| | Launch Ramp Follies If you ever want a truly entertaining spectacle, bring a deck chair, a six-pack of cold ones, and park yourself at the nearest boat ramp on a busy weekend. Then sit back and enjoy the antics of those who launch and retrieve their beleaguered vessels. Hang around one of these public facilities and you will see sights that defy description and imagination. Periodically, I have recounted some of the outrageous fishing characters that haunt our fishing trips. | | FWC Proposes Allowing Commercial Mullet Harvest on Weekends The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) proposed a draft rule on Thursday that would allow commercial fishers to harvest striped or black mullet on weekends. A final public hearing on this rule proposal will take place during the June 11-12 FWC meeting in Dania Beach. The commercial harvest of mullet has been prohibited on weekends during certain months of the year since 1989 to help protect mullet when they spawn. A recent FWC stock assessment indicates mullet populations are now healthy enough statewide to sustain commercial mullet harvesting on weekends. | | Why Can’t I Catch Fish? It has been alleged that a mere 10-percent of the fishing population does all the catching – while the remaining 90-percent wishes they could. But even that’s not entirely accurate, because a goodly number of those 90-percenters couldn’t care less and are downright numb to what’s going on around them when they fish. So for the purposes of this commentary, we will address that goodly chunk of fishing losers who are frustrated – and really want to know why they can’t catch fish and what they could be doing wrong. | | Rewiring a Trailer Seems Intimidating, but Is Relatively Easy A recent column discussed fixes for common boat trailer light problems. These problems often don’t often surface until you hitch up the trailer for the first time of the season. Sometimes, just replacing light bulbs and fixing the electrical ground won’t work because the trailer’s wiring is shot. It may take a simple repair or need complete replacement. Many boat owners put off rewiring a trailer or pay someone to do it because it seems like an intimidating job. You don’t have to be an electrical engineer to do it. You just need a buddy, a rewire kit, wire strippers and black electrical tape. | | One Arm is No Handicap For Plant City Guide John Baty was a happy Plant City, Florida motorcycle cop who loved his work serving and protecting his community. He also was passionate about fishing. Most of his off time was spent somewhere on or near local waters, pursuing bass and other freshwater species, or driving over to the Gulf shoreline for the abundant saltwater action. Then, one November day in 1980, Baty jumped on his motorcycle to head for a police meeting. He was cruising down a major highway at 60 mph, when an auto suddenly pulled out of a gas station and broad-sided him. | | "Oldies, But Goodies" I was looking through my fishing closet in the garage the other day and found an old dusty box full of has-been fishing reels. I couldn't help but to start and go through them, one by one. In all, there were twenty-one. I began to think to myself why is it that fishermen have such trouble throwing out stuff? You know, old reels, poles, lures, and the like? | | Tarpon Lure Sharks to Boca Grande Pass The annual tarpon migration to our area from points south is taking place now and somewhat earlier than normal due to the warm winter and resulting higher than normal water temperatures. And, along with tarpon come hungry sharks! Gulf water temperature at this time is in the 70’s, which is sufficiently warm enough for tarpon to inhabit local waters. While warm water ushers in the large number of tarpon to Boca Grande Pass, it also attracts several species of sharks. Hammerheads and bull sharks love to feed on tarpon and they create added excitement to tarpon season for those visitors who have not had a close encounter with the species other than watching “Jaws” at the movies. | | How Fast Should I Strip My Fly? I am asked this question more frequently than any other by both new as well as more experienced fly fishers. They are asking for a key to make their fly more appealing to the fish. The question sounds simple enough, but the answer is rather complex. If I said use a six inch slow strip with a little pause, does that mean that the fly will move six inches and hesitate slightly? Maybe, but unless several rules are followed, the fly may not move at all or at a much more accelerated rate. Good principles of line control will transmit movements of your stripping hand to the fly. | | What did we do before loran, GPS and color machines? Park yourself behind the helm of an offshore fishing machine of the 90s, and you’d probably think someone had shanghaied you to the flight deck of a 747 jetliner. With Radar, GPS, color and LED machines, GPS tracking autopilots – all those computerized whizbangs truly levels the playing field in the deep blue. So efficient are these space age gadgets that the fish simply don’t stand a chance. It’s all very democratic. Anyone with minimal fishing skills, a basic knowledge of how to run these user-friendly devices, plus a book full of choice coordinates can be almost guaranteed a ‘skunked-free’ offshore day. | | Southshore Manatee Zones Fail to Protect Manatees Christmas Eve 2007 was unseasonably mild, calm, and cloudless. Capt. Tom Rinehart and I left the dock at the mouth of the Little Manatee River where I keep my boat. On the north side of the river there’s an unmarked channel that leads out into the bay, and the speed limit here is 25 MPH. The marked channel on the south side of the river is posted at idle speed. Guess which side the manatees use most. Every morning I watch them as they come past the dock, sometimes the only thing that gives them away are the circular paddle marks on the surface to mark their passage. We leave the river and get on plane one we cross the oyster bar. | | The Fantastic Flats of Spring In spring, the entire world of fishing is a bountiful cornucopia of profuse potential. Sounds kind of flowery but, when you think about it, these are the golden days of our fishing year. And nowhere is this more evident than in backcountry fishing. Once dormant winter flats are now alive with activity. A first generation of spring baits percolate across the grasses. Vast schools of mullet push massive wakes as they pour out of creeks and passes. Not far behind are foraging herds of big-shouldered reds eager to replace the lost calories of winter. | | Fishing Tampa Bay’s Weedon Island Preserve Weedon Island began its existence as an ancient shell refuse site and burial mound complex. Then after the Civil War, the land was purchased by Captain W. B. Henderson and gifted to his daughter Blanche, on her marriage to a Tampa doctor, Leslie Weedon. Using the island as a weekend retreat until1923, the Weedons sold most of the property to real estate magnate Eugene Elliot. | | It’s Ugly, But Catches Fish – Doc’s Goofy Jig Of all the characters that populate the Tampa Bay fishing scene, none is more intriguing than the guy they call “Doc.” A tall, burly man in his 70s with a perpetual grin, Doc exudes a pleasant charm and joyful outlook. Though living and working in Florida for the last 48 years, his speech pattern remains tinged with the slight brogue of his native Brooklyn. Some 17 years ago, he retired after 33-years with Pinellas County Water and Sewer. At last, Doc would be able to spend his retirement years pursuing a lifelong passion - fishing the bountiful waters of the Florida Suncoast. | | A Redfishing Trip to Remember Over the years there are a few fishing adventures that trigger some great memories. One of them occurred in the mid 90s in the productive environs of Charlotte Harbor. My host that day was one of the top Boca Grande/Charlotte Harbor fishing guides, Captain Chris Mitchell. Making the mandatory bait stop, Chris had a bit of difficulty locating the size and quantity of live pilchards required for working those pristine back bay areas. Chris said he was seeing bait but, for some reason, they seemed "spooky" and didn't respond to the chum. Finally, after several tries, Chris managed to position his boat so that the chum mixture of bread and canned jack mackerel drifted back squarely into a bubbling school of what looked like decent sized bait. | | Gag Grouper of the Gulf of Mexico Prized by restaurant-goers and recreational anglers alike, the gag grouper is one of the most popular fish of the Florida Gulf coast. Unfortunately, this popularity, mixed with its proclivity for sex changes and a generous dose of poor fishery management, has resulted in a significant threat to gag grouper from overfishing. Despite the challenges, however, it is not too late for us to reverse the trend. Implementing science-based management tools can restore the Gulf’s gag population to health and provide a boost to both our environment and our economy. Gag grouper live in and among the rocks, reefs, and ledges of the eastern Gulf of Mexico, and occupy an important role in maintaining ecological balance, but their biology makes them particularly susceptible to overfishing | | Bamboo Fly Rods Rods used to cast flies have been made of many types of material. Lancewood, Greenheart, Ash and Basswood each went thru a period when they were thought to be the ideal material for rod assembly. Before and after that, bamboo was used in Asia, Europe and in the mid 1800’s found its way to America. Several builders here used split bamboo to build complete rods in the 1860’s. Tonkin bamboo wasn’t discovered as a rod making material until the 1930’s. Today there are some very skilled craftsmen who still choose to use bamboo to build fly rods. | | Release the Mighty Silverking Unharmed There was a time when many marine species caught in the guise of “sportsmanship” and not for food, were used for pictures and then discarded, which included the poor fish being hung from a rack, with the “all conquering” angler standing boastfully aside, his “weapon” rod and reel in hand. Regarding tarpon, what a shame for a magnificent game fish to end up as a very brief and selfish hurrah…the subject of a picture. And from there, after the pictures and while the “hunters” are in the bar celebrating, the carcass of what once was a magnificent marine specimen is tossed in the garbage dumpster or shoved back overboard to feed the crabs and catfish. | | Never ‘Tick-Off’ a Fishing Buddy Rising over the steep crest of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, I was happy to see that the bars and rocks in the bay below were already covered with water. "Good incoming tide," I thought. In the rear view mirror, Merrill’s old 1978 Toyota trailed its one headlight not quite as bright as the other. My late friend Merrill Chandler, alias ‘The Canoe Man’, followed me off onto U.S. 19 heading toward the "Fast Fetch" for an ice stop. Meanwhile, I continued on to the ramp. It had been a dark, sliver-of-a-moon night, but now, looking eastward, the sky began taking on a lighter bluish coloration in preparation for the dawn. | Mapping Spawning Habitat of Seatrout in Tampa Bay
Spotted seatrout are the top catch for anglers in the Gulf of Mexico and one of the marine species most targeted in Florida waters*. Given the popularity of spotted seatrout, it is important that researchers understand the fish’s reproductive biology and protect its spawning stocks. The FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute is currently conducting several studies addressing these issues. One such study focuses on the spotted seatrout’s spawning habitat in the Tampa Bay area. | | Fishing The Chassahowitzka River I really enjoy getting away from the crowds and exploring new territory. My fellow Tampa Bay Fly Fishing Club fishing buddy Nick Angelo and I were going to meet the next day to fish a local river that empties into Tampa Bay. Nick’s phone call to finalize plans began with, “Pat, have you ever fished the Chassahowitzka?” Nick, “I can’t even pronounce it,” was my response. His enthusiastic assurance that I would like it was all I needed to say yes. We arranged to meet on the north end of Tampa where we would ride together in his vehicle towing his skinny running Hell’s Bay flats skiff. The predawn traffic thinned out as we made our way north into the country leaving suburbia in the rear view mirror. As the sun began to rise, we arrived at the Chassahowitzka River campground.../span> | A Message and Picture From a Reader in Guam | | Crackdown on Fishing Violations Around the Gulf Rim Alabama Marine Resources Division officers confiscated 110 red snapper fillets and four red drum recently during a patrol made possible by a joint enforcement agreement with the National Marine Fisheries Service. Marine Resources Conservation Enforcement Officer Bo Willis and Lt. Scott Bannon boarded the Slick As Glass about 25 nautical miles south of Petit Bois Island off the Mississippi Coast and found four red drum that had been gutted and a mesh bag containing the fillets of 55 red snapper. | | Kick Starting the New Snook Season Snook season has now officially reopened. Remember, there are rules with which west coast snookers should be acquainted. The bag limit is now one snook per day, Not less than 28” or more than 32”Atlantic -Not less than 28” or more than 33” Gulf of Mexico, Monroe County, Everglades Nat. Park. | | 2008 Tarpon Tournament Season Kicks off in Boca Grande All of a sudden tarpon season is just around the corner and fishing action at Boca Grande Pass should come sooner than normal due to our very warm winter. Last season seems like just yesterday, but here we are already approaching tarpon excitement again, which includes plans for the fourth annual BGFGA Invitational Tarpon Tournament, plus the new 2008 well known guides’ pamphlet, “Tarpon Fishing and Boat Operation at Boca Grande Pass”. As most know, the 2007 tournament was a great success, with a lot of tarpon caught, and now plans are being made for the fourth annual tournament that takes place this coming May. | | The Observant Angler Contrary to what any non-fishermen says (no, really, they do exist, scary as that may sound they are out there. People that DON’T like to fish. But that is another story.) we fishermen have a very keen mind. Sharp as a tack. With a memory second to none. And don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. From the moment we get up on the appointed fishing day, our minds are working at a speed that would rival a rocket scientist. | | Mullet “on the fly” The mullet is perhaps the most intriguing fish in our waters. Everyone knows that they are herbivores-- eating only grasses and other vegetation -- and rarely ever striking any of our baits. True, sometimes we accidentally hook a mullet while jigging for other species, but most of the time these unique fish graze the day long on our flats. Now, Capt. Gene Zamba has discovered that these abundant species will actually strike a fly, and has caught many using a fly rod in his Tarpon Springs venue. | | Snooking by the Dock’s Early Light To say that Capt. Pat Damico is an early riser, understates the lengths to which he will go on his mission of catching lunker snook under the docks light of Pinellas County. Awaking around two in the morning, Damico usually meets his clients before 3 AM. They fish the lights until the break of dawn, after which they switch over to nearby mangroves and spoil islands in pursuit of catch and release linesiders. Now if you don’t think that’s fun fishing – you don’t know what fun is.Of course, when the sun is out, we can all easily spot snook under docks hanging in the shade. “During the day, you see them around, but it doesn’t mean you’re gonna catch them,” said Damico. “But at night, they’re really on the feed. | | A Dirty Dozen For Your Vessel - Part 1. Paradise Marine down in Gulf Shores, Alabama takes care of a tremendous number of boats. Consequently, they see plenty of service and maintenance items that most of us might think aren’t really all that important. We would, of course, be wrong. Paradise has assembled a series of things that can sometimes be taken for granted and overlooked for annual service. not talking about dings in the gel coat, torn upholstery, broken livewell pumps and stuff like that... | | The Dirty Dozen For Your Vessel, Part - 2. Paradise Marine Gulf Shores, Alabama takes care of a tremendous number of boats. They see plenty of service and maintenance items that most of us might think aren’t really all that important. We would, of course, be wrong. In yesterday's feature article, we began sharing a “Dirty Dozen” items that Paradise Marine Center identified as being the dozen most commonly ignored items that come back to “bite” boaters. Today, items 7-12 of the “Dirty Dozen”. | | Freshwater Recreational Fishing Rule Changes The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) passed rule amendments Wednesday to sharpen management of the state’s freshwater recreational and commercial fisheries. Florida remains the Fishing Capital of the World because of great resources and responsible management. Regulations, based on solid research, public input and local impact, ensure a bright future for Florida’s anglers. | | “Dem Bones” or “Understanding Rule #13” Having been soundly and repeatedly thrashed by redfish in every nook and cranny of East Central Florida, I decided I should try fishing elsewhere. Some friends, who consider themselves comedians, advised me to surrender unconditionally and take up knitting. Others hinted that a trip south might do some good. "Yeah, Stubb, them bone's down'n the Keys look like good fun. Whyn't ya head down there?" So, dodging tropical depressions, I did go. | | Rivers Offer Cold Weather Success One of my first fly fishing experiences in the Tampa Bay area was fishing a fresh water river that empties into the Bay. It was mid winter and low saltwater temperatures had many of our warmer water targets now in more comfortable brackish environments. My companion, Bob Finck, suggested this trip and he was right on the money. We caught snook, reds and large jacks from my flats boat where occasionally a fly could be cast to either shore. This was twelve years ago, but the experience is repeated every year under cold weather conditions. | | Cold Weather, Shallow Water, Big Crappie In the midst of a duck hunt in often cold temperatures, hunting and fishing guide Garry Mason turned to me and said “see those seagulls over there on that flat- I can go over there and catch crappie.” I had to laugh. After all, the water he was referencing may have been under attack by gulls on a school of shad, but good grief, we’re talking about cold water – as in ice around the edges. No matter, said Mason, I have people laugh at me all the time when I tell them they can catch crappie – slab-sided crappie – in less than two feet of water in the wintertime. |
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