The Environmental Right: Boga Grips are fatal :)

The Environmental Right: Boga Grips are fatal :)

Forget Gold, Go Tuna!

AFP / Getty Images

A 754-pound blue-fin tuna was sold at auction in the Tokyo's fish market, fetching a record 32.49 million yen, that converts to around $396,000. Yosuke Imada, owner of a upscale Kyubei sushi restaurant, will split the fish with a Hong Kong based sushi chain. These tuna are highly prized in Japan and are sought out more often than any other fish in the region but environmental groups say the practice is unethical and the Bluefin tuna are huge, sophisticated animals with well-developed brains and nervous systems. Maybe they too should be placed together with the nonhuman persons to which Dr Jane Lubchenko and her cronies have placed Dolphins?

The Political Sandbox: Supporting Marine Spatial Closures in Florida

The Political Sandbox: Supporting Marine Spatial Closures in Florida

Venice, Florida to Charlotte Harbor Report

SOUTH FLORIDA INSHORE OFFSHORE
Reports from dockside at the Crows Nest stated drift boats at the Venice reef, inshore Florida, were catching a small kingfish, porgies and lane snappers, along with some Cobia. Further out in the sloppy waters offshore the inshore, reported of one Wahoo this week, along with some kingfish, a few small sailfish and blackfin tunas being reported.
Piers & Jetties:
The Venice Pier at Sharky's, had scattered Spanish mackerel, some bluefish at night and a few mangrove snappers and some jacks. Head action was pretty good this week on the North Jetty at Nokomis, so I would speculate, the sheepshead action was probably pretty much the same on the south side of the inlet at Venice, as I could see rods bending and fish coming up from their rocks also. Snookering in and out and up through the Alley under the lights around the piers has been hot as we used Luv lures and Storm soft bait jigs. Lower Harbor at El Jobean Pier, Tarpon were biting live shrimp at night at El Jobean along with a few black drum, small redfish and sea trout.

Freshwater Bite:

Monster in the making!

Believe it or not? The bass in Charlotte County ponds, lakes or quarries could be bedding up. As Edwin & I slid the Snapper into the waters of a sinkhole/old quarry, the edges along the ridges to drop-offs and up against the lee side of most of the cattail islands were littered in beds with big bass moving about. Live baits, like shiners worked but what really turned on these bucletmouth bass were Zoom 4 inch lizards in the purple with blue specks. The crystal clear waters of most artisan to deep water ponds/sinkholes, require stealth in approach if angling from the shoreline but when in a canoe, it was like we were one of them. The small want to be trophies were caught on just about every other cast. The Billy Bass, those trophies you see on the walls, only followed or hit and spit before one could set it up. In the blink of an eye, the lizards were in and out of their buckets before you could even think, “set the hook!” Under normal conditions, where there are oak trees around or along side the banks, the water has that appearance of cloudy to dark, though it is still clear in the fish environment, from atop, it looks dark and deep. These sinkholes, on the other hand often than not have no trees around them and thus are clear as can be; Ed and I felt as though we were fishing in an aquarium at Mote, rather than out in the boonies of the county. Twice, we saw what I believe to be a couple of bass in the State record size of at least fifteen pounds or more with a number of smaller ten pound Largemouth in tow! Our day consisted of, no fish story either, catching somewhere around three-hundred bass ranging between six ounces to three pounds; all small and all a photograph moment with a release to get bigger. The genetics of this pond was impressive, to say the least, with every sort of Pan fish one could find and a Bass on every cast.

Cooler weather this weekend will likely slow the bass bite, so flipping and pitching soft-plastic worms, crawdads and creature baits around the outside grass lines, along deep drop-offs is probably the best bet for big fish. Live medium shiners in the North Port canals have produced lots of small bass, with perch were biting live minnows and worms under a slip cork. With the cooler weather, try to fish later in the day and use a worm or lizard with a black or dark purple or flip a creature bait into the vegetation lining the canals.

Lower Keys-Key West Fishing Report

Jack Dubose's Prize Catch

The wind has given us fits down here the last week in the Florida Keys, changing direction from northeast to east then hard southeast. As I’m writing this, the wind is trying to die out but we have another cold front on the way, leaving but a small window of opportunity in catching fish but catch we shall! Wind or slight wind, none of this seemed to matter to the fish on the reefs, as there were what seemed to be acres of ballyhoo stacked against the shoals and the fishing has been outstanding!

Marauding schools of jack cravelles, yellow jacks, Cero mackerel, barracudas, bonito, blackfin tuna and packs of sailfish have been in shallow water showering the schools of ballyhoo. This is the sound one hears as the fish attack the baits and as they flee, in a mad furry of erratic discomposure, it makes a sound much akin to listening to a shower, as well, the fish spray too looks as though Neptune turned on an upside down shower head.

This past week I was fishing with Gary Kolesar and his sons Ryan along with Justin from Michigan and we caught large jack cravelles, Cero mackerel and barracudas in just 11ft of water. First we anchored and caught live ballyhoo for bait, then set out the baits and waited to draw in the fish. Ballyhoo were showering all around and frigate birds were snatching the flying ballyhoo right out of mid-air. After catching several fish we got off the hook and followed the frigates, casting surface plugs into the melee, when the surface exploded with jacks chasing the bait fish.

Gary Kolesar Catches Jack!

The next day I was out on the reef due south of Key West with the Dubose family from North Carolina, where we had the same conditions and plenty of ballyhoo showers too. We anchored in 25’-30’ of water off the shoal and proceeded to catch blackfin tuna, bonito, Cero mackerel, barracuda, yellow jacks, grouper and yellowtail snapper. Father Will and sons Hill, Brown and Jack all caught plenty of quality fish while mom, Paige took pictures. Even though sea conditions were pretty sloppy everyone hung in and caught fish.

The key to fishing around the shoals is to find the ballyhoo and look for showers of the baitfish and birds working the area. Anchoring and using block chum to draw the fish in or drifting live baits while casting artificial lures all work well. It was a great day angling the waters and you too should come on down to Papa's town and together, you too, can hook it up. Captain Mark Schmidt

Dick's Tarpon Challenge Palm Island, the Florida Keys

Captain Greg Poland Charters

Large or small Tarpon is a fantastic fly rod challenge, know matter what time of the year it is but when your angling just off of Palm Island, in the Florida Keys, it is a gem on both counts. Little Palm Island, in the Keys, was once used as the exclusive fishing retreat of President Harry Truman. Accessible only by boat or seaplane, the island's hospitality has drawn an impressive guest list, including the late President Kennedy, Al Gore and Ivanna Trump. It is known as the south Pacific of south Florida. This island, in the Florida Keys, can be found at Latitude 24°37.11, Longitude 81°24.42, just four nautical miles north of Looe Key Light (marker 24). The Loran coordinates are 13981.6 and 43530.5 at Flashing Red #2, which marks the entrance to Newfound Harbor. This paradise exists, lying discreetly off the fabled Florida Keys coastline. Little Palm Island is not only an escape of choice for presidents, high profile celebrities and savvy travelers alike but a hot spot in catching many a species on a fly.

On the last day of 2010, I had probably the best day of my entire last year of fishing today in fishing with a new client, as we were in pursuit of fishes on the fly off Palm Island. Pam Wilson booked the trip and before actually getting it on, in the water, I was teaching Dick the techniques of saltwater fly fishing. Armed with an Orvis fly rod and matching reel, Dick was doing extremely well in putting my hand tied, white Deceiver, out on a lay of the water. Seven Weight line and a twenty pound tippet, on Dicks third lay, he had a fish on! The excitement of seeing him hook it up was no more than if it was watching my first hook up ever as the air was electrifying. The fish stripped out a number of feet and then spit the hook, as from the corner of my eye, I noticed a roll of a silver King and blurted cast it over there; tarpon on the move! Dick, swinging around, like a pro-angler made three false casts an laid the fly just to the nose of this rolling beauty of majestic size. At the swirl of a tail, again 'Fish On!' and the fight ensued. Angling on the leeward side of the island, this fish too was getting out of the 20 knot wind a blowing from the other side while rolling and feeding in the sea-grass of the shallows. As this happy fish stripped line off the reel, it finally decided in giving a show of presentation as it danced on its tail across the water. Dick raised the rod tip, as one would do if flying for trout or reds in keeping a taunt line, when he should have bowed to the fish in hopes of no shake off but shake off it was with a fish on, fish gone. What a spectacular feat and a few moments of greatness, as the adrenalin was still in full flow in knowing it was a good fish. The funny thing was, Dick had reeled the fish in all the way to the beginning of the leader, which was at the tip of the rod and had the leader made it to the last eye, with a touch of his fingers, it would have been an official IGFA landing. Oh! Boy was that a close one. This trip was in full steam ahead! I told Dick, he was hot and to get that fly back out on the water because, who knows to what else may be feeding in this lee of the island. Dick again lay the fly out and Wham, bam, thank you mam, another fish was on. Though it seemed different but it was stripping line, like no tomorrow. With a straight run back to the sea-grass, up it came to dance on its tail, too, like a miniature minaret, splashing back with another run to the bottom. After a struggling fight on this fishes part, Dick raised a small, fingerling Tarpon! It had as much fight and spirit as did the big boy that got away, only much, much smaller; the fly was only slightly smaller. “Hungary appetite,” I exclaimed, as we both laughed in a brotherhood of togetherness. Dick suggested he was having just too much fun and that I ought to get into the action. I joined in for a little while and hooked it up with a tarpon just before heading in. In all my days, this rates up there with one of the best because that is what it is all about; having a good time while catching fish and the catch to release of that baby tarpon made this the best day of the last day of the year 2010.

THE ONLINE FISHERMAN

The World Record Kingfish, that wasn’t!

The World Record Kingfish, that wasn’t!

By Captain Mark Schmidt 

 

Back in the mid-1980’s the IGFA opened up the 20lb tippet division for fly fishermen. When a line class opens up there are many more opportunities to set a world record. These fish may not be the biggest or represent the line class that well but they were the first fish to be caught on the open line class.

If your goal as a fisherman is to set a world record this is a golden opportunity to take advantage of an IGFA line class with little or no fish entered. This was our goal as Capt. Greg Poland and I headed out from Key West one calm, clear winter day, those many years ago.

I’ve known Greg for many years and he’s fished with me since he was in high school. We grew up in the same town, Miami Springs, and both had belonged to the Miami Sport fishing Club though not at the same time.

Greg had one specific goal that day and that was to catch a world record fish. There have been many world record fish caught on my boat, some planned and some not, but this trip was planned to fish for a species that could be a quality world record for the newly opened 20lb tippet class. I decided to target kingfish because there were plenty around and we had the right conditions to catch large kingfish on a fly rod.

On the day we were to fish we faced one problem-the night before our trip the NMFS closed the recreational capture of kingfish in federal waters. After conferring with Greg we decided to start in state waters and work our way out trying to find a large kingfish, that was legal to take. Conditions proved tough, so I decide to head west from Key West, to a spot about 30 miles away but well in federal waters. I had reasoned that this spot had other world record opportunities besides kingfish such as jacks and Cobia. Of course, once we anchored up and started fishing, we were covered up with huge kingfish sky rocketing everything we threw in the water. Wasting little time, Greg cast out a large white streamer fly and starting stripping the fly back with an erratic retrieve. The fly didn’t go three feet before a giant kingfish blasted it and went screaming off. After a lengthy fight, Greg worked the fish to the boat and my waiting scale. The kingfish bottomed out the 50lb scale-well over any fish entered on 20lb tippet fly and a great catch on any tackle.

Greg and I now had a decision to make, enter this fish and know we had caught it in closed federal waters or release a potential world record fish that Greg had tried so hard over the years to catch. Greg and I looked at each other and there was no hesitation from either of us, as I released the kingfish to fight another day. We knew what we had accomplished that day and that was good enough. As we headed back to Key West I reflected on how happy I was to have a friend that valued the traditions of fishing and sportsmanship, as much as I did.

Capt. Mark Schmidt is Captain Greg Poland's guide in Key West, Florida,

 

http://gregpoland.com

who will be working along with Capt. Alex Adler, to make up the best guide team in the Florida Keys.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY:
THE ONLINE FISHERMAN DOT COM
Fighting for your rights to fish
Keep our waters open!