Water LIFE March 2016

Water L I F E

Charlotte Harbor, Lemon Bay, Venice, Estero, 10,000 Islands and the Gulf

The Don Ball School of Fishing

March 2016

3 Regattas Last Month Page 21

Shrimperʼs Letter about Harbor Shrimping

Page 14

Super-Sized Sheepshead

10,000 Islands Page 15

Data Collection Recreational Tagging Page 17

“Word has spread, a lot of fish were caught” Fishing Report Page 22-23

Spring Migration Page 10

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Teaching Myself a Lesson

By Michael Heller Water LIFE Editor Ever notice how sometimes you say stuff and it comes right back to bite you in the butt? Here’s an example: I was talking to a neighbor and her young son about our Don Ball School of Fishing program and how it was going to be offered to 6th grader’s this coming fall, instead of 7th graders. I was telling them sports and other after school programs were conflicting and kids were having trouble choosing.

“What do you learn in that class,” the boy with her, who appeared to be about class age, asked me. “Fishing, the environment and ethical angling,” I told him.

What’s ‘ethical’ he asked.

That’s a problem I run into a lot in our school program. One of the questions on our 10-question quiz is about ethical angling and almost all of the kids don’t know what the word ethical means - you’d think they’d all know that by 6th grade.

I told him ethical means doing the right thing even when no one else is watching.

We talked a little more and then they left.

I had to get my boat ready for a trip up river the next morning. I mixed some pool chlorine with water and dumped it on the deck where green algae was trying to take hold around the scuppers. I followed that up with swipe of Scotchbrite and a splash of water. Then I hooked up the water line to the flush-out port on the back of the

outboard and got ready to crank it over.

My old carbureted Mercury likes one way and one way only of starting. The engine must be level, the primer bulb must be squeezed till it’s hard so the float bowls are full. Then the primer button on the key has to be depressed for the count (slow count) of eight before the key is turned to start. Not 7 seconds. Not 7 and a half seconds or nine seconds. Eight seconds, with the throttle in neutral and opened about half way. Like that it will start every time.

It can sit overnight or for a year and it will start. But this is the cold start procedure only. After that first start, for the rest of the day, you just turn the key.

I have davits on my seawall so I keep the boat out of the water. I built a (sort of) cradle for it. I plumbed a pvc pipe to the fence where a Salt-Away mixer is fastened and then I have a short section of hose with a quick coupling that I can connect to the flush-out port. I have a water pressure gauge on the hose so I don’t blow out the soft rubber diaphragms in my motor.

When I turned the water on there was pressure but no flow. I on and offed it a couple of times but nothing. Something was plugged up. I unhooked the hose and opened the valve - whoosh, plenty of water there, so something was plugged in the motor. I had an idea what.

I pulled the cowling and set it on the grass. Then I disconnected the fitting from the flush out and took the hose clamp off

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Last month, downstream from the Ft. Ogden Trestle, anglers fished a shallow shoreline of the Peace River for bass. The water was lower there than weʼd seen in a while. Related photo page 18

where it attaches to a nipple on the block.

Right about then my neighbor’s young son came up to the fence.

‘What are you doing?”

“Trying to get a lizard out my motor,” I said.

He let himself in through the gate and came over to look.

I pointed to the exposed hose nipple. “See that? Look inside there. Look closer. See that little curly thing?”

He studied it, angling around, this way

and that, to see better.

I reached in with a needle nose pliers. The end of the tail broke off, but I got hold of it further up and finally a squished-to-death lizard came out.

“What happened?”

The on-and-off did it. The lizard crawled into my wash out hose and when I turned on the water he got stuck. It’s happened before, I said.

“Killed him,” my new young friend observed while examining the corpse.

“Was that ethical,” he asked.

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Send letters and photos to: WaterLIFE@comcast.net

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Vol XV No 3 © 2016

NO PART of this publication (printed or electronic) may be copied, reproduced or reused without specific written permission from the publishers (and thatʼs never happened!).

Contributing Editors:

Courtney Martinʼs first offshore trip was to Power Pole Reef where she landed this nice baracudda.

John Greenfield caught this fine 22-inch trout in Estero Bay last month.

Kyle Martin with a thick AJ from a secret spot not too far offshore.

Bob Miller caught this snook in a community pond in Englewood.

About Sending us Pictures: Yes! Please Do!

We got this picture of Pat Ellis and a blue parrot fish just as we were going to press: “I understand these are not that common. If you are interested I can send more info.”

Pat Ellis wrote.

We like Fresh Fish so

resolution is best. Please

We like the First Catch

us to do that, it will look

please donʼt send old photos.

so donʼt send us pictures you are sending to an-

other publication, like for instance, the Charlotte Sun ;-(

Send it anyway! - ed

Bigger is Better, higher

donʼt adjust, crop or

sharpen your pictures. Let better!

Send Where? email to:

waterlife@comcast.net or txt them, include your

name, to 941-457-1316 (txt only, voice calls are

not answered)

Best Picture Wins There is no guarantee your fish will appear in print, but if itʼs a better picture of a

bigger fish or something cool or unusual, it has a

very good chance of getting into the magazine.

Thanks!

Photography: ASA1000.com Senior Editor: Capt. Ron Blago Charlotte Harbor: Capt. Billy Barton Baitshop Commentary: Fishinʼ Frank Peace River: Capt. David Stephens Diving: Adam Wilson Punta Gorda: Capt. Chuck Eichner Venice: Glen Ballinger Estero: Capt. Joe Angius Everglades City: Capt. Charlie Phillips Kayaking: Bob Fraser Sea Grant: Capt. Betty Staugler Beach Fishing: Mallory Herzog Pier Fishing: Bobby Vitalis

On the Cover:

Capt. Charlie Phillips put his client on this beautiful sheepshead last month, fishing out of the Everglades/ 10,000 Islands area. See Capt. Charlieʼs column on page 15

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A Month of Change and Wind PAGE

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By Capt. Chuck Eichner Water LIFE Inshore March is a month of change in our local waters and the only thing predictable about fishing is that you will have to deal with a lot of wind. Technically, the first three weeks are still winter and depending on Mother Nature it can swing from a sluggish winter bite with chilly weather to a smoking hot late spring bite. The one common denominator is that our fish will relate to high - low transition spots on the bottom.

Let’s start with speckled trout which will be the easiest fish to catch regardless of wind, warmth or cold.

Trout will be found hanging around drop-offs in 3-to 5-feet where there is a grassy bottom. You can drift a grassy flats area or motor until you see a bottom change from shallow to deep. The steeper the “wall” on your drop the better the fish like it. I like to watch for dropoffs that have grass showing on the bottom. When using your sonar it is important to take it out of auto-mode and reduce your sensitivity. Otherwise you will receive false signals on the bottom and in the middle of the water column that you will think are fish or grass beds. Another

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important thing to remember: Your transducer is likely 1-to 2-feet below the water surface. You need to subtract that depth from your sonar’s reading to know the true depth. The trout are very depth specific and 1-to 2-feet of variance makes the difference in where they stage to feed.

For trout fishing, the best approach is to anchor the boat on the high spot and fan cast the deeper water on the drop off. I use my power pole to quickly set up and move as the bite dictates.

Great areas to fish are the bar and grass flats outside of Bookellia, Turtle Bay and the Gasparilla area. The edges of the ICW provide high/low bottom terrains as well that hold lots of nice trout.

Casting jig heads with plastic swimtails or live shrimp will work every time, but focus on your bottom machine. Lazy drifting across large expanses is peaceful and relaxing, but focusing on the drops will produce more and bigger trout.

Snook fishing in March is often some of the best of the year but is very weather dependent. Snook will need at least a week of consistent 80 degree weather to get active. They have wintered in deeper areas and move across the shallows once our waters are up in the 70s.

The first place they position are on deep holes adjacent to the flats and only on high tide. Here again, the high-low transition point from shallow to deep is where they stage. They will make their move on sunny days with high tides and the first snook of the season are usually the biggest. Maybe it is just because the large snook have let their guard down over winter, but March is typically when I catch the 15-20 pound snook with some regularity. The boat positioning mind set is the same as trout, position your boat shallow and cast to the deeper

MARCH 2016

spots. However, you are fishing open water on grass flats for trout, but focusing on mangrove areas and sand holes for snook. Anything 3 feet and deeper next to the flats is deep to a snook.

For bait, spoons and plastic swimbaits work well, but nothing beats a live shiner. If you are lucky enough to find live pilchards on the flats in March then likely the water is warm enough for the snook to be on the move in the afternoons. Snook inhabit every mangrove area whether it is near the beaches, in the rivers or the backcountry around the Harbor and there are always other fish that share the same waters, with redfish, pompano and jack crevalle being the usual suspects. Use your depth finder to pick out trout spots and your eyes to detect a snook haven. Stake your boat high and away from the fish. Capt. Chuck Eichner operates Action Flats Backcountry

Charters and can be reached at 941-628-8040

Free Seminar March 24th 6-8pm Capt. Jay Withers All About Tarpon

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Quality Fish, Many Choices

By Capt. David Stephens Water LIFE Charlotte Harbor Charlotte Harbor has become one of the top fishing destinations in the United States. March is one of those months that has giving this beautiful area that distinct recognition. Water temperatures are on the rise as the days get longer. The turtle grass on the flats will begin to fill back in and the tides will also become higher. Schools of scaled sardines will move back onto the area flats. Spring on Charlotte Harbor is one of the most productive times of the year to fish.

Probably the hardest decision to make is what to target. During this time we have schools of Spanish mackerel that are following the warm waters north on their migration. Cobia can be found through out the Harbor from the local sand bars and flats to the deeper holes. Possibly the most sought after of all the species the Harbor has to offer, snook will be the highest on most anglers list. During the colder months of winter snook become lethargic and don’t feed very often. Rising water temperatures and longer days signals snook spring has arrived.

Locating feeding fish is not very difficult this time of year. Wintering snook tend to stay close to, and can be found in

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and around, deep water. Rivers and the residential canals are some of the places these fish migrate to. As the water begins to warm deeper water will still hold very good numbers of hungry fish. I have often found very good numbers of snook in deeper water during early Spring. Maybe

due to the chance of a late cold front.

Warming water will move these guys on to the flats. The major key to locating flats fish is tidal flow. On the higher tides mangrove points that have the best tidal flow will be holding feeding snook. As the tide falls these fish will move out onto the flats. Try to look for areas that has low boat traffic. A stealthy approach will help to not spook open water fish. Live sardines are the way to go this time of year.

If you are unable to get your own bait many of the local bait shops sell pinfish. I

are a catch and release guy, they also do a great job not gut hooking fish. As the water begins to get clear, fluorocarbon leader will also help with the bite. I recommend at least 25-to 30 pound leader for snook. I hope some of these tips will help you have a great day fishing the waters of Charlotte Harbor. highly recommend circle hooks. If you plan to take fish home for dinner, circle hooks are great for a solid hook up. If you

If you would like to experience some of Charlotte Harbor’s best fishing give me a call or send me an email. All of our charters are private and customized to fit you and your parties needs. Capt. Dave Stephens www.backbayxtremes.com 941-916-5769

Estero Bay: PAGE

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Good Fishing Despite Freshwater Releases

By Captain Joe Angius Water LIFE Estero Bay Fishing in Southwest Florida is an experience like no other. The weather is unpredictable, negative tides can leave anglers stranded and unnatural freshwater releases from Lake Okochobee make finding fish and locating bait an extremely difficult task. Yes, the freshwater release affects our coast’s water quality, economy, and ecosystems, but, there are still plenty of fish to catch.

Estero Bay is an estuary located so that it makes it difficult for the freshwater from the mouth of the Caloosahatchee to reach its pristine backwaters. The fish understand that the salinity levels are changing, weather is constantly changing, cold fronts account for colder water temperatures, and windy conditions dirty up the flats. An angler needs to understand how these factors influence our fishing and our success out on the water.

The deep backwaters of Estero Bay are holding quality sized redfish and snook, while its grass and sand flats are producing a lot of speckled sea trout. Low tide is the perfect time to hunt for our backwater redfish. The best is to push pole toward them when it becomes too shallow for the trolling motor. If your boat can’t draft that shallow, then I would recommend anchoring near a point where water is moving

and soak cut pinfish and ladyfish on the bottom. Large snook can also be caught this way, but they would prefer finger mullet, small greenbacks or shrimp.

It’s important to remember that while running Estero’s shallow flats there may be debris in

the water from recet storms. The size of debris can range from a small mangrove bush to large tree limbs or lawn chairs.

If the backwaters are way too shallow or you’re unfamiliar with the area, the best alternative would be to fish our grass flats for speckled sea trout. A lot of my clients have been asking to fish for speckled sea trout because it’s fun, not that difficult, and there are plenty of fish to catch.

The best go-to sea trout setup is a Bomber popping cork with a two foot 25pound test fluorocarbon leader tied to a 3/0 Owner hook tipped with shrimp. A small pinch weight two inches above the hook is necessary if the current or wind is strong. This will help keep the shrimp down and in the trout’s strike zone.

Look for a flat with three to five feet of clean water that is full of life. Signs of life include birds diving, glass minnows and a lot of bait hiding in the grass. Drift along the flat until you begin catching fish, then anchor and fish until the bite stops and repeat.

Always check the weather before heading out to the boat ramp and know that conditions can change in an instant. To experience Southwest Florida in full is to have fun and relax while enjoying the wildlife and waterways of Estero Bay. Captain Joe Angius (727) 234-3171 Speakeasyfishing.com FlatsHQ.com Speakeasyfishing@gmail.com

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Area Captains Concerned, but for Different Reasons A Water LIFE Perspective

The Army Corps. of Engineers calls it a freshwater release. People in its path call it pollution.

Last month a newly organized group, Captains For Clean Water, gathered in the Fort Myers Bass Pro Shops meeting room. Over 200 captains, commercial fisherman, concerned anglers and three local mayors were in attendance. The group is concerned about the environmental and economic effects of water reSanibel Mayor Kevin Ruane speaking Photo Capt. Billy Barton leased from Lake Okeechobee into the Caloosahatchee River and then to the Lee County coastal waters.

News stations based in Lee County have frequently used the term brown water in their reporting.

That has some captains in Charlotte County concerned. The Charlotte Harbor and Punta Gorda area has been uneffected by the Okeechobee releases, but during rainy seasons we have our own, different, natural, brown water, tannic stained from mangroves and other vegetation along the the Peace and Myakka Rivers. That water flows brown into Charlotte Harbor. Now captains Punta Gorda are voicing concern about prospective visitors to Florida hearing the term brown water and associating brown water with bad water, and going somewhere else.

The changes in water color along the Calosahatchee are striking, but the fish are still eating

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Dirty Water and the Spring Migration

By Capt. Billy Barton Water LIFE Inshore You folks won't be seeing a bunch of fish pictures from me this month, but not because I didn't take them. At the end of last month, while I had more in my hands than I should have and as I made my way through the yard and down to the boat lift, I tripped on a hose and watched as my cell phone and tablet kept their forward momentum and bounced right into the canal.

Enough about that though, I got a few pictures from my clients, so on to the fishing.

Our wintertime inshore fishing this year has been pretty inconsistent when I relate it to some years in the past. We have still been putting several nice redfish and snook to the boat and plenty of speckled trout, I just feel like I am having to work at it.

This has been the wettest winter Southwest Florida has experienced in over 80 years. I had 11 charter cancellations in January and 9 in February due to weather. The influx of fresh water that we have had flowing from our rivers on a regular basis, and inconsistent weather patterns have kept our fish on the constant move. When our weather starts to show us some consistency our fishing will follow suit. Spring is my favorite time to fish on Charlotte Harbor. Let me say this and I sure as heck mean this. I am absolutely ready for the Spring time! March is always a breath of fresh air!

Some thoughts that have run through my head about what we will experience this spring. Recently I have had several of the folks that I fish ask me if Charlotte Harbor is experiencing any negative side effects from the Lake Okeechobee\ Caloosahatchee runoffs. My answer to them has been "not yet." In my heart I feel like this is a true statement. However, I have often kept some of my greater fears and opinions inside on this matter. The sad fact is that I am unsure of what is yet to come

(or not come).

Every year as the seasons change and we fall into Spring we have a migration of subtropical fish, pelagic species, sharks, and bait fish that come up the coast from the south. With dirty water and red tide blooms to the south of us and no end in sight, I can only wonder how this is going to affect this year’s northerly migration.

Will these fish try and swim through this wall of dirty water? I doubt it. You be the judge. I'm no scientist and I sure haven't been through this one before, but I just know that it worries me. What will the tarpon do?

I recently joined a new organization called Captains for Clean Water. This group of local charter captains, commercial fisherman, and concerned anglers and locals was formed during this recent Okeechobee and

MARCH 2016

Capt. Billy Barton, 941-979-6140 Scales ‘N Tails Fishing Charters http://www.puntagordafishingcharter.com

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Caloosahatchee ecological disaster on our coast. By definition, we are "a grassroots movement” formed in response to an economic and ecological crisis because mismanagement of Floridas water resources is destroying our ecosystems.

The Captain’s primary goal is to restore this water flow back down south to the Everglades. There is no other way. I can't believe that they would even question it!

How the heck can you knowingly trash paradise!? This is one of the most beautiful places in the nation and we survive on tourism! We are known for our beautiful beaches, estuaries, and fisheries and they are just going to trash them!? Really? It blows my mind and makes me so darn angry! It's all about the money.

Captains for Clean Water can be followed on Facebook. There will be meetings locally to discuss what is going on.

The more help, support and concerned locals that we have involved in this matter the better.

I'm going to leave you guys with this, and you don't have to be a guide to relate to it. March 1 marked my five year anniversary as a guide and my captains license renewal with the US Coast Guard. I don't just plan on guiding for the next five years. I plan on doing this for the long haul. I plan on playing in our water until I am old and grey. I want this beautiful place, my home, your home, to last and remain beautiful, so I'm going to do whatever it is that I can do to preserve it and to keep it the way it should be. I challenge you to do the same. If you don't fight for it then you have no room to complain when the beauty is all long gone.

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Commercial Fishing in SW Florida

limits and accountability measures to ensure the long-term health of the fisheries they manage.

Fishermen use a variety of gear and methods to harvest their catch and they must also follow rules to minimize impacts to the surrounding environment and marine life.

Commercial fisherman Larry May shows off some striped mojarra, locals call them sand brimm. This is the third largest finfish catch, by pounds, in Charlotte County

Containers at Placida used for Mullet were cardboard.

Today they are hard plastic bins

MARCH 2016

AQUA

May 15th, and claws are sold fresh or frozen already cooked.

In 2015 over 1.3 million blue crabs were landed in Southwest Florida representing just over 25% of the stateʼs total landings. Most of these landings occurred in Lee, followed by Charlotte, then Pinellas counties. Crabs are sold live and/or steamed whole, or their meat is picked and sold fresh or pasteurized.

The blue crab season is open year round with the exception of a biennial Following are additional The Iron Ox shrimping in Charlotte Harbor ten day trap gear closure to account facts relating to commerfor derelict or lost traps. cial fishing in SW Florida: In 2015 over 60% of the mullet

By Capt. Betty Staugler landed in Florida came from SouthThe most common type of loWater LIFE Sea Grant west Florida. Most of these landing cally harvested shrimp is pink Southwest Florida has a long tradicame from Lee, followed by Pinellas shrimp, which is typically caught in tion of commercial fishing in its rivers, and Manatee counbays, and Gulf waties. Most mullet are ters. In 2015 over 22 harvested November million pounds of wild through January in harvested fish and bays and other estuarshellfish including ine environments durshrimp, blue and ing the annual mullet stone crab, grouper, run. Historically mullet mackerel, and mullet were harvested with among others were gillnets, these nets harvested by comwere banned in mercial fishermen and Florida state waters in landed in the seven1996. Today cast and coastal counties of seine nets are the Southwest Florida. In most common gear addition, approxiused. mately 285 wholeOver 50% of the salers and 750 baitfish harvested in retailers bought and Florida were landed sold seafood in this in Manatee County region contributing to Aerial photo of a Charlotte Harbor fisherman circleing his net during 2015. Spotter Floridaʼs multi-billion planes are used to find dollar seafood induslarge schools that are at least three the spring and late fall off Southwest try. miles offshore and baitfish are then Floridaʼs coast and further south near the Dry Tortugas. In 2015 over 50% of caught using purse seines.

The fisheries in Southwest Florida Approximately 77% of all the pink shrimp harvested in Florida are monitored and managed at the grouper harvested in Florida in was landed in Lee County. state level by the Florida Fish and 2015 were landed in Southwest Stone crabs are one of Floridaʼs Wildlife Conservation Commission, Florida with the majority landed in most valuable fisheries. Only the and federally by the Gulf of Mexico Pinellas County. Over 4.7 million claws are harvested, and the crab is Fishery Management Council. Closed pounds of Red grouper, the most returned to the water alive. In 2015 areas and seasons, size and daily limcommon grouper harvested were Collier County ranked second in the its, trip tickets, and limited access into landed in Southwest Florida. Grouper state, behind the Florida Keys, for a fishery are all tools commonly used stone crab claw production. The stone are caught offshore using bandit and to manage Floridaʼs fisheries. In addilongline gear. Other species include crab season runs October 15 through tion, managers establish annual catch

Capt. Betty Staugler, Florida Sea Grant Agent. UF/IFAS Extension Charlotte County (941) 764-4346

References: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services All photos from the Water LIFE archive

Charlotte Harbor Yacht Club sunrise

While the region continues to harvest a variety of wild caught seafood commodities, the size of its commercial fleet and infrastructure to support it has declined dramatically in the past several decades. Regulation changes, coastal development and loss of working waterfronts, competition from imports, natural disasters and attrition have contributed to these declines.

Despite these trends, several communities still have a strong commercial fishing presence. For instance, Cortez and Fort Myers Beach and its surrounding islands are officially designated as working waterfront communities by the state of Florida because of their commercial fishing heritage.

Alligator Creek sunset

gag, black and scamp.

While not as prevalent as in the northern Gulf, red snapper is the most common commercial snapper landed in the region. Other snapper species locally harvested include mutton, lane, mangrove and yellowtail.

Two species of mackerel, King and Spanish, are harvested off Southwest Florida. King mackerel are commonly caught offshore December through March with hook and line gear. Their catch quota was met early this year in the western Gulf and closed through the remainder of the Federal year (June 30, 2016).

A variety of other species are harvested commercially in Southwest Florida in smaller quantities including, but not limited to: sheepshead, sea trout, tilefish, porgies, amberjack, cobia, tilapia (nonnative), jack crevalle, and mojarra.

Ponce Inlet sunset

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Charlotte Harbor

Phases of the Sun

One of Davidʼs recent projects was this yearʼs ʻRiver Meets the Harborʼ calendar which has Fishermenʼs Village on the cover. We know he has a few calendars left. Tell him you want one!

David Sussman is a media artist and a life long boater and fisherman now living in Punta Gorda. He has received numerous professional photography awards for his work, some of which showcases Charlotte Harbor.

David has over 40 years experience in both film and digital photography. He started his career at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory as a photographer. As digital media desktop editing became more popular and affordable, he migrated to digital and desktop editing design. His expertise includes photo editing, video editing, 2D/3D animation, web design, CDROM authoring, DVD authoring and virtually all aspects of multimedia design. He is recognized as a Master in the Digital Media Field.

During his 30 year tenure at JHU/APL he taught seminars at Winona International School of Professional Photographers in the field of Special Film Effects. His photography has been featured on covers of national and international magazines including PhotoMethods, Technical Photography, The Professional Photographer and others.

Visit his websites for more information: www.choicegraphx.com and www.dwsussman.com All images © DavidSussman 2016

david@dwsussman.com www.dwsussman.com https://www.facebook.com/DWSussman

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USCG Boca Grande Marker Realignment

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This graphic is an educational representation and should not be used for navigational purposes.

Water LIFE Sumary USCG NOTICE Subject: Charlotte Harbor/Boca Grande ATON (Federal Aids to Navigation) changes: The following changes have been made and the St. Petersburg sector chart bnm 207-16 has been updated.

A.Charlotte Harbor Entrance Red Marker No 2 (llnr 1300/19895) has been relocated, the bell sound signal disestablished, and renamed (new llnr 19915). Programmed to display flashing red 2.5s with the intensity set at 25cd. Nominal range 4nm. Aid set in 26.4 ft of water.

GPS: 26-40-16.773n/082-18-50.360w.

B.Charlotte Harbor Channel Green Marker No 3 (llnr 19910) relocated and renamed Charlotte Harbor channel line buoy Np 1 (llnr 19910). Programmed to display flashing green 2.5s with the intensity set at 25cd. Nominal range 4nm. Aid set in 27 ft of water.

GPS: 26-40-19.265n/082-18-53.877w.

C.Charlotte Harbor Channel Buoy Green 3a (llnr 19915) disestablished. Found aid Missing. Light list number has been transferred to Charlotte Harbor Channel lb 2.

D.Charlotte Harbor Channel red Buoy 4 (llnr 19920) relocated. Aid set in 23.4 ft of water.

GPS: 26-41-49.961n/082-17-47.133w.

E.Charlotte Harbor Channel Line Buoy Green No. 5 (llnr 19925) relocated and renamed Charlotte Harbor channel line buoy No 3 (llnr 19925). Programmed to display q g with the Intensity set at 25cd. Nominal range 4nm.

Aid set in 25.3 ft of water.

GPS: 26-41-52.308n/082-17-49.347w.

F.Charlotte Harbor Channel Buoy 6 (llnr 19930) recocated and renamed Charlotte Harbor channel lb 6 (llnr 19930). Programmed to display flashing red 4s with the intensity set at 25cd. Nominal range 4nm.

Aid set in 30.6 ft of water.

GPDS: 26-42-17.925n/082-16-33.032w.

G.Charlotte Harbor Channel Line buoy No. 7 (llnr 19935) relocated and renamed Charlotte Harbor channel lb 5 (llnr 19935). Programmed to display fl g 4s with the intensity set at 25cd. Nominal range 4nm. Aid set in 31.4 ft of water.

GPS: 26-42-21.139n/082-16-34.635w.

H.Charlotte Harbor channel lb 8 (llnr 19940) disestablished.

I.Charlotte Harbor channel lb 10 (llnr 19945) disestablished.

J.Charlotte Harbor channel lb 12 (llnr 19960) disestablished.

Letter to the Editor, Feb. 8, 2016 Re: Fishinʼ Frank Column

The piece written by Fishinʼ Frank on page 17 of the February Water LIFE tabloid is so full of incorrect information, inaccuracies and bold uneducated editorialization that, if I didnʼt believe people would take it for “truth,” it would have been comical. Frank should stick to talking about soft artificials, or Penn reels and leave science and commercial fishing to people who actually know something about it.

Frank points out that there is by-catch when trawling for shrimp. He is mostly correct in saying that it is about fifteen pounds, though most nights, less than five per trawl.

He abhors that the dolphins get this insignificant by-catch. What he doesnʼt know or say is that there are approximately 600 resident dolphins in Charlotte Harbor and throughout the year another 150 come in to vacation or to eat. Dolphins eat 10% of their weight in shrimp and fish of all sizes EACH DAY. So, forgetting the dolphins from out of town, and making the assumption that the average dolphin weighs 300 pounds (conservative estimate) some 18,000 pounds are consumed daily. My15-pounds of by-catch is surely insignificant.

Frank says that Charlotte Harbor is a favorite place for big offshore shrimp boats. I certainly donʼt know where Frank gets his information, but I am out a minimum of three nights a week and have been for two years. I have seen only one offshore shrimp boat come into the harbor and he didnʼt drop his nets, he dropped his anchor to repair his engine. Offshore boats are not legal in the harbor. Shrimp boats in the Harbor are restricted to a single small net, where offshore vessels are arrayed with four large nets. A captain is not going to risk loosing his vessel by illegally coming into the Harbor to fish for shrimp that are smaller than he will legally catch offshore.

And if Frank is really serious about knowing of big boats fishing the Harbor, I hope he has notified Florida Fish and Wildlife, for they would love to bust such a violator. Simply, it doesnʼt happen.

In Frankʼs fourth paragraph: he shows he doesnʼt even know the species of shrimp in Charlotte Harbor. He talks about Brown Shrimp. We donʼt have Brown Shrimp in Charlotte Harbor, in fact one would have to go to West Louisiana or Texas to find Brown Shrimp. There are three main varieties of eating shrimp found on Americaʼs East and Gulf coasts. The most prevalent is the White Shrimp, found in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Northeast Florida, Northwest Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Eastern Louisiana. Western Louisiana and Texas have Brown Shrimp. Florida Pink (Key West Pink or Florida Hopper) are what are found in Charlotte Harbor. They are only found from the Dry Tortugas, through the Florida Keys and Southwest Florida up to Tampa Bay (no longer plentiful in Tampa Bay because of commercial traffic and water quality). Thus, most of what he told about the shrimp of Charlotte Harbor, happens in Galveston.

And then one of my favorites, ʻshrimp boats have made Charlotte Harbor flat, with no reefs.ʼ Frank came from Michigan or New York or somewhere and hasnʼt looked around since he got here. There are no hills above or below the water in Southwest Florida that were not man-made. All of South Florida is

MARCH 2016

ancient seabed, covered with silt after the ice age 10,000 years ago. Our water, unlike the East Coast of Florida bordering on the Gulf Stream, doesnʼt grow reefs. That is why; Lee, Collier, Charlotte and Sarasota counties and the State of Florida have created artificial reefs off the coast and in the Harbor. They never have and never would be created by nature.

And then Frank talks about the Texas situation. As Ronald Regan said to Jimmy Carter, “There you go again.” Texas has Brown Shrimp, they spawn at a single time of the year (unlike Pink Shrimp which spawn each month approximately 12-13 months after they were hatched). That is why Texas stops shrimping during the spawn, to preserve their shrimp fishery. That is called fishery management. Mostly that is determined by science. The National Marine Fisheries constantly test and observe each of the Gulf fisheries, up close and personal. My boat will host an NMF observer for six nights this season. That observer will separate by-catch, identify each species, weigh it and report whether our fishing is a danger to any of the species in the Harbor and how it can be minimized or eliminated. The Iron Ox hosted an observer in 2010 as well. I would be glad to share their findings. By the way, we did not adversely impact any bait or game fish in the Harbor.

Is Frank worried about the game and food fish in the Harbor being threatened by the very few commercial shrimpers who may get 50-150 pounds of shrimp a night? Well, two other issues would better serve his concerns.

His customers, in fast, shallow bay boats are cutting across and destroying the grass flats in the Harbor. That is where fish spawn and shrimp grow. So Frank might better choose to educate his customers when they come to buy their bait shrimp about where not to take boats.

And, the other issue at least as important is the water quality. Frankʼs customers and neighbors who live around the Harbor and canals should not be dumping fertilizer and insecticides on their lawns. Yes the grass gets thicker and greener, but the water will cease to sustain aquatic life. And of course the Peace, Myakka and Caloosahatchee Rivers bring all manners of junk into the Harbor. We donʼt fish at the mouth of the Myakka because the mud and the shrimp who live in that water smell like sewage. The Peace River extends way up the State to nearly Orlando and brings all the run-off from agriculture and mining and residents to the Harbor. Mosaic may be helping to grow food in Bangladesh but they are not helping Charlotte Harbor fish.

The answer to why we fish for shrimp at night, from a commercial shrimp boat or off a dock with a light, is that Pinks only come out at night, not like White Shrimp or Brown Shrimp. And they are not attracted to the headlight, they are just going by, but their eyes are reflective and that is how you can see where to put your dip net.

I wish that Frank would go back to rods and reels and dip nets and how to tie a knot in a leader and leave alone the myriad of issues he clearly knows nothing about.

Capt. Bill Damour, Iron Ox Shrimp Boat Fishermenʼs Village, Punta Gorda

MARCH 2016

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10,000 Islands / Everglades City

By Capt. Charlie Phillips Water LIFE / Everglades City Winter has finally arrived down in the Glades, though she sure took her sweet time. We have finally had a few stronger cold fronts push thru that helped drop the water temps a bit and get us into the more typical winter swing. I must admit that I was enjoying the warm weather and was still having pretty good success with tarpon on the warmer days, but I am glad to see it change as now I can start targeting one of my favorites, sheepshead.

As the water cools down around any of our offshore structure, or inshore deeper mangroves with good oyster bars this is the time to herd some sheep in the Everglades.

These hard fighting fish are great sport and make fine table fare.

The tackle for sheepshead is pretty simple, I either use a 1/0 circle on 20- to 30pound flouro leader with enough split shot to just hold bottom or the same leader with a jig head that has a pretty

small strong hook, but still has enough weight to get to the bottom and stay down even in good current. A sheepshead is a nibbler, next time you

catch one, take a look at those teeth, he approaches his food and nips away with those incisors in small little bites, so that’s the reason for the small hooks, but like I said, they need to be strong because these guys are hard fighters and

PAGE 15

they are going to be really pulling to get Minimum size is 12-inch, bag limit is 15 into the structure you are on. per person, so this is one of the rare The baits you can use to target them chances to fill a cooler if the bites hot, are pretty simple as well, live and frozen but I would strongly encourage you to shrimp of course will do the trick as well take what your gonna’ eat fresh and let as fiddler crabs, and clams and other the rest go for another day. These guys shelled creatures. I had a guy one time are spawning and while it makes for tell me his secret was boxes of frozen great fishing, we really need to be good tiger muscles that were sold stewards of the resource to make sure at the grocery stores. I tried they are around for many years to come. them and they did work and While you’re out on the wrecks, don’t work well, but it takes be surprised to catch some solid pomsome effort to get that hook pano, slot mangrove snappers, bluefish point thru the shell, so I will stick with more traditional baits.

I like to take a very small live shrimp or small pieces of shrimp and pitch them out to the edge of the structure.

Using the current to keep my line taut, (and This is a very unique spotted redfish I caught during an on that point, exploration trip way back in the Everglades recently. there is no subThe fish was in total freshwater, I don't know how many stitute for braid spots there were, but both sides were about the same with the sensitivity it provides), try to feel for the slightest little and Spanish mackerel. These folks are tug or extra pressure on the line. This all around right now and will be after will most times be the sheepshead nibyour sheepshead rigs, but it makes for bling away, when I feel the weight of the pretty good by-catch. Still a cobia or two around on the warmer days, so make sure to have a pitch bait or artificial ready to capitalize on the opportunity.

Inshore you should find some outstanding trout bites this month on the grass flats south of pavilion and on the bars and points on the outside with hard flats. The higher stages of the tide are a good time to look and the old trusty popping cork with the Bass Assassin jighead

fish, it’s time to set the hook and get him coming my way. One thing I have learned is that if you can’t seem to connect but feel the fish feeding on your bait, try slowly taking the bait away from him, most times I just move the rod tip away, and it seems that this little action will often times cause an aggressive strike in which you can get a solid hookset. If you’re fishing in my neck of the woods, don’t slack off in reeling your sheepshead to the net, as just like us the other alpha predators know sheepshead make great eating. Sharks and Goliaths love to steal your fish away if you’re a little too slow, and many of my guests learn that lesson the hard way each year.

and a soft plastic will do the trick.

Move into the back bays and you should find good catches of redfish and in the back creeks a snook or two. Overall March is a great month to fish, so get off the couch and enjoy some time on the water. Y’all take care and I will see you next month.

Capt. Charlie Phillips: 863-517-1829 e-mail: hopefishing@hotmail.com Web: hopefishing.com

One Cast to the Next PAGE

16

By Fishin’ Frank Water LIFE Baitshop The weather is great (for now) and the fishing is getting better by the day.

This is a big month for me. On March 19 I will have people from Penn, Quantum, Fin-nor, Daiwa, Okuma and other major reel companies at our Tent Event.

Eric Batchnick, owner of Mirror-Lure and Mark Nichols, owner of D.O.A. and Strike King will all be there. The list goes on and you can talk to them all and ask them questions.

Two questions you should ask are ‘why?’ and ‘how?’ Why should I buy this lure, rode etc. - and how should I use it.

Each lure company will have its own casting demo tank to show you.

Speaking of using lures and fishing, the big questions this month are where can I find fish and how do I catch them, The red tide has backed off out by the Gulf and the fish should be moving in.

They don’t seem to mind the dark water; what's up with people thinking brown water kills the fish? If that were true every fish in Lake Okeechobee would be dead.

It’s just like a glass of tea, tannins cause tea to be brown and tannis is what causes the water here to be brown. So while not as pleasant to look at as the blue green

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ADAPTING TO CONDITIONS

MARCH 2016

waters of the Gulf, I can afford to live by it.

Last month the wife and I got out fishing. I kept looking at the temperature outside and we waited until it hit 70. We left the house around noon!

We headed for the Myakka Cut-off. It was a nice boat ride, but once there we did not hit a single fish or even have a bite.

We had started off with poppin’ corks and live shrimp then tried free lining a live shrimp, then tried a shrimp on a jig head, slow bouncing on the bottom, OK This 27-inch trout had a 9-inch, half digested, baby trout in her belly. This picture gives you nothing, next spot.

Photo: Capt. Billy Barton Scales Nʼ Tails Charters The wind was a bit less than comfort- an idea of how predatory large trout really are. able so we headed back up river and by Ibles. And for the next half right to the spot where I 75 we started fishing the mangrove hour we cast and let it got the fish and nothing, shoreline, casting up under the mangroves drift. let it drift into the spot and with a shrimp on a jig head.

To get the bait to drift bang! Fish on!

That did not work, so I tired casting a properly I cast at the trees Try fishing one way free lined shrimp up under the Mmanand then leave the bail and if you don't get bit, try groves as far as I could, nope, still not a open and pull out 15 extra a different way. Poppin’ bite. So I tried casting the free line shrimp feet of line so the current cork don’t work? Then try up into the tide and let it drift right along catches the belly of the not poppin the cork. Free the drip line or edge of the mangroves. line and pulls it down line no weight or floats – And I got a hit. Terry cast up into the curalong the shore instead of then maybe a weight or jig rent and I cast just in front of that as the out towards me. If you head. Let it sit, then try letshrimp drifted down along the edge of the cast and close the bail ting it drift. trees. right away the shrimp will This is a crazy time and Wham, wham we both got hit and her’s be pulled out, away from the mangroves – fishing seems to change not only by the was a redfish; 17 inches - my fish was a by letting out extra line the shrimp is day, but sometimes by the hour.

14-inch sheepshead, just bam, bam douFrank@fishinFranks.com 941-625-3888 pulled parallel to them. I tried casting

MARCH 2016

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Recreational Tagging

By Mallory Herzog Water LIFE Fishing Winter fishing this year has been challenging, what with El Niño's unpredictable conditions and heavy rainfall causing a mess both on land and on the water. The seasons bi-polar temperatures have been great for inducing a case of lock jaw on fish. To be successful you must adapt, their environment is ever changing so go with the flow. We've had plenty of great catches this winter, we just had to work harder for them.

Ending out February, the inshore bite was full of sheepshead and black drum but you have to catch ‘em while they are chewing.

Last month Captain Andrew and our clients tagged a few juvenile redfish for Gray Fishtag Research. I mentioned them briefly last month. Gray is a really interesting organization. Their goal is to bridge the gap between science and fishermen to collect valuable data on many different species. Their thinking is you are already out there, hooking up to your favorite fish; why not put a tag in when you release? Gray provides professional anglers with a no cost tag kit. The tags vary, from shark sized to snapper. The kit includes a tagging device and support if you have any questions or concerns.

When an angler tags his catch he

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records data such as GPS location, size, sex, etc. Then the Captain inputs the information and a photo on an online form where its reviewed by a staff member before going up on the live tag feed.

This is a great addition since most other tagging programs are behind on entering data.

The tags are not real time trackable but when a tagged fish is recaptured the data is reported and then compared to the original catch. From that information scientists and resource managers can better understand migration and breeding patterns which can be used when creating bag limits and protected habitats. Recreational kits are also available on their website http://grayfishtagresearch.org The starter kit is $120 and includes tags, research cards and tag applicator. A 6 Tag kit without the tag applicator is $39.

The red fish Dan and Steve tagged are 2 of 3 tagged in the program currently. I look forward to many more being added to that list in the near future.

What do you do if you catch a tagged fish? Write down the tag information or take a photo with your cell phone. If the

tagging center name is unfamiliar to you a google search will help you figure out where and how to report it. Gray's has an easy to use form on their website and they send the original tagger the recapture information on the catch once reviewed.

Headed out to catch a big one? The incoming tide has been a great bite around Boca Grande and Placida area.

Shrimp on a jig-head or free-lined on a 2or 3/0-circle hook has been working great on a number of species. Sheepshead, redfish, mangrove snapper, black drum, all are loving this combination.

Cut bait has been getting the grouper going offshore. Goliath Grouper have been in the news recently, when a few fishermen found one deceased in a canal.

Our Boca Grande population is still going strong, breaking backs on the regular and

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making grown men cry out for help. As the waters begin to warm so will the bite.

What will spring bring us in 2016?

Get out on the water and find out.

You can contact Big Bully Outdoors Charters for a trip with Mallory’s husband, Capt.

Andrew Herzog. Call 941-661-9880 or visit BigBullyOutdoors.com

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MARCH 2016

Fish + Taco = Delicious

By Nicole Coudal Water LIFE Delicious!

In our circle of fishing friends, fish tacos are one of our go-to recipes because they’re easy and fast, you can get creative with them, and they’re always tasty and satisfying.

When I make them, I usually dust the fish with blackening seasoning then saute or grill it — two of the more healthy methods. I’ve also had fried fish in tacos (the traditional Baja Style) and I must say that it truly is a wonderful thing. The fish cooks quickly in the hot oil so it’s moist and juicy, and the crunchy texture adds a nice balance alongside cool, fresh slaw and a creamy sauce. It really doesn’t get much better than that.

So, when a friend recently gave me a FryDaddy, I immediately thought how great it would be for fish tacos! Once in a while, of course, not every time. I’m not a frying fanatic, you know. . .:) Today I decided to christen my new piece of equipment, as well as, try a recipe shared by my friends who love the fish ‘batter’ from the Hot and Hot Fish Club in Birmingham, Alabama. The restaurant’s tasty recipe calls for marinating the fish in a bath of buttermilk and hot sauce, then dipping it into a dry mix comprised of cornmeal, corn flour, flour and seasonings before deep frying it. It’s a take on the traditional southern method of cornmeal battered fish and, I must say, it’s really yummy — crunchy, flavorful and not greasy at all, so it worked really well with my batch of tacos.

I usually make a tasty cabbage slaw and today’s version is probably something you’d never expect. . .I combined Napa cabbage (a type of Chinese cabbage – tender, sweet and delicious), fresh parsley, red onion, jalapeños, lime juice, honey and, wait for it. . .kumquats! I’ve got a huge batch of kumquats in my fridge and have been trying them in a variety of recipes, so I thought they might be tasty in this slaw! The sweet/tart orange flavor packed in these little gems nicely comple-

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mented the spicy, salty fish and my favorite creamy sauce — it all worked beautifully inside a hot, toasted tortilla.

You can use just about any sturdy, white fish for this recipe. We had some red grouper on hand, courtesy of our friends who worked hard to bring the feisty fish to the boat recently.

If you’d like to try another version of a fish taco, check out my Amberjack Fish Tacos post on my blog.

PREPARATION

For the Fry Mix, Fish & Marinade: Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Store in a dry, airtight container at room temperature until ready to use.

Combine buttermilk, hot sauce and fish in a shallow dish (add a bit more buttermilk if the fish isn’t fully covered). Refrigerate about 30 minutes.

In the meantime, make the Creamy Taco Sauce and the Slaw.

For the Creamy Taco Sauce: Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until well combined. Refrigerate until ready to use.

For the Slaw: Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine. Refrigerate until ready to use.

For the Frying/Assembly: Add peanut or vegetable oil into a cast-iron skillet or a deep fryer (you’ll need enough oil to cover the fish in a skillet, or to get to the fill line in the fryer. I used about 24 oz. in my deep fryer).

Heat oil to at least 300 degrees (test with a deep fryer thermometer). To test heat, toss in a tiny piece of fish and if it bubbles rapidly and floats, it’s ready to go.

Dip each piece of fish into the Fry Mix, then place carefully into the hot oil. Work in small batches (3-4 pieces at a time, so the temperature doesn’t drop too quickly).

Cook for about 3 minutes, then remove each piece with slotted spoon or tongs and place on paper towels.

Allow the temperature to come back to at least 300 degrees, then make another batch. Repeat until all fish is cooked.

Heat flour or corn tortillas in a dry skillet or on a grill.

Assemble the tacos with a piece or two of fish, some creamy sauce and slaw. Sprinkle a little of lime if you wish, and you’re good to go!

Visit mydeliciousblog.com for the full list of ingredients.

You can also sign up to be notified every time Nicole posts a new recipe.

MARCH 2016

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PAGE 19

Manatees Coming Out of the Woodwork On The Line

By Capt. Ron Blago Water LIFE Senior Staff

On February 20, in Orlando, the Federal Fish and Wildlife Service held their one and only public hearing on the proposal to remove the manatee from the endangered species list. The FWS estimate the world population of manatees is around 13,000 with 6,350 counted in Florida last year. The manatee has been on the endangered species list for 35 years and during that time, which I like to call the Great Manatee War, it has resulted in many casualties, with Truth and Science being the most notable.

How we got to this point is very interesting. About 15 years ago, the Save the Manatee Club threatened to sue the FWS and State officials if they didn't do more to protect the endangered manatee. That suit was settled out of court, behind closed doors, and resulted in more state mandated manatee protections plans and over 50 manatee speed zones throughout the state; even though, at the time, the population of manatees was proven to be increasing.

So why is this time different? For one thing, since they actually began counting manatees in 1991, the population has increased 500%. The FWS has been reviewing this data for 10 years and probably would have continued their strategy, had it not been for an organization called the

Pacific Legal Foundation which said Enough already FWC, make the call-Endangered or Threatened and the PLF filed a lawsuit that asked the courts to make the FWS do their job. The FWS responded and recommends the manatee be dropped to the threatened list. The FWS's definition of endangered is a species currently in danger of extinction and it’s awfully hard to make that case when the population keeps increasing. It’s ironic that this whole Manatee Madness started with a law suit and it may end with a law suit; I guess what goes around comes around.

The environmental groups are stunned by these developments and have marshaled their forces to fight the FWS. Their argument is the same old gloom and doom argument that something bad may happen in the future so we better not change the status quo. Their scientific arguments are even weaker as this quote on the Scientific American Blog in January 2016 “Researchers and conservationists have warned that climate change could bring more extreme weather to the Southeast U.S. Which could create more manatee unfriendly cold snaps an red tides.” Of course they save their best for the personal attacks. They now refer to those people who want to see a change in the manatees status as De-Listers so I guess they are putting opponents in the same pigeon hole as Birthers, Tea Baggers, and Global Warming Deniers.

MORE HARD DECISIONS AHEAD This is the Ft. Ogden Trestle on the Peace River in De Soto County, photographed last month. Many of the old wooden structures in the Charlotte DeSoto area are going to need work, or in some cases removal, soon. This will be a huge expense. The counties are counting on the West Coast Inland Navigation District for funding and WCIND has a new director. Charlotte Countyʼs Marine Advisory Committe is currently dealing with removing the old swing bridge at Gasparilla and removing the dead wood from the the Placida Trestle and the county is once again talking about a budget for removing the dead wood from the closed off sections of the trestle at El Jobean. All these projects will have to balance safety to navigation with preserving well established fish habitats.

It is important to remember that this is a change in title only; the manatee will still have the same laws, rules and regulations protecting them they have always had. As Jim Valade, the FWS team leader

said, “ It's like taking manatees out of intensive care and putting them in a regular care facility.” April 7 is the last day the FWS will accept public comment.

Captronb@juno.com

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SCUTTLEBUTT

MARCH 2016

Sometimes Unsubstanciated, But Often True

Not Much Changed Last Month. Work on Edgewater Drive at Harbor Boulevard isnʼt moving ahead very quickly. Now that Port Charlotte Blvd is back open, if the County would reopen the bridge it could alleviate some congestion at Harbor and 41. This project is slated for completion in 2017. It appears to be under-manned, under motivated and being completed at a sickly snailʼs pace.

Photos from 1/18 and 2/28 Toxins from Harmful Algae Blooms are present in Alaskan marine food webs in high enough concentrations to be detected in marine mammals from Southeast Alaska to the Arctic Ocean, including whales, walruses, sea lions, seals, porpoises and sea otters.

Region Wide Seafood Inspection Last month FWC officers from throughout the Southwest Region participated in an operation which focused on inspecting wholesale and retail dealers of fresh and saltwater fish. The officers inspected more than 177 businesses. They issued 16 misdemeanors and 84 written warnings for violations including possession of undersized stone crab claws, possession of oversized redfish (editor notes WHAT?) and various licensing violations.

Another four misdemeanors and 15 warnings were issued for various quality control violations, including selling shellfish past the terminal sale date (spoiled shellfish such as oysters and clams). Two additional cases were turned over to NOAA for commercial federal reef fish regulation violations.

Smugglers Stash Uncovered The park manager of Cayo Costa State Park reported that someone had abandoned 20 plastic 15-gallon drums containing gasoline in the forested area at the northern end of the island park.

The drums had been spotted by a local mosquito control aircraft. Eleven of the drums were full or nearly full of gasoline and nine were empty with only residual amounts of fuel left in them.

Gag and Black Changes At its Feb. 10 meeting near Tallahassee, the FWC approved changes to the gag and black grouper minimum size limit and the gag grouper recreational season in Gulf state wa-

ters.The approvals include: Setting a 24-inch total length minimum size limit for recreational harvest of gag and black grouper in Gulf state waters. Setting a June 1 through Dec. 31 recreational season for gag grouper in all state waters of the Gulf (excluding Franklin, Wakulla, Taylor, Monroe and Jefferson counties which have their own season.

New Snapper Regs FWC approved a draft rule to modify the 2016 Gulf of Mexico recreational red snapper season. The proposed season would be open Saturdays and Sundays in May starting May 7. On May 28, the season would open continuously through July 10. Finally, the season would reopen for Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in September and October, and on Labor Day. This would provide for a 78-day season in Gulf state waters. Thatʼs a pretty complicated schedule they expect anglers to remember.

What could possibly go wrong?

First Pythons now Anaconda Two green anacondas were found recently in Brevard

County, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) wants your help in learning more about them. In November, a green anaconda was found near the Brevard and Orange county line.

Inshore Shrimping Officers worked the area in Citrus and Hernando counties where a commercial shrimp vessel was observed in inshore/ near shore waters.

Based on the profile of the shrimp boat the officer suspected it to be a four-trawl boat and only single trawls are permitted inshore. When the shrimp boat hauled its nets the officer was able to confirm that the boat was pulling four trawls. During the boarding the officer observed the track history on the vesselʼs navigational instruments which showed that the vessel had been working in the area for some time. The captain/operator was issued a citation of $318 or told to appear in court. What do you think he did?

The area between the Crab House and the Marina is closed off as the city of Punta Gorda begins to connect the last missing link on the harborwalk. That area was where the Flatsmasters Tournament was held. We asked City Manager Howard Kunik: what happens when the walk is completed. Will the tournament still be held there? “Not sure if they will continue to rent the space - it depends on the amount of room they need.

If it works, they can rent the space, but the Harborwalk is open.” was his reply. (emphasis added)

Diamonds in the sole of their boat Last month De Beers Marine Namibia's diamond sampling and exploration vessel Nujoma was launched from Norway.

Natural Gas Tanker The United Statesʼ first export cargo of seaborne gas from the lower 48 is shown at the Sabine Pass LNG terminal. The tanker arrived in the Gulf of Mexico in December, but had been anchored off the coast due to mechanical problems. U.S. company Cheniere Energy said it expected its first cargo to leave the facility by early this month.

MARCH 2016

Lots of Sailing

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By Peter Welch Water LIFE Sailing Fifty nine boats in nine classes completed forty nine races over three days on three race circles in the seventh edition of the Charlotte Harbor Regatta. The county provided space indoors and out at the Port Charlotte Beach Complex which served as race headquarters. The site is an excellent base for the small catamarans while the Charlotte Harbor Yacht Club launched and hosted small boats and race management from their facility near by.

The weather determined the strategy for regatta success. Gusts to 20 knots Friday, to 17 with white out rain late Saturday and gusts to 24 Sunday kept it interesting. For many boat types the wind dictated being in port during some of the scheduled races. The Modderman team’s Hobi 16 sailed all of their 16 scheduled, as did 6 of the Hobis. Some designs only sailed two races. Some race locations had worse wind and waves than others and some boats had a better tolerance for waves. The 2.4M class boats have about 10 inches of freeboard and so required continuous bilge pumping. Are we having fun yet? The Hobis were, often faster than the high tech F18s!

Catamarans were pushed to their limits in the strong winds on this day of the Charlotte Harbor Regatta.

The profits from Charlotte Harbor Regatta are shared with the three youth sailing organizations on the Harbor. Several contestants in this regatta demonstrated the rewards possible to youth sailors.

Youth sailing programs teach analytical skills and can lead to college scholarships. Mark Modderman learned to sail as a youth in Port Elizabeth South Africa. Now an American citizen, he represented the U.S. at the Pan Am Games. Closer to home, the Brunsveld brothers of Sarasota Youth Sailing have placed 6th in the F16 Worlds division in Malaysia and are U.S. F16 Champions.

Results are online at: http://www.RegattaTechCharlotteHarborRegatta2016

$2 off any haircut!

Right: Action on the first day. Winds were 5 to 15

All photos this page by Fran Nasher Burstein

Left & Right: The Saturday after the Charlotte Harbor Regatta, youth sailors raced in ideal conditions from the Edison Sailing Center near the Port Charlotte Beach Complex. Young sailors have perfected the ʻroll gybeʼ used to change direction in light air in the Optimist Prams, right.

Conquistador Cup

This year 48 boats entered the Feb 27-28 Punta Gorda Sailing Clubʼs Conquistador Cup Regatta and Paul Robbins aboard Soul Shine was the Conquistador Cup winner, edging out Bill Curtis on Morgan by about a half a boat length. Thirty two boats raced in five divisions, fifteen entered the Parade of Sail. This has been Charlotte Harborʼs largest big boat, regatta featuring an inverted start on the second day, based on the finishes from day one.

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RESULTS:

Bill Wilkenson, Flying Cloud 1st Harbor 20 class Tony Millan, See Ya 1st Non Spinnaker Gary Schwarting, OBSESSION 1st Spinnaker Rudy Gottschlich, Diva Gorda 1st True Cruising.

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There were 5 Canadian and 5 U.S. 2.4 meter racers.

The racers steer these boats with their feet.

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MARCH 2016

March – Predictions and Suggestions

Charlotte Harbor

Frank at Fishin’ Franks 941- 625-3888

Fish With A Guide!

There are several schools of redfish up around Hog Island right now. This is the time you see distinct schools rather than individual fish. There are lots of little redfish up on the Peace River. Down the east side, the reds are scattered from hell to breakfast. When the wind is from the southwest they will be under the mangroves. If it’s from the northeast they will be up on the bar, they are moving with the wind and the water. Turtle Bay and Bull Bay have some good redfish now too.

We’ve had a few schools of Spanish mackerel out in the Gulf and a couple in the Harbor. I don’t know if they are going to come in.

Trout have been up by I-75 near Harbour Heights and at El Jo Bean.

I still think the tandem jigs are the best because the trout are deeper in the water. Maybe the fresh water in the Harbor

is why they seem to be hugging the bottom more. The trout on the east side are another story entirely. There are more trout on the outside of the bar, but the bigger ones, the 18-to 20-inch trout are the ones behind the bar. With a tandem jig, hop it al- A nice 37 inch snook caught and released in a Port most to the bottom Charlotte canal by Dave Harrington on February 1 and bounce it back up, not 20-feet bealong the bar and on the east side hind the bar, I mean right next to it. down at Two Pine they are outside Usually at this time of year the the bar. A lot of people have seen Peace River is at 1.5-feet at Arcathem but not a lot are being caught. dia, now we are at 3 feet, it’s I think you need something pretty higher than normal but an outgoing small, like a crappie jig. Berkley tide with a northeast wind will had a Beetle Bou, a little tiny jig suck the water out quick. with a hair back. Put a tiny piece of Back into the Harbor and back shrimp on one of those and back out at Hog Island we’ve also got the drag way down because it has a some pomwire hook - that’s the only way to pano and get them to hit. I used that rig on there are spadefish last month and they pompano on seemed to like that. You gotta’ lay the west side the tail down on the shrimp and

Youʼll catch more fish and youʼll learn something new, too!

Brayden Hays, father Mark Hays and Jorden Hays The 2 Reds were both boys first redfish caught on shrimp on the Myakka. Mark caught the snook at Stump Pass on a pin fish.

slice it to hook it on. If you pinch it off it gets too mushy.

In the Gulf this is snapper month. It’s all about mangrove snapper, lane snapper and yellowtail. You might catch a few good sized grouper, but if you are looking for dinner, this is the month to be out in

BackBay Xtremes Capt Dave Stephens www.backbayxtremes.com

941-916-5769

Speak Easy Fishing Charters Captain Joe Angius USCG licensed & Insured Phone: (727)

234-3172

speakeasyfishing.com

speakeasyfishing@gmail.com

Above and Right: Snapper, grouper, an African pompano and an amberjack, all caught on charters from the last week of

MARCH 2016

BACK ISSUES @

The BIG-4

the Gulf looking for yellowtail snapper. Live shrimp are the best bait, my second choice for bait would be squid pieces to bottom fish out there. We’ve still got porgy and grunts and a few permit and ajs if you want bigger fish to play with, SHEEPSHEAD on docks, but for dinner the close in reefs piers, and deeper edges are loaded with big snapper.

Snook just opened and have been pretty good at Bull Bay, especially since the red tide backed off, now a few more fish have moved in. But the best snook is on the east side under the mangroves and around Two Pine. On the flats feed them whitebait, there are still a few schools of whitebait around. Shrimp are better on a bobber, pinfish are only fair for snook now. Fishing an artificial I’d throw a Twitch or a Jerk Shad. At Placida, a Rattletrap or a suspending Bomber would be my choice.

Sheepshead are still going good on the east side any place there is deep water against the mangrove. Placida has a good population of sheepshead as do the 41 and I-75 bridges but you have to chum, scrape some barnacles from the pilings for sheepshead bait and chum.

March

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Fish you can expect in

SEATROUT On the grass flats, in the Harbor or the P.I. Sound

SNOOK On the move as water warms up

YELLOWTAIL on the Gulfʼs near shore reefs

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Gulf Temps are low to mid 60s A little cooler around the mouth of the Harbor

95˚ 90˚ 85˚ 80˚

Lemon Bay - Placida Jim at Fishermen’s Edge 697-7595

Fishing has been pretty good. I went offshore last week and it was really really nice out at 70 feet. We had some nice gags that we had to let go, mangrove snapper - a good amount of big ones - some beautiful lane snapper and nice almaco jacks and amberjacks. We filled a big cooler with nice edible fish, mostly caught on squid - the fish didn’t want to take pinfish that day. My guys went again the next day too.

Inshore has been good too. There have been a lot of big trout. I’m seeing pictures of 26- to 28inch trout and lost in the high 20s coming from Lemon Bay and the Gasparilla Sound. Catfish Creek had a big wad of them - more than one or two - guys were catching them with a variety of plastics on a jig. In that same Whidden Creek area there have been a numbers of redfish some

72˚ 70˚ 68˚

Top Left: Ben Marquez caught this redfish on a live shrimp under a popping cork with Capt. Charlie Phillips Top Right: Jeff Moore with a 33 pound AJ on a Kingfisher charter. Above: Stephen Cenko with a beautiful Harbor snook Left: Andy Watkins and his father-in-law caught 20 pompano at the Boca Grande pier.

over the slot, but guys have had keeper sized redfish out back in the past week and quite a bit of snook, casting lures.

Pompano and permit are in and around the Boca Grande side of the trestle where it comes under the new bridge and out along to the inside of that area. Word has spread, a lot of fish were caught.

Sheepshead the bite has been good, there are a lot in and along the docks adjacent to north Gasparilla Island and at Novak and Trembly reefs. Earlier they were asking for big shrimp but then just any shrimp.

Some whiting and all the other varieties in the surf. Some flounder are being caught, it depends on the tide movement. The guys on the beach are doing well with frozen sand fleas and live or frozen shrimp. You want the blanched sand fleas, the meat stays on the hook better, the ones that are just frozen are freezer burned so the meat shrinks up. The blanched ones look more pinkish color.

Amberjack are around if you want to fight something tough. The guys are telling me they have been getting ajs to around 100 pounds.

Freshwater is sort of OK too, some guys are whacking the bass with spinner baits and worms.

January and on through February, while fishing with Capt. Joe Miller, aboard Offshore Galore out of the Venice inlet.

50˚ 45˚

FISHING RIGHT NOW:

Good

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MARCH 2016