are a guarantee to action. Punta Gorda Isles and Port Charlotte canals have tons of fish. The key is to cover lots of water casting to seawalls, rip-rap, corners, intersections and mangrove shorelines. This is deeper water fishing but donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be surprised to hang on to some real monsters.

Big redfish and black drum are stacked in some parts of the canal systems.

Fi sh S peci es- On an average day you can expect to catch redfish, trout, sheepshead, snapper, blowfish, catfish, black drum, pompano, shark, ladyfish, goliath grouper, tarpon, snook and an assortment of sub-tropical species that are sometimes hard to identify.

There will generally be lots of smaller fish with the average redfish being 14-18 inches.

Trout and sheepshead size will vary by school. Snook and tarpon are the more unusual species as they feed less in colder water.

The idea of this style of fishing is to cover water quickly.

Expect to make a thousand casts and maybe have a sore arm at the end of the day. When you hear of an angler catching 50 redfish in a day it is not necessarily a fish tale. Fish tend to school up when they find a comfortable deeper water area.

Just remember to handle your fish gently to fight another day.

Capt. Chuck Eichner is a local charter captain. For information or to book a guided fishing trip call 941-505-0003 or go to his website: www.backcountry-charters.com

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Things Have a Way of Working Out

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By Fi shi n Frank Water LIFE Port Charlotte A lot of people saw the fish kill we had recently and talked about the snook, but that was only the surface of the matter.

Sand bream, pin fish, and many bait fish came to an untimely end that night.

The kill was caused by double-whammy of high winds out of the north that pushed the water 3 feet lower than normal low tides and trapped many fish in small pockets of water, or in holes or creeks with little or no water in them.

Under normal conditions the fish would just wait until the water came back, but that night it was 29 degrees.

Water less than two feet deep would have hit the freezing point and while salt water will not freeze, the fish would... so any fish trapped in the back country froze to death.

The one-two punch of extreme low water and freezing temperatures could have an effect. We might notice the effects more next year and the year after, but by the 3rd year it will right itself – providing no other major disasters come our way.

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During hurricane Charley, most of the adult fish swam the heck out of here, or made it to deeper waters to ride out the storm. Not so lucky were the small fry, eggs and fingerlings of many fish. The winds blew so hard any fish or anything in four feet of water or less was more than likely, killed in the storm. So one or two years of eggs fry and fingerlings were destroyed. Redfish for example, were impacted hard. For the two years after Charley the winter time rat-red season was just not there. But as time went by the big reds laid egg the fry hatched and this year the small reds are all over the harbor. I bring this up because people are complaining they are catching only "rats," under size redfish this year, This is a great thing as it gives us something to look forward to. It is 3 1/2 years after Charley and we are still dealing with that storm. Redfish do not really live here, this is only where they grow up, so events like Charley or this recent cold front may look bad, but in a while things have a way of working out.

Take heart the fishing this year will be good.

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This big AJ was shot off the SW Florida coast. When they brought the fish in and gutted it they found a small shark in its stomach, proving once again: Big fish eat what they want. On the internet we recently researched the AJʼs diet and found they eat mostly smaller reef fish.

Also of note was the following AJ information: “If you eat fish at the chain fish 'n' chips places (Long John Silver's, etc.) you're probably eating amberjack.”

22' Pathfinder 2200 V tournament Series, 2005. Single 200hp Yamaha HPI 2004. Very well maintained, includes trailer. $38,500

34' Intrepid Center Console, 1999. Twin 250HP Yamis. Radar & plotter, AP, electric head with holding tank. 1 owner, stepped hull, lift kept well maintained. $89,900

28' Scout 280SF CC Fisherman, 2002. Twin 225hp Yamaha 4 strokes. Very nice condition throughout, and lift stored! $74,500

34' Formula 34 PC 1998. Twin 385HP Mercruisers 7.4L MPI Horizon. Built on a constant dead rise deep V hull with moderate beam. Excellent condition $88,000

32' Luhrs Tournament 320, 1992. Twin 340HP Marine power 7.4L. Well maintained & equipped, GPS,Radar, color video sounder. Salt Shaker hard top, $82,000

30' SeaRay 300 Weekender, 1989. Always been lift stored out of the water. 260HP Mercruiser Inboards. $28,900

23' Hurricane Sundeck, 2007. 200HP Yamaha, F200 TXR. Fully equipped with a fish finder, Kenwood CD player, boarding ladder. Trailer included. $38,900

25' Parker 2520 Pilot House Fish 2005, like new. 225 HP Yamaha Four Stroke. 5 year transferrable hull warranty. $54,900

23' Sea Swirl 2300 Stripper, 2000.

Single 200HP Evinrude. Nice walkaround cuddy, good for coastal fishing, cruising and diving. $24,900

17' Bayliner Trophy Center Console, 2001.

90HP Mercury 4-stroke for 50+ mph. Mint shape and has a full mooring cover.

Trailer included. REDUCED TO $11,900

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22' Black Jack 224 Bay, 2006. Single 250HP Yamaha 4- Stroke only 45 hours, T-top with box and lights. Mint condition and designed especially for fishing. $47,900

26' Shamrock Express, 1996. 250HP Indmar IB. Autohelm AP, Raytheon color sounder. Swim platform and ladder. Bimini top and enclosure new in 2006. $29,900

Excellent condition throughout.

38' Egg Harbor Sportfish, 1974. Twin 335 HP Marine Power 5.7 Vortec EFI - NEW 2006. Has had extensive upgrades. REDUCED TO $52,500

Owner wants her sold now!

28" Bertram Sportfish, 1982. Twin 260HP Mercruisers 1990. Raymarine D5400X Sounder/FFr/Depth finder combo, VHF, Garmin 215 GPS MAP. $29,900

2007 Was A Good Year for Manatees

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By Capt. Ron Bl ago Water LIFE Senior Staff Each year I look forward to the annual manatee mortality reports to be made public. I have learned over the years that I can pretty well predict what the headlines are going to be based on how the numbers turned out. The 2006 numbers showed a record number of manatees (417) had died that year and the Save the Manatee Club jumped on that fact to beat back the state scientist that proposed delisting the manatee. Their mantra at every meeting that year was ‘how can you delist the manatee when record numbers are dying in Florida.’ Of course

when the manatees have a bad year, boaters seem to be the ones that have be sacrificed with more talk of increasing enforcement, more rules and regulations, and of course more manatee speed zones.

It didn’t really matter that the number of watercraft collisions (92) that year was below the 5 year average. A lot of manatees had died and someone had to be held responsible.

2007 was a good year for manatees.

With little rain, the water stayed pretty clear. This allowed more sunlight to hit the sea grass; and as any good farmer knows, when there is plenty of grass in the meadow the cows are fat and happy.

In 2007 there were 317-manatee deaths73 by watercraft. I don’t remember seeing any headlines that said ‘Manatee deaths down 24 percent and watercraft related deaths down 21 percent in 2007.’ It wasn’t all good news in 2007. There were 52 manatees that died from red tide and for the first time in my memory a number of them died from red tide on the East Coast, which is not noted for red tide outbreaks. Also a number of manatees

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died in southwest Florida from red tide.

That fact is particularly note worthy considering that there were no reported red tide outbreaks in southwest Florida in all of 2007. A talk with one of the state scientists solved the mystery for me.

When red tide blooms, it gives off a toxin. Some of the toxin remains in the water column and eventually settles on the sea grass blades on the bottom. This toxin can remain active for weeks, even months after the red tide algae is gone.

For the manatees it’s kind of like swimming through a mine field after the war is over – you wind up just as dead.

I have been going through manatee mortality figures ever since the state started keeping records in 1976 and I am amazed at how consistent the percentage of watercraft death are as compared to total manatee deaths. About 25 percent of all manatee deaths are a result of watercraft collisions. That number holds true for the 70s, 80s, 90s, all the way up to 2007. What is amazing about that is that the number of registered boat in Florida has increased approximately 2.9 percent per year since 1976. That means you have twice the number of boats than there were in 1976. If you now have a million registered boats in Florida; and there were 73 manatees killed by boatsthat means that the average boater has a 0.0073 percent probability of killing a manatee. I don’t think there is much more we can do to lower those odds.

You have to be careful when you use numbers to make a point; there is always someone who will challenge your results.

Frankly, I’m that type of guy. Recently, I was checking out the SMC’s web site and I came across one of their press releases that listed the reasons the manatee should not be delisted. One of them was ‘Environmentalist point to the

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state’s own finding that 50 percent of the statewide manatee population could be lost in the next 45 years.’ That’s pretty damming, 50 percent of the population wiped out in just 45 years. I figured I better check that fact out by reading the state’s new manatee protection plan just approved by the FWC. This 128-page report has just about everything we know about manatees so far.

The first thing to catch my eye was under the section Population Status – ‘There are no statistical estimates of abundance for either, statewide or regional Florida manatee population.’ That’s going to make it pretty hard to figure out what a 50 percent reduction of an unknown number is. I knew there was a better answer than that, after all the state has been required by law to do aerial surveys since 1991 and in 2001 they found 3,300 manatees. I finally found the quote I was looking for, ‘The biological review panel predicted the probability of future decline over three generations of approximately 60 years, the models showed that there is virtually no chance of an 80 percent decline; but there is a slightly more than a 12 percent chance of the manatee population decline by as much as 50 percent in the next 60 years..’

Looks like the SMC has been fudging the facts again, there is a big difference between a 50 percent decrease in population vs. a 12 percent probability of a 50 percent decrease. I guess good news for manatees is bad news for the SMC, but there is one statistic I’m sure they will be happy with- there is a 100 percent probability that in 60 years, I’ll be dead.

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

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2008

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Diving:

Page 12

By Adam Wi l son Water LIfe Diving All fisherman, whether above the water or below, hate having a bad day. Everybody wants to go to work Monday and talk about the big one that didn't get away or that limit of grouper from their secret spot. With all the time, energy, planning and money spent in setting up the typical fishing trip, nobody wants to come home empty handed. But let's face it, it's far from a perfect world and even the pro's have off days. This past month I had a couple, and hopefully I have got them out of the way for the rest of the year.

With a short crew and fuel being over three bucks we decided to keep our last trip close to home and have an easy, relaxing day of hunting, starting at 70 feet and working our way in. We anchored up over an old artificial reef so everyone aboard could get wet. The water temp was 68 degrees, probably just slightly too warm to see any keeper jacks, but hopefully there’d be plenty of grouper and snapper.

The vis was a little dirty, maybe 20 to 25 feet, perfect for hunting. I dropped straight down and 25 feet from the bottom I lined up an intersecting trajectory with a 25 inch gag grouper. At 15 feet out I was still above and behind my target at the desirable 45 degree angle, it was too easy! A squeeze of the trigger and swoosh, no fish thrashing, no bottom silt stirred into the water column like smoke, just an empty shaft on the Gulf floor.

No time to cry, another gag comes in to see what all the commotion is. A second shaft is loaded with just time for one band. He sees me and slowly turns to ‘feel’ the situation and determine my threat level with his lateral line. Little do they know this sideways profile offers the biggest and best target. Click, the shaft is gone and this time contact, for a few seconds anyway. With only one band loaded I aimed high to compensate and scalped the fish, which easily pulled free to swim

Water LIFE

MAGAZINE

Always Beats a Day on Shore

away with a little white chunk of delicious grouper flesh flapping in the breeze.

Don't feel too bad. This type of beginners mistake injury is usually not fatal as evidenced by the occasional older fish with healed over cuts or notches in their heads. I consider myself a good shooter, but I would be lying if I said every single fish gets landed. Myself and all my dive

February

2008

remaining in my gun it floats!

Rookie–mistake number two. Always put your arm through the bands after firing.

At this point I would ordinarily give up and take pictures, but after a quick recovery of my gun and with plenty of gas left I reload and head to the bottom again, determined to salvage that fish dinner.

No problem, this time the two spare shafts go into place and both bands go on

Water LIFE Diving contributor Adam Wilson wrote: My friend Carl and I ran to Sarasota yesterday and I had my buddy Marty Martell give me a copy of this picture he took out on the Skyway rubble off Boca Grande in 165 feet of water. Itʼs a whale shark surrounded by cobia and remoras. He took the picture with a 35mm disposable tourist camera! I know our readers will love it! Editor Notes* Shown here is the full frame actual photo. We had to add a little piece to the top and bottom so the horizontal photo would fit our vertical cover this month.

buddies always do everything we can to safely land a wounded fish. Spearfishing ethics begin with only taking responsible shots with the highest probability of a landing, and not just slinging shafts wildly across the ocean floor like a mad man.

Two shafts out and no fish on the stringer. And where did my gun go? I just set it right here. With only one shaft

the loaded spear for maximum power and distance, but by now the larger grouper have wised up and moved out. Time to hunt snappers under the structure.

Should I remove one of the bands for the close in work? No time, there's a 20 inch mangrove and clank, my shaft drills him to a hunk of rusty sheet metal under an old truck. Finally a fish on the stringer...and my shaft now solidly part of the artificial reef program. I’ll have to get back there with vice-grips!

Pulling up to dive site number two and the adrenaline rises. Geared up and ready to drop, I hear the shifters click into neutral as we close in on our marker buoy and the captain yells ‘dive dive.’

Half way down and my gun is loaded.

Wow, the grouper are everywhere, and the biggest one, only19 inches. Just like their keeper sized big brothers they flare out their gill plates and posture, protecting their turf, only to turn and flee across the sand in retreat when approached. I unload my gun and enjoy swimming through the nursery for a minute before ascending.

Next spot is a ledge that seemingly goes forever. We call it, simply enough,

long ledge. I always freeshaft at this spot because there usually isn't anything big enough to take an untethered spear very far. A short distance up the ledge and my buddy Charlie has a 40 pound cobia doing hound dog circles directly under him.

‘Shoot it, shoot it,’ I'm screaming through my regulator. I know the reason for the hesitation. To the untrained eye, cobias look very similar to a shark, especially in the water with their quick turns and speed. I launch a shot a little further away than I should and the shaft barely sticks the fish. Again I'm screaming to Charlie, who still has a loaded gun, ‘shoot it shoot it’, hoping my initial attack opens his eyes to what the fish really is. A few powerful kicks and the cobia easily shakes my shaft and swims out of the visibility. I will be buying Charlie a fish identification card.

At the end of that day I was pretty disappointed with my poor hunting performance and low fish count, but I guess it's those bad days that make the good ones that much greater. And now that I am sitting here thinking about the bungling events with my good buddies and that beautiful day on the water I'm thinking, maybe it really wasn't that bad

February

Water LIFE

2008

Spot GPS Transmitter

By Capt.

Robert Moore Water LIFE Pro Guide Staff The SPOT Satellite Messenger is the newest addition to my arsenal of gadgets.

The use of this new device is not limited to my boat, it is useful on land as well. The SPOT is a personal satellite messenger that can send your GPS position along with emergency messages to authorities or family / friends.

Spot has four activation frequencies; 911, Help, Check In, or Track Progress.

If you activate ‘911’ feature SPOT alerts their Emergency Center which will then notify the closest 911 authorities and alert them to your GPS coordinates. If you are offshore they will notify the Coast Guard.

If you activate ‘Help’ SPOT will send messages every 10 minutes via email and/or cell phone text messages to up to six members of your family or friends.

When you activate your account online you choose the people you want the help message sent to and the message which

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MAGAZINE

Page 13

will be sent along with your GPS position.

If you activate ‘Check In’, the SPOT will send up to six of your friends/family a message (email and/or text) telling them your GPS position and that you are OK. For an additional fee you can purchase ‘Track Progress’ which will track your position every few minutes and send the coordinates to your account for later review or for someone back home to track your position in real time.

The obvious advantages of this unit are great when you are offshore and out of cell phone service. Letting my spouse know I am OK when I can’t reach her by cell phone and I’m running late is the top advantage on my list. The initial cost was $170 with a $99 yearly activation. The Track Progress is an additional $49 a year.

My initial test ‘Help’ messages worked great and the Track Progress also performed as advertised. Everything can be viewed on-line using Goggle satellite maps. For more information visit www.findmespot.com Editor Notes* The potential exists to have someone ‘hack’ into your ‘Spot Account’ and see exactly where you have been fishing. Capt. Moore, for example, seemed to like the Cayo Pelau, Bull Bay area last week! – MH

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Optional T/550hp 6V92 Detroit diesels , GPS/plot, Loran, Radar, AP, tabs, freezer, $249,900

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36' Trojan Convertible 1985. Twin 350hp Crusaders, Raymarine C70 radar, GPS, plotter, finder, A/C. Equiped with all the right electronics. Great for offshore fishing. $49,900.

23' Everglades 230 CC Flats, 2002. 150hp Yamaha HPDI, power pole, Jackplate, Lenco trim tabs, trolling motor, GPS, Chart Plotter. Low hours, great shape, marina stored and maintained. $19,900

27' Cobia Center Console, 2002.

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28' Boston Whaler Conquest 2000. Twin Opti max 225hp, A/C-heat, refrig/freezer, Plotter, fish finder, electric windlass, outriggers. An excellent off shore fishing or just cruising vessel. $78,900

29' Monterey 298 SC Express Cruiser 2004.

Twin 300hp Mercruisers 5.7, full galley, TV/VCR., A/C -heat, full enclosure, shower. Top end, near 60MPH. llow hours, just serviced. $83,900

31' Sea Ray310 Sundancer, 1999. 260hp Mercruiser 5.7EFi Bravo III. Ray 210 VHF, Furuno DGPS GP-37, Autohelm ST5000+ , Lowrance 3500, system monitorn. $64,900

46' Post Marine Sport Fisherman, 1983. Twin 450hp Detroit diesels, AP, GPS/plotter, radar, A/C-heat, hardtop with enclosure. rcent engine upgrades, and much more. $164,900

40' Baja 405 Performance 2006. Mercruiser 496 Upgraded to 850 horsepower. 7 year transferable fullr warranty! Flat screen TV, Tabs, Hydraulic Hatch, Captʼs. choice exhaust, Generator. $205,000.

Water LIFE

Page 14

Captain Jeff Steele Reef Permit Approved

By Betty S taugl er Water LIFE / Sea Grant In the coming months we will be moving forward with our newest artificial reef construction project. The Captain Jeff Steele Reef will become Charlotte County’s newest and deepest artificial reef, which will be located in about 65 feet of water west of Stump Pass. The Captain Jeff Steele Reef will be a very special reef; one, because it will memorialize a very special person, and two, because it will be constructed in part through the donations of our community.

Captain Jeff, for those who didn’t know him, was a commercial fisherman, who spent most of his life in the Port Charlotte area. Jeff also operated a dive charter business out of Placida. Jeff lost his life last July while salmon fishing in Alaska, something he had done annually for many years. Prior to leaving for Alaska, Jeff was helping Roger and I identify a new reef site.

When Jeff passed away, his friend Jim Joseph called and asked me about the possibility of setting up a memorial fund and renaming a reef in Jeff’s honor.

We decided that better than renaming a reef, we would instead build a new reef in Jeff’s honor, so I set up a memorial account through the University of Florida Foundation, Jim made fundraising flyers, Heidi Schwartz coordinated fundraising events, and Roger worked on finalizing our permit application.

Our artificial reef permit application was submitted to the U.S. Army Corp. of Engineers (ACOE) in mid September.

In January we received approval pending signatures. Once the permit is signed on our end and the ACOEs end, we are good to go.

Our fund raising effort to date has brought in about $13,000. The $13,000 however, is providing a match for a West Coast Inland Navigation District (WCIND) grant that I received last October, so $13,000 is now $26,000.

We can continue to match this grant up to $25,000, which is the WCIND award, for a total of $50,000 if more donations come in.

The Captain Jeff Steele Reef will be built with clean concrete and/or heavy steel (vessels). These are the conditions of our permit. We currently have quite a bit of concrete material lined up for our initial deployment. Roger is working on putting together a request for proposals (RFP) for this deployment.

If you are interesting in supporting the construction of the Captain Jeff Steele Reef, donations may be made to: University of Florida Foundation.

Please specify for: Captain Jeff Steele Memorial Reef. Donations may be mailed or delivered to Florida Sea Grant, 25550 Harborview Rd. Suite 3, Port Charlotte, FL 33980 or Fantasea Scuba, 3781 Tamiami Trail, Port Charlotte, FL 33952.

Betty Staugler is the Univ ersity of Florida Sea Grant agent for Charlotte County. She can be reached at 764-4340.

ARTIFICIAL REEF PERMIT APPLICATION DATA

Name of Site: Captain Jeff Steele Reef Previous Name: N/A Previous Permit Numbers: ACOE: N/A FDEP: N/A GPS Center Coordinates: 26 55.800 N / 82 35.900 W

GPS Corner Coordinates: Northwest: 26 55.910 N / 82 36.042 W Southeast: 26 55.670 N / 82 35.766 W Northeast: 26 55.910 N / 82 35.766 W Southwest: 26 55.670 N / 82 36.042 W Depth:

58 to 65 feet

Site Description: This site is located 13.9NM at a 285º true heading from Stump Pass and 18.3NM at a 297º true heading from Gasparilla Pass.

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

February

MAGAZINE

MAP#

Name

Lat & Long

Depth

Composition

1 Jaycees Reef 26/20.24 82/05.25 31 Barge, Concrete Culverts & precast Concrete 2 G-H (D.J.H.) Reef 26/20.73 81/57.12 25 450 Tons of Culverts 2 G-H Rwwf- Fish America 26/20.70 81/56.85 30 110' Barge, Tug, Dumpsters 3 "MAY" Reef 26/22.53 81/55.73 20 Bridge Rubble 4 A.R.C. Barge Reef 26/25.15 82/24.60 60 Unconfirmed, 110' Steel Bridge 5 Sanibel Reef 26/24.77 82/02.60 20 Concrete Rubble, Tires 6 Belton Johnson Reef 26/25.48 82/11.88 30 500 Tons of Culvert 7 ARCOA 26/32.48 82/25.08 57 ARCOA BIOreef Prefab. Units 8 Redfish Pass Reef 26/32.60 82/13.79 23 Concrete Rubble, Tires 9 12 Mile Reef- Culverts 26/32.74 82/24.60 NA Culverts 9 12 Mile Reef- Barge 26/32.88 82/24.75 60 Barge, Concrete Culverts 10 Deep Reef 26/33.27 82/43.47 90 Two Piles of Hopper Cars 11 Redfish Barges Reef 26/33.653 82/14.196 24 Two Steel Barges 12 School Bus Reef 2 26/36.22 82/28.29 70 School Bus, Concrete Culvert 13 Ft. Myers Wharf Reef 26/38.429 81/52.482 NA 4800 Tons concrete Rubble, Rip Rap in River 14 Helen's Reef 26/38.10 82/17.30 32 Barge, Concrete Rubble Power Poles 15 Power Pole-Searun 26/40.88 82/22.25 NA Wreck 15 Power Pole-BARCRN 26/41.87 82/22.47 46 Concrete Rubble, 65' Steel Ship, Cement Mixers 16 Bokeelia Reef 26/42.15 82/09.083 10 400 Cubic Yards Concrete Culvert, Rubble 17 Boxcar Reef 26/42.00 82/36.00 72 48 Steel Boxcars, Concrete Culvert 18 Danger Reef 26/45.55 82/11.18 NA Wreck 19 Mary's Reef 26/46.10 82/18.30 32 Concrete Rubble 20 Cape Haze Reef 25/45.63 82/09.72 20 21 Steel & Concrete Modules 21 Aaron Hendry Reef 26/39.00 82/36.00 NA Unconfirmed, Unknown if Built, 22 Charlotte Harbor (Alligator) Reef 26/49.887 82/05.543 12 Catch Basins, Sewer Boxes, Slab Material 23 Stump Pass Seven Mile reef 26/52.102 82/26.484 43 Concrete Culverts Concrete Boxes 24 Desmond Reef Site 26/53.70 C 82/29.50 50 Fiberglass Boat Molds, Concrete Beams 25 Englewood Fish Haven 26/54.70 C 82/21.75 22 Bridge Rubble 26 Hog Is. Fish Haven 26/54.75 C 82/07.617 6-8 Tires 27 BayRonto 26/45.80 82/50.89 85 110-foot Freighter 28 Tremblay Reef 26/48.350 82/22.700 I-75 Peace River Bridge Material 29 Rich Novak Reef 26/48.570 82/19.700 I-75 Peace River Bridge Material

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2008

Custom Work is Our

Convicts on the March

February

Water LIFE

2008

Sheepshead Should Be Coming In

By Capt. Robert Moore Water Life Pro Guide Staff Winter season is known for many things in Southwest Florida, but in the fishing community it is widely known as sheepshead season. For me, the colder it gets outside the better I seem to do when it comes to catching sheepshead. A 3 plus pound sheepshead on light tackle will give any angler a drag pulling, heart pounding fight.

Now, I must confess, when it comes to fishing for sheepshead I claim to be no expert, but lucky for me I have had the opportunity to pick the brains of some of the best in the business. Over the years I have taken bits and pieces from different anglers and put together a pretty dependable sheepshead technique.

Sheepsheads are crustacean lovers.

They love shrimp, fiddler crabs, and sand fleas. If it has a shell, a sheepshead will eat it. Now, you may hear from hardcore sheepshead anglers the ongoing debate about which is better - fresh or frozen bait. I have done equally well on both and will stay out of that debate.

Where to find sheepshead is the easy part. They love any structure like dock pilings, rocks, or oyster beds. If you go into any saltwater canal system you will find sheepshead on almost any dock. I have found the closer you get to the Gulf the more consistent you’ll be in finding larger fish. The best example would be the phosphate dock just inside Boca Grande. These pilings can hold some of the largest concentrations of 4-plus pound sheepshead in the area, but finding a spot

to set the hook as soon as you feel him nibbling. Now take that same piece of shrimp and remove the shell yourself and place the meat on your hook. Mr. sheepshead will simply gulp the entire bait in his mouth and swim off. The only thing left for you to do is set the hook.

Using peeled bait alone has doubled my hook ups.

There are many hook variations you can use. I am going to mention the one taught to me. The hook I use faithfully is the No. 4 Owner Mutu-Light circle hook.

I simply thread my bait onto the hook leaving the point exposed. When I feel a hit or see my line jump I simply raise

Page 15

my rod tip and begin reeling – no hook set, just reeling. The circle hook does the rest. If nothing is on the line, I simply drop my rod tip and let my bait fall back to the bottom. This hook - set up does work very well. For weight I add a split shot, as small as I can get away with. I want my bait to fall to the bottom slowly, not rapidly. The deeper the water I am fishing, the more weight I will use.

The next time your teeth are chattering from the cold, think of doing some sheepshead fishing to warm yourself up.

Good luck and tight line.

Capt Robert Moore can be reached at: tarponman@comcast.net

to fish can be hard unless you’re early.

Lucky for us there are plenty of other areas that will hold sheepshead. Any pier along the coast will hold good numbers.

A seawall with rocks is also a great spot to try.

I prefer to use the same gear I use to fish the flats. A medium action rod and reel filled with 20 pound test braided line is a great all-around light tackle set up.

You can go larger or smaller depending on your own preference and skills. The larger you go, the less you may enjoy the fight.

Any smaller you may lose the big ones. I will use a 3ft., 20lb leader to the hook.

My bait of choice is the shrimp, primarily because it is the easiest to get.

Sand fleas and fiddler crabs are also great baits, but can sometimes be hard to find.

Sheepshead are known for their ability to steal your bait. The reality is they are not trying to take your bait off the hook; they are simply preparing it to eat. A shrimp has an outer shell on top of the meat.

Picture your piece of shrimp hooked and sitting on the bottom. Mr. sheepshead comes over and grabs the outer shell of the shrimp so he can eat the meat. In the process of ripping the outer shell off, most times, the shrimp will come off the hook. This is especially true if you try

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Page 16

Water LIFE

MAGAZINE

February

2008

February

2008

Water LIFE

Kids Cup Gearing Up S t aff R eport Application forms for the 2008 Kids Cup tournament are available online at www.kidscuptournament.com. By January 23 we already had 20 entries. Later this month application forms will be available in local bait and tackle shops, at Laishley Marine, West Marine and a host of other boating and fishing locations.

Last month we told you Palm Chevrolet and Laishley Marine were again the Host Sponsors of the Kids Cup. This month, West Marine and Boat U.S. signed on once again (5th year in a row!) to be major Kids Cup sponsors.

Last year West and Boat U.S. were IGFA sponsors, but this year, when the

IGFA did away with their Junior Angler World Championship program, we saw no benefit in paying $2000 for our kids to get their hats and a quarterly newsletter.

Instead, we are working on (and it’s not a done deal yet) but we are working on, a fishing trip for the winning Kids Cup angler! Stay tuned, we’ll keep you posted If and when it comes together.

Also back on board this year is Ingman Marine. Gary Ingman and I met in his office and there was no hesitation what-soever in his re-upping with the Kids Cup. Ingman’s continuous and strong community support for the Kids Cup and our Don Ball School of fishing program is what makes it all work.

Page 17

MAGAZINE

Ditto for the Breeze Publishing Company in Cape Coral. They have again agreed to print our Kids Cup Program and to help promote the Kids Cup in the Fort Myers area.

Screenprint Plus in Cape Coral is again our hat and shirt provider and Benedetto’s Restaurant at the Best Western in Punta Gorda will again host the Captain’s dinner.

The whole idea of the Kids Cup tournament is to introduce kids (age 10 through 16) to tournament fishing and to introduce them to hands on science directly related to eco-system management. It is our belief that learning by doing, by being out on the water and ‘ having a hand in it’ our kids will grow up to be responsible stewards of Charlotte Harbor.

Once again this year Betty Staugler our Sea Grant agent from the University of Florida and Carole Neidig, the fish biolo-

gists at Mote Marine Laboratory, will be tagging, implanting and tracking the fish we catch and release.

Right now we’re hitting the tackle manufacturers up for the Kids Cup captain’s bags items. Eppinger, Frabil, Eagle Claw and RipTide are now on board.

There are no money prizes in the Kids Cup but we have great trophies and the Kids Cup event itself is a fun filled weekend and this year there will be the Punta Gorda Block Party as well!

The top five kids who weigh in the heaviest redfish go on the following weekend to fish on the final day of the Oh Boy! Oberto Redfish Cup at Punta Gorda and weigh in on the ESPN2 TV stage.

Call (941) 766-8180 for more information or visit : www.kidscuptournament.com

F l o ri d a F l a t z Fi s h i n ’

full & half day charters

Kids Always Welcome!

Capt. John C. Morrison (239) 289-3653

www. floridaflatzfishin.com

Water LIFE

Page 18

By Bi l l Di x o n Water LIFE Sailing The 25th and largest ever Golden Conch Regatta is history. Thirty four boats competed off Burnt Store Marina in 4 Classes. Saturday was grey and windy, but not real cold. We raced 2 olympic courses of 5.28 miles each. Sunday was ‘Chamber of Commerce’ weather, sunny, warm and light breezes. We had one race, 4+ miles, due to the light air. Once again it was an olympic triangle. There was great food and fellowship Saturday night, and awards Sunday night, accompanied by the usual creative excuses and whining, but hey, that’s sailing.

Winners were: Multi Hull 1st: Ed Dixon TRI POWER, 2nd: Paul Perisho AQUILA Cruising Class 1st Gerry Crowley LEA, 2nd: David Cleverly FREE AGAIN, 3rd: Pete Rehm BRAVO Non Spinnaker 1st: Steve Romaine AIR SUPPLY,

MAGAZINE

February

2008

Saturday would have been a better day for pictures with winds of 15 to 20, but Sundayʼs blue skies and light breeze was also pleasant.

2nd: Don LEVY, OUI OUI, 3rd: Jerry Poquette, FANCY FREE Spinnaker 1st: Hall Palmer LUCKY DUCKY, 2nd Dan Kendrick TIPPECANOE, 3rd Bob Knowles BAMMA SLAMMER

I had a wonderful time at the ‘Conch,’ and now I am looking forward to the next event. On March 8 and 9, the 15th annual Co nqui s t ado r Cup Reg at t a will be held on Charlotte Harbor. The Punta Gorda Sailing Club is the organizing authority in cooperation with the Royal Order of the Ponce de

Leon Conquistadors.

Some 70 sailboats from throughout southwest Florida are expected to compete in this two-day event making it one of the largest regattas on this coast.

Competitors will be broken into four classes: spinnaker, non-spinnaker, cruising, and multi-hull. On Saturday, two courses are used; one will be west of Ponce de Leon Park and the other in the upper Harbor northwest of Fisherman's Village.

On Sunday, all boats will compete on the same 8.7 mile course using a reverse start system. Each boat will start at a specified time based on their individual performance handicap. This race is designed so theoretically all boats will

arrive at the finish line at the same time. This rarely happens, but it does make for an exciting finish right out in front of Fisherman’s Village.

For additional information visit the Punta Gorda Sailing Club’s website: www.pgscweb.com

February

Water LIFE

2008

Extreme Low

MAGAZINE

Page

19

Screaming Reels

By Capt. Andrew Medi na Water LIFE S taff There’s only one thing you really need to pay close attention to in February. The extreme low tides we will be experiencing this month. The last thing you want to be doing is waiting for a tide that probably won’t come in.

It’s always best to use the tides in your favor. This time of the year, with the high winds that accompany cold fronts, canal fishing seems to be part of a normal pattern for us.

Canals such as Spring Lake, Rock Creek, and the Punta Gorda Isles canals will offer great fishing opportunities this month. Low water conditions force fish to deeper spots and the deeper water is in the canals and in the center of the harbor.

I have found that fish will not generally go far from where they want to be when the tide comes in. If a canal or creek is close to a flat that is being drained by a falling tide, the fish will fall off that flat and head to either the canal or wait just out side the bar where the water is deep enough for him to feel comfortable in.

Bad enough our fish here in Charlotte Harbor are skittish to the presence of an angler, add low water and trying to get him to eat can be down right humiliating. You may see the fish and throw a bait at him, but he just won’t eat. That’s because he

January was punctuated with north winds, shallow tides and a number of foggy mornings. February tides are also going to be low and if a wind out of the north blows the water out of the harbor they may be the lowest yet! Here, the Peace River at Port Charlotte looking towards Punta Gorda.

At times like these fish like to hang in the canal mouths .

already knows you’re there.

Chasing the fish down a shore line will not increase your chances of catching him. He did not eat it the first time, and guess what? He probably won’t eat the second or third cast either.

Right now is the time everybody should be spooled up with lighter line and throwing smaller baits. Long casts will be the whole key in making your day.

If you have not yet spooled down, try throwing 10-pound test for the winter months. I prefer Power Pro or similar braided lines rather than monofilaments. If you’re still throwing mono lines, remember you are limited to open water with little or no structure or debris. Those kinds of obstructions will surely break most mono line.

Bait choice is always very important this time of the year.

I love to see a fish push up behind a top water plug right before he inhales it. Nothing,

by far, compares to that feeling.

There are a couple of keys to a good winter top-water bite. One is to down size the lure. In winter time the white bait can be scarce on the flats and there are plenty of small minnows roaming around. With this in mind, keep the old saying alive: “ Match the Hatch.’’This will play a major role. And smaller top water plugs don’t only entice small predator fish, all the fish are feeding on the same size bait fish or shrimp.

Another good shallow water practice is to slow down, way down. If you think your working the bait slow enough, think again and slow down even more. In the winter months predator fish will conserve their energy to make it through the colder conditions. You will find out that chasing a bait across the top of the water is not high on a winter fish’s priority list, but if a slow moving bait presents itself where a fish doesn’t have to exert to much energy

for that meal, he will take the time to eat it.

The biggest mistake anglers make while fishing top water is “hook set timing.’’ I don’t know if that’s the technical term, but it sure sounds like I know what I’m talking about!

Here’s the deal: When a fish eats a lure, just because you don’t see it any more does not mean the time has come to bury that hook. A lot of anglers make this mistake. I think it’s a normal reaction to set the hook as soon as the fish blows up on the bait. Try training yourself so that you get out of this habit. Wait till you feel the weight of the fish on the tip of your rod to bury that hook.

When you feel the weight of the fish on your rod, you know that fish has it in his mouth, and he has turned his body away from you. This will insure the hook up.

When the water’s low and I know fish are not still on the flat, what I do, is look for

canals with some sort of structure – two of my favorites are docks, and mangroves. Start by working up one side and down the other. I will work parallel to the edge. Live bait will also do just fine for the more relaxed angler. Try shrimp under a popping cork just out side the canal entrances, or in the mouth.

Trout hang out in these spots.

If your into redfish, the P.G.I canals are a good place to look this time of the year. If you find them you hit gold. The fish bunch up in the deeper water. I have a group of fish that I have fished since I was a kid, right in the Isles. Every year it’s like clock work. This spot is marked on my GPS as ‘easy catch one.’

We can pull up and when it’s ‘go time’ it’s nothing to catch 50 fish. All it takes is a little bit of time in the canals to study the fish and you too can find a spot that will produce fish every year, at the same time, ... continuously. Capt.

Andrew Medina can be reached for

The Legend of Mr. Snook Page 20

By Fishin’ Frank Water LIFE Port Charlotte When I first moved to Charlotte County, I stopped at the old Port Charlotte diner and on the wall was a picture of a guy in a navy blue shirt and blue slacks wearing one of those round, floppy brimmed, fishing hats. He was holding what looked to me like the biggest bass I ever saw ... with a stripe down its side! I asked the waitress ‘who is that guy’ and

Water LIFE

she said, “Mr. Snook”. Then I made the mistake of asking ‘what kind of fish is that?’ She just laughed and said “I just told you.” That was my introduction to snook.

I did not hear or even think about that for the next few years. I had to make a living. I had a spouse and kids to take care of, and we were in a new place.

It was 1985. I had been working part time for my dad at Fishin’ Franks and one night this guy comes in. He looked part mafia part fisherman, sort of Frank Sinatra meets Gilligan with a little Jimmy Houston thrown in on the side. It was Mr. Snook.

“Hey, wats’ you guys got for shrimp?

I am going to catch bait and I need some three-inch shrimp.” Three inch shrimp for

MAGAZINE

bait? Don't you want some pieces of shrimp to catch pin fish, I asked? “No,” he said “I’m going snook fishing and I want to catch some 12 to 14 inch lady fish.”

Mr. Snook informed me he was not looking for big snook that night, so a medium size bait – 12 or 14 inches – was about right. ‘What size snook is not too big?’ I asked. “Oh about 38 inches, just something for a meal!” I had to ask what ‘big’ was – 46 inch plus... a real good size is 50 inches plus, Mr. Snook told me.

Mr. Snook took his shrimp and the next morning he stopped on his way home and showed me a beautiful 39 inch snook. He said he had caught others, but wanted a humpback. He preferred the meat. “You do not get the same fillet on a common ya get on a humpback,” he said. Now, I had heard of tarpon, swordspine, fat or common snook, but never humpback snook. But right in front of me was a snook who's head and back came up considerably higher than a normal snook. That’s a humpback.

Then I did not see a lot of him for a couple of years. He would stop by every once in a while and buy bait and tell stories of snook fishing. I believe he had fished every bridge and pier from Tampa to Naples sometimes on the look out for the state record and sometimes just looking to see what the night looked like at another pier. Mr. Snook has caught more big snook, over 40 inches, than anyone. I have seen hundreds of photos of Mr. Snook and his addiction.

It happened in March of 1987. Mr. Snook caught a 46 inch, 46 pound snook.

This monster had a 16 inch spread on it's tail. It was easily a new Florida State Record. It was unbelievable to look at such a monster. Mr. Snook had done it. At the same time, on the front page of a now defunked fishing publication appeared what was supposed to be a new state record: a 49 pound snook caught on the east coast.

Heart broke, Mr. Snook left and he never turned in his weight certificate to the sate.

Three months later, word came down that the ‘record fish’ from the east coast was only 30 pounds and not a record at all. By that time Mr. Snook had no way to prove he had caught the real record fish, but for the few of us who were there ... and saw it both on and off the scale ... well, what can I say, I was there. It was my scale. That was the record.

After a while Mr. Snook started fishing again. The addict went back to the water.

One night he came in and asked if he could leave his rods at the store so he could go get something to eat before he went out.

No problem, I said. To my surprise, they were rigged up ready to go. I am sorry to say I measured each and every section of that rig: a 7 foot Star rod, a 3/0 reel, 50 pound test line to a 150 pound test swivel with 60 pound test mono leader that was 40 inches long with a 6oz sinker tied to the end, and.... this is where

February

2008

it got interesting, ....the hook was tied to a 30 inch 60-pound leader that was attached to a swivel. The other end of the swivel was on the main leader, allowing the bait to swim up down or around the leader without tangling the rig. This rig was what let Mr. Snook fish 15 inch live baits.

I started fishing with him not long after that, and when I told him about us measuring and making drawings of his setup he got quite a laugh out of it.

We would go to a park or pier and he would rear back that big ‘ole rig and let her fly. Sixty yard casts were a piece of cake for Mr. Snook. The first time I tried it I got second degree burns on my thumb and he had another good chuckle.

When we would fish from shore you had to pick the right spot for good snook fishing. That meant plenty of room to run backwards. When he would get a bite Mr. Snook would set the hook and start running full speed backwards, never taking his eyes off the fish. In all those years I never saw him trip.

Mr. Snook and I fished quite a bit. One night we took my boat to Ponce De Leon Park. Me, having to work, I brought bug spray and a blanket, so I could sleep between fish. We were using large whole mullet. If you have been to Ponce at night you know what the no-see-ums are like. I sprayed me and my blankets and crawled under the covers. Ever once in a while I would wake up and look out: you all right? And thru a fog of black bugs, a cigarette would glow. It looked like a bug zapper, and he would answer “yhea, ...a little slow tonight, but I got a good feeling.

Then, about 3 a.m., he got bit and it was a big one. I jumped up and the battle was on. Mr. Snook both feet on the front pulling back on that rod until it was bent double, the snook, too heavy to jump out of the water, would thrash its head with its Continued on Facing Page

February

2008

R Re ea all E Es st ta at te e N Ne ew ws s PROVIDED BY: Dav e & Marl ene Ho fer RE/MAX Harbor Realty (941) 575-3777 dhofer@remax.net Recent area news i tems

The City Marketplace owners :1. have announced that a proposed sale of 1 1/4 acre of their site to a hotel developer. The new buyer will be seeking some modest type of height variance to meet his density requirements.

2. After a collective expenditure of more than $350K, Sarasota County and the City of North Port have tabled their plans to work together on a joint development master plan.

3. Bayshore Park in Charlotte Harbor is now scheduled to open in February.

4. A community group is now proposing to build a performing arts stage at Laishley Park. They expect to raise the funds necessary from private parties.

5.

Punta Gorda City Plan

Commission turned down Bove Development's request to create a marina in the "dead lake". Plans calling for a canal cut between the lake and the PGI canal system with a bridge on Colony Point Drive were nixed over MR Snook Continued from Facing Page

gill plates slapping together blappp.... bblappp... it was a sound like no other.

Mr. snook taught me about setting up on really big snook. Just before dark you head out with a couple of frozen mullet and some shrimp to catch bait. Lady fish 12 inches or bigger – the mullet is in case you do not find live bait. The boat was anchored off the stern and right off the point where the snook would come around the corner. He had enough lines out to be a net, and sure enough, a 33 inch snook took one line. Then as Mr. Snook landed him, a shark got his next rod. Before he could rebait he missed a fish on his third rod, then a sail cat got his fourth rod. During the rebaiting period I got my chance.

When you are using big baits you do not set the hook right away. That first time for me my line started to tighten up, the drag which was set loose started to click click, click click, on and on. Now do I set

Water LIFE

concerns raised by the "not in my backyard" neighbors to the proposed amenity. In the wake of the severe slowdown in condo demand plaguing the 700 unit Vivante development, this much needed stimulus will likely be denied when heard by the City Council on Feb 20.

6. Florida voters overwhelmingly chose to amplify the inequities of the Save Our Homes Amendment. The base homestead exemption will double to $50,000 and will become portable to a new residence. Rather than limiting government budget increases, a more "voter friendly" solution will shift even more of the tax dollars to the shoulders of non residents, vacant and commercial property owners.

7. Charlotte County issued 252 new residential building permits during the three months ending in November.

The County reports that net new household formations were running at about 700 per quarter during 2007. If this rate of almost 3 times as much fresh demand as supply continues, our local sales activity should start to become more normalized shortly. The big unknown dangers that could forestall a recovery any time soon include the uncertainty of the local economy (our job market is heavily dependent on the construction industry), the instability of the home mortgage market (foreclosure continues to be the medicine of choice by national lenders vs. workout and forbearance) and the media which persistently continues to sensationalize the fallout from the national housing bubble.

Sal es Stati s ti cs :

Sales of vacant lots remained quiet at 57 last month. Home sales fell again to just 114. With the return of the winter season, traffic has picked up

the hook?now? No, not yet! ... click click click clicking. Now ? No, not yet! It seemed like hours, it was only a minute or two but it seemed forever. Then the clicking stopped, just for a second, and then it started to go again. “Now!!” he says “Put the boots to it!!”

He likes that expression: “Put the boots to it!”

I cranked down on the drag and pulled back hard and then the snook pulled back.

What a feeling, what a rush, with only the stern light to see with, all your senses atune to the whitewater thrashing, the direction of the pull, the weight of the fish.

Old timers, you will remember the winner of the first ever “Snook Fishing Tournament Trail”, the Grand Master Classic, a year long event with a classic fish-off at the end. Hundreds of people fished. It was poetic justice that Mr. Snook won. His wife just gave me the embroidered jacket they gave him for the Classic.

I am going to display it at Fishin’ Franks.

“Mr. Snook” is Norman Day. Thank you, Norm, it’s a pleasure knowing you!

MAGAZINE

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21

On The Line

Water LIFE

Page 22

MAGAZINE

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to maintain and improve our boat ramps with our state boater registration fee.

People who register their boats in Charlotte Co. also pay an annual 50% boater’s surtax on their registration which goes in to a special boater’s revolving fund which helps fund county boat ramps. Now you have to pay to park at the county’s boat ramps and that fee has increased recently. It now cost 75-cents per hour to park or you can purchase a yearly permit for $50 plus tax. You can get more information about parking fees by calling the Charlotte Parks and Recreation Department at 941-625-7529.

Cold fronts seem to seem to be passing through our area on a weekly basis. A few weeks ago I found a thin sheet of ice inside my canoe. That’s the first time I can remember that happening in 20 years.

Somebody promised us global warming and I want it right now! I do not live in Florida so I can freeze to death. I admire the hardiness of our northern visitors who line up at the boat ramp at first light to launch their aluminum Lund boats and go fishing. I for one am not even leaving my house until

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Fantastic Country Home- 2.5 AcresOversize luxury 5 bedroom custom pool home, built in 2002, pond shed, circular drive No deed restrictions $499,950

2008

Fishing withCapt Ron

By Capt Ron Bl ago Water LIFE Senior Staff There is good news on the local boating front. Both the Port Charlotte Beach Complex Boat Ramp and the Placida Boat Ramp are open and back in business. The renovation projects were completed a few weeks ahead of schedule, just in time for the tourist season rush. The Placida Ramp, which is by far the most popular public ramp in Charlotte County has been reconfigured to allow three trailers to use the ramps at the same time. The ramps themselves have been replaced with a new heavily textured concrete surface to make them less slippery. The docks have also been replaced and are now handicapped–accessible. Congratulations go out to the Charlotte County Parks and Recreation Department for doing a great job.

Of course these types of improvement to our public boat ramps cost money and unfortunately someone has to pay for them ... and of course that someone is you, the taxpayer. We have already paid for the existing ramps with our property taxes and sales taxes; and of course as boaters we pay

Extremely nice 3/2/2 New tile floors, beautiful view, split floorplan, updated, new interior paint, quiet street

February

North Port Luxury with Huge Detached Garage- 4 Acres Incredible new home with million dollar features. Over 3800sfAir, Guest Suite and 2000sf Outbuilding! $599,900

Continued on Facing Page

Sailboat Waterfront Lot- $179,900!, 10 minutes to open water, 30 minutes to the Gulf

2.5 Acres-Waterfront Neighborhood! Only $195,000, Build your dreamhome today!

A Price From Yesteryear!! Gulf Access, 5 Minutes To Harbor, 3/2/2, new lift, over 100 ft of seawall, no bridges, $349,900!

February

Water LIFE

2008

Katy Beck of Minnesota caught this oversize redfish while fishing Charlotte Harbor with Capt. Andrew Medina from Florida Light Tackle Charters.

Continued from Facing Page

the temperature hits 60 degrees. It’s funny that in my younger days I considered this to be the best time of year to go wadding.

The big fish tend to hold up in a deep mud hole and if you could stand the cold, you could get some record size fish.

Trout fishing is really strong right now.

They will bite just about anything you throw at them; live or artificial. Slow drifting over a grass flat with a jig is my preferred technique. I’m also starting to catch bluefish and pompano in the same areas.

Last year was such a great year for pompano that I’m kind of disappointed that this year is just normal. Cold weather is

WAT E R WAY

sheepshead time. Sheepshead fishing is getting more popular each year. With all the restrictions and closed seasons on other species in the winter, it’s good to know you can still count on a fish dinner by concentrating on sheepshead. Remember these fish like docks, pilings and rocks so make sure your tackle is stout enough to pull them away from the structure. These fish can get pretty mean when hooked and a 6pound sheepshead is not unusual around here. The Placida Trestle and the El Jobean Pier are probably the most popular places to try for really big sheepshead.

Capt. Ron can be reached at: captronb@juno.com for fishing information

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MAGAZINE

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23

Page 24

Water LIFE

February

2008

KayakSlam Series Off and Fishinʼ MAGAZINE

S t aff R eport The first KayakSlam event was held on January 12 at Affinity Tackle in Placida.

Thirteen kayaks participated.

The morning was calm. According to most anglers a good falling tide created a solid morning bite. A dozen anglers checked in with a total of 29 fish entered in the event: 8 snook, 11 redfish, and 10 trout. All entries were submitted by photograph. Seven grand slams were recorded.

Cameron Schurlknight of Venice captured the big trout award with a 22-inch fish and also took the DOA Youth Angler Award.

But it took a well rounded performance

by Josh Brown of Port Charlotte to capture a 26-inch snook, a 26-inch redfish, and a 16.5-inch trout for a total of 68.5 inches and the win. Josh concentrated his efforts close to home and fished the Placida area using topwater plugs in the morning. Josh said he had his best luck with a custom color Mirrolure Mirrodine MR17 from Affinity Tackle. Second place finisher John Lee and third place winner Mike Mahan targeted the Pirate Harbor area on the east shore of Charlotte Harbor to capture their slams. John Lee’s 30.5-inch redfish was the largest fish of the weekend. Both anglers worked a combination of potholes and sandbars using topwater early and twitch baits later in the day.

Next Came Napl es Twenty two anglers entered the Naples event and in the end Josh Harvel of Cape

Rob Hofbauer holding the camera in one hand and his 29-inch snook in the other.

Coral was the Naples KayakSlam winner with a total of 69.5-inches. Josh fished the Matlacha area of Charlotte Harbor using RipTide soft plastics and US Reel Supercaster Reels.

There were five Grand Slams caught and a total of 30 fish.

In the Naples event, 16 out of 22 anglers caught at least one fish.

The next event is the Cape Coral Kayak Slam, the 2nd leg of the S.W. Florida Division, to be held at Cape Tool and Tackle on Pine Island Rd in Cape Coral on Feb. 8 and 9. For info: 941-637-5953

February

2008

Curry Creek- A

Water LIFE

P a d d l e w i t h a Tw i s t

By Davi d Al l en Water LIFE Kayaking The Port Charlotte Kayakers first paddled Curry Creek about 4 years ago and until that time almost no one in our club had even heard of Curry Creek. Where, exactly, was Curry Creek located? How long and difficult a paddle would it be?

Where did it lead? Did we really want to explore this new area or stick with the more familiar routes?

A map of the Venice area showed us the general location and direction of Curry Creek, although not with any significant detail. There was a ramp and parking area just north of E. Venice Ave., just before the bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway.

At the time, the City of Venice was renovating the old railroad station to include restaurants, boutiques, and other specialty shops. The parking lot was adequate and the ramp serviceable, so we launched our kayaks and headed north and east into Roberts Bay. The day was very warm, with little wind to hamper or help us. After paddling a quarter to a half mile in the Intracoastal and Roberts Bay, we passed under the Highway 41 Bridge, and past numerous boats, large and small, that were tied to the dock. Continuing northeast, we passed again under the Highway 41 Bridge and a few yards beyond, a railroad bridge. The tide coming in, but there were still large, shallow areas of shell that

we had to skirt around. Now, suddenly, the route changed dramatically, narrowing down to a single channel with mangroves and other vegetation on both sides.

As we paddled eastward, the channel continued to narrow until it was scarcely wider than a kayak. Lots of branches blocked our way, but the most annoying aspect was the many webs that industrious spiders had constructed in front of us. By reaching a paddle out well ahead of the kayak we could clean most of these webs out of the way before they draped over our caps and arms.

The next stretch of channel, completely filled with a heavy growth of water lilies for a quarter mile or so, was even more difficult to get through than the spider webs. All we could do was pull ourselves, hand-over-hand, using our paddles for leverage wherever possible. Hot work on a hot day.

About this time, we were starting to re-think our decision to paddle Curry Creek. But not being overly intelligent, we decided to go ahead just to see what else we would run into. It turned out to be a good decision, because after the lilies, the channel became more open and much easier to paddle.

We continued to see occasional housing developments, mostly along the south side of the Creek, and after passing under the Pinebrook Road Bridge, we found the Capri Isles Golf Club on the left of the

MAGAZINE

stream. Just beyond the Golf Club, Curry Creek branches off to the left, with the right side, Blackburn Canal, flowing southwest all the way to Jacaranda Blvd.

We were home free at this point as the Creek continued to widen and the paddling became easier and easier. We passed under the I-75 Bridge and then, quickly under the Jacaranda Blvd. Bridge. The Creek now turns southeast and continues along the north side of I-75 to the north end of North River Road. There Curry Creek emptied into the Myakka River, about 1 mile north of Snook Haven. The total length of the Creek is about 7.5 miles; round trip about 15 miles, but it took us about 3 hours for just the outbound leg.

A fast paddle was out of the question

Page 25

because of the lilies and spider webs. The return paddle went quicker because we had cleaned out all the spider webs and some of the lilies on the earlier leg. Still, it was a tough paddle on a hot day.

Last year, when we did the same trip, the channel was almost completely clear of lilies, and there seemed to be fewer spider webs. So I can now recommend this paddle for almost anyone interested in a paddle with a twist. The path is clear!

The Port Charlotte Kay ak ers meet each Wednesday ev ening at 5:30 PM, at the Port Charlotte Beach Complex . All paddlers, or potential paddlers interested in finding out more about the sport and our club, are welcome. For more information, contact Dav e Allen at 941-235-2588 or:

Offshore Report Page 26

By Capt. S teve S kevi ngton Water LIFE Offshore The last few week's, as I write this, have been plagued with high winds making it really hard to get out and do much fishing.

However we have gone out once or twice and when we did, the fish acted as if they had missed us.

The mangrove snapper where biting live shrimp, and the gag grouper were all over our pinfish like they hadn't had a bite to eat in weeks.

The amberjacks ...bless there big hearts, were chasing the boat as we drifted across one of my favorite wrecks.

They kept six rods at a time bent over double and line screaming off those poor little reels.

There were some simply huge mangrove snapper out there on the deeper spots and they wanted to eat live green backs, but we had to keep the amberjack off of them long enough to get a snapper on.

One old trick we used was to cut the tail off of the green back. For some reason you’ll get more snapper and less amberjack on that way.

There were still some kingfish out there, I saw some jumpping out of the water on the way into the

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Water LIFE

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

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Capt Stev e can be reached for charter information at, (941) 575-3528 or at

Grouper Regs

Are grouper closed from 2/15 – 3/15 this year? I am hearing this question from a lot of people this last few weeks, so I put in a call to FWC (Florida Fish & Wildlife) What they have told me is this: They are closed for ʻcommercial grouper fishingʼ long lining, bandit rig fishing, etc. this year, but grouper is NOT closed to recreational fishing or charter fishing.

So thatʼs great news for all of us wanting to get out on the water and put Grouper in the boat!

Two Lots on Corner of Fleming & David 60ʼ ON THE WATER with seawall in and dock being installed. Lots cleared with water and sewer available.

Price Reduced!

Gulf Cove Lot CHILCOTE TERRACE Cleared, filled, with seawall and dock. 3rd from Myakka in area of upscale homes. 98'X125' $399,000

2008

dock the other day, but we had a problem catching any as our fish box was full.

Such problems are good ones to have.

Capt Steve.

575-2525

Doug & Judy Kaff

February

MAGAZINE

Great New Bayside Complex. Gated with private

elevators and coded entry .

Turnkey furnished 2bed 2bath. nice views – unit has private garages, community J u d y K a f f dock, workout room, pool with spa. $799,000

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

New Const. Direct Gulf Front New Condos: 3 bedroom 2 1/2 bath. Two Pools, elevators, under building parking ON THE BEACH! a. $999,000 "The Palms " full gulf views SOLD! $769,000 "Barefoot Beach" Bldg 1 Turnkey furnished, generated b.SOLD! over $31,000 in rental income last year...full gulf views c. $499,000 "Barefoot Beach" ...Bldg 2 entire floor no common walls d. $1,199,000 "Boulder Pointe" direct gulf front, 2 pools and tennis court

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SCUTTLEBUTT

February

2008

Sometimes Unsubstanciated, But Often True

Fishing after the California fires, anglers rescued a deer 1.5 miles offshore. “We turned her loose when we got back to land,” the unidentified angler said.

Suddenly Inconsiderate The proposed Sudden Impact Tournament Series scheduled to be held out of Realmark Propertiesʼ Burnt Store Marina this season already has a number of people upset. It seems all three Sudden Impact Tournament dates have been scheduled on days that other local tournaments are already scheduled for. Sudden Impactʼs April 19 event is scheduled on top of the popular Kids Cup benefit. The second Sudden Impact date is June 28, the same day as the high schoolʼs Pirate Redfish Tournament fundraiser. And the final Sudden Impact will be on Sept 27, an X-Treme Redfish Tournament date. While there are no set rules for who has a tournament where and on what date, by scheduling events in Charlotte Harbor directly over the top of already scheduled and longstanding community based events, the Sudden Impact Series, Burnt Store Marina and Realmnark Properties are ʻSuddenlyʼ not going to be making friends in the community.

On You TUBE? You BOOBE! Two defendants in a recently aired You Tube video that depicted them fishing for and snagging a manatee were sentenced in federal court. The primary defendant received 30 days in jail, to be served beginning immediately (US Marshalls escorted him away from court).

After the thirty days in jail, he is to be immediately remanded to home confinement for another 30 days.

After that, one year of supervised probation with electronic monitoring and 100 hours community service.

The co-defendant received a sentence of 15 days in jail, one year supervised probation, and 100 hours of community service. The judge received many letters from citizens requesting a harsh sentence be imposed.

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(941) 255-3551

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

Fishville is No. 1 Fishermanʼs Village has been named “ National Marina of the Year.” Congratulations!

The DEP has leased Dogfish Key in Charlotte Harbor to Mote Marine for use as a research center to study area aquaculture and fish.

H(u)mmmmmm ... The Flatmasters Tournament Series landed Hummer as a sponsor.

Times are Good in the Phosphate Business. Year end stock market results showed our good friends at Mosaic had the price of their stock increase +341.7% in 2007. Remember, these guys said they couldn't afford to put up more than a million dollar bond to pay for any unfortunate environmental disaster they might cause in the future.

Kiwanis Club Is Out of July 4 Fireworks Display, But Harpoon Harrys and the Captainʼs Table are in.

Angler Friendly The new Microtel Hotel (the blue building near ABC liquors in Port Charlotte) will be angler friendly with trailer plugs in the parking lot suitable for battery charging.

MAGAZINE

Now Booking for 2008

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Water LIFE

MAGAZINE

February

2008

The Water Water LIFE LIFE Distributor始s Club

Cooks Sportland

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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.

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Local Shrimp

February

2008

The Commercial Perspective

By Kel l y Beal Peace Ri ver S eafood Water LIFE Punta Gorda Growing up, my father always stressed to me the importance of being self reliant. You have to have skills to be able to always take care of yourself. This is the most important lesson - you know - give a man a fish, you feed him for a day, teach a man to fish you feed him for a lifetime....you get the picture.

In the bigger scheme of things I believe our country should be self reliant.

“A nation must be able to defend itself and feed itself - we must never be dependent for our food needs. Being able to feed ourselves is not just sound economic and agricultural policy, it is wise national security” Mike Huckabee recently said.

Good point Mike, especially since less than 1-percent of our imported food is FDA inspected.

According to testimony from House Energy and Commerce Committee investigators, the FDA has not been able or willing to pursue the vigorous program of inspection and laboratory testing that is needed to assure safety and security of the nations food supply. “Compared to the EU, Japan and Canada, the FDA is the least effective seafood safety regime,” explained John Williams, executive director of the Southern Shrimp Alliance.

RIGHT: A Gulf Shrimp worker with different sizes of shrimp.

BELOW: In the fishhouse at Gulf Shrimp on Fort Myers Beach, shrimp ride along a conveyor belt system that sorts them by size.

Boats out for 28 days at a time bring their Gulf Shrimp catch directly in here.

Water LIFE

Williams says “FDA tests a minute proportion of imports, lacks strong penalties for violations, and has severe delays in enforcement compared to its international counterparts.” Since the FDA is less stringent that other major markets, the US has become a dumping ground for contaminated seafood.

In December 2003 the Southern Shrimp Alliance (composed of shrimp industry groups from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Texas and South Carolina) filed anti-dumping petitions with the DOC and the US International Trade Commission alleging that imports from Brazil, China, Ecuador, Thailand, India and Vietnam were being sold at less than fair value and were materially injuring the domestic shrimp industry. Department of Commerce investigations confirmed this data.

Between 2000 and 2002 shrimp

MAGAZINE

imports increased by 17% while import prices plunged 29%. Each year its more and more. US imports of shrimp from the six investigated countries were valued at 2.4 billion in 2006, that's up 18% from 2005. No wonder the shrimp fleets are parked. We can not compete. We can't break even, much less make a profit.

How are American shrimpers doing it?

They aren't. Wilma Anderson, executive director of Texas shrimp Association says “You have to understand we are talking about thousands of jobs, lifetime investments, lenders that have millions of dollars in loan portfolios, shore side facilities, and entire fishing communities that are being harmed. If the US Shrimp

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Industry is forced into a bankrupt state that will be a tremendous economic impact that would be felt throughout the eight states from North Carolina to Texas.”

What can you do? Know the origin of what you eat. I buy the shrimp we sell from Gulf Shrimp on Fort Myers Beach. I know its origin - from fellow American shrimpers. I know how safe and clean they keep everything. They have an impressive facility. Parked shrimp boats invoke a sadness in me.

Let's send those boats out - don't ever buy imported or farmed shrimp!! Support your local fishermen, be healthy and be happy!

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Februa Fishing Report

Charlotte Harbor:

Robert at Fishin' Franks Port Charlotte: 625-3888

Sheepshead is the hot fish this month. Definitely, March will be the peak month for sheepies, but Feb is pretty darn good. The usual places where they are heavy is Palcida at the trestle and the old Phosphate Dock They are also pretty abundant on the oyster bars at Bull and Turtle Bay, and the oyster bars in the Whidden Creek area. Sheepshead are also starting to move up the river to El Jobean and the Alligator Creek reef. In years past there have been sheepshead spawning back past the fork in the creek itself.

Of course fiddler crabs are the best bait for sheepshaed, but this year they are very difficult to get, supposedly because of overbuilding and pollution they aren’t catching fiddler crabs around here any more. Now they have to come from the panhandle area and

Water LIFE

we’ve been waiting 7 or 8 weeks now for them to come in. Live shrimp and frozen shrimp or frozen or live sand fleas are all alternate sheepshead baits. Barnacles, actually the crabs and the little tube worms on the barnacles are what sheepshead also like to feed on. That’s why guys scrape the barnacles – to get the stuff on them in the water. For the northern fishermen, sheepshead are exactly like fishing for tatuge or blackfish.

Those fish behave exactly the way sheepshead do, and they like hanging around structure. Midwesterners who hear ‘sheepshead’ think of a totally different fish. They throw them on the bank and look at them as junk fish, but it’s a totally different sheepshead that we have down here.

Trout will be the next big fish this month. For the shore bound guys, El Jobean, Laishley and the 41 bridges are all good trout spots right now. For guys in a boat, drifting the flats, finding the sand holes, that's the better bet for finding the bigger fish. If you’re anchored up and you’re catching the smaller trout, drift a little, they tend to school up together; the big trout and the smaller ones.

MAGAZINE

February

2008

A poppin' cork with a live or frozen shrimp or even a soft plastic artificial will all work very well on trout right now.

Trout will also hit a small topwater like a Zara Puppy or a MirroLure Top Pup. Redfish, legal size, this time of year is tricky. Look at the deeper sand holes on the outside of the islands or A friend in Venice sent us an e-mail with the following attached: My friend is trying to get a little more performance from his boat. down around Whidden or Catfish Any suggestions? creek in the backOffshore fishing is starting to pick country. The smaller rat-reds seem to up quite a bit. Grunts and mangrove be really abundant on the east or west snapper are heating up and triggerside of the harbor. Try to use a circle fish have made a really good showing hook when fishing them, it’s so much so far this year. They are catching easier on the fish.

Bait of choice is definitely shrimp, triggers on most of the reefs, even the Alligator Creek reef in the harbor has live or dead, and also cut bait- like had some trigger fish caught on it this chunks of ladyfish sitting on the botlast month. That’s a rarity. tom, on a jig.

The grouper bite had been OK, Flounder is another good catch this time of year. They are usually by- but unless you are willing to run 25 or 30 miles out, grouper are still hard to catch, but now is the time to target come by. them. Look on the outside of the bigFreshwater Crappie are doing realger reefs, on the edges. Even out in ly really good. Look in 4 feet of water 50 or 60 feet of water – it’s not – that’s the magic number, that’s the unusual to find a nice flounder. Closer depth where they have been hanging. in, along the beaches in the trough that runs along the sand bar, along the Fish right at the edge of the pepper trees. The canals around Lake Betty edges where it drops off on the sides and some canals off Loveland are of Boca Grand, those are all flounder holding some nice crappie. Fish minspots. nows under a float. Set the float for 3 Shrimp or small pinfish or small to 3.5 feet. On this coming moon and strips of squid dragged lightly along on the new moon crappie should realthe bottom are flounder enticers.

Also out along the beach right now ly light up good. are whiting. They are in the same The bass places as the flounder and are moving are going on into the harbor and up to the 41 and to bed in just even the I-75 bridge. These fish are about every very good to eat, but more importantly, for many, is that they make a won- canal. If they aren’t on bed derful cobia bait. now they There have been a few cobia on will be in the the west side of the harbor, outside the bar. Some have been seen moving next two up to ElJobean. If you want Cobia, be weeks.

Speaking ready. Have a big pole ready, rigged of bass, JT Kenny of Port Charlotte with a big Bomber. Take that with took first place in the January 26 you and have it handy when you are FLW event at Okeechobee and came fishing for trout. That’s when you’ll back with $125,000. It was his second most likely see a cobe’.

February

2008

big win. Locally, the bass are hitting the shiners, but a plastic lizard in the JuneBug color has been really good this year too.

Lemon Bay:

Jim at Fishermen’s Edge, Englewood: 697-7595

The biggest action over here seems to be pompano. A lot of the commercial guys and guys fishing around the pass are doing well with pompano. The best fishing seems to be around Gasparilla pass. Also, there are pompano on the inside on the south end of the island by Boca Grande.

More inshore there are still nice redfish being caught.

Guides are doing pretty good on both redfish and trout. Fish mostly in the 20 inch range.

BIG-4 BIG-4

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Februaryʼs Target Species Species Februaryʼs Target

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KIDS CUP April 19

POMPANO are in the Gulf passes and along the surf

REDFISH and a slew of ratreds are around the Harbor

Mostly they have all been caught on shrimp imitations. Either Rip Tides or Gulp’s, fishing them slow, working them back to the boat.

The trout have been in the grass flats, in the potholes on the lower tides, and then back on the grass.

I’ve heard there are a lot of snook, up in Coral Creek, Catfish Creek, Oyster Creek, all along that side of the bay and all holed up in skinny water. Snook have been where it is just a little warmer. They have been around

n Feb 4 Boati ng S afety and S eamanshi p, Lemon Bay Park, Englewood, 6:30 PM. Subsequent sessions 7-9 PM Monday and Thursday, final session March 13. Basic information about proper small boat operation, trailering, coastal navigation, knot tying, boating laws, safety equipment, aids to navigation ‘rules of the road’ Successful completion qualifys for Florida Boater Card. n Feb 9- KayakSlam Series-Cape Coral – Kayak onl y tournament, trout, redfish,

TROUT are one the grass flats and in the potholes

the seawalls on the sunny side of the creeks and channels.

Kayakers are getting to see snook up in the creeks. But they’ve been hard to get to eat.

There has been some sheepshead activity, lately. Tube worms and black oyster-crabs (when they can get them) are good baits. For our shop, fiddler crabs are hard to get because our source was a guy who went with his son to get them. But since then, he died.

There have been some spanish mackerel, not a lot, but some

Calendar

snook, lures only, photo release n Feb 16- Fl atsmasters Qual i fi er "FMQ" 2 redfish on artificial lures. n Feb 21- CCA Benefit Auction and Dinner (see facing page) n Feb 21-23 FLW Redfish Tour at Punta Gorda, Laishley Park n Mar 29- Maverick Boats Fl atsmasters S eri es- Grand S l am Pl ug Tournament trout, redfish, snook on artificial lures. n April 19: Water LIFE Magazine 5th annual

THE ALL NEW 2008 F-450 KING RANCH SUPER DUTY

of

SHEEPSHEAD are moving into the harbor

guys are getting them on the beach-front and up at the Venice Jettys.

Offshore has been good. A lot of snapper and quite a bit of grouper. The grouper have mostly all been caught on frozen bait or pinfish. The snapper are taking cut bait or shrimp. They are finding them anywhere from 7 or 8 miles out on in, but the better reports are are coming from the guys fishing 40 foot depths.

Freshwater, there are some catfish and some bass, nothing special.

Events

Kids Cup Tournament at

Punta Gorda.

Applications online NOW! at

MIAMI BOAT SHOW

West Marine is now accepting reservations for the annual bus trip to the Miami Boat Show, February 15th.

625-2700

Fishing

RIGHT NOW: weather permitting

Excellent!

February

2008

Water LIFE

MAGAZINE

Mike Here's the tournament calendar Give me a call if you have any questions Classic Tournaments at 941-637-5953

2/9/08- KayakSlam Series-Cape Coral- Cape Tool & Tackle Kayak only tournament, trout, redfish, snook, lures only, photo release Flatsmasters Series

3/1/08- KayakSlam Series- Clearwater- Joe's Crab Shack Kayak only tournament, trout, redfish, snook, lures only, photo release

3/22/08- KayakSlam Series- Ft Myers- Joe's Crab Shack Kayak only tournament, trout, redfish, snook, lures only, photo release 4/5/08- KayakSlam Series -Sarasota Kayak only tournament, trout, redfish, snook, lures only, photo release 5/10,11/08- Maverick Boats Flatsmasters Series- Redfish Classic 2 redfish, bait of choice

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